jackal10

Agreed. If you are tasting, say, 50 wines in a session you have to spit. Professional sommeliers and the like might taste 5000 wines/year. Many of those you would not want to swallow - very young and tannic wines, for example. Hopefully the organisers will have provided a proper spitoon, or a least a wine box with a plastic garbage gag filled with sawdust. This gives you a reasonable area to am for, and the adsorbant surface minimises back spatter.

If you use olive or another unrefined oil and chill it the mayo or aioli is likely to split as the oil solidifies. For another view of making Mayo and Aioli see http://forums.egullet.org/index.php?showtopic=29574 Here id a picture of Le Grand Aioli from that course

Awake for about another 4 hours or so. Somewhat hung over today - must be that cocoa... Scambling should have been scrambling but I can't type properly. Must be the hang-over. Scrambling according to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scrambling is "category of climbing that does not entail the use of any ropes on the ascent or descent." You use cold smoking for foods that don;t want to be cooked, such as smoked salmon (lox) or bacon. Hot smoking would cook the food and produce a different product, also good, but different, for example BBQ pork. I've not tried smoking fruits, but I imagine it could be interesting.Anyone had any? Loaves with sandwiches or similar inside are usually called "Pain Surprise", or surprise loaf although that term can mean other things as well. Here is a link to a picture of a proper commercial one from the entertainment menu of the supermarket chain Waitrose (www.waitrose.com) http://www.waitrosedeliver.com/images/prod...047275_BP_3.jpg They charge £38.50 (say $70) for one to feed 16 as part of a buffet, and need 5 days notice. Much neater than mine, but rather less smoked salmon in the sandwiches I expect, Here is the pork hock for supper. We'll have it with mashed potato and a green vegetable.

We are coming to the end of this blog. Its been fun, if hard work. Last chance for questions, or suggestions of what else you want me to cover. Too bad you are leaving. Tomorrow I was hoping to spend some time with Daniel Clifford at Midsummer House http://www.midsummerhouse.co.uk/, and then there is a black tie dinner at the Guildhall in London in the evening. Rubber chicken and boring speeches I expect. If the Midsummer House visit comes off I'll post it as a seperate thread. I wa co-founder of Midsummer House, although I sold it many years ago, but the "M" logo, designed for me by http://www.kindersleyworkshop.co.uk/ if turned upside down becomes my initials (JAL). My piece of vanity, that I'm glad they've kept. Daniel has achieved two Michelin Stars there, richly deserved.

Roses There are over 50 varieties of roses in the garden and to show them all would get tedious. The alkaline clay suits them and apples, as they are the same family. Here are a few favourites and ones of culinary or historic importance. Rosa Gloria Mundi (Rosa Mundi) ‘Rosa gallica versicolour’. My favourite rose. Said to be named after Fair Rosamund, mistress of Henry II. 12th century Rosa Gallica Officinalis“Red Rose of Lancaster” “The Apothecary’s Rose" Heavily scented, and used for rose water and rose scents. Of great antiquity Rosa Gallica ‘Rosa rubra’ ‘French Rose’. Another ancient rose Zéphirine Drouhin (1868) Thornless and heavily scented rambler, on the trellis next to the jacuzzi. Great rose for where people or kids might brush against it. . Next to it is Ghislaine de Féligonde (1916) also nearly thornless Guinee (1938); the darkest of all the red roses. Rambling Rector. ‘Shakespeare's Musk’. Ancient rose, scambling in a greengage tree Perle d'Or (1884) Good rose for a buttonhole on a summer linen jacket

Thanks Adam; very interesting. Next stage of the pork hock. Components for the mousseline forcemeat, The original had sweetbreads and morels and other exciting things. I thought a sage and onion one would be good. Chicken breast, egg white, a chopped onion softened in a little butter, sage and parsley and double cream. Whizz together, then beat in the cream gently, preferably over ice, until its soft, but still holds its shape. This took about 1/4 pint. Check the seasoning - salt and white pepper. It will need quite a bit because of all that bland cream. Take the bones out of the hock. Since this has been cooked to falling off the bone stage, its easy. Trotters are more fiddly. Some bone them raw, but I find it much easier cooked. Put it on a bit of oiled tinfoil or clingfilm. Spread with the forcemeat stuffing. You can add a contrasting colour centre if you are feeling fancy. Close up, wrap up in the foil, and put back in the casserole to poach off.

Nope they are made by Anne Bragg, the wife of fellow punter Nigel Bragg. They are the best brownies I have so far tasted.

The pork hock is transforming into porky goodness. Taken it out to cool, and will do the next stage lunchtime. Meantime I've got meetings and things to do...and more exam marking...

Some more pictures from last night The event takes place on Trinity Backs, on the river behind the Wren Library. This is the building the other side of which is shown in the firework picture on Page 1 of this blog. We were watched by a flock of Canada Geese. These have become a real nuisance in recent years, as they leave crap everywhere, and the river banks have to be netted to discourage them. We assemble the punts into a raft, and reposition it. These are people I was at University here with, and we've doing it annually for over 30 years - when at college I did a lot of backstage theatre work, which was how I got into it. Now we are all older, but much the same. Richard Stibbs, on the right is Praelector and wine steward of Downing College, and organises the web site for the Cambridge Wine tastings. Burwash Manor asparagus, and some of the finest in the world. The smoked salmon sandwiches went down well. It was an interesting thing to try, but I'm not sure the quality was that much better than good commercial smoked salmon. The smoke, the salmon taste, and the slight sourness from the bread were well balanced, with the butter rounding it all out. The Rolly Gassmann Gewurz, full but balanced. was perfect for the place and the food. The concert starts in daylight. A good crowd. The weather was cool (12C/55F), but we're British and will pretend its a warm. At least it was dry. After the interval we light the lights, and at the end punt the choir off into the night. We punt them down river to where the Master's Garden goes down to the river. They sing a a private encore to the Master and his guests, and we punt them back. Fabien (fabienpe) took these. The choir then go and party, and we clear up. Richard Marlow, the Conductor and Director of Music retires next year, so its not clear how things will go on.

The famous brownies. Went well, and the food and wine much appreciated. More pix tomorrow when I'm less tired. The concert finishes with "Innsbruck, ich muss dich lassen" (Isaac c1501), and then "Draw on Sweet Night" (Wilby 1609). Draw on, sweet night, best friend unto those cares That do arise from painful melancholy. My life so ill through want of comfort fares, That unto thee I consecrate it wholly. Sweet night, draw on! My griefs when they be told To shades and darkness find some ease from paining. And while thou all in silence dost enfold, I then shall have best time for my complaining. As they sing we punt them off into the dusk. Very beautiful and romatic.. I'm the one on the back, with the boater and punt pole, pushing. It was cold and I got back freezing, so I'm having a cup of cocoa with a splash of rum in it. Not something I do often. The nicest cocoa is made by dissolving about 2 oz of good chocolate in ithe hot milk, and whisking. . And so to bed..

The Paradise Ranch is certainly a very dramatic bottle. Nice wine as well. I've got about half a dozen left... It came from a local wine merchant (the Wine Cellar) I think I paid about £25/ half bottle, say $40 a couple of years ago. I see from http://www.wine-searcher.com/wine-select.l...MRHBBH40NX7001C its about the same price in the US and still available. From what I remember Champagne was from Alex Riley: NV Champagne, Gallimard Père & Fils, Cuvée Reserve Brut (GH; Gold Medal winner at International Wine Challenge 2000) . £13.50 (Case of 6: £74.00) Also: Halves at £7.40 The Creme de Peche de Vigne was from Earle Wines. Can't remember how much, but not expensive. Same sort of price as cassis Rolly Gassmann (Alsace) Gewurztraminer 1996. I bought it a few years ago. I think around £10/$18 from Cambridge Wines. .http://www.cambridgewine.com/winelist.html They have the 2001 for £13.99. Richards Walford is the UK importer

Scotch eggs have been adressed in other threads: hard boild egg, wrapped in sausage meat, egg and breadcrumbed then deep fried. Faggots http://thefoody.com/meat/savouryducks.html are liver and meat balls, originally wrapped in a pigs caul. Usually eaten hot, but I like them cold as well. Its derived from the latin facus meaning a bundle, or bound together. Hence a faggot meaning a bundle of sticks. The culinary use is also mixed things bound together, often made from scraps. I don't know how the term acquired its gay meaning; some say its because historically gay people were burnt at the stake using faggots but this seems to me to be unlikely. A fag is both a cigarette (tobacco bound by the paper), and a junior at a public school acting as a servant to a senior student, and may be the derivation.

Forgot the Pork Pie; the inheritor of all those Elizabethen Meat in Cofins... and a thermos of extra strong coffee...

Time to pack the hampers: Working toolbox: only plastic champagne flutes, but nice ones. Wines; Champagne: Cuvee Reseve Gallimard Pere et Fils with Creme de Peche de VIgne for those who want Scharzhofberger Kabinett 2001. This was a present in return for giving a lecture in Germany; interesting to try it. Rolly Gassmann (Alsace) Gewurstraminer 1996. What else to drink with Smoked Salmon? Rolly Gassmann wines are I think the best in Alsace; even better than Zind Humbrecht. Full and lucious. 1996 was a hot year. Paradise Ranch 2000 Merlot Icewine Okanagan Valley; Sweet but not too sweet to finish.

Check for th Picnic: Nibbles: My home made salami (saucisson menager fume) Sausages, radishes. Only bought cocktail sausages, but always popular. Smoked Salmon Sandwiches (see above) Smoked eggs (we met those before) Roast asparagus (someone else is bringing; last of the season) Following on the Elizabethen them; Roast chicken legs (bought- the shop makes them as well as I do) Faggots (meat balls; and for the less adventurous mini Scotch eggs, also bought) Sambocade (now portioned); Strawberries

Time to make the sandwiches. Slice the salmon. I can use the scraps for scrambled eggs and the like. Slice the top off the loaf, then slice out the middle. Its a big loaf! Slice off the crust, then butter (President Unsalted) and slice. I've cut it in half for easier handling. Make the sandwiches ...mmm... Pack them back into the loaf somehow... Cram the lid back on...just an ordinary loaf of bread... Wrap in clingfilm for ease of handling.

Brunch; Egg Bacon, Tomato, Mushroom. Toast and marmite Coffee and the Sunday paper

Not sure the garden has a deliberate aesthetic. The area was originally a market garden small holding. Although there is some archeological evidence of Bronze age settlement in the field next door, and later of Roman settlement and possibly a vinyard, the current use, and for example the trees in the Orchard probably date to land settlemet after the first world war. There is aslo some evidence of the original ridge and furrow cultivation, with the old main road of the village nearer the house than it is now. Most of the land we just leave, or do minimum maintenance, so most of it is wood, or rough meadow or pond and orchard. The vegtable gardens are fenced against rabbits and pigeons, and in principle run on a deep bed four rotation system, with 4ft beds so you can cultivate from the path without walking on the bed and destroying the soil structure, which is important in this heavy clay. In practice things get plonked in where there is a space. The house itself dates only to about 1960. Apparently before that there was a former railway carriage that the smallholder lived in. The herb garden is loosely adapted from a 1930s design from "A Garden of Herbs" by Eleanour Sinclair Rhodes. I thought about a desing based on an eighteenth century parterre, but a design with straight edges is much easier to maintain, The roses were designed and supplied and planted by Peter Beales Roses http://www.classicroses.co.uk/ whom I cannot praise too highly. The main garden is I guess goverened by the views from the house, and by the exisiting trees. Since its big, we need to do everything on a fairly large scale. Delicate plantings just get lost. Also its vital we can maintain as much as possible by machine - cut the grass with a tractor, for example. I've been here about 10 years. The main thing we've done is to re-align the drive, and effectively turn the house round, so what was the back is now the front, with a new entrance way. What is now the kitchen was the garage, and there is a new garage with a new road to it though the wood. The big border, and the herb garden (next to the kitchen) were my additions but otherwise we work with it as it was.

Chicken stock for soup. I fancy we might need some hot nourishing soup when we get in late tonight. Chicken carcass, onions, carrots, celery (the leafy bits), bayleaf, thyme, peppercorns. Often I use a pressure cooker for half an hour, but this lot I'll let seethe slowly in a low oven. Braised Pork Hock. Normally I have a roast on Sunday, and use the leftovers as the basis for meals in the early part of the week. However since we have the picnic today, instead I'm braising a pork hock. Good eats, and cheap too. Good food need not be expensive. This one was 72p or about $1.30, and will provide enough to feed four easily, and stock and components for other meals. Versatile. Braising provides lots of gooey sticky porky goodness, but you can roast it for sensational crackling. This one I think I might bone and stuff with a chicken mousseline forcemeat, like a big coarser version of Koffman's pied de cochon, but you can eat just as is with potatoes and cabbage, or in a Chinese version with rice flavoured with anise and other chinese dishes, or with dried beans, cassoulet like. Yummy. The chicken breasts (organic, free range yada yadya) come from the chicken carcass then is in the stockpot. This one is plain braised/pot roast, on a bed of vegetables (carrots, onions, celery; garlic and 2 tbs each of Maderia and light Soy). Doesn't need much liquid, as it makes its own. Long time low temperature cooked, of course - 90C or so overnight, so the collagen dissolves into unction. Heston Blumenthal, in his column in yesterday's Guardian, claims that star anise enhances the Umani or meat flavour. http://www.guardian.co.uk/weekend/story/0,,1502642,00.html Never works for me - I just taste aniseed. I prefer to use soy and sweet wine, originally Mirin, but instead I use a Madeira or sweet sherry. The natural glutamate in the soy enhances the meatiness of the dish.

Yes. The UK orchid is small, ground growing, a bit like a bluebell is size and general demeanor. The flowers are clearly orchid shaped, but wouldn't win prizes/ They depend on particular soil micro-fauna to thrive, so don't transplant well. I just looked up http://www.the-tree.org.uk/EnchantedForest...ottedorchid.htm They are not that common anymore, but apparently the tubers were once used for food. The site quote Richard Mabey's excellent "Food for Free" "It would be criminal to dig up any of the dwindling colonies of British orchids, let alone for food. Yet this lilac-flowered species deserves a place for completeness' sake, as it has been one of the more fascinating and valuable of wild foods. The tubers contain a starch-like substance called bassorine, which has in it more nutritive matter than any other single plant product, one ounce being sufficient to sustain a person for a whole day. In the Middle East, where the plant is more common, it is still widely used. The roots are dug up after the plant has flowered, and are occasionally eaten as they stand, either raw or cooked. But they are most usually made into a drink called Cahlab. For this the tubers are dried in the sun and ground into a rough flour. This is mixed with honey and cinnamon, and stirred into hot milk until it thickens. In Britain a similar drink called Salop was a common soft drink long before the introduction of coffee houses. In Victorian books it is mentioned as a tea-break beverage of manual workers. They made it with water more often than with milk, sometimes lacing it with spirits, sometimes brewing it so thick that it had to be eaten with a spoon." (Mabey, Richard - "Food for free", Harper Collins, 1992.)

What happens if you don't cut the grass. Actually I seeded this bit a few years ago with a wild flower mix. It was a spoil heap left over from some building work. The large plants are teasels, the brown heads being last years. Normally we cut the meadows in May and September, but this bit got left last year. Its important to remove the cuttings to lower the fertility if you want wild flowers, otherwise the grasses out compete them. The pond. I think the purple flowers are marsh mallow, but I'm not sure. There is a resident moorhen family. More edible wild flowers and berries, taken this morning Dog rose (petals, rosehips in autumn) Haws coming on hawthorn. Dominant hedgerow species. Very thorny, do good hedging. The haws used for jelly in autumn. Sloes: sour wild plums. Sloe gin, sloe jelly Rowan or mountain ash. Not native here. You can just see the white flours. Decorative orange berries in autumn used for rowanberry jelly. Wild garlic or Jack-by-the-hedge or ramps. Dying off now. A wild orchid. Small purple flowers in May. Only a common early purple, but not that common. Spotted leaves. Glad to see its setting seed.

Good morning! Cool and grey again today. However the forecast says it will stay dry, so we might get away with it tonight. However looks like something hot in a thermos flask might be good soup or more likely strong black coffee with a shot of brandy in it. View from the kitchen window over the sink. Turning circle at the top of the drive to the left. Note the nettles, now too big to eat. Raspberries seem to do better than Loganberries here. Brambles (blackberries) do best of all, and are wild in the hedges, or anywhere else they can. The loaganberry I have is a thornless variety, but needs to climb. Last year it fasciated - like three stems fused together to form a broad flat stem, Indicates the roots are more active then the top, - its not in that good position an I keep having to prune it heavily literally is wring out the whey - press out the liquid from the curd cheese by twisting it in a cloth. Not quite bring out the blender, but close.

Tonights supper was Filet of Scotch beef. Very rare for me. New potatoes (I apologise for so many spuds, but straight from the garden at this time of year they are sooo good) Fava bean tops Broccotini (purple sprouting broccoli) Elephant garlic very baby carrots Red wine pan reduction (a bit of meat glaze as well) The wine was a Cotes de Rhone 2001 that someone brought,

Thanks. I've been lucky, and been at the in the right place, and managed to start and sell IT companies when the market was up. That insulates me from a lot of real life. Cambridge is a civilised place, and my college one of the better. We should give thought to those not able to enjoy the things we do. I'm not that good. My food presentation is awful, and the spelling in these entries is a bit random. There are people who contribute to eGullet who are more fortunate, much richer, who have much greater IT expertise, commercial acumen, more food knowledge and who cook better than I do. And their food presentation and typing is better.

Its elderflower, not eldeberry. Elderberries come in the autumn and taste very differnt. The flower is very floral, with a distinctive taste. Some say a little like champagne, but it can be like cats piss if too old. You can probably buy the cordial, but I don't know if they make a version with a kashrut mark. http://www.belvoircordials.co.uk/page.php?pid=78