Tere

Well in that case you just need a group hug. (not being sarcastic, that's quite genuine). Also my intent with *sadcheer* might not be interpreted in the way I intended. That was on the lines of I understand the reasons but I had a sad... (pre prepped stuff exists here comfortably and I do understand the need but it's about 50 to 60% of the price I think). It still feels very overpriced.

Ditto. The vodka is the vodka liquid not the beets right? If it looks good I'd eat it. If you are serving paid guests definitely try a shot first, but I'd try both of those comfortably in a domestic context.

*sadcheer*

OK, so last goose I bought was I think 6 kg. That was Christmas dinner for two (the breast), a couple of well stocked sandwiches, and a tagine which I think was about 4 portions. So 8 portions, maybe 10 because I ate half my breast. Plus delicious delicious slow rendered goose skin, which is amazing, 50 ice cubes worth of goose fat at least which does my goose fat roast potatoes for 6 months, and 2 good sized portions of goose liver parfait. And stock / soup obviously. Goose throws a LOT of fat, so it does slightly less than you would think in terms of meat, but it's going to pay dividends in other ways.

Goose is amazing if cooked well. I haven't hit the motherlode yet and I might well strip the fat from the meat and try the sousvide approach next Christmas. But slow rendered goose skin in the Aga is one of life's pleasures. And I render enough goose fat for 6 months at least of roast dinner goose fat potatoes from my Christmas goose. Also goose liver parfait is to die for

I am amazed that tulip flowers are edible, I'd have assumed that they weren't as IIRC aren't the bulbs poisonous? The Grauniad has some suggestions of varieties here: http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/gardening-blog/2013/oct/04/tulips-edible-flowers Love how much you learn here

blue_dolphin, are you using this recipe? http://www.hippressurecooking.com/make-a-super-fast-lemon-marmalade-under-pressure/ My local pub does such excellent marmalade I've not been tempted but might be useful to file mentally

We usually have goose at Christmas, and the last one cost 50 quid from our local butcher, who gets it direct from a local farmer, so yeah, it does seem expensive.

Breakfast Easter egg apparently!

I think of miso as so intrinsically soy bean flavoured from my years in Japan I am genuinely intrigued

I did not make this! Posted for your amusement (please ignore the grammar :D) Host's note: the link and attribution required by the eG Copyright Guidelines are embedded above and the 'grammar' refers to the photo's caption. The link is to a Facebook post by the Fry Up Police: https://www.facebook.com/fryuppolice/photos/a.689796307757343.1073741833.663388837064757/1004469319623372/?type=3&theater

Nice, will have to download that - thanks for the heads up. Marcus was a pretty good replacement for Jean Michel Roux Jr in Professionals apparently it's also Masterchef season again too.

Sure, it might be a while till I go in though. It's not a regular stop for me and it's 25 miles away. I will pop in if I am passing though. The layout and use of stacked boxes looks very very similar to your pictures basically.

Yeah, shopping trolley is probably shopping cart in American English. The thing with four wheels you push round the store.

If they are in the kale / Swiss chard / Spring green food group I reckon they could work up to Canada for sure. Certainly worth an experimental bed if you like them

The only thing I have made that is close to this is wild damson cheese but why not? Just don't rely on the timings.

Oh, the other thing that was fantastic at Christmas was their mixed luxury nuts. So fresh, so tasty. I might buy 20 next year and vacuum pack or split into jars. Really very good.

I am still highly amused by the trolley discussion One of the things I always do in a pop in is look in the middle two aisles for non food bargains. In the UK that can be great for kitchenalia or tools, also great for gardening gloves and wet weather gear. I will keep a sharp eye out for that food mixer / processor. I have never seen the need but if it is 60 quid....

I don't have any advice whatsoever, and it sounds like it's been a tough few years for you, for which I am sorry, but your dishes look very pretty and I'd eat them in a heartbeat. Hoping you find your groove.

The Specially Selected branding looks pretty much identical to that in the UK (which is branded up for the UK and Republic of Ireland).

It sounds like their return policy is great i am amused that a deposit on return trolley is unusual. Standard practice here is a pound coin not a quarter

Tomorrow I start a 10 week volunteer course that is funded by something or other at the local community garden. I thought it wise as I have not grown even a tomato plant before

Interesting. I had assumed collards were effectively the green tops of a cash or fodder root crop like turnips or manglewurzles or something hence being ok for the slaves to harvest because it was a free byproduct , but they are genetically similar to kale / Spring greens / Swiss chard apparently. Or so wiki tells me https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Collard_greens watching this space.

Not Aldi, but Lidl, but they occupy the same niche and have almost the same branding so they are pretty interchangeable to me. I used to live in a very working class ex mining village just on the outskirts of Edinburgh and in 1999 the Lidl there was almost devoid of fresh stuff, the non fresh was housed in grim carts piled high, there was very little choice and it was broken biscuit central. It was nasty. I think it's completely fair to say that these guys have upped their game since then

This all looks fantastic. I am a complete convert to the ziplock sous vide, so I now have a vacuum sealer not doing a whole lot... I see a visit to the Indian cash and carry next time I am in Manchester. Although I always buy Natco spices from Sainsbury's as usually 100g of whateveritis is cheaper than a rinky dink jar of home brand or Schwartz or whatever. Makes no sense to me but it's how it works.