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Nigella Lawson and the New York Times


SobaAddict70

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Blue Heron, to put tinned peas in context: Brits love mushy peas. Which is why a major at-home staple is called "mushy peas". Because they're peas. And they're mushy.

"I've caught you Richardson, stuffing spit-backs in your vile maw. 'Let tomorrow's omelets go empty,' is that your fucking attitude?" -E. B. Farnum

"Behold, I teach you the ubermunch. The ubermunch is the meaning of the earth. Let your will say: the ubermunch shall be the meaning of the earth!" -Fritzy N.

"It's okay to like celery more than yogurt, but it's not okay to think that batter is yogurt."

Serving fine and fresh gratuitous comments since Oct 5 2001, 09:53 PM

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Blue Heron, to put tinned peas in context: Brits love mushy peas. Which is why a major at-home staple is called "mushy peas". Because they're peas. And they're mushy.

Thanks, Jinmyo.  I had not heard that before.  Makes sense now.  I also just learned that sometimes the British enjoy peas with fish and chips, kind of a traditional pairing I was not aware of before.  Also British marrowfat peas...wonder if that's as in bone marrow?

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Blue Heron, marrowfat peas are just a particular kind of dried peas. So the tinned peas are instead of reconstituting and then overcooking dried ones.

Sure, with fish and chips.

"I've caught you Richardson, stuffing spit-backs in your vile maw. 'Let tomorrow's omelets go empty,' is that your fucking attitude?" -E. B. Farnum

"Behold, I teach you the ubermunch. The ubermunch is the meaning of the earth. Let your will say: the ubermunch shall be the meaning of the earth!" -Fritzy N.

"It's okay to like celery more than yogurt, but it's not okay to think that batter is yogurt."

Serving fine and fresh gratuitous comments since Oct 5 2001, 09:53 PM

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Blue Heron, marrowfat peas are just a particular kind of dried peas. So the tinned peas are instead of reconstituting and then overcooking dried ones.

Okay, I'll bite - how do you "overcook" dried peas? The only use I've ever seen for dried peas has been in soups, pease porridge or 'mushy' peas, all of which are more starchy than vegetable-y. I've always seen mushy peas as a 'dry' pea soup rather than something overcooked.

Jinmyo, I'm hanging on breathlessly here. What other uses of dried peas are you withholding from us? :smile:

Miss J

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you cook them until the definition of the constitutive starchy peas breaks up and the result is, well, mushy.

Yes, I know Gavin. :smile: But to suggest that this means that the peas are overcooked - ie, past the point of cooking that one wants them to be at - is to also suggest that the non-soft state of cooked dried peas is desirable. And I've never seen them used in that form, although I'd be the first to admit that this could well be a huge failing of culinary experience on my part.

So...is there a use for "undercooked" dried peas? Anyone?

Miss J

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Very strange to come to the end of the thread and just read the last post.  However, now I underatand what SobaAddict means, can I just mention that one option for mushy peas, especially when taken with fish 'n' chips, is to fry them in batter (I mean, of course, a dollop of them, not each broken down pea individually!).

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Miss J, not to overcook a dead horse or anything but I was explaining the state of British peas relative to what I presumed Blue Heron's experience of peas to be.

Mushy peas=dry pea soup? Well, yes. :wink:

"I've caught you Richardson, stuffing spit-backs in your vile maw. 'Let tomorrow's omelets go empty,' is that your fucking attitude?" -E. B. Farnum

"Behold, I teach you the ubermunch. The ubermunch is the meaning of the earth. Let your will say: the ubermunch shall be the meaning of the earth!" -Fritzy N.

"It's okay to like celery more than yogurt, but it's not okay to think that batter is yogurt."

Serving fine and fresh gratuitous comments since Oct 5 2001, 09:53 PM

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So that we all notice the same about Nigella is no fault of ours. And if that isn't where they didn't want everyone focusing, and if they didn't want her to emit an air of superiority and aloofness, she wouldn't be playing peekaboo with the viewers in her grey cashmere sweater set from N. Peal.

Steve, honey--

It doesn't bother me that you men are always looking at her breasts.  Isn't it clear that we are ALL looking at her breasts?  At her very ample whole self?  If we were all having this conversation in person, I might take away very different inferences.  My reading here is that her breasts somehow make her less credible.  Her breasts are incredible--

oops.

Now you've got me thinking about Dressed to Kill, darn you, and that Commander Cody remake with lyrics about everybody truckin & f*ckin--which reminds me, I need to go check out the Mexico board.

:smile:

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  • 5 weeks later...

Revive, briefly:

Did anyone see the Vogue issue from, what? April? With what's-her-name, Angelina on the cover? It's called the shape issue and it features, supposedly, beautiful famous women of all shapes and sizes. Well, for

"curvy" [as close as they ever come to "plump"], we are offered Sophie Dahl and Catherine Zeta-Jones. I love it. The whole thing made me want to eat a pan of Ghirardelli double-chocolate brownies.

BUT there was a feature article about Nigella, and she looks so physically normal and yet so incredibly attractive I felt like cheering. What if fashion mags were filled with pics of women like her? She's 42 and looks 32, and I daresay her beauty can be largely attributed to subcutaneous fat. Regardless of her questionable merit as a food writer, I give her a thumbs up for advocating eating in a culture of food-denying waifishness.

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Eat anyone under a size 6.

"I've caught you Richardson, stuffing spit-backs in your vile maw. 'Let tomorrow's omelets go empty,' is that your fucking attitude?" -E. B. Farnum

"Behold, I teach you the ubermunch. The ubermunch is the meaning of the earth. Let your will say: the ubermunch shall be the meaning of the earth!" -Fritzy N.

"It's okay to like celery more than yogurt, but it's not okay to think that batter is yogurt."

Serving fine and fresh gratuitous comments since Oct 5 2001, 09:53 PM

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I recall reading an article on women entertainers who have become successful in spite of being overweight. One of these women was Jennifer Lopez... :shock:

=Mark

Give a man a fish, he eats for a Day.

Teach a man to fish, he eats for Life.

Teach a man to sell fish, he eats Steak

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Raising the question:  what kind of wine to serve with brownies? :biggrin:

The Inniskillin ice wine Cabrales brought to the NY potluck went very well with the strawberry blondies, but chocolate??  Usually I see port suggested, but that seems too wintry for this time of year.

Yes, Sandra, you raise a very good question about the wine. So where is Steve P. when we REALLY need him?? Any help out there with the wine? Sandra, it's not my house, but you're definitely invited, too! Heck, let's all invite ourselves to stellas for brownies and wine. :biggrin: Of course no waifs allowed, and anyone size 6 or under must bring their eGullet membership ID card to get in. :raz:

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Since this topic is reviving...

I've suddenly realised that the reason why I love Nigella is because her writing reminds me of what it was like to cook with my best friend back at uni. We would talk about everything but the food we were working with, yet we inevitably moved around the kitchen in complete harmony and ended up producing some pretty damn fabulous meals. I've never had that with anyone else (but then I've rarely had a proper kitchen to cook in since I moved to London). "How to Eat" feels like cooking with a close friend.

Which reminds me, I'm long past overdue a tooth-achingly expensive long-distance girlchat. :wink:

Miss J

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what kind of wine to serve with brownies?

A few weeks ago on Maui I tasted a raspberry wine (made by Tedeschi Vineyards) with a chocolate dessert and they made for a great match.

http://www.hawaiiweb.com/maui/html/sites/t...chi_winery.html

I'm searching for it in NYC, and have not found it here. I know that this repsberry wine is made in small batches, and goes for around $40 for a half-bottle

In Union Square Wines, I bought a small bottle of Alba's (Finesville, NJ) Red Raspberry Wine, c$15. This is much inferior--thinner, sourer--but it may well work with chocolate nonetheless.

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Just heard today of a Food Network collaboration to air later this year pairing Nigella and Mario Batali. Hmmm...interesting.

Hm. Interesting. Any further information? :unsure:

"I've caught you Richardson, stuffing spit-backs in your vile maw. 'Let tomorrow's omelets go empty,' is that your fucking attitude?" -E. B. Farnum

"Behold, I teach you the ubermunch. The ubermunch is the meaning of the earth. Let your will say: the ubermunch shall be the meaning of the earth!" -Fritzy N.

"It's okay to like celery more than yogurt, but it's not okay to think that batter is yogurt."

Serving fine and fresh gratuitous comments since Oct 5 2001, 09:53 PM

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Lesley - Do you think the Chocolate/Banyuls rule goes for something cakey like brownies? Or is it just for "chocolate?" I think the thing you drink with a big slice of chocolate cake is Champagne. And I think the same holds true for brownies. In fact I can close my eyes and taste the pair and it tastes pretty good to me :biggrin: Not a champagne with a tight mousse and not a yeasty type that tastes of pain grillee. You know relaxed bubbles. with maybe the slightest hint of oxidation. In fact "Cristal and Brownies" sounds perfect. Like something they would serve at The French Laundry. Yummy.

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