Another pointless thread

Local group "The Lancashire Hotpots" have created a big rush back to
the Chippies with their song "Chippy Tea"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wOsYykqvghY

Even Hitler knew how important the Chippy was!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y1CEztiDwSM

What's even worse, the "boil it to death" brigade are actually responsible for the old jokes about sprouts and farting.

Why? Well when you over-cook sprouts they undergo a chemical change which makes them more likely to produce gas while being digested!

My mentor Ciro Cecchini - who taught me the art of Bolognese Sauce or Ragout always insisted that the base was a sofrito ( shallow fry/blanching ) of finely diced carrot, onion and celery.Then stir in the mince - 50% beef,25% veal,25% pork and pummel with a wooden spoon until it is all separate and starting to cook.Stir regularly until starting to colour and then add the other ingredients.It would then be cooked out for at least and hour with the lid on and the temperature low.For the Ragout we added chicken livers after the mince was browned.

All my soups are made the same way - caramelisation of the base ingredients is paramount in order to enhance the flavours and relieves the need for additives or false flavourings.
I`m sure i-Berg and the other denizens of Oz would agree that it is similar to the barbie which gives so much flavour to the items being cooked.
I`m doing a Boeuf Bourguignonne at the moment for tonights visit from the sister-in-law and her plain eating hubby,chicken and barley broth to start with homemade bread.
Enjoy retirement Colin - sorry to hear of the rocky start.Glad your daughter-in-law is ok.

best wishes

Tony

Doesn't Tony make you hungry.

Tony - you are making me feel hungry

snap

I have to say though that one of the best meals I ever had was in a small bar in Lisbon .

We had gone in , lateish evening and asked the guy behind the bar if they did meals - 'Yes , Escalope of Veal if you would like "

YUM - yes please so we sat down with a large carafe of Douro red.

next we heard some chopping noises - like with a big chopper

then came a violent sizzling sound

We were looking at each other at this point

Then another sizzling

Finally another one

and then the plates came - wonderful thin veal beautifully cooked and with a Madeira sauce and a heap of lovely golden crisp chips

OH the barman was about 10 years old - dad was out and came back to find how well his son had looked after us - he was delighted and we drank wonderful port for the next couple of hours - total bill - less than a fiver for us both !!

Scallopini di Vitello - now there`s a dish to make your mouths water !!

Beaten out escaloppe of veal with a layer of prosciutto and a layer of mozzarella and fresh sage leaves and seasoning place one onto another similar into a sandwich and Panne ( coat in flour egg and breadcrumbs )shallow fry in a little olive oil and butter and drain on kitchen paper.As you cut into it the mozzarella forms "telephonica" strings like telephone wires and the smell of the sage is amazing.Wash down with a glass of Pinot Grigio.................................sorry got to dash - time to adjust the broth !

T

He is doing it again.

Ain't it wonderful having our own resident chef ?

Right - broth/stock is now strained and chicken bits picked off the carcass.Stock now simmering with barley and the addition of some Chablis ( for Gareth & HG ).when the barley is cooked I will adjust the seasoning and leave ready to serve tonight mayebe with a few croutons or sippets for texture.
Carrots to peel and pots to mash through the ricer now and time for a cuppa.

Oh forgot to mention - outside drain from sink blocked !!!! Three kettles of boiling water and some liquid soap + agitation from an old mophead ( no - not Paul McCartney !! )hoping it will have eased before nightfall - otherwise down to Homebase tomorrow for some caustic soda crystals.........................hey ho !!

Tony

well, we're back below -15 here and the *inside* of the driver's window is now frozen. At least the trip to the airport last week appears to have recharged the battery nicely.

My amp might also get done this weekend - and after dinner (which is simply some pork escalopes cooked in a hot oven in foil with olive oil, a dash of malt vinegar, flour, finnish mustard, garlic, salt, pepper, herbes de provence, nutmeg, cardamom and cloves, accompanied by some not-so-frozen veg and beefy chips) will get back to the garage to route the hole for the 15" sub box I'm building for a party at work. Will be nice to have a halfway decent sub for PA purposes

Bret

OOOOOH blocked sink not conducive to easy washing up

Vitella recipe tucked away for when my visitor comes up in January - might well do that instead of Venison with ginger, green ginger wine and cream .

I'm well pigged off!!

I set a snipe on a camera, it's just sold for less than half my limit, the sniper let me down and didn't bid!!!

S** it!

I`ve had quite a good week HG - got a Cobra Auto 210 in vg condition with original filters for £3-50 and just got a Paragon 2.8 28mm K fit ( says macro on the picture too )for £5.50.

And you`ll never believe it !!!! A wasp just flew through my line of sight to the spotlights on the landing ????? Where the H*ll did he come from ??

Showing 4 degrees on the thermometer,no wind and cloudy - laters

Tony