had roast tea.
oooo hey you cheffy builderyman, guess what? Had a two hour cooking lesson at work last friday. Learnt how to make stock from scratch! /prouds.
they don't teach useful things like that at school anymore.
(Poppet some assembly required., Sun 21 Jun 2009, 10:36, 2 replies, latest was 17 years ago)

stock is where it's at!
always invest in the stock!

roast tea? wtf is that?
( blaireau69 , the Cumbrian Travis Bickle., Sun 21 Jun 2009, 10:39, Reply)

you know - with roasted vegetables and stuff???
Oh. Language difference - we call the evening meal "tea" or "dinner" here.

Yes. Learned how to make an excellent basic stock and I'm planning on using mine to make a risotto later in the week. :D
(Poppet some assembly required., Sun 21 Jun 2009, 10:42, Reply)

i love making "whole chicken risotto"...
first take one chicken, roast with nice veggies, eat.
excarnate carcass, reserve meat, make stock from carcass and veggies.
make risotto with stock, add flesh, eat.
don't forget the parmesan, olive oil and pepper at the end...
( blaireau69 , the Cumbrian Travis Bickle., Sun 21 Jun 2009, 10:46, Reply)

/groans
wish you'd told me that *before* I'd thrown out the chicken bones! My parents would have loved that.

Oh well - back to the mushroom, leek and mint standby.
(Poppet some assembly required., Sun 21 Jun 2009, 10:47, Reply)

ALWAYS KEEP THE BONES
whatever you'te eating. nomtastic stock ahoy!!

sure your minty recipe will be a treat x
( blaireau69 , the Cumbrian Travis Bickle., Sun 21 Jun 2009, 10:50, Reply)

Do you want it?
I can gaz it to you - I have a vegetarian version (mushrooms) and a chicken version (for the parents) if you want.
(Poppet some assembly required., Sun 21 Jun 2009, 10:54, Reply)

gaz me them both, my little chickadee...
and i'll try and formalise some "in my head" regular favourites. did a FANTASTIC chorizo, chickpea and roasted cherry-tomato "stew or thick soup" last night. turned out exactly how i wanted too!
( blaireau69 , the Cumbrian Travis Bickle., Sun 21 Jun 2009, 11:04, Reply)

Buy yourself an 8" Bay Laurel plant and a nice pot.
Water it once a week, leave it on a sunny window cill and your stock will rock for the rest of your life.
( Noeli overtheshoulderboulderholderthingstraplatchboobs, Sun 21 Jun 2009, 10:41, Reply)

i concur with ^that^ noely
indeed i do ;-)
( blaireau69 , the Cumbrian Travis Bickle., Sun 21 Jun 2009, 10:42, Reply)

I bought one early spring
I've always wanted one and it's like a fucking pet! :)

It's sprouting again - I've had about sixty leaves off it in the last three months.
( Noeli overtheshoulderboulderholderthingstraplatchboobs, Sun 21 Jun 2009, 10:45, Reply)

I know what else you concur with you seedy cheffy man.
Oh! I also learned how to toast spices without burning the fuck out of them!
(Poppet some assembly required., Sun 21 Jun 2009, 10:46, Reply)

yeah, not too hot. simple.
ahem.
( blaireau69 , the Cumbrian Travis Bickle., Sun 21 Jun 2009, 10:48, Reply)

yeah, and dry,
so that they don't burn in the oil.

I was having trouble with it because I didn't know what to look for when I was toasting them at home!
(Poppet some assembly required., Sun 21 Jun 2009, 10:53, Reply)

generally...
my spice technique often goes like this...

depends on spices used...

heat ghee til reet 'ot. add biggest, hardest spices like mustard seeds (which pop) and turn heat down then fennel seeds then lastly the dry powdery ones like turmeric, coriander etc. then add the onion (reet finely sliced) which has the effect of lowering the temperature and saving the spices from burning. then add garlic/ginger then tomatoes or coconut milk or whatever is appropriate...
( blaireau69 , the Cumbrian Travis Bickle., Sun 21 Jun 2009, 10:59, Reply)

you know I reaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaally hope you talk like that,
it always brings a reet smile to me face.
(Poppet some assembly required., Sun 21 Jun 2009, 11:01, Reply)

/googles.
hmmm - I think I'll wait until I get over where you folks are at before I start setting up my foodstuffs. My lovely man has thousands of books but has he a cookbook? not one!
/facepalms.
Will have to buy several decent cookbooks methinks. Stephenie Alexander's "the cooks companion" is my favouritest cookbook ever and top of my "must buy for my own" list.

How are you noel? /huggifies
(Poppet some assembly required., Sun 21 Jun 2009, 10:45, Reply)

Alright sausage?
Sunday chill... Breakfast in bed from missy, F1 in a couple of hours then to the pub about thirty seconds away for a pint and to watch the Twenty20 cricket final. If Pakistan win I've been promised a big posh curry in London.
( Noeli overtheshoulderboulderholderthingstraplatchboobs, Sun 21 Jun 2009, 10:48, Reply)

ooooo get you! a posh curry in london!
say hi to missy for me.
I think that's going on my "to do" list as well. Have a curry at a curry house. I know you brits didn't invent it but it's your unofficial food of the country.
(Poppet some assembly required., Sun 21 Jun 2009, 10:52, Reply)

we're getting one delivered tonight, on account of it being father's day...
i've already decided what i'm having...
( blaireau69 , the Cumbrian Travis Bickle., Sun 21 Jun 2009, 10:54, Reply)

a good hard rogering?
oh wait I guess that's not on the menu.
(Poppet some assembly required., Sun 21 Jun 2009, 10:57, Reply)

hopefully, if i play my cards right!
you never know...
( blaireau69 , the Cumbrian Travis Bickle., Sun 21 Jun 2009, 11:01, Reply)

tell them you want some "phat qok"
/giggles childishly
(Poppet some assembly required., Sun 21 Jun 2009, 11:01, Reply)

Gah
I have moved my boxes... today's task has been completed.

*twiddles thumbs*

*looks at vodka*
(Zapiola zip-zap-zop, Sun 21 Jun 2009, 11:05, Reply)

Zap, question,
I heard you're tall,
how tall are you, exactly?
(Poppet some assembly required., Sun 21 Jun 2009, 11:06, Reply)

I are
tall... a shade under 6ft 6 to be precise. Or about 198cm in new money.

Who has been spreading rumours about my height?

Oh... and it goes well with my dress (the height that is)
(Zapiola zip-zap-zop, Sun 21 Jun 2009, 11:08, Reply)

it was a while back - I don't remember.
gosh that makes me feel tiny.
163cm. 5'4.
(Poppet some assembly required., Sun 21 Jun 2009, 11:10, Reply)

Anything under 6ft 2 1/2 inches is small
that's Kaol-recommended minimum height for the League of Gigantic B3tans.

I do tend to tower over people tho, and its freaky when I meet someone taller than me
(Zapiola zip-zap-zop, Sun 21 Jun 2009, 11:12, Reply)

My teacher is 6'9"
not kidding.
(Poppet some assembly required., Sun 21 Jun 2009, 11:12, Reply)

Wow
6'9 is big...

I'm assuming the teacher is male... I think a woman that tall would be very scary...

Its great being tall, except on planes, buses, trains, in cinema seats or old houses
(Zapiola zip-zap-zop, Sun 21 Jun 2009, 11:15, Reply)

I can't really reach much.
my boss laughs at me cos I need a stepladder to reach the drinks he keeps above the bar.
(Poppet some assembly required., Sun 21 Jun 2009, 11:20, Reply)

Aww
that's sweet.

I do tend to put valuable things (like food and alcohol) way out of reach of my 5ft tall housemate. But that's only because if I leave it lower he'll eat or drink it.

Plus I am very good at carrying people on my shoulders - my friends daughter is 5 - she loves being about 7 1/2 feet in the air. I'm like a carnival without the lights and the pickpockets
(Zapiola zip-zap-zop, Sun 21 Jun 2009, 11:23, Reply)

*bags having a shoulder ride from Zap!!!*
I usually hide my stuff down low because nobody thinks to look below eye height. Plus I can't reach it otherwise.
(Poppet some assembly required., Sun 21 Jun 2009, 11:25, Reply)

Quite agree there...
Not quite as tall as you (only about 6'3"), but have to stoop whenever I'm going around college... And then my doctor nags me about posture when I go and see him... Cant win either way
( Tedium Alduce me to interlow myself., Sun 21 Jun 2009, 11:27, Reply)

It is a bugger
Luckily where I am we don't have ridiculously old buildings with low roofs. Some of my friends last year, however, went to a college with horribly low ceilings.

It was very painful.
(Zapiola zip-zap-zop, Sun 21 Jun 2009, 11:31, Reply)

Horribly low isnt too bad,
you notice it and duck, its the doorways that are about half an inch lower than me that are the problem, just out of eyeline so I keep catching my head. This includes the door to my bathroom. Somewhat of a rude awakening in the morning
( Tedium Alduce me to interlow myself., Sun 21 Jun 2009, 12:24, Reply)

vodka is NOT for looking at...
or it would be more colourful?
( blaireau69 , the Cumbrian Travis Bickle., Sun 21 Jun 2009, 11:06, Reply)

True
I did make peach and orange juice vodka when my friend came to stay two weeks ago. She loved it. She also ended up throwing up in my bed. I only found out the morning afterwards as I slept under teh kitchen table.

That was a good night.
(Zapiola zip-zap-zop, Sun 21 Jun 2009, 11:10, Reply)

LOL
i make lemon vodka, to a recipe from my wife's uncle Sławek. i fetch the 95%vol rectified spirit back from Poland when we go to visit...
( blaireau69 , the Cumbrian Travis Bickle., Sun 21 Jun 2009, 11:13, Reply)

Eep
thats strong vodka.

I was given a bottle of Romanian plum brandy (home made) a while ago.

Smelt like petrol and made my ex giggle a lot before she passed out.

Kinda spoilt the vibe...
(Zapiola zip-zap-zop, Sun 21 Jun 2009, 11:16, Reply)

basically you make a lemony sugar-syrup using rind and juice but no pith...
then you dilute your spirit with the syrup to your preferred strength (i often go for about 60%vol) then lay it down for a few months, if you can...
( blaireau69 , the Cumbrian Travis Bickle., Sun 21 Jun 2009, 11:29, Reply)

Still eeep
I've had rum which was about 58%vol... and seen vodka for sale that was 80%vol.

It does sound good though. I wonder if you could do the same with lime?
(Zapiola zip-zap-zop, Sun 21 Jun 2009, 11:34, Reply)

have done!
was fab.
( blaireau69 , the Cumbrian Travis Bickle., Sun 21 Jun 2009, 11:36, Reply)

or perhaps...
sum-yung-boy
er i mean girl...
( blaireau69 , the Cumbrian Travis Bickle., Sun 21 Jun 2009, 11:05, Reply)