Home Cooking Ideas, Tips and Recipes

[Ladymuck]

Declan Wrote:

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> >

> Ladymuck, I am indeed surprised you don't know who

> Mrs Bridges is/was! Upstairs.........??????? is a

> clue! I thought you would have one yourself.

Got her!!! She is simply divine!!!http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aLq1aTTZ-FY.

How privileged your upbringing.

[katie1997]

Brendan Wrote:

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> My assumption would be (not that I'm stereotyping

> Irish cooking) similar to bubble but with

> shitloads of cream/milk/butter.

I have a fabulous Irish recipe book that tells me;

Colcannon = cabbage, potatoes, leeks, milk and butter. Mash.

Champ = potatoes, chives, spring onions, milk and butter. Mash.

Boxty = potatoes, onion, egg. Flatten into patties, quickly fry then bake in oven.

I could continue the potato theme (but I won't).

So how about chocolate and guinness brownies?

4 x eggs

3/4 cup sugar

8oz dark chocolate

4oz white chocolate

6tbspn butter

3/4 cup flour

3/4 cup cocoa

1.5 cups guinness

Mix eggs and sugar. Melt dark and white chocolate with butter. Stir into beaten eggs.

Sieve flour and cocoa and beat into chocolate. Whisk in guinness.

Pour into square baking pan and bake for ~20 mins.

Yummy (tu)

[Ladymuck]

Oh Katie1997 I am SO excited...thank you for all of those - especially the colcannon. Incidentally - what ratio of ingredients? I.e. how much butter, how much cabbage etc?

As for the brownies...I am going to try those...they sound so so easy....ooooh I'm salivating already. I am not a fan of Guinness...do you suppose I could substitute with, say, cider (or something?).

*skips off happy*

[ontheedge]

Think colcannon should be kale, plenty butter, not so much milk, salt & pepper just make sure absolutely no lumps in the mash and use a decent potato. We used scallions (spring onions) and still called it colcannon.

Coddle is digusting anaemic stuff tasted ok but lacking in aesthetics.

[katie1997]

*checks recipe book*

Ratios are: 1pound cabbage:2pounds potatoes:2 leeks:10 tbspns butter

2pounds potatoes: 6tbspns butter: 1.5 cups chives/spring onions

heya LM....I'm sure you could substitute cider for guinness (or even use a blend of milk/water) instead :)

Happy baking!

[Ladymuck]

Thank you katie1997 - I've wanted a genuinely authentic colcannon recipe for some time now - so I am especially pleased about yours.

I'll let you know how the brownies turn out too - watch this space! Lord, my cholesterol!

Are you Irish by any chance?

*prints out katie1997's instructions*

[Ladymuck]

ontheedge Wrote:

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>...use a decent

> potato.

I grow my own spuds...do you recommend any particular variety? I am shortly about to order my potato seed for this year. Advice would be appreciated.

>We used scallions (spring onions)...

I love spring onions...so, bearing your comments in mind, I shall now grow an extra row this year. Thanks ontheedge!

*annotates katie1997's recipe with ontheedge's tip re. the spring onions*

[ontheedge]

golden wonders are good but shall check with my mum an let you know. Most of the supermarket ones are rubbish. Asked at Borough market if they had any British Queens a while back and got some funny looks!

[karter]

hold a soup spoon in your mouth, handle in, when cutting onions, so you don't cry.

[Ladymuck]

ontheedge Wrote:

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> golden wonders are good but shall check with my

> mum an let you know.

Oh how kind - thank you for taking the trouble.

>Most of the supermarket ones

> are rubbish.

To be honest I haven't bought potatoes for about 5 years.

>Asked at Borough market if they had

> any British Queens a while back and got some funny

> looks!

Maybe they thought you were enquiring about some nice local gay lads!:) So presumably they wouldn't have a clue about Pink Fir Apples or Sarpo Miras either! Mind you, to be fair, although quite an old variety they are not that easy to get hold of - though I would have expected a competent green grocer to at least know what they are. Certainly I've never seen the seed for sale. Ideal spud for mash or colcannon though due to its flouriness.

Your mum sounds impressively knowledgeable and discriminating when it comes to her spuds: is she a potato connoisseur?;-)

[ontheedge]

just Irish could always bring you back one from ireland and then you could seed it.

[jimmy two times]

He could also bring you back some white pudding.

[Ladymuck]

ontheedge Wrote:

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> just Irish...

Irish is grand...and I might have guessed it, on reflection!

>...could always bring you back one from

> ireland and then you could seed it.

That sounds grand too...I could swap you for some courgettes, or shallots, or sweetcorn, or raspberries or a squash...or something... Mind you, I'd love to see Customs and Excise's (or security's) faces when inspecting your luggage and finding this lone British Queen! Ha ha! And your explanation!! That would be worth a pumpkin at least!

[Ladymuck]

karter Wrote:

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> hold a soup spoon in your mouth, handle in, when

> cutting onions, so you don't cry.

Actually that only works if you tap dance at the same time.:))

PS: did you find out if your dad wanted some broad bean seeds this year and, if so, how many?

[karter]

ladyM, your Norwegian really does suck, you should stick to Polish, so if you didn't understand me, 33 seeds, thank you, takk. :))

[katie1997]

Ladymuck Wrote:

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> Thank you katie1997 - I've wanted a genuinely

> authentic colcannon recipe for some time now - so

> I am especially pleased about yours.

Oh gosh I am not sure how entirely authentic mine might be, I just copied it from an Irish recipe book I have :-$

> I'll let you know how the brownies turn out too -

> watch this space! Lord, my cholesterol!

yes do let me know, sure they will turn out fab! :))

> Are you Irish by any chance?

No I am not Irish so sorry if you thought my recipe was authentic...I have lots of Irish friends so will see if I can ask if any of them have anything more original...watch this space ;-)

PS. Where I used to live with my ex (who did the gardening, I am useless at it sadly) we had potatoes from the garden...OMG....it is SO much better and full of flavour that anything from a shop just does not compare to those home-grown ones!! Fab fab fab!! happy mashing :))

[Ladymuck]

jimmy two times Wrote:

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>He could also bring you back some white pudding.

JTT, unless you are talking about an obscenely calorific, high sugar, super-sticky white dessert such as meringue stuffed with clotted cream, adorned with half a kilo of white-currants, topped with vanilla ice cream with perhaps a sprinkling of peeled and sliced almonds, all sitting on a one-inch thick base of organic white chocolate, then I suspect that "white pudding" isn't going to do it for me. But I thank you for the thought though. ;-)

katie1997 Wrote:

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>Oh gosh I am not sure how entirely authentic mine might be,

>I just copied it from an Irish recipe book I have

No matter - I'm quite excited about trying it anyway.

>...anything from a shop just does not compare

>to those home-grown ones!!

Ha ha...tell me about it...anything other than straight out of the soil tastes stale to me.

karter Wrote:

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> ladyM, your Norwegian really does suck, you should

> stick to Polish, so if you didn't understand me,

> 33 seeds, thank you, takk. :))

*virkelig ler n?*

*naprawdę śmieje się teraz*

*massive burst of laughter*

33 fr?...for din far...for deg, et slag rundt hodet for nesevishet din!

33 nasion...dla twego ojca...ja wam dam, slap cały głowy za bezczelność!

33 seeds it is then...for your dad...for you, a slap round the head for your impertinence!

Edited due to karter's incompetence. Karter, I have just seen your PM...it says your dad HAS 33 seeds. I am confused: has he got or does he want? And you have the audacity to speak of my ineptitude when it comes to Norwegian!B)

*tutts twice in Norwegian*

[HAL9000]

The Yam (African Cuisine)

Almost every Afro-Asian grocer along Rye Lane sells yams, mostly the Dioscorrea esculenta cultivar known as white yam or puna.

The yam is a natural health food packed with nutritious complex carbohydrates and protein with over 20% fibre content and rich in vitamins C and B6, potassium, magnesium and phosphorous.

The taste and texture of the yam is quite unique ? nothing like sweet or regular potatoes, but just as versatile: it can be baked, boiled, fried, pounded and roasted.

Yam sells for between ?2 and ?3 per kilo. A typical tuber/rhizome weighs a kilo or more. The following is a recipe of my own design that serves as a simple-to-make introduction to the epicurean delights of the yam.

Yam Mash ? la Cr?me et Moutarde

1 kg White or Puna Yam (serves 4)

1/2 - 1 cup single cream (as required)

1-2 tblsp English mustard (as per taste)

1 tsp freshly ground black pepper corns

Salt to taste

Peel the tuber and dice the white flesh into cubes or slices 1 inch (2.5 cm) thick.

Soak in cold water for 30 minutes. Change the water and repeat a few times.

Ignore any slimy exudate from the yam flesh ? it disappears on cooking.

Place rinsed pieces in a large saucepan, add water to cover, bring to boil and simmer.

The pot often fills with foam and may overflow ? stirring helps to dissolve the foam.

Change the water if the foaming is excessive. A tablespoonful of white vinegar helps to suppress foaming.

Simmer for at least 30 minutes or until a fork pierces the yam easily ? if in doubt, continue simmering.

When cooked, drain off water, quickly rinse with cold water and bring back to the boil in fresh water until heated through.

Drain the water from the saucepan; add the mustard, black pepper and salt and mash well with a hand-held potato masher while adding cream as required to produce a smooth, creamy texture.

Serve as a side with any meat or fish dish. Enjoy.

Edited because I forgot to mention: wash hands well after handling raw yam flesh as the juice can cause mild irritation.

[david_carnell]

Have today embarked on a 15hr veal stock recipe courtesy of the French Laundry Cookbook. And this website. It's a marathon to only be attempted if you have a lot of free time one weekend but I'm hoping the results will pay dividends.

Might post some photos later....

[Ladymuck]

Oooh I'm glad this thread has been revived...well done DC.

Tried brum's Hot Smoked Peppered Mackerel and Scrambled Egg On Toast above...it's really good...hubby gave it 10/10...recommended.

Katie1997:

I'd very much like to try your Irish Choc Brownies, but could you clarify the following please?

- you mention 3/4 cup cocoa...are you sure? Sounds like a lot of cocoa?

- what size baking container please? And do I need to line/grease (or whatever) the container?

- you say bake for 20 mins. but at what oven temp. (degrees F) please?

Sorry to be a pain in the wotsit. Thanks in advance xx

HAL9000:

Your yam recipe intrigues me. Unfortunately, I was put off yam many many years ago when my Mother-in-Law (the old bat - sorry!) used to make this stew type dish containing, amongst other things, chopped up PIGS' TAILS!!! Eeeeeewwwwww-yuck! The stew also contained yam, but the presence of the pigs' tails was sufficient to put me off yam (and other ingredients) for life. Consequently, I would need to pluck up a bucket load of courage before attempting this. It sounds appetizing though - especially with all that cream.

[Narnia]

Oh dear.....just make soda bread add lots of butter and eat to your hearts content!

[Ladymuck]

Narnia Wrote:

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> Oh dear.....just make soda bread add lots of

> butter and eat to your hearts content!

Well don't just tease...recipe please!

[Narnia]

You need a circular tin for cooking it in. Grease it or sprinkle some flour into it

2lbs plain flour white/brown or mixture

2 teaspoons of cream of tartar

1 teaspoon on bicarbonate of sode

1 teaspoon of salt

Sieve all into a large bowl. Make a hole in the centre and gradually add 1pt of milk.

Keep stirring with a knife. Knead the mixture with your hands. This can take a few minutes.If it's too mushy add more flour.

Place mixture in the container.Make a cross in the dough to let the fairies out during cooking.

Put in oven 220 degrees for 1.5 hours. Cover with tin foil after an hour.

Baking may take less time depending on the oven.

Place on tray to cool. Make sure you eat some before it's cool as it's really delicious then.

[Ladymuck]

Narnia Wrote:

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>Knead the mixture with

> your hands.

Excuse dumb question, but do I knead in or out of the bowl?

>Make a cross in the

> dough to let the fairies out during cooking... Make sure you eat some

> before it's cool as it's really delicious then.

*wells up*

Oh bless you Narnia...thank you xx

[Narnia]

In the bowl you wally.Where were you thinking....the floor?