The General Chat Thread

iwantmydinner

Ah Jesus SB. That's so crap! Such ignorance!

Mystery Egg

Lads as I said elsewhere I'm off alcohol, dairy, caffeine and all refined carbs for 3 weeks (gut health issue) and possibly longer.

I'm suffering.

At a birthday party last night and on the Ballygowan for every round. Then the bread/cracker/meat/cheese/relish platters came out. I nearly cried into me sparkling water.

Faith

Jaysus, what's left to eat?!

Mystery Egg

Faith wrote: »

Jaysus, what's left to eat?!

Ah to be fair, there's loads.

Breakfast today was 2 sausages, a rasher, 2 scrambled eggs, 1 pudding, fried mushrooms and grilled tomatoes.

Lunch was a really delicious home-made hummus and oatcakes.

It's not low carb - just not refined carbs and fruit - so I am skipping anything with sugar in it, regular white potatoes and rice and any kind of bread that isn't a 'cake' type (i.e. I'll have a slice of McCambridges once a day if I fancy it).

I'm also eating olive oil spread instead of butter (blergh) and almond milk instead of cow's, and I can have a little manuka honey.

It's fine when you're feeding yourself, it's just times like last night that suck.

BaZmO*

Mystery Egg wrote: »

Ah to be fair, there's loads.

Breakfast today was 2 sausages, a rasher, 2 scrambled eggs, 1 pudding, fried mushrooms and grilled tomatoes.

Lunch was a really delicious home-made hummus and oatcakes.

It's not low carb - just not refined carbs and fruit - so I am skipping anything with sugar in it, regular white potatoes and rice and any kind of bread that isn't a 'cake' type (i.e. I'll have a slice of McCambridges once a day if I fancy it).

I'm also eating olive oil spread instead of butter (blergh) and almond milk instead of cow's, and I can have a little manuka honey.

It's fine when you're feeding yourself, it's just times like last night that suck.

Sounds like the beginning of a song!

Faith

I'd find it miles easier to go vegetarian than go low carb. I think the worst thing anyone could say to me is to give up carbs!

Mystery Egg

Faith wrote: »

I'd find it miles easier to go vegetarian than go low carb. I think the worst thing anyone could say to me is to give up carbs!

It's true: carbs are wondrous deliciousness incarnate.

So, I made my hummus today and I put divided it into two portions, each in a lovely earthenware bowl (cheapo charity shop jackpot type find).

I enjoyed one for lunch, and then was foostering in the fridge about dinner when I not only dropped the hummus and lost every bite of it to my kitchen floor, but I also SMASHED THE BOWL.

Sickened is not the word!

mirrorwall14

Made this recipe for us this morning

http://www.littlepinkkitchen.co.uk/index.php/black-pudding-and-apple-salad-with-poached-egg/

Currently in food heaven

However pregnant me has gone completely off eggs, any suggestions for replacements? It was lovely as just a salad but not that filling!

SarahBeep!

Made peanut butter fudge today, first time making fudge and it turned out pretty okay! Delighted with myself

Applause

Everything's fitting together for my emigration to Portugal, I can't wait to have that cuisine in my life! Francesinha has a special place in my heart.

MissFlitworth

Hiding from the cold in Penneys this evening and spotted...Penney's olive oil & balsamic vinegar dipping sets. I am an enormous & obnoxious food snob at times but I just don't think I could bring myself to eat food from Penneys. It just..no...not a hope.

Triboro

Is Penneys that bad?

BaZmO*

MissFlitworth wrote: »

Hiding from the cold in Penneys this evening and spotted...Penney's olive oil & balsamic vinegar dipping sets. I am an enormous & obnoxious food snob at times but I just don't think I could bring myself to eat food from Penneys. It just..no...not a hope.

I don't think it works for food the same way it works for clothes.

"Mmmmm, this is lovely. Where did you get it?"
"€2 in Penneys!"

No one is gonna be impressed with that!

MissFlitworth

Triboro wrote: »

Is Penneys that bad?

It's just not a food shop, not somewhere I would trust to source olive oil that wasn't tinted vaseline and the cheap, cheerful & falls apart nature of their clothes, shoes & accessories doesn't help make me want to eat food from there.

BaZmO* wrote: »

I don't think it works for food the same way it works for clothes.

"Mmmmm, this is lovely. Where did you get it?"
"€2 in Penneys!"

No one is gonna be impressed with that!

Hah, no! Probably wouldn't be getting any hostess with the mostess awards pouring out penneys olive oil for people.

The Hill Billy

No dissing Penneys! Without Penneys yours truly would be sockless. Pennys socks rock! :pac:

Not sure about their dipping sets though.

Loire

MissFlitworth wrote: »

Hiding from the cold in Penneys this evening and spotted...Penney's olive oil & balsamic vinegar dipping sets. I am an enormous & obnoxious food snob at times but I just don't think I could bring myself to eat food from Penneys. It just..no...not a hope.

SNOB :pac::D:D

MissFlitworth

The Hill Billy wrote: »

No dissing Penneys! Without Penneys yours truly would be sockless. Pennys socks rock! :pac:

I would not have a single pant or sock or hoodie to my name without Penneys. It's a wonderland in many ways.

Loire wrote: »

SNOB :pac::D:D

Unapologetically

Cedrus

MissFlitworth wrote: »

Hiding from the cold in Penneys this evening and spotted...Penney's olive oil & balsamic vinegar dipping sets. I am an enormous & obnoxious food snob at times but I just don't think I could bring myself to eat food from Penneys. It just..no...not a hope.

I don't think those twee gift set bottles are EVER to be considered food.
One year I ran out of oil while the shops were still shut for New Year and thought no prob! I have Meadows and Byrne, Cashes and Debenhams oil more gift sets than I have room for! Opened one :eek: it wasn't fit to oil a rag with.

Stheno

MissFlitworth wrote: »

Hiding from the cold in Penneys this evening and spotted...Penney's olive oil & balsamic vinegar dipping sets.

That is just wrong

Tarzana2

I have some boneless stuffed pork shoulder I want to roast but I'm a bit unsure of how to roast for because all the recipes are for much bigger hunks of meat. I've never cooked pork shoulder before. I'm not sure if the time should be reduced for pork shoulder as you would for other kinds of roasting meat (pork and otherwise). Anyone got any kind of timings equation I could use, say minutes per pound type dealio, or any advice on how to approach it? Also, most pork shoulder recipe seem to call for slow roasting. Is this necessary? I should point out I don't have a slow cooker so it'll be the oven I use.

Ta very much!

Faith

A pork shoulder is a very tough piece of meat, so you'd definitely need to slow roast it. It's full of fat and connective tissue, which is why it's commonly used for pulled pork. I've never done it in the oven, but I'd reckon you'd want the temperature at about 120 degrees C. What weight is the piece? Someone else might be able to recommend a time to cook it for.

Tarzana2

I have two pieces, each is around 2lbs.

The butcher I got them from is lovely and does great stuffing so I know if I do them right they'll be lovely, but that they're could turn out awful if I'm not careful!

Glad I bought them though, sometimes you need to be brave and try a new cut of meat you've never cooked before.

The same butcher also had pork neck fillet that looked lovely. I didn't buy any this time but if anyone has any nice pork neck recipes or advice on how to cook it, I'm all ears!

BaZmO*

Tarzana2 wrote: »

I have two pieces, each is around 2lbs.

The butcher I got them from is lovely and does great stuffing so I know if I do them right they'll be lovely, but that they're could turn out awful if I'm not careful!

Glad I bought them though, sometimes you need to be brave and try a new cut of meat you've never cooked before.

The same butcher also had pork neck fillet that looked lovely. I didn't buy any this time but if anyone has any nice pork neck recipes or advice on how to cook it, I'm all ears!

I know it's no good to you now, but if I'm ever cooking a piece of meat that I'm not sure about I always ask the butcher I get it from.

iwantmydinner

I'm on my phone so can't search properly but there's a cooking club recipe for carnitas that calls for pork shoulder (iirc) that should have pretty good guidance on cooking!

Loire

I've put a big heap of pork collar (smeared with spices) into the slow cooker this morning before going to work. It's sitting on a mixture of ketchup, rice wine vinegar, garlic, onions and some water. I'm praying to have some perfect pulled pork tonight over large baked potatoes :cool:

the beer revolu

Tarzana, I'd heat my oven up to about 220.
Id bung the pork in and straight away turn the heat down to about 150 and cook it for about 3 hours, covering it after half an hour with foil anduuncovering it for the last half hour and maybe turning up the heat for the last bit if it looks a bit pasty.

It wouldn't be a bad idea to put the pieces on top of thick slices of onion or other veg and pouring some beer/wine/cider in the bottom of the tray.

Tarzana2

the beer revolu wrote: »

Tarzana, I'd heat my oven up to about 220.
Id bung the pork in and straight away turn the heat down to about 150 and cook it for about 3 hours, covering it after half an hour with foil anduuncovering it for the last half hour and maybe turning up the heat for the last bit if it looks a bit pasty.

It wouldn't be a bad idea to put the pieces on top of thick slices of onion or other veg and pouring some beer/wine/cider in the bottom of the tray.

Thanks, this is great! I'll report how it turns out. Have some old tatties I can use as a trivet for the meat.

Tarzana2

the beer revolu wrote: »

Tarzana, I'd heat my oven up to about 220.
Id bung the pork in and straight away turn the heat down to about 150 and cook it for about 3 hours, covering it after half an hour with foil anduuncovering it for the last half hour and maybe turning up the heat for the last bit if it looks a bit pasty.

It wouldn't be a bad idea to put the pieces on top of thick slices of onion or other veg and pouring some beer/wine/cider in the bottom of the tray.

This turned out great. Thanks so much!

No wasted meat - result!

Loire

Loire wrote: »

I've put a big heap of pork collar (smeared with spices) into the slow cooker this morning before going to work. It's sitting on a mixture of ketchup, rice wine vinegar, garlic, onions and some water. I'm praying to have some perfect pulled pork tonight over large baked potatoes :cool:

This was really good Have plenty leftover for the kids dinner tonight and my lunch today

beertons

The slow cooked bolognese caught my attention here lately, so I have it going in the slow cooker. Put in a tablespoon of chilli bean paste too, for the extra kick.