The General Chat Thread

Faith

Mrs Fox wrote: »

I'd love to make ravioli with my own filling but I've never attempted fresh pasta, so I was thinking what if I use fresh lasagna sheets.
Would this work?

I would imagine they would be too thick for a delicate dish like ravioli. I could e wrong though!

oscarBravo

Yeah, they'd be too thick. You could theoretically roll them out, I don't know how well it would work though.

the beer revolu

Mrs Fox wrote: »

I'd love to make ravioli with my own filling but I've never attempted fresh pasta, so I was thinking what if I use fresh lasagna sheets.
Would this work?

I tried this.
Didn't work.
Too thick and wouldn't stick at all.
Disaster.

Try the won ton wrappers. They work a treat.

Loire

Heading to the English Market tomorrow morning and stocking up on all sorts of seafood for tomorrow night. So far thinking mussels, prawns and a big lump of cod/monkfish. Might "push the boat out":pac: and get a lobster for the pair of us.

emaleth

the beer revolu wrote: »

I tried this.
Didn't work.
Too thick and wouldn't stick at all.
Disaster.

Try the won ton wrappers. They work a treat.

Another vote for not using the fresh lasagne - I tried, I failed miserably and threw my chopping board at the wall in a rage. Going again this weekend (beef cheek ravioli from the Babbo cookbook) and will be using the won ton wrappers.

the beer revolu

emaleth wrote: »

Another vote for not using the fresh lasagne - I tried, I failed miserably and threw my chopping board at the wall in a rage. Going again this weekend (beef cheek ravioli from the Babbo cookbook) and will be using the won ton wrappers.

Yes, it does induce a lot of effing and blinding especially when you've invited your parents around for lunch and have to come up with a plan B.

The Hill Billy

My eldest lad who is 11yo told me last weekend that he wants to start cooking himself. So tomorrow, all going well, we shall make piroshki (small Russian pasties) for dinner.

He'll get to prepare & fry easy veg like mushrooms & onions, make mashed spud, prepare the dough, build the pasties & especially clean up afterwards.

confusticated

I'm a bit above 11, but they sound lovely - any chance you'd stick the recipe into the random recipes thread? Or here if it's short!:)

MissFlitworth

The Hill Billy wrote: »

My eldest lad who is 11yo told me last weekend that he wants to start cooking himself. So tomorrow, all going well, we shall make piroshki (small Russian pasties) for dinner.

That's one serious plus point I can see for having kids. When they get to an age that they want to cook you can trick them into being your personal chef and they'll be over the moon to cater for you


Had such a 'waaaaaah' moment earlier today when I got lunch somewhere that's only recently opened and I really wanted to like because it seems to be run by earnest, lovely people but they completely undercooked my brisket to the point that people in work saw me choke on and then extract with fingers a chunk of shoe leather/meat. Not a good look for me digging food out of my mouth in the office. Hope they get their act together because everything else on the sandwich down to the surprise crispy onions & soft poppy seed roll was great

Mrs Fox

MissFlitworth wrote: »

That's one serious plus point I can see for having kids. When they get to an age that they want to cook you can trick them into being your personal chef and they'll be over the moon to cater for you

I wanted to cook since I was about 7 but the only job I was given by my mother was peeling shallots and garlic, and later upgraded to pounding them with mortar and pestle, til I was 15. I was only allowed to watch her cook.
To cook by myself I had to secretly do it behind her back under my gran's supervision - she was a lot more laid-back. Cooked my first scrambled egg at 8. Thanks gran

Dizzyblonde

My daughters learned to cook by being in the kitchen with me and trying things themselves. I think the first thing they both mastered was basil and tomato pasta sauce.

We had a couple of breakfast in bed 'surprises' complete with undercooked boiled eggs and milky tea when they were young :rolleyes:

MissFlitworth

Mrs Fox wrote: »

I wanted to cook since I was about 7 but the only job I was given by my mother was peeling shallots and garlic, and later upgraded to pounding them with mortar and pestle, til I was 15. I was only allowed to watch her cook.
To cook by myself I had to secretly do it behind her back under my gran's supervision - she was a lot more laid-back. Cooked my first scrambled egg at 8. Thanks gran

My mam hated any of us cooking, always thought she was such a wicked witch about it but it was mainly because we shredded the kitchen making fishfingers & peas and then left all the cleaning to her. Good times, good times.

Faith

I've been cooking since the word go, I think. I've definitely been baking since I was extremely young - like 5, if not younger helping out. Cooking started pretty early too. I definitely got used as a chef a few times but I never minded too much. Honestly, my mum over seasons food so it was a bonus when I cooked because I could control the flavour!

Dolbert

I started cooking family dinners at around 10 or 11. My main motivation was that I loved spicy, flavoursome food and my mother only cooked the plainest of the plain! She was more than happy to let me put on a portion of curry etc as long as I put on the rest of the stuff too. My dad was also thrilled at the sudden appearance of such hitherto unknown delicacies like spaghetti bolognese :pac:

This is probably the reason I have no patience for adults who 'can't cook'. It's not rocket science, all it takes is reading a few recipes and a tiny bit of effort.

The Hill Billy

Well, today turned out to be a bit too hectic to do the piroshki with HB Jr I.

Instead we made a banana & walnut loaf. It has just come out of the oven & the smell is amazing. He is really chuffed by the smell alone.

Can't wait to sample it later!

B0jangles

My Mother hates cooking, and my Dad is something of "a plain cooking is best" guy (he makes v. good brown soda bread though). I fecking love savory cooking, and have done for as long as I can remember. I find sweet/dessert making a bit dull and repetitive.

What I'm really happy about is that my younger brother has become quite the adventurous cook and I think I did have something to do with that

April O Neill

Dolbert wrote: »

This is probably the reason I have no patience for adults who 'can't cook'.

IME, "can't cook" usually means "don't like to cook". Which is fair enough, if you don't enjoy it, you don't enjoy it! If you can cook one or two healthy things for yourself, that'll do, pig, that'll do.

The Hill Billy

The Hill Billy wrote: »

Well, today turned out to be a bit too hectic to do the piroshki with HB Jr I.

Instead we made a banana & walnut loaf. It has just come out of the oven & the smell is amazing. He is really chuffed by the smell alone.

Can't wait to sample it later!

The bread was delicious. A little bit sweet & a bit underdone. I think that the mix was a bit too wet (long story ).

Lessons were learned regarding preciseness of measurements, order in which to do things, cleaning up, etc. But the best thing was the sense of achievement in producing something so damn tasty.

Happy Lad = Happy Dad

Loire

Sorry Bisto, but never again!

Made "real" gravy for the first time last night and it was so good I can still taste it. I cooked a roast beef in the slow cooker with a small glass of beef stock. This stock plus the juices from the beef itself became the stock for the gravy. I made a quick roux and then popped it into the stock and simmered for a few mins. It was so yummy. Might try popping a clove of garlic into the stock the next time for a few minutes.

The Sweeper

Okay, please don't hate me, I know it's only the middle of October.

...but I can't WAIT for Christmas.

We've never hosted a 'traditional Irish' Christmas here in Australia - too hot, too difficult, too [insert other excuse here]. This year we're going mad. The tree's going up on 8th December and all.

My Christmas puddings are made. Jars of mincemeat are done. Every weekend I try some other sweet or otherwise marvellous creation (and then take it to work and feed my workmates on Monday morning.) I have absolutely no idea why I've gone so bananas about it this year, but I have.

Now, stand back, I'm about to test out my light-shooting hand-cannon for decorating my whole house with multicoloured string lights.

Minder

and what are you doing by way of traditional savoury dishes?

Dizzyblonde

If you say you've also got all your Christmas shopping done then I will shoot you

Mr Simpson

Dizzyblonde wrote: »

If you say you've also got all your Christmas shopping done then I will shoot you

Sure its only 71 days until christmas!!

Mrs Fox

Meant to give our fellow poster a shout out on the other thread, but it's more appropriate here I guess -- Congratulations homemadecider on your engagement!

hardCopy

Faith wrote: »

I've been cooking since the word go, I think. I've definitely been baking since I was extremely young - like 5, if not younger helping out. Cooking started pretty early too. I definitely got used as a chef a few times but I never minded too much. Honestly, my mum over seasons food so it was a bonus when I cooked because I could control the flavour!

My earliest cooking memory is of an apple and blackberry pie. My mother, sister and I filled our lunchboxes with blackberries on the way home from school.

My mam helped me mix up the pastry for the pie. She then had to pop in to our neighbour and left me to knead the dough. She got to gabbing and came back to find me still kneading the dough an hour later. I think she ended up mixing a fresh batch of pastry.

The Sweeper

Minder wrote: »

and what are you doing by way of traditional savoury dishes?

Dunno yet. Definitely not turkey. Possibly a ham if I can get a good one. Otherwise it'll be roast something else, or seafood.

Dizzyblonde wrote: »

If you say you've also got all your Christmas shopping done then I will shoot you

Oh god no, nowhere close!

The Hill Billy

Mr Simpson wrote: »

Sure its only 71 days until christmas!!

Mr Simpson banned for 72 days.

tHB

Faith

The Sweeper wrote: »

Okay, please don't hate me, I know it's only the middle of October.

...but I can't WAIT for Christmas.

We've never hosted a 'traditional Irish' Christmas here in Australia - too hot, too difficult, too [insert other excuse here]. This year we're going mad. The tree's going up on 8th December and all.

My Christmas puddings are made. Jars of mincemeat are done. Every weekend I try some other sweet or otherwise marvellous creation (and then take it to work and feed my workmates on Monday morning.) I have absolutely no idea why I've gone so bananas about it this year, but I have.

Now, stand back, I'm about to test out my light-shooting hand-cannon for decorating my whole house with multicoloured string lights.

I was a bit like that last year. I normally don't care for Christmas, but it was my first Christmas not working in retail and first one living with the OH so I got super excited about it.

I'm looking forward to this year's Christmas, but we're in a bit of a financial black hole at the moment so preparations have to wait until we're out of that.

dipdip

I've become used to cooking for people with unusual dietary needs over the years as my old house-mate had coeliac disease and lactose intolerance. However I have a guest tomorrow with a list of can'ts and don'ts as long as my arm...

1. No red meat
2. No dairy or cheeses/milks of any kind from an animal
3. No gluten
4. No acids
5. No chilli
6. No sugar
7. No preservatives of any kind

I'm pretty stumped. Here is what I am proposing:

Baked salmon
Roasted tomatoes
Roasted butternut squash
Roast potatoes with garlic
Green leaf salad with avocado
Fresh melon and berries

The seasonings are sea salt, black pepper, olive oil, fresh garlic and fresh parsley.

I'll have some dressings on the side for those of us who can indulge in balsamic vinegar and whipped cream!

Any thoughts appreciated.

catho_monster

dipdip, the only thing I'd be concerned about is what they mean by no acids... the tomatoes and berries would be quite acidic...