General Chat Thread II

Gloomtastic!

Muahahaha wrote: »

Has anyone seen arborio rice about anywhere? Been on the lookout for it for almost 3 weeks now in Aldi and Supervalue and its not showing up. Have always been meaning to make risotto and for once I have shallots in stock but cant find the dam rice

Paella rice is also good for risotto

beertons

Never figured out what's the problem with the bbq. I might bring it out to my dad when I'm going out with their shopping, he's mad for something to be messing around with.

Got some jalapeno burger melts in Aldi last week. Some kick off them. Big thumbs up from me.

Shenshen

Gloomtastic! wrote: »

Paella rice is also good for risotto

I'll be honest, I've used plain pudding rice in the past, and it worked.

Muahahaha

New Home wrote: »

1. You don't need shallots to make risotto, onions are absolutely fine.
2. Tesco usually has it. Not sure about Dunnes. Sometimes Supervalu has it, too, but not in the "general" rice section, it's in the Italian foods section. Or try in the Polish shops. BTW, Carnaroli is equally good for risotto, in case you find that one.

ah-ha, thats where I was going wrong, silly me looking in the rice section for some rice :pac:

yeah knew onions can be used but just happened to have some shallots in left over from a previous recipe of beef rendang and wanted to use them before they turn. Out of interest what is better for risotto- red or white onions? I suppose using red would give it a sweetness to balance against the savoury flavours

New Home

It really depends on what else you put in your risotto. Some white onions can be very very mild and sweet, too. I put it down to personal taste.

Alun

beertons wrote: »

Never figured out what's the problem with the bbq. I might bring it out to my dad when I'm going out with their shopping, he's mad for something to be messing around with.

On my gas barbecue there's a mesh screen around the place where the end of the gas pipe enters the burner tube, which is supposed to stop spiders and other critters getting in there and building webs or making nests, but every year after I get it out of storage for the summer it still looks a bit messy in there so it might be worth taking the burner off and a having a poke around in there.

tickingclock

Bbq season is here. I always make a few nice salads and I'd bring leftovers for lunch. Does anyone have any suggestions for some of their favourite salads please? If possible not with hard to find or special ingredients!

Shenshen

tickingclock wrote: »

Bbq season is here. I always make a few nice salads and I'd bring leftovers for lunch. Does anyone have any suggestions for some of their favourite salads please? If possible not with hard to find or special ingredients!

I'm an absolute fiend for German coleslaw, particularly with a BBQ.
Also, tsatsiki, but I'm not sure if that's more of a salad or more of a dip.

beertons

We've missed having our neighbours down from number 6, and likewise them with us. So we both have made a little extra, boxed it or put it in a jar, left at the door, rang doorbell and ran. It's a nice little gane between us. Some nice suprises between us. I made a mistake making pizza yesterday, and sent him down 2 slices. He reckons he made about 20,000 pizza in Poland, and his base is just perfection. My base, which I had been perfecting for about 2 years, is muck in comparrison. He loved then anyway, I put more stuff on mine, I blitz most of the veg, where as you can clearly see on his, the ingredients. He always makes a pesto pizza, and makes the pesto fresh. With the time off now, he has transformed his back garden into a vegetable and herb patch. You just can't beat the fresh tomatoes, basil and dill.

Dizzyblonde

tickingclock wrote: »

Bbq season is here. I always make a few nice salads and I'd bring leftovers for lunch. Does anyone have any suggestions for some of their favourite salads please? If possible not with hard to find or special ingredients!

I make a Nandos type vegetable rice, you can serve it warm or cold.

1 cup of rice
2 cups of boiling water
1 finely chopped onion
1 crushed clove of garlic
½ a finely chopped red pepper
½ a finely chopped green pepper
1 finely chopped tomato
1 chicken stock cube
A handful of frozen peas
½ tsp cumin
½ tsp turmeric
½ tsp paprika
A pinch of chilli powder
Olive oil

Sauté the chopped onion, garlic and chopped peppers in the oil in a large saucepan for a few minutes then add the tomato, cumin, turmeric, chilli powder and paprika cook gently for 2-3 minutes.
Add rice and the stock cube dissolved in the boiling water along with the peas.
Bring to the boil and then simmer gently until all of the water is almost absorbed, then turn off the heat and leave for 10 minutes.

beertons

Frozen spinach is just the best thing ever. Threw 3 lumps into a veg sauce earlier to leftover pizza sauce, added pasta, and walla kablam, a veggie pasta dish. Have to give credit to that one from number 6 too

Roald Dahl

I've often wondered about how similar risotto and paella rice really are. I've run out of paella rice before and used risotto stuff instead and could not really tell any difference.

Usually, I go to Gran Canaria once a year and bring back a kilo or two of bomba rice, but not this year, I guess!

Gloomtastic!

Roald Dahl wrote: »

I've often wondered about how similar risotto and paella rice really are. I've run out of paella rice before and used risotto stuff instead and could not really tell any difference.

Usually, I go to Gran Canaria once a year and bring back a kilo or two of bomba rice, but not this year, I guess!

The big difference between the two is the price. Arborio rice for risottos is much more expensive. The other difference is you don’t stir paellas so you don’t need to stir your risottos as much if you use paella rice.

Muahahaha

beertons wrote: »

Frozen spinach is just the best thing ever. Threw 3 lumps into a veg sauce earlier to leftover pizza sauce, added pasta, and walla kablam, a veggie pasta dish. Have to give credit to that one from number 6 too

I keep a bag of it in the freezer for those smoothies I want to be healthy, its great at cooling down the smoothie too. Only started using it frozen a couple of months ago and noticed the price differential between fresh and frozen spinach is massive, a bag of 125g of fresh spinach is in and around 1.30 but 1kg of it frozen is about 1.20.

Dial Hard

125g of fresh spinach is 69c in Lidl. Obviously the frozen is still cheaper but that's expensive fresh stuff you're buying.

tickingclock

Shenshen wrote: »

I'm an absolute fiend for German coleslaw, particularly with a BBQ.
Also, tsatsiki, but I'm not sure if that's more of a salad or more of a dip.

Thanks. I halved the recipe. It went down better the second day. I think the flavour was more developed.

tickingclock

Dizzyblonde wrote: »

I make a Nandos type vegetable rice, you can serve it warm or cold.

1 cup of rice
2 cups of boiling water
1 finely chopped onion
1 crushed clove of garlic
½ a finely chopped red pepper
½ a finely chopped green pepper
1 finely chopped tomato
1 chicken stock cube
A handful of frozen peas
½ tsp cumin
½ tsp turmeric
½ tsp paprika
A pinch of chilli powder
Olive oil

Sauté the chopped onion, garlic and chopped peppers in the oil in a large saucepan for a few minutes then add the tomato, cumin, turmeric, chilli powder and paprika cook gently for 2-3 minutes.
Add rice and the stock cube dissolved in the boiling water along with the peas.
Bring to the boil and then simmer gently until all of the water is almost absorbed, then turn off the heat and leave for 10 minutes.

Q

Thanks for sharing this. Didn't make it for a bbq but had it today with honey baked ham and rolls and good cheese. Very tasty.

Ryath

Palas food are doing click and collect in a lot more locations now. A lot aren't depots but in carparks out of trucks. They're doing more items in smaller quantities to. I'm finding it very handy a lot of our food the last month has been bought there. Needs a bit of planning but for some things we use a lot and have long shelf-lifes it's actually been very good value.

Dublin - Parkwest

Cork - Little Island

Dublin - Kilmacud GAA Car Park

Limerick - Newcastle West

Athlone - Woodville Road

Dublin - Airside Swords

Galway - The Huntsman

Limerick - Westward Ho, Mungret

Mullingar - Mullingar Park Hotel

Killarney - Gleneagle INEC

Drogheda - The Glenside Hotel

Cavan - Cavan Crystal Hotel

Kilkenny - O'Loughlin Gaels Car Park

Waterford - Mount Sion, Ozanam St.

New Home

Anything similar in the North West?

Shenshen

tickingclock wrote: »

Thanks. I halved the recipe. It went down better the second day. I think the flavour was more developed.

Yes, it does do that.

Dizzyblonde

Ryath wrote: »

Palas food are doing click and collect in a lot more locations now. A lot aren't depots but in carparks out of trucks. They're doing more items in smaller quantities to. I'm finding it very handy a lot of our food the last month has been bought there. Needs a bit of planning but for some things we use a lot and have long shelf-lifes it's actually been very good value.

Dublin - Parkwest

Cork - Little Island

Dublin - Kilmacud GAA Car Park

Limerick - Newcastle West

Athlone - Woodville Road

Dublin - Airside Swords

Galway - The Huntsman

Limerick - Westward Ho, Mungret

Mullingar - Mullingar Park Hotel

Killarney - Gleneagle INEC

Drogheda - The Glenside Hotel

Cavan - Cavan Crystal Hotel

Kilkenny - O'Loughlin Gaels Car Park

Waterford - Mount Sion, Ozanam St.

Oh that's brilliant, just down the road from me :):)

Gloomtastic!

Dizzyblonde wrote: »

Oh that's brilliant, just down the road from me :):)

Go crazy Dizzy!

Muahahaha

Any tips or tricks for slicing through meat that is frozen solid? I have a prime rib on the bone that was intended for a special occasion that wont be happening now. I want to cut it to use one half now and leave the other still frozen.

Ryath

Butchers Band saw is the easy way! Was handy growing up above a supermarket! You'll never cut a thick frozen piece with knife.

Could get a butchers handsaw.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/AUSONIA-58055-Butcher-Saw-45/dp/B00FEJYIVE/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1CE17NXPBB6DG&dchild=1&keywords=butchers+saw+for+frozen+meat&qid=1588276862&sprefix=butchers+saw%2Cdiy%2C140&sr=8-1
Edit this one has better reviews.

igCorcaigh

Having recently tried pork rillette (On the Pigs Back, Cork), which I quite liked (tasted like sausage which I think is from the spices) I'm interested in more things like that.

I see Polish shops sell smalec, which is lard, in a jar, for spreading on bread. Something like this:

https://www.gutekueche.at/schmalzbrot-mit-zwiebel-rezept-6299

Looks delicious.

Has anyone got any suggestions for a good brand or will any of the cheaper stuff sold in Polish shops do?

Also want to try lard for cooking with but very wary of the cheap stuff in supermarkets (frytex etc) because of the hydrogenated/trans fats.

odyssey06

Pushing aside the controversy about their picking, about to have my first Irish strawberries of the year

Muahahaha

Ryath wrote: »

Butchers Band saw is the easy way! Was handy growing up above a supermarket! You'll never cut a thick frozen piece with knife.

Could get a butchers handsaw.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/AUSONIA-58055-Butcher-Saw-45/dp/B00FEJYIVE/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1CE17NXPBB6DG&dchild=1&keywords=butchers+saw+for+frozen+meat&qid=1588276862&sprefix=butchers+saw%2Cdiy%2C140&sr=8-1
Edit this one has better reviews.

cheers for the link Ryath but this is more a one off because of the restrictions, Im not normally in the habit of freezing meat and then trying to chop through it :pac: I havent done anything about it yet but might give it a go next weekend with a sharp meat cleaver I have. I read than if I pour a bit of hot water at the cutting point that might help get it started. Its either that or cook the entire joint, eat half and then freeze the other half. As its a premium cut I'd prefer to avoid freezing it after its cooked if I can.

the beer revolu

Muahahaha wrote: »

cheers for the link Ryath but this is more a one off because of the restrictions, Im not normally in the habit of freezing meat and then trying to chop through it :pac: I havent done anything about it yet but might give it a go next weekend with a sharp meat cleaver I have. I read than if I pour a bit of hot water at the cutting point that might help get it started. Its either that or cook the entire joint, eat half and then freeze the other half. As its a premium cut I'd prefer to avoid freezing it after its cooked if I can.

Or get it to a semi defrosted state in the fridge, half it and put the semi frozen half back in the freezer.

Dial Hard

the beer revolu wrote: »

Or get it to a semi defrosted state in the fridge, half it and put the semi frozen half back in the freezer.

This is your best bet.

A cleaver is just going to bounce off a frozen cut of meat. Don't do it.

tangy

Muahahaha wrote: »

cheers for the link Ryath but this is more a one off because of the restrictions, Im not normally in the habit of freezing meat and then trying to chop through it :pac: I havent done anything about it yet but might give it a go next weekend with a sharp meat cleaver I have. I read than if I pour a bit of hot water at the cutting point that might help get it started. Its either that or cook the entire joint, eat half and then freeze the other half. As its a premium cut I'd prefer to avoid freezing it after its cooked if I can.

beer's suggestion about half-defrosting sounds good.

Otherwise, if you've got a hacksaw, take a new blade and sand off as much paint as possible, and then use that to saw through your lump. It's what I use to cut up joints, though I bought a saw from Aldi and the blade was coated with some substance that wouldn't even think about being sanded. Done job No paint residue on the cut bone.