General Chat Thread II

igCorcaigh

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121021605#Comment_121021605

Hawksmoor... I'm not a big steak fan, but this does look very good. As they are a chain, this is Gary's review of the restaurant in London, Borough.

Worth a try if I make a visit to Dublin?

https://youtu.be/VEQ440vTSXA?si=nnQO7gbwo6KvhApj

EDIT: This was probably the wrong thread to post in, but once I heard Hawksmoor, I recalled the name from Boards, and Googled it. It brought me here.

Gloomtastic!

I’m not a big steak eater either but I’ve heard FX Buckleys is better. When you coming to the real, proper capital? 🫣

Dave_The_Sheep

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121673282#Comment_121673282

FX Buckley is better for steaks by a good bit, based on one visit to Hawksmoor Dublin (and two in London) and multiple visits to FXBs (various locations around town).

Here were my thoughts about the visit - and a few posts after are a few other users. Short version: Hawksmoor great for cocktails, atmosphere and sides. Merely good for the steaks (which is why I go to a steakhouse). FXB a good bit better for steaks (and also have very good cocktails and sides, though the cocktails in Hawksmoor were better).

road_high

Bought a carton of Squeez apple juice drink (think it was on offer and I assumed it was proper Apple juice)- one of the most vile things I have tasted in a like while. Don’t remember it tasting this bad. Like stale bland watery apples

Dial Hard

Went to Hawksmoor yesterday for the Tayto & toastie special. Possibly the best sambo in Dublin.

road_high

Where is Hawksmoor?

Dave_The_Sheep

Dame St. Well, I suppose College Green. Former National Bank.

Dave_The_Sheep

Was over in the Asia Market store over in Ballymount, been ordering from them online for a good few years now, but the store is another level. I could have spent ages there, and I'm glad I ate beforehand as my impulse control would have been on the floor.

L1011

I have had the smallest bit of kitchen progress in my renovation from hell that I've moaned about on here for, oh, two years.

A whole two of the wall cabinets are now properly, permanently installed in their final locations; and have shelves and doors. This is an 80x100 and a 40x100 so quite a lot of space.

A third 60x100 is going to be mounted Immenently, possibly tomorrow or Thursday. The rails to mount the rest of the upper cabinets is in, but I need to do surgery to all of them to handle the extractor, and it hasn't arrived yet.

I no longer need to have crockery/cutlery/implements/pantry items on two open book cases; with the third cupboard there I'll be able to dig out - replace, mostly - the advanced pantry stuff and actually make interesting curries and so on again.

To 'celebrate' I also bought the cheapest kitchen table IKEA have to put the portable induction hob on and give a bit more space to chop veg on - I'd been using the kitchen table.

Mystery Egg

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121697151#Comment_121697151

Congrats!! Exciting times.

Gloomtastic!

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121697151#Comment_121697151

We’ve been lucky and only had our kitchen out of action for a couple of weeks max when we renovated. Even then, my anxiety levels went through the roof so I have real respect for people who put up with it for months or longer. You must be tempted to have takeaways every night.

Dial Hard

Feel like I barely cook at all anymore so plan to correct that this weekend. At various stages I plan to make:

Short rib bourguignon

Oxtail ramen

Khachapuri

Cheese "biscuits" with sausage (American recipe so cheese scones, basically, and the sausage is basically a homemade McDonald's sausage patty)

Dave_The_Sheep

Busy weekend so!

Dave_The_Sheep

Wrong thread.

Dial Hard

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121717803#Comment_121717803

Yep! Kind of wish I'd taken Tuesday off too now...

igCorcaigh

Question: if I want to recreate a beef stir fry like the type you get from a Chinese takeaway, what cut of beef should I buy?

Like this:

TIA!

Dial Hard

My short ribs 😋

Gremlinertia

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121720544#Comment_121720544

Cannot wait for the follow up pics, lovely looking pieces

Dial Hard

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121720960#Comment_121720960

Didn't manage to get a good pic of the finished-finished product, but this was just before the meat was pulled.

Hotblack Desiato

Looks delicious

I thought they were a bit underdone in the first pic 😁

awec

@Dial Hard did you put the mini pearl onions into the Bourginon? Where did ye source them from if so?

Dial Hard

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121728989#Comment_121728989

They're just the pickled ones from Tesco. Don't think I've ever seen fresh ones around.

awec

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121728996#Comment_121728996

The ones that come in a jar? Does the cooking kill the pickled taste off a bit, as I always found them to taste pretty harsh?

Dial Hard

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121729002#Comment_121729002

Yeah, from a jar. Tesco do both sharp and sweet ones, I used the sweet ones. Tbh the bourguignon was so rich it benefitted from the little tang of the onions. Not sure I'd go full short rib again - I think a mix of short rib and stewing beef would be better. It was very indulgent.

Dave_The_Sheep

Made stock earlier. Asked my partner to keep an eye on it and let it simmer down a little.

... Yeah.

New Home

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121782363#Comment_121782363

Press it into cubes...

Dial Hard

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121782363#Comment_121782363

Ouch.

miamee

Who did the washing up? :/

New Home

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121787145#Comment_121787145

It just needs soaking. 😁

Dave_The_Sheep

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121787145#Comment_121787145

To be fair, she got it squeaky clean quite easily, somehow. I should probably ask how, other than elbow grease. Maybe actual Elbow Grease, it is out on the counter...

Gloomtastic!

@Mystery Egg

The Cooking Club.

The wasted soul the Food forum.

I’ve had one of my ideas. Who wants to hear it? 😝

igCorcaigh

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121811374#Comment_121811374

Let's revive The Cooking Club! Go for it Gloom...

Mystery Egg

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121811374#Comment_121811374

Hit me

Gloomtastic!

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121820146#Comment_121820146

Nope, fell at the first hurdle unfortunately. Back to the drawing board …..🙄

sammyjo90

Ah cmon you cant do that to us!!

Gloomtastic!

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121821282#Comment_121821282

Ok, if you insist. 😉

I was talking to a couple of asylum seekers last week who are staying in a huge direct provision centre near the centre of Dublin.

As a committed Boardsie, I asked them what they had for dinner last night. Chicken wings and mashed potatoes was all they were offered. They said the food is really bad. Cheapest everything.

The idea was to create a Boards Cooking Club where we could take those cheapest ingredients and turn them into something tasty. Dried herbs and spices are cheap as chips if you buy them in bulk. Then we’d turn up outside these provision centres with our gas BBQs and feed them. I think they’d really, really appreciate it

But when you start to plan it out, you are just met with a barrage of red tape at every turn. I hate box tickers! 🤬

the beer revolu

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121822796#Comment_121822796

My wife was involved in art studios in Cork city some years ago. I don't know how it started but they got to know some direct provision residents. They invited them in to use the little kitchen in the studio to prepare their own food. People were invited to share the food and donations covered the cost of food.

I think in a lot of cases, it's not decent food people miss, it's the ability to cook their own food and share it with friends.

oscarBravo

Then we’d turn up outside these provision centres with our gas BBQs and feed them. I think they’d really, really appreciate it

But when you start to plan it out, you are just met with a barrage of red tape at every turn.

Not to mention risking the wrath of right-wingers.

Mystery Egg

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121822796#Comment_121822796

It's a beautiful thought

Gloomtastic!

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121822883#Comment_121822883

This is something we can work on maybe……

Dial Hard

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121823514#Comment_121823514

In fairness and with respect to the intention behind the idea, I'd say the last thing people in DP want to be fed is even more cheap crap, even if cooked by people who know what they're doing. By far the biggest issue that people in DP have with the food arrangements, from my reading, is not being able to prepare, cook and share food from their own cultures, especially around special occasions, holidays etc.

the beer revolu

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121823514#Comment_121823514

It would need to, essentially, be a private party. Making it a public event, in a public space becomes problematic.

Gloomtastic!

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121823547#Comment_121823547

I'm working with a local councillor on this. We have a public park virtually opposite the centre. It would be perfect but I hear what you're saying.

L1011

More upper cabinets fitted in the new kitchen in the renovation from hell

I am now down to two IKEA moving boxes full of the bits I don't have space for, and a lot of them aren't particularly regular use items - my swing top bottles for bottled cocktails when having parties, my cocktail shakers, spare wooden chopping boards for serving stuff. Also a few bits of aluminium cookware, as I'm currently on induction so can't use them.

Means I've got my spice grinder, mini food processor, mandoline (although I can't find the different blades), mezzaluna, potato ricer and so on back and to hand. Now to figure out something to actually use all this with.

Poor dishwasher has done two loads a day for the past week washing everything that was in storage.

Gloomtastic!

Just paid €1.75 for a packet of Tayto Salt & Vinegar in my local Centra. I remember when they were 5p. 😳

New Home

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121857254#Comment_121857254

That is insane. Insane.

Gloomtastic!

https://www.freecycle.org/posts/95333358

Kenwood chef mixer going free if anyone wants it. 😋

the beer revolu

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121857254#Comment_121857254

Two years ago, I was buying Tayto Bistro (usually more expensive than regular Tayto) in one particular shop in West Waterford for €1.05.

Centra have always been saucy for crisps. Crisps used to have a pretty standard rrp but now the price varies wildly between shops!

L1011

Had been getting my sister, who shops in Tesco, to keep me the Tesco square spice/herb jars as she finished them - ended up with a decent pile of them.

This evenings boredom aversion tast was decanting everything I had in odd shape or bigger/awkward spice jars in to them this evening. Loads of correct lids/labels; but label printed the name to stick over the lid on stuff that I only had a "wrong" bottle for.

Now have a consistent size/shape/height to put all the jars in to easy to take out trays; put the refill bags I get from Eurasia away somewhere in the dark and avoid having to figure out by smell/colour what is in the random decade old IKEA spice jars (Ihardig mostly, also a white ceramic one with a wood and rubber lid) with lids that randomly decide not to seal. And there's a significant space saving - the square jars hold more for their footprint and getting rid of the IKEA giants has given me space for many more in the same space.

Also, the Tesco jars don't try to have sprinklers on them meaning they have a fairly sane opening that doesn't get clogged up and refuse to seal like Lidl/Aldi spice jars do.

Bredabe

Trying to find a chilli sauce for drizzling over grains etc, one of the types I can get off the shelf.

the sweet chilli is too sweet and sriracha doesn't sit well, peri peri is yucky, what do ppl recommend?