The General Chat Thread

Faith · 10-12-2018 04:07PM

Michellenman wrote: »

I got s food hamper gift earlier this year and in it there was a box mix of brownies included, I’m a big baker so was very intrigued! It’s mad though, you literally have to add EVERYTHING to it to make them. Sugar, eggs, butter, milk, chocolate chips optional. The box is just flour and cocoa mix. I much prefer baking from scratch but I would have thought that if you are using a box mix you should pretty much only have to add an egg or some oil or something like that. Very strange.

It used to be the case that you only added some wet ingredients, but people felt that they weren’t doing *enough* in those cases so the manufacturers added in more steps :rolleyes:

——

I feel like cannelloni are the most pointless thing I have ever made. Even using the tubes, they’re a total faff to fill. It’s really hard to pipe the mixture if it has any substance to it (spinach, sundried tomatoes etc). It’s so lumpy that you have to cut a huge hole in the piping bag, which increases the likelihood of it splitting, and using a spoon is messy AF. Tried it once or twice and never again!

rubadub · 10-12-2018 04:33PM

Faith wrote: »

but people felt that they weren’t doing *enough* in those cases so the manufacturers added in more steps :rolleyes:

Yeah, I heard of one who changed to having to add an egg instead of dried egg and the sales rocketed.

I saw this one in dealz a while ago and thought it was good value. Until I saw you did not get the icing!
https://www.tesco.ie/groceries/Product/Details/?id=289584735
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10861011_0_640x640.jpg?identifier=ea61253c00ab8429935e429f01573415

All you need is:
120ml vegetable oil (8 tbsp)
230ml water
3 medium free range eggs
1 tub of Betty Crocker™ Indulgent Chocolate Fudge Icing
2 x 8" well-greased cake tins (or 2 x regular size muffin trays & cupcake cases)

Faith · 11-12-2018 11:55AM

We live in the UK and are going home for a week or so over Christmas. We're now in that really awkward phase where I don't want to do a big shop, but I'm also running out of things to make for dinners. Ended up doing one more big shop today and hopefully that'll keep us going we get back after Christmas.

(I long to spend Christmas in my own house!)

11-12-2018 01:10PM

Faith wrote: »

We live in the UK and are going home for a week or so over Christmas. We're now in that really awkward phase where I don't want to do a big shop, but I'm also running out of things to make for dinners. Ended up doing one more big shop today and hopefully that'll keep us going we get back after Christmas.

(I long to spend Christmas in my own house!)

We're happily telling everyone that we will be spending Christmas day in our own house. It's great using a new born like that!

On the cake mix stuff, the only time I remember buying those mixes were for my wife's baby shower. We had someone coming who was a celiac so I got one of the gluten free brownie mixes for them, purely because the cost of gluten free flour was astronomical!

Graces7 · 12-12-2018 09:12AM

Looking at the weather between now and Christmas and given that my car will be pensioned off any day now, have put an extra order in to SuperValu to be on the boat tomorrow.... Apart from treats will have the basics in house. If i get out even once will just have bits...I have the turkey and all the bits... no pudding or cake and not well enough to bake..Will be fine!

Ryath · 13-12-2018 07:03PM

Used fish sauce to season my cottage pie this evening. Really added to it, wife commented it was particularity nice today.

Definitely will be trying it out in other meat dishes. Must pick up some marmite to try it out.

Graces7 · 14-12-2018 11:15AM

Made a pan of cheese sauce the proper way! ie a roux. You are inspiring me! Not done that for a long while... Will cook pasta later and add it..

( It is rather good!)

igCorcaigh · 14-12-2018 04:15PM

the beer revolu wrote: »

Fish sauce can really lift a tomato sauce, too.

Can vouch for this, bought some fish sauce to try it out!

Surreptitious · 14-12-2018 11:27PM

Fish sauce is so nice in stir fries. Prawns, meat of choice, thinly sliced peppers and scallions, baby veg, and boiled rice all fried together. So simple and flavoursome and inexpensive. For the vegetarians just bulk up with more veg or tofu or whatever.

New Home · 15-12-2018 01:16AM

Surreptitious wrote: »

Fish sauce is so nice in stir fries. Prawns, meat of choice, thinly sliced peppers and scallions, baby veg, and boiled rice all fried together. So simple and flavoursome and inexpensive. For the vegetarians just bulk up with more veg or tofu or whatever.

And use soy sauce instead of fish sauce.

Surreptitious · 15-12-2018 01:40AM

New Home wrote: »

And use soy sauce instead of fish sauce.

That'll tell you what I know about vegetarians *shame*

Graces7 · 15-12-2018 05:54AM

Missed bread off my shopping list... guess who will be at the stove top bannock making today!

L1011 · 15-12-2018 02:45PM

New Home wrote: »

And use soy sauce instead of fish sauce.

Goodall's worcestershire sauce is vegan and vegetarian would be closer in taste probably

zell12 · 19-12-2018 03:22PM

Needed some baking soda recently
It was €1.69 for 200g in Tesco
yet €1.79 for 500g in MrPrice

rubadub · 19-12-2018 03:25PM

zell12 wrote: »

Needed some baking soda recently
It was €1.69 for 200g in Tesco
yet €1.79 for 500g in MrPrice

shamrock 500g is 1.39 in tesco
https://www.tesco.ie/groceries/Product/Details/?id=253237822

zell12 · 19-12-2018 03:30PM

rubadub wrote: »

shamrock 500g is 1.39 in tesco https://www.tesco.ie/groceries/Product/Details/?id=253237822

I've been ripped off! :mad:

BaZmO* · 19-12-2018 03:37PM

I hope you don't buy your spices in Tesco so. Mad prices compared to the likes of Eurasia.

Dial Hard · 19-12-2018 07:20PM

The problem with buying them in bigger quantities in the likes of Eurasia is that, while they're a fraction of the price, in many cases they'll have gone stale kong before you've even made a dent in them, even with proper storage.

If buying in large quantities, buy the whole rather than powdered versions wherever possible. You can toast and grind in smaller batches then and they stay much fresher.

Muahahaha · 19-12-2018 09:53PM

Dial Hard wrote: »

The problem with buying them in bigger quantities in the likes of Eurasia is that, while they're a fraction of the price, in many cases they'll have gone stale kong before you've even made a dent in them, even with proper storage.

Its a problem Ive had before- its so much cheaper to buy them in the bigger bags in an Asian shop than the main supermarkets but then if you dont use them quick enough they go stale anyway. I do try to buy seeds now instead of the powdered versions but the seeded ones arent always available for every spice you need.

Just on spice storage- what do people use? At the moment Ive about 20 different spices in a few stacks of small Ikea tupperware, have sticker labels on each one to make finding it reasonably quick. I do need to upgrade though. Ive seen nice spice jars in packs of three for €15 in Home Store before but was looking for something cheaper as I need about 20 containers.

oscarBravo · 19-12-2018 10:34PM

I have a spice cupboard that's just wide enough to hold two of these side by side. I've installed drawer slides to carry four shelves with two of those, each holding (I think) ten of these.

The cupboard is right beside the cooker, and it has the advantage of keeping the spices in darkness even though they're in glass jars.

New Home · 19-12-2018 10:38PM

I keep "excess" spices (and cloves of fresh garlic) in glass jars in the chest freezer, they don't go stale quite as quickly.

Gloomtastic! · 19-12-2018 10:58PM

My spice/herb drawer. Love the Tesco letters on the top that make for easy finding. They get refilled with whatever brand I come across first.

Then you have the right hand side that relies on my memory mostly. Luckily I haven’t added a new herb/spice in a long time so sort of know what’s there.

Muahahaha · 19-12-2018 11:27PM

It defintely seems a good idea to store them in a drawer you can look down upon. At the moment all mine are in a high cupboard as Im just very short on space. Generally I know where most of them are from memory but the odd time I get caught out looking for a spice you rarely use and Ive to tear the whole bloody cupboard apart ! Im looking at you Sumac

Im installing a new kitchen in the new year so definitely must think of getting the spices down to a lower shelf.

dee_mc · 20-12-2018 12:25AM

I have a shallow drawer at the top of a pull out Ikea larder press that works perfectly as a spice drawer - also keep stock cubes and garlic there. Takes up no space and everything can be found at a glance.
I recently rearranged it so it's alphabetical and it's even easier!

igCorcaigh · 20-12-2018 01:32AM

Amazon sells magnetic spice jars that you can stick to your fridge door.

beertons · 20-12-2018 08:35AM

Gloomtastic! wrote: »

My spice/herb drawer. Love the Tesco letters on the top that make for easy finding. They get refilled with whatever brand I come across first.

Then you have the right hand side that relies on my memory mostly. Luckily I haven’t added a new herb/spice in a long time so sort of know what’s there.

You need to make a few words out of all those letters.

Ryath · 20-12-2018 09:02AM

I keep all mine in a 30cm wide IKEA pull out 3 drawer pantry unit. It's from there older Faktum range. Bottom pull out is tall enough to store all my oils and vinegars.

Trying to only buy spices and herbs now that have a label on top of the lid. Does make finding them way easier. Must actually sort them alphabetically.

Gloomtastic! · 20-12-2018 09:17AM

beertons wrote: »

You need to make a few words out of all those letters.

Bit short on vowels.....

New Home · 20-12-2018 01:46PM

Gloomtastic! wrote: »

Bit short on vowels.....

Not if you use syllables instead.

odyssey06 · 20-12-2018 01:55PM

Ryath wrote: »

Trying to only buy spices and herbs now that have a label on top of the lid. Does make finding them way easier. Must actually sort them alphabetically.

I wonder what price all those exotic spices would fetch at a 16th century market

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