The General Chat Thread

kylith · 09-12-2015 10:41AM

I'm looking for artichoke hearts in water or frozen, in Dublin. The ones in oil are relatively easy to get but it's for a recipe so I want to follow it as closely as I can.

homemadecider · 09-12-2015 05:35PM

Christmas has come early in our house as we decided to splash out and buy a Kitchenaid stand mixer for ourselves as our Xmas gifts this year. It arrived today, jaysus it is a thing of beauty. If I wasn't me, I'd be jealous of me!

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I've been marinating a load of dried fruit in a bottle of rum for a month so this weekend I'll use the Kitchenaid to make Jamaica's version of Christmas cakes. The secret ingredient is rum. Then add more rum. Oh wait... more rum!

Faith · 09-12-2015 05:43PM

I got a KitchenAid this summer, and I gotta say, I'm disappointed with it. It's beautiful, but it's not much of a workhorse. If you turn it up past 2, it rocks badly and noisily, and the wattage isn't great. Attachments are also insanely expensive!

Is the one in the picture the colour you got, HMC? Mine is sunshine yellow, and it is delightfully cheery!

Think I'll trade up for a Kenwood Chef when we move back to Europe, though.

emaleth · 09-12-2015 06:34PM

kylith wrote: »

I'm looking for artichoke hearts in water or frozen, in Dublin. The ones in oil are relatively easy to get but it's for a recipe so I want to follow it as closely as I can.

The ever-reliable JCs in Swords have them in water in a tin. They're with the condiments (in an aisle so bedazzlingly condimented that Mr Emaleth stays there and amuses himself while I do the rest of the shopping).

Dizzyblonde · 09-12-2015 08:35PM

emaleth wrote: »

The ever-reliable JCs in Swords have them in water in a tin. They're with the condiments (in an aisle so bedazzlingly condimented that Mr Emaleth stays there and amuses himself while I do the rest of the shopping).

Mr. Dizzy can't resist either, and has filled our fridge with more of JC's condiments than we'll ever use :pac:

IvyTheTerrible · 10-12-2015 09:32AM

Faith wrote: »

I got a KitchenAid this summer, and I gotta say, I'm disappointed with it. It's beautiful, but it's not much of a workhorse. If you turn it up past 2, it rocks badly and noisily, and the wattage isn't great. Attachments are also insanely expensive!

Is the one in the picture the colour you got, HMC? Mine is sunshine yellow, and it is delightfully cheery!

Think I'll trade up for a Kenwood Chef when we move back to Europe, though.

I got a Kenwood chef a few years ago and to be honest, it's not as sturdy as the models made years ago. My mum's one is about 20 years old, and still gets a lot of use with no problems. My one isn't a workhorse, and I don't know what way they redesigned the bowl, but it doesn't mix evenly, so you have to stop the mixer and push everything down repeatedly. Also, if you put it past 2, stuff flies out of the bowl. It does the job but I wouldn't buy that model again.

Dizzyblonde · 10-12-2015 10:36AM

I have a 33 year old Kenwood Chef and it's still going strong.

Mrs Fox · 10-12-2015 10:57AM

I've got a KitchenAid (electric blue) and it looks stunning, but like Faith, I would've gone for Kenwood for the very same reason. My mother still has hers going strong since the 70s.

Toto Wolfcastle · 10-12-2015 11:01AM

I have a Kenwood Chef Titanium (not sure if the titanium bit differentiates it from others!) and it's great. It's well able to deal with whatever I throw its way

The Kitchenaid is fab, homemadecider! Hope you have many happy years of baking with it!

Taboola · 10-12-2015 11:39AM

I was hoping to get a KitchenAid in the new year. Is there much of a price difference between them and the Kenwoods?

The Hill Billy · 10-12-2015 11:49AM

I won't tell you how old my kitchen aid is.

Mrs Billy wouldn't appreciate me advertising her age on a public forum. :pac:

tickingclock · 10-12-2015 02:57PM

I've a kenwood that my folks got as a wedding present in the 70's. A lot of the mixers/processors from that era are still going strong and made to last unlike the newer models.

Faith · 10-12-2015 04:40PM

Toto Wolfcastle wrote: »

I have a Kenwood Chef Titanium (not sure if the titanium bit differentiates it from others!) and it's great. It's well able to deal with whatever I throw its way

My mum has one of those and it's ideal. It's definitely what I'd ultimately invest in.

It's just a pity that the work horse mixers don't come in the beautiful colours

.

Taboola, there's not a huge price difference for similar specs, afaik, but if you want more power, I think you have to go with a Kenwood Chef. The Titanium model is 1400 watts, whereas the KitchenAid classic model is only 300 watts. So if you're doing anything more than baking cakes and cookies, the power in the Kenwood is useful. I can make pizza dough in my Kitchenaid but it rocks so loudly that I'm afraid the neighbours will complain!

Actually, looking at Amazon, it's likely you could get a Kenwood Chef Titanium for less than a KitchenAid.

Taboola · 10-12-2015 04:43PM

Thanks for the info Faith. I'll have a think about it. I just love the colour of the Kitchenaid.

oscarBravo · 10-12-2015 05:16PM

It would be interesting to convert the price of a 1980s-vintage Kenwood to today's inflation-adjusted shekels. I have this notion that they were always pricey beasts, and that lately they're being made down to a price.

Spanish Eyes · 10-12-2015 05:41PM

Has anyone had the little potato gratins from Aldi yet? They are four to a pack in the freezer section, Emmental, and Truffle versions available.

Nom.

I have so many of them in the freezer now, there is no room for much else. lol

Taboola · 10-12-2015 05:44PM

I had them. I didn't rate them very highly. As in, I kept 2 for dinner tonight and I probably won't bother cooking them.

Spanish Eyes · 10-12-2015 05:48PM

Taboola wrote: »

I had them. I didn't rate them very highly. As in, I kept 2 for dinner tonight and I probably won't bother cooking them.

Each to their own I suppose!

I liked em. And by the amount I have stashed away will HAVE to like em for a while yet!

The portioned size makes them handy for a one or two person dinner too, which I like.

I would only make it from scratch if there was a crowd coming, too much faff otherwise.

oscarBravo · 10-12-2015 06:04PM

oscarBravo wrote: »

It would be interesting to convert the price of a 1980s-vintage Kenwood to today's inflation-adjusted shekels. I have this notion that they were always pricey beasts, and that lately they're being made down to a price.

Replying to myself...!

The Kenwood Chef appears to have been introduced to the UK in 1950 at a price of £19 10s. 10d. Adjusted for inflation, that's £617.14, or €855!

rubadub · 10-12-2015 06:20PM

oscarBravo wrote: »

It would be interesting to convert the price of a 1980s-vintage Kenwood to today's inflation-adjusted shekels.

You can get old argos catalogues online, at least this one anyway, pretty sure I saw others.

https://www.siliconrepublic.com/gear/2015/06/15/revel-in-70s-tech-nostalgia-with-a-1973-argos-catalogue

kenwood chef was £23.95 in 1973

There is a guinness price index which is good. Says a pint of guinness was 24cent (in euros) in 1973 dunno what the conversion to stg would have been then.
http://www.finfacts.ie/Private/bestprice/guinnessindex.htm

Here is a uk one.
http://www.norfolkpubs.co.uk/utility/pob.htm

On 15th June 1973 in was reported that forktruck drivers, working for Watney Mann
were paid £32.40 gross per 40 hour week. Overtime was paid at £1.20 per hour.
With best bitter then at 14 pence a pint, the normal hourly rate would buy 5.78 pints.

So you would have got 171 pints for the price of the kenwood chef. If you went to temple bar these days you'd be getting a car for those pints!

oscarBravo · 10-12-2015 06:23PM

rubadub wrote: »

kenwood chef was £23.95 in 1973

That's £282.65, or €390 now. I guess my theory doesn't hold quite as much water...

MissFlitworth · 10-12-2015 07:14PM

I've had the Lidl Deluxe gratins, Spanish Eyes, and I completely love them. They're probably quite similar. Ony had the emmenthal ones so far but have heard great things about the broccolli ones too. Alas we have but a tiny icebox and so I cannot stock up.

Loire · 10-12-2015 07:33PM

The Hill Billy wrote: »

I won't tell you how old my kitchen aid is.

Mrs Billy wouldn't appreciate me advertising her age on a public forum. :pac:

I was out playing golf with a chef recently (a good mix of subjects for me). I started going on about my slow cooker and asked him it he had one...

"Me Wife" says he :P

The Black Oil · 16-12-2015 10:19PM

Almost put a bottle of milk in the microwave...

Methinks if Donald Trump was preparing your Christmas dinner the turkey would end up on the ceiling.

Whispered · 16-12-2015 11:19PM

I have 500ml of cream to use by 18th. Only two people. I'd rather not waste it so any ideas please?

rubadub · 16-12-2015 11:27PM

Anybody remember how big "big burgers" were in the 80s or earlier?

I seem to remember frozen quarter pounders coming into dunnes in the early to mid 80s and it being a real big deal, and new thing. There were certainly no 6oz frozen burgers about, and I do not remember any gigantic burgers in restaurants like captain americas.

I see on captain americas the 8oz is the standard size now, and that you can double up to a full pound (not even an option for 10 or 12oz patties). And all come with fries/side as standard.

http://captainamericas.com/menus/

And if they did gradually get big, did steaks increase by the same proportion (I doubt it).

Their chicken burgers appear to be just a breast, and no option to double up, even though a typical breast would be well under 8oz. What is so special about beef that they think people want huge amounts?

Searching just now found this

It was 1974 and it cost 40p. How much was 40p worth, back then? Well, in this same mag, a review of Captain Americas in Grafton St, quoted the price of a quarter pound burger at 50p.

The mag was an Irish ahem "gentleman's magazine"

Spanish Eyes · 16-12-2015 11:30PM

Whispered wrote: »

I have 500ml of cream to use by 18th. Only two people. I'd rather not waste it so any ideas please?

Whip and freeze what you don't need. Must be whipped to be frozen.

I use a pastry bag to pipe out individual blobs and open freeze on a dish or tray. When "done" put them all in a ziplock bag. Use as needed.

Kovu · 16-12-2015 11:31PM

Lots and lots of White Russians :P

Ice cream, chowder, use some to make creamy mashed potatoes, gratin dauphinois, panna cotta, creamy soup, butter chicken.

Make your own butter if you're feeling adventurous?

I'd still say white russians

:D:D

Diamond Doll · 16-12-2015 11:39PM

How about a quiche ... I've never actually made one, but I think cream is involved!

TeletextPear · 17-12-2015 12:40AM

Whispered wrote: »

I have 500ml of cream to use by 18th. Only two people. I'd rather not waste it so any ideas please?

Theres a great recipe** in the cooking club for a potato gratin that uses lots of cream.

**Disclaimer: yes, it's my recipe

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