The General Chat Thread

RasTa · 28-07-2019 11:27am

Back from Barcelona again. Why didn't we eat seafood like them growing up?

Having octopus withdrawal symptoms already.

BaZmO* · 10-08-2019 10:56am

“Blogger” on Twitter getting a lot of grief over this review.

Tuesday, 30 July 2019
Mana, Manchester.
It’s 2.30 in the morning of the hottest, sweatiest night of the year and I can’t sleep. I’m thinking about our meal last night.
Mana Head chef, Simon Martin appeared to be in a massively bad mood which permeated throughout the huge dining room. He did not look happy at all. Unsmiling and and none communicative on occasions when he brought the food over to our table, it really did put a dampener on the night’s dinner. Was it something we did? I try to find a reason why it might be our fault as you do at 2.30am and you can’t sleep.

Early on in the evening we had mistakenly ordered a bottle of white rioja but taking a sip, I immediately realised it wasn’t the right wine for us all. The highly rated Viña Tondonia White Reserva (I think) was just way too mature and sherry like for what we were looking for. We asked to change it to a different wine and were told they’d have ‘to try and sell it to someone else’. I think it was our fault in hindsight but It felt like we had really put them out and it wasn’t the reaction I had expected.
Or had we been too loud or too drunk? I hadn’t thought so, no more than usual anyway.
Was it the presence of the Guardian photographers who were there shooting for a new, yet to be published review? I also got the distinct impression that me snapping away wasn’t going down too well either. (I later ask for permission to photograph the chef).

How can you be that oblivious.

rubadub · 10-08-2019 12:21pm

Came across this Ninja Foodi, which is an electric pressure cooker but also airfryer and dehydrator. Looks to me like a jack of all trades, master of none. The reviewer gets huge praise in the comments for the non nonsense reviewing style

250 in argos
https://www.argos.ie/static/Product/partNumber/9372753/Trail/searchtext%3EFOODI.htm

rubadub · 10-08-2019 12:26pm

BaZmO* wrote: »

“Blogger” on Twitter getting a lot of grief over this review..

sounds like Alan Partridge!

BaZmO* · 10-08-2019 12:31pm

rubadub wrote: »

sounds like Alan Partridge!

It reads like a p1sstake alright.

Muahahaha · 10-08-2019 1:49pm

BaZmO* wrote: »

“Blogger” on Twitter getting a lot of grief over this review.

How can you be that oblivious.

Once the wine is corked and its not oxidised then you havent really got a leg to stand on trying to change your mind. Its unfair to expect a restaurant to then foist an opened bottle on some other customer because of another customers bad choice. S/he sounds like a lot of hassle as a customer.

BaZmO* · 10-08-2019 2:18pm

Absolutely. I’m always amazed at the amount of people that don’t realise that the little wine tasting ceremony that a server performs is not about whether you like the wine or not.

Dial Hard · 10-08-2019 2:41pm

BaZmO* wrote:

Absolutely. Iâ€™m always amazed at the amount of people that donâ€™t realise that the little wine tasting ceremony that a server performs is not about whether you like the wine or not.

That perception isn't helped by the fact restaurants keep doing it with Stelvin capped wines.

Muahahaha · 10-08-2019 3:23pm

Even the whole wine ceremony in restaurants thing is a very outdated practice and from bygone times. With vastly improved bottling and mass production techniques the chances of getting a bottle of oxidised or off tasting wine now are pretty low. I just ask the server to pour and in the extremely remote chance that it does turn out to be gone off it would be going back anyway.

I can understand it for people paying hundreds or thousands for a single bottle of wine but when I want to chow down on my Sloppy Guiseppe pizza in Milanos the last thing I need is some needless ceremony for a wine that costs a tenner in a supermarket.

L1011 · 10-08-2019 3:47pm

It's basically a bit of theatre to hopefully guarantee a tip at this stage

rubadub · 10-08-2019 10:20pm

Muahahaha wrote: »

Even the whole wine ceremony in restaurants thing is a very outdated practice and from bygone times..

It would make more sense to do it with their tap water! Several times I have got water reeking of chlorine, and wondered if this was some trick to get you to buy expensive bottled stuff or other drinks.

Some places make a point of how their tap water is filtered.

beertons · 16-08-2019 10:20pm

Looking for a lamb curry type of dish, for tomorrow. Something Indian.

Saw a programme the other day, Len and Ainsley's Big Food Adventure, and they had a kind of curry in Bradford. Empty head here never pressed record. And now I want it.

igCorcaigh · 16-08-2019 10:26pm

beertons wrote: »

Looking for a lamb curry type of dish, for tomorrow. Something Indian.

Saw a programme the other day, Len and Ainsley's Big Food Adventure, and they had a kind of curry in Bradford. Empty head here never pressed record. And now I want it.

Rogan Josh?

beertons · 16-08-2019 10:28pm

igCorcaigh wrote: »

Rogan Josh?

If you have a recipe in mind, linky

igCorcaigh · 16-08-2019 10:30pm

beertons wrote: »

If you have a recipe in mind, linky

I don't really, but it does use kashmiri chilli powder to give it its rich red colour, and it's a slow cook curry. Quite hot!

igCorcaigh · 16-08-2019 10:40pm

You could try this, but can't vouch for it.
Reads good. Her recipes are authentic.

I would up the chilli levels, but up to you.

http://maunikagowardhan.co.uk/cook-in-a-curry/lamb-rogan-josh/

If you don't want so much chilli, use tomato puree to provide the rich red colour. Traditionally, it's just the kashmiri chilli though.

You should be able to find kashmiri chilli powder in an Indian / pak grocery.

It may be less hot than regular chilli powder, but still packs a punch, so use as you see fit.

But really, lamb can be used in most any curry, even a mild korma.

igCorcaigh · 16-08-2019 10:51pm

Now I'm making myself hungry

igCorcaigh · 16-08-2019 10:54pm

Alternatively, could it have been this?

http://www.thismuslimgirlbakes.com/2014/04/gosht-masala-lamb-curry.html?m=1

beertons · 17-08-2019 10:13pm

igCorcaigh wrote: »

You could try this, but can't vouch for it.
Reads good. Her recipes are authentic.

I would up the chilli levels, but up to you.

http://maunikagowardhan.co.uk/cook-in-a-curry/lamb-rogan-josh/

If you don't want so much chilli, use tomato puree to provide the rich red colour. Traditionally, it's just the kashmiri chilli though.

You should be able to find kashmiri chilli powder in an Indian / pak grocery.

It may be less hot than regular chilli powder, but still packs a punch, so use as you see fit.

But really, lamb can be used in most any curry, even a mild korma.

I think I made this one. Just used regular chilli powder. A bit watery, wouldn't add the half can of water again, maybe add a rue to it next time.

Kudos for sharing.

Dial Hard · 17-08-2019 10:18pm

beertons wrote: »

I think I made this one. Just used regular chilli powder. A bit watery, wouldn't add the half can of water again, maybe add a rue to it next time.

Kudos for sharing.

I have never, ever in my life seen a curry recipe that uses a roux.

L1011 · 18-08-2019 12:45am

Dial Hard wrote: »

I have never, ever in my life seen a curry recipe that uses a roux.

The curry sauces in most chipper "Chinese" situations would benefit from being based on a roux. But Indian curries - yeah, never seen it.

Faith · 23-08-2019 8:38am

I got an email from camelcamelcamel yesterday with a price alert I’d completely forgotten about.

I am now the owner of an Instant Pot.

It’s arriving today. I wonder if I spent £70 on another appliance that will just sit in the cupboard!

Faith · 23-08-2019 9:13am

Faith wrote: »

I got an email from camelcamelcamel yesterday with a price alert I’d completely forgotten about.

I am now the owner of an Instant Pot.

It’s arriving today. I wonder if I spent £70 on another appliance that will just sit in the cupboard!

Hmm... I’m not sure about the calibre of recipes on the massive Instant Pot Facebook page I joined...

B0jangles · 23-08-2019 9:20am

Faith wrote: »

Hmm... I’m not sure about the calibre of recipes on the massive Instant Pot Facebook page I joined...

Well that recipe name is just a shameless lie.

Toto Wolfcastle · 23-08-2019 9:53am

Yeah, the Instant Pot is super popular amongst Americans who like to combine cans of things for dinner. It’s supposed to be excellent though.

DavyD_83 · 23-08-2019 10:00am

Faith wrote: »

Hmm... I’m not sure about the calibre of recipes on the massive Instant Pot Facebook page I joined...

Really hoping that whole tub of 'spread' doesn't go in

Dizzyblonde · 23-08-2019 10:40am

You have to laugh at the American 4 ingredient and 5 ingredient recipes - they always include something processed.

Once you find normal recipes I'd say it'll be something you'll use a lot - and this is a great time of year to buy one with autumn and winter on the way. I look forward to seeing what you cook

LizT · 23-08-2019 11:16am

Or some American cake recipes, which include using instant cake mix!

Toto Wolfcastle · 23-08-2019 11:48am

I watched Ree Drummond making 'the best brownies ever' by taking boxed cake mix and baking it with caramel sauce in the middle.

Dial Hard · 23-08-2019 1:03pm

I left the slow cooker group on Facebook I briefly joined because pretty much all the "recipes" were meat, veg and packet sauce. Also, the incessant posts of "Can I do [meat patently unsuited to slow cooking] in my slow cooker?"

The General Chat Thread

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