I was close to picking it up and licking and gnawing at it.

Nowt wrong with that, however I'd probably have the dog growing in my lughole if I tried it. I am partial to a properly cooked osso bucco, you don't need marrow spoons, just use lobster picks to get every last shred of marrow out.

The bone of what?

veal, beef at a push

Just had it again.

My in laws suck the marrow out of bones after fabulous meals such as lamb shanks. Makes me gip.

It is the most fabulous stuff. Only had it for the first time in July. Am now utterly hooked.

What kind of childhood did you have?
We would eat anything and everything, apart from raw lard.
You were deprived by the sound of it.

The Big Bread Experiment just started on BBC2 Minty.
Right up your street.

I know that my mother used lard for chips, but don't recall anything special about her chips. The other day, when I mentioned dripping and lard, she suddenly burst forth with a memory about some form of bread and dripping. But I don't remember that myself at all. I don't think she made any pastry with lard either.

Perhaps this was more to do with the culture of not taking 'too much' pleasure in food that was a household mantra.



Saw bits of it while getting dinner after we'd got back from Paris. Quite interesting. Although I did wonder if it was a new series of [iThe Vicar of Dibley[/i at one point.

Last bass fishing trip of the year yesterday and that looks like it until late February and we start wreck fishing for cod & pollack. I only managed to catch one small bass of about 3lb and a turbot of 4lb, I put the turbot back because if I keep the small ones, they'll never grow into big ones. So tonight's dinner is going to be steamed bass.

Filleted and steamed with soy, sesame oil, garlic, ginger, spring onions & dry sherry (all but the fish currently marinating). Pak choi in the top basket of the steamer and then served over plain boiled rice with the fish sauce poured on top.

True one-burner cooking: rice boiling in the pan, bass & sauce in the first steamer basket, pak choi in the top basket



The dish

Baking day today, going to be doing me famous cup cakes (white chocolate I think) and some scones (rhymes with stones), maybe fruit scones, have been tempted by a photo I saw yesterday of scones, jam and cream - I'll have some of that.

Also bought The Hairy Bikers book of pies the other day for a tenner in Asda and have been sorely tempted to make my own pork pies for xmas (although its easier just to pop into Otley and buy some award winning ones but the queue will be around the market square next Saturday).


Which brings me to a sore point - we have a hand held food mixer (not food processor/dicer/chopper, I mean a mixer, for cake mixing etc), but we want a "proper" one with a bowl and everything. Have you seen the price of Kenwood food mixers these days

how on earth did that happen, who let Kenwood start to charge £400+ for something that just mixes dough/batter ?

And yes Cod'ead, I know about the car boot up at Yeadon

If you're gonna spend serious dosh on a mixer, do not touch a Kenwood.

There's only one to choose: [url=http://www.kitchenaid.co.uk/app.cnt/ka/en_GB/pageid/pgkaproddetail001/catid/7/subcatid/35Kitchenaid[/url

I do believe the bearded one has one of these

Ah yes, I do remember that thread now



Way above budget I'm afraid and being a cheapskate I like to harbour the belief that such items that are only used once a flood do not have to be expensive to last - and as my first piece of evidence I present my Pifco electric carving knife that was bought as a wedding present and is still in use today - 28 years later, its cheap build is evident from the minute you pick it up and this year smoke came from it when carving a piece of beef - but it still works and will be in use (electrocution aside) on xmas day

Right, I made beef stock yesterday – some of that is now in the freezer and a nice pot is simmering away with beef chopped in it, to be turned into consommé for Christmas Day itself. I'll do the raft to clarify later and then freeze it – which will help lift any more fat before use.

Quote ="cod'ead"If you're gonna spend serious dosh on a mixer, do not touch a Kenwood. There's only one to choose: [url=http://www.kitchenaid.co.uk/app.cnt/ka/en_GB/pageid/pgkaproddetail001/catid/7/subcatid/35Kitchenaid[/url I do believe the bearded one has one of these'" He sort of does, in that it's not one of those nice coloured ones in your link. (and they are very nice colours aren't they ?) It's very similar ... but a plain white supposedly-industrial (for which read "bloke"icon_wink.gif model. Like this --- > www.youtube.com/watch?v=tlSnpOHke1E Despite having an uprated motor etc, it was actually cheaper than the normal ones (which are tough machines anyway). Apart from the colour, the main visible difference is that the normal one has a body that is tilt-able up away from the bowl, whereas the uprated model has a bowl which offers-up-to and lowers-away-from the body by means of a very simple and sturdy lever. We also have a Dualit toaster, bought in 1993 and still going strong. A toaster with real bloke-appeal. My only regret is that it's only a four-slice version, I coulda had a six-slice one for very little more money at the time.

Quote ="cod'ead"If you're gonna spend serious dosh on a mixer, do not touch a Kenwood. There's only one to choose: [url=http://www.kitchenaid.co.uk/app.cnt/ka/en_GB/pageid/pgkaproddetail001/catid/7/subcatid/35Kitchenaid[/url I do believe the bearded one has one of these'" He sort of does, in that it's not one of those nice coloured ones in your link. (and they are very nice colours aren't they ?) It's very similar ... but a plain white supposedly-industrial (for which read "bloke"icon_wink.gif model. Like this --- > www.youtube.com/watch?v=tlSnpOHke1E Despite having an uprated motor etc, it was actually cheaper than the normal ones (which are tough machines anyway). Apart from the colour, the main visible difference is that the normal one has a body that is tilt-able up away from the bowl, whereas the uprated model has a bowl which offers-up-to and lowers-away-from the body by means of a very simple and sturdy lever. We also have a Dualit toaster, bought in 1993 and still going strong. A toaster with real bloke-appeal. My only regret is that it's only a four-slice version, I coulda had a six-slice one for very little more money at the time.

You got it when Dualit were still making quality gear, they're crap now.

I've got a 6-slice LinCat - definitely industrial. I nearly bought one of those conveyor toasters at a boot sale but the footprint was about the same as our oven

God, I hate those things. There's not a hotel I've stayed in where they actually produc toast as I want it.

We have one at work - biggest waste of time and money in the whole place

I have noticed a girlie toaster that they make now but I think you can still get the "proper" solid, old-fashioned Dualit.


In the canteen here, the canteen ladies go all shrill and strict if you twiddle with the toaster controls.
They say they have set it to the setting that suits most people ... but they are mistaken, if you put it through once, you get bread in a state of accelerated staleness. Put it through twice and you've got charcoal.

I'm sure that if they let me experiment I could find the ideal setting.
I think I'll hang around until no-one is looking.

Anyway, those machines are just too big for the average home ... unless you're Catholic or something.

We haven't deep-fried at home for at least 20 years but, in the New Year, could be in the market for a deep-fryer.

I'll be taking a look at Which? but does anyone around here have any hints/tips on what features/drawbacks to watch for/avoid?

A very timely request, I am looking at deep fryers also. Never had one before but lots of things I want to make would benfit from deep frying rather than baking.

I have looked at one of these
[urlhttp://www.amazon.co.uk/Magimix-11606-Litre-Deep-Fryer/dp/B001CWIILI/ref=pd_sxp_f_r[/url
A friend who does a lot of cooking has used one for years and recommends it though it does get a few negative reports on the Amazon site. I'll be interested to know the results from Which.

Again look for a lincat, they have a range that is more affordable than the out & out industrial stuff. Whatever you buy, get one with a removeable batter plate.

[url=http://ukcatering.co.uk/index.php?page=shop.product_details&flypage=flypage.tpl&product_id=539&category_id=101&option=com_virtuemart&Itemid=4This one[/url should tick most boxes

Yes I'd forgotten about Lincat I still get their magazine through the post from time to time.

That one scores 63% in a well-known consumer magazine

. Drawbacks are that it needs four litres of oil and the temperature light goes out too soon (before the temperature has risen to the level you chose).

Best buys from the same tests are three from De Longhi and two from Tefal.
DeLonghi PremiumFry F24502CZ .... 75% (£76) ... 2 litres of oil, tap drainer.
DeLonghi RotoFry F18304 .............. 74% (£84) ... this one dips in and out rather than immersing, and only uses 1.4 litres.
Tefal Actifry ............................... 73% (£112) ... slow but only uses 14ml !!!!! of oil, but they taste like oven chips.
DeLonghi PremiumFry F34412CZ ..... 71% (£46) ... 3 litres, no real drawbacks
Tefal Oleoclean Deluxe ................. 71% (£120) ... 2.1 litres, dismantle-able for cleaning.


What exactly is a batter plate?