h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

*comes back from checking it out*

Oh so that's actually quite traditional then. Never heard of it, but then, I don't think I've ever actually looked up a recipe for spag bol before. I've just always used my own initiative and discussions with others.

I'll give it a try next time

Bolognese sauce contains minced beef, veal, pork, and some other meat that I can't remember, plus loadsa veggies. Don't buy it in Italy cos it seems most places use leftover meat.

Of course, any kind of ragu is pretty delicious if cooked properly.

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Me either, Orcus. I'd never heard of it before.

And while it's probably *best* to do the slow cook (or keep in the fridge all week ) I don't think there's anything wrong with Robyn's quick version at all, though perhaps she should call it something else to avoid spag bol snobbery.


az

What about 'Quicky Spaggy'?

I think the milk addition is traditional in Italy. I saw a prog with Heston Blumenthal about spag bol. He went to Bologna, and I seem to remember something about milk. I'm going try that next time.

I sometimes add cream to it after it's cooked, but I've never added milk to it while it's cooking.


az

Yes we need Dogster to come back and explain the milk thing.

I add sour cream at the end to beef stew made with chunks of stewing steak when serving. It goes really well.

Bits of cow smothered in cow juice

I have no idea why they do the milk thing, but I can tell you it works really well. The slow cooking is important because it gives time for all the fat in the minced beef to liquify which makes the sauce incredibly unctuous. The milk thing pops up in quite a lot of Italian cooking - e.g. pork pot roasted in milk (which I tried but didn't work very well for me). I guess it's just another way to introduce more fat into it which is always good. It's possible it has something to do with the proteins in milk which I think bind to certain bitter flavours and eliminate them, making the whole thing sweeter. I have Heston Blumenthal's Guardian article on it somewhere around, I'll see if I can dig it out and see what he has to say about it.

I've not tried it using veal and livers because it's a bit more difficult to get hold of the ingredients and I usually do spag bol when I don't have access to the sort of shop where you can buy things like that.

I've noticed that ever since I had to experience a really tight budget, I grew to really enjoy homecooking over processed foods. While I admit most of the time I have a sandwich (cheese, mustard, ham on wheat) with fruit and some other side, I just can't really stand to eat processed foods at dinner.

If I cook spaghetti, I'll buy jarred sauce, but I usually will add RoTel tomatoes, mushrooms and sometimes if I'm daring a third vegetable. If I have it, I'll either add some salad shrimp or chicken to the sauce as well. The RoTel adds a nice spice to the sauce and adds more veggies to the meal.

Eggs are the other one that I have to have a certain way if I don't want an omelet. I'll usually add corn, some sort of cheese (blue if I can afford it, but sharp cheddar most of the time), and occasionally an herb.

The one thing I don't really like is Ramen noodles. Ate too many of those in college that I will only eat them if I'm desperate for sodium, but that doesn't happen too often anymore.

What's a RoTel tomato?

RF

Have just bought a nice big few handfuls of palourdes clams from my local fishmongers. Shall cook later as marinieres.

so is currently and even as we speak, making some Bolognese. Although he's not in the "put milk in" camp (despite its champion being St Heston of Blumenthal) he is about to wack in some star anise.

It had better be good, because usually I can't stand the stuff.

I'm about to stew a (cut up) leg of lamb ... any recipe suggestions?


az

I always add diced onion, celery and carrot to any stew at the start; and then add some chunky root veggie towards end so doesn't disintegrate, like potato and parsnips. And I'm presuming you're adding plenty of garlic.

And I always add some soy sauce and worcseter sauce, (which contains anchovies) to any stew.

I've just started cooking a bolgnase sauce for tomorrow, and trying it with milk for the first time. I'm going to cook it for a couple of hours or so today and cook it some more tomorrow. One thing I've not mentioned is that when I cook any meat stew I always brown the meat first at a high temp and then deglaze the yummy burntish bits with white wine, and add to stew.

I love this thread.

"What's a RoTel tomato?"

Sorry, I guess they might not sell them overseas.

A RoTel tomato is actually a brand name for a can of tomatoes and green chiles/jalepenos. They also have a Mexican style that adds cilantro and onion, but I don't use that often. They might have them as a specialty food, but it's fairly common to find in Texas.

When I add them into spaghetti, I will drain the juice off because it's really hot, but even then it still adds a nice kick to the spaghetti.

Ah right. We have those here...usually labelled as "with garlic & herbs" or "with basil", etc.

Personally I leave them alone. if I want to add garlic (and I usually do), I'll put it in myself... and onions, and basil.

For the lamb stew, you could do worse than take the road to Morocco: as well as your standard ingredients, add some chilli, ground coriander, cumin, sultanas, and chick peas. A squeeze of honey wouldn't go amiss, either.

RF

Don't forget the apricots!

B

Well, at the moment it's been braised and is now simmering in stock with two heads of garlic and two massive sliced onions ... will let it cool overnight (in the fridge!!! ) and tomorrow add I'll more stuff to it. Apricots - dang!

az

Parsnips, millions of potatoes, carrots, basically, root veg, all of em.

oh, and roast a bit of squash (any you like, I like the flattish green ones, about six inches across, about three deep, rough skin) dotted with butter and mash the flesh when cooked with extra butter and serve on the sde!

Tis the weekend of lamb then? I've got family coming round later to help paint a room, so I'm about to put on a big sort of Irish stew - lamb, potatoes, carrots, swede...should I add a tin of borlotti beans?

Also, what do I do with a large bowl of leftover pistachio butter cream? (I do worry about Nigella's quantities)