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

I go for the Delia method. crispy on the top, squidgy on the bottom. Perfect.

So, how did they turn out?

Just slipped them into the oven ... I flipped them once so they'd have a bit of sauce on top of them to brown even better. Will let you know in about half an hour.

Eeep! My first ever dumplings!

az

my mouth is watering, despite the fact that I've only just savoured my Crème Brulée

I have stuffed two chicken breasts with sage & onion stuffing, and am currently roasting some potatoes and parsnips.

Soon I shall make the onion gravy, then finally boil the broccoli.

RF

I made pies. Potato, spinach, little baby tomato, basil, red onion and goaty cheese in one. Jazzy mushrooms, thyme, quorny chunks and cheese sauce (Cheddar and massacre a pony)in the other.

Prunes go well with Moroccan style lamb and a hard boiled egg. Don't go drinking super strength lager with it though.

Why does some food taste better the morning after? Curry seems to get stronger as well. What's that all about?

RF - steam the broccoli it's much tastier

Yes, definitely steam the broccoli, RF.

Those pies sound delicious, achromatic.

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I often like eating some food the day after, especially if it took a lot of preparation, just because I enjoy it better after 'a bit of a rest' and I can pretend that someone else made it.

A lot of sauces and stews certainly do taste better after a day or two, I guess because the flavours have a chance to meld together. I will try the Moroccan lamb soon.

Meanwhile, my dumplings a la Delia turned out just fine ... (though Nog's gonna have a helluva time cleaning that pot!)

http://azahar.files.wordpress.com/2008/02/lamb-stew.jpg

az

I have a daube de boeuf (French beef stew) simmering away at the moment - and I expect I shall be eating it much of the week. I may even leave it to cool outside the fridge.

The stew was good - I did without the beans in the end.

And I used half of my pistachio butter mountain to carmelize some necatrine slices, which were completely divine.

I thought the bolognase sauce I had today was the best I've ever tasted; thanks so much for the milk tip, Dogster. I shall try it in other stews as well I think. I sometimes cook Indian food using yoghurt in the actual cooking process, it's probably a similar principal.

Wow it seems like we've all done some great cooking today. I've never thought of cooking dumplings before, though I remember them from my childhood. I reckon I'll give them a go as well at some point after seeing that photo, az. That lamb stew looks absolutely brilliant.

That stew did look fab!

Well I have now ordered a Lamb stew and dumplings for my birthday tea (last year my mum made me a castle cake like the one I had when I was eleven) this year I want stew and dumplings and buttered crusty white bread... And our vegetarian friend is going to come and do a pot of Mexican mole to go alongside for those of adventurous taste and who dont want lamby stew for whatever reason (and who wouldn't? It'll be good quality Farmers' Market lamb if I know my mum )

He may also be doing a mega sticky thick fudgy chocolate cake... I think it's his gluten free one, if it is, I'll get a recipe and pass it on. It's insanely rich and stodgy. Just divine!

I've just finished eating some vaugely moroccan lamb. It's good to get away from the vegans every now and again. Where are my cigarettes?

Marinaded lamb in two big dollops of honey and some paprika, pepper(black and cayenne), coriander, few cloves, turmeric and cardamom. Fried an onion, added lamb, browned it all up then had what I thought was a catastrophic slip with the raisens but couldn't be bothered to be fishing them all out. Bit of water, cooked it down. Et it with rice and wearing curly toed slippers.

Cheers for suggesting the raisens RF, it worked a treat and with less of the possible consequences of prunes. I can't look at apricots: they look like and have some of the texture of ears and I once made an apricot tart with savoury pastry by accident and now they make me gip. I need gipnotherapy.