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

"...are you just not allowed to look at YouTube videos of oyster sauce"

Is that a euphemism?

B

both

Lush, rich, deliciously salty fishy oyster sauce.

I'm not sure what you mean, Mu.

I just finished eating a curry dish for supper. This one had cabbage, sweet potatoes, tomatoes, carrots, green beans, rice, lemon juice, and raisins. The spices included ginger, turmeric, cumin, garlic, coriander, and a pinch of cayenne pepper. I added some peanuts just before serving.

We were at a festival this afternoon- had a shrimp taco which was fresh and gorgeous- mango and pineapple salsa mmmm! And a pork tamale- don't think I've ever had a tamale before.

For dinner I did the hairy dieters chicken Korma. It was a lot of faffing, and I still don't believe you can marinade 3 chicken breasts in 1 oz yoghurt. It turned out nice, but not really worth doing again.

Dessert- meringue nest, Greek yoghurt, blackberries and raspberries, drizzled with pomegranate syrup. Reader, I licked the plate!

I had their burritos, Bea, that mango-pineapple stuff really was good!

Was *everyone* there today? I was, too.

We all have impeccable taste! And know how to make the most of this year's sunny day. We were there quite early - 1.30 - 3 ish.

Tonight I made Lorraine pasquales butternut squash and ricotta lasagne.

We have friends for dinner each Monday and I'd made it for them. Even though I don't like serving something I'm trying for the first time.

I don't think I'd do it again- it was quite bland and slightly stodgy. And the cooking time was way off- said 15-20 mins, was in my oven for nearly 30 and was still only warm, had to heat up individual portions in the micro.

A few days ago I did another Yottam Ottolenghi recipe - tofu with shallots, lots of cracked pepper and chilli. I followed the recipe, but it was too hot .

That's the trouble with chillis - you're never sure how hot they are before you bite into them.

For once, I've bodged some rice. Normally, I'm very reliable with the stuff.

Was aiming for egg-fried, but didn't get oil hot enough, used wrong type of rice and wrong type of pan.

Naughty boy.

B

Tonight I cooked a stir fry- defrosted raw prawns, chopped shallot, garlic, chestnut mushroom, red and yellow pepper. Added the leftover coconut milk from the weekends overly spicy pasta thing, half a bag of spinach, and some straight to wok noodles (medium, though Rog prefers large udon, and I like the fine rice noodles, so no one was happy....). Oh, and sone crushed cardamom pod seeds

I liked it- I was aiming for non spicy as Rog was complaining about his stomach, normally I'd add chilli and ginger too.

Dinner was very quick quesadillas made with some frozen leftover chilli, mexicana cheddar and a few very large tortillas which were a bit big to fit in my pan.

I have the hordes descending tomorrow so most of this evening is being spent in prepping for an Indian buffet for 12 at dinner...I'm currently making dal and a couple of fresh chutneys, making a poaching sauce for a whole red snapper and marinating meat for Murgh Chaat, prawn kadhai & Goan pork kebabs. Rice, saag paneer, aloo gobi and parathas to be made tomorrow. All recipes from Madhur Jaffrey's 'Curry Bible'.

that is such a Cheffy excuse, B. "wrong kind of rice" indeed!

It's true!

Go and ask 'im indoors why you can't make egg-fried rice with basmati.

Unfortunately, it was all I had in the cupboard.

B

Lamb steaks- seared in a griddle pan and finished in the oven. They were a little tough- leg, I think, what's a good cut?

Served with Caesar salad- sweet gem lettuce, bought croutons( I usually make my own but there was no suitable bread) sinsbugs taste the difference dressing and lots of Parmesan shavings.

Grocerys arrived today.
As I had seemingly bought 56 sausages (mainly to freeze down), I made hotdogs, so I made a few suitable sized rolls whilst making multigrain bread earlier in the day... Had them with a ton of fried onion, mustard, and finished off some salad bits I had in (an indifferent tasting bag of mixed leaf salad, a very tasty home grown cucumber, some overly mild spring onions), and had that with some coldslaugh, and excessive amounts of grated cheddar... I was clearly overly obsessing about sauasges when I did my grocery shop

A couple of acres of toad in the hole should use a few of them.

We went out to eat last night and I am having a Chinese takeaway for lunch. Sorry for cheating!

Mmmm.... well reminded... not made tode in the hole since.... I made too much batter up on pancake day
(which gave me the discovery by accident, mind, that overnight storage of the batter made the best batter/tode in the hole I'd ever done... It almost crawled out of the top of the deep (wrong size/shape I know but was/is all I have), deep cast iron casserole/pan ) mmmm....

IN some ways I hate the inevitable onset of autumn and winter... as I notice the 20% of my income, spent a month on gas/electric, increase even higher... But then I remember all the 'winter' dishes... soups, stews, cottage pies, etc., etc., which at this point in the year I've not had in ages
mmmm... lamb shanks... liver and bacon... sausage and mash... onion gravey... jacket potatos... beef stew and dumplings... sausage casserole tode in the hole and... of course... one can even have some crumpets or muffins (English muffins for non-UK readers), to accompany the butter... for afternoon tea...

I'm determined, to reintroduce afternoon tea, and, somehow, not* gain weight... which I think may involve some serious reduction in portion sizes for breakfast/brunch/ lunch/dinner/supper/midnight-snack in order to hail the reintroduction of this great tradition of afternoon tea I must start making cakes again... Would anyone notice if I just cheated and didn't buy new round* cake tins, and just used square/oblong bread tins for making cakes in, instead? (partly to avoid the expense of buying round cake tins, but also that I really have no more storage space in the kitchen for anything else...)