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

The starter has been fed and watered today and continues to ferment nicely As I understand these things it should be ready to use in another day or two.

Ye Spynich Tarte
http://www.medievalcookery.com/recipes/spinach.html

Odds bodkins, it hath an unusual flavour, perhaps because of ye spices, which I would normally not put yn it. It is neither unpleasant nor noisome but neither is it entirely pleasing to the palate. I thinke I shall omit them next tyme.

Was that with beet leaf or spinach?

I usually can get beets with the leaves in the supermarket and I grow my own.

That's a spinach quiche, something I do quite often, but I'd never use that much parsley! (Isn't parsley supposed to be poisonous in great amounts?) I could imagine the herbs being added

Proper mozzarella can't be grated - it's almost liquid.
What's "grains of paradise"? - it is included in the "powder fine"

It was spinach. I couldn't be arsed to go out and buy fresh beetroots.

Grains of paradise is one of those things that everyone goes radio rental for once in a while, like piri-piri, Chinese five-spice powder or star anise. Probably because of Delia. I was a little confused about having to grate the mozzarella too. It crumbles, rather than grates. Hmmm... you know, if I made some paneer and used that instead, and if I added some different spices...

It'd be a saag paneer pie

Beet greens are more like rhubarb than spinach, but not that tart.

It'd be a saag paneer pie



More a tart or a flan, as it doesn't have a double crust....

I'll say one thing in that respect though - some people call pizzas pies here, and I definitely don't agree with that.

When the moon hits your eye like a big pizza pie, that's ....

Exactly

In fact, I believe there are a few pizza joints around here that call themselves Pies. Like this one http://eastsidepies.com/

Twitter says it's British Pie Week. I'm sceptical of most things that come from there but even if it isn't Pie Week, I'm going to make a pie At least one. Maybe more. If I can find the time.

And then there's shepherds pie. No crust at all

I've just remembered that I have some pork belly in the freezer. So, after a little shopping tomorrow morning, it is

Billiard Eggs
http://www.theoldfoodie.com/2006/06/luncheon-at-railway-hotel.html

¼ lb breadcrumbs
1 oz. butter
1 tsp parsley
1 onion
1 large mushroom
1 egg
A little milk
Salt, pepper and nutmeg.

Put the breadcrumbs in a basin, and add to them the parsley, which must be very finely chopped; the onion, which must be boiled, and then chopped very finely; the butter, which must be melted; and stir all very well. Then chop up the mushroom very finely, and add it; add also ¾ tea-spoonful of salt, ¼ tea-spoonful of pepper, a little nutmeg; beat up the egg and stir it in.

If necessary, add a little milk to moisten the whole. It should be just moist. Roll this mixture into round balls. Beat up an egg and brush them over with it; roll them in fine bread-crumbs, and fry in smoking hot fat.

Well now. I'm not sure how to describe these, other than them being very tasty And would be even tastier with a better selection of aromatics and flavourful compounds (herbs and spices, dear). They're sort of like a vegetarian Scotch egg, without an egg in the middle.

I don't think 'smoking hot' oil is necessary. I went with 375°F, and got DBT instead of GBD (dark brown and tasty instead of golden brown and delicious). I fried them for about five minutes, three at a time (the recipe made six).

They're a very tasty little savoury/finger food. Perfect for a snack at work, and very cheap to make

It took me about 4 readings to work out what was happening. Breadcrumbs rolled in breadcrumbs, right?

Pretty much

I can't remember (or find) where I said I was going to have a crack at making pasta, but this feels like the right place for the report, and I pronounce it a complete success With qualififcations.

The first batch of dough I made was in the standard 'Lies, damn lies, statistics and recipes' mould because the dough turned out be far too dry to knead properly, but after resting it became more pliable, but not elastic. I rolled it out and used the pizza wheel to cut fettucine, and I guess I wasn't aware how much fresh pasta can expand when you cook it because it ended up almost as thick as a baby's finger

I used a different recipe for the second batch and got a much better result, and I rolled it much thinner. Perfect fettucine

I may never go back to bought, dried pasta.

Bourbon cream biscuits
http://www.sundaybaking.co.uk/home-made-bourbon-biscuit-recipe/

Oh my goodness

I happened on this website today and I thought I'd have a go at this particular recipe because there's been some Dutch processed cocoa that's been calling to me from the pantry for several months.

When I made the dough I thought to myself "20 biscuits my Aunt Fanny. That's a production quantity of biscuit dough" Actually, it wasn't, but it was a complete 'mare to roll out. I ended up with about 24 biscuits in all (48 discs). I think I probably could have baked them a bit longer because they're not as crispy as a Bourbon should be. And obviously they're not the same oblong shape as the bought Bourbon.

The filling... I'm not so sure about. It's delicious for sure, but it's mostly butter so it's never going to attain that firmness that the filling of biscuits like the Bourbon or the custard cream does. It's just squishy. And if I dip it in my tea it's going to melt and make the tea all... buttery. Any suggestions for a better chocolate filling gratefully accepted.

A success, though, I reckon. And I'll be going back to that website for a few other recipes, although she seems a little too obsessed with cupcakes, which I can't be doing with. I may adapt some of her recipes for a larger cake. Such as this one http://www.sundaybaking.co.uk/jaffa-cake-cupcake-recipe/ and this one http://www.sundaybaking.co.uk/mint-humbug-cupcake-recipe/

I think a fondant-based filling next time. And there will be a next time, oh yes

Wasn't there a custard cream recipe on hootoo a while back?

I kept meaning to try it but somehow they never materialised.

Hmm.. I found this A244946 (no recipe)

And this A765948