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

Frozen artichokes? Those sound like A Good Idea. We can only get them semi-pickled in tins or marinated in oil.

The health food shop I bought the fresh ones at had them pickled, marinated in oil, and frozen as well. Not to mention various forms of pesto (which I can't have because of the pine nuts ). The quiche recipe I found specified *not* marinated, so I didn't get marinated.

Frozen does sound quite convenient, especially as you can stick whatever you don't use back in the freezer till next time. The artichokes were sold in "packs" of four... what the hell am I going to do with the extras?

The Naked Jamie has a recipe for a salad involving artichokes and boiled lemons. I'll see if I can recall the other ingredients.

Next time I'm definitely using the frozen artichoke hearts. I used bits of the fresh artichokes I guess I shouldn't have.

However, the quiche was tasty, and I made another, with mushrooms, on Saturday. Easy to whip up:

One pie crust or pastry (I cheated and used a mix)
Two or three cups sliced mushrooms (I lucked out and found a variety package)
8 oz or so sliced grueyere cheese

Mix three eggs and a cup or so of half and half (or whipping cream) in a bowl, add chopped fresh parsley and chives, and a pinch of dried tarragon.

Place a layer of cheese slices on crust, then a layer of 'shrooms, then another layer of cheese, them more 'shrooms, then one last layer of cheese. Pour cream and egg mixture over the works, and bake at 450 F for about 30 minutes.

It was

Just made some yummy muligrain cookies:

Heat oven to 375 F

Blend: 1 cup butter, margarine, or shortening; 1 cup light brown sugar, 2 eggs, 1 tablespoon water

Blend separately: 2 cups flour, 2 tablespoons baking powder, 1 tablespoon baking soda, about 1 teaspoon salt

Mix flour mixture and butter mixture together with a pastry blender. Add 1 1/2 cups quick multigrain cereal (quick oats will work, I used a quick cereal consisting of oats, barley, wheat, and rye).

Drop by rounded spoonfuls onto lightly greased cookie sheet and bake at 375 F for about 10-12 minutes.

I used some imported butter, and fresh ground sea salt. These cookies are absolutely heavenly! This is the first time I've ever made cookie dough from scratch.

I bet they smelled nice too!

Whipped up a new curry this morning, for today's lunch/dinner. It kind of popped into my head at around 8:30 this morning, and I figured I'd better make it while it was fresh in my mind.

Here it is. "Measure" are my closest estimates- I usually just "eyeball" it:

1 large butternut squash, chopped into bite-sized chunks
16-oz can chick peas (garbanzos)
2 15-oz cans diced tomatoes (fresh are too expensive this time of year)
1 cup veggie bouillon broth
1 large onion, diced
1 whole garlic, minced
2 Tbsp cayenne
2 Tbsp turmeric
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground nutmeg
1 tsp ground mace
1 tsp ground star anise
3 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
3 tsp chopped fresh parsley
1 cup dry white wine

Heat oil in bottom of large Dutch oven. Add onion and gralic and sweat until nearly translucent. Add ground spices and saute until fragrant. Add tomatoes, broth, and white wine. Mix thoroughly. Add squash, chick peas and parsley and simmer until tender (I cooked mine about 25 minutes or so). I served it over couscous.

'Dutch Oven'

Explain? Is this a heavy-bottomed casserole? Or what?

btw - I have to be a little Stalinist here. It sounds like a lovely, spicy stew. But Curry it ain't...not if it contains olive oil and wine. I's a bit of a petty point, maybe...especially since 'curry' doesn't really mean anything in the first place.

Jaysus! What with being away, I haven't done any 'proper' cooking in ages!

A Dutch oven is a large sauce pan with a lid, not quite as big as a stock pot and usually a little shorter.

It really was yummy, whatever you wanted to call it. Kind of had a similar flavor to some stuff we'd had at a North African veggie restaurant not too far from home.

I forgot to mention I threw in a handful of golden raisins, too.

Ah well! In that case it wasn't a curry. It was a tajine!

Yeah, tagine sounds pretty close. I've bought tagine sauces before, in jars, at the Trader Joe's. This was similar to those. I wonder how I came up with that, off the top of my head? It's not something we eat terribly often... although we may start doing so, after all the accolades I was given.

I have to say it turned out nice- just the perfect amount of spiciness without being "hot"- and very hearty.

I need some help with some sidedishes for christmas dinner with runner beans....anyone?



I love runnerbeans...oh and perhaps sugar snap peas...or mebbe sprouts...any variations?

Perhaps not sprouts curry, like in the Xmas episode of "Bottom"?

I'll see what I can figure out... do you knwo what "runner beans" are more commonly known as? I've never heard of 'em, but I cook with loadsa beans.

Runner beans: slice them finely on the diagonal. Stir fry them in olive oil with garlic, sea salt and maybe a little flaked chilli.

I have no idea what they're called in America. Here's what they look like: http://www.felcopruners.net/Bean%20Seed%20-%20Runner%20Beans.0.html They're long and flat. They were one of the few successes in my garden this year.

Sprouts are much maligned. Steam them and serve with braised chesnuts and lots of butter and pepper. Or...shredd them, steam them and fold in some cream and add a few gratings of nutmeg. They're the biz for bubble 'n squeak on Boxing Day too.

Runner beans look like string beans, looking at the photos. I love string beans.

I've heard different things called "sprouts" as well. I always think of Brussels sprouts, or maybe alfalfa sprouts. The sprouts curry they serve at the restaurant down the street are sprouted chickpeas (garbanzos). When you guys say "sprouts", which kind do you mean?

Brussels.

See also: http://flamingpie.memebot.com/Contents/Recipe152.htm

The following joke got DJ Chris Evans sacked from BBC Radio 1:
Q. Why are Brussels sprouts like pubic hair?
A. Because you just push them aside and carry on eating.

Thanks

Brussels sprouts are wonderful & yes; i have managed to make a curry with them; there is very little that can escape a terri curry!

Did a nice one yesterday with mushrooms & chick peas & incorporating some truly vile vegetarian sausages; which disppeared into general sludge very well.

So, what are we all having for Christmas dinner then?

zdt

Trimmings!

For years I experimented with nut roast-ey things (glorified stuffing!) or various shit in filo pastry. However, I've realised that even for meat-eaters, trimmings are the best part.

So:
Roast Potatoes
Roast Parsnips
Roast Squash
Stuffing (chesnut, sage and onion, and whatever else I can fins packets of)
Sprouts
Carrot and Swede
Veggie Gravy (Actually, most varieties of Bisto are veggie)
Bread sauce

followed by the traditional pudding, with accompanying pyrotechnic display. I used to make my own. bit have been too busy the last few years. Anyway...after you've bought all the bottles of alcohol you need, shop-bought is way cheaper.

If we have any energy left, we'll relax with a glass of the rather fine (and suitably expensive) sherry that my local Oddbins were, technically, reserving for the woman who presents BBC Scotland's Hogmanay show.

Bread sauce, you ask?

Take a small onion. Press six cloves into it. Place in a small pan and cover with milk. Add a bayleaf or two. Simmer until the onion is soft. Strain the milk into a second pan. (Optional) remove the cloves from the onion, mash it and add to the milk. Add some stale, white bread, decrusted. Once softened, simmer gently until amalgamated into a sauce. Add salt, pepper and a dash of fresh nutmeg. Finish with a little cream.