Food & Drink #2

[Nottonightbabe]

Kimchi making as promised!

So basically what I've done here is take one and a half 'Chinese Leaf' (Napa) cabbage which is the most traditional, you can use other cabbages however, or even Pak choi. I'd estimate this weighed around 900g, to fill a 1litre kilner jar. Chop cabbage and put in a large bowl, sprinkle with salt (I used around quarter of a cup) and massage into the cabbage till coated. Weigh down with a plate and leave overnight.

Next day, drain water from the cabbage, rinse well and squeeze all excess water out.

To this I added - approx 4 tbsp ginger, 2 tbsp garlic, 4 tbsp fish sauce (soy can sub for veggie/vegan), a tbsp of chilli flakes, 3 tbsp of gochujang paste, tbsp sugar, 1 sliced apple, 5 spring onions, small bunch of radishes.

Mix and massage really well so every piece is coated in paste. Pack firmly into a clip top kilner jar (they are the best to use as 'self burp'). Place a ramekin or similar on top to weigh everything down (Gu dessert pots are perfect!). Place in a bag or bowl (in case it's very active!) leave at room temp for 5-7 days, more if you like a stronger taste. When it's ready to your taste, refrigerate to slow fermentation right down. Keeps for ages!

Kimchi is very flexible and you can add in veg to your taste. Gochujang paste is not essential but does help with coating the veg.

 

[heretoreaditall2019]

I've looked up Shakeshack as husband went to one when he was in the USA and said it was delicious, however they're only in London (and one branch in Brighton). Booooo. There's a Taco Bell in Newcastle but I've not been. Sigh. Frozen pizza for dinner tonight.

I tried making this cake (https://sallysbakingaddiction.com/lemon-cake/) but it's all gone wrong and looks like a giant pudding with crumpet size holes in, I'm not sure that the icing will hide quite how terrible it looks. I normally stick to Victoria sponge recipes but tried branching out into something more exciting, like using buttermilk and fresh lemons (fancy).

If it's any consolation I really don't rate their food! Also their chip portion sizes are teeeny tiny (tbh, probably just within nutritional guidelines hahaha but no one wants that!) ! However their milkshakes are amazing, they're proper ice cream so pregnancy safe! I went in the days before lockdown when Soho was a ghost town & it was SO much nicer than it usually is, usually it's horrid chaos. The one in Stratford is hell on earth.

@Nottonightbabe oooooh, fancy frau!

The heat plus a whole living/dining room worth of plaster drying has made my house the most humid cesspit going, in spite of that I've managed to be v productive! Just spent a shocking amount on skirting boards - I can see why these insta grabbies are always on the beg I'm tempted to catch up on the JM thread but reluctant to!

 

[Flumps]

Kimchi making as promised!

So basically what I've done here is take one and a half 'Chinese Leaf' (Napa) cabbage which is the most traditional, you can use other cabbages however, or even Pak choi. I'd estimate this weighed around 900g, to fill a 1litre kilner jar. Chop cabbage and put in a large bowl, sprinkle with salt (I used around quarter of a cup) and massage into the cabbage till coated. Weigh down with a plate and leave overnight.

Next day, drain water from the cabbage, rinse well and squeeze all excess water out.

To this I added - approx 4 tbsp ginger, 2 tbsp garlic, 4 tbsp fish sauce (soy can sub for veggie/vegan), a tbsp of chilli flakes, 3 tbsp of gochujang paste, tbsp sugar, 1 sliced apple, 5 spring onions, small bunch of radishes.

Mix and massage really well so every piece is coated in paste. Pack firmly into a clip top kilner jar (they are the best to use as 'self burp'). Place a ramekin or similar on top to weigh everything down (Gu dessert pots are perfect!). Place in a bag or bowl (in case it's very active!) leave at room temp for 5-7 days, more if you like a stronger taste. When it's ready to your taste, refrigerate to slow fermentation right down. Keeps for ages!

Kimchi is very flexible and you can add in veg to your taste. Gochujang paste is not essential but does help with coating the veg.

Amazing. I have ALL OF THOSE THINGS in the house right now (oh, except radishes, doh). I love Chinese leaf. I am going to try this soon.

I tried making this cake (https://sallysbakingaddiction.com/lemon-cake/) but it's all gone wrong and looks like a giant pudding with crumpet size holes in, I'm not sure that the icing will hide quite how terrible it looks. I normally stick to Victoria sponge recipes but tried branching out into something more exciting, like using buttermilk and fresh lemons (fancy).

I have made a couple of things from that site, and I have had a couple of issues with the recipes. I am (without wishing to sound all up myself) a very competent baker, so I am slightly doubting the quality of recipes (specifically with regard to quantities) of that site. Quick scan of that recipe and it looks like an odd ratio of liquid (eggs and buttermilk) to dry ingredients, and I'm not sure about the granulated sugar either.

So not sure you should blame yourself there at all.

Cream cheese icing sounds delicious though.

Maybe chop the cake up, make some lemon sugar syrup to drizzle over it, make the icing and dob it on, add some red fruit and call it a plate trifle.
Or wodge it together best you can. I bet it'll taste ok either way.

 

[SkinnyTurkeyDinosaur]

Got my happy meal and LOOK what book I got with it

 

[Passive_Aggressive_Lemon]

Has anyone got any inspiration for these yellow summer ball courgettes that I’ve grown? I have about another 4 ready to harvest but no idea what to do with them.

 

[Flumps]

Has anyone got any inspiration for these yellow summer ball courgettes that I’ve grown? I have about another 4 ready to harvest but no idea what to do with them.

They are pretty aren't they? Seems a shame not to do something that doesn't embrace that. Maybe a courgette ceviche or carpaccio sort of thing. I've googled and there are loads of recipes, but they all seem to feature lemon juice, olive oil, garlic (sometimes chilli) and the herb of your choice. Some more asian inspired ones have soy in them, but I feel that would ruin the prettiness.

Are they big enough to stuff? Insides of some sausages, garlic, breadcrumbs, some cheese would be nice. Or provencal style ones.. Felicity Cloake's recipe for stuffed courgettes here:

How to cook the perfect stuffed courgettes | Felicity Cloake

A classic Provençal recipe to make short and tasty work of the forthcoming glut

www.theguardian.com

I trust her perfect series, though I've never tried this one.

 

[Passive_Aggressive_Lemon]

They are pretty aren't they? Seems a shame not to do something that doesn't embrace that. Maybe a courgette ceviche or carpaccio sort of thing. I've googled and there are loads of recipes, but they all seem to feature lemon juice, olive oil, garlic (sometimes chilli) and the herb of your choice. Some more asian inspired ones have soy in them, but I feel that would ruin the prettiness.

Are they big enough to stuff? Insides of some sausages, garlic, breadcrumbs, some cheese would be nice. Or provencal style ones.. Felicity Cloake's recipe for stuffed courgettes here:

How to cook the perfect stuffed courgettes | Felicity Cloake

A classic Provençal recipe to make short and tasty work of the forthcoming glut

www.theguardian.com

I trust her perfect series, though I've never tried this one.

I think stuffing them is the way to go. I will report back tomorrow Apparently you can leave them to grow to the size of small pumpkins so I’m going to leave some of the others to get bigger.

 

[Flumps]

I think stuffing them is the way to go. I will report back tomorrow Apparently you can leave them to grow to the size of small pumpkins so I’m going to leave some of the others to get bigger.

If you end up with a glut, then courgette and ginger jam is wonderful.

 

[Pocahontas]

If you end up with a glut, then courgette and ginger jam is wonderful.

I absolutely love the word ‘glut’. It’s so satisfying. Glut.

@Nottonightbabe you kimchenius!! Wonderful. Step-by-step pics as well

 

[panda_eyes]

I have made a couple of things from that site, and I have had a couple of issues with the recipes. I am (without wishing to sound all up myself) a very competent baker, so I am slightly doubting the quality of recipes (specifically with regard to quantities) of that site. Quick scan of that recipe and it looks like an odd ratio of liquid (eggs and buttermilk) to dry ingredients, and I'm not sure about the granulated sugar either.

So not sure you should blame yourself there at all.

Cream cheese icing sounds delicious though.

Maybe chop the cake up, make some lemon sugar syrup to drizzle over it, make the icing and dob it on, add some red fruit and call it a plate trifle.
Or wodge it together best you can. I bet it'll taste ok either way.

Thank you Flumps. The cake doesn't taste very good - the texture is not quite right but I'm heartened to see that you have problems with the recipes too. Annoying after I've made the icing too - there's a pot of leftover icing which I'll be sticking a spoon/finger into later. I should've stuck with Delia, she's one of the most reliable recipe writers I know (along with the hausfraus ).

 

[Flumps]

Thank you Flumps. The cake doesn't taste very good - the texture is not quite right but I'm heartened to see that you have problems with the recipes too. Annoying after I've made the icing too - there's a pot of leftover icing which I'll be sticking a spoon/finger into later. I should've stuck with Delia, she's one of the most reliable recipe writers I know (along with the hausfraus ).

Batch of cupcakes to slap the lemon icing onto? I'd do a normal cupcake batter with some additional lemon zest, fill the cases a third full, pop in a 1/2 tsp or so of lemon curd and then top with more batter. Then you have a lovely lemony centre, with the cream cheese icing on top. Or you know, a spoon works too. Or squidge it between digestive biscuits and you have an emergency cheesecake type thing.

Delia is properly reliable for cakes. Nigella normally is too. And online the BBC food recipes seem well tested.

 

[Pocahontas]

Thank you Flumps. The cake doesn't taste very good - the texture is not quite right but I'm heartened to see that you have problems with the recipes too. Annoying after I've made the icing too - there's a pot of leftover icing which I'll be sticking a spoon/finger into later. I should've stuck with Delia, she's one of the most reliable recipe writers I know (along with the hausfraus ).

Agree with Flumps that the liquid to dry ingredients seems odd
Also using buttermilk in a cake batter is meant to provide rise through the acidity of the buttermilk? I seem to remember. Two-and-a-half tsps of baking powder seems a bit much. I hate using too much baking powder as I think anything more than a teaspoon leaves a really bitter / dry aftertaste. Plus granulated sugar is weird as it won’t cream as well with the butter as caster?
shame about the icing - but yep on cupcakes would be yummy!

I always find Delia, Mary Berry or Nigella pretty failsafe for cake recipes also!

 

[Readingismyhobby]

Thank you Flumps. The cake doesn't taste very good - the texture is not quite right but I'm heartened to see that you have problems with the recipes too. Annoying after I've made the icing too - there's a pot of leftover icing which I'll be sticking a spoon/finger into later. I should've stuck with Delia, she's one of the most reliable recipe writers I know (along with the hausfraus ).

Mary Barry has a recipe for a courgette cake.

 

[TheDragonWithAFlagon]

Has anyone got any inspiration for these yellow summer ball courgettes that I’ve grown? I have about another 4 ready to harvest but no idea what to do with them.

They look lovely!

For any emergency use to prevent the entire garden looking like a soft play ball pit, this is what we had tonight...


Two sausages each (I got the Black Farmer ones, obviously veg*n ones can be substituted).

Put into a large frying pan with a drizzle of Olive Oil on a low heat so they don't stick, but brown gently.

Put in two onions, one red and one brown, sliced into half moons about 3mm wide.

Chop a large pepper (red, orange or yellow, the greens are a bit too strong and you need a touch of sweetness in this) into big chunks and add them to the pan.

Cut a courgette up into pieces about 5mm thick. Add them to the pan. You might need to add a tiny bit extra oil at this point, but it depends upon how much fat comes out of the sausages.

Once things have started softening and the sausages are browning, add a good shake of Caraway seeds and a nice big pinch of dried Sage or 2-3 leaves sliced into narrowstrips. Allow them to toast slightly as you fill a saucepan with boiling water from the kettle and add several potatoes cut into smallish quarters, putting the lid on to avoid wasting gas and getting it back up to the boil quickly. Turn it down to a gentle boil, knock the lid off slightly so it doesn't boil over.

Crumble a stock cube - chicken, vegetable, whatever you actually like the taste of by itself - over the sausages and vegetables. Add a slosh of boiling water, just enough to create a small amount of stock in the pan. Put at lid over the top and turn it down to a simmer.


Once it's all cooked through and on the plates, add some butter, sea salt, pepper and some snipped up bits of fresh Dill.

As you eat it, the Caraway seeds pop and you get a hit of flavour, the courgette is smooth and soft, the pepper tender and slightly sweet/savoury and salty, the onions are rich and the sausages and potatoes taste warm and fresh at the same time.


Mr D demolished it when he came in from work at 8.30pm. So did I. I think it took about 20 minutes all in.



It doesn't have a particular name as I'm not a tossing food writer who hates food but it only came about because my slow cooker cracked today. I was going to do a sort of Ratatouille stew and have the sausages with green lentils, but this worked fine.

Agree with Flumps that the liquid to dry ingredients seems odd
Also using buttermilk in a cake batter is meant to provide rise through the acidity of the buttermilk? I seem to remember. Two-and-a-half tsps of baking powder seems a bit much. I hate using too much baking powder as I think anything more than a teaspoon leaves a really bitter / dry aftertaste. Plus granulated sugar is weird as it won’t cream as well with the butter as caster?
shame about the icing - but yep on cupcakes would be yummy!

I always find Delia, Mary Berry or Nigella pretty failsafe for cake recipes also!

I can get granulated to cream up alright if I put some effort into it. But it's quicker to use Caster or give granulated a quick buzz with the blender. I definitely wouldn't use that much Baking Powder as I can taste it too easily. Maybe they randomly added so much because they couldn't be bothered to cream the sugar and butter together so it's properly fluffy?

There's really only so many ways you can make a decent cake. And they've already been discovered years ago.

 

[Suprise!]

Has anyone got any inspiration for these yellow summer ball courgettes that I’ve grown? I have about another 4 ready to harvest but no idea what to do with them.

This thread is making me so hungry!

I was given one of those courgettes last week. I sliced it into thick rounds and just fried it in a bit of olive oil with lots of salt and pepper and a splash of balsamic, until soft and toasted. It was bloody delicious. If I’d had some feta I’d have crumbled that on top

 

[Silver Linings]

There’s a Taco Bell in my town (triangulate me) but I haven’t been. When I was in America donkeys years ago I liked the diner chain Johnny Rockets. I’m sure only tourists went there but it was like being in Grease. I was veggie then but not vegan and I had a milkshake/coke float thing that was divine.

 

[Falkor]

Aren’t they onion rings?


I want those to be onion rings! And is that potato salad? And corn chips. Where is this place?

Afraid they were curly fries! But yes, that's potato salad (you can choose that or homemade coleslaw) and tortilla chips.

I live on the north coast of Scotland, on the NC500 route, and that beauty of a burger came from Morag's Cafe in a small town called Wick, which is just south of John o'Groats. I don't think she has a website, but she does have a Facebook page with the menu on and if you think that burger looks good, you should see the Tower of Power (3 burgers, 3 bacon rashers, triple cheese, onion rings, lettuce and tomato - there's a picture on Facebook!)

 

[Marj24]

For those who have an Ocado delivery, this is currently on offer

it is usually priced at £4.25 and although it is delicious, that's a bit spendy for me. Until 28th July this, and a couple of sister products, are £2.50. I love it in a large tumbler with a few ice cubes. Heartily recommend

 

[Mustard]

For those who have an Ocado delivery, this is currently on offer

View attachment 185229
it is usually priced at £4.25 and although it is delicious, that's a bit spendy for me. Until 28th July this, and a couple of sister products, are £2.50. I love it in a large tumbler with a few ice cubes. Heartily recommend

Thanks, I’ve just put some in my order.

 

[emm]

Thanks, I’ve just put some in my order.

I e literally never ordered from Ocado but think I might just for this! Love gazpacho!