What are you eating and drinking tonight?

[thebish]

Bruce, this is her now, a year or so later...

She a Rhode Island Red, GG? Well done, btw, you've done a magnificent job.

Regarding keeping your own, my MD has started keeping his own hens recently and brought me a
half a dozen in - absolutely delicious.

it's the freshness as well as the free-rangeness that affects the taste... supermarket eggs are often at least 2 weeks old...

[Bruce Rioja]

Bruce, this is her now, a year or so later...

She a Rhode Island Red, GG? Well done, btw, you've done a magnificent job.

Regarding keeping your own, my MD has started keeping his own hens recently and brought me a
half a dozen in - absolutely delicious.

it's the freshness as well as the free-rangeness that affects the taste... supermarket eggs are often at least 2 weeks old...

Indeed, but we also eat gassed fruit and veg that can be months old but which is released to suit the retailer.

KEVEH - Can you move this into the 'Eating' thread please, Chief?

[Lord Kangana]

Tomorrow I am attempting to make a steak and mushroom pie.

I cook quite a bit but have never done anything with a crust on (intentionally that is).

I am making the pastry from ingredients not the pre made stuff.

So any tips/recipes would be gratefully received.

Just do a suet crust because its a piece of piss and tastes best with beef.

Poncey way would be to ask your butcher for some fresh suet (its the white fat off the kidney's and is brilliant for pastry) or just buy some Atora if you're weak.

Mix into a paste with flour, water s&p. Add some herbs if you're feeling unenglish.

[Bruce Rioja]

Just opened a 2003 Gran Reserva Campo Viejo Rioja. I should be sharing it really as it's actually THAT good, but 4uck the lot of you!

[Lord Kangana]

Got a bottle of that in the garage.

Any good?

[Bruce Rioja]

Got a bottle of that in the garage.

Any good?

Delicious, LK. I'm going to do that thing tomorrow morning by which I beat myself up for opening it at 23:00 when already half cut, but feck it! Seriously mate, it has all of the taste without any of the abuse. Absolutely 4ucking delicious.

[Lord Kangana]

I'll remember you when I treat it with suitable reverence then. Lamb or Pig, as I recall, for Rioja.

[Bruce Rioja]

I'll remember you when I treat it with suitable reverence then. Lamb or Pig, as I recall, for Rioja.

Lamb, mate. Slow cooked lamb. Absolutely begging for it. Cook it at mine, I'll provide everything you need!

[Lord Kangana]

Port, Cognac, Fine Burgundy and Cuban Cigars?

It might be cheaper to get a take-out ya know...

[Wandering Willy]

Tomorrow I am attempting to make a steak and mushroom pie.

I cook quite a bit but have never done anything with a crust on (intentionally that is).

I am making the pastry from ingredients not the pre made stuff.

So any tips/recipes would be gratefully received.

Just do a suet crust because its a piece of piss and tastes best with beef.

Poncey way would be to ask your butcher for some fresh suet (its the white fat off the kidney's and is brilliant for pastry) or just buy some Atora if you're weak.

Mix into a paste with flour, water s&p. Add some herbs if you're feeling unenglish.

That sounds good - I assume the suet is substituted for butter/lard used in pastry. Would it be in the same proportions?

I'm going to stick with the pastry this time as I have never done it before.

[Lord Kangana]

Yup. Suet breaks down really well, and is really bad for you. And when you cook it, the amount of grease that drips off it makes you think of instant coronories. And yet it tastes so f*cking light. Its one of the few English recipes the French love (or all the ones I know, anyway).

[CrazyHorse]

KEVEH - Can you move this into the 'Eating' thread please, Chief?

Kev's very drunk right now on real ale and ciders with silly names. But it seems to have been moved anyway.

[Wandering Willy]

I think it was the pasty he didn't eat.

[Bruce Rioja]

Port, Cognac, Fine Burgundy and Cuban Cigars?

It might be cheaper to get a take-out ya know...

I'm not looking for "cheaper" my man! 'Better' is the first port of call!

[Hoboh]

Marques De Carano Gran Reserva 2001 Nice easy drink Red wine, smooth with subttle flavour.
A cratefull after today!!!!

[thebish]

the other day we were short of food (due to me not going shopping) - so, dug about in the pantry and emerged with some pasta, some tinned tuna and a packet mix for a pasta-tuna bake.

the packet mix had a sell by date of March 2004 (which indicates how often I sort out the larder)

for pudding I had a rhubarb yoghurt with the sell-by date of August 19th

that's how close the edge I live my life!

[Lord Kangana]

Best Before's are for boys. Real heroes ignore the Use By ones.

[thebish]

Best Before's are for boys. Real heroes ignore the Use By ones.

[Bruce Rioja]

Making chicken in red wine in the slow cooker - wish it'd hurry up

May have put too much rosemary in it though, if such a thing's possible.

[Lord Kangana]

Never too many herbs bruce.

I'm going to have some Sirloin of beef with all the trimmings (god bless sunday lunch no-shows), and I'm going to crack open the bottle of 2008 Laffitte Teston thats been teasing me for a couple of weeks. I really shouldn't open it this early, but its in danger of becoming my precious if it stays there too long.