blonde poker forum

Obviously this will relate to any food discussions, tips on cooking, favourite recipes, new restaurant recommendations- all BBQ stuff as that season is coming up

We will exclude fry up discussions to allow that thread to continue as its epic.

Seven questions for people to reply to as a starter- going to post the missus' answers as an example

Favourite restaurant- Umu
Favourite chain restaurant- Wagamamas
Favourite cuisine- Thai
Favourite friday night takeaway- Indian
Favourite lunchtime fast food- Nandos
Guilty Pleasure- Tinned hotdogs (these are banned in our house)
Death row order- Roast Chicken Dinner cooked by herself

Obviously some of them overlap and can be same answers but you get the idea

Favourite restaurant- Landmark (chinese in newcastle)
Favourite chain restaurant- TGI fridays
Favourite cuisine- Chinese
Favourite friday night takeaway- Chinese
Favourite lunchtime fast food- Nandos
Guilty Pleasure- Double cheeseburger with fried onions, tomato ketchup and french mustard from a burger van, oooooof
Death row order- Chicken and sweetcorn soup, Duck pancakes, Salt and pepper chicken wings, Crispsy beef in cantonese sauce with special fried rice

Favourite restaurant- Viraaj (local Indian)
Favourite chain restaurant- Wagamamas (suprised I went with this but struggling to find a better chain - hate Nandos etc)
Favourite cuisine- Indian
Favourite friday night takeaway- Donner meat and chips covered in chilli sauce
Favourite lunchtime fast food- Meatball sub
Guilty Pleasure- I have, on several occassions, eaten an entire block of marzipan meant for cooking with, and would do it again
Death row order- cheese burger and a milkshake from this place called Yankees in Sheffield

Favourite restaurant- Petit Paris, Nottingham. I prefer simply cooked good food made from good ingredients, not poncy restaurants serving weird and wonderful stuff, cooked 8 ways with 5 things shoved up their arse and a foam topping  ;D

Favourite chain restaurant- Pizza express maybe, need to think about that more.

Favourite cuisine- You will get a different answer depending on my mood on the day, but any of Indian, Thai or Chinese.

Favourite friday night takeaway- Pizza

Favourite lunchtime fast food- Supermarket sandwiches and cheese and onion walkers crisps

Guilty Pleasure- Marks and Spencer Roast Chicken dinner inside a giant Yorkshire Pudding

Death row order- Sirloin steak with pepper sauce, chips and mushrooms.

Favourite restaurant- Anoki. Indian in Nottingham. Subject to change at a moment's notice.

Favourite chain restaurant- Las Iguanas

Favourite cuisine- Indian.

Favourite friday night takeaway- Domino's pizza.

Favourite lunchtime fast food- Ginsters all day breakfast sandwich, ginsters ploughmans roll & mini cheddars.

Guilty Pleasure- Doner kebab meat pizza.

Death row order- Mixed balti cooked slightly hotter towards jalfrezi strength, pilau rice, paratha.

Favourite restaurant- Sushi Samba

Favourite chain restaurant- Wagamamas

Favourite cuisine- Indian

Favourite friday night takeaway- Domdoms

Favourite lunchtime fast food- Cornish Pasty

Guilty Pleasure- Mini Eggs

Death row order- Roast Pork with all the trimmings cooked by the old dear

Favourite restaurant- Lemonia, Primrose Hill
Favourite chain restaurant- Not overly keen on chains but will go with Pizza Express
Favourite cuisine- Greek like momma bobAlike used to make
Favourite friday night takeaway- Indian
Favourite lunchtime fast food- Toatsed hearty Itallian BMT from Subway
Guilty Pleasure- Dirty burgers from any burger van
Death row order- Fillet steak cooked rare on 2 freshly baked crusty cobs with a dash of French mustard

Favourite restaurant- El Ranch o .....Alberferia Portugal
Favourite chain restaurant-frankie & bennys
Favourite cuisine- chinese
Favourite friday night takeaway- chinese
Favourite lunchtime fast food- Ronald MacDonald's
Guilty Pleasure- burgers
Death row order- Mrs fish's Xmas dinner

Favourite restaurant- Corner Cafe (this changes frequently)
Favourite chain restaurant- Nandos
Favourite cuisine- Indian
Favourite friday night takeaway- Not a fan of takeaway
Favourite lunchtime fast food- McDonalds
Guilty Pleasure- McDonalds
Death row order- Curry

This is our houses dinner on a summer evening and is amazing.

Pork shoulder steak cut in to stir fry strips ( Very cheap meat ) Or Shoulder lamb boned and sliced into stir fry strips. About a Kilo for 4

Put the meat in a roasting try.

So mix the following

1 Heaped table spoon Dried Oragano
Level Table spoon Dried marjoram
1tsp Black pepper
1 Heaped teaspoon Salt
1 Heaped teaspoon onion powder

Mix then sprinkle over meat in the roasting tray. Grate a couple of garlic cloves and mix with your hand in the tray.
Drizzle with olive oil Roast in a hot oven until WELL done .

Serve in a warm plate with a Greek salad oven chips in a bowl and a bowl of Tzatiki all help yourself stuff

Also good on wraps with red Onion and thin sliced Tomato and home made Tzatziki.

Enjoy

Regards

M
      

Tonight I am cooking a tomato and red pepper soup.

I attach a picture, although there's not much to see... it's a soup! But I think it's a nice colour :)

(http://i797.photobucket.com/albums/yy259/CfNana/IMG_10881.jpg)

Picture makes it look a bit more orange rather than red. And yes, my current flat has electric hobs. Can't wait to get back to having gas!

Favourite restaurant- Iberico Nottingham
Favourite chain-chino Latio
Favourite cuisine- Spanish/Greek/Japanese
Favourite friday night takeaway- Thai Seafood Curry Thai seafood rice
Favourite lunchtime fast food- Sushi
Guilty Pleasure- My own Stuffed Vine Leaves
Death row order-King Crab ( Merus Section) Oysters

Regards

M

simple chicken satay (serves 4)

2 Tablespoons of sesame oil

4 chicken breasts cut into thin strips

1 tin coconut milk

1 carton coconut cream

2 cloves garlic

chilli powder or pepper/chilli sauce to taste depending how hot you like it.

2 tablespoons of soy sauce

3-4 tablespoons of crunchy peanut butter


------------------------------------------
 

mix all ingredients in a bowl except chicken/oil.

Heat up a saucepan to 3/4 max heat, and warm sesame oil til just before smoking then fry off the chicken until cooked.

Pour satay sauce over the chicken, turn heat down to a low, and leave to bubble away with chicken for approx 10 minutes.

Serve either with rice (hopefully i dont need to teach you how to boil rice?!) or even have a go at a simple naan recipe (or, scandalous as it may be, buy a ready made naan)

Not a fan of boiling rice!

rehydrating rice through obvs.

:rolleyes:

Favourite restaurant- Big Easy
Favourite chain restaurant- Nandos
Favourite cuisine- Thai/Indian
Favourite friday night takeaway- Indian
Favourite lunchtime fast food- Sushi
Guilty Pleasure- KFC Hot wings
Death row order- Braised pork belly, spinach, Whole Lobster with butter and garlic mash. Choc Ice for Dessert.

Best fish dish to cook individual portions for a large group?

Am thinking Tilapia wrapped in a banana leaf, looks visually impressive yet pretty simple as can just put 3 trays of 5/6 portions in at once

monkfish goujons. Essentially get some monkfish tail or fillets, cut into goujons and fry in a simple beer batter with some chips and home made tartare sauce.

Roast Gurnard, leave heads on if you want to impress. 

Problem is cooking for 16 people, so need an industrial sized deep fryer to do it in one go, and hard to do it in batches as goes cold fast and then soggy if reheated. Surely oven is only way forward?

LOVE this thread, who needs cooking school, when you have blonde <3 Dubai!

Favourite restaurant- The Oven in Darlington - purely because the brandy and black pepper sauce they serve with steaks is the best thing I've ever tasted.
Favourite chain restaurant- Pizza Express
Favourite cuisine- English
Favourite friday night takeaway- Fish and Chips
Favourite lunchtime fast food- In the days I ate bread - a zinger burger from KFC
Guilty Pleasure- Liquorice
Death row order- Roast beef, Yorkshire pudding, roast potatoes, carrots, parsnips and mushrooms

Ha the fake flushy on twitter will love you calling Hakkasan a chain :)

Ok I'm gonna endeavour to post about really authentic Thai food which is almost nothing like the Thai food you get in UK

Would love to know about Thai Street food/Family meals

Regards

M

Favourite restaurant- Tao
Favourite chain restaurant- Wagamamas
Favourite cuisine- Chop between Thai and Chinese
Favourite friday night takeaway- Chinese
Favourite lunchtime fast food- Subway
Guilty Pleasure- KFC Boneless Banquet with gravy (these are banned in our house)
Death row order- Steak w/ peppercorn sauce, creamed spinach and garlic mash from Bonefish

Favourite restaurant- Ivy
Favourite chain restaurant- Wagamamas
Favourite cuisine- Indian
Favourite friday night takeaway- Indian
Favourite lunchtime fast food- Nandos
Guilty Pleasure- Plain Pringles
Death row order- NY Strip + Romanoff Potatoes ~ LV

Here is an idea . You could pick some different types of fish and have the fishmonger prepare them for you into the same sizes. Have some cool ways of presenting like boat boned. ( the head is left on the fish but the bone is removed creating a canoe like effect. ) then flavour each fish with different complimentary spices and just simply bake in a foil parcel . Plenty of prep but once it comes to service nice and easy. Each person gets served a foil parcel with appropriate sides served family style in the middle of the table.
Everyone opens their parcel to different smells and types of fish , it create a talking point , people share what they have with each other and it creates an experience rather than just a meal.

Great thread

Favourite restaurant- Pied a Terre
Favourite chain restaurant- Pizza Express
Favourite cuisine- French
Favourite friday night takeaway- Jerk Chicken and Festival
Favourite lunchtime fast food- Greggs corned beef pasty
Guilty Pleasure- chocolate of every type
Death row order- Jamon Iberico de belota with a bottle of Vega Sicillia


Got a question for the foodies on here.  Got an evening out with some Finnish guys that I am doing some business with.  I offered them their choice of cuisine for dinner and they replied, to my dismay, Chinese and in particular somewhere that has good duck.  We are going to the football (England game) first so it will be late-ish but keen for somewhere good but not too dressy.  Any ideas?  Price not really an issue but quality is for me at least.

[quote author=redarmi link=topic=61172.msg1776239#msg1776239 date=1369104675


Got a question for the foodies on here.  Got an evening out with some Finnish guys that I am doing some business with.  I offered them their choice of cuisine for dinner and they replied, to my dismay, Chinese and in particular somewhere that has good duck.  We are going to the football (England game) first so it will be late-ish but keen for somewhere good but not too dressy.  Any ideas?  Price not really an issue but quality is for me at least.
[/quote]

I've not been for ages but believe the Four Seasons in Bayswater has a good rep and should be relatively easy to get to. Plenty of reviews if you google to give you an idea what to expect.

Have you considered Chinese steamboat style - genius is guests cook for themselves !   http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CeDEb9uwg5g

Good reviews on Tripadvisor:
http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Restaurant_Review-g186338-d733966-Reviews-Yauatcha-London_England.html

Hakkasan and Yauatcha best Chinese restaurants in London, they are high end but not that dressy, Yauatcha is probably less dressy of the 2 but is based around a massive dim sum menu, Hakkasan has a better duck dish

Can get tables late for both as well, I'd be astonished if they weren't impressed or didn't like either

Actually think Hakkasans duck and pancakes dish actually comes with caviar and is quite lumpy, assume when they say good duck that's what they mean

So Yauatcha is probably best

Order the blue swimmer crab dimsum, lobster dimsum with tobiko caviar, char Sui bun, venison puffs and  jasmine tea smoked ribs. They do duck crispy rolls which are decent and also duck and pancakes. Avoid chilli squid as it comes caked in some weird oatmeal mix that takes over the whole plate I seem to remember. Think same rings true for soft shell crab

Super interested in this. Be amazing if you could post pictures and a recipe of some really authentic home/street food please

I'm gonna do it.

U ever been to thailand dave?

Favourite restaurant- A steak house in Puerto Banus, forgot the name it was over 5 yrs ago.
Favourite chain restaurant- Jamie's Italian
Favourite cuisine- Great British
Favourite friday night takeaway- Pizza Express
Favourite lunchtime fast food- Burger King
Guilty Pleasure- Chocolate cake, cake, cake, and even more cake. #LoveTheCake
Death row order- Lamb Chops, with all the trimmings, and chocolate cake for pudding!

Never been to Nandos, is it nice? Not a lover of chicken myself.

Always wanted to go Claridges, anyone been? Seems like another world.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t_JTFwgR1VY

Beautiful fish Imo

I could let you have my chopped-liver recipe Dave if you like that sort of thing, it does come highly recommended as Lucy Rokach says it is "the nuts". There is one vital ingredient that you will have to source yourself though if you do fancy making it.

Next time you have a roast chicken(or 15) save the chicken fat that you skim off before making the gravy and just keep it in a ramekin covered with clingfilm in the top of the 'fridge. It'll keep fine for a week at least.

its terrible

Favourite restaurant- St John EC1. Haven't been for ages though, much missed corporate account lol
Favourite chain restaurant- kids like Frankie and Bennys. Never been to Nandos ;-)
Favourite cuisine- this changes. currently Chinese
Favourite friday night takeaway- Indian or Chinese, it varies
Favourite lunchtime fast food- Footlong steak and cheese subway.
Guilty Pleasure- Most of what I eat, sadly.
Death row order- Chateaubriand, rare, with bernaise sauce new potatoes and green beans

Favourite restaurant- La Pampa, steak restaurant in La Linea, where the best steak that's ever been eaten by mouths is made. Bonus answer: Bar Nudo in Newcastle, excellent Asian fusion on a budget.
Favourite chain restaurant- Errm, prolly Wagamama's, I guess.
Favourite cuisine- If I'm cooking, Indian, if I'm eating, chinese. Bonus round, Iranian food is pretty nutted, too.
Favourite friday night takeaway- Dominos
Favourite lunchtime fast food- Marks and Spencers Sarnies/Salads
Guilty Pleasure- Dominos Cookies
Death row order- Steak prepared by La Pampa, with provoletta and the spanish egg dish I cannot fucking think of the name of any more (something like heuvos revueltos, but it's not scrambled egg, it's a tapas dish) to start, topped of by banoffee cheesecake, and a long glass of Havana 7 and cola to finish.

great thread btw.

Have asked for some live pics from a Thai who is out looking for dinner right now in a night market in the back of beyond in Thailand, let's see what they come back with, could be any random body part fried up  :D

I would bet that 95% of people who come to Thailand for a holiday don't really ever understand Thai food culture. It's hard to because the tourist areas and restaurants within those locations are catering for the falang (foreigner) market who just want to eat Pad Thais, chicken satays and Green Curries and go home thinking they've seen all there is to see in terms of Thai food.

Food is definitely one of the greatest things about living here. It's almost as cheap to eat out or buy food to take home as it is to buy stuff and make it yourself.

I guess there's also so many things that are grown and produced locally that make the food here great. Unless you want to spend an arm and a leg to buy some special poncey pack of organic this and that in the UK, pretty much everything here has so much more flavour. Tomatoes etc are just incomparable to the ones you can buy in the UK in terms of how much nicer and more full of flavour they are.

The fruits here are awesome too - again very very cheap, sold everywhere and very tasty. I really wish my girlfriend didn't like bloody durian so much though!

That shizzle stinks and lingers!

(http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-cO9ZWPJDPqI/T7BPoIzTV4I/AAAAAAAAAH0/mYT9lk60iFk/s1600/Durian.jpg)

The thing I love is the overrall food culture. Thailand is still mostly a country of relatively poor people and something that has lived on from even poorer times is their attitude towards food. They don't waste food and portion sizes are very modest. They believe that a person shouldnt eat a portion much bigger than the size of their fist. That's another reason why you don't see too many overweight Thais. Egg is incorporated into a lot of the food because it was the most common source of protein before people could more readily afford meat. You'll often see a fried egg on top of a lot of things that Thais eat.

Sharing!

(http://108.167.164.229/~wwwaswet/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/621713949_b8907e52d8.jpg)

Thai people love eating together and their culture isn't so much about each person having their own dish etc, they just share from a main dish or two. It surprised me a little at first just how ready they are to share things they are eating. For example I've been sat at home while my girlfriend and my housemate's girlfriend are eating together and friends come round. In England, I guess protocol would be to offer someone to join you and them politely decline (though on occasion someone will join I guess) but if you go to someone's house while they're eating I think it's kinda standard to think you've arrived at a slightly inconvenient time. Here the Thai's instantly make space for others to sit with them and it's usually more of an order than an invite.

Khun heeu kao mai? = Are you hungry?

That's what almost every Thai will ask you if you enter their home. It means are you hungry but it's literal translation is 'Have you eaten rice?', again from poorer times when people may have not eaten and others would offer to share their rice.

When tourists come to Thailand, they visit places like Pattaya, Bangkok, Phuket or the Islands. Most of the Thais that are living and working in these places have their families and parents that live in more rural regions of Thailand. Places like Isaan where the food culture was built around rice farms and rice was the staple. The other foods that they eat are pretty awesome.

I consider myself lucky that I will try anything and nothing food wise makes me squeamish. I eat everything my girlfriend eats so I will start trying to post pics of individual thai dishes and explain what they are, where they are from etc. If anyone wants a recipe please tell me and I'll get the burd to ask the chefs.

(https://fbcdn-sphotos-e-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/380204_4811868091981_321606751_n.jpg)

I recently asked a Thai friend why they eat such spicy food when they already live in such a hot climate. Most Thais need a fair amount of spice with almost everything they eat. If my girlfriend comes with me to eat foreign food somewhere, she wont two days in a row!

My friend told me that it was believed chili was initially added to foods for two main reasons, to make them smell nice (or make them not smell bad) and because it was/is believed that chili can help keep the body strong and not be sick if something that might make someone sick is eaten.

Couple of things that were eaten. Some squid and prawn rice thing, don't know what the sauce is (cooked in something something apparently  ;carlocitrone;). However we got a classic dessert, mango with sticky rice and coconut milk which is simple to make and really delish, probably my fav dessert there in fact.

(http://i444.photobucket.com/albums/qq167/Andr4w/9f48c215942c96303bc34a7ae3530790_zps951506dd.jpg)

(http://i444.photobucket.com/albums/qq167/Andr4w/03839a763d4d146f0b229c8d5de3fede_zps8cfe95d7.jpg)

I quite often make lamb koftes. They're pretty good but not good enough. I'd like to see Dubai's best recipe method for the best lamb kofte please

La Linea is probably the place in the world most responsible for my appreciation of good food.  For somewhere that is a pretty down at heel and poor Spanish town it has some amazing places to eat.  You could go out and eat every night there for a month and never have a bad meal.  Not sure if it is still there or not bt there used to be a tiny tapas place called Jimmy's where you would pick your food raw and they would cook it for you.  It was incredible and cost next to nothing.  La Pampa is good but for my money it isn't even the best steak restaurant there.  That honour would go to Patagonia.

[/b]

Patagonia or Patagonica (either of them) are both very good, but first time I had Steak in La Linea it was there and it set the tone for me.

Jimmy's vv g as well.

Favourite restaurant-  London...... Oxo Tower ....  Always good food with a great view looking over The Thames especially when the sun sets
                                Sheffield..... Antibos.........  High Ceiling and Open Kitchen makes for  great smells & atmosphere  , never a dull moment or a bad meal

Favourite chain restaurant...Generally dont like chains however both Pizza Express and Gustos have a great independent feel to them and the food has always been very good.

Favourite cuisine- Anything spicy. When abroad I  Love to try what the locals eat especially Italian food in Italy....The local Thai food Cos is eating sounds & looks amazing too

Favourite Friday night takeaway- Indian /Thai

Favourite lunchtime fast food- If I can find it.... Proper Home cooked style Meat & Potato Pie with gravy of course (Northerners love their gravy)

Guilty Pleasure-  Chili/Orange Chocolate

Death row order- Any Fresh Meat /Fish/Prawns grilled on a charcoal BBQ with fresh chili salsa on the side, Potato salad, Fresh Crusty Bread ,Big Bowl of Feta and Olive Salad , Washed down with some Very Cold Bottles of Beer...if possible accompanied by some Chilled Music and Hot Sunshine .

Great thread....Really hungry after writing this   :)

he's right mind....

Favourite restaurant................. Blue Chili Thai in Newcastle under Lyme
Favourite chain restaurant........ Not keen on many, prob Subway if I had to choose one. Edit;  just realised Wagamama is a chain.
Favourite cuisine..................... Thai and Moroccan
Favourite friday night takeaway..Chinese
Favourite lunchtime fast food.....Tapas in Spain with plenty of wine.
Guilty Pleasure........................ Anything with huge amounts of clotted cream
Death row order........................ Fillet steak from La Favorita in Newcastle or Cod with chorizo.



Looking forward to more posts from Greeky.

Doubt you'll find much chilled music or sunshine on death row mate.

The ingredients I use are listed below:

pine nuts
cumin
ground coriander
garam masala
salt
black pepper
fresh coriander
fresh mint
minced lamb
red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped
garlic clove, peeled and crushed
beaten egg
lemon juice

once you have the mixture, add some breadcrumbs if the mixture is a bit too wet.

Pine nuts is interesting there- that for texture or taste? or both?

Id use similar to Sweetman but wouldn't deseed the chilli and maybe add some paprika and ginger. Lots of coriander is the key to keeping it tasting fresh

Quite a few things in there I wouldn't normally add so I think Ima make those tomorrow and report back

Thanks

Can I change my death row order for a cake with a file in it?

If you wanna go Moroccan/middle eastern route, put ras el hanout in it, they sell it in all supermarkets these days

Favourite restaurant - San Pietro in scunny lol
Favourite chain restaurant - gusto
Favourite cuisine - a mix between Chinese Thai Korean jap
Favourite friday night takeaway - Chinese
Favourite lunch time fast food - Italian bmt
Guilty Pleasure - KFC
Death row order - Seafood - lobster, steamed razed clams and scallops, Dover sole, crabs and king prawns with heads on obv

I really like Iranian food also

yeah, i love fresh coriander with these types of things, the pine nuts add texture and taste, I usually toast them themn blitz them slightly (not to a fine powder, just a rough chop).

Deseeding the chilli, why I am surprised you don't deseed, I've seen you drink a 150ml shot of tabasco neat for a bet LOL!!

Definitely the flavour I'm going for, will try that too

It's 1am here now and I'm on a grind through the night mission so that I can post a pic of a typical Thai breakfast.

There's a lady who opens a stall down the street at around 6am. She has some pots of stuff that I've never really investigated but on the rare occasions that I'm up that early, I buy a selection of her home made Dim Sum. It's fairly unglamorous to look at but tastes incredible.

There are some Dim Sum places out here but they mostly close at 12 or 1pm because it's a very traditional thing to eat early in the day. (I didn't realise Dim Sum was a morning thing at all until I moved out here).

Naturally it's also very different to more Cantonese style Dim Sum, which I love. It has also reminded me that I should have chosen my favourite chain restaurant in the UK as Ping Pong. I'd really recommend anyone to go there and grab the Lazy Sunday menu - eat as much as you like from the menu. Very very good value for money and also good if you just want to try loads of different stuff. Don't go expecting it to be Yauatcha but it's still v good for what it is imo.

Favourite restaurant-no idea, I've never had a bad meal at Bibi's in Leeds leeds leeds
Favourite chain restaurant- Ribshack (at least I think its a chain)
Favourite cuisine- Mexican
Favourite friday night takeaway- Thai
Favourite lunchtime fast food- bleh, probs BK but only at 2am after skinfulls
Guilty Pleasure- COOOOOKIES
Death row order- Kobe Beef Steak. A big **** off one

Also durian are incred

What an epic meal... There's a great Persian restaurant near the Vic called Patogh, usually go there for lunch with my Lawyer.. Great food

There's some great supper clubs going on at the moment, will post some pics next time I go to one..   

Favourite restaurant- La Faya (Mauritius)
Favourite chain restaurant- Dominos
Favourite cuisine- Italian
Favourite friday night takeaway- Indian
Favourite lunchtime fast food- Subway
Guilty Pleasure- Eating a family size portion of profiteroles
Death row order- Large Dominos 1/2 mighty meaty 1/2 texas bbq, no green peppars and added pineapple

Favourite restaurant - La Perdrix Blanche - Val D'Isere
Favourite chain restaurant - Frankie and Benny's
Favourite cuisine - Spanish
Favourite friday night takeaway - Chinese
Favourite lunch time fast food - Subway
Guilty Pleasure - KFC
Death row order - Beef Wellington, Bernaise Sauce, Saute Potatoes

Poached Dover sole Mousse with Beurre Rouge
Lobster and Leek Terrine with Lemon Mayonnaise
Cured side of salmon with cucumber salad and dill creme fraiche, garnished with caviar.

Sashimi?

Not read the rest of the replies yet but this has to be either Hakkasan (Hanway place) incredible food, great vibe that caters to the informal.  Good drinks etc as well which i am sure will be necessary. Also good for later eating. The alternative would be Mr Chows in Knightsbridge, incredible food served impeccably, the starters are out of this world and the duck was excellent. The only drawback is it has a much quieter feel too it which might not go down with post football eating.

Ever tried Auberge Saint-Hubert?

Favourite restaurant - Andrew Fairlie @ Gleneagles

Favourite chain restaurant - Middletons Steakhouse (Well there are 2)

Favourite cuisine - Szechuan Chinese

Favourite friday night takeaway - Mixed Chicken & Donna Nan, Red Cabbage and loads of Chili sauce

Favourite lunch time fast food - Hot Lamb baguette and mint sauce

Guilty Pleasure - KFC

Death row order - Honey and Mustard gammon, mange tout, rosti & roasted peppers.

Dubai - What is your method for cooking a curry? Pretty much got my method nailed down but always interested to hear how others do it.

I'm just having lunch in a Tibetan restaurant.

Manchow soup ,

beef momos -  fried not steamed

Shaptra. - which is a type of  Tibetan  beef chilly

Tingmo -  a Tibetan spongy bread 


All washed down with a large bottle of Kingfisher beer and the token bottle of mineral water. 

Price - 500 rupees ( £ 5.80 approx)

I have took photos but I need to know how to upload from my phone.

Photobucket app

Ok thanks will try later

This thread has made me think of some Great Food Combinations

I know there are a lot......... My Top 5

1  Ham / Bacon  and Eggs
2  Fish / Seafood and Lemon
3  Liver / Sausage and  Fried Onions
4  Tomato and Basil
5  Roast Beef and Horseradish / English Mustard

I have only been to the Oxo Tower once and I thought it was bad value.  But it seems popular elsewhere (see below), so maybe I was just unlucky. 

"I took my work colleague up the OXO Tower recently; let’s call him Andy for the sake of anonymity, as a thank you for work well done during the previous year. Having been there many times before with other people, I was a little surprised at the nervous trepidation clearly displayed by Andy before entry. But the nerves soon subsided after the first course. We were joined later by some friends and Andy was clearly into the swing of things by this point.

The Oxo Tower is often underrated but never overstated. Highly recommended."

George

--------------------------------

"When my boyfriend told me he wanted to take me up the Oxo Tower for my birthday, I was a bit hesitant at first because I didn't really think it was my scene. How wrong I was! I mean, yeah, so it's a bit of a strain on the old back pocket, and I admit I did feel a bit uncomfortable initially. But a couple of cocktails helped me relax and soon I was really getting into it - we carried on well into the night. It was a great experience and I really loved it - so much so that I won't let my boyfriend take me anywhere else now! So if anyone ever wants to take you up the Oxo Tower, just throw caution to the wind and go for it!"

Rachel

---------------------------------

"I agree with Rachel - Last Friday evening I tried to take my girlfriend up the Oxo Tower but unfortunately we found it was completely full, so despite our best efforts, we just couldn't get in. I even greased the odd palm in the hope of slipping in without too much of a fuss, but I didn't want to push it. .

The next weekend we planned ahead and I have to say, the whole thing was much smoother. Of course, it was still a bit of a tight squeeze, but we took our time, didn't rush in, and to my delight, we got inside.

One piece of advice: if you've never been there before, you might be a bit put off by the surroundings - sometimes you might find a few rather unattractive-looking hangers-on near the entrance but my advice is just keep your eyes firmly on the front door and before you know it, you'll be safe inside.

So go on - give it a try. Maybe it's not for everyone, but I know we'll be going back as often as we can."

Jason

Heheheheehehhehehe

Tried Ravioli last night. Barely got out of the starting blocks so turned it into a lasagna instead. Worked out well in the end despite the initial fail.

Favourite restaurant - Nandos (Though it usually changes to the last place I ate at)
Favourite chain restaurant - TGI Friday
Favourite cuisine - Indian
Favourite friday night takeaway - Indian (Chicken Dansak Vindaloo Hot)
Favourite lunch time fast food - Subway (Always the Italian meat one....)
Guilty Pleasure - McDonalds Breakfast
Death row order - Philosopher's stone

I think I went once to impress a girlfriend with their fondue.

One of my fave combinations is Cod and Chorizo.

Ha good work, some fantastic restaurants in Val D, going to try a few more next season for sure.

Made these tonight, skipped the pine nuts but to my normal method I added the lemon juice, egg and heaps of coriander. Also added some harissa paste as I had that but not the other flavour that Dubai mentioned.

Think the lemon juice and corainder really perked them up compared with my normal fare. Very good & thanks

Havent really nailed a decent curry other than one using coconut milk which is cheating really. They always taste decent but nothing wow about it and defo wouldn't serve it to be people to show off

Wanna hear ur method now..

Get Pat Chapman's Curry Bible.

Use his basic curry masala spice mix
Make Onion gravy using spice mix, onions garlic and Tinned tomatoes cook till onions cooked - Puree
Blanche meat in boiling water and drain.
Fry Onions and chilli, peppers etc.
Add Onion Gravy
add meat and simmer till cooked.

The key is his spice mix.

Anjum's New Indian is very good IMO.

I use my mum's method deffo recommend it, its easy enough and really good.

Oil
Add 2 chopped onions, wait til they are brown
add tomatoes (tinned is fine)
add green chillies (around 6) change it depending on how hot you want it
Chopped garlic (1 whole one), you can use garlic paste if your lazy
ginger
cook for about 5 minutes
add meat of your choice
cook on high heat for 10 minutes
add quarter pint of water
cook on low heat  for 30 minutes
give it a stir add salt and coriander
stir for 10 minutes on medium heat.

I might be understating my curries, ive used plenty of spice mixes, just cant find one that is as good as the best Indians ive been to

Don't buy pre mixed mix your own

recipe here:

http://www.patchapman.co.uk/page/garam-masala

I make my own- when I say spice mixes I mean the mixture of spices they tell u to choose.

In that case I would ask the chef in your favorite curry house what his recipe is. Tell him your a private chef for someone rich/ famous/ royal and you would love to recreate his wonderful flavours for your boss.

 If he tells you he uses Patak's paste don't leave a tip :)

Not a bad shout. Will pop in next couple days and ask and report back :)

Bits change about depending on exactly what I'm trying to achieve.

My favourite meat is chicken, and despite liking chicken leg more than breast I do prefer to use chicken breast for a curry. As long as you cook it right then there's no danger of it drying out.

The basic process is:

- Marinate chicken for as long as possible. As a basic marinade I'd go for yoghurt, garlic, lemon juice, turmeric, and chili powder.

- Make a paste of garlic and ginger (or cheat like I do and just buy a paste). Blend this with fresh tomatoes (type and quantity depending on what you're making).

- In a pan (don't use a wok obv) fry some finely chopped onions for about 5-10 minutes until going golden brown. Add the tomato (and optionally things such as chilis and curry leaves) and reduce on a high heat. This can take 15-20 minutes.

- Meanwhile prepare a spice mix. One of my favourite ingredients for a curry is fennel seeds.

- This step is optional but it's something I've found works well. At this point I put the chicken in the oven and cook at a very low heat. The idea is to get the chicken to the step of being lovely and moist in the middle and only just cooked.

- At this point the tomato should have reduced to a thick paste. Add the spice mix and a good splash of water. Reduce to a similar consistency. If you have the patience do this process a second time.

- Add the chicken. If you've done it in the oven just give it a stir around for a minute. If not you'll need to spend longer to get it properly sealed.

- Add water, bring to the boil, and then let it simmer on a very low heat for about 15 minutes.

- Add any salt, garam masala, lemon juice, etc, as you see fit.

- Serve :)

It's quite long winded but I find it gives a really nice result. Gonna make one tonight now I think about it :)

Just started reading this thread and it has inspired me to go to Umu tonight :)

16 people for family dinner party tomoro night, regretting it already as soon as opened bags full of meat from butchers and realised how much work I've got. Probably a sole voyage as well as missus too busy with our little man to help out, pictures to follow but making the Chilli at moment, 2kilos of chuck steak to cut up and 7 different types of chillis to rehydrate

Don't forget to add chocolate to the chilli!

Norrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!!!  I tried that once and it was mank! 

I just made Fondant Potatoes for the first time ever.

Bloody gorgeous!

Just made a pizza with 00 flour instead of the usual bread flour, mixed a little cornmeal in too for texture and a thin layer of it under the tray to stop it sticking, much preferred my base with this flour, less heavy and smoother texture. Just topped it with passata, herbs, green pesto, wild mushrooms and cheese. Seasoned with salt n pepper. Lovely.

Yesterday I did this:

YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VmTzdMHu5KU

then this:

YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pGZ39yYxeBk

then this:

YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sMIlyzRFUjU

It was lovely.

I now will be eating beef for the next week!!!

Thanks Delboy, I'm fkn starving now  :(

youre doing it wrong.

Do I want to attempt to make a beef consomme or is it likely to just go wrong?

fairy easy....

tricks are:

Mix in egg whites, meat, veg when stock cold

simmer slowly with heat source on one side of pan.

pass through muslin at end into very clean pan.

Oh! and, of course, make a great stock to start with!

Will update on dinner party in a bit as been away but might need group vote on recipe ideas as got email earlier

Dear David,
 
Congratulations! You have been chosen from thousands of entries to take part in the Weber BBQ Challenge ‘The Amateurs’.
 
Please confirm that you are able to take part in the Taste of London 2013 Weber BBQ Challenge ‘The Amateurs’ Competition  at Taste of London at Regents Park next Saturday 22nd June.
 
Once you have confirmed your participation, then I will send you a competition brief.
 

Obviously need to see brief to see how much time have etc

From speaking to the Roka boys on Monday they are putting up a Robata grill in the park for this event, so you have stiff competition!

Ha no amateurs only - obv restaurant stands aren't allowed in

I've been to their Taste of Christmas show before and it's pretty awesome

I don't think I'd have the nerve to enter this Amateurs Competition though, so good luck with it.

You'll crush it, no bother.

Hope so but from what I can find you only have 30mins to prep and 30mins to cook. No idea if you supply own ingredients or its a case of ready steady cook. Defo prefer the former as don't want to be cooking ready made burgers and sausages etc but the 30min time slot doesn't allow for too much creative stuff

blonde day trip to the park imo!!

Damn.  That means no real time for gorgeous marinades and the like, but I suppose there's still lots you can do with herbs and spices.  When will you find out what the format is?

Its a quality day/night out if you like food and drink anyway, especially if the suns out. Ive already got tickets for evening session so if do compete and just waiting on the rules before commit then il be there all day and night if anyone is around

Replied saying yes can make it and asked her to send the brief so just waiting on a response.

Friend of mine is trying to get in the great british bake off or whatever it called.

I used to watch that sometimes, but it only served to make me hungry and I think Richard Wheatley's mrs won that one a few years back.

WOW! glglgl :)

You will have 2 hours to prepare your ingredients, barbecue your meat and side dish and present your food.
This will be followed immediately by the judging process and finishes with the winner and 2 runners up being announced.
What Equipment will be Available?
All equipment will be provided and you will have the use of the following –
   1 x One Touch Premium 57cm Charcoal BBQ
   1 x BBQ Tool Set
   1 x preparation table
   1 x handwash sink   
   1 x soap and paper towels
   1 x chopping board
   Flint and Flame Knife Blocks

Your Challenge
You are required to cook a complete dish. This means one main component i.e. meat or vegetarian element and a side dish to form a complete meal. This can be served all on one plate as one meal, but the side dish needs to be suitably involved i.e. more substantial then a garnish.

What Ingredients do I Have?
You will be provided with 2 meats and 10 accompanying main ingredients, along with a store cupboard of basic ingredients. Our sponsors for the event, Barts Spices, will be providing a number of herbs and spices to use.
In addition you are allowed to bring 3 of your own ingredients, although this is not compulsory. This can be anything from extra ingredients to your secret spice rub/sauce.
The following main ingredients will be provided:
   Whole large chicken
   Pork loin

   Portobello Mushrooms
   Asparagus
   Artichoke
   Prosciutto
   Aubergine
   Fresh Lemongrass
   Wholegrain Mustard
   Stuffable Roasting Chillies
   Cherry Jam
   Breadcrumbs

The Judging Process
Scoring will take place in full view of the individuals and the general public. Four judges will score your food to determine who will be placed 1st, 2nd and 3rd
Dishes may be submitted with as much flair, panache, garnish and general embellishment as you wish. Enjoy yourself and be creative!
You will bring your dish to one focal point on the judges table so they can judge your entry.

Judging Criteria
The judges have 100 points to allocate for each dish they taste and will follow these guidelines:
1.   Appearance of Entry
How appetizing does the entry appear? The first bite is with the eye after all.
Points available per round = 20

2.   Texture of Entry
The entry should be moist and easy to chew with good mouth feel. It should be beautifully tender retaining body with moisture and texture.
Points available per round = 20

3.   Taste of Entry
Are there smoke and flavours cooked into the meat? What magic is your rub making? Does the sauce add to the dish or clash?
Points available per round = 50


4.   Harmony of the dish
How far does the dish really represent BBQ? How well do all the flavours of the dish work together to complement each other.
Points available per round = 10

All scores will be made available to each person after the event



Initial thoughts of mine (as in got this 2mins ago) was that harmony on dish is least important and was thnking going the Asian way. Probably do surf and turf of some sort, so use 1 of my own ingredients on a lobster tail? And use the chicken for the oyster only and bring oysters as my 2nd ingredient and use that to make an Asian bbq sauce, serve the chicken oyster in oyster shell etc, and use Pork tenderloin to make Asian bbq pork which is very traditional. So Asian bbq pork, a bbq lobster tail and chicken oyster in oyster shell. Maybe use 3rd ingredient on red cabbage, as can braise red cabbage with lemongrass, chilli, red wine vinegar etc

Help!

Maybe use wings with breadcrumbs?? Don't want plate to be overcrowded, want it a restaurant dish rather than a "bbq" dish

Dish might be a bit dull in colour with red cabbage, maybe some greenery needed

Lobster and the meats are going to be pretty similar in colour, so you definitely need to add some colour to it.  They give you an ok selection of sides to mix things up, but I'd be careful with bread crumbs on the bbq.  That can get nasty pretty quick and mess up your dish.

Was trying to avoid the whole generic asparagus wrapped in prosciutto etc

Could use mushrooms and bring pak choi as a side to keep asian theme?
Or use an ingredient to bring a great bottle of red and enjoy it

Wrapped asparagus is silly easy and super predictable.  Stuffed Portobello mushrooms - you could have some fun with them.  I'm looking through some recipes now with those ingredients and will give a shout if I spot anything good.  Agree completely with bringing a good bottle of red just for yourself though. 

Instead of making a traditional BBQ sauce, I could smoke the oysters and make a smoky asian oyster sauce, combines the whole dish as well, can cut the pork loin thin when serving so it's elegant plus less likely to taste dry

Now you're talking.  Definitely need a kick ass sauce of some sort.  From all the cooking shows I've ever watched, judges go mad over sauces, glazes and marinades.  Get that right (don't overcook the meat obv) and you're nailed on for the win.

As are the other 9 competitors that are thinking similar :)

Yeah, but they're not golden boy Dubai.   ;)

Make a sauce verde style dressing. will go well with surf and turf.

use Olive oil, coriander(lots), lemon juice and maybe some capers. will also go well with asparagus/ aubergine and Artichoke.

the trick with these type of comps is to keep the tastes as simple and clean as possible.

I like the surf and turf idea.

given the cooking equipment available I would be at a loss for the use of lemongrass and jam, and would bin the artichoke, unless you are well practiced at preparing and cooking them.

I would probably use the mushrooms and breadcrumbs with some of the provided herbs as a farce to stuff the boned out chicken legs that I would then wrap with the prosciutto to hold hem together.

the pork, I would rub with Salt, Pepper, Paprika and sugar to ensure a smokey, sticky BBQ flavor that the judges seem to be looking for.

As for the side, I'm a bit stuck apart from grilled asparagus and aubergine (fancy criss-cross), but I think they want something more involved.

Cheers Delboy agree with most of what you say.

Think im going to do the following as Asian BBQ "Surf and Turf"

Asian marinated pork loin served with a chicken oyster in oyster shell as a play on Surf, with a smokey oyster (actual Surf) bbq sauce with a side of BBQ Asparagus and peaches

That way extra ingredients are Peaches, Oysters and room for 1 more

Sounds really good :)

Will there be pictures and the like?

My only comment would be is I'd be careful with the restaurant style. That's fine but I'm not sure going too fine dining is the best idea. When I hear BBQ I think of manly food that you can get your teeth into. It might be that they're expecting something similar?

how about a Macadamia nuts toasted and placed in the shell as a pearl?

Yeah ive already said to missus probably be marked down for it but prefer to be different than generic, if it was 100k to 1st I might change mind but prizes aren't that good. I assume everyone else is going to cook a big chunk of chicken in a spicy rub with a bbq sauce with an obvious side. If the meats were different and we had all day id do a big slab of brisket etc, but with chicken and pork and 2 hours, not much can do that's obvious bbq food. Think the Asian route is cool anyway, as Asian flavours come out really well on bbq

I think of Brisket, Ribs, Pulled pork when I think of BBQ, all of them take too long tho

Always taking it to the next level :)

FWIW,

I think you are on the right track. Providing the food has that 'BBQ taste', then the more original the presentation the better.

I would judge your portion size when you get there and see the size of the judges tho :)

Asparagus Peaches and Prosciutto really common flavour combination but you think keeping it Asian and leaving Prosciutto out a better route?

Different gravy you boys... When I go to, or have a BBQ it's all Steak, Burgers and Sausages :D

Sounds incredible, good luck mate!

Problem you have is you need the fat source and salty-ness from the Prosciutto.

Maybe use the Prosciutto like filo pastry to make the sides into little spring rolls?

Like it. Grill peaches separately, then chop peaches up and pad it around the asparagus and then wrap with prosciutto?? Idea being salty, sweet and savoury all in one I assume

Yeah, i would look to cook the asparagus a little to enable you to cut into smaller pieces let them cool with the peaches and bind them with a bit of your oyster sauce. then wrap and grill just before serving. As they cut into it, it should sauce the plate. 

Love it. Cheers, sounds really clever

Pleasure

Win the comp. Next stop Masterchef! I'm not allowed to enter, but can gladly coach/provide advice from a number of sources ('scuse pun :) )

Only thing is the peaches and asparagus were going to add colour, what about having a "spring roll" with the asparagus and peaches so you get both? Almost a deconstructed spring roll and a spring roll

Or spring roll on bed of peaches and asparagus?

It could work, but you loose the element of surprise and risk unbalancing your plate.

You could look to your third ingredient being Pak Choi; should grill quite nicely and provide colour.
 

I had a dream about this last night (my subconscious is rubbish at choosing exciting dream action). A girl i went to school with and haven't seen for over 20 years was also entering the comp, but it was being done in two waves - she in the first, dubai in the second. I'd gone down to rail dubai, but spotted this girl and went to have a chat with her. "oh yah", she goes, "i'm doing chicken oysters served in oyster shells and...." and proceeds to reel off dubai's entire menu.  I say nothing but am outraged at this blatent plagiarism and seek out the judge (Al Murray), to grass her up.

I woke up before the winner was announced :(

How did you get on Dave?

Came 4th will do mini trip report when indoors in morning.

4 quid including some fried noodles and a diet coke  :)

Fooking loverly with some of the dipping sauce they gave me, dunno exactly what it was as they couldn't speak any English and my Thai is shite, but it was the usual Thai flavours with a bit of chilli heat thrown in

(http://i444.photobucket.com/albums/qq167/Andr4w/65ff64114b21cd65e7d2c956f2eeaeb3_zps4655cb23.jpg)

Om nom nom nom  ;D

(http://i444.photobucket.com/albums/qq167/Andr4w/5e7b0684a77aa1fb9ca0023b91a081cb_zpsb4ef4d3b.jpg)

Was the prawn heads juicy

Rofl, however I had the same tonight with some locals and they were wtf at me leaving the heads and troughed the lot down in no time  :D

assuming the sauce was fish sauce with chopped chili?

100% not last night, I'm sure there was probably some in it as there always, but i hate the predominant flavour of fish sauce lol. More likely Lemograss/coriander/chilli sauce type thing.

Had a different sauce with it tonight, asked for a chilli sauce with the same dish and it was sour as hell and couldn't eat it (was seperate to the food luckily). Eventually got the waiter to understand that I wanted a sweet chilli sauce and I got something bordering what I wanted and that was fine.

The funniest thing is my bird knows what i do and don't like but it's still an effing minefield lol. It makes me stick to the same places and dishes I know because of that if possible.

Kapow Gai aka Basil and chilli fried chicken, really tasty and about as hot as I can handle. I was a pleb and ordered chips with it though  :D can't eat rice every day.

(http://i444.photobucket.com/albums/qq167/Andr4w/bfcce6d711d877d1f95056bb21d75afe_zps29b1fe90.jpg)

Yam aka prawn and squid salad thing. Is ok but the sauce is a bit too sour for me.

(http://i444.photobucket.com/albums/qq167/Andr4w/909daefc6461a737c1e530d9f109e854_zps7f2f62c0.jpg)

Stir fried mixed veg, I could happily just eat this, very tasty.

(http://i444.photobucket.com/albums/qq167/Andr4w/05b778ac52ae6b5e5539efe4775cbb95_zps84c57be5.jpg)

Order a Pad kra pao moo woodsey! One of my favourites.

Where abouts are you atm?

lol after 15secs of thinking just realised that is what I had last night and is in the pic, just the chicken version. I just write it how I hear it as 'kapow' lol

In Koh Samet right now which is ok for 2 or 3 days, but not on a par with the south for beaches. Heading up to near Khon Kaen tomorrow  :)

Most people will have had green and probably a red Thai curry, however the best Thai curry imo is the Massaman curry. It's on UK menus the odd time but deffo not standard.

It's basically a curry with the predominant flavours being peanut and coconut, it you think satay sauce with more coconut flavour and a blast of chilli then you are on the right lines. I've been keeping my eye out for one the last week, but as its a southern regional dish you don't even get it everywhere here.

(http://i444.photobucket.com/albums/qq167/Andr4w/913fdf10b03ee86dfb99b9c8adc09cce_zps49b0aa8d.jpg)

(http://i444.photobucket.com/albums/qq167/Andr4w/9580904e2043daaeae99b6567053b8f7_zps2843101c.jpg)

First time trying samphire, didn't like.
Chicken stuffed with spinach/mozarella, wrapped in serrano ham. Garlic and rosemary roasties. White wine sauce.

Lol, I didn't even put my pic up!
(http://i.imgur.com/MP4OVGT.jpg)

..................................

Thai food has a pretty good rep on the whole, although its fair to say only a small proportion of it hits Thai restaurants in the UK, not surprisingly its the stuff that is palatable to us.

There is also a fair amount that is pretty minging to us. This is som tam which is pretty much a staple here, it's basically a salad made up from unripe Papaya and there are a bunch of regional variations of it. This one is som tam Laos that is eaten in eastern Thailand and Laos, I've tried it a few times and have yet to keep a spoonful down, it's probably the hottest thing I have ever eaten and the sauce is a mix of fish sauce which is disgusting if its strong (which it is in this dish) and chilli. They also have a version served with pickled crab in this region which is equally minging. In Bangkok they eat a version made with peanuts (som tam Thai) which has a much lighter sauce and is just about palatable.

The funniest thing is watching the locals eat this, even they are sweating their bollocks off eating but claim to be enjoying it, I'm not convinced  :D

(http://i444.photobucket.com/albums/qq167/Andr4w/image_zps8d76744c.jpg)

I love Som Tam so much (think it is the version with the peanuts I have eaten...was in Bangkok).  Funny even now I crave it some times.  Given the breadth of stuff you have eaten on this trip I am pretty surprised you don't like it although I guess it could be an acquired taste.

When my gf eats Som Tam Woodrow it's got a hell of a lot more red than green in it! I usually regret when I try half the stuff she eats, especially if we've forgotten to put waters in the fridge.

But the Isaan people fkin love their spice. The southerners still love spicy but not as much. Glad you're posting about foods - makes me feel like a right lazy git though having been here 2 years and not posted any of this!

Anyway, pic of the Thai dish you're touring around with. What's her name?

To be honest I've only tried the Peanut/Bangkok variant once so don't have much of a sample size, but i know other westerners like it so maybe i should make an effort to try it again, its something I would never have considered ordering myself. I don't know a single foreigner that has eaten and said they like the variant I posted above, even the Thais in other parts of Thailand often don't like this version. (http://i1204.photobucket.com/albums/bb417/NataliaECF/firecongrats/sick_zps81cba5a0.gif)

Looks are probably deceiving as far as the variety of food I eat here, I will try anything once, but I mostly order the same 10 or so dishes for myself as there is nothing worse that going to a place to eat and ordering a random dish I can't eat. Most of my experimentation is basically nicking a spoonful from any locals I'm eating with.  ;)

A midget by the name of Nok  :D

(http://i444.photobucket.com/albums/qq167/Andr4w/image_zpsaf04762d.jpg)

One thing I love Woodsey, if done right is 'Pad Pak Meang Kung Siep'. See if Nok recognises what I'm trying to say and then order one!

She not sure what it is and thinks its probably 'south food' mate.

She is going to order some 'suki' tonight and wants me to try that, in before all the filth references  :D. I shall report back on what it is, some vegetable dish she likes apparently.

Yes it is southern food, but it's gooooood!

Suki is nice - might not look great in pics but sure you'll enjoy it.

Where do u head to next? Assume you won't be in Phuket at any point?

Not this trip mate, staying around here until Tues and then heading back home. It's actually a laugh up here in the sticks, I like being the only farang around, think I've seen 2 others all week  :)

Suki. It's was quite nice, think I would have chosen a less fishy version myself, but it was still ok.

(http://i444.photobucket.com/albums/qq167/Andr4w/image_zps23f53634.jpg)

Standard Pad Thai, this restaurant is my fav place for this.

(http://i444.photobucket.com/albums/qq167/Andr4w/image_zpsc3cc4313.jpg)

Some of the weird and wonderful fruit out here, they are mostly decent. This is dragonffruit, mangosteen and I forget the third one.

(http://i444.photobucket.com/albums/qq167/Andr4w/image_zpsb8c379bc.jpg)

(http://i444.photobucket.com/albums/qq167/Andr4w/image_zps726bbb30.jpg)

(http://i444.photobucket.com/albums/qq167/Andr4w/image_zpse5a6ae13.jpg)

(http://i444.photobucket.com/albums/qq167/Andr4w/image_zps921c5d02.jpg)

(http://i444.photobucket.com/albums/qq167/Andr4w/image_zps7845cf60.jpg)

no such thing as a standard Pad Thai! Every place has their own variation and style of it!

Have you ever tried 'Pad See Eu'? If not, try it.

Rambutan

(http://up.picr.de/14917128wb.jpg)

yo foodies

Anyone got  a good way of cooking spinach, when I boil mine it always has a weird after taste, but I love it from restaurants

Cheers

Cook it like Cut, Palazzo.

Single cream and egg mixed in with the spinach in the pan.

I'm making a summer berries pie and not sure which way is best for keeping the base crust from going soggy.  Should I blind bake the base first or just cook the whole pie on the bottom rack of the oven?

Blind bake base first.

par-cook berries in thickened (arrowroot or cornflour) syrup before putting together.

Any chance you could check this thread during the day while you're at work, please and thanks?  rotflmfao I've already done it on a wing and a prayer, by chilling the rolled out pastry right before filling and baking it on the bottom rack of the oven.  Will let ya know how soppy it is in a bit because Jack's struggling to wait out the full 3 hour cool down phase.

Crust was actually quite nice.  Base wasn't soggy at all, but the filling was loose.  Will try the par cooking trick next time and see how we go.  Cheers!

Ok re-tried Som Tam Thai yesterday and it was in fact ok, it's not something I would eat on its own, it's something I would share as a side dish probably. Didn't like the egg in it though as it was salted egg.

(http://i444.photobucket.com/albums/qq167/Andr4w/0a1c0b85369f85556c4fb927b1241ea7_zpsfd57cb9d.jpg)

Ok had the pork one, the chicken one was better but I think that was probably down to the restaurant before being better rather than a chicken v pork thing.

(http://i444.photobucket.com/albums/qq167/Andr4w/DCEC06F0-241F-4307-9BAB-45401443D7AB-107-000000016A721531_zps77f6e068.jpg)

The thais love this.

I'd bet if you asked most to choose only one dish to have the rest of their lives, this would be the winner.

It's also known as Papaya-pok-pok I think.

I'm not a fan personally.

Few other things

Some sort of omelette thing that wasn't actually an omelette  ;carlocitrone;

(http://i444.photobucket.com/albums/qq167/Andr4w/fc8a60ab7fa9c20f1cc34ce4a9817714_zps083a984e.jpg)

Omelette with pork

(http://i444.photobucket.com/albums/qq167/Andr4w/b07f078927db021bf6ea3d3dc3c4bbaa_zps2cc1d84c.jpg)

Red curry with beef

(http://i444.photobucket.com/albums/qq167/Andr4w/c3252f8fd1f82a6535eaf1e6487705c4_zpsa91fcbfb.jpg)

Curry accompaniment  ;ashamed;

(http://i444.photobucket.com/albums/qq167/Andr4w/a1e9c0c504abd2feae91bff740be7936_zps0bd4c973.jpg)

Some pork dish with lime that was sour as fuck

(http://i444.photobucket.com/albums/qq167/Andr4w/92957fda8e95d104474c47a0fb7f56e3_zps8d39b00e.jpg)

(http://i444.photobucket.com/albums/qq167/Andr4w/253a6f52e2e850070a719f94b3735630_zps50256a77.jpg)

Fish cakes ok nom nom  ;kev;

(http://i444.photobucket.com/albums/qq167/Andr4w/746bec45a246d62d52fe787b68525e3a_zps6e2184e8.jpg)

Satay pork

(http://i444.photobucket.com/albums/qq167/Andr4w/d4e6c32aec881de572e9cd17344773e9_zps0cea6ab1.jpg)

Coconut curry, this one was pretty disappointing actually, worst one ive had, not much flavour.

(http://i444.photobucket.com/albums/qq167/Andr4w/62e816b6e36f5c466fa135d5b22ee456_zpsa199f2ca.jpg)

(http://i444.photobucket.com/albums/qq167/Andr4w/5394d9ed7b825540bbd0adcc44c715c6_zps09b2d828.jpg)

I like this pic I took in the market  :)

(http://i444.photobucket.com/albums/qq167/Andr4w/9e8c1e25d50d127f59d784374524baeb_zps1a0a3a5b.jpg)

U definitely prefer Moo to Gai but just comes down to personal preference.

wtf is that egg? and why is there sweet chili sauce there!?

lol no idea, that is just how it came  :D

Asked the bird about this, she laughed and said pok pok comes from the noise they make when pounding it with the pestle and mortar.

Also she chooses squid ka pow to eat forever  ;D

I was away on holiday in Weymouth for a week with the missus and because we are a bit poor atm we decided to cook most nights.

Things I cooked:

Chorizo and cous cous stuffed pepper
Tuna steaks on asparagus with home made sauce (basil, sun dried tomatoes, red chilli and oil)
Salmon fish cakes
pea and mint soup
parsnip and ginger soup

Most of these were taken from Jamie Olivers 30 minute meals book. For anyone who is reading this thread that doesn't cook much go out and buy it. It's so easy to follow. The dishes aren't super creative or anything but they all taste delicious!

Does anyone else here like to make their own soups? Out of the two I've made so far, the pea and mint was actually beyond incredible, the best soup I've ever tried. The parsnip and ginger one was good too but a bit heavy for my liking.

Jamie Oliver follows the same basic ingredients for his soups which are (to serve 8 people):

2 onions
2 celery sticks
2 carrots
2 cloves of garlic
2 chicken stock cubes
1.8L of water
Approx 1kg of main ingredient (eg parsnips or peas)
Handful of accompanying herb/vegatable (eg ginger/mint leaves)


Anyone that likes making soups, would you suggest adding anything else to mix it up a bit? Also, any interesting ideas or stuff you've tried?

More often than not, I'll add a chilli or two in as well.

Ahh that'd have worked well in the parsnip one for sure.

Definitely.  Perks up butter nut squash soup as well.  One of the favourites in this house with some crispy sage sprinkled on top.

We should do a cook off one night like we used to do back in the day. Presumably with the rule that I'm not allowed to make a curry.

In.

Any good beetroot recipes that people would recommend?

Have grown it all around the garden so plenty to go at!

http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/beetroot

fresh beetroot this time of year is lovely and versitile

Boil and peel to eat cold in salads
Roast as part of your Sunday Lunch - goes well with Lamb
Pickle to preserve
Makes a great chutney to go with cheese
rate raw to zing up a coleslaw
Make borscht


PS. wear gloves when prepping it

Anyone up for a Thai cook off?

(http://rlv.zcache.co.uk/thai_food_lovers_pad_tie_neck_tie-r6c5f317b77464f42bd811a28a8d747ea_v9whb_8byvr_324.jpg)

Seriously though Thai food is very difficult to make look bad!

Perhaps Cos post's a recipe and we all try it?

Good idea.  Count me in.

Some tasty tapas from last week  :)

(http://i444.photobucket.com/albums/qq167/Andr4w/342ea4fc35a587e2d997f67bf76e8354_zpsb97419c7.jpg)

(http://i444.photobucket.com/albums/qq167/Andr4w/8b1932f461f127e40d8c567116ecbc03_zpsbf24c1f1.jpg)

(http://i444.photobucket.com/albums/qq167/Andr4w/4a5f1b6499059bf1f74b8caa18591127_zps368109ca.jpg)

(http://i444.photobucket.com/albums/qq167/Andr4w/9cec2d6e03ba5cbf3a338ab14b6064a4_zpsb68b0df6.jpg)

(http://i444.photobucket.com/albums/qq167/Andr4w/2ecee5afd6790306ab71a4e6bb7b1421_zpsaf3e2a8b.jpg)

(http://i444.photobucket.com/albums/qq167/Andr4w/fcac0027c5c64b2de2bfbab9f6393ac0_zps0b2475c7.jpg)

(http://i444.photobucket.com/albums/qq167/Andr4w/43b8b60b9de370c432dfc3f04c69af74_zps28d22943.jpg)

(http://i444.photobucket.com/albums/qq167/Andr4w/847bf6844db18b2fb9f4d5c2d4e5244a_zpsbd5b25a9.jpg)

(http://i444.photobucket.com/albums/qq167/Andr4w/fbbea96ddf06e31c33222dcf66937ac3_zps88711219.jpg)

Dessert then on the ale  :)

(http://i444.photobucket.com/albums/qq167/Andr4w/76dff1c2dafe4f5f2f0bf893aee1b7e0_zps98564b3d.jpg)

Seem to have a craving for really hot curries recently, chilli garlic chicken, was lovely.

(http://i444.photobucket.com/albums/qq167/Andr4w/60206b918b7fcf566f459714aa034aba_zpsc4496045.jpg)

Enjoying the diary Woodsey, especially like the pics m8  :)up

Tempted to make one of these sometime  :)

http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/gallery/2010/apr/07/how-to-make-shooters-sandwich#/?picture=360719874&index=0

 ;kev;  :D

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2604709/This-isnt-just-portion-fish-chips-Marks-Spencer-fish-chips-And-comes-pie.html

Thought this thread could do with a bump.

Here's a favourite recipe for date and walnut cake    http://allrecipes.co.uk/recipe/4814/date-and-nut-loaf-cake.aspx

Thought I'ld share it because It's incredibly easy to make - you basically just mix all the ingredients together and of course It tastes about a thousand times better than anything shop bought. Would recommend buying a flexible silicone loaf tin for it if you don't have one already.

Reckon this thread needs a bump.

(http://i444.photobucket.com/albums/qq167/Andr4w/image.jpg1_zpsqx78vdt4.jpg) (http://s444.photobucket.com/user/Andr4w/media/image.jpg1_zpsqx78vdt4.jpg.html)

(http://i444.photobucket.com/albums/qq167/Andr4w/image.jpg2_zpszy45n1in.jpg) (http://s444.photobucket.com/user/Andr4w/media/image.jpg2_zpszy45n1in.jpg.html)

At least tell us what it is, Woodsey :D

Looks pretty tasty, anyway.

Pork burgers with a few Asian ingredients thrown in, red curry paste, coriander, lemongrass, spring onions, chillis, lime juice etc.

Might make up some for the BBQ next week.