What are you cooking now?

[teamsaint]

I'd prefer a simple carafe of Albeniz, to be honest...

that has really opened up the super highway into pun city.


Anyway, a cask of Cassella would be a nice alternative, for a pre dinner alliteratif...

[Barbirollians]

A small glass of Granados for me .

[french frank]

Medallions of pork, with a calvados and apple sauce; Puy lentils (very fond of them, I am) cooked and reheated with butter-fried chopped onion, tomatoes (got to do something with them - they seem to turn up at every meal these days ). Mature Stilton and a big chunk of ripe juicy melon to finish. All washed down with a Les Crouzes Old Vines Carignan, with a serious-looking label, but is an IGP which seems to be the latest name for a Vin de Pays ...(?). Finally, two cups of stove-top 'espresso'.

All right, there are probably people who shop at the Coop here, so they will recognise the pork medallions and sauce as a new line. But the pork is just 8 small medallions of fresh meat, with the sauce in a sachet. It was quite nice and appley, and the whole thing was enough for two people (or two meals for one). That's better than buying a whole pork fillet and eating it six days running ...

PS The Stilton was Coop too, but it was very nice

[Nick Armstrong]

Les Crouzes Old Vines Carignan, with a serious-looking label, but is an IGP which seems to be the latest name for a Vin de Pays ...

http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandst...ne-2009-review

[french frank]

http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandst...ne-2009-review

I'm gabberflasted! Me and the Guardian wine-bibber sommes d'accord, paraît-il.

In truth, I don't think it was the identical one, because mine was 12.5% and 2013. But still a decent quaff (if M.Vinteuil will forgive the term).

I have also just rescued the receipt from the compost caddy and it was £6.49, so a bit steep

[richardfinegold]

Labor Day. Pan fried red snapper with a Marinade of Olive Oil, green onions, ginger, honey, rice wine vinegar. Fresh Gazpacho, bean salad with balsamic vineger, manchego cheese, and Chardonnay.

[french frank]

A couple of footnotes to my chickpea, tomato and tahini salad post: I have seen/tried the non-soaking method and it works!

1. It's alway vexing when I decide too late that I want beans or chick peas for lunch and I haven't soaked them overnight. But I tried the non-soak method: boil the chickpeas vigorously for ten minutes, leave them for 40 minutes, still covered. Then cook as normal. As I always undercook anyway, they were a bit crunchier (but no ill effects, amsy!), but if cooked for an hour and a half that would probably be enough (for me, anyway).

2. I found that the fresh lemon juice saved from a previous recipe had dried up and gone mildew so I used the juice of a mandarin orange instead for the tahini dressing. The advantage was that I'm usually heavy-handed with the lemon juice and it's too prominent. The disadvantage that there wasn't much citrousy flavour, but it didn't sweeten it too much. (In fact it might have made no difference).

Also for lunch: fresh tomato <sigh> bruschetta.

Quarter some cherry tomatoes, toss in bowl with garlic, pepper, salt, parsley and olive oil. Then lightly toast some bread (just enough to make the surface slightly crisp), rub with fresh garlic and pile the tomato mix on top, adding more pepper if wanted.

[french frank]

Farinata di ceci. Batter is standing overnight.

[MrGongGong]

Farinata di ceci. Batter is standing overnight.

Is it very different to Soca ?
I make that quite often

[french frank]

Is it very different to Soca ?
I make that quite often

1. No. 2. It's good, isn't it? :-)

[teamsaint]

I made it, on gongers' recommendation.

It was terrible.

But I think I used the wrong flour.

Actually it wasn't terrible....but it wasn't very good.

[Beef Oven!]

Boiling two corn on the cob, to go with a few Budweisers. Late night snack.

[french frank]

I made it, on gongers' recommendation.

It was terrible.

But I think I used the wrong flour.

Actually it wasn't terrible....but it wasn't very good.

We have a new tiny pizza place where Giuseppe makes his own pasta and pizza (Milanese style) and a couple of tables to eat in and BYO. I saw the farinata on display and thought it looked very boring, but he slipped a slice into my pizza box and I was hooked. He also makes chocolate salami :-)

I may not have the right flour either. This morning the batter wasn't frothy. In fact, I think socca may be more like a pancake (?) whereas Giuseppe's is more like a pizza base, about 15mm thick (looks a bit like treacle tart without the crust round it).

I've also read that the batter is a good vegan substitute for anything, e.g. pancakes, I suppose, that needs eggs.

PS Serves you right, ts - never believe what gongers says!

PPS The Milanese style is a bit more like deep pan (which I thought I didn't like) but with a very crunchy base.

[MrGongGong]

1. No. 2. It's good, isn't it? :-)

Excellent and simple
I think if you use the "wrong flour" you really are making something else entirely

Mine usually looks a bit like this

[french frank]

Excellent and simple
I think if you use the "wrong flour" you really are making something else entirely

Mine usually looks a bit like this

SNAP! But what are those bits in it?