many aeons ago, there was a thread on here about making bread .... it died, perhaps because man shall not live by bread alone ..... anyway, there seem to be a fair number of people on this site who enjoy cooking, so i thought to start a thread for recipes and associated topics.

i'm assuredly no expert, but i reckon i cook tolerably well, and i know that any recipe i paste here, genuinely works - even for those who can only shop from supermarkets!

a starter recipe follows ......

Good for you 3m. Very rewarding and you sound to be a good/knowledgeable cook, that can turn your produce into something nice. All round 3m's for tea. That's when the spuds have grown. lol.

3m - perhaps also think about raised beds if you have trouble bending down .... there should be a lot info about these on line ......

don't have too rich soil for carrots as that tends to deform them ..... seed packets always tell you to thin them, but i reckon that's too much fag, so i thin as i eat

swiss chard may appeal as it's very ornamental as well as being a very tasty vegetable and easy to grow ..... it's also often perennial if the winter isn't too harsh

lettuces are also a no-brainer, as there are all sorts of colours, shapes and textures ..... if you plant 3/4 seeds in little pots, you can then weed out all but the one strongest, grow it on, and then plant it out pronto, being careful not to disturb the root system

You are all very welcome anytime, not all at once though!! Food shopping, Cooking and messing around outside suits me fine - I used to read cookery books where others would read novels - so you see I know I am nuts. I am not very good at growing tomatoes, so turning my hand to the new venture - spuds. Every cloud has a silver lining. Nite all and thank you once again.

Who can make the best pancake ie tart it up a bit with a bit of garnish on etc etc. Photos appreciated.

From the argue thread........

Now lads your forgetting what day it is today...........shrove tuesday or pancake day.

I propose we move over to cyners thread on cooking and I will personaly offer a virtual pint of stella to the best recipe on how to make a pancake.

I know Fred and Hays like cooking aswel.

And a few others.

So ready steady cook.

basic pancake mix is simple .....
4oz flour + 2 eggs + 1/2 pint of milk
adding the milk gradually, beat together with a wooden spoon until smooth and lump free

the next bit depends on how you like your pancakes.
if you want them very thin, then add perhaps 3 fl.oz to 7 fl.oz of milk
if you want to make them in advance, add a tbsp of oil to the mix - it'll help keep them supple

the important bit is to have a good heavy frying pan - pref black iron, well-seasoned, as that will stop the pancakes sticking.
to cook the pancakes, the pan must be really hot (how hot is that?), and then you smear a smidge (a well known quantity!) of melted butter, round the pan.
add just enough mix so that when swirling the pan, it just covers the base.
cook for perhaps 30/45 seconds - it depends on the consistency of your mix - and then turn the pancake over for perhaps another 30 seconds
the first one or two pancakes may stick and need binning, but thereafter, it should be a breeze

you can put all sorts of things in pancakes, but a fave of mine is
full fat cream cheese mixed up with some finely chopped stem syrup and its syrup
it's at its best the following day, but a little in advance will help the flavours blend.
put a dollop of that in the pancake, then some raspberries, then a little caster sugar
a little different from the norm and very yummy!


free "wifebeater" nor required :-)

Ahhhhh but you havent had a toss.

Points deducted for that Cyners you should always toss a pancake.

i prefer to keep mine in the pan rather than pick the damn thing off the floor .... and i defy you to toss and toss at the same time!

I'm a tosser cynic...... not stuck it to ceiling yet! Same mix as cyners with the addition of sultanas for that fruity taste.,.

I like mine with sugar and lemon juice but as I am trying to shed a few pounds I will do without this year - yes sad, very sad. No comments on tossing!!!!!!

BB - sounds more like a thicker drop scone or scotch pancake

Wouldn't fancy tossing yours........... and far too heavy for the likes of pancake day, should be light and fluffy, crispy around the edges. Light sprinkling of sugar, then rolled up and cut into strips and enjoy.,.

Hope you all enjoyed your pancakes - I refrained from the scrumptious delicacy and had a boring god dam yogurt. Sweet dreams.

Every recipe in the Socialist cookbook starts with "First you steal two chickens"

Kosher salt, Can you buy a Bible cook book ?

if you grow your own tomatoes, it is likely that you will have had a glut of this juicy red fruit
don't let them rot away, but make your own tomato puree and freeze it in blocks to use as a really useful base for all manner of sauces during the winter months

though manzano is one of the best for this - few pips to flesh - any tomatoes work just as well, though it takes a little longer to boil off the water content

The best wine to go with Moules Marinière? (Brancaster mussels).
Am being recommended an Alsace Riesling, but not tried it before, bearing in mind that you should cook the mussels in the same wine as accompanies it. Any thoughts? (Bearing in mind that I generally use any old french white plonk!)

alsace riesling
is delicious and perhaps a little different from what you might expect
it's worth spend an extra few shillings to get something from a really good grower - hugel or zind humbrecht and the like -and ideally with some good bottle age ..... 2007 was certainly excellent and also from memory 2009

in fact, alsace wines, like mosels are excellent value as the general pleb (chuckle) is confused by them so will avoid them

if you find you like the alsace riesling, then try others like pinot gris ..... you should find your local majestic warehouse staff very knowledgeable as i believe they get some decent training through the wine and spirit trust (an excellent organisation), unlike your supermarket staff who will know bugger all

Thanks. Only three being offered on the MJW website, but might try one of them. As the mussels here are cheap and plentiful atm (though less so this year due to last years storms affecting the mussel beds) it won't be too expensive a mistake.