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 ......

The point I was trying to make was that the 'old rule' of having white wine with white meat has drifted into history. The new TV chefs (both english & french) are promoting all sorts of different variations, though if I were a cynic, I would suspect that the wine producers might have had a hand in that!
I haven't put any of your recipes to the test yet. My last organised meal was for nine and involved a large range of Tapas dishes. Can be very laborious to prepare, but very quick to cook. My next will be a japanese meal for eight, prepared by a japanese visitor I have staying here atm. Should be interesting! Not Sushi I am informed as the Japanese don't actually regularly eat that. Am now hunting around for suitable wine, though may not be japanese as seems pretty tricky to get hold of!

if you go to a specialist merchant, you will find there are all sorts of varieties of sake, ranging from dry like sauvignon blanc through to sweet tasting of lychees .... however, Umu - a top japanese restaurant in London with a stunning range of sake - would I am sure you give you good guidance if you gave them a ring and asked to speak to the sommelier

if you don't fancy that but want to be a bit different, try a mosel riesling kabinett - that is a "properly" made one, and not one of those nasty modern-style trockens - or perhaps alsace pinot gris for a change

by the way, a fish like halibut is more than capable of standing up to and working well with even a medium-bodied red, obviously depending on how it is cooked ...... red mullet and a light red should also work well

lol :-))

sorry, but the likes of rotmos med fläsk and kroppkakor and kåldolmar don't inspire me much :-)

Lol , sorry just my bad humour. :-))

Thanks Mr C. Will let you know what I find.

Just a matter of interest Mr C, do you ever drink Merlot? Much less tannin & pretty good with pasta. Apparently often used to blend other wines. Certainly one of my favourite grape varieties and both french & chilean are very good. Not tried the californian variety.

of course .... that's why i like pomerol which has a higher % of merlot than say st emilion or pauillac (i think) ...... chilean wines can indeed be good, though i never buy them .... unfortunately chile found a successful grape, made good wine, and then grossly over-planted with an overall fall in quality

also, after a while, i find straight merlot a bit "dull", perhaps because it tends to lack balancing acidity


i'm sure someone who really knows his wines, will now shoot me down in flames!

Don't suppose you have come across any good regional variants of Vinaigrette in your travels Mr C? It seems it can be made a little more interesting than just oil, vinegar & mustard. Sometimes local produce is added to recipes just because it is there (cream in Normandy) but salad dressing seems to have missed out.

for myself, i just keep it simple, merely varying the mustard - then add vinegar first as that way it will all emulsify - and the the vinegar and the oil

if the garlic is really good and juicy, as it is down here at this time of the year, then i may crush a little and add ..... a bit of finey chopped fresh chili can also be interesting

Thanks. I think you can also vary the type of oil & the vinegar, but it seems the french rarely do. I have seen chives, chilli, garlic, parsley, black pepper and capers added, but none of them change the basic taste much.

why would you want to? ...... if the salad ingredients are good, then I want to taste those, any dressing just being an enhancement

sometimes i use part walnut or hazelnut oil, but steady on those or they'll overpower and taste disgusting

olive oils can vary a lot in flavour too, from quite neutral to really quite strong and fruity, or grassy or even peppery

for vinegar, i sometimes use balsamic or sherry or even fresh lemon juice as a change from the norm

"why would you want to? ...... "....because occasionally what comes out of the fridge isn't always either the most interesting or youthful of salad components, so a good vinaigrette can perk it up a little! Lemon juice might be an idea which I haven't thought of, so will give that a try. I agree that any nut oil is advised against as it taints the flavour.
Perhaps a topic of conversation at the table in Provence tonight to pick up some ideas to pass on? !!!

salad stuff here is really good so they don't spoil it with overpowering dressing ..... just a little vinegar and a splash of really good olive oil (local)

Try adding a small amount of sugar or honey if you are making a Tomato salad of various types.

Bring out the taste of the toms.

But I use this mix for general salads.

Try crushing the small amount of garlic, adding it for a short period to the oil, lemon juice or cider vinegar, (a good one, some are bitter), honey, minimal salt, black pepper, Dijon mustard, shake together in a closed bottle and then filter after about 15mins.

.

Another dressing to consider for some mixed salads especially lentil and bean is that of adding very finely chopped small green or red chili pepper.

(Make the lentil salad with chopped up pickled cornichons and finely chopped chives or scallions and fresh coriander.)

Try a small amount and vary amounts to own taste.


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Oil = Olive, but I use 50% Rape seed with 50% Olive oil.

Also use this mixture for frying and general cooking.

Higher burning point than olive oil.

unless i am making a dressing based on soy sauce - forgot about that one, but it's excellent with quinoa salad or similar - i really don't like sugar or even honey in a salad dressing (signs of sugar addiction!) mais chacun a son gout

My currant bushes are now about ready for harvest & the birds are forming an orderly queue for when I take off the netting! I usually put them (currants, not the birds) into a summer pudding, but it's either too dry or far too soggy. It's about as easy as cooking gets, but.........somehow it doesn't turn out quite right each time. Any tips welcome.

i'm afraid i'm not a pud person, but it sounds as though you either add too much liquid (so soggy) or not enough (so dry) or do not allow long enough for the liquid to soak through.

I wonder if brioche or even panettone would be a better "outside" than supermarket "squodge" bread?

Manuel,

Has the Master Chef any experience of Salting (curing) chicken?

How bad is it?

What are your periods for salting and for which recipes.

never tried, but interesting to investigate.
given the intrinsic dryness of chicken and the effect salt has on drawing out juices, i'm surprised to hear it is a worthwhile procedure