Thought Id start this one going because its rather dead on this board at the moment and I suppose all my usual muckers are either at the Stella tennis event watching Dim Tim (lose again) or at Henly Regatta eating cucumber sandwiches (they wish,...NOT).

Anyway please feel free to just talk to yourself blast away and let it go on any company or subject you wish. Just wish Id thought of this one before.

cheers GF.

Max

I didn't read that ,when i clicked no cookies it showed a google web page then shut down and bought me back here

Labour soar past Tories to take seven-point lead in latest ICM poll

http://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2014/aug/11/labour-soar-past-tories-seven-point-lead-icm-poll

IDS should help them at the next election.

Has he resigned yet?

Mind the Daily Mails headlines are helpful.

"Barefoot and chilling out, David Cameron on the beach for his second foreign holiday of the year as shocking new humanitarian crisis unfolds in Iraq"



What hasn't he done for the Mail?

Cook your grouse the Marcus Wareing way
By Jennifer Bradly 12 August 14



As all true game-bird connoisseurs know, it's the Glorious Twelfth today. For the uninitiated, this means that the red grouse shooting season begins in Britain's northern moorlands - an exclusive occasion that costs thousands of pounds a head to take part in (and requires a generous helping of skill to shoot a bird at 80mph).

It's not so glorious for the grouse, of course - although, according the Moorland Association, it is actually thanks to expertly managed shooting (and therefore population and disease control) that the bird is not an endangered species.

Enjoying the season's glorious harvest, however, is not just for the privileged few. The wild, heather-fed red grouse is rich in both flavour and versatility and chef Marcus Wareing is one man who is very happy that its time is here again.

"You've got to go along with mother nature and stay very close to the season that you're in, and what's provided," Wareing tells GQ. "Grouse is one of the most exciting things about autumn. It's one of my favourite birds - a great flavour. It's the most amazing ingredient that covers almost three seasons and goes all the way to Christmas, almost."

And the great thing about grouse, he adds, is that they just keep improving as the months roll on. "The shooting season may not last that long [it ends on 10 December], but those birds do, because the older they get, the better they get and the stronger they get. They're just amazing. So this is one ingredient that covers those three seasons."

Here, Wareing shares a grouse recipe from his restaurant The Gilbert Scott in London's St. Pancras Renaissance Hotel, so head to Hill & Szrok (hillandszrok.co.uk) on Broadway Market in London to pick up your game bird - or get practicing with the shotgun.

Recipe for grouse with chicken liver pâté

Serves 4

Ingredients:
2 tbsp vegetable oil
4 grouse (from a reputable butcher), well hung
50g butter
1/4 bunch of thyme
2 bay leaves
3 cloves garlic, peeled and lightly smashed
100ml red wine
1 tbsp red wine vinegar or sherry vinegar
2 tbsp redcurrant jelly
8 rashers streaky bacon, cooked until crisp
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
200ml chicken stock

For the pâté:
1 tbsp vegetable oil
100g chicken livers
1 tsp salt
1/2 onion, sliced
1 clove garlic, peeled and finely diced
2 tbsp brandy
2 tbsp port
50g butter, melted
4 slices of brioche, toasted just prior to serving.

Method:
Begin with the pâté. Set a large frying pan on a high heat and add a little of the oil. When almost smoking, season the livers with 1/2 tsp salt and place them in the pan. Sear until browned all over. Transfer to a blender. Add the rest of the oil to the pan, then add the onion and garlic and cook until lightly golden. Add the brandy and port and cook, stirring, until the liquid has almost all evaporated. Transfer to the blender. Blitz the liver mixture until smooth. With the motor running, drizzle in the butter. Pass the mixture through a fine sieve into a bowl. Adjust the seasoning with salt if necessary, then leave to set in the fridge for 2 hours.

To cook the grouse, preheat the oven to 180°C (gas mark 4). Heat an ovenproof frying pan with the vegetable oil until hot. Season the grouse all over, then brown in the hot oil. Add the butter, herbs and garlic to the pan. When the butter foams, start spooning it over the grouse. Continue cooking, spooning over the butter, for 5 minutes, then place the pan in the oven to finish cooking for 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and lift the grouse on to a board. Leave to rest in a warm place for 10 minutes while you finish the sauce.

Heat the remaining fat in the pan until foaming, then deglaze with the red wine and vinegar. Allow to simmer until the liquid has reduced by half, then add the stock and again reduce by half. Add the redcurrant jelly and season to taste. Strain through a fine sieve and keep hot.

Carve the grouse, cutting down either side of the breastbone, and place the crisp bacon inside. Place a large quenelle of the pâté on the toasted brioche then serve with the grouse and the sauce.

Marcus Wareing is owner of The Gilbert Scott, St. Pancras Renaissance Hotel, Euston Road, London NW1. thegilbertscott.co.uk. His latest restaurant, Tredwell's, opens in September at 4a Upper St. Martin's Lane, London WC2. tredwells7dials.com

.

Has somebody told Cameron there is a "war" on, or is he just another scrounger on UK benefits in Portugal.

Doc,

Are they offering grouse at any of the food banks, would you happen to know?

It is an acquired taste and a bit fiddly to eat. There also the health and safety aspects due to the lead shot A better alternative might be grouse nuggets. The savoury breadcrumbs would help with the taste shock of real food.

Couldn't they be deep fried in batter? The scavengers would probably prefer them that way.

Gotta just say that I do love wood pigeon. Cooked rare with the blood oozing, served with crispy bacon, parmesan shavings, and a dressed side salad.

Skinny,

Timothy Taylor Boltmaker wins the GBB of the year.

I remember Fat Dave sunning himself on the beaches of France when the London Riots were on.

Took him 4 days to bother and come back. The rain stopped the rioters.

Not much of a leader is he.

Sources say yet again William Hague is having to shore the sinking ship up.

Little wonder Labour are now again opening up wider poll increases.

There was no reason for Cameron to return from holiday. It was a police event. A Prime Minister needs a holiday.

Hilary,

I thought your earlier post was requesting information as you were hoping to get a job as a waitress at one of the food banks.

I should have guessed!

GF.

Think it would give Labour a majority of about 60 seats.

Should be enough to bring in some interesting policies and investigate a some of the dodgier aspects of the city!

It was interesting reading this after what we know now, but if you view the comment's you will find a lot have been deleted because they didn't comply with house rules.Maybe victims of Saville were posting what he was really like. Well it was a BBC website after all.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-15507374

Hays stop being stupid.

Sad to see Robin Williams took his own life yesterday .

Pressure from Debts Jimmy.

Very sad.

He was a genious.