Dinner last night: pork mince fried in a little coconut oil with onion, ginger, garlic, finely chopped lime leaf and lemongrass, red chilli, lime juice, fish sauce, sliced yellow pepper, then a sauce of tahini, tomato puree and soy stirred in along with some wholeweat noodles. Served topped with chopped spring onion, fresh coriander and toasted crushed peanuts and sesame seeds. Delicious, washed down with ice cold vintage cider.
Lunch will be the leftovers.
Today I had a 4-finger kitkat of which all 4 fingers were solid chocolate, no wafer.
That must be pretty rare. After biting into the 1st one I then snapped all the others to check them. Having established they were all solid chocolate I wondered whether to eat them or save it for some reason then decided saving it was silly and ate it. I mean, it's not like it has value like a rare stamp or something, right?
Exciting and notable as it was - really, it was! - I was a bit disappointed as I like the chocolate/wafer combination of the normal non-freaky kitkat.
It reminded me of the time I bit into a malteser and it was empty - yes that's right, just a hollow chocolate sphere, no delicious crunchy aerated malty centre.
EDIT: It seems I could've been in line for a voucher according to this.
Ah well. I can't take a photo of the masticated kitkat in my digestive system so no voucher for me.
thewatcher Regarding what we touched on here. Your home-made vindaloo sounds hotter than the heart of the sun! I'm very fond of spicy food, my parents came to the UK from India where they were used to spicy food and we all grew up on it but unlike some people I know whose tolerance for chillies seems to have decreased, mine has grown, especially recently and I've been craving them more than before. Even so, I don't think I'd be on board with your vindaloo which would surely irreparably wreck the Scoville Scale.
When I lived in SW London I used to eat at a Goan restaurant in Putney. They did a very authentic pork vindaloo which, yes, was very hot with red chillies but enough to blend well with the rich mix of spices and the tang of vinegar which is vital to the dish. Still the very best one I've had anywhere.
Tonight I'm making a lamb tagine with cinnamon and prunes.
Ok, here's a scenario.
You have access to bread and means of toasting it. You have a fairly normal kitchen store cupboard of stuff. What bread do you use and what do you do next?
For me: good-quality plain white crusty bread. Toasted both sides under a grill, well-browned, not blackened or left pale, then immediately slathered with thick lashings of rich slightly salted butter which is allowed to melt in, but not to compromise the integrity of the bread. Tart, zingy seville orange marmalade spooned on to it and spread (the spoon is important - the used butter knife must NOT, repeat NOT, come into contact with the contents of the marmalade jar in a civilised society).
Eaten with well-brewed hot strong tea to accompany it.
For me - soya and linseed bread. I use a toaster most of the time and I like it really well done without being burnt. As soon as it pops out of the toaster I spread some unsalted butter on it so it soaks into the toast while still hot. Toppings would either be crunchy peanut butter or marmite.
I do also like sourdough toasted
thewatcher Regarding what we touched on here. Your home-made vindaloo sounds hotter than the heart of the sun! I'm very fond of spicy food, my parents came to the UK from India where they were used to spicy food and we all grew up on it but unlike some people I know whose tolerance for chillies seems to have decreased, mine has grown, especially recently and I've been craving them more than before. Even so, I don't think I'd be on board with your vindaloo which would surely irreparably wreck the Scoville Scale.
When I lived in SW London I used to eat at a Goan restaurant in Putney. They did a very authentic pork vindaloo which, yes, was very hot with red chillies but enough to blend well with the rich mix of spices and the tang of vinegar which is vital to the dish. Still the very best one I've had anywhere.
Tonight I'm making a lamb tagine with cinnamon and prunes.
Yes, my version was truly blazing. I've also found my taste and tolerance increasing over time. Once or twice I left myself in a weakened state after indulging in my home made one, but like they say, what doesn't kill you makes you stronger. The vinegar is a key ingredient. I think i used to use a red wine vinegar. The potato choice is important too - russets or something sturdy, so it doesn't turn into mush. And I never skimped on the spices. Important to have that flavor so it's not just an exercise in immolating myself from the inside out.
I have sparked an interest in making this again through discussing it! I drink an IPA with it, something mid-strength in the 6-6.5 ABV range. Takes a little of the scald off.
Hope the lamb tagine turned out - sounds delicious.
I do also like sourdough toasted
oh yes. I'd have Backdrifter's toppings on it from above though, and a mug of hot black coffee, ideally made at home with beans from the roasters across the road.
Once or twice I left myself in a weakened state after indulging in my home made one
This made me chuckle. "How was your meal?" "Excellent - but it's left me in a weakened state".
Agreed re choice of spud and a robust beer - I've sometimes found a really big red wine can work well with a spicy meal too.
It is indeed key to strike that balance between heat and flavour in order to avoid the sense it's just tasteless lava. I'm a big fan of the scotch bonnet, very hot but packs major fruity flavour.
I read a food book with a chapter about the chilli craze that really took off in the UK in the 90s. Chilli farms and specialist sauces abounded, often with names invoking apocalyptic or satanic imagery such as "Dave's Thermonuclear Insanity Relish", "Phil's Armageddon Sauce" or "Eric's Essence of Hades" etc. It claimed that some of them were such intensely refined distillation of pure capsaicin that one single drop carefully dispensed from a pipette would spice up an entire vat of curry.
The tagine was excellent, if I may say so. The butcher didn't have any of the usual lamb for stewing so I got some boneless gigot and it worked really well, very tender after about 40 mins of slow cooking in the oven. It had good fat marbling plus I let a section of marrowbone melt into the sauce.
I do also like sourdough toasted
For me, only if it's well-made sourdough that's been properly knocked back during prep. Otherwise it has big holes and toasts to the texture of glass. Biting into it I almost feel it's going to tear my mouth to shreds.
This made me chuckle. "How was your meal?" "Excellent - but it's left me in a weakened state".
Hahaha, I was phrasing it delicately (but accurately). Severely debilitated would work too. Non-functional, out of the game. Useful as a chocolate teapot. Arse like the Japanese flag. But so, so worth it!
Agreed re choice of spud and a robust beer - I've sometimes found a really big red wine can work well with a spicy meal too.
Yup, a nice red works extremely well for me too. Sometimes it almost feels like too much complexity on my taste buds with the spices and tannins (peppers, cumin, turmeric, garam masala, oak, vanilla, tobacco, chocolate, WOAH!) but you can't really have too much of that good thing. It's a delicious combo.
I read a food book with a chapter about the chilli craze that really took off in the UK in the 90s. Chilli farms and specialist sauces abounded, often with names invoking apocalyptic or satanic imagery such as "Dave's Thermonuclear Insanity Relish", "Phil's Armageddon Sauce" or "Eric's Essence of Hades" etc. It claimed that some of them were such intensely refined distillation of pure capsaicin that one single drop carefully dispensed from a pipette would spice up an entire vat of curry.
I think this is still a thing. I have a bottle of hot sauce my brother gave me for Christmas called Thor's Hammer. I also understand they keep trying to engineer hotter and hotter peppers, will be keeping an eye on that space but I think I have maxed out on what is enjoyable in that regard. There are some sauces where if you put too much on your scrambled eggs, they're no longer tasty.
I am currently drinking the only beer brewed in north America in pitch lined wooden barrels. It has a quite lovely flavor, and really tastes like something you'd get if you walked into a small tavern in a village in the Czech republic and asked for a glass of the local brew.
Notch, pitch lined pils. Very hard to get since it sold out in hours but delicious if you can find it.
I am currently drinking the only beer brewed in north America in pitch lined wooden barrels. It has a quite lovely flavor, and really tastes like something you'd get if you walked into a small tavern in a village in the Czech republic and asked for a glass of the local brew.
Notch, pitch lined pils. Very hard to get since it sold out in hours but delicious if you can find it.
Very nice 
I am currently drinking the only beer brewed in north America in pitch lined wooden barrels. It has a quite lovely flavor, and really tastes like something you'd get if you walked into a small tavern in a village in the Czech republic and asked for a glass of the local brew.
Notch, pitch lined pils. Very hard to get since it sold out in hours but delicious if you can find it.
Where are all these bourbon and whisk(e)y cask-aged beers I'm drinking from the US originating, then?
Where are all these bourbon and whisk(e)y cask-aged beers I'm drinking from the US originating, then?
From places that brew beer in barrels that aren't lined with pitch I'm guessing?
First barbecue of the season. Salmon, with a little salt, pepper and a simple spice mix from the local spice shop (i find the big brand ones are often mostly salt). Potatoes cut in cubes, carrots and asparagus, all with a little olive oil, salt and pepper.
Add fire + smoke and you can't go wrong.
First barbecue of the season. Salmon, with a little salt, pepper and a simple spice mix from the local spice shop (i find the big brand ones are often mostly salt). Potatoes cut in cubes, carrots and asparagus, all with a little olive oil, salt and pepper.
Add fire + smoke and you can't go wrong.
Sounds very good 
Lunch just now: gammon ham, smoked cheese, cucumber, gherkin, black olives, spring onion, red jalapeno, spinach, parsely, olive oil.
First barbecue of the season. Salmon, with a little salt, pepper and a simple spice mix from the local spice shop (i find the big brand ones are often mostly salt). Potatoes cut in cubes, carrots and asparagus, all with a little olive oil, salt and pepper.
Add fire + smoke and you can't go wrong.
Sounds very good, I love salmon and am doing fillets for our dinner today - marinated in oil flavoured with ras-al-hanout, baked, served with lemon couscous and broccoli florets with toasted flaked almond.
Chicken salad sandwich. Pretty boring.
Chicken salad sandwich. Pretty boring.
Nonsense. A well-made sandwich is never boring. But maybe yours wasn't well-made?!
Nonsense. A well-made sandwich is never boring. But maybe yours wasn't well-made?!
You’re right about that. You can’t go wrong with a great sandwich. I was just speaking in comparison to all the other amazing deliciousness on this thread. But a good chicken salad sandwich can be heavenly.
You’re right about that. You can’t go wrong with a great sandwich. I was just speaking in comparison to all the other amazing deliciousness on this thread. But a good chicken salad sandwich can be heavenly.
I use Kraft sandwich spread instead of mayo when mixing chicken salad. It's creamy, has bits of pickle and tastes great!
I use Kraft sandwich spread instead of mayo when mixing chicken salad. It's creamy, has bits of pickle and tastes great!
Sandwich spread is something I recall from my childhood here in the UK but I don't know if it's still available here.
PS - "America's favorite" - I hope they can back that up!
Though if they mean "America's favorite mayo with chopped pickles mixed in" there may not be a very crowded market.
