Help and advice needed for this evening!

looperman1000

I am a newbie when it comes to selecting the menu and where i can get the ingredients from. I need a choice made for me, because i am a newbie, i don't want to trip up with menu selection.
I am cooking a starter, a mains, and a dessert for a girl and myself tonight.

I am going to try my hand at:

Roasted tomato soup
and a Beef Curry or Irish Stew for mains using beef as she does not like lamb.
For dessert i was going to do a Bailey's Cheesecake.

Can you tell me what you think? Does a curry go with a soup for starters and cheesecake for dessert, would it be better for me to do the stew?

Just to add, i need help with some of the ingredients, i will put down the ones i am unsure of purchasing from where:
For starters:

3 fresh rosemary sprigs - i am not sure where to get these from
Same with parsley

For main, curry:
2 Teaspoons Ginger Puree
2 Teaspoons Garlic Puree
Can the puree be got in the supermarket?
Butter Ghee?? is there an Indian foodstore i can get this in Dublin, or any place else? I am not sure about preparing it, and dont have a lot of time this evening.

I am sure i can pick these up in a supermarket:
1 Teaspoon Turmeric Powder
4 Teaspoons Mild Curry Powder
Chilli Powder
2 Teaspoons Garam Masala Powder
Which Mild Curry Powder to get though? Is there a great one out there on the market?
fresh coriander leaves to garnish, again the same as the parsley and rosemary, where do i purchase from?

Here is the stew recipe i have, if you need to base your answer on the choice to the stew or curry:

Irish Stew Recipe

4 lamb chops or pieces of stewing beef
5 potatoes
4 large carrots
2 parsnips
4 medium onions
Salt & pepper to taste
2 tablespoons of oil
Water

All the fat and gristle is removed and the meat is cut into strips or cubed
Heat the oil in a large saucepan
Chop and saute the onions in the oil
Add the cubed meat
Wash and chop the carrotts and parsnips and add to the onions and meat
Stir well and add water
Add salt and pepper to taste
Bring to the boil and simmer until the meat and vegetables are tender.


I think i know where i can purchase everything for the Bailey's Cheesecake. Is it a good choice though, or should i aim for something different?

I am so sorry about all the questions. I really am a newbie, and would take onboard any advice at all, given to me.

Thanks in advance.

looperman1000

Sorry guys, i should have done this first anyway. I have located a Bombay Bazaar across from my job. I will try here for the curry ingredients, they sell the butter ghee also. That is, if you think i should opt with the curry.

Minder

Personally I would ditch the soup, it doesn't seem to fit with the dishes. Make the curry, some rice and buy some indian side dishes - some samosa or bhaji, a pot of dahl. Then make the cheesecake - if you've had it before, is it good? How will it go with the curry? Is it heavy?. Watch the portion sizes either with two courses or three.

looperman1000

Thanks very much Minder. Shame about the soup, you think it wont go, it gets cut form the menu, i am sure there will be enough food in the mains and the dessert! I had the cheesecake at the weekend in an Indian restaurant, i had to say i thought it was lovely.
I will watch the portion sizes.

Can i ask about this part of the cheesecake recipe:
Place the mixture into a lined 18cm tin (the tin has to have a removable bottom)

A tin with removable bottom, where do i find that? In a large supermarket?

looperman1000

Minder where would i buy the samosas and bhajis? In the Bombay Bazaar, maybe?

olaola

looperman1000 wrote: »

Minder where would i buy the samosas and bhajis? In the Bombay Bazaar, maybe?

If you can get to a Bombay Pantry - buy your sides there. If not, M&S are good for that stuff too.

You'll prob have to go to Arnotts or the like to get the tin. You might be lucky in your supermarket.

Rosemary/parsley. Basically any supermarket/Spar should have them.

looperman1000

Thankyou Olaola.
I will google Bombay Pantry for locations.
Can i just ask if i do get them from Bombay Pantry, the sides, how do i cook them, or get them hot?
I take it they will already be cooked, can i put them in the oven for a few minutes? No access to microwave, which is kind of a good thing probably anyway.

olaola

They come frozen or from the fridge, they have cooking instruction leaflets in the shop that you can pick up.

looperman1000

ThankYou once again Olaola.

watna

I hope she appreciates it - you're going to a lot of effort!

I agree with ditching the tomato soup and making curry but getting Indian sides. M & S do lovely mini poppadoms too (they're in the crisp) aisle that you could put out on the table. You can get mango chutney there too (with the dips I thinks) that's lovely with it. The bhajis and samosa in M & S are fairly decent as well if you did want to make a trip there.

Good luck!

looperman1000

I hope so too. Thanks a lot Watna.

Would anyone be able to write a nice menu for it, that i could copy?

I dont know how much you could jazz it up.

Main Course

Beef Curry

Sides

Vegetable Samosas

Onion Bhajis

Dessert
Bailey's Irish Cream Cheesecake

saloon

To ensure success, stick with recipes you know. It will be easier for you, you'll be more confident and relaxed, so your date will be happier.

I applaud your ambitions, sounds like you really want to make it special but considering your naive/ newbie questions it sounds like you should do simple food and just get real! When are you expecting to do all this cooking anyway? (you are saying you are in work today?)

Seriously, if you don't have a loose lined tin, consider another desert. Strawberries with cream is dead easy.

looperman1000

Appreciate the comments saloon, thanks a lot. Am in work. So shopping at lunch and then cooking at 4pmish. She should be home from 6.30pm-7pm

neuro-praxis

If there is a large Tesco near you they stock a good selection of removable-bottom baking tins, I got all of mine from there.

I think you are making life very hard for yourself!

If I was you, I would go to Marks and Spencers and get something a lot simpler:

Starter:

Marinated scallops. You can get this in the "Cook at home" section of M&S. You fry them in a little butter and olive oil, a minute on each side, and serve with a salad garnish (get a washed bag of mixed leaves).

Mains:

Steak and fresh potato wedges (M&S sell these ready to go). The wedges can be thrown into the oven ahead of time, and when you are ready to eat your steak, throw it on the pan with a little olive oil and cook it as you like it. I would suggest a nice vegetable like some fine beans (again M&S have a good range of greens) which will cook in 3 minutes in boiling salted water.

Dessert:

Buy it! Seriously. Fresh fruit (strawberries and blueberries) with a scoop of good vanilla ice cream, or a cheesecake.

Optional: some cheeses, crackers and grapes. A few chocolate mints to have with good coffee.

Keep portions of everything small. Nothing ruins the romantic mood like a really full tum!

Good luck.

looperman1000

Thanks a lot. Appreciate it, Neuro!!

looperman1000

If i can't get near a Bombay Pantry or M&S, are Tesco samosas and bhaji's ok?

looperman1000

I really want to push ahead with this Bailey's dessert as She loves it. What does it mean by Place the mixture into a lined 18cm tin (the tin has to have a removable bottom)
I get the tin with the removable bottom part, i think, so it makes it like a steel ring you can slip the steel ring off the cake, and the shape stays.
What about lined though? what does it mean?

mags16

You line the tin with grease proof paper. I normally grease the inside of the tin with butter or marge. Cut a circular piece of greaseproof paper (or baking parchment) that fits the bottom of the tin. Place it inside the tin - the grease will keep it in place. Then cut a strip of paper to fit the side of the tin and place that in the tin so that the tin is completely lined. It prevents the cheesecake from sticking to the tin and makes it easy to remove.

It all sounds very romantic to me!

Thumpette

How did it go for you OP?

looperman1000

Hey Thumpette. have to say, i was pleasantly surprised, it went really really well.
I have a query though in relation to the ingredients, i used my own limited judgement on the Bailey's Irish Cream Cheesecake. It says 100ml of Icing Sugar, how would you measure that if it's in powder form, i googled to no avail, so i just put in what i thought it was. Curry was very tasty, i couldnt find ginger puree anywhere, so if anyone could direct me for future reference. I tried the Bombay Bazaar, Bombay Pantry, a few other different shops, and Tescos and Aldi to no avail.

The cheesecake was lovely as well, and a lot easier than i thought. I was a little stressed making the curry, as i wasn't happy with the consistency, but when it was served on to the rice, it looked fine. If you feel it is too watery/runny, what can be done? I really didn't know what i could add to thicken.

Samosas i got, and cooked for 10 mins in a saucepan of oil, they went down a treat. I got some kind of sauce in a packet for the Bhaji's. I think we got out wires crossed in the Bombay Bazaar when it came to an onion Bhaji, so the Bhaji's were left off the menu.
Thanks for all your help on here, i found the responses amazingly helpful.

mags16

looperman1000 wrote: »

I have a query though in relation to the ingredients, i used my own limited judgement on the Bailey's Irish Cream Cheesecake. It says 100ml of Icing Sugar, how would you measure that if it's in powder form,

I'm glad it went well.

You can get measuring cups from kitchen shops to measure volume. The Americans measure most things in cups and 1 cup is 250ml ( I think). So 100ml would be less than half a cup. You can use measuring jugs also. Or 7 tablespoons of sugar would be about 100ml.

looperman1000

Ah mags, thanks a lot. You're invaluable! Any idea about the ginger puree? :-)

olaola

looperman1000 wrote: »

Ah mags, thanks a lot. You're invaluable! Any idea about the ginger puree? :-)

Buy a cheap weighing scales in Tesco. That should solve the measurement problem. Forget the ginger puree - just buy some ginger and whizz/chop it.

looperman1000

Thanks ola ola. I bought a weighing scales, but everything in grams, so how would you measure 100ml?
About the ginger, ok if i chop it, do i chop it so i have 2 teaspoons full of it? does that make sense?

olaola

looperman1000 wrote: »

Thanks ola ola. I bought a weighing scales, but everything in grams, so how would you measure 100ml?
About the ginger, ok if i chop it, do i chop it so i have 2 teaspoons full of it? does that make sense?

Ahh, sorry I didn't realise you wanted 100ml! Yeah if you chop - 2 tsp should be fine.

Minder

Garlic and ginger purees are easily made, just blitz the vegetable in a small blender with enough water to make a puree. Add a little salt. Make in bulk and keep in the fridge in a sealed container. Lasts for about a week.

looperman1000

Thanks olaola and minder!

rocknchef

for your 100ml to weight, put your empty jug on weighing scales and reset to zero then add your icing sugar till it comes up to the 100ml mark. will probaly come in just over 110g

and the ginger and garlic puree are usaly around the prepared vegetables and salads in tesco