The General Chat Thread

Dial Hard

Alun wrote:

As someone who batch cooks a lot of stuff like chilli, spag bol, curries, soups etc, I couldn't live without one. I suppose if I was organized enough to take whatever I wanted to eat out of the freezer the night before and let it defrost in the fridge I wouldn't need one but I'm not

I batch cook all the time. Always defrost the night before but I do use it for reheating some stuff. I could easily live without it though, and wouldn't really miss it if it was gone.

For me it's a "grand to have" as opposed to a must-have.

Faith

Alun wrote: »

Not really. A no-frills one can be had for €60-70, which isn't expensive in my book anyway.

It is in mine! Especially for something you might only use a handful of times* .

If it was €20, I'd be a lot less fussy.


(*My darling husband has inherited a trait from his father where he LOVES to impulsively buy items and then never ever uses them, so any cost is wasted money in that case.)

BaZmO*

Alun wrote: »

As someone who batch cooks a lot of stuff like chilli, spag bol, curries, soups etc, I couldn't live without one. I suppose if I was organized enough to take whatever I wanted to eat out of the freezer the night before and let it defrost in the fridge I wouldn't need one but I'm not

I do a lot of batch cooking too, but I just defrost by putting the bag of frozen stuff into a bowl (or small Ikea roasting tin that I have) and pouring over boiling or hot water. Takes no time to defrost.

The Black Oil

How well does cake (no alcohol) keep for a few days? Was thinking of making this for a thing on Friday, but am a little short on time later in the week.

Edit, without the icing, btw.

sammyjo90

I've kept cake in an airtight container for well up to a week before,no problems.



Boyfriend just came home with a take away...assumed I wasnt going to be here so theres none for me :mad:

Gloomtastic!

Can anyone beat a pork scratching Advent Calendar?

sammyjo90

Gloomtastic! wrote: »

Can anyone beat a pork scratching Advent Calendar?

My sister bought that one last year!

Gloomtastic!

sammyjo90 wrote: »

My sister bought that one last year!

Did she survive it?

sammyjo90

Gloomtastic! wrote: »

Did she survive it?

Haha yeah. If it claims it has bigger pieces this year thats a good thing!

Muahahaha

Anyone have a recommendation for a good fish stock (either online or shop bought)? Seafood chowder is a weekly meal for me in the winter but I find Knorr and Oxo fish stock cubes loaded with salt and in most supermarkets that is your only choice. I dont live near a fishmongers so making my own isnt really an option. Wondering what professional kitchens might use? Or if anyone has found a good one online?

L1011

Professional kitchens would be likely to make their own stock I'd think

RasTa

Could ask in Dunnes or SV for fish heads and bones and make it yourself.

Michellenman

The Black Oil wrote: »

How well does cake (no alcohol) keep for a few days? Was thinking of making this for a thing on Friday, but am a little short on time later in the week.

Edit, without the icing, btw.

Bake as usual, while still warm (not hot!) brush with simple syrup, wrap in parchment paper or greaseproof and then wrap tightly in cling film. If making multiple cakes to layer do each separately. If baking one cake to slice in to layers then wrap as above and don’t cut until your getting prepared to ice.

I think if you baked this Tuesday or Wednesday and did the above you will be fine! If when you unwrap they look a littpe dry give another brush of the simple syrup and should bring it back to life. Could even add some coffee to the syrup for that cake if you liked!

igCorcaigh

RasTa wrote: »

Could ask in Dunnes or SV for fish heads and bones and make it yourself.

Some things are best not seen being made.
I'll add fish stock to laws and sausages.

igCorcaigh

Are those gel pots of fish stock any good though? Anyone tried them?

Muahahaha

RasTa wrote: »

Could ask in Dunnes or SV for fish heads and bones and make it yourself.

I tried that in Dunnes but they said their fish is prepped off the premises and delivered so no bones to be had in the store. Would presume SV is the same.

Dial Hard

Muahahaha wrote: »

I tried that in Dunnes but they said their fish is prepped off the premises and delivered so no bones to be had in the store. Would presume SV is the same.

Fishmonger?

igCorcaigh

So, I tried to make flatbreads, according to this recipe:

https://www.biggerbolderbaking.com/flatbread-recipe-3-ingredients-easy/

I used wholegrain flour only, but they didn't bubble up, and turned out hard.

Maybe I'm just not good at kneading dough?
But could the action of kneading wholegrain dough cause the fibre the cut into the gluten, stopping it from rising?

No yeast in this recipe, just baking powder.

Any ideas boardsies?

BaZmO*

igCorcaigh wrote: »

So, I tried to make flatbreads, according to this recipe:

https://www.biggerbolderbaking.com/flatbread-recipe-3-ingredients-easy/

I used wholegrain flour only, but they didn't bubble up, and turned out hard.

Maybe I'm just not good at kneading dough?
But could the action of kneading wholegrain dough cause the fibre the cut into the gluten, stopping it from rising?

No yeast in this recipe, just baking powder.

Any ideas boardsies?

“Well, flatbread is often compared to pita bread which naturally forms a pocket in the center while cooking, whereas naan bread is flat and more likened to a wrap or tortilla — which is usually made to go alongside Mexican cuisine.”

Do they not have the comparisons the wrong way around?

L1011

Dial Hard wrote: »

Fishmonger?

How many independent fishmongers are there left? There is one in Maynooth but I haven't seen another in a long time!

New Home

I'd say they'd be slightly more common in the West.

Penn

I know it's meant to be a huge faux pas to microwave fish in work due to the smell, but does the same go for seafood chowder? I was hoping to have one of the Cully & Sully seafood chowders for lunch tomorrow in work but worried it might smell, even though I've had them at home a few times and never noticed any smell myself.

sammyjo90

Where I work nobody cares whether they stink out the canteen with their lunch..I'm not a fish fan but I get over it.

Have your lunch!

Penn

sammyjo90 wrote: »

Where I work nobody cares whether they stink out the canteen with their lunch..I'm not a fish fan but I get over it.

Have your lunch!

Unfortunately it's a pretty small office with a kitchenette close to our workspace, so a stink would definitely be noticeable.

sammyjo90

Penn wrote: »

Unfortunately it's a pretty small office with a kitchenette close to our workspace, so a stink would definitely be noticeable.

Ahhh fair enough! Bring some fabreeze with you

rubadub

Penn wrote: »

Unfortunately it's a pretty small office with a kitchenette close to our workspace, so a stink would definitely be noticeable.

Do not overheat it, most soups have very long heating times listed. Also give it a few stirs while heating, as soup does not readily stir itself up so you get outer parts blasted with heat and can get very hot and give off more smell.

Penn

rubadub wrote: »

Do not overheat it, most soups have very long heating times listed. Also give it a few stirs while heating, as soup does not readily stir itself up so you get outer parts blasted with heat and can get very hot and give off more smell.

Cheers. Yeah the instructions on the back say heat for 2mins, stir, then another 2 minutes. Plus you heat it with the lid loosely on it which I imagine would help trap most of the smell too.

F*ck it, I'll chance it tomorrow. If it does stink at least it'll have the weekend to disperse.

Dial Hard

L1011 wrote: »

How many independent fishmongers are there left? There is one in Maynooth but I haven't seen another in a long time!

There's one around the corner from my folks in D12, one down the road from me in D16. Another good one in Lucan village. I'm sure there's plenty more!

BaZmO*

Dial Hard wrote: »

There's one around the corner from my folks in D12, one down the road from me in D16. Another good one in Lucan village. I'm sure there's plenty more!

And one in Clondalkin Village, possibly two.

dee_mc

Penn wrote: »

Cheers. Yeah the instructions on the back say heat for 2mins, stir, then another 2 minutes. Plus you heat it with the lid loosely on it which I imagine would help trap most of the smell too.

F*ck it, I'll chance it tomorrow. If it does stink at least it'll have the weekend to disperse.

Bring in a bit of bread soda - if the microwave smells after heating your chowder, you can heat the bread soda and some water for a few minutes, then wipe it down, and the smell should be gone (or decreased anyway, and the microwave will be clean too, which is a bonus!)

Shenshen

igCorcaigh wrote: »

So, I tried to make flatbreads, according to this recipe:

https://www.biggerbolderbaking.com/flatbread-recipe-3-ingredients-easy/

I used wholegrain flour only, but they didn't bubble up, and turned out hard.

Maybe I'm just not good at kneading dough?
But could the action of kneading wholegrain dough cause the fibre the cut into the gluten, stopping it from rising?

No yeast in this recipe, just baking powder.

Any ideas boardsies?

No idea with that recipe, to be honest. The only thing could be that your pan was not hot enough/too hot?

I usually make flatbreads just with flour, water and a pinch of salt, and they'd always bubble up.

igCorcaigh

Shenshen wrote: »

No idea with that recipe, to be honest. The only thing could be that your pan was not hot enough/too hot?

I usually make flatbreads just with flour, water and a pinch of salt, and they'd always bubble up.

I might try with white flour then. Wholemeal is always trickier to work with, although I much prefer it.

Muahahaha

Dial Hard wrote: »

There's one around the corner from my folks in D12, one down the road from me in D16. Another good one in Lucan village. I'm sure there's plenty more!

No fishmonger near me, easily 10 miles to the nearest one They are a dying breed, the days of eating fish on a Friday are almost gone.

Shenshen

igCorcaigh wrote: »

I might try with white flour then. Wholemeal is always trickier to work with, although I much prefer it.

Try 2/3 white, 1/3 wholemeal.
I find that with just white flour, too much gluten develops and the breads get chewy. So I either mix the flour, or I use Chapati flour from the Asian shop. That's a little less fine than white flour.

Surreptitious

Muahahaha wrote: »

No fishmonger near me, easily 10 miles to the nearest one They are a dying breed, the days of eating fish on a Friday are almost gone.

I was looking for oysters one day and afaik the English Market was the only place near me I could have got them.

Graces7

You are inspiring me! Made tiffin the other day and am considering an Orkney bannock.... I will it seems inevitable be without a car early next year, so am working my mind on provisioning home style. Will be islandbound..

L1011

Internet-famous chef/cookbook writer Kenji Lopez-Alt frequently recommends putting marmite, soy sauce and anchovies in to practically everything meaty to boost umami tastes. I can't stand fish of any description (which I should really try work on, especially as I've no problem with Worcestershire sauce) so I'm trying a chili with the other two today.

Tastes while cooking are promising enough although there is a slight soy tang that suggests I may need to use less in future.

I often find that adding beans really heavily reduces the total taste so this might counteract it. I hope. As I quite like the beans themselves!

Lady Haywire

Bovril is my go to for that deeper flavour ^

cefh17

I like a square or two of dark chocolate at the end for flavour and a good colour!

L1011

So do I but I forgot to buy it - again!

Muahahaha

L1011 wrote: »

Internet-famous chef/cookbook writer Kenji Lopez-Alt frequently recommends putting marmite, soy sauce and anchovies in to practically everything meaty to boost umami tastes. I can't stand fish of any description (which I should really try work on, especially as I've no problem with Worcestershire sauce) so I'm trying a chili with the other two today.

The Chilli thread in the Cooking Club forum introduced me to using fish sauce with red meat as a flavour booster and Ive been using it that way ever since for other beef dishes like lasagna and cottage pie. I even put a few drops of it into a burger mix. When the beef is cooked through you never actually taste the fish sauce but somehow it boosts flavour of the overall dish.

Marmite is one I must try, Ive never bought or tasted it but could see how its flavour as a concentrated soy sauce could work well if used in small quantities. As for anchovies Ive used them in red meat dishes before but didnt notice any discernable difference between them and using fish sauce.

igCorcaigh

Muahahaha wrote: »

The Chilli thread in the Cooking Club forum introduced me to using fish sauce with red meat as a flavour booster and Ive been using it that way ever since for other beef dishes like lasagna and cottage pie. I even put a few drops of it into a burger mix. When the beef is cooked through you never actually taste the fish sauce but somehow it boosts flavour of the overall dish.

Marmite is one I must try, Ive never bought or tasted it but could see how its flavour as a concentrated soy sauce could work well if used in small quantities. As for anchovies Ive used them in red meat dishes before but didnt notice any discernable difference between them and using fish sauce.

I tried fish sauce once in cooking, but must have overused it, for me it just smelled like pee.

I know it's a unami bomb, must try using it again with a more measured hand.

Apoarently, red boat fish sauce is the best out there, but hard to find.

the beer revolu

I use soy sauce in pretty much any stew or gravy I make. Regularly use fish sauce too - if you can taste it - you've used too much. Both are very salty, so caution required.

Mrs. Beer often uses marmite in dishes.

Small amounts of star anise can be really good in meaty dishes too. Again, if you can distinctly taste it, you've used too much.

Worcestershire sauce gets used a lot as well , although homemade elderberry pontack sauce has mostly replaced that.

Flavour is important to me!

Shenshen

L1011 wrote: »

Internet-famous chef/cookbook writer Kenji Lopez-Alt frequently recommends putting marmite, soy sauce and anchovies in to practically everything meaty to boost umami tastes. I can't stand fish of any description (which I should really try work on, especially as I've no problem with Worcestershire sauce) so I'm trying a chili with the other two today.

Tastes while cooking are promising enough although there is a slight soy tang that suggests I may need to use less in future.

I often find that adding beans really heavily reduces the total taste so this might counteract it. I hope. As I quite like the beans themselves!

I would whole-heartedly agree with him there (well, with the exception of anchovies, as I don't eat fish or meat). I use soy sauce in everything that has a slightly sour taste, so most tomato-based dishes for example, and marmite in everything I want to taste rich and a little sweet.

Works and absolute treat every time. Just remember, it's seasoning, so use it in seasoning quantities. Not in the quantities you would if it was a main ingredient!

BaZmO*

Muahahaha wrote: »

The Chilli thread in the Cooking Club forum introduced me to using fish sauce with red meat as a flavour booster and Ive been using it that way ever since for other beef dishes like lasagna and cottage pie. I even put a few drops of it into a burger mix. When the beef is cooked through you never actually taste the fish sauce but somehow it boosts flavour of the overall dish.

Marmite is one I must try, Ive never bought or tasted it but could see how its flavour as a concentrated soy sauce could work well if used in small quantities. As for anchovies Ive used them in red meat dishes before but didnt notice any discernable difference between them and using fish sauce.

Speaking of the Cooking Club, the meatballs recipe uses anchovies and they work great. You can’t taste them but they definitely up the meaty flavours

the beer revolu

Fish sauce can really lift a tomato sauce, too.

Faith

Spotted on reddit...



Or, you know, you could just bake the cake from scratch in the first place :rolleyes:

oscarBravo

It's so frustrating looking up cake recipes, and constantly finding American recipes whose first ingredient is "1 box cake mix".

Michellenman

I got s food hamper gift earlier this year and in it there was a box mix of brownies included, I’m a big baker so was very intrigued! It’s mad though, you literally have to add EVERYTHING to it to make them. Sugar, eggs, butter, milk, chocolate chips optional. The box is just flour and cocoa mix. I much prefer baking from scratch but I would have thought that if you are using a box mix you should pretty much only have to add an egg or some oil or something like that. Very strange.

Michellenman

oscarBravo wrote: »

It's so frustrating looking up cake recipes, and constantly finding American recipes whose first ingredient is "1 box cake mix".

Recipe: ‘1 box yellow cake prepared’

eh I’m sorry but wtf is yellow cake