Host

[coalescent]

Last night, Emilia and Rae came over to watch ER, and to be guinea pigs for my attempts at cooking. The chilli prawns were good; the main potato-and-bacon-bake was less successful, although this is probably because it later turned out that I'd forgotten a crucial ingredient. Still, can't expect to become a gourmet chef overnight.

I think entertaining is one of the things I like the most about having a flat. I like having friends over for dinner, and I like cooking for them; I like the company. And I'd like to think that anyone who knows me would feel free to drop by if they happen to be in the neighbourhood.

Comments

[fba.livejournal.com]

Here is a dead easy recipe for the most wonderful bolagniase sauce you will ever taste.

Serves 4

500g minced beef
500g mined pork
1 jar of passata (pressed tomatos)
1 glass *white* wine
1 tablespoon of oil
2 cloves garlic - crushed (optional)
salt and pepper to season

Gently heat the oil in a large saucepan, add the meat and fry until brown. Add the passata, wine and garlic and seasoning.

Simmer on a low heat for 2 hours.

Serve with 'al dente' pasta of your choice (which you don't touch with a knife or mattia will kill you, even if he is in South Africa), warm bread and impress everyone at how good your cooking is.....

[coalescent.livejournal.com]

Here is a dead easy recipe for the most wonderful bolagniase sauce you will ever taste.

Mmm...bolognaise. Although 2 hours seems an awfully long time.

I remember the injunction against knives, but I can't remember why it was made...

[mattia.livejournal.com]

I remember the injunction against knives, but I can't remember why it was made...

Because it's WRONG. If you want to have smaller pasta, use a smaller kind of pasta. It's not like there's no choice in the matter. Lasagna and Canneloni family pastas are possibly the only two kinds of pasta that might need cutting up, but even then, preference goes out to spoons and forks. It's not like it need sharp big knife action.

Mostly, it's tradition. And The Way It's Done :oD

[kalorlo.livejournal.com]

And there was me wondering why you'd ever need to use a knife for pasta...

I second that wonderment...

[applez.livejournal.com]

I kept thinking that a fork is surely an easier device with which to pull pasta out of the heat for testing...

[fba.livejournal.com]

Although 2 hours seems an awfully long time.

I promise you it is well worth it. You just need to be a little organised - it isn't lik eyou have to *do* anything to it while it is cooking. If you have a slow cooker you can do it in that - set the timer and forget it......

[coalescent.livejournal.com]

Hang on - when you said 'simmer', I assumed you meant leaving it on the hob. Now you're suggesting I should put it in the oven?

[fba.livejournal.com]

Ah - misunderstanding of terminology. When I say simmer I do mean leave on the hob. A slow cooker != oven. A slow cooker is like a caserole dish that is electrically powered and is designed to give low heat over long periods of time.

[elleblue.livejournal.com]

I'm jealous of you and your grown-up ways!

If you're serious about your chocolate-and-ginger suggestion over in my cookie poll (it's not a flavour I'd have thought of trying on purpose!), perhaps I'll bring a bunch of ingredients along to your flatwarming and try to add cookies to your kitchen repertoire :-P

[fba.livejournal.com]

Chocolate and Ginger is good - but it has to be crystalised stem ginger - not ground root ginger. You need the sharpness to counter the sweetness of the chocolate. I'd also use dark chocolate rather than milk.....

[coalescent.livejournal.com]

I agree with this post. :-D

[elleblue.livejournal.com]

I already have crystallized ginger in my ingredients box, so that one is easy. Dark chocolate is also not a problem, since I'm vegan anyway :-)

[coalescent.livejournal.com]

serious about your chocolate-and-ginger suggestion over in my cookie poll

Hell yes. Chocolate and ginger were made for each other. Also chocolate and cinammon, but I don't know how that would work as a cookie. Mmm.

You're welcome to bring ingredients, but I may insist on making non-vegan versions.

[runs]

[elleblue.livejournal.com]

You're welcome to bring ingredients, but I may insist on making non-vegan versions.

You planning on spiking it with actual butter and cadbury's chocolate and things?

chocolate and cinammon

I've done this one before, with a trace of chili powder, some orange essence, and some cloves, for a sort of Maya Gold chocolate cookie. It didn't work so well at the time, since I used very dark chocolate, and it was too bitter, but I know how to fix that now :-)

[snowking.livejournal.com]

There's nothing wrong with bitter chocolate!

[elleblue.livejournal.com]

There's nothing wrong with bitter chocolate!

I didn't say there was anything wrong with it in general, but it wasn't the right ingredient for the cookies. Very dark chocolate doesn't melt in the same way that other chocolate does, and it gets very runny then singes, which isn't good on a cookie. Also, the sweetness of the cookie matrix wasn't quite enough to balance out the bitter blobs, so the cookies tasted kind of patchy.

[snowking.livejournal.com]

cookie matrix

New favourite phrase. :)

[itchyfidget.livejournal.com]

No-one can be told what the Cookie Matrix is ... you have to eat it for yourself.

**troughs**

[hawleygriffen.livejournal.com]

Yeah! All it needs is a bit therapy and it'll be cheered right up.

[colours.livejournal.com]

wow. having friends over for dinner is immensely civilised :oD

but yup, makes having your own flat sound fantastic, just have to get myself a job first ;o)

Cookery!

[applez.livejournal.com]

Yay! All experiments are good experiments at this stage. :-)

Maybe you'll be at the point of souffles and blanc mange by the time I swing by your flat. ;-p

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[gagravarr.livejournal.com]

Try a sunday roast

They're dead easy to do, and go down very well. Don't take too long to do, except elapsed time wise, and that's fine when you've got a handy kitchen

<thread merge> Just buy the girl from tomorrow videos, cook some food, and invite everyone round to watch them in nostalga, and eat...