Topic: Himalayan salt blocks

[DalPuri]

Did anyone see The Great British Menu tonight?
It was the Scottish heat and Tony Singh won it using one of these salt blocks.
He cooked mackerel with a theme designed around Maw Broon and even got himself into the comic strip with instructions for the guests on how to cook their own fish at the table.  ;D
I'd never heard of cooking on one before tonight, but it looks like a really good idea.
Can be heated upto 900 degF!

Here's an example

www.youtube.com/watch?v=whx80lzsrtk

Frank. 

[goncalo]

Heat-wise, what are the advantages? It looks interesting, but I don't see the advantage (I didn't watch the whole video)

[DalPuri]

I'm as green as you as i only saw it for the first time tonight. But here's a few of links with all the info.

http://voices.yahoo.com/cooking-himalayan-salt-blocks-10774899.html?cat=22

http://products.mercola.com/himalayan-salt/

http://www.mlive.com/entertainment/bay-city/index.ssf/2009/06/take_it_from_me_saltblock_cook.html

[goncalo]

I'm as green as you as i only saw it for the first time tonight. But here's a few of links with all the info.

http://voices.yahoo.com/cooking-himalayan-salt-blocks-10774899.html?cat=22

http://products.mercola.com/himalayan-salt/

http://www.mlive.com/entertainment/bay-city/index.ssf/2009/06/take_it_from_me_saltblock_cook.html

Thanks, this is more interesting than it looked at first. It appears that it can be used to keep things cooled for  longer period, if you keep the salt blocks in the freezer which then makes me wonder if it would be the secret to Tim Hortons' stone cold ice cream that I had in Canada and have been since trying to find how to replicate it at home.

[Peripatetic Phil]

Thanks, this is more interesting than it looked at first. It appears that it can be used to keep things cooled for  longer period, if you keep the salt blocks in the freezer which then makes me wonder if it would be the secret to Tim Hortons' stone cold ice cream that I had in Canada and have been since trying to find how to replicate it at home.

How exactly would that work, Gagomes ?  Is the idea that, when you remove the ice-cream from the freezer, you remove the salt block at the same time and then leave the former standing on the latter, and if so, how is that better than leaving the ice cream in the freezer ?  Confused.

** Phil.

[goncalo]

Thanks, this is more interesting than it looked at first. It appears that it can be used to keep things cooled for  longer period, if you keep the salt blocks in the freezer which then makes me wonder if it would be the secret to Tim Hortons' stone cold ice cream that I had in Canada and have been since trying to find how to replicate it at home.

How exactly would that work, Gagomes ?  Is the idea that, when you remove the ice-cream from the freezer, you remove the salt block at the same time and then leave the former standing on the latter, and if so, how is that better than leaving the ice cream in the freezer ?  Confused.

** Phil.

Quite honestly, I was speculating. I think the trick behind the stone cold ice cream is to handle it at varying degrees of cold temperatures in order to produce that "creamy, yet far from melting" type of ice cream that you can get in, say, Tim Hortons in Pickering, Torronto, Canada.

[Peripatetic Phil]

Quite honestly, I was speculating. I think the trick behind the stone cold ice cream is to handle it at varying degrees of cold temperatures in order to produce that "creamy, yet far from melting" type of ice cream that you can get in, say, Tim Hortons in Pickering, Torronto, Canada.

My feeling is that, whilst the storage temperature is clearly crucial, of equal importance is the make-up of the ice cream in the first place.  My current ice cream of choice is Tesco's own-brand Cornish ("Improved : 100% more cream") which blows some of the branded offerings out of the water (at least one of the putatively better brands is positively crystalline in comparison).

** Phil.

[Ghoulie]

tesco ? Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm  pure 'horse' cream ?

[Peripatetic Phil]

tesco ? Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm  pure 'horse' cream ?

Dear Mr Ghoulie --

Please note that Tesco plc take their reputation very seriously, and libellous remarks such as the above are likely to result in High Court action leading to punitive damages and a large fine.  We invite you to make use of the "Modify" facility provided to restract your accusation.  Should you fail to do, so we regret that we will have no alternative but to take legal action as outlined above in defence of our client's reputation.

Yours sincerely
Ebenezer Mainwaring-Smythe, Q.C.
Principal, Messrs Sue, Grabbit and Run (Legal advisors to Tesco plc).

[goncalo]

tesco ? Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm  pure 'horse' cream ?

Dear Mr Ghoulie --

Please note that Tesco plc take their reputation very seriously, and libellous remarks such as the above are likely to result in High Court action leading to punitive damages and a large fine.  We invite you to make use of the "Modify" facility provided to restract your accusation.  Should you fail to do, so we regret that we will have no alternative but to take legal action as outlined above in defence of our client's reputation.

Yours sincerely
Ebenezer Mainwaring-Smythe, Q.C.
Principal, Messrs Sue, Grabbit and Run (Legal advisors to Tesco plc).

And tesco legal advisors post count is 2859 ? Oh well. After all, curries are being eaten in all walks of life. Nice one Phil...