I'm BITTERLY Disappointed!!!!!

[Unclebuck]

Sorry CA I was replying to your first post. Maybe it might have been better to post a list of subjects which are allowed lol

Though (on a serious note) - having looked at the authors of those threads though, the members involved seem to be fairly active in the curry based forums on this board, so let 'em talk about what they wanna talk about - better that way than to spit your dummy out and risk offending them to the point that they may stop posting altogether....

And one more thing...I make the best Yorkshire puds and toad in the hole...and I wouldn't mind wrestling with you and UB over that point either!

here here too, and not possible about the toads you know... im not gonna have it! 

[joshallen2k]

I kind of like the off topic non-BIR recipe chat.

But CA has a great point when the posts outnumber the "BIR Advances".

I hope Emin-J has some success with the BIR he has found that is open to lessons, but we've had a few of these that have led to more questions than answers.

I don't know how much is in Stew's donation pot, but at this point I would PAY a quality chef to REALLY take us through a few dishes and base. That would be a better spend of the dough than implementing a better recipe ratings system. I'd be happy to pitch in if we found a willing participant.

-- Josh

[Cory Ander]

"Hear! Hear!" Josh 

Domi, I recognise that one woman's food is another woman's poison, so to speak (no, I'm not referring to your, or UB's toad in the hole here  ), but I do find it pretty frustrating (I wouldn't call it a "dummy spit") when the forum appears to be drifting off, more and more so, into other none curry related areas, when we appear to be largely unable to answer some fairly fundamental questions about cooking BIR curries.  Isn't THAT what this forum is really about?  Or maybe it's changed due to members' "personal preferences"?  :

I accept the argument that at least members are posting (even if it is nothing to do with curries), and I certainly would not like to deter them from doing so, BUT I personally would prefer to see the focus maintained firmly on cooking BIR curries....my "personal preference" I suppose 

However, on a more positive note, how can we get input from a pukka BIR chef?  Well, how about posting a GREAT BIG BANNER , somewhere prominent on the forum, saying something like:

WANTED!  PUKKA BIR CHEF TO ASSIST US WITH COOKING PUKKA BIR CURRIES!

Perhaps an offer of FREE ADVERTISING can me made in lieu of direct payment?

I'm sure other members can make plenty of other suggestions?

[Unclebuck]

Here Here too 

Now that sounds like a good idea, a really big banner!!

PUKKA BIR CHEF WANTED

will it happen? hope so.

[JerryM]

i echo exactly what josh said.

we just need to find a chef. the mutual benefits are huge.

some form of resident chef would eliminate the travelling element which has been a sticking point in past attempts. it's just finding the chef.

pitching in on the donation front to support this would i think suit most members.

[CurryOnRegardless]

-  which sweet mango chutney do BIRs use?

Hi CA

That always bothered me, it sure isn't Sharwoods, but my local Asian supermarket stocks large tins of mango puree and I think that's your answer, I'll bet they just water the stuff down to a runny consistency and add sugar to make it toothache inducing sweet.
Sorry can't help with the other questions, bloody frustrating innit?

Regards
CoR

ps: Domi and UB you are both so wrong on the T-I-T-H, so very, very wrong....

[Domi]

lol CA I feel your pain but I feel that even if a pukka chef was found, the same questions would still be raised...check any recipe/base posts and all the same issues are raised in almost every thread...and finding a chef that every member rates highly would be a struggle too. Personally, I feel that some are trying to make it far too much an exact science yet often we see posts from people who have had "their best results" when they've just made an adhoc curry in a hurry yet struggle to replicate that taste in subsequent curries lol possibly because they're trying too hard...I've been a member here for some time and I fail to see any kind of general consensus over one set recipe as there are far too many variables! I like George's idea of meeting up and everyone testing the same dish at the same time - I doubt it will ever happen though but it would make things alot easier

[Cory Ander]

even if a pukka chef was found, the same questions would still be raised

And hopefully answered by somebody who ACTUALLY knows from experience!

often we see posts from people who have had "their best results" when they've just made an adhoc curry in a hurry yet struggle to replicate that taste in subsequent curries lol possibly because they're trying too hard

Or they are no doubt so p*ssed that even their neighbour's retriever looks tantalisingly attractive to them 

How about some more ideas on "capturing" the interest of a pukka BIR chef?:

- We have over 30 restaurants listed in our "Highly Recommended Restaurants" section.  How about contacting them to see if they would be interested in advising us (perhaps for free advertising)?

- How about offering to install a web cam feed in their kitchen?

- How about asking someone like Kris Dhillon if she knows of a BIR that might be interested in helping us?  Or Pat Chapman?  Or Bruce Edwards?  Or the Guild of Bangladeshi Restaurateurs?

- How about asking your local favourite BIR if they would be interested?

I think we need to be far more creative than simply offering money (which has been touted before, with little success)

Oh, and we need leadership to actually make it happen!

There must be a million other ideas that people have?

[Cory Ander]

Now that sounds like a good idea, a really big banner!!

Hmmmm, I'm not sure if you're being facetious or not UB? 

SOMEBODY must have some original and creative ideas and the will to make it happen!? 

[976bar]

Is finding a resident BIR chef really the answer? I've travelled all over the UK with my work and have eaten in BIR restaurants from Cornwall to Inverness over many years and to be honest they all differ so much in each region.

So my question is, if we found a BIR chef say from Manchester, is he going to produce the same results as the BIR chef from my local down near Sandhurst?

We all have our own tastes and desires, so are we all ever going to achieve that BIR taste that we all have in our heads by putting our variations on paper so to speak on here? Whats to say your version of a Madras is going to be the same as mine? How do we compare who's is the best just by writing about it on here?

What I suggest is, and this would take some setting up by us all, is to hold a BIR Fare somewhere. A venue where all members and non members could attend, curries can be cooked by individuals if they want, all BIR restaurants could be written to inviting their chefs to come along and give demonstrations, advice, etc......

A bit like the Ideal Home Exhibition but on a much smaller scale. Members could finally meet up and discuss their ideas. You could even invite suppliers of spices, cooking equipment etc to attend where they could give some of their proceeds to the fare to help fund it. An entrance fee, also catering to bring in funding too?

Just a thought..........