Topic: Can We Vote or Something?

[TasteTester]

Holy cow, the baby just erased everything brilliant I had to say!

[Razor]

Holy cow, the baby just erased everything brilliant I had to say!

Kids, don't ya just luv em?  ;D

[George]

That above all things deters me from metric recipes. I don't have a scale in my kitchen, and I think it would be very inconvenient to weigh the ingredients. So, I am hoping you are talking volume, not actual weight.

I fear that is like someone asking how to carry out basic repairs on a car and then saying they don't have any spanners or screwdrivers and it would be inconvenient to use them. Kitchen scales are about as essential as it gets, if you have the slightest interest in cooking anything.

[TasteTester]

No, no, no, George. In the US nobody uses kitchen scales. There are recipe people and there are taste-as-you-go people. Neither use scales here.

Every other year, American kids get a chapter in metrics, and delusional school officials think that because the kids pass the quiz at the end of the unit, they won't be total retards in the scientific world or abroad. We still go to Mexico and Canada, get pulled over for driving too fast and pretend not to know that the posted speed signs were in kilometers. Or whatever they are in.

Anyway, I remember from 9th grade science that we use some units measurement to measure volume, even though they sound like they measure weight. I think the units are obtained based on the weight and volume of water. For example, there are little lines on my measuring cup that measure ounces. Eight ounces of water in volume would probably equal eight ounces of water in weight (assuming that's the standard used), but fill that measuring cup with gold to the 8 oz line, and you will have more gold in weight than you ought (That's the kind of system I want my gold dealers to use. I'd like to be so fortunate that they do not weigh but rather measure in volume.... That would be awesome).

In the US when a recipe calls for so many ounces of something, they're speaking in terms of volume. If you need two pounds of meat, however, you just eyeball it. I don't know anyone who uses kitchen scales.

Also, I don't think I knew until I was , like, 24 that cilantro and coriander were the same thing. My husband just found out last week because I planted some. As far as I can guess, cilantro is the fresh herb (we have a lot of Mexican food here), and coriander refers to the seed.

Isn't language fun?

[trucker5774]

Hi TT,

First piece of advice, which ever measurement you decide to go with, be it Metric or Imperial, stick with it (I know that you know this).  Because most of us on the forum are Brits, metric will be the measurement of choice I'm afraid.

As for choosing a base, I really wouldn't get too hung up about it.  Plenty of onions, minimal spicing, that for me seems the way forward.  Make enough so you can freeze it in individual portions of about 300ml or 0.634 012 925 66 pint US Pints ;D

As for voting for a best base recipe, we have chatted about this in the past and I think that we agreed that it would be quite difficult to attain which would be the best.  The trouble is, In Britain, we have such variation from region to region, a bit like our accents.  It can really change from town to town.  What may be great for Mancunian curry eaters, could be utter rubbish for our Glaswegian cousins, and so, a conclusion is a mere pipedream.

We have however, set up a panel of "recipe testers" whereby we pick something simple every couple of months, such as Onion bhaji for example.  We pick 5 or 6 recipes and 5 or 6 of us road test them, and see what, in our opinion, delivers the best in, taste, ease to make, cost and texture.  You may want to keep an eye out for this but I think we're a very long way off from doing bases and mains.

Ray

P.S, Here's my base http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/curry/index.php?topic=4596.0  ;D ;D ;D lol

/quote]

I love the conversion to imperial (American) but converted in metric still (decimals, not fractions)

[George]

In the US nobody uses kitchen scales. There are recipe people and there are taste-as-you-go people. Neither use scales here.

Your account is interesting. I was aware that cup measures are used a lot more in the USA but I don't realise that weighed measures are little-used and that kitchen scales are nowhere to be seen.

[TasteTester]

Oh wait... Dieters who count calories use kitchen scales for meat. And for some reason, I see in my mind's eye MidWestern housewives 50yrs+ using them. But  I attribute all kinds of things to Midwesterners. I can't help it. They talk funny.

[Razor]

I can't help it. They talk funny.

Bit like our Scousers ;D ;D ;D

[trucker5774]

I can't help it. They talk funny.

Bit like our Scousers ;D ;D ;D

Oi!! We don't sound as funny as Mancs,  Laar

[Peripatetic Phil]

Oi!! We don't sound as funny as Mancs,  Laar

Her Gracious Majesty is the only person who still speaks properly in this country; even her grandchildren sound as if they attended finishing school in Sarfend rather than Montreux, more's the pity