For the easy quick win Coopers beer kits.

From those learn and explore and adapt.

I make my own wines, ciders and ales.




Not quite got the space to go all grain yet, but I do malt extract recipes.
1 of my favourites is:
2kg extra light dried malt + 200g Cyrstal malt
25g Challenger & 15g EKG @ 60 minute boil
25g Challenger & 25g EKG @ 20 minutes
30g EKG at flame out & 25g of fresh elderflowers - steep for 20-30 minutes
add 1lb of honey and crytstal to 4l of water and mash at 65-70c for 30 mins
SA-04 ale yeast

Prime with 80g of honey

My very own Waggledance clone

That is right on my doorstep (2 miles away from my door), although I have heard many good reports about Cosmo, i'm still yet to dine there.
I have been at the Bently Bridge shopping area when they are cooking during the afternoon and 'the smell' when they fry off the spices is unmistakable.. I have often commented to the mrs .... 'mmmmm smell that, they are making tonights base'

That is quite a menu for 30 quid.... is it like a wing wah style buffet?

I worked a bar for some years and that alone can be long, hard and tireing hours. As much as i'm enjoying cooking and watching my guests enjoy the food, I think doing those sort of hours in a kitchen would not be worth the payback.....unless ....

.... you take a back seat as such.
To be successful you would first need to establish yourself and premisis as a good food place, and then hand over the reigns to a number of chefs who will come and go / work alternative nights and share your skills and knowledge with them while acting as a back seat manager.

You would of course be fronting the house then, meeting and greeting and getting to know your regulars and maybe rolling up your sleeves to cook the specialities.

My nans dont give me huge blisters but they are still light and airy, cooked on a tawa on gas hob.




INGREDIENTS:

2 cup plain flour
1 cup self rising flour
0.5 Tsp of bread yeast
1 egg
1 Tsp salt
0.5 Tsp baking powder
2 Tbsp sugar
1/2 cupl warm water
1/2 cup milk
vegetable oil

I use both yeast and baking powder in mine and I can't taste the yeast.
Being a home brewer, I have a distinct pallete that can taste a yeasty flavour from afar, and can tell differences of yeasts used in beers as each strain of yeast offers different flavours in the finished product.
I have used Tesco's bread yeast mostly, but last week I had ran out and used a good pinch of my Youngs wine yeast with no off flavours.

Next time I make a brew up I might try using a bit of the beer slurry for the yeast input and see how that fairs.

Quote from: George on November 03, 2011, 01:01 AM
I think the yellow CTMs look awful and totally non-authentic, even if they taste brilliant.


I've probably mentioned my opinion on recipe changes many times before, like leaving out X, altering Y, and adding Z. I think it's pure psychology, like leaving one's mark (as a dog marks a lamp post) or in the belief you've invented something new. People try to  justify such changes, for example by saying they don't like coconut or something. It's irrational. Would you ask a BIR for the ingredients in their CTM and then ask them to change the recipe, just for you?

I really cant see the purpose of adding a colouring just so it looks authentic, maybe if I was serving it to guests I would consider it, but its non value added imo.

I changed the recipe I use to suit the taste of myself and wife.
I found this original recipe a little bit overpowering with the coconut and almond taste compared to my usual T.A / Restaurant CTM, I ommitted honey because I felt it doesn't need it. I have added the odd tsp of sugar when my base hasn't quite hit the sweetness level, but thats just cooking by taste.
I upped the amount of methi because I like the flavour.
The change in the pre cooked chicken was because the new recipe delivered a simpler, healthier and flavoursome tika.
Its still a CTM, just my adaption of the origonal recipe.

I certainly wouldnt ask a restaurant to change how they cook their dishes, but I do have prefered restaurants for specific dishes, as a dish will taste slightly different from 1 restaurant to the next. Maybe they have different recipes too  :-X

I do like a rib eye for the sweet flavour, but it has to be cooked hard and fast.

My cheap cut also allowed me to share it and get my kids appreciating the medium rare style (which they loved)

My sister in law uses my Tika Masala recipe to the letter and all her fam cant get enough of it.
4 people at work have asked for the recipe and I know at least 1 has used it.
Last week 4 people asked for my onion bahji recipe after tasting some I took in to work.

Better than all that, the wife is cooking more home made food now rather than doing the freezer to oven style of cooking, she must feel outdone by my skillz

I just cooked myself a cheap cut of steak and it was one of the best I have had ever.
Morisons 'beefsteak', had a nice marbling and about 3/4" thick. ?2.46
Seasoned with salt, black pepper and garlic granules and fried, after I fried the onions, for 1.5 mins per side, seasoning the second side just before I flipped it.
Served with onions and 'double cooked'  chips, fried in lard.... it was awesome.

Now, I have had sirloin, t-bone, fillet and rib eye before and I can honestly say that this was as good as any of those in terms of flavour, tenderness and juicyness.

I cant be done with additional sauces, if its cooked right its served in its own sauce 

So whats your prefered cut and style?