OK BB,
Will post a bitter recipe which is simple using a few basic ingredients and equipment.
This recipe is my copy of Fuller's London Pride and will post when I get home from work tonight.
In the meantime, you will need to find the following if possible:

New fermenting bin, (must be new as old ones hold bacteria)
2 boilers one that will hold 5 gallons of water anbd the other up to 3 gallons, I use Baby Burco boilers which you can find in car boot sales etc.
A 2 gallon white plastic bucket no lid needed.
Large spoon/ladle, (should be easy to find).
Length of food grade plastic tube with a small water rose fitted to end.

With these basics you will be able to brew any type of beer you want.
The Baby Burcos are the ideal boilers but you can get away with very large saucepans.
Dont be put off by the list as I can even give you a recipe and method using a vacuum flask to maje small quantities !!
All the recipes are guaranteed, (if you follow them), to produce award winning beers that are tried and proved by me in competions across the country.

TC

Have to say guys, this would probably be the last thing I'd want.
These types of kits have been around the homebrewing world for a long time and none have yet made anything close to beer or lager you buy.
Even the wet kits, those that come in a tin and are boiled up to make 5 gallons are poor and have the kit tang associated with them.
To make a decent beer or lager you have to make it as the brewerys do, that is to mash, sparge and ferment.
Far better then to have a go at this than to be dissapointed at the poor quality you will certainly get, a bit like BIR really, make as the experts do.
Trust me on this one, it's something I know about.
I can supply recipes and methods if you need them from strong continental lagers, traditional ales to stouts, all will make exceptional quality beers as long as you follow some simple rules and methods.
TC

This has got to be the best curry site anywhere and I for one can now produce superb curries I thought were not possible just a few months ago.
The expertise and knowledge here must not be lost into the ether as I've seen with other sites concentrating on other themes.
The old saying goes,
"If it aint broke, dont fix it" !!
How apt to this site that is.
TC

Hi CA,
The ? stands for half, as in half to one teaspoon cayenne pepper and half teaspoon ground fenugreek.

Printed below is a copy and paste of the original message from the site:


Re: An amazing curry recipe.
05 Aug 2007 08:38
This curry recipe was shown to me by a friend of mine who's a chef in an indian takeaway restaurant. Anyone who enjoys indian takeaways should try it, it tastes just the same, only better!

For 4 people:-

Thinly slice 3 onions, place in a saucepan and cover with about 1cm water. Bring to the boil then simmer for 30-40 mins.

Meanwhile, peel the cloves from an entire head of garlic, and place in a blender, then add approximately the same amount of peeled fresh ginger.

When the onions are cooked, add to the blender along with a tbsp of tomato puree, a tsp of tumeric and 1/2 tsp paprika. Blend for about two minutes until entirely smooth. Return to the pan and simmer for about 15 mins. At this stage the sauce can be refridgerated or frozen for later use if you wish.

Cut 4 chicken breasts into bite-sized pieced. Add about 2 tbsp vegetable oil to a frying pan on a medium heat, then add about 2 tbsp of the curry sauce (it will spit!) and cook briefly until it starts to darken. Then add the chicken breast and 1 tsp tumeric, and fry for a couple of minutes until the meat is sealed. At this stage, add vegetables of your choice such as pepper and onion, and stir-fry until softened. Then stir in 1 tbsp garam masala, 1/2-1tsp ground cayenne pepper (depending on how hot you like it), 2 tsp ground cumin and 1/2 tsp ground fenugreek (I've left this out before and it's fine), and 1 tsp salt.
Add the curry sauce and bring to simmering point, then add a large handful of fresh, chopped coriander. Simmer for 10-15 minutes. Serve with steamed white rice, with more coriander sprinkled over.

This tastes better if you allow the flavours to develop overnight. I've also found that you sometimes need to add more cumin or garam masala depending on the quality and freshness of the spices you use.

TC

Sorry for asking what should be an obvious question.
When you reach stage 4 and just to make a base, how long do you boil/simmer for?
TC

Here's a photo after I had got to work with a stick blender, it's much more like a thin gravy now.
Added ? pint chicken stock and simmered for a further 45 minutes, the oil certainly has come to the top now.
Made the Madras recope as given and apart from being a tad dry it tasted brilliant, the best I've ever made.
Thanks guys.
TC

Should also ask,
can I put this through the food processor again and re-simmer?
TC

Thanks CA and everyone,
Looks like it's back to the drawing board for me.
Sorry about the size of the pic, just been shown how to resize in future.
Should I throw this base away and start again or can I still use it tonight?
Hope you dont mind all the questions.
TC

Hi Guys,
here's a pic of the base I made last night.
Is it too thick?
What about the colour?
Appreciate and comments.
TC

Edit: Resized it for easier viewing 

Thanks Dom,
Am I right therefor to assume 250 mls would be the right amount for a single
curry or do I use 2? times the 250 mls?
Sorry if I sound thick but going to make a madras tonight once I work out how to pre-cook the chicken.
TC