Quote from: guitarmanguitar on November 04, 2010, 10:44 AMAnyone got any pictures of what a desert spoon looks like please?

I was about to take and post a photograph when I realised there must be hundreds of them on Ebay.  Will this suffice : http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Six-Desert-Spoons-B-JS-Ltd-Very-old-EPNS-/300485573219?pt=UK_Home_Garden_Kitchen_Cutlery_PP&hash=item45f655fa63, or do you need more detail ?  They hold about 10ml, or two teaspoonsful, by the way.

** Phil.

Quote from: Secret Santa on November 03, 2010, 11:32 PM
Yeah I was (and still am) being lazy. I can research curry for hours but pizza I just want to eat.

In that case, I would strongly recommend avoiding the big pizza chains like the plague, finding yourself a nice little family-run Italian place that specialises in authentic Italian pizzas, and going there whenever the urge takes you !

** Phil.

Quote from: Secret Santa on November 03, 2010, 07:39 PM
If you're saying that I should knock the dough up myself well that's exactly what I was asking for...instructions/tips for making a good dough to get a floppy base. I wouldn't touch the premade pizza bases.

SS, I would be absolutely staggered if JerryM's link (http://www.varasanos.com/PizzaRecipe.htm) did not contain not only everything you could possibly need to know, but probably a great deal more besides !

** Phil.

Quote from: JerryM on November 02, 2010, 07:40 PM
for anyone wanting a quick guide to proper pizza the pizza forum put me onto this site:

http://www.varasanos.com/PizzaRecipe.htm

OMG : I thought we were a bit obsessive, trying to re-create the authentic BIR flavour, but I never thought I'd ever read quite so much on pizza in just one place.  I started reading about 1H30 ago, and my scroll bar is still only about 1/5 of the way down.  It's a truly amazing document, and may well improve my bread-making technique as a side-effect !

Quote from: chinois on October 31, 2010, 08:24 PMMy butcher (well, the guy in the turkish 24 hour cornershop who mans the meat counter) gave me a sheep's heart for free the other day - he said he wanted to show me the love! I didnt get round to cooking it and it went off

You missed out on a great experience.  If you get another opportunity, give the heart(s) a good clean, cut them carefully to create two or three large chambers, and fill these with pre-mixed sage-and-onion stuffing, then either braise in Madeira sauce or roast in a not-too-hot oven (otherwise they will shrink and go hard).  They are truly delicious, very inexpensive, and feature regularly on our menu at home.

** Phil.

Quote from: George on October 31, 2010, 06:29 PM
I'm going to ask for my money back on those two packs - they were that bad.  It says on the pack to phone 0845 if you're not 100% satisfied. I'm not even 10% satisfied.

I wish I could get my money back when one of my home-made curries doesn't turn out right !

Quote from: George on October 31, 2010, 06:29 PM
I find it hard to believe, though, that they can have different mixes/recipes of sweet potato dhansak, or anything else, within a few feet of each other.

As Commis says, it is probable that the original message was about the curries that are served loose from the delicatessen counter; these do seem better than the pre-packaged  ones, in my experience.

** Phil.

I think you'll find that the original report was based on Asda's bulk curries, George,  rather than their pre-packed ones; whilst I would never suggest that they are as good as a decent BIR, the bulk ones are not too bad, particularly if you are willing to respice them once you get them home.  I did try a Lidl curry once, when  it was on special offer; probably much the same quality as an Asda bulk curry.

** Phil.

Quote from: Ghoulie on October 29, 2010, 02:43 PMmy doctor recommended recently a daily intake of a teaspoon of olive oil - preferably extra virgin

A famous chef (Raymond Blanc, I think), in a television series earlier this year, asked an olive oil producer what is the difference is between "Extra virgin" and "Virgin" olive oil; the reply was : "You pay twice as much for the extra virgin" !

Quote from: chriswg on October 29, 2010, 02:11 PMWe should do a mini 'come dine with me' one day. Axe is only down in Sussex so might be able to come too.

Seconded !

** Phil (TN12, also not far from Sussex).

Quote from: solarsplace on October 29, 2010, 01:55 PMYour rice looks lovely

Thank you    All I do is drop a couple of drops of red, yellow & green liquid food colouring in a big triangle so that the drops are as far from each other as possible (to keep the colours pure),  leave it to rest in a warm oven until I need it, then gently lift the rice up to distribute the coloured grains evenly amongst the others.  Sadly although that particular rice looks nice, it was distinctly lacking in flavour : I shall have to try harder next time !