Published on 12, July, 2020
I love to cook, I think I'm going to be spending the next few days making pickled onions and chutney as I've just cleared all the tomato plants from the garden and have loads of half rip ones.
I took a Yottam Ottalengi recipe book out of the library yesterday, I started drooling almost as soon as I started looking at it, unfortunately I think you need at least 6 people to feed as nearly all of it can't really be frozen and it dosen't look like you could realistically make smaller amounts.
I've started baking again too, I love baking, but I don't have a very sweet tooth and I crap at all the fancy icing and stuff, still no reason for not making a lovely moist apple cake, or a light carrot cake.
I honed my cookery skills, after learning the basics from my Mum, after the discover of the late great Keith Floyd, not only was he an amazing chef, but was the first to take cooking out of a studio kitchen and into the field, quite literally. I just put on BBC 2 quite randomly and there he was, it was from watching him that I learnt the importance of a good stock, to deglaze a pan and so many other things, how brilliant British produce is. I think you can still watch his programs online
I like Bake Off as it's fun and Masterchef, although I'd love to know where these people get their ingredients from? It must be great to have a good market on your doorstep and to be able to afford the stuff. I liked Nigel Slater going round the Levant, I love Middle Eastern food, but it's hard to get round here, everythings South East Asian inspired right now and I really don't like it, it's just a collection of flavours and ingredients that just don't do it for me and I can't be near anything with Jasmine in it as it gives me a sick headache, monosodium glutimate as it makes me really ill and sweet and sour which brings on instant projectile vomitting.
I've just made a load of red and green tomato chutney to my own recipe, it has sherry vinegar and Chinese 5 spice and is really different and more-ish, goes well with cheese on toast. Tonights dinner will be a quick and easy Thai Red Curry, in bowls on our laps whilst we watch Strictly.
I'm going to have to make a trip to Bangor for supplies early next week, it seems there are no whole dried chillis on the island, loads of crushed, flakes and ground ones, but no whole ones for popping into a jar of pickled onions.
If I ever move to Wales, then you're on! I totally agree. about skill swapping.
If I cut some the recipes in half then I'd be roasting a quarter of a butternut squash or something and it's just not worth the effort of the electricity. I often scale recipes up or down, I'v enever understood how people who can confidently cook a roast dinner for example for 4 freak out at cooking one for 8 or 12, you just double or triple the ingredients.
I used to make lots of pies, but not so much anymore as I don't eat meat or fish and Mum finds to much pastry upsets her tummy. My best invention has been leek, mushroom and chestnut pasties.
It's lucky that I enjoy cooking as there are so many things I can't eat, I do wish I had better access to more food shops, I don't like buying online, the delivery is expensive and I like to see what I'm getting.
I'd happilly cook for you Mark, if you sorted my tech problems, I love skill swapping, I think there should be more of it.
I love cooking I have a few cookery books and i experiment with food. I have made pies chicken and vegetable and I made the mixture just right and I have also made a mince beef and onion pie again turned out extremely well.
I love cooking. I find it really relaxes me, at the end of the day I will go in the kitchen, put some nice music on, pour a glass of wine and just spend an hour or so messing around with ingredients. My speciality is paella. I do make a nice cottage pie though. I recently learned to make Moussaka for the first time from a Rick Stein recipie. I tend to use him and the Hairy Bikers mostly.
Do you ever watch cooking shows on TV? I find them very relaxing, especailly the ones where there is some travel on there too.
I don't bake much but my wife is an amazing baker
I wish that I enjoyed cooking. I just can't seem to get the enthusiasm.
I wish that people could pool together and provide food for 6 people (like that recipe), and I would help with computer problems. A bit like a mini-village.
I do like baked stuff like cakes. They don't like me much, though.
I saw that you like bake off. I've liked the occasional episode that I've caught by accident. I really want to watch the Fern Brady episode but keep forgetting. My wife is now finally reading her autobiography, so maybe I can drum up some joint interest.
I love making high flavour low time food. I'm so relieved that I'm not picky. I love food of all kinds from fresh and cool to the spicier end of the spectrum.
I'm a professionaly trained chef. After using this training to work in the food service industry for five years, I became a Culinary Arts instructor and taught Culinary Arts for 15 years.
In terms of the Yottam Ottalengi recipe book or any cookbook for that matter, you could scale down the recipes by cutting all ingredients in half.