Stuff you've cooked/baked/made today

[Silly Car]

No photos but:

Lunch was pan fried gnocchi, chestnut mushrooms and garlic, liberally dosed with salt & pepper. A twist on garlic mushrooms on toast. A splash of double cream would have brought it together nicely but it was great without.

Dinner was a variation on this - https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/cru ... etable-pie - carrots, green beans and broccoli rather than suggested veg. The rest of the pack of chestnut shrooms ended up in it as well. Pastry was homemade and buttery goodness

[Noggin]

No photos but:

Lunch was pan fried gnocchi, chestnut mushrooms and garlic, liberally dosed with salt & pepper. A twist on garlic mushrooms on toast. A splash of double cream would have brought it together nicely but it was great without.

Dinner was a variation on this - https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/cru ... etable-pie - carrots, green beans and broccoli rather than suggested veg. The rest of the pack of chestnut shrooms ended up in it as well. Pastry was homemade and buttery goodness

Out of interest - do you make a pie base as well or just the top as the recipe (seems to) say? I always feel I should make the base too but whilst it's nice to eat, it's such a faff to cook well!!!

[Silly Car]

No photos but:

Lunch was pan fried gnocchi, chestnut mushrooms and garlic, liberally dosed with salt & pepper. A twist on garlic mushrooms on toast. A splash of double cream would have brought it together nicely but it was great without.

Dinner was a variation on this - https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/cru ... etable-pie - carrots, green beans and broccoli rather than suggested veg. The rest of the pack of chestnut shrooms ended up in it as well. Pastry was homemade and buttery goodness

Out of interest - do you make a pie base as well or just the top as the recipe (seems to) say? I always feel I should make the base too but whilst it's nice to eat, it's such a faff to cook well!!!

Just a top, for two reasons:

Too much filling for the pie plate I have
Didn’t make enough pastry to both top & bottom*


* yeah, I know I could have made more pastry

[Noggin]

I needed to bake some bread (hadn't bought any, none in the freezer!!) so, since the oven was on, I had a bit of a 'moment!! LOL


Made the 'simple' bread with a mix of multigrain flour and some whizzed up wholemeal (to make it a bit finer!!). Very different yeast reaction to last time - last time (just multigrain flour) it pretty much exploded, equally I suspect it was a bit warmer in the apartment last time!! LOL

Didn't look too bad and definitely tasted good





Whilst it was proving I thought I'd make a cake to share (there's a few people around and I think my favourite winter friend is back to sort out his new cafe!). But - didn't buy any eggs yesterday

Gingernut biscuits don't need any eggs Although I think I squished them a bit too much pre cook but they taste alright




Had a look for something else that doesn't need eggs (oven was on, so I just did more!!). Anyway. Been meaning to do Viennese Whirls for ages now so I've made the biscuits. They are too big, lesson learned for next time!! But I've just got to make the icing and sort the jam and I'll put them together tomorrow

[Noggin]

Completed the Viennese Whirls -

[KungFooBob]

I think I'll put a little less lime juice in the next one.

[Noggin]

I made brownies (well last night). They are very popular I forgot to take a photo

[Noggin]

Not something I've baked but not sure where else on this place to ask (fear of seeming like I should go find Mumsnet - even though I'm not a mum!! )

I'm about to get some proper native actual Madagascan vanilla pods. I must use vanilla in some stuff, but not my 'normal' baking.

What would you use this in??

(My boss' wife is Madagascan and they were there in the summer and brought some vanilla back for me )

[Count Steer]

Not something I've baked but not sure where else on this place to ask (fear of seeming like I should go find Mumsnet - even though I'm not a mum!! )

I'm about to get some proper native actual Madagascan vanilla pods. I must use vanilla in some stuff, but not my 'normal' baking.

What would you use this in??

(My boss' wife is Madagascan and they were there in the summer and brought some vanilla back for me )

Stuff a pod in a jar of sugar and make vanilla sugar to use in baking.

Scrape the seeds out and put 'em in custard.

[Silly Car]

I fried / griddled a couple of duck breasts last night, dutifully pouring off the rendered fat as I went along. Skin side was toasty brown and crisp before I turned them over, checked and checked them to time them touch.

Rested than for a good 10 mins, they were perfect pink on the inside and tough as old boots

The only thing I think I got wrong in terms of turning them into boot leather was putting a lid on the pan (to save duck fat spraying the entire kitchen) and they have steamed as well and being grilled which has toughened them up, that or they’ve been languishing in the old man’s freezer for longer than necessary. I wouldn’t put the latter past him!

[Count Steer]

I fried / griddled a couple of duck breasts last night, dutifully pouring off the rendered fat as I went along. Skin side was toasty brown and crisp before I turned them over, checked and checked them to time them touch.

Rested than for a good 10 mins, they were perfect pink on the inside and tough as old boots

The only thing I think I got wrong in terms of turning them into boot leather was putting a lid on the pan (to save duck fat spraying the entire kitchen) and they have steamed as well and being grilled which has toughened them up, that or they’ve been languishing in the old man’s freezer for longer than necessary. I wouldn’t put the latter past him!

Dunno, never used frozen ones but I did do a starter where I fried them on the skin side x mins then flipped them over for x/2 mins, stripped the skin off cut it into matchsticks and popped the matchsticks in the oven while the duck rested and I made a sauce that involved ginger wine and finely chopped shallot. Then sliced the breasts, poured a drizzle of sauce on and sprinkled with the crispy matchsticks and served with a small salad.

It was but I don't know where the recipe is

[JackyJoll]

Roast pork with oatmeal stuffing stuffed in under the skin.
Asparagus baked in fat from the pork.
Small spuds boiled, then deep fried.
Gravy, from the pork.

It turned out well.

[Noggin]

My Madagascan vanilla pods arrived

So, now have to find some 70% proof vodka (or rum!) to soak some in to make vanilla essence. I've currently got them stored in a glass jar

Will probably make some viennese fingers later. Sad thing is that I rarely make stuff that uses vanilla, so next time I go to mates for dinner I'm going to make a pudding so that I can take homemade custard!!

[Mr. Dazzle]

Is there any particular reason you're making your own essence* rather than buying it, besides just wanting to do it for the sake?

Fresh vanilla custard though. *Chef's Kiss*. Creme Anglais where you are of course

*That could definitely sound wrong

[Count Steer]

Is there any particular reason you're making your own essence* rather than buying it, besides just wanting to do it for the sake?

Err, because she's been given (jammy blighter) some of the best vanilla pods on the planet?

[Mr. Dazzle]

Yeah but she said that all the way up there ^

[Count Steer]

Yeah but she said that all the way up there ^

Yes. Noggin also asked what to do with them all the way up there ^ I suggested custard and vanilla sugar. Clearly there's more than enough so why not make genuine essence? I'm more than happy if she wants to send the spares here of course.

[Noggin]

Is there any particular reason you're making your own essence* rather than buying it, besides just wanting to do it for the sake?

Fresh vanilla custard though. *Chef's Kiss*. Creme Anglais where you are of course

*That could definitely sound wrong

As CS says, I've been given quite a lot of pods!!! I don't use vanilla essence very often, don't really make things that ask for it (but might have to start now!) so it's more a case of - will home made essence taste/last better. General concensus is yes!

Same as not using vanilla essence much, I don't use vanilla sugar either, so not sure it's worth adding pods to that, but I might

I do think I'll try and get some half decent rum and stick some pods in that cos a friend here let me try some he'd made (with madagascan pods from his travels!) and it was blooming lovely!!

[Count Steer]

Is there any particular reason you're making your own essence* rather than buying it, besides just wanting to do it for the sake?

Fresh vanilla custard though. *Chef's Kiss*. Creme Anglais where you are of course

*That could definitely sound wrong

As CS says, I've been given quite a lot of pods!!! I don't use vanilla essence very often, don't really make things that ask for it (but might have to start now!) so it's more a case of - will home made essence taste/last better. General concensus is yes!

Same as not using vanilla essence much, I don't use vanilla sugar either, so not sure it's worth adding pods to that, but I might

I do think I'll try and get some half decent rum and stick some pods in that cos a friend here let me try some he'd made (with madagascan pods from his travels!) and it was blooming lovely!!

Just use vanilla sugar in your usual cakes/biscuits whatever. It gives a certain je ne sais quois. A pod in a jar of sugar will just sit there for a looooong time and just add aroma.

Really though, the raison d'être of vanilla is....custard!!!!! (Oh yeah...and ice cream).

[Noggin]

Is there any particular reason you're making your own essence* rather than buying it, besides just wanting to do it for the sake?

Fresh vanilla custard though. *Chef's Kiss*. Creme Anglais where you are of course

*That could definitely sound wrong

As CS says, I've been given quite a lot of pods!!! I don't use vanilla essence very often, don't really make things that ask for it (but might have to start now!) so it's more a case of - will home made essence taste/last better. General concensus is yes!

Same as not using vanilla essence much, I don't use vanilla sugar either, so not sure it's worth adding pods to that, but I might

I do think I'll try and get some half decent rum and stick some pods in that cos a friend here let me try some he'd made (with madagascan pods from his travels!) and it was blooming lovely!!

Just use vanilla sugar in your usual cakes/biscuits whatever. It gives a certain je ne sais quois. A pod in a jar of sugar will just sit there for a looooong time and just add aroma.

Really though, the raison d'être of vanilla is....custard!!!!! (Oh yeah...and ice cream).

I will add a pod to the sugar jar!! LOL

I do so love both custard and ice cream, but cos I rarely cook for more than one, I never bother making either!!! Might have to do an early christmas dinner when my nephew is over - I've made the puds, so I will have an excuse to make custard