Food

UK is best place to find wine from all over the world. French wine only in France and Italian wine only in Italy. Of course it's much cheaper but there you go

Ragu win last night.

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Phwoar look at that. I fucking LOVE oxtail. Must make some soon.

Leftovers tonight.

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#plategate

What dem sausages then?

Moar food tonight:

Appetizers:

• garlic brushed grissini with wrapped lardo
  
• crostini with salami, tomatoes, black olives and artichokes
  
• mixed duch gouda with dates
  
  

First:

• strozzapreti with butternut squash, peacans and gorgonzola
  
  

Main:

• roasted pork chops, with potatoes, red tropea onion and black olives
  
  

Dessert:

• strudel
  
  

I've been cooking, eating and drinking for 3 days straight. I'm not feeling so good..

ROUND PLATE LOVERS, there you go.

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a+++++++++++

Any good people/books to look at for veg curry options? Been making it up with limited success but I want to give my guts a rest and eat some pulses

dahl / lentil veg curry is a month-end staple in chez hell. prefer red lentils and make sure you rinse them for a good minute before banging them in a pot. delicious cold too.

also: patio furniture at the dinner table: worserer than square plates.

Fresh Flavours of India and New Tastes of India by Das Sreedharan. There are various other books by and involving him, too, but you can safely give those a miss, as they're not as good. These are South Indian curries. You can taste many of the book's recipes at RASA restaurants (go to RASA N16 for the only vegetarian place in the chain) if you want to try them out before buying, and the Sagar chain does very similar food.

I know I bang on about RASA all the time, but it was a total revelation to me when I found it and still is. The recipes are surprisingly simple (although you have to get used to some unusual ingredients at first, like drumsticks) and very different from North Indian curries, which I personally think aren't anywhere near as good.

very different from North Indian curries, which I personally think aren't anywhere near as good.

+1 to this. Tamarind, curry leaves and coconut plays a big part in making the South Indian curries tasty. Drumsticks are staple for sambar curry; Iv'e seen many shops in Tooting sell them cheap.

Also I hven't had anything better than Rasa yet in London and I am from south India.

+1 to this. Tamarind, curry leaves and coconut plays a big part in making the South Indian curries tasty.

My favourite food ever, and that which I most like to cook.

Drumsticks are staple for sambar curry; Iv'e seen many shops in Tooting sell them cheap.

Oh yes, I love sambar and often get a side order of it (it's normally only served alongside dosas).

You can also get drumsticks at Lajpur Foods in Cazenove Road, N16.

Also I haven't had anything better than Rasa yet in London and I am from south India.

Ha.

I'd love to cook more south Indian style stuff, my dearly beloved doesn't get on with coconut tho', so it's out for the most part... Will have to research some non-coconut dishes...

http://www.vegrecipesofindia.com/tomato-rasam-recipe-tomato-rasam/

Does anyone else brine chicken before roasting?
I've recently started doing for a day before roasting and makes a world of difference.

Lentil curry- any pointers? Never tried, but I have a huge bag of red lentils which have been on the shelf for a year or so.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/foodanddrink/recipes/5050514/Madhur-Jaffrey-picks-her-favourite-recipes-Madhurs-daily-dal.html

If I get time, makes a huge difference I agree, especially if you put some aromatics in the brine, few herbs, bay leaf, smashed garlic clove etc.

Not me, but it does seem to crop up a lot in US recipes and websites

Does it make a difference?

I'm blaming @Apone, six beef cheeks, an oxtail and three Italian sausages (made to my father-in-law's recipe by our local butcher)... I love ragu too much...

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PS The beef cheeks were only a quid a pair, had to be done...

Great recipe I've used to make lentil Dahl in the past

https://www.lfgss.com/comments/11755354/

So simple yet effective!