What's Cookin' ?

[Kevin Farnell]

Following on from F4A's successful threads regarding alcohol and barbecues, I've long been wondering about peoples favourite meals, recipes, restaurants etc.

To get the ball rolling, apparently Wednesday 2 December is 'English Breakfast Day'. I love a full English breakfast (for me, if it doesn't have black pudding, it's NOT a 'full English breakfast'), but realise it would be very unhealthy to eat on a daily basis.
It's a shame that the day falls on a Wednesday, as I'm sure most would agree that the best time to enjoy a full English, is around 11am on a Sunday following a good Saturday night out.
Will anyone else be celebrating this event (even if at the weekend)?

If you have any food related comments, whether memorable or favourite meals, favourite retardants or recipes or any other food related topic, please post below.

Kevin

 

[TheLocalYokel]

I've never been a big breakfast eater (I'm not a 'morning person'). I usually have muesli, yoghurt, an apple or banana and fruit juice for breakfast at home. Sometimes I have another cereal instead of muesli. I don't have a cup of tea (mug actually) until we have our light lunch - we always have our main meal at teatime, or in the evening if having people round for eats or if we are going out ourselves to find a trough. I never drink coffee as I don't like the taste. When on holiday I will have a cooked breakfast but in all honesty it never bothers me if I don't.

Outside of breakfast I'm a big eater and have to exercise a lot to keep my weight within my BMI, although I've been told in the past by my GP not to worry too much about being slightly above as the BMI thing is a general guide.

I'm not a fan of what I call fancy food. My preference is for plain, wholesome and filling nosh. This week at home for example we've had fish and chips, sausage and mash, Cornish pasty, chicken curry and steak/ale pie, all with a lot of vegetables apart from the curry. I always like a pudding - my wife doesn't usually bother - but she makes lovely crumbles and bread puddings and one of her specialities is a Devon apple cake made from a wartime recipe.

When we go out to a pub or restaurant for a meal I will usually have something like a mixed grill, gammon or steak and ale pie or sometimes a fish dish. We also enjoy going to Indian restaurants from time to time. I like Chinese food too but my wife isn't so keen so we haven't been to a Chinese restaurant for a while. If not driving I like wine with my meal. I'm not one who has to have a certain wine with a certain type of food. I have the wine I like.

 

[JENNYJET]

I cannot go with cooked anything until late in the day and heart disease on a plate is not for me, sorry Kevin. When I do cook anything it has to be special to myself and my boring Rice and Peas is my heaven. Any rice will do but black rice coated in Naga chilli infused Olive Oil is quite explosive on the palate, cooked with both Kidney Beans and Black Eyed Beans and finished with Walnut Oil. Strictly no aromatics i.e. No onions or Garlic ( allergic to both ) but fair enough to taste if you prefer and is original to Carribean recipe. I add tuna but other fish may be used. A strong cold beer to wash down and cool the tongue. The recipe has infinate variations so personalisation is key here.

 

[Scottie Dog]

Firstly many thanks for the thread -splendid idea.

Secondly - TLY, could you share your wife's apple pie recipe?

I must admit to being a morning person and will always start with orange juice - whilst taking a mug of tea to a certain lady who will, of course, still be in bed. Then it'll be, if at home, either cereal with fruit or failing that then I enjoy porridge. This will then be followed by a slice of toast with butter and marmalade. Put me in a holiday situation, where I am not doing the cooking and then it's the full monty - bacon, sausage, black pudding, hash browns, fried bread, baked beans and either fried or scrambled eggs, plus of course a couple of rounds of buttered toast.

Now to a very serious question. I your evening meal tea, supper or dinner? We often debate this question and, to me, it will always be dinner as one has lunch at lunchtime.

I tend to be the one who does our catering and the meals are fairly basic, but I do like to use fresh ingredients where possible, although I will have some meat in the freezer. I dabble in a little baking of bread and the result is acceptable, but will never win any 'master class'.

Anyway it's now time for a fresh cup of filtered coffee - the pot is refreshed at the start of each day and will provide me with a minimum of four full mugs during the day. Where would I be without my coffee? Mrs Scottie Dog prefers english tea, and then either camomile or a Dark Chocolate Ginger Biscuit Flavoured infusion from Ringtons.

 

[JENNYJET]

Scottie Dog, your query regarding Evening Meal, I do not give it a name as it is not an occasion and I do not dress for it, not in 21st century. I most certainly do not clock watch, I eat when I want and when is anytime the need grabs me but in evening, I much prefer it to be dark outside and winter is wonderful. I also tend to graze in daytime nuts, banana and cookies. Oh, and lots of strong black coffee.

 

[Scottie Dog]

JennyJet - the specific time for an evening meal is, nowadays, immaterial as we are both retired. The evening meal does tend to be prepared between about 5.30 and 6 and then eaten roughly 30 minutes later - certainly in the winter. Then it's time to settle down to watch the early evening news. And yes,I do also have the habit of grazing during the day and I have a craving for biscuits.

 

[JENNYJET]

It is more like 9 or 10 pm before I think about the big meal and it is timed to be followed by going to bed. I slow cook, food tastes better if not rushed and I hate standing by the cooker so the slow cooker is my device of choice or simple sandwiches. Peggy also eats at will so her food bowl is always full or replenished with fresh offerings!

 

[Kevin Farnell]

Thanks for your replies.

Like TLY and Jennyjet, I've never been a breakfast eater, often skipping it and getting a coffee and biscuits at work. The times I do like a breakfast, is when on holiday. Another example from a few years back was with an ex-girlfriend. She lodged with one of my colleagues, so I would be there at weekends. My colleagues boyfriend would also be there and we'd often get a movie and a take-away on the Saturday night. On Sunday we would cook a full English which would be ready around 11am.
As a Chemist (Chemistry not Pharmacy), I enjoy cooking. It is basically the same principles - weighing/measuring, heating, stirring etc. Although I would never put anything I'd made in the lab in my mouth. I find cooking therapeutic, but being 6ft3in tall work surfaces are far too low for me and it's not long before my back starts aching (not helped by an old footballing injury).

As for Scottie Dog's tea/dinner/supper question, this must be getting close to the Devon/Cornwall scones then jam or clotted cream first? debate.
I believe that tea for evening meal is a northern thing although I would say that dinner is the correct term. For me being from the north West Midlands, 'tea' and 'dinner' were interchangeable and sometimes we would refer school lunch as 'dinner time'. Very confusing. I do remember as a kid, asking my Mom 'what's for tea', referring to the evening meal. The only one that was set in stone was supper which referred to a late night snack such as cheese and biscuits.

I enjoy most foods (traditional British, Indian, Chinese, Thai, Mexican etc), but there are a few things that I totally dislike. These being celery, coconut (although I like coconut milk/cream) and anything with almonds especially marzipan and frangipane.

Kevin

 

[TheLocalYokel]

I grew up in rural Somerset and the middle-of-the-day meal was always dinner, the teatime meal tea and the late night one supper.

We still call the teatime meal tea, even when as in our case it's the main meal of the day. We don't use the term supper because when at home we don't really have it. I usually have a mug of tea and a biscuit or two around 9pm but my wife has nothing then most of the time. The only difference from my boyhood is that we call the middle-of-the-day light meal lunch instead of dinner.

If we are going out to a restaurant for a meal in the evening, either on our own or with friends, we never say we are going out to dinner. We say we are going out for a meal.

I wonder if it's a class thing. Having grown up in a working-class home (is it PC to say working-class these days?), as I grew into my teens I came to believe that having dinner in the evening was something that the posh people did. Then again I've never used the term loo. It's always the toilet or the lavatory (that's when I'm not using less delicate words for the small room). Mrs Yokel does sometimes say loo though.

 

[thunderchild]

I must admit I’m partial to a full English now and again, personally I substitute the black pudding for a Staffordshire oatcake though. Our local farm shop do the most amazing breakfasts.

I’m a fan of most cuisines, Italian, Greek, Chinese, Indian, Thai etc - as long as it’s not overly spicy.

I found a recipe for Jambalaya which I’m going to have a go at this weekend.

 

[Aviador]

Great idea for a thread @Kevin Farnell especially through the quieter winter months as we navigate through the Covid pandemic.

I do enjoy a Full English Breakfast but my version of a "full" English Breakfast is minus the Black Pudding. I've never actually tried it, but the thought of eating what is essentially blood isn't tempting me. I am a meat eater and I love most meat including Lamb; Beef; Chicken; sausages and steaks are all popular at the Aviador residence. As is Haddock; Cod; Mackerel; Pilchards; Prawns and Mussels. I'm not a fan of Salmon and as the main chief in our household, Salmon is rarely on the menu.

Those of you who follow the The BBQ season thread will know I enjoy a good BBQ and through the summer months most fine weeks will include a good BBQ usually with some new potatoes glazed in butter and mint, or coriander with some salad, polished off with a red wine (another thread)
We have a varied diet. An average week at the Aviador residence will include something like a rice stir fry, a typically British dish such as Toad In The Hole, A Lamb roast dinner, Fish & Chips (Normally Haddock in Yorkshire!) and maybe an Asian style curry.

We love desserts with Rhubarb, apple or cherry crumble a firm favourite closely followed by Eton Mess. Any pudding with custard usually goes down very nicely here although we tend to only have maybe one pudding a week.

As I think Scottie mentioned, we call our main meal of the day a "dinner" at whatever time of day that might be. We tend to call a light meal around midday a "lunch" and we often refer to it as "dinnertime". We call our evening meal "dinner" if it's a substantial meal, or "tea" served at "teatime" for an evening light meal, or snack. We use the term "super" for a light snack or small meal for food usually served after 8pm.

 

[JENNYJET]

Mr. Farnell is a Celery hater......deep joy! I always found it vile and pity those on enforced diets, I never understood the importance of it. I am sure a chemical dissertation may follow but celery joins garlic as my devil foodstuffs.

 

[Sherburnflyer92]

I'm sorry to do this, but:

TEA (Northerners/Yorkshire)

OR

DINNER?

I'm TEA all the way.

LET THE CHAOS COMMENCE

Moderators - thank me later hahah!!

 

[JENNYJET]

Does anyone have a favourite they had at school dinners and carried it to adult life? I ask because I had a pudding at school called 'Chocolate Concrete ' and loved it so much I still have it today at home.

 

[Sherburnflyer92]

Mr. Farnell is a Celery hater......deep joy! I always found it vile and pity those on enforced diets, I never understood the importance of it. I am sure a chemical dissertation may follow but celery joins garlic as my devil foodstuffs.

Jenny. You cannot surely put garlic in devile foodstuffs. OMG. No.

If the recipe asks for 3 gloves, I give it 5/6. All about the extra Garlic.

 

[Kevin Farnell]

I found a recipe for Jambalaya which I’m going to have a go at this weekend.

That's the spirit

If it turns out well then (copyright permitting), perhaps you would share the recipe.

Kevin

 

[Kevin Farnell]

Jenny. You cannot surely put garlic in devile foodstuffs. OMG. No.

If the recipe asks for 3 gloves, I give it 5/6. All about the extra Garlic.

Each to their own!

Personally, I like garlic. for example, I have two recipes for garlic bread. There is my standard recipe - garlic bread. And my alternative recipe - Garlic! bread.

Kevin

 

[JENNYJET]

For me, Garlic is something I cannot physically tolerate, the smell is enough to cause evacuation of bodily fluids from all orifaces this creating severe dehydration. This means I avoid smelly cooking and public dining establishments and all take away outlets. I only eat something if prepared by my own hands to avoid cross contamination, Kosher style!

 

[Kevin Farnell]

Does anyone have a favourite they had at school dinners and carried it to adult life? I ask because I had a pudding at school called 'Chocolate Concrete ' and loved it so much I still have it today at home.

I remember something similar. A flat slab (about 2cm tall) of a solid chocolate flavoured block. It seemed to be sprinkled with a green sugar like ingredient that had a minty flavour and also served with green mint custard. I also remember it starting a fight one day (I say fight, but it was over in one punch). One lad was having trouble getting his spoon through it, so slammed his spoon down hard into it. The result was that half of it, covered in custard flew into the face of the lad sitting next to him. One of those lads you didn't mess with. This lad stood up and punched the first guy incredibly hard straight in the face. I think the rough lad ended up getting suspended.

Kevin

 

[JENNYJET]

Precisely the desired effect hence the name Concrete. A hard baked slab requiring power tools to break into portions and hard enough to break teeth! I think it was a cruel exercise by teachers to uncover initiative by pupils in how to consume it.

In contrast, I had it again at Law School and it was on the menu in the dining ( not dinner ) hall and was a succulent gooey delight served with cream cheese and was a sellout!