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Could I trouble you for a quick description of tamarillo, pomelo, karela, tinda and cassava, as I haven't tried them yet.

 

I did have scorpion a couple of weeks ago. Crunchy but remarkably tasteless.

I had one new thing each month and they are in order so some are really old and my memory isn't cracking!

 

tamarillo - forgetable, and I'm probably mixing it up with persimmon (sharon fruit), try it or look it up elsewhere to be honest.

pomelo - grapefruit with no sourness, I think. I liked it nad got a little obsessed with citrus vesicles.

karela - (bitter gourd) rank, horrid, strong, ruined the spaghetti I had with it! I can't really describe the taste as it was like nothing else, it hung around heavy in the mouth for a while.

tinda - tinned baby pumpkins, soft and almost like stewed apple with a savoury edge.

cassava - sweet potato turned up a bit, delicious.

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Dressed crab, in a white crusty roll, a light sprinkle of chipotle Tabasco and a few baby salad leaves. That's sandwich heaven! :) 

Let me never fall into the vulgar mistake of dreaming that I am persecuted whenever I am contradicted.
Ralph Waldo Emerson

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  • 1 month later...
  • 1 month later...

Just got back from Borough Market (near London Bridge), shopping for meat.

 

Lunch - bison pie. Tastee!

 

Shopping - a couple of woodpigeon, some Iberico pork steaks, charcuterie from Cannon & Cannon (goose sausage, venison sausage and a black pudding/chorizo hybrid), plus some rice morcilla and Iberico ham from the Spanish shop Brindisa.

Let me never fall into the vulgar mistake of dreaming that I am persecuted whenever I am contradicted.
Ralph Waldo Emerson

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General hints'n'tips for Borough Market, seeing as someone asked via PM and it is worth fitting into a London trip. 

 

Upside of Borough Market - lots of quality produce all in one place, plus stalls where you can buy stuff to eat straight away.

 

Downside - VERY crowded at some times of some days. Normally, I can only get there on Saturday, due to their restricted opening times, and Saturday is when everyone in my situation goes. If you can get there early, it's a good idea.

 

It is a bit of a labyrinth, so if you spot something and think "I'll take a look at that later", finding it again can involve a bit of wandering around.

 

There are people who knock Borough Market, especially as it has become more well-known, and some produce can be pricey, but if you take your time, buy a glass of something to sip and tour all the stalls before you start buying,

 

Then start with the heavy/hard stuff (meat, bottles etc.) and work your way through to the light and fragile (the selection of mushrooms is excellent at the big vegetable stall) and you'll end up poor but happy. Ask to take a look through the freezer at Exotic Meats, as what they have up front is just the burgers.

Let me never fall into the vulgar mistake of dreaming that I am persecuted whenever I am contradicted.
Ralph Waldo Emerson

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  • 4 weeks later...

Just cooked sous-vide salmon in a beer cooler, a bit like this: http://www.marksdailyapple.com/sous-vide-salmon-with-salmon-skin-“bacon”/#axzz2zuUBScRt

Well, we’ve just finished eating, and it went quite well. The salmon, while being completely cooked was unbelievably tender and the ingredients I’d put in the bag with it (salt, parsley, lemon zest and some hazelnut butter) has permeated the fish without overpowering it. The beer cooler, with a small top-up from the kettle after 20 minutes, lost about 15 degrees heat over 50-odd minutes.

The crispy skin ‘bacon’ was burnt due to lack of attention from me, so I didn’t serve it in the end. Otherwise, an avenue well worth exploring.

Let me never fall into the vulgar mistake of dreaming that I am persecuted whenever I am contradicted.
Ralph Waldo Emerson

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I was at some friends' house last night, and they cooked this Ottolenghi recipe for beetroot and celeriac gratin. Incredibly tasty, rich and satisfying. Definitely worth trying.

 

As a committed meat-lover, I can say that even non-veggies would like it.

Let me never fall into the vulgar mistake of dreaming that I am persecuted whenever I am contradicted.
Ralph Waldo Emerson

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On the subject of sous-vide, this is a useful site: http://www.sousvidesupreme.com/en-uk/sousvide_cookingtemperatures.htm

Techniques, tips, recipes and temperature guides.

Let me never fall into the vulgar mistake of dreaming that I am persecuted whenever I am contradicted.
Ralph Waldo Emerson

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Roasted butternut squash. Delicious.

Nice, and the only squash you can get all year round, but not the tastiest. Waitrose sometimes have a wider variety, if you're interested.

Let me never fall into the vulgar mistake of dreaming that I am persecuted whenever I am contradicted.
Ralph Waldo Emerson

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General hints'n'tips for Borough Market, seeing as someone asked via PM and it is worth fitting into a London trip. 

 

Upside of Borough Market - lots of quality produce all in one place, plus stalls where you can buy stuff to eat straight away.

 

Downside - VERY crowded at some times of some days. Normally, I can only get there on Saturday, due to their restricted opening times, and Saturday is when everyone in my situation goes. If you can get there early, it's a good idea.

 

It is a bit of a labyrinth, so if you spot something and think "I'll take a look at that later", finding it again can involve a bit of wandering around.

 

There are people who knock Borough Market, especially as it has become more well-known, and some produce can be pricey, but if you take your time, buy a glass of something to sip and tour all the stalls before you start buying,

 

Then start with the heavy/hard stuff (meat, bottles etc.) and work your way through to the light and fragile (the selection of mushrooms is excellent at the big vegetable stall) and you'll end up poor but happy. Ask to take a look through the freezer at Exotic Meats, as what they have up front is just the burgers.

I don't really look at this thread that often, hence the late reply, but a real treat of Borough Market is the Turkish food stall, the Turkish Delights they have there are just outstanding.  I get a big box worth every time I go.

"When in deadly danger, when beset by doubt; run in little circles, wave your arms and shout"

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Just having a punnet of the first of this year's British strawberries.  A real pleasure after a winter of bland furrin strawberries.

"When in deadly danger, when beset by doubt; run in little circles, wave your arms and shout"

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I don't really look at this thread that often, hence the late reply, but a real treat of Borough Market is the Turkish food stall, the Turkish Delights they have there are just outstanding.  I get a big box worth every time I go.

The Spanish shop Brindisa, last time I was there, had some very nice morcilla (the type with rice). If you like black pudding, you'll certainly love morcilla!

Let me never fall into the vulgar mistake of dreaming that I am persecuted whenever I am contradicted.
Ralph Waldo Emerson

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The Spanish shop Brindisa, last time I was there, had some very nice morcilla (the type with rice). If you like black pudding, you'll certainly love morcilla!

I think I had some of that last year, didn't really hit it with me, maybe it was just an off day.

 

I find that if you go to Borough Market to buy standard stuff then you'll come away disappointed, I only get the treats and stuff I can't get elsewhere at the same quality.  There are some great stalls with great produce but also a fair few chancers and mark-up merchants who'll sell you very average stuff at greatly inflated prices.

"When in deadly danger, when beset by doubt; run in little circles, wave your arms and shout"

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The meat stalls are worth the trip on their own, especially for game, while the big vegetable stall has a remarkable selection of mushrooms. I don't tend to buy booze at the market, as it is heavy to carry home.

 

There are several stals, as you say, selling run-of-the-mill produce, but if you take your time and cherrypick, it is worth the journey. Don't just graze the free stuff - it marks you out as a cheapskate. Visit a few times, and you will learn enough about the good traders to be in and out quickly without wasting money on tat.

Edited by Futtocks

Let me never fall into the vulgar mistake of dreaming that I am persecuted whenever I am contradicted.
Ralph Waldo Emerson

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  • 3 weeks later...

Prepare to have your socks blown off TRLers.

 

So I made my porridge 20 minutes ago. The usual; oats, milk, hot water and sugar blasted in the microwave, "so what?" you may think. Ahh, but first off the boiling water was poured on a teaspoon of instant coffee.

 

Yes, coffee porridge...

 

 

 

Boom!

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Prepare to have your socks blown off TRLers.

 

So I made my porridge 20 minutes ago. The usual; oats, milk, hot water and sugar blasted in the microwave, "so what?" you may think. Ahh, but first off the boiling water was poured on a teaspoon of instant coffee.

 

Yes, coffee porridge...

 

 

 

Boom!

 

I don't like coffee or porridge so they seems doubly wrong.

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