Oxford Posted December 25, 2021 Share Posted December 25, 2021 I don't know if it's because travel is a bit restricted and shows no signs of getting any better but so far our holiday has been the most french Chrissy I can remember, or imagine including when we lived in that country. I'll give you the idea when I tell you that Moules frites seemed like just another meal. 2 warning points Non-Political Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robin Evans Posted December 25, 2021 Share Posted December 25, 2021 1 hour ago, Oxford said: I don't know if it's because travel is a bit restricted and shows no signs of getting any better but so far our holiday has been the most french Chrissy I can remember, or imagine including when we lived in that country. I'll give you the idea when I tell you that Moules frites seemed like just another meal. I do miss France. I really do. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oxford Posted December 26, 2021 Share Posted December 26, 2021 19 hours ago, Robin Evans said: I do miss France. I really do. Me too Robin 2 warning points Non-Political Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robin Evans Posted December 26, 2021 Share Posted December 26, 2021 (edited) 21 minutes ago, Oxford said: Me too Robin The whole culture is different. I drive off the ramp in calais and I'm very happy. Even the autoroute services are better than ours. We've made great strides in the uk. We have great food, cheeses, meat and fish etc available for us that we didn't have say 20 years ago. But all that is common place still in France. It's not just the food and drink. It's the whole craic. I miss it so much. I think I'm done with the long drives south now, but as brexit has put paid to me bringing back 150 bottles or so that we buy from the vineyards we've been visiting for 30+ years, its taken some shine from visiting that area. The loire is about my limit now, but I think we'll be doing more exploration of brittany, Normandy etc more than anywhere else. I fancy trying more of the cider, calvados and beef etc from that region and the seafood from the coast. I had planned the area just south of Honfleur 2022, but its looking increasingly unlikely now. Edited December 26, 2021 by Robin Evans 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oxford Posted December 26, 2021 Share Posted December 26, 2021 (edited) 1 hour ago, Robin Evans said: The whole culture is different. I drive off the ramp in calais and I'm very happy. Even the autoroute services are better than ours. We've made great strides in the uk. We have great food, cheeses, meat and fish etc available for us that we didn't have say 20 years ago. But all that is common place still in France. It's not just the food and drink. It's the whole craic. I miss it so much. I think I'm done with the long drives south now, but as brexit has put paid to me bringing back 150 bottles or so that we buy from the vineyards we've been visiting for 30+ years, its taken some shine from visiting that area. The loire is about my limit now, but I think we'll be doing more exploration of brittany, Normandy etc more than anywhere else. I fancy trying more of the cider, calvados and beef etc from that region and the seafood from the coast. I had planned the area just south of Honfleur 2022, but its looking increasingly unlikely now. Since I became a lapsed RL fan and given up politically and given all the other changes you mention life seems a much sadder, less wise place and although I've been a great one for moving on, I don't think it will ever be quite the same again. BTW love Honfleur and the Calais shoulder loosening is famous at ours as well! Edited December 26, 2021 by Oxford 2 warning points Non-Political Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CornwallRL Posted December 28, 2021 Share Posted December 28, 2021 Christmas day I was sending all my contacts a blessing for the day, and complaining that I was about to endure only my 2nd ever alcohol free (adult) Christmas, when a guy I used to work with, replied, asking for my address, 2 hours later he popped in with a litre of Famous Grouse. Nice. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Futtocks Posted December 28, 2021 Share Posted December 28, 2021 Birthday meal yesterday - a joint of Dexter beef, with mashed potato (plenty of butter and double cream), plus asparagus and broccoli. The farm where they raise the Dexters has other produce, but only sells their beef every two years, so the animals are more mature and have more flavour. Simply rubbed with salt, pepper and mustard, then roast 'til pink in the middle - delicious! "We are easily breakable, by illness or falling, or a million other ways of leaving this earthly life. We are just so much mashed potato." Don Estelle Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oxford Posted December 28, 2021 Share Posted December 28, 2021 Normally I find we watch cookery TV programmes and are left with little but wishing we had a pizza oven. The Christmas Nigella sadly was pretty much in that line, but she had a cutting board with two containers underneath. Such an excellent idea we bought one. Needless to say organic and all other bases covered. 2 warning points Non-Political Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oxford Posted January 2, 2022 Share Posted January 2, 2022 I wasn't going to post about my garden as it's little, but it is all edible. And it's waking up, we have flowers and bean growth, far too early and the frost will kill it all off. But at least I won't be troubled by any more climate protests. 2 warning points Non-Political Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robin Evans Posted January 2, 2022 Share Posted January 2, 2022 2 minutes ago, Oxford said: I wasn't going to post about my garden as it's little, but it is all edible. And it's waking up, we have flowers and bean growth, far too early and the frost will kill it all off. But at least I won't be troubled by any more climate protests. I'm considering an allotment. I can buy high quality veg at farmers markets for a fraction of the time money and effort of growing my own..... but growing my own does appeal Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobbruce Posted January 2, 2022 Share Posted January 2, 2022 2 minutes ago, Robin Evans said: I'm considering an allotment. I can buy high quality veg at farmers markets for a fraction of the time money and effort of growing my own..... but growing my own does appeal We got one this year added a chicken coop as well. It’s hard work especially with us both working but enjoyable see the transformation and getting and sharing the produce. Will certainly take up a lot of any spare time you might have. I don’t know what it’s like where you are but it took us 3+ years on a waiting list to get it though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oxford Posted January 2, 2022 Share Posted January 2, 2022 2 hours ago, Robin Evans said: I'm considering an allotment. I can buy high quality veg at farmers markets for a fraction of the time money and effort of growing my own..... but growing my own does appeal The many plantpots and few boxes that make up what we grow are not for "The Good Life" they're just additions to what we buy from organics and local farms. Just like the drawing and painting it's all about wellbeing. 2 warning points Non-Political Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robin Evans Posted January 2, 2022 Share Posted January 2, 2022 4 minutes ago, Oxford said: The many plantpots and few boxes that make up what we grow are not for "The Good Life" they're just additions to what we buy from organics and local farms. Just like the drawing and painting it's all about wellbeing. Yeh.... I'm happy with that. I'm sure I'll still buy from the farmers market.... but there's a lot of warmth about eating your own carrots n taities 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oxford Posted January 7, 2022 Share Posted January 7, 2022 Tonight Lebanese delivery and right good it were! 2 warning points Non-Political Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Futtocks Posted January 7, 2022 Share Posted January 7, 2022 Living in a small flat with limited space, I asked for mainly consumable presents from this year’s Christmas and Birthday, so... Partridge pate: Delicious. Salted butter caramels: as above. Balsamic vinegar (8 year-old DeFrutum): Just tried a taste - fabulous! I could drink this stuff neat. Gin: Hooting Owl Yorkshire Gin & Sloemotion Damson Gin. Chocolate: Haggis-flavoured dark chocolate. My dad’s sense of humour strikes again. Macarons: My niece made a box of them for me, and her macarons are always top-notch. Tea: Marui Shokuhin cherry blossom and plum tea. Coffee: Three packs of green beans for roasting, plus a ready-roasted pack of Betty’s World’s Best blend for immediate use. Ground black pepper with truffles. Baby capers. Bottarga (salted grey mullet roe): Looking forward to trying this, finely grated over pasta, or in a omelette. "We are easily breakable, by illness or falling, or a million other ways of leaving this earthly life. We are just so much mashed potato." Don Estelle Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
voteronniegibbs Posted January 8, 2022 Share Posted January 8, 2022 (edited) 12 hours ago, Futtocks said: Living in a small flat with limited space, I asked for mainly consumable presents from this year’s Christmas and Birthday, so... Partridge pate: Delicious. Salted butter caramels: as above. Balsamic vinegar (8 year-old DeFrutum): Just tried a taste - fabulous! I could drink this stuff neat. Gin: Hooting Owl Yorkshire Gin & Sloemotion Damson Gin. Chocolate: Haggis-flavoured dark chocolate. My dad’s sense of humour strikes again. Macarons: My niece made a box of them for me, and her macarons are always top-notch. Tea: Marui Shokuhin cherry blossom and plum tea. Coffee: Three packs of green beans for roasting, plus a ready-roasted pack of Betty’s World’s Best blend for immediate use. Ground black pepper with truffles. Baby capers. Bottarga (salted grey mullet roe): Looking forward to trying this, finely grated over pasta, or in a omelette. Uber Eats have gone middle class Edited January 8, 2022 by voteronniegibbs Wibble Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adelaide Tiger Posted January 8, 2022 Share Posted January 8, 2022 14 hours ago, Oxford said: Tonight Lebanese delivery and right good it were! It must have been cold by the time it arrived! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Futtocks Posted January 8, 2022 Share Posted January 8, 2022 I just took a punt and bought a bottle of Opihr's new "Black Lemon" gin. Oh hell yes, this is a winner! https://opihr.com/opihr-gin-range/opihr-gin-arabian-edition/ "We are easily breakable, by illness or falling, or a million other ways of leaving this earthly life. We are just so much mashed potato." Don Estelle Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robin Evans Posted January 8, 2022 Share Posted January 8, 2022 4 minutes ago, Futtocks said: I just took a punt and bought a bottle of Opihr's new "Black Lemon" gin. Oh hell yes, this is a winner! https://opihr.com/opihr-gin-range/opihr-gin-arabian-edition/ Bought some creten olive oil as recommended by Jimmy Martin. Oooo it's bloody good. Using it for tonight's moussaka. Ordered a couple of kg of Suffolk black bacon today..... again, highly recommended by Jimmy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Futtocks Posted January 10, 2022 Share Posted January 10, 2022 Interesting reading for cheese lovers, from The Angry Chef: https://express.adobe.com/page/3zkniJT22r1tX/ "We are easily breakable, by illness or falling, or a million other ways of leaving this earthly life. We are just so much mashed potato." Don Estelle Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MattSantos Posted January 11, 2022 Share Posted January 11, 2022 Meat. Any decent online recommendations for decent bits of meat? I'm online for my weekly shopping and Waitrose is ace for fish, but at the weekends, i want something a bit fancier as a treat; anything like Wagyu, good beef cheeks, proper nice pork etc. Ta Running the Rob Burrow marathon to raise money for the My Name'5 Doddie foundation: https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/ben-dyas Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robin Evans Posted January 11, 2022 Share Posted January 11, 2022 I've been treated to all my fav teas this week. The memsahib has taken control of the kitchen for a few days.... work's been a bit tense. I'm getting all the old favs. Moussaka on Saturday, Rabbit pie last night. Hot pot tonight.....made with neck o' mutton. Absolutely fabulous. Home made chilli burgers tomorrow I hope. This is a rarity, the kitchen is usually my domain. Getting home late to tea being ready is great.... getting treated is even better! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Futtocks Posted January 11, 2022 Share Posted January 11, 2022 14 minutes ago, MattSantos said: Meat. Any decent online recommendations for decent bits of meat? I'm online for my weekly shopping and Waitrose is ace for fish, but at the weekends, i want something a bit fancier as a treat; anything like Wagyu, good beef cheeks, proper nice pork etc. Ta You can order from Morrison's via Amazon, and they have some less common cuts of meat, especially beef, like Denver or Bavette steak and ox cheek, at very good prices. Best to order in the morning (and request morning delivery too) to reserve items before they go out of stock. They often sell fish/shellfish like whitebait or razor clams. I used to make occasional orders from https://www.donaldrussell.com/ - some of their meat is expensive, but search the website and you can get top-quality stuff at more reasonable prices. Beef rib trim was one thing I often bought from them, for casseroles/chillis etc. Their available selection is much smaller than it used to be, though, which is why I stopped using them. Sadly, OsGrow seems to have folded. They sold some crazy stuff. Zebra, rattlesnake, wildebeeste, etc. I've recently been looking at https://www.realfoodhub.co.uk which seems promising, but I haven't ordered from them yet. They sell "Welsh Wagyu", although the pictures don't show a massive amount of marbling. The Mangalitsa pork looks tempting, though, as does some of the game on offer. "We are easily breakable, by illness or falling, or a million other ways of leaving this earthly life. We are just so much mashed potato." Don Estelle Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
voteronniegibbs Posted January 11, 2022 Share Posted January 11, 2022 16 minutes ago, Robin Evans said: I've been treated to all my fav teas this week. The memsahib has taken control of the kitchen for a few days.... work's been a bit tense. I'm getting all the old favs. Moussaka on Saturday, Rabbit pie last night. Hot pot tonight.....made with neck o' mutton. Absolutely fabulous. Home made chilli burgers tomorrow I hope. This is a rarity, the kitchen is usually my domain. Getting home late to tea being ready is great.... getting treated is even better! Rabbit pie, now there's an idea, it's years since I've had a rabbit pie. Wibble Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robin Evans Posted January 11, 2022 Share Posted January 11, 2022 7 minutes ago, voteronniegibbs said: Rabbit pie, now there's an idea, it's years since I've had a rabbit pie. It was bloody gorgeous Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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