That was back in October I am afraid. Next time the parents will be away is in May when there is a conference in Istanbul but I am going to tag along to that. You are welcome to the house while I am away, just make sure you wipe your feet on the way in, we just got new carpet in the hall .

Fresh Mince Pies are the next delicacy to emerge from the johnfás kitchen this evening - mmmmmmmm.

Any takers?

Going to have one with a cuppa while watching Mary Robinson in 40 minutes.

johnfás wrote:

That was back in October I am afraid. Next time the parents will be away is in May when there is a conference in Istanbul but I am going to tag along to that. You are welcome to the house while I am away, just make sure you wipe your feet on the way in, we just got new carpet in the hall .

So it is. I'd love to go see the house and look at the carpet. Perhaps the MN National Executive Congress can be convened there?

The carpet is very nice, the house not so much... we were having a discussion about our house with our lunchtime visitors today. We were discussing how much of a kip our house looks compared to other family members... we put it down to the fact that we read books and alot of them. They take up alot of space.

johnfás wrote:

The carpet is very nice, the house not so much... we were having a discussion about our house with our lunchtime visitors today. We were discussing how much of a kip our house looks compared to other family members... we put it down to the fact that we read books and alot of them. They take up alot of space.

Books! Lots of them? Your house sounds and is perfect!

We even use our own variant of the Dewey System and can recall them on the computer .

Apart from Art Catalogues because they dont use ISBN

Wasn't this the 'delicious thread?'

I'm recommending Lindt chocolate Santas - very yum. Not suitable at all for presents unless you're on the receiving end.

I made this last night as a variation a theme and while I didn't get to try it myself, it's now all gone and a fussy early morning visitor had two slices eaten before nine. Reports are extremely good. It's cakey-cake; it doesn't rise a lot at all but it doesn't seem to matter. I'd imagine it's delicious with real custard.

There's forced rhubarb in the shops now and it looks and tastes amazing. The colour is spectacular.


Rhubarb and Vanilla Cake
Preheat oven to 180

Gently cook 4 sticks of rhubarb, cut into half inch lengths in a minimum of water and two tablespoons of vanilla sugar. Don't let them lose shape. Allow to cool slightly.

In a food processor whizz together 6 oz self-raising flour, 6oz vanilla sugar, 6oz softened butter and 4 eggs.
Strain the rhubarb and stir most of it gently into the batter. Some of it might break up which is fine and some will stay in vivid pink chunks. Drop the remaining bits on top - when the batter rises it will leave them partially exposed. I like that look, maybe not everyone else does.

Pour into a greased and lined springform tin and bake for 40 mins ish.

Make your custard immediately - otherwise, apparently, there'll be none left by the time you get around to it...

Core large unpeeled cooking apples, place on buttered baking tray, fill cavity with very expensive muesli, cook slowly 150° until apples well done (eg 60 min) but juicy still. 5/10 minutes before you take them out........ dizzle with good honey. Serve with ice cream or cream or eat as they are .

Sounds good FA. Does it need a bit of sugar ? I suppose I could put that on afterwards ?

johnfás wrote:

We even use our own variant of the Dewey System and can recall them on the computer .

Apart from Art Catalogues because they dont use ISBN

Ooooh! Fancy! It's decided then, we shall meet in your house to greet. Talking will not be allowed as we will be too busy reading.

I have found that porridge with brown sugar to be a pleasing and, dareisay, delicious experience.

Ard-Taoiseach wrote:

I have found that porridge with brown sugar to be a pleasing and, dareisay, delicious experience.

Yup, and one or two tablespoons of cream - no more or it will be too rich. (Do you make the porridge with water, half water/half milk - or other combination?)

Aragon wrote:

Ard-Taoiseach wrote:

I have found that porridge with brown sugar to be a pleasing and, dareisay, delicious experience.

Yup, and one or two tablespoons of cream - no more or it will be too rich. (Do you make the porridge with water, half water/half milk - or other combination?)

I make mine on water with salt, when cooked I add cold milk, so there.

tonys wrote:

Aragon wrote:

Ard-Taoiseach wrote:

I have found that porridge with brown sugar to be a pleasing and, dareisay, delicious experience.

Yup, and one or two tablespoons of cream - no more or it will be too rich. (Do you make the porridge with water, half water/half milk - or other combination?)

I make mine on water with salt, when cooked I add cold milk, so there.

Me too

cactus flower wrote:

tonys wrote:

Aragon wrote:

Ard-Taoiseach wrote:

I have found that porridge with brown sugar to be a pleasing and, dareisay, delicious experience.

Yup, and one or two tablespoons of cream - no more or it will be too rich. (Do you make the porridge with water, half water/half milk - or other combination?)

I make mine on water with salt, when cooked I add cold milk, so there.

Me too

As do I. It's extraordinary how transformative that few pinches of salt are to the porridge. While we may shrink at our Celtic brethren for adding as a condiment to the finished article, salt certainly is essential when making porridge. I once under-salted my porridge and it tasted bland beyond belief. That said, oversalting can have an equally undelicious result.

Delicious? - my OH's Risotto dinner tonight - one Chicken Oxo cube, homegrown leeks and butternut squash, tomato. bacon and a dollop of Norfolk half-fat creme fraiche ....... mmmmmmmmmmmmmm yum yum yum!!

Atticus wrote:

Delicious? - my OH's Risotto dinner tonight - one Chicken Oxo cube, homegrown leeks and butternut squash, tomato. bacon and a dollop of Norfolk half-fat creme fraiche ....... mmmmmmmmmmmmmm yum yum yum!!

oops! and Porcini mushrooms! how could I forget?!?.....

Ard-Taoiseach wrote:

cactus flower wrote:

tonys wrote:

Aragon wrote:

Ard-Taoiseach wrote:

I have found that porridge with brown sugar to be a pleasing and, dareisay, delicious experience.

Yup, and one or two tablespoons of cream - no more or it will be too rich. (Do you make the porridge with water, half water/half milk - or other combination?)

I make mine on water with salt, when cooked I add cold milk, so there.

Me too

As do I. It's extraordinary how transformative that few pinches of salt are to the porridge. While we may shrink at our Celtic brethren for adding as a condiment to the finished article, salt certainly is essential when making porridge. I once under-salted my porridge and it tasted bland beyond belief. That said, oversalting can have an equally undelicious result.

We gave up salt almost 20 years ago and don't add it to anything at all now - except for chips which are the one thing we couldn't acclimatise to without it. Anyway, after a few months we developed a much more heightened taste for the natural salt in foods so much so that now, even just adding milk or cream to something makes it seem salty just by virtue of whatever natural salts they have in them.

Aragon wrote:

Ard-Taoiseach wrote:

cactus flower wrote:

tonys wrote:

Aragon wrote:

Ard-Taoiseach wrote:

I have found that porridge with brown sugar to be a pleasing and, dareisay, delicious experience.

Yup, and one or two tablespoons of cream - no more or it will be too rich. (Do you make the porridge with water, half water/half milk - or other combination?)

I make mine on water with salt, when cooked I add cold milk, so there.

Me too

As do I. It's extraordinary how transformative that few pinches of salt are to the porridge. While we may shrink at our Celtic brethren for adding as a condiment to the finished article, salt certainly is essential when making porridge. I once under-salted my porridge and it tasted bland beyond belief. That said, oversalting can have an equally undelicious result.

We gave up salt almost 20 years ago and don't add it to anything at all now - except for chips which are the one thing we couldn't acclimatise to without it. Anyway, after a few months we developed a much more heightened taste for the natural salt in foods so much so that now, even just adding milk or cream to something makes it seem salty just by virtue of whatever natural salts they have in them.

They do say that if you never used salt at all, you’d still be getting too much of it, but then, they do say a lot of things, far too many for me to pay attention to them all.

I stopped using salt about 10 years ago. Never looked back.
Salt on porridge sounds disgusting to me!

Like Aaragon says, you'll soon starting tasting the salt in foods which you didn't consider salty before. Some rashers for example I find too salty to enjoy.

I have a cold so
Boiling water + Neo-Citran (Swiss version of Lemsip) followed by Boiling water + Brown Sugar + Bio Honey + Lemon Juice from Real Lemon followed by 1/2 litre of close to boiling Glühwein with a 2cm cinnamon stick in it. This is now being tested as a cure for sleep apnea and I am enjoying the experiment. Successful so far

Slim Buddha wrote:

I have a cold so
Boiling water + Neo-Citran (Swiss version of Lemsip) followed by Boiling water + Brown Sugar + Bio Honey + Lemon Juice from Real Lemon followed by 1/2 litre of close to boiling Glühwein with a 2cm cinnamon stick in it. This is now being tested as a cure for sleep apnea and I am enjoying the experiment. Successful so far

Ooh. Ich liebe Gluehwein, ich wirklich liebe Gluhwein. Es ist sehr warm und lecker.

EvotingMachine0197 wrote:

Sounds good FA. Does it need a bit of sugar ? I suppose I could put that on afterwards ?

The honey is fine instead of sugar and the effect is slightly tart.

I use seriously way too much salt on my food, loads and loads of it. It's had quite the opposite effect, I can't enjoy many foods without it.

While the Dáil breaks during the Anglo-Irish Bank debate for the vote, Audi said he was going for 'griddle bread and tay.'

Griddle bread. I thought we were the only family in the country who still ate griddle bread. My mother's recipe, from memory, is 'enough self-raising flour mixed with enough watered milk to make a soft, floury dough.' Then you fry it on a heavy pan, in scones or in one big piece (flour the pan, don't grease it).

It's the most sublime of comfort foods, really easy, homely and yummy. The scones are great with soup or with a fry or on their own streaming with salty butter. And so crusty.

I sometimes adulerate them with cheddar cheese and / or black pepper and / or herbs but they're so fine on their own, any addition merely gilds the lily.