http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/opinion/2008/0512/1210503980876.html

Annemarie Hourihane wrote about wasted food recently. She said that one third of all food bought in the UK is thrown away. The US figure may be higher.

Items most chucked out were

Yoghurt
Potatoes
and sausages.

This makes sense, as yoghurt and sausages are sold in sets that are always too big and the leftover ones get pushed to the back of the fridge where they get old and green.

Potatoes are a different question. They go old and wrinkly with roots coming out.

When I'm on my own I eat my way through what is in the fridge until its gone, but when the house is full cafeteria eating combined with proper meals is too anarchic for anything so sensible to happen.

Does anyone have a solution? And what would it do to agribusiness if we bought one third less food?

That's an interesting one, cactus.

We had that problem for a long time and I had two ways of dealing with it. Firstly, I bought less, which may seem like a very obvious answer but it isn't.

I stay away from big supermarkets and buy almost always from small, local shops. What I lose on slightly higher prices I gain on not buying extra stuff we don't need/want and on buying too much. There are environmental and social advantages too - as well as the satisfaction of supporting the local guy rather than the multinational that dare not speak its Irish profits.

Secondly, I share. So that means keeping an eye on things and using them up ahead of time - so a glut of milk turns into scones for my sisters or the eggs turn into quiche for my neighbour or custard (for me) and pavlova for mother-in-law. People love to get food gifts.

The sausages problem was an issue but easily solved by freezing them individually when you buy them - they don't take much longer to cook. Rashers too with a piece of baking parchment/greaseproof paper between them (which you can stick back in the freezer and re-use later if you want).

I had things more or less under control so that the only thing that goes off is half a carton of cream or a piece of ham that hasn't been eaten because no one is home. My sister has requested that I keep food for her doggies - I know my mother does that for her, I don't usually have enough waste except fruit. Her moggies are not fruitfans and that goes in the wonderful green bin when it's gone beyond smoothiemaking.

Most likely to go off in our fridge is a bag of spinach which I'm inclined to eat like crisps rather than cook and then rediscover in a slimy pool after I've been out of the house for a few days.

The agribusiness sector is a mess anyway. Farmers getting squeezed, consumers getting screwed and manufacturers making massive profits means that an overhaul is required somehow. The balance is all wrong.

I opened a drawer in my kitchen this week and found an old bag of potatoes growing out of the drawer.
There was easily 12 inches of growth on them.

One thing that really fills me with rage is the fact that burgers are sold in packs of 4, while the buns are sold in packs of 6!
How does this make sense!?!?

Build your own burgers, African Dave. At least you'll know what's in them. Some minced/chopped onion, an egg and some herbs, some comforting squishing of all of the above into the mince using your hands and, for probably less than the price of your box set you have a yummy, satisfying gourmet burger - or six. And you can freeze them once cooked (I don't think raw egg likes to be frozen, but I'm open to correction on that...).

I'm actually a vegemetarian but I cook burgers for my girlfriend. (She can't cook to save her life - she gets filled with pride anytime she manages not to burn her toast)
I think I'll try to make my own though.
I just get annoyed at the fact that the bun makers and burger makers are in cahoots and conspire to sell products with different quantities in the packet in order to dupe the unsuspecting consumer into buying ever more burgers and even more buns.

Kate P wrote:

Build your own burgers, African Dave. At least you'll know what's in them. Some minced/chopped onion, an egg and some herbs, some comforting squishing of all of the above into the mince using your hands and, for probably less than the price of your box set you have a yummy, satisfying gourmet burger - or six. And you can freeze them once cooked (I don't think raw egg likes to be frozen, but I'm open to correction on that...).

Yep, homemade burgers are the business.

In addition to Kate's recipe above, I also add about 250g sausage meat to 1Kg of minced beef, and about 3 slices crumbed brown bread and some shredded cheddar cheese/ chopped brie.

Awesome.

That sounds delicious.
Sometimes, when reading seemingly tasty recipes like these, I regret my veggie decision (I made that decision about 12 years ago so it's too late to turn back now).

What about making a tasty recipe thread? Or is there one already?

I think we have a food place Dave. It imight be in the places forum or ...somewhere...

EvotingMachine0197 wrote:

I think we have a food place Dave. It imight be in the places forum or ...somewhere...

Are you talking about the Doolin Breakfast Bar?

Ard-Taoiseach wrote:

EvotingMachine0197 wrote:

I think we have a food place Dave. It imight be in the places forum or ...somewhere...

Are you talking about the Doolin Breakfast Bar?

Hmmmm. Hmmmmmmmmmm. Don't know. I posted a recipe for barbecue sauce somewhere, I'm not sure where..

EvotingMachine0197 wrote:

Ard-Taoiseach wrote:

EvotingMachine0197 wrote:

I think we have a food place Dave. It imight be in the places forum or ...somewhere...

Are you talking about the Doolin Breakfast Bar?

Hmmmm. Hmmmmmmmmmm. Don't know. I posted a recipe for barbecue sauce somewhere, I'm not sure where..

This thread is in the Agriculture and Food forum, it should be here.

Ard-Taoiseach wrote:

EvotingMachine0197 wrote:

Ard-Taoiseach wrote:

EvotingMachine0197 wrote:

I think we have a food place Dave. It imight be in the places forum or ...somewhere...

Are you talking about the Doolin Breakfast Bar?

Hmmmm. Hmmmmmmmmmm. Don't know. I posted a recipe for barbecue sauce somewhere, I'm not sure where..

This thread is in the Agriculture and Food forum, it should be here.

Well, I've just experienced a sudden and permanent memory loss so I've no idea I'm afraid.

EvotingMachine0197 wrote:

Ard-Taoiseach wrote:

EvotingMachine0197 wrote:

Ard-Taoiseach wrote:

EvotingMachine0197 wrote:

I think we have a food place Dave. It imight be in the places forum or ...somewhere...

Are you talking about the Doolin Breakfast Bar?

Hmmmm. Hmmmmmmmmmm. Don't know. I posted a recipe for barbecue sauce somewhere, I'm not sure where..

This thread is in the Agriculture and Food forum, it should be here.

Well, I've just experienced a sudden and permanent memory loss so I've no idea I'm afraid.

I'll have a look...

I remember your bbq sauce recipe. I think it was in the welcome thread, or on one of the threads made for the full moon party.

Is this the recipe you're talking about, EVM?

EvotingMachine0197 wrote:

I make a mean bbq sauce AD.

1 part Ketchup
1 part Worcester
1 part Honey
1/2 part water
1/2 part sugar if required
couple of drops of Peri sauce if you like it tepid on the tongue !

Heat to nearly boil, stirring a bit, and back to simmer.

Yo. Sin é mo chara!

Cá raibh sé ?

EvotingMachine0197 wrote:

Yo. Sin é mo chara!

Cá raibh sé ?

Go hiontach! Bhí sé sa cómhrá seo.

Ard-Taoiseach wrote:

EvotingMachine0197 wrote:

Yo. Sin é mo chara!

Cá raibh sé ?

Go hiontach! Bhí sé sa cómhrá seo.

Ahhh maith an fear.

Agus bhí African Dave ann.

No wonder you remembered the thread Dave.

What does go hiontach mean again ?

EvotingMachine0197 wrote:

Ard-Taoiseach wrote:

EvotingMachine0197 wrote:

Yo. Sin é mo chara!

Cá raibh sé ?

Go hiontach! Bhí sé sa cómhrá seo.

Ahhh maith an fear.

Agus bhí African Dave ann.

No wonder you remembered the thread Dave.

What does go hiontach mean again ?

Wonderful, EvotingMachine!

Iontach means excellent, or very good.
The h only goes on after saying 'go'

Why were you saying wonderful to me ?

Was it me that derailed this thread?

AfricanDave wrote:

Iontach means excellent, or very good.
The h only goes on after saying 'go'

As in alainn - go h'alainn.

So alainn is beauty - go h'alainn is beautiful ?

EvotingMachine0197 wrote:

Why were you saying wonderful to me ?

Was it me that derailed this thread?

Because it was wonderful that that which I had found was what you were looking for!

Ahh, it's late at night. We have an excuse not to be strictly obeying the strictures of the Topic god. We'll just sacrifice a few bars in the temple tomorrow morning and it'll be fine.

Alainn means beautiful as well, it really depends on the sentence.
But you are right in the use of the h after saying 'go'.
It's really only to soften the words and make them blend a bit more fluidly, making it easier to say.
It's much the same way that we, when speaking in English, put 'an' before a word beginning with a vowel, as opposed to using 'a'.
As far as I can remember the word for beauty would be Aileacht or something similar.


I think it may have been me who derailed the thread.
It was innocent enough though....
I was talking about my potatoes that started growing out of the drawer and the food wastage issues involved with selling burgers in packs of 4 and buns in packs of 6.

One thing I never seem to be able to finish is Tesco Finest Coleslaw. I buy it on Monday for it to be "Used By" Wednesday. I have it in maybe one or two sandwiches through the week. I then go to it over the weekend when it's still half full and then it's too bitter and I just throw it out.

It's so annoying to have to throw it out like that. I'll just have to eat more.