What are you cooking now?

[french frank]

(cont'd from elsewhere)

I'd never thought about it but, of course, rhubarb is a vegetable not a fruit. My salted rhubarb sticks might have been blanched or parboiled, but I actually had them raw, sprinkled with salt, chopped red chilli and oil. Then I added two chopped spring onions. I could have added herbs but didn't.This was the side salad. The asparagus was quickly charred under the grill with Cornish butter and the salad potatoes were cut in small pieces and briefly boiled separately.

I then cast about for some 'meat' to go with it: Wookey 'Ole chedder was the only possibility as a) there was no meat and b) the cheese needed eating up. The big surprise was the Co-op Côtes de Provence which I would NEVER have partnered with the cheddar, under any circumstances. But in extremis, the lightness of the salad lifted the cheese into a different realm. 4/5 (with the proviso that the rhubarb, if not forced, could do with a touch more prior preparation).

[french frank]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chorba

... many etymological tentacles here : Hobson-Jobson [not always reliable... ] under sherbet offers among others -

Ital: sorbetto, Fr: sorbet, Sp: and Port: xarabe, axarabe, Arab: ash-sharab, Ital: sciroppo, Old Fr: ysserop, Mod. Fr: sirop, Eng: syrup, and from Spanish shrub, sherbet
(quotations supplied from c 1334 to 1863)

I think the spelling ciorba is possibly specifically Romanian where pronunciation/spelling has features in common with Italian (cf Celibidache). But the etymology seems to come from sor- = salty rather than any of the sweet desserts. Ciorba is said to have a typically 'sour' or 'bitter' taste from adding vinegar, lemon or a briny liquid,. I had a jar of pickled cabbage so added some of the cabbage and brine. I also added some left over spicy red cabbage and the clove taste was probably less authentic and I'd leave it out if starting from scratch. But it was jolly tasty: onion, celery, cavolo nero, red cabbage, pickled cabbage, potato, cauliflower, parsley, thyme, paprika, black pepper.

[Barbirollians]

Jerk cod ( instead of chicken) with rice and peas .

[vinteuil]

Today's rabbit hole: Ciorba. Now I know. I had some "local" soup when last in Prague 18 months ago which bore a distinct resemblance to that on wot I've just been mugging up.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chorba

... many etymological tentacles here : Hobson-Jobson [not always reliable... ] under sherbet offers among others -

Ital: sorbetto, Fr: sorbet, Sp: and Port: xarabe, axarabe, Arab: ash-sharab, Ital: sciroppo, Old Fr: ysserop, Mod. Fr: sirop, Eng: syrup, and from Spanish shrub, sherbet
(quotations supplied from c 1334 to 1863)

.

[HighlandDougie]

Romanian ciorba with two sorts of cabbage (red and pickled) and all the many vegetables that need to be eaten before I buy new supplies tomorrow. I think I shall listen to Enescu's Symph No 1 on Youtube while eating.

Today's rabbit hole: Ciorba. Now I know. I had some "local" soup when last in Prague 18 months ago which bore a distinct resemblance to that on wot I've just been mugging up.

[teamsaint]

Last night a quick fish curry that worked out quite well given modest ingredients.
Beer to go with, of course.

[french frank]

Romanian ciorba with two sorts of cabbage (red and pickled) and all the many vegetables that need to be eaten before I buy new supplies tomorrow. I think I shall listen to Enescu's Symph No 1 on Youtube while eating.

[Jonathan]

Just baked a Victoria Sponge for our "Pot Luck lunch" on Wednesday. It's been a while since I last made a cake and it looks good (so far, need to decorate it tomorrow)

[Roger Webb]

I have my reservations about Guigal - lots of the wines are very good and his C de R is made in industrial quantities but remains of a high standard. The way he makes St Joseph from the old marvellous Grippat vineyards however is very much not to my taste - all the subtlety gone .

.

Actually Mr Jones' Croche en Bouche winelist, which I just found shows that he probably agrees with you à propos St Joseph as he doesn't list Guigal's, but eight others! Now, bearing in mind this is a restaurant winelist, he keeps fifty two Côte Rôtie! Including, seven Brune et Blonde, six each of top vineyards, La Landonne and La Mouline, all Guigal! On which other list in Britain would you see such a fine selection from Côte Rôtie?

It doesn't stop there, he is possibly a bigger fan of Châteauneuf-du-Pape, where he lists fifty four and his main man (men) are the Perrin bros. Their Beaucastel accounts for nineteen of those!

Hermitage gets a good look-in at twenty one, incl. Chave of course. Cornas, four by Clape alone.........the list is almost endless!

I miss this fine restaurant not being there, and always look on our way into Malvern (just past the Elgar graves!)....just in case.....

[Barbirollians]

I have my reservations about Guigal - lots of the wines are very good and his C de R is made in industrial quantities but remains of a high standard. The way he makes St Joseph from the old marvellous Grippat vineyards however is very much not to my taste - all the subtlety gone .

I have been making no knead foccaccia

Really easy and delicious

Place 500g of strong bread flour 1 pack of 7g dried yeast, 1 tbsp clear honey , 10 g sea salt in a bowl that looks far too big . Add 400mil of lukewarm water until you get a wet sticky dough - add up to 40ml more making a maximum of 440 ml if any bits are still sticking to the side

Cover at room temperature for between 4-8 hours . It will be very bubbly and have risen a lot .

Add 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil to a lined baking tray . Pour out the wet bubbly dough . Make holes in it with your forefinger but they will try and fill in so you add another 2 tablespoons of olive oil and let it drip into some of the holes .

Leave another 2 hours and it wll spread to fill the baking tray . You can sprinkle with some flaky salt and rosemary at this point .

Heat the oven to 220 C fan and bake for 20-30 mins until the author Bee Wilson describes as to the colour of autumn leaves .

Cool on a wire rack .

I was amazed how well it turned out . Delicious in particular with some very good olives and roasted aubergines.

[Roger Webb]

... nice!

https://www.naxos.com/CatalogueDetail/?id=8.570444

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This is a lovely CD, and perhaps my favourite with the Groupe Instrumental line-up of flute, harp and str trio. I mentioned elsewhere that I've been trying to listen to as many of the composers of this combo. as possible.....perhaps one that would appeal to you specifically is Suite Médéivale by Daniel-Lesur

https://youtu.be/FXe8NCa4dhk?si=lRpVgIsrETRpYjdF

This an not-half bad performance!

[HighlandDougie]

Guigal is one of the top makers in Northern Rhône, I mentioned him in relation to Croche en Bouche in Malvern as Mr Jones winelist was probably the richest in the country for wines from there, and Guigal figured prominently in his list.

And worthy of a stop if, as I did, motor down the Rhône last November (in a ferocious but southerly mistral). Nice gaff: https://www.guigal.com/fr/

It was also an opportunity to stop in Tain l'Hérmitage and stock up with wines from the M.Chapoutier global empire. They may have spread their wings widely but no loss of quality in their wines.

[Roger Webb]

I was unfamiliar with a salamander.....















Too much information, ff

The salamander is just a chef's name for a grill....like Orwell I spent some time as a plongeur as a teenager.

Guigal is one of the top makers in Northern Rhône, I mentioned him in relation to Croche en Bouche in Malvern as Mr Jones winelist was probably the richest in the country for wines from there, and Guigal figured prominently in his list.

Love the dinky stove....what does it run on?

I can't stand 'music' in restaurants, but if I'm choosing....ok!

A prominent restaurateur once asked why I objected to music in his restaurant, I replied that when I go to a concert I'd rather someone didn't try to force food down my throat!

[french frank]

Firstly has to be skin-on (were yours?)

Need you ask? People choose fresh salmon 'because it's rich in Omega 3', then scrape off the skin and throw it away

into a hot pan, a little olive oil, seared and then under the salamander...two minutes max!

I have a special pan for sear frying which I just grease with rapeseed oil. Get the pan very hot and drop the salmon, skin side down, straight on to the pan and leave for 2 mins (no pushing it around). I was unfamiliar with a salamander (we live and learn) so I just pick the fish up with tongs and adroitly turn it over. Leave until the cooked bits are visibly (almost) meeting.

I serve on a bed of creamed leaks - little rounds of leak, about half inch thick, in a saucepan on olive oil, salt, gentle heat, take about twenty minutes, then a tablespoon of crème fraîche...sometimes a splash of water to 'loosen' it up, cracked black pepper, done.

I love creamed leeks (I cut the rounds even thinner, maybe two millimetres). I debated between red cabbage and leeks but my first thought had been the cabbage and I'd bought one specially.

Served with a few baby potatoes.......and a glass of Rosé (still have a few bottles of Miraval left).

I saved on a pan by steaming the potato slices on top of the cabbage.......I usually only have two bottles available - a red and a white, so it will be whichever I fancy. I did remember reading the name of Guigal here recently, so bought of bottle of the red version (£13, but £3 off with Tesco Clubcard) the other day. That said, I doubt I would be able to taste the difference between that and Coop's Cellier des Dauphins Côtes du Rhône (2022) at about £6. But it's psychologically pleasing, like a wine that reminds me of where I've travelled.

Naxos 8.570444 on from the music room, but winter dining is on our little octagonal in front of the woodburner (tut tut!).

Me again, I suppose . I find music distracting if I'm concentrating on something else. My naughty woodburner was replaced by an Everhot space heater/oven. I roasted some chestnuts in it, but in spite of piercing them carefully one exploded and messed up the inside. Haven't used it to cook since.














Too much information, ff

[vinteuil]

... seared fried salmon fillet with red cabbage steamed with apple, raisins and cloves. And I added some thinly sliced potato on top which doesn't take long to steam. Horseradish sauce on the side and finished up some crème fraîche which was exactly a week past its Use By date. Louis Jadot Macon-Villages 2023..

... are you sure the raisins were a good idea? I have grave doubts about cloves at the best of the time - and I'm decidedly queasy at the marriage of cloves and salmon



(everything else sounds excellent )

.