999 posts
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Post by Backdrifter on Aug 21, 2019 10:49:34 GMT
The above conversation with daisy24601 about unwanted fruit etc in drinks tangentially takes me to cocktails. I love a cocktail and especially love some of the classics - white russian, gin martini, bramble, cosmopolitan and especially a manhattan or an old-fashioned. I appreciate bars inventing their own ones and they can sometimes come up with some very creative delicious mixes but there is also a tendency for them to put in herbs and spices, which I don't like. I love herbs and spices in cooking, but in cocktails I'm yet to have one including them that I've actually enjoyed. I admit I'm quite conservative when it comes to cocktails. My favourite place in London is Scooter Caffe on Lower Marsh, next to Waterloo station. They have a short cocktail menu (all the best menus of any kind, food or drink, are short) and do a very good old-fashioned, though it varies depending on who's mixing it. Scooters is very close to the geographic centre of greater London. I wonder if some sort of effect of that makes it feel so comfortable. Sitting in the comfy chair at the very back, with an old-fashioned and a good book, with no particular hurry to go anywhere or do anything and with the whole of London all around you, is a personal heaven. Any other cocktail fiends here?
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Post by BurlyBeaR on Aug 21, 2019 11:37:00 GMT
I resent paying what they charge for cocktails I’m afraid. On a very rare occasion I’ll have something rum based like a Mai Tai. They’re terrible value though, I can finish one in two swigs.
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999 posts
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Post by Backdrifter on Aug 21, 2019 12:38:27 GMT
I resent paying what they charge for cocktails I’m afraid. On a very rare occasion I’ll have something rum based like a Mai Tai. They’re terrible value though, I can finish one in two swigs. Yes though it depends where you go. Scooters still charge single figures for theirs, mainly £7-8. Some places are now charging close to that for a pint of beer.
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Post by tmesis on Aug 21, 2019 12:42:14 GMT
My favourite cocktail is a negroni. Last year in Dubrovnik we were sitting in very much a locals bar out of the centre called 'Wind' (you couldn't imagine that in Britain where you might as well call it 'Fart' or 'Belch') - the reason for its name was it had a nautical vibe, right next to a marina. We soon tired of the local beer and rather rough wine but the place was too basic to advertise any cocktails. However, on the drinks list was gin, Campari and sweet vermouth so, emboldened by the barman's very friendly demeanour, I asked him to make up two. I had to explain what to do as he'd never heard of the drink, but for the princely sum of around £3.50 it was excellent - so good we had another!
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999 posts
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Post by Backdrifter on Aug 21, 2019 12:48:52 GMT
I’ve just added a Fray Bentos pie to my Ocado order for the weekend. I’m excited. Weirdly, so am I. No one thus far seems to have mentioned pasta. I get through large amounts of it, mostly fusili. 😄 Fusili Jerry.
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Post by alece10 on Aug 21, 2019 12:57:15 GMT
Oh I love a Fray Bentos and occasionally have one as a treat when they are on offer for £1. Of course mo meat hardly just gravy and pastry but that pastry is the best bit especially the soggy stuff underneath. I eat a whole one. I'm sure when I was a kid one of those fed a family of 4.
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Post by tmesis on Aug 21, 2019 12:57:45 GMT
I’ve just added a Fray Bentos pie to my Ocado order for the weekend. I’m excited. Hope you've got a good can-opener.
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999 posts
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Post by Backdrifter on Aug 21, 2019 13:04:49 GMT
Oh I love a Fray Bentos and occasionally have one as a treat when they are on offer for £1. Of course mo meat hardly just gravy and pastry but that pastry is the best bit especially the soggy stuff underneath. I eat a whole one. I'm sure when I was a kid one of those fed a family of 4. A whole one - as in, the 'family'-sized one? I have a great image of you lifting a big FB pie to your face (even though I realise that's sloppily impossible) and eating it like a big biscuit. That said, I did know someone who would eat whole sponge cakes in that way. Yes the moist underside of the puff pastry lid is luscious. Even when it's, as usual, risen unevenly - often one side is way higher than the other. If anyone is ever in Lochinver in the Assynt region of the NW Highlands, go to the Lochinver Larder and go pie-mad. They do a whole range of pies, savoury and sweet, and they are all packed to bursting and absolutely delicious. But you don't even have to go there, they do online orders. Side-note - ooh blimey. I have one post to reach 999. I told myself that as per the last board I'd bail at 999, I like the incomplete feel of it. I'd better choose it very carefully.
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Post by TallPaul on Aug 21, 2019 15:37:41 GMT
I'm flabbergasted, nay appalled, that such a hi-tech, upper middle class, online only retailer like Ocado stocks anything in a tin, let alone Fray Bentos pies. As a matter of principle, I shall, in future, be taking my business elsewhere...to Poundland where, funnily enough, a large pie costs just £1, 363 days of the year. 🙂
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Post by The Matthew on Aug 21, 2019 15:55:18 GMT
I know someone who hates oranges like I hate lemons, and someone who hates bananas I love lemons. I don't know why they put them in drinks because they barely make any difference to the drink at all, but I do often eat the slice of lemon afterwards. I used to love bananas — and especially banoffee sundaes — but they make my IBS flare up and it's not worth the pain. I believe that pearoffee sundaes are a thing that can work but I've yet to find one.
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Post by tmesis on Aug 21, 2019 17:03:09 GMT
The best steak and kidney pie in a pub is available from the Hardwick Inn, adjacent to Hardwick Hall near Chesterfield. I have now been going to this magnificent pub for over forty years. It's actually owned by the National Trust but has been managed by the Batty family all the time I have been going in. It's good because it's made with proper, slow cooked chuck steak and the (large) portion you get is a decent wedge culled from what must be an extremely large pie made with excellent suet-crust pastry. The pub is just fantastic all round with not a hint of gastro-pretension. I was there last week visiting my 90 year old father. I'm a real ale fan and had a lovely pint of Peak Ales Chatsworth Gold but I was spoilt for choice with Black Sheep, TT's Landlord and Old Peculier on sale. Oh and they also offer a choice of 230 single malts and have the nicest pub garden in Britain.
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Post by daisy24601 on Aug 21, 2019 17:09:12 GMT
I know someone who hates oranges like I hate lemons, and someone who hates bananas I love lemons. I don't know why they put them in drinks because they barely make any difference to the drink at all, but I do often eat the slice of lemon afterwards. I used to love bananas — and especially banoffee sundaes — but they make my IBS flare up and it's not worth the pain. I believe that pearoffee sundaes are a thing that can work but I've yet to find one. As someone who hates them, take it from me, they do make a difference. Especially in water as it doesn't really taste of anything, so the addition of something is noticeable.
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Post by The Matthew on Aug 21, 2019 17:42:59 GMT
It's a weirdly small world. I'm having dinner this evening and the woman at the table next to me asked for the lemon to be removed from her drink because she can't stand them.
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Post by Dawnstar on Aug 21, 2019 17:46:04 GMT
Because I don't mind it, I never think about the presumption of putting a slice of lemon in drinks but you are absolutely right. They should ask if you want anything in it. I suppose even worse for you are places that have a communal jug of water for everyone to use, and it's got lemon slices floating in it - I've seen variations on this, e.g. orange slices or mint leaves. My favourite bar in Edinburgh, Under The Stairs, your glass of tap water comes with a slice of cucumber in. As I find lemon such a fresh and zingy taste and aroma it surprises me someone wouldn't like it but we are all wired differently. My dad couldn't bear the aroma of freshly sliced/peeled oranges - again, for me a lovely aroma but he found it nauseating. I like bananas but the smell of a ripe one, or of the peel that's been thrown in a bin nearby, makes me heave. In an office I used to work in, the team knew to throw their banana peel in a bin outside the office. A previous colleague claimed the smell of bananas actually made her immediately throw up. We didn't put it to the test. Interesting you mention those two things, I know someone who hates oranges like I hate lemons, and someone who hates bananas (although that's due to her having to take a banana flavoured medicine as a child). Weird how some of us end up with these inexplicable aversions to things. And yes you're right on the water, I often have to go up and ask for water without lemon. I imagine there are people who aren't keen on it being cucumber flavoured as well.
I too hate it when restaurants put a slice of lemon in water. It's not that I mind lemon flavour per say - I love lemon drizzle cake - I just don't want it in water. Because I pretty much only drink water (I may have a glass of fruit juice a few times in a year) I am very sensitive to its flavour. There are some parts of Britain where I can't bear the taste of the local water so have to buy bottled water if I'm visiting. Oddly, this includes the Lake District, which you'd think would have nice water but to my tastebuds doesn't.
I hate bananas, though I'm not sure if that's because I too had banana flavoured medicine as a child or if I'd hate them anyway. Unfortunately my mother loves them so every time I have to lift the lid of our food waste bin my nose is assaulted by the vile smell of banana peel.
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Post by poster J on Aug 21, 2019 20:26:21 GMT
For cocktails I'm partial to a good Margarita, Daiquiri, Mojito (though I probably drank too many of all of those in Cuba so I'm taking a break!) or Espresso Martini, but I'm just as happy with a decent Gin & Tonic!
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Post by 49thand8th on Aug 21, 2019 20:35:46 GMT
What’s everyone like with Use By and Best Before dates? We’re wasting a lot of food apparently. I'm extremely squeamish about expiry dates, but I almost never waste food because I only buy food for the next couple of days at a time. The exception is soft fruit, which seems to go grey and hairy at least a day in advance of the best before date. I tend to buy fruit at the farmers market and eat it ASAP. Though sometimes there are regrets. Anything I know I won't finish in time gets frozen for a smoothie.
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Post by rockinrobin on Aug 21, 2019 21:09:40 GMT
Any other cocktail fiends here? Me. I love cocktails (as you can probably tell, just look at my profile photo!) - perhaps except that one with mushroom-infused whisky I had in France some months ago... Yuk... Don't ever try mushroom-infused whisky, my friends. Anyway, I love a good Negroni or Singapore Sling or Margarita. I have to confess my favourite cocktail is Long Island Iced Tea but I don't pamper myself with it too often because a) it's strong, b) ironically, there are very few bartenders who can actually make it taste good and not like last night party leftovers. Food-wise though, I love dumplings in all shapes and colours - ravioli, pierogi, khinkali, I devour them all shamelessly. And Spanish croquetas. I love croquetas.
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Post by peggysue on Aug 21, 2019 21:20:40 GMT
My favourite cocktail is Blue Lagoon 😊
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Post by Dawnstar on Aug 22, 2019 12:04:18 GMT
This is saving me so much on Christmas cards this year... I thought we'd already agreed to disagree on this one!
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999 posts
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Post by Backdrifter on Aug 22, 2019 12:55:03 GMT
If I have a most-hated food it would probably be beetroot. I'm of the age that I grew up experiencing those horrible 70s institutional salads that had a half of greying boiled egg, dessicated shreds of carrot and made you want to suspend a hammock between the salt and pepper shakers for the limp tired lettuce. And there'd always be one or two slices of the dreaded beetroot, the texture of which managed to be freakily both soft and hard, and one single molecule of which would horribly dye all the other items on the plate and everything within a five-mile radius that unearthly potassium permanganate colour. It hits a hat-trick or horribleness in looking, smelling and tasting revolting. It's now of course a very in-vogue ingredient and gets roasted up and included in lots of dishes and yes you can get the orange and yellow ones but I can't bear the taste of any of them. One of the most horrible things I ever had was shredded jellyfish, in the long-gone Luxuriance in Soho. It looked like pale elastic bands, was cold and managed to be both bland and disgusting, which is quite a feat. Don't ever try mushroom-infused whisky, my friends. What?! Why the shrieking pirouetting hell would anyone even think of such a stupidly repulsive idea, let alone make it? I love dumplings in all shapes and colours - ravioli, pierogi, khinkali, I devour them all shamelessly. "Shamelessly"! I now have an image of someone the opposite of you who does feel dumpling shame, sneaking off to have secret dumpling sessions, looking furtively around while they do so. I'd never heard of khinkali and just looked it up - thanks, I like learning about unfamiliar foodstuffs. Now I want to try some. Pierogi, oh man! I've enjoyed many a ribsticking Polish meal and it invariably has to involve pierogi. (And be rounded off by a square of crumbly plain cheesecake or those sweet cheese pancakes). What about dimsum like hargau, etc? For me one of life's culinary pleasures is the occasional dimsum lunch, indulging in that whole range of sensations the best dimsum provide - crunchy, slithery, subtle, rich, sticky, sweet and savoury, and of course ordering just that little bit too much of it. Oh I just thought of another cocktail I love, the sidecar, another one they do very nicely in Scooters (and at the other end of Waterloo, Brasserie Blanc do a pretty fine one too). A nice way to round off post number 999. That's me off then. (...until I stroll nonchalantly back in next week because I'm too much of a loudmouth and can't shut up).
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Post by lynette on Aug 22, 2019 13:59:53 GMT
ME TOO WITH THE BEETROOT
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Post by TallPaul on Aug 22, 2019 14:02:33 GMT
I bet you'd eat it if Bettys hid it in a cake.
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Post by lynette on Aug 22, 2019 14:17:27 GMT
I bet you'd eat it if Bettys hid it in a cake. I bet I would 😂😂
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Post by 49thand8th on Aug 22, 2019 18:01:21 GMT
I love it in a salad with some goat cheese and rosemary.
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Post by Dawnstar on Aug 22, 2019 18:05:36 GMT
I bet you'd eat it if Bettys hid it in a cake.
Add me to the list of beetroot haters. I won't eat it even in cake form. I don't understand why anyone wants to put vegetables in a cake (see also carrot cake). I like sweet & savoury foodstuffs separately, not together.
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Post by ruby on Aug 22, 2019 23:45:43 GMT
I never knew I actually liked beetroot until I left home. I'd never had it before as it's pretty much the only thing my dad doesn't like.
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Post by TallPaul on Aug 23, 2019 15:45:33 GMT
I don't think I've mentioned (much) that I'm making a motion picture tonight, so for tea I'm having a picnic, on set - steak flavour Seabrook crisps x 2, pork pie x 4, Chorley Cake x 4, all washed down with lashings of Ben Shaw's cloudy lemonade. 😋😋😋
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Post by alece10 on Aug 23, 2019 17:26:26 GMT
I'm having scampi and chips for dinner and on tempted to put it in a basket but the nearest thing I can find is a picnic hamper. Not the same is it. Oh and I found Lidl own make angel delight so that's my pud sorted. Welcome to the 70s!
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Post by BurlyBeaR on Aug 23, 2019 17:58:48 GMT
I don't think I've mentioned (much) that I'm making a motion picture tonight, so for tea I'm having a picnic, on set - steak flavour Seabrook crisps x 2, pork pie x 4, Chorley Cake x 4, all washed down with lashings of Ben Shaw's cloudy lemonade. 😋😋😋 That will raise eyebrows in Parson’s Cross. Or get you beaten up, one or t’other! 🙂
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Post by TallPaul on Aug 23, 2019 18:16:22 GMT
Parson Cross is all loved up tonight, BurlyBeaR. If there's a night to safely eat Chorley Cakes, it's tonight. Richard E Grant is just feet away, over my right shoulder. He's having a bag of popcorn for his tea. Film stars have a very peculiar way of eating. I assume it's to avoid smudging their lipstick. Nobody wants to be constantly touched up!
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