Recipes for scrumptious and reasonably healthy food

[Gordon Steadman]

We have two Panasonic bread makers. We bought one and found the other thrown away at the skip because it had a small dent on the side - works perfectly. Quite useful for dough mixing although the finished bread could certainly be better.

Marco, I don't like the typically creamy French butter. Salted for me, loads of flavour, the supermarkets do that too fortunately. Bon Maman is pretty good but not as good as ours. For the first time since we've been here, we have started the previous year's jam. Fruit was a bit short last year although the veg was fantastic, it seems to alternate.

Thanks for the gluten free recipe, I'll give that a go. I'd toast anything!!! Yes, great bread is wonderful as is but then so is great toast especially with home made jam, best on the Aga but perfectly nice in the Dualit.

[Marco]

Nothing wrong with toasting a quality artisan bread, i do that often, today topped with marinated tomatoes ( fresh thyme, wee bit garlic, salt, and very good quality extra virgin oil, drizz of honey).

Ah yes, for savoury use, as a snack or meal, no problem (indeed, I'd insist upon it)! I thought you meant toasting it for breakfast, with jam and butter... Nothing necessarily wrong with that either, I guess, it's just that I personally wouldn't.

I'd use the cheapie stuff for that, as for me, it makes better breakfast toast, especially 'soldiers' (with butter on) to dip into boiled eggs!

Marco.

[Marco]

Marco, I don't like the typically creamy French butter. Salted for me, loads of flavour, the supermarkets do that too fortunately. Bon Maman is pretty good but not as good as ours. For the first time since we've been here, we have started the previous year's jam. Fruit was a bit short last year although the veg was fantastic, it seems to alternate.

Indeed, you can't beat making your own, and when Del makes jam, it's the same. However, as far as bought stuff goes, Bon Maman is very good, and in France there are all sorts of unusual varieties available, such as fig and greengage, which you don't get in the supermarkets here.

In terms of butter, our tastes are obviously different, but then I think that's likely because you're an Englishman living in France, with essentially English tastes, hence the love of salt.

For me (and Del) that lovely creamy unsalted butter, which usually comes wrapped in white paper (which incidentally is also available in the likes of Italy and Germany), and hence often referred to as 'continental butter', is much more to out palette, as we're essentially continental people living in the UK, with continental tastes!

Marco.

[BTH K10A]

Putting a large slice of homemade bread on the end of a toasting fork and holding in front of the fire is one of the best things about winter. Lashings of salted butter on the toast is all you need.

It has to be white bread though as toast made with brown bread is only good with pate.

[struth]

Been back on the bread again this time with bramble preserve

[Marco]

Putting a large slice of homemade bread on the end of a toasting fork and holding in front of the fire is one of the best things about winter.

I know what you mean - it's one of the many advantages of coal fires!

It has to be white bread though as toast made with brown bread is only good with pate.

Or better still, melba toast (with pâté, that is). In some ways, they did things right in the 70s!

Marco.

[southall-1998]

My Irish father sometimes does Soda Bread. Agreed, very nice with Strawberry Jam!!

S.

[RichB]

Today it's a back of the fridge curry as I call it, chicken bits from the freezer, daal lentils, some limp spinach and a load of random spices Mrs B fetched back from her last trip to Nepal. A bit of powdered coconut and we're in for a feast!

[Marco]

Sounds good to me, Rich! ‘Leftovers’ can sometimes combine to make the tastiest meals

Marco.

[struth]

always used to make stovies with the leftover roast beef and gravy...it was yummy.