OK, What's For Lunch or Tea Today?

[Marco]

It's egg noodle, not pasta but spag would be OK just heavier.

The recipe called for rice noodles. I had run out.

Ah yes, soz my boob... Think I'd prefer it with pasta, though. Just my own personal preference

Marco.

[Marco]

Today's scran... Just some lamb cutlets from Sainsbury's (as we didn't have time to go to the butcher), marinated in olive oil, rosemary and garlic, simply grilled and served with homemade mint sauce (made with fresh mint from our herb patch), along with assorted veg from our garden, such as heritage carrots, peas and new potatoes. The rest is from Sainsbury's:





...washed down by a truly STONKING 'big boned', very rich and jammy Portuguese red:



This would knock some top Riojas into a cocked hat, for much less money, and also rival some big Oz reds for sheer fruit-forward power and richness - a truly gorgeous mouthful!

Marco.

[Roy S]

Very nice Marco. My mint's coming on a bundle so I'll have to have lamb again soon.

Today roast loin of pork with sweet potatoes & carrots, new potatoes, white cabbage & peas.

[User211]

grease pan or not?

No completely unnecessary. At least not in any pot I have used.

For some reason bread tins need it even if they are non-stick.

Be sure to drop your dough into a big bowl after a couple of hours post dough cycle and leave it for 8 hours or more. Cover it with a towel or cling film. Oil that bowl first and move the dough around in the oil until it is ball shaped. Olive oil is great for this.

Then drop the dough from a height onto a bread board covered with white flour and shape it. This part is the critical bit. Learn how to shape and cut. Best to flour your hands first. It takes some acquired skill but within 3-4 loaves you will have that skill. Hopefully LOL

[User211]

Today's scran... Just some lamb cutlets from Sainsbury's (as we didn't have time to go to the butcher), marinated in olive oil, rosemary and garlic, simply grilled and served with homemade mint sauce (made with fresh mint from our herb patch), along with assorted veg from our garden, such as heritage carrots, peas and new potatoes. The rest is from Sainsbury's:





...washed down by a truly STONKING 'big boned', very rich and jammy Portuguese red:



This would knock some top Riojas into a cocked hat, for much less money, and also rival some big Oz reds for sheer fruit-forward power and richness - a truly gorgeous mouthful!

Marco.

FFS open a small restaurant. Del has some talent. She'd probably love it!

[User211]

Ah yes, soz my boob... Think I'd prefer it with pasta, though. Just my own personal preference

Marco.

Yeah but you know it's wrong at heart i.e. it isn't authentic, as you so like to point out.

I think rice or fine egg noodles is better for a lighter hot weather bite, pasta better on cold winter days.

Pasta is so heavy comparatively I am surprised Italians are so keen on it in a Mediterranean climate.

What got me about the recipe is zero guidance on the type of sausage to use. And it's of paramount importance IMHO. The pic looked liked they used chorizo but it is hard to be sure.

[Marco]

Very nice Marco. My mint's coming on a bundle so I'll have to have lamb again soon.

Today roast loin of pork with sweet potatoes & carrots, new potatoes, white cabbage & peas.

Cheers, Roy. I could easily lap that up, too!

Marco.

[Marco]

FFS open a small restaurant. Del has some talent. She'd probably love it!

Lol - churz... She's always loved cooking. We've also often chatted about opening up a small restaurant, probably by converting our (large) garage into a dining room and operating a kind of 'Gorilla Kitchen', which would keep overheads down.

Maybe something to consider when she retires from teaching!

Marco.

[Marco]

Yeah but you know it's wrong at heart i.e. it isn't authentic, as you so like to point out.

I think rice or fine egg noodles is better for a lighter hot weather bite, pasta better on cold winter days.

Pasta is so heavy comparatively I am surprised Italians are so keen on it in a Mediterranean climate.

What got me about the recipe is zero guidance on the type of sausage to use. And it's of paramount importance IMHO. The pic looked liked they used chorizo but it is hard to be sure.

Sure, but don't get me wrong, I'd still enjoy it, as I love the flavours and I like noodles!

It's just that when we have noodles, it's usually with asian food/soups, not Italian. I don't really find pasta heavy, as long as you don't eat too much of it at once! In Italy, they tend only to have small portions, as a starter, before the meat or fish course. Unlike here, it's rarely eaten as a main course on its own.

Plus, how heavy it is depends on the type of pasta used and also the sauce. In that respect, carbonara is quite a bit heavier than, say, a basic tomato sauce. Also, you never have the pasta swimming in sauce, such as you're often served here in so-called 'Italian restaurants'. The sauce is just used to coat the pasta and provide some 'lubrication', as it's the pasta itself, and its inherent quality, that is always sought to be showcased.

With Italian cuisine, it's often about 'less is more'/keep it simple, stupid - and ALWAYS about using the best and freshest ingredients

Marco.

[User211]

Vareity is the spice of life.

I think all nationalities these days are influenced by other nationalities but what surprises me is how well the pretext of a nationality in food is still ingrained in so many people.

Think about it. With international travel so easy and considering how genuinely cosmopolitan so many countries have become with so much immigration, it's almost hard to see why. Especially with the disolving of so many communication barriers via the internet. Anyone can talk to anyone if they really want via IT even if the governments try to stop it or outlaw it. The fact is anyone can bypass that with a little knowledge.

Whatever. Probably feeling too philosophical at the moment