Foodlovers Foodtalk Forum
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For Foodlovers to talk about recipes, cooking, and everything else foodie!
Re: Making your own Mustard - 4 years ago
This is a good one: Herb Mustard 200 g yellow mustard seeds 100 g black mustard seeds 20 whole cloves 1 tbsp fresh tarragon 1 tbsp fresh thyme 3/4 cup parsley sprigs 5 cm fresh ginger, chopped finely 3 cloves garlic (or more to taste) 1/3 cup honey 1 -2 tsps salt 1 cup white vinegar 1 cup olive oil Method Blend cloves until ground. Add mustard seeds and process until some areby karena - Foodlovers Food Talk
Re: Cooking organic free range chicken ... HELP! - 4 years ago
TPANDAV I'm interested in the first step. How much salt do you use, and what does this do to the chicken? I also cook organic chicken pieces (Bostock drumsticks - we can't get whole legs here for some reason!) by braising them, and it works well. But they will always have more texture than battery chickens (and more flavour, in my opinion)by karena - Foodlovers Food Talk
making stock from vegetable peelings - 4 years ago
Once again I've heard a cook on a radio programme recommend saving vegetable peelings and boiling them up for stock. I peel vegetables when the outer layer is ingrained with dirt, has blemishes or diseased patches, and I'd also be concerned about chemical residues in peelings. Does anyone on this forum save vegetable peelings and use them for stock?by karena - Foodlovers Food Talk
Re: Fresh Guavas - 4 years ago
I've made guava muffins - they had a lovely aromatic flavour, but were full of large pips. Next time I think I'll sieve the pulp before adding it to the mix! They do make excellent jelly - once again a very aromatic flavour, and a most beautiful colour.by karena - Foodlovers Food Talk
Re: Feijoas - 4 years ago
Sadly there are two pests/diseases affecting feijoas that have been in the news in the last couple of years - guava moth and a fungal disease that has hit crops in Northland particularly hard this season. There is information about the guava moth on the Auckland City Council website.by karena - Foodlovers Food Talk
Re: Standard Pantry Items - 4 years ago
Griz - I really agree with the point you make. It must depend on what style of cuisine the pantry items are designed for.by karena - Foodlovers Food Talk
Re: Bread sticking to tin - 4 years ago
I make no-knead bread, and brush the tins with olive oil (my recipe also includes a small amount of olive oil) I always leave the bread to sit in the tin for 5 minutes or so after it comes out of the oven, then run a knife around between the bread and the sides of the tin. I've very rarely had any trouble getting the bread to come out cleanly, and on the odd occasion that I do, I put the tin on aby karena - Foodlovers Food Talk
Re: Oven query - 5 years ago
Probably too late for this, but I make no-knead bread (an Alison Holst recipe) and rise it by turning oven on to about 50 deg C, turning oven off and rising bread in residual heat - it takes about 30 mins.by karena - Foodlovers Non-Foodie Chat
Re: Exploding glass oven door, help please - 5 years ago
Quoting from Consumer NZ: "Exploding toughened glass is relatively uncommon. When we get complaints they usually involve new ovens – especially one brand or even one model, which indicates that a batch of safety glass has problems. The Consumer Guarantees Act entitles you to replacement glass." The Consumer Guarantees Act applies irrespective of what the warranty says.by karena - Foodlovers Food Talk
Re: Where to get really good ricotta? - 5 years ago
Nelson's Viavio make excellent ricotta, and other specialist Italian cheeses. Not sure how widely available they are - but I think Farro Fresh in Auckland stock them.They make a cow's milk burrata, delicious stracchino and boccancini, plus others I haven't yet tried.by karena - Foodlovers Food Talk
Re: Bran Muffins, do you have a really good recipe? - 5 years ago
This is mine: Bran Muffins 2 tbsps butter 1/2 cup sugar 1 egg 1 tsp cinnamon 1/2 tsp baking soda 1 tsp baking powder 1/2 cup milk 1 cup sultanas 1 cup flour 1 tbsp golden syrup 1 cup bran Cream butter and sugar, add golden syrup and egg. Dissolve baking soda in warmed milk. Sift flour, cinnamon and baking powder, add bran and stir in with sultanas. Lastly add milk. Bake in greaby karena - Foodlovers Food Talk
Re: Bran Muffins, do you have a really good recipe? - 5 years ago
I have one from a very old recipe book '101 ways with food' - an un-dated Wilson and Horton publication probably from the 1950s or 60s. I tried to check the date for copyright reasons, but a Google search under the title came up with nothing. If you're happy for me to post the recipe, I will! Editing this - the book is called '1001 ways with food' - but that didn't come up in a Google searchby karena - Foodlovers Food Talk
Re: Ideas for dinner in this hot weather - 5 years ago
I've made two successful vegetarian dishes - the first, smallish purple striped aubergines slashed almost through diagonally and baked long and slow early in the day with a mix of tomato, onion, garlic and basil around them. I put this in the fridge and ate it cold over several days with more fresh basil, canned butter beans and a salad. The aubergine was meltingly delicious, and the flavours gotby karena - Foodlovers Food Talk
Re: Brisbane: Food recommendations - 5 years ago
My brother, visiting from Brisbane, recommends Mother Africa for something really authentic and quite different from the usual fare. Here's the website: motherafrica.com.au/ It's worth reading the TripAdviser reviews.by karena - Foodlovers Food Talk
Re: Potato salad suggestions? - 5 years ago
I think an important thing if you want the potatoes to shine is to scrub and steam them, peel them while still hot, and put half the dressing over them while they are warm so that some of it soaks in. Lemon juice and zest are another option instead of vinegar.by karena - Foodlovers Food Talk
Re: Ban retail sales of fireworks - 5 years ago
Thanks for this, J1. I've signed and shared it too. I'd like to go further and see Guy Fawkes Day no longer 'celebrated' here - a commemoration of Parihaka would be much more relevant, and raise awareness of an episode in our history which should not be forgotten.by karena - Foodlovers Non-Foodie Chat
Bathroom fan heater - 5 years ago
I had a Zip bathroom fan heater that was probably 25 years old before it gave up the ghost. I had it replaced with a Goldair heater, which lasted just over 2 years before the draw cord ceased to function. I know I'd be covered by the Consumer Guarantees Act if I wanted it repaired (not possible!) or replaced, but I'd prefer to get a better quality heater that lasted longer, and I'm looking at Serby karena - Foodlovers Non-Foodie Chat
Re: moth eradication - 5 years ago
I've put a few drops of lavender oil on cotton wool make-up pads, which I then put into small zip-lock plastic bags, leaving them unclosed. I put them at the back of shelves in closets, and haven't had trouble with moths since. The same trick seems to work with silverfish - I put some at the back of bookshelves. Eventually you need to renew the oil if you're still having problems, but it is worthby karena - Foodlovers Non-Foodie Chat
Re: Asparagus - 5 years ago
I've always felt that throwing away the tough ends of the stalks was a waste, but did it anyway. Today's Sunday Star Times has a recipe that involves cooking the ends and stalks separately until they are tender, and pureeing them in a blender with a bit of olive oil and some parmesan, then serving the puree with pieces of fish and the lightly-cooked spears. Might try it!by karena - Foodlovers Food Talk
Re: Buying a Juicer. - 5 years ago
My Sunbeam Juice-it (JE3400) has done well - it's simple to use, and I've had it for 13 years. I have to say it only gets used in the grapefruit season, but it's very good at getting all the juice out. There are only 3 components that need to be washed - another plus.by karena - Foodlovers Non-Foodie Chat
Re: Citrus - 5 years ago
A suggestion for foodie friends overwhelmed with citrus fruit when it's in season. One thing that works for me is to squeeze limes and NZ navel oranges into ice cube trays with their zest, tip the cubes into margarine containers and put them back in the freezer, with a label saying how many cubes = 1 fruit. Then I have them on hand when they are not in season - and I don't have to buy imported onby karena - Foodlovers Food Talk
Re: Plastic - What Else Should They Ban/Change - 5 years ago
In our Bin Inn, not only do you buy just what you need from the bins, but you get a 5% discount if you bring your own containers. Our local fish shop now wraps fish in paper rather than putting it in plastic bags. At our Saturday market some suppliers are no longer pre-packing produce in plastic bags, and many have small re-usable mesh bags on hand for people to buy for a few dollars. I've also rby karena - Foodlovers Non-Foodie Chat
Re: Cake with whole fruit - skin and all - 5 years ago
I have a favourite muffin recipe which can be made with finely chopped raw oranges or limes, skin and all, and includes sultanas and pieces of crystallised ginger. I sometimes chop the fruit in advance and freeze it - the chopping is fiddly, so it means I have the fruit ready to go when I want to make them and don't have much time.by karena - Foodlovers Food Talk
Re: Bread like "Fleur's" - 5 years ago
Sadly there's no bread recipe in 'Fleur's Place', but there are lots of other great recipes, and some wonderful photos.by karena - Foodlovers Food Talk
Re: spam on these forums - 5 years ago
I have had no experience managing forums, but the subject headings in spam messages identify them as spam, and I'm also happy to just ignore them. It looks as if most others on this forum do the same - they seldom get a response.by karena - Foodlovers Non-Foodie Chat
Re: Polarising ingredients - 5 years ago
Jenna - if you cook it in a double boiler you only need to stir it occasionally, and it doesn't go lumpy.by karena - Foodlovers Food Talk
Re: Polarising ingredients - 5 years ago
I don't make polenta often, but I do like it - I make it in a double boiler (no spatters), cool it, freeze leftovers in slices, and grill them brushed with olive oil. It's good made with a mix of milk and chicken stock rather than water.by karena - Foodlovers Food Talk
Re: Help! Need to 'rescue' beetroot soup - 5 years ago
Thank you to everyone for these suggestions, which I will file away for future reference, as I'm sure they can be applied to other soup-making disasters! I now have to confess that when I tasted it the next day, I felt that the beetroot flavour was barely discernible, with an unpleasant earthiness, so I tipped it into the compost bin and made Digby Law's carrot and lemon soup, which ticked all thby karena - Foodlovers Food Talk
Help! Need to 'rescue' beetroot soup - 5 years ago
I've made some beetroot soup (ingredients: beetroot, coconut cream, onion, lemongrass, lime juice, dill) and although this soup is usually delicious and the colour is lovely the beetroot was quite flavourless, despite being roasted in the oven. (It's obviously the wrong time of year for it - I've learned my lesson) The soup is for a family occasion, with two people whose diets are strictly limiteby karena - Foodlovers Food Talk
Re: Tea with the dames - 5 years ago
A gem of a movie - just saw it this afternoon and I totally agree with you, Ali W. Also illuminating to hear such revered actors admit to vulnerabilities despite all that they've achieved.by karena - Foodlovers Non-Foodie Chat