the takeaway secret

emlou2009

I was having spag bol for dinner tonight so thought I'd try the one in the book - it was rank! How can a spag bol recipe not contain any onions or garlic?! Luckily I tasted it before I left it for an hour to simmer, I then added in a onion and some garlic, and I have to say it was the most delicious spag bol I've ever made with those additions! I couldnt have had it as it was though.

thriftmonster

ok have ordered it at £4.25 with free delivery - at that price only one recipe has to be good to save money. What are the best ones so far?

CFM_2

i've posted about this book on these forums before too, it's brilliant! :beer:

i agree with what was said about the spaghetti bolognese - it was a bit hit and miss when we made it and it seems to be similar to the chinese curry sauce in the sense that it's very specific to a takeaway type dish

we made the chinese curry sauce and although it tasted lovely, a couple of us didn't think it was the very same as the takeaways - other people who tasted it though said it was absolutely spot on and tasted exactly the same as the one they order, so i suppose it depends on the takeaways and restaurants that you usually visit

overall though everything we've cooked has been enjoyed, especially the lamb donner kebab which was superb, if i'd added ten beers and eaten it at 2am i honestly think it would have been perfect :rotfl: - for me, that one and the others i've tried really did taste just like the things i usually order

the chicken and veg pakora are brilliant too and we've made the basic curry sauce which is now frozen and ready to use for curry dinners next week - i've not tasted it but my friend tried the szechuan chicken and said it was spicier than the takeaway but brilliant - we usually have chinese on a saturday night so that might be next on the list for tonight!

my niece and nephew were visiting on friday and spotted both the ice cream and the chocolate chip cookies recipes so i'll no doubt be roped into making them as well, i wouldn't mind but they have a thing about taking their baked goods home with them to show mummy and daddy so i never end up getting any!

in the meantime, we're having a late lunch of 'sausage and egg muffins' which i guess are supposed to be similar to the McDonald's muffins, i'll let you all know how it went in a wee while!

PS: i found out about the book by buying another from the same series of books called 'chinese cookery secrets' which i'd also highly recommend!

Badrick

Slightly off topic, if you don't want to buy all the spices then Tesco sell a Chinese curry concentrate. Simply add as much as you want to pan of boiling water (measured) and stir till dissolved, done. We also add a little salt to taste.
Search for Goldfish Chinese Curry.

flipperOSN

My copy arrived this morning - my 9 year old pounced on it! Hopefully I can make things with all the taste and none of the MSG/grease

fuzzybear01

Currently cheaper on WHS site! Only £3.95

merlin1

thunderchild wrote: »

I will be trying the Southern Fried Chicken if I don't go camping. May opt to finish it in the oven though once the coating has sealed. Has anyone else done this?

hi, yes thats exactly what i did, browned the chicken in about an inch or so of oil in a no stick pan then transferred to the oven to finish, tis lovely!

kinkyjinks wrote: »

I bought this last week and it arrived yesterday. I've been decorating so only had time for a quick look through when it arrived. DS1 came round to visit me and since he's just moved into his own place I was telling him about it. I suggested that I'd buy him a few books like it for his Christmas, which he enthusiastically agreed to, put my book down and went to stir dinner, just as he was leaving.

Went to look at some of the recipes after he left and the book had left with him :eek: He'd misunderstood what I meant (yeah right lol) and thought I'd left it out for him to read. So now I've had to buy a second copy. Guess that's what you get when you bring them up to understand they can eat cheaper, tastier and healthier by making it themselves :rotfl: :rotfl::rotfl:

And very MSE of him to nick off with my book

:rotfl:good lad! you should be proud! :cool:

CFM wrote: »

i've posted about this book on these forums before too, it's brilliant! :beer:

i agree with what was said about the spaghetti bolognese - it was a bit hit and miss when we made it and it seems to be similar to the chinese curry sauce in the sense that it's very specific to a takeaway type dish

we made the chinese curry sauce and although it tasted lovely, a couple of us didn't think it was the very same as the takeaways - other people who tasted it though said it was absolutely spot on and tasted exactly the same as the one they order, so i suppose it depends on the takeaways and restaurants that you usually visit

overall though everything we've cooked has been enjoyed, especially the lamb donner kebab which was superb, if i'd added ten beers and eaten it at 2am i honestly think it would have been perfect :rotfl: - for me, that one and the others i've tried really did taste just like the things i usually order

the chicken and veg pakora are brilliant too and we've made the basic curry sauce which is now frozen and ready to use for curry dinners next week - i've not tasted it but my friend tried the szechuan chicken and said it was spicier than the takeaway but brilliant - we usually have chinese on a saturday night so that might be next on the list for tonight!

my niece and nephew were visiting on friday and spotted both the ice cream and the chocolate chip cookies recipes so i'll no doubt be roped into making them as well, i wouldn't mind but they have a thing about taking their baked goods home with them to show mummy and daddy so i never end up getting any!

in the meantime, we're having a late lunch of 'sausage and egg muffins' which i guess are supposed to be similar to the McDonald's muffins, i'll let you all know how it went in a wee while!

PS: i found out about the book by buying another from the same series of books called 'chinese cookery secrets' which i'd also highly recommend!

it's a fab book all in all isnt it?! the muffins have been reviewed earlier - again they were reported as excellent! (by the kids i believe)

5 pages! :eek: I'm pleased to see it hasn't got merged though, i should be on commission! :rotfl: might email the author though, send him a link to this forum? :cool:

since posting i have tried the 'kebab shop style' spicy wings - they are very good! they get an almost char grilled coating that crumbles, v tasty!

my mum has taken the recipe for ice cream, she has a very low tolerance of egg, so as the recipe doesn't contain any she is keen to try it and has promised to report back. its an Italian restaurant recipe, so will let you know!

i am a bit miffed to read the review in spag bol?! i never even looked at that cos i do my own, but i agree how strange not to have onions and garlic????! :rotfl:

next for me i think will be a chinese meal, sweet n sour chicken, fried rice and ....... too many choices hehe!

keep posting on your trials and tribulations though?! :T

building_with_lego

I made the "Special Burger Sauce" this morning as I was having a craving for a big fat burger... I'm pleased to report that it's exactly as it is in the real thing and my homemade B*g M*c was amazing. Even OH pronounced it to be 'just like it'.
Chicken balls are next on the list...

merlin1

building_with_lego wrote: »

I made the "Special Burger Sauce" this morning as I was having a craving for a big fat burger... I'm pleased to report that it's exactly as it is in the real thing and my homemade B*g M*c was amazing. Even OH pronounced it to be 'just like it'.
Chicken balls are next on the list...

:j yes! many thanks for that as my ds (11yrs) was asking me to do this too! out of curiosity did you use the gherkins pickled with dill? or was it good enough without?

sb44

You can order this from WH Smith for £3.95 and get it delivered free to your nearest store.

http://www.whsmith.co.uk/CatalogAndSearch/ProductDetails.aspx?productID=9780716022350

I am going to go and order it instore as I have a fiver left on a gift card to use up.