Cooking for one (Mark Two)

karcher

Hollyharvey wrote: »

I've had a surprise invite out for a meal this evening. A friend is taking me to a restaurant we both like as a belated birthday treat. I'm really looking forward to a really good meal without any cooking. So much so that I've already decided what I'm going to have .

Have a or hope you had a lovely time HH.

Re: my very own chicken gate, the chicken has been removed from the freezer to the fridge with a view to it being ready to poach by Saturday night. Thanks to all for the advice

AndyCF

Well I had a 'slightly unusual' dinner this evening. I did a baked potato then decided the best idea was to tip some hot thick veg soup onto it.

I should point out the soup was extra thick not the usual 'water viscous' one.

It was actually surprisingly nice, it certainly turned it into something a bit more as it had a bit of time to 'soak into' each half of the large spud, plus I got my 'veg bits' that way.

I'm half looking for some kind of replacement handle for an ancient knife I use a lot, I'm quite attached to it even though its probably older than me. I had it sharpened up the other week by a neighbour but the handle is about worn through and also a bit burned and chipped. I don't know if it was originally ivory or bone or something like that, its very old. Said handle is slightly yellow but its so old it may of been white once. As long as I can get a 'modern but suitable looking' handle at a sensible cost I'm happy. I'll search for that over the weekend, a well known auction site may turn up a new handle hopefully.

I was told it was mega sharp now, he was not kidding as gave it a gentle wash to remove any oil/dusty residue and then when I dried it, it cleanly sliced through the tea-towel , I learned long ago though to always keep fingers and things away from the 'dangerous' side of them regardless of how blunt or not they might appear to be.

Its a rounded end serrated knife about 3-4 inches blade, nearest 'new' equivalent seems to be sold as a 'Tomato Knife' as they are about similar size and have serrations and a rounded end. I'm not clued up on knife types.

I do use it quite a lot as its so handy though for lots of things cutting bread up as well as spreads, to be honest most of the time I'll grab that one first.

EDIT... I nearly brought a 'twin pack' of Spam earlier as it was on offer but decided to leave it simply as I have a small tin of ham for just such an emergency. Can't remember the last time I had actual "Spam" though. I do see they now sell 'Fritters' of the same, well I saw them online I've not seen them locally due to the lack of supermarkets nearby.

PasturesNew

AndyCF wrote: »

Not aimed at me I know, but I'll have a look at their equivalent when I get around to visiting their store as its a good thought on trying theirs for a change (for me) if nothing else.

They have two lots on the shelves.
One's a yellow box, called Bixies. BUY
The other's a white box, called Simply. AVOID

The bixies are "full sized" and nicer.
The simply are tiny and drier, so not satisfying at all.

PasturesNew

Hollyharvey wrote: »

I've had a surprise invite out for a meal ...

Enjoy that. I've had a short notice invite for a "shuffle round somewhere + let's get a pub meal" over the weekend, so that'll be different

caronc

AndyCF wrote: »

Well I had a 'slightly unusual' dinner this evening. I did a baked potato then decided the best idea was to tip some hot thick veg soup onto it.

I should point out the soup was extra thick not the usual 'water viscous' one.

It was actually surprisingly nice, it certainly turned it into something a bit more as it had a bit of time to 'soak into' each half of the large spud, plus I got my 'veg bits' that way.

I'm half looking for some kind of replacement handle for an ancient knife I use a lot, I'm quite attached to it even though its probably older than me. I had it sharpened up the other week by a neighbour but the handle is about worn through and also a bit burned and chipped. I don't know if it was originally ivory or bone or something like that, its very old. Said handle is slightly yellow but its so old it may of been white once. As long as I can get a 'modern but suitable looking' handle at a sensible cost I'm happy. I'll search for that over the weekend, a well known auction site may turn up a new handle hopefully.

I was told it was mega sharp now, he was not kidding as gave it a gentle wash to remove any oil/dusty residue and then when I dried it, it cleanly sliced through the tea-towel , I learned long ago though to always keep fingers and things away from the 'dangerous' side of them regardless of how blunt or not they might appear to be.

Its a rounded end serrated knife about 3-4 inches blade, nearest 'new' equivalent seems to be sold as a 'Tomato Knife' as they are about similar size and have serrations and a rounded end. I'm not clued up on knife types.

I do use it quite a lot as its so handy though for lots of things cutting bread up as well as spreads, to be honest most of the time I'll grab that one first.

EDIT... I nearly brought a 'twin pack' of Spam earlier as it was on offer but decided to leave it simply as I have a small tin of ham for just such an emergency. Can't remember the last time I had actual "Spam" though. I do see they now sell 'Fritters' of the same, well I saw them online I've not seen them locally due to the lack of supermarkets nearby.

One of my childhood meals if you were recovering from being "poorly" was mashed potato in a puddle of soup so I can see that a baked spud would work:D.

After all my indecision dinner was a mainly from-the-freezer job of cod in a tomato & herb sauce, kale & broad beans with a small baked spud:).

Good luck with "chicken-gate" Karcher:D

PasturesNew

Today's scoff-fests have been:

Breakfast: 2 bixies, sugar, milk
Lunch: Pie, spuds, brussels, carrots, peas, gravy
Random: 6 sweeties and 6 chocolate finger biscuits
Tea: A bread roll with marg on it.

EDIT: Supper was another bread roll & Marg.

Glad

this weeks veg and fruit box has arrived today and I have a large pineapple, I would never buy a pinapple usually, there's other fruit I'd much rather eat, So I need some ideas girls and guys on how to use it up

AndyCF

PasturesNew wrote: »

They have two lots on the shelves.
One's a yellow box, called Bixies. BUY
The other's a white box, called Simply. AVOID

The bixies are "full sized" and nicer.
The simply are tiny and drier, so not satisfying at all.

I've made a mental note on that, thank you.

caronc wrote: »

One of my childhood meals if you were recovering from being "poorly" was mashed potato in a puddle of soup so I can see that a baked spud would work:D.

After all my indecision dinner was a mainly from-the-freezer job of cod in a tomato & herb sauce, kale & broad beans with a small baked spud:).

Good luck with "chicken-gate" Karcher:D

I have a long time ago tried tipping similar soups onto a small portion of chips, (as in just a few) and that was a lot better than it sounded.

It was just something "slightly different" for me to try really. I am starting to wonder how well it might work (onto baked) with some thickened up beef stew/soup. I'll have to try that when I get ahold of a suitable product.

karcher

AndyCF wrote: »

EDIT... I nearly brought a 'twin pack' of Spam earlier as it was on offer but decided to leave it simply as I have a small tin of ham for just such an emergency. Can't remember the last time I had actual "Spam" though. I do see they now sell 'Fritters' of the same, well I saw them online I've not seen them locally due to the lack of supermarkets nearby.

Plenty here at the moment it seems?

Although why anyone would want to SPAM a cooking thread is quite beyond me....

Each to their own.

PasturesNew

Glad wrote: »

this weeks veg and fruit box has arrived today and I have a large pineapple, I would never buy a pinapple usually, there's other fruit I'd much rather eat, So I need some ideas girls and guys on how to use it up

P Upside down pudding
P on top of pizza
P in a nice fruity chicken curry
Sweet/sour chicken or meatballs, heavy on the P
P chunks on sticks with cheese as a "weekend long nibble-fest" kept in the fridge in a tupperware box
P & cheese bread sticks, so really just another word for "pizza but a different shape size"
Various forms of P cake
P cheesecake
P in a fruit cake style



Beyond that it is pretty much "more of the same unless you specifically look for something bizarre"