[Jim]

Not to worry Fiend it's just that on a thread designed to celebrate all that is good, your first suggestion was the ultimate opposite imvho.

This book put me off McShit & Co for good...........

The fact I used to eat McShit when I was younger and forced to everynow and again (usually on the way to the airport in a Italy) puts me off it.
It tastes like shit, and despite eating loads you still feel hungry immediately after.

McShit - The clue is in the name

[dave]

a sad reflection on the quality of my college meals in durham is that we used to go to McDogshit straight after cos we were still hungry. not been since though.

ill food:

Chips, peas and onion rings from Elliot's chippy in tideswell. best chips going.
Bacon sarnie made with fried bread.
Remember Tutti Fruiti sweets? they used to be the shit, but not seen them for ages, and when i did find them they'd obviously changed them and they weren't as good.
Cadbury's Creme Eggs are hard to beat (pun).
A good pork pie is also something to be cherished. they sell good ones in the bakery in walkley. you can tell a bood pork pie, it shoudl be moist and the meat should be pinkish not grey like the shit supermarket ones.

[GCW]

On a similar note, Black Pudding.  A proper one, made with real groats and blood.  Not the shit ones you get nowadays that are full of crap that was never meant to be there.
Nice white bread, thick layer of butter.  And mustard.  English, not that poncey french stuff.

Anyone know a good place to get one?

[Stubbs]

A good pork pie is also something to be cherished. they sell good ones in the bakery in walkley. you can tell a bood pork pie, it shoudl be moist and the meat should be pinkish not grey like the shit supermarket ones.

Eh?  Melton Mowbray, the King of Pork Pies have grey meat because they use uncured pork - the pink coulour in pork pies is often the result of a food colour rather than the meat.

[luckyjez]

Woodfords Wherry - not a particularly challenging beer but i love it.
Would be with Andy on the Cognac too (not been any more adventurous than Remy VSOP).
Bourgogne Aligote - very dry white Burgundy that loves fish.
Camel Valley Brut - Cornish sparkling wine made a mile from where my grandad was born.
Crab Risotto made with crab you've shelled yourself.
Any grilled fish eaten in close proximity to a beach on a sunny day.

[dave]

A good pork pie is also something to be cherished. they sell good ones in the bakery in walkley. you can tell a bood pork pie, it shoudl be moist and the meat should be pinkish not grey like the shit supermarket ones.

Eh?  Melton Mowbray, the King of Pork Pies have grey meat because they use uncured pork - the pink coulour in pork pies is often the result of a food colour rather than the meat.

All I know is that when i've had good pork pies from bakeries, farmers markets etc they've alway been moist, tasty and pink, and mass produced ones are almost always grey and dry. what they do in Leicestershire is their own business - i've never been and god help me I never will!

[BenF]

Stollen cake, particulalry the heavier (ie sweeter) varieties. 

[Yossarian]

A good pork pie is also something to be cherished. they sell good ones in the bakery in walkley. you can tell a bood pork pie, it shoudl be moist and the meat should be pinkish not grey like the shit supermarket ones.

Eh?  Melton Mowbray, the King of Pork Pies have grey meat because they use uncured pork - the pink coulour in pork pies is often the result of a food colour rather than the meat.

to keep pork pink you use saltpetre, i.e. potassium nitrate. it also helps with preserving the meat / preventing bacterial growth.  i use a little in my bacon, although it is quite hard to come by.

i would've thought that, historically, pork pies would contain meat more heavily cured than they do today, as the function of the pie was as much about storage than anything else. so i will stick my neck out and conclude that an historically accurate pork pie would be pink... whereas a modern day uber organic gourmet pie might possibly be grey.

[Graeme78]

On a similar note, Black Pudding.  A proper one, made with real groats and blood.  Not the shit ones you get nowadays that are full of crap that was never meant to be there.
Nice white bread, thick layer of butter.  And mustard.  English, not that poncey french stuff.

Anyone know a good place to get one?

RS Ireland's Haslingden, Lancashire
http://www.rsireland.co.uk/

[Houdini]

Stollen.  One of the great things about Xmas.

Spurred by this thread I just nipped out and purchased two different Marsala's;  some Dolfin Noir 88% de cacao chocolate from Belgium; a bar of Zotter celery, truffel and port marzipan covered in 70% chocolate; a cube of Chabert & Guillot Bouchee nougat tendre aux amandes; 250g vanille coffee beans;  100g scandinavian Glöggi tea mix; a jar of capers;  and fresh vegetables, and am about to settle into an evening of cooking and scoffing.  

Salut!

What's the deal with your home-cured bacon, Yoss?  Any skill to it?

[andy popp]

Spurred by this thread I just nipped out and purchased two different Marsala's;  some Dolfin Noir 88% de cacao chocolate from Belgium; a bar of Zotter celery, truffel and port marzipan covered in 70% chocolate; a cube of Chabert & Guillot Bouchee nougat tendre aux amandes; 250g vanille coffee beans;  100g scandinavian Glöggi tea mix; a jar of capers;  and fresh vegetables, and am about to settle into an evening of cooking and scoffing.  

Salut!

Bon appetit!!

[Obi-Wan is lost...]

Nice white bread, thick layer of butter. 

Yeah, proper fresh squigy white bread and fresh butter is amazing. Use to eat a small white batch loaf from a Blackpool bakery in one sitting. Haven't found one nearly as good in Shef.

[dave]

Stollen.  One of the great things about Xmas.

I hope you're not in receipt of stollen goods.

[Obi-Wan is lost...]

Stollen.  One of the great things about Xmas.

I hope you're not in receipt of stollen goods.

my cursor hovered over the 'punter' button for that one Dave.

[Yossarian]

What's the deal with your home-cured bacon, Yoss?  Any skill to it?

not particularly. it's just that you can't buy that kind of thing very easily, so i do it myself.
the bacon i do with a dry cure - lots of salt, some saltpetre, dark drown sugar, juniper berries, bay leaves, fennel seed. possibly some other things depending on how poncy i'm feeling. take a big piece of boned pork belly, rub with the mixture, stick in a plastic box, the following day drain the liquid that's seeped out, rub with fresh mixture, repeat for a few days. 4 days is about right. you can keep going and going, and the result then is bacon that will last for ages but is a bit too salty for breakfast. good for cooking though.

i haven't experimented with brined bacon much - i need a new bucket.

there are lots of other things that are fun to salt. beef brisket is well worth experimenting with. i used a very large holdz sloper to keep the meat submerged. i reccommend the st john cookbook for related stuff.

[Jaspersharpe]

Yeah, proper fresh squigy white bread and fresh butter is amazing. Use to eat a small white batch loaf from a Blackpool bakery in one sitting. Haven't found one nearly as good in Shef.

Lily's, the sandwich shop on Penistone Road make all their own bread and although I've not bought loaves from there if they are as good as the sandwiches (and cakes) you will not be disappointed.

[Yossarian]

the more heavily cured belly is also very good in boston baked beans, which are fabulously good and easy to scale up when you're feeding lots of people. however, they do cause collossal wind problems and would appear to have a powerful soporific effect.  i make them for fireworks night (along with various other things) and the first time i spent the afternoon chasing around getting everything ready. then we exploded the fireworks, and came inside to eat and drink and party. i had one huge plate of beans, and then woke up at 6am, with very carefully applied ladyboy make-up, having entirely missed my own party...

[Andy B]

Chips, peas and onion rings from Elliot's chippy in tideswell. best chips going.

I'll second that, but usually replace the peas with curry sauce.


The usual highlight of trips to France for me are Suchard's Rocher Noir.

[chappers]

Chips, peas and onion rings from Elliot's chippy in tideswell. best chips going.

which shop is this? the one opposite the church, or the green one opposite the bank?

[Sloper]

Can I recommend the fish shop on Church street in Ashbourne, I got one of the best lobsters I've ever had from there last weeks (I've never got crabs from them mind).

The deli in Ashbourne is also well worth seeking out.

[cofe]

Chips, peas and onion rings from Elliot's chippy in tideswell. best chips going.

which shop is this? the one opposite the church, or the green one opposite the bank?

the church word. it's well royston vasey.

[Obi-Wan is lost...]

The usual highlight of trips to France for me are Suchard's Rocher Noir.

Your just torturing yourself Andy, not long now fella.  (Andy's sworn off choccy for a month for a bet)

[dave]

Mmmmmmmm, sweet nourishing chocolate......

[soapy]

cadbury's...?!?


now go and sit on the naughty step with mcfiend, tsk...

[dave]

I salute cadbury's for one of the greatest inventions of the 20th century: the 1kg chocolate bar.

Plus they've launched such crag classics as the double decker, the boost, and the finger of fudge. its about the size of a slim panatella.