The Culture Cup round 6

First topic message reminder :

It's just as funny on the second read.

You need to get on the Scottish Independence thread. I think a jock is going to explode.

Cheers for the heads up........

seanmichaels wrote:You need to get on the Scottish Independence thread. I think a jock is going to explode.

  

Cheers, would give you a thumbsup but the emoticons all have little red crosses in them and most of the descriptions are gone and this is the only one involving "thumb" that I could find.

: thumbsup : is what you wanted, clue's in the name......

Cheers, TopHat, could probably have given it a bit more thought than I did and used a modicum of creative logic.

How was Kopapa, by the way? Is it a meal or more of a taste experience, hopefully both?

It was very good. Though felt a little dear for what you got.

Bar we went to beforehand was great though, Earlham Street Clubhouse, very cool, looking to go back soon.

Cheers, might give it a go next week. Went to Story near Tower Bridge a couple of months ago, was f*****g dear (I think it was about £180 for 2 without wine or cheese) but worth it for the experience.

I went to GBK on Saturday. The guy behind the till (overly) touched my hand when returning the change. May have been an accident but he infringed my boundaries nonetheless.

Wooooah, it wasn't that dear! lol

£100 a head is the most I've ever paid, that was down Bodega Negra a couple of weeks back and worth every penny.

Kopapa was £40 a head incl tip but for that we got no alcoholic drinks and no starters, just a (delicious) main + sides, and a dessert (didn't really enjoy).

Compare that to Dishoom where we went a couple of months pack and only spent £30 a head but had loads of great food plus a beer.

Made a nice spaghetti/pasta sauce earlier, just tomatoes, green pepper, onion, and garlic scapes (with a whole raw garlic, pressed, and not a stingy amount of chili powder, Chinese brandy and soy sauce). Just had to google what garlic scapes actually are in English as I'd never seen them before I came here. Bloody nice though.

You ever throw garlic scapes into any dishes, michaels? I know you like cooking.

Il Gialloblu wrote:
You ever throw garlic scapes into any dishes, michaels? I know you like cooking.

Never heard of them until now but I'm interested to see it described as a mild garlicky flavour? I've always removed the green centre from a bulb (the bit that becomes the shoot / scape) when cooking as this is the part that repeats on you and gives the sometimes overwhelming garlic taste you can get.

A good tip when making tomatoe sauce is to roast your tomatoes and garlic first with a bit of balsamic vinegar. The resulting sauce is much sweeter and rich.

Was on a cookery course in Tuscany and the woman running it was quite insistent that the green 'scape' should be removed before cooking as it is bitter and detracts from the flavour.

Yeah, they're (very) mildly garlicky. Would never be enough to make your breath unpalatable to that bloke in GBK or owt, just a nice taste. Can be a bit tough if you don't cook them enough, or if they're not fresh enough, and will be unpleasant if they are. Not like a nice crunchy carrot, but like a tough, unmasticatable stem of a plant.

Highly recommended though. Hope I can find some while I'm back home over Christmas.

Cheers for the balsamic vinegar tip also. Will try that next time.

I like the sound of them. A good way to liven up vegetables.

Back in the UK for Christmas?

TopHat24/7 wrote:Was on a cookery course in Tuscany and the woman running it was quite insistent that the green 'scape' should be removed before cooking as it is bitter and detracts from the flavour.

That sounds like she was on about the beginning of the shoot, TopHat, and you were using the garlic bulb? Unless I'm mistaken.

I'm talking about buying a bunch of perhaps foot-and-a half-long shoots and chopping them up to about inch long pieces before cooking. Great in stir fries too.

Spoiler:

Spoiler:

seanmichaels wrote:Back in the UK for Christmas?

Yeah! Flying back on Tuesday! Pretty excited as I've not been home for a couple of years. Not had a Christmas at home since 2008 either. And, crucially, not been outside of China/Hong Kong for two years. Need a break from it.

Don't want to come back here until after Chinese new year either, which is the end of Jan. So I'm not. I've got a flight from Bangkok to Shanghai in the middle of Feb, but no flight from England to Thailand yet. Not sure how long to have at home and how long in Thailand. Only get 30 days on entry in Thailand, but staying in England until the 17th of Jan sounds like too much. Been thinking of a couple of weeks in Myanmar/Burma to break it up. Not sure yet though.

Il Gialloblu wrote:

seanmichaels wrote:Back in the UK for Christmas?

Yeah! Flying back on Tuesday! Pretty excited as I've not been home for a couple of years. Not had a Christmas at home since 2008 either. And, crucially, not been outside of China/Hong Kong for two years. Need a break from it.

Don't want to come back here until after Chinese new year either, which is the end of Jan. So I'm not. I've got a flight from Bangkok to Shanghai in the middle of Feb, but no flight from England to Thailand yet. Not sure how long to have at home and how long in Thailand. Only get 30 days on entry in Thailand, but staying in England until the 17th of Jan sounds like too much. Been thinking of a couple of weeks in Myanmar/Burma to break it up. Not sure yet though.

I don't know whether it is just me but everything seems very un-christmassy here at the moment. I genuinely think a lot of people are skint including councils. The lights are desperate.

There's two weeks yet, it might get better! Change you cider for dark beer or summat.

Obviously no idea myself really, but I think just being there will make it feel more Christmassy than any of the others I've had (in either Thailand or China) since the last time I was there.

I think everyone is getting sick of the shops and tv ramming it down your throat for four months before hand. Please excuse the terminolgy!

Makes sense, spence. I'm oblivious to all that.

Il Gialloblu wrote:

TopHat24/7 wrote:Was on a cookery course in Tuscany and the woman running it was quite insistent that the green 'scape' should be removed before cooking as it is bitter and detracts from the flavour.

That sounds like she was on about the beginning of the shoot, TopHat, and you were using the garlic bulb? Unless I'm mistaken.

I'm talking about buying a bunch of perhaps foot-and-a half-long shoots and chopping them up to about inch long pieces before cooking. Great in stir fries too.

Spoiler:

Spoiler:

Quite correct of you, IG. She was indeed talking about just the bit inside the clove, I was confused as to what you were referring to.

Those look interesting though, must be good in a stir-fry or even just finely chopped into a salad, bit like a spring onion.

I think I was the source of confusion there. In any case thopugh, I do believe the scape would be the extension of the green bit inside the clove?

seanmichaels wrote:I think I was the source of confusion there. In any case thopugh, I do believe the scape would be the extension of the green bit inside the clove?

Yes, but from a little bit of googling (and, let's be right, common sense), it's not a case of just leaving a bulb of garlic in your cupboard for a few months and eating the resulting growth! It's from when the bulb is growing, but is perhaps often cut off and discarded.

Reading the first link here, sounds like they're not very common in the UK.

http://gardening.about.com/od/herbsatoz/a/What-Are-Garlic-Scapes.htm

http://www.sustainabletable.org/486/real-food-right-now-and-how-to-cook-it-garlic-scapes

Oh, sean, if you track any down, they go great in a dish with Chinese black beans, and minced pork/beef. And a bit of chili.

http://chinesefood.about.com/od/chinesefoodglossary1/g/blackbeans.htm

Maybe, I think it is more that only a certain type of garlic bulbs produce shoots with the correct flavour. I only ever use French Garlic from the South if possible, we usually either bring or are brought a couple of strings of garlic at times throughout the year. The only thing I find is on a level are the smoked garlic bulbs I find at the farm shop near my cricket club.

This is much more interesting than Anthropods, Tina would be beside himself.

Il Gialloblu wrote:Oh, sean, if you track any down, they go great in a dish with Chinese black beans, and minced pork/beef. And a bit of chili.

http://chinesefood.about.com/od/chinesefoodglossary1/g/blackbeans.htm

I'll give it a crack at the weekend if I find any and take a photo. I presume I can I use steak insted of mince?

Missus does a good stir fry actually. She lived in Aus and was a married to a chef out there. A lot of Asian influence on their food.

Found them although I reckon I'd be unlikely to find any at this time of the year. http://www.southwestgarlicfarm.co.uk/scapes.html

seanmichaels wrote:

Il Gialloblu wrote:Oh, sean, if you track any down, they go great in a dish with Chinese black beans, and minced pork/beef. And a bit of chili.

http://chinesefood.about.com/od/chinesefoodglossary1/g/blackbeans.htm

I'll give it a crack at the weekend if I find any and take a photo. I presume I can I use steak insted of mince?

Missus does a good stir fry actually. She lived in Aus and was a married to a chef out there. A lot of Asian influence on their food.

If you want steak, yes.

I meant more like a dish, to be had with other things, like this.



My missus makes this sometimes with Yorkshire puddings (of all things), we just scoop it onto the top of them and eat it.

seanmichaels wrote:Found them although I reckon I'd be unlikely to find any at this time of the year. http://www.southwestgarlicfarm.co.uk/scapes.html

Ah, fair enough.

An ingredient being seasonal isn't a bad thing, I don't think. Carbon footprints and all that. Not long to wait, just a few months.

It would have to be quite mild (Garlic-wise)for me to cope with that.

I may grow some this year

Do you have a vegetable garden?

seanmichaels wrote:Maybe, I think it is more that only a certain type of garlic bulbs produce shoots with the correct flavour. I only ever use French Garlic from the South if possible, we usually either bring or are brought a couple of strings of garlic at times throughout the year. The only thing I find is on a level are the smoked garlic bulbs I find at the farm shop near my cricket club.

This is much more interesting than Anthropods, Tina would be beside himself.

Think the "cricket club" bit would have got him going.



From the Telegraph:

Rootworm beetle dip

2 cups of low-fat cottage cheese
1 ½ tsp. lemon juice
2 tbsp. skimmed milk
½ cup mayonnaise
1 tbsp. fresh parsley, chopped
1 tbsp. diced white onion
1 ½ tsp. coriander
1 ½ tsp. Beau Monde seasoning
1 cup dry-roasted rootworm beetles

Blend the cottage cheese, lemon juice and milk. Then slowly mix in the other ingredients, chill and serve with raw vegetables or crisps.

I'm a bit squeamish about the raw vegetables or crisps though, a Black-legged Burrowing Scorpion or a dozen Ecuadorian Woolly Tarantula legs would be more appropriate for dipping.

Galted wrote:

seanmichaels wrote:Maybe, I think it is more that only a certain type of garlic bulbs produce shoots with the correct flavour. I only ever use French Garlic from the South if possible, we usually either bring or are brought a couple of strings of garlic at times throughout the year. The only thing I find is on a level are the smoked garlic bulbs I find at the farm shop near my cricket club.

This is much more interesting than Anthropods, Tina would be beside himself.

Think the "cricket club" bit would have got him going.

1 cup dry-roasted rootworm beetles

Black-legged Burrowing Scorpion or a dozen Ecuadorian Woolly Tarantula legs would be more appropriate for dipping.

Are you deliberately trying to wind me up?

I wouldn't today, I am a bit tired.  Spent Wednesday night at our Christmas do.  Got very drunk and then spent about 3 hours in my hotel room before the alarm call went.  We have some Russians who we deal with and they come over every Christmas to see us.  Had a breakfast meeting with them at 08:00 and then once all the boring sh*t was out of the way, we went out on the p*ss.  Russians are f*cking mental and I could barely keep up.  I was basically drinking from 17:00 Wednesday night to 21:00 last night when I finally managed to escape to get a train.

It was a small glimpse into the world of michaels.

Mind the windows Tino. wrote:

Are you deliberately trying to wind me up?

I wouldn't today, I am a bit tired.  Spent Wednesday night at our Christmas do.  Got very drunk and then spent about 3 hours in my hotel room before the alarm call went.  We have some Russians who we deal with and they come over every Christmas to see us.  Had a breakfast meeting with them at 08:00 and then once all the boring sh*t was out of the way, we went out on the p*ss.  Russians are f*cking mental and I could barely keep up.  I was basically drinking from 17:00 Wednesday night to 21:00 last night when I finally managed to escape to get a train.

It was a small glimpse into the world of michaels.

Did you rustle up a basking shark and edelweiss rissoto and shag a couple of soap actresses then?

No, but people threw coins at me whilst casting sympathetic glances.

Il Gialloblu wrote:Do you have a vegetable garden?

I did but put flowers in it last year. Thought I was going to get an allotment but the council didn't put me on the waiting list.

Had my teeth cleaned this morning. 9 fillings 4 injections no pain whatsoever. Thought it would be a doddle then some bloody vegan type woman with a motorised bayonet lets rip at my gums. Not doing that again.

M&S - sushi snack pack, feta & slow roasted tomato pasta salad, English mature cheddar (1 stick of) and sour cream and chilli lentil curls
taste: 7/10
satsifaction: 7/10
calories (785): 5/10
price (£5.37): 4/10
overall: 6/10

Cheese rolls today. Salt and vinegar walkers crisps and almost certainly a Taxi bar although I do have a Whisper that I was saving for a special occasion. Could be today.

taste: haven't eaten it yet
satsifaction: see above
calories: no idea
price : probably about a fiver but not quite sure.
overall: remains to be seen

Should add that I was able to enjoy my lunch more than usual as my Kiwi colleague didn't spend the duration calling me a "f*cking g*y b*stard" for eating items with "sushi", "salad", "English" and "lentil" in the name. Thankfully he had a session last night and is currently passed out with his forehead on his keyboard.

Mind the windows Tino. wrote:Cheese rolls today.  Salt and vinegar walkers crisps and almost certainly a Taxi bar although I do have a Whisper that I was saving for a special occasion.  Could be today.

I presume you mean a Wispa, otherwise I'll assume you're referring to some sort of sweet nothing for your wife.

Think your pricing's a bit off, Tino. A fiver for cheese rolls and a bag of Walkers is a bit much, unless it's a lot of cheese rolls or fairly expensive cheese.

JuliusHMarx wrote:

Mind the windows Tino. wrote:Cheese rolls today.  Salt and vinegar walkers crisps and almost certainly a Taxi bar although I do have a Whisper that I was saving for a special occasion.  Could be today.

I presume you mean a Wispa, otherwise I'll assume you're referring to some sort of sweet nothing for your wife.

Yes, that's the one. Nothing gets past you, does it?

The days of whispering sweet nothings into Mrs Windows are long gone.

Galted wrote:Think your pricing's a bit off, Tino.  A fiver for cheese rolls and a bag of Walkers is a bit much, unless it's a lot of cheese rolls or fairly expensive cheese.

Yeah maybe. It was a 6 pack of rolls though (I only have 2 of them) and sliced cheddar from a block. A block of cheddar costs about £3 doesn't it so I can't be that far off. Maybe £4.25 would be more accurate.

What do you think you f*cking g*y b*stard?

I think £4.25 is still a bit high, if you're paying that much you may as well spend a pound or two extra and get a medium or large chicken burrito you l*ttle st*lkerish w*nker/st*lkerish l*ttle w*nker.

Now I'm off to the deli to read A Confederacy Of Dunces while drinking a peppermint tea which should help to digest the 785 calories.

You'd have to buy a fairly special cheese sandwich to get anywhere near a fiver.