How to chop an onion

[Annette Curtain]

Summerberries (with artfully broken) Meringue & Chantilly Cream.

http://www.bonappetit.com/images/magazine/2011/07/macerated-berries-with-vanilla-cream-h.jpg More of an assembly than a recipe.

It can be done in separate parts then slung together at the last minute.

It looks good & tastes great ( and is dead easy).

How to.

Berries

Take couple or three packs of Strawberries, Raspberries, Gooseberries & Blueberries ( which ever is available )

Cut off stems, then halve or quarter to size.

Place in a bowl, sprinkle with tablespoon or two of sugar & a generous big slug of balsamic vinegar

Leave in the fridge to macerate for a few hours or overnight ( it draws the juice from the berries )

Meringues

Go to The CheeseBlock and purchase, they are excellent ( 1 between 2-3 is fine )

Break into small-medium bite size pieces before serving

Chantilly Cream

280-400 ml or there abouts of whipping cream (more the merrier)

1 vanilla pod

icing sugar, to taste

Place the cream into a bowl.

Cut the vanilla pod in half lengthways with a sharp knife and scrape out the seeds.

Add the seeds to the cream.

Whip the cream until it forms soft peaks.

Add icing sugar, to taste, and mix in gently.

To Serve

Into glass or bowl.

1. Spoon the berries and the now sweet but tart juice.

2. Artfully sprinkle/add the Meringue

3. Spoon on cooled Chantilly Cream

* Add a pinch of fine torn apple mint

Pass/sling at Judgy Wudgy guests

Pour VERY LARGE glass of wine, then drink

NETTE:)-D

Edited to add large glass of wine

[Peckhamgatecrasher]

I'd second AC's suggestion with modifications.

Use Kir or liqueur of choice rather than vinegar.

Get the meringues from Andersons(?) on Bellenden Road - absolutely scrumptious and cheaper than elsewhere. And just whipped double cream will do.

Voila - a posh Eton Mess.

[david_carnell]

Summer pudding - which by coincidence was this week's "how to make the perfect...." in the Guardian.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/wordofmouth/2011/jul/06/how-cook-perfect-summer-pudding

I have the rose water to save you buying some if you'd like.

Hope it goes well.

[Annette Curtain]

Peckhamgatecrasher Wrote:

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> I'd second AC's suggestion with modifications.

>

> Use Kir or liqueur of choice rather than vinegar.

>

> Get the meringues from Andersons(?) on Bellenden

> Road - absolutely scrumptious and cheaper than

> elsewhere. And just whipped double cream will do.

>

>

> Voila - a posh Eton Mess.

Hmmmmm...

BUT moos does have children & the balsamic, sugar and the natural juice ends up liqueur like, sans alcohol.

I second the d_c suggestion however, given the chance of "ingredient misbehaviour" I'd play it safe.

NETTE(tu)

[David Mc]

OMG like, rhubarb fool, dude! Three ingredients, simples & tastes like totally AWESOME!

Enjoy!!

Laters....

http://www.waitrose.com/home/recipes/recipe_directory/r/rhubarb_fool.html

[Moos]

Dear friends, I didn't forget to say thank you, I just wanted to wait until I could let you know how it went.

It had to be Annette's summery fruits & chantilly cream. They all sounded delicious, but summer pudding is my mother's speciality, and I wasn't going to take that challenge on, even in sexy new formats. Lemon curd is a classic, but makes me go all goosepimply, and not in a good way. And David Mc - what can I say? A recipe in Young Person Talk, thank you so much for the kind compliment.

It just had to be the Eton Messesque. It sounded beautiful, thoughtfully chosen to be suitable for children, achievable and delicious. I really am so grateful, especially for taking the trouble to write out directions. Huge, huge thanks to Miss Curtain, and thanks too to PGC for the extra tips.

And how did it go? Well, I chose a fragrant, jewelled heap of strawberries, raspberries and blueberries, which made the fridge smell delicious as they luxuriated overnight in their vinegar. The meringues were fragile, cloud-like things, crumbling enticingly into the bowl.

And then we come to the cream. Into the mixing bowl it slithered. I assaulted it with my old hand-held whisk. After a minute's hard spinning, a couple of bubbles arose. I attacked again. The cream sighed and inspected its nails. I girded my loins and went in for one last titanic whisk. The cream continued unimpressed. So then I dug out the food processor and looked doubtfully at the unused whisking element. In went the cream. On went the machine on its single speed. 10 seconds later it curdled.

Ho hum, says I. It's all about the attitude, I shall carry this off. I carried the glittering glass bowl of glowing fruit topped with meringue and cream over to the table, finished off with an airy sprinkle of mint leaves. The assembled throng, slightly greasy with my excellent chicken, gazed at their pud.

"Look" said my brother, "Moos has made scrambled egg".

[david_carnell]

*a small tear falls from Carnell's face*

Dearest Moos - it's happened to us all. Persevere.

[Moos]

'Sallright. It was very funny, and it didn't stop anyone eating it.

I had a lovely afternoon, and it was nice to see everyone.

[Annette Curtain]

Ah Moos, what joy.

We love the stories.

I can see "How to Chop an Onion" as a broadsheet column.

( Bridget Jones meets Antony Bourdain )

And it does get easier with practice.

(honest)

NETTE:)

[Peckhamgatecrasher]

Curdled cream! How lovely that we have a dairy back in SE15.

Nymphs and Shepherds come awhey ....

[Moos]

Um.

So.. if someone, just say, who wasn't very good at cooking were to be required to host Christmas, with all her family, and all her other half's family, I mean like EVERYONE, every bleddy person who could possibly be involved in Christmas, what should they do?

a) Make turkey sandwiches

b) Run away to Venezuela and start life all over again

c) Sell one of the children and hire a Cordon Bleu chef to be concealed in the kitchen on the day

d) Spend the next 4 months learning how to cook and show the b'stards who's the daddy

[GSJ57]

b) would be tempting, but sadly I think you're going to have to go with d)!

[maxxi]

I faced something similar nearly 20 years ago and I trusted in St. Delia of the Christmas Dinner. Her menu for dinner and the recipes themselves are easy and her timetable wasn't hard to follow/keep to. It may not be Raymond Blanc but it will be relatively stress-free if you follow her lead.

Failing that I would recommend the skiing and hot-spring spa treatments at Termas de Chillan (400km south of Santiago, Chile) as Venezuela is a little chav(ez)y.

[Annette Curtain]

Oh gosh it has to be "d" .

Personally i'd learn to cook each thing individually up until Christmas

Good roast spuds one week...

Veg cooked just how you like it the next....

Stuffing, bread sauce and so on.

Then assemble your food/skills & show-em good.

Nette(tu)

[red devil]

e) http://byfiles.storage.msn.com/y1pJVZ6wPRZA2VFvPGG6uCSuwDa4AtppCUElSXye7IXO_AEHmQVpthDsRn7DyJBpvV1?PARTNER=WRITER...sorted

[Bluerevolution]

red devil Wrote:

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> e)

> http://byfiles.storage.msn.com/y1pJVZ6wPRZA2VFvPGG

> 6uCSuwDa4AtppCUElSXye7IXO_AEHmQVpthDsRn7DyJBpvV1?P

> ARTNER=WRITER...sorted

If cooking instructions aren't followed to the t can easily go wrong, ask Laddy Muck :))

[Loz]

Moos.

St Delia of Christmas is your angel. ?8.27 is not much to pay for sage* advice.

*All herb-related puns intended.

[Bluerevolution]

Loz Wrote:

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> Moos.

>

> St Delia of Christmas is your angel. ?8.27 is not

> much to pay for sage* advice.

>

>

>

> *All herb-related puns intended.

Will she have thyme?

[Annette Curtain]

red devil Wrote:

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> e)

...sorted

r.d

That looks like it's just come out of your own freezer

Correct?

You ol' sad-o

Nette:))

[KatharineRye]

Favourites chef's Delia Smith and Gary Ross can't get wrong with their recipes

making something yummy for Christmas :))

[red devil]

How very dare you!

I'm actually a whizz in la cuisine, my spatchcocking a delight to behold.

As a community we should all be pulling together in Moos' hour of need, pinnies at the ready.

Can I put you down for the stuffing balls?..

Annette Curtain Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> red devil Wrote:

> --------------------------------------------------

> -----

> > e)

> ...sorted

>

> r.d

>

> That looks like it's just come out of your own

> freezer

>

> Correct?

>

> You ol' sad-o

>

>

> Nette:))

[mockney piers]

I'll happily share my brussels sprouts that actually taste nice recipe if that helps moos.

[katie1997]

mockney piers Wrote:

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> I'll happily share my brussels sprouts that

> actually taste nice recipe if that helps moos.

Budgie's heads, remember.

[david_carnell]

Moos - normally I can't abide the woman and her patronising tones.

But for Christmas, from scratch, it has to be Saint Delia.

And Annette's suggestion a week at a time is a good one (although turkey at any other time of year is weird).

And booze. Lots of booze. But not for you. A drunk chef is not good. Drunk guests will eat anything though.

And I will offer to make you a very good (even if I say so myself) Xmas pudding. How many people?

[Bellenden Belle]

But must it be turkey D_C?

Goose is much tastier, and you may get brownie points Moos for going off-piste?

Having never cooked either perhaps others can say whether goose is indeed easier than turkey to cook?

And you definitely should say yes to D_C's Xmas pudding. It's the pudding that beats even those who claim to hate Xmas pudding into submission.