Re: Food Thread : Mon Nov 04, 2013 1:33 pm  

I am currently having a little five day rest in a suite in the Midland hotel Manchester, had some interesting and very tasty food here and here WIZEB wrote: I have been inundated with home made steak pies, chicken and mushroom pies, lasagna's etc etc. At around 3am Sunday morning my niece and I were tucking into a chilli laden kebab watching a bit of TV after a hard night eating, drinking and various Manchester pubs and clubs we both discussed in great detail the making of a chicken and mushroom pie. The best pie ever, we did bicker though over the addition of sweet corn (her) and carrot (me). She is currently scouring the shops of Manchester buying a varied selection of chicken pies for research purposes.

I am currently having a little five day rest in a suite in the Midland hotel Manchester, had some interesting and very tasty food here and here WIZEB wrote: I have been inundated with home made steak pies, chicken and mushroom pies, lasagna's etc etc. At around 3am Sunday morning my niece and I were tucking into a chilli laden kebab watching a bit of TV after a hard night eating, drinking and various Manchester pubs and clubs we both discussed in great detail the making of a chicken and mushroom pie. The best pie ever, we did bicker though over the addition of sweet corn (her) and carrot (me). She is currently scouring the shops of Manchester buying a varied selection of chicken pies for research purposes.

Re: Food Thread : Mon Nov 04, 2013 1:42 pm  

peggy wrote: I am currently having a little five day rest in a suite in the Midland hotel Manchester, had some interesting and very tasty food here and here At around 3am Sunday morning my niece and I were tucking into a chilli laden kebab watching a bit of TV after a hard night eating, drinking and various Manchester pubs and clubs we both discussed in great detail the making of a chicken and mushroom pie. The best pie ever, we did bicker though over the addition of sweet corn (her) and carrot (me). She is currently scouring the shops of Manchester buying a varied selection of chicken pies for research purposes. Carrot would be fine mate but I draw the line at sweetcorn. Always been a bit phobic in relation to it. No can do. Just been nformed my sausage and bacon quiche is slowly cooling as we speak and ready for picking up. Roll with it.

peggy wrote: I am currently having a little five day rest in a suite in the Midland hotel Manchester, had some interesting and very tasty food here and here At around 3am Sunday morning my niece and I were tucking into a chilli laden kebab watching a bit of TV after a hard night eating, drinking and various Manchester pubs and clubs we both discussed in great detail the making of a chicken and mushroom pie. The best pie ever, we did bicker though over the addition of sweet corn (her) and carrot (me). She is currently scouring the shops of Manchester buying a varied selection of chicken pies for research purposes. Carrot would be fine mate but I draw the line at sweetcorn. Always been a bit phobic in relation to it. No can do. Just been nformed my sausage and bacon quiche is slowly cooling as we speak and ready for picking up. Roll with it.

Re: Food Thread : Mon Nov 04, 2013 2:02 pm  

Mintball wrote: Gerry's is amazing. There's a rather fab coffee and tea shop just down Old Compton Street (just around the corner from Dean Street) that's worth a mention if you're in the area. However much they try to clean it up, trendify it, franchise it and sanitise it, there are still hangouts of small, independent shops in Soho, and they're often absolute gems. Generally: tried my first mint julep recently – not normally a whisky drinker, but that's nice. I think it is The Algerian Coffee Store to which you refer. I used to buy coffee there, as much for the ritual of the selecting and grinding as much as anything else, if truth be told. They have a nice line in Turkish brass spice grinders too. Gerry's has modernised quite a lot behind the scenes. Right up to the late noughties they didn't accept cards or cheques (more than once, having forgotten, I'd have to suspend my purchase in order to go find a cash machine!) but now they are online and have branches !! You used to go in and be served at a battered ironmonger's-style counter topped in brown lino, ask for what you wanted and they'd disappear "in the back" between racks and racks of groaning Dexion shelving for a few moments and reappear with your bottle. The old guy would be sat in a chair in the corner by the window on the customer side of the counter, arguing with his mates (Greek, I think). I could never just walk past, at the very least I'd have my nose pressed up to the window. I do hope it hasn't changed in those respects. Mint Julep eh? I'll have to add that my list to try as well. Speaking of whisky, there's a good whisky shop on Old Compton Street too. I think it's called The Whisky Shop. The original Patisserie Valerie was also in Old Compton Street ... still there I think. For my next reminiscence at some future date I shall describe the Spanish mini-supermarket in Notting Hill. The only place I knew where I could buy Magno black soap. This is it ---> http://rgarciaandsons.com/

Mintball wrote: Gerry's is amazing. There's a rather fab coffee and tea shop just down Old Compton Street (just around the corner from Dean Street) that's worth a mention if you're in the area. However much they try to clean it up, trendify it, franchise it and sanitise it, there are still hangouts of small, independent shops in Soho, and they're often absolute gems. Generally: tried my first mint julep recently – not normally a whisky drinker, but that's nice. I think it is The Algerian Coffee Store to which you refer. I used to buy coffee there, as much for the ritual of the selecting and grinding as much as anything else, if truth be told. They have a nice line in Turkish brass spice grinders too. Gerry's has modernised quite a lot behind the scenes. Right up to the late noughties they didn't accept cards or cheques (more than once, having forgotten, I'd have to suspend my purchase in order to go find a cash machine!) but now they are online and have branches !! You used to go in and be served at a battered ironmonger's-style counter topped in brown lino, ask for what you wanted and they'd disappear "in the back" between racks and racks of groaning Dexion shelving for a few moments and reappear with your bottle. The old guy would be sat in a chair in the corner by the window on the customer side of the counter, arguing with his mates (Greek, I think). I could never just walk past, at the very least I'd have my nose pressed up to the window. I do hope it hasn't changed in those respects. Mint Julep eh? I'll have to add that my list to try as well. Speaking of whisky, there's a good whisky shop on Old Compton Street too. I think it's called The Whisky Shop. The original Patisserie Valerie was also in Old Compton Street ... still there I think. For my next reminiscence at some future date I shall describe the Spanish mini-supermarket in Notting Hill. The only place I knew where I could buy Magno black soap. This is it ---> http://rgarciaandsons.com/

Re: Food Thread : Mon Nov 04, 2013 2:14 pm  

WIZEB wrote:

Carrot would be fine mate but I draw the line at sweetcorn...

Quite right too.

Reminds me of when I was in the pub the other day (unlike me, I know ) and the landlady asked me to test a Cherry Stout.

I had a bit of a Peter Kay moment.

Cherry?
Stout?
Cherry Stout? What's that about then?
If you're half-Belgian, half-Irish ... it's the drink for you.
Cherry Stout, it's the future.

Re: Food Thread : Mon Nov 04, 2013 2:34 pm  

Trying to dispell the thoughts of alcohol from my mind.
Managed to enter my local at 11am Saturday morning and escaped at 3am Sun morning.
Back in at opening yesterday until 7pm then a few of us round to my mates for a firework display.
He decided to keep pouring me a large tumbler(s) of Pernod and Bacardi mixture with lemonade and like a t!t I kept firing them down.
I have managed to leave me sofa and quilt only to go to the boys room today.
Made myself a tin of Baxters chicken broth with a couple of slices of bread as I hadn't eaten.
Was sweetcorn free thankfully.
Think quiche might have to mature overnight and get collected tomorrow.

Re: Food Thread : Mon Nov 04, 2013 4:55 pm  

El Barbudo wrote: I think it is The Algerian Coffee Store to which you refer. That's the one! El Barbudo wrote: I used to buy coffee there, as much for the ritual of the selecting and grinding as much as anything else, if truth be told. They have a nice line in Turkish brass spice grinders too. Oh, it's wonderful. Can't get tb past if we're in the area – mind, only a short hop from Bar Italia: why, oh why do so many people use the chains when there's a place like that in the vicinity? El Barbudo wrote: Gerry's has modernised quite a lot behind the scenes. Right up to the late noughties they didn't accept cards or cheques (more than once, having forgotten, I'd have to suspend my purchase in order to go find a cash machine!) but now they are online and have branches !! You used to go in and be served at a battered ironmonger's-style counter topped in brown lino, ask for what you wanted and they'd disappear "in the back" between racks and racks of groaning Dexion shelving for a few moments and reappear with your bottle. The old guy would be sat in a chair in the corner by the window on the customer side of the counter, arguing with his mates (Greek, I think). I could never just walk past, at the very least I'd have my nose pressed up to the window. I do hope it hasn't changed in those respects. Not on the basis of the last time I looked in. I get my fags from a tiny, old-fashioned newsagent around the corner from the office. Lovely guy – rather grumpy, but ages ago offered to try to get me anything I wanted (within reason!). Since my near-home source for Gauloise has now gone (since becoming a Co-op – range massively reduced) he's been able to sort it for me at the fourth wholesaler he tried. Wonderful places. El Barbudo wrote: Mint Julep eh? I'll have to add that my list to try as well. I was pleasantly surprised. We were at Joe Allen, so it seemed apt, but I enjoyed it. Speaking of whisky, there's a good whisky shop on Old Compton Street too. I think it's called The Whisky Shop.[/quote] I think you're right. El Barbudo wrote: The original Patisserie Valerie was also in Old Compton Street ... still there I think. I had the most grotty carbonnara in one in Sheffield in January. Cakes are good though. El Barbudo wrote: For my next reminiscence at some future date I shall describe the Spanish mini-supermarket in Notting Hill. The only place I knew where I could buy Magno black soap. This is it ---> http://rgarciaandsons.com/ And I could mention the Spanish deli on Portabello Road. And then the Italian delis in Clerkenwell – Terroni's in particular.

El Barbudo wrote: I think it is The Algerian Coffee Store to which you refer. That's the one! El Barbudo wrote: I used to buy coffee there, as much for the ritual of the selecting and grinding as much as anything else, if truth be told. They have a nice line in Turkish brass spice grinders too. Oh, it's wonderful. Can't get tb past if we're in the area – mind, only a short hop from Bar Italia: why, oh why do so many people use the chains when there's a place like that in the vicinity? El Barbudo wrote: Gerry's has modernised quite a lot behind the scenes. Right up to the late noughties they didn't accept cards or cheques (more than once, having forgotten, I'd have to suspend my purchase in order to go find a cash machine!) but now they are online and have branches !! You used to go in and be served at a battered ironmonger's-style counter topped in brown lino, ask for what you wanted and they'd disappear "in the back" between racks and racks of groaning Dexion shelving for a few moments and reappear with your bottle. The old guy would be sat in a chair in the corner by the window on the customer side of the counter, arguing with his mates (Greek, I think). I could never just walk past, at the very least I'd have my nose pressed up to the window. I do hope it hasn't changed in those respects. Not on the basis of the last time I looked in. I get my fags from a tiny, old-fashioned newsagent around the corner from the office. Lovely guy – rather grumpy, but ages ago offered to try to get me anything I wanted (within reason!). Since my near-home source for Gauloise has now gone (since becoming a Co-op – range massively reduced) he's been able to sort it for me at the fourth wholesaler he tried. Wonderful places. El Barbudo wrote: Mint Julep eh? I'll have to add that my list to try as well. I was pleasantly surprised. We were at Joe Allen, so it seemed apt, but I enjoyed it. Speaking of whisky, there's a good whisky shop on Old Compton Street too. I think it's called The Whisky Shop.[/quote] I think you're right. El Barbudo wrote: The original Patisserie Valerie was also in Old Compton Street ... still there I think. I had the most grotty carbonnara in one in Sheffield in January. Cakes are good though. El Barbudo wrote: For my next reminiscence at some future date I shall describe the Spanish mini-supermarket in Notting Hill. The only place I knew where I could buy Magno black soap. This is it ---> http://rgarciaandsons.com/ And I could mention the Spanish deli on Portabello Road. And then the Italian delis in Clerkenwell – Terroni's in particular.

Re: Food Thread : Mon Nov 04, 2013 8:21 pm  

Mintball wrote:

I had the most grotty carbonnara in one in Sheffield in January. Cakes are good though.

They sell things apart from cake? I've been frequenting PV for over 20 years and I had no idea...

Camisa used to be fantastic for fresh mushrooms and hams other than Palma.

Re: Food Thread : Tue Nov 05, 2013 9:31 am  

Big Graeme wrote:

They sell things apart from cake? I've been frequenting PV for over 20 years and I had no idea...

It was their winter menu, apparently.

It arrived with a garnish of a solitary and rather flaccid leaf of parsley. The pasta was cooked, but the dish was far from being hot. And weirdest of all was the bacon. The cook had apparently run out of lardons or pancetta and just chucked in some pieces of the sort of bacon you'd expect in a butty – not even having made the effort to dice it.

Big Graeme wrote:

Camisa used to be fantastic for fresh mushrooms and hams other than Palma.

I'll bear that in mind. Lina Stores is great too – the most amazing dried porcini I've ever found.

Re: Food Thread : Tue Nov 05, 2013 9:52 am  

Mintball wrote:

...I'll bear that in mind. Lina Stores is great too – the most amazing dried porcini I've ever found.

Lina Stores has been there all my life ... well, all the time since I first visited London and probably much longer.
It's appeared in films too when they want a bit of "real" Soho (Mike Leigh's "Naked" comes to mind).
Back in the day, it was cheek by jowl with strip joints (virtually next door was The Raymond Revuebar), dodgy cinemas, porn magazine shops and unlicensed "secret" bars etc but in and among was a rich vein of the sort of gems you're talking about.
Aye, them were t'days.

Re: Food Thread : Fri Nov 15, 2013 12:54 pm  

This week's investigation into retro aperitifs involved Campari.
I made the same mistake again by mixing with tonic, way too oddly sour.
I really must get some soda water.

The drinks cupboard, as I now call it and which used to be just "a cupboard" before I embarked on this quest, looks like something from a 1950's film set.

Next up ... "Bitterol" from Lidl.
I may regret this.