Flowery food descriptions: 'hand baked'

[User482]

"deconstructed"

It's shorthand for "can't be arsed to make this dish, so I'm serving you the ingredients".

 

[Fab Foodie]

Quite simply not true. Unless fish is very fresh (by which, I mean caught, landed and for sale within a day or two) then it quickly tastes stale. If you really believe that to be superior to frozen fish, your tastebuds are deficient.

Agreed.

 

[Davidc]

Quite simply not true. Unless fish is very fresh (by which, I mean caught, landed and for sale within a day or two) then it quickly tastes stale. If you really believe that to be superior to frozen fish, your tastebuds are deficient.

That's the definition of fresh fish, and is how I like it, and get it. If it's older than 2 days I don't buy it.

It's one advantage of having lived by the coast for most of my life.

 

[yello]

Whilst it is true to say that there is no French word for custard, creme anglais and custard are, ime, different. Custard is both thicker and a touch sweeter. There could be reasons for that, and maybe at some level the 2 are (or were, or are supposed to be) the same, but should a Brit expect custard when they see 'avec creme anglais' on menu they will be disappointed.

 

[Tim Bennet.]

It's one advantage of having lived by the coast for most of my life.

It's not just living beside you sea, but beside a bit of the sea where they have an inshore fleet that only goes out for a day at a time. This is a minuscule percentage of what is referred to as wet or fresh fish.


Therefore you could live in Grimsby, Fleetwood, Peterhead or any other famous deepsea fishing port and have no access to fresh anything. The markets there deal in fish that has been chilled on ice for anything up to seven or ten days. Admittedly some of that then goes on to be frozen, but that's not the same as the fish frozen on modern ships at sea within hours of being caught. So for those who don't live in Hastings, Bridlington (or similar small inshore harbours), and even if they have the most refined taste buds, fish frozen at sea is way better than the 99.9% of fish that is touted around as 'fresh'.

 

[Fnaar]

I bought some frozen fish recently, and they were pollocks.

 

[User482]

That's the definition of fresh fish, and is how I like it, and get it. If it's older than 2 days I don't buy it.

It's one advantage of having lived by the coast for most of my life.

Bully for you. Unfortunately, most people get fish which has been stored for much longer, which is why Tim is right.

 

[Brandane]

"Vine ripened Tomatoes". WTF else are they going to ripen on ? Another marketing ploy, so that they can leave the tomatoes on the vine and count it as part of the weight that WE pay for!

I once bought a packet of "Mature Cheddar and Pan Fried Shallots" flavoured crisps. Tasted a bit like Cheese 'n' Onion to me .

 

[Belly]

'Ambient sausage rolls'. I'm still puzzled by that one.

 

[User482]

Whilst it is true to say that there is no French word for custard, creme anglais and custard are, ime, different. Custard is both thicker and a touch sweeter. There could be reasons for that, and maybe at some level the 2 are (or were, or are supposed to be) the same, but should a Brit expect custard when they see 'avec creme anglais' on menu they will be disappointed.

my Mrs beeton has several different recipes for custard, of varying sweetness and thickness. The "cheats" recipe uses less egg and adds cornflour, which is the form we're most used to. The traditional recipe is the same as creme anglaise.

 

[Telemark]

OK, I made that one up

But it's not beyond the bounds of possibility

Was wondering who would spot it, so you win a plate of crushed potatoes

I was "worrying" about your explanation, assuming it was some sort of Fnaar-ism, but couldn't figure it out

T

 

[yello]

The "cheats" recipe uses less egg and adds cornflour, which is the form we're most used to. The traditional recipe is the same as creme anglaise.

I figured that, or something like it, was going to be the case. Us commoner Brits (and I do include myself) have bastardised the original.

Speaking of which, isn't there a 'pudding club' or somesuch in London that now only uses Birds custard powder because that's what the clientèle consider to be 'proper' custard.?

Just remembered another difference; I think creme anglais is always cold. Certainly, I've never had it warm. But it must be said, the French don't really do puddings. Desserts yes, but not heavy stodgy steamed puddings with hot, thick custard. They really don't know what they're missing or maybe they do

 

[dellzeqq]

well last night's meal had pork belly on 'aubergine caviar'

(and it was delicious!)

 

[just jim]

Hand crumbled feta cheese on a bed of hand torn lettuce.

 

[yello]

Re onion marmalade, due to having a glut of tomatoes we made some green tomato marmalade and I can report that, much to my surprise and scepticism, it's gorgeous. I'm not a fan of traditional marmalade as a rule so perhaps that's why I liked the green tomato one so much. Who knows? But I'd certainly give onion marmalade a go on that basis.