Be Excellent To Each Other

I attempted a key lime pie after reading this. It was beautifully presented and could win many awards.

Also contained all the limes.

I want all of it.

Love key lime pie!

Great photo!

If you like rice then a rice cooker is a kitchen essential I'd say. Like you could also make a brew by boiling water in a pan like they used to during the blitz or something but it's a bit of a pain.

I had no issues with using a pan except it taking up hob space. And usually I'd put in butter and garlic first and then the dry rice before adding the water and it was always pretty good. I find it almost impossible to mess up making rice. I never measured how much water I was using. But the rice maker has the advantage of keeping the rice hot so you don't have to get your timings right.

I've got a few portions of butter chicken curry that I made and froze so I'll be having one of them tonight with more rice.

You might find you can fry off rice in butter in your rice cooker.

Frying rice in butter before adding the water makes it so much better, I find, and guests aways comment on how much they enjoy the way we cook it.

I take no credit for it, Lady T showed me how to do it this way, my family just used to dump it into a large volume of water and boil the shit out of it before draining.

Because the unit is so small I wouldn't get enough surface area I think (and it's all a big cup shape so the rice would be too deep). If I need to I can always add the extra step and fry it on the hob first.

That said, so far the rice has been decent in this thing, especially using stock instead of water.

I need to get good at salads. Sounds silly but they're so bland and depressing but I've had some errant liver results recently and I'd like to diet my way out of a biopsy (which the gastroentoroligist says is the final step if various blood tests, an MRI and a scan don't figure out what's up). I'm a bit of an anomaly because I don't drink alcohol and am in good shape. So they're quite keen to figure it out.

Eating more salads would definitely be the way forward but I need to figure out how to make them tasty.

Is it a case of eating more salad, or not eating unhealthy things? Because if it's the former, I've got a caesar dressing recipe that kicks ass.

Sorry to hear that the liver peculiarities are still continuing, Blucey. I hope they manage to get to the bottom of it soon,

These definitely aren’t a salad, but I was particularly proud only them. I made masala roti and they were just so good. Soft and flaky and perfect, and I hit my spice blend just right, too:



Semi-relatedly I’ve been offered a job as the chef for a vegetarian canteen.

Thanks Mimz. My hope is that the liver thing is just them trying to figure it out rather than anything alarming. I just don't fancy a big biopsy needle going through my side. Got an MRI on Sunday which is always the worst. As they turn the machine on that's when I'll 100% want to move. Also, last time I had one they had Smooth FM playing over the headphones and that was worse than anything!

Are you going to take the chef gig?

I'd happily eat a lot of them rotis!

I’m so sorry that it’s still rumbling on without an answer. Not knowing is such a difficult thing to get your mind around.

I’ve provisionally said yes to the job. What I mean is I’ve said yes and then tried to put it to the back of my mind, kinda hoping it falls through because I’m a wimp.

You might be a wimp, but from what I can see you're a good cook. What's the worst that could happen? If you start and you're not feeling it, you're allowed to leave.

Yeah, I know you’re right, and my sensible brain agrees, but my less sensible side is full of many doubts.

When I made food for a job the biggest issue I had was starting it all on time along with everything else. Then I realised if it wasn't sold then I could take all the cakes home. And the beer that mysteriously never made it to the shelves and went out of date. Big tick on the waste sheet, that. Slabs of Stella, too.

Thinking back, at interview they asked me very little about food prep, has the process changed much?

You'll do fine

I don't know if thai beef salad is healthy, but i love that. There's probably a whole bunch of Asian salads with zingy and fresh flavours.

I managed to revive my sourdough starter after ignoring it in the fridge for 8 months. Made a nice cob loaf with that. Also made some (non-sourdough) baguettes which were great, as I’d made a glazed ham for Russell for his birthday (mustard and pomegranate molasses glaze with a light brown sugar crust).

I took the chef role, BTW. I’m just developing my menus now. I’m sole chef and cook as it’s a small place, and I’m nervous but the hours work well with everything else, so I’m going to give it a shot.

Well, I didn’t go for an interview, I just went for lunch and it was kind of sprung on me.

They want me to start a kitchen vegetable garden as well, which I’m happy about.

Congratulations on the job Mimi sounds so 'you'!

Thanks Jem. I’m both super nervous and very at ease with various elements of it all. I’ve been trying to tuck it away into the deep recesses of my brain and pretend it’s not happening. I’m sure that is the ideal way to deal with things.



Oh wait… is that a good thing?

Congrats, Mimi! Hope it all goes well, I’m sure you’ll do awesome at it.

Thank you Lovely xx

How long can starter stay in the fridge for, and still be useful? We have some pots at the back of our fridge that I've been told not to touch, but it's been rather a long time now.

You’re supposed to feed it weekly, but it can last a couple of months without a feed. Eight was pushing it, though.

Best thing to do is see if there is any mould. If there is, chuck it. If it stinks like sweaty feet or something putrid, chuck it.

If there is a grey liquid on it, pour it off and feed it. That’s just hooch. Basically ethanol. If it smells like yeast and alcohol, but without the stink, it’s ok. It might be dead, but it’s not rancid, so worth a try.

Feed it for three or four days in a row, without refrigeration, and see how it goes.

Yes!

When do you start Mimi? Having eaten your food, I’m sure you’ll smash it!

On the 24th, I believe. And thank you so much, that’s a really lovely thing to say. I’ve requested some changes to the kitchen which have already been implemented, so I’m already feeling invested. I’m going to pop by and do a proper kitchen inventory this weekend.

Thank you Lovely

Hot Vimto and incredibly sugary sweets? Something about a mad sandwich full of confectionery?

More like changes to the equipment that’s in situ. New dishwasher and new freezer, some changes to the utensils available.

I’m forming my own menus, but no Vimto.

Best of luck, Mims. I hope that you end up loving doing it. I've not tasted your food but it definitely photographs very well!