tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6153845628469776909.post3899860557634649962..comments2024-03-24T09:13:28.758+00:00Comments on The Plashing Vole: Monday conundrumThe Plashing Volehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13021407602157515927noreply@blogger.comBlogger13125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6153845628469776909.post-46906702004608086432011-01-16T23:17:22.263+00:002011-01-16T23:17:22.263+00:00For a few years towards the end of college and jus...For a few years towards the end of college and just afterwards, I lived with a couple of guys who subsisted entirely on (a) supernoodles and sausages or (b) instant lasagne sandwiches.<br />Beuch.<br />Me? I ate tuna mixed with sweetcorn, cayenne pepper and mayonnaise on toast with cadbury's caramello and coffee for dessert. And spent the 5 years after graduation trying to undo that lack of culinary effort.Sinéadhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16602860905255089123noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6153845628469776909.post-64330436733638500112011-01-11T01:25:01.449+00:002011-01-11T01:25:01.449+00:00No prob Neal - but how's vole cookin' them...No prob Neal - but how's vole cookin' them? Watery? Fry them til they're black is the only way I know them - never done 'em any other way.Zoot Hornhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09943863429085186012noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6153845628469776909.post-42950612777145977282011-01-10T17:40:36.036+00:002011-01-10T17:40:36.036+00:00Zoot, next time I see you I'll get that Kerela...Zoot, next time I see you I'll get that Kerela recipe off you, it's been ages since I've had it.<br /><br />Moolis are just a massive white radishes, can't see how anyone can't like that.nealhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02378725336497139302noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6153845628469776909.post-54161751854280458942011-01-10T17:02:28.068+00:002011-01-10T17:02:28.068+00:00They certainly were. I'm definitely going to b...They certainly were. I'm definitely going to buy Okra this week. Never liked Karela though - it reminded me of savoury melon. Too watery and a bit bitter. Mooli never did anything for me either.The Plashing Volehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13021407602157515927noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6153845628469776909.post-72076688982084308542011-01-10T16:38:22.963+00:002011-01-10T16:38:22.963+00:00I'd forgotten about okra- we always had a bhin...I'd forgotten about okra- we always had a bhindi bhaji to accompany our curries. Haven't had one in years.<br />I wonder whether the lounge ceiling at Friars Road is still littered with dents from the Chateau Manville corks? That stuff was vile.<br />Those were the days.Imaginary Friendhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14963051033585373720noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6153845628469776909.post-30822678647308664452011-01-10T15:54:13.842+00:002011-01-10T15:54:13.842+00:00Bitter gourd is good - actual name is karela - it ...Bitter gourd is good - actual name is karela - it looks like a small lizard until you stuff it and fry it. Never noticed it on a menu come to think of it... You need at least two on a plate and it's an acquired taste, but I love it. Might have a go sometime - I'll let you know if I do!Zoot Hornhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09943863429085186012noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6153845628469776909.post-67214754437822599002011-01-10T14:12:31.208+00:002011-01-10T14:12:31.208+00:00yeah, Leicester was a great place to be a student,...yeah, Leicester was a great place to be a student, two university city, lots to do. When I look back I find it amazing that we did so much on so little money. I can't have spent much more than a tenner on food a week either and ate really well.<br /><br />I love paneer, I like to fry it first so it goes all crispy on the outside, most restaurants just seem to lob it in. Okra can sometimes go a bit slimey but is still good.nealhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02378725336497139302noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6153845628469776909.post-2543316928829577292011-01-10T12:59:01.101+00:002011-01-10T12:59:01.101+00:00I didn't know you were in Leicester as a stude...I didn't know you were in Leicester as a student Neal! I did even better - my partner when I was a student (and for the next 20 years) was a Leicester-born Punjabi culinary expert, so I did the prep. and she did the cookin... which left me a bit half-educated when we split up, but I can still knock up a decent paneer or dahl dish (no animals I'm afraid) and okra is one of my faves too! - but I'm scared to try it now in case it goes all gumbo. Bitter gourd, stuffed with caramelised onions and then fried to death again, with cucumber yogurt and fresh chapatis (singe those cuticles on the gas ring) was my fave. We spent about a tenner a week on food in the east midlandsand lived like west midland foodies.Zoot Hornhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09943863429085186012noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6153845628469776909.post-70628174563527451762011-01-10T12:27:19.048+00:002011-01-10T12:27:19.048+00:00That's fantastic Neal - really lucky and ambit...That's fantastic Neal - really lucky and ambitious. I developed a taste for Okra - first from the curry house and then cooked at home. Haven't had any for ages. I must get down to the market.The Plashing Volehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13021407602157515927noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6153845628469776909.post-73896428459980827162011-01-10T12:19:55.284+00:002011-01-10T12:19:55.284+00:00My first year was fully catered, which is probably...My first year was fully catered, which is probably just as well. In the second year I moved into a house with friends who could either already cook or wanted to learn, so I started cooking from scratch straight away. The area I lived in in Leicester had loads of Asian grocers and butchers which I loved, stocked to the ceiling with spices, boxes of coriander leaves and lots of unusual vegetables like karellas and moolis to try out. Wednesday night was curry night. Me and my housemate would cook for another couple of our mates who lived in another shared house then we’d go to there’s the next week. This got quite competitive, so we got quite good, bought recipe books trying to find something different for the following week. <br /><br />My housemate then got a part time job at the local fishmongers so we got lots of cheap fish. I remember having lobster, scallops, monkfish, carp etc. In my final year we discovered there was a Waitrose a few miles out into the suburbs, with a pub next to it that had a novelty L-shaped pool table. Every Friday we’d walk over, play some pool until 5, when we’d go to Waitrose and follow the guy round who reduced the prices on all the stuff that was going to go off. The go home with our bounty and cook a feast. We once persuaded them to give us a pack of spare ribs we’d found that was a week out of date, pleaded that we wouldn’t come back to them if we got ill, we were of course fine.nealhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02378725336497139302noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6153845628469776909.post-21785292888600592902011-01-10T12:02:49.047+00:002011-01-10T12:02:49.047+00:00Not really. My dear old mother does the evening me...Not really. My dear old mother does the evening meal, and offering to do it (not that I would, LOL) would cause a full-blown interrogation as to what was wrong with her offerings.<br /><br />At lunchtime I'm either out and about or I just have a cheese and ketchup sandwich.Ewarwoowarhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01188994060142858403noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6153845628469776909.post-89426916935901284752011-01-10T11:53:39.373+00:002011-01-10T11:53:39.373+00:00They're called 'enablers', Ewar. They&...They're called 'enablers', Ewar. They're responsible. Sue them. <br /><br />I'm off swimming today for the first time since last term. It won't be pretty.<br /><br />Anyway, Ewar, are you claiming that you don't cook AT ALL, because you live at home?The Plashing Volehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13021407602157515927noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6153845628469776909.post-41427459716887965962011-01-10T11:46:30.141+00:002011-01-10T11:46:30.141+00:00I live at home so sadly all those culinary delight...I live at home so sadly all those culinary delights have avoided me.<br /><br />Sadly however I've put on so much weight over Christmas. I particularly enjoy it when family members comment on that, and then hand me a present which will consist of one form of chocolate or another. Yeah, thanks guys.Ewarwoowarhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01188994060142858403noreply@blogger.com