A random thread for food things that don't really warrant a thread of their own

[Wowbagger]

https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2019/may/16/diner-accidentally-gets-4500-bottle-of-wine-in-manchester-restaurant

"Extortionate little wine, dhalink!"

Mind you, £260 a bottle when they had a second is bloody stupid in my view. The fact that they had no idea they were drinking such an expensive wine sums it up really. I baulk at anything over £8 in WR, and then it's got to be on special offer.

[T42]

They probably put ice in it.  I never could get over the US/UK/etc custom of drinking dry reds without a meal.

[ian]

I started a thread about a study a while back, but once you get past about a £10-12 bottle, in a blind taste test no one can tell the really expensive from the modestly priced, even experts.

[geraldc]

Restaurants are expected to charge a 300% mark up on wine, so in reality it was only about a £1000 bottle of wine.

It's going to be corporate entertainment, if you're pitching for a multi-million pound deal, getting the other side hammered on booze costing a couple of thousand is a bargain.

At least European wine is fun, it's a memory game based on rivers, and trying to remember what area grows what grape, and everyone finally admits they don't know anything. US wine takes itself far too seriously and is scarily expensive.

[ian]

I was at a vineyard in the US the other weekend, and I fear I may have upset the head guy during the tasting by loudly commenting 'oh, so you don't make rosé by simply mixing some red and white wine in the same vat then.' He was a tad serious about the entire wine thing. I'm not really a wine person, any wine that we have comes in a box with a tap from Chateau Sainsbury.

While I don't believe that this is how they make rosé, it does work and you can make your own rosé in this way (just add a splash of red to a glass of white). I've served it and got no complaints. Obviously, I'm a classy guy with equally classy friends. If you've got no red to hand, a dash of Vimto creates an interesting flavour profile.

[citoyen]

While I don't believe that this is how they make rosé...

It's actually not far off.

[ian]

Oh, we got a long and very laboured explanation of the rosé process, which is really why I made a sarcastic comment. He was quite a grumpy chap presumably because we'd turned up a tad late and weren't showing the requisite respect to the precious wine.

[citoyen]

I bet you weren’t as disrespectful as the two Germans who once accompanied me and my friend to a premier cru St Emilion vineyard for a tasting with the owner. They were openly disdainful of the fine red, telling Madame that they preferred sweet white wine.

[Paul]

I spent a few lovely days in the Loire valley. I was looking for grape-picking work but I was about 4 weeks early. Still, every chateau I pitched up at invited me in for a taste.

I was drunk for days, and my French improved hugely.

[ian]

I bet you weren’t as disrespectful as the two Germans who once accompanied me and my friend to a premier cru St Emilion vineyard for a tasting with the owner. They were openly disdainful of the fine red, telling Madame that they preferred sweet white wine.

Actually, it might also have been in part due to my Romanian colleague who has no filter. If he doesn't like a wine (or anything) he doesn't sugarcoat his disapproval.

I dunno if Romania wine is better than the Bulgarian Country Wine (£2.99) that fuelled my student adventures, but I'm thinking it can't be worse.

Anyway, I enjoyed the tastings (we managed two wineries, decided it was best not to visit the Trump winery at that point, owing to our already failing diplomacy) but boy is wine a bit snooty.

[T42]

I bet you weren’t as disrespectful as the two Germans who once accompanied me and my friend to a premier cru St Emilion vineyard for a tasting with the owner. They were openly disdainful of the fine red, telling Madame that they preferred sweet white wine.

Like the two German computer engineers I once took to a rather good restaurant near Sancerre on the Loire.  "Pork chops and beer, please".

[Ham]

Microplane graters, brilliant, simply brilliant. Not Suitable For Vegetarians.

[Jurek]

Microplane graters, brilliant, simply brilliant. Not Suitable For Vegetarians.

The king of graters. Trust me.

[Ham]

If we're getting into relative merits  of graters, you're right about that box grater, but when used as intended (ie vertically) that one is suitable for vegetarians (mostly). Probably less so when waved in the air above a dish, grating directly into it, which is where the Microplanes come into their own. In those circumstances the box grater just gets in the way.

[Jurek]

Fair point.

[citoyen]

Microplane graters, brilliant, simply brilliant. Not Suitable For Vegetarians.

Had to think about that for a minute...

If I repost the Rick Stein vs mandoline clip would it help you feel less of a div?

[Ham]

N+1



(ex display @ 22% of new cost)

Didn't get the opportunity to fire it up last year, this weekend looks to be a good start. Any suggestions for a slow cook? Only 4 to eat, so I can't go too wild. I was thinking, maybe a gammon or lamb shanks.....

[Mr Larrington]

N+1



(ex display @ 22% of new cost)

R2-D2: The Liverpool Years.

[spesh]

N+1



(ex display @ 22% of new cost)

Didn't get the opportunity to fire it up last year, this weekend looks to be a good start. Any suggestions for a slow cook? Only 4 to eat, so I can't go too wild. I was thinking, maybe a gammon or lamb shanks.....

Better go with the lamb, because I'm not sure that you'll be able to fit Mark Francois in there. 

[Mrs Pingu]

POTD!

[hellymedic]

I found two potato crisps in my Walkers Doritos.

[andrewc]

N+1



(ex display @ 22% of new cost)

R2-D2: The Liverpool Years.

Yes, you can tell.  The wheels have been nicked.....

[Wowbagger]

I just found a live bumlebee in a pack of Waitrose Kentish raspberries. Damned glad I didn't feed it to Phyllis.

Shows they were fresh I suppose.

[Andrij]

In L'viv this past weekend I finally sampled some Georgian food (other than wine): cheese khinkali, and Adjarian khachapuri, amongst others.  Yummy!   

[citoyen]

In L'viv this past weekend I finally sampled some Georgian food (other than wine): cheese khinkali, and Adjarian khachapuri, amongst others.  Yummy!   

I ate at a Georgian restaurant in Hackney some years ago. The khachapuri is what I remember most about it. Fantastic stuff.

The other thing I remember about it is that every dish contained walnuts and pomegranates.