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

[Feanor]

Marzipan is really easy to make (assuming we don't get a shortage of almonds next).

I suppose that has the advantage that you can chuck it directly in the bin, without having to go to the supermarket first.

[Jurek]

Marzipan is really easy to make (assuming we don't get a shortage of almonds next).

I suppose that has the advantage that you can chuck it directly in the bin, without having to go to the supermarket first.

Not a fan, perchance?

[Mrs Pingu]

Mmm that reminds me, I need to buy ingredients for my sour cherry stollen 

[SteveC]

Mmm that reminds me, I need to buy ingredients for my sour cherry stollen 

Sounds rather wonderful...

[Mrs Pingu]

The recipe, if you're interested
https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2010/dec/11/stollen-recipe-cherry-dan-lepard

[Pickled Onion]

Someone at work brought back some durian sweets from Borneo. I'll eat just about anything, and I've never spat anything out before.

 

[rafletcher]

Marzipan is really easy to make (assuming we don't get a shortage of almonds next).

I suppose that has the advantage that you can chuck it directly in the bin, without having to go to the supermarket first.

An excellent premise, to be swiftly followed by the icing.

[SteveC]

The recipe, if you're interested
https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2010/dec/11/stollen-recipe-cherry-dan-lepard

I looked at that link and thought 'that seems familiar' and, sure enough, I already have the recipe in my collection.
We must have had this conversation last year.  Where's the 'middle aged thread'?

Maybe I'll actually get round to making it this year.

[Mrs Pingu]

While I was pondering making quiche today, my thoughts turned to quiche Lorraine. Now I don't really like it very much, or at least I didn't, which is odd because I like all the things in it.
My parents used to buy it from M&S in the 80's, and it was that I didn't like. Trying to figure out why though... Maybe it was too salty.

[citoyen]

I’m making St Lucy’s day buns.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saffron_bun

The recipe I’m using calls for a gram of saffron. A gram!

Need to hold off on starting the bake until the remortgage clears.

[Cudzoziemiec]

Bonus point for celebrating an obscure festival. 

[T42]

♫ Sul mare lucida
L'astro d'argento...

[citoyen]

Bonus point for celebrating an obscure festival. 

Inspired by my son's Swedish girlfriend - I have Magnus Nilsson's wonderful Nordic Baking Book and she was going through it picking out recipes she recommends. This was one of them. I was planning to take some home-baked goods into the office this week anyway and Wednesday is St Lucy's Day, when they always have these saffron buns, so that seemed like a good excuse to try them.

She also introduced us to the joys of glögg (mulled wine) accompanied by Anna's Ginger Thins topped with blue cheese. Not a combination I would have thought of but it works amazingly well!

[hellymedic]

Bonus point for celebrating an obscure festival. 

St Lucy's Day is THE day that cyclists ought to celebrate.

It's the earliest sunset - several days ahead of the Equinox - and the evenings start drawing out.

I think there was a St Lucy's Day yacf ride at some point.

[Cudzoziemiec]

Bonus point for celebrating an obscure festival. 

St Lucy's Day is THE day that cyclists ought to celebrate.

It's the earliest sunset - several days ahead of the Equinox - and the evenings start drawing out.

I think there was a St Lucy's Day yacf ride at some point.

I didn't know that (but I guess I might have done if I lived with an astronomer!) but it's certainly worth celebrating. As someone who doesn't so much mind dark evenings but really can't cope with getting up in the dark though, I'm looking forward to the latest sunrise, which I understand is St Sylvester's Day (31st December). Though it doesn't really feel like it till a couple of weeks after.

[lissotriton]

The date of latest sunrise / earliest sunset depends on your latitude. Could be a week or so before or after St Lucy's Day.

[hellymedic]

I knew earliest UK sunset was around 13 December LONG before I met my astronomer partner, who has to be reminded of its presence every year.
I have been a cyclist since 1975 and had access to the pocket diaries supplied by the Gateshead Jewish Boarding School for as long as I can remember.

These supply sunrise, sunset & solar noon times for several English cities, as well as Festival & Sabbath timings...

[Mrs Pingu]

I might have a go at making focaccia in the Xmas holidays. If I get really bored I might even attempt baklava.

[Kim]

Random thought, which no doubt someone here will be able to answer:

Why does flour (and indeed sugar) come in paper bags?  It stands to reason that this is neither out of environmental responsibility on the part of the distributor nor their robustness as a packaging solution.  Searching the web is inconclusive, but does seem to suggest that polymers (as used for eg. rice and pasta) also work just fine.

IME the limiting factor on flour is how quickly you use it, vis weevils.  But that's more about size than material.  I can imagine flour going mouldy if kept in damp conditions, but that would seem more of an argument against paper than for it.

[hellymedic]

I suspect moisture vapour permeability is the issue.

I've certainly had brown sugar in plastic bags go solid due to environmental moisture but this has never happened with white sugar in paper bags.

Water DOES diffuse through polythene and other plastics, as those with ageing COVID tests will know!

Moisture moves more freely through paper and possibly gets 'trapped' less.

This is speculation on my part as I'm not a food scientist...

[Cudzoziemiec]

My mum used to keep flour, sugar, etc in big glass jars with ground glass lids. I think they had originally come from a sweet shop. Anyways, they were weevil-proof, damp-proof, but not so totally airtight as to cause other problems. And they looked good. Perfect. Only (minor) problem was they were heavy. I think possibly my sister has them now.

[Mr Larrington]

The shops are closed for a massive not many days over Christmas.  Why, then, does Mr Sainsbury’s House of Toothy Comestibles resemble a foopball crowd only without the sense of common purpose?

Bah!

[hellymedic]

Give me online shopping any time even if some of the 'fresh' fruit & veg isn't!
I just can't do with crowds at the best of times!

[Mr Larrington]

I wanted to buy Heavy Things and was on a ULEZ day anyway coz I'd just had the Fast-Appreciating Future Classic serviced.

[TheLurker]

The shops are closed for a massive not many days over Christmas.  Why, then, does Mr Sainsbury’s House of Toothy Comestibles resemble a foopball crowd only without the sense of common purpose?

This has puzzled both MrsL & myself for a number of years. Anyone would think it was the end of days and people were preparing for the complete breakdown of civilisation rather than having Auntie Doris and Uncle Wilf around for a meal and few drinks.