procrasin8r

what direction from the train station?

yep I made a sloe and elderberry jelly last year really tasty and well worth the effort. this year I'll try the sloes on their own.

did you have to pre-order the sweetbreads or did they just have some available? I have been meaning to get some for a while now...

not sure if this helps but last year I asked for marrow bones when I was in the chatsworth farm shop and they provided cut bones free of charge. very tasty but very rich

I think i've bought some frozen in waitrose before. Also Chinese supermarkets usually sell vac-pack ones.

not a cookery course but I've learnt a lot from this book: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Great-Curries-India-Camellia-Panjabi/dp/1856265463/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1289921026&sr=8-1

I did (although it was a bit of a struggle because I find it really difficult to watch GR these days - I think it has more to do with noticing that he's always jumping around on one spot rather than any actual dislike of the man) I was impressed by how well they managed to serve all the 30 diners (especially considering the restaurant doesn't normally seat that many people) & how it highlights that a small but well run family restaurant can be successful these days - with good food and service. though I'll probably make sure I book before I head up there again. I also keep meaning to try Dhanistha. someday soon

like mussels they should be live when you cook them. to test if they are, give any open ones a tap on a hard surface and they should close - discard any that don't close as these are probably dead (at best the dead ones wont make good eating, at worse will they could make you ill). then once cooked most sources recomend discarding any clams that remained firmly closed (though there was an episode of Qi that claims this is unnecessary)

I've not knowningly had pandan but I've always heard it that its supposed to taste a bit like vanilla? I wonder if subsistuting with other very distinctive flavours like basil, bay or tarragon would give the flavour you want? I have seen pandan extract in asian supermarkets before (none specifically in sheffield though)

pork hock in cider and apples sautee chopped onion, celery and leek brown pork hocks (mine were on the bone but trimmed of skin and fat) deglase pan with cider return veg and pork to pot, add garlic and bay leaves add choppped apples cover with cider and stock cook for 3 hours very tasty with very little effort

I was also underwealmed by east and west. considering all the good reviews on here I thought it could just be that I've been spoilt by the really fresh and tasty offerings from prashad in bradford (I used to live there but still sometimes find reasons to head up there just so that we can also call into grab a dosa). but to be honest it was just all a bit bland and i've not had any desire to return.

yep there's a thai place called siam corner in chesterfield, unlikely location but it is decked out inside certainly a different atmosphere http://www.siamcorner.co.uk/Thai%20Village%20Chesterfield.html personally I have only been once (just not all that fussed by thai food) the ambience, service and food were all good.

the whole point of putting the jam in steralised jars is to store the jam long term without spoilage. you can put the jam in any container (to avoid the plastic pots from melting you'd just need to let the jam cool in the pan first) the only problem being that the shelf life will be greatly reduced, it will last longer if stored in the fridge or even frozen. So if you're wanting to make a big batch of jam you'll need to wait untill you have jars -try freecycle, or you can buy from wilkinsons, or the cheap but incredibly wasteful option (one that I just can't quite bring myself to do) is buy jars of tesco value lemon curd empty and steralise the jars (at around 22p a jar this can be cheaper than buying empty jars!). However, if you just want to have a go a making jam just make a small amount then put it in a steralised container and store in the fridge - as long as the container was properly cleaned the jam will last as long as any other opened jar of jam.

soft bun toasted home made burger with good quality bought mince with plenty of salt and pepper added & a little bit of cold cubed butter. cooked medium cheddar cheese smoked streaky bacon pickles red onion tomato lettus red onion marmalade needs onion rings and curly fries on the side

I was a little wary when I ordered them but it seemed worth a try especially when some shops are charging the same price for one pod!