baddad Report post Posted September 21, 2006 A couple of nights ago I had this really wierd experience... I was watching telly and this ad came on for a loaf of bread with the crusts already cut off for kids who won't eat their crusts!!!! Thank heavens, I've never seen it again so i can only assume it was all a crazy dream, and that the world has not, in fact, gone mad!! Whatever next? Pancake mix??? Also - speaking of bread - I was walking home after dropping the car off at the garage the other day for a service, and I saw a sandwich van going round the industrial estate selling 'breakfast bacon butties' @ �2.50 a pop. A wee bit up the road, the van passed me again and stopped outside another factory, and all the staff came out and queued up like kids at an ice-cream van! I said to the girl driving the van, "Blimey love, you're doing all right from the fact that this lot are too bl**dy lazy to knock up a sandwich, aren't you?"... Turns out she does three circuits a day, one with 'breakfast' one with 'lunch' and one for afternoon tiffin!! So her regulars do �7.50 per day (not including mars bars etc) , 5 days per week... that's.... erm.... carry the.... take away........�32.50 per WEEK in snacks!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Is it me?????? Sorry... I'll just get me coat........ L&P BD Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Kathryn Report post Posted September 21, 2006 A couple of nights ago I had this really wierd experience... I was watching telly and this ad came on for a loaf of bread with the crusts already cut off for kids who won't eat their crusts!!!! Thank heavens, I've never seen it again so i can only assume it was all a crazy dream, and that the world has not, in fact, gone mad!! Whatever next? Pancake mix??? No, it's specially for mugs like me who do have to cut the crusts off. I thought it was the answer to all my problems, but it doesn't work - my son still leaves the edges on the plate. Do you know how when you eat a packet of biscuits there's always one last one left in the packet that nobody wants and then it goes all stale and ends up being thrown away? Well I thought of a simple solution - maybe they could take the last biscuit out before packaging them. No more waste. Easy! K x Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
baddad Report post Posted September 21, 2006 Do you know how when you eat a packet of biscuits there's always one last one left in the packet that nobody wants and then it goes all stale and ends up being thrown away? Well I thought of a simple solution - maybe they could take the last biscuit out before packaging them. No more waste. Easy! K x Or........ Why not START the packet from the other end!!!!!!!! (that way the stale one will get eaten first) Crustless bread I thought you were made of sterner stuff!!! BD Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Kathryn Report post Posted September 21, 2006 Or........ Why not START the packet from the other end!!!!!!!! (that way the stale one will get eaten first) Well now you're just being silly. How can you tell which is the other end before you open the packet? I'm all for shortcuts - hence the crustless bread - if only they'd bring out a ready toasted and marmited version, I could have an extra five minutes in bed in the morning.. I've spent years of misery trying to make mashed potato properly - never again since I discovered a certain upmarket food shop sells it in tubs you can freeze - and it's yummy, with lumps that are meant to be there! K x Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Tally Report post Posted September 21, 2006 A couple of nights ago I had this really wierd experience... I was watching telly and this ad came on for a loaf of bread with the crusts already cut off for kids who won't eat their crusts!!!! Thank heavens, I've never seen it again so i can only assume it was all a crazy dream, and that the world has not, in fact, gone mad!! I'm afraid this is a genuine product. We sell it where I work.. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Karen A Report post Posted September 22, 2006 Badad Strange thing I had the same dream and responded in the same way. Had a little rant about why any one would pay extra to have the factory cut the crusts off. Sorry Kathryn-do agree about the yummy mashed potato though.I do not think about what my mum would say if she were alive-you buy mashed potato !!!!! Karen Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mossgrove Report post Posted September 22, 2006 Making mashed potato is a perfect excuse for loading up with too much butter and salt. Why spoil the effect by buying it? Simon Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
baddad Report post Posted September 22, 2006 Ready made mash? I am in deep shock Having said that, I will admit that i do keep a packet of Instant mash (not the famous one - that has dairy in!) in the cupboard for emergencies for Ben A Cookery POME with advice re lumpy tatas, so you never EVER have to buy it frozen again: After mashing Just try thrashing With a wooden spoon - you loon!!!!!!!!!! BD Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Flora Report post Posted September 22, 2006 I never cut the crusts off anyway; if I do the boys still leave a bit round the edge And the lumps in the mashed tatties are the best part... Flo' Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Jill Report post Posted September 22, 2006 (edited) I do make me own mash, but am an absolute no hoper with yorkshire puds so was over the moon when the famous fictional aunt appeared on the scene. I now serve up risen crisp yorkshires, rather than circular flat floppy unidentifiable cooked thingies - rather hard to pour your gravy into those. Edited September 22, 2006 by Jill Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
brooke Report post Posted September 22, 2006 you can also buy ready made cake mixture that you just put in the oven. and the worst thing ive ever seen would be spaghetti bolognaise or chicken curry in a tin can Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Kathryn Report post Posted September 22, 2006 Ready made mash? I am in deep shock That's nothing to the shock you'd get if you tasted my mash - then you'd understand absolutely why I have to buy it from a certain high street store. I'm talking posh mash here - don't knock it till you've tried it - and Simon, you can still put the extra butter and salt in. Can I just say though that I NEVER buy ready made pastry. My mum taught me to make it when I was about 10 and I've been making my own ever since. So there. K x Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jen Report post Posted September 22, 2006 In Spain you can buy bread with the crusts cut off. Its called sandwich bread. There must be a lot of spanish children who do not like crusts Jen Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
baddad Report post Posted September 22, 2006 Mind you, if it catches on we'll have to update that old standby cliche to 'It's the best thing since sliced bread with the crusts cut off'... And if Kathryn has her way it'll be: 'It's the best thing since sliced bread with the crusts cut off and butter and marmite pre-applied'... Bit of a mouthful that last one She buys ready made mash and makes her own pastry? Not puff? - please tell me not puff? Even Jamie Oliver doesn't make his own puff! Even Delia doesn't make her own puff! Even Huge Phlegmy-Batandball doesn't make his own puff - even for his famed Placenta vol-au-vonts! WGM L&P BD Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Kathryn Report post Posted September 22, 2006 She buys ready made mash and makes her own pastry? Not puff? - please tell me not puff? Even Jamie Oliver doesn't make his own puff! Even Delia doesn't make her own puff! Even Huge Phlegmy-Batandball doesn't make his own puff - even for his famed Placenta vol-au-vonts! Since you ask, yes, I do puff. And flaky and shortcrust. Piece of ..er .. cake actually. K x Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
baddad Report post Posted September 22, 2006 Since you ask, yes, I do puff. And flaky and shortcrust. Piece of ..er .. cake actually. K x Why?????????????? Roll the pastry, put in fat... roll the pastry, put in fat...roll the pastry put in fat... etc etc etc Shortcrust, Yes... flaky, maybe... Puff - buy frozen and get a life!! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Kathryn Report post Posted September 23, 2006 Oh believe me, sunshine, I do have a life... while you lot are busy peeling the potatoes... And if you can't tell the difference between bought puff and homemade puff, well.. I have nothing more to say to you. Words fail. K x Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
kirstie Report post Posted September 23, 2006 Hmmm i'm beginning to feel hungry! I too buy the yummy ready made mash from posh shop and it's fab, but i do mash too. I find using slightly warm milk helps with the lumps (just keep it out the fridge or in a cup while the tatties are boiling!) Kathryn you clever girl, you're own pastry?? wow i'm impressed. If you feel lijke pm-ing me the recipe please do it would be very much a[ppreciated. I use puff mainly, it's gorgeous with a beef casserole and tattiesand peas!! I have to confess i have bought the no crusts bread but theres no fooling my young man who knows the little triangles i have to cut them into are slightly bigger, hmph can't win. But please, i will be seriously depressed if anyone says they make their own pasta from scratch....you guys don't .... do ya???? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Kathryn Report post Posted September 26, 2006 Hi Kirstie, Re pastry - only 3 ingredients, plain flour, marg and salt, then a little water to mix. For shortcrust - it's just half the amount of fat to flour, so for my usual quantity I use 1lb (400g) flour to 8oz (200g) marg. Put flour and about a quarter teaspoon of salt into a bowl. Cut marg into small cubes and add to bowl. Rub flour and marg between your fingers till flour mixture looks like breadcrumbs. Add very cold water slowly and mix with round bladed knife till it clumps together and becomes a dough - finish off with hands if necessary. Leave in fridge for a while then roll out and use. Trick is to keep everything as cold as possible - don't let the marg melt and don't handle mixture more than you need to. Add small amounts of water to dough at a time so it doesn't become too sticky. ********************** Puff pastry - same ingredients but you put more fat in. So 1lb of flour needs 6oz marg. The method is different but easier as you don't have to rub marg in. Chop marg into small cubes and mix into flour/salt. Then add water and mix until it becomes a dough. You'll have large lumps of marg but this is OK. Cut dough in half. Take one half and roll out onto well floured board till you have a thick piece about the length and width of your foot (best way to describe it!) Take the bottom third and fold up, take the top third and fold down, like you're wrapping a parcel. you should end up with a neat oblong "pillow", about the size of a purse. Seal the sides with your hands. Rotate parcel 90 degrees, so the sides become the top and the bottom. Repeat the process: roll out to "foot size", fold bottom up and top down, seal and turn. Repeat rolling and folding process one more time. By the third rolling and folding, the marg will be absorbed, and the parcel will be progressively difficult to flatten because you are trapping layers of air: these will expand and give the pastry its "puff". You can keep rolling and folding to put more layers in - I find three times is enough. At this stage you can freeze the pastry parcel, (I find it freezes really well and keeps for ages). If you are using it straight away, it needs to rest in the fridge for at least half an hour. Do the whole rolling and folding thing with the other half of the dough. When ready to bake, roll out as required, and use in your recipe. It makes a really rich pastry. If it sounds complicated, that's my fault - it's actually really easy and quite fun. (wouldn't do it otherwise, I'm too lazy!) Good luck! K x Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
