What's for tea tonight? (#8)

[cesare]

Gnocchi with a spicy roasted vegetable sauce (onion, pepper, mushroom, courgette, aubergine, garlic, tomatoes) and parmesan. With a side salad for the first serving.

 

[UnderOpenSky]

Oooh, you don't often see lovage on a menu! It's usually substituted with celery leaf in modern recreations of dishes from previous eras where it was a more commonly used ingredient.
I think that's partly because the plant grows fucking massive, it's not something you can do on a windowsill or in a small urban garden.

Apparantly very popular in Romanian food (so possibly other Eastern European) so probably available in the UK that way.

 

[LeytonCatLady]

Roast lamb.

 

[sojourner]

Spaghetti tossed in EVOO/chilli/garlic, with black olives, sundried toms, and parmesan over the top.

The fella's making a very naughty key lime pie. Naughty due to butter in the biscuit base and double cream in the main bit. Oh my arteries! Can't wait

 

[Epona]

Apparantly very popular in Romanian food (so possibly other Eastern European) so probably available in the UK that way.

Was very widely used in ancient Roman cooking, when I've recreated dishes I've on occasion gone out and bought a lovage plant in a pot to use, as I don't have a garden - but you don't see it in supermarkets and the like.
There was a fairly big Roman influence in Romanian culture and language which might be relevant, but lovage was also popular all over Europe until probably some time in the early/mid 20th Century when its use seems to have declined, at least in England.

 

[sojourner]

Was very widely used in ancient Roman cooking, when I've recreated dishes I've on occasion gone out and bought a lovage plant in a pot to use, as I don't have a garden - but you don't see it in supermarkets and the like.
There was a fairly big Roman influence in Romanian culture and language which might be relevant, but lovage was also popular all over Europe until probably some time in the early/mid 20th Century when its use seems to have declined, at least in England.

It was a very distinctive flavour, not like anything I've tasted before.

 

[Saffy]

I've chopped up and grated loads of wilting veg and fried it with some minced beef and made it into a lasagne.
Used up the last of the Boursin in the white sauce too. It weighs a tonne!

Will have it with left over green veg from last night's roast dinner.

Jeĺlywhip for pudding.

 

[Epona]

It was a very distinctive flavour, not like anything I've tasted before.

I can imagine in a sauce like that where it's very concentrated, you really get to taste it - unlike when it's a minor player in another dish when it is a bit like celery leaf in terms of the general flavour notes.
I once made a "patina" which is an ancient Roman dish with eggs and veg - asparagus and lovage, blended up, with fish sauce ofc.
It looked and tasted surprisingly like mushy peas

 

[Epona]

Anyway, no weird Roman food tonight, I'm about to cook some lentils for tarka dhal, and am just deciding whether to do a prawn madras or something involving fish (basa) and spinach.
Rice of some sort to go with, if I pull my finger out and get some rice pre-cooked in the next hour then we can have mushroom fried rice which is a perennial favourite, but otherwise a mushroom pilau where the rice is cooked from dry rather than cooked first then fried later.

 

[Orang Utan]

Stuffed dormouse
Flamingo tongues
Half a dozen deep fried figpeckers
And lashings and lashings of garum

 

[Epona]

Stuffed dormouse
Flamingo tongues
Half a dozen deep fried figpeckers
And lashings and lashings of garum

Cheeky git

 

[nottsgirl]

Prawn stir fry.

 

[8ball]

The last supper (for a while, at least). Beef hotpot. Surprisingly, the vegetables still retain some crunch (even the celery), and aside from the pensioner portion size and limited colour palette, was tasty and I dare say it represents a fairly solid baseline to work from. Dessert of strawberry yogurt was… strawberry yogurt. No one writes home about strawberry yogurt. 6.5 / 10

 

[cesare]

The last supper (for a while, at least). Beef hotpot. Surprisingly, the vegetables still retain some crunch (even the celery), and aside from the pensioner portion size and limited colour palette, was tasty and I dare say it represents a fairly solid baseline to work from. Dessert of strawberry yogurt was… strawberry yogurt. No one writes home about strawberry yogurt. 6.5 / 10

View attachment 429399

Are you in hospital about to have a procedure?

Oh I see your tray says it belongs to a hospital

 

[8ball]

Are you in hospital about to have a procedure?

Oh I see your tray says it belongs to a hospital

Yeah. Proper “procedure”. Aorta is fucked and largely needs replacing. This is “the big one”, with two smaller ops to follow later.

If you don’t hear from me by Friday I’d be grateful if you or another kindly urb sparks up an “RIP 8ball” thread where no one mentions my gaffe regarding the Roman Empire.

 

[Epona]

Yeah. Proper “procedure”. Aorta is fucked and largely needs replacing. This is “the big one”, with two smaller ops to follow later.

If you don’t hear from me by Friday I’d be grateful if you or another kindly urb sparks up an “RIP 8ball” thread where no one mentions my gaffe regarding the Roman Empire.

Blimey - well I know we don't always see eye to eye, but I wish you all the best - and hope to see you back posting and probably disagreeing with me later this week.

 

[cesare]

Yeah. Proper “procedure”. Aorta is fucked and largely needs replacing. This is “the big one”, with two smaller ops to follow later.

If you don’t hear from me by Friday I’d be grateful if you or another kindly urb sparks up an “RIP 8ball” thread where no one mentions my gaffe regarding the Roman Empire.

I shall, but I very much hope that it won't be necessary. I know it's been on the cards for a long time - I admire how you've coped with it all. All the very best m'dear and everything crossed that you'll join us back very soon X X X

 

[8ball]

Blimey - well I know we don't always see eye to eye, but I wish you all the best - and hope to see you back posting and probably disagreeing with me later this week.

Thanks - if all goes optimally and as per previous surgeries I’m sure I’ll be extremely disagreeable later in the week.

 

[shakespearegirl]

Lasagna

 

[RubyToogood]

Freezer foraged veggie spag bol. Made enough for two portions so I can just nuke it tomorrow if I still feel shit. My insides are now fine but I have another cold/cough

I was going to have a whinge but 8ball has totally upstaged me

(Hope it goes well and I look forward to seeing your dinner on the other side. Wait... Let me rephrase that )

 

[8ball]

Lasagna

With chips?

 

[UnderOpenSky]

Was very widely used in ancient Roman cooking, when I've recreated dishes I've on occasion gone out and bought a lovage plant in a pot to use, as I don't have a garden - but you don't see it in supermarkets and the like.
There was a fairly big Roman influence in Romanian culture and language which might be relevant, but lovage was also popular all over Europe until probably some time in the early/mid 20th Century when its use seems to have declined, at least in England.

So lovage and fish sauce right?

Makes sense, it was popular anywhere it grew you'd probably want all you could get for flavour before we could such a range of flavourings at supermarkets cheaply. It does frustrate me that fresh herbs are quite expensive in the supermarket, although i do fancy trying some lovage now.

 

[LeytonCatLady]

Yeah. Proper “procedure”. Aorta is fucked and largely needs replacing. This is “the big one”, with two smaller ops to follow later.

If you don’t hear from me by Friday I’d be grateful if you or another kindly urb sparks up an “RIP 8ball” thread where no one mentions my gaffe regarding the Roman Empire.

All the best, mate! I'm sure you'll be fine.

 

[Epona]

So lovage and fish sauce right?

Makes sense, it was popular anywhere it grew you'd probably want all you could get for flavour before we could such a range of flavourings at supermarkets cheaply. It does frustrate me that fresh herbs are quite expensive in the supermarket, although i do fancy trying some lovage now.

I know someone who tried to make Garum in their shed, I think the council came round to investigate due to complaints
I think in terms of modern condiments, Vietnamese Nam Pla is probably about as close as it gets without a visit from the council/Environment Agency.

 

[vinobella]

Bed of creamy mash, olive oil & butter fried salmon fillets with salute onion, garlic & mushroom diced, surrounded by al dente carrots & broccoli & a triplet of salad potatoes !
​

 

[Epona]

I'm not sure I'm completely on board with mushrooms/onions/garlic on top of salmon fillets tbh - it does look nice though.

 

[UnderOpenSky]

Maybe not, but I always think this thread benefits from more photos.

 

[LeytonCatLady]

Roast chicken.

 

[sojourner]

Yeah. Proper “procedure”. Aorta is fucked and largely needs replacing. This is “the big one”, with two smaller ops to follow later.

If you don’t hear from me by Friday I’d be grateful if you or another kindly urb sparks up an “RIP 8ball” thread where no one mentions my gaffe regarding the Roman Empire.

Eeep! All the best, hope it all goes as smoothly as possible. I'll definitely mention the Roman Empire gaffe. That's what you said, innit?

 

[sojourner]

We're on feta-stuffed roast peppers, couscous flavoured with veg stock, garlic granules and smoked paprika, black olives, and Romaine leaves.

Another slice of that ridiculously fit key lime pie.