What are you been cooking today

[cookie1]

Thermomixer, welll done.  I dare not say that all I did yesterday when we returned from our week away was cook up sone store bought pasta.
I'll look forward to the recipes, although I'm not too sure about the squid ink one. All I know about that is  it's hard to get out of your clothes when they squirt you when you catch them.

[Rach]

I may get inspiration on here for tonight's meal, but last night I made the ragu sauce served with steamed veges (derrr... I could have used the varoma!) and mashed potatoes. I'm not sure that the family was impressed by the mash. Maybe I overdid them as they seemed very... errrm, false? plasticy? I'll keep experimenting... it could be that I need a different type of potato... maybe one that is less waxy, more floury???

I'm having a demo on Sunday using the Varoma so that will be good.

[cookie1]

Rach, I too must get a varoma demo.  I might wait until it is a bit cooler.
I was told on the weekend that purple potatoes were good for mash. I haven't tried it though.

[brazen20au]

rach, my dh doesn't like the mashed potatoes either but i can get away with it if i use less milk and cook for less time so it's not so smooth and runny.

last night i was doing so well - seeing as the recipe for the cauliflower and date tagine from the cooking class is STILL not on the website *hint hint thermomix* i googled and found a few and then concocted my own. i also put in chick peas, beans and sweet potato. i mustn't have cooke dit on a high enough temp as it took FOREVER and the vegies were still firm... edible but not as soft as i wanted. so i put them on one last time... and when i got them out they were MUSH  all that was left whole were the beans! aaagh!

[wombleydoo]

I found with the mash that if I followed the recipe and sped it up at the end to "mash" it actually over mashed them and turned them into a shiny... ummmm... slop (for want of a better word). When the time is up, I check the potato and sometimes it's pretty much mashed or else I give short whizzes until it's smooth, but firm.

[baf65]

i dont really follow the recipe for the mash, I remember Heston Blumenthal doing a show on mash once before and he said if you cut the pieces too small you dont get a good mash so I now just cut in half and half again and seem to get a much better mash. I think the 2cm cubes in the recipe are too small!

[baf65]

Tonight I think I am going to try and make a few things out of the new Kids snack booklet for kindy tommorow
Just not sure which recipe to make!!

[cookie1]

Today I've made macadamia anzacs, and bolognaise pinwheel. Will post the recipes for them asap. (but not tonight!)

[bron]

Which recipe do you follow for the mash in the English books...

In Spain, the recipe is pretty good! I make it all the time and get good results with even a few pieces and bits of potato in, so its not all mushy! My DH hasn't noticed that its THX mash yet!
We make it with the butterfly here. Made with water, potatoes cut to small egg size, and then water drained off, quite a bit of butter and a tiny drop of milk if necessary! Is your recipe the same?

[Amanda]

I use the mash recipe in the Australian book, often cooking the spuds in 1/2 water, 1/2 milk and adding big dollops of butter  at the mash stage and it is always very popular in our house.  I have never had it go gluggy at all. 
It is important not to over-cook spuds or they will go gluey.

[Thermomixer]

It is really very much a matter of personal taste as to whether people like that style of mash.

The most famous mash is that of Joel Robuchon, who makes them so smooth by forcing them through a fine sieve twice from memory and then adds so much butter that your cardiologist would only allow a teaspoon per meal.  They are so smooth.  A bit of truffle oil or truffle helps makes them moorish.

The TMX recipe resuilts in this type of smooth, silky texture.

Many prefer the floury, chunky style and something to chew.

Floury potatoes do make better mash.  Kipflers and waxy ones are not so good.

[trudy]

Bron, I find that the recipe in the Aust book has too much liquid for our taste.  I just cook the potato with a small amount of milk and a knob of butter as  we don't like it too "wet".

Trudy

[wombleydoo]

Today I'm making for a bbq tomorrow - Pull apart garlic bread, pull apart chilli fetta and olive bread and the Wicked Chocolate Honeycomb Cheesecake... Can't wait to eat that!!!

[cookie1]

I've just made the Garlic Pesto for tonights Roast Veg Calzone from the calendar. It sounds really good.  Just what we need on a
38+ degree day!!!

[brazen20au]

i made 2 batches of brown sugar cookies (the first batch was a disaster lol) and a loaf of gluten free bread

dh has just make potato gnocchi