Go Faster ................ Loose Weight

Christmas is over and the diet has begun. Those of you that know me know that I like fast bikes. It doesn't matter what you add to a bike to make it go faster the best way to increase speed is to loose something. WEIGHT. So who best to understand my problem than the Hairy Bikers. 

When I opened this Christmas present. My first reaction was to punch the person who bought it for me who suggested that I need to diet. The second was to try and decide who I most looked like. Perhaps I'm a morph of Si and Dave. Now my third reaction was to open the book. Great recipes well presented. May I suggest that you don't wait (or is that weight) to next Christmas to get this book.

After all that turkey. I thought I would have a go at this dish. All in one spicy pork and rice. Lovely. Is it me or do I now look less big in my leathers?

What's Cooking

I like hot spicy cooking but you cannot blame me for getting the wrong idea from this book. 

Sloppy Joes

I always go on about food looking good but what about sounding good as well. Some food with a french name just makes you want to give it taste, but it will probably turn out to be raw horse meat or frogs legs. So does Sloppy Joes fail on looks and sound? I guess yes, but then again food is really about the taste isn't it?

Sloppy Joes is an American favourite. Why do they spell "favourite" "favorite". Another difference between us and our American cousins.

This dish is messy, does not look great but is delicious. A change on a burger. Give it a try I am.

Something Fishy

What about a soup for a cold winter's day? Yeah right you say. Hot water with a bit of colour that tastes if you have left a sock in a pan to boil. I think something fishy is going on here. I'm guessing that you don't like soups. That has inspired me. How about giving a fish soup a try. Lumps of cod with Chinese mushrooms, sugar snap peas and a healthy dash of chilli. Warms you up lovely and makes you feel that you have eaten something.

Hot sweet and sticky with Nigella Dawson

Oh boys you are so naughty with your suggestions, but I do agree a sweet tart is enjoyable and I am happy to oblige with this treacle tart.

Bite into the crushed cornflakes and taste that sweet syrup. I know you like me hot but this tart is great hot or cold and perhaps with a dollop of cream on top.

I made these little ones for my friends to eat before going out clubbing. Size doesn't matter when something tastes this good. Enjoy

Cooking Blind by Geoffrey Ramsay

Auch I'm always getting F***ing questions about cooking. Its my job but why keep bothering me with your bloody questions.

Somebody asked me the other day about cooking blind. How the hell should I know. Look it up in a book I said. OK maybe I was a wee harsh but has anything in cooking got a more stupid name?

Well cooking blind is not about wearing a blindfold but after seeing some of the offerings dished up in this site being blindfold would help. Also the lack of taste buds would be great.

Cooking blind is about putting dried beans or dry rice on top of your dough. This stops the dough rising and gives a harder crispier base. Now stop bugging me. I need another dram of scotch.

Paella

What would you say a Paella is? In my view its like a Spanish version of a pizza. With a rice base you can put anything in it from chicken to prawns. On special occasions duck or rabbit would be used. Paella is great for sharing as this record paella shows. This paella fed 110,000 people.

On a smaller scale how about this the paella cooked up by my daughter. Smaller in scale but big in taste.