The single dishes that made you a foodie.

[Joanbunting Profile]

If you have ever had to milk a goat you would know exactly what I mean. They also ate the baby's nappies from the washing line. I have a huge love/hate relationship with goats. My son is a Capricorn!!

[Stokey Sue Profile]

The phrase “kick the bucket” does conjure up an entertaining picture of the nanny being so darn uncooperative she expired mid-milking though

Some day I must go to the National Trust property at Wigmore Hall again, they have a collection of different breeds of goat in the old home farm. Personally I like the lop eared ones

[karadekoolaid Profile]

I suppose there was a second event that marked my love of Indian food.
It must have been 1974, 75; I was a student at Goldsmith´s college, London.
I was walking back to Hall with a friend of mine, when we passed by the Indian Grocery.
The smell coming from the back of the shop was absolutely incredible, so we walked in and asked the owner:
" What curry powder do you use? That smells delicious!"
With a wry smile, the lady said: " We don´t use curry powder; only spices. Come and see."
She walked us into the kitchen, where she was cooking up some delicious stew.
We went home with a tin of cumin, coriander powder, turmeric and garam masala.
THAT was the day I started mixing my own spices. Even though I do, occasionally, use curry powder ( my own concoction) , my Indian food is a mix of selected spices ( depending on what I´m cooking) rather than some bland powder.

[strictlysalsaclare Profile]

I do my own curry spice blend too. This is because I have them so infrequently that there is no point in buying curry powder. I have to be in the right mood for a curry and Mr Strictly doesn't like them. I buy whole cumin and coriander seeds and also use either chilli sauce/jelly/flakes and ready ground turmeric. I use the latter in other things.

[Stokey Sue Profile]

I make S Asian style food with individual spices, but I do have a tin of Madras curry powder, it’s a spice blend that has been hanging round European kitchens so long it has become an ingredient in its own right

[Joanbunting Profile]

Tonight we are having a ratatouille cooked in the manner taught me by the Provencal wife and joint owner of thegite/campsite where we first stayed in Provence in 1980. She also Taught me how to make soupe au pistou. It was that year I bought a pestle and mortar

[Pepper Pig Profile]

Circa 1969 a family friend who was fairly ancient and was a French teacher at a local school took me to Paris for 4 days. She was a spinster and had no idea about how to handle teenagers. Most of the trip was a disaster but I do remember the food very vividly and that’s when I became a foodie. Mum was a good cook and the aunt I was always packed off to for the Summer Holidays was excellent but I shall never forget the Coquilles de Crab that I had when I went to Paris with Gladys!

I do look back and wonder why my parents always sent me off on holiday with other people!!!

[Sakkarin Profile]

Ha! That reminds me of something that may have contributed to my foodyishness. In my last year at primary school (65/66), we had French lessons, which at the time was unusual as far as I know, I believe languages were normally begun in the first year of secondary school.

I very vividly remember my French teacher, who was actually French, bringing in croissants for us all one day, which none of us had ever seen or tried before. Deep joy.

It also meant that when I started secondary school, I was already a year ahead of everyone in French...

[Joanbunting Profile]

Love it Sakkers!! I wish it had worked for me. I failed O lvel French miserably having never ever spoken it before my oral exam.

It took 2 years living here to even get me started. Deep shame

[Renee Profile]

My mother taught me some French whilst I was still attending primary school. I remember the book that she bought me. I always did well in French, having this head start and really enjoyed the subject. Sadly I have forgotten most of it now.

[Gillthepainter Profile Website]

We all forget it, Renee. I didn't realize my french accent would go also.
I took a shirt back for Tony in Paris, and the jolly assistant was crying (in a good way) at my very English accent. In the not so distant past, you couldn't tell where I was from.

Pepper - he he he. They were trying to give you the best all round upbringing is my guess.

My landlady in Malaga taught me how to make a paella.
I first learnt about residual heat from her, and turning off the flame to allow the dish to continue cooking.

[Badger's Mate Profile]

I started French lessons in the first year at the Grammar school, but a lot of the others had already done some French at their Primary schools. The other side of the coin then, I felt pretty stupid by comparison, a feeling encouraged in Grammar schools. Luckily, by the second year, we were learning stuff that was new to everyone and I realised I wasn't so bad after all. Unfortunately it had already convinced me not to learn any other foreign languages, so I missed out for a few years.

[Pampy Profile]

I started to learn French aged 3 in infant school - basic, mainly words and very rudimentary grammar. We had a very progressive headteacher who thought everyone should speak at least 2 languages. The infant and junior schools were amalgamated so we continued to learn it all the way through junior school and then in earnest at Grammar school. I learnt Italian and Dutch through living in both countries and even though I had far less time in the countries, I actually speak the languages better than I speak French - I read French much better though.

[Stokey Sue Profile]

We started French at 11 in high school
We were very well taught and most of us learned quite well, apart from poor J, the only person I’ve ever known as bad at languages as my mother, just can’t do it, it’s a block

I had already been to France a few times, easy living in a channel port, as had a few others, so we had a head start and were encouraged to chatter away in French

[Joanbunting Profile]

One of the dishes I remember vividly and really made me interested in regional French food was Quenelles de brochet in a Nantua sauce in one of the lyon bouchons when M was teaching in that city.

I know some people aren't keen but I adored them and have done ever since, I thought if I could get hold of some pike and find a recipe I might try to make them for myself. I did find a recipe but, having read it i never did look for a pike.

It made me realise that no matter how keen a cook you may be, there are some things best left to good local chefs who have been doing it for years