'Good' food

penski · 17 Aug 2006 at 16:56

Why is there something eminently satisfying about buying and cooking with really nice ingredients?

I'm cooking for eight tonight and managed to get my local butcher of choice to obtain something very, VERY nice for me:

That's half of what he could get, the rest is for him.

So why pay more for nice meat, rare cheeses, fresh veg and so on?

Do you notice a difference?

Is it all pointless? Should we just stick to frozen peas and fish fingers?

Tonights meal is costing me about £30 in ingredients (including cheeses for afterwards

) which doesn't seem too bad to me for eight people. Luckily I'm not paying for wine.

*n

PaulStat · 17 Aug 2006 at 16:58

Can I come?

Andr3w · 17 Aug 2006 at 16:58

Sorry but...what is it ? :eek:

playworker · 17 Aug 2006 at 16:58

Looks tasty but what exactly is it?

alx · 17 Aug 2006 at 16:59

I generally prefer cooking from fresh, microwave food just tastes like pap most of the time. Unlike some poeple I know, I really don't mind cooking and I do get satisfaction from cooking a nice meal that took effort rather than just shoving something in the oven.
Quality meats are much tastier :cool:

Ricochet J · 17 Aug 2006 at 16:59

Dinner & wine with you!! Who have you held ransom? :eek:

I find buying top quality products ensures that if anything goes wrong then it's the cook (me) that's got it wrong which mean I can perfect the next dish i'm going to cook.

Borris · 17 Aug 2006 at 16:59

playworker said:
Looks tasty but what exactly is it?

Looks like cured belly.

Pete_m · 17 Aug 2006 at 17:00

that little thing will never serve 8 will it? :confused:

and what is it btw?

Zefan · 17 Aug 2006 at 17:00

It's MEAT boys, who cares what it is :cool:

j00ni · 17 Aug 2006 at 17:00

It's always worth paying the extra for quality ingrediants, I love to go round the market stalls in town and to the local butchers/fishmongers to see what they have in - unless you are looking for something in particular I always like to ask what they would recommend, invariably leads to some quality stuff.

This thread's making me miss the local butchers back home who would always have the most amazing bacon cuts and game *drools*

Mujja · 17 Aug 2006 at 17:01

Looks like some sort of bacon.

Can you feed 8 people with just that much, doesn't look like a lot of meat, or is there more?

Would like to see a pic of the finished dish when it's done.

Borris · 17 Aug 2006 at 17:01

Borris said:
Looks like cured belly.

Indeed, you are correct, Sir.

It is, as the image name suggests, pancetta.

My guess is that a giant carbonara is in the offing.

Raymond Lin · 17 Aug 2006 at 17:01

Stab a lot of holes at the top, sprinkle with salt, wait a few hours. Oven at 220 degrees for about 90 mins.

Roast Pork baby !

I love cooking, and take photos of them

How about a salad for a starter?

or on the side of lasgne

Zefan · 17 Aug 2006 at 17:03

Raymond Lin said:
TASTEE

That looks LUSH.

Visage · 17 Aug 2006 at 17:03

Looks like pork loin.

Too late now, but its really nice if you rub it with chilli oil and garlic and cook it on about 120 degrees for 24 hours, whacking the overn up as high as it will go for the last hour to get top notch crackling.

penski · 17 Aug 2006 at 17:03

Bingo, Borris - it's pancetta - cured italian belly pork.

There's only about 400 grams there. I won't use it all today

It's going to be cubed and used in a slightly spicy tomato and herb sauce for the pasta dish (tomatoes, onion, shallots, garlic, basic, pancetta, two de-seeded red chillis).

*n

SeriousPigeon · 17 Aug 2006 at 17:04

If you are investing the time in a meal, I find it is always best to buy the finest ingredients you can afford.
It all adds that little bit extra to the meal, that makes your guests appreciate it that little bit more.

Of course if they have the taste buds of a daffodil then fish fingers and frozen peas it is.

RandomTom · 17 Aug 2006 at 17:05

*drools*

that sounds like a right nice meal

St0rmer66 · 17 Aug 2006 at 17:06

Yes, there is. Luckily my mum cooks decent meals because I can't cook to save my life!

penski · 17 Aug 2006 at 17:12

Perplexed said:
If you are investing the time in a meal, I find it is always best to buy the finest ingredients you can afford.
It all adds that little bit extra to the meal, that makes your guests appreciate it that little bit more.

Of course if they have the taste buds of a daffodil then fish fingers and frozen peas it is.

Hehe - I have a few friends who appreciate food like I do. We take turns cooking for everyone.

Tonight's menu:

1st course: Bruscetta and some toasted ciabatta slices, each with a whole mushroom, bit of crushed garlic, slight sprinkle of shallots and cracked pepper, topped with a slice of Jarlsberg and melted under the grill. (one bruscetta and one mushroom thingy each).

2nd course: pan-fried scallops with lime and a small potato rosti thingy

3rd course: homemade tagliatelle with the pancetta/tomato/chilli sauce

4th course: a small bit of monkfish on a bed of Patatas Bravas

5th course: baked lime cheesecake (like a Key Lime Pie...almost...)

Cheeses: (inspired by that 'illegal cheese' article a few weeks back) some nice, ripe Brie, blue and white stilton, Jarlsberg, strong cheddar and Port Salut for the unambitious, served with ubergrainy rolls.

Plus copious amounts of wine.

*n