Thread 1 - Lifeboat Muster Point for TalkExiles

[Kucinghitam]

Gather here all ye refugees from the foundering ship of JTT, if ye be in need of "How the heck do I format my post?" "Why can't I edit my typos?" "What do those acronyms mean?" and most importantly, "Where is everybody that I used to know?"

Or just to chat randomly.

I knew you were the people to ask!

Ripasso/Appassimento are lovely easy drinking reds that are cheaper than Barolo and tend to have impressive looking labels! Eg:

www.tesco.com/groceries/en-GB/products/304376412

You can have as many fat free chips as you like, if you have an air fryer. No oil at all.

We are on our own for Christmas Day this year, so are planning to go to a local restaurant that's open at Christmas. Part of me goes "yes!" at not having to cook, but some is slightly disappointed by no leftovers. However my son and his wife and children are driving up from New Jersey the day after Christmas so I'll probably end up cooking for all of them the day after that.

Oh and another thumbs-up from me for air fryers. Lovely chips with almost no oil.

Stop tempting me to buy an air-fryer!

I’ve just got my oven fixed after two months without (and no air fryer). I have some potatoes for chip-making later, with lots of oil. Might also bake a cake and some bread, go a bit bake crazy.

Our microwave has an air fryer setting, but it's not able to replicate the convenience of being able to pick up a veggie sausage supper with curry sauce.

On wines, for white I'd go for something like www.majestic.co.uk/wines/pietrariccia-fiano-13266?msclkid=04e69477d0681d9bbe05f7fe239eeed1&utm_source=bing&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=JF%7CBing%7CShopping%7CStandard%7CWine&utm_term=4578778783452880&utm_content=Shopping%20-%20Standard%20-%20Wine or www.majestic.co.uk/wines/royal-tokaji-dry-tokaji-21002 (be careful not to get the much more common tokaji pudding wine).

There’s a very excellent Sauvignon on offer in Waitrose atm www.waitrose.com/ecom/products/villa-maria-private-bin-sauvignon-blanc/069789-35379-35380

I find brunello di montalcino is far superior to barolo in Italian wines (but it's obviously subjective). A decent Burgundy Pinot Noir is sublime too.

But I'm on the wagon...

Chips without oil? What madness is this? Lovely cats, though.

Air fryers should be banned under the trade description act. They're just mini ovens with a fan and a chip pan grill thingy. Grrr.

Very useful though - fast and with minimal oil. Mine is about the size of a microwave and sits on the counter in my kitchen. I can also use it to cook smaller things quicker rather than put the oven on, and we also use it to make toast.

Shit, how have I missed this thread?

www.mumsnet.com/talk/christmas/4670562-have-we-had-a-2022-christmas-tat-for-sale-yet

I'm going to need a longer lunch break!

Lidl do a very passable Primitivo, for about £8.

Last time I walked past it, my local chip shop was distinctly closed and ripped apart. I didn’t go to see whether it’s gone forever or a complete refit. Can’t remember the last time I bought chips but I liked knowing the option was there. Plus it was where Ian and Cindy Beale (who’s real names I can’t remember) learned to cook fish and chips.

Are fryers are great - as a mini oven. our energy usage is down over a third since the same time last year - a big part of that is using the oven a LOT less and use the air fryer instead.

I’m a total air fryer convert. I don’t care if the name is wrong, I can get my
mum’s dinner in a fraction of the time, use less electricity and cook with less oil. It’s an all round winner.

I pretty much stopped using my oven altogether about seven years ago after buying a Remoska from Lakeland.

www.lakeland.co.uk/31945/standard-remoska-electric-cooker-with-glass-lid-2l

My brother is a Remoska devotee and uses his almost exclusively. He tells me they use about the same energy as a light bulb. He's an actor and can be away on tour for weeks at a time and he always take his Remoska if he can. He sends me emails from his digs describing the breads, stews and other delights he's come up with.

My mother-in-law is OBSESSED with Remoskas. Last time we visited she had 3 of them, and never uses her oven. She doesn't cook anything remotely complicated in them though - and is a big fan of chicken cooked until it's stringy. This has rather coloured my feelings about remoskas.

I liked my Remoska but it was one of the early ones that tripped out the electricity if there was too much steam. Must try it again some time.

Speaking of steam, I enjoyed the scientific journal pages linked to in this thread.

twitter.com/PolarPrem/status/1594369751261790211

My mother-in-law is OBSESSED with Remoskas

My brother is too. He even has a special reverential tone he uses when he says the name. 'Of course, I cooked it in the [brief pause] Remoska'

(((Capybaras)))

Check this out: Animals of Capybaras - twitter.com/oncapybaras