River Cottage take 2

[burnie]

Well it's growing on me I enjoyed(?) that more than last weeks,not sure why but it's growing on me.

[Mrs Dobby]

Thought it was excellent, but then again I am biased! Hugh's food ethics and views on taking responsibility for how your food is produced, showing the reality behind how meat is produced are something I agree with 100%!

As a youngster I used to work weekends on my Grans farm, mucking out the cows and generally helping out, one day I remember that stuck in my mind was when the vet came to castrate the 2 bullocks they had for beef, and as I was good at biology (as my overly proud Nan was quick to point out to the vet) it was I that had to wield the tool (like a cross between a great big pair of pliers and a nut cracker, it clamped the blood vessels without cutting the skin) that would cut the blood supply to their testes!

It brought tears to my step gandfathers eyes, but was something that had to be done, so it got done! Made a huge impression and really brought home just where the meat came from for me at age 13!

[Alice]

I'm with you Mrs D. I'm not vegetarian but do think we have to have meat in a responsible way. Animals have to be reared and killed in a right and proper way, and if that means it has to be more expensive, then so be it. The cheap meat policy has led to abominable practises in animal husbundary. People should be forced to confront how it is produced. See if they would buy anything in McD or KFC then. I'll get off my soap box now . All I'm saying is - eat less, reared in better conditions and pay more.

[kirsty b]

Blimey, there's a memory for you Mrs D!

Remembered to tune in tonight and really enjoyed it. I like the way he is so enthusiastic and encouraging about his way of life without ramming it down people's throats. All of tonights participants seemed quite into it once they had got over their initial misgivings and squeamishness.

Kirsty

[Earthbabe]

Forgot again.

[Bex]

I forgot aswell, too busy watching james martin plant beetroot. Funny!!!

[Earthbabe]

I didn't get anything that good. Had a frustrating shift at work. Came home to all asleep and never mind the buzzcocks and a voddy.

[denise]

I popped into River Cottage last night, first time in ages. very interesting, like you say Kirsty he is so enthusiastic.
Don't think I could have done any of that meat stuff, I am vegetarian, but it was good they how they all worked around and overcome their first feelings about it all.
Had to watch the abattoir bit, was very please to see how things have changed in these places, well this one - I presume all have to reach the same standards.

Sorry to be heavy - I will be watching next week if i remember

[JennieAtkinson]

Video player still not recording properly! WAAAH! Anyone know if it is repeated anywhere?

[lyndap]

I tuned in again to.Found watching the slaughterhouse hard but not as bad as I thought.As Denise said conditions seem to have improved.Converted 1 person to become veggie again although I dont think this is what Hugh had in mind with the series!(have spoken to a few meat eaters who have seen programe who are seriously considering going veggie now!)I dont ram my veggie ethics on anyone,and I like the way Hugh explanse his views.

[Alison]

Enjoyed the programme last night although me and OH got to talking about the fact that although Hugh got his point across well and showed them that they could cook a storm (although presumably the cookery teacher could before and was just a lazy mare!) it wouldn't necessarily help them for the quick meal after work. I know we obviously only saw the edited highlights but we thought that more could have been made of the fact that by cooking that huge (and quite frankly gorgeous looking) lasagna they were in fact creating their own version of ready meals for the next few weeks. Spend the occaisional day doing a big cook in, producing a variety of meals for the freezer and you're most of the way there. Have always thought that it's not just the fact that people don't know how to cook but also the ease (and laziness) of just being able to heat something up which drives them to buy such rubbish and if that's your routine it must be hard to break. Would be interesting to take a look at all these people this time next year to see how they've managed. We almost always make fresh food but must admit to not doing my own pasta, didn't look too difficult though so could be tempted to give it a go. Anybody tried?

[shirley]

Made my own pasta once for a dinner party. I used it to make ravioli stuffed with butternut squash and a sage butter. No not difficult but time consuming and where to hang the pasta once it's out of the machine. I don't have a huge kitchen. I would make it again and experiment with it.

[Nicos]

Yep- made my first batch 2 days ago and was so pleased with the results that have invited the in-laws over to try it out on them!!

150 g Tippo 00 flour and 3 egg yolks per person ( and a little white as it was a bit dry) - was a huge helping and was fine for 2 of us.
Left in fridge in clingfilm for 1hr and put through the rolling machine. Cooked in 2 mins and was v tasty.(oil and salt in water).

There are other recipies using whole eggs, but not tried them yet.
Go on ...give it a go!!

[JennieAtkinson]

My sons bought me a pasta (rolling) machine a few years back and we have homemade pasta quite regularly. It is really delicious and you really don't need much of a sauce with it. Quite different from the dried stuff. I agree Shirley, hanging it is the most difficult bit! My OH is a wood turner and I keep pleading with him to design a pasta hanging unit!

[Waffler]

I've made pasta - actually OH and I did it together - it's lovely to do something like that together. We found you kind of need 2 people when you're rolling it through the maching: one to wind and guide, and the other to catch it!
I've actually got a pasta drying contraption, so they are out there: it's basically like a mug tree, but with 4 long horizontal pieces of wood protruding from the top of the main stem, then each of these has 3 or 4 pieces of dowelling coming off it at right anges, so you have at least 12 places to hang your tagliatelle type pasta.

The taste is fantastic, and you barely have to show it the water for it to cook. Sublime!
However, I wasn't sure I necessarily agreed with Hugh last night when he seemed to be suggesting it as something you do every time you want pasta: it's a bit of a fiddle, and as OH said, you almost wouldn't want to 'waste' it on something like a lasagne as it would get lost. I'm undecided on that.

I couldn't BELIEVE it when that woman said she was a trained Home Ec teacher! What was the matter with her? All that money wasted on microwave meals! At least she was transformed quickly though, and realised the error of her ways! I guess it was a case of a habit she got in to, then forgot how good 'real' food tastes and how much enjoyment you can get from making it, eating it and sharing it.