Prog Chefs Unite!!!

Extra-virgin Olive Oil is a little too overpowering for roast potatoes (and burns too easily IMO giving it a nasty bitter taste instead of the normally nice bitter taste of E-virgin), though other forms of vegitable oil are okay, I guess, at a push, just.

I am sorry to rain on your parade, but the idea of cooking things in animal fat really makes me shudder... Yes, I've read about that in cookbooks, but I've always had an aversion to animal fat and fatty meat (I always take the fat off my prosciutto, for instance, and the skin off chicken) - however tasty they may be.

I remember last summer in the US, when I bought refrigerated pie crust in order to make peach pie for the man of my dreams , I found out it contained lard - and when baking it smelled like sausages as well! The taste was nothing to write home about either... I only use butter for baking, and extra-virgin olive oil for cooking (sometimes for baking too), though lard is used in traditional baking in most regions of Italy.

Edited by Ghost Rider - December 13 2007 at 07:43

I know, but it's nasty pre-rendered stuff by comparison; no - I'll cook the duck on Christmas eve & use nice fresh fat for the roasties.

Mmmmm - potatoes/parsnips roasted in goose fat

Vicky and I are having duck this year; the fat's not quite as tasty as goose, but still makes excellent roasties!

All the above is fine talk coming from someone who was vegetarian for over 10 years

^ Goose is often served with Red Current Jelly, so Cranberry would be fine I would imagine. I've always considered bread sauce to be an abomination, but each to their own

prog-chick wrote: we have decided to have a great classic 'bangers'n'mash' night with a good ol' jam rolypoly and custard to follow

Good plan

If we bring the crisps, can we come?

Jim Garten wrote: Nibbles - crisps Starter - Beer Main - Beer Dessert - Beer (and crisps) Simple +++sigh+++ Don't know what all the fuss is about

^ I think you've over done the crisps there Jim

As you're English, I am quite sure you're familiar with trifle, Rachel... Some time ago I gave the recipe for my own variation on trifle, which involves using a cream cheese mixture instead of the custard. In recent times I have made it without using any eggs, just cream cheese, sugar, and some creamy, vanilla-flavoured yogurt. I generally use ladyfingers for the base, and dessert wine mixed with some fruit liqueur for soaking the biscuits. You can use any fruit - I love raspberries and strawberries when they are in season, else I use frozen berries - and I think oranges would taste quite wonderful, especially if you flavoured the topping with orange peel.