The "things I did for the first time while in isolation" thread

[DavidB-AU]

This doesn't quite fit into the other threads so here's a place to show off something you've done for the first time (successfully or otherwise) while in isolation.

 

I'll kick things off with home made ricotta. This was my second attempt. The first attempt a few days ago used lemon juice to curdle the milk and it came out a bit runny, so much of it drained through the cheesecloth. This batch used citric acid and was much more successful.

 

 

The recipe is:

 

2 litres fresh full cream/whole milk. (You can use semi skim or skim, but will get a lower yield. You can't use UHT/ultra pasteurised milk as it won't separate.)

1 cup/250 ml thickened/heavy/double cream

1 1/2 tsp fine sea salt

1tsp citric acid (you can use lemon juice or vinegar but it's harder to control the mix)

 

Mix the milk, cream and salt in a large pot and bring to a gentle rolling boil, stirring constantly so it doesn't stick or burn. Take off the heat then add 1 tsp citric acid. Stir and let stand for 10-15 min. Strain through cheesecloth for 20-60 minutes depending how firm you want it to be. Do not squeeze the cheesecloth. Transfer to an airtight container, mix gently with a knife to break up the curds (you can add more salt to taste or other things such as herbs at this point). Best consumed within a few days.

 

Cheers

David

Edited April 13, 2020 by DavidB-AU

[Quarryscapes]

I made Beer Bread ... Got aan edible loaf on the 4th attempt! Attempt 1 used Coors Light and was just awful, 2nd again used Coors light but with a selection of herbs added, much better but still flawed. Attempt 3 changed to Banks' Bitter and added a can of Tomatoes. A whole can proved too much, and whilst it smelled and tasted amazing, it had the consistency of playdough... Loaf no. 4 however used Sun dried tomatoes, herbs and Banks' again and came out just lovely!

 

 

 

[StevieD71]

I don't have any photos, but I made roasties from scratch for the first time yesterday, and very nice they were too.

I always thought they were a bit of a black art and used Auntie Bessies frozen ones, but, using a googled recipe from the BBC good food site it was actually quite simple. I'll definitely make them again.

[Nick C]

1 hour ago, StevieD71 said:

I don't have any photos, but I made roasties from scratch for the first time yesterday, and very nice they were too.

I always thought they were a bit of a black art and used Auntie Bessies frozen ones, but, using a googled recipe from the BBC good food site it was actually quite simple. I'll definitely make them again.

Home made roasties are wonderful! There's a knack to getting them just right though. My take, based on a mixture of tips I've been given and tried:

 

Peel and chop the spuds. Par-boil for 5 minutes. Meanwhile, heat up the oil (or better, goose fat). Drain the spuds, put the lid back on the pan, and give it a good shake - this fluffs up the outer surface and mAkes them go crispy later. Carefully put them into the roasting dish and spoon over the hot oil. Sprinkle over fresh rosemary. In the oven for 15 minutes. Turn, and add the rest of the veg, then cook for another 30 minutes. Serve...

 

Like you, I thought that a good roast was a black art, but it really isn't, it's actually really simple, just needs a bit of time to prepare...

[johnlambert]

2 hours ago, StevieD71 said:

I don't have any photos, but I made roasties from scratch for the first time yesterday, and very nice they were too.

I always thought they were a bit of a black art and used Auntie Bessies frozen ones, but, using a googled recipe from the BBC good food site it was actually quite simple. I'll definitely make them again.

 

I did roast potatoes, not for the first time but I got them better than I'd ever done before.  My previous failure was trying to cook them too quickly.  This time they cooked slowly at a lower temperature, with a bit of a break and finishing them off in a dry tin so they didn't get too oily.

 

 

[DavidB-AU]

3 hours ago, Quarryscapes said:

I made Beer Bread ... Got aan edible loaf on the 4th attempt! Attempt 1 used Coors Light and was just awful, 2nd again used Coors light but with a selection of herbs added, much better but still flawed. Attempt 3 changed to Banks' Bitter and added a can of Tomatoes. A whole can proved too much, and whilst it smelled and tasted amazing, it had the consistency of playdough... Loaf no. 4 however used Sun dried tomatoes, herbs and Banks' again and came out just lovely!

 

Having made bread a lot over the years, I'd suggest trying a dark ale.

 

Cheers

David

[jcm@gwr]

4 hours ago, Quarryscapes said:

I made Beer Bread ... Got aan edible loaf on the 4th attempt! Attempt 1 used Coors Light and was just awful, 2nd again used Coors light but with a selection of herbs added, much better but still flawed. Attempt 3 changed to Banks' Bitter and added a can of Tomatoes. A whole can proved too much, and whilst it smelled and tasted amazing, it had the consistency of playdough... Loaf no. 4 however used Sun dried tomatoes, herbs and Banks' again and came out just lovely!

 

 

 

 

Well, glad you got it right in the end, but it's obvious what went wrong with your

first 2 attempts at beer bread, you didn't use beer! You used Coors Light!

[DavidB-AU]

1 hour ago, jcm@gwr said:

 

Well, glad you got it right in the end, but it's obvious what went wrong with your

first 2 attempts at beer bread, you didn't use beer! You used Coors Light!

 

Reminds me of the old joke. The CEOs of Budweiser, Coors and Guinness meet by chance in an airport lounge. The CEO of Budweiser orders a Bud Light. The CEO of Coors orders a Coors Light. The CEO of Guinness orders a mineral water. The others look at him strangely and he says "Well if you're not drinking beer then neither will I."

[Zomboid]

It's not such an achievement, but I have actually spent some time in my garden over the sunny Easter weekend, for pretty much the first time since we bought the house, 4 years ago. (It's small, north facing, and the house has 3 storeys, so it never gets any sun). Normally we'd probably have gone out, but just relaxing in the garden turned out to be really nice. I might get into gardening yet...

 

I really enjoy making bread, and would probably have made quite a bit if it was possible to buy flour. As it is I don't want to use up my last bag of bread flour until I know I can get some more...

[didcot]

The trick for good roast potatoes is to use a metal baking tin. It allows the heat through better than a ceramic one. I got one from Tesco with a ribbed bottom and it helps prevent sticking. If you get a stuck potato, just leave it it will unstick as cooking progresses. I use the left over beef fat from a joint for our roasties and they are out of this world.