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There is no secret - keep it simple! Living with a family in Italy (not tourist filled, unauthentic Roma, Venezia & Milano, but a tiny town where no one spoke english and everyone bought their ingredients fresh every day) i learned that outside of Europe there are some serious misconceptions on...

Haha, i'm sure a sifter does do a more thorough job than a fork. The purpose of aerating the flour with a fok before measuring it out is just to make the measure more accurate for a lighter cake - i.e. 1 cup of aerated ("fluffed up") flour, is obviously a little less and a little lighter than...

3 cups also sound like an awful lot of flour - have you tried it with maybe 2.5? It should be lighter that way. If you want it to be light and spongey, make sure you beat the butter and sugar well - most people don't beat for long enough. You need to beat it until pale, since this is the part...

Also, just to be picky, fluff up the flour with a fork before you measure it out. Basically then, you're getting 2 cups of aerated flour rather than 2 solid cups of compacted flour - a little less flour just means a little less heavy. I have never cooked with shortening, but i always use...

Wow, that recipe looks great, thanks for that mish:smile:

This is correct - i think that's why it's good to have the grill really hot - less time under the heat. I always toss avocatoes through lemon or lime juice before putting them in a salad to slow the oxidisation process - i haven't tried it when exposing the avocado to heat but it could work.

It was delicious! Last night i believe i replicated the white sauce, which was the dish's cornerstone, i think. I made a traditional bechamel sauce 1 tbsp butter, 1 tbsp flour and 1 cup of milk - then when it had thickened i added about 1/4 - 1/3 cup of white wine (i used chardonnay because...

Can you use icing to "glue" it together, and patch it up with frosting? If i ever have a problem with the centre of my cake, i remove it and fill it with something imaginative to make it appear creative - as though i had done it on purpose. For example with a chocolate cake, i will cut out...

Just use 2 paper cases - one inside the other. The thickness keeps them the right shape, and you can just slip off and dispose of the outside case when they are cooked.

yum callie - you've gotta love fried fresh fish and homemade fries. :smile: I made a lasagne with some steaks that i minced in the food processor - the family said no more wine in the sauce....:rolleyes: . Then we had leftover cheesecake for dessert.

Yes, we always eat dessert - Let light custard and yoghurt become your friends. We eat them with hot berries, rhubarb, peaches, crushed nuts or honey. We also sometimes have a small slice of cake after dinner with a drink. Its ok to eat dessert, just make sure dinner has left room for it. Have...

Nice. I just forwarded it to everyone i know!

Im a Tchaikovsky fan also. Im not too well versed in the ways of classical music yet, so i can't rattle off any symphony numbers.:rolleyes:

Chocolate mousse Big breakky, lunch or dinner?

I've never heard of this being done, but what a brilliant idea! Thanks, i'm going to give this a shot. (Ill let you know how it goes).

My favourite Italian Restaurant used to make the most beautiful avocado veal dish with a peppery white sauce, avocado slices and melted cheese. But now its gone!!!! If anyone has anything along these lines to share, i would be very appreciative. Thanks :smile:

I love Tessa Kiros' Apples for Jam - it is full of old-fashioned home-style family recipes, with her own imaginative and innovative touches. Stephanie Alexander's The Cooks Companion is an excellent reference for all types of produce - its basically a dictionary of food, with the best seasons...

I made beef stroganoff (a new recipe from a magazine - the nicest one ive ever tried!) and cheesecake for dessert.

Thanks, that actually helps a lot, because i was thinking of salads just as accompaniments - but having meat in them and making a proper meal out of it is actually a really good thought. Thanks!

Wow, there are some good ideas here. I'll be trying out a few of these salads! My favourite salad is thoroughly summery. In my house we crack it out only when fresh mangos appear on the shelves, and for poolside barbies. It's pretty much illegal to have it in the cool weather. :rolleyes...

It would be nice not to be stressing on the day of funtions and entertaining...especially since i generally cater my own birthdays (probably will move away from that in the future...) nevertheless, does anyone know any good party food, sweet or savoury that can be made a couple of days ahead, or...

Its all about the method! There are a lot of scone recipes out there, many of which yield a similar result in the end - to me, its all about the way you cook them. I always use butter, never shortening or margerine - it gives them a beautiful taste and light texture, but most of all a thoroughly...

Ishbel - that sounds good, thank you! the party will be in early spring, so suggestions for lighter spring-like meals would also be much appreciated.:smile: Little Miss J - I was thinking a collection of both, to cater to everyone's tastes? cjs - Yes, i live at home...you're right...

I'm throwing a surprise party for my mum, and need ideas for dishes that can be made ahead/inconspicuously. The style is going to be sweet & savory finger food to start, then a buffet of mains, then dessert - fruit, cheese, cake & coffee. I'm probably more interested in variety than dishes...

Pardon my ignorance, but i have never heard of strawberry margarita jam, or apple butter....somehow, now, im feeling very deprived! Can anyone enlighten me? (A recipe would be even better!):smile: