AI Recipes

Somewhere, I have a little paperback book called "Marvellous Meals with Mince", by Josceline Dimbleby. It dates from 1982. I can't find it. I'm doing the kitchen and I could lay my hands on it 12 months ago, but not now, I guess it's in a box somewhere.

My partner doesn't eat meat, so it's a long time since I have made "Farmhouse Pie", but she is away for a while. It's a cottage pie-style base, but instead of a mash topping it has a thick onion sauce. It is delicious.

I can't remember the details for the recipe, so I thought I'd search for it online. Well, it does exist on a couple of sites, but behind a paywall, and I don't want to start a sub just for one recipe. So I asked Copilot if he could find it. No he couldn't, but he could find the ingredients and recreate the recipe in the style of Dimbleby, based on her other writings. He could also give me a modernised version with a bit more oomph.

To say I am delighted is an understatement. It may not be a copy of the original text, but the recipe sure looks authentic.

So that's dinner sorted. Yum!
S

That's cheating!

Was there a fashion for mince around that time? I have a copy of The mighty mince cookbook by Jane Todd. That was published in 1980.

Amazon have it listed £2.19 or 90p used

Wow, bargain. Fill yer boots.
S

Mince. OMG.

You are so posh, Adrian.
I didn't make it yesterday, but it's now sitting ready to go in the oven. It doesn't look great, tbh, because I had only red onoins, so I it looks a bit like it's been eaten once already... But I expect it to taste great.
S

Not posh. My parents bought their council house. OK, I progressed a bit, but I have seen commercial mince made and how they strip the carcass down. I trust my butcher but not the supermarket stuff minced in factories. Hand chop from chosen cuts is better. We do have a commercial mincer (Tres Spade - Italian) but only use it for sausages really.

That's fair enough Adrian. You know I have only respect for you.
Here, yes you can buy the frozen stuff and I am under no illusions as to the quality. I know about Mechanically Separated Meat.
Here, I can buy mince in the supermarket at the butchery counter. It's rarely out on the counter, but I can ask for it and see it going into the machine at the top and coming out at the bottom.
Short of being mates with an organic butcher, I think that is the most reliable option.
S

Isn't it strange how one's tastes change?
I had it for dinner this evening. OK it's 38C outside and this is a winter warmer, perhaps not the best choice, but for me it was a bit bland. I shall make it again but with much more paprika and probably some HdeP.

S

High density ethyl poly something?

Sorry, Herbs de Provence.
S

I actually quite like a cottage pie. Mainly in winter. It's one of the few things I put a beef stock cube in along with some yeast extract (Marmite) some tomato paste and plenty of ground pepper. I make a few at a time and freeze them for emergency dinner (ie when I am too lazy to cook). Sometimes I put a layer of frozen peas beneath the mash, so it becomes a true all in one meal. I like it with horseradish (home made in my case).