Archive for September, 2006
Which is the greater cheese?
Col says
Another food question has been raised by an esteemed collegue that may even require a seperate post - why does grated cheddar cheese taste better than sliced cheddar cheese ?
16 lacklustre pieces of inspiration on “Which is the greater cheese?”
Provide common sense...
First pasta post
A food lover wonders
Why are there so many different kinds of pasta, and why do I prefer the twists and have a complete aversion to the bows? Which is the most popular shape?
9 lacklustre pieces of inspiration on “First pasta post”
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Consultant G Says:
September 27th, 2006 at 4:36 pmPasta can be though of as basically a carbohydrate based sauce delivery system. The shape and size of the pasta will affect the amount of sauce that can adhere to it. As a basic starting point, when making home made pasta, copper rollers work best to press the pasta because of the tiny bumps on the surface of copper that are not present on other metals.
Some suggest that the shape and size of the pasta should be matched to the sauce, with thin spaghetti being best for lighter, wine based sauces, while larger pasta goes with heavier sauces. Larger surface areas work best with sauces.
As for your personal preference, it may be due to perceived differences in textures caused by cooking times, or simply different adherence of sauces. I’d suggest you stick to whatever you like eating best. And remember, macaroni pies are great. -
September 27th, 2006 at 4:55 pmand if I may. Bows do have a habit of not cooking through in the centre due to the thickness of the pasta which may explain why you do not like them so much.
Sorry I do not have statistics for pasta sold by type but would recon that spaghetti would win on a europe basis
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September 27th, 2006 at 5:12 pmI’d agree with consultant K about the bow pasta situation. I must say I find Penne to be one of the most satisfying, although I’m quite fancying spaghetti just now!
Anyway, I seem to have too much time on my hands and have discovered these potentially useful stats:
http://www.menu2menu.com/italfigs.html
Not sure if they’re just for Italy or not. But they concur with K’s suggestion that spaghetti is most popular… -
September 28th, 2006 at 11:32 amthanks for the pasta insights - i agree with the bow cooking problem - i have experienced that myself on occasion. Penne though (is that quills?) yuk! can’t be doing with that.
Another food question has been raised by an esteemed collegue that may even require a seperate post - why does grated cheddar cheese taste better than sliced cheddar cheese? answers to the usual address….
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September 28th, 2006 at 3:30 pmme again! why oh why is it impossible to purchase macaroni pies here in the emerald isle when they is easy to obtain in other parts of the globe, namely Aberdeen? Is this the sort of culinary conundrum that you are looking for?
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September 28th, 2006 at 4:21 pmAdam Smith would probably suggest that you can’t get macaroni pies in Ireland because there is no market for them. Of course, it is probably because no one has tried selling the. I would advise you set up a stall selling macaroni pies somewhere (probably somewhere frequented by birders). If you have a camper van you could even move from rare bird to rare bird, selling pies at each twitch. Ovenbirder pies - they would be great on Dursey Island.
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September 28th, 2006 at 5:14 pmwhat a coincidence - i just happen do have a camper van, as it happens! but, alas no pies to sell! Who is this Adam Smith of whom you speak? Does he work for Tescos or one of the other larger supermarket retailers?
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September 28th, 2006 at 5:40 pmI went to the Co-op and bought two boxes of Kelloggs Just Right for the price of one.
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September 29th, 2006 at 9:14 amDear Kellogs eater,
That is certainly common sense, but i do not see how it is relevant to past - please expand. Perhaps try Sainsburys. I prefer weetabix
Provide common sense...
Pedantry III
For the delight of wanna be Consultant F
Marketing is everything. Often, posh brochures and web sites
are used to advertise the highest quality products. The association between the
slickness and style of the advertisement and the quality of the product
underpins much of modern advertising. Thus, it would be expected that when
advertising a multi million pound residential complex in Edinburgh through a
flash web site, a basic spell check would be used: http://www.23ravelston.com/interiors.phpA cynic may suggest that having a gadget web site that is full of minor errors may
indicate that the product it advertises, while looking stylish, may itself be
riddled with minor defects. Not that I am suggesting that the development itself
is flawed (not least for obvious legal reasons). Rather I suggest that they
spend part of their budget on a dictionary
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3 lacklustre pieces of inspiration on “Pedantry III”
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September 27th, 2006 at 3:49 pmMay I thank you for drawing this to my attention. I must confess it took me quite a while to spot the deliberate mistake (perhaps we win an apartment as a prize?). Any idea how much they’re going to be selling for? Quite fancy a new house, sorry apartment!
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September 27th, 2006 at 4:57 pmmay we ask why you were looking at this site or were you just looking for typos
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September 28th, 2006 at 11:28 amthis post is waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay duller than the previous hippo post - yaaaaaaaawn!
Provide common sense...
Hippo identification
From a worried birdwatcher:
Following the rather public cock up of the Olive Tree Warbler identification on Shetland (http://www.nature-shetland.co.uk/naturelatest/birdarchive06julaug.htm 16th August), I am hoping someone may be able to dispense some common sense advice on why the Hippolais on Cape Clear at present (http://www.birdsireland.com/pages/rare_bird_news/2006/september_photos1.html) is an Eastern Olivaceous Warbler.
9 lacklustre pieces of inspiration on “Hippo identification”
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September 27th, 2006 at 11:24 amwell, its definitely not an icky - there’s no yellow on it anywhere -
icky should always show a yellow wash to de breast as far as I am aware,and the primary projection was too short for icky too, leg colour is also wrong - should be blueish grey for icky, and there’s no sign of a wing panel.
similarly wrong for melodious - not rounded head, primary projection
wrong, colour wrong etc. I think it says in de olde macmillan guide ‘if
you have a icterine with no colour on it then chances are you’ve mis-ID
it’So thats why its not an icky, but i’m not so confident why it is an
eastern not a western! I’m confident its not a sykes as it looks feck all like de lerwick bird I saw - it was pale sandy brown, looked much more like an acro and pumped its tail constantly, calling too. This bird
did dip its tail, which is sposed to be diagnostic, but it weren’t doing it much. Apparently western should be bigger, browner - dis bird was fairly grey. I’m not too hot on olly as this is me first anywhere, and I don’t do feechas much!i know you shouldn’t just go along with everybody else, but as far as it being an eastern not a western i’m going along with everybody else! Western would be a first irish, while this is the third eastern.
so now you know, sort of - do i win 5 pounds?
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September 27th, 2006 at 12:01 pmA vagrant species far outside its natural range has a limited chance of survival. Killing this particular bird will have no impact on the conservation of the species. For the definitive answer I suggest you collect this specimen and compare it to reference collections in the world’s finely stocked museums.
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September 27th, 2006 at 12:19 pmthat would be a tad illegal and i’d probly get lynched by twitchers too! besides it’s all wet’n'orrible out today.
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September 27th, 2006 at 1:11 pmCollecting it as Consultant C suggested would achieve nothing; points off from Consultant C for giving bad advice.
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September 27th, 2006 at 1:22 pmI beg to differ! It would allow this individual being identified within our current taxonomic framework, thus solving the problem.
Emotive and legal issues can be ever so tiresome. They frequently stand in the way of the obvious solution. Common Sense ™ must be used to decide whether the best solution is viable.
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September 27th, 2006 at 2:55 pmif identification was actually an issue, which it isn’t except to de concerned birdwatcher (note: not even a birder, so obviously crap!) it could be solved simply by sticking up a net and trapping it, then checking the biometrics (thats measurements to you) against the known criteria. You could even take a feather for DNA analysis. Or you could just send de photos to a certain K Mullarney, Co. Wexford who will be decreeing on it any day now.
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September 27th, 2006 at 3:43 pmI have to agree with contributor Col on this - there is no need to kill it. Only by getting these chances to id things in the field is progress made. Attitudes like your belong in the Victorian era, when they also thought it was a good idea to send small boys up chimneys, and cover table legs lest men get excited.
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September 27th, 2006 at 4:06 pmin fairness i do think that table legs should be covered. At your age, at our age etc etc
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September 27th, 2006 at 4:59 pmwell that has to be the dullest discussion for a long while! Birders (neh Twitchers) are tedious!
Provide common sense...
Lost and still Lost
A pet is missing and we have been asked
I keep some fish and am used to loosing the occasional small fish but all of a sudden one of the bigger fish (a gourami) has gone. I have checked the entire tank from top to bottom, there is no odour and also the nitrate levels are not rising. Could you suggest where it may be?
2 lacklustre pieces of inspiration on “Lost and still Lost”
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September 22nd, 2006 at 3:34 pmThe most obvious place is inside your other fish. This is difficult to check though. Otherwise, could it be buried under the substrate at the bottom of your tank ?
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September 22nd, 2006 at 4:34 pmmaybe it’s gone on holiday?
Provide common sense...
An Hot Topic (part II)
The debate about grammar and use of english rages on
Following the recent tirade from trainee consultant F about the use of “a” or “an” I decided to look at two sources to determine whether the use of an H was incorrect. I consulted a Doctor of English who informed me it was completely correct, if a little old fashioned. The second was the chambers dictionary which states “Some people use an before words beginning with a weakly sounded h, eg an hotel, an historic occasion. This use of an is no more nor less correct than a; however, it is sometimes regarded as old-fashioned.” http://www.chambersharrap.co.uk/chambers/features/chref/chref.py/main?query=an&title=21st
I think it is fair to say that this case is now closed and requires no comments or further discussion. It is also true that facts spoil arguments
11 lacklustre pieces of inspiration on “An Hot Topic (part II)”
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September 21st, 2006 at 4:29 pmCall me a pedant if you will, but I would say the word ‘hot’ starts with a strong ‘h’, therefore does not merit the prefix ‘an’ by your rules.
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September 21st, 2006 at 5:28 pmNot wishing to question Con Cs pronunciations but…. In what way is the “h” pronounced differently in hot and hotel. It is the 2nd part of the word that is different not the start.
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September 21st, 2006 at 5:42 pmNot wishing to question Con K’s pronunciation, but according to dictionary.com, “hot” is pronounced “hot” whereas “hotel” is pronounced “hoh-tel” - do you usually say “hot”"el” when talking about a “hotel”? I rather think not. Therefore I must agree with Consulant C.
I would also like to point out that my recent tirade was perfectly correct, as your sources verify. Also I am upset to see that you have not taken into account my suggestion of checking your spelling and grammar before posting - “arguements [sic]” is actually spelt “arguments” I think you’ll find.
Thank-you. -
September 21st, 2006 at 5:54 pmI know that I am just being pedantic for pedantic sake, but the definition describes the “h” and not the first syllable.
PS Am I just being stupid or is argument spelt correctly?
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September 21st, 2006 at 6:02 pmHmm, in the original version of the post “argument” was spelt incorrectly - somebody has obviously realised and corrected their mistake.
I think you have misunderstood the definition for the use of “an” - it should be used when the “h” is “weak”, not hard (as in “hot”). As I said before, it should to some extent be what sounds correct - you wouldn’t think “a elephant” was aurally pleasing, and neither is “an hot”. I rest my case. -
September 21st, 2006 at 7:04 pmDoes this mean that people from Lancashire would be permitted to say an hot while those from Edinburgh would not. Surely the sounding or not sounding of a letter is something that is dictated by accent. I do not disagree that “an hot” sounds wrong with my accent but how is the reader to know my accent. For the purposes of this discussion I therefore revert to my grandparental roots and say “an hot”
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September 22nd, 2006 at 9:22 am“You are wrong, you monkey boy!” said a close-by observer of this thread.
Have I got a picture yet?
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September 22nd, 2006 at 10:08 amI am happy to say that your image is now present but sad to say that I do not loose. I freely admit that I am being pedantic but wannabeees assertions on the use of an are too black and white. English is full of rules that are to be broke (sic).
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September 22nd, 2006 at 10:21 amOh for goodness sake, this is well beyond common sense. Common sense says that there has to be a set of rules for communication that are held by all in order to make communication comprehensible. Both sources indicate that you can use ‘an’ or ‘a’ in front of an H. Thus, both are correct. Now, let F from England use her ‘an’ if she wants to. I am not saying it is right or wrong (personally, I prefer ‘a’ ), but in many cases, the English are incapable of pronouncing the letter ‘h’ anyway for some reason best known to themselves.
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September 22nd, 2006 at 12:16 pmUnfortunately I have come to this debate a little late. However, I arrive at it armed with ‘the ladybird book of spelling and grammar’, recently retrieved from a collection of childhood possessions that my parents were in the process of clearing out from my old room.
Obviously this definitive edition will settle the debate once and for all, so I shall quote.
“. . . a (or an) is the indefinite article. They have no meaning themselves but refer directly to the noun which always follows them. An is used before a word that starts with a vowel, eg an egg. Some words starting with h also require an before them.”
So there you have it, conclusive proof from Ladybird that the situation is an ambiguous one. Common Sense surely dictates that if the eminent scholars of Ladybird are unable to provide a more definitive answer than “some words” then surely we also cannot. I suggest we say potato and they say potato.
On an other note, I couldn’t help but think that it shows little common sense to arrive at a reasonable
conclusion by punching oneself in the head - as Consultant C’s picture clearly displays. -
September 22nd, 2006 at 2:11 pmWould it not make more sense for the latest postings to appear first on this list, rather than last ? I have already seen the top postings, and am aware of the contents, so do not want to see them again on the way to new postings. Is this possible ?
Provide common sense...
Student mistakes
A freshers week quandry:
Whilst surveying from my ivory tower, I observe first year students selecting seemingly inappropriate friends. Of course we all know these will be transient attachments, however should I interfere, potentially speeding up the process of correct association creation?
Also, would it be acceptable to batter any students whose trousers are hanging off their arse with a blunt instrument? And anyone with a rugby shirt with the collar up too? Baseball caps?
3 lacklustre pieces of inspiration on “Student mistakes”
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September 20th, 2006 at 4:29 pmToo right, thwack the twats with saggy arsed breeks, up turned collars and baseball hats. It will do the world a favour in 10 years time.
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September 21st, 2006 at 9:26 amWhat about silly floppy fringes ?
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September 21st, 2006 at 3:49 pmMuch as we would love to interfere in the day to day aspect of friendship and relationship this is a subject that is far too emotive.
Also don’t forget the old adage that opposites attract which is very true.
September 28th, 2006 at 2:52 pm
The question would be whether you use more or less cheese when you grate it compared to slice it. If you use the same amount (or less) when grated, it is probably because with grated cheese there is a greater surface area in contact with your mouth at any one time. This might not be the answer, but it would makes sense, and sense is what we deal with.
September 28th, 2006 at 3:26 pm
but its not your mouth that does the tasting, t’is only your tongue. And you could fashion a slice of cheese that would fit exactly over your tongue, but I bet it wouldn’t taste as good as grated cheese.
and when did anyone ever see a mouse using a cheese grater? or a cheese slice for that matter!
points off for the mouse for an inane answer! his grammer and typing is quite good though!
September 28th, 2006 at 11:52 pm
The answer is obvious, as are most that require the application of common sense. A standard cheese grater is, as we all know, a clumsy device to clean properly. Indeed, who amongst us can claim that they have ever satisfactorily scrubbed their holes until shiny, following a good grate of cheese or other food stuff.
So you see, the flavour impovement that one tastes when cheese is grated is simply a result of the accumulation of tiny particles of food residue that have been left to mature for weeks, if not months, on the grater, patiently waiting to be stroked off with each new passing swipe of the cheese.
After all we all know that a more mature cheese is better than a mild rubbery one do we not.
September 29th, 2006 at 8:35 am
also please do not try to grate brie
September 29th, 2006 at 10:33 am
ah but i always wash me cheese grater in de dishwasher so there’s no unsightly residue to cause taintage. so that ain’t de answer! its a tougher question than I first thought!
September 29th, 2006 at 11:46 am
Oil is the answer. As we know with most oily or fatty food stuffs - bacon, roast beef, olives etc. - the flavour is most strongly carried in the oil or fat. Grating the cheese, simply releases more oil, as there is a greater surface area.
September 29th, 2006 at 12:01 pm
This whole debate depends on how you are assessing how good something tastes. Unless we have an objective measure of this, and that you can prove that the cheese really does taste better when grated, then we are all wasting our (and our employers) time.
September 29th, 2006 at 12:02 pm
Okay, lets think about this. Grating cheese takes longer than slicing cheese, and food tastes better if you are hungrier. So, if he time taken to slice the cheese is Ts, and the time taken to grate the cheese is Tg, then the difference between Ts and Tg will be a measure of how much better the grated cheese tastes.
September 29th, 2006 at 1:02 pm
it probably would take a mouse longer to grate cheese than to slice it, but normally i would be quicker at grating cos i’m that fast in de kitchen (although i never run with scissors). i do like consultant m’s oil answer tho - delivered with the confidence and assurance that only comes when one know one is talking complete bollix!
September 29th, 2006 at 1:03 pm
going back to another comment by some pedantic fella it really is hard to type a comment without making a silly typo innit somwere arse!
September 29th, 2006 at 1:58 pm
I said surface area right at the very start. Honestly, just beacuse I am a mouse you all ignore me. I have more sense than all you put together. I have to as I am much lower down the food chain than you are.
September 29th, 2006 at 2:24 pm
see look? another typo! its nerves, it msut be! doh!
September 29th, 2006 at 3:31 pm
Well, of course I make mistakes - I have no fingers and have to use my nsoe, sorry nose to tpye wiht
October 1st, 2006 at 8:52 pm
I afraid that I must strongly claim intellectual property rights to the comment about the surface area of cheese. I recall a recent (cheese) board meeting of the CCC (in a rather well known cafe chain) where I mentioned, albeit briefly, the surface area argument. I have no idea who this thieving mouse is but I dare say such a devious creature could hide quite easily under the table and spy.
Anyway, I suggest a further theory.
I suggest that Col is suffering from Synaesthesia. A condition whereby the stimulation of a particular sense, such as sight, may trigger the sense of taste. For example a person with the condition may taste strawberries when they hear the word train, or perhaps see the colour green when they read the number 10.
I believe that Col has a mild form of the condition, whereby he experiences a mild cheese taste when he looks at a slicer and a strong cheese taste when he looks at a grater.
Problem Solved, I’d say.
October 2nd, 2006 at 10:33 am
feck it anyway - you guys rock! I always wondered why i could taste strawberries when talking about trains - oh, there it goes again - yum! Should I see a doctor?
October 5th, 2006 at 11:13 am
which gimp is responsible for using the easy singles image as a representation of cheese? Have you ever tried grating easy singles? well, on your way home, buy a pack and then give it a lash when you get in. Then tell us how you got on tomorrow! you cheese pleb!