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jon

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Everything posted by jon

  1. Yes....I agree ..what can people expect for 18 euros! What  do we all expect for 18 euros ...in uk it equates to half a bottle of house wine, some mineral water...coffee and thats it....no food. Lets not forget all the washing up...the veg picking....the runing to and from the table 40/50 times. 15/18 euros is nothing!  
  2. I agree...I  am not  catering for those on a low budget!
  3. Excuse me Mr Q I do include the wine with the meal....the mineral water and the coffee! However I was refering to the restaurants mark -ups.....they are not my mark-ups. I do usually try to sit down with the clients especially when the meal is just a few courses. During the last cookery course we had Americans and they wanted some simple dishes.....but with 7 courses as it is sometimes and as I do part of the cooking and washing up it is  not possible.It can take from early afternoon to 12pm at night to take care of peoples preperation,cooking and serving as we make everything virtually except the butter,cheese and sometimes the bread. Our cookery holidays include receipes,hands on cooking in the kitchen...watching the prep of dinner....medevial feast...visit to a lovely park...Guided tour of st Emilion vineyards[tour guide]....meals in restaurants.....in general 5 days crammed with great things to do and eat if you love good food.I charge about the same price as everyone else who has the same standard of accomodation. Yes restaurants are different! I was pointing this out. However if I want this liscence I can have it. Restaurant liscence....but currently we have enough work to keep us going.The cookery courses are where I am going to concentrate.  
  4. What do you give for 15 euros including wine.... After the prep...shopping and washing up.....can it be worth it. If you were doing 40 covers with help...maybe. 15 euros minus tax is nothing.... would buy you a few samwiches in London.....and then there is no washing up for the caterer. In a B and B we have to include everything in the price...correct? My local restaurants charge 30 euros plus for a 4 euro bottle of wine and 6 euros for mineral water 3/4 euros for coffee.....coffee?????and 45 euros for the most unknown champagne!
  5. What do you give for 15 euros including wine.... Afeter the prep...shopping and washing up.....can it be worth it. If you were doing 40 covers with help...maybe. 15 euros minus tax is nothing.... would be you a few samwiches in London.....and then there is no washing up for the caterer. In a B and B we have to include everything in the price...correct? My local restaurants charge 30 euros plus for a 4 euro bottle of wine and 6 euros for mineral water 3/4 euros for coffee.....coffee?????and 45 euros for the most unknown champagne!
  6. Try to forget the tins of corn.....go fresh!
  7. The gardens of Sardy...Velines....like being in fairy land.
  8. However you will be hard pushed to get into a restaurant  as late as 9pm. Second point...rather different...look at what the French eat....take a close look. Where is the butter? Some cheese...but in my region...very little butter and very little cream. lots of salad....not really any mayo....not so much dressing. simple braised meats.No fish and chips. yes sometimes frites from the freezer...I guesse [not in our house!]  
  9. the corriander stepped in at the wrong place!!!!!Needs to be added!
  10. yes...of course lots of work but rewarding in many ways. Corn fritters/cakes. small qauntity...take 2 large pots [floury ones...for chips etc] 2large onions....grate...both. Place in a bowl....2 eggs...beat together with salt and pepper to taste [you can make a small test fry in shallow sunflower or peanut oil] By the way we always wash our eggs in cold water...and our vegies, of course. 2 tablespoons...heaped of plain flour.add. Take fresh corn off the tob by slowly and carefully cutting down from the cob....one head should be good. mix and fry in little flattish cakes in shallow oil...cook slowly untill golden brown...alo#wing pots to cook...6/7 mins....very low gas....you can turn the gas up a little for more colour. You can substitute corn for other things. chopped corriander...do not be affraid of quantity.
  11. FRESH TOM SAUCE.....I mean...yes and fresh bread crumbs.... sweet-corn cakes Friday morn.... bit shattered....after 5 days cookery course...medeival feast...hot weather and lots of cooking and serving from before breakfast...till  lateish......thank goodness they went to bed early.
  12. Surely each area has dynamic estate agents and those who live in the "DARK AGES". When I sold in Brittany...I sold the house myself....all the agents gave me quotes and I got almost double the price. I did have ideas for marketing the property and got close to 100 replies from many countries. So just me and the notaire.....  
  13. Chestnut cakes. ingredients.....2 oniouns finely chopped...or 3 large shallots. Chopped firm white mushrooms x 2...large. thyme leaves to taste and a little romesemary leaves. Corsley chopped chestnuts either dried ones...cooked untuill soft or from a jar...not really the tinned ones. So...a whole jar concentrated FRESH tomato.... Wholemeal bread crumbs enough to bind. An egg to bind. 2 oz butter. sautee oniouns in butter slowly untill transparent...very low gas/elect. Add chopped mushrooms and herbs....allow to cook. Take off from heat add chopped chestnuts and other ingredients.Allow some of the chestnuts to be ground almost like flour. Add enough tomato concentrate and breadcrumbs to allow mix to form little cake shapes. Fry in shallow peanut or sunflower oil. Good with ratatouille...sauteed spinche with garlic...or put a little boursin cheese into the pan with the spinache at the last moment. I have a receipe for corn cakes.     Sautee oniouns un till transparent.....in butter  
  14. Fresh tomatos.....I hope/expect....millions of them around just now...a pinch or sugar....basil leaves in ratatoulle.For a dinner party.....stuff the rataouille into these round courgettes.....pre-cooked [just so that they are still nicely firm...boiled for a few mins] then gratinate with paremsan freshly grated. Serve with grilled fish or roast lamb.....or with savoury chestnut cakes. ...for the vegies amongst you.  
  15. OH NO....Cover to a book can be rather different to its contents.......Rogues are often very clever at their rougish lifw style.
  16. Is there a Mrs Quinny....who wears the trousers and keeps the steam in the teapot.ic If any of you rogues come this far south I will show you our kitchen..... No builders please.....life is peacefull here!  
  17. No shouting just bad typing...and to be honest I am very tired. Can not resist the forum...sometimes. But tucking in the blankets....I kind of feel that there is a little anti France in the house at berkshire! Ironic is it not!
  18. Quinny keep your pinny on! I am sure that your creme brulee is world famouse.Do drop a line to Raymond Blanc he would probably like the receipe.    Russet house are you blushing like the russet apple.....PEOPLE STARTED making comments about builders and it went on to Anti France and anti Barbara Deane. MODERATORS...VERY MODERATE.
  19. A bad meal in a restaurant is a sad experience.....but the tragedy of dealing with druggy builders was much greater...to my mind. I do not have the same principals as all other chefs and restauranters! So before you condem just note that I am....as I have said  a very careing person....probably too honest for my lown good! Because the chefs with the rough edage...who maybe live on the edge seem to get away with blue murder...rather than just spelling mistakes. I do not open tins and bags!!!! I do not have a love affair with the freezer. We have clients coming from America tomorrow to cook.,eat and enjoy five days with us. This would not happen if we were cowboys. Some of you will never understand....perhaps you prefer not to....
  20. It is you who does not get it Russet House! You fail to admit and accept that the building trade is tottally different to being a chef! Perhaps I need to explain that when you take on a builder...usually a deposit of 30 or 50%[ and usually large sums of money] there is little you can do when something goes wrong. There have been many cases when problems have occuured when work had started and does not progress. There have been cases when jobs have been a shambles because the builders did not have much or any real expereience...all the references in the world can be useless when you find that the builder will not answer the phone messages.He has little or no intention of finishing your job because another job has come along and he and his team prefer to start another b ecause a big deposit hits their bank a/c.The last two "builders" we had in London came highly recomended by one of my best friends...however the builder really was the father and his team....who wrote the quote and then the job was passed to his son and his friend. Son and friend would spend their time avoiding work.....when they did do something it was bad workmanship.They were unstable and very agressive towards me.This was all due to a habit they had developed. PersonallyI have very little experience with good builders who are British and I have needed work carried out on several buisness projects and in our home through the years. The French builders have been good...professional.....and they behave in a polite manner....give proper bills. As a chef in a restaurant .....the customer eats the food and then pays! Can you send a meal back????? So if a chef has a restaurant and does not pay his taxes.....I am sure that he will be found. You can not get credit card machines without full bank references and proof of stability. How is a chef going to rip you off? Ruin your property? Having left UK as I have said and paid my way...............and plenty of tax! I feel that it is time that you examined the situation more gracefully; we can cook and we operate our buisness in the correct manner. Would you perhaps compare the situation.....builders and accountnats!!!!!!      
  21. This was all about builders.....but the bad boys and girls came out to play and decided to have some fun! Moderaters..
  22. And there you are Mr Quinn living in France ....reduced to a life of creme brulee making....wasnhing the sheets and wearing a piny with the hoover in your hand. You could have been back in the UK with your carpet slippers on and having a wonderfull life!  
  23. Comments are fine.But not so fine when they are not based on experience.....it is like talking about sailing on a boat and you have never set foot on one...or your life in Russia and you have never been there. Taking others thoughts and producing a negative script is not related to living the situation. I  
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