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posted by [personal profile] cat63 at 11:22am on 23/02/2010 under
Yesterday I bought a pie. There were four reduced price fruit pies on the shelf, two labelled apple, two rhubarb. I chose an apple one, because I knew Rob would like apple better than rhubarb. But when I cut it open later it was rhubarb...

I know it was reduced, but I did rather expect it to have the advertised fruit inside! just as well neither of us are violently allergic really!
Mood:: 'confused' confused
There are 27 comments on this entry. (Reply.)
 

posted by [identity profile] trishtrash.livejournal.com at 11:26am on 23/02/2010
I think that warrants a withdraw rather than a reduction, really. Still, cheap pie - can't be written off a complete disaster :) *eyes pie*
 

posted by [identity profile] cat63.livejournal.com at 11:30am on 23/02/2010
The labels were handwritten, so I suspect they'd stuck them on the wrong way round by mistake. Easily done - there wasn't any obviously difference between them that I could see. I was confused rather than cross about it!

Luckily we don't mind rhubarb, so we ate some anyway.
 

posted by [identity profile] trishtrash.livejournal.com at 01:52pm on 23/02/2010
They should have just labelled them 'mystery pie'. I'd have bitten :)

I used to despise rhubarb crumble/pie/tart as too sharp and unpleasant, but I'm starting to develop a taste for sharper fruit without needing the application of half a ton of sugar (or custard) to mellow the taste.

 

posted by [identity profile] g8bur.livejournal.com at 10:27pm on 24/02/2010
I love rhubarb, either just stewed, or in a crumble; for me, though, it's got to be cooked with sugar, and have plenty of custard poured over it - I'm not at all a fan of sharp-tasting fruit!
 

posted by [identity profile] trishtrash.livejournal.com at 08:17am on 25/02/2010
I'm not at all a fan of sharp-tasting fruit!

I do find I need a bit of sweetness to offset them, but not to the extent of burying the flavour, which I used to always do (even with apple, I couldn't stand the hint of sharpness).

Stewed rhubarb, though ... not sure I'm a fan. It's probably a what-you-know thing, since I adore crumble, and that's basically the same thing with added crunch, lol!
 

posted by [identity profile] g8bur.livejournal.com at 09:05am on 25/02/2010
I'm blessed (or cursed, depending on one's POV) with a pretty sweet tooth, so I do need to get rid of any sharpness in fruit dishes. In the autumn, when my trees are fruiting, I sometimes use Charles Ross eater-cooker apples, or even Cox's, instead of Bramleys in a crumble, to add more natural sweetness so I don't need to put in much sugar.

For my taste, stewed rhubarb needs lots of sugar - I have to really shovel the stuff into the saucepan with the raw fruit before I boil it. It is indeed probably a matter of what someone's become used to; perhaps if Mum had cooked less-sweet crumbles back in the '50s to early '70s, I'd like them that way now.
 

posted by [identity profile] cat63.livejournal.com at 09:34am on 25/02/2010
perhaps if Mum had cooked less-sweet crumbles back in the '50s to early '70s, I'd like them that way now.

Perhaps, but perhaps not - my mum doesn't like sharp flavours either, and always cooked bland fruit dishes when I was a child, but I grew up to love sharp flavours like lemon and rhubarb.
 

posted by [identity profile] g8bur.livejournal.com at 09:49am on 25/02/2010
The funny thing was that Mum did like sharp flavours - she used to buy that 'PLJ' lemon juice concentrate, and either drink it unsweetened in hot water, or add it to black Earl Grey tea. I tried it once, and found it quite undrinkable! Her apple and other crumbles and pies, though, were always plenty sweet enough for me; perhaps she was cooking for Dad's fairly sweet tooth rather than for us young 'uns.
 

posted by [identity profile] jaelle-n-gilla.livejournal.com at 12:22pm on 23/02/2010
Hmmmm, rhubarb! Serve it with hot vanilla sauce and I swear it's gonna be better than the apple pie anyway :)
 

posted by [identity profile] cat63.livejournal.com at 12:29pm on 23/02/2010
We had some with custard and it was quite nice. It's just that when you're expecting one thing and get another it can be a little confusing!
 

posted by [identity profile] jaelle-n-gilla.livejournal.com at 12:42pm on 23/02/2010
I agree completely. Especially if you take possible allergies into account!
 

posted by [identity profile] g8bur.livejournal.com at 09:52am on 25/02/2010
That hot vanilla sauce sounds lovely; I'd like to try it if I can buy or make some. Is it available in the shops, or easy to make at home?
 

posted by [identity profile] jaelle-n-gilla.livejournal.com at 08:35pm on 25/02/2010
I don't know where you are at and what's available to you there. In Germany, we have this:

It's vanilla pudding powder. To make sauce you simply take twice the milk it says on the package, and about 1,5 times the sugar.

The making is easy and the same for all the puddings and sauces: Use about 1L of milk (or whatever the package says), put it in a pot and heat it. Before that, take a few spoons of it off and add it to the pudding powder and sugar and make a smooth blend. When the milk is boiling (rising) you pull it from the fire and add the cold powder-blend. Stir well. Cook again and keep stirring ALL the time. This stuff will stick and burn easily. After about 5 min the sauce gets thick. You can then serve it hot or let it cool, whatever you like.

They also sell the packages for sauce, or without cooking, but the hot pudding stuff tastes better.

Hope that helps. I'm pretty sure you'll find something similar in a supermarket where you live if you check the pudding or baking sections :)

Edited Date: 2010-02-25 08:36 pm (UTC)
 

posted by [identity profile] g8bur.livejournal.com at 10:14pm on 25/02/2010
Thank you very much for the info; I'll look for Dr. Oetker pudding mix next time I go shopping. I'm in South-eastern England, but I'm sure I've seen that brand name in the local supermarkets - whether it was on the pudding mix or on something else, though, I don't know.

The method of making the sauce sounds very similar to that for making Bird's Custard. From the way the sauce thickens, I'd guess that there is cornflour in the Dr. Oetker pudding mix, as there is in the custard powder.

As I'd be the only one eating it, I'll have to scale down the quantities to make 200ml or so of sauce.
 

posted by [identity profile] cat63.livejournal.com at 09:08am on 26/02/2010
I'm sure I've seen that brand name in the local supermarkets - whether it was on the pudding mix or on something else, though, I don't know.


The main product I've seen of theirs is frozen pizza. I don't think I've ever seen the pudding mix, but then I've not been looking for it. I wonder if blancmange would be a suitable equivalent?
 

posted by [identity profile] g8bur.livejournal.com at 10:25am on 26/02/2010
I don't eat pizza, as I hate both tomatoes and cooked cheese, so I haven't looked for or seen their product in that line.

Blancmange (its name 'white-eat' always makes me chuckle) might possibly be convertible into a sauce; I'd try and get a look at the ingredients of the Dr. Oetker mix (if I can find them somewhere on that there Interweb) and compare them with a typical blancmange mix. It might well be worth a try.
 

posted by [identity profile] jaelle-n-gilla.livejournal.com at 12:44pm on 26/02/2010
I'm not 100% sure but I think it's potato starch that does the thickening. Doesn't really matter though. Cornflour is pretty rare as an ingredient in Germany.

The downsizing should work if you use a scale or measure the tablespoons that are in one package. The sauce keeps for a few days in the fridge, too. I keep saying sauce because I am never really sure if what you call "custard" is more saucy or more pudding-like. We're probably talking about the same thing :)
 

posted by [identity profile] g8bur.livejournal.com at 02:09pm on 26/02/2010
Potato starch is used here in some artificial gravy mixes, including the 'Quixo' one which I get in Aldi, but it should indeed work equally well as a thickener in sweet sauces too.

The Bird's Custard powder that I use is actually a substitute for 'real' custard, which is made with eggs, and which, I believe, can be made into a more solid form for use as a dessert rather than a sauce.

Custard powder (which is basically flavoured and coloured cornflour) is sold in cardboard 'tins', and is made up with sugar and hot milk into a hot, thick yellow pourover sauce for desserts like crumbles, and fruit pies or puddings. I love the stuff! In my experience, any that is left over after the meal tends to solidify, though not completely. At my table, though, it doesn't get the chance to do that, as I scoff the lot :)
 

posted by [identity profile] femsc.livejournal.com at 12:23pm on 23/02/2010
Catharine once opened a tin of something - can't remember what - and discovered something completely different inside. IIRC she got a refund and a voucher... but that didn't help the immediate snack pangs.
 

posted by [identity profile] cat63.livejournal.com at 12:30pm on 23/02/2010
WE ate the pie anyway - it was just the "What the heck?" factor. Rob thought it was rather funny really.
 

posted by [identity profile] g8bur.livejournal.com at 12:46pm on 23/02/2010
I once bought three vegetable samosas which turned out to be chicken ones. I didn't mind too much, but it would have been embarrassing had I served one to a vegetarian friend.
 

posted by [identity profile] cat63.livejournal.com at 12:51pm on 23/02/2010
Yes indeed. Not to mention distressing for them. wouldn't have been your fault of course, but if I were served a chicken samosa insted of a veg one, I'd be somewhat upset.
 

posted by [identity profile] purplexoo.livejournal.com at 01:11pm on 23/02/2010
I used to buy veggie samosa most week from a Farmers Market. I haven't bought any since they gave us 5 meat instead of veg. and i saw her take them from the box that said veg. We are vegetarians, so I still cringe when I think about nearly eating it!

MinL once bought a fruit pie and it was meat!
 

posted by [identity profile] cat63.livejournal.com at 01:24pm on 23/02/2010
Urk! I was lucky it was only rhubarb, I think!
 

posted by [identity profile] g8bur.livejournal.com at 01:35pm on 23/02/2010
Thankfully, when I did serve a vegetarian friend some samosas from the same source, they were indeed vegetable. If I ever again serve samosas from that source to a vegetarian, I'll have to very discreetly and carefully open them up and look inside to avoid any embarrassment - and have good alternative vegetarian food available in case it's needed...
 

posted by [identity profile] femsc.livejournal.com at 12:30pm on 24/02/2010
*Perk* - did someone mention veggie samosas..?
 

posted by [identity profile] g8bur.livejournal.com at 06:44pm on 24/02/2010
Aye; the Hertford delicatessen ones, those were. Methinks it's about time I wended my way there again, and got some more; I could do with a treat :)

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