The BB cafe

[Kazzl]

The BB cafe is open for business!
Welcome all to a new chill and chat place for everyone on the forum.

The BB cafe is whatever you want it to be. There are comfy sofas, tables and chairs, coffee machines, a kitchen stocked with everything. There's a pool outside, a bbq area, an annexe with comfy beds for a quiet sleep, tv, dvd, books and whatever else you would like to have here.

Most of all, it's a place to meet friends and fellow travellers for a bit of company. Talk over problems, tell jokes, share your day, escape into a world of your making. Grab a coffee and pull up a chair ... 

So, with a nod to the wonderful Carole King (Hard Rock Cafe) ...

Now if you're feeling just a little bit lonely
Don't sit at home just mopin'
Come on down to where the friendship flows freely
You know the door is always open

At the BB cafe
Come to the BB cafe
They will help keep your blues at bay
At the BB cafe

Important Message from ModSupport: 
The main intention of the BB Cafe is to encourage light conversation. Please look after your fellow community members by nuturing the BB Cafe as a place to escape some of the more pressing issues in life and save those conversations for personal threads. 

[TrueSeeker]

And I put the skin pieces under the griller on high to get crackling but it needs a lot of salt to get it done right.

[Eagle Ray]

Thank you TrueSeeker. It sounds so yummy 😋 I couldn't see any gnocchi available at all in my local supermarket yesterday, so I'd need to make my own or visit a neighbouring town with a few supermarkets and food stores. You have made me think about gnocchi anyway so I can envision some gnocchi dinners being made soon. It's kind of a fun thing, coming up with ideas for what can actually go with the gnocchi.

[smallwolf]

Hi Eagle and everyone,

Do you make your own gnocchi?

[Eagle Ray]

Hi smallwolf and everyone,

No I haven't made my own gnocchi. I was asking TrueSeeker about that who was saying they have made it but not in a while as the potatoes here are not as starchy as in other countries making it harder. I definitely like gnocchi.

The other day I found some chicken and porcini ravioli at my local butcher shop, plus some mushroom and bacon sauce to go with it. It was truly the most delicious ravioli I have ever tried!

[smallwolf]

I have made gnocchi a couple of times...  I can easily find a recipe to use, Not sure about the type of potatoes to use or that work best. 

That aside... something you might like to try is this... par boil potatoes that have been cut in half. Then line bottom of air-fryer with potatoes and press down on each half with a fork it make it "smashed". Drizzle with olive oil and salt, and cook on 200 degrees C for 15 minutes. Even my children (mid 20s) eat it in that I'm lucky to get much of it. Great with a roast.

[Eagle Ray]

I've found some gluten free gnocchi recipes online. I mostly eat gluten free these days, but can have it some of the time. The yummy ravioli I had the other day was not gluten free.

Those potatoes sound delicious. I don't have an air fryer but I've had several people recommend them as very easy and convenient for cooking a variety of things. I did something sort of similar with potatoes tonight myself. I sliced them and baked them in the oven with some herb-infused olive oil.

I picked the first oranges off my tree this afternoon and ate a couple which were very nice. I'm going to make some polenta porridge for breakfast in the morning and put some orange pieces in it. I find polenta porridge goes well with all sorts of fruit 🍊🍏🍓🥝

[smallwolf]

you will have to tell me what polenta porridge is?!

the beauty of an air fryer is an almost instant (I am making this up!) time of get to the temp wanted. if I were to make the same things in the oven, it would have to pre-heat first.

[Eagle Ray]

Polenta is coarsely ground cornmeal, so essentially polenta porridge is a kind of corn porridge. I have been making mine with soy milk so it is nice and creamy. It's a quarter cup of polenta to a cup of soy milk (or other milk of choice). I add some cinnamon to mine and usually add some pieces of fruit if I have some. You can also add things like honey and maple syrup, though lately I've not felt the need to add additional sweetening. Polenta can be used in savoury dishes of various kinds too.

A number of people have told me how good their air fryer is. It seems like a really convenient option. I have a very old oven (1970s) and I do wonder how much longer it's going to go for as two of the four stove plates have become dodgy and I don't use them now. I use the oven part still and the other two plates. So should my oven pack it in at some point an air fryer seems like a great alternative, but may be a good addition in any case.

[smallwolf]

there is a UK cooking thing on youtube (2 chefs and 3 normals) and they did a comparison of oven vs air fryer. While I cannot remember the exact result, the not having to pre-heat per-se is nice with an air fryer. On the other hand, ours is not big enough to cook a pizza or large roast! There are pros and cons!

[Eagle Ray]

Yes, I'm a household of one so the air fryer could probably do most things for me. But if I have guests it may be tricky and the oven would be required. I just looked up if you can bake a cake in an air fryer and you can, though some adjustments may be required to the temperature and baking time. They definitely seem handy!