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In praise of Auntie Bessie
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BruisedViolet
16-01-2008
Originally Posted by leeroybrownfors:
“It's all to do with weight loss. When you roast your own, a lot of water is lost in the oven. When you buy pre or part-cooked, most of that loss has already occured.

Aunt Bessie's stuff is fantastic. It's quite possibly the best thing to come out of Hull.”


Haha, I knew you'd have to comment in this thread.
laineythenomad
16-01-2008
I love AB stuff too. Why are some people so judgmental? It's not always a matter of being too busy either, some of us think there is more to life than being the perfect Earth Mother or Anthea Turner-type housewife. As the wonderful Shirley Conran said in Superwoman: Life's too short to stuff a mushroom.
BrideXIII
16-01-2008
Originally Posted by laineythenomad:
“I love AB stuff too. Why are some people so judgmental? It's not always a matter of being too busy either, some of us think there is more to life than being the perfect Earth Mother or Anthea Turner-type housewife. As the wonderful Shirley Conran said in Superwoman: Life's too short to stuff a mushroom. ”

absolutely, I am a great advocate of cooking from fresh, its cheaper, but hey even us 'saints' fancy a lazy day off now and then, and what better than Aunt Bessies? her stuff is delicious.
fannyadams
16-01-2008
I used to use Aunt Bessies Yorkshire Puddings, as I thought they were better than mine, but recently I have started to make my own again, they are not difficult and so delicious. AS you say it does work out a lot cheaper to make them from scratch. Having said that, if I am feeling lazy, then I but the AB frozen batter Yorkshires, and no one complains.
Last edited by fannyadams : 16-01-2008 at 12:55
laineythenomad
16-01-2008
Originally Posted by BrideXIII:
“absolutely, I am a great advocate of cooking from fresh, its cheaper, but hey even us 'saints' fancy a lazy day off now and then, and what better than Aunt Bessies? her stuff is delicious.”

Great post BrideXIII - that's me put in my place for being judgmental also!!
jabegy
16-01-2008
I never buy AB Yorkshire puddings because they're so easy to make, and home made ones taste better. When I make a batch, I always freeze what I don't use, they last for a few weeks that way.

Same goes for potatoes, I steam them, (Maris Pipers are nice), then give them a good shake before putting them in hot goose fat, they come up lovely and crispy on the outside every time.

Mind you, if I didn't have a family to cook for I would probably be tempted.

I do like her bubble and squeek though, unfortunately I haven't been able to get any lately, and it's too much of a trial to make my own.
Calista^
16-01-2008
Originally Posted by TheFirstCut:
“That is no excuse whatsoever!



People just seem to get lazier and lazier!

What has happened to society? It's going down the toilet! ”




We prepare our own "ready meals" on a weekend and bung it in the oven of an evening.

We actually value time with our children and actually prefer to spend the time that using foods like aunt bessies stuff gives us. Hardly lazy! We both work full-time, have three kids, one of whom has been in and out of hospital for four years.

Who died and appointed you moral champion of home cooked food?

Blanket name calling of people as lazy is hardly taking into consideration personal circumstance!
TheFirstCut
16-01-2008
Originally Posted by Calista^:
“

We prepare our own "ready meals" on a weekend and bung it in the oven of an evening.
”


Sounds an excellent idea, in fact it's so good we do it too!
Ovalteenie
27-10-2009
I love her chips She makes a mean yorkshire pudding too.
*Confidential*
27-10-2009
Aunt Bessie's frozen mash are brilliant. Bit of butter and bit of milk half way through the 'cooking' makes them to die for.
Swarfega
27-10-2009
Originally Posted by *Confidential*:
“Aunt Bessie's frozen mash are brilliant. Bit of butter and bit of milk half way through the 'cooking' makes them to die for.”

But that's just mashed potatoes. OK real ones require peeling and chopping before the boiling and adding of milk and butter, but still...
I'm a lazy b*stard but even I can peel a potato.
*Confidential*
27-10-2009
Originally Posted by Swarfega:
“But that's just mashed potatoes. OK real ones require peeling and chopping before the boiling and adding of milk and butter, but still...
I'm a lazy b*stard but even I can peel a potato.”

Which is why I mentioned ' Frozen mash".

Bizarrely enough, I can peel potatoes and cook them. All different ways too!!.

Making mashed pototoes from scratch in 4 minutes is not possible. Which is why Aunt Bessie's work a treat when you are in a rush.
Swarfega
27-10-2009
Ok ok. Not wishing to stir up a hornets nest here at all.
We've all got our own priorities. Maybe I've just got too much time on my hands.
CJ32
27-10-2009
Originally Posted by Staroffurby:
“Yorkshire for example, 5 minutes to make the batter, then 30 minutes in the oven. Not that hard!

Chips as another example, buy potatoes peel and chop. Then fry!”

I can peel potatoes and cut chips but buying oven chips is sooo much easier and they really are just potatoes and vegetable or sunflower oil, looking at the ingredients. I hate deep fat fryers or even frying chips in a regular pan.

I wonder if people said similar about tinned tuna or sliced bread.

I would make my own Yorkshire puddings though, but I haven't made them for years anyway.
catinabasket
27-10-2009
Originally Posted by jova:
“oh and the dumplings are great my hubby says ( he much prefers them over mine...)”

I make vegetable soup in the slow cooker and always put AB dumplings in one hour before the end of cooking, because they are suitable for vegetarians.
Gondolin Girl
27-10-2009
Aunt Bessie's frozen mashed potatoes are amazing! I had them just the other night when we had no other potatoes in the house.

A good substitute I'd say
tegan1973
27-10-2009
Originally Posted by jen0607:
“I don't see how people can use the old 'time saving' excuse...

I work fulltime, and raise a child - yet I still find the time to make my own batter, and peel a few spuds and parnsips.

Anyway - the likes of Aunt Bessies always shove loads of unneccessary crap in their food. At least with homemade stuff, I know exactly what's in it.

”

I'm ultra lazy but I agree. I wouldn't trust what they put in extra in these foods. And roast potatoes are so easy to do.
tegan1973
27-10-2009
Originally Posted by *Confidential*:
“Which is why I mentioned ' Frozen mash".

Bizarrely enough, I can peel potatoes and cook them. All different ways too!!.

Making mashed pototoes from scratch in 4 minutes is not possible. Which is why Aunt Bessie's work a treat when you are in a rush.”

You can stick a potato in the microwave for five minutes and then mash it up.
*Confidential*
27-10-2009
Originally Posted by tegan1973:
“You can stick a potato in the microwave for five minutes and then mash it up.”

Dont know about you, but mashed potatoes require their peel to be taken off.

If I want a microwaved baked potato, which takes more than 5 minutes to cook, unless it's small, I'll have baked potato.

If I want frozen mash, without fussing over the peel, I'll go for my preferred option: Aunt Bessie's.
laineythenomad
28-10-2009
Originally Posted by CJ32:
“I can peel potatoes and cut chips but buying oven chips is sooo much easier and they really are just potatoes and vegetable or sunflower oil, looking at the ingredients. I hate deep fat fryers or even frying chips in a regular pan.

I wonder if people said similar about tinned tuna or sliced bread.

I would make my own Yorkshire puddings though, but I haven't made them for years anyway.”

Yes they did! Since time immemorial the food snobs have been trying to make the rest of us feel bad about using convenience foods. It is possible to strike a balance - I'll be cooking the turkey at Christmas along with fresh veg, sausagemeat stuffing....you name it, but to lighten the load I'll also be serving Aunt Bessie's frozen roast potatoes and parsnips.....yummy!!
confuddled
28-10-2009
Originally Posted by orangebird:
“OK - Three (step)kids, one lazy arsed husband, one full time job, one part time job, studying from home and two cats. I'd rather eat my hat than buy ready made dumplings/roast potates/stuffing balls etc.

I did a roast on sunday - whole roast chicken, carrots, peas brocolli, roast potatoes, stuffing, sausages, yorkshire puds and gravy. From prep to table in under two hours. How hard can it be?”

Peas have no place on a sunday roast!
also, sausages and yorkshires with chicken? you made that sound like a pikey pick n mix.
laineythenomad
28-10-2009
Originally Posted by confuddled:
“Peas have no place on a sunday roast!
also, sausages and yorkshires with chicken? you made that sound like a pikey pick n mix.”

How rude? Since when did you, or anyone else, make rules about what does and doesn't go together food-wise? Personally I think it sounds yummy - and just out of curiosity, what do you cook under your bridge?
L'russe besuhof
29-10-2009
Nothing more horrific than ready-made Yorkshires. It takes two minutes to make the batter, and ten minutes in the oven. The result is ten times better, crispier, and far more body and texture to them. Aunt Bessies are like cardboard.
littlefro
29-10-2009
I find any brand ready cooked Yorkshires too crisp/dry. I have always preferred Aunties cook from batter ones, I'm so glad they are back.

I'm also very fond of her dumplings and ready mixed stuffing balls.
anouttedlurker
29-10-2009
I don't flip my omelettes.

am I alone in this?

Once I have added the eggs I let them set for a couple os seconds then pull the edges of the egg (which have set) into the middle of the pan and let the unset eggs run round to the edge of the pan.

I don't really like overcooked spongey omelettes so I take mine off the heat before it is all comepletely set and still a little soft (bavesue) and served folded.

Takes about 2 or 3 minutes start to finish.

....now I make my frittatas differently... different pan and everything.

Such a food nerd.
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