peterms

That's the way to go. That kind of reporting is a disgrace. I wonder though whether the reporter spoke to the club to check his "facts". I guess if he did, then he'd not have had an article to write that would suit that type of rag. Don't give 'em your money, they're a disgrace. I must protest, and speak up in defence of the journalist concerned. He was acting entirely in keeping with a tradition laid down over the last hundred years or more, and endorsed week in and week out by the Great British Public. His upbringing, his training, his management, and the feedback he gets from people continuing to buy the paper he writes for, is almost exclusively pointing in one direction: it's ok to make up stories composed entirely of lies, if it sells papers and entertains the public, or gives them cause to feel self-satisfied while reinforcing their existing irrational prejudices. There are many stories like this. Refugees living in the lap of luxury (00s). Immigrants taking our jobs (90s, but pretty well every decade before that as well). Flying pickets (80s). Black muggers (70s). Dole claimants who get tvs provided via furniture grants if the tv sets have doors (60s). What can poor Dan do, but continue a long tradition which far predates him and will long outlive him? We complain about one story which falsely puts our club in a bad light, but this is like a grain of sand in the Sahara. It's entirely representative of how papers like this act all the time, in every respect. Expecting them to take the slightest notice of complaints is completely futile. So little Dan, so intent on climbing the greasy pole of equally brain-dead incompetents, will not and cannot change his conditioning at our bidding. He'll continue to churn out siimilar stuff until he dies or is pensioned off, because the popular press in this country will continue to provide a market for his limited abilities and even more constrained moral values. What to do? Don't buy the paper. Encourage the club to go to the Press Commission (pretty toothless, but it's a gesture). But as for numpties like little Dan, I suspect they are far removed from the capacity to understand and accept responsibility for what they do, so perhaps we should just feel sorry for him. Or maybe hold a collection.

No, it was good. Gave a good feel for the match and the day out, and a few broader comments as well. And so quick. If you're looking for points of criticism, perhaps mentioning your toiletting arrangements doesn't add a great deal. :winkold:

Great. So many cheap and good restaurants in London. Not sure about Eltham, though...

Vile, and awful shock clearing in the woods. Yes. Of course. Any reason for this outburst, or just the usual knee-jerk? I just don't like him, he goes for shock value over substance half the time IMO, I don't rate him as a chef, got a problem with that? And I'd really prefer it, if you posted on post. I think you'll find that was on post. Ask someone else if you need to confirm it :winkold: . Have you read his recipes? They are absolutely about substance, nothing about shock. What do you base this odd view on? It doesn't fit anything of his that I've read. Or do you mean his views about using all of an animal, if you have to kill it? I know you shoot animals for enjoyment. Maybe you don't like to eat all of what you have killed? Is that it? I'm guessing here. Do me the favour of explaining yourself. Please. Just for once.

Vile, and awful shock clearing in the woods. Yes. Of course. Any reason for this outburst, or just the usual knee-jerk?

Carrots and celery...Pork...Beef stock...Sweated vegetables...long slow simmer... A much better recipe. I'd eat that. And seconds, probably.

This in one for those who like it in pie form (including soggy bottom layer), rather than the pastry separate. Adapted from 2 recipes by Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall. A slight problem with the above version from robojoel is that you want the onions softened on a low heat but the meat browned on a high heat, so adding meat to already cooking onions will either not brown the meat or else overcook the onions. You may end up with meat that looks grey, not brown. Best is to brown the floured meat first on a fairly high heat in a heavy frying pan, in small batches, tranferring to a large heavy saucepan as it is cooked. Some people brown some pancetta before the meat, also removing from the pan when cooked. If you're using whole baby onions, they can be browned after the meat. You want the meat cut in fairly large chunks. Having done this, deglaze the pan with some of the ale, and add to the saucepan. The pan should be clean after this if you've deglazed it properly. Add a bit of oil to the frying pan and soften the sliced/chopped onions on a low heat, and when they're done add them to the saucepan. Add the ale/stock, salt and pepper, and also a couple of bay leaves, some sprigs of parsely and thyme tied up together with string (to make it easier to remove them later). Cook for an hour and a half on a very low heat - you want it quivering, not bubbling - with the lid on but slightly raised to let a bit of steam escape. You can add mushrooms towards the end. If using frozen pastry, make sure it's properly defrosted. Puff pastry is best. Roll it out and cut two rectangles, the top one shaped to the size of the dish but slightly larger, the other for the base a bit bigger to allow for the sides of the dish. Grease the dish, lay out the bigger piece of pastry, add the cooked meat, brush the edges of the pie with beaten egg yolk, lay the other piece of pastry on top and crimp the edges so it sticks, and brush the rest of the egg yolk over the surface. Mak a small slit or x in a couple of places, to let steam escape, and cook at 190/mark 5 for 50-60 minutes. Quantities: for a pie dish of 1.2 lites, maybe 1.5 kg meat, 750 ml ale/stock, 600gm pastry.

Yes, in a pig sty. Pig food and nothing more. The French feed it to cattle, and would be insulted if you served it to them. They have a point.

Cheers mate. Swede is one veg I really don't like. Up here they call it tur-nip, and call tur-nip swede, which is unhelpful. They then go on to call swedes (alias turnips) "neeps", and have a ceremonial meal each year consisting of haggis, neeps, and tatties. This involves parading the stuffed entrails of a sheep around a room of drunker revellers, while someone recites a Burns poem and someone else gives a spontaneous address in reply, before eating the said meal, sadly including neeps. If they cut out the neeps and the ceremony, and made it a poetry reading with haggis and whisky, it would really be pretty good. **odd spelling of tur-nip in order to defeat the word filter, which I gather is an automatic yellow card. I can only throw myself on the mercy of the mods, and plead that my usage was in a context completely removed from what the particular filter is there to deal with. But it wouldn't make a great deal of sense to say "turnip", would it?

Try this: Cut in half, then quarter lengthways. Dip in seasoned flour, then beaten egg, then breadcrumbs mixed with grated Parmesan and black pepper. Deep fry, maybe 3-4 mins at 170. Drain on paper towels. Serve hot with anchovy mayonnaise. Or else eat them raw, sliced fingernail thickness and mixed in a salad with (for example) butter beans, capers, red peppers, herbs, and a dressing of olive oil, mustard and a little lemon juice.

How was it cooked when you had it, and what exactly didn't you like? Too soft/crunchy, too dry/oily, too much/too little flavour? Did you have it shredded raw in salad, sliced and sauteed, or what?

What he said. Absolutely f**king awful things. Genuinely vomit inducing. Nonsense. Roasted in duck fat, with roast chicken... curried parsnip soup... parsnip crisps... I used to hate parsnips when I was a kid, but I have seen the light. God be praised. Hallejula.

Overboiled is not good. Try it grilled slowly on a ridged grill pan, the asparagus coated in olive oil before grillling, sprinkled with sea salt and black pepper while cooking, then sprinkled with slivers of Parmesan. Very different from the soggy, mushy crap served up by poor restaurants. But only do this in May and June when it's in season, else you'll be eating stuff flown from Peru.

Try cooking them, removing the skins while still hot, and pureeing the inner beans with good olive oil and garlic, salt & black pepper. A long way away from the sqeaky teeth rubbery sensation which puts so many people off. You can also add cream, or chili, serve as a veg or as a spread on bruschetta...

You're supposed to wear it, not eat it. You might add that it's not a vegetable...

What a superb piece. It reflects what so many of us think, and will strike a chord with most supporters. What's really important is that it is a considered and reflective piece. For me, those sentiments are so much more powerful than immediate reactions to a situation.

Festival!

Maybe they will have the money then. On the other hand, it's entirely possible they will have less money than they do now.

Agreed entirely. Right now I want him to f*ck off, but should he stay and commit his future to Aston Villa by signing a new contract then I'll be happy to keep a quality player who'll be motivated by his England ambitions to do his best on the pitch. It's the results that matter, after all. But he'll never be the same Gareth Barry in my eyes. It would take A LOT to forgive what has happened this summer. He will never be the same in any Villa fan's eyes. I'd rather keep him cos he's simply class, and it's one nil to us v the top 4 in their quest to nick our players. Coming up next......Young to Manu with them opening the bidding at £12m... I agree. I'd rather keep him, because he's good. But if someone better becomes available, fine. I didn't feel like that a couple of months ago. It's just business, now.

Contrary to Mr Blatter's views, players aren't slaves. You have only to look at the statement about Barry staying and MON's next-day retraction to see that the power relationship is not at all one-way. MON does have a ruthless streak. But it's a very long way from there, to saying it's either sensible for him to seek something humiliating, or possible for him to enforce it. You have to deal with the real world here. It's not about enforcing your will like in a crappy american film, it's about doing what is possible and leads to the most acceptable outcome.

Can't see it as hhe'd still want to go to Liverpool. Yes, but if it turns out that he has to stay with the club because nobody bids for him, I think he should be made to apologise to the fans, players, manager...the whole club really, i front of the media. I think he has to do something to show that he has thought better of his actions and comments, but something involving public humiliation isn't realistic or necessary.

most Liverpool fans seem to agree with hicks and Co over Barry rather than Rafa its interesting, a very interesting situation. Could be the beginning of the end Rafa needs to back off, and quick. His judgement has been publicly questioned by his employers (and adding a phrase about it not being a criticism of the manager's judgement doesn't change that simple fact). Many of the supporters aren't that sold on Barry. Many of them don't want to lose Alonso, and if he is sold some of them may be hostile to Barry for that reason alone. His tactics and values in terms of handling the bidding process have been widely criticised, and some Liverpool fans are publicly admitting they are embarrassed by the way this has been played. God only knows what they say in private, weeping into their pillows each night. If the deal goes through, it looks like it will be for a sum which stretches Liverpool, which makes them sell a player they would rather have kept, which increases the friction between the board and the manager, and which will always hang round Barry's neck like an albatross, bringing bad luck. It would only take a few poor or even average games from Barry to create a significant level of discontent with Rafa. It's a very high risk strategy. Has he thought it all through, or has he got wrapped up in the chase? Whether he signs Barry or not, I think he's weakened his position in the club. In fact, I think I'll check the odds on him getting the bum's rush before new year.

If you can deliver that line with as straight a face as you type it, you should come up to Edinburgh. Many a Fringe show would benefit from such delivery.

I agree, a very good post. And the key for me is the idea of "sustainable" success.

MON specifically denied the story about 15 minutes past the deadline, saying that Pool had confirmed beforehand that they couldn't do it. I think the simple fact that they haven't yet done the deal supports his account, for anyone inclined to doubt what he says.