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Barry Nield
Malted Milk Review |
Hi Nicey
With a new baby due imminently, we've been making all the necessary preparations for the birth (rusks etc). At an ante-natal class we were given a list of things to take to hospital. This included the item: "favourite biscuits." I'm sure like most of your readers, we have different favorites for different situations. I wonder if you have any suggestions what would be suitable? Presumably it's got to be good biscuit in a crisis -- something that offers plenty of energy in case of a long labour, but not one that will melt all over the bed sheets in the warmth of a hospital.
Many thanks
Barry
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| Nicey replies: Hello Barry,
Well it sounds like you are already on top of most of the important aspects of biscuit selection, although I would say crumbs are another aspect to keep in mind. What ever you bring along will probably be very welcome. To be honest I seem to remember that it was me who ate all the biscuits as Wifey wasn't really in a biscuit mood. I also seem to recall that I went out on a limb and brought Cadbury's Chocolate fingers, a very non-standard biscuit for us.
Thinking about it rationally and with hindsight I would have probably gone for some fig rolls, malted milks and possibly a small pack of digestives, although modern post-hydogenated fat Digestives are very crumbly. However, something that shouldn't be overlooked was the on tap supply of NHS tea and toasted sliced white with Golden Shred marmalade that was available when the YMOS made their debut.
I recent years we have taken to baking large NCOTAASD fruitcakes for our friends when the have their own younger members of staff. In fact Mr ad Mrs T are due YMOS No 2 in about 6 weeks time and Mrs T is already making space in her cake tin.
Another thing to watch out for is that fact that post birth you'll be all over the show and may well not be entirely capable of making rational biscuit choices due to excitement, warm fuzzy feelings, lack of sleep and confusion as the Wife sends you out to buy all sorts of strange things you've never heard of before down aisles of the supermarket you didn't even know existed. |
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| Mike Armitage |
I like bicuits etc but I also enjoy a slice or two of toast with my tea, sometimes for breakfast or sometimes for a late night snack.( Not dunked athough I have tried that in the past!)
I particularly like Marmite on my toast. I am curious to know if anyone else has noticed a change in the consistency and colour of Marmite. It seems much runnier than it used to be. Hope I'm not moving too far from the subject with this observation, Nicey?
Mike Armitage |
| Nicey replies: Not at all Mike, its for this very reason that we fashioned the toast rack icon. I would concur that they have been making Marmite a bit runnier than it used to be and that would probably mean you use more of it. Wifey goes through a big jar about every three months now and I'm sure they used to last for six.
Also I once went past the Marmite factory in Burton-upon-Trent which was very exciting. It had big overhead pipes joining it to near by breweries. |
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Chris Bis
Fruit Shortcake Review |
Dear Nicey
I think its important to warn people of the danger that crumbs can bring. If you bring your elbow down on one (particularly on a vinyl or pvc tablecloth) and the crumb is at the right (or indeed more accurately wrong) angle it don’t arf hurt! Worst injuries are from a ginger nut so take care! Next thing you know MVities will be getting a raft of legal actions to deal with in todays sueing culture…. what about on packet warnings?
Another thing, I have a mild complaint, I,like pretty much everyone else, enjoy a really lovely cup of tea, sit down and biscuit or cake. BUT what about a cuppa with beans on toast or cheese on toast, or indeed with a lovely fry up? I mean any site that really knows its teas should cover the savoury side of tea enjoyment! Come on what do you think?Its a whole area of tea based pleasure that is simply being neglected by you and the faithful site regulars in my humble opinion. Personally I recommend ASSAM with any savoury comestibles.
Warmest tea loving regards
Chris Bis.
PS – I do agree with your opinion that fruit shortcake does give you more than you ask of it. I still think gingers are king mind! |
| Nicey replies: Maybe McVities should inject some gritty realism into their 'Crumbs' TV campaign to show people flicking crumbs about then suffering terrible elbow lesions as the lean on them.
As for the role of tea with toast and fry ups we often discuss such matters, behold the might of our toast icon, which can also be accompanied by the cheese icon. |
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| Lin Gilbert |
Hello, Nicey.
I'm delighted to see from Glyn's email that I'm not alone in my dunking habit. Putting butter in tea is part of Tibet's cultural legacy to the world and should be embraced by us Westerners.
In fact I'm happy to dunk anything that I could eat with a cup of tea. Victoria sponge cake is a particular favourite, but needs a bit of hand-eye coordination and a fast mug-to-mouth return.
Yours with soggy crumbs all over the table, Lin. |
| Nicey replies: Yak's milk butter at that. Some friends of ours about ten years ago walked to the base camp at K2. They camped each night in their state of the art tent and sleeping bags, after a nutritionally balanced re-hydrated meal. Meanwhile their Nepalese guides fashioned a shelter from a few rocks a sheet and stick and brewed up tea with lumps of melted yak butter in it. |
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| Glyn |
Hi Nicey,
I have always extolled the virtues of dipping hot fresh buttered toast into a lovely hot cup of tea. Over the years I have come to suspect that I might be alone in this fetish and I am looking for like-minded adults to share my experiences with. I have always dipped my toast into my tea for as long as I can remember. I now feel ashamed to do this in public as I have had many rude comments from people over the years. Have you or any of your readers ever taken part in this toast-dipping-love that dare not speak its name?
I just cannot enjoy tea and toast any other way - to me it is truly delicious.
For newbies who might want to give it a try I would suggest the following.
- Make a satisfying brew to your usual taste in a wide-brimmed, non-tapering mug (workman style).
- Try to make your toast to coincide almost exactly with the hot fresh brew (this might require a double power adapter in your kitchen if you cant plug in the toaster and the kettle at the same time)
- Heavily butter the toast - margarine is just fine.
- Cut each round of toast in half (NOT corner to corner) and then fold each half into a quarter (buttered side folded in) and dip the toast quickly but most of the way into the brew and snaffle down fast.
If you're a white bread lover I suggest thick Warburtons Toastie bread for the toast as it has the best absorbency.
Two hearty rounds of toast will absorb a good one third of a brew so you should have another ready if you go for the 4 round option. The spead at which one can consume toast using this technique is mind-blowing!
I absolutely swear on my life its the nicest thing in the world - my friends will not try it and call me a pikey but they are missing out. For real dunking aficionados its a dirty but satisfying pleasure to be discovered. The greatest benefit is that the brew ends up with just a little butter in it and tastes gorgeous (reminiscent of when you make a brew with extremely creamy "Farmer's quality" milk).
I'd love to hear from other like-minded adults who share this pleasure.
Regards
Glyn |
| Nicey replies: Toast is well supported with NCOTAASD, you see there is a little toast icon. Use this to find others who enjoy hot soggy toast. |
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