@watso - pssst food cooked in microwave is not too healthy - peeled and portioned potatoes and peeled carrots etc. are fantastic when potatoes are bubbling away in water, but just covered and peeled and cut-to-size carrots sit in sieve above water, lid over the top (I have glass lids with little hole in them for extra vapour to escape) - magic!! and it all happens in a thrice. Skin-on potatoes take a little longer, especially the ones I buy - I always get the dirty potatoes, they keep better and to me, are tastier. If I find them, I often get 'Kipfler' potatoes for potato salad, expensive!! but tasty and nice to work with.
I had thoughts of getting another heating source after one disastrous lunch for 8 people, when the electricity ran out (my house is all electric - and there was some frying of the meat to be done when it all went quiet - it was traumatic but turned into the most ramshackle and funny lunch-afternoon - those people, too, have disappeared from my life, because they were friends of one daughter, who has since found new friends I then decided i needed another source for frying - have old-fashioned barbecue, but not hot enough for frying.
But now i am no longer interested in hosting more than - say - 4 people - and that's manageable - and cross my fingers and prepare a lot beforehand.
I still haven't made my baked cheese-cake, but tried out my new mincer, bought some shin beef and some fatty pork this afternoon - minced about 100g and 200g made the resulting mince into meat patties (egg, breadcrumbs, finely cut onions gently fried in butter, salt pepper, parsley etc.) - the taste of fresh mince, made at home is unbelievably good. I'll never buy packaged mince again. But then you have to know which meat cut to buy . . . not easy when you have continental recipes, where the meat cuts are so different. I was lucky last week making a goulash (spicy beef stew to you) - also from shin beef - it is a very tasty, full of gelatine, but has to be cleaned well, it has all that extra skin, sinews and outer fat - that all has to go.
I don't think I'll buy a kero cooker anytime soon . . . . remembered the kerosene heaters from way back - they were smelly! but everyone needs a hobby. so good on you - I might sell you a few things - but I am not cheap - haha! Go well Taurisk
