The Off Topic Topic

[merithyn]

I'm looking at building an extension next year.
There looks set to be a space about 2.7x2.7m on which I'm torn whether to make it a room of its own or part of a huge room which is super long along the whole length of the house.  It seems too small to be a useful room but too big otherwise. Hmm.

If it's easily accessible to the kitchen, that would be a fantastic pantry. If not,  a lovely little office, especially if it overlooks the garden.

[Sheilbh]

Beets and eggs are pickled, so today I made this but with beef. I used what I know as turnips (white with purple tops). It's in the oven now. It strikes me as a slightly more complicated beef stew. We'll see in about an hour and a half.

It basically is a beef stew similar to the base for a hotpot - and apparently made popular by sailors in the ports of Northern Europe. So you get variations of scouse or lobscouse in Norway, Denmark, Northern cities in Germany, all the way to Lithuania. I think historically there are variants in the Eastern provinces of Canada too - probably from the same sailors working the same routes.

But the pickled beetroot or sauerkraut in Germany, I imagine, is essential

I went to a family friend's wedding in Liverpool last year. And the family are all scourse but of West Indian heritage (the grandad is from Guyana I think and I think he's got about 7-8 kids all by different women aged from about 60 to about 20 - and he brought his new girlfriend to the wedding ). It was all home catered and the main food for the reception was a massive pot of scouse and a massive pot of curry

Edit: And obvs - hope you enjoy!

[merithyn]

Okay, this was really freaking good.

I can't figure out how to share photos. Check my Facebook if you want to see.

[Syt]

Scouse? In Germany we have labskaus which appears to be related:

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Labskaus

[merithyn]

That looks more like corned beef hash to me.

[Syt]

It's confusing, because scouse apparently is also known as lobscouse, from labskaus: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scouse_(food)

[Sheilbh]

Scouse? In Germany we have labskaus which appears to be related:

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Labskaus

Looks great

There are loads of versions, wherever there are sailors - from the Felicity Cloake recipe:

Scouse is a dish so close to the Liverpudlian heart that they've adopted it as a nickname – though lobscouse, or lapskaus, lapskojs or skipperlabskovs, depending where you are, is a popular dish throughout northern Europe, thought to have its origins in the simple cooking of Hanseatic sailors, and with even more variants than names. In Germany, for example, labskaus is more like corned beef hash, while in Norway, lapskaus is a chunky stew much like our own.

Unsurprisingly, given the geography of the area, Liverpool's scouse isn't dissimilar to Irish stew or Lancashire hotpot, either, and, like those noble dishes, is eminently practical, easy to make in a small kitchen, or indeed a galley, and to adapt to current circumstances – there's even a vegetarian variant, blind scouse, for when you can't, or won't, run to meat. But while Scousers are united on its virtues, as with all such beloved local specialities, passions run high when it comes to the finer details. Beef or lamb, mince or meat, carrots or swede ... wish me luck, I'm going in.

[Admiral Yi]

Mince or meat?  Does meat mean something other than meat?

[Sheilbh]

Meat is meat.

Mince is meat, minced.

[PDH]

However mincemeat is fruit and nuts and spices with suet.

[Josquius]

I'm looking at building an extension next year.
There looks set to be a space about 2.7x2.7m on which I'm torn whether to make it a room of its own or part of a huge room which is super long along the whole length of the house.  It seems too small to be a useful room but too big otherwise. Hmm.

If it's easily accessible to the kitchen, that would be a fantastic pantry. If not,  a lovely little office, especially if it overlooks the garden.

An office does seem the most reasonable path to take.

[Maladict]

Lukashenko to win the election with 80% of the votes, I am shocked I tell you.

But it's not as smooth this time, as polling stations have to get rid of bags and bags of inconvenient votes.
https://twitter.com/mediazona_by/status/1292417602791321602

[Liep]

Lukashenko to win the election with 80% of the votes, I am shocked I tell you.

But it's not as smooth this time, as polling stations have to get rid of bags and bags of inconvenient votes.
https://twitter.com/mediazona_by/status/1292417602791321602

Not a good night for Belarus

https://twitter.com/tutby/status/1292538957440389126

[DGuller]

Lukashenko to win the election with 80% of the votes, I am shocked I tell you.

But it's not as smooth this time, as polling stations have to get rid of bags and bags of inconvenient votes.
https://twitter.com/mediazona_by/status/1292417602791321602

In Russia, it would be the voters being disposed of through the window.

[merithyn]

Lukashenko to win the election with 80% of the votes, I am shocked I tell you.

But it's not as smooth this time, as polling stations have to get rid of bags and bags of inconvenient votes.
https://twitter.com/mediazona_by/status/1292417602791321602

Not a good night for Belarus

https://twitter.com/tutby/status/1292538957440389126

What's happening here, please?