Have you tried preparing Chinese food for yourself, do you opt for eating out or home delivery?
We like take away food, ordered on the Internet, it makes a convenient treat every now and again.
Of course I like to try making food for myself too, but this is not for everyone. Being retired and having had a stroke, I have the time and it does give me an interest.
Keep on keepin’ on
Hi Bobbi!
We only eat Chinese out in a restaurant.
I’ve never cooked Chinese dishes at home; that said, my mother made Chinese orange chicken about 3-4 years ago. She probably made it 3 or 4 times. It was heavenly. She was a very talented cook. But she didn’t cooked for over 2 and a half years, so we had to learn to cook on our own (watched my mother enough, so I knew how to lol).
Let me know what dishes you make at times, or anything new you’d like to share. This place is now home for me.
Stroke survivors have a very special place in my heart.
@Matthew1798
You are very welcome here and I am sure you will make many friends.
I bet your mother taught you well and would be proud of you.
Home made food has so many things going for it. Tasty, cost effective, etc etc.
I will keep posting details of the sort of things we try.
I’d like to recommend a retired cook who has posted much online. He has a mild and helpful manner and gives thorough instructions on YouTube and on his web site. Search for John Kirkwood or click the link and you will discover a treasure trove.
I must add that my recipes and instructions are not aimed at those with special dietary requirements as I have no expertise in that field.
Stay in touch.
Keep on keepin’ on
I find cooking so calming, even more so during my grief. I think that some people don’t realize how therapeutic it can be. They think they have to be a long-time cook, or an expert to start cooking. You don’t know at all!
@Matthew1798
I totally agree, something gentle, absorbing and distracting gives you that space to begin sorting out your feelings.
At the end you get something you can share and enjoy. Nowt wrong with that.
I don’t know if you’ve already looked but Bobbi has already posted a number of his culinary delights under the General category…maybe we should have a Culinary Delights sub category perhaps 
.
Here are a few of my favourites…particularly the Rhubarb custard Meringue Pie 
‘The Chicken and Leek Pie Saga
Making a simple evening meal
Sourdough bread - a possible failure, rescued
A crumpet cooked has to be eaten
Scones for Tea !!
Things do go wrong sometimes (Pizza problem)
Pizza perfect (things don't always go wrong)
Kitchen again - South African Bobotie - you must try
Ninja Meatloaf
More cooking adventures - Ninja marmalade’
Rhubarb Custard Meringue Pie. That sounds delicious. I have to find out about that.
It’s in the first one on that list for the obvious reasons it’s my favourite 
Just in case anyone is wondering the Chicken and Leek Pie Saga is also hiding instructions for making the rhubarb one, but you do need proper rhubarb, tinned just isn’t right Sometimes you can get it at a good price but it can be expensive.
We snap it up when the price is right.
It is a very special thing not too difficult to make and extremely morish. Addiction is guaranteed.
Thank you @EmeraldEyes what a useful list.
Those were just the more recent ones I’ve saved and have or will be attempting.
I suspect you have more posted in older posts I’ve not seen 
There are millions of recipes all over the internet but these days I just tend to try those others have made these days.
@EmeraldEyes
If it is any use I’ve been posting since May 2022 I think.
I search for recipes too. Unfortunately many are disappointments.
There are many copy and paste examples with no testing, I suspect. I only post those I have successfully made.
And that’s why I only go by peoples recommendations these days 
As an indulgence here’s that recipe, and a link too, that really does work:
INGREDIENTS
160g plain flour [maybe increase to 180g + 90g fat]
40g butter, diced [20g]
40g lard [or 30g trex] [60g cheap spread]
pinch salt
2-3 tbsp cold water [For simple shortcrust you will need about 1½ tablespoons per 100g ]
METHOD
Sift the flour into a large bowl, add the butter and rub in with your fingertips until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs.
Stir in the salt, then add 2-3 tbsp water and mix to a firm dough. [takes time to hydrate flour]
Knead the dough briefly and gently on a floured surface.
nope [Now place the pastry in a polythene bag and leave it in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to rest.]
Line a tart tin, place it in the [fridge] freezer for an hour.
Blind bake from [fridge] frozen at 180°C. [after 15 mins remove beans then further 5 mins]
INGREDIENTS
1 9″ pie crust, pre-baked
360g rhubarb (you can substitute 120g of this for strawberries if you’d like)
128g sugar
2 tbsp flour
1/4 tsp salt
170g evaporated milk
1 tsp vanilla
3 egg yolks, beaten
(Save the 3 egg whites for the meringue.
Set them on the counter at least 30 min prior to using them.)
6 tbsp sugar (for the meringue)
METHOD
Clean and chop the rhubarb into small pieces and pour into the prepared pie crust.
Mix the sugar, flour, salt, evaporated milk, vanilla and egg yolks together and pour over the rhubarb.
Bake for 10 minutes at 200°C, then lower the temperature to 160°C until the custard is set (test with a knife). [20-30mins]
While the pie is baking, prepare the meringue.
In a glass bowl, mix the egg whites on high speed until soft peaks form.
Slowly add in the sugar, one tablespoon at a time, until stiff peaks form.
Once the pie is done baking, immediately top with the meringue.
Make sure the meringue reaches and touches the edge of the crust.
Place the pie back in the oven and bake at 140°C until the top of the meringue is nice and brown.
Cool the pie completely before storing in the fridge.
It’s best served cold.
For your information - the search “ingredients @Bobbi” returns 27 items
33 of you use the word method instead of ingredients but very often obviously one of them isn’t using the word method as a title so I suspect the others aren’t either .
It is the retrieval of information in a forum such as this for which the mechanism of the tag was invented. They have never been suggested in this forum but they are in fact a method described as preferred by discourses authors
@SimonInEdinburgh
as a side issue, it is possible now to go back over old posts and set up tags where they were originally omitted.
I have been using kitchen and cooking recently to tag my food threads.
Maybe worth creating a set of instructions, suggestions and hints, Simon?
Yes I think it would @Bobbi
Are you proposing a joint venture or asking me if I’d like to do it (I’m happy too) or something else?
@SimonInEdinburgh
I’m sure you would make a good job of it.
Unfortunately, I must be very careful, my little knowledge is probably a dangerous thing.
One day I will make a wiki
and a memento from our wool anniversary
It looks beautiful. You are one talented cook/baker.
Your pie is ready for the cover of a magazine, Bobbi.
Take good care.
I’m just following the instructions, Matthew, it did come out looking good though. As far as taste is concerned I prefer the chicken pie which was at the start of this thread, The Chinese Curry was special too, we’ll be having both again.
As for the Rhubarb Pie it is in a league of its own. I make that anytime rhubarb is at a good price. Sometimes Aldi have it. It makes a scrumptious dish, that is for sure.
