IT’S A WEIRD WORLD
▪ COOKING BEACON WRONG
Queen Elizabeth's former chef Jeff Baker believes than many of us make the same mistake when we're cooking bacon, and it's all about the heat of the pan.
Social media is filled with posts about the many, many things we've all apparently been doing wrong our entire lives.
Putting milk in your scrambles eggs? WRONG. Only changing your bed sheets once a week? WRONG. But the latest tip comes from a very creditable source, and even the Queen trusts him. Chef Jeff Baker says a lot of people make a common mistake when cooking the meat, which is why it ends up being very greasy. And he's previously cooked for the Queen - so he clearly knows what he's talking about when it comes to the kitchen.
Speaking to Daily Star, he says it's all to do with getting the pan nice and hot, rather than cooking the meat slow and steady.
By doing it this way, the bacon should caramelise, making it crispier and giving the meat a punchier flavour.
He explained: "I find that the best way to cook bacon is on a medium to high heat pan with a small amount of natural fat, searing it on each side for a minute or so. If the bacon is properly dry-cured and cut to a nice thickness, it should caramelise on the edges.
"The fat will then render without dissolving, resulting in delicious flavour."
The chef, who works with online butchery retailer Farmison & Co also shared another top tip - but it's pretty controversial.
He continued to say that he doesn't think you should add any condiments to your bacon, so wave goodbye to ketchup or brown sauce. "In my opinion, if cooked this way the bacon won’t need any sauce to enhance the taste — it’ll be perfect as it is," he said. The chef also claimed we've been making similar mistakes when cooking curry as well. — Mirror.Co.Uk.
▪ BABY DUST WORKS
Amy Walker wanted to have a son and she was inspired by Danielle Lloyd's success with the Babydust Method, so she gave it a go and soon welcomed a boy into the family.
Walker, 36, was inspired - and after having four girls she was willing to give anything a go in an attempt to get the son that she and her husband, 37-year-old John, wanted.
They were amazed when a gender scan revealed the technique had worked and now the happy couple have welcomed their son, Teddy, into the family.
Amy, from Folkestone, Kent, said: "John loves his girls but he longed for a little boy to take to football and do other father and son things with. So, we decided we’d try one last time to have a boy, fearing that we’d regret it further down the line if we didn’t.
"Because I wanted to increase my chances of conceiving a son, I searched the internet for help. There was lots of information but I felt sceptical about it, thinking there was no way it could work.
"But a Facebook friend had been successful using the Babydust Method, so I bought the book and it seemed to make a lot of sense.
"The method involved tracking when I ovulated and having sex at a particular time of the month. We had nothing to lose by trying. If it didn’t work, we’d still love the baby, whether it was a boy or a girl."
The Babydust Method suggests the best time to try to conceive if you want a girl, or a boy, by charting the luteinising hormone, which triggers ovulation.
Amy continued: "There were no rules to follow about what to eat or drink. And we didn’t tell family or friends what we were doing in case they thought we were mad. We’ve always been very open with the girls about sex being part of a loving relationship. — Mirror.Co.Uk.