I just saw the first Masterclass episode last weekend and had the same issue. The bulb finally went on for me when Mary said 180 fan / 190 no fan and then I saw when she opened the oven that it was what we call a convection oven in the us.

I am also having a hard time understanding some of the ingredients like strong flour and caster(or?) sugar. I am going to start taking notes so I can look these terms up.

I am dying to make that walnut cake ever since I saw it in the competition. It looks amazing!

One thing I don't understand is why there is no outrage directed at the parents that did not provide lunch or make provisions to provide lunch for this child.

According to the article, hot lunch is only not served when the parents account is over a certain amount in the arrears. So, evidently this was not a one-time occurrence. There are a number of avenues this parent could have explored rather than sent their child to school with no lunch. Where is the parents responsibility in this?

It is a very hard lesson for a child, but look at the alternative lesson that the parent is providing : It is acceptable to go to school, take what does not belong to you, don't worry about reimbursement. Is that right?

While I was growing up, my mother always left pasta sauce on the stovetop overnight and stored it the next day. None of the family even suffered ill effects. I do the same thing and have never experienced an issue. My sauce generally contains sausage and/or meatballs/chicken pork chops.

I have no idea why we are not all dead yet as according to FDA guidelines our entire family should have been wiped out long ago! IMHO, I think that FDA guidelines are rules for institutions/restaurants to follow because it allows enforcement against unsafe practices and protects those with compromised immunity.

Since you posted a follow-up that you ended up paying more than your fair share because your sisters decided to split the check evenly rather than add up the total for each individual, I will reply to that.

I think you should tell your sister why you wanted separate bills and tell her that you expect her to settle everything separately if you go for dinner. Then you will pay your total and contribute towards your parents dinner. If she has an issue with that, then don't go if you don't want to, but at least everything is out in the open.

Also, I really do think this reflects badly on you. I am not saying that it is justified but if everyone else can make the dinner and you do not, you are the one who will not come out in a positive light. JMHO

Personally, I hate when everything is split evenly because I am always the one that had the extra glass of wine or an appetizer when no one else had one. It makes me feel guilty but there are some people that always prefer to split rather than add items up.

I also wonder about using sirloin tips for beef stew. I have always marinated and grilled or quick fried sirloin tips.

I usually use a chuck roast that I cut up - brown the meat very well - remove it from the pan - add some veggies and sauté - add the meat back in with spices and wine/stock - spices are S&P, cayenne, bay leaf, garlic - when the meat is just about done, I add potatoes, carrots, parsnips

Sometimes I do a Flemish style with dark beer, lots of onions and a little brown sugar - very tasty.

Just because people keep repeating a position doesn't make it correct.

The parents have had 17-18 years to save and prepare their child for school. If they are not in a position to do that then maybe that child should look into a community college or tech school. Why is there an expectation that the child should be attending a CSU university full-time for 4 years with no planning or savings? Who is expected to pay for this child's education?

Students seem to have plenty of time and money for video games and smart phones and cars but they don't have time to get part-time jobs. Why not?

The myth that you HAVE to go to a good school is perpetuated by the educational system. Unless you go to Harvard or Yale or some other ivy league chances are it really doesn't matter and just costs more for a minimal uptick in prestige. It is the person that employers are hiring and a person with brains, drive and ambition will always find a way instead of waiting for a handout.

If you open the link to the article, the first sentence states "could be going hungry" not "go hungry" as the title of this post states. Big difference there! I also have to wonder at how accurate this study is considering that it is based on surveys of less than 1500 students and staff and includes online surveys.

That being said, I don't understand why people who cannot afford full-time college would attend a full-time college. There are other options including community colleges, part-time classes and technical schools.

People used to think about things like how to pay for something before they would actually sign up. People used to save up for college - what happened to that? I know very few kids that get a job at 16 and start putting money away for school. That was a requirement in my home growing up.