petite tête de chou
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Posts posted by petite tête de chou
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What an adorable pup, beccaboo!
I have been under the impression that brown rice actually requires MORE liquid than 'regular' rice. Gads, I have quite a bit to learn.
As far as salt is concerned I have usually sprinkled a bit of sea salt in most of my rice. Is this not recommended? Adding that I don't salt my stocks. So I didn't figure that a bit of salt would hurt.
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The Calrose has directions on the bag which includes rinsing and that has had very good results.
I purchase my Jasmine, Basmati, long grain brown rice and wild rice in bulk. Needless to say I don't completely trust the itsy bitsy tags with directions stuck to the bins.
The turn-over with beans and rice is very good at this store so I don't think I'll have much of a problem with old stuff. Thank god, I seem to have enough problems.
As I mentioned, I intend to use the Jasmine in a stir fry- an overnight sleep for the rice in the 'fridge.
For the brown and wild rice I was thinking of serving it with either a winey venison stew or wild turkey with roasted root vegetables.
Autumn is nearly here in Oregon and noodles just-won't-cut-it.
In addition, I'm not much for boiling rice in ample amounts of water then draining it. Tho' this seems to be the only way I know how to cook wild rice. -sigh-
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I seem to able to cook Calrose rice (boring but useful stuff) but I'm stumped on how to properly cook either Jasmine, Basmati or long grain brown rice... the rices I love best, of course.
Many websites recommend steaming Jasmine rice. Is this absolutely necessary? Should I toast it first to maximize it's flavor? Less or more water? How about using chicken stock? How long on and off the burner? My intention is to use the Jasmine rice in a Thai stir fry. Calrose doesn't even come close to reaching the heights of true Thai flavor in any dish...ever, IMHO.
Any and all opinions on cooking rice are welcomed. This should be a basic skill for me but it's not...yet!!
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Andrew, The crab does have a broad range but with warmer weather they molt. Their shells are soft and their meat is stringy. -ugh- Personally, I believe that the best crabs are to be caught appro. between November and March.
Sorry about the off topic-ness, folks.
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Just a thought- crabs aren't really in season yet. At least for the PNW.
Maybe she was trying to steer you away from it because of that?
Even though she DID make a comment about the "mess," so maybe the out-of-season issue wasn't there.
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A favorite is toasted pumpernickel or very dark rye with spicy, brown mustard, liverwurst, brisling sardines and onion. Maybe a dash or three of Tabasco.
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I usually crave food so spicy that the pain makes me forget my hangover. I sail for awhile on the endorphins.
Pickled cascabella peppers in soy sauce with chunks of x-tra sharp cheddar and a few hunks of rare beef. A bit of chewy bread and a rather sweet, creamy iced coffee.
If thats too complicated, diet 7up with loads of ice and saltines with butter and Tabasco. Lots of them. And asprins! Lots of them.
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I had bbq'd moose when I was about 10 years old. I sorta liked it. It was rare and gamey.
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What was I going to say?.................................
Oh yeah, munchies!
Funyuns- crunchity, munchity allll the way to the bottom of the bag, too!
Nehi- the blue kind in the bottle...mmmm, blue! And cold! And blue!!
Spicy Tillamook pepperoni- hot-stick-o'-meat...-snicker-snicker-
Assorted ten-cent candies...lemonheads, jolly ranchers, bazooka joe gum (funny comics!!), pixie stix, etc. I'm a pirate with my bag of loot!!! Arg!
String cheese- how long can you make a string without breaking it?! Wheeeeee!
Fall asleep with the Sunday newspaper funnies...they're-all-in-color!! zzzzzzzzzz
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Well this morning I fired up the Weber with hardwood charcoal and put many of your suggestions to work. I halved four medium/large eggplants and started open-side down, charring the flesh, then flipped them over and allowed them to cook for 20 minutes or so until completely gooey and soft.
This time, I didn't squeeze out all the liquid, and after tasting it, wonder why so many recipes call for doing so. I did what one of you suggested and mashed everything by hand (including one whopping clove of elephant garlic, which I made into a paste with kosher salt).
I added just one lemon, a big spoonful of tahini, some kosher salt, fresh parsley and a splash of fruity olive oil.
The result is a much looser, juicier baba ghanouj with distinct smoky flavor and dark bits of charred flesh (and a few small bits of skin I couldn't separate out). It's slightly chunky, not the homogenous spread the Cuisinart turns out (though that had its own appeal...). The garlic seems just right: defitely a flavor component but doesn't distract from the eggplant's taste.
This seems how it should be, though I doubt it is what my friend had in Atlanta (his first criticism of my old batch was that it tasted "just like eggplant spread"). And by the way, I emailed him and his source wasn't a Lebanese market but rather ... well, here's his exact words, with a description.
I used to eat the good baba at a place called "Mediterranean Grill" in Decatur. Now that you mention it, there was a strong smoky flavor to theirs as
well, but still had a "creamier" flavor than your mashed eggplant.
What about pureeing one quarter or half of the mixture (much as one does with some soups) to attain that creamy texture?
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I made teriyaki pork chops smothered in a red bell pepper, onion and garlic relish, served with garlic smashed potatoes and a green salad. Beer.
His mother never really cooked for him...or his ex-wife...or his live-in girlfriend, thus I enjoyed "showing off" (as my now-husband puts it).
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mom says when we lived in Syria, our neighbor had taught her how to make baba.
It was charred on the stove, and my mon charred it in toaster oven. Charring till very burnt is the key mom says.
Also, it cannot be processed in machine she says. Has to be mashed by hand. Garlic should be mashed in raw. The smallest clove you can find for one very large eggplant. Eggplant is very subtle and she says garlic can kill the baba.
She added lemon and tahini and says a teaspoon of cold water keeps the baba from turning brown. Not sure if that makes sense. But I wanted to be a good new member and help in my small way.
I absolutely agree with your mom. Char the heck out of the eggplant! Must be mashed by hand and add garlic, lemon juice and tahini. Perfect! Your mom's a genius!
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Perhaps you could combine the two in some sort of gratin/casserole. Maybe a very simple white sauce flavored with fresh thyme and topped with gruyere or even a mild goat cheese (buttered bread crumbs?) and baked until bubbling?
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Shredded chicken and green chili enchiladas
with lettuce, tomato, onion and sour cream
Tortilla chips and salsa. Cran/rasp. juice.
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Ah, bless your heart geo.T.
A wonderful report on one of my favorite wines. Oregon Pinot Noirs.
When I was a young lady of 10 years ago I had the inauspicious title of "Oregon Wine Specialist" at a (of course) local tourist shop.
Amongst the Pendletons, Tillamooks and various berry confections the fermented fruits of the land and hard earned efforts of the vineyards won my interest and heart.
I was one incredibly fortunate individual to be included in various tours of the vineyards and various facilities that would not, normally, be available to the 'average' tourist.
Eyrie, Adelsheim and Domaine Drouhin stand out as the most gracious of all.
Drouhin, ten years ago, through out the years, has maintained a very fine Pinot Noir. Usually their Laurene is deep, very well balanced between the smoke and plum, with a delicately edged aroma of fresh leather. An adored wine with Oregon lamb and rosemary. Or peppered steak...Tillamook beef, of course.
Again, thank you for bringing this very fine wine and vineyard to e-gullet. Perhaps folks will taste what is, to me and many, one of the finest Pinot Noirs out there.
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For him- deep dish pizza with sausage, olives and green peppers. Fresh tomato slices on the side with parmesan. Beer.
Myself- BBQ pork (Chinese-style) rolled with basil leaf and cilantro, dipped in spicy, nose-watering mustard sweet/sour chili sauce. Beer.
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How about steaming them ever, ever so briefly, chill well and dip each bite into extra special evoo with salt and freshly ground pepper?
With white wine...and French bread.
On a dock somewhere?
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ok, I knew it was for something as elementary as that.
I also faintly recall seeing parsley (or something green) in the sauce at one point, some place. It was the first time I had seen anything like it and made me do a double take.
I've never had walnut sized meatballs. Most of the ones in my experience range from golf ball size to LION'S HEAD meatball sized ones.
Soba
I've found that the smaller sized meatballs are not only a bit easier to handle in the skillet (don't break apart as much) but are tasty, browned nuggets that aren't overwhelming hunks o' ground meat, which I don't care for.
Just a note, I don't use the bread as a filler, it really DOES add the needed moisture that ground turkey breast requires to even be palatable in meatball form.
I certainly wish that I could make the meatballs that my 100% Italian grandmother made! Pork, beef or veal...oh the culinary compromises I make to please my german-dutch husband! Well...I GUESS turkey is more healthy, but that's not why he prefers it. "Cleaner" flavor is what he says.
As in Windex, honey? Ah well, each to their own. -
I have a recipe for blackberry mousse that uses 4 egg whites, gelatin, sugar, whipping cream, salt/lemon juice and 2 1/2 cups of blackberries.
Darn seasonal and tasty!
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I drain the spaghetti and top it with the sauce. That way husband can choose how much sauce to have on each bite.
Also, because I use ground turkey breast which has almost NO flavor or fat its important to add the egg and bread soaked in milk to add moisture. I actually overspice the meatballs and allow them to sit overnight...ever seeking that elusive element in ground turkey breast, FLAVOR!
The pat of butter added to the sauce at the end helps to round out the flavors and lends a more 'full' mouth feel, as well.
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I make a few different kinds of meatballs but the most common is...
Ground turkey breast meatballs with tomato sauce over spaghetti.
I use turkey because husband doesn't eat beef and abhors mixed meats. -sigh-
Ground turkey, an egg, fresh bread soaked in milk and squeezed dry, dash of lea and perrins, s/p, rosemary, thyme, summer savory, chives, oregano, minced garlic and sometimes sun-dried tomatoes. Rolled into large walnut sized balls and allowed to sleep overnight in 'fridge. Important for flavor development.
Browned in olive oil on the stove-top, drained and kept warm in a low oven.
For the sauce I use diced tomatoes and tomato sauce (Muir Glen), onion, celery, carrot, sometimes red bell bepper, bay leaf, red pepper flakes, more of the previously mentioned herbs, red wine and home-made chicken stock. I add the veg/herbs and pepper flakes to same pan that I browned the meatballs in. No deglazing at this point, I just let the veg release their juices and scrape down the pan. After about 10 minutes I add the wine. Reduce for 5 minutes, add tomatoes and stock (if using), bring to high simmer, reduce heat and let her bubble away uncovered, for about an hour, more or less. Add the meatballs during the last 1/2 hour to finish cooking in the sauce, a swirl of unsalted butter at the end adds a nice flavor dimension. Plated with grated parmesan and if its summer, fresh basil. If not, parsley.
I use dried spaghetti noodles but would love to try fresh. Garlic bread and a green salad with bleu cheese dressing are usually served with the main dish. Husband prefers an inexpensive Australian Cabernet Sauvignon. I prefer an Oregon Pinot Noir. Eyrie Vineyards or Domaine Drouhin, if I can get it!
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Chicken chili topped with cheddar/jack cheese and chopped white onions, served with jalapeno corn bread and cranberry/raspberry juice. Love this autumn weather preview!
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Gosh, it would seem that most folks prepare such interesting and to me, very tasty meals!
Alas, I cook for a gent with simple "Please don't fook with it overly much" desires. Tonight it was "thin" spaghetti (he doesn't care for angel hair or "regular" long noodles) with pork sausage (not his fave, which is ground turkey breast!!
). Sausage was browned, drained. Sweated a mirepoix. Added tomato sauce and diced tomatoes, reduced the liquids. Fresh basil, rosemary, oregano and thyme from my garden. Tons o' garlic (a bit much for my taste) and made the sauce a bit spicy with crushed red pepper. A cup (or less/more, who really cares? ) of an Australian Cabernet. A pat of unsalted butter at the end. Accompanied by a green salad with bleu-cheese dressing and a toasted baguette schmeared with an herby garlic spread. Lots of parmesan on most things. Did I mention the wine? Plentiful.
It's a lovely, storming August day in Oregon. The hearty meal with warm socks and a good DVD is bliss! In August! Rain! So fortunate are we!!!
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It's very hard for me to find (& impossible for me to grow!) Thai basil, but I LOVE it when I get it fresh. Does anyone know if the dried variety is worth using? Obviously I'd need to make adjustments to some recipes, but would be willing to if I'd still get the same wonderful-tasting results.
I'm curious as to why it's impossible for you to grow it on your own? Are you in an apartment? Perhaps your green-thumb isn't? No time or interest? Or...?
Like most basils I've met, their qualities that we love so much (freshy, tangy, bitey, immediately aromatic, pliable, irreplaceable) are not available in their dried form...at all.
Please don't use dried basil when it should be fresh. Prepare a different dish that doesn't require fresh basil.
eG Foodblog: snowangel - Freedom!
in Food Traditions & Culture
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Snowangel (lovely name!),
I am so, so happy that you are doing a food-blog. It was a sad day when I read that you were spending your last summer days at the cabin with your family.
Your blissfully lengthy descriptions of the seasons, family/friends and personal-woman life has been a breath of what really matters in life.
Thank you so very much...you are a class act.