Jump to content

FaustianBargain

legacy participant
  • Posts

    903
  • Joined

  • Last visited

Everything posted by FaustianBargain

  1. What type of leeks do you get where you are? ← havent a clue, but they are definitely 'thinner' than american leeks. they seem quite tender. someone mentioned that they are probably grown in greenhouses.
  2. Can someone provide me with a bonofide (with ingredient quantities etc) recipe for this, please?
  3. thanks. how are the pickled leeks cut? as rings? I was wondering about the 'gelatinous' nature of leeks. I dont know if there is another term for the gooeyness leeks give out a while after they are cut. Would that make a difference while pickling?
  4. Has anyone tried this? Is this like pickling mushrooms? Ideas?
  5. Hungarian cuisine is the best if you consider Eastern Europeon countries as a 'family'. French cuisine, because of its elegance and superior terroir, wins over Hungary in all of Europe. Georgian cuisine, argubly Europeon, is unique in that it resembles none of its neighbours. In its simple elegance and terroir, it equals France. Like any good cuisine, it has strong, sturdy, hearty peasant origins. But the country, though stunningly and heartbreakingly beautiful, is burdened by its geographical location and its political upheavals. It awaits it's discovery. It has traces and influences from Turkish/MiddleEastern/Russian/Europeon/French(through the Russian connection) kitchens. All three cuisines have one thing in common. A stubborn culinary consciousness among the people. I suspect that is what makes a country/culture's cuisine better than others. There is pride and appreciation.
  6. We Don't Serve That Here Customer: A hot coffee, please. Cashier: Huh? --Starbucks, 28th & 3rd
  7. It took me a minute and two rereads to realise that your australian shepard is a dog and not a hunka burnin' ex-male shepherd from down under.
  8. Long pepper or pippal, tippali (?) in tamil. ← wow! I didnt know long pepper is kanda thippili. There is this killer thippili broth/rasam and also used in all sorts of medicinal food prep like digestion aids.
  9. Pictures the page is titled "how to caponize a rooster" > dont be under any illusions about the graphic nature of the pictures. also a dedicated website for capons. Interesting to note that in Iowa, the chicks are castrated/de-sexed at three weeks. Everywhere, capons are castrated at 6-20 weeks. It seems. edited to add: The hormone known as diethylstilbestrol (DES) has been banned in Canada since 1973 and in the United States since 1979, after it was shown to be a carcinogen. Before it was banned, DES was implanted in the necks of cockerels (capons) to effect an artificial castration and to shorten the time needed to achieve slaughter weight.
  10. If the English can hijack Indian food with their invention of 'curry', why cannot I comment upon British cuisine. (is there an emoticon for sulking?) It is interesting tho' that British cuisine needs non-Brits to sing its praises. They simply gave up after the war rationing. Or something. Havent you heard? 'hanging on in quite desperation is the English way.' So said the Pink seers.
  11. Looks lovely, bleudauvergne. re bubbling liquid: no, that shouldnt happen. I think. my guess is that you are losing the juices/moisture. Maybe the bird got a little steamed inside. When I did it, I made a tight envelope so that the bird is completely covered with the salt crust. I am guessing your chicken is touching the bowl and the salt crust was more of a tight sheath draped over the bird instead of a tight envelope. Regardless, your results show that these things dont matter and are purely theoritical. p.s. what is 'poivre long'?
  12. I can play British if you want... Altho'...for the rest of this week..I have decided, I'm Irish.
  13. 24+ hours later.. Fried okra, it is. Simply fried, a sprinkle of salt and nothing else. Now that I am looking at it, it doesnt look mysterious at all. I am stumped when I saw it first. The taste gives no clue about it being okra.
  14. Should I report this to the UK forum as you reported the French thread here in the Italian corner of egullet? The true tragedy is that they'd probably agree with you. They'd be wrong, but they'd still agree with you.
  15. I agree. The Hungarian genius that differentiates them from the neighbouring eastern europeon cuisines lies in their use of wine for cooking. It adds several layers of complexity to what is usually a boring dish from the rest of the region. The use of cream and their appreciation of a good sauce! Hungarian cuisine enjoyed a strong peasant tradition, no doubt helped by the nomads who went in and out of the region. Alongside the hearty and 'colourfully adventurous' peasant dishes, there also existed the opulence of the cuisine reserved for the royalty during the time of the Austro-Hungarian Hapsburg Empire. Also, I suspect that the geographical blessing of its southern orientation may have contributed greatly to its superiority over other eastern europeon cuisines. Another interesting and vastly underestimated cusine of the region(well..some people may have issues whether it belongs to Europe..but imo, it is) is that of Georgia. Georgian food is utterly delectable and nothing like any of her neighbours. Georgian wines and tea are not very popular, altho' they are indeed unique. Because it served as a port of entry and exit for every invader who jumped between Russia and Europe, there are influences from everywhere. Yet, it is unique. Indeed, but I believe the Hungarians have a personal food genius. I adore Hungarian cuisine, and I'm not too hot about Austrian cuisine. Sorry if there are any Austrians around, but I seemed to notice that every dish the Hungarians did well, the Austrians did less well. Hungary is (to me) a gastronomic heaven that can be compared to France in some ways. And I don't believe the Italian influence was so important, even if it acted as a trigger. How does a culinary tradition appear and evolve in a given place ? 1) The people who live there have to love eating and drinking, they must have a culture of pleasure (which is not the strong point of the Dutch, btw) - 2) their land, geography, climate, etc., must be suited to well-developed agriculture, fishing, cattle-breeding and, in the case of Hungary, winemaking. But I think the culture of pleasure, and a sense of celebration of God's creation through the things he gives us to eat (this respect and poetry are the root of proper food manipulation, therefore of cooking), and finally a culture of pharmacology through food preparation (common to China, India, the Mediterranean, the Middle East and also rural France) are just as essential. These are the conditions that result in superior cuisines. A royal marriage is not enough. ←
  16. touche. I am sure they have been 'discovered' by the late 15th century. Not popular or wide spread in Europe. Maybe. My only guess is that the princess, Beatrix of Aragon, probably summoned from her home the new vegetables after she came to Hungary. She was 17 when she got married to King Matthias. edited to add: googled and found this. Tomatoes originate in South America and were domesticated in Mexico. They were introduced to Europe by the Spaniards in the 1500's and were initially regarded with grave suspicion because of the reputation of Solanum-like fruit as being poisonous. Even by 1800, people in northern Europe were anti-tomato whereas in Spain it had become the most commonly eaten vegetable.
  17. Re the Hungarian import from Italy: Thank you for putting it across better than I did with the story of King Mattias and the Princess of Naples. The evidence is seen when one places Austrian cusine side by side with Hungarian cuisine. But French terroir( and culinary history, as you mentioned in your next paragraph that I failed to include as a quote in my reply) wins as is evident from the comparison between Hungarian and French cuisine.
  18. Amen, my brother.
  19. ongoing. I already have a business plan typed out. But you have to sign a NDA to read it..
  20. We did something similar for our Petit paquats de St.Jacques recipe at school..but without the stock...scallops in filopastry-beggars purse with an orange sauce... Orange sauce: juice and zest of 2 oranges 1 shallot, chopped 100ml white wine 100ml cream 100g butter-unsalted This will probably be more acidic because of the white wine...also lesser cream and absolutely no stock....The Tangerine sauce must be smooth!! It also has additional lemon juice! We are supposed to emulsify..but I find that whisking it rigourously quickly over high heat works best for me...of course, my method is 'frowned upon'..but hey! there is nothing wrong with it! I try to keep track of the orange family spawns..but how is tangerine different from orange? more sweet?
  21. Catherine de Medici married the future king of France, Henry II in 1533. Without the Italian influence and the introduction of herbs and Italian produce..not to mention the hoardes of Italian chefs she brought with her...French cuisine wouldnt have evolved as it had... Keeping that in mind..almost half a century earlier, in 1475, King Matthias married the daughter of the King of Naples. In order to make life beyond Italian borders bearable(oh!!!...the suffering women endure to perpetuate the human species. and for world peace...within europe, that is), the bride brought with her ingredients not previously known in her new marital country..tomatoes, onions, peppers..of course, Italian chefs. Now...how often do you write home about Hungarian cuisine?
  22. This is how I did it for Pigeonneau en Croute de Sel au Chou Rouge. I'll skip the chou rouge accompaniment recipe. This was what I did for a salt crust for two squabs...tiny birds, those.... 1kg flour(T45), 600g coarse sea salt 7 egg whites, 450ml water also, chopped rosemary for the aroma. First, I deboned the pigeonneau until it is like a jacket of sorts. Stuffed it with a farce. The carcass went in for the jus. The idea is to hermetically seal the bird to keep in the 'juice'. I am thinking it can also be done without deboning the bird. It is such a pain anyways..lovely, but painful. Also, the squab tastes much stronger than any chicken. I kept thinking that I need to stuff a bird with figs. All I could think of was FIGS. Weird, that..anyways.. For the farce: 300g fine sausage meat 100g fresh duck foie gras 50g chicken liver 50g sweated shallots in duck fat 2 chopped garlic 10g chopped truffle(heh) 7g salt 1g white ground pepper 5 juniper berries, finely chopped pinch of mixed spice dash of Madeira Here is an egullet thread I started about Croute de Sel. edited to add: Here is a recipe that I have always wanted to try, but never have..* La Volaille demi-deuil(la Mere Fillioux of Lyon) Choose a fine chicken, preferably from the Louhans district, plump and tender and weighing about 2 lb. Slip thin slices of truffle under the skin of the bird. Fold it in a fine cloth and tie it lightly round with string. Put it into a pot containing a broth made from shin of veal, with leeks and carrots. Boil it for 15 mts; then leave it for 20 more minutes in the bouillon and serve it with a pinch of coarse salt. *"But the secret...the secret, they say, is to cook fifteen chickens at a time..at least" - Elizabeth David. A chicken that weighs 2 lbs..:) How much does a Bresse chicken weigh anyways?
  23. Is there a machine/appliance that turns vegetables? I have heard rumours of such things.
  24. Nope. Aam Mutton Adapted from The Indian Epicure by Meera Taneja (long out of print) Peel and grate 3 large underripe mangoes. Mince a thumb-sized piece of ginger, 3 cloves garlic and 3 red chiles with 1 tablespoon of the grated mango. Mix the rest of the mango with 4 tablespoons yogurt and set aside. Heat 1 tablespoon of ghee, butter or oil in a nonreactive dutch oven and fry the ginger masala for 1 minute. Add 2 green cardamons (hulled) and a 2-inch stick of cinnamon and fry while stirring for another minute. Add 1 pound cubed mutton or lamb and fry until browned on all sides, 5–10 minutes. Sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon tumeric and salt to taste. Add the mango-yogurt mixture and stir well to blend. Reduce heat to very low, cover and cook until the meat is tender. Transfer to a serving dish and sprinkle with chopped cliantro leaves. ← nice. I am going to try this with a chicken first. I suppose this will go great with a fatty lamb. I am going to drop the cinnamom tho'. Not too crazy about it. Merci, carswell. Thank you too, Milagai..for bringing back beach memories. Akiko, give me a day or two. I'll post the pickle recipes.
  25. Busboy, fair enough. Flawed reasoning, but fair enough. If the same thing happened in French Laundry or Daniel or ADNY, nobody would complain. Any dining group would be grinning ear to ear to rub noses with the top chef. Even though, it is highly likely that they wont come out considering the formality of these dining establishments. When, in fact, one should expect it from such establishments where one deals with corporations or semi-corporations. (__!__) is a tiny, NEW restaurant run by a husband and a wife..for godsakes! Some of us like to bemoan the loss of neighbourhood mom and pop joints that leave us a warm and fuzzy glow. You know what...mom would whup your ass if you complained about her crabcakes. The whole deal is about informal dining. Reasonable expectations. If I waltz into The Plaza, Paris, I'd be happy if they curtsey on my way in and out of the ladies room. Reasonable expectations. edited to add: Randi, deleted as requested.
×
×
  • Create New...