SobaAddict70

Maybe, for 1 clove. How about 40? And if it tastes the same, which to me it does, what's the point? There are no awards for performing more work for no reason. There is a video currently circulating on Facebook where someone in one of Saveur's test kitchens "peels" a head of garlc in 10 seconds. No, that is not a typo. Place a head of garlic between two metal bowls, shake vigorously for 10 seconds and voila. Instant peeled cloves. That being said, I do not know when I will ever use an entire head of garlic as I do not foresee myself ever in that situation but it is good to know. The method I use is a variation of the one I once learned from my mom -- place garlic clove on cutting board, place cleaver on top of clove, whack with the heel of your hand on top of cleaver; instant peeled clove. A little smashed or bruised, but you can't make an omelette without breaking an egg. Time: I dunno, 1 or 2 seconds maybe? I don't think El Gordo is advocating to stop doing everything the right way as we each choose our own shortcuts. It's just that pre-peeled garlic cloves is something I will never be able to wrap my head around. Ever. edit: spelling Seen the video, and it's great...but again, if the garlic tastes the same...what's the point? When i don't have pre-peeled i use the method you mention, except sometimes i don't want semi-crushed clove, i want them whole.... To each their own of course, but you fail to address the main point "does it taste different pre-peeled, in a side by side blind tasting" ? I wasn't aware I needed to...? If you like pre-peeled, then use them. Why should it matter what I think? Personally, I prefer fresh, and I always will.

Can't really do it with only one. French butter, I guess.

+1 for jam, especially plum confiture.

Maybe, for 1 clove. How about 40? And if it tastes the same, which to me it does, what's the point? There are no awards for performing more work for no reason. There is a video currently circulating on Facebook where someone in one of Saveur's test kitchens "peels" a head of garlc in 10 seconds. No, that is not a typo. Place a head of garlic between two metal bowls, shake vigorously for 10 seconds and voila. Instant peeled cloves. That being said, I do not know when I will ever use an entire head of garlic as I do not foresee myself ever in that situation but it is good to know. The method I use is a variation of the one I once learned from my mom -- place garlic clove on cutting board, place cleaver on top of clove, whack with the heel of your hand on top of cleaver; instant peeled clove. A little smashed or bruised, but you can't make an omelette without breaking an egg. Time: I dunno, 1 or 2 seconds maybe? I don't think El Gordo is advocating to stop doing everything the right way as we each choose our own shortcuts. It's just that pre-peeled garlic cloves is something I will never be able to wrap my head around. Ever. edit: spelling

I should know better than commenting on a thread on eG about kitchen shortcuts, but I will anyway... Pre-peeled garlic? It takes at most, 5 seconds. Leaving aside the issue of someone with arthritic hands, typing this post took longer than the amount of time it would have taken for me to peel a couple of cloves of garlic. I should time myself the next time I do it and make a note of it so I can post in this thread as proof.

Arroz caldo (aka Filipino chicken rice porridge), adapted from this recipe at Jun-Blog: As a general rule, I like my congee/porridge on the thick side, with a consistency approaching risotto. The recipe uses short-grain rice, although I imagine that if you subbed in jasmine rice, it would work just as well. This version contains Chinese chicken stock (instead of regular chicken stock), schmaltz (instead of vegetable oil) and sriracha, but is otherwise as originally posted.

Wasn't meant to imply a competition, only that PC's and dcarch's photography consistently blows me away.

PC wins the thread as usual, though dcarch isn't far behind. Mostly leftovers from the depths of my freezer tonight, except for an app and a side: Sautéed fennel and cauliflower "Potato salad" -- roasted baby Yukon Gold potatoes, with scallion, parsley, salmon roe, lemon juice and olive oil

Finished off the last of the fish soup I made a couple of weeks ago -- defrosted the leftovers and just heated it up, served with some crisped up French bread in olive oil. Also uncorked a bottle of pinot gris. Also tested a new dish (new for me, that is): Brussel sprouts, with slivered almonds and pecorino cheese Recipe on the blog.

*shakes snow-globe* Is this thing on? A few recent meals: "Fusion" spinach salad -- spinach, chanterelles and rocambole garlic, sautéed in French butter, with ricotta cheese, toasted nori and ebi furikake Mediterranean-style fish and shellfish stew, partially adapted from this NYT recipe Yellow wax beans, with lemon, garlic, Italian parsley and mint Broiled cod, with cranberry-orange-almond relish; roasted potatoes and carrots; spinach and greenhouse tomatoes cooked in olive oil "Eggs n' things" -- Onion and leek, cooked until meltingly soft, and combined with roasted cauliflower; topped with a poached egg and some salmon roe. Left: shrimp with garlic and parsley Right: warm chanterelle, fennel and cauliflower salad Penne with fennel, mint and breadcrumbs (adapted from Mario B's "Simple Italian Food", with a few changes)

Thanks heidih. Okay, I didn't go to bed until around 6 am (remember, I did say I was on vacation so mealtimes and posts are going to be irregular). This is probably one of the best and simplest breakfasts you can imagine. It's possible only with ripe and in-season heirloom tomatoes: Heirloom toamtoes, with ricotta cheese, green garlic pesto and extra-virgin olive oil I've been using a lot of ricotta in my cooking lately, mostly because I think it's such a sexy ingredient that usually doesn't get as much love as it deserves to.

Kitchen shot Even with a board covering the sink, that's not nearly enough counter space for me. I don't think I've EVER been in an apartment in NYC where there was sufficient counter space. What's up with that? Mise en place for tonight's dinner Left: Zucchini with rocambole garlic, parsley and mint Right: Thin spaghetti with mussels, Italian broccoli and toasted breadcrumbs For the zucchini: 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil 2 cloves rocambole garlic, peeled and chopped 1 tablespoon finely chopped parsley 3 medium zucchini salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste 1 teaspoon fresh mint, chopped Wash the zucchini thoroughly under cold running water. Cut the zucchini in half lengthwise and in wedges about 1/4 inch thick and about 1 1/2 inches long. Put the olive oil, garlic and parsley in a sauté pan large enough to hold all the zucchini over medium high heat. As soon as the garlic begins to sizzle, add the zucchini and cook, stirring occasionally, until the zucchini are tender, about 8-10 minutes. It is best not to stir too often to allow the zucchini to brown lightly. While the zucchini are cooking, coarsely chop the mint. When the vegetables are tender, taste for salt and pepper, then stir in the mint. Stir for about 30 seconds then remove from the heat and serve at once. Time: 30 minutes, including prep. For the spaghetti: 3/4 lb. mussels 1/4 cup white wine 2 cloves rocambole garlic, peeled and chopped 2 small heads Italian broccoli, broken into small florets* 1 oil-packed anchovy fillet olive oil salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste breadcrumbs a generous handful of Italian flat-leaf parsley, chopped cooked spaghetti toasted breadcrumbs** * I like to chop the florets finely sometimes, and shave the stems with a vegetable peeler. ** Toasted breadcrumbs are 1/4 cup fresh breadcrumbs, salt, freshly ground black pepper and parsley, fried in 1 teaspoon olive oil until the breadcrumbs are golden brown. Use in place of cheese. Place the mussels in a small pot, along with the white wine. Cover and steam over medium-high heat for 3 to 4 minutes. Remove from heat, discard any mussels that don't open. Remove mussel meat from the shells. Reserve mussel cooking liquid. Gently warm olive oil in a skillet over medium heat, add garlic. Cook until garlic turns pale gold, add anchovy and let it disintegrate in the sauce. Add broccoli to the pan, along with a pinch of salt. Cook until broccoli becomes tender, about 6 to 8 minutes. If sauce seems too dry, add the mussel cooking liquid. When broccoli is tender, add the mussels to the pan; cook until heated through. Add cooked pasta directly to the pan, and toss. Taste for salt and pepper, then remove from heat and serve at once. Top each serving with toasted breadcrumbs and Italian flat-leaf parsley. Time: 45 minutes, including prep.

Going to be a late dinner tonight. Thin spaghetti with mussels, Italian broccoli and toasted breadcrumbs Zucchini with rocambole garlic, parsley and mint See y'all in a few hours.

I use it up as soon as I can. That's not a very helpful answer, so maybe this will clue you in ... Leftover bread will be used in the next few days for panzanella and for flavored toasted breadcrumbs. Lunch will be leftovers. Dinner will feature the rest of the mussels, plus my usual method of cooking zucchini (guaranteed to convert zucchini haters).

Good morning. One of my favorite ways to eat breakfast: Eggs, sunnyside-up on top of crispy buttered toast, with an heirloom tomato-cucumber salad (heirloom tomatoes, lemon cucumber, shallot, olive oil, lemon juice, garlic chives)

Definitely there was a severe impact. Probably won't know the extent of the damage for a few weeks though.

It's not my take on anything. It has to do with my wanting to talk about a style of cooking that I'm interested in, and I don't feel that soy makes that connection. Vegetarian or vegetable-focused cooking need not be in the style of the Moosewood cookbooks to be delicious and interesting.

"Sopa de Ajo" It's a variation of sopa de ajo, this time with mussels from Long Island Sound, Italian broccoli, cauliflower and rice. Basically proceed with your usual recipe for sopa de ajo, then add mussels that have been steamed in white wine and thyme, thinly sliced broccoli and cauliflower, and the mussel cooking liquid. Serve with a poached egg and cooked rice.

BTW, you'll almost never find me cooking with soy (i.e., tempeh, tofu and seitan). I don't find dishes using those ingredients to be terribly interesting, outside of an Asian context. I'm also not a hardcore vegetarian. But most of all, it's because I want to write about and cook meals that people will find delicious and that also fit my focus on "seasonal and local". I just think that when you start talking about soy burgers, tofu skin mimicking roast duck skin, and deep-fried tempeh, it's difficult to make a square peg fit into a round hole. Though I do love hiyayakko and agedashi-dofu. I just don't cook those very often.

May I ask, how many days a week do you make it veggie? Is this the easiest time of the year? It varies depending on (a) how I feel, (b) what's available at the market and (c ) time of year. Also if I've had a meat-heavy or meat-light day ... it matters what I eat beforehand. Usually I'm 50/50 but there are weeks when it's more like 5 days out of 7 that it's vegetarian. Once in a very great while, I'll be completely vegan. I don't do that often because I find that if I go vegan, I'm ravenously hungry afterwards. Late dinner tonight -- prepping soon in a little bit. Summer (late May/early June) through early December is the easiest time for me to go completely or nearly vegetarian.

It has been discussed and debated before, but can you share your fresh herb storage method of choice for the delicate ones like mint, basil, and parsley (versus the oilier and sturdier ones like thyme or rosemary). Mint and basil thrive well in a glass or bowl of water. I usually go through a bunch in 1-2 days though. rosemary and thyme I usually leave out in a bowl atop the fridge parsley -- *hangs head in shame* -- doesn't last long enough for me to store, but when I don't use it, it's in a plastic bag in the fridge.

I find that the eggplant will cook in less time, than if there weren't any flour to begin with. This recipe (and other, similar Italian vegetable preps) is one great way to use up an abundance of mint. Just to give you an idea ... I normally go through 3 to 4 bunches of parsley a week, and about half that of mint. So imagine what you could do if you grew your own.

Sautéed eggplant, peppers and summer squash with rocambole garlic and mint Pane di Puglia 1 medium eggplant (I used 1/2 pint miniature eggplants), peeled and coarsely diced 3 bell peppers (I used 1 Hungarian wax pepper and a couple of sweet peppers), coarsely diced 1 clove rocambole garlic, peeled and thinly sliced 1 summer squash, diced 1 large heirloom tomato, chopped 1 tablespoon flour salt and pepper to taste 1/4 cup olive oil a generous handful of mint, chopped Place eggplant in a colander over a small bowl. Sprinkle with salt and let drain for 30 minutes. Add flour and toss to coat. Gently warm olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add eggplant and fry until golden brown. Drain off most of the oil and reserve for another use. Add garlic; sauté until garlic turns a pale gold, then add squash, tomato and peppers, along with a pinch of salt and pepper. Cook until vegetables are heated through, about an additional 5 to 6 minutes. Stir in chopped mint, remove from heat and serve at once. Scored a pound and a half of mussels for $3 at USGM -- those will appear at dinner. Stay tuned.

I do want to make savory crêpes later this week. I'll include a demo so Shelby (and others) can cook them with confidence.

Some pix from the Greenmarket today ... Prepping a snack, be back in a little bit. Didn't get around to visiting Eataly today ... maybe tomorrow or Wednesday.