annecros
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Posts posted by annecros
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Thanks Tora! Good advice.
Concerning the Edamame, when you say boil in salted water, do you mean a full blown brine or more the salt level for potatoes or pasta? Also, what sort of texture are you looking for in the finished product? Should the beans pop or crunch in your mouth, or softer?
I can get them fresh all over the place right now. Will have to discuss with the produce people locally to determine how seasonal they are in the area, but frozen was plentiful as well when I checked yesterday.
We have a very large, vital Japanese community in the area, which is nice. The Morikami Museum is 10 minutes away from my home.
Wonderful things are done with orchids and pineapple in the area within the community, and I always take out of town guests to the Morikami, and to Butterfly World in a neighboring county.
Anne
ETA: Also, I got a page not found message when I tried to pull up the miso slaw, which intrigues me. I mean, the Germans and the Southerners know all about slaw, so it will be familiar enough that they will try. Could you give me a general idea?
Also, the recipe for the salmon looks like it would adapt well to Mahi. Mahi-Mahi or Dolphin Fish (not the mammal) is probably the most readily available fresh fish in the area, not quite as oily as tuna, a little bit stronger than most salmon with a very salmon/tuna sort of texture. I think it could work, and on the east coast of the US Mahi is associated very strongly with the Keys, and it grills very well.
Thanks again for allowing me to pick your brain. I cannot believe how nice and helpful everyone here is. Hopefully, I will have the opportunity to return the favor one day.
ETA: OK, I think I found the slaw somewhere else. Is this it?
http://www.freddyandeddy.com/recipes/salmonponzu.htm
Looks yummy to me. I like the citrus in the Ponzu sauce as well. Kind of gives it a Florida feel.
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The Hessische dessert for special occassions is the Frankfurter Kranz. But, you would need to make this ahead of time. Are you driving or flying to the hotel? If you are driving you could bring the frozen cake and frozen butter cream with you. This recipe does not include the apricot jam that you spread on the layers before you put the buttercream on the layers.
Here is a picture and recipe (in German).
Wow, hubby's German is still good enough to translate that. Looks like I would need to pull out my Dr. Oetker stuff, and buy that kitchen scale I have coveted for some time now anyway.
Thanks.
I would definitely recommend Dr. Oetker, if you have it. I go to Germany about every two months, so I am constantly restocking my pantry with things I can't find here.
Yeah, I got a crash course in Dr. Oetker when I married into this family. The first Christmas after we were married, I got a box with a Dr. Oetker cookbook, a metric Dr. Oetker measuring cup, and a wide assortment of Dr. Oetker products. I am very fond of the chocolate pudding with vanilla sauce. I have been surprised at the number of Dr. Oetker products popping up in the grocery stores down here over the last year or two, so should be no problem.
I wouldn't know where else to get vanilla sauce powder.
Who was Dr. Oetker anyway?
ETA: I forgot, we are driving down with two vehicles, one a Blazer, the othe a small economy car. We only live about three hours away from the destination, so I could practically take my whole kitchen if I had to. Of course then you have to keep track of everything and pack up to come back. We are planning to stay an extra day at the resort after the festivities, just to bum around.
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Are there any traditional cold miso soup recipes? Or would you be willing to serve it warm despite the august heat on Marathon?
That would be fairly straightforward to make and could probably be done ahead, tho'd you also probably need to bring the miso with you...how does the FAA feel about concentrated fermenting beans-in-a-tub?
Stepdaughter loves miso, and I suppose it may just be light enough to get by in the climate.
Concentrated fermenting beans in a tub? Hmm. Think the West Virginians can handle that one?
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The Hessische dessert for special occassions is the Frankfurter Kranz. But, you would need to make this ahead of time. Are you driving or flying to the hotel? If you are driving you could bring the frozen cake and frozen butter cream with you. This recipe does not include the apricot jam that you spread on the layers before you put the buttercream on the layers.
Here is a picture and recipe (in German).
Wow, hubby's German is still good enough to translate that. Looks like I would need to pull out my Dr. Oetker stuff, and buy that kitchen scale I have coveted for some time now anyway.
Thanks.
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May I suggest cracked conch (or conch fritters) and grilled grouper to celebrate the locale. Southern biscuits to eat with the fish.
Or serve it on sandwiches.
Sounds like a fun wedding.
Grouper should be plentiful. As well as Mahi (dolphin) and probably snapper. I was never fond of conch, but after all it is not all about me, and I am sure there will be guests curious about conch if nothing else.
Hubby was thinking maybe an assortment of various "burgers" to include seafood, portabella, and somehting else, quartered on a platter.
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Because it is traditional for the groom's family to give the rehearsal dinner, why not ask his Japanese mother to contribute the Japanese dishes? You could offer to buy the ingredients for her. That way, the groom's family will get what they like and you can concentrate on the cookstyles which are more familiar to you.
I did my daughter's rehearsal dinner, and the groom's mother contributed a big Mexican chicken and tortilla casserole. It was nice to have both families involved.
I would love to include her, but her health is failing right now, and she will already be travelling from the Boston area and driving an hour and a half from the Miami airport to be there arriving rehearsal day. That's sort of how we got flipped over to the rehearsal dinner responsibility in the first place, that and the sunrise wedding thing.
I think I will write her a nice letter, tell her how much we love her son, and ask for her input for ideas though. Good suggestion.
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Any suggestions for the cookies would be most welcome. I make a great liebkuchen, that only gets better the next day or two, but other ideas would be fun to spring on the Germans. They get the liebkuchen every year at Christmas.
...
Thanks for the ideas. Will be attempting to educate myself.
ETA: My husband and Mother in Law are from Hesse. No Austrian cookies, unless I can convincingly pass them off as being invented in Hessen. Although, if they are good, they will convince themselves of that.
I have some ideas for the cookies off the top of my head, but I'd like to peruse a few of my cookbooks before making some specific suggestions.Soba noodles are Japanese fresh buckwheat noodles that are often served cold in various dressings. There is also "cha-soba" which is additionally flavored and colored with green tea. They are usually garnished pretty simply, but I've seen recipes with green onions and/or mushrooms. Probably some good additional real info on egullet in the Japanese forum. (Radicchio leaves are just an idea for an easy and pretty serving device.) The wasabi stuffed quail (or chicken) eggs were just a cross-cultural idea; salmon eggs are used in various sushi dishes and are pretty as well. Mirin (a sweet Japanase rice wine) or teriyaki glazed salmon is pretty common; should be lots of recipes online. "Satay" was a silly thing for me to say; I was mainly just thinking of serving them on sticks. Edamame are fresh soybeans; usually just boiled in their pods in salted water. If you've not had them; they really are a beautful bright green in color, delicious and are nice slightly warm. One can usually buy these frozen.)
Consulted with daughter, and she says most definitely soba noodles should be there. She also explained to me that the Edamame are sort of a Japanese answer to boiled peanuts! I guess it is time for me to work with soba noodles, and will definitely visit the Japanese forum for tips.
Thanks.
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Congratulations, annecros!!
So far, you want to cover these culinary traditions:
Japanese
Italian
German
Southern
Your menu is going to include (tentatively):
Key lime pie
Cookies (Etwas Gutes mit Schlag oder Spass)
Eis Kaffee
Here are some suggestions/questions:
Are spice cookies (Pfeffernussekuchlein) the same as liebkuchen?
If sushi/sashimi is a bit much for your guests, try rolled sushi with cucumber (kappa maki) or fox sushi (inari-zushi) which is seasoned rice in deep-fried bean curd pouches. The great thing about sushi is making it ahead of time and finding a Japanese platter for a beautiful presentation. Just go to your local library & look at a sushi book with pictures for ideas.
Have you considered hot green tea? Or green tea ice cream? Has the groom and/or his mother mentioned anything about a Japanese tea ceremony? Mind you, that's getting traditional and a bit off-topic. My apologies ...
And it sounds like you got Italian & Southern cookin' down real good, Miss Anne ...
Well, a tea ceremony would be intresting, but I think they are trying to keep it low key and casual. I can handle Italian and Southern, a bit of German is no problem either, it is the Japanese that I am finding myself ignorant in regards to.
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Any suggestions for the cookies would be most welcome. I make a great liebkuchen, that only gets better the next day or two, but other ideas would be fun to spring on the Germans. They get the liebkuchen every year at Christmas.
I think the Eis Kaffees sound perfect. After all, everyone can use a shot of caffeine about that time, and it will be HOT at the end of August in the Florida Keys. We are including sample sizes of insect repellant and sunscreen in the goodie bags! I also have an ice cream freezer that I can bring along, and make a homemade vanilla that will bring in some southern there.
Now, here is where I am going to show my absolute ignorance. I am going to have to google search and egullet search your suggestions for the japanese cold dishes in order to get my brain around them! I am much ashamed to admit that I have no idea what cold soba noodles should be, taste like, or are prepared. Now, the raw oysters. Hubby has already suggested those, but I have to keep reminding him that we are the HOSTS, not the guests. I find it hard to deny him anything though, and he will be spending the day with his high strung daughter, running interference between her and former and future in laws, and generally dealing with people that make me want to be in the kitchen communing with the food.
Thanks for the ideas. Will be attempting to educate myself.
ETA: My husband and Mother in Law are from Hesse. No Austrian cookies, unless I can convincingly pass them off as being invented in Hessen. Although, if they are good, they will convince themselves of that.
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Hubby likes Tuna Sashimi, so that will happen for sure, but it is a bit exotic for other guests. Also, although I don't know of any, what about those who can't or won't tolerate seafood?
You most certainly have come to the right place, Anne!
How about some ceviche made with local fish? Or even a gravlax as an appetizer? as for those who can not tolerate seafood, maybe something vegetarian in nature?
There are so many variations which would bring in ethnic cuisines ... planning for 25 is not going to be oppressive, just fun and very creative ...
Congratulations! This sounds like a perfect wedding!
I know I've come to the right place!
25 feels comfortable to me, and I think it could be a very nice, memorable, family and friend oriented evening for all. Some of the ethnic food as conversation pieces can help some of the family members get to know each other, I think.
The local fish would be the the best and freshest seafood available at that time of year. Lobster season will not be open then. There is a "Golden" crab that is kind of trendy down there, but I am completely unfamiliar with it, and do not know how it compares with the other crabs I am more familiar with.
Thanks. We are very proud and excited.
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My darling stepdaughter is getting married at the end of August at a little resort at Marathon in the Florida Keys. Very small intimate group, about 25 people, and we are booking most of the resort. The resort has a special significance for my stepdaugher and her future husband, as they were trapped last year (at the same time of year that they have set the date for
) by Katrina.My mission is to prepare the rehearsal dinner for the bridal party and the guests, 25 total as stated, on the evening before the wedding. The wedding will take place the next morning at sunrise, and then we have a very nice place for brunch booked for after the ceremony.
I love the idea of blending cultural influences and familiar foods from both sides of the family, but here is where it gets tricky. The groom's mother is Japanese, and her husband was Italian America from a large family in upstate NY that centered around food, although his mother prepared traditional Japanese dishes whenever possible for her family. My husband is a German national, and his mother, the bride's "Oma" will be in attendance. My husbands exwife is from West Virginia, and her very West Virginian grandparents will be attending (she doesn't cook, at all). April spent her early childhood in Southwest Georgia, and is very emotionally attached to the foods and desserts she enjoyed there, and loves my traditional southern cooking, although I threw an Italian style "Feast of the Seven Fishes" for the family Christmas Eve, and everyone ate like pigs.
We will be staying in a two bedroom suite at the resort with a "full" kitchen, meaning a four burner stove and oven, dishwasher, standard sized refrigerator and standard microwave. There is a small, separate dining area, but I am anticipating a more casual atmosphere, with people wandering in and out, because there is a balcony with a great view, and lots of outdoor seating. I also have access to several BBQ grills.
So far, all I've settled on is Key Lime Pie for dessert. It is a favorite of both the bride and groom, and can sit and wait in the fridge until called upon. I do know that I will have access to a great deal of fresh seafood from a number of seafood markets in the area that I am familiar with. My husband and I will be arriving the night before rehersal day, I will have all day the day of the rehersal to prepare as other guests arrive from all over the country throughout the day, the rehersal will take place that evening, then eat drink and be merry at hubby and my suite until everyone goes to bed.
I am bringing my food processor for sure, along with my most familiar and comfortable cooking utensils.
My problem is the menu. I have had limited exposure to Japanese cooking, but access to a great many oriental food markets in the area. Hubby likes Tuna Sashimi, so that will happen for sure, but it is a bit exotic for other guests. Also, although I don't know of any, what about those who can't or won't tolerate seafood?
Any suggestions for menu ideas would be greatly appreciated. I'd like to test the recipes well ahead of the big day.
Thanks for any help ANYBODY can offer.
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I guess I'd have to pick every option except "Temptingly Different."
But how 'bout option
(e) "Scary, too heavy on calories, bizarre and even possibly downright repellant -- but if you don't keep an open mind, you'll never make any interesting discoveries -- and besides, adding salt to sweet dishes and sugar to savory ones works pretty good. So if presented with the oportunity, I would at least try taking a bite, just to check it out."
True.
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Sorry, I am a D.
I do enjoy the time to time indulgence in potato chips and oreos, but rarely.
Just doesn't seem right.
Raised in Krispy Kreme land, but not a Krispy Kreme fan. Knew people that worked at KK. Could get all I wanted for free. Didn't care. Maybe I knew too much?
The chocolate glazed, I can eat two or three per year, if I am feeling frisky. Don't care for the straight up KK.
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Oh, squirrel that has been dining in my grandfather's pecan trees, fat and sassy, yep a 22 and never a shotgun. Those pellets can ruin an otherwise lovely meal.
Fried up with grits and eggs and gravy early in the morning.
I think there is a cold weather issue with squirrel as well. Parasites, typical of other game.
It has been years. Now they just rob my bird feeder with impunity. I watch them and giggle, but my suburban squirrels are not nearly the fine fat specimens that conspired to harvest all of my grandfather's pecans, and bury them for hard times.
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I've never been diagnosed with a food allergy, but bananas, black walnuts, canteloupe and raw carrots make my mouth itch like crazy! I eat them all anyway, despite frequent castigations from family (hi mom!) about how I'm playing russian roulette with my health.
It really bothers me that people claim to be "allergic" to things they are truly not, either foods or scents. I sympathize if you don't want to explain the particulars of your specific less-heard-of medical condition, but people who merely are seeking to avoid a food they don't like/doesn't agree with them shouldn't claim to be "allergic." It makes it harder for people with TRUE allergies to get their requests taken seriously, ESPECIALLY in restaurants.
Maybe I'm paranoid, but I am scrupulous about keeping track of friends' food preferences and dietary restrictions because I want to eat out/in with them and don't want them to think I'm an unpleasant co-diner/cook because I'm judging them for being difficult, whiny little babies.
(I secretly do, but nobody has to know but us chickens!)
Im right there with you. I dont want to injure anyone at the dinner table but it does upset me when those without allergies use that and make it harder for those with serioius allergies. I guess im learning from this little discussion is that there really are all kinds. And ones perception is ones reality so its a tough spot for the caring food preparer to be put in.
Well, you never really know what another person is going through. Sometimes, I know that I take things personally when they are really not directed at me. I call it being human.
Do the best you can. That is all that anyone can ask.
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Does it belittle an actual food allergy when someone says they have an allergy but are really just sensetive to a food?
Yes.
I believe it does.
Allergy and "sensitivity" very different things. If a person becomes physically ill exhibiting symptoms it is one thing. If a particular food item or ingredient doesn't "agree" with someone that's quite different.
(I'm sure someone really qualified here-maybe DocSconz could step in and help sort this out)
Actually, an allergy is a subset of "sensitivity." People who are photosensitive effectively have an allergy to light, breaking out in hives. The body's immune system reacts inappropriately.
Take it from scleroderma girl here. I have a deep itch with my autoimmune disease, which is the result of histimine being deposited in my flesh.
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A lot of the allergies being listed by everyone aren't even allergies. Crohn's disease or colities are bowel diseases, not allergies. Lactose intolerance is not an allergy; neither is an upset tummy when you eat something that occasionally disagrees with you or causes gas or diarrhea, no matter how uncomfortable it may be.
I think John L hit the nail on the head. Not to belittle those with actual allergies, because I do know they are very real for some people, but I agree this is just another way for media and culture to perpetuate another level of the "fear of food/food is bad for you" syndrome that's been festering for decades.
Well, to be fair, it is a lot easier to say you have an "allergy" than to explain the mechanics of an inflammatory bowel disorder. And sometimes, people take the phrase "I can't have..." to imply that there is an allergy, and it is easier just to let that sleeping dog lie. Quite often I am forced to leave food on the plate, because my GI cannot handle the portion. I always apologize and smile sweetly, and I know that I have brusied some egos from time to time, but I HAVE to stop at a certain point.
The less said, the better. Especially at a dinner party. People really do not want to know, and those that are stricken with it are not inclined discuss. Makes it that much easier to enjoy what you can, relax, and have a good time. Besides, why should a guest have to produce medical records in order to pass on a particular dish? It really isn't anyone else's business. I don't want to share, and you don't want to know.
Which is on topic in this particular thread, concerning those that "say" they are allergic to this or that.
We are not talking just some discomfort here, either. Many people with inflammatory bowel diseases also have malabsorption issues and can eat all day and still starve to death, and diarrhea can put you in the ER pretty quick with dehydration.
Been there, done that. Had a tube in my arm and two full bags of saline in order to stave off the admission.
It is hard for anyone who has never lived with someone with this sort of disorder to understand. The typical person has an upset tummy for a day or two, then they are back to work. There is no predetermined "sick" time with these illnesses, and there is really nothing to do for them except treat the symptoms as they arise. A social situation will not clue you in to the realities of what some people are living with. Most are very adept at keeping it together for a few hours.
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Hosts should never question a guest as to why they didn't eat something.
Amen to that!!
I have Crohn's disease, an inflammatory digestive disorder with occasionally unfortunate consequences. There is no "set list" of what I can and cannot eat (except broccoli and other Brassica veggies, I can't eat many of them in one dat.... too bad....
). Sometimes, there are certain normal foods that I know will make me sick. If I pick at a item that a host serves, sometimes a barrage of questions ensues: "did you not like it?" "was it too salty?" ... "can I make you something else?".....etc.
My extended family is particularly guilty of this. Sometimes I want to scream at them "If I eat this, I'll be in the little girl's room for the next 8 hours!!" Maybe next time I will
So sorry about the Crohn's. I know it is miserable.
Don't bother demonstrating for your family. After all, they won't be in the little girls room holding your hand. Trust me. Hubby is the only one in the family that truly appreciates the extent of my much less serious bowel disorder, and only because we share the master bedroom.
Not pretty.
Funny how you can tell what is going to make you sick as soon as you smell it, isn't it? I have had the same experience. Listening to your body is the important thing.
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I think the aging issue needs to be taken into account as well.
After all, those kids in the Woodstock video cavorting in the mud and dropping acid are now retired with grandchildren, and things change my friends. Things change. The boomers are a significant proportion of the US population.
You adjust and move on, but your body changes as it ages, and you have to change your habits in order to cope.
Maybe we are living longer than we were designed for? I heard the other day that the 100th birthday may very well become closer to the norm than exceptional.
Don't know, but I want to eat what I like when I want to eat it. I just can't pull the all night, drunken, bar hopping binge any more without paying for a couple of days. Turns out, I no longer have a desire to do so.
Learned the hard way! If I knew I was going to live to be this old, I would have taken better care of myself.
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I'm certainly not trying to in any way belittle what are real and serious allergies, but I don't really understand why it seems so much more common across the pond. Any thoughts?
Si
Interesting question.
For example, everyday there seem to be more people with lactose intolerance in the US, and most of them won't even touch aged cheeses under the pretext that they will get sick. Of course, aged cheeses have had all, or the vast majority of the lactose in the milk converted into different compounds by the bacteria, and thus shouldn't impact the lactose intolerant person's health. I recommend reading the article, because though he is--always--being a bit facetious, I think he is also hitting on some truth (i.e., many people have imagined allergies). However, I also think that food allergies--knowing about them and being tested for them--have become part of US culture.
Well, according to my GI doc (yeah, I've got one
), celiac sprue is one of the most underdiagnosed illnesses in the world, and lets face it, there is gluten EVERYWHERE. That and Lactose Intolerance are particularly insipid, I think, because so much of it is "hidden" in other product and day to day items people come into contact with. For example, adhesives on postage stamps and envelopes contain lactose. Got to love those self adhesive thingys. 3M did something right. I think people are generally exposed to the allergen, and don't know it. They just know they are sick with something.
Fortunately, there are very well defined tests for these problems these days, and any competant medical practitioner should be able to pinpoint these problems definitively, right off the bat. I have neither problem.
Now, IBS, is another issue. Stress, I think. Stress kills. Although it may go the way of ulcers eventually, for which they have found a specific medical test for, and yes it is a bacteria. I don't have an ulcer, but I do have IBS. Doc prefers to call it "Undifferentiated Inflammatory Bowel Disorder." I call it crappy.
Go figure. There is so much they have yet to learn about the human body. In the meantime:
Eat, drink and be happy - what you can and while you can!
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That's an excellent question Simon_S. I don't know the answer, but am eagerly awaiting responses from others.
In my case, sensitivities and allergies developed as I reached middle age, and seem to have come into play hand in hand with a chronic illness that developed at the same time. I have never been terribly keen on shellfish, with the exception of shrimp, my entire life. I had a medical test run which required contrast, and had an ugly reaction. I was advised by my doctor to avoid shellfish, which I always have, but now I am even conscious of the shrimp that I do eat, and am a bit careful with ocean fish. We switched to kosher salt several years ago. It is amazing that the body knows what it can handle sometimes, before we are rudely awakened. Hopefully, the more I limit my exposure, the longer I will be able to enjoy these foods in moderation. I can't stand regular table salt at all. Tastes incredibly metallic to me.
My mother had a thing for a while with graveyards. Not a morbid thing, but she wanted to make sure that we knew where our great granparents, great greats, and even great great great grandparents were buried, because much information can be gleaned from death records and tombstones. I was struck at the time at the number of women ancestors and relatives that died in the third or fourth decade of life, which is the typical age of onset for my particular flavor of illness. It may simply be a case of improved medical care, and appropriate diagnosis. Or it may be an exposure issue. I am not sure.
We keep the epipens handy. Between my bad reaction to iodine, and a son who is deathly allergic to bee stings, it makes sense.
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Thank Edna! It was really a wonderful roast, and it seems to "bloom" as it bakes. The aroma is amazing when it goes into the oven, but occaisionally we would get the lovely whiff in the air as the flavors developed, and each whiff was richer and more complex than the last. This is definitely a keeper.
Gifted Gourmet, that apple cake looks great, and I am a big Granny Smith fan. We even eat them out of hand around here for snacks. Going to have to try that cake soon.
I did the roast chicken from "In Persuit of Flavor" last night, only I added carrots, onions, celery and potatoes to the bottom of the roaster. It was chickeny perfection! No pictures, hubby came in hungry as a bear.
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Why not "limit" their choices to food that is healthier? Why are their choices questionable. A hungry child will eat healthy if thats all there is to choose from. Who has the food service contract for your school? Is profit thier goal? Hmmmm...
Exactly. What are the chicken nuggets, fried OR baked, doing in the lunch line as an offering?
Everybody here knows it is just saline and chicken "parts." Just check out any Tyson plant. They go in chickens, and come out "nuggets" of all the unholy things to do to a perfectly good chicken.
And if that brownie is so evil, why offer it in the first place to these "innocent" young pucks?
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Well, thinking back upon my own school lunch days, and after checking with my kids, it probably won't make any difference at all.
They trade. They get the plate and eat what they want and throw away the rest. Sometimes they throw the lunch you packed them into the garbage, and skip lunch. Just because mom and dad bought that lunch, doesn't mean they eat it.
If they just offered a good, well rounded, nutritionally sound lunch to everybody and at all times, Mom and Dad wouldn't have to hurt their heads keeping track of the kids intake. If the kid is hungry, and he or she will be if they get sufficient exercise, the kid will at least try what is offered.
I have a problem with some of the shift of responsibility for children that are in their charge, by school administration.
Also, Mom and Dad have to let go sometime. Going to school is one of those learning experiences that kids go through while transitioning from childhood to adulthood.
MOO
Guy Food
in Food Traditions & Culture
Posted
Love it.
My man sits down on the couch, 5 minutes after a great dinner that he has stuffed himself to the gills on, full of fat and other wonderful stuff, and then he:
Downs a QUART of Hagen Dazs in one sitting and about 10 to 15 minutes time elapsed from dinner.
He's all man too. I sleep with him every night.
Maybe it is the speed of fat consumption that makes it manly?