Peter the eater
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Posts posted by Peter the eater
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Rob, did you get any rabbit kidneys in the deal? They can be a real treat when treated well. Arkansas has famous free range organic rabbit kidneys that have shown up on some fancy menus.
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Hi,
saw this thread and thought I'd ask a question about lobster,
when I cook lobsters and cut them open I get this bright red plasticky substance near the head. It tastes OK.
but what exactly is it?!
thanks
fergal
The firm stuff that's a bit crumbly and hot pink when cooked? Most of it's up by the head but tapers down through the tail -- connects the mouth to the anus -- it's the stomach(s).
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. . . . I think that we in the West can learn so much from bento culture. Care, cute, healthy. And I like the concept of competitive lunches -- parents caring.
I've visited this topic on and off for a few years now and I always gain something from the discussion. I've only ever consumed bento during urban business lunches but I've never prepared or enjoyed a homemade one. I've searched my city for a traditional box to make at home but all I find is this disappointment.
I love the concept of a lunch vessel with compartments. Taking a moment to balance a meal, to recognize the food guide, to outdo the Joneses. Food always tastes better when the author has made an effort.
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I see often those coiled up little roundworms in fish, usually not until I get home. I never worry too much about them since they're harmless once cooked. If I cure seafood or make ceviche I would avoid the species prone to anisakis such as cod, halibut, monkfish, herring, etc. If you're serving uncooked fish just make sure the pieces are too small to hide a bunch of worms.
My main seafood market Clearwater does their best to remove the parasites using visual inspection while processing and packaging, often with a light table. Another vendor sells sashimi grade tuna that is very fresh but has never been cold-treated for worms. They tell me that it is impossible to find an adult wild fish in the Atlantic ocean that doesn't have at least one parasite.
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James Peterson, in his cleverly titled book Cooking, says this about pork: ". . . there is only one correct degree of doneness, the point at which the first pink translucence turns wet and rosy." I agree with this statement in general although I can think of a few exceptions.
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. . . . And they have poutine inversée on the menu, although I have no clue what that means!
Now that's something I'd like to see -- hopefully something more than upside down "disco fries".
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. . . . They had great luck trolling for sunfish using crawler harnesses.
What's a crawler harness? I'm still looking forward to first time I try a plate of sunnies.
Basswood is the ideal wood for carving - one could make a lot of nice bowls with a tree like that.
When I look at your list I see a really good brunch with eggs benny, florentine, etc. Mmmm.
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Veal Parmigiana from Burger King is right up there with betamax tapes and cell phones the size of your shoe.
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How about the ongoing explosion of food media?
It used to be hard to find a cooking show, maybe a half hour on PBS once a week. Now there are simply too many to keep track of.
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Has anyone tried this recipe from Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall?
I did not try this specific recipe but his cured meat recipes are known to be heavy on salt (very long cures). I think this is partly due to the fact that he does not use saltpeter or pink salt.
You might want to look at the bacon thread, I found a great deal of useful advices there.
Magictofu, thanks for the reminder of that great bacon thread (and for distracting me from our election results).
I liked this Hugh F-W recipe because it calls for only four days in a cool dry cure. That's some fast pancetta, which I think ought to be on the salty side.
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This is very good stuff -- it's so nice to to have these online resources.
I've got an inexpensive polycarbonate plastic marinator that features a big plunger with an o-ring for a lid so I can reduce the volume/increase the pressure within the chamber. It seems to drive the soy sauce into the fork-perforated chicken breast well enough, but now I'm thinking it might enhance the cold brining experience.
If I use this gizmo to brine a small piece of pork belly in my fridge for a few days -- under pressure -- will I get better results/shorter time required?
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Is that a dozuki?
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It's great to see Quebec cheeses getting the word out. Every time I visit through Quebec (like last month) I find some outrageously delicious cheeses unknown to me. They're usually soft ones, and not inexpensive -- but then again the good stuff rarely is.
Keep up the good work!
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. . . . Where's your bike?
Now that's a memorable way to see the desert!
Chufi, your words and images are lovely as usual. I'm another reader reacting with hunger and nostalgia.
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It's a new autumn, and I've got a new pig. Here's how she looked on Dominion Day Weekend, July 1st 2008:
She grew well over the summer and early fall but lacked the spunky personality of the 2007 pig. I wonder if that effects flavor in any way. She was processed on the weekend and I brought home a very large quantity of pork. She came home in three large boxes:
I've got two shoulders, half a belly, a ham, the hocks, most of the ribs and a zillion chops. No head, internal organs, trotters etc. Maybe next time.
I'm looking to try a bunch of cures -- wet and dry. No plans to start smoking, so to speak.
Has anyone tried this recipe from Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall?
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Peter the eater: Not seven stones but seven tools of the monkfish.
Thanks my friend, I don't want to propegate misinformation!
I had to think hard where that mix-up came from -- there's a book about a fellow Canadian architect called The Seven Stones. Oops.
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You could always freeze it, accumulate enough and sew together a skin suit a la 'Silence of the Lambs'
"It rubs the gravy on its skin; It does this whenever its told."
That's the kind of twisted comment that makes my day, thank you strange Tsuilli1.
Great, now I'm going to have a dream where a Richard Simmons/Elton John hybrid wearing a greasy bird suit goes homicidal.
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Duck skin is a wily substance. I've been putting strips of turkey skin in my George Foreman Grill. That's right . . . the poorly designed and overpriced panini press endorsed by an overweight has-been. The results are good though -- you get crisp wavy strips with pure poultry flavor.
It's got that bacon press aspect that Dave the Cook mentions, and you can collect all that precious fat that Chris H mentions.
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. . . . Bonito is a strong somewhat oily tuna and these types of fish do not make good stock or stews which is why it is normally grilled, fried or smoked.-Dick
Dick, you are quite right but I'd replace "good" with "conventional". Twice a year we jig buckets of mackerel from the pier down the street -- most get fried or grilled but some are used for fish stew (with salmon) and it's, well, transcendental.
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John and son, thanks so much for this continuing report.
I've been vicariously and quietly following along, but I can remain silent no longer. Anko tsurushi giri (monkfish hanging and cutting) and the great Masaharu Morimoto!?! It doesn't get much better than that.
Last weekend I found a whole 30 lb monkfish at my market, but ultimately I chickened out hoping for a smaller specimen to bring home next time. Those who are interested in the seven stones of the monkfish should check out Hiroyuki's topic starting at post #4.
These fish are considered here to be a marginal bi-catch -- the tail fillet goes $4.99/lb and the rest is discarded. It's a shame.
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Here's what you get from steaming 5lbs of blue mussels from Newfoundland in plain water:
Pure musselness. Onions, herbs, celery, wine, etc. are all good but IMO all you really need is water to extract the flavor.
If I was enjoying a nice piece of fish poached in mussel broth, which I think is a great idea, I might want an actual intact mussel as well -- even just as a garnish.
I couldn't bring myself to puree these mussels, who gave their lives to make the broth above:
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I'm a frugal omnivore and ginger in any form suits me fine.
I love getting a fistful o' fresh root for way under a buck. It's a miracle ingredient that does so well in sweet and savory dishes. The sodas are great and the crystallized candy fights seasickness when I take the ferry to Newfoundland.
I even floated the idea of naming my daughter Ginger -- I'm glad I didn't (Gilligan's Island, neighbor's dog, adult entertainers, etc.)
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Those are some big 3" purple heels to fill . . .
THANK YOU -- volunteers make the world go round.
Universal Knife Block
in Kitchen Consumer
Posted
From Lee Valley, this looks like a unique product for storing your knives in a traditional wooden block without slots. Click.
I don't have or need one -- but I'd like to know what the knife people think.
You know who you are . . .