Peter the eater
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Posts posted by Peter the eater
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Sounds like fun. The kids here like:
1. tomatoes
2. zucchini/squash
3. potatoes
4. chard/spinach
5. herbs - all kinds
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For the first half of my life I despised anchovies, to me they were the salty brown spots on a bad pizza. Then I had the kind in a glass jar from Italy, the little fish stored vertically in oil. Night and day. So now I must know what these salt-packed anchovies are like - I see the Agostino can - are they better/worse/same?
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Hey, that was interesting even though I manage about 4 or 5 visits to NYC per decade.
I agree that Vancouver is a dim sum destination, best dim sum I've ever had.
Finally, an actual voice to go with all the written words - the two are a good match.
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I agree salmon skin can be delicious and it can also look fine on a plate, for example steaks with a crispy golden skin. I'll bet most restaurants serve skinless fillets, which is also fine. I wouldn't always eat all the skin for health reasons - the skin and fatty tissues tend to accumulate POP's (persistent organic pollutants) and IMS mercury, too.
If you've got wild Pacific salmon you're better off than with farmed Atlantic salmon or Great Lakes salmon from, lets say, the Shores of Gary, IN or Hamilton, ON.
WRT buying fish with the skin on, I've heard there are some gov't rules in place to assist the consumer with the identification of species . . . I can't recall the details.
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It's hard not to like a potato pancake. It's also hard to bring something new to the table when the eG Society appears to be the leading repository of latke knowledge in the universe.
Here's my contribution - I call it a "fast boxty", but whatever term is used, the only ingredient is potato!
1. Wash a few potatoes, then grate them:
2. Microwave until done, 4 minutes for these 3 potatoes. Form into balls when cool.
Because the shredded potato was not soaked or even rinsed, they get real gooey from the microwave. Thus, no need for binders like eggs and other stuff. These balls are the size of a squash ball. For those of you not living in a Commonwealth country, a squash ball is a bit smaller than a golf ball, like a ping pong ball. I flatten the balls as they go into the oil. When I lift one out that's done, I'll squeeze it lightly between two slotted spatulas.
3. Heat a 1/4 cup of oil in a non-stick pan. Fry until brown, drain.
I used grapeseed oil, and after I did the two batches of 8, I still had 1/3 of the oil left in the pan. That means I used (or spilled) only 2-3 tablespoons of oil for 16 pancakes:
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I've got a new knife storage system - on the wall with strip magnets from Lee Valley, four feet for $40. There is also a new addition to the collection (top right): a Grohmann 10" chef's knife. It feels as good as any German or Japanese knife that I have held, but then again there are a lot I haven't held. It's a beauty though, forged with a full tang and large bolster, rosewood handle, lovely weight and balance for me. FYI here's the Grohmann site.
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I am flying down to see family in a few weeks - for the the first time in their new place in Port Charlotte and I'm looking for ideas. I hope to leave the kids with the grandparents and have a dinner date with my wife somewhere not too far - like Fort Meyers or Sarasota.
If there is something truly hot and not to be missed, that's good. If there's a unique institution or local favorite, that's equally good. I've been to Florida several times but it has been a few years and good food has never been a priority in past visits.
I am a big fan of citrus and seafood and I hope to find that and more . . . thanks in advance.
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Hmmm . . .
When I hear "silverfish" I think of those creepy little flat insects that race around when you open a drawer or move a carpet. I hope that's not what's on your menu.
I have also heard the term "silver fish" applied to the silver hake - a tasty fish in the waters out here in Atlantic Canada. Here's a silver hake I had last summer (8" diameter bowl) with some scallops:
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Randi, I forgot how beautiful your new counter tops are . . . and what on earth is a "Mystery Shopping company"?
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That is an appealing website, thanks for bringing it up. Pricey, but probably worth it. Any vendor that offers a turkey cam so you can watch your future meal is good by me. I gather the farms are all over the US?
In the "Brief Overview" they say:
Just as the Bald Eagle and Panda Bear are on the brink of extinction in the wild . . .I don't know how the Pandas are doing, but the bald eagles were taken off the "Endangered and Threatened Species" last year. There are tons of them here, particularly at the north end of Nova Scotia in Cape Breton where my wife's family farm is located. Last summer an adult female bald eagle took two of our chickens - this bird was enormous - its wingspan was bigger than mine - mine is well over six feet. I'm glad they are doing well again worldwide, a couple of chickens was well worth the price of admission to see such a powerful raptor at work.
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Hi, I'm looking for a suitable replacement puree for my pommes that does not have starch in it, yet will at least simulate the same creamy, buttery, goodness that is smashed taters.
So far I have ruled out parsnips (are there any starchless root veggies?) and am considering cauliflower or possibly some types of legumes like favre beans.
Any suggestions or recipes?
Edit* Additionally, is there one potato that has less starch than another? I would rather just cut back than eliminate the food entirely.
Ever try taro?
They are called eddoes in the Caribbean or kalo in Hawaii, both types of taro (I think). They are neither tubers nor bulbs, rather they're specialized underground stems called corms. I can't speak to the starch content but I can tell you that they are very creamy. Cut open a raw one and the blade gets milky - they are terrific in a mash with spuds and turnips and carrots, etc.
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I don't care about sexy, I care about high-volume clam delivery systems. I'll try it. Thanks! What else?
Clam smoothie!
Seriously, no dairy - just a few cans of clams liquefied in the blender and slid down the the throat. Just an idea, it has not actually been field-tested.
How about red meat, and blood in general?
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A great theme for a January foodblog - thank you three for having the courage to share the personal details. Health really is everything, without health it's hard to enjoy just about anything.
It strikes me that gourmandry and weight management are at heart at odds with each other: I notice that truly svelte people appear to be absent from the ranks of food lovers. Yet at the same time, I also note that truly obese people are not overrepresented among them either, though we may have a disporportionate share of overweight people like myself. Perhaps we will figure out why this is so in the course of this blog; perhaps not.I think you are right. For some, food is merely a necessary part of sustenance - these people are usually thin and don't read foodblogs. Like most folks I have had ups and downs in the weight department. In 2004 when I was 37 my goal before turning 40 was to run a marathon (and to have a baby - I managed two of each) and when I crossed the finish line after four and a half hours of unremarkable running, my BMI (Body Mass Index) was 31. At 6'-1" and 230 lbs, a BMI of over 30 means obese. I neither looked nor felt obese, I felt fantastic for achieving such a goal. Here I am, and here.
My point is . . . a bathroom scale is a tool with very limited utility. Use it when you have to, then give it away . . . preferably to somebody you don't like. And the Body Mass Index is totally useless for a lot of people. I'm proud to be a man of girth and density!
edit to add: I love the name "The Shrinking". Very Stephen King.
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Candied bacon?
What's that? I want some.
jayne (with 10-year old identical twin girls)Hey, I have twins. My wife had extra care because of it too, they were mostly concerned about getting enough iron. Beyond that, the advice was to take vitamins and avoid raw and unpasteurized food such as honey.
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My wife gave me "The Professional Chef - 8th Edition" for xmas.
Me too!
I've never had a food text book before - how fun - I assume it's required reading for CIA students?
So what do you think of the book so far? I'm very glad to have it and I know it will be very useful now and into the future, but . . . I have two complaints:
One, it took me ten minutes to find the first typo - this is unacceptable for such a large, expensive and authoritative tome. How many more will there be after I spend a few hours with it? None I hope. For the record, it's a small infraction but a mistake nonetheless: the bran muffin recipe is on page 1111 not 111. Maybe a recipe calling for 1 egg really needs 11 eggs? Get a real proof reader.
Two, I find the legends to the photographs very irritating. Sometimes we start on the lower left and go clockwise, sometimes we go in rows top to bottom, and sometimes both. Sometimes there are stacks of things to make the image even more confusing. The result is the reader jumps back and forth between words and pictures. This could have been a whole lot easier and clearer.
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On the landscape that is my diet, I tend to focus on the monuments which rise up against the fabric of everyday food. I dream about the next perfectly poached lobster tail or blue beef tenderloin, how I'll eventually splurge again on something rare or expensive. But what about all the good stuff in between those fancy meals?
The other day I steamed some young carrots and sprinkled them with freshly cracked black peppercorns. It was truly delicious. A far cry from those ubiquitous bags of pre-peeled and pre-shaped "baby carrots" and an even farther cry from the gray pepper dust that comes out of small paper packets.
I think carrots deserve their prime spot in the crisper. Everybody eats them but I don't think people always remember how great they can be when done right. And sometimes I get a perfectly pungent hit of the master spice and think WOW it really does belong beside salt on the table.
Do you ever have those moments where something really common is really, really good?
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That is a truly nasty story rezcook. Cod is the only grocery store fish that I have ever seen with a live parasite still inside. I don't know what it is about cod - maybe it's just a little harder to pick up the worms on the light table.
A few months ago I bought a "Club Pack" of garlic powder from Atlantic SuperStore - our regional version of Loblaws, Canada's largest retailer ahead of Wal-Mart, HBC and others.
There was a special prize waiting inside for me:
My reaction was as follows:
1. shock - what's that?
2. disgust - yuck, it's a fly!
3. curiosity - how long has it been there?
4. shame - I'll bet he tastes really really good.
5. excitement - I wonder how the manufacturer will compensate me!
To their credit, Loblaws swiftly replied to my email with the above photos and sent me a $10 gift card. I threw out the garlic powder.
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They look good Peter the eater..but I'm not totally convinced. Weren't we taught that food acts as a sponge when placed in room temp oil? Were they greasier than the conventional method?
The Robuchon method gave me potatoes (Robu-fries?) that were neither less nor more greasy than usual. I know what you mean by oil sponges - button mushrooms and eggplants come to mind as being very absorbent. Maybe the soaked potatoes are more dense and watery enough to repel the lipid.
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I am up for any method that makes french fries easier, safer, faster, less fatty, or enhanced in any way whatsoever.
French fries rule, plain and simple.
Has anyone ever said: "No thanks, I don't care for french fries"? No, I think not.
"No thanks, I'm on a diet"? Well, maybe.
I chopped up a few local white potatoes and gave them a one hour soak in warm tap water:
I placed a single layer in a cool non-stick skillet and poured in just enough corn oil to cover them:
I turned the electric element on high and jiggled the pan occasionally:
After ten minutes I had this:
The whole family liked them:
Summary:
Sure it worked, but I wouldn't call it a major breakthrough. I used the same quantity of oil as I would have for the usual method (spuds into hot oil). I still had to babysit them, and the bottoms browned much faster than the tops. I suppose arranging the fries in the cool pan is a bonus. There was no burst of steam or splattering, so that's a plus. If a second batch goes in, the oil is hot as with the usual method.
I suspect this method would work well if the potatoes were diced into little cubes, like hash browns.
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My pig continues to bring me great joy!
Over the Christmas break I took the leg out of the brine and let it simmer for many, many hours in fresh water with celery, onions and black peppercorns. The parents-in-law have a very nice and very new wood stove that I was hoping to use but since it wasn't yet seasoned/broken-in we used the propane stove:
Here's the stove we'll use next time:
After the fresh water got to the bone, the leg was hung overnight in a mesh bag in the cool garage to dry out.
Tonight we tried some of the ham - a slab was roasted at 350F for an hour and a half with a few dried herbs on top for a crunchy crust atop the thin layer of subcutaneous fat. I am pleased with the results:
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My wife and I just watched Cleveland, Argentina and Hong Kong. Fantastic.
I will go on record and say it's the most entertaining "food show" I've ever watched. Without exception, I have learned and laughed tremendously during each and every episode.
I'm not sure why it's so good for me - the host is like a weird older uncle who's been around the block (several times) but remains cynically sincere. And there is something brilliant about the editing - there are these subtle looks and innuendo in between the more obvious shots that just crack me up.
Come to Halifax Tony!
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Sorry -- you can tell I don't have one...
Around here, if you add meat to a compost pile . . . you get rats and raccoons.
I like turkey leftovers in burrito form.
I shoved a few pounds of cooked turkey through the meat grinder just to see what happens. It looked OK but was very dry and granular.
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I saw a few commercials for this show, it finally looks like a really, really promising one.
I for one am at least excited at the fact that it's someone who has a real sense of food coming back to cook . . .
. . . you see the produce pulled directly from the ground... maybe a food geek sort of thing.
Anyway, the premiere is January 12th
You are right, it is very good. I caught parts of several shows over the break and I say thumbs up.
He's never been a pretentious TV personality, quite the opposite really, but I am pleased to see him so relaxed and sincere while creating great food at home. He makes me want to expand my garden.
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Very good words, and timely too. Thanks.
Your drinking friends could call "getting three sheets to the wind" as "raising the halyard with the wayward Hayward".
The new Bon Appétit
in Food Media & Arts
Posted
Thanks for starting the topic jumanggy, you beat me to it.
I like the new look and the corresponding adjustments to content. They were overdue for an update, it's a viciously competitive market out there and I wouldn't think an editorial board should just sit around getting obsolete.
The photos are the most noticeable improvement. Less of the "fancy parties with well-heeled white people standing around" and more contemporary food photography.
So yes, I'm a fan of the mag and I am extremely blessed to have a spouse who makes the cover recipe each month. Oh yes, that's every month!
Behold Jan 08's chocolate pudding pie and Feb 08's blueberry pancakes:
Note: I was very, very disappointed with the pancake recipe. It calls for a mix! Are you kidding me?!?! Kodiak Cakes Brand - never had it, never plan to. If I ever had the bad sense to come home from the grocery store with a cake mix of any kind I would be sent back for a refund.