Peter the eater
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Posts posted by Peter the eater
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My suggestion would be that you try to figure out what seafood purveyor is providing shellfish to the best restaurants in Madison. Most commercial operators, while not exactly user-friendly, will be perfectly happy to sell you a bunch of seafood for cash if you show up at the right place at the right time. You should be able to go out to some industrial park somewhere early Monday morning and pick up what you need. It's just a question of gathering the intel. One good code phrase to use when talking to restaurant suppliers is "I'm catering a dinner." Don't ask a lot of questions. Just be like "I need six two-pound lobsters Monday and I can come pick them up. Tell me what to do." That way the people on the phone will assume you're maybe not just a bumbling amateur, and they'll be less likely to blow you off.
That sounds like a good idea plus it smacks of danger . . . almost sounds like a worthy teleplay for the Sopranos?
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Many good suggestions. Before scrolling down, my first thought was to make a saltwater tank in your tub. Then I started thinking . . . why not celebrate the Chinese New Year instead?
You could do that too, but it doesn't really help with the original question. Lobsters can live out of the ocean for a week or more, they can breathe air. I would order the lobsters plus a few extras from your trusted source and let them chill in your fridge for 48 hours.
Hey, I have lobsters . . . send some WI cheese from that shop on State Street to me - we can barter!
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I would buy a quarter bunch of fresh herbs, especially if it is also a quarter of the price.
In my freezer one would find the frozen cubes of basil and the little baggies of various herbs stashed away. Generally, though, winter cooking is fundamentally different from summer cooking in my neck of the woods (growing season = 100+ days) and I say viva la difference! From late fall to late spring its mostly dried or frozen herbs and I like it that way. The fresh stuff is enjoyed more after it's scarce for a few months.
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I'll go, and please feel free to ignore or add blanks.
In 2008,
I will eat more, but better
I will make duck breast prosciutto in my fridge
I will find wild ramps on my own
I will learn to spatchcock an emu in five minutes
I will teach my kids to make bread
I will read Turning the Tables!
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The eGullet Society has a solid tradition of sharing culinary resolutions for the upcoming year.
I ask you to fill in the following blanks (which I have swiped from a year ago with permission from Pontormo) . . .
In 2008,
I will eat_________________
I will make_______________
I will find________________
I will learn_______________
I will teach_______________
I will read________________
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If you really want to get depressed about the state of the world's oceans and its fish get a copy of National Geographic Magazine from April 2007.
Here is a link to their online magazine.
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Actually, bile is produced in the liver and stored in the gall bladder. Pancreas has nothing to do with bile.
Yes, you are absolutely right to point out bile is a product of the liver.
In most mammals (including sheep) the pancreatic duct (from the pancreas) and the bile duct (from the liver) come together at a common orifice that empties into the intestine. My butcher has shown me the yellow-green bile that can accompany an excised pancreas, not something I want to taste.
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Those look fantastic!
Did you take a picture of the finished product cooked up and ready to go into someone's mouth?
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OK, I draw the line at dried mash potato flakes.
Life is too short for eating instant mashed potatoes. They will always remind me of raising fruit flies in high school biology for a genetics experiment.
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Frozen chips.
Why? Why? Is it so difficult to skin a couple of potatoes, slice them up, toss 'em with oil and then into the oven? Or to parboil them for a few minutes before tossing into the oven?
This reminds me of the "instant coffee vs fresh brewed coffee" argument but with potatoes.
Some might say "life is too short for frozen french fries" but I tend to disagree. My home made chips are better and I'll bet so are yours. The guy with the truck or whatever who soaks the hand cut potatoes just the right way and uses the right combo of oils at the ideal temperature for those perfect potato fries may be even better.
I bought a 1 kg bag of McCain shoestring fries for $1.59 CND. One aisle over, the same weight of raw potatoes from PEI (Prince Edward Island) was $1.99 CND.
My point is that some processed foods may not be as good homemade or home brewed but are often a better price and just a different experience. Taste is relative . . . I wouldn't enjoy a fancy Pinot from Oregon as much if I didn't fill the gaps with local plonk.
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How spontaneous and exciting . . . spare no delicious details!
No teasers, no problem but I'm still going to guess. Are you near Carcassonne?
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When you say "sweet breads" I think of breads that are sweet such as massa or the popular ones from the Caribbean. Since you are soaking them in milk I assume you mean the savory "sweetbreads".
I buy lamb pancreas and thymus every once in a while at a reduced price (because they need to be cooked or frozen within a day or so) and stick them in the freezer as is for up to a couple of months. I've had no problems, although they are a bit better when fresh. I have never tried the milk soak prior to freezing, sounds like a good idea if you have the time. Seems to me that removing the off-flavors ASAP is a good idea, particularly with the pancreas since it is the site of bitter bile production.
If they are fully cooked and you want to freeze them, I say go for it. They'll probably suffer a little bit texture-wise, just as prawncrackers has said.
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I have two drawers for knives, one is for everyday and the other needs to be cleaned and sharpened and purged of woodworking and drywall tools one of these days.
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Periwinkle bacon cream sauce on bronze cut casarecce (snails and noodles):
Notes:
I have never prepared winkles until yesterday. They are cheap and delicious (like me
) and I'm going back for more sometime soon. I gave them a quick scrub and a soak in cold water, all the winkles reacted by withdrawing into their shells indicating life. I boiled them for 3 minutes exactly fearing that any over-cooking would make them hard to get out. I used a bamboo skewer and it was a breeze. Each winkle has a hard little trapdoor at the opening that is not palatable and was easily removed if it hadn't already fallen off.In retrospect, a "palm of bacon" was too much - although I may have invented a useful new unit! As you can see from the sheen of the sauce, this is not exactly health food. A few garlic cloves and an onion were in there as well. The winkles have a delicate taste that is somewhere between escargot and mussels. Picking the coiled bodies from the shell is a primeval experience, something coastal hunter-gatherers have probably been doing for thousands of years. Me happy.
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Haley of "Haley's Handy Hints" fame says to save those net-like bags you get with 5 or 10 pound bags of onions because . . . they make a great tote bag for the beach.
I think I would avoid anyone wandering around the beach with an empty onion bag.
Well, they may not be too good at the beach.
But they serve well as depositories for Ivory Soap to be hung from your fruit trees to keep the starlings away
Starlings!
I think I need a recipe for starlings, maybe a variation on blackbird pie (as in four and twenty blackbirds baked in a pie . . . I assume its a UK thing). If I recall correctly from my bird book, somebody released a dozen or so European starlings in Central Park, NY in the mid 1800's. Now they number in the bazillions across North America.
If the pie thing doesn't happen I'll give the soap tree a try.
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This is an interesting discussion. I love oysters.
If memory serves, I have only ever had them 3 ways: smoked and from a can, Rockefeller and raw. The latter is my hands down favorite, with a little bit of acid and salt, twitching on its way down.
I know that oyster stuffing is well-known and well-liked but I have often wondered if the oyster flavor gets lost in such a thing. Doesn't the "oysterness" become diminished?
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Fascinating thread, johnnyd. I didn't realize until today that this and other related threads are about what the Japanese call ama ebi (lit. sweet shrimp).
I posted some photo of ama ebi here.
Strictly speaking, ama ebi are not exactly the same as your shrimp, but are very similar. In Japan, they are too expensive to cook; we usually simply have them as sashimi and as toppings for sushi.
Thanks for that, Hiroyuki. Your shrimp from the Sea of Japan definitely look like long lost cousins of the North Atlantic variety. The natural red colour is remarkable, I'll have to ask the fishermen here what they look like alive. Your Japanese shrimp appear to have longer antennae and darker roe.
I was told that my shrimp were caught, cooked and frozen into blocks while at sea. The sales guy also said that there was no comparison to be made with the warm water Asian shrimp, that the Atlantic variety was inferior. I couldn't disagree more, but I suppose that helps to keep the price down.
I think this is a case of an under developed market as johhnyd has said. I'm glad the Ecology Action Center here in Halifax has an initiative on the go to promote the local shrimp - I didn't know they did that kind of thing.
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Looks like there's a market here!
I have been looking closely at various electric crock pots that are out in time for the holidays. Big, small, digital, analog, expensive, affordable, shiny, colourful, etc. but none that I have seen include any kind of precision temperature control. One model even has a digital display that says HI, MED or LOW.
The Auber Plug-n-Play Temp Controller looks like a winner to me - the 800 Watt model is only $60. I had wondered about home aquarium equipment and I see they make one of those too.
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I have been inspired by your pictures, johnnyd.
Turns out we can get local cold water shrimp. Its called "prawns" at the fish store and they have been cooked then frozen, but they are whole and not very expensive. They are also very sweet and loaded with shrimpy-good flavour! Every one of them had a clutch of eggs underneath, which I felt compelled to separate and place on top for some reason. Dark rye bread and a "pearl" of mayo underneath.
Haven't got to the winkles yet, they are not very attractive to say the least. I guess beauty is in the eye . . .
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... oh, and he put onion peel in his stock. ever tried onion peel broth? not much fun at all.
Fergus Henderson says it is perfectly ok to use your chopped onions with skin on in your stock. Ever since i read that, I've started doing the same. Saves a bit of work and I've never noticed any off flavours. Maybe I have to try the onion peel broth...
I generally don't put anything in a stockpot that I wouldn't want in my mouth. Shells and bones are OK but I'll pass on the onion skins and soiled potato skin. Unless I'm really in a rush.
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Haley of "Haley's Handy Hints" fame says to save those net-like bags you get with 5 or 10 pound bags of onions because . . . they make a great tote bag for the beach.
I think I would avoid anyone wandering around the beach with an empty onion bag.
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Like many foods that I disliked as a kid I now really, really love the Brussels sprouts.
I would like to try cooking them on the stalk. Has anybody seen or done this?
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So you finally did it, eh? I remember your original post about slaughtering those chickens. (So, what became of that? I can't find a link somehow... did you post pictures of it?)
As I said in that post, I think my mom has said something about making a soup out the ovaries, presumably including these eggs? I don't know for sure, unfortunately. You might want to ask in the China & Chinese Cuisine forum if this preparation sounds appealing.
I wonder, did you save the chicken feet? Mmmm....
I think you're thinking of this thread.
Peter, did you end up saving any of the unhatched eggs, or is this for next time?
Interesting thread, can't believe I missed it. Wasn't me, it was Ktepi.
I admired the proto-eggs only. Next year it will be different!
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Those shrimp look great, thanks for the report.
Are those Gulf of Maine shrimp know by any other names? Up here Clearwater Seafood offers North Atlantic Shrimp and Canadian Coldwater shrimp, both of which appear to be harvested way up north past Newfoundland up to Baffin Island.
The vast majority of shrimp that I see at the grocery store is from China or Vietnam. I am now compelled to dig a little for some more local product.
Are you seeing any of this stuff fresh or uncooked? The biggest problem I've had with Atlantic shrimp is that I found it nearly impossible to find them in any other form than steamed and shelled.
edited to add that that's what makes johnnyd's threads se valuable
As far as I can tell, If I go to Atlantic SuperStore (Loblaws) or Sobeys all I'm going to find is shrimp from Asia. When I go the Clearwater Store in Bedford or at the airport I still see Asian shrimp, ever the lose ones behind the glass! According to the Clearwater website they do harvest and sell Atlantic shrimp, maybe its just a seasonal issue and depends when you check the store.
OK, I did some digging. According to the NS government's Commercial Fisheries: Invertebrate Sector, January 2006 the shrimp haul is 150,000 tonnes per year, mostly landed in Nfld & Lab. I'm not clear where the lion's share of that catch goes . . . more digging required!
So to answer the question, no I'm not seeing any local stuff.
eG Foodblog: Abra and Chufi in SW France - Tantalizing Tales of Tripe
in Food Traditions & Culture
Posted
That was a special treat - thank you wizard, yoda and superman/batman!