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Jenni

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Everything posted by Jenni

  1. Here's a basic Trini hot sauce that me and my family make. You can cook the mixture, or leave it uncooked, it's up to you. We get through hot sauce quickly, and a small batch lasts us a week or so. Ingredients (this is very vague list in terms of quantities, judge it yourself): 15-20 habaneros 2-4 garlic cloves Fresh herbs such as coriander, oregano, thyme (optional but tasty) 1 teaspoon or so of mustard powder (100% mustard "flour" AKA ground mustard seeds) Salt, to taste Vinegar or lemon juice or lime juice or a combination - enough to blend to a paste Roughly chop everything, bung in a blender and add enough vinegar to make a sauce consistency. If you want to cook it (this tempers the flavour a little), just put it in a small pan and heat until it just bubbles. Cook for a couple of minutes, very gently. Put in a jar and keep in the fridge. Very yummy, goes with everything!
  2. Hi, I've never spoken up on this thread before, but I often read it and I was really annoyed when I read about the way your new supervisor reacted to you. If I may make a suggestion, please stand up to her and tell her that she is incorrect. Tell her that you have been working there a lot longer than she has, and that you know exactly what you are doing and how to cook to the seniors' tastes. Also, be really clear with her about the budget and about food waste issues. She sounds like she really hasn't got a clue, but a big mouth, and it seems to me that she'll try and walk all over you and behave like a know-it-all unless you put her in her place. No need to be rude or anything, just make sure she gets the message. Keep up the good work, I know my Nan would love to be cooked for by someone like you, your seniors don't know how lucky they are!
  3. My Mum, who prides herself on "eating what [she] is given" hates cauliflower, because it reminds her of when she was younger and they used to eat their own caulis out of the garden. There were a lot of caterpillars involved....now the smell of cauli cooking puts her off. I sneak it in things that have lots of other flavours, and she says she doesn't mind as long as it isn't huge pieces that she can really smell and taste! My brother is very fussy about veg (he's nearly 20 though, not a little kid!), but we try and sneak the things he doesn't like in curries and stews and so on, just because it's impractical to cook a whole meal that everyone can eat if he refuses to eat so much. He's actually a lot better with it now, he does try things if they are cooked in a new way. I think that sometimes people don't like or are "allergic" to things just because they get the idea in their head and then they can't let it go. Maybe they tried it once when they were really young, and can't accept that their tastebuds have changed. Or maybe they have a bad memory asoociated with it, like my Mum. On the other hand, maybe they've never tried it all, they've just decided that they don't like it! People like that deserve to be "tested", because their tastes might change. However, there are some times when a food does just not taste good to a person, no matter what you do! I've tried olives so many times, and I just can't eat them. I like the idea of them, but something about them just makes me gag. I've tried them in sauces, in bread, in vinagrettes, I've had stuffed ones, different colours....nothing helps. Even the smell of them makes me feel a bit ill. When someone has repeatedly tried something, in different ways, and still doesn't like it, then I think they are allowed to be "picky" about that food!
  4. Jenni

    Ghee

    ^^^ Hee hee, that's one of my haunts too!
  5. Jenni

    Ghee

    Actually, the Indian section is rather inactive. I think most people go to other, more Indian-orientated sites....that's where I go to talk about Indian cooking.
  6. Jenni

    Ghee

    Whoa. Why would garlic & onions be ruled out? ← They believe it excites the passions. It's not really a vegetarian thing. But I think it's a Hindu/Jain thing. I think it was originally widows who were not allowed to eat garlic and onions (because spicy food excites the passions) but since they were often confined to the kitchen this gave rise to a tradition of preparing food without garlic and onions. ← Yes, that is one reason for not using them. Another view is that these are seasonings often used to flavour meats, and therefore should be avoided in a vegetarian diet. As for Jain vegetarianism...well, that can get a lot more complicated! I'll leave you to google that if you're interested...
  7. Jenni

    Ghee

    ^^^^ Strict or pure vegetarian for an Indian means no meat, fish or eggs and possible no garlic or onions. There aren't a whole lot of vegan Indians. When most people in the West talk about vegetarians, they are referring to ovo-lacto-vegetarians who eat eggs and dairy. In both the Western and Indian view, milk products are vegetarian, they just aren't vegan.
  8. I'm all for food safety and hygeine and all, but life's too short to get too obsessive. Sometimes you've got to just acknowledge the fact that things might not be squeaky clean, enjoy it anyway and rest assure that it does your immune system some good to face a bit of a challenge every now and then.
  9. Jenni

    Ghee

    I highly reccomend cooking some great Indian food with it - try Yamuna Devi's Art of Indian Vegetarian Cookery
  10. Goat peppers definitely are C. Chinense, but the ones I've had are significantly milder than habaneros. I'm speaking from personal experience, not quoting an official source. I'd describe them as mildly spicy but with all the fruity aroma associated with habaneros. I think they are native to Barbados. Jim ← The thing is, Trini seasoning peppers aren't mild in heat, IMO they have no heat. I can't speak from experience, but it looks like Goat peppers is the name applied to a variety of C. Chinense grown in Barbados. Argh, I'm really confused now, but most sources online I have seen that refer to goat peppers are talking about something hot.
  11. *drools* Oh my gosh, that is so frustrating! They have beautiful looking plants, but they don't ship internationally! I don't suppose your friend could be persuaded to post some seeds?
  12. Yeah, we knew about the cross pollination but it hasn't started to really affect the flavour till now (8 years later!). So far we've been using cuttings, seeds and also just looking after the original plants as best we can to keep them going, but I feel like they aren't going to last much longer. Hmm, I've never heard of goat peppers, but I'll definitely look them up! If anyone else has any other ideas about alternative names, that would be really helpful. As I mentioned before, we've bought something labelled "Trini perfumed peppers" before, and although they were indeed a non-hot, good tasting pepper, they weren't the same. I guess that means there are a few varieties out there. ETA: Just did a quick google and the first page I came up with said that goat pepper is an alternative name for habeneros, so that's not what I'm looking for. Where have you heard goat pepper used to denote a non-hot perfumed relative of the habenero?
  13. I'm not quite sure where to put this, so please feel free to move it if it's not the right forum. I didn't put it in the Caribbean forum, because I want it to reach a wider audience! I'm quarter Trinidadian, and when I visited Trinidad in 2000 (I think!), I ate lots of a delicious pepper called a seasoning pepper. It has an amazing perfume, and all of the flavour of a habenero/ scotch bonnet but with none of the heat. It looks a rather like them too. Anyway, my Dad and I eagerly salvaged some seeds from a salad we ate and started growing them when we got back home. I love them. They taste absolutely sublime. When you cut one up, you can smell it all round the room! I think they shine brightest raw in all types of salads, from simple leafy affairs to pasta or legume dishes. Their good cooked too though, don't get me wrong. Once when we had a glut, and not enough room in the freezer to store them, we put them in a dish of mashed potatoes! Oh gosh, that was divine... The problem is, we think that our plants must now be cross fertilising with our habanero plants and other chillies, because the seasoning peppers seem to be getting hotter! Not a problem, we're all chilli heads in my house, but it does seem a shame that we are losing the original character of the peppers. Unfortunately, we cannot find a source for them anywhere. We've bought things labelled "perfumed peppers" from some suppliers before, which had a description that sounded very similar, but ultimately it didn't really seem the same. From a Madhur Jaffrey book, I've heard that a pepper with similar properties is sometimes used in Cuban cuisine, and I'd be mighty surprised if it isn't used on many of the islands of the West Indies. My question is, has anyone else tried these delights, and does anyone know where I can get some more seeds to grow more plants? The thought that I may not be able to have access to them if our plants die or deviate much more in flavour is making me extremely sad! I'm yearning to go back to Trinidad, but sadly that's not an option right now...Please help!
  14. ^^ Yes, actually I just did a quick google and found an article which advised using agar in some preparations specifically to avoid syneresis. Oh well, if anyone comes up with any ideas for vegetarian consomes, I would be very grateful!
  15. The themes idea is good...why not Middle Eastern? You can make lots of salady type dishes and appetisers ahead of time. Home made dolmades, hummus, baba ganoush, couscous salad, that kind of thing. We've done that several times when we've hosted birthday parties for various elderly relatives. People drop in any time from 11am-5pm and there's a wonderful spread laid out for them that doesn't need any reheating or last minute prep. Buy (or make, if you have the time) some Middle Eastern sweets and you have a full meal! An extra plus is that it's exotic but also quite familiar to most people nowadays. Pretty much everybody seems to enjoy it.
  16. ^^ Hmm, after I posted that I went back and had a look and actually it looks quite different to me now! I just saw the square burgers and also the name of the topic reminded me of White Castle. However, the white castle video on youtube looks more...I'm not sure how to put this politely....wet? The onions look more boiled than fried to me! The link I posted to has "proper" browned burgers and onions, so perhaps it's not as White-castle-y as I thought. (Correct me if I'm wrong though...I'm from the UK, have never been to White castle. But I've heard a lot about them!)
  17. Wow. This sounds amazing and I'd love to try it! Is there a vegetarian alternative to using gelatine or eggs to clarify? Would agar agar do the same thing?
  18. This looks similar: http://forums.egullet.org/index.php?showtopic=38912
  19. Jenni

    Culantro

    ^^^ You know, i only came across it's use in Vietnam a few years ago. I always thought it was a Trini thing, and then I read a Madhur Jaffrey book which mentioned that it is used in Vietnam, and thus is sometimes sold in Asian grocers. We tried to grow it here in the UK, but somehow it just didn't seem the same as the stuff we had in Trinidad. I guess the lack of sun, laidback culture and Roti on every corner probably made it seem less special!
  20. That's purple, not blue! Purple is ok
  21. Jenni

    Culantro

    I realise that this is a VERY old thread, but I just have to add something: In Trinidad it is commonly called chadon bene or shadow benny, and is very popular. It's made into a delicious chutney that tastes absolutely amazing. Also, I've seen it used in some Cuban and Caribbean recipes.
  22. Yes, I remember reading somewhere that since blue is supposed to be an unappetising colour, an idea to help dieters eat less is to serve food on a blue plate.
  23. No offence taken, I understand what you're saying. Personally though, I really don't think much of the whole "cutting out carbs" thing. Wholegrains and many veg are full of carbs, and they're really good for you! It's the simple carbs that are stripped of their nutrients that are bad for you, such as white sugar and white flour. I think it's great that you're looking after your health, but don't be fooled into thinking that all carbs and sugars are bad. For instance, apples are full of natural sugars, and they are really healthy! Brown rice is high in carbs, but it's also great for you. At the end of the day, people lose weight on low carb diets because it restricts what they can eat. If it works for you, that's wonderful, but make sure it doesn't stop you from eating healthy foods. When it comes down to it, it's the energy taken in verses the energy expended that matters. Just remember to eat plenty of fruit, veg, wholegrain, pulses (and lean meat and fish if you're not veggie) and enjoy life! Oh, and don't forget to enjoy cooking too!
  24. I think it's polite to just assume you shouldn't doubledip in most situations, just so that people who don't like it feel more comfortable. But if you're with friends and family who you kiss on the lips and so on, why bother worrying?!
  25. Interesting...I have always read that potatoes were around 70-80 calories per 100g, and jerusalem artichokes were 50-60. *shrugs* Also, I know what fiber is. It's just that jerusalem artichokes are particularly noted for their inulin content.
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