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Tropicalsenior
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Posts posted by Tropicalsenior
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5 minutes ago, rotuts said:
Quite obviously, nobody. Never saw them again in that store.
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27 minutes ago, C. sapidus said:
like LGBoD / shriveled gonads of ancient hedgehogs.
You wouldn't have liked the Costa Rican version. Brussel sprouts are not grown Costa Rica and these had obviously come in on a slow trawler and spent a week or so in customs before they made it to the grocery Shelf.
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I've only seen LGBoD twice in Costa Rica since I've been here and both times they looked like the shriveled gonads of ancient hedgehogs. Not something I would ever want to put on my Thanksgiving table even if I was crazy about them, which I'm not. My daughters loved them so I always cooked brussel sprouts for them but @rotuts is right. If they aren't made well they can be truly vile.
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Why not use rum extract? It's pretty powerful so you wouldn't use three tablespoons full. Probably 1/2 to 1 tsp with the rest made up of water.
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I've never made carrot soup myself because I'm not a fan of cream soups but I did have some at a friend's house about 25 years ago that was delicious. I called her and she said that the recipe was from Gourmet magazine and she no longer had it but she did go to Google and review quite a few recipes for me. She said that this one was closest to what she had done. She also remembered though that she didn't have any fresh ginger so she used powdered Ginger.
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Everything is gorgeous. And I'm sure that it tastes just as wonderful as it looks. I sure wish that I could get some decent Rye flour down here.
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This week's baking. Wednesday was two loaves of soft sourdough bread.
Sunday I made Easy Sourdough English Muffins.
The easiest recipe yet and definitely the best.
Last week on the dinner thread @MaryIsobel and @Maison Rustique were talking about a Honey Fig Bread. I just happened to have some figs in the refrigerator and it sounded delicious. I looked at about 20 different recipes and didn't like any of them so I made up my own. It turned out great especially for a first effort.
Something that I will be making again with very few moderations.
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I used to make menudo for my husband all the time. I wouldn't touch it with a 10-ft pole but he loved it. I used the pig's feet in that. A Puerto Rican friend suggested that I soak both the pig's feet and tripe in one to one lemon juice and water for several hours. It made a big difference in the flavor and especially in the smell while it was cooking.
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Just an example of what a wash can do.
These two breads were made with the same recipe, cooked for the same amount of time in the same temperature oven.
This bread was made without a wash.
This bread was brushed with milk.
The only difference in the two breads is that the second bread, that I baked today, is a little bit shorter because I wanted more surface area for sandwiches.
I rest my case.
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12 minutes ago, rotuts said:
there is no marbled beef in Costa Rica , because : the beef is not grain finished ,and is pasture finished on pasture that is marginal ?
It is that plus the breed of the cattle. They are a Brahma cross. Also, they have no concept of Aging. The beef you buy in the afternoon may have been grazing on that grass in the morning.
19 minutes ago, TdeV said:Do you keep the fat with the meat or throw it away?
Do not throw that fat away. It is the most flavorful fat for making roux. I mix equal parts fat and flour and brown it nut Brown. I then roll it into logs and keep it in the freezer. I cut it off as I need it to thicken stews and soups.
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4 minutes ago, rotuts said:
quick release might dry the meat , if the meat is not totally submerged in the liquid :
As I said I know nothing about the science behind it so you could be right. I have mainly heard it in reference to making pot roast and other types of meat that would not be covered by a liquid. I've never tried making them in an IP. I've only used it for stews and soups.
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5 minutes ago, rotuts said:
creating a rapid boil of the contents of the pot , a sort of foaming action
I don't know the science behind it but I've always heard that using quick release with meat can toughen it. I can't prove it because I never use Quick Release with meat.
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36 minutes ago, Duvel said:
Yeah …How do you explain the surprisingly successful pressure cooker stews ?!
I do it all the time.
32 minutes ago, rotuts said:personally think for a P.C. stew to be edible , the meat itself has to be reasonably fatty , if not more so .
There's no such thing as marbled fatty beef in Costa Rica. In order to make it edible I have to use the pressure cooker or braze it for more hours than I care to do. The trick to making it tasty and tender is to Brown it thoroughly and not overcook it. Even if it is nicely marbled, meat that is overcooked in the pressure cooker is going to be stringy and tough.
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They certainly look great except for the color. It looks like you didn't use a bread wash. Here is an excellent article that explains different bread washes that you could use. I usually just brush them with milk but that's only because I'm lazy.
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I don't have any pictures but recently I have been hungry for ham. That is something that is just not available in Costa Rica except at Christmas time. Then we can buy imported ham but it's usually the pre-sliced spiral cut ham that isn't that good for sandwiches. So I made some with this recipe. It turned out great.
I made sandwiches with homemade sourdough bread and homemade Gourmet mustard. The only thing not homemade was the Swiss cheese. It completely satisfied my cravings.
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Thought I'd post some pictures of this week's baking. Tuesday I made my regular French bread.
Wednesday I made sourdough English muffins.
I started them Tuesday and baked them Wednesday. I made them thinner this time and didn't cook them to very long on the griddle. I finished them in the oven for 10 minutes at 350° they have lots of holes and they are quite chewy with just the right texture.
@OlyveOyl today from the website that you gave me, I made Sourdough Discard Soft French Bread.
I just took it out of the oven so I don't know what the texture is like but it sure smells good.
Thank you, I really like the recipes on this site.
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@TdeV this is what I bought today.
Seems they've changed the color to a dark green and the regular ones are a light green now at least here in Costa Rica. The writing says heavy cleaning.
If you try something like oven off be sure to try a tiny spot first. The last time I used it on stainless steel it discolored it horribly.
BTY unfortunately, they no longer sell bartenders friend in Costa Rica.
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25 minutes ago, TdeV said:
Barkeeper's Friend
Scotch-Brite makes a gray pad similar to their green ones but it is much stronger. That is what I use on the outside of my skillets and it keeps them looking new. Maybe it would work for yours.
As a matter of coincidence, I had been sitting here for 15 minutes trying to think of something that I knew I needed to add to my grocery list and it was Bartender's Friend. Thank you.
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17 minutes ago, OlyveOyl said:
Pullman loaf, mini sized. This is a 4” square and I used a small volume of sourdough discard hamburger bun recipe from amybakesbread. I’ve made her discard sourdough dinner rolls which were delicious, so I’m hoping this will be the same.
It looks delicious. Please, do you have a link for this?
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3 hours ago, rotuts said:
push a button . when the ' cooker ' beeps , pasta is done . reviewing : done perfectly .
Thanks rotus, but that method probably wouldn't always work for me because usually my microwave is otherwise occupied when I'm finishing dinner.
As I said, we were having pasta tonight, noodles, so I gave the pre-soak method a try. I soaked them in the pan that I was going to be cooking them in for 90 minutes in salted water. Turned the burner to high and brought it to a boil. It immediately foamed up. So I turned it to medium and cooked them for 2 minutes. I turned the burner off for 2 minutes and removed them with a spider. They were perfect.
I need to add that the only pasta that I can get here are local brands that are certainly not Gourmet pasta. So for it to work so well with mediocre pasta it should do great with the more pricey element.
Thanks @Pete Fred.
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20 minutes ago, weinoo said:
just suck on the stuff out of the box while eating a tomato if you’re so pressed for time. Imagine all the cleanup you’ll save
In my case it's not a matter of saving time. At my age I've got all the time in the world but I never know for sure when my housemate, Carlos, will be home for dinner. His hours aren't exactly 9:00 to 5:00. I can make pasta sauce that will hold with time but if I make pasta ahead of time it gets mushy and I don't like it, nor does he. I've tried it the restaurant way by cooking it partially and finishing it in boiling water but that doesn't work with all pasta shapes. Using a smaller amount of water worked because it took less time to come to a boil. The pre-soak sounds like it will be even less time perhaps with better results. I'll let you know.
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1 hour ago, Pete Fred said:
but 1-minute pasta is discussed here, as well as a couple of other hacks.)
Thank you for some really interesting articles. We're having pasta tonight and I'm going to try the pre soak. I've been cooking pasta in just a small amount of water for years. And once it comes to a boil and I add the pasta, I always turn the heat down. Never had any complaints.
But it never hurts to learn something new.
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Just exactly what I was hoping for. Firm yet tender crumb, medium crust and great flavor. I'm happy!
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Thanksgiving (U.S.) 2025
in Food Traditions & Culture
Posted
I usually made a cheese sauce or hollandaise sauce. My kids would eat anything if I put a cheese sauce on it.