eG Foodblog: rarerollingobject (2011) - Mealtimes at the University of

[weinoo]

OK, this might ook people out: savoury oatmeal.

As a kid, I got fed A LOT of congee, and I really do love it, but looking a quicker and slightly healther alternative to the carbiness of rice, I now effectively make congee with oatmeal. I personally don't see WHY it's ooky, but some perfectly sane and well into food people that I know always seem to freak the eff out at the mere mention of savoury oatmeal so...*shrug*.

Here's my prep, mostly mixins: chopped green onion, crispy fried shallots, white pepper, soy, leek flower sauce, Sichuan pepper oil, a spoonful of melting duck fat, and Lao Gan Ma chilli oil (this is the variant with peanuts and chewy turnip cubes in it).

I cook the porridge in the microwave in chicken stock (OK, bouillon powder and water, no time to defrost homemade stock in the morning) and then garnish till the cows come home.

Breakfast of champions, I say! And a lot less hard to explain than the other porridge dish I sometimes get a craving for..Filipino champorado, a sweet chocolate rice or oatmeal porridge garnished and eaten with salty dried fish..

Interestingly enough, I tried the whole savory oatmeal thing once for my wife, who has a general predisposition to not like oatmeal of any kind, while I like oatmeal sweetened up with things such as maple syrup, raisins, etc.

The result was, shall we say, not that much appreciated... .

[percyn]

That galbi and bibimbap looks awesome!

Was that Wagyu grade meat?

Also, one of the images from the produce store shows custard apples. Did that say $5/custard apple or $5/kg? Love custard apple and miss it in the US.

[rarerollingobject]

well you might have ruined your keyboard by drooling over ZeemanB's duck but mine has literlly just gone up in flames!~These threads really SHOULD come with a warning! I have never tried cooking Korean food but all 3 of those sides look awesome - Yuzu salt?! I am still in envy of the Yuzu tabasco!!! Great week, helping me escape from my last week of restaurant trials before we move into Ramadan which i am bound to follow (at least in public) or spend the rest of the month in jail (although these dishes would make that almost totally worth it!)

Now, I'm pretty greedy, but a month in jail might just be my Waterloo..yep, that'd do it.

The yuzu salt is pretty great. It came in a variety pack of green tea salt, yuzu, sour plum salt and curry salt. Will take a pic of that tomorrow.

And highly recommend Korean..I'm pretty obsessed with vegetables, and Korean is one of the most veg-respectful cuisines there is (the preoccupation with MEAT notwithstanding).

And thanks for still reading!

[rarerollingobject]

Interestingly enough, I tried the whole savory oatmeal thing once for my wife, who has a general predisposition to not like oatmeal of any kind, while I like oatmeal sweetened up with things such as maple syrup, raisins, etc.

The result was, shall we say, not that much appreciated... .

I was all about to dismiss her as crazy, until I got to the part about her not liking bananas, a stance which I am totally on board with. Bananas! What are they good for! Absolutely nothing!

PS. Back on savoury oatmeal, it's the duck fat that does it, I reckon. Gives just the right 'slip' and silkiness to make it all go down like a spoonful of sugar with medicine.

[rarerollingobject]

That galbi and bibimbap looks awesome!

Was that Wagyu grade meat?

Also, one of the images from the produce store shows custard apples. Did that say $5/custard apple or $5/kg? Love custard apple and miss it in the US.

I don't think it was marked wagyu, I think it was just very, very good meat..(though if you're still reading by Saturday, I'm thinking I'll cook this wagyu I have in the freezer, which is one of the most beautiful pieces of meat I've ever seen.. )

As for the custard apples; I couldn't tell from that pic either, but went back to the original resolution shot of the pic two about it, got all CSI-ish and blew it up to read the price sign better, and that's definitely $5.49 a kilo, so the other one is likely to be $5 a kilo. At least, $5 each for custard apples seems a little steep, espeically for that market, but we ARE in the dead of coldest winter!

Now, bananas...bananas are $15 a kilo right now, due to the catastrophic floods the growing regions have recently been through. Here, in Banana Republic #1! Prices are tipped to drop to $1 a kilo by October though, once the glut of the massive replanting that went on after the floods hits the market.

[Rico]

Oh, and dessert: a little slice of this gorgeous, pungent, incredible roquefort-style Tarago River Blue Orchid cheese. Yum.

RRO, everything you've posted looks great, but that photo of the cheese just slapped me in the face and took my money. In a good way.

Edited July 27, 2011 by Rico (log)

[Anna N]

Bibimbap is my second favourite comfort meal, right after Pho. Thanks so much for some amazing blogging.

[rarerollingobject]

Oh, and dessert: a little slice of this gorgeous, pungent, incredible roquefort-style Tarago River Blue Orchid cheese. Yum.

RRO, everything you've posted looks great, but that photo of the cheese just slapped me in the face and took my money. In a good way.

Oh, I KNOW..I'm in love with that cheese - I've just finished the entire wedge (by myself! Excuse piglets, as my mother would say) and was nearly in tears while eating it, the taste and texture were THAT pleasurable..

It actually came from the Sydney Fish Markets, which, in addition to having great seafood, has a really incredible deli, with a HUGE range of exquisite cheese..but Australians do like their cheese. For example, this is a photo of just one of the cheese lanes at my local bog-standard major supermarket chain, and even they have all kinds of goats cheese, buffalo cheeses, gorgeous stinky French stuff, and lots more:

On the weekend, I'm also hoping to get to my favourite speciality cheese store, so will post lots of photos from there if I do.

[rarerollingobject]

Bibimbap is my second favourite comfort meal, right after Pho. Thanks so much for some amazing blogging.

Thank you! I love bibimbap too, especially the part where you bokkum it all up (a great, fun to say Korean word for mixing it all together).

One day I want to buy a dolsot, the stone bowls you place directly on a gas hob and put the rice and toppings into, so that the heat crusts the rice at the bottom up into crispy shards..mmmm.

[Zeemanb]

Still trying to reel this whole thing in enough to add a comment beyond "damn!"...over the top great to be following this!

[Pam R]

Some of my Korean friends use a can of 7 Up in the marinade. *faint*

Hey now, don't knock it till you try it

Oh, believe me, I'd never throw bbq ribs out of bed in the morning regardless of how they'd been marinated, but 7 Up is just too sickly sweet to me. Standard galbi marinade already contains one or all of kiwi, pear, sugar and honey!

Ginger ale seems more appropriate.

I'm fascinated by all the produce markets we get shown through the eG Foodblogs -- and the one you shared today is amazing. Does it vary a lot from season to season? I do realize that winter in Sydney is not like winter here (having had the pleasure of visiting once) but your winter produce looks so impressive compared to what I see during the summer season here. Nevermind how depressing the produce is here during the winter.

[ScottyBoy]

Oh this was just grated pear and 7 up for the sweet part.

[MelissaH]

And I was semi-tempted to get a banh mi next door for afternoon snacking on the way back, but sadly, decorum prevailed.

Is eating while you walk considered uncouth and just not done, as a general rule?

MelissaH

[rarerollingobject]

Ginger ale seems more appropriate.

I'm fascinated by all the produce markets we get shown through the eG Foodblogs -- and the one you shared today is amazing. Does it vary a lot from season to season? I do realize that winter in Sydney is not like winter here (having had the pleasure of visiting once) but your winter produce looks so impressive compared to what I see during the summer season here. Nevermind how depressing the produce is here during the winter.

Ginger ale for a galbi marinade is actually a really good idea! I'm going to try that.

Re winter - what, are you suggesting 17C isn't freezing, bone-shattering cold?? We're all walking around in thick coats and scarves and saying, "Ooh, isn't it COLD?". Hehe.

But you're right, produce doesn't actually vary that much between seasons here. Not vegetables, anyway, apart from a couple of specific things like fresh broad beans, or new season's garlic. Everything else is pretty much grown here year round. It's always warm somewhere in Australia; North Queensland, for example, stays hovering around 30C in winter.

Fruit is where the seasonality really shows..summer in Aus. is all about tropical fruit (mangoes especially), and stone fruit galore, and oh, it's a veritable feast that makes you glad to be alive. Christmas just wouldn't be Christmas without trying to cool down from the heat with big platters of mangoes and cold watermelon and fat juicy cherries.

You can still get all those things in winter, but in summer it's an embarrassment of riches.

Edited July 27, 2011 by rarerollingobject (log)

[rarerollingobject]

And I was semi-tempted to get a banh mi next door for afternoon snacking on the way back, but sadly, decorum prevailed.

Is eating while you walk considered uncouth and just not done, as a general rule?

MelissaH

Nah, not many behavioural taboos here really, noone would really bat an eye to see someone eating on the hoof.

I'd been planning to shanghai one back to my desk anyway. Plus, I'm just not dexterous enough to wield chewing a banh mi and make my way through the street crowds..and I like to concentrate on what I'm eating, savour every mouthful!

[rarerollingobject]

Still trying to reel this whole thing in enough to add a comment beyond "damn!"...over the top great to be following this!

Thank you! I was very nervous to be the foodblog following yours, to be honest, it was so enjoyable and well-written and wonderfully forthright.

[Trev]

North Queensland, for example, stays hovering around 30C in winter.

I'm not sure thermometers in Winterpeg even go that high, do they?

[Pam R]

North Queensland, for example, stays hovering around 30C in winter.

I'm not sure thermometers in Winterpeg even go that high, do they?

It's 30C today, in fact. But with a temperature range of -40C to +40C winter produce is very sad. You can only eat so many root vegetables.

I'm very envious of RRO. I love all fruits and vegetables (well, maybe not all) and really enjoyed exploring the markets in Melbourne (and a little in Sydney), buying all sorts of things I'd never seen before to try. I was there during the summer, but the pictures she's sharing show that the variety even during the winter is amazing. I should consider moving. Thanks, Kate!

[Shalmanese]

Which farmers market are you going to this weekend? The Fox Studios one was always my standby.

[percyn]

Fruit is where the seasonality really shows..summer in Aus. is all about tropical fruit (mangoes especially), and stone fruit galore, and oh, it's a veritable feast that makes you glad to be alive. Christmas just wouldn't be Christmas without trying to cool down from the heat with big platters of mangoes and cold watermelon and fat juicy cherries.

Kate, do you get Alphonso mangoes in Australia? If so, are they imported from India or are they grown locally?

[Trev]

It's 30C today, in fact.

I know you guys had quite a heat wave a little while ago. In farming territory that can be a real deal-breaker. I hope your summer evens out for you and the crops don't suffer too much. I blew through Windypeg a couple times in the 80's. First time I ever saw a real tumbleweed.

RRO, I can't wait to see what you've got up your sleeve next. I have to agree with everyone so far about the produce, seafood and the terrific restaurants! You're so lucky to live in such an awesome country. I must say, you really seem to know how to take advantage of this great stuff, and you obviously have a knack for putting things together in the kitchen. Savory oatmeal is something that never would have ever crossed my mind. It's been a real eye-opening week thus far. When I have a chance to sit and read eG, this is the first thread I check. Just fabulous.

[toolprincess]

Great blog Kate! I'm way behind on eG due to a crazy busy July but I just read the whole blog! Not sure how I feel about savory oatmeal but occasionally get the same debate going about grits.

[C. sapidus]

RRO / Kate: I am so glad that you are blogging this week, because I always enjoy seeing and hearing about your meals. Thai Food above the fridge should have been a tip-off. Do you have any planned for this week?

You do have a very, um, efficient kitchen, but at least the pantry space seems fairly generous (or perhaps you use it very efficiently).

Whiskers Blake and blue cheese - that'll cure a hard day at work. And savory oatmeal - genius! Suitably added to my list, but I'll pass on the salty fish version, thankewverymuch.

Unfortunately I ran out of words before commenting on all of the fascinating things you have been sharing. Keep up the good work!

[rarerollingobject]

Love the savory oatmeal - I have seen that reported more and more on the internet for breakfast along with variations using quinoa and other mixed grains.

So....what is your bouillon powder of choice. I am a Knorr user - I think they have different variants for different countries so the one I get here has the label printed in English and Spanish and I think is geared to Mexico

I'm using Vegeta at the moment, but prefer Lee Kum Kee..alot more MSG, many more preservatives and all the tastier for it!

Quinoa is fantastic for so many things..I sometimes make a big batch, freeze it in little containers and just defrost them the night before for breakfast.

[rarerollingobject]

Which farmers market are you going to this weekend? The Fox Studios one was always my standby.

Eveleigh Markets. Not sure if they existed when you were here, they're fairly new but fantastic. In the old carriageworks sheds at Redfern. I like Fox Studio but have come to prefer Eveleigh. Hoping to share a good peek on Saturday.