Absurdly, stupidly basic cooking questions (Part 2)

[chromedome]

34 minutes ago, Senior Sea Kayaker said:

@chromedome

You can add beef shanks and lamb shanks to flank steak and oxtails.

Prices skyrocketed in the mid to late 80's. I've seen frozen beef shanks here more expensive than sirloin strip steaks.

 

Yup. Brisket, too.

When we still ate beef occasionally (before it became a medical issue for my GF), it was always the braising cuts I shopped for most aggressively. It was a constant frustration to me the so-called "cheap" cuts were so difficult to find at a good price. Grilling steaks went on sale regularly, but if I wanted flank steak or oxtail or shank or short ribs I had to hope for a near-its-date markdown. Perhaps that's why the sous vide selling point of "make a cheap cut just as tender as a premium steak" never really landed for me; why bother when I could usually buy a grilling steak on sale for the same or lower price?

Also, to be blunt, I prefer braises to steaks anyway. Don't get me wrong, I don't dislike steak (we're not talking Liuzhou and corn here, or our dear departed Anna N and beans), I just don't find it compelling. I know I've cooked them occasionally for my current GF before her medical problems, so it's been sometime in the past decade, but otherwise couldn't tell you when I last cooked one. One of my cooking classes, maybe. 

[Tropicalsenior]

3 hours ago, TdeV said:

 

How much flour to how much fat? Did you brown the flour? Thanks.

I usually used equal parts fat and flour. That's by volume, 1 cup to 1 cup. And then, you know me, I used the microwave. I used a heavy Pyrex bowl because that stuff gets hot, and just cooked it stirring it every minute until it reached a light brown color.

Before I found the little ice cube trays, I would roll it into logs, wrap in plastic and store it in Ziploc bags. That way all I had to do was slice off a little bit when I needed it for gravy or stews.

 

3 hours ago, Senior Sea Kayaker said:

I've never seen them for sale here.

I can still buy them occasionally here in Costa Rica but like everywhere else the price has skyrocketed. It seems to be the same thing here as as it is up there. Whenever something gets popular, the price goes up astronomically. They used to practically give chicken wings away and now they cost as much as chicken breast. Hot wings aren't even a big thing down here but they see it on the US media so it must be a precious commodity.

[ElsieD]

I'm of an advanced age (78) and remember going into a butcher shop for my weekly supply of meat and asking, and receiving, free soup bones.  Now you have to pay for them.

[ElsieD]

4 hours ago, Senior Sea Kayaker said:

 

Halve that 140 and you'd be dead on. That availability of oxtails was from growing up in Quebec and my parents would make oxtail soup.

Chicken wings were also an inexpensive buy with which my mother would make 'lolly pops' ala Pol Martin (a local TV chef in the 60's).

When I moved to Toronto to attend grad school oxtails were very inexpensive at butchers in Kensington Market and I also had my first exposure to oxtail stew at The Real Jerk (Jamaican restaurant) and learned how to make it. Also oxtail stew with mushrooms and red wine.

I've never seen them for sale here.

 

 

Did they use Jamaican curry?  I love that stuff.

[YvetteMT]

32 minutes ago, ElsieD said:

I'm of an advanced age (78) and remember going into a butcher shop for my weekly supply of meat and asking, and receiving, free soup bones.  Now you have to pay for them.

I'm 48 and recall them being free as a teenager in the grain belt (Midwest United States).

[Tropicalsenior]

3 minutes ago, YvetteMT said:

I'm 48 and recall them being free as a teenager in the grain belt (Midwest United States).

I remember hamburger being 4 lb for a dollar and turkey being 15 cents a pound at Thanksgiving. But I also remember wages being a whole heck of a lot lower then too. It all kind of balances out in the long run.

[ElsieD]

From the US Department of Agriculture:

 

They aren't quite the same thing but close enough.

 

"Between 1960 and 2000, the average share of Americans’ disposable personal income (DPI) spent on food fell from 17.0 percent to 9.9 percent. DPI is the amount of money that Americans have left to spend or save after paying taxes. For the past two decades, however, the share of DPI allocated to food has remained around 10 percent."

 

From Statistics Canada:

 

Statistics Canada figures show that, in 1969, food ate up 18.7 per cent of spending in the average household. By 2009, that number had fallen to 10.2 per cent.

[Tropicalsenior]

That's extremely interesting considering the rise in food prices. I doubt that they've ever done any study like that in Costa Rica but I would sure like to see it if they have. It is now considered the most expensive country to live in in Central America.

[Senior Sea Kayaker]

3 hours ago, ElsieD said:

Did they use Jamaican curry?  I love that stuff.

 

They did not use curry.

The recipe called for onions, garlic, ginger,  thyme, allspice, Scotch Bonnets, soy sauce, black pepper and salt. Served with rice and peas and coleslaw.

They also did a killer pan fried snapper with Scotch Bonnets and other vegetables and served with the standard rice and peas and coleslaw.

As a bonus the prices were very student friendly.

 

 

Edited October 18 by Senior Sea Kayaker (log)

[Franci]

Growing up in Italy I’ve never seen anybody using dry garlic and onion powder in the kitchen. It was and it still is fresh garlic. 
Sure, the are some regional dry spices blends with garlic but it’s not the norm. 
I understand there are times when you don’t want to dilute things with extra liquid. But I am wondering, do you think all this dry garlic and onion  is just a lazy shortcut? Do you use them regularly in your cooking? 

[Senior Sea Kayaker]

10 minutes ago, Franci said:

Growing up in Italy I’ve never seen anybody using dry garlic and onion powder in the kitchen. It was and it still is fresh garlic. 
Sure, the are some regional dry spices blends with garlic but it’s not the norm. 
I understand there are times when you don’t want to dilute things with extra liquid. But I am wondering, do you think all this dry garlic and onion  is just a lazy shortcut? Do you use them regularly in your cooking? 

Only when making up dry rubs for ribs and similar items. Otherwise always fresh.

 

 

[Katie Meadow]

10 minutes ago, Franci said:

Growing up in Italy I’ve never seen anybody using dry garlic and onion powder in the kitchen. It was and it still is fresh garlic. 
Sure, the are some regional dry spices blends with garlic but it’s not the norm. 
I understand there are times when you don’t want to dilute things with extra liquid. But I am wondering, do you think all this dry garlic and onion  is just a lazy shortcut? Do you use them regularly in your cooking? 

Neither onion or garlic powder do I have. But it seems that lately many recipes call for them, expecially in spice blends. Surely if you buy spice blends already made up they will be in the ingredients. 

[Tropicalsenior]

I make my own spice blends and I use granulated garlic in them. My housemate cannot eat fresh garlic but it doesn't seem to bother him in the granulated form. To me, the trade-off is absolutely essential.

Edited October 18 by Tropicalsenior (log)

[rotuts]

@Franci

 

very interesting point .  and 

 

welcome back 

 

you bet , local fresh items are fantastic .

 

re garlic , I used to grow it , as my mother did , and dry it out for the year ish

 

and there was fresh garlic in the local supermarkets 

 

but  that garlic changed .  sometimes , garlic from ( ...  )  no flavor what so ever

 

so , good quality dried , was better than what one might get locally .

 

 

[haresfur]

5 hours ago, Franci said:

Growing up in Italy I’ve never seen anybody using dry garlic and onion powder in the kitchen. It was and it still is fresh garlic. 
Sure, the are some regional dry spices blends with garlic but it’s not the norm. 
I understand there are times when you don’t want to dilute things with extra liquid. But I am wondering, do you think all this dry garlic and onion  is just a lazy shortcut? Do you use them regularly in your cooking? 

 

Dried garlic is a lazy shortcut for me. Or it's for the times when I go, "I forgot to chop the garlic and I need it right now!"

[Shel_B]

On 10/17/2024 at 3:08 PM, rotuts said:

Im currently watching a series  ( 10 episodes ) 

 

Lincoln Lawyer , season 3 .

 

Just started watching Season 3 also ... I

[Shel_B]

3 hours ago, haresfur said:

Dried garlic is a lazy shortcut for me. Or it's for the times when I go, "I forgot to chop the garlic and I need it right now!"

I use dried, roasted garlic with some frequency, often in combination with fresh garlic.  It imparts another flavor profile to the dish.  I don't see it as different from using any dried herb or spice, nor do I see it as a substitute for fresh garlic. It's it's own thing.

[ElsieD]

On 10/17/2024 at 5:00 PM, rotuts said:

 

 

love to see pics , before , after etc 

 

always interesting.

 

Here is the finished dish.  Got a bit carried away with the parsley.

[AlaMoi]

I always have fresh garlic and also dried garlic powder on hand.

there are situations where the dried powder works "better" - or perhaps "differently" than chopped/minced/into-paste . . .

 

one is tonight's dinner - a pork chop, seasoned with salt/fgbp/garlic/onion powder - let stand for 2 hours - then broiled.

 

it's very tough to get those flavors in the broiling without burning the fresh garlic/onion.  and burned garlic is one super turn-off....

[pastrygirl]

For people with Food Savers or other non-chamber vacuum sealers:  will they work with any heat-sealable bag?

 

I'm not doing sous vide or anything, just want a fast way to seal products & reduce air in bags that I already have.

[rotuts]

@pastrygirl

 

non-chamber vacuums pull air out of the plastic bag.

 

thus , one side of the bag is textured , so that air can escape

 

while you press the two sides together , thus not creating a seal between the two sides

 

before the bag is sealed.

 

chamber vac bags are not textured on either side.  

 

in the past I estimated that vacuum seal bags cost ~ 40 cents a bag 

 

and chamber vac bags ~ 4 cents.

 

there is a hack where you can use vac bags w a non-chamber system :

 

you cut out a small pice of the textured surface from that side of a non-vac bag

 

and insert that between the two surfaces of a vac bag , thus allowing air to escape

 

w the vacuum pull.

[pastrygirl]

9 minutes ago, rotuts said:

one side of the bag is textured , so that air can escape while you press the two sides together , thus not creating a seal between the two sides before the bag is sealed.

 

I see.  My bags in question have a gusset, so the sides fold in & create a quadruple layer.  Do you think that extra thickness would allow air to escape through the middle of the bag where it's only 2 layers?

[rotuts]

@pastrygirl

 

I can't quite visualize your bags.

 

are both sides smooth ?  

 

Im guessing the idea is the 4 layer area will limit the ' squeeze ' on the two layer area

 

thus allowing air to escape there before the heat seal melts the plastic thus sealing the bag.

you would have to try it I think.  Im guessing you do not have a FoodSaver style system 

 

just yet.

[TdeV]

@pastrygirl, I have a quasi-professional Weston vacuum sealer which uses textured vacuum seal bags. When the machine is engaged to vacuum seal a bag, the air in the bag is vacuumed out. Anything soft might get crushed during that vacuuming. There is a Manual button which is supposed to stop the vacuum from sucking any more air out of the bag. It is, however, somewhat unreliable.

 

For a long time I've been looking for an inexpensive non-chamber vacuum sealer which seals when the user wants it to.

 

 

 

Edited October 21 by TdeV
Clarity (log)

[pastrygirl]

2 hours ago, rotuts said:

Im guessing the idea is the 4 layer area will limit the ' squeeze ' on the two layer area

thus allowing air to escape there before the heat seal melts the plastic thus sealing the bag.

you would have to try it I think.  Im guessing you do not have a FoodSaver style system just yet.

 

Correct on both counts.

 

Here is the bag.  It fits pretty snugly around a 1" deep tray then goes into a box.  Currently I fold the end of the bag & tape it, would like a better seal.  If I switch to a flat bag (no gusset/pleat), I may also have to change the dimensions of the outer box to acommodate overhang.