Absurdly, stupidly basic cooking questions (Part 2)

[Anna N]

39 minutes ago, weinoo said:

My guess is that he has one...see just to the right of the cutting board.

He doesn’t need one. A knife in that man’s hand is just an extension and he can make it dance. I find a peeler less satisfactory than a paring knife for dealing with broccoli stems. I think the biggest difference between the apparent ease with which he does it, aside of course from his brilliance, is the quality and freshness of the broccoli. Assistance seek out the best produce for him. I am usually stuck with the supermarket where the broccoli has been sitting around for some considerable time as evidenced by the condition. 

[weinoo]

I find it helps to cut off a bit of the bottom of the broccoli stem, to get to a little juicIer/softer part, before  using my paring knife.

[Kim Shook]

I hate the stems and buy the heads when I can.  I still trim those really close to the florets.  One thing I do like the stems in is broccoli slaw.  

[Margaret Pilgrim]

3 hours ago, Anna N said:

He doesn’t need one. A knife in that man’s hand is just an extension and he can make it dance. I find a peeler less satisfactory than a paring knife for dealing with broccoli stems. I think the biggest difference between the apparent ease with which he does it, aside of course from his brilliance, is the quality and freshness of the broccoli. Assistance seek out the best produce for him. I am usually stuck with the supermarket where the broccoli has been sitting around for some considerable time as evidenced by the condition. 

Watching the video of his peeling with a paring knife, It strikes me that he takes off a lot  more flesh than the peeler does.   

 

Broccoli was the only vegetable two grand-kids would eat.   One liked the head, another only the stems.    I peeled three years of broccoli stems.   Fortunately, their tastes have expanded.  

[Anna N]

2 hours ago, weinoo said:

I find it helps to cut off a bit of the bottom of the broccoli stem, to get to a little juicIer/softer part, before  using my paring knife.

Yes. That is a good plan. And I do think that the stems tell you how much you need to remove in order not to end up with strings in your teeth! 

[rotuts]

re: JP & Stem peeling :

 

he does seem to take off a little more 

 

w his technique .

 

Ill bet its much quicker and easier 

 

once you get the technique down pat.

 

using a peeler on a surface that's not completely smooth

 

is a challenge .

 

the knife // thumb less so .

 

im sure during JP's career speed mattered .

[weinoo]

17 minutes ago, rotuts said:

ll bet its much quicker and easier 

 

once you get the technique down pat.

 

using a peeler on a surface that's not completely smooth

 

is a challenge .

 

It is - you just a little piece at the end with the paring knife, and it comes off quite easily.

 

I note that I have cut myself more often with the peeler than with a good, sharp knife.

[weinoo]

Strangely (or not), Jacques likes a peeler for peeling celery - though I prefer and use a paring knife. (Y'all peel celery, right?)

[rotuts]

id bet JP has an appropriate

 

Thumb callus.

 

BTW  the knife for doing this need not be

 

razor sharp.

[rotuts]

I avoid peeling celery pre-onset :

 

i never buy it .  Id get the tops if they were available 

 

JP proba bly uses the peeler as celery is

 

straight and relatively smooth.

[Anna N]

1 minute ago, weinoo said:

Strangely (or not), Jacques likes a peeler for peeling celery - though I prefer and use a paring knife. (Y'all peel celery, right?)

Definitely a peeler for celery. I think I was doing that before I even knew anything about Mr. Pepin. 

[heidih]

46 minutes ago, rotuts said:

I avoid peeling celery pre-onset :

i never buy it .  Id get the tops if they were available 

 

 

if you can find Chinese celery in your market you might give it a try.  https://www.melissas.com/products/chinese-celery  Or try some lovage on your windowsill  https://www.foodnetwork.com/healthyeats/in-season/2013/08/herb-of-the-month-lovage

Edited August 8, 2022 by heidih (log)

[ElsieD]

19 minutes ago, heidih said:

 

if you can find Chinese celery in your market you might give it a try.  https://www.melissas.com/products/chinese-celery  Or try some lovage on your windowsill  https://www.foodnetwork.com/healthyeats/in-season/2013/08/herb-of-the-month-lovage

 

Lovage is great.  I used to have a bush of it growing in my back yard.

[rotuts]

@heidih

 

fine tip . thank you .

 

I ued to frequent ChinaTown , the local

 

and later , a large Chinese supermarket 

 

Sundays AM .  they had taking then !

 

but never looked into Chinese celery.

 

Ill make a note .

 

thanks

[Kim Shook]

I guess I'm a weirdo.  I never peel celery.  I love the strings.  LOLOLOL

[heidih]

5 minutes ago, Kim Shook said:

I guess I'm a weirdo.  I never peel celery.  I love the strings.  LOLOLOL

Eliminates the cost of dental floss

[Katie Meadow]

4 hours ago, weinoo said:

Strangely (or not), Jacques likes a peeler for peeling celery - though I prefer and use a paring knife. (Y'all peel celery, right?)

Sometimes the inner stalks are tender enough and don't need stringing. For tougher stalks I find breaking a stalk gently in half gets exposes a lot of strings you can simply pull, so some of the work is done for you. I've always used a paring knife. It never occurred to me to use a peeler, but it's an interesting idea for outer stalks.

[blue_dolphin]

29 minutes ago, Kim Shook said:

I guess I'm a weirdo.  I never peel celery.  I love the strings.  LOLOLOL

I never peel it for myself.  And never if it's being chopped for a salad, etc. but if I'm making a veggie platter with celery sticks to share with others, I do. 

[Margaret Pilgrim]

1 hour ago, Katie Meadow said:

Sometimes the inner stalks are tender enough and don't need stringing. For tougher stalks I find breaking a stalk gently in half gets exposes a lot of strings you can simply pull, so some of the work is done for you. I've always used a paring knife. It never occurred to me to use a peeler, but it's an interesting idea for outer stalks.

I peel outer stalks and break in half as you do.   Last night I gave husband a plate of stuffed celery, having peeled and removed exposed strings.    He returned the plate with several long strings I obviously missed.  

[Katie Meadow]

2 hours ago, Margaret Pilgrim said:

I peel outer stalks and break in half as you do.   Last night I gave husband a plate of stuffed celery, having peeled and removed exposed strings.    He returned the plate with several long strings I obviously missed.  

Maybe your husband could do the celery prep, Mine won't do it, claiming that he just can't find the strings! Since I'm the one who cares, I do it.

[Margaret Pilgrim]

1 hour ago, Katie Meadow said:

Maybe your husband could do the celery prep, Mine won't do it, claiming that he just can't find the strings! Since I'm the one who cares, I do it.

He don’t do kitchen prep.

[kayb]

22 hours ago, weinoo said:

Strangely (or not), Jacques likes a peeler for peeling celery - though I prefer and use a paring knife. (Y'all peel celery, right?)

 

22 hours ago, rotuts said:

I avoid peeling celery pre-onset :

 

i never buy it .  Id get the tops if they were available 

 

 

Put me in the @rotuts camp. I buy it only when I'm cooking Cajun.

 

[ElsieD]

My broccoli experiment was not a success.  Note that I am talking here of trying to turn the "branches" into something edible. I pulled out my Thermomix for this occasion as I decided to make soup.  In went shallots and garlic and after chopping them, in went some butter.  Cooked until soft.  Cut up the branches and added them to the pot along with some fresh basil and thyme and some dried sage, salt, pepper and chicken stock.  I must have cooked it for at least an hour.  Blended everything and tried to strain it through a fine mesh strainer.  When that didn't work, transferred it to a not-so-fine strainer.  That didn't work either.  Sigh.  The lot was binned and  the "branches" from the second broccoli are about to land in the same place.  The stem I'll keep and cook up with the broccoli.  I know that works.

[Anna N]

49 minutes ago, ElsieD said:

Note that I am talking here of trying to turn the "branches" into something edible.

I don’t think I understood at any point previous to this that you were contemplating cooking the branches as you call them. I don’t think there is much you can do with these unless you have the patience to peel each one which is really challenging. Watching the video upthread even M. Pépin appears to discard them. 

[ElsieD]

48 minutes ago, Anna N said:

I don’t think I understood at any point previous to this that you were contemplating cooking the branches as you call them. I don’t think there is much you can do with these unless you have the patience to peel each one which is really challenging. Watching the video upthread even M. Pépin appears to discard them. 

 

I did watch the video but that part escaped me.  I started peeling them but them decided I'd just put them in the pot unpeeled and then sieve the tough bits out.  As noted, that did not work out.  Now I'm working on a carrot thyme soup.  I am determined to have some soup!