Absurdly, stupidly basic cooking questions (Part 2)

[Tropicalsenior]

Found this site that gives the ingredients of the chicken seasoning. There are all kinds of recipes for chicken seasoning on the internet so possibly you can find one that is similar and make your own seasoning just for this dish.

BTW, Jamaican pimento is Allspice.

 

Edited February 24, 2023 by Tropicalsenior (log)

[ElsieD]

It looks like the Island Spice brand is the one to get.  Thanks.

[TdeV]

I am making Cassoulet and have just put an All Clad Dutch oven in the oven with the lid on.

When do I take the lid off?

Immediately?

In an hour?

 

@weinoo @Duvel

 

Edited to add: the beans are just barely crunch, and all the meats are cooked (except the Ventrèche because I forgot). So this is just the end of the cook.

 

 

Edited March 20, 2023 by TdeV (log)

[JoNorvelleWalker]

3 minutes ago, TdeV said:

I am making Cassoulet and have just put an All Clad Dutch oven in the oven with the lid on.

When do I take the lid off?

Immediately?

In an hour?

 

@weinoo @Duvel

 

 

Before adding the ingredients.

 

[TdeV]

Jo, you are priceless. I have amended the original post.

[TdeV]

And I took the lid OFF the Dutch oven after 75 minutes because there was no appreciable change to the surface of the Cassoulet (and I need it to melt and brown within a couple more hours!)

 

[SLB]

51 minutes ago, TdeV said:

Jo, you are priceless

I KNOW RIGHT???

[Alex]

3 hours ago, JoNorvelleWalker said:

 

Before adding the ingredients.

 

 

I'm glad there's another food humorist around here. I've often shared my recipe for gluten-free brownies, which includes the instruction, "Meanwhile, in a small bowl, gently beat the eggs together (take them out of the shells first)."

[Duvel]

13 hours ago, TdeV said:

I am making Cassoulet and have just put an All Clad Dutch oven in the oven with the lid on.

When do I take the lid off?

Immediately?

In an hour?

 

@weinoo @Duvel

 

Edited to add: the beans are just barely crunch, and all the meats are cooked (except the Ventrèche because I forgot). So this is just the end of the cook.

 

 

 

It depends a bit whether you are a believer in the sevenfold breaking and stirring in of the crust. If so, do it right away. If not, cook until almost tender, then remove and make a (dark) crust in the last 30 min or so. The second option will of course need significant less liquid, so be careful not to end up too "soupy" ...

[lindag]

Is is worth it to seek out fresh bay leaves?

[JoNorvelleWalker]

1 hour ago, lindag said:

Is is worth it to seek out fresh bay leaves?

 

In my opinion, no.  The only time I purchased fresh bay leaves I doubt they were really Laurus nobilis.  In any event I was not pleased with the taste and I continue to use dried bay leaves.

 

[heidih]

36 minutes ago, JoNorvelleWalker said:

 

In my opinion, no.  The only time I purchased fresh bay leaves I doubt they were really Laurus nobilis.  In any event I was not pleased with the taste and I continue to use dried bay leaves.

 

Yes the fresh commonly seen are oftn California. My mom;s friemd gave me some once from her tree/bush, used them ij spoaghetti sauce - something was off. If @lindag meant freshly dried as opposed to sitting poorly stored for years - do the deep smell test - you'll know if time to restock. 

[weinoo]

3 hours ago, lindag said:

Is is worth it to seek out fresh bay leaves?

 

1 hour ago, JoNorvelleWalker said:

 

In my opinion, no.  The only time I purchased fresh bay leaves I doubt they were really Laurus nobilis.  In any event I was not pleased with the taste and I continue to use dried bay leaves.

 

 

I'm pretty sure those fresh ones were California bay, a totally different animal.

 

I've been using this - it's really great...

 

 

https://www.burlapandbarrel.com/collections/all/products/laurel-bay-leaves

[blue_dolphin]

3 hours ago, lindag said:

Is is worth it to seek out fresh bay leaves?

 

I bought some fresh ones when they were specifically called for in a recipe. I thought they tasted fine but not significantly different from the dried ones. I wanted to plant a tree when I had my lawn removed.  My landscape designer rolled her eyes and told me they get too big.  In reality, nothing I plant tends to get very big so I may look into it again!

[weinoo]

4 minutes ago, blue_dolphin said:

 

I bought some fresh ones when they were specifically called for in a recipe. I thought they tasted fine but not significantly different from the dried ones. I wanted to plant a tree when I had my lawn removed.  My landscape designer rolled her eyes and told me they get too big.  In reality, nothing I plant tends to get very big so I may look into it again!

 

But it's a different flavor, and those BAY LAUREL trees in California get BIG!  Ask your designer if you can grow this Laurus nobilis.

[weinoo]

I'm pretty sure you can grow almost anything where you live!

[KennethT]

14 minutes ago, blue_dolphin said:

 

I bought some fresh ones when they were specifically called for in a recipe. I thought they tasted fine but not significantly different from the dried ones. I wanted to plant a tree when I had my lawn removed.  My landscape designer rolled her eyes and told me they get too big.  In reality, nothing I plant tends to get very big so I may look into it again!

When I go to Indonesia in July I'm looking to bring back an Indonesian bay plant - it's a different plant to Turkish or CA. I love it and so many dishes need it. It also gets really big, but with pruning it'll be fine. Also if you keep it in a container it will limit how big it gets.

[Dave the Cook]

35 minutes ago, weinoo said:

 

 

I'm pretty sure those fresh ones were California bay, a totally different animal.

 

I've been using this - it's really great...

 

 

https://www.burlapandbarrel.com/collections/all/products/laurel-bay-leaves

 

Ground, huh? I was brought up to believe that the reason one used whole bay was so that one had to pluck it out of the finished dish, because to actually ingest bay would lead to . . .. issues. Obviously, it's not (entirely) true, but is there any basis at all for this?

[Anna N]

3 minutes ago, Dave the Cook said:

 

Ground, huh? I was brought up to believe that the reason one used whole bay was so that one had to pluck it out of the finished dish, because to actually ingest bay would lead to . . .. issues. Obviously, it's not (entirely) true, but is there any basis at all for this?

I always thought it was because they posed a choking hazard and are quite unpleasant as they never soften much at all. 

[weinoo]

32 minutes ago, Dave the Cook said:

 

Ground, huh? I was brought up to believe that the reason one used whole bay was so that one had to pluck it out of the finished dish, because to actually ingest bay would lead to . . .. issues. Obviously, it's not (entirely) true, but is there any basis at all for this?

 

29 minutes ago, Anna N said:

I always thought it was because they posed a choking hazard and are quite unpleasant as they never soften much at all. 

 

That. And...

 

Quote

But Apollo was relentless. He followed and chased her along the river banks, praising her beauty and growing in his lust. The more she spurned him, the more he wanted her. Exhausted and terrified, she finally called out in desperation to her father to protect her. In one story, her father, the River Peneus, hearing his daughter’s plea, transformed her into a Bay Laurel tree, so she could forever remain chaste and rest peacefully beside the river of her birth. In another version, Gaia heard her call and opened the earth to swallow her, placing a Bay Laurel tree in her stead.

 

https://atemplewild.com/journal/bay-laurel#myth

 

Or, this...https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bay_leaf

 

• California bay leaf. The leaf of the California bay tree (Umbellularia californica, Lauraceae), also known as California laurel, Oregon myrtle, and pepperwood, is similar to the Mediterranean bay laurel, but contains the toxin umbellulone which can cause methemoglobinemia.

[heidih]

42 minutes ago, weinoo said:

• California bay leaf. The leaf of the California bay tree (Umbellularia californica, Lauraceae), also known as California laurel, Oregon myrtle, and pepperwood, is similar to the Mediterranean bay laurel, but contains the toxin umbellulone which can cause methemoglobinemia.

I've sold them - tax free - considered a food item or like a betel leaf  

[Dave the Cook]

1 hour ago, Anna N said:

I always thought it was because they posed a choking hazard and are quite unpleasant as they never soften much at all. 

 

Sure, that's why you take them out. But then why not use the ground form to begin with?

1 hour ago, weinoo said:

That. And...

 

Dude. My mother told me about bay leaves. I do not need the story to which you allude intertwined with thoughts  of my mother. 

 

1 hour ago, weinoo said:

California bay leaf. The leaf of the California bay tree (Umbellularia californica, Lauraceae), also known as California laurel, Oregon myrtle, and pepperwood, is similar to the Mediterranean bay laurel, but contains the toxin umbellulone which can cause methemoglobinemia.

 

This kind of makes sense. My mother would have gotten the bay leaf lore by way of her childhood cook/nanny, who, come to think of it, would have been a bit prone to believe in a tale that involved blue skin. And blood.

[Anna N]

26 minutes ago, Dave the Cook said:

Sure, that's why you take them out. But then why not use the ground form to begin with?

I didn't think the question was why don't we use the ground version.  I thought the question was why do we take them out.

Edited March 24, 2023 by Anna N
Gobbledygook (log)

[Margaret Pilgrim]

Hmmm.   I use whole bay, both Cal and mid-east.   I like the control I have to remove the leaf/herb bundle when I determine their contribution is optimal,   

[haresfur]

13 hours ago, lindag said:

Is is worth it to seek out fresh bay leaves?

 

I have a tree or a tree with enough suckers that it looks like a bush and I'd say don't worry about it if you can get dried that aren't turned to a stale crisp. I think the flavour actually changes a bit when dried. I use both but mostly fresh just because I have them.