mamster's mystery basket challenge

[mamster]

Put on your thinking toques, because it’s time for the first unofficial eGullet market basket challenge, presented by mamster. Even though I’m an eGullet coordinator, this activity is not an officially sanctioned event, and if you cut your finger off while prepping one of the ingredients, eGullet is not responsible.

Here are the ground rules. You are to build a meal (for as many or as few people as you like) with the ingredients listed below. You don’t have to use all the ingredients, but I encourage you to use as many as possible. Quantity is not important--if you want to use 16 lemons, go right ahead. Dessert is not necessary or expected, nor is any particular number or sequence of dishes. If you want to do an appetizer, first course, and main course, do it. If you want to do a main course with three sides, do it. If you want to throw everything into a stew pot, well, yuck.

For a great description of how professional chefs handle this type of activity, see The Soul of a Chef by Michael Ruhlman.

The most important rule is you have to actually cook the food. The fun part will be sharing our successes, failures, and wacky mishaps on the way to market basket nirvana. This is not a contest. It’s a learning experience.

All of these ingredients should be readily available in grocery stores. You have wide latitude to supplement the core ingredients with stock from your pantry, but remember that the core ingredients should be featured and the pantry ingredients supplemental. That means even though onions and eggs are allowed in your pantry, an omelet stuffed with grilled onions would not be in the spirit of the market basket.

If you don’t have the time or inclination to do the full exercise, feel free to do a simplified version by generating just one main dish from some of the chosen ingredients.

Any and all reference materials are fine, but if you use cookbooks, try to use them as idea generators rather than sources of finished recipes. The goal of the market basket is to think on your feet and improvise a little.

You have two weeks to plan and prepare your meals. I’ll start a new thread on January 28; as soon as you see it, you may begin reporting your results. Photos are welcome. In the meantime, feel free to post questions on this thread (I’m sure I’ve left something out or said something ridiculous, since this is total seat-of-the-pants piloting), but no spoilers, please. If you’d like, you can mention you’re participating and thereby open yourself for PMs from people who are stumped.

Thank you Anna N for coming up with this idea. Have a great time.

Vegetables/Fruits

Lemon or lime

Cremini mushrooms

Napa cabbage

Kabocha squash (or substitute butternut)

Jalapeño pepper

Protein

Chicken thighs

Bacon

Tuna (fresh or frozen but not canned; substitute mackerel or other dark-fleshed fish)

Pecans

Grains/Starches

Yukon Gold potato

Lentils (preferably French green)

Examples of acceptable pantry items

Salt

Any fresh or dried herbs and spices

Any vinegar, oil, or wine

Aromatics:

* carrot

* celery

* onion

* ginger

* garlic

* scallion

Butter, milk, cream, eggs

Dried pasta, rice

Flour, cornstarch

stock/broth

Examples of unacceptable pantry items

Blue cheese

Steak

Pie

[col klink]

Hmmm, I'm going to have to find my thinking toque, but as long as bacon is an ingredient, I think everyone is a winner.

[Anna N]

Masterful, mamster. Thanks.

Does salmon qualify as a "dark-fleshed fish"?

[mamster]

Does salmon qualify as a "dark-fleshed fish"?

That would be fine.

[Dave the Cook]

If at all possible, I'm in.

But I want it on the record that the Dave household considers blue cheese a pantry staple.

[Fat Guy]

I've always thought it would be funny to use only the pantry items in one of these contests. Like, everybody else is making tuna carpaccio with jalapenos and pecans, and I'm making pancakes. Maybe it's just me.

[Miss J]

I'm assuming that those of us who can't get Yukon Gold potatoes can substitute any other type of potato. Yes?

[Wilfrid]

Great. Chicken or tuna. How I love American gastronomy.

[Dave the Cook]

Great.  Chicken or tuna.  How I love American gastronomy. 

That's West Coast gastronomy.

A Southerner would have at least included pork.

[MsRamsey]

Great.  Chicken or tuna.  How I love American gastronomy.  

That's West Coast gastronomy.

A Southerner would have at least included pork.

There's always next time!

[nightscotsman]

Great.  Chicken or tuna.  How I love American gastronomy.  

That's West Coast gastronomy.

A Southerner would have at least included pork.

I don't think that's "kosher" bacon on the list.

[LaurieA-B]

Great.  Chicken or tuna.  

Yo, Wilfrid. While Matthew was working on the ingredients list, I was adamant that it should be accessible to anyone who wanted to take the challenge--meaning that the ingredients should sound familiar to almost anyone, even inexperienced cooks, and they should be ingredients that almost anyone can buy at the grocery store. As this is the first activity of this type on egullet, I felt the accessibility was important. If this works out there may be more mystery baskets, with more unusual/challenging ingredients, in the future. We also wanted to include ingredients that people could use in a variety of ways, to make an Italian-, Chinese-, Thai-, French-, or even--perhaps--American-influenced meal.

When he started writing the list, the first thing I said was, "Bacon." Of course, of course.

FG, in The Soul of a Chef one chef loses major points for not using enough of the mystery basket items and taking a lot from parstock. I love that first section of the book. It's like reading a mystery/suspense novel: And Then There Were None. Fortunately, we here at egullet are not in the least competitive.

[Dave the Cook]

Great.  Chicken or tuna.  How I love American gastronomy.  

That's West Coast gastronomy.

A Southerner would have at least included pork.

I don't think that's "kosher" bacon on the list.

Oops.

I see no reason why mamster's sense of fairness should exempt him from ridicule.

[Wilfrid]

Don't mind me, carry on.

[mamster]

In fact, Laurie made me take out something that she said might be hard to get. I can't remember what it was.

Substitute any potato, by all means. Also substitute pork for any of the ingredients. Fat Guy, I'm kicking you out of my culinary academy. Wilfrid, substitute duck embryo for the tuna and gummy worms for the chicken.

[Dave the Cook]

I'm sorry.

Can I come back and play?

[Really Nice!]

Very cool. Count me in! Do we get extra credit for photos?

A Southerner would have at least included pork...  

...I don't think that's "kosher" bacon on the list.

To quote Homer (guess which one?)

"Oh sure, Lisa! Pork, bacon, and ham all come from the same animal. And does this "magical" animal have a name?!?!

[mamster]

I'm sorry.

Can I come back and play?

Sorry, include numerous smiley faces above.

[Dave the Cook]

A Southerner would have at least included pork...  

...I don't think that's "kosher" bacon on the list.

To quote Homer (guess which one?)

"Oh sure, Lisa! Pork, bacon, and ham all come from the same animal. And does this "magical" animal have a name?!?!

Pig = pork = bacon. I get it now. Guess I missed that episode.

Mamster: me too.

[Anna N]

Couldn't find "The Soul of a Chef" in the library or our bookstore. (But my library coughed up both The French Laundry Cookbook and Gourmet Cooking for Dummies!). Did find a book called "Culinary Artistry" by Andrew Dornenburg and Karen Page. Is any one familiar with this? It's not a bit like what you might think from the title but is lists and lists of ingredients that work together and then lists dishes from famous chefs showing how they used said ingredients.

Now for confession time: I've never ever bought or cooked lentils - of any colour or national origin. I found green lentils which look more like fatigue khaki to me. The brand is "Quik Kook" Aside from a cryptic "No additives added" and a recipe for a stew that requires 3lbs of meat, the package gives me no clues as to what to do with them. A little research suggests they need to be soaked overnight or cooked for hours or both. Any tips anyone?

But what a bonanza this shopping trip produced - a source for both Malden and Fleur de sel salts, some peach preserves (for my ice-cream making experiments) some spring roll wraps (the pastry kind), some Tilsit cheese (one of The Dane's favourites), and two books: the one I mentioned above and "Timing is Everything" mentioned on another thread. Total damages will have to be "hidden" among "household expenses". But it was fun.

Ok time to do some research and put my thinking cap on.

[Dave the Cook]

Nice haul, Anna!

Lentils are not like most other dried beans. They do not require soaking, and compared to white or red beans, they cook very quickly.

[Really Nice!]

Did find a book called "Culinary Artistry" by Andrew Dornenburg and Karen Page. Is any one familiar with this?

...and two books: the one I mentioned above and "Timing is Everything.

Great choices! I reference Culinary Artistry daily. If you're into creating your own dishes, or you like writing menus as a hobby (okay, I'm weird, but am I at home here?) or are thinking of participating in this Market Basket referencing this book is a big help. Along with Timing is Everything, you'll never need another cookbook.

Edited January 14, 2003 by Really Nice! (log)

[gknl]

Great.  Chicken or tuna.  How I love American gastronomy. 

I think the point is to use them both, but not necessarily in the same dish.

Anyone else lie awake in bed mentally running through various combinations and permutations of the ingredients last night?

[Anna N]

Nice haul, Anna!

Lentils are not like most other dried beans. They do not require soaking, and compared to white or red beans, they cook very quickly.

Thanks. When you say "cook very quickly" do you mean minutes or hours? If I have to develop a dish using them, I need a bit narrower definition of "very quickly". Appreciate your help.

[Anna N]

Did find a book called "Culinary Artistry" by Andrew Dornenburg and Karen Page. Is any one familiar with this?

...and two books: the one I mentioned above and "Timing is Everything.

Great choices! I reference Culinary Artistry daily. If you're into creating your own dishes, or you like writing menus as a hobby (okay, I'm weird, but am I at home here?) or are thinking of participating in this Market Basket referencing this book is a big help. Along with Timing is Everything, you'll never need another cookbook.

Really Nice! WOW thanks, I trust your judgement on the book having seen what you did with The French Laundromat. Not sure I'm willing to toss all my other "crutches" (cookbooks) just yet, though. Besides, some of them have very pretty dustjackets!

I don't think you are weird. Just creative and Really Nice!