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Mellowing in Manitoulin.

Anna N

By Anna N
in Food Traditions & Culture

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Anna N

Anna N

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 So Kerry and I discussed how we would steam the stuffed melon. She said in the steam oven (CSO) using the steam function and going for 20 minutes. I was extremely dubious as I have yet to see  anything cook using just the steam function. But I'm easy come easy go. So I stuck them in the oven and selected steam, the highest temperature it would go which is 210°F and a time of 20 minutes. Of course no sooner had I done this than Kerry was called back into the hospital again. 

 Don't think it matters much though. After 20 minutes that melon is as solid as a rock! 

 Giving it another 15 minutes.

 Anybody else manage to actually cook something using just the steam function? 

 Sometimes I feel as if my cooking life is being run by appliances rather than by carefully thought out best practice.

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Anna Nielsen aka "Anna N"

...I just let people know about something I made for supper that they might enjoy, too. That's all it is. (Nigel Slater)

"Cooking is about doing the best with what you have . . . and succeeding." John Thorne

Our 2012 (Kerry Beal and me) Blog

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Anna N

Anna N

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Giving it another 10. 

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Anna Nielsen aka "Anna N"

...I just let people know about something I made for supper that they might enjoy, too. That's all it is. (Nigel Slater)

"Cooking is about doing the best with what you have . . . and succeeding." John Thorne

Our 2012 (Kerry Beal and me) Blog

My 2004 eG Blog

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blue_dolphin

blue_dolphin

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1 hour ago, Anna N said:

I also put some cut up melon in the soup but it is completely tasteless and has no texture hardly at all.

 

This is my experience with hairy melon as well.  A really slow braise in a flavorful broth will allow it to pick up some flavor but I haven't had one that brought much to the table on its own.

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rotuts

rotuts

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nope   never used  ' Steam '

 

there is Super Steam   that might go above 210

 

but Ive never used that either.

 

""  while the Cats away  , the Mice will Play "" comes to mind

 

or maybe its   "" while the Mice are Mouse is a way , the Cat makes some Cocktails  ""

 

Ive forgotten.

Edited by rotuts (log)
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Anna N

Anna N

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23 minutes ago, blue_dolphin said:

 

This is my experience with hairy melon as well.  A really slow braise in a flavorful broth will allow it to pick up some flavor but I haven't had one that brought much to the table on its own.

Yep. About as dull as it can possibly get flavourwise. 

 

image.jpeg

 

After 45 minutes the melon was barely tender but the stuffing had lost out on any attempt at pretending to be flavorful. The recommended sauce was equally bland except for the hint of sesame oil. FAIL. 

 

image.jpeg

 

If anything could redeem me in any way it would be these "meatballs" sauted in grapeseed oil. There's still the banana peppers......

 

 Before then though I may go out in the garden and eat worms.

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Anna Nielsen aka "Anna N"

...I just let people know about something I made for supper that they might enjoy, too. That's all it is. (Nigel Slater)

"Cooking is about doing the best with what you have . . . and succeeding." John Thorne

Our 2012 (Kerry Beal and me) Blog

My 2004 eG Blog

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rotuts

rotuts

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Posted

some times , people eat things because they are really  really really hungry .

 

Ive thought  these sorts of Melons  follow that tradition.  

 

or some one planted the wrong seeds and figured Why not Give it Away ?

 

just saying  

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Anna N

Anna N

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Kerry scarfed down the sauteed meatballs and I turned down the offer of a cocktail. Sipping on a glass of cheap white wine and eating this

 

image.jpeg

 

Cabot cheddar on "Chewbacca" with three of the tiny tomatoes mentioned up thread. Boy they are tasty. 

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Anna Nielsen aka "Anna N"

...I just let people know about something I made for supper that they might enjoy, too. That's all it is. (Nigel Slater)

"Cooking is about doing the best with what you have . . . and succeeding." John Thorne

Our 2012 (Kerry Beal and me) Blog

My 2004 eG Blog

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Anna N

Anna N

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1 hour ago, rotuts said:

some times , people eat things because they are really  really really hungry .

 

Ive thought  these sorts of Melons  follow that tradition.  

 

or some one planted the wrong seeds and figured Why not Give it Away ?

 

just saying  

I think in all honesty they appeal to people who enjoy other cuisines. They are so innocuous that it's hard to understand their appeal but then I know people who don't like mashed potatoes and gravy. Can you imagine?

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Anna Nielsen aka "Anna N"

...I just let people know about something I made for supper that they might enjoy, too. That's all it is. (Nigel Slater)

"Cooking is about doing the best with what you have . . . and succeeding." John Thorne

Our 2012 (Kerry Beal and me) Blog

My 2004 eG Blog

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Tri2Cook

Tri2Cook

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1 hour ago, rotuts said:

some times , people eat things because they are really  really really hungry .


Yeah, I've thought about that one many times. I wonder sometimes when you see people seek out things eaten in different cultures (which I realize was not the case in this situation) and make a big fuss over it, if sometimes the culture it came from is looking at the trend and thinking "why on earth would they want to eat that if they don't have to... we were just hungry and there was a lot of it laying about".

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It's kinda like wrestling a gorilla... you don't stop when you're tired, you stop when the gorilla is tired.

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JoNorvelleWalker

JoNorvelleWalker

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5 hours ago, rotuts said:

nope   never used  ' Steam '

 

there is Super Steam   that might go above 210

 

but Ive never used that either.

 

""  while the Cats away  , the Mice will Play "" comes to mind

 

or maybe its   "" while the Mice are Mouse is a way , the Cat makes some Cocktails  ""

 

Ive forgotten.

 

 

I use steam for peas.

 

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Cooking is cool.  And kitchen gear is even cooler.  -- Chad Ward

Whatever you crave, there's a dumpling for you. -- Hsiao-Ching Chou

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Dejah

Dejah

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8 hours ago, Anna N said:

So I donned the finest surgical gloves that money can't buy and attacked the hairy monster.

 

image.jpeg

 

I had already made up of filling of pork and shrimp which we had taste tested. So I dusted the inside of the rings with cornstarch and filled them with the stuffing.

 

image.jpeg

 

 I chose not to mince the shrimp but to keep it in pieces that at least you knew it was shrimp.

 

There was still an awful lot of filling left so I made an attempt at filling the banana peppers which we will also try to steam.

 

 That still left some filling so  I made meatballs and poached a few of them and some chicken soup but I suspect we will steam the remaining ones.   I also put some cut up melon in the soup but it is completely tasteless and has no texture hardly at all.

 

 The chicken soup served as my lunch but it was not particularly good. 

 

This moo-gua / hairy melon is like tofu - no flavour but takes on whatever you cook it with.
For me, I would pan-fry THEN braise the stuffed pieces with oyster sauce.
I was given such a melon by one of our local aunties (from her garden) and have some ground pork leftover from today's meatballs. Maybe I'll make some for supper tomorrow.

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Dejah

www.hillmanweb.com

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Anna N

Anna N

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58 minutes ago, Shelby said:

I hope that hairy melon didn't regenerate and attack Anna and Kerry :/

Nah.  We were MIA for a bit as Kerry was tying up loose ends in the ER but we should be offering some interesting 'speriments soon. 

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Anna Nielsen aka "Anna N"

...I just let people know about something I made for supper that they might enjoy, too. That's all it is. (Nigel Slater)

"Cooking is about doing the best with what you have . . . and succeeding." John Thorne

Our 2012 (Kerry Beal and me) Blog

My 2004 eG Blog

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Anna N

Anna N

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So after Kerry finished at the ER this morning we headed out without breakfast to do a few errands. We did some banking and then drove out to the Flee (sic) Market. 

 

 The first thing that caught our eye was this because it's hard to get @rotuts out of our mind when we see Hellmann's!   These are exceedingly large jars, too large for me and Kerry is a misguided Miracle Whip gal. 

 

image.jpeg

 

image.jpegimage.jpeg

 

 We also saw this gorgeous but badly cracked and greatly overpriced salt pig. Kerry and the owner of the fleamarket spent quite some time attempting to research its origins.  It too we left behind.

 

We decided to try for lunch out for a change and dropped in to Elliott's Restaurant.  It has recently been taken over by new owners. Click

 

image.jpeg

image.jpeg

 

Kerry had a mushroom burger without the bun and a Caesar salad on the side.

 

image.jpeg

 

Unfortunately it is difficult to tell from the photograph exactly what I ate. The peasant in me has been longing for a diner-style hot sandwich and this one hit the spot. Hot beef with leftover pot roast, soggy fries and gravy from a can (or a mix). The only thing missing was canned mixed vegetables which I always push off to the side (I do have some pride!).  I probably will not need another one for five years.

 

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Anna Nielsen aka "Anna N"

...I just let people know about something I made for supper that they might enjoy, too. That's all it is. (Nigel Slater)

"Cooking is about doing the best with what you have . . . and succeeding." John Thorne

Our 2012 (Kerry Beal and me) Blog

My 2004 eG Blog

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kayb

kayb

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How fun to come back from a trip out of town and get to go to Manitoulin! 

 

Now placing hairy melon on my list of things with which not to bother. Not that I had considered it.

 

 

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Don't ask. Eat it.

www.kayatthekeyboard.wordpress.com

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Anna N

Anna N

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image.jpeg

 

Kerry's cultured cream.   I tasted it and it is delicious so I asked that some be set aside as creme fraiche and the larger bottle Kerry will turn into butter.  

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Anna Nielsen aka "Anna N"

...I just let people know about something I made for supper that they might enjoy, too. That's all it is. (Nigel Slater)

"Cooking is about doing the best with what you have . . . and succeeding." John Thorne

Our 2012 (Kerry Beal and me) Blog

My 2004 eG Blog

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rotuts

rotuts

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Yikes !

 

how big are those Helleman's  jars ?

 

CND  4.00  =  $ 3.01   

 

Yikes !

 

did you order a pallet ?

 

I have 4 MegaloMarts near me.   One in the spring and the fall  offers  "" standard ""  Hellmams'  for $ 1.99

 

I get a lot   Ive posted about this 

 

I guess not any more.

 

No worries     Ill motor down to ALDI  when that last jug gets to 1/4

 

$$ 1,87 there     

 

they might also have some fine Sausaage too

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Kerry Beal

Kerry Beal

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24 minutes ago, rotuts said:

Yikes !

 

how big are those Helleman's  jars ?

 

CND  4.00  =  $ 3.01   

 

Yikes !

 

did you order a pallet ?

 

I have 4 MegaloMarts near me.   One in the spring and the fall  offers  "" standard ""  Hellmams'  for $ 1.99

 

I get a lot   Ive posted about this 

 

I guess not any more.

 

No worries     Ill motor down to ALDI  when that last jug gets to 1/4

 

$$ 1,87 there     

 

they might also have some fine Sausaage too

Those were 64 ounces (1.5 litres) we figure.

 

 

the Chocolate Doctor
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www.eztemper.com

 

Confectionary Course • Confectionary Course Q&A
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rotuts

rotuts

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Yikes !

 

If I were to by the MegaloMart's best price  ( Shaw's )  at the usual rare  ( not this year ) of $ 1.99  ( USD 

 

that would cost me 2.241  USA  in cents  /ml

 

nice

 

in your case :

 

that would be   $$ 2.006  ( USD cenrts / ML )

 

Id buy a few pallets , and corner the Market

 

KB probably won't participate for various sensory defects  , not mentioned here 

 

but   well

 

Canada.CA  does have a history on Big Profit  on its Souther Boarder ?

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