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Lunch! What'd ya have? (2017)


blue_dolphin

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Host's note: this topic is broken into segments to improve server efficiency.  The previous segment is here.

 

 

This is the Baked Romanesco Broccoli With Mozzarella and Olives from the NY Times.  @kayb recently posted her cauliflower adaptation over here on the dinner thread where she declared the recipe a keeper and I agree.

I picked up a head of Romanesco broccoli at last week's farmers market for this purpose.  I didn't add any additional salt but with the olives, anchovies, capers and pecorino Romano cheese, it was plenty salty enough to perk up a few slices of chicken breast.

Edited to add that the other thing I did differently was to briefly microwave the broccoli (instead of blanching in salted water) then tossed it with the olive, anchovy, caper, red pepper, olive oil mixture instead of drizzling that over the top.

IMG_4430.jpg

 

IMG_4433.jpg

 

Edited by Smithy
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I had a totally different plan for lunch but it required a bit of shopping. However, I woke up this morning to torrential rain which refused to stop no matter how much I shouted at it.

 

So, a couple of cheddar cheese sandwiches with spicy mango relish. No butter. That was on the shopping list. But it didn't really need it. The bread was freshly baked and the mango relish provided lubrication as well as a nice kick.

 

Here is one of them.

 

cheese and mango relish.jpg

 

Of course, as soon as I finished eating it the rain stopped! It's a communist plot!

 

 

Edited by liuzhou
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...your dancing child with his Chinese suit.

 

The Kitchen Scale Manifesto

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Damned communist plots.  We get them rather frequently over here in North America.   Happy not to see banana bread under your cheese.  I am very partial to good cheddar and Branston pickles.   Mango pickle will work in a pinch.

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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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6 hours ago, Dejah said:

@robirdstx: Looks so fresh! Love everything in it ...except for the tuna. I love canned salmon but just can't do the tuna. I keep try!

OMG.  I thought I was the only one in the whole world who couldn't stomach tuna.  I gag when I open a can. Canned salmon good.  Canned sardines good. Canned tuna horrible.   Love most fish-- can't even do fresh tuna.   Love to celebrate our differences but always glad to find a soulmate.

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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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Seriously, it's the water. 

 

I've had people do blindfolded taste tests of tuna packed in water vs. tuna packed in oil. When it's packed in oil, tuna tastes like tuna. Packed in water, it tastes like the inside of the can. I'm not talking about the fancy, super-expensive stuff from Spain or Italy, mind you, just plain old supermarket varieties. 

 

Fat phobia is so 1980s, people. It's a tablespoon or so of vegetable oil, which you'll usually drain away anyhow. Buy oil-packed. 

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“Who loves a garden, loves a greenhouse too.” - William Cowper, The Task, Book Three

 

"Not knowing the scope of your own ignorance is part of the human condition...The first rule of the Dunning-Kruger club is you don’t know you’re a member of the Dunning-Kruger club.” - psychologist David Dunning

 

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15 hours ago, Kim Shook said:

I am an oddity, I think.  I love canned tuna.  Oil or water.  Albacore or regular.  I can eat it right out of the can.  And I detest fresh tuna.  <blush>

 

My mother is the same with salmon. Detests fresh salmon, but often tucks into the canned stuff. But she is odd, too.

Edited by liuzhou (log)
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...your dancing child with his Chinese suit.

 

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To be fair, my dislike of canned tuna stems from the nasty sandwiches I had as a kid.  My mother's idea of a tuna sandwich was barely drained  oil packed tuna mixed with mayo and piled on white bread.  This creation sat in my tin lunch box until noon.  Eating that and drinking the milk that was always rather tepid from my cheap thermos is not the thing of good memories.  That reminded me of another of her creations, something she called a Swiss Miss sandwich.  It was equal parts chopped ripe olives and grated Swiss cheese, held together with mayo.   Strange, but so much better than the tuna stuff. 

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12 hours ago, Anna N said:

OMG.  I thought I was the only one in the whole world who couldn't stomach tuna.  I gag when I open a can. Canned salmon good.  Canned sardines good. Canned tuna horrible.   Love most fish-- can't even do fresh tuna.   Love to celebrate our differences but always glad to find a soulmate.

Not sure how canned salmon is for anyone but cats...

 

But then again, I quite enjoy Oil packed tuna (Rio Mare brand preferably).

 

 

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I always have a can of tuna in the pantry (usually this Hong Kong brand). Always in oil - here soya oil. There is sometimes another brand which is in olive oil. I'll buy that for preference, but haven't seen it for a while.

tuna.jpg

 

But I only eat it in the direst emergencies. Like when I've run out of shoes to stew.

Fresh tuna on the other hand, I love. Especially as sashimi.

I've never seen canned salmon here. Not that I'm crying myself to sleep every night craving it.

Edited to add: I've just checked on Taobao, China's main online shopping platform and they have Princes Canned Salmon from England. A 160g can costs ¥64.80 + ¥20 delivery. That's a total of approximately $12.50 USD. I can get another tasty pair of shoes for less!

Edited by liuzhou
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...your dancing child with his Chinese suit.

 

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Canned salmon,  at least the kind I like, is usually almost 5 dollars a can. Tuna depending on the variety costs not much more than cat food.   I have no point to make.

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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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Love this discussion.  Growing up I didn't realize tuna came in a can until I went to college.  Our "fish salad" was whatever cold leftover meaty fish we had - poached tuna, blowfish, weakfish, sea robin - with a bit of finely grated onion, some drained pickle relish and just enough Miracle Whip to hold it together. 

OK......if I can get out today I need to get a nice piece of fish and poach it for fish salad.

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Nothing is better than frying in lard.

Nothing.  Do not quote me on this.

 

Linda Ellerbee

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Yesterday, took my can of tuna from the pantry (actually a shelf in the kitchen - China doesn't do pantries) to photograph it for the post three above this.

 

After posting, I left the can sitting on my desk as I got busy with wasting time on the interweb. For some reason, the tuna didn't disappear overnight and this morning sat there looking sad. I decided to take one for the team and attempt to try to make it worth eating.

I first thought of hiding it in a powerful sauce with 217 masking ingredients. but felt that was cheating, So, I then decided to go in the opposite direction and keep it as simple as possible without just slurping it from the can - which clearly wouldn't work.

So this is what ensued for lunch today.

 

tuna capers rice.jpg

 

I cooked some rice, drained the tuna well. Flaked and piled the fish on top of the rice with some capers. Seasoned mightily with sashimi togarishi and sea salt. The ingredients other than the rice were all rather cold so I nuked the plated dish long enough to heat them through then sat down to lunch.

 

To be honest, to my shock, it wasn't at all bad. Not up there with Doc Marten Casserole to be sure, but perfectly edible. I don't think Heston is going to be calling me up for the recipe, just yet. Probably needs a few tweaks first.

The big question is "would I make it again?" Probably. I've pencilled in May 27th, 2035. If we haven't already eaten all the world's tuna, by then.

 

 


 

Edited by liuzhou (log)
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...your dancing child with his Chinese suit.

 

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Well, since we ARE discussing tuna and I have a tunafish salad sandwich probably once a week for lunch, I should also say that I utterly detest hot canned tuna.  Like tuna casserole.  I had never tasted it until I was an adult and in the early, poor years of our marriage I tried making it.  Mr. Kim said that it tasted like every one he'd ever eaten.  I was appalled that anyone could stomach it.  Years ago, Mr. Kim's mom served us a lunch of curried tuna casserole (her invention).  The suspiciously reddish color of the tuna reminded me of nothing more than 9 Lives.  She is very frugal and frequents the kinds of stores that sell de-labled canned goods for almost nothing and to this day, I believe that we ate cat food casserole.

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Speaking of tuna casserole, that reminds me of the Kraft Mac and Cheese with Tuna and Peas I used to make for my siblings when I was a teenager. We all loved it then, but I'm pretty sure it should just be kept as a fond memory from long, long ago.

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