Snacking while eGulleting... (Part 3)

[Toliver]

Host's note: this topic grew too large for our servers to handle efficiently, so it has been split into more manageable segments.  The previous segment is here.

 

 

Today I was surfing on eGullet and snacking on Keebler Town House Focaccia Tuscan Cheese crackers (leftover from a Super Bowl party). They're a thick cracker and have a nice subtle flavor. The bad thing is that they made me wish I had some cheese or dip to go with them. DOH! [/Homer Simpson] 

Edited June 27, 2017 by Smithy
Added host's note (log)

[liuzhou]

Crumbly cheddar, seaweed crackers and lots of black pepper. That'll do.

[Anna N]

A lovely ripe pear and some cambozola. 

 

[blue_dolphin]

Toasted ciabatta, rubbed with garlic, drizzled with olive oil and topped with Rancho Gordo Marcella beans tossed with pesto.  Thinly sliced pecorino Romano.

Washed down with a glass of pinot gris.  Could be dinner....

[JoNorvelleWalker]

@blue_dolphin how do you cook your Marcella beans?  Unlike every other RG bean I've tried my Marcella beans always end up too soft.

 

[blue_dolphin]

18 minutes ago, JoNorvelleWalker said:

@blue_dolphin how do you cook your Marcella beans?  Unlike every other RG bean I've tried my Marcella beans always end up too soft.

 

They do cook very quickly and I've overcooked them before.  This time, I gave them an overnight soak - rare for me,  brought them to a boil on the stove (I always add salt after they are boiling) and then transferred the covered pot into the oven, set at 250F for a gentle simmer.  They were done when I checked them after ~ 30 - 40 minutes.  Almost too done as they are a little fragile but OK.  

[Thanks for the Crepes]

@blue_dolphin,

 

I'd particularly like to hear details on how you seem to come up with freshly cooked beans for one eater without having a ton of leftovers. I used to soak and throw a pound of beans into a crockpot and that was fine for two eaters, especially when the other one ate two or three times as much as I did. We'd eat beans and cornbread one night and bean, cheese and onion burritos the next, and I'd freeze half of them. That is not feasible now that I'm by myself. I'm so sick of leftovers, but the raccoons are fat and happy.

[blue_dolphin]

@Thanks for the Crepes, I understand the challenge, for sure.  I usually cook a whole pound of beans at a time, sometimes half a pound.  I scoop some out to eat within a few days or include in other recipes. Some usually goes into a bean dip/hummus-type thing which gets portioned into refrig or freezer containers.  The remainder gets frozen in zip-lock bags.  I like to have portions of white, black, brown/other and garbanzo beans at the ready so I keep an eye on what's in the freezer in order to decide what to cook up next. I don't have a lot of freezer space but I don't eat much meat either so I prefer this route over using canned beans.

 

[Thanks for the Crepes]

1 hour ago, blue_dolphin said:

@Thanks for the Crepes, I understand the challenge, for sure.  I usually cook a whole pound of beans at a time, sometimes half a pound.  I scoop some out to eat within a few days or include in other recipes. Some usually goes into a bean dip/hummus-type thing which gets portioned into refrig or freezer containers.  The remainder gets frozen in zip-lock bags.  I like to have portions of white, black, brown/other and garbanzo beans at the ready so I keep an eye on what's in the freezer in order to decide what to cook up next. I don't have a lot of freezer space but I don't eat much meat either so I prefer this route over using canned beans.

 

 

*Sigh* I thought there was a magic solution. Both my freezers are above fridge frostless models, so go through that heat up, cool down cycle which is so destructive to the quality of food. To add insult to injury, one of them even accumulates, not frost, but ice. Leave an ice tray a week, and it has noticeably sublimated. Leave it more and it can disappear. I am also overly sensitive to "freezer taste" and repetition. I'll figure this thing out eventually though. Thanks for the information. 

Edited February 27, 2017 by Thanks for the Crepes
Caint spel (log)

[blue_dolphin]

21 minutes ago, Thanks for the Crepes said:

I'll figure this thing out eventually though. Thanks for the information. 

When you figure it out, please do share!

[Toliver]

17 hours ago, blue_dolphin said:

Toasted ciabatta, rubbed with garlic, drizzled with olive oil and topped with Rancho Gordo Marcella beans tossed with pesto.  Thinly sliced pecorino Romano.

Washed down with a glass of pinot gris.  Could be dinner....

The beans look huge! At least compared to white Northern beans you can buy in cans at the store.

 

This reminds me of a dish I've made in the past...a riff off of a Dinner post by Jinmyo that included cannellini/white Northern beans. It probably doesn't give the Marcella beans the respect they deserve, though.

 

One can cannellini beans, rinsed

One can of Stewed tomatoes, Italian flavored

Shredded chicken (rotisserie chicken works well)

Garlic bread/Texas toast

 

Put the rinsed beans in a small pot. Mash about half the beans which will give up their starchy goodness. Add the can of stewed tomatoes. Stir together and bring to a simmer. Add the shredded chicken. Once the chicken is heated through, serve open-faced over the garlic bread.

Easy comfort food. Everything is already cooked so you just have to heat it all up.

 

Your post made me quite hungry. Thank you for sharing the photo!

[kayb]

19 hours ago, Thanks for the Crepes said:

@blue_dolphin,

 

I'd particularly like to hear details on how you seem to come up with freshly cooked beans for one eater without having a ton of leftovers. I used to soak and throw a pound of beans into a crockpot and that was fine for two eaters, especially when the other one ate two or three times as much as I did. We'd eat beans and cornbread one night and bean, cheese and onion burritos the next, and I'd freeze half of them. That is not feasible now that I'm by myself. I'm so sick of leftovers, but the raccoons are fat and happy.

 

19 hours ago, blue_dolphin said:

@Thanks for the Crepes, I understand the challenge, for sure.  I usually cook a whole pound of beans at a time, sometimes half a pound.  I scoop some out to eat within a few days or include in other recipes. Some usually goes into a bean dip/hummus-type thing which gets portioned into refrig or freezer containers.  The remainder gets frozen in zip-lock bags.  I like to have portions of white, black, brown/other and garbanzo beans at the ready so I keep an eye on what's in the freezer in order to decide what to cook up next. I don't have a lot of freezer space but I don't eat much meat either so I prefer this route over using canned beans.

 

 

I've had some luck in using a half-cup of dry beans, then soaking and cooking them, for two people, neither of whom are huge eaters. Works better now that I'm using mostly Rancho Gordo, which cook faster because they're fresher than some of those from the grocery. But then, I also have some beans in the pantry that are probably five years old...

[HungryChris]

Homemade pickled pig ears and a cold APA.

HC

[Anna N]

[blue_dolphin]

Wine nibbles  - Fried Olives with Greek Yogurt and Spicy Pepper Sauce from Ottolenghi's Plenty More

[JoNorvelleWalker]

1 minute ago, blue_dolphin said:

Wine nibbles  - Fried Olives with Greek Yogurt and Spicy Pepper Sauce from Ottolenghi's Plenty More

 

I'd hate to see your keyboard.

 

[Thanks for the Crepes]

I was playing around with one of the ingredients I thought would be fun that I picked up at the Indian grocer. This one is Swad brand fryums or far far wheat pellet biscuit. Being ignorant, I first Googled far far biscuit and got nothing pertinent, but Google knew about fryums. This video says to take them 1 minute 10 seconds in the microwave. I watched another video for oil-free fryums that put the time at 45 seconds, so my first attempt was a minute. That burnt them and after a couple bites I took them outside for the wildlife to enjoy. I tried again for 25 seconds and they mostly puffed, didn't burn, but some of the edges didn't puff all the way. I will try the non-lazy, less healthful way later, but for now, I don't really like the way these things taste and the wildlife is in for another treat very shortly. The ingredients are wheat flour, tapioca starch, baking powder, water, salt, sodium sulfate, and food colors. There were some on offer that did not sport the colorings, and I usually do forego artificial coloring, but was seduced this time by the pretty colors.

 

These look like dried pasta. I don't think I'm done with this idea, and may try to find some rice flour ones, which seem to be more common.

[Toliver]

My latest obsession for snacking while on eGullet has been Balsamic Vinegar & Basil Triscuits.

OMG. They're quite good. I think some mozzarella and a slice of a cherry tomato would be the perfect addition. 

[liuzhou]

Made myself a batch of the world's favourite snack - a bowl of chips*. Then I made another lot.

 

*to use their proper name

 

 

[kayb]

4 hours ago, Toliver said:

My latest obsession for snacking while on eGullet has been Balsamic Vinegar & Basil Triscuits.

OMG. They're quite good. I think some mozzarella and a slice of a cherry tomato would be the perfect addition. 

 

Must look for these.

 

I'm presently obsessed with the sea-salt, caramel, chocolate covered almonds one can buy at Aldi. They're addictive.

[Anna N]

• It is almost midnight. I am sitting here alone with a hunk of cheese, a paring knife and my icy bottle of akvavit out of the freezer.    Don't even ask what kind of day I had.  

[JoNorvelleWalker]

36 minutes ago, Anna N said:

• It is almost midnight. I am sitting here alone with a hunk of cheese, a paring knife and my icy bottle of akvavit out of the freezer.    Don't even ask what kind of day I had.  

 

Well past midnight here, the thermometer by my desk reads 90 deg F (32.2 C) with the air conditioner running full blast, and I am still working on my mai tai and mixed nuts.  Actually a hunk of cheese sounds pretty good about now.

 

I confess it was not many moments ago I was wandering around searching for the bottle of Wray & Nephew overproof I knew I had...only to discover it was in my hand.

 

[Thanks for the Crepes]

1 hour ago, JoNorvelleWalker said:

 

Well past midnight here, the thermometer by my desk reads 90 deg F (32.2 C) with the air conditioner running full blast, and I am still working on my mai tai and mixed nuts.  Actually a hunk of cheese sounds pretty good about now.

 

I confess it was not many moments ago I was wandering around searching for the bottle of Wray & Nephew overproof I knew I had...only to discover it was in my hand.

 

 

Jo, you might consider eating something, anything at all that appeals. 

[JoNorvelleWalker]

26 minutes ago, Thanks for the Crepes said:

 

Jo, you might consider eating something, anything at all that appeals. 

 

Ah, yes, I had a chunk of mozzarella, tomatoes, baguette, and avocado.  It's cooled down to 88 in here.

 

[JoNorvelleWalker]

It's again 90 deg F in here, close to 1:00 am.  I could not face the effort to make a mai tai.  Nuts do not appeal.  So no snacking while eGulleting for me tonight.  I'm about to go investigate prospects for dinner...which do not involve cooking, at least cooking tonight.