Food in the time of a pandemic

[Toliver]

One thing I forgot to mention! 

This past weekend I shopped at the Walmart Neighborhood Grocery Store near me and I think they think the worst of the Pandemic is over.

The entrance to the store wasn't roped off (you no longer had to get in a line to enter the store).

The directional arrows on the floor of each aisle, telling shoppers which way to go up or down the aisle, were gone (a lot of the customers ignored the signs anyway so what was the point?).

They did have a sign on the shelf of the Lysol-type disinfectant spray (can't recall the odd brand name) telling customers only one can of disinfectant per person and that hoarders would not be allowed to hoard the disinfectant spray.

A lot of cleaning supplies were still MIA (no Clorox Wipes, etc.) and the paper towel section was hit or miss. But everything else seemed to be stocked.

Things may be looking up...

 

[haresfur]

6 hours ago, Franci said:

Guys, I need suggestions. We just called and today’s fish is almaco jack and wahoo (this I could grill like I do with spanish mackerel) and I do a sauce on the side with some evoo, garlic, very finely chopped rosmary,  let if just sizzle in the oil for a second and then add some white wine vinegar or lemon, some bay leaves in are good too. But I am open to other suggestions. Never cooked almaco jack and I am guessing they are selling filets big. 

Thanks! 

 

Not sure how it would be on those fish but my go-to now for salmon is to crust the fillets with crushed dried caperberries. A fellow has been selling those at our farmers market and I have been having a lot of fun playing with them. Not so overpowering as regular capers

[Shelby]

Had to go to the big city grocery today so I put ground lamb on my list so I could begin the Gyro making process.  No ground lamb.  No lamb at all.   Ronnie doesn't think I'll find any anywhere around here. I'm eyeing the neighbor down the roads sheep.......

 

(kidding)

[rotuts]

@Shelby 

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gyro_(food)

 

gyros does not involve ground lamb.

 

it involves slices of your choice of meat

 

and lamb is common in the areas that do thie

 

stacked up

 

vertigal

 

the sliced w a crust.  lots of fat in that meat helps

 

im sure you will get this mastered 

[JoNorvelleWalker]

11 minutes ago, rotuts said:

@Shelby 

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gyro_(food)

 

gyros does not involve ground lamb.

 

it involves slices of your choice of meat

 

and lamb is common in the areas that do thie

 

stacked up

 

vertigal

 

the sliced w a crust.  lots of fat in that meat helps

 

im sure you will get this mastered 

 

The anova blog has an interesting al pastor recipe that could be adapted.

 

https://oven.anovaculinary.com/recipe/yGITHdkk6Z006195ZM6B

 

[KennethT]

31 minutes ago, rotuts said:

@Shelby 

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gyro_(food)

 

gyros does not involve ground lamb.

 

it involves slices of your choice of meat

 

and lamb is common in the areas that do thie

 

stacked up

 

vertigal

 

the sliced w a crust.  lots of fat in that meat helps

 

im sure you will get this mastered 

What you're describing - slices stacked up is shawarma, not gyro.

[Yiannos]

I may have said this before elsewhere, but Alton Brown's gyro meat recipe is really good, maybe not the most authentic but has that yummy sort of "fast food gyro" taste to it and even my 76 year-old Greek dad loves it. I buy lamb shoulder meat at Costco to grind and get a couple of recipes out of the roughly 5lb cuts. I have tried it once or twice using the loaf pan/brick/oven method he presents, and it is OK, but it really shines if you can do it on a rotisserie, that crispy outside crust that forms is the best. I do add a little more salt than he recommends, comes out a bit bland to me with the 2 teaspoons. The tzatziki is good too, but again more tzatziki you'd get from say a really great food truck than what Yia Yia serves with the lamb on Easter Sunday.

 

https://altonbrown.com/recipes/gyro-meat-with-tzatziki-sauce/

[robirdstx]

All delicious!
 

https://spoonuniversity.com/lifestyle/gyro-vs-shawarma

 

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Al_pastor

 

Edited September 23, 2020 by robirdstx (log)

[Yiannos]

Wasn't starting a gyro vs schwarma dance off here, I get the AB is not authentic, but you should still put it in your mouth and eat it.

[dtremit]

1 hour ago, KennethT said:

What you're describing - slices stacked up is shawarma, not gyro.

 

My adviser in undergrad was from Greece, and weirdly she insisted that in Greece, gyros was always made with sliced meat, and that shawarma was the one with ground meat. The former I've heard before, but the latter I haven't.

 

Regardless, I think drawing hard lines between gyros / shawarma / döner (/ donair) is probably an exercise in futility as you'll always find a counterexample somewhere. Fortunately all sides of the argument are delicious 😀

(My vote for my all-time favorite American-style ground meat gyro is a restaurant in Evanston, IL called Cross Rhodes — we lived nearby when it opened in the mid 80s. It is one of the rare childhood foods I've found that really was just as good when I tried it again as an adult. Their very on-trend mid '80s decor has also not changed. I'm sure they're just using standard Kronos cones, but they brown, slice, and dress it better than anywhere else I've been, and serve it atop thick, crisp fries doused with a lemony oregano vinaigrette.)

 

 

[robirdstx]

The recipe I use for our Home-style Gyros uses thinly sliced strips of flank steak (marinated for an hour at room temperature in dry red wine, olive oil, garlic, dried oregano, salt and pepper) that are pan fried in hot butter until browned on all sides.

[KennethT]

44 minutes ago, dtremit said:

 

My adviser in undergrad was from Greece, and weirdly she insisted that in Greece, gyros was always made with sliced meat, and that shawarma was the one with ground meat. The former I've heard before, but the latter I haven't.

 

Regardless, I think drawing hard lines between gyros / shawarma / döner (/ donair) is probably an exercise in futility as you'll always find a counterexample somewhere. Fortunately all sides of the argument are delicious 😀

(My vote for my all-time favorite American-style ground meat gyro is a restaurant in Evanston, IL called Cross Rhodes — we lived nearby when it opened in the mid 80s. It is one of the rare childhood foods I've found that really was just as good when I tried it again as an adult. Their very on-trend mid '80s decor has also not changed. I'm sure they're just using standard Kronos cones, but they brown, slice, and dress it better than anywhere else I've been, and serve it atop thick, crisp fries doused with a lemony oregano vinaigrette.)

 

 

I was just going off of the instruction manual from the (albeit crappy and the motor died) vertical grill that I had (made in Turkey)...  they called the ground sausage like one doner (and interchanged gyro) and they called the stacked slices version shawarma...  And just about every middle eastern food truck I've seen in NYC (not that I've made a note of every one that I walk by) calls the sausage version gyro and the stacked shawarma... but I wouldn't be surprised at all if other places change the names around...  They also make the distinction between gyro (or shawarma) sandwich (in pita) or platter (on a bed of rice).

[Shelby]

I definitely want to make something like was shown to me earlier .  I loved the texture of the meat I tried before.  I just need to do more research and see if different types of meat can be used.  My original plan was lamb and venison.  

[heidih]

9 minutes ago, Shelby said:

I definitely want to make something like was shown to me earlier .  I loved the texture of the meat I tried before.  I just need to do more research and see if different types of meat can be used.  My original plan was lamb and venison.  

 

Ooh that recipe seemed convoluted but who knows. 

For some drool worthy images of our Mexican version of vertical grilled meat check this link  https://www.lataco.com/best-al-pastor-adobada-la/  Our al pastor has a basis in Lebanese immigrants to Mexico. Love cross cultural innovation    https://www.tastingtable.com/dine/national/tacos-pastor-history#:~:text=Tacos al pastor were created,vertical%2C or upright%2C grill.

[Shelby]

I'm sad, too, because my beloved shishito peppers were gone.  I will miss them.  I even googled to see if I could buy online just now.   

[weinoo]

On 9/23/2020 at 5:35 PM, Shelby said:

I'm sad, too, because my beloved shishito peppers were gone.  I will miss them.  I even googled to see if I could buy online just now.   

 

I've order other things from this company via Amazon - pretty good product...

 

Fresh Shishito Chili Peppers 1 lb.

[Shelby]

On 9/23/2020 at 6:18 PM, weinoo said:

 

I've order other things from this company via Amazon - pretty good product...

 

Fresh Shishito Chili Peppers 1 lb.

WOW!!!  Thank you!!!  Edited to say I ordered!!!  I'm so excited.  You guys always come through for me   

[Franci]

Today’s fish is Yellow Jack. 3 lbs $15

[rotuts]

@Franci 

 

nice.  do they scale the fish for you ?

 

that's the only unpleasant part of a whole fish.

 

guts , gills , no big deal

 

scales  :  end up everywhere , even if you do it outside.

[Franci]

24 minutes ago, rotuts said:

@Franci 

 

nice.  do they scale the fish for you ?

 

that's the only unpleasant part of a whole fish.

 

guts , gills , no big deal

 

scales  :  end up everywhere , even if you do it outside.

 

 

Oh, yeah! They clean it for you 

[rotuts]

@Franci 

 

Solid Gold w fins !

 

lucky you !

 

maybe you might get some very very fresh

 

frames to take home for stock ?

 

when it gets cooler .

Edited September 24, 2020 by rotuts (log)

[heidih]

1 hour ago, Franci said:

 

 

Oh, yeah! They clean it for you 

 

I imagine you are cooking it whole? I cracked up the first time I watched the Vietnamese and Hispanic guys scaling at local markets. Me: "but that is a horse curry comb" - brilliant!  https://www.chewy.com/decker-manufacturing-company-spiral/

Edited September 24, 2020 by heidih (log)

[Franci]

36 minutes ago, heidih said:

I imagine you are cooking it whole? I cracked up the first time I watched the Vietnamese and Hispanic guys scaling at local markets. Me: "but that is a horse curry comb" - brilliant!  https://www.chewy.com/decker-manufacturing-company-spiral/

 

I wouldn’t have known it was a horse curry comb 😁 looks brilliant ;). Yes cooking it whole. These days I always go for the easiest way. Here it’s pretty popular for ceviche but maybe another time. 

Edited September 24, 2020 by Franci (log)

[dtremit]

On 9/23/2020 at 6:18 PM, weinoo said:

 

I've order other things from this company via Amazon - pretty good product...

 

Fresh Shishito Chili Peppers 1 lb.

 

Ooh -- their prices for lime leaves and curry leaves aren't bad either. And for galangal, for that matter.

[weinoo]

9 hours ago, dtremit said:

 

Ooh -- their prices for lime leaves and curry leaves aren't bad either. And for galangal, for that matter.

 

I think I posted somewhere that their galangal wasn't perfect, but was workable. Lime leaves were fine, if in abundance.