Food in the time of a pandemic

[Katie Meadow]

After at least 15 years of pretty consistent use we retired our 7 qt Le Creuset dutch oven to an afterlife of bread baking. It's truly hideous, but then my husband is the baker and I don't really have to look at it. You are probably thinking that it wasn't beautiful after 15 years, either, and you would be right. For his dutch oven rustic breads my husband heats up the pot way high before putting in the dough, and he says it's a challenge to drop in the dough without touching the pot. But then he's a risk taker.

 

All you bread-bakers have my undying admiration. I don't believe I've ever made a yeasted bread in my life. Without his bread we would have to be leaving the house every other day just to keep ourselves in toast. Although, not to brag, I do make excellent cornbread that does very well in the toaster. In this time of pandemic I am so nostalgic for everything from my youth. My favorite snack after school every day at the soda fountain/drug store was a toasted corn muffin and an egg cream or a lemon coke.

 

@weinoo, does Dr. Brown's still make Cel-ray tonic? It sounds pretty bizarre now, but I did used to like it. My father used to say it puts hair on your teeth; I never knew whether he meant that in a good way or not.  Right now the idea of celery soda conjures up sprinkling your celery stick with sugar, instead of salt. Doesn't sound too appealing. Well, maybe with a martini. Sorry, that really is revolting. My brain is scrambled. Every day at breakfast we discuss whether we can go one more day without shopping. I need my daily dose of tart citrus. I really don't want to get scurvy.

[weinoo]

1 hour ago, Katie Meadow said:

 

@weinoo, does Dr. Brown's still make Cel-ray tonic? It sounds pretty bizarre now, but I did used to like it. My father used to say it puts hair on your teeth; I never knew whether he meant that in a good way or not.  

 

Indeed they do; the classic accompaniment to a pastrami on rye.

 

https://www.seriouseats.com/2014/10/dr-browns-cel-ray-celery-soda-history.html

 

Ain't bad with gin, either! 

[Margaret Pilgrim]

2 hours ago, Katie Meadow said:

For his dutch oven rustic breads my husband heats up the pot way high before putting in the dough, and he says it's a challenge to drop in the dough without touching the pot. But then he's a risk taker.

 

Katie, I just reviewed Leahy's video this morning prior to sending it to a friend who wants to try this method.    He, Leahy, does in fact pick up the risen dough and drop it into the pot.   This is all wrong in MHO.   I let the ball of dough rise on a floured tea towel on a small cookie sheet, actually a giant spatula.    When it is ready, I just free the ends of the tea towel and tip the dough into the pot, staying well away from it, and never touch the dough.   Much easier done than said.   Stay safe.

Edited March 30, 2020 by Margaret Pilgrim (log)

[weinoo]

So, for dinner tonight...

 

 

Let's call it the Ploughwoman's dinner.  Vegetable soup, using up most every bit of veg I could before a scheduled delivery (leeks, onions, scallions, parsley, carrots, celery, cabbage, thyme, potatoes, tomatoes) in a light chicken stock. 

 

And homemade bread and good butter, with few pieces of cheese I still had lurking from our trip to Paris last month.

 

'Twas good.

[weinoo]

So what do you all think of this...

 

 

And to all you epidemiologists, chemists, et al. here on eG, will a quick dunk in boiling  water for much of my fresh fruit and veg be a good idea when I get a delivery? I plan on blanching all the green leafy veg I get when it comes into the apartment.

[gfweb]

@weinoo The boiling dunk will probably do it. So will a wash with detergent or with dilute chlorox.

https://www.clorox.com/how-to/disinfecting-sanitizing/cold-flu-other-diseases/how-to-make-your-own-disinfecting-solution/

 

 

[weinoo]

27 minutes ago, gfweb said:

@weinoo The boiling dunk will probably do it. So will a wash with detergent or with dilute chlorox.

https://www.clorox.com/how-to/disinfecting-sanitizing/cold-flu-other-diseases/how-to-make-your-own-disinfecting-solution/

 

The good thing is I've been washing stuff for years and years.

[blue_dolphin]

58 minutes ago, weinoo said:

So what do you all think of this...

 

 

 

I thought that video was pretty good.  For me, the most valuable take away was to plan ahead and set up your workspace before starting this stuff.  Duh, I know.   I have good working knowledge of aseptic technique but my "work brain" was apparently left behind in the lab and I kept messing up my grocery handling when I was more or less winging it in my kitchen instead of sitting at a laminar flow hood!   After watching that the other day, I did much better.

[BeeZee]

Would be helpful if we could actually purchase Lysol spray or wipes. All I have left is Windex. No bleach, either. I have been washing my apples with soap and water, though. And I did follow that protocol when we got takeout (hot) food the other day.

[kayb]

I had my choice of a number of different semi-decent meals for dinner tonight. I had wine and a Twinkie.

 

Pot ain't got nothing on this quarantine for encouraging junk food. 

 

 

Edited March 31, 2020 by kayb
To fix typo. (log)

[Margaret Pilgrim]

re post delivery sanitizing, I set out a bath towel next to the sink.   Fill a bowl with hottest tap water + splash of Clorox.    Dip everything through it.   Even bags of sliced bread.   I leave produce out to dry, and dry milk, eggs, etc with a dishtowel before putting away.    There is essentially no residual aroma or flavor.    Or maybe it's an acquired taste.

[JoNorvelleWalker]

Amazon came through with my Whole Foods delivery tonight.  Not all my heart desired but at least I won't die of scurvy.

 

[weinoo]

1 hour ago, blue_dolphin said:

 

I thought that video was pretty good.  For me, the most valuable take away was to plan ahead and set up your workspace before starting this stuff.  Duh, I know. 

Me too...I totally set up the sanit station tonight, which included ending with me blanching the broccoli and escarole I received.  when the doorbell rang, I was ready.

 

 

[Kim Shook]

8 hours ago, Katie Meadow said:

After at least 15 years of pretty consistent use we retired our 7 qt Le Creuset dutch oven to an afterlife of bread baking. It's truly hideous, but then my husband is the baker and I don't really have to look at it. You are probably thinking that it wasn't beautiful after 15 years, either, and you would be right. For his dutch oven rustic breads my husband heats up the pot way high before putting in the dough, and he says it's a challenge to drop in the dough without touching the pot. But then he's a risk taker.

 

 

So, I'm thinking of trying the bread.  And reading a lot about how it ruins the Dutch oven.  Is it possible to line the Dutch oven with either non-stick foil or parchment paper?  

[JoNorvelleWalker]

6 minutes ago, Kim Shook said:

So, I'm thinking of trying the bread.  And reading a lot about how it ruins the Dutch oven.  Is it possible to line the Dutch oven with either non-stick foil or parchment paper?  

 

There are many ways to bake bread.  Modernist bread recommends against using a Dutch oven.  Why ruin a good pot?

 

[Kim Shook]

3 minutes ago, JoNorvelleWalker said:

 

There are many ways to bake bread.  Modernist bread recommends against using a Dutch oven.  Why ruin a good pot?

 

Can you direct me to a no-knead recipe that doesn't use a Dutch oven?  I found a lot when I Googled it, but don't know which I can trust.  

[JoNorvelleWalker]

2 hours ago, Kim Shook said:

Can you direct me to a no-knead recipe that doesn't use a Dutch oven?  I found a lot when I Googled it, but don't know which I can trust.  

 

I am no expert in no-knead baking (having only tried it once when the NY Times first published the technique) but what Modernist bread recommends is a Lodge cast iron combination cooker, which they describe as an upside down Dutch oven.  They say the Lodge combination cooker is a good investment as it is suitable for a lot of other uses besides baking bread.  Your mileage of course may vary.

 

[Anna N]

6 hours ago, Kim Shook said:

So, I'm thinking of trying the bread.  And reading a lot about how it ruins the Dutch oven.  Is it possible to line the Dutch oven with either non-stick foil or parchment paper?  

Yep but it won’t make any difference. If it is enamelled that is. If you have a cast-iron one that is not enamelled it will work very well and I don’t believe you can damage it.

 

edited to add: oops looks like your question was already answered more or less. 

Edited March 31, 2020 by Anna N (log)

[Anna N]

A glimpse at the challenges facing food delivery services in  Ottawa, Canada. I suspect we can safely extrapolate to all other areas facing similar challenges.

Edited March 31, 2020 by Anna N
To add Ottawa (log)

[Anna N]

Nigella to the rescue. Nigella starts at about the 28 minute mark. 

 

Nigella Lawson is here to solve your isolation dinner dilemmas! Emily, Laura, Adam and Fergus discuss the news that Boris Johnson has tested positive for coronavirus.

[BeeZee]

I did the post grocery shopping clean up as best I could given my limited cleaning solutions (found a partial bottle of Lysol kitchen cleaner which kind of leaves a soapy residue, but its something). Washed all fruit in soapy water. Even with a relatively small amount of groceries it was an hour, start to finish.

[Anna N]

26 minutes ago, BeeZee said:

I did the post grocery shopping clean up as best I could given my limited cleaning solutions (found a partial bottle of Lysol kitchen cleaner which kind of leaves a soapy residue, but its something). Washed all fruit in soapy water. Even with a relatively small amount of groceries it was an hour, start to finish.

I find with many items that I don’t need immediately and that do not require refrigeration just leaving them alone for five days will probably work just fine. The virus does not seem to live beyond the five day mark on most surfaces and even less on some surfaces.

[robirdstx]

10 hours ago, JoNorvelleWalker said:

 

There are many ways to bake bread.  Modernist bread recommends against using a Dutch oven.  Why ruin a good pot?

 

How does using the Dutch oven for baking bread damage the pot?
 

I use my enameled Dutch oven when I make no knead bread. I let the dough rise on parchment paper and gently drop that into the preheated pot. Have not seen any damage to my pot.

[Shelby]

Sigh.  Wish me luck.  I gotta venture to the store and liquor store.  I don't wanna  .

[Darienne]

58 minutes ago, Anna N said:

I find with many items that I don’t need immediately and that do not require refrigeration just leaving them alone for five days will probably work just fine. The virus does not seem to live beyond the five day mark on most surfaces and even less on some surfaces.

We have a large counter in our garage and have been leaving whatever groceries and stuff out there which could be left.  The dog food order went straight into a cloth bag into the freezer to be dealt with later.   Today Ed (80 in June...) is off to the pharmacy, the liquor store and the local small grocery to get some fresh stuff.  We eat a lot of fresh stuff and therein lies the problem.  We have enough in our freezer for about 6 months I think.