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Food in the time of a pandemic


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Here is this week's CSA box.   Pea shoots, sunflower sprouts, ciabatta bread, radiatori pasta, potatoes, carrots, red beans, red cabbage, daikon radish, sweet potatoes.

 

 

csa.thumb.jpg.b9e35e93847fa94672aabc81171f17f7.jpg

 

Edited to add that there were supposed to be onions in this week's box too, but I did not get any for some reason.

Edited by liamsaunt (log)
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Had a call from the pharmacy that a prescription was ready, and more importantly I needed a bottle of Soave, so I set off for the shopping center where Shoprite is.  A friend drove by and offered a ride home if I wanted to stock up on heavy Shoprite stuff.

 

It had been weeks since I was in Shoprite, and I had no plans to go today.  However I was double masked.  I took her up on her kind offer.  I had been having a weird craving for hamburger, and down to my last jar of peanuts.  Now I have dishwasher detergent and sponges as well.  (OK, I suppose sponges aren't all that heavy.)

 

I missed the pharmacy because they closed at 3:00, and there was no Soave.  The ethanol emporium is under new management and the current owner does not believe in stocking shelves.

 

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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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On 3/5/2021 at 12:59 PM, liamsaunt said:

Here is this week's CSA box.   Pea shoots, sunflower sprouts, ciabatta bread, radiatori pasta, potatoes, carrots, red beans, red cabbage, daikon radish, sweet potatoes.

 

 

csa.thumb.jpg.b9e35e93847fa94672aabc81171f17f7.jpg

 

Edited to add that there were supposed to be onions in this week's box too, but I did not get any for some reason.

I love pea shoots.  Adding that to my Asian Market list if and when I get to go.

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16 minutes ago, Shelby said:

I love pea shoots.  Adding that to my Asian Market list if and when I get to go.

these grow really easily if you have that greenhouse thingy I think i remember you talking about.  Just as long as it doesn't get that hot in there!

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This week's box.  Sweet potatoes, ancient grain loaf (my favorite of all the breads they give us), pea shoots, maple syrup, popcorn, onions, yellow potatoes, daikon radish, lots of carrots, beets, a very small celery root, and apples.  There were supposed to be fava sprouts in the box too, but they got left out for some reason.

 

csa.thumb.jpg.e1bd819741692472f4447ac1a5162dac.jpg

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9 hours ago, liamsaunt said:

This week's box.  Sweet potatoes, ancient grain loaf (my favorite of all the breads they give us), pea shoots, maple syrup, popcorn, onions, yellow potatoes, daikon radish, lots of carrots, beets, a very small celery root, and apples.  There were supposed to be fava sprouts in the box too, but they got left out for some reason.

 

csa.thumb.jpg.e1bd819741692472f4447ac1a5162dac.jpg

Who's box? Imperfect?

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This afternoon we had a party at work to welcome our new branch manager -- not to mention another supervisor who was returning following a monthlong bout with COVID.  (Thankfully she survived.)  Sandwiches were catered by Panera.

 

Not much of a party.  None of the staff were taking off their masks or eating anything.  I never met the overwhelmed new manager till she went home for the night.  But I left work with three fancy Panera sandwiches in my backpack.

 

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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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Walked over a few blocks today to resupply/replace a few ingredients in my fridge.

 

IMG_3767.thumb.jpeg.eb291e08008837ca1299572fdd74882d.jpeg

 

If my memory serves me correctly (a stretch, I'll admit), these are very likely the same brands I used when I first started playing around in the kitchen with attempts at Chinese cooking. They were probably some of the few brands available, back in the 70s in Santa Barbara. They've fancied up the jars, but at less than $3 a piece, they're the anti-hipster stuff. They're so anti-hipster that they're actually cool.

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Mitch Weinstein aka "weinoo"

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Not only were the Panera party sandwiches not great, an opinion shared by the colleagues I spoke with, said Panera sandwiches are again on the menu for tonight.  Never look a gift horse (too far) in the mouth, I say.  Though this time I'm ditching their horrible attempt at bread and replacing it with my own.

 

Meanwhile, I ascertained from The Wall Street Journal, as I sit here with my pandemic peanut course and evening mai tai, Hormel is acquiring Planters.  Long pig replacement and peanut fix (think twenty pounds of Jif) from the same global purveyor.  Hormel promises new updated peanut packaging.  Hoping for rainbow, queer friendly Ms. Peanut -- librarian glasses, not some silly monocle.

 

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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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10 hours ago, JoNorvelleWalker said:

Worse, the Panera sandwiches were not even all that good.  Not up to Wawa quality.

 

 

That's a fairly high bar. That said, my partner refers to Panera as "yuppie Subway" and I have to admit the shoe kind of fits.

 

The power move with their boxed lunches (which we used to get all the time in the office) is just to scavenge the giant cookies.

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1 hour ago, dtremit said:

 

That's a fairly high bar. That said, my partner refers to Panera as "yuppie Subway" and I have to admit the shoe kind of fits.

 

The power move with their boxed lunches (which we used to get all the time in the office) is just to scavenge the giant cookies.

 

Oh, yes, I snagged two of the giant cookies!  Not to mention four bags of potato chips.

 

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

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6 hours ago, weinoo said:

Walked over a few blocks today to resupply/replace a few ingredients in my fridge.

 

IMG_3767.thumb.jpeg.eb291e08008837ca1299572fdd74882d.jpeg

 

If my memory serves me correctly (a stretch, I'll admit), these are very likely the same brands I used when I first started playing around in the kitchen with attempts at Chinese cooking. They were probably some of the few brands available, back in the 70s in Santa Barbara. They've fancied up the jars, but at less than $3 a piece, they're the anti-hipster stuff. They're so anti-hipster that they're actually cool.

 

Lee Kum Kee is the Heinz of Chinese cuisine. Bog standard sauces. There are much better brands. Guilin (an hour from here) people laugh at LKK's Guilin Chili Sauce. The centre one I don't know so well, but both companies are Hong Kong based (Koon Chun was founded in 1928; LKK in 1888), although I know LKK make their sauces in mainland China where the company started.

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

 

The Kitchen Scale Manifesto

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6 hours ago, liuzhou said:

Lee Kum Kee is the Heinz of Chinese cuisine.

 

You say this like it's a bad thing 😉 .

 

6 hours ago, liuzhou said:

There are much better brands.

 

As we say in yiddish, "nu?"  Gimme names, and when I force myself into a real grocery store in Chinatown, as opposed to a Chinese or Vietnamese owned bodega, I'll bite.

 

6 hours ago, liuzhou said:

Guilin (an hour from here) people laugh at LKK's Guilin Chili Sauce.

 

So, sorta like I laugh at people who think smoked bacon is ok in carbonara? 

 

Here's one I just found...

 

image.thumb.png.98b4f421a5e93ff9428003fc0b301ce8.png

 

It's $30 - you think it's worth it?

Mitch Weinstein aka "weinoo"

Tasty Travails - My Blog

My eGullet FoodBog - A Tale of Two Boroughs

Was it you baby...or just a Brilliant Disguise?

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6 hours ago, weinoo said:

Gimme names, and when I force myself into a real grocery store in Chinatown, as opposed to a Chinese or Vietnamese owned bodega, I'll bite.

 

There are literally thousands. I don't know which ones are exported. Most probably few.

 

6 hours ago, weinoo said:

Here's one I just found...

 

image.thumb.png.98b4f421a5e93ff9428003fc0b301ce8.png

 

It's $30 - you think it's worth it?

 

No idea.

Edited by liuzhou (log)

...your dancing child with his Chinese suit.

 

The Kitchen Scale Manifesto

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2 minutes ago, liuzhou said:

 

There are literally thousands. I don't know which ones are exported. Most probably few.

 

No idea.

 

I was kinda being cheeky...I'm sure, as probably all your neighbors might say,  it's insanely overpriced.

 

I should've taken a picture, but there were a number of street sellers yesterdays showing off their celtuce, by displaying it with an open, cut end. Is that a thing?

Mitch Weinstein aka "weinoo"

Tasty Travails - My Blog

My eGullet FoodBog - A Tale of Two Boroughs

Was it you baby...or just a Brilliant Disguise?

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9 minutes ago, weinoo said:

I should've taken a picture, but there were a number of street sellers yesterdays showing off their celtuce, by displaying it with an open, cut end. Is that a thing?

 

At the leaf end? Or the root?

I do sometimes see them peeled and de-leafed and de-rooted, but more often sold intact.

 

celtuce.jpg

 

 

The leaves are also sold seperately as 油麦菜 yóu mài cài.

油麦菜.jpg

 

 

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

 

The Kitchen Scale Manifesto

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11 minutes ago, liuzhou said:

At the leaf end? Or the root?

 

Now that you point that out, it probably was the leaf end that was cut and showing, and they were selling the greens separately. 

Mitch Weinstein aka "weinoo"

Tasty Travails - My Blog

My eGullet FoodBog - A Tale of Two Boroughs

Was it you baby...or just a Brilliant Disguise?

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1 hour ago, Kim Shook said:

I've always found the meats used in Panera sandwiches exceptionally dry.  

The sandwiches are pretty boring but I'm ok w their soups and the baguette on it's own (dipped in the soup) is awight. 

 

@weinooMy big box Acme carries Lee Kum Kee prods so you really are 'Heinzing'.  Isn't chinatown like 2 blocks from you?  C'mon, we expect more from you.  

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That wasn't chicken

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