Food in the time of a pandemic

[robirdstx]

14 hours ago, weinoo said:

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.

https://www.foxnews.com/science/viral-video-advises-washing-fruit-and-vegetables-with-soap-heres-why-thats-a-bad-idea

 

[Anna N]

32 minutes ago, robirdstx said:

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.

That is wonderful that you have not damaged your Dutch oven. Apparently I’m not alone in managing to damage mine. 

[robirdstx]

1 minute ago, Anna N said:

That is wonderful that you have not damaged your Dutch oven. Apparently I’m not alone in managing to damage mine. 

I saw that site. Scorch marks are considered damage?

[Anna N]

Just now, robirdstx said:

I saw that site. Scorch marks are considered damage?

Yes if it damages the enamel enough that the surface is no longer slick and everything that you try to cook in there sticks to the pot. 

[robirdstx]

14 minutes ago, Anna N said:

Yes if it damages the enamel enough that the surface is no longer slick and everything that you try to cook in there sticks to the pot. 

Okay, that has not been my experience.

 

PS: I just checked my pot and it does not have any interior scorch marks.

Edited March 31, 2020 by robirdstx (log)

[Smithy]

Someplace around here I saw that someone uses a Silpat cut down to size as a pot liner, to protect the bottom of the pot. I can't find the reference. I wonder whether that helps enough to protect the pot, and whether the dough still gets the oven spring it needs?

[ElsieD]

2 hours ago, Anna N said:

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.

 

 

Yeah, I thought I would try either delivery or pick-up.  The dates were so far in advance I didn't bother.

[weinoo]

21 minutes ago, Smithy said:

Someplace around here I saw that someone uses a Silpat cut down to size as a pot liner, to protect the bottom of the pot. I can't find the reference. I wonder whether that helps enough to protect the pot, and whether the dough still gets the oven spring it needs?

I thought it was not great to cut Silpats.

[gfweb]

34 minutes ago, Anna N said:

That is wonderful that you have not damaged your Dutch oven. Apparently I’m not alone in managing to damage mine. 

so what happens to the DO from baking bread?

[Smithy]

16 hours ago, JoNorvelleWalker said:

 

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.

 

 

Is this the cooker you mean? If I were to order one I'm not sure what I'd get rid of, but I too don't want to wreck my enameled cast iron Dutch oven. Even though I bought it on blow-out sale for $30, it's become indispensible when we're traveling.

Edited March 31, 2020 by Smithy
Spelling (log)

[weinoo]

11 hours ago, JoNorvelleWalker said:

 

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

 

Modernist "everything" (i.e. cuisine, bread) tends to make us all want to make the absolute, 100% best version of everything."  

 

Personally, I don't really care if the version I produce is the best possible version produced.  I just aim for it to be my best.

[Smithy]

9 minutes ago, weinoo said:

I thought it was not great to cut Silpats.

 

It isn't supposed to be, for fear of exposing one to the embedded fibers. Nonetheless I thought I'd read it somewhere. Last night I used a silicone trivet for the same purpose, inside the pot. I was a bit nervous when I removed the lid to dump the loaf in - thought I might have overheated the silicone - but the trivet seems none the worse for wear. It does seem to have protected the pot's interior; certainly it kept the bread bottom from scorching. I have yet to cut into the loaf to see whether the crumb was affected.

[Anna N]

5 minutes ago, gfweb said:

so what happens to the DO from baking bread?

http://www.thefreshloaf.com/node/45843/damage-enameled-cast-iron
 

or back up a bit to earlier posts. 

[weinoo]

7 minutes ago, gfweb said:

so what happens to the DO from baking bread?

It gets unpretty.

[weinoo]

47 minutes ago, robirdstx said:

https://www.foxnews.com/science/viral-video-advises-washing-fruit-and-vegetables-with-soap-heres-why-thats-a-bad-idea

 

What I don't understand about this is that I use dish soap on dishes (doesn't everybody?) and then rinse those off before eating off of them.

 

Why is using dish soap on an apple or a potato and then rinsing it off any different?  I do also understand that certain fruits/vegetables are porous, but it's not like I leave the produce sitting in that stuff for hours - my guess is the chemicals sprayed on them have long since been absorbed, and are probably worse for me than rinsed off dish soap.

 

FWIW, with the leafy vegetables I received (broccoli, escarole, etc.), I rinsed them and blanched them all, washed my hands AGAIN, and stored them together in a big  container.  They'll get even more cooking before eating.

[lindag]

14 minutes ago, gfweb said:

so what happens to the DO from baking bread?

  Its enamel seems to dry out and darken.

Edited March 31, 2020 by lindag (log)

[weinoo]

7 minutes ago, lindag said:

  Its enamel seems to dry out and darken.

 

As @andiesenji mentioned in another thread, some enameled pots are just better quality than others.  My 60-year old enameled Descoware has certainly darkened, but it's still intact and not dried out.

 

Edited March 31, 2020 by weinoo
added link (log)

[weinoo]

This makes some sense, or just adds to the confusion.

 

https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2020/03/26/dont-panic-about-shopping-getting-delivery-or-accepting-packages/

 

 

[gfweb]

3 minutes ago, weinoo said:

What I don't understand about this is that I use dish soap on dishes (doesn't everybody?) and then rinse those off before eating off of them.

 

Why is using dish soap on an apple or a potato and then rinsing it off any different?  I do also understand that certain fruits/vegetables are porous, but it's not like I leave the produce sitting in that stuff for hours - my guess is the chemicals sprayed on them have long since been absorbed, and are probably worse for me than rinsed off dish soap.

 

FWIW, with the leafy vegetables I received (broccoli, escarole, etc.), I rinsed them and blanched them all, washed my hands AGAIN, and stored them together in a big  container.  They'll get even more cooking before eating.

I agree. 

USDA says that the dish soap isn't "approved" for cleansing veg is a lot like FDA saying a drug usage isn't approved for a certain disease.  Lack of approval doesn't mean that FDA says its dangerous...just that they haven't tested it.

 

[Shelby]

A friend of ours was telling Ronnie over the phone that he was in Walmart and witnessed a woman with a heaping huge cart full of fresh meats, TP etc. She was in the return line.  He overheard her say that she panicked and bought all of that stuff, got home and realized she wouldn't be able to pay her rent, so she came back to return it all.

 

I'm back, and sanitized and washed.

 

Went to a middle sized town grocery store (Dillon's).  Hardly any people.  Signs every where reminding people to distance themselves.  Markings on the floor on where to stand in line.  People stood even further back than the markers said to.  Meat, cheese and veg supply (fresh) was normal.  Hardly any flour-limited to buying one bag per cart.   I couldn't find yeast.  There were limits on TP eggs and cleaning supplies none of which I bought.  I didn't see any TP available.  No bleach.  Cleaning products way low or none.  Liquor store had my flavor of wine and Ronnie's flavor of vodka so  all is right with the world lol.

[rotuts]

@Shelby  re:

 

"  my flavor of wine "

 

Mine is Grape.

Edited March 31, 2020 by rotuts (log)

[weinoo]

Anyone else have cookbooks strewn all about?

 

I haven't taken this many cookbooks down from the shelves in quite a while!

[weinoo]

Just now, rotuts said:

@Shelby  

 

"  my flavor of wine "

 

Mine is Grape.

And here I thought you'd be mead fan.

[rotuts]

Ill try it if it can be delivered. is it sweet ?  then not for me

 

 " Stocked " up at TJ's   well before  Corona

 

why ?   tariffs I will not pay , so snuck in a " few " cases of Muscadet 

 

"" Maricool ""

 

from  FR before that  took effect ( from TJ ), and a few of TJ's Coastal 

 

$ 4.99  each.

 

which I mix , after serious scientific study :

 

 

Costal ::  Muscadet     =>     25% :: 75 % 

 

nice .

Edited March 31, 2020 by rotuts (log)

[TicTac]

14 hours ago, kayb said:

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. 

 

 

 

But it sure helps to relieve the stress and forget about the madness that is our world!