Food in the time of a pandemic

[Margaret Pilgrim]

People can read just fine.   They just missed the class that taught that the flip side of rights and freedom is responsibility.

[lindag]

14 minutes ago, robirdstx said:

For the last month, our local liquor store has been offering free contactless curbside pickup. They have signs designating two spots as reserved for curbside pick up only. Yesterday, after receiving a text message saying my order was ready, I drove to the shop and both of the reserved spots were occupied, so I parked in an adjacent spot and texted back that I had arrived and was in the spot next to one of the reserved spots. Then I glanced at the two cars in the reserved spots only to find that they did not have a driver in them, only passengers. WTF! When my order was brought out, the clerk apologized for my having to park in a different spot and said “apparently some people can not read!” And most of the customers going in and out of the store were not wearing masks.

 

That’s happened to me at my grocery store when I went to pick up my order.  The other cars in those reserved spots were empty!

Idiots!

[heidih]

I was sent rescue yeast from an eGer and happily mailed the check which she told me she'd donated to a local food bank. The kindness and generosity here is amazing. 

[Margaret Pilgrim]

We just returned from local Grocery Outlet.    99% masked.    Carts segregated re "sanitized" and "used".   

One young woman in produce picked up and examine literally EVERY HEAD OF LETTUCE, putting each back and taking another.    She dug to the back of the bin to get to each one.    She wound up taking none, although from my perspective all were of good quality.    I almost said something but because of her age and other demographic decided not to .   She did this with every category she shopped. 

[dtremit]

5 hours ago, kayb said:

H'mmm. That might be a good use of the Paragon. Plug it up outside and caramelize onions in the big stock pot.

 

You're reminding me that I grabbed one of those on sale and have barely done anything with it. I wonder what would be a good temperature for caramelizing onions without risk of burning them?

ETA I'm assuming it would be target onion temperature + some pan delta, using the mat. I don't think the probe would get a good read on sliced onions.

Edited June 30, 2020 by dtremit (log)

[dtremit]

3 hours ago, robirdstx said:

For the last month, our local liquor store has been offering free contactless curbside pickup. They have signs designating two spots as reserved for curbside pick up only. Yesterday, after receiving a text message saying my order was ready, I drove to the shop and both of the reserved spots were occupied, so I parked in an adjacent spot and texted back that I had arrived and was in the spot next to one of the reserved spots. Then I glanced at the two cars in the reserved spots only to find that they did not have a driver in them, only passengers. WTF! When my order was brought out, the clerk apologized for my having to park in a different spot and said “apparently some people can not read!” And most of the customers going in and out of the store were not wearing masks.

Probably they just didn't care, but I will say that keeping track of the million variations between inside preorder pickup vs. curbside pickup at the store vs. curbside delivery to your car does sometimes make my head spin.

This may be less of an issue in less populous areas, but a lot of stores around here don't have dedicated parking, so "curbside pickup" can mean anything from "park nearby and we'll find your car and walk it to you" to "we'll put it outside the door of the shop, you come and get it."

[JoNorvelleWalker]

Shoprite had limes.

 

[kayb]

5 hours ago, Margaret Pilgrim said:

People can read just fine.   They just missed the class that taught that the flip side of rights and freedom is responsibility.

 

I am quoting this only because I can only like it once. This the absolute, carved in stone, TRUTH!

 

 

5 hours ago, Margaret Pilgrim said:

1 hour ago, dtremit said:

 

You're reminding me that I grabbed one of those on sale and have barely done anything with it. I wonder what would be a good temperature for caramelizing onions without risk of burning them?

ETA I'm assuming it would be target onion temperature + some pan delta, using the mat. I don't think the probe would get a good read on sliced onions.

 

 

And I'm not sure what target onion temp is. Anyone know what the temp of an old-fashioned crock pot is on low? That's the way I used to caramelize them, just throw them in there with a stick of butter and some salt and let 'em go for 18 hours or so. So that would at least give you a starting temperature. I have to confess, I have yet to have turned my Paragon on.

 

 

51 minutes ago, JoNorvelleWalker said:

Shoprite had limes.

 

 

Yay! The threat of scurvy is abated!

 

I bought 50 ears of corn today. Will be shucking and cutting off and freezing corn tomorrow, provided the dental surgery doesn't put me on my ass.

 

[blue_dolphin]

2 hours ago, dtremit said:

 

You're reminding me that I grabbed one of those on sale and have barely done anything with it. I wonder what would be a good temperature for caramelizing onions without risk of burning them?

ETA I'm assuming it would be target onion temperature + some pan delta, using the mat. I don't think the probe would get a good read on sliced onions.

 

 

Over at this link, eG member @CanadianHomeChef suggests a temp of 275°F for caramelized onions.  I have done this with my Paragon using the mat and it worked fine.  I just did a skillet full, not a huge deep pot. 

[JoNorvelleWalker]

38 minutes ago, kayb said:

 

Yay! The threat of scurvy is abated!

 

 

I am a hoarder.  I confess I had no lack of limes but now I have ten more.  Scurvy is a scourge but it's preventable.  Worst case, I make my mai tai with sauerkraut.

 

[DesertTinker]

1 hour ago, JoNorvelleWalker said:

 

I am a hoarder.  I confess I had no lack of limes but now I have ten more.  Scurvy is a scourge but it's preventable.  Worst case, I make my mai tai with sauerkraut.

 

Wouldn’t that be an “Oh my! Tai”🤣

[chromedome]

Might have to switch to whiskey sauers.

[weinoo]

Delivery yesterday from Chef Collective. 

 

 

 

Their 30-month Comté is exceptional. As is the marinated feta, which is soooo creamy. 

 

Now, what to do with these beautiful mushrooms. I decant them into paper bags for their stay in the fridge.

[gfweb]

1 hour ago, weinoo said:

 

 

Now, what to do with these beautiful mushrooms. I decant them into paper bags for their stay in the fridge.

 

 

Not too long ago I compared paper bag vs plastic for mushroom storage. Over a week, the plastic bag ones lost almost no weight and looked fine.  The paper bag ones were something like 50% lighter and much much smaller.

 

[KennethT]

21 minutes ago, gfweb said:

 

 

Not too long ago I compared paper bag vs plastic for mushroom storage. Over a week, the plastic bag ones lost almost no weight and looked fine.  The paper bag ones were something like 50% lighter and much much smaller.

 

Did you have any issues with the mushrooms that were in contact with the plastic?

[weinoo]

22 minutes ago, gfweb said:

 

 

Not too long ago I compared paper bag vs plastic for mushroom storage. Over a week, the plastic bag ones lost almost no weight and looked fine.  The paper bag ones were something like 50% lighter and much much smaller.

 

I double bag the paper bags, so I don't notice much weight loss. And I hvae ended up with slimy stuff when storing mushrooms in plastic. Though frankly, they will be used before either becomes a problem.

I will note that when I've gotten mushrooms from D'artagnan, they come in the plastic shell and I've kept them in there for a week without any problems.

[weinoo]

2 minutes ago, KennethT said:

Did you have any issues with the mushrooms that were in contact with the plastic?

 

My guess is if they're nice and dry when they go in the fridge, they stay that way. But right now, everything has condensation on it, which leads to, in my experience, much quicker deterioration.

[ElsieD]

I keep green onions in paper bags in the fridge.  They keep quite well in paper, in plastic they get slimy.

[rotuts]

@ElsieD 

 

try your G.O's. in a yogurt or quart container w an inch or two of water .

 

a sunny but not hot window helps   .  they grow !

 

the bunch on the L is two weeks older than the bunch on the R , ie the R is ' fresh '

 

change the water from time to time and since off the roots in cold water.   

 

the white part of the GO gets a bit mungy so I only use the green tops.

 

after several weeks , the green ' tubes' sometimes have a clear gel in them , but it has no taste.

Edited July 1, 2020 by rotuts (log)

[heidih]

43 minutes ago, weinoo said:

 

My guess is if they're nice and dry when they go in the fridge, they stay that way. But right now, everything has condensation on it, which leads to, in my experience, much quicker deterioration.

 

Exactly that. I tuck a paper towel in - seems to absorb any goofiness. I do that with most produce if in plastic from store.

[Smithy]

29 minutes ago, rotuts said:

@ElsieD 

 

try your G.). in a yogurt or quart container w an inch or two of water .

 

a sunny but not hot window helps   .  they grow !

 

the bunch on the L is two weeks older than the bunch on the R , ie the R is ' fresh '

 

change the water from time to time and since off the roots in cold water.   

 

the white part of the GO gets a bit mungy so I only use the green tops.

 

after several weeks , the green ' tubes' sometimes have a clear gel in them , but it has no taste.

 

I finally got around to trying this, and it's working well for me too. The interesting thing is that the greens grow at different rates. I cut all the onions to the same height the last time I used some, late last week. Look how uneven they are now!

 

 

[Margaret Pilgrim]

57 minutes ago, weinoo said:

 

I will note that when I've gotten mushrooms from D'artagnan, they come in the plastic shell and I've kept them in there for a week without any problems.

I am a fanatic about moving mushrooms out of plastic.   BUT, like you, I have been quite surprised with grocery delivery mushrooms that arrive in a shrinkwrapped plastic box that last at least a week refrigerated, even after opening.     What's up?

[weinoo]

13 minutes ago, Margaret Pilgrim said:

I am a fanatic about moving mushrooms out of plastic.   BUT, like you, I have been quite surprised with grocery delivery mushrooms that arrive in a shrinkwrapped plastic box that last at least a week refrigerated, even after opening.     What's up?

Maybe they fill and seal the plastic with something inert?

[gfweb]

2 hours ago, KennethT said:

Did you have any issues with the mushrooms that were in contact with the plastic?

They all were. No issues.  I posted the photos somewhere in an eG thread with in a year.

 

 

ETA

 

I searched it ("mushroom paper") and found the post from October 2019 in the  Stuffed Mushroom thread. But its not thereto be seen. I don't get it

 

StuffedMushrooms

gfweb replied to a topic in Cooking

...Method -2mushrooms in a sealed plastic bag and two in a closed (Burger King)paper bag. Store in fridge 8 days. Results- Starting weightpaper bag fungi 2.3 oz, plastic ones 2.1 oz Thepaper bagmushrooms lost 40% of their weight...the plastic bag stored ones lost 0....

• October 20, 2019
• 38 replies
• • 4

Edited July 1, 2020 by gfweb (log)

[rotuts]

@Smithy 

 

Ive noticed this too

 

I wonder if the difference relates to the length and amount of roots on each GO

 

and how thick the GO are.

 

this is one of the best things Ive ever though up.

 

I tried cilantro that I used to get at MarketBasket w roots on the herb

 

but that didn't work.

 

for cilantro  I cut the stalks ' fresh'   and put in a yogurt container w few inches of water in the bottom

 

and then loosely cover the whole container and herbs

 

then put that in the refrig.    I cover the tops so they dont dry out

 

works fairly well , but they dont grow.

 

although cilantro grows much like a weed outside in reasonable soil , water and sun

 

its pretty picky inside !

Edited July 1, 2020 by rotuts (log)