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I LOVE cilantro because...


tommy

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What chemical is that?

I wish I could recall but The New York Times did a Wednesday Food Section article on the the tolerance of cilantro about three years ago, possibly longer. I've spent some time this morning doing a Google search on cilantro and an archive search at The Times in hopes of finding the information with no luck. It was also a topic of a thread around the same time on Robin Garr's discussion board, The Food Lover's Discussion Group which I could not find using their search function.

Sorry.

Bob Sherwood

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“When the wolf is at the door, one should invite him in and have him for dinner.”

- M.F.K. Fisher

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I like it because, paired with spicy foods, it tends to temper the heat...

Funny you should say that: HWOE insists that cilantro tastes "spicy." I have no idea whether it really does, to him, or whether it's just because it's almost always in association with spicy foods.

In any case, we both adore the flavor, and I almost always have a bunch in a jar of water in the fridge.

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I never had success growing it, it bolts so fast!

I am going to try just planting it in the garden this year in many successions and see what happens.

It is sooooo expensive here and only a couple stores sell it, so having in the garden would be wonderful!

Kristin Wagner, aka "torakris"

 

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My problem with it is that local supermarkets tend to sell it in like one pound shrink wrapped packages. I get to use a half ounce or so and the rest turns black and gloppy in my fridge. :angry:

=Mark

Give a man a fish, he eats for a Day.

Teach a man to fish, he eats for Life.

Teach a man to sell fish, he eats Steak

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I never had success growing it, it bolts so fast!

I am going to try just planting it in the garden this year in many successions and see what happens.

It is sooooo expensive here and only a couple stores sell it, so having in the garden would be wonderful!

That's too bad. Another reason I love it is because it's about fifty cents a bundle here. For fifty cents I can take whatever I cook to a whole new level.

I love cilantro.

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My problem with it is that local supermarkets tend to sell it in like one pound shrink wrapped packages.  I get to use a half ounce or so and the rest turns black and gloppy in my fridge.  :angry:

well duh, you're not using enough. :biggrin:

I have the same issue when I buy it. I think we should all send our unused cilantro to Torakris. It could be an article under the Larb-Proliferation act.

Ben

Edited by Schielke (log)

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-Freakmaster

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Okay, a storage tip for all of you whose cilantro turns into The Creature from the Black Lagoon:

Take the cilantro and make it into a nice bunch, with all the roots or cut stems together. Place the bunch in a jar, root end down, just as you would put flowers into a vase. Fill the jar with cold water. Place a plastic bag over the bouquet and jar. (It helps if there are a few holes in the bag; otherwise you'll have to change the bag every other day or so because water will collect on the leaves.) Put the whole arrangement in the fridge. The cilantro will keep for quite a while this way (see above for note on aspiration condensation). This method also works for parsley and watercress.

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Okay, a storage tip for all of you whose cilantro turns into The Creature from the Black Lagoon:

Take the cilantro and make it into a nice bunch, with all the roots or cut stems together.  Place the bunch in a jar, root end down, just as you would put flowers into a vase.  Fill the jar with cold water.  Place a plastic bag over the bouquet and jar.  (It helps if there are a few holes in the bag; otherwise you'll have to change the bag every other day or so because water will collect on the leaves.)  Put the whole arrangement in the fridge.  The cilantro will keep for quite a while this way (see above for note on aspiration condensation).  This method also works for parsley and watercress.

It works with basil also; in fact, I first learned of this method as it applied to basil, although my source suggested storing at room temperature.

An alternative method for cilantro is that recommended by Rick Bayless. Loosely wrap a barely-damp paper towel around the bunched cilantro, then store in a plastic bag in the fridge. I've had great success with this . . .

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Okay, a storage tip for all of you whose cilantro turns into The Creature from the Black Lagoon:

Take the cilantro and make it into a nice bunch, with all the roots or cut stems together.  Place the bunch in a jar, root end down, just as you would put flowers into a vase.  Fill the jar with cold water.  Place a plastic bag over the bouquet and jar.  (It helps if there are a few holes in the bag; otherwise you'll have to change the bag every other day or so because water will collect on the leaves.)  Put the whole arrangement in the fridge.  The cilantro will keep for quite a while this way (see above for note on aspiration condensation).  This method also works for parsley and watercress.

It works with basil also; in fact, I first learned of this method as it applied to basil, although my source suggested storing at room temperature.

An alternative method for cilantro is that recommended by Rick Bayless. Loosely wrap a barely-damp paper towel around the bunched cilantro, then store in a plastic bag in the fridge. I've had great success with this . . .

I like the send all of the leftovers to torakris idea the best! :biggrin:

Kristin Wagner, aka "torakris"

 

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What I DON'T love is that its absolute hell to grow yourself.

And I find this very interesting because when I lived in Panama, it grew wild everywhere - like a weed. So wonderful to snatch up a handful and put in your beans. Of course it is ubiquitous in many Latin American dishes.

But then I get to Texas and plant some. It burns up in the summers, which are not that much hotter than Panamanian summers.

Although it does come back in the fall.

But still - it's a puzzle to me.

I don't understand why rappers have to hunch over while they stomp around the stage hollering.  It hurts my back to watch them. On the other hand, I've been thinking that perhaps I should start a rap group here at the Old Folks' Home.  Most of us already walk like that.

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What I DON'T love is that its absolute hell to grow yourself.

Actually Jon, it grew in our garden like a weed last summer. Its probably a pain in the ass to grow indoors though.

Actually, it didn't. Like others mentioned above, it goes to seed very quickly if you don't aggressively harvest. What grew like a weed was mint.

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What I DON'T love is that its absolute hell to grow yourself.

Actually Jon, it grew in our garden like a weed last summer. Its probably a pain in the ass to grow indoors though.

Actually, it didn't. Like others mentioned above, it goes to seed very quickly if you don't aggressively harvest. What grew like a weed was mint.

I could swear we grew a ton of it once, maybe that was the previous summer?

Jason Perlow, Co-Founder eGullet Society for Culinary Arts & Letters

Foodies who Review South Florida (Facebook) | offthebroiler.com - Food Blog (archived) | View my food photos on Instagram

Twittter: @jperlow | Mastodon @jperlow@journa.host

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Mint is a weed.  It will strangle everything else nearby.  The best way to combat it is to drink lots of mojitos.

Ben

Or lots of mint iced tea, which is what we did.

Jason Perlow, Co-Founder eGullet Society for Culinary Arts & Letters

Foodies who Review South Florida (Facebook) | offthebroiler.com - Food Blog (archived) | View my food photos on Instagram

Twittter: @jperlow | Mastodon @jperlow@journa.host

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