BS: Recipes - what are we eating?

Subject: RE: BS: Recipes - what are we eating?
From: Charmion
Date: 11 Jan 21 - 11:10 AM

That's interesting, Steve.

Now, do you think some grated parmesan would work in place of the chorizo?

Subject: RE: BS: Recipes - what are we eating?
From: Mrrzy
Date: 11 Jan 21 - 11:48 AM

If you make an oil- or butter-based sauce with your spices, paint the outside of the whole cauliflower with some of it, then turn the veg upside down and introduce the rest of the sauce into the cauliflower's insides, between the stalks, and bake whole at slightly lower temp, say 400F, for a slightly longer time, maybe up to 45mn. Cut into halves if small, quarters for large, to serve. A total fave.

I use crumpled tin foil, or a couple of toothpicks, to keep the cauliflower nicely upside-down.

I strongly prefer cooked to raw cauliflower, but I think that is a minority view...

Subject: RE: BS: Recipes - what are we eating?
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 11 Jan 21 - 01:05 PM

I concur - I don't care for raw cauliflower or broccoli. They're much better cooked.

Subject: RE: BS: Recipes - what are we eating?
From: Steve Shaw
Date: 11 Jan 21 - 01:50 PM

Small amounts of pickled raw cauliflower can be good, otherwise it needs to be al dente. Cauliflower, like sprouts, is very unforgiving if even slightly overcooked. I had an aunt who I dreaded going to visit if she was cooking Sunday lunch. To save time she pre-cooked the cauliflower early in the morning then reheated it for the lunch. The merest touch with your fork and it totally disintegrated. Vegetable abuse writ large.

Adding the chorizo turns it into a proper full meal. Yotam suggests it as a side dish if you leave out the sausage, and suggests that you up the amount of paprika. Unless you're a veggie I'd include it. You'd be pleasantly surprised: the little rings of chorizo turn agreeably crunchy around the edges. I like my black pudding done like that too, but that's another story. Not sure about adding Parmesan. I might try it next time, but the sausage stays. It's a one-tray meal and we can scoff it out of a pasta bowl in front of the telly. Sorry about the parsley, Maggie. I'm sure a bit of coriander would be a good sub.

We're very fortunate in Cornwall as we live in one of our major cauliflower-growing areas. All the supermarkets sell Cornish cauliflower and it's very fresh. Cheap too. I won't buy cauliflower that isn't tight and firm in the curd, or discoloured in any way, and I always give it a good sniff before purchase. Limp outer leaves are a no-no too.

Subject: RE: BS: Recipes - what are we eating?
From: Mrrzy
Date: 12 Jan 21 - 10:12 AM

Hmmm... Cauliflower is one of the few veg I really like overcooked. Mush that woman's cauli my way!

Made what I thought was a tactical blunder: had leftover pork loin that had been marinated in an Oriental style, sesame oil, soy sauce, ginger. Totally forgot how I'd cooked it, so just thought of it as leftover pork, and decided to make sauerkraut soup with it, Eastern European style, rosemary, celery seed, some leeks. Adding the meat after chopping it, ate the last sesame-y piece and thought Uh oh, this will not work.

But it did. It was absolutely de-yum.

Subject: RE: BS: Recipes - what are we eating?
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 13 Jan 21 - 03:29 PM

On Twitter I follow mystery novelist Laura Lippman, who does a lot of cooking also. And today she posted photos of a pizza they made, with big chunks of fresh mozzarella, sausage, tomato sauce, etc. But the feature that was one of the "slaps forehead!" moments for me was that it was on a paddle to slide onto a stone in the oven, sitting on a piece of parchment for the easy sliding. Something to try the next time.

Subject: RE: BS: Recipes - what are we eating?
From: leeneia
Date: 13 Jan 21 - 04:54 PM

I've started baking cauliflower, too. I cut it into slices of even thickness so it bakes more evenly.

Advice for people who dislike broccoli and brussels sprouts - try putting lime juice on them. It's delicious.

Subject: RE: BS: Recipes - what are we eating?
From: Steve Shaw
Date: 13 Jan 21 - 08:21 PM

My 10.05am recipe from the 11th should have also included two roughly chopped red onions. Dammit! Anyway, I have the ingredients and we are having it tomorrow!

Subject: RE: BS: Recipes - what are we eating?
From: Mrrzy
Date: 14 Jan 21 - 10:10 AM

The Google has failed me again.

I bought too much fresh-ish-by-American-standards cream for my solstice bûche. Now, a month later, I have an unopened glass container of something fairly solid that has been in the fridge the whole time.

What do I have? Is it something like crème fraîche? Ricotta? Still cream, just solidified? Cream cheese? Cheese? My assumption is that it is still edible...

Thank you!

Subject: RE: BS: Recipes - what are we eating?
From: Steve Shaw
Date: 14 Jan 21 - 11:19 AM

Use-by dates? I'm using a chorizo ring tonight that expired in September. Looks good, smells good - but I am cooking it. Sliced ham: always seems ok two weeks out of date. Unopened milk, fine for two or three days past. Sniff. Out of date eggs, crack 'n sniff. Best for omelettes or scrambled. Hard cheese, ignore date. Soft or blue, not quite so forgiving but generally good for at least a few days past. Throw that cream away.

"Out-of-date wine?" Huh? I don't understand...

Subject: RE: BS: Recipes - what are we eating?
From: Mrrzy
Date: 14 Jan 21 - 03:46 PM

Really? It isn't a usable dairy product that just isn't cream any more? Aw.

Subject: RE: BS: Recipes - what are we eating?
From: Jos
Date: 14 Jan 21 - 04:21 PM

Mrrzy, open it and smell it. If it smells OK and there is no sign of mould or - very important - anything turning pink, it will probably be fine.
I also had some rather solid cream, use-by date mid-October. I added it to a pasta sauce along with some white wine and herbs, plus leeks and mushrooms. It was delicious and there have been no ill effects.
Trust your nose.

Subject: RE: BS: Recipes - what are we eating?
From: Steve Shaw
Date: 14 Jan 21 - 05:24 PM

Spoilage organisms usually make food smell (and look) off, whereas harmful organisms rarely do. Manufacturers are super-cautious about use-by dates, and they'll tell you that they have your safety at heart. What they really want is for you to throw perfectly good food away and buy more. It's fine to use your nose and eyes but you need to use your intelligence as well. Dairy products and leafy salads are among the worst offenders when it comes to giving you a dodgy tum. It's also worth remembering that products such as soured cream, yoghurt and creme fraiche are produced using carefully-nurtured cultures. They're not just fresh stuff that's gone a bit off. and that pasteurising milk is a compromise to avoid changing the taste of the milk by too much.

Subject: RE: BS: Recipes - what are we eating?
From: Steve Shaw
Date: 14 Jan 21 - 08:06 PM

Slightly mangled English there. I got distracted.

Subject: RE: BS: Recipes - what are we eating?
From: Jos
Date: 15 Jan 21 - 05:14 AM

Your English didn't look mangled to me, Steve.
If I am going to eat out-of-date food I do usually use it in a cooked dish so that possible harmful organisms that wouldn't survive heating are dealt with. One can also try a small amount of the food and then wait a while in case anything nasty happens, but if I thought that might be a good plan it would be a sign that the food should be thrown out anyway.
I am happier to throw away salads as they go into the compost, and are thus not wasted.

Subject: RE: BS: Recipes - what are we eating?
From: Mrrzy
Date: 15 Jan 21 - 09:40 AM

If it smells like stinky cheese, is it cheese? I am still wondering about my cream bottle.

Subject: RE: BS: Recipes - what are we eating?
From: Jos
Date: 16 Jan 21 - 09:40 AM

Mrrzy, you will just have to decide that for yourself. I can neither see nor smell your cream.
The cream I used a few days ago that was three months out of date just smelled like cream, though it was so thick you could have spread it on bread. When I added it to my simmering sauce it melted like butter.

One food that I would never ever take chances with is cooked rice. The result of eating it can be very unpleasant - even deadly.

Subject: RE: BS: Recipes - what are we eating?
From: Raggytash
Date: 16 Jan 21 - 09:50 AM

I have to admit to not being a great lover of pasta in any form. It is not my go-to food ............. however.

Earlier this year I had a basil plant that went rampant so I made a jar of pesto. That now needed using so I made some pasta (Tagliatelle) but added a generous amount of the pesto to the dough.

Even if I say it myself it was sublime.

Incidentally in the past when rolling out my pasta (with a pasta machine) I have added basil leaves, folded the dough over them and rolled again and again until the required thinness has been achieved. That dough when cut into Tagliatelle or spaghetti is rather good too.

Subject: RE: BS: Recipes - what are we eating?
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 16 Jan 21 - 10:20 AM

The last time I had a container of cream that was past it's sell-by date (that isn't the same as "toss it date") I mixed it with milk and used it in a quiche.

I buy organic milk because it seems to last a lot longer in the unopened container if I don't get to it right away. We're talking weeks, not days.

Last night I chopped onions that I sautéed in the chicken fat from the bird I roasted this week, then let diced carrots and potatoes simmer in it, added a little water with the drippings, a little bouillon and some turmeric before adding some frozen green peas, followed by large dice chicken breast and thickening it with a water flour mix. Instead of eating this chicken pot pie mix in a crust (a lot of work and way more calories than I need) I simply break some good whole wheat crackers over the top of the bowl.

Yesterday was such a windy day that when you stepped out into it the wind pulled the warmth from your body. The chicken stew was the perfect remedy.

Subject: RE: BS: Recipes - what are we eating?
From: Steve Shaw
Date: 16 Jan 21 - 10:48 AM

You don't care much for pasta, yet you have a pasta machine...?

I never buy jars of pesto. I always make my own. We have a little mini-chopper electric gizmo that's great for blitzing the garlic, basil* and pine nuts, then it's a matter of mixing in the Parmesan and extra virgin olive oil. I like to be in control of ingredient quality and freshness. It's somewhat distressing to see how a great big bunch of basil turns into a teaspoonful!

There's a Gino d'Acampo variant that adds sundried tomatoes in oil to the above ingredients. I like to leave that one a bit knobbly. It makes a superb bruschetta topping, sprinkled with a few baby basil leaves and Parmesan shavings. The best bruschetta bread I've found in this country is the Crosta & Mollica pane Pugliese, imported from southern Italy. Another pesto version by Jamie Oliver isn't really like the usual idea of a pesto at all, though he calls it one. He uses olive oil, basil, Parmesan, blitzed almonds (you can use skin-on ones) and halved cherry tomatoes. He puts everything in a big bowl and scrunches it all up like mad with his hands. It's fantastic with spaghetti, beautiful and rubbly. My ordinary green pesto goes really well on top of a simple risotto bianco. Keeping it simple cuts down the chance of mistakes. That's my kind of cookery!

*Absolutely the only time I ever blitz garlic, and I use just half a clove!

Subject: RE: BS: Recipes - what are we eating?
From: Raggytash
Date: 16 Jan 21 - 11:06 AM

If I'm going to eat pasta I prefer to make my own fresh, using egg and egg yolks with a little olive oil in it.

Aside from that the machine was gift from a friend!

Subject: RE: BS: Recipes - what are we eating?
From: Mrrzy
Date: 17 Jan 21 - 10:03 AM

I was thinking of making my duck legs confit as I have all that goose fat but it seems more a method of *preserving* duck than cooking it, and since I plan to eat my duck legs, I think I'll go back to my usual recipe. Am I right about confit?

Subject: RE: BS: Recipes - what are we eating?
From: Charmion
Date: 17 Jan 21 - 10:19 AM

Yes, Mrrzy, you’re right.

Subject: RE: BS: Recipes - what are we eating?
From: Mrrzy
Date: 17 Jan 21 - 01:22 PM

Mwah! They are in their salt bath now.

Subject: BS: Immersion blender soups
From: Mrrzy
Date: 23 Jan 21 - 12:03 PM

Don't know what is up with the search function but I can't find the recipes thread and a search for recipes or eating seems to bring up every thread, hundreds of'm, with nothing resembling eating or recipes in the thread title, but possibly in the thread itself [brexit might be a recipe for disaster?] so, voilà.

I am not allowed to chew for a while per my periodontist who did terrible things to my gums. And I just got an immersion blender. I am actually not in pain but obeying dicta.

So today I made my usual crab and asparagus soup with the rest of my leeks too, and then gooshed it. Yum, yum. BUT: it made a foam on top. I don't like foam. Is there a technique I could learn? The first time I used it was making eggnog for 1, and I just figured I should have predicted that the milk would foam...

I did not anticipate the soup foaming. Help?

Mudelves feel free to subsume this under another cooking thread, I just could not locate any. But I did try.

Subject: RE: BS: Recipes - what are we eating?
From: Jos
Date: 23 Jan 21 - 12:12 PM

Refresh (for Mrrzy)

Subject: RE: BS: Immersion blender soups
From: Donuel
Date: 23 Jan 21 - 12:14 PM

A little oil will help. I'm big on smoothies, moule's, meat sauces...

Subject: RE: BS: Immersion blender soups
From: punkfolkrocker
Date: 23 Jan 21 - 12:36 PM

.. but.. fizzy soup sounds cool...

You might have just invented the next new multi million $$$s profits trendy young foodie craze...???

Subject: RE: BS: Immersion blender soups
From: Raggytash
Date: 23 Jan 21 - 01:00 PM

If you bring it to the boil again the foam will disappear.

Subject: RE: BS: Immersion blender soups
From: Mrrzy
Date: 23 Jan 21 - 01:22 PM

Ooh raggytash perfect solution! I will reheat the rest I was thinking of chilling, and report back.

Subject: RE: BS: Recipes - what are we eating?
From: Mrrzy
Date: 23 Jan 21 - 01:24 PM

Thanks Jos! I just saw it was here and thought I was crazy. So glad you were being kind, and I wasn't going blind!

Subject: RE: BS: Immersion blender soups
From: Joe Offer
Date: 23 Jan 21 - 02:07 PM

I hadn't known about immersion blenders, but in 2002 I married into a household that had one. I soon grew to love it. I use it mostly on pea and lentil soup, but it comes in handy for other things.
My soups don't foam. What are you doing wrong, Mrr? ;-)

Subject: RE: BS: Immersion blender soups
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 23 Jan 21 - 02:26 PM

I wonder if you are turning on the blender before it is completely immersed? I've never seen soup foam. I use it, like Joe, in lentil and pea soup, but I've also used it on egg whites when I wanted them to fill with air (meringue) - and since it isn't really immersed there, they do fill with air.

Subject: RE: BS: Recipes - what are we eating?
From: leeneia
Date: 23 Jan 21 - 02:32 PM

We had a Mexican dinner last night, and out of the blue I made a Key Lime pie. Few pies can be easier.

bake a small pie crust - I like the kind you buy ready to bake.
mix the following filling
1 can SWEETENED condensed milk
1/3 cup lime juice
refrigerate the filling for a while so it thickens
when it's time to eat the pie, put the filling in the crust.

Tradition says to top with meringue, but I can't be bothered. We put Reddiwhip (real whipped cream from a can) on top.

Subject: RE: BS: Recipes - what are we eating?
From: Mrrzy
Date: 23 Jan 21 - 03:12 PM

That was my question too, Joe! Maybe because it was a very brothy soup...

Subject: RE: BS: Recipes - what are we eating?
From: Steve Shaw
Date: 23 Jan 21 - 06:08 PM

Is an immersion blender what we call here a stick blender/hand blender? You plug it in, stick it into whatever you want to whizz, press a button and Bob's yer uncle? Being careful not to pebbledash your shirt front/whole kitchen? I can't contemplate life without my Braun stick blender. When done, unscrew the bottom bit, wash it up, bingo, one little piece of kit in your drainer. Cost me £22. Mrs Steve has these wonderful food processors/mixers/chuff knows what they're all called. Take up half the kitchen. What I do know is that, with them, you do ten seconds of whizzing, then you have a massive mound of washing up that you can't put away for three days until it's all thoroughly dried. The path to insanity if ever I saw it. You steal my stick blender, I break your face... :-)

Subject: RE: BS: Recipes - what are we eating?
From: Jos
Date: 24 Jan 21 - 04:14 AM

I think 'immersion blender' is a better name - it reminds you that the whizzy bit should be immersed BEFORE you turn it on.

Subject: RE: BS: Recipes - what are we eating?
From: Mrrzy
Date: 24 Jan 21 - 09:22 AM

Yes, stick blender. Don't understand how I lasted so long without one.

Subject: RE: BS: Recipes - what are we eating?
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 24 Jan 21 - 12:28 PM

I got a new food processor a couple of years ago (I selected it and placed it on my xmas list on Amazon). The thing I like best is that while there are a few parts they are all easily cleaned. I got one large enough to make the full recipes of a few things that I like and it's much less messy than making things is stages with the small processor (that was given to the Goodwill as soon as the new one was out of the box). My stick blender is a Braun also, and it came with a bowl and blade that the wand runs, and it gets used frequently for chopping, but for big things (like making falafel, etc.) the large machine does the trick. I used it to shred the zucchini for bread a while back and it saved a lot of time.

Subject: RE: BS: Recipes - what are we eating?
From: Jon Freeman
Date: 24 Jan 21 - 12:53 PM

I'm not that fond of our stick blender which also happens to be a Braun but it doesn't have a bit at the bottom I can unscrew.

I don't find either the food processor or food mixer hard to wash although I will concede they do consume worktop space and may only be run for very short times.

My main use for the food processor is as a cheese grater. Cut a pack of (usually) the Cathedral Extra Mature (which I think both Steve and I like) lengthways in half and I've got what I want for a cheese sauce with the rest to be bagged up as something convenient for sandwiches.

The mixer was idle for a long while but it's my go to device for the cakes (except the Guiness cake one which is made in a pan) and cheese scones I now do. A 20 second wizz does as well as mum used to spend longer on with the wooden spoon and I've everything washed, dried and put away long before the food is cooked.

But I guess there is an each to their own on a lot of this and today I'd say great to whatever works for anyone.

Subject: RE: BS: Recipes - what are we eating?
From: Jos
Date: 24 Jan 21 - 02:20 PM

Stick blenders are good for soup as you can stop while there are still some solid bits to give it texture instead of ending up with a uniform slupp.

Subject: RE: BS: Recipes - what are we eating?
From: Mrrzy
Date: 24 Jan 21 - 05:04 PM

Sigh. Reduced to uniform slupp. Someday I will be allowed to chew again.

Also kinda completely off carbs. I did an experiment and yup, the next day my equanimity is shot.

Between my shrink and my periodontist, all I got is slupp.

Luckily... I *like* slupp.

Subject: RE: BS: Recipes - what are we eating?
From: Jos
Date: 24 Jan 21 - 05:13 PM

Re: "Luckily... I *like* slupp."

I'm glad about that. It sounds as if life might be grim otherwise.

Subject: RE: BS: Recipes - what are we eating?
From: Steve Shaw
Date: 24 Jan 21 - 07:46 PM

"Cut a pack of (usually) the Cathedral Extra Mature (which I think both Steve and I like) lengthways in half and I've got what I want for a cheese sauce with the rest to be bagged up as something convenient for sandwiches."

It's fantastic for a lasagne or cheese on toast, or just for a quick cheesy nibble, but just grate it with your grater! You can wash that up in eight seconds!

Incidentally, I must say that I'm not keen on cheddar for a cheese sandwich (heresy, I know...). I much prefer a crumbly Wensleydale or Lancashire, either with slices of slightly salted tomato or with tomato relish. The one that Waitrose sells is a thing of beauty... Incidentally, I regard grated cheese on a sandwich as an abomination. I want it in thin, crumbly slices or not at all...

Subject: RE: BS: Recipes - what are we eating?
From: BobL
Date: 25 Jan 21 - 03:27 AM

The only problem with a stick blender is cleaning it afterwards.
Ideally I'd give the blade a quick whizz in the sudsy washing-up water, but the sink is six feet from the power point (a legal requirement) and the blender flex only three. Probably on purpose.

Subject: RE: BS: Recipes - what are we eating?
From: Steve Shaw
Date: 25 Jan 21 - 04:19 AM

The bottom bit comes off mine. I just waggle it up and down in soapy water in the plastic jug it came with. Easy!

Subject: RE: BS: Recipes - what are we eating?
From: Jon Freeman
Date: 25 Jan 21 - 04:48 AM

I must admit that my own preference for a cheese and tomato or salad sandwich is something along the white crumbly lines.

Subject: RE: BS: Recipes - what are we eating?
From: Steve Shaw
Date: 25 Jan 21 - 05:51 AM

"Stick blenders are good for soup as you can stop while there are still some solid bits to give it texture instead of ending up with a uniform slupp."

True, though you can also simply remove a proportion of the chunky soup before whizzing, then put it back in afterwards.

In our house, the most important rule for a sandwich is to be extremely generous with the filling. I have no time for the pathetic single slice of ham or roast beef. The bread must be well-buttered, right to the edge of the slice (crucial). I like to make a good, thick mixture of roughly-chopped hard-boiled egg with a large dollop of Hellmann's mayo (not that reduced-fat muck). I'm also very fond of a corned beef and beetroot butty. I care not a not about the inconvenience of the beetroot slices constantly dropping out. Just sit over the plate...

Subject: RE: BS: Recipes - what are we eating?
From: Steve Shaw
Date: 25 Jan 21 - 06:05 AM

Not a jot

Subject: RE: BS: Recipes - what are we eating?
From: Mrrzy
Date: 25 Jan 21 - 01:07 PM

Ok today's slupp report:

Tried reheating the frothy brothy soup. Worked some, thanks. Yum gooshy crab asparagus soup.

Today made a much more full-of-veg soup (cabbage, spinach, parsley, carrots) which when immersion-blended made a purée/potage kind of texture, no foam.

So the foam seems to be a broth issue. Easy fix: add broth later.

Have acquired cukes and avocado. Cold soup next...