What can you expect in the Food Thread on PF?

[scorpa]

Thanks guys I will pass the recipes on to the one who makes it! Oh and I tried spinach and feta pizza today and I am shocked but it is soooo good!

 

[turbo]

Thanks guys I will pass the recipes on to the one who makes it! Oh and I tried spinach and feta pizza today and I am shocked but it is soooo good!

Some Greeks moved into the area about 20 years ago, and they offered a lot of pizzas with feta and odd topping combinations. Some of them were OK.

Pat's in Orono had a better plan. Just about anything they had in their restaurant could be requested as a pizza topping. My favorite combo was sauerkraut and hot Italian sausage, then I'd shake on crushed red pepper and black pepper when it arrived.

 

[jtbell]

Are there any okra fans here?

http://www.cnn.com/2007/TRAVEL/getaways/09/18/okra.strut.ap/index.html

As an expatriate Midwesterner, I can't stand the stuff. But I live about an hour's drive from Irmo, so maybe I'll visit the Okra Strut this year and at least get a picture of Okra Man.

My brother, who's lived in various parts of the country, has a theory that there's an invisible Okra Line that divides the United States into two parts. North of the Okra Line, you never see okra on a restaurant menu. South of the Okra Line, almost every locally-owned restaurant has it.

 

[Math Is Hard]

Oh yes! I love me some okra! Pickle it up, or fry it up, or put it in my gumbo. I'll eat it any way but raw.

 

[Evo]

Are there any okra fans here?

http://www.cnn.com/2007/TRAVEL/getaways/09/18/okra.strut.ap/index.html

As an expatriate Midwesterner, I can't stand the stuff. But I live about an hour's drive from Irmo, so maybe I'll visit the Okra Strut this year and at least get a picture of Okra Man.

My brother, who's lived in various parts of the country, has a theory that there's an invisible Okra Line that divides the United States into two parts. North of the Okra Line, you never see okra on a restaurant menu. South of the Okra Line, almost every locally-owned restaurant has it.

I love okra, fried and pickled are my favorites. I used to grow it, it's like a huge hibiscus.

 

[Math Jeans]

I think its great in gumbo.

 

[turbo]

Oh yes! I love me some okra! Pickle it up, or fry it up, or put it in my gumbo. I'll eat it any way but raw.

Eek! I like gumbos that I've had in LA and east TX, but eating okra as a vegetable must be an acquired taste. No matter how it is cooked (even hidden in breading and fried) it turns into such disgusting slime. I must say that I loved trying little diners down south and finding turnip greens, collards, etc on the menu, especially if they were cooked with salt pork and served up with piquant vinegar on the side.

 

[turbo]

Our friends from Pittsburg are due to show up for a cookout, and my wife and I have been preparing food for a couple of hours. We have a large salad all made with vegetables and herbs from our garden, sliced apples from one of our trees, cheese, crackers, chili relishes and salsas, carrot sticks and cherry tomatoes for snacks. We'll have cheeseburgers and BBQ chicken for the main meal, with my favorite appetizer - jalapeno poppers, stuffed with cream cheese and crumbled bacon, and topped with shredded Monterey Jack, roasted on the grill. Mmmm! As we've made batches of chili relishes and salsas, there always seems to be a little left over after canning them, so we've been putting the overage in one jar in the refrigerator. It's kind of a cross between salsa and habanero relish right now and it is fabulous on cheeseburgers!

 

[ZapperZ]

Dunkin Donuts is completely http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20070827/us_nm/dunkindonuts_transfat_dc by Oct 15 of this year. They already have many within their chains that are already using this new oil.

Humm... might I finally be able to have a Dunkin Donuts doughnut for the first time in 4 years?

:)

Zz.

 

[Moonbear]

Dunkin Donuts is completely http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20070827/us_nm/dunkindonuts_transfat_dc by Oct 15 of this year. They already have many within their chains that are already using this new oil.

Humm... might I finally be able to have a Dunkin Donuts doughnut for the first time in 4 years?

:)

Zz.

I hope it doesn't ruin the flavor. I love Dunkin Donuts (but only eat it rarely).

But, beware, it doesn't say no trans fats, they say "zero grams." There's some loophole in the labeling laws (or the lack of labeling laws) that let's them get away with still having trans fats and saying 0 g because it's less than a gram...I don't know the exact amount that is the cutoff, but I'm guessing it may be anything less than a half gram so you can "round down" to 0. There was a news story on it not too long ago that it's a gimmick a lot of these junk food manufacturers are using to label their products "0 g trans fats" without having to stop using them.

I got my annual dose of Dunkin Donuts and trans fats when I visited in July. I don't know how you could resist with it being practically right around the corner.

 

[ZapperZ]

I hope it doesn't ruin the flavor. I love Dunkin Donuts (but only eat it rarely).

But, beware, it doesn't say no trans fats, they say "zero grams." There's some loophole in the labeling laws (or the lack of labeling laws) that let's them get away with still having trans fats and saying 0 g because it's less than a gram...I don't know the exact amount that is the cutoff, but I'm guessing it may be anything less than a half gram so you can "round down" to 0. There was a news story on it not too long ago that it's a gimmick a lot of these junk food manufacturers are using to label their products "0 g trans fats" without having to stop using them.

I got my annual dose of Dunkin Donuts and trans fats when I visited in July. I don't know how you could resist with it being practically right around the corner.

I have strong will-power whenever I want to. It also helps that I can be pretty stubborn! :)

Since I decide a while back to cut out as much trans fat as I can, I've stopped going to several places that I really love, such as Popeye's Chicken (I LOVE THAT PLACE!) and Dunkin Donuts (I much prefer yeast doughnuts such as Dunkin Donuts rather than cake doughnuts such as Crispy Creme). Unfortunately, that also means that I had to cut out almost all fried foods since one cannot tell what kind of oil they're using.

Luckily, around here, there are now many places that advertises the type of oil they use, etc. So I can now get my fix of fries and onion rings (once a month). Now if anyone knows what kind of oil Fuddruckers use...

Zz.

 

[turbo]

According to Wiki, the FDA standard for "0% trans fat" is actually less than one gram per tablespoon.

In January 2007, faced with the prospect of an outright ban on the sale of their product, Crisco was reformulated to meet the US FDA definition of "zero grams trans fats per serving" (that is less than one gram per tablespoon) by boosting the saturation and then cutting the resulting solid with oils. Meanwhile, at the University of Guelph,

Alejandro Marangoni's research group found a way to mix oil, water, monoglycerides and fatty acids to form a "cooking fat" that acts the same way as trans and saturated fats — the stuff that makes baked goods taste so good. The big difference here is Marangoni's process works with "healthier" oils like olive, soybean and canola. He's hoping to get food manufacturers interested in the process this year, as the pressure mounts on the makers of commercial foods to dump trans fats.[14][15]

 

[NateTG]

According to Wiki, the FDA standard for "0% trans fat" is actually less than one gram per tablespoon.

So still 1.5% trans fat?

Really, you should be able to get stuff fried in coconut oil, lard, tallow, or clarified butter which are all available unhydrogenated, and all make for tasty tasty donuts. Naturally, all of those are chock full of saturated fat, which is also frowned upon by the nutrition folk.

Basically, hydrogenation is a process for synthetically saturating oils, but there are many natural sources of saturated fat which may, or may not, be healthier than the trans fats. It would not be surprising if the mechanisms for the associated health concerns are effectively the same.

In practice, unsaturated fats like safflower, flaxseed, fish oil, and olive oil (and a bunch of others) are chemically more heat sensitive which makes them less suitable for frying food, go rancid more quickly, and tend to have lower melting points, which can affect their viability for use in baked goods.

 

[turbo]

My wife and I have been using butter, olive oil, and peanut oil for years, and have no margarine, hydrogenated oils, etc in the house. We don't often deep-fry, but if we do, that is done in lard, not shortening. You can keep the temperature of the lard so high that the chicken, donuts, whatever crisp up immediately and resist the absorption of the cooking grease, resulting in a lighter product with less total fat.

I scalded, peeled and simmered down gallons of ripe tomatoes today, and will make up another batch of red tomato salsa tomorrow. The next day, I'll start processing some green tomatoes so that we'll have an extra "cushion" of green tomato salsa. I hate running out of that stuff. It is wonderful on cheeseburgers, omelets, and a thousand other things. Need a sauce for crab-cakes? Grab a jar of red or green salsa, and blend it with Cain's mayonnaise with some fresh-ground black pepper and a little salt and whatever else strikes your fancy.

 

[Moonbear]

Oh, crap, I should have bookmarked the various recipes I liked in this thread as I saw them to get back to the right page! I'm now thinking I'd like to go back and find some of the finger food recipes for my Mad Hatter Tea Party, and am realizing the thread is now 55 pages long! I'll never find them!

 

[turbo]

Oh, crap, I should have bookmarked the various recipes I liked in this thread as I saw them to get back to the right page! I'm now thinking I'd like to go back and find some of the finger food recipes for my Mad Hatter Tea Party, and am realizing the thread is now 55 pages long! I'll never find them!

If your preference is for hot stuff, I may be able to be able to help with basics.

 

[Moonbear]

Unfortunately, with the crowd I'll be having, I don't think hot stuff is the way to go (as much as that's what I'd love to have). But I know there were some snack type recipes in here somewhere. Oh well, I guess I'll have to find my own recipes.

 

[wolram]

My Yorkshire puddings are not working any more, this is one of the things i can cook with no problem up to now, my puddings use to triple in height, but now they hardly reach the rim of the tin, i am using the same tin, have tried three different makes of plain flour and ues the same weights, mom has tried with the same results, so what is going wrong?

 

[NateTG]

My Yorkshire puddings are not working any more, this is one of the things i can cook with no problem up to now, my puddings use to triple in height, but now they hardly reach the rim of the tin, i am using the same tin, have tried three different makes of plain flour and ues the same weights, mom has tried with the same results, so what is going wrong?

You've talked about the flour. What about the eggs? Smaller eggs (and maybe less fresh eggs) could easily cause the sort of problem you're describing.

Yorkshire pudding is leavened by eggs, which means that it's important to trap air in the batter to get a good rise. I don't know what-all you're doing when you make the yorkshire pudding, but there are couple of things you can do that will create (or preserve) air in the batter:

Sift the dry ingredients.
Beat the wet ingredients, especially the eggs, before mixing with the dry ingredients.
Don't over-beat when mixing the wet and dry ingredients together.
Since the steam is important, don't open the oven while the pudding is baking.

If you really want to push it, you can probably make a 'yorkshire souffle' by reducing the flour, increasing the eggs, whipping the egg-whites and making a thick gravy with the other ingredients, and folding the two together just before baking. This should produce something with a noticeably different texture though.

 

[wolram]

The eggs, that could be it Nate, i and mom have been making yorkshires for years and
never had this problem before, some do turn out better than others but never flat.

 

[wolram]

If a muntjac accidentaly died and wound up in my possetion, how would i clean it and cook it?

 

[Evo]

If a muntjac accidentaly died and wound up in my possetion, how would i clean it and cook it?

What's a muntjac?

 

[turbo]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muntjac

 

[Evo]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muntjac

WOLRAM! A cute little barking deer? Accidental death by what, a stray bullet?

 

[turbo]

WOLRAM! A cute little barking deer? Accidental death by what, a stray bullet?

Maybe something quieter, like a snare, and a hatchet. Guns are all but banned in England.

 

[wolram]

WOLRAM! A cute little barking deer? Accidental death by what, a stray bullet?

They are considered to be pests by local farmers, and some times they fall and slit their throats.

 

[Evo]

They are considered to be pests by local farmers, and some times they fall and slit their throats.

THAT'S TERRIBLE!

 

[turbo]

THAT'S TERRIBLE!

What if they taste good? Is it less terrible? I'm a little flexible on this issue.

 

[Evo]

What if they taste good? Is it less terrible? I'm a little flexible on this issue.

Well, it's got to be eaten now, you can't let it die in vain.

 

[wolram]

What if they taste good? Is it less terrible? I'm a little flexible on this issue.

I am told if a certain butcher could get some he would pay top dollar, but he can not get any, but accidents happen and i could be around when they do.
So how would i cook one ? hypotheticaly.

 

[turbo]

I am told if a certain butcher could get some he would pay top dollar, but he can not get any, but accidents happen and i could be around when they do.
So how would i cook one ? hypotheticaly.

Hypothetically, you should slice the steaks across the grain of any major muscles, rub them in pepper and salt and fry them very fast in butter in a cast iron pan (hot enough so that the butter starts to smoke). If one of these critters should happen to die in your garden, once you gut it out, you should locate the muscles paralleling the spine, chill them and ship them to me immediately so that I can study them for deformities.

 

[wolram]

Hypothetically, you should slice the steaks across the grain of any major muscles, rub them in pepper and salt and fry them very fast in butter in a cast iron pan (hot enough so that the butter starts to smoke). If one of these critters should happen to die in your garden, once you gut it out, you should locate the muscles paralleling the spine, chill them and ship them to me immediately so that I can study them for deformities.

How do i clean one Turbo? you are welcome to some spine chops.

 

[Evo]

I am told if a certain butcher could get some he would pay top dollar, but he can not get any, but accidents happen and i could be around when they do.
So how would i cook one ? hypotheticaly.

You mean it hasn't had an accident yet?

If one of these critters should happen to die in your garden, once you gut it out, you should locate the muscles paralleling the spine, chill them and ship them to me immediately so that I can study them for deformities.

SHAMEFUL!

 

[Moonbear]

If a muntjac accidentaly died and wound up in my possetion, how would i clean it and cook it?

If it hasn't been properly gutted soon after death, don't bother, it'll be too filled with bacteria to be edible. But, if you just happen to stumble across it very soon after it suddenly commits suicide by running into a hatchet, or something like that , first thing is to open up the belly and get out all the guts (make a little hole first, and then just poke the knife in and pull it outward, so you just cut open the abdominal wall, not the intestines inside). To get the last bit out, cut nice and wide around the butt end so you don't get any fecal contamination in your meat. Then you can worry about the rest. Skinning is pretty easy, really. You can always just use the legs and not worry about all the other cuts...look for the nice rounded psoas muscle that runs from the back to the hip...that's the tenderloin and you REALLY want to enjoy that one if you get nothing out of it.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Psoas_major_muscle

Here's a diagram of what cuts you find where on cattle, very generally.
http://heifercreek.com/BEEF.h20.jpg You can adapt that for a muntjac or deer.

 

[Moonbear]

If one of these critters should happen to die in your garden, once you gut it out, you should locate the muscles paralleling the spine, chill them and ship them to me immediately so that I can study them for deformities.

Sorry, I didn't see your post before I spoiled it for you. Darn! Had I seen this first, I could have arranged to split it with you in return for keeping my mouth shut.