What can you expect in the Food Thread on PF?

[D H]

...

Evo! Stop looking at this thread! You are not supposed to even think of tasty food for a while.

Perhaps this thread should be locked for a while since Evo apparently cannot resist looking it.

 

[Moonbear]

Unfortunately, broccoli is usually killed by boiling it for 10+ minutes starting with lots of cold water. You can't do it more wrong.

Boil water first, just a quarter of an inch on the bottom with a little salt. Then drop in the broccoli 'flowers' (don't bother about the stem). Cover with lit and let it boil again for ~3 minutes then drain and use the boiled water to make a nice cheese sause.

But first marvel at the bright green color of the broccoli instead of the sad dark brownish green after having murdered the broccoli.

I don't do cheese sauces on broccoli either. That just seems to ruin the nice healthy vegetable if you drown it in fatty cheese sauce. I don't remember the last time I just boiled broccoli though. I do start from cold water and bring it to a boil, but don't boil nearly that long. Just until crispy. It's still green when I boil it. More often, I toss it into a stir fry though, or just eat it raw in salads.

My mom, on the other hand, is a broccoli serial killer. I still ate it (there was no choice), but by the time she was done with it, it was grayish mush. She didn't think any vegetable should be cooked less than 15 minutes once brought up to full boil. I don't think she realized there were settings on the stove other than "Hi" either. There were a lot of foods I discovered I actually liked once I escaped the asylum...I mean left home...and experienced cooked properly.

The other day, I just made brussels sprouts. I remembered them being nasty and bitter atrocities as a child. A few years ago someone made some for a dinner they cooked for me, so I braced myself to be polite and chew and swallow without showing my distaste for them, but I was instead shocked to discover they were tasty little things. So, I had to try it for myself.

I melted a bit of butter with vegetable oil, added some garlic, and sauteed the brussels sprouts (cut in half) in the garlic butter. I added some garbageake and porcini mushrooms, a touch of salt and pepper, and because it was what was open, deglazed the pan with a splash of muscat wine. They were still just a bit crunchy, and delicious! The garlic and mushroom gave a nice flavor, and I wasn't sure what it would be like cooking with such a sweet wine, but I really enjoyed it, so I might have to dabble with that flavor for some other sauteed foods.

 

[turbo]

Unfortunately, broccoli is usually killed by boiling it for 10+ minutes starting with lots of cold water. You can't do it more wrong.

Yep. Most vegetables are better-served by judicious steaming. Just a little water in the pot, insert a steaming basket, and bring to a boil - THEN dump the vegetables in the steamy, preheated basket and cover for a couple of minutes (just until al dente).

Slow heat-up of vegetables fully immersed in water is the perfect way to ruin the texture and color and leach out their nutrients.

 

[Evo]

Evo! Stop looking at this thread! You are not supposed to even think of tasty food for a while.

Perhaps this thread should be locked for a while since Evo apparently cannot resist looking it.

I can post in locked threads. MUWAHAHAHAHA!

 

[Evo]

I melted a bit of butter with vegetable oil, added some garlic, and sauteed the brussels sprouts (cut in half) in the garlic butter. I added some garbageake and porcini mushrooms, a touch of salt and pepper, and because it was what was open, deglazed the pan with a splash of muscat wine. They were still just a bit crunchy, and delicious! The garlic and mushroom gave a nice flavor, and I wasn't sure what it would be like cooking with such a sweet wine, but I really enjoyed it, so I might have to dabble with that flavor for some other sauteed foods.

Oooh, I have to try that!

 

[turbo]

Oooh, I have to try that!

That does sound good, though I would probably fall back on my cheap Carlo Rossi Burgundy to de-glaze the pan.

 

[lisab]

A great way to do broccoli: cut the florets into bite-size pieces. Heat up some olive oil and stir fry the broccoli for just a few minutes - they should still be a little crunchy. Maybe add a little chopped garlic, onion, or ginger. Season with a little bit of salt and pepper...ahhh, so good!

 

[turbo]

A great way to do broccoli: cut the florets into bite-size pieces. Heat up some olive oil and stir fry the broccoli for just a few minutes - they should still be a little crunchy. Maybe add a little chopped garlic, onion, or ginger. Season with a little bit of salt and pepper...ahhh, so good!

If you know someone who grows garlic or can get to a farmer's market in season, see if you can pick up some scapes. Chop them up and stir fry them with your vegetables. They have some of the tang of green onions with a mild but rich garlic flavor.

 

[Moonbear]

Oooh, I have to try that!

Not for a while yet, you aren't.

 

[Evo]

Not for a while yet, you aren't.

 

[Math Is Hard]

will someone please lock Evo out of this thread?

 

[turbo]

will someone please lock Evo out of this thread?

Shh! The only way to get her out of the thread is to BEG her to stay...

 

[binzing]

Oh, now I feel stupid. Of course this food thread.

 

[turbo]

Another utensil find! After finding a large 5-layer KitchenAid pan for $19, my wife brought home a mint-condition Griswold #5 cast-iron frying pan that she got at a church thrift-store for just $2. What a great deal!

 

[Borek]

Have you ever tried Polish pickled cucumbers? I just prepared some, now it takes patience - they will be ready in several weeks. General idea is described in the wikipedia (see pickled cucmber). No vinegar, they will make their own acid. They should be sour and crisp. Details on request.

I just hope they will not spoil this time, last year I made them twice - first were perfect and didn't last long, but second batch (for winter) was attacked by some mold, never seen such a thing before. Not that I have lot of experience, but I am not a virgin either

 

[Borek]

OK, nobody asked, but I already took a picture, so here we go:

Visible: cucumbers, dill, garlic, leaf of horseradish, jar, my kitchen table and wall, my laziness in finding better light before taking the picture.

Take cucumbers - not too large, freshly collected. Wash them. Put them into jar together with whole dill, garlic cloves, leaf of horseradish and/or pieces of horseradish root, you may add leaves of oak or cherry (not too much). Boil water and dissolve tablespoon of kitchen salt per liter. It is better to use non-iodized salt, iodine is bacteriostatic and may slow down the process, or even make it impossible. Wait till water is just warm and pour into jar so that cucumbers are completely covered. You may use small plate with added weight to push cucumbers down. It is important that nothing sticks above the brine, as mold loves such places. Remember to leave some place above the brine, as when the fermentation starts level goes up and you will end with a brine puddle around the jar. Don't close tightly. Don't put the jar in the hot place, nor in the cold place, nor in the direct sunlight. Otherwise it can stand whenever you want.

In a few days brine will get cloudy - that's OK. It should smell sour. Layer of bacteria on the surface - as long as it smells sour - is OK. Mold is wrong. I will let you know when my cucumbers will be ready, as honestly I have no idea how long you have to wait - just one day it looks llike they don't want to wait any longer

 

[turbo]

You're a brave fellow, Borek! I make LOTS of pickles, but they have to be packed and processed with enough vinegar to suppress the growth of nasties like Botulin and Listeria, packed in sterilized jars, and processed in a boiling water bath. All it takes is an anaerobic environment with a rather neutral pH to brew up some really dangerous toxins.

 

[Evo]

OK, nobody asked, but I already took a picture, so here we go:

Visible: cucumbers, dill, garlic, leaf of horseradish, jar, my kitchen table and wall, my laziness in finding better light before taking the picture.

Take cucumbers - not too large, freshly collected. Wash them. Put them into jar together with whole dill, garlic cloves, leaf of horseradish and/or pieces of horseradish root, you may add leaves of oak or cherry (not too much). Boil water and dissolve tablespoon of kitchen salt per liter. It is better to use non-iodized salt, iodine is bacteriostatic and may slow down the process, or even make it impossible. Wait till water is just warm and pour into jar so that cucumbers are completely covered. You may use small plate with added weight to push cucumbers down. It is important that nothing sticks above the brine, as mold loves such places. Remember to leave some place above the brine, as when the fermentation starts level goes up and you will end with a brine puddle around the jar. Don't close tightly. Don't put the jar in the hot place, nor in the cold place, nor in the direct sunlight. Otherwise it can stand whenever you want.

In a few days brine will get cloudy - that's OK. It should smell sour. Layer of bacteria on the surface - as long as it smells sour - is OK. Mold is wrong. I will let you know when my cucumbers will be ready, as honestly I have no idea how long you have to wait - just one day it looks llike they don't want to wait any longer

Very nice Borek!

I know cabbage and other vegetables (kim chee comes to mind) ferment on their own without adding an acid such as vinegar, I didn't know about cucumbers though.

It appears this type of pickling is very common, it is just pickled in a brine. So this is why I prefer Polish pickles, I never knew. Pickles in vinegar are usually too sour for me.

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

A recipe, but I much prefer Borek's.

http://www.recipezaar.com/96002

When should I expect my first shipment?

I'd try it, but Evo making pickles in brine = dead Evo.

 

[Borek]

You're a brave fellow, Borek!

Well, we are a brave nation

Honestly, we (I mean all of us in Poland, not my family) eat these cucumbers every year, thousands of tons of them, they can be bought almost everywhere, and I have never heard about any related health problems. If they smell bad, you throw them away.

Could be it depends on the local conditions. Here it works perfectly. Lactic acid produced during fementation kills all other bacteria and such pickled cucumbers can be safely stored for several months (althought they usually don't survive that long, they are simply too tasty).

From what I read on wikipedia sauerkraut is popular in some areas of US - and it is made in a very similar way, only natural, lactic acid fermentation is responsible for its stability.

 

[turbo]

Yes, we have sauerkraut (and I love it). We also have salt pork, salted leeks and chives, and other old-fashioned (pre-refrigeration) food that relied on salt for the suppression of bacteria. I'm just a bit nervous about putting up a non-refrigerated product in a weaker brine. The pickles I make can be safely stored for years, if needed, though they rarely last to the next harvest. The dill cucumber pickles with chili peppers and garlic have gone really fast, and we're almost out.

 

[Borek]

A recipe, but I much prefer Borek's.

But in fact they don't differ much.

When should I expect my first shipment?

Oops, that can be difficult. With all those hazmat regulations and export limitations... But I'll see what I can do about it

 

[Borek]

I'm just a bit nervous about putting up a non-refrigerated product in a weaker brine.

It is not the brine that conserves them, but the lactic acid and low pH. That's why they need to be fermented. And fermentation can go awry, but it is obvious when it does.

 

[Moonbear]

Interesting pickles. I've never made pickles without vinegar before. Perhaps surprising, since my grandparents are/were Polish (grandfather has already passed away) and certainly never shied away from any other scary concoction (like the homemade sauerkraut), and certainly grew enough pickling cucumbers every year. We were always really careful with making pickles though, even if we weren't going to can them in jars, we'd start out by sterilizing the jars in the pressure cooker, and boiling the brine, so only the cucumbers were not sterilized, but the brine was added while still boiling hot.

Is that what the garlic pickles are that don't taste very sour?

That whole fermenting on the kitchen counter concept reminds me of the scary concoction the other grandparents use to make. They had some sort of fermented fruit cocktail thing always on the kitchen counter. Rather alcoholic. Stuff like citrus fruits and cherries in it. They used it like an ice cream topping, I think. I never even tasted it, because somehow it scared me to eat something that had been sitting in a jar on the kitchen counter as long as I'd been alive.

 

[Borek]

I am making brine out the boiled water, I have not stated that in the recipe, my fault. That jars and lids must be clean is rather obvious, although I never boiled them, just washed thoroughly. When it comes to pouring boiling brine - they say that you use hot brine to make cucumbers fast, or cold one (well, room temperature) to make them for winter. Different recipes call for 1 to 1.5 tablesppon of salt per liter of water.

They had some sort of fermented fruit cocktail thing always on the kitchen counter. Rather alcoholic. Stuff like citrus fruits and cherries in it.

Sounds like ratafia. It is made (in Poland) from many fruits - when they get ripe you add a layer of fruits plus some sugar and rectified spirit, and you do it till autumn. I have never tried to do it by myself.

 

[turbo]

That whole fermenting on the kitchen counter concept reminds me of the scary concoction the other grandparents use to make. They had some sort of fermented fruit cocktail thing always on the kitchen counter. Rather alcoholic. Stuff like citrus fruits and cherries in it. They used it like an ice cream topping, I think. I never even tasted it, because somehow it scared me to eat something that had been sitting in a jar on the kitchen counter as long as I'd been alive.

I had an older neighbor who used to make that stuff - kinda like a fermented fruit cocktail - and she used to use it to make cakes.

 

[Evo]

That whole fermenting on the kitchen counter concept reminds me of the scary concoction the other grandparents use to make. They had some sort of fermented fruit cocktail thing always on the kitchen counter. Rather alcoholic. Stuff like citrus fruits and cherries in it. They used it like an ice cream topping, I think. I never even tasted it, because somehow it scared me to eat something that had been sitting in a jar on the kitchen counter as long as I'd been alive.

Darn, who was it that used to make that, it's really good. At least their recipe was.

 

[Moonbear]

Sounds like ratafia. It is made (in Poland) from many fruits - when they get ripe you add a layer of fruits plus some sugar and rectified spirit, and you do it till autumn. I have never tried to do it by myself.

Yep, that's what they did. Always adding a little more fruit. I have no idea how one starts it. If I'm going to make things that require fermenting, I prefer it to be something I cook, like sauerkraut (never tried making it myself, but would be willing since you can boil it before eating), or sourdough starter for bread. My parents used to make their own wine, but even that is more of an endeavor than I'm willing to undertake.

 

[turbo]

Darn, who was it that used to make that, it's really good. At least their recipe was.

Maybe this will jog your memory: my neighbor made her fermented fruit mix and when she made a cake for a party, she would top the cake with fruit from the mix before baking it, then invert the cake out of the pan and ice it, so the fruit layer would be on the bottom. I never tried it, not being a big fan of sweets, but it seemed to be a hit with her kids.

 

[Evo]

Maybe this will jog your memory: my neighbor made her fermented fruit mix and when she made a cake for a party, she would top the cake with fruit from the mix before baking it, then invert the cake out of the pan and ice it, so the fruit layer would be on the bottom. I never tried it, not being a big fan of sweets, but it seemed to be a hit with her kids.

Yep, that sounds familiar. Right now though, I can barley keep my eyes open, and I had a 3 hour nap. Since the surgery I am having fits of sleepiness along with headaches and can barely function. And if I never see another bowl of chicken soup again as long as I live, it will be too soon. I want a big hunk o' beef.

 

[turbo]

Yep, that sounds familiar. Right now though, I can barley keep my eyes open, and I had a 3 hour nap. Since the surgery I am having fits of sleepiness along with headaches and can barely function. And if I never see another bowl of chicken soup again as long as I live, it will be too soon. I want a big hunk o' beef.

<shoves a prime rib into the DVD drive to email to Evo> I hear you.

 

[Moonbear]

Yep, that sounds familiar. Right now though, I can barley keep my eyes open, and I had a 3 hour nap. Since the surgery I am having fits of sleepiness along with headaches and can barely function. And if I never see another bowl of chicken soup again as long as I live, it will be too soon. I want a big hunk o' beef.

At least your insomnia seems to be cured. Try some of those other soup recipes. You definitely need to get more food into you. The headaches could be from hunger (assuming your fever is gone and your antibiotics are working). Give it time. Your body needs to do a lot of healing, both from the surgery and the infection you had. If it's sleep you need, get sleep. Maybe try getting some creamed soups if you aren't feeling up to preparing anything homemade yet (since I know you can't rely on your daughters to cook). At least those will have more calories for the volume you eat, which is something you need now when you can't fit a lot into your stomach at a time. And, you might seriously consider the suggestion someone gave to get some of that Ensure stuff. That's what it's good for, when you can't eat solid foods and need to get a lot of nutrients in small, liquid doses.

 

[Borek]

Yep, that's what they did. Always adding a little more fruit. I have no idea how one starts it.

Hm, I was sure I have a recipe here, but I can't find it. I can ask a friend of mine, she makes ratafia each year. As far as I remember you put a layer of fruits in the jar, add sugar and spirit, then when next fruits have rippened you do exactly the same, just putting next layer on top of the previous one.

If I'm going to make things that require fermenting, I prefer it to be something I cook, like sauerkraut (never tried making it myself, but would be willing since you can boil it before eating), or sourdough starter for bread.

Ratafia doesn't require fermenting, you add rectified spirit for ethanol content.

In a way that's funny. We are in Poland accustomed to things like sauerkrat, pickled cucumbers or homemade fruit wine - that's all different types of fermentation. My father-in-law makes perfect pickles, but he never eats French cheeses like blue or Brie - because they are spoiled. "I won't put molded cheese in my mouth". I am more then sure was he born in France his molded cheeses will make him famous between his friends and family.

Sounds to me like you (meaning you in US) are behaving like my father-in-law - for some reasons (cultural?) you have been conditioned to be afraid of fermentation.

Sauerkrat recipe is very similar to cucumbers.

And brine in my cucumbers is already slightly opaque. And they smell good - dill, garlic and a hint of lactic acid

 

[Moonbear]

Sounds to me like you (meaning you in US) are behaving like my father-in-law - for some reasons (cultural?) you have been conditioned to be afraid of fermentation.

Not so much though. I'm just afraid of doing it myself. Probably if it was passed down from generation to generation so I grew up seeing and smelling the pickles and knowing when they smelled right and when they smelled like that had gone bad, I'd be more confident doing it. But, when I can't trust myself to know, I'd rather leave it to the experts. I'm not afraid to eat things like that, I just prefer if someone else makes them who knows they're done right before I get them.

 

[turbo]

Supper tonight was great. We had a stir-fry of onions, celery, green pepper, mushrooms, fresh garlic scapes and fresh snow-pea pods with fresh herbs, served over a bed of rice noodles. Mmmm! Every time a new vegetable or herb becomes available from the garden, there's new opportunity for food experiments.

 

[hypatia]

Cherries, Elderberry's and Blueberry's are in full force here. Time for some cherry/berry crunch.

1 cup of sweet cherries{pitted}
1 cup of blueberry's
1 cup Elderberry's {or other berry of your choice}

Mix and put into 8x8 baking dishmix 1/2 cup brown sugar, 1/4 cup quick cooking oats, 2 table spoons of flour and 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon. Sprinkle on top

Bake at 350 degrees{F} for 30-40 minutes or until top is brown and bubbling.Let it cool just a little bit... then put a scoop of vanilla ice cream in a bowl, scoop some of the cherry/berry crunch on top, and enjoy.