What can you expect in the Food Thread on PF?

[Monique]

I don't there is a wrong way to make a curry, they come in thousands of varieties, based on who makes them. I can suggest baby green aubergines (the size of berries: http://www.fotobank.ru/img/FC00-7865.jpg?size=l), they are slightly bitter so add a new flavor to the mix. You should also add some basil leaves, delicious!

 

[TheStatutoryApe]

I don't there is a wrong way to make a curry, they come in thousands of varieties, based on who makes them. I can suggest baby green aubergines (the size of berries: http://www.fotobank.ru/img/FC00-7865.jpg?size=l), they are slightly bitter so add a new flavor to the mix. You should also add some basil leaves, delicious!

Thank you Monique.
Ah, those seem to be used in green curry. I'm making red curry so not sure if they will go right with it. I wouldn't mind trying some other styles. Is Thai green curry much the same as Japanese style green curry do you know? My step father(Japanese) likes to make green curry though he usually uses a powder I think. Its pretty good, usually made with potatoes and carrots. It's like a thick spicy stew.

 

[Monique]

The main difference between red and green Thai curry is that the green one is made from green peppers and the red one from red peppers. The green chillies that are used are hotter than the red ones, so the green curry will be spicier. I think for that reason the green curry is often made a little sweeter, to offset the spiciness. I don't think there are any rules for the vegetables that go into both dices, when I've ordered the dishes in restaurants they pretty much looked the same.

If I were to cook it I'd probably first stir-fry the vegetables (onion, bell pepper, baby aubergine, bamboo shoots), then add the spices (garlic, curry paste) and stir-fry for another minute to release the flavors, add the coconut milk and bring to a slow boil and then add the chicken to that so that it can braise until done, as a last step you add the fresh basil and sprinkle it with some lemon juice (as a vegetarian I would actually add fried tofu at the end of the cooking process and skip the chicken ).

I don't think the type of oil really matters, the flavors in the curry will overpower it. So the best thing to do then is to take a neutral cooking oil, I guess.

I definitely would not add carrot, celery or potatoes to the curry. You can try zucchinis.

 

[Jimmy Snyder]

Is Thai green curry much the same as Japanese style green curry do you know? My step father(Japanese) likes to make green curry though he usually uses a powder I think.

There is no Japanese style green curry, it's just that your step father likes to make it. There is a popular dish in Japan called rice curry (kare raisu), but the curry sauce is brown and gloopy, quite different from Indian or Thai curry. I learned to like it when I lived there, but that was before I had eaten Indian curries. My wife still makes it for me and I eat it, but I don't consider it Indian cuisine even though the Japanese do.

 

[turbo]

I have mentioned flat-iron steaks in chat a couple of times. It's not *quite* as tender as tenderloin, but it is far more flavorful, making it my favorite cut for grilling, plus it is a lot cheaper than loin cuts. A few times there have been specials on this cut in a local market, and my wife buys all she can get. The supply is drying up because restaurants are catching on, and because the yield per steer is very low. Try it out, but only tell people who don't frequent your meat-market, so you'll get a chance to get what is proving to be a very limited resource.

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

 

[sandwhale]

I love sushi buffets, especially if they offer sashimi!

 

[turbo]

I love sushi buffets, especially if they offer sashimi!

I only eat vegan sushi.

 

[TheStatutoryApe]

The main difference between red and green Thai curry is that the green one is made from green peppers and the red one from red peppers. The green chillies that are used are hotter than the red ones, so the green curry will be spicier. I think for that reason the green curry is often made a little sweeter, to offset the spiciness. I don't think there are any rules for the vegetables that go into both dices, when I've ordered the dishes in restaurants they pretty much looked the same.

If I were to cook it I'd probably first stir-fry the vegetables (onion, bell pepper, baby aubergine, bamboo shoots), then add the spices (garlic, curry paste) and stir-fry for another minute to release the flavors, add the coconut milk and bring to a slow boil and then add the chicken to that so that it can braise until done, as a last step you add the fresh basil and sprinkle it with some lemon juice (as a vegetarian I would actually add fried tofu at the end of the cooking process and skip the chicken ).

I don't think the type of oil really matters, the flavors in the curry will overpower it. So the best thing to do then is to take a neutral cooking oil, I guess.

I definitely would not add carrot, celery or potatoes to the curry. You can try zucchinis.

I thought again about the celery as I was cutting it up and only put in a tiny bit. I realized that the taste would not be that great if I put much in. I was thinking zucchini too, or maybe some summer squash. I don't usually keep much other than bellpeppers on hand though.

So I did make the curry and it turned out incredibly mild. I used the instructions on the jar and even added a bit extra paste. I'll have to use less coconut milk next time. It pretty much tasted like coconut milk with just a bit of spice in it. The chicken came out good if bland.

I am not sure how accurate it is since it came from just one guy on a forum somewhere who claimed to know a great curry chef but I have heard you are not supposed to boil the coconut milk or you may "burn" it like regular milk or butter. The milk certainly seemed resistant to boiling so I did not bring it to a boil at all when I made mine.

There is no Japanese style green curry, it's just that your step father likes to make it. There is a popular dish in Japan called rice curry (kare raisu), but the curry sauce is brown and gloopy, quite different from Indian or Thai curry. I learned to like it when I lived there, but that was before I had eaten Indian curries. My wife still makes it for me and I eat it, but I don't consider it Indian cuisine even though the Japanese do.

I looked it up and this is more or less what my father makes. The particular curry that he makes is just green in colour I guess so I just always thought of it as a type of green curry.

 

[Monique]

So I did make the curry and it turned out incredibly mild. I used the instructions on the jar and even added a bit extra paste. I'll have to use less coconut milk next time. It pretty much tasted like coconut milk with just a bit of spice in it. The chicken came out good if bland.

That's too bad, but you made one critical mistake: you should always taste your food along the cooking process! Any professional chef will tell you that you cannot cook anything, without tasting it. Coconut milk can be very overpowering and it neutralizes the heat of the peppers, so you should indeed not put too much of it in there.

You shouldn't vigorously boil the coconut milk either, but bring it to a state that it is just about to boil: you do need some heat to cook the chicken. I think you just need a little practice to get it just the way you like. Cashew nuts are another great addition to the dish. If you like more taste to the chicken, you can try marinating it first and frying it in the curry paste, before adding the coconut oil and braising it.

 

[TheStatutoryApe]

That's too bad, but you made one critical mistake: you should always taste your food along the cooking process! Any professional chef will tell you that you cannot cook anything, without tasting it. Coconut milk can be very overpowering and it neutralizes the heat of the peppers, so you should indeed not put too much of it in there.

I taste along the way, I just figured that since I have never cooked this before if I followed directions I could adjust from there. I did add more paste after the milk when I realized it seemed too weak. Then I considered that maybe after it cooks a bit longer and some water evaporates off that it might get stronger so I didn't want to mess with it too much. In this case it just seems that the directions are flat out wrong. I even double and triple checked them to see if I had missed something. Really I think I should have used half the milk in the directions and possibly less.

Oh well. Now I know. Next time I will add the milk slowly until it tastes about right.
And cashews sound great, I love cashews.

 

[Evo]

A guy I used to date had a friend from India and he would take a nice cut of beef, put it in a tupperware container and leave it out on the kitchen counter for several days until it started to rot, then make curry out of it. My friend swears that although the smell of the meat before it was cooked made him sick, that it was the best curry he'd ever had, and has had it several times now.

Anyone heard of this practice? His friend said it was close to the meat he got in his village back in India, which must be a remote village.

I know aged beef is the most prized here in the US, so maybe there is something to it.

 

[Borek]

Hm, this is English that I have never used, so I will just list from my dictionary (about meat):

- to age
- to become gamey
- to hang meat
- to leave meat until it's high

Basically I have seen it done to small animals - you hang a hare or wild fowl for a few days on the outside before cooking. Could be a similar approach.

 

[Monique]

A guy I used to date had a friend from India and he would take a nice cut of beef, put it in a tupperware container and leave it out on the kitchen counter for several days until it started to rot, then make curry out of it. My friend swears that although the smell of the meat before it was cooked made him sick, that it was the best curry he'd ever had, and has had it several times now.

If you want to age meat, you must strictly control the conditions and be sure that it is all sanitary. What the guy did sounds like a sure way to get sick.

In Iceland the people have a delicacy named Hakarl, which is rotten shark blubber.

Hákarl is traditionally prepared by gutting and beheading a Greenland or basking shark and placing it in a shallow hole dug in gravelly-sand, with the now-cleaned cavity resting on a slight hill. The shark is then covered with sand and gravel, and stones are then placed on top of the sand in order to press the shark. The fluids from the shark are in this way pressed out of the body. The shark ferments for 6-12 weeks depending on the season in this fashion. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hákarl

Apparently some TV chefs tried it (Anthony Bourdain and Gordon Ramsay) and thought it was the most disgusting thing ever.

 

[Jimmy Snyder]

you hang a hare or wild fowl for a few days on the outside before cooking.

In the movie Shogun (I didn't read the book), there was a chilling scene involving such a practice. The master of the house (an Englishman) was aging a fowl in this manner. The Japanese servants, unfamiliar with the practice, and offended by the smell, voted one amongst themselves to discard the carcass and then be beheaded for the offense to the master. When the master found out about it he grew furious at the loss of human life over such a trifle. Then the originator of the plan offered to be beheaded herself.

 

[Evo]

I saw this come up on another food forum and thought it would be interesting to see what PF'ers consider staples.

What ten items do you consider "must haves" in your spice cabinet? I think for most people it will be more than 10.

For me it's hot paprika, regular paprika, tarragon, cumin, bay leaves, mustard powder, coriander seeds, chili powder, vanilla extract, oregano, sage, rosemary, basil, thyme, cinnamon, lemon pepper, got to have my lemon pepper, assorted vinegars, Morton's Nature's Seasons (I'd give up two of my other items if I had to choose), cold pressed olive oil for flavoring, canned green chiles

What items do you consider "must haves" in your fridge?

I don't need fresh lemons or limes often enough to buy them unless it's for a specific recipe, but I always keep bottled lemon & lime juice in the fridge, horseradish, ginger root, garlic, onions, pickled ginger for sushi, hot sauce, ketchup (only for recipes like cocktail sauce, never as a condiment alone), various pickles, including my favorite mild jalapenos, olives, capers, dijon mustard, parsley, HELLMAN'S REAL MAYONAISE, soy sauce, sesame oil

I grow fresh herbs in the summer and keep some in the freezer. I also slice up ginger and keep it in a small jar filled with sherry in the fridge, a great way to always have some fresh ginger on hand.

I also try to keep a variety of cheeses on hand, always parmesan, often blue cheese, asiago, and cream cheese (actually nuefchatel) and I love that grated Mexican 4 cheese blend to throw on impromptu nachos, tacos, quesadillas, etc...

I guess a more difficult question for foodies would be, if you could only have 10 spices, what would they be?

 

[turbo]

Only 10 spices? That would be tough.

basil
sage
ground mustard
allspice berries
ginger
curry powder
cayenne powder
cumin
oregano
paprika

There are lots more that I would like to have, but these are the essentials.

 

[Evo]

I watch too much Food Network.

Just now:

Food Network Bimbo: "Of course winter squash are freshest in the winter."

<snort> Yeah, I know I always harvest my winter squash in January. Oy vey.

 

[rewebster]

spices!

I have to go through my spices and dump some of the ones that are in the 'old' category--1 1/2 to 2 years old. I think I'll put a date on the ones I get from now on.


I didn't see black pepper (corns) on the lists...

 

[Evo]

spices!

I have to go through my spices and dump some of the ones that are in the 'old' category--1 1/2 to 2 years old. I think I'll put a date on the ones I get from now on.


I didn't see black pepper (corns) on the lists...

Salt and black pepper are a given (usually).

I've started buying spices in very small quantities since I'm only cooking for myself.

 

[rewebster]

that's another thing that will happen this year--

my garden is a raised bed and I'm going to add an herb area this year---fresh frozen spices for the next fall and winter...

 

[turbo]

that's another thing that will happen this year--

my garden is a raised bed and I'm going to add an herb area this year---fresh frozen spices for the next fall and winter...

Basil is very easy to grow, and it makes a wonderful addition to many dishes. You can also make pesto and freeze it in ice-cube trays. When the cubes are solid, you can transfer them to a zip-type freezer bag and use them as you want over the winter. We also make pesto from garlic scapes, very nice.

 

[rewebster]

it may not be considered a 'true' spice, but I'll put honey on the list--along with vanilla, cinnamon, sugar, Italian spice/herb mix, pepper, salt, cayenne, Worcestershire sauce, onion powder.

 

[turbo]

Aside from spices, there are staples that must be in the pantry or refrigerator.

crushed sauce tomatoes in cans
dry yellow peas
black beans (both dry and canned)
pasta
basmati rice
panko bread crumbs
tomato paste
my home-made chili relishes and salsas - from mild to searing hot
my home-made pickles - bread and butter style and dill pickles - with and without chilies
Annie's Naturals ketchup
Annie's Naturals roasted red pepper vinaigrette
Cain's all-natural mayonnaise
Farmer's brand prepared horseradish
Farmer's brand hot beer mustard
romano cheese
Vermont extra-sharp cheddar
tins of crab and tuna
ripe olives
jewish rye bread or my wife's home-made onion rye for sandwiches
fresh garlic
yellow onions
potatoes
leeks (fresh or frozen)
local brown eggs (nice and fresh)
cider vinegar
flour (various)
brown sugar, white sugar, and molasses
lard (no Crisco!)
Bakewell cream
baking soda
corn starch
various nuts
frozen peppers from our garden (Bell and various chilies)
hot Italian sausage
salt pork
bacon
various steaks and poultry
fresh carrots and cabbage
butter
coffee

I'm sure that I've left off some important staples, but these are things that I take note of before we even start running low.

 

[rewebster]

nice list (more than 10), but a nice list---

I was going to add garlic, but that would put my 'list' at 11

 

[turbo]

nice list (more than 10), but a nice list---

I was going to add garlic, but that would put my 'list' at 11

Well, I managed to keep the spices limited to 10, but that was very difficult. How to leave off things like parsley, cinnamon, nutmeg, rosemary, mint, etc...

I would never want to be without them, but the top ten are the ones that I use the most.

 

[rewebster]

oh yeah, I see your 10 list now----


I know this one guy who has salt and pepper, that's it, and not pepper all the time

 

[Evo]

Aside from spices, there are staples that must be in the pantry or refrigerator.

crushed sauce tomatoes in cans
dry yellow peas
black beans (both dry and canned)
pasta
basmati rice
panko bread crumbs
tomato paste
my home-made chili relishes and salsas - from mild to searing hot
my home-made pickles - bread and butter style and dill pickles - with and without chilies
Annie's Naturals ketchup
Annie's Naturals roasted red pepper vinaigrette
Cain's all-natural mayonnaise
Farmer's brand prepared horseradish
Farmer's brand hot beer mustard
romano cheese
Vermont extra-sharp cheddar
tins of crab and tuna
ripe olives
jewish rye bread or my wife's home-made onion rye for sandwiches
fresh garlic
yellow onions
potatoes
leeks (fresh or frozen)
local brown eggs (nice and fresh)
cider vinegar
flour (various)
brown sugar, white sugar, and molasses
lard (no Crisco!)
Bakewell cream
baking soda
corn starch
various nuts
frozen peppers from our garden (Bell and various chilies)
hot Italian sausage
salt pork
bacon
various steaks and poultry
fresh carrots and cabbage
butter
coffee

I'm sure that I've left off some important staples, but these are things that I take note of before we even start running low.

That's pretty much my list of staples also except for the leeks and your salsa's. The Brands of condiments are regional, Cain's is very much like Hellman's from what I remember when I lived in New England.

I also keep many types of dried beans in the cupboard, along with chicken and beef bouillion cubes.

Alton Brown did a show on Crisco, he loves it. I had to buy some for an old cookie recipe (older than me) where there is no suitable substitute for the taste and texture, otherwise it's only real butter for my cookies. My ex husband's mother was from Vermont and she made her chocolate chip cookies with crisco and walnuts. BLEH. I use butter and pecans, I'm from Texas where people know how to make Tollhouse Cookies.

 

[rewebster]

Evo---you'd get even more admiration if you sent everyone some chocolate chip cookies

 

[turbo]

Evo---you'd get even more admiration if you sent everyone some chocolate chip cookies

And I'd get fear and awe if I started shipping out jars of my habanero relish. The FBI would probably be called in.

 

[rewebster]

mmmm, mmmmm, mmmm...

chocolate chip cookies dipped in habanero sauce!


mmmmmm!

 

[turbo]

mmmm, mmmmm, mmmm...

chocolate chip cookies dipped in habanero sauce!


mmmmmm!

Now that's just strange! Tollhouse cookies go better with green tomato/jalapeno salsa than with habanero relish.

 

[turbo]

that's another thing that will happen this year--

my garden is a raised bed and I'm going to add an herb area this year---fresh frozen spices for the next fall and winter...

As a follow-up. We grow basil in containers on the back deck. Down in the garden are parsley, cilantro, dill and a few other herbs. Cilantro is wonderful in fresh salsas, and the fresh dill is very nice in cream-sauces for salmon and other fish. Don't just use the dill weed - make sure to use the tiny yellow florets. The flavor is incredible.

 

[Ben Niehoff]

Simple things today: smoked salmon, creme fraiche, and dill, on a toasted whole wheat bagel.

 

[turbo]

Simple things today: smoked salmon, creme fraiche, and dill, on a toasted whole wheat bagel.

Mmm! Sounds great.

My connection at the local Atlantic salmon hatchery died of heart failure last summer. I may not get salmon again when they next cull their brood stock. His wife works for one of my father's best friends, and it sure was a treat (and a surprise) to get over 100# of fresh salmon a couple of years back. The hatchery is operated by a salmon-farming business that has an exclusive agreement with a large supermarket chain. Part of the agreement is that when they cull brood-stock, the fish can be given away or destroyed, but NOT sold.

 

[IMP]

Food Thread you say? Here is some "food thread", 100% edible: