What can you expect in the Food Thread on PF?

[nismaratwork]

Nope, not much!

Maybe one of those rare mouse pointers could compete ... but I strongly doubt it.



... must be something wrong with my coffee today ...

One of the greek dishes I LOVE, but it really has to be fresh: Saganaki. Basically a very soft cheese is fried, flambeed (sometimes), and roughly seasoned with lemon, salt and pepper. Usually a rough cheese like Kaseri, (or in Arab/Turkic regions: Halumi) or Feta is fried, so you get some melting, but it takes time and forms a great crust. It goes well with a "peasant salad" 'Horiatiki', which is basically olives, chunks of feta cheese, and rough-chopped veggies.

Basically, the ancient Greek version of fondue, deconstructed.

YUM.

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

Oh, and fondue, oil to cook in, cheese for dipping, or chocolate... YUM.

 

[nismaratwork]

Last month all they had was reruns. I hate the "Best thing I ever ate". I love Diners, Drive Inns, and Dives though, that show is so funny. Also, The Food network also started a competing channel with better programming, but you have to get the prime cable package to watch it and I'm not going to pay an extra $40 a month.

Seriously, the pricing these days on those packages is just insulting. I can afford it, but I haven't been able to make myself pay for so LITTLE...

Then Netflix saved me. Have you seen the Netflix Evo? I think it's mentioned in, 'The Watchtower'.

 

[Xom]

Given the speed at which I eat, the difference is purely academic.

Is it just me, or is Flex awesome??

 

[nismaratwork]

Is it just me, or is Flex awesome??

He's awesome, but damn he has absolutely no capacity to feed himself in a responsible manner!

 

[turbo]

You watch it with a viewer like realplayer, you don't have realplayer?

I downloaded RealPlayer and am watching it now.

 

[Evo]

I downloaded RealPlayer and am watching it now.

Yay, the first part is boring, but gets interesting, but you may already know all of it, I learned a few new things. I didn't know about less yeast, and using water to knead instead of flour. I always kept flouring my hands.

 

[nismaratwork]

Yay, the first part is boring, but gets interesting, but you may already know all of it, I learned a few new things. I didn't know about less yeast, and using water to knead instead of flour. I always kept flouring my hands.

Yeah, that's just a vicious circle of club-hand and glutenous doughs. It really is a great vid.

 

[turbo]

Yay, the first part is boring, but gets interesting, but you may already know all of it, I learned a few new things. I didn't know about less yeast, and using water to knead instead of flour. I always kept flouring my hands.

All those things are featured in the King Arthur DVD, and that's how my wife makes her traditional French bread. She mixes the starter on the evening before making the bread and let's it sit in a covered bowl on the counter overnight. She doesn't water her hands when doing the kneading (stretching and folding, essentially), so when she's done there will be some dough on her hands. She scrapes that off and saves it, and adds it to the starter when she's ready to make a new batch.

 

[Evo]

Did you guys also think that the audience was zombies in the first half of the video?

 

[turbo]

Drinking some hibiscus-blossom tea right now. It has an interesting flavor. It's supposed to be effective in reducing blood pressure, so we've been making it regularly for about a month or so.

 

[turbo]

Did you guys also think that the audience was zombies in the first half of the video?

Let's just say that they probably found the show as stimulating as I did.

 

[nismaratwork]

Did you guys also think that the audience was zombies in the first half of the video?

Now that would add some spice to the mix: Try to finish your hollandaise while the waling dead try to feast on YOU!

I think a culinary-themed zombie flick is FAR overdue.

 

[DevilsAvocado]

One of the greek dishes I LOVE, but it really has to be fresh: Saganaki.

yummyyummyyummy

I love all Greek cuisine, except maybe when you (very late at night by 'accident') end up at one of those "special-price-for-you-my-friend" places, where they used the old donkey in the backyard, as the 'main ingredient' in their http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Souvlaki" .

 

[Evo]

Let's just say that they probably found the show as stimulating as I did.

The food anthropologist was interesting. I want to be a food anthropologist.

 

[turbo]

The food anthropologist was interesting. I want to be a food anthropologist.

I have made beer and I have made bread. I never thought of doing them together.

 

[FlexGunship]

I like your comments WAY to much to let that fly. You ate.. two bowls of food, two pieces of food with sauce, and four...

It was only one bowl of Ramen. I'm not a glutton, Nismar.

and four... PIECES Of terrible Alchemical ****! "Mechanically separated chicken."

Wait... so they mechanically separate the chickens? From each other? Or into little pieces?

Is it just me, or is Flex awesome??

I know, right?

 

[DevilsAvocado]

Did you guys also think that the audience was zombies in the first half of the video?

...yup, but my VLC media player breaks down when the guy with the СССР tracksuit gets in focus...

A communist bread experiment??

 

[nismaratwork]

yummyyummyyummy

I love all Greek cuisine, except maybe when you (very late at night by 'accident') end up at one of those "special-price-for-you-my-friend" places, where they used the old donkey in the backyard, as the 'main ingredient' in their http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Souvlaki" .

Oh god... I did that once in my youth, in Greece... on Ouzo and Retsina. I have vague memories of what I pray was the meat of some mammal, wrapped in grape leaves... then hangover.

FlexGunship: Not a glutton... a culinary barbarian yes, but moderate in your habits.
The chicken... think of that last bit of gristly meat left on the carcass... now think of that being scraped and mixed with other scrapings... and being extruded! Basically, it's a flavorless protein-sponge that forms the Slim-Jim-Matrix... for that orange OIL-****.

So... little pieces... then a smooth paste.

 

[FlexGunship]

The chicken... think of that last bit of gristly meat left on the carcass... now think of that being scraped and mixed with other scrapings... and being extruded! Basically, it's a flavorless protein-sponge that forms the Slim-Jim-Matrix... for that orange OIL-****.

So... little pieces... then a smooth paste.

Meh. At least it's not being wasted... and if I don't eat it, some 8 year old kid will. So, you know, I'm kind of like a super hero.

 

[nismaratwork]

Meh. At least it's not being wasted... and if I don't eat it, some 8 year old kid will. So, you know, I'm kind of like a super hero.

Uh-huh... I think your colon is the hero int his piece... you're just another villain! EAT REAL FOOD!

MREs can't have damaged you that badly man... did you see that jerky I linked you to? You'll LOVE it, and never want a slim-crap again.

Let the 8 year old eat it... they're resilient...

 

[WhoWee]

Oh god... I did that once in my youth, in Greece... on Ouzo and Retsina. I have vague memories of what I pray was the meat of some mammal, wrapped in grape leaves... then hangover.

I once found myself sitting in a little Greek village - the only English speaking person. We sat on a patio shielded from the sun by vines of the biggest yellow grapes I've ever seen. The family owned restaurant made wine from these grapes - and it was VERY, VERY good. My associate ordered a wide range of appetizers and we ate well. One of the dishes looked a little strange - but was very good. They caught big juicy purple earthworms, threw them into the fish tank for a few days - then pan seared them with butter and lemon. You probably won't find them on a menu in Athens.

 

[FlexGunship]

did you see that jerky I linked you to? You'll LOVE it, and never want a slim-crap again.

Don't get me wrong. I love real beef jerky and I certainly have no taste for Slim Jims. But I was at the hardware store and they were at the checkout. I was hungry. It just all came together for me. If they were selling real beef jerky at the checkout, I would've had that with dinner instead.

I did check out that site. The best jerky I've ever had is from a place in Concord, NC. My sister lives nearby in Kannapolis and knew how much I loved it. So, when I visited her she took me there. (http://www.dojerky.com/concord/ )

They have big bins of free samples. Their honey BBQ and teriyaki are masterpieces of flavor.

 

[nismaratwork]

Don't get me wrong. I love real beef jerky and I certainly have no taste for Slim Jims. But I was at the hardware store and they were at the checkout. I was hungry. It just all came together for me. If they were selling real beef jerky at the checkout, I would've had that with dinner instead.

I did check out that site. The best jerky I've ever had is from a place in Concord, NC. My sister lives nearby in Kannapolis and knew how much I loved it. So, when I visited her she took me there. (http://www.dojerky.com/concord/ )

They have big bins of free samples. Their honey BBQ and teriyaki are masterpieces of flavor.

You... bought food... at a HARDWARE store. OK, lapse in judgment, got it... the link looks delicious!

 

[FlexGunship]

You... bought food... at a HARDWARE store. OK, lapse in judgment, got it...

Why? Where do you get your food?

 

[WhoWee]

Why? Where do you get your food?

Before you answer - a lot of people buy their food at the gas station.

 

[dlgoff]

I almost bought some of this at an Ace Hardware a couple of days ago.

[PLAIN]http://http.cdnlayer.com/ec1images/raw/products/9/9027293_061509i_mk.jpg

I love the "messing with Sasquatch" commercials.

 

[nismaratwork]

I almost bought some of this at an Ace Hardware a couple of days ago.

[PLAIN]http://http.cdnlayer.com/ec1images/raw/products/9/9027293_061509i_mk.jpg

I love the "messing with Sasquatch" commercials.

Not buying it was the kind move that instills confidence in your advisory status!


@FlexGunship: Remember what truck stops used to be like? Remember THOSE sandwiches? I think the point is that eating those, or a Slim-Jim should be like eating condiments as a whole meal: an act of necessity and/or desperation. There are DOG TREATS made to a higher standard than Slim Jims... which is kind of ridiculous when you consider how easy it is to make a jerky-like product.

 

[turbo]

The building-supply shops around here carry jerky, Slim Jims, etc. When a jobber runs out of materials or fasteners and has to make a quick run to town to stock up, that trip can screw up his schedule, so he's more likely to grab these "snacks" and eat them on the way back to the job-site without taking time for a healthier meal. It ain't pretty - just good business.

 

[nismaratwork]

The building-supply shops around here carry jerky, Slim Jims, etc. When a jobber runs out of materials or fasteners and has to make a quick run to town to stock up, that trip can screw up his schedule, so he's more likely to grab these "snacks" and eat them on the way back to the job-site without taking time for a healthier meal. It ain't pretty - just good business.

At least the jerky is an actual cut of meat... not an oiled slurry. I'd rather eat a bag of chips and snark down a snickers bar... not because I think it's healthier... that's just how much I hate Slim Jims. I hate Slim Jims like they abused me as a child, stole my pocket money, and slapped me silly.

edit: To be fair, those same guys could eat better and save money if they brought their own jerky...

 

[turbo]

Nice link. My wife and I use the "bring to a simmer and wait for 10 minutes" method using a heavy 1-1/2 quart saucepan. In fact we had hard-boiled eggs last night, chopped and used as a topping (along with walnut pieces) on our baby-spinach salad. With a pan-seared rib-eye, that was a wonderful supper.

Here it is. Our range has 3 different sized gas burners, so we use the simmer burner on high or a slightly larger burner on medium. Put your eggs in cool water right out of the tap, set the pan on the burner and heat it up until the water just starts to simmer, then shut off the burner and set your timer for 10 minutes. Perfect hard-boiled eggs every time. The heavy bottom on this pan makes the heat-up and cool-down slow, so the eggs heat evenly and don't overcook or get rubbery.

 

[Evo]

Here it is. Our range has 3 different sized gas burners, so we use the simmer burner on high or a slightly larger burner on medium. Put your eggs in cool water right out of the tap, set the pan on the burner and heat it up until the water just starts to simmer, then shut off the burner and set your timer for 10 minutes. Perfect hard-boiled eggs every time. The heavy bottom on this pan makes the heat-up and cool-down slow, so the eggs heat evenly and don't overcook or get rubbery.

Good sturdy pot. I loved that guy's egg site. I love soft boiled eggs and those are hard to get right, now it looks easy.

 

[turbo]

Good sturdy pot. I loved that guy's egg site. I love soft boiled eggs and those are hard to get right, now it looks easy.

As I kid, I loved my mother's soft-boiled eggs, served in old wooden egg-cups with toast points. Comfort food.

Now, we tend to use hard-boiled eggs to top salads or to make potato salads with, or to turn into deviled eggs for a holiday get-together. This is THE pot for hard-boiled eggs, and I was pleasantly surprised to see the simmer/10 minutes method on the site that you linked. It is fool-proof if you use a heavy high-quality or clad pot that heats up and cools evenly.

If you use thin, light pots, they heat up quickly and they cool quickly so your results are not guaranteed. Before we got the heavy-bottomed pot, we had to watch the transition to simmer very closely, then cover the pot so that it wouldn't cool too fast.

 

[Jasongreat]

Good sturdy pot. I loved that guy's egg site. I love soft boiled eggs and those are hard to get right, now it looks easy.

Although I didnt check out the site, I would agree that good soft boiled eggs are hard to get, grandma had a little cooker that would do six at a time. Crack the shell, whites were cooked yokes were nice and runny. I have tried numerous times in my later years to repeat the process without her special pan, never had good results. The eggs were either over cooked or the whites were runny.

 

[nismaratwork]

As I kid, I loved my mother's soft-boiled eggs, served in old wooden egg-cups with toast points. Comfort food.

Now, we tend to use hard-boiled eggs to top salads or to make potato salads with, or to turn into deviled eggs for a holiday get-together. This is THE pot for hard-boiled eggs, and I was pleasantly surprised to see the simmer/10 minutes method on the site that you linked. It is fool-proof if you use a heavy high-quality or clad pot that heats up and cools evenly.

If you use thin, light pots, they heat up quickly and they cool quickly so your results are not guaranteed. Before we got the heavy-bottomed pot, we had to watch the transition to simmer very closely, then cover the pot so that it wouldn't cool too fast.

re bold: I still love that for comfort food! I have my great-grandmother's egg-cup (one size on each end, and it looks like crudely fired clay/terra-cotta. I've never gone full-out toist POINTS though... I like that.

In fact, it gives me an idea to "gourmet it up" for company:

quail eggs: soft boiled, peeled, and served whole and salted on buttered toast points. If that works, I'm calling them, "eggs a la turbo".

 

[nismaratwork]

Although I didnt check out the site, I would agree that good soft boiled eggs are hard to get, grandma had a little cooker that would do six at a time. Crack the shell, whites were cooked yokes were nice and runny. I have tried numerous times in my later years to repeat the process without her special pan, never had good results. The eggs were either over cooked or the whites were runny.

Pactice... nothing is a substitute for practice with a given burner. Eggs, in all of their uses, have such a thin line between yummy... and curdled.