General Topics Digest
Our favorite products, gadgets, restaurants, bars, wine, beer, and food websites and blogs.
Wednesday, November 25th, 2009
How long does kimchee last? It doesn’t go bad for a very long time, says Humbucker, if it even goes bad at all— it just gets more sour and pickled-tasting over time.
“Whether fresher or older kimchee is better is a matter of personal preference,” says Humbucker. “Sour kimchee is often used as an ingredient in other dishes, but I like a more sour and pungent kimchee even for eating straight, so the older the jar the better. To accelerate the fermentation process on a new jar, I leave the kimchee outside unrefrigerated for a day or two, making sure to loosen the lid and put the jar in a bag in case the liquid bubbles over.”
hannaone agrees: “I prefer very fresh (salad like) while my wife and sons prefer aged and sour.” hannaone has never had an issue with kimchee going bad—it just gets more and more sour.
It is possible for kimchee to go off, though. “Whether or how soon kimchee will go bad probably depends on the recipe used,” says hannaone, especially if it contains rice or other flour as an ingredient. luckyfatima thinks it does go off, and has noticed it acquires a yeasty taste and smell when it’s too old.
luckyfatima’s tip: “If you are using the kimchee in recipes, like kimchee dumplings or kimchee fried rice and you have very sour old kimchee and don’t want your dish to come out sour, sprinkle some sugar on it.”
Board Link: how long does kimchee last
Posted
by Sarah Perry in General Topics Digest |
More like this: bad, fermented, Food and Cooking, General Topics Digest, kimchee, kimchi, sour
Wednesday, November 25th, 2009
Jim Leff recently tasted some of the top Chowhound-recommended packaged granolas—price no object—and found some killer stuff. Made to Crave’s gluten-free Maple Pecan Granola was “toasty, and the only granola with a really long, seductive aftertaste,” says Jim Leff. “One of only two granolas with serious depth.”
Farmhand’s Choice from Early Bird Foods was “a voluptuary experience; sweet, salty, flavor-packed, and so glisteningly greasy that it almost tastes fried!”
Udi’s Hawaiian granola was a “deep, three-dimensional granola, this one with particularly beautiful balance between cereal and add-ins,” says Jim Leff. “All the latter (especially the sheets of dried coconut and terrific hit of ginger) are of exemplary quality.” And Udi’s Original variety has great texture and a “very adult, dry flavor and aroma (smells like Korean barley tea).”
Meanwhile, Jim Leff is all granola-ed out. “That’s the problem with these ambitious mass-tastings,” he says. “You learn a lot, but applying the knowledge is unthinkable for a good long while.”
Board Link: Gigunda Granola Tasting Results
Posted
by Sarah Perry in General Topics Digest |
More like this: Food and Cooking, granola, Home Cooking Digest, made to crave, maple pecan granola, udi, udi's hawaiian granola
Thursday, November 19th, 2009
“People usually recommend either young, fruity red wines—such as Beaujolais or Merlots—or else spicy whites—Gewürztraminer, for instance—for Thanksgiving dinner, because the mix of foods and seasonings is rather challenging.”
-Beckyleach
“I have grown both Hickory King (a traditional white) and Yellow Dent (a traditional yellow, obviously) and they are nothing alike. I only eat a little bit fresh, as I grind the bulk in a little stone mill for cornmeal and grits. The yellow corn tastes about as you’d expect, but the white has a much more pronounced, fresher, and more corn-like taste if you catch my meaning. Things made from the Hickory King meal taste like fresh corn out in the field.”
-lanningsmith
“When I didn’t have a clue how to make a Thanksgiving dinner back in the late 60s I just thought the Simon & Garfunkel song must have come from somewhere so I built the stuffing around parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme.”
-rainey
Posted
by Sarah Perry in General Topics Digest |
More like this: corn, cornmeal, discussion, Food and Cooking, holidays, overheard, quotes, thanksgiving, tips, wine, wine pairing
Thursday, November 19th, 2009
“In my opinion, Thanksgiving dinners are perfect for Chardonnay, German Riesling, and Pinot Noir,” says njfoodies. TonyO votes for Zinfandel. “I like Zin because you can drink it alone or with savory dishes like sausage stuffing,” he says. “There are many Zins under $20 that are really excellent including Neyers and the Seghesio Sonoma Zin.”
Pairing a wine with Thanksgiving desserts can be a challenge, says carswell, but a late-harvest Muscat or a tawny port is a good compromise to pair with apple pie, pumpkin pie, and even, perhaps, chocolate mousse.
Politeness likes white wines from the extreme northwest corner of Spain, especially Galicia. “One criterion for selecting a wine from that region—one that we have advocated in the past and still advocate—is to count the number of X’s on the label (looking especially at the spelling of the town of origin) and purchase the wine with the most X’s,” says Politeness. “You rarely will go wrong … however arbitrary it may sound.” On the other hand, Politeness likes wines made under the Naia label, so instead of counting specific letters, you could just go with that.
Board Link: Tgiving wine selection help please!
Posted
by Sarah Perry in General Topics Digest |
More like this: chardonnay, christmas, dessert wine, festive, Food and Cooking, holidays, muscat, pairing, pinot noir, port, riesling, stuffing, tawny port, thanksgiving, turkey day, wine, Wine and Drinks, wine pairing, zinfandel
Thursday, November 19th, 2009
How are you economizing this holiday season? Sharing the financial burden of a big holiday meal with fellow cooks is the approach HillJ takes. Food shopping with friends who will “share the cost and bounty of, say, a beef tenderloin, a large produce buy, or bulk spices” makes for better holiday value for everyone. “It hurts a lot less financially to have partners in food-crime,” says HillJ.
“I make my own stock and that saves a bundle,” says miki. “For veggie broth, I just save the ends and pieces, and for chicken, I save the bones from my weekend suppers. Also, if you troll the meat aisle in the grocery stores, you can find great bones for broth, extremely cheap.”
Finally, some Chowhounds are not afraid to buck tradition in order to serve a high-quality but inexpensive meal. “We buy what is on sale and it is not always turkey!” says bermudagourmetgoddess. “Last year’s dinner was a pork roast with pan gravy, Brussels sprouts sautéed with bacon and garlic, rosemary roasted potatoes, and when they come out of the oven hit them with some Parmesan cheese. For dessert we had individual pecan pies … it pleased the family and it was not over the top and we did not spend a bundle.”
Board Link: How are you economizing this holiday season? Please share your tips.
Posted
by Sarah Perry in General Topics Digest |
More like this: broth, budget, bulk, cheap, festive, Food and Cooking, gravy, holidays, inexpensive, roast, save money, stock, turkey
Thursday, November 19th, 2009
What’s the best cocoa powder to use for chocolaty holiday baked goods? mels loves the Double-Dutch Dark Cocoa made by King Arthur (the flour maker). Cakegirl always uses the Dutch-process cocoa from Penzeys. “It’s very high quality and reasonably priced, especially compared to Valrhona. I order several pounds at a time from Penzeys and it works perfectly in everything. Give it a try!” she says. scuzzo likes Droste brand cocoa powder. It’s a Dutch-process cocoa powder that’s not too hard to find in supermarkets. It comes in a red box, and it’s a lot better than Hershey’s, says scuzzo.
Speaking of Hershey’s Cocoa, the jury’s still out. The Professor thinks there is nothing wrong with Hershey’s, especially the Special Dark version that is a blend of natural and Dutched cocoas. “I’ve used it with great results … and results equal to what I’ve made with the more expensive brands,” says The Professor. cheesemaestro, on the other hand, isn’t a fan. “I’ve made hot chocolate with both, and the beverage made with Scharffen Berger is far superior.” Scharffen Berger is a natural coca powder and not a Dutch-process, adds DallasDude. “Although recently purchased by the Hershey Company, the bean-to-bar artisan goodness is still intact.”
Board Link: Good Cocoa Powder??
Posted
by Sarah Perry in General Topics Digest |
More like this: bake, baking, cocoa, cocoa powder, droste, dutch process, dutched cocoa, festive, Food and Cooking, hershey, hershey's, holidays, king arthur, penzeys, scharffen berger, scharffenberger, valrhona
Wednesday, November 11th, 2009
In flavor, mussels are comparable to other bivalves (clams, oysters), “but maybe taste a little more of the sea,” says dmd_kc. thew agrees: Mussels are “soft, briny, creamier in flavor than other bivalves, and perhaps slightly fishier.” Unlike other bivalves, mussels are pretty much always served cooked, says gordeaux. One thing about mussels: Freezing completely ruins them, says gordeaux. “They are one bivalve that turn into garbage once frozen. I can spot a frozen mussel after one bite. They get really firm, almost rigid. I just can’t do frozen mussels. Not worth it in my book,” he says.
How to try them? The classic preparation is the exquisitely simple moules marinière, mussels steamed or simmered in white wine and garlic. Using a simple marinara sauce for a simmer will work well—especially “with a good french bread to sop up the yummy sauce with,” says gordeaux. And “if you want to drift away from all these tomato/wine sauce advocates, if you want to run at the edge of the pack, then lightly batter, coat with a few bread crumbs and deep fry,” suggests Paulustrious. “Drizzle with a little garlic butter. The sea washes all the calories away.”
Board Link: What are mussels like?
Posted
by Sarah Perry in General Topics Digest |
More like this: Food and Cooking, General Topics Digest, mollusks, moules mariniere, mussels, recipes, seafood
Wednesday, November 11th, 2009
Eating prepared seaweed salad is, unfortunately, “so often like eating sweetened strands of plastic,” says tatamagouche. What makes seaweed salad great? It’s a balance of flavors, and the right texture. “It’s gotta be just the right balance of sour (rice vinegar), sweet (sugar) and salty (dashi),” says soypower. “To me, it has to have a good mix of different kinds of seaweed, plenty of sesame seeds, the bite of chili pepper, and that great saltiness you get with good seaweed,” says kubasd. “And it must be tender.”
“Good seaweed salad needs to have sweet and savory, and have a nice smokiness from the sesame oil and seeds,” says ipsedixit. “And the seaweed needs to be a bit chewy, but soft and never rubbery.” ipsedixit’s recipe includes garlic, chile flakes, sesame oil, rice wine vinegar, soy sauce, and sugar. The seaweed is marinated overnight and garnished with toasted sesame seeds just before eating.
Board Link: Define really good seaweed salad.
Posted
by Sarah Perry in General Topics Digest |
More like this: Food and Cooking, General Topics Digest, japanese, recipes, seaweed salad, wakame, wakame salad
Page 1 of 14212345»102030...Last »
