Ray_704's Profile
PEPPER GRINDERS
Hey! I have one that I use to grind Allspice. I love it and want more of them. Do you know of a source? The Kitchen Collection store where I bought it doesn't carry it now. I have looked online with no result. Please let me know?
Keeping Strawberries fresh for a week
I worked in a large food service opperation for several years. We always de-stemmed and sliced the berries in half lengthwise. Then kept them in a cold refridgerator, as close to the cooling fan as possible. Whole berries generate their own heat from enzyme activity and will mold, even under refrigeration.Removing the stem section prevents this natural breakdown from starting.
A suggestion for those who have freshly harvested berries would be to plunge them into an ice water bath for about 10 or 15 minutes. The idea is to chill the core of the fruit as fast as possible. This is what all growers do with fruit. This process is suggested for all home growers by the food people at Cornell University in New York State, USA. The idea is to bring all of the mass down to 40 degrees as quickly as possible which also slows the enzyme breakdown. Then when you store them in your fridge there is no lag time while your fridge tries to cool the fruit from the outside. If I recall correctly the recommendation is the carry a bucket of ice water to the picking and drop each one in as you pluck it. Just my 2 cents. Enjoy!
Coffee and zucchini ~ is it my imagination ...?
There's an old expression that goes, "Buy over Apples but sell over Pecans" or something like that. Certain foods do contain chemicals that react with the flavors of other foods. For instance, Pecans are better with coffee than other nuts. They contain something that brings out the chocolate notes and covers the bitter ones. I noticed a long time ago that commercial peanut butter in my mouth would leave my coffee sip tasting mostly of charcoal. Switching to a product containing only peants and salt did not have the same effect. My reasoning for this is that the Hydrogenated vegetable oils in the well-known brands actually carry some of the fragrance enhancers put in after the oil is hydrogenated. These cancel the nasty flavors of the product so you don't notice it in the peanut butter. Well, the same thing happens when the coffee hits the oil coating left by your mouthfull of peanut butter...flavors get canceld.
Here's my favorite Zuccinni recipie: When they get away from you and become large, slice down the center line and hollow out. You can mix the seeds/pulp with your chili or canned prodcut. Fill the zucc halves with chili and top with your favorite cheese. Bake until the cheese melts and starts getting little brown patches. The zucc not only provides some cooling notes on the tongue but I don't ever remember indigestion after enjoying my chili this way.
Nuking steak?
If you are reheating food that was cooked in the past hour or so, this might be acceptable. Remember that food-borne bacteria multiply exponentially over time. This is why all foods stored for any length of time more than an hour should be reheated to 140 degrees F MINIUMUM internal Temperature.
You may think that because processed packaged foods do not require cooking to such high temps that your own leftovers are the same. Modern food processing techniques provide food that is practially devoid of bacteria. It is safe to removed these foods fromt their sealed containers and simploy warm them The same is true for canned goods that you heat immediately after opening. In fact all of these commercial food products are safe to eat from the can at room temp...if that is desired.
By heating any leftover foods in hot tap water you risk multiplying and not killing any bacteria the food might have picked up from the air or surfaces.
An alternative would be to bring some water to a rolling boil then place the food bag in the water until the internal temp of the food reaches 140. If you want, you can also make a sauce and simmer the meat in it, then serve over a startch.
Nuking steak?
The idea with pan frying meat is to sear the outside to seal in the juices, then finish cooking at lower temp. If your steak is thin the searing should get the meat to the rare stage. If your looking to finish the steak more or the steak is over 1/2 inch, you can either turn the heat down under the pan and cover it or place the pan in a 325 oven until the center temp reaches 140 at the thickest. For well you want 160. ON a gas gril you would use the two controls. Have one side high and the other side low. Sear the meat both sides turning a few times. when it is at the desired degree of sear, move them to the low side, and close the lid. Then you check them and turn them until they get to the desired point. You may also find it works to have only one side lit and put the steaks over the flame side then move them to the unlit side/close lid while leaving the high side on. This works well for all meats because the grilling doesn't get heat into the meat very well. If you finish the meat with the lid on, the meat will be heated through and stay hot longer on the plate.
What menu items need to be retired?
With the idea of making the salad dressing harmonize witht he meal, Western probably has some of the same spices that are used on the meats when they are fire-cooked. I've seen a recipie for cole slaw thats bbq flavored so it goes with bbq.
Coffee Substitutes?
You can also try Pu-erh Tuo Cha. Basically, steamed tea leaves are packed into a disk shaped mold. The idea was to preserve the tea. I have recently tried my first Pu-erh. It brews up dark and has some of the earthy-chocolate notes coffee can have. With sugar and creamer, its not far from coffee in aroma. The processing takes out the floral notes and leaves a little smokey flavor thats very pleasant.
BTW what is our obsession with smoke flavoring? Deep memories of the cave and the long house?
Coffee Substitutes?
I buy the best beans I can find and use 1 oz per batch in a "10 Cup" drip brewer. Its on the light side but I use halfnhalf to make the mouth feel rich. I don't miss the upset stomach that comes from brewing it strong, either. It helps me keep within my budget too.
