eight_inch_pestle's Profile
What's for Dinner #143 [OLD]
Dag, gingershelley, I totally forgot that I desperately need to grab some PVC pipe or a refrigerator or, um, a nail from that Lowe's down the street from Mutual Fish. I guess I have no choice but to swing by the fishmonger on my way back from that totally essential trip to the hardware store this week.
So, since it seems wasteful to not grab a healthy and sustainable protein while I'm in the neighborhood, could you maybe walk me through that beautiful dish a little more step-by-step? I promise to repay you with a long overdue duck crepe recipe in return, although I'll surely still be in your debt when you realize a pre-schooler with issues could make anything that comes out of my head.
Razor clam ideas
To combine elements of the first two posts---fine suggestions both: James Beard's Oregon razor clam chowder.
Creative Chuck Steak
Good to hear. Have to admit I've never seen bay leaf in a thai recipe. Live and learn. Or maybe it was somehow viewed as a substitute for lime leaf...
What's for Dinner #143 [OLD]
Had some overwintering purple osaka mustard greens that were getting leggy and needed to clear the way for spring plantings. Made a big bowl of fettuccine with wilted greens, bacon, Parmesan, garlic, lemon zest, and plenty of crushed red pepper, simmered with a bit of pasta water for sauce. Found it's nice to save a few of the smallest, prettiest leaves to serve whole on top (with some extra shaved Parm), as the greens lose so much of that peppery bite even when just wilted.
POLL: Can you walk to an actual grocery store?
Everyone has their own abilities and interests, of course, but with panniers and a rack you can carry a great deal of groceries, especially if your trip is flat or you can put your bike on a bus or train for any significant grades.
Creative Chuck Steak
I was thinking a SE Asian curry, as well, although I was picturing cubed rather braised whole. All sorts of online sites and even generalist cookbooks should have a basic recipe these days. Homemade or store-bought curry paste, lemongrass, shallot, lime leaf, fish sauce, maybe some galangal or fresh turmeric if you can get your hands on them.
POLL: Can you walk to an actual grocery store?
Most shopping can be done with a good quality rack. No trailer required.
POLL: Can you walk to an actual grocery store?
More proof Milwaukee is one of the most underrated cities in the country.
POLL: Can you walk to an actual grocery store?
Have one high-end grocer (Metropolitan Market), a Safeway, a butcher/seafood shop, a couple cafés/bakeries, and TJ's within walking distance. The TJ's is pushing 20 minutes each way, though.
Can't really imagine living without a store within walking distance. Did it for about a year in Carrboro, NC, but even then the Harris Teeter, an out-of-this-world fishmonger, the farmers' market, and the crunchy co-op were a very pretty and flat five-minute bike ride. I could happily do that again, especially since I worked from home at the time and that bike ride was my daily foray into the gorgeous Carolina sun.
What's for Dinner #131 [old]
Glad you like! Didn't measure anything (except the crepe batter, obviously), but can definitely outline this for you. However, am on the way out the door for the night and have kind of a busy weekend with friends visiting from out of town. Might be a couple days.
What's for Dinner #131 [old]
Wow, some really great cooking going on around here these days.
Last night was buckwheat crepes with a duck breast, cremini, chard, dried cherry, fresh tarragon, orange zest, shallot, cream, and emmental filling. Baked for about 20 minutes under a little more cheese and ate with a salad of just arugula and vinaigrette. Sorry, ducky, but you were some good eats.
What's for Dinner #131 [old]
Yes. It doesn't always happen, but especially with oily fish like salmon I sometimes notice a marked increase in fishiness after freezing. Haven't looked into the science, but I assume it has to do with either a warmer freezer or not being wrapped as well as it could be, or both. Or maybe it's just the fish.
How do you turn your roast chicken?
Nice. That's more or less what I do these days, sometimes with tongs in the cavity in one hand and PT in the other.
How do you turn your roast chicken?
If you're a chicken-turner, what's your tool or technique of choice? I've finagled this and that over the years, but am wondering what other 'hounds do to turn easily turn that bird without fear of burning themselves, tearing that beautiful skin (on the bird), or just plumb dropping the thing.
tomato sauce for pasta when to add spices
Tend to agree, but I'd add that I like to hold back a small amount of even thyme, rosemary, and sage. Even with these guys, a hit of fresh herb toward the end does wonderful things. Bay leaf is probably the one exception.
Cheese straw advice needed. And the rye-thyme cheese straw recipe by the Herbfarm guy in particular.
Thanks for the feedback, Karykat. Will definitely let you know our experience. We live in Seattle, like Traunfeld does, so I actually bought the book as much for advice on growing herbs here as for the recipes. Your dough experience doesn't surprise me; while there are many good recipes in the book, I have found I need to tweak times and amounts pretty regularly. Anyhow, here's a quick breakdown just from perusing the TOC. Let me know if you want any feedback on any of them, as I may or may not have notes.
Favorites:
Clams with mint, chiles, and bacon
Herbed skillet soufflé
Pear rosemary upside-down cake
Slow-roasted salmon with spring herb sauce
Good:
Fettuccine fines herbs (have only made with homemade pasta, might be pedestrian with barilla)
Tarragon chicken breasts with buttered leeks
Pesto-stuffed chicken breasts with rosemary leeks
Oven-braised forest mushrooms
Popcorn chickpeas
Rosemary gin tonics
Will be awhile before trying again:
Squid and piquillo pepper salad with oregano
Lemon rosemary chicken
Finally Grinded My Own Meat- Still tastes like Storebought Frozen Old Hamburger Patties
Sorry, scubadoo97, I guess my post wasn't very clear. I should have put an emphasis on the word "beef." My point wasn't that sitting in a freezer is aging, but that aging doesn't benefit all types of meat.
Washing chicken
Oh, the vertical roaster is a smart idea. I put the bird on a rack set over a large plate and turn every once in awhile, patting dry as I go.
Cheese straw advice needed. And the rye-thyme cheese straw recipe by the Herbfarm guy in particular.
Any advice now that you've done them, karykat? I'm slowly working my way though this book.
You sound pleased but not thrilled with the results. Is that about right?
Western Washington pig farms/co-ops for leaf lard?
The thread Randy mentioned is good. Basically your three higher-end local-centric butchers---Rainshadow, the Swinery, and Bill the Butcher---carry it with varying degrees of regularity. I've had the least luck finding unrendered pig fat at BtB, but haven't tried in some time. Wooly Pig carries Mangalitsa lard at the U-District farmers' market, or at least used to (haven't checked in about a year).
Restaurants near Safeco Field
Not until the fall. Altho the OP should be aware only the buses are free, not the train.
What's for dinner, the Holiday Edition! #120 [old]
Ah, no. Don't think my kitchen adventures are of much interest to the general public.
Brining- continue after removing from brine?
I find that you can taste a variety of herbs and spices and fruit in brined meat and poultry if you boil them into your brine beforehand. Less so of course with a briefly brined pork tenderloin than a whole chicken that receives the 12-hour treatment.
I also find much more flavorful pork from local farms that raise their pigs more humanely, let them outdoors, and feed them a more varied diet.
Brining- continue after removing from brine?
To the contrary, it is good to give the meat a rest between brining and cooking. This gives the brine that has already been absorbed a chance to spread throughout the meat, resulting in more evenly seasoned flesh. Smaller cuts could use an hour or two, a full chicken benefits from spending a night in the fridge, preferably on a rack set over a plate or platter.
Finally Grinded My Own Meat- Still tastes like Storebought Frozen Old Hamburger Patties
Yeah, as others have said, there are a few different things going on here. The basic answer is that using meat that has been frozen "going on months" can absolutely produce an inferior burger, as the meat may well have lost much of its ability to retain moisture. How much ability it has lost depends on the initial quality of the meat itself, the temperature of your freezer, how long it's been frozen, and how well it is wrapped.
While there are a handful of issues to contemplate when making your own burger, frankly they're of secondary importance considering your stated problem. Regardless of whether you pre-salt or not or whether you use just chuck or a mixture of cuts, you should have no trouble making a burger that tastes *infinitely* better than a day-old Big Mac reheated in the microwave.
As to "freshness," I'd strongly recommend going to a good butcher shop, which should be selling beef that's been aged for at least a little while. If you must go to a supermarket, just snag the best-looking roast you can find with a reasonably distant sell-by date and you should be fine.
Finally Grinded My Own Meat- Still tastes like Storebought Frozen Old Hamburger Patties
Well, beef needs to age.
Favorite way with pork shanks?
Thanks for all the tips, folks. I'll definitely refer back to these suggestions next time.
Ended up braising them in a low oven with a few glugs of red wine, about a head's worth of smashed garlic cloves, a handful of dried porcini, a bunch of fresh rosemary, some star anise, a bit of urfa, and a cinnamon stick. Was a little pressed for time so skipped the browning. Added about a pound of shoulder a little while later. Separated the meat from the liquid and refrigerated overnight before skimming the fat.
Ended up making a simple rough pasta dish with homemade fettuccine left good and thick. Shredded some of the meat, and left other pieces in good-sized chunks. Strained and reduced the liquid with a splash of fresh wine, cremini, dried figs, and a bit more spice. Gently reheated the meat in the sauce and tossed in the finished pasta with a bit of the pasta cooking water, a good grating of Parmesan, and plenty of cracked black pepper. Got the thumbs up from the GF.
Beans for breakfast
I'm a big fan of pureed or half-mashed white beans spread on multigrain toast for a quick breakfast or midmorning snack. A little cracked pepper is nice. Hummus works, too.
Beans of most any sort are also nice in diner-style skillets or scrambles.
