racer x's Profile
"Least Favorite Vegetable" Poll
Great article, pikawicca. Thanks for sharing it.
I often have a similar experience, with grocery store cashiers being unfamiliar with the prices and even the names of various vegetables that I thought were fairly well-known (I'm talking even collard greens here), if not universally appreciated. It's one of the things that has had me wondering whether people are eating fewer fresh vegetables than a generation or two ago.
Btw, how did that acquaintance of yours suggest that the okra be cooked?
"Least Favorite Vegetable" Poll
The bit about the watermelon was just an aside, since people were mentioning cucumbers.
Cucumbers (and tomatoes) fall in the mothers' "eat your vegetables" category, so for this discussion, I would consider them vegetables. Fruits are sweet and, usually, enjoyed by kids. Fruits go well as toppings on ice cream.
"Least Favorite Vegetable" Poll
Iceberg lettuce is just roughage, as far as I'm concerned.
I haven't bought any in years. As far as the bland lettuces go, I'd much rather have romaine - or, barring that, green leaf, even on tacos or burgers.
(And the first time I got a Chinese takeout order that included stir-fried iceberg lettuce as the vegetable ingredient in a meat-based dish, I was sure that I'd been ripped off. Why, I wondered, would any decent cook stir-fry lettuce. lol)
Foods that pass the "Pizza and Ice Cream Test"
cranberries
raisins
cinnamon
licorice (if you like licorice flavor)
(all of these are in the "still edible" category)
Foods that pass the "Pizza and Ice Cream Test"
If you add lemon, you should probably also add other citrus fruits -- orange, lime, grapefruit, yuzu, etc.
Foods that pass the "Pizza and Ice Cream Test"
Did anyone mention corn?
(Another one for the "still edible," as opposed to "better than," list.)
"Least Favorite Vegetable" Poll
I see that I forgot to mention raw soy sprouts and raw alfalfa sprouts.
Yuch
I also have issues with most preparations of soft tofu, although I wouldn't put it on my "least favorites" list.
Foods that pass the "Pizza and Ice Cream Test"
I say no to almost everything on that list.
There's a difference between "and is still edible" & "makes both taste BETTER."
In fact, the only other ingredient I've seen posted so far that would work would be cashews. Maybe.
Adding to the "and is still edible" list, consider bananas and, separately, cucumbers.
"Least Favorite Vegetable" Poll
Well, they can be good even with the peel on, you know.
"Least Favorite Vegetable" Poll
I'm surprised at how many people are listing cucumbers. They are so benign-tasting (and good), to me.
I wonder if those who dislike cucumbers also dislike watermelon, because the cucumber flesh tastes very watermelon-y to me, without the sweetness.
I need a substitute for Edy's Dreamery Cashew Praline Parfait
I emailed them back in March when you posted the website link.
No response.
I think that "Wisconsin" (W.I.) telephone number is in the West Indies.
"Least Favorite Vegetable" Poll
I agree, cheesemaestro.
I abhor licorice and anise, but I am fond of carrots and caraway, and I love fennel.
Similarly, while I detest Brussels sprouts, and am generally not too fond of cabbage, I like kale, turnips, and bok choy, and I love arugula, collards, and broccoli.
"Least Favorite Vegetable" Poll
peas - utterly detest them (although split pea soup with bacon or ham is one of my favorites; and I do like snow peas)
beets
Brussels sprouts (although I have had some with fancy sauces in restaurants that were edible)
Lima beans(?) (? because I haven't tasted them again in decades, that's how much I hated them as a kid)
I moved to Miami a few years back, and I don't know whether it's a regional thing or a generational shift, but it really seems that the fresh vegetables sections of the grocery stores have been shrinking.
Beef Stroganoff left out overnight - safe to eat?
What about Bacillus cereus and Staphylococcus aureus?
(note to self: politely decline offers to eat at Jakareh's house) ; )
Strawberries have no flavor anymore. Agree or disagree?
This story on strawberries was also broadcast on NPR yesterday.
http://www.npr.org/blogs/thesalt/2012/05/17/152522900/the-secret-life-of-californias-world-class-strawberries
A couple of points I took from it:
- California produces 80% of the nation's strawberries, and that figure is growing.
- "even California's organic strawberry growers buy their plants from nurseries that do use fumigation. Nobody wants to run the risk of bringing diseased plants into their fields."
Strawberries have no flavor anymore. Agree or disagree?
This brief piece ran on NPR yesterday: "Bigger, Blander, Blegh: Why Are Strawberries Worse?"
http://www.npr.org/2012/05/17/152944880/bigger-means-better-not-with-strawberries
MSG after the fact?
Well, I tried it (sprinkled just a little bit, like salt) and the flavor of the dish was improved.
Btw, Todao, when cooking with MSG, I always use salt (or soy sauce) in the dish.
I haven't checked my blood pressure after eating, but as far as the taste goes, it hasn't been a problem.
MSG after the fact?
A question for those who cook with monosodium glutamate:
Do you ever or have you ever sprinkled the MSG on after the cooking was finished, the way one might add salt or sugar or soy sauce to fine-tune the taste?
I'm wondering about this because I noticed there was something missing in the taste of a dish I'd prepared and then realized I'd forgotten to add MSG while cooking. The problem is that adding MSG at the end just seemed totally wrong. And yet, it's kind of like salt in a way, isn't it?
Stonefire Naan
Stonefire-brand naan recently turned up in the local markets.
I've found that it's pretty good. Not as good as naan made the same day, but for a ready-made product from the supermarket, it's not bad.
Since I can buy it without necessarily buying any other South Asian-type food, I've had the opportunity to try it with dishes that I wouldn't ordinarily have naan with. For example, it was delicious with jerk lamb with a tzatziki-pozu-sesame oil sauce I made.
Has anyone else tried it?
The package lists Concord, ON, so I'm wondering whether this stuff is imported all the way from Canada.
Florida produce
Here we go again. Just bought some cantaloupes from Publix. Yes, ripe; yes juicy. But not much cantaloupe flavor, and almost no sweetness. Have to add sugar to them to make them barely edible.
Pink Slime (UGH!) - What are the safe brands?
Has Burger King said they are not using or will not use pink slime?
Strange Pairings that Taste Uncommonly Good
Steamed or boiled Chinese dumplings dipped in (sweet) blueberry yogurt.
What do you wipe your counters with?
I tried using the bleach spray bottle regularly for a few months at one point, but since I never wear an apron in the kitchen, I found myself ruining too many pieces of clothing (it just takes one little drop!). And I realized that I had done just fine without it for years and years before that. So now it's just brought out occasionally, for really stubborn stains or when I want to be especially sure that surfaces have been decontaminated.
What do you wipe your counters with?
That's what Alton Brown advises in "Just Here For The Food."
What do you wipe your counters with?
(But you don't necessarily know whether a guest is immunocompromised.)
What do you wipe your counters with?
Usually a soapy (synthetic) sponge.
When that isn't enough, isopropyl alcohol with the sponge or with a paper towel.
When the sponge itself needs a cleaning, it gets sprayed down with a diluted bleach solution.
Beef Stroganoff left out overnight - safe to eat?
USDA: "Pathogenic bacteria do not generally affect the taste, smell, or appearance of a food. In other words, one cannot tell that a food has been mishandled or is dangerous to eat. For example, food that has been left too long on the counter may be dangerous to eat, but could smell and look fine. If a food has been left in the "Danger Zone" – between 40 and 140 °F – for more than 2 hours, discard it, even though it may look and smell good. Never taste a food to see if it is spoiled."
http://www.fsis.usda.gov/help/faqs_hotline_preparation/index.asp#6
