# Life's too short for chopping & mixing



## Harry Cobean (Jul 21, 2012)

okey dokey this is guilty pleasures "all grown up" 3D the sequel.no no no vicar,nothing for you to worry about!!.you know what? sometimes life is too short for peeling,chopping,mixing & marinading.sometimes i just don't have the time.sometimes there is stuff out there that i think "y'know what 'arry the ingredients are exactly what i would make that with & it probably tastes just as good as mine so why make it yourself(or should that be myself?)"
here' some of mine.i've shown you mine now you show me yours!!
ps you probably gathered there's a kind of garlic,chilli & ginger think going on there!!


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## buckytom (Jul 21, 2012)

_what's_ too short after chopping and mixing?


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## Harry Cobean (Jul 21, 2012)

buckytom said:


> _what's_ too short after chopping and mixing?


clear off,get back to the cooking contest/gordon ramsay thread where you belong....trouble maker


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## buckytom (Jul 21, 2012)

ok, i'll stay on topic.

i find chopping garlic and ginger pretty easy, so i don't buy jars of it. sauces, though, are another story. 

if you want to make a really good stir fry, ask the restaurant the next time you get take out chinese to make a dish steamed with the suace on the side.

they usually end up giving you way too much sauce, the remainder of which you can use in your own home stir fry. it's amazing how good of a cook you'll be after that, lol. much better than using a store bought jarred sauce.


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## Harry Cobean (Jul 21, 2012)

buckytom said:


> ok, i'll stay on topic.
> 
> i find chopping garlic and ginger pretty easy, so i don't buy jars of it. sauces, though, are another story.
> 
> ...


the cheek of the man,,,anyway i'm bored now....yawn....you're much better off topic


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## GLC (Jul 21, 2012)

Sigh. But I _like_ chopping and mixing. It's that other stuff I do most days in lieu of hunting and gathering that life's too short for. 






At least my wife occasionally gets to hunt, if not gather.  Thursday, she dealt with a 4-foot rattlesnake on the porch. The Internet service tech came by, and he wanted it for his dinner, and she gave it to him. So I guess it qualifies as hunting for food.


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## Zhizara (Jul 21, 2012)

Roasted garlic sauce!!!!!!!  Me want to gather some of that!

I really like your idea of getting sauce on the side.  I hate soggy sweet & sour pork.  It will make a better dipping sauce.


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## Gravy Queen (Jul 21, 2012)

Must keep me mince pies peeled for that hollandaise. Its one thing I really can't be fagged making.


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## LPBeier (Jul 21, 2012)

I LOVE making sauces!  It is the one part of cooking that I love to take time for.  Though I will admit I do buy a specific brand of Thai sweet chili sauce.  At school in our final practical exam I was told in front of all the other students that I had the best sauce for my halibut (a citrus veloute).  The other reason for making from scratch is DH's intolerances...I know what it is in the sauces!

Chopping garlic and ginger are not my favourites (arthritic hands) but I have found the right tools for the job because I am less fond of the jarred varieties.

But these products are great for those who don't have the time or patience to do things and still want to be creative in the kitchen.

Some "cheats" I do use are pre-peeled garlic cloves, bagged salad greens and veggies, mango and pineapple spears, and peeled corn on the cob (we have a great brand at Costco we can get year round!).


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## Harry Cobean (Jul 21, 2012)

GLC said:


> Sigh. But I _like_ chopping and mixing. It's that other stuff I do most days in lieu of hunting and gathering that life's too short for.
> 
> At least my wife occasionally gets to hunt, if not gather.  Thursday, she dealt with a 4-foot rattlesnake on the porch. The Internet service tech came by, and he wanted it for his dinner, and she gave it to him. So I guess it qualifies as hunting for food.


people call me a 5' 10" rattlesnake on the porch....we estate agents get a really hard press over here glc.....we're more to be pitied than despised!!
but that's my point...the property market is very seasonal over here & during "the season" i'll get in to the office @ 8:00 am & not get home til 7:00pm sometimes 6 days/week.too late to start chopping.other times,like you,i enjoy it....almost therapeutic


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## PrincessFiona60 (Jul 21, 2012)

I don't see single ingredient prepared foods to be cheating, just smart for the busy cook.  I use the jarred garlic, ginger...mostly because I can't use it up fast enough to buy fresh. 

I am basically cooking for one anymore, Shrek doesn't want anything that I cook fresh, even if I can puree it so he can eat it.


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## Dawgluver (Jul 21, 2012)

I too like the minced garlic and ginger.  The Knorr packaged hollandaise and bernaise sauces that PF had rec'ed are so good as well.


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## Harry Cobean (Jul 21, 2012)

Zhizara said:


> Roasted garlic sauce!!!!!!!  Me want to gather some of that!
> 
> I really like your idea of getting sauce on the side.  I hate soggy sweet & sour pork.  It will make a better dipping sauce.


hi Z it is actually really good.need garlic bread?....just wack it on a flatbread & bang it in the oven.moules mariniere? mussels,garlic sauce,white wine...done.aioli? few drops in a dollop of mayo...sorted.don't get me wrong Z,i do all the chopping & peeling etc but,as i said in my reply to glc,sometimes i just don't get the time.............


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## Harry Cobean (Jul 21, 2012)

Gravy Queen said:


> Must keep me mince pies peeled for that hollandaise. Its one thing I really can't be fagged making.


tesco darlin',about £1.25 a pop.stick some of the roasted garlic sauce in it & it's orgasmagizmo.....costal anterio....scorchio!! fagged eh? don't think i missed that one your magnificence


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## Harry Cobean (Jul 21, 2012)

LPBeier said:


> I LOVE making sauces!  It is the one part of cooking that I love to take time for.  Though I will admit I do buy a specific brand of Thai sweet chili sauce.  At school in our final practical exam I was told in front of all the other students that I had the best sauce for my halibut (a citrus veloute).  The other reason for making from scratch is DH's intolerances...I know what it is in the sauces!
> 
> Chopping garlic and ginger are not my favourites (arthritic hands) but I have found the right tools for the job because I am less fond of the jarred varieties.
> 
> ...





PrincessFiona60 said:


> I don't see single ingredient prepared foods to be cheating, just smart for the busy cook.  I use the jarred garlic, ginger...mostly because I can't use it up fast enough to buy fresh.
> 
> I am basically cooking for one anymore, Shrek doesn't want anything that I cook fresh, even if I can puree it so he can eat it.





Dawgluver said:


> I too like the minced garlic and ginger.  The Knorr packaged hollandaise and bernaise sauces that PF had rec'ed are so good as well.


good evening ladies,it's 5:45pm here & i'm about to do some cooking....i shall expect some photo's of your fav's upon my return


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## Margi Cintrano (Jul 21, 2012)

Harry, Buonasera,

How are the preservatives and chemicals in these bottled products ? Is there Soy in these jars ?  

I do not use any product with Soy ( allergies ) and read all labels thoroughly. 

What is the sodium and sugar in these products ?

Have a stunning wkend,
Ciao.
Margi.


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## Margi Cintrano (Jul 21, 2012)

*Sun Dried Tomatoes & Sweet Basque Piquillo Peppers*

  The two jar products I make an exception to purchase are Italian Sun Dried Tomatoes in Evoo when in Spain, and Basque Sweet Piquillo Peppers when in Madrid ... 

Jar Italian Tomato Sauce:  Barilla Basil Tomato instead of using Tomato Paste ... It is natural ... 

Have lovely wkend.
Ciao, Margaux.


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## PrincessFiona60 (Jul 21, 2012)

some things...


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## Harry Cobean (Jul 21, 2012)

Margi Cintrano said:


> Harry, Buonasera,
> 
> How are the preservatives and chemicals in these bottled products ? Is there Soy in these jars ?
> 
> ...


'evening margi
i don't buy anything with with artificial ingredients,preservatives or colours in them....apart from some of the guilty pleasures stuff but those are occasional/rare treats,so what the heck!.nowadays,particularly in home produced products,it is very rare to find any artificial ingredients anyway.i am fortunate in that i don't have any allergies,health problems affected by diet or excess weight & as the point of these products/this post is that they are not used daily,merely when i don't have time for prep,the occasional extra bit of salt or sugar doesn't worry me.i too check ingredients in detail,one never knows,does one!
ciao
harry


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## Harry Cobean (Jul 21, 2012)

PrincessFiona60 said:


> some things...


i see a bit of a ginger,garlic,chilli,hollandaise thing going on there too princess,good stuff your royal highness!!
right,it's 6:20pm & haven't started cooking yet....got side tracked by your's & margi's posts....but it would be ungallant of me to keep a lady waiting!
au revoir!


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## PrincessFiona60 (Jul 21, 2012)

Go cook...it's still morning here.


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## Steve Kroll (Jul 21, 2012)




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## CWS4322 (Jul 21, 2012)

GLC said:


> Sigh. But I _like_ chopping and mixing. It's that other stuff I do most days in lieu of hunting and gathering that life's too short for.
> 
> 
> 
> ...



So-does rattlesnake really taste like chicken?


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## Hoot (Jul 21, 2012)

CWS4322 said:


> So-does rattlesnake really taste like chicken?




Actually....no, it doesn't. When fried, it has a taste that is delicately reminiscent of very lean pork that was fried in oil that had been used to cook fish in...but in a good way.
To me it tastes more like frog legs than chicken.


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## Harry Cobean (Jul 21, 2012)

Hoot said:


> Actually....no, it doesn't. When fried, it has a taste that is delicately reminiscent of very lean pork that was fried in oil that had been used to cook fish in...but in a good way.
> To me it tastes more like frog legs than chicken.


kind of squid like flavour then,hoot? not had frogs legs for a couple of years now.used to be able to buy them at the chinese supermarket but haven't seen them for a while.bit like squid really in that you either have to flash fry them or cook them long & slow.anything inbetween & you've got rubber,but with more bounce!!


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## Harry Cobean (Jul 21, 2012)

Steve Kroll said:


>


albacore tuna steve? blimey,over here a can of albacore is about 3 or 4 times the cost of your standard tuna.nice tho'


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## Cerise (Jul 21, 2012)

I don't like peeling & chopping onions. Haven't bought these in awhile, but they're good in a pinch.

No more tears.


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## Harry Cobean (Jul 21, 2012)

Cerise said:


> I don't like peeling & chopping onions. Haven't bought these in awhile, but they're good in a pinch.
> 
> No more tears.


more room for the grey goose that way C!


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## Cerise (Jul 21, 2012)

Harry Cobean said:


> more room for the grey goose that way C!


 
More time to mix cocktails.


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## Harry Cobean (Jul 21, 2012)

Cerise said:


> More time to mix cocktails.


work smart not hard eh? likin' it


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## NYBrit (Aug 2, 2012)

I might have to try those chopped onions.  Peeling and chopping onions is my least favourite thing to do.


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## Greg Who Cooks (Aug 2, 2012)

Harry Cobean said:


> okey dokey this is guilty pleasures "all grown up" 3D the sequel.no no no vicar,nothing for you to worry about!!.you know what? sometimes life is too short for peeling,chopping,mixing & marinading.sometimes i just don't have the time.sometimes there is stuff out there that i think "y'know what 'arry the ingredients are exactly what i would make that with & it probably tastes just as good as mine so why make it yourself(or should that be myself?)"
> here' some of mine.i've shown you mine now you show me yours!!
> ps you probably gathered there's a kind of garlic,chilli & ginger think going on there!!



I'm sorry harry (you don't use the caps key, right?) but life is too short and too frenetic to not enjoy chopping and mixing.

I used to have a signature here, "Asian chef chops for 2 hours then cooks for 10 minutes." I'm not Asian but I enjoy Asian cooking, and I'm very much harried (no relation to you) by life, and I often find that chopping and measuring and mixing ingredients, particularly in the _mise en place_ method is very soothing, almost a cooking version of yoga or meditation. (Asian cooking often occurs within mere minutes particularly stir fry, and you need to either measure your ingredients before starting or you need to be an intuitive Asian chef with unlimited ingredients prepared the afternoon before dinner so you can just add however much you want as the cooking proceeds. This is how Asian restaurants work.)

I find that chopping soothes my mind and calms me and lets me focus on the character and smoothness and uniqueness of ingredients, and when I focus on that, many of my everyday problems recede into the background.

Chopping is a kind of meditation.


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## Greg Who Cooks (Aug 2, 2012)

Here is a cooking with garlic shortcut tip. I've used it often.

One day perhaps once a week (maybe an off day) chop several heads of garlic into a fine mince. Press it down into a small dish (perhaps one of your _mise en place_ dishes), then pour the smallest amount of EVOO over the top to prevent the garlic from being exposed to the air. Maybe mix a small amount of EVOO into the minced garlic before covering with EVOO.

Minced garlic is almost always used in recipes that use cooking oils too, or at least the EVOO interferes with few recipes that do not use cooking oil. The oil keeps the minced garlic from oxidizing (or whatever it does) when it comes in contact with air. When you use some just press down the rest with a spoon and make sure it has a light covering of EVOO, and cover the dish with plastic wrap to keep out refrigerator smells. (I press the plastic down to conform with the garlic surface to exclude as much air as possible.)

Minced garlic can easily last a week or more with this technique, and IMO is almost indistinguishable from freshly minced garlic.

I've used the same technique for finely chopped ginger and also with finely chopped shallots.


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## Harry Cobean (Aug 3, 2012)

NYBrit said:


> I might have to try those chopped onions.  Peeling and chopping onions is my least favourite thing to do.


they are good nyb,just chopped/fried onions & olive oil.i always dump them in a sieve to drain first,there is a fair bit of oil in there & enough clings to the onions after draining.found them in delia smiths "how to cheat at cooking",so if it's good enough for delia...............


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## Harry Cobean (Aug 3, 2012)

Greg Who Cooks said:


> I'm sorry harry (you don't use the caps key, right?) but life is too short and too frenetic to not enjoy chopping and mixing.
> Chopping is a kind of meditation.


life is too short for the caps key too!!
100% with you on all you've said,especially the meditation bit.90% of the meals i eat,i cook from scratch.colleagues at work don't understand why and apart from the obvious,i tell them that that's how i wind down after another 10 hours savage entertainment at the hands of an uncaring public!!
i live alone so don't have to plan meals/times ahead & very often don't know what i want to eat when i set off to work in the morning,so the advance prep may be wasted on the "well it seemed like a good idea at the time" principle.i usually call at tesco on my way home,which is why my fridge usually only has the basics & my booze in it!!
fortunately i am now in a position where i don't have to work the long hours or number of days that i used to,so will have more time for meditation.
the point of the thread was that there are very good products out there that can be used when time is short,not as a 100% substitute.......if you did,that would spoil the fun to be sure greg!!


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## Harry Cobean (Aug 3, 2012)

Greg Who Cooks said:


> Here is a cooking with garlic shortcut tip. I've used it often.
> 
> One day perhaps once a week (maybe an off day) chop several heads of garlic into a fine mince. Press it down into a small dish (perhaps one of your _mise en place_ dishes), then pour the smallest amount of EVOO over the top to prevent the garlic from being exposed to the air. Maybe mix a small amount of EVOO into the minced garlic before covering with EVOO.
> 
> ...


i probably use garlic & shallots on a daily basis greg so with you on that.i prefer shallots to onions because i find them sweeter than the onions we get over here imo & the "torpedo" shaped ones are sweet enough to use raw in salads etc.
in work "my area" includes a massive,predominently asian area,where street after street is nothing but mosques,sari shops,indian sweet shops,gold shops,asian food shops & some of the scruffiest looking but best darn asian restaurants/charcoal grill/tandoori dives going!
i buy the cofresh frozen minced garlic/ginger from there.it's 100% pure garlic or ginger....no oil or anything else added & @ less than £1 for over a lb of garlic/ginger a bargain.tesco also sell it in their asian section
i find that,as with frozen peas,it is almost better than "the real thing" & my asian friends/clients use massive amounts of it but,as in my previous reply,it's there in the freezer if needed,not as a substitute


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## kezlehan (Aug 3, 2012)

Harry Cobean said:


> i usually call at tesco on my way home,which is why my fridge usually only has the basics & my booze in it!!



This is me


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## Harry Cobean (Aug 3, 2012)

now there's a surprise kez!!


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## kezlehan (Aug 3, 2012)

I don't know what you're talking about Harry


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## Harry Cobean (Aug 3, 2012)

kezlehan said:


> I don't know what you're talking about Harry


ohhhhh yesssss youuuuuu doooooo!!!


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## kezlehan (Aug 3, 2012)

Harry Cobean said:


> ohhhhh yesssss youuuuuu doooooo!!!



However, in my fridge, the booze are the essentials.


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## Harry Cobean (Aug 3, 2012)

kezlehan said:


> However, in my fridge, the booze are the essentials.


like i said...now there's a surprise kez....ermmm,been here before haven't we?,musta been at the "essentials"!!


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## kezlehan (Aug 3, 2012)

Harry Cobean said:


> like i said...now there's a surprise kez....ermmm,been here before haven't we?,musta been at the "essentials"!!



Am I that predictable when it comes to my essentials...


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## Harry Cobean (Aug 3, 2012)

kezlehan said:


> Am I that predictable when it comes to my essentials...


only if they are quintessentials.....long story,don't ask! right i'm off to get some work done....tarra luv!


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## blissful (Aug 3, 2012)

Harry Cobean said:


> only if they are quintessentials.....long story,don't ask! right i'm off to get some work done....tarra luv!



Hairy Mungbean, Are we back here again? 
Dear one, I have a present for you. In lieu of your birthday present I give you this: Capital Letters. ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXY and Z.
How funny, hey?
Would people even recognize your writing if you used them?

Ultimately, let's not get our quintessentials in a bundle. There is a lot of love here, among food people, let's keep it that way.


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## Harry Cobean (Aug 3, 2012)

blissful said:


> Hairy Mungbean, Are we back here again?
> Dear one, I have a present for you. In lieu of your birthday present I give you this: Capital Letters. ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXY and Z.
> How funny, hey?
> Would people even recognize your writing if you used them?
> ...


!! nice one,ooooops sorry bellissimaful,Nice One Darlin'! sorry but the strain of all this shift button stuff is too much like hard work,if there is such a lot of love about,you'll just have to love me & my typing as i am....don't go changin' to try & please me...............!


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## blissful (Aug 3, 2012)

Harry Cobean said:


> !! nice one,ooooops sorry bellissimaful,Nice One Darlin'! sorry but the strain of all this shift button stuff is too much like hard work,if there is such a lot of love about,you'll just have to love me & my typing as i am....don't go changin' to try & please me...............!


OH MY, I haven't been doted on by anyone calling me bellissimaful, quite the title. Oh dear, what kind of slave driver I am to expect you to use that capital shift button. Don't change yourself, we love you as you are. You little pinto bean, hairy little pinto bean.


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## Skittle68 (Aug 3, 2012)

Harry Cobean said:
			
		

> i probably use garlic & shallots on a daily basis greg so with you on that.i prefer shallots to onions because i find them sweeter than the onions we get over here imo & the "torpedo" shaped ones are sweet enough to use raw in salads etc.
> in work "my area" includes a massive,predominently asian area,where street after street is nothing but mosques,sari shops,indian sweet shops,gold shops,asian food shops & some of the scruffiest looking but best darn asian restaurants/charcoal grill/tandoori dives going!
> i buy the cofresh frozen minced garlic/ginger from there.it's 100% pure garlic or ginger....no oil or anything else added & @ less than £1 for over a lb of garlic/ginger a bargain.tesco also sell it in their asian section
> i find that,as with frozen peas,it is almost better than "the real thing" & my asian friends/clients use massive amounts of it but,as in my previous reply,it's there in the freezer if needed,not as a substitute



Do you think chunks of shallot would be good on kabobs? I love to use pearl onions, but bf thinks the onion flavor is too strong. I love the juicy burst of flavor of a pearl onion on a kabob, and I bet a hunk of shallot (like a third maybe?) would be a good happy medium for me and bf.


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## chopper (Aug 3, 2012)

Skittle68 said:


> Do you think chunks of shallot would be good on kabobs? I love to use pearl onions, but bf thinks the onion flavor is too strong. I love the juicy burst of flavor of a pearl onion on a kabob, and I bet a hunk of shallot (like a third maybe?) would be a good happy medium for me and bf.


 
That is a great idea.  I have never tried it, but I don't see why it wouldn't work.


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## Harry Cobean (Aug 3, 2012)

Skittle68 said:


> Do you think chunks of shallot would be good on kabobs? I love to use pearl onions, but bf thinks the onion flavor is too strong. I love the juicy burst of flavor of a pearl onion on a kabob, and I bet a hunk of shallot (like a third maybe?) would be a good happy medium for me and bf.


evening skittle,depends what type of shallot you use,i lurvvvvve the cylindrical "torpedo" shallots,i think the posh name is eschalon shallots.they are really sweet with a good onion flavour & sweet enough to use raw in salads etc,trouble with the pearl onions is that you assume they are going to be mild because they are small but it's the opposite,like with chillies,the smaller they get the hotter they get!of course there will be exceptions that prove the rule but generally that's what i've found.
as far as size of hunk goes,i roast them whole with other veggies,so use as much as you like.that's a torpedo/eschalon shallot under the baby aubergines.let me know how you like them


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## Dawgluver (Aug 3, 2012)

chopper said:
			
		

> That is a great idea.  I have never tried it, but I don't see why it wouldn't work.



+1

I'll have to try it.  You could probably use them whole.


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## chopper (Aug 3, 2012)

Have you tried the red onions with BF?  He may like them.  They are milder than most, and sweet.  There is also a sweet (white or yellow??? I don't remember) that he may like.  Lots of options.  My favorite is red onions, and they look pretty!


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## Greg Who Cooks (Aug 3, 2012)

Harry Cobean said:


> 100% with you on all you've said,especially the meditation bit.90% of the meals i eat,i cook from scratch.colleagues at work don't understand why and apart from the obvious,i tell them that that's how i wind down after another 10 hours savage entertainment at the hands of an uncaring public!!
> i live alone so don't have to plan meals/times ahead & very often don't know what i want to eat when i set off to work in the morning,so the advance prep may be wasted on the "well it seemed like a good idea at the time" principle...
> 
> the point of the thread was that there are very good products out there that can be used when time is short,not as a 100% substitute.......if you did,that would spoil the fun to be sure greg!!



That was pretty much my schedule too, 8-10 hours work then come home and unwind by cooking my dinner. I too preferred to decide what to have for dinner at the market on the way home from work. After all, how is anybody supposed to know what they want to eat 8-10 hours earlier in the day?

We have Asian markets too although ours are not Indian but rather are Vietnamese, Korean, Chinese, Thai, etc. That's where I get my garlic, shallots, etc. They have the convenience products too but for some reason I prefer to chop my own.

I used to chop large quantities of garlic etc. on my days off. Currently not a problem since I've been given 7 days a week off now.


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## Harry Cobean (Aug 3, 2012)

Dawgluver said:


> +1
> 
> I'll have to try it.  You could probably use them whole.





chopper said:


> Have you tried the red onions with BF?  He may like them.  They are milder than most, and sweet.  There is also a sweet (white or yellow??? I don't remember) that he may like.  Lots of options.  My favorite is red onions, and they look pretty!


both right,as i said to skittle,i roast them whole with other veggies.spot on chopper,if i'm not using shallots i use red onions,like in the cevapcici i posted last night.love them in a cheese and onion sandwich! thought you guy's had something called a vidalia onion over there,isn't that a sweet onion too?
dunno 'cos ive never tasted one,just seen them used on the american food shows i watch


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## Dawgluver (Aug 3, 2012)

Harry Cobean said:
			
		

> both right,as i said to skittle,i roast them whole with other veggies.spot on chopper,if i'm not using shallots i use red onions,like in the cevapcici i posted last night.love them in a cheese and onion sandwich! thought you guy's had something called a vidalia onion over there,isn't that a sweet onion too?
> dunno 'cos ive never tasted one,just seen them used on the american food shows i watch



Indeed, Harry, vidalias are lovely, nice and sweet.  I think most come from Georgia, and the growing season is short.


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## Harry Cobean (Aug 3, 2012)

Greg Who Cooks said:


> That was pretty much my schedule too, 8-10 hours work then come home and unwind by cooking my dinner. I too preferred to decide what to have for dinner at the market on the way home from work. After all, how is anybody supposed to know what they want to eat 8-10 hours earlier in the day?
> 
> We have Asian markets too although ours are not Indian but rather are Vietnamese, Korean, Chinese, Thai, etc. That's where I get my garlic, shallots, etc. They have the convenience products too but for some reason I prefer to chop my own.
> 
> I used to chop large quantities of garlic etc. on my days off. Currently not a problem since I've been given 7 days a week off now.


swap ya two indian restaurants,one pakistani food store & a persian grill shop for a vietnamese & korean food store!! i would love those nearby,infact i think the nearest,if any are over the other side of the city!!
not quite got to 7 days a week off yet greg but getting close.dunno mate,love what i do even after nearly 30 years as an estate agent i don't think i could give it up altogether!


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## Harry Cobean (Aug 3, 2012)

Dawgluver said:


> Indeed, Harry, vidalias are lovely, nice and sweet.  I think most come from Georgia, and the growing season is short.


georgia ohhhh georgia....sweet as the song eh dawg?


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## Greg Who Cooks (Aug 3, 2012)

Harry Cobean said:


> swap ya two indian restaurants,one pakistani food store & a persian grill shop for a vietnamese & korean food store!! i would love those nearby,infact i think the nearest,if any are over the other side of the city!!



Oddly I'm not fond of Indian food except tandoori. I like mainly Thai, Chinese and Japanese (in that order). Compare Indian and Thai curry dishes, Indians use yogurt (right?) while Thais use coconut milk. I really like coconut milk and coconut cream in recipes. Indian and Thai are different in many ways, too many to go into it.



Harry Cobean said:


> not quite got to 7 days a week off yet greg but getting close.dunno mate,love what i do even after nearly 30 years as an estate agent i don't think i could give it up altogether!



Yeah I understand that. I don't know how people do it. Although for about 15 months I worked in a city 100 miles from home (commuted in on Monday morning, back home Friday afternoon) and worked 10-12 hours a day during the week and then at home Saturday 10-12 and half day Sunday, so I know a little bit about long hours.

My present work week is 0 hours a week. I was sorry to lose the previous work (not my choice, it was the economy) but too late to do anything now. There's still little/no work available in my field.


----------



## Skittle68 (Aug 3, 2012)

We usually use slices of red onion on the kabobs. He usually leaves about half the onion on his plate, which I gladly finish off lol. Vidalia onions would be great, as they are even sweeter than reds, but they are very seasonal. I keep an eye out for them, because I could use more onion without bf complaining, but I hardly ever see them. I love the little flavor bursts of red pearl onions, but it's just too much for Mike. I am definitely going to try shallots the next time. Probably not whole, as they are a little on the expensive side here, but cut horizontally into thirds I bet would be just right. If I can get the juicy flavor, without it being too overpowering for Mike, that would be just perfect!! I know I could do both, but the package of pearls is pretty big, and then I would have more of them to use up in something else. I suppose I could plan to make soup with them or something, but I would much rather just have a happy medium we both like.  I come from an onion loving family- my sister's DH calls her meat loaf onion loaf 

Oh, and I use crushed garlic in a tube. It comes out like a thin paste, and has the flavor of fresh garlic. Not sure why, but I don't like chopping garlic... Has anyone tried the new "freeze dried" minced garlic? Do you think it would be any better than the regular dried?


----------



## Harry Cobean (Aug 3, 2012)

Greg Who Cooks said:


> Oddly I'm not fond of Indian food except tandoori. I like mainly Thai, Chinese and Japanese (in that order). Compare Indian and Thai curry dishes, Indians use yogurt (right?) while Thais use coconut milk. I really like coconut milk and coconut cream in recipes. Indian and Thai are different in many ways, too many to go into it.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


that's why i would swap you two indian restaurants,some dishes are stunning,but not top of my list....thai,japanese,vietnamese and some chinese(not cantonese)are.sorry to hear about the job situation greg,guess it's tough everywhere.housing market is knackered here which is one of the reasons i'm easing off,quit while you're ahead & all that stuff....good luck matey,hope something turns up soon...really do
right it's 6:20pm here & i'm going out so need to "get a riddle on" as we say over 'ere!!


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## Greg Who Cooks (Aug 3, 2012)

Skittle68 said:


> I am definitely going to try shallots the next time. Probably not whole, as they are a little on the expensive side here, but cut horizontally into thirds I bet would be just right. If I can get the juicy flavor, without it being too overpowering for Mike, that would be just perfect!! I know I could do both, but the package of pearls is pretty big, and then I would have more of them to use up in something else.



I use shallots because they are rather mild onions. I use the majority of my shallots finely chopped, usually for Asian recipes. I also use them thin sliced for salads.

Shallots are widely available in bulk in So. Cal., availability of all kinds of ingredients being one of the benefits of living in the big bad city, particularly with our large Latino and Asian communities, both of which apparently cook at home more often than the general population, if looking at their stores is any indication.



Skittle68 said:


> Has anyone tried the new "freeze dried" minced garlic? Do you think it would be any better than the regular dried?



I'd like to hear about that too.


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## Dawgluver (Aug 3, 2012)

Skittle68 said:
			
		

> We usually use slices of red onion on the kabobs. He usually leaves about half the onion on his plate, which I gladly finish off lol. Vidalia onions would be great, as they are even sweeter than reds, but they are very seasonal. I keep an eye out for them, because I could use more onion without bf complaining, but I hardly ever see them. I love the little flavor bursts of red pearl onions, but it's just too much for Mike. I am definitely going to try shallots the next time. Probably not whole, as they are a little on the expensive side here, but cut horizontally into thirds I bet would be just right. If I can get the juicy flavor, without it being too overpowering for Mike, that would be just perfect!! I know I could do both, but the package of pearls is pretty big, and then I would have more of them to use up in something else. I suppose I could plan to make soup with them or something, but I would much rather just have a happy medium we both like.  I come from an onion loving family- my sister's DH calls her meat loaf onion loaf
> 
> Oh, and I use crushed garlic in a tube. It comes out like a thin paste, and has the flavor of fresh garlic. Not sure why, but I don't like chopping garlic... Has anyone tried the new "freeze dried" minced garlic? Do you think it would be any better than the regular dried?



Skittle, have you tried pickling the pearl onions?

I like the tube'o garlic too.  I also keep a jar of preminced garlic (not dehydrated) in the fridge that you can find at the grocer's.  Haven't tried the freeze dried.  The jarred tastes just like fresh.


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## Skittle68 (Aug 3, 2012)

Greg Who Cooks said:
			
		

> I use shallots because they are rather mild onions. I use the majority of my shallots finely chopped, usually for Asian recipes. I also use them thin sliced for salads.
> 
> Shallots are widely available in bulk in So. Cal., availability of all kinds of ingredients being one of the benefits of living in the big bad city, particularly with our large Latino and Asian communities, both of which apparently cook at home more often than the general population, if looking at their stores is any indication.
> 
> I'd like to hear about that too.



Shallots here come in packages of 2, in red netting, like packages of yellow onions. When I lived in LA, I remember the first time I went to the grocery store and walked through the produce section- I had never seen half the stuff, and I couldn't believe how HUGE it was!! At least twice the size of the produce section in northern MN. The thing I miss the most is the young Thai coconut. OMG those things are amazing. I saw them here at cub once, but they all had mold on them. Most people here probably don't know what they are. I suppose I could ask what day they come in and go specifically for a coconut.  I miss the bulk mushrooms too. I hardly ever need a full package of mushrooms. I have half a package in the fridge now from when I made ravioli. Thinking I'm going to make a garlic butter pasta with mushrooms, tomatoes, and asparagus with the fresh thin spaghetti noodles I made with the extra pasta dough.


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## Greg Who Cooks (Aug 3, 2012)

Harry Cobean said:


> that's why i would swap you two indian restaurants,some dishes are stunning,but not top of my list....thai,japanese,vietnamese and some chinese(not cantonese)are.


One good thing is that these cuisines are not all that difficult to cook, if you can get the ingredients. Mainstream supermarkets carry coconut milk and I've even seen lemongrass occasionally, but I have only one store (Vietnamese) that carries Kaffir lime leaves, extremely desirable for Thai curry dishes. Another thing I've never seen in a supermarket, fresh tumeric root! I like using coconut cream, available canned 100% cream. It's the thick part you sometimes see floating on the top in a can of coconut milk. I've never seen coconut cream sold in mainstream supermarkets. Almost all of them have coconut milk, usually at 2x-3x the price of nearby Asian markets. I see mostly Asians in Asian markets, Latinos in Latino markets, and very few average people like me (no particularly ethnic group). I'm sure that most people don't know what great prices and variety of foods Asian and Latino markets carry.

We have Indian markets and Indian restaurants too. The Indian market I go to, I mostly buy incense (Indians make better incense than anybody) and also buy spices and sometimes unique Indian vegetables not seen in any other markets.

You can cook Asian (my field is particularly Thai) and leave out or substitute some of the ingredients, but it's just amazing how easy it is to create curries and other dishes as good as restaurants, sometimes even better. (Some of our Thai, Chinese and Japanese restaurants are pretty mediocre.) Using the real ingredients makes a significant difference!


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## Harry Cobean (Aug 3, 2012)

Skittle68 said:


> Oh, and I use crushed garlic in a tube. It comes out like a thin paste, and has the flavor of fresh garlic. Not sure why, but I don't like chopping garlic... Has anyone tried the new "freeze dried" minced garlic? Do you think it would be any better than the regular dried?


i have skittle & the lemongrass & the galangal too,shoulda given up after the garlic,non of them tasted of much imo.i use these a lot,just pure 100% frozen garlic/ginger,nothing added,always have a pack in the freezer...brilliant stuff
http://www.discusscooking.com/forums/f17/lifes-too-short-for-chopping-and-mixing-80683.html


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## Skittle68 (Aug 3, 2012)

Harry Cobean said:
			
		

> i have skittle & the lemongrass & the galangal too,shoulda given up after the garlic,non of them tasted of much imo.i use these a lot,just pure 100% frozen garlic/ginger,nothing added,always have a pack in the freezer...brilliant stuff
> http://www.discusscooking.com/forums/f17/lifes-too-short-for-chopping-and-mixing-80683.html



I've heard garlic loses a lot of flavor if you freeze it, which is why I've been reluctant to make my own frozen garlic cubes. What do you think? Does the flavor change much?


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## CWS4322 (Aug 3, 2012)

I chop garlic and put it in a jar with some EVOO and keep that in the fridge. It keeps well. I often freeze onions. I haven't noticed a change in flavor.


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## Greg Who Cooks (Aug 3, 2012)

Harry Cobean said:


> i... the lemongrass & the galangal too,shoulda given up after the garlic,non of them tasted of much imo.i use these a lot,just pure 100% frozen garlic/ginger,nothing added,always have a pack in the freezer...brilliant stuff
> http://www.discusscooking.com/forums/f17/lifes-too-short-for-chopping-and-mixing-80683.html



Too bad on the lemongrass and galangal. I assumed you had access to that. Although I see lemongrass in supermarkets I see galangal only in Asian markets.

I really wish there was some way to keep Kaffir lime leaves longer. They keep for about 2 weeks in the refrigerator. I've tried freezing them and that doesn't work either. I've decided if I ever live anywhere where I can't get them I would plant my own Kaffir lime. Gotta have a mild climate for that though. Would work well here in So. Cal. In fact if I end up buying a house here I probably will plant one, and then I can just go out and pick them whenever I need them. I'd like to have a garden of plants that are both edible and decorative. Or in other words, why grow something you can't eat when there are so many plants that are both edible and decorative.



Skittle68 said:


> I've heard garlic loses a lot of flavor if you freeze it, which is why I've been reluctant to make my own frozen garlic cubes. What do you think? Does the flavor change much?



I've had decent results freezing my minced garlic mixed with EVOO. When I want it I move it to the refrigerator section, where it keeps 1-2 weeks.


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## CWS4322 (Aug 3, 2012)

Greg Who Cooks said:


> Too bad on the lemongrass and galangal. I assumed you had access to that. Although I see lemongrass in supermarkets I see galangal only in Asian markets.
> 
> I really wish there was some way to keep Kaffir lime leaves longer. They keep for about 2 weeks in the refrigerator. I've tried freezing them and that doesn't work either. I've decided if I ever live anywhere where I can't get them I would plant my own Kaffir lime. Gotta have a mild climate for that though. Would work well here in So. Cal. In fact if I end up buying a house here I probably will plant one, and then I can just go out and pick them whenever I need them. I'd like to have a garden of plants that are both edible and decorative. Or in other words, why grow something you can't eat when there are so many plants that are both edible and decorative.
> 
> ...


Have you tried dehydrating them? This is what is done with curry leaves...since one can use dried bay leaves, I would assume one could use dried Kaffir lime leaves. I have a small Kaffir lime tree that I put outside in the summer and bring in in its pot in the winter.


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## Greg Who Cooks (Aug 3, 2012)

CWS4322 said:


> Have you tried dehydrating them? This is what is done with curry leaves...since one can use dried bay leaves, I would assume one could use dried Kaffir lime leaves. I have a small Kaffir lime tree that I put outside in the summer and bring in in its pot in the winter.



As far as I understand it the Kaffir lime leaves are there more for aroma than for taste, and I would expect dehydrating them would allow volatile parts to evaporate. Plus I've never seen them sold dried and I've been to a lot of Asian markets searching for the best ones.

I'm jealous you have your own Kaffir lime. Do you cook Thai curries or what do you use the leaves in? Are the fruit useful for anything. I've heard they're inedible but I'm not sure. And is the zest of the fruits usable?

Well I'll probably get my own Kaffir lime once I get my house hunting concluded and moved in. I'm pretty sure they do just fine in the ground in my climate.


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## PrincessFiona60 (Aug 3, 2012)

We get Walla Walla Sweets onions, they are as good as Vidalias and they seem to be more plentiful.  I can usually get them most of the year...without the price.


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## Andy M. (Aug 3, 2012)

Greg Who Cooks said:


> ...I've tried freezing them and that doesn't work either...



I've frozen kaffir lime leaves with no issues.  What issues do you have?


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## Greg Who Cooks (Aug 3, 2012)

Maybe it was freezer burn. It's been 3-4 years since I did it and mostly I remember they just weren't the same thing as fresh leaves. Not close enough to suit me. Maybe I'm too much of a perfectionist.


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## taxlady (Aug 3, 2012)

chopper said:


> Have you tried the red onions with BF?  He may like them.  They are milder than most, and sweet.  There is also a sweet (white or yellow??? I don't remember) that he may like.  Lots of options.  My favorite is red onions, and they look pretty!


+1


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## taxlady (Aug 3, 2012)

Skittle68 said:


> ... I hardly ever need a full package of mushrooms. I have half a package in the fridge now from when I made ravioli. Thinking I'm going to make a garlic butter pasta with mushrooms, tomatoes, and asparagus with the fresh thin spaghetti noodles I made with the extra pasta dough.


I'm with you on the mushrooms. If I am energetic, I slice and fry them in butter. Then, I spread them on a cookie sheet and freeze them. Butter is almost never a problem when you want to use the mushrooms later. BTW, fried mushrooms on toast is very tasty.


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## Greg Who Cooks (Aug 3, 2012)

I've got my own tip about keeping mushrooms:

As soon as you get them home transfer them to a brown paper bag and keep them in one of your refrigerator drawers. They can last up to a month that way. After a couple weeks they start shriveling a bit but still perfectly usable except in salads. Keep them long enough and the turn into dried mushrooms, but they don't spoil. (Don't get moldy or anything.)


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## taxlady (Aug 3, 2012)

Greg Who Cooks said:


> I've got my own tip about keeping mushrooms:
> 
> As soon as you get them home transfer them to a brown paper bag and keep them in one of your refrigerator drawers. They can last up to a month that way. After a couple weeks they start shriveling a bit but still perfectly usable except in salads. Keep them long enough and the turn into dried mushrooms, but they don't spoil. (Don't get moldy or anything.)


+1, but I seldom have a brown paper bag.


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## taxlady (Aug 3, 2012)

You guys are scaring me with the chopped garlic in EVOO. Garlic can have botulism and the EVOO makes it an anaerobic environment. Be sure to keep them in the fridge for a week or less or freeze them.


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## PrincessFiona60 (Aug 3, 2012)

There was a produce sale yesterday and the sliced mushrooms were .99 cents for 8 ounce package.  I bought 4 packages, brought them home and put them in bags out on the counter, fully intending to dry them for later use.  I did three of the pkgs this way.


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## taxlady (Aug 3, 2012)

NYBrit said:


> I might have to try those chopped onions.  Peeling and chopping onions is my least favourite thing to do.


I love chopping onions. Stirling doesn't. When he cooks, I chop the onions.


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## Addie (Aug 3, 2012)

CWS4322 said:


> I chop garlic and put it in a jar with some EVOO and keep that in the fridge. It keeps well. I often freeze onions. I haven't noticed a change in flavor.


 
Vidalia onions have arrived and I have stocked up on them. I slice about helf of them and the other half I dice. then I freeze them. You need your Food Saver for this. Otherwise they can get frost bite on them from all the natural water in them. No problem when I need some. I package them in two ounce packages. I weigh them as I go along. No problem in the taste and texture when I thaw them out. 

I also do the same when Bell peppers are on sale.


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## taxlady (Aug 3, 2012)

We have minced garlic in a jar in the fridge. But, they don't cut off the little dry bit where the clove attaches to the bulb, so it isn't good for squashing into paste.

This is one of my favourite shortcuts. It's cheaper than organic lemons or limes, too. They taste like fresh lime and lemon juice -  no nasty tasting sodium bisulfite.


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## Skittle68 (Aug 4, 2012)

taxlady said:
			
		

> You guys are scaring me with the chopped garlic in EVOO. Garlic can have botulism and the EVOO makes it an anaerobic environment. Be sure to keep them in the fridge for a week or less or freeze them.



+1 

I was wondering if anyone else was thinking that...


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## CWS4322 (Aug 4, 2012)

Skittle68 said:


> +1
> 
> I was wondering if anyone else was thinking that...


I've done it for years, and I haven't died yet. I wonder about people who are too lazy to chop an onion or mince a clove of garlic. Come on people, how much work can that be?


----------



## Harry Cobean (Aug 4, 2012)

Greg Who Cooks said:


> Too bad on the lemongrass and galangal. I assumed you had access to that. Although I see lemongrass in supermarkets I see galangal only in Asian markets.
> 
> I really wish there was some way to keep Kaffir lime leaves longer. They keep for about 2 weeks in the refrigerator. I've tried freezing them and that doesn't work either. I've decided if I ever live anywhere where I can't get them I would plant my own Kaffir lime. Gotta have a mild climate for that though. Would work well here in So. Cal. In fact if I end up buying a house here I probably will plant one, and then I can just go out and pick them whenever I need them. I'd like to have a garden of plants that are both edible and decorative. Or in other words, why grow something you can't eat when there are so many plants that are both edible and decorative.
> 
> ...





CWS4322 said:


> Have you tried dehydrating them? This is what is done with curry leaves...since one can use dried bay leaves, I would assume one could use dried Kaffir lime leaves. I have a small Kaffir lime tree that I put outside in the summer and bring in in its pot in the winter.


@ greg...the galangal & lemongrass were another "harry storecupboard standby" in case i wanted to cook thai & didn't have fresh.fresh lemongrass is easy round here but the nearest s/market for  fresh galangal is 4 or 5 miles away
@ greg/cws spot on cw.i think that the only kaffir lime leaves we can get in the uk are dried.i'm sure i read somewhere that there is a bug endemic to the kaffir lime tree & so importation of the fresh leaves is banned in the uk?the dried certainly have a punch but have never cooked with fresh so can't compare.we do have fresh curry leaves in the shops tho'....love 'em!!


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## Harry Cobean (Aug 4, 2012)

CWS4322 said:


> I've done it for years, and I haven't died yet. I wonder about people who are too lazy to chop an onion or mince a clove of garlic. Come on people, how much work can that be?


sometimes just "a bridge too far" when you have been at work since 8am,get in at 7pm & want curry!!"
but now that i have more time on me hands i promise to try harder boss!!


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## Harry Cobean (Aug 4, 2012)

taxlady said:


> We have minced garlic in a jar in the fridge. But, they don't cut off the little dry bit where the clove attaches to the bulb, so it isn't good for squashing into paste.
> 
> This is one of my favourite shortcuts. It's cheaper than organic lemons or limes, too. They taste like fresh lime and lemon juice -  no nasty tasting sodium bisulfite.


ta dahhhh +1 tax


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## Harry Cobean (Aug 4, 2012)

Skittle68 said:


> I've heard garlic loses a lot of flavor if you freeze it, which is why I've been reluctant to make my own frozen garlic cubes. What do you think? Does the flavor change much?


nope,i think that modern flash freezing methods are totally different as far as the end result is concerned,compared to domestic freezing skittle.
i cook a lot with garlic & ginger,both fresh & the frozen ones in the pic.i haven't been able to determine any difference in flavour.the other good thing is that unlike some frozen products that have to be used from frozen for textural reasons,these two products can be used frozen OR thawed,so can be used in yogurt & mayo based dips/dressings etc just like fresh.when you thaw them there is no additional liquid either,as the only ingredient is the garlic or ginger.


----------



## Harry Cobean (Aug 4, 2012)

Greg Who Cooks said:


> We have Indian markets and Indian restaurants too. The Indian market I go to, I mostly buy incense (Indians make better incense than anybody) and also buy spices and sometimes unique Indian vegetables not seen in any other markets.
> 
> You can cook Asian (my field is particularly Thai) and leave out or substitute some of the ingredients, but it's just amazing how easy it is to create curries and other dishes as good as restaurants, sometimes even better. (Some of our Thai, Chinese and Japanese restaurants are pretty mediocre.) Using the real ingredients makes a significant difference!


i guess i'm spoilt in that respect greg.bolton,being an old textile town(birthplace of samuel crompton inventor of the spinning mule that kickstarted the industrial revolution over here)has a huge asian community & that's where i work.indian,pakistani,chinese,iranian,iraqi you name it,boltons got it!!as well as the shops we've already discussed all of the supermarkets locally carry an ethnic range so fresh lemongrass,galangal,turmeric & coconut milk etc are all available.having said that when i eat at my asian friends/clients houses they use the dried spices just like us,a lot of the frozen garlic/ginger but always fresh herbs like coriander,curry leaves etc.
because of my involvement with the community i always have incense sticks & cones which i am given as presents(lovely generous people they are too) but i also buy quite a bit from a local shop.billy & barbara describe themselves as "pagan druids" & they & their shop have become icons over the years
Aromatherapy|Fragrance Oils|Incense|Pagan Gifts & More - Clouds Online UK
my favourite incense is the mother's india which i support anyway i can.it's a co operative set up by women with children in india to allow women with children to work....totally organic & so eco friendly they make all of their deliveries/commute to work by bicycle!!the fragrances are mind blowing.my fav is ganesh


----------



## CWS4322 (Aug 4, 2012)

Harry Cobean said:


> sometimes just "a bridge too far" when you have been at work since 8am,get in at 7pm & want curry!!"
> but now that i have more time on me hands i promise to try harder boss!!


I guess I question the $ people spend on things that are frivolous. Buying pre-chopped garlic seems a bit frivolous to me. But then, I've been processing beans for hours...


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## Harry Cobean (Aug 4, 2012)

CWS4322 said:


> I guess I question the $ people spend on things that are frivolous. Buying pre-chopped garlic seems a bit frivolous to me. But then, I've been processing beans for hours...


i know cw & it sticks in my throat to help tesco or whoever amass another billion in profits but,sometimes when the devil drives & all that........
the criteria i apply to all of my "quick fixes"(guilty pleasures are different but are rare treats only) are:
a)has it got in it what i would make it with?
b)is it artificial additive,preservative,flavouring & colouring free?
organic would be good too!
now that i am in a position to work fewer hours/less days the quick fixes appear less & less.............


----------



## Addie (Aug 4, 2012)

CWS4322 said:


> I've done it for years, and I haven't died yet. I wonder about people who are too lazy to chop an onion or mince a clove of garlic. Come on people, how much work can that be?


 
I have done it in the past. I put about a teaspoon of vinegar in the garlic and olive oil. It helps prevent the botulism from developing by changing the ph balance.


----------



## taxlady (Aug 4, 2012)

Addie said:


> I have done it in the past. I put about a teaspoon of vinegar in the garlic and olive oil. It helps prevent the botulism from developing by changing the ph balance.


Good idea Addie.


----------



## Dawgluver (Aug 4, 2012)

Andy M. said:
			
		

> I've frozen kaffir lime leaves with no issues.



I found shredded kaffir lime leaves in a jar.  Other ingredients are water, salt, and citric acid.  Got it in MPLS, don't recall the store, I think it was in one of the big supermarkets.  I haven't tried it yet.


----------



## blissful (Aug 4, 2012)

Dawgluver said:


> I found shredded kaffir lime leaves in a jar.  Other ingredients are water, salt, and citric acid.  Got it in MPLS, don't recall the store, I think it was in one of the big supermarkets.  I haven't tried it yet.



I use citric acid or vinegar when I PRE-prepare garlic.


----------



## PrincessFiona60 (Aug 4, 2012)

For me it also depends on if the dish hangs on the fresh taste of minced garlic or chopped onions.  It is an addition or the star?  Making a beef stew or mushroom soup, garlic is a flavoring, I used the quick minced garlic or even garlic powder.  However, the Asian Green Beans I am cooking up tonight, the garlic is a main part of the dish, I'm buying fresh and mincing by hand. 

I need to find "chili paste".  I know it's red chili, just don't know more than that.  I have to go by taste and appearance in trying to replicate this recipe.  Going by the description on the menu.


----------



## Addie (Aug 4, 2012)

CWS4322 said:


> I've done it for years, and I haven't died yet. I wonder about people who are too lazy to chop an onion or mince a clove of garlic. Come on people, how much work can that be?


 
What I don't like about the practice of prechopping garlic and storing it in olive oil is that you don't know the strength of what you are taking each time. Sometimes I only want a mild small clove and sometimes a big clove that has plenty of flavor. I do prefer to do them fresh as I need them. One smack with the back of the knife and the skin comes right off. Smack two and it is done. And I know what I am putting in my dish.


----------



## Addie (Aug 4, 2012)

taxlady said:


> Good idea Addie.


 
I read about it eons ago in an University Extension Publication.


----------



## blissful (Aug 4, 2012)

Addie said:


> I read about it eons ago in an University Extension Publication.


Moi aussi, back in the 20's, been there done that, have the t-shirt,


----------



## Greg Who Cooks (Aug 4, 2012)

taxlady said:


> You guys are scaring me with the chopped garlic in EVOO. Garlic can have botulism and the EVOO makes it an anaerobic environment. Be sure to keep them in the fridge for a week or less or freeze them.



It works fine! I'm not dead, right? (?????) As often as I use garlic it doesn't last long enough to spoil, and by all means of course you refrigerate it. Or freeze it. I doubt a dish of garlic has ever lasted a week at my house.



Harry Cobean said:


> i guess i'm spoilt in that respect greg.bolton,being an old textile town(birthplace of samuel crompton inventor of the spinning mule that kickstarted the industrial revolution over here)has a huge asian community & that's where i work.indian,pakistani,chinese,iranian,iraqi you name it,boltons got it!!as well as the shops we've already discussed all of the supermarkets locally carry an ethnic range so fresh lemongrass,galangal,turmeric & coconut milk etc are all available.having said that when i eat at my asian friends/clients houses they use the dried spices just like us,a lot of the frozen garlic/ginger but always fresh herbs like coriander,curry leaves etc.
> because of my involvement with the community i always have incense sticks & cones which i am given as presents(lovely generous people they are too) but i also buy quite a bit from a local shop.



Short story of my life is that I sold my house and moved out of state to a small town in the Southwest, and I could just not stand not being able to get every imaginable ingredient I wanted, that day!!! I gave up and I'm back here in the big bad city, smog and traffic and all. We can get anything here no matter what cuisine. In most cases I don't have to drive more than a few/several miles. Anything really exotic, they prolly got it downtown. (It's an adventure going downtown.)



CWS4322 said:


> I guess I question the $ people spend on things that are frivolous. Buying pre-chopped garlic seems a bit frivolous to me. But then, I've been processing beans for hours...



+1

They have pre-chopped garlic in all the markets. I'd rather do my own. Like I said earlier in the topic, chopping is meditation for me.



Dawgluver said:


> I found shredded kaffir lime leaves in a jar. Other ingredients are water, salt, and citric acid. Got it in MPLS, don't recall the store, I think it was in one of the big supermarkets. I haven't tried it yet.



The problem with shredded Kaffir lime leaves, they're like bay leaves, you don't eat them. They're mostly an aromatic ingredient. Most often used in curries, you push the leaves to the side of the plate. They're too tough to eat anyway. Ask me how I know. 



Addie said:


> What I don't like about the practice of prechopping garlic and storing it in olive oil is that you don't know the strength of what you are taking each time. Sometimes I only want a mild small clove and sometimes a big clove that has plenty of flavor. I do prefer to do them fresh as I need them. One smack with the back of the knife and the skin comes right off. Smack two and it is done. And I know what I am putting in my dish.



You add the smallest possible amount of EVOO. It's probably 90% garlic and 10% oil. I have calibrated eyes. They know just how much the right amount of garlic is!  Besides, too much garlic is never enough! 

I whack the cloves to shuck them too, but I have my own idiosyncratic way of doing them. I either crush them on the cutting board with the heel of my hand, or fold my hands and crush them between both heels. I don't know why I do this but it works for me.


----------



## Kylie1969 (Aug 4, 2012)

taxlady said:


> This is one of my favourite shortcuts. It's cheaper than organic lemons or limes, too. They taste like fresh lime and lemon juice -  no nasty tasting sodium bisulfite.



We used to buy lemon juice, but since we have a lemon tree, we just juice them ourselves, it doesnt take too long and we would rather use the fresh fruit on the trees 

Although, we do buy lime juice as we dont have a lime tree


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## Kylie1969 (Aug 4, 2012)

Greg Who Cooks said:


> I've got my own tip about keeping mushrooms:
> 
> As soon as you get them home transfer them to a brown paper bag and keep them in one of your refrigerator drawers. They can last up to a month that way. After a couple weeks they start shriveling a bit but still perfectly usable except in salads. Keep them long enough and the turn into dried mushrooms, but they don't spoil. (Don't get moldy or anything.)



Greg at our supermarkets and green grocers, they supply the brown paper bag to put your mushrooms in, instead of the plastic bags...so when we get home we just put them straight in the crisper drawers in the fridge


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## Kylie1969 (Aug 4, 2012)

kezlehan said:


> However, in my fridge, the booze are the essentials.


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## Kylie1969 (Aug 4, 2012)

Gravy Queen said:


> Must keep me mince pies peeled for that hollandaise. Its one thing I really can't be fagged making.



We have jars of Hollandaise sauce here in the supermarkets and also in instant packet mixes where you just add water.

They are much easier than making that sauce, thats for sure!


----------



## taxlady (Aug 4, 2012)

Kylie1969 said:


> We used to buy lemon juice, but since we have a lemon tree, we just juice them ourselves, it doesnt take too long and we would rather use the fresh fruit on the trees
> 
> Although, we do buy lime juice as we dont have a lime tree


I wouldn't bother with bottled lemon juice if I had a lemon tree. Heck, I wouldn't use it if I couldn't get this good organic juice. The regular ones at the supermarket have "sodium benzoate, sodium metabisulfite and sodium sulfite". I don't want any of that in my food. I think it's the sodium metabisulfite that gives it the yucky, bitter taste.


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## Kylie1969 (Aug 4, 2012)

That does sound like a lot of awful ingredients 

I may look for the Lime juice in the organic form


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## taxlady (Aug 4, 2012)

Kylie1969 said:


> That does sound like a lot of awful ingredients
> 
> I may look for the Lime juice in the organic form



The stuff in Oz might not be as scary 

I really appreciate the fact that I can use one teaspoon, or a few drops without opening an entire lemon or lime. It's also cheaper than making my own organic lemon or lime juice and the lemons and limes in the bottled juice were ripe when they were juiced. When you live as far north as Montreal, citrus is shipped before it is ripe, so it won't be over ripe when it arrives. The only drawback is that I have to remember to buy an organic lemon or lime if I want some of the zest. Here in NA, they dye citrus fruits with carcinogenic dyes that aren't allowed _*in*_ foods.


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## Greg Who Cooks (Aug 4, 2012)

Kylie1969 said:


> Greg at our supermarkets and green grocers, they supply the brown paper bag to put your mushrooms in, instead of the plastic bags...so when we get home we just put them straight in the crisper drawers in the fridge



I'm famous! I posted it on the Internet and your store read it and now they're following my advice. 

I did figure it out on my own. Unfortunately many of the great ideas were invented multiple times.

Who was the guy who never heard of Bell and invented the telephone subsequently?

I invented the tempura California roll too, but again, multiple independent invention by many people.


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## Greg Who Cooks (Aug 4, 2012)

Kylie1969 said:


> We have jars of Hollandaise sauce here in the supermarkets and also in instant packet mixes where you just add water.
> 
> They are much easier than making that sauce, thats for sure!



Jars of Hollandaise? I can only wonder what abomination of chemicals they added to stabilize it. (Read that _Ratio_ cooking theory book.)


----------



## Greg Who Cooks (Aug 4, 2012)

taxlady said:


> I wouldn't bother with bottled lemon juice if I had a lemon tree. Heck, I wouldn't use it if I couldn't get this good organic juice. The regular ones at the supermarket have "sodium benzoate, sodium metabisulfite and sodium sulfite". I don't want any of that in my food. I think it's the sodium metabisulfite that gives it the yucky, bitter taste.



Same here. And same thing about those sodium -ates and -ites. I like my lemon juice with just lemons.


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## Kylie1969 (Aug 4, 2012)

Greg Who Cooks said:


> Jars of Hollandaise? I can only wonder what abomination of chemicals they added to stabilize it. (Read that _Ratio_ cooking theory book.)



We have never tried it from the jar, but we did buy the packet mix and it was very so so


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## Kylie1969 (Aug 4, 2012)

Greg Who Cooks said:


> I'm famous! I posted it on the Internet and your store read it and now they're following my advice.
> 
> I did figure it out on my own. Unfortunately many of the great ideas were invented multiple times.



I am pleased to see the stores over here have taken notice of your advice Greg


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## Kylie1969 (Aug 4, 2012)

taxlady said:


> The stuff in Oz might not be as scary
> 
> I really appreciate the fact that I can use one teaspoon, or a few drops without opening an entire lemon or lime. It's also cheaper than making my own organic lemon or lime juice and the lemons and limes in the bottled juice were ripe when they were juiced. When you live as far north as Montreal, citrus is shipped before it is ripe, so it won't be over ripe when it arrives. The only drawback is that I have to remember to buy an organic lemon or lime if I want some of the zest. Here in NA, they dye citrus fruits with carcinogenic dyes that aren't allowed _*in*_ foods.



I will have to go and look at our lime juice bottle and see what is in it...I will be back


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## Kylie1969 (Aug 4, 2012)

Taxy our Lime juice in the bottle has the following ingredients

Reconstituted lime juice 99.9%
Flavours
Vitamin C
Preservatives (223, 221)
Contains sulphites


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## redfish_33 (Aug 4, 2012)

I agree with the comments about chopping being like meditation, I find it to be mindless effort that I enjoy.


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## Greg Who Cooks (Aug 4, 2012)

Preservative 223 = sodium metabisulphate
Sodium metabisulfite - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Preservative 221 = sodium sulphite
Romsey Australia: Food Additives Codes

-ates, -ites, sulphur, sodium...

Eat this stuff and when you die you won't need to be embalmed.


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## PrincessFiona60 (Aug 4, 2012)

Greg Who Cooks said:


> Preservative 223 = sodium metabisulphate
> Sodium metabisulfite - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
> 
> Preservative 221 = sodium sulphite
> ...



I used a line similar to this to get my Mom to stop eating artificial sweeteners.  Actually I think I thanked her for saving me money on embalming fees.


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## Greg Who Cooks (Aug 4, 2012)

Don't even get me started on artificial sweeteners. All I can say to anybody who eats them is to surf the Internet and use your Google.

Same for HFCS. HFCS is the food manufacturing industry telling consumers "we don't care if we kill you as long as we can eke out another 1 percent of profit." (The only rationale I can see for using HFCS is because it's cheaper than cane sugar.)


----------



## Kylie1969 (Aug 5, 2012)

Greg Who Cooks said:


> Preservative 223 = sodium metabisulphate
> Sodium metabisulfite - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
> 
> Preservative 221 = sodium sulphite
> ...



 that bad eh?

I wont be touching that Lime juice again!


----------



## Kylie1969 (Aug 5, 2012)

Greg Who Cooks said:


> Don't even get me started on artificial sweeteners. All I can say to anybody who eats them is to surf the Internet and use your Google.
> 
> Same for HFCS. HFCS is the food manufacturing industry telling consumers "we don't care if we kill you as long as we can eke out another 1 percent of profit." (The only rationale I can see for using HFCS is because it's cheaper than cane sugar.)



Yes, I have heard shocking things about artificial sweeteners, never use them and never will


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## Greg Who Cooks (Aug 5, 2012)

Kylie1969 said:


> Yes, I have heard shocking things about artificial sweeteners, never use them and never will



I'm critical of artificial sweeteners from a behavioral point of view too. They're training your body and your cravings to do the wrong thing. It's better to condition yourself to enjoy healthy foods than to eat a bunch of chemical substitutes.

Oops, somebody got me started. I know people who drink a dozen soft drinks per day, or more.

/rant


----------



## Kylie1969 (Aug 5, 2012)

I actually dont drink soft drink, unless I have it as a mixer with a spirit.

I prefer to drink water 

Way too much sugar in soft drinks


----------



## CWS4322 (Aug 5, 2012)

taxlady said:


> The stuff in Oz might not be as scary
> 
> I really appreciate the fact that I can use one teaspoon, or a few drops without opening an entire lemon or lime. It's also cheaper than making my own organic lemon or lime juice and the lemons and limes in the bottled juice were ripe when they were juiced. When you live as far north as Montreal, citrus is shipped before it is ripe, so it won't be over ripe when it arrives. The only drawback is that I have to remember to buy an organic lemon or lime if I want some of the zest. Here in NA, they dye citrus fruits with carcinogenic dyes that aren't allowed _*in*_ foods.


I freeze the rest of the juice in ice cube trays. I detest bottled lime or lemon juice.


----------



## Harry Cobean (Aug 5, 2012)

Greg Who Cooks said:


> Jars of Hollandaise? I can only wonder what abomination of chemicals they added to stabilize it. (Read that _Ratio_ cooking theory book.)


there ye go greg just xantham & guar gums to thicken/stabilise.both natural ingredients & i believe the latest "wonder ingredient" for our molecular gastronomy gastronauts.the fact that both have been about for decades seems to have eluded them.i use the maille hollandaise & their mustards....could do without the potassium sorbate but,you don't eat hollandaise every day & it's pretty well down the list of ingredients so relatively small amount.
bolas & i overwinter our potato & other root crops in brown paper sacks & the supermarkets here supply b/paper bags for spuds too....you shoulda patented the idea bud!!
Maille: mustards, vinegars, recipes... The all Maille !


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## CWS4322 (Aug 5, 2012)

Harry Cobean said:


> bolas & i overwinter our potato & other root crops in brown paper sacks & the supermarkets here supply b/paper bags for spuds too....you shoulda patented the idea bud!!
> Maille: mustards, vinegars, recipes... The all Maille !


A few years ago, the Ontario government decided brown paper bags were detrimental to one's health. The only store that still gives out brown paper bags is the LCBO (Liquor Control Board of Ontario). I stock up on brown paper bags when I visit my folks in MN. We store our carrots and beets buried in sawdust (one of the side benefits of having a sawmill). I also use it for the endive we pull up in the fall and force during the winter.


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## Harry Cobean (Aug 5, 2012)

CWS4322 said:


> A few years ago, the Ontario government decided brown paper bags were detrimental to one's health. The only store that still gives out brown paper bags is the LCBO (Liquor Control Board of Ontario). I stock up on brown paper bags when I visit my folks in MN. We store our carrots and beets buried in sawdust (one of the side benefits of having a sawmill). I also use it for the endive we pull up in the fall and force during the winter.


a sawmill? oh fantastic cw! bet your bbq & smoking tastes pretty good too.there's an ancient technique of root storage in sand called clamping over here which i'm sure you guy's do too,so sawdust sounds like an ideal variation on that theme for you plus you know the provenance & quality of both the root & the storage material.
the only sawdust we produce is when we chainsaw & split logs for the winter fireplace/smoker @ bolas's....sadly not enough for clamping so it's back to the paper sacks.


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## taxlady (Aug 5, 2012)

CWS4322 said:


> I freeze the rest of the juice in ice cube trays. I detest bottled lime or lemon juice.


Have you ever tried the organic stuff? It tastes fine, not like Realemon. As I mentioned, I hate the regular bottled stuff too.


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## taxlady (Aug 5, 2012)

Greg Who Cooks said:


> I'm critical of artificial sweeteners from a behavioral point of view too. They're training your body and your cravings to do the wrong thing. It's better to condition yourself to enjoy healthy foods than to eat a bunch of chemical substitutes.
> 
> Oops, somebody got me started. I know people who drink a dozen soft drinks per day, or more.
> 
> /rant


Absolutely.

Do you know that they have done tests of people trying to lose weight who used artificial sweeteners vs people not using them? People who used the artificial sweeteners don't lose weight as fast.

You confuse your body's feedback system.

Sweet - gotta up the insulin. Oops, there wasn't any sugar.
Sweet - won't up the insulin, it might be that fake stuff.


----------



## CWS4322 (Aug 5, 2012)

Harry Cobean said:


> a sawmill? oh fantastic cw!


It is nice to have. The DH designed it and built it (it is a bandsaw -- runs off of electricity. It can handle 12 ft logs up to 30" in diameter). He has a machine shop (besides all those initials after his name). The birch floor that I finished earlier this summer was one of the sawmill projects. As were the oak cabinets in the bathroom...the maple floor in one of the spare bedrooms...the trim, doors, and lots of other things. And yes, when I want a cedar plank, I grab a piece of slab wood and soak it...need chips? Got those too.


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## Harry Cobean (Aug 5, 2012)

CWS4322 said:


> It is nice to have. The DH designed it and built it (it is a bandsaw -- runs off of electricity. It can handle 12 ft logs up to 30" in diameter). He has a machine shop (besides all those initials after his name). The birch floor that I finished earlier this summer was one of the sawmill projects. As were the oak cabinets in the bathroom...the maple floor in one of the spare bedrooms...the trim, doors, and lots of other things. And yes, when I want a cedar plank, I grab a piece of slab wood and soak it...need chips? Got those too.


all that & chickens too....paradise


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## Greg Who Cooks (Aug 5, 2012)

Kylie1969 said:


> I actually dont drink soft drink, unless I have it as a mixer with a spirit.
> 
> I prefer to drink water
> 
> Way too much sugar in soft drinks



I too drink mostly water, or wine with dinner. No soft drinks. I don't have a sweet tooth.



CWS4322 said:


> I freeze the rest of the juice in ice cube trays. I detest bottled lime or lemon juice.



I've done exactly that. Ingredients: lemon. That's it.

Tip: Measure a specific amount, perhaps a tablespoon, and pour it into one of the sections of the ice cube tray. Then fill up the rest of the sections to the same level. Result: You have a tray full of all the same measurement lemon juice cubes. (Well there'll be one that's the runt of the litter.)


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## CWS4322 (Aug 5, 2012)

I typically do 1T cubes, but have another tray that is smaller (I'll have to measure the amount for that one...). I do this with grapefruit juice as well. I buy citrus just for the sole purpose of making ice cubes out of them.


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## zfranca (Aug 5, 2012)

Harry, I agree with you: there are some prepared products out there that are better commercially made.  My belief is, "never make at home what you can find better already made". My choice is Barilla Pesto sauce.


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## Greg Who Cooks (Aug 5, 2012)

That's funny, my belief is "if you make it yourself at home it will always be better than something out of a bottle." 

I hear (from the book _Ratio_) that home made mayonnaise is incredibly better than store bought mayonnaise. Does anybody care to comment on that?


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## redfish_33 (Aug 5, 2012)

Mayo is alot better made at home , but it is not very common because it is so easy to buy it in a store and homemade goes bad really fast. The one thing that I refuse to buy premade other than chopped garlic or onions is stocks. It takes a little work but my freezers are full of frozen stocks, I might be weird but save all my bones, seafood shells , celery tops ect and spend weekends making and freezing different stocks. I find that the extra effort is worth it in the end and I can cusomize different stocks just like I want it.


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## CWS4322 (Aug 5, 2012)

redfish_33 said:


> Mayo is alot better made at home , but it is not very common because it is so easy to buy it in a store and homemade goes bad really fast. The one thing that I refuse to buy premade other than chopped garlic or onions is stocks. It takes a little work but my freezers are full of frozen stocks, I might be weird but save all my bones, seafood shells , celery tops ect and spend weekends making and freezing different stocks. I find that the extra effort is worth it in the end and I can cusomize different stocks just like I want it.


I find that mayo keeps about 5 days. I use one yolk, about 3/4 c olive oil, juice from one lemon, and a bit of mustard, S&P. Besides keeping the stuff you've mentioned, I also keep the water (not all the time, but often enough!) from the veggies I steam. At this time of year, I'm blanching a lot of veggies, so have more veggie juice than I need. I also use the carrot tops (if I don't feed them to the chickens). And, the onion skins--toss those in a zippie, freeze, and add to stock. And, if I don't feed it to the hens, I keep the pulp when I juice veggies. This also goes in the freezer for stock/soup in the winter.


----------



## Addie (Aug 5, 2012)

Greg Who Cooks said:


> That's funny, my belief is "if you make it yourself at home it will always be better than something out of a bottle."
> 
> I hear (from the book _Ratio_) that home made mayonnaise is incredibly better than store bought mayonnaise. Does anybody care to comment on that?


 
When I was in Jr. High and  in the Home Ec. class, we had some VIPs visiting. They were determining if the Home Ec. class was worth the expense. We made mayo and served it with a salad for their lunch. They were so impressed and the Home Ec. class stayed in the curriculum. We also served homemade tomato soup with the salad. Raves for both foods. But mostly for the mayo.


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## CWS4322 (Aug 5, 2012)

Addie said:


> When I was in Jr. High and  in the Home Ec. class, we had some VIPs visiting. They were determining if the Home Ec. class was worth the expense. We made mayo and served it with a salad for their lunch. They were so impressed and the Home Ec. class stayed in the curriculum. We also served homemade tomato soup with the salad. Raves for both foods. But mostly for the mayo.


I gotta swear by homemade mayo--BUT I also have to say with fresh eggs, it is even better! And so easy to do. I can hardly wait for the tomatoes...homemade mayo on homemade ww bread topped with a garden fresh tomato, some chopped fresh basil from the garden....yum, yum, yum.


----------



## Harry Cobean (Aug 5, 2012)

zfranca said:


> Harry, I agree with you: there are some prepared products out there that are better commercially made.  My belief is, "never make at home what you can find better already made". My choice is Barilla Pesto sauce.


ah,at last,the voice of reason z!
i don't want to introduce a serious note(wot 'arry cobean serious...bleedin' 'ell) anyone who has seen my photo's of what i cook knows that i cook just about everything from scratch.the whole point of me starting this thread was that SOMETIMES when the devil drives & time dictates there are some excellent,totally/largely natural ingredients/sauces/substitutes out there that fit the bill perfectly well.
right,that's all,let battle re-commence!


----------



## PrincessFiona60 (Aug 5, 2012)

I also use a jarred pasta sauce, most of the time...Bertolli's...it's just as good as mine and no odd ingredients.


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## CWS4322 (Aug 5, 2012)

PrincessFiona60 said:


> I also use a jarred pasta sauce, most of the time...Bertolli's...it's just as good as mine and no odd ingredients.


It is fairly high in sodium. And, I can't find the ingredients list re: the type of nuts used...


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## Harry Cobean (Aug 5, 2012)

PrincessFiona60 said:


> I also use a jarred pasta sauce, most of the time...Bertolli's...it's just as good as mine and no odd ingredients.


correct princess,loyd grossman does some pretty darn good sauces too....all natural ingredients "justa lika mamma useda to makea" can't do an indian or thai accent but he does pretty goods ones of those too,with the same ingredients that you and i would make them with


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## PrincessFiona60 (Aug 5, 2012)

CWS4322 said:


> It is fairly high in sodium. And, I can't find the ingredients list re: the type of nuts used...



What nuts?  I was talking about tomato pasta sauces and the sodium is less than others and NOT sweet.

I use De Lallo Pesto sauce.  Pine nuts, high sodium...but I use very little.


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## Harry Cobean (Aug 5, 2012)

CWS4322 said:


> It is fairly high in sodium. And, I can't find the ingredients list re: the type of nuts used...


i know cw & you're right if something is high in sodium etc but going back to what i said before.these are occasional subs not daily usage.as part of my diet regime,if i have "over indulged" one day,i compensate/detox the next day.


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## zfranca (Aug 5, 2012)

PrincessFiona60 said:


> I also use a jarred pasta sauce, most of the time...Bertolli's...it's just as good as mine and no odd ingredients.


Very rarely I find something that is better than what I make at home. But when I do, I am grateful to the company who has marketed the product. Thank you BARILLA...for making pesto sauce available with that true sweet Italian basil taste, in a country like Mexico were the basil smells like cinnamon....


----------



## Greg Who Cooks (Aug 5, 2012)

CWS4322 said:


> I gotta swear by homemade mayo--BUT I also have to say with fresh eggs, it is even better! And so easy to do. I can hardly wait for the tomatoes...homemade mayo on homemade ww bread topped with a garden fresh tomato, some chopped fresh basil from the garden....yum, yum, yum.



I'll try the home made mayo hopefully one day soon. My stick blender is in storage! 

Home grown tomatoes are the best too. They're the easiest plant to grow, and they're the most huge difference between home grown and store bought. At home they ripen on the vine. At stores they're ripened in the truck.


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## redfish_33 (Aug 5, 2012)

zfranca said:
			
		

> Very rarely I find something that is better than what I make at home. But when I do, I am grateful to the company who has marketed the product. Thank you BARILLA...for making pesto sauce available with that true sweet Italian basil taste, in a country like Mexico were the basil smells like cinnamon....



I know what you mean about mexican basil, I lived there also and had trouble finding ingredients for any dish other than mexican food. The one good thing about Mexico is all the beautiful fresh or dried ingredients that you can find to cook Mexican dishes. I miss all the cheeses , creams , and spices that I used in my food. My biggest problem that I have is tortillas, there is no place around here to get a good tortilla. I have my favorite brands that I can reheat  with rendered pork fat but I miss going to the tortillaria for my fresh ones. Ohh I miss the panaderias also.


----------



## taxlady (Aug 5, 2012)

Greg Who Cooks said:


> I'll try the home made mayo hopefully one day soon. My stick blender is in storage!
> 
> Home grown tomatoes are the best too. They're the easiest plant to grow, and they're the most huge difference between home grown and store bought. At home they ripen on the vine. At stores they're ripened in the truck.


I have made mayo with a whisk, with a stand mixer, and with a blender. The blender is a bit harsher, so it requires a modified recipe. Blender mayo isn't as thick, but tastes great. It took quite a while to make the mayo with a whisk. The stuff in the stand mixer easily gets almost too thick.

Are pasteurized eggs available where you live? CWS gets her eggs from chickens who have been vaccinated for salmonella, so hers are safe raw.


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## CWS4322 (Aug 5, 2012)

In the US, pasteurized eggs are marked with a pink "P." You can also pasteurize the yolk in the microwave--http://www.christonium.com/culinaryreview/How_To_Make_Pasteurized_Eggs_Cooking_With_Raw_Eggs

Even though I bought vaccinated chicks/hens, keep them clean, and know where they have been, I still pasteurize the yolk.


----------



## CWS4322 (Aug 5, 2012)

redfish_33 said:


> I know what you mean about mexican basil, I lived there also and had trouble finding ingredients for any dish other than mexican food. The one good thing about Mexico is all the beautiful fresh or dried ingredients that you can find to cook Mexican dishes. I miss all the cheeses , creams , and spices that I used in my food. My biggest problem that I have is tortillas, there is no place around here to get a good tortilla. I have my favorite brands that I can reheat  with rendered pork fat but I miss going to the tortillaria for my fresh ones. Ohh I miss the panaderias also.


Flour tortillas are very easy to make at home. The corn ones are a bit trickier, but can be done. When I lived in NB, I could not get tortillas, so I learned to make my own. This was ... about 25 years' ago. I have been making my own tortillas ever since.


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## CWS4322 (Aug 5, 2012)

PrincessFiona60 said:


> What nuts?  I was talking about tomato pasta sauces and the sodium is less than others and NOT sweet.
> 
> I use De Lallo Pesto sauce.  Pine nuts, high sodium...but I use very little.


I thought it was the pesto sauce, not the pasta sauce. I can't buy pesto sauce--pine nuts, so I always make my own.


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## PrincessFiona60 (Aug 5, 2012)

CWS4322 said:


> I thought it was the pesto sauce, not the pasta sauce. I can't buy pesto sauce--pine nuts, so I always make my own.



LOL!  Had me confused for a minute...my green beans were a success.


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## CWS4322 (Aug 5, 2012)

PrincessFiona60 said:


> LOL!  Had me confused for a minute...my green beans were a success.


So were mine. I have the first 4 tarts in the pie maker right now.


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## Greg Who Cooks (Aug 5, 2012)

taxlady said:


> I have made mayo with a whisk, with a stand mixer, and with a blender. The blender is a bit harsher, so it requires a modified recipe. Blender mayo isn't as thick, but tastes great. It took quite a while to make the mayo with a whisk. The stuff in the stand mixer easily gets almost too thick.



I have two stick (immersion) blenders, and a blender jar that fits atop my food processor. It looks to me like a stick blender would be the ideal tool for making mayonnaise but then I've never done it. Which should I use? Or should I get a stand mixer? (I'll get one eventually, but not any time soon.)


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## CWS4322 (Aug 5, 2012)

I have used the immersion blender and was happy with the results.


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## taxlady (Aug 5, 2012)

CWS4322 said:


> I have used the immersion blender and was happy with the results.


That's good to know. I would have thought those sharp, little blades and the speed would be less than ideal for mayo.


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## CWS4322 (Aug 5, 2012)

taxlady said:


> That's good to know. I would have thought those sharp, little blades and the speed would be less than ideal for mayo.


It seems to me that mine is a B&D and came with a recipe book (I've had it forever). Included was recipe for mayo and that was the first time I ever made mayo at home (not that I make mayo at other locations).


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## blissful (Aug 5, 2012)

CWS4322 said:


> Included was recipe for mayo and that was the first time I ever made mayo at home (not that I make mayo at other locations).



So, you never worked at Hellmans?


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## Greg Who Cooks (Aug 5, 2012)

taxlady said:


> That's good to know. I would have thought those sharp, little blades and the speed would be less than ideal for mayo.


That's funny, I was worried that those little blades would be too fast! I don't know if you have one, but they go like crazy!

I got my Coozie (Cuisinart) and I got a H-B. The H-B has two speeds. I like them both. Don't ask me why I have two. 

I'm thinking of buying one of those Spishak models too...


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## taxlady (Aug 5, 2012)

Greg Who Cooks said:


> That's funny, I was worried that those little blades would be too fast! I don't know if you have one, but they go like crazy!
> 
> I got my Coozie (Cuisinart) and I got a H-B. The H-B has two speeds. I like them both. Don't ask me why I have two.
> 
> I'm thinking of buying one of those Spishak models too...


I used my Cuisinart to make whipped cream tonight. I love the attachments.


----------



## Andy M. (Aug 5, 2012)

Blender, FP, immersion blender would all work to make a good mayonnaise.


----------



## Greg Who Cooks (Aug 6, 2012)

It occurs to me that I have both a Cuisinart stick blender and a Cuisinart food processor.

TL I'm a bit confused to which appliance you are referring to.


----------



## taxlady (Aug 6, 2012)

Greg Who Cooks said:


> It occurs to me that I have both a Cuisinart stick blender and a Cuisinart food processor.
> 
> TL I'm a bit confused to which appliance you are referring to.


Immersion blender with a mini food processor attachment and a whisk attachment.


----------



## Greg Who Cooks (Aug 6, 2012)

Ah, okay. We prolly have the same Cuisinart stick blender.

This pretty much looks like the one I've got, except the photo doesn't show the whisk.








I like it although I haven't really used it as much as I should have. I can almost see my mayonnaise in that cup/jar shown at right.

I've gotten really enthusiastic since I read _Ratio_ and got all interested in testing the author's claim that home made mayonnaise is a lot better than store bought.

I pretty much believe him. And the gang here on the forum seems to agree with the hypothesis too.


----------



## CWS4322 (Aug 6, 2012)

Greg Who Cooks said:


> Ah, okay. We prolly have the same Cuisinart stick blender.
> 
> This pretty much looks like the one I've got, except the photo doesn't show the whisk.
> 
> ...


I personally like homemade mayo. There are pros and cons to making mayo.  You won't get the shelf-life. It doesn't freeze (neither does commercial). You get to select the oil you use. You can play with the number of yolks. You can make it with the whole egg. You can flavor it as you wish (you can do that with commercial mayo too). You experience the thrill of having it all come together as a perfect mayo. And, it really doesn't take that long.


----------



## Greg Who Cooks (Aug 6, 2012)

It's interesting, I recall in _Ratio_ that the author said you need only one yolk (no white) and it doesn't depend on the amount of oil and water. That's within reason of course. Nobody is going to try making a gallon of mayonnaise with just one yolk. (I'm pretty sure I remember this right, the author's point of the whole book was ratios of ingredients, including exceptions.)

When I get my stuff out of storage, including the stick blender, I'll be in acquisition mode and get his book and give the mayonnaise recipe a try. Everybody says home made is better than store, and nobody has argued against that.


----------



## taxlady (Aug 6, 2012)

Greg Who Cooks said:


> Ah, okay. We prolly have the same Cuisinart stick blender.
> 
> This pretty much looks like the one I've got, except the photo doesn't show the whisk.
> 
> ...


Nope, mine looks like this:






But, pretty much the same thing, I guess. I think mine is prettier. 

I don't find that big a difference between homemade mayo and Hellmans mayo. I used to make it all the time, back in the early '80s. Then I tested and found that Hellmans jars were safe for canning, so if I counted the cost of the jar (I did a fare bit of canning back then), it was cheaper to buy Hellmans than to make it.

Nowadays, I would need to find pasteurized eggs. I do not want to go through the effort of pasteurizing them myself, not for mayo that's only a little bit better than store bought.


----------



## Greg Who Cooks (Aug 6, 2012)

taxlady said:


> Nope, mine looks like this:
> 
> ... (picture deleted)
> 
> But, pretty much the same thing, I guess. I think mine is prettier.



I recall a bit of my confusion now, my Hamilton-Beach has the stirring attachment. It also has two speeds, and I like that feature! I like both of my stick blenders and they're inexpensive enough to not worry about the price.



taxlady said:


> I don't find that big a difference between homemade mayo and Hellmans mayo. I used to make it all the time, back in the early '80s. Then I tested and found that Hellmans jars were safe for canning, so if I counted the cost of the jar (I did a fare bit of canning back then), it was cheaper to buy Hellmans than to make it.



I used to repurpose jars for canning too. Why not? Free jar, although the lids aren't as fancy as the two part lids where you can see the vacuum suck in the diaphragm.



taxlady said:


> Nowadays, I would need to find pasteurized eggs. I do not want to go through the effort of pasteurizing them myself, not for mayo that's only a little bit better than store bought.



This is the first mention I've seen of needing pasteurized eggs. None of the recipes I've seen suggested that (both Internet and in the book _Prime_). Is that really necessary? I sometimes eat raw eggs in various recipes (have been since I was a kid) and I've never had any problem with eggs.


----------



## taxlady (Aug 6, 2012)

Greg Who Cooks said:


> ...
> 
> I used to repurpose jars for canning too. Why not? Free jar, although the lids aren't as fancy as the two part lids where you can see the vacuum suck in the diaphragm.



The Helmanns jars back then fit a canning lid! That was why I saved them. Also, I never had one of those break in the hot water bath, but occasionally had a brand new canning jar break while canning.



> This is the first mention I've seen of needing pasteurized eggs. None of the recipes I've seen suggested that (both Internet and in the book _Prime_). Is that really necessary? I sometimes eat raw eggs in various recipes (have been since I was a kid) and I've never had any problem with eggs.


CWS mentioned that she pasteurizes the egg yolks. The recipe for mayo in the booklet that came with my immersion blender says to use Egg Beaters or some other pasteurized egg product.

When you were a kid, I don't think the raw egg risk was as high. Salmonella isn't very common, but I hear it is extremely unpleasant. It's also fairly serious for the immune deficient and the elderly. We may not be quite elderly yet, but we ain't spring chickens.


----------



## Greg Who Cooks (Aug 6, 2012)

taxlady said:


> The Helmanns jars back then fit a canning lid! That was why I saved them.



It's been so long that I forgot until now, you reuse the jars but throw away the lids and get new each year.



taxlady said:


> We may not be quite elderly yet, but we ain't spring chickens.



I haven't been doing much clucking lately...

I don't know, maybe I'm an idiot. I'll probably use a raw egg anyway.

Or not. I just Googled the instructions and not that hard. 140F for 3 minutes, then cold water. I'm really interested in getting a _sous vide_... Yeah, I know that would be way over-kill.


----------



## blissful (Aug 6, 2012)

Greg Who Cooks said:


> It's been so long that I forgot until now, you reuse the jars but throw away the lids and get new each year.
> 
> 
> 
> ...



If I understand pasturizing correctly, just heat to 180 degrees F and you are pasturized.......well, your egg is.


----------



## taxlady (Aug 6, 2012)

blissful said:


> If I understand pasturizing correctly, just heat to 180 degrees F and you are pasturized.......well, your egg is.


Yes, but then it's "hard boiled" and not a lot of use for making mayo. There are all kinds of techniques on the web for pasteurizing egg yokes and egg whites, so you can still use them for sauces or meringues.

Pasteurized might be an inaccurate term for it, but heated enough to kill salmonella.


----------



## blissful (Aug 6, 2012)

taxlady said:


> Yes, but then it's "hard boiled" and not a lot of use for making mayo. There are all kinds of techniques on the web for pasteurizing egg yokes and egg whites, so you can still use them for sauces or meringues.
> 
> Pasteurized might be an inaccurate term for it, but heated enough to kill salmonella.


You are right, it's 140 degrees F. Pickles are 180 degrees F. I'm surprised you didn't mention the temperature, maybe you've never done it. It doesn't matter really. Pasteurizing doesn't seem that tough of a thing to do, three minutes at 140 degrees F, to make it safe.


----------



## Skittle68 (Aug 6, 2012)

taxlady said:
			
		

> The Helmanns jars back then fit a canning lid! That was why I saved them. Also, I never had one of those break in the hot water bath, but occasionally had a brand new canning jar break while canning.
> 
> CWS mentioned that she pasteurizes the egg yolks. The recipe for mayo in the booklet that came with my immersion blender says to use Egg Beaters or some other pasteurized egg product.
> 
> When you were a kid, I don't think the raw egg risk was as high. Salmonella isn't very common, but I hear it is extremely unpleasant. It's also fairly serious for the immune deficient and the elderly. We may not be quite elderly yet, but we ain't spring chickens.



You are correct about salmonella being extremely unpleasant. It wasn't officially diagnosed, but I ate at a local fast food restaurant, and was violently ill for a little over 24 hours, and then it came out on the news that they had salmonella in their lettuce. I'm assuming that's what I had. I was so sick that I should have gone to the ER to be treated for dehydration, but I knew I wouldn't make it there without having something come out of one end or the other, so I decided to just curl up in my bed and die (I probably wasn't thinking too clearly at that point).  I don't recommend salmonella lol.


----------



## CWS4322 (Aug 6, 2012)

Skittle68 said:


> You are correct about salmonella being extremely unpleasant. It wasn't officially diagnosed, but I ate at a local fast food restaurant, and was violently ill for a little over 24 hours, and then it came out on the news that they had salmonella in their lettuce. I'm assuming that's what I had. I was so sick that I should have gone to the ER to be treated for dehydration, but I knew I wouldn't make it there without having something come out of one end or the other, so I decided to just curl up in my bed and die (I probably wasn't thinking too clearly at that point).  I don't recommend salmonella lol.


Most chickens are vaccinated before they are sold if one buys from a commercial hatchery. I still "heat" the yolk just to be safe. I do the same for cesear salad dressing and other things calling for a raw egg or yolk and which is not cooked.


----------



## Skittle68 (Aug 7, 2012)

CWS4322 said:
			
		

> Most chickens are vaccinated before they are sold if one buys from a commercial hatchery. I still "heat" the yolk just to be safe. I do the same for cesear salad dressing and other things calling for a raw egg or yolk and which is not cooked.



So is the salmonella in the egg? I always thought it was just on the outside of the shell.


----------



## PrincessFiona60 (Aug 7, 2012)

A chicken infected with salmonella can lay infected eggs.


----------



## blissful (Aug 7, 2012)

Salmonella can be on the outside or in the inside of the eggs.
CDC Features - Tips to Reduce Your Risk of Salmonella from Eggs

I always thought it could only be on the outside of the eggs too. With vaccinations for chickens, at commercial operations, then I guess it could only be on the outside.


----------



## taxlady (Aug 7, 2012)

Have I mentioned that I hate having to treat food as though it were medical waste?


----------



## Harry Cobean (Aug 7, 2012)

i'm staying out of this one.....fast learner me!!


----------



## blissful (Aug 7, 2012)

Harry Cobean said:


> i'm staying out of this one.....fast learner me!!
> 
> _I spent a lot of money on booze,birds & fast cars.The rest I just squandered._



Fast learner? After the booze, birds, & fast cars.......fast learner?  Which came first the salmonella egg or the bird? Get working on it!


----------



## Harry Cobean (Aug 7, 2012)

blissful said:


> Fast learner? After the booze, birds, & fast cars.......fast learner?  Which came first the salmonella egg or the bird? Get working on it!


i'm a british gentleman bellissimafullalurvvvvve....always the bird!!


----------



## blissful (Aug 7, 2012)

Harry Cobean said:


> i'm a british gentleman bellissimafullalurvvvvve....always the bird!!



Harry, really, 'the bird' or 'birds'.....I never hear that expression here. I have heard the expressions 'chicks' many times. I wonder how many years before the US uses that expression......everything seems to take three years to get here.


----------



## Harry Cobean (Aug 7, 2012)

blissful said:


> Harry, really, 'the bird' or 'birds'.....I never hear that expression here. I have heard the expressions 'chicks' many times. I wonder how many years before the US uses that expression......everything seems to take three years to get here.


steady on sweetheart....one at a time please,british birds are very patient....they don't mind waiting in line!!
3 years? gawd luvva duck me old china,we've been calling 'em birds since the 50's.where've you been then?


----------



## blissful (Aug 7, 2012)

Harry Cobean said:


> steady on sweetheart....one at a time please,british birds are very patient....they don't mind waiting in line!!
> 3 years? gawd luvva duck me old china,we've been calling 'em birds since the 50's.where've you been then?



I must have been in a coma. I've never heard 'birds' before......ever. 
By the way Harry, I've NEVER heard that before. Since the 50's? I spent the entire first 50 years in my life, in a coma apparently. Darn it if being sheltered is a way of life here.


----------



## Harry Cobean (Aug 7, 2012)

blissful said:


> I must have been in a coma. I've never heard 'birds' before......ever.
> By the way Harry, I've NEVER heard that before. Since the 50's? I spent the entire first 50 years in my life, in a coma apparently. Darn it if being sheltered is a way of life here.


maybe not such a bad thing....i mean,look how i've turned out....but i'm more to be pitied than despised


----------



## blissful (Aug 7, 2012)

Harry Cobean said:


> maybe not such a bad thing....i mean,look how i've turned out....but i'm more to be pitied than despised



Okay so, now I've just talked to a leading US reference person (_you know who_) about the 'birds'. The BIRDS are a reference to a musical singing group, and not to women. I'm not the first person to be led a-rye by something I read on the internet.So matey--I say this, meh. 
I don't despise you, at all, not in the least. But you do....make me laugh. Fist-bump me buddy.


----------



## taxlady (Aug 7, 2012)

blissful said:


> Okay so, now I've just talked to a leading US reference person (_you know who_) about the 'birds'. The BIRDS are a reference to a musical singing group, and not to women. I'm not the first person to be led a-rye by something I read on the internet.So matey--I say this, meh.
> I don't despise you, at all, not in the least. But you do....make me laugh. Fist-bump me buddy.


I've never heard The Birds referred to as a musical singing group.  Okay, they were a group and they sang, but they were a rock 'n roll band, sometimes referred to as a rhythm and blues band.


----------



## Dawgluver (Aug 7, 2012)

blissful said:
			
		

> Okay so, now I've just talked to a leading US reference person (you know who) about the 'birds'. The BIRDS are a reference to a musical singing group, and not to women. I'm not the first person to be led a-rye by something I read on the internet.So matey--I say this, meh.
> I don't despise you, at all, not in the least. But you do....make me laugh. Fist-bump me buddy.



As a young teen, many eons ago, I was a follower of mags like Tiger Beat, which frequently interviewed British musicians of the era.  I do recall them referring to girls as birds!

And the band was the Byrds....


----------



## blissful (Aug 7, 2012)

taxlady said:


> I've never heard The Birds referred to as a musical singing group.  Okay, they were a group and they sang, but they were a rock 'n roll band, sometimes referred to as a rhythm and blues band.



And you are so right, see, this is what I learn on the internet.....more blorp than necessary.


----------



## blissful (Aug 7, 2012)

Dawgluver said:


> As a young teen, many eons ago, I was a follower of mags like Tiger Beat, which frequently interviewed British musicians of the era.  I do recall them referring to girls as birds!



Dawg,,,, blorp and birds....you are making history with your inventions of words.


----------



## Harry Cobean (Aug 7, 2012)

blissful said:


> Okay so, now I've just talked to a leading US reference person (_you know who_) about the 'birds'. The BIRDS are a reference to a musical singing group, and not to women. I'm not the first person to be led a-rye by something I read on the internet.So matey--I say this, meh.
> I don't despise you, at all, not in the least. But you do....make me laugh. Fist-bump me buddy.





taxlady said:


> I've never heard The Birds referred to as a musical singing group.  Okay, they were a group and they sang, but they were a rock 'n roll band, sometimes referred to as a rhythm and blues band.


thought the birds was a hitchcock film! there was indeed a band called the birds & trust me ladies,we have referred to young attractive ladies as "birds" since the 50's or 60's over here as in "phwoar look at the charlies on that bird" or "gotcha self a new bird then 'ave yer 'arry" or "where's your bird then 'arry"...sure you get the picture.umm,fist,ermm,bumping as we speak bliss!


----------



## Harry Cobean (Aug 7, 2012)

Dawgluver said:


> As a young teen, many eons ago, I was a follower of mags like Tiger Beat, which frequently interviewed British musicians of the era.  I do recall them referring to girls as birds!


gawd bless ya dawg,the voice of reason!!


----------



## blissful (Aug 7, 2012)

Harry Cobean said:


> thought the birds was a hitchcock film! there was indeed a band called the birds & trust me ladies,we have referred to young attractive ladies as "birds" since the 50's or 60's over here as in "phwoar look at the charlies on that bird" or "gotcha self a new bird then 'ave yer 'arry" or "where's your bird then 'arry"...sure you get the picture.umm,fist,ermm,bumping as we speak bliss!



I loved the movie 'the birds'. Everything else you say...err 'arry'...I can imagine it 'arry'. She had 'charlies'? Hmmm again, never heard of that either. I guess I learn something new everyday.


----------



## Harry Cobean (Aug 7, 2012)

blissful said:


> I loved the movie 'the birds'. Everything else you say...err 'arry'...I can imagine it 'arry'. She had 'charlies'? Hmmm again, never heard of that either. I guess I learn something new everyday.


charlies....you've learned two new things today and they are a matching pair!!


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## Greg Who Cooks (Aug 7, 2012)

I don't know what's wrong with you ppl! 

"Bird" or "birds" has been Brit slang for women for years, probably decades. If the expression were to become popular in the US it would have happened years ago.

The band's name is not birds, it's The Byrds! They've got some good songs. I remember them when they hit the charts. The ones I remember best are _Turn! Turn! Turn!_ (1965) and _Mr. Tambourine Man_ (1965). Okay I know that many of you weren't born then...

The movie is _The Birds_ (1965), directed by one of the greatest movie directors of all time, Alfred Hitchcock. Starring Rod Taylor, Tippi Hedren, Suzanne Pleshette... The mood of this horror thriller was incredibly intense!!!


----------



## taxlady (Aug 7, 2012)

Greg Who Cooks said:


> I don't know what's wrong with you ppl!
> 
> "Bird" or "birds" has been Brit slang for women for years, probably decades. If the expression were to become popular in the US it would have happened years ago.
> 
> ...


The Byrds was a US band. The Birds (band) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia was a Brit band.


----------



## Greg Who Cooks (Aug 7, 2012)

taxlady said:


> The Byrds was a US band. The Birds (band) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia was a Brit band.



From your Wikipedia article:





> The Birds were a popular rhythm and blues band in the United Kingdom during the mid 1960s, although they recorded fewer than a dozen songs and released only four singles.


I bet nobody remembers their band except the band members and of course your friend Google! 

The Byrds released a dozen albums. The Birds recorded fewer than a dozen songs, and released four songs!

Come on TL, you can do better than that to win an argument.


The Brits don't have to feel insecure. They had the greatest band ever: The Beatles! The Beatles will be remembered as long as Beethoven and Mozart.

In some quarters The Beatles are credited with bringing down Communism and bringing down the USSR. This was the first article that came up in my Google search:

http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/uk-world-news/revealed-how-the-beatles-brought-down-1034955


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## taxlady (Aug 7, 2012)

blissful said:


> Okay so, now I've just talked to a leading US reference person (_you know who_) about the 'birds'. The BIRDS are a reference to a musical singing group, and not to women. I'm not the first person to be led a-rye by something I read on the internet.So matey--I say this, meh.
> I don't despise you, at all, not in the least. But you do....make me laugh. Fist-bump me buddy.





Greg Who Cooks said:


> From your Wikipedia article:I bet nobody remembers their band except the band members and of course your friend Google!
> 
> The Byrds released a dozen albums. The Birds recorded fewer than a dozen songs, and released four songs!
> 
> ...


So you figure that Blissful's reference person meant The Byrds and not The Birds?

Sorry, I remember both bands.


----------



## Greg Who Cooks (Aug 7, 2012)

taxlady said:


> So you figure that Blissful's reference person meant The Byrds and not The Birds?
> 
> Sorry, I remember both bands.



My comments were addressed to the topic and the discussion, I have no idea what Blissful was referring to.

You remember The Birds? You were one of their groupies, right?  Come on, they recorded fewer than a dozen songs. You had to be in UK and see them live if you remember them at all.


----------



## taxlady (Aug 7, 2012)

Greg Who Cooks said:


> My comments were addressed to the topic and the discussion, I have no idea what Blissful was referring to.
> 
> You remember The Birds? You were one of their groupies, right?  Come on, they recorded fewer than a dozen songs. You had to be in UK and see them live if you remember them at all.


What are we arguing about?

My point was that no one normally calls them a singing group, 'cause they were a rock 'n roll band.

If you had said that Blissful's "reference person" probably meant The Byrds, not The Birds, I wouldn't have replied.


----------



## Greg Who Cooks (Aug 7, 2012)

taxlady said:


> If you had said that Blissful's "reference person" probably meant The Byrds, not The Birds, I wouldn't have replied.



Who is Blissful?


----------



## Addie (Aug 7, 2012)

Greg Who Cooks said:


> I don't know what's wrong with you ppl!
> 
> "Bird" or "birds" has been Brit slang for women for years, probably decades. If the expression were to become popular in the US it would have happened years ago.
> 
> ...


 
I am old enough to remember all of it. I even remember when Noah made his first hit called "Rain, rain, go away." Oh wait, that was a child's rhyme. But I am old enough to remember the great flood. Or was that Katrina? My memory seems to get confused at times. But the two songs you cited, I well remember. I can hum the tunes right now.


----------



## Harry Cobean (Aug 8, 2012)

Greg Who Cooks said:


> From your Wikipedia article:I bet nobody remembers their band except the band members and of course your friend Google!
> 
> The Byrds released a dozen albums. The Birds recorded fewer than a dozen songs, and released four songs!
> 
> ...


i had a beatle haircut & a beatle jacket(the collarless one)back in the sixties.funnily enough though greg,i always preferred the rolling stones music & the stones were much naughtier,the beatles had a "clean cut" image.mick & the boys are still packin' 'em in on tour.my son,ben,is only 19 but,even with all the modern bands about,he & his mates for that matter,love the beatles.we play beatles cd's in the car & when i listen to the lyrics now i realise just how good the beatles music was.don't know about the ussr etc but maybe music is mightier than the sword?another brit band & a fav of mine from the 60's/70's are "the kinks" ray davies is such a nice guy & still writes.seen lots of interviews with modern bands & a lot cite the kinks as their inspiration....having said that you have got bruce "the boss" springsteen....he was at the etihad stadium in manchester a few weeks ago....even the rain stopped when the boss walked on stage....no,really,it did!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6VzsQoR806c


----------



## blissful (Aug 8, 2012)

All I remember is The Birds, and yes, I'm sure it's spelled wrong and is The Byrds. I'm not a big bands, rock stars, music person. 
I've heard of the Beetles too.
Birds and Bugs, that's apparently what I know.


----------



## blissful (Aug 8, 2012)

Greg Who Cooks said:


> Who is Blissful?


 I can't believe you said that.


----------



## Zhizara (Aug 8, 2012)

This whole conversation is _way_ off topic.


----------



## blissful (Aug 8, 2012)

Zhizara said:


> This whole conversation is _way_ off topic.


Yes you, YOU are so right.


----------



## Addie (Aug 8, 2012)

Well, to get back on subject, I personally enjoy chopping and if you don't mix the batter how are you going to get a cake made, muffings, pancakes, etc? 

Are you in such a hurry to get through life that you don't want to take the time to feel your food and how it is made and smells? I miis the smell of the earth on a carrot or beet when you pull it out of the ground. The warmth of the sun on a freshly picked ear of corn.


----------



## Kylie1969 (Aug 9, 2012)

We bought a Tefal Fresh Express for slicing and grating, like cheese, vegetables etc

I dont mind chopping by hand though


----------



## buckytom (Aug 9, 2012)

Harry Cobean said:


> i had a beatle haircut & a beatle jacket(the collarless one)back in the sixties.funnily enough though greg,i always preferred the rolling stones music & the stones were much naughtier,the beatles had a "clean cut" image.mick & the boys are still packin' 'em in on tour.my son,ben,is only 19 but,even with all the modern bands about,he & his mates for that matter,love the beatles.we play beatles cd's in the car & when i listen to the lyrics now i realise just how good the beatles music was.don't know about the ussr etc but maybe music is mightier than the sword?another brit band & a fav of mine from the 60's/70's are "the kinks" ray davies is such a nice guy & still writes.seen lots of interviews with modern bands & a lot cite the kinks as their inspiration....having said that you have got bruce "the boss" springsteen....he was at the etihad stadium in manchester a few weeks ago....even the rain stopped when the boss walked on stage....no,really,it did!
> The Kinks - Victoria - YouTube


 
i LOVED the kinks. ray and dave davies (davis, to americans) were geniuses.

celluloid heroes, superman, lola, give the people what they want,... so many great tunes.


although, i heard it was a guy from manchester who inspired their song "art lover".

any relation, harry?


----------



## Harry Cobean (Aug 10, 2012)

buckytom said:


> i LOVED the kinks. ray and dave davies (davis, to americans) were geniuses.
> 
> celluloid heroes, superman, lola, give the people what they want,... so many great tunes.
> 
> ...


if you haven't recently tom,listen to "waterloo sunset"....some of the most poignant lyrics ever written & no other voice could have delivered that song other than ray davi(e)s imho.
art lover? relation?not from round here originally...from north wales,look you now,lovely boy,is it that you mrs jones,blaenau ffestiniog mountain railway,dai the death,isn't it....me!
lot of debate has raged about the lyrics of that one as you can imagine tom.....painter or something else that begins with a "P"....


----------



## Kylie1969 (Aug 10, 2012)

Zhizara said:


> This whole conversation is _way_ off topic.



I know...I am going back pages trying to find the part about chopping and mixing


----------



## Harry Cobean (Aug 10, 2012)

ray davies in his 60's & still deliverin' the goods @ glastonbury 2010 tom...the best festival in the world & 2010 was about the only year it wasn't a mud bath,i know,i've been..............
Ray Davies(Kinks) Waterloo Sunset Glastonbury 2010 - YouTube


----------



## Harry Cobean (Aug 10, 2012)

Kylie1969 said:


> I know...I am going back pages trying to find the part about chopping and mixing


this is dc k,you should know by now..............!!


----------



## Kylie1969 (Aug 10, 2012)

I do H...thats why I laugh


----------



## Harry Cobean (Aug 10, 2012)

Kylie1969 said:


> I do H...thats why I laugh


mad 'innit!


----------



## CWS4322 (Aug 10, 2012)

Zhizara said:


> This whole conversation is _way_ off topic.


I only had an hour of battery life at the farm--forgot my power supply so am just now getting caught up here. It seems to me we often go "off topic." In a way, it reminds me of conversations I have with friends...we start on one topic and then oops, something s/one says brings something else to mind. I personally love how DC threads start and then move to other thoughts and come back to the subject several posts later. The other nice thing about DC is that if a thread doesn't interest you, you can unsub to it (personally, no offense intended, but I did that with all the hoopala re: July 4th--not celebrated where I live so I didn't follow the thread, checked it off and on, but didn't sub to it). 

Having said all that, I would hope that fellow DCers would be tolerant of these little sidetrips (kinda like taking the scenic route on a road trip) and not complain to the mods or owners about such diversions. The title of the forum is "discuss cooking" and discussions often do go off track...such is the nature of human communication. I love the circuitous ways that we return to the topic. And, this thread has gone on for what--22 pages? It would be hard for it not to have diverged many times. We diverge when the thread is only 4 pages long! I also love how people feel they can say what they think without fear of censorship.

I personally do a lot of chopping, grating, etc. I have my favorite tools--for example, I love my mezzaluna (for chopping herbs). I use it in my great aunt's wooden salad bowl. Come to think of it, the mezzaluna is the only knife in the house that always has a knife guard on it when stored. It is taking me a bit of practice to get the hang of using it efficiently--so far, I only use it for herbs. I think there are other uses for it--anyone?


----------



## Hoot (Aug 10, 2012)

CWS4322 said:


> I only had an hour of battery life at the farm--forgot my power supply so am just now getting caught up here. It seems to me we often go "off topic." In a way, *it reminds me of conversations I have with friends...we start on one topic and then oops, something s/one says brings something else to mind.* I personally love how DC threads start and then move to other thoughts and come back to the subject several posts later.




Well said!


----------



## Harry Cobean (Aug 10, 2012)

Hoot said:


> Well said!


+1 cw & hoot....ummm hoots mon the noo that is buddy


----------



## GotGarlic (Aug 10, 2012)

Harry Cobean said:


> ray davies in his 60's & still deliverin' the goods @ glastonbury 2010 tom...the best festival in the world & 2010 was about the only year it wasn't a mud bath,i know,i've been..............
> Ray Davies(Kinks) Waterloo Sunset Glastonbury 2010 - YouTube



Thank you for posting this, Harry. I hadn't heard it before and I loved it 

I agree with CWS - these discussions are a lot of fun when they veer around in different directions. The reminder that it had gone off-topic was a bit of a buzz-kill.

I have a few sauce mixes, but I usually end up talking myself out of using them, since I also have tons of spices in my cabinet. Here's one shortcut, though: I have some frozen homemade chicken broth, but I also have this in the fridge, since it doesn't have to thaw


----------



## CWS4322 (Aug 10, 2012)

GotGarlic said:


> Thank you for posting this, Harry. I hadn't heard it before and I loved it
> 
> I agree with CWS - these discussions are a lot of fun when they veer around in different directions. The reminder that it had gone off-topic was a bit of a buzz-kill.
> 
> I have a few sauce mixes, but I usually end up talking myself out of using them, since I also have tons of spices in my cabinet. Here's one shortcut, though: I have some frozen homemade chicken broth, but I also have this in the fridge, since it doesn't have to thaw


My mom has a jar of that in her pantry--unopened. I make stock from scratch when I'm there, but I'll have to move that to the fridge when I go.


----------



## Dawgluver (Aug 10, 2012)

GotGarlic said:
			
		

> Thank you for posting this, Harry. I hadn't heard it before and I loved it
> 
> I agree with CWS - these discussions are a lot of fun when they veer around in different directions. The reminder that it had gone off-topic was a bit of a buzz-kill.
> 
> I have a few sauce mixes, but I usually end up talking myself out of using them, since I also have tons of spices in my cabinet. Here's one shortcut, though: I have some frozen homemade chicken broth, but I also have this in the fridge, since it doesn't have to thaw



I LOVE this stuff!  Have you tried the beef too, GG?


----------



## GotGarlic (Aug 10, 2012)

Dawgluver said:


> I LOVE this stuff!  Have you tried the beef too, GG?



Yes, I have the beef as well. I don't use beef stock as often as chicken stock, but it's handy to have to make a quick gravy when there aren't enough drippings, and I like it better than powdered mixes. Since there's just the two of us, I don't usually cook big cuts of beef, but we *have* to have gravy with meatloaf 

Have you tried the fish base? I've been wondering if it would be good in a chowder or bisque.


----------



## Dawgluver (Aug 10, 2012)

GotGarlic said:
			
		

> Yes, I have the beef as well. I don't use beef stock as often as chicken stock, but it's handy to have to make a quick gravy when there aren't enough drippings, and I like it better than powdered mixes. Since there's just the two of us, I don't usually cook big cuts of beef, but we *have* to have gravy with meatloaf
> 
> Have you tried the fish base? I've been wondering if it would be good in a chowder or bisque.



Not yet, we don't get it here, but when we do, I will get it.  I make my own stock too, but just a bit of this stuff adds such nice flavor!  And it does make a nice gravy for 2.


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## PrincessFiona60 (Aug 11, 2012)

GotGarlic said:


> Yes, I have the beef as well. I don't use beef stock as often as chicken stock, but it's handy to have to make a quick gravy when there aren't enough drippings, and I like it better than powdered mixes. Since there's just the two of us, I don't usually cook big cuts of beef, but we *have* to have gravy with meatloaf
> 
> Have you tried the fish base? I've been wondering if it would be good in a chowder or bisque.



I like the beef for a cup of hot broth when I'm not exactly hungry, but would like something.  Does me better than half a bag of potato chips.


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## Addie (Aug 11, 2012)

If you mix chicken and beef stock together, you have Mock Veal Stock.


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## Harry Cobean (Aug 11, 2012)

GotGarlic said:


> Thank you for posting this, Harry. I hadn't heard it before and I loved it
> 
> I agree with CWS - these discussions are a lot of fun when they veer around in different directions. The reminder that it had gone off-topic was a bit of a buzz-kill.
> 
> I have a few sauce mixes, but I usually end up talking myself out of using them, since I also have tons of spices in my cabinet. Here's one shortcut, though: I have some frozen homemade chicken broth, but I also have this in the fridge, since it doesn't have to thaw


my pleasure GG.i've got the best of kinks cd in the car.nearly worn it out now.brilliant band.
that jar of bouillon looks the business too...must keep me eyes peeled over here for some,probably won't find it tho'....you lot get all the good stuff!


----------



## Skittle68 (Aug 11, 2012)

I love the "better than bullion". It's flavor is better than powdered, and I just don't take the time to make home made, and can't justify the price of canned. I ALMOST bought canned when I made my tomato basil soup, but after comparing the price per serving, I just couldn't bring myself to do it. The stock isn't the star in that kind of soup anyway, just adds a little flavor boost. I have other things to spend my money on unfortunately :/ I have $2300 squirreled away for a downpayment on a car. It was supposed to be my first ever decent car, but now I just signed up for school (I start August 27th!!), so I'm not going to be able to work as much as usual, and now I'm rethinking my plan for a nicer car. Students can get work done on their cars for just the cost of parts, so I'm going to see if they want a project lol. Transmission has been slipping for three years, but now it's getting worse (might be a good diagnostic project for the students), drips fluid from the transaxle, drips oil from the cylinder head, and if I get all that done, I'll probably be driving the stupid car for another 30,000, so I might even see if they'll paint the front clip. It must have been replaced some time before I bought the car, and the paint job wasn't as good as the original paint on the rest of the car, so it's faded to about 6 shades lighter than the rest.  It's really a gem...


----------



## Gravy Queen (Aug 11, 2012)

Greg Who Cooks said:


> I don't know what's wrong with you ppl!
> 
> "Bird" or "birds" has been Brit slang for women for years, probably decades. If the expression were to become popular in the US it would have happened years ago.
> 
> ...




Re Birds as slang for women - only by the "older" generation who are stuck in a time warp.  Call a modern woman a bird these days and you would probably be spitting most of your teeth out . Same with the racist Irish/ Scottish supposed phrases - not really used and would be considered insulting . Times have moved on somewhat .......just wanted to set the record straight .


----------



## Greg Who Cooks (Aug 11, 2012)

In US I believe an synonymous word might be "chick." I have never used the term "bird" to refer to anything that didn't have feathers and a beak -- just wanted to set the record straight.


----------



## Skittle68 (Aug 11, 2012)

Greg Who Cooks said:
			
		

> In US I believe an synonymous word might be "chick." I have never used the term "bird" to refer to anything that didn't have feathers and a beak -- just wanted to set the record straight.



I've heard the expression "old bird" and "chick" but never just "bird" in the us


----------



## Addie (Aug 11, 2012)

Skittle68 said:


> I love the "better than bullion". It's flavor is better than powdered, and I just don't take the time to make home made, and can't justify the price of canned. I ALMOST bought canned when I made my tomato basil soup, but after comparing the price per serving, I just couldn't bring myself to do it. The stock isn't the star in that kind of soup anyway, just adds a little flavor boost. I have other things to spend my money on unfortunately :/ I have $2300 squirreled away for a downpayment on a car. It was supposed to be my first ever decent car, but now I just signed up for school (I start August 27th!!), so I'm not going to be able to work as much as usual, and now I'm rethinking my plan for a nicer car. Students can get work done on their cars for just the cost of parts, so I'm going to see if they want a project lol. Transmission has been slipping for three years, but now it's getting worse (might be a good diagnostic project for the students), drips fluid from the transaxle, drips oil from the cylinder head, and if I get all that done, I'll probably be driving the stupid car for another 30,000, so I might even see if they'll paint the front clip. It must have been replaced some time before I bought the car, and the paint job wasn't as good as the original paint on the rest of the car, so it's faded to about 6 shades lighter than the rest. It's really a gem...


 
So many of our HS have an automotive shop. They are always clammering for cars to teach the kids on. The only drawback is that your car can be in the shop for a couple of months while the students learn. That is when Public Transportation looks good. If fact, when you do get the car back, you may want to stay with the PT system. You save a ton of money in care care costs.


----------



## Skittle68 (Aug 11, 2012)

Addie said:
			
		

> So many of our HS have an automotive shop. They are always clammering for cars to teach the kids on. The only drawback is that your car can be in the shop for a couple of months while the students learn. That is when Public Transportation looks good. If fact, when you do get the car back, you may want to stay with the PT system. You save a ton of money in care care costs.



I live too far out of town for PT. Great suggestion though! It might be slightly faster because this is college, not HS, but either way my neighbor said I could use his spare car as long as I brought it in next to get a couple things fixed on it


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## Kylie1969 (Aug 13, 2012)

Greg Who Cooks said:


> In US I believe an synonymous word might be "chick." I have never used the term "bird" to refer to anything that didn't have feathers and a beak -- just wanted to set the record straight.



In the UK, they use the term "bird" meaning a woman


----------



## Anazoth (Jan 6, 2013)

I find the prep work to be fun and relaxing 

I buy the 'very lazy garlic' for the simple fact that i hate the smell of the stuff


----------



## Addie (Jan 7, 2013)

Anazoth said:


> I find the prep work to be fun and relaxing
> 
> I buy the 'very lazy garlic' for the simple fact that i hate the smell of the stuff


 
And I fnd the 'lazy garlic' way too strong and over powering.


----------



## Greg Who Cooks (Jan 14, 2013)

I don't like "lazy garlic" either. There's just something not quite right about it. Chop a garlic head or a few cloves and you're adding live garlic to your food. Get it from a bottle preserved in oil and you're using dead garlic. Not the same thing. It starts oxidizing the minute you cut it, and keeping it in oil only slows down its degradation.


----------



## Addie (Jan 15, 2013)

If it is the smell of raw garlic on your hands that bothers you, a quick rinse under hot water, soap and rubbing a SS spoon on your hands will take care of that quickly. Don't know why it works, it just does. I like the smell of food on my hands.


----------



## Greg Who Cooks (Jan 17, 2013)

What really bothers me about garlic is when there isn't any!


----------



## CharlieD (Jan 17, 2013)

Greg Who Cooks said:


> What really bothers me about garlic is when there isn't any!


 
+1


----------



## Zhizara (Jan 17, 2013)

+2

What's this that it wants 4 characters to post?  I guess we now have to add smileys -- oh, well.


----------



## Dawgluver (Jan 17, 2013)

Zhizara said:


> What's this that it wants 4 characters to post?  I guess we now have to add smileys -- oh, well.



I noticed that for the first time today as well.


----------



## Zhizara (Jan 18, 2013)

Dawgluver said:


> I noticed that for the first time today as well.




PITA!


----------



## Harry Cobean (Oct 31, 2013)

hello!it's me again......no,no,comeback!!now that "guilty pleasures"seems to be up & running i thought it was about time to resurrect "life's too short.....".
as i said yonks ago when i started this thread:
"okey dokey this is guilty pleasures "all grown up" 3D the sequel.no no  no vicar,nothing for you to worry about!!.you know what? sometimes life  is too short  for peeling,chopping,mixing & marinading.sometimes i just don't  have the time.sometimes there is stuff out there that i think "y'know  what 'arry the ingredients are exactly what i would make that with &  it probably tastes just as good as mine so why make it yourself(or  should that be myself?)"
here' some of mine.i've shown you mine now you show me yours!!"
so here we go,little nuggets of minced garlic & chilli(they also do ginger & coriander)perfick for that curry or pasta etc etc when time is short.always have a couple of packs of each in the freezer for when time is short but taste is important....go on,show me yours now!!


----------



## forty_caliber (Oct 31, 2013)

Harry Cobean said:


> hello!it's me again......no,no,comeback!!now that "guilty pleasures"seems to be up & running i thought it was about time to resurrect "life's too short.....".
> as i said yonks ago when i started this thread:
> "okey dokey this is guilty pleasures "all grown up" 3D the sequel.no no  no vicar,nothing for you to worry about!!.you know what? sometimes life  is too short  for peeling,chopping,mixing & marinading.sometimes i just don't  have the time.sometimes there is stuff out there that i think "y'know  what 'arry the ingredients are exactly what i would make that with &  it probably tastes just as good as mine so why make it yourself(or  should that be myself?)"
> here' some of mine.i've shown you mine now you show me yours!!"
> so here we go,little nuggets of minced garlic & chilli(they also do ginger & coriander)perfick for that curry or pasta etc etc when time is short.always have a couple of packs of each in the freezer for when time is short but taste is important....go on,show me yours now!!



I've got these in my freezer too.  Really handy when you are having a ginger emergency!  Unfortunate name though DO ROT.

.40


----------



## Harry Cobean (Oct 31, 2013)

forty_caliber said:


> I've got these in my freezer too.  Really handy when you are having a ginger emergency!  Unfortunate name though DO ROT.
> 
> .40


ha! well spotted .40,never thought of that!good tho' aren't they?
whatcha' reckon is going on here then mate??!!


----------



## Whiskadoodle (Oct 31, 2013)

Personally I prefer this brand...


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## Harry Cobean (Oct 31, 2013)

Whiskadoodle said:


> Personally I prefer this brand...
> 
> View attachment 19316


ha!nice!one for the "pot" eh whiska,now we're talkin' maaaan?!!


----------



## Harry Cobean (Oct 31, 2013)

just for you taxlady,a reminder of home....always have a pack of slices in the fridge,great for sandwiches,burgers & just eating straight out of the packet
in fact i guess that makes it a guilty pleasure,so i'll jolly well post it there too...you can never have too much jarlsberg...having said that i'm a bit partial to a chunk of 3 year old vintage canadian cheddar too...oh boy!


----------



## Cheryl J (Oct 31, 2013)

I have never seen those little cubes of crushed garlic and red pepper!  I would for sure buy some and keep on hand in the freezer - will have to look for them.


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## Gravy Queen (Oct 31, 2013)

Where did you get those dry rot cubey thingies from pray tell ?


----------



## Harry Cobean (Oct 31, 2013)

Cheryl J said:


> I have never seen those little cubes of crushed garlic and red pepper!  I would for sure buy some and keep on hand in the freezer - will have to look for them.


try wallmart chezza.asda sell them over hear & asda are part of "the wallmart family" worth a try mate!.40 calibre has them in his freezer so they must be available your side of the pond hun.



Gravy Queen said:


> Where did you get those dry rot cubey thingies from pray tell ?


tesco! is there anywhere else? actually there is,sainsbury's & asda sell them too.last time i looked tesco had them on offer @ 50 shiny pennies a pop.which probably means not many peeps buy them,which in turn means they may be discontinued soon.time to fill ya boots(and freezer)methinks queenie!!you can get the cock soup there too!


----------



## bakechef (Oct 31, 2013)

Cheryl J said:


> I have never seen those little cubes of crushed garlic and red pepper!  I would for sure buy some and keep on hand in the freezer - will have to look for them.



I've seen them, I'm pretty sure it was at Trader Joe's.


----------



## Cheryl J (Oct 31, 2013)

Thank you!  I'll check there next time I'm down in the city.  Kinda in a remote area here.


----------



## Harry Cobean (Nov 1, 2013)

bakechef said:


> I've seen them, I'm pretty sure it was at Trader Joe's.





Cheryl J said:


> Thank you!  I'll check there next time I'm down in the city.  Kinda in a remote area here.


they really are excellent too!! they also do ginger & coriander(cilantro) both really good as well!


----------



## taxlady (Nov 1, 2013)

The ginger and garlic pastes that I have found were full of yucky chemicals. I'd rather whiz up a batch in my Magic Bullet and freeze what I don't need right away.


----------



## Harry Cobean (Nov 1, 2013)

taxlady said:


> The ginger and garlic pastes that I have found were full of yucky chemicals. I'd rather whiz up a batch in my Magic Bullet and freeze what I don't need right away.


i know tax & half the time the actual veg it's meant to be is right down the bottom of the ingredients list.i wouldn't buy them either mate.the dorot's only have a bit of soybean oil,lemon juice & salt added,depending on which you buy.i guess they put those in to help them freeze/hold their colour well?


----------



## taxlady (Nov 1, 2013)

Harry Cobean said:


> i know tax & half the time the actual veg it's meant to be is right down the bottom of the ingredients list.i wouldn't buy them either mate.the dorot's only have a bit of soybean oil,lemon juice & salt added,depending on which you buy.i guess they put those in to help them freeze/hold their colour well?


I noticed that the Dorot's only had food (and salt). But, even that one would be a no-go for me. I'm not supposed to have any soy that isn't fermented. It's startling how much food has soy oil.


----------



## Harry Cobean (Nov 1, 2013)

taxlady said:


> I noticed that the Dorot's only had food (and salt). But, even that one would be a no-go for me. I'm not supposed to have any soy that isn't fermented. It's startling how much food has soy oil.


time to buy stocks in a soy processing company methinks!!


----------



## Harry Cobean (Nov 1, 2013)

these are sooooooperb!!large juicy sweet roasted red peppers,even got a few bits of charred skin left sticking to them.i go through jars of them making roasted red pepper & tomato sauce.works out at 25% of the cost of buying the same number of fresh peppers & all the work is done.just as good as when i make them myself, but without all the palaver!


----------



## dragnlaw (Dec 19, 2013)

I had never roasted Red Peppers until just this year.  I have a gas stove - so there is nothing to do but stand over them.  Was wonderful. Much easier than I expected.

 I had been buying jars of roasted RPs *but* if you don't use the whole jar right away....   they go mouldy and I can't stand that kind of waste!

 I'm not a very good planner for the future.  Very sporadic, see a recipe and want to make it right then and there...  need a lot of supplies to do that... I have no idea what I have in my cupboards anymore .

 I'll be in a store and see something and say "Wow, I just saw a recipe using that."  I buy it and then can't find the recipe and have no idea what to do with it now.


----------



## Zhizara (Dec 19, 2013)

"arry, I love getting already roasted red peppers, but learned early on that they can go moldy quickly.

After using some once, I pour the rest is a zip baggie and freeze so I can use the rest as the occasion comes up.


----------



## dragnlaw (Dec 19, 2013)

Zhizara,  

 does freezing them making them even softer than they already are?


----------



## Andy M. (Dec 19, 2013)

I used to have the same problem but started buying the smaller jar that got used up in one recipe.


----------



## dragnlaw (Dec 19, 2013)

Andy, I was buying the smallest jars I could find.  But cooking for one can be a challenge  with all those wonderful recipes I come across.  I try to reduce a lot of them but sometimes it just doesn't work.  

 And so, of course, I end up eating the whole darn thing!!!!!


----------



## Andy M. (Dec 19, 2013)

dragnlaw said:


> Andy, I was buying the smallest jars I could find.  But cooking for one can be a challenge  with all those wonderful recipes I come across.  I try to reduce a lot of them but sometimes it just doesn't work.
> 
> And so, of course, I end up eating the whole darn thing!!!!!




I understand.  I went through a 'cooking for one' period in my life and it does present some problems.  Maybe you could make a recipe for two and freeze half of it or eat it again in 2-3 days.


----------



## dragnlaw (Dec 19, 2013)

When I reduce a recipe to two (or sometimes 3) I try to serve the 3 plates right away.  As soon as cooled, I pop them in the freezer.

 Should I be distracted (or otherwise...)

 so if I don't  , I will have my supper , then the next one for a late snack , hey! it was just sitting there on the counter cooling!!

 so then the last one gets scarfed down for breakfast .  

 Did I tell you I have no self control????


----------



## Andy M. (Dec 19, 2013)

dragnlaw said:


> When I reduce a recipe to two (or sometimes 3) I try to serve the 3 plates right away.  As soon as cooled, I pop them in the freezer.
> 
> Should I be distracted (or otherwise...)
> 
> ...



I'm beginning to get a clear picture.

You should stop telling people you are cooking for one.


----------



## Harry Cobean (Dec 20, 2013)

never had a problem with them going mouldy,chaps.the cooks & co peppers that i buy are in "water,red wine vinegar,sea salt & grape must".not sure if that has anything to do with them not going mouldy,but i have stored an opened jar,in the fridge,for a month & they were just as fresh as the day i opened them.


----------



## Andy M. (Dec 20, 2013)

Harry Cobean said:


> never had a problem with them going mouldy,chaps.the cooks & co peppers that i buy are in "water,red wine vinegar,sea salt & grape must".not sure if that has anything to do with them not going mouldy,but i have stored an opened jar,in the fridge,for a month & they were just as fresh as the day i opened them.




That's a different liquid than the red peppers sold around here.  The red wine and vinegar would preserve the contents.  Do the peppers have a pickled flavor?


----------



## GotGarlic (Dec 20, 2013)

Andy M. said:


> That's a different liquid than the red peppers sold around here.  The red wine and vinegar would preserve the contents.  Do the peppers have a pickled flavor?



We have both types here. The pickled ones are called roasted red pepper steaks - don't know why. You can taste the pickling liquid only lightly. I think it's mostly there as a preservative but you could use the liquid in a recipe, I suppose.


----------



## Harry Cobean (Dec 20, 2013)

Andy M. said:


> That's a different liquid than the red peppers sold around here.  The red wine and vinegar would preserve the contents.  Do the peppers have a pickled flavor?


nope,not at all andy.it's red wine vinegar NOT red wine & vinegar,so much more mellow & smooth.they hardly taste any different to a "regular" home roasted pepper.just the faintest hint of acidity which makes them great for the dishes i cook with them.fabulous in salads & sandwiches too.brilliant product.really is one of those that i can't see the point of prepping my own.talking about points,that's another point,they are the dolce rosso pointed peppers,which are far sweeter than the regular bells.on top of that,a huge cost saving over buying & prepping your own.winner winner pepper dinner mate!!


----------



## Mad Cook (Dec 20, 2013)

Harry Cobean said:


> nope,not at all andy.it's red wine vinegar NOT red wine & vinegar,so much more mellow & smooth.they hardly taste any different to a "regular" home roasted pepper.just the faintest hint of acidity which makes them great for the dishes i cook with them.fabulous in salads & sandwiches too.brilliant product.really is one of those that i can't see the point of prepping my own.talking about points,that's another point,they are the dolce rosso pointed peppers,which are far sweeter than the regular bells.on top of that,a huge cost saving over buying & prepping your own.winner winner pepper dinner mate!!


I can endorse what H says and yes, they don't go mouldy. I 've had a part jar in my fridge for a couple of months and no mould.


----------



## Zhizara (Dec 20, 2013)

I like roasted red peppers too, but they do get moldy quickly.

Now, when I open the jar, I pour the rest into a zip bag and freeze it flat so I can just break off as much as I need.


----------



## taxlady (Dec 20, 2013)

I wonder if, after opening the jar, adding a bit of vinegar to the liquid in of the North American peppers would prevent the mould.


----------



## dragnlaw (Dec 20, 2013)

taxlady said:


> I wonder if, after opening the jar, adding a bit of vinegar to the liquid in of the North American peppers would prevent the mould.



 That might be worth a try  cause 8*  *&9iu 25jgu....  arghhhhh! my 'puters gone nuts again!
im outa here


----------



## Harry Cobean (Dec 21, 2013)

taxlady said:


> I wonder if, after opening the jar, adding a bit of vinegar to the liquid in of the North American peppers would prevent the mould.


worth a pop,tax!!i mean,if they were going to go mouldy anyway,what's the worst that can happen?they go mouldy.i would recommend using the red wine vinegar tho'.i have a sneaking suspicion that the grape must has more to do with it then meets the eye.steve kroll would be the chap to ask,as he is the"wine king" & grape must is a byproduct of wine making.


----------



## Andy M. (Dec 21, 2013)

Harry Cobean said:


> ...i would recommend using the red wine vinegar tho'.i have a sneaking suspicion that the grape must has more to do with it then meets the eye.steve kroll would be the chap to ask,as he is the"wine king" & grape must is a byproduct of wine making.




I suspect the acidity the vinegar adds is the secret.  Any vinegar will do.  Red wine vinegar may add the best flavor for the peppers.


----------



## Harry Cobean (Dec 21, 2013)

Andy M. said:


> I suspect the acidity the vinegar adds is the secret.  Any vinegar will do.  Red wine vinegar may add the best flavor for the peppers.


roger that andy.that's what i was alluding to.red wine vinegar & red peppers just seem to be best friends.see that combo a lot in greek,spanish & portuguese dishes that use red peppers.


----------



## Mad Cook (Dec 22, 2013)

Harry Cobean said:


> worth a pop,tax!!i mean,if they were going to go mouldy anyway,what's the worst that can happen?they go mouldy.i would recommend using the red wine vinegar tho'.i have a sneaking suspicion that the grape must has more to do with it then meets the eye.steve kroll would be the chap to ask,as he is the"wine king" & grape must is a byproduct of wine making.


There's grape must in Balsamic vinegar - mind you, I wouldn't use BV to preserve things


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## Mad Cook (Dec 22, 2013)

The Pepperdew peppers, which are a bit hotter than the usual peppers in a jar, have a little round plastic thing-umi-jig that goes inside the jar and holds the peppers under the liquid. Perhaps it might be worth looking for a brand of roasted pepper which has a similar gadget? Being under the liquid and away from the air might prevent the mould.

 Necessity being the mother of invention, perhaps you could improvise with something plastic.


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