What can you expect in the Food Thread on PF?

[lunarmansion]

I need to hack a chicken apart.

I used to be an expert at this, but it's been years since I've done it and last week I hacked one apart and it was embarrassing.

I need to do it again. I plan to sautee the pieces with several chopped onions and then plate it over hot couscous.

I just can't see paying $3-$5 per pound for cut up chicken when I can buy an entire 5 lb chicken for $3.45.

Not a live chicken I bet! If you hack a live one you have to hold it for a while otherwise it flies away as the muscles are still twitching.
One of my grandparents had a Dairy Farm. We had fresh milk, butter and yogurt. It was not mechanized like here and everything was done by hand.
Have you ever tasted butter churned by hand? Or drank milk straight from a cow? Ymmmm! And playing with the baby calves and goats or kids as they are called. Seeing a cow give birth...
My other grandmother owned a lot of land---in her house everything was from her land- the oil, the meat, the grain, the fruits and vegetables. I was very young then but I still remember those lazy summer days when you could sit outside and eat fruit all day from the trees. I was lucky to witness life on the land on such a large scale in my early years--such a lifestyle is not possible these days. Everything is getting ugly and mechanized everywhere. And the food how good it was even with very little seasonings!

 

[omega_M]

Hot Scrambled Egg

Things you need :

Eggs, Jalapeño, Ranch, cumin seeds, salt, oil

Heat some oil in a pan.
Put cumin seeds in the hot oil and let them sputter for about 10 sec.
Cut small pieces of jalapeños and put them in the oil. Fry for about a min or two.
Break 2/3 eggs in a bowl. Squeeze some Ranch and mix everything thoroughly.
Add Salt to taste
Put the egg mix in the pan and stir everything until cooked.

Enjoy ! This is my own recipe.

 

[turbo]

Not a live chicken I bet! If you hack a live one you have to hold it for a while otherwise it flies away as the muscles are still twitching.
One of my grandparents had a Dairy Farm. We had fresh milk, butter and yogurt. It was not mechanized like here and everything was done by hand.
Have you ever tasted butter churned by hand? Or drank milk straight from a cow? Ymmmm! And playing with the baby calves and goats or kids as they are called. Seeing a cow give birth...
My other grandmother owned a lot of land---in her house everything was from her land- the oil, the meat, the grain, the fruits and vegetables. I was very young then but I still remember those lazy summer days when you could sit outside and eat fruit all day from the trees. I was lucky to witness life on the land on such a large scale in my early years--such a lifestyle is not possible these days. Everything is getting ugly and mechanized everywhere. And the food how good it was even with very little seasonings!

My sisters, cousins and I grew up in a very rural environment, and my uncle and great-uncle had farms, and all of us had big vegetable gardens. We collected eggs, slaughtered chickens, hogs, and cows, incubated eggs, attended the births of all kinds of animals, etc. We had cream for berries, hand-churned butter, home-made ice cream, home-made blood sausages, spiced pork sausage links, head cheese, pickled tripe... Nothing went to waste. We kept bags of bones in the freezer that were broken/sawed up to add nutrients to soups. My family would be classed today as "working poor" but in some ways we were rich beyond belief.

 

[Astronuc]

Any thoughts on cooking fresh cod?

My neighbor came over while I was mowing the lawn and gave me a bag of cod fillets, fresh from the ocean off Maine.

I could bread and bake it, but thought I'd ask for any favorite recipes.

 

[turbo]

I could bread and bake it, but thought I'd ask for any favorite recipes.

That's absolutely the best way to prepare cod. Seal it with an egg wash and roll it in cracker crumbs with a little salt and pepper and serve with wedges of lemon.

 

[Evo]

For something different, this recipe sounds good.

Bacon wrapped cod

ingredients
1 pound (500g) fresh cod fillet
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 ounces (90g) thinly sliced slab bacon, rind removed
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
For the sauce:
1/2 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves
1 shallot
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons capers

preparation

1. Season the cod all over lightly with salt and pepper. Roll or fold the cod so that it looks like a small roast, and wrap the bacon around it, securing the pieces of bacon with a skewer or toothpick, so the cod is almost completely covered with the bacon (except at the "corners").
2. In a heavy-bottomed skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. When the oil is hot, add the fish and brown it on all sides, which will take about 6 minutes. Cover the skillet and continue cooking the cod until it is cooked through, about 16 minutes, turning it occasionally so it doesn't burn.

3. While the cod is cooking, make the sauce. Mince together the parsley and the shallot and place in a small bowl. Whisk in the oil. Coarsely chop the capers and whisk them into the sauce.

4. When the fish is cooked, transfer it to a warmed serving platter and let it sit for about 4 minutes. Remove the skewers or the toothpicks and drain away any liquid that comes from the fish. Pour the sauce over the fish and serve

http://www.epicurious.com/cooking/menus/cooknow/recipes/104533

 

[Astronuc]

The bacon wrapped cod sounds good, but a bit challenging for me today. I do have breadcrumbs, so that is what I'm doing this afternoon - bread and bake. I'll need to buy a shallot (although I might be able to find a wild onion), and I need to buy capers.

Most of the cod fillets are small, probably a few ounces each, so I guess I'll have to improvise on the recipe, which I tend to do with recipes anyway. I could make sushi

I still have half the cod, which I'll freeze. I hope that holds it until I get back from a trip this week.

Thanks for those ideas.

I also have Progresso Tomato Basil soup, so I was thinking about using that.

 

[turbo]

I also have Progresso Tomato Basil soup, so I was thinking about using that.

Maybe on the side... Fresh cod has such a nice delicate flavor that it is a shame to overdo the sauce/seasoning thing.

As a Mainer (maineiac!) I grew up using my nose to buy fish. If you go to a store and they claim the fish is fresh, ask to smell it. If it does not have a heady rich aroma (especially ground-fish), just walk away. It is either too old or has been frozen and thawed and it is not worth the price. There is an exception. Tuna that has been flash-frozen at sea will yield very flavorful steaks if thawed and cooked promptly. Tuna is one of the very few fishes that can taste wonderful after freezing.

 

[Evo]

As a Mainer (maineiac!) I grew up using my nose to buy fish. If you go to a store and they claim the fish is fresh, ask to smell it. If it does not have a heady rich aroma (especially ground-fish), just walk away.

Wait, I thought fresh fish was supposed to be non-smelly, i.e. smell like the water it lived in. THAT'S WHAT ALTON BROWN SAID AND HE KNOWS!

Besides not smelling, my mother always told me that if I didn't know from whom I was buying the fish, to buy it with the head on so I could see if the eyes were clear. If the eyes were cloudy, the fish had been dead too long. Anyone selling the fish will be happy to then fillet it if you want.

Nowdays most ocean fish is frozen onboard ship and is fresher than ever. If the fish smells of ammonia, don't buy it!

 

[turbo]

Wait, I thought fresh fish was supposed to be non-smelly, i.e. smell like the water it lived in. THAT'S WHAT ALTON BROWN SAID AND HE KNOWS!

Alton knows a lot about food, but if he said that fresh fish should not smell sweet, like a bouquet of fresh flowers, he is in over his head. I cannot describe the smell of freshly-shucked Atlantic scallops or newly-filleted sole to you, but if you had ever smelled them, you would know how to identify FRESH seafood. If you live more than 100-200 miles from the fish piers, you may never have experienced fresh seafood. Seafood that has no smell is probably safe to eat, but it certainly will not be a great treat.

 

[Evo]

I grew up in Houston, TX, we would actually buy all of our fish/shellfish on the fishing boats in Keemah when they docked. My mother was so adamant that we get the freshest seafood that we boarded the boats and bought them even before they made it to the stalls at the pier. Everyone knew my mom. They knew they couldn't mess with her either, all 5' of her.

 

[turbo]

Smell is paramount. If the fish/shellfish no longer has a distinctive sweet, rich, bouquet, it has been dead too long and/or improperly stored and is not fit to eat.

If the fish has a pungent odor (even a little) it is probably spoiling, and this can take as little as 2-3 days under the right conditions even if it was refrigerated. If you are buying fish off trawlers in warm waters without adequate refrigeration, chances are you bought fish that was caught several days ago and was not fresh. If it has no smell or a neutral smell, the fish is no good. Even more delicate (and toothsome) is fresh-caught brook trout pan-fried in butter with salt and pepper. Nothing compares. I have a couple of sweet nieces that love my cooking and they would kill for my brook trout. Fish needs to be fresh, and it demands a light touch.

 

[Evo]

Smell is paramount. If the fish/shellfish no longer has a distinctive sweet, rich, bouquet, it has been dead too long and/or improperly stored and is not fit to eat.

If the fish has a pungent odor (even a little) it is probably spoiling, and this can take as little as 2-3 days under the right conditions even if it was refrigerated. If you are buying fish off trawlers in warm waters without adequate refrigeration, chances are you bought fish that was caught several days ago and was not fresh. If it has no smell or a neutral smell, the fish is no good. Even more delicate (and toothsome) is fresh-caught brook trout pan-fried in butter with salt and pepper. Nothing compares. I have a couple of sweet nieces that love my cooking and they would kill for my brook trout. Fish needs to be fresh, and it demands a light touch.

These boats only went out in the bay and left and returned same day, they were not deep ocean.

The worst fish was freshly caught bluefish in Chesapeke Bay, they smelled and tasted like motor oil.

 

[Astronuc]

The worst fish was freshly caught bluefish in Chesapeke Bay, they smelled and tasted like motor oil.

Well, it does smell like the water it lived in!

 

[turbo]

Chesapeake bay is not exactly a standard to which I would adhere. Even Gulf-caught oysters in New Orleans were just marginally better. This country has NO appreciation for fresh seafood, nor any standards to ensure that consumers get any honesty or accountability. If you were here in Maine, and could enjoy some butter-fried Atlantic scallops, some fresh baked cod, or a nice brook trout, you would know.

 

[Math Is Hard]

check out this multi-course meal!
http://www.howithappened.com/2007/05/underground-menu-at-lenclume.html
one of the courses:

This is "Lollipop 'perigourdine' and pickled onion turkish". The lollipop was a hard caramel of foie gras and truffles, reminiscent of fleur de sel and foie gras creme brulee, which is almost a standard on the Ile de Re. The turkish delight was really excellent too, with the sharp vinegar of the pickled onion cutting through the cloying powdery nature of the turkish delight.

 

[Moonbear]

The worst fish was freshly caught bluefish in Chesapeke Bay, they smelled and tasted like motor oil.

Can't speak for that caught in the Chesapeake, but I've had bluefish from off the Jersey coast, and absolutely LOVE it. But, most people I know don't like it because it tastes too strong for them (they're the sort of people who only want flounder and cod). It has a dark meat, so like dark meat vs light meat on chicken, it has a distinctly different taste from fish that have very light meats. And, it is an oily fish, but that just meant it could withstand my mom's cooking and still be moist. I miss having freshly caught fish. Even when we froze it, it still tasted better than store bought. I've found one Japanese restaurant in NYC that has excellent fresh fish (for sushi and sashimi) that has that wonderful fresh smell (when it's fresh, you can tell each different fish's scent and flavor from the others...when it isn't fresh, you can't tell one from the other because they either have no flavor or a "fishy" not-so-fresh flavor). When I was a kid, you could have blindfolded me and served me the fish we caught, and I could have told you what each kind was by the flavor. If you tried that with me in most restaurants or with most store-bought fish, I couldn't tell you at all, they all taste rather flavorless at best, or fishy and rotten at worst (if it smells or tastes "fishy" send it back to the kitchen, it's old and they shouldn't be serving it).

 

[turbo]

Mmmm, bluefish! They run up the rivers here feeding on pogies, shad, etc, and they can get pretty big. You have to use stainless steel leaders to catch them because their sharp teeth will cut nylon. They have a distinctive smell both fresh and cooked, and the flavor is strong enough to put off some people, as you mentioned. That is one variety of fish that can withstand a heavy hand with seasonings and still come out tasting great. Not so with cod, haddock and other white fish.

My favorites are brook trout, landlocked salmon, brown trout, and rainbow trout - all with their own distinctive flavors. We also have white perch in some of the warmer ponds, with a delicate white flesh that makes great chowders or butter-fried filets.

 

[Astronuc]

5 Foodie Sites You'll Tell Your Friends About

http://food.yahoo.com/blog/dailyolive/652/5-foodie-sites-you-ll-tell-your-friends-about

5 Grills for 5 Personality Types
http://food.yahoo.com/blog/dailyolive/638/5-grills-for-5-personality-types

 

[Evo]

Trying to decide what to eat tonight. I have 5 lbs of yukon gold potatoes, I was think potato salad. I've been told that I make the world's best, I agree.

But I want to make something exciting tonight in addition to it, but not be too complicated.

Any suggestions?

 

[Evo]

check out this multi-course meal!
http://www.howithappened.com/2007/05/underground-menu-at-lenclume.html
one of the courses:

This is "Lollipop 'perigourdine' and pickled onion turkish". The lollipop was a hard caramel of foie gras and truffles, reminiscent of fleur de sel and foie gras creme brulee, which is almost a standard on the Ile de Re. The turkish delight was really excellent too, with the sharp vinegar of the pickled onion cutting through the cloying powdery nature of the turkish delight.

Pickled onion and turkish delight?

That lollipop looks like it has dead flies in it. ZERO points for appeal.

 

[Astronuc]

Trying to decide what to eat tonight. I have 5 lbs of yukon gold potatoes, I was think potato salad. I've been told that I make the world's best, I agree.

But I want to make something exciting tonight in addition to it, but not be too complicated.

Any suggestions?

Besides potato salad? What else do you have in the pantry or fridge? You could make scalloped potatoes with ham, but that takes a while. We also do sausage and potatoes, in which we more or less boil the potatoes and sliced sausage, with carrots and celery, and seasonings.

or

GERMAN POTATO SALAD WITH SAUSAGE
http://www.cooks.com/rec/doc/0,1938,148190-245199,00.html

Or something like a potato omlet or pancake with vegetables and cheese.

 

[Evo]

I meant something without potatoes since I'm making the potato salad. It doesn't have to go well with potato salad either.

 

[Astronuc]

Coleslaw? Carrot or carrot, raisin and pineapple.

Do you have fish, poultry, pork, sausage, bacon, beef, lamb?

Shiskabobs? Vegetarian, or meat + veggies?

 

[wolram]

I meant something without potatoes since I'm making the potato salad. It doesn't have to go well with potato salad either.

Shredded crispy beef?

 

[wolram]

1. Cut steak across the grain into thin strips.
Beat eggs in a bowl with the salt and flour, adding a little water if necessary.
Add beef strips to batter and mix well until coated.
2. Heat the oil in a preheated wok until smoking.
Add beef and deep fry for 4-5 minutes, stirring to separate the shreds.
Remove with slotted spoon and drain on absorbent kitchen paper.

 

[Astronuc]

1. Cut steak across the grain into thin strips.
Beat eggs in a bowl with the salt and flour, adding a little water if necessary.
Add beef strips to batter and mix well until coated.
2. Heat the oil in a preheated wok until smoking.
Add beef and deep fry for 4-5 minutes, stirring to separate the shreds.
Remove with slotted spoon and drain on absorbent kitchen paper.

That sounds good.

And it would go well with shredded or chopped red cabbage and shredded carrot, in a sweet and sour sauce (optional).

Or season it like Mongolian beef.

 

[Astronuc]

I meant something without potatoes since I'm making the potato salad. It doesn't have to go well with potato salad either.

Hot dogs or hamburgers would go well with potato salad.

I've been told that I make the world's best, . . .

So when can I put it to the test?

 

[turbo]

So when can I put it to the test?

Really! This is a pretty hefty claim, and it needs to be tested. My cousin's potato salad is world-class, but my wife's is killer, made with Caine's mayonnaise, Yukon Gold or Katahdin potatoes (which-ever are the crispest and tastiest at the time) and whatever ingredients that she wants to throw in.

 

[Astronuc]

Shredded crispy beef?

Now you've got me craving shredded beef in ginger sauce or Mongolian style.

I also like to cook beef in a nice sweet red wine. It forms a really nice gravy.