Food, Glorious Food

[anika200]

Cheaply produced in massive quantities is the only goal.

How else are we going to set the world record for obesity and heart disease without a massive amount of cheap meat. ;-)

Thankfully if you know where to look there are other alternative meat markets that actually have some very fine meats from local good sources.
Also in defense of American meat, the best steak I have ever grilled or eaten was a 21-28 day dry aged 2 1/2 inch thick porterhouse from a regular USA grocery store (Wegmans).

 

[Scepticalscribe]

When I was a child, breakfast usually took the form of cereal (by the time I had headed off to secondary school, second level, or High School, I had a marked preference for muesli), boiled eggs, (preferably soft, or slightly hard), toast with marmalade, and coffee.

The standard British or Irish breakfast (bacon, fried or poached or scrambled eggs, and sausages, sometimes with sautéed tomatoes and black or white blood pudding) was a week-end treat.

However, when living abroad, these options weren't usually available, so, from the early 90s, my breakfast has usually taken some variant of the idea of a sort of buffet you may find in hotels; cheeses, sometimes cold cuts of meat, natural yogurt or kefir, freshly squeezed fruit juices, good bread and better coffee.

 

[Huntn]

When I was a child, breakfast usually took the form of cereal (by the time I had headed off to secondary school, second level, or High School, I had a marked preference for muesli), boiled eggs, (preferably soft, or slightly hard), toast with marmalade, and coffee.

The standard British or Irish breakfast (bacon, fried or poached or scrambled eggs, and sausages, sometimes with sautéed tomatoes and black or white blood pudding) was a week-end treat.

However, when living abroad, these options weren't usually available, so, from the early 90s, my breakfast has usually taken some variant of the idea of a sort of buffet you may find in hotels; cheeses, sometimes cold cuts of meat, natural yogurt or kefir, freshly squeezed fruit juices, good bread and better coffee.

I love muesli. It can be purchased locally as museli or granola, dry grains. Several of the boat cruises we have been on in Europe, the muesli was in a buffet, already soaked in milk, and was close to the consistency of an oatmeal in milk, but a variety of ingredients making it more mysterious than oatmeal.

Regarding breakfast, once staying at a UK bed and breakfast in the vicinity of Royal TurnbrIdge Wells, I asked if pancakes were an option, and was politely told By the host, I don’t do pancakes. Those used to be one of my breakfast favorites, buttermilk, buckwheat, or wheat pancakes, smothered in butter and syrup.

 

[mrex]

Cannellonis under the tomatoes/cheese bed

Turkey, paprika, carrot, ananas, onion filled cannelones - and with three differend herbs: one with parsley, second with rucola and third with basilica. After filling them i put smashed tomatoes on them, some cream and strong grated cheese.

I wanted them to taste differend so i used three differend herbs rather than using the same herbs and fillings for each

 

[Huntn]

Honey- I love natural unfiltered honey occasionally for breakfast on cold oatmeal, sliced bananas in milk. I’ve noticed when I buy a large bottle, 40oz, before it gets consumed, it starts to crystallize making it hard to get out of bottle, in this case, a plastic squeeze bottle. Usually I stick the bottle in the microwave for 10 sec and this loses it up a bit. I assume there is no other way to prevent this crystallization, something like add a drop of lemon juice?

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Cannellonis under the tomatoes/cheese bed

Turkey, paprika, carrot, ananas, onion filled cannelones - and with three differend herbs: one with parsley, second with rucola and third with basilica. After filling them i put smashed tomatoes on them, some cream and strong grated cheese.

I wanted them to taste differend so i used three differend herbs rather than using the same herbs and fillings for each

That looks delicious!

 

[Scepticalscribe]

Honey- I love natural unfiltered honey occasionally for breakfast on cold oatmeal, sliced bananas in milk. I’ve noticed when I buy a large bottle, 40oz, before it gets consumed, it starts to crystallize making it hard to get out of bottle, in this case, a plastic squeeze bottle. Usually I stick the bottle in the microwave for 10 sec and this loses it up a bit. I assume there is no other way to prevent this crystallization, something like add a drop of lemon juice?

View attachment 826824​

I tend to buy my honey from people who produce it and have bee hives.

Anyway, I deal with this issue, thus: I will put a jar of honey that has crystallised (the jar is usually made from glass, and for this exercise, I leave its screw top lid in place) into a saucepan; the saucepan can be anywhere - such as the sink, but not the hob, as you are not applying heat.

Into the saucepan - with the jar resting in the saucepan - I will pour the contents of a kettle of water that has just boiled, bringing the water level as high as two thirds or three quarters of the honey jar.

Leave for five minutes; the honey will be warm (as it is from the micro wave) but will rapidly revert to room temperature, and more liquid.

 

[Huntn]

I tend to buy my honey from people who produce it and have bee hives.

Anyway, I deal with this issue, thus: I will put a jar of honey that has crystallised (the jar is usually made from glass, and for this exercise, I leave its screw top lid in place) into a saucepan; the saucepan can be anywhere - such as the sink, but not the hob, as you are not applying heat.

Into the saucepan - with the jar resting in the saucepan - I will pour the contents of a kettle of water that has just boiled, bringing the water level as high as two thirds or three quarters of the honey jar.

Leave for five minutes; the honey will be warm (as it is from the micro wave) but will rapidly revert to room temperature, and more liquid.

Thank you! I just found this on Nature Pete’s site:
Place bottle in warm water to bring back to liquid if honey crystallizes.

 

[0388631]

Alternatively, you can whip it up into creamed honey. Maple syrup behaves the same way.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

Alternatively, you can whip it up into creamed honey. Maple syrup behaves the same way.

Oddly enough, on toast, I prefer my honey crystallised to some degree - it is easier to spread.

For other uses, my preferences are for honey in a liquid form.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

This cold March evening, - which requires some warming goodness, - dinner will take the following form:

Actually, I have spent the past hour preparing a vegetable dish gratin style (or boulangère style); essentially, this is comprised of parboiled potatoes, sweet potato, and carrot (rather than the more usual onion), tipped into a roasting dish where a head of garlic has already been diced and is awaiting the parboiled vegetables; add the stock that the potatoes, carrots and sweet potato were boiled in.

Place in preheated oven and cook for a further hour.

This will be served with spicy sausages (Mexican style) from the artisan butcher.

And French wine.

 

[jeyf]

if i cook; its in large lots, save some for the day and freeze the rest:
-eggs were on sale so doing a dozen hard boiled eggs, they last 4ever
-baked chicken breast today
-yesterday was Tres Leches cake

 

[kazmac]

@Scepticalscribe thank you for starting this thread. And to everyone - Yum!

@arkitect beautiful food magazine-site worthy photos in your last post.

As soon as mom gets off the phone, I may make my pinto beans and onions.

 

[arkitect]

if i cook; its in large lots, save some for the day and freeze the rest:
-eggs were on sale so doing a dozen hard boiled eggs, they last 4ever
-baked chicken breast today
-yesterday was Tres Leches cake

Tres Leches cake.
Just reading the name puts me into a sugar coma.

Delicious though…

On a trip to Chile I was astonished by the large jars of dulce de leche everywhere… the amounts of milk sugar consumed is astonishing.
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[USER=57692]@arkitect beautiful food magazine-site worthy photos in your last post.
[/USER]

Thanks! Sometimes the pics take themselves. :)

 

[Scepticalscribe]

This cold March evening, - which requires some warming goodness, - dinner will take the following form:

Actually, I have spent the past hour preparing a vegetable dish gratin style (or boulangère style); essentially, this is comprised of parboiled potatoes, sweet potato, and carrot (rather than the more usual onion), tipped into a roasting dish where a head of garlic has already been diced and is awaiting the parboiled vegetables; add the stock that the potatoes, carrots and sweet potato were boiled in.

Place in preheated oven and cook for a further hour.

This will be served with spicy sausages (Mexican style) from the artisan butcher.

And French wine.

This went down very well; the (organic) vegetables boulangère and spicy artisan sausages were delicious, washed down by a bottle of Châteauneuf-du-Pape, and followed by a small cheeseboard of Schnebelhorn, Camembert and Gorgonzola Cremosa.

 

[Huntn]

Tres Leches cake.
Just reading the name puts me into a sugar coma.

Delicious though…

On a trip to Chile I was astonished by the large jars of dulce de leche everywhere… the amounts of milk sugar consumed is astonishing.
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Thanks! Sometimes the pics take themselves. :)

My wife loves tres leches ice cream, usually Hagendas.

 

[0388631]

It's roughly midnight and I'm craving roasted carrots and brussels sprouts.

My wife loves tres leches ice cream, usually Hagendas.

Had to look this up myself. It's a brigadeiro flavor and not the tres leches cake. Going to have to try that soon.
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On a trip to Chile I was astonished by the large jars of dulce de leche everywhere… the amounts of milk sugar consumed is astonishing.

And much like its counterpart, caramel, its flavor varies from brand or even by cook. East Europeans, particularly the Poles, do a really nice milk caramel that's dry-ish and rather rich without the buttery excess coming through on your tongue. Like having a trifecta of slightly sweetened milk, sugar and that burnt caramel flavor coming through.

 

[decafjava]

It's roughly midnight and I'm craving roasted carrots and brussels sprouts.

That is a very good craving to have, darn it - it's 9 AM and now I am craving carrots and brussels sprouts. With some olive oil or fresh butter. Black pepper.

I just had breakfast, a banana and wheetabix with ryazhenka (a Russian-style yogurt).

 

[0388631]

That is a very good craving to have, darn it - it's 9 AM and now I am craving carrots and brussels sprouts.

I conveniently left out the fact that I prefer them roasted in some animal fat and served warm with a dijon mayonnaise and fresh herbs dip/sauce. Leave your diet at the door. Or drown it in Lake Zurich.

 

[decafjava]

I conveniently left out the fact that I prefer them roasted in some animal fat and served warm with a dijon mayonnaise and fresh herbs dip/sauce. Leave your diet at the door. Or drown it in Lake Zurich.

Animal fat? Yes please, oh and it's Lake Geneva for me - although Lake Zurich is lovely too we got a French and a Swiss shoreline and good cuisine all around.

 

[arkitect]

It's roughly midnight and I'm craving roasted carrots and brussels sprouts.

I take some of my pickled Brussels Sprouts, (see post above) drain and dry… While they are getting air dry I fry some smoked lardons till crispy and lots of fat is released.
I throw in the pickled sprouts and fry till golden crisp. Optional, a few smashed garlic cloves towards the end — you don't want them to burn.

I like your mayo idea in principle (Mayonnaise, one of the glories of French cooking), but that's just a bit too much oiliness on my tongue.

 

[Huntn]

It's roughly midnight and I'm craving roasted carrots and brussels sprouts.


Had to look this up myself. It's a brigadeiro flavor and not the tres leches cake. Going to have to try that soon.
[doublepost=1552978530][/doublepost]
And much like its counterpart, caramel, its flavor varies from brand or even by cook. East Europeans, particularly the Poles, do a really nice milk caramel that's dry-ish and rather rich without the buttery excess coming through on your tongue. Like having a trifecta of slightly sweetened milk, sugar and that burnt caramel flavor coming through.

I stand corrected, it is Dulce de Leche Ice Cream my wife loves, but we also like Tres Leches cake.

​

 

[Scepticalscribe]

Yesterday, we had pasta with blue cheese sauce (and steamed spinach); today, the carer has promised to prepare her legendary fried noodle dish.

 

[0388631]

I like your mayo idea in principle (Mayonnaise, one of the glories of French cooking), but that's just a bit too much oiliness on my tongue.

You only need to use enough rendered fat to lightly coat the vegetables. There should be no visible pool of fat at the bottom of your dish. I once tried an aioli with the roasted vegetables. Now that was oily.

I stand corrected, it is Dulce de Leche Ice Cream my wife loves, but we also like Tres Leches cake.

View attachment 827123​

I'd imagine the cake is made better there than here. And that particular flavor is very sweet but very addictive.

 

[arkitect]

You only need to use enough rendered fat to lightly coat the vegetables. There should be no visible pool of fat at the bottom of your dish. I once tried an aioli with the roasted vegetables. Now that was oily.

You misunderstood me I think. Especially if you read my response about frying them in smoked lardons.

I don't mind the rendered fat… but adding mayonnaise on top of that was too much for me. Anyway, à chacun son goût…

 

[kazmac]

Note to self do not read when hungry.

With the shift to open plan seating at the afternoon job I have to eat something like chia pudding or a protein bar (I am near two people who already resent someone sitting behind them. I’ve done nothing to offend, but people are people.).

So big breakfasts (Usually eggs, potatoes, toast, a green juice or a variety of things) while working during the week. That is, if I could stop eating the awesome bagels at a place near my job. They’re so fresh and delicious.

Anyway, up to the mines I go thinking about your awesome posts.

Happy eating.