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Post by pepperhead212 on Jul 30, 2022 0:14:16 GMT -5
The only cooking I did today was about 5 days worth of okra (I'm getting more each day now, when I go out and pick the pods that are large enough). I come in and put them in a qt bag in the fridge, and yesterday, I had to either start a new bag, or cook what I had, so I made a simple snack with it. It's a dry curry, por sabzi, to which I added some nam prik pao, which is just some garlic, shallots, and hot peppers, caramelized in oil. This version is compatible with many cuisines. The original recipe has chopped cilantro, which is also good. Okra Sabzi 3 c cleaned okra, cut into 3/4" pieces 2 tb oil 1 tsp whole cumin seeds 1/4 tsp asafoetida 1/2 tsp turmeric powder 1/2 tsp Kashmiri or mild Numex chili powder 1 1/2 tsp coriander/cumin powder 2 tb chopped cilantro salt to taste Heat oil in large NS skillet on medium heat, and add cumin and asafoetida. Add until sizzling, and add okra, and cook about 8 min, stirring frequently. When browned some, add the remaining spices and cilantro (or nam prik pao, noted above), and cook another 2 minutes, stirring most of the time. Serve hot, with salt sprinkled on - needs less salt on surface, like this. 3 c okra, cooked 8 min in oil, cumin seeds and asafoetida. by pepperhead212, on Flickr Okra cooked for 2 more minutes, with spice powders added, stirring frequently. by pepperhead212, on Flickr Finished okra sabzi, after stirring in 2 tb nam prik pao. by pepperhead212, on Flickr
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Post by Deleted on Jul 30, 2022 2:01:49 GMT -5
I don't think I have ever tasted asafoetida before, what does it taste like or is it a compound spice of sorts? The okra looked good.
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Post by pepperhead212 on Jul 30, 2022 12:10:26 GMT -5
@imp Asafoetida - a.k.a. Hing - is one of those strange ingredients that most people don't know about, since it's used pretty much only in Indian food. The name comes from its rather disgusting aroma - often compared to rotting onions and garlic, due to some sulfuric compounds in it. And it is often used in dishes by those practicing Jainism, which does not use onions or garlic in their cooking, and this gives a pleasant sort of oniony flavor to many dishes, once cooked. The unpleasant aroma sort of cooks off, like with Chinese salted black beans, or Thai shrimp paste.
Something I use it for all the time is when cooking legumes, even when not cooking Indian food. I simply put a half tsp into 3 or 4 c water, when cooking many legumes, and when finished, it smells and tastes like I put a whole onion in the water! Cheaper and much easier than peeling an onion.
Asafoetida is often used when tempering dishes, in Indian cooking. This is done at the end, when making the tarka, which is cooking some spices in a small amount of oil briefly, then this is stirred into the dish, for a flavor you can't get other ways. This is usually made in less than a minute - takes longer to measure the stuff out than to cook! I have a small 1 qt saucepan I use almost only for this. Usually it starts with some mustard seed in oil, when it pops a little, some cumin seed and whole peppers added, sometimes with a small amount of dal (these get crunchy and nutty tasting quickly), then a quarter tsp of asafoetida, plus some fresh curry leaves, and in about 5-10 more seconds, it is poured into the dish to temper. The asafoetida adds that onion/garlic aroma to the oil, along with all those other flavors.
I learned early on that there are wide variations in the quality of the asafoetida on the market - what I found in the stores here was diluted greatly, and years ago I had to get the 100% on ebay, ordering from India! Now it has become more available, though the last order I still got on ebay, as it was cheaper. One that I ordered, that was a mistake, was Inner Flame, which must have had some artificial sulfur flavor added, and another was diluted with fenugreek, which overpowered things.
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Post by brownrexx on Jul 30, 2022 17:13:26 GMT -5
Summer cooking.
We had chicken breasts with home made bar-b-q sauce on the grill, corn on the cob and freshly made stewed tomatoes with okra.
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Post by Deleted on Jul 30, 2022 17:38:30 GMT -5
@imp Asafoetida - a.k.a. Hing - is one of those strange ingredients that most people don't know about, since it's used pretty much only in Indian food. The name comes from its rather disgusting aroma - often compared to rotting onions and garlic, due to some sulfuric compounds in it. And it is often used in dishes by those practicing Jainism, which does not use onions or garlic in their cooking, and this gives a pleasant sort of oniony flavor to many dishes, once cooked. The unpleasant aroma sort of cooks off, like with Chinese salted black beans, or Thai shrimp paste. Something I use it for all the time is when cooking legumes, even when not cooking Indian food. I simply put a half tsp into 3 or 4 c water, when cooking many legumes, and when finished, it smells and tastes like I put a whole onion in the water! Cheaper and much easier than peeling an onion. Asafoetida is often used when tempering dishes, in Indian cooking. This is done at the end, when making the tarka, which is cooking some spices in a small amount of oil briefly, then this is stirred into the dish, for a flavor you can't get other ways. This is usually made in less than a minute - takes longer to measure the stuff out than to cook! I have a small 1 qt saucepan I use almost only for this. Usually it starts with some mustard seed in oil, when it pops a little, some cumin seed and whole peppers added, sometimes with a small amount of dal (these get crunchy and nutty tasting quickly), then a quarter tsp of asafoetida, plus some fresh curry leaves, and in about 5-10 more seconds, it is poured into the dish to temper. The asafoetida adds that onion/garlic aroma to the oil, along with all those other flavors. I learned early on that there are wide variations in the quality of the asafoetida on the market - what I found in the stores here was diluted greatly, and years ago I had to get the 100% on ebay, ordering from India! Now it has become more available, though the last order I still got on ebay, as it was cheaper. One that I ordered, that was a mistake, was Inner Flame, which must have had some artificial sulfur flavor added, and another was diluted with fenugreek, which overpowered things.
Thank you very much, I learned more from you just now than looking it up !! I may have to buy some, some Indian dishes I like, but have to be careful as I am a whimp about too much heat and fenugreek bothers my digestive system a lot. It sounds , in a way, like fish sauce is to many asian dishes. Not something good to smell, but in dishes, very good.
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Post by pepperhead212 on Jul 30, 2022 18:08:35 GMT -5
@imp If you want a mild chili for using in Indian foods get the Kashmiri chili. They sell it in whole, and powder, and in fact, in recipes calling for simply "chili powder", this is what they are referring to! There is almost no heat in it, but a lot of flavor, and the whole ones look and smell much like a mild Numex chilis, which could be substituted for it. When recipes call for whole kashmiri peppers, they mean the 3-4" size, so if they are larger (I've gotten some much larger ones), I just adjust the numbers accordingly. They are usually cut into 1/2" pieces, for toasting in a dry skillet, for spice mixes, or in the oil, for those tarkas, and offer a lot of flavor, but little heat.
I had to look to find out that brand of asafoetida I got, and here it is - Naturevibe Botanicals, for 100% asafoetida powder. It was $7.99 for 200g on Amazon, and same on ebay, but 2/$12.99 from the ebay. That's about 1/2 c, which lasts me quite a while, but I still got two, and stuck one in the freezer.
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Post by Deleted on Jul 30, 2022 19:17:04 GMT -5
Thank you very much ! Those sound like good chilies and also for the information as to brand and where to buy. The asafoetida, I wonder if it would be good in , mmm, like mustard pickles? Just got back to the desk from setting the cherry fireball jam in the water bath, 12 1/2 pints and 4 four ouncers fit in there.
Edit
Out and cooling on the towels now, break then back to work, plain cherry jam next I think. A bought chef's salad shall be dinner.
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Post by pepperhead212 on Jul 30, 2022 20:01:52 GMT -5
Glad I could help, @imp! You'll have to experiment to see if you can find it useful for anything non-traditional. I put another odd ingredient in the lentils I cooked today, besides the asafoetida - some black cardamom, which gives things a smoky flavor. Another one of those ingredients I use in a lot of non-Asian dishes, besides the traditional dishes.
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Post by Deleted on Jul 30, 2022 20:33:58 GMT -5
Ahh, yes, I do have both green and black cardamon pods. Didn't think of it for lentils, smart idea !
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Post by spike on Jul 31, 2022 11:26:40 GMT -5
All fresh from my garden! Life is delicious!
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Post by Laura_in_FL on Jul 31, 2022 11:33:00 GMT -5
We're having leftover lasagna for Sunday lunch.
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Post by Deleted on Jul 31, 2022 13:30:04 GMT -5
We're having leftover lasagna for Sunday lunch. I am surprised you have the pan left, let alone any leftovers. Bless their hearts, a group of that many young hungry men are akin to a shark feeding frenzy, LOL!!!
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Post by Laura_in_FL on Aug 1, 2022 9:20:06 GMT -5
It was too massive a lasagna even for that many young men! You know how it is with Southerners - we always cook far too much out of fear of someone leaving hungry.
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Post by brownrexx on Aug 1, 2022 9:35:53 GMT -5
I made a side dish last night that was so quick and easy that even september might want to make it! LOL I have 3 different colors of cherry tomatoes so I tried this Cherry Tomato Salad using my fresh herbs and it was beautiful but I didn't take a picture. Cut the cherry tomatoes , whisk the salt, sugar, sugar, vinegar and herbs together and toss with tomatoes. It tasted great immediately but may have been even more flavorful in a couple of hours in the refrigerator. • 1 quart cherry tomatoes, halved or quartered • 1/4 cup canola oil • 3 tablespoons white vinegar • 1/2 teaspoon salt • 1/2 teaspoon sugar • 1/4 cup minced fresh parsley • 1 to 2 teaspoons minced fresh basil • 1 to 2 teaspoons minced fresh oregano Edited to add photo. I figured that if I was going to post the recipe that I should add a photo. This was in the refrigerator overnight so it was a little bit less bright but it is still good. Cherry Tomato Salad by Brownrexx, on Flickr
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Post by spike on Aug 1, 2022 13:50:21 GMT -5
Today I am channeling my inner Hispanic, which is interesting since I am Polish, but making tamales! And in typical Hispanic fashion, there are only the two of us so naturally I am making about 20 dozen of them >,<
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Post by hairymooseknuckles on Aug 1, 2022 14:15:08 GMT -5
I had a coconut shrimp/Fish platter and it wasn’t worth a pinch of s… Well, never mind that. Let’s just say it was butt awful!
I don’t eat fish too often, but when I do, I like it to be good. This place wouldn’t have known a good piece of fish had I caught it and brought it to them.
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Post by Laura_in_FL on Aug 2, 2022 15:24:42 GMT -5
I like an appetizer portion of coconut shrimp every once in a while, but a whole plateful of coconut shrimp and fish - eww. Coconut shrimp is just too sweet for more than a few bites, IMO. Especially since it usually seems to be served with a sweet fruit chutney to dip the shrimp in.
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Post by spike on Aug 2, 2022 17:15:30 GMT -5
Tonight the tamales are dinner! I make preparing them a 2 day process. There are probably quicker easier ways but this works for me. Trying things a bit different this time as I got some pointers from Worth.
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Post by bestofour on Aug 2, 2022 18:55:41 GMT -5
I made a side dish last night that was so quick and easy that even september might want to make it! LOL I have 3 different colors of cherry tomatoes so I tried this Cherry Tomato Salad using my fresh herbs and it was beautiful but I didn't take a picture. Cut the cherry tomatoes , whisk the salt, sugar, sugar, vinegar and herbs together and toss with tomatoes. It tasted great immediately but may have been even more flavorful in a couple of hours in the refrigerator. • 1 quart cherry tomatoes, halved or quartered • 1/4 cup canola oil • 3 tablespoons white vinegar • 1/2 teaspoon salt • 1/2 teaspoon sugar • 1/4 cup minced fresh parsley • 1 to 2 teaspoons minced fresh basil • 1 to 2 teaspoons minced fresh oregano Edited to add photo. I figured that if I was going to post the recipe that I should add a photo. This was in the refrigerator overnight so it was a little bit less bright but it is still good. Cherry Tomato Salad by Brownrexx, on Flickr Looks delicious. I do something similar but without oregano.
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Post by spike on Aug 3, 2022 21:10:58 GMT -5
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Post by hairymooseknuckles on Aug 3, 2022 23:12:17 GMT -5
Oh dear, who in their right mind would eat that? Is that photoshopped? That can’t be real!
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Post by spike on Aug 4, 2022 9:32:49 GMT -5
I can't believe that it is really real. It has to be something someone made up for Halloween? Lordy I hope so anyway!
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Post by Laura_in_FL on Aug 4, 2022 11:00:29 GMT -5
Wow, that's disgusting to even think about.
I just looked on the Hidden Valley Ranch website, and there is no mention of it there. So I am assuming it's photoshopped. It's a convincing photoshop job, though!
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Post by hairymooseknuckles on Aug 4, 2022 15:54:29 GMT -5
spike, Laura_in_FL, Well…I’ve been looking for something different to eat, but ima gonna pass on that.
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Post by Deleted on Aug 4, 2022 16:18:25 GMT -5
Candy corn ranch is just a nasty thought ! Yucky !!
I suspect it will be ham, chicken or roast beef sandwiches tonight, nothing hot after canning.
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Post by spike on Aug 4, 2022 16:45:35 GMT -5
spike , Laura_in_FL , Well…I’ve been looking for something different to eat, but ima gonna pass on that. Don't be a chicken Mr Knuckles!! You know you wanna try it.
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Post by hairymooseknuckles on Aug 4, 2022 17:21:59 GMT -5
spike, Might try using it as shave cream. Make me smell like candy corn. HAHAHA!
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Post by pepperhead212 on Aug 6, 2022 22:18:26 GMT -5
Here's a snack I had today, the recipe I got from a guy on another forum. The original recipe called for baking 15 minutes @400°, then tossing, and baking 10-12 minutes longer, but I didn't want to be firing up my oven in this weather, so I heated up my pizza stone in my grill! And last night, I started the dough for a batch of rye bread, to bake in the grill, since I'd be heating it up. It is super easy, since I had some red curry paste in the freezer. 4 c okra, cut into 3/4-1" pieces 1 1/2 tb oil 1 tsp minced ginger 2 tsp Thai red curry paste salt to taste Preheat oven or grill to 400°. Combine all ingredients in a large bowl, and mix thoroughly, to coat the okra. Spread out in a shallow 10x15 pan, and bake/grill 15 min, then stir, to turn over as much as possible. Bake another 10-12 min, until well browned. Taste for salt - will depend what's in the curry paste, what it needs. Serve immediately. Okra tossed with Thai curry paste and ginger, half cooked on grill. by pepperhead212, on Flickr Finished grilled okra and Thai curry paste. by pepperhead212, on Flickr I also made another batch of gazpacho up yesterday, because I really didn't want to heat up much in the kitchen in this weather! Oh yeah, here's the bread I baked out on the grill: Rye bread, about 3/4 risen, to be baked on grill. by pepperhead212, on Flickr Rye half baked, getting ready to switch them. by pepperhead212, on Flickr Rye bread baked in grill. by pepperhead212, on Flickr
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Post by rdback on Aug 7, 2022 9:27:13 GMT -5
Fixed this the other day. Pretty good!
Smoked Pulled Beef Slider with Fried CabbageFried Cabbage Smoked Chuck Roast
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Post by Deleted on Aug 7, 2022 14:47:15 GMT -5
Rdback, ohhh I do love fried cabbage, LOL and your roast look yummy too. Pepperhead, is the Thai red curry paste spicy hot? I get confused with all the curry pastes and mixes, except the mild form of Japanese curry. I buy that in blocks, like a chocolate bar, which makes me laugh a little at the idea of chocolate bars and curry bars.
Really smart idea of the pizza stone on the grill. Lovely looking bread and kept the heat out of the kitchen, too.
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