What are you cooking now?

[teamsaint]

No cooking here tonight.
About to head into town for some Thai street food at Zaap before going to the ROH Madam Butterfly relay at the cinema.
Yes, I know we should have opted for Japanese (or US or Italian) to stay 'themed', but...
It's fast, and so we won't feel rushed.

https://zaapthai.co.uk/locations/zaa...eet-food-york/

Have fun. Not really street food weather here…….

[Pulcinella]

No cooking here tonight.
About to head into town for some Thai street food at Zaap before going to the ROH Madam Butterfly relay at the cinema.
Yes, I know we should have opted for Japanese (or US or Italian) to stay 'themed', but...
It's fast, and so we won't feel rushed.

https://zaapthai.co.uk/locations/zaap-thai-street-food-york/

[teamsaint]

More a question of 'What are you NOT cooking today?' I'd planned a Stirfry of All the Vegetables (the elderly veg to be eaten up before I buy fresh this afternoon. I thought I'd spice up my vegan recipe with a couple of chopped rashers of bacon. On inspection the last two rashers had several spots of white fluffy mould. To the internet to google "White mould bacon dangerous". Lots of advice .

Consensus was if it smells all right, if it's white (penicillin) mould rather than green or black, if it's being cooked, it's probably safe to eat. Just check the Use By date. All systems go until I checked the Use By date - the 27th. Of February. At that point my nerve gave out, sadly. It would have been useful to have discovered the result of eating it. Lunch was Stirfry of All the Vegetables. With Erős Pista and a dribble of dark soy.

Well that's the thing, it would be interesting to find out. Could even be beneficial ?! ( Not betting on it though )

Here, midweek generic Chilli including Aldi kidney beans in chilli sauce and some leftover veg including plenty of celery. Also sauce enhanced by a splash of frozen leftover blackberry wine.
Not sure on music and drink to go with yet, but I'm still at my desk working so will need to decide later, but possibly a small G and T and , dunno, something big and romantic. Bit of Rach maybe.

[french frank]

More a question of 'What are you NOT cooking today?' I'd planned a Stirfry of All the Vegetables (the elderly veg to be eaten up before I buy fresh this afternoon. I thought I'd spice up my vegan recipe with a couple of chopped rashers of bacon. On inspection the last two rashers had several spots of white fluffy mould. To the internet to google "White mould bacon dangerous". Lots of advice .

Consensus was if it smells all right, if it's white (penicillin) mould rather than green or black, if it's being cooked, it's probably safe to eat. Just check the Use By date. All systems go until I checked the Use By date - the 27th. Of February. At that point my nerve gave out, sadly. It would have been useful to have discovered the result of eating it. Lunch was Stirfry of All the Vegetables. With Erős Pista and a dribble of dark soy.

[french frank]

Lunch has come
A little late
Today

Because I didn't have the ingredients in time for the sauce. Baked gammon joint with creamy nettles. Lots of nettles, freshly picked this morning. I got the recipe from Robin Harford's excellent eatweeds website (and while I was at it I got a couple of handfuls of goose grass for ... something. Ho! he's rewritten the article to say you can now use nettles later in the season. And I went out specially to get young tender ones because he told me to

https://www.eatweeds.co.uk/creamed-nettle-recipe

[french frank]

... advanced thinking re cucumbers in the eighteenth century, cont'd -

"... of a meagre aspect, with sooty hands and face, his hair and beard long, ragged, and singed in several places. His clothes, shirt, and skin, were all of the same colour.

My other self! :-)

He has been eight years upon a project for extracting sunbeams out of cucumbers, which were to be put in phials hermetically sealed, and let out to warm the air in raw inclement summers. He told me, he did not doubt, that, in eight years more, he should be able to supply the governor's gardens with sunshine, at a reasonable rate:

Ah, if only he'd hit upon the idea of eating them ...

[vinteuil]

I was waiting for you to come up with an 18th c. quote...

... advanced thinking re cucumbers in the eighteenth century, cont'd -

"The first man I saw was of a meagre aspect, with sooty hands and face, his hair and beard long, ragged, and singed in several places. His clothes, shirt, and skin, were all of the same colour. He has been eight years upon a project for extracting sunbeams out of cucumbers, which were to be put in phials hermetically sealed, and let out to warm the air in raw inclement summers. He told me, he did not doubt, that, in eight years more, he should be able to supply the governor's gardens with sunshine, at a reasonable rate: but he complained that his stock was low, and entreated me "to give him something as an encouragement to ingenuity, especially since this had been a very dear season for cucumbers." I made him a small present, for my lord had furnished me with money on purpose, because he knew their practice of begging from all who go to see them."

Jonathan Swift [1667-1745]
Gulliver's Travels (1726) part iii A voyage to Laputa chap: 5 The Grand Academy of Lagado

[french frank]

... following Samuel Johnson -

"A cucumber should be well sliced, and dressed with pepper and vinegar, and then thrown out, as good for nothing."

James Boswell Tour to the Hebrides (1785) / 5 October 1773

I was waiting for you to come up with an 18th c. quote, monsieur. I'm disappointed it ain't French though. The wisdom is generally that the parts of the vegetable or fruit that get the most sun are richest in nutrients. Not having a compost bin, I eat any parts that are, in a physical sense - eatable.

Raining, I got soaked, the deli had no saucisson whatsoever and the only French cheese was a piece of Brie de Meaux. Added to that, the only wine of the kind I sought was also a Jurançon like the Coop's, but costing more than twice the amount (and I'd thought £7.25 for a ½ bottle was a good price to pay). Still, it looks as if it might do well with the Roquefort, even if only 13% abv. And the bread has turned out well and has had time to cool. Always look on the bright side of life

[vinteuil]

I follow other advice on ' Can you eat orange peel'? Mine says ...best chopped into very small pieces, and thrown into the recycle bin!

... following Samuel Johnson -

"A cucumber should be well sliced, and dressed with pepper and vinegar, and then thrown out, as good for nothing."

James Boswell Tour to the Hebrides (1785) / 5 October 1773

[Roger Webb]

Candied and coated in chocolate is a good way to have orange rind.

Never thought of that...I'll pick 'em outta the bin.

[Pulcinella]

I follow other advice on ' Can you eat orange peel'? Mine says ...best chopped into very small pieces, and thrown into the recycle bin!

Regards. the sweet wine search for bargains, have a look South (without the West) some of the Muscats are delicious - a sommelier nearly dropped his tire-bouchon when I asked for a Beaume de Venise to go with my desert....they are only ever drunk as a aperitif in France!

Candied and coated in chocolate is a good way to have orange rind.

[Roger Webb]

I did that yesterday (pizza from local tratt) except my kitchen doesn't have anything electrical more complicated than a toaster.

Roger - you may be right about the horseradish, but I eat it anyway. Have just googled "Can you eat orange peel?" Yes, it's highly nutritious, but wash it thoroughly. Also best if chopped into very small pieces, and thrown into a salad.

Lunch delayed. Loaf and beetroot are done but I've decided to walk down to the cave à manger to see if they have anything sweet, white and from the SW of Gaul. Will cost me this week's pension.

I follow other advice on ' Can you eat orange peel'? Mine says ...best chopped into very small pieces, and thrown into the recycle bin!

Regards. the sweet wine search for bargains, have a look South (without the West) some of the Muscats are delicious - a sommelier nearly dropped his tire-bouchon when I asked for a Beaume de Venise to go with my desert....they are only ever drunk as a aperitif in France!

[french frank]

I'm reheating in the microwave that portion of the honey-cured-ham-topped pizza sub (or should that be sub pizza?) that I couldn't manage last night.

I did that yesterday (pizza from local tratt) except my kitchen doesn't have anything electrical more complicated than a toaster.

Roger - you may be right about the horseradish, but I eat it anyway. Have just googled "Can you eat orange peel?" Yes, it's highly nutritious, but wash it thoroughly. Also best if chopped into very small pieces, and thrown into a salad.

Lunch delayed. Loaf and beetroot are done but I've decided to walk down to the cave à manger to see if they have anything sweet, white and from the SW of Gaul. Will cost me this week's pension.

[LMcD]

I'm reheating in the microwave that portion of the honey-cured-ham-topped pizza sub (or should that be sub pizza?) that I couldn't manage last night.

[Roger Webb]

Yes, cheese is the invariable, unless I've made something like the tartiflette/gratin champenois which is itself cheesy.



That sounds a great improvement on my fish (usually salmon) accompaniment of creamed horseradish from a jar. I shall have plenty of beetroot left over when I've made the salad. Might replace the mayo with sour cream and get a white fish next time instead of salmon.

Isn't the horseradish (usually the trencherman's accompaniment for his roast beef) a bit 'piquant' for salmon? I usually pan fry salmon, skin-on and served skin side up with a caper in olive oil sauce.
This with a crisp Grüner Veltliner gets close to my idea of heaven - although a tuna steak with the same accompaniments also does the trick.