The food and drink forum blog thread.

[RAGER]

Oh yeah we got that east coast shit best by like 10'000'. Ha!  Suck it.

Pa-ci-fic! Pa-ci-fic! Pa-ci-fic!

[Muffin Man]

egggxactically...totally different league.

"The expedition leaves Brooklyn aboard the United States Navy frigate Abraham Lincoln, then travels south around Cape Horn into the Pacific Ocean. After a five-month search ending off Japan, the frigate locates and attacks the monster, which damages the ship's rudder. Aronnax and Land are hurled into the sea, and Conseil jumps into the water after them. They survive by climbing onto the "monster", which, they are startled to find, is a futuristic submarine. They wait on the deck of the vessel until morning, when they are captured, hauled inside, and introduced to the submarine's mysterious constructor and commander, Captain Nemo."

[RAGER]

Dude I'm getting tuna from is a fishin fool. This stuff was from last year. They killed it. Seasons starting soon. Hopefully I can get more.

I did a few medallions for dinner aaaand overcooked them. Still good and juicy but not perfect. Japanese tater salad rules though. See the red shiso?  Yum.

[RAGER]

More practice. I like these little gunkan maki.

[Muffin Man]

yeah those are the real deal. What is the sauce; tamarind-ish? Looks that color.
Right, the Japanese potato salad looks magnificent!.

ps. I have a Shisho body wash/gel (fake though)

[RAGER]

Sauce is pure shoyu. The sauce on the cooked tuna is toasted then ground sesame seeds with sake, mirin, shoyu, garlic and ginger.

Japanese tater salad is awesome.

[Muffin Man]

funny I never noticed shoyu is brown. too many dark sushi bars (or too few) I guess, and my bottles sure look black too. I had to pull one close to the window and, wow, brown.

ps. nice sushi plate set there.

[RAGER]

It is?  Huh. Shoyu is also also saltier than Tamari. And Tamari is all soy no wheat. They're both soy sauces.

Nothing special in the plate. It just works.

[Muffin Man]

This is one I have on my top shelf but I'm ready to try another brand or grade. Its good though, end of my second bottle of it.
https://www.takaski.com/product/takesan-kishibori-shoyu-gourmet-japanese-soy-sauce-made-in-japan/

The 360 I got from Mala Market is from Sichuan province. Has wheat in it and is strong.
Oh hey, I just sipped it straight, its not totally that strong. They changed the label and are calling it light now. It's pretty good but not light enough for me. I've had lighter. https://themalamarket.com/collections/all/products/zhongba-360-light-soy-sauce-naturally-brewed-1-year

I ran out of light* soy, which I need to re-stock. Never knew there was a light variety until last year. I blew through a bottle of it. Great for tweaking a dish w/o going overboard.
*Yikes, make that "thin". This one was good but I need to double-check after re-stocking.
https://www.amazon.com/Healthy-Boy-Brand-Sauce-ounces/dp/B0086XQ4XK/
Their mushroom sauce is delish^

Never liked Tamari or that other one. Maybe I need to get a top grade Tamari and try again. Plus, I think my palate may have since changed.

I've got those fermented whole soy beans. Really adds a twist to, well, anything.

[RAGER]

I feel I've bought that top one before.

Lots of Healthy Boy around here.

I'll never be without fermented black soybeans. I doan give a shit what the Dr.says.

[RAGER]

Checker at the grocery this morning wanted to argue with me that scallions and green onions aren't the same thing. Then she asked if the bunch in her hand was cilantro or parsley. You tell me genius.

[Muffin Man]

I would refuse to shop there

[RAGER]

I would refuse to shop there

It's a little out if my way but not too much. Fred Meyers sold out to Kroger a few years back and they seem hellbent on turning it into a homogeneous Midwest cracker ass distopia. Can't even find daikon there. The one by me is really bad. Abysmal produce and super shitty staff.

This other one is a bit getter but further.

Can't wait for the New seasons like 5 minutes from me to open.

[RAGER]

Made a small test batch of ponzu. Didn't have any yuzu so I used lemon.

Lemon juice and peel
Mirin
Soy sauce
Katsuobushi
Konbu

Steep one week.

[Muffin Man]

Awesome that you're getting a new grocery market. That's huge.

Grocery butcher was just telling me that back in the day they used to haul farm vegetables to Pike Place market. I used to go there frequently to visit/shop the various tables. You could find all kinda ingredients and foods from organic scallions to smoked fish to goat cheese. Yep a famers market! Haven't been to a real one in years! eghads.

I pikced up scallions, er, green onions today they were on sale $1ea. Got 3 and the receipt said 3 for 2 so, $1.50. Score! Wait that math is all messed up I better ask them next time. Also ginger for muh chicken. Produce man tried to sell me lemongrass but wouldn't say how to use it but I'll do that next time, lemongrass chicken.

[RAGER]

 Might know a thing or two about lemongrass.

[Muffin Man]

Of course. Lemme get some from across the border and re-visit with a question or three. Thanks!
ps. maybe a run to H-Mart.

[Muffin Man]

I followed the dang instruction for Zimmern poached whole chicken and the dang thing came out pink (wrong pot? I need a bigger pot)  so it's now in the oven for who-knows how long. also spilled a container a jalapeno crema that I just blended all over the...well heck! Good sauce though, got a hot tip to add capers. Interesting but kitchen disaster.

[Muffin Man]

totally done with the local chicken brand (was over them years ago but this cinches it). Going to the place over yonder where they have heirloom or whatever birds. The local garbage has all the flavor to the equivalent of a mass grocery tomato. May as well be eating styrofoam.

[RAGER]

Sucks about the chicken. There's always good ways to salvage chicken.

Like this chicken carcass soup with brothy herby white beans.

[Muffin Man]

Thanks Rager that starts me on off on an idea or two. Ill make some soup, and some pastas; Cacciatore, alfredo. I just opened a can of tomato paste (for pizza). Any ideas for how can I use the paste for chicken?

[RAGER]

Yeah. Make some soup. After your mirepoix has bloomed after about 2-3 minutes, add a spoon of paste and continue for another 4-5. Not too high heat though. Then deglaze and proceed. Use that chicken water too.

[Muffin Man]

Yeah. Make some soup. After your mirepoix has bloomed after about 2-3 minutes, add a spoon of paste and continue for another 4-5. Not too high heat though. Then deglaze and proceed. Use that chicken water too.

Roger that. ah great. I picked up celery hearts yesterday so all set. Looking at your soup...I've also got some white beans (canned) but more importantly (to me) various dried seaweeds - I'll pick one of those, not too much. Also dried mushrooms. oohhh boy soups on!

ps. bacon has been sitting there in the refer for weeks. Now I have a plan for a little bit of it.

[RAGER]

Some stuff I made with the leftover skewer meat and the fried chicken. I still have the "tails" and the bones and a little trim. Might be turned into pho at some point.

Burrito with ribeye and frico seal.


Foldie with ribeye, pintos and Flamin Hot dust.


Swedish-ish meatballs Yukons, garden beans and gravy from chicken
Pan drippings.


Thai chicken red curry with you guessed it. Fried chicken.



Trottole pasta with ribeye meat sauce

[mortlock]

great use of the dust.