Food pet peeves

[MissBarbara]

As I said I like that happy median between raw crunch and mush.  It can be cooked through and still have firmness, snap and bright colors.

But I’ll give you this Jules, raw crunch is a 1000 times preferable over mush.

I agree. There's a fine line, and it's always preferable to err on the side of crunch, especially with broccoli.

One of my best friends grew up in the South, and like many Southerners, she cooks vegetables until they're almost mush. I can barely force them down...

[watcher1]

I agree. There's a fine line, and it's always preferable to err on the side of crunch, especially with broccoli.

One of my best friends grew up in the South, and like many Southerners, she cooks vegetables until they're almost mush. I can barely force them down...

Speaking of the South, did you ever have boiled peanuts?  They taste like lima beans, not one of my favorite foods. But I do like collard greens.

[Elizabeth]

I agree. There's a fine line, and it's always preferable to err on the side of crunch, especially with broccoli.

One of my best friends grew up in the South, and like many Southerners, she cooks vegetables until they're almost mush. I can barely force them down...

Speaking of the South, did you ever have boiled peanuts?  They taste like lima beans, not one of my favorite foods. But I do like collard greens.

Okra.....but ABSOLUTELY not boiled to mush.
It's great fried.....
Another really good squash (I know okra is not squash)....is acorn squash with brown sugar. Cut in half, hollow out the center (remove seeds and stuff) and place in brown sugar and bake.

Love,
Liz

[Jed_]

Grocery store potato salad and cole slaw, and that people actually buy it and bring it to parties/pot lucks.  They are typically sour as all fuck to point of inedibility.  And potato salad needs eggs.  I get that the vinegar keeps them from spoiling, but people around me should stop buying this crap and bringing it as a substitute for their laziness.  If you want potato salad or cole slaw at an event, let me know and I’ll make it.

[Elizabeth]

Grocery store potato salad and cole slaw, and that people actually buy it and bring it to parties/pot lucks.  They are typically sour as all fuck to point of inedibility.  And potato salad needs eggs.  I get that the vinegar keeps them from spoiling, but people around me should stop buying this crap and bringing it as a substitute for their laziness.  If you want potato salad or cole slaw at an event, let me know and I’ll make it.

German Potato Salad can be made with or without eggs (I've had both styles), I prefer with eggs.
Good Creamy (don't go there) Cole Slaw is also hard to find. Best made at home.

Love,
Liz

[Hades]

Grocery store potato salad and cole slaw, and that people actually buy it and bring it to parties/pot lucks.  They are typically sour as all fuck to point of inedibility.  And potato salad needs eggs.  I get that the vinegar keeps them from spoiling, but people around me should stop buying this crap and bringing it as a substitute for their laziness.  If you want potato salad or cole slaw at an event, let me know and I’ll make it.

German Potato Salad can be made with or without eggs (I've had both styles), I prefer with eggs.
Good Creamy (don't go there) Cole Slaw is also hard to find. Best made at home.

Love,
Liz

You make your own coleslaw? 

[Elizabeth]

Yeah why.....??
All you need is a good food processer....

Love,
Liz
 

[Hades]

Yeah why.....??
All you need is a good food processer....

Love,
Liz
 

Indeed... I was somewhat confused.  I always thought coleslaw (like sauerkraut) was fermented. Since it isn't, I think one of these days I'm gonna buy myself a nice cabbage and make some.  Thanks Liz.  No more supermarket brand coleslaw for me

[Elizabeth]

Homemade Sauerkraut fermented in a clay pot is fantastic.
My Grandmother used to make it in a clay pot and leave it alone in the basement of her house for almost 1 year ( at least that's how long we had to wait before tasting any of it). 

Love,
Liz

[Hades]

I know... I had a friend who had his own veg, potato and herbs field.  One of the things he made was home made sauerkraut and it was truly fantastic. 
Then again, me being me, if I ever go into fermenting it would involve grains and a pot still

[Jed_]

I have a pot for making sauerkraut, but only did it once so far.  It was just OK.  I always meant to try other recipes, as I think I used one that came with the jar.

I prefer cutting cabbage with a knife to get thin strips instead of finely chopped in a food processor.  I lightly salt and place in a lettuce spinner, after it sweats some I spin out the liquid.  That helps keeping the slaw from being soupy.  If there are big cabbage rib chunks, I toss them.

I’ll post my slaw recipe later when I get home.

[watcher1]

German Potato Salad can be made with or without eggs (I've had both styles), I prefer with eggs.
Good Creamy (don't go there) Cole Slaw is also hard to find. Best made at home.

Love,
Liz

I never saw, let alone taste, German potato salad made with eggs.  One of the reasons I prefer German potato salad over other potato salads.

And I prefer light and airy dumplings rather then the ones we used to call sinkers.

[MissBarbara]

German Potato Salad can be made with or without eggs (I've had both styles), I prefer with eggs.
Good Creamy (don't go there) Cole Slaw is also hard to find. Best made at home.

Love,
Liz

I never saw, let alone taste, German potato salad made with eggs.  One of the reasons I prefer German potato salad over other potato salads.

And I prefer light and airy dumplings rather then the ones we used to call sinkers.

It must be a Midwestern thing, but neither have I seen German potato salad made with eggs. Growing up, we'd distinguish between American potato salad, which was creamier and had hard-boiled eggs in it, and German potato salad, which was more vinegary, and was often served warm or hot.

And I haven't heard the word "sinkers" in this context for years! My Mom used to make them, and they're aggressively simple: flour, milk and eggs. They sink to the bottom of the pot of boiling water when you drop them in. They don't have much taste, but they're great as a "receptacle" for gravy.

[Katiebee]

In German they are called kloß (kloss).

[KitKat]

Homemade Sauerkraut fermented in a clay pot is fantastic.

Ummmhummm...   

[Jed_]

I have a pot for making sauerkraut, but only did it once so far.  It was just OK.  I always meant to try other recipes, as I think I used one that came with the jar.

I prefer cutting cabbage with a knife to get thin strips instead of finely chopped in a food processor.  I lightly salt and place in a lettuce spinner, after it sweats some I spin out the liquid.  That helps keeping the slaw from being soupy.  If there are big cabbage rib chunks, I toss them.

I’ll post my slaw recipe later when I get home.

Better late than never:

Green cabbage (as I said cut with a knife), can be regular head, savoy, napa or other or a mix
And in smaller portions and for flavor and color:
Red cabbage
Grated carrot
Red onion
Green onion
Red bell pepper

Dressing:
Mayonnaise
Dijon mustard
Sesame oil
Lime juice
Rice wine vinegar
Raw sugar (sometimes a little honey too)
Black pepper
Optional:  crushed roasted peanuts and Thai peanut sauce
Celery seed

[Jed_]

Btw, the classic Reuben sandwich with corn beef, Swiss cheese, thousand island dressing and sauerkraut on toasted marbled rye gets an upgrade around me.  In Baltimore the kraut gets replaced with slaw in what is IMHO a far superior sandwich.  I have made my own corn beef before from brisket, it was awesome.

[MissBarbara]

Btw, the classic Reuben sandwich with corn beef, Swiss cheese, thousand island dressing and sauerkraut on toasted marbled rye gets an upgrade around me.  In Baltimore the kraut gets replaced with slaw in what is IMHO a far superior sandwich.  I have made my own corn beef before from brisket, it was awesome.

I've never really liked the taste of sauerkraut, and on St. Patrick's Day several years ago I made them as you do, substituting cole slaw for the sauerkraut. You're right: it's a far superior sandwich.

I've never had home-made corned beef. Please invite me over next St. Patrick's Day so I can try yours!

[Jed_]

Btw, the classic Reuben sandwich with corn beef, Swiss cheese, thousand island dressing and sauerkraut on toasted marbled rye gets an upgrade around me.  In Baltimore the kraut gets replaced with slaw in what is IMHO a far superior sandwich.  I have made my own corn beef before from brisket, it was awesome.

I've never really liked the taste of sauerkraut, and on St. Patrick's Day several years ago I made them as you do, substituting cole slaw for the sauerkraut. You're right: it's a far superior sandwich.

I've never had home-made corned beef. Please invite me over next St. Patrick's Day so I can try yours!

Oh my, it was basically beef bacon with layers of decadent fat.  The whole sandwich seemed to melt in your mouth.

[RopeFiend]

Green bananas! 

What the hell is up with that?  I can't COOK with green bananas, and there's no need to buy something that's going to have to sit on a shelf for some indeterminate amount of time before it's ready to eat or cook with.

Are y'all ASKING for green bananas?  I'm sure as heck not!  Within the last several months, EVERY damned store in the Dallas area is only carrying green bananas.  Hell, when I can finally find 'ripe' bananas, I get them at a smokin' deal of something like 29 cents per bunch.  Even brown and over-ripe, I can let 'em go another week hanging at home before I make bread with 'em.  Very over-ripe is *not* a problem for Paleo banana bread, as long as they haven't started to go liquid.