Daily meals! So we don't eat the same foods, day in, day out, forever.

[Old Philosopher]

allie> now that you mention it, i love lamb. my mother makes a delicous orange/wine sauce that she puts on it. very tender and lamb has more flavor than beef/chicken. i like some game taste. venison is great as long as it's farm raised (basically around farms and not all woods). ate squirrel for the first time 3 weeks ago. alot like chicken. kinda dissapointing. my favorite meat is shrimp.

My favorite part of a lamb dinner is the mint jelly. Hahaha. Lamb roast with mint jelly...to die for!
To me, the only difference between squirrel and rabbit is the size.
All this talk about food is making me hungry! It got me thinking about all the different types of meat I've eaten. When I'm really bored, I'll have to list them in preference.

 

[St Allie]

I have a huge rosemary hedge.. so i make rosemary jelly..

it goes with anything roasted, pretty much.

Allie

 

[Old Philosopher]

Rosemary

I have a huge rosemary hedge.. so i make rosemary jelly..

it goes with anything roasted, pretty much.

Allie

Arrgghhh, you're killin' me, G! We have three plants we have in pots in the garden room, nursing them along. We left an herb garden 10 years ago that was ringed with a rosemary hedge.

A sprig of fresh rosemary on meat in the BBQ.

Rosemary in almost every rub we make.

Fresh rosemary in the pot pourri mix.

And the ultimate use of rosemary: Rosemary Rice
(Put oil in the pot, throw in the rice, fry it until it's translucent and starting to brown, throw in the rosemary just to toast it, then a little granulated garlic given just enough time to release its bouquet, then use chicken broth for the liquid (instead of plain water), and try to be patient.)

Of course, in the case of the BBQ, you eat the crispy rosemary leaves along with the meat! We've been known to sauté rosemary sprigs in garlic butter, just as a side garnish.

 

[St Allie]

hehehe P,

I cook most everything using garlic/rosemary and rock salt..I'm just old fashioned.

My comment tonight however is what I am cooking for the evening meal.

Tonight is...Sushi

I'm making two sorts of sushi..

cream cheese/smoked salmon/cucumber and pineapple

teriyaki chicken/capsicum/cucumber and avocado.

served with wasabi sauce and preserved ginger.

it's not as difficult to make as you think..just ask me if you want the recipes.

Allie

 

[Old Philosopher]

hehehe P,

I cook most everything using garlic/rosemary and rock salt..I'm just old fashioned.

My comment tonight however is what I am cooking for the evening meal.

Tonight is...Sushi

I'm making two sorts of sushi..

cream cheese/smoked salmon/cucumber and pineapple

teriyaki chicken/capsicum/cucumber and avocado.

served with wasabi sauce and preserved ginger.

it's not as difficult to make as you think..just ask me if you want the recipes.

Allie

Dang, woman, here we go again! Wasabi, avocado, ginger... But how to you cook a meal that's traditionally served raw?

P.S. If there is a little cottage with a yard reserved for me in Heaven, it's going to have an avocado tree in the corner!

 

[Leanne]

Tonight I'll have a tuna steak with a nice mixed salad. I can go mad and have a small dessert after that!
When I make a salad I like to throw everything in it and then dress it with ginger, orange and lime (in cider vinegar).

I think the nice thing about being single is that I can really experiment with food and flavours without having to apologise when it all goes wrong.

 

[arcticsid]

I'm with you there Leanne. I love a mixed salad, and very seldom do I use any kind of lettuce. I like to take 7 or 8 different veggies and toss it all together. I was thinking for a bit that my friends loved my BBQ's for my cooking, I later found out they love that vegetable salad!

I bought a nice piece of Ahi Tuna a couple weeks back. Not sure if I like it raw or cooked better!LOL.

 

[Leanne]

I love Tuna. I grill mine with lime slices and a little mustard.
Which veggies do you use Sid?

 

[arcticsid]

I like to use shreadded cabbage as a base, thin sliced green nions, cucumbers, grated carrots, maybe some zuchinni. Really depends on whats cheap.

I usually like to toss it with an Italian style dressing and then add some greek olives, pepperoncinni, and feta cheese. Top it all off with some fresh finely minced basil, or flat leaf parsley.

 

[Leanne]

That sounds really nice. I might try that myself. I don't use lettuce as a base either. I much prefer a cabbage or loose leaf base.
I can't get peppericinni here but it sounds as if it would be good without it anyway.

 

[arcticsid]

I like fresh, thinly sliced green peppers, but prefer to use Pablomos, almost the same flavor with a lil bite. oh yeah, I LOVE celery, it is in almost everything I cook.

I am almost surprised to hear you cant get pepperoncinis there. You are in Europe right?

The only way I have ever seen them was pickled, there the yellowish kind, not hot but they have a great flavor.

 

[arcticsid]

I am "famous" for my Kim Chee. Garlic and onions may be part of the reason I am still single, but I am quite fond of my Kim Chee. I even have some Korean friends who say it is outrageous.

I am a pollack, not sure what business I have making Kim Chee, but it is one of my favorite things to make and give away!

 

[St Allie]

Isn't fresh salad really expensive in Alaska?

Allie

 

[Leanne]

Goodness! I love Kim Chee. I buy mine in jars though.
Hmmm, my use of garlic and onions could well have a lot to do with my single state too.

 

[arcticsid]

not really so much, you can always get the bags of premixed greens for a couple dollars, thats enough for 3 big slads. They mark it down the next day, but if I go for the lettuce type of salads I always look for these. Tomatoes here are pretty expensive, during the winter you could end up paying almost $2 for a tomatoe. cucumbers are almot always about $1 a piece, and green peppers(bells) can be almost $2 for one. Thats why I started buying the poblamos, they were a nice pepper, crisp, etc, and they were a helluva lot cheaper than the bell peppers.

 

[arcticsid]

I make my Kim Chee in buckets! I'd be happy to tell you how to make it. It is really very simple. In fact I may very well go ahead and post the recipe. My version is very garlicky and oniony(is oniony a word?) LOL.

The first week is the worst, as it ferments, make your worst wine smell good!!! LOL. Its a strange salad, kinda like wine and beer. If it doesn't smell bad in the begining, it wont be good in the end!.

 

[Leanne]

I'd love the recipe! How long does it take to make?

 

[arcticsid]

Kim chee recipe

Okay, here you go! Making kim Chee is like making chicken soup or spaghetti, there really is no right way.

The Koreans sault and rinse their cabbage, much in the same way as the Germans make Kraut.

But this is how I nake it, and it has never once failed.

You want to make this in glass or plastic!Metal, salt, and the acid from the cabbage make a scary reaction with metal. A plastic bucket really works the best because of the volume of veggies and the fact it needs to be tossed around.

Take 1 head of cabbage. Napa works the best, but regular old green cabbage will work also. You want to cut this up into 1 inch pieces or so. "Fluff" it up a bit so the pieces seperate. So were starting with 2 gallons of "fluffed" cabbage.

Now to that add about 4 cups or more of chopped green onions.

And toss in a couple 5 or 6 yablespoons of pepper flakes. the kind u see for pizza. Toss this all together. This will be your base. We will talk alternatives later.

Unlike the traditional Korean/Polish way of fermnting cabbage, by first salting and rinsing. This is how I have done it.

In a food processor, blender, or by hand:

1 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup water
about a 1/4 cup fresh minced garlic
about 2 TBLS fresh ginger, fresh. Powder will work but it IS NOT the same. Use fresh.

Blend this all up and toss through the vegetables. Allow to sit at room temperature for 12 hours or so. You will be amazed at how much it will shrink overnight.

Now, toss it al around again and stuff those veggies under the liquid. Forget about it for the next 6 or 7 days. (Yeah, right! thats what I thought about wine making, now I am a bubble watcher) I usually stir it once a day, take a smell, take a taste LOL!!! But the key is to keep the veggies under the liquid.

You definitely want to have this with a loose fitting top!!!!!!

There shouldn't be any problem fitting all this into a one gallon glass jar, like for pickles, etc. It reall is remakable how much it shrinks from the salt and the acid in the cabbage. Pour all the liquid, garlic juice mix over the vegs in the jar. Press the veg under the liguid. If you HAD TO use water to top off with, but you shouldn't have to.

Now leave it alone for 5 or 6 days at room temperature. With a loose lid please trust me on this one!!LOL This stuff can be wicked and has been known to scare off children, pets, and from what I have heard , most non Koreans.!! LOL Then seal the jar and refrigerate till cold.

This, like our beloved wine will improve with age, but I find 3 or 4 weeks is perfect for Kim Chee. but it will last for several months.

That is the very basic recipe for the Kim Chee.

Next Lesson: Kim Chee variations.

Troy

 

[arcticsid]

Kim Chee Variations

I have made Kim Chee hundreds of times. As I said before it is foolproof. You can look up Kim Chee in your favorite search engine and see some of the variations, but these are mine.

The most basic is the soy/water, this is what "activates" the cabbage. The rest of the igredients are your own taste.

So..in conclusion.

I have used Napa(Chinese)cabbage, green cabbage, red cabbage, Bok Choy and a variety of different greens. Mostly now when I make it I start with 1 head Napa, 1 head Bok Choy, one head savoy cabbage(kinda like regular green cabbage) All of these or a combination their of will work.

Onions. I don't know why but green onions seem to be made for Kim Chee. I have used sliced yellow, red or just your average onion in my Kim Chee, slice them very thin. They will work fine. But green onions are what you want. Use alot!!! don't chop the snot out of em, bigger chunks are better.

Garlic. The main villan here. LOL Use alot.

Ginger. I have made it with powdered ginger and it will work. but were only talking a bout a couple tablesppons of fresh. Use it. No comparrison.

HEAT! LOL. I have made my Kim Chee with a number of different peppers fresh, dried, etc. Again, I can't explain it, but red pepper flakes seem to work the best. The Koreans use ground hot pepper but for the rest of us, red pepper flakes will be all you need. Somehow all the ferment action effects the heat from the peppers, becareful what you add till you know how it will be.

These are the main ingredients. Some of the other things I have mixed in were.

Almost any green will work.
Shreaded carrots.
Cucumbers, but they tend to get pretty soft. Works fine
Traditionally you want to be sure to include some shaved DAIKON radish. but I have made this with good old fashion red radish and it works fine, though Daikon, if you can get it works the best.

Diced turnips. parsnip are both good. Kim Chee needs a crunch.

I have used dill weed and basil, but it just doesn't do it. We are talking about a fermented cabbage.

Some Koreans add dried shrimp to the whole mess and this is really good!! If you can find them. I once tried using a little VietNamese Fish sauce for some of the soy sauce and it was pretty salty, but the shrimp work good.

No sense for me to go on and on about what else can be used. i have tried many things and they all work.

This is some pretty smelly stuff for that first week. You have been warned. I don't want any mad spouses calling and asking me why I provided such an offensive recipe!! But I figured as long as we were all together talking about fermenting stuff i'd share this.


Troy

 

[Leanne]

Wow! Thank you Sid. I will definitely give it a go.
How long does it keep? I can imagine I'll eat it fairly quickly but I do travel at times and would need to know how long I can leave it.
Thanks again.