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What I learned today

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Jenise

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Re: What I learned today

by Jenise » Thu Feb 25, 2021 4:06 pm

Today I learned that Hush Puppies got their name from the little balled-up wads of cornbread slaves would throw guard dogs at night to placate them as they moved about the plantation.
My wine shopping and I have never had a problem. Just a perpetual race between the bankruptcy court and Hell.--Rogov
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Jeff Grossman

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Re: What I learned today

by Jeff Grossman » Fri Feb 26, 2021 3:56 am

Jenise wrote:Today I learned that Hush Puppies got their name from the little balled-up wads of cornbread slaves would throw guard dogs at night to placate them as they moved about the plantation.

No. Not even close: https://www.seriouseats.com/2015/06/real-history-myths-hushpuppies.html
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Re: What I learned today

by Jenise » Fri Feb 26, 2021 2:27 pm

Well, gee, that's embarrassing!
My wine shopping and I have never had a problem. Just a perpetual race between the bankruptcy court and Hell.--Rogov
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Christina Georgina

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Re: What I learned today

by Christina Georgina » Fri Feb 26, 2021 6:07 pm

Listening to NPR on a 10 hour drive east heard a story about why butter is less soft at room temperature than previously.
Read about Buttergate....
Only common sense that any animal product is only as good as the feed and health of the animal.
Mamma Mia !
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Re: What I learned today

by Jeff Grossman » Fri Feb 26, 2021 9:26 pm

Christina Georgina wrote:Listening to NPR on a 10 hour drive east heard a story about why butter is less soft at room temperature than previously.
Read about Buttergate....
Only common sense that any animal product is only as good as the feed and health of the animal.

For example: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-56175784
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Christina Georgina

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Re: What I learned today

by Christina Georgina » Sat Mar 06, 2021 3:32 pm

Not today but recently I learned that I had serious high pitch hearing loss when I remembered that I put bagels in the oven by smell and not by sound of oven alarm. This was the result
Burned bagel.JPG
.
My husband was determined to try them and have some fun at my expense
IMG_5860 burned bagel chainsaw.JPG
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Mamma Mia !
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Jeff Grossman

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Re: What I learned today

by Jeff Grossman » Sun Mar 14, 2021 10:31 pm

I learned today that if you make a roux in a big heavy dutch oven that it goes from raw to chocolate brown really fast.
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Paul Winalski

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Re: What I learned today

by Paul Winalski » Mon Mar 15, 2021 12:35 pm

Yes, that's the technique for making black roux (for gumbo) that Paul Prudhomme teaches in his Louisiana Kitchen cookbook. It takes about five minutes. but you have to keep the roux in constant motion to avoid burning it. Fast roux making takes some practice. You also have to avoid splatter--there's a good reason that the cooks at K-Paul's nicknamed hot roux "Cajun napalm".

-Paul W.
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Re: What I learned today

by Jenise » Mon Mar 15, 2021 1:37 pm

Christina, love the picture of your husband with the chain saw! I showed that to Bob this morning while he was attempting (badly) to cut open an English muffin.
My wine shopping and I have never had a problem. Just a perpetual race between the bankruptcy court and Hell.--Rogov
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Re: What I learned today

by Jeff Grossman » Mon Mar 15, 2021 2:42 pm

Paul Winalski wrote:Yes, that's the technique for making black roux (for gumbo) that Paul Prudhomme teaches in his Louisiana Kitchen cookbook. It takes about five minutes. but you have to keep the roux in constant motion to avoid burning it. Fast roux making takes some practice.

Indeed it does. I avoided burning it but I was quite surprised how quickly I got to the stock-adding step. (And, that is the really dangerous step! Those first two pours come rushing back up out of the pot as steam.)
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Re: What I learned today

by Paul Winalski » Tue Mar 16, 2021 11:33 am

The gumbo recipes I've used all involve adding diced Cajun Trinity (onions, celery, green bell peppers) to the roux and then adding that mixture by spoonfuls to hot stock. This both caramelizes the vegetables a bit and avoids that rush of steam.

-Paul W.
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Re: What I learned today

by Jenise » Tue Mar 16, 2021 1:31 pm

Gumbo's one of those things I've never made--and need to. One should do everything once.
My wine shopping and I have never had a problem. Just a perpetual race between the bankruptcy court and Hell.--Rogov
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Larry Greenly

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Re: What I learned today

by Larry Greenly » Tue Mar 16, 2021 2:01 pm

Jenise wrote:Gumbo's one of those things I've never made--and need to. One should do everything once.


I've made a few successful gumbos, and they weren't very difficult at all. I even sneaked in some okra that my first wife didn't even notice. :wink:

IMO, the oven method of making the roux is the easiest and fastest. And I never forgot the advice, "Heat the flour until it's the color of an old penny." (Yes, I know, there are differing opinions on the color.) ATK et al. have recipes online.
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Re: What I learned today

by Jeff Grossman » Tue Mar 16, 2021 8:54 pm

Jenise wrote:Gumbo's one of those things I've never made--and need to. One should do everything once.

Yes, you should. But don't feel obligated to add file powder... it's a weak thickener and does not really add any flavor compared to the other things you'll use.
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Re: What I learned today

by Jenise » Wed Mar 17, 2021 6:11 pm

Well today I learned that it's a bad idea to put a copper lid inside a pot with lots of lemon juice to hold down the stuffed grape leaves.

And it's not like I didn't know that's a bad idea, I just didn't think. DAMN DAMN DAMN.
My wine shopping and I have never had a problem. Just a perpetual race between the bankruptcy court and Hell.--Rogov
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Larry Greenly

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Re: What I learned today

by Larry Greenly » Wed Mar 17, 2021 7:07 pm

I feel your pain. Similarly, I've learned not to put aluminum foil over tomato-containing dishes or to seal a partially used can of tomato sauce or whatever. :|
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Jeff Grossman

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Re: What I learned today

by Jeff Grossman » Thu Mar 18, 2021 12:03 am

Jenise wrote:Well today I learned that it's a bad idea to put a copper lid inside a pot with lots of lemon juice to hold down the stuffed grape leaves.

And it's not like I didn't know that's a bad idea, I just didn't think. DAMN DAMN DAMN.

Can that be fixed?
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Re: What I learned today

by Jeff Grossman » Thu Mar 18, 2021 12:04 am

Today I learned that I cannot get a good sear on scallops if I cook them in the same pan as I just used to cook salmon. There's too much oil and the heat is not transferring from the pan into the scallops, either.
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Barb Downunder

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Re: What I learned today

by Barb Downunder » Thu Mar 18, 2021 1:52 am

Today I learned that a potato ricer does quite a good job of squeezing out moisture from grated potatoes for making latkes also zucchini for fritters, etc.
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Re: What I learned today

by Paul Winalski » Thu Mar 18, 2021 11:27 am

Was the copper lid tin-lined or inox?

-Paul W.
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Jenise

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Re: What I learned today

by Jenise » Fri Mar 19, 2021 11:34 am

Jeff Grossman wrote:
Jenise wrote:Well today I learned that it's a bad idea to put a copper lid inside a pot with lots of lemon juice to hold down the stuffed grape leaves.

And it's not like I didn't know that's a bad idea, I just didn't think. DAMN DAMN DAMN.

Can that be fixed?


Answering Paul's question as well as yours, Jeff: the tin on the underside remains intact so the part that's in contact with the food is safe, but it ate through the copper on top and turned that beautiful deep tarnish accumulated over decades a sorry shade of pink.
My wine shopping and I have never had a problem. Just a perpetual race between the bankruptcy court and Hell.--Rogov
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Re: What I learned today

by Jenise » Fri Mar 19, 2021 11:39 am

Watching an episode of Ming Tsai, Sarah Moulton made an Alsatian bacon-onion flatbread and rolled hers out on a lightly oiled work surface which she said she learned from a Sicilian friend. The dough, which she wanted to be almost paper thin, stuck to the oiled board where on flour it would have stretched back and forth. Yeah, I have that problem too! Never heard this before, but next time....!
My wine shopping and I have never had a problem. Just a perpetual race between the bankruptcy court and Hell.--Rogov
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Paul Winalski

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Re: What I learned today

by Paul Winalski » Fri Mar 19, 2021 11:55 am

The lemon juice has acted as a natural copper cleaner. Over time the tarnish will come back. Or you could use copper cleaner and a lot of elbow grease (or an electric buffer/shoe polisher) to restore the original factory polish. I recommend applying copper cleaner just to make sure that the lid tarnishes evenly, even if you don't polish it up.

-Paul W.
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Jenise

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Re: What I learned today

by Jenise » Fri Mar 19, 2021 1:30 pm

Yes, I realize. Even catsup makes a good cleaner because of the acidity. In this case, though, the exposure was long enough to eat away some of the copper, which is the part that distresses me the most.
My wine shopping and I have never had a problem. Just a perpetual race between the bankruptcy court and Hell.--Rogov
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