Weekly Cooking (and related issues) Thread

[Jamestown1630]

It finally feels like Spring here today,and my thoughts turned to the wonderful things that will soon spring from peoples' gardens.

I thought I'd post a recipe for an old favorite that I recall from the 1970s and is difficult to find on store shelves nowadays:

Green Goddess Dressing

(This is a case where you really do taste the anchovies, so you may want to start with a smaller amount until you get the anchovy-level you like.)

2-oz. tin of anchovies, undrained

2 T chopped fresh chives

3 T tarragon vinegar

1 T fresh lemon juice

1 Cup sour cream

1 Cup mayonnaise

1/2 Cup chopped parsley

1/4 tsp. salt, or to taste

Black pepper to taste

Whisk everything together and chill.

(I have also used the anchovy paste that comes in a tube, and that works out very nicely for this, as well as for Caesar Salad Dressing.)

Does anyone have a recipe for what we in the US call 'French' dressing? (The bright orange stuff ;-)

-JT

[JRandomFreeper]

I can get anchovy paste here, and I wind up using it in a lot of salad dressings and just never discussing it. ;)

I love it on crackers like a spread, but that's me.

/johnny

[JRandomFreeper]

I did get some asparagus fresh out of the garden today. I'll have enough for a meal with what I get tomorrow.

/johnny

[Jamestown1630]

That sounds wonderful!

[Jamestown1630]

Asparagus is one of the things I’d really like to learn how to grow, as soon as I have my ‘retirement garden’.

My husband makes a great pasta dish that uses asparagus. I’ll find it and post tomorrow.

-JT

[SAJ]

Johnny -- If you fancy shrimp, dig up a recipe for shrimp toast. Most don't use anchovy paste in their recipes...but they should!

I'll tell you this, though. A largish can, typically 13-14 oz, of anchovy fillets is MUCH less expensive than those small 1-2 oz. tubes of paste. Make your own, recipes abound and it's a cinch. You can easily make sardine paste too, if you fancy that.

Me? Anchovies? Fillets straight from the can with a cold beer are an excellent snack, so we're on the same page.

[MaxMax]

Anchovies? I need to make that recipe..+

[lwd]

This thread reminds me ...I’ve been meaning to try this one because I love it:

Outback House dressing (Mustard Vinaigrette)

1/2 cup olive oil
1/3 cup white wine vinegar — or any vinegar
1 pinch salt
1 pinch freshly ground black pepper
1 tsp mustard — French or English

Shake all ingredients in tightly covered container. Refrigerate at least 2 hours. Shake well before serving.

[Jane Long]

Anchovies on crackers? Nom nom ;-)

[JRandomFreeper]

Excellent snack and high in protein. Unfortunately, tastes here change from day to day, so I'll hold off until I'm better.

/johnny

[KosmicKitty]

I have tarragon, parsley, and chive started for my garden, garlic I planted last Fall, as well as most of the greens ready to grow. I am going to save this recipe for another month or two. Then, it will be divine.

If only I cold grow avocados in Connecticut. :-)

I remember green goddess dressing in the grocery stores when I was young. But my mother only bough french and blue cheese. Oh, and Catalina. That dressing I would love to get a recipe for.

[ProtectOurFreedom]

We had one and only one dressing in the house when I was growing up — French. I don’t think I even knew there were other dressings until I went to college!

[KosmicKitty]

Oooo. Sardine paste. I must admit I have only recently become enamored of those little fish, but I regret it has taken so long :-)

[azishot]

Italian Dressing

1/4c apple cider vinegar, mix in 1 tsp each dried oregano, dried basil, garlic powder, @1/4tsp salt, 1/2tsp pepper, 1T. sugar.

Add to 3/4c oil (I use veg. oil)

Refrigerate for several hours.

Wonderful on hoagies (which we have quite often).

[Jamestown1630]

I remember reading about Sardines, back in the 1970s. They are apparently very high in ribonucleic acid. I used to buy the little brislings, rinse them off in cold water, and eat.

Supposed to be an anti-aging very healthful thing.

(They were good, too!)

I think these were the ones I bought:

http://www.amazon.com/Crown-Prince-Brisling-Sardines-3-75-Ounce/dp/B000EF3E2W

-JT

[Jamestown1630]

That sounds just like the one my Italian husband makes!

He won’t eat bottled dressing; always has to make it his own self :-)

-JT

[SAJ]

Hi, Kitty --

Here's **A** recipe I found:

8 ounces Cream Cheese
½ tsp Salt
1½ tbsp Lemon Juice
¼ tsp Black Pepper (freshly ground)
6½ ounces Sardines (skinless, boneless, drained)
1 tbsp Parsley Leaves (chopped)
1/8 tsp Red Hot Pepper Sauce (eg. Tabasco)
Capers (for garnishing)

How to make Sardine Paste:

In a bowl, mix cream cheese, salt, lemon juice and black pepper.
Mash the sardines and add them into the cheese mixture.
Add parsley and hot sauce and beat the mixture well.
Form the mixture into a mound or any shape as per your choice.
Garnish with capers and parsley.
Serve with toast fingers, bread or crackers

Kitty, as it happens, I do NOT like pepper sauce or parsley with this recipe. The sardine flavour should stand on its own. Also, if you try the recipe, use -- at first at least -- somewhat less lemon juice. 2 teaspoons rather than 4 1/2 as suggested will probably suffice...you can always add more after tasting, right? Do be sure, though, to mash the living hell out of the sardines; there's no such thing as a "chunky" paste.

Good grub to you!

[JRandomFreeper]

For my grilled flat bread.... think my version of Texas pita bread, I use herbs out of garden like rosemary, thyme, and garlic, and sometimes I use a squeeze of Anchovy paste, or sardines in place of salt.

I don't care much about the 'food value' of stuff as much as I care about the taste.

Lots of people don't like the fatty fish like Sardines can be. I love that. That is where the flavor is. I may wind up digging out some herring tonight.

/johnny

[JRandomFreeper]

You got it right in one. All of the celebrity chefs that I was slave free labor to said the same thing. Taste as you go, or you are making crap.

I tasted a LOT during school.

/johnny

[SAJ]

Kitty --

Also, FORGET that 'skinless' business in the recipe. First, the skin is an excellent source of vitamins/minerals. Second, if you mash them up properly (or use a blender or food processor), you'll never notice the skin at all.

Some of these recipe writers want a bit of schooling, I think.

[SAJ]

Damned straight, m'FRiend! Until one becomes very familiar with a recipe, preparing w/o tasting occasionally is the cooking equivalent of flying blind. Mountain ahead? What, me worry?

It's rather a shame that many (not all, of course) people haven't learnt this point from childhood, or at least an old-fashioned home ecs class. Sigh.