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Weekly Cooking (and related issues) Thread

Posted on 04/02/2015 3:01:36 PM PDT by 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


TOPICS: Chit/Chat; Food; Hobbies
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To: JRandomFreeper

We spread anchovy pastse on toast and then top it with sauteed wild mushrooms, which have been seasoned with fresh thyme and chives. Finally sprinkle on a bit of grated cheese. Broil quickly to melt cheese and serve openfaced with knife and fork. Great for lunch with a salad!


41 posted on 04/02/2015 8:26:57 PM PDT by kalee
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To: kalee
OMG that sounds excellent. Sort of like a rarebit from the UK with extras. Darn it. I may have to eat again, and I just tossed the house to find that I've got ONE tin of sardines. Lots of salmon and tuna and other stuff... but I wanted sardines.

/johnny

42 posted on 04/02/2015 8:32:49 PM PDT by JRandomFreeper (gone Galt)
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To: SAJ

Many thanks! I have most of that already on hand. I love pepper sauce, though Mr Kitty does not. Parsley, eh.

:-)


43 posted on 04/02/2015 8:35:00 PM PDT by KosmicKitty (Liberals claim to want to hear other views, but then are shocked to discover there are other views)
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To: SAJ

Mr Kitty absolutely insists that the bones are what makes the sardines crunchy (good)

i am working to get there :-) But skin, that I could eat.


44 posted on 04/02/2015 8:39:21 PM PDT by KosmicKitty (Liberals claim to want to hear other views, but then are shocked to discover there are other views)
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To: SAJ
The flavor hides in the skin and bones of the critter. I never eat the dry meats like breast, unless it is part of a recipe that includes the whole chicken.

I don't even skim off the stuff when I'm cooking soups and stuff. My ancestors ate it because it had food value. I don't waste that foamy stuff. I just stir it back in, when I'm cooking for me.

Fine dining is totally different, of course.

/johnny

45 posted on 04/02/2015 8:39:29 PM PDT by JRandomFreeper (gone Galt)
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To: JRandomFreeper

i’ve always wanted to try that pickled herring that I see in the grocery store. I think it’s a staple on ‘smorgasbords’.

What’s it like?

-JT


46 posted on 04/02/2015 8:41:29 PM PDT by Jamestown1630 ("A Republic, if you can keep it.")
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To: Jamestown1630
One of the difficult things about working with this illness is food. Tastes change daily, and my ability to eat stuff without choking also changes daily. I lost bananas for a solid week. What? And now I can eat them again?

My goal is more than 2400 calories per day, and that's a lot of work.

I'm only at 1990 calories today so far. I may make my goal with either some fish (unlikely, but possible) or a standard rarebit. I haven't got breads now, though. Bread has been impossible to swallow recently.

I'm glad I've got a chef in the house.

/johnny

47 posted on 04/02/2015 8:47:39 PM PDT by JRandomFreeper (gone Galt)
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To: Jamestown1630
It's not a favorite of mine. Fish don't need pickling.

I'm ok with smoking fish, kippering fish, peppering fish, salting fish, drying fish, and all of that.

Rotted fish doesn't appeal to me personally.

I think that in the cold north countries where that food is found... well... lets just say alcohol is generally involved.

/johnny

48 posted on 04/02/2015 8:50:46 PM PDT by JRandomFreeper (gone Galt)
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To: JRandomFreeper
Fair enough, mate...in any case, one should eat what one enjoys.

I think we should agree, though, that the flavour profiles of chicken and/or beef differ markedly from that of fish, yes? Barring stews, I've never observed that the bones of any small fish, eaten directly, are very flavourful.

49 posted on 04/02/2015 9:12:13 PM PDT by SAJ
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To: KosmicKitty
Cook him up some deep fried smelt. He'll go mad for them. Chop the head, run your paring knife sideways once down the gut, rinse, and they're cleaned. Leave the tail ON!

Serve with an old-fashioned cornbread and a cabbage-based slaw. You'll have a happy Mr. Kitty on your hands, I'll guarantee.

The tail, btw, comes out like a potato chip. The spine, only bone left in the smelt after deep-frying, will be delightfully crunchy for him. You, perhaps, might want to pull the spine before eating the smelt; unless you're a crunch freak, eating the spine WILL be a very different experience for you.

50 posted on 04/02/2015 9:19:17 PM PDT by SAJ
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To: Jamestown1630

Nice mild acidic taste, a bit chewy, but that’s intentional. Think of a ‘tough’ (not very) sushi-grade tuna.


51 posted on 04/02/2015 9:23:09 PM PDT by SAJ
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To: SAJ
Yep. I was mainly talking about beef, chicken, and pork for the bones and skin.

Fish is a whole different.... um kettle of fish.

I do use shrimp shells for flavor in stocks, and bones and all that, but the solid stuff gets removed for a clear stock.

I may separate out the skin and fat and bones of beef for use in other stuff, but I never throw it away. I'll eat it somehow.

And yep. Tastes are never right or wrong. I can't see telling someone else what they should eat. That, to me, is the height of arrogance.

/johnny

52 posted on 04/02/2015 9:26:52 PM PDT by JRandomFreeper (gone Galt)
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To: Jamestown1630

My husband loves French dressing. He doesn’t like any other salad dressing, and French is hard to find around here. He hates vinegar and mayo, which is why pretty much every dressing he doesn’t like. I tease him that I’m going to make some for him by mixing ketchup and mayo. He eats salad with no dressing.


53 posted on 04/02/2015 9:36:28 PM PDT by Roos_Girl (The world is full of educated derelicts. - Calvin Coolidge)
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To: Jamestown1630

This is one of my favorite spring dishes. All the herbs from the garden go into this.

ROASTED SLASHED FILLET OF SEA BASS STUFFED WITH HERBS, BAKED ON MUSHROOM POTATOES WITH SALSA VERDE – A LA TONY BLAIR

Recipe courtesy Jamie Oliver

4 (8ounces) sea bass fillets
1 handful mixed herbs (green or purple basil, parsley), roughly chopped
2 1/2 pounds potatoes scrubbed
Olive oil
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Handful parsley leaves, chopped
1 1/4 pounds mixed, preferably wild, mushrooms, sliced
4 lemons
1 recipe salsa verde, recipe follows

Preheat the oven to 240C/475F/Gas 9. Slash the fish fillets about half way down and stuff with the herbs. Wash the potatoes and slice them lengthways, just under a 1/2-inch thick. Dry them off with kitchen paper and very lightly coat them in olive oil. Mix in half of your finely chopped garlic, season with salt and pepper, then lay them out in one layer on a flat baking tray. It is always helpful to put a bit of greaseproof on the bottom of the tray, rubbed with olive oil. Lay your potatoes out in a thin layer and put it in the oven for around 12 minutes until they are lightly golden and soft. Remove and put to one side. In a pan add the remaining garlic with 2 good knobs of butter and sprinkle with parsley. Now scatter the mushrooms over the potatoes. Place your sea bass fillets on top, cut the lemons in half and place in the tray as well. Now bake in the oven for 12 to15 minutes, depending on the thickness of the fish. Remove the tray, cover the top with foil and let sit for about 5 minutes during which time all the juices will run out onto the potatoes. Serve it with salsa verde and a crisp white wine.

Salsa Verde:

2 cloves garlic, peeled
1 small handful of capers
1 small handful pickled gherkins (the ones in sweet vinegar)
6 anchovy fillets
2 large handfuls flat-leaf parsley, leaves picked
1 bunch fresh basil, leaves picked
1 handful fresh mint, leaves picked
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
8 tablespoons best quality olive oil
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

The secret of a good salsa verde is to chop all the ingredients very finely and to use it the same day, as it doesn’t tend to keep for long, even in the fridge. A fantastic accompaniment to any grilled meat or fish. Particularly good with sea bass recipe. Finely chop the first 7 ingredients and put them into a bowl. Add the mustard and red wine vinegar then slowly stir in the olive oil. Balance the flavors with freshly ground black pepper and, if necessary, sea salt and a little more red wine vinegar. Yield: 8 servings

Yield: Yield: 4 servings
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cooking Time: 30 minutes


54 posted on 04/03/2015 3:23:01 AM PDT by pugmama
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To: Jamestown1630

Made this last year and will again. I added dried cranberries to it. This disappeared very quickly on the table.

https://food52.com/recipes/4023-absurdly-addictive-asparagus


55 posted on 04/03/2015 5:17:57 AM PDT by pugmama
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To: SAJ

THanks - I will have to give that a try.

My father used to like smelts, but my mother would never cook anything that required any kind of “cleaning.” She wouldn’t even cut up a chicken. It would make her cry.


56 posted on 04/03/2015 6:29:34 AM PDT by KosmicKitty (Liberals claim to want to hear other views, but then are shocked to discover there are other views)
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To: KosmicKitty

Cleaning smelt amounts to about 10-15 seconds per fish. My gran got it down to 5-7 seconds. Easiest cleaning on the planet except for seafood that one eats whole. Shouldn’t be a problem, your mom’s experience notwithstanding.


57 posted on 04/03/2015 6:44:30 AM PDT by SAJ
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To: SAJ

My mother was just odd. I loved her, but she was odd.

Next time I see smelts we’re going to give them a try.


58 posted on 04/03/2015 7:24:34 AM PDT by KosmicKitty (Liberals claim to want to hear other views, but then are shocked to discover there are other views)
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To: JRandomFreeper

I love kippered herring. Along with cornbread, it was a staple weekend breakfast when I was growing up.

-JT


59 posted on 04/03/2015 7:34:29 AM PDT by Jamestown1630 ("A Republic, if you can keep it.")
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To: Jamestown1630
For a lot of years, Sunday morning breakfast here was kippered herring, stewed tomatoes, fresh veg out of the garden and a fancy Belgian beer.

That has gone away now, but I miss it.

Ain't nothing wrong with fish for breakfast even if it is unusual in the US of A.

/johnny

60 posted on 04/03/2015 7:40:53 AM PDT by JRandomFreeper (gone Galt)
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