Supper

[small h]

But the water knocks things around more at a fiercer simmer.

[relbbaddoof]

3 hours ago, MitchW said:

I think all steam is the same temperature, no?

Actually, no. Steam can be as hot as you want (or don't want).

[voyager]

However you define it, I get silken custards by cooking them on a rack over barely simmering water.    Similarly, baked custards at 300F.    It takes a long time but well worth it.   

[relbbaddoof]

My mother did her custards that way too, and I've done my custard likewise. In these situations you're getting a gentle, slow transference of heat from the steam helping you avoid scrambling, aided/caused by the fact that the heat is set at a low setting. On high settings steam can be pretty hot -- steam-burns-worse-than-boiling-water-burns and all that.

[MitchW]

1 hour ago, relbbaddoof said:

Actually, no. Steam can be as hot as you want (or don't want).

Only if you do things to it after it turns to steam though, right? Like, under pressure.

[relbbaddoof]

44 minutes ago, MitchW said:

Only if you do things to it after it turns to steam though, right? Like, under pressure.

Not totally. Steam's a gas and can, in general, be heated to any temperature, without needing particular pressures.

But there are complex thermodynamic issues here involving interactions between pressure, temperature and volume. And, there's the odd phenomenon of superheating.

As a cooking instruction, though, go gently into that good steam -- don't rage.

[voyager]

There is little sadder than a creme brulee or creme caramel with interior tunnels and pocks on the outside walls.    Such a waste of good product.

[MitchW]

A few days ago, I received an email from The Rice Factory, letting me know that they had restocked many of their rices,with a shipment of the 2023 rice harvest; so I jumped. Bought 10 lbs. of rice, half of which is this:

Akita Akitakomachi Japan Organic -無農薬 秋田 あきたこまち- 2023 Crop

Cooked a couple of cups of it last night - and it's so good!

Japanese scallops over Akitakomachi organic white rice, with a white wine, butter, lemon and pan jus sauce.

[small h]

Bam.

[Wilfrid]

I did make a huge tripe stew in my crockpot but I did not (yet) photograph it. 

[small h]

Fried spaghetti with ramps & mint, very nice. And watercress & boiled egg salad with a dressing not quite as good as the one I made last night, because lime juice < rice vinegar. I had to use up some lime juice, though.

 

Edited April 25, 2024 by small h

[small h]

Kuku sabzi! I forget it exists, and then I remember. Because I have to use up a lot of parsley and chives and ramps and whatnot. 

 

[voyager]

Braggart.

[small h]

12 minutes ago, voyager said:

Braggart.

No, it's such a struggle! I don't even have room in the fridge for asparagus!

[voyager]

Just stop it.

[StephanieL]

--Rock cod fillets en papillote, topped with sauteed onions and mushrooms

--Leftover sides from my friend's Seder: roasted Brussels sprouts with cranberries, pecans, and a balsamic glaze, and a quinoa dish

--For dessert, Pavlova with homemade custard and berries from our garden (last year's crop, frozen)

[Wilfrid]

Fancy? No. Long-braised tripe with carrots and onions. I reduced broth from the tripe with mustard and red wine, realized I was out of butter so it was never going to be glossy. But anyone who eats meat should be eating tripe, the textures and flavors are always satisfying.

 

[MitchW]

Chicken Scarpariello. Over a bed of polenta.

Instead of how I usually make this dish (i.e.: on the stovetop), once the chicken and sausage were browned, and the onions and peppers were sweated out, it went into the oven (well, the countertop oven) to cook uncovered, which I don't think is called braising, but perhaps called broasting.  Made the skin much more crispy, as it was exposed to the dry heat. (Of note, since I don't usually eat a ton of skin (except at KONO), I'd stick with actually braising on the stovetop, covered.)

[small h]

Shiitakes and yu choy with oyster sauce, which did not cook down as much as I thought it would.

Long-cooked squid with red wine and tomatoes, which cooked down way more than I thought it would.

A night full of surprises. While I watch the NYPD invade, and say for the 100th time to H that it was not like this in 1985.

[Wilfrid]

Large pork chop, arugula salad, followed by Herve Mons Camembert. Heartburn, whether from dinner, watching the news or all the sirens outside, who knows?

[maison rustique]

A friend shared some wild onions he foraged. I roasted them with grape tomatoes. Added some spinach and bacon to top a baked potato. More fast food as I learn to cook healthy food for one.  I have enough left for another meal.

[StephanieL]

Rajma Chawal, Delhi style, using RG Rio Zapes.  N reduced the chili and upped the paprika in deference to my need for less heat.

[small h]

Medium H & I took a day trip to Valley Shepherd Creamery to visit with the spring lambs. I brought back some sheep's milk ricotta, and we also stopped off at a farm stand where I scored some nice asparagus. Throw in some of the ramps and parsley I already had in the fridge, et voila.

[Diancecht]

spicy duck soba 😉 noodles in hot broth 

the leeks were sautéed in duck fat

[MitchW]

So after our vaccinations late Saturday, and feeling lousy, I did manage to pull together something to make us feel better:

Fortunately, I had made chicken stock early Saturday, so chicken noodle soup was a no-brainer.