Have you eaten anything interesting lately?

[PeterPan]

My dd got me these ginger chews for my b-day and they're very good! 

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0779PY9KC/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

What have you been eating lately that is different/novel?

[alisoncooks]

Not new or novel...but after listening to DD whine for MONTHS about missing bubble tea, our preferred location finally opened back up. Since we were over there for an orthodontist appointment, we got our fix. She tried a new variety (Panda tea - with both black boba and clear agar boba). 

ETA: since regular bubble tea is not in our budget, I bought stuff for DIY tea for DDs upcoming bday. Hoping it's good...

Edited June 5, 2020 by alisoncooks

[Pawz4me]

No, not particularly. But thanks to the Hive I've really been craving --

Brownies (I think there have been two threads about those in the last couple of weeks),

Cupcakes with frosting from Costco (even though I'm not a member and AFAIK have never had them) and

Biscuits

😉 

[Amira]

Some South Sudanese friends of mine made salata iswid and I had to try making it myself.  If you like baba ghanuj, you’d probably like this too.  https://tasteofsouthsudan.com/eggplant-salad-with-peanut-butter/

[marbel]

Well this isn't really new or novel but it's a summertime thing for me, so I was excited to make some for the first time in month: feta cheese, crumbled and mixed with diced tomatoes, green onions, olive oil, and Italian seasoning. 

Here is the actual recipe, though this is one of the few things I don't measure at all, just put everything together to taste. The recipe also calls for a specific Greek seasoning which I don't have so I just use an Italian seasoning blend. 

https://www.the-girl-who-ate-everything.com/wprm_print/17396

[LucyStoner]

Last month I went and got a ton of Ethiopian take out and just lived off of it for the entire weekend.  Not super interesting (it’s been my favorite since high school) but most people are surprised when they see me turn the leftovers in to a scramble and add a few eggs.  Sounds weird,  even looks weird but it’s absolutely delicious.  
 

The CSA box from a local restaurant had some really good assorted mushrooms.  

[klmama]

New?  Just these white baking chips with monk fruit extract instead of sugar.  I'm not convinced the extra price was worth it, but they do taste good.

For ginger candy, I like these super strength ones.  They are firmer than the ones you linked, PeterPan, and a lot stronger.  

 

 

 

 

[Amira]

3 minutes ago, CuriousMomof3 said:

Oooh, I might need to try that.

I don't like baba ghanuj, because it tastes eggplanty, and I don't really like eggplant.  Yes, I know that is not really a fair complaint.  But I love pb and tomatoes and lime.  That sounds like a fantastic combination that might make the eggplant taste less eggplanty.  

What is the texture like?  

Not creamy, but not chunky either.  Like baba ghanuj is the closest I can say. 🙂 

[LucyStoner]

1 minute ago, CuriousMomof3 said:

That sounds delicious.  I love Ethiopian food, and eggs.  What kind of Ethiopian food did you use? I wonder if I can find some recipes for Ethiopian food.

Leftover injera, legume and vegetable dishes mostly, maybe some meat if it's boneless.  

If you can get your hands on berbere seasoning and spiced clarified butter, it's pretty doable to make some Ethiopian foods at home.  My husband and I can't seem to manage the injera at home (we have tried) so when I make Ethiopian dishes at home, I buy injera in bags from the East African Mini-Mart a couple of miles from where I live.  

[Lori D.]

Not new or novel to us (and I usually make our own), but the nearby grocery has had some very tasty stuffed grape leaves that I've been treating us to during the pandemic!

[Scarlett]

49 minutes ago, Amira said:

Some South Sudanese friends of mine made salata iswid and I had to try making it myself.  If you like baba ghanuj, you’d probably like this too.  https://tasteofsouthsudan.com/eggplant-salad-with-peanut-butter/

So many words in your post I have never heard of!  

Edited to say I looked at the recipe ad now I need to try it.

Edited June 5, 2020 by Scarlett

[LucyStoner]

7 minutes ago, CuriousMomof3 said:

I can absolutely get those, we have a large Ethiopian community here.  I need to go find some recipes.  

 

I've made a few things off of this site.  

https://howtocookgreatethiopian.com/ethiopian-recipes/

[Amira]

7 minutes ago, CuriousMomof3 said:

I can absolutely get those, we have a large Ethiopian community here.  I need to go find some recipes.  

To be honest, I haven't eaten enough baba ghanuj to remember the texture.  All I remember is the eggplantyness, which distracted me from noticing the texture.  

How does it compare to hummus?  

Less smooth, but lighter than hummus.  More like guacamole than hummus.

[Amira]

Kisra is the South Sudanese version of injera, and I like it better.  I haven’t tried making it since I can buy it here, but here’s a recipe. https://tasteofsouthsudan.com/kisra-sudanese-flatbread-recipe/

[Selkie]

A few new things that come to mind:

kabocha congee - just had some for lunch

blistered shishito peppers

pumfu - tofu made from pumpkin seeds

mango-guava smoothies - not that unusual, but super delicious!

Our new favorite dessert: Slice Medjool dates open lengthwise and remove the pits. Stuff with almond butter or peanut butter. Sprinkle with chopped peanuts and cacao nibs or mini chocolate chips, and freeze for a few hours. They taste like a healthy version of Snickers.

 

[Momto6inIN]

We've been using Eat Your Way Around the World during quarantine to try new foods and recipes. Some of the ones in the book look kinda bland, so I substitute recipes from online instead. But the book has been a good jumping off point to getting us to try some new to us foods 🙂

[PeterPan]

1 hour ago, Pawz4me said:

No, not particularly. But thanks to the Hive I've really been craving --

Brownies (I think there have been two threads about those in the last couple of weeks),

Cupcakes with frosting from Costco (even though I'm not a member and AFAIK have never had them) and

Biscuits

😉

Well I made the brownies last night and have eaten everything but the crust. Apparently they were at least good enough. Now I just need to go eat my oatmeal breakfast and vege soup lunch. Somehow I kept forgetting and eating more brownies, lol. But boy do I feel good. 

1 hour ago, Amira said:

Some South Sudanese friends of mine made salata iswid and I had to try making it myself.  If you like baba ghanuj, you’d probably like this too.  https://tasteofsouthsudan.com/eggplant-salad-with-peanut-butter/

Oh my, I think I need to try this! I ate this african/ethiopian lentil stew at Disney that was just crazy, so I assume I'd like other african food flavors. And eggplant I'm all over, great conduit.

1 hour ago, marbel said:

feta cheese, crumbled and mixed with diced tomatoes, green onions, olive oil, and Italian seasoning. 

Yes!!! I do this all the time, but without the onions and with cucumbers. Yum, yum!

1 hour ago, LucyStoner said:

Last month I went and got a ton of Ethiopian take out

Hold it, why did I never think to do this? I'll bet in the big city they have this and we could find it. Yum. How do you know what to order? What are your favorite things?

1 hour ago, klmama said:

New?  Just these white baking chips with monk fruit extract instead of sugar.  I'm not convinced the extra price was worth it, but they do taste good.

For ginger candy, I like these super strength ones.  They are firmer than the ones you linked, PeterPan, and a lot stronger.  

Hmm, the price is a little high. My dd found these in an international store, so maybe she could find them in person at a better price. What are you going to do with the white chips?

59 minutes ago, Amira said:

Like baba ghanuj is the closest I can say.

I have no clue what that is, but I think I need to find out, lol.

37 minutes ago, CuriousMomof3 said:

we made palak pakoda with cashews that was very tasty.

Ooo, you can cook for me! But I would find the nuts very distracting. I like things smooth. But still, sounds yummy whatever it is. 

33 minutes ago, Amira said:

Less smooth, but lighter than hummus.  More like guacamole than hummus.

Yeah, I was trying to figure out if you eat it warm or on bread or what. I don't eat much bread, so I just saw me with a nice spoon digging in. 

 

18 minutes ago, Selkie said:

mango-guava smoothies - not that unusual, but super delicious!

Maybe this is what I need in my life! We haven't made smoothies in ages and we really like them. I think we just got out of the habit or something. We that and I think our smoothie appliance thing died. My dh has a mysterious vitamix in the basement I never use. I'd need to figure that out.

[PeterPan]

7 minutes ago, Momto6inIN said:

We've been using Eat Your Way Around the World during quarantine to try new foods and recipes. Some of the ones in the book look kinda bland, so I substitute recipes from online instead. But the book has been a good jumping off point to getting us to try some new to us foods 🙂

Good idea! I've been meaning to start doing geography with ds, so that could work. 

[TheReader]

We've been trying new-to-us recipes. Not a lot of totally new foods, but new for us to cook ourselves. 

So far we've done homemade tortillas, homemade arepas, homemade naan.....also homemade raviolis, and I've made assorted things to go with (I created a yummy soup/stew to go with the naan, using heirloom tomatoes, a spinach/feta stuffed chicken sausage, shredded brussels sprouts, other seasonings, and yogurt; it was surprisingly good -- so good the family made me write it down so I can make it again). 

We also have made peach pies and peach ice cream b/c our peach tree *finally* really produced this year. 

And DH has been experimenting with various lemonade add-ins, first with fresh fruit, and then with frozen. We've done strawberry, raspberry, blueberry, and blackberry so far. Have also subbed lime juice for the lemon in some of those mixtures.  Oh, and different infused waters, too (cucumber, apple, grape, blueberry, strawberry, mixed berry, citrus). 

 

[klmama]

1 hour ago, PeterPan said:

Hmm, the price is a little high. My dd found these in an international store, so maybe she could find them in person at a better price. What are you going to do with the white chips?

Well, my original plan was to make cookies, but then I tried them and discovered they are almost too sweet.  Adding more carbs by putting them in sweet cookies just doesn't make sense to me.  I'm happy to keep enjoying them a tablespoon at a time.  

[Scarlett]

You guys are making me hungry!

[PeterPan]

2 hours ago, CuriousMomof3 said:

So, if you are indecisive like me, or like variety like me, Ethiopian food is perfect, because typically at a restaurant you can get platters with lots of small portions of various things to try, and this spongy sour flat bread called injera that you rip into little pieces and use to scoop things up, similar to how you'd eat Indian food with roti. 

Ooo, that sounds really good! I like platters like that where you can try things. 

[PeterPan]

10 minutes ago, CuriousMomof3 said:

Ethiopian food is for you.  Lots of smoothness.  Lots of variety. Did you say something about gluten or am I confusing you with someone else?  Real injera eaten in Ethiopia is gluten free, but my understanding is that most of the injera you get in the US is not, because teff (the grain they use) doesn't cook the same way at lower altitudes, and so they add some wheat.  Addis, for reference, is about 2,500 feet above Denver.  It's also very healthy and very delicious.  

Note: Do not go to Ethiopia and eat injera based on my advice if you are celiac.  I could be totally wrong about that.  

 

Oh I need to check this out! I'm not supposed to eat bread a lot because my system is kind of sluggish. I eat whole grains or things made from ground whole grains but if it's like white flour or a very refined flour with no fiber, I would just use a fork and skip. I know, heresy, lol. 

Yeah, you might be onto something with the texture thing. I had never thought it through that way. My dd and I are such sensory opposites and it totally shows up with how we cook. I'm all about the smooth and yeah that food looked really smooth. 

So you'll be delighted to know I found at least *10* ethiopian take-out food options within a 35 minute drive, I kid you not. And I had no clue!! I've lived here 20+ years and never ventured beyond italian/chinese/indian. I guess for me the hard part is you can get into situations that are maybe, I don't know. But some of these review so well, I think they would be very safe. (500-600 reviews)  Ooo, this one says it does platters! 

I need to take a girlfriend and go to one of these places. Ds doesn't want to do that, mercy. But yeah, we can make this happen. I'm too tired to do it tonight, but another day, definitely. 

PS. I take that back. I've been to some greek restaurants here. It definitely appears there's more to try, lol.

Edited June 5, 2020 by PeterPan

[JustEm]

I made lemon balm pesto yesterday with dinner because we have lemon balm taking over a garden bed and i figured I should use it a little bit.  It was pretty yummy

[PeterPan]

2 minutes ago, hjffkj said:

I made lemon balm pesto yesterday with dinner because we have lemon balm taking over a garden bed and i figured I should use it a little bit.  It was pretty yummy

Ooo, what are you putting it on? I've had pesto in between layers of eggplant. 

[Spy Car]

6 hours ago, LucyStoner said:

Last month I went and got a ton of Ethiopian take out and just lived off of it for the entire weekend.  Not super interesting (it’s been my favorite since high school) but most people are surprised when they see me turn the leftovers in to a scramble and add a few eggs.  Sounds weird,  even looks weird but it’s absolutely delicious.  
 

The CSA box from a local restaurant had some really good assorted mushrooms.  

 

I also love Ethiopian food.

I remember being a young working person her in LA, about 1984, and having discovered a great Ethopian restaurant near Fairfax.

At the time (not longer) Ethiopian restaurants were very (very) rare.

Anyway, a group of co-workers planned to go out and we we queried on what type of food we'd like. I piped up with "Ethiopian food." This was during the height of the famines in Ethiopia and one of my female co-worker became terribly offended with me--thinking I was making a ghastly inappropriate bad joke.

When I finally talked her down and assured her that we'd actually be helping a refugee family who I come to know and like, ruffled feathers settled and we all went out, ate great food, and drank a bunch of tej (gesso-flavored mead, gesso being similar to hops used in beer).

It was a great night, but wow...did I get a very bad reaction at first.

Sadly the place was burned down in the LA riots of 1992. Scores of other Ethiopian restaurants has popped ups since, none are as good as that one was.

Bill

 

[Spy Car]

2 hours ago, CuriousMomof3 said:

Ethiopian food is for you.  Lots of smoothness.  Lots of variety. Did you say something about gluten or am I confusing you with someone else?  Real injera eaten in Ethiopia is gluten free, but my understanding is that most of the injera you get in the US is not, because teff (the grain they use) doesn't cook the same way at lower altitudes, and so they add some wheat.  Addis, for reference, is about 2,500 feet above Denver.  It's also very healthy and very delicious.  

Note: Do not go to Ethiopia and eat injera based on my advice if you are celiac.  I could be totally wrong about that.  

 

Teff actually cooks fine at low altitudes, or at least here in Los Angeles. I've eaten plenty of all Teff Injera (and prefer it).

Ethiopian friends tell me that wheat is substituted purely as a cost issue. Teff is realively rare and expensive.

Bill

[LucyStoner]

You can get GF injera in Seattle at most of the Ethiopian restaurants.   It's darker and thinner than the versions where they blend wheat with teff.  Apparently, most teff that is grown in the United States is grown in Idaho and Eastern WA state so the Ethiopian markets in WA state usually have it.  It's mainly grown for Ethiopian restaurants and markets and also the feed market because horses are fond of it.  We have tried and failed to make injera though.  That said, we haven't tried in awhile.  But when I can get a giant bag for not much money, there's not a ton of point.  

Ethiopian restaurants cropped up in Seattle in the late 1980s and early 1990s.  There was one that I loved above all the rest that was just down the street from my high school.  A veggie combo (it was cabbage/potatoes and carrot; two types of lentil; one split pea dish, collards and a cold lettuce salard) would feed 3 girls easily and cost like $6-7 the entire time I was in high school so it was a popular lunch option.  I could legit live off the Gomen Wot (collards) and the various lentil and split pea dishes.  We had our rehearsal dinner there in 2002 and also my sons' baptism party.  The older daughters went to college with me and their youngest daughter dated my intern at work when she was in college.  The parents retired not too long ago and another  family bought it and operates a different Ethiopian restaurant from the same space, as none of their children's families wanted to run the restaurant.  There are a lot more Ethiopian restaurants in the city now and a veggie combo costs $15.  Still, one veggie combo and one meat dish will feed my family with enough leftovers for a scramble the next day.   So still a very good deal.  

 

[Rosie_0801]

10 hours ago, PeterPan said:

Oh I need to check this out! I'm not supposed to eat bread a lot because my system is kind of sluggish. I eat whole grains or things made from ground whole grains but if it's like white flour or a very refined flour with no fiber, I would just use a fork and skip. I know, heresy, lol. 

 

Injera batter is fermented, so it mightn't sit so badly with you.

 

I made some lime pasta, inspired by an American cookbook that I suspect contains recipes that very few Americans eat. Bloody good it was.

I also have a bag of hominy here. I don't know what I'm going to do with it. It gives me the creeps.

[PeterPan]

4 hours ago, Rosie_0801 said:

 

Injera batter is fermented, so it mightn't sit so badly with you.

 

I made some lime pasta, inspired by an American cookbook that I suspect contains recipes that very few Americans eat. Bloody good it was.

I also have a bag of hominy here. I don't know what I'm going to do with it. It gives me the creeps.

Oh that's interesting. I wouldn't have guessed it was fermented. 

Yeah, I've never heard of lime pasta, lol. Hominy is good! I've never cooked it from scratch though, mercy. Good luck on that.

[Spy Car]

1 hour ago, PeterPan said:

Oh that's interesting. I wouldn't have guessed it was fermented. 

Yeah, I've never heard of lime pasta, lol. Hominy is good! I've never cooked it from scratch though, mercy. Good luck on that.

Yes, Roise is correct, the batter is fermented.

That's why ingera (which resembles a very large pancake) is fully of the "bubbly" holes that give the bread its spongy texture.

The longer the batter is fermented the more sour the flavor. Most is only moderately sour. I became good friends with a couple who owned an Ethiopian market and they produced  ingera and I was able to see the process.

From them I was also able to get the extra-sour injera that wasn't ordinarily released to the general republic (for being too sour for most tastes). I loved the extra-sour ingera.

I have made it. A boatload of work. I'd happily purchase it vs homemade, if possible. But maybe I should do it again? Been a long time since I made some.

Bill

[Spy Car]

6 hours ago, Rosie_0801 said:

 

Injera batter is fermented, so it mightn't sit so badly with you.

 

I made some lime pasta, inspired by an American cookbook that I suspect contains recipes that very few Americans eat. Bloody good it was.

I also have a bag of hominy here. I don't know what I'm going to do with it. It gives me the creeps.

 

Hmm? Lime pasta. Never heard of this American favorite. What's the drill? And--no worries--"Rosie recipes" are very similar in specificity to "Bill recipes." LOL.

Hominy is tasty. Yours is dried? Needs to be gently cooked till tender in water that has a pinch of lime (the mineral, not the citus) added.

Cooking the hominy in alkaline water is process called "Nixtamalization" It is the same/similar process that Mexicans use to prepare maize/corn to make "masa" (dough) for tortillas and tamales. The alkalinity plumps the kernels giving them a nice chewy texture and it magnifies the flavor.

Very good in soups, menudo (tripe) soup being a specialty. Pozole is another. But also good baked or pan cooked with a well-seasoned tomato-based sauce. Long cooking times after the first boil in lime water add to the delious savory aspects of hominy.

If lime (the mineral) is hard to come by, my understanding is that potash (basic wood ash from a fire) works the same way. I suspect using Potash was  the traditional method for eons.

Bill

 

 

Edited June 6, 2020 by Spy Car

[JustEm]

16 hours ago, PeterPan said:

Ooo, what are you putting it on? I've had pesto in between layers of eggplant. 

 

I had it on pasta the first night.  But I love pesto on eggplant, so yummy

[Spy Car]

8 hours ago, LucyStoner said:

You can get GF injera in Seattle at most of the Ethiopian restaurants.   It's darker and thinner than the versions where they blend wheat with teff.  Apparently, most teff that is grown in the United States is grown in Idaho and Eastern WA state so the Ethiopian markets in WA state usually have it.  It's mainly grown for Ethiopian restaurants and markets and also the feed market because horses are fond of it.  We have tried and failed to make injera though.  That said, we haven't tried in awhile.  But when I can get a giant bag for not much money, there's not a ton of point.  

Ethiopian restaurants cropped up in Seattle in the late 1980s and early 1990s.  There was one that I loved above all the rest that was just down the street from my high school.  A veggie combo (it was cabbage/potatoes and carrot; two types of lentil; one split pea dish, collards and a cold lettuce salard) would feed 3 girls easily and cost like $6-7 the entire time I was in high school so it was a popular lunch option.  I could legit live off the Gomen Wot (collards) and the various lentil and split pea dishes.  We had our rehearsal dinner there in 2002 and also my sons' baptism party.  The older daughters went to college with me and their youngest daughter dated my intern at work when she was in college.  The parents retired not too long ago and another  family bought it and operates a different Ethiopian restaurant from the same space, as none of their children's families wanted to run the restaurant.  There are a lot more Ethiopian restaurants in the city now and a veggie combo costs $15.  Still, one veggie combo and one meat dish will feed my family with enough leftovers for a scramble the next day.   So still a very good deal.  

 

One thing that makes injera much less vexing to cook is to use an electric skillet. All the Ethiopians I know who make injera use them.

There are round ones that are specially made for the purpose, but if you someday find a regular square one in the post-apocalypse (thrift-store find?) it makes injera making so much easier.

It is hard to get the slow even heat that's necessary in a stove top pan.

Bill

[Spy Car]

21 hours ago, Amira said:

Some South Sudanese friends of mine made salata iswid and I had to try making it myself.  If you like baba ghanuj, you’d probably like this too.  https://tasteofsouthsudan.com/eggplant-salad-with-peanut-butter/

If you cooked for me, I could "retire."

I retain just enough from my Arabic studies to know that Salata Aswad is Black Salad.

Sounds good. Except I'd sub out the suggested Wesson oil for EV olive oil.

Bill

 

 

Edited June 6, 2020 by Spy Car

[Matryoshka]

I made Rhubarb Beef the other day.  I have a whole bunch of rhubarb in the back yard and was trying to figure out a way to use it that was not strawberry-rhubarb something-or-other.  The recipe claims to have Iranian origins - it has lemon, mint, and saffron in it as well. @Spy Car , if you say you like sour, this might be something you'd like!

@Rosie_0801, I also need to know what the recipe is for lime pasta!  Especially since you say it was bloody good!

Most Ethiopian food I've had has been homemade by friends.  The restaurant stuff isn't half as spicy!  Fire!!  

21 hours ago, Amira said:

Some South Sudanese friends of mine made salata iswid and I had to try making it myself.  If you like baba ghanuj, you’d probably like this too.  https://tasteofsouthsudan.com/eggplant-salad-with-peanut-butter/

Okay, I think I may have to try this.  I'm not always a bit eggplant fan, but I have liked it in the 'right' contexts, and anything mixed with peanuts and lime is usually a go for me.  If anything, I've found if I don't like a vegetable, I just need to find the right recipe for it to redeem it.  I spent years hating the mashed squash my mom made, then I found out that if I roast it, it is heavenly.  It seems to be a texture thing.   I think my eggplant semi-aversion comes from ratatouille.  Just no.  Grilled or fried/breaded or in lasagna is much better.

12 minutes ago, hjffkj said:

I had it on pasta the first night.  But I love pesto on eggplant, so yummy

Okay, speaking of eggplant...  Pesto on eggplant?  Grilled, broiled, how do you prepare this?

Edited June 6, 2020 by Matryoshka

[Spy Car]

6 minutes ago, Matryoshka said:

I made Rhubarb Beef the other day.  I have a whole bunch of rhubarb in the back yard and was trying to figure out a way to use it that was not strawberry-rhubarb something-or-other.  The recipe claims to have Iranian origins - it has lemon, mint, and saffron in it as well. @Spy Car , if you say you like sour, this might be something you'd like!

@Rosie_0801, I also need to know what the recipe is for lime pasta!  Especially since you say it was bloody good!

Most Ethiopian food I've had has been homemade by friends.  The restaurant stuff isn't half as spicy!  Fire!!  

Okay, I think I may have to try this.  I'm not always a bit eggplant fan, but I have liked it in the 'right' contexts, and anything mixed with peanuts and lime is usually a go for me.  If anything, I've found if I don't like a vegetable, I just need to find the right recipe for it to redeem it.  I spent years hating the mashed squash my mom made, then I found out that if I roast it, it is heavenly.  It seems to be a texture thing.  

That sounds good. I will admit to never really having explored rhubard as an ingredient. Don't know why. I think the flavorings you mention would appeal to my family (who like Persian food). Thanks!

Bill

ETA: After looking over that recipie, I think I'd be tempted to add a little pomegranate molasses (common in Persian stews) to balance out the lemon juice and rhubarb. Just a touch. 

Edited June 6, 2020 by Spy Car

[Matryoshka]

1 minute ago, Spy Car said:

That sounds good. I will admit to never really having explored rhubard as an ingredient. Don't know why. I think the flavorings you mention would appeal to my family (who like Persian food). Thanks!

Bill

I think I need to find more Persian recipes.  I read a book recently (Stationery Shop) by an Iranian-American author that described Persian cooking in such mouth-watering detail... I've made a Persian 'omelette' (kuku sabzi) from a recipe I somehow found on some Australian site.  It's more like a Spanish tortilla (the eggy kind from Spain) but chock-full of green herbs (cilantro, parsley, and dill) instead of potatoes, plus other spices, walnuts and barberries (which I haven't been able to source, so I used goji berries which look similar but likely taste different! - but it worked okay).

And lol about the rhubarb - if I didn't have a couple of enormous plants in the backyard, I probably also wouldn't bother with it as an ingredient!  I know some people love it.  But I liked it with the beef better than in a pie.

 

[Spy Car]

17 minutes ago, Matryoshka said:

I think I need to find more Persian recipes.  I read a book recently (Stationery Shop) by an Iranian-American author that described Persian cooking in such mouth-watering detail... I've made a Persian 'omelette' (kuku sabzi) from a recipe I somehow found on some Australian site.  It's more like a Spanish tortilla (the eggy kind from Spain) but chock-full of green herbs (cilantro, parsley, and dill) instead of potatoes, plus other spices, walnuts and barberries (which I haven't been able to source, so I used goji berries which look similar but likely taste different! - but it worked okay).

And lol about the rhubarb - if I didn't have a couple of enormous plants in the backyard, I probably also wouldn't bother with it as an ingredient!  I know some people love it.  But I liked it with the beef better than in a pie.

 

Yeah, kukus are really good. And like omlettes, you can use anything (almost).

We enjoy platters of Sabzi Khordan, which include bunches of fresh herbs like dill, chives, parsley. Persian leek-chives, mint, basil, scallions, radish, etc along with some feta, some walnuts, butter, and some sumac to sprinkle on top of a combo of items that's folded onto a piece of lightly buttered lavash bread. Great starter to a meal. Opens the taste buds. Use the herbs/greens you can find . "Sabzi" means "green" in Farsi.

I also love a Persian soup called Ash-e-jo. It has barley, lentils, other beans and lots of herbs and seasoning that make a tick porridge. Best topped with a fermented whey product called "Kashk". If Kashl is unavailable you could substitute a little youghurt or lebne and add a little finely grated parmesan cheese  to approximate.

And so many great stews and rice dishes. They have an amazing food tradition.

Bill

Edited June 6, 2020 by Spy Car

[Matryoshka]

9 minutes ago, Spy Car said:

Yeah, kukus are really good. And like omlettes, you can use anything (almost).

We enjoy platters of Sabzi Khordan, which include bunches of fresh herbs like dill, chives, parsley. Persian leek-chives, mint, basil, scallions, radish, etc along with some feta, some walnuts, butter, and some sumac to sprinkle on top of a combo of items that's folded onto a piece of lightly buttered lavash bread. Great starter to a meal. Opens the taste buds. Use the herbs/greens you can find . "Sabzi" means "green" in Farsi.

I also love a Persian soup called Ash-e-jo. It has barley, lentils, other beans and lots of herbs and seasoning that make a tick porridge. Best topped with a fermented whey product called "Kashk". If Kashl is unavailable you could substitute a little youghurt or lebne and add a little finely grated parmesan cheese  to approximate.

And so many great stews and rice dishes. They have an amazing food tradition.

Bill

Okay, recipe for the Ash-e-jo!   I love all those ingredients, and love a thick, beany porridge.  I'm not sure if I could get my hands on kashk (suggestions for sourcing?), but I've got yogurt and parmesan!

[Spy Car]

20 minutes ago, Matryoshka said:

Okay, recipe for the Ash-e-jo!   I love all those ingredients, and love a thick, beany porridge.  I'm not sure if I could get my hands on kashk (suggestions for sourcing?), but I've got yogurt and parmesan!

Kashk is usually sold prepared and refridgerated in glass jars in dairy sections of Persian markets. There is a dried form of kashk that comes as lumps of dried fermented whey. I have never prepared kashk from dried lumps, I should learn to do so. 

Don't sweat it if you can't source kashk at the moment. Youghurt with parmesan (as fine as you can get) thinned to a creamy consistency would taste very much like kashk. I have done this myself, when I was out. The idea is to drizzle the "kashk" on top of the soup after you serve into bowels. Makes it pretty and adds an unami-bomb.

Kashk is very good in tomato-based pasta sauces. A very non-traditional use kashk (of my own invention) that I've shared with Persian friends. Has a parmesen-like funk. What I call "bass-notes."

This is the best brand of prepared kashk. If you get dried (non-perishable) kashk and make it yourself, you'd be one up on me.

Bill

 

Edited June 6, 2020 by Spy Car

[Matryoshka]

3 minutes ago, Spy Car said:

Kashk is usually sold prepared and refridgerated in glass jars in dairy sections of Persian markets. There is a dried form of kashk that comes as lumps of dried fermented whey. I have never prepared kashk from dried lumps, I should learn to do so. 

Don't sweat it if you can't source kashk at the moment. Youghurt with parmesan (as fine as you can get) thinned to a creamy consistency would taste very much like kashk. The idea is to drizzle the "kashk" on top of the soup after you serve into bowels. Makes it pretty and adds an unami-bomb.

Kashk is very good in tomato-based pasta sauces. A very non-traditional use kashk (of my own invention) that I've shared with Persian friends. Has a parmesen-like funk. What I call "bass-notes."

This is the best brand of prepared kashk. If you get dried (non-perishable) kashk and make it yourself, you'd be one up on me.

Bill

 

Thanks!  But, Bill, where's the soup recipe??? 😁

[Spy Car]

22 minutes ago, Matryoshka said:

Thanks!  But, Bill, where's the soup recipe??? 😁

Oh dear. The enduring problem. I don't have any recipes. I just make stuff.

Did you see Rosie's "recipe" for scones?  Her's seem encyopedic next to any I could offer up. LOL.

I'm sorry. If you find a recipe online (I suspect there are dozens) I could comment.

 Bill (who can't even reliably spell "recipe" without the aid of a spell-checker  )

ETA: I can endorse the approach in this video. See the creamy topping at the very end? That's kashk. Using meat is optional. I often make my ash-e-jo vegetarian. With all the herbs, onions, garlic, and spices  and kashk (or fauxshk) it is bursting with flavor. Meat won't hurt the dish, but not essential IMO.

 

Second ETA: The one thing the video recipe lacks is finely chopped fresh dill, which I personally love in an ash-e-jo. This is a soup that has many variations. I like it just a bit thicker than in the video. It is very filling. Could be a light meal on its own. If served as a starter, small serve portions. It is filling. We have done soup and Sabzi Khordan as a "meal" on many occasions.

 

Third ETA: Pinto beans are non-traditional choice. You can get creative with your mix. Kidney beans are often included. But follow your joy. A mixture of things is nice. I'd use slightly less barley to beans. Again, personal taste should prevail.

 

 

Edited June 6, 2020 by Spy Car

[Spy Car]

@Matryoshka I can't vouch for this recipe for homemade kashk (made from cooking down youghurt), but looks pretty easy.

Kashk can spoil, so I'd follow the advice to freeze the leftovers.

BTW one of the very best Persian side dishes (IMO) is Kash-e-Bademjan (Kashk with Eggplant).

Bill

 

ETA: Here is the link:

 

http://bottomofthepot.com/homemade-kashk/

 

 

 

Edited June 6, 2020 by Spy Car

[Jean in Newcastle]

1 minute ago, Seasider too said:

Trader Joe makes this pasta salad with bow tie pasta, olive oil, basil, green peas and lemon. I love it but it hurts to eat (gluten). 

I imagine your lemon balm pesto would be good like this - with pasta, green peas and Parmesan cheese, chilled and tossed.  

Can't you make it with gluten free pasta?

 

[Matryoshka]

20 minutes ago, Spy Car said:

Oh dear. The enduring problem. I don't have any recipes. I just make stuff.

Did you see Rosie's "recipe" for scones?  Her's seem encyopedic next to any I could offer up. LOL.

I'm sorry. If you find a recipe online (I suspect there are dozens) I could comment.

 Bill (who can't even reliably spell "recipe" without the aid of a spell-checker  )

ETA: I can endorse the approach in this video. See the creamy topping at the very end? That's kashk. Using meat is optional. I often make my ash-e-jo vegetarian. With all the herbs, onions, garlic, and spices  and kashk (or fauxshk) it is bursting with flavor. Meat won't hurt the dish, but not essential IMO.

 

Second ETA: The one thing the video recipe lacks is finely chopped fresh dill, which I personally love in an ash-e-jo. This is a soup that has many variations. I like it just a bit thicker than in the video. It is very filling. Could be a light meal on its own. If served as a starter, small serve portions. It is filling. We have done soup and Sabzi Khordan as a "meal" on many occasions.

 

Third ETA: Pinto beans are non-traditional choice. You can get creative with your mix. Kidney beans are often included. But follow your joy. A mixture of things is nice. I'd use slightly less barley to beans. Again, personal taste should prevail.

 

 

Thanks!  Could you give me an idea of what you put in yours?  What kinds of beans, proportions roughly how much barley, what herbs/spices?  Doesn't have to be an official 'recipe'.  I'm always altering recipes, and I'm with you that I like my 'soup' really thick. I often add more beans and spices than original recipes call for.  My lentil soup is more like lentil paste if I get it the way I really like it.  I eat these kinds of things as full meals - maybe a piece of bread with it, but not always.  Soup as appetizer isn't a thing for me.  Too lazy to make than one course!

I had to ff through most of the video - I kind of hate videos rather than printed recipes. I know how to wash and cut herbs - that video took like 10 minutes to show that! 😜 I just wanna know what the ingredients are in rough proportions!  If I did use meat, what's the traditional kind?  Is that beef in the video??  I'm fine with vegetarian, but also fine with a bit of meat. I didn't see any garlic, or did I miss it in my ff'ing? (garlic is always good).  Do you always use dry beans like that?  I'll admit to more laziness and usually using canned/drained, except for lentils. One thing I like a lot is that it uses whole bunches of herbs - a pet peeve of mine is stuff that says to use some piddly amount, and then I end up with leftover herbs that go slimy in the fridge if I don't get to them soon enough - so I often just throw the whole bunch in anyway...  I think I agree with you on the bean/barley proportions - as I say, I always add more beans than recipes call for, it seems... do you also use bulghur or rice in addition to the barley (as in video)?

It looks reaaally good, and different enough from my other bean-paste-soup recipes to be added to the repertoire! 

[Rosie_0801]

2 hours ago, Spy Car said:

 

Hmm? Lime pasta. Never heard of this American favorite. What's the drill? 

2 hours ago, CuriousMomof3 said:

Lime as in the green fruit or lime as in the mineral?  This sounds like something I need to try!

Add lime juice, zest and pulp to ordinary pasta dough and serve with a marinara sauce. Who knew, eh?

[Rosie_0801]

3 minutes ago, CuriousMomof3 said:

That sounds like something Americans should do.  I'm not a huge fan of marinara, but Amira's post makes me think I could serve it with peanut sauce.  Lime and peanut is a great combination.  

 

Huh. I've been wracking my brains as to what else I could serve, other than marinara, which I only made for a treat. I thank you for the suggestion!

[Rosie_0801]

2 minutes ago, CuriousMomof3 said:

Let me know how it turns out.  I'm a little intimidated by making my own pasta, but this might be my motivation to get over that.  

I am very inexperienced and this is the first pasta attempt of mine that has actually turned out well. I'll get the hang of it eventually. 

Anyhow, since this worked for me, it'll probably work for you too!
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
2 tbsp grated lime rind
1/4 cup lime juice and the pulp
2 eggs
1 chilli seeded and minced 
1 Tbsp olive oil (if required)
*Combine flour, lime, eggs and chilli. Add olive oil if needed to make a firm dough.
(This did not make a firm dough, it made a very sticky dough even without the oil, but hey, press on.)
*Knead for 10 mins. 
*Cover and let the dough rest for half an hour (or more, the Pasta Grannies all leave theirs for an hour and I trust them more than I do this weird book.)
*Roll out to 1/16" thin. Flour enough that it isn't sticky any more, then roll up and slice. Toss them in more flour or they will stick anyway when you're not looking.
*Let them dry for 10 mins, or however long it takes to boil the water if you haven't already.
*Boil for however long it takes to cook, which should be 5-7 mins ish.

[Rosie_0801]

14 minutes ago, Seasider too said:

 You had me nodding my head right up til you mentioned the marinara.  Quite an interesting combination there.

 

Seafood and lime is pretty ordinary, isn't it?