What's Cooking (Take Four)

The concoction I made for the chicken pieces turned out excellent. I am loving using Honeycrisp Apple Cider in recipes, as well as some vinegar, which goes well with chicken. I am not an aficionado of sauces, yet some of my experimenting has been fine. Maybe my taste buds have gone crazy.
Yes, low-fat sour cream is a dairy product, and it did not curdle.

I'm making another batch of Gazpacho today. My son gave me a new product his company came out with. It is used in cocktails, but has some interesting ingredients that may add an interesting note

The Thai chicken and turmeric soup turned out very well. This is the first time I've used fresh turmeric. With galangal, lemongrass, and fresh turmeric it came out very aromatic and a nice yellow color.

-Paul W.

[Jenise]

Is low-fat sour cream actually a dairy product?

Good question! My mother in law obviously thought it was. She used it in her mac and cheese, in which it curdled producing these disgusting little items I have no other word for than the childish description: loogies.

Yes, low-fat sour cream is a dairy product, but sorta in the same sense as "pasteurized processed cheese food" is a dairy product. Low-fat sour cream is made from skim milk with a bit of cream (hence the low-fat). This is fermented so that it's sour (as is real sour cream). But then they add various emulsifiers and thickening agents to give it a texture similar to real sour cream.

I loved your loogy description.

-Paul W.

My kind of meal: I had two ears of corn and was wondering what to make to go with them. Then my neighbor gave me a number of pork ribs he had smoked overnight. Suddenly, the menu came together with virtually no work.

That's a good neighbor, Larry!

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So, no cooking today but I did see that fairy eggplants have appeared at my greenmarket. Anybody have any ideas for an interesting way to cook them?

The one that comes to mind is berenjena and I even found La Vara's recipe! https://www.tabletmag.com/recipes/berenjena-con-miel

Heirloom tomato season continues here in NH. The local luxury farmstand had 49 different heirloom varieties. Last night's dinner was an heirloom BLT.

-Paul W.

[Jenise]

Last night's dinner plan was a main course plate of steamed purple asparagus topped with shrimp cooked then marinated in a white truffle vinaigrette. However, dinner ended up being two Jack in the Box tacos at 1 a.m. after I got released from the ER where I'd spent six hours on a busy night getting my head stapled. Silly garden accident.

Yikes!! That must have been quite a garden accident, Jenise. I hope you're doing okay today.

I made a corn salad yesterday afternoon that was going to be my supper. I make these a lot, and tried something a little different this time, adding a Thai pepper and some Thai basil along with the lime and bell pepper that normally go in there. I also threw in a can of black beans for some protein. But then one of the neighbors brought a bottle of wine over so we sat down on our front porch and soon there were seven or eight other neighbors, more wine, and some little snacky things. I ended up snacking enough that I didn't need the corn salad.

[Jenise]

Mike, that's just how a neighborhood should be. Wish mine were!

Ouch, Jenise!

I had a biopsy done in the roof of my mouth this afternoon. So my dinner plans involving heirloom tomatoes, Thai food, and Moroccan food are on hold for the next few days while the biopsy site heals. Soup and yogurt in the meantime.

-Paul W.

Ouch, Paul!

May I recommend a milkshake? They come in many flavors and we know that dairy fat is our friend....

I have been getting Instacart deliveries of late and am liking it. However, what is up with all the giant produce, I got two heirloom tomatoes- beautiful things- but over 1 1/2 pounds each. A gigantic red onion and equally large yellow onions. Lately, when a recipe calls for a medium-sized onion I cut one of the giants in half and still have enough onion for two more recipes. Why are Brussels sprouts, apples, tomatoes, and more getting so huge??

I have been getting Instacart deliveries of late and am liking it. However, what is up with all the giant produce, I got two heirloom tomatoes- beautiful things- but over 1 1/2 pounds each. A gigantic red onion and equally large yellow onions. Lately, when a recipe calls for a medium-sized onion I cut one of the giants in half and still have enough onion for two more recipes. Why are Brussels sprouts, apples, tomatoes, and more getting so huge??

Good question, Karen. We rarely want an onion larger than a baseball (and often only use half of one of those), but it's getting harder to find any smaller than softballs at the grocery store.

Ouch, Paul!

May I recommend a milkshake? They come in many flavors and we know that dairy fat is our friend....

I'm getting by on mild soups (had Rao's yummy chicken and gnocci last night), yogurt, and non-abrasive vegetables such as lettuce. They said the biopsy site should heal up in 72 hours, which would be this coming Thursday. It was sore Monday night but is much improved today--the wound is closed over, there's no pain, just some swelling. Fortunately the buccal mucosa heals very quickly.

-Paul W.

[Jenise]

Paul, sorry to hear about your owie and hope they find nothing significant.

Speaking of heirloom tomatoes, I had one for dinner last night with a ball of mozz cheese, basil and EVOO. Fantastic, of course, which gives me a chance to insert a complaint--no balsamic vinegar!!!!, people, it's unnecessary especially for great summer tomatoes but America seems to now think it's the one right way. Caprese salads remain on my Top Ten List of foods I can't live without.

...-no balsamic vinegar!!!!, people, it's unnecessary especially for great summer tomatoes...

Agreed. I started doing this recently. Often because I didn't have balsamic in the house. But when the tomatoes are flavorful, it is better to taste their luscious natural-ness without too many things covering it up, and balsamic is such a strong flavor. Depends on the tomatoes...

[Jenise]

Rahsaan, I think it masks the flavor of the tomatoes rather than enhances. For winter tomatoes it can be a plus, I'll admit, though I don't do it even then. But I'm in the small club who thinks that boring winter tomatoes are better than none at all. However, in summer it's a travesty.

Put me in the no balsamic on caprese camp. Pretty much just the classic, though we can vary whether using mozzarella, buffalo mozzarella, or burrata, And occasionally in summer when we had done caprese too many nights in a row will switch to a Japanese take (tomato, silken tofu, shiso, shichimi togarashi) or a steakhouse tomato/onion.

And occasionally in summer when we had done caprese too many nights in a row will switch to a Japanese take (tomato, silken tofu, shiso, shichimi togarashi) ...

I guess that is the full caprese alternative. Nice.

I actually rarely do caprese. Much more often will have sliced tomatoes, salt, olive oil and basil, to really bring home the summer. And I'm with you folks on no balsamic (usually).

But for the Japanese take, depending on the rest of the meal, sometimes I use soy sauce and maybe a dash of something bright (lemon) and a dash of an oil.

[Jenise]

I guess that is the full caprese alternative. Nice.

There are also goat cheese and ricotta, both of which I love. And if fresh basil escapes you, the dried French basil from Penzey's is a very viable substitute. Marinate the tomatoes with it, EVOO and a bit of red or white vinegar for a little more attitude, then combine that mixture with the cheese. Dried basil is not the same as fresh, but Penzey's French basil is very peppery which gives it a purpose all its own.

This morning I had one slice of Brioche bread, which came from a half loaf called Nature's Harvest. I love the smaller loaves, and they also have sourdough, wheat, and more. I toasted it, put Peruvian Pepper Jam on one side then added a fried egg and drizzled Mikes Hot Honey over that. Very yummy and not bad-looking.

Speaking of heirloom tomatoes, I had one for dinner last night with a ball of mozz cheese, basil and EVOO.

Great idea for great tomatoes. I'm going to have to try this once the biopsy heals up (swelling is down today; they said allow 72 hours, which would be tomorrow afternoon; can't wait).

I think I'll be transferring my allegiance to the no-balasmic camp.

-Paul W.