What I learned today

[Jenise]

As far as Mexican food goes, you can certainly eliminate cilantro without missing too much.

I agree with that. Cilantro is typically in a pico de gallo but rarely does it make an appearance in any of the conventional take-out Mexican foods (tacos etc).

="As far as Mexican food goes, you can certainly eliminate cilantro without missing too much.

Good chili verde is not the same without it. Trust me, I’ve tried!

="As far as Mexican food goes, you can certainly eliminate cilantro without missing too much.

Good chili verde is not the same without it. Trust me, I’ve tried!

Must be a regional thing. I have to admit I've never seen or tasted cilantro in what we call green chile stew (pork, green chiles, potatoes, possibly a bit of tomatoes). But I know of a chili verde that uses pork, jalapenos instead of green chiles, and tomatillos and cilantro. Chile verde here can mean a green tomatillo salsa, which is made from tomatillos and has cilantro. Confusing.

[Jenise]

Larry, no regional thang here, but I agree with Jo Ann--I put lots of cilantro in my verde just cuz I like it best that way.

Pumpkin despises cilantro -- though I have him flummoxed about coriander seed! -- such that we do not make or eat Thai dishes, only a very few Mexican dishes, and I eat banh mi alone!

Most Thai recipes seem to use cilantro as a garnish, added just before serving. The supermarket sells cilantro in big bunches and half of it tends to go off before I use it up, so I don't buy cilantro very often and leave it out of the Thai dishes I make.

Coriander seed and coriander leaves (cilantro) have very different flavor profiles. Even more so than fresh ginger root vs. dried ginger root.

-Paul W.

Larry, no regional thang here, but I agree with Jo Ann--I put lots of cilantro in my verde just cuz I like it best that way.

I discussed the cilantro thang with a friend today over coffee. He's never seen green chile stew with cilantro, either. But each to his own. (I'll try it sometime.) We also agreed the best green chile stew here is not in restaurants (even though some are excellent), but homemade and found in local homes, parties, etc.. No disagreement there.

[quote="Paul Winalski"] Most Thai recipes seem to use cilantro as a garnish, added just before serving. The supermarket sells cilantro in big bunches and half of it tends to go off before I use it up, so I don't buy cilantro very often and leave it out of the Thai dishes I make. [quote="Paul Winalski"]

I experience the same thing, but I learned a trick to keep parsley and cilantro fresh for a much longer time: trim the stem ends, insert the stems in a small glass of water and loosely cover with a plastic bag. Then store in the refrigerator.

I've been known to grow cilantro in a pot and trim it as needed, which also works well.

[Jenise]

Today I learned that the Kroger stores are getting stupider by the minute. Today was only my 2nd visit to Fred Meyer (a Kroger institution on the west coast) since the Pandemic started namely because I like their in-store bakery Kaiser rolls for hamburgers. This visit also afforded me the opp to pick up the few things I need to go to a conventional grocer (vs. my favorite little co-op) to find like, groan if you must!, Uncle Ben's rice. The flavor of a certain curry rice I make absolutely depends on the flavor of Uncle Ben's, so I always have some in the pantry.

Well, turns out, Freddie doesn't carry raw Uncle Ben's rices anymore. Only already-cooked and flavored rice in shelf-stable pouches. Boo hiss, Freddie, boo hiss!!!!

I've occasionally used Uncle Ben's converted rice (and a time or two for flavored) and it cooks up just fine. Hard to believe that Meyer's doesn't carry it. I've been known to email Smith's (Kroger) in the past to complain about such things (or is it thangs?).

By coincidence today, I bought a bag of organic Forbidden Rice (black) that's superhigh in fiber and anthocyanins. I'd cook some today, except I have leftover Arkansas brown rice to go with the meatloaf I'm making this afternoon. Many different binders are used, but my choice is rolled oats.

[Jenise]

I've occasionally used Uncle Ben's converted rice (and a time or two for flavored) and it cooks up just fine. Hard to believe that Meyer's doesn't carry it. I've been known to email Smith's (Kroger) in the past to complain about such things (or is it thangs?).

By coincidence today, I bought a bag of organic Forbidden Rice (black) that's superhigh in fiber and anthocyanins. I'd cook some today, except I have leftover Arkansas brown rice to go with the meatloaf I'm making this afternoon. Many different binders are used, but my choice is rolled oats.

Freddie's excuse is that more and more people want ready-made and they want to cut back shelf space on things that don't sell as rapidly. They think their own house brand of long-grain rice is same-same, so fie on the rest of us who know there's a difference.

They keep cutting back the reasons I have for going there. But in the meantime, they stock more Asian and organic produce than anyone else. But for that, and the ability to buy gai-lan and cat litter under the same roof, I wouldn't need them at all.

Yes, oats in meat loaf! Love that!

WARNING: Don't mix up the gai-lan and cat litter!

...the meatloaf I'm making this afternoon. Many different binders are used, but my choice is rolled oats.

As it happens, I just made a really nice meat loaf on Sunday. I used bread crumbs, which give a fine texture. How much more chunky/crumbly would oats be? (And, do you mean regular or one-minute oats?)

As far as Mexican food goes, you can certainly eliminate cilantro without missing too much.

I agree with that. Cilantro is typically in a pico de gallo but rarely does it make an appearance in any of the conventional take-out Mexican foods (tacos etc).

It's in every guacamole made here, and in many of the salsas, too. His Squashy Highness likes Mexican (and Mexican-styled) food but has to order carefully.

Pumpkin despises cilantro -- though I have him flummoxed about coriander seed! -- such that we do not make or eat Thai dishes, only a very few Mexican dishes, and I eat banh mi alone!

Most Thai recipes seem to use cilantro as a garnish, added just before serving.

Right, and it is the kiss of death... the plate comes to the table reeking of it, and everything has been 'painted' with it, especially if there is a soup involved. (Nota Bene: cilantro is fine with me.)

I once worked with a fellow who said a brief flicker of depression would cloud his mind whenever he ate cilantro. Not exactly an allergic reaction but not appealing, either.

Coriander seed and coriander leaves (cilantro) have very different flavor profiles. Even more so than fresh ginger root vs. dried ginger root.

I like mixing a bit of coriander seed in with other seed types because the occasional pop of lemony mint is nice.

...the meatloaf I'm making this afternoon. Many different binders are used, but my choice is rolled oats.

As it happens, I just made a really nice meat loaf on Sunday. I used bread crumbs, which give a fine texture. How much more chunky/crumbly would oats be? (And, do you mean regular or one-minute oats?)

One minute (today) or 5 minute rolled oats (not chunky or crumbly at all). I use steel-cut oats for a breakfast cereal.

[Jenise]

And I use regular oats. Being careful not to overmix, their flat shape adds tiny layers to the meat loaf mix which I enjoy, especially in a lamb meatloaf.

Right, and it is the kiss of death... the plate comes to the table reeking of it, and everything has been 'painted' with it, especially if there is a soup involved. (Nota Bene: cilantro is fine with me.)

I can see that this would be a problem ordering Thai food in a restaurant, but when cooking Thai at home, just leave out the cilantro garnish at the end. I typically leave it out because of the hassle of keeping fresh cilantro as a pantry item. Half of it goes bad before I can use it, and I hate wasting food, so I just leave it out usually.

-Paul W.

[Jenise]

Today I tasted my first Sumo Mandarin, and I'm in love. It's seedless, intensely sweet but has the acidity to match, and the texture is larger and crunchier than most citrus, somewhat like a pomelo. It's a Japanese citrus called 'Dekopan' because of it's thick and rumply skin that looks like the adult skin of someone who suffered terrible acne in youth, like Noriega. Plus this: "It is a hybrid between Kiyomi and ponkan, developed in Japan in 1972. Originally a brand name, "Dekopon" has become a genericized trademark and it is used to refer to all brands of the fruit; the generic name is shiranuhi or shiranui."

Today I tasted my first Sumo Mandarin, and I'm in love. It's seedless, intensely sweet but has the acidity to match, and it's a bit crunchier than most citrus, somewhat like a pomelo. It's a Japanese citrus called 'Dekopan' because of it's thick and rumply skin that looks like the adult skin of someone who suffered terrible acne in youth, like Noriega. Plus this: "It is a hybrid between Kiyomi and ponkan, developed in Japan in 1972. Originally a brand name, "Dekopon" has become a genericized trademark and it is used to refer to all brands of the fruit; the generic name is shiranuhi or shiranui."

What a coinky-dink. I bought and tasted my first Sumo Mandarins two days ago. It's a big, lumpy, coarse-skinned thing, but it tastes wonderful. I'm baking bread as I type this, and I mixed in some Sumo zest as an experiment.

How does it compare to an ugli fruit?

When I first saw them, I thought they might be Ugli fruits, but they look rougher. Uglis are a cross between an orange and grapefruit, so they taste sweet with a fair degree of tartness. Low-acid Sumos taste like uber-tangerines and are sweet without much tartness. They bring easy peeling to a new level. Wife really liked them, too. Awesome.

OK, hit up Googz for pix. It looks a bit like a Minneola orange (another tangelo, like the ugli) but appears larger. I'll have to see whether anybody around here is carrying them.

[Jenise]

Larry, yours were low-acid? Not the one we ate--I would have despised it if it was low-acid and never tried one again. It would have tasted flabby and overly sweet without it.

Jeff--yes, at first I thought they were ugli fruits, and they're similar but more uniform and very much like an extra large tangelo. I can't wait to buy more.

OK, hit up Googz for pix. It looks a bit like a Minneola orange (another tangelo, like the ugli) but appears larger. I'll have to see whether anybody around here is carrying them.

"...the fruit was originally developed by "a farmer in Japan where it is known as a dekopon—a cross between a Kiyomi (a cross between a tangor, satsuma, and Trovita orange) and a Ponkan (a mandarin and a pomelo)." Back in 2012, the New York Times reported it took about 30 years to properly develop the fruit. It remains a revered food in Japan where it's oftentimes given as a gift."

--from delish.com

I just scored a deal this morning on Sumos: 14 for $2 (normally $2 apiece).

[Jenise]

Where the hell do you shop, Larry, and find deals like that? I believe I paid $4/lb.