Food, Glorious Food

[arkitect]

A perfect Easter Sunday…

First, a three hour walk and then home to a lovely Salmon salad with a crisp Chilean Sauvignon Blanc. Chocolate and nuts for dessert.

This two-pack of salsa happened last time I was over in town... and landed in my pantry as it does every time I open the 2nd of the preceding pair of jars of of the same stuff.

Once that jar is open there is no stopping me… *sigh*

 

[LizKat]

What a gorgeous salad. I am going to copy that "real soon now".

 

[maxjohnson2]

That is what I considered a very nice low carb salad.

I had deep fried potatoes, deep fried beef heart, deep fried beef liver. And some of this.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

A perfect Easter Sunday…

First, a three hour walk and then home to a lovely Salmon salad with a crisp Chilean Sauvignon Blanc. Chocolate and nuts for dessert.
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View attachment 833204



Once that jar is open there is no stopping me… *sigh*

Fantastic salad; my mouth is watering and I am openly salivating at the sight of it. Beautiful and - I imagine - delicious.

 

[0388631]

Those hardboiled eggs look perfect.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

Those hardboiled eggs look perfect.

Agreed, they do.

Yesterday, I enjoyed a dish of Hungarian goulash in a Hungarian restaurant in the Hungarian region of western Ukraine.

Delicious.

They also made their own cheese, and two hunks of different cheeses have since made their way into my luggage. And I managed to lay hands on genuine (Hungarian) smoked, sweet paprika.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

On Monday, I also enjoyed an incredibly tasty homemade mushroom soup.

 

[EEzycade]

A favorite dish of mine is something called Cincinnati-style chili. Those of you in the Midwest know it as skyline chili. It’s a meat sauce(beef,beans,onions) that is a little bit sweet. This goes over spaghetti and is topped with mounds of cheese and oyster crackers. It’s awesomely delicious. My mother always makes it to to celebrate birthdays or deathdays of two of my siblings. Tastes good and is made with love.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

Reading Hungarian fish soup recipes.

 

[0388631]

Any experience with a Basque cheesecake, @arkitekt? I don't know why but YouTube has been recommending me dozens of videos over the last week. I finally gave in last night and it looks rather interesting but I'm not sure what the flavor's like. The closest I've done with a bath free cheesecake was a ricotta mixture that doesn't need the bath as it won't crack like a full cream cheese cheesecake.

 

[0388631]

Reading pickling recipes.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

Reading pickling recipes.

Anything of interest?

Eastern and central Europe have a wonderful tradition of pickling and a Hungarian restaurant I ate in last week had enormous bottles, and jars, and demijohns full of pickled fruit and vegetables on shelves lining the walls.

 

[0388631]

Anything of interest?

Eastern and central Europe have a wonderful tradition of pickling and a Hungarian restaurant I ate in last week had enormous bottles, and jars, and demijohns full of pickled fruit and vegetables on shelves lining the walls.

Ended up experiencing nausea later, but I was searching for ideas on flavoring in terms of herbs and spices. Always had a love for pickled foods except pickled egg. Much like you I got to experience unique pickled foods during my travels into Eastern Europe. While not a true pickle in any sense, I am a massive fan of olives. I could eat a kilo of olives in a sitting if allowed to.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

Ended up experiencing nausea later, but I was searching for ideas on flavoring in terms of herbs and spices. Always had a love for pickled foods except pickled egg. Much like you I got to experience unique pickled foods during my travels into Eastern Europe. While not a true pickle in any sense, I am a massive fan of olives. I could eat a kilo of olives in a sitting if allowed to.

Yes, I am a big fan of olives, myself.

I have had amazing pickled mushrooms in Lithuania, made by a Russian who hosted me to dinner, - they were so good I could have happily spooned them straight from the jar - and the pickled salad I enjoyed last week in the Hungarian region of Ukraine was absolutely delicious (it featured lightly pickled tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, gherkins, onions, among others).

They have terrific tradition of pickling fruit, as well.

My sister-in-law, who is German, (and whose parents had come from the East before the Wall went up), lamented that unification had served to really undermine the old tradition of pickling (which was both time consuming and labour intensive).

Czech colleagues said much the same to me, when I came across an amazing pantry of preserved and pickled fruit and vegetables in a Czech monastery where I stayed for a few days as a guest a decade and a half ago.

 

[0388631]

Yes, I am a big fan of olives, myself.

I have had amazing pickled mushrooms in Lithuania, made by a Russian who hosted me to dinner, - they were so good I could have happily spooned them straight from the jar - and the pickled salad I enjoyed last week in the Hungarian region of Ukraine was absolutely delicious (it featured lightly pickled tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, gherkins, onions, among others).

They have terrific tradition of pickling fruit, as well.

My sister-in-law, who is German, (and whose parents had come form the East before the Wall went up), lamented that unification had served to really undermine the old tradition of pickling (which was both time consuming and labour intensive).

Czech colleagues said much the same to me, when I came across an amazing pantry of preserved and pickled fruit and vegetables in a Czech monastery where I stayed for a few days as a guest a decade and a half ago.

Pickled beets with onions is lovely. I was lucky to be able to communicate some, albeit my Russian then was better, and it was a "universal" language for the years following the fall of of the CCCP. There were only a few things I couldn't eat because of their texture. Some of the fruit pickles I had were of unripe fruit that were more firm, obviously.

What was more interesting to me is the pickles meant to be firm and crunchy were just that without the use of alum powder. Even the preserved pumpkins in light syrup. I had sweet breakfast preserves and spreads made of softer vegetables. Odd if you think about it, but rather tasty.


Waste not want not.

 

[Gutwrench]

I suppose almost anything goes but how acceptable/unacceptable is serving au gratin potatoes along side pan seared salmon?

 

[Scepticalscribe]

I suppose almost anything goes but how acceptable/unacceptable is serving au gratin potatoes along side pan seared salmon?

Gratin potatoes go with absolutely everything in my book.

Okay, possibly meat dishes are even better with this dish, but salmon is big enough, and bold enough to be able to take care of itself with such an accompaniment.

However, perhaps I'd add something along the lines of a sharp green salad, or steamed spinach or chard (with butter and garlic?)

Am preparing a Hungarian fish gulyas (goulash).

The ingredients include: Hungarian paprika, Spanish sweet smoked paprika, caraway seeds, stock, anchovies, (for the stock), diced potatoes, green pepper, carrot, onions and garlic, along with roasted cherry tomatoes, followed - eventually - by fish.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

My fish gulyas - though I say so myself - was absolutely delicious.

Actually, I absolutely love fish soups: I have made (and mastered) chowder (smoked fish gives it that amazing favour, but it is usually a mix of firm fish - both red and white, smoked fish, and shellfish) - as can be found across the British Isles, and a Scandinavian fish soup (with tomatoes, saffron or tumeric - depending on budget - and fennel), and now, Hungarian fish gulyas (goulash).

Usually, with a fish soup, to start things off, I dissolve a tin of anchovies (diced) into an olive oil and butter mix - that gives a wonderful base for any fish soup, and a depth of umami flavour that cannot be surpassed.

 

[0388631]

Fish sauce is a good alternative. Though for a chowder, I think Blis fish sauce would be a better buy. Aged in bourbon barrels. Costs around 13 Euros. There is a Philippine fish sauce I was using at one point that wasn't too salty, but it had a spicy and citrusy kick, with an almost pure grass fed butter after taste that was fantastic on some foods. Wish I'd taken a photo of it before throwing the empty bottle out.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

Fish sauce is a good alternative. Though for a chowder, I think Blis fish sauce would be a better buy. Aged in bourbon barrels. Costs around 13 Euros. There is a Philippine fish sauce I was using at one point that wasn't too salty, but it had a spicy and citrusy kick, with an almost pure grass fed butter after taste that was fantastic on some foods. Wish I'd taken a photo of it before throwing the empty bottle out.

I went through a phase of boiling the shells of prawn heads and tails in order to make fish sauce, and then straining the contents; that, along with dissolved anchovies gave me a superb fish sauce.

These days, most of the time, I have dispensed with the shells of prawns (shrimp) - not least as my sister-in-law doesn't much care for shellfish, but I find the use of a tin of anchovies to start things off invaluable, and something that gives a wonderful depth of umami flavour to a dish.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

Pasta all'Amatriciana this evening; long, slow enjoyable cooking. And a very tasty dinner.

 

[Healer Flame]

Nothing beats a smoking hot marinara crunchy pizza in winter

 

[Scepticalscribe]

Nothing beats a smoking hot marinara crunchy pizza in winter

Well, personally, in winter, I'd prefer roast chicken, or a good chicken casserole, (perhaps coq au vin), a rich robust goulash, or chilli con carne (I prepare a seriously good one), or carbonnade beef (a Belgian beef casserole dish), or a rich fish broth, or even bolognese - which, when prepared properly, is an amazing dish.

To my mind, pizza is more of a summer dish.

 

[Healer Flame]

Well, personally, in winter, I'd prefer roast chicken, or a good chicken casserole, (perhaps coq au vin), a rich robust goulash, or chilli con carne (I prepare a seriously one), or carbonnade beef (a Belgian beef casserole dish), or a rich fish broth, or even bolognese - which, when prepared properly, is an amazing dish.

To my mind, pizza is more of a summer dish.

I hardly touch pizza in summer unless its just warm or cold. Pizza is my winter dish at least once a week. Also love creamy marina pasta with pesto.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

Reading, comparing and contrasting a number of recipes for pasta puttanesca.