Text 22944, 165 rader
Skriven 2007-11-17 18:28:08 av Carol Shenkenberger (1:261/1466.0)
     Kommentar till en text av Ruth Haffly
Ärende: Soupy weather
=====================
 -=> Quoting Ruth Haffly to Carol Shenkenberger <=-

 RH> I understand.  But store inventories can change over the years so you
 RH> might be missing some things (spice blends?) now that you used to get
 RH> and get now some things you never knew about until you got to Japan.
 RH> Clear as mud?

True!  I grok <g>.
 
 CS> trial for us that some others felt.  We just continued further down an
 CS> already somewhat worn path.

 RH> OTOH, Steve didn't do that much experimenting in Korea when he cooked
 RH> for himself.  I think he stuck mostly with easy to do (but not frozen
 RH> dinners) batchelor cooking and save the Asian for eating out.

Well, he was batching it then.  Probably 5 ingredients among 2 dishes served
at best <g>.
 
 RH> OK, remember that the meatballs (mine, anyway) take about 20 minutes,
 RH> tops, and the squash will take longer.  We baked one on Saturday but
 
 CS> Thats ok, it's heating the oven in the first place with nothing else
 CS> needing it. As it was, I didnt have room for the squash.

 RH> I know, usually I slide a couple of things in the oven per use but
 RH> this time it was only the squash.  Yesterday it was a couple of cookie
 RH> sheets of meat balls.

Well, it's patiently waiting still.  Maybe tomorrow.
 
 CS> Yes.  Cant wait for the stuff!  Should be here next week then its a
 CS> matter of when can they deliver. I'm hoping for before Thanksgiving as

 RH> Hopefully will be.  We got our stuff in Frankfurt on Thanksgiving
 RH> day--almost missed dinner in the DFac as Steve wanted to check out
 RH> his computer & we were still getting around on public transportation.

Well, we got no call last week and so we figure even if it does 'arrive' by
the 20th as per contract, it's not going to be delivered by then.  Bummer.
 
 CS> we are feeding a group of sailors and a new neighbor who's stuff wont
 CS> be here from Rota in time for that.  Dnt worry, we worked out the
 CS> arrangements if it's not here.  The sailors are bringing 2 card tables

 RH> We've done that before.  Then in AZ, in 1994, we shared with both
 RH> Steve's and my parents, David, his sister & parents, another couple &
 RH> 2 of their 3 kids, several folks from their church, us (4), my sister

Well, the ship with the sailors pulled out suddenly (someone else broke so they
have to fill in) but we still have 5 folks (1 is under a year old) plus us and
plans.  Joe and Marge might come too.  (They are in their early 80's and don't
want to cook up a big meal but like company.  Family plans still in the air).

 CS> here with a bunch of folks far from home, all just enjoying some home
 CS> cooking.  I have unlimited LD conus calling so we'll let them all call
 CS> home and say hello during the event.

Well, they will have to call from their ship now. 

 RH> That's fun.  Four years ago, we were in AZ waiting for Robert to be
 RH> born (at the time he was still going to be Aidan); he came a couple of
 RH> days later.  Deborah was deployed so she wasn't with us.  We (Steve,
 RH> Rachel, David and I) went over to my sister's house.  (She had 2 sons
 RH> by then.) A cousin was there as well so we called my parents on Steve's
 RH> cell & played "pass the phone"; I think about all of us talked to my
 RH> parents that day.
 
Same idea <g>.
 
 CS> I had a lovely stick blender from Black and Decker.  Wore it out
 
 CS> I'd use it if i had it, but once it broke I went back to other methods
 CS> plus my rare need for my little Japanese blender.

 RH> I was going to use the food proccessor but Steve suggested blending it
 RH> in the pot with the other.  Saved dirtying up a bunch more dishes. (G)

Thats it's main claim to fame if the job is one it can handle.  No muss, no 
fuss.
 
 RH> OK, thanks.  Any subs for sake or mirin?  I do keep rice vinegar on
 RH> hand.
 
 CS> Yes and no.  I recall you do not like to add alcohol to cooking, and I
 CS> am close to you on that except for a little sake or mirin.  The
 CS> tradtional sub is dry sherry.  If you can find a de-alcoholed sherry
 CS> flavoring, it might work. Aso depending on the flavor of the dish,
 CS> lea&perrins worstershire can work for a different but quite acceptable
 CS> (and occasionally better) result.
 
 CS> For dishes that show in the recipe a lighter hand is needed, I think
 CS> well of applejuice and a little club soda.  Obviously a flavor
 CS> diffrence, but one that works for the lighter dishes.

 RH> OK, I'll take it all under consideration.  I may also use some chicken
 RH> stock as well.

In a lighter dish, where that is already in there, the alcohol just was never 
needed in the first place if you ask me!

As you've probably noted, i do use mirin or sake but carefully and not much. I
object to the faintest taste of alcohol in food and particularily, wine tasting
foods.  I like wine, but 'with' food, not 'in food'.

What I really do most of the time is just ignore the alcohol and make the dish
without it.  I think *most* of my own series, will work with that.  You might 
want a little rice or wine vinegar in it's place but can be vinegar vice 'wine'

or sake or mirin.  I seldom add more than 1 TB sake or mirin to a dish that has
6 or more servings so it's flavor boost is nice but not ultimately critical.

That help?  There's no one size fits all replacement but if you have a specific
recipe in mind, let me see it and I can tell you what would work.

Oh, any recipe of mine that uses mirin as a dipping sauce?  Soy sauce or a mix
of soy and worstershire will be just fine.  In fact, I normally mix one or both
of those in with the mirin for a dipping sauce.

 CS>   advised to reduce sodium due to high blood pressure or other
 CS> reasons,   should avoid it, but otherwise it is *extremely* heart
 
 RH> I suspect it can be tweaked a bit.

Yes, and I've re-written some of those earlier nes to show it.
 
 CS> True, it was written before we had needs, but we did know enough to
 CS> add warnings for others to the really high ones.

 RH> I have cut it out so much in my cooking I generally post recipes as
 RH> I've modified them--low to no salt.

I make notes so you can see my edits.
 
 CS> see as 'optional, to taste' in the origional. I have some Japanese
 CS> fish balls.  I will add them at the last 5 mins and let them warm in
 
 RH> Fish balls the same as I see fish cake listed in Hawaiian recipes?
 RH> Probably an Asian store for source of them?
 
 CS> Close enough you can use the fish cake fine.  Kamoboko is the name, we
 CS> got some at the local Asia grocery.  We also got fishballs (they look
 CS> like little meatballs but of fish).

 RH> Yes, some of my Hawaiian cook books have recipes calling for fish
 RH> cakes or Kamoboko, just never heard the term fish balls so was
 RH> clarifying. 

Same stuff pretty much but different shape.

 CS> They are finicky to make yourself unless you can get that fish-paste
 CS> made from bone-fish in Hawaii.  One of the things best bought vice
 CS> made if you can't get fish already in a paste form <g>.

 RH> Got that right!

Oh yeah!
                  xxcarol


... You have 2 choices for dinner. Take it or leave it. Bon appetit!
___ Blue Wave/386 v2.30 [NR]

--- Maximus/NT 3.01
 * Origin: Owl's Anchor (1:261/1466)