Text 16302, 108 rader
Skriven 2008-11-10 19:59:10 av Carol Shenkenberger (22672.cooks)
  Kommentar till text 16290 av Nancy Backus (1:3634/12.0)
Ärende: Congee/Juk!
===================
    
(on Thai stock)
 >  CS> Just curious but what is the base?  If it's meat based, would it be
 >  CS> fish?  In thailand I encountered both fish and pork broths mostly.
 >  CS> Being spoiled by good dashi, I found the pork broth ones deeper and
 >  CS> richly well done.
 > 
 > I'll have to check.  Thought I had one here, but I guess I don't, so
 > I'll check it out next time I go to the store... if I remember.  ;)

Like me eventually you will.  Like I got the rooster sauce at last.  Same
family of flavor but hotter than my korean stuff.  I cut it with other things
to bring it down.  Often russian dressing but ketchup will do in a pinch.

 
 >  >  CS> On ginger
 >  >  CS> I find the dried works in most things for me too.  Next year, I
 >  >  CS> plan to grow some ginger from a single root.  I dont use much of
 >  >  CS> it and can get all I need that way.
 >  > How temperate a climate does ginger need to grow?
 > 
 >  CS> It's easy to grow inside in a pot if that is a problem.
 > 
 > Ok, instructions, pretty please...??  :)  I keep buying little pieces of
 > ginger root, and then having them dry up on me before I get to use
 > them...  one reason the jar of slivered ginger in brine was so
 > appealing.  (G)  Maybe having it available growing here would be about
 > as convenient...  ;)

Sure!   Easiest is to let a knob grow little green bits.  Makes it easy to
tell topside.  Put this in hot (not boiling, but hand warm as you might want
at the upper end for washing) and let that soak overnight.  Then use a good
potting soil and a planter about 12 inches across and at least 8 deep.  Put
it so the little green bits barely show.  Water to well damp in a container
that drains (I sprinkle in the sink and let it 'pee' then put it back where
it came from).  Water very little in winter as it goes dormant.

You'll start getting little sucker rhizomes in 2 months and the greens are
wonderfully gingery too.   They get to be 10 inches to 2 feet if you do not
prune the growth back and are reallyeasy to grow inside.  Set by a window and
they are happy.

They do not like cold though so set them back a bit from the window in your
climate.  They prefer 85F and above but will grow nicely at lower temps
indoors.

 >  CS> MSG is fine unless you are MSG sensitive.  Fortunately we arent so we
 >  CS> can safely ignore it.
 > 
 > I'm sometimes mildly sensitive to it... so I tend to avoid just on
 > general principles... I figure that way when I unavoidably get a bit of
 > it it'll have less of an effect.  ;>

Dunno, might go the other way!  Like chiles arent all that hot if you eat
them all the time but pack a whollup if you just occasionally indulge.

 >  >  CS> Same here.  I dont set out to add that much stuff, I just hunt aroun
 >  >  CS> and find scraps of stuff and toss it in.
 >  > Clearly, as I kinda alluded to before, you have more scraps of stuff
 >  > around to hunt up... ;)
 > 
 >  CS> It's a habit I picked up from Mia in Hawaii and stood me in good
 >  CS> stead.  When I make a meal, I commonly have about 1/4 cup of leftover
 >  CS> 'whatever' and tuck that in samwich bags.  Those get tossed willy-nilly
 >  CS> in other dishes.
 >  CS> Don makes shrimp, I save off 2-3 of them and peel then tuck in the
 >  CS> freezer baggie.  That sort of thing.
 > 
 > In other words, generally "plan-overs" rather than truly leftovers.  :)

Pretty much but just sorta happens.  Like I made a can of peas with dinner
but Charlotte didnt want any so now I have 1/2 can of peas.  If I make rice
porridge before they find another use, they go in.

Other things can be deliberate.  Like I'd never spend an hour soaking after
simmering 4oz of mushrooms for one dish.  I'd do the whole pack at the same
time and put the rest aside for something else.

 > I haven't been cooking large enough amounts usually to snag any for
 > later, unless I'm making a double batch, and then it's gonna be two full
 > meals anyway.  Or when I'm planning on making congee later out of the
 > chicken and rice, so toss in extra rice to cook with the chicken...
 > Once in a while there's enough chilli or casserole-type stuff for a
 > quick lunch that gets leftover, but not the individual ingredient things
 > that one would save to toss into things.  I can see where that could be
 > a useful habit to cultivate.  :)

It is actually, but dibbles of chili etc dont get used;-)  Some of the extra
dibbles get tossed as i didnt find a use for them but more often than not,
they end up in something else.  Something you wouldnt think of adding them to
unless they were handy and right there saying 'eat me'.

 >  > Meanwhile, we went to dim sum at Cantonese House today for lunch, and
 >  > had their beef congee.  Rice, stock, beef, ginger, and chives.  Often we
 >  > get the pork and thousand-year-egg one, but they were out of that today.
 >  > That one has 6 ingredients.  :)  It was good as usual.  :)
 > 
 >  CS> Grin, only Japanese version has as many different things.  Congee or
 >  CS> Juk has 5-max10.
 > 
 > Oh....  OK...   grin...

Hehehe same overall theme, just a different treatment is all.  I've had many
a good congee that was just rice, coconut milk, ginger, and beef.

              xxcarol
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