Text 17137, 146 rader
Skriven 2011-10-27 12:11:00 av MICHAEL LOO (1:123/140)
     Kommentar till en text av GLEN JAMIESON
Ärende: fruits & the sea 106
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 GJ> I have been rather disappointed with the quality of fruit left in
 GJ> hotel rooms, one of the worst being a beautiful looking apple in my
 GJ> Nikko Narita hotel room in 1998, which proved to be floury inedible.
 GJ> That hotel room green tea, however, was the best I have had.

That was probably a pseudo-luxury hotel, where appearance
was more important than reality, and a pretty apple was more
important than an edible one. And as you speculate below,
labor costs are important; it is a negligible expense to
transport and provide a teaspoon of tea leaves to your room.

 GJ> One of the best airports for durian appreciators is Davao

I'll bear that in mind, though I've not often had the urge for
durian in the airport (I'm sure I could find a durian custard
or kacang with durian topping at Changi, anyway).

 ML> the amount of free glutamate in mushrooms is said to be 140 mgpct,
 ML> fairly high. A kicker, though, is that mushrooms are the richest
 ML> dietary source of guanylate, another umami producer.
 GJ> So are mushrooms better for you than MSG (Ajimoto, Vietsin)?

I'd presume so in the same way that a piece of fresh fruit is
better for me than a few tablespoons of sugar.

==

 GJ> magnificent, quite plump, with a particular, lingering sea taste in
 GJ> the fat.  The quality of those oysters is attributed to the clean,
 GJ> unpolluted water resulting from the low rainfall and lack of rivers on

Fat isn't the right word, though you might lose audience power
if you said "guts" or somesuch.

 GJ> that part of the coast.  I also tried local scallops in the hotel,
 GJ> which, to my satisfaction were sensibly served, with the roe attached.

Pity that you have to make that observation, as when you first
came onto this forum it would have gone without saying.

 -=> Glen Jamieson said to Dale Shipp <=-

 DS> Gala and Fuji are good.  We gave up on the various Delicious a long
 DS> time ago.
 GJ> I agree about the Delicious, which tend to be floury and flavourless.

Delicious was a breakthrough back in the olden days, when
the familiar shape with its five chins quickly became the
paradigm of apple shape. It was crisp, sweet, fragrant, and
frankly delicious. Its evolution is one of the great indictments
of modern agribusiness. The Golden Delicious, which I always
thought of as a cooking apple, was never delicious.

 GJ> Have you noticed that apples seem to be getting bigger?  This may be
 GJ> because large ones need less handling labour per kg than small, but
 GJ> now they are too big for me to enjoy eating a whole apple.  Most
 GJ> s/markets bundle the smaller, less perfect fruit in 1 kg bags, which
 GJ> are sold cheaper per kg than the shiny, big ones, but they suit me.
 GJ> Royal Gala, Pink Lady and Sundowner are my favourites.

It's appearance vs. reality again.

--mm
Vampire Chicken with "Blood" Braise
cat: celebrity, Halloween, no blood
servings: 6

4 Tb (1/2 stick) butter, softened
2 Tb Essence
4 lb chicken, giblets removed and rinsed well
Cedar "stake", see below for details
Olive oil, for browning sausage, plus extra for roasting
3 lb hot Italian sausage links (still attached, if possible)
1 pt pearl onions, peeled
1 c stemmed shiitake mushrooms, cleaned
1 c whole crimini mushrooms, cleaned
1 c oyster mushrooms, cleaned
1 lb baby carrots, tops trimmed, peeled
1 bn red baby beets, tops removed
1 hd garlic, separated into cloves and peeled
2 sprigs rosemary
2 sprigs thyme
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 c red wine
3/4 c beet juice
1/2 c heavy cream
1 Tb Dijon mustard
1 Tb chopped thyme leaves

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400F.

Remove 1 oven rack and place the other at the bottom of the oven.

Mix the softened butter and Essence together to make a paste. Rub
the paste all over the chicken and under the skin of the breast.
Set aside.

Place a large roasting pan over 2 burners on the stove and heat
over medium-high heat. Add enough olive oil to lightly coat the
bottom of the pan. When the oil is hot, add the sausage links,
still attached in a coil. Brown on both sides, 3 min per side.

Remove from the heat and create a space in the center of the
sausage coil that is large enough to fit the cedar stake and
the chicken.

Place the chicken on the stake and place in the center of the
sausage. Add the onion, mushrooms, carrots, baby beets, and
garlic around the sausage. Drizzle with olive oil. Add rosemary,
thyme, and season with salt and pepper. Roast for 1 hr or until
the chicken and sausage are cooked through. Check after 30 min
to make sure there is still sufficient liquid in the pan. If
the pan is dry, add a little chicken stock or water.

While the chicken is cooking, in a saucepan, combine the red
wine, beet liquid, cream, and Dijon and reduce by 1/2, about
15 min. Stir in the thyme. Season, to taste, with salt and pepper.

Remove the chicken (still on the stake) from the pan and place
in the center of a large platter. Surround with the sausage,
garlic, and vegetables.

Ladle the sauce into a goblet or gravy boat and serve with
the chicken.

Cedar Stake

1 (1 by 6 by 36-inch) untreated, food-safe cedar plank

From the piece of cedar cut a base of 6 to 7".

From the remaining plank cut a 7 to 8" piece. Cut this
lengthwise approximately 1 1/2" wide. This will form your
"stake". At one end, make 2 diagonal cuts to form a point at
the top of the stake.

Nail or screw the stake to the base by putting nail or screw
through base and into the stake. Make sure to use stainless
steel nails or screws and sanitize them in boiling water
before using.

Source: Emeril
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 * Origin: Since 1991 And Were Still Here! DOCSPLACE.TZO.COM (1:123/140)