Comments | sagaciouslu: I have a fan!

sagaciouslu

I have a fan!

Nov 20, 2011 09:37

Which is odd. I don't think my writing, nor my life, deserve such. However, said anonymous fan has requested more food posts. Here is one such.

I love food. Happily, I take immense pleasure in simple food. Two meals of note in the last couple of weeks were a potluck I attended with friends, and a quick meal I made for myself before work one ( Read more... )

Comments 16

nantosvelta November 22 2011, 03:48:03 UTC

or you could always rent a hall! ;P

anonymous November 22 2011, 05:07:13 UTC

The soup sounds amazing! Barley is always a good start to a recipe. I am having a vegan for dinner soon (as a guest--not a meal) so will attempt it with a vegetable stock. I wonder how it would work with winter veggies, like a butternut squash?

sagaciouslu November 22 2011, 05:35:33 UTC

It's okay to eat a vegan; they're so frickin' healthy you'd be doing your body a favour. And they're so frickin' sanctimonious, you'd be doing the world a favour....

Heh.

Seriously, however, this was one of the recipes I altered for a former partner who went from veggie to vegan. I commend a vegetable stock to your attention that is low in sodium (you can add salt yourself to taste), and suggest, too, that you use more olive oil and garlic otherwise it tends to be somewhat more bland than with chicken stock. Dunno why; that's just been my experience.

I guess I'll be posting the recipe here soon...

sagaciouslu November 22 2011, 05:42:08 UTC

Ooops. I forgot. One of the keys is to add the veggies at the end, just to heat them through. If, however, you choose to use something like a winter squash, I would suggest either adding it much sooner (to give it lots of time to cook through) or, perhaps, roast it first (which might add a lovely, smokey flavour). Lemme know how it turns out if you do....

anonymous November 23 2011, 03:13:34 UTC

And this, exactly, is what I appreciate. Unpretentious prose on the subject of things edible, and the opportunity to toss around ideas. I had been thinking some of spinach with the pine nuts, but am now drawn to arugula. Any butternut squash would absolutely be roasted. And extra garlic is a given. My intention would be to use a homemade veg stock, based on the recipe in the Taste of Lebanon cookbook. But with more garlic. For some reason, no matter how much salt I add to sodium reduced efforts, I can't seem to season them to the point I find them palatable.

I would eat the vegan, but I fear I might choke on her inherent superiority. Or at least suffer a bout of indigestion.

Thread 8

Paella anonymous November 22 2011, 05:14:04 UTC

My hubby is latino, so I do paella a few times a year. Just a plain old chicken, chorizo and seafood mix--nothing exotic like rabbit and snails. Managing the guest list is indeed a challenge. Perhaps the solution is for you to offer several seatings. Have you found the proper rice (and if so, where), or do you, like me, resort to arborio or carnaroli?

Re: Paella sagaciouslu November 22 2011, 05:39:57 UTC

I use arborio rice; it seems to give me the best results. I have not found any 'proper' spanish rice, but I'm not vexed or an authenticity nazi; I just want a tasty paella.

I should add, however, that 'traditional' paella is supposed to have a slightly burned, crusty bottom (from being cooked over a fire, allegedly). I do not like that. My paella ends up being moist, juicy and steamy all the way through.

I do not get exotic, either. I am happy with LOTS of chorizo, scallops, prawns, chicken and lobster. Which is why it costs me such a fortune to make.

And, yes, I will have a second seating. Next year...

(I think part of the appeal is the scarcity....which makes me a child, and likely an attention whore, but I can live with that....)

Cheers!

Re: Paella anonymous November 23 2011, 04:19:05 UTC

Meh--who wants to eat burnt rice? OVERcooked over a fire, in my humble opinion. Have you been to Unimarket, either by the Chinook C-train or on Edmonton Trail and 24th-ish Ave NE? Very nice raw chorizo in either a mild Colombian or a spicy Mexican blend. Of course, the Valbella remains a solid choice as well.

Re: Paella sagaciouslu November 23 2011, 04:30:00 UTC

Heh. I haven't been to the Unimarket in a coon's age. My default is Spulumbo's chorizo; good quality, spicy and tasty. And the flavour changes between batches, so you know it's still being hand made. I love that stuff.

I'll check out the Unimarket again, however. Thank you for the reminder!

I still miss Nicastro's, however....

Thread 7