European Cooking Secrets
Nov 7th, 2016, 06:49 AM
#161
annhig, I don't think I would have done very well with that boar dish. Wildschweinpâté? I don't consider myself a fussy eater, but anything that involves a lot of blood just doesn't seem right to me.>>
St C - you and me both, though I do like the black pudding that is made round here. Who knows what it was called - Traveller????
I usually use groundnut oil for frying at high temperature as it has a very high smoking point.
Thanks for the tip about how to make fries; I confess that we buy ours frozen too which makes the ones we get in France and Belgium taste even more special .
St C - you and me both, though I do like the black pudding that is made round here. Who knows what it was called - Traveller????
I usually use groundnut oil for frying at high temperature as it has a very high smoking point.
Thanks for the tip about how to make fries; I confess that we buy ours frozen too which makes the ones we get in France and Belgium taste even more special .
Nov 7th, 2016, 07:02 AM
#162
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Black pudding = Blutwurst or Rotwurst. We have different varieties of Blutwurst. The main ingredient is always blood. You may add
- barley (then it is called "Grützwurst" or "Panhas" - pan hare)
- lean meat or ham (then it is sometimes called "Schlegelwurst")
- slabs or speck
- mixed meat
- rarely innards
You eat it cold on bread or pan-seared, then often combined with caramelized apples, roasted onions and mashed potatoes. In the Rhine region blood sausage with mashed potatoes is called "Himmel und Erde" (sky and earth), in Cologne, a roll with blood sausage is called "Kölsche Kaviar".
- barley (then it is called "Grützwurst" or "Panhas" - pan hare)
- lean meat or ham (then it is sometimes called "Schlegelwurst")
- slabs or speck
- mixed meat
- rarely innards
You eat it cold on bread or pan-seared, then often combined with caramelized apples, roasted onions and mashed potatoes. In the Rhine region blood sausage with mashed potatoes is called "Himmel und Erde" (sky and earth), in Cologne, a roll with blood sausage is called "Kölsche Kaviar".
Nov 7th, 2016, 12:02 PM
#163
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I have normal olive oil and extra virgin one, sunflower oil (for frying), sesame oil (for seasoning), oil with truffle extract (for beefteck, so simple but so tasty), mustard oil (for Indian dishes), coconut oil (for tartiner), argan oil (don't know what to do with it yet). That counts for 8 too.
I forgot the pear tart in the oven, it burnt
I forgot the pear tart in the oven, it burnt
Nov 8th, 2016, 02:16 AM
#165
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>>A reprise to the anchovies topic:
cooking.nytimes.com/68861692-nyt-cooking/1734779-anchovies-make-everything-taste-better
That's useful, I need to make use of the rest of my anchovy paste tube.
Today I wanted to buy duck fat to make duck confit but the Monoprix near my house doesn't have it. I won't take the train to go to other supermarkets just to buy the fat. Shame on you Monoprix. I'll buy it next time I travel -_-
cooking.nytimes.com/68861692-nyt-cooking/1734779-anchovies-make-everything-taste-better
That's useful, I need to make use of the rest of my anchovy paste tube.
Today I wanted to buy duck fat to make duck confit but the Monoprix near my house doesn't have it. I won't take the train to go to other supermarkets just to buy the fat. Shame on you Monoprix. I'll buy it next time I travel -_-
Nov 8th, 2016, 06:27 AM
#166
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>> argan oil (don't know what to do with it yet)<<
Argan oil is a very expensive oil that is extracted from the roasted nut-like fruit of the argan tree which grow in Morocco.
It has a beautiful flavour of hazelnut paste, like gianduja or Nutella.
Here are some ways to use it:
- In Morocco, they mix almonds, argan oil and honey to make a dessert. Brown almonds in a pan with argan oil, add honey, and stir untill it caramelizes.
- You can use it to flavour desserts and smoothies, e.g. a banana smoothie with honey and arganoil. Or mix whipped cream with argan oil.
- Simply pour argan oil over your salad, e.g. lamb's lettuce.
- Ceviche with arganoil or fish carpaccio.
- A cold soup made of mashed cucumbers with yoghurt, salt, lemon, cumin, pepper and argan oil.
- Argan oil goes excellent with pumpkin. Just sprinkle a few drops of argan oil into your South-African-style pumpkin soup (South African style is pumpkin with apples, orange juice, curry powder, habanero chile).
- Sear mushrooms or chanterelles in argan oil.
- Sear light meat (turkey, chicken, pork, rabbit) in argan oil and serve with roasted nuts.
- For any kind of meat, make a marinade of argan oil, lemon juice, chile, cumin, salt.
- Make a tajine with chicken and mixed vegetables which have beeen seared in argan oil.
Argan oil is a very expensive oil that is extracted from the roasted nut-like fruit of the argan tree which grow in Morocco.
It has a beautiful flavour of hazelnut paste, like gianduja or Nutella.
Here are some ways to use it:
- In Morocco, they mix almonds, argan oil and honey to make a dessert. Brown almonds in a pan with argan oil, add honey, and stir untill it caramelizes.
- You can use it to flavour desserts and smoothies, e.g. a banana smoothie with honey and arganoil. Or mix whipped cream with argan oil.
- Simply pour argan oil over your salad, e.g. lamb's lettuce.
- Ceviche with arganoil or fish carpaccio.
- A cold soup made of mashed cucumbers with yoghurt, salt, lemon, cumin, pepper and argan oil.
- Argan oil goes excellent with pumpkin. Just sprinkle a few drops of argan oil into your South-African-style pumpkin soup (South African style is pumpkin with apples, orange juice, curry powder, habanero chile).
- Sear mushrooms or chanterelles in argan oil.
- Sear light meat (turkey, chicken, pork, rabbit) in argan oil and serve with roasted nuts.
- For any kind of meat, make a marinade of argan oil, lemon juice, chile, cumin, salt.
- Make a tajine with chicken and mixed vegetables which have beeen seared in argan oil.
Nov 8th, 2016, 10:41 AM
#167
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Wo, your mother's way of making fries, surprisingly, is what I read years ago in an American cookbook, the Joy of Cooking. I did it once, but to be honest, I almost never make <i> patate fritte </i>, as we call them. I sometimes make what they call "hash browns" in the US, made with little oil.
I use olive oil for everything except deep frying, which is something I do once a year, at Carnevale. Then I use sunflower oil or peanut oil. I sometimes use butter and lard for cooking.
By the way, what is called "lardo" in Italy is really a very fatty pancetta, similar to what they call "fatback" in the southern US. What is called (rendered) lard in English is "strutto" in Italian.
I use olive oil for everything except deep frying, which is something I do once a year, at Carnevale. Then I use sunflower oil or peanut oil. I sometimes use butter and lard for cooking.
By the way, what is called "lardo" in Italy is really a very fatty pancetta, similar to what they call "fatback" in the southern US. What is called (rendered) lard in English is "strutto" in Italian.
Nov 9th, 2016, 01:01 AM
#170
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>> she couldn't compliment the hot chocolate enough <<
So, she saved a trip to Paris plus 8 Euros at Angelina. You may transfer 50 per cent of the saved travelling costs on my bank account.
So, she saved a trip to Paris plus 8 Euros at Angelina. You may transfer 50 per cent of the saved travelling costs on my bank account.
Nov 9th, 2016, 01:46 AM
#171
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We live in Paris. But yeah, she did save some euros and 1h of queueng. So anytime you feel like having a coffee, I'll treat
For the chocolate bar I used Cote D’Or, as recommended above.
Next question is about flambé dishes. I like both the taste and the fun ambience of it, especially for this weather. I did flambé a Galician liquor on Halloween day (I'm supposed to recit some spells and sorceries during the flame, but I was laughing too hard with my friends). I have eaten flambé crêpe. I would want to flamber something next with some European friends. Can you guys recommend some?
For the chocolate bar I used Cote D’Or, as recommended above.
Next question is about flambé dishes. I like both the taste and the fun ambience of it, especially for this weather. I did flambé a Galician liquor on Halloween day (I'm supposed to recit some spells and sorceries during the flame, but I was laughing too hard with my friends). I have eaten flambé crêpe. I would want to flamber something next with some European friends. Can you guys recommend some?
Nov 9th, 2016, 09:18 AM
#172
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Flambé was hugely popular in Europe during the 1970ties. It was mostly done for the visual effect, not so much for the taste.
You can pour a glass of Cognac (or brandy) over a steak and flamber it. Or you caramalize apples in a pan or in the oven and flamber them with Calvados. Lobster or giant shrimp can be flambeed.
Or you make any kind of dessert and serve it with seared or baked fruits which are flambeed with Cointreau.
In any case, make sure that the liquor is strong enough. If you pour liquor in some liquid or in a sauce then it will be diluted and not burn any more. Of course, the stronger the liquor the better it burns. You can get very strong rum which matches with almost every kind of food.
In Germany, there is a flambeed punch which is hugely popular in the winter months. It is called "Feuerzangenbowle". You place a sugarloaf (can be substituted by a heap of sugar cubes) on some kind of grate over a pot, filled with warm red wine and spices (cloves, cinnamon..). Then you pour strong rum over the sugar and let it burn until the sugar melts and drips into the wine. You add more rum until the bottle is empty. The pot is constantly heated through the process by a rechaud. Stir and enjoy!
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Feuerzangenbowle
The German version has more pictures and a video:
https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Feuerzangenbowle
You can pour a glass of Cognac (or brandy) over a steak and flamber it. Or you caramalize apples in a pan or in the oven and flamber them with Calvados. Lobster or giant shrimp can be flambeed.
Or you make any kind of dessert and serve it with seared or baked fruits which are flambeed with Cointreau.
In any case, make sure that the liquor is strong enough. If you pour liquor in some liquid or in a sauce then it will be diluted and not burn any more. Of course, the stronger the liquor the better it burns. You can get very strong rum which matches with almost every kind of food.
In Germany, there is a flambeed punch which is hugely popular in the winter months. It is called "Feuerzangenbowle". You place a sugarloaf (can be substituted by a heap of sugar cubes) on some kind of grate over a pot, filled with warm red wine and spices (cloves, cinnamon..). Then you pour strong rum over the sugar and let it burn until the sugar melts and drips into the wine. You add more rum until the bottle is empty. The pot is constantly heated through the process by a rechaud. Stir and enjoy!
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Feuerzangenbowle
The German version has more pictures and a video:
https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Feuerzangenbowle
Nov 9th, 2016, 10:35 AM
#173
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Feuerzangenbowle sounds much fun. Thank you^^
I will persuade my friends to invite me over and flamber it together. I did think of lobsters but hot wine + hot rum might be more showy. We're a bunch of mischieves.
I will persuade my friends to invite me over and flamber it together. I did think of lobsters but hot wine + hot rum might be more showy. We're a bunch of mischieves.
Nov 10th, 2016, 04:53 AM
#174
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Another (essential) tip for good French fries: after the first cooking (frying), let the fries cool off i.e. put them in the fridge for at least an hour (ten minutes is not nearly enough). Then fry again.
My temperatures are different from the ones stated by WoinParis.
1st round 140°C - 5 min.
2nd round 180°C - 2 min.
French fries need a goog dollop of (Belgian) mayonnaise.
Frozen fries: jeez! ... my house isn't called McDonalds or Quick. I always make fresh French fries.
My temperatures are different from the ones stated by WoinParis.
1st round 140°C - 5 min.
2nd round 180°C - 2 min.
French fries need a goog dollop of (Belgian) mayonnaise.
Frozen fries: jeez! ... my house isn't called McDonalds or Quick. I always make fresh French fries.
Nov 10th, 2016, 11:09 AM
#178
How do we get posts deleted on such threads ?>>
WoinP - there was a weird post appearing on lots of threads where cafe goddess [though I'm not sure it was actually her] had posted a short message in what looked like Korean. I suspect that the programme which is getting rid of the spam also deletes anything in Korean so there are lots of such gaps at the moment.
WoinP - there was a weird post appearing on lots of threads where cafe goddess [though I'm not sure it was actually her] had posted a short message in what looked like Korean. I suspect that the programme which is getting rid of the spam also deletes anything in Korean so there are lots of such gaps at the moment.
Nov 10th, 2016, 11:49 AM
#180
Makes senses. BTW forgot to add you on my (very) shortlist of favourite fodorites in the 'can we get rid of Korean spam' thread.
Apologies.>>
lol, WoinP - as I was unaware [until you just told me] that you'd omitted me, I had no idea that I had anything to be upset about.
now I am cut to the quick!
Apologies.>>
lol, WoinP - as I was unaware [until you just told me] that you'd omitted me, I had no idea that I had anything to be upset about.
now I am cut to the quick!
