It is not previously frozen, but we are not terribly worried about the risk of exposure to parasites (anisakis and tapeworm) – farm raising reduces the risk significantly, but of [...]]]> As I noted in a recent Facebook status update, the second gravlax is underway. This time the base fish is two slabs of a farm-raised Atlantic salmon.

It is not previously frozen, but we are not terribly worried about the risk of exposure to parasites (anisakis and tapeworm) – farm raising reduces the risk significantly, but of course doesn’t eliminate it. Unfortunately for us, filet form salmon sold previously- and still-frozen only seems to come locally in single serving packages and I’m not interested in trying that.

So anyhow, the second gravlax is going to be made of a richer, oilier fish. Given how rich the first one was, I am waiting quite impatiently for this one, which I imagine we’ll probably try tomorrow night or Thursday night. I may give it 3 days instead of 2 this time. Also, the cure went on much differently. With the first fish, the cure was dissolved into the meat almost instantly (it was wetter). With this one, the fattiness kept the cure on the surface much longer before it started going translucent and dissolving on the surface of the fish flesh.

I’ll report back. Very much looking forward to it.

The other thing I wanted to post about was that I got 5 books from the library (via ILL) related to meat handling, butchery, knife skills, charcuterie. I have had time to skim them all, so I wanted to give references and first impressions.

Knife Skills Illustrated: A User’s Manual, by Peter Hertzmann

A very thorough and illustrated basic knife care and handling manual for the kitchen. It talks not only about knife handling, safety and sharpening, but also gives various task-based instructions on using knives to process different kinds of foods, including illustrations, for both right-handed and left-handed cooks. I shall study this one further. If the skills are new to you and you’re interested, you might want to put this one on your wish list.

Charcuterie: The Craft of Salting, Smoking and Curing, by Michael Rhulman & Brian Polcyn

A goldmine for my current fascination. Not only deals with meats but also discusses (though it is not the primary focus) curing seafood as well as making sausages of it. I think I have friends who may own a copy as I was the recent recipient of duck prosciutto, which is on page 54. It was gooooood. I plan to put this one on my wish list or buy it outright.

The Soho Charcuterie Cookbook: Fabulous Food for Entertaining, by Francine Scherer & Madeline Poley

This one was a case almost of mistaken identity. There are maybe 18 pages of the book devoted to pates and sausages. I think the restaurant itself is called the Soho Charcuterie, and it’s their cookbook. Actually, the recipes do look good, if a bit dairy heavy for our household, and the meats-preserving/-pureeing recipes do look good, I wouldn’t buy it if my purpose were the solely for the curing section.

Jack Ubaldi’s Meat Book: A Buther’s Guide to Buying, Cutting and Cooking Meat, by Jack Ubaldi & Elizabeth Crossman

This one is a great insider’s view of the meat and butchering industry from the late 1980′s (1987-ish). The author was a butcher, then an owner of a butchery, then an instructor before writing this book. There are discussions of how to shop for meat, choose meat and cook meat, as well as discussions of grades of beef and lamb and various standard cuts and what to look for among all the meats, discussions of how to tell the age of meats, etc. I’m definitely going to read this one more thoroughly, take notes and perhaps buy it, especially if I really get into curing meats (and not just fish). Also includes a lot of recipes that look good.

The River Cottage Meat Book by Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall

This is a really visually pleasing book that was written in Britain and many of the discussions are UK-centric. The author is definitely a gourmand (you can tell by his recipes, especially his cross-cultural ones). He also discusses the ethics of eating meat, is a strong proponent of eating locally, really of knowing where your meat, especially, is coming from, and thinks you should spend more on better cuts of meat, even if it means eating meat more rarely. He does have a curing section, and talks about butchering, preparing and curing non-fish flesh, including pork, fowl (including game fowl), rabbit, lamb and beef. He talks about and diagrams cuts. For folks who are upset by strong imagery, beware that there are photographic sequences of the slaughter and butchery of previously alive animals, as well as images of/illustrations of plucking fowl and images of and discussions of obtaining and preparing offal, including pictures of various representative pieces of offal. It’s a sumptuous book, but I feel it would be more applicable to living in the UK. I’ll read it once through and return it to the library.

So that’s it. I’ll let you know how the gravlax turns out and I’ll let you know what I get up to with these other books.

Link to this new one’s original post.

Instructions:

[C]opy the list, including my instructions, and bold any items you have eaten and strike out any you would never eat, and then post it to your blog. If you want, you can leave a comment here, linking to your results, or you [...]]]> Like the previous gourmand’s meme I already did.

Link to this new one’s original post.

Instructions:

[C]opy the list, including my instructions, and bold any items you have eaten and strike out any you would never eat, and then post it to your blog. If you want, you can leave a comment here, linking to your results, or you can link back to this post so I can try and keep tabs on what folks have eaten and not eaten. Finally, if you think something else should be on the list–feel free to add that to your post, and add any comments you like to your own posting of the list. I am just as curious to see what people have to say about food as whether or not they have eaten them.

(any hyperlinks are my own and not the original author’s)

1. Real macaroni and cheese, made from scratch and baked
2. Tabouleh
3. Freshly baked bread, straight from the oven (preferably with homemade strawberry jam)
4. Fresh figs
5. Fresh pomegranate
6. Indian dal of any sort
7. Imam bayildi (boy does this look good!)
8. Pressed spiced Chinese tofu (usually but not always spiced with five spice seasonings)
   
9. Freshly made hummus
10. Tahini
11. Kimchi
12. Miso
13. Falafel
14. Potato and pea filled samosas
15. Homemade yogurt
16. Muhammara
17. Brie en croute (warning – popup, flash, ads, etc.)
18. Spanikopita
19. Fresh, vine-ripened heirloom tomatoes
20. Insalata caprese
21. Stir-fried greens (gai lan, bok choi, pea shoots, kale, chard or collards)
22. Freshly made salsa
23. Freshly made guacamole
24. Creme brulee
25. Fava beans
26. Chinese cold sesame peanut noodles
27. Fattoush
28. New potatoes
29. Coleslaw
30. Ratatouille
31. Baba ganoush
32. Winter squash
33. Roasted beets
34. Baked sweet potatoes
35. Plantains
36. Chocolate truffles
37. Garlic mashed potatoes
38. Fresh water chestnuts
39. Steel cut oats
40. Quinoa
41. Grilled portabello mushrooms
42. Chipotle en adobo (this is a sauce you can have on non-veg things, if inclined)
43. Stone ground whole grain cornmeal
44. Freshly made corn or wheat tortillas
45. Frittata
46. Basil pesto
47. Roasted garlic
48. Raita of any type
49. Mango lassi
50. Jasmine rice (white or brown)
51. Thai vegetarian coconut milk curry
52. Pumpkin in any form other than pie (I’ve had it roasted, among other ways)
    
53. Fresh apple pear or plum gallette
54. Quince in any form (I’ve had it as a jelly/jam)
    
55. Escarole, endive or arugula
56. Sprouts other than mung bean (I’ve had alfalfa)
    
57. Naturally brewed soy sauce (I am pretty sure not, but would be totally into it)
58. Dried shiitake mushrooms
59. Unusually colored vegetables (purple cauliflower, blue potatoes, chocolate bell peppers…) (had all three, thank you, but especially Romanesco – that’s my baby. )
    
60. Fresh peach ice cream
61. Chevre
62. Medjool dates
63. Kheer
64. Flourless chocolate cake
65. Grilled corn on the cob
66. Black bean (or any other bean) vegetarian chili
67. Tempeh
68. Seitan or wheat gluten (I pronounce it the same way I pronounce the Devil, but I’m contentious that way)
    
69. Gorgonzola or any other blue veined cheese
70. Sweet potato fries
71. Homemade au gratin potatoes (warning – allrecipes.com is also big, flashy and spammy)
72. Cream of asparagus soup
73. Artichoke-Parmesan dip
74. Mushroom risotto
75. Fermented black beans
76. Garlic scapes (my Chinese family calls these garlic sprouts)
77. Fresh new baby peas
78. Kalamata olives
79. Preserved lemons (home made, even!)
80. Fried green tomatoes
81. Chinese scallion pancakes (not just Chinese – I was first exposed to these in Korean cuisine – if you go to a restaurant for these watch out – they’re often made with dried shrimp which Asian chefs seem to think of as a seasoning unless they’re Buddhist)
82. Cheese souffle
83. Fried apples
84. Homemade frijoles refritos (aka refried beans)
85. Pasta fagiole
86. Macadamia nuts in any form
87. Paw paw in any form (I would like to, because I understand it’s related to the soursop/custard apple, which I LOVE)
88. Grilled cheese sandwich of any kind
89. Paneer cheese
90. Ma Po Tofu (vegetarian style – no pork!)
91. Fresh pasta in any form
92. Grilled leeks, scallions or ramps
93. Green papaya salad (do you see what I mean about the dried shrimp? Use something pungent and salty to substitute for it)
94. Baked grain and vegetable stuffed tomatoes
95. Pickled ginger (warning – about.com)
96. Methi greens (looks good, though!)
97. Aloo paratha (warning – youtube.com)
98. Kedgeree (again, looks good!)
99. Okra
100. Roasted brussels sprouts (this converted even H from not liking brussels sprouts)

95/100. Woot.

It was a good time. They helped drink beer from our fridge that has been languishing and needs to be drunk before October.

They also brought cognac soaked peaches and fine chocolate. We got more than a [...]]]> Last night, we had a wonderful protein rich dinner with silverbackbutch and biblespice, to celebrate various birthdays and victories!

It was a good time. They helped drink beer from our fridge that has been languishing and needs to be drunk before October.

They also brought cognac soaked peaches and fine chocolate. We got more than a little silly.

Additionally, Junkfood Science has a very well written summary of a seminal 1940′s study on starvation and physiological/psychological responses to starvation, as well as what happens when starvation is remedied and folks’ eating habits [...]]]> The BBC on the recent University College London study on 5,000 twins (identical and fraternal) that demonstrates that “Obesity ‘may be largely genetic’”.

Additionally, Junkfood Science has a very well written summary of a seminal 1940′s study on starvation and physiological/psychological responses to starvation, as well as what happens when starvation is remedied and folks’ eating habits adjust. In fact, there seems to be very little cause to say that folks who eat a lot after going on starvation diets are “overeating”, and apparently body weights return to almost the same as before starvation within 9 months of returning to a situation where access to food is unfettered.

Overall, the important news is that there’s no food allergy I have that causes anaphylaxis but there are two foods I avoid because of less bothersome but still extremely inconvenient symptoms.

Those two foods are: (1) strawberries – almost instantly [...]]]> On request from folks I know, I now catalog all the foods I eat and/or try to avoid.

Overall, the important news is that there’s no food allergy I have that causes anaphylaxis but there are two foods I avoid because of less bothersome but still extremely inconvenient symptoms.

Those two foods are: (1) strawberries – almost instantly cause asthmatic symptoms, strongly and (2) scallops – no serious consequences yet, but last time I had them, they made my throat worrisomely itchy.

Of food allergies I have, the lion’s share of symptoms express as an intense heartburn, with a few that may instead/also cause some asthma/allergy type effects. I try to avoid any exposure to the really extreme ones, but I can generally tolerate a fair bit of exposure to the ones where those symptoms are mild. Following is an ordered list of those foods by strength of symptom:

• strawberries (extreme symptoms – cooked fine)
• walnuts (strong symptoms – cooked and uncooked)
• musk melon (moderate)
• raw brassica – cauliflower, cabbage, kale, broccoli, etc. (moderate – cooked are fine and tasty!)
• raw carrots (moderate – cooked fine)
• raw peas (moderate – cooked fine)
• navel oranges (moderate)
• pineapple (moderate – actually atypical for me, these make my mouth raw, no other serious symptoms)
• raw sweet potatoes (weak – cooked fine)
• other raw, especially root vegetables – i.e. celeriac, etc.
• raw jicama (weak)
• raw celery (weak – cooked fine)
• honeydew melon (weak)
• peanuts (weak)
• scallops (weak but itchy)
• brazil nut (very weak)
• watermelon (very weak)

Safe foods of similar types:

• Nuts: cashews, macadamia, almonds, pecans, hazelnuts, chestnuts.
• Veg: almost any cooked veg.
• Fruits: tangerines, almost any other other citrus.

Also, as I’ve said to various friends, though I am a rather adventurous eater and generally enjoy spicy foods and also have acquired tastes for foods other people have problems with (bird’s nest soup, cold jellyfish salad, etc, from Chinese/Asian cuisines especially), there are some that defeat me. I do not think I will ever try a deep fried whole scorpion, or fugu, for that matter. It’s just not going to happen.

So, in summary, crudite plates are not very easy for me to navigate, nor are uncarefully prepared fruit salads or candies not made with my restrictions in mind, but I can negotiate almost everything else, especially as long as I’m allowed to pick stuff out.

Those of you who know me already, and think/know I’ve left something out, let me know!

I’m planning to be in bed, attempting to sleep by 8:00 or 8:30. misia is of course welcome to call later than that. I got about 4 hours last night, and I need to get up early and be functional enough tomorrow for gym and then work, and when I get home, I [...]]]> Trivia about this evening.

I’m planning to be in bed, attempting to sleep by 8:00 or 8:30. misia is of course welcome to call later than that. I got about 4 hours last night, and I need to get up early and be functional enough tomorrow for gym and then work, and when I get home, I need to test the Speakeasy DSL and possibly call support about it.

I’m torn as to whether I should just let Speakeasy/COVAD come in and install the modem (I’m told that the $99 fee will ultimately be waived, but I don’t really have it on paper, so am a bit skeptical – it sounds like wishful geeks). But at the same time, the modem seems to have come to me misconfigured, so I’m not entirely pleased by that or really able to bludgeon it into doing what I want.

Anyway, I shall post this and then hie to bed to try to get enough sleep this time so as not to make myself sick.

Speaking of which, I successfully had two, filling, relatively balanced meals today, and am proud of myself. Normally I don’t have a lot of trouble with tuning out and forgetting to eat, with misia around, but without her, I’m a mess and lucky sometimes if I have even one actual meal (instead of snacking on mostly starches/nuts).