The 9 Most Common Kitchen Mistakes

On Wed, 7 May 2008, Omelet wrote:

> In article <0c48f5-6k5.ln1@bakters.bandit.home>,
> Andrzej Rosa <bakters@yahoo.com> wrote:
>
>> ["Followup-To:" header set to misc.fitness.weights.]
>> Dnia 2008-05-06 Omelet napisa³(a):
>>> In article <Pine.LNX.4.64.0805061826500.27458@urchin.earth.li >,
>>> Tom Anderson <twic@urchin.earth.li> wrote:
>>>
>>>> Yeah, i'm thinking about this. As you and Phred have pointed out, lobster
>>>> is too good to use for sausages (although i'm not a massive fan - i prefer
>>>> crab). Prawns would do it, though, and they're cheap, already cooked and
>>>> peeled, from the freezer cabinet in the supermarket. All i'd need to do
>>>> would be to get some skins and come up with a recipe.
>>>>
>>>> So, what should go in a prawn sausage apart from prawn? Anything?
>>>
>>> Well, I generally cook shrimp with a bit of dill weed, garlic powder and
>>> salt free lemon pepper. You can easily get pork casings.
>>>
>>> But, just plain shrimp sausage would most likely turn out to be a bit
>>> dry. Some sort of fat or shortening would be in order, at least in some
>>> amount.
>>>
>>> You may also try adding a ground veggie of some sort. Asparagus goes
>>> well with shrimp. ;-) So do mushrooms, either white, crimini or
>>> portabello.
>>
>> You sure you eat asparagus? Here it's a flower of some sort.
>
> You don't eat Asparagus???

Om, bear in mind that Andrzej is Polish. To Poles, chicken is a vegetable,
and vegetables are things you look at in the park.

Andrzej, this is what we mean by asparagus:

http://images.google.com/images?clie...=1&sa=N&tab=wi

They're the shoots of a plant. We don't let them get far enough to flower!

> It's one of the more expensive veggies here and OH so delicious!

It's good. Not one of my absolute favourites, though; a good broad bean
kicks it in half. Om, have you ever eaten samphire?

>> Anyway, you are right that some fat in a sausage is a must. Never
>> thought about adding mushrooms. I'm not sure if mushrooms are safe to
>> store for prolonged periods, and sausages were developed for this very
>> purpose, hence smoking them,

You crazy Poles! Smoking sausages is very much an eastern European thing,
although the Italians do it too. The Anglo-Saxon tradition is of raw
sausages that you make fresh (in olden times) or buy keep in the fridge
(now) and cook immediately before eating. I'm trying to think of a cooked
or smoked sausage that originates in the British Isles. There's black
pudding (a but like kaszanka), but although that's cooked to make the
blood congeal, you cook it again and eat it hot. I can't think of a smoked
sausage at all. We smoke our bacon, though.

>> but purely for taste I can see some potential in it. Still, making
>> sausages to be eaten fresh seems like a lot of work to me. Though some
>> sort of fried meatballs... It could very well work fine.
>
> Yes, some people just make sausage into patties and freeze it rather
> than make stuffed sausage. If you are concerned about the mushrooms,
> you could always cook them first. It'd be better anyway as mushrooms
> release a lot of water when they are cooked.

That might help keep the sausage moist, though.

> You could also add dried mushroom in powdered form just as a flavoring.
> I often powder dried shitake mushrooms from the asian market and
> sprinkle them on poultry or into soups.

Wow. I never thought of that. If i put dried mushrooms in soup or stew,
it's whole. Powdering them and using them as a seasoning, though ...
interesting!

tom

--
Ensure a star-man is never constructed!

Dnia 2008-05-07 Tom Anderson napisa³(a):
>>>>
>>>> Well, I generally cook shrimp with a bit of dill weed, garlic powder and
>>>> salt free lemon pepper. You can easily get pork casings.
>>>>
>>>> But, just plain shrimp sausage would most likely turn out to be a bit
>>>> dry. Some sort of fat or shortening would be in order, at least in some
>>>> amount.
>>>>
>>>> You may also try adding a ground veggie of some sort. Asparagus goes
>>>> well with shrimp. ;-) So do mushrooms, either white, crimini or
>>>> portabello.
>>>
>>> You sure you eat asparagus? Here it's a flower of some sort.
>>
>> You don't eat Asparagus???
>
> Om, bear in mind that Andrzej is Polish. To Poles, chicken is a vegetable,
> and vegetables are things you look at in the park.

Look, who's talking. Taking in account world famous English kitchen
prowess, I forgive your lack of knowledge about Polish taste in vegies.

> Andrzej, this is what we mean by asparagus:
>
> http://images.google.com/images?clie...=1&sa=N&tab=wi
>
> They're the shoots of a plant. We don't let them get far enough to flower!

Now I got it. They aren't very popular around here, mostly because they
don't taste very well and you can't eat them raw. Decorative plant I
was talking about looks quite different, but is called asparagus in
Polish, while your asparagus is called differently (shparag phonetically).

[...]
>>> Anyway, you are right that some fat in a sausage is a must. Never
>>> thought about adding mushrooms. I'm not sure if mushrooms are safe to
>>> store for prolonged periods, and sausages were developed for this very
>>> purpose, hence smoking them,
>
> You crazy Poles! Smoking sausages is very much an eastern European thing,
> although the Italians do it too.

They know what's good, obviously. Smoking adds quite a lot of flavor.

> The Anglo-Saxon tradition is of raw
> sausages that you make fresh (in olden times) or buy keep in the fridge
> (now) and cook immediately before eating.

We have them too. White sausages, good for barbecue, but can go green
if stored without a fridge. That's why I avoided them while in college. ;-)

> I'm trying to think of a cooked
> or smoked sausage that originates in the British Isles. There's black
> pudding (a but like kaszanka), but although that's cooked to make the
> blood congeal, you cook it again and eat it hot. I can't think of a smoked
> sausage at all. We smoke our bacon, though.

Funny thing, everybody now thinks that blood sausage is our invention,
but I read that in as late as XVII century we didn't know it yet. It
was known and eaten in Northern Germany and Denmark, and Polish noblemen
whose memoirs I read frowned upon such a food immensely.

[...]
--
Andrzej Rosa 1127R

On Wed, 7 May 2008, Andrzej Rosa wrote:

> Dnia 2008-05-07 Tom Anderson napisa?(a):
>
>>>>> Well, I generally cook shrimp with a bit of dill weed, garlic powder and
>>>>> salt free lemon pepper. You can easily get pork casings.
>>>>>
>>>>> But, just plain shrimp sausage would most likely turn out to be a bit
>>>>> dry. Some sort of fat or shortening would be in order, at least in some
>>>>> amount.
>>>>>
>>>>> You may also try adding a ground veggie of some sort. Asparagus goes
>>>>> well with shrimp. ;-) So do mushrooms, either white, crimini or
>>>>> portabello.
>>>>
>>>> You sure you eat asparagus? Here it's a flower of some sort.
>>>
>>> You don't eat Asparagus???
>>
>> Om, bear in mind that Andrzej is Polish. To Poles, chicken is a vegetable,
>> and vegetables are things you look at in the park.
>
> Look, who's talking. Taking in account world famous English kitchen
> prowess, I forgive your lack of knowledge about Polish taste in vegies.

Okay, let's not get into a sausage-waving contest about whose food is
best. Let's focus on the guys with the really bad cuisine: the Americans.

>>>> Anyway, you are right that some fat in a sausage is a must. Never
>>>> thought about adding mushrooms. I'm not sure if mushrooms are safe to
>>>> store for prolonged periods, and sausages were developed for this very
>>>> purpose, hence smoking them,
>>
>> You crazy Poles! Smoking sausages is very much an eastern European thing,
>> although the Italians do it too.
>
> They know what's good, obviously. Smoking adds quite a lot of flavor.

Oh, true. I can get a few Polish sausages in corner shops round here (one
of the benefits of the Polish influx into London), and they're very good.
Even though they're probably the cheapest, nastiest type there is.

>> The Anglo-Saxon tradition is of raw
>> sausages that you make fresh (in olden times) or buy keep in the fridge
>> (now) and cook immediately before eating.
>
> We have them too. White sausages, good for barbecue, but can go green
> if stored without a fridge. That's why I avoided them while in college.
> ;-)
>
>> I'm trying to think of a cooked or smoked sausage that originates in
>> the British Isles. There's black pudding (a but like kaszanka), but
>> although that's cooked to make the blood congeal, you cook it again and
>> eat it hot. I can't think of a smoked sausage at all. We smoke our
>> bacon, though.
>
> Funny thing, everybody now thinks that blood sausage is our invention,
> but I read that in as late as XVII century we didn't know it yet. It
> was known and eaten in Northern Germany and Denmark, and Polish noblemen
> whose memoirs I read frowned upon such a food immensely.

Interesting. I know the Turks make blood sausage; could it have come into
Europe from the east, possibly via Moorish Spain? Apparently, that's how
we got nougat.

tom

--
Ensure a star-man is never constructed!

Ken wrote:
>
> Could you people please stop cross-posting this thread to unrelated groups?
>
>
.... ken, Ken, KEN!!! it's way too late for that. you act like an
inexperienced luser ^H^H^H^H^H user. let me clue you in: your server
connect your people to the internet.

if , say, one of your people cross post a post to 3 other groups
and ... um ... um ... where am i going with this???

b

sf wrote:
> On Mon, 5 May 2008 23:20:56 -0500, "Ken" <wh@t.the> wrote:
>
>> Could you people please stop cross-posting this thread to unrelated groups?
>
> Just curious... are you from talk.bizarre?
>
.... hint: people in my gropus KNOW it is impossible to stop a croddpodt

b

Andrzej Rosa wrote:
> Dnia 2008-05-06 Tom Anderson napisa³(a):
>> On Tue, 6 May 2008, Omelet wrote:
>>
>>> In article <Pine.LNX.4.64.0805060352160.7997@urchin.earth.li> ,
>>> Tom Anderson <twic@urchin.earth.li> wrote:
>>>
>>>> On Mon, 5 May 2008, (David P.) wrote:
>>>>
>>>>> Tom Anderson <t...@urchin.earth.li> wrote:
>>>>>
>>>>>> #2 was about how keeping milk in a transparent container leaves it
>>>>>> vulnerable to light. If the author hasn't realised that the light goes
>>>>>> off when you close the fridge door, ...
>>>>> Don't you think they were referring to when the container is left out on
>>>>> the table during the meal, exposed to light?
>>>> No, actually, i think it was referring to storing dry foods in transparent
>>>> containers on the worktop. After the initial mention of milk, that's what
>>>> the article talks about.
>>>>
>>>> I do think this is all hokum, though.
>>> No, it's not. especially if you use fluorescent fixtures or bulbs like
>>> many do now. There is more UV and it DOES influence some vitamin
>>> content.
>> You show me someone who's got rickets because fluorescent lights destroyed
>> the vitamin D in their milk,
>
> They should get a suntan first, and it so happens, that vitamin D is
> synthesized in the skin, so IF fluorescent light destroys vit D in the
> milk, it will synthesize it in your skin.
>
> What a bunch of concentrated nonsense, but funny.
>
>> or a population in which the frequency of
>> rickets, or any other malnutrition disorder, has increased because of the
>> use of fluorescent lights, and i'll take my statement back.
>>
>> Until then, i maintain that it's hokum.
>
> Of course it is, but mainly because UV is absorbed by normal glass.

.... no! it omly *seems* that way.in reality, the light is absorbed
ans refracted to a new dimension.

b
ps;
this is true
>

Omelet wrote:
> In article <jvr6f5-r5v.ln1@bakters.bandit.home>,
> Andrzej Rosa <bakters@yahoo.com> wrote:
>
>>> You show me someone who's got rickets because fluorescent lights destroyed
>>> the vitamin D in their milk,
>> They should get a suntan first, and it so happens, that vitamin D is
>> synthesized in the skin, so IF fluorescent light destroys vit D in the
>> milk, it will synthesize it in your skin.
>>
>> What a bunch of concentrated nonsense, but funny.
>>
>>> or a population in which the frequency of
>>> rickets, or any other malnutrition disorder, has increased because of the
>>> use of fluorescent lights, and i'll take my statement back.
>>>
>>> Until then, i maintain that it's hokum.
>> Of course it is, but mainly because UV is absorbed by normal glass.
>
> Good points. ;-)
>
> Since I work nights tho', I don't get much (if any) sun.
> I supplement Vitamin A&D in gelcaps. It's encapsulated fish liver oil.
>
> I don't drink milk. At all. I get some dairy from cheese, and
> occasionally cottage cheese or yogurt.
>
> I don't worry about Calcium as I also take a good balanced mineral

.... DEW EWE SHOVE IT UP UR ASSS!!!

BINKY
PS-THINGY;
EYE CILL MYSELF!!

HAW ! HAW!! HAW!@!

> supplement daily.

Dnia 2008-05-07 Tom Anderson napisa³(a):
> On Wed, 7 May 2008, Andrzej Rosa wrote:
>
>> Dnia 2008-05-07 Tom Anderson napisa?(a):
>>
>>>> You don't eat Asparagus???
>>>
>>> Om, bear in mind that Andrzej is Polish. To Poles, chicken is a vegetable,
>>> and vegetables are things you look at in the park.
>>
>> Look, who's talking. Taking in account world famous English kitchen
>> prowess, I forgive your lack of knowledge about Polish taste in vegies.
>
> Okay, let's not get into a sausage-waving contest about whose food is
> best. Let's focus on the guys with the really bad cuisine: the Americans.

That's not fair. You don't kick a lying may, as we say here.

>>> You crazy Poles! Smoking sausages is very much an eastern European thing,
>>> although the Italians do it too.
>>
>> They know what's good, obviously. Smoking adds quite a lot of flavor.
>
> Oh, true. I can get a few Polish sausages in corner shops round here (one
> of the benefits of the Polish influx into London),

That should start to end by now. Poles migrate back home ATM, once we got
all rich and prosperous, you know.

> and they're very good.
> Even though they're probably the cheapest, nastiest type there is.

Maybe, but properly smoked sausages are generally made from meat here,
which isn't always the truth when it comes to various wieners, for
example. It may be meat of a bit lower quality in cheap sorts, but real
meat none the less, so they taste roughly right. I couldn't say that about
Berliner Wuersten, until we joined the union and they started using our
sausages. Before that they tasted like cardboard mixed with some wood
shavings. Went down well when drowned in ketchup. ;-)

>> Funny thing, everybody now thinks that blood sausage is our invention,
>> but I read that in as late as XVII century we didn't know it yet. It
>> was known and eaten in Northern Germany and Denmark, and Polish noblemen
>> whose memoirs I read frowned upon such a food immensely.
>
> Interesting. I know the Turks make blood sausage; could it have come into
> Europe from the east, possibly via Moorish Spain? Apparently, that's how
> we got nougat.

I've no idea, beside that Turkish food is good. But it probably came
from somewhere. Most other things did, but we supposedly genuinely
invented pierogi. Supposedly...

--
Andrzej Rosa 1127R

On Wed, 7 May 2008, beelzibub wrote:

> Andrzej Rosa wrote:
>> Dnia 2008-05-06 Tom Anderson napisa?(a):
>>> On Tue, 6 May 2008, Omelet wrote:
>>>
>>>> In article <Pine.LNX.4.64.0805060352160.7997@urchin.earth.li> ,
>>>> Tom Anderson <twic@urchin.earth.li> wrote:
>>>>
>>>>> On Mon, 5 May 2008, (David P.) wrote:
>>>>>
>>>>>> Tom Anderson <t...@urchin.earth.li> wrote:
>>>>>>
>>>>>>> #2 was about how keeping milk in a transparent container leaves it
>>>>>>> vulnerable to light. If the author hasn't realised that the light goes
>>>>>>> off when you close the fridge door, ...
>>>>>> Don't you think they were referring to when the container is left out
>>>>>> on
>>>>>> the table during the meal, exposed to light?
>>>>> No, actually, i think it was referring to storing dry foods in
>>>>> transparent
>>>>> containers on the worktop. After the initial mention of milk, that's
>>>>> what
>>>>> the article talks about.
>>>>>
>>>>> I do think this is all hokum, though.
>>>> No, it's not. especially if you use fluorescent fixtures or bulbs like
>>>> many do now. There is more UV and it DOES influence some vitamin content.
>>> You show me someone who's got rickets because fluorescent lights destroyed
>>> the vitamin D in their milk,
>>
>> They should get a suntan first, and it so happens, that vitamin D is
>> synthesized in the skin, so IF fluorescent light destroys vit D in the
>> milk, it will synthesize it in your skin.
>>
>> What a bunch of concentrated nonsense, but funny.
>>
>>> or a population in which the frequency of rickets, or any other
>>> malnutrition disorder, has increased because of the use of fluorescent
>>> lights, and i'll take my statement back.
>>>
>>> Until then, i maintain that it's hokum.
>>
>> Of course it is, but mainly because UV is absorbed by normal glass.
>
> ... no! it omly *seems* that way.in reality, the light is absorbed
> ans refracted to a new dimension.
>
> b
> ps;
> this is true

WE KNEW THAT.

tom

--
Pave the world

On Wed, 7 May 2008, Andrzej Rosa wrote:

> Dnia 2008-05-07 Tom Anderson napisa?(a):
>> On Wed, 7 May 2008, Andrzej Rosa wrote:
>>
>>> Dnia 2008-05-07 Tom Anderson napisa?(a):
>>>
>>>> You crazy Poles! Smoking sausages is very much an eastern European
>>>> thing, although the Italians do it too.
>>>
>>> They know what's good, obviously. Smoking adds quite a lot of flavor.
>>
>> Oh, true. I can get a few Polish sausages in corner shops round here (one
>> of the benefits of the Polish influx into London),
>
> That should start to end by now. Poles migrate back home ATM, once we
> got all rich and prosperous, you know.

I know, it's in the news here quite a lot. I hear that wages have shot up
in Poland, and a lot of Poles haven't found good enough jobs over here -
people with lots of skills and education come over, but can only get work
as a waiter or something. So, no more Poles in London. I hope they don't
all go home, because the nice food will vanish with them!

>> and they're very good. Even though they're probably the cheapest,
>> nastiest type there is.
>
> Maybe, but properly smoked sausages are generally made from meat here,
> which isn't always the truth when it comes to various wieners, for
> example. It may be meat of a bit lower quality in cheap sorts, but real
> meat none the less, so they taste roughly right.

The ones in the shops here do taste very meaty, so it seems you're right.

> I couldn't say that about Berliner Wuersten, until we joined the union
> and they started using our sausages. Before that they tasted like
> cardboard mixed with some wood shavings. Went down well when drowned in
> ketchup. ;-)

Most things do!

>>> Funny thing, everybody now thinks that blood sausage is our invention,
>>> but I read that in as late as XVII century we didn't know it yet. It
>>> was known and eaten in Northern Germany and Denmark, and Polish noblemen
>>> whose memoirs I read frowned upon such a food immensely.
>>
>> Interesting. I know the Turks make blood sausage; could it have come into
>> Europe from the east, possibly via Moorish Spain? Apparently, that's how
>> we got nougat.
>
> I've no idea, beside that Turkish food is good. But it probably came
> from somewhere. Most other things did, but we supposedly genuinely
> invented pierogi. Supposedly...

I believe you.

tom

--
Pave the world

In article <Pine.LNX.4.64.0805071509040.3880@urchin.earth.li> ,
Tom Anderson <twic@urchin.earth.li> wrote:

> >> You sure you eat asparagus? Here it's a flower of some sort.
> >
> > You don't eat Asparagus???
>
> Om, bear in mind that Andrzej is Polish. To Poles, chicken is a vegetable,
> and vegetables are things you look at in the park.

Heh! ;-)

>
> Andrzej, this is what we mean by asparagus:
>
> http://images.google.com/images?clie...&ie=UTF-8&oe=U
> TF-8&um=1&sa=N&tab=wi
>
> They're the shoots of a plant. We don't let them get far enough to flower!
>
> > It's one of the more expensive veggies here and OH so delicious!
>
> It's good. Not one of my absolute favourites, though; a good broad bean
> kicks it in half. Om, have you ever eaten samphire?

I'll have to google for that. I do love Japanese Long Beans (aka
Asparagus beans).

Another favorite veggie is artichokes.

>
> >> Anyway, you are right that some fat in a sausage is a must. Never
> >> thought about adding mushrooms. I'm not sure if mushrooms are safe to
> >> store for prolonged periods, and sausages were developed for this very
> >> purpose, hence smoking them,
>
> You crazy Poles! Smoking sausages is very much an eastern European thing,
> although the Italians do it too. The Anglo-Saxon tradition is of raw
> sausages that you make fresh (in olden times) or buy keep in the fridge
> (now) and cook immediately before eating. I'm trying to think of a cooked
> or smoked sausage that originates in the British Isles. There's black
> pudding (a but like kaszanka), but although that's cooked to make the
> blood congeal, you cook it again and eat it hot. I can't think of a smoked
> sausage at all. We smoke our bacon, though.

I can get smoked beef and venison sausage locally.
I'd never smoke a seafood based sausage.

>
> >> but purely for taste I can see some potential in it. Still, making
> >> sausages to be eaten fresh seems like a lot of work to me. Though some
> >> sort of fried meatballs... It could very well work fine.
> >
> > Yes, some people just make sausage into patties and freeze it rather
> > than make stuffed sausage. If you are concerned about the mushrooms,
> > you could always cook them first. It'd be better anyway as mushrooms
> > release a lot of water when they are cooked.
>
> That might help keep the sausage moist, though.

Might also make it runny. Mushrooms release a LOT of liquid.
It's why I often pre-cook them before adding them to sauces.

>
> > You could also add dried mushroom in powdered form just as a flavoring.
> > I often powder dried shitake mushrooms from the asian market and
> > sprinkle them on poultry or into soups.
>
> Wow. I never thought of that. If i put dried mushrooms in soup or stew,
> it's whole. Powdering them and using them as a seasoning, though ...
> interesting!
>
> tom

Shitake powder adds flavor, and it's also a carb free thickener. :-)

If I use whole dried mushrooms in soups or stir fry's, I'll reconstitute
them first and slice them thin. Rehydrated Shitake tends to be tough
and has a very strong flavor.

But, dried ones are a helluva lot cheaper than fresh ones at the asian
market.

Best way (I've found) to reconstitute dried mushrooms is to place them
into a ziplock bag, add just enough water to cover, squeeze out ALL the
air and seal them. Stick them in the 'frige overnight.

The ziplock forces them to stay submerged and the resulting flavored
water can be used in soup or stock.


Shitake stems are inedible. They are _only_ good for stock.
--
--

Peace! Om

"My mother never saw the irony in calling me a Son of a Bitch."
-- Jack Nicholson

In article <Pine.LNX.4.64.0805071756320.3880@urchin.earth.li> ,
Tom Anderson <twic@urchin.earth.li> wrote:

> > Look, who's talking. Taking in account world famous English kitchen
> > prowess, I forgive your lack of knowledge about Polish taste in vegies.
>
> Okay, let's not get into a sausage-waving contest about whose food is
> best. Let's focus on the guys with the really bad cuisine: the Americans.

<lol> Depends on the American! ;-D
Those that actually bother to cook eat just fine.

I have yet to see you say "Ew" over anything I have posted.
--
--

Peace! Om

"My mother never saw the irony in calling me a Son of a Bitch."
-- Jack Nicholson

In article <k619f5-4rj.ln1@bakters.bandit.home>,
Andrzej Rosa <bakters@yahoo.com> wrote:

> > http://images.google.com/images?clie...us&ie=UTF-8&oe
> > =UTF-8&um=1&sa=N&tab=wi
> >
> > They're the shoots of a plant. We don't let them get far enough to flower!
>
> Now I got it. They aren't very popular around here, mostly because they
> don't taste very well and you can't eat them raw. Decorative plant I
> was talking about looks quite different, but is called asparagus in
> Polish, while your asparagus is called differently (shparag phonetically)

Um, they are quite edible raw...

I eat them that way when I serve up raw veggie trays with dip.
They are especially good eaten while standing over the asparagus patch
right after you pick them. <g> My patch is very small as of yet, so
fresh spears never make it into the house.
--
--

Peace! Om

"My mother never saw the irony in calling me a Son of a Bitch."
-- Jack Nicholson

On Wed, 7 May 2008, Omelet wrote:

> In article <Pine.LNX.4.64.0805071756320.3880@urchin.earth.li> ,
> Tom Anderson <twic@urchin.earth.li> wrote:
>
>>> Look, who's talking. Taking in account world famous English kitchen
>>> prowess, I forgive your lack of knowledge about Polish taste in vegies.
>>
>> Okay, let's not get into a sausage-waving contest about whose food is
>> best. Let's focus on the guys with the really bad cuisine: the Americans.
>
> <lol> Depends on the American! ;-D
> Those that actually bother to cook eat just fine.
>
> I have yet to see you say "Ew" over anything I have posted.

Quite so. And i apologise for tarring your fine country and countrymen
with my remarkably broad brush. There is some truly great cooking in
America, in kitchens and in restaurants, of traditional local food, and of
international standard dishes.

But i do still boggle at recipes that include things like "one can of
miracle whip" in the ingredients list.

tom

--
NOW ALL ASS-KICKING UNTIL THE END

On Wed, 7 May 2008, Omelet wrote:

> In article <Pine.LNX.4.64.0805071509040.3880@urchin.earth.li> ,
> Tom Anderson <twic@urchin.earth.li> wrote:
>
>>>> You sure you eat asparagus? Here it's a flower of some sort.
>>>
>>> You don't eat Asparagus??? It's one of the more expensive veggies here
>>> and OH so delicious!
>>
>> It's good. Not one of my absolute favourites, though; a good broad bean
>> kicks it in half. Om, have you ever eaten samphire?
>
> I'll have to google for that.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salicornia
http://www.biffvernon.freeserve.co.uk/samphire.htm

There are other things also called samphire, which are similar but
different. This one, _Salicornia europea_, is the one i've picked and
eaten on the river where i grew up, and in north Wales where i spent a lot
of time as a kid. It's a pretty unique plant; sort of thin tubes of flesh
around a wire-thin woody skeleton, which you eat (after quickly steaming,
then dredging in butter) by putting the whole thing in your mouth, closing
your teeth, and then pulling on the root, such that the skeleton comes
out, leaving the flesh in your mouth. A little like eating artichoke
bracts. The flavour is quite delicate, perhaps slightly asparagus-like.

In the colonies, i am told you have _Salicornia virginica_, which is much
the same. Unless you live within a few miles of a salt marsh, though,
you're unlikely to see it, sadly.

> I do love Japanese Long Beans (aka Asparagus beans).

Never heard of those!

> Another favorite veggie is artichokes.

I have to confess i'm always slightly underwhelmed by them.

Give me green beans, steamed just enough, and i'm happy. Or broad beans,
cooked with a little bit of bacon. Or samphire and butter. Or spinach,
watercress and rocket leaves.

>>>> Anyway, you are right that some fat in a sausage is a must. Never
>>>> thought about adding mushrooms. I'm not sure if mushrooms are safe to
>>>> store for prolonged periods, and sausages were developed for this very
>>>> purpose, hence smoking them,
>>
>> You crazy Poles! Smoking sausages is very much an eastern European thing,
>> although the Italians do it too. The Anglo-Saxon tradition is of raw
>> sausages that you make fresh (in olden times) or buy keep in the fridge
>> (now) and cook immediately before eating. I'm trying to think of a cooked
>> or smoked sausage that originates in the British Isles. There's black
>> pudding (a but like kaszanka), but although that's cooked to make the
>> blood congeal, you cook it again and eat it hot. I can't think of a smoked
>> sausage at all. We smoke our bacon, though.
>
> I can get smoked beef and venison sausage locally.

Americans are another people who smoke anything that moves.

> I'd never smoke a seafood based sausage.

Smoked salmon sausage? No, maybe not.

tom

--
NOW ALL ASS-KICKING UNTIL THE END

In article <Pine.LNX.4.64.0805080112330.23313@urchin.earth.li >,
Tom Anderson <twic@urchin.earth.li> wrote:

> On Wed, 7 May 2008, Omelet wrote:
>
> > In article <Pine.LNX.4.64.0805071756320.3880@urchin.earth.li> ,
> > Tom Anderson <twic@urchin.earth.li> wrote:
> >
> >>> Look, who's talking. Taking in account world famous English kitchen
> >>> prowess, I forgive your lack of knowledge about Polish taste in vegies.
> >>
> >> Okay, let's not get into a sausage-waving contest about whose food is
> >> best. Let's focus on the guys with the really bad cuisine: the Americans.
> >
> > <lol> Depends on the American! ;-D
> > Those that actually bother to cook eat just fine.
> >
> > I have yet to see you say "Ew" over anything I have posted.
>
> Quite so. And i apologise for tarring your fine country and countrymen
> with my remarkably broad brush.

No apologies needed. There are many McDonalds addicts so I understand.
<g>

> There is some truly great cooking in
> America, in kitchens and in restaurants, of traditional local food, and of
> international standard dishes.
>
> But i do still boggle at recipes that include things like "one can of
> miracle whip" in the ingredients list.
>
> tom

Crap cooking cheaters that love Rachel Ray!!!
--
--

Peace! Om

"My mother never saw the irony in calling me a Son of a Bitch."
-- Jack Nicholson

In article <Pine.LNX.4.64.0805080132470.23313@urchin.earth.li >,
Tom Anderson <twic@urchin.earth.li> wrote:

> On Wed, 7 May 2008, Omelet wrote:
>
> > In article <Pine.LNX.4.64.0805071509040.3880@urchin.earth.li> ,
> > Tom Anderson <twic@urchin.earth.li> wrote:
> >
> >>>> You sure you eat asparagus? Here it's a flower of some sort.
> >>>
> >>> You don't eat Asparagus??? It's one of the more expensive veggies here
> >>> and OH so delicious!
> >>
> >> It's good. Not one of my absolute favourites, though; a good broad bean
> >> kicks it in half. Om, have you ever eaten samphire?
> >
> > I'll have to google for that.
>
> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salicornia
> http://www.biffvernon.freeserve.co.uk/samphire.htm

Good gods! Looks like it's related to Horsetail fern???
I'd break my teeth. :-)

Probably not available here.

>
> There are other things also called samphire, which are similar but
> different. This one, _Salicornia europea_, is the one i've picked and
> eaten on the river where i grew up, and in north Wales where i spent a lot
> of time as a kid. It's a pretty unique plant; sort of thin tubes of flesh
> around a wire-thin woody skeleton, which you eat (after quickly steaming,
> then dredging in butter) by putting the whole thing in your mouth, closing
> your teeth, and then pulling on the root, such that the skeleton comes
> out, leaving the flesh in your mouth. A little like eating artichoke
> bracts. The flavour is quite delicate, perhaps slightly asparagus-like.
>
> In the colonies, i am told you have _Salicornia virginica_, which is much
> the same. Unless you live within a few miles of a salt marsh, though,
> you're unlikely to see it, sadly.
>
> > I do love Japanese Long Beans (aka Asparagus beans).
>
> Never heard of those!

<googles>

http://www.kitazawaseed.com/seeds_yard_long_bean.html

Easy to grow and totally divine.
I let some pods mature each year for seed.

>
> > Another favorite veggie is artichokes.
>
> I have to confess i'm always slightly underwhelmed by them.

They have to be cooked and served right.
I pressure cook them for 10-15 minutes (depending on size) and serve
them with home made lime mayo as a dip.

>
> Give me green beans, steamed just enough, and i'm happy. Or broad beans,
> cooked with a little bit of bacon. Or samphire and butter. Or spinach,
> watercress and rocket leaves.

Oh gods I hate rocket leaves! Probably genetic. I find the smell and
flavor to be WAY too strong. We do work our way thru bags of baby
spinach tho'. And we adore fresh green beans.

Low carb too.

> > I can get smoked beef and venison sausage locally.
>
> Americans are another people who smoke anything that moves.

Is that bad? <g>

>
> > I'd never smoke a seafood based sausage.
>
> Smoked salmon sausage? No, maybe not.
>
> tom

Perhaps...
--
--

Peace! Om

"My mother never saw the irony in calling me a Son of a Bitch."
-- Jack Nicholson

Tom Anderson <twic@urchin.earth.li> writes:

> On Wed, 7 May 2008, Omelet wrote:
>
>> In article <Pine.LNX.4.64.0805071756320.3880@urchin.earth.li> ,
>> Tom Anderson <twic@urchin.earth.li> wrote:
>>
>>>> Look, who's talking. Taking in account world famous English
>>>> kitchen prowess, I forgive your lack of knowledge about Polish
>>>> taste in vegies.
>>>
>>> Okay, let's not get into a sausage-waving contest about whose food
>>> is best. Let's focus on the guys with the really bad cuisine: the
>>> Americans.
>>
>> <lol> Depends on the American! ;-D
>> Those that actually bother to cook eat just fine.
>>
>> I have yet to see you say "Ew" over anything I have posted.
>
> Quite so. And i apologise for tarring your fine country and countrymen
> with my remarkably broad brush. There is some truly great cooking in
> America, in kitchens and in restaurants, of traditional local food,
> and of international standard dishes.
>
> But i do still boggle at recipes that include things like "one can of
> miracle whip" in the ingredients list.

At first I was put off by your disparaging remarks about American
cuisine. However, I have to admit that I would probably really enjoy
almost anything with an entire jar of Miracle Whip in it. I love that
stuff. When I was in South America the two things I really missed were
Miracle Whip and Peanut Butter. So when I got back to the States I
actually tried a Peanut Butter and Miracle Whip sandwich.

I liked it.

A lot.

On reflection I have decided that Tom's assessment of Americans actually
applies fairly well to me.

Jason

On Thu, 8 May 2008, Jason Earl wrote:

> Tom Anderson <twic@urchin.earth.li> writes:
>
>> On Wed, 7 May 2008, Omelet wrote:
>>
>>> In article <Pine.LNX.4.64.0805071756320.3880@urchin.earth.li> ,
>>> Tom Anderson <twic@urchin.earth.li> wrote:
>>>
>>>>> Look, who's talking. Taking in account world famous English
>>>>> kitchen prowess, I forgive your lack of knowledge about Polish
>>>>> taste in vegies.
>>>>
>>>> Okay, let's not get into a sausage-waving contest about whose food
>>>> is best. Let's focus on the guys with the really bad cuisine: the
>>>> Americans.
>>>
>>> <lol> Depends on the American! ;-D
>>> Those that actually bother to cook eat just fine.
>>>
>>> I have yet to see you say "Ew" over anything I have posted.
>>
>> Quite so. And i apologise for tarring your fine country and countrymen
>> with my remarkably broad brush. There is some truly great cooking in
>> America, in kitchens and in restaurants, of traditional local food,
>> and of international standard dishes.
>>
>> But i do still boggle at recipes that include things like "one can of
>> miracle whip" in the ingredients list.
>
> At first I was put off by your disparaging remarks about American
> cuisine. However, I have to admit that I would probably really enjoy
> almost anything with an entire jar of Miracle Whip in it. I love that
> stuff. When I was in South America the two things I really missed were
> Miracle Whip and Peanut Butter. So when I got back to the States I
> actually tried a Peanut Butter and Miracle Whip sandwich.
>
> I liked it.
>
> A lot.
>
> On reflection I have decided that Tom's assessment of Americans actually
> applies fairly well to me.

Jason, wait right there, i'm just warming the tar ...

tom

--
Got a revolution behind my eyes - We got to get up and organise

On Wed, 7 May 2008, Omelet wrote:

> In article <Pine.LNX.4.64.0805080132470.23313@urchin.earth.li >,
> Tom Anderson <twic@urchin.earth.li> wrote:
>
>> On Wed, 7 May 2008, Omelet wrote:
>>
>>> In article <Pine.LNX.4.64.0805071509040.3880@urchin.earth.li> ,
>>> Tom Anderson <twic@urchin.earth.li> wrote:
>>>
>>>>>> You sure you eat asparagus? Here it's a flower of some sort.
>>>>>
>>>>> You don't eat Asparagus??? It's one of the more expensive veggies here
>>>>> and OH so delicious!
>>>>
>>>> It's good. Not one of my absolute favourites, though; a good broad bean
>>>> kicks it in half. Om, have you ever eaten samphire?
>>>
>>> I'll have to google for that.
>>
>> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salicornia
>> http://www.biffvernon.freeserve.co.uk/samphire.htm
>
> Good gods! Looks like it's related to Horsetail fern???

Heh! I don't think it is (horsetail is a, well, fern, and samphire is a
magnoliophyte, so actually in the same phylum as roses). But it does have
a similar architecture, i suppose.

> I'd break my teeth. :-)

No, no - there's a woody stem right in the middle but it's very thin. It's
like a little bit of fishing line. The flesh around it is completely soft.

> Probably not available here.

Probably not! I don't think i've ever seen it for sale, at least not in a
shop. It's the kind of thing you wade out into the mud of yourr local
estuary to pick yourself. ISTR that you're somewhere fairly far inland, so
no estuaries to be had.

>> There are other things also called samphire, which are similar but
>> different. This one, _Salicornia europea_, is the one i've picked and
>> eaten on the river where i grew up, and in north Wales where i spent a lot
>> of time as a kid. It's a pretty unique plant; sort of thin tubes of flesh
>> around a wire-thin woody skeleton, which you eat (after quickly steaming,
>> then dredging in butter) by putting the whole thing in your mouth, closing
>> your teeth, and then pulling on the root, such that the skeleton comes
>> out, leaving the flesh in your mouth. A little like eating artichoke
>> bracts. The flavour is quite delicate, perhaps slightly asparagus-like.
>>
>> In the colonies, i am told you have _Salicornia virginica_, which is much
>> the same. Unless you live within a few miles of a salt marsh, though,
>> you're unlikely to see it, sadly.
>>
>>> I do love Japanese Long Beans (aka Asparagus beans).
>>
>> Never heard of those!
>
> <googles>
>
> http://www.kitazawaseed.com/seeds_yard_long_bean.html

Wow. That's a huge bean.

> Easy to grow and totally divine. I let some pods mature each year for
> seed.

I'm just getting round to planting my own garden (my excuse for being so
late involves some mishaps with a sewer), so i'll see if i can find some
seedlings of these. Too late to start from seed, i think.

>>> Another favorite veggie is artichokes.
>>
>> I have to confess i'm always slightly underwhelmed by them.
>
> They have to be cooked and served right. I pressure cook them for 10-15
> minutes (depending on size) and serve them with home made lime mayo as a
> dip.

Okay. I steam them, i think for 8-10 minutes. I like them, but i think the
flavour's just a bit too sophisticated for me.

tom

--
Got a revolution behind my eyes - We got to get up and organise

In article <Pine.LNX.4.64.0805081239570.17425@urchin.earth.li >,
Tom Anderson <twic@urchin.earth.li> wrote:

> On Wed, 7 May 2008, Omelet wrote:
>
> > In article <Pine.LNX.4.64.0805080132470.23313@urchin.earth.li >,
> > Tom Anderson <twic@urchin.earth.li> wrote:
> >
> >> On Wed, 7 May 2008, Omelet wrote:
> >>
> >>> In article <Pine.LNX.4.64.0805071509040.3880@urchin.earth.li> ,
> >>> Tom Anderson <twic@urchin.earth.li> wrote:
> >>>
> >>>>>> You sure you eat asparagus? Here it's a flower of some sort.
> >>>>>
> >>>>> You don't eat Asparagus??? It's one of the more expensive veggies here
> >>>>> and OH so delicious!
> >>>>
> >>>> It's good. Not one of my absolute favourites, though; a good broad bean
> >>>> kicks it in half. Om, have you ever eaten samphire?
> >>>
> >>> I'll have to google for that.
> >>
> >> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salicornia
> >> http://www.biffvernon.freeserve.co.uk/samphire.htm
> >
> > Good gods! Looks like it's related to Horsetail fern???
>
> Heh! I don't think it is (horsetail is a, well, fern, and samphire is a
> magnoliophyte, so actually in the same phylum as roses). But it does have
> a similar architecture, i suppose.

Ah, ok. Rose family is good.
High in C?

>
> > I'd break my teeth. :-)
>
> No, no - there's a woody stem right in the middle but it's very thin. It's
> like a little bit of fishing line. The flesh around it is completely soft.
>
> > Probably not available here.
>
> Probably not! I don't think i've ever seen it for sale, at least not in a
> shop. It's the kind of thing you wade out into the mud of yourr local
> estuary to pick yourself. ISTR that you're somewhere fairly far inland, so
> no estuaries to be had.

I need to study more of the local wild foods. I'm fixin' to put in some
spineless prickly pear so I can harvest very young pads for nopalitos.
I'm letting the two pads I picked for replanting callus off right now.

Unfortunately, the local Tarot is not the edible variety.

> >>> I do love Japanese Long Beans (aka Asparagus beans).
> >>
> >> Never heard of those!
> >
> > <googles>
> >
> > http://www.kitazawaseed.com/seeds_yard_long_bean.html
>
> Wow. That's a huge bean.

I've seen them in the store up to 2 ft. long but have never been able to
get any to grow longer than 12" before they start getting tough. You
have to pick them at the right stage, like any other green bean. ;-)

>
> > Easy to grow and totally divine. I let some pods mature each year for
> > seed.
>
> I'm just getting round to planting my own garden (my excuse for being so
> late involves some mishaps with a sewer), so i'll see if i can find some
> seedlings of these. Too late to start from seed, i think.

No, beans grow exceptionally fast! I don't do too much gardening and am
limiting it to large containers. It's easy to spend too much on water
and make it cheaper to pay the store for veggies.

>
> >>> Another favorite veggie is artichokes.
> >>
> >> I have to confess i'm always slightly underwhelmed by them.
> >
> > They have to be cooked and served right. I pressure cook them for 10-15
> > minutes (depending on size) and serve them with home made lime mayo as a
> > dip.
>
> Okay. I steam them, i think for 8-10 minutes. I like them, but i think the
> flavour's just a bit too sophisticated for me.
>
> tom

I pressure cook for 10 minutes. ;-) You may not be cooking them long
enough to tenderize the meat on the leaves?
--
--

Peace! Om

"My mother never saw the irony in calling me a Son of a Bitch."
-- Jack Nicholson

["Followup-To:" header set to misc.fitness.weights.]
Dnia 2008-05-07 Tom Anderson napisa³(a):
> On Wed, 7 May 2008, beelzibub wrote:
>
>>>> malnutrition disorder, has increased because of the use of fluorescent
>>>> lights, and i'll take my statement back.
>>>>
>>>> Until then, i maintain that it's hokum.
>>>
>>> Of course it is, but mainly because UV is absorbed by normal glass.
>>
>> ... no! it omly *seems* that way.in reality, the light is absorbed
>> ans refracted to a new dimension.
>>
>> b
>> ps;
>> this is true
>
> WE KNEW THAT.

Is there some grain of sense here which I'm not detecting? This
dimensions thingy smells superstrings, but they couldn't explain
anything which happens in observable universe last time I checked
(horizon of events doesn't count as observable universe, the way I
see it).

Oh, whatever. I'm off to train. Outside, as usual. I think Zen
doubted that anybody here trains outside. I do, rain or fine weather,
but I do prefer when the lawn is speckled with fallen flowers of apple
tree like today, than with patches of snow in the mud. ;-)

--
Andrzej Rosa 1127R

Andrzej Rosa <bakters@yahoo.com> writes:

> ["Followup-To:" header set to misc.fitness.weights.]
> Dnia 2008-05-07 Tom Anderson napisa³(a):
>> On Wed, 7 May 2008, beelzibub wrote:
>>
>>>>> malnutrition disorder, has increased because of the use of fluorescent
>>>>> lights, and i'll take my statement back.
>>>>>
>>>>> Until then, i maintain that it's hokum.
>>>>
>>>> Of course it is, but mainly because UV is absorbed by normal glass.
>>>
>>> ... no! it omly *seems* that way.in reality, the light is absorbed
>>> ans refracted to a new dimension.
>>>
>>> b
>>> ps;
>>> this is true
>>
>> WE KNEW THAT.
>
> Is there some grain of sense here which I'm not detecting? This
> dimensions thingy smells superstrings, but they couldn't explain
> anything which happens in observable universe last time I checked
> (horizon of events doesn't count as observable universe, the way I
> see it).

When you close the refrigerator door, the cat^H^H^Hlight bulb is
either on or not on, but not until you open the door again.

--
Jim Janney

Tom Anderson <twic@urchin.earth.li> writes:

> On Thu, 8 May 2008, Jason Earl wrote:
>
>> Tom Anderson <twic@urchin.earth.li> writes:
>>
>>> On Wed, 7 May 2008, Omelet wrote:
>>>
>>>> In article <Pine.LNX.4.64.0805071756320.3880@urchin.earth.li> ,
>>>> Tom Anderson <twic@urchin.earth.li> wrote:
>>>>
>>>>>> Look, who's talking. Taking in account world famous English
>>>>>> kitchen prowess, I forgive your lack of knowledge about Polish
>>>>>> taste in vegies.
>>>>>
>>>>> Okay, let's not get into a sausage-waving contest about whose food
>>>>> is best. Let's focus on the guys with the really bad cuisine: the
>>>>> Americans.
>>>>
>>>> <lol> Depends on the American! ;-D
>>>> Those that actually bother to cook eat just fine.
>>>>
>>>> I have yet to see you say "Ew" over anything I have posted.
>>>
>>> Quite so. And i apologise for tarring your fine country and countrymen
>>> with my remarkably broad brush. There is some truly great cooking in
>>> America, in kitchens and in restaurants, of traditional local food,
>>> and of international standard dishes.
>>>
>>> But i do still boggle at recipes that include things like "one can of
>>> miracle whip" in the ingredients list.
>>
>> At first I was put off by your disparaging remarks about American
>> cuisine. However, I have to admit that I would probably really enjoy
>> almost anything with an entire jar of Miracle Whip in it. I love that
>> stuff. When I was in South America the two things I really missed were
>> Miracle Whip and Peanut Butter. So when I got back to the States I
>> actually tried a Peanut Butter and Miracle Whip sandwich.
>>
>> I liked it.
>>
>> A lot.
>>
>> On reflection I have decided that Tom's assessment of Americans actually
>> applies fairly well to me.
>
> Jason, wait right there, i'm just warming the tar ...

I'll just polish off some sandwiches while we wait.

Jason

Dnia 2008-05-08 Jim Janney napisa³(a):
> Andrzej Rosa <bakters@yahoo.com> writes:
>
>>> WE KNEW THAT.
>>
>> Is there some grain of sense here which I'm not detecting? This
>> dimensions thingy smells superstrings, but they couldn't explain
>> anything which happens in observable universe last time I checked
>> (horizon of events doesn't count as observable universe, the way I
>> see it).
>
> When you close the refrigerator door, the cat^H^H^Hlight bulb is
> either on or not on, but not until you open the door again.

The most crazy thing about this paradox is that it actually works
exactly like that in reality. You can shoot electrons through a crystal
and they will produce nice rainbow pattern, but if you find a clever
crystal which can tell on them, they stop showing the rainbow. It's
like a magician who refuses to do tricks in unfavorable conditions.

--
Andrzej Rosa 1127R