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7:58 AM
morning all
 
Morning Tall
 
Morning
I have two questions
 
I'm just now going to bed, so I'll try to answer if I can do it quickly. I'm barely hanging on.
 
First, I baked these Parker house rolls twice and they came out with a hard crust
@Jolenealaska Oh no, it's not that urgent
Please answer my question later on
 
Those look yummy, did you brush them with butter?
 
8:05 AM
I'd like to be as fluffy as they look in the picture
I eggwashed them
 
Well an egg wash is going to give you more of a crust. Those are intended to be super soft, that's why it calls for brushing with butter, not an egg wash.
 
dusting with flour before you bake them will make them super super soft
 
you put them in them oven as is and then brush them with melted butter before serving?
@ElendilTheTall Really? I'll try it
 
Hi and bye Tall...I've got to sleep, but I'm sure I'll be up and hoping to chat in 2 or 3 hours. I'm going to want to pick your brain about sandwich ideas. I forgot about this contest, I only have 11 days:
 
hey hun
 
bye hun
 
cya in a bit
 
Umm, I have an idea
 
for a sandwich?
 
8:17 AM
In a muffin pan, put a thin slice of boiled potato, then a thin layer of pasta/spaghetti and a layer of sauce, again pasta and sauce...
then make a sandwich with it
 
why the potato?
 
with lettuce, tomato etc
We always cover the bottom of the pan with sliced potatoes making pasta
Why not?
 
I was just curious
it's more or less unnecessary, but whatever floats your boat
I know it's common with rice, I didn't know you did it with pasta too
 
unnecessary? If you invert the pan, it'll look awesome and it's delicious
 
how do you cook pasta that you can invert the pan without dumping a litre or so of water all over the place?
 
8:25 AM
=D
Perhaps I am referring to something else, that you don't call pasta
 
are you talking about baking pre-boiled pasta?
like a lasagne?
 
yes
 
exactly
I drop spaghetti into a pot of boiling water
Then remove them when they're soft
Cover the bottom of a pan with olive oil and sliced potatoes
then a layer of spaghetti and a layer of sauce until you're done
 
very Persian :)
 
I suppose we're just used to doing things in a more Italian way here, and I don't think any Italian would pair potatoes and pasta
 
9:31 AM
well, I am learning Spanish
Duolingo rocks
 
The rules of the contest are that the sandwich must include 2 Mezzetta products. It just so happens that I love several of their products, so stocking up is no problem! I'm going to try to come up with at least 5 entries.
 
well, you just picked right up where ya left off there didn't ya
what did you do, fall asleep on the keyboard then sit right up and carry on? :P
 
Right now I'm looking at "sandwiches of the world" for ideas. Also, I need to study past winners, they're not going to pick similar winners.
I laid down (I was exhausted), then I just laid there...no sleep to be had, so I got back up.
 
i see they do horseradish, is that much used in the States?
 
yes, especially with roast beef
 
9:44 AM
ok
same here
well, sandwiches of the world is tricky, because America has the biggest variety of sandwiches by far
 
I'm only up to A for Argentina...here's a possibility:
Chivito is the name of a sandwich-style national dish in Uruguay, and consists primarily of a thin slice of filet mignon (churrasco beef), with mozzarella, tomatoes, mayonnaise, black or green olives, and commonly also bacon, fried or hard-boiled eggs and ham. It is served in a bun, often with a side of French fries. Other ingredients might be added into the sandwich such as red beets, peas, grilled or pan-fried red peppers, and slices of cucumber. == Etymology == The word Chivito literally means "little goat" or "baby goat". == History == The Chivito arose at a restaurant in Uruguay in 1946,...
Uruguay too, I guess!
 
how about something with teriyaki beef
teriyaki is somewhat sweet, and would pair well with a pickle
 
Sure...
 
their Italian-leaning range is somewhat limiting
how about a caesar salad sandwich?
 
Jeez...my avocado Q&A is up to 30/45
with chicken?
 
9:50 AM
chicken, bacon, lettuce
it's getting the 2 products in that would be tricky
one of their garlic ones could make the sauce
 
They want their products to be front and center...
 
yeah
ok, chuck that one
since you are using 2 products, perhaps the way to approach it is to pair those up, and work around that
 
I entered an Italian beef the same year one won. The one that won...
 
hey, they do a teriyaki marinade
 
Yes they do...maybe on a sweet Hawaiian roll?
 
9:55 AM
i wonder what teriyaki with feta and peperoncini spread would be like
 
(Do you get those there?)
 
mushrooms + beef go well
@Jolenealaska no
outside London the speciality bread situation is pretty poor
you get the odd artisan baker at Farmer's Markets
but they usually do French and Italian style loaves
teriyaki and garlic would go
 
but i'd avoid dairy I think
I wonder if you could incorporate that cool quick smoking method somehow
that would set it apart from the crowd
 
Ease is one of the judging categories
 
9:59 AM
ah
well, it's not hard
blow torch, wine glass, done
but I get your drift
 
you could go british and make piccalilli
 
Looking at those, I'm liking the idea of kind of obscure but "real" sandwiches from around the world
What would it be?
 
some of the pickled vegetables with mustard
Piccalilli is an English interpretation of Indian pickles, a relish of chopped pickled vegetables and spices; regional recipes vary considerably. == Etymology == The Oxford English Dictionary traces the word to the middle of the 18th century when, in 1758, Hannah Glasse described how "to make Paco-Lilla, or India Pickle". The more familiar form of the word appears a decade later in a book for housekeepers in a section on how "to make Indian pickle, or Piccalillo". The spelling "piccalilli" can be seen in an advertisement in a 1799 edition of The Times. == British piccalilli == British piccalilli...
ham
white bread
something else to make it pop
perhaps cheddar cheese
and salad
it would be simple but delicious
 
so I would fashion piccalilli out of mezzetta stuff?
 
10:03 AM
yeah - add some spices essentially
who knows, they might like it so much they start bottling the stuff!
 
I would take the pickled veg, strain some of the vinegar, and add mustard, sugar and cornflour to make the picallili sauce, then mix the veg back through
thick cut ham
perhaps something sweet like maple cured
fry it a little to Maillard it up
a sharp (preferably real) cheddar
 
and a lettuce and tomato salad to freshen it up
 
Ha! Same site...
I'm looking at the 'quick"one
 
10:06 AM
thick cut, white, crusty bread
heck, it's making me hungry!
ooo, you know what you could call it?
we have a thing here called a Ploughman's Lunch
very British
cheese, ham, pickles, perhaps fruit, a little salad, and bread
all 'deconstructed' on the plate
 
their mild giardiniera would work as a stand in for the veggies.
 
A ploughman's lunch (abbrev. to ploughman's) is an English cold meal which consists of cheese, chutney, and bread. Additional items such as boiled eggs, ham, and pickled onions may be added. As its name suggests, it is more commonly consumed as a midday snack. Beer, bread, and cheese have been paired in the English diet since antiquity. However, the specific term "ploughman's lunch" is believed to date no further back than the 1950s, when the Cheese Bureau began promoting the meal in pubs as a way to increase the sales of cheese, which had recently ceased to be rationed. Its popularity increased...
you could call it an English Ploughman's Sandwich
eggs!
you could whack some boiled eggs in there too
 
I'm on the hot questions list...I'm going to hit the rep ceiling again without lifting a finger, I think.
I'm definitely liking the egg thing. It seems to me that they don't have a lot of those.
 
the tricky bit is shoehorning in a second product
I'd suggest a sweet pepepr
possibly sun dried tomatoes
instead of fresh
i would suggest a crusty cob for the bread
it would be a good, hearty lunch
nothing fancy, just honest flavours that work well together
 
Did you look at the Chivito? Garlic, 2 kinds of olives, sun dried tomatoes..Mezzetta has an olive oil too, so thats 5 right there...
Their "everything spreads" are kind of new, I bet they'd like to see one of those showcased.
 
10:15 AM
they're all quite italian
apart from the chipotle
they kind of force you down a flavour route
 
and chimichurri
 
the garlic one is the only 'all-purpose'
what kimchee?
you could draw on your korean experience
beef with a quick kimchee
using the pickled veg
and the chilli spread
 
onions, capers and artichoke hearts...I forgot they had those
Kimchi? Do you see kimchee?
 
no, you can make your own
with the veg
 
10:24 AM
kwikchee
add some of the chilli spread for the heat
 
Kwkchee is cute
 
pickled veg, crushed garlic, some spices and ginger - bang! kwikchee
flash fried thin beef
 
The peperocini and feta in a gyros (but not real gyros) type thing...I need to look at past winners, I wonder if they've done that.
 
this might impinge on the kwikchee
how about Spanish?
actual Spanish, not Tex-Mex
Serrano ham
olive oil
patatas bravas on a sandwich would probably rock
manchego
olives
 
Taht could work...they have a hot sauce (which I haven't tried and can't get in time, so I'd just be guessing)
 
10:36 AM
I don't think I'm getting through to Loki in the reprocessing pickles question....
 
@Jolenealaska tapas in a sandwich
tapasandwich
@Yamikuronue he is a mischievious god
 
Yep...I like the idea of calling it "Spanish" or "Ethiopian" or something
 
you have of lot Mediterranean ingredients to work with
how about Morroccan/North African
 
Yep...just had a funny thought...when's the last you followed a recipe for a sandwich??
 
10:47 AM
Cumin, cinnamon, coriander, lemon, apricot etc
@Jolenealaska I made Russian Dressing from scratch the other day and I couldn't remember the quantities, does that count?
Morrocan spiced chicken flatbread
 
Moroccan!!
 
...
spice up their marinara sauce with the aforementioned spices
 
I don't think there is any Morrocan on the list.
 
add some dried apricots and olives
some garlic
some chili sauce/spread
throw it on a flatbread with some nice chargrilled chicken
 
Yep...I'm going to look up some cheater tangines
 
10:52 AM
or you could make a kind of North African burrito with a tortilla, the above, and some rice
 
Can't be a burrito,taco or a burger...I have to check on the rules on flatbread...
Apparently flat bread is OK
sassandveracity.com/2012/07/21/pan-bagnat Crapload of things they sell.
I'm doing that one definitely. Piece of cake.
 
Anyone familiar with spices?
I'm looking for fool proof spice combos. Ok... Maybe chef proof.
 
What kind of cuisine?
 
Asian. Middle eastern. Mostly. Western is ok. But harder to find some things here.
What I really want is thai/north Indian without the fish. And all the trial and error....
 
Good good! Keep them coming! More Indian/Asian would be good.
 
I got a screen cap of that, thanks Jolene.
 
Hey, I just made the dough and when I wanted to add the butter, and cover it with the dough, it ummmm melted
Should I put it in the freezer before I continue?
 
Those parker rolls?
 
11:11 AM
Or this will not yield a satisfactory result? should I throw it out?
No no, puff pastry dough
 
I don't know about throwing it out, but melted butter in puff pastry is not good.
 
I want to make some cinnamon twists
 
You might get away with it.
 
No, the dough is fine. You need more butter. Put the dough in the fridge ASAP and get more butter, as cold as your fridge will go.
 
@Jolenealaska I know, but I haven't started the six turns yet
 
11:13 AM
Good. If you had, it would be ruined.
The butter for the puff pastry should be so cold that you have to beat it with the rolling pin to get it to budge.
 
So you have a whole batch worth's of butter, and it's melted?
 
You're literally beating it into a thin layer between your dough and then turning and turning to make many many layers. It should not be like anything you've worked with before in terms of pastry dough.
 
She's been at puff pastry for a while...she knows about cold.
 
Sorry.
But why is it melted?
 
no need :)
 
11:17 AM
I think the visual helps...
But get your dough back in the right shape and in the fridge. The butter if it's salvageable plus any more needed also in the fridge and wait another hour.
Sorry, I'm used to bossing people around the kitchen so I'm bossy. :(
 
@Jolenealaska ras el hanout is north african
 
Thank you for your help
I don't know, I just put it out of the freezer so that it become a little softer and beatable
But the dough didn't cover the butter properly so I worked on it and then the butter was melteeeeeed
I don't want to see a bad result at the end after hours of working
 
No worries. If your fridge is not full of produce, maybe turn it up a few notches so it's very cold but not frozen. Frozen butter tends to shatter.
 
I know, but it borders Middle East, which was the first thing she asked.
 
So I'd throw it away in case that's probable
 
11:25 AM
Za'atar is another middle eastern mix
 
Oh Jolene, don't worry about me, now I'm worries about gigili's puff.
 
Za'atar (Arabic: زَعْتَر‎ za‘tar, also romanized zaatar, za'tar, zatar, zatr, zattr, zahatar, zaktar or satar) is a generic name for a family of related Middle Eastern herbs from the genera Origanum (oregano), Calamintha (basil thyme), Thymus (typically Thymus vulgaris, i.e., thyme), and Satureja (savory). The name za'atar alone most properly applies to Origanum syriacum. It is also the name for a condiment made from the dried herb(s), mixed with sesame seeds, dried sumac, and often salt, as well as other spices. Used in Arab cuisine, both the herb and spice mixture are popular throughout the Middle...
 
The dough is fine. The dough will be fine for two more days!
 
I was just looking at Za'atar earlier today.
 
The question is the butter.
You get your dough into a big rectangle and your butter should be just smaller than 1/3 that size before you start pounding it.
Observing the ratios.
 
11:30 AM
Yes, I guess I used too much butter!
 
Put the butter pad in the middle of the dough and wrap the dough over it. 2 layers dough and one layer butter plus one layer dough beneath. Then you beat the sh** out of it (longitudinally) until you can turn it round and have a piece the same size as what you started with. Put this in the fridge ASAP as wait. Repeat that without the butter. You should be ok after three times.
Never let the butter melt after you get it in there and don't beat one spot so hard that you can see thru the dough.
 
Got it, thanks
 
It's not the amount sometimes, it's the size. Sometimes it looks like a lot but if you cut it the right size it's ok. It will be very tall in that small 1/3 spot.
The butter.
 
@ElendilTheTall I wonder if they'd consider a felafel within the rules.
 
Yeah no worries, I'm being bossy again. Good luck.
 
11:37 AM
@Jolenealaska i don't see why not
so, @Loki
welcome to Gastronomes Anonymous
 
They specifically don't allow hot dogs or burgers, for some reason that makes me think maybe they'd look at it askance. No worries though, I can enter as many recipes as I want. If one is disqualified, the others are still valid.
 
Can I be nosy and ask what you're talking about? Some contest?
 
A meatball sandwich with giardiniera and their marinara.
 
I was away on holiday the last few weeks. Mu bad.
 
@Loki Another of jojo's hare-brained schemes
;)
 
11:44 AM
YUM! meatballs with Gouda cheese in the center
 
by the way jojo, if you win with one of my ideas, I'll be expecting a cheque for $12,500
:P
 
a Muffuletta if they don't already have one...:) I so knew you were going to say that! :)
 
If you win the prize, I think you should divide it by 3
 
The follow-up on the avocado thing is going to have to wait until Sep 2. I'm really going to try. $25,000 would be SOOO nice.
 
ahem... I think you mean $12,500....
 
11:47 AM
I can't hear either of you ........lalalalala
 
Just make sure your recipes include several mezzetta ingredients.
 
@Jolenealaska <patents all aforementioned recipe ideas>
 
Because I always was very quiet to help you concentrate on your sandwich ideas
 
Ditto. Make that a four way split. I get some for being a newbie.
Jk
How about a nice cubano sandwich?
 
Cubano has already won.
 
11:51 AM
With pickle relish, drizzled with mezzetta olive oil. Do
They sell cheese? Nevermind.
When?
 
2 or 3 years ago.
 
ooo
what about a carnitas sandwich?
 
Souvlaki Yes! carnitas would be good. I don't they've picked anything latin yet.
 
Sure...And with that, I think I've got all of the ideas I need. Tomorrow, I shop.
 
11:55 AM
I am still learning Spanish
funnily enough, I am doing food at the moment
Yo cocino
 
Yo tambien
 
what?! speak slower!
;)
 
hehehe
 
duolingo really is great
 
The app?
 
11:58 AM
I knew about 3 words in Spanish this morning, now I know about 40 and how to use them
@Gigili the website and the app
I've downloaded the app but have yet to use it
 
manana yo cocino mucho
mas e mas e mas
 
yes you will
 
buenas noches
 
and then you need to find a way to ship the results all over the globe so we can test them
 
12:02 PM
buenas noches
 
Why Spanish?
 
why not?
 
German is much more useful and a very nice sounding language
 
nice sounding?
in what way?
everything sounds like an order in German
and I dislike the way in which they make new words simply by concatenating existing ones
resulting in massively long words
also I already speak it a little
 
Oh, that's a plus
 
12:04 PM
French is nice but the accent is hard
and I am more likely to holiday in Spain
 
It's makes the learning process interesting
 
also it's much more obvious in Spanish what gender the words are
 
@ElendilTheTall That's the only good reason you have
 
also one day I might meet Sofia Vergara, at which point I can woo her in her native tongue
 
 
8 hours later…
8:03 PM
1 package of active dry yeadt plus half a cup of warm water equals to how much instant yeast?
 
8:55 PM
also a package...they're calibrated to be equivalent. 2.25 tsp I think.
 

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