The Frying Pan - 2016-05-24 (page 1 of 4)

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6:03 AM

Ghostbusters!

Star Trek 7 - Ghostbusters

2 hours later…

7:54 AM

hey, does anyone know what kosher salt in German would be?

this post tells me to use (vegetable) oil with high iodine value to season a cast iron skillet. canola oil is recommended frequently. I just have some peanut oil (apart from EV olive oil) at home. that's a vegetable oil too and it should also be good, since the iodine value is almost as high as canola's, right?

2 hours later…

9:55 AM

@Huy Honestly, I've never even given iodine a thought as it (or doesn't) relate to cast-iron seasoning.

Peanut oil is a perfectly fine choice.

10:16 AM

There is a crap-ton of stuff here on SA about seasoning cast iron. It conflicts, but that just tells me that it is all right. Nobody's grandmother was doing it wrong all this time.

@Jolenealaska: thanks. so now that I have my pre-seasoned Lodge cast iron skillet, do I have to reseason it or can I just rub some oil on it after every time I've used and cleaned it?

as you said, there are so many questions on this with many different answers ._.

I would wash it just as if it had been used that day (with soap)...

I would then put it on a low burner (hob?) until it was dry and a bit hot.

Then a teaspoon or so of oil, spread that out with a paper towel...

after a minute or so, wipe the interior of any excess oil.

(only worry about the interior)

Then ~2 minutes on high.

Turn off the heat and it's ready to put away or use once it's cool.

Just don't expect it to be super-stick-resistant right away.

must sleep! G'night

10:33 AM

good night !

thanks for your help !

11:29 AM

@Huy use Meersalz

the main difference is the size of the crystals, so Meersalz is close enough

ok, but I also frequently see "sea salt" in recipes, is that something different again ?

ah I see

12:10 PM

@rumtscho Thank you!!

I speak of fine salt and crude salt.

I hate how people say "sea salt" around here for the kind with big crystals.

I also hate "sun-dried tomatoes".

Like Hell they have been dried by the sun!

People falling for marketing lingo.

why, what's wrong with saying sea salt?

(if it has nothing to do with the sea, why is it called sea salt in the first place?)

1 hour later…

1:16 PM

@Huy the unspoken assumption that sea salt = coarse. BS, of course, it comes from flat crystals (fleur de sel) over "usual" to coarse grain size. Also it can be sold dry or slightly wet, like wet sand.

ah, ok, I wouldn't assume it to be coarse but then again I don't know anything about salts :(

Many know it from the large crystals that go in the salt mill. Was kind of a trend a few years ago. Ok, probably more than "a few".

sea salt or kosher salt?

In Europe, sea salt. The term kosher salt is typical for US sources.

yeah, I see kosher salt in a lot of recipes

2:01 PM

0

Q: What are some waterproof material that meet my criteria for folding origami stars and cranes eggs?

One of my future projects involve folding A LOT of origami stars and crane eggs and turn it into a curtain. However, I want to insure that my hard (and very tedious) work do not go to waste by making it waterproof. Here are images of both the origami star and cranes egg: To fold these you star...

cool!

I have to say just by how it looks and feels, the cast iron skillet is the most precious thing I've ever owned in my kitchen. I'm looking very forward to using it on the weekend.

make paella!

Spanish cuisine is actually one of the few that I don't like very much ._.

2:20 PM

@Stephie thank you for having the patience to answer that 1/3 cup question

@rumtscho <bows>.

Math can be frightening for some.

=(

I know. This is the kind of question which we should be answering, but which annoys many of our community. Geek elitist etc.

hehe, math.SE is full of such questions

@Cerberus My expectation is that the EU would require sundried tomatoes to have spent time in the sun. I am not sure they do though, so I posted a question on main.

@Huy I have probably asked one or other of them myself. Not quite at the 1/3 cup to 1/2 cup level, but still rather basic from the point of view of a professional mathematician.

2:33 PM

@rumtscho: much like I ask very basic questions about cooking here :P

Yes, I know. The Stackexchange model is great for professional programmers, but doesn't work too well for many other disciplines. So the network tends to be most useful for people outside of their professional fields.

(of course, there are other examples of professional-level sites, but they are the minority)

ohh i really like this guys answer to my origami question. Very creative

1

A: What are some waterproof material that meet my criteria for folding origami stars and cranes eggs?

You could try using palm fronds, which can be woven to make beautiful stars and patterns: For more details about the craft of palm weaving, see this question and the links given in its answer (disclaimer: answer posted by me). They're obviously waterproof, since they come from plants which ...

2 hours later…

4:17 PM

In a moment of whimsy, I just bought lamb hearts

are they suitable for slow cooking or for quick roasting?

All muscle, low in fat... but it's new muscle... interesting question.

4:37 PM

@rumtscho interestingly, both. If you remove the fat layer and large blood vessels, a quick sear works well. Or a rather long braising (1h+). The latter results in meat with a bit of a denser mouthfeel, but not unpleasant.

I love them braised with some mirepoix or just onions in a good assertive red wine.

Don't forget the garlic and a bouquet garni.

Confession: I typically pick a few cubes out of the pan when they are seared and nibble on them while the rest gets covered with wine etc. and simmers.

@Stephie I see you (over on A&C) :P

@rumtscho Haha nice.

@Catija as I said - a small world!

Regardless, there won't be any advantage to drying tomatoes by sun or some other source of heat with a similar effect.

In other words, if you need dried tomatoes for something, just say dried tomatoes. Because the sun part is at best irrelevant.

Marketing.

4:59 PM

OK, I put them in water for braising.

I'll do something else for dinner today and make a stew with the already-braised hearts tomorrow.

@Cerberus no, there is a difference between sundried fruit and fruit dried by other methods

although sundried doesn't always mean better quality. It makes a stiffer fruit.

Heat is heat.

no, it is not

radiation heat works differently on organic matter than convection heat

and then there is the matter of ambient humidity

also on destruction of molecules by UV light

and don't forget the heat variability - steady heat can create a different product than heat which changes all the time

You can accomplish all of those things artificially if needed.

But I reckon the difference will be negligible anyway.

yes, you could imitate sun drying if this is what you want

Especially since the tomatoes will be laid in oil anyway.

5:04 PM

most food dehydrators don't

the difference isn't negligible

It is to me.

I've dried tomatoes plenty of times in my oven, and they turn out like the best dried tomatoes one can buy.

Freshness and spices are probably what matters most to the taste.

And whether they've dried long enough at a good temperature.

Nor too long.

But that is easy to accomplish, it's not a sensitive process at all.

@Cerberus not all of them.

Well, normally.

Except when used in bread, maybe.

I'm glad to hear you have a good method for drying tomatoes.

I try to evangelize it.

5:09 PM

It is still no reason to require that producers stop putting "sundried" on the label of their sundried tomatoes :)

Because it's so easy to make great dried tomatoes.

Not in oil, claiming "sundried":

user image

Right!

(Almost?) all tomatoes are sold as "sun-dried" here.

Marketeers think people will buy "natural" products.

Like "sea salt".

I'm repeating myself...I shall drop the topic.

@rumtscho Oh, I don't really care about it! Let them call them what they will.

As long as the tomatoes are good.

I don't usually eat dried tomatoes, but if I do, I might try your method

I remember I made candied tomatoes once in the oven, for a sorbet

they were underwhelming, but I think I could have done better.

Hmm how did the candying go?

5:16 PM

heh @Jefromi you deleted that answer right before my eyes :)

After drying, I recommend laying them in oil, with plenty of salt, pepper, ground garlic, and basil leaves.

@rumtscho magic!

I don't remember all the details of the candying, but basically I had to place the tomato discs on a baking sheet, pour sugar syrup over them and put them inside on low temperature for a long time

maybe I should have dried them somewhat before trying it

they were quite wet and didn't soak up much syrup

the sorbet was still edible, but not as nice as it could have been

Speaking of sorbet, on my vacation I ate sinfully expensive and sinfully good ice cream!

The little village had a glacier artisanal, selling ice cream for 2.50 per scoop

It had some great flavors, you would never find those in Germany

for example vervaine

or matcha ginger#

Which also reminds me that I have no homemade ice cream currently. I wonder what flavor to make next.

Maybe I should try the tomato again, I can probably get local sun-grown tomatoes on the market.

@rumtscho I had to look that up... I think I have heard verbena more often (it looks like that's the same thing anyway).

But even then I'm not sure I know what the flavor would be like!

Oh, or is it the liqueur?

> Verveine, the famous green liqueur from the region of Le Puy-en-Velay (France) is flavored with these vervains.

No, it is the plant

I think vervaine is the French name, I just forgot that the English word is different

and Ardeche is indeed close to Le Puy, the next valley over in the same mountain. But it drains in the Rhone, not in the Loire.

5:26 PM

So it is!

The flavor is somewhat close to lemon balm. Not the same, it is a difference like between thyme and oregano - same family, so close but different flavor.

My favorite tea is made with one teaspoon dried verbena and two dried rose buds. Preferably damascena.

Makes sense, I know lemon verbena is a common variety.

@rumtscho Ah, yes, the tomatoes probably need to be almost completely dried out, but not quite. My hypothesis is that caramellisation does not occur until almost all of the water is gone, because it requires higher temperatures. And caramellisation, or a similar process, is what makes dried tomatoes taste the way they do; it is like with apricots and plums, which also acquire their superb taste only after fairly dry heating.

But the tomatoes should not lose all water altogether, some water needs to remain deep inside, let they become crisp, which is bad.

My recipe did not intend the tomatoes to caramelize (or taste like dried tomatoes)

Are you sure?

@rumtscho Hmm interesting. You should make it yourself!

5:31 PM

Maybe. But I think I'm in the mood for something else this batch. Fruity, not herbal.

Or maybe again a vegetable. Something assertive and unusual.

Rhubarb?

Hmm, never made it with rhubarb. Would you use it raw or cooked?

A batch of what, by the way?

Tea?

I actually don't remember what rhubarb tea tasted like...

How about hondsdraf? I don't know the German name.

ice cream

user image

5:35 PM

or sorbet

Ohh OK.

marthastewart.com/900666/…

Interesting, she makes a French ice cream with rhubarb. I wouldn't have thought it a good fit

Oh, maybe I should make a sherbet with rhubarb and creme fraiche!

Or maybe ice-cream based on oven-baked plums!

Or freeze a variation of my rhubarb pie filling (which contains starch and creme fraiche)

Or why not both!

@rumtscho Sounds good.

5:39 PM

weird, my scanner says it scanned the tomato sorbet recipe, but I can see no scans newer than 2015

I'll post it some other time if needed

but they are certainly not dried.

Odd.

Glechoma hederacea

Glechoma hederacea (syn. Nepeta glechoma Benth., Nepeta hederacea (L.) Trevir.) is an aromatic, perennial, evergreen creeper of the mint family Lamiaceae. It is commonly known as ground-ivy, gill-over-the-ground, creeping charlie, alehoof, tunhoof, catsfoot, field balm, and run-away-robin. It is also sometimes known as creeping jenny, but that name more commonly refers to Lysimachia nummularia. It has numerous medicinal uses, and is used as a salad green in many countries. European settlers carried it around the world, and it has become a well-established introduced and naturalized plant in a wide...

Gundermann / creeping charlie

@Stephie Ah, funny names.

Hondsdraf means...dogstrot.

Have you eaten it?

Another funny one.

@Cerberus not in ages.

Idem hic.

I remember it tasted a bit like rucola?

5:51 PM

If it wasn't pouring, I might be tempted to go outside and have a go at it.

Yay!

I wish I didn't live in a city.

6:04 PM

Ok, I did it:

user image

Are you gonna eat it?

Pure, pretty strong resin-like. Flowers with sweet undertones but same bitter parts.

@Jay did.

resin like? i dont really know what resin tastes like

Go into a forest on a sunny day. Stand close to a pine tree. Breathe deeply.

maybe it can be added into a sweeter lighter salad like iceberg lettuce as accents?

6:09 PM

Definetively. Just a bit too strong to go solo. As a mix-in in a vinaigrette or with other assertive flavours, just fine. Just put some on my chicken sandwich and that was good.

@Stephie oh yea, its pretty so it can work as an edible garnish also

Only an hour or so ago son was with me in the kitchen, reading his "Witches cookbook" (bought on a medieval fair with his own money). We went through the "herb abc" and found that we had most ingredients or knew where to find them.

So the creeping charlie fits right in.

<note to self: show him tomorrow in the yard>

thats adorable! and how awesome is it that you can find most of the ingredients in this witch cook book

where you live sounds magical

all we have outside is grass and weed

Weed=herbs, at least surprisingly often.

the only "useful" weed that I'm aware of are dandelions

6:18 PM

Daisies? (bellis) Nettles? Blackberries and raspberries (leaves)?

Here, foraging starts with the first shots of dandelions, bear's garlic and and lesser celandine.

Once the bear's garlic is over, garlic mustard takes its place.

i dont think we have wild daisies

nettles are pretty much aggressively taken out immediately since its prickly

i dont believe there are any wild blackberry or raspberry plants

and i have no idea what bears garlic and garlic mustard looks like

I'm sure you have your own range of weeds / herbs where you live.

Never been adventurous enough to try them out :P

i do have a nature book regarding edible/medicinal plants in my region

so i'll see if i can find anything in the book

And I'm a bit of a freak when it comes to edible stuff from the wild - it drives hubby mad that I often take a basket and a pocket knife with me. And usually bring something home.

But it appeals to the kids' sense of adventure.

haha here i thought it was common where you live, i guess not from your husbands reaction

i assume the something is always plants or fungi?

or have you brought home an animal for dinner before

6:26 PM

Lol! Nope, I don't hunt ^_^

Not my style. I take what doesn't run away.

hehe ok

so i have a head of cabbage. make cabbage stew?

I might qualify as a "Kraut", but don't ask me about cabbage...^_^

@Stephie Perfect!

@Stephie Story of my life.

@Stephie not a fan of cabbage?

@Jay Not particularly.

6:36 PM

think of making a tomato based cabbage stew. There was recently a sale on tomato on the vine and i got like 5lbs of it for only $3.50

Mankind can be divided into two groups: cabbage people and non-cabbage people.

I kinda underestimated how much tomatoes 5lbs can be

In Bulgaria, the cabbage stew tends to be baked rather than cooked. Often with pieces of meat.

especially cooking for 1 person

@Stephie Next time I visit the country, I'll pick some hondsdraf too!

@rumtscho Sounds great!

6:38 PM

@rumtscho pork?

yes, pork is a classic

at this time of year, also a whole lamb baby

Cute.

user image

this is with pork and rice

oh, it's with fermented cabbage, not fresh

its so dry :(. just reminds me how the definition of stew differs so much for different people

Looks good.

@Jay I'm sure only the top is dry...

If you put a stew in the oven...

6:42 PM

user image

this one is with fresh cabbage

oh, yes, these foods are typically dry

we don't really call them a stew

I just don't know a better American word to use for them, I have seen them translated as stew

@rumtscho Süßkraut. I used to avoid it whenever possible.

casserole possibly

I hate cooked cabbage too.

Something about the sulfurous smell.

i dont mind it so much. but i also love broccoli and brussel sprouts.

I eat it raw, preferably with vinegar. Probably the only combination in which I like vinegar.

6:43 PM

But admittedly, my great-gran, may she rest in peace, wasn't exactly a great cook.

I love the sulphur.

I'll eat cabbage in any shape or form.

no, my mother and grandmother are not so great cooks either. Still, I have never had (or smelled) cabbage without that sulfur smell, no matter who prepared it.

Do you like those stuffed cabbage leaves?

I can live with the sulphur, but not the sweet paprika she put in it. Took me decades to allow it in my kitchen at all.

I don't like it when it gets sulfurous but lightly steamed cabbage can be quite sweet.

6:45 PM

I tend to unpack them, eat the filling and remove the leaves

but I prefer the wine leaf variety anyway

I love simmered, browned, sulphurous cabbage...

or the pepper variety

@rumtscho I suspected as much.

I like the leaves just as much as the filling.

@rumtscho I'm with you on that.

hates sweet peppers

6:46 PM

stuffed peppers was one of the two favorite dishes of my youth. Obligatory with yogurt.

I used to remove the peppers back then, but I like them now.

In our next lives, we can swap peppers for cabbage leaves between us.

the other favorite dish was moussaka, the Bulgarian version

I like moussaka.

no aubergine, with a topping of egg and yogurt (not bechamel).

What's different in the B. version?

Oh.

I'd probably like that.

6:48 PM

moussaka looks a bit like shepards pie

grouprecipes.com/5844/bulgarian-moussaka.html

at least the potato based one

This recipe looks decent, although my mother wouldn't have used that much tomatoes.

Funny that you say that

as a child, I once made shepherd's pie

I had the recipe from a cookbook I loved to read

"a culinary journey around the world" was the title

my parents were very unadventurous eaters

they ridiculed me for having put in so much effort and having it come out "like a normal moussaka, only with the potatoes not mashed, and a different meat, and..."

I was devastated.

awww thats so sad but also slightly funny

it is one of those things which make you appreciate different views on the same situation

I loved that book so much, I recently bought a copy of it - had to hunt it down in some online used books seller

6:52 PM

shoot i have craving for shepards pie now

Hey Blue people... any thoughts on this: meta.stackexchange.com/questions/279609/… The answer implies that it's automatic but we don't have this room in our sidebar.

and it is somehow not at all as good as I remember it

it was written by two East Germans in the late 60s

The descriptions behind the different food cultures are not as full-fleshed as I had them in memory

and the recipes are not really something I would cook today

a bit too boring, I have frequently seen similar dishes made in a better way

and then there are the pictures! (My translated edition had no pictures)

It has a picture of what an East German prepared as a pizza back then

Four words: late 60s and East Germans. Nuff said.

it is at least 5 cm thick

@Stephie In one of the Soviet country chapters, it has a soup made of old bread cooked in water.

@Catija I have seen it there sometimes, but not always.

Maybe it is not shown to all users.

Hmmmm.

Regardless, the answer doesn't seem to give all the info.

6:56 PM

@rumtscho Brotsuppe. Those were hard times. But here in Swabia, the starchy water from Spätzle also served as base for a soup. People did what they could to get calories.

As a child, I loved "Brotschnitten": Semi-stale bread slices dipped in runny pancake batter and shallow-fried. With applesauce or other fruit compote.

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May '1624

The Frying Pan

Sometimes hot, always heavy. (cooking.stackexchange.com)

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