General Questions Thread

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Mr. Wiggles: Dec 1, 2003; We are all drinking from the highball glass of ideology.

Steve Yun posted:

Can I eat the rind then?

Yes.

# ¿ Jan 3, 2020 18:26

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# ¿ Apr 23, 2024 22:31

Mr. Wiggles: Dec 1, 2003; We are all drinking from the highball glass of ideology.

Jack B Nimble posted:

Thanks all, I'll look into the browser extension.

Another question, can anyone recommend a book, video, or essay, or other resources on historical food of the "Wild West"? As in what the settlers, cowboys, etc, actually ate? Preferably with some recipes?

My friends and I are making our way through a pile of Western movies and I'd like to both prepare some traditional meals as well as generally learn more about the food of the period.

No particular book, but if you have questions let me know. This was my specialty in University.

# ¿ Jan 7, 2020 21:36

Mr. Wiggles: Dec 1, 2003; We are all drinking from the highball glass of ideology.

Jack B Nimble posted:

That's awesome!

Ok, was there some common "camp" or "trail" method of using corn meal or flour? I'm thinking maybe they didn't rise dough to make bread but what do I know. I also imagine you get fancier food out of a chuck wagon compared to whatever someone would just tuck in a saddle bag. Actually, yeah, what were the common "trail rations" for trips out in the wilderness.

There were definitely a few different "standard" preparations of basic grains. The question was always "to rise or not to rise". If rising wasn't an option, then it was common to have simply a cornmeal mush (think polenta), cooked with water in a kettle or pot. Simple ash cakes or tortillas might be made as well, forming patties out of the flour or cornmeal and cooking near the fire. If one had the time or ability to have the bread rise, though, sourdough was the method most likely to be used. Folks would keep a culture going on the trail or at home, adding flour and water and taking out to leaven dough as needed. The resulting breads, usually in the form of biscuits or sheepherder bread, were cooked in a dutch oven. Again, the cakes or tortillas could be cooked from sourdough. Absent yeast of some kind, pearlash might be used to leaven the dough, but this tended to be limited to the home. In the later 1800s, though, commercially produced baking powder became widely available and all of a sudden people all across the West could make reliable quick breads and biscuits with just a few dry ingredients and water, which caused a minor revolution in cookery both on the trail and at home. For those who couldn't pack a dutch oven and the other necessities for cooking on the trail, though, there were lots of options for hardtack, trail crackers, and just hard breads made locally that could be kept good for weeks at a time.

Chuck wagons are a little outsized in their myth for how common they were - they weren't common at all. You wouldn't see one "on the trail" as they couldn't keep up reliably with the cattle and those driving them. Large trail drives may have had a dedicated cook, but he was going to be hauling his supplies on mules and cooking over the campfire. Where you did see chuck wagons was at larger, more permanent locations like mining and logging camps or a "doings". In this case, yes, you would see more intricate foods (maybe biscuits and gravy, or roasted meats, soups, etc.). Think of the chuck wagon as the "food truck" of the day - they showed up in the same sort of places.

Trail rations would depend on your ability to carry stuff and how fast you wanted to move. Generally, though, you would see a basic grain like cornmeal or flour, dried beans (which could be soaked all day and then boiled at night), dried beef, salt pork (there was ALWAYS salt pork if you could carry it), pemmican perhaps, and ground coffee. This wasn't a varied diet. Vegetables were limited to what you could find growing. It is important to note, however, that various ethnic groups would bring foods on the trail that others might not. Germans in a wagon headed west very well might have a keg of sauerkraut, and the Basques would tend to have found a way to bring garlic with them as well as salted cod if they could afford it. But yeah, those scenes in Westerns where someone goes to the general store and orders coffee, beans, and flour? Not too far off the mark.

Now, home cooking could be extremely intricate and that's a whole different discussion. And the boomtowns could be absolutely posh - when the Goldfield Hotel opened in Goldfield Nevada in 1900, they made a waterfall of champagne flow down the front steps and the whole town was treated to fresh oysters, caviar, and other "assorted dainties".

# ¿ Jan 8, 2020 17:12

Mr. Wiggles: Dec 1, 2003; We are all drinking from the highball glass of ideology.

Zojirushi is awesome. But if you don't want to drop that much on a rice cooker, I've been using my Aroma for years without issue and it makes fantastic rice.

# ¿ Jan 8, 2020 20:49

Mr. Wiggles: Dec 1, 2003; We are all drinking from the highball glass of ideology.

Anne Whateley posted:

I use a cheapass one to make everything but white rice: brown rice, quinoa, lentils, pilafs, etc. Still works fine. If I leave it for awhile after it's done, I get a little tahdig on the bottom, but that's the best part

Tahdig: great thing or greatest thing?

Discuss.

# ¿ Jan 10, 2020 03:41

Mr. Wiggles: Dec 1, 2003; We are all drinking from the highball glass of ideology.

Zenithe posted:

Bought fresh beetroot for the first time ever, any use for the leaves or stems?

Beet leaves are just another type of chard. I like to quickly saute them in olive oil with garlic and a little fish sauce, but the uses are endless. They're even good just torn up and added to salad greens.

# ¿ Jan 13, 2020 15:50

Mr. Wiggles: Dec 1, 2003; We are all drinking from the highball glass of ideology.

For camping you definitely need cast iron for durability. But you ALSO must have both feet on the bottom and a deep concave rim on top. This allows the oven to be placed in the coals correctly, and allows coals to be placed on top as well. It will also have a steel loop handle over the top that allows for hanging from a tripod or some such for lower heat stew applications.

# ¿ Jan 21, 2020 16:27

Mr. Wiggles: Dec 1, 2003; We are all drinking from the highball glass of ideology.

Hauki posted:

what in the hell kind of camping do you all do that makes you want to lug a five pound pot around

Canoe mostly. Also if you have horses. Not so great for backpacking, true, but there's lots of kinds of camping.

# ¿ Jan 21, 2020 17:45

Mr. Wiggles: Dec 1, 2003; We are all drinking from the highball glass of ideology.

Hippie groceries often carry it in bulk, as well.

# ¿ Jan 28, 2020 16:14

Mr. Wiggles: Dec 1, 2003; We are all drinking from the highball glass of ideology.

Yeah, mold ain't gonna grow in Vegemite. Or if it did, it would be so powerful that it would have murdered you in your sleep and stolen your car by now.

# ¿ Feb 6, 2020 22:23

Mr. Wiggles: Dec 1, 2003; We are all drinking from the highball glass of ideology.

Steve Yun posted:

How is Two Buck Chuck possible in the year 2020

Edit: thinner glass, cheaper corks and only in California

$2.99 across the border here in Nevada still. And with less local tax. Really one of the cheapest ways to get crunk.

# ¿ Feb 7, 2020 06:16

Mr. Wiggles: Dec 1, 2003; We are all drinking from the highball glass of ideology.

Steve Yun posted:

Hey how do you guys rate two buck chuck. I need to fill a wine fountain for an Oscar party

Are you actually Nastasia Lopez?

Also their Malbec is p good especially for the price. Cabernet is pretty tannic, merlot sucks. Zinfandel is serviceable when you can find it.

# ¿ Feb 7, 2020 07:45

Mr. Wiggles: Dec 1, 2003; We are all drinking from the highball glass of ideology.

Steve Yun posted:

How about their whites because I’m building an Oscar fountain and I want it to spout golden liquid and I need a cheap wine for 20 people

Nice golden person.

Whites are not very good. Pinot grigio is probably the least worst. The Chardonnay tastes like 5 dollar Chardonnay. If you can't get the Pinot grigio then do the Sauvignon Blanc.

# ¿ Feb 7, 2020 16:24

Mr. Wiggles: Dec 1, 2003; We are all drinking from the highball glass of ideology.

Grand Fromage posted:

I think he's talking about saeujeot: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saeu-jeot

They're just little shrimp preserved in brine, not sea monkeys.

These are the secret ingredient in my kimchi and my kimchi loving rules.

# ¿ Feb 11, 2020 05:51

Mr. Wiggles: Dec 1, 2003; We are all drinking from the highball glass of ideology.

Nephzinho posted:

I stopped keeping butter in a crock on the counter because I found that I just kept eating buttered bread.

Feature not a bug.

# ¿ Mar 10, 2020 19:57

Mr. Wiggles: Dec 1, 2003; We are all drinking from the highball glass of ideology.

I use mostly ap flour, but every now and then I throw in half a cup of whole rye flour. Seems to do the trick. I keep mine in a crock in the fridge and only feed it every 10 days or so.

# ¿ Mar 13, 2020 05:24

Mr. Wiggles: Dec 1, 2003; We are all drinking from the highball glass of ideology.

Scientastic posted:

Odd question: does anyone know of any foods that are specific to Madagascar?

Lemur.

# ¿ Mar 18, 2020 16:40

Mr. Wiggles: Dec 1, 2003; We are all drinking from the highball glass of ideology.

It doesn't take any time to peel potatoes with my Tater Mitts^TM

# ¿ Mar 25, 2020 00:43

Mr. Wiggles: Dec 1, 2003; We are all drinking from the highball glass of ideology.

Just be thankful you don't have pantry butterflies.

# ¿ Mar 31, 2020 22:24

Mr. Wiggles: Dec 1, 2003; We are all drinking from the highball glass of ideology.

My Lovely Horse posted:

A local butcher is advertising goat meat and I'm getting a craving. Anyone got a good and tested goat curry recipe?

Depends on the cut. Goat chops are my favorite chops.

# ¿ Apr 1, 2020 20:29

Mr. Wiggles: Dec 1, 2003; We are all drinking from the highball glass of ideology.

Just saute the mushrooms or do a stir fry. Like greens, mushrooms are mostly water and will shrink quite a lot.

# ¿ Apr 11, 2020 17:27

Mr. Wiggles: Dec 1, 2003; We are all drinking from the highball glass of ideology.

Casu Marzu posted:

I remember someone (Kenji maybe probably) mentioning that garlic is also more pungent when put through like a garlic press or smashed to oblivion as opposed to minced fine with a knife. Something to do with burst cells or something?

When you crush the garlic you release more of the aromatic compounds than when it's sliced cleanly with a knife.

# ¿ Apr 18, 2020 20:09

Mr. Wiggles: Dec 1, 2003; We are all drinking from the highball glass of ideology.

Subjunctive posted:

Hello!

I got a large pork belly from a local butcher, and it has visible black stubble still attached (say 3mm long). Is there a good way to remove those other than individually plucking them? I don't think I have the patience for that, but I think my family will find the stubble to be offputting. I'm planning porchetta so I'd really prefer to have the skin still on, but life will go on if it's not.

Use a blowtorch to burn it all off (hold it with a hook or tongs or something). When it's all charred, scrub the pork under water with steel wool or something until you get off just about all the black.

# ¿ Apr 24, 2020 14:41

Mr. Wiggles: Dec 1, 2003; We are all drinking from the highball glass of ideology.

Looks like it's just another variety of pompano, like a Paloma maybe. Either way they're tasty fried!

# ¿ Apr 24, 2020 21:52

Mr. Wiggles: Dec 1, 2003; We are all drinking from the highball glass of ideology.

BrianBoitano posted:

Dry brine crew checking in

You mean salting?

# ¿ Apr 25, 2020 07:22

Mr. Wiggles: Dec 1, 2003; We are all drinking from the highball glass of ideology.

PRADA SLUT posted:

I have a cheap, manual Crock Pot. I'm moving and thinking of replacing it with something like an Instant Pot, just for the flexibility/automation of cooking a few different things (not rice) .

I'm looking for something in the 6qt range. Any ideas? Or is it a waste of money to 'upgrade'?

When my current crockpot fails finally, I'm getting an instant pot

# ¿ Apr 26, 2020 00:54

Mr. Wiggles: Dec 1, 2003; We are all drinking from the highball glass of ideology.

barkbell posted:

CAn I sub active dry yeast for instant yeast in Ken Forkish's Overnight white bread?

Same thing. Use the same.

# ¿ Apr 26, 2020 03:45

Mr. Wiggles: Dec 1, 2003; We are all drinking from the highball glass of ideology.

Suspect Bucket posted:

Ah, a fellow Steve1989 fan. Nice.

Nobody smokes a 100 year old cigarette in a more exquisite manner.

# ¿ Apr 29, 2020 03:27

Mr. Wiggles: Dec 1, 2003; We are all drinking from the highball glass of ideology.

For kimchi I usually do two napa cabbages (or the equivalent amount of whatever else I'm using - kale, whatever. This is just what fits in my kimchi container). I core the cabbages, chop them up, and put them in a great big bowl or bucket with saltwater and let it sit for a few hours. In a blender I mix up the chili flakes, usually an apple or something (I got this from Maangchi and I like it), an onion or two, a handful of garlic and and equal amount of ginger, the salted shrimps, and that's about it. Blitz and add to the drained cabbage. Maybe add some radish or green onion or something. Stuff it into my kimchi container (for me it's a 3 liter plastic jar with a lid) and leave it on the counter for a few days, then transfer to the fridge. Super easy once you've done it once or twice. I go through about a batch a month or two.

# ¿ Apr 30, 2020 03:10

Mr. Wiggles: Dec 1, 2003; We are all drinking from the highball glass of ideology.

Soybeans can totally just be eaten, like peas or navy beans or all kinds of other pulses. They're just kind of boring and their texture can be kind of mealy.

But they're good for so much else, why would we eat them as beans especially in light of other quality bean choices?

# ¿ May 17, 2020 20:44

Mr. Wiggles: Dec 1, 2003; We are all drinking from the highball glass of ideology.

Put it on pancakes and waffles instead of syrup.

# ¿ May 18, 2020 21:48

Mr. Wiggles: Dec 1, 2003; We are all drinking from the highball glass of ideology.

Rub it in your hair for a daring new style!

# ¿ May 19, 2020 01:58

Mr. Wiggles: Dec 1, 2003; We are all drinking from the highball glass of ideology.

My cornbread recipe is as follows:

1 cup cornmeal (fine, course, white, yellow, whatever. Even masa works).
1 cup white flour
1 egg
A tablespoon or so melted butter or oil or something
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon soda
1 tablespoon sugar
Enough buttermilk to make a batter

Mix, pour into a greased dish or heated cast iron or something. Bake at 400 for like half an hour or until golden brown and a toothpick inserted comes out clean.

It's chill, it's easy, and the point is that it's cornbread - do whatever the hell you want.

# ¿ May 20, 2020 00:57

Mr. Wiggles: Dec 1, 2003; We are all drinking from the highball glass of ideology.

An arepa is a type of cake.

# ¿ May 20, 2020 18:49

Mr. Wiggles: Dec 1, 2003; We are all drinking from the highball glass of ideology.

It's fine in the fridge until it has mold, which probably won't happen until months after the use by date.

# ¿ Jun 6, 2020 01:02

Mr. Wiggles: Dec 1, 2003; We are all drinking from the highball glass of ideology.

Scientastic posted:

First of all, get some potatoes. Then, peel some carrots and set aside the peelings. If you’ve got any beetroot, peel those and keep the peelings, too. In fact, just about any other vegetables will do.

Mix the peelings with the quinoa. Dig a small hole in the ground and place your potato in it. Top with the peeling/quinoa mixture. Leave for several months and dig up, and you should have lots of lovely potatoes!

Pro advice.

# ¿ Jun 18, 2020 22:25

Mr. Wiggles: Dec 1, 2003; We are all drinking from the highball glass of ideology.

I like to stir fry zucchini with lots of garlic and ground pork.

# ¿ Jun 28, 2020 17:28

Mr. Wiggles: Dec 1, 2003; We are all drinking from the highball glass of ideology.

You shred cheese using a grater. Conversely, you can grate cheese using a shredder.

# ¿ Jun 29, 2020 17:31

Mr. Wiggles: Dec 1, 2003; We are all drinking from the highball glass of ideology.

SubG posted:

I trimmed a 16# brisket this morning using a Chinese cleaver. I also sometimes just use a chef's knife. I don't think I've ever trimmed a brisket using a petty knife, but that's mostly just because I hardly ever use a petty knife. For something like a brisket I tend to use something bigger and without too much belly, just because that's well suited to kind shaving the fat, which is probably why a lot of people like fillet knives. But I kinda feel like trimming briskets is more of an art than a science, so I'd just use whatever your hands are most comfortable using.

I have basically stopped using all of my "nice" knives, like my Sabatier and such, and basically only use Chinese cleavers these days.

# ¿ Jul 5, 2020 02:40

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# ¿ Apr 23, 2024 22:31

Mr. Wiggles: Dec 1, 2003; We are all drinking from the highball glass of ideology.

Even the super generic ones hold a great edge, I find. And I just get so much better control for everything I'm doing. Chinese cooks got things figured out.

# ¿ Jul 5, 2020 16:06

The Something Awful Forums > Discussion > Goons with Spoons > General Questions Thread

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