The Foodie Thread

[Centerpiece]

I know homemade mayonnaise is divine. Sublime in it’s creaminess, tanginess, texture and taste. I also know fresh made pasta with flour and egg produces soft, tender, almost silky noodles which carry lighter, smoother, buttery, creamier sauces well. But honestly, I’ll take Duke’s mayonnaise for the most part for most anything in which I need some Mayo. Also, I like bronze cut, high quality dried pasta for most of my sauces which are more hearty, heavier and robust ragus and the like - which need Al dente pasta for its firmness. For which something like the fresh pasta has trouble holding up.

All this to say I’m reminded of my Culinary trainings at Johnson & Wales in Charleston and also at the International Culinary School at the Art Institute in Charlotte.

In one class, The chef had us roast red bell peppers over an open flame and then remove the charred skin. We were then judged and graded on our knife skills, cutting the various batonet, small dice, Julienne , and brunoise cuts. Then he had us place the cut peppers into a food dehydrator. Still not done, we had to place the dried veggie into a spice mill or grinder. When finished, we had this super fine, light, powdery dust. I’m thinking “shit! We just made Paprika from scratch!”

But the weird thing was, this was just a small part of the days activities… we had to create an entire meal with protein, starch and veg… plate it and present it just so… and after all of that, I ask the chef what about the red bell peppers we dehydrated, “what was that all about?”

And the chef was like “oh crap I forgot all about that.” He went and fetched the spice grinder, took out a pinch of the paprika, and sprinkled it around the rim of the white dinner plates we had presented.

So I was like “fuck me! we went to all that trouble to produce scratch-made paprika, only to use it as plate decoration!?!” WTF

Anyway… use the Duke’s. Use the decent quality dried pasta. And for fucks sake, get you a small can of Hungarian paprika. You ain’t gonna impress me with your scratch- made mayo and home made pasta

 

[Heelsandeers]

Anyway… use the Duke’s. Use the decent quality dried pasta. And for fucks sake, get you a small can of Hungarian paprika. You ain’t gonna impress me with your scratch- made mayo and home made pasta

for whatever reason I've never been compelled to make pasta

never tried despite being familiar with the process. the dried stuff is quite good

I've made mayo a few times. good results but like you said, duke's is more than good enough

I've heard someone say the same for ketchup, which I assume to be quite a bit more effort

I like "is it worthwhile" homemade vs store bought. What about ice cream?

 

[UNCatTech]

I know homemade mayonnaise is divine. Sublime in it’s creaminess, tanginess, texture and taste. I also know fresh made pasta with flour and egg produces soft, tender, almost silky noodles which carry lighter, smoother, buttery, creamier sauces well. But honestly, I’ll take Duke’s mayonnaise for the most part for most anything in which I need some Mayo. Also, I like bronze cut, high quality dried pasta for most of my sauces which are more hearty, heavier and robust ragus and the like - which need Al dente pasta for its firmness. For which something like the fresh pasta has trouble holding up.

All this to say I’m reminded of my Culinary trainings at Johnson & Wales in Charleston and also at the International Culinary School at the Art Institute in Charlotte.

In one class, The chef had us roast red bell peppers over an open flame and then remove the chard skin. We were then judged and graded on our knife skills, cutting the various batonet, small dice, Julienne , and brunoise cuts. Then he had us place the cut peppers into a food dehydrator. Still not done, we had to place the dried veggie into a spice mill or grinder. When finished, we had this super fine, light, powdery dust. I’m thinking “shit! We just made Paprika from scratch!”

But the weird thing was, this was just a small part of the days activities… we had to create an entire meal with protein, starch and veg… plate it and present it just so… and after all of that, I ask the chef what about the red bell peppers we dehydrated, “what was that all about?”

And the chef was like “oh crap I forgot all about that.” He went and fetched the spice grinder, took out a pinch of the paprika, and sprinkled it around the rim of the white dinner plates we had presented.

So I was like “fuck me! we went to all that trouble to produce scratch-made paprika, only to use it as plate decoration!?!” WTF

Anyway… use the Duke’s. Use the decent quality dried pasta. And for fucks sake, get you a small can of Hungarian paprika. You ain’t gonna impress me with your scratch- made mayo and home made pasta

I don't allow mayo in my house.

I would like to make pasta, at least a few times.

 

[Centerpiece]

for whatever reason I've never been compelled to make pasta

never tried despite being familiar with the process. the dried stuff is quite good

I've made mayo a few times. good results but like you said, duke's is more than good enough

I've heard someone say the same for ketchup, which I assume to be quite a bit more effort

I like "is it worthwhile" homemade vs store bought. What about ice cream?

Yes, we had to make ice cream from custard (or sabayon if French or zabaglione if Italian - it's all just egg custard)

We never made ketchup - but boy howdy did we have to make all the "mother" sauces including the classic tomato sauce, which if thickened and sweetened (like Americans like everything) you'll have made Catsup.

Making pasta is ok - and it can be cathartic like making bread - but there is a reason why there a gazillion dried pastas and pasta shapes on the store shelves. No need to take those steps. Why make paprika?

Same with condiments like mayo and ketchup and all the others...

How about spice rubs and all of those combo spice bottles for sale on the shelves? Dry rubs and such. "Secret ingredient" spices, etc.
Here's a fun thing to do. For your next dry rub (for whatever application you like): Go to your spice/dried herb cabinet or rack. Pick out any 10. However, if you pick salt as one - then you only get one other that may have salt in it (like garlic salt or onion salt) - no need to get too much sodium on anything. Grabbing salt and pepper as your first 2 is not a bad option. But go ahead and get jiggy with it and grab another 8 off the rack (curry powder; parsley; 5 spice; Pumpkin fucking spice... whatever).

Get a 1/4 teaspoon of each and mix in a bowl. Presto! You've just made your very own - never been made before - dry rub. Honestly it's hard to go wrong unless you over do it in one direction. Example: grabbing all dried herbs and no other actual "spices". Herbs are not necessarily "spices" - fuck that. Grab Herbes de Provence or "Italian Herbs" for one of your selections.

 

[Centerpiece]

I don't allow mayo in my house.

I would like to make pasta, at least a few times.

Totally get the "no mayo please". It can be one of those things like cilantro (which may taste like soap to a significant % of the population)

Try the home-made pasta if you like making bread or some such. But it's just a process. Buitoni makes a nice "fresh" pasta in the cool section in your grocer near the butter and cheeses if you must. But there is a reason why there are so many dried pasta options.

Just remember: Fresh, home-made pasta is light and delicate and it's hard to make it "al dente" for the heavier sauces.
If I were to make fresh pasta, I would eat it with nothing but the best butter I can buy with mashed garlic and fresh basil, with a little parmigiano. Glass of Chianti. Buon appetito!

 

[UNCatTech]

Totally get the "no mayo please". It can be one of those things like cilantro (which may taste like soap to a significant % of the population)

Try the home-made pasta if you like making bread or some such. But it's just a process. Buitoni makes a nice "fresh" pasta in the cool section in your grocer near the butter and cheeses if you must. But there is a reason why there are so many dried pasta options.

Just remember: Fresh, home-made pasta is light and delicate and it's hard to make it "al dente" for the heavier sauces.
If I were to make fresh pasta, I would eat it with nothing but the best butter I can buy with mashed garlic and fresh basil, with a little parmigiano. Glass of Chianti. Buon appetito!

The mayo thing is mental for me. I can't know I'm eating it.

But everyone in my family loves it, we buy it by the gallon. And I'm sure it is in things I eat, but as long as I don't know...

We have a few basil plants, and guy garlic fresh. My daughter has a butter churn.