(mis)Adventures in Cooking

[StevOz]

Breaded fish cutlets?

Why yes, yes indeed..

Seems your air fryer could have been designed better, mine is an easy clean as there are no slits, just numerous small holes.

 

[StevOz]

Just air fryer hand cut wedges with battered whiting chunks and spring rolls, with garlic, tumeric, paprika, mixed herbs, salt and onion seasoning... tonight

 

[Isaac Sauvage]

Kinda reminds me of what I made yesterday.
I decided to have one of my occasional beef taco salads, and in the meat aisle saw something called "cubed steak." It looked a lot like ground beef, so I decided to give it a shot.

What I saw:

cubed steak uncooked - Google Search

Turns out it's pre-tenderised with a meat hammer, hence the look.

What surprised me is that the recipes called for seasoning & breading it before searing in a pan. So I changed things up and coated it with chili seasoning & potato flour.

It came out pretty good, but next time I'll prolly just stick to ground beef. Trying to slice steak on top of a salad is not the most logical thing.

 

[Isaac Sauvage]

Oh man, I just tried a "food-hack" tonight that I'd read about online. It's to drizzle a bit of honey on fresh-baked pizza. Bonus pts for "hot honey," as the spiciness is of course perfect for pizza.

​

Okay, Houston, we got a winner here!
I don't have a rational explanation at this time, but somehow the sweetness of the honey doesn't clash with the other tastes, and in fact seems to enhance them.

I've also read that a light maple syrup drizzle can achieve similar results.

 

[Isaac Sauvage]

The other day at CVS, they had molcajetes (mortar & pestle units) for an eye-openingly low US$25. Me, I'd wanted one for ages, so against my better judgement, I bit.

Just look at her, ain't she a beaut?



Turns out (as usual) you get what you pay for.

I still have to conduct one last chemical test (involving hot vinegar), but evidently this is yet more cheap, Chinese-made shit shamelessly imported by US corps.

This thing is in fact made out of concrete, pretty much the last thing you'd ever want near food, your skin and your lungs in terms of particulate matter. To be clear-- people using these are going to be regularly ingesting concrete particles.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Concrete#Environment,_health_and_safety

 

[StevOz]

This thing is in fact made out of concrete, pretty much the last thing you'd ever want near food, your skin and your lungs in terms of particulate matter. To be clear-- people using these are going to be regularly ingesting concrete particles.

On that culinary related thought, sometimes the modern mass-produced product is the safest option.

Steel-Ground Flour Vs Stone-Ground Flour: Which Is Better? | Kitchen Kneads

Both steel-ground flour and stone-ground flour have their pros and cons, depending on what you’re looking for. Here is what you need to know

kitchenkneads.com

Thus, the best mortar & pestle units should be made of food grade stainless steel, though you might have to save up for one of those, though the pre steel milled herbs in a jar I use should work for me, though for fresh herbs, dunno?

Do they actually make a stainless mortar & pestle?

Quick call the patent office!!!

 

[StevOz]

Do they actually make a stainless mortar & pestle?

Googlefool me, I can get one down the road for just $27, though I would need instructions on how to use it!

https://www.bunnings.com.au/12cm-stainless-steel-mortar-and-pestle-set-herbs-grinder_p0358883

 

[Isaac Sauvage]

@StevOz,
Whilst I admire the spirit of the stainless steel versions, I'm afraid they consistently fail to capture the fundamental principle of the originals, i.e. smashing knotty food between literally "a rock and a hard place."

Bonus pts: "Slip-Sliding Away" --Paul Simon

Anyway, authentic molcajetes are usually made of basalt (volcanic) rock. So yeah, they definitely take some time to season and grind in to 'primo' mode, but once there, they're pretty-much the gold standard for Mexican-Latino cooking.

And that's how that works.

 

[StevOz]

And that's how that works.

Traditionally, no doubt and their is always a better way.

Now maybe if we can get some blind Mexicans we can put this to the test...

 

[StevOz]

Whilst I admire the spirit of the stainless steel versions, I'm afraid they consistently fail to capture the fundamental principle of the originals, i.e. smashing knotty food between literally "a rock and a hard place."

TBH the version I first imagined would be made from a heavy solid billit of stainless steel, that's why I thought they would be costly.

 

[StevOz]

It seems brass is also a traditional contender, though this means we will need more blind Mexicans.

solid bras mortar and pestle - Google Search

 

[Isaac Sauvage]

Traditionally, no doubt and their is always a better way.

As an abstract, progressive principle? Yes.

In terms of how food lands on yon plate? No.

Feel free to find a better way, of course. You might just land yourself a million dollary-doos there, is it not, mate...?

 

[StevOz]

In terms of how food lands on yon plate? No.

I would have thought the blind taste test would be the best test, it's how it tastes that matters above all else, is it not?

 

[Isaac Sauvage]

I would have thought the blind taste test would be the best test, it's how it tastes that matters above all else, is it not?

Well, I took some peoples' advice upon that, Steve-O.

The 'wet-cement smell' is something one never wants to ever partake of when one realises.

As the Jamaicans say-- "sane?"

 

[StevOz]

The 'wet-cement smell' is something one never wants to ever partake of when one realises.

Good point, the aroma is indeed a most important factor, this is where the pre ground dried herbs fail miserably by comparison.

 

[StevOz]

OK, got tired of waiting for the blind Mexicans...

A Guide to Choosing a Mortar and Pestle

They're manual, precise, and a little rustic, with lots of countertop appeal.

www.epicurious.com

Granite or Marble seem to be the go, the Amazon Marble set looks good value for just over $20 US

Amazon.com

 

[StevOz]

As the Jamaicans say-- "sane?"

That there be some crazy stuff...

Crazy Jamaicans

Leading psychiatrist Fred Hickling and psychologist Vanessa Paisley recently concluded that 40 per cent of our population suffer from some form of personality disorder.

jamaica-gleaner.com

 

[StevOz]

A bit of the usual tonight...

Hand cut wedges and beer battered fish fillets with, garlic, turmeric, onion, paprika, herb mix and parmesan...

I really need some lemon juice...

 

[Isaac Sauvage]

I really need some lemon juice...

"TruLemon" powder is surprisingly good, and stores nicely at room-temp.

I've posted about it here before. Is not be in Oz..?

 

[StevOz]

"TruLemon" powder is surprisingly good, and stores nicely at room-temp.

I've posted about it here before. Is not be in Oz..?

Seems not to be a thing here, though at a $1 a bottle I have opted for lime juice.

 

[Isaac Sauvage]

Seems not to be a thing here, though at a $1 a bottle I have opted for lime juice.

Hopefully yours is better than the bottled stuff over here, which frankly sucks so badly that it's rarely worth taking a chance on. I'm talking about "ReaLemon," of course.

For anyone who can't find the powder, I've found that straight citric acid powder is serviceable. Or even unsugared KoolAid Lemon and Lime flavors, which I use all the time to make iced tea.

Another alt would be Mexican Tajín seasoning, which is quite tasty, altho it does add unwanted salt:

 

[StevOz]

Hopefully yours is better than the bottled stuff over here, which frankly sucks so badly that it's rarely worth taking a chance on. I'm talking about "ReaLemon," of course.

Well I guess I will have to report back then, though it is labelled as 99.9% reconstituted lime juice, what could possibly go wrong?

 

[StevOz]

I like it, the $1 bottle of lime juice is a winner, gave a nice citrus zing to my old standby honey soy chicken and wedges.

 

[StevOz]

I like it, the $1 bottle of lime juice is a winner, gave a nice citrus zing to my old standby honey soy chicken and wedges.

*additional

When you spray it with the cold lime juice, hot out of the air fryer, it gives off a most satisfying steam and aroma.

 

[Isaac Sauvage]

*additional

When you spray it with the cold lime juice, hot out of the air fryer, it gives off a most satisfying steam and aroma.

Alright, motherfucker--
it's officially time for your own damn cooking channel!