Food

[Henry Krinkle]

That looks amazing.

Ramen is a dish I feel I should completely master, much like I felt about risotto in the late 80s. Risotto has fallen in and out of fashion two or three times since then, but it is a dish I have never stopped making. I feel that ramen is the same for me, especially as I get older and eat less and less meat.

[Henry Krinkle]

Starting a new cheese. it is neither edam nor gouda, but closely affiliated with both. If it is a success I think I shall call it goudam...

This is the best clean break of the curd I have yet managed.



The curd is cut



Then it is allowed to set for ten minutes before the heat is slowly raised another 2 degrees Celsius. Both gouda and edam are washed curd cheeses, so then most of the curd is drained and replaced with hot water. I use a seive to keep the curds from getting into the separated whey.



Note how much the curds have shrunk from the extra two degrees of temperature and a little extra time.



At this point hot water is added and the temperature is raised a few degrees again. The curd is wahed for a half hour, stirring constantly and then drained. With edam at this point the curds are put in a boule and then dipped in the heated whey at least once. I did a light pressing in the cheese form and then soaked the cheese in the whey for 20 minutes.

Then various weights for various times and roughly fifteen hours later into a brine solution of 1 gallon of distilled water and 26 ounces of salt. Gouda and edam do not have salt added at any point in the process so they gain it via osmosis in a day long salt bath.



The last cheese had numerous issues I knew about. This one is an attempt to address those issues and I can safely say it already smells similar to the Dutch washed curd cheeses and the structure and feel of the cheese is also much better than the last. Only two to four more months to go...

[boatme99]

[QUOTE=Henry Krinkle;501757]Starting a new cheese. it is neither edam nor gouda, but closely affiliated with both. If it is a success I think I shall call it goudam...

Mimolette?

[Henry Krinkle]

[QUOTE=boatme99;501964]

Starting a new cheese. it is neither edam nor gouda, but closely affiliated with both. If it is a success I think I shall call it goudam...

Mimolette?

No. Mine is still a washed curd. I don't think mimolette is. Mine is also pressed for a lot longer and the brining process only goes on for a day. I like the notion of a three day brine though. Might have to do that. When I cook with cheese I like to be able to use it as salt, so that may happen.

[skywatch]

Our summer veggie garden is starting to produce. Yesterday's harvest, sugar snap peas and yellow squash. Last night made a veggie saffron rice with cauliflower, broccoli and peas, along with lemon-mustard marinated grilled pork cutlets and grilled yellow squash. (The wine was a brambly 2014 Napa cab called Fortnight.)

[OhDark30]

Our summer veggie garden is starting to produce. Yesterday's harvest, sugar snap peas and yellow squash..

Mine too :-)
And with it a surprize

Turns out that what I always thought are sugarsnaps are in fact mangetout


So I’ve lots of fresh sugarsnaps (which are OK, but not really my bag) when I thought I’d be picking these lovely other things off the vine

My sis loves em - shame she lives 80 miles away

[skywatch]

Mine too :-)
And with it a surprize

Turns out that what I always thought are sugarsnaps are in fact mangetout


So I’ve lots of fresh sugarsnaps (which are OK, but not really my bag) when I thought I’d be picking these lovely other things off the vine

My sis loves em - shame she lives 80 miles away

Ahh, we call those snow peas. It's funny the French word is "eat it all" because that also applies to the sugar snap peas we grow. I prefer them raw in a salad, pod and all. We actually say "English Pea" for the large variety that needs to be shucked. I imagine you might call them something different... maybe just "peas?"

When my sister and I were little, our mother would try to grow English peas, but when she sent us out to pick some for dinner, we would eat about half of them right off the vine. She would tease us about never having enough to cook for dinner, but I'm sure she was just happy that we enjoyed eating vegetables.

[OhDark30]

Ahh, we call those snow peas. It's funny the French word is "eat it all" because that also applies to the sugar snap peas we grow. I prefer them raw in a salad, pod and all. We actually say "English Pea" for the large variety that needs to be shucked. I imagine you might call them something different... maybe just "peas?"
..

:-)
Yes, the ‘eating the whole thing’ thing had me fooled; as you say, it works for both

Turns out I’d never eaten sugarsnaps before. They’re just too sweet for my taste (I’m also not a fan of sun dried tomatoes for the same reason)

Just yer actual peas are sweet enough for me (and yes, just peas, lol)
We shell them :-)

Nice story from your childhood

[skywatch]

:-)
We shell them :-)
Nice story from your childhood

Of course, we shelled them too! When we would bring the basket in to mom, half the pods were empty. "I wonder how that happened?"

[boatme99]

A mix of old world and new world. Just because I had some stuff to use up.


Caprese salad with the balsamic reduction from last week, carnitas with the fixins, and Spanish rice.
I would have liked a glass of Nero d' Avola for the salad and maybe a Modelo Negro for the main course but alas, I'm pretty much on water these days.