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Look Who's Talkin': Comments, Quips, and Tips We Have Known and Loved

Posted by Adam Kuban, February 19, 2010 at 3:15 PM

There's so much going on in Talk week to week that we almost can't keep up. If you're in the same boat, here's a small selection of topics and responses that have piqued our interest this week.

Soul Food Potluck

"climbhighak is correct, if you ain't got black pot cornbread it ain't southern, yankees tend to eat cornbread that is somewhat cake-like, down here we prefer a denser, crisper type. blackeye peas are another must have, northern troops burned many crops during the civil war but had never seen blackeye pea plants so they left them alone." —olddad

Do You Shop Farmers' Markets or Belong to a CSA?

"I shop the farmers' market and I belong to an organization that's kind of an on-line farmers' market/csa hybrid. They have a mammoth selection every week, (produce, breads/scones, meats, cheeses, grits, honey, dog biscuits, etc). You pick what you want each week or you choose to have nothing delivered. All of the non-produce goods are local; the produce varies. Their website tells you what farm/bakery/producer everything comes from and whether it's non-local organic, local conventional, or local organic. It's pretty groovy."

—ProfessorChaos

[WE WANT THE URL, Professor. Quit holdin' out on us! —AK]

Family Dinner with Son's Date (Parts One–Four)

"I don't mean this literally or anything.

"I mean I am a high school English teacher.

"And I have a 19 year old son and an 15 year old son.

"And I am not a violent person.

"So please understand me when i say...

"'I would kill 'em.'"

—soozm32

Sushi for Dummies (or at Least Beginners)

"I second jaf's idea about going out and trying a variety. Grab a couple of friends who like sushi and start ordering! Most of the places I've been the sushi chefs are very helpful and knowledgable. I'm sure they'd be able to start you off with some rolls that you might enjoy.

"Depending on your boss and work situation, you may just want to go out with them and let them know that you haven't had that much exposure to sushi. Your boss might be flattered that you're trying something new because of him and that you want his suggestions.

"And, if all else fails and you find you don't like it, most places serve more than just sushi. I have plenty of friends and a bf that won't touch it and there's no shame in that! I wouldn't let sushi stand in the way of spending time with your office folks." —mag13

Gourmet Slow Cooker Recipes

"...But, you could go the opposite way, and start the cooking process when you get home from work. By the time you're ready to go to bed, the meal will be cooked. Package it up for the fridge, and the next day's dinner is done. The good thing about this approach is that a lot of meats will be significantly better after they've cooled and reheated, like any stew meat, pot roast, etc. Also, if the meat is fatty, the chilling will make the fat rise to the top where you can easily remove it when it's cold. Then the next day, you just need to heat things up, which is quick and easy...." —dbcurrie

Your Kitchen Hacks?

"Frozen petite peas never need to be cooked - add them to salads, fried rice, other dishes, at the last minute and just let them thaw (or add to pasta just as you drain the pasta).

"Mushrooms do not absorb water (I still see people say this on FN. Don't understand why). AB disproved this with weighing etc, but you'd have a lot of soggy mushrooms on the forest floor if they did. So you can wash them just before using if you want.

"The pungent yellow keeping onions have more sugar than "sweet onions," but they have more sulfur so you don't notice that until you cook off the volatile sulfur compounds. So for the sweetest caramelized onions use keepers.

"In winter you can use sprouting onions instead of buying scallions when you need just a little.

"Cracking an egg on a flat surface is less likely to drive shell into the white than cracking on an edge.

"Lasagna noodles do not need to be pre-cooked, and you don't need to buy special noodles. Just make sure you have enough liquid ingredients, and cook longer. I especially like to do this because it helps dry out the tomato sauce.

"Very important tip of the day: Don't leave bacon cooking on the stove-top while you go off to write a comment on Serious Eats. Sigh." —lemonfair

Help! I Can't Get a Good Flavor on Smoking of Freshwater Bass

There's nothing new under the sun, is there, Blendtec?

"Tried using a Bass-O-Matic?" —Lorenzo

Not So Obvious Uses for Arborio/Carnaroli Rice

"I pulse uncooked Arborio in my food processor until it is a powder, and add it to breading mixture I'm using to dredge with, and what it does is give the coating a crunch you just wouldn't get any other way.

"Lemons is correct! Arborio also makes a beautiful rice pudding. It also makes a wonderful hot breakfast cereal just top with chopped fresh or dried fruit, yogurt or milk, applesauce, nuts—whatever! It's yummy." —Brownie

FYI: Simon is back on the market »

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