At this very moment I have two wild ducks thawing in my fridge....feathers, guts and all. My quandry: what is the best and safest way to dress these buggers? They need to be addressed SOON. I am planning to pluck and gut myself, but just not sure the best way to go about it. I have an idea, but not 100% certain it's the best way. Feel free to email me directly if instructions get too graphic for the posts. Thanks Eaters!!!
twelvepaws33 at hotmail dot com
Just throw the raw dough right on the grill or what? I'd like to try one, but not sure where to start!
Sarcasm never translates well across the boards... I was in no way berating vegetarians or their fare in any way, and I apologise if it came across that way. Lighten up! Tempeh IS moldy fermented soybeans, where's the harm in pointing that out?! I never bashed a vegetarian in the process, just poked fun at a harmless yet challenging chunk of moldy fermented soybeans.
My main point (badly presented AND taken) was that it's difficult for tempeh to be a main attraction ingredient. You're never going to bite off a chunk of tempeh and be bowled over by it's sublime deliciousness without some serious culinary intervention (believe me I have tried!). There's a reason every tempeh recipe is either marinated or flavored or "enhanced" -- because it's kinda scary on it's own. Answering the initial query, it's not meant to stand out. Most people don't LIKE it to stand out. If one is creative enough, you can transform it into something lovely...but don't expect it to be "tasty" right off the bat.
Better? Kiss and make up?
"Celebrity" chefs hawking substandard restaurants is just the advertising world's way to urge the everyday joe to believe in a "haute cuisine" dining experience. It's a gimmick. Nothing new. Nothing original. It's the SAME thing as Charlie Trotter hawking stoves, just to a lower-income bracket.
That being said, there is something for getting the non-foodie masses more interested in food and inspiring them to look past the boxes of preservative-laden insta-meals in their cupboards and freezers. It at least introduces new food ideas to those who may be stuck in a culinary wasteland out by the mall, or those who lack a decent grocery store that even allows them to explore real cooking.
I usually toss them in the stockpot...
LOVE smoked paprika (and Penzeys!) -- I agree 100% with all the above suggestions. It's so versatile & adds a lot of flavor for using very little. I especially love it in my night-before-BBQ-rib-rub, or pork carnitas... So many different delights....
Is it wrong that the Penzey's catalog is my bathroom reading?
You're basically taking a block of moldy, fermented soybeans and trying to make it "tasty"? Good luck with that! Aside from strapping a Hershey bar to it then battering & deep frying it...it is what it is -- a supporting ingredient, never the star.
One eats tempeh for the nutritional benefits, not because it can pretend to be what it's not (like tofu). Unless, of course, moldy, fermented soybean "flavor" is your thing...
It would have to be fresh ceviche, guac and still-warm tortilla chips on Rolandi's beach in Isla, Mexico, with my husband and never-ending buckets of ice-cold Leon. I'd drift away happily on the warm sand.
Not a bad way to go.
Try it again (after your cholesterol restabilizes itself, of course) with veal bones. Makes all the difference in the world.
And forget toast -- try your hand at a loaf of no-knead bread (or any homemade bread, for that matter), and you've got the perfect vehicle for that marrowy goodness. The bread is dense enough to hold up to the marrow, yet allows it to absorb the salad liquid.
Heaven. On. A. Plate.
What about utilizing in a Greek-inspired dish? Either cold pasta "salad": Combine cooked & cooled pasta with mixed greens, feta, red onions, olives, tomatoes, and dress lightly with a lemon-tahini vinaigrette.
Or toss warmed pasta with olive oil, olives, sun-dried tomatoes with feta & chopped parsley....even toss in some anchovy if you're so inclined...
They have cheap brie and those 100 calorie chocolate bars. Also, the dried fruit and veggie chips. Oh! There's also almond milk, trail mix, spinach pies when I'm too lazy to make my own...
Just want to point out that while a lot of people have rightfully linked the mediocre cook with mediocre product, no one's mentioned the respected chef who arguably pioneered the "throw my name on everything" idea, Wolfgang Puck. Does he still count as a Food Network guy?
I respect his cooking, but he diluted his name with so many endorsements and spin-offs that it's utterly meaningless now. And that self-heating coffee is just weird.
What's also interesting to me is that now FN seems to think it is a celebrity endorsement in itself: there is a line of "FN" cookware at Kohls now, in addition to the Rachael Ray stuff.
And regarding Alton Brown, I think his show is something like Oprah's wish list, for food geeks. He's into gadgets, and if he features something in an episode, it tends to reach some kind of cult status on Amazon (his adjustable measuring cup, Shun knives, that old pepper grinder and even the hinged salt cellar from the early days). I'm much more likely to buy something he recommends (and importantly does not "endorse") because he lays out his criteria and justifies his choices. I'm sure he could add a lot to his income with some deals, but it would simultaneously crush his credibility, which is far more central to his persona that the rest of the FN crowd.
Then there are less famous chefs (thinking of PBS chefs, vs. FN chefs) who develop lines that make me wonder. Ex: Rick Bayless's huge range of cookware and gadgets for Mexican cooking. Much of it is quite expensive and a little silly, but I think of him as a quieter chef with more integrity and--somehow--earnestness, than to go and do that. He's not a brand in the way that Mario or Emeril is.
I don't think it's a coindidence that Rachel Ray and Guy Fieri are the ones who have done endorsements. It's no surprise, their food isn't too great and they are "famous" more for their overwhelming personalities and over the top catch phrases than anything else. The endorsements don't look good for the Food Network. I would assume that Food Network fans are pretty serious foodies or people who have a genuine interest in cooking healthy meals for their families. Is it in the best interest of that kind of network to have their personalities associated with Dunkin Donuts? I don't think it is. It sometimes seem as if the Food Network is losing its credibility, but then again you'd never see someone like Ina Garten, who I respect very much, hawking items for Taco Bell.
It would make no difference to me but I must say I like Guys show diners +drive in's+ dives which places he goes to have not a thing to do with chain joints
I was surprised and somewhat sad to see Tyler Florence endorse Applebee's. Their food is nothing but salted crap and I'm sure they've crapped up any recipes he purportedly created for them, too.
I think Rachel Ray would be more popular if she were less visible. I liked watching her 2 or 3 years ago before her face was EVERYWHERE. Her agent/manager/what-have-you has done a remarkable job of pimping her out- 2 or 3 shows on FN, an Oprah-backed talk show, a magazine, kitchenware, Nabisco crackers and now Dunkin' Donuts. Is she ever home?? Oh, and I forgot all the cookbooks...
A celebrity endorsement- chef or otherwise- does NOT make me run out and purchase something or frequent a certain establishment. Typically it makes me run the other way because the 'celebrity' has sold out and the company is attempting to cash in on someone else's fame as opposed to bettering their products and services.
I've had a block of tempeh sitting in my fridge for a while, not knowing quite what to do with it. I think I'll try the bbq sauce marinade. I also wanted to try to replicate a sandwich I had--it was tempeh marinaded in jerk sauce. It was spicy and AWESOME. Anyone have a great jerk sauce recipe?
I think Friday's is a perfect fit for Guy Fieri. He earned his stardom as the Next Food Network Star by cooking for the average viewer, not by climbing the ranks in a restaurant kitchen. I'm not saying this to put his food down in any way. He's a strong character who makes for good TV and he cooks things most Americans crave. Most Americans also crave TGIFriday's, so it's a match made in heaven. Does it make me want to eat there? No.
If a well-respected, culinary chef recommended a product, I'd probably seek it out, but I suspect that the chefs I have in mind are most likely to recommend quality ingredients and products, not the chain restaurant around the corner.
@ charm city cupcake: I agree with every word you wrote. When I lived with meat eaters in college, the only time I complained was when one of them used my pan and didn't wash it properly, and my next grilled cheese sandwich tasted strongly of salmon (blech!). They, however, would make faces and rude comments whenever I was preparing tofu--"How can you touch that?? Eww!"
You're never going to bite off a chunk of tempeh and be bowled over by it's sublime deliciousness without some serious culinary intervention (believe me I have tried!). There's a reason every tempeh recipe is either marinated or flavored or "enhanced" -- because it's kinda scary on it's own.
Funny, because I would say exactly the same thing about meat!
charm city cupcake-you go girl (guy)! To answer the question, I find that if you slice the cakes in half horizontally, they fry up better & take any marinade or sauce easier. Try the mixed grain ones, as well. they're pretty good. I like mine in a "club sandwich" , fried 1st, like bacon & use all the fixings as in a blt.
Oops on the prior post. It was supposed to go in the Jeff Smith thread. I have no idea how it ended up here. Sorry.
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