What are you eating?

[Wanderer]

Do you really french fry with olive oil  ?

Oh, yes. I live at the source, after all; plus, we produce our own. I remember my mother tried using other oils for frying at some point out of curiosity but it never worked; the taste was definitely worse (at best) than when using olive oil, plus the fried stuff (potatoes, etc.) weren't as crunchy or crispy and retained more oil inside them (more heavy and oily).

Olive oil is the best of course, even for frying but for deep frying I'd assume it would end up taking over whatever is being fried, no?

what I do is, I fry the potatoes a little bit first, set them aside draining the excess oil, and then refry them when ready to eat. This way they become very crispy on the outside but soft on the inside.

What do you mean by "taking over" (I'm a foreigner, remember:-)? If it's something like obscuring the taste, it doesn't happen. I find that it enhances the taste without overpowering it (maybe because it's absorbed in a lesser degree than other oils).
The end result you describe is exactly what we get, unless the potatoes aren't good.

[orbital]

Ach, that language barrier! Orbital, you are talking about French Fries, I am talking about geröstete Kartoffel, the spuds made in frying pan, usually with some onions added, in certain areas of Germany even caraway seeds!

Are we together now? 

Yep. Quite possibly the best tasting food ever invented, fried whichever way 

What do you mean by "taking over" (I'm a foreigner, remember:-)? If it's something like obscuring the taste, it doesn't happen. I find that it enhances the taste without overpowering it (maybe because it's absorbed in a lesser degree than other oils).

Yes, I meant taking over the taste of the potato itself. But if that's not the case, I'll give it a try. I, too use olive oil exclusively except for deep frying.

[Lilas Pastia]

Here potato varieties all have a chart on the bag that tells their most suitable uses (frying, boiled, mashed, scalloped etc). very convenient.

Another way I like them is the greek way (or more plausibly the canadian pseudo-greek way): sliced in big wedges, fried a few minutes, then left to stand with a lemon juice-olive oil dressing with oregano. After an hour or two, shove the thing in the hot oven and cook until golden brown. The liquid evaporates and the potatoes finish cooking in oil. Delicious!

[Dundonnell]

British Oakham Chicken Paupiettes with a mushroom and parsley filling, garnished with bacon, sage, butter and fresh thyme.

Gorgeous.....except that I spent too much time here and the stuffing has run a bit

[Dundonnell]

British Oakham Chicken Paupiettes with a mushroom and parsley filling, garnished with bacon, sage, butter and fresh thyme.

Gorgeous.....except that I spent too much time here and the stuffing has run a bit

Correction.....run "a lot"

Moral=don't try to cook and try to keep up with an ongoing GMG debate at the same time

[Kullervo]

Shepherd's pie! (or "cottage" pie for those across the Pond. I've never made it before, but it turned out very well (not that it's a difficult dish). 

[Dundonnell]

Shepherd's pie! (or "cottage" pie for those across the Pond. I've never made it before, but it turned out very well (not that it's a difficult dish). 

Both are very familiar to us on the other side of the Pond   But there may be a difference-see below

http://www.fellwalk.co.uk/londonfood3.htm

[Kullervo]

I used ground beef, so to you it would be cottage pie, but over here it's called shepherd's pie. Lamb isn't as commonly used here as it is elsewhere.

[Dundonnell]

I used ground beef, so to you it would be cottage pie, but over here it's called shepherd's pie. Lamb isn't as commonly used here as it is elsewhere.

Ah!

[ezodisy]

the breakfast of champions and reprobates

[Brünnhilde forever]

The correct name for my Sunday dinner is: Schweinebraten mit Biersoße - pork roast with beer sauce - and it was delicious. It was a new recipe I found some place with the unusual ingredient of crushed caraway seeds, mixed with crushed garlic plus some salt and paprica, to rub into the meat. Not a bad idea.

The recipe called for half a bottle of beer; I did not waste the other half! 

[Brünnhilde forever]

Oh? You didn't like last Sunday's Beer Pork Roast? How about today's meal:

Boiled beef with horseradish sauce from Seattle's Public Market, creamed Kohlrabi and mashed potatoes? The Snoqualmie Merlot went nice with it!

Does it look kind of bland? Just wait until the horseradish blows out your sinus! 

[Brünnhilde forever]

P.S.: I didn't even eat half of this mound of mashed potatoes. The leftover I will use to create another one of my innovative potato soups. Maybe a few shreds of the leftover beef, a generous dollop of the horseradish, all in my own soup stock and then make some croutons, roasted in garlic-flavoured olive oil to top the soup! 

[Lethevich]

Oh? You didn't like last Sunday's Beer Pork Roast?

I thought that it looked really nice, but there wasn't much to say other than that

[Brünnhilde forever]

Rob will have to come up with a program for this subject to let everybody smell and even taste the presentation. A sip or two of the beverage consumed might prove helpful! 

[Brian]

A pasta I invented using things that were in the fridge. Angel hair pasta with a creamy pesto sauce, and there are onions, sun-dried tomatoes, and slices of turkey sausage mixed in. It's excellent! 

[Dundonnell]

A pasta I invented using things that were in the fridge. Angel hair pasta with a creamy pesto sauce, and there are onions, sun-dried tomatoes, and slices of turkey sausage mixed in. It's excellent! 

"onions"

Runs away

(Yeh, I know that we have had this discussion before _

[SonicMan46]

Lis - you've owned this thread recently!    Looks like some good 'eats' comin' from your kitchen -  

For myself, just returned from a long weekend trip to Wrightsville Beach near Wilmington, NC - the weather was just wonderful this time of the year (in the 70s & sunny for 3 days!) - had an ocean front suite (bargain at the moment) - went to bed & woke up listening to the waves!

First night we ate at the Port Land Grille - started out 'sharing' a CRABMEAT & POACHED SHRIMP (N.C.) SALAD over hydroponic living lettuce, with toasted pinenuts, hearts of palm, caramelized onions,red grapes and a Green Goddess, champagne mustard, creme fraiche dressing & a BIG BOWL OF PORTUGUESE STYLE MUSSELS with grilled spicy sausage, tomatoes, sweet peppers, basil, roasted garlic, saffron & toasted orzo; my main course was Alaskan HALIBUT prepared in their Hong Kong Style (i.e. with peanut sticky rice, green onions, fresh basil, sauteed baby bok choy, sesame spinach, sauteed shiitake mushrooms with edamame and a sweet potato, coconut, peanut, green curry paste sauce) - shared a wonderful pumpkin dessert.  Great place to go for an 'appetizer' dinner, also - check out the menus if you plan a visit!

Second night, dined at the Brasserie du Soleil and decided not to have a main course; instead started w/ a dozen oysters (3 different types) on the half shell & lumped crabmeat on light salad greens - just superb & fresh!  Then decided to share a bunch of appetizers - yellowfin tuna tartare, salmon crepes, & crispy calamari - followed by a shared dessert!  

On our last night, we decided to return to the Brasseire du Soleil for the same experience - starters were identical to the above (boy, hard to beat great oysters & lumped crab!) - our bunch of appetizers this time included: Maine lobster bisque, country pate, & mussels (white wine/shallot sauce) - for me a couple of glasses of white wine w/ each meal!

If you're on the Carolina coast, Wilmington is a great place to visit - plenty to do & many other excellent restaurants -  

[Brünnhilde forever]

I always love reading about your adventures in various restaurants, giving me ideas of what to cook when I open my fridge, survey the array of leftovers and recall a dish you enjoyed prepared by a professional. Very inspirational!

I don't recall where you dined, but you once mentioned the generous use of nutmeg, a spice I had almost forgotten. My Kohlrabi today had just the right ooomph, relieving it of it's usual blandness, with a very generous use of my brand new nutmeg grinder! 

[SonicMan46]

.....
I don't recall where you dined, but you once mentioned the generous use of nutmeg, a spice I had almost forgotten. My Kohlrabi today had just the right ooomph, relieving it of it's usual blandness, with a very generous use of my brand new nutmeg grinder! 

Lis - we really loved those dinners @ the beach! 

Not sure about the 'nutmeg' reference above (if it was me or someone else? Would need to do a search of the entire thread) - but I do like nutmeg - an interesting spice that just a small amount can be used in a main course or even in a dessert - let us know 'what' you've done w/ this delightful substance - 

Just another comment concerning my love for venison (remember M & the 'Bambi' reference?) - on my return from the Atlantic Coast to Piedmont, North Carolina, just a 4-hour drive on I-40, there are many 'deer' warnings on the road; I must have counted at least a half dozen killed deer (on a major road, even a couple in the Raleight-Durham stretch!) - deer have over-populated in North Carolina (and of course other states) - hunting season has been extended - but, more for me to eat, I guess! 

Cheers - Dave (P.S. had venison last night at our local mountain bistro) -