What are you eating?

[Bogey]

I got up in the middle of the night (due to my famously disrupted sleep cycles ), and remembered I had the salmon in the fridge.

And vegetables.

So I whipped this up, which was a brilliant idea as a recipe for early-morning lunch (TM); but I still can't get used to that gas hob!

The day I will finally effect the production of truly moderate temperature on that thing is the day my salmon will be fully properly cooked. As it is, most of it was, but the temperature created a medium-rare-ish result in parts of the meat, that was not desired.


(Note that I also had the presence of mind of taking a picture, for once, towards this thread's dubious benefit of my partly-successful salmon. )

Directions on "whipping it up" please.  I have a piece of salmon in the fridge that is in need of preparation. 

[jlaurson]

1.) but I still can't get used to that gas hob!

2.)  the temperature created a medium-rare-ish result in parts of the meat, that was not desired.

0.) Good lookin' salmon, I'd say.

1.) "Gas hob" -- are you saying that you are having trouble adjusting from an electric to a gas stove? That's hard to believe. Gas is the only way to cook properly... the only way to have full control over what one is doing. I hate, hate, hate, hate electric ovens (in Germany, they are the rule, rather than the exceptions and people are still proud of their shitty ceramic glass cooktops. It's like iron needle crank-up gramophone vs. ELP laser record player.

2.) Pray tell, how should the salmon have been, if not medium-rareish? Isn't that perfect? Or is that already too done for you. (Salmon well done seems a pointless venture... might as well open a can of "tuna".) Speaking of which: I'll try to repeat my Tuna-Salmon Tartar this weekend (see some posts back)... only this time not for myself, alone, but to share (and impress). 

In the late morning of the day dedicated to cooking there shall be Topfen-Nockerl (or, perhaps more likely because easier: Kaiserschmarrn.)

Meanwhile I'll start the vegetable soup stock (including Thai pepper leaves) which will be the base for a yet-to-be-defined soup... probably pear & chestnut with rosemary.

Tatar will be the secret highlight... followed by a small Thai-esque pasta with grilled lemon grass, shrimp, coconut milk and the like.

[karlhenning]

Buckwheat and fresh shredded cabbage.

[Dr. Dread]

So far...

Raspberries

Pineapple

Cream of Wheat

[Kullervo]

[Dr. Dread]

Nice lunch.

[toledobass]

the Mrs. is making up some meatball subs with cheese for us.  I think she's making salads too.

Allan

[DavidRoss]

I'll be heading out of town soon and plan to stop by my favorite take out joint for some carne asada tacos en route.

[toledobass]

pick up a few lengua for me....

Allan

[bhodges]

Had a nice lunch at Craftbar, where I'd never been, with a friend who works near the restaurant.  Had a fantastic soup with fennel, piquillo pepper and poached shrimp, and a sandwich with spiced chicken, mozzarella, black olives, cucumber and mint.  Also a glass of Pinot Blanc (Julien Meyer, 2007).  Delicious and reasonable.

http://www.craftrestaurant.com/craftbar.html

--Bruce

[SonicMan46]

And just last year it was the miracle grain     

Orbital - LOL    - yes, Jens comment about this grain being poisonous was somewhat of a 'shocker' to me as a new discover of this product! 

I knew about the issues he discussed, and the fact that this is mainly a carb product (but of course many others in this category are also) - but clarification is certainly needed, esp. for others stimulated to try quinoa - and possibly some references/links to its potential benefits & dangers - I'd like to know myself - 

We are using a product made by 'Ancient Harvest' (shown below) - the quinoa is pre-washed (presumably removing the 'saponines' discussed - now as to the nutritional facts; a 'serving' defined as 1/4 cup dry is 172 calories (25 from fat, not saturated & no trans; 4% daily value, i.e. DV), 0% cholesterol/sodium, 10% carbs, and 13% dietary fiber + protein, 6 Gm; well, I've not compared these figures to other 'similar' products (i.e. rice, potatoes, etc.) but does not look too bad & like the fiber content!

Bottom line - hope that others will read & reply; I think this product judiciously incorporated into a recipe is likely fine - 

[orbital]

We are using a product made by 'Ancient Harvest' (shown below) - the quinoa is pre-washed (presumably removing the 'saponines' discussed - now as to the nutritional facts; a 'serving' defined as 1/4 cup dry is 172 calories (25 from fat, not saturated & no trans; 4% daily value, i.e. DV), 0% cholesterol/sodium, 10% carbs, and 13% dietary fiber + protein, 6 Gm; well, I've not compared these figures to other 'similar' products (i.e. rice, potatoes, etc.) but does not look too bad & like the fiber content!

Bottom line - hope that others will read & reply; I think this product judiciously incorporated into a recipe is likely fine - 

That's the same brand I used to get from Whole Foods. A few sources (I cannot vouch for their validity though) I've read yesterday and today generally say the risk of consuming saponin is minimal, even negligable unless the grain is consumed along with its leaves.
I was turned on to Quinoa because of its high protein content (as I am a vegeterian). Alas, I have not eaten it frequently enough to see any health benefits (or declines  )

For a fun introduction to Quinoa, there is a video of David Lynch preparing a quinoa dish for himself. I think it was in the bonus sections of his Short Films DVD

[Kullervo]

Hehe, I watched that. It was one of the bonus videos on the second disc of Inland Empire. I hadn't even seen quinoa until I watched that.

[DavidRoss]

pick up a few lengua for me....

You want some menudo to go with that?  Must be tough to get decent antojitos in Cleveland.  Here in the Sacramento Valley we might not have anything quite as cool as Mr. Preucil's band, but at least we have an abundance of good taquerías! 

[toledobass]

I would love a bowl of menudo, some fresh tortillas and a bowl of fresh radishes.....arggg.  my mouth is watering.  There are a few decent mexican restaurants that will fix the craving. On my last trip driving from SF to LA the Mrs. and I made a detour through Santa Cruz just to stop at our favorite taqueria we frequented while we lived there.  I miss those places.  I hear Sac also has some great Vietnamese food.

Allan   

[karlhenning]

Mmm . . . radishes!

[aquablob]

Just had a pear. My favorite fruit!

[Renfield]

Directions on "whipping it up" please.  I have a piece of salmon in the fridge that is in need of preparation. 

Bah. I never spot/respond to these questions in time, do I?

If your salmon is still holding up, Bill, and you want to make what's in that picture, I'm happy to announce it's a very, very simple process - which is why I picked it as something to "whip up" in the middle of the night, on an empty stomach.


Mainly, you chop up a few of your favourite fresh, crisp-tasting vegetables: in this case lettuce, carrot and the heart from a cabbage. Then take a frying pan, preferably somewhat deep, heat up a small amount of your favourite oil, preferably of delicate taste (Greek olive oil being my preference, unsuprisingly), and stir fry the lot to bring up their taste and natural aroma. Then serve the vegetables on a wide dish, carefully wipe the pan clean, apply some oil again, and toss in the salmon. (The fish should be in fillets - if not, fillet it first!)

Unless you like it medium-rare (which I don't, in sharp contrast to beef or pork), it is within your interests to keep the cooking temperature at moderate levels; and you should, of course, either way make sure to not let either of the sides cook for more than the other.

In general, especially if you're doing it with an open-top pan as I did in this case, you should constantly (but carefully) "control" the fillets as they cook. When you feel that the meat is done enough - it should look like in my photo - and soft enough inside for your preferences (though mind not to let it get overdone, or see Jens' tuna remark below), you serve the fillets on top of the vegetables.

This should get you what's pictured above.


(One thing to note is that I didn't add salt, as salmon is already a rather 'salty' fish, and I also wanted to keep the result relatively light.)

[Renfield]

1.) "Gas hob" -- are you saying that you are having trouble adjusting from an electric to a gas stove? That's hard to believe. Gas is the only way to cook properly... the only way to have full control over what one is doing. I hate, hate, hate, hate electric ovens (in Germany, they are the rule, rather than the exceptions and people are still proud of their shitty ceramic glass cooktops. It's like iron needle crank-up gramophone vs. ELP laser record player.

2.) Pray tell, how should the salmon have been, if not medium-rareish? Isn't that perfect? Or is that already too done for you. (Salmon well done seems a pointless venture... might as well open a can of "tuna".) Speaking of which: I'll try to repeat my Tuna-Salmon Tartar this weekend (see some posts back)... only this time not for myself, alone, but to share (and impress). 

I am indeed. I agree about gas being better, but that still does not mean it doesn't take adjusting to. Previously, I had to cook like conducting a Bruckner adagio, whereas now it's closer to allegro con brio! Don't get me wrong, I love this, but the temperature you can achieve in minimum time is still something I'm not used to; hence the salmon being cooked quicker than I'd hoped, and therefore less than ideally evenly.


Re medium-rare-ish for salmon, I'm not saying I like salmon so well-done that it snaps when you bite it (), but my ideal is at a point where the meat can "melt" - also where it's at its most succulent. That's the same criterion I have for beef and pork (as I mention above), where I indeed have my meat 'medium' at the least, for that reason - and 'medium-rare' when I can trust the person cooking!

I just think it works differently for fish; or rather, I feel differently about how that succulence is best achieved, for fish.

[Brünnhilde forever]

Mmm . . . radishes!

Is that the radish you were dreaming about?