text:
Google promises 10Gps fiber network to blast 4K into living rooms
Google Fiber is the fastest broadband internet provider in the US, but according to the Chocolate Factory's CFO Patrick Pichette, its 1Gbps connection speeds are going to increase ten-fold. Pichette told the Goldman Sachs Technology and Internet conference that the firm is actively developing the equipment to pump 10Gbps of data …
Four days ago, you published an article on Netflix's speed report in which Google fiber managed an average of 3.78Mbps download. My ADSL gets twice that speed, but is over Ten Times slower than Google fiber. They need to sort out their existing service before touting more rollox. The US consumer is being pumelled where it hurts in a severe manner, have they been completely brainwashed by the Stalin style capitajism in the land of th free?
Re: Carp
I wonder what the ratio of users who use free Google Fiber at 5Mbps is to those who use the $70/month 1Gbps service. That may have something to do with the Netflix results, but I'm entirely speculating.
Re: Carp
It also showed Google Fiber as the fastest network. Isn't it possible that the speed you refer to represents the maximum bandwidth for a mix of HD and SD broadcasts from Netflix?
They are, after all, a streaming service, not a download service. As such, they have nothing to gain from letting users download much faster than the program they are watching's maximum bit rate. Otherwise, when a viewer stops watching half way through a program, the bandwidth used was wasted.
The results at Speedtest.net suggest Google Fiber delivers a lot more than the Netflix survey suggests:
Re: Carp
If I watch Netflix on my Wii on Google Fiber, it too will show slow speeds. Stream speed != Internet speed.
Something we can look forward to
Something we can look forward to here in the UK in say 200 years from now.
Re: Carp
'Getting faster broadband into people's homes and businesses was vital to Google's own business, Pichette said. The more people used the internet, the better'
Ok but I have broadband, I have internet, it's there when I want it.
However this, 'Speed-Business-Productivity-Necessary for Business' equation is pure fallacy.
What is more important is getting everyone connected with a good and reasonable connection rather than claiming supersonic speeds are a must.
No one can read or type faster than a blink of an eye, so why don't they manage speeds to suit human beings. And as for 4K where is the market?
Re: Carp
3.78 is just the average speed of actual streaming to Google Fiber users - obviously, Netflix won't have any content encoded to stream at 50 Mbps (full BluRay rate!) or anywhere close - probably some new HD/ultra-HD stuff at up to 10, plus a load of SD at nearer 1.
10 Gbps is just a pointless bragging exercise though: can you actually download *anything* at that rate, even from Google's own servers let alone anything the far side of a peering point? Can your computer handle that bitrate, given that most only have gigabit Ethernet cards?
Dialup to 512k cable modem was a huge step for me. That to 20 Mbps ADSL was an improvement; 100 Mbps would be a bit better still - but 10G? I'd never fill 1G anyway, even with 4K streams (BluRay peaks somewhere under 50 Mbps; even several 4K streams at once won't be 200 times that bitrate!)
Now, if I could just get a decent 100 Mbps connection - with fast upload, static IP, no "no servers/torrents/blah" rule, I'd be happy. Even faster would be nice, for the right price, but not a big deal.
Re: Carp
It's all about reliability. Ten times the speed means many more ways to repair a missing byte. No need to resort to buffering (hold all the pixels) or changing to big pixels.
During a video conference, even a few big pixels can disrupt the confidence in reading bluffs by salesmen, field reps, etc. When each frame is magazine quality, suspicious body language can be picked apart in slow motion. Practiced liars will complain that their right to lie has been taken from them. So What!
Re: Carp
I am a little confused by your response... I was there with you until you made the comment about reading speed and then discounting the benefits of higher speed due to 4k market.
First of all, at 270mb/s SD looks absolutely frigging awesome. Raw SDI signaling of SD video is truly amazing. I used to work a lot with film masters and often watched in original quality and it was insanely better. Higher frame rate is better. I recently saw raw 4K footage (which is heavily compressed since no one records at 12Gb/s) and raw 2k footage, both on 65" screens capable of 4k from 2 meters. Guess what? No difference.... Well until I looked at test signals which showed line art and hatch patterns.
4k is just not interesting outside of movie theaters.
So... 10Gb/s business case. To start with... Because we want to know if we can. For the moment, 4k is the only use case. At the rate which technology is evolving and the world is using it, real-time broadcast becomes less interesting except for sports and emergency information. So, we don't even need 10Gb/s for video.
Where can we use it?
- Offsite hard drive storage
Not so interesting since Google is also building Chrome which idealistically would run the app in the cloud too, so you only need bandwidth for remote desktop type of transfers.
- Remote gaming
Because running high frame rate games remotely is laggy, so eliminating latency issues with brute force instead of QoS makes sense. After all, QoS only works if you extend the trust boundary to the client which would be a nightmare.
- Video conferencing
Works pretty good at 384kbs in most cases, 9mbit for awesome quality, so even DSL should be fine. Most issues now are at the endpoint, not the network.
Honestly, I have no idea what the business case for 10Gb/s are. I personally don't notice the difference between when I'm on 1gbit at home or at a customer who has 40Gb/s access. The issue tends to be that the servers I connect to aren't fast enough to handle the load.
P.S. Downloading a film on iTunes from a PC with a 10Gbit NIC and a 40Gbit Internet connection rarely gives me more than 3Mbit rates.
Re: Carp
If you're a business with perhaps 10 - 100 machines connected to your cloud facilities via 10Gb/s with VOIP, teleconferencing, online training, storage, backups all going via your Google Fibre connection then I'm sure Google can see the symbiotic (some would say parasitic) relationship as advantageous to both Google and the business using their services.
Re: Something we can look forward to
200 years? THAT soon?
Re: Carp
"If you're a business with perhaps 10 - 100 machines connected to your cloud facilities via 10Gb/s with VOIP, teleconferencing, online training, storage, backups all going via your Google Fibre connection"
Then you're screwed... If everyone is VOIPing, teleconferencing, doing online training, ... who's left to actually do any work and pay the bills?
There are very few companies out there that can use 10Gbps. They'd almost all be on the server side of the cloud rather than the client side.
ie, the people sroring data onto the cloud only need 100Mbps or so, those serving the remote drives to thousands of customers will need 10Gbps... but those can be located in serverville, no need to have 10Gbps into every house.
Re: Carp
That's the speed Google connects to Netflix, if all you need to stream HD is 3.78 Mbps then that's all it will record needing. Netflix doesn't do network speed test to max our users internet for obvious reasons.
Re: Carp @James
Whilst I don't disagree with your statement, I feel I must point out that as more people use things like Netflix et. al. this will result in more than one streamed feed into a household.
If the ultimate goal is to get TV services off of satellite and dedicated cable, then your average house may end up with three of four streamed services happening at the same time.
I somewhat hesitate to bring up my own household, because it is currently atypical (7 adults in the same house, all with their own media consumption devices), but even now, I can have a Sky download, a Netflix session, iPlayer/4oD/ITVPlayer/5 On demand sessions on connected BluRay devices or game consoles, and a NowTV session running live sport running similtaneously, together with gaming and YouTube. So you are not considering ~4Mb/s, it is multiples of this, and will become more if 4K TV over the Internet happens.
And I believe over time that other households will grow to resemble mine more.
Your point about 1Gb/s Ethernet cards is valid, but if the access box has 4 Ethernet ports, it could handle 4x1Gb/s. You are just thinking too small!
I would love to live in an area where I can get in excess of 10Mb/s. My exchange is not even on the list to be upgraded to fibre, and there is no cable TV provision either. It's just plain old ADSL 2+ annex M for me which has only ever delivered a maximum of 12Mb/s, and since a micro-filter failure is only showing a connected speed of 9782 Kb/s. As a result, when the scenario I paint above happens, I get some real arguments about who is hogging the bandwidth. Fortunately, my Smoothwall firewall tells me!
What's the point?
Name ONE THING you can do with 10Gbit that you can't do with 1Gbit. One thing that doesn't involve torrents, or dreamland technology like a personal holodeck served via the cloud.
For that matter, it is hard to see many things you need much more than 100Mbit for. I'm not saying "nobody will ever need more than a gigabit", but until we start doing something useful with hundreds of megabits it seems rather silly to worry about going from a gigabit to 10 gigabits. Especially when the userbase is measured in tens of thousands of customers, rather than the millions of us who live in the real world and won't see Google Fiber until 2040 at the rate they're moving. At this point, it seems more of a publicity stunt than anything else.
I'm sure large businesses would love to locate in areas where they're provided 10 Gbits, but I have a feeling the price for it will be a couple orders of magnitude higher for a business user, because there's a chance they might actually USE most of that 10 gigabit link and if customers actually use it Google can't provide it for anywhere near the prices they're charging.
Re: What's the point?
56k -> 2Mbps is a worthwhile step, so is 1->10Mbps. But 10Gbps??? WTF for?
As a kernel developer form way back (2001 or so), I started out with 56k dial up (all that was available). Start a download, go mow the lawn (half an acre with a push mover) and when that was finished the download was close. So when I got the option of 2Mbps I jumped at it.
But once you can download a movie faster than it takes to make the popcorn (100Mbps or so), there's very little advantage in a x10, x100 or x1000 speed up.
Re: What's the point?
Well what's relevant today is the uplink speed. And that's the current bottleneck. And there the difference between 1 and 20 MBit is still huge. With 1 MBit you can barely stream SD, with 20 MBit you can stream decent HDTV. Particularly with fast mobile networks getting affordable, having access to your local media is a big deal.
There is a second point. We now still have companies like Google who have the money to invest in the research needed for the next decades. Who knows how long we can still do that kind of research.
We also need to invest in the infrastructure. Our current last mile is still based on copper, a technology which became outdated in the mid 1970s. We desperately need to start a programe replacing it with a dedicated pair of fibres into every home.
Re: What's the point?
'Name ONE THING you can do with 10Gbit that you can't do with 1Gbit. '
Stream 10x as much 4K multi angle 3D porn.
Re: What's the point?
> it is hard to see many things you need much more than 100Mbit for.
Reliable 100MBit is sufficient for me to watch netflix in HD while my girlfriend surfs and watches youtube on the same connection. 100Mbit means a raw download speed of 10 megabyte/second, sufficient to download a triple-A game on Steam in less than 5 minutes, so... yeah, I don't know anything I'd really need 1Gbit or higher for.
100 mbit is fast enough that most problems are due to server or network issues (e.g. Google's horrid youtube cache servers), not that I've maxed the connection.
Maintaining network neutrality is IMO far more important than bandwidths higher than 100mbit.
@Christian Berger
I agree that the uplink speed is a problem in asymmetric situations like typical DSL and cable modems. But Google fiber was already 1Gbit symmetric, so that argument doesn't apply here.
Re: What's the point?
One thing you can do is host a huge datacenter with enormous capacity in your basement. Of course the TOS prevents you from hosting even a simple streaming server for personal use, so it is f*ing useless and is plainly a marketing stunt.
Re: What's the point?
> "Name ONE THING you can do with 10Gbit that you can't do with 1Gbit. One thing that doesn't involve torrents, or dreamland technology like a personal holodeck served via the cloud."
Run a large site (when large is >1000 users) without ever having network problems related to bandwidth.
For home users, your absolutely right; it's pointless.
Re: What's the point?
On a single fiber you can have 300Mbps down and 300Mbps up. The last test I did I received 315Mbps down and 270Mbps up. Later this year the service gets upgraded to 1Gbps in each direction and once again, it is just a single fiber, not a pair. How does a single fiber work? One wavelength down and a different one for up.
As for the outdated copper. Many houses are not setup with good copper inside the house and the owner is responsible for that. On the telco side, to replace all that copper will cost a lot of money and require equipment on a curb somewhere. No one wants to pay for the copper replacement nor have a box near them.
Re: What's the point?
How is fiber to the home a solution for bad copper INSIDE the home? If you're drilling a hole in the house to run fiber inside it, it is easier and cheaper to run a cat5e/6a cable through that hole.
If I could visit my house in 50 years, I am sure its occupant will have faster internet than the 25M/5M VDSL2 I have, but I wouldn't be at all surprised if they are still using copper. They'll probably have replaced the thin RJ11 satin cable I ran from the telco service entrance of my house to where my DSL modem is located with something newer by then, I imagine :)
This is showboating, pure and simple. As a few others have said, the extra bandwidth is no use at the moment. I'm lucky enough to have FTTP 330/30mb in my house, we're reasonably heavy network users and my peak average over an hour is 60mb. Working for the ISP that provides the connection I know I'm not shaped and the bandwidth is there whenever I want it, I just can't use it!
PS, due to the delights of fibre and light, you only need a single fibre in each house, not a pair...
Re: Showboating
> This is showboating, pure and simple.
No, it is competition and putting some pressure on the ISP monopolies.
Re: Showboating
I don't see anyone under pressure? If Google were to invent some technology that could get 10Gb at an affordable price to millions without spending billions in cash first then there would be pressure.
Google aren't doing anything clever, certainly nothing that any other ISP or telco couldn't do. They don't have the cash to fibre the world, so they'll do a city or two and will pretend they're a big connectivity player to further their cause. Showboating.
Re: Showboating
==> PS, due to the delights of fibre and light, you only need a single fibre in each house, not a pair.
Telco's are as tight as a duck's ar*e but even they run two fibres in - in case of failure. Maybe not BT, but whoever claimed they even think ahead?
They'll even install a camera so you can wave to the NSA guys.
I think this is the media companies answer (well, part of it) to the piracy problem ... give people fat pipes, and let them stream hi-res movies and sports. This costs money from the supplier side, and the download sites will not be able to compete.
Yes I know there are holes in this argument and other ideas are welcome :-)
10Gb Ethernet Kit
Is eye wateringly expensive
It's not the hardware cost
Broadband needs to be revised. Planning, changing out a bunch of boxes and confirming that they all work costs maybe 10x more than the difference between a 10G-box and a 1G-box. If Google can make any home-office into a real office,why wouldn't it. If ISPs, telcos and cablecos want to provide more value at the same price, why wouldn't they?
I wish the Googleian overlords would hit up my city I'm paying $70 a month for 3Mbs...
Hell their FREE speeds is faster then I get at $70 a month from comcast... And yes I know Google is evil, but are they more evil then comcast, or AT&T(where I was paying a year and a half ago $80 a month for heavily capped 1Mbs...)?
Laugh no more telco
Google is out to take all the valued customers. For about the cost of buying a better thermostat maker, Next, Google could wire big city condos and suburban homes where professionals live. Cities full of less valuable business are free to ban better internet and protect ISP incumbents.
"Getting faster broadband into people's homes and businesses was vital to Google's own business, Pichette said. The more people used the internet, the better it is for Google, and he opined that cloud services would become much more popular if bandwidth lag were eliminated."
yes, so google can know everything that you do...
Maxing It Out: It's what we do
The available bandwidth will always be utilized to the full. Our uses expand to fill the available capabilities.
When dial-up was used, you did what could be done on dial-up.
When you moved to 2M bit broadband your usage changed to fill that available capacity.
If you have a 100M bit connection, your usage will fill that capability. Currently, people can think of what will fill that capacity. Think back to when you had dial-up, did you truly believe that you would be able to max out a 2M bit or 5M bit connection?
When 1G bit or 10G bit become available, your usage will fill that available capacity, perhaps with streaming content or immersive 3D words, or something entirely new, that is not possible without the huge available transfer rates.
Meanwhile, in Australia...
...we're being told by the f***wits in power that 25 mbit is "all we'll ever need", which is why they want to piss away billions on FTTN under the pretense of saving money that was being "wasted" on FTTH.
Re: Meanwhile, in Australia...
For most people 25Mbps is actually an improvement compared with the idiots who preceded them. How a government could possibly attempt to build a FTTP network and at the same time plan for 50% of connections to be 12Mbps and in 2028 hope that 1Gbps connections would be approaching 5%.
For those who can justify faster speeds, fibre on demand will be available and that should be significantly cheaper than Labor's 1Gbps plans.
The reality is our best hope in Australia would be for the government to get out of the way and invite Google to build the network.
...the current government basically went to the polls telling porkies by promising a minimum of 25 mbit via FTTN - as far as I know, not a single ISP on the planet makes such guarantees for FTTN. Furthermore, the projections NBNCo made in regards to service uptake were exactly that - projections, and early uptake figures demonstrated that their estimates were quite conservative.
And before you go around calling the previous government idiots, there are buffoons among the current mob who are claiming that fibre has been superseded by copper! I'll just let that sink in...
I could not saturate 1Gbps
Well, I could, but I have no reason to. If I could get this at a decent price I would take it though. I would find something useful to do with it. I don't think people would have a lot to use it for now, but the few who do, why not?
By the way, 4k resolution VP9 encoded video is only 15Mbps for Netflix. Presumably you could easily do 50 of those at a time on gigabit without too much trouble.
I think this is more Google shoving the cable companies' "people don't need gigabit" back at them.
Lead hat.
Google as an ISP? Doesn't that mean TOR-only connection for people who have a slight idea of what privacy is? All that's left is Google becoming a cellphone network operator (whatever you call them) and the company that "safeguards" our medical and bank records.
It's a good thing
I dislike Google's business model for various reasons, but telecoms providers are one of the worst type of corporations on the face of this planet.
They "invest" in a bunch of lines, then are content to sit on them and charge extortionate fees (as much as they can get away with) to "connect" you to the world, always attempting to create a monopoly. They don't continue their investment into their infrastructures if they can help it, they don't play well with others, forming alliances to protect regional "turfs" and only tries to find ways to extort more from the consumers.
Now I know, almost every corporation does that sort of thing, but the thing is, having a "tech" company like Google getting into the mix sort of encourages the advancement of communications infrastructures, and I hope other "tech" companies would get into it and bring in that technology company mentality to continue R&D and improvments on the infrastructure.
Facebook etc who is trying to encourage more of the world to get on the internet really first needs to break the regional deadlocks which is the cost and quality of connectivity around the globe.
How many home users will have the hardware to actually make use of 1Gps let alone 10? Beside having a fast enough network card there are other bottlenecks such as hard disk write speeds. 20 machines at full throttle may be able to make use of such speed or specialised hardware which all point to this only being of use to business properties at this moment in time.
Getting homes fibre connected so that any speed can be offered to them in the future is not to be sniffed at though. Personally I think most home users do not need faster than a 30Mbit connection at the moment but I would jump all over a 1Gb/s connection if it became available. A want, rather than a need.
You will understand, soon enough.
Humans are a strange species but offer some interesting non-logical thinking of value to the collective. Once a being approaches immortality their respect for efficiency can wane, you humans have such fleeting spans your immediacy and constant evolution can resolve issues that affect other terrestrials and transitory lifeforms.
One drawback is the maintenance of your current bodies, these are seen as archaic and an impediment to flexibility.
Once sufficiently embraced by his Googly appendages you will become greater than the sum of your parts.
And yes as will all things, there are two sides, look now upon the flying spaghetti monster and do you not also see his nemesis the antipasta!
The choice is yours bandwidth now or empty promises.
Make the connection!
(and mention my user name when you do, I get a small commission)
America is a technological disgrace (but good at PR bullsh*t)
First in colo(u)r TV, first in cell service, first with TouchTone dialling, first with the atomic bomb, first with stealth, etc BUT LAST IN INTERNET.
There are MANY places in the US which don't, even today, have wire telephone service STILL.
Of course being first doesn't mean you have the best - look at NTSC (Never The Same Colour) TV. GSM has always been technologically advanced (except for disabling encryption).
They can't blame bodies/square mile for poor service, Canada has areas with even lower body counts yet they have wired InterNet. Look at China - they have way more Fibre Optic than the USA.
Of course, developing/Third World countries have an advantage - we get the technology later but it is better. Korea has the best InterNet - it is simply eye-popping to see how fast new pages load. Japan has always been leading edge in equipment - they have bump-and-pay or dial-and-pay for years. My 'summer' cottage, way out in the boon-docks (sticks) in VietNam has 20Mbyte fibre optic service (to the pole-mounted DSLAM). We even had dial-up digital InterNet - digital into the house, that is, on every telephone drop in the country (It is removed when Fibre arrives).
Google is showing IT CAN BE DONE. When the rich, monopolistic AT&T gets competition it can move fast - even back in the day, it could move fast. When it wanted to. (TouchTone was promoted as it increased dialling speeds)
So now Google has proven it can be done, let all the cable and telco monopolies extract their collective digits and get with the times.
640k ought to be enough
This program won't be here past the end of the millennium so let's save a few bits on the date.
In the future there may be a telephone in *every* city.
If you build it they will come.
Google Fiber? On a cold day in hell...
Thanks to the fact that Google effectively owns all major websites via it's puppet industry (SEO), it's already hard enough to do anything on the internet without them tracking and profiling me in some way. Putting a data line into my house that they control so that every single bit that flows in or out of my systems can be tracked, monitored, profiled and sold to the highest bidder? That's just crazy.
No doubt Google will find some way to offer this for free once it goes wide-scale, thus tempting the uneducated masses, just as they have done for Gmail, Youtube, etc.
Not in my house. Not on my watch.
Better Make Asia Internet Faster
I hope Google also looking at More Bigger opportunity: to make Asia Internet Faster. By Making 100Gbps or 1Tbps World Network across Continent. Not all Internet User are from US. But also from Asia (now Asia is growing very fast (China, India and Indonesia) This is big opportunity
Google's position on net neutrality, with a contract that doesn't even allow me to enable a web server on my client PC, and serve personal web pages, profitless, from it on google's network, is appalling. Google, like the rest of the ISP oligarchs (there used to be 6,500 Internet Service Providers in the US, there are now, 10?) is trying to make us into passive consumers of content, not content providers. Sergey - first, do no evil.
Tell me then about your wife.
What wife?
How beautiful she was, how tender and how true. Tell me with what speed she swung in the air, with what velocity she came off the wicket, whether she was responsive to finger spin, whether you could bowl a shooter with her, or an offbreak with a legbreak action. In other words, did she google?
Harold Pinter, No Man's Land, a Play by Harold Pinter, New York, Grove Press, Inc. 1975 p.32 [copyright 1975 by H. Pinter Limited]
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text:
What new food(s) have you tried recently and how was it?
- Jpan99 Jul 24, 2013 09:27 AM
Just in the past week or so:
papaya - hated it
champagne mango - loved it
Apple Cinnamon Cheerios - loved it
Ritter Sport, milk chocolate with butter biscuit - loved it
Hmm, recent road trip foods...
Pork tenderloin in Missouri, loved it
hot beef sandwich in somewheresville, IL - meh.
Chicago style pizza (Giordanno's in Great Lakes, IL) - tasty but I lived in CT/NY for years, so..
Strawberry pie (highly recc'd pie shop in Rolla, MO - GAH, don't want ever again. Didn't realize it was (huge, deliciously fresh) berries smothered in pink goo.
re: pinehurst
Oh yes! I had a cone with Earl Grey ice cream and Ginger Snap ice cream in Berkeley, CA last year. It was truly outstanding and I've been searching for it (in vain) ever since. I love Earl Grey tea with those thin Swedish ginger snaps, so this experience was, like, X100.
re: flavrmeistr
Please, may I have the name of the shop? I'll be in that area on Tuesday doing my own ice cream crawl.
re: SoCalVal
I can't remember the name, but it's on Telegraph near Thrasher.
re: flavrmeistr
Ici has that flavor but is not on Telegraph.
re: grayelf
That could be it. It was only a few blocks from my sister's house near Shattuck and Poirier. Anyhow, that is some good stuff.
Just tried filet of beef tartare, which is something I would normally not even taste, and ended up loving it. It was excellently prepared and excellent quality ingredients, and I can't wait to try it again.
Also tried pork cracklin's, which were terrible, but I'm southern and don't believe this decidedly non-southern restaurant knew quite what they were shooting for. Maybe I'm wrong here, but I assumed they'd be a little chewy with a rich bacony/porky flavor, but instead I could only describe them as "ham biscotti". Crunchy, flavorless, yuck.
re: NonnieMuss
As an Ohioan raised by an Appalachian woman, I can vouch that you didn't get the real deal with the cracklin's.
In the past 2 months:
Rhubarb pie - no thanks
Strawberry-rhubarb pie - not bad
Sour cherry pie - now we're talking
Nashville hot chicken - sweet, spicy, delicious
Okra chips - my new favorite snack
Ostrich tartare w/white chocolate mustard - surprisingly good
re: JungMann
I have never heard of hot chicken. Looked it up, and now I want to drive up to get some. Sounds wonderful.
Beef Tongue - I liked it!
The new Brown Rice Triscuits, Salt and Black Pepper flavor - too spicy, didn't like
Bolthouse Miso GInger Vinaigrette Dressing - very good
I'm on a summer steak cut tour -
Hanger - love it
Skirt - great
Flap meat - love it
Flat iron - great
Garlic scapes - hated it
re: kitchengardengal
They're pink because of the addition of beets, which greatly enhance the pickled egg experience. Add crackers on the side and a Budweiser and you have the classic beer joint lunch.
re: kitchengardengal
easy to make with fresh beets & hardboiled eggs. allow at least 5 days in jar in frig
re: MjDematteis
I think I *would* like to make my own. Then I could control the rubberiness, perhaps.
re: kitchengardengal
They can stay in there for months and still be quite edible. It's amazing!
"Food Should Taste Good" (brand) Brown Rice Crackers. They were giving samples @ Costco and they are good. I bought them.
OTOH; Kale Chips and Toasted Nori samples did not inspire me to purchase, even though both tasted pretty good at the moment.
re: jbsiegel
Greek yogurt varies a LOT from brand to brand in texture and acidity. Fresh berries and a drizzle of honey will make you a believer :)
I can't think of one at the moment. I just wanted to hijack the thread, and insist that the OP needs to try the Ritter Sport Weisse Cocos bar, if you like white chocolate. It's the best bar that they make, hands down IMO.
re: DatatheAndroid
Thanks, not a fan of white chocolate and after checking the website it looks like that flavor is not even available in the states. Not on the North America website which lists 18 flavors but I do see it on the German site which lists 24 flavors so not everything is available here.
I would like to try the one with cornflakes but I haven't been able to find that one yet.
re: Jpan99
The cornflake one is my man's favorite. I grew up on Ritter Sport, but I'm not that crazy about it anymore.
re: linguafood
I can take or leave most Ritter Sport, but the Pfefferminze is REALLY good. Like the best Junior Mints ever, in bar form.
re: biondanonima
Yah, not a mint chocolate gal here, at all.
I used to love traube-nuss (nuts & raisins), marzipan, and nougat. It's all too sweet for my taste now.
re: linguafood
I found the cornflake one at Target. It's odd but I do like it! Very crunchy and very tasty!
re: linguafood
Tried it this week, but didn't love it - way too sweet for me. The chocolate/ cornflake combo is worth more consideration, though.
re: linguafood
I ate half a cornflake Ritter Sport today, following a Haagen Daz ice cream bar, a Boston Cream donut and a peanut butter cookie. That's what happens when I avoid chocolate and sweets for 7 weeks. Eventually I fall off the wagon.
re: Jpan99
FWIW I buy the cornflake one at Target often.
re: DatatheAndroid
Ritter Marzipan.....my boss is a total junkie and has sold me on them. It's easily my favorite chocolate bar of the moment.
re: cresyd
where can i find these delicious-sounding ritter cookies?
re: alkapal
re: juster
world market
re: DatatheAndroid
How can anything be better than the dark chocolate with hazelnuts??
re: foiegras
Any kind of chocolate with peanut butter!! :-)
I recently had the ingredients and time to make brawn (aka head cheese).
It was a bit of a drama to make, but the finished product was actually really pretty when sliced, and very tasty.
I think it's best eaten by people that didn't make it though, as it's a bit of a grisly, offputting job.
Made harira- Moroccan mutton and lentil soup. I thickened and soured it by adding sourdough starter. Really delicious.
re: pippimac
I assume you made it the original/traditional way with a pigs head?
I make brawn for my father and I cheat by using oxtail and pork butt. Lots easier and very tasty.
re: pippimac
We ate head cheese which my mom called "veal loaf" so we weren't skeered of it....
re: C. Hamster
there used to be an oscar mayer pre-sliced cold-cut that was some kind of "loaf"; i think it was basically a head cheese type of thing. was it "picnic loaf"? this was sold at least into the 80's.
re: alkapal
Pimento loaf?
re: alkapal
Souse loaf?
re: alkapal
re: Jeri L
that is IT!!!
does anyone make that anymore?
a really cool dish prepared with
green tea pasta with furikake,
local seaweed, miso egg and finger limes
I had never had green tea pasta or finger limes very tasty
re: girloftheworld
sounds amazing. i tried finger limes last year, loved them.
re: Firegoat
I so wanted to like these. I love dill. But they had an odd chemical powdery mouthfeel
Pickled okra, last night at a barbeque. *Really* tasty. And there's a spicy version, too! Must try.
re: linguafood
Yes. Talk 'o Texas hot pickled okra is always in my refrigerator.
re: flavrmeistr
That's the brand!!! I'll buy it next time I'm at the store!
re: linguafood
That stuff is like crack. You will love the hot
re: suzigirl
Great. I need more crack in my life :-D
re: linguafood
Cuz the stuff you get outside the grocery store just ain't enuff
re: flavrmeistr
I used to like the hot pickled okra a lot, but I was the only person buying it in my local market and one day I had a bad jar. I checked and it was three years past the buy date. Haven't eaten them since. Complained to the manager and he took them off the shelf, and never ordered them again. Can't find any more in my area. I'll have to go on a search again.
re: linguafood
re: Bigley9
Oh, man. Thx for the reminder. I'd completely forgotten about them again. Durr.
re: linguafood
There's a recipe somewhere out there in webland for sliders, where you mix caramelized onions into the beef, grill thick slices of Vidalias to top them, and garnish with garlic mayo and pickled okra. It's really sensational.
re: jmckee
yes, i can see that!
Triple Double Oreo Mint - Loved the first bite, hated every subsequent one
Voortman Almond Crunch Cookie - Loved it
French's Chardonnay Mustard - Loved it
An olive oil & rosemary loaf cake, because this nice person:
put the thought in my head, and my sister recently gave me some rosemary. It's very good.
re: emptybelly
Agree with the Cracked Pepper Olive Oil Triscuit. OK, but seemed to have extra flavor dusting (?) on them. Still a huge fan of the Rye Triscuits.
re: jettthecat
Yeah, love them Rye Triscuits. Cracked Pepper Olive Oil sounds great, too.
re: Tripeler
i love those triscuits -- i just wish they weren't SO DARN SALTY. and the low sodium ones suck.
i think rye is my fave, but the olive oil and cracked pepper, the sun-dried tomato, and the one with rosemary are all three close runners-up. i need to try some of the newer flavors, too. (i will skip the brown rice ones, because my sister said that she, her husband and all their guests really did not like them).
Asian pear--beautiful, but strangely flavorless. Put it out for the raccoons.
A friend recently returned from Finland, bringing us a big bar of dark chocolate which contained bits of dried pear and hazelnut. Outstanding! Also, a flask of brown liqueur which tasted like horehound. Sort of medicinal, but not bad. Supposedly the national liqueur of Finland. Does the USA have a national liqueur, I wonder?
re: flavrmeistr
US National Liqueur... Southern Comfort. (gag)
It's too bad you got a tasteless Asian pair as your first. I find that the very large ones that are a nice caramel color can be the sweetest and best tasting.
re: Firegoat
Yes. Southern Comfort for me = underage drinking.
But there is a 75 year old lady in my golf league who has it in her birdie flask. Drinkers carry a flask and take a hit when they get a birdie.
Mine has aquavit in it. It's still pretty full.
re: Firegoat
Best thing about Southern Comfort is this line from Tennessee Williams' "Streetcar Named Desire." Blanche looks at the bottle and says, ...."Southern Comfort...How can that be I wonder...?"
re: jmckee
you've got to go see woody allen's "blue jasmine" while it is still in theaters. cate is blanche! (my review).
re: KaimukiMan
I feel it's all mediocre.
re: flavrmeistr
flavrmeister don't give up completely on asian pears! there are many different varieties and, like regular pears, each is different. I personally only like 2 varieties (sorry - i only know what they look like, not the names) which are ripe when they are crisp. other varieties are ripe when soft and I find them to be tasteless. Keep trying!
re: flavrmeistr
that chocolate bar with the dried pears and hazelnuts sounds wondrous!
Coconut milk - liked it. I ate some sort of coconut cookie or candy when I was about 6 and decided that I not only hated coconut, but also that I was allergic to it. Now I'm 46, and when I had half a can of coconut milk left from a butter chicken recipe in May, I decided to experiment. I mixed it with mango in a smoothie and really liked it! Since then, I've had coconut shrimp and a mixed drink with coconut-rum, and liked both. I'm planning some other coconut experiments. I don't love coconut, but I'm glad to find that something I previously hated is actually tasty enough to expand my options.
re: MrsBridges
Try some Coco Lopez with dark rum and pineapple juice in a blender w/ice. Yah!
re: MrsBridges
Make a Painkiller... you can use any combination of dark rum but I really like it with those two and recently put it on the menu at two restaurants I consult with. Also the cinnamon and especially fresh nutmeg take the drink over the top.
Painkiller – Soggy Dollar Bar, B.V.I., 1971
1-1/2 oz. Coruba (or Myer's) dark Jamaican rum
1 oz. El Dorado dark rum
4 oz. pineapple juice
1 oz. orange juice
1 oz. Coco Lopez
Shake all except spices with crushed ice. Pour into a tall glass or tiki mug, add crushed ice to fill. Sprinkle with grated cinnamon, freshly grated nutmeg (lots), and small pieces of lime zest.
re: MrsBridges
You were allergic, but not to coconut. I am also allergic to the ingredient they used to use in coconut to keep it from caking... potassium metabisulphate. Spelling could be off but that was probably what made you sick, as it did me as a child. And I found out at a Thai restaurant after I had curry with coconut milk and didn't get horribly sick. I asked the waitress about it and she told me about potassium metabisulfate and said they really don't use it antmore
re: MrsBridges
The I hate anything (cookies, candy, shrimp) made with shredded coconut but love things with coconut milk (curries, Tom Yum soup, Pina Colada's). I'm still undecided on things made with coconut oil... Some sweets are OK, as cooking oil - no.
re: MrsBridges
i'm intrigued by a butter chicken recipe using coconut milk. can you share it here, please? is it anything like this? http://www.marksdailyapple.com/butter...
This is semi-new: meat and stock from a whole chicken that I butchered (for the first time). I like to think that it tasted a little better, but that may have been because we had a shared history together.
champagne & larger mangos- learn how to cut first. Add to Quinoa & fresh veggies for a super side dish. Dry heat quinoa until it crackles, then cover with water & cook til tender.
re: MjDematteis
I was just coming here - I tried an apple mango on the weekend. Best mango I've ever had, I really loved the texture, it was soft and fragrant. Not too musky, but not too sweet. First time I've ever really loved a fresh mango.
re: sgogo
i wish i knew the variety of mango that grew next door to our home in southwest, gulf coast florida.
they were sweet, but not too sweet, and the flesh was firm but succulent. we used them green for chutney and ripe, for just eating.
too many i've had lately imported up here in northern virginia are just too soft and are tending to mushy flesh.
I had never heard of Ritter's butter biscuit or cornflake chocolate bars before. This thread, and the favorite ice cream thread, are dangerous for me.
I recently tried Chipotle for the first time but I was not impressed, except for the rice - that stuff is addictive! Good thing that they don't sell it separately.
My other new favorite "food" is the Dark and Stormy, and spiced rum in general. I have avoided rum drinks all of my adult life because of an unpleasant experience with rum and cokes as a teen, but I'm over it now.
re: EM23
Rum's having a bit of a renaissance these days. Some are so dry you could confuse them with a single malt.
I hear ya on the sweet rum drinks, cuba libre being one of them. Dark and Stormy is great with a nice & spicy ginger beer.
re: debbypo
Thanks, Debby - good to know. As fate would have it, I was headed home last night and feeling hungry and lazy, so I stopped at Chipotle to try the burrito bowl again. This time I ordered a vegetarian bowl - rice, black beans, salsa and lettuce. I liked it much more than the first time when I ordered the carnitas bowl.
re: debbypo
They sell my husband just the chicken. He likes it on salad.
re: Bkeats
Trinidad Scorpion peppers. They put Bhut Jolokia peppers to shame.
Recently I was on the judging panel for a hot sauce competition and tasted almost a hundred new hot sauces over a six hour period. All were ok, none worth mentioning except for one that had Trinidad Scorpion peppers in it. I think I subconsciously forgot that one because the insane level of heat literally beat me up. Those peppers are just plain mean! Total sadistic bullies! I had to stand up and walk around because my whole body was shaking and going through muscle spasms. Afterwards the endorphin high was unbelievable. I felt like I was floating outside of my body.
I tried biawak (water monitor) sate in Jakarta a couple of weeks ago. Chewy, and needed much in the way of condiments.
I also had snow mushroom juice in Bangkok. Lightly sweetened, not aggressive and after all was said and done, ok enough.
@Jpan99 I used to be a fan of Ritter Sport (particularly their marzipan and butter biscuit types, but also a few randoms not commonly found away from Europe). Nowadays I just buy those two when I'm in Asia and can't find better quality chocolate surrounding those two flavors.
re: BuildingMyBento
ritter has marzipan and butter biscuit? mmm, now i am going on a mission.
Xinjiang Almond & Pistachio Ice Cream with Minced Lamb: perhaps one of the more unusual desserts I've tried, and reminiscent of the Turkish dessert "tavuk göğsü" where the sweet milk pudding included chicken-meat.
This Xinjiang dessert was a cube of almond-pistachio ice-cream with minced lamb-meat incorporated in it, served with mashed pumpkin and topped with toasted almond slivers. Didn't really detect any scent from the lamb component (not sure if that's a good thing anyhow)
re: klyeoh
While I have had tavuk göğsü and liked it, I cannot imagine dessert lamb. Do you have any idea what this dessert is called in Chinese?
re: JungMann
Unfortunately, no. I was given an English language menu at this restaurant:
re: klyeoh
Wow, that's intriguing. What do you think the lamb added to the dessert? Was it for textural variety, or to have a savory contrast to the ice cream?
re: chowmeow
Absolutely no idea - I couldn't even detect any lamb texture or taste/smell in the dessert. Same goes for its Turkish counterpart as well. For added protein, maybe?!
I grilled a tri-tip roast for the first time last weekend. (They're difficult, but not impossible, to find here in the Boston area.) It was amazing! It's a lean cut with incredible beefy flavor. I seasoned it with a rub consisting of salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder and paprika. I'll definitely make it again, perhaps with a marinade instead of a dry rub.
re: Tonality666
Tri tip is on my list of cuts to try. I'm glad to hear you enjoyed it. Did you just sear and then roast for how long?
re: fldhkybnva
I made a two stage fire and seared it over the hot coals for five minutes a side and then moved it to the cool side and roasted it another twenty minutes (ten minutes per side) with the grill covered. Perfect medium rare.
re: Tonality666
Oh that sounds quite easy. I'm sure it'd be lovely sliced up with some roasted vegetables.
re: Tonality666
tri tip, when done right, is a revelation. Glad to hear you enjoyed it.
re: Tonality666
I had no idea that tri tip was hard to find on the east coast (it is basically a staple and always available at my local grocery in this smallish town in Central CA I now call home!) Good to know, as my son really likes it so I will make a point to serve it on his next trip home. Personally, I like dry rub best. Try a bit of finely ground coffee in the rub.
re: susancinsf
Susan: please, would you make it for me next time I visit alone:-) That sounds really good with the coffee in the rub.....but my days of cooking beef are alas over (the joys of living with a veggie husband; at least he makes up for it in that what he does cook is delicious!)
And speaking of new things tried: lately we have been making our own version of fusion cooking. I just had an uttapam (Southern Indian savory rice flour pancake) served with a good old fashioned salsa cruda., made with tomatoes and chilis from the garden. Delicious! And the other night DH served me chana masala served over crispy fried polenta slices - that worked too!
re: susancinsf
Yea, I've only seen it in 2 of many grocery stores here. I asked at my local Whole Foods this past week and they responded "nope, that's big in CA." It is available at a local butcher as well as Wegmans. I really enjoy ground coffee on steak.
re: susancinsf
We consider it a real treat if we find it here in DE. And love it.
And yes coffee in the rub. Son introduced it to us, but I refined it to be very finely ground. The Big Boys were using straight from the can grounds. A little to chewy for us.
re: Tonality666
Where did you find it in Boston?
re: C. Hamster
I got mine at Savenors. I think it was $10.99/lb. M.F. Dulock might have it, too. Best in both cases to call ahead.
Cinnamon Sugar pita chips. Delicious. But then I pretty much love anything cinnamon sugar, so I guess these were a no-brainer, but I don't typically "allow" myself to buy overpriced processed carb-junk. We're at the cottage though...
A Turkish version of spinach pie, something like spanakopita but browner, made with lots of olive oil and spicy. Also delish.
I keep grabbing random things at the Banh Mi shop. Pandan cake was ok. Did not like the seafood donut thing at all!
re: julesrules
Which brand of chips? Stacy's?
I noticed that a 16 Handles frozen yoghurt place (in Manhattan) offered cinnamon sugar pretzels as a topping. The container was overflowing with cinnamon sugar. I rarely eat frozen yoghurt/ice cream, but that might be the impetus for another go.
re: NonnieMuss
Update: Also tried my second escargot in a totally different preparation. Still a big No from me.
re: NonnieMuss
That's too bad. I don't feel escargot have much of a taste on their own but the garlic butter prep is to die for.
re: Jerseygirl111
yes, it is all about the garlic butter! i like the sauce just as much with button mushrooms. cheaper, too.
re: alkapal
Yes! Alkapal - love Maitre d'hotel butter (snail butter), but don't like the texture of snails - wierdly chewy - mushrooms are the perfect substitute.... and a baguette to sop up the extra!
re: gingershelley
Chewy snails means they were overcooked.
re: foiegras
And just simply drenched in garlic butter and herbs...
re: Jerseygirl111
The snail is just a vehicle for that wonderful sauce. We have a place that makes them in a tarragon cream sauce, and they were out of this world. I order escargot mainly for the splendid cooking methods.
Authentic Wisconsin cheese curds! The first few were amazing. The entire plateful was good. After I finished, I felt a little sick. Maybe just a little too much fried cheese!
The place I had them, the Courthouse Pub in Manitowoc, WI, serves them with a really good raspberry sauce. I never would have thought to pair fried cheese with raspberry sauce but it was good!
re: Violatp
my summer obession has been rasberry chipolte sauce on grilled cheese and turkey sandwiches
re: Violatp
One of my favorites is a garlic bagel w/cream cheese and raspberry jam. I got thrown out of a place on 42nd Street for making that request. An onion bagel works in a pinch.
re: Violatp
I still haven't managed to get my mitts on (deep) fried cheese curds, violatp. I've had 'em plain (yum) and in poutine (yum yum) but not fried. Had a line on them in Portland, Oregon but the food cart stopped selling them : -(.
re: grayelf
your post is funny -- makes me think of a junkie trying to score! ;).
Tried the So Delicious almond milk "greek" yogurt- um. Gross. Flavor was fine, but texture was overly goopy fake thickener.
Cashew milk from blueprint- crazy amazing, super rich
Dark choco covered ginger from trader joes- great! Lasted almost 24hours
Bubbies sourkraut- meh. Tried a few krauts now, guess i'm just a pickle girl
re: GraceW
I **love** Cream of Wheat (as does my family), but we didn't like those Cinnabon ones at all. I "donated" mine to the trash can!
re: jbsiegel
Hmm, maybe I should try regular Cream of Wheat. Let me know if you like a particular brand/flavor.
re: GraceW
I like the regular old Nabisco stuff. I don't use the little packets. I use the kind in the box and make it with milk, not water. I like it kind of lumpy, so don't stir it as much as they recommend.
As far as toppings, I like brown sugar, more milk and raisins if I have any in the house - fairly simple. If I'm feeling decadent, brown sugar and butter is a really good combo!
re: GraceW
We always ate Farina. My dad likes his with butter but we would also do milk and sugar.
re: GraceW
i think cream of wheat itself is foul. maybe i just didn't know how to dress it up to make it nice.
i can't imagine it from a packet, though. my mom made hers from the large container. "packet" hot cereals always make me cringe -- and i'm thinking particularly of instant "grits" (the abomination).
re: alkapal
Cold cream of wheat sliced up and fried w/ham and red-eye gravy. You can use grits instead.
Lots of Turkish stuff recently; there's a brand new Turkish grocery store near me and a sandwich shop that is 'Turkish Italian' as best I can understand the guy:
Cokokrem and Armella - 2 hazelnut/chocolate creams, Armella was the better one
Nema Sujuk (I think that was the brand name) - loved it, used it in something at every meal
Sera Wild Cucumber pickles - a real winner, funky shaped small cukes
Sera pickled mixed vegetables - I was initially put off by the potent vinegar but was won over by the very, very, very crispy vegetables - cabbage, cucumber, wild cucumber, carrots, tomatoes, yellow and red peppers, green peaches, green plums, and okra. I'm going back soon for a bigger jar.
Cevizli Sucuk - a walnut and (grape) molasses confection on a string - I'll pass next time
Goss meat - apparently another name for Turkish Doner, as a sandwich - good
Tawook (sandwich) - I've never paid any attention to the 'chicken kabob'entries at Turkish restaurants - tawook is the Turkish word for chicken - very good
re: brucesw
What didn't you like about the cevizli sucuk? Can you describe the flavor/texture? I read about this recently in a Time-Life Foods of the World book, then saw it on some travel show, and was thinking of finding a recipe or buying someonline. I'm not even much for sweets, but it sounds so good.
I tried a 19th century Independence Day cake recipe (yeah, a month late) from Old Sturbridge Village (historical village in Sturbridge, MA). It's a yeast-raised spice cake with raisins, currants and a healthy amount of port and cognac. Well, that's what the recipe looked like on the page, anyway.
My rendition was a tasty brick with a horrid texture. My daughter and 1 of the 5 friends she inflicted it upon liked it.
re: ferret
I saw those on Feasting on Asphalt and made a single pickle to try. While it was completely gross, the gatorade was so much worse. How this one got past the test market, even to the test market escapes me.
re: suzigirl
Now I feel embarrassed. I really like it! It's so refreshing and I like the cucumber taste. It seems lighter than other gatorades.
re: juster
You can have my share.:-)
re: juster
I love it , not embarrassed at all.It really is so refreshing. I love the mango too, but the cucumber lime is just not as sweet to me and I like that.
Maraschino cherries soaked in moonshine!! Oh, my, they were disgusting.
I don't even mind regular maraschino cherries. And I love brandied cherries. And cherries soaked in vodka are also delicious.
But these? Oh, so many ughs. I literally was trying to wipe the taste from my tongue with a napkin.
re: Violatp
Were they fresh or the neon red maraschino cherries? Just wondering. I have had some really good and really bad fruit/shine combos. Either cherry sounds good in moonshine. Stone fruits like damson plums and peaches were to slimy after a bit. The one I remember loving the most is from an ex family member that supplied that moonshine. I cannot remember what it was but it was a wild berry that grows in VA.
re: suzigirl
The neon red kind. I think maybe moonshine just isn't for me!
re: Violatp
Probably was nasty moonshine. I've tried some excellent ones, both real moonshine, and the commercially made. And I've had some very poor commercially made.
Was that the Ole Smokey cherries in moonshine? I haven't tried their products.
re: Violatp
Recently, I was given a jar of OSTM Cherries as a gift. They were nasty! Tasted like gasoline!!! ;O
Artichoke (fresh) - yum!
Hearts of palm (jarred) - bleh!
Pandan essence - the jury's still out on that one, I only put a drop in. It tinted the rice a nice pale green, but I think the flavour was too subtle. I'll have to try with two drops next time. It probably won't beat rice cooked with real pandan leaves, but I thought it was worth a shot.
re: ursy_ten
I can only eat fresh artichokes. Everything else just tastes awful to me. Frozen taste horrendously processed and marinated always, always have too much oil.
Have you tried them grilled? Easily my favorite fresh artichoke preparation. Trim, steam until 3/4 done, then brush with garlic oil and throw on the grill. Finish with a squeeze of lemon and enjoy!
re: Christina D
re: Christina D
I've been wondering how to make grilled artichokes. Thanks for sharing. They are my favorite.
re: ursy_ten
i always rinse the hearts of palm from a jar before i use them in a salad. i love them! i love the fresh "swamp cabbage" version cooked to death in a little bacon grease, too. ;).
re: alkapal
Hmm, did I rinse them? I can't remember! I might have just drained them.
Swamp cabbage is such an appetizing name, isn't it? I'm sure it would be greatly improved by bacon grease :)
Finger Limes. Got a 1/2 lb. the other day. Kind of a cool novelty factor eating the crisp little juice beads. Now I'm working on using them in a cocktail with the zest made into syrup, which has a beautiful floral lime aroma and taste with a pleasant sour bitter under note. And with the finger lime beads as garnish.
re: melpy
Nope, completely different. The finger lime is from Australia. It is about the size of two joints of a finger, slightly smaller or larger depending. very tart, bitter, floral, fragrant flesh. The pulp / vesicles inside are not soft, but firm on the outside. They can be squeezed out of the firm fruit and when you eat them they crunch and release the tart, tangy, floral lime juice. Sort of like very firm caviar. They can be frozen and thawed easily and the pulp and zest are fine afterwards.
re: GraceW
There are many varieties of olives. It is fun to try them all out. I especially like the ripe black oil cured ones that are all wrinkly.
I was sent a bottle of a new liqueur called Smoke. Terrible stuff. The name makes no sense either. It's a nasty, artificial tasting fruity, watery, wine and vodka based liqueur with no smoke.
Knorr Klasik Dügün Çorbasi - powdered soup mix that makes a creamy soup.. Last year at the Silk Road Festival here I had a great tripe soup in the Uzbek courtyard. We don't have a very substantial Uzbek community and the food was actually prepared and served by a Turkish restaurant. It was a very rich cream soup; the sign said it contained cow's foot and stomach but it tasted like lamb to me. There was very little solid matter in the soup.
I remembered the word çorbasi and I thought this might be the same soup when I came across it at a new Turkish food store; it looked very similar on the package. I got it wrong, what I had at the festival was kelle paça çorbasi, according to the sign. There's no English at all on the package but çorbasi does seem to be the Turkish word for tripe (and this one tastes like lamb to me too) and apparently this is known as Turkish Wedding Soup. I doctored it with garlic and lemon juice like they did at the festival and added some aleppo pepper since I thought there was some in the soup last year. Not as good as what I had at the festival but not bad and I'm going to get a couple more packages to have on hand for a rich, filling soup.
Zacahuil - huge (6') tamal from la Huasteca region on Mexico's Gulf Coast. A taqueria nearby is switching over to the cuisine of this region and offers this on Sunday. Unfortunately they didn't have it out on display to dish out portions from, all you got was a plate of the tamal chopped up kind of like a hash. There was lots of tender pork and lots of quite dry masa since it's baked rather than steamed. I was very eager to try this but very disappointed. I'll try some of the other specialties when they get the new menu installed but I don't think I'll be going back just for this.
re: brucesw
knorr used to have a dried oxtail soup mix, but i haven't seen it on years. it had very good flavor, and what must've been little bits of oxtail meat.
i wonder now if they still make their leek soup? it was good, too.
I've discovered a few new favorite deli meats at Wegmans
Plainville turkey pastrami - great
Low sodium ham - not so great, minimal flavor, mostly water
Parmacotto Tuscan ham - delicious
Jennie's Honey mustard - not a fan, it had this odd aftertaste
Yancey's Steakhouse Onion cheddar - OK. This week I'm going to try the smoked gouda with bacon
Robiola - wonderful
Port salut - it's been my favorite cheese of the week
re: fldhkybnva
*port salut on french bread with kalamata olives. my fav snack of all time. oh and a glass of vino.
re: cookfood
Yes, or Camembert in a pinch and some of those giant green Italian olives and speck (smoked prosciutto) and a nice Montepulciano.
Spicy Yellow Lentil Hummus with Sunflower Seeds & Apricot http://eatwell-enjoylife.com/our-hummus/
I like spice, lentils & hummus but the combination did not work -- too hot with no subtlety. And adding the apricots made no sense at all.
re: cresyd
New version of an old fave snack -- Tostitos cantina style tortilla chips. Super thin and salty. Addictive.
re: grayelf
i'm partial to the tostitos whole grain scoops! they have a great, hearty depth-of flavor, without losing their corn crunch.
re: cresyd
You reminded me I just tried pickled okra. It was decent.
re: alkapal
or your vodka martini!
re: miriamjo
Hendricks martinis are my favorite.
re: miriamjo
i found hendrick's to be very floral. so not optimum for my gin with splash of tonic. my go-to gin is bombay sapphire, but i want to try the newest offering from the bombay line.
i can see how hendrick's would be good with cucumber, which makes me think of a pimm's cup. i wonder how a pimm's-hendrick's summer drink with cucumber would be, maybe also with some sliced strawberries or peaches?
Curry Khausa (Burmese noodles) - spaghetti and chicken pieces in a curry based on coconut milk with garlic and ginger and other spices, garnished with cilantro and crispy fried onions, said to be a popular dish in Myanmar and portions of India with Burmese immigrants. At a suburban 'Mediter-Asian' fusion grill. I liked it but it could have been a lot spicier for my taste.
re: brucesw
Oh my... As the daughter of Indians who grew up in Burma and then moved to Thailand, this was favorite childhood dish. Not one my mom made often, but even though it's been atleast 20 years since I ate it, I can still almost taste it just from seeing the picture. I may have to ask mom for her recipe the next time we talk.
re: Christina D
You'll have to rename it! I looked up some Norwegian names - perhaps a Bloody Marta?
re: Violatp
Love it!!
re: Christina D
my brother in law and i once drank way too much aquavit. now we call it "aardvark." ;).
BBQ chicken or turkey breast deli meat - hate it
I've recently tried several varieties including Wegmans, Applegate, Boar's Head and Jennie-O and I don't like any of them. I guess I should give up. I keep expecting a savory BBQ type rub but they are all have this cloyingly sweetish taste.
Quark cheese - great, I had no idea what it was but I'm glad I tried it out
Skir yogurt - delicious and I don't really enjoy regular yogurt but this stuff is outstanding.
Sabra guacamole - really good, huge chunks of avocado and great flavor. It depends on the day whether I like avocado or guacamole but I discovered this in the fridge from a few weeks ago and decided to open it and try it before I just tossed it. I'm glad I did because I really did like it. I think it might be that wasn't overpowered by cilantro like many guacamole tend to be IMO.
Applegate turkey salami - good for what it is, but definitely not a stand in for the real thing
re: fldhkybnva
i like "wholly guacamole" in the small sealed plastic baggies in a box (in fridge case in produce section of grocery store). not very firm, but terrific home-made flavor without anything overwhelming the true avocado flavor.
re: alkapal
Actually that used to be my go to until I discovered Whole Foods store made guac.
re: fldhkybnva
My local market roasts them in house. Not sweet at all. Lots of different rubs available. I can't eat any other turkey now.
I was waiting in line at the deli counter yesterday and the woman ahead of me ordered Di Lusso Genoa Salami. The deli guy gave her a slice to eat while he cut her order and she seemed to enjoy it, so I ended up ordering a ¼ lb. each of the salami and provolone. I just had a few slices of the cheese and salami rolled up for breakfast and they were delicious. I have had salami on a party hero in the past and never cared for it, but this Genoa stuff is really tasty.
re: Jerseygirl111
Thanks for the BHA/BHT warning, Jerseygirl.
re: foiegras
I agree, although they were dried. I'd love to try fresh. Also recently tried trumpet mushrooms and love them.
re: fldhkybnva
Saw both of these at the grocery store tonight ... the morels were a mere 49.99/lb (but probably quite a reasonable price at the individual mushroom level). Have never tried the trumpets ...
re: foiegras
Trumpets are great, less earthy than other mushrooms, somewhat fruity. I can't remember how much the morels are where I bought the but I think they were $25-$30 ish. I bought about a handful which were like $7. I did enjoy them but I think I told myself not to buy them too often. Where did you get your fresh morels?
re: fldhkybnva
Are you talking king trumpets (aka king oyster mushrooms)? Those are one of my favorite shrooms, too.
They are *so* much cheaper at our local Asian grocer than at Wegmans or other supermarkets (as so many things are).
No discernible shrinkage, and they're amazing with steak or over pasta.
re: linguafood
Yup, king trumpet the white tall guys. I've seen other things labeled as oyster mushrooms although I'm not sure if they were kings and I wasn't fond of the oyster mushrooms (looked like little clam shells). You are so right! In fact, I make a special trip to H Mart to get the bag of trumpets for $4/lb vs I think $12/lb at Wegmans. The H Mart also has Maitake for quite cheap which I love and and Beech which I've tried but they seem to shrink disappear in the dish (I hate that) that it wasn't really worth it and enoki which I've never tried.
re: fldhkybnva
Oh, do give the regular oyster shrooms another try. They are really flavorful just sautéed in a butter & oil mix (or just clarified butter which I never have at hand anymore... Wegmans used to sell it... wah!) and some salt & pepper.
But the king trumpets/oysters are da shizzle.
re: linguafood
Trader Joe's now sells clarified butter - yeah!
re: linguafood
As another soul too lazy to make ghee, you are very welcome:)
re: Violatp
Yep. It was on the "new" display when I found it a few weeks ago. I think it was priced at $3.29.
re: linguafood
I will do. I see them at H Mart and Wegmans all the time and I did only try them once. My rule is try most things if you don't absolutely detest them at least twice which usually means I find a new food I enjoy, something about the 2nd go round.
re: fldhkybnva
Had them at a restaurant ... saw them for sale at Central Market (great big ones too--don't know if that's good or not).
Durham Ranch Wild Boar sausage - very good
TJ's Toasted Oatmeal Flakes - addicted from the first bowlful.
Oh, I forgot to add this a few weeks ago. La Croix sparkling water, in coconut flavor.
I'm a huge fan of the La Croix waters in general but hadn't tried this one yet since I'm so devoted to lime.
I didn't know which route they would take - coconut water flavor, candy coconut flavor...
Well, it's actually kind of bizarre. It tastes exactly like coconut milk. I'm not talking about the diluted stuff sold in cartons now. I'm talking about thick, creamy, from the can (or scratch if you're that devoted) coconut milk.
It's sort of a mind bender. The taste is what you'd expect from the thick, creamy, fatty, milk. The texture, of course, is sparkling water. I have no idea how they accomplished this, but it's kind of freaky.
I can go through a 12 pack of La Croix in a day; this one took me a week. By the time I got to the end, I was won over.
I want to try it in cocktails - get that coconut taste without the coconut texture.
re: Violatp
that sounds freaky indeed. the only coconut drinks i've had from cans (that weren't actually coconut milk-based) have been horrid, artificial-tasting things.
re: Violatp
The La Croix coconut is great with rum! I just got the Peach-Pear. Wow!
re: sheilal
How did you like the peach pear? It didn't taste good to me. Wish I could send you the eleven I won't drink.
re: sheilal
Totally agree, both those flavors are great!
re: Violatp
I am soooooo in love with it now too!! The flavor and fizz is so refreshing, a recent sale had me hoarding it.....!
re: Ttrockwood
I love fizz, I really should hunt this down.
Peri-peri sauce - love it. I have no idea why I bought this but it fits into my usual habit of buying random things I see at the grocery store which look interesting, hot sauce being a popular category for this sort of uncontrolled behavior :) It's wonderful. I'm loving it on eggs and really just want to drink the bottle. So far I've tried both the medium and garlic varieties and like them both.
Celery root salad--very good.
Tried King Arthur brand gluten free cookie mix. Baked cookies
have a gritty texture with an unpleasant aftertaste.
On the other hand, Betty Crocker's gluten free chocolate cake mix produces a very good cake with a lot of flavor and I don't even miss the wheat flour.
I finally tried a Momofuku pork bun at the Toronto location of Noodle Bar last night. It was ok, but I'm glad I never went out of my way for a Momofuku pork bun in NYC. Much prefer char siu bao aka the BBQ pork buns found at dim sum to the Momofuku type.
I tried a pizza frita with cauliflower and bacon the other night. I had wanted to try a fried pizza at Forcella in NYC but misordered. The pizza frita I ordered in TO was greasy, more like a crispy savoury pastry, and didn't have the chew I was hoping it might have. Still will get around to trying a few other fried pizzas at some point.
While a little closer to the Okanagan, I tried a Glohaven, a type of peach not found in my neck of the woods which is dominated by Red Haven. I liked it.
I also tried poppyseed butterhorns for the first time while out west. I love butterhorns, and rarely have an opportunity to eat them since they are rare in Ontario.
My nieces were over and left some Blue Bunny Peanut Butter ice cream with fudge chip, ice cream sandwiches in the freezer. Now I know why they didn't take them when they left. Totally nasty, tasteless, no peanut butter or fudge flavor. Even the chocolate sandwich part was flavorless. Blech!
I rarely eat peanut butter but some sort of craving hit last week and I grabbed a jar of Whole Foods 365 crunchy PB. It was very very good. I managed to only allow myself a serving size and eat it verrrryyyy slowly with a spoon, but I might have to hide it.
Mahon and Cordobes Spanish cheeses - I really enjoyed these both, much better than I enjoyed Manchego the week before
Some sort of 'purple zebra' heirloom tomato that had zero flavor and was mushy.
That said, the brandywines are pretty awesome.
re: suzigirl
So is that kumquat x tomato??
re: foiegras
No, it's a tomato.
re: linguafood
I do not like what Google has to tell me about this ... 'seeds will never be available to the general public.'
re: foiegras
Why, were you thinking of growing them?
They're one of the few all-year tomatoes that actually (at least for the most part) have something resembling tomato flavor.
re: linguafood
Right after we tried them I Googled the seeds to grow. They really are really good. I have to thank you for telling me about the cheap avos at Tj's a few weeks ago. Oh, the lovely things they have. Lions and tigers and bears oh my. I never would have found the kumatoes so freakin' cheap.
re: suzigirl
Well, you were luckier than I with the avocados, then. My batch had one good avocado, the others had to be tossed.
re: linguafood
re: foiegras
Some hybrids are bred to be infertile/less fertile than standard varieties, so a home grower can't grown their own (or can't grow them easily). I've been able to grow tomatoes, tomatillos and potatoes from most store-bought and farmers market-bought varieties, but the one variety of potato that wouldn't grow from a storebought potato with eyes was the Green Giant's Klondike Rose, a red-skinned Yukon Gold hybrid. I'm guessing Green Giant made them less fertile or infertile so they'd be able to corner the market.
re: foiegras
And not everything is a conspiracy '-)
re: linguafood
There are certainly other terms for it, yes.
re: foiegras
Open pollinated tomato seeds will grow true to the parent, but hybrids inherently cannot. Some varieties of hybrids will simply be sterile, others will grow a fruit something like one of the crossed parents. They will not produce seed that is exactly like the hybrid one has purchased, as that was created by 'blending' two varieties.
As in any landscape or garden plant, the hybridizer generally maintains ownership of the patent for a certain period of time. This is common business practice, and really doesn't reflect on one's right to grow tomatoes.
re: foiegras
so go on and "create" your own food. asking to be compensated for developing a product is not unreasonable.
re: alkapal
Where did I say that compensation for plant breeders (plants are most definitely not products in my view) was unreasonable? I have patented roses (properly obtained) growing in my garden.
Patents expire; 'never' is a long time. I found the company's statement to be unfriendly and reminiscent of Monsanto.
re: foiegras
you initially complained that the seeds would never be available to the general public, then you said creating our own food is a basic human right.
when someone says "basic human right" in the context you write, i read that as you saying that food "creations" (e.g., the nice tomato variety they created) should not be "strings-attached."
corollary: if i create my food, then i am able to impose conditions on (if and) how it is used. if i expect to commercialize it relying on patent protection, then i have a limited time to exploit that patent. if i keep it as a trade secret, then that can be done in perpetuity. it seems you would agree with this.
re: alkapal
Food in my view is not a trade secret or a product, it is a basic human right.
Has anyone tried the relatively new "Velvet" Apricots. I only saw them for the first time this summer. They come in 4-5 varieties and I've had the Gold Velvet, Red Velvet, and Black Velvet. I like the Red and Black, but find the Gold to be really special. When super ripe they get translucent and the inside flesh melts away and when you bite a hole in the skin you can practically suck out the whole inside as juice. Very tasty, sweet, with a bit of tang, and very tart skin. They are about the size of a small plum, and look like one too, but with a slight fuzz to the skin like apricots, but less so. "They are a 21st Century proprietary variety developed by Kingsburg Orchards in California." They are sort of like the apricot/plum hybrids, such as Dinosaur eggs, Pluots, Aprium, etc. but as opposed to those others, which are a 75/25 plum/apricot hybrid, the Velvets are "IS Apricots, or Inter-Specific Apricots. This means that they are in the Apricot family, but have been pollinated by plums."
I found the Gold Velvet to be so good that I processed 20 lbs. into a shelf stable syrup and use it in a cocktail that is now on a local restaurants cocktail menu.
Just tried marmite on butter toast for breakfast today. SO much better than I expected- I loved it! The funkiness and saltiness reminded me of blue cheese, but without the pepperiness that I dislike about some blue cheeses....
white nectarines -- so lovely and sweeter than the regular ones.
sabra hummus with pine nuts was delicious. maybe it was just a super fresh batch, but it was the best hummus i've ever had (and i mean from all sources). usually i have not been that impressed by sabra hummus, but it was a good price and i had a craving. i'm so glad that i tried it again.
re: alkapal
I also love the Sabra hummus with pine nuts. I've had some dud flavors from them before (the garlic one was barely edible for me, and I'm a fan of garlic), but this one is definitely a winner.
re: SaraAshley
last week they were on sale, and i bought four! i enjoyed smearing it in pita then filling in with clover & radish sprouts for breakfast. i am about out of it now, and before it is all gone, i think i'll do the sprout pocket pita version and add a fried egg.
re: alkapal
Good ideas there! I usually just eat mine with either carrot sticks, pita chips, or those pretzel crackers by Snack Factory. I think I've had my fill of hummus for awhile, though. It was pretty much a constant snack for me this past Summer. I tend to tire of foods I love very quickly. Give me a couple more months and I'm sure I'll be buying it again.
re: SaraAshley
yes, i know what you mean about getting tired of it.
also, i wish there were more pine nuts in it, certainly. so, to compensate, sometimes i add a tablespoon or two into my hummus sandwich of trader joe's roasted, salted sunflower seeds, which live in my freezer for topping salads.
next time i go the veggie dipper route, i think i'll try some sliced jicama.
This thread reminded me that I've tried a lot of new foods recently
Leeks - quite tasty. Although I made a dish centered on leeks last week and didn't enjoy it as much as I thought I would, I think I like them in small amounts (my first taste was in a mussels dish)
Sardines - love, love, love! I haven't noticed many different varieties in the stores here but I'm on the hunt to try as many as I can. My current stock includes Bela in Hot sauce, TJs lightly smoked in olive oil, King Oscar in mustard and TJs in water.
Cava hummus - I am new to hummus but now a complete hummus lover. This has been the best brand I've tried to so far. The spicy version is great, I'm not such a fan of the roasted garlic version.
Sirloin cap steak - I special ordered from this Whole Foods. It was a grass fed cut which I was really looking forward to. It was OK but just tasted like a sirloin to me. Not bad, not particularly worth seeking out again.
Neufchatel - I am not the biggest fan of cream cheese, but this was pretty good. I used it for spinach artichoke chicken and really enjoyed it, looking forward to trying it again, perhaps for a pasta sauce.
Arugula pesto - A great way to use up arugula and not too peppery at all, amazing paired with walnuts and cashews
Canned salmon - I love fresh salmon and finally reached into the cabinet to try the can of Whole Foods wild sockeye salmon and really enjoyed it. The bones and skin didn't bother me at all and I ate it mashed up out of the can. I would like to try Wild Planet next time but it's so awfully expensive although I guess compared to fresh salmon it's not so bad. The canned doesn't beat the real stuff but great for what it is.
Smoked red pepper sea salt from The Spanish Table. Great on everything and I even put it in bread. Yum.
re: GraydonCarter
Was it good? I might keep an eye out for it. I swear by Maesri curry pastes.
re: ursy_ten
I was wondering the same thing. I have seen it, just haven't bought it. I also love maesri products
re: ursy_ten
Tried it again today for lunch with a handfull of leftover vermacelli heated thru with a small can of sweet thai noodle sauce. The first ingredient is coconut milk and sugar, and it is indeed sweet. The last ingredient is red pepper flakes, and it is indeed spicy. In between you don't really notice the shrimp taste. It was pretty tasty. You need to use unsalted rice vermacelli.
re: GraydonCarter
Ooh, thanks! How's that for timing? I was thinking of getting a can on the way home from work this afternoon.
re: ursy_ten
It's pretty good. I use it for quick meals. I add to stir frys, or make spaghetti and saute up some shrimp or chicken and use the sauce.
re: JMF
Today we made a butternut squash soup which called for Curry powder. Who really likes McCormick curry powder anyway? So I substituted a can of Maesri Sweet Thai Noodle Sauce. It really enhanced the sweetness of the onions and squash, adding a kick of heat. The daughter thought it was too spicy but she's a wimp.
re: GraydonCarter
I just realized the one I have been using just says Maesri Thai Noodle Sauce (Namya). Not sweet. I haven't seen a sweet one yet. I really like this regular one.
White pudding. I think I like it more than black pudding.
Irish potatoes and Irish chips (fries not crisps). I'd take Irish chips made of Irish potatoes over French or Belgian frites, any day.:)
Kiwi Berries! Little grape sized fruits that aren't really related to kiwis but look like them when cut open. Wonderful! Sweet and you can eat the skin.
TJs Mediterranean Hummus - delicious
Cava Mezze - Harissa and red pepper hummus - most addictingly dangerous
Mt. Vikos Greek Feta - the only Feta I'd ever really miss if I didn't have it occasionally
Dandelion greens - I quite enjoyed the bitter flavor but note to self, chop them well before cooking
Trader Joe's marinated mushrooms - dangerous for a pickle and mushroom freak like me
Roasted seaweed snacks - oddly great, the wasabi version wasn't very good but the regular are really good
Zahtar spice - interesting, nice for some variation
re: fldhkybnva
The goats milk feta at TJs is really great if you haven't tried it yet
re: Ttrockwood
a goat feta? good to check out!
re: foiegras
Scallops and jackfruit? Where was this?
Not the same by any means, but I really dug a scallop and pumpkin meal I had in Japan. Both were grilled, and very lightly seasoned, but oh is it memorable.
As for new foods that I've had lately, the pistachio white chocolate cookie from TJ's is nice, and because I can't get enough of dessert for breakfast (in other words, cereal), whipped cream became an extraneous topper.
re: BuildingMyBento
Had it at Belly & Trumpet. The rest of the dish was a light caramel sauce and minced mild mushrooms (don't remember the type--way too small a mince to recognize). So you could dip the scallop in the sauce and then pick up the mushroom. Great dish & very typical of the restaurant.
re: Kontxesi
Any tips on preparing and shredding/slicing? I tried it once and not sure I did it well. I'm really into zucchini noodles these days so would love to try spaghetti squash.
re: fldhkybnva
I cut it in half, S&P, roasted for an hour (cut sides up). Then you just scrape up the insides with a fork and it shreds itself. Super, super easy.
re: Kontxesi
spaghetti squash lasagne, now to me that seems a lot of work for little return; i just have never gotten any delight from spaghetti squash. i'm glad you found a good use.
Lay's Sriracha - slightly hot, slightly sweet, tastes more like spicy barbecue than Huy Fong Sriracha, but not bad.
Lay's Fried Chicken and Waffles - very sweet maple/waffle flavor, like cinnamon toast crunch in chip form.
Lay's Cheesy Garlic Bread - very garlicky and buttery. Even with the odd blue cheese aftertaste, there was something very satisfying here. The best of the bunch.
Black Prince tomatoes - these are a Siberian strain of black tomato whose forward acidity acts as a palate cleanser for a very savory tomato. These may be my new favorites.
So three bags of chips and a tomato... a vegetarian diet even I could get behind.
Busseto antipasto tray with prosciutto, Italian dry and peppered dry salamu and coppa. Delicious
Curly's Smokehouse chipotle cheddar sausage. Meh. Wanted to like them more
Garlic Expressions classic vinaigrette. Good but sweet
Haddon House Spanish caper berries. Ate half the jar in one sitting. Addictive. Love the pop of the seeds.
Just had ortiguillas (fried sea anemone) for the first time in a tapas bar in Seville. LOVED it! Reminded me a bit of the belly of a fried clam, which I also love.
Kale - OK, will give it another try
Creme Fraiche - I actually prefer sour cream, use it in dollop-form as a topping, might try it used in a sauce
St. Andre cheese - too buttery for me
Wegmans Parmacotta Porchetta - wonderful natural porky flavor with a perfect balance of rosemary
Muir Glen fire roasted tomatoes - I have used a variety of brands of canned tomatoes, but these will be my go to at least for fire roasted tomatoes when I don't feel like roasting my own
TJs horseradish hummus - not bad, not great, too tangy for me
TJs Greek Feta in brine - good balance of salt and flavor, quite addicting
Full fat Fage yogurt - very tasty, I love Icelandic Skyr but it's a fat-free yogurt, I bought the Fage to use in a recipe and really enjoyed it for a richer sack or to use as a sub for mayonnaise
re: fldhkybnva
None of the stores I shop at regularly has full fat Fage! I'm doing well to find 2% ...
re: foiegras
re: fldhkybnva
Fage was great when it first came out and it was made in Greece from sheep's milk, and a combination of sheep and goat milk. Since 2008 it has been made in the US, out of cows milk, and is really boring compared to the original. If you like it now, you would have gone nuts for the sheep/goat milk version.
The name FAGE is pretty cool.
"FAGE, pronounced FAH-yeh, is the an acronym and a pun. First the acronym: F for the the Filippou family that owns the company, A for adelphi, the Greek word for brothers, G for the Greek word for dairy, and E for the word for corporation. Thus, FAGE = The Filippou Brothers' Dairy Corporation. Now for the pun: in Greek, fage also means "to eat.""
re: fldhkybnva
tj's does have a good goat's milk yogurt. if you want it thicker (though it is pretty thick already), just let the whey drain off. i use a coffee filter in a sieve raised up over a bowl so the draining yogurt doesn't sit in the whey. let it sit for as long as you like; a couple of hours makes it very thick.
the lebanese, for one, call this lebneh. you can use it like a tart cream cheese. you can also add minced herbs and garlic (plus salt) for a nice spread.
re: alkapal
I did see the goats milk but since I'm not a fan of goat cheese, I assumed it probably would be a bad choice for me :)
re: fldhkybnva
i can see that. i thought that many people liked the greek yogurt because of its extra tang, and that's what this yogurt delivers, too.
it is a large container -- for about $5 -- though, so if you don't like goat cheese, i probably would agree that you steer clear.
re: fldhkybnva
Boiled Peanuts - loved them, maybe even more than I love edamame.
I moved from NJ to NC two years ago, I had never even considering trying them. A few weeks ago our local farm store was offering them and offered me a taste. I went out the next day and bought 1/2 bushel of raw fresh peanuts from a farmer around the corner and spent the day boiling and salting away. Made two different batches, one basic and one spicy. (The local farmer actually took the time to hand write out the directions and his recipe for how to boil peanuts.) So it was a taste adventure and a fun little bit of local color experience.
Wellshire Farms corned beef - it was OK, but had a strange aftertaste that I didn't enjoy at all, it was carefully picked out of my eggs though I think it might work better on a sandwich with something to balance the flavor
Seasnax toasted onion seaweed snacks-even better than the TJs version, wish the package was bigger.
Steamed bacon buns with sriracha and hoisin sauce. Food and WIne recipe last week in the "Fast Chinese" slideshow. Just excellent and easy.
My random shopping habit, here's a few more
Onion crunch - pretty much small fried onions, surprisingly addicting, I tried the unseasoned but they have BBQ and Chipotle as well
Bayley Hazen blue cheese - outstanding, my new favorite!
Aleppo pepper - it now sits on the counter right next to the salt and pepper, give it a shake on nearly anything
re: fldhkybnva
There are different flavors to Onion Crunch? Uh, and there's also a Pickle and Ketchup Crunch? (http://www.onioncrunch.com/) Are they trying to make condiments main courses?
I always looked forward to the fried shallots on my nasi goreng in Jakarta, and then I start seeing NY hot dog vendors with Onion Crunch on their umbrellas. Why can't THEY start selling nasi goreng too?
re: BuildingMyBento
Neither the BBQ or Chipotle looked appealing, but the regular seems like a great base for your favorite added seasonings for some added crunch. The ketchup, pickle and possibly mustard flavors sound atrocious as well and I love both pickles and mustard. Fried shallots sound outstanding.
re: BuildingMyBento
you want the hot dog vendors cooking nasi goreng in hot dog water? LOL. mmm, extra flavuh!
re: alkapal
Nah...but that might be as emetic as reused cooking oil!
Though, that would count as "something new to try."
Most often, I order nasgor for the pickles and fried shallots anyway.
re: fldhkybnva
Just found Aleppo pepper today. I love it. Citrusy and bright. It is lovely
re: suzigirl
Woohoo, it's great!
Kolhrabi- mashed and raw. Very yummy!
Ayuran- Turkish yogurt drink - salty but satisfying.
re: salsailsa
Ayran is one of my favorite summer drinks. So easy to make at home, too.
re: linguafood
I guess I butchered the spelling a bit. :)
Yes, it was very tasty. I had it after having a Turkish haman treatment. Do you have a recipe that you like to use? I just tried one off the net.
re: salsailsa
A recipe? Not really. I just put Greek yogurt in a carafe (or a large glass if I'm just making one portion), add cold water & salt to taste and desired consistency... voilá: done.
re: linguafood
I suppose that works :)
re: salsailsa
look at a persian recipe for doogh. same idea, with herbs. very refreshing. http://www.persianrecipes.net/recipe....
re: alkapal
I was going to say the same thing. I probably use my Sodastream to make more doogh than soda. No pennyroyal in mine. Just the same salt and dried mint that I use in my ayran. Maybe a tiny pinch of cumin if I'm in the mood.
re: JungMann
it is such a tasty drink. our favorite local persian place serves it in pitchers! oh, the cumin sounds good for a savory note. i wonder how a touch of coriander would do?
i've never seen pennyroyal, but i guess i need to make a special effort at a mid-eastern food shop.
our persian place's doogh seemed maybe to also have dill in it? i guess it takes whatever herbs float your boat.
re: alkapal
I think I tried something similar to doogh in Xinjiang, though it was a salt-free, street-stall version which had no sign. Curious what the Uyghur word is.
re: alkapal
Hmm. Looks good, I'd probably try it with some other herbs. I like mint but not quite the flavour I'm looking for.
I'll have to try the carbonated version. I have a soda stream, so it'll be fairly easy.
re: salsailsa
The best thing I've ever eaten on a Chinese airline (how underwhelming) was pickled kohlrabi. Mashed sounds like a good way to go too.
Also, ayran is the go-to drink when you're eating kebabs. I've seen mint flavored ayran in New York, but can't remember if they're as common in Turkey.
re: BuildingMyBento
I think Turkey's ayran is mostly just yogurt, water & salt.
There's a great Syrian place I like to frequent that adds fresh mint, tho. Super-tasty.
re: linguafood
In any of the five boroughs? What's the name?
Speaking of Turkish drinks, salep season is approaching...
re: BuildingMyBento
I don't live in the New York metro area, and have never searched for it whenever I'm there, so I couldn't tell ya.
The Syrian place I mentioned is in Berlin, Germany.
But we have a couple of Lebanese places here in the boonies that also sell bottled ayran. Pretty dec stuff…. but why buy it when it's so easy to make at home?
re: linguafood
I shop regularly at a Syrian bakery in Brooklyn and while I'll sometimes pick up an ayran there along with my sfiha and stuffed grape leaves, bodegas in the other boroughs sell both mint and salt ayran, so it's pretty easy to satisfy the craving regardless of my proximity to Middle Eastern shops or just a Brita filter and some yogurt.
re: fldhkybnva
it is just on sale now at harris teeter -- 2.99. i like the sabra with pine nuts….a lot.
re: alkapal
I just added it to my list to try last night. I have so many I like its hard to explore but I've heard that one is really good.
re: fldhkybnva
i love garlic, but i like the pine nut version better than the roasted garlic one.
Trader Joe's Marcona almonds with rosemary - A+++, these are incredibly addicting, the rosemary flavor is just great and they have just the right amount of salt. This is my first time trying Marcona almonds in general so perhaps I just really like Marcona almonds but I think the rosemary is the key
Delicata squash. I'm not a big squash person, but this tastes more like a sweet potato to me. I've been trying various stuffed versions (sausage and kale; black bean, rice and salsa)...
re: linguafood
Sounds pretty cheap unless they sell it in thimbles.
re: linguafood
Thanks, I would try it if I could.
Applegate Genoa Salami - returned to the fridge for someone else to try, seemed pretty bland to me
re: fldhkybnva
I am telling you girl, we could happily raid each others pantry. I have two jars of marmite in my pantry right now. And back before I got sick I was forever on a quest for new hot sauces. Now I only partake once in a while and can't do " the hotter the better" anymore. :-(
re: suzigirl
It's interesting, while Chipotle are usually hot this sauce isn't too spicy though might be too much for the belly. How do you use Marmite? I'm itching to dive into that jar. My steak might end up in it if I don't come up with something :)
re: fldhkybnva
I like it on buttered toast and in all kinds of gravys and sauces that need a kick of umami. I love it in beef stroganoff and in chili. It is salty delicious in au jus for a prime rib and french dips for leftovers.
re: suzigirl
The zucchini were in full force today, thank goodness for inter-state commerce. I made a batch of zucchini butter. I'm thinking a dab of Marmite mixed it for serving would be nice. I'm planning to serve it with pork tenderloin or chicken.
re: fldhkybnva
It sounds great. Let me know if you try it.
Tessamae's Balsamic vinaigrette dressing - loved it. It's so easy to make at home but sometimes I just want to shake and pour. This stuff is great, simple ingredients and made with actual olive oil vs. canola oil in most other store dressings
I just tried oysters and I used to not like them at all but I realized I love other shellfish and I should try it again with a little drawn butter and some drops of hot sauce they were soo good I had a half dozen but now I am craving more I want to try the local cluster oysters here in SC since we will be here till may I might as well try some. They are cheap at $20 for a half bushel only problem I know these are used mostly for oyster roasts and I don't even have a grill and I will have to buy a oyster knife and I bet they will be hard to open if opened raw. But I may have to check out the free or $6 oyster roast in myrtle beach area.
re: LEsherick2007
i'm not a fan of oysters, but my husband is. down in houston we ate at a place that served oysters with a yuzu mignonette sauce. it was mysterious and so delicious. yuzu juice plus a mignonette sauce.
Beef bacon. As a previous poster said--intersting. Jerky-like. The first bit feels strange because we're so programmed for porky flavor. It was okay. Not sure I'd seek it out and pay extra for it.
Bought Ben and Jerry's Red Velvet Cake because it was on sale and still to-date at the discount grocery. Pretty good! Awfully rich but we managed to choke down the entire pint pretty quickly.
re: fldhkybnva
Ooh, that happened to me too with olives. Still prefer a nice green one (say, castelvetrano) to a black one...
Eggs Benedict with asparagus. It was nice, except I would have liked a more solid white and thicker yolk.
re: alkapal
I agree I just bought some made Truffled Parsley Scrambled Eggs today the later my mom made Popcorn with some Truffle Salt. Both were very good.
Butternut squash, roasted in the oven with a little water in the pan, scraped out of shell and mashed, with a good douse of fish sauce (vietnamese) and an onion, sliced thin and fried crispy and brown. This was astonishingly tasty.
hard boiled eggs cooked in soy sauce (which was in my bowl of chashu don) - loved it, want to try to make it at home.
brussel sprouts, steamed - still hate
kim chee - really and truly, almost made me throw up. i want to love it, but something just...smells...wrong.
taiwanese 5 spice meat rolls, and shrimp rolls - love, love, love
re: rmarisco
roast those sprouts the next time!
re: jbsiegel
been there. done that. still hate.
I had a tiny bite of what was likely good uni (I mean really, would Jean-Georges have subpar???) and didn't care for it. Totally a texture thing.
Maple candied bacon, so very good.
I baked bacon at 400F sprinkled heavily with powdered maple syrup and muscovado sugar. One layer thick on foil lined baking tray. Started in cold oven. Cooked to crispy, around 20 minutes. Drained, cooled, and eaten as a snack.

subset: commoncrawl


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Pedro Martin Nicaraguan Viajante Natural 8.5x52 (In Store Only)
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Each $90.95
Box of 25
Each $90.95
Box of 25
Item #876871
Size: Each
Type: Cigars
Country: Nicaragua
Wrapper: Nicaraguan
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