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Kaneohegirlinaz

Wannabe TV Chef
Joined
Aug 2, 2014
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Location
Central/Northern AZ, gateway to The Grand Canyon
I did a search of DC and didn't find a thread on this topic, so...

In regards to cooking/food, of course,
what is it that you've learned that you had no clue about previously?

A few days ago, I found a taste treat from back home...

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Fresh Lychee!

DH went bonkers!
"Where did you find these?"
I got so excited, I sent a photo to my Mother,
Me: "Mom, Mom, MOM! You'll never guess what I found!"
Mom went bonkers!
"Put some in the freezer for me, that's if they're not to pricey."

Twice none, here in the middle of the desert, I've found fresh Lychee but they were WAY expensive.
This time was a totally different story.

So, my lesson for today...
I had no idea that you could freeze, fresh-whole-unpeeled Lychee,
AND they will last in the freeze for up to a year!

Mom, you're getting TWO bags of fresh Lychee.

(*note: In Hawaii we say Lie-Chee not Lee-Chee)
 
In south Florida, the main growing season is from fall through spring. In the Redland, they grow lychees and other tropical fruit. Have you ever had a Longan?
 
I can understand your homesickness for Hawaii. But since you are living here, take a bite of your great find and close your eyes while you dream of being back home. Think of your childhood and how much you loved your new found fruit and would eat them.
 
I love a good lychee. When I was a kid, my parents could only afford to take us out to dinner a few times a year, and it was usually to the same Chinese restaurant. We would always end the meal with a choice of ice cream or lychees in syrup (from a can, much like peaches). Since all of my siblings would get the ice cream, I would get a huge bowl of the lychees and pig out.
Then I couldn't sit still on the ride home from the sugar rush.

It wasn't until later in life that I had fresh lychees, which were delicious without the syrup.

Enjoy your lychees, k-girl.

On topic, though, I recently discovered that gluten free bread is pretty good. DW is into this gluten free, non-gmo kick lately, so I "get" to try a lot of stuff with her. So far the par-baked bread that she finishes baking right before dinner was tasty.
 
In south Florida, the main growing season is from fall through spring. In the Redland, they grow lychees and other tropical fruit. Have you ever had a Longan?

No Craig, not yet, but I understand they taste just like lychee.
I've seen them fresh at the green grocer, but again, pricey!

I love a good lychee. When I was a kid, my parents could only afford to take us out to dinner a few times a year, and it was usually to the same Chinese restaurant. We would always end the meal with a choice of ice cream or lychees in syrup (from a can, much like peaches). Since all of my siblings would get the ice cream, I would get a huge bowl of the lychees and pig out.
Then I couldn't sit still on the ride home from the sugar rush.

It wasn't until later in life that I had fresh lychees, which were delicious without the syrup.

Enjoy your lychees, k-girl.

On topic, though, I recently discovered that gluten free bread is pretty good. DW is into this gluten free, non-gmo kick lately, so I "get" to try a lot of stuff with her. So far the par-baked bread that she finishes baking right before dinner was tasty.

Right Bucky! Up to this point, it's been canned lychee. I've had quite a few GF baked goods of late, thanks to Mrs. Dear Friend who is a GF-DF-Vegan now for about a year.
 
Here's what I learned today ...

I went to make some more Vinaigrette, and was down to last bit of Red Wine Vinegar...
DING! :idea:
Why not just make it IN the vinegar bottle?

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UM... it was a little tough there, what with the narrow neck/opening of the bottle. I went rooting around in my kitchen drawers and found a funnel small enough, but I still had to dig out a chopstick to shove the minced Garlic in.

:huh::ermm::LOL::chef:

I think I'll stick with the wider mouthed Mason Jar that I've been using for YEARS!
 
Umm, no longans do NOT taste like lychees at leadt to me. I like lychees, but umm gag with longans.
 
Funny K-girl! Yup, sometimes the old ways are the best ways!

Speaking of Red Wine Vinegar... Do you shake up the sediment to incorporate as you get towards the bottom of the bottle? Or do you carefully pour off the vinegar so as not to let any of the sediment go with it.

I also ran into a lady at the grocers... she mentioned that she freezes her cottage cheese, sour creme, etc. I did not know that you could. But I will be testing it out REAL soon.

That's my larnin' fer t'day!
 
Funny K-girl! Yup, sometimes the old ways are the best ways!

Speaking of Red Wine Vinegar... Do you shake up the sediment to incorporate as you get towards the bottom of the bottle? Or do you carefully pour off the vinegar so as not to let any of the sediment go with it.

I also ran into a lady at the grocers... she mentioned that she freezes her cottage cheese, sour creme, etc. I did not know that you could. But I will be testing it out REAL soon.

That's my larnin' fer t'day!

Yes, I do give the bottle a shake up before using it. The bottom of the bottle is an odd shade of red I'm guessing from that sediment.

And I'd like to hear about your experience with freezing dairy. I was always told that if you froze dairy, you could cook with it but the consistency would be off for say, sour cream on taters or 1/2 & 1/2 in your coffee, that it separates.
 
don't know where I read it, could even have been here on DC, but supposedly the more fat content the less liable the separation. I would have thought it was the opposite.

the lady that parted with that info on freezing - said to defrost slowly. I take that as put it in the fridge to defrost.... guessing that it depends on how big the container is would dictate how long it took to defrost.

I got some sour creme and cottage cheese on sale. think I might package it up in 1/2 cup measures to freeze and see how it works.

If it doesn't... I'm sure I'll find a way to incorporate it into .... something! :LOL:

Have to go on an austerity program for the next several months in order to pay for bathroom reno's.

I need to have my anklet re-activated - you know, the one that sends off a piercing alarm when I enter a grocery aisle with 'meat/fish/shellfish' or 'vegies'. Or if I approach a "kitchen wares" aisle or specialty store... the store has a 1 kilometer limit! :neutral: :ohmy: :(
 
don't know where I read it, could even have been here on DC, but supposedly the more fat content the less liable the separation. I would have thought it was the opposite.

the lady that parted with that info on freezing - said to defrost slowly. I take that as put it in the fridge to defrost.... guessing that it depends on how big the container is would dictate how long it took to defrost.

I got some sour creme and cottage cheese on sale. think I might package it up in 1/2 cup measures to freeze and see how it works.

If it doesn't... I'm sure I'll find a way to incorporate it into .... something! :LOL:

Have to go on an austerity program for the next several months in order to pay for bathroom reno's.

I need to have my anklet re-activated - you know, the one that sends off a piercing alarm when I enter a grocery aisle with 'meat/fish/shellfish' or 'vegies'. Or if I approach a "kitchen wares" aisle or specialty store... the store has a 1 kilometer limit! :neutral: :ohmy: :(

:huh::ohmy::LOL:

Man, the Canadian culinary penal system is tough.

:ROFLMAO:
 
We had the GE appliance guy here a little while ago,
and he gave me a really great energy saving tip:
When doing laundry, as soon as you take out a load
from the dryer, put in the next one from the washer;
don't let the dryer cool off once you've got it hot
from that first load.
Makes sense to me.
 
Ya Learn Something New Every Day

Oh my, I won't be doing this again!

I was in the Dollar Store, just poking around.
I saw this off brand of liquid dish soap,
a big bottle for a buck.
I figure, ok this couldn't be so bad, I'll give it a try.

MISTAKE!

That is terrible soap, it takes three times as much
soap as my regular purchase of Costco brand soap.
The Costco soap goes along way with just one squirt.
 
Oh my, I won't be doing this again!

I was in the Dollar Store, just poking around.
I saw this off brand of liquid dish soap,
a big bottle for a buck.
I figure, ok this couldn't be so bad, I'll give it a try.

MISTAKE!

That is terrible soap, it takes three times as much
soap as my regular purchase of Costco brand soap.
The Costco soap goes along way with just one squirt.

I've tried the cheaper dish soaps, I always end up back with my Blue Dawn.
 
The cheap stuff is so thin, like it's watered down. I think their business model is if everyone tries it once and learns the harxd way that it's cheap, at least they snookered in each of us once at a profit.
 
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