Avast! A newbie!

[potsnpanties]

Greetings and salutations DC inhabitants!

Consider me another food loving, dish creating girl to add to your community. I have a high appreciation for variety in cuisine, a chronic sweet tooth and a black belt in Kitchen Kung Fu (no sneaky food-swiping hand has a chance of survival in my kitchen whilst I cook...). Hopefully these credentials will mean I can be one of the DC inhabitants as well.

Also, just out of curiosity (since saying hello is never really enough of an introduction), I have a a question for you all: What is the most bizarre concoction of ingredients you have had in a dish that ended up being surprisingly delicious?

Hope to be contributing and learning more here in the future!

 

[Kathleen]

Welcome to DC!

I would think the first time I made a caviar-vodka sauce would be the bizarre combination for me. I tend to taste what I make a long the way. As I worked through the recipe, responses were "erm...ew. EW. Uh...ick....oh...wow. YUM." (The recipe has vodka, cream, cheeses, spices, etc. Then caviar and green onion.)

It was not until the caviar was added that the recipe had any hope at all.

~Kathleen

 

[Josie1945]

Welcome to DC

Josie

 

[potsnpanties]

I would think the first time I made a caviar-vodka sauce would be the bizarre combination for me. I tend to taste what I make a long the way. As I worked through the recipe, responses were "erm...ew. EW. Uh...ick....oh...wow. YUM." (The recipe has vodka, cream, cheeses, spices, etc. Then caviar and green onion.)

It was not until the caviar was added that the recipe had any hope at all.

~Kathleen

I can't help but get visions of original Iron Chef meets Russia with the thought of such a concoction. In theory I can see how it would work, like in some weird way yes it would very well work (complimentary ingredients working together in the end I guess... bizarre, yet complimentary)... but as a fellow 'taste through the process' cook, I can imagine how you had that kind of line of reactions I'm glad the result made up for the earlier tastes!

 

[Chief Longwind Of The North]

This is one of the recipes from my cookbook - "You Can Be A Great Cook With Soups, Stews, & Chowders". I took it as is from the book (since I wrote it) and share it on this thread. One of my daughters gave it a try and called me later to share her experience with it. She said that as she was making it, she had included all of the ingredients except for the cheese, and it just wasn't very good. She had spent the money for the ingredients and was making it for a pot luck. She was disappointed and felt that I had created a lousy soup recipe. She decided that she needed to have a small bowl-full with the cheese added. She tasted it a final time and discovered that it was really good. The flavors from the cheese balanced the soup and added enough saltiness to make it a winner. Her faith in me was restored (And I'm thankful for that!)

So here's my strange concoction.

[FONT=&quot]Havarti with Tomato, Tofu, & Herbs Soup[/FONT][FONT=&quot][/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Ready to try something new? I thought so. I'm going to introduce you to an ingredient that you normally wouldn't eat. But when you use it in this soup, you will have a new appreciation for it.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]But before I tell you what it is, I'm going to tell you something about it. It's high in protein, vitamins, minerals, isoflavones, and a host of other nutrients. Though it isn't fat free, it is low fat. It tends to capture the flavor of ingredients used with it. It has a rather bland flavor of its own, but is great for thickening creamy soups and fruit smoothies.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]What is this miracle ingredient? I'm glad you asked. It is Silken-Firm Tofu. Now before you move on to the next recipe, remember, tofu has very little flavor of its own. In this soup, it is used as a thickening agent. The cheese, herbs, spices, and tomato provide all the flavor this soup can handle. Try it. Taste it and make your own decision. You just might be surprised.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Ingredients:[/FONT][FONT=&quot][/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]1 cup Grape or Cherry Tomatoes, halved[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]1 cup Silken Firm Tofu[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]2 cups Chicken Stock or Broth[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]2 cloves Fresh Garlic, minced[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]2[/FONT][FONT=&quot] tsp. Sweet Basil[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]1/8 tsp. Oregano[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]2[/FONT][FONT=&quot] tsp. Salt[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]1/8 tsp. Thyme[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]1/4 tsp. Black Pepper[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]8 oz. Havarti Cheese, cubed into bite-size chunks[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Heat the broth over a medium flame until simmering. Add the garlic herbs, and spices. Blend in the tofu with a wire whisk or immersion blender until smooth. Add the tomatoes and let simmer for 15 minutes.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]When the soup is served, add the cheese cubes to the bowls. Complete the meal with a bowl of your favorite gelatin and some whipped cream.[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot][/FONT]
Seeeeeya; Goodweed of the North

 

[Zhizara]

Welcome to DC, PNP. I'll have to think about your question a bit, but I'll get back to you when my mind is working again. (Just back from shopping, catching a breather.)

 

[Kur]

Hi there PNP and everyone!

I'm a newbie here as well - found the site yesterday and was so impressed with the atmosphere I had register.

Let's see... the most recent thing I can think of that was sort of an odd combo, but turned out surprisingly good was an appetizer made with roasted red peppers, feta, capers, and preserved lemon... wait, I guess that's not really very odd is it? Hmm... I need to be more WILD in the kitchen.... Bacon and chocolate seems to be an odd combo but all the rage lately, maybe I should make bacon brownies... Or not...

I just googled bacon brownies, and there are recipes out there, has anyone here ever made them?

 

[spork]

Your introduction title sounded like an invitation for us to initiate someone green with an old-fashioned discussion board roasting! But, I see the Black Belt... I'm backing up slowly... Clearly, I will have to put some thought into my replies to your postings...

Welcome, PnP!
& Kur!

 

[Hoot]

Howdy and welcome to D.C., PNP and Kur!!!!
I been known to eat most ever'thing that walks, crawls or flies in my life. I will have to reflect on what the most bizarre combination would be.

 

[babetoo]

no funky recipes just a hearty welcome to d.c.

 

[potsnpanties]

Welcome to DC

Josie

Thank you, Josie!

 

[potsnpanties]

This is one of the recipes from my cookbook - "You Can Be A Great Cook With Soups, Stews, & Chowders". I took it as is from the book (since I wrote it) and share it on this thread. One of my daughters gave it a try and called me later to share her experience with it. She said that as she was making it, she had included all of the ingredients except for the cheese, and it just wasn't very good. She had spent the money for the ingredients and was making it for a pot luck. She was disappointed and felt that I had created a lousy soup recipe. She decided that she needed to have a small bowl-full with the cheese added. She tasted it a final time and discovered that it was really good. The flavors from the cheese balanced the soup and added enough saltiness to make it a winner. Her faith in me was restored (And I'm thankful for that!)

So here's my strange concoction.

[FONT=&quot]Havarti with Tomato, Tofu, & Herbs Soup[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Ready to try something new? I thought so. I'm going to introduce you to an ingredient that you normally wouldn't eat. But when you use it in this soup, you will have a new appreciation for it.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]But before I tell you what it is, I'm going to tell you something about it. It's high in protein, vitamins, minerals, isoflavones, and a host of other nutrients. Though it isn't fat free, it is low fat. It tends to capture the flavor of ingredients used with it. It has a rather bland flavor of its own, but is great for thickening creamy soups and fruit smoothies.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]What is this miracle ingredient? I'm glad you asked. It is Silken-Firm Tofu. Now before you move on to the next recipe, remember, tofu has very little flavor of its own. In this soup, it is used as a thickening agent. The cheese, herbs, spices, and tomato provide all the flavor this soup can handle. Try it. Taste it and make your own decision. You just might be surprised.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Ingredients:[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]1 cup Grape or Cherry Tomatoes, halved[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]1 cup Silken Firm Tofu[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]2 cups Chicken Stock or Broth[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]2 cloves Fresh Garlic, minced[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]2[/FONT][FONT=&quot] tsp. Sweet Basil[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]1/8 tsp. Oregano[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]2[/FONT][FONT=&quot] tsp. Salt[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]1/8 tsp. Thyme[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]1/4 tsp. Black Pepper[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]8 oz. Havarti Cheese, cubed into bite-size chunks[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Heat the broth over a medium flame until simmering. Add the garlic herbs, and spices. Blend in the tofu with a wire whisk or immersion blender until smooth. Add the tomatoes and let simmer for 15 minutes.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]When the soup is served, add the cheese cubes to the bowls. Complete the meal with a bowl of your favorite gelatin and some whipped cream.[/FONT]


Seeeeeya; Goodweed of the North

I'd never call myself an expert on any of these matters, but I'd wonder if the issue before adding the cheese was that there wasn't enough pop of flavor despite ingredients - that perhaps the ingredients fell into one another instead of working together (ie. cherry/grape tomatoes being quite sweet while silken tofu being bland, working with that amount of chicken stock). I guess that makes it a very good example of key ingredients tying things together so to speak (I kinda love when that happens).

Now I'm curious to taste this for myself, I think I need to hunt down some Havarti...

Thank you for sharing, Goodweed!

 

[potsnpanties]

Zhizara, babetoo - Thank you ^_^, would love to hear what you can think of once your mind has come down post-shop too, Zhizara.

 

[potsnpanties]

Let's see... the most recent thing I can think of that was sort of an odd combo, but turned out surprisingly good was an appetizer made with roasted red peppers, feta, capers, and preserved lemon... wait, I guess that's not really very odd is it? Hmm... I need to be more WILD in the kitchen.... Bacon and chocolate seems to be an odd combo but all the rage lately, maybe I should make bacon brownies... Or not...

I just googled bacon brownies, and there are recipes out there, has anyone here ever made them?

Huzzah another newbie, welcome Kur! Perhaps not totally odd but the addition of preserved lemon to me at least makes me curious to how it would taste all together (yet to use preserved lemon in a lot of things).
I still don't totally get the whole bacon and chocolate combination. As a chocoholic and a fan of bacon, to cross these over seems like an atrocious idea. Then again adding sweetness to bacon in any form I've never done so maybe they're onto something... still not sure if I'm game enough though.

Your introduction title sounded like an invitation for us to initiate someone green with an old-fashioned discussion board roasting! But, I see the Black Belt... I'm backing up slowly... Clearly, I will have to put some thought into my replies to your postings...

Sorry to disappoint, Spork. Not as seasoned as some, but confident in not being green. Be afraid. Be very afraid... j/k

Howdy and welcome to D.C., PNP and Kur!!!!
I been known to eat most ever'thing that walks, crawls or flies in my life. I will have to reflect on what the most bizarre combination would be.

Hi, Hoot! I have to ask, since you've been known to eat most everything of that variety, and covered quite a few at that... how about slithers?

 

[Hoot]

If you mean snakes, I have eaten a number of species. Cottonmouth moccasin, rattlesnake, and although not a snake, eel (which is one of my favorite fish).
"Course frog legs are mighty good and turtle is good, but a lot of work to get at the meat.

 

[Kayelle]

Sorry, but I'm still laffin over this mind picture I have of our beloved Kathleen with a bottle of Vodka in one hand and caviar in the other.


I'll be back when I get ahold of myself. In the meantime......a great big welcome to both of you.

 

[potsnpanties]

If you mean snakes, I have eaten a number of species. Cottonmouth moccasin, rattlesnake, and although not a snake, eel (which is one of my favorite fish).
"Course frog legs are mighty good and turtle is good, but a lot of work to get at the meat.

I've had friends who had quite frequent experiences over the years eating rattlesnake (as silly as this sounds, never occurred to me that other varieties like Cottonmouth would be used, yet makes perfect sense why they would be silly me) and others who would have Australian species. I call it Fugu Food

You have had quite a fine variety! I think in ways of 'exotic' meat, the one that made me truly curious is what crocodile must taste like, being both reptilian and amphibious at that. Not in the right location to grab some crocodile fillets to try it out but one day I will.

 

[Hoot]

Well, Crocodile is one meat that I haven't tried (Crocodiles being hard to come by in these parts), but alligator is mighty good. I have had (farm raised) alligator fried and in a sort of gumbo. It actually tastes a lot like rattlesnake and/or frog legs (neither of which, BTW, taste like chicken, regardless of reports to the contrary). Reptile meat is a dense meat, with little fat, snakes are mostly muscle meat and some folks call it tough. While it is a little chewy, a little extra cooking time and cutting the meat across the grain to shorten the muscle fiber will help. The taste is similar to pork but with a tinge of (and I hate to use the word because of negative connotations) fishiness (but in a good way.)
Of course, as with a lot of foods, the manner of preparation affects the taste, too.

 

[Kathleen]

Sorry, but I'm still laffin over this mind picture I have of our beloved Kathleen with a bottle of Vodka in one hand and caviar in the other.


I'll be back when I get ahold of myself. In the meantime......a great big welcome to both of you.

You know, Kayelle, the only reason I did not dump the entire thing before finishing it was that I did not have to "waste" any more vodka and the tin of caviar was already opened. But it really did turn out great....unlike the salmon mousse.....*shudders* Ah well, at least the mousse was pretty.

~Kathleen

 

[Rocklobster]

Hello. I make a ham and peanut butter soup that would freak you out.