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Post by Deleted on Jun 10, 2009 17:52:00 GMT
There are hundreds if not thousands of condiments. Some people love them and can't imagine eating a meal without using them while others avoid condiments and want their food 'natural.'
Mustard, mayonnaise, ketchup, chili sauce, chutney, steak sauce, mango pickle, piccalilli, mint sauce, horseradish, pesto, guacamole, salsa, fish sauce, anchovy paste, soy sauce, wasabi, tartar sauce...
Do you use all sorts of sauces regularly or do you tend to avoid them? I myself go through phases of wanting condiments, but I discover that I rarely finish them. A bottle of ketchup can last well over a year in my kitchen, and I am always discovering half jars of expired horseradish or tartar sauce.
On the other hand, I am a regular user of mayonnaise and soy sauce, among a few others. Fish sauce like nuoc mam and chili sauce like Tabasco tend to get used in my kitchen more in marinades rather than as condiments.
What about you?
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Post by bixaorellana on Jun 10, 2009 18:08:54 GMT
I use condiments, and am trying to think which ones are totally indispensable. I think I'd have to put chopped onion on the top of that list, as I enjoy it with all kinds of things. Ketchup can last forever in my kitchen, too, as it's only a small ingredient in something else and never a stand-alone. I bought a new brand (for me) of soy sauce lately and found I'll need the large economy size of it next time. Mitsuki is a whole other animal from the Kikkoman I'd been using, and I keep finding new excuses to use it. There are always several different bottles of hot sauce in my kitchen and I'll whip up a salsa whenever it seems needed. Oh yeah -- one condiment you didn't mention that's a constant in my life is lime juice. Another is ground cayenne, which I buy in bulk. A couple of things mentioned above I think of as food, rather than condiments, such as pesto and guacamole. Well, for me that would include chutney, but I do know it's not supposed to be eaten as though it were mashed potatoes.  |
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Post by Deleted on Jun 10, 2009 18:46:08 GMT
There is fine line (which is obviously debatable) between condiments and seasonings. For me, lime juice and cayenne are seasonings.
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Post by bixaorellana on Jun 10, 2009 18:57:34 GMT
I guess I think of condiments as seasonings that are added at the table, which is why I include lime juice and cayenne. But whatever.  I get a little sullen when condiments are mentioned because some of my favorites, such as horseradish, are not available here. |
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Post by imec on Jun 10, 2009 19:03:28 GMT
I have a fridge full, but these ones are my very best friends that I really would not like to have to live without.  |
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Post by Deleted on Jun 10, 2009 19:14:50 GMT
This is a great thread. We had to replace all our refrigerated condiments and the whole refrigerator come to mention it after Katrina. So,cruising down the condiment aisle in the grocery Mr. C. and I were like kids in a candy store. All our favorite condiments went flying into the basket. First and foremost was mayonnaise,second was Zatarain's Creole mustard followed by a Dijon. Then,horseradish,Kosher dill pickles,sweet relish and a small bottle of ketchup. We use them pretty much in that order.Unrefrigerated would be tamari (soy),worcestire(sp?),and a variety of hot sauces.If vinegars qualify then apple cider,white,red wine and balsamic.
Almost all the groceries were out of the locally produced items either because of demand or the factory flooded/damaged.
I often wonder where all those refrigerators and their contents ended up.
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Post by bixaorellana on Jun 10, 2009 19:16:59 GMT
Someone likes habaneros! I have a bottle of the El Yucateco going right now. Imec, pounce on Melinda's  if you see it. It comes in different "hots" and has a great depth of flavor. I see the company is now selling pure ground habanero in bottles and a mango/habanero hot sauce too. Whoo boy! |
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Post by imec on Jun 10, 2009 19:17:18 GMT
And surely some Peychaud's, casimira (although more an indredient tna a condiment) - for that perfect Sazerac
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Post by imec on Jun 10, 2009 19:19:22 GMT
I'll look for that bixa - although I'm only mildly masochistic.
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Post by Deleted on Jun 10, 2009 19:29:26 GMT
 the ultimate mustard |
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Post by bixaorellana on Jun 11, 2009 2:35:59 GMT
I hate you.
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Post by Deleted on Jun 11, 2009 3:09:55 GMT
I have jars lining the bin of STUFF marked" for Bixa",it's borderline hoarding dear girl! Tell us the story of trying to make it PLEASE?
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Post by hwinpp on Jun 11, 2009 3:53:53 GMT
Oh, mustard... yes, that's something I don't indulge in much anymore. I'm the only one in the house that uses it so I've stopped buying. Mayo is good, I've got a bottle in my fridge. Sometimes I just eat it with baguette.
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Post by happytraveller on Jun 11, 2009 10:47:26 GMT
Oooh that creole mustard looks delicious Casimira !
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Post by lagatta on Jun 11, 2009 11:56:06 GMT
What is in creole mustard? Is it hot and spicy?
I've never seen Melinda, even in Latin-American shops (including a couple that are specialised in Mexican cuisines). El Yucateco sauces are easy to find though.
imec, so that President's Choice salsa is good? It looked tempting, but I don't always like bottled salsa. This time of year, I mix a little tin of the Mexican salsa in with fresh tomatoes, mild onion, cilantro etc as we don't have any ripe local field tomatoes yet (tomatillos are also available later in the season, at Jean-Talon market near my house).
That Vietnamese-style ground chilli sauce is a food group for me. I also use fish sauce more in cooking than at the table.
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Post by imec on Jun 11, 2009 12:09:17 GMT
imec, so that President's Choice salsa is good? It looked tempting, but I don't always like bottled salsa. This time of year, I mix a little tin of the Mexican salsa in with fresh tomatoes, mild onion, cilantro etc as we don't have any ripe local field tomatoes yet (tomatillos are also available later in the season, at Jean-Talon market near my house). lagatta we are SO on the same wavelength here. I too normally eschew bottled salsa and follow a procedure similar to yours using good canned tomatoes, green onions, LOTS of cilantro, lime juice etc. I couldn't resist the temptation of the salsa verde in the bottle however and now my wife and I are completely hooked on it. It was absent from the shelves a few weeks ago so I bought several bottles last time I saw it. My wife commented last night at dinner that the PC salsa verde transformed the bbq'd cheeseburgers I served for dinner. As I'm down to 2 bottles, I will stock up again this weekend. Winnipeg's largest farmers market is just down the street from where we live (St. Norbert) but the tomatillos don't show up until very late July or August. |
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Post by tillystar on Jun 11, 2009 12:19:00 GMT
I love condiments. I think thats why I love chips and plain old pork sausages so much, just as carriers for my condiments.
My favorites are tabasco on chips, brown sauce or lemon juice on sausages. I love buying and trying new ones I haven't seen before, different chilli sauces, different soys, different mustards, etc.
THE BEST CONDIMENT EVER award goes to lime pickle. Lime pickle is great with anything, sometimes I even like plain basmati rice with some on the side. Or in a fish finger sandwich. Or on its own on a spoon... Oh that reminds me - pappadums with a variety of condiments is just great - mango chutney, coriander sauce, onion salad, yoghurt and mint. Mmmmmmmm.
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Post by imec on Jun 11, 2009 12:34:13 GMT
And they're a communications tool as well...  |
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Post by Deleted on Jun 11, 2009 12:44:31 GMT
LOL imec,I'll have to remember that one. tilly,have to ask,what is "brown sauce",and "lime pickle"? Adore these colloquialisms but don't know what they mean   |
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Post by tillystar on Jun 11, 2009 13:03:29 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Jun 11, 2009 13:03:32 GMT
I have a jar of both lime pickle and garlic pickle. They are both killer strength.
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Post by bixaorellana on Jun 11, 2009 15:10:11 GMT
What is in creole mustard? Is it hot and spicy? A thick, pungent, spicy, coarse local mustard used on po-boys as well as an ingredient in many dishes. The mustard seeds are marinated before preparation. If you can't find this where you live, substitute a coarse-grained, country-style whole-seed Dijon mustard. <--- from the web. Ingredients listed as: Water, Distilled Vinegar, Ground Mustard Seed, Salt, Propylene, Glycol Alginate.I've never seen Melinda, even in Latin-American shops (including a couple that are specialised in Mexican cuisines). El Yucateco sauces are easy to find though. Interesting. I think of Melinda's as a US brand, even though it's from Belize. Don't remember seeing El Yucateco in the States, but haven't lived there for a long time.That Vietnamese-style ground chilli sauce is a food group for me. Hee hee ;D Good one, LaGatta! |
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Post by imec on Jun 11, 2009 16:21:10 GMT
Form further back in the fridge and stuff not yet opened... (hey, this is a bit like showing someone your underwear drawer - lets see yours)  note the brown sauce on the far left |
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Post by Deleted on Jun 11, 2009 17:01:29 GMT
In France, whole seed mustard is generally moutarde de Meaux (Meaux mustard), but whenever the term moutarde à l'ancienne is used, it will have whole seeds. |
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Post by traveler63 on Jun 11, 2009 17:37:31 GMT
Yes, we use the requisite condiments. Ketchup, good, dijon mustard, light mayo. We also love Tabasco Sauce, especially the chipolte. We use other hot sauces too. Salsa, I generally make and I also love Tomatillo salsa. We use some tartar sauce, but generally do fish with its own sauce, like dill. I really think if you cook the item and use good herbs, etc, it tastes better. Sauces or condiments should enhance not cover the flavors
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Post by Don Cuevas on Jun 11, 2009 17:49:16 GMT
Give me a few hours to get it all together, then I'll take a picture of all my (visible, known) condments, and I'll post the picture. Does kimchi count? Edit: I will say that at the table, we use a lot of Salsas Cosecha Purhépecha, esp. the Salsa de Chile de Árbol and the Chipotle.    |
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Post by bjd on Jun 11, 2009 18:53:19 GMT
I envy you all your spicy stuff. French food is generally not very spicy and it has only been in the past few years that I have been able to get "exotic" foods at the supemarket. Even so, when they stock Patak's curry paste, they tend only to have mild, whereas I want the strong stuff. Yesterday I bought some American spicy sauce called Bulliard's Louisiana Supreme, but they must have made it specially for the French market -- it's not that hot at all.
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Post by imec on Jun 11, 2009 19:07:03 GMT
If you are able to make the trip to Le Verdier in July I can bring you all the hot sauce you want...
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Post by Deleted on Jun 11, 2009 19:17:29 GMT
imec,your stash is so orderly and neat. I lack the storage space for all my stuff so it's really crammed into the dinky pantry.At least I know what is where, as does Mr. C., so we don't have to forage tooo much.
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Post by imec on Jun 11, 2009 19:30:53 GMT
imec,your stash is so orderly and neat. I lack the storage space for all my stuff so it's really crammed into the dinky pantry.At least I know what is where, as does Mr. C., so we don't have to forage tooo much. ;D It's staged. |
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