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Post by gertie on Mar 6, 2010 9:16:33 GMT
I'm afraid to drag everything out and take pictures, I'm sort of a condiment collector as we go through phases of different sorts of food, plus some of my friends like to share. I always have good soy sauce, fish sauce, sweet red pepper sauce, Worcestershire sauce, at least two kinds of mustard and a couple types of home made mayo, cream cheese whipped with fresh herbs, several kinds of pickles, green onions, HP sauce, ketchup for my daughter, cherry peppers, several homemade jams and fruit butter, and at least one jar of chutney cluttering the door shelves of the fridge. Right now I have home made kimchi the neighbor makes by a recipe he learned in Korea. Tasty in the soup he's taught me to make which he also learned in Korea, but don't tell him my favorite use is on portobello mushroom fajitas. Just something about it. Yum! My new favorite condiment is Boar's Head Sweet Horseradish pickles.  I first tried them on buns with some wonderful garlic sausages, along with a rich grainy German mustard a friend gave me after her trip. I've got to remember to get the name from her, she brought back a large pot from her trip, and as she is the only one in her house who eats mustard, she brought us over about half which she had spooned into a clean jar. Those pickles have the most delectable taste, sweet with just the right bite. I never buy canned salsas either, one thing I can always get are great peppers, tomatillos, cilantro, lime, all the ingredients to make a wonderful fresh salsa. Ooops meant to add in Icy can't wait to read your blog. Had some Icelandic friends in college, my we had some times. Nothing like a pub crawl with a crowd of rowdy Icelanders, but I did show them the proper way to do Tequilla shots. Ahem -*looks round for the daughters*- I mean wow did we have some good times chatting about literature, studying hard, and going to bed nice and early!  |
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Post by lagatta on Mar 6, 2010 12:01:10 GMT
What do I use my little jar of sambal trassi for, hwinpp? Just eat it with rice?
Ha, Dutch imperialism in German supermarkets!
Perhaps you can find other brands in so-called "ethnic" East and Southeast Asian shops in Germany too. The ones I visited in Amsterdam didn't even carry Conimex products.
That was the extent of my tourism, by the way. I was really working all the time, and just got out for walks in the neighbourhood I was staying in, near Dappermarkt in the East End. Very good area for multi-culti, cheap, shopping.
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Post by Deleted on Mar 6, 2010 12:15:11 GMT
A thought just entered my mind: what on earth do the English use piccalilli with?
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Post by bixaorellana on Mar 6, 2010 15:31:16 GMT
Is piccalilli the same as chow chow?
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Post by Deleted on Mar 6, 2010 17:23:12 GMT
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Post by bixaorellana on Mar 6, 2010 19:16:50 GMT
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Post by hwinpp on Mar 9, 2010 9:59:47 GMT
What do I use my little jar of sambal trassi for, hwinpp? Just eat it with rice? Ha, Dutch imperialism in German supermarkets! Perhaps you can find other brands in so-called "ethnic" East and Southeast Asian shops in Germany too. The ones I visited in Amsterdam didn't even carry Conimex products. That was the extent of my tourism, by the way. I was really working all the time, and just got out for walks in the neighbourhood I was staying in, near Dappermarkt in the East End. Very good area for multi-culti, cheap, shopping. You could add it to plain rice, a bit simple though. Better to make a mixed stir fry with it, e.g. with chicken and a couple of colourful veggies. Then add the sambal. There were lots of SEA products on sale in Germany when I was there, Lobo, a Thai company stood out. They had a lot of pastes for everything from curries to tom yum, sold in sachets. |
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Post by Deleted on Mar 9, 2010 10:39:03 GMT
What is a shame all over Europe is that the top industrial brands have figured out that there is increasing interest in a lot of these items since people have travelled all over the place, so they are starting to bring out Europeanized versions of some of the products. And naturally it is all toned down and made blander so as to be more consensual. I can still avoid these products since I can buy the real stuff, but most people don't have the same access that I do.
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Post by lagatta on Mar 9, 2010 15:36:36 GMT
I don't know what a shame it is, kerouac. I've never gone to Thailand or Cambodia, and am unlikely to go there. I tend to take planes anymore only when I have a work or research-related reason to do so, and unless I am going to a conference in that area, would be unlikely to have such a reason. (Then I travel about usually by train or other land transport).
So I have relatively little access to some of those foods - some through the supermarkets and shops catering to Southeast Asian people, but there are very few Indonesians and Malaysians where I live, and not even very many Thais (there would be far more in Vancouver or even Toronto, and I will make a point of exploring some of the larger Asian markets when I'm next in Toronto). Most of the Southeast Asian people here in Mtl are from old "French Indochina".
Sure Knorr versions of these sauces are dubious at best, but there are some that seem to be made by and for say, Indonesian-Dutch (like the many Indian and other South Asian foods made in the UK by South Asian Britons). They do provide some access to these food palates. I've bookmarked Lobo for when I'm next in Germany. I have a good friend in a small Bavarian village who is an emergency surgeon (one of those "Doctors without borders" types). He's been everywhere from Central America to the Philippines and East Timor, and would love to get his hands on something a bit more exotic than sausages and sauerkraut, even in Munich (the closest large city, where there are many ethnic communities).
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Post by Deleted on Mar 22, 2010 19:53:13 GMT
I always do a certain amount of "in-room" dining when making a trip in North America, simply because I am attracted to certain supermarket items that seem wildly exotic and appealing to me after having to eat the boring food of France. So I have to buy some condiments as well, which I can never finish. If they are any good, the remainder comes home with me.
So with tonight's entrecôte and garlic roasted potatoes, I had Kroger's Horseradish Mustard. Kroger's appears to be the main supermarket chain of Georgia (and maybe some neighboring states?).
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Post by Don Cuevas on Mar 22, 2010 23:00:22 GMT
A thought just entered my mind: what on earth do the English use piccalilli with? That is the sort of grammar up with which we shall not put. |
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Post by lagatta on Mar 24, 2010 16:16:59 GMT
Evidently that rule is antiquated, Don. I've seen many reputable grammar and style books saying it is perfectly acceptable to end an English sentence with a preposition, and that the old rule comes from an attempt to impose Latinate grammar on English, a Germanic language (despite its large number of words from Latin languages).
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Post by Deleted on May 7, 2010 11:42:34 GMT
I made Bixa's loquat chutney this past week. I had long wanted to do so but,loquat season here had not rolled around yet after she posted it last year.(Still seems so odd that they come in so much later in Oaxaca then they do here...  ) Anyway,I am really thrilled with the results.Everyone thus far,has raved about it,It has a nice bite to it thanks to the jalapeno peppers and the dry mustard.One person said that they would like to have it be hotter but,I quite like the existing flavor. More than anything,I am thrilled to now have something useful to do with these golden nuggets,as I hate,absolutely hate,seeing them go to waste!! |
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Post by bixaorellana on May 7, 2010 16:34:09 GMT
I can't tell you how tickled I am to hear that! You know, we post about our various food triumphs or discoveries and try to tell how really good they are, but it's truly a treat to know someone else shared the pleasure. Thanks! (I'll just use this opportunity to show off again ~~ here is the recipe at #29, and a small bit of commentary on the next page.) |
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Post by Deleted on Jul 8, 2010 20:11:04 GMT
Tonight I bought 2 jars of Tunisian things. I have already started eating the 'red' one and it is sensational.  |
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Post by lagatta on Jul 10, 2010 0:13:10 GMT
Good to know, as those conserves of tasty when fresh or homemade Maghrebi things vary wildly in quality. The nice presentation does inspire confidence.
What do you do with the preserved chachouka? Add it to freshly-made chachouka? I'll post a recipe in recipes, but there are many variations.
Did you buy those in a shop in your neighbourhood?
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Post by Deleted on Jul 10, 2010 4:45:15 GMT
I bought those in the shop right next to my apartment, where I almost never go. I have almost finished the jar of chachouka.
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Post by Deleted on Jul 11, 2010 17:02:25 GMT
I am currently in the process of making a balsamic vinegar based sauce with fresh figs. I wanted to do something different this year,other than the usual preserves.
So far,is looking and tasting fantastic. Will post a pic and ingredients when I finish it.
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Post by Deleted on Jul 21, 2010 11:33:59 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Sept 8, 2010 8:48:05 GMT
When I was little, the restaurants in France had a little metal contraption holding salt and pepper shakers, little bottles of oil and vinegar and a little pot of mustard. You could not imagine setting foot in any restaurant and not finding that on the table. They're gone forever from Paris.  You can still see them out in the boondocks from time to time. |
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Post by hwinpp on Sept 8, 2010 9:24:02 GMT
... They're gone forever from Paris. ... Some new regulation? |
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Post by Deleted on Sept 8, 2010 9:47:45 GMT
No, I think they just lost their usefulness. People don't want to make their own salad dressing anymore, and the old tradition of making mustard tartines until you cry while waiting for your meal has not been carried on by new generations.
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Post by mickthecactus on Sept 8, 2010 10:42:22 GMT
A thought just entered my mind: what on earth do the English use piccalilli with? Cold meats for me and sometimes in sandwiches. |
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Post by lagatta on Sept 8, 2010 12:10:14 GMT
In Italy you still find the oil and vinegar, but good mustard is relatively rare there.
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Post by lagatta on Sept 8, 2010 12:19:22 GMT
Cripes, I separated an egg to make a bit of mayonnaise, and now I can't find my whisk. I doubt I could do it successfully with a fork. How on earth does one misplace a whisk? There are about two or three dirty dishes, and where on earth would one put it other than the utensil drawer? Aieeee.
Whew, found the whisk. It was on my table, clean. Why on earth did I put it there? I know many home cooks have probably always used a fork, but I had a hard time making mayo until recently, and didn't want to waste olive oil trying. I also put in some mustard powder, which is not only tasty but also a thickener. And lime juice, not vinegar.
It is a lot of work for a wee bit of mayo (probably good exercise though), but good mayo is expensive, and I'm still on a very tight budget. (I HATE the sweet North American stuff).
There is a good kind made in North America though - in California, by the Ojai cook. Lemonnaise, and another with lime and hot chillis. Not sweet.
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Post by mickthecactus on Sept 8, 2010 12:20:14 GMT
Oil and vinegar in Spain too.
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Post by mickthecactus on Sept 8, 2010 12:23:43 GMT
Funnily enough it's Worcester sauce here - and I have it on and in so many meals........ |
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Post by bixaorellana on Sept 8, 2010 16:07:33 GMT
LaGatta, are Hellmann's and Kraft mayonnaises available in Canada? I believe they might contain some sugar, but I don't find them sweet at all. Hellmann's has a bit more body and a hint of mustard, whereas Kraft is "creamier", that quality that manufacturers think we all crave. Kraft also produces something called "Miracle Whip". I don't care for it at all because it's sweet. However, in casual polls of friends, it seems many of their mothers bought that for the home, leaving those now-grown children forever turned against what they perceive as mayonnaise. www.neatorama.com/2006/12/22/whats-the-difference-miracle-whip-vs-mayonnaise/Mick, if you can bear to do this to beer, it's worth trying. One of these on a hot day is an attitude adjuster like no other. |
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Post by mickthecactus on Sept 8, 2010 16:13:58 GMT
Gawd, I'm not sure I could do/drink that..............
Maybe if I was in Mexico.....
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Post by lagatta on Sept 8, 2010 16:55:26 GMT
Yes, Hellman's and Kraft are available here, but I do find them too sweet. I guess I'm a supertaster about that. In terms of bought mayonnaise, I only like some French and Belgian kinds, and, as I said, the Californian Ojai Cook Lemonnaise www.thenibble.com/zine/archives/the-ojai-cook.asp (mmm, and a lot like what I've just made). One product you must have had - and I never have - is Duke's mayonnaise, common in the southern US - no sugar whatsoever. I don't see the point of adding hot sauce to a shandy, which should be extremely refreshing, not hot. Perhaps for chilli addicts? |
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