Old food items

[bixaorellana]

Hmmm. The more I read the first recipe, the more the little question marks accumulated over my head.
My first thought was that it was some kind of Peruvian mole, as a pound of ground peanuts plus a small package of cookies would make it thick. Imagine my surprise when I looked up the mystery ingredients (aji-no-moto and sillao = msg & soy sauce), which I'd assumed to be unobtainable Peruvian specialty items.
Galletas de vainilla sounds like vanilla wafers, but maybe that's what galletas maria are called in Peru. They'd be a more logical choice.

Anyway, here is the recipe translation, along with a recipe for arroz graneado. Odd, very odd.

Carapulcra con Pollo
200 grams of toasted peanuts, ground
500 grams of dried potato
1 chopped onion
3 cloves of garlic, thoroughly crushed
1 bay leaf
3 cloves
1 small package of vanilla wafers
1 chicken bouillon cube
2 tablespoons of red chile, (dried chile, soaked & ground)
2 tablespoons of yellow chile, ditto
2 tablespoons of sugar
1 chicken breast, cut into pieces
7 cups of water
Oil
Salt, pepper, cumin, MSG, & soy sauce

The day before, choose well the dried potatoes [maybe they mean try to get them all near the same size]. Toast them and let them soak all night.
In a pot, fry the onion and bay leaf in oil, add the garlic and red chile, season with salt, pepper, & cumin, and sauté.
Add the peanuts, potatoes, cloves, yellow chile, water, sugar, bouillon cube, MSG, & cookies and let it cook.
Meanwhile, marinate the chicken in soy sauce for five minutes, then fry it in oil in a skillet until golden. Remove it into the pot and cook over a low flame until the dried potatoes are done.
Serve with arroz graneado

(arroz graneado)
3 cups of rice
3 cups of boiling water
3 tablespoons of oil
2 cloves of garlic, well crushed
1 tablespoon of salt
lemon or lime

Wash and drain the rice and let it dry.
Heat the oil in a pot and fry the garlic. When it’s golden, add the rice and salt.
Fry it well, stirring constantly. Afterward, add the 3 cups of water and some drops of lemon so the rice will stay white.
Cook until dried [until water evaporates?], on a low fire for 5 minutes [crunchy rice!]
If you stir it, use a fork.

In my usual clever way, it occurred to me to look up "carapulcra" after everything else.
It seems to be a kind of chili.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Looking up aji panca from the second recipe, I found this:
One of the most common chile peppers in Peru, this chile is considered to be one of the larger types of chilies grown. Growing from 3 to 5 inches in length, the aji panca has a somewhat thick flesh that matures from a green to dark red in color. This chile is mild in heat intensity and provides a fruity, berry-like flavor that goes well in stews, sauces and fish dishes.
I would say to substitute chile ancho, which I think can be found in supermarkets in the US nowadays.
Looking up chile mirasol and chile amarillo, then comparing the results with the above, I think you could use any dried and reconstituted chiles for the dish, adjusting for personal heat tolerance.
I see no reason this couldn't be made with cubed regular potatoes, first fried golden on the outside. Then, leave out the msg, use galletas marias or even zwieback for the cookies ("small pkg" = 7-10 cookies?), and add sugar very sparingly to taste.
What does everyone else think?

[lagatta]

The "link" was in the original recipe posted on a website, but someone had sent me the recipe in an e-mail - suppose I could find it by googling.

Well, freeze-dried potatoes are an ancient Inca technology, though the French's brand does not appeal - instant potato flakes always remind me of something to make wallpaper paste from.

Thanks for the translation work, bixa! I was lazy eh?

I thought "vanilla wafers" was strange too, but I wouldn't use such a sweet thing anyway; perhaps just cracker crumbs or breadcrumbs. And no msg of course - have no intention of eathing that.

Indeed carapulcra seems to resemble chile. I'd use the chillies one has on hand and likes to use.

I wanted to find a recipe for the papa seca I had on hand, but of course it could be made with normal potatoes (the more waxy types, not the softer ones).

Those rice cooking times did seem strange, though I figured most people know how to cook rice.

[Don Cuevas]

tinyurl.com/y8rlp9h
The pork version is available, also.

[lagatta]

I went to the butcher's/grocery round the corner and noted a different brand of the same papa seca specifying "papa seca amarillo", so that does convey the idea that if there are yellow ones, there are also other colours of papa seca, as someone here has seen - the deep blue ones, if I recall.

[Deleted]

I keep thinking of potato flakes when I think of this item but at the same time, I have an ancient bag of dried pineapple cubes some of which I sometimes throw into curries or even rice, and it always hydrates amazingly and turns back into pineapple. So potato bits can obviously do the same thing.

[imec]

With the exception of produce and cheese/meats etc. bought from a counter, most packaged foods today come with a "best before" date. Do you pay attention to them? Do you discard some/all foods if the best before date has passed?

I routinely buy cheese at my supermarket which is marked down by 50% as the best before date grows near. I can usually tell the condition of the cheese by looking at it. I often use bottled salad dressings beyond their best before dates. Various hot sauces get used well beyond their best before date. I always chuck eggs and dairy and meat.

[joanne28]

If a sauce has vinegar in it and it's in the fridge, I don't worry much about it. I am reasonably careful with mayonnaise & dairy but normally don't buy huge amounts.

Fungus or whatever on hard cheese gets cut off and I keep the cheese. I mean, cheese is the marriage between milk and bacteria so I don't fret.

Canned foods - I use a few but normally don't have a lot. I have had some really old tins - I've tossed really old "I must try this some day" tins.

I use common sense and my nose.

[Deleted]

I also use common sense and have learned through experience that most (but not all) canned goods are still good five years after the expiration date -- and I still find one from time to time. Of course, it is perfectly true that if one has kept a tin of something that long, one does not really have an intention of eating it.

I served a big tin of foie gras that was already 2 years beyond the date at a dinner party once, and everybody found it to be really excellent.

[Deleted]

Can I eat a steack past its consumption date ? The steack in my fridge (packaged meat) has come to its expiry date 3 days ago. I put it in the freezer only yesterday when I realized that the date had expired. Before that it was just in the 'normal' part of the fridge (not the freezer). Do you think it's still safe to eat it ?
Do you feel the prospect of eating expired meat disgusting?
I normally don't eat food past its consumption date but I hate having to throw meat in the garbage.

[lagatta]

With a steak, I very much doubt it's a problem. Give it the sniff test, and don't eat it ultra rare if you are worried.

[Deleted]

The sniff test is sufficient, unless you are the sort of person whose gastric zones can be perturbed just by thinking about it too much.

[onlymark]

YOU'RE GOING TO DIE!! DON'T EAT IT!!


Sorry. Just wanted to balance out the posts.

[Don Cuevas]

Perhaps the best steak I ever cooked (over a charcoal fire) was one that the butcher had "reduced for quick sale". It looked grayish, but when taken off the fire, was the most tender, savory meat we'd ever eaten.

[Deleted]

On mustn't forget that mustard and other condiments were invented to disguise the taste of spoiled food.

[Deleted]

I am real squeamish about this,or at least, I was,until,like Don C.,my husband cooked us a steak,on the grill,that was one of the best,most tender I could recall. My husband eventually fessed up that he had taken to going to the butcher department of the local grocery on Sunday mornings when these date expired offerings were available and that he snatched them up without a second thought to it. That was a few years back. We haven't done this in awhile.
My only real drawback to this practice is that aside from the smell test,the sticky,slimy like texture on the surface of the meat is most unappealing. And,I know for certain,that I would not buy ground beef that had this color to it,so why an unground cut of the same meat and not the other, I ask myself?
My husband contends,as does our dear friend,quite the gourmand,that some of the best beef available for consumption,hangs on meat hooks until almost greenish in color,past the gray phase that we are talking about here...
I'm thinking that how long it's been refrigerated and then allowed to be at room temperature would be a major factor. Constants in temperature usually have a dramatic effect on whether or not a food item is still safe to eat,no?
Along these same lines,I have a jar of goose fat that a friend of ours brought back from London,say 3,maybe 4 years ago now. The jar is vacuum sealed,and there it sits in the refrigerator. I cannot bring myself to throw it away because I somehow believe that's it's still good.I recall having discussed it or mentioning it in a thread on here some time ago. Dare I try and find out?
You're on your own Askar,good luck. I wish I could be of more assistance. You go first,ok?

[lagatta]

Ground meat is FAR more dangerous in terms of contamination than hunks of muscle. Ideally it should either be ground in front of you, by the butcher, or you should do it yourself at home.

[Deleted]

From Wikipedia:

Dry-aged beef is beef that has been hung to dry for several weeks. After the animal is slaughtered and cleaned, either an entire half will be hung, or primal cuts (large distinct sections) will be placed in a cooler, also known as a "hot box". This process involves considerable expense, as the beef must be stored at or near freezing temperatures. Also, only the higher grades of meat can be dry aged, as the process requires meat with a large, evenly distributed fat content. For these reasons one seldom sees dry-aged beef outside of steak restaurants and upscale butcher shops. The key effect of dry aging is the concentration of the flavor. It is generally accepted that the taste of dry-aged beef is almost incomparable to that of wet-aged, with four weeks being a recommended minimum.

The process enhances beef by two means. First, moisture is evaporated from the muscle. This creates a greater concentration of beef flavor and taste. Second, the beef’s natural enzymes break down the connective tissue in the muscle, which leads to more tender beef.

Dry aging of beef is rare in super-markets in the United States today, due to the significant loss of weight in the aging process. It is found in steakhouses and certain restaurants.

The process of dry-aging usually also promotes growth of certain fungal (mold) species on the external surface of the meat. This doesn't cause spoilage, but actually forms an external "crust" on the meat's surface, which is trimmed off when the meat is prepared for cooking. These fungal species complement the natural enzymes in the beef by helping to tenderize and increase the flavor of the meat. The genus Thamnidia, in particular, is known to produce collagenolytic enzymes which greatly contribute to the tenderness and flavor of dry-aged meat.

Wet-aged beef is beef that has typically been aged in a vacuum-sealed bag to retain its moisture. This is the dominant mode of aging beef in the United States today. Wet-aging is popular because it takes less time (typically only a few days) and none of the weight is lost in the process. In contrast, dry-aging can take 15–28 days, and will see up to a third or more of the weight lost as moisture, approximately four to five weeks at least.

[tod2]

We have a chain of restaurants called Butcher Boys that specialize in Dry-aged beef. Some of it over 35 days old. It looks like hell. Clearly visible hanging proudly in the refrigerator. The good thing is I can also go to their butchery section and buy the most awesome hunk of beef for a dinner party. There are no other meat outlets which keep beef hanging around that long.

Now, the Wet-beef can be bought everywhere. All supermarkets have this vacuum sealed product.
I have bought it often but find I prefer opening the contents, rinsing under the tap and then allowing the beef to sit in the fridge for a couple of hours. It gets rid of a strange (but not rotten) smell.

[tod2]

Askar - you asked about that expired steak. Don't fret about such a thing. I ate chicken liver pate` on 3rd Jan that had expired on 24th December. Why? It is sealed in butter for a start, and it smelled perfectly OK. One hint of ROT and I would chuck it in the bin. No I wouldn't. I would have put it on the lawn for the birds!!

[Deleted]

Maybe Askar died of food poisoning.

[Deleted]

I was hunting around way in the back of my shelves and I found what I was looking for -- my six-pack of Sun Maid Raisins (the most famous American brand, illustrated by a maiden who was already retro when I was still in diapers).

Since their expiry date was 2002, I did open the first box with a wary eye. However, they are still in perfect condition as clearly my kitchen preserves food just as well as an Egyptian tomb.

I suppose that this news should also serve as a warning to anybody who is hoping for a dinner invitation the next time they pass through Paris.

[auntieannie]

Are you going to make Christmas pudding for next year with it, K?

[bixaorellana]

I'm thinking they're just calling out to be incorporated into spotted dick.

[tod2]

Kerouac, I am very surprised that those raisins did not have teeny weeny little worms or beetles as they have survived many Summers and August heat! The back of your cupboard must be dark and cool. Once opened I think you should put them in the fridge like my dried Chinese Shitake mushrooms I bought in Singapore in 2001. They have lived in the vegetable drawer of my fridge, still in their plastic box with the remainder of the clingfilm wrapped around.
I took about 6 out a week ago to add to a prawn dish. They were still rigid in their dryness and when soaked in boiling water no noo-noo's appeared ;D I still have about 30 mushrooms to go!

[auntieannie]

fridges in Europe are much damper than yours, tod, in my experience.
From my own experience of drying fruit and veg, once it's dry, it must be kept in a clean, dry air-tight container, but in a cool dark place and they are fine as long as there is some aroma to them.

[rikita]

just as for experation dates - there are some things i suppose one has to be careful with, but generally, the experation date just means the earliest possible date something might not be the greatest quality anymore, it doesn't mean that's when things start going bad. actually, a lot of food is wasted due to expiration dates and them being taken off the shelfs as soon as that approaches. i must admit, with meat or fish i might soemtimes be a bit careful too, but generally, things that are expired are still fine...

[bixaorellana]

This is not about an old food item, but about another kind of old ingestibles. I came across this article in the throes of a painful allergy headache. The pharmacy in my neighborhood was closed, but I remembered I had some pills I got for the flu seven or eight years ago. (I'd found them during a recent cleanup, looked at them, then threw them back in the drawer.)

A quick google search convinced me I could take the old tablets, so I did and felt much better.

www.propublica.org/article/the-myth-of-drug-expiration-dates

[kerouac2]

I have always read that old medicine is not dangerous. At worst, it might lose its effectiveness and then you just have to count on the placebo effect.

[bjd]

One of my sisters-in-law is a pharmacist and she also claims medicines don't go out of date but slowly become a bit less effective.

[htmb]

Odd this topic should come up this week. Normally I would agree that expiration dates aren’t overly important, but I just had a bad experience that will cause me to be a bit more careful in the future. In 2013, I had some sort of a problem with my eyelids. The dermatologist prescribed a topical gel (exp date 2014) used twice a day for a week or two. I still have the tube of gel so, when it felt like I might be developing the same problem on my left eyelid, I dabbed on a bit of gel. I actually used it three times (calls for twice a day application), and each time it burned my skin and later caused it to peel. The second morning I woke up with the whole area around my eye swollen and tender. It looked like I’d had a really bad allergic reaction to something. I decided to toss out the gel and I washed the area carefully with gentle soap and water, used a warm compress, and took an antihistamine. Two days later, I have no swelling, though the skin on my eyelid is still peeling. Basically, it seems to be okay and I’ve decided to toss out my old eye makeup (hardly ever used these days) because bacteria in the makeup (happens over time) had probably cause this recent problem in the first place.