Cookin again

[Dannyalcatraz]

Dinner:
https://i.*****.com/DtgzG4J.jpg

Pan-fried ribeye, oven roasted Yukon gold potatoes and stir-fried zucchini with tomatoes and onions.

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

https://i.*****.com/OOuPVpM.jpg
https://i.*****.com/GxEbKkH.jpg

I have often baked portobello caps to use as vegetarian burger substitutes, with good results. But I wanted to up my game a bit... I decided to stuff these after removing the stems and cleaning out the gills.

I marinated these caps in Shiner Bock for a few hours. Then I stuffed them with my usual omelette mix, topped with cotswold cheese.

I was a bit restrained in my seasoning: needed more salt and green onion, and the beer only slightly altered the mushrooms’ core flavor. So the results were a little underwhelming as-is. Sour cream would have been nice, but I was out. And cotswold was good, but not quite good enough.

As I sampled them different ways, the best variants were:
1) topped with tabouli;
2) served on a sandwich with mayo & mustard;
3) served on a sandwich with mayo & A-1 steak sauce.

In each case, the condiments or toppings effectively filled in the gaps on my light touch with the spices.

Final notes:

1) don’t get the biggest caps if you’re trying this out. They’re fine for a simple burger patty substitute, but their edges have usually lost their curl, and will not hold stuffing well. The best for stuffing are the medium-large ones- their edges are still curled enough to cup your stuffing.

2) these do reheat fairly well.

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

https://i.*****.com/Rmfpd6l.jpg
A light breakfast:
Blue D’auverne cheese topped with sliced Campari tomatoes, garlic sprouts, cracked pepper and yellow mustard on toasted sourdough. Side of white grapes.

 

[Zardnaar]

https://i.*****.com/OOuPVpM.jpg
https://i.*****.com/GxEbKkH.jpg

I have often baked portobello caps to use as vegetarian burger substitutes, with good results. But I wanted to up my game a bit... I decided to stuff these after removing the stems and cleaning out the gills.

I marinated these caps in Shiner Bock for a few hours. Then I stuffed them with my usual omelette mix, topped with cotswold cheese.

I was a bit restrained in my seasoning: needed more salt and green onion, and the beer only slightly altered the mushrooms’ core flavor. So the results were a little underwhelming as-is. Sour cream would have been nice, but I was out. And cotswold was good, but not quite good enough.

As I sampled them different ways, the best variants were:
1) topped with tabouli;
2) served on a sandwich with mayo & mustard;
3) served on a sandwich with mayo & A-1 steak sauce.

In each case, the condiments or toppings effectively filled in the gaps on my light touch with the spices.

Final notes:

1) don’t get the biggest caps if you’re trying this out. They’re fine for a simple burger patty substitute, but their edges have usually lost their curl, and will not hold stuffing well. The best for stuffing are the medium-large ones- their edges are still curled enough to cup your stuffing.

2) these do reheat fairly well.

Wife loves mushroom vegetarian burgers. Local stopped doing them after Covid lockdown.

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

I used to do mine with salt, pepper, onion powder and maybe garlic powder.

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

Been drinking a lot more tea this year, and in a broader variety than ever before, ESPECIALLY since I had acquired a bunch of sampler boxes. The other night, I brewed up some camomile. To me, it had a flavor somewhere between woody and a wet towel. So I had pretty much decided never to buy any more after I finished this batch.

But tonight, I got another lesson in the curious alchemy of food & beverage pairings.

Tonight, you see, we got some takeout Tex-Mex. and I poured myself a tall glass of the iced camomile as my drink. And when I took the first sip after a few bites of my meal, instead of that woody flavor, it was floral.. That floral flavor persisted throughout the meal- the woodiness didn’t return until several minutes after I cleaned my plate and I was sipping the dregs of my tea.

 

[Zardnaar]

Been drinking a lot more tea this year, and in a broader variety than ever before, ESPECIALLY since I had acquired a bunch of sampler boxes. The other night, I brewed up some camomile. To me, it had a flavor somewhere between woody and a wet towel. So I had pretty much decided never to buy any more after I finished this batch.

But tonight, I got another lesson in the curious alchemy of food & beverage pairings.

Tonight, you see, we got some takeout Tex-Mex. and I poured myself a tall glass of the iced camomile as my drink. And when I took the first sip after a few bites of my meal, instead of that woody flavor, it was floral.. That floral flavor persisted throughout the meal- the woodiness didn’t return until several minutes after I cleaned my plate and I was sipping the dregs of my tea.

Teas very hit or miss and yeah can vary with what you're eating.

Woody and wet towel is fair enough.

Not gonna buy the left one again.

 

[Ulfgeir]

Been drinking a lot more tea this year, and in a broader variety than ever before, ESPECIALLY since I had acquired a bunch of sampler boxes. The other night, I brewed up some camomile. To me, it had a flavor somewhere between woody and a wet towel. So I had pretty much decided never to buy any more after I finished this batch.

But tonight, I got another lesson in the curious alchemy of food & beverage pairings.

Tonight, you see, we got some takeout Tex-Mex. and I poured myself a tall glass of the iced camomile as my drink. And when I took the first sip after a few bites of my meal, instead of that woody flavor, it was floral.. That floral flavor persisted throughout the meal- the woodiness didn’t return until several minutes after I cleaned my plate and I was sipping the dregs of my tea.

Also the temperatur of the water and how long it brews will affect the taste.

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

Definitely.

But this was a big batch- @7 cups or so- that I had been working on for a few days. And the only floral taste was while I was eating my Tex-Mex meal.*

I’ve encountered a similar phenomenon when eating some Stilton cheese with Shiner Bock beer. Took a swig of the beer. Then ate a few slices of Stilton. Then had another sip from my longneck...and had to do a double take. It tasted like a Dr. Pepper or similarly sweet cola.

I’ve repeated this combination with other variables. If I have something else between the Shiner and the Stilton, the effect is diminished or absent, dependent on time. If I drink the beer right after the cheese, it’s sweet.

According to food scientists, things like this happen because the two foods are depleting the same chemical receptors in the tongue. It takes a certain amount of time- just seconds- to replenish them. But those seconds are crucial.




* for the record, a chicken & rice soup w/avocado, a crispy beef taco, chicken & mushroom enchiladas with poblano sauce, beans, rice, grilled mixed veggies, and (of course) chips & salsa.

 

[Zardnaar]

Also the temperatur of the water and how long it brews will affect the taste.

I leave mine in for a 5-10 minutes, no milk.

Gonna make a fruit one now.

Not technically tea I suppose. Left one not good.