Perpetual "What's for Breakfast/Lunch/Dinner Today" thread

[voralfred]

In France vermicelli have circular cross section, like spaghetti, but not only are they thinner, they are also much much shorter (less than 2 inches long), while capellini are about as thin as vermicelli but as long as spaghetti. I don't know about the italian originals.

[Hunter B]

Also, in Chinese cuisine (at least the cuisine that I know of), the term 'vermicelli' is used to describe a super-thin noodle (thinner than angel hair) made out of beans. It's also known as "bean-thread," but never "bean noodles." The noodles themselves are nearly transparent, and nearly flavorless. They are also very very delicate.

[Darb]

In France vermicelli have circular cross section, like spaghetti, but not only are they thinner, they are also much much shorter (less than 2 inches long), while capellini are about as thin as vermicelli but as long as spaghetti. I don't know about the italian originals.

I learned something new today (French Vermicelli).

On this side of the Atlantic, Vermicelli is the same length as regular pre-packaged spaghetti.

[MidasKnight]

Hunter B, that sounds like cellophane noodles.

[voralfred]

I learned something new today (French Vermicelli).

On this side of the Atlantic, Vermicelli is the same length as regular pre-packaged spaghetti.

Maybe I should be even moe precise: while spaghetti, spaghettini (thinner than the former), capellini (even thinner), torti, penne, and many, many other varieties keep their original italian-sounding name in France, vermicelles have received french citizenship long ago, and their name has thus been spelled accordingly.
Not only are they much shorter than capellini and/or spaghetti (Darb: what is the difference between capellini and vermicelli in the US, if both are as long as spaghetti?) but contrary to both these, as well spaghettini and spaghettoni (even thicker than spaghetti) all four of which are perfectly straight and can be packaged in a very "compact" way, "vermicelles" are not quite straight, but slightly curved, and in a rather random way, so you cannot pack them in a regular way, next ot each other, but must package them in "bulk" like torti or tagliatelle, or essentally all the other varieties of pasta.
When cooked they look about like that
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Faloodeh.jpg
You can see how short they are, but of course you cannot see from their aspect when cooked that they were not perfectly straight before!

Ah, here I found something
On this Wikipedia page
http://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fichier:Pasta_2006_1.jpg
it would seem that Italian "vermicelli" are as long as spaghetti, and even thicker than spagettoni, also called vermicellini
This is very different from the french adopted "vermicelles". The latter are, to my eyes, the pasta in the upper left cornet on this page
http://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fichier:Pasta_2006_4.jpg
which are called "filini"

[MidasKnight]

maybe I'm thinking of linguini as the rectangular pasta?

[Darb]

I am on my cell ATM and cant search effectively, but from memory and personal experience, I get the impression that on this side of the pond, capellini is comparable, but perhaps very slightly thinner than thin spaghetti, whereas vermicelli are thinner still. From memory, the cooking times are roughly 5-6 mins vs 3-4 mins. Both pastas have a round cross-section ... unlike linguini, which is flat.

If people are really interested, I have a book on pasta in my culinary library somewhere.

[Hunter B]

Hunter B, that sounds like cellophane noodles.

Haha, you're right on the money. They are in fact cellophane noodles. For some reason though, they're always referred to as 'vermicelli' in the Chinese kitchen...

MK: Thanks, I couldn't remember the Western term for them, despite that I use them regularly XD

[Darb]

If I recall, cellophane noodles are made from rice,rather than wheat.

[Hunter B]

If I recall, cellophane noodles are made from rice,rather than wheat.

Actually, the "vermicelli" that I prefer (Lungkow Vermicelli (it can handle a lot more abuse, thus giving it more potential)), is made of green beans. The only ingredients are actually green bean, and water. As an aside, I actually think there may be a translation error present here. Though it says "green bean", as per the literal translation, I'm thinking that the noodles are actually composed of mung beans. This is because the Chinese also refer to "mung beans" as "green beans".

Cellophane noodles are usually made with "green bean", but can be made with other starches as well. I've personally had several kinds, and they all have various flavors, depending on what starch is used. For example, the sweet potato vermicelli has a dark-golden brown tinge to it, while still transparent. It also has a light sweet potato taste. Also, from what I remember, vermicelli is never made with rice or wheat.

Now, that said, there is a "rice vermicelli." This is actually made from rice, but while it is just as thin as the rest, when cooked, it remains white and opaque. I don't recall ever seeing it used, but I have seen it in stores, and inquired about it. And while it also probably exists, I don't recall ever seeing "wheat vermicelli."

EDIT: Also, the "rice vermicelli" comes in either long (traditional spaghetti sticks) or short (about 2-3") lengths. "Regular" vermicelli is purchased looking somewhat like a birds nest. Each noodle is extremely long (anywhere from 1-4+ feet in length, depending on brand/type), so the manufacturers bundle and bunch the noodles for easier handling.

[Darb]

Great explanation. Thank you.

I think I had the sweet potato version, which was a translucent color, and very toothy.

I have some of the birds nest variety at home too, but the ones I have are pre-flavored with soup concentrate directly in the noodle ... interesting, but I make better stock and would prefer unflavored if I could get them.

[Hunter B]

... interesting, but I make better stock and would prefer unflavored if I could get them.

Well, most Asian markets have them. If you know of a Vietnamese, Chinese, or Thai market, you should be in good shape.

Now... there may be a wide variety to choose from, even when limiting yourself to unflavored. There are two brands that I hold above the rest though. The first is for a mix of quality and convenience. I don't have a package on me right now, so I can't be sure of the name, but it has a very unique packaging. The noodles are packed into single-serving cellophane-like packages, and three or four of those are stacked and then placed into a HOT pink almost-fishnet bag. I'll try to get an actual name up, but I've no idea when that would be...

The second is pure quality, and they don't care about user-convenience or single-serve packaging. The second brand is the Lungkow Vermicelli that I cited in the previous post. They are quite long, and all of the noodles (at least in my package) are bound together in one very long bundle. These noodles are fairly neutral in flavor, and perfectly clear (or as clear as noodles can be). The difference with this vermicelli is it can handle far more abuse without breaking. It can still be texturally overcooked, but it won't fall apart like a wet paper rope in a game of tug of war.

If you opt to only purchase one kind, I'd suggest the Lungkow. It can sometimes be (a bit) pricier than other brands, but it has more to offer, especially to beginners.

I think I had the sweet potato version, which was a translucent color, and very toothy.

Yeah... that's what I noticed most about them. They were VERY toothy for a noodle, so much so that I thought it had to be undercooked. So, I experimented with them, testing doneness levels, and it turns out, that's just how they are. While they were certainly interesting, and probably have fantastic applicatory potential, they're definitely a special-occasion kind of thing for me...

[Darb]

Thanks ... I have several asian markets within a 45 min drive. The only hitch is that there is a truly ginormous selection of noodles, most of them printed in languages I cannot read.

For that reason, I generally just buy the noodles = want on the basis of appearance, and then use observation to monitor doneness. I keep a selection of varieties here at home in a large sealed plastic container (which confines small pests if present) ... it serves as a varietal grab bag of sorts, whenever I want asian noodles.

Perhaps I'l post a pic later ...

[Hunter B]

Haha, well, should I ever end up in or near *Location X* then I'll give you a crash course in the best Chinese things around. Can't really tell you about the others as much, seeing as my experience is comparatively lacking.

[KeE]

I'll pander to the kids and make wheat and rye pancakes for dinner today. Rolled up with blueberry or raspberry jam of course.

[Darb]

Back to the pasta topic ...

I just serendipitously checked by cupboard, and it appears that "Thin Spagetti" and "Vermicelli" are virtually identical and interchangeable (long thin pasta, round cross-section, 6-8 mins cook time).

As previously mentioned, "Angel Hair" is exceptionally thin (3-4 mins cook time) ... thinner than a standard thin sewing needle.

[Hunter B]

Today's lunch is soup over rice.

Soup= Tomato, homemade broth (beef), green onion, garlic, ground white pepper (the strong stuff), black peppercorns (whole), ginger, paprika, potatoes, and dark rice wine. It's an odd soup, to say the least. It has a taste like a combination of beef stew, spicy tomato soup, and french onion soup. Odd... but tasty nonetheless.

Rice= Jasmine rice.

[Darb]

This morning my wife helped me make a batch of honey corn muffins with dried cherries, lemon zest and green cardamon. We paused briefly to admire them before putting them in the oven to bake ... when I suddenly noticed the requisite egg still sitting on the counter, in its shell. I cursed and promptly scooped all the batter back out of the muffin pans, whisked in the egg, washed the pan, remoulded the batter, and baked them off.

I hate when I screw up like that. It's embarassing.

[voralfred]

(....) ... when I suddenly noticed the requisite egg still sitting on the counter, in its shell. (...)

I hate when I screw up like that. It's embarassing.

Welcome to the club



Here I am embodying Beaumarchais dictum (as expressed by Figaro in the play "Le Barbier de Séville")
Je me presse de rire de tout, de peur d'être obligé d'en pleurer.
(I force myself to laugh at everything, lest I have to cry about it.)

[Darb]

Two weeks or so ago I bought a half dozen large green plantains (for $1 USD), having never worked with them before, and curious to try something new. They were rock hard and starchy, and I was planning to try to make tostones with them, or perhaps an improvized stew of some sort. For those who are unfamiliar, green plantains are different from those picked when yellow ... picked green, they never fully ripen, and are typically sliced and fried or used like potatoes. Anyway, time got away from me, and after a full two weeks, they eventually turned spotty and black ... but they were still hard, starchy, bitter and largely inedible, with only a very faint trace of sweetness.

What to do with them ? The garbage pail beckoned to me, but I shook my head, unwilling to give up so easily. My late parents, who had grown up during the great depression, had raised me too well.

I started off intending to follow a classic Dominican technique - some bacon and onions within easy reach, I lopped off the ends, split them lengthwise, then cut them in half crosswise, and let them soak in cold lightly salted water for 10 mins, until the peels loosened. I was able to get most of the peels off after soaking, and what didn't come off I cut off with a paring knife. Next I cut everything into 1" chunks, added it to lightly salted water, and used my induction plate to simmer everything at a nice tepid 170F for 20 mins until almost, but not quite, fork tender.

Tasting a piece, I was pleasantly surprised ... the heat had accelerated the starch converting enzymes in the flesh, had turned most of the half-converted starches into simpler sugars. More cooking was needed however, and I suddenly had a sense of direction for where I wanted to take the dish. I put the bacon and onion away. Instead, I decanted off the hot water, and replaced it with skim milk, a chunk of Indian Jaggery sugar, and some instant tapioca, brought it back to a simmer, let it go for another 20 mins, mashed it coarsely with a potato masher, and then let it go another 10 minutes longer, and finished it with a pat of butter. The finished taste was reminiscent of a very thick version of bananas foster, minus the brandy and ice cream ... a thick moderately sweet bananna porridge. Not only that, it was tasty enough to be worth repeating, with guests.

In short, it was a very successful (and educational) rescue of something I'd nearly tossed into the garbage.

[Hunter B]

Haha, that sounds really good! I may have to try that...


Dinner tonight was (Chinese) vermicelli. Wokked (how is it you spell that, anyway?) it up with some oil, my tomato/beef soup from Monday for flavor, some light rice wine for flavor and moisture (and just as importantly, depth), and some braised beef tendon for that lil extra something. Misted it with a tiny bit of jalapeño/ginger vinegar right before plating, to provide a touch of acid to cut through the gelatin and funk of the tendon.

[Darb]

I sometimes wondered if I was the only person in the western hemisphere who occasionally saved and cooked tendon. Nice to know I'm not.

I think the last tendon I used came from the middle of a flat iron steak ... not sure if that's the right name. It's the one that has a big tendon through the middle and has a slight flavor of kidney. Anyway, I usually butterfly it and save the tendon for the next time I fire up the slow cooker.

[gpackin]

I've never cooked it myself, but I like tendon in my Phở.

[Darb]

For breakfast yesturday, I felt a driving need to get outside, so I fired up my gas grill (with my 15x18" cast iron griddle plate installed) and did crispy polenta, followed by faux eggs.

For dinner, I was bored, and my brain needed a challenge, so I threw together two unusual one-time-only dishes that I'm unlikely to ever replicate. For the first, I had a quart of large (peppercorn sized) Israeli couscous. Hunting around for some stock to use, I spotted the smoked pheasant stock in the freezer that I made and forgot about a few weeks back. Suddenly feeling a bit avante garde, I grabbed it. I put the frozen block in a 3qt pot on the induction plate, and resumed fridge-shopping for dinner fixings. My eyes settled on some long-stem broccoli that was starting to get past prime, so I grabbed that along with my jar of preserved ginger, garlic, cayenne pepper, and some pumpkin seeds. Then I spotted a cup of something from a nearby fast food store that my wife tossed in the fridge and forgot about. I took a small sip ... it was some very flat Dr. Pepper. I smirked and grabbed that too. Dr. Pepper is basically acidified and sweetened cola nut extract flavored with black cherry, and probably a subtle blend of other secret flavorings. I could easily picture it playing a similar role to tamarind and star anise, but I'd need something to integrate the flavors with the dish.

I proceeded to shave a little hot sopressatta, and mortar some szechuan peppercorns. I also poured a little of the DP into a small ramekin and beat in a little corn starch with a fork. I fired up my 13" Karai pan (similar to a wok), and set to it. To make a long story short, it worked rather well. Not many people can claim to have made "szechuan style dr.pepper broccoli with pepate, ginger and sopressatta, served over smoked pheasant couscous."

[E Pericoloso Sporgersi]

I think my dictionary is going to get indigestion trying to translate all that ...
Maybe "Google Translate" could help me out?