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

Emperor · Post by **Emperor** » Tue Sep 05, 2006 11:21 am

Tollbaby,

You could cut the corn off the cob and freeze it. my mother used to it all summer long to have the good corn in the winter time.

Also to go back to the reciep a moment if you will, when you sweated the onions and garlic than the chicken did you add any spices there?

I've found that when I've done similar cooking that the chicken ends up being very bland in flavour (this is personal experience on that) so I tend to add the spices there

Also what type of cheese is Haloumi? Don't think i've come across that one before

tollbaby · Post by **tollbaby** » Tue Sep 05, 2006 11:57 am

No, I didn't add any spices, because I knew I'd be sharing this with my children, and that the chicken would sort of be sealed by the acid in the tomatoes. They'd have lost any flavoring I added in previously. As it was, the whole thing was delicious. I added the celery seed about 1/2 hour before serving, and the dried cilantro about 10 minutes before. I only added the black pepper after I'd served my kids (neither of them likes it much, and I like a lot), so I imagine it will be a bit spicier when I have some for my lunch tomorrow.

Haloumi cheese (or Halloumi, or Halloum) is a mediterannean cheese, specifically from Cyprus. It's a hard, unripened cheese, similar to mozzarella in flavor and texture, though it's usually made with goats' milk. It's usually formed into discs or rectangles, then folded in two and packed in brine. I buy it at a specialty cheese market in the city. It's somewhat expensive, but it's a good meat substitute for non-vegan vegetarians, and it features heavily in my favorite vegetarian cookbook from Australia (which I've temporarily misplaced *sigh*). It's very salty, but it can be rinsed, and it's got a very high melting point, so it's great for grilling or frying as well. It only semi-melted in the simmering liquid, and kept its shape remarkably well. I like it grilled with a bit of smoky bbq sauce with corn on the cob and salad.

As for the corn, the only way I like plain corn is on the cob

I wasn't bemoaning not being able to eat it on the cob, I was simply whining because I can't (in my opinion) cook it properly.

Emperor · Post by **Emperor** » Tue Sep 05, 2006 2:30 pm

Well I live to close to the border of Manitoba to get anything like that lol

But no worries, the acid in the tomatoes could have been countered by adding sugar...but i'm not going to sit and argue cooking methods are there is no right and wrong way, despite what the tv shows say. I'll have to try your reciep at some point.

Oh cause of my situation with where I live I've looked a few times at an indoor grill....but it's not for everyone

Post by **Darb** » Tue Sep 05, 2006 2:34 pm

I've found that chicken thighs tend to do better in stews than breast meat ... the former are moist and tasty, whereas the latter than towards being bland and dryish.

Post by **Darb** » Tue Sep 05, 2006 2:36 pm

What kind of texture is Haloumi ?

Is that a firm non-melting cheese, like paneer, that sorta takes the place of tofu/tempeh, or is it a cheese that melts ?

Emperor · Post by **Emperor** » Tue Sep 05, 2006 2:36 pm

"If your chicken breasts are dry, you've over cooked them." homeec lesson from god knows when.

I enjoy the entire chicken I'm not picky on parts

Post by **Darb** » Tue Sep 05, 2006 2:40 pm

I generally like every part of the chicken *except* the breasts ... which I usually reserve for cold deli-type salads, or grilled satay.

tollbaby · Post by **tollbaby** » Tue Sep 05, 2006 2:40 pm

Brad wrote:What kind of texture is Haloumi ?

Is that a firm non-melting cheese, like paneer, that sorta takes the place of tofu/tempeh, or is it a cheese that melts ?

Brad, you're being lazy. I said it was an unripened cheese with a high melting point, similar to mozzarella.

It's a hard, unripened cheese, similar to mozzarella in flavor and texture, though it's usually made with goats' milk. It's usually formed into discs or rectangles, then folded in two and packed in brine. I buy it at a specialty cheese market in the city. It's somewhat expensive, but it's a good meat substitute for non-vegan vegetarians, and it features heavily in my favorite vegetarian cookbook from Australia (which I've temporarily misplaced *sigh*). It's very salty, but it can be rinsed, and it's got a very high melting point, so it's great for grilling or frying as well. It only semi-melted in the simmering liquid, and kept its shape remarkably well.

lazy bum

I'm not a big fan of thigh meat, personally, unless it's a whole roasted chicken. I like the breasts for cubing up and cooking with, but if I'm just to pick a piece, I like the leg with the back attached (or the rib area near the back).

Haloumi (or Halloumi... I think I've been spelling it wrong, but most anglicized spellings of arabic words are misspelled anyway).

Post by **Darb** » Tue Sep 05, 2006 2:41 pm

TB: Sorry ... my eyes obviously missed that post.

Having to do real work with one eye, while reading the forum with the other, kinda sucks.

Emperor · Post by **Emperor** » Tue Sep 05, 2006 2:43 pm

so its a soft cheese then?

The three types being a hard like Old Cheddar (my personal fav)
a soft cheese like Brie
and (oh god no) a blue cheese (bad personal experience haven't liked it since)

Need atleast one of each at a good cheese party or wine and cheese party

Emperor · Post by **Emperor** » Tue Sep 05, 2006 2:44 pm

Brad wrote:TB: Sorry ... my eyes obviously missed that post.

Having to do real work with one eye, while reading the forum with the other, kinda sucks.

That's what two monitors are for (there are perks to working in IT)

Post by **Darb** » Tue Sep 05, 2006 2:52 pm

and (oh god no) a blue cheese (bad personal experience haven't liked it since)

Blue (esp American or Danish) is a little tart and pungent for some.

Have you tried a good Stilton, (with Port) or perhaps a Roquefort Societe with walnuts, dried fruit and Sauterne ?

Or perhaps something very mild ... like a spreadable Saga blue ?

Classic "Blue" is just the tip of the proverbial iceberg to 'veined' cheeses that range from soft and mild to hard and pungent.

I love pungent cheeses ... esp stinky ones.

Post by **Kvetch** » Tue Sep 05, 2006 2:59 pm

mmmm, Roquefort...

It is absolutely my favorite cheese. I like salty cheeses, and I like blue cheeses, and I like crumbly cheeses...

Emperor · Post by **Emperor** » Tue Sep 05, 2006 3:03 pm

I am vividly reminded of the experience I had as a young boy at the very mention of blue cheese....perhaps given the proper setting and not being told about it, I might enjoy trying it...till that moment however *shivers* no way jose

Emperor · Post by **Emperor** » Tue Sep 05, 2006 3:14 pm

side note maybe its a token thing but I like cheese melted with gravy over fries.

tollbaby · Post by **tollbaby** » Tue Sep 05, 2006 3:21 pm

hm. I tend to disagree with that notion, simply because my family has never followed that formula. We generally try to have one soft cheese (brie, camembert, St. Andre, St. Morgon, Cambazola, etc.), a few mid-range cheeses (edam, havarti, usually flavored, gouda, jarlsberg or swiss, etc.), occasionally we'll have blue, Limberger or other stinkiness, since I love it to death, we'll usually have at least one spreadable cheese (RondelÃ©, etc.) or ash-coated goat cheese.

I like pairing fruits & vegetables with cheese trays, such as grapes, pears (for soft cheeses like brie), dates, fresh figs, black cherries (fantastic with gouda or swiss), carambola (for stronger cheeses), papaya, mango, etc. as well as capers, salted & lightly steamed sugar snap peas, cherry tomatoes, confetti pepper strips (i.e. different colored peppers cut into thin strips), carrot and zucchini ribbons, celery sticks, etc.

Then you need crackers (may I be a bit snobbish here and say I hope I never see a soda cracker at a wine & cheese! LOL Soda crackers, in my not-so-humble opinion, are for chicken noodle soup and upset stomachs), whole grain flatbreads (these are VERY popular with my entire extended family), soft crusty bread, maybe a rye or pumpernickel, depending on what you're serving. Pumpernickel is a very firm, flavorful foil for bries and other soft cheeses. If you bake your brie in phyllo with cranberries or other yumminess, you'll definitely want a dark bread to complement the flavor. Rye is good with the mid-range flavored cheeses such as gouda, caraway havarti, pepper jack, etc. and the white bread is good with the soft cheeses and hard, fragrant cheeses alike.

Nuts are also popular, but try to stay away from salted nuts, since they'll mask the subtler tones of the cheese and fruit flavors.

Don't ask me to pair wines, but I can do just about everything else

Post by **Darb** » Tue Sep 05, 2006 3:21 pm

/me backs Emperor into a corner with a large wedge of Danish Blue

Your reign of terror is over, Emperor ... behold the power of cheese !

{sorry ... that last line is a spoof on a recent series of TV ads ... had to be done}

Post by **Kvetch** » Tue Sep 05, 2006 3:26 pm

/me glares hatred at tollbaby for making me so hungry

tollbaby · Post by **tollbaby** » Tue Sep 05, 2006 3:29 pm

Kvetch wrote:/me glares hatred at tollbaby for making me so hungry

If it makes you feel better, I made myself pretty bloody hungry with all that *sigh* I hate planning food, always makes me hungry! *looks at the unappetizing graham crackers on my desk*

oh, one thing I forgot to mention, we tend to have little vache qui rit cubes and wedges and mini baby bel cheeses for the kids, since they like to unwrap the individual pieces

THey usually get those with a slice of buttered bread and a sliced apple while the adults are eating their cheese. And in our family, the children get to decide when they'd like to join the adult cheese table (since we encourage diversity in our kids' appetites - I joined in early, the rest of the kids dragged behind until they were teenagers).

mccormack44 · Post by **mccormack44** » Tue Sep 05, 2006 10:21 pm

I like a wide variety of cheeses (although the veined cheeses tend to disagree with me); my husband likes cheddar. But we DO agree that it should be sharp cheddar so that's what we keep on hand. He will buy some other mild sliced cheeses for me to put in his sandwiches, but mostly it's cheddar.

This weekend, when I was providing snacks for my daughter, son-in-law, and son, I was able to extend the spread adding a Swiss, a Cream Havarti, and a smoked Gouda to the list.

My husband also likes the Gouda, so we do get it from time to time. Perhaps, you're noticing that I let him choose the cheeses. That way we can afford fairly good cheeses without throwing money away because he won't eat them and I can't eat up the whole thing.

Sue

Emperor · Post by **Emperor** » Wed Sep 06, 2006 8:41 am

Brad wrote:/me backs Emperor into a corner with a large wedge of Danish Blue

Your reign of terror is over, Emperor ... behold the power of cheese !

{sorry ... that last line is a spoof on a recent series of TV ads ... had to be done}

Have no fear, I fight like a bear trapped in a corner

Emperor · Post by **Emperor** » Wed Sep 06, 2006 8:42 am

tollbaby wrote:hm. I tend to disagree with that notion, simply because my family has never followed that formula. We generally try to have one soft cheese (brie, camembert, St. Andre, St. Morgon, Cambazola, etc.), a few mid-range cheeses (edam, havarti, usually flavored, gouda, jarlsberg or swiss, etc.), occasionally we'll have blue, Limberger or other stinkiness, since I love it to death, we'll usually have at least one spreadable cheese (RondelÃ©, etc.) or ash-coated goat cheese.

I like pairing fruits & vegetables with cheese trays, such as grapes, pears (for soft cheeses like brie), dates, fresh figs, black cherries (fantastic with gouda or swiss), carambola (for stronger cheeses), papaya, mango, etc. as well as capers, salted & lightly steamed sugar snap peas, cherry tomatoes, confetti pepper strips (i.e. different colored peppers cut into thin strips), carrot and zucchini ribbons, celery sticks, etc.

Then you need crackers (may I be a bit snobbish here and say I hope I never see a soda cracker at a wine & cheese! LOL Soda crackers, in my not-so-humble opinion, are for chicken noodle soup and upset stomachs), whole grain flatbreads (these are VERY popular with my entire extended family), soft crusty bread, maybe a rye or pumpernickel, depending on what you're serving. Pumpernickel is a very firm, flavorful foil for bries and other soft cheeses. If you bake your brie in phyllo with cranberries or other yumminess, you'll definitely want a dark bread to complement the flavor. Rye is good with the mid-range flavored cheeses such as gouda, caraway havarti, pepper jack, etc. and the white bread is good with the soft cheeses and hard, fragrant cheeses alike.

Nuts are also popular, but try to stay away from salted nuts, since they'll mask the subtler tones of the cheese and fruit flavors.

Don't ask me to pair wines, but I can do just about everything else

maybe its just me....but I'm thinking cheese party at tollbaby's place....we can all chip in some bring wine, some bring cheese, some fruit...it could be a total blast

Post by **Kvetch** » Wed Sep 06, 2006 12:04 pm

You are not alone - I like the way you think...

mccormack44 · Post by **mccormack44** » Wed Sep 06, 2006 2:10 pm

I'll come if you want me to. (I don't think we've had a virtual party in more than a year.)

tollbaby · Post by **tollbaby** » Wed Sep 06, 2006 4:05 pm

my place? um... *phones cleaning agency*.... *leaves town*