Eggplants are out now, so we are cooking what is available. We only get good eggplants about 2-3 months out of the year, so time for all those recipes like moussaka, babba ghanouj, etc.....
Tried the Tyler Florence Eat Fresh Eggplant Parmesan recipe and I have to be honest, it wasn't worth the effort. We are having the leftovers tonight. What went wrong?
First, he doesn't have you salt the eggplant. D agrees with Tyler - if the produce quality is high, this step isn't required.....or is it?
Dredging in egg then panko, and frying in a pan was disastrous. Maybe I mis-read the recipe, but 1/2" seems way to thick, there is no way these would cook in 3-4 minutes per side at 5000+ ft. in altitude.
Canned tomatoes are practically banned in our home due to the BPA liners in the can, so we have been using the tomato sauce in the glass bottles instead. The sauce was fine, but because the eggplants weren't really cooked inside (yes, the outside was but they were just too thick), we had to bake longer. That dried out the sauce, and the fresh mozzarella turned to rubber.
Most of the other recipes in this book have been excellent. Honestly, it was still better than, say, Olive Garden (which I secretly like, don't tell D).
Friday, September 6, 2013
fried eggplant with poppyseeds (begun bhaja with posto)
This was a delicious dish Saraju made, it's unbelievable how tasty it is.
ingredients:
nice quality eggplants like Rosa Bianca, we got some at the farmer's market.
mustard oil for frying, but any cooking oil will work
poppy seeds, hulled - find these in your ethnic grocer or online
flour
salt (~2 t. for one eggplant). D says fine sea salt.
turmeric (~1 t.)
nigella
Slice the eggplant ~1/4" thick slices, or slice into half lengthwise, then into 1/4" slices. Add to a bowl with salt and turmeric, mix around so uniformly coated and let sit for ~30 minutes.
Take eggplant slices out, squeeze watering juices into bowl. Set eggplant aside on plate. In leftover water/salt/turmeric mixture, add 1 Tablespoon of poppyseeds, ~2 T. flour of your choice, we used wheat flour, ~1/4 t. nigella seeds. Mix the batter, adding a little water if required.
Heat the oil (~4 T. in a wok or frying pan) until it is smoking, especially if you are using mustard oil. This is key for flavor. Turn heat down once oil starts smoking (or is heated if using other oil).
Dip the eggplant slices slightly into the batter, don't worry if not uniformly coated. Fry on each side until golden crisp.
We ate this with greens, dal, rice. A very tasty eggplant recipe.
ingredients:
nice quality eggplants like Rosa Bianca, we got some at the farmer's market.
mustard oil for frying, but any cooking oil will work
poppy seeds, hulled - find these in your ethnic grocer or online
flour
salt (~2 t. for one eggplant). D says fine sea salt.
turmeric (~1 t.)
nigella
Slice the eggplant ~1/4" thick slices, or slice into half lengthwise, then into 1/4" slices. Add to a bowl with salt and turmeric, mix around so uniformly coated and let sit for ~30 minutes.
Take eggplant slices out, squeeze watering juices into bowl. Set eggplant aside on plate. In leftover water/salt/turmeric mixture, add 1 Tablespoon of poppyseeds, ~2 T. flour of your choice, we used wheat flour, ~1/4 t. nigella seeds. Mix the batter, adding a little water if required.
Heat the oil (~4 T. in a wok or frying pan) until it is smoking, especially if you are using mustard oil. This is key for flavor. Turn heat down once oil starts smoking (or is heated if using other oil).
Dip the eggplant slices slightly into the batter, don't worry if not uniformly coated. Fry on each side until golden crisp.
We ate this with greens, dal, rice. A very tasty eggplant recipe.
Milk: The Myth of Dairy Fat
Our family has gone back and forth over the past 20 years about milk - do we drink animal milks, nut milks, processed, not processed, homogenized, etc.......
How can a conventional gallon of milk cost close to what it did when I was a kid, let's just say quite a few decades ago?
This week's local Smith's Grocery ad has Mountain Dairy Milk Gallons for 2 for $5.00. That is $2.50 a gallon. I know milk was ~$2.00 a gallon as a kid growing up, it stressed my mother out how was she going to buy enough milk for a family of 5 kids at $2.00 a gallon?
What has possibly happened that milk can cost almost the same 35 years later?
We don't buy this milk, and I'm sure people don't understand why. Their argument is, well, we can't afford organic. People are willing to (and do) spend more money on a gallon of gasoline to take their cars 20-30 miles down the road vs. spending that on a gallon of milk that will take themselves, or their child, 30 miles to life.
Captain Paranoid, as I will lovingly refer to this close family fried, has turned Debashis on to a book called Nourishing Traditions: The Cookbook that Challenges Politically Correct Nutrition and the Diet Dictocrats, by Sally Fallon. While I have not read the book myself (yet), Debashis has read excerpts and we have had discussions around certain topics, of which milk is the subject here.
Fallon asserts that whole, non-homogenized milk is the way to go. She states in her book that skim and lowfat are in fact reconsituted from powders. Well, I wanted to find out, so I emailed Organic Valley and asked. Here is the question and response:
Customer (Allena Satpathi) - 09/05/2013 07:56 AM
My husband read a book a friend gave him which said all skim and nonfat milks are made from powdered, reconstituted milk products. Is this true for Organic Valley? What is the process your skim and lowfat milk is made by? Also, is your whole milk non-homogenized?
Here is their answer (I actually emailed back asking if I could post here, but have not heard back so I'm just going for it):
Recently you contacted Organic Valley for personal assistance. Below
the link is our personal response if you do not wish to login to an
account.
If this issue is not resolved to your satisfaction, you may reopen it
within the next 7 days.
Thank you for allowing us to be of service to you.
Subject
---------------------------------------------------------------
Skim or 2% milk from powder?
Discussion Thread
---------------------------------------------------------------
Response (Meghan) - 09/05/2013 11:25 AM
Dear Allena,
Thank you for contacting Organic Valley.
Our nonfat and lowfat milks are not made from reconstituted milk powders, but are produced from the whole milk that comes directly from our farmers.
The process that our fluid milk goes through once it reaches one of our processors is as follows: separation, standardization, homogenization, and pasteurization.
Separation is the removal of the cream from the fluid milk. This involves spinning milk through a centrifuge to force the cream to the surface so it can be easily skimmed off.
Standardization occurs after separation. The cream and remaining milk are remixed to provide the desired fat content for the different types of milk being produced.
We do not add dry milk powder to any of our cartons of milk, with one exception. We add Organic Valley non fat dry milk powder to our California low fat (1%) and reduced fat (2%) milks. We add Organic Valley non fat dry milk powder because the State of California has milk standards which exceed the Federal Standard of Identity for fluid milk products. In order to sell milk in California - those products must meet the state's statutes. (You can find out more about California Milk Standards at the website, http://www.cdfa.ca.gov/ahfss/Milk_and_Dairy_Food_Safety/Milk_Standards.html.)
Our pasture-raised line of whole milk is homogenized, but our Grassmilk, from 100% grass-fed cows, is non-homogenized. You can find out more about our non-homogenized Grassmilk here: http://www.organicvalley.coop/products/milk/grassmilk/.
If you have any further questions, please do not hesitate to contact me.
Regards,
Meghan H,
Organic Valley / Organic Prairie
Consumer Relations Associate
1-888-444-6455 ext.3701
Auto-Response - 09/05/2013 07:56 AM
Thank you for contacting Organic Valley/Organic Prairie.
Your inquiry is very important to us and we would like to offer you the opportunity to review relevant content from our self-service knowledge base.
If you didn't find the answer to your question, one of our agents will assist you within the next 48 business hours.
Title: Organic Valley Buttermilk Blend Powder: What is it?
Link: http://organicvalley.custhelp.com/cgi-bin/organicvalley.cfg/php/enduser/std_adp.php?p_faqid=213&p_created=1219342993
Title: Nonfat Dry Milk Powder: What is it?
Link: http://organicvalley.custhelp.com/cgi-bin/organicvalley.cfg/php/enduser/std_adp.php?p_faqid=214&p_created=1219343152
Title: Reconstituting Organic Valley Nonfat Dry Milk
Link: http://organicvalley.custhelp.com/cgi-bin/organicvalley.cfg/php/enduser/std_adp.php?p_faqid=268&p_created=1231183656
Title: Ordering Products Direct
Link: http://organicvalley.custhelp.com/cgi-bin/organicvalley.cfg/php/enduser/std_adp.php?p_faqid=68&p_created=1215568037
Title: Milk Powder Storage Recommendations
Link: http://organicvalley.custhelp.com/cgi-bin/organicvalley.cfg/php/enduser/std_adp.php?p_faqid=253&p_created=1224877467
Question Reference #130905-000022
---------------------------------------------------------------
Product Level 1: Product Information
Product Level 2: Production Process
Category Level 1: Milk & Cream Products
Category Level 2: Milk, Unspecified
Date Created: 09/05/2013 07:56 AM
Last Updated: 09/05/2013 11:25 AM
Status: Solved
Date Purchased: 09/03/2013
Plant Code:
Sell-By Date:
Product Code:
Pasteurization Type:
Store Name :
Store Location:
Lot #/Sell-By:
Est. #:
Quantity: 1
[---001:003909:50387---]
How can a conventional gallon of milk cost close to what it did when I was a kid, let's just say quite a few decades ago?
This week's local Smith's Grocery ad has Mountain Dairy Milk Gallons for 2 for $5.00. That is $2.50 a gallon. I know milk was ~$2.00 a gallon as a kid growing up, it stressed my mother out how was she going to buy enough milk for a family of 5 kids at $2.00 a gallon?
What has possibly happened that milk can cost almost the same 35 years later?
We don't buy this milk, and I'm sure people don't understand why. Their argument is, well, we can't afford organic. People are willing to (and do) spend more money on a gallon of gasoline to take their cars 20-30 miles down the road vs. spending that on a gallon of milk that will take themselves, or their child, 30 miles to life.
Captain Paranoid, as I will lovingly refer to this close family fried, has turned Debashis on to a book called Nourishing Traditions: The Cookbook that Challenges Politically Correct Nutrition and the Diet Dictocrats, by Sally Fallon. While I have not read the book myself (yet), Debashis has read excerpts and we have had discussions around certain topics, of which milk is the subject here.
Fallon asserts that whole, non-homogenized milk is the way to go. She states in her book that skim and lowfat are in fact reconsituted from powders. Well, I wanted to find out, so I emailed Organic Valley and asked. Here is the question and response:
Customer (Allena Satpathi) - 09/05/2013 07:56 AM
My husband read a book a friend gave him which said all skim and nonfat milks are made from powdered, reconstituted milk products. Is this true for Organic Valley? What is the process your skim and lowfat milk is made by? Also, is your whole milk non-homogenized?
Here is their answer (I actually emailed back asking if I could post here, but have not heard back so I'm just going for it):
Recently you contacted Organic Valley for personal assistance. Below
the link is our personal response if you do not wish to login to an
account.
If this issue is not resolved to your satisfaction, you may reopen it
within the next 7 days.
Thank you for allowing us to be of service to you.
Subject
---------------------------------------------------------------
Skim or 2% milk from powder?
Discussion Thread
---------------------------------------------------------------
Response (Meghan) - 09/05/2013 11:25 AM
Dear Allena,
Thank you for contacting Organic Valley.
Our nonfat and lowfat milks are not made from reconstituted milk powders, but are produced from the whole milk that comes directly from our farmers.
The process that our fluid milk goes through once it reaches one of our processors is as follows: separation, standardization, homogenization, and pasteurization.
Separation is the removal of the cream from the fluid milk. This involves spinning milk through a centrifuge to force the cream to the surface so it can be easily skimmed off.
Standardization occurs after separation. The cream and remaining milk are remixed to provide the desired fat content for the different types of milk being produced.
We do not add dry milk powder to any of our cartons of milk, with one exception. We add Organic Valley non fat dry milk powder to our California low fat (1%) and reduced fat (2%) milks. We add Organic Valley non fat dry milk powder because the State of California has milk standards which exceed the Federal Standard of Identity for fluid milk products. In order to sell milk in California - those products must meet the state's statutes. (You can find out more about California Milk Standards at the website, http://www.cdfa.ca.gov/ahfss/Milk_and_Dairy_Food_Safety/Milk_Standards.html.)
Our pasture-raised line of whole milk is homogenized, but our Grassmilk, from 100% grass-fed cows, is non-homogenized. You can find out more about our non-homogenized Grassmilk here: http://www.organicvalley.coop/products/milk/grassmilk/.
If you have any further questions, please do not hesitate to contact me.
Regards,
Meghan H,
Organic Valley / Organic Prairie
Consumer Relations Associate
1-888-444-6455 ext.3701
Auto-Response - 09/05/2013 07:56 AM
Thank you for contacting Organic Valley/Organic Prairie.
Your inquiry is very important to us and we would like to offer you the opportunity to review relevant content from our self-service knowledge base.
If you didn't find the answer to your question, one of our agents will assist you within the next 48 business hours.
Title: Organic Valley Buttermilk Blend Powder: What is it?
Link: http://organicvalley.custhelp.com/cgi-bin/organicvalley.cfg/php/enduser/std_adp.php?p_faqid=213&p_created=1219342993
Title: Nonfat Dry Milk Powder: What is it?
Link: http://organicvalley.custhelp.com/cgi-bin/organicvalley.cfg/php/enduser/std_adp.php?p_faqid=214&p_created=1219343152
Title: Reconstituting Organic Valley Nonfat Dry Milk
Link: http://organicvalley.custhelp.com/cgi-bin/organicvalley.cfg/php/enduser/std_adp.php?p_faqid=268&p_created=1231183656
Title: Ordering Products Direct
Link: http://organicvalley.custhelp.com/cgi-bin/organicvalley.cfg/php/enduser/std_adp.php?p_faqid=68&p_created=1215568037
Title: Milk Powder Storage Recommendations
Link: http://organicvalley.custhelp.com/cgi-bin/organicvalley.cfg/php/enduser/std_adp.php?p_faqid=253&p_created=1224877467
Question Reference #130905-000022
---------------------------------------------------------------
Product Level 1: Product Information
Product Level 2: Production Process
Category Level 1: Milk & Cream Products
Category Level 2: Milk, Unspecified
Date Created: 09/05/2013 07:56 AM
Last Updated: 09/05/2013 11:25 AM
Status: Solved
Date Purchased: 09/03/2013
Plant Code:
Sell-By Date:
Product Code:
Pasteurization Type:
Store Name :
Store Location:
Lot #/Sell-By:
Est. #:
Quantity: 1
[---001:003909:50387---]
Summer Flew By
What happened? Debashis's mother came and stayed for two months cooking delicious east indian fare. We took a break and let her have fun taking total control of the kitchen.
Now that she is back in India, we had our week or so of depression but have now bounced back to enjoying our variety of cuisines - chipotle black bean taco salad, eggplant parmesan, bang bang shrimp at Barbara's (well, our vegan version anyway). Delicious!
Now that she is back in India, we had our week or so of depression but have now bounced back to enjoying our variety of cuisines - chipotle black bean taco salad, eggplant parmesan, bang bang shrimp at Barbara's (well, our vegan version anyway). Delicious!
Garden Status
This year has been hot and dry. We are in the worst drought on record. Finally the rains came end of June/early July. Up and down the block people are out each night fighting the war against the squash bugs - squishing with their bare hands. Our poor giant pumpkin plants never had a chance.
We started everything from seed this year, except the mints. We have pineapple, apple, spearmint, and some other varieties. Delicious with blood orange bitters, sparkling water, bourbon?
Finally, the basils are up and harvestable. The Thai and Genovese are looking great, and Tulsi is finally doing well too.
Tomatoes plants have bloomed, finally, and are producing delicious small orange tomatoes, we have red too. The yellow pear are just not as tasty as the others, not sure why?
Experimental 20-gallon grow bags for raised beds are housing our eggplant, chiles, melons, things are doing great. This is a good option if you are space limited and want to grow a high volume in a small space.
We started everything from seed this year, except the mints. We have pineapple, apple, spearmint, and some other varieties. Delicious with blood orange bitters, sparkling water, bourbon?
Finally, the basils are up and harvestable. The Thai and Genovese are looking great, and Tulsi is finally doing well too.
Tomatoes plants have bloomed, finally, and are producing delicious small orange tomatoes, we have red too. The yellow pear are just not as tasty as the others, not sure why?
Experimental 20-gallon grow bags for raised beds are housing our eggplant, chiles, melons, things are doing great. This is a good option if you are space limited and want to grow a high volume in a small space.
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