# What's something you always see at the grocery store....



## mudbug (Dec 30, 1999)

and have no idea what to do with it?

I think for me it would be parsnips...


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## mofo1 (Oct 15, 2000)

cchiu,
I love parsnips! Use them in winter braises, especially pork. I've also been seeing them paired with lobster. They're kind of hip right now. They are also great sliced and fried like potata chips. They're sweet and a little peppery. As for my choice, jicama. It is something that I can't find a good use for. I want to like it but I can't.
oops, You spell potato, I spell potata.


[ June 19, 2001: Message edited by: mofo1 ]


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## shroomgirl (Aug 11, 2000)

Parsnips are lovely....mashed with potatoes, roasted with other roots, raw thinnly curled over greens in a salad....
Jicama...in slaw for a crunch or as an addition to veg under fish with an Asian sauce
Mine would be Cardoon? spiky and big...I don't know what size is the best, I think braising or gratin but other than thatI'm clueless.


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## isaac (Jun 9, 2001)

well, for me, it must be coconut. i can justafie spending money for whole coconut to just bust it open and drink the juice from it.

also, iceberg lettuce.... i cant stand usuing it.


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## pastachef (Nov 19, 1999)

Mine would be cows tongues, pig ears and feet. YUCK!    Also souse


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## ziggy (May 14, 2001)

here in arizona i gotta admit it's the cactus. It's in every produce section...i'm intrigued but have no idea what to do with it. will have to finally breakdown and buy some, do a little research and try it very soon here...


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## monpetitchoux (Apr 24, 2001)

Shroomgirl: cardoons should have small streaks of purple in it. Should be firm and feel juicy like good celery. At home, trim lightly the edges. I like to pull the strings off. Drop in acidulated water to keep from dicoloring (they're like their cousins the artichoke in this way). Braise with lamb and potatoes with some tomatoes. Braise by itself until tender with a little garlic. Braise with pork shoulder.

For me, it's celery root. I always want to buy it but am afraid I won't like it. Funny this has never stopped me from buying anything before.


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## coolj (Dec 12, 2000)

Hey Pastachef, you could take the cows tongue and make headcheese..


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## pastachef (Nov 19, 1999)

No thanks, CoolJ. I'll just stay with my familiar ingredients.


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## kylew (Aug 14, 2000)

Beef tongue is big in deli's in this part of the world. Nothing wrong with tongue on rye with a little mustard. For me I think the mystifying ingredient would be tripe. It just looks a little too funky.


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## isaac (Jun 9, 2001)

try eating smoked beef tongue. i tried it when i was in school but i thought i wouldnt like it but i LOVED it.


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## pooh (Mar 13, 2001)

Salsifis. I had no clue what they were or what to do with them.

They looked like dead stalks of wood to me!



[ June 20, 2001: Message edited by: pooh ]


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## svadhisthana (May 6, 2001)

Jicima and apples can combine for lovely cole slaw. And www.cookinglight.com has some recipes using cactus. (I haven't tried them yet, but am curious)

As for what I don't know what to do with..............hmm, I'll have to think a bit on this one.


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## shroomgirl (Aug 11, 2000)

cactus saute and tastes like lemony green beans
Tripe, tried cooking it did not do it right
Tongue tried to eat it my brain got in the way
hmmmm....salsify is like artichoke, looks different but really has that texture and flavor, I get mine fresh from a farmer and they are bizarre looking....carroty shape with lots of hairy roots.
Celeriac....oh my gosh this stuff makes the best root slaw with adding carrots, red pepper, parsley, green onions and a remoulade


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## mezzaluna (Aug 29, 2000)

KyleW, I've cooked tripe, and I'd be the first to agree it smells funky when you're cooking it. For me it would be some of the roots I see in the store from Mexico and the Caribbean. That and bitter melon. The name puts me off.


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## risa (May 11, 2001)

Fresh loofah(sp?). I see this at the Asian store and I've seen recipes for it, but I've never cooked it myself. Every time I see them, I think of taking a bath. Another for me is raw herring in sour cream -- think that's what it was -- which I saw at the seafood store. That really made me cringe. I love sushi, but whole raw herring puts me off.


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## pooh (Mar 13, 2001)

Shroom,

Salsifis, how do you cook'em? What do you serve them with? Hey what'dya do with'em?


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## holydiver (Aug 9, 2000)

Sugarcane also would be good for grilling with shrimp.


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## shroomgirl (Aug 11, 2000)

OK....sugar cane, cut into spears and put a cube of fish on the end and sear or shrimp kabob....or a fun veg....

Salsify, peel with a potato peeler, cut and roast or boil. just like parsnip or beet, treat it like a winter root....mash it in potatoes...

ya know I don't understand or care for kholrabi...it does nothing for me.


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## nancya (Apr 30, 2001)

There are a lot of things I don't WANT to eat [liver, kidneys, brain, etc.] but for me, the answer to this thread would be Kim Che (sp?) - isn't that essentially rotten vegetables?


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## pastachef (Nov 19, 1999)

I'll have to agree with you on the ham hocks, Jay. My husband was from the south, and I've cooked a whole lot of beans with ham hocks


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## monpetitchoux (Apr 24, 2001)

NancyA: Think of it as a fresh pickle that is not as fresh. I actually like the one that's a little more fermented.  

It's almost like that fermented tomato that gives true borsht that characteristic taste.


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## kuan (Jun 11, 2001)

For me it would be that preserved fish "stuff" at the Vietnamese grocer. I don't even know what it is. I think it's preserved something or other in salt. The sugarcane is awesome just to chew on. Remove the skins and cut it up. I love that stuff. Also you can boil it and make a drink out of it. If you have a sugarcane juicer you can enjoy fresh sugarcane juice everyday!

Kuan


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## compassrose (Jun 1, 2001)

Mine would be eddoes, I think... they show up now and then, small hairy brown roots.

Fermented tomato? The True Borscht??? Never have I heard or read or seen (or tasted) of this before! Tell me more! I love borscht hot; I love it cold; I love it with sourcream; it's never lived to be nine days old.


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## adenoma (Aug 29, 1999)

Nancya, think of kimchee as the Asian version of sauerkraut. It's made almost exactly the same way, except that instead of being made only of cabbage it combines several vegetables,e.g., Napa cabbage, radish, scallions, turnip, and seasons them with ginger, garlic, and hot pepper. I have made it a number of times from a recipe in Madhur Jaffrey's "World of the East vegetarian Cooking." Not difficult and very good (that is, if you're as addicted to very spicy foods as I am).


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## shroomgirl (Aug 11, 2000)

I had a Korean neighbor that buried hers in a crock jar (kimchee) seems fish was involved..


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## monpetitchoux (Apr 24, 2001)

Yep, in most of the recipes I've read for kimchee, some sort of raw sea animal was involved. Mostly they call for small shrimp. Very often it's left out. Sometimes when I eat out at a Korean restaurant, they present two dishes of the napa cabbage kimchee, one with the other without the seafood. Although I like both of them, I like the one with the shrimp more. As a matter of fact, I am rather delighted when I get a piece of raw shrimp. And yes, the recipes also call for burying the kimchee in its earthenware pot in the soil. It was probably for temperature regulation so here in the US, the refrigerator should do a fine job. There's another very delicious one made of raw blue crabs and garlic scapes. I think Kroean cuisine has elevated the art of pickling.

Re: the fermented tomatoes. I learned about it a few years ago when I was watching Taste with David Rosengarten on the TVFN. Before Iron Chef, it was my favorite show on TVFN.

Oh, another thing I don't know what to do with is hearts of palm. I often see it in the tiny section designated for Asian foods. And I also see it when I shop in Chinatown. But how is that used? What's it like texturally and tastewise?

[ June 24, 2001: Message edited by: monpetitchoux ]


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## elakin (Jan 12, 2001)

great topic

i used to work with fresh hearts of palm at a nuevo-latino-type restaurant in chicago. they can be pretty woody, so sometimes you have to take off the outer layer or trim it. you can then julienne it (we used a mandoline) and serve it raw. it's nice as part of a salad dressed with a vinaigrette. or you can serve them in larger peices cooked. i would treat it kind of the same way as i would fennel, in terms of cooking. they have a really nice, kind of nutty flavor.

my entry here is those small berries that come in husks...gooseberries maybe? i see them sometimes in the produce section and i'm always surprised to see them at the grocery store, they seem so exotic.


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## marzoli (Nov 17, 2000)

Huge bunches of parsley! Yeah, I know it has its uses, but we are only two people, and I can't imagine what I'd do with such big bunches all banded together. I confess I did buy some once, and I used a little. The rest...well, you know.


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## mudbug (Dec 30, 1999)

Celeriac... anyone?


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## chef david simpson (Sep 25, 2000)

Naked Women shopping!!!!!! Yeahhh!!!!Baby!!!!


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## shroomgirl (Aug 11, 2000)

Hearts of Palm canned, I use in green salad
or in a shrimp heart of palm remoulade....
I cut mine in circles not julienne.
texture slight ever so slight resistance....

Celeriac....slaw or remoulade...peel (cut off funky outer part) and shred. Great with Creole food in a salad.

Naked Women shopping????!!! could be dangerous as we lean over the freezer section.

Raw blue crabs huh, yep that would be one of mine pickled raw blue crab.

Parsley....oh darlin, flat leaf parsley finishes off alot of my dishes hot as well as cold. I love the way it cuts the fatty flavors, it makes things come alive like a squirt of lemon. Tabouli is a huge user, celery root slaw with carrots, parsley, red pepper and mustard dressing....oh gee in creole, jambayla, chicken fricasse,stews, soups etc......just right at the end of cooking chop up a handful and throw it in the pot.
I once tried the weirdest spikey oval yellow fruit with glow in the dark green seedy goo...not sure what was up with it, but it lacked flavor.
how do you cook with live snails....how do you clean um?


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## risa (May 11, 2001)

MonPetitChoux: The canned hearts of palm remind me a bit of bottled or canned artichokes in both taste and texture and my mom actually used to use artichokes instead of hearts of palm because it was more difficult to find the latter. I haven't had the fresh heart of palm in a long time, but my mom used to put it in a Filipino oxtail-peanut stew.


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## jill reichow (Mar 12, 2001)

It would have to be the trays of pig ovaries I saw when I was home last. The butcher said that they can't keep them in stock. I think he said that the Vietnamese were using them.........just the thought. Ate sheeps tongue when I was in Austria........had horrible dreams all night of eating Mary's little lamb...if I would have known b4 I ate it...


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## shroomgirl (Aug 11, 2000)

at least 15 years ago I ate dim sum in San Francisco with my then 4 year old and he wanted to try this rolled (cylindrical) grey (yep grey) gelatinous shtuff....not sure to this day what it was...


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## mudbug (Dec 30, 1999)

Shroomgirl,

Was it sweet or savory? Didi it have a filling like an eggroll or was it solid?


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## isa (Apr 4, 2000)

Was it sticky rice? It's wrapped in banana leave I think. 


I love dim sum. Takes forever to make but it's so good.


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## shroomgirl (Aug 11, 2000)

Nope just a4" cylinder of grey jell...savory


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## mudbug (Dec 30, 1999)

Well, it was definitely made out of some type of rice flour. Surprised it wasn't stuffed though. Have to do some research on that for ya...


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## shroomgirl (Aug 11, 2000)

I eat um in rice gruel, but thousand year old eggs are something I see and wonder about alot...never bought.


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## mudbug (Dec 30, 1999)

Shroomgirl,

The eggs smell *extremely* pungent, sulfurous. A piece the size of a pea would flavor a mouthfull of rice and provide a huge finish. It's a very unique flavor but really not that bad. I suppose it's an appearance thing with most people who weren't raised around them.

One cool thing about them is when you peel them, there are crystals on the surface of the egg, they look like snowflakes....

As well versed as you are in food and flavors, you should try some... 

[ June 29, 2001: Message edited by: cchiu ]


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## momoreg (Mar 4, 2000)

I tried'em once. It smelled way worse than it tasted. I don't think I'll be eating them again.


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## mudbug (Dec 30, 1999)

The following is taken from my post under the topic You Ate WHAT? Contest.: Gold Medal Winner

"Even though they are called "1000 Year Old Eggs" it only takes 100 days to cure them.

You should be able to find them at your local asian grocery store. They are usually duck eggs. They are extremly unique in appearance and smell. They look like black/grey jello with crystals (once you peel off the shell) and they have an extremely strong sulfuric aroma. (so don't be surprised by the smell)

This from an article 1000 Year Old Eggs by Chef Morak"


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## unichef (Aug 14, 2000)

Ziggy-

If you are from Arizona 95% of the cactus you see in the store will be purchased by Mexicans who fry it up in scrambled eggs for breakfast. Unless they have a hangover, then they just laddle up a big bowl of Menudo- "the breakfast of champions"!

Mike
formerly of Albuquerque


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## mikelm (Dec 23, 2000)

cchiu:
Parsnips ain't bad. Someone already mentioned frying them like potato chips, which sounds good.

I was advised to cut them lengthwise into 1/8-inch slices and sautee them in olive oil. They are remarkably sweet and tender. You can go from lightly browned to crunchy, depending on your taste. As with chips, salt enhances their flavor.

Other than that, I don't do much with them, either.

Mike


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## mudbug (Dec 30, 1999)

*Hey shroomgirl,*

Better late than never... any chance this comes close?










Black sesame rolls can vary in colour from a translucent grey to completely black. This is from a dim sum in Hong Kong.


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## redace1960 (Apr 1, 2005)

tamarinda. it's an ingredient in worcestershire sauce and pop.....otherwise a mystery.


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## harpua (May 4, 2005)

Yucca Root


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## phoebe (Jul 3, 2002)

So shroom, mudbug,and redace, what does it taste like? 
Or is it one of those foods that don't taste "like" anything else? Which brings up a question I've had: 
If some food/taste doesn't have a clear referent--something it is very similar to--does that excite you, repulse you, confuse you? Years ago, I went to Japan, and it seemed like every other dish I ate contained a green herb I'd never tasted before (you all probably know what this is, but I still don't). I was startled because there was no taste in my vocabulary to compare it to. So I began to feel a little queasy. I don't think it was the herb, but my own discomfort at not knowing how to define what I'd tasted. I think that if it had tasted like something I knew and disliked, that would have been easier to deal with.
Has anyone else had this experience? Or am I just a wuss (or a delicate flower  ) when it comes to food strangenesses?


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## gbhunter (Oct 14, 2004)

But rarely is it good! Most of the roots a flacid and some are even rotting! 
Its rare but sometimes I can get a nice root that makes allot of horse radish!! I love that Stuff!


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## redace1960 (Apr 1, 2005)

tamarinda smells like barbeque sauce-except not. hits you in the same registers that merlot, nutmeg and espresso do, very deep and assertive. on the other hand it LOOKS like brown beanpods that have been hidden under a doghouse for thirty years. 
new tastes? if i smell it and it doesn't incite a gag reflex, i'm good to go. then i think about it and pick at it in between sips of water for the rest of the meal and drive everyone else at the table nuts trying to describe it.


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## liv4fud (Jul 14, 2005)

mine would be a orangish-yellow mini football type thing with some kind of spikes coming out of it. spikes are few and seem equi distant.
Haven't had a nice jewel/dominicks person to get me even the name of it. Its usually on a small table with all the unusual fruits of the store.
Feels like it could be squishy to touch but haven't had the guts to even touch it.


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## jenni belle (Mar 10, 2005)

liv4fud, I think you may be referring to either a cherimoya or a guanabana. They are simliar fruits. But I have not tasted either!

mudbug, I *love* parsnips!!! They are so sweet! I like to roast them with some carrots and potatoes and serve with a lovely roast or chicken. MMMmmm......Problem is, they are pretty expensive. At least in my neck of the woods. They are a treat to us!

I don't know who brought up the cactus, but it is quite tasty. It is served a lot in my area (southern Colorado) and it is mainly served for breakfast. Here it is know by it's Spanish names though. If you see 'nopales' or 'nopalitos' on a menu, cactus is your dish!

I think my useless item would be jicima. I don't know what to do with it other than in salads. And I can only eat so many salads.......phooey......rabbit food. 

There's also pumpkin. Pie and soup. Is there anything else???

And what about radishes. Bleck! Other than giving you bad breath, are they really good for anything???


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## mezzaluna (Aug 29, 2000)

Liv4fud, you're thinking of the kiwano melon. Here's a picture . Is that what you meant? I've always been intrigued, but they're pretty pricey (over $3 each).


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## phatch (Mar 29, 2002)

Yucca root is GOOD.


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## mudbug (Dec 30, 1999)

Don't be afraid to try new things. Ask around (as you did here). Do google searches, etc on how to select and when to eat.

Kiwano Melon
http://www.google.com/search?client=...UTF-8&oe=UTF-8

If you try a single fruit you are not familiar with, don't base your judgement on that one fruit. Like strawberries or peaches, you can easily get some that look fine on the outside but just are simply not the optimum representatives taste wise.

By not trying new things, you could be depriving your taste buds of something you thoroughly enjoy and may have been missing all your life.


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## ricib (Jun 28, 2005)

there's probably a million things I pass by, but never think to use. I can say I've been using parsnips for years. They're "cheap" here at times. I add them in my oxtail soup, and it's that much better. 

I like trying new stuff.


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## liv4fud (Jul 14, 2005)

mezzaluna and mudbug, 
kiwano melon it is.

well regarding not knowing and trying... have an interesting story.

used to be intrigued by this thing called persimons in the market. asked around. a nice person who didn't speak much of english - was kind enough to explain how to use one - wait till its soft to touch (like avocado) and orange and remove the skin and enjoy. said it was very sweet... Well I went with their suggestion as that was the same person who helped me out to pick avocados (yes I didn't know how to pick those either and loved guacamole to death) 

needless to say I waited atleast 2-3 days patiently till it was orange and soft to touch. cut it up and it smelled so sweet and divine and then I took a bite. for the first second I had a delightful and divine taste. then...  as if like there was a bitterness explosion in my mouth. no liquid or drink washed it away. tongue scrapper didn't help either. 

needless to say I was very disappointed. that doesn't keep me from trying though. but am left with a bitter taste in my mouth (literally can taste it even now).

actually most of the times it happens in restaurants too when I try to be adventurous. Most of the times I have landed on my face. But its the joy of finding that other *usual* dish keeps fueling my search...
same for the items in grocery stores as well...


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## liv4fud (Jul 14, 2005)

pumpkins and radishes are used in a lot of traditional indian cookings like curries and soups. 

Soups (like sambhars and dals) often use or allow the use of any/all local vegetables. radishes in particular impart a very delicate flavor to the dish. Keep them whole (small round ones) or dice them and use say a handful of cubes to start out with. Depending on the strength of pungency - which should evaporate mostly - you will have nice flavors. 

Sambhars also allow the use of pumpkins - especially the one with the white flesh as its more neutral to taste. But I have used the other one (diced) instead of potatoes and it brings out a distinct flavor to the party.

also use in many a stews - pumpkins impart a good flavor. one note of caution, based on the cooking times, I usually add them near the end otherwise it has a tendency to mush-out on me. Use radishes when baking chicken on a pan. Instead of rack use a mixture of root veggies along with radishes.


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## pete (Oct 7, 2001)

Though I am rarely stumped by things I see at most mainstream grocery stores, I love to go to Asian and Latino markets to see and try new things. It can be quite a liberating experience to walk down the aisle at one of these and not know what half the stuff is!!!

As for Kimchee, the stuff we usually see in the markets (the fermented napa cabbage in a firey sauce) is only one type. There are literally hundereds of different kimchees. Though most all of them are a mix of pickled or fermented vegetables, there are many different kinds out there. We usually don't see those others though.


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## frizbee (Sep 27, 2003)

mudbug said:


> Don't be afraid to try new things. Ask around (as you did here). Do google searches, etc on how to select and when to eat.
> 
> Kiwano Melon
> http://www.google.com/search?client=...UTF-8&oe=UTF-8
> ...


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## abgstat (Apr 22, 2007)

Many, many years ago, mom served cow's tongue .... brought to the table on a platter, whole. Looking back on it now, all I can think of is John the Baptist's head. Is it any wonder I sat at the table till bedtime because "you're not leaving that table until you eat dinner" Sheesh!


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## shroomgirl (Aug 11, 2000)

wow....cylindrical grey goo from the dim sum place in SF....you found it Mudbug!!! after 6 years I can finally have a name for it.

would this list change now?
I've been into tripa tacos recently....not tried the overy selection at the Asian grocery, but do occasionally poke them just out of curiosity. Tendon is my fav. meat in Pho...and no I'm not of Asian descent.

hmmph....I'll have to rethink this one, most of the time if I'm curious I'll buy and try something. There are an awful lot of unidentified veg at the asian grocery stores that I have no idea what to do with much less what their names are to even look them up. Good thread fun to reread and remember what was cooking in 2001.


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## lisacutri (Dec 23, 2006)

I am quite puzzled by the aversion to tongue? we eat all sorts of strange things and am wondering why people are so against it? i'm sure we are putting worse things in our mouth over our life times? fast food for example!?if tongue is prepared correctly it is a wonderful dish, you wouldn't even know you were eating it!
we slow simmer ours (Usually ox or sometimes lamb if we have slaughtered ourselves) for a few hours, then skin away the tastebuds and finely slice. lay out on a plate and sprinkle with good sea salt fresh sliced garlic (for flavour we don't eat the slices) a good squeeze of lemon juice and some really good olive oil served with some good crusty bread and you have a meal for kings!


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## indianwells (Jan 2, 2007)

Hi Marzoli, I used to have the same thought. Now, I just use the amount that I need for the particular dish i'm doing and the rest I finely chop and freeze it in a large sandwich bag. Sure, it loses a small amount of flavour but it's 100% better than using dried and it's extremely useful to have on hand. Most herbs freeze really well.:chef:


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## allie (Jul 21, 2006)

I have the same problem with cilantro as Marzoli has with parsley. I always find these huge bunches and I'll use it once or twice, then it starts turning yellow on me. I bought some a couple of weeks ago and tried putting it in a glass of water to keep longer. That didn't help much at all. I love the flavor but it isn't something I want at every meal. Can it be frozen as well?

Sugar cane was mentioned. As a child, one of our neighbors grew sugar cane on my grandmother's property. He made cane syrup from it. Every now and then my dad would get a stalk and cut it into pieces so we could suck and chew on it. It's like a candy but has a very distinct flavor. If you've tasted cane syrup, then you'll know the flavor I mean. I love cane syrup, particularly for making bbq sauce. That's one of the items, I can't get here in Indiana so always pick some up when I travel to Georgia.

I bought tofu a few weeks ago and other than hot and sour soup, I have no idea what to do with it. I tried it in a stir fry for lunch and it wasn't good at all. lol

There are a lot of items, I haven't tried in the grocery store but I do see them on Food Network often...like fennel. I keep meaning to buy some but have to go to one certain store to get it. For some reason, I always forget about it when I'm there. Two out of four members of my family are hesitant to taste new vegetables so I don't like to spend a lot of money on something that might go to waste.


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## mezzaluna (Aug 29, 2000)

Mine did too, both smoked and fresh. It was my job to peel it and return it to the pot for its final cooking. Tongue is my favorite deli meat. :lips: I don't think my husband would eat tongue or I'd cook it for him. It's not the healthiest of meats (it's high in cholesterol) but it's delicious when cooked properly.


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## phatch (Mar 29, 2002)

Tongue makes an amazing taco. Walmart sells it pretty cheaply and it's the easiest place for me to find many specialty meats... 

Anyway, back to the tongue tacos. The kids were chowing it down and liking it. My daughter asks what it is exactly. I say, 'Beef' and stop. My wife finishes with, 'tongue' and no more was eaten by the kids. 

That's why I stopped at Beef.

Phil


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## shroomgirl (Aug 11, 2000)

that's my M.O. too......man I really hate it when someone asks in the middle of dinner what their eating......
I've gotten over my mental issues with tongue. AS a teen I ordered a tongue sandwich, got a bite in my mouth and could not swallow it.....now I've NEVER been a whimpy eater but for some reason it just did not go down.

My sister in law is the WORST offender, she is a modest eater from Utah.....once she asked when a live oyster dies, or if the soft shell crabs had eyes etc... or what you were actually consuming when you suck a crawfish head......she's the one who will ask at a full dinner table what's in a dish. Point blank. Same scenerio happens with her kids, it's just a real bummer.


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## indianwells (Jan 2, 2007)

Yes, cilantro(or as we call it, Coriander) freezes well. I always have some in the freezer for my weekly curry fix!


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## ras1187 (Oct 3, 2006)

Fennel

Have sliced it thinly for salads, havent done much else with it.


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## dc sunshine (Feb 26, 2007)

Screaming kids with parents who do nothing about it.  They should be boiled in oil. Oh ok just kidding but they drive me bonkers - both the kids and the parents for letting them carry on.

I feel so tempted to say something but you never know what reaction you'll get...


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## grumio (Apr 16, 2006)

Thus providing another dish which benefits nicely from either a parsley or cilantro garnish! Squeeze of lemon juice...

Probably best to bread them lightly first...


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## dc sunshine (Feb 26, 2007)

hehehe :crazy: ....would probably need to tenderise them with meat hammer first.....that would be job satisfaction


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## cookie jim (Apr 24, 2007)

mud bug,I finally bought rudebega,peeled it.cubed it,boiled it however the best thing to do with it was trash it...lol...good cookin...cookie


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## austin_ (Jun 17, 2006)

Prickly pear. Tasteless, somewhat expensive, and overall boring fruit. Looks cool though. But that's about it. Oh, and I have a hard time using tripe and tilapia. Tripe is gross and tilapia is virtually tasteless.


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## allie (Jul 21, 2006)

I love ruttabaga! I peel and cube them, then cook in water with a little bacon or salt pork and add just a bit of white sugar to bring out the sweetness. Drain and mash with a potato masher and it's good eats! My daughter loves them so much she asked for them as part of her special menu on her 13th birthday. The liquid you drain off, "pot likker" in the south is good, too. lol


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## shroomgirl (Aug 11, 2000)

Or peel cube and roast with olive oil and salt.....really good.


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## shroomgirl (Aug 11, 2000)

ruttabegas not kids....though I do have bits and pieces of kids in my freezer....(goat).


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## ras1187 (Oct 3, 2006)

We hada really neat idea of cubing rutabega, parsnips, turnips, carrots and other root vegetables, parcooking them, then flaming individual orders with irish whiskey. We served them with just about everything from pork to chicken to beef.

Jicama is another confusing item to me. Other then dipping it in chili powder and using it for garnishes/salads, my mind goes blank.


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## big az al (May 9, 2007)

When used in salsa's and garnish's,

Gives them a richer earthy taste,

Some people say makes things taste like dirt!

Me I can take it, but given a choice I will leave it. except for in Menuedo

Tribe, 
cooked down with hominy and pigs or cows feet, makes a great soup, garnished with green onions and cillantro, with or without some lemon juice is great by me.

Mapalotas(?) young/new prickly pair pads, the ones I have had are a lemon/citrus flavor that takes a little getting used to

I look at a lot of things in a neighborhood Chinese Market, if I only new what to make using would be pretty enteresting, and I don't have a clue.


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## mikelm (Dec 23, 2000)

Jicama is often suggested as a substitute for water chestnut in stir-frys. Same neutral taste - soaks up flavors of your sauce - and crunchy texture.

Nice julienned in salads. Same thing- crunchy and carries flavors of the dressing.

Mike :lips:


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