Text 2655, 136 rader
Skriven 2006-07-02 12:49:08 av Carol Shenkenberger (6:757/1)
   Kommentar till text 2643 av hap newsom (1:275/311)
Ärende: Re: Coca-Cola Blak
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*** Quoting hap newsom from a message to CAROL SHENKENBERGER ***

-> checked in on our local meat place with the 'kosher' butcher and got a few 
-> sliced bits of beef and some marrow bones.
-> 
-> Our little shopping cart came back stuffed to the gills with all sorts of 
-> oddiments.  Some more 'odd' than 'normal' for the rest of you perhaps, but 
-> suitable for us here.  It was about 75% fresh veggies and fruits, 
hn> 10% 'other' 
-> and 15% meat products.
-> 
hn> Our break down is pretty much about the same.

Should be the same for us all, but I grant USA folks eat way too much meat and
I do too at times.  At home though, I am very simple and sane.  On the ship, I
have limited options.

-> The marrow bones will be made up with some of the 'soup shrimp' into a 
hn> hearty 
-> stock that will grace many meals.

hn> Hearty stock meaning thick? or just full of different flavors? How do
hn> it, by adding other things to it or by putting it over something else?

Both in this case.  The marrow bones will make it an almost gelatinous stock
(consomme?) and i'll use simple but deeply flavorful seasonings.  Thats
something i learned in Japan to do.  It's amazing how you can make 'spicy'
without any real spices.

When Michael Loo and Jim Weller talk about fancy cooks, they both say that the
basic stock is the key to any dish going from 'acceptable' to 'sublime'.  A
side effect of so many years of crockpot habits, is i know how to make a
simple and inexpensive 'stock' that is so much better than anything you can
get at a store, there is no comparison.  You can see in my recipes, I imagine?
 They wont say 'a can of chicken stock' but instead, a cup or something like
that.

Oh I cheat sometimes with bullion for beef or chicken, but normally only when I
just got home and Don/Charlotte ate up all I had left them while I was gone. 
I can definately tell the difference in the dish when I have to do that.

On making a good stock, for this type (marrow bones and shrimp), I need little
other than water, bones cut down to 1 inch thick, and the dried shrimps which
are already spiced.  I will add in whole (unchopped but washed) kangkoon as i
have that handy but spinach or possibly 'kale' would do as well.  About what
would be 1 cup if dry and smushed down into a cup?  I leave it whole as I may
want to take it out after I decant the stock.  I normally store the broth with
it still in there then remove it on defrosting if it isnt wanted in the next
dish.

I store the stock in many containers of various sizes. I use masking tape
labels so I can tell what is in each one.  The most useful size for us is
about 3/4 cup in a ziplock baggie but I also use icecube trays when I make up
a bigger batch as thats a really easy way to get just a small amount for
flavoring a vegetable boiling water.  If you see all the recipes that call for
a tablespoon or so of stock, thats how you can most easily do that.

What will I do with it?  Since this one is a marrow-bone stock, thick looking
and meaty, I will use it in some hundred or more ways.  Often as a fat
transfer flavor enhancer to a dish that otherwise would be 'vegetarian'.  In
southern USA recipes that call for 'salt pork' I will be using this thick
'consomme' and in recipes that just need 'beef broth' I will water it down,
add a touch of MSG, and perhaps a little scraped beef bit such as you would
get if you dehydrate some meat then pulverized it.

As each stock is somewhat different, this one from the marrow bones is not
suitable for anything requiring a clear non-fatty broth.  It's also not one of
the ones you try to 'defat' but just accept as is.

Now for chicken stock, my technique is rather different depending on the phase
of the moon and my own desires (g).  That will normally be defatted, with some
of the fat saved for other uses but mostly tossed out.  My cholestrol control
habits have me generate far more chicken fat than is healthy for us to eat. 
Granted the beef marrow broth isnt low on that, but we use it as a special
item and a little goes a long way there.


hn>   It has to wait though for the baby-crock to 
-> be empty.  The baby crock is now going with a batch of 'cooking apples' 
hn> (little
-> 
-> tart bits of heaven, with honey and sugar for now, and later will add 
hn> nutmeg 
-> and cinnimon).  The apples will need to cook down overnight to be 'right' 
hn> and 
-> the resulting slurry will be a lumpy sort of apple filling for eati
-> cream or rice.  I've enough to make a nice noshe for a decent sized flock 
-> tomorrow and the word is quietly spreading already...
-> 
-> You can hear the flock whispering.. Chicken soup and appled rice..  yumm, 
hn> lets 
-> go there tomorrow after the base tour with our parents..  You can hear 
hn> one of 
-> them whispering back 'appled rice?  Gross!' and another giggling an
-> 'more for the rest of us then'...
-> 
hn> Sounds like something we used to make and yep, we added raisens too! A
hn> sometimes even cranberries!

That would be a good optional addition!

Meantime, I just added more honey to it.  The slurry developed perfectly but
was slightly dryer than I like so a bit of honey and a 1/4 cup water fixed
that up.  We are about to take off for the base festival (started officially
already but lasts til 10pm).  Had to hit up a neighbor for some rice as hadnt
realized we were out already.  Asked for a 'couple of cups' and got back about
10 cups of calrose so we dont need to shop for that for another week.

A little baggie of dried cherries, probably 1/4 cup, showed up as well but I'd
already added too much nutmeg to match that flavor.  Next batch perhaps?

-> Jack's boy Mike has the sweets for Charlotte so he's taking part in the 
hn> group 
-> just to keep his hoodlum in bounds (grin, not to worry, Mike is a sweetie 
hn> and 
-> Charlotte is silently quite happy to have an admirer).
-> 
->                                        xxcarol
hn> Oh my does THAT bring back memories! 

Me too!  Oh yes.  Mike's a sweety for sure.  The only fly in the ointment (isnt
there always one?) is his Mom.  She's a bit prejudiced and Charlotte is a
little too 'white' for her tastes.  Product of her times (black lady with blue
eyes and probably suffered a bit of teasing as a kid over it).  She's
otherwise cool people, just a bit disgruntled when it's her 'own kid' but she
shows healthy signs of getting over it.

Me?  I wish I had had a boyfriend with Mike's deep blue eyes! He's also as well
behaved as any mom with a 12 yearold daughter could wish.  (hush, Charlotte is
still primping!  Changed shirts 3 times already looking for just that right
'look' so she can safely ignore poor Mike while driving him batty at the same
time).
                                       xxcarol

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