Random Food Questions Thread

[tdangio]

We are putting together our registry, and I am sneaking stuff on it. What size VacMaster bags do you find the most useful, or should I get an assortment?

 

[t3hg0suazn]

Is parsley an acquired taste? So many Western dishes call for it as garnish, but I find the flavor really disagreeable (bitter?). Cilantro just seems superior in every way.

 

[mgm9128]

Hmm, maybe you're buying old parsley. Herbs tends to get bitter as they age. Look for the younger leaves. If you need a bridge from cilantro to parsley, try chervil. It is sweeter, more delicate, and all around a terrific, versatile herb.

I don't find parsley bitter. It is certainly more assertive than chervil, but It is important to realize the strength of flavor will change based upon how you cut it, and the amount you add to whatever it is you are cooking.

 

[mgm9128]

I was mistakingly sent 5 pounds of duck skin. Any ideas for uses?

 

[ehkay]

Yakitori

 

[gomestar]

Spanakopita du Canard

 

[GraphicNovelty]

Duck rinds

 

[RedLantern]

^ was going to say duck chicharones.

 

[Piobaire]

Galatines.

 

[ehkay]

duck skin lasagne

 

[ehkay]

sous vide duck skin burger

 

[t3hg0suazn]

Peking duck, the skin is the best part anyways

 

[ehkay]

^ that's a good idea. I think there's a Heston B Peking duck thing where he cooks the skin in a fairly involved process. Just the project for Max-san.

 

[sonick]

I made the chicken liver mousse out of the LA times California Cookbook pretty much exactly, but it turned out to be a liquidy goopy mess, it barely set and there's unsightly pink liquid. Tastes ok but does not look like the photo at all.

What went wrong? The recipe called for 1 3/4 cups milk; does that mean 1 unit of 3/4 cups or 1 and 3/4 cups? I understood it to be the latter and I suspect that might be what went wrong.

@foodguy?

 

[foodguy]

sorry you had trouble with it. two things: a) it is a very delicate mousse. and b) it sounds like it was undercooked. make sure you cook to the visual indicators (feels set) and temp rather than to the time. That said, it is a tricky recipe and the window between underdone and pushed too far is fairly narrow. And just for the record, that's not my recipe, it's one I reprinted from Richard Olney (credited of course), because I really love it.