Why left alone? I don't think it is political at all. Perhaps philosophical, but that isn't banned (yet) is it?
So what is in Kewpie that is so controversial? The MSG? How is that political?
Not being contrarian. Genuinely interested in the hearing the logic.
Our dorms at UChicago grad school were mostly mixed together so we had physicists, classics majors, biz majors, literature and social services all mixed together. One of the nicest was MIT grad, Bonny from Great Neck. Almost the entire floor would go to Greektown on Friday nights and I have no idea how we made it back! Drinking beer, smoking cigarettes and playing bridge instead of studying.
We did have a Bonny the Bear but I don't think it's the same person. 😀 Funny thing we never did any drinking almost never Chinatown for dinner, poker all night, and Chinatown for breakfast yes. Not a single person smoked ever except one guy that did a Parodi once and a while.
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Sorry please just ignore my comment I'm talking about the politics of how our food is processed, raised etc. There is an enormous amount of politics around food labeling terminology, it goes far beyond the obvious. I read labels and try to inform myself you can parse the ingredients to most things into groups of real and totally industrial products. There are numerous umami ingredients that add all kinds of interesting flavors MSG has no flavor and I avoid anything containing it and have never used it in cooking, that stance is considered political in some circles. Please let it pass I won't mention it again.
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Yeah sometimes I look at ingredients lists on things in the grocery store, and if I see a bunch of things that I would never reach for when cooking ("Damn! Where's my hydrolized plant protein?") then I just put it back.
That pickle I had for lunch, the ingredients on the label say "cucumber, water, vinegar, garlic, horseradish, dill, sugar, salt, mustard seeds, spices."
The sauerkraut: "white cabbage, salt, spices. no preservatives added, keep refrigerated after opening."
The meats are from a mom and pop charcuterie that has been in the same place for 60 years. The color of the smoked meat tells me there's some nitrate or nitrite in the brine, but it's the least salty tasting "smoked meat" I have had, so I feel like it is made the right way, and I like the man who makes it.
Now I could grab a package of crackers from the kitchen which are marketed as "whole grain yadayada" and they are actually pretty good ingredients-wise but you see things like: "sunflower and/or canola oil (contains ascorbic acid, rosemary extract)". OK nothing actually scary there, but how did ascorbic acid and rosemary get in there? (answer: used in oils to reduce oxidation / rancidity). Then you get down to "natural flavor, monocalcium phosphate, protease, sulphites". OK I'm not scared of sulphites, and protease sounds like an enzyme of some sort, but again we have departed pretty far from what I have in my kitchen. And this is one of the more innocuous foods.
Your point isn't lost on me. I've read Michael Pollan's book and thoroughly enjoyed it. I focus my own habits on the final chapters, but I also don't deprive myself of mayonnaise or other processed foods completely. Kewpie's a few times a year isn't going to kill me. I also like Pollan's follow up book, particularly his 7 rules. I don't think he intended it to be a religion or politic. Just a personal recommendation.
Anyone who says any of this is political is probably one of those people who attempts to make everything political. But sure, we can let it pass (now that I've said more than I should, as usual).
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For me this is the great fascination of this thread. For those of us who haven't travelled as well the broad geographical and ancestral base of the members, coupled with the possibly even wider ancestral* spead of some of the significant others means we can discuss these wide ranging differences on how differnent nations made the best of what was available in their countries.
*Clumsy word but can't thing of a better one until the second coffee has fully kicked in.
Monocalcium phosphate - my somewhat-educated guess (BS, Food Science and Technology, UC Davis, 1980; now retired from a career in the food industry) is that it is there as a pH modifier, and makes the final product more shelf stable.
Protease enzyme breaks down proteins just like it sounds. In this case it's probably used to break gluten chains to make the dough less elastic and easier to roll into a cracker.
I gave up the idea of actually being a food chemist early on, but I can pretty much read and understand the labels at the market.
Sorry to be a little grumpy, but the fact that the current situation is going to bankrupt a lot of small passionate producers as well as probably dampen travel for years is putting me in a rotten mood.
When we were kids, we'd put potato chips (UK crisps) on our peanut butter sandwiches. Nothing like a crunchy PB sandwich, I liked the BBQ the best, try it out 🙂 They even have dill pickle and smoky bacon chips these days. So many options available.
A friend dipped his BBQ chips in vinegar, which I did not like.
A friend dipped his BBQ chips in vinegar, which I did not like.
Even though this may be the beginning of the ' End Times ' , we can be thankful
to have lived during the ' Good Times ' ....................
This is a romantic notion, most rural french go to supermarket now and buy mayonnaise in tubes.
That said if you want diy the recipe is simple ( for 4 persons):
1 egg,
20cl 'neutral taste' oil ( sunflower oil is nice)
1 tablespoon (15ml) strong mustard (Dijon's mustard)
Salt, pepper, some drop of lemon juice or white vinegar.
In a bowl you put egg yolk, mustard, salt and pepper and you mix/ scramble the whole with a fork. You then incorporate oil as you go while still scrambling.
Once the mixture as a creamy consistency you ad drops of lemon juice or a bit of vinegar.
You can use the whole egg ( including egg white) if you want: the mayo will be 'slighter' as a result. If you want a bit more 'character' to it, use another kind of oil ( i like olive oil) and make 50/50 with sunflower oil and/or 'old style mustard' ( including mustard's seeds).
If you are lazy like i am, you can use an electric mixer but intermediate speed max( you don't want to spread mayonaise all over the place).
Lemon or vinegar help to keeps the mayonnaise longuer ( max 2 days at <4°celsius with lemon, max 1 day at <4°celsius without).
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You know which I'm going to choose. 😉
I still do the same with my fries (UK chips), yet ketchup chips, along with dill pickle of course, are my two favourites. Go finger.
For a while here, they were selling a US brand of ketchup chips (Herr's). My brother liked them so much he bought a box of them to take home with him, they were the best, according to him. I see Amazon selling them 🙂
https://www.amazon.ca/Herrs-Ketchup-Flavored-Potato-Chips/dp/B0005XO2NS
https://www.amazon.ca/Herrs-Ketchup-Flavored-Potato-Chips/dp/B0005XO2NS
Nope. Unless you mean deep fried pickles, then yes but here they done in spears not chips.
EDIT: Apparently I looked right past your link without paying attention. And... my comment remains the same.
EDIT: Apparently I looked right past your link without paying attention. And... my comment remains the same.
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Ok....I’d hate to see anyone who loved dill pickles go without trying that (any which way ya slice it!)
That link tells ya how it’s done in the air fryer too, that’s my only complaint is they’re a little oily.......one more reason to get a air fryer I reckon!
That link tells ya how it’s done in the air fryer too, that’s my only complaint is they’re a little oily.......one more reason to get a air fryer I reckon!
No need to apologise. We are living in interesting times. As 50+ hours of my week are still spent working I have little bandwidth to mull on the fallout from it. In a lot of ways it affects the retired a lot more.
Back on track. How does one determine a good Feta? Started having more salads again for lunch now its warming up outside and wondering if I should start to become more adventurous with my sheep milk based products...