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

[liv4fud]

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...

[liv4fud]

Originally Posted by jenni belle

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???

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.

[Pete]

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.

[Frizbee]

[quote=mudbug]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

[quote]

I tried it… I was intently intrigued by the shape, color and who could resist those spikes?
I liked it my husband and son didn't...AT all.
It sort of tasted like kiwi, and melon twisted up. I read somewhere I think (I also googled it) that it can be used for sauces, or jellies. The inside is very odd.... (Gosh I hope I am remembering right) and has lost of little jellied balls. They are intimidating indeed. But the price as mention elsewhere motivated me to press on. I also read they are mostly used for natural vessels, like for ice-cream which I thought would be visually stunning.
Anyway I haven’t tried to make the sauce or anything since my first experience, but this reminds me to try it and see.
Overall, interesting and intriguing would be my assessment.
Frizbee

[abgstat]

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!

[shroomgirl]

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.

[lisacutri]

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!

[indianwells]

Originally Posted by Marzoli

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.

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.

[allie]

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.

[Mezzaluna]

Many, many years ago, mom served cow's tongue

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. 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.

[phatch]

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

[shroomgirl]

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.

[indianwells]

Originally Posted by allie

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.

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

[RAS1187]

Fennel

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

[DC Sunshine]

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...