The Lazy Gourmet

[Unorthodox]

I said MY gumbo. Not proper gumbo.

And the next time I see okra readily available around here will be the first.

[Buster's Uncle]

[pronounced ohkree, btw]

[Unorthodox]

[pronounced ohkree, btw]

[poop] straight up WILL NOT grow here.  Presumably with a greenhouse and some serious soil amendments it would be theoretically possible, but you'd need to condition the water as well. 

[Buster's Uncle]

Nasty-tasting stuff, anyway.

[Unorthodox]

Through Covid I've been getting more elaborate with the cooking, but recently Talia joined the high school wrestling team and it's made half the week need SUPER simple meals. 

So, after learning how to make green thai curry from scratch (something I knew I would like but maybe not the family) and it becoming a staple meal, I decided to try a pre-made paste from the Asian market. 

I can safely say I will never make green curry paste again.  Mae Ploy's is every bit as good.  I don't agree with their instructions on how to cook the meal as a whole, but the paste itself is darn near perfect.  As with a lot of pre-made pastes from the asian markets, you do need to kind of awaken the paste in some fat/oil of some kind for a bit, which if you're not used to doing might take a second to figure out why.  I also think it needs a touch of lime juice, and bonus if you can simmer with some lime leaves.   

Mae Ploy green curry paste 10/10.  (Mae Ploy is becoming a brand I seek out actually)

Oh, if you live in a more americanized thai restaurant area, be advised Green is usually the spicier curry, not red.  I know a lot of American restaurants have it backwards for some reason. 

(worked with a lot of Thai folks for 8 years at Fram, got used to authentic meals from our pot lucks.) 

[Buster's Uncle]

At supper today, we were discussing the seasoning of the chicken and rice we were eating, and Buster's Gramma articulated an important spicing principal.

"You can add more later, but you can't take away."

[Unorthodox]

At supper today, we were discussing the seasoning of the chicken and rice we were eating, and Buster's Gramma articulated an important spicing principal.

"You can add more later, but you can't take away."

It's not WRONG. 

However, when I say I've gotten super fancy of late, I'm talking I usually don't USE "spices" so much as the raw herbs/veggies/etc, and exploring how and why adding at different stages in the cooking process effect the end result when using the same ingredients.  Timing of adding salt can make a huge swing in end result.

[Buster's Uncle]

Well, Momma's prone to way under-salt, or forget to completely.  And there are things like meats that that you can never salt very satisfactorily on the plate when it started way underseasoned.  I end up salting mine too much, often.  Things like unsweetened cereal can be that way w/ sweetening, too.

So both sides are something to keep in mind - and what you say, too.  There's physics/chemistry involved in the cooking that a competent cook has to understand and remember.

[Geo]

The only meat I need to salt here is plain burgers (usually ham -or lamb burger). The "filet pur" of whatever meat I usually buy (turkey, chicken, beef) doesn't need salt, but I have the habit of seasoning it with a pinch of black pepper.

[Unorthodox]

It's hard to imagine not salting beef in any circumstance that doesn't include some kind of marinade (which usually has some salt content anyway).  In fact I'm going to dry brine it beforehand if at all possible. 

Chicken and pork is more dependent on the dish.

I will say hEt likes things A LOT saltier than I do, so she's usually adding salt at the table no matter what. 

[Buster's Uncle]

As you say, but it makes a difference when she doesn't have to salt up from nothing.

[Unorthodox]

Our favorite easy meal of late.  Caveat, I use a gas stove (not a big deal) and stainless steel (bigger deal, non stick doesn't work quite the same)

Step one, start a pot of water boiling on burner 1 (JUST enough water to make the pasta, which is usually a lot less water than package directions), and heating a pan with a bit of oil on burner 2, high heat. 

Dump pasta of choice into pot of water.  I don't particularly like noodles for this, something short and stocky like ziti or shells, bowties, etc.  You're going to undercook just a bit. 

While it's cooking sear diced meat of choice in the pan.  just salt and pepper, nothing fancy. 

when the meat is seared, deglaze the pan with a bit of alcohol of choice and reduce that by about half the turn down to low

About now the noodles should be getting done.  Transfer them to the pan with a skimmer/strainer spoon and mix well.  Add some butter, tomato paste (get yourself the toothpaste tube tomato pastes!), garlic, and the pasta water to make a sauce. 

[Buster's Uncle]

Not actually cooking advice, quite, but eating.

Don't waste good Ritz crackers on oyster stew.  Store-brand cheap saltines taste just as good crumbled in.

Oysters sure ain't what they used to be, BTW.

[Rusty Edge]

The pasta looks good!

I am posting now to remind myself to post something here with my onion soup. It's in keeping with the OP, because it uses an InstaPot, and everybody who eats it seems to like it.