The Food Thread

[majestic 2,515]

On 11/8/2020 at 10:30 AM, BruceVC said:

Its been rainy and gloomy in CPT this weekend  but  there is only one proven remedy for much melancholic weather ...a cheese fondue never disappoints which is what I will be making for late lunch\dinner  

Mmmm pork belly.

[BruceVC 2,832]

It came out well my mini-pork belly 

[BruceVC 2,832]

36 minutes ago, majestic said:

Mmmm pork belly.

I had to comment, look at the size of your pork belly compared to mine....hence emphasis on the word " mini " pork belly 

Do you know the weight of yours? Your one is ideal for a family 

Oh and what do serve with it?

Edited November 26, 2020 by BruceVC

[majestic 2,515]

10 minutes ago, BruceVC said:

I had to comment, look at the size of your pork belly compared to mine....hence emphasis on the word " mini " pork belly 

Do you know the weight of yours? Your one is ideal for a family 

Oh and what do serve with it?

I'm reasonably certain that was roughly 5 kilograms of pork belly, and it was indeed for the extended family. Served with marinated red cabbage and bread dumplings. Maybe I'll upload some more pictures later, but I try to avoid duplicates, a picture of some earlier pork belly with similar sides (just with green instead of red cabbage) is a few pages back somewhere.

[BruceVC 2,832]

10 minutes ago, majestic said:

I'm reasonably certain that was roughly 5 kilograms of pork belly, and it was indeed for the extended family. Served with marinated red cabbage and bread dumplings. Maybe I'll upload some more pictures later, but I try to avoid duplicates, a picture of some earlier pork belly with similar sides (just with green instead of red cabbage) is a few pages back somewhere.

Please post photos if you can, I enjoy seeing any and all food photos...always good to see what people are munching 

 

[Keyrock 9,143]

Traditional Thanksgiving meal 

Man who never eat pork bun is never a whole man - Ancient Chinese Proverb 

[ShadySands 7,767]

I made short ribs and cous cous for dinner and bone marrow on toast with a maple bacon onion jam for an appetizer. My wife made some brussel sprouts with bacon, pomegranate, and a balsamic reduction.

[BruceVC 2,832]

1 hour ago, ShadySands said:

I made short ribs and cous cous for dinner and bone marrow on toast with a maple bacon onion jam for an appetizer. My wife made some brussel sprouts with bacon, pomegranate, and a balsamic reduction.

I love bone marrow, its so decedent and rich 

You talk about decedent food, I love Foie Gras and always order if its available which is not common in SA unless its a French theme restaurant. There is this wine estate in Cpt that we went to and you can order a 500 gram Venison steak with this huge amount of Foie Gras on top ....it literally melts into the steak similar to bone marrow 

The problem with eating Foie Gras is the well meaning but annoying push back from animal lovers and liberals who argue how unreasonable and cruel it is to the ducks and geese who we get it from. I was on a date in JHB once where the women I was attempting to court wouldnt entertain seeing me again once she found out I eat Fois Gras....its was very disappointing as she was very  attractive 

So nowadays, especially living in Cpt, I dont admit I eat  Foie Gras unless people admit they have progressive eating habits 

Its terrible how sometimes I am forced to not tell the truth 

[majestic 2,515]

4 hours ago, BruceVC said:

The problem with eating Foie Gras is the well meaning but annoying push back from animal lovers and liberals who argue how unreasonable and cruel it is to the ducks and geese who we get it from.

You know what Bruce? It is unreasonably cruel.

I'm a bit of a hyprocrite because that doesn't stop me from going to Hungary every now and then to buy goose liver spread where the, let's be fully cynical here, production of the liver isn't done under any better circumstances, but unlike having a problem with meat on moral grounds in general (which is a ridiculous stance to have for an omnivorous species in my opinion), having a problem with Foie Gras on moral grounds is absolutely justified.

 

[Gfted1 6,055]

Ive never had foie gras. I hate liver, except in pate form like liverwurst, so maybe Id like it.   

[BruceVC 2,832]

4 hours ago, majestic said:

You know what Bruce? It is unreasonably cruel.

I'm a bit of a hyprocrite because that doesn't stop me from going to Hungary every now and then to buy goose liver spread where the, let's be fully cynical here, production of the liver isn't done under any better circumstances, but unlike having a problem with meat on moral grounds in general (which is a ridiculous stance to have for an omnivorous species in my opinion), having a problem with Foie Gras on moral grounds is absolutely justified.

 

Yes but you do get ethical breeding of ducks and geese  in France where they not forced fed like the normal and cruel way Foie Gras is produced

So I always try to eat  Foie Gras farmed that way but the problem is because its imported the restaurants cant tell exactly what the conditions are where the Foie Gras comes from

Edited November 28, 2020 by BruceVC

[BruceVC 2,832]

3 hours ago, Gfted1 said:

Ive never had foie gras. I hate liver, except in pate form like liverwurst, so maybe Id like it.   

If you dont like food like Chicken Liver then I doubt you would like it .....the texture is similar. Its delicious but it has a certain taste that most offcuts have and many people dont like that taste 

[Keyrock 9,143]

I'm not a vegetarian and I don't go out of my way to get grass fed, ethically sourced, etc. foods (my sister does), but I do draw the line at foie gras; the process is kinda ****ed up. I have no issues with anyone else eating it, that's their prerogative, but I won't eat it myself. There are plenty of other delicious foods I can eat with a clean(er) conscience.

Edited November 28, 2020 by Keyrock

[BruceVC 2,832]

27 minutes ago, Keyrock said:

I'm not a vegetarian and I don't go out of my way to get grass fed, ethically sourced, etc. foods (my sister does), but I do draw the line at foie gras; the process is kinda ****ed up. I have no issues with anyone else eating it, that's their prerogative, but I won't eat it myself. There are plenty of other delicious foods I can eat with a clean(er) conscience.

This is very reasonable view to take, its what most people I know think about Foie Gras 

I know a few people who eat it but not many. What do you think about Veal, I love it but it also gets negative views because of the  age of the calf when its killed 

[ShadySands 7,767]

Yesterday, I had brined a brisket for corned beef but then decided to just toss it in the slow cooker with whatever I had on hand and let it cook all day. Today, we just had the most delicious brisket ever or at least of all time.

[ArtistFormerlyKnownasKP 6,390]

16 minutes ago, ShadySands said:

Yesterday, I had brined a brisket for corned beef but then decided to just toss it in the slow cooker with whatever I had on hand and let it cook all day. Today, we just had the most delicious brisket ever or at least of all time.

If it wasn't smoked then I gotta doubt that.

[LadyCrimson 4,167]

Not really food, but went to the store today, walking by the usual stockpiles of bakery sweets at the front door (they always have to have them by the front door!) and ... gosh darnit, I want PASTRIES AND COOKIES AND SUGAR.   :(    It's been months with largely nothing but a small square of dark chocolate bar once a day, and an orange tic-tac now and then...

 

...those cookie things taste like thin chewy soft oreos except no ucky white frosting.  Not sure I would've liked them eight months ago but they were great now.  They have a lot less carbs/sugar than your average cookie (doesn't mean I can eat a lot of them tho).  The toffee is just ... cheap toffee.  No I didn't eat it all but I ate more than I should.  Now excuse me while I go exercise like a mad woman to try to curb the blood sugar rise.

...I still want real cookies, tho.  :(   :(   :(

[Keyrock 9,143]

Why does Popeyes popcorn shrimp have to be so damn delicious? I am going to pay a steep price for this in a few hours.

[LadyCrimson 4,167]

How often do you guys actually cook? I mean meals, not making a quick sandwich or toast.

I feel like I do nothing but cook these days, trying to keep up with always having these low-no carb vegie/meat mixes stacked up in the fridge and it all disappears super fast. It's driving me crazy, I dislike spending so many hours cooking and more cooking. I was never the type.

I've been rebelling.  Frozen veggie lasagna and frozen meatballs. Lots of kim chi and a little brown rice. Small snack here and there. What more do I need. Nothing! 

[Hurlsnot 8,219]

I cook 3 times a week. My wife usually handles 2 other nights. The rest of the nights are leftovers and fend for yourself.

[ShadySands 7,767]

I usually cook dinner 3 to 5 times a week depending on how much leftovers we have and how much we order stuff. I only cook (and eat) breakfast on Sundays and my wife makes her own breakfast the rest of the time. I used to cook food for my dogs too with whatever discount stuff they had at the grocery store but it's rare that I do that anymore.

[Keyrock 9,143]

As a trucker, I barely ever get to cook, which makes me sad since I like cooking.

[LadyCrimson 4,167]

Once a week, maybe twice was about as often as I tended to cook. Something like a big roast or 'ghetti that would last a few days etc.  The past several years tho we've been largely convenience/fend for yourself, until recently. As a couple, our tastes are fairly different, too.

1 hour ago, Keyrock said:

As a trucker, I barely ever get to cook, which makes me sad since I like cooking.

You could get a gas camping stove and occasionally grill up some stuff in a pan? Altho I suppose cleanup would be annoying.  I'm sure I'd just grab stuff from shops/eateries, myself.

[Hurlsnot 8,219]

4 hours ago, Keyrock said:

As a trucker, I barely ever get to cook, which makes me sad since I like cooking.

Wait, you don't roll in this?

 

[majestic 2,515]

6 hours ago, LadyCrimson said:

How often do you guys actually cook? I mean meals, not making a quick sandwich or toast.

I don't, really. If I cooked for myself I'd probably set the kitchen on fire. Most of the time I'm eating at the cantina at work (which is really good, for a cantina at any rate) and since I don't eat breakfast and have only a really small dinner that's not much of an issue. My wife cooks food for herself, but it's mostly snacks outside of the weekends.

Mom never really stopped cooking for the entire family when she's at home though, and since I no longer get food from the company's cantina when I'm at the office (because of the pandemic we're on mandatory home office) and I'm literally a stone's throw away from my parent's place she insists that we come over to eat. Guess my parents are also a bit bothered by the constant lockdown(s) and not really being able to do much all day long. They're usually really active, always visiting this museum, or that festival, or go sightseeing... yeah, none of which happens right now.

Not that I'm complaining. My mother is a gourmet level cook, and I don't say that lightly, i.e. that has nothing to do with nostalgia, childhood memories or not knowing any better, like it does with a lot of other people.

Speaking of food, look at some stuffed pumpkin here: