low_delta | food

I made seared sea scallops with ratatouille for supper tonight. I was frustrated at the outset, by not being able to find my cast iron fry pans. Then I decided, for some reason, that I was in a hurry. By not planning well, I ended up actually being in a hurry by about the second ingredient. By the time I got everything in the pan (with Cyn's help), everything went smoothly, and it turned out well. My mom says that if you get one good recipe from a cookbook, the book is worth the purchase. This recipe could be a regular, but I'm hoping to get a couple more out of the book. We got it on the cruise, and it's really a gourmet cookbook, but I hope to find a few more recipes to try once at least, if not as regulars.

I was thinking of trying the black bean soup, but Cyn said it looked like diarrhea, and she'd refuse to eat it. I don't think it looks like that, since diarrhea isn't normally black or has colorful pieces of bell pepper floating in it. (Now chocolate pudding, that's a different story!) The thing is, when you look at pictures of food (except for desserts), they don't generally look very appetizing. Have you ever noticed that? Food photographers have quite a challenge. Our dinner tonight didn't look very good, with its tomato covered eggplant, zucchini, red peppers and sauteed onion! The beef stew we make so often looks like vomit with carrot and potatoes in it. What happens is that your mind understands how good it tastes, and then that's all that matters. You just know it's tasty.

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Black Bean soup is DELICIOUS... though I'm not sure about putting the peppers in it. We like it with sour cream. YUM! Maybe Cindy could just close her eyes and taste it?

Good for you for trying new stuff!

Edited Date: 2012-02-06 05:39 am (UTC)

There were just a few small squares of red and yellow peppers for color. I thought it was more attractive than many of the dishes in the book. She probably also just doesn't want to eat a whole bowl of beans.

The scallops were really easy to cook, though the cookbook explained not to overcook them.

I love scallops though I don't think anyone else in the family does. It all sounds delicious.

I don't know why anyone would have a problem with scallops, unless they don't like seafood in general. They're so unobjectionable, in both taste and texture.

I am sure that they would eat them, but they never order them anywhere that has them.

I love scallops, esp. seared, sauteed or broiled

Have you ever made them at home? They're pretty easy.

Definitely want to try... Maybe in summer with all the windows open... (and making full use of the two screen doors I installed.)

...except the house still smells fishy.

put a lemon down the garbage disposal and run it to counteract the "fish smell" when you cook seafood.

Just make sure you do it AFTER the meal! *grin*

What does the garbage disposal have to do with it? I did rinse out the styrofoam tray that they came on... and then left it lying on the counter all night. And we didn't wash the frying pan. That probably accounted for most of the smell.

ok... yeah, I DID assume the dishes were ... at least rinsed in the sink... *grin*

IF the dishes were washed down the drain, then the garbage disposal works It also puts the oils "into the air" to wash it clean of the fish smell.

Ah. That makes sense (though we have no disposal). The tray the raw scallops were on was rinsed in the sink, so that could have been it, but more likely is the fact that nobody ever wiped down the stove afterwards!

I have that problem a lot... I get up in the morning and think "m/g WHAT was I thinking???"

that annon just now was me. I have forgotten how to use lj...

Cyn thought she did, and I think she wiped off the countertops at the time, so... oh well. The smell did go away after it was finally taken care of.

That makes sense. I LOVE fish and seafood... but the lingering can be a problem.

Ok, so some people find that lingering of garlic and onions a problem too.

Oh and cabbage.

PERHAPS WE SHOULD ALL COOK OUR FOOD OUTSIDE TO KEEP THE SMELLS AT BAY?

We should start a movement to bring back the summer kitchen.

ok.. once again, that annon when it shows up, is me.

I like Black Beans and I know that soup would be delicious. It was just really ugly in the picture. I didn't want something that ugly to be our first recipe out of the book. It might have made a difference in my mind if the soup had been pictured in a bowl instead of spread out across a flat plate.

Soup in a flat plate? How would you even eat it?
:P

Like a cat.

Or a dog.
LOL

It's not on a plate. The photo barely shows any dish at all, just a flat expanse of soup, with garnish. The recipe says "serve in a large bowl."

Here's the pic from the cookbook:

http://pics.livejournal.com/low_delta/pic/002x7gyw

That's lobster on a tortilla "net". You can barely see the blurry outline of the bowl.

Yeah...that a weird perspective in the photo.
But it looks really GOOD (to eat).
:)

Ewww!

LOL

It really doesn't look horrible in any way to me!
:D

Food taste really IS in the mind for the most part. But it's also about visuals, I think. I try just about anything but have a harder time if it looks "off".

Edited Date: 2012-02-06 10:57 pm (UTC)

One of my favorite Brazilian dishes is feijoada... Like a black bean stew with or without pork. I guess the thought never crossed my mind that it would make anyone think of diarrhea

Sounds like a fun book. Well, except for the pictures? Too bad they can't record the delicious smells to go with the pics.

I love trying to make new recipes. Anticipation runs high :)

THEY PUT PIE CRUST ON BLACK BEAN SOUP??

Seriously, try it. I LOVE black bean soup, but I make it with lots of pork products and RUM (that I refuse to drink, but will eat cooked with no problem).

Your dinner sounded good in both your's and Cyn's journals.

Tortilla. :-p

I expect to try it at some point, if only because it's one of the easiest recipes in there.

*snicker*

ADD RUM... I cannot say this too much. It REALLY 'adjusts' the flavor.

I would never have imagined to add rum!

I would not have either, and the first time I tried it (it was a Cuban recipe) I was skeptical, since I cannot STAND rum... but it is really good.

Of course I don't like beer either, but it makes a lot of recipes better!