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TN: Three wines at my place
- Thread starter David from Switzerland
- Start date
David from Switzerland
David Plattner
originally posted by Yixin:
Just to be clear, low quantity of black pepper (I use 1 peppercorn for 2 persons, about 1/2 litre of milk, milled very fine, and dumped in the milk first), and even less MSG.
By the way, I've watched e.g. my friend Albino (the chef) make chocolate truffles (and other chocolate-based desserts) many times, and using minor (even not so minor) amounts of chilli/Cayenne and/or pepper is traditionally used for many recipes here, too. I'll have to ask him about MSG, though, but then, it probably makes sense only adding it to the drink (which I have never seen him make - I tend to make mine without adding anything except rarely, a piece of a vanilla pod, because it takes away from the subtlety of my favourite Cailler cocoa powder, as does the addition of chilli/pepper to some extent). I'll have to try adding MSG, not sure what to expect there.
Greetings from Switzerland, David.
_________________
J'ai gch vingt ans de mes plus belles annes au billard. Si c'tait refaire, je recommencerais. Roger Conti
originally posted by David from Switzerland: I tend to make mine without adding anything except rarely, a piece of a vanilla pod, because it takes away from the subtlety of my favourite Cailler cocoa powder...
Funny, I find that chocolate takes away from the subtlety of vanilla pods!
David from Switzerland
David Plattner
originally posted by Rahsaan:
Funny, I find that chocolate takes away from the subtlety of vanilla pods!
Agree. You're reminding me of Albino on the traditional British after-dinner course of Stilton with Port - he always says one shouldn't combine e.g. a Colston Basset Stilton with a truly great Vintage Port, but rather a mediocre to good version of each, because the combination is ultimately harmful to both the cheese and the wine.
Greetings from Switzerland, David.
_________________
J'ai gch vingt ans de mes plus belles annes au billard. Si c'tait refaire, je recommencerais. Roger Conti
Jeff Grossman
Jeff Grossman
Thank you.originally posted by Yixin:
Just to be clear, low quantity of black pepper (I use 1 peppercorn for 2 persons, about 1/2 litre of milk, milled very fine, and dumped in the milk first), and even less MSG.
Old news but good news.originally posted by Jeff Grossman:
Yes, chocolate with chilis / red pepper is old news. Aztec this and that.
Stock cubes are always disgusting, IMO. I've never understood the need for them, and indeed heretical though it is a stock most suitable for risotto is so weak that it is best replaced with water, which as often as not has ideal purity for the recipe in question. Certainly there are barely any soups not better made with water than stock. I am not 100% anti MSG.
I've never noticed an aroma in my curing salt, but I do now find nearly all German/Austrian/Swiss emulsified sausages to smell overpoweringly of phosphate.
I've never noticed an aroma in my curing salt, but I do now find nearly all German/Austrian/Swiss emulsified sausages to smell overpoweringly of phosphate.
originally posted by SFJoe:
What in the world does phosphate smell like?
Is that another of those volatile zwitterions?
Mark Lipton
The successor to Twitter?volatile zwitterions
originally posted by Tom Blach:a stock most suitable for risotto is so weak that it is best replaced with water, which as often as not has ideal purity for the recipe in question. Certainly there are barely any soups not better made with water than stock...
I like the emphasis on purity of flavors!
My feelings exactly. Most of the time.
David from Switzerland
David Plattner
originally posted by Tom Blach:
Stock cubes are always disgusting, IMO. I've never understood the need for them, and indeed heretical though it is a stock most suitable for risotto is so weak that it is best replaced with water, which as often as not has ideal purity for the recipe in question. Certainly there are barely any soups not better made with water than stock. I am not 100% anti MSG.
One of my best friends' wife is allergic to celery (plus a sheer endless list of other things), which is why I know from personal experience what almost all of my soups, and of course standard dishes like Risotto, taste like if made with water - and I must say I usually like all three versions, ones with water (salted and peppered, if anything) or stock (cube or made from scratch), especially since they're different (and I happen to like variety in food as much as in wine).
originally posted by Tom Blach:
I've never noticed an aroma in my curing salt, but I do now find nearly all German/Austrian/Swiss emulsified sausages to smell overpoweringly of phosphate.
I'm sure you're alluding to the same prominent curing salt smell as I, but is it really due to phosphate? I realize it's used to boost/control the moisture content of ham and sausages.
Greetings from Switzerland, David.
_________________
J'ai gch vingt ans de mes plus belles annes au billard. Si c'tait refaire, je recommencerais. Roger Conti
I also use finely chopped Valrhona 61% (or is it 66% - it comes in both 1kg blocks and also in 5kg tubs) from hotel pastry kitchens. It's a deep, punchy chocolate, and often somewhat monotone, hence the adulteration. If I could afford all the fancy single cru stuff (Askinosie just started up in Singapore, with eye-popping prices), maybe I won't feel the need to raid my Chinese larder.
David from Switzerland
David Plattner
originally posted by Yixin:
I also use finely chopped Valrhona 61% (or is it 66% - it comes in both 1kg blocks and also in 5kg tubs) from hotel pastry kitchens. It's a deep, punchy chocolate, and often somewhat monotone, hence the adulteration. If I could afford all the fancy single cru stuff (Askinosie just started up in Singapore, with eye-popping prices), maybe I won't feel the need to raid my Chinese larder.
Needless to point out perhaps, to us, Valrhona is no less expensive than using any high-grade couverture made in this country or elsewhere in Europe (the best I know is Reichmuth's from Seewen, followed by Michel Cluizel's from Paris). We use different terms in Swiss German to refer to the drink made from cocoa powder (High German "heie/kalte Schokolade" = hot/cold chocolate) and couverture molten in milk (High German "Trinkschokolade" = drinking chocolate), by the way (there is no official/agreed-upon spelling in Swiss German).
Greetings from Switzerland, David.
_________________
J'ai gch vingt ans de mes plus belles annes au billard. Si c'tait refaire, je recommencerais. Roger Conti
originally posted by SFJoe:
What in the world does phosphate smell like?
If you once smell it by itself, dissolved in water, you'll readily recognise it in almost any frankfurter, wiener etc. It becomes off putting immediately
originally posted by David from Switzerland:
originally posted by Tom Blach:
I've never noticed an aroma in my curing salt, but I do now find nearly all German/Austrian/Swiss emulsified sausages to smell overpoweringly of phosphate.
I'm sure you're alluding to the same prominent curing salt smell as I, but is it really due to phosphate? I realize it's used to boost/control the moisture content of ham and sausages.
It has to be-my curing salt has no smell. Once isolated the smell of phosphate is easily detectable.