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Pointless ingredients

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Pointless ingredients

Postby Joanbunting » Sun Apr 08, 2018 4:00 pm

There are a lot are there not?

The other day M asked what was the purpose of salmon eggs?

I wonered why there was a bunch of (tasteless ) wild herbs on my delicious fish dish

Do you really need smoke Himalayan salt ? Do micro herbs and edible fowers add to the favout of a diish or aonly make it look pretty?

Discuss :D

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Re: Pointless ingredients

Postby Sakkarin » Sun Apr 08, 2018 4:19 pm

Well I suspect that a teaspoon of sawdust would be just as tasty as most of my collection of dried herbs that have been lurking at the back of my cupboard. I doubt any of them are within their "use by" date except for the new jar of dried mixed herbs I bought last week.

Are there really any of those "edible flowers" that ever really contribute to the dish other than as an artistic flourish?

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Re: Pointless ingredients

Postby jeral » Sun Apr 08, 2018 4:26 pm

Erm, the purpose of salmon eggs is to regenerate salmon :D But seriously, if we eat with our eyes, we really don't need all the extraneous clutter to scape off before we get to the bit we actually want to eat. Thus I''m firmly in the camp of the star is the star, so everything else should be on the side as garnish to eat or leave.

I'd include jus dribbles in the pointless category. Less isn't more, more is more. Someone should invent gravy boats.

Q: Does everyone insist on eating a bit of everything simultaneously as, e.g. John Torode, does?

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Re: Pointless ingredients

Postby Stokey Sue » Sun Apr 08, 2018 5:16 pm

I actually do like salmon roe (keta) - it is overworked but it is pretty and tastes good, so as a minor ingredient in canapés and starters I rather like it

I do think some of the fancy salts are silly, I suspect their proponents couldn't tell the difference between pink Himalayan rock salt and analytical grade pure sodium chloride once stirred into their scrambled eggs. And people should appreciate that using flake sea salt like Maldon and Anglesey in cooking is a waste, most of the taste difference between flake and crystal salt is the way it melts on your tongue.

I don't like the fad for "cresses" or micro herbs - seedlings really - first the name - they aren't cress, botanically speaking for a start and they don't do much for me in terms of flavour

The fad for yuzu juice escapes me - I'm sure the fresh fruit has a delicious tang, but the little bottles you can buy for £££ at Waitrose or Japan Centre just taste of generic pasteurised citrus to me, you might as well use Jif lemon at a tenth of the price or less.

Their must be many others

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Re: Pointless ingredients

Postby Alexandria » Sun Apr 08, 2018 9:28 pm

I believe this is quite a subjective topic and is all based on what an individual deems as pointless or enhancement of flavors and presentation of a dish .. :thumbsup :thumbsup

Radish roses, carrot curls, stuffed cucumbers, amongst other hors d´oeuvres are gorgeous touches for party treats and special events ..

Croutons for soups, freshly minced herbs or swigs or fronds, wedges of lemon or citrus all play a role ..

It is all up to the "chef " and / or home gourmet what they deem as a plate they wish to present ..

Have a lovely evening .. :wave :wave
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Re: Pointless ingredients

Postby karadekoolaid » Mon Apr 09, 2018 2:00 am

I am totally in Sue´s camp here.
I rather like Salmon roe - especially served on a blini, with sour cream, or something similar. I´ve also used it to add a certain "je ne sais quoi" to pasta dishes, to sauces and to dips.
Edible flowers ; well I have to admit to having used them at some time or another, but I suppose my most notable usage would be courgette flowers - which I love.
When I started cooking SERIOUSLY, a local chef told me that EVERYTHING on the plate must be edible - and that includes the garnishes. Even though some of the garnishes do not, perhaps, add any distinct flavour to the dish, they often add visual appeal - and here comes the next point.
Jeral said
if we eat with our eyes, we really don't need all the extraneous clutter to scrape off before we get to the bit we actually want to eat.

I disagree - as long as the garnish is edible. I don´t scrape anything off; I eat it, if possible . We DO eat with our eyes, so the more attractive the plate ( and that may include garnishes), the more likely we are to eat it.
GLAM salts? I really think they´re a waste of time. I think one would be hard-pressed to tell the difference ( or the supposed superiority) between a Himalayan Pink Salt, an Iranian Blue Salt, a Maldon Fleur du sel, a Venezuelan Pampatar Sea Salt and a container of Saxa. Seriously! Do a tasting one day!! Hahaha! Anyhow, some bright spark obviously came up with the idea some while ago and made a mint off it! But then, so did some idiot with cupcakes :crying1 :crying1 :crying1 Hahaha!

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Re: Pointless ingredients

Postby Gillthepainter » Mon Apr 09, 2018 9:16 am

When I first saw gINO Da CAmpO on TV, he said if you use garlic, you donta need onion.
If you use peppers, you don't need chilli.

And I cut back my approach to cooking immediately. Long lists of ingredients = pointless ingredients.

In general.

Micro herbs taste bitter to me. You bite on one and make a face, wondering why put that in.
But I grew borage, and the flowers are delightful. Little blue pieces of cucumber.


I do wonder how some things in supermarkets sell.
Ready stuffed with garlic butter packets of snails. Does someone actually buy it?

My pointless ingredient is honey.
The landlord at my studio said he cooked parsnips with honey. Now that surely is not necessary.

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Re: Pointless ingredients

Postby Badger's Mate » Mon Apr 09, 2018 10:24 am

I think there is something of value in most of these things. They might be 'of the moment' and tend to be overdone, but eventually the best will become part of everyday cooking and the rest forgotten. Micro herbs for example. Mustard and cress is perfectly nice, so are beansprouts, therefore I can't accept that all sprouted things are useless. Sure they're fashionable and I don't know that they taste any better than the mature herb leaf but that doesn't mean they're worthless.

As has been pointed out, any salt once dissolved is simply (or almost simply) sodium chloride solution and doesn't make any difference whence it came but there is clearly a different taste sensation between chunky salt crystals and fine table salt. The saltiness hits you in a different way.

Smoked salt is really different, butter containing it tastes smoky. We've accepted celery salt and garlic salt, what's the problem?

I grow flowers to strew over salads. Yes, they are there largely for decorative purposes, but borage does taste of cucumber, nasturtiums are peppery. We had allium flowers on a dish in a posh restaurant once. Beautiful, and they tasted oddly of brassicas, like kohl rabi.

I wouldn't add honey to parsnips, or marshmallows to sweet potatoes, but some people do. I suspect they like sticky toffee pudding more than I do.

A swede carved into the shape of a goldfish on a plate in an oriental restaurant - art, pointless, waste of food? I have thought all of these at some time. I might eat radishes, carrots or spring onions cut decoratively (although I'd wonder how many plates they had previously decorated :shock: ) but would draw the line at a nearly whole swede

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Re: Pointless ingredients

Postby Alexandria » Mon Apr 09, 2018 10:59 am

Good Morning, :thumbsup :thumbsup


Exotic fruits and flowers are absolutely amazingly extraordinary and possess distinct tasting profiles ..

I am a grand fan and as Karakoolaide stated: " We do eat with our eyes .. "

Exporting aromas, exotic fruits and flowers do create a harmony, serenity and inspirational ambiance on one´s plate and around the diners ..

Salts & Sugars: Also quite a collection, and these also create a decorative palette and texture that fine ground table salt does not .. A sprinkle of a rose Himalyan or black Hawaiian volcanic salt provide a vibrance that mono tone color dishes lack ..

All subjective and each to his or her own ..

Have a nice day .. :wave :wave
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Re: Pointless ingredients

Postby Joanbunting » Mon Apr 09, 2018 11:03 am

I too like salmon eggs. and herring eggs and come to that caviar, unfortunately M doesn't, in fact the only way he will willingly eat salmon is in a fish cake or pie We had been married 50 years when I discovered this.

It is indeed all a matter of personal taste - as in flavour and appearance.

My dad used to consider lettuce completely pointless - although he grew it as he did all our vegetables. He considered a salad of any sort to be for ladies and only to be served for Sunday high tea. He was a meat,potatoes and two veg man- but go easy on the veg. The idea of healthy eating would have completely confused him. He was ovwe 90 when he died!!

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Re: Pointless ingredients

Postby Stokey Sue » Mon Apr 09, 2018 11:10 am

I know Gino d'Acampo bangs on about never onion + garlic and never chilli + peppers but I don't agree, I think there is a good reason for these pairings in so many cuisines - if you don't use these combinations there are so many delicious dishes you can't make properly. I doubt that Gino is right and the whole of India and Latin America is wrong.

I kind of agree about overuse of honey as an ingredient, I like honey and might use some tonight but some chefs really overuse it, notably James Martin glazing his confit de canard with it

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Re: Pointless ingredients

Postby Badger's Mate » Mon Apr 09, 2018 11:25 am

I doubt that Gino is right and the whole of India and Latin America is wrong.


I was thinking the same.

For some reason there's a bus with his name on it that goes past the end of our road.

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Re: Pointless ingredients

Postby Joanbunting » Mon Apr 09, 2018 2:06 pm

Do you remember the time when absolutely everything was doused in rasberry vinegar?

Then balsamic.which is great with some things but by no means everthing. It also has to be the proper stuff not a cheap immitation.

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Re: Pointless ingredients

Postby Badger's Mate » Mon Apr 09, 2018 2:37 pm

Yes, I like my strawberries with cream, rather than vinegar and pepper.

I've moaned before about the local pub that put malt vinegar in small spray bottles, of the type used for scent. It filled the air with the stench of vinegar, without actually depositing it on the chips... :roll:

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Re: Pointless ingredients

Postby Joanbunting » Mon Apr 09, 2018 2:51 pm

Not so much ingredients , more presentation, but I really can't abide food served on plates with the rims "dusted" with powder, paprika, pepper etc and looking as if chef has sneezed all over them.

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Re: Pointless ingredients

Postby Lusciouslush » Mon Apr 09, 2018 4:35 pm

Gillthepainter wrote:if you use garlic, you donta need onion.If you use peppers, you don't need chilli.


Nah - can't be doing with that - it doesn't make any sense to me at all - you need 'layers' in cooking not 'mouth hits' all the time - can't be doing with Gino either - comes from the school of Prat as far as I'm concerned!

I have borage growing too Gilly, it spreads like wildfire, the blue flowers are very pretty but haven't used them, I do use the leaves in a butter tho' & they're also good in a stuffing concoction for chicken breasts - the plus side is The Lushly can't eat cucumber, but gets the flavour from the borage :thumbsup

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Re: Pointless ingredients

Postby karadekoolaid » Mon Apr 09, 2018 9:15 pm

Stokey Sue wrote:I know Gino d'Acampo bangs on about never onion + garlic and never chilli + peppers but I don't agree


Gino is Italian, obviously.
Get him to Mexico and he´ll work out the difference!!! :lol:

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Re: Pointless ingredients

Postby Gillthepainter » Tue Apr 10, 2018 8:36 am

Joan, I tried JO's raspberry vinegar and it was revolting.
I have no idea what he actually puts in it.


I can see why some don't like it lettuce. And back in the day, round lettuces were a bit sad.

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Re: Pointless ingredients

Postby Gillthepainter » Tue Apr 10, 2018 9:17 am

ha!
Yes I regularly make my chilli con carne with just tomatoes and half an onion, with nothing else.
I don't even bother to cook it.

Can't digest cucumber either Lush.
I can still taste it the next day.

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Re: Pointless ingredients

Postby Badger's Mate » Tue Apr 10, 2018 9:37 am

Mrs B doesn't eat raw cucumbers, they repeat on her. She will eat them cooked and quite likes a wally (obviously)

Borage makes good spinach-like greens, used as a stuffing for pasta. I usually make the Ottolenghi herb pie each spring, using borage as the main ingredient of the filling. :yum

My first trip to the States was a revelation as I discovered crispy lettuce, a pleasant change from the floppy ones we had. Daft really, as Webb's and Cos were available over here. Perhaps it was the novel (then, to me at least) dressings and the hot weather that encouraged salad consumption.

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