Cool Stuff You Make

[edenman]

The snow allowed me to finally get around to making Worcestershire sauce, which I wanted to do ever since I saw the recipe in Saveur (it never occured to me before that this was something you could make). Needs to age for three weeks, though... we'll see if this is worth doing.

well?

[cjsadler]

well?

I strained it last night and pitted it against Lea & Perrins. No contest. Next to the homebrewed stuff the Lea & Perrins tasted thin, vinegar-y, and mild. The homebrewed Worcestershire was rich, thick, and deeply flavored. It was kinda like the difference between supermarket balsamic vinegar and the real deal aged Aceto Balsamico. I could definitely see using this as a condiment-- drizzling it on some meat or fish seems like it would be damn tasty. Worth making.

[The Hersch]

I strained it last night and pitted it against Lea & Perrins. No contest.

I just looked at the recipe you linked to above, and one ingredient stuck out at me as a bad idea: the curry powder. One other ingredient is awfully vague: one anchovy. Which sort of one anchovy did you use? For that matter, what curry powder? With those two misgivings, I might give this a try myself.

[cjsadler]

I just looked at the recipe you linked to above, and one ingredient stuck out at me as a bad idea: the curry powder. One other ingredient is awfully vague: one anchovy. Which sort of one anchovy did you use? For that matter, what curry powder? With those two misgivings, I might give this a try myself.

I assumed they meant a plain old anchovy (I used one out of one of those Cento brand cans from the grocery store). I thought the curry powder (Penzey's) blended in ok-- you don't really taste it as something distinct. Wasn't sure how this would turn out, but my first reaction last night was: "hey, this actually smells and tastes like Worcestershire sauce!"

[The Hersch]

I assumed they meant a plain old anchovy (I used one out of one of those Cento brand cans from the grocery store).

Well, there are anchovies packed in oil and anchovies packed in salt. And aren't the tinned anchovy fillets such as Cento actually half-anchovies? Anyway, it sounds pretty good.

[ChefMom]

This past summer I decided to try canning. My first recipe was for chow chow, a PA Dutch relish. I used only what kitchen equipment I had and bought the mason jars. Once you've prepped the jars and cut up the vegetables, the hard work is over. The chow chow was a hit, especially with my Dad, who's from PA. Next up was Bread and Butter pickles, from a recipe I found on line. I was able to can 11 pints in about three hours and they were so good my kids ate them like candy. I made two more batches and they're all gone. It is so worth the time and effort and not hard at all.

[DonRocks]

Budget Sea Bream "Belle Vue".

Deboned through the back then stuffed with a forcemeat of shrimp, my lardo, citrus and dried chili.

Covered in shingled carrots under aspic made from beef bones. All purchased at a neighborhood Latino grocer for a pittance.

Has anyone ever told you you're a pretty good cook?

[cjsadler]

Continued my "Make Stuff Out of That One Issue of Saveur That Had All the Homemade Condiments In It" project:

Phase 1: Beer Mustard.

Phase 2: Worcestershire.

Now, Phase 3: Harissa.

I stemmed and seeded all the peppers, but HOLY HELL IS THIS STUFF HOT. The flavor is great, but I just can't imagine ever using up the amount I now have. Must have been some potent peppers I got (from Penzey's). A little mixed up with some mayo, though, has been very tasty to apply to just about any protein.

[zoramargolis]

this morning, I was gifted with a large sack full of ramps "from last week that are starting to wilt." they hadn't been cleaned, and that was a fair amount of work and many changes of muddy water that had to be dumped outside, not down the drain, which would have clogged the pipes. The tops were not in the greatest shape, but I managed to put up a liter jar of mostly ramp stalks with some greens in a vinegar pickling liquid with chiles arbol and meyer lemon. Ramps en escabeche.

[zoramargolis]

I've had a yen for a while, to make homemade cultured butter. I bought 3 pints of cream from Claire at Clear Creek Creamery on Sunday, at the Dupont Circle market. And cultured it for a couple of days using some of the homemade goat labneh I made a couple of weeks ago, as a starter culture. Today was b-day, and I churned the cultured cream with my KitchenAid. After the butter was well-drained and rinsed, I salted it with some Maldon fleur de sel. And I have a nice big jar of cultured buttermilk to play with: waffles? pancakes? biscuits? buttermilk pie? Oh, the calories! The butter is delicious.