Modern Vespa

What do you like to cook and do you slice or rock when you dice an onion? If you rock, they matter, if you slice, the thickness of the blade is more important.

Cutting any foodstuff that tends to stick to the knife will improve by using a dimpled blade.

Cornbread best simple recipe and very delicious. (not sweet)
Best I have found so far. making it in the oven in a cast iron pan makes it easier and gives it extra good flavor. !!
Ingredients

1/2 cup unsalted butter melted (or bacon drippings)
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup yellow cornmeal (or polenta)
1 tablespoon sugar (optional)
2 teaspoons baking powder (optional: yields a fluffier cornbread)
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cup buttermilk shake before measuring
2 large eggs

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 200C | 400F and position a rack in the middle. Lightly grease a 9-inch cast iron skillet or 9-inch square baking dish with butter and place skillet/dish into the oven to heat up.
(Alternatively for cast iron skillets: heat 1/2 cup of unmelted butter in your cast iron over stove top on medium heat until melted, turn heat off then allow the butter to cool slightly before adding to the batter.)
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder (If using), baking soda and salt.
Make a well in the centre and add the buttermilk and eggs. Mix together well to combine, then add in the slightly cooled melted butter. Mix again until 'just' combined (don't over mix).
Carefully remove your 'hot' pan or dish from the oven with oven mitts, and pour the batter into the hot skillet or dish. Listen to that sizzle! That's what you want.
Bake until the cornbread begins to brown on top and a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean (about 20-23 minutes). Allow to cool for about 10 minutes before slicing and serving.

Notes
If you don't have buttermilk, you can make your own! Add 1 tablespoon of white vinegar (or fresh squeezed lemon juice) to 1 cup of room temperature milk (full cream, 2% or skim can be use). Mix together and let sit for 5 minutes. Done! Prepare your 'buttermilk' as step one of this recipe to ensure it has soured enough before adding to your mixture.

Sounds good and I will have to give it a try.

One question, maybe some of the better cooks here could explain. I do a little cooking and was wondering about the unsalted butter and then the 1/2 teaspoon salt in the ingredients. What would the effect of using salted butter have on a recipe like this one if one was to eliminate the added salt?

It's a control issue and matters more with desserts. I would use regular salted butter in cornbread.

There are a lot of ways to cut up vegetables, and the French have names for them all, but if you know four of them, you can cut just about anything uniformly, so it cooks evenly.
The first one is the brunoise, and that's the really cheffy way to dice an onion. It's worth learning.

The julliene is how you make matchsticks out of anything, then chop it up. Best way to cut up a pepper. This has a couple of variations, for carrots, potatos, but its basically the same cutting technique.

the chiffonade is how you cut leaves into tiny bits.

the mirepoix is how you cut vegetables for mirepoix.

There are lots of youtube videos about them.

Recently, I saw that Mercer has a line of Japanese knives that are fairly inexpensive.
My first real chef's knife was a Mercer, and I still have it, hanging lonely in the spot on the wall where knives I value but don't use anymore go to hang out. The Asian collection are made with German steel in Taiwan, and have NSF or wood traditional Japanese style handles, most are single bevel and you can get many of them on sale for less than $30. They don't look as nice as the Chinese ripoffs with 67 acid etched faux layers of Japanese Damascus steel, but they hold an edge better, and do get the job done in a professional setting where you don't want your $300 knife to walk off when your back is turned. I got one of the Debas, a fish knife. After using it for a while, I think that if I had discovered these earlier, I probably would not have shelled out for some of my really good knives. And I've bought two more since then, knives that I don't use enough to justify spending the big bucks, but don't want crap either.
Mercer is a real company, and they have been making knives for professional chefs for decades, so they aren't going to lie about what you are getting or where it is made.
If you are still looking for a Santoku, and want to try a decent one before you spring for a white paper or blue paper one that was handforged in Sekai, it's a good way to go. Even when you get your good knife, you will still use it when you don't want to go through the hassle of cleaning and oiling an expensive knife just to cut up a tomato for a sandwich.
As far as dimples, you mainly find them on the lower to midrange Japanese ones with western style handles and the German ones. Really high end Japanese Santokus don't have them. As I mentioned earlier, the advantage to most people of Japanese knives is the thinness of the blade, and you can't have a very thin blade and dimples. The Mercer Culinary Asian Collection knives are on Amazon, and go on sale all the time. The NSF handles are easier to clean and maintain than the wood ones. Right now the Santoku is $25.
This is a great video about using Japanese knives

Do you like tomato in your food but don't like the tartness it sometimes brings ?
I know the normal solution is to use some sugar, but some of us don't react well to sugar these days. Here's my tip:

1. If you are using fresh tomatoes, don't use the pips (seeds).*
Scoop them out with a teaspoon before chopping the tasty red flesh.

2. If you are using commercial tinned tomatoes with seeds in, grate some pumpkin into
the dish early in the cooking cycle. The pumpkin cooks away completely into the sauce,
thickening it and sweetening the taste.

* I can't remember which chef said it and I have no way of checking.
I saw a chef tell that the tomato plant "enters into a contract" with us.
It offers the flesh of its fruit for our delight and nourishment.
In exchange, the tomato plant asks only one thing - plant the seeds.

Scatter them on the compost heap, in pots, the garden... wherever it will have a chance to germinate and to grow. I scrape the seeds out onto a paper towel and fold it to dry out the liquid. When it is dry I just tear strips off with seeds sticking to the paper and cover them with a little soil. It doesn't matter if you don't get to eat them. Some bird, squirrel or rodent will dine on them and spread the seeds further.
Contract fulfilled.

You can have a good night's sleep knowing that I am a new owner of a Global 5" Santoku knife. No dimples. Super sharp, light and fits nicely in hand. Not the 'normal' 7" size, but I thought to start small to see how it goes, and I find a smaller knife is easier to work with. If/when the arsenal is to expand then Mercer will get a look in. Much appreciated info. Sweet dreams.

I reckon we will see a maximum of 3 more posts before Sledge loses all his fingers.

I agree about smaller knives. One of my go-to knives is a 6" Shun chef's knife.

I have large hands, so a 7" Santoku or an 8" Chef's Knife are the perfect sizes for me.

As I learned when I chose my Santuku, the right knife will make itself known to you if you are open to it, and it may not be the one you expect.

(The same is true for PTWs and, dare I say, life partners.)

Gotta learn to not read MV with coffee in my mouth.

Here are a couple that came in handy over the last couple of days:


Put a towel under the cutting board, so it doesn't rock or slide around on the counter. Works especially well if you have a well used cutting board that isn't quite flat anymore.

If you drop an egg on the floor, and don't own a dog, wet the edge of a piece of paper and stick it down on the floor next to the egg. Then you can push the egg right up onto the piece of paper.

if the board still wants to walk around dampen the towel a little.

always crack the long side of an egg on a flat surface, less likely to get shells in the work that way.

if you do get a bit of shell in, using the half you're holding to fish it out works surprisingly well.

🥒 When shopping for a fresh cucumber, grab it and shake it like maracas. If it remains firm and erect, its fresh. If it feels wobbly/flaccid then its been on the shelf for a while.

I see what you did there.

guessing this also applies to aubergine / eggplant 🍆

My God!
Why on earth would anyone want to shank an eggplant?

"shank"? ouch

Oh...
Dear me....

Seems I've mis-spoken.

How, um, I meant .... something else.

Something else entirely.

Shag?

I thought you'd never ask!

nope

nope

I made tsatziki for our fortnightly family dinner last week.

The recipe called for grating the cucumber and leaving it overnight in a collander or sieve to drain. As I had only hours to make it, I grated the cucumber and spread it inside a folded clean tea towel. I rolled the grated cucumber a few times and turned it over, repeating the rolling action on the other side.

The cucumber was crisp and the tsatziki turned out delicious.

Here's a simple and quick dough recipe I learned in Argentina that doesn't gum up pasta machines or wear you out trying to make it work in the machine, and works well for pasta and empanadas, which are even better if you roll the dough through a pasta roller before making them. I've made fettucine, tagliatelle, ravioli, empanadas and probably other things that I can't remember, using this ratio.


500 gr. Flour. I've used semolina, bread flour, regular flour, and a mix of flour and corn flour.
40 gr. Oil, butter, beef tallow, lard, shortening, whatever.
1/2 tablespoon salt
1/2 tablespoon sugar
235 ml water.

Knead it together, let it set for about half an hour, then knead it again. Cut it into four pieces, roll them out and run them through the machine. I send it through twice at the widest, then twice a couple of steps down, then twice at the second to the thinnest. After that, run it through the cutting wheels or make empanadas.

In case you are wondering, Imperia pasta machines are significantly better than Marcato pasta machines.

If you don't have a pasta machine, and are confused about what to get, don't jump on Amazon and get whatever they recommend. Most of the companies, including the ones in Italy, have cheapened the machines over time, switching the metal gears for plastic, and in general, making them less reliable. A lot of pasta machines were given as wedding gifts and never used. You can find unused pasta machines on Ebay for less than new, that have metal gears. New, and New Other bring up a lot of options, and most people just want the thing out of wherever they've been storing it for the last forty years.

Even though I freeze fresh Hatch chiles, sometimes I have run out. Recently, Trader Joe's added this to their available products. A quick addition for flavor, as needed.

1.9 oz (54 gr) won't last long.
You need the giant economy size.

I... I just have so much to say...

besides that being decidedly not hatch chiles the spelling has me cracking up.

Maybe "chillies" is Australian for "chilis"?

BTW, "chili" is the food.* "Chile" is the country.


*according to Wikipedia, "chile" is also accepted, though "chili" is preferred.

The Hatch Chile is a particular kind of Chile, grown in the SW area of New Mexico. Annual harvest is near end of summer (August). The chiles need to be roasted and peeled before using them. I have added a few photos when dear one and I purchased 25 pounds one year. We spent an afternoon peeling, prepping, and then freezing them. We shared with friends and family as well. Hatch chiles are not necessarily known for the "heat," but, for the flavor. Do not get me wrong – they are hot. Here's an overview at Bon Appetit. Hence, it is the first time I saw Hatch flakes at a grocery store. The Hatch flakes have a distinct taste from red pepper flakes that are available in the economy size you mention. Hence, you use Hatch for flavoring, not for smothering.

nope

I've grown hatch in the past and was prepared to do so this season. however, a little cold snap may have put the kibosh on them amongst several other items.

[insert displeased face here]

anyway... here's a little sneaker for ya. toss your chiles or peppers in a bit of oil and then roast them off on the bbq (bonus points if you do the tomatillos, onion and garlic at the same time. multitasking!) then sock them in a zip lock with a damp paper towel. the charred skin will all but fall off and you're left with nice smokey pepper carcasses!

Tomatoes add a lot of flavor to Thai currys.

Spaghetti Aglio e Olio trick

If you decide to make this, it's extremely easy to overcook the garlic, and make the final dish bitter. One trick I've used, and I'm not sure where I picked it up, but it's not mine, is to prop the pan up at about a 45 degree angle and let the garlic slowly cook in the oil until you are ready to add the pasta. The garlic poaches in the oil, and the oil extracts the full flavor into the dish without burning or over toasting the garlic.

Excellent tip!

All-Clad factory seconds sale.

https://homeandcooksales.com/

If you want a cheap way to find out whether or not American Made All-clad cookery ware is worth the money, hype, whatever, one of the doorbusters is an 8 inch D5 fry pan for $60. The D5 line is five layers of metal, and their best stuff.
https://homeandcooksales.com/index.php/8-inch-fry-pan-sd5-second-quality.html

Spread mayo on bread for grilled sandwiches
The egg & oil in the mayo form a wonderful crust, without the greasyness of butter

Why someone neg'd you for that I'll never know, but I can certainly second your recommendation. And I would add that you only need fraction of the amount compared to butter to do the same job.