PAPRIKAHEAD HELP MEEEEE
I have these big white beans - what are they? Why have they split into two big halves that are toooo scary? What should I do to these tooo scary beans that have split into two? I want to eat them today! I bet they will cook fast because these tooooo big beans have been sitting on the stove for two days! HELP!!!
Yours Truly,
Big Fluffy Hamster in San Francisco
Dear Big Fluffy Hamster,
While I can't with any certainty identify your large beans, I can tell you something about the general properties of large beans. Beans often split as they soak; no problem there. The bad news is that even after a two-day soak they may still take a long time to cook, simply because they are so very large. Be patient, and you will be rewarded with a large creamy mouthful of beans.
Possibilities: you could have white runner beans (the white variety of scarlet runner beans). You could have gigantes, large white Greek beans. You could have some sort of big lima bean. Send me a picture?
All the best,
Paprikahead
Showing posts with label q and a. Show all posts
Showing posts with label q and a. Show all posts
Monday, June 07, 2010
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Q & A with Paprikahead: Peas and Grapes
Hey Paprikahead,
It's me, the fluffy hamster, wondering about some weird stuff. Really, really weird stuff.
Like Number 1: How come peas seem to be frozen or in cans? What would peas look like in a market? Where are they? They would fit so well in my pouches, making my cheeks soft to the squeeze yet textured to the rub.
OK, Number 2: Can I really use fresh grapes in my bread? I sure hope so. I have so few raisins and rumor is that raisins are really just dried out grapes. Maybe this is true? Oh Jeez. Better get rid of those seeds.
All right Paprikahead. These are just some small queries. I'm going to get back to nest building here in Portland and chasing the cat around.
I'm making a nice stock, by the way, and a soup shall follow. Directions courtesy of paprikahead.com, of course.
Your faithful small woodland creature of the night,
Fluffy Hamster
Dear Fluffy Hamster,
I'm afraid I have sad news for you today.
1. Peas, it turns out, are one of the sweetest signs of springtime. In farmers' markets, you can find them inside their crisp green pods. You shell them with a little push to pop their seams and a zipper-like action with your thumb. The little peas roll out, so cute, so sweet. For the shelling, I recommend child labor. Tell them it's a contest to see who can find the pod with the most peas in it. That's how I learned. They don't keep very well once shelled, so that's why you really only see them frozen. See if you can wait till next spring, Hamster.
2. I would not recommend making bread with grapes in it. First, the seeds would be a bit of a pain. Second, grapes are very moist -- much moister than bread dough -- and they would turn your dough to mush. It is true, though, that grapes turn into raisins. You could, if you were patient, pick the seeds out of your grapes and spread them out on a rack set in a black cookie sheet and dry them for several days in the sun, bringing them in before dusk each night so they wouldn't catch a drop of dew. Or, if you're in rainy Portland, you could put them in a very cool oven -- no more than 150, or they'll get crisp instead of chewy, and dry them that way for several days.
Something altogether different, having to do with grapes and bread, is the delightful fact that the dusty bloom on grape skins is actually wild yeast. You can jumpstart a wild yeast sourdough starter by putting a handful of grape skins in it. My coauthor, Ken Albala, has some good examples on his site, but sadly, the wild yeast sourdough recipe is part of our cookbook(!) so it's not on the web anymore.
Happy nest buildling, Hamster!
Paprikahead
It's me, the fluffy hamster, wondering about some weird stuff. Really, really weird stuff.
Like Number 1: How come peas seem to be frozen or in cans? What would peas look like in a market? Where are they? They would fit so well in my pouches, making my cheeks soft to the squeeze yet textured to the rub.
OK, Number 2: Can I really use fresh grapes in my bread? I sure hope so. I have so few raisins and rumor is that raisins are really just dried out grapes. Maybe this is true? Oh Jeez. Better get rid of those seeds.
All right Paprikahead. These are just some small queries. I'm going to get back to nest building here in Portland and chasing the cat around.
I'm making a nice stock, by the way, and a soup shall follow. Directions courtesy of paprikahead.com, of course.
Your faithful small woodland creature of the night,
Fluffy Hamster
Dear Fluffy Hamster,
I'm afraid I have sad news for you today.
1. Peas, it turns out, are one of the sweetest signs of springtime. In farmers' markets, you can find them inside their crisp green pods. You shell them with a little push to pop their seams and a zipper-like action with your thumb. The little peas roll out, so cute, so sweet. For the shelling, I recommend child labor. Tell them it's a contest to see who can find the pod with the most peas in it. That's how I learned. They don't keep very well once shelled, so that's why you really only see them frozen. See if you can wait till next spring, Hamster.
2. I would not recommend making bread with grapes in it. First, the seeds would be a bit of a pain. Second, grapes are very moist -- much moister than bread dough -- and they would turn your dough to mush. It is true, though, that grapes turn into raisins. You could, if you were patient, pick the seeds out of your grapes and spread them out on a rack set in a black cookie sheet and dry them for several days in the sun, bringing them in before dusk each night so they wouldn't catch a drop of dew. Or, if you're in rainy Portland, you could put them in a very cool oven -- no more than 150, or they'll get crisp instead of chewy, and dry them that way for several days.
Something altogether different, having to do with grapes and bread, is the delightful fact that the dusty bloom on grape skins is actually wild yeast. You can jumpstart a wild yeast sourdough starter by putting a handful of grape skins in it. My coauthor, Ken Albala, has some good examples on his site, but sadly, the wild yeast sourdough recipe is part of our cookbook(!) so it's not on the web anymore.
Happy nest buildling, Hamster!
Paprikahead
Saturday, October 10, 2009
Q & A with Paprikahead: Basil
From a big fluffy hamster:
EEK!
The harvest has come to the north east and my parents wee garden is popping and retracting! It's here! And what to do!!!
Namely, my guru Paprikahead, I must know what to do with all of this basil! I got so big last year (almost like that cat Babette - the 18-pound monolith that frequents the Mission) that I just don't want to make the over-sized pesto. Is there a fine recipe you know to can basil? Perhaps some kind of sauce that I can later use?
Oh jeez. All of this Basil! What to do! I'd really like to use Mason Jars, too, rather than plastic bags. Plastic is so postmodern and shiny.
Salutations from the very end of Long Island,
A Big Fluffy Hamster.
Dear Big Fluffy Hamster,
First, the bad news. As a light fresh herb, basil does not can well. Think about canning lettuce.
It isn't perfectly satisfactory when frozen, either. Should you decide to freeze basil, you can lay it out on cookie sheets and place them in the freezer. When the basil is quite frozen, swiftly transfer it to a bag and keep it frozen until you want to use it. It will thaw within seconds of being removed from the freezer, and will go limp. It will be fine in cooked dishes but I wouldn't try it in anything else.
Now, some good news. Pesto will make you skinnier, not fatter. Look at it this way. Pesto is made of leaves, olive oil, cheese, garlic, nuts, and lemon juice. And a sprinkle of salt. Do you know what that is, Hamster? It's a salad. An extremely dense, mashed, raw, thriving salad. It contains not one empty calorie. You can -- and should -- eat pesto by the spoonful. Your coat will get all shiny and your eyes will be bright. In fact, if that Babette ate more pesto, she would be a svelte little mink, indeed. Furthermore, pesto does, in fact, freeze very well. (No canning -- that's cooking the salad).
One other option would be to make a basil-infused liquor: pack the cleaned leaves in a large jar, pour vodka over it, and let it sit for a week. I'm sure it will be delicious. Sadly, vodka is, of course, nothing but empty calories, and that's the problem you were worried about in the first place.
Other suggestion for our Hamster friend? Feel free to advise him.
Sincerely,
Paprikahead
EEK!
The harvest has come to the north east and my parents wee garden is popping and retracting! It's here! And what to do!!!
Namely, my guru Paprikahead, I must know what to do with all of this basil! I got so big last year (almost like that cat Babette - the 18-pound monolith that frequents the Mission) that I just don't want to make the over-sized pesto. Is there a fine recipe you know to can basil? Perhaps some kind of sauce that I can later use?
Oh jeez. All of this Basil! What to do! I'd really like to use Mason Jars, too, rather than plastic bags. Plastic is so postmodern and shiny.
Salutations from the very end of Long Island,
A Big Fluffy Hamster.
Dear Big Fluffy Hamster,
First, the bad news. As a light fresh herb, basil does not can well. Think about canning lettuce.
It isn't perfectly satisfactory when frozen, either. Should you decide to freeze basil, you can lay it out on cookie sheets and place them in the freezer. When the basil is quite frozen, swiftly transfer it to a bag and keep it frozen until you want to use it. It will thaw within seconds of being removed from the freezer, and will go limp. It will be fine in cooked dishes but I wouldn't try it in anything else.
Now, some good news. Pesto will make you skinnier, not fatter. Look at it this way. Pesto is made of leaves, olive oil, cheese, garlic, nuts, and lemon juice. And a sprinkle of salt. Do you know what that is, Hamster? It's a salad. An extremely dense, mashed, raw, thriving salad. It contains not one empty calorie. You can -- and should -- eat pesto by the spoonful. Your coat will get all shiny and your eyes will be bright. In fact, if that Babette ate more pesto, she would be a svelte little mink, indeed. Furthermore, pesto does, in fact, freeze very well. (No canning -- that's cooking the salad).
One other option would be to make a basil-infused liquor: pack the cleaned leaves in a large jar, pour vodka over it, and let it sit for a week. I'm sure it will be delicious. Sadly, vodka is, of course, nothing but empty calories, and that's the problem you were worried about in the first place.
Other suggestion for our Hamster friend? Feel free to advise him.
Sincerely,
Paprikahead
Thursday, February 05, 2009
Q & A with Paprikahead: Pot o' Beans and an Accidental Reduction
This, from a Hamster Reader:
Subject: recipe for big pot o beans?
you got one for me lady? i got bags of dried beans and want these suckers good good good. mmmm good.
-A Hamster Reader
p.s. and then i looked to the stove. it's on!, i thunk, and not like friday night hipsters going to the demolition derby. no, no. like the stove, it's on, like still turned on from the night before! and this is what i found.
turned to the lowest heat available the [pumpkin] soup had reduced all through the night (lid on with tiny hole for air passage) to this kind of thick, creamy looking goodnees. the top of it had this thick, thick skin that reminded me of, well, burned, charred pizza sauce. it was unlike anything i have ever seen, really, but i knew it was awesome from the first. and it was. the taste of this here sucker is sweet as candy, the texture thicker than chile, like a kind of paste for toast or something. i feel like the guy that *happened* upon blighted rye and tripped balls and gave the world the wee secret of acid, two hundred years before it was synthesized. or something like that. anyway, i thought you would like this story and that maybe it would make a smile.
Dear Hamster,
For the beans: first, soak them overnight in three times their volume of water. Drain them in the morning, fill the pot with fresh water, and bring them to a simmer. Simmer simmer simmer. Throw in some onions, ham bone or bacon, carrots, tomatoes, celery. Make them a little sweet -- molasses is good (with care!). Some apple cider vinegar for tanginess. And a lot of salt, but only after the beans are soft, because the salt will make their skins tough if you add it too soon. They should simmer all day, in proportion to their size.
I'm so happy your pumpkin soup reduction was magnificent and not disastrous! It sounds like a good task for a crock-pot, akin to making tomato paste or apple butter. I think I'll try to replicate it with the pumpkin on my counter.
Subject: recipe for big pot o beans?
you got one for me lady? i got bags of dried beans and want these suckers good good good. mmmm good.
-A Hamster Reader
p.s. and then i looked to the stove. it's on!, i thunk, and not like friday night hipsters going to the demolition derby. no, no. like the stove, it's on, like still turned on from the night before! and this is what i found.
turned to the lowest heat available the [pumpkin] soup had reduced all through the night (lid on with tiny hole for air passage) to this kind of thick, creamy looking goodnees. the top of it had this thick, thick skin that reminded me of, well, burned, charred pizza sauce. it was unlike anything i have ever seen, really, but i knew it was awesome from the first. and it was. the taste of this here sucker is sweet as candy, the texture thicker than chile, like a kind of paste for toast or something. i feel like the guy that *happened* upon blighted rye and tripped balls and gave the world the wee secret of acid, two hundred years before it was synthesized. or something like that. anyway, i thought you would like this story and that maybe it would make a smile.
Dear Hamster,
For the beans: first, soak them overnight in three times their volume of water. Drain them in the morning, fill the pot with fresh water, and bring them to a simmer. Simmer simmer simmer. Throw in some onions, ham bone or bacon, carrots, tomatoes, celery. Make them a little sweet -- molasses is good (with care!). Some apple cider vinegar for tanginess. And a lot of salt, but only after the beans are soft, because the salt will make their skins tough if you add it too soon. They should simmer all day, in proportion to their size.
I'm so happy your pumpkin soup reduction was magnificent and not disastrous! It sounds like a good task for a crock-pot, akin to making tomato paste or apple butter. I think I'll try to replicate it with the pumpkin on my counter.
Monday, January 26, 2009
Q & A with Paprikahead: Thin Hummus
From the first real, live person I ever met from Brooklyn, or all of New York City, for that matter:
I recently made a large batch of hummus that came out thin and a little bit underspiced. Do you have any suggestions for ways to use it where this won't matter? Pretty much all I ever do with hummus is eat it with bread, and I want some novel use for it. Or, do you have any suggestions for ways to transform it into something completely different from hummus?
Toby
Dear Toby,
You have several options. Under-spicing is fairly easy to correct. The consistency, less so. Of course you could make an extra-thick and over-spiced batch of hummus, combine the two, and continue eating hummus on bread as is your wont.
But if it's metamorphosis you're after, you could add extra tahini and squeeze in some more lemon juice and call it salad dressing. You could use it as a sauce for meat, inspired by the mixing of flavors that often occurs on large dinner plates at Mediterranean restaurants. Lamb, for instance, or keftethes. For that matter, you could really go out on a limb and make soup. I mean, is there anything in hummus you wouldn't put in soup? Maybe not so much lemon juice or spice, but the spice won't be an issue for you. The olive oil -- well, it probably won't break its emulsion if you don't make too thin a soup. But if you added just the right amount of stock, and some tomatoes, you could call it whatever you liked. Garbanzo bisque.
Speaking of keftethes, and the fact that you are now in Seattle, you should check out Vios Cafe, where I used to be a pantry chef. Oh my goodness! They opened a new one in Ravenna! With a pub and science on tap. Yes, Seattle, I have been gone too long. (Not that I was ever there longer than the time it took to break a couple of hearts, slice some feta, and drown it all with olive oil.)
Sincerely,
Paprikahead
I recently made a large batch of hummus that came out thin and a little bit underspiced. Do you have any suggestions for ways to use it where this won't matter? Pretty much all I ever do with hummus is eat it with bread, and I want some novel use for it. Or, do you have any suggestions for ways to transform it into something completely different from hummus?
Toby
Dear Toby,
You have several options. Under-spicing is fairly easy to correct. The consistency, less so. Of course you could make an extra-thick and over-spiced batch of hummus, combine the two, and continue eating hummus on bread as is your wont.
But if it's metamorphosis you're after, you could add extra tahini and squeeze in some more lemon juice and call it salad dressing. You could use it as a sauce for meat, inspired by the mixing of flavors that often occurs on large dinner plates at Mediterranean restaurants. Lamb, for instance, or keftethes. For that matter, you could really go out on a limb and make soup. I mean, is there anything in hummus you wouldn't put in soup? Maybe not so much lemon juice or spice, but the spice won't be an issue for you. The olive oil -- well, it probably won't break its emulsion if you don't make too thin a soup. But if you added just the right amount of stock, and some tomatoes, you could call it whatever you liked. Garbanzo bisque.
Speaking of keftethes, and the fact that you are now in Seattle, you should check out Vios Cafe, where I used to be a pantry chef. Oh my goodness! They opened a new one in Ravenna! With a pub and science on tap. Yes, Seattle, I have been gone too long. (Not that I was ever there longer than the time it took to break a couple of hearts, slice some feta, and drown it all with olive oil.)
Sincerely,
Paprikahead
Friday, January 16, 2009
Q & A with Paprikahead: Ravioli
A hamster couple posed a question about ravioli:
Dear Paprikahead,
Hamster and I are hoping to make ravioli tomorrow for some people in Montauk. We perused your blog for some ravioli inspiration, but are still feeling lost. Hamster makes a mean pasta dough, but what would you suggest we put inside the ravioli? What to coat it with? We made a bunch of pesto yesterday, consequently we're hoping to avoid it tomorrow.
Sincerely,
Hamster Couple
Dear Hamsters,
Oddly, just yesterday somebody asked me the same question. I recommend roasting some butternut or other winter squash and mixing the insides with ricotta, salt, butter, and minced-up rosemary. Or ricotta, egg, salt, and pepper. A long time ago, W. Crawford wooed me with a ravioli filled with mashed (cooked) beets and ricotta.
Fancily-filled ravioli are great in a simple browned-butter garlic sauce. Slowly melt a stick of butter. When it gets frothy and golden-brown, add a couple cloves or so of crushed & finely minced garlic. Remove from the heat and let it sit for a few minutes to diffuse the garlic flavor. Spoon over ravioli.
Sincerely,
Paprikahead
Last-minute supper questions? Fantastic adaptions of my recipes? Unscrubbably burnt disasters?
rosanna at paprikahead dot com
Dear Paprikahead,
Hamster and I are hoping to make ravioli tomorrow for some people in Montauk. We perused your blog for some ravioli inspiration, but are still feeling lost. Hamster makes a mean pasta dough, but what would you suggest we put inside the ravioli? What to coat it with? We made a bunch of pesto yesterday, consequently we're hoping to avoid it tomorrow.
Sincerely,
Hamster Couple
Dear Hamsters,
Oddly, just yesterday somebody asked me the same question. I recommend roasting some butternut or other winter squash and mixing the insides with ricotta, salt, butter, and minced-up rosemary. Or ricotta, egg, salt, and pepper. A long time ago, W. Crawford wooed me with a ravioli filled with mashed (cooked) beets and ricotta.
Fancily-filled ravioli are great in a simple browned-butter garlic sauce. Slowly melt a stick of butter. When it gets frothy and golden-brown, add a couple cloves or so of crushed & finely minced garlic. Remove from the heat and let it sit for a few minutes to diffuse the garlic flavor. Spoon over ravioli.
Sincerely,
Paprikahead
Last-minute supper questions? Fantastic adaptions of my recipes? Unscrubbably burnt disasters?
rosanna at paprikahead dot com
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