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Friday, January 16, 2009

mélange

http://storage.canalblog.com/43/19/201070/34676184.jpg
My new favorite blog is forcing me to learn French. If it wasnt for my obsession with everything French and the simple fact that I love cheese this would be no big deal, but taking that into consideration I am struggling.

http://schmeeve.com/img/nearnudebourdain.jpg
Before there was Anthony Bourdain.
http://patrishka.files.wordpress.com/2008/07/gbourdin_flo.jpg
There was Guy Bourdin,(December 2, 1928 in Paris – March 29, 1991) a great photographer, who was French. I loved his photography and would often copy his ideas and style for college art projects. Check out his web site and see for yourself how good he was.

Whats my point? No point. Its Friday and its freezing and I am tired of soup. I thought about talking about all the different things that make foods yellow, like turmeric and annatto and saffron since yellow is such a happy warm color but I dont have it in me. Speaking of saffron I have some New Mexico saffron that is inexpensive and does all the things that saffron does, which isnt much besides makes things yellow.
http://www.worldproutassembly.org/images/turmeric1.jpg
Turmeric has more flavor and its a rhizome, isnt that fun to say- rhizome.
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f7/Gingembre.jpg
Ginger is a rhizome, wouldnt you like to be a rhizome too?
http://www.dkimages.com/discover/previews/974/20003449.JPG
Annatto is is used a lot in caribbean cooking and it is also a dye, more commonly called achiote in spanish speaking areas and it is another flavorless 'yellowmaker.'

Where am I going with this? Nowhere. I think this is going to be a seafood weekend. We ordered all kinds of beef from a meat place offering a super deal, we will be getting next week, along with 25 high grade vanilla beans from a vanilla bean place and some assorted products from mexgrocer. Ordering is so easy anymore, isnt it? While I completely enjoy the act of food shopping I also like the convenience of online ordering for things I can count on, what about you?

29 comments:

Stacey Snacks said...

Buy a Rosetta Stone.
It is a wonderful way to learn languages, and I swear it WORKS!
Parlez vous Francais?

Christo Gonzales said...

stace: non parlez - pero yo hablo espanol... et vous?

Jill said...

I am totally stealing that picture of Bourdain and putting it on my blog...thanks to chezwhat!

Jill said...

I want to turn it into a poster and tack it on the ceiling over my bed...I wonder if my husband would mind.

Christo Gonzales said...

jill: why should he mind if it puts a tiger in your tank?

Anonymous said...

The last thing I ordered on-line was a sock to prevent plantar fasciitis - I wear it to bed every night.

tavolini said...

I hear you about the winter--I'm so ready for some bright, fresh spring vegetables! At least its sunny outside.

I worked in Mexico for three months and Tavo's first language is Spanish--pero no hablo español.

Christo Gonzales said...

ap: thats a gross image to put in with food....plantar what? and it aint nuts either....yuck

tavolini: I hear you hearing me...its like 10 degrees out today... spanish is bananas first language too but I actually speak as good as a child...LOL

Marjie said...

Oh, you know I order stuff...there is so much out there which isn't necessarily available locally, and, as I've said, why do I want to go buy the mundane things when the kindly Mr. Bezos will have a guy in a brown suit bring them right into my kitchen for the same price?

Gotta check out your links now. I'd like vanilla beans...

Anonymous said...

I like ordering spices online that I can't in the bulk sections at any local markets, and there's a place in Houston that sells bottarga that you can order online, and I've been meaning to place an order with Rancho Gordo. But, hey, I think saffron has some flavor. It always smells and tastes a little like honey to me. No?

Christo Gonzales said...

marjie: I went to the mailbox and my vanilla was here - it took only two days total - I was expecting it tomorrow or Tuesday...It is so fresh and aromatic....I am going to use one or two and make my own extract...

lisaiscooking: it does have some flavor and when it is fresh it actually has a little spice like nasturtium or so - honey? I will try and be alert to this

...I am now googling bottarga....

oh wow! I am going to try and reproduce this - chinatown has all kinds of roes all the time - I have made sea trout caviar before so this should be interesting....(not that bottarga is the same as caviar) thanks for the idea...

Anonymous said...

No seriously, that sock works like a dream and it is only the 2nd thing I've ever ordered on-line in my life - the other was a package of vacuum cleaner bags.

snugs said...

does that turmeric and ginger look like sexual positions or is it just me?

Harmony said...

Thanks for the fun food facts...on color! I am not a fan of seafood...but I love seeing dishes of it. It's not so much the flavor that throws me off...but the texture.

Christo Gonzales said...

ap: okey dokey

snugs: I think its just you - maybe the blatant pictures of bourdain and the ones by bourdin (pronounced the same kind of - dane and dan) got you started

harmony: succulent and flaky fish throws you off huh?

Christo Gonzales said...

I fixed the meat link - it now takes you to the 'deal'....

buffalodick said...

Someone that agrees saffron, annatto, and turmeric are more color than flavor! Call a spade a spade- and don't buy in to people telling you what you should like or use!

Just telling it like it is said...

I watch the show that guy is in on the travel Chanel ...he's got meat!!

Angel said...

ya...who knew Bourdain was kinda hot?....and you do love your nekkid pictures don't ya dog?

I always learn so much about food from you.

vanillasugarblog said...

love how bourdain has to hold a cigarette in his hand, like that going to help matters LOL

Tanya Kristine said...

i love shopping online. it's like christmas every time i come home and see a box.

Harmony said...

Yeah...I don't know what it is about succulent and flaky fish..I'm sorry I can't help it.

Also? I have never thought to order food online...and I do dislike dragging the kids through the market. I will have to give that a try.

Jeanne Estridge said...

I have the same thing going with all things French. I follow one called Soyez la Bienvenue Chez Moi because it looks so sophisticated on my blogroll, but it's actually in English, thank God.

Sorry if my root beer comment offended you (and I suspect it did). I get in trouble a lot by forgetting that it's impossible to convey tone in comments (or email), so the rueful smile that was supposed to come through didn't make it. I love the care you put into making things that I have neither the time nor the talent to attempt. That's why I come here to worship at your food blog -- because you provide a glimpse into a world I'll never live in, but like knowing exists.

Christo Gonzales said...

buff: sometimes people get on bandwagons with no idea where they are going - it sounds cool and exotic so they want some...

just telling: well in this case he's got bone...

beth: we were born nekkid but we die with our boots on...go figure

dawn: it keeps him feeling cool so the vulnerability can hide...

TK: it is the most and the best isnt it....

harmony: there are ways you might like fish - maybe in a soup all broken up - Marjie has a LARGE family and she is a big proponent of 'not having to go there' shopping - Now a days it is good alternative.

TBD: I should have put a warning label up on this one...

jeanne: I dont get offended easy- your comment contained sensible fact - I often make the easily attainable and if you added up my time and effort it makes it more expensive as well.

Maggie said...

I'm trying to dig out all the summer berries and use more citrus to balance the now daily soup. And I've found that turmeric can be a strong umami flavor in dishes. It's not just color and that slight bitterness. BTW thanks for the Bourdain pic.

Christo Gonzales said...

maggie: you are right - out of all of these turmeric does have the most flavor - it does create 'umami' as you mentioned - I use it as a secret ingredient often.

Goat Yoda said...

Doggie, when we finally get a date set for the goat cookout, and you get down here, we'll have to take a couple of days afterwards and go visit some of the regional goat cheese dairies local to me in NC. Fabulous!

BTW> Speaking of food porn- OMG! I love Anthony!

Chef E said...

That Bourdain pic is interfering with my ability to process all this other information, and so educational...thanks teach!

We ate dinner tonight at a new 'Ennotecca' near us and they had these house made meats hanging about, and some good grappas...I am ready to get down with summer- sausages, fruits and veggies to my friend...

Anonymous said...

Pourquoi voulez vous parler Francais, nom de dieu de putain de merde! :-)

I can teach you all the bad stuff in French if you want. It comes in very handy sometimes. :-)

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