Maggi is excellent. I've got a Viet soy/fish sauce blend that I buy in a bottle that has no English on it. It's my go-to for anything fatty, but it's too acid for poultry and seafood, or anything with coconut milk. I'd recommend it, but I can't read the bottle and I just buy it b/c of the nice red cap.
― uncondensed milky way (remy bean), Sunday, 1 July 2012 19:42 (eleven years ago) link
I went to someone's house once and they were serving sushi with chinese dark soy sauce, I just about gagged
― now all my posts got ship in it (dayo), Sunday, 1 July 2012 19:43 (eleven years ago) link
i'm like wmc in that I have strong opinions about tons of food but I will eat just about anything
― now all my posts got ship in it (dayo), Sunday, 1 July 2012 19:44 (eleven years ago) link
falafel and hummus are two that for the most part i have to make myself. what i find in and around town just doesn't do it for me.
This is a good reminder that I'm really snobby about pesto. A big 'no' to store-bought, esp. with how easy it is to make.
― Neil Jung (WmC), Sunday, 1 July 2012 19:46 (eleven years ago) link
oh hell yes, pesto's so easy to make and to riff on (like adding/subbing tarragon or arugula or whatever). and canned pesto shouldn't exist, period. blech.i could prolly make a big list, but winter tomatoes are another one i kinda can't stand with VERY few exceptions. same with goddamn berries shipped from South America in the winter/spring
try to take care to use the one in a dish that matches best with the other ingredients. I guess that's a little snobby instead of a lot snobby?
xxpost: to me that's just good common sense....
― making plans for nyquil (outdoor_miner), Sunday, 1 July 2012 20:24 (eleven years ago) link
I'll eat jar pesto but only the Sacla brand, anything else is always adulterated with cheap veggie oils or too much of something or shitty cheap walnuts or the pinenuts are in chunks.
I could make my own, but I never get round to it.
― Pureed Moods (Trayce), Monday, 2 July 2012 00:13 (eleven years ago) link
We've talked pesto before. Some people have gardens, the rest of us have to get jars.
Yeah, Maggi is so good. When it used to contain MSG it was the best, I grew up putting it on everything (scrambled eggs especially, holy crap so good). I'd be interested to see this Viet fish thing
― manditory fun. day (Ówen P.), Monday, 2 July 2012 00:21 (eleven years ago) link
i just make a big batch of pesto and freeze it in ice cube trays, then put the little blocks into ziploc bags.
― just1n3, Monday, 2 July 2012 00:23 (eleven years ago) link
Oh, weirdly: I'm very snobby about vegan and vegetarian food. If it's bland or badly cooked I get real annoyed, as if it's an affront to vegetarians, confirming carnivores' accusations.
― manditory fun. day (Ówen P.), Monday, 2 July 2012 00:25 (eleven years ago) link
WmC how do you make good grits
― manditory fun. day (Ówen P.), Monday, 2 July 2012 18:26 (eleven years ago) link
butter, cheese, salt, pepper, hot sauce?
― 40oz of tears (Jordan), Monday, 2 July 2012 18:31 (eleven years ago) link
i'm snobby about po boys
Ówen, it's all about getting good product. Bill Kte'pi recommended Nora Mill and I didn't care for them -- too many husk remnants. (I still have 4 1/2 lbs. in the fridge that I might as well just toss.) I get the yellow grits sold in bulk at the Dekalb Farmers Market whenever I go to Atlanta. I doubt they grind their own, and they don't ID the source, but these grits are really good. "Quick grits" are crap, obv.
Start with 4 parts liquid to 1 part grits. (Breakfast: half milk, half water. Savory, like for shrimp & grits or something: 3 parts water, vegetable broth or chicken broth, 1 part milk.) Bring the liquid and a bit of salt to a simmer and whisk in the grits, then drop the heat to low. Since good grits are a bit more coarsely ground than grocery store junk, they'll try to stick, so whisk often and don't leave them unattended.
After about 15 minutes, start taste-testing for doneness, and you can also adjust salt at this point. If they are really thick but not tender yet, whisk in a little more water, starting with 1/4 cup or so.* When they're done, you can whisk in a bit of butter and/or cheese if you want cheesy grits. Cheddar's good; a mix of cheddar and parmesan is great. If these are going to be savory grits as the starch underlying grillades, fish or shrimp, a squirt of Sriracha or several squirts of Tabasco are definitely called for here.
*Final ratio for me is closer to 4.5:1 liquid to grits.
― Neil Jung (WmC), Monday, 2 July 2012 19:45 (eleven years ago) link
Thanks WmC I will try it. I'm in shrimp country next week and can do the scrimp just great but my grits haven't been so hot
― is capybara gay? (Ówen P.), Monday, 2 July 2012 22:28 (eleven years ago) link
If you'll be anywhere in the Carolinas you should be set on finding A+ grits from a local mill. But again, I can't recommend Nora Mill.
― Neil Jung (WmC), Monday, 2 July 2012 22:44 (eleven years ago) link
spices, not so much snobby about freshness, but I always buy them at the Indian grocer for like 2 bucks for a boatload as opposed to mccormicks thimblefull for 5 bucks or whatever
― m bison, Monday, 2 July 2012 22:57 (eleven years ago) link
I'll be in Charleston SC. You'll see me next week on the "too effing hot" thread for sure
― is capybara gay? (Ówen P.), Tuesday, 3 July 2012 14:05 (eleven years ago) link
Yeah, Maggi is so good. When it used to contain MSG it was the best,
?? is this a varies-by-country thing? mine still has msg in it (thank god)
― just sayin, Tuesday, 3 July 2012 17:54 (eleven years ago) link
I am an outdoor cooking snob, which is not to say a BBQ bore. A well-grilled sausage or hamburger or piece of fish is always good and no science and you will get props from me for it regardless. But I will have to try very hard not to feel superior to you if you serve me any grilled goods with store-bought sauces or which came pre-marinated, I will lecture you if you precook anything before throwing it on the grill or if you never stop moving that poor steak for even a second, and I will mock you if you own a really expensive gas grill.
And I do become a barbeque bore on the subject of ribs, especially in Europe.
― Three Word Username, Tuesday, 3 July 2012 18:01 (eleven years ago) link
Yknow, I guess I am a snob about octopus/squid. It has to be really good, and accompanied just so; I won't accept lesser substitutes. Once you've had the best, it's kind of hard to go back.
― nicest bitch of poster (La Lechera), Tuesday, 3 July 2012 18:09 (eleven years ago) link
That sounds particularly snobby because I'm talking about such a comparatively novelty food item. Oh well. It's not really that expensive or exotic or even difficult to cook. It's just difficult to get it just right imo and I value that highly. Snobbily.
― nicest bitch of poster (La Lechera), Tuesday, 3 July 2012 18:13 (eleven years ago) link
I am a snob abt tea and also pasta; not so much brands of pasta but rather cooking it. I find myself thinking cruelly condescending things abt people who cook it past al dente and/or don't salt the water, or like people making a pasta-based casserole like baked ziti or mac & cheese who cook the pasta to eating-doneness before they even bake it.
― Natalie Portmanteau (Stevie D(eux)), Tuesday, 3 July 2012 21:32 (eleven years ago) link
I don't even care how you dress the pasta; I will probably seriously respect you more for cooking it right and putting butter/powdered garlic/sprinkle cheese on it than cooking it to mush in unsalted water and topping it with a homemade lamb ragout
― Natalie Portmanteau (Stevie D(eux)), Tuesday, 3 July 2012 21:35 (eleven years ago) link
I will lecture you if you precook anything before throwing it on the grill
what about potatoes???
― now all my posts got ship in it (dayo), Tuesday, 3 July 2012 23:21 (eleven years ago) link
― nicest bitch of poster (La Lechera), Tuesday, July 3, 2012 2:09 PM (5 hours ago) Bookmark
that reminds me, deep fried octopus/squid is only ever good one it's at one point of texture on the spectrum between chewy and rubbery
― now all my posts got ship in it (dayo), Tuesday, 3 July 2012 23:22 (eleven years ago) link
Right, which is why I mostly prefer it grilled. I have only had one or two instances of fried calamari that was truly delicious and worth eating. Otherwise it was chewy material ensconced in "fried" which is not desirable.
― nicest bitch of poster (La Lechera), Tuesday, 3 July 2012 23:34 (eleven years ago) link
I'm at a loss as to what would be precooked before going on a BBQ grill anyway (except, as D says, potatoes I guess maybe). Surely no one would precook meat?
― Pureed Moods (Trayce), Tuesday, 3 July 2012 23:39 (eleven years ago) link
Some folks slow-roast pork ribs and finish them on the grill, otherwise, not sure what.
― Jaq, Tuesday, 3 July 2012 23:40 (eleven years ago) link
A lot of sparerib recipes involve doing most of the heavy lifting in the oven and just finishing them on the grill to get a sticky saucy glaze. xp
― Neil Jung (WmC), Tuesday, 3 July 2012 23:41 (eleven years ago) link
I tried grilling potato slices once, sliced 'em really thin, the surfaces bubbled and the starches burned before the insides got cooked
― now all my posts got ship in it (dayo), Tuesday, 3 July 2012 23:42 (eleven years ago) link
Yup, am mostly talking about ribs and potatoes, but was once served weird crispy rubbery flavorless chicken pieces by someone so paranoid about undercooking that the pieces were boiled first.
Potatoes don't like direct grilling much, and don't even try if you don't have a lid on your grill, but very small new potatoes if well-oiled can work out ok. Indirect grilling work better, but keep the potatoes small, the fire relatively hot, and your patience intact. I like smoking bigger potatoes, or just putting them directly in the coals, with or without foil. Big baking potatoes into the coals get taken out when they are black and ugly, then scooped out and mashed: yum. I am currently looking into getting or building a tandoor or something like it (real charcoal tandoors are expensive as hell and not great quality for the money; a Big Green Egg is even more super-expensive but well-made and much more versatile) -- I think that's where I'd be doing my potatoes!
Have gotten into long barbecue bore arguments with Euros who insist that my smoker is all well and good for American barbecue, you cannot get crispy-but-edible-and-not-burnt ribs without precooking and then direct grilling -- these arguments usually end when I serve them ribs done at relatively high temperatures (compared to my smoker, anyway) indirectly on the Weber.
― Three Word Username, Wednesday, 4 July 2012 07:07 (eleven years ago) link
LL, the best squid/octopus I've ever had was the wood-grilled octopus at Taxim (Greek place) in Wicker Park. I found the restaurant as a whole to be hit-or-miss, but that dish is fantastic.
― Never translate Dutch (jaymc), Wednesday, 4 July 2012 07:15 (eleven years ago) link
I had no idea big green eggs were so expensive!
― now all my posts got ship in it (dayo), Wednesday, 4 July 2012 13:14 (eleven years ago) link
There are less expensive kamados out there, but some of them have serious quality issues. I have also heard interesting things about the Broil King Keg (http://www.broilkingbbq.com/grills/keg/landing.html) which is significantly less expensive and supposed to be good...
― Three Word Username, Wednesday, 4 July 2012 13:39 (eleven years ago) link
somebody's selling a used one about an hour away from here. I suppose one day I'll luck out and find someone has left one on the curb next to their trash.
― now all my posts got ship in it (dayo), Wednesday, 4 July 2012 13:46 (eleven years ago) link
Can't think of a single food I feel this way about.
― Jeff, Wednesday, 4 July 2012 13:54 (eleven years ago) link
That's really sad!
― Neil Jung (WmC), Wednesday, 4 July 2012 14:04 (eleven years ago) link
i cook potatoes (either wedges, half fingerlings, or thin round slices) on the grill in a foil packet. works fine.
― call all destroyer, Wednesday, 4 July 2012 14:07 (eleven years ago) link
Beer comes close. But I'll drink damn near any beer, not just the best stuff.
― Jeff, Wednesday, 4 July 2012 14:08 (eleven years ago) link
Wait, I'm a Popsicle snob.
I like all food to be made with care and attention, but otherwise I'm not that particular.
― Jaq, Wednesday, 4 July 2012 14:09 (eleven years ago) link
Yeah, foil packets are cool, as are any kind of pan. Oil remains important. I think we all agree that pre-cooking is barbaric.
― Three Word Username, Wednesday, 4 July 2012 14:13 (eleven years ago) link
Is there not an outdoor cooking thread we could revive?
― Three Word Username, Wednesday, 4 July 2012 14:34 (eleven years ago) link
maybe not SEO oriented enough but
Lets talk of BBQ...grilling and what not.
― now all my posts got ship in it (dayo), Wednesday, 4 July 2012 14:37 (eleven years ago) link
I'm sort of snobby about cheese, butter, chocolate, tea, beer, jam, probably some other things too - in the sense that consuming low-quality kinds makes me sad and I go out of my way to acquire high-quality kinds.
I'm not snobby in the sense of judging other people's taste though.
― recordbreaking transfer to Lucknow FC (seandalai), Wednesday, 4 July 2012 16:35 (eleven years ago) link
truffle oil
my opinion of you drops if you use it
― funny-skrillex-bee_132455836669.gif (s1ocki), Wednesday, 4 July 2012 17:25 (eleven years ago) link
and lots of other things, but none come immediately to mind
― funny-skrillex-bee_132455836669.gif (s1ocki), Wednesday, 4 July 2012 17:26 (eleven years ago) link
im not snobby about any food but it really bothers me when people are, especially if they're in my kitchen. sometimes good ingredients are too expensive and you have to cheap out, like, i know parmigiano reggiano is better but it's expensive and can rarely bring myself to shell out for it
― carly rae (flopson), Wednesday, 4 July 2012 18:34 (eleven years ago) link
what do u use instead
― funny-skrillex-bee_132455836669.gif (s1ocki), Wednesday, 4 July 2012 20:02 (eleven years ago) link
"truffle oil"i had truffle fries once and thought it tasted exactly like garlic fries. everyone told me i was mad. am i mad? i feel like i'm missing out on some royal fry experience, like a dude with an eyepatch going to see avatar.
― Philip Nunez, Wednesday, 4 July 2012 20:07 (eleven years ago) link
bread, pasta, rice, grains, oatmeal (cereal) -
i think w/some of these it's cost that makes me semi-snobby; the same with tea, i think it's bad economics to skimp on something you get so much out of, to buy the cheaper kind & take a hit on your next forty cups. rice is pretty cheap in the scheme of things, even nice thai jasmine or w/e, so splashing out for something that's <£1/serving is weird (obviously unless you totally have to).
― blossom smulch (schlump), Saturday, 7 July 2012 12:41 (eleven years ago) link
i'm not into artisanal (hate that word) grains or anything i just hate indifferently prepared white rice. living in nyc i shop around for snob bargains
― (REAL NAME) (m coleman), Saturday, 7 July 2012 12:46 (eleven years ago) link
Is Barilla really better than like Ronzoni or Rienzi or any of those?
― Drew Careymore (Stevie D(eux)), Saturday, 7 July 2012 13:14 (eleven years ago) link
De Cecco > Barilla > Ronzoni, imo. Ronzoni lasagne noodles are OK
― (REAL NAME) (m coleman), Saturday, 7 July 2012 13:39 (eleven years ago) link
marcella hazan says that italian-made pasta is better than american-made because they use metal rather than teflon to make it so the texture is rougher outside and whatever you put on it sticks better. i like the whole foods pasta.
― kneel aurmstrong (harbl), Saturday, 7 July 2012 14:09 (eleven years ago) link
I always get Barilla.
― (✿◠‿◠) (ENBB), Saturday, 7 July 2012 20:11 (eleven years ago) link
yes, it's better
― the late great, Saturday, 7 July 2012 20:11 (eleven years ago) link
i do orrechiette carbonara sometimes
― funny-skrillex-bee_132455836669.gif (s1ocki), Monday, 9 July 2012 04:09 (eleven years ago) link
i think i generally buy italian stuff already i guess?
i make carbonara with the fat bucatini tubes because they're made to catch the egg cheese and fat and stiffen
for tomato sauce perciatelli noodles (hollow bucatini) are fun because they slurp up the sauce for you like straws
― the late great, Monday, 9 July 2012 04:26 (eleven years ago) link
thats good for bolognese too cuz chunks get stuck in there
― funny-skrillex-bee_132455836669.gif (s1ocki), Monday, 9 July 2012 04:36 (eleven years ago) link
mm want to make pasta now
― Peppermint Patty Hearst (VegemiteGrrl), Monday, 9 July 2012 04:47 (eleven years ago) link
depends how chunky you like it
if you're really chunky you want rigatoni
― the late great, Monday, 9 July 2012 04:54 (eleven years ago) link
I do get annoyed how p much every pasta brands shapes are different. Some stuff they call rigatoni is v slightly wider penne
― alan is more upset (Stevie D(eux)), Monday, 9 July 2012 12:16 (eleven years ago) link
Gemelli rules and is v under appreciated. Excellent chew.
― alan is more upset (Stevie D(eux)), Monday, 9 July 2012 12:17 (eleven years ago) link
I really hate buccatini, it stays all dry and sauceless within! I'm American, damn it. I like sauce more than pasta.
― how did I get here? why am I in the whiskey aisle? this is all so (Laurel), Monday, 9 July 2012 13:34 (eleven years ago) link
Pretty much almost always buy De Cecco. I know there are non-mass-market brands that cost £££ but I've never ventured in that direction, maybe out of fear that I will get hooked and go broke that way.
― recordbreaking transfer to Lucknow FC (seandalai), Monday, 9 July 2012 13:41 (eleven years ago) link
― the late great, Monday, July 9, 2012 12:54 AM (9 hours ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink
i always ask my butcher to grind the meat on the extra-big setting
― funny-skrillex-bee_132455836669.gif (s1ocki), Monday, 9 July 2012 14:02 (eleven years ago) link
rowr
― uncondensed milky way (remy bean), Monday, 9 July 2012 14:09 (eleven years ago) link
Man I need a local butcher. Also rigatoni is the best and I never would have known if not for out very own best beloved surm
― alan is more upset (Stevie D(eux)), Monday, 9 July 2012 15:09 (eleven years ago) link
I thought you were a vegan for some reason. huh.
― (✿◠‿◠) (ENBB), Monday, 9 July 2012 15:41 (eleven years ago) link
I was for a while but then I stopped like maybe a year and a half ago and the "Wait aren't you vegan??"s haven't stopped since
― alan is more upset (Stevie D(eux)), Monday, 9 July 2012 19:10 (eleven years ago) link
Oh, sorry. I didn't realize.
― (✿◠‿◠) (ENBB), Monday, 9 July 2012 19:15 (eleven years ago) link
being snobby is not something to brag about
― congratulations (n/a), Monday, 9 July 2012 19:16 (eleven years ago) link
who's being snobby now
― the late great, Monday, 9 July 2012 19:17 (eleven years ago) link
who's snobbing who?take another look now, babywho's snobbing who?
― I see you, Pineapple Teef (DJP), Monday, 9 July 2012 19:39 (eleven years ago) link
Snobby about beer, olive oil to an extent, see no need in using horrible supermarket sea salt as opposed to maldon, when a box of maldon still lasts me a year. Always try to have good soy and fish sauce.
I am snobby about meat and fish but don't have a non-supermarket butcher or fishmonger that is handy for me.
― Know how Roo feel (LocalGarda), Wednesday, 18 July 2012 06:38 (eleven years ago) link
if it's dinner time, i basically have to have perrier. even if i'm eating like top ramen slathered hot sauce, i still want perrier on ice.
also i'm a pickle snob.
― the decline and fall of me, Monday, 23 July 2012 18:09 (eleven years ago) link
I just finished lunch -- two tomato sandwiches -- and thought snobby thoughts as the juice ran down to my wrists.
― Neil Jung (WmC), Monday, 23 July 2012 18:27 (eleven years ago) link