The conversation thread

[MeekMe]

Re: spiralizers. Have you ever used a peeler to make strips of vegetables and used that as noodle substitute? How different is the texture compared to spiralized? I use the peeler method a lot because I don’t want to get even more kitchen gadgets I don’t use so often, but I’m imagining the texture might be a lot better with the spiralizer.

I have a spiralizer. It has different blades for making different styles of “noodles.” I did the peeler method, but I like the spiralizer more. The consistency is better and I also like the uniform look. Another thing I like about it is the efficiency. It’s fast, uses more of the vegetable for noodles and the little pole from the center is fun to eat.

I love using it because it’s fast. Unfortunately it’s a bit messy as vegetable juice tends to get everywhere. Easy to rinse clean though not great on storage. I don’t use it as often as I should. I might have to make something and post it.

The texture is definitely better, but will not be a satisfying substitute for real noodles. It makes for beautiful salads.

 

[seela]

How’s the spring/fall going for everyone? Ready for the coming summer/winter? What’s your favorite seasonal treat?

 

[ToPleaseHim]

First day of Spring here and it’s just warm enough to have a few windows open. I’m home alone, which is fantastic after a year of hardly every having alone time. Listening to an audiobook, clearing some clutter, watching my dogs bask in the sunlight...it’s been a nice day. Now to decide what to make for dinner...

 

[seela]

What’s first day of spring? How do you know it’s now?

 

[gracie920101]

Enjoying the weather we had yesterday and we opened the windows and aired out the house.
Not looking forward to summer here. I have discovered I don't cope with the humidity that well anymore.

 

[Anastasia1999]

What’s first day of spring? How do you know it’s now?

It is still so wintery here Seela and I am frozen. The snowdrops and crocuses are appearing though, which is nice.

 

[seela]

What’s first day of spring? How do you know it’s now?

Oooh, now I remember. Some parts of the world track seasons by equinoxes. Which is so weird to me.

Here we have very specific temperature limits for everything. Spring is when the mean temperature is between 0-+10 C (32-50 F) and sadly we're nowhere near that yet this year.

 

[seela]

It is still so wintery here Seela and I am frozen. The snowdrops and crocuses are appearing though, which is nice.

It's winter here, too. It was pretty good and felt like spring is just around the corner for a while, but we've been getting more snow the past two weeks now. We've had so much snow this winter, it'll take a while for it all to melt.

 

[gracie920101]

Oooh, now I remember. Some parts of the world track seasons by equinoxes. Which is so weird to me.

Here we have very specific temperature limits for everything. Spring is when the mean temperature is between 0-+10 C (32-50 F) and sadly we're nowhere near that yet this year.

I don't think I would like the temperature limit method. I mean, who decides? Is there an official announcement?

 

[Anastasia1999]

Oooh, now I remember. Some parts of the world track seasons by equinoxes. Which is so weird to me.

Here we have very specific temperature limits for everything. Spring is when the mean temperature is between 0-+10 C (32-50 F) and sadly we're nowhere near that yet this year.

In Germany they use dates. The meteorological start of spring/ Der meteorologische Frühlingsanfang.

It’s still too goddamn cold in Germany.

 

[Anastasia1999]

It's winter here, too. It was pretty good and felt like spring is just around the corner for a while, but we've been getting more snow the past two weeks now. We've had so much snow this winter, it'll take a while for it all to melt.

Missed this while I was replying to your other post.

Hope it warms up for you soon, dear.

 

[Anastasia1999]

Those are THE RULES!

That made me laugh

 

[seela]

I don't think I would like the temperature limit method. I mean, who decides? Is there an official announcement?

The Meteorological Institute decides. Once the temperature has been sufficiently many days in the agreed upon bracket, it's officially spring, or any other season. There are temperature limits like that for all seasons.

In the south of the country spring starts earlier than in north etc. We like to be very methodical and exact like that.

I would find the date based system weird, because it sure ain't spring here yet, even less so in north.

 

[seela]

Oh, and of course. Easter.

What's your favorite Easter/Pesach/Holi/Nowruz treat? Any local specialities? Baked goods? Traditional dishes?

Talk food to me! I'm in a serious cooking rut and I need new ideas and I love seasonal cooking.

 

[gracie920101]

Oh, and of course. Easter.

What's your favorite Easter/Pesach/Holi/Nowruz treat? Any local specialities? Baked goods? Traditional dishes?

Talk food to me! I'm in a serious cooking rut and I need new ideas and I love seasonal cooking.

Here the traditional meal for Easter is a great big ham with all the trimmings. Kids dye eggs a few days in advance and spend the afternoon hunting them and hiding them and hunting them all over again.

My weakness is chocolate covered marshmallow bunnies! But I've only allowed myself one per year for the last few years.

I don't do much cooking for any holiday anymore with just the two of us but I used to spend hours baking or making candies.

 

[ultramarineblue]

Oh, and of course. Easter.

What's your favorite Easter/Pesach/Holi/Nowruz treat? Any local specialities? Baked goods? Traditional dishes?

Talk food to me! I'm in a serious cooking rut and I need new ideas and I love seasonal cooking.

Not seasonal but I've been obsessed with tacos lately. Basic ones, fancy ones, all of them. I'm also wanting to make a strawberry or lemon cake.

 

[seela]

Mmm, tacos. I haven't had any in a while, now I want some too! Have you made the cake, umb?

Here lamb and chicken are the preferred Easter meats, ham is reserved purely for Christmas.

My favorite Easter treat is Mignon egg, which is a real egg shell filled with chocolatey goodness. One is plenty, though, I nibble through an egg the entire Easter weekend. Except this year it looks like I'll have none, because, shockingly, I forgot to buy one when I went for groceries yesterday. I did buy a tiny one person paskha though, that's another Easter favorite of mine. A rich quarky thing. Quark is also a big Easter thing here, so there are different kinds of pastry with quark filling everywhere now. And the most traditional Easter dessert is mämmi, which is rye pudding.

 

[Anastasia1999]

Mmm, tacos. I haven't had any in a while, now I want some too! Have you made the cake, umb?

Here lamb and chicken are the preferred Easter meats, ham is reserved purely for Christmas.

My favorite Easter treat is Mignon egg, which is a real egg shell filled with chocolatey goodness. One is plenty, though, I nibble through an egg the entire Easter weekend. Except this year it looks like I'll have none, because, shockingly, I forgot to buy one when I went for groceries yesterday. I did buy a tiny one person paskha though, that's another Easter favorite of mine. A rich quarky thing. Quark is also a big Easter thing here, so there are different kinds of pastry with quark filling everywhere now. And the most traditional Easter dessert is mämmi, which is rye pudding.

Lamb is traditional here too. There is nothing like a roast leg of lamb for Easter Sunday lunch. Yum!

Lots of chocolate (bunnies rather than eggs)

Hot cross buns in Ireland and the UK. I miss those.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hot_cross_bun

Happy Easter Seela

 

[IrisAlthea]

Mmm, tacos. I haven't had any in a while, now I want some too! Have you made the cake, umb?

Here lamb and chicken are the preferred Easter meats, ham is reserved purely for Christmas.

My favorite Easter treat is Mignon egg, which is a real egg shell filled with chocolatey goodness. One is plenty, though, I nibble through an egg the entire Easter weekend. Except this year it looks like I'll have none, because, shockingly, I forgot to buy one when I went for groceries yesterday. I did buy a tiny one person paskha though, that's another Easter favorite of mine. A rich quarky thing. Quark is also a big Easter thing here, so there are different kinds of pastry with quark filling everywhere now. And the most traditional Easter dessert is mämmi, which is rye pudding.

I tried memma for the first time last year, thanks to Lidl of all places.
To filling to eat a lot of, but I did like it.

We are doing a little buffét with things like smokes salmon, deviled eggs and other eastery things.
The lamb is going on the barbecue soon. We’re trying something new, so serving it cold tomorrow with potatoes and a sauce made with European Anchovy.
We are not cooking for as many as we usually but we are catering for the older generation - everything is modified due to pandemic.

Still deciding on the sweets. Maybe just marzipan eggs and truffles?

 

[seela]

Lamb is traditional here too. There is nothing like a roast leg of lamb for Easter Sunday lunch. Yum!

Lots of chocolate (bunnies rather than eggs)

Hot cross buns in Ireland and the UK. I miss those.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hot_cross_bun

Happy Easter Seela

I've been meaning to make hot cross buns for years! Happy Easter!

I tried memma for the first time last year, thanks to Lidl of all places.
To filling to eat a lot of, but I did like it.

We are doing a little buffét with things like smokes salmon, deviled eggs and other eastery things.
The lamb is going on the barbecue soon. We’re trying something new, so serving it cold tomorrow with potatoes and a sauce made with European Anchovy.
We are not cooking for as many as we usually but we are catering for the older generation - everything is modified due to pandemic.

Still deciding on the sweets. Maybe just marzipan eggs and truffles?

Memma/Mämmi really is filling, hearty stuff. What did you have with it? I always have milk, but some eat it plain or with cream or vanilla sauce. I also don't add any sugar, but some do. I find it's too heavy with cream and especially the store bought stuff is so sweet that it doesn't require sugar IMO.

Your menu sounds very tasty. I'm mostly alone this Easter due to death () and pandemic () so I won't be cooking anything special or traditional this year. I did get a big bunch of tulips for myself and I have some gravlax in the fridge. And of course the paskha!

 

[IrisAlthea]

I've been meaning to make hot cross buns for years! Happy Easter!



Memma/Mämmi really is filling, hearty stuff. What did you have with it? I always have milk, but some eat it plain or with cream or vanilla sauce. I also don't add any sugar, but some do. I find it's too heavy with cream and especially the store bought stuff is so sweet that it doesn't require sugar IMO.

Your menu sounds very tasty. I'm mostly alone this Easter due to death () and pandemic () so I won't be cooking anything special or traditional this year. I did get a big bunch of tulips for myself and I have some gravlax in the fridge. And of course the paskha!

Tried both milk and cream. Milk is better but cream looks better. No sugar.

Yes, death and the pandemic... As I said, I’m so sorry!

 

[Anastasia1999]

I've been meaning to make hot cross buns for years! Happy Easter!



Memma/Mämmi really is filling, hearty stuff. What did you have with it? I always have milk, but some eat it plain or with cream or vanilla sauce. I also don't add any sugar, but some do. I find it's too heavy with cream and especially the store bought stuff is so sweet that it doesn't require sugar IMO.

Your menu sounds very tasty. I'm mostly alone this Easter due to death () and pandemic () so I won't be cooking anything special or traditional this year. I did get a big bunch of tulips for myself and I have some gravlax in the fridge. And of course the paskha!

I am sorry for your loss Seela.

This pandemic is soul destroying. I am slowly going nuts.....

 

[IrisAlthea]

I am sorry for your loss Seela.

This pandemic is soul destroying. I am slowly going nuts.....

Yes it’s hard.
For my family, the deaths have not been related to the pandemic, so far. It does make everything extra hard to deal with though.

 

[Anastasia1999]

Yes it’s hard.
For my family, the deaths have not been related to the pandemic, so far. It does make everything extra hard to deal with though.

I’m sorry you are grieving too Iris.

I’m working long hours and isolated from friends and family. I haven’t seen my co-workers in over a year and my parents since Christmas 2019. Urgh.

Still, I have a lot to be thankful for

Hope you are ok.

 

[seela]

I am sorry for your loss Seela.

This pandemic is soul destroying. I am slowly going nuts.....

Thanks you!

This really is a marathon, and I haven't even had it too bad compared to most othe countries.

Yes it’s hard.
For my family, the deaths have not been related to the pandemic, so far. It does make everything extra hard to deal with though.

Yeah, my loss isn't pandemic related either, but the pandemic makes it hard to deal with things. I haven't been able to quarantine or work from home lately except for odd days, and I don't feel comfortable potentially exposing others, so I'm alone.

I did see people last weekend despite not having quarantined. I went north and got to say goodbye when it became obvious it was the final days, but I tried to avoid contacts while I was there and masked up religiously. But I don't want to take the chance again, because there are high-risk people there.

I have ballet date with a friend tomorrow, though. We'll get dressed up, watch a ballet online at the same time (both in our own homes) and then call to talk about it and have a glass of wine. Not quite the real deal, but it's something!