Nick:
Interesting food prep this time; one pot had the corn and half the onion getting quick pickled (boiled in vinegar, which did not smell nice, and that's coming from the guy who can rub an onion on his face without adverse effects now), toasting the tortillas in the oven, mixing up the crema - literally just sour cream with a tiny bit of spices in it - and in the main event, stir frying the other half of the onion, green pepper, and the fake meat in a savory broth made from a cup of water, tomato paste, and condensed mushroom stock. Did I like the fake meat broiled up in the mushroom stock water? The answer may surprise you! (That's called a teaser.)
Katie:
I cannot believe how many stages of the cooking process for the recipes we've done so far include "a pinch of salt and pepper". Is all cooking like this? It seems very salty to me but then these past few weeks I've cooked more recipes than I ever have in my whole life. Actually, folks, let me get real with you for a second. I know how to make 3 things that would involve what some would refer to as "cooking" and "effort". They are; pasta soup, fajitas, and a variation of stir fry. Don't be fooled by those, they are all basic dishes with steps like "chop it then put it in a thing until it's hot".
Returning to the prep for this dish, I am pleased by my progress over the past two times on gaining onion chopping skills. It's amazing what you absorb from watching shows like Beat Bobby Flay, Guy's Grocery Games, and Great British Baking Show. I can't say I can pull off a bain-marie or whatever but it definitely helped with knowing certain things. Kinda.
Post-meal thoughts
Nick:
Hey, I didn't even know what a bain-marie was until you told me, and I think I forgot it now anyway! To pay off the teaser, here is what I thought of the fake meat boiled in the mushroom stock water: I think this may have been the most savory thing I have ever eaten (that's called a swerve!). Somehow, the fake meat boiled in mushroom stock concentrate was more meat-flavored than actual meat. The whole dish really works, from the crunch added by the pickled corn to the slightly tomato, sloppy joe flavor added by the tomato paste, to the main event of the fake meat, which is really amazingly lifelike. I never would have guessed this isn't real meat, and it tasted absolutely delicious. In fact, this was so savory it was almost too much. My mouth could not handle the big savory meat explosion. I may have to re-think mushrooms; I hate the texture, but the condensed mushroom stock, I think, really lifted this dish into something special. To improve this dish... you know, I might not have any suggestions for the first time I can think of!
Katie:
So, if memory serves, a bain-marie is a baking method where you get a bowl of boiling water then put another bowl of something that cooks from being in the boiling water. I think.
Anyway.
This was so flipping good! Think of the best sloppy joe you've ever had; the kind where it's really savory but has that little hint of sweet and you'll have an idea of what the faux-meat tasted like. We made 2 tacos each then Nick had a 3rd. I'm not ashamed to say I scooped what was left of everything into a bowl and ate it. So so so good. I keep wishing we had more so I could keep stuffing my face with it. Nick hit all the marks on describing the food and there are only so many times I can say I really liked this so...the end.
No comments:
Post a Comment