Our friend Spoonie is back, so we’re officially in First Summer (there are something like three) here on the Withlacoochee.
I’m still baking that birthday cake. There was an ingredient I forgot to set out to come to room temp, hence the delay.
Sometimes I wonder how important the ingredient temperature really is. But Ina says it’s important, and I trust her. So we wait.
Open thread!
Pavlovs Man
Kitty knows …
https://twitter.com/Nikki2U/status/1779660511379877981
WaterGirl
Betty, ingredient temperature is important for eggs. And for butter. Not sure what you forgot to set out, but there is a quick thing you can do with warm water to bring your eggs to room temp in a couple of minutes.
Betty Cracker
@WaterGirl: I neglected to set out the buttermilk. But I’m out on the porch with it now, and it’s a warm day, so we should be all good in a jiff!
My grandfather used to drink buttermilk. Every now and then I’ll take a sip to make sure it’s still awful. Yep, confirmed! 🤢
sab
The secret is out. Now we know where you live but still so remote we could never find it.
I grew up in Florida long ago on a mere estuary on the east coast, not your lovely inland river.
My late dad’s nurse aide laughs about when her Ohio son went to college in Florida and called his mom in a panic one time because he was trapped outside on the balcony by a lizard stuck on the sliding door. Just a basic little anole, pretty much the same as Harry in Death in Paradise.
Very vivid wildlife in Florida. I always wanted a tame anole, but Mom said that wasn’t possible.
WaterGirl
@Betty Cracker:
Drinking buttermilk. Shudder.
Apparently it’s a chemistry thing, like it is with butter and eggs.
Bill Arnold
Microwave ovens can be helpful for quickly warming things, but you have to be very very sparing with the time. Like 4 seconds or less, turntable required, stop and check, repeat.
A stick of margarine gets like 9 seconds in my (high-powered) microwave to go from refrigerator temp to room temp.
Or wait, which is safer.
sab
@WaterGirl: I like buttermilk. It makes my husband cringe. I am lactose intolerant so sweet milk isn’t an option. Buttermilk is just more liquid plain yoghurt. I can’t imagine buttermilk with cereal and sugar, but it is fine to just drink. Also too in soups and of course in Irish soda bread.
mrmoshpotato
@WaterGirl: Isn’t all cooking some chemistry thing? Delicious, delicious chemistry. ⚗️😋😁
zhena gogolia
@Betty Cracker: My father loved it too. Ugh.
Beautiful spoonbill!
TBone
Pulling enchiladas out of the oven soon. Serving with all the fixings and some yellow rice. I actually denied myself snacks this afternoon in anticipation 😍
Mixed some sour cream into the red sauce as a treat
Geminid
@sab: Buttermilk is helpful if one needs to swallow large pills. Apricot nectar works almost as well, and it certainly tastes better.
WaterGirl
@mrmoshpotato: Absolutely – baking is definitely chemistry. Cooking is not.
But temperature of eggs, butter, buttermilk etc affects the way the fats and other items blend together, the way something rises, whether it’s lighter and fluffier, etc.
Ingredients are chemistry. Temperatures of ingredients seem like another level of chemistry. But I am not an expert, so take that with a grain of salt.
*but just the right amount!
sab
@Betty Cracker: Isn’t buttermilk a traditional Southern thing before cows could be air-conditioned? I remember when if you didn’t ask for sweet milk in the South they would give you buttermilk if you just asked for milk.
Martin
@Bill Arnold: You could set the power level of the microwave…
WaterGirl
@Martin: I think it’s supposed to be set to 20% power for stuff like this.
schrodingers_cat
@zhena gogolia: With some cumin and green chilis + salt it makes a great apertif.
(or Nutmeg and some sugar for a sweet version)
Scamp Dog
@WaterGirl: Microwave ovens don’t really have adjustable power; the 20% setting does something like full power for two seconds, no power for 8 seconds, in a cycle for the scheduled duration. You can probably hear this happening when you use the power setting.
For the purpose of not overheating something, really short pulses of time is the technique you want.
Doc Sardonic
How much cumin and chili? I have a quart of buttermilk that needs finishing, I find it helps some with gut issues.
sab
My dad died last Sunday in his new nursing home. I guess we got him there too late after the ghastly place his old place had turned into. Fine for the first seven years, appalling for the last.
It was a surprising wrench to move the last of his stuff out of there. I so much wanted to visit him there for a few years. It was that lovely. I thought we had finally got him to safety, but too late. Also too they had a lovely young rescue Great Pyrrenees who sleeps by the fireplace when she isn’t barking off intruders. Dad liked her. I was hoping to get to know her.
Anne Laurie
@schrodingers_cat: Lassi, right? My favorite Indian restaurant has a mango lassi that even my Midwestern / Scandinavian Spousal Unit enjoys!
Kay
Oh, he’s cute.
We went birding in Yosemite. My husband sort of is a birder although frankly he’s not learning that many birds and it’s been a couple years now. I’m not a birder so I just went to look at the trees.
It was funny how many people volunteered that they aren’t birders but went on a 2 hour birding hike. We don’t like birds – we like birders :)
frosty
@sab: I’m so sorry he (and you) didn’t get to spend more time there. I spent a lot of time going to Chapel Hill where my parents were in Continuing Care. After Mom passed I haven’t been back and probably never will be. I hear they have a 10-year waiting list now. Not that I wanted to go that far away, anyway.
MagdaInBlack
@sab: I admit to liking it too. Also plain kefir, which liquid yogurt, sorta.
zhena gogolia
@Anne Laurie: I love lassi. That’s not the stuff my father used to drink
ETA: And kefir.
Another Scott
@Scamp Dog: Older microwaves did indeed only vary the duty cycle (on time).
Newer “inverter” microwaves actually vary the output power.
Panasonic makes a bunch of them; I don’t know about other brands.
HTH a little.
Cheers,
Scott.
What Have The Romans Ever Done for Us?
@sab: From what I understand they use a less diverse array of microorganisms to make buttermilk than yogurt but it tastes similar. I like buttermilk on certain kinds of cereal.
WaterGirl
@zhena gogolia: I do not like sour when it comes to dairy
sour cream, yogurt, kefir, buttermilk, etc.
Some of my favorite recipes call for buttermilk, though. Yummy chocolate cake and buttermilk cornmeal galette.
M. Bouffant
Nature is on the move! Just noticed serious chirping outside the window for the first time this yr.
schrodingers_cat
@Anne Laurie: A cousin of lassi, its not as frothy and rich. Sort of a diet version of lassi. People drink it after dinner
ETA: I have used granny smith apples in lassi they are pretty good.
karen gail
Personally, I enjoy buttermilk. Went to a microbrewery where one of beers was made with lactic acid and strongly reminded me of buttermilk. The best buttermilk I have ever had was made by Great Aunt; she then used it in so many different things she cooked rather than using plain milk, of which she had unlimited supply since they had dairy farm.
I think a persons like or dislike has something to do with body chemistry since cilantro tastes like soap to me and there are other things people rave about the taste of which I find disgusting.
Mousebumples
@sab: I’m sorry for you loss. May his memory be a blessing.
NanaR
@sab:
sab
@WaterGirl: My husband loves sweets. But he has a triglycerides problem. I love salty. Sweets not so much. Blood sugar is fine but blood pressure is up.
We don’t make food choices because of our moral fortitude (or lack of same.) We all make food choices basesd on our own body chemistry. I am bored by sweets but I love salts and fats. My husband loves sweets. These are not opinions, they are tastes we very much have.
NanaR
When I’m baking and recipe calls for 1 cup buttermilk , I substitute 1cup milk with 1 tbsp, and let it rest for about half hour. Then add to ingredients.
zhena gogolia
@sab: I have a friend who has no interest in sweets. He’ll make two delicious desserts and not eat a bite.
zhena gogolia
@NanaR: Did you leave out the word “vinegar” or some other word?
Ken
@WaterGirl: We could start making a list of foods that are really just spoiled milk. Cheese would lead it, of course.
Jackie
@WaterGirl: My dad LOVED buttermilk, so we always had that plus “sweet milk” – regular milk in the fridge. No one else in the family inherited his buttermilk palette, so it was all his. And, even he would dilute with regular milk.
laura
@sab: please give this a go if/when you can get really ripe summer peaches: peeled peaches cut into chunks along with any juice (cut them over a shallow dish). Chuck them into the freezer. Place a container of buttermilk either in the freezer till slushy, or in the coldest spot in the fridge. When the mood strikes make a milkshake with the peaches, the buttermilk and enough vanilla ice cream to sweeten up the buttermilk. Life Affirming- the tang, and the peach and the scent of vanilla. It is so very good, also a good way to use up left over buttermilk from making Ranch dressing or biscuits.
sab
@laura: I do that with wine. This seems so much healthier and less alcoholic. Thanks. Will do
ETA Thinking about this for a few seconds now I want this.
sab
@zhena gogolia: I do that.
KM in NS
@Betty Cracker: my grandfather did that too. Gross! I tried it once. Double gross. Yet, I LOVE buttermilk biscuits.
Miki
@Betty Cracker: My dear departed Dad hated tomatoes, but loved tomato juice and buttermilk. Go figure. (My Mom hated onions and garlic and thought canned corn was a good substitute – wtf? )
sab
@WaterGirl: I feel the same way about peanuts and sweets. They just don’t mix. Husband and Reeces Co do not agree, so I might be wrong. Also my mom who made me those vile sandwices I gave to my seatmate if I could play with his anole.
WaterGirl
@zhena gogolia: I figured lemon juice.
Anyway
I hate milk. Seeing it in a glass grosses me out. I just don’t understand adults drinking it with dinner.
sab
@Anyway: Or lunch or breakfast. It even gives my cats the runs. Not intended for adults.
sab
Betty Cracker touched a nerve with the buttermilk aversion here. I like it. I had no idea other people disagreed.
NanaR
@zhena gogolia: yes, thank you for noticing. 1tbsp vinegar
frosty
Lucky you! A spoonbill in your front yard. I finally saw one at Cedar Key this year, in the middle of a flock of geese. It’s taken me several years to spot one. After Cedar Key I ran into more at Harns Marsh near Ft Myers and the Ding Darling Wildlife Drive.
Also: Withlacoochee. We camped at the state forest a couple of years ago and rode the rail trail with our Ocala friends. Nice part of Florida you’re hanging out in!
Kayla Rudbek
@mrmoshpotato: I have three kids’ books on chemistry and cooking. I’m trying to decide which nephew to give them to (the 5-year-old likes doing science but these books are probably geared towards at least third grade).