Cartoon Network ran the episode of Futurama the other day where Fry spends 50 million dollars on one can of anchovies, and ever since then, I've been craving anchovies. Trouble is, I feel weird eating them plain, out of the can. I know you can use them in place of salt sometimes -- I do this when I make pasta sauce -- but I feel like the anchovy flavor gets lost, and I'd really like something that embraces the goodness.
Any suggestions? Much appreciated. Thanks!
1) Salad. A dark green like spinach, a few slices of onion, some feta cheese, slice a tomato, dress with a simple lemon/oil dressing, then lay a few anchovies on top.
2) Pasta. Olive oil, red pepper flake, garlic, and anchovy in a cold pan. Medium heat, stir, and allow the anchovy to melt into the oil. Add a cooked protein, toss with chopped black olives and pasta. Garnish with parsley.
Just throw in a few semicolons you'll be fine.
:fresh:
anchovies out of a can? what kind of heathen are you?
ECH,
If you cannot afford fresh anchovies, you just cannot afford.
I must politely disagree, and assert that fresh anchovies fill a completely different cooking niche from salted and preserved anchovies.
anchovies out of a can belong in caesar dressing, and that's about all I can think of.
srsly, those things are fucking gross. I much prefer to use nuoc mam to achieve that particular note of umami.
In my mind, fresh anchovies are fish whilst when they come in a can or glass, it's a spice.
Pizza Napoletana might be one of my favourite pizzas and whenever I make myself a ceviche salad, I toss some anchovies on it before eating but that might be me being weird, haven't met many people who like the combination of cilantro, lime, chili and anchovies. Toss it into your tomato sauce.
in fairness, I should add that without canned anchovies you cannot make a good Bagna Cauda, which is one of my favorite dishes.
I love canned anchovies in much the same way that I love canned olives.
pizza napoletana = pizza with tomatosauce, anchovies, capers and mozarella. sometimes other stuff like black olives. i noticed that americans think this is a weird recipe. shows what they know about italian cuisine, I suppose.
there's good pasta sauce I make with anchovy. It's kind of like LMNO's recipe, except I shred the black olives together with the rest of the stuff, and let it sit (with extra oil) for a while so the flavours combine (esp important if you have cheaper olives). then cook everything, and some tomatoesm, and reduce.
another is anchovy butter. you cut up red chilli peppers, anchovy, garlic, limejuice, butter and perhaps something green (parsley?) into tiny bits, then mix it so you get spiced butter. cause of the garlic it probably tastes best if you make it one day before. it keeps for at least a week or two in the fridge, possibly even longer. it's good on tuna steak (same way you'd let a chunk of herb butter melt on a regular steak), but also just on toast, french bread, ciabatta etc.
Quote from: Triple Zero on May 04, 2009, 11:45:19 AM
pizza napoletana = pizza with tomatosauce, anchovies, capers and mozarella. sometimes other stuff like black olives. i noticed that americans think this is a weird recipe. shows what they know about italian cuisine, I suppose.
pizza as it exists today is an american food, so we get to decide what is or isn't weird.
also, there are plenty of americans who love canned anchovies on their pizza. Europe does not have a monopoly on people with bad taste.
Now by "canned", do you also mean "cured"?
LMNO
-has some brined anchovies packed in oil in a glass jar in the fridge.
I take half a stick of butter, a whole can of anchovies and the oil, garlic to taste and put that in my food processor and cream the hell out of it. Salt and pepper to taste and a bit more olive oil if it gets too dry.
This anchovy butter on fish is delicious. I've used it on grilled shrimp too... Great on seafood then on pasta.
I have used anchovy past for the butter before, you just need to add more olive oil. It's yummy!
It keeps ok in the fridge for a day or two, but the surprise is that is freezes really nice. I do it in a roll in wax paper then slice off pieces as needed.
Quote from: LMNO on May 04, 2009, 02:44:52 PM
Now by "canned", do you also mean "cured"?
LMNO
-has some brined anchovies packed in oil in a glass jar in the fridge.
Yes, that is what I mean. If they came in a sealed jar, they are "canned", just as one "cans" jam or fruit in jars. Canned anchovies are typically salted, cured, and packed in oil.
Quote from: East Coast Hustle on May 04, 2009, 02:42:47 PM
Quote from: Triple Zero on May 04, 2009, 11:45:19 AM
pizza napoletana = pizza with tomatosauce, anchovies, capers and mozarella. sometimes other stuff like black olives. i noticed that americans think this is a weird recipe. shows what they know about italian cuisine, I suppose.
pizza as it exists today is an american food, so we get to decide what is or isn't weird.
yeah, except that's bullshit.
it's not an "american food" just as fries arent, people make it different in different parts of the world.
the difference over here between "american style" pizzas and italian pizzas, you get the first type at fast-food joints and the frozen-meal section of the supermarket, and the latter at actual restaurants. (delivery does both)
Quotealso, there are plenty of americans who love canned anchovies on their pizza. Europe does not have a monopoly on people with bad taste.
i didnt mean to imply that, just that I noticed that when describing my favourite types of pizza, a lot of americans tend to think it's weird.
Pizza with anchovies, capers and black olives sounds delicious. I normally order my pizza with mushrooms and anchovies, or black olives, but the capers are new. Unfortunately, I'm not sure how many pizza shops keep capers on hand, since it's a little unusual.
My dad was a chef at a pizzaria for a couple of years when he was young, and he gave me an excellent pizza dough recipe. Unfortunately, I don't have a stone, or a board, or know of a place to buy high gluten flour in bulk, so I have not been making my own pizza lately. This recent anchovy kick is providing some motivation, however.
Anyway, thanks for all the great idea! The anchovy butter sounds amazing, and I might throw some together tonight to use in place of tapanade for snacks.
I am sort of OK with anchovies on pizza as long as they're paired with fresh tomatoes and basil, but I hate hate hate capers.
capers and anchovies seems a little redundant. I mean, how much salt do you need?
Quote from: East Coast Hustle on May 05, 2009, 02:46:25 AM
capers and anchovies seems a little redundant. I mean, how much salt do you need?
MOAR
There's a restaurant in town that has pizza certified by the neopolitan pizza authority. No kidding.
wonder how much they had to pay for that?
:lulz:
It's actually really good pizza so I don't mind the pretentiousness.
There is an actual Napolean Pizza Authority?
:lulz:
If not, there's a new comic book in the making....
I think its an EU regulation. People kept labelling disease-infested swine from SE Asia as "authentic Parma ham" so they passed a law so that anything with a geographic description had to actually come from or be ceritified in that area. I think they claimed it was copyright infringement or something, which is almost plausible.
God knows why someone thought that was necessary in America, though.
in America, restaurants will pay to be "certified" by an "authorized organization" or some such shit.
As evidence, I present the fact that Peter Vella boxed wine has won a James Beard award.
ECH,
has been personally solicited for several such bullshit certifications and awards, prefers to just make good food.
This thread is awesome, by the way, even the dick-waving over whose pizza is better or more authentic.
I have to say that I've had Italian, French and Spanish pizza in those same countries...*shrug*...and you take a well-heeled chef from anyfuckingwhere, and they have tremendously delicious food. Depends on where you get it from and who makes it, but not where they were birthed from just saying.
(as an aside: Most Americans think Chef Boyardee and Kraft Macaroni and Cheese are authentic homemade foodstuffs, so I wouldn't use how familiar they are with European ways of making pizza as a litmus for anything other than fucktardry.)
Quote from: Jenne on May 05, 2009, 05:21:05 PM
(as an aside: Most Americans think Chef Boyardee and Kraft Macaroni and Cheese are authentic homemade foodstuffs[...])
Really?
Quote from: nostalgicBadger on May 05, 2009, 06:48:50 PM
Quote from: Jenne on May 05, 2009, 05:21:05 PM
(as an aside: Most Americans think Chef Boyardee and Kraft Macaroni and Cheese are authentic homemade foodstuffs[...])
Really?
Maybe in comparison to eating at a restaurant, or delivery. Since the death of the stay-at-home mom, a lot of people have stopped eating food that requires self-assembly.
:cn:
Quote from: BADGE OF HONOR on May 05, 2009, 07:41:53 PM
:cn:
Seconded.
I haven't made Mac&Cheese from one of those blue boxes since my freshman year in college. I use a blend of either provolone and swiss or cheddar jack with bread crumbs and this stuff called 'Crazy Salt'. I have no idea what the average American family is doing, but everybody I know assembles most of their own food themselves.
Quote from: BADGE OF HONOR on May 05, 2009, 07:41:53 PM
:cn:
"Most Americans" may be a little bit of an exaggeration. The trend is definitely heading in that direction though.
What trend? The "No transfats, organic, slow food, bio-organic, green" trend?
Quote from: LMNO on May 05, 2009, 08:27:33 PM
What trend? The "No transfats, organic, slow food, bio-organic, green" trend?
No, the larger trend against which that trend is attempting to resist.
I don't think I know about that trend. SAUCE?
Quote from: LMNO on May 05, 2009, 08:27:33 PM
What trend? The "No transfats, organic, slow food, bio-organic, green" trend?
that trend is, unfortunately, confined to the approximately 3% of americans who not only can afford to shop like that, but who also give a shit.
Citation Acquired
http://www.ers.usda.gov/publications/foodreview/sep1997/sept97c.pdf
OSHI, September 1997. I'll try to find something more recent.
Quote from: East Coast Hustle on May 05, 2009, 08:40:48 PM
Quote from: LMNO on May 05, 2009, 08:27:33 PM
What trend? The "No transfats, organic, slow food, bio-organic, green" trend?
that trend is, unfortunately, confined to the approximately 3% of americans who not only can afford to shop like that, but who also give a shit.
Does that include the State of New York, which banned transfats?
There's a huge margin between food in a box and green fresh local organic free trade.
Quote from: LMNO on May 05, 2009, 08:43:28 PM
Quote from: East Coast Hustle on May 05, 2009, 08:40:48 PM
Quote from: LMNO on May 05, 2009, 08:27:33 PM
What trend? The "No transfats, organic, slow food, bio-organic, green" trend?
that trend is, unfortunately, confined to the approximately 3% of americans who not only can afford to shop like that, but who also give a shit.
Does that include the State of New York, which banned transfats?
trends, as far as I know, are more a "from the bottom up" phenomenon rather than a state-imposed "from the top down" thing.
now, if other states follow NY's lead you could make the case that there was a trend of states banning transfats (I'd be more general and just say there was a trend towards nanny-state bullshit, but that's just me) but the reality is that aside from the upper-class and the upper-middle-class, most americans care more about convenience and price than things like "organic" or "free-trade" or "slow-food".
It's not a mindset I'm defending by any means, but there are alot more of them than there are of us.
Quote from: East Coast Hustle on May 05, 2009, 02:46:25 AM
capers and anchovies seems a little redundant. I mean, how much salt do you need?
maybe we're talking about a different kind of thing, because capers are pickled flower buds (the small ones) or berries (the larger ones) depending on which part of the plant is used. there might be some salt in the pickling liquid, but to me they mostly taste sour, and perfectly complement fish in a pasta sauce.
(another good one is capers, canned tuna, sour cream, white wine and black pepper, for a pasta sauce. maybe a pinch of salt too)
(and yes ECH i know you think canned tuna is for heathens. i wouldnt ever compare it to fresh tuna, its just a different thing to me)
Quote from: East Coast Hustle on May 05, 2009, 09:10:10 PM
Quote from: LMNO on May 05, 2009, 08:43:28 PM
Quote from: East Coast Hustle on May 05, 2009, 08:40:48 PM
Quote from: LMNO on May 05, 2009, 08:27:33 PM
What trend? The "No transfats, organic, slow food, bio-organic, green" trend?
that trend is, unfortunately, confined to the approximately 3% of americans who not only can afford to shop like that, but who also give a shit.
Does that include the State of New York, which banned transfats?
trends, as far as I know, are more a "from the bottom up" phenomenon rather than a state-imposed "from the top down" thing.
now, if other states follow NY's lead you could make the case that there was a trend of states banning transfats (I'd be more general and just say there was a trend towards nanny-state bullshit, but that's just me) but the reality is that aside from the upper-class and the upper-middle-class, most americans care more about convenience and price than things like "organic" or "free-trade" or "slow-food".
It's not a mindset I'm defending by any means, but there are alot more of them than there are of us.
Sooooo much fuckin' tr00f. Sad thing is, Everyone, that most people really reheat or unfreeze something godawful and fill their bellehs if they're eating "at home," and if they're NOT, then they are going out. Period.
If you really think there's millions out there in US, poor and rich alike, who are cooking fresh, organic, etc. up a storm...well, got some bridges to sell you. Don't believe me? Look at where our health in general, and younger and younger mind you, is going. We are fatter and have shitty hearts, and yet we have better health care than we've had in previous generations.
It's the cooking. Or simply, the lack thereof. The preprocessed, prepackaged CHEAP crap that people make in bulk and stuff down their gullets til they are near to puking is really the norm here, NOT the exception.
I'm amazed so many of you think it's quite the opposite. Working people with kids just don't ALWAYS (and in fact probably do so less and less) take the time anymore to cook anything resembling good food that's good for you these days.
http://www.eia.doe.gov/emeu/recs/cookingtrends/cooking.html (old survey link 8 years ago marching the US towards eating out more often)
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2005/11/10/earlyshow/health/health_news/main1034475.shtml (article saying Americans TRY to eat better, but usually fail)
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/11/23/sunday/main4628085.shtml (article stating that only 57% of our meals are made at home)
Not only that, but I've had some crazy conversations with people who don't seem to understand that cooking with nutritious whole foods doesn't require shopping at an overpriced organic hipster store. Safeway may not have organic everything, but they have raw whole foods that you can cook from scratch, and doing it that way is not only nutritious and tasty, but cheap cheap cheap.
Just like our foremothers used to do.
It really amazes me how little effort actual cooking can TAKE, but I realize why folks are also just so tapped out of energy they can't even contemplate even trying or learning. I think that's really the crux of it, actually: the skills are not taught much anymore. You have to really learn on your own, or fogeddaboudit.
you just gave me an idea for a new tack on my career path.
ECH,
soon to be offering home cooking classes for Portland's middle class.
Actually, that's a damn good idea, especially as it's gonna be farmstand weather soon.
well, by "soon" I mean "in october after I'm done slaving away up here in castine."
but it'll still be a good idea then. especially then, since knowing how to cook seasonal winter food is good for 5 or 6 months in these parts.
Quote from: East Coast Hustle on May 07, 2009, 04:39:26 PM
you just gave me an idea for a new tack on my career path.
ECH,
soon to be offering home cooking classes for Portland's middle class.
It's desperately needed.
:lulz:
wrong Portland.
Quote from: East Coast Hustle on May 07, 2009, 07:50:31 PM
:lulz:
wrong Portland.
Only until one can get the free DVD with your best seller cookbook? RIGHT????
getting a TV show/book deal/anything like that which negates the need for me to bust my balls for 60 hours a week in a sweaty kitchen is on my to-do list, but I figure that though it's not totally unlikely (I'm talented, verbose, and good-looking for a kitchen troll) it's probably a good 10 years off.
Quote from: East Coast Hustle on May 07, 2009, 07:50:31 PM
:lulz:
wrong Portland.
Doesn't matter which Portland... it's desperately needed. EVERYWHERE.
Cooking classes seem to be making a comeback--I've noticed Sur la Table offers them, and now Macy's home stores as well. Interesting stuff. Course, I'm sure it's more of a ploy to get you to buy their shit, but still and all, insteresting venues to say the least of it.
add tyme and mustard seed