Things ain't cooking in my kitchen
Sep. 27th, 2005 08:03 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
ventaCulinary help requested:
We have a bottle in our kitchen of Tesco's Extra Virgin Olive Oil. The label informs me that the oil comes "straight from the olive", which I think I'm abivalent about. I wouldn't object too much if it had popped to the shops on the way.
However, it also says the oil is extracted "solely by mechanical means". Now, that sort of thing isn't usually a selling point. I'd expect it to tell me it was hand-squozen at the very least. Has there been a scandal about child labour in the Med which I've been, up til now, blissfully unaware of ? Have the donkeys who used to turn the presses finally unionised ? Is the finest oil made from olives pre-masticated by Sicilian mafiosi grandmothers, a thing which the squeamish English market can't stomach ? Enquiring minds need to know.
In other news, we've nearly run out. I must buy some more.
It's the season of mellow fog and fruitfulness and all that, and apart from continual demonstrations of gravity courtesy of the apple tree in our garden, we appear to have a fine crop of quinces. They look plump and appealing. However... what the hell does one do with quinces ?
I know there are many things you can do with them - and the internet will readily supply the recipes - but thus far the only personal opinion I've heard thus far is "you can make quince jelly but I wouldn't recommend it".
And on a final note:
[Poll #578537]
Right. I'm very late for rapper.
We have a bottle in our kitchen of Tesco's Extra Virgin Olive Oil. The label informs me that the oil comes "straight from the olive", which I think I'm abivalent about. I wouldn't object too much if it had popped to the shops on the way.
However, it also says the oil is extracted "solely by mechanical means". Now, that sort of thing isn't usually a selling point. I'd expect it to tell me it was hand-squozen at the very least. Has there been a scandal about child labour in the Med which I've been, up til now, blissfully unaware of ? Have the donkeys who used to turn the presses finally unionised ? Is the finest oil made from olives pre-masticated by Sicilian mafiosi grandmothers, a thing which the squeamish English market can't stomach ? Enquiring minds need to know.
In other news, we've nearly run out. I must buy some more.
It's the season of mellow fog and fruitfulness and all that, and apart from continual demonstrations of gravity courtesy of the apple tree in our garden, we appear to have a fine crop of quinces. They look plump and appealing. However... what the hell does one do with quinces ?
I know there are many things you can do with them - and the internet will readily supply the recipes - but thus far the only personal opinion I've heard thus far is "you can make quince jelly but I wouldn't recommend it".
And on a final note:
[Poll #578537]
Right. I'm very late for rapper.
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no subject
Date: 2005-09-27 07:08 pm (UTC)And not by heating ('cold-pressed' is a selling point).
no subject
Date: 2005-09-27 07:55 pm (UTC)The idea being that at higher temperatures things become more liquid (at least up until the point where they turn into gases). As such, higher yield per olive, but you get a fractionally different mix of oils out and hence a slightly different taste.
Re: Quinces - My late grandmother used to make really excellent quince jam (not jelly per-se). I don't have the recipe, but how hard can it be ?
Re: Broilers. When Nina first saw me using our one (I'm a big fan of 'em), her first comment was: "So that's what they're for, I always thought that was just somewhere you put stuff when you wanted it to catch fire !". I mention this partly because it's funny, but mostly to confuse anyone who has yet to answer your poll correctly.
no subject
Date: 2005-09-28 07:35 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-09-28 09:10 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-09-28 07:36 am (UTC)So... why say "solely by mechanical means" when "cold-pressed" is both shorter, and something I'd understand ?