What new foods have you tried recently?

[danny la rouge]

I'm not allowed grapefruit because of statins so would a pomelo be safe?

Pompelmo? Yes: as long as you translate it into another language, it won’t react with your medication. But beware. You’d have to think it directly in that language, not as a translation.

 

[Chz]

Heck vegan sausages, absolutely foul. don't bother. Now I wouldn't have expected it but Icelands vegan sausages are really nice. They're a bit small, but at least they aren't mush in slime like the Heck ones.

They taste alright, but the texture is off for something marketed as a "sausage". I thought they made a nice change, at least. Not sure I'll buy them often

 

[Stanley Edwards]

They're rare here in Spain, but when I find them I buy them.

Spain is the largest producer of citrus fruit in Europe. All those grapefruit (and pomelos - Spanish for grapefruit generally ) must go abroad. Rare to see them on the shelves. Not for Spanish taste buds. Just a different variety of grapefruit.

Here in Portugal there is a citrus with red flesh that someone called a Spanish grapefruit. There is also a white orange - laranjabranco. Confusing.

Caqui as opposed to 'Persimon' were my favourite short term native seasonal in Spain. That comes second to mandarins fresh off the tree at 50 Cents a Kilo on the street.

--// apparently 'pomelo' is Castellon grapefruit. South America/Latin Spanish use the feminine 'toranja'.

+ I should have known already; toranja is Portuguese for grapefruit.

Grapefruit: Spain's Other Citrus | Foods and Wines from Spain

 

[Stanley Edwards]

Forgot.

Came in here and got distracted. Are quinoa flakes worth trying just as a change to oats?

 

[dessiato]

Spain is the largest producer of citrus fruit in Europe. All those grapefruit (and pomelos - Spanish for grapefruit generally ) must go abroad. Rare to see them on the shelves. Not for Spanish taste buds. Just a different variety of grapefruit.

Here in Portugal There is a citrus with red flesh that someone called a Spanish grapefruit. There is also a white orange - laranjabranco. Confusing.

Caqui as opposed to 'Persimon' were my favourite short term native seasonal. That comes second to mandarins fresh off the tree at 50 Cents A Kilo on the street.

It always surprised me how very different Portugal and Spain are from each other. The tastes are so different in so many areas.

 

[Stanley Edwards]

It always surprised me how very different Portugal and Spain are from each other. The tastes are so different in so many areas.

I bought a tinned chilli con carne last week. Discovered that the Portuguese actually love hot spice where as Spanish taste buds can't even tolerate what we consider extra mild.

Portuguese cuisine is much more like English food. The Atlantic weather and trade winds history.

 

[danny la rouge]

Portuguese cuisine is much more like English food

 

[Stanley Edwards]

I never found the courage to try one of those. My mouth just won't allow it now. They come in variations depending on your locality, or bar. Usually no egg. Estilo de Porto is the most popular. Three meat and cheese toasted sandwich in tomato soup basically

 

[Argonia]

Takeaway spaghetti bol

 

[The39thStep]

The mighty Francesinha . The egg on top just melts into the cheesy beery tomato sauce served with loads of chips/French fries. Fearsome after a few beers . When ever I have visitors they always get one. You can't visit Portugal without trying one.

 

[Calamity1971]

You can't visit Portugal without trying one.

I reckon I could.

 

[eoin_k]

Lulo: it was nice. I recommend it.

 

[dessiato]

The mighty Francesinha . The egg on top just melts into the cheesy beery tomato sauce served with loads of chips/French fries. Fearsome after a few beers . When ever I have visitors they always get one. You can't visit Portugal without trying one.

There's nothing better than a Francesinha with 5 meats, egg, and cheese. The sauce isn't a tomato sauce as such. In Porto it is a beer, tomato, and spiced sauce. And it is wonderful.

There's a vegetarian version. But it isn't really a little fat French girl.

 

[RubyToogood]

I've jumped on the pomelo bandwagon. It's a nice flavour although still a bit too grapefruit bittery for me really. Would probably make good marmalade.

 

[Superdupastupor]

Two questions.
What prep do you do with aubergines that makes them any faff at all in the first place??
Secondly Japanese aubergines (nasu) just tend to be smaller, (maybe a tad lighter with a slightly thinner skin), what difference did you experience that made it easier to prepare?

with normal Aubs I do a labourious chop then salt then wait then oven bake them forever, then let cool then drizzle with olive oil and assorted accompaniments then incorporate into the whichever dish.

With 'nasu' I just put in oven.

Do you have any recipies?

 

[Superdupastupor]

The mighty Francesinha . The egg on top just melts into the cheesy beery tomato sauce served with loads of chips/French fries. Fearsome after a few beers . When ever I have visitors they always get one. You can't visit Portugal without trying one.

only really decente if you are in sight of Rio Douro

There's nothing better than a Francesinha with 5 meats, egg, and cheese. The sauce isn't a tomato sauce as such. In Porto it is a beer, tomato, and spiced sauce. And it is wonderful.

There's a vegetarian version. But it isn't really a little fat French girl.

Oxtail soup, fish stock, yesterday's meat scraps (later sieved) lots of parsely, bay leaves, beer, house wine, vinho do porto, whisky and piri-piri

 

[Yu_Gi_Oh]

Samba sounds like tsampa - roast barley flour - usually diluted with tea and rolled into a ball/mash/paste/porridge (depends what texture you like) - Tibetan staple dish and the Dalai Lama's breakfast apparently

That is exactly what it was! Thank you!

It wasn't very nice.

 

[dessiato]

only really decente if you are in sight of Rio Douro



Oxtail soup, fish stock, yesterday's meat scraps (later sieved) lots of parsely, bay leaves, beer, house wine, vinho do porto, whisky and piri-piri

I've not had one for years. I'll have to find my sauce recipe and make some.

The sauce is good on fries too.

 

[Stanley Edwards]

...
The sauce is good on fries too.

All of the larger supermarkets sell it ready made in a tin. Good base from which to customise.

Most places in Lisbon sell the 'estilo de Porto' version with no egg. Just Three meats and cheese.

 

[dessiato]

All of the larger supermarkets sell it ready made in a tin. Good base from which to customise.

Most places in Lisbon sell the 'estilo de Porto' version with no egg. Just Three meats and cheese.

It's interesting that without egg is described as being Porto style because when I lived in Porto they all came with egg.

 

[Stanley Edwards]

It's interesting that without egg is described as being Porto style because when I lived in Porto they all came with egg.

It's a load of balderdash really. I have no idea why they think it is Porto style. Will ask next time I am in.

I am currently experimenting with alternatives to oat and wheat. Local Auchan supermarket has started stocking for the new Brazilians. Tonight is tapioca pudding with white chocolate and strawberry jam

They have Four different types of tapioca and Two semolina. Used like oats, or rice. And, used with eggs for making delicious moist cakes.

There is a distinct South American flavour to foods here as well as English.

 

[moonsi til]

These which I bought yesterday. They are lush.

 

[Maggot]

I have made and eaten panelle for the first time. Pretty tasty and simple. A Sicilian snack.

Just heat Gram flour and water in a pan with a bit of salt, until it thickens. Spread it thinly on a baking tray or similar, leave to cool and solidify. Cut into slices. Deep fry for 4-5 minutes.

 

[dessiato]

I have made and eaten panelle for the first time. Pretty tasty and simple. A Sicilian snack.

Just heat Gram flour and water in a pan with a bit of salt, until it thickens. Spread it thinly on a baking tray or similar, leave to cool and solidify. Cut into slices. Deep fry for 4-5 minutes.

I'll try that if I can find what gram flour is in Spanish.

What ratios of flour to water?

eta I've found the Spanish name.

 

[Maggot]

I'll try that if I can find what gram flour is in Spanish.

It's probably harina de garbanzos.

A more detailed recipe here.

About your privacy on this site

You can add pretty much any herbs or spices you like.

 

[polly]

I have made and eaten panelle for the first time. Pretty tasty and simple. A Sicilian snack.

Just heat Gram flour and water in a pan with a bit of salt, until it thickens. Spread it thinly on a baking tray or similar, leave to cool and solidify. Cut into slices. Deep fry for 4-5 minutes.

It sounds really similar to cecina, which they eat in Tuscany. But pannelle look a bit thicker and even more delicious - cecina is usually flat and sliced like pizza.

 

[Yu_Gi_Oh]

Had fried Tibetan sausage today, and some kind of balls, maybe made of cheese or milk and flour, also fried. Both were delicious.

trabuquera you seem like you know stuff about Tibetan food? What were my cheesy milky balls?

 

[Maggot]

It sounds really similar to cecina, which they eat in Tuscany. But pannelle look a bit thicker and even more delicious - cecina is usually flat and sliced like pizza.

Panelle could be more tasty as it's fried rather than baked, Cecina is probably healthier.

 

[trabuquera]

Had fried Tibetan sausage today, and some kind of balls, maybe made of cheese or milk and flour, also fried. Both were delicious.

trabuquera you seem like you know stuff about Tibetan food? What were my cheesy milky balls?

Nope I don't know anything about Tibetan food other than what I have read - never even tasted tsampa in my life so I can't give any reliable answer about the milky cheesy balls! But googling suggests that they might just have been tsampa AGAIN but with added cheese

 

[Yu_Gi_Oh]

Nope I don't know anything about Tibetan food other than what I have read - never even tasted tsampa in my life so I can't give any reliable answer about the milky cheesy balls! But googling suggests that they might just have been tsampa AGAIN but with added cheese

Ha! They seemed too pale to be tsampa. I shall check tomorrow on the menu and report back with a cheesy ball update.