Armchair Dining on DP

Strictly speaking the thing that makes mustard what it is the horseraddish. It gives the specific spicy taste and aroma. In that respect, the French mustard, especially the one from the Dijon region, is what can be considered "real" mustard. Me personally, I love both the more mild and more spicy mustards, they go great with different types of meal so I don't feel the need to choose between them

And yeah...if you can't find a good sausage-like meat in Germany you'll probably never find one anywhere. The types and variations are just endless.

While still discussing condiments, here is my promise to show you more about our beloved Lyutenitza:



As mentioned its a lot like thick ketchup (like the Dr Heinz type). You have peppers, tomatoes, olive oil, salt and sugar. Some recipees (and grandmas) can also add an eggplant to the mix. Everything is just mashed and grinded into puree and brewed in a tank, while constantly churned with a big wooden spoon.

There are basically two types of lyutenitza - the one that still has pieces of tomato/pepper (grandma made) and one that is really finely minced (store bought). Here is the issue tho - while the homemade recipee, as with any others, is 10 times tastier and made from quality products I really, really, really hate tomatoes (strange, I know ). So I go with the store bought version, which is made from tomato and pepper paste all factory-made(doubt that any real tomatoes even touched that one). Still great (for me) and goes along perfect with practically any type of meat

 

Boy, a new condiment like Lyutenitza sounds really appealing. I need to check some of our specialty shops and see if they carry it. When I think about it, I have not really tried a new condiment (other than new brands) in decades.

Heinz is good, thick ketchup, but Hunts Catsup is even thicker and more "tomato-ey" in my opinion. Their ads used to make a point that there is a difference between ketchup and catsup, though they all kind of taste the same to me, anyway.

I do not care for Dijon mustard so much. I try to avoid it. The thick brown deli-type mustard is also not a favorite of mine. I like plain, old French's yellow mustard.

 

Just try and find ANY Bulgarian shops in your area, if you have such. They will most certainly have lyutenitza as a best-selling hit even, along with our white cheese, yogurt and traditional liquer drinks. Speaking of yogurt, there are still arguments that yogurt came from Turkey, but we here all know the truth. The healthy bacteria found in it is not named Lactobacilicus BULGARICUS without a reason after all

 

I did a quick search online when you first posted on it and I found an online retailer who specializes in Greek food and offers Lutenica, which it says is also spelled "lyutenitza." I find that a bit hard to believe, so I will continue to look for the authentic Bulgarian version. Next time I get to Boston, I am sure that they will have such a market or two.

Tell me more about your white cheese. I love cheese...

 

Well, the spelling can be different, don't want to mislead you with mine. Be it lutenica, lutenitza, lyutenitza...I've seen many different variations. But the mere fact that a Greek shop sells it, means that its not "true" lutenica (well, unless they don't exclusively sell just Greek goods).

Decided to be a goody-two-shoes today and made a couple of quick searches. Turns out I can't find a BG food store in RI, but I managed to find a place where you can order not only lutenica, but many of the foods I already shared in the thread:

http://www.findbgfood.com/onlinestore/

Not sure how convenient it is for deliveries and everything but if you want to try bulgarian food and drinks - this seems to have many of the more traditional ones. If you are curious about some of the stuff you see there - I'll be glad to tell you more

I see they also have white cheese, however I don't really think the ones they offer (in the big tins) would be that good. Come to think of it, maybe that's the best way to export it but those tins are really old-school for me. Typically it should look something like this:



This one you should be able to find in your Greek shop too, as its the main ingredient for the Greek Salad. Basically it spends a lot of time in something like brine/pickle juice and this gives its specific saltier taste. Depending how long you keep it in the pickle juice, you can eat it hard or softer. Typically the harder types are used in salads (we have a traditional one called Shopska Salad which is cucumbers, tomatoes, onions and a lot of grated white cheese over it), while the softer ones go better with cooked meals.

Another very common use is as an appetizer - you slice it up, pour some olive oil and red pepper (sweet is better than the spicy type) over the slices and voila - you have something that goes perfect with some alcoholic drinks.

Not sure what you want for breakfast? Easy! Just smear some white cheese on a slice of bread, add condiments that you like, grill it up for a couple of minutes and you have enough energy to start the day with a smile

 

Wow, some great information and I will definitely check out the Bulgarian online shops you suggest. The cheese looks a lot like Greek feta cheese that we have all of the time in salads, etc. Of course, looks can be deceiving...

It is early morning here and I am getting really hungry!

 

Well it is practically one and the same white cheese, the feta is just made from sheep's milk (sometimes mixed with goat milk) instead of cow's milk. It also stays in the pickle longer, which makes is softer. Like I mentioned in the last post, those types are generally easier to smear on a slice of bread than they are sliced on a salad. But taste-wise its very similar

 

just want to share this one i saw it on my news feed
watermelon fruit pizza

 

Wow, that is really cool looking and would be perfect for the holiday BBQ plans that a lot of people have here this weekend (our 4th of July holiday.) Will have to show this to my wife.

 

your right me also i was so amaze when i saw it...

 

Just curious, do guys like exotic foods? I thought of sharing a dish I had for lunch. But it may not blend with all the mouth-watering dishes that have been presented

 

Absolutely! Bring it on!

 

This is usually more of a cold weather dessert here in New England, but it is about as traditional as can be. Indian Pudding is so named because it is based on corn meal which was introduced to the early Pilgrims here by the Native Americans (who, up until recently, were called "Indians" because of a mistake that Columbus made when discovering America. Some people call it "Hasty Pudding" and our Revolutionary War song, Yankee Doodle, includes it in the lyrics, but that can refer to other formulations, as well. In addition to corn meal, a major ingredient of Indian Pudding is molasses to sweeten it up quite a bit. Add in some great spices like nutmeg and you have a very tasty, unique dish:



For me, anyway, much like the stock photo above, I insist on whipped cream on top! I believe that it is nutmeg that you see sprinkled on the whipped cream, but it could be cinnamon, too. Definitely worth a try!

 

Ok so, here it is. The Dinuguan.

Dinuguan is a Filipino savory stew of meat and/or offal simmered in a rich, spicy dark gravy of pig blood, garlic, chili, and vinegar.




For sure Edward Cullen will love this!

 

I would definitely try this. However, I did have "black pudding" in Scotland once and that is blood sausage and I really did not like it. But I am always up for trying something once. It looks to be very rich and savory. What I did not like about the black pudding was that after each bite, I got an aftertaste of fresh blood (like when you cut the inside of your mouth.) Is there that aftertaste involved with Dinuguan?

 

When you say aftertaste, you mean that rusty taste of blood? Nope (sort of), you'll barely taste the blood. Also, I prefer offal, pig's intestines and liver over the meat.

 

That was my impression, by looking at the picture. It looks like the fresh blood taste might be cooked out a bit. The more unusual the meat, the better for me. I am always looking for a new taste and texture. I mostly have had beef or chicken livers/giblets but may have had pig livers. I have had Scottish haggis which is sheep's intestines and also beef tripe (stomach.) Anyway, as I said before it looks like a very rich and savory dish and I would like to try it sometime.

 

Awesome!! Thanks for putting me on to this

 

Grillin' some chicken by the pool side... Mmmm... My wife's special recipe (marinade). Life is goooooood.





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The end result. You grill it slowly for a bit over an hour on a low fire. The result? Deliciousness!!

 

Looks great! And I really prefer marinated meats on the grill, for sure. Any tips on the main ingredients of the marinade? Citrus from Florida, perhaps?