What natural food would you change if you could?
For me, it would be eggs. Twice as much yolk and very little white. You could still buy regular eggs for cooking. And steaks. I would make all steaks tender and juicy and un-screw-up-able. Do you have a food item you'd like to personalize?
-
-
-
-
I would like all meat and fish to not contaminate your workplace at all. I swear, every time I'm cutting up a chuck or have my hand buried deep in a bird, the phone or doorbell rings, or my kid suddenly REALLY needs me for something or other, and I'd like to not have to retrace my steps with the bleach/water spitzer all the time. We're eating more veggie stuff nowadays, I told my family, to be healthier, but for me, it's also easier on the fixing and cleaning.
Conversely, I'd like to be able to buy fresh produce and throw it in the freezer and pull it out when I'm really ready to use it and have it just as good in every way as fresh.
But then, I'd like Hugh Jackman to give me a foot massage, too, but I don't think that's gonna happen, either.
In the interim, I agree with the easy-to-peel pineapple and melons that aren't hard as rocks one day and all black and mushy the next. -
Bananas are meant to be the perfect grab food to go, yes? Except what are you supposed to do with the furry strings that trail from the peel? I can't eat them without gagging, they sometimes break off and land on you and you end up with dessicated worm looking things later on.... and the furry nub at the bottom!!! I waste a cubic centimeter at the bottom trying to avoid ingesting.
›1 Reply -
I would like it if all crabs and lobsters just up and committed suicide in the name of art at the very moment you wished to cook them at home.
›9 Replies -
I would change lima beans, and by change, I mean wipe them off the face of the earth. That is change I can believe in!
›2 Replies -
I finally figured out what this thread was reminding me of! One of my favorite (but odd) animators, Tex Avery, did a few *what will life be like in the future?* cartoons in the 1950s. Very weird and entertaining stuff, but I'm partial to Avery. One of these shorts is called "The Farm of Tomorrow," and deals with mechanization of ag. and genetic hybrids of foodstuffs in Avery's characteristically half dorky/half thoughtfully humorous way. I'll post the link.
**FAIR WARNING** There are bits in the clip that can range from vaguely un-PC to bordering on the offensive, depending upon your POV and sensibilities. Remember, this is the 1950s and the mores of the time are reflected. Just saying.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WqX9w-...
Farm of Tomorrow
Best,
Cay›2 Replies -
-
I would like for spills of beet juice and curry broths to be soluble in something less that sulfuric acid. When I did my curried goat last week I ended up dispatching my shorts and shirt to the rag pile. A cycle in the washer only served to magnify the curry stains. If I wore them again to my grocery store, some kind soul would direct me to the isle with the items for incontinence.
›1 Reply-
re: Veggo
Try the stain remover aisle instead...I use Spray n Wash dual power and a brush, it gets all manner of stuff out of DD's uniform khakis (anyone who thought BEIGE uniform pants were a good idea for 7yr olds doesn't have kids) :)
-
-
Let's see:
Avocados that don't turn black.
Cilantro that lasts for more than a week without wilting.
Beets that only emit juice after cooking.
Cartilage free chickens.
Instant dry lettuce.
Stain free cherries.
Stringless celery.
Easy peel eggs.
›6 Replies-
-
re: salsailsa
The amazingly convenient paper towel can be used to keep your cilantro and other herbs fresh. Wet a couple of paper towels and wring them out to where they don't drip anymore. Wrap your herbs in the paper towels and place in the veggie drawer of your fridge. Check every couple of days to see if the towels need rehydrating. Regular towels work as well.
Send all unwanted chicken cartilage to any Japanese izakaya. Called nankotsu, it's usually dredged and deep-fried and served hot. It's almost like chicken tofu in that the cartilage delivers the flavor of the seasoned coating as well as offering an interesting texture. Moreover, it goes well with beer.
-
re: bulavinaka
Thanks for the tip about herbs. I have absolutely no luck keeping cilantro.
Interesting about the chicken cartilage. My stomach instantly turns when I chew a piece of cartilage( in regular roast chicken that is).
Deep frying does all sorts of magical things to foods. I like eating fried shrimp shells.
-
re: salsailsa
Yes, deep-frying is just amazing, isn't it? Salted pepper shrimp is my version of your fried shrimp shells. I eat everything - shells, tails, and heads. Nothing is left. Aside from the mention upthread about devaining, I guess there's not much to improve on as far as these little crustaceans go.
-
-
-
-
-
In a perfect world, the leaves of the nopales cactus would scratch themselves.
I'm able to harvest them locally, but the de-spining is a chore.
I am currently in the intermediate stages of training my cat to assist me in this.
-
-
-
I don't think I've seen this yet but my dream would be beans that do not burst or split no matter what. Every single bean I would make would come out pristine and with the skins intact. I know there are techniques that exist to make this happen but I would like non-bursting beans with no effort.
-
-
I'd like a butternut squash I could remove from it's skin without resorting to manuevers usually reserved for chopping wood.
ETA: apparently I have dyslexic fingers thanks Sal :)
›8 Replies-
-
-
re: bayoucook
Lots of ways to peel/section it. Good tools are a real plus.
Try this page to see a variety of techniques:
http://images.google.com/images?gbv=2... -
re: bayoucook
I just read thatI wrote "cheep" LOL... I have chickenitis.
Anyway. You know those hand peelers? Use one of those. Hold it by the neck and start peeling towards you from the bottom like below the bottom bug gourd side as low as comfy. The skin will zip right off and there is only a tiny bit of waste.
You can use those y shaped peelers or the kind that is straight and the peeler part is two parallel blades. I am sure the others work, but I KNOW those do.
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
re: Sal Vanilla
Yes, but it is sooo good. I don't know if you like fried chicken, but there is an awesome Edna Lewis recipe for southern fried chicken that fries the chicken in lard with some bacon thrown in, and it is amazing! The few times we have rendered our own lard, it was to make this recipe. Perhaps it is time again....
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
Corn on the cob would have easily removable cornsilk so there'd be none to get stuck in your teeth.
"Navel" lemons so the seeds would be no problem in iced tea; alternatively, much bigger seeds so they couldn't accidentally be sucked up through a straw. :)
›4 Replies -
It's not NICE to f*ck with Mother Nature, but... How bout green coffee beans that "ripen" and magically turn into whatever roast you'd like, depending on "ripening" time. Ooh, I'd like that.
Vacuum packed nuts that "self-toast" on exposure to air, so you never have to throw out $10.00 worth of pine-nuts because you got distracted (after your 3'rd cocktail...). We can live in outer space, but can NOT come up with the Navel Cherry! (although I'm all for pit spitting contests, but try making a cherry pie with fresh bings. Your kitchen will look like the aftermath of several Godfather movies; horse-heads not included) While we're at it, seedless tomatoes would be kind of cool, too. Gee, I hope Monsanto isn't spying on this thread and getting diabolically good ideas!! adam -
Olive trees that could grow happily and fruitfully in continental climates?
Sour cherries where the pits pull out neatly and effortlessly with the stem (pitless would not be good, since sour cherry pits are flavorful and useful in certain things).
Freestone mangoes.
›2 Replies-
re: Karl S
"Olive trees that could grow happily and fruitfully in continental climates?"
Well, I don't mind olive trees in distant lands, as olives and olive oil travel pretty well. But I would love to have fig trees that would thrive in my backyard in Canada.... Fresh figs off a tree are so wonderful.
-
-
Concord grapes would be seedless.
Fresh raspberries would not go moldy for at least a week after you buy them.
Macoun apples would store as well as Braeburns.
Bananas and tomatoes would keep longer at room temperature.
Garlic cloves would slip their skins as easily as concord grapes.›5 Replies-
-
re: nemo
That works fine for strawberries and blueberries, but it seems like the hollow shape of the raspberry makes it more vulnerable to condensation, which encourages mold.
If left uncovered in the fridge long enough to dry the condensation, they start to shrivel and exude juice, which again encourages mold. I've settled for either eating them the day I buy them, or freezing, which defeats their fresh appeal.
-
-
-
-
-
-
Grapefruits. I hate the things. Why can't they taste like pomelos? One bite into a grapefruit, and I can't taste anything but bitter for the day. No wonder people go on grapefruit diets. I'd stop eating if I had to have a grapefruit before every meal. And yet, the exterior beauty of a grapefruit ...
And raw onions. Why can't raw onions taste like the glory that is caramelized onions? Or at least make it all mild ... like scallions! The need to drop raw onions into everything ruins my food. One bite into that raw onion, and even my dessert is tainted. Gross city.
And those tomatoes. I haven't had a truly good tomato since I lived at home and my parents grew them. (And I didn't like tomatoes then!!!) Can't they all be hardy, easy to grow, and delicious regardless of circumstances?
›4 Replies-
re: Ali
Grapefruits aren't bitter if you're careful about avoiding the membrane—they're tarter than pomelos, to be sure, but I love both...
I used to love raw red onions but I can't do those anymore. My stomach starts to burn. As for tomatoes—only in season and even then only with luck are they much good at all in the US. In Italy, on the other hand...
-
re: tatamagouche
I avoid all membranes, but it doesn't help. (Funny enough, my mother told me the exact same tip yesterday night. ^_^) Without the membrane, I can taste more of the fruity-ness and sort of see why people like them, but it's still just bitter. It's worse when it's in my salad or something and the bitterness taints the ingredients around it. Blegh.
The tomatoes ... well, last summer, I religiously went to the farmer's market at least once a week, and still no tomatoes. They were *all* bad. I was more than a little sad.
-
-
-
Much as I love yolks, it would also be nice to be able to get eggs that were all white. Hard boiled, with some salt and hot sauce, these would be a delicious and incredibly healthy snack.
›2 Replies -
-
-
-
Dear Mother Nature,
As much as You have perfected the taste of Your Earth's bounty, some often leave me wishing that I could make some changes that even You might consider worthy. I don't mean to sound of a mortal filled with hubris and contempt for Your gifts that You bestow upon us, but I am certain that many of my associates also wish that some of Your otherwise amazing creations could use a little nip & tuck. Yes, for the sake of convenience of one sort or another, we have attempted to achieve this perfection in certain cases only to have failed (e.g., please see item #1). Consequently, it's pretty obvious to me that You have the final say as to whether or not this wish list will ever come true. I know You have been awfully busy lately, as well as awfully pissed off at us for really screwing things up (please oh please pardon us as a whole for allowing two particularly bad terms of Cowboy contempt for all things natural), as most of us now know that global warming is actually Global Warming. With that said, if You see just a tiny of window time opening up in Your otherwise crazy schedule, I would be deeply honored and appreciative if You could take a peak at my list. And please pardon me and disregard any of my wishes that might put us deeper in the environmental crap hole.
Vinaka vaka levu,
Bulavinaka
1) Seedless watermelons that taste like seeded ones but without the seeds.
2) Seedless avocados.
3) Pineapples with edible and appetizing skins like real apples.
4) Quadruple the size of Mexican limes - I don't mind the seeds at all.
5) A little red "Perfect for Eating" pop-up indicator on canteloupes. Cutting into the occasional ones that taste and smell like varnish really suck the spirit of Summer right out of me.
6) Make durians really taste good, or did You even mean for us to be eating these? Working so hard to open one of these is bad enough, but offering something that tastes like vanilla custard mixed with the fermented juices of rotting onions and sneakers that are far past their better days is a really bad joke (just my pewny opinion). Nix the fermented juices smell and I will far more appreciate having durians pushed on to me when we're visiting my in-laws in Malaysia. :)
›16 Replies-
-
re: bayoucook
My dog husks coconuts in record time. It is a little frightening to watch. My little nieces squeal with glee when I jam the screwdriver between the eyes of the coconut to open it. I insist that trait comes from her husbands side of the family. Meanwhile I sleep with the bedroom door locked when they come for a visit.
-
-
Lard and Bacon Drippings would be the same only chock-full of beneficial nutrients necessary to lower cholesterol. Wood smoke would be the only source of Vitamin S, absolutely required for whatever.
›15 Replies-
-
re: Sal Vanilla
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/610544
While we're asking for fatty goodness to be good for you, can we add milkfat to the list? Then all those tasty things we make from it - cheese, butter, etc. - would actually lower our blood cholesterol and make us slimmer.
I'm on board with all dark-meat turkeys and chokeless artichokes, too. Wouldn't mind coreless cabbage, either.
-
-
-
-
re: Veggo
Well, Ricky, the only theory I have is that artichokes are that rare foodstuff that follows the bathing suit rule: as the functional surface area decreases, the price rises. Malcolm Gladwell might be too busy to address this issue right now, but I bet Alan Greenspan has some free time.
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
re: DockPotato
I'm on board with all of this--from the bacon to the milkfat. I am especially drawn to the idea it will not only lower our cholesterol, but make us thinner! While we're at it, can we please fix avocados so the cholesterol kid here and all my friends can enjoy them without guilt?
-
-
In a perfect world, tomatoes would have a larger diameter, to accomodate my burger pictured here:
›1 Reply-
re: FoodFuser
In my perfect world, tomatoes would be about an inch thick from blossom to stem end, so you could have my 2 favorite parts by slicing in 2 horizontally: the blossom end (which I like the best), and the stem end, with some but minimal seed cells between the two for moisture. And they would always taste like August Ontario field tomatoes, always!
-
-
Easy--shrimp...I DESPISE deveining those suckers...I know that you don't always have to & some people never do... but oy! What a total pita!
›8 Replies-
-
re: beccabones
Wouldn't it be nice if shrimp and lobbies fully excreted their poop instead of storing it all along their tails. Gaggers.
Oh - a good way to get FL lobbie skat out easily: Bust off the last foot or so of their antenna, shove the broken part up his... um... bum from tail to carapice and then pull it back out. The antenna has little backward spines that grab its intestines and it all comes out attached to the antenna.
A nifty and repulsive trick.
-
-
-
-
All fish would not have scales and pin bones. Roasted chicken skin would never come off of the meat when cutting up the bird.
›6 Replies -
-
-
-
-
-
re: alanbarnes
Really? Might've been the birds I've gotten... have had no problem whatsoever with duck, it's always turned out beautifully. The ONE Christmas goose I made was a comedy of drainage.
>Now there's a thought - maybe a really, really hot steam room is an alternative to gustatory self-control...<
Beware any spa that offers to wrap you in a cozy dough blanket first.
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
re: Sal Vanilla
Yay! Love puling the sheet of lint off the screen in the dryer too. And will stop there before I delve into TMI.
Funny thing is right after the above comment I went right out and bought some favas. I've got a wonderful salad recipe that also includes peas, shaved zucchini, parmesan, lots of lemon juice and olive oil...
-
re: tatamagouche
MMM Yumba sounding salad!
I love pulling the lint out of the screen to. One piece - accept no less. I love it when it thick with whooly pieces from the dog bed. I swear that lint could be gathered and spun into yarn. Talk about recycling.
A couple days ago on this very posting, I think it was the orig poster - anyway she mentioned about eggs needing two yolks and ditching most of the whites - I went out shortly after reading that and got an egg. I broke it open and what do you guess I saw?
Yup. Two yolks.
-
-
re: kubasd
It's actually really simple—I mean, that's pretty much it. The zucchini's raw, but shaved (or sliced) very thin, enough so the pieces are limp, if you know what I mean. Don't overcook the peas/favas, of course. Shave or chunk the parmesan; I prefer that to shredding/grating so it doesn't get soggy. Drizzle with good olive oil and plenty of lemon juice. You can add a little chiffonaded basil too if you like...really you could play with it in all sorts of ways, I imagine.
-
-
-
-



































