If your online browsing habits take you frequently to cuteoverload.com you’ll quickly notice that for the cuteness factor the same rules seem to always apply. Among many others, it’s size. Anything tiny there will make me go “ahhhh look at that” and then “I want one…”, same thing happened when I spotted the recipe for these mini bagels…
I am a big bagel fan and have become an even bigger one during my visits to the US, but I also have two big issues with bagels:
FIRSTLY: In 99% of all my past bagel-encounters I found a whole bagel to be simply too much for me. The sheer mass of it, as well as lacking variety in taste. Having eaten the first half of it, the whole thing starts to get “old”. Across the board I hate to just stick with a single flavor for the duration of a meal, same here, there are so many wonderful spreads out there, it’s virtually impossible to appease my cravings by choosing one single flavor to go with two bagel halves.
Thank you all for sharing your personal point of view on this topic. Your various comments made one thing pretty clear: There is no absolute consensus on how to handle fresh meat (as well as poultry and fish). I won’t give recommendations here, but below you’ll find a little summary about the most prominent pros and cons on the issue. After all, it’s an individual thing and entirely up to you how you treat your meat.
Rinse meat – the Pros:
helps to get rid off possible salmonellea/bacteria
not super fresh meats may require rinsing to get rid of the smell
helps to get rid of any small bone fragments or excessive blood/meat juice
soft factor but convincing: the word of people who work in the industry (poultry)
Rinse meat – the Cons:
high temperature (roasting, etc.) kills all bacteria anyway
rinsing alone might not entirely get rid of bacteria
possible cross-contamination with bacteria (sponges, sink, appliances etc.)
no need to rinse, if you trust your butcher/shop
the advice to wash meat is a relic from an earlier time, when meat oftentimes wasn’t quite that fresh or it was covered with certain agents for preservation
It’s funny how many of one’s daily actions in the kitchen are governed by force of habit. I was quite happy with my rituals and habits until I stumbled upon a little note in a German food magazine (Essen & Trinken 01/07, p.8) that not only suggested to NOT rinse meat but made it sound like the silliest thing to do so. Hm, I have never questioned that little extra shower I treated my meat in our kitchen with and you’d think it makes sense for hygienic reasons and somehow it seems right, no? Right? Wrong! This is what the article (it’s actually just a small response to a reader’s question) claims anyway. Reading more about the whole issue made one thing super clear – as always there are different sides to the coin.
What do you do?
Or leave a comment for more insight in why you do what you do…
Although we like to enjoy a bit of snow and a bright white holiday season, we haven’t been seeing snow in a while. Since April last year to be exact. On the other hand it’s not breaking my heart not to be wearing multiple layers and waiting for a delayed tram at sub zero temperatures. So I’m not complaining, but what worries me is that the cold will come and it will stay way into spring…I so despise that thought. Opposed to craving rich and filling food, classic comfort food that would nicely go with a snowy and harsh winter, I’ve lately been in the mood for more sorbet experiments.
The Ginger Lychee sorbet we ended up having for New Years eve, a tarter Granny Smith Apple Lemongrass sorbet became part of our Christmas dinner. The choice for either one would be dependent on your own menu plans and of course personal preference & the level of tartness you’re happy to manage – there is plenty of room in both recipes for fine tuning. Visually I’d say the Granny Smith version is more of an eye catcher – taste wise they are on a par! Whether you prefer the sweeter Ginger Lychee sorbet or the tart Granny Smith Apple Lemongrass sorbet, both are a true palate refresher in any opulent holiday feast. Presented as a little intermezzo, they are best served right before your main course.
