A random thread for food things that don't really warrant a thread of their own

[citoyen]

Jeez, if you think liver is worse than dog food you really are cooking it very wrong. 

[ian]

To be fair, I've never eaten dog food, but then I've not eaten liver since I was a child, such was the extensive psychological and physical trauma. I have mentioned the time when a stringy and elastic piece of hepatic vasculature snapped and flicked back to hit me in the eye mid-chew, resulting in a trip to A&E.

[Mr Larrington]

I, like many people, had been put off liver by the offcuts of hardboard with leather flavouring that went by the name at skool dinner-time.  But then I was persuaded to try some in Lt. Col. Larrington (retd.)'s local Country Pub And Eating House and it was delish, and there was LOTS of it.  Only problem was, it was the night before the Watership Down 100 and I was still uncomfortably full all the way round.

[andrewc]

I only began to eat liver as an adult,  when I could cook it myself.  School & parental cooking is probably responsible for lots of ongoing trauma. 


Mmmm,  I've not had any kidneys for a while.  I remember you used to get them attached to pork chops, but I've not seen one like that for ages.  And boil in the bag lambs kidneys were a staple.

[Ham]

At the Aguila Réal in Battle Mountain they give you the choice of raw material for you tortillas, and everyone opts for cron*.

* see https://kobi5.com/news/sweet-cron-the-story-behind-the-signs-77998/ for details

That's a timely reminder.

[citoyen]

School & parental cooking is probably responsible for lots of ongoing trauma.

I remember having liver at home as a child and liking it. When I was 8, I spent some time in hospital. I remember one day when they were bringing round lunch, they gave us the choice of hamburgers or liver. I opted for the liver, which surprised the nurses who thought I was just trying to be a good boy by picking the "healthier" option - and they tried to convince me that I really didn't need to do that.

Turns out they were actually trying to warn me... that was nearly enough to put me off liver forever.

Mind you, I doubt the hamburgers would have been much better. I don't have any fond memories of any of the food from that stay.

Mmmm,  I've not had any kidneys for a while.  I remember you used to get them attached to pork chops, but I've not seen one like that for ages.  And boil in the bag lambs kidneys were a staple.

I remember pork chops with kidneys attached. Not that we ever had those - my dad would have snaffled the kidneys.

[ian]

My mother comes from the school of cooking that is indistinguishable in both smell and resulting texture from running a tannery. She cooks things and then cooks them some more, just in case, then puts in the plated result in the oven for another 10-20 minutes to be sure it's really done.

I mostly lived off fish fingers, crispy pancakes, and potato croquettes/waffles/etc. I only trusted food that came in orange breadcrumbs. Captain Birdseye, and his hearty lieutenant, Findus, were my heroes.

[hellymedic]

Liver is something of a delicacy in Kosher Jewish households, as it needs special preparation to be properly Kosher.
Chopped Liver is a classical cold starter.
I don't think Mum cooks liver any more. She did when we were kids.

[citoyen]

I make a rather good chopped liver, if I say so myself - following Claudia Roden's recipe from her absolutely wonderful Book of Jewish Food

Although we're not a Jewish household, I do follow the proper procedure to make it "kosher" (although I stop short of getting a Rabbi round to make it official - and my kitchen is far from being a kosher environment)

[rafletcher]

Despite my mother occasionally cooking Pigs liver, I’ve always liked lambs liver. I do liver, bacon and onion in a tomato sauce.

The foodstuffs that I got put off were as a result of school dinners. Baked beans, butter beans, tapioca, semolina, none of which we had at home either.

[barakta]

Does anyone eat liver and onions anymore? It's the food trauma of my childhood.

My mother, who cooks it for herself (age 71) and a friend who must be 76 or 77, they both think it's a great treat.

She didn't torture us with this as children, but I tried some at one point as she made it during my stay - it was a truly horrid texture and taste *shudder*.

My mum used to like tripe, but over-ate it as a young adult and hasn't been able to eat it since.

I do like steak and kidney pies/puddings and I did like haggis last time I tried it in the 90s but haven't got round to retrying it since I gave up vegetarianism in my 20s.

[Mr Larrington]

The snake'n'pygmy part of the own-brand pies from Mr Sainsbury’s House of Toothy Comestibles is fine, but the pastry is far too sweet.  What on earth are they putting in the stuff

[ian]

Kidney I never minded the taste of, but I can't abide the smell, and the knowledge I'm eating pee-marinated meat. I just can't do liver, just the thought of it makes me shudder. I don't eat much meat (as I was vegetarian for a decade or so). I have eaten haggis and it was mostly meh.

I've eaten a lot of strange, random mystery meats in places foreign where 'meat' is the most precise definition you'll get. At least the big plate of fish heads I was served once lacked ambiguity.

[Mr Larrington]

Eat them up, yum!

[Mrs Pingu]

I had some of what was I was informed was chicken liver in Dammam last week. I could have sworn it tasted like kidney but I was wrong, apparently. Tasted good though, whatever they did with it.

[SteveC]

Offal is one of those foods which seem to divide people and which many people only come to enjoy later in life.
My mother used to cook liver in a fairly old fashioned way (and it was probably ox or pig and not lamb). I didn't really like it, but I eat it, because I would eat anything apart from peanut butter¹.
Nowadays lamb's liver and bacon is a real treat, but I only ever eat it out as neither the former MrsC, nor the current one, like the stuff.

[1] A perfect example of 'there is no accounting for taste'. I really cannot cope with peanut butter. Love peanuts, but...

[hellymedic]

Suspect the taste & especially the texture/mouth feel of peanut butter is the problem. There's a somewhat weird dry richness that doesn't melt away, unlike most other rich foods.

[ian]

Eat them up, yum!

They smelled a bit too – I wasn't sure if they weren't meant to be fermented or had simply been left out of a while. I did ask about the rest of the fish. Apparently, the heads are the best bit. That doesn't say much for the fish. For someone brought up on fish fingers and instant mash (my mother refuses to go down the curry aisle in Morrisons, which was awkward as she worked there), I've eaten some interesting things that I don't want to eat again. Gloopy textures, as beloved in the far east, turn my stomach the worst.

[spesh]

Eat them up, yum!

You are Bill Mumy AICMFP 

(Trufax - the chap who played Lennier in Babylon 5 was one half of Barnes and Barnes, perpetrators of the most-requested song on Dr Demento's radio show.)

[Mr Larrington]

Eat them up, yum!

You are Bill Mumy AICMFP 

(Trufax - the chap who played Lennier in Babylon 5 was one half of Barnes and Barnes, perpetrators of the most-requested song on Dr Demento's radio show.)

No wonder Babylon 5 was a big pile of shit!

Mr Google reveals that Barnes And Barnes are also a surveyors outfit based in Islington.  I wonder whether they get frequent deliveries from Billingsgate

[L CC]

Liver is stupidly cheap, still. In my poverty days we had 'special lamb casserole' as part of the rotation.
Liver & bacon hotpot. The childers wouldn't have eaten it if they'd known. As they didn't, they ate without complaint. They also ate game pie- when you get duck & pheasant and rabbit free it's not a luxury dish.

It must be dinner time- I'm salivating over the idea of a hot water raised crust.

[Ham]

I make a rather good chopped liver, if I say so myself - following Claudia Roden's recipe from her absolutely wonderful Book of Jewish Food

Although we're not a Jewish household, I do follow the proper procedure to make it "kosher" (although I stop short of getting a Rabbi round to make it official - and my kitchen is far from being a kosher environment)

I'm curious, do you really salt it with coarse salt and sear over an open flame? One of the messiest jobs ever and imparts a burnt flavour to the liver which is either good or bad depending on your perspective, personally I think the flavour is better without the sacrificial element.

[citoyen]

I'm curious, do you really salt it with coarse salt and sear over an open flame?

Ah, is open flame a necessity? Didn't realise that. I do it under the grill, which is close enough for my purposes.

[ian]

I'd personally get God to directly smite it. He will often smite on request.

That would solve both the kosher issue and the necessity of eating it.

[Ham]

I'm curious, do you really salt it with coarse salt and sear over an open flame?

Ah, is open flame a necessity? Didn't realise that. I do it under the grill, which is close enough for my purposes.

2 jews= 3 opinions, but certainly in the ultra-observant sector, above an open flame is de rigeur. (come to that, what's happened to Riggers lately?)

My view is that chicken fat is the critical factor, and best results are had without burning the liver to buggery. Instead, I fry the chicken liver in chicken fat, with onions until the onions are proper caramelised before chopping. Mincing is best for texture but I can't find my spong, so processor it is.