What produce/ingredients did you buy or obtain today? (2018-2022)

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flyinglentris said:
Cornmeal or Corn Flour is traditionally used without processing by Native American Peoples.

My intents for the Blue Cornmeal and Blue Grits include Tortillas, among other things. I intend to post a recipe when I get photos prepared, but here are some notes I am including with the recipe. I post them here early due to the buzz.

NOTE 1: Tortillas are native to the Americas and were originally made with Corn. Wheat Flour Tortillas followed after introduction of Wheat by European settlement.

NOTE 2: Traditional Corn Tortillas are made from 100% unaltered Corn Flours. Mass produced Corn and Wheat Tortillas use nixtamalized Flours (for example, Masa Harina Corn Flour). Nixtamalization claims to improve the nutritional value of flours by pre-soaking the Corn or other Grain in an Alkaline solution (Limewater is commonly used). Nixtamalizing grain softens the grain, making it easier to grind into a fine soft flour. It does not necessarily improve its cohesive properties as a flour dough. It is not a requirement to use Masa Harina for making Tortillas, etc.

NOTE 3: Bleaching Flour is not the same as nixtamalization. All flours bleach naturally with age, but commercially mass produced bleached flour is aged faster using special bleaching agents (benzoyl peroxide and chlorine gas). Commercial bleaching of flours strips the flour of many important vitamins and minerals for the purpose of producing a whiter flour for baking purposes.

NOTE 4: Lard or Animal Fat is often used when making Tortillas, but is not a requisite. Substitutes like Olive Oil, Vegetable Oils or Butter are OK, or nothing at all, but water.

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Please take note of what is meant by nixtamializing and bleaching of grains and flours. Masa Harina is nixtamalized Corn Flour and is finer ground. It is again, not necessary for concocting things with Cornmeal Flours.

Corn Starch is often used synonymous with Corn Flour.
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Nixtamalization makes for a more pliable corn tortilla. Corn tortillas can be brittle, and break apart when you make a taco with them. Nixtamalization also adds nutritional value, and flavor. Nixtamalization is not a mass production cheat. It is something top-tier Mexican restaurants do to their tortilla dough, and then they press and cook every tortilla to order. It is something home cooks do in Mexico.

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4VyjfgtHyl0


CD
 
caseydog said:
Nixtamalization makes for a more pliable corn tortilla. Corn tortillas can be brittle, and break apart when you make a taco with them. Nixtamalization also adds nutritional value, and flavor. Nixtamalization is not a mass production cheat. It is something top-tier Mexican restaurants do to their tortilla dough, and then they press and cook every tortilla to order. It is something home cooks do in Mexico.

CD
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I can agree with all that said. The fact is that nixtamalization softens the Corn Kernels and allows them to be ground finer. This has the benefit that flour doesn't just pass through the digestive tract, but is better absorbed into the blood stream, hence better nutrition. A softer Tortilla, may be welcomed by some, but the coarser Tortillas may also have their following. Maybe that's why those restaurants press Tortillas to order. If I wanted soft Blue Corn Tortillas, I wouldn't have bought Blue Corn Grits to mix in.

BTW: Blue Corn Harina is not easy to find. I found some advertised on Amazon.com.
 
We got these the other day, normally get these in March or April, by for some reason I can get them now, $1 for bag of 3. Wife got 3 bags as she knows I'm getting low on my hot chilly sauce. I'll do that later, I just took plugs out, I will deseed then grill under the grill/ broiler to get black char. Gives the sauce a nice flavour.

Russ

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I went to a local spice, candy and dry ingredient shop, "Maustemesta/Mauste Mesta" = Spice Place/Joint, today. It's a small business, run by a local lady; in my opinion it's one of the best spice shops in Europe. The place is starting online sales only early next year but it's been running for nearly 30 years, importing from a variety of countries. I purchased dried cranberries, golden raisins, giant/jumbo raisins, pinto beans, liquorice candies, pecans, hazelnuts, cashews, walnuts, peeled almonds, almond flakes, bell pepper flakes, chili flakes, jalapeño flakes, kaffir lime leaves, granulated garlic, cinnamon stalks, Ceylon cinnamon powder, dried lemongrass, Annatto seeds, dill seeds, rosehip powder, fenugreek, Seville orange powder, dried nettle flakes, roasted onion flakes, rosemary and oyster sauce. Pic from home:

mau_1.jpg


The scent in the shop is overwhelming. I love that the shop is situated a bit further from the city center, in a small building with a traditional "Olde Shoppe" atmosphere. Here are a few pics from inside (I asked the owner for permission to post them online):

mau_2.jpg
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Hemulen said:
I went to a local spice, candy and dry ingredient shop, "Maustemesta/Mauste Mesta" = Spice Place/Joint, today. It's a small business, run by a local lady; in my opinion it's one of the best spice shops in Europe. The place is starting online sales only early next year but it's been running for nearly 30 years, importing from a variety of countries. I purchased dried cranberries, golden raisins, giant/jumbo raisins, pinto beans, liquorice candies, pecans, hazelnuts, cashews, walnuts, peeled almonds, almond flakes, bell pepper flakes, chili flakes, jalapeño flakes, kaffir lime leaves, granulated garlic, cinnamon stalks, Ceylon cinnamon powder, dried lemongrass, Annatto seeds, dill seeds, rosehip powder, fenugreek, Seville orange powder, dried nettle flakes, roasted onion flakes, rosemary and oyster sauce. Pic from home:

View attachment 50738

The scent in the shop is overwhelming. I love that the shop is situated a bit further from the city center, in a small building with a traditional "Olde Shoppe" atmosphere. Here are a few pics from inside (I asked the owner for permission to post them online):

View attachment 50739 _View attachment 50740 _View attachment 50741
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Is there a website link please?

Russ
 
rascal said:
Is there a website link please?

Russ
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Sure - but as I wrote, the owner will start online sales only in early 2021. A the moment, the 27 year old shop is filled with products but the website is really primitive, outdated (the last update seems to be from 2013), doesn't contain even half of the products ("Tuotteet" in Finnish; I noticed a dozen different types/varieties of ground chili in the shop but there is just one variety listed on the website) and the site is only in Finnish :D.

According to Google search (aka several local newspaper articles), the owner lost her husband/business partner a few years back. Apparently she wasn't good at/interested in website management for years - only in running the shop and providing stock sales. She continued the business, remarried (I saw her new husband in the shop) and is planning to renew the website and start online sales as soon as she has all the data available (I asked her about online shopping). I hope the new site will be in English too.

Annatto seeds, pinto beans, fenugreek, several different types of ground chilies, Ceylon cinnamon, rosehip, nettle, lovage and Seville orange/sour orange are some of the spices I couldn't find in local hyper-/supermarkets but found them there.

Maustemesta Facebook site seems to be updated.

Here is the tiny shop (orange ads on the left) on Karjalankatu 3, Lahti, Finland.
mau_5.jpg

Photo source
 
I got up early this morning and shot out to the grocery store with a 'Must Have' list in my pocket for stuff I need for my Seafood Challenge Recipes.

I came back with three 19.4 Cup Locking Containers and one 10 Cup container, Black Beans (canned), Butter, Jimmy Dean Breakfast Croisants, Beef Gravy (jar), Crabmeat (canned), Oats, Sandwich Rolls, Roma Tomatoes, Red Bell Pepper, Garlic (pre-pealed), Eggs, Andouille Sausage, Bratwursts, Swiss Cheese, Pepper Jack Cheese, Queso Fresco Cheese, Cottage Cheese, Bacon (pre-cooked) and dried Cranberries.

The locking containers are for all that Blue Cornmeal Flour and Grits, for the most part. The rest of the items are for the challenge and other consumption.
 
flyinglentris said:
I got up early this morning and shot out to the grocery store with a 'Must Have' list in my pocket for stuff I need for my Seafood Challenge Recipes.

I came back with three 19.4 Cup Locking Containers and one 10 Cup container, Black Beans (canned), Butter, Jimmy Dean Breakfast Croisants, Beef Gravy (jar), Crabmeat (canned), Oats, Sandwich Rolls, Roma Tomatoes, Red Bell Pepper, Garlic (pre-pealed), Eggs, Andouille Sausage, Bratwursts, Swiss Cheese, Pepper Jack Cheese, Queso Fresco Cheese, Cottage Cheese, Bacon (pre-cooked) and dried Cranberries.

The locking containers are for all that Blue Cornmeal Flour and Grits, for the most part. The rest of the items are for the challenge and other consumption.
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I am spotting one seafood item there. Interested in what you will do...
 
Morning Glory said:
I am spotting one seafood item there. Interested in what you will do...
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I already had the other stuff I needed, but not the Crabmeat. I will start working on the projects tomorrow.

I thought today of a wonderful seafood desert alternative, but unfortunately, I will not be able to do it by the deadline.
 
Todays' groceries (the meat was already in the fridge). I'll maybe prepare crayfish salad today and stroganov/-off and fruit salad tomorrow.
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Passionfruit, limes, Granny Smith apples, yellow kiwi fruit, mixed greens (sprouts), canned crayfish tails, white miso paste, garlic paste, Tom Yam paste, lemongrass paste, egg noodles, vacuumed beef tenderloin, skimmed milk, vegetable oil-half cream mix, crème fraîche, pickled cucumber, precooked red lentils, salted peanuts, dried dill, liquorice powder (tips for use would be welcome), mustard seeds, wheat & grain bread, rye bread and - of course - Parmesan 💛. I just got a text message that the truffle anchovies and 'Nduja I ordered earlier are waiting for pickup :).
 
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Morning Glory said:
Oh my! That sounds good.
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I'm in a Christmas spending mood 😳. In addition to truffle anchovies and 'Nduja I ordered a couple of separate black truffles in the same lot. They weren't that expensive - under 10€. I'll grate them sparingly. My hubby has eaten half of the Christmas chocolates, so I HAVE to shop some more sweets too.
 
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