Iron Chef OOT 1/9-1/21

[SamIAm]

[ QUOTE ]
BTW, I'm noticing more black plates. Do people just have these or has there been some running out to get plates that make the food colors contrast on the plate more?

[/ QUOTE ]
Thanks for the comments. I bought these plates back when I was in college. They're nice basic Crate&Barrel dishes, and I think they're great. My fiance isn't such a big fan, so we don't use them much. [img]/images/graemlins/frown.gif[/img] I found them recently in storage so brought them out for this IC, and she said "Hey, let's use those plates." This was a masterful move, since she knows perfectly well that we're registering for new plates, so these'll go back in the closet come September. [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

[ QUOTE ]
Either way. The color is really great here. I took notice. The entree was a little ordinary, BUT the greens...again, good color.

[/ QUOTE ]
I actually added mustard greens solely for the color. I was walking around the organic market trying to find anything that wouldn't be served golden-brown, and I saw really fresh, pretty mustard greens. I hate mustard greens, but what vegetable adds color better than something with a color <font color="green">in the name</font>? Then the farmer looked at me with those big farmer-eyes, and I bought a whole bunch of good-for-you greens.

I did clean my plate, and everything's better cooked in onions and bacon, but I'm still not a big mustard greens fan. Glad you appreciated my colorful sacrifice. [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]
-Sam

P.S. Do other folk like black plates? We're probably registering for Noritake plates. They're boring white with a color on the bottom. Whatcha think? If all of OOT agrees with me on black plates we'll ... likely get the Noritake anyway.

[Mermade]

Sam, I agree about Mrs. Utah. I can't believe that the winner of of 4 OOT Iron Chef challenges is participating by proxy. It's ridiculous.

[CardSharpCook]

Sam, thanks for getting the poll up.

Mermade,

Not sure if you've ever had or worked with collard greens - they have a very tough stem which requires prolonged cooking to soften to edibility. There is no possibility of color retention. Cooking time was about 30 minutes. Good memory on my beef. However, preparation and desired outcome are very different - the beef was breaded in the standard way - flour, eggwash, batter, flour... whereas this pork is just garlic mixture and breadcrumbs. The result is the battered crust on the beef and the crispy crust on the pork. I don't think I have a prediliction to use crusts, just happened to decide on two similiar methods.

All,

I am displeased with the comments on my dish. It is a dish that comes directly from my time in the South. Pork and collard greens, you can't go wrong. Add some home fries and applesauce and you have a bangin' meal. Also, I'm pretty sure the plating was perfect. Given the ingredients necessary to make this dish so delicious, it is plated in the best possible way. The greens are tight and high, the plating is centralized, the pork is cut to show off the medium rare doness and plated to show the crust. I understand but do not accept Jihad's comment that it "looks like diner food". On one hand, of course it looks like diner food, you're not going to get this deliciousness outside of many diners (at Bayona in N.O, we served a Pork, greens, cornbread dish and Bayona is one of the fineset restaurants in New Orleans). On the other hand, the preparation and presentation is CLEARLY professionally done. Next week I may have to do some of that hoighty toighty cooking that you all seem to expect.

Also, sorry I couldn't get my app in on time. Took me forever to come up with an idea that I was pleased with and was going to prepare it Sunday night, but a friend called up with an offer of activities more fun than cooking for myself. I might post it here if/when I cook it. decided on this flatbread pizza type thing with roasted garlic as the "pizza sauce", spinach, goat cheese, pine nuts, and olive oil. we'll see how it turns out.

Also,

That ElSapo guy came from out of nowhere and pretty much owned this week's competition. Mrs. Utah earned my second vote with her usual professional performance. I was also impressed by Mermade and Analyst - both were competing (in my mind) for my second vote.

[CardSharpCook]

From what I understand the ban may be self-enforced. I have no firsthand knowledge of this, but I think someone said that Mrs. Utah made a comment to the effect of, "I'll never post in OOT again." FWIW, I also think its silly that she has to participate by proxy, but I'm glad that she does as her dishes are consistently excellent. Also, this whole series of threads was inspired by her idea and executed at her urging.

[Mermade]

I asked Mrs. Utah about this. I too assumed that she was self-banned. She replied that she had been added to NT!'s banned list.

For whatever reason she was banned I think it is safe to say that she deserves to be posting in these threads. She told me that she pm'ed NT! for just that, permission to post in Iron Chef threads only, and he didn't reply.

[Ron Burgundy]

[ QUOTE ]
She told me that she pm'ed NT! for just that, permission to post in Iron Chef threads only, and he didn't reply.

[/ QUOTE ]

BAN NT!

[Tennenbaum]

I agree, that as the winner of 4 (i think it was mentioned) Iron Chef threads she should AT LEAST be able to post in that thread. It's a little silly that she has to go through people. I dont think anyone would have a problem w/ that. NT?

[manUfan]

FREE MRS. UTAH

[Mermade]

CSC--

As I said, I've never worked with collard greens. That's why I asked rather than just declaring they were overcooked. I preface here... Honest question I did some searching and there are preparations of collard greens that are similar to spinach, mustard greens and other greens. I see that they remove the tough stems. For example:



In this whole foods recipe the leaves of the greens are cooked for 5 minutes or so until tender. Why would one want to include the tough stems and cook the greens upwards of 30 minutes? I stand by my assertion that the loss of color is unappetizing. I might speculate that it is just traditional, maybe coming from the fact that in the past such waste as tossing out the tough stems would be unheard of. Is there a loss of flavor that needs to be added back in when you cook greens this long? Is there a loss of texture elsewhere, for instance are the stems tender but there is mushiness in the leaves? I don't mind being put in my place about collard greens. I have already stated my complete ignorance. I just want to know more about them, because this preparation runs counter to my knowledge and intuitions about other greens.

[katyseagull]

[ QUOTE ]
She told me that she pm'ed NT! for just that, permission to post in Iron Chef threads only, and he didn't reply.

[/ QUOTE ]

I think mods should reply to their PMs.