Food

I knocked up his beef and black bean dish tonight... Delicious...

Never used fermented black beans before, always used canned... They are gorgeous... Also fallen back in love with white peppercorns, such a massive kick and a wonderful perfume...

I sometimes use sundried tomatoes in salads or other dished, but most of the time I find those pre-marinated ones way too salt. I want to do some myself and I guess I could easily come up with a simple recipe, but I'd like to know if there are any particularly good ones out there.

I'd like a recipe with not a lot of salt involved. I know that the drying process of the tomatoes involves salt, but don't know if they usually add salt to the marinade as well. If the salty taste just comes from the sundried tomatoes itself, reckon I could soak or rinse them in water for a while before I put them on oil and herbs, or would the water-oil repelling effect screw this idea?

You don't need any great amount of salt- I'm 99.9% sure it's just a seasoning, not anything else. Though I won't say this is definate, as I've never actually tried without- never thought to. Just use a tiny iddy biddy bit of salt, and find them a warm spot. Personally, I like to marinade with orange juice, white balsamic (or a good black balsamic),garlic, thyme, best olive oil I can find, and the tiniest bit of pepper. Whatever you do, get something sharp in there- it brings out the sweetness. But you can do this after drying them, to taste.

Made some pretty good tofu last night, compressed, tossed in seasoned flower and pan-fried, might be my new favourite cheap, relatively healthy midweek staple

I dont call anything made of soy beans healthy.

Why are you dissing soy beans? Do you think it makes you look hard?

I think it is supposed to affect your dude levels. I am a dude. I eat TVP and tofu all of the time. I am a total sissy with weak arms. QED.

Also your opinions on GMO food probably affect how healthy you feel soy is.

unless you eat organic soy?

;-)

unless you eat organic soy?

Organic soy still has high levels of phytoestrogen and still is probably GMO. If you care about that. I don't and I am pretty sure real studies show that phytoestrogen has no effect on dude stuff.

;-)

Tofu is eaten with pork hella much. Ma po tofu for example, or lots of korean foods http://www.koreanbapsang.com/2010/10/dubu-kimchi-tofu-with-stir-fried-kimchi.html#.U1rQtGSSx2k

There was a place called "Tofu House" by my old work. When I went there I was vegetarian and couldn't eat anything but rice.

tossed in seasoned flower

'I like flowers.'

boy that escalated quickly

Much tofu defence...

Organic soy still has high levels of phytoestrogen and still is probably GMO. If you care about that. I don't and I am pretty sure real studies show that phytoestrogen has no effect on dude stuff.

There is a school of thought that suggests pyhtoestrogen is less potent than real oestrogen, that in binding to the same receptors, it blocks real oestrogen, so in fact giving you a theoretical boost in manhood by decreasing your womanhood. I CBA to dig up research to verify if its true though. But this is how Clomid (female fertility drug) works, which is taken by men with hypogonadism or gyno.

But Soy, just like other legumes is loaded with "anti nutrients" which not only interferes with absorbing the nutrients in the legume itself, but also removes other nutrients from your digestive tract and has potentially problematic interactions with structures in your body and immune system.

Cultures that depended on legumes as a staple, somehow intuitively developed preparation methods to mitigate most of these issues. With Soy this is largely by fermentation. With other things it can be sprouting or soaking at warm temperatures where the in built phytase enzyme has a chance to break down this other stuff.

Also, FYI - there are phytoestrogens in almost all fruit & vegetables! but legumes like soy are particularly high.

http://www.paleoforwomen.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/phytoestrogens_1_13.pdf

Flax seed is said to have 3x as much as soy though, and some people. Often vegetarians who are already loaded up on soy and other legumes take flaxseed oil as a health supplement!

Yeah, there are some weird studies too. Here is one http://www.clinsci.org/cs/100/0613/cs1000613.htm

They measured testosterone levels, ball sizes, ejaculate quality and other stuff. Not a shocker that there wasn't much difference.

They may eat some fermented soy in Asia but tofu isn't fermented except in Taiwan. If you ever get an opportunity to try this Taiwanese delicacy, by all means do it but shave your beard first. http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/08/05/us-taiwan-tofu-idUSBRE97403X20130805

Shameless plug for my friend, she's running a pop-up burger restaurant in Lower Clapton on Tuesday. I can guarantee they are EPIC:

BYOB (offie downstairs).
https://www.facebook.com/events/787991811211868

The people who do Streetfeast in Dalston are opening up the abandoned Model Market in Lewisham centre for 15 weekends from June.

http://brockleycentral.blogspot.co.uk/2014/04/street-feast-lewisham-modelmarket.html

Mrs Hell and i went to this place last night. stuck below a grim looking chain hotel off walworth road in E&C, the only indication that it even exists is the poorly potatochopped sandwich board outside. amply ticks my 'never eat out at any place or eat anything you can make yourself at home' rule.

never had ceviche before - what a fucking revelation! i can still taste it aaahrhrhhhhrurhhh...

What shape are those plates?

#sckbrn

oof! right in the lima beans.

Shameless plug for my friend, she's running a pop-up burger restaurant in Lower Clapton on Tuesday. I can guarantee they are EPIC:

BYOB (offie downstairs).
https://www.facebook.com/events/787991811211868

Looks incredible. The place downstairs is ace too (for another day).
If anyone is ever in Nottingham- Tarn Thai is just excellent value at lunch. Mmm.

Also- parents bought me some biltong from Snoggy's in Putney- if you're a biltong fan- I think its the best.

beef biltong

unless it's not, in which case... whar is?

Well I've some kudu as well, but yeah, you get what you can here...
Its fresh and piri-piri-y. Idgaf.