What New Foods Have You Tried?: Like It? Hate It? Share Here!

[annzeepark914]

4 hours ago, Anela said:

https://www.instagram.com/p/C-qaxjTOMsA/

The cucumber guy. 

I read this yesterday in the NYT. He was writing about people like me. I cut my pinkie *badly* one night while slicing cucumbers on a handheld mandolin. My husband was at the airport picking up company so I had to drive myself to the ER (thank God we live 1.5 miles from a hospital & I only had to drive through 2 neighborhoods). I bought the mesh glove & use it whenever I get out the mandolin or whenever I use my new chef's knife (that has already nicked me 🥴) How do professional cooks chop/slice so fast without killing themselves?

[EtheltoTillie]

20 hours ago, annzeepark914 said:

I read this yesterday in the NYT. He was writing about people like me. I cut my pinkie *badly* one night while slicing cucumbers on a handheld mandolin. My husband was at the airport picking up company so I had to drive myself to the ER (thank God we live 1.5 miles from a hospital & I only had to drive through 2 neighborhoods). I bought the mesh glove & use it whenever I get out the mandolin or whenever I use my new chef's knife (that has already nicked me 🥴) How do professional cooks chop/slice so fast without killing themselves?

Wear shoes in the kitchen, too, folks.  My husband dropped the chef's knife the other day and it went freakily point down into the top of his foot, leaving a big gash.  I ran to the pharmacy and got this blood stopping powder, which was helpful.  I recommend keeping it in the house.  I also had to buy a lot of gauze. 

In answer to your question about professional cooks, apparently they cut and burn themselves all the time, but it's part of the job, badge of honor, etc.  Dumb.  Even though they know the safe techniques for holding the food and so on.  I avoid using a mandolin unless really necessary.  I have used it for cucumber salad, so thanks for the warning.  I love those Asian cucumber pickles.

[annzeepark914]

@EtheltoTillie Get the mesh glove (to wear on the hand that's holding the cucumber). I ordered mine from Amazon. I love cucumber salads...Swedish or Thai 😊.

[chessiegal]

All the mandolins I've owned come with a guard. I always use the guard when using the mandolin. I was watching ATK recently where they were cautioning about using a mandolin. I was yelling at the tv - use the damn guard!!! I've never cut myself using a mandolin with the guard.

[Ancaster]

Target's Good and Gather Bite-Sized Everything Seasoned Crackers, with a picture of little crackers covered in seeds and an everything bagel.  Ingredients on the front of the package are given as caraway seeds, garlic, onion, poppy seeds and sesame seeds.  So, savoury, right?  Wrong.  I had one and it was sweet, sweet, sweet and I was so shocked I almost spat it out.  Revolting.  The entire box minus one cracker went in the trash.

(I also just noticed that the "best if used by" date was June 24th, 2024 - I bought the box no more than a couple of weeks ago.)

Edited September 4 by Ancaster

[Browncoat]

15 hours ago, Ancaster said:

(I also just noticed that the "best if used by" date was June 24th, 2024 - I bought the box no more than a couple of weeks ago.)

If you still have your receipt, take it and the box back to Target and get a refund. 

[Ancaster]

2 hours ago, Browncoat said:

If you still have your receipt, take it and the box back to Target and get a refund. 

I thought about it, but for a couple of dollars it's not really worth the bother.  It's not that taking it back would make any difference.  I'm more likely to write to corporate, where someone  might actually read my comments.

[chessiegal]

I often buy prepackaged small salads that I add a lot of stuff to making them a good meal salad. The other week I opened one up that I had bought the day before, it was the day it was marked "use by" date, and the greens were spoiled. I thought about taking it back to the store to get my $4.49 back. I decided it wasn't worth the 10-mile round trip when I had no other reason to go out. I'm extra careful now looking at both use by date and the product itself when it's something fresh like greens.

[isalicat]

3 hours ago, chessiegal said:

I often buy prepackaged small salads that I add a lot of stuff to making them a good meal salad. The other week I opened one up that I had bought the day before, it was the day it was marked "use by" date, and the greens were spoiled. I thought about taking it back to the store to get my $4.49 back. I decided it wasn't worth the 10-mile round trip when I had no other reason to go out. I'm extra careful now looking at both use by date and the product itself when it's something fresh like greens.

Those pre-packaged salads go bad so fast that they are by far the most volume donated item that my food pantry gets from the local supermarkets. On Fridays we are eager to get rid of everything perishable as we are not open on the weekends and want to clear the refrigerators for our Monday morning intake, and we generally have lots of those pre-packaged salads with the use by date still the next day and you can see the greens on the bottom are already all slimey and uneatable! Fortunately we have a "friend of the pantry" with goats (goats eat *anything*) so we empty the contents into a big sack and he comes and takes it away every two days...nothing goes to waste at my pantry! Check the bottom of the container before you buy - if you see anything suspicious, don't buy and if you can't see through to check, definitely don't buy! 😺

[chessiegal]

I definitely check the bottom now. I bought one today with a use by date of September 13. The greens look fresh, and I'll be using it tomorrow.

[Ancaster]

1 hour ago, chessiegal said:

I definitely check the bottom now. I bought one today with a use by date of September 13. The greens look fresh, and I'll be using it tomorrow.

I buy a lot of these salads also, especially the spring mix type.  I find that if they contain those leaves that are dark green with dark red ends, those go slimy really quickly.  The only time that doesn't happen for me is if I go to the farmers' market and can get the truly local stuff.

[Anela]

I don't like most sparkling water drinks, or kombucha, but I've tried Kevita before. I've just tried their sparkling lemonade with prebiotics - Mango flavour - and I really like it.