Catchall Food Thread

[Uncle-A]

Must be their kid's size sandwich or I am getting to used to Harold's.

It was a good size sandwich and yes it is not Harold's but nothing else is like Harold's. The Harold's sandwich is big enough for two or more adults. It has been a while since I was in Harold's, I heard it is different since Covid. I have to get back there soon because they have great corned beef.

 

[Philpug]

Some food that feeds the soul, matzo ball soup and chopped liver.

 

[KingGrump]

Need some schmaltz for the chop liver.

 

[Philpug]

Need some schmaltz for the chop liver.

I was thinking of making gribenes.

 

[Tony S]

View attachment 213312
Some food that feeds the soul, matzo ball soup and chopped liver.

That food is so ugly it must be authentic.

 

[Philpug]

That food is so ugly it must be authentic.

With a name like "100 Nuns and Orphans Screaming in Pain" it must be good.

 

[KingGrump]

I was thinking of making gribenes.

That's a good idea.
Toke apart a fresh pullet to make a fortifying chicken soup for Mamie. Got tons of chicken skin left. Have to work it into the lobster dinner though.

 

[Uncle-A]

The last of my Jersey Tomatoes, stuffed with tuna salad. Yum.

 

[wallyk]

The last of my Jersey Tomatoes, stuffed with tuna salad. Yum.

Respect.

 

[Uncle-A]

What does the community thing about using packaged foods past their expectation date? If you do use them how far past the date do you feel acceptable?

 

[dbostedo]

What does the community thing about using packaged foods past their expectation date? If you do use them how far past the date do you feel acceptable?

My take:

• Many dates that people call "expiration" dates are really just "use by" or "best by" dates. In that case it's just the date the manufacturer says you should probably not use after. It won't do anything bad to you if you use it past that date, provided there's no obvious problem with the product. It just might not be at its best.
• For things that actually have expiration dates (i.e. they spoil, or could be bad for you) I generally go with my nose, or taste... generally speaking, no matter how far it is past the expiration date, if it smells and tastes normal, it's fine
  • I've gotten as much as 2 weeks more on milk if it's kept very cold and not frequently opened or moved between temperatures
  • OTOH, I've had things like lunch meat go bad well before they are "supposed" to - probably because they've gotten warmer and been rechilled a couple of times in the course of use

 

[Paul Lutes]

My take:

• Many dates that people call "expiration" dates are really just "use by" or "best by" dates. In that case it's just the date the manufacturer says you should probably not use after. It won't do anything bad to you if you use it past that date, provided there's no obvious problem with the product. It just might not be at its best.
• For things that actually have expiration dates (i.e. they spoil, or could be bad for you) I generally go with my nose, or taste... generally speaking, no matter how far it is past the expiration date, if it smells and tastes normal, it's fine
  • I've gotten as much as 2 weeks more on milk if it's kept very cold and not frequently opened or moved between temperatures
  • OTOH, I've had things like lunch meat go bad well before they are "supposed" to - probably because they've gotten warmer and been rechilled a couple of times in the course of use

..... especially uncured lunch meat.

 

[Jersey Skier]

What does the community thing about using packaged foods past their expectation date? If you do use them how far past the date do you feel acceptable?

Lol. Just had a new fridge delivered yesterday. As I'm moving the various bottles form fridge to cooler and back to fridge I kept asking my wife: "2022 ok on this?" Sure, she says. "2021 on this one?" "Still good." "2020?" "maybe." Me. "so is there any real cutoff date?" "It depends."

 

[dbostedo]

Lol. Just had a new fridge delivered yesterday. As I'm moving the various bottles form fridge to cooler and back to fridge I kept asking my wife: "2022 ok on this?" Sure, she says. "2021 on this one?" "Still good." "2020?" "maybe." Me. "so is there any real cutoff date?" "It depends."

That reminds me of one other thing I use, in addition to smell or taste... color.

Sometimes things have changed color, and I don't bother to smell or taste them! Salad dressing is one of these - I've had bottles I've pulled out of the fridge that had gotten noticeably darker in color. I didn't bother seeing how they smelled or tasted.

 

[Jersey Skier]

That reminds me of one other thing I use, in addition to smell or taste... color.

Sometimes things have changed color, and I don't bother to smell or taste them! Salad dressing is one of these - I've had bottles I've pulled out of the fridge that had gotten noticeably darker in color. I didn't bother seeing how they smelled or tasted.

I counted 9 open jars of mustard. Every nationality was covered. Apparently color would be tough for any Asian sauce. They were all in dark bottles. This could explain why some meals taste far superior than others.

 

[dbostedo]

This could explain why some meals taste far superior than others.

That reminded me of another one! I usually leave butter (salted butter, which matters) out on the counter in a rubber-sealed butter dish. And usually I use it all up without issue. BUT, sometimes I don't use it quickly enough (within a few weeks), and then things taste funny even if the butter still looks OK. Things taste a little sour, or metallic almost, and get trashed. And I don't usually smell or taste the butter before I use it if it looks OK - though I've started giving it a sniff if I think it's getting old.

 

[Jersey Skier]

That reminded me of another one! I usually leave butter (salted butter, which matters) out on the counter in a rubber-sealed butter dish. And usually I use it all up without issue. BUT, sometimes I don't use it quickly enough (within a few weeks), and then things taste funny even if the butter still looks OK. Things taste a little sour, or metallic almost, and get trashed. And I don't usually smell or taste the butter before I use it if it looks OK - though I've started giving it a sniff if I think it's getting old.

Any time my wife asks me to smell something she just took out of the fridge, I'm out. Might as well toss it. I get grossed out at the thought of what it might smell like.

 

[dbostedo]

I think anything so old that it might smell really rank gets tossed without any testing from me too. I don't tend to keep too much around that long unused though.

 

[KingGrump]

Apparently color would be tough for any Asian sauce. They were all in dark bottles.

Not all Asian sauces come in dark bottles. Often, the sauce is dark and it colors the clear bottle. Then there is the orange color Thai sweet and sour sauce that comes in a clear glass bottle.

Any time my wife asks me to smell something she just took out of the fridge, I'm out. Might as well toss it. I get grossed out at the thought of what it might smell like.

Bad move. You know if you don't smell it, she will just cook it and feed it to you.

 

[cantunamunch]

giving it a sniff if I think it's getting old.

Anyone else hating on 'natural' snacks for this reason?

It's like every third Larabar is nothing short of rancid. Yuck. Waste of good cherries AND cashews. The apple ones are even worse.