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‘Perpetual broths’ that simmer for decades

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Re: ‘Perpetual broths’ that simmer for decades

#161

Post by gfaure »

notfromhere wrote: post #87
jasonwatkinspdx wrote: post #73

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I haven't had it personally, but one of my SO's tried a famous "perpetual stew" when in France and we talked about it at one point. Her description kinda matched what I'd expect from braises that I've let go to long: you end up with bland mush. I think there's a reason very few restaurants serve this style of dish, and it's not because of health codes. We live in an era of insane abundance compared to the medeivil an…

It's a romantic notion but if you simmer anything for too long it'll just be generic food water at some point

How does this make any sense? The longer you simmer something, the more concentrated the remaining material becomes.

Re: ‘Perpetual broths’ that simmer for decades

#162

Post by jasonwatkinspdx »

gfaure wrote: post #161
notfromhere wrote: post #87

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's a romantic notion but if you simmer anything for too long it'll just be generic food water at some point

How does this make any sense? The longer you simmer something, the more concentrated the remaining material becomes.

Volatile flavor compounds boil off as well.

Re: ‘Perpetual broths’ that simmer for decades

#163

Post by mithr »

Enrique Olvera, the chef of Pujol in Mexico City, has a dish that's just two kids of mole: one freshly made today, and one from a batch that was started the day the restaurant started, and has evolved each day since then. When I visited, it at day ~2000. The taste of both, the the contrast between them, is really quite remarkable.

Re: ‘Perpetual broths’ that simmer for decades

#164

Post by HarryHirsch »

jacquesm wrote: post #65
TuringNYC wrote: post #20

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Perhaps i'm geeking this out too much, but I guess it depends on ingress-vs-egress and drawdown....but...doesn't including nearly spoiling food risk the whole stew going bad in a few days? Or do the constant simmer prevent that?

Before refrigeration people were a lot less picky about what was considered spoiled food. One of my grandmothers would never look at the dates, but just trusted her eyes, nose and tongue as to whether something was fit for consumption or not, regardless of how much it was past the 'best before' date.

It works most of the time, but not always, traditions around food are important. Rice is particularly insidious, rice grains carry Bacillus cereus spores that germinate after cooking. The trouble is that that particular bug grows at fridge temperatures and generates a heat-stable exotoxin. Any prepared rice older than 24 hours has the potential to give you really roaring diarrhea, even if it doesn't taste off.

Re: ‘Perpetual broths’ that simmer for decades

#166

Post by jacquesm »

HarryHirsch wrote: post #164
jacquesm wrote: post #65

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Before refrigeration people were a lot less picky about what was considered spoiled food. One of my grandmothers would never look at the dates, but just trusted her eyes, nose and tongue as to whether something was fit for consumption or not, regardless of how much it was past the 'best before' date.

It works most of the time, but not always, traditions around food are important. Rice is particularly insidious, rice grains carry Bacillus cereus spores that germinate after cooking. The trouble is that that particular bug grows at fridge temperatures and generates a heat-stable exotoxin. Any prepared rice older than 24 hours has the potential to give you really roaring diarrhea, even if it doesn't taste off.

Good tip, thank you!

Re: ‘Perpetual broths’ that simmer for decades

#168

Post by ShredKazoo »

HarryHirsch wrote: post #164
jacquesm wrote: post #65

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Before refrigeration people were a lot less picky about what was considered spoiled food. One of my grandmothers would never look at the dates, but just trusted her eyes, nose and tongue as to whether something was fit for consumption or not, regardless of how much it was past the 'best before' date.

It works most of the time, but not always, traditions around food are important. Rice is particularly insidious, rice grains carry Bacillus cereus spores that germinate after cooking. The trouble is that that particular bug grows at fridge temperatures and generates a heat-stable exotoxin. Any prepared rice older than 24 hours has the potential to give you really roaring diarrhea, even if it doesn't taste off.

Wait so even if rice goes directly from the cooker to the refrigerator, it should be eaten within 24 hours? I break this rule all the time, no diarrhea yet

Re: ‘Perpetual broths’ that simmer for decades

#169

Post by twelve40 »

ShredKazoo wrote: post #168
HarryHirsch wrote: post #164

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It works most of the time, but not always, traditions around food are important. Rice is particularly insidious, rice grains carry Bacillus cereus spores that germinate after cooking. The trouble is that that particular bug grows at fridge temperatures and generates a heat-stable exotoxin. Any prepared rice older than 24 hours has the potential to give you really roaring diarrhea, even if it doesn't taste off.

Wait so even if rice goes directly from the cooker to the refrigerator, it should be eaten within 24 hours? I break this rule all the time, no diarrhea yet

yeah, weird... i reheat leftover rice all the time, both plain or say pilaf leftovers, and haven't had any problems yet...

Re: ‘Perpetual broths’ that simmer for decades

#170

Post by RalfWausE »

Anecdote: As i started my career in the world of IT in the early 00s at a local internet provider (started out as a BBS an did grow really good) where of one of the founders was rumored that he did never cleaned his mug since the early 80s, at least from the optic of the mug (and his office, which was the stereotypical hacker cave with empty pizza boxes etc.) i was tempted to believe it.
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