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[Osmosis Jones]

So, I've recently become curious about cilantro and how different people taste it.

Supposedly there's a genetic effect on whether it tastes pleasently herby or hideously soapy/metallic to a given person. Seems I'm in the latter group. The first time I really encountered it was in a soup at a Thai/Vietnamese restaurant, and for a while I was genuinely wondering if they'd somehow accidentally left some kind of strong chemical detergent in the bowl when they put the soup in. The whole thing was strongly infused with a soapy, chemically taste which drowned out almost all the other flavours. I only realized after a few more encounters that it was because of the cilantro. Sucks because I actually really like Thai/Vietnamese food apart from that.

Just curious if it tastes like that to anyone else, and if anyone likes it despite it. Maybe it can be an acquired taste. :/

I have the same problem. I still find a use for it; in small amounts the soapiness isn't apparent, and the freshness of the coriander can help the dish. That said, in those dishes that use it as a central ingredient...

Strangely, I don't have any such problem with powdered coriander and coriander seeds.

[Blargityblarg]

So, I've recently become curious about cilantro and how different people taste it.

Supposedly there's a genetic effect on whether it tastes pleasently herby or hideously soapy/metallic to a given person. Seems I'm in the latter group. The first time I really encountered it was in a soup at a Thai/Vietnamese restaurant, and for a while I was genuinely wondering if they'd somehow accidentally left some kind of strong chemical detergent in the bowl when they put the soup in. The whole thing was strongly infused with a soapy, chemically taste which drowned out almost all the other flavours. I only realized after a few more encounters that it was because of the cilantro. Sucks because I actually really like Thai/Vietnamese food apart from that.

Just curious if it tastes like that to anyone else, and if anyone likes it despite it. Maybe it can be an acquired taste. :/

I have the same problem. I still find a use for it; in small amounts the soapiness isn't apparent, and the freshness of the coriander can help the dish. That said, in those dishes that use it as a central ingredient...

Strangely, I don't have any such problem with powdered coriander and coriander seeds.

Powdered coriander is the root of the plant, it'd not be too surprising if it didn't have any of the one soapy-tasting compound

[VerdantSF]

I haven't heard of powdered coriander from the root of the plant, but it sounds interesting.  The powdered coriander that I'm familiar with is from the seeds, but yeah, totally different part of the plant with different flavor compounds from the leaves.  I didn't even know they were from the same plant until I started cooking Indian food a lot.

[penguinofhonor]

I tried to make whole wheat waffles yesterday and completely botched them. They were bland, soggy with butter, and the line between "cooked perfectly" and "nasty burnt crap" was really hard to find.

Clearly I have to try this again. If you've got a whole wheat waffle recipe that you know works, I'd love to hear it.

[VerdantSF]

Dang, now I want waffles, but I don't have a waffle iron . 

Tonight, I dug out the sack of potatoes again.  This time, I paired it with tempeh to make an Indian-Indonesian fusion curry.

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Tempeh Potato Curry with Golden Sesame Rice

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

[Osmosis Jones]

Tempeh Potato Curry with Golden Sesame Rice

Oooh, looks good. What do you do for the rice? Turmeric and sesame?

[VerdantSF]

What do you do for the rice? Turmeric and sesame?

Yup! Turmeric, black sesame seeds, toasted sesame oil, and a bit of soy sauce.

[penguinofhonor]

Dang, now I want waffles, but I don't have a waffle iron .

My waffle iron is probably one of the best purchases I've ever made.

If you ever get one, here's my basic waffle recipe (based on this):

Plain Waffles
The secret to good plain waffles is cinnamon. If you're not mixing in blueberries or chocolate chips or something, you need to get some flavor into them. I also prefer my waffles a little sweet, hence the extra sugar. If you want plainer waffles, I'd still recommend brown sugar because it helps the consistency.

2 cups all purpose white flour
1.5 tbsp white sugar
1.5 tbsp brown sugar
4 teaspoons baking powder
0.25 tsp salt
2 tsp ground cinnamon
0.5 tsp ground nutmeg

1.75 cups milk, room temperature* (buttermilk is preferable)
0.5 tsp vanilla extract
0.5 cups butter, softened or melted (you can probably use less if you use a high-fat milk)
2 eggs, room temperature*

Whisk together all dry ingredients. After they're evenly mixed, add milk, eggs, butter, and vanilla. Mix thoroughly and let sit for five minutes. While you're waiting, you should probably get a head start on the next step.

Prepare and preheat your waffle maker. Once it's fully heated, add the batter (you should know how much your waffle maker can handle) and let the waffles cook. Your waffle maker should start steaming. After a minute the steam should start decreasing. Once only a little bit of steam is escaping, your waffles are done and should be deliciously crispy. Ignore any lights your waffle maker has, because your waffle maker is probably lying to you. I know mine lies to me all the time.

*The milk/eggs being room temperature isn't absolutely crucial, but if they're too cold then they can solidify the butter which can make your life harder. To ignore this problem, use vegetable oil instead of butter, but butter is awesome so you shouldn't.

[VerdantSF]

My waffle iron is probably one of the best purchases I've ever made.

If you ever get one, here's my basic waffle recipe (based on this)

Cool, thanks!  What brand/type of waffle iron do you have?

[Jopax]

So with the onset of THE WINTER in most of the world (but not here, we got fucking spring weather here) I was wondering, what produce if any do you guys make/consume?

My family didn't do much of it up until recently when for some reason my mother started making boatloads of this stuff (I guess she's just at that age when it turns into a hobby), several kinds of jams, pickled beets (by far my favourite), ajvar, pickled/winter salad, and recently, she's started experimenting with homemade cheeses (that she buys from some old lady living in the nearby mountains), putting them in oil or salting and stuffing into a jar. So far the results are mixed. Oil ones aren't strong enough I thing for my tastes (she used young cheese, and from what I've tasted before, older harder cheeses are best because they have a much stronger flavour), while the jar stuffed one is pretty damn awesome, especially if you let it sit for a while (which we didn't do with the first jar, that one was gone in less then a week :C )

[VerdantSF]

Lots of root veggies.  Roasted root veggies is one of my favorite things to eat in the winter.  I've never tried pickled beets, but sounds interesting.

[GiglameshDespair]

I've never tried pickled beets, but sounds interesting.

Don't do it, they're horrible.

For cold weather you need good, meaty stews.

[Bauglir]

Pickled beets? Horrible? Have I somehow found myself in Bizarro World?

[Avis-Mergulus]

So with the onset of THE WINTER in most of the world (but not here, we got fucking spring weather here) I was wondering, what produce if any do you guys make/consume?

Well, nothing special really, but I do like me some mulled wine when it's cold - it being the only alcoholic beverage I ever drink.
Strangely enough, Mother Russia (Moscow, at least) had nearly no snow on New Year. It's kind of a letdown.

[Bauglir]

Oh, also, as for produce, I eat what I do all year - carrots, onions, celery, mushrooms, garlic, broccoli, spinach, and mustard leaves (if I can get them) or otherwise kale. The first three, in particular, are a fantastic base for a warm, heavy meal, and are also the cheapest. Fried, they go well in just about any savory meal that doesn't already include them, as far as I can tell. Much recommend.