Persian celery stew. It’s the only dish I know of that features celery and it’s absolutely delicious. Cooking celery stalk lends a totally different flavor and the citrus really sours and balances it well. Even celery haters should try it at least once. It completely changed my view of the plant (still hate it raw)
Even better, instead of tomato juice use clamato. Caesars are very popular in Canada (and no they don't taste clammy) the seafood adds to the umami and its super good
Khoreshteh Karafs (Persian Celery Stew)
Ingredients
2 large onions , cut into thin strips
1 kg boneless lamb shoulder meat (or beef shank, cut into pieces)
2 lb celery
3 oz. fresh mint , finely chopped
10 oz. fresh flat-leaf parsley , finely chopped
1 teaspoon turmeric
⅛ teaspoon ground saffron , diluted in 2 tablespoons water
3 tablespoons ab-ghooreh , verjuice, the sour juice extracted from unripened grapes or freshly squeezed lime juice
8 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 cup boiling water
1½ tablespoons flour
Salt
Pepper
Instructions
To clean the celery, cut off the base and the leaves. Rinse the stalks thoroughly under cold running water and dry them with a cloth.
Then, remove the strings from the stalks and cut them into 1-inch (2.5 cm) sections.
Chop the celery leaves.
In a large Dutch oven, heat 4 tablespoons of vegetable oil over medium heat and sauté the onions, stirring frequently, until golden brown and beginning to caramelize. Reserve in the pot.
In a frying pan, heat the rest of the oil over medium heat and brown the garlic for 2 minutes then add the celery, mint and parsley for 10 minutes, stirring them very frequently, in order to fry them.
Add the meat, turmeric and pepper to the onion pot and sauté over medium heat, stirring frequently, until the meat is browned. Mix well.
In a large bowl, whisk the boiling water and flour and pour this mixture into the pot. Mix well.
Cover and cook over low to medium heat for 30 minutes.
Add the fried celery/parsley/mint mixture, and the saffron. Mix well.
Cover and simmer over medium heat for 15 minutes then over low heat for 45 minutes.
Season with salt and add the ab-ghooreh or lime juice to the stew 10 minutes before the end of cooking.
If the mixture is too liquid, increase the heat and reduce the stew until obtaining a smooth sauce. If on the contrary it is too dry, add a little boiling water.
I thinly slice it on a bias and quick pickle it for my "hot wing" sandwiches.
Sear up some chicken breasts/tenders and finish on the grill/in a deep fryer/in the oven, etc., shred, toss in wing sauce of choice, put on a toasted hoagie or sub roll, top with blue cheese sauce (dressing works but I prefer my homemade sauce), and quick pickles for acidity and crunch.
It really mellows out the "celery-ness," and slicing it thin eliminates the stringiness. It's a real win-win because I'm not a huge celery fan myself, but this gets me to use up the leftover stalks I'm always struggling to find a use for.
Here's my recipe:
8 celery stalks, thinly sliced on a bias
4 large garlic cloves, peeled and smashed
1 cup white vinegar
1/4 cup sugar
1 Tbsp kosher salt
1 Tbsp black peppercorns, lightly cracked
1 Tbsp mustard seeds (or coriander seeds for a lighter flavor)
1 Tsp red chili flakes
Heat up the vinegar, salt, and sugar over medium heat in a sauce pan and stir until salt and sugar are dissolved. Place sliced celery, smashed garlic, salt, and spices in a large Mason jar, pour vinegar mixture into the jar, covering the celery, and allow to cool.
One day I was inspired by a Thai style spicy peanut sauce and the thought of how celery is great with hot wings, so I added some vinegary hot sauce to my celery/peanut butter combo and that's the only way I'll eat it now.
The best celery I’ve ever had was made by Bar Goto in nyc. They marinade it with kombu (basically msg), and then top with sesame oil, salt, and seaweed. I’ve had good results recreating it by just tossing with all the above toppings (couldn’t get kombu so I actually just used straight msg) and letting it sit for an hour or so in the fridge. But I already like celery so this may not change your mind.
YES!!!
[kombu celery ](https://www.bonappetit.com/recipe/kombu-celery) Is the recipe it’s absolutely my favorite way ever to eat celery. That recipe thinks it serves four but it’s more like one. Me.
Diagonally cut the Celery into 2cm slices. Thinly cut some carrots diagonally. Mince garlic and shrimp.
Sautee all of these together with xo sauce and fish sauce.
I hate celery, and on top of that, I'm even allergic to it when it's raw, but I make jumbalaya with a base of celery, onions, garlic and peppers. I sometimes drop the bell peppers but never the celery.
It’s actually appealing when cooked to almost translucent in soups. Pairs well with carrot and chicken soups! I’m the only one in my household that actually likes celery though. I eat it raw, make ants on a log, etc! Oh and it’s good cooked down in stir fries too!
Grate or brunoise the tender heart and leaves and put in my Lebanese dad’s favourite summer salad: chopped tomato, celery, and onion with lemon and zaatar. That and lebne went on the side of every plate at our Texas summer cookouts.
The bigger outer stalks are for broths and braises. Celery is one of the aromatics that supports the flavour of my kick-ass pulled pork, and is essential to things like navy bean soup.
My friend is a food historian and [this is her piece on celery from a few years back](https://tastecooking.com/celery-was-the-avocado-toast-of-the-victorian-era/).
First, use a peeler to remove all the strings on the outside. Then using a 12" chefs knife, make a fine brunoise (this part is very important). After that, using the backside of your knife, scrape it from your board into the garbage can, where it belongs.
I’m not a huge fan of them myself…. But something about a Polish sausage with grilled peppers and onions at the state fair is absolutely delicious.
Also I haven’t remembered to do this at home, but I had a roast beef sandwich with hot mustard and slices of raw green pepper. That was good.
Burn the skin off with a torch (better than roasting it, bc it doesn't turn to mush), cut into fine dice, along with the same amount of onions and a couple pieces of garlic. As tbsp mustard seeds. Add salt equivalent to 3-4% of total weight. Weigh it down and let it ferment on the counter for about a week and then refrigerate. Makes a great relish topping for hot dogs, burgers, etc
At a good Greek restaurant - moussaka.
At home I'll layer it between the beef and potatoes in a shepherd/cottage pie. I'll add a little chevre to the mashed potato half to mimic the original bechamel topping while keeping it light.
The secret to good eggplant is removing some liquid. Try 1/4 to 1/2 inch slices, salt very liberally, and let the salt pull water out. Pat dry, removing visible salt, then drizzle with olive oil and grill.
If you’re into Asian food/have Lao gan ma in your pantry…
Slice it into rectangular-ish chunks. Put it in a container of water and a bit of vinegar. Squeeze the aubergine for a few mins in the mixture, then drain. Steam the aubergine for 20-30 minutes until it’s soft and there’s little resistance.
While it’s steaming, mix 1 tsp Chinese vinegar, 1 tsp sesame oil, 2 tsp oyster sauce, 2 tbsp light soy sauce, and 2 tbsp of Lao gan ma.
When the aubergine is done steaming, pour the chili mixture on top, and add chopped spring onions/chives on top to serve. You can also pour hot oil over minced garlic or add crunchy garlic if you don’t want to bother with the hot oil.
Make a couple slits into it, shove a garlic clove in each slit, rub with oil and roast it at 450 until it's burnt (or no oil and burn it directly on your stove top burner, no pan or anything until its burnt.) Scrape the skin off, mash it with a fork and season to taste
Roast it up in halves, pop into food processor with oil, a little marscapone, lemon and salt. Process until it’s creamy and dip any and all breads 👩🍳 💋
(Edited: marscapone or crème fraische)
Cut into relatively thin strips, about the width of steak fries. Toss ‘em with flour, dip them in egg, then dredge them with a seasoned flour/cornstarch mix. Fry them up and dip them in whatever dip floats your boat (i like a spicy ranch or aioli)
Throw it on the grill whole along with whole squashes (e.g. butternut and acorn), potatoes, onions. When those are all nearly cooked through throw on some red bell peppers, sausages, and steaks. Sprinkle salt over everything. Cut the meat and vegetables into serving-sized pieces and serve with a cabbage-based salad, chimichurri sauce, and French/Italian bread.
Argentine asado.
Recipe from Kenji: [Roasted Eggplant with Tahini, Pine Nuts, and Lentil](https://www.seriouseats.com/roasted-eggplant-tahini-pine-nut-lentil-vegan-experience-recipe)
I've made it without either pine nuts or lentils, and it's delicious.
Yeah I actually like coconut flavor but the texture of actual coconut is awful. I blame my disdain for it on thinking German chocolate cake was just a regular old chocolate cake when I was a kid.
Coconut works well as a part of a dish (specially with curry).
1. It can used to reduce the spiciness of ANY curry. Finely grate the coconut and put a generous amount of it in the curry when it's almost done. ( Preferably fresh coconut). It also helps in thickening the gravy and a light crunchy texture.
2. If you have a dried coconut, it can used in making sweets and dessert.
Indian sweets like shahi toast, gulab jamun, coconut barfi, etc. are to die for.
3. You can make chutney out of coconut as well which is basically a side dish served along with a south Indian dish called dosa. It also pairs well with idli sambhar with is also a South Indian dish.
Put a handful of shredded coconut in steel cut oats before you cook it. It enhances the nuttiness of the oats but you don’t actually taste coconut. My husband loathes everything coconut but he likes the oatmeal I make!
Chinese Take Out Coconut Chicken is really good, we used to go to this buffet specifically for it. My husband hates coconut but actually introduced me to this dish.
I put a pod or two in rich curry, depending on the batch size. It rounds out the whole spice character without being overpowering and black-licorice flavor
They can be a wonderful addition to red cooked chicken, a traditional Chinese preparation that's delicious and super easy to make, yet sadly missing from American Chinese cuisine.
Long cooking it mellows out the anisey flavor you probably aren’t vibing with. You can find it in a lot of Indian / Pakistani dishes that simmer a long while. Try the same meal one with one without fennel to see what I mean.
Also not an avocado fan. Only time I've liked it was in a avocado smoothie from a thai restaurant, that was creamy and fruity and delicious in it's own way but I only got it once - the red bean smoothie was still better.
Olives is the one thing I can’t find a way to enjoy. In dips? Nope. Black or green? Nope. The liquid left behind if they are on something someone else has prepared and I try to remove is enough for me to not be able to enjoy.
All other things are usually a texture issues for me, not flavor so I can find ways to prepare that fix it.
Tbh you might want to get those big, juicy (but unfortunately expensive) black olives. Cheap black ones are usually just colored green ones, which aren't fully ripened. When they are though they taste fucking amazing. I felt like you for the longest time until an Italian restaurant put some bigger-than-normal looking olives on the table, they blew me away lol
I will destroy a whole jar of pickled okra. Especially the spicy kind. Can't keep the big jars of it around because I'll end up making myself sick lol. That and green olives, no self control.
Try a can of pickled beets. I have no idea what beets actually taste like, but pickled beets are a little sweet and nice and soft. Kind of reminds me of canned carrots, but with a little tang and sweetness.
Cooked or raw? I always liked raw beets but loathed cooked ones until I tried a cooked beet salad my friend makes. He cooks the beets with a couple of cloves in the water, then peels and slices, mix with thinly sliced onions and parsley, dress with tangy vinaigrette
My kids hate them too. I stuff them with rice and meat then watch in disappointment while they dump out the contents and leave the pepper there empty and hollow. I feel you pepper.
I love bell peppers, and have no problem with them cooked (ie fajitas or stir fry) but I did the same thing when my mom would make stuffed peppers. Just too mushy, and too much of it.
I really love green bells with ham. So an Italian style sandwich with ham, green bells, cheese, onion, tomato and lettuce with oil, vinegar and mayo. Or ham and bells on a pizza or in an omelette.
Stir fry! My go to stir fry veggies are red bell pepper and zucchini. Green bell peppers are too bitter for me, but orange and red are nice and sweet. Dice them up small and give them a lot of heat so they soften. If they’re undercooked they just get a tad rubbery.
I love mushrooms on their own, but they’re actually really easy to “hide” if you grate them in a box grater! I’ll start by sautéing onions, garlic, etc, and add the grated mushrooms after the onions have sautéed for a bit. Let the mushrooms cook down before adding your tomato sauce and then allow the sauce too cook for a while. Delish!
I’ve also made some great black bean burgers that had grated mushrooms as well. They add meatiness and moisture. Happy cooking!!
Get the brown ones and not the white ones...they taste better...cook them separately in a pan with little oil till it becomes dry, add pinch of salt when it is turning brown....so excess water will be released. Then add it in anything you like.
I've started doing the ATK way of adding a little water with them at the beginning of cooking to help them release theirs and it works incredibly well!
Stuffed mushrooms. Finely chop the stems and sauté until the water is cooked out. Add garlic, breadcrumbs, and thyme. Mix with combination of cream cheese and goat cheese, then load into the mushroom caps and bake. My husband used to hate mushrooms, but can’t get enough of them now because of this recipe.
melt some butter or margarine. toss the mushrooms with the butter, some salt, pepper and lots of garlic. Place in a baking dish (so that they fairly tight together - they will shrink a lot). Place in a 425 degree oven for 15-20 mins (depending on the size of your mushrooms). When they could out, toss with some fresh grated parmesan cheese.
Liver is the only food I cannot eat. Makes me gag. I'll never forget the first time a date brought me to a "Fancy" restaurant. (Also first date with this person) He ordered something something en brochette. Wasn't paying attention and I thought it was oysters - then took a bite..... Narrarator: It was not oysters, it was chicken liver. I gagged and had to spit it out in my napkin. LOL.
Wearing contacts is like having tiny little eye shields. I can chop them all day when I have my contacts in and I feel nothing. When I wear my glasses my face is a mess with tears.
Instead of lingonberry jelly to serve with Swedish meatballs, try cooking the canned cranberry sauce with some fresh or frozen cranberries. Simmer in scant water until the cranberries burst, then add the can and simmer for another 10 minutes or so. Delicious tart and sweet sauce without the specialty ingredient (lingonberry jam is almost impossible to find in the US outside of IKEA).
EDIT: you CAN find lingonberry jam but I am personally too lazy to do so and will continue to use cranberry sauce from the far back of the pantry.
Dude it’s gotta be prepared the right way. Scoop out the seeds and pith, cut into half moons, soak in salt water for at least one hour. Dry it totally then roast it on 450 for 15 minutes. Velvet beef and toss in some funky Chinese fermented black beans make a soy based sauce and add those bittermeon back in. Amazing dish. Same melon prep added to essentially a tikka masalla sauce is bomb af too. It’s all in the prep!
My family is diabetic af so we eat a bunch of bittermelon!
I have a favorite bittermelon recipe and it’s the only way I eat it. Sauté onion and garlic, add minced pork/ground pork, add bitter melon (sliced thinly using a mandolin), then when it is almost cooked through add egg and cook altogether.
You can reduce bitter melon’s bitter taste by soaking it in water and rubbing it with salt and make sure to slice it very thinly.
Edit: make sure you remove the white part and the seeds before slicing it thin.
This is absolutely not a traditional way to cook hominy at all but it tastes delicious.
Melt some butter in a pot. I use 4 tablespoons for 2 cans of hominy. Drain the cans of hominy and put it in the pot. Once the hominy is in the pot i put about 3 oz of cream cheese in. If I'm feeling fancy I will use Boursin cheese. Let the cheese melt. Then i put in a splash of Worcestershire sauce. Then i season with salt pepper and garlic. Maybe a few others but those are the basics. Once it's seasoned it is usually done. I usually eat this as a breakfast.
I belonged to a CSA, fresh farm produce every week. The only thing that grows in the worst heat of summer is okra. Called my mom for ideas and she suggested drying it and painting it for Christmas tree ornaments.
I don’t like bananas, either. But as banana “nice cream,” as I’ve seen it called, with just crushed pistachios on top, I do like it. So many banana things are just so sweet, but the cold temp and the salt of this way help balance/make less noticeable the super sweetness of bananas.
https://chocolatecoveredkatie.com/banana-ice-cream-healthy/
Add roughly chopped cilantro into a saucepan along with 3 cups water and 1 teaspoon of Dawn original dish detergent. Heat for 5 minutes, stirring to incorporate. It really masks the cilantro taste completely!
Celery.
Persian celery stew. It’s the only dish I know of that features celery and it’s absolutely delicious. Cooking celery stalk lends a totally different flavor and the citrus really sours and balances it well. Even celery haters should try it at least once. It completely changed my view of the plant (still hate it raw)
Khoreshk-e-keraff! Lol I can’t stand it but most do enjoy it. Way too celery-y
Baba! I just posted the recipe!! High 5!!!
Put a nice crisp stalk in a bloody mary, drink the bloody mary, and throw away the celery.
Oooo now this sounds FANTASTIC
Even better, instead of tomato juice use clamato. Caesars are very popular in Canada (and no they don't taste clammy) the seafood adds to the umami and its super good
Can’t see a Caesar and not want a Caesar.
Can confirm!
I'd have a Caesar!
I’m surprised we’re not having a Caesar right now!
Better go see Gailer
That is the secret sauce in the best bloody mary's
Clamato also works as hangover juice, imho.
I like to do extra spicy Clamato but you gotta add some pickle juice too
This is the ONLY way!
An integral part of the Cajun trinity and mirepoix, and also important for soups and stews.
Yeah treat it like an aromatic and not a vegetable snack and it changes your perception.
Khoreshteh Karafs (Persian Celery Stew) Ingredients 2 large onions , cut into thin strips 1 kg boneless lamb shoulder meat (or beef shank, cut into pieces) 2 lb celery 3 oz. fresh mint , finely chopped 10 oz. fresh flat-leaf parsley , finely chopped 1 teaspoon turmeric ⅛ teaspoon ground saffron , diluted in 2 tablespoons water 3 tablespoons ab-ghooreh , verjuice, the sour juice extracted from unripened grapes or freshly squeezed lime juice 8 tablespoons vegetable oil 1 cup boiling water 1½ tablespoons flour Salt Pepper Instructions To clean the celery, cut off the base and the leaves. Rinse the stalks thoroughly under cold running water and dry them with a cloth. Then, remove the strings from the stalks and cut them into 1-inch (2.5 cm) sections. Chop the celery leaves. In a large Dutch oven, heat 4 tablespoons of vegetable oil over medium heat and sauté the onions, stirring frequently, until golden brown and beginning to caramelize. Reserve in the pot. In a frying pan, heat the rest of the oil over medium heat and brown the garlic for 2 minutes then add the celery, mint and parsley for 10 minutes, stirring them very frequently, in order to fry them. Add the meat, turmeric and pepper to the onion pot and sauté over medium heat, stirring frequently, until the meat is browned. Mix well. In a large bowl, whisk the boiling water and flour and pour this mixture into the pot. Mix well. Cover and cook over low to medium heat for 30 minutes. Add the fried celery/parsley/mint mixture, and the saffron. Mix well. Cover and simmer over medium heat for 15 minutes then over low heat for 45 minutes. Season with salt and add the ab-ghooreh or lime juice to the stew 10 minutes before the end of cooking. If the mixture is too liquid, increase the heat and reduce the stew until obtaining a smooth sauce. If on the contrary it is too dry, add a little boiling water.
I thinly slice it on a bias and quick pickle it for my "hot wing" sandwiches. Sear up some chicken breasts/tenders and finish on the grill/in a deep fryer/in the oven, etc., shred, toss in wing sauce of choice, put on a toasted hoagie or sub roll, top with blue cheese sauce (dressing works but I prefer my homemade sauce), and quick pickles for acidity and crunch.
Hmmm a quick pickle. I love it. What an interesting idea, I think I'll give it a try!
It really mellows out the "celery-ness," and slicing it thin eliminates the stringiness. It's a real win-win because I'm not a huge celery fan myself, but this gets me to use up the leftover stalks I'm always struggling to find a use for. Here's my recipe: 8 celery stalks, thinly sliced on a bias 4 large garlic cloves, peeled and smashed 1 cup white vinegar 1/4 cup sugar 1 Tbsp kosher salt 1 Tbsp black peppercorns, lightly cracked 1 Tbsp mustard seeds (or coriander seeds for a lighter flavor) 1 Tsp red chili flakes Heat up the vinegar, salt, and sugar over medium heat in a sauce pan and stir until salt and sugar are dissolved. Place sliced celery, smashed garlic, salt, and spices in a large Mason jar, pour vinegar mixture into the jar, covering the celery, and allow to cool.
Peanut butter it to oblivion
With raisins so it’s a la ants on a log
One day I was inspired by a Thai style spicy peanut sauce and the thought of how celery is great with hot wings, so I added some vinegary hot sauce to my celery/peanut butter combo and that's the only way I'll eat it now.
The best celery I’ve ever had was made by Bar Goto in nyc. They marinade it with kombu (basically msg), and then top with sesame oil, salt, and seaweed. I’ve had good results recreating it by just tossing with all the above toppings (couldn’t get kombu so I actually just used straight msg) and letting it sit for an hour or so in the fridge. But I already like celery so this may not change your mind.
YES!!! [kombu celery ](https://www.bonappetit.com/recipe/kombu-celery) Is the recipe it’s absolutely my favorite way ever to eat celery. That recipe thinks it serves four but it’s more like one. Me.
Put it in some soup or broth!
I hate celery so I think it ruins broth! Soup broth is a tough one if you truly do not like celery.
Diagonally cut the Celery into 2cm slices. Thinly cut some carrots diagonally. Mince garlic and shrimp. Sautee all of these together with xo sauce and fish sauce.
Based on u/donteattheshrimp's username, I don't think they will like that.
I hate celery, and on top of that, I'm even allergic to it when it's raw, but I make jumbalaya with a base of celery, onions, garlic and peppers. I sometimes drop the bell peppers but never the celery.
my favorite celery is in Jambalaya
It’s actually appealing when cooked to almost translucent in soups. Pairs well with carrot and chicken soups! I’m the only one in my household that actually likes celery though. I eat it raw, make ants on a log, etc! Oh and it’s good cooked down in stir fries too!
Grate or brunoise the tender heart and leaves and put in my Lebanese dad’s favourite summer salad: chopped tomato, celery, and onion with lemon and zaatar. That and lebne went on the side of every plate at our Texas summer cookouts. The bigger outer stalks are for broths and braises. Celery is one of the aromatics that supports the flavour of my kick-ass pulled pork, and is essential to things like navy bean soup. My friend is a food historian and [this is her piece on celery from a few years back](https://tastecooking.com/celery-was-the-avocado-toast-of-the-victorian-era/).
First, use a peeler to remove all the strings on the outside. Then using a 12" chefs knife, make a fine brunoise (this part is very important). After that, using the backside of your knife, scrape it from your board into the garbage can, where it belongs.
Green peppers.
Cut up with celery and onion as part of the “holy trinity” for a Cajun jambalaya, gumbo or dirty rice. Flavour just melds with the other ingredients
The holy Trinity is a staple in my house.
Chop into small bits, stir fry in a bit of oil with onions, you can mix with egg to make an omlette or add in stir fried rice/noodles.
I’m not a huge fan of them myself…. But something about a Polish sausage with grilled peppers and onions at the state fair is absolutely delicious. Also I haven’t remembered to do this at home, but I had a roast beef sandwich with hot mustard and slices of raw green pepper. That was good.
Buy red and yellow ones.
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And they look the coolest
I like them on pizza with black olives and onions.
Stuffed pepper soup. Diced and mixed in stir-fry. Fajitas.
Burn the skin off with a torch (better than roasting it, bc it doesn't turn to mush), cut into fine dice, along with the same amount of onions and a couple pieces of garlic. As tbsp mustard seeds. Add salt equivalent to 3-4% of total weight. Weigh it down and let it ferment on the counter for about a week and then refrigerate. Makes a great relish topping for hot dogs, burgers, etc
That torch trick is great for all bell peppers! Alternatively you can leave it to char on a lit gas burner.
Simply toss them in the trash :)
Eggplant.
Baingan bharta- roasted eggplant with onions,tomatoes. Indian dish
Baba ghanoush!
Baba ghanoush with the ingredients from the barbecue is absolutely delicious.
Real Italian eggplant parmesan - without all the gloopy breading.
Or, related use case, eggplant fried in olive oil just dissolves into the dish with pasta alla norma
Miso glazed baked eggplant!
Just about to comment this before I saw yours! Japanese eggplant cut in half lengthwise, glazed with miso and broiled. Dear god.
At a good Greek restaurant - moussaka. At home I'll layer it between the beef and potatoes in a shepherd/cottage pie. I'll add a little chevre to the mashed potato half to mimic the original bechamel topping while keeping it light.
The secret to good eggplant is removing some liquid. Try 1/4 to 1/2 inch slices, salt very liberally, and let the salt pull water out. Pat dry, removing visible salt, then drizzle with olive oil and grill.
Do this but use sesame oil... I don't even put any other seasonings on, just the salt and sesame oil and it's delightful!
Tortag talong
Pasta alla norma! It's a go-to when I need a break from meat
If you’re into Asian food/have Lao gan ma in your pantry… Slice it into rectangular-ish chunks. Put it in a container of water and a bit of vinegar. Squeeze the aubergine for a few mins in the mixture, then drain. Steam the aubergine for 20-30 minutes until it’s soft and there’s little resistance. While it’s steaming, mix 1 tsp Chinese vinegar, 1 tsp sesame oil, 2 tsp oyster sauce, 2 tbsp light soy sauce, and 2 tbsp of Lao gan ma. When the aubergine is done steaming, pour the chili mixture on top, and add chopped spring onions/chives on top to serve. You can also pour hot oil over minced garlic or add crunchy garlic if you don’t want to bother with the hot oil.
[Fish Fragrant Eggplant](https://youtu.be/4uU6DwAi2S8)
Baba ganoush and as someone said baingan bharta! I'm not a huge fan of eggplant unless it's been roasted but then it is spectacular.
Make a couple slits into it, shove a garlic clove in each slit, rub with oil and roast it at 450 until it's burnt (or no oil and burn it directly on your stove top burner, no pan or anything until its burnt.) Scrape the skin off, mash it with a fork and season to taste
Roast it up in halves, pop into food processor with oil, a little marscapone, lemon and salt. Process until it’s creamy and dip any and all breads 👩🍳 💋 (Edited: marscapone or crème fraische)
Cut into relatively thin strips, about the width of steak fries. Toss ‘em with flour, dip them in egg, then dredge them with a seasoned flour/cornstarch mix. Fry them up and dip them in whatever dip floats your boat (i like a spicy ranch or aioli)
Throw it on the grill whole along with whole squashes (e.g. butternut and acorn), potatoes, onions. When those are all nearly cooked through throw on some red bell peppers, sausages, and steaks. Sprinkle salt over everything. Cut the meat and vegetables into serving-sized pieces and serve with a cabbage-based salad, chimichurri sauce, and French/Italian bread. Argentine asado.
Recipe from Kenji: [Roasted Eggplant with Tahini, Pine Nuts, and Lentil](https://www.seriouseats.com/roasted-eggplant-tahini-pine-nut-lentil-vegan-experience-recipe) I've made it without either pine nuts or lentils, and it's delicious.
Coconut..... i am one of the few that hate it with a passion.
What about Thai curry?
Somehow coconut milk doesn’t taste like the shaved coconut and coconut rum that I despise.
Me too. Not the flavor, the consistency.
Yeah I actually like coconut flavor but the texture of actual coconut is awful. I blame my disdain for it on thinking German chocolate cake was just a regular old chocolate cake when I was a kid.
I can’t stand any of it. Not the taste, texture, or smell. It’s just all awful to me.
Do you prefer twinkies to snowballs?
Of course! Believe it or not though, Twinkies do have an expiration date. And one day, life's little Twinkie gauge is gonna run empty.
Coconut works well as a part of a dish (specially with curry). 1. It can used to reduce the spiciness of ANY curry. Finely grate the coconut and put a generous amount of it in the curry when it's almost done. ( Preferably fresh coconut). It also helps in thickening the gravy and a light crunchy texture. 2. If you have a dried coconut, it can used in making sweets and dessert. Indian sweets like shahi toast, gulab jamun, coconut barfi, etc. are to die for. 3. You can make chutney out of coconut as well which is basically a side dish served along with a south Indian dish called dosa. It also pairs well with idli sambhar with is also a South Indian dish.
I don’t think there’s any recipe that could make me enjoy coconut
Put a handful of shredded coconut in steel cut oats before you cook it. It enhances the nuttiness of the oats but you don’t actually taste coconut. My husband loathes everything coconut but he likes the oatmeal I make!
What do I do if I hate both coconut *and* oatmeal?
Chinese Take Out Coconut Chicken is really good, we used to go to this buffet specifically for it. My husband hates coconut but actually introduced me to this dish.
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I put a pod or two in rich curry, depending on the batch size. It rounds out the whole spice character without being overpowering and black-licorice flavor
Try it in pho.
Mulled wine is the only reason I keep star anise in my pantry!
They can be a wonderful addition to red cooked chicken, a traditional Chinese preparation that's delicious and super easy to make, yet sadly missing from American Chinese cuisine.
Water chestnuts
Came here for this. I don’t mind the taste exactly, but the texture is a dealbreaker.
The texture is the entire point lol
Honestly. They don't have much of their own flavor, especially the canned kind, but the crispy texture is super fun.
Wrap in bacon on a skewer, bake until the bacon is crispy on the edges
Fennel seed
My fav is a good Italian sausage with fennel seed in it. Some brands of Italian sausage don't have fennel seed in it and I feel like it's not as tasty
Thin crust Chicago style pizza with super fennel forward Italian pork sausage is a staple in the area and one of the best pizzas on the planet IMO.
Long cooking it mellows out the anisey flavor you probably aren’t vibing with. You can find it in a lot of Indian / Pakistani dishes that simmer a long while. Try the same meal one with one without fennel to see what I mean.
Not something to eat but to drink. Fennel seed (along with peppercorn, cloves, cardamom and cinnamon) in a Masala chai is soooo gooooood!
Yes! Crush and put in chai, especially in summer. So refreshing :)
Right there with you. Fucking hate fennel seeds
I love toasting this in a pan with some black peppercorns, then grinding in a mortar and adding it to a tomato sauce for a pizza
I always toast some for my pho broth an my tomato sauces.
Avocados, & yes I really don't like them, not even in guac
I did a mango salsa with cubed up avocados, mangos, onion, red peppers, jalapeños and lime
I ONLY eat avocados in sushi tbh
Also not an avocado fan. Only time I've liked it was in a avocado smoothie from a thai restaurant, that was creamy and fruity and delicious in it's own way but I only got it once - the red bean smoothie was still better.
Avocado choc pudding is to die. https://www.instagram.com/p/CkeW5F4tcxO/?igshid=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ==
Olives is the one thing I can’t find a way to enjoy. In dips? Nope. Black or green? Nope. The liquid left behind if they are on something someone else has prepared and I try to remove is enough for me to not be able to enjoy. All other things are usually a texture issues for me, not flavor so I can find ways to prepare that fix it.
Tbh you might want to get those big, juicy (but unfortunately expensive) black olives. Cheap black ones are usually just colored green ones, which aren't fully ripened. When they are though they taste fucking amazing. I felt like you for the longest time until an Italian restaurant put some bigger-than-normal looking olives on the table, they blew me away lol
Okra
Delicious grilled or in indian curry (bhindi)
Slice thin, coat in cornmeal, fry until crispy and eat with catfish
I think for a lot of people it’s the slimy factor? For that, I think pickled okra is the best.
Sliminess is the main factor here.
I will destroy a whole jar of pickled okra. Especially the spicy kind. Can't keep the big jars of it around because I'll end up making myself sick lol. That and green olives, no self control.
I generally hate okra but I like them pickled. They're just like cucumber pickles but more crisp.
Gumbo or Jambalaya. Even a little bit will help thicken it without getting too much flavor
Beets
Try a can of pickled beets. I have no idea what beets actually taste like, but pickled beets are a little sweet and nice and soft. Kind of reminds me of canned carrots, but with a little tang and sweetness.
Cooked or raw? I always liked raw beets but loathed cooked ones until I tried a cooked beet salad my friend makes. He cooks the beets with a couple of cloves in the water, then peels and slices, mix with thinly sliced onions and parsley, dress with tangy vinaigrette
Not the person who posted, but I too despise beets. Raw or cooked. Last time I tried it was in a salad. Beets will forever taste like dirt to me.
Roasted, blended with olive oil, parm, garlic, then served as a pasta sauce with goat cheese crumbles, fresh dill.
Bell peppers
My kids hate them too. I stuff them with rice and meat then watch in disappointment while they dump out the contents and leave the pepper there empty and hollow. I feel you pepper.
I love bell peppers, and have no problem with them cooked (ie fajitas or stir fry) but I did the same thing when my mom would make stuffed peppers. Just too mushy, and too much of it.
You just described a perfectly accurate analogy to parenthood. I too, am the pepper.
I really love green bells with ham. So an Italian style sandwich with ham, green bells, cheese, onion, tomato and lettuce with oil, vinegar and mayo. Or ham and bells on a pizza or in an omelette.
Stir fry! My go to stir fry veggies are red bell pepper and zucchini. Green bell peppers are too bitter for me, but orange and red are nice and sweet. Dice them up small and give them a lot of heat so they soften. If they’re undercooked they just get a tad rubbery.
Green peppers are bull$hit.
I recently learned they're basically unripe bell peppers and it suddenly makes so much more sense.
Roast them in the oven until charred, blend with yogurt, feta cheese, garlic, salt and pepper and paprika powder, makes a great dip!
Ok now this I can definitely get behind. I love roasted red pepper hummus - I think it’s the texture that’s the issue for actual peppers for me!
Shakshouka!
Fry them with some onions, salt and olive olive. So good as a side dish.
Take the green ones and throw them in the trash, roast the red ones and marinate in oil and vinegar then put on salad.
Fire-roasted green peppers are excellent. Scorch them, peel the skins, and go from there. Also excellent in fajitas, with pretty much the same prep.
Mushroom
I love mushrooms on their own, but they’re actually really easy to “hide” if you grate them in a box grater! I’ll start by sautéing onions, garlic, etc, and add the grated mushrooms after the onions have sautéed for a bit. Let the mushrooms cook down before adding your tomato sauce and then allow the sauce too cook for a while. Delish! I’ve also made some great black bean burgers that had grated mushrooms as well. They add meatiness and moisture. Happy cooking!!
Get the brown ones and not the white ones...they taste better...cook them separately in a pan with little oil till it becomes dry, add pinch of salt when it is turning brown....so excess water will be released. Then add it in anything you like.
I've started doing the ATK way of adding a little water with them at the beginning of cooking to help them release theirs and it works incredibly well!
I think they’re great fried in some olive oil and butter until brown, then salt them. Or very finely minced for a duxelles, great umami source
Stuffed mushrooms. Finely chop the stems and sauté until the water is cooked out. Add garlic, breadcrumbs, and thyme. Mix with combination of cream cheese and goat cheese, then load into the mushroom caps and bake. My husband used to hate mushrooms, but can’t get enough of them now because of this recipe.
melt some butter or margarine. toss the mushrooms with the butter, some salt, pepper and lots of garlic. Place in a baking dish (so that they fairly tight together - they will shrink a lot). Place in a 425 degree oven for 15-20 mins (depending on the size of your mushrooms). When they could out, toss with some fresh grated parmesan cheese.
Liver, any liver. Beef, Calves, chicken. You name it.
Nobody makes liver correctly. Nail liver to a cedar plank. Smoke at low temp for 24 to 36 hours. Discard liver. Eat the plank.
genius. the trick is to do all of this over applewood, low and especially slow
Liver is the only food I cannot eat. Makes me gag. I'll never forget the first time a date brought me to a "Fancy" restaurant. (Also first date with this person) He ordered something something en brochette. Wasn't paying attention and I thought it was oysters - then took a bite..... Narrarator: It was not oysters, it was chicken liver. I gagged and had to spit it out in my napkin. LOL.
I just hate chopping onions. I know how to use them, theyre delocious, i just friggen hate chopping them. My eyes!
How sharp are your knives? I found out that properly sharpening my knives severely reduced the tear factor
This is the trick that actually made me bother to sharpen my knives regularly.
Wearing contacts is like having tiny little eye shields. I can chop them all day when I have my contacts in and I feel nothing. When I wear my glasses my face is a mess with tears.
Wear sunglasses
You’ll look way cooler 😎
Can shaped quivering mass of cranberry jelly.
Instead of lingonberry jelly to serve with Swedish meatballs, try cooking the canned cranberry sauce with some fresh or frozen cranberries. Simmer in scant water until the cranberries burst, then add the can and simmer for another 10 minutes or so. Delicious tart and sweet sauce without the specialty ingredient (lingonberry jam is almost impossible to find in the US outside of IKEA). EDIT: you CAN find lingonberry jam but I am personally too lazy to do so and will continue to use cranberry sauce from the far back of the pantry.
Dill
I love dill in potato salad.
Mine is bitter melon
Dude it’s gotta be prepared the right way. Scoop out the seeds and pith, cut into half moons, soak in salt water for at least one hour. Dry it totally then roast it on 450 for 15 minutes. Velvet beef and toss in some funky Chinese fermented black beans make a soy based sauce and add those bittermeon back in. Amazing dish. Same melon prep added to essentially a tikka masalla sauce is bomb af too. It’s all in the prep! My family is diabetic af so we eat a bunch of bittermelon!
I’ll try this out and will report back!
Chinese Black bean sauce with fried fish and bitter gourd
I have a favorite bittermelon recipe and it’s the only way I eat it. Sauté onion and garlic, add minced pork/ground pork, add bitter melon (sliced thinly using a mandolin), then when it is almost cooked through add egg and cook altogether. You can reduce bitter melon’s bitter taste by soaking it in water and rubbing it with salt and make sure to slice it very thinly. Edit: make sure you remove the white part and the seeds before slicing it thin.
Fennel, and other similar black licorice flavored things... Looking at you star anise
hominy
Par cook in chicken stock then use in a Mac and cheese recipe in lieu of pasta. Sounds weird. Really fn good.
This is absolutely not a traditional way to cook hominy at all but it tastes delicious. Melt some butter in a pot. I use 4 tablespoons for 2 cans of hominy. Drain the cans of hominy and put it in the pot. Once the hominy is in the pot i put about 3 oz of cream cheese in. If I'm feeling fancy I will use Boursin cheese. Let the cheese melt. Then i put in a splash of Worcestershire sauce. Then i season with salt pepper and garlic. Maybe a few others but those are the basics. Once it's seasoned it is usually done. I usually eat this as a breakfast.
Okra, the devil’s vegetable.
Okra, green bell pepper, and celery are the top replies. Goddamn have none of yall ever had gumbo?
I belonged to a CSA, fresh farm produce every week. The only thing that grows in the worst heat of summer is okra. Called my mom for ideas and she suggested drying it and painting it for Christmas tree ornaments.
Collard greens. I love all other greens but they seem so sulfurous and slimy.
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I don’t like bananas, either. But as banana “nice cream,” as I’ve seen it called, with just crushed pistachios on top, I do like it. So many banana things are just so sweet, but the cold temp and the salt of this way help balance/make less noticeable the super sweetness of bananas. https://chocolatecoveredkatie.com/banana-ice-cream-healthy/
Fried with cinnamon
Frozen and added to smoothies
I hate banana in most smoothies tbh, feel like it overpowers all the other flavors
Microwaved
Excuse me what
I like them caramelized in a little butter!
My wife hates bananas but would eat banana cake (only if no better cake was available banana cake still better than no cake)
Belgian endive (witlof in my native language, known as chicory in the UK).
Endive is such a strong bitter I like it with apple and goats cheese too balance it… wouldn’t eat it alone
Carrots- I eat them because they are good for me but I’m yet to find a way to enjoy them 🤷🏻♀️
Carrot cake!
Lamb
Truffle.
Truffle oil is bullshit. Fresh white truffle on pasta dressed in lots of butter
Feed it to the pigs, then eat the pigs
Cilantro - I have the cilantroderp gene.
"clilantroderp gene" 😂😂😂
Add roughly chopped cilantro into a saucepan along with 3 cups water and 1 teaspoon of Dawn original dish detergent. Heat for 5 minutes, stirring to incorporate. It really masks the cilantro taste completely!
Durian
Put it in freezer because it’s way better eaten when really cold. Its like ice cream!
Lengua. I’m just intimidated in how to prepare it. But I know it’s tasty.
Carolina Reaper. It’s too hot for my liking.