Mystefied--thought I'd ask the experts! Gazpacho question

Excellent advice and might I add...

did you change any of the ingredients from when it did work to this batch? Any new subs would have to be suspect as well. All listed in the above.

I'm especially wondering, as was mentioned, about the type of fresh tomato as well. But I'm still suspect on that vinegar.

 
I have to say I don't visit as often as I used to...

There was a passion to dig into really amazing and complex recipes that I just don't see now. That's how I cook. I want inspiration and I want to be in the kitchen all weekend making some fabulous and rare dish. Betty Crocker is all around us. I don't need to hunt for that.

 
I use a Cab vinegar in my Gazpacho. In fact I just made it up for dinner tomorrow

it is supposed to sit overnight in fridge. I notice no color change.

 
Richard, I wonder about the complex recipes you seek. I know with myself, as I get older

I do not want to make the complex, and work intensive recipes anymore. It used to be nothing for me to spend 4 hours in the kitchen almost everyday whipping up a great protein, veggies, salad, and a carb dish. That was the way I was taught to cook and that is what was considered a "well rounded meal". Heck, now I see the chefs making two items to serve, usually a meat and a side. I try to balance my meals better. For instance, last night we had roasted chicken, and I made an Israeli toasted Couscous to which I added roasted, zucchini, green and yellow, eggplant, tomatoes and garlic. It was excellent and I knew we were getting our veggies.
Usually, my winter meals are more complex, yet, I still do not want to spend that amount of time in the kitchen. We eat well, fresh and healthy. At this point, I am thankful for that.

Have you visited The Wine Lovers Discussion Group? They have a Kitchen Forum and those folks are really big into complex foods, fine wines and actually have meet ups There are some fine cooks there and they get into methods and pairings that are very interesting.

 
Karen I visit many food groups these days...

I am particularly enjoying my old-fashioned German cooking groups. Oma did know how to cook and the recipes that passed down are the true heirloom cooking, Stocks cooked for days are the basis of sauces and building components. That is how I cook on holidays.

During the normal week, we eat very simply and healthy. It doesn't take a recipe to do that. A sliced tomato, a chunk of cheddar, a slice of homemade whole-grain rye with good butter, and some peppers or broccoli out of the garden is a normal weeknight dinner at our house.

But when I am in the mood to go spend the weekend in the kitchen, I want fun, challenge, adventure and old-fashioned tortured food. I put together huge baroque 6-course dinners with wine pairings and have shared some of those menus here. I research historical recipes and have replicated the last dinner served in 1st class on the Titanic, the 18th birthday dinner of King Ludwig II of Bavaria, or a dinner at the Hofburg in Vienna. Look at Gourmet's Vienna Cookbook by Lillian Langseth-Christensen. Amazing, authentic, historically accurate recipes to re-create the cuisine of the lost Austrian Empire in your American kitchen. That is what I am about.

The recent discovery when looking in one of Cathy Z's 1900's cookbooks to recreate the Austrian Kaiser Roll in an American kitchen. The recipe was breathtakingly audacious, like no other bread recipe I'd ever tried, and it worked. I am now starting off all of my breads with this hot-water bath sponge technique. There was barely a notice of it. That is the missing spark of kitchen adventure that we seem to be missing these days.

We used to have a lot of amazing and complex heirloom recipes shared here that were so much fun to try. I can go into the kitchen and make nearly anything any one would want without need of a recipe or cookbook as I dare say most of here could. I don't need or want to see recipes for everyday simple dishes that I already know how to make better than any quick internet version.

I also know how to Google, so I'm not looking for someone to Google a recipe just so they can post it. I want someone's old heirloom tried and true recipes when I post a request looking for something.

So that is what I'm missing here from the old days. There were some truly stunning recipes posted over the years. Not so much now.

 
I appreciate the helpful suggestions from all. Here are the answers to the questions

I didn't use any different ingredients. I used cold Campbells tomato juice and cold Campbell's consomme. 2 red tomatoes. My ice cube was one of those large ones made from silicone mold, so I thought that would make up for the difference in the ounces. Plain old lemon juice, and I chopped and added the cucumber after all other ingredients were added (missed it on the counter smileys/wink.gif
No deviations or substitutions.

Vinegar used was Cento red wine vinegar. I could see in the Vitamix container before I transferred it to my glass pitcher that the color was off...

Could be an unsolved mystery. Thanks everyone.

Just like family here---sometimes issues bubble up to the surface when you least expect it....I come for the great recipes, stories, trials and tribulations, life, with love and loss. And food...

Since I joined the forum at FK and not Epi, I guess I'm like the daughter in law that married into the family--not knowing what happened years before. smileys/smile.gif

 
Like I said in another posting, you are an amazing person and have such passion

for food and entertaining. I have enjoyed so many of your posts regarding menus and marveled at the amount of work you are willing to do. Keep going Richard for as long as you can!

I have been here since 2005, the same as you and while I do not recall the heirloom recipes you refer to, (I should go back in time and take a peek) I do recall that I posted a lot more than I do now as far as recipes go. Many were my own creativity, many recipes from other sources, which I tweaked. It has been a good run for me and thankfully, I still enjoy the simple cooking. And I love visiting this site, for the friendly, creative and helpful folks

 
Some things are just destined to be mysteries. This might be one of those things. And yes, ...

...the stuff with Gretchen goes all the way back to Gail's Swap.

It is disappointing and also highly predictable in the sense that every board she attends becomes "Gretchen's Forum", eventually. She posts to thousands of threads, often without reading the post. It is tiresome, annoying and colors nearly every conversation with her authoritarian manner. Those who don't want to deal with her end up leaving.

She cares not what people think, as narcissists only care what they, themselves think.

Frustrating, as I, too, enjoy the wide spectrum of interests and talents on this forum. Unfortunately, when someone behaves as Gretchen does, it keeps others from offering their point of view and threads get abbreviated. It's not that they can't post, it's just that posting on a thread Gretchen replies to will often mean having to deal with her. People just choose not to post, which weakens the exchange of ideas, and eventually many simply leave.

It's not just a rogue family member, in my opinion, it is a forum killer.

Michael

 
This is silly. If she can't be banned again can't be shunned with no comments?

I really enjoyed some of the posters that have left

 
Wow. Right on the nose, Michael. I couldn't have stated it any better.

She simply takes over a board and "answers" and posts on almost every post intimidating posters and trying to make it seem that she is the ultimate expert. There is no doubt she has a cooking skill but it has ruined the whole reason for having this type of board.

I started on Gail's Swap in 1994. It was so fabulous for a while until she came in and did the same thing she is doing now. Wish we could have her banned again here.

 
When Epi killed Gail's Swap and we migrated to Finer Kitchens with Mimi, our dear charlie said it...

...best, may he rest in peace. "I thought this was a Gretchen-free zone!"

She can't be banned because she refuses to bow to the wishes of others, and simply keeps on posting. Narcissists don't follow anyone's rules but their own, after all.

Yes, she has skills. Googling is one of them. She has also been caught copying and pasting stuff she's found on other sites and passing it off as her own knowledge.

Whatever. I don't own this site and I will do my best to ignore her, even as the base of knowledge and participation continues to erode due to her omnipresence and obnoxious manner.

Someday I might even tell you how I REALLY FEEL. ;>}

Michael

 
we have several active members on the Swap with Moderator priviliges

including a couple that have commented here. I hear the strong feelings and I appreciate that but it also makes me wonder that aside from the issue of moderation did any of you concerned with these issues, respond to me or Deb when we asked for feedback for site improvements?

there are some technological options for dealing with trolls but the old code makes this a lot more difficult.

We can get more formalized on moderation process and I can redo the moderators list to include only those that still want to be included in that process and actively moderating, but instead of hijacking thread, for these purposes we can set up something specific for anyone that wants to participate?

 
I'm happy to participate. We (you and I) have had a discussion about this privately...

...and we came to an understanding of each others views. I respect your authority and your guidelines for proper use of this site, and I try to abide by them at all times.

Like Cathy, I first posted on Gail's Swap quite early on, in March of '96, and have witnessed Gretchen's nonsense for many, many years. But, again, it's not my call.

Michael

 
thanks for your feedback!

aside from you and Deb only 2 others have given any feedback at all. Michael did try to bring it to everyone's attention several weeks back but still got no response. And I believe the conversation Michael is referring to was from a couple of years ago or more. If there is some underlying hostility and resentment, no one has mentioned it to me.

 
Seriously? You weren't a member at Epi? No offense, >>>

but, you seem to have been a family member for forever!!

 
I have such a hard time keeping track of people and when they come and go....

I do remember our original hard core little brave internet explorers back in 1997 when we made Gail's the "IT" place for cooking on the newly unleashed internet. We immediately started hooking up, visiting each other, and having big cooking parties. The first was in Chicago in 1998 in conjunction with the Chicago Lyric Opera's "Ring des Niebelungen." We were there of course. But I immediately became friends with Sandra and Cathy and have many years of visiting both of them and having fabulous food experiences since then.

Paul was looking for suggestions. Might we have a directory of people and when they joined? Anyone else interested?

 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top