joanna here,
“I've got a lovely bunch of coconuts
There they are a'standing in a row
Big ones, small ones, some as big as your head
"Give 'em a twist, a flick o' the wrist,”
That's what the showman said!
“I've got a lovely bunch of coconuts
Every ball you throw will make me rich
There stands me wife
The idol of me life
Singing, "Roll up, bowl a ball, a penny a pitch!"
1944 song
The song celebrates the coconut shy, a traditional game at funfairs and fêtes. The mark – that is to say, the customer – throws a wooden ball at a row of coconuts balanced on posts. Typically a player buys three balls and wins each coconut he dislodges.
My knowledge of this game is based on the cynical warning from Midsomer Murder’s Chief Inspector Barnaby that the shy’s coconuts will be far too old to eat.
While we thus know coconuts were common in the UK in 1944 – edible or not – we may be unsure as to exactly when they did show up.
Are they a Regency treat?
Can our Regency ingenue be delighted by her first taste of crisp, sweet coconut flesh?
I will remove all suspense by saying, “Well. Maybe. Probably.”
And admit I don’t quite know.
But I’m going to talk about coconuts anyways because they’re kinda interesting.
The coconut is a drupe, a category of fruit that includes dates, olives, black pepper, various nuts, and “stone fruits” like peaches, plums and mangoes. It is not a tremendously useful word except that you can now use it in sentences like, “You, sir, despite your high office, are nothing but a pissant, pusillanimous drupe.”
Looked at as a drupe, the outer husk of the coconut is equivalent to the sweet juicy flesh of the apricot. The coconut we see in the supermarket is like the pit of the apricot, except the coconut has delicious coconut goodness inside instead of cyanide.
There are two sorts of coconut.
Not so much different anatomically,
as we got two populations that have such different DNA it looks like there were two separate cultivation events:
One in Southeast Asia.
One in the southern periphery of India.
Coconuts are all over the tropics of the world.
How'd they do that?
Well, they went with seafaring Arab traders from India to East Africa 2000 years BP. (BP = Before Present.) Even the name, zhawzhat al-hind, “walnut of India”, survives in Arabic today.
They travelled the Silk Road to East and West.
They hitched a ride with Polynesians settlers across the Pacific.
Portuguese traders carried them to the EAST coast of South America.
But there's a mystery.
Ships plying their trade and folk migrations packing along their favorite snack foods. That makes sense.
But South Asian coconuts have been found on the WEST coast of Panama in PreColumbian America.
How'd they get there?
Did they drift
or were they carried?
There are two vociferous views on this.
I love vociferous scholarly debates.
First off, could they have floated in from some Pacific atoll?
Here’s Thor Heyerdahl, writing of his first-hand experience crossing the Pacific Ocean from Peru to Polynesia on the raft Kon-Tiki:
"The (coco) nuts we had in baskets on deck remained edible and capable of germinating the whole way to Polynesia. But we had laid about half among the special provisions below deck, with the waves washing around them. Every single one of these was ruined by the sea water. And no coconut can float over the sea faster than a balsa raft moves with the wind behind it.”
If Heyerdahl is correct, even the most adventurous coconuts couldn't have drifed to the Americas from Polynesia.
They got around.
Austronesians, those skilled and resolute travellers, brought Pacific coconuts all the way from Southeast Asia to Madagascar between 2000 and 1500 BP (I knew that abbreviation would come in handy.) The descendants of those voyagers still live in the high mountains there.
It’s not impossible those same people headed east and carried coconuts to the Americas before 2250 BP.
There is corroborating evidence from sweet potatoes that evolved in South America and yet are found all over Southeast Asia.
I trust sweet potatoes.
You may say, “But I LIKE the idea of coconuts bravely island-hopping across the South Pacific.”
I do too. It seems emotionally correct.
The brave little coconut.
I comfort myself with the studies of independent coconut establishment over shorter distances, reliable first-person accounts of coconuts living wild on remote islands, and the likelihood that coconuts got along just fine before people arrived to taxi them back and forth in dugout canoes.
“I have photographed coconut palms sprouting on Tetiaroa Atoll in French Polynesia. Whether these would survive the ravaging effects of land crabs and intense sunlight and grow into mature palms is hard to say, but there appeared to be palms of different ages along the beaches. I have also observed self-seeded coconut palms growing among mangrove thickets on cays off the coast of Belize.”
JH Armstrong
I will leave this controversy and return to England because this is more a Historical Romance book blog than a botanical one.
With coconut palms anciently in common use throughout the Mideast as food stuff, timber for ship building, and fiber for cord, European travellers and Crusaders would have seen coconut palms everywhere. They would have known them by repute long before they encountered them as edible drupes at home. (See how that word drupe grows on you?)
In the 13th century Marco Polo brought back descriptions of coconuts growing in Egypt where they were called “the Pharaoh’s nut.” He described twine made from coconut husks used in ship building in Iran.
Antonio Pigafetta, one of 18 men who returned to Spain in 1522, out of 240 who set out three years earlier with Vasco da Gama, wrote these words in his journal:
That palm bears a fruit, namely, the cocoanut, which is as large as the head or thereabouts. Its outside husk is green and thicker than two fingers. Certain filaments are found in that husk, whence is made cord for binding together their boats. Under that husk there is a hard shell, much thicker than the shell of the walnut, which they burn and make therefrom a powder that is useful to them. Under that shell there is a white marrowy substance one finger in thickness, which they eat fresh with meat and fish as we do bread; and it has a taste resembling the almond. It could be dried and made into bread. There is a clear, sweet water in the middle of that marrowy substance which is very refreshing.
An English botanist would have been familiar with these accounts, and they would have seen examples of the only physical coconut product that made it to Britain . . .
The coconut shell.
Because that shell was a rarity, Sixteenth-century Europeans believed that coconut shells had magical healing powers. We see them shaped into art objects, especially into elaborate goblets inlaid with precious metals and gemstones.
And there was jewelry
. . . dined with Mr. Moore and the people below, who after dinner fell to talk of Portugall rings, and Captain Ferrers offered five or six to sell, and I seeming to like a ring made of a cioco-nutt with a stone done in it, he did offer and would give it me. By and by we went to Mr. Creed’s lodging, and there got a dish or two of sweetmeats and I seeing a very neat leaden standish to carry papers, pen, and ink in when one travels I also got that of him, and that done I went home by water and to finish some of my Lord’s business, and so early to bed.
Samuel Pepys, Diary, June 16, 1662
I do not know what to make of this buying and selling of personal possessions between dinner companions.
“Let’s stick with the program,” you demand. ”When did ordinary British folks start buying and eating fresh coconuts? Was it in the Regency?”
I did set out to discover this. I was not successful.
Can I just say fresh coconuts rolled into Britain in a big way
sometime between
– the early 1700s when coconuts shells were an exotic material for carving into art works
– and 1840 when I first find a cookery book using grated fresh coconut in pudding.
Allow few years between reverently carving away at coconuts on the one hand and feeding it to the kids in the nursery for High Tea on the other
and it makes a Regency coconut introduction plausible.
"Regency, meet Coconut.
Coconut, meet Regency."
Anyway, if I haven’t come up with a good “Year Of Fresh Coconut in London" after literally three hours of research, I see no reason why you can’t chuck the odd coconut into the Regency.
If you had to do without one common flavoring, what would it be?
I could see doing without rosewater … and coconut … and, I think, basil.
Unlike you, I love coconut and basil (although not together). The availability of fresh tomato and basil caprese salad is almost enough to make me forgive summer’s heat and humidity. However, I do not like cilantro. It’s a genetic thing, but cilantro tastes like soapy tin cans to me, not like a real food. I enjoy many cuisines that use cilantro, so when I order Mexican or Thai or Indian food, I need to read the ingredient list carefully.
Unlike you, I love coconut and basil (although not together). The availability of fresh tomato and basil caprese salad is almost enough to make me forgive summer’s heat and humidity. However, I do not like cilantro. It’s a genetic thing, but cilantro tastes like soapy tin cans to me, not like a real food. I enjoy many cuisines that use cilantro, so when I order Mexican or Thai or Indian food, I need to read the ingredient list carefully.
Unlike you, I love coconut and basil (although not together). The availability of fresh tomato and basil caprese salad is almost enough to make me forgive summer’s heat and humidity. However, I do not like cilantro. It’s a genetic thing, but cilantro tastes like soapy tin cans to me, not like a real food. I enjoy many cuisines that use cilantro, so when I order Mexican or Thai or Indian food, I need to read the ingredient list carefully.
Unlike you, I love coconut and basil (although not together). The availability of fresh tomato and basil caprese salad is almost enough to make me forgive summer’s heat and humidity. However, I do not like cilantro. It’s a genetic thing, but cilantro tastes like soapy tin cans to me, not like a real food. I enjoy many cuisines that use cilantro, so when I order Mexican or Thai or Indian food, I need to read the ingredient list carefully.
Unlike you, I love coconut and basil (although not together). The availability of fresh tomato and basil caprese salad is almost enough to make me forgive summer’s heat and humidity. However, I do not like cilantro. It’s a genetic thing, but cilantro tastes like soapy tin cans to me, not like a real food. I enjoy many cuisines that use cilantro, so when I order Mexican or Thai or Indian food, I need to read the ingredient list carefully.
How could any sane person want to give up BASIL! It grows amidst the flowers on my deck and enlivens tomatoes, eggs, salads and other such things.
I’ve not much use for rosewater, but if it smells of roses, deal me in. Coconut, on the other hand, is one of the few things I pretty much hate. Too sweet and a texture like styrofoam. Pass! Or Shy!
How could any sane person want to give up BASIL! It grows amidst the flowers on my deck and enlivens tomatoes, eggs, salads and other such things.
I’ve not much use for rosewater, but if it smells of roses, deal me in. Coconut, on the other hand, is one of the few things I pretty much hate. Too sweet and a texture like styrofoam. Pass! Or Shy!
How could any sane person want to give up BASIL! It grows amidst the flowers on my deck and enlivens tomatoes, eggs, salads and other such things.
I’ve not much use for rosewater, but if it smells of roses, deal me in. Coconut, on the other hand, is one of the few things I pretty much hate. Too sweet and a texture like styrofoam. Pass! Or Shy!
How could any sane person want to give up BASIL! It grows amidst the flowers on my deck and enlivens tomatoes, eggs, salads and other such things.
I’ve not much use for rosewater, but if it smells of roses, deal me in. Coconut, on the other hand, is one of the few things I pretty much hate. Too sweet and a texture like styrofoam. Pass! Or Shy!
How could any sane person want to give up BASIL! It grows amidst the flowers on my deck and enlivens tomatoes, eggs, salads and other such things.
I’ve not much use for rosewater, but if it smells of roses, deal me in. Coconut, on the other hand, is one of the few things I pretty much hate. Too sweet and a texture like styrofoam. Pass! Or Shy!
I like coconut and pineapple juice combined. A virgin mai tai or pinata colada I guess you could call it. But what astonished me was friends who can’t stand onions and garlic or are allergic to celery as I have so many recipes that use those 3 ingredients as the base and go from there.
I understand the aversion to cilantro, parsley also tastes bad to me. A lot of greens like kale, broccoli, etc., are now happily forbidden to me because of their high iron. It wasn’t a loss for me, but I love basil, thyme, sage, rosemary, and ginger. But the one spice I have to avoid is cumin. A lot of southwestern and Indian cuisine has cumin as a base spice and I get such bad heartburn from it, it’s repeating on me for a week.
So if someone calls foods, gourmet, I get immediately wary of what the ingredients are. Lol
Sigh.
But I love coconut. My mother, however hates it and nuts period. Lol
I like coconut and pineapple juice combined. A virgin mai tai or pinata colada I guess you could call it. But what astonished me was friends who can’t stand onions and garlic or are allergic to celery as I have so many recipes that use those 3 ingredients as the base and go from there.
I understand the aversion to cilantro, parsley also tastes bad to me. A lot of greens like kale, broccoli, etc., are now happily forbidden to me because of their high iron. It wasn’t a loss for me, but I love basil, thyme, sage, rosemary, and ginger. But the one spice I have to avoid is cumin. A lot of southwestern and Indian cuisine has cumin as a base spice and I get such bad heartburn from it, it’s repeating on me for a week.
So if someone calls foods, gourmet, I get immediately wary of what the ingredients are. Lol
Sigh.
But I love coconut. My mother, however hates it and nuts period. Lol
I like coconut and pineapple juice combined. A virgin mai tai or pinata colada I guess you could call it. But what astonished me was friends who can’t stand onions and garlic or are allergic to celery as I have so many recipes that use those 3 ingredients as the base and go from there.
I understand the aversion to cilantro, parsley also tastes bad to me. A lot of greens like kale, broccoli, etc., are now happily forbidden to me because of their high iron. It wasn’t a loss for me, but I love basil, thyme, sage, rosemary, and ginger. But the one spice I have to avoid is cumin. A lot of southwestern and Indian cuisine has cumin as a base spice and I get such bad heartburn from it, it’s repeating on me for a week.
So if someone calls foods, gourmet, I get immediately wary of what the ingredients are. Lol
Sigh.
But I love coconut. My mother, however hates it and nuts period. Lol
I like coconut and pineapple juice combined. A virgin mai tai or pinata colada I guess you could call it. But what astonished me was friends who can’t stand onions and garlic or are allergic to celery as I have so many recipes that use those 3 ingredients as the base and go from there.
I understand the aversion to cilantro, parsley also tastes bad to me. A lot of greens like kale, broccoli, etc., are now happily forbidden to me because of their high iron. It wasn’t a loss for me, but I love basil, thyme, sage, rosemary, and ginger. But the one spice I have to avoid is cumin. A lot of southwestern and Indian cuisine has cumin as a base spice and I get such bad heartburn from it, it’s repeating on me for a week.
So if someone calls foods, gourmet, I get immediately wary of what the ingredients are. Lol
Sigh.
But I love coconut. My mother, however hates it and nuts period. Lol
I like coconut and pineapple juice combined. A virgin mai tai or pinata colada I guess you could call it. But what astonished me was friends who can’t stand onions and garlic or are allergic to celery as I have so many recipes that use those 3 ingredients as the base and go from there.
I understand the aversion to cilantro, parsley also tastes bad to me. A lot of greens like kale, broccoli, etc., are now happily forbidden to me because of their high iron. It wasn’t a loss for me, but I love basil, thyme, sage, rosemary, and ginger. But the one spice I have to avoid is cumin. A lot of southwestern and Indian cuisine has cumin as a base spice and I get such bad heartburn from it, it’s repeating on me for a week.
So if someone calls foods, gourmet, I get immediately wary of what the ingredients are. Lol
Sigh.
But I love coconut. My mother, however hates it and nuts period. Lol
I love the flavor of onions. OMG. They enhance almost everything. I can’t imagine potato pancakes without onions – they’d be flat. And French Onion Soup would just be – well – French. I use them raw, sauteed, in the form of onion flakes or onion powder. Another flavor that just drives me wild is coffee when it’s mixed with chocolate: Mocha. And maple, as syrup lovingly dripped over pancakes or French toast. And last but not least, I’m addicted to lemons, whether sprinkled on pan-fried chicken or fish, or lending just the right tartness to lemonade or tea. OK, I love Limes, too. But speaking of coconuts, Jo – I could really go for a pina colada!
I love the flavor of onions. OMG. They enhance almost everything. I can’t imagine potato pancakes without onions – they’d be flat. And French Onion Soup would just be – well – French. I use them raw, sauteed, in the form of onion flakes or onion powder. Another flavor that just drives me wild is coffee when it’s mixed with chocolate: Mocha. And maple, as syrup lovingly dripped over pancakes or French toast. And last but not least, I’m addicted to lemons, whether sprinkled on pan-fried chicken or fish, or lending just the right tartness to lemonade or tea. OK, I love Limes, too. But speaking of coconuts, Jo – I could really go for a pina colada!
I love the flavor of onions. OMG. They enhance almost everything. I can’t imagine potato pancakes without onions – they’d be flat. And French Onion Soup would just be – well – French. I use them raw, sauteed, in the form of onion flakes or onion powder. Another flavor that just drives me wild is coffee when it’s mixed with chocolate: Mocha. And maple, as syrup lovingly dripped over pancakes or French toast. And last but not least, I’m addicted to lemons, whether sprinkled on pan-fried chicken or fish, or lending just the right tartness to lemonade or tea. OK, I love Limes, too. But speaking of coconuts, Jo – I could really go for a pina colada!
I love the flavor of onions. OMG. They enhance almost everything. I can’t imagine potato pancakes without onions – they’d be flat. And French Onion Soup would just be – well – French. I use them raw, sauteed, in the form of onion flakes or onion powder. Another flavor that just drives me wild is coffee when it’s mixed with chocolate: Mocha. And maple, as syrup lovingly dripped over pancakes or French toast. And last but not least, I’m addicted to lemons, whether sprinkled on pan-fried chicken or fish, or lending just the right tartness to lemonade or tea. OK, I love Limes, too. But speaking of coconuts, Jo – I could really go for a pina colada!
I love the flavor of onions. OMG. They enhance almost everything. I can’t imagine potato pancakes without onions – they’d be flat. And French Onion Soup would just be – well – French. I use them raw, sauteed, in the form of onion flakes or onion powder. Another flavor that just drives me wild is coffee when it’s mixed with chocolate: Mocha. And maple, as syrup lovingly dripped over pancakes or French toast. And last but not least, I’m addicted to lemons, whether sprinkled on pan-fried chicken or fish, or lending just the right tartness to lemonade or tea. OK, I love Limes, too. But speaking of coconuts, Jo – I could really go for a pina colada!
Everyone in my family dislikes coconut. We dislike it so strongly that I believe we may be sensitive to it.
We know we are sensitive to cooked bell peppers in any stage of ripeness. And I dislike the taste of Sherry as an ingredient.
Otherwise the standard array of herbs and spices all work well for us.
Everyone in my family dislikes coconut. We dislike it so strongly that I believe we may be sensitive to it.
We know we are sensitive to cooked bell peppers in any stage of ripeness. And I dislike the taste of Sherry as an ingredient.
Otherwise the standard array of herbs and spices all work well for us.
Everyone in my family dislikes coconut. We dislike it so strongly that I believe we may be sensitive to it.
We know we are sensitive to cooked bell peppers in any stage of ripeness. And I dislike the taste of Sherry as an ingredient.
Otherwise the standard array of herbs and spices all work well for us.
Everyone in my family dislikes coconut. We dislike it so strongly that I believe we may be sensitive to it.
We know we are sensitive to cooked bell peppers in any stage of ripeness. And I dislike the taste of Sherry as an ingredient.
Otherwise the standard array of herbs and spices all work well for us.
Everyone in my family dislikes coconut. We dislike it so strongly that I believe we may be sensitive to it.
We know we are sensitive to cooked bell peppers in any stage of ripeness. And I dislike the taste of Sherry as an ingredient.
Otherwise the standard array of herbs and spices all work well for us.
Very interesting blog entry, despite the fact, that I could actually do without coconuts, at least in sweet dishes. In curries I quite like coconut milk.
As for flavours I definitely do not like: Anise is probably top of that list, Liquorice is horrible as far as I am concerned and fennel and caraway I can stand, but only in very selected dishes and very small quantities.
By the way: According to German Wikipedia on macaroons “Der vermehrte Import von Kokosnüssen durch Europa und die Vereinigten Staaten im 19. Jahrhundert führte dazu, dass zunächst vor allem in den Vereinigten Staaten die fein gemahlenen Mandeln durch Kokosnuss ersetzt wurden. Die ersten Rezepturen dafür tauchen in den Vereinigten Staaten um 1830 auf.
So if there were professional recipes for coconut macaroons in 1830 I dare say coconut as a special treat is very much a possibility for the regency period.
Very interesting blog entry, despite the fact, that I could actually do without coconuts, at least in sweet dishes. In curries I quite like coconut milk.
As for flavours I definitely do not like: Anise is probably top of that list, Liquorice is horrible as far as I am concerned and fennel and caraway I can stand, but only in very selected dishes and very small quantities.
By the way: According to German Wikipedia on macaroons “Der vermehrte Import von Kokosnüssen durch Europa und die Vereinigten Staaten im 19. Jahrhundert führte dazu, dass zunächst vor allem in den Vereinigten Staaten die fein gemahlenen Mandeln durch Kokosnuss ersetzt wurden. Die ersten Rezepturen dafür tauchen in den Vereinigten Staaten um 1830 auf.
So if there were professional recipes for coconut macaroons in 1830 I dare say coconut as a special treat is very much a possibility for the regency period.
Very interesting blog entry, despite the fact, that I could actually do without coconuts, at least in sweet dishes. In curries I quite like coconut milk.
As for flavours I definitely do not like: Anise is probably top of that list, Liquorice is horrible as far as I am concerned and fennel and caraway I can stand, but only in very selected dishes and very small quantities.
By the way: According to German Wikipedia on macaroons “Der vermehrte Import von Kokosnüssen durch Europa und die Vereinigten Staaten im 19. Jahrhundert führte dazu, dass zunächst vor allem in den Vereinigten Staaten die fein gemahlenen Mandeln durch Kokosnuss ersetzt wurden. Die ersten Rezepturen dafür tauchen in den Vereinigten Staaten um 1830 auf.
So if there were professional recipes for coconut macaroons in 1830 I dare say coconut as a special treat is very much a possibility for the regency period.
Very interesting blog entry, despite the fact, that I could actually do without coconuts, at least in sweet dishes. In curries I quite like coconut milk.
As for flavours I definitely do not like: Anise is probably top of that list, Liquorice is horrible as far as I am concerned and fennel and caraway I can stand, but only in very selected dishes and very small quantities.
By the way: According to German Wikipedia on macaroons “Der vermehrte Import von Kokosnüssen durch Europa und die Vereinigten Staaten im 19. Jahrhundert führte dazu, dass zunächst vor allem in den Vereinigten Staaten die fein gemahlenen Mandeln durch Kokosnuss ersetzt wurden. Die ersten Rezepturen dafür tauchen in den Vereinigten Staaten um 1830 auf.
So if there were professional recipes for coconut macaroons in 1830 I dare say coconut as a special treat is very much a possibility for the regency period.
Very interesting blog entry, despite the fact, that I could actually do without coconuts, at least in sweet dishes. In curries I quite like coconut milk.
As for flavours I definitely do not like: Anise is probably top of that list, Liquorice is horrible as far as I am concerned and fennel and caraway I can stand, but only in very selected dishes and very small quantities.
By the way: According to German Wikipedia on macaroons “Der vermehrte Import von Kokosnüssen durch Europa und die Vereinigten Staaten im 19. Jahrhundert führte dazu, dass zunächst vor allem in den Vereinigten Staaten die fein gemahlenen Mandeln durch Kokosnuss ersetzt wurden. Die ersten Rezepturen dafür tauchen in den Vereinigten Staaten um 1830 auf.
So if there were professional recipes for coconut macaroons in 1830 I dare say coconut as a special treat is very much a possibility for the regency period.
I love coconut, in fact I would pretty much eat anything. My husband says I have a stomach like an old horse because of things I eat. Unfortunately the old horses’s stomach came against me a couple of years back. I got an ulcer and now can’t eat many of the things I enjoyed. And it’s always my favorites I can’t have. I also had to give up cows milk so I’ve used coconut milk in the past. Not a bad alternative but not great on my porridge, so it’s back to the water for that one.
Very interesting post.
I love coconut, in fact I would pretty much eat anything. My husband says I have a stomach like an old horse because of things I eat. Unfortunately the old horses’s stomach came against me a couple of years back. I got an ulcer and now can’t eat many of the things I enjoyed. And it’s always my favorites I can’t have. I also had to give up cows milk so I’ve used coconut milk in the past. Not a bad alternative but not great on my porridge, so it’s back to the water for that one.
Very interesting post.
I love coconut, in fact I would pretty much eat anything. My husband says I have a stomach like an old horse because of things I eat. Unfortunately the old horses’s stomach came against me a couple of years back. I got an ulcer and now can’t eat many of the things I enjoyed. And it’s always my favorites I can’t have. I also had to give up cows milk so I’ve used coconut milk in the past. Not a bad alternative but not great on my porridge, so it’s back to the water for that one.
Very interesting post.
I love coconut, in fact I would pretty much eat anything. My husband says I have a stomach like an old horse because of things I eat. Unfortunately the old horses’s stomach came against me a couple of years back. I got an ulcer and now can’t eat many of the things I enjoyed. And it’s always my favorites I can’t have. I also had to give up cows milk so I’ve used coconut milk in the past. Not a bad alternative but not great on my porridge, so it’s back to the water for that one.
Very interesting post.
I love coconut, in fact I would pretty much eat anything. My husband says I have a stomach like an old horse because of things I eat. Unfortunately the old horses’s stomach came against me a couple of years back. I got an ulcer and now can’t eat many of the things I enjoyed. And it’s always my favorites I can’t have. I also had to give up cows milk so I’ve used coconut milk in the past. Not a bad alternative but not great on my porridge, so it’s back to the water for that one.
Very interesting post.
You have the most fascinating posts! You tell me all sorts of stuff that I never knew or even thought about.
I’ve never much cared for coconut, probably because I first encountered it as little bits of white string scattered over oranges and marshmallows in a salad misnamed Ambrosia. (I don’t like marshmallows either.) But I do like to imagine a Regency cook presented with a coconut for the first time and trying to figure out what to do with it. If it’s called a nut, that’s probably its shell that she’s looking at, but how to crack it? it obviously won’t fit into a nutcracker. Should she try a mallet? An ax? What to do?
Or it might be used as a weapon. Something to consider.
You have the most fascinating posts! You tell me all sorts of stuff that I never knew or even thought about.
I’ve never much cared for coconut, probably because I first encountered it as little bits of white string scattered over oranges and marshmallows in a salad misnamed Ambrosia. (I don’t like marshmallows either.) But I do like to imagine a Regency cook presented with a coconut for the first time and trying to figure out what to do with it. If it’s called a nut, that’s probably its shell that she’s looking at, but how to crack it? it obviously won’t fit into a nutcracker. Should she try a mallet? An ax? What to do?
Or it might be used as a weapon. Something to consider.
You have the most fascinating posts! You tell me all sorts of stuff that I never knew or even thought about.
I’ve never much cared for coconut, probably because I first encountered it as little bits of white string scattered over oranges and marshmallows in a salad misnamed Ambrosia. (I don’t like marshmallows either.) But I do like to imagine a Regency cook presented with a coconut for the first time and trying to figure out what to do with it. If it’s called a nut, that’s probably its shell that she’s looking at, but how to crack it? it obviously won’t fit into a nutcracker. Should she try a mallet? An ax? What to do?
Or it might be used as a weapon. Something to consider.
You have the most fascinating posts! You tell me all sorts of stuff that I never knew or even thought about.
I’ve never much cared for coconut, probably because I first encountered it as little bits of white string scattered over oranges and marshmallows in a salad misnamed Ambrosia. (I don’t like marshmallows either.) But I do like to imagine a Regency cook presented with a coconut for the first time and trying to figure out what to do with it. If it’s called a nut, that’s probably its shell that she’s looking at, but how to crack it? it obviously won’t fit into a nutcracker. Should she try a mallet? An ax? What to do?
Or it might be used as a weapon. Something to consider.
You have the most fascinating posts! You tell me all sorts of stuff that I never knew or even thought about.
I’ve never much cared for coconut, probably because I first encountered it as little bits of white string scattered over oranges and marshmallows in a salad misnamed Ambrosia. (I don’t like marshmallows either.) But I do like to imagine a Regency cook presented with a coconut for the first time and trying to figure out what to do with it. If it’s called a nut, that’s probably its shell that she’s looking at, but how to crack it? it obviously won’t fit into a nutcracker. Should she try a mallet? An ax? What to do?
Or it might be used as a weapon. Something to consider.
I don’t know about the taste of food, I’m more of a “texture” food person, or if it squeaks when you eat it…like mushrooms. Coconuts have a texture, so does lobster, and they squeak (I’m not talking about live lobsters). For that reason I do not care for mushrooms, coconuts, or lobster.
P.S. I also don’t like my food to touch on my plate.
I don’t know about the taste of food, I’m more of a “texture” food person, or if it squeaks when you eat it…like mushrooms. Coconuts have a texture, so does lobster, and they squeak (I’m not talking about live lobsters). For that reason I do not care for mushrooms, coconuts, or lobster.
P.S. I also don’t like my food to touch on my plate.
I don’t know about the taste of food, I’m more of a “texture” food person, or if it squeaks when you eat it…like mushrooms. Coconuts have a texture, so does lobster, and they squeak (I’m not talking about live lobsters). For that reason I do not care for mushrooms, coconuts, or lobster.
P.S. I also don’t like my food to touch on my plate.
I don’t know about the taste of food, I’m more of a “texture” food person, or if it squeaks when you eat it…like mushrooms. Coconuts have a texture, so does lobster, and they squeak (I’m not talking about live lobsters). For that reason I do not care for mushrooms, coconuts, or lobster.
P.S. I also don’t like my food to touch on my plate.
I don’t know about the taste of food, I’m more of a “texture” food person, or if it squeaks when you eat it…like mushrooms. Coconuts have a texture, so does lobster, and they squeak (I’m not talking about live lobsters). For that reason I do not care for mushrooms, coconuts, or lobster.
P.S. I also don’t like my food to touch on my plate.
I don’t know what flavoring I could do without because I’m not a cook and I’m not a fussy eater. I at least “like” most things. But like Kay above there are some textures I don’t care for (oatmeal).
I do like coconut though, especially when it comes in the form of a candy bar covered with chocolate (Almond Joy).
Loverly Bunch of Coconuts was a song my mother would sometimes sing to us kids when she put us to bed. Good memories. Thanks.
I don’t know what flavoring I could do without because I’m not a cook and I’m not a fussy eater. I at least “like” most things. But like Kay above there are some textures I don’t care for (oatmeal).
I do like coconut though, especially when it comes in the form of a candy bar covered with chocolate (Almond Joy).
Loverly Bunch of Coconuts was a song my mother would sometimes sing to us kids when she put us to bed. Good memories. Thanks.
I don’t know what flavoring I could do without because I’m not a cook and I’m not a fussy eater. I at least “like” most things. But like Kay above there are some textures I don’t care for (oatmeal).
I do like coconut though, especially when it comes in the form of a candy bar covered with chocolate (Almond Joy).
Loverly Bunch of Coconuts was a song my mother would sometimes sing to us kids when she put us to bed. Good memories. Thanks.
I don’t know what flavoring I could do without because I’m not a cook and I’m not a fussy eater. I at least “like” most things. But like Kay above there are some textures I don’t care for (oatmeal).
I do like coconut though, especially when it comes in the form of a candy bar covered with chocolate (Almond Joy).
Loverly Bunch of Coconuts was a song my mother would sometimes sing to us kids when she put us to bed. Good memories. Thanks.
I don’t know what flavoring I could do without because I’m not a cook and I’m not a fussy eater. I at least “like” most things. But like Kay above there are some textures I don’t care for (oatmeal).
I do like coconut though, especially when it comes in the form of a candy bar covered with chocolate (Almond Joy).
Loverly Bunch of Coconuts was a song my mother would sometimes sing to us kids when she put us to bed. Good memories. Thanks.
That was a very interesting history of the coconut. I can just see brave little armadas floating out to sea to populate new territory! Tastewise, I can happily live without the coconut. It has never appealed to me much. Ditto cilantro and tarragon.
Weird tasting herbs.
That was a very interesting history of the coconut. I can just see brave little armadas floating out to sea to populate new territory! Tastewise, I can happily live without the coconut. It has never appealed to me much. Ditto cilantro and tarragon.
Weird tasting herbs.
That was a very interesting history of the coconut. I can just see brave little armadas floating out to sea to populate new territory! Tastewise, I can happily live without the coconut. It has never appealed to me much. Ditto cilantro and tarragon.
Weird tasting herbs.
That was a very interesting history of the coconut. I can just see brave little armadas floating out to sea to populate new territory! Tastewise, I can happily live without the coconut. It has never appealed to me much. Ditto cilantro and tarragon.
Weird tasting herbs.
That was a very interesting history of the coconut. I can just see brave little armadas floating out to sea to populate new territory! Tastewise, I can happily live without the coconut. It has never appealed to me much. Ditto cilantro and tarragon.
Weird tasting herbs.
It must be annoying to have to avoid cilantro. So common, as you say, in cuisine from many lands.
I wonder if it grows in all these countries from India to Mexico. I suppose it must, to be traditional.
It must be annoying to have to avoid cilantro. So common, as you say, in cuisine from many lands.
I wonder if it grows in all these countries from India to Mexico. I suppose it must, to be traditional.
It must be annoying to have to avoid cilantro. So common, as you say, in cuisine from many lands.
I wonder if it grows in all these countries from India to Mexico. I suppose it must, to be traditional.
It must be annoying to have to avoid cilantro. So common, as you say, in cuisine from many lands.
I wonder if it grows in all these countries from India to Mexico. I suppose it must, to be traditional.
It must be annoying to have to avoid cilantro. So common, as you say, in cuisine from many lands.
I wonder if it grows in all these countries from India to Mexico. I suppose it must, to be traditional.
I know. I feel very much the odd woman out, not being a fan of the basil.
And it’s one of those fresh herbs you can always buy in little pots in the supermarket.
If I DID like it, I’d probably try to grow it on my window sill. It’s a pretty plant.
I know. I feel very much the odd woman out, not being a fan of the basil.
And it’s one of those fresh herbs you can always buy in little pots in the supermarket.
If I DID like it, I’d probably try to grow it on my window sill. It’s a pretty plant.
I know. I feel very much the odd woman out, not being a fan of the basil.
And it’s one of those fresh herbs you can always buy in little pots in the supermarket.
If I DID like it, I’d probably try to grow it on my window sill. It’s a pretty plant.
I know. I feel very much the odd woman out, not being a fan of the basil.
And it’s one of those fresh herbs you can always buy in little pots in the supermarket.
If I DID like it, I’d probably try to grow it on my window sill. It’s a pretty plant.
I know. I feel very much the odd woman out, not being a fan of the basil.
And it’s one of those fresh herbs you can always buy in little pots in the supermarket.
If I DID like it, I’d probably try to grow it on my window sill. It’s a pretty plant.
Cumin’s a hard spice to avoid in a world of many cusines. Even mild curries tend to use some.
In cooking, though, one could just leave it out and probably have a pretty fine taste.
Yet another reason to explore all the cooking, I suppose.
Cumin’s a hard spice to avoid in a world of many cusines. Even mild curries tend to use some.
In cooking, though, one could just leave it out and probably have a pretty fine taste.
Yet another reason to explore all the cooking, I suppose.
Cumin’s a hard spice to avoid in a world of many cusines. Even mild curries tend to use some.
In cooking, though, one could just leave it out and probably have a pretty fine taste.
Yet another reason to explore all the cooking, I suppose.
Cumin’s a hard spice to avoid in a world of many cusines. Even mild curries tend to use some.
In cooking, though, one could just leave it out and probably have a pretty fine taste.
Yet another reason to explore all the cooking, I suppose.
Cumin’s a hard spice to avoid in a world of many cusines. Even mild curries tend to use some.
In cooking, though, one could just leave it out and probably have a pretty fine taste.
Yet another reason to explore all the cooking, I suppose.
Now I want a pina colada.
I know it looks like a bit of a silly drink, but I do like them.
Now I want a pina colada.
I know it looks like a bit of a silly drink, but I do like them.
Now I want a pina colada.
I know it looks like a bit of a silly drink, but I do like them.
Now I want a pina colada.
I know it looks like a bit of a silly drink, but I do like them.
Now I want a pina colada.
I know it looks like a bit of a silly drink, but I do like them.
Interesting about the sherry. I’ve never given it much thought.
I do think I prefer most other liquor-type stuff. I kinda like those little sweet ones, like Benedictine or Pernod.
But it’s possible I simply never get offered the GOOD sherry.
Interesting about the sherry. I’ve never given it much thought.
I do think I prefer most other liquor-type stuff. I kinda like those little sweet ones, like Benedictine or Pernod.
But it’s possible I simply never get offered the GOOD sherry.
Interesting about the sherry. I’ve never given it much thought.
I do think I prefer most other liquor-type stuff. I kinda like those little sweet ones, like Benedictine or Pernod.
But it’s possible I simply never get offered the GOOD sherry.
Interesting about the sherry. I’ve never given it much thought.
I do think I prefer most other liquor-type stuff. I kinda like those little sweet ones, like Benedictine or Pernod.
But it’s possible I simply never get offered the GOOD sherry.
Interesting about the sherry. I’ve never given it much thought.
I do think I prefer most other liquor-type stuff. I kinda like those little sweet ones, like Benedictine or Pernod.
But it’s possible I simply never get offered the GOOD sherry.
Researching, I got the impression coconuts showed up in the diet in the US just a bit earlier than in Britain.
I have a coconut macaroon recipe in 1840.
So. A Regency-likely food.
Researching, I got the impression coconuts showed up in the diet in the US just a bit earlier than in Britain.
I have a coconut macaroon recipe in 1840.
So. A Regency-likely food.
Researching, I got the impression coconuts showed up in the diet in the US just a bit earlier than in Britain.
I have a coconut macaroon recipe in 1840.
So. A Regency-likely food.
Researching, I got the impression coconuts showed up in the diet in the US just a bit earlier than in Britain.
I have a coconut macaroon recipe in 1840.
So. A Regency-likely food.
Researching, I got the impression coconuts showed up in the diet in the US just a bit earlier than in Britain.
I have a coconut macaroon recipe in 1840.
So. A Regency-likely food.
I can still drink milk, to the extent that I ever did. Mostly, for me, it’s an ingredient in stuff. A cooking supply.
I see the popularity of milk substitutes in the supermarket, but can’t get too excited about any of them. I think I’d just have thinned applejuice if I wanted something to just drink.
That said, my son and his friends used to go through a vast amount of it when they were teens. I’d put two gallons in the fridge and plan to make pancakes … and open up in the morning to find they’d gone through the whole of it after school
I can still drink milk, to the extent that I ever did. Mostly, for me, it’s an ingredient in stuff. A cooking supply.
I see the popularity of milk substitutes in the supermarket, but can’t get too excited about any of them. I think I’d just have thinned applejuice if I wanted something to just drink.
That said, my son and his friends used to go through a vast amount of it when they were teens. I’d put two gallons in the fridge and plan to make pancakes … and open up in the morning to find they’d gone through the whole of it after school
I can still drink milk, to the extent that I ever did. Mostly, for me, it’s an ingredient in stuff. A cooking supply.
I see the popularity of milk substitutes in the supermarket, but can’t get too excited about any of them. I think I’d just have thinned applejuice if I wanted something to just drink.
That said, my son and his friends used to go through a vast amount of it when they were teens. I’d put two gallons in the fridge and plan to make pancakes … and open up in the morning to find they’d gone through the whole of it after school
I can still drink milk, to the extent that I ever did. Mostly, for me, it’s an ingredient in stuff. A cooking supply.
I see the popularity of milk substitutes in the supermarket, but can’t get too excited about any of them. I think I’d just have thinned applejuice if I wanted something to just drink.
That said, my son and his friends used to go through a vast amount of it when they were teens. I’d put two gallons in the fridge and plan to make pancakes … and open up in the morning to find they’d gone through the whole of it after school
I can still drink milk, to the extent that I ever did. Mostly, for me, it’s an ingredient in stuff. A cooking supply.
I see the popularity of milk substitutes in the supermarket, but can’t get too excited about any of them. I think I’d just have thinned applejuice if I wanted something to just drink.
That said, my son and his friends used to go through a vast amount of it when they were teens. I’d put two gallons in the fridge and plan to make pancakes … and open up in the morning to find they’d gone through the whole of it after school
>>> I do like to imagine a Regency cook presented with a coconut for the first time and trying to figure out what to do with it.<<<< And the poor cook wouldn't be able to look up a Youtube video to show them. I remember my older sisters, presented with "the coconut", looking through the tool box for something to attack it with. My mom left them to it.
>>> I do like to imagine a Regency cook presented with a coconut for the first time and trying to figure out what to do with it.<<<< And the poor cook wouldn't be able to look up a Youtube video to show them. I remember my older sisters, presented with "the coconut", looking through the tool box for something to attack it with. My mom left them to it.
>>> I do like to imagine a Regency cook presented with a coconut for the first time and trying to figure out what to do with it.<<<< And the poor cook wouldn't be able to look up a Youtube video to show them. I remember my older sisters, presented with "the coconut", looking through the tool box for something to attack it with. My mom left them to it.
>>> I do like to imagine a Regency cook presented with a coconut for the first time and trying to figure out what to do with it.<<<< And the poor cook wouldn't be able to look up a Youtube video to show them. I remember my older sisters, presented with "the coconut", looking through the tool box for something to attack it with. My mom left them to it.
>>> I do like to imagine a Regency cook presented with a coconut for the first time and trying to figure out what to do with it.<<<< And the poor cook wouldn't be able to look up a Youtube video to show them. I remember my older sisters, presented with "the coconut", looking through the tool box for something to attack it with. My mom left them to it.
Very interesting. I learn a new way of looking at things.
I have noticed the French are fond of a smooth, creamy texture in a lot of things where I like more differentiation.
A mouth feel thing.
As I say, interesting.
Very interesting. I learn a new way of looking at things.
I have noticed the French are fond of a smooth, creamy texture in a lot of things where I like more differentiation.
A mouth feel thing.
As I say, interesting.
Very interesting. I learn a new way of looking at things.
I have noticed the French are fond of a smooth, creamy texture in a lot of things where I like more differentiation.
A mouth feel thing.
As I say, interesting.
Very interesting. I learn a new way of looking at things.
I have noticed the French are fond of a smooth, creamy texture in a lot of things where I like more differentiation.
A mouth feel thing.
As I say, interesting.
Very interesting. I learn a new way of looking at things.
I have noticed the French are fond of a smooth, creamy texture in a lot of things where I like more differentiation.
A mouth feel thing.
As I say, interesting.
Lovely bunch of coconuts was in the movie The Lion King.
It’s a very British song to me, and I like that about it. Evocative.
Lovely bunch of coconuts was in the movie The Lion King.
It’s a very British song to me, and I like that about it. Evocative.
Lovely bunch of coconuts was in the movie The Lion King.
It’s a very British song to me, and I like that about it. Evocative.
Lovely bunch of coconuts was in the movie The Lion King.
It’s a very British song to me, and I like that about it. Evocative.
Lovely bunch of coconuts was in the movie The Lion King.
It’s a very British song to me, and I like that about it. Evocative.
I will admit I avoid tarragon, anise and things like that there in cooking.
It’s not so much that I hate the licorice flavor as that I find it out of place in savory dishes. I like it well enough in sweets.
It’s rather a nuclear option, though. Tarragon does tend to overwhelm everything else.
I will admit I avoid tarragon, anise and things like that there in cooking.
It’s not so much that I hate the licorice flavor as that I find it out of place in savory dishes. I like it well enough in sweets.
It’s rather a nuclear option, though. Tarragon does tend to overwhelm everything else.
I will admit I avoid tarragon, anise and things like that there in cooking.
It’s not so much that I hate the licorice flavor as that I find it out of place in savory dishes. I like it well enough in sweets.
It’s rather a nuclear option, though. Tarragon does tend to overwhelm everything else.
I will admit I avoid tarragon, anise and things like that there in cooking.
It’s not so much that I hate the licorice flavor as that I find it out of place in savory dishes. I like it well enough in sweets.
It’s rather a nuclear option, though. Tarragon does tend to overwhelm everything else.
I will admit I avoid tarragon, anise and things like that there in cooking.
It’s not so much that I hate the licorice flavor as that I find it out of place in savory dishes. I like it well enough in sweets.
It’s rather a nuclear option, though. Tarragon does tend to overwhelm everything else.
What a fascinating post, Jo! I saw a lot of coconut trees when I lived in Guam in the early seventies; I also ate a lot of coconut candy.
I like coconut to eat (raw, cooked, and baked). I like raw almonds, but I truly do not care for almond essence. I also avoid raw onion.
What a fascinating post, Jo! I saw a lot of coconut trees when I lived in Guam in the early seventies; I also ate a lot of coconut candy.
I like coconut to eat (raw, cooked, and baked). I like raw almonds, but I truly do not care for almond essence. I also avoid raw onion.
What a fascinating post, Jo! I saw a lot of coconut trees when I lived in Guam in the early seventies; I also ate a lot of coconut candy.
I like coconut to eat (raw, cooked, and baked). I like raw almonds, but I truly do not care for almond essence. I also avoid raw onion.
What a fascinating post, Jo! I saw a lot of coconut trees when I lived in Guam in the early seventies; I also ate a lot of coconut candy.
I like coconut to eat (raw, cooked, and baked). I like raw almonds, but I truly do not care for almond essence. I also avoid raw onion.
What a fascinating post, Jo! I saw a lot of coconut trees when I lived in Guam in the early seventies; I also ate a lot of coconut candy.
I like coconut to eat (raw, cooked, and baked). I like raw almonds, but I truly do not care for almond essence. I also avoid raw onion.
I love coconut — fresh or fried, in cooking of sweet biscuits (ie cookies) slices and cakes, desserts and as a milk or cream in curries of various sorts. I think it’s quite a popular ingredient in Australia as a lot of our various cakes and biscuits have it, including lamingtons — a quintessentially Aussie treat — sponge cake squares dipped in chocolate icing and rolled in coconut.
In the mid 19th century (and possibly earlier, I don’t know) copra was traded widely, and was quite a valuable crop. I’m sure I’ve seen 18th century recipes for macaroons and other dishes with coconut in them, but I have mislaid my 1760’s recipe book. and can’t check.
I love coconut — fresh or fried, in cooking of sweet biscuits (ie cookies) slices and cakes, desserts and as a milk or cream in curries of various sorts. I think it’s quite a popular ingredient in Australia as a lot of our various cakes and biscuits have it, including lamingtons — a quintessentially Aussie treat — sponge cake squares dipped in chocolate icing and rolled in coconut.
In the mid 19th century (and possibly earlier, I don’t know) copra was traded widely, and was quite a valuable crop. I’m sure I’ve seen 18th century recipes for macaroons and other dishes with coconut in them, but I have mislaid my 1760’s recipe book. and can’t check.
I love coconut — fresh or fried, in cooking of sweet biscuits (ie cookies) slices and cakes, desserts and as a milk or cream in curries of various sorts. I think it’s quite a popular ingredient in Australia as a lot of our various cakes and biscuits have it, including lamingtons — a quintessentially Aussie treat — sponge cake squares dipped in chocolate icing and rolled in coconut.
In the mid 19th century (and possibly earlier, I don’t know) copra was traded widely, and was quite a valuable crop. I’m sure I’ve seen 18th century recipes for macaroons and other dishes with coconut in them, but I have mislaid my 1760’s recipe book. and can’t check.
I love coconut — fresh or fried, in cooking of sweet biscuits (ie cookies) slices and cakes, desserts and as a milk or cream in curries of various sorts. I think it’s quite a popular ingredient in Australia as a lot of our various cakes and biscuits have it, including lamingtons — a quintessentially Aussie treat — sponge cake squares dipped in chocolate icing and rolled in coconut.
In the mid 19th century (and possibly earlier, I don’t know) copra was traded widely, and was quite a valuable crop. I’m sure I’ve seen 18th century recipes for macaroons and other dishes with coconut in them, but I have mislaid my 1760’s recipe book. and can’t check.
I love coconut — fresh or fried, in cooking of sweet biscuits (ie cookies) slices and cakes, desserts and as a milk or cream in curries of various sorts. I think it’s quite a popular ingredient in Australia as a lot of our various cakes and biscuits have it, including lamingtons — a quintessentially Aussie treat — sponge cake squares dipped in chocolate icing and rolled in coconut.
In the mid 19th century (and possibly earlier, I don’t know) copra was traded widely, and was quite a valuable crop. I’m sure I’ve seen 18th century recipes for macaroons and other dishes with coconut in them, but I have mislaid my 1760’s recipe book. and can’t check.
I could live without coconuts in most forms, but I do like the fresh coconut milk you can get in some Asian markets, where they whack the top off of a green, unripe coconut and stick a straw in it for you to drink. I suppose I could also live without anise.
I regularly cook using what I think of as the “C” herbs and spices: cumin, cilantro, coriander, curry powder, cinnamon, cloves and cardamom. They all complement each other in Indian cooking.
I could live without coconuts in most forms, but I do like the fresh coconut milk you can get in some Asian markets, where they whack the top off of a green, unripe coconut and stick a straw in it for you to drink. I suppose I could also live without anise.
I regularly cook using what I think of as the “C” herbs and spices: cumin, cilantro, coriander, curry powder, cinnamon, cloves and cardamom. They all complement each other in Indian cooking.
I could live without coconuts in most forms, but I do like the fresh coconut milk you can get in some Asian markets, where they whack the top off of a green, unripe coconut and stick a straw in it for you to drink. I suppose I could also live without anise.
I regularly cook using what I think of as the “C” herbs and spices: cumin, cilantro, coriander, curry powder, cinnamon, cloves and cardamom. They all complement each other in Indian cooking.
I could live without coconuts in most forms, but I do like the fresh coconut milk you can get in some Asian markets, where they whack the top off of a green, unripe coconut and stick a straw in it for you to drink. I suppose I could also live without anise.
I regularly cook using what I think of as the “C” herbs and spices: cumin, cilantro, coriander, curry powder, cinnamon, cloves and cardamom. They all complement each other in Indian cooking.
I could live without coconuts in most forms, but I do like the fresh coconut milk you can get in some Asian markets, where they whack the top off of a green, unripe coconut and stick a straw in it for you to drink. I suppose I could also live without anise.
I regularly cook using what I think of as the “C” herbs and spices: cumin, cilantro, coriander, curry powder, cinnamon, cloves and cardamom. They all complement each other in Indian cooking.
Real coconut milk has very little taste. It’s kind of a flat but creamy flavor. Those who are on a strict vegan diet but miss a thick milk drink would be okay with So Delicious unsweetened coconut milk.
It’s great in anything – smoothies, cereal, oatmeal, tea, coffee.
Real coconut milk has very little taste. It’s kind of a flat but creamy flavor. Those who are on a strict vegan diet but miss a thick milk drink would be okay with So Delicious unsweetened coconut milk.
It’s great in anything – smoothies, cereal, oatmeal, tea, coffee.
Real coconut milk has very little taste. It’s kind of a flat but creamy flavor. Those who are on a strict vegan diet but miss a thick milk drink would be okay with So Delicious unsweetened coconut milk.
It’s great in anything – smoothies, cereal, oatmeal, tea, coffee.
Real coconut milk has very little taste. It’s kind of a flat but creamy flavor. Those who are on a strict vegan diet but miss a thick milk drink would be okay with So Delicious unsweetened coconut milk.
It’s great in anything – smoothies, cereal, oatmeal, tea, coffee.
Real coconut milk has very little taste. It’s kind of a flat but creamy flavor. Those who are on a strict vegan diet but miss a thick milk drink would be okay with So Delicious unsweetened coconut milk.
It’s great in anything – smoothies, cereal, oatmeal, tea, coffee.
I’m with you Jo, I could happily live without basil! And also coriander, chilli and curry! I much prefer just boring old salt and pepper on my food. I love eating raw coconut but weirdly don’t want it in any cooked food – no coconut cake, not in chocolate (hate Bounty bars!) and don’t like dishes that require coconut milk in them. Goodness, I sound very fussy with my food!
I’m with you Jo, I could happily live without basil! And also coriander, chilli and curry! I much prefer just boring old salt and pepper on my food. I love eating raw coconut but weirdly don’t want it in any cooked food – no coconut cake, not in chocolate (hate Bounty bars!) and don’t like dishes that require coconut milk in them. Goodness, I sound very fussy with my food!
I’m with you Jo, I could happily live without basil! And also coriander, chilli and curry! I much prefer just boring old salt and pepper on my food. I love eating raw coconut but weirdly don’t want it in any cooked food – no coconut cake, not in chocolate (hate Bounty bars!) and don’t like dishes that require coconut milk in them. Goodness, I sound very fussy with my food!
I’m with you Jo, I could happily live without basil! And also coriander, chilli and curry! I much prefer just boring old salt and pepper on my food. I love eating raw coconut but weirdly don’t want it in any cooked food – no coconut cake, not in chocolate (hate Bounty bars!) and don’t like dishes that require coconut milk in them. Goodness, I sound very fussy with my food!
I’m with you Jo, I could happily live without basil! And also coriander, chilli and curry! I much prefer just boring old salt and pepper on my food. I love eating raw coconut but weirdly don’t want it in any cooked food – no coconut cake, not in chocolate (hate Bounty bars!) and don’t like dishes that require coconut milk in them. Goodness, I sound very fussy with my food!
I tried the various Vegan milks, just to see what they were like, thinking I might find them useful in cooking.
Coconut milk was one of the better ones. I keep a small can of coconut milk to use in some curries.
I’m lucky in that I use milk only for cooking, where canned milk is fine, and on cereal which I don’t eat often.
I tried the various Vegan milks, just to see what they were like, thinking I might find them useful in cooking.
Coconut milk was one of the better ones. I keep a small can of coconut milk to use in some curries.
I’m lucky in that I use milk only for cooking, where canned milk is fine, and on cereal which I don’t eat often.
I tried the various Vegan milks, just to see what they were like, thinking I might find them useful in cooking.
Coconut milk was one of the better ones. I keep a small can of coconut milk to use in some curries.
I’m lucky in that I use milk only for cooking, where canned milk is fine, and on cereal which I don’t eat often.
I tried the various Vegan milks, just to see what they were like, thinking I might find them useful in cooking.
Coconut milk was one of the better ones. I keep a small can of coconut milk to use in some curries.
I’m lucky in that I use milk only for cooking, where canned milk is fine, and on cereal which I don’t eat often.
I tried the various Vegan milks, just to see what they were like, thinking I might find them useful in cooking.
Coconut milk was one of the better ones. I keep a small can of coconut milk to use in some curries.
I’m lucky in that I use milk only for cooking, where canned milk is fine, and on cereal which I don’t eat often.
I didn’t know about Asian markets and fresh coconut milk.
Next time I go adventuring to a really b ig city I will try to track that down.
I had never thought of those as the “C” herbs. That is so clever.
I didn’t know about Asian markets and fresh coconut milk.
Next time I go adventuring to a really b ig city I will try to track that down.
I had never thought of those as the “C” herbs. That is so clever.
I didn’t know about Asian markets and fresh coconut milk.
Next time I go adventuring to a really b ig city I will try to track that down.
I had never thought of those as the “C” herbs. That is so clever.
I didn’t know about Asian markets and fresh coconut milk.
Next time I go adventuring to a really b ig city I will try to track that down.
I had never thought of those as the “C” herbs. That is so clever.
I didn’t know about Asian markets and fresh coconut milk.
Next time I go adventuring to a really b ig city I will try to track that down.
I had never thought of those as the “C” herbs. That is so clever.
I’ve had to depend on Googl Advanced Book Search
and it is sometimes impossible and unreliable to use.
I think they mess with it from time to time, trying to monetize it.
Or maybe somebody on top hires his son-in-law to run things for a while and the eager new guy makes everything wonky.
My guess is Australians have always had a close and friendly relationship with coconuts, them being handy in the trees.
I discover I do not know nearly as much about Australia/British trade in the Eighteenth Century as I should.
I’ve had to depend on Googl Advanced Book Search
and it is sometimes impossible and unreliable to use.
I think they mess with it from time to time, trying to monetize it.
Or maybe somebody on top hires his son-in-law to run things for a while and the eager new guy makes everything wonky.
My guess is Australians have always had a close and friendly relationship with coconuts, them being handy in the trees.
I discover I do not know nearly as much about Australia/British trade in the Eighteenth Century as I should.
I’ve had to depend on Googl Advanced Book Search
and it is sometimes impossible and unreliable to use.
I think they mess with it from time to time, trying to monetize it.
Or maybe somebody on top hires his son-in-law to run things for a while and the eager new guy makes everything wonky.
My guess is Australians have always had a close and friendly relationship with coconuts, them being handy in the trees.
I discover I do not know nearly as much about Australia/British trade in the Eighteenth Century as I should.
I’ve had to depend on Googl Advanced Book Search
and it is sometimes impossible and unreliable to use.
I think they mess with it from time to time, trying to monetize it.
Or maybe somebody on top hires his son-in-law to run things for a while and the eager new guy makes everything wonky.
My guess is Australians have always had a close and friendly relationship with coconuts, them being handy in the trees.
I discover I do not know nearly as much about Australia/British trade in the Eighteenth Century as I should.
I’ve had to depend on Googl Advanced Book Search
and it is sometimes impossible and unreliable to use.
I think they mess with it from time to time, trying to monetize it.
Or maybe somebody on top hires his son-in-law to run things for a while and the eager new guy makes everything wonky.
My guess is Australians have always had a close and friendly relationship with coconuts, them being handy in the trees.
I discover I do not know nearly as much about Australia/British trade in the Eighteenth Century as I should.
Almond extract is one of those spices — if it is a spice — I keep on the shelf. I don’t use it often. In cookies and pastries sometimes.
It doesn’t taste much like almonds to me. I mean, it’s not unpleasant, but it just isn’t very almondy.
But then, I frequently eat “smokehouse almonds” so I may not even know what they taste like plain.
Almond extract is one of those spices — if it is a spice — I keep on the shelf. I don’t use it often. In cookies and pastries sometimes.
It doesn’t taste much like almonds to me. I mean, it’s not unpleasant, but it just isn’t very almondy.
But then, I frequently eat “smokehouse almonds” so I may not even know what they taste like plain.
Almond extract is one of those spices — if it is a spice — I keep on the shelf. I don’t use it often. In cookies and pastries sometimes.
It doesn’t taste much like almonds to me. I mean, it’s not unpleasant, but it just isn’t very almondy.
But then, I frequently eat “smokehouse almonds” so I may not even know what they taste like plain.
Almond extract is one of those spices — if it is a spice — I keep on the shelf. I don’t use it often. In cookies and pastries sometimes.
It doesn’t taste much like almonds to me. I mean, it’s not unpleasant, but it just isn’t very almondy.
But then, I frequently eat “smokehouse almonds” so I may not even know what they taste like plain.
Almond extract is one of those spices — if it is a spice — I keep on the shelf. I don’t use it often. In cookies and pastries sometimes.
It doesn’t taste much like almonds to me. I mean, it’s not unpleasant, but it just isn’t very almondy.
But then, I frequently eat “smokehouse almonds” so I may not even know what they taste like plain.
There’s a great difference between fresh coconut and the grated and dried (and, I think, sweetened) sort. Different beasts that just don’t taste the same.
I like many of the spicy, what-some-folks-think-of-as-exotic cookeries,
but I’m picking from the cuisines with which I’m familiar. So I like most of the Indian regional subspecialties from Afghan to Nepal, but not Thai or Japanese.
It may possibly have to do with whether fish sauce is part of the flavoring.
And 90% of what I eat is plain cooking. I don’t expect to get tired of the joyful subtlety of ordinary fresh vegetables anytime soon
There’s a great difference between fresh coconut and the grated and dried (and, I think, sweetened) sort. Different beasts that just don’t taste the same.
I like many of the spicy, what-some-folks-think-of-as-exotic cookeries,
but I’m picking from the cuisines with which I’m familiar. So I like most of the Indian regional subspecialties from Afghan to Nepal, but not Thai or Japanese.
It may possibly have to do with whether fish sauce is part of the flavoring.
And 90% of what I eat is plain cooking. I don’t expect to get tired of the joyful subtlety of ordinary fresh vegetables anytime soon
There’s a great difference between fresh coconut and the grated and dried (and, I think, sweetened) sort. Different beasts that just don’t taste the same.
I like many of the spicy, what-some-folks-think-of-as-exotic cookeries,
but I’m picking from the cuisines with which I’m familiar. So I like most of the Indian regional subspecialties from Afghan to Nepal, but not Thai or Japanese.
It may possibly have to do with whether fish sauce is part of the flavoring.
And 90% of what I eat is plain cooking. I don’t expect to get tired of the joyful subtlety of ordinary fresh vegetables anytime soon
There’s a great difference between fresh coconut and the grated and dried (and, I think, sweetened) sort. Different beasts that just don’t taste the same.
I like many of the spicy, what-some-folks-think-of-as-exotic cookeries,
but I’m picking from the cuisines with which I’m familiar. So I like most of the Indian regional subspecialties from Afghan to Nepal, but not Thai or Japanese.
It may possibly have to do with whether fish sauce is part of the flavoring.
And 90% of what I eat is plain cooking. I don’t expect to get tired of the joyful subtlety of ordinary fresh vegetables anytime soon
There’s a great difference between fresh coconut and the grated and dried (and, I think, sweetened) sort. Different beasts that just don’t taste the same.
I like many of the spicy, what-some-folks-think-of-as-exotic cookeries,
but I’m picking from the cuisines with which I’m familiar. So I like most of the Indian regional subspecialties from Afghan to Nepal, but not Thai or Japanese.
It may possibly have to do with whether fish sauce is part of the flavoring.
And 90% of what I eat is plain cooking. I don’t expect to get tired of the joyful subtlety of ordinary fresh vegetables anytime soon
Always delighted by your research!
Taste is such a strange and fascinating part of being human. We like and dislike flavors for so many reasons, some of them by association with pleasant or not so pleasant memories.
For example, I loathe asparagus. My father grew it in abundance, but then my mother cut it into 1-2 inch lengths and boiled it until the pieces resembled slimy brownish-green slugs. The children had to eat a certain number of pieces. I’d wash it down whole with a quick swallow milk.
Always delighted by your research!
Taste is such a strange and fascinating part of being human. We like and dislike flavors for so many reasons, some of them by association with pleasant or not so pleasant memories.
For example, I loathe asparagus. My father grew it in abundance, but then my mother cut it into 1-2 inch lengths and boiled it until the pieces resembled slimy brownish-green slugs. The children had to eat a certain number of pieces. I’d wash it down whole with a quick swallow milk.
Always delighted by your research!
Taste is such a strange and fascinating part of being human. We like and dislike flavors for so many reasons, some of them by association with pleasant or not so pleasant memories.
For example, I loathe asparagus. My father grew it in abundance, but then my mother cut it into 1-2 inch lengths and boiled it until the pieces resembled slimy brownish-green slugs. The children had to eat a certain number of pieces. I’d wash it down whole with a quick swallow milk.
Always delighted by your research!
Taste is such a strange and fascinating part of being human. We like and dislike flavors for so many reasons, some of them by association with pleasant or not so pleasant memories.
For example, I loathe asparagus. My father grew it in abundance, but then my mother cut it into 1-2 inch lengths and boiled it until the pieces resembled slimy brownish-green slugs. The children had to eat a certain number of pieces. I’d wash it down whole with a quick swallow milk.
Always delighted by your research!
Taste is such a strange and fascinating part of being human. We like and dislike flavors for so many reasons, some of them by association with pleasant or not so pleasant memories.
For example, I loathe asparagus. My father grew it in abundance, but then my mother cut it into 1-2 inch lengths and boiled it until the pieces resembled slimy brownish-green slugs. The children had to eat a certain number of pieces. I’d wash it down whole with a quick swallow milk.