[Sca-cooks] Hais report

[lilinah at earthlink.net]

Adamantius wrote:
>On Nov 8, 2005, at 11:34 PM, CLdyroz at aol.com wrote:
>  > I really do not like the oil. I do agree that the next batch should
>  > use butter.
>
>If/when you used sesame oil, was it the toasted or untoasted-seed
>variety? This would make a pretty dramatic difference in the flavor.
>
>I assume that, if the original calls for sesame oil, there's a good
>chance they liked the flavor that way. It only remains to be explored
>why your experience was different. Which, I of course realize, is
>what you're doing...

I find that using *quality* ingredients really does make a 
difference, at least, i can taste it.

For "Middle Eastern" cuisine, *non-toasted* sesame oil is the kind to 
use. Very definitely NOT the dark roasted Chinese sesame oil.

I love sesame oil. I sometimes mix half-and-half butter-and-sesame 
oil to make pie crusts.

I've tried several different kinds. And they are not equals. I 
suspect the unpleasantness of the sesame oil in the hais was due to 
an inferior sesame oil.

 From a halal market: some brand from the Middle East. It was bitter, 
and had a slightly stale (not rancid) flavor and an unpleasant 
"greasy" feel. I used it because it was cheap - but i would NOT 
recommend it and will NOT use it again.

 From the health food store, Spectrum produces many vegetable oils.
-- The Spectrum organic cold-pressed unrefined sesame oil was THE 
best. But expensive. I use it if i'm making something for myself and 
a couple other people.
-- Spectrum has two other sesame oils that are cheaper - unrefined 
and refined - not quite as good as the unrefined organic, but good. 
For feasts i buy the cheaper one - the refined - it doesn't have the 
same wonderful earthy-nutty flavor of the unrefined organic, but it's 
not bad, and it's waaaaay better than the awful stuff from the halal 
market.

Why use inferior ingredients that make a bad tasting dish?
-- 
Urtatim (that's err-tah-TEEM)
the persona formerly known as Anahita