A follow-up to purple rice/beef

[owlfish]

First, answer the original poll on purple rice & beef.

Then, if you're feeling like you would like to fill out another poll just now, here is one which examines more aspects of the same issue. (Polls are not, after all, editable.) The other one looks like it will resolve my actual point of curiousity (about which more in another post. Not today.) This one is optional extra detail.

[Poll #1587862]

This poll is dedicated to desperance, who requested clarification.

Comments

[gillo]

I will explain in the comments what kinds of cooking techniques tentacle-users might be good at.


It would depend on number and distribution of tentacles, surely? A significant number of tentacles would allow for multitasking - chopping three things at once and separately, manipulating a wok and a crepe pan at the same time, getting all ingredients to just the right point together in something time-sensitive like soufflé with salade tiède. OTOH, you'd need enough eyes suitably positioned to make that possible. You wouldn't want inadvertent chopped tentacle on the menu, would you?

The right sort of mushrooms (blue ceps for ex) can help with empurplement. So could red cabbage, though I have never tasted a rice and red cabbage dish. It could be tasty, though.

[owlfish]

I've had radicchio risotto with red wine several times, with Trevisan radicchio. (A local specialty.) It's quite good. Radicchio isn't exactly cabbage, but it's somewhat similar.

Good point on the subject of tentacles. I can't say I'm very familiar with how precise tentacle strength can be. I know octopuses are very strong, but I don't know how exact they can be.

[stormwindz.livejournal.com]

They can open jars, that's for sure. I was thinking tentacles could be good for stirring things like Hollandaise whilst finishing off whatever your sauce is going to go with. With a strong sucker I don't think stirring would require opposable thumbs.

[pennski.livejournal.com]

I enpurpled some rice inadvertantly with red cabbage (which I forgot on the first poll). Sadly as it cooled it looked more greyish, which wasn't so appetising.

[retsuko.livejournal.com]

I always imagine multi-tentacled cooks preparing various stages of the same dish at the same time in order to prepare great quantities. When I make spaghetti sauce, I cook the meat/veggies first, prepare the tomato base next, and then simmer the two for x amount of time. A multi-tentacled cook would be able to chop the garlic, mince the onions, prepare the meat and tomato base, presumably all at the same time. (I'm assuming the being in possession of the tentacles would be capable of concentrating on all these different things. I do know that octopi are quite intelligent, but in my readings, they've all come across as rather single minded. They can use their tentacles to unscrew jar tops.)

[a-d-medievalist.livejournal.com]

Enpurpled with purple rice, or with red wine and currants. But also, just purple rice. I think that tentacles would only be of use in a largish kitchen. I generally find that I'm fine with the two hands, although the hands of a kibbitzing friend or boyfriend are also great.

[kekhmet.livejournal.com]

I would happily eat purple rice that did not taste of beef. As a (mostly) vegetarian who has eaten neither red meat nor fowl for over 25 years, I am exceedingly leery of eating things which might have been cooked with meat. Thus being told something tastes of beef makes me want rather sound assurances it has not by chance been cooked with beef.

[chickenfeet2003.livejournal.com]

Beet risotto tends to the purple side

[gillpolack.livejournal.com]

I've eaten two types of naturally purple rice. Which I explained in the comments to the other post, because it's Monday Morning and my brain is still asleep. Both types were extraordinarily yummy, for the record, but one of them would not suit beef at all (and the other might not, either, but I can't get any to see).

[intertext.livejournal.com]

I have eaten black rice that was purple when cooked, and rice cooked in squid ink that was sort of purple...
And I imagine anything cooked in beef broth would taste of beef.

And tentacles would be extremely useful when stir frying.

[frumpo.livejournal.com]

I've eaten rice which was enpurpled with beetroot (for values of purple which include pinky-purple).