h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

I know fresh parmesan is different. But the immediate association I have when I see the word is with the smell of vomit.

Thanks Gnomon. I think I must just have missed the news story.

Mol

Yes - but you're associating parmesan with freeze-dried vomit rather than with actual parmesan. Try it. It will transform your life. Or, at least, your dinner.

I've met a few people over the years who actually prefer the freeze-dried vomit to the real thing.

The mind boggles.

I actaully think my life would me measurably poorer without Parmesan!

FB

If you have pasta, butter and parmesan, you have a meal.

Pasta + parmesan + very few other ingredients = dinner.

(last night I had penne with tenderstaem broccoli, garlic and chilli, with shaved parmesan)

Right, sorry, can I make this clear . I do not live a parmesan-free existence. But when I see *the word*, the *first* association I have is with 'vomit' - not with delicious pasta-based recipes (or indeed parmesan parsnips, which I can highly recommend).

So, 'parmesan has lots of umami' (or whatever exact phrase it was) causes in me an *initial* reaction of 'umami is vomit'. Because *even though I know from my own experience that proper parmesan is in fact quite delicious*, as soon as I see the word, I am transported back in time to the vomit-smelling cookery class.

Sigh.

Mol

Ah. Then maybe you should try pecorino instead.

Mol... I don't know if this was something I picked up locally or just from a few friends or relatives, but I remember sitting at the table in a pizza place and often hearing someone say, "could you pass the stinky cheese please?"

I personally love parmesan, even the sacrilege to Parmigiano-Reggiano that Kraft calls 'parmesan'.

Speaking of pecorino, saw a video online of a celebrity chef making up some spaghetti carbonara, and I really want to make some, but I have to find some pecorino as he said that parmesan is NOT a substitute.

I've never tried any version of carbonara but his was fairly simple. Cook some spaghetti, toss it in a pan with some olive oil, crack in a couple of eggs and stir and add pecorino and prosciutto. He may have had a couple more seasonings, but that's what I remember... wait, maybe I can find the video.

Nope... there are too many of them for me to find the one I saw before.


Anyhoo...

As for umami. I remember seeing a story about it a few years ago, how it was a "new" taste that Japanese chefs had known about for centuries. I think I got it right away because even when I was a kid, I would sprinkle msg straight on my tongue and just love the experience of the crystals melting. I developed a taste for Asian food more more than the rest of my family. I'm the only one in my family that can actually eat with chopsticks. Helpful hint: chopsticks are excellent for getting olives out of a jar. They're also great for eating things like "Cheetos" cheese puffs and other powdery snacks as your fingers stay clean.

I take a medication which has the side effect of inducing a slight tremor. Normally I don't notice it, but last time I tried to eat with chopsticks in public it looked like I had DTs.

Careful, or you'll launch dim sum at the next table.

There is such a lot more interesting information in this thread than our stub of an Edited Entry A322336 'Umami'

I'd be thrilled if anyone had the time to update this for us - I would gladly do it if I had twice as many hours in the day, at the moment I am struggling to keep up with normal day to day stuff for the Guide.

Oh, now you've all run away!