Kasha was a regular meal when I was young.

Toast slightly in a pan, then cook like rice.
Add scorched butter before serving.

Yet, most recipes I find include;
" coat groats with egg-white, then pan-toast"

What does the egg-white do ? ( seems it wouuld just scorch )
Any speculation ?

<RJ> > wrote:

> Yet, most recipes I find include;
> " coat groats with egg-white, then pan-toast"
>
> What does the egg-white do ? ( seems it wouuld just scorch )
> Any speculation ?

If coated with beaten whole eggs (not egg whites) buckwheat groats are
toasted very lightly in a pan or, better still, in a low oven, only to
let them dry and maybe take up some colour. Often, eggs are added in
the middle or at the end of toasting, not before it. Nothing is
supposed to scorch. This method is traditionally used to cook so-called
"downy" kasha, which is rubbed through a sieve.

There are many ways of cooking buckwheat groats, just as there are many
ways of cooking other grains and cereals. Various kasha types can be
made with most any grains or groats. Kasha is a dish, not an arbitrary
ingredient. Besides, grains and groats can each be of different types,
too: whole large kernels, whole small kernels, split kernels. They are
not always treated the same way, as using them results in different
consistencies and textures.

Victor

On Sat, 26 Sep 2009 14:23:58 -0700, "<RJ>" > wrote:

>Kasha was a regular meal when I was young.
>
>Toast slightly in a pan, then cook like rice.
>Add scorched butter before serving.
>
>Yet, most recipes I find include;
>" coat groats with egg-white, then pan-toast"
>
>What does the egg-white do ? ( seems it wouuld just scorch )
>Any speculation ?

Don't need to speculate, coating with egg keeps the grains separate...
same as any pilaf... and I never heard adding scorched butter but I
suppose for the TIADers. I go through better than 50 pounds of kasha
a year, there are many recipes.

http://www.thebirkettmills.com/

Lynn from Fargo Ografmorffig > wrote:

> Mister Bubba, Sir:
>
> Isn't Kasha Varnishkes a dish with cooked kasha groats, farfalle
> (bowtie) or other pasta and mushrooms (dried porcini or crimini
> or . . . . ) ? I've only eaten it once, but that was made by a
> notoriously mediocre cook. Bland and boring. I think I'd like it if
> it was done correctly!

Kasha varnishkes, like gefilte fish in fish-ball form, is yet another
travesty - an extremely lazy way of making what used to be a traditional
dish. The dish in question is kasha vareniki, pierogi-or-kreplach-like
dumplings stuffed with kasha. To add an insult to injury, the genuinely
Eastern European buckwheat kasha is mixed with the totally unrelated
pasta of Italian origin. In Europe, Eastern or otherwise, there is no
such thing as kasha varnishkes. I guess the dish, like most any dish,
can be made well enough if one does not overcook it and uses seasonings
in appropriate quantities. I personally find no attraction in the dish,
but then I do not like the traditionally made kasha-filled vareniki,
either. Here is a recipe from _The 2nd Ave Deli Cookbook_ by Sharon
Lebewohl and Rena Bulkin, but I cannot vouch for it personally. Adding
mushrooms would surely be an improvement.

Sir Bubba

Kasha varnishkes

1 1/2 cups uncooked kasha
2 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup corn oil or schmaltz
5 cups chopped onions
3/4 pound bow tie noodles (varnishkes)
2 1/2 teaspoons salt

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix kasha and eggs thoroughly, and
bake mixture in a shallow pan for 20 minutes.

2. Heat corn oil in a large skillet, and sauté onions, stirring
occasionally, until well browned. Remove to a bowl, retaining cooking
oil with onions.

3. Boil 6 cups of water in a large stockpot. Remove kasha from oven,
stir into the boiling water, and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes (until all
water has evaporated). When you are through cooking the kasha, break up
clumps with a fork.

4. At the same time you're cooking the kasha, in a separate pot, boil
bow ties for 15 to 20 minutes, until fully cooked. Drain and rinse.

5. Mix everything together, including salt, and serve.

<RJ> wrote:
> Kasha was a regular meal when I was young.
>
> Toast slightly in a pan, then cook like rice.
> Add scorched butter before serving.
>
> Yet, most recipes I find include;
> " coat groats with egg-white, then pan-toast"
>
> What does the egg-white do ? ( seems it wouuld just scorch )
> Any speculation ?
>

I coated my kasha with a whole egg then toasted it. It did not scorch
if I watched it.

I don't know what it did for the kasha, but whatever it was it wasn't
necessary if using whole groats, just needed for the fine and medium
(milled) groats.

I refused to mess with tradition.

--
Janet Wilder
Way-the-heck-south Texas
Spelling doesn't count. Cooking does.

Victor wrote:

> Kasha varnishkes, like gefilte fish in fish-ball form, is yet another
> travesty - an extremely lazy way of making what used to be a traditional
> dish. The dish in question is kasha vareniki, pierogi-or-kreplach-like
> dumplings stuffed with kasha. To add an insult to injury, the genuinely
> Eastern European buckwheat kasha is mixed with the totally unrelated
> pasta of Italian origin. In Europe, Eastern or otherwise, there is no
> such thing as kasha varnishkes. I guess the dish, like most any dish,
> can be made well enough if one does not overcook it and uses seasonings
> in appropriate quantities. I personally find no attraction in the dish,
> but then I do not like the traditionally made kasha-filled vareniki,
> either.

But...but...Sheldon LOVES kasha varnishkes, even at Thanksgiving! So what if
it's lazy? So is opening a can of SPAM!

Bob

In article >,
"<RJ>" > wrote:

> Kasha was a regular meal when I was young.
>
> Toast slightly in a pan, then cook like rice.
> Add scorched butter before serving.
>
> Yet, most recipes I find include;
> " coat groats with egg-white, then pan-toast"
>
> What does the egg-white do ? ( seems it wouuld just scorch )
> Any speculation ?

I toast the kernels in a hot pan (no oil) in one whole egg. Its the
recipe on the back of the box. The egg coats the kernels and helps keep
them separated. Try it yourself and find out.

Stan Horwitz said...

> In article >,
> "<RJ>" > wrote:
>
>> Kasha was a regular meal when I was young.
>>
>> Toast slightly in a pan, then cook like rice.
>> Add scorched butter before serving.
>>
>> Yet, most recipes I find include;
>> " coat groats with egg-white, then pan-toast"
>>
>> What does the egg-white do ? ( seems it wouuld just scorch )
>> Any speculation ?
>
> I toast the kernels in a hot pan (no oil) in one whole egg. Its the
> recipe on the back of the box. The egg coats the kernels and helps keep
> them separated. Try it yourself and find out.


Confused about kasha vs kashi, I did some fast homework...

http://www.fatfree.com/archive/2000/nov/msg00018.html

Practically ancient information.

I'm so ashamed!

I understand now, some 9 years later.

Andy