On Friday, February 24, 2012 9:50:30 PM UTC-5, projectile vomit chick wrote:
> On Feb 23, 12:05*pm, Jerry Avins > wrote:
> > Go vomit someplace else. Some boxes are labeled "Farfale", others "Butterflies".
>
> LOL

Some people call them bow ties.

Jerry
--
Engineering is the art of making what you want from things you can get.

On Thursday, February 23, 2012 1:39:03 PM UTC-5, spamtrap1888 wrote:
> On Feb 23, 10:04*am, Jerry Avins > wrote:
> > Look up "Kashe Varnishkes". Here's a recipe:http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/22/dining/221mrex.html
>
> Jerry, you seem to be using the new Googlegroups interface, which
> completely deletes all previous text, making it hard to know which
> post you are responding to. Can you revert to the previous interface,
> as I have?

How is this?

Jerry
--
Engineering is the art of making what you want from things you can get.

On Thursday, February 23, 2012 2:26:12 PM UTC-5, Mark Farouk wrote:
> On Thu, 23 Feb 2012 10:04:04 -0800 (PST), Jerry Avins >
> wrote:
>
> >Look up "Kashe Varnishkes". Here's a recipe: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/22/dining/221mrex.html
>
> I forgot to ask: is kasha (buckwheat groats) something that is
> available at most larger grocery stores? Is there a particular brand I
> should look for?

Buckwheat is usually on supermarket shelves. It's available raw or roasted. The word "kasha" is east European, it's use is similar to "corn" which is Anglo-Saxon. Both mean "grain" and denote the common grain of the locality. In the US, "corn" means maize; in Scotland, it means barley. In Yiddish (and presumably Polish) kasha means buckwheat. Somewhere, it means wheat. Be warned. Here in the US, "kasha" usually means roasted buckwheat groats. If my Yiddish were better, I might know what "varnishkes" means.

Jerry
--
Engineering is the art of making what you want from things you can get.

On Fri, 24 Feb 2012 13:26:19 -0500, Mark Farouk > wrote:

>On Thu, 23 Feb 2012 15:22:16 -0500, George M. Middius
> wrote:
>
>>Mark Farouk wrote:
>>
>>>I forgot to ask: is kasha (buckwheat groats) something that is
>>>available at most larger grocery stores?
>>
>>Probably not, but I'll bet WF has it. Otherwise a natural-food
>>specialty shop or health-food shop.
>
>I hope this does not sound too stupid, but if I went to a major
>grocery store, would this be something that would be in the cereal
>area?

I just noticed some yesterday. In the 'international foods' section.
And now I can't remember which 'inter-nation' it was in. [the one I
picked up was Wolff's, made in western NY]

I'll also note that Wolff's Kasha is ground, toasted buckwheat.
Buckwheat groats can be purchased whole at most healthfood stores.
there is little similarity between the products.

I don't remember what the original use was in this thread-- but I
don't think you can just sub one for the other.

Jim

On Fri, 24 Feb 2012 19:17:11 -0500, George M. Middius
> wrote:

>Brooklyn1 wrote:
>
>>>>I hope this does not sound too stupid, but if I went to a major
>>>>grocery store, would this be something that would be in the cereal
>>>>area?
>>>
>>>More likely with the flours, or possibly with oatmeal (cereal).
>>
>>Almost always with the ethnic foods.
>
>Don't listen to this imbecile. He has a compulsion to talk even when
>his head is completely empty of anything useful.
>

Even a blind pig finds the occasional acorn. Maybe it's a NY thing?
That's where I saw Wolff's Kasha yesterday.

Jim

On Sat, 25 Feb 2012 02:33:07 -0800 (PST), Jerry Avins >
wrote:

>On Thursday, February 23, 2012 2:26:12 PM UTC-5, Mark Farouk wrote:
>> On Thu, 23 Feb 2012 10:04:04 -0800 (PST), Jerry Avins >
>> wrote:
>>
>> >Look up "Kashe Varnishkes". Here's a recipe: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/22/dining/221mrex.html
>>
>> I forgot to ask: is kasha (buckwheat groats) something that is
>> available at most larger grocery stores? Is there a particular brand I
>> should look for?
>
>Buckwheat is usually on supermarket shelves. It's available raw or roasted. The word "kasha" is east European, it's use is similar to "corn" which is Anglo-Saxon. Both mean "grain" and denote the common grain of the locality. In the US, "corn" means maize; in Scotland, it means barley. In Yiddish (and presumably Polish) kasha means buckwheat. Somewhere, it means wheat. Be warned. Here in the US, "kasha" usually means roasted buckwheat groats. If my Yiddish were better, I might know what "varnishkes" means.
>
>Jerry

For the recipe, above, which would be better: raw or toasted (if
available both ways)? Also, if I would make extra, would this type of
dish be alright to put in the fridge, say for the next day or would
the essence of the dish be destroyed?

Mark

On Sat, 25 Feb 2012 07:42:55 -0500, Jim Elbrecht >
wrote:

>On Fri, 24 Feb 2012 19:17:11 -0500, George M. Middius
> wrote:
>
>>Brooklyn1 wrote:
>>
>>>>>I hope this does not sound too stupid, but if I went to a major
>>>>>grocery store, would this be something that would be in the cereal
>>>>>area?
>>>>
>>>>More likely with the flours, or possibly with oatmeal (cereal).
>>>
>>>Almost always with the ethnic foods.
>>
>>Don't listen to this imbecile. He has a compulsion to talk even when
>>his head is completely empty of anything useful.
>>
>
>Even a blind pig finds the occasional acorn. Maybe it's a NY thing?
>That's where I saw Wolff's Kasha yesterday.
>
>Jim

Kasha is definitely an ethnic food, found near the other ethnic grains
in the international foods section. One would find buckwheat flour in
the baking section but not groats.

Kasha is Russian for buckwheat groats... Russia grows more buckwheat
than all the rest of the planet combined... another major Russian crop
is sunflower seeds, they grow more sunflowers than the US grows corn.
There is nothing Jewish about kasha other than it's associated with
the dishes incorporating it with egg bowties (kasha varnishkas) and
kasha k'nishes which are actually Russian recipes. The NY Finger
Lakes area is the buckwheat capital of the US... Birkett Mills has
been in the kasha business for more than 200 years, since long before
any Jews migrated to the US. http://thebirkettmills.com/
Birkett Mills gets most of it's buckwheat by contracting with local
farmers that agree to grow it to their specifications, I've considered
growing buckwheat on my land but I'm not that much of a farmer and
it's too much like growing hay, very messy and very laborious. When I
bought this place all the fields were in hay, I moved in the beginning
of May so watched the hay grow all summer till more than six feet tall
in places. I have lots of pictures of the last haying. Hay is buggy,
noisy, and thick pollen everywhere... and after cutting nothing but
rough stubble to look at... I like my green lawns much better:
http://i42.tinypic.com/u819e.jpg
http://i41.tinypic.com/14b58jb.jpg
http://i42.tinypic.com/sbq87l.jpg
http://i40.tinypic.com/2e0p8xu.jpg
http://i43.tinypic.com/2v9ztxe.jpg

On Saturday, February 25, 2012 11:11:53 AM UTC-5, Mark Farouk wrote:

...

> For the recipe, above, which would be better: raw or toasted (if
> available both ways)? Also, if I would make extra, would this type of
> dish be alright to put in the fridge, say for the next day or would
> the essence of the dish be destroyed?

It's the pasta you need to be careful with. The last time I reheated some there was no microwave around. I boiled a little water in a skillet, but the leftovers in covered briefly, then uncovered to get rid of excess water. It was fine. I don't cook it often. Buckwheat in any form isn't one of my favorites.

Jerry
--
Engineering is the art of making what you want from things you can get.

On Sat, 25 Feb 2012 11:11:53 -0500, Mark Farouk > wrote:

>On Sat, 25 Feb 2012 02:33:07 -0800 (PST), Jerry Avins >
>wrote:
>
>>On Thursday, February 23, 2012 2:26:12 PM UTC-5, Mark Farouk wrote:
>>> On Thu, 23 Feb 2012 10:04:04 -0800 (PST), Jerry Avins >
>>> wrote:
>>>
>>> >Look up "Kashe Varnishkes". Here's a recipe: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/22/dining/221mrex.html
>>>
>>> I forgot to ask: is kasha (buckwheat groats) something that is
>>> available at most larger grocery stores? Is there a particular brand I
>>> should look for?
>>
>>Buckwheat is usually on supermarket shelves. It's available raw or roasted. The word "kasha" is east European, it's use is similar to "corn" which is Anglo-Saxon. Both mean "grain" and denote the common grain of the locality. In the US, "corn" means maize; in Scotland, it means barley. In Yiddish (and presumably Polish) kasha means buckwheat. Somewhere, it means wheat. Be warned. Here in the US, "kasha" usually means roasted buckwheat groats. If my Yiddish were better, I might know what "varnishkes" means.
>>
>>Jerry
>
>For the recipe, above, which would be better: raw or toasted (if
>available both ways)? Also, if I would make extra, would this type of
>dish be alright to put in the fridge, say for the next day or would
>the essence of the dish be destroyed?

Cooked kasha can certainly be refrigerated, in fact it freezes very
well... I make lots and freeze it in quart containers, reheat in the
microwave. I buy the toasted verson but usually still toast it
further. I also buy 50 pound sacks (needs to be toasted), has nearly
doubled in price since last year, probably due to the increase in the
cost of diesel, that's why pasta and other wheat product prices are so
high:
http://store.honeyvillegrain.com/who...wheat50lb.aspx
Buckwheat contains all the essential amino acids but one, its protein
is closest to meat of any other vegetable.

On 2/24/2012 6:17 PM, George M. Middius wrote:
> Brooklyn1 wrote:
>
>>>> I hope this does not sound too stupid, but if I went to a major
>>>> grocery store, would this be something that would be in the cereal
>>>> area?
>>>
>>> More likely with the flours, or possibly with oatmeal (cereal).
>>
>> Almost always with the ethnic foods.
>
> Don't listen to this imbecile. He has a compulsion to talk even when
> his head is completely empty of anything useful.
>
>

He's right in this case. Many markets have the kasha in the Kosher
section of the ethnic food aisles. Mine does.

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

Janet Wilder > wrote:

>He's right in this case. Many markets have the kasha in the Kosher
>section of the ethnic food aisles. Mine does.

That's only because they don't have an Eastern Orthodox aisle
in the grocery store.


S.

On 2/25/2012 6:41 AM, Jim Elbrecht wrote:
> On Fri, 24 Feb 2012 13:26:19 -0500, Mark > wrote:
>
>> On Thu, 23 Feb 2012 15:22:16 -0500, George M. Middius
>> > wrote:
>>
>>> Mark Farouk wrote:
>>>
>>>> I forgot to ask: is kasha (buckwheat groats) something that is
>>>> available at most larger grocery stores?
>>>
>>> Probably not, but I'll bet WF has it. Otherwise a natural-food
>>> specialty shop or health-food shop.
>>
>> I hope this does not sound too stupid, but if I went to a major
>> grocery store, would this be something that would be in the cereal
>> area?
>
> I just noticed some yesterday. In the 'international foods' section.
> And now I can't remember which 'inter-nation' it was in. [the one I
> picked up was Wolff's, made in western NY]
>
> I'll also note that Wolff's Kasha is ground, toasted buckwheat.
> Buckwheat groats can be purchased whole at most healthfood stores.
> there is little similarity between the products.
>
> I don't remember what the original use was in this thread-- but I
> don't think you can just sub one for the other.
>
> Jim


Wolff's makes several "grinds" of kasha. I think the most popular is
the medium grind, but I always use whole kasha. I think it tastes
better and it doesn't need to be dry-fried with egg like the ground. I
just toast whole kasha in a hot dry skillet.

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

"George M. Middius" > wrote in message
...
> Kalmia wrote:
>
>>> I've never tried the butterfly shaped pasta, but I am going to get
>>> some this weekend. Would a basic tomatoe sauce be good with it or
>>> could you recommend something better? I thought the above combo would
>>> be good during Lent.
>>>
>>> Suggestions?
>>> Mark
>>
>>Any sauce will do - the pasta is really just a sauce vehicle in my
>>book.
>
> In Italy, people are fanatic about pairing certain sauces with certain
> shapes. I've actually seen this. Anthony Bourdain once cooked
> spaghetti carbonara for some Italians, but there was only linguine
> available. One of them said the dish was a "failure" because it had
> the "wrong" pasta.

They're very sensitive about pasta over there.

You would be too if you ate it every day.

Burning the garlic is considered to be a heinous crime in Italy.

And they don't use egg wash to seal ravioli--only water.


W. Pooh (AKA Winnie P.)

Jerry Avins > wrote:

> Buckwheat is usually on supermarket shelves. It's available raw or
> roasted. The word "kasha" is east European, it's use is similar to "corn"
> which is Anglo-Saxon. Both mean "grain" and denote the common grain of the
> locality. In the US, "corn" means maize; in Scotland, it means barley. In
> Yiddish (and presumably Polish) kasha means buckwheat. Somewhere, it means
> wheat. Be warned. Here in the US, "kasha" usually means roasted buckwheat
> groats. If my Yiddish were better, I might know what "varnishkes" means.

Jerry, are you aware that your posts, each consisting of an endless
line, are hardly readable on many newsreaders? Why insist on using
broken junk, like groups.google? I had to re-wrap your line above,
keeping it properly quoted, which is fortunately easy in my newsreader,
otherwise I wouldn't have bothered.

Regarding kasha, here is an entry from the rfc FAQ:

KASHA - A Russian word meaning porridge or gruel made from any kind
of cereal, the grain being either whole or variously split or cracked.
There are millet, semolina, oat, buckwheat, rice, etc., kashas. In the
US-English, kasha, for some reason, came to mean buckwheat groats.

In other words, kasha, like polenta, is a dish, not an ingredient.

"Varnishkes" is a corruption of "vareniki", just like the whole dish of
"kasha varnishkes" is a lazy version of vareniki (Ukrainian dumplings,
akin to kreplach, etc.) filled, in this case, with buckwheat kasha.

Victor