I've been on a kick recently to try new foods and new recipes, and then I
decided that I might as well also try some things that I didn't like but
haven't eaten for a long time. Just to see if my taste has changed. It's a
pretty short list. Coconut is pretty much it, that I could think of.

So I bought a fresh coconut.

Both hubby and I agree that the taste is okay, but neither of us like the
texture. For me, it's a change. I didn't like taste or texture before, or
maybe I just couldn't separate them.

So now that I have the thing, I want to use it. I've found recipes for
shredding the coconut and extracting the juice, which seems like a good idea
since it avoids the texture issue. But what do I do with that juice and the
stuff I drained?

I don't want to do a curry. Not that I have anything against curries, but
since I may never bother with a fresh coconut again, I'd like to make
something that really features the coconut flavor, so I can really decide
whether I actually like it or I just don't hate it.

I was thinking maybe a coconut pound cake or something like it would be
good. I've googled recipes, but they all either include shredded coconut or
artificial coconut flavoring.

So...anybody got any good tried-and-true recipes? It doesn't have to be a
pound cake, but some kind of cake would be ideal, because I can send it to
work with hubby if we don't like it.

Thanks --

--
Donna

Make a cake! Get an ordinary cake mix for white cake. For the liquid,
use the coconut milk (strained) for the liquid, and if you don't have
quite enough just add water to make up the difference. Bake as usual.
For the frosting, you can use any frosting you like, although the
old-fasioned 7-minute frosting is best. (There is a Classic white
frosting mix in a box that requires a bit of boiling water and beating
with electric mixer that makes a wonderful 7-minute frosting!) After
you frost the cake, sprinkle it all over with shredded coconut. It is
beautiful, and absolutely delicious!

Make a cake! Get an ordinary cake mix for white cake. For the liquid,
use the coconut milk (strained) for the liquid, and if you don't have
quite enough just add water to make up the difference. Bake as usual.
For the frosting, you can use any frosting you like, although the
old-fasioned 7-minute frosting is best. (There is a Classic white
frosting mix in a box that requires a bit of boiling water and beating
with electric mixer that makes a wonderful 7-minute frosting!) After
you frost the cake, sprinkle it all over with shredded coconut. It is
beautiful, and absolutely delicious!

D.Currie wrote:

> So now that I have the thing, I want to use it. I've found recipes for
> shredding the coconut and extracting the juice, which seems like a good idea
> since it avoids the texture issue. But what do I do with that juice and the
> stuff I drained?


I recommend Thai chicken soup. Look for recipes for tom ka gai. There
are also Jamaican recipes for coconut rice that use the coconut in a way
that doesn't involve curry and the mealy texture that you don't like.


--Lia

D.Currie wrote:
because I can send it to
> work with hubby if we don't like it.

there you go! lol

yes the more you chew it the bigger it gets in your mouth
its just awful

"Switch" > wrote in message
oups.com...
>
> D.Currie wrote:
> because I can send it to
> > work with hubby if we don't like it.
>
> there you go! lol
>
> yes the more you chew it the bigger it gets in your mouth
> its just awful
>

Isn't that the truth? God, no wonder I don't like meat. Fish never does
that.

kili

In article >,
"D.Currie" > wrote:

> I've been on a kick recently to try new foods and new recipes, and then I
> decided that I might as well also try some things that I didn't like but
> haven't eaten for a long time. Just to see if my taste has changed. It's a
> pretty short list. Coconut is pretty much it, that I could think of.
>
> So I bought a fresh coconut.
>
> Both hubby and I agree that the taste is okay, but neither of us like the
> texture. For me, it's a change. I didn't like taste or texture before, or
> maybe I just couldn't separate them.
>
> So now that I have the thing, I want to use it. I've found recipes for
> shredding the coconut and extracting the juice, which seems like a good idea
> since it avoids the texture issue. But what do I do with that juice and the
> stuff I drained?

During your search, didn't you find any recipes for coconut milk and the
meat? There are tons of coconut recipes out there. Just google for them?

Just off the top of my head, you can use shredded coconut on a pie, if
you like to bake. If you're not averse to deep fried foods, shred some
coconut, mince it, then dry it out in your oven until its golden brown
on a low setting. Then use the coconut as a coating fried shrimp.

I am not a fan of coconut at all so I don't have any specific recipes,
but they're easy to find if you do a web search. If you want to make a
pie, just google for "coconut pie" and you'll find tons of recipes.

"Stan Horwitz" > wrote in message
...
> In article >,
> "D.Currie" > wrote:
>
>> I've been on a kick recently to try new foods and new recipes, and then I
>> decided that I might as well also try some things that I didn't like but
>> haven't eaten for a long time. Just to see if my taste has changed. It's
>> a
>> pretty short list. Coconut is pretty much it, that I could think of.
>>
>> So I bought a fresh coconut.
>>
>> Both hubby and I agree that the taste is okay, but neither of us like the
>> texture. For me, it's a change. I didn't like taste or texture before, or
>> maybe I just couldn't separate them.
>>
>> So now that I have the thing, I want to use it. I've found recipes for
>> shredding the coconut and extracting the juice, which seems like a good
>> idea
>> since it avoids the texture issue. But what do I do with that juice and
>> the
>> stuff I drained?
>
> During your search, didn't you find any recipes for coconut milk and the
> meat? There are tons of coconut recipes out there. Just google for them?

Yes, I googled. Problem is, I don't want the meat and most of the recipes I
found use shedded coconut in some form or another. Or they require coconut
extract or sweetened, canned coconut cream or coconut pudding.

Since I've never cooked with coconut, I'd prefer not to start by modifying
recipes, and if possible, I'd like to try something that someone here has
tried and likes. This may be the last time I ever buy a fresh coconut, and I
want to give it every chance to taste good.


>
> Just off the top of my head, you can use shredded coconut on a pie, if
> you like to bake. If you're not averse to deep fried foods, shred some
> coconut, mince it, then dry it out in your oven until its golden brown
> on a low setting. Then use the coconut as a coating fried shrimp.

See, there's the shredded coconut again. It seems to be the first thing
people think about.

>
> I am not a fan of coconut at all so I don't have any specific recipes,
> but they're easy to find if you do a web search. If you want to make a
> pie, just google for "coconut pie" and you'll find tons of recipes.


It seems like I'm going to end up using a recipe that calls for both the
juice and shredded coconut, and just eliminate the coconut. Does anyone
think I need to substitute something for the shredded coconut in a cake
recipe?

"Julia Altshuler" > wrote in message
...
> D.Currie wrote:
>
>> So now that I have the thing, I want to use it. I've found recipes for
>> shredding the coconut and extracting the juice, which seems like a good
>> idea since it avoids the texture issue. But what do I do with that juice
>> and the stuff I drained?
>
>
> I recommend Thai chicken soup. Look for recipes for tom ka gai. There
> are also Jamaican recipes for coconut rice that use the coconut in a way
> that doesn't involve curry and the mealy texture that you don't like.
>

Thanks. I was looking at rice recipes, which don't sound bad, but rice
doesn't play into dinner plans in the near future, and I just made a pot of
Caldo Verde that's going to last a few days, so if it's soup, it's going to
be middle of the week, at least, before we're going to be thinking about
that again.

Anybody know how long fresh coconut juice stores? Can I freeze it?

"Switch" > wrote in message
oups.com...
>
> D.Currie wrote:
> because I can send it to
>> work with hubby if we don't like it.
>
> there you go! lol
>
> yes the more you chew it the bigger it gets in your mouth
> its just awful
>

When I was a kid, I thought that shredded coconut was the same stuff as the
fake grass they used to put into Easter baskets. I'm just surprised that the
taste isn't horrible like I remember it being. Maybe because when I was a
kid I was dealing with processed shredded coconut, and now I'm faced with a
fresh nut.

"D.Currie" > wrote in message
...
> I've been on a kick recently to try new foods and new recipes, and then I
> decided that I might as well also try some things that I didn't like but
> haven't eaten for a long time. Just to see if my taste has changed. It's a
> pretty short list. Coconut is pretty much it, that I could think of.
>
> So I bought a fresh coconut.
>
> Both hubby and I agree that the taste is okay, but neither of us like the
> texture. For me, it's a change. I didn't like taste or texture before, or
> maybe I just couldn't separate them.
>
> So now that I have the thing, I want to use it. I've found recipes for
> shredding the coconut and extracting the juice, which seems like a good
> idea since it avoids the texture issue. But what do I do with that juice
> and the stuff I drained?
>
> I don't want to do a curry. Not that I have anything against curries, but
> since I may never bother with a fresh coconut again, I'd like to make
> something that really features the coconut flavor, so I can really decide
> whether I actually like it or I just don't hate it.
>
> I was thinking maybe a coconut pound cake or something like it would be
> good. I've googled recipes, but they all either include shredded coconut
> or artificial coconut flavoring.
>
> So...anybody got any good tried-and-true recipes? It doesn't have to be a
> pound cake, but some kind of cake would be ideal, because I can send it to
> work with hubby if we don't like it.
>
> Thanks --

There's someone with a lot of too hot chile could use that now...

Shaun aRe

"Shaun aRe" .com> wrote in
message ...
>
> "D.Currie" > wrote in message
> ...
>> I've been on a kick recently to try new foods and new recipes, and then I
>> decided that I might as well also try some things that I didn't like but
>> haven't eaten for a long time. Just to see if my taste has changed. It's
>> a pretty short list. Coconut is pretty much it, that I could think of.
>>
>> So I bought a fresh coconut.
>>
>> Both hubby and I agree that the taste is okay, but neither of us like the
>> texture. For me, it's a change. I didn't like taste or texture before, or
>> maybe I just couldn't separate them.
>>
>> So now that I have the thing, I want to use it. I've found recipes for
>> shredding the coconut and extracting the juice, which seems like a good
>> idea since it avoids the texture issue. But what do I do with that juice
>> and the stuff I drained?
>>
>> I don't want to do a curry. Not that I have anything against curries, but
>> since I may never bother with a fresh coconut again, I'd like to make
>> something that really features the coconut flavor, so I can really decide
>> whether I actually like it or I just don't hate it.
>>
>> I was thinking maybe a coconut pound cake or something like it would be
>> good. I've googled recipes, but they all either include shredded coconut
>> or artificial coconut flavoring.
>>
>> So...anybody got any good tried-and-true recipes? It doesn't have to be a
>> pound cake, but some kind of cake would be ideal, because I can send it
>> to work with hubby if we don't like it.
>>
>> Thanks --
>
> There's someone with a lot of too hot chile could use that now...
>
> Shaun aRe

Mmmmm...chile with shredded coconut.

Stan Horwitz wrote:
> In article >,
> "D.Currie" > wrote:
>
>> So now that I have the thing, I want to use it. I've found recipes
>> for shredding the coconut and extracting the juice, which seems like
>> a good idea since it avoids the texture issue. But what do I do with
>> that juice and the stuff I drained?
>
> During your search, didn't you find any recipes for coconut milk and
> the meat? There are tons of coconut recipes out there. Just google
> for them?
>
Indonesian or Thai satay (sateh) beef, chicken or pork calls for coconut
milk to be used in the marinade. Very tasty. Don't have my recipe handy
but shouldn't be all that difficult for Donna to find.

Jill

"jmcquown" > wrote in message
.. .
> Stan Horwitz wrote:
>> In article >,
>> "D.Currie" > wrote:
>>
>>> So now that I have the thing, I want to use it. I've found recipes
>>> for shredding the coconut and extracting the juice, which seems like
>>> a good idea since it avoids the texture issue. But what do I do with
>>> that juice and the stuff I drained?
>>
>> During your search, didn't you find any recipes for coconut milk and
>> the meat? There are tons of coconut recipes out there. Just google
>> for them?
>>
> Indonesian or Thai satay (sateh) beef, chicken or pork calls for coconut
> milk to be used in the marinade. Very tasty. Don't have my recipe handy
> but shouldn't be all that difficult for Donna to find.
>
> Jill
>

Well, that was an interesting search online. Most of the recipes didn't
include coconut milk at all. And some were just plain weird. But along the
way, I found one recipe that wasn't satay, but sounded interesting, where
the chicken is cooked in the coconut milk and served over rice. Maybe I'll
try that second.

But I also found a couple where the coconut milk was in the dipping sauce
and not in the marinade, which might be good for a first try...just in case
we don't like the cooked coconut flavor, the meat is still edible without
the sauce. If that works out, I can try cooking or marinating in the milk.

I guess I ought to peruse my cookbooks now and see what else I can find that
sounds interesting.

I must be going through some weird phase or something. The opposite of the
picky eater thing. Dinners have become quite the adventure where there's
often a mystery ingredient or some strange new recipe of some sort. We
finish eating, hubby says, "So what was that, anyway?"

Donna

What to do with a coconut? Send it on a bus trip!
I spotted this yesterday:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/4677320.stm

;-) -P.

--
=========================================
firstname dot lastname at gmail fullstop com

D.Currie wrote:
> "jmcquown" > wrote in message
> .. .
>> Stan Horwitz wrote:
>>> In article >,
>>> "D.Currie" > wrote:
>>>
>>> During your search, didn't you find any recipes for coconut milk and
>>> the meat? There are tons of coconut recipes out there. Just google
>>> for them?
>>>
>> Indonesian or Thai satay (sateh) beef, chicken or pork calls for
>> coconut milk to be used in the marinade. Very tasty. Don't have my
>> recipe handy but shouldn't be all that difficult for Donna to find.
>>
>> Jill
>>
>
> Well, that was an interesting search online. Most of the recipes
> didn't include coconut milk at all. And some were just plain weird.
> But along the way, I found one recipe that wasn't satay, but sounded
> interesting, where the chicken is cooked in the coconut milk and
> served over rice. Maybe I'll try that second.
>
> But I also found a couple where the coconut milk was in the dipping
> sauce and not in the marinade, which might be good for a first
> try...just in case we don't like the cooked coconut flavor, the meat
> is still edible without the sauce. If that works out, I can try
> cooking or marinating in the milk.
>
Okay, I was wrong, it's not a marinade but you brush the meat with the
coconut milk:

2 lbs. meat (tender beef, boneless chicken or pork steak)
2 tsp. ground ginger
2 Tbs. brown sugar
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
1/2 c. coconut milk
12 inch bamboo skewers, soaked in water

Slice the meat thinly and rub the sugar and spices into the meat. (It's
easier to slice if partially frozen.) Let stand at least 30 minutes. Thread
three or four pieces of meat onto the skewers. Brush with coconut milk.
Grill over low coals (or broil) for a couple of minutes on each side.

Jill

"jmcquown" > wrote in message
. ..
> D.Currie wrote:
>> "jmcquown" > wrote in message
>> .. .
>>> Stan Horwitz wrote:
>>>> In article >,
>>>> "D.Currie" > wrote:
>>>>
>>>> During your search, didn't you find any recipes for coconut milk and
>>>> the meat? There are tons of coconut recipes out there. Just google
>>>> for them?
>>>>
>>> Indonesian or Thai satay (sateh) beef, chicken or pork calls for
>>> coconut milk to be used in the marinade. Very tasty. Don't have my
>>> recipe handy but shouldn't be all that difficult for Donna to find.
>>>
>>> Jill
>>>
>>
>> Well, that was an interesting search online. Most of the recipes
>> didn't include coconut milk at all. And some were just plain weird.
>> But along the way, I found one recipe that wasn't satay, but sounded
>> interesting, where the chicken is cooked in the coconut milk and
>> served over rice. Maybe I'll try that second.
>>
>> But I also found a couple where the coconut milk was in the dipping
>> sauce and not in the marinade, which might be good for a first
>> try...just in case we don't like the cooked coconut flavor, the meat
>> is still edible without the sauce. If that works out, I can try
>> cooking or marinating in the milk.
>>
> Okay, I was wrong, it's not a marinade but you brush the meat with the
> coconut milk:
>
> 2 lbs. meat (tender beef, boneless chicken or pork steak)
> 2 tsp. ground ginger
> 2 Tbs. brown sugar
> 1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
> 1/2 c. coconut milk
> 12 inch bamboo skewers, soaked in water
>
> Slice the meat thinly and rub the sugar and spices into the meat. (It's
> easier to slice if partially frozen.) Let stand at least 30 minutes.
> Thread
> three or four pieces of meat onto the skewers. Brush with coconut milk.
> Grill over low coals (or broil) for a couple of minutes on each side.
>
> Jill
>
>

Thanks! That sounds really good.

On Sat, 4 Feb 2006 21:36:15 -0700, "D.Currie"
> wrote:

>I've been on a kick recently to try new foods and new recipes, and then I
>decided that I might as well also try some things that I didn't like but
>haven't eaten for a long time. Just to see if my taste has changed. It's a
>pretty short list. Coconut is pretty much it, that I could think of.
>
>So I bought a fresh coconut.

I have three ideas. (I recently asked the same question here, did not
get very many answers, but found some anyway a couple days later.

Ground coconut is very good on spicy food because it mutes the
spiciness or hotness without affecting the taste. Very good if you
think the food is overspiced.

Recently I was given a piece of red deer, a tough old hag. (I live in
Europe.) Good for cooking 2 hours. I cooked it with conventional
(non-east Asian) spices in coconut milk. It made the meat very soft
and edible and improved the taste considerably.

Open coconut with a corkscrew through one of the three eyes and let
the water out. (I always drink it.) Bake the coconut in the oven for
10 minutes. This will cause the meat to shrink, and come off the
shell. If you open it you can easily remove the entire nut from the
shell. Take a potato peeler and peel off the dark brown layer. (I
usually eat it, this is only for optical purposes.) Break off pieces
of the white peeled meat and peel thin slices off the meat. Fry these
peels shortly in a pan with some fat plus hot spices, entirely up to
you, and let cool; you have a great snack.

fkoe