PING Jill: butternut squash question

On 7/08/2010 2:39 AM, hopitus wrote:
On Aug 6, 1:18 am, wrote:
,
typed:



In another thread, jmcquown wrote:

Cut squashes in half lengthwise and scoop out the seeds. Brush with
olive oil and place, cut side down, on a baking sheet. Roast the
squash at 350F for 1 hour until tender. Handle with an oven mitt;
scoop the flesh from the shell with a spoon and place in a large
mixing bowl.

OK. I like cooking from scratch, so when I use butternut squash in a
recipe, I'll start with a whole squash, and do more or less what you
say above. However, I always run into two problems which make this a
very labor-intensive and somewhat unpleasant task.

First is, I can't seem to cut an uncooked squash in half. Maybe I just
need a better knife? I am so not a knife expert. Also, I'm cheap. A
friend of mine, an amateur chef and culinary knife hobbyist (I hasten
to specify "culinary" so you won't think he's some psycho), considers
a $40 knife to be a "cheap" knife. WTF? I've never spent more than
maybe $15 max on a knife!

Alright, I'm willing to spend $40 - can someone recommend a decent
type of knife in that price range? One that will fairly easily cut a
raw butternut squash in half?

Go to your local Asian store and get one of their cleavers or larger,
heavier knives - the cleaver I have (from an Asian grocery place) will cut a
butternut in half, no problem. It would probably cut through raw chicken
bone, too, without a problem, although I don't *do* raw chicken at my place.
I'd be mugged by two greedy theives of the furry variety before I could do
anything useful (or at least, useful to humans) with it.

For smaller knives, I like Victorinox brand. They ain't pretty, but they
sure do a good job.

But you can't beat a ceramic knife. They're awesome, and scary sharp.
Although you probably won't find one for $40 - but hey, you might be lucky.

Second problem. The skin of the squash is so thin that there's no way
to scrape out the flesh without taking half the skin with it. How do
you do it?? There has to be a trick. I hope it doesn't involve leaving
large amounts of edible squash behind.

Roast butternut peices with skin on. Then just smoosh the flesh off, leaving
the skin behind (sorta like how you take the flesh of an avacado out,
leaving the skin behind).

The other option is of course just to use a potato peeler on it - which is
what I do.

BTW, we call them butternut pumpkins, but I suspect we're talking about the
same thing:

http://fruit4you.net.au/store/images/butternut.jpg

I'm about to break down and buy one of those bags of pre-peeled,
de-seeded, cut-into-cubes squash - what's the world coming to?

Noooooooooo!!!!!.

Yowie

Uh, I hate to bring this up, but one of our international friends here
has
already had a disaster with knives from Asian cutlery supply. What do
you think is gonna happen when they start with *cleavers*? Just
askin'.

I"ve missed something here. Who has a problem with Asian cutlery???

Jill is a great cook but I hate squash, ditto zucchini.
Can't you make some kind of squash bread or cake, like how I learned
to like zucchini, in sweet bread?

Zucchnini slice is rather yummy (yes, its sweet)

Yowie

On Aug 7, 11:16*pm, Yowie wrote:
On 6/08/2010 11:16 PM, jmcquown wrote:

"Stormmee" wrote in message
...
ceramic knives are great for slashing bread dough before baking.
-I gave up on cutting the squash, i poke holes in the skin with a
fork. then i nuke it for 15/20 mins on high in the nuker... then pull
skin off with fingers like anavacado... then cut and remove seeds. add
olive oil at this oint if you want and sautee a bit, but i don't even
bother with that anymore, Lee

Except Joyce (and Yowie) were referring to the Roasted Butternut Squash
Soup recipe I posted for Matthew. Nuking it just won't create the same
taste (or texture) as roasting the split whole squash.

Absolutely. If you don't roast it, you don't give it time to develop the
sugars, and the soup will not have the complex, rich flavour that a soup
made with the roast pumpkin/squash will.

(Have tried to make it straight from raw pumpkin/squash without roasting
first, and thus know of what I speak)

Yowie

Yes! I was wondering when someone was going to mention that. It's the
same with sweet potatoes (yams)...the sugars do not develop unless
they are cooked properly. Nuking has a great place in cooking, but
this
is one vegetable that doesn't lend itself well to the microwave.
I'm not that great of a cook, not in Jill's or Matthew's league for
sure, but
learning the science behind the recipe is helping tremendously. I've
learned a lot from the America's Test Kitchens book in that regard.

Sherry

"cshenk" wrote:
"Takayuki" wrote
The knife I usually use, I've had since I was a teenager.

I don't know how much it cost - it's hand made, and was used by my
father before me, and he gave it to me, before I moved out, as he saw
that I'd started to favor it when doing kitchen chores.

Actually, this is something for my to do list - I have to see if the
guy who made this knife is still alive, or if not, at least the son or
grandson of that knifemaker, because no other knives feel right to me
now, and I could use another one or two in different sizes.

Grin, thats like me. I have 5 'perfect' ones and have had them for ages it
seems.

1 long serrated one, bread knife. (I make all our bread in a breadmaker),
Kmart
1 short thin sharp one, about 6 inch blade. Almost a fillet knife, Yardsale
1 heavy thick cleaver, got in Japan, hand made, bought new 9,000yen (85$)
1 long straight blade, seems I always had it, might have been Mom's?
1 short sharp but heavy duty, Don's mom's

If you're like me, do you also find that nothing can keep you more
occupied in a kitchen than chopping and slicing things? The knife is
like a total bottleneck!

Never mind $40, I would sell my soul for a knife if it could cut that
time significantly.

"Sherry" wrote in message
...
On Aug 7, 11:16 pm, Yowie wrote:
On 6/08/2010 11:16 PM, jmcquown wrote:

"Stormmee" wrote in message
...
(snippage)

Except Joyce (and Yowie) were referring to the Roasted Butternut Squash
Soup recipe I posted for Matthew. Nuking it just won't create the same
taste (or texture) as roasting the split whole squash.

Absolutely. If you don't roast it, you don't give it time to develop the
sugars, and the soup will not have the complex, rich flavour that a soup
made with the roast pumpkin/squash will.

(Have tried to make it straight from raw pumpkin/squash without roasting
first, and thus know of what I speak)

Yowie

Yes! I was wondering when someone was going to mention that. It's the
same with sweet potatoes (yams)...the sugars do not develop unless
they are cooked properly. Nuking has a great place in cooking, but
this
is one vegetable that doesn't lend itself well to the microwave.
(more snippage)
Sherry
********
Thank you, Yowie and Sherry, for pointing that out! I was having difficulty
explaining it. It's just not the same to microwave pumpkin/squash (or even
saute pieces of it) and have the soup taste the way my recipe intends. I'm
sure the soup Lee makes is good but it's just not the same as *roasted*
butternut squash. I completely agree about the sweet potatoes (yams), too


Jill

"Takayuki" wrote
"cshenk" wrote:

now, and I could use another one or two in different sizes.

Grin, thats like me. I have 5 'perfect' ones and have had them for ages
it
seems.

If you're like me, do you also find that nothing can keep you more
occupied in a kitchen than chopping and slicing things? The knife is
like a total bottleneck!

Never mind $40, I would sell my soul for a knife if it could cut that
time significantly.

You'll hate me but nope! I chop fast. Now Charlotte, that's another story.
We don't do many pre-processed foods here other than standard condiments.
I;m not insane about it though and use premade udon and things like that.

In fact, need to remember to add 'pancit' to Michael's final list (once he
can carb again). It's an easy one to scale to size and highly adjustable.

lol, totally disagree of course, i am sure yours is good, but taste is not
that different to me, amd maybe thats the point, different taste vs, work
done is not enough to make me roast it for soup... now in winter i make
stuff squash in the oven and that is worth is, best thing about the group is
all of the differing perspectives, and the casual reader *one who hasn't
read the faq* might not get a good food discussion on a cat group, but for
my part i do enjoy all of the different perspectives... also... when it
comes to the nuker, many don't use it properly at all, those power settings
and resting ideas are out there for a reason... for those of you who only
heat coffee or tea water inn it, if you do decide to cook in it, please
don't just throw something in and crank it on high power, can kill food...
many things MUST be cooked and rested in between...

btw Jill what is squash running wher you are? i just was in wally which is
cheapest for produce, YIKES, over a dollar twenty a pound for run of the
mill quality butternut and acorn, NO thanks for now, Lee
"jmcquown" wrote in message
...
"Sherry" wrote in message
...
On Aug 7, 11:16 pm, Yowie wrote:
On 6/08/2010 11:16 PM, jmcquown wrote:

"Stormmee" wrote in message
...
(snippage)

Except Joyce (and Yowie) were referring to the Roasted Butternut Squash
Soup recipe I posted for Matthew. Nuking it just won't create the same
taste (or texture) as roasting the split whole squash.

Absolutely. If you don't roast it, you don't give it time to develop the
sugars, and the soup will not have the complex, rich flavour that a soup
made with the roast pumpkin/squash will.

(Have tried to make it straight from raw pumpkin/squash without roasting
first, and thus know of what I speak)

Yowie

Yes! I was wondering when someone was going to mention that. It's the
same with sweet potatoes (yams)...the sugars do not develop unless
they are cooked properly. Nuking has a great place in cooking, but
this
is one vegetable that doesn't lend itself well to the microwave.
(more snippage)
Sherry
********
Thank you, Yowie and Sherry, for pointing that out! I was having
difficulty explaining it. It's just not the same to microwave
pumpkin/squash (or even saute pieces of it) and have the soup taste the
way my recipe intends. I'm sure the soup Lee makes is good but it's just
not the same as *roasted* butternut squash. I completely agree about the
sweet potatoes (yams), too

Jill

"Stormmee" wrote

lol, totally disagree of course, i am sure yours is good, but taste is not
that different to me, amd maybe thats the point, different taste vs, work
done is not enough to make me roast it for soup... now in winter i make

Grin, definately some different views here! No problem though with this. I
routinely use the crockpot after a bare nuke to soften just enough to make
it cuttable. There is a reasonable chance my crockpot is making something
pretty close to baked but with much less hassle and cost.

stuff squash in the oven and that is worth is, best thing about the group
is all of the differing perspectives, and the casual reader *one who
hasn't read the faq* might not get a good food discussion on a cat group,
but for my part i do enjoy all of the different perspectives... also...
when it comes to the nuker, many don't use it properly at all, those power
settings and resting ideas are out there for a reason... for those of you
who only heat coffee or tea water inn it, if you do decide to cook in it,
please don't just throw something in and crank it on high power, can kill
food... many things MUST be cooked and rested in between...

Yes. Same with any cooking method. Crockpots (slow cookers to some of you)
also come with settings for a reason and 'high' isn't there just to speed it
up.

btw Jill what is squash running wher you are? i just was in wally which is
cheapest for produce, YIKES, over a dollar twenty a pound for run of the
mill quality butternut and acorn, NO thanks for now, Lee

Winter ones are pricy now because they aren't in season yet. About the same
price here though early patty-pans are starting to show a decent price
locally. Watermelon is dirt cheap because we are a major growth area for
them.

we just got a huge watermelon, took three of those very large gladware
containers to hold it, was three or four bucks, and tastes good, Lee
"cshenk" wrote in message
...
"Stormmee" wrote

lol, totally disagree of course, i am sure yours is good, but taste is
not that different to me, amd maybe thats the point, different taste vs,
work done is not enough to make me roast it for soup... now in winter i
make

Grin, definately some different views here! No problem though with this.
I routinely use the crockpot after a bare nuke to soften just enough to
make it cuttable. There is a reasonable chance my crockpot is making
something pretty close to baked but with much less hassle and cost.

stuff squash in the oven and that is worth is, best thing about the group
is all of the differing perspectives, and the casual reader *one who
hasn't read the faq* might not get a good food discussion on a cat group,
but for my part i do enjoy all of the different perspectives... also...
when it comes to the nuker, many don't use it properly at all, those
power settings and resting ideas are out there for a reason... for those
of you who only heat coffee or tea water inn it, if you do decide to cook
in it, please don't just throw something in and crank it on high power,
can kill food... many things MUST be cooked and rested in between...

Yes. Same with any cooking method. Crockpots (slow cookers to some of
you) also come with settings for a reason and 'high' isn't there just to
speed it up.

btw Jill what is squash running wher you are? i just was in wally which
is cheapest for produce, YIKES, over a dollar twenty a pound for run of
the mill quality butternut and acorn, NO thanks for now, Lee

Winter ones are pricy now because they aren't in season yet. About the
same price here though early patty-pans are starting to show a decent
price locally. Watermelon is dirt cheap because we are a major growth
area for them.

"Stormmee" wrote in message
...
btw Jill what is squash running wher you are? i just was in wally which is
cheapest for produce, YIKES, over a dollar twenty a pound for run of the
mill quality butternut and acorn, NO thanks for now, Lee

I honestly couldn't tell you. I don't buy it this time of year because it's
not in season. I only suggested the soup because of Matthew's limited diet
at the moment. It seemed to fit the bill

Jill

"jmcquown" wrote

I honestly couldn't tell you. I don't buy it this time of year because
it's not in season. I only suggested the soup because of Matthew's
limited diet at the moment. It seemed to fit the bill

Sadly he's not allowed winter squashes yet. That doesnt come until he's
allowed rice, potatoes, and other carbs.