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@dadpad,

dadpad wrote:

It is possible i will need a Nepalese dish that is not a main course.

I was thinking of a desert but entre or horses doovers might suffice.
My wife and I have been invited to some nepalese friends home and we are offering to take something along. As they are not big consumers of alcahol food seems obvious. We thought our attempts at a traditional nepalese dish might induce some hilarity or at least comment. Perhaps we will give it an aussie bend along the way.

what you got cooks?

perhaps indian or northern indian might be close enough.

2 Replies

@dadpad,

OK.
That might be a wee bit more promising, dp.

1 Reply

@msolga,

I was thinking, dp ...
What about a present of a jar of authentic, homemade (by you) north Indian chutney or pickles to present your hosts?
What do you think of that idea?
I think it's a rather nice one, myself! Smile

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@dadpad,

Did you look at any of the recipes at the link I gave you in this post?

http://able2know.org/topic/90735-46#post-4411433

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@ehBeth,

Quote:

do you successfully use squash interchangeably with pumpkin? I don't always find the recipes meant for pumpkin work well with squash. What is your finding?

(see my response above)
So in what sorts of recipes would you use summer squash, Beth?

1 Reply

@msolga,

I think we've got a bigger language difference in the world of squash than wikipedia would have led you to believe.

I don't really cook at all with summer squash - the zucchini line of veg. I only eat them raw. I find them too watery to cook with.

Pumpkin and squash (winter squash per wikipedia it seems) are not interchangeable. While pumpkin is a type of squash, I don't use pumpkin much - but I love the other squashes and look them roasted, stuffed and in soup quite a bit.

1 Reply

@ehBeth,

Quote:

I think we've got a bigger language difference in the world of squash than wikipedia would have led you to believe.

Could well be the case. I wouldn't really know.
The term "squash" is rarely (if ever) used in Oz. (that's why I had to do the Wikipedia search to understand what you were asking.)
It's generally "pumpkin" (as in butternut, etc) or zucchini, etc, for the 'softer varieties.

Quote:

I don't really cook at all with summer squash - the zucchini line of veg. I only eat them raw. I find them too watery to cook with.

That's interesting. In salads mainly?
I quite like the taste of raw zucchini, but haven't really produced anything I'd describe as "interesting" with it.
That might be worth investigating.

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@msolga,

If you look at the link I posted earlier, it has photos and descriptions of many varieties of squash, both winter and summer types.

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@msolga,

I think your "pumpkin" is our "squash."

For us, this is a pumpkin, and only this:

http://practicallyposh.files.wordpress.com/2008/10/pumpkin_in_patch.jpg

This is a butternut squash:

http://forladiesbyladies.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/butternut-squash.jpg

Butternut squash (referred to by that full name, not just "butternut") and pumpkins are both types of squash.

Does that clarify things?

1 Reply

@sozobe,

It does indeed.
Thank you, soz. Smile

So how is this "pumpkin" generally cooked?:

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butternut squash = butternut pumpkin. great for soup

baby acorn squash = acorn squash

buttercup squash = looks to me to be a JAP pumpkin

gold nugget squash = gold nugget pumpkin

generally here in Oz if its small it a squash if its bigger than your fist its a pumpkin.

If its long and tubular its a zuccini, if its a big zuccini its called a marrow

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We dont generally see these here except in biggest pumpkin contests.
My brother grew some once for the hell of it but they were hollow and watery not suited for human consumption. He ended up feeding them to his pigs.

1 Reply

@dadpad,

Yeah, the hollowness gives them their main life, as Halloween decorations (Jack o'lanterns, hollowed out and carved pumpkins):

http://www.jacktimes.com/media/files/2010/10/jack-o-lantern.jpg

A candle goes inside and they glow while kids trick-or-treat. Great fun to scoop out the pulp and seeds, preferably with one's bare hands. The seeds can be roasted and eaten, pretty good but I don't love them.

I'd probably prepare pumpkin the same way I prepare butternut squash, though I much prefer the latter. (Cut it into ~ 1-inch cubes, and roast.)

If I cook with pumpkin (pumpkin pie or pumpkin bread, both frequently made for Thanksgiving dinner), I'm more likely to use canned pumpkin:

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51ZA39WNNEL._SL280_.jpg

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What about a good old Queensland Blue?

http://www.seedmarketing.co.za/images/pumpkin/queensland_blue.jpg

Harder than a butternut - but more flavour, too. I love them roasted, but eat them just about any old way!

They make a fantastic curry, too

2 Replies

@margo,

Me, too, margo.
Roasted = yum! Smile

And they're (along with butternut pumpkins) about the commonest variety available, just about all year round.

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@margo,

We just saw those Queensland Blues at the Royal Winter Fair - they were in the squash section of the vegetable competition. I don't think I'd ever seen them before last week. Interesting looking.

1 Reply

Yes - I feel a pumpkin cooking night coming on...have a good sized lump in the frig.

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the queensland blue we use for roasting alongside the lambroast and roast potatoes. the more solid texture seems to be good in the oven.
but goddamn hard to peel.
Butternut pumpkin we use for soup with chicken stock and plain steaming or boiling.
We tend toward more of the smaller varieties of pumpkin these days
Jap and gold nugget mainly. Theres a lot less waste. If you buy a slice of Qld Blue it tends to get a bit slimy in the fridge before we can use it all.
Mumpad had a zuccini bread recipie published some years ago in one of the womens magazines and actually won some money. I'll ask her if I can put it here.

so what about melons?
any of you girls want to.....

Alright alright already

1 Reply

@ehBeth,

ehBeth if you try a Qld blue expect the raw texture to be quite solid. a strong hand is reqired to cut the flesh and rind, this is normal.
I find about 15 mins less cooking time than the potatoes when roasting otherwise they can be a bit mushy but of course this depends on the size of the piece and oven temp as well.

1 Reply

@dadpad,

Quote:

a strong hand is reqired to cut the flesh and rind

If I'm in a hurry, I often just cut mine in wedges before roasting, leaving the skin on.

2 Replies

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