The Venusian Death Rays are beaming down on New York, and the dew point is well into the 70s. Mid-'90s for the foreseeable future, with “real feel” up to 110 degrees.
The idea of eating anything is hideous. Today I bought the Ukulele Lady a fish. She got home and said “Where’s my dinner?” I said “You really want to EAT?” She said “I guess we can save it for tomorrow.” I said “No, it’s a fish. I will cook the fish, and you will eat it.”
The only things I seem to want are pickled and cold. Vinegary okra, gherkins, pepperoncini are what I reach for. Gazpacho spiked with sherry vinegar. I’m tempted to prepare the classic Hungarian cucumber salad.
(Shave a couple of peeled Kirby cukes thin on the mandoline side of your box grater. Put the slices in a shallow bowl and give them th’ salt and pepper. Slosh some white vinegar over, then add cold water so that they are swimming in a shallow bath of 50% solution. Chill.)
Is this a common thing? Are you other heat sufferers craving the sting of good vinegar lashing over your tonsils? Cider, balsamic, white, sherry, wine?
I may pickle some fresh sliced beets in vinegar tomorrow, eat them with a spoonful of good ricotta, then use the leftover liquid to pickle some hard-boiled eggs.
I can’t really say yes. I like a good shot of vinegar on my food as well as the next Canadien but it’s doesn’t seem to have any connection with the temperature.
Two years ago I told Mr. S that if he did not get AC in this dump, besides the little window unit in HIS room, I was out of here. (to be fair, there is a big window unit in my room, too, but it’s 30 years old! ) I threatened to leave him. I said I wanted to die in comfort, and the nursing homes we are destined for someday will have to do without that $1500 plus monthly electric bills. So we did, and I keep it reasonable, in the 70’s. Tonight we had meatloaf and fries, and I bought some wonderful spicy conserve, ‘Country Ketchup’ by Stonewall Kitchen. And Key Lime pie for dessert. Life is good.
Get or make some switchel. First time I heard about it was reading an American Airlines seat back mag, flying to Vermont. Then, at the local farmer’s market a couple of days later, a lady was selling it at her stand. It was like Colonial Gatorade, plenty of vinegar in it, and tastes much better than it sounds.
I use Bragg’s Raw Organic Apple Cider Vinegar (WITH THE “MOTHER”), and every day the label YELLS at me to drink something like switchel DAILY FOR MY HEALTH. Pat n’ Paul Bragg are a lot like Dr. Bronner with his soap.
I had assumed that drinking vinegar solution was just one of those bizarre Southern California cult things.
I crave tangy things on hot days, too. The Polish also have a similar cucumber salad, but with salt and pepper (or maybe you forgot to mention it), plus a version that als adds a bit of sour cream. I love both on hot summer days (though the sour cream version is my favorite. It’s called “mizeria.”) Oh, and there’s also a version with lemon and a bit of sugar.
Not vinegar but fermented. I love kimchi and eggs. When the weather is hot I like to make an egg salad of chopped kimchi and hard boiled eggs mixed with roasted sesame mayonnaise. I spread fresh bread or toast with a little of the mayo, top it with salad greens and a pile of kimchi egg salad. You can make your own mayo but the Kewpie roasted sesame stuff is pretty good.
If the weather turns just keep the eggs hot and heat the kimchi.
I had potato salad (from Wegman’s) for dinner one day; cole slaw another. It’s too hot to cook.
Anyway, my favorite vinegar-based salad is cucumbers, sliced Vidalia onions, and sliced tomatoes, covered in rice vinegar and allowed to sit for a couple of hours. It has the vinegar tang plus some sweetness. You don’t need oil. It’s kind of the next-generation, international-foods-aisle version of the Polish cucumber salad mentioned by pulykamell, which my mum and paternal grandmother made. Good stuff.
Is this the line for the hot weather tangy cravings?
This is the time of year is when I’m making green salsa (tomatillos are as sour as the are sweet), cucumber salads & cerveza michaleda. I haven’t made it in a while but a spicy som tum (Thai green papaya salad) sure sounds good. Last week, we ordered some trays of sandwiches at work and I’ll bet I ate no fewer that 15 of the spicy sour pepperoncinis. I’ve come to prefer my sweet corn cut off the cob with salt, pepper and plenty of lime juice. My giardienera consumption significantly spikes in the summer, too.
Vinegar is close but not quite right. Lime Juice is the correct answer. I have some bean salad with a bunch of lime juice sitting in the bowl for the flavors to mingle.
My grandparents kept their house really chilled in the summer. I don’t think they cared what the bill would be. But then, they lived through the thirties without a fan even, so they deserved what they could get. Grandma once told me she didn’t miss the good old days, she liked AC, indoor plumbing, and household appliances of all sorts.