Smorgasbord Blog Magazine – Food Column – Carol Taylor – A – Z of Food ‘Q’ for Quince, Quail, Quenelles and Quesadillas

The Culinary Alphabet, The letter Q.

I haven’t found the letter Q as difficult as some of the other letters although I am guessing I am heading towards the section of the Alphabet which at some point quite soon will get more difficult. I hope you enjoy this tour around the letter Q.

Quince

The quince looks similar to the pear and is bright golden when it is ripe although that creamy white flesh turns into a deep, dusky red color when it is cooked.

The quince is high in pectin which makes it perfect for preserves and jellies and that is what I remember my mum making with quinces a lovely jam. Raw it has a tart, astringent taste and the smell is likened to that of a tropical fruit it is also packed with Vitamin C.

Quadriller

Is a term used for crosses cut on food for food presentation.

Queso

Queso Blanco is Spanish and is unaged fresh cheeses made from cows milk although sometimes goats milk is added to the mix it is also said that it is known in some cases to be the cause of food poisoning.

Quail

The Quail is a small ground resting game bird which is very popular in French cuisine and often seen on TV cooking shows looking very fancy. Part of the peasant family the Common Quail has been replaced by the domesticated Japanese Quail as the bones in a quail are small they are commonly eaten and not removed from the carcass.

The quail is very popular in Thailand and often found on the street markets here…Roasting away and very delicious.

Quail’s Eggs

Quails eggs are something of a delicacy and often made into small scotch eggs on posh menus. Here they are classed as street food and sold fried, served with fish sauce and are one of my favorite snacks.

Quatre

Means Four Spices. The four spices used are a pepper, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger or cloves and are used to season vegetables, soups or stews.

Quenelle

Ice cream is often a quenelle on a dessert it can also mean a mix of fish or meat bound together with an egg and formed into rounds. These are then cooked.

To quenelle ice cream you need two spoons and make a sort of rolling action to get an oval shape…

Quiche

My favorite quiche is cheeses and bacon or maybe it is smoked salmon.
I just love a nice quiche with some salad.

This one I didn’t add tomatoes as hubby doesn’t like them but generally, I would if I was making a larger one.

Ingredients

For the pastry

• 175g/6oz plain flour, plus extra for dusting
• 75g/2¾oz butter
• salt

For the filling

• 250g/9oz Cheddar, grated
• 4 tomatoes, sliced (optional)
• 200g/7oz bacon, chopped
• 4 free-range eggs, beaten
• 1 med brown onion, chopped…sometimes I use spring onions.
• 200ml/3½fl oz milk
• 100ml/7fl oz double cream
• 2 sprigs fresh thyme (optional)
• freshly ground black pepper

Let’s Bake!

1. Firstly make up your pastry and leave to rest for at least 15 mins in the fridge.
2. While your pastry is resting cook your bacon and cut into inch pieces or you can cut it before cooking whatever is easier
3. Chop your onion finely and crack the eggs into a bowl, and beat them well, Season.
4. Grate your cheese(s)
5. Roll out your chilled pastry to fit your oven proof dish.
6. Line the dish and prebake on 180C for about 15 mins.
7. Remove from the oven and allow the pastry to cool a little then add the chopped onion, bacon and cheese and pour over the liquids.
8. Pop the quiche back into the oven for about 5 mins and then add the sliced tomatoes around the edges of the dish.
9. Then back into the oven on 160 C for a further 25-30 mins until the eggs are set and the top is brown if it cooks too quickly then reduce the heat or cover the top of the dish with some greaseproof paper.

Quinoa

A highly nutritious grain which many of my friends love. It is gluten-free and high in protein. A popular grain in vegan cookery.

Quark

Said to have originated as far back as the 14th century in Central Europe, Quark is low in calories and fat, and makes a great healthy baking substitute if you’re trying to keep on top of eating a little bit better.

A type of fresh dairy product made by warming soured milk until the desired amount of curdling is met, and then straining it. It can be classified as fresh acid-set cheese…It is quite easy to make at home.

Quahog

Is a large clam found on the Atlantic coast of North American and often used in clam chowder…

Q Texture

To test awareness i.e soft, springy, elastic it is what umani is to the Japanese or al-dente is to the Italians.

Quetsche

A sweet plum with green flesh and purple skin.

Quesadillas

If I say, Tortilla with lots of cheeses then I think you would have guessed correctly.

Quinine

Is the flavoring for the tonic which goes with your Gin. Cheers! It is a bitter compound that comes from the bark of the cinchona tree. The tree is most commonly found in South America, Central America, the islands of the Caribbean, and parts of the western coast of Africa. Quinine was originally developed as a medicine to fight malaria. I think I prefer it as a tonic to go with my gin.

Thank you so much for reading my posts. I do hope you have enjoyed them and will join us again in a couple of weeks for the letter ‘R’.

About Carol Taylor

Enjoying life in The Land Of Smiles I am having so much fun researching, finding new, authentic recipes both Thai and International to share with you. New recipes gleaned from those who I have met on my travels or are just passing through and stopped for a while. I hope you enjoy them.

I love shopping at the local markets, finding fresh, natural ingredients, new strange fruits and vegetables ones I have never seen or cooked with. I am generally the only European person and attract much attention and I love to try what I am offered and when I smile and say Aroy or Saab as it is here in the north I am met with much smiling.

Some of my recipes may not be in line with traditional ingredients and methods of cooking but are recipes I know and have become to love and maybe if you dare to try you will too. You will always get more than just a recipe from me as I love to research and find out what other properties the ingredients I use have to improve our health and wellbeing.

Exciting for me hence the title of my blog, Retired No One Told Me! I am having a wonderful ride and don’t want to get off, so if you wish to follow me on my adventures, then welcome! I hope you enjoy the ride also and if it encourages you to take a step into the unknown or untried, you know you want to…….Then, I will be happy!

Carol is a contributor to the Phuket Island Writers Anthology:  Amazon US

Connect to Carol

Blog: Carol Cooks 2
Twitter: @CarolCooksTwo
Facebook: Carol Taylor

My thanks to Carol for sharing this series with us as she also works on her cookbook and novel this year…As always we are delighted to receive your feedback and if you could share that would be great.. thanks Sally.