Loadsa Mushrooms(mushroom chow mein?)

penrith

I've found a packet of mushrooms that has spent far too much time in my fridge. Must cook them for tea. i was thinking of doing mushroom chow mein as i have mushrooms, noodles and soy sauce. But how do you make it so it tastes like it came form a takeaway?

Thanks

squeaky

Put lots of monosodium glutomate in it

Sorry, couldn't resist I know we don't have a recipe in the collections for this, so it's going to have to be a new one from someone or somewhere.

While you're waiting for an answer you could check out the Cooking section of the MEGA Index sticky where at the bottom you'll find a number of websites that you can search for inspiration.

penrith

squeaky wrote:

Put lots of monosodium glutomate in it

yer what? Now you're just trying to puddle my poor brain with big words!

squeaky

It's an additive that gets added, often in huge quantities, to many ready made meals to make them look nice. I was being facetious, sorry You definitely don't need it.

Badgergal

I would love to know the answer to this (though Squeaky is prob correct about the MSG!). The boyf's mum is always bemoaning the fact that she "just can't get it to taste like the takeaway does it, how do they do it?"

Sorry I couldn't be more help!

squeaky

I'm pretty sure there's a Ken Hom (spelling?) site somewhere and chow mein just has to be on it. Don't you think?

Edit: A swift google search gives Chow Mein

Pal

Monosodium glutomate doesn't make food look nice, it makes it taste great. It is a type of artificial salt that is appallingly bad for you as your body cannot metabolise it very quickly. In addition to all the normal side effects of salt, your body just stores MSG under your skin with water for later metabolising. Hence people who eat lots of takeaways also retaining a lot of water, as well as being a bit lardy.

Nothing wrong with eating the odd takeaway but make sure you drink lots and lots of water afterwards (preferably several pints!) to help get rid of the MSG.

Pal

p.s. Mushrooms on toast are great. Fried mushrooms in butter, a bit of sour cream, grated nutmeg. Yum!

penrith

squeaky wrote:

It's an additive that gets added, often in huge quantities, to many ready made meals to make them look nice. I was being facetious, sorry You definitely don't need it.

I know it is an additive When i was at uni we had a flat mate studying chemistry who was a bit of a.... well can;t think how to put it politely. Always asking me to pass the 'sodium carbonate' (or whatever it was for salt). :rolleyes: Had a horrible uni-moment when i saw the referrence to chemicals

Wish i knew the takeaway secrets, we'd save a fortune!

Pal

Takeaway secrets are actually pretty easy. For a chinese:

Get any Ken Hom book. Buy the cheapest, most tasteless meat you can find: Tescos value meat is similar in quality to catering company meat as it contains the requisit amount of added water and chemicals designed to increase it's purchase weight.

When cooking your chosen recipe ensure you add lots of MSG to make it taste good, then when it is almost cooked, put it in a plastic container and freeze it. A week later when you want to eat it, defrost rapidly in a microwave and reheat quickly in a wok in order to make sure that the food is ready in under 10 minutes. If you like you can pretend to yourself that it has been freshly prepared.

Then put the food back in a plastic container, and pay an recent arrival in the UK with little command of the english language £2 an hour to collect it from your house. Wait an hour and half while he drives it around town on his moped, until he rings you and asks for directions back to your house.

Wait another half an hour then collect the cold food from the delivery man on your doorstep. Give him a £20 note and wait for a hour while he counts out your change in pennies.

Close the front door and remember to feel slightly guilty about not giving him a tip.

Serve it onto plates, then heat it up again in the microwave for 5 minutes, before serving to everyone in turn. Make sure you serve any child aged between 2 and 10 first. This ensures that they have finished eating by the time you have sat down to eat your reheated food, and will ensure that you spend your meal listening to them whine about wanting to leave the table and watch telly.

Sit on sofa feeling slightly sick, watch big brother. Swear to go on healthy diet "tomorrow" while debating whether to reheat those sweet and sour pork balls that were leftover.

The rest I will leave up to you, but suggest that shouting at your bored kids when they start flicking leftover food around with their forks really adds to the family atmosphere.

badgermonkey

http://observer.guardian.co.uk/foodmonthly/story/0,9950,1522368,00.html

Really interesting aticle about MSG - seems the conventional wisdom about it might not be right after all.