Already Fried
To Do Today:
1. Buy a new shower curtain liner
2. Grocery shopping
3. Laundry
4. Read Bible
5. Buy bottle of rum for tomorrow night
6. Buy okra for Saturday
7. Go to the gym (or walk)
8. Drink Mango Margaritas
It's my day off and while I hate to do anything too focused, there are a few things I need to get done today. I'm good with all of it. Truthfully, it won't take me too long to complete the list (with the exception of the mango margaritas which tend to take longer and longer), but it's still more than I like to do with my days off. I prefer to sleep, write, and drink. Today, though, I can't afford such luxuries until I get a few things done. Like I said, I'm pretty cool with my list. With the exception of #6 - Buy Okra for Saturday. In essence I'm good with it, but in practice? I feel like I am a bit out of my league. While I count okra as one of my favorite foods of all time (already fried of course), I have never bought it (except already fried). In fact, I wouldn't know an okra if a dump truck dumped a load of it on me. I have two very small assumptions about okra (other than it's fabulous fried) - it's green and found in the produce department. I think I need to know a little more about it if my shopping trip is to be successful and non-anxiety provoking.
Useless Background: (Thank you, Wikipedia)
'Okra (Abelmoschus esculentus Moench pronounced US: /ˈoʊkrə/, UK: /ˈɒkrə/, known in many English-speaking countries as lady's fingers or gumbo) is a flowering plant in the mallow family. It is valued for its edible green seed pods. Originating in Africa, the plant is cultivated in tropical, subtropical and warm temperate regions around the world.'
Seriously? That wasn't helpful at all.
'The products of the plant are mucilaginous, resulting in the characteristic "goo" or slime when the seed pods are cooked; the mucilage contains a usable form of soluble fiber. While many people enjoy okra cooked this way, others prefer to minimise sliminess; keeping the pods intact and cooking quickly help to achieve this. To avoid sliminess, okra pods are often briefly stir-fried, or cooked with acidic ingredients such as citrus, tomatoes, or vinegar. A few drops of lemon juice will usually suffice. Alternatively the pods can be sliced thinly and cooked for a long time, so that the mucilage dissolves, as in gumbo. The cooked leaves can also be used as a powerful soup thickener.[citation needed] The immature pods may also be pickled.'
I already knew most of this (especially the part about the insoluble seeds). Moving on... In a side note, I'm not a fan of 'slime'. I don't want to touch it or swallow it. This is probably why I've only ever eaten okra fried and why I've never bought it un-fried. Well, that may not be the whole truth. Traditionally I buy my okra already fried because I'm lazy and don't know how (or have any desire) to deep fat fry anything myself. Why would I when I lived a half a mile from Chicken Express for two years? No fuss, no muss. And a nifty Bible verse to go with it.
I usually love Wikipedia but I have to admit that entry was crap. I'm no closer to knowing what an okra looks like un-fried or how to buy one. So it's back to Google...
A bit of practicality (from our friends at About.com... Specifically the Southern Foods section)
'Okra is usually available fresh year-round in the South, and from May to October in many other areas. You can also find okra frozen, pickled, and canned, and in some regions you might find frozen breaded okra for deep frying. When buying fresh okra, look for young pods free of bruises, tender but not soft, and no more than 4 inches long. Okra may be stored in the refrigerator in a paper bag or wrapped in a paper towel in a perforated plastic bag for 2 to 3 days, or it may be frozen for up to 12 months after blanching whole for 2 minutes. Cooked okra can be stored (tightly covered) in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days.'
Groovy. At least now I know what to look for once I find one. Growing up, my mom taught me how to choose fresh produce. I can pick out potatoes, onions, apples, oranges, melons, lettuce, tomatoes, and a few other things that we used a lot when I was a kid in Southern California. Let me assure you, we never had okra in any of it's various forms. It just wasn't done in So Cal, at least not in my house. I had my first taste of okra (already fried) three or four years ago. To this day, I'm not sure what possessed me to eat a fried green thing, but I'm sure glad I did. That moment changed my life. And, incidentally, led to this one. Because if not for that one bite (given to me by my friend, Sunnie, out of her lunch from Grandy's), I wouldn't be stressing about shopping for fresh okra to fry.
All that and I still wouldn't know an okra if they filled the sky like an Old Testament infestation of locusts. Back to Google one more time...
Finding One
Years ago, a friend of mine sent me a picture of an okra (we were having a similar discussion to this one). Truthfully I didn't pay much attention. I was curious, but not from a practical standpoint. As far as I was concerned, there was (and is) only one way to buy okra - already fried. I vaguely remember that picture. In my mind's eye, I'm envisioning something like a zucchini's little sister, but I'm not sure that's even close.
Yep... That's okra. I know this because occasionally the breading peels away and that's what I'm left with. Dipped in gravy it's still fairly decent. I don't think that's how I'm going to find it in the produce department though.
That's it! Zucchini's kid sister. Sort of. I'm sure both zucchini and okra would be offended by my comparison, but it's all I've got right now. Alright, I think I'm all set. Go to HEB produce department, look for small skinny zucchini like green things, and find some that are bruise-free, tender, and no more than four inches long. Sounds easy. Wait! How many am I supposed to buy? Shit. A catch. How in the hell am I supposed to know that? Back to Google...
Ah-ha! (A big thank you to the folks at http://www.africhef.com/, who would like you to know that fried okra is not a traditionally African dish)
'Many people prefer Fried Okra as it helps get rid of the stickiness (duh...)
1 lb young Okra pods
1/2 cup cornmeal
1 tbsp Salt.
2 pints ice water
oil for frying
salt and pepper for seasoning, to taste'
Ok, I need one pound of 'young' okra pods. I think I can do that. All I can say is THANK GOD I don't have to cook this mess. Shopping for the raw materials is proving difficult enough. And everyone wonders why I buy my okra already fried...
1. Buy a new shower curtain liner
2. Grocery shopping
3. Laundry
4. Read Bible
5. Buy bottle of rum for tomorrow night
6. Buy okra for Saturday
7. Go to the gym (or walk)
8. Drink Mango Margaritas
It's my day off and while I hate to do anything too focused, there are a few things I need to get done today. I'm good with all of it. Truthfully, it won't take me too long to complete the list (with the exception of the mango margaritas which tend to take longer and longer), but it's still more than I like to do with my days off. I prefer to sleep, write, and drink. Today, though, I can't afford such luxuries until I get a few things done. Like I said, I'm pretty cool with my list. With the exception of #6 - Buy Okra for Saturday. In essence I'm good with it, but in practice? I feel like I am a bit out of my league. While I count okra as one of my favorite foods of all time (already fried of course), I have never bought it (except already fried). In fact, I wouldn't know an okra if a dump truck dumped a load of it on me. I have two very small assumptions about okra (other than it's fabulous fried) - it's green and found in the produce department. I think I need to know a little more about it if my shopping trip is to be successful and non-anxiety provoking.
Useless Background: (Thank you, Wikipedia)
'Okra (Abelmoschus esculentus Moench pronounced US: /ˈoʊkrə/, UK: /ˈɒkrə/, known in many English-speaking countries as lady's fingers or gumbo) is a flowering plant in the mallow family. It is valued for its edible green seed pods. Originating in Africa, the plant is cultivated in tropical, subtropical and warm temperate regions around the world.'
Seriously? That wasn't helpful at all.
'The products of the plant are mucilaginous, resulting in the characteristic "goo" or slime when the seed pods are cooked; the mucilage contains a usable form of soluble fiber. While many people enjoy okra cooked this way, others prefer to minimise sliminess; keeping the pods intact and cooking quickly help to achieve this. To avoid sliminess, okra pods are often briefly stir-fried, or cooked with acidic ingredients such as citrus, tomatoes, or vinegar. A few drops of lemon juice will usually suffice. Alternatively the pods can be sliced thinly and cooked for a long time, so that the mucilage dissolves, as in gumbo. The cooked leaves can also be used as a powerful soup thickener.[citation needed] The immature pods may also be pickled.'
I already knew most of this (especially the part about the insoluble seeds). Moving on... In a side note, I'm not a fan of 'slime'. I don't want to touch it or swallow it. This is probably why I've only ever eaten okra fried and why I've never bought it un-fried. Well, that may not be the whole truth. Traditionally I buy my okra already fried because I'm lazy and don't know how (or have any desire) to deep fat fry anything myself. Why would I when I lived a half a mile from Chicken Express for two years? No fuss, no muss. And a nifty Bible verse to go with it.
I usually love Wikipedia but I have to admit that entry was crap. I'm no closer to knowing what an okra looks like un-fried or how to buy one. So it's back to Google...
A bit of practicality (from our friends at About.com... Specifically the Southern Foods section)
'Okra is usually available fresh year-round in the South, and from May to October in many other areas. You can also find okra frozen, pickled, and canned, and in some regions you might find frozen breaded okra for deep frying. When buying fresh okra, look for young pods free of bruises, tender but not soft, and no more than 4 inches long. Okra may be stored in the refrigerator in a paper bag or wrapped in a paper towel in a perforated plastic bag for 2 to 3 days, or it may be frozen for up to 12 months after blanching whole for 2 minutes. Cooked okra can be stored (tightly covered) in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days.'
Groovy. At least now I know what to look for once I find one. Growing up, my mom taught me how to choose fresh produce. I can pick out potatoes, onions, apples, oranges, melons, lettuce, tomatoes, and a few other things that we used a lot when I was a kid in Southern California. Let me assure you, we never had okra in any of it's various forms. It just wasn't done in So Cal, at least not in my house. I had my first taste of okra (already fried) three or four years ago. To this day, I'm not sure what possessed me to eat a fried green thing, but I'm sure glad I did. That moment changed my life. And, incidentally, led to this one. Because if not for that one bite (given to me by my friend, Sunnie, out of her lunch from Grandy's), I wouldn't be stressing about shopping for fresh okra to fry.
All that and I still wouldn't know an okra if they filled the sky like an Old Testament infestation of locusts. Back to Google one more time...
Finding One
Years ago, a friend of mine sent me a picture of an okra (we were having a similar discussion to this one). Truthfully I didn't pay much attention. I was curious, but not from a practical standpoint. As far as I was concerned, there was (and is) only one way to buy okra - already fried. I vaguely remember that picture. In my mind's eye, I'm envisioning something like a zucchini's little sister, but I'm not sure that's even close.
 |
| from allcreatures.org |
Yep... That's okra. I know this because occasionally the breading peels away and that's what I'm left with. Dipped in gravy it's still fairly decent. I don't think that's how I'm going to find it in the produce department though.
 |
| meghantelpnerblog.com |
That's it! Zucchini's kid sister. Sort of. I'm sure both zucchini and okra would be offended by my comparison, but it's all I've got right now. Alright, I think I'm all set. Go to HEB produce department, look for small skinny zucchini like green things, and find some that are bruise-free, tender, and no more than four inches long. Sounds easy. Wait! How many am I supposed to buy? Shit. A catch. How in the hell am I supposed to know that? Back to Google...
Ah-ha! (A big thank you to the folks at http://www.africhef.com/, who would like you to know that fried okra is not a traditionally African dish)
'Many people prefer Fried Okra as it helps get rid of the stickiness (duh...)
1 lb young Okra pods
1/2 cup cornmeal
1 tbsp Salt.
2 pints ice water
oil for frying
salt and pepper for seasoning, to taste'
Ok, I need one pound of 'young' okra pods. I think I can do that. All I can say is THANK GOD I don't have to cook this mess. Shopping for the raw materials is proving difficult enough. And everyone wonders why I buy my okra already fried...
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