I blew it, didn't I?

[Gribble]

Wine goes better with food, I think. Especially bread, cheese and olives.

I like your menu. It's exactly the sort of thing I'd try to make. Do you know how to bake bread? You'll really knock her socks off if you bake a loaf yourself.

[MerryH]

Wait, why is industrial brine yucky? I never really considered brining my own olives, but now that I'm hearing it might be better, added to the fact that I just found a source for fresh olives, I might have to try it.

[Gratedwasabi]

Wine goes better with food, I think. Especially bread, cheese and olives.

I like your menu. It's exactly the sort of thing I'd try to make. Do you know how to bake bread? You'll really knock her socks off if you bake a loaf yourself.

Champagne is more romantic and is very good to begin a meal (and set the mood) as an apertif. It's also underrated as a digestif, so it goes both ends of the meal. Not as good to be sipped on while eating food, though, this is true but I'd rather have something to just sip on before and after the meal as a toast then something that's going to get us a bit buzzed for the long hike down.

I can easily make the bread by making pretend I have a stone oven via unfinished quarry tile and water. (Pro tip: go to the hardware store, by a square of unfinished quarry tile for a buck, have the best pizza brick money can buy.)

Preservatives and old ingredients are the main cause, Merry. You know those herbs that have been sitting in your cabinet for 5 years? That's what went into the brine, along with a whole bunch of stuff you probably can't pronounce and often super low quality vinegar.

You can also RE-BRINE olives if you can't find fresh by soaking store-bought brined olives in a tub of fresh water overnight, drain and fill with new water and leave all day and overnight, then drain. Commence brining. Quality goes up.

[Gribble]

I can easily make the bread by making pretend I have a stone oven via unfinished quarry tile and water. (Pro tip: go to the hardware store, by a square of unfinished quarry tile for a buck, have the best pizza brick money can buy.)

Oh my ****ing god. The tile and water trick is my technique! Hmm. I see I've finally got actual competition. Good thing you live across the continent. Go pick up the Baker's Apprentice by Peter Reinhart if you haven't all ready. Learn cold fermenting and the recipe for pain a l'ancienne. Invite her to your place after this successful date and bake bread together. Get flour all over EVERYTHING, including the two of you. Best night ever, I promise.

[MerryH]

RE-BRINE

:O

I had no idea you could do this, thanks.

So, I'm sure this would help shitty commercial olives, but what about the "higher-quality" olives at like, say a Whole Foods Olive Bar (tm) or whatever? Would you even bother fixing those?

[Gratedwasabi]

:O

I had no idea you could do this, thanks.

So, I'm sure this would help shitty commercial olives, but what about the "higher-quality" olives at like, say a Whole Foods Olive Bar (tm) or whatever? Would you even bother fixing those?

Yes. Those "higher quality" olives aren't actually high quality olives. Or rather, the olives themselves might be a bit better but the brine isn't much different. I fix all olives I buy, it's really pretty easy. You can make a big batch of olive brine at once, keep it in the back of your fridge, and then all you have to do is soak the olives and introduce them. Easy peasy, lemon squeezy.

It also lets you do some fun things. You can introduce different flavors. Love citrus? Do a brine with lots of lemon and orange. Like spicy? Add some chilies and spices. Like your olives tart? Extra vinegar. Mild? Light on the vinegar or maybe use a less acidic tasting variety, like rice wine vinegar. Etc. Brines are also super easy (combine, heat, cool) so it's not a chore at all and you can play all you like.

And if you can get fresh olives.. be prepared to be blown away.

Next up on the little utilized techniques of awesome.. home pickling.

[MerryH]

Good to know, thank you.

You've moved me to buy some fresh (raw?) olives. I do have a thing called google on my computer, but if you've got any fool-proof beginner recipes you think would help, please post links. I probably don't want to poison myself or get botulism.

I love that this thread has turned into geeking out about food.

[Gratedwasabi]

You're not at risk for botulism with brining olives; botulism is caused by the lack of oxygen, room temperature, and lack of acidity. You have oxygen, refrigeration, and acidity in olive brines. You're going to be okay.

My personal favorite re-brine is as follows; 1 cup extra virgin olive oil, 2 Tablespoons of good Red Wine Vinegar, 1 lemon (zest and juice), 1 orange (zest and juice), 2 cloves Garlic, 1 dried Chile (whatever kind you like), 1 Tablespoon Coriander Seed, 1 Tablespoon Cumin Seed, 1 Tablespoon Mustard Seed. Take the garlic cloves and smash them thoroughly. Heat a pan with 1/4th cup of the olive oil and saute the garlic cloves over low heat until very aromatic and they just start to get a hint of color; remove the garlic and discard (do NOT put any garlic into your brine, you're just flavoring the oil.) Cool the oil and then add back into the rest of it. In a new saute pan with no oil, heat to medium and saute your seeds and dried chile until very fragrant; about 2-3 minutes. Cool and use a coffee grinder to grind them (or skip that entire step and buy high quality pre-ground coriander, cumin, mustard, and chili flake and use 1 Teaspoon of each.) lCombine all of the ingredients with your soaked, unbrined olives, refrigerate, and use after 2-3 days.

For fresh olives you're going to do something a bit different. You need to actually brine the olives first (okay, the rebrine is really more of a remarinade. Sorry.) but once they're brined you'll use the above marinade/"re-brine."
Fresh olives you want to stem and wash thoroughly, then it depends what kind of olives you have. [url=http://www.wikihow.com/Cure-Olives]How to Cure Olives - wikiHow[/url] is pretty easy, except you just want to follow their instructions until the olives aren't too bitter; then you're going to go to the above marinade instead of jarring/blah/blah/blah.

Also, the weather is SHITTY this week so I'm going to have to change my plans for this next date. Crapola! Now thinking either dinner and cocktails followed by a movie or making her dinner and a movie

*edit* Uh. Oh. I.. err.. we were texting today and it was going great until she mentioned a baby at her job, I made a sarcastic joke about how afraid men are of babies, and suddenly the conversation got REALLY cold, even after I clarified I was kidding and wasn't one of those guys. I done screwed up now.

[MerryH]

Thanks! I'm gonna try this soon.

I doubt the baby comment actually scared her off. And this was over text? Don't worry about it, you don't know how she actually reacted to that. Maybe she just got busy or distracted by something else, hence the coldness.

[Gratedwasabi]

Thanks! I'm gonna try this soon.

I doubt the baby comment actually scared her off. And this was over text? Don't worry about it, you don't know how she actually reacted to that. Maybe she just got busy or distracted by something else, hence the coldness.

She doesn't like actually talking on the phone from what I gather, so yeah, text. Maybe. I'm just going to give her space for a day or two and then ask her out.

It was just kind of weird, that's all.

[Gratedwasabi]

Here you go, Merry. This is the foodie thread so I'll post what my plan is for making her dinner (since picnic ain't going to work with the weather right now) assuming she accepts. I really don't have the cash to buy all of this and more than one bottle of wine, so going with a young Oregon Pinot Noir that should match okay with everything (except maybe the soup) and very well with the Pheasant. Too bad no mushrooms but it's too wet out for good ones right now.

Elk Tartate on Crostini with Micro Herbs, Poached Quail Egg, Pomegranate Reduction

Winter Squash Soup with Galangal, Lemongrass, Asian Pear "Panzanella"

Crispy Black Cod with Orange and Olive Salad, Quinoa Crisp, Chive Vinaigrette

Pomegranate and Lemon Granita

Heirloom Carrot "4-ways" Risotto with Leeks and Aged Manchego

Bacon Rolled Pheasant with Braised Brussel Sprouts, Potato and Celeriac Hash, Port-Apple Reduction

Goat Cheesecake with Coconut Crisp, Candied Cilantro, Pineapple-Vanilla Sauce

Normally I'd serve the intermezzo before the entree but I really want to clear the flavor of olives before the Risotto, which blends fine with the pheasant dish anyway.

[doppelgaenger]

I agree with Gribs on the hiking. The other night I took the girl for a walk on our first date (after dinner) because the weather cleared up a bit. I didn't get an opening for a kiss, either, but I could tell she was waiting for it. I did have my foot in the door, though. I started a kind of nudging thing where we'd push each other off the trail and into the snow. Eventually we were holding hands.

I don't think you blew it. Just relax and enjoy yourself. Maybe joke with her "okay, I'll give you one more date, but you have to kiss me this time."

also, after the date, I would have instead sent her a text like, "you looked so pretty tonight, I wish I could have seen you all wet from the rain."

[MerryH]

Elk Tartate

Elk Tartare? Is she a pretty adventurous eater? Call me a rube, but I'm not sure I would enjoy this. I'd eat it if someone prepared it for me, but only to be polite. Maybe consider making the menu more accessible, less intimidating. Play it safe unless you're sure she's really into more "exotic" foods. Impressive set, though.

[Gratedwasabi]

Elk Tartare? Is she a pretty adventurous eater? Call me a rube, but I'm not sure I would enjoy this. I'd eat it if someone prepared it for me, but only to be polite. Maybe consider making the menu more accessible, less intimidating. Play it safe unless you're sure she's really into more "exotic" foods. Impressive set, though.

You've got a point. It's kind of unnecessary, anyway, I added it on to be fancy. I think the other stuff is pretty safe, though.

My biggest problem is I have a small condo and no table. I think what I'll do is take a desk I have that is wood and a flat surface if I remove the shelf (easily done) and put it infront of my windows (nice view) with candles, flowers, and then move my couch as the "chairs." It's kind of silly but I can't really get a table just for one dinner, and I don't really have room for one anyway. Hopefully she doesn't think I'm retarded; it should still have effect.

[Avg.]

From the sound of it, you guys didn't have a special connection. I don't think you blew it, I just think there was nothing special between you, too. If you like eachother enough, you would have started bonding and getting to know each other better instead of talking about weather and jokes.