A few posts back a fellow by the name of Frank suggested that I add some Worcestershire sauce to my "Oysters, South Fork Ernie"recipe, to add a little zest. If you've tasted my sauce you would probably know that it is plenty zesty. But, next Friday when the Aqua-Rodeo oyster people are at the local farmers market, I'm going to get some oysters and try adding a little "Wooster Sauce" to my sauce.I’ve always liked Lea and Perrin’s Sauce, and I use it on a bunch of different things. You can make a very good steak sauce by mixing a little Lea and Perrin’s with a little catsup. It goes great in a tomato beer, it adds flavor to cheese dips. It is one of the main ingredients to the world famous Redway Fire Department Barbecue sauce. (The Barbeque will be held from noon ‘til 7:00 Sat. May 24th, Memorial day weekend. More later)
But, as a super-taster (Me) I’ve noticed that the Lea and Perrin's sauce is watered down from the recipe that they used years ago, and it takes more to bring the flavor out. At one time it was thicker and darker right out of the bottle, but now I have to simmer the sauces that I make with it quite a bit longer to reduce the sauce to it’s original flavor. I wonder if there is anyplace that a cook could get concentrated Lea and Perrin’s to save time?
There are other things that are not as good as it used to be. Remember when they made Del Monte Catsup, with real pineapple vinegar? Del Monte is just not the same. Also some soy sauces have been watered down. I'll bet that they thought that I wouldn't notice. Like boiling frogs, if you heat them slow enough they don't notice. Well I ain't no frog, and I noticed.
Have any of you noticed that some foods are just not as good as they used to be? The only thing that I know of that has improved dramatically is fresh corn on the cob. Which, by the way, is even tastier with butter and wooster sauce.
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Over the weekend I barbequed a couple of flank steaks as a side for an abalone dinner. I sprinkle flank steaks with garlic powder and marinate them in Teriaki Sauce. Both the wife and I noticed the Teriaki sauce was nowhere near as concentrated as it seems that it used to be. I really hadn't noticed that about the Lea & Perrins' sauce but your solution to reduce it a little makes sense.
PS: try a few dashes of Lea & Perrins' on a grilled cheese sandwich made on sourdough
A dash or two with horseradish and Tobasco in a Bloody Mary is heaven.
Can't say whether I notice any difference in the strength of L&P.
A long time ago, they used to make a straight steak sauce in addition to the Worcestershire sauce. I liked 'em both !!
We used to buy teriaki sauce that was almost too thick.
Wouldn't it have been nice if they had asked us if we wanted a cheap sauce, of if we just wanted to pay more for the real thing?
My mother, who is too shy to write anything on this blog, says that three or four years age they changed the formula for Joy dishwashing soap. Now she has to use four times as much as she used to use to do the same job. She said that she wrote the company to complain, but they didn't change it back. I wish I could get away with ignoring her that easy!
Friend brought me a six pack of Guinness in bottles to celebrate my birthday and I SWEAR it is not the same old stuff--tastes very watery. Still, not like I would turn the stuff down or utter a single ill word agin it. . . .
Pineapple vinegar--an interesting thing and not easily available. I have a source in SoCal who sends me four of five bottles at a time which she gets at one of the dollar stores near her home. Apparently, the Filipinos use it a lot. I have looked all over the internet and not found a source for it.
If you ever do run across it you will regret not getting more than one bottle.
My recipe for bbq sauce is one part woostershire sauce to 3 parts catsup (plus sometimes other stuff as fancy dictates.) It works fine.
Thanks for all the good posts of late.
McKris
Water should be considered the profit margin in many foods. The best example I can think of is whole turkey. In most whole turkeys water is a large % of the weight. Something like 15-25%.
Queen Vicoria:
"Strawberries just don't taste as sweet as when I was a girl."
-Frank
Frank, Queen victoria was right. If you don't believe me, find a wild strawberry patch, and taste a real one.
I couldn't pronounce War-chester-shire-sauce when I was a kid (still can't!)so my uncle Charlie Shepard helped me out. He said it is "bug juice" & it's been Bug Juice to me ever since!
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