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Author Topic: My new life in the Republic of Georgia  (Read 302336 times)

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Offline Boethius

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Re: My new life in the Republic of Georgia
« Reply #1050 on: September 29, 2019, 07:28:16 PM »
Some of the apples we eat in America are a year old. Refrigeration is good for short term storage but controlled atmosphere is needed for long term storage. Maybe Maxx can make a storage systemand lower the amount of oxygen and increasing the percentages of other gases in there. This thread is making me hungry. When's dinner Maxx?

http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2013/11/02/sleep-storage-keeps-bumper-crop-of-apples-fresh/3389877/

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/092552149400032N

Back in the old days, my grandparents stored apples grown on their farms in root cellars.  Those apples, harvested in September, were perfectly edible in early-mid May, when root cellars were emptied.  Typically at that time, a root cellar would be emptied as they were no longer cool, and what was left was fed to the pigs.  So, apples, when refrigerated even naturally, have a long shelf life.

Unlike apples, avocados do not produce a great deal of ethelyne while on the tree.  Also unlike apples, avocados do not ripen until harvested.  Methlycylopropene can delay avocado ripening, but only by about two weeks.   Removing ethelyne in storage has been tried with Haas avocados, and the maximum length of time they can be kept under ripened is 9 weeks.  However, this can lead to blackened fruit when it does ripen.  It "skips" the ripe stage to turn black.  I've had this occur when I purchase avocados at Costco - most will ripen, but one will be black, or a couple won't ripen at all.  They will look ripe on the outside, will even turn black, but the fruit inside is unripe.   I've even had cases where none of the avocados ripen.  I suppose I could return them, but can't really be bothered to do so for $9.  It is not comparable to apples.

This post was composed without the aid of google.
« Last Edit: September 29, 2019, 07:32:26 PM by Boethius »
After the fall of communism, the biggest mistake Boris Yeltsin's regime made was not to disband the KGB altogether. Instead it changed its name to the FSB and, to many observers, morphed into a gangster organisation, eventually headed by master criminal Vladimir Putin. - Gerard Batten

Offline ML

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Re: My new life in the Republic of Georgia
« Reply #1051 on: September 29, 2019, 07:43:17 PM »
Some of the apples we eat in America are a year old. Refrigeration is good for short term storage but controlled atmosphere is needed for long term storage.

Apples can be preserved in sealed storage with specific combination of oxygen, nitrogen and carbon dioxide.
I did financial work for a firm involved in this operation.
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Offline Maxx2

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Re: My new life in the Republic of Georgia
« Reply #1052 on: September 29, 2019, 07:49:14 PM »
Avocados can't be stored the same way as apples.  Their texture changes, probably because of the softeness and high fat content of the fruit.


Ripe avocados can be frozen.  Their flavour will be preserved, but their texture changes.  That's not a problem for guacamole or mashed avocado, but it will be for any use for whole pieces. 


This post was composed without the aid of google.


6:30 AM as I start to write this.


I plan on going to the store and buy hamburger, avocados (If they have them) lettuce, cheddar cheese, red onion, tomatoes (for the cut up chunks) pickled jalopinos and some chicken breasts. I've already got white onion, garlic cloves, red and green hot peppers and lots of different spices.


Michael took home some of my lard to make flour shells. When he comes here he will show me how to make them.


Thanks Boe for the tip on freezing ripe avocados. I will get several and put them wrapped into the freezer and see how they do. They sure are a pain-in-the-neck fruit! Highly recommended for a ketogenic diet.


The special Mesa corn flour should be here within a week. Michael told me it can be made into chips. I suggested why not just get Doritos off the shelf? He told me Doritos are garbage and shouldn't be considered. That corn flour chips are less expensive, easy to make and taste much better.

Offline Maxx2

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Re: My new life in the Republic of Georgia
« Reply #1053 on: September 29, 2019, 08:49:56 PM »
Michael's family restaurant photos














Offline Boethius

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Re: My new life in the Republic of Georgia
« Reply #1054 on: September 30, 2019, 12:43:06 AM »
Thanks Boe for the tip on freezing ripe avocados. I will get several and put them wrapped into the freezer and see how they do. They sure are a pain-in-the-neck fruit! Highly recommended for a ketogenic diet.


I think you have to peel them and take out the pit.  To preserve colour, sprinkle with lemon juice, and take all the air out of the bag in which you freeze the avocado. 


I've never tried this, so let me know how it works out.


This post was composed without the aid of google.
After the fall of communism, the biggest mistake Boris Yeltsin's regime made was not to disband the KGB altogether. Instead it changed its name to the FSB and, to many observers, morphed into a gangster organisation, eventually headed by master criminal Vladimir Putin. - Gerard Batten

Offline Maxx2

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Re: My new life in the Republic of Georgia
« Reply #1055 on: September 30, 2019, 04:20:34 AM »

















Offline Maxx2

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Re: My new life in the Republic of Georgia
« Reply #1056 on: September 30, 2019, 04:23:00 AM »

I think you have to peel them and take out the pit.  To preserve colour, sprinkle with lemon juice, and take all the air out of the bag in which you freeze the avocado. 


I've never tried this, so let me know how it works out.


This post was composed without the aid of google.


I've got 3 ripe avocados wrapped in plastic and in the freezer. At the end of every month I will check one each.

Offline BC

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Re: My new life in the Republic of Georgia
« Reply #1057 on: September 30, 2019, 04:30:41 AM »
Which country are the avocados from?

Offline Maxx2

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Re: My new life in the Republic of Georgia
« Reply #1058 on: September 30, 2019, 05:11:42 AM »



Here is the breakdown on the more expensive items in pounds and kilograms in USD.


Avocados are priced here not in weight but each. I have a good electronic food scale and like to check things.


The cost of an avocado is 4.35 GEL which is $1.47 each. They weigh approximately 180 grams each. That comes out to be $7.94 a kilogram or $3.60 a pound. And the pit and skin is 30% of the weight (I checked). I'll probably use this information when we want to calculate how much guacamole will costs us.


Limes, which are used more as a dress up item, are rather expensive, 16.95 GEL per kilo which is $5.75 per kilo. Or $2.61 per pound.


Cheddar cheese, $9.49 a kilogram or $4.31 a pound. Cheese, butter and all dairy products are usually very inexpensive here. However these specialty imported products are considerably more expensive.


Fresh Hamburger, is 19.90 GEL a kilogram or $4.11 a pound. The 900 grams of frozen ground beef might be less expensive.





Offline Maxx2

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Re: My new life in the Republic of Georgia
« Reply #1059 on: September 30, 2019, 05:23:01 AM »
Which country are the avocados from?



 
I think Turkey. Turkey is pushing the export of avocados into Russia, Ukraine, Azerbaijan, maybe Armenia but maybe not. Georgia would be a logical market as there is a lot of business being done with the Turks. I see Turkish semis everywhere here.

Offline Maxx2

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Re: My new life in the Republic of Georgia
« Reply #1060 on: September 30, 2019, 05:25:53 AM »
I ate half an avocado. It tasted pretty good. I've seen the large dark Haas avocados. They are considerably more expensive. Like almost $2 each.

Offline BC

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Re: My new life in the Republic of Georgia
« Reply #1061 on: September 30, 2019, 05:58:18 AM »
Anything with hamburger you'll probably want to prepare from fresh, then vacuum bag in portions and seal for freezing. Don't want to unfreeze and re-freeze hamburger and doubt you'll want to cook up everything fresh daily.  Likely will need a chamber type vacuum bagger/sealer since juices don't work well in the normal food saver type systems.  The chamber vacuum devices are fairly expensive 1-2k+ but maybe can find something on the used market. for a bit cheaper.  Alternative Ziploc if you can find 'em in large quantities, chamber vacuum sealer is less expensive than Ziploc's and food saver type.

Offline Maxx2

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Re: My new life in the Republic of Georgia
« Reply #1062 on: September 30, 2019, 06:19:14 AM »

Before I start buying more expensive things I got to figure if this business has a prayer for survival. We have 5 sets of folks we want to test market it on. One of the restaurants/bars here suggested we can have a Mexican food night and their end would be to sell margaritas etc. The other is my landlord and landlady, family and neighbors. Another is the guys and gals at the gym. The fourth is the folks from AmCham. One of them is a big fan of Mexican food. We want to get business advice in regard to tax laws and accounting recommendations. The final group is an expat association I belong to.

This year is not about making money, but just figuring out how to structure this thing. I want to officially go into business this coming year, if all things look like a go.
« Last Edit: September 30, 2019, 06:21:50 AM by Maxx2 »

Offline BC

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Re: My new life in the Republic of Georgia
« Reply #1063 on: September 30, 2019, 06:49:00 AM »
The restaurant with the Mexican food night sounds like the best way to go at least initially ;) great idea~!

Used to do an all you can eat taco night long, long ago at a local country-western bar in Germany mainly frequented by the military but also Germans as well.  Had quite a turnover and wasn't difficult to manage or set up.

Offline Maxx2

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Re: My new life in the Republic of Georgia
« Reply #1064 on: September 30, 2019, 07:29:35 AM »
The restaurant with the Mexican food night sounds like the best way to go at least initially ;) great idea~!

Used to do an all you can eat taco night long, long ago at a local country-western bar in Germany mainly frequented by the military but also Germans as well.  Had quite a turnover and wasn't difficult to manage or set up.


We could work out an arrangement with the bar owner for every margarita sold, the taco with it would be half price. And "all you can eat" isn't done here,... but it could be.


I am picking up Michael tomorrow morning at 10. Objective, to make flour taco/burrito shells from scratch. The special Mesa corn flour to make crunchy taco shells should be here within a week.
« Last Edit: September 30, 2019, 07:33:43 AM by Maxx2 »

Offline BC

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Re: My new life in the Republic of Georgia
« Reply #1065 on: September 30, 2019, 07:34:54 AM »
I am picking up Michael tomorrow morning at 10. Objective, to make flour taco/burrito shells from scratch.

That should be fun!  Send some pics when done :) 

Offline BC

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Re: My new life in the Republic of Georgia
« Reply #1066 on: September 30, 2019, 07:40:45 AM »
Apples can be preserved in sealed storage with specific combination of oxygen, nitrogen and carbon dioxide.
I did financial work for a firm involved in this operation.

Sounds like air to me  8)

Offline Maxx2

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Re: My new life in the Republic of Georgia
« Reply #1067 on: September 30, 2019, 07:41:21 AM »
Will do BC! I am having fun! Business to me was always a game. 

Offline ML

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Re: My new life in the Republic of Georgia
« Reply #1068 on: September 30, 2019, 07:54:26 AM »

 The special Mesa corn flour to make crunchy taco shells should be here within a week.

I actually won't eat traditional tacos anymore because of the crunchy shells.
Too much of a mess with pieces flying off and sauce dripping out.

However, just this week wife and I went to 'all you can eat' buffet having a very, very wide variety of food.
Included were all the taco ingredients which were very good.
So I put the ground spicy beef part on my plate, add the spicy yellow cheese, put some salsa and chopped lettuce on top; and then pick up an empty taco shell to go along with it.

Take a big spoonful or forkful of the concoction on my plate, and another bite from the empty taco shell.
All the same taste without the mess.
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Offline GQBlues

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Re: My new life in the Republic of Georgia
« Reply #1069 on: September 30, 2019, 11:19:59 AM »
Hhhmmm...why don't I see oregano, cilantro and cabbage in these pictures?


 :o
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Offline Gator

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Re: My new life in the Republic of Georgia
« Reply #1070 on: September 30, 2019, 03:14:42 PM »
I actually won't eat traditional tacos anymore because of the crunchy shells.

Order them with small flour tortillas instead, or soft shell (flour or corn). 

Maxx, Georgians may actually prefer such, calling it soft lavash.   My wife does.  Most good taco places offer both soft are hard shell. 

Maxx wiill you have one of those curbside vehicle such as the baked potato (kortoshka) truck in Moscow?   

Here in Tampa, Buzzfeed has named our Taco Bus one of the nation's top 25 “Most Popular Food Trucks of 2013."  It has grown with multiple stores around the city, and voted one of the area's best 10 foodie spots (some others in the top 10 are expensive gourmet restaurants).   

Check the creative menu, and their fancy taco bus here. 

http://taco-bus.com/

One orders at the counter in three quick steps: first the dish (tacos, tortillas, tostada, etc.), second the protein, and third the toppings. 


Offline GQBlues

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Re: My new life in the Republic of Georgia
« Reply #1071 on: September 30, 2019, 03:27:33 PM »
http://taco-bus.com/

 :ROFL:

Shesssh..talk about the 'American' effect...

We use to skit down to Baja to surf for the weekend, and believe you me, you haven't had carne asada tacos if you haven't had one in Tijuana.

http://thatbestbite.com/2013/03/26/carne-asada-taco-in-tijuana-mexico/

Wash that down with Dos Equis or Negro Modelo and you're good to go.....

I admit liking tacos before. That is, until the Mexican government decided to market their own telephone company to compete with Ma Bell in the US. They called it 'Taco Bell'. I was so furious...
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1. Because of 'man', global warming is causing desert and arid areas to suffer long, dry spell.
2. The 2018 Camp Fire and Woolsey California wildfires are forests burning because of global warming.
3. N95 mask will choke you dead after 30 min. of use.

Offline jone

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Re: My new life in the Republic of Georgia
« Reply #1072 on: September 30, 2019, 04:06:45 PM »
Order them with small flour tortillas instead, or soft shell (flour or corn). 

Maxx, Georgians may actually prefer such, calling it soft lavash.   My wife does.  Most good taco places offer both soft are hard shell. 

Maxx wiill you have one of those curbside vehicle such as the baked potato (kortoshka) truck in Moscow?   

Here in Tampa, Buzzfeed has named our Taco Bus one of the nation's top 25 “Most Popular Food Trucks of 2013."  It has grown with multiple stores around the city, and voted one of the area's best 10 foodie spots (some others in the top 10 are expensive gourmet restaurants).   

Check the creative menu, and their fancy taco bus here. 

http://taco-bus.com/

One orders at the counter in three quick steps: first the dish (tacos, tortillas, tostada, etc.), second the protein, and third the toppings.

Personally, I was thinking of Sopes.   We have some great Mexican restaurants here.   Even a couple of fast food outlets that put out a great product.   King Taco comes to mind.   Wow.  My mouth is watering just thinking about it.
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Offline Gator

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Re: My new life in the Republic of Georgia
« Reply #1073 on: September 30, 2019, 08:15:12 PM »
:ROFL:

Shesssh..talk about the 'American' effect...

We use to skit down to Baja to surf for the weekend, and believe you me, you haven't had carne asada tacos if you haven't had one in Tijuana.

The world is changing fast.   When I first moved to Tampa over 25 years ago, ignorant me thought I would find some good Mexican food,  which I developed a fondness for from about 15 vacations in Mexico over my younger years.

No way, Jose.  In Tampa  Cubans have a long history, and greatly outnumbered the Mexicans.  Cuban food in no way resembles Mexican food.  There were of course those chains of Tex-Mex geared for insipid American tastes.   

Years later   Rene Valenzuela who had grown up in Mexico converted an old bus into a taco stand on wheels and parked along a busy street.  He knew how to cook authentic Mexican street food using only fresh supplies.    My son soon discovered it as had many, many other gringos. Rene's concept flourished, and he expanded.   Then he sold the business to a group now accelerating its growth. Rene ventured back into the business and almost killed himself in a kitchen fire (be careful Maxx).


Quote
Wash that down with Dos Equis or Negro Modelo and you're good to go.....

Perfecto.  Yet I choose Pacifico if available.   

Offline Maxx2

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Re: My new life in the Republic of Georgia
« Reply #1074 on: September 30, 2019, 08:33:34 PM »
Rene ventured back into the business and almost killed himself in a kitchen fire (be careful Maxx).[size=78%]   [/size]


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