That sounds great! I don’t mind the sliminess as much as many but I’d be curious if you experienced any with this dish? It seems like there would be little to none since it can be minimized by high heat (eg, your sauteeing) and acid (tomatoes and wine).
If you don’t mind sliminess, there is a whole world of slimy (and very good-for-you) foods to dive into!
I am mostly familiar with Japanese, but here are some:
- Okra (you already know this one)
- Yamaimo (Mountain yam) / Nagaimo
- Some types of konbu kelp
- Nameko mushrooms
- Natto (fermented soy beans–the grand-daddy of 'em all!)
Combine for maximum slimy-deliciousness:
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I love it in all forms but, no, there was no ‘slime.’ Even my Western husband loves it. Dagnabbit 
I never thought about it but I’m sure there’s a thread in this…
Thanks for the recommendations! Some I’m familiar with (eg, oyakadon) and others a little advanced for me at this time (eg, natto) but hopefully I’ll get around to all of them sooner or later.
The stretchiness of that Yamaimo picture is really interesting- I wonder if it would have vegan applications since stretchy tapioca starch is such an important element in vegan cheeses…?
I definitely want to try those nameko mushrooms if you have any recommendations on where to buy! I’d probably want to try prepared first so I know what to expect, then raw if it’s available.
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Americans are rarely accustomed to eating slimy food, but these slimy foods have lots of health benefits and slurping the slimy mix can be quite enjoyable. These foods are especially good for hot days.
I don’t know about the use of yamaimo/nagaimo in vegan cheese (@hanhgry?), but all of the items I listed are vegan.
Nameko you can get here would be found at Japanese supermarkets in a can or pouch.
I don’t recall ever seeing fresh nameko here…
Nameko are great in miso soup with baby clams.
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You have been posting some beautiful photos recently, @WireMonkey.
I’m sure these slimy characters would make interesting subjects for your project!
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Thank you! That’s also a great idea, now that I think of it- I was noodling around the idea of incorporating less still life, more visceral elements to liven things up a little. Slime would definitely fit that bill (like a cheese pull shot with pizza or a grill cheese but more interesting). Now I DEFINITELY should try those mushrooms
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Slime fan over here! 
Team natto 
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A 2011 episode of Gardeners’ World I was watching yesterday had a short bit on a plant disease called slime flux.
- leftover grits fried in butter
- leftover long-cooked kale and chard refreshed with green onion, green garlic, tomato, and a splash of Chénas
- ragout of white beans and leftover roast leg of lamb with some recently harvested thyme (because Monty Don said “cut it back hard” in an episode from some past April)
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Grand aioli with tuna confit, red chard stalks, carrots, beets, eggs, fennel, asparagus, purple snow peas, and potatoes. Best-looking loaf of bread I’ve made so far though the crust didn’t have much crunch. Next time I’ll have to try spraying water to make steam.
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Been rather obsessed with classic pepperoni pizza lately. Here is the latest, and best, iteration. Peter Reinhart’s Neo-Neapolitan crust with his crushed tomato sauce; Dietz and Watson pepperoni, full fat mozzarella, Murray’s fresh mozzarella, and DOP parmesan reggiano.
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This was really good, definitely a keeper. I used fresh yellow onion and fresh green garlic from our CSA boxes, used more ginger, cumin, and garam masala (1/4 teaspoon seems like some Midwestern variation), and forgot to add the vinegar to the onions.
Next time I might make some rajma masala spice mix.
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Sautéed ham in butter, added cream, turned off heat. Threw the asparagus in with the penne for the last five minutes, at which time I started reducing the sauce. Added the pasta and asparagus to the sauce with a little spash of cooking water and saltado in padella to thicken the sauce. Finished with Reggiano and black pepper. It’s gratifying when a dish comes out exactly like I imagined it.
Excellent ham from Journeyman Meats through Cream Co.
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When I asked my wife if she would rather join the bang of FTCers at Bulgarini, or have me make pasta she chose mine. While I think Leo’s far outstrips my efforts it turned out pretty well. I made black pepper fettuccine
with a guanicale radicchio sauce. I love making fresh pasta!
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Holey moley, that sounds good! Could you elaborate please? I’m in the mood for fresh pasta TIA.
For the pasta I use seriouseats.com fresh pasta recipe with some medium grind black pepper added, Homemade Fresh Pasta Recipe
The sauce is from the old (1996) Williams-Sonoma “Complete Pasta Cookbook”. They have a different version on their website now.
For 8 servings (1 1/2 lbs fresh pasta):
1 lb radicchio
2 Tbs Extra Virgin Olive Oil
8 oz guanicale (recipe calls for pancetta)
1/2 Cup white wine vinegar
4 Tb unsalted butter
6 oz Boursin (recipe calls for chevre but my wife doesn’t like it)
1/3 C toasted pine nuts
I cut the recipe in half for the two of us, and then we have leftovers
Saute guanicale in olive oil until crisp. Add vinegar and radicchio cook, covered over low heat until radicchio is wilted (around five minutes). Uncover, if there is a lot of liquid reduce it. Throw in butter and swirl until melted. Add cooked pasta and a little pasta water if things look dry. Add crumbled cheese and toss, then sprinkle on pine nuts and serve.
Note* this is not an exact copy of the recipe as I have made some modifications.
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