Here are some recent experiments I've tried:
Making tapioca pudding from scratch, using real vanilla beans: partial success. I never made pudding from scratch before. The pudding recipe (on the bag of tapioca balls) was extremely finicky, it took hours, and never did set. On the other hand, the vanilla bean (I used a half a bean) was a huge hit, and overall it tasted amazing.
Adding vanilla extract to lime flavored seltzer water: success. The lime flavoring was pretty bad, especially when compared to actual lime juice (which is what I had been using to flavor plain seltzer water for the past few weeks or so.) I added the vanilla extract and it's actually pretty good.
Adding Worcestershire sauce to lime flavored seltzer water: failure. Well, how are you going to know if you don't try? (The lime interacted with the Worcester and it was really bad.)
Adding tabasco sauce to lime flavored seltzer water: more data needed. I didn't like the vinegary taste but I loved the spicyness exploding with the carbonation. Maybe straight cayenne powder mixed in would work?
Steaming bitter lettuce greens: failure. We had some lettuce in our garden that had turned far too bitter from the heat. I thought I'd steam it to see if I could get the bitterness to go away. It didn't.
Steaming cucumbers with dill: success. This one was a surprise to me. Steamed cucumbers are a bit firmer than zucchini or yellow squash but are nice and mild and have a slight flavor that is only vaguely reminiscent of cucumber. It actually tastes... well, like a completely new vegetable. Next time I will season them a little more heavily.
If you're wanting to
If you're wanting to experiment more with vanilla beans, search for them on ebay. There's a reputable seller on ebay whose prices are delightfully low. I've sent a few packages of vanilla beans to my friends.
For the bitter greens, two thoughts: some acid flavors might've helped, and you might've needed to braise the greens for a long time. It's how endives and collards are made palatable.
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12 years 6 monthsAmy, thanks for the tip.
Amy, thanks for the tip. What I actually did was wash them, lightly shake them off, put them in tinfoil with some oil and threw it on a grill.
And you don't have to cook collard greens that long if you cook them in bacon grease. :)