Kitchen and Cooking Thread

[Tower]

Though we could see the cooking prowess of the CP community. From things like keeping food longer and tasty cooking ideas.


I don't know about you but I really get annoyed when my popcorn seeds only pop 50/70 percent of the time.

Try soaking your seeds 5 to 10 minutes before popping them.

Also wrap your celery in Tin Foil and it will remain crisp for much longer.

Anyone have a good way to cook pork tenderloin?

[GreenTeaFrapp]

Anyone have a good way to cook pork tenderloin?

Butterfly it and grill.

[Bobblehead]

Though we could see the cooking prowess of the CP community. From things like keeping food longer and tasty cooking ideas.


I don't know about you but I really get annoyed when my popcorn seeds only pop 50/70 percent of the time.

Try soaking your seeds 5 to 10 minutes before popping them.

Also wrap your celery in Tin Foil and it will remain crisp for much longer.

Anyone have a good way to cook pork tenderloin?

I'll try that! Currently I move the popped corn to a secondary bown, and then at the end put the un-popped through a second cycle.

Can anyone recommend a good air popper?

My current one seems to lift a bunch of un-popped kernels out with the popped ones, and then in the bowl some of them pop. Popcorn goes flying all over. It is kind of funny once or twice, but I get tired of cleaning up explosive residue every time I want popcorn.

[metallicat]

My favorite tomato sauce recipe, and what I'm making for dinner tonight:

Cover bottom of pot with extra virgin olive oil. Add garlic, salt, pepper, and wait for it to heat up. Add as much canned, crushed tomatoes as you'd like, a little bit of tomato paste, and reduce to very low heat. Add oregano, chili flakes, and any other spice you like.

Brown some meat of your choice in a separate pot/pan. I use either ground beef or spicy italian sausages. Once browned, add to the crushed tomatoes.

Let simmer covered up for one hour, stirring every now and then to avoid sticking.

Remove lid, and simmer for another hour, stirring occasionally.

That's it. A true Italian told me that's how he makes tomato sauce, and I haven't done it any other way since.

[Tower]

My favorite tomato sauce recipe, and what I'm making for dinner tonight:

Cover bottom of pot with extra virgin olive oil. Add garlic, salt, pepper, and wait for it to heat up. Add as much canned, crushed tomatoes as you'd like, and reduce to very low heat. Add oregano, chili flakes, and any other spice you like.

Brown some meat of your choice in a separate pot/pan. I use either ground beef or spicy italian sausages. Once browned, add to the crushed tomatoes.

Let simmer covered up for one hour, stirring every now and then to avoid sticking.

Remove lid, and simmer for another hour, stirring occasionally.

That's it. A true Italian told me that's how he makes tomato sauce, and I haven't done it any other way since.


It is the only way ;)

I put the sausage in the sauce raw, but ground beef I brown. Great tips!

[GreenTeaFrapp]

My favorite tomato sauce recipe, and what I'm making for dinner tonight:

Cover bottom of pot with extra virgin olive oil.

Sounds like an awful lot of oil.

Add garlic, salt, pepper, and wait for it to heat up. Add as much canned, crushed tomatoes as you'd like, a little bit of tomato paste, and reduce to very low heat. Add oregano, chili flakes, and any other spice you like.

Brown some meat of your choice in a separate pot/pan. I use either ground beef or spicy italian sausages. Once browned, add to the crushed tomatoes.

Seems like you're getting an extra pan dirty for no reason. Plus you lose all the fond in the separate pan.

[missdpuck]

I'm lucky if I can even heat up a can of Hoppin' John:whistle:

[metallicat]

Sounds like an awful lot of oil.



Seems like you're getting an extra pan dirty for no reason. Plus you lose all the fond in the separate pan.It's just the bottom of it. I didn't really think it was that much, but I am no expert. Only doing what the Itai told me to do. As for getting another pan dirty, it's not that big of a deal is it? I brown the meat, and then wash it.

[Ford Prefect]

Though we could see the cooking prowess of the CP community. From things like keeping food longer and tasty cooking ideas.


I don't know about you but I really get annoyed when my popcorn seeds only pop 50/70 percent of the time.

Try soaking your seeds 5 to 10 minutes before popping them.

Also wrap your celery in Tin Foil and it will remain crisp for much longer.

Anyone have a good way to cook pork tenderloin?

:eek: :w00t: :bag:

[missdpuck]

:eek: :w00t: :bag:
You are soooooo baaaad....:)

[Resolute 14]

Open bag of perogies, put in water, boil.

Alternatively, bake or fry.

[Ford Prefect]

You are soooooo baaaad....:)

I'm filling in for Fotze, somewhat inadequately though I fear.

[Tower]

My favorite tomato sauce recipe, and what I'm making for dinner tonight:

Cover bottom of pot with extra virgin olive oil. Add garlic, salt, pepper, and wait for it to heat up. Add as much canned, crushed tomatoes as you'd like, a little bit of tomato paste, and reduce to very low heat. Add oregano, chili flakes, and any other spice you like.

Brown some meat of your choice in a separate pot/pan. I use either ground beef or spicy italian sausages. Once browned, add to the crushed tomatoes.

Let simmer covered up for one hour, stirring every now and then to avoid sticking.

Remove lid, and simmer for another hour, stirring occasionally.

That's it. A true Italian told me that's how he makes tomato sauce, and I haven't done it any other way since.

I've decided to make this type of sauce with 1 large onion, 1 red pepper, 4 cloves of garlic simmering in olive oil. After 20 mins I'll add the tomatoes, parsley, salt, pepper and basil. Then I will reduce till it is ready to blend together and add a bit of goat cheese and let it dissolve. I'll pour the sauce on the raw tenderloin. Cover, and bake for 1 hour then remove lid and add a layer of mozzarella, brown the cheese and serve with brown rice, green veggies and a Stair Master.

[GreenTeaFrapp]

Open bag of perogies, put in water, boil.

Alternatively, bake or fry.

Better idea.... spread them out in big pan with some oil/butter and 3/4 cup of water. Cover for 20 minutes on medium heat.

[Resolute 14]

I'm Ukranian... that's too complicated for me.

[Tower]

Better idea.... spread them out in big pan with some oil/butter and 3/4 cup of water. Cover for 20 minutes on medium heat.

Then in a separate pan reduce sauerkraut then add bacon and cook till you have your bacon at the right tenderness for you and toss it on said perogies.

[metallicat]

I've decided to make this type of sauce with 1 large onion, 1 red pepper, 4 cloves of garlic simmering in olive oil. After 20 mins I'll add the tomatoes, parsley, salt, pepper and basil. Then I will reduce till it is ready to blend together and add a bit of goat cheese and let it dissolve. I'll pour the sauce on the raw tenderloin. Cover, and bake for 1 hour then remove lid and add a layer of mozzarella, brown the cheese and serve with brown rice, green veggies and a Stair Master.That sounds delicious.

[GreenTeaFrapp]

Then in a separate pan reduce sauerkraut then add bacon and cook till you have your bacon at the right tenderness for you and toss it on said perogies.

Sauerkraut? :eek:

Cook your bacon and then fry onions in the bacon fat. Top the perogies with that and sour cream. And not nasty fat free sour cream.

[ShaolinFlame]

It's just the bottom of it. I didn't really think it was that much, but I am no expert. Only doing what the Itai told me to do. As for getting another pan dirty, it's not that big of a deal is it? I brown the meat, and then wash it.

If you deglaze that pan with something and then add it to the sauce it would be better. You are washing away a lot of tasty flavour from that second pan. Or try browning the meat in your first pot before you add the garlic.

A few of my tips:

By tongs, lots of tongs! They are like $1 and have a million uses.

Having a few pans/pots that are oven safe is important

Store Cilantro, parsley, and asparagus with their stems in 1" of water. They will last much longer.

A good chefs knife and a steel are also key. Most cuts in the kitchen happen because the knife is too dull.

Get to know your kitchen! Every oven, burner, and microwave work differently - understand this when following recipies!

Put hooks on your wall. I hang around 1/2 of my tools (spoons, spatulas, tongs etc.) It really helps remove clutter from other areas (especially in tiny kitchens like mine).

If you have the room and the time, save your trimmings in your fridge/feezer and make your own stocks. The difference in taste is outstanding.

If you want to precut/prepeel potatos or carrots (or anything else that will bruise over time) you can just store them in a bucket of water. They will retain their color for about a week. For apple/pear, add 1/5 part lemon juice.

Season everything with salt and pepper. Seriously.

Tasty recipe:

1-Roast off some 1/4 tomatos with Olive oil, SnP, and oregano (350ish).

2-Roast a baking sheet covered with 2" diameter circles of fresh grated parmesan at around 375. Be sure to use parchement paper.

3-After about 10 or 15 minutes the parmesan circles will cook into crackers. Top with a tomato.

The crackers are very salty, so when topped with a savoury roast tomato, they are great. It makes a great appettizer, and people are always impressed with the fact that cheese alone can make a cracker.


I will have more for another time. I love to cook, have worked in several kitchens, and am thinking about getting properly trained in the culinary arts.

[Tower]

Sauerkraut? :eek:

Cook your bacon and then fry onions in the bacon fat. Top the perogies with that and sour cream. And not nasty fat free sour cream.

I'm truly sorry... I forgot the onions.... I fry them with the sauerkraut as well. lol

[cSpooge]

I'm Ukranian... that's too complicated for me.



then using store bought perogies should be blasphemy!!! you sir are not Ukrainian :P

[Dion]

A favourite of mine is Curried Chicken.

Dice up 2 cooked chicken breasts and place on the bottom of a cassorole dish.

Cook up some fresh broccoli and put on top of the chicken.

In a large bowl add a can of cream of chicken soup plus a half cup of mayonnaise. Mix in 2 tbsp of curry powder. Pour the mixture over the chicken and broccoli.

Next grate some cheddar cheese and sprinkle on top with some bread crumbs.

Bake in the oevn for 30 to 40 minutes and your done.

Serve with rice.

[octothorp]

I made fish in pappillotes tonight (little envelopes of baking parchment) tonight, which is a really nice way of steaming a fish. I used fennel and chunks of fresh orange, just lightly sauteeing the fennel in a pan first, then putting a filet of arctic char on the paper, adding the orange and fennel, sprinkling with salt and pepper. Then role up the edges, and just before you seal the last edge, add a bit of white wine. Put in an oven heated to 500, and cook for 12 minutes. The quality of the fish was fantastic, and the presentation of the wrapped paper is stylish enough to be appropriate for valentine's day.

[missdpuck]

Sauerkraut? :eek:

Cook your bacon and then fry onions in the bacon fat. Top the perogies with that and sour cream. And not nasty fat free sour cream.
Yeah. Sauerkraut.:cool:

[CMPunk]

A favourite of mine is Curried Chicken.

Dice up 2 cooked chicken breasts and place on the bottom of a cassorole dish.

Cook up some fresh broccoli and put on top of the chicken.

In a large bowl add a can of cream of chicken soup plus a half cup of mayonnaise. Mix in 2 tbsp of curry powder. Pour the mixture over the chicken and broccoli.

Next grate some cheddar cheese and sprinkle on top with some bread crumbs.

Bake in the oevn for 30 to 40 minutes and your done.

Serve with rice.

What temp is the oven at?

[Dion]

What temp is the oven at?

:bag: 350 degrees

[ma-skis.com]

the one thing i find people forget is that when you cook for yourself, there are no rules. (although some pretty strong guidelines, chicken does not come med rare for example)

don't follow recipes, use them for ideas and starting points for what you might want to do, most chefs work from that, they take what they like and use it in a new way.

If you have chicken breasts, and you see a chicken cordon bleu and a tandoori recipe, why not combine the two and make a tandoori cordon bleu, the worst that can happen is you don't like it, so you try something else next time.

and that guys right about the tongs.

[4X4]

Good tomato sauce starts with red onions and garlic fried in oil. I have a very expensive habit of using extra virgin olive oil for everything, so I'm biased about what oil to use. But I recently discovered that when making hot wings, using canola oil seems to work better than olive oil.

Oh, and cayenne is awesome. If you like spicy, add cayenne to anything you cook. Especially stuff that you simmer (like bolognese sauce).

Your cutting board is your best friend. Your cutting board and your vegetable cutting knife. You cannot shortcut.

Marinating steak is wayyy better than slopping BBQ sauce on it after cooking. A properly prepared steak requires no condiments afterward. Worcestershire sauce is crucial.

For a really awesome salad dressing that isn't balsamic vinegar and olive oil, try the following:

white vinegar, olive oil, mustard... Sorta part for part (to taste)
chopped raw onions
chopped celery
wor sauce (just a bit)
seasoning salt
pepper
lemon juice (just a bit)

Add lettuce, consume, then come back to this thread and thank me.

[Biff]

Sauerkraut? :eek:

Cook your bacon and then fry onions in the bacon fat. Top the perogies with that and sour cream. And not nasty fat free sour cream.

Yes....this is my preferred method as well.

[Biff]

Okay....this thread is my new home away from home. Cooking....the second most awesome force in the universe after the Flames.

A couple years ago I splurged and upgraded my "standard equipped" kitchen to a "foody grade" kitchen. Gone were the Electric stove (especially stove top), the cheap collection of crappy pans, all the department store knives, the too small fridge. Added were All-Clad pans, Shun knives (oh my....Shun knives....so awesome), Kenmore Elite Dual Fuel gas range with electric convection oven, Kitchen Aid stand mixer, Cuisinart Food processor, and an assortment of other accessories.

Since then, I have been gradually working towards mastering fundamental techniques and have really developed a massive appreciation for James Beard. His "Theory and Practice of Good Cooking", "Beard on Food", "The Fireside Cook Book" and "American Cookery" are all wonderful. I also get a pile of mileage out of the Americas Test Kitchen Family Cookbook which goes into some nice detail about pitfalls to avoid, or best practices to absorb.

Best thing learned so far is an appreciation for high-quality fresh ingredients and simple but honest and accurate preparation.

Tomorrow is Beef Bourguinon day. I am distrubingly excited about it.

Great thread idea. I shall be camping out here.

[4X4]

As per Resolute's perogy post, I always boil then fry. It's really the only way to do it. Kinda like potatoes. Boil them and then put them in tin foil with some fried onions, shredded cheese and butter and toss them on the BBQ for 10 minutes.

And wine is crucial to almost all good suppers. It just is. Red meat and bolognese pasta simply cannot be consumed without red wine.

[Sylvanfan]

Any tips from the resident Italians for how to make a perfect Rissotto?

[Biff]

Any tips from the resident Italians for how to make a perfect Rissotto?

I second the request. Today, I was mere moments away from buying arborio rice....whatever that is....for a Risotto attempt.

[4X4]

Here's a risotto tip: don't eat it at the Met.

[Sylvanfan]

I tried my hand at Risotto from scratch tonight and it turned out okay. I failed in buying the fresh sage that the recipe specified. I also screwed up in adding the broth in smaller increments after I added the first bit. But the Arborio rice does seem to work very well.

[GreenTeaFrapp]

Oh, and cayenne is awesome. If you like spicy, add cayenne to anything you cook. Especially stuff that you simmer (like bolognese sauce).


I'm not a big fan of cayenne. Yes, it is spicy but it doesn't have much flavour. I prefer ancho chile spice. Not as hot as cayenne but it adds a nice kind of smoky and fruity taste.

[simonsays]

I'm not a big fan of cayenne. Yes, it is spicy but it doesn't have much flavour. I prefer ancho chile spice. Not as hot as cayenne but it adds a nice kind of smoky and fruity taste.

I agree with your disagreement. I'm a big fan of Chili paste (sans vinegar), and if you need to go spice ancho is a great way to go, but cayanne always seemed to be hot for the sake of hot, and not for any underlying taste. Which to me isn't really the point, unless you're just masking really awful flavors.

[redforever]

Good tomato sauce starts with red onions and garlic fried in oil. I have a very expensive habit of using extra virgin olive oil for everything, so I'm biased about what oil to use. But I recently discovered that when making hot wings, using canola oil seems to work better than olive oil.

Oh, and cayenne is awesome. If you like spicy, add cayenne to anything you cook. Especially stuff that you simmer (like bolognese sauce).

Your cutting board is your best friend. Your cutting board and your vegetable cutting knife. You cannot shortcut.

Marinating steak is wayyy better than slopping BBQ sauce on it after cooking. A properly prepared steak requires no condiments afterward. Worcestershire sauce is crucial.

For a really awesome salad dressing that isn't balsamic vinegar and olive oil, try the following:

white vinegar, olive oil, mustard... Sorta part for part (to taste)
chopped raw onions
chopped celery
wor sauce (just a bit)
seasoning salt
pepper
lemon juice (just a bit)

Add lettuce, consume, then come back to this thread and thank me.


It does indeed because canola oil, also peanut oil, sesame oil among other oils, all have a higher smoke point than olive oil. They also tend to be lighter oils so they don't impart the taste of the oil into the foods you are cooking.

[Machiavelli]

I'm not a big fan of cayenne. Yes, it is spicy but it doesn't have much flavour. I prefer ancho chile spice. Not as hot as cayenne but it adds a nice kind of smoky and fruity taste.

I use cayenne pepper when I make dirty rice (with hot italian sausage instead of gizzards and liver).

[GreenTeaFrapp]

It does indeed because canola oil, also peanut oil, sesame oil among other oils, all have a higher smoke point than olive oil. They also tend to be lighter oils so they don't impart the taste of the oil into the foods you are cooking.

And not all olive oils have the same smoke point. The more pure it is, the lower the smoke point. So cooking with extra virgin olive oil is different than cooking with just regular olive oil.

[GreenTeaFrapp]

Risotto sucks, don't make it. Never had it and liked it. Why does Ramsay always have that on his show?

Probably because it's something that most people are scared to make on their own. Thus, it seems upscale and he can charge more for it.

[metallicat]

I want to make some sort of stuffed pasta, but I am not sure where or how to start. I don't really want to make my own pasta, but I want to stuff it myself, and then cook it. Can someone suggest where to start?

[GreenTeaFrapp]

Use wonton wrappers to make ravioli. They're available in pretty much any grocery store in the frozen foods section.

[metallicat]

Any suggestion on what to stuff them with? And then how should I cook it? With a tomato sauce in the oven?

[GreenTeaFrapp]

What to stuff them depends upon what you like. A ricotta and spinach mixture would work pretty well for your first attempt. Just defrost some frozen chopped spinach (make sure to squeeze as much water out as possible after defrosting) mix with some ricotta cheese, a beaten egg, salt, pepper. You could add in your favourite herbs as well along with some grated hard cheese like parmesan or romano.

Boil them for a few minutes to cook.

[Biff]

Wonton wrappers work, but lead to slightly "watery" noodles in my experience. I wondered about using a double wrapper next time. However, I then invested in the Pasta Roller attachment for my stand mixer...and now homemade pasta dough is pretty easy.

In terms of stuffing, a spinach / ricotta is nice. The Silver Spoon cookbook (the bible for Italian cooking....and still a traditional gift to most Italian brides), suggest one egg (lightly beaten), ricotta, finely chopped spinach, 8 ounces of small-diced Mozzarella, a cup of Grated Parmigiano Regiano (used Pecarino for half of this last time..mmmmmmm), and herbs / seasonings to taste. From experience, I can tell you this created a marvelously flavoured filling and, ultimately, very tasty Ravioli.

[metallicat]

I bought some fresh lasagna noodles that I am going to try using, and some ricotta cheese. No spinach, but I bought some imitation crab meat that I am going to toss in I think. I wasn't able to find any real crab meat, so this might have to do.

[redforever]

Though we could see the cooking prowess of the CP community. From things like keeping food longer and tasty cooking ideas.

Anyone have a good way to cook pork tenderloin?

Gourmet Pork Tenderloin

This is pretty well fool proof if you follow the times. It is always extremely tender and moist and is never overcooked.

http://i252.photobucket.com/albums/hh30/flameforever/untitled1-3.jpg

For Pork:
2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp cinnamon
2 large pork tenderloins (around 2 1/2 pound total)
2 Tbsp oil

For Glaze:
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 Tbsp finely minced garlic, around 3 large cloves
1 Tbsp Tabasco or to taste

Preheat oven to 350°. Stir together salt, pepper, cumin, chili powder, and cinnamon. Put pork tenderloins on a piece of saran. Coat the pork with the spice rub. Roll up in the saran and leave at room temperature for approximately one hour. Heat oil in a 12 inch ovenproof skillet (handle has to be ovenproof as well) over moderate heat and sear pork to a golden brown on all sides, about 4 minutes total. Leave pork in skillet.

Stir together brown sugar, minced garlic and Tabasco and pat onto top of each tenderloin. Roast the tenderloins in the middle of the oven until a thermometer inserted diagonally in the center of each tenderloin registers 140°. Remove from the oven. Let the pork tenderloins stand in the skillet, tented in foil, at room temperature for 10 minutes. (Temperature will rise to about 155° while standing).

For Sauce:
After the tenderloins have rested for ten minutes in the skillet, remove them to a warmed dish. Keep the tenderloins tented in foil. To the pan drippings stir in 1 1/2 cups chicken broth, heat on medium-high, stirring constantly, until bubbly. Add 1 Tbsp cornstarch to 2 Tbsp of cold chicken broth or water and stir until dissolved. While stirring the sauce, slowly add the cornstarch mixture. Heat until sauce is thickened and smooth, about 3-5 minutes. If the sauce does not thicken sufficiently, turn up the heat to high and reduce it to the right thickness. Slice pork and place on a platter, top with sauce and serve.

Serves 6-8.

Note: You can jazz up the sauce a bit if you like. After you have removed the tenderloins from the skillet, add some diced shallots or onions and mushrooms and saute. Then add the broth for your sauce and continue. And if you want to make the sauce a bit tangier, substitute a bit of red wine or ruby port for some of the chicken broth.

[Biff]

Beef Bourguinon is simmering away on the stove. Filling the house with a lovely bouquet. 2.5 hours until I can eat it, though.

[metallicat]

The cannelloni turned out amazing! Thanks guys!

[redforever]

Anyone have a good way to cook pork tenderloin?

I posted a recipe for pork tenderloins for you. Try this salad as an accompaniement. The pears in this salad go perfectly with pork.

SPINACH SALAD WITH ROASTED PEARS AND BACON

http://i252.photobucket.com/albums/hh30/flameforever/untitled1-4.jpg

Vinaigrette:
2/3 cup apple, red currant or pear jelly, melted until liquid
1/4 cup cider vinegar
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
4 tsp grainy Dijon mustard
1/2 tsp each of salt and freshly ground pepper
1 to 2 tsp fresh ginger, peeled and very finely grated
2 Tbsp liquid honey (or to taste)
3/4 cup oil

Salad:
6 cups fresh baby spinach leaves
3/4 cup pecans, toasted
3/4 cup sun dried cranberries
3 medium sized pears, such as Bosc or red D”anjou, quartered and cored
3/4 cup shaved Manchego cheese
8 rashers thick sliced bacon, naturally cured
toasted pumpkin seeds (optional)


Place all the ingredients for the vinaigrette in a bowl. Whisk vigorously until emulsified. Put in a jar with a tight fitting lid and let cool to room temperature. Taste and adjust for more honey or salt if necessary.

Preheat oven to 350F. Place the pecans in a baking dish and bake in the oven for 8 minutes or until the pecans are lightly toasted but not dark brown. Remove from oven and cool.

Place the pears on a rack in a baking dish, put in the oven and bake for 5 to 8 minutes, just until the pears have softened somewhat but are not soft and mushy. Remove from oven and cool to room temperature. Alternatively, you could brush the pears with a bit of oil and either grill or broil for around 2 minutes.

Fry the bacon just until lightly crisped. You could also do this in a microwave. The bacon should be chewy and just a bit crisp. Drain well on paper towels. Tear into bite sized pieces and cool and set aside.

Divide the spinach among 4 serving plates. Divide both the pecans and cranberries into 4 portions and sprinkle over the spinach. Arrange 3 pear quarters over each plate of spinach. Divide the bacon pieces into 4 portions and sprinkle over the salads. Next divide the shaved Manchego cheese into 4 portions and sprinkle over the salads. Finally, drizzle each plate of salad with dressing and serve immediately. If using the pumpkin seeds, sprinkle a few over the top of each salad.

Serve extra dressing on the side.

Note 1: This recipe makes a lot of dressing. It keeps for a long time covered in the refrigerator. Whisk each time before using.

Note 2: I use my own homemade crabapple jelly for the vinaigrette in this recipe. When I make the jelly, I add some cinnamon sticks during the cooking stage. I would recommend adding a dash of cinnamon to the vinaigrette.

[Biff]

As did the Beef Bourguinon. Should be even better for leftovers.

[Kybosh]

A favourite of mine that is ridiculously easy and delicious - Basil Pesto chicken w/ cheese:

1) coat bottom of glass pan with olive oil
2) put cleaned chicken breasts on pan
3) put basil pesto all over chicken
4) put diced mushrooms on said chicken
5) put mozzarella cheese on said mushrooms
6) cover with tin foil
7) bake at 350 F for 25 minutes then broil to desired brownness
8) impress girls

I'll leave the side dishes up to you.

[CMPunk]

Risotto sucks, don't make it. Never had it and liked it. Why does Ramsay always have that on his show?

Probably because he can make it properly? I hear it can be a tough dish to make, but I've always liked it when I've had it

[sadora]

Any tips from the resident Italians for how to make a perfect Rissotto?

Here's a recipe for Mushroom Risotto along with some hints.

Ingredients:

Vegetable oil
Shallots, finely diced
Garlic, finely diced
Mushrooms, diced (preferably crimini)
Chanterelles, dried (soak in water until mushrooms get soft and reserve the liquid. Give them a quick, coarse chop)
Arborio Rice
Dry white wine, chardonnay
Chicken stock (home made chicken stock will obviously work better than anything you can buy. That said, if you don't want to take the time to make it use a good quality commercial broth)
Salt & pepper, to taste
Italian parsley, chopped
Truffle oil, optional

Directions:

1. In a medium size sauce pan, heat up your chicken stock or broth and bring it to a simmer. You don't want it to boil but it is very important to use a warm liquid to ladle into your risotto.

2. In another medium size sauce pan, heat your oil over medium low temperature and add the shallots and garlic. Sweat until shallots start to become a bit translucent. Make sure not to burn your garlic as you will end up with a horribly bitter taste.
You can use butter instead of oil but be careful, butter has a low burning point and will turn from having a nice nutty flavor to bitter if you don't watch it. Whichever fat you decide to use, make sure it's enough to coat the rice.

3. Add your mushrooms and give them a quick stir before adding the rice.
Arborio rice is the most commercially available for making risotto but there are other, short grain types such as Vialone Nano & Carnoloni that are just as good. There are a few more types but these will yiled a better end product because of their high starch content which gives risotto that creamy texure.

4. Turn up the heat in between medium and medium high and add about 50ml of white wine. Let the rice absorb the wine before moving to the next step.
Having a high temperature when adding alcohol helps it to evaporate faster. All you want here is for the flavor to be absorbed as quickly as possible.

5. Bring the heat back down and begin adding your stock or broth, as well as that liquid you reserved from reconstituting your chanterelles.

A common misconception when making risotto is that you have to constantly stir the dish as you add your liquid. Wrong. The purpose of stirring this dish is for two reasons. One, you want to release the starch from and two, you want to keep the rice from sticking to the pan. Add a ladle or two of the stock/broth and give it a gentle stir, let the rice absorb the liquid and keep repeating this step until the rice is al-dente. This can take anywhere between17 to 24 minutes so please be patient.
6. When the rice is cooked, season with the salt & pepper, add your truffle oil (if you don't have it don't worry) and finish with the italian parsely.

Hope this helps, and for some more recipes check out my blog.

[Ronald Pagan]

I find risotto incredibly easy to make, you just have to be standing over the range for about a half hour.

The base of a risotto is ALWAYS the same:

chop onions and garlic finely
sweat them in a pan with olive oil and salt (means on lowish heat so the onions turn transparent not brown)

toss in a the arbrorio rice and stir with the onions and garlic until the rice starts to look a little transparent and loses that starchy look (about 2-5 minutes)

put in a cup of white wine and get the rice to absorb the wine (this is essential)

Ladle in simmering stock in another pan on the range (vegetable or chicken) to cover the rice. Once the rice absorbs the stock so that it isn't covered ladle in some more. I find that one cup of rice you need about 2.5 - 3 cups of stock. If you don't have that much use all the stock you have and then use water.

Once the rice looks puffed and cooked but not mushy (taste them they should be individual grains) put in a bunch of pepper, butter, and parmesan cheese. How decadent and rich you want it to be is up to you. Good risotto should be oozy and creamy so that would imply lots of butter and cheese.

There you go, basic risotto.

You can play around with it endlessly after that. I use celery carrots and onions as the base. Sometimes I throw in diced butternut squash and saffron strands to give the risotto a nice orange colour. You can saute mushrooms and put them in near the end. Etc.

The basic idea to adding other ingredients is to put them in based on their cooking time. So if I was putting asparagus in I'd put them in near the end etc.

[Ronald Pagan]

Here's a ridiculously easy and cheap recipe that will impress people. Ideal for a dinner date at your place as it takes no times to make and tastes delicious.

In a food processor put in:

2 cloves chopped garlic
a bunch of parley or basil
about 10-20 sundried tomatoes that are rehydrated or from a jar (you can buy sundried tomatoes dried, just put them in a bowl with boiling water and let them sit for 15 minutes)
a package of silken tofu (don't worry)
1/4 - 1/2 cup of olive oil
salt
pepper
(chillis if so desired)

Process it until it's creamy smooth

Meanwhile, boil some long pasta (I like buccatini but spaghetti, linguine, fettucini all work, just buy the good pasta not the garbage from safeway)

Throw the creamy saunce in a pan and heat it to a gentle simmer

In a toaster oven toast some pine nuts, sunflower seeds or pumpkin seeds (be careful not to burn them, it usually takes about 3 minutes in the toaster oven)

When the pasta is done, drain it and toss it in the pan with the sauce

Spoon it up and put the toasted seeds ontop. Voila. That will take you all of 10 minutes and will cost about $7.

[BlackEleven]

Any tips from the resident Italians for how to make a perfect Rissotto?

I'm not Italian, but I make risotto all the time because its awesome. There's millions of different things you can put into a risotto but my favourite is pancetta and mushrooms.

The first tip I have is to make your own stock. I usually take a day a month or so and make stock when I'm doing laundry or something like that. It's dead easy and most of it is just waiting. I just buy two whole chickens and butcher into wings, breasts, legs, and thighs and save those for making other things. The rest of the meat and bones go into a pot with water, root vegtables (carrots, onion, celery), some herbs (bay leaves, parsely and sprigs of whatever leftover herbs I have in the fridge), peppercorns and a bit of salt. Then just let it boil for a couple hours and strain when done. What I don't use right away I freeze.

Second thing I find important is to use real parmesean. Don't skimp, its expensive, but worth it. And don't buy the pre-grated stuff either; they usually mix in cheaper cheese with it. Grate it yourself.

Last thing that I find makes risotto great is butter. Don't use margarine or any sort of a butter subsitute. Use the real stuff, and add a generous portition (along with some parmesean) just before its done.

[sclitheroe]

Get yourself some good cast iron cookware and season it properly. The stuff will last multiple lifetimes, and the heat retention on it is amazing. You can do other nice things like transfer a stove-top dish to the oven without worry as well (eg. brown a hunk of meat and then move it directly to roasting).

A well seasoned cast iron fry pan is as easy to clean as the best non-stick cookware, no joke.

[Biff]

Tonight's dinner:


Fettucine with Creamy Chicken Pesto sauce

Thinly slice chicken breast and saute in Olive oil with salt and pepper. Add medium onion finely diced partway through cooking. Add small amount of chicken stock to prevent excess browning in pan. When chicken is slightly browned, deglaze pan with additional chicken stock. Reduce heat and add finely chopped sun-dried tomatoes and Basil Pesto to taste. Add Ricotta cheese (or cream cheese) and heavy cream. Check for balance of flavours, adding additional pesto, tomatoes, cheese or cream as required.

Serve over fresh pasta with grated Parmesan and / or Pecorino.

It was tasty.

[Biff]

I am also happy to report that I have mastered the art of pasta making. Today I mixed 1/4 Semolina flour to my usual flour. Once you know the consistency of dough you're looking for, homemade pasta is drop-dead easy. Having a powered pasta roller is a definite help, though.

[Canada 02]

Get yourself some good cast iron cookware and season it properly. The stuff will last multiple lifetimes, and the heat retention on it is amazing. You can do other nice things like transfer a stove-top dish to the oven without worry as well (eg. brown a hunk of meat and then move it directly to roasting).

A well seasoned cast iron fry pan is as easy to clean as the best non-stick cookware, no joke.this should be quoted for emphasis!

Get some good food-grade mineral oil to wipe down your pan after cleaning as veg oil will go rancid; the mineral oil can also be used to prevent your butcher block from cracking

[Ronald Pagan]

Cast iron is great, I have two cast iron skillets however they aren't ideal for all cooking.

I have another set of stainless steel pans which I use a little more often. Lighter and a bit more versatile.

I don't like how long it takes for cast-iron to cool down. If you aren't careful you can overcook alot of thinks in cast iron.

[redforever]

Cast iron is great, I have two cast iron skillets however they aren't ideal for all cooking.

I have another set of stainless steel pans which I use a little more often. Lighter and a bit more versatile.

I don't like how long it takes for cast-iron to cool down. If you aren't careful you can overcook alot of thinks in cast iron.

It does retain heat a lot longer than even commercial quality stainless steel with heavy bottoms.

Also, cast iron is not really suitable for simmering foods that are acidic in nature, so with tomato sauces etc. The acid will break down the seasoning of the cast iron pan.

And there are different quality cast iron products just as there are stainless steel cookware. Don't buy the type of cast iron that has small little round grooves, each little groove will catch food. And then to remove it after it builds up, you will have to scrub it and that again, breaks down the seasoning.

I have had my cast iron for more years than I will admit to. The surface is completely smooth.

[ma-skis.com]

wooden chopsticks, if you don't want to pay for tongs, get some wooden chopsticks they're a cheap alternative to tongs, plus they won't scratch your pans up. Also great for whipping, stirring, beating, tasting. no wonder they've been around thousands of years.

a restauraunt i worked at ran out of plastic tongs once and I grabbed a pair of chopsticks and just kept working. course all this did was further stereotypes in the workplace...

[GreenTeaFrapp]

I picked up the most recent edition of Cooks Illustrated and I'm going to make the chocolate cake recipe in it. It's supposed to be a simple recipe to make that has mayonnaise in it, which sounds like a weird addition but makes sense if you think about it.

[missdpuck]

Aha! Maybe that damned mayonnaise is the secret ingredient in Red Velvet cake that I have made it my life's work to find!

[Nancy]

Aha! Maybe that damned mayonnaise is the secret ingredient in Red Velvet cake that I have made it my life's work to find!

I'd guess it's the buttermilk that does it: (And the cream cheese icing.)

http://www.cakemanraven.com/recipe.htm

[missdpuck]

Mmmmm I've had many versions of Red Velvet cake that definitely had the buttermilk and cream cheese. However I've had two that were outstanding...extra moist, with a little more zip. However one was from a restaurant that will not reveal their secret addition, and the other was baked by a local woman who won't budge either. And she says it's a real simple ingredient, but letting people know might cut into her holiday sales. She makes several thousand extra bucks from this cake , of course mainly at the holidays. Biatch!:) These folks are the ones that started my obsession and won't give up the recipe. If you're ever on Captiva Island definitely make a stop.http://www.bubbleroomrestaurant.com/frameset.html

[redforever]

Aha! Maybe that damned mayonnaise is the secret ingredient in Red Velvet cake that I have made it my life's work to find!


http://www.bigredkitchen.com/2008/12/red-velvet-yule-logs-from-disaster-to.html (http://www.bigredkitchen.com/2008/12/red-velvet-yule-logs-from-disaster-to.html)

She recommends the recipe at this site for excellent red velvet cake

http://pinchmysalt.com/2008/11/10/red-velvet-cake-recipe/ (http://pinchmysalt.com/2008/11/10/red-velvet-cake-recipe/)

And she recommends the recipe at this site for excellent red velvet roll

http://www.imperialsugar.com/fw/main/Red_Velvet_Cake_Roll_11_30_2003_%5Bfeatured_2_1_20 07-1123.html?ModKey=mk$cmsc&CntID=55&LayoutID=150 (http://www.imperialsugar.com/fw/main/Red_Velvet_Cake_Roll_11_30_2003_%5Bfeatured_2_1_20 07-1123.html?ModKey=mk$cmsc&CntID=55&LayoutID=150)

and here is a recipe for red velvet cupcakes

http://www.elise.com/recipes/archives/007128red_velvet_cupcakes_with_cream_cheese_frosti ng.php



I would be careful feeding a cake like this to children. That red food dye is not good and causes extreme hyperactivity in many small children.

[Tower]

I am also happy to report that I have mastered the art of pasta making. Today I mixed 1/4 Semolina flour to my usual flour. Once you know the consistency of dough you're looking for, homemade pasta is drop-dead easy. Having a powered pasta roller is a definite help, though.


I can't have wheat.... I really want to learn brown rice pasta making.

[metallicat]

This isn't a meal, but a smoothie. I started making these last week, and I'm hooked. So simple, but so good.

1 1/2 cups of milk
1 cup of vanilla yogurt
1 cup frozen strawberries

Blend. Serve.

[Nancy]

This isn't a meal, but a smoothie. I started making these last week, and I'm hooked. So simple, but so good.

1 1/2 cups of milk
1 cup of vanilla yogurt
1 cup frozen strawberries

Blend. Serve.

Add some rum to that and you've got a winner.

[GreenTeaFrapp]

A smoothie can be a meal. I've started putting cottage cheese in my smoothies instead of yogurt because it has a lot more protein. I also put spinach in them as well. You don't taste it but it can make them a pretty gross colour.

[RougeUnderoos]

I like smoothies.

Chopped banana
Frozen mixed berries
Some kind of juice (no apple)

Grind it up good. Mmm Mmm good. I'd probably have scurvy or rickets or something without these.

[GreenTeaFrapp]

Why would you chop up the banana for a smoothie? If your blender can handle frozen berries it sure as hell shouldn't have a problem with a whole banana.

Costco is an excellent source of frozen fruit for berries. In Eastern Canada anyway, they've got frozen blueberries on sale this week. I picked up two packages of them today. But frozen strawberries, frozen mango and banana is a great combo.

[RougeUnderoos]

Ha, I don't know, habit I guess. I just break it up and toss it in there. I don't drag out the cutting board and ginzu knife.

Does anyone make vegatable smoothies in a plain old blender? I don't want to buy a Juice Loosener or anything, but I've wondered about carrots and broccoli and whatnot in the blender. It doesn't seem like a good idea.

[wooohooo]

We have one of those mega juicers, where it evaporates 5 carrots at a time in seconds, entire apples. Tasty as hell juice. Actually tastes sweeter than the storebought juice of the same fruit.

Never liked the thickness of the smoothie. mmm dead mans ejaculate consistancy.


You have by far the most hilarious metaphors haha

[wooohooo]

My favorite is beer chicken.

Wash a whole chicken, take some memphis rub, detach the skin (leave it on, just kinda stick your hand under it) rub under and over the skin. Marinate it for a day or so, take some lime wedges, slip them under the skin and into the body cavity.

Take your favorite beer, preferably something with a strong taste (You can substitute with pop or anything really)

Shove the can up the chicken's butt.

BBQ or stick it in the oven for a couple hours.

Voila!!!

[GreenTeaFrapp]

Here's an excellent site for cooking ideas. No recipes but I think you can improvise based upon the pictures.

http://thisiswhyyourefat.com

Here's an Ottawa contribution.

http://18.media.tumblr.com/i2dw5nf19jwp34s81ZSBc5z8o1_500.jpg

[iggypop]

Just stumble upon this site:

http://www.cookingbynumbers.com/

I'm really excited to use it. As a student who can barely afford groceries this is usually how I cook anyways. Find a couple ingredients in the fridge and then google said ingredients for recipes. This looks way easier, and should add some variety while allowing for less grocery shopping. Anyone else used it before?

[metallicat]

Here's an excellent site for cooking ideas. No recipes but I think you can improvise based upon the pictures.

http://thisiswhyyourefat.com

Here's an Ottawa contribution.

http://18.media.tumblr.com/i2dw5nf19jwp34s81ZSBc5z8o1_500.jpgPizza with gravy? Damn that looks good. :eek:

[Torture]

Just stumble upon this site:

http://www.cookingbynumbers.com/

I'm really excited to use it. As a student who can barely afford groceries this is usually how I cook anyways. Find a couple ingredients in the fridge and then google said ingredients for recipes. This looks way easier, and should add some variety while allowing for less grocery shopping. Anyone else used it before?

I just tried it and all I really got was various combinations of eggs.

Nice.

[Guest1]

^^^^And it looks like I'm Having Apple Crumble for dinner...

[jammies]

^^^^And it looks like I'm Having Apple Crumble for dinner...

You say that like it's a BAD thing!

[ok, ok,....I get it]

Here's an excellent site for cooking ideas. No recipes but I think you can improvise based upon the pictures.

http://thisiswhyyourefat.com

Here's an Ottawa contribution.

http://18.media.tumblr.com/i2dw5nf19jwp34s81ZSBc5z8o1_500.jpg

Nothing new, I had that at a british mess in 1993, only it was greasier, and the fella serving it had open scabs on this arms

[Biff]

Nothing new, I had that at a british mess in 1993, only it was greasier, and the fella serving it had open scabs on this arms

You were served Gravy Pizza by Boy George?

[mykalberta]

Alright, probably a stupid question but here goes anyway.

How long do eggs (raw still in shell) keep in the fridge?

[ok, ok,....I get it]

You were served Gravy Pizza by Boy George?

meh, I thought all the Birts were fags

[GreenTeaFrapp]

Has anyone ever tried Shirataki noodles? I read about them in this month's Men's Health. They seem like an awesome food. Almost zero calories, high in fiber and filling while they have no flavour.

[metallicat]

Anyone got a good recipe for chicken cacciatore?

[maverickstruth]

Alright, probably a stupid question but here goes anyway.

How long do eggs (raw still in shell) keep in the fridge?

It really depends on the eggs... so many different variables, there's not really one rule of thumb.

The good thing is that it's really easy to tell if eggs are still good -- just lower them into a bowl with cold water. If they float, they're bad and need to be tossed. If they sink to the bottom, they're fine. If they touch the bottom but stand up on end, they're good for baking or hard-boiling.

More here: http://whatscookingamerica.net/Eggs/EggsFloat.htm

[Hack&Lube]

I've never made a pot roast before, does anyone have a good recipe or ideas for making a good gravy to slow cook it in?

I like watery gravies with lots of beef fat. Sort of like a Philly Dip.

[redforever]

Anyone got a good recipe for chicken cacciatore?


http://kitchenilliterate.wordpress.com/2007/04/30/chicken-cacciatore-rich-people-food/ (http://kitchenilliterate.wordpress.com/2007/04/30/chicken-cacciatore-rich-people-food/)

http://closetcooking.blogspot.com/2008/11/chicken-cacciatore-hunter-style-chicken.html (http://closetcooking.blogspot.com/2008/11/chicken-cacciatore-hunter-style-chicken.html)

[metallicat]

http://kitchenilliterate.wordpress.com/2007/04/30/chicken-cacciatore-rich-people-food/ (http://kitchenilliterate.wordpress.com/2007/04/30/chicken-cacciatore-rich-people-food/)

http://closetcooking.blogspot.com/2008/11/chicken-cacciatore-hunter-style-chicken.html (http://closetcooking.blogspot.com/2008/11/chicken-cacciatore-hunter-style-chicken.html)
Have you tried those though?

[redforever]

Have you tried those though?

The second recipe, yes. That is Kevin's from Closet Cooking. You really should take a look at his blog, Closet Cooking. Year and a half ago, he could basically make sandwiches, now he is almost ready to tackle anything.

I havent tried the first one but it is Giada's and most of her stuff is good.

Edit: I should mention that I don't use chicken legs though. I use a combo of boneless skinless thighs and breasts.

[metallicat]

I would rather Giada come and cook it for me, but I might give it a shot.

[redforever]

I would rather Giada come and cook it for me, but I might give it a shot.

The key to the recipe turning out is the simmer process, that is once you have prepared your sauce and return the chicken back into it.

Then you simmer. Simmer is a slow process. If you try to hurry simmer, you end up with food that has not had enough time to develop the rich or deep flavors of the recipe OR you end up with tough food.

And most of these type of recipes, including stews, goulashes, even chilis etc, their flavor improves the next day.

So you could make this the day ahead and rewarm the next day. Just make sure that when you rewarm, it is done very slowly.

[Eastern Girl]

I just tried one of Giada's recipes for Sundried pesto and it is awful. I can't figure out if it's my fault or what, but it smells awful, looks awful, tastes awful.

[Hack&Lube]

Lately I have been making non-fried Microwave Potato Chips that I have been playing around with to get right. This started when one night I had a craving for chips but was too lazy to go out in the snow to buy any.

I just sliced some potatoes really thin and either spread a little margerine on one side or if I'm lazy just a little PAM cooking spray on them and then I put them on a rack with sea-salt and freshly cracked tellicherry pepper and microwave on high for 12-14 minutes and take them out just as they brown (can burn easily past this point, just like microwave popcorn).

They are thicker than normal chips and not as crunchy as they have no oil but are still crisp and tasty more like crackers and taste more homemade like slices of baked potato that are dry and crisp with skin on. Good for dipping or anything else.

http://img17.imageshack.us/img17/6091/cimg4710.jpg

[GreenTeaFrapp]

Wouldn't they be better if you did them in the oven?

[Kipper is King]

^^^ I've tried microwaved chocolate cake before that had a slightly rubber-ish texture, but was still quite edible and tasty. Cool for an experiment in the kitchen.

Here's the recipe for that...
http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Easy-Microwave-Chocolate-Cake/Detail.aspx

In terms of the potato chips, wouldn't using the broiler in your oven for a minute or two on each side give you better crispiness? I'm just guessing, as I haven't tried homemade potato chips myself. In terms of seasoning, just a dash of paprika or some freshly chopped rosemary could be really nice.

Edit: GreenTeaFrapp, great minds think alike! :)

[Hack&Lube]

Wouldn't they be better if you did them in the oven?

too lazy and ADD! oven baking potato chips at the right temperature takes like 1.5 hours to get all the moisture out. If you just put slices in the oven for a short time, you basically get Mccain oven soggy fries. It's not like toast. Freshly sliced potatoes have a ton of moisture in them. Nuking food is for snack attacks and I have no patience.

[Kipper is King]

With thinly sliced potatos, the broiler is high heat enough that it would work quickly methinks. Also, it should remove enough of the moisture to make them crisp.

[Hack&Lube]

With thinly sliced potatos, the broiler is high heat enough that it would work quickly methinks. Also, it should remove enough of the moisture to make them crisp.

No, even on high heat, it takes about twice as long (30 minutes) and the edges can burn before the center dries up. Because the slices are in for so long, even with liberal spray or margerine, the soggy bits end up clinging to the oven rack and it makes a mess. Basically the part that is bad is how uneven it is. You have to take chips out that are done already out of the oven and leave others in.

This works if you use aluminum foil and grease a pan well and incorporate flipping but that means more fat and again - more dishes for me to do. It's all about convenience really. I don't want to have to wash a greasy pan as well or wait that extra 15 minutes.

[KielC]

I am looking to buy a new kitchen knife.

Chef or Santoku?

[Hack&Lube]

I am looking to buy a new kitchen knife.

Chef or Santoku?

Miracle Blade II !!!

I mean, if you watch the guy on TV. You can fillet a tomato! Wait...why would you ever fillet a tomato skin? It's because it's easy and a TV trick to make you buy knives.

[boobaloo]

I am looking to buy a new kitchen knife.

Chef or Santoku?


Santoku...got one a few months ago, and can't live without it now

[Hack&Lube]

As an addon to my post about making your own chips, my cheap starfrit slicer thing is getting dull and a headache. Are there any good and efficient and really sharp slicers out their for harder vegetables (like potatoes) or something I can look into? What about a dicing machine? I'm getting sick of dicing onions and peppers and tomatoes the old fashioned way.

[GreenTeaFrapp]

Get a good quality mandolin for your slicing.

[Flickered Flame]

What about a dicing machine? I'm getting sick of dicing onions and peppers and tomatoes the old fashioned way.

Before my ex-wife took off with all my kitchen tools, I had something similar to this. It worked like a charm.

http://www.kitchenniche.ca/images/chopper%20zyliss%20c.jpg

http://www.kitchenniche.ca/zyliss-fruit-vegetable-chopper-p-1854.html?manufacturers_id=122

[Kipper is King]

I am looking to buy a new kitchen knife.

Chef or Santoku?

Santokus I like because of how the gaps do help the food separate as you're chopping/slicing.

Also, I have been doing a lot of research into getting a knife myself. So far, I want to get a Global knife. They're made from one solid block of steel, and they're sharp as a laser if properly maintained. The biggest reason I like Global is how lightweight their knives are, and apparently they are easier to maintain than Wursthof and Henkels and the other heavier steel knives. ( I read that in Anthony Bourdain's Kitchen Confidential, I forget his explanation as to why maintaining them was easier, but he gushes about how wicked Global's knives are).

I tried one out in Williams Sonoma (which is a good idea, but don't buy from there- the markup is massive). That knife was sweet, I'm saving up for one!

http://images.surlatable.com/surlatable/images/en_US//local/products/detail/446260.jpg

[KielC]

Also, I have been doing a lot of research into getting a knife myself. So far, I want to get a Global knife.

Global is what I have been looking at too. I just couldn't decide between chefs or Santoku.

The non fluted Santoku is on sale right now at this site and has free shipping to Canada.

http://www.creativecookware.com/global_knives.htm

[redforever]

I just tried one of Giada's recipes for Sundried pesto and it is awful. I can't figure out if it's my fault or what, but it smells awful, looks awful, tastes awful.


Depends if you are a fan of pesto or not. Me, I am not.

Actually, I do use pesto in some layered dips that I make. The one with goat cheese, layered with pesto and sundried tomatoes, topped with pine nuts and cranberries is nice. Otherwise, I rarely use pesto.

[Morozee]

Here's a Tzatziki Sauce recipe we make all the time. Great as a dip, or spread on sandwiches, or burgers or pita's.

2 Cloves Crushed Garlic
1/4 Cup Olive Oil
1/4 Cup of Lemon Juice
2 Grated Cucumbers, Remove seeds first (about a cup after it's strained)
2 Cups of Plain Unsweetened Yogurt or Sour Cream (I usually use one of each, depending on what's in the fridge of course. I prefer it with at least one cup of yogurt.)
Salt and Pepper to taste.

The trick for this recipe is to put your shredded cucumber in a strainer and drain most of the water. Usually takes an hour or so, and at the end I kinda help it along by pressing with a spoon against the strainer. If you don't do this your tzatziki will be very watery. So once this is done, mix all the ingredients together in a bowl and voila. It can be served right away, but it is 10 times better if you let it sit in the fridge over night.

[ma-skis.com]

I am looking to buy a new kitchen knife.

Chef or Santoku?

chef, but that's because I like the rock and not the chop. made me stray away from my dad's old style cleaver too.

Keep in mind, unless you are some kind of serious knife chef fanatic, spending too much on a knife can be a waste of money, I know a few people who use there knives excessively and just by a cheaper but good quality knife that they can use to cut things and not feel bad, If you spend too much on a knife you'll find you'll be scared to cut anything with it except celery and green onions so you don't ruin the blade.

I just use one of those generic chefs knives you find in any commercial kitchen, about 30 bucks and keeps an edge for quite a while in the house, probably because i don't cut 90 pounds of chicken a day either thought.

[redforever]

I have purchased most of my knives at this source. I find them much cheaper than any Calgary outlet, even with the difference in the dollar calculated in.

http://www.cutleryandmore.com/

Personally, I love a Santoku knife, most of mine are made by Wusthof.

[GreenTeaFrapp]

I just tried one of Giada's recipes for Sundried pesto and it is awful. I can't figure out if it's my fault or what, but it smells awful, looks awful, tastes awful.

Is it possible one of your ingredients was bad/rancid? I'm guessing it's probably got the standard stuff in it - sundried tomatoes, garlic, olive oil, parmesan, pine nuts. Nothing there that should smell bad. So unless she's added some weird ingredient like anchovies, I'm guessing you put something in that was past its prime.

[4X4]

Pesto is another of those overrated foods, maybe there is an exquisite one somewhere but of the billion times I have had it it has been average to poor every time. How can something so greasy be so dry and rough to eat. And whats with the jars of the premade stuff at safeway et al, may as well puree and jar some dog crap and bile.

Couldn't agree more. Pesto sucks.

[GreenTeaFrapp]

Pesto is another of those overrated foods, maybe there is an exquisite one somewhere but of the billion times I have had it it has been average to poor every time. How can something so greasy be so dry and rough to eat. And whats with the jars of the premade stuff at safeway et al, may as well puree and jar some dog crap and bile.

I haven't tried most commercial pestos because they use nuts other then pine nuts but Costco has a pretty good pesto. I tend to prefer pesto when it's added to a tomato or cream sauce. But sometimes I like it plain on regular pasta as a quick meal.

[Biff]

I've got to give a shoutout to my Shun knives. The 10" chef's knife is my favorite (rock versus chop again), but the rest of the family uses the 7" Santoku. I find the handle of the Shun's particularly stable and comfortable. I've had my knives for a couple years now and have been very happy with them. Learn to use a Steel, though. Really sharp knives are great...unless you don't keep them really sharp.

[Hack&Lube]

I just made the most epic sauce. It sounds terrible but with some leftover stir-fried noodles and bits of chicken and vegetables, it was one of the most delicious things I had ever eaten.

I found all the food cooked already as leftovers in the fridge but the person who made them doesn't know how to cook and it was in the fridge because it was terrible. I took the noodles and chicken and veggies out and completely washed them in the sink and rinsed all the flavour out until they were as bland as possible.

Then I needed some sauce but it was 2AM and I didn't know what to do so I took a teaspoon of curry, a little oil, half a teaspoon of Marmite (yes Marmite!), and a thin slice of raw fatty salt pork (the kind 18th century sailors dined on - the kind with so much salt in it that raw meat lasts for a year and sparks in the microwave) and threw it all in a measuring cup with a bit of boiling water and nuked it for a minute. Then I poured it over the stir fry in a bowl and nuked that all for 2 mins and YUM YUM, I can't believe how good that was.

[Kipper is King]

Wow. I can't believe the pesto hate. Homemade pesto is incredible, with so much flavour! It's one of my favourite things!

Anyhow, I was wondering if anyone knew where to get crayfish in Calgary? I've got a hankering for some Louisiana cuisine!

[Hack&Lube]

This may sound gross too you but I am totally about not ever wasting food if possible as if you were living poorly and trying to use everything that I can as much as I can.

When you are done eating chicken, rotisserie, KFC, Chicken on the Way, etc. save the bones and scraps and skin. Boil a pot of chicken noodle soup and throw in the bits leftover and boil for a few minutes. Take out the bones and scrape off any meat left and serve. Chicken Noodle soup is 10x more delicious. That's what Chicken soup really is supposed to be anyway. Boiled chicken bones and scraps and you can make commercially canned soup taste much better that way.

[GreenTeaFrapp]

I'm going to cook some ground turkey shortly and make a burrito! Put the cooked ground turkey into a tortilla with some grated cheese, salsa and maybe some sauteed onions and peppers, wrap in tin foil and throw in the oven for 10 minutes. If I had some long grain rice, I'd make some cilantro lime rice and add it to the burrito also.

[Biff]

I have just discovered the Italian Supermarket at Centre street and 20th Ave. Prices were quite reasonably. Selection was outstanding for all of the unique "authentic" stuff required for good Italian. Dopa Zero flour, Semolina, lots of choices for canned tomatoes (San Marzano D.O.P. are going in a homemade sauce for a corporate lunch I'm helping with tomorrow). Well worth a visit for when you can't find the right stuff at regular grocery stores.

[socktape]

To revive an old thread...

If someone were in the market for some new pots and pans.... suggestions and why?

[GreenTeaFrapp]

If you can find this set at Walmart in Canada, it's highly recommended. Near All Clad quality for a fraction of the price.

http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=5716478

[BlackEleven]

To revive an old thread...

If someone were in the market for some new pots and pans.... suggestions and why?

Generally a couple things I look for:

1) Thick bottom -- will last a long time and continue distributing heat evenly thoughout its lifespan. Thin, cheap quality pans will form hotspots, which will cause things to cook unevenly.

2) Metal handles, not plastic -- It makes it really convenient if you have to transfer something from the stovetop to the oven. No need to transfer the contents of the pan to something else, just put the whole pan in the oven.

3) Glass lids -- No need to lift the lid off and let the heat out to see what going on inside.

Also, buy plastic utensils for using on pans with teflon. Metal utensils will scrape and scratch it right off over time.

[GreenTeaFrapp]

3) Glass lids -- No need to lift the lid off and let the heat out to see what going on inside.


I disagree completely with this. I'm completely indifferent towards what the lid is made of as long as it is oven safe. If you're cooking with any sort of heat, you're not going to be able to see anything with a glass lid because of the steam.

Go for stainless instead of non-stick for one big reason. You can wash them in the dishwasher. I don't do any hand washing at all these days because I only cook with stainless.

[Kipper is King]

Generally a couple things I look for:

2) Metal handles, not plastic -- It makes it really convenient if you have to transfer something from the stovetop to the oven. No need to transfer the contents of the pan to something else, just put the whole pan in the oven.


Remember that silicone is fine for that too.

[socktape]

Thanks guys!

[Shazam]

Pesto is another of those overrated foods, maybe there is an exquisite one somewhere but of the billion times I have had it it has been average to poor every time. How can something so greasy be so dry and rough to eat. And whats with the jars of the premade stuff at safeway et al, may as well puree and jar some dog crap and bile.Homemade pesto is awesome. I have never bought jarred pesto that wasn't disgusting.

[BlackEleven]

I disagree completely with this. I'm completely indifferent towards what the lid is made of as long as it is oven safe. If you're cooking with any sort of heat, you're not going to be able to see anything with a glass lid because of the steam.


So you disagree completely or you're indifferent? ;)

It's a personal preference. Yeah, the glass steams up if I'm boiling water, but I still find the glass useful for sauce, reductions, and a host of other things.

I'm not saying its essential, just useful. I listed the things in order of importance for me, which is why it appeared last.

[GreenTeaFrapp]

Homemade pesto is awesome. I have never bought jarred pesto that wasn't disgusting.

Have you tried the one they sell in a jar at Costco? It's pretty good but I'd never be able to go through it all before it starts getting fuzzy.

[Shazam]

Have you tried the one they sell in a jar at Costco? It's pretty good but I'd never be able to go through it all before it starts getting fuzzy.Well, I have bought pesto there ages ago, don't know if it was the same one they sell now, but yes, it was terrible.

They're always too dry and there's no basil taste due to pasteurization.

[Regulator75]

To revive an old thread...

If someone were in the market for some new pots and pans.... suggestions and why?

http://www.calphalon.com/calphalon/consumer/products/subProductLine.jhtml?catId=CLCat100145

I have been using the Calphalon Infused Hard Anodized products for a long time, they are pricey but are a pleasure to cook with.

[Biff]

I'm still going to give a shout out for All-clad. Last pots and pans you will ever have to buy. Yes, they are expensive. Yes, the work fabulously and are absolutely dependable for anything you want to do with them.

[redforever]

You can get commercial grade cookware for a lot less money than you would pay for brand name cookware found in department stores.....at better quality, or at the very minimum, equal quality. And the really nice thing about buying this way, is you get exactly the pots and pans you want. A lot of the times, when you buy cookware from department stores, it comes as a set and you are stuck with some sizes of saucepans that you never use. If you buy commercial cookware, you sometimes are more restricted with pots and pans that are of a smaller size but I have never found it to be a huge problem.

I get most of my larger soup/stock pots, Dutch ovens, even frying pans, at Russell Food Equipment, http://www.russellfood.ca/. It is about a block north of 58th Ave, on the west side of Blackfoot Trail, up 4st street I believe....open to the general public as well. Or else I go a block or so north, on the same street, to Crown Food Supplies, http://www.crownfoodequipment.com/ it is another restaurant suppy store. They have a great selection too and open to the general public as well.

You really should check out stores like the above mentioned. You can get dinnerware, flatware, cookware, baking ware, glassware including Reidel wine glasses, carving knives and gadgets of all kinds and they order in too. Do keep in mind though, that for some products like some of their glassware, dinnerware and flatware, you might have to buy a case, so it might be a case of 12, a case of 24, whatever. However for most things, cookware being just one, you can pick and choose one item at a time.

The brand name I prefer for cookware is Browne/Halco. This brand of cookware is available at both of the stores mentioned above. Crown probably has a bigger selection of the smaller sized pots and pans in the series.


http://i252.photobucket.com/albums/hh30/flameforever/BrowneHalco.jpg

Frying pans come in stainless steel or non stick finish, whichever is your preference, various diameters of course. I have some of each. Handles are completely oven proof.

http://i252.photobucket.com/albums/hh30/flameforever/BrowneHalcofryingpans.jpg

Depending on how much you want to spend, check out Ikea as well, their open stock induction cookware is pretty good if you are just starting out...excellent prices. The reason I suggest their induction cookware is because that line of cookware has the heavy duty bottoms. Induction cookware is of course compatible with any source of heat for cooking.

[Shazam]

You can get commercial grade cookware for a lot less than a brand name cookware.....at better, or at the very minimum, same quality. The only thing that will be harder to find in commercial cookware are pots and pans that are of a smaller size.

I get most of my large soup/stock pots, even frying pans, at Russell's restaurant supplies. It is about a block north of 58th Ave, on the west side of Blackfoot Trail, up 4st street I believe....open to the general public as well.

The brand name I prefer from that store is Browne/Halco.

Depending on how much you want to spend, check out Ikea as well, their open stock induction cookware is pretty good if you are just starting out...excellent prices. The reason I suggest their induction cookware is because that line of cookware has the heavy duty bottoms. Induction cookware is of course compatible with any other source of heat for cooking.Listen to this man!!!

[metallicat]

Trying this chicken marinade tonight:

1 cup worcestershire sauce
1 cup lemon juice
1 cup vegetable oil
1 tsp garlic powder

I actually halved all of those ingredients, and 4 chicken breasts are currently marinating in it.

[redforever]

Anyone got a good recipe for chicken cacciatore?

If you go to the link in the following recipe, you will find a menu along the right hand side. That menu will take you to other cooking videos. Either click on "see all" or scroll up or down to find other how to videos for all kinds of food dishes, one of them is Chicken Cacciatore, very good explanation.

I should add that the chef from the video in the recipe below has his own cooking blog. You can find all of his recipes and cooking videos at http://foodwishes.blogspot.com/


I am going to post his recipe for no knead Ciabatta bread. Bread is intimidating for many people, this recipe does not require kneading, but you do have preparation the day before. I have had very good results using his method and recipe.

I cover my dough with saran wrap and then leave it in my oven for the 18 hour rest period. The oven is not turned on of course. And I use the instant or rapid yeast with good results. A word of caution, this recipe makes a big loaf, so you might want to adjust quantities and try 2/3 or half the amount. You might have to adjust the baking time as well for a smaller loaf, rest of the preparation remains the same.

No Knead Ciabatta Bread

http://i252.photobucket.com/albums/hh30/flameforever/ciabbata1.jpg

3 3/4 to 4 cups flour, all white or 3 1/2 cups white and 1/2 cup whole wheat
1/2 tsp yeast
1 1/2 tsp salt
2 cups warm water
cornmeal and oil for the baking sheet

Put the first four ingredients in a large stainless steel or glass bowl. Mix with a wooden spoon until a fairly stiff ball of dough forms. If necessary, add a bit more water or a bit more flour. Dough should be stiff but not dry and not wet. Cover with saran wrap and let rest in a warm place for at least 18 hours or up to 2 days. I find the interior of my oven works well.

Uncover and use a spatula to fold dough over itself a few times. Put dough onto a piece of saran wrap that has been sprinkled liberally with flour. Use your hands to shape a flattish rectangular loaf. Lightly grease a cookie sheet with oil and then sprinkle the cookie sheet generously with cornmeal. Use the saran wrap to lift the shaped dough and invert onto the cookie sheet. If necessary, reshape the loaf. Cover and let rise at room temperature for 2 hours.

Preheat oven to 425F. Bake the loaf for 35 to 40 minutes.

For further instructions and a step by step video, go to the link below. There is a selection of videos along the right hand side worthwhile checking out as well.

http://vimeo.com/2886078?pg=embed&sec (http://vimeo.com/2886078?pg=embed&sec)=

Note: In Calgary, we have a very dry climate and that in turn means our flour is drier and absorbs more liquid. I compensate for that by starting with a little less flour than the recipe calls for. You can always add more flour later if the dough seems too wet.


http://i252.photobucket.com/albums/hh30/flameforever/ciabatta2.jpg

[GreenTeaFrapp]

When making hot dogs, if you put the buns in a 400 degree oven for five minutes it makes a huge difference.

[GreenTeaFrapp]

I picked up some dried chiles today - ancho, guajillo, and pasilla to be exact - along with some mexican oregano and corn tortillas. Looking forward to making enchiladas tonight.

[octothorp]

Any good baking supply stores in the city? I'm looking for two things in particular: oblong or baguette brotforms, and pearl sugar.

[Shazam]

Bite for pearl sugar? I think Cookbook Co. has brotforms.

[octothorp]

Bite for pearl sugar? I think Cookbook Co. has brotforms.

Huh, I had never even heard of Bite, but I just googled it: sounds fantastic, and only a block away from my usual route home from work!

[Shazam]

Ooh, you're in trouble now ;) Try the black garlic there.

If Bite doesn't have it, I'm fairly certain Michael's would. Yeah, 50 year old sugar, baby.

[octothorp]

Anyone tried making beef carpaccio? Is it as easy as it sounds? How should I go about selecting a good cut of meat for it? How about an ideal way to slice it?

[GreenTeaFrapp]

Anyone tried making beef carpaccio? Is it as easy as it sounds? How should I go about selecting a good cut of meat for it? How about an ideal way to slice it?

It would be easier to slice if you partially freeze the beef first.

[Methanolic]

Not sure if this "Hint" is widely known or not, I didn't know about it until a few months ago.

Any recipe that requires grated cheese of any kind, place the cheese in the freezer for at least 20 min. prior to grating. This works awesome! Your grater doesn't get gummed up and the grating itself is way faster and easier!

[Kipper is King]

I picked up some dried chiles today - ancho, guajillo, and pasilla to be exact - along with some mexican oregano and corn tortillas. Looking forward to making enchiladas tonight.

OK, there's this little shop in the NE called Las Tortillas. The guy who runs the place with his family imported a taco press from Mexico. They are the closest thing I have ever had to the tortillas in Mexico from somewhere in Calgary! Check it out- they have a few yummy pork an chicken tacos they make there or you can bring home a bag of fresh tortillas yourself. Sooooo good!

Writeup from Avenuecalgary.com
LAS TORTILLAS
Finally, truly fresh corn tortillas made right here in Calgary. Las Tortillas makes tortillas from scratch, and that’s it. These are the real deal, made by a local Mexican family in one of those simple little machines you see cranking out fresh flatbreads in every small town market across Mexico. Get them fresh, as they should be. (4100 Marlborough Dr. N.E., 403-273-3555)

[LChoy]

Anyone tried making beef carpaccio? Is it as easy as it sounds? How should I go about selecting a good cut of meat for it? How about an ideal way to slice it?


First thing I found on google
http://www.videojug.com/film/how-to-make-beef-carpaccio

[SteveToms]

http://www.finecooking.com/recipes/orange-creme-brulee.aspx

Orange Creme Brulee, I would say double or triple the recipe if you want a decent amount.

[wittynickname]

This was just a random idea that came to me tonight. I only measure if I'm baking, so this is all estimated.

1 cup brown rice, cooked as per package instructions.
1 cup broccoli florets, steamed to taste

2 frozen chicken breasts, sliced into strips
1/2 cup pineapple juice
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons honey
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon salt
pinch of black pepper
dash of creole seasoning
dash of chili powder

pour all liquid ingredients/seasonings into a pan, on medium heat, place frozen strips of chicken in the cooking liquid. Simmer for 20 minutes covered. Uncover for last 5 minutes.

Mix in a bowl with broccoli and brown rice.

Enjoy.

Next time I want to add some more veggies, but this was a last minute improvisation after work tonight, I had to work with what was on hand.

[Machiavelli]

Creme brulee just seems so easy to screw up. Makes me shy away from attempting a recipe.

[SteveToms]

Creme brulee just seems so easy to screw up. Makes me shy away from attempting a recipe.

It's easy to screw up, but lot's of baking is. I've never made it before today, and it turned out fine.

[octothorp]

I've never ever screwed up creme brulee, and I've made it frequently. And I'm far from a perfect cook. Sometimes the texture isn't quite as smooth as I'd like or it's a little too thick (usually if I'm improvising and adding different ingredients), but I've never actually screwed it up to the point where it isn't absolutely delicious and fun to eat. My favorite is lemon bourbon creme brulee. Just make your regular creme, add bourbon, lemon juice, and a bit of zest. Espresso, chocolate, and pickled ginger are some other things I've added to creme brulees.

[wittynickname]

This was just a random idea that came to me tonight. I only measure if I'm baking, so this is all estimated.

1 cup brown rice, cooked as per package instructions.
1 cup broccoli florets, steamed to taste

2 frozen chicken breasts, sliced into strips
1/2 cup pineapple juice
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons honey
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon salt
pinch of black pepper
dash of creole seasoning
dash of chili powder

pour all liquid ingredients/seasonings into a pan, on medium heat, place frozen strips of chicken in the cooking liquid. Simmer for 20 minutes covered. Uncover for last 5 minutes.

Mix in a bowl with broccoli and brown rice.

Enjoy.

Next time I want to add some more veggies, but this was a last minute improvisation after work tonight, I had to work with what was on hand.

I made this again tonight, but I changed it up.

I added one can of drained, sliced water chestnuts to the cooking liquid for the chicken, and I took sliced pineapple, grilled it, and then cut it into chunks to mix with the rice/chicken/broccoli at the end.

And it was even more awesome.

Also add soy sauce to taste. Real soy sauce, not the fake crap.

[GreenTeaFrapp]

Real soy sauce, not the fake crap.

What is fake soy sauce?

[wittynickname]

What is fake soy sauce?

The Japanese manufacturing process, used by companies such as Kikkoman Corp., dates to the 17th century. This so-called "natural brewing" process involves blending wheat, soybeans and a mold, and letting the culture ferment for several months before refining and bottling the sauce.


Food snobs and consumer groups here and in Japan consider non-brewed soy sauce an impostor since it contains caramel color, corn syrup, salt and what is called hydrolyzed soy (or some other protein), in which the protein is reduced to an amino acid to create what is essentially a flavor enhancer.


http://www.yumsugar.com/254664

Basically, real soy sauce is actually made from soybeans. Fake is made from hydrolyzed soy protein, caramel coloring, and other additives.

I thank Alton Brown and Good Eats for this knowledge.

[metallicat]

I am going to give that recipe a shot this week sometime witty, it sounds really good. I love any sort of chicken and rice dishes.

[wittynickname]

I am going to give that recipe a shot this week sometime witty, it sounds really good. I love any sort of chicken and rice dishes.

Just do everything to taste, really--I measured nothing, so definitely don't take those measurements as gospel or anything. I basically just poured stuff in the pan until it looked about right. :w00t:

I hope you like it!

[redforever]

Creme brulee just seems so easy to screw up. Makes me shy away from attempting a recipe.


Really, it is one of the easier desserts to make. And a dessert just as decadent and easy to make is pot de crème. Here is what I really like about desserts like these - they can be made the day before, freeing up time the day you are having company, they are delicious, and they look impressive. We eat with our eyes first and when something looks really good, it usually tastes better.

Here is a recipe for one of my favorite pot de crème and don't be afraid to try desserts like this. Go out on a limb, try something new and broaden your skills in the kitchen, nothing ventured, nothing gained. They are made the day before, so if for some reason you have a failure, you still have enough time to make something else. But I doubt you will fail.

And these are so creamy and smooth, they melt in your mouth. And while they are rich, the lemon and the cranberries seem to counter some of that richness. You can easily halve this recipe as well.

LEMON POT DE CRÈME WITH CRANBERRY PORT COMPOTE

http://i252.photobucket.com/albums/hh30/flameforever/lemonpotdecreme.jpg

Finely grated zest of 4 lemons plus 1 cup fresh lemon juice
1 cup sugar (lemon crème) plus 3/4 cup sugar (cranberry port compote)
1 liter whipping cream plus 1 extra cup
1/2 vanilla bean, cut open lengthwise
12 large egg yolks
2 cups cranberries
1 1/2 cups ruby port
1 cinnamon stick
10 ramekins, 6 or 7 oz in size


Make the lemon syrup: In a small saucepan, combine the lemon zest, lemon juice and 1/3 cup of sugar. Bring to a boil and then turn down heat and simmer until reduced to just a bit more than 1/2 cup. Stir regularily with a spatula.

Heat the whipping cream: Preheat oven to 325 F and bring a large kettle of water to a boil. In a medium sized saucepan, combine the 1 liter of whipping cream, 1/3 cup of sugar and the vanilla bean. Heat at a very low heat while the lemon syrup is being made. Whisk from time to time. Bring it to a heat that is just below boiling. Do not boil!!!

Make the lemon cream: In a medium bowl, beat the egg yolks with the last 1/3 cup sugar. Gently whisk a large ladleful of the hot cream into the egg yolk mixture. Now quickly whisk this mixture into the remaining cream in the saucepan. Turn heat to medium and whisk and cook 4 to 5 min or until mixture reaches 170F on an instant read thermometer. Do not cook like regular pudding and thicken, just heat to the desired temperature. Now add the lemon syrup and whisk together. Strain immediately through a cheesecloth or a very fine sieve. Squeeze out as much of the lemon cream as possible. You want to discard the lemon zest and the vanilla bean at this point. Once the lemon cream is strained, I pour it into a pitcher. I find this facilitates pouring it into the ramekins.

Bake the pot de crème: Put your ramekins into a large rectangular roasting pan or other rectangular baking dish, with sides at least as high as a cake pan and large enough to accommodate all the ramekins. Equally distribute your lemon cream into your ramekins. Pour the boiling water into the baking dish so that it reaches half way up the sides of the ramekins. Loosely cover with a sheet of foil. Do not tightly close the foil, simply lay it over the baking dish. Place in your preheated oven and bake anywhere from 25 min to 45 min. I find 25 to 30 min is just about right. I check at this point in time. The pot de crème should be set around 1/4 inch in from the sides of the ramekin dish and should have a firm jiggle. If they make a wave like motion, they are not quite done. If you are not sure, underbake a bit rather than overbake. They will completely firm up once removed from oven and cooled. Remove the pan from the oven. The custards should be kept in the hot water in the baking pan for a further half an hour. The sheet of foil should still be loosely on top as well. After half an hour, the custards should have finished baking and there will no longer be a jiggle area in the center. Remove the foil cover being careful not to drip water from the foil on the custards. Remove the ramekins from the hot water and cool at room temperature a further half an hour. Now cover each ramekin with saran and refrigerate over night or up to 2 days.

Cranberry port compote: In a medium saucepan, combine 1 1/2 cups ruby port with the remaining 3/4 cup sugar and 1 cinnamon stick. Bring to a boil, turn heat down to medium and reduce to about 1 cup. Stir regularily with a spatula. Add the 2 cups fresh or frozen cranberries. Stir occasionally until the cranberries split and look wrinkled but are still whole. This should take around 6 minutes. Do not overcook or you will end up with cranberry sauce!!! Put in a bowl and cover and refrigerate around 2 hours. Remove the cinnamon stick and stir slightly. Cover and keep refrigerated. This can be made ahead, the same day as the pot de crème.

Serve: Whip the remaining whipping cream. Add a bit of vanilla and icing sugar to taste, it should not be too sweet. Remove the plastic wrap from the ramekins. Put a tablespoon or two of cranberry port compote in the middle of each pot de crème and then put a dollop of whipped cream on top.

[Machiavelli]

Thanks, but what about torching?

Edit: nm, this is different.

[redforever]

And if you want the taste of pumpkin pie, but not made in pie form, try a pumpkin pot de crème. I juggled around with ingredients and made up this recipe.

PUMPKIN POT DE CRÈME

http://i252.photobucket.com/albums/hh30/flameforever/pumpkinpotdecreme.jpg


500 ml (2 cups) whipping cream
1/3 cup sugar, divided
5 egg yolks
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp each of ginger, nutmeg and cloves
1 tsp dark rum
1/2 vanilla bean
1 cup pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling)
1/2 cup toasted pecans
1/4 cup maple syrup
chocolate coated coffee beans or chocolate truffles

6 ramekins, 6 ounce size

Put the whipping cream, two thirds of the sugar, the spices and the pumpkin puree in a medium sized saucepan. Slit the vanilla bean vertically and scrape out the seeds. Add both the seeds and the vanilla pod to the cream mixture. On medium low heat, slowly bring the custard mixture to a simmer. Add the rum. Turn off the heat, cover and let sit for 15 minutes to allow the flavors to meld.

Beat the egg yolks with the remaining third of sugar. Add one or two ladles of the hot custard to the beaten yolks and mix well. Add the egg yolk mixture back to the remaining custard. Stir well. Turn on heat and cook custard a further 3 to 5 minutes, just to the simmer. Do not boil!!! Strain the custard mixture through cheesecloth or a fine sieve.

Preheat the oven to 325F. Put the ramekins in a shallow rectangular pan. Divide the pumpkin custard evenly among 6 ramekins. Pour boiling water half way up the sides of the ramekins, cover loosely with a sheet of foil and bake.

Start checking the custards after 30 minutes. They should take anywhere from 30 to 45 minutes to bake. They should still have a “jiggle” in the center about the size of a dime. Do not fully bake the custards.

Remove the pan from the oven. The custards should be kept in the hot water in the baking pan for a further half an hour. The sheet of foil should still be loosely on top as well. After half an hour, the custards should have finished baking and there will no longer be a jiggle area in the center. Remove the foil cover being careful not to drip water from the foil on the custards. Remove the ramekins from the hot water and cool at room temperature a further half an hour. Now cover each ramekin with saran and refrigerate over night or up to 2 days.

Toast the pecans in a 350F oven for 8 minutes. Remove pecans from the oven, cool and coarsely chop the pecans.

To serve, sprinkle each pot de crème with some chopped pecans, then put on a dollop of whipped cream, sift a bit of cocoa and cinnamon over the whipped cream, top with a small chocolate truffle or a chocolate coated coffee bean and if desired, drizzle with some maple syrup.

[redforever]

Thanks, but what about torching?


Pot de creme are not torched like creme brulee.

I also make chocolate pot de creme and when I have more time, will try and post that.

[Kipper is King]

I woke up a bit early this morning in time to make a Dutch Baby! This is actually an American dish which was first made by Dutch immigrants to Pennsylvania. I got the idea from Alton Brown's "Good Eats".

For my version, I reduced the amount of butter somewhat. Also, I added a sliced, peeled apple which is a nice option. I allowed the apple slices to cook in the oven with a bit of the butter for five minutes before adding the batter. Lastly, as I did not have lemons, I sprinkled icing sugar and cinnamon lightly over top, instead of the lemon sugar in the recipe.

Here is the recipe I used. http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Dutch-Baby-with-Lemon-Sugar-352279

Give this a try- it's easy, tasty and it looks really impressive when it's all puffed up and golden! :-) It took me about 35 minutes from when I first turned on the oven to preheat.

Here are some photos of mine:

http://img190.imageshack.us/img190/9343/img0959uoo.jpg

http://img190.imageshack.us/img190/6573/img0960u.jpg

http://img20.imageshack.us/img20/5092/img0962h.jpg

http://img199.imageshack.us/img199/5699/img0963d.jpg

[Mccree]

So cooking experts I have a question.

When is the best time to add salt and pepper?

Is sea salt, kosher salt etc..really that different from Table (normal) salt.

[ma-skis.com]

So cooking experts I have a question.

When is the best time to add salt and pepper?

Is sea salt, kosher salt etc..really that different from Table (normal) salt.

it really depends on what you're cooking, if you're frying up some vegtables i like to add salt earlier to help draw out the flavour, if it's meat i'll season it before I cook it. If it's fries I'll wait till after.

Personally it's personal preference too, what do you like to do, cook the same dish twice and try early and late, see what you like better.

personally, i enjoy the taste and flavour of sea salt to table salt, if you can't tell the difference, it probably doesn't matter.

[missdpuck]

Thanks for the Dutch Baby Kipper :) A local restaurant serves them without the apples, then with the apples they call it a German pancake. Both are sooooo good. Yours looks great.

[4X4]

I always thought a Dutch Baby was a blonde haired, blue eyed kid with 12 siblings.

[GreenTeaFrapp]

Thanks for the Dutch Baby Kipper :) A local restaurant serves them without the apples, then with the apples they call it a German pancake. Both are sooooo good. Yours looks great.

They sell them at the Original Pancake House. Both are SOOOOOOO good.

[missdpuck]

I always thought a Dutch Baby was a blonde haired, blue eyed kid with 12 siblings.
Where did you come up with 12? We're not that prolific, like a bakers dozen :rolleyes:

[4X4]

Where did you come up with 12? We're not that prolific, like a bakers dozen :rolleyes:

Lol. You're dutch? How many siblings do you have?

[missdpuck]

Lol. You're dutch? How many siblings do you have?
One.

But I will say I have lots of cousins:whistle: Well not really. 3 sets of 5, 1 set of 3 , 2 sets of 4, 2 of 2. Mom had 3 bros 2 sisters, dad had 2 bros and one sister. Don't recall any ancestors with 12!

[Kipper is King]

So cooking experts I have a question.

When is the best time to add salt and pepper?

Is sea salt, kosher salt etc..really that different from Table (normal) salt.

Seasoning a little throughout the cooking process often is a good idea. Remember that lots of salt is not healthy, so don't overdo it.

Sea salt has more minerals in it I believe than regular table salt. It also has a fuller flavor. I totally prefer it over regular salt.

What makes kosher salt so cool is the shape of the granules. The elongated shape really helps draw out moisture for certain applications. That is my understanding anyways- I have never used it myself.

[Kipper is King]

Thanks for the Dutch Baby Kipper :) A local restaurant serves them without the apples, then with the apples they call it a German pancake. Both are sooooo good. Yours looks great.

They sell them at the Original Pancake House. Both are SOOOOOOO good.

Thanks you two! I can't wait to see how the pros do it!

Also, I tried on last week without the apples, and it rose majestically. It came out of the oven shaped almost like the Astrodome. Really quite cool, and quite yummy.

Overall, I like it best with apples IMO.

[Biff]

So cooking experts I have a question.

When is the best time to add salt and pepper?

Is sea salt, kosher salt etc..really that different from Table (normal) salt.

As a general rule, the better you season while you are cooking, the less you will have to do after. Consequently, most recipes will suggest adding your seasonings, including salt, relatively early in the cooking process. Later, as the dish approaches readiness, tasting for final balance of seasonings is usually done. Of course, certain foods make the tasting and adjusting part a bit tricky. Also, certain foods require a fair bit of salt (pasta water, for example, should be "ocean salty" in order to get the taste into the pasta as it cooks). Other foods, like mushrooms, can't be salted too early in the process as too much moisture leeches out of them and you end up boiling the food instead of frying / sauteeing it.

In terms of salt types, most larger "grain" salts (i.e. kosher, sea salt, etc...) actually pack less saltiness per amount than table salt but often have additional interesting flavour notes. So adjust accordingly. Also, the other consistancies of salt are sometimes useful as part of the texture and mouth appeal of a food just as much as for the salt taste.

[redforever]

So cooking experts I have a question.

When is the best time to add salt and pepper?

Is sea salt, kosher salt etc..really that different from Table (normal) salt.


Chemically, there is almost no difference between the three salts you listed.

Table salt is preferred by bakers, because of its fine granular texture. It is easy to disperse evenly throughout the flour or batter of whatever you are baking and it dissolves quickly as well.

Because of the fine grain of table salt compared to the coarse grain of kosher or sea salt, you will get more of a salt taste with the fine table salt. In other words, if you added 1 tsp of table salt to a certain volume of one pot of soup, and added 1 tsp of sea or kosher salt to the same volume of another soup, the one with the table salt will taste considerably saltier, about twice as salty.

1 tsp of table salt will equate to about the same salty taste as 1 Tbsp of sea salt or kosher salt.

So then for other forms of cooking, in other words - not baking, cooks quite often prefer the coarser salts since it is easier to control and add to taste. Coarse salts (large grain) are also preferred for pickling since they do not produce a powdery looking brine.

The main thing to remember when you are using salt, or any other form of herb or flavoring is start with less and add to taste later on if necessary. That is particularily true for salt.

The three salts are also different in how they are processed. I believe one of the main criteria for kosher salt is it can not contain any preservatives.

[Shazam]

Table salt has iodine in it, and usually some sort of filler to keep it from clumping.

[redforever]

I have a lot of corn and tomatoes right now from my garden. This is one of my favorite recipes to use those two ingredients.

Grilled Corn, Avocado and Tomato Salad

http://i252.photobucket.com/albums/hh30/flameforever/cornsalad.jpg

Salad Ingredients:
1 pint grape tomatoes, or equivalent in firm diced tomatoes
1 large ripe avocado
2 large ears of fresh sweet corn, husked
2 Tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped

Put the corn cobs in a skillet with 1 tsp oil over medium heat. Cook and turn for 10 minutes or until golden spots appear. Cool and cut the corn kernels off the cob. If using frozen kernel corn, thaw and sauté in 1 tsp oil until partially cooked and a bit golden in color. Halve the tomatoes. Peel and dice the avocado. Chop the cilantro.

Honey Lime Dressing:
Juice of 1 large lime
3 Tbsp oil
1 Tbsp honey
Sea salt and fresh cracked pepper, to taste
1 clove garlic, finely minced
Dash or two of cayenne pepper

Whisk to combine all the dressing ingredients. Put the prepared vegetables in an appropriate sized bowl. Pour the honey lime dressing over the vegetables and mix gently until evenly coated. Add salt and freshly ground pepper to taste. Be careful not to mash the avocados when mixing. Cover and refrigerate for 30 to 60 minutes to allow the flavors to mingle.

[redforever]

And I have had an unreal amount of beans from my garden, both yellow and green. They are delicious just blanched, I have pickled a lot of them, and then for a change, I make this recipe. So easy and simple to make, few ingredients, great taste. You can make this with either green or yellow beans, or sugar snap peas.

Beans with Feta Cheese and Dill

http://i252.photobucket.com/albums/hh30/flameforever/greenbeans.jpg

1 pound or 500 grams fresh beans
2 Tbsp red wine vinegar
1 Tbsp minced shallot or mild onion
1 clove garlic, finely minced
6 Tbsp oil
1/4 tsp sugar
Sea salt and fresh cracked pepper, to taste
1/3 red onion, sliced lengthwise and very thinly
1/4 cup feta cheese, crumbled
2 Tbsp fresh dill, chopped

1 In a small bowl add the chopped shallot and minced garlic along with the red wine vinegar, oil and sugar. Whisk well and set aside to let the flavors mingle.

2 Trim the stem end of the green beans. Either leave the beans whole or cut them into even lengths, whichever you prefer. Place in a pot of boiling water for 3-4 minutes. Test the beans to see if they are tender but still crisp. Drain and place in ice cold water to stop them from further cooking and to keep them bright green. When completely cool, drain well and place in a bowl. Note: If using sugar snap peas, do not blanch as long as for beans.

3 Add the sliced onion, fresh dill and salad dressing. Toss until evenly coated. Add freshly ground salt and pepper to taste. Cover and refrigerate for an hour.

4 Before serving, adjust taste for salt and pepper if necessary. To serve, place beans in a flat serving dish and sprinkle feta cheese over the top.

[Playfair's Hairgel]

marinate a steak in plain yogurt with salt, pepper and some red chilli powder and add some lime to it.

let it sit over night in the fridge and than either bbq it or steak it..

and you have heaven

[GreenTeaFrapp]

I bought a deepfryer a few weeks ago. Tons of fun! Homemade french fries are fantastic. I tried making deep fried Snickers bar and while the bottom coating stuck to the bottom of my basket, they were still pretty tasty.

[Methanolic]

Question for you Pros:

I have been using "sea salt" to cook with because I heard Iodized was sub-par and maybe even harmful.

The sea salt I've been using comes in a disposable bottle with the grinder built in.

But where can I buy sea salt in a bag? (like sugar) in bulk?

I've seen "kosher salt" for sale at the grocery store in a bag,,,,,is that the same as sea salt?

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

I would dearly love to NOT be dependant on these disposable grinders.

And do I need to buy another pepper Mill for the sea salt?

[redforever]

Question for you Pros:

I have been using "sea salt" to cook with because I heard Iodized was sub-par and maybe even harmful.

The sea salt I've been using comes in a disposable bottle with the grinder built in.

But where can I buy sea salt in a bag? (like sugar) in bulk?

I've seen "kosher salt" for sale at the grocery store in a bag,,,,,is that the same as sea salt?


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

I would dearly love to NOT be dependant on these disposable grinders.

And do I need to buy another pepper Mill for the sea salt?

Kosher salt usually implies organic so should not be iodized. You can buy small bags at Kitchen Specialty stores like Happy Cookers. Usually Superstore carries bags, although not as big as bags of sugar.

Some sea salt is iodized as well, read your labels. You can buy coarse pickling salt in bags, not quite as chunky though, but it can be put in a salt grinder too.

I believe that pepper mills and salt mills have different grinder mechanisms, but don't quote me on that.

[Jedi Ninja]

Question for you Pros:

I have been using "sea salt" to cook with because I heard Iodized was sub-par and maybe even harmful.

The sea salt I've been using comes in a disposable bottle with the grinder built in.

But where can I buy sea salt in a bag? (like sugar) in bulk?

I've seen "kosher salt" for sale at the grocery store in a bag,,,,,is that the same as sea salt?

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

I would dearly love to NOT be dependant on these disposable grinders.

And do I need to buy another pepper Mill for the sea salt?

Costco sells sea salt in 1L jugs, but it is preground. And, really, when it comes to salt, I really don't know what the benefit of the grinder is. (Unlike, pepper, which stays fresher if you leave it as peppercorns and grind it fresh.)

[redforever]

Costco sells sea salt in 1L jugs, but it is preground. And, really, when it comes to salt, I really don't know what the benefit of the grinder is. (Unlike, pepper, which stays fresher if you leave it as peppercorns and grind it fresh.)

You can set the grinder to the fineness that you wish and thus, you are able to get better control over the amounts you use.

And, sometimes you want a coarser grind, like on top of pretzels, on top of steaks etc.

[Methanolic]

OK Great.

I've seen the bags of "kosher salt" at super store, so that's what I'll go for I guess.

The issue of the "salt grinder" has now opened a can of worms, I'm thinking I will take some advice from you guys, I'll just get another pepper mill.....different (obviously) from my current pepper mill, and I'll put the kosher salt in it and adjust the grinder (coarse/fine) to what ever the situation requires!!

Thanks very much!!!


.....again, CP rivals freakin' Google!!

[GreenTeaFrapp]

I don't really understand the need to grind your salt. If it doesn't dissolve in what you're cooking, you're using too much.

[Methanolic]

I don't really understand the need to grind your salt. If it doesn't dissolve in what you're cooking, you're using too much.


Salads, Pasta, Grilled Meat, Etc.... It's nice to be able to choose how fine or coarse you apply the salt.

[TSXCman]

For the salt conversation:

I use sea salt, seasoning salt, and garlic salt through cooking.

Maldon salt (huge crystals that you break up in your hands with a pinch) for any finishings. Salads, meat, anything that is done cookin and on your place that needs salt.

[yads]

Given our cold weather, here's a fantastic Borcht recipe:
Take a medium sized steak, use a cheap one since it will be getting boiled. Put steak in a deep pot and fill pot with water. Add salt and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer the stock for 1.5-2 hours, making sure to skim off the scum. You can cook for longer to get an even tastier stock, but I've found that a few hours is sufficient.

You'll need the following:
4 cloves of garlic, 1 medium onion, 3 beets, 1/3-1/2 head of cabbage, whatever other veggies are in your fridge. I like to use peppers, carrots, celery. The key is the soup should have the consistency somewhere between a regular soup and a stew so use that as a guideline for how much veggies to put in.

Mince the garlic, chop the onions. Add some oil to a pan and bring to a medium-high heat. Add garlic onions and some salt. When the onions have browned add peeled and sliced beets and other veggies except for the cabbage. Cover and cook on medium for 5-10 minutes. Chop up the cabbage.
Remove steak from stock and add all veggies and cabbage. Add several stalks of dill and season to taste. Cook until cabbage and veggies are tender. Dice up the steak and add to the soup. Enjoy plain or with sour creme and like all soups, tastes much better the next day.
http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/uimages/kitchen/2009_01_14-Borscht.jpg

[Berger_4_]

Borscht requires no meat! It's vegetable soup. My grandmother would kill you if she saw that haha.

Love borscht, but holy crap does it ever scare me when I take a leak the next day. Especially when I forget that I ate such food haha.

[yads]

Borscht requires no meat! It's vegetable soup. My grandmother would kill you if she saw that haha.

Love borscht, but holy crap does it ever scare me when I take a leak the next day. Especially when I forget that I ate such food haha.
Russian borscht almost always has meat. But like the old saying goes, every kitchen has it's own borscht.

[Berger_4_]

http://www.whoknew.us/archives/images/rasputin.gif

Oh those Russians.

It's all about the Uke food! Damn Commies kept all the meat for themselves, while we had to struggle with beets and potatoes! :D

[BuzzardsWife]

Though we could see the cooking prowess of the CP community. From things like keeping food longer and tasty cooking ideas.


I don't know about you but I really get annoyed when my popcorn seeds only pop 50/70 percent of the time.

Try soaking your seeds 5 to 10 minutes before popping them.

Also wrap your celery in Tin Foil and it will remain crisp for much longer.

Anyone have a good way to cook pork tenderloin?
I have a delicious recipe for pork tenderloin and its very low fat:
rub a bit of oil on meat..roll in thyme and salt and pepper, squeeze fresh lemon all over it and wrap in foil..bbq for 1/2 hour

[BuzzardsWife]

Russian borscht almost always has meat. But like the old saying goes, every kitchen has it's own borscht.
my Polish born gramma always made the soup base with a ham bone and her borscht had little bits of ham in it..and sour cream of course.yum..you can buy a really good bottled borscht at Polcan Meats on Fairmont dr.

[SteveToms]

In Russia, Borscht eats you.

[sclitheroe]

my Polish born gramma always made the soup base with a ham bone and her borscht had little bits of ham in it..and sour cream of course.yum..you can buy a really good bottled borscht at Polcan Meats on Fairmont dr.

Polcan is a great store.

[missdpuck]

Never realized Borscht has so many fans.

[Bownesian]

I have a delicious recipe for pork tenderloin and its very low fat:
rub a bit of oil on meat..roll in thyme and salt and pepper, squeeze fresh lemon all over it and wrap in foil..bbq for 1/2 hour
You would be able to taste the lemon more if you used the zest instead (or in addition to) the juice.

[4X4]

Quick question:

I'm boiling some lasagna noodles for dinner, but I'm not making the lasagna until about 4pm. Do I wait until they cool to put them in a tupperware in the fridge, or do I put them in the tupperware hot? I don't want them to dry out sitting in the colander.

[GreenTeaFrapp]

Use no boil noodles!

[redforever]

Use no boil noodles!


Exactly, and if anyone does not know what no boil lasagne noodles are, they are also called "oven ready" or "ready bake".

You use them dry, no need to cook. Simply place them in whatever order you would cooked lasagna noodles, that is all there is to it.

AND, a bonus, when you use ready bake lasagna noodles, they absorb a bit of the moisture from the other lasagna ingredients. That in turn means your lasagna is rarely runny, it sets up beautifully every time, making serving very very easy.

Now since this option is not available to 4x4, he has already cooked his noodles, the anwer he wants is cool them in water, then put in tupperware and refrigerate. Cooling them in water will stop any further cooking and you don't want to over cook any type of pasta, it gets slimey.

[metallicat]

Any creative ways to cook pyrogies? I am getting tired of the boil them, fry them, variety.

[GreenTeaFrapp]

Pan steam them.

Heat some oil in a pan, add the perogies then a half cup of water and cover. Cook 20 minutes and remove.

[metallicat]

From frozen?

[GreenTeaFrapp]

From frozen?

Yes. From frozen.

Oh, and turn the heat down to low once you cover them.

[metallicat]

Do you flip them over at all? And are you just talking about a normal frying pan, using olive oil or something?

[GreenTeaFrapp]

Don't flip them. Don't lift the cover until the 20 minutes is done. One side will be crispy, one side will be soft. If you like them crispier, let them sit a few more minutes after the cover has been lifted.

[metallicat]

Ok, sweet. Thanks man.

[chid]

just had a delightful pasta dish with ground beef, sundried tomatoes, onions and mushrooms. mmmm..

also does anyone have a good recipe for Chicken paprikash?

[redforever]

just had a delightful pasta dish with ground beef, sundried tomatoes, onions and mushrooms. mmmm..

also does anyone have a good recipe for Chicken paprikash?

I do, but I don't have it written down. My MIL just showed me how to do it and I cook it as was shown to me. And it is too hard to explain, would have to show you.

Now I did find a fairly authentic version in an Eating Well magazine. I have given this recipe for others to make and they have liked it. I have had it when my daughter made it and it is pretty good.

http://www.eatingwell.com/recipes/braised_paprika_chicken.html

Edit: I should add that the traditional way of serving Chicken Paprikash is over homemade spaetzle noodles. Failing those, wide egg noodles are ok.

[chid]

mm yeah, nothing beats homemade spaetzle

[4X4]

Holy crap. You guys just reminded me of spetzle. I only ever had it once, made authentically by the mother of an austrian employee I had at my hostel in wopland... Mo-fugga, that stuff's good.

[BlackEleven]

Never realized Borscht has so many fans.

When I was in Krakow I tried white borsch (sometimes they called it Zur or Zurek). It was the best soup I've ever had, bar none.

Here how it's made:
http://www.soupsong.com/rbarscz.html

Sounds rather disgusting from the ingredients, but damn it is good.

[redforever]

Has to be Kase Spaetzle and made with this or a knife. The spaetzle must not be made with any ingrediants other than flour and egg.

http://www.kitchenfantasy.com/images/Spaetzle_Maker.jpg

I add a bit of salt.

My MIL is now in a nursing home, but when she was still in her own home and cooking, it was unreal to watch her make homemade spaetzle.

First she made sure she had a very large stock pot full of boiling water.

Then she would make the dough. She just put her flour and egg and a bit of salt in a bowl, just went by feel, no recipe. She beat the ingredients with a wooden spoon until well combined.

Then she dumped the mixture on a wooden cutting board.

Next, she got a knife. Then she held the cutting board with the dough over the pot of boiling water and with the knife, very quickly cut off small portions of dough that dropped into the water. She was so quick, probably 2 pieces of spaetzle a second, and almost every piece of spaetzle was the same size.

[chid]

there is a delightful restaurant downtown on 6th avenue and 9th street called Jonas, it is the closest i can find to authentic chicken paprikash - its a little mom and pop place and it is divine. Their schnitzel is yummy too.

[redforever]

Thats the real old school way, like those highly specialized noodle makers in Japan. Just saw some pics of spaetzle on google, looks like many put pieces of bacon in it. Never thought of that, that would just make it awesome.

A much better dish is Krautkrapfen, wholy crap, have a buddy who makes it, takes forever. Home made wide noodle rolled in kraut that has been de-vinegarized and browned and speck/bacon, fried up to make it crispy then simmered in gravy. I'd say its the best tasting meal I have ever had.

Yup, that is exactly how she cooked. She immigrated to Canada, her native country being Hungary.

She made all her own pasta, with a hand rolling pasta machine. But of course, she made her own dough first. She started with a mess of flour on an arborite table, making a well, adding 12 eggs!!! and slowly incorporating the eggs into the flour.

She made her own rolling pins because she could not find the type she was used to in Canada. She liked them with quite a thin diameter and quite long so in the end, what she found was a piece of dowelling that she hand sanded to make the shape she was used to. Once she rolled the pasta dough, she put it through the pasta machine, usually make 3 shapes. Little squares and angel hair which she used in her soups and then a medium sized broad noodle.

And she never just made one batch of pasta dough with 12 eggs, she made enough to last about 3 to 4 months. She had pasta drying all over the house.

Now the recipe you mentioned with kraut and noodles reminded me of another dish my MIL made. She made sauerkraut strudel as well as fresh cabbage strudel and cottage cheese strudel. She would make sweet strudel for dessert, but she was better known for savory types of strudel. In Hungary, their diet was not as heavy with meat, eating more chicken than anything. So she made made savory type dishes with cheeses etc that were quite filling and healthy on their own.

And of course, then there were the tortes she made, a walnut torte was her specialty. Then there were all the pastries with home made prune fillings, ground walnut fillings, poppy seed fillings and she grew her own poppies and used those seeds, puff type pastries, I just don't know how she did it all.

[metallicat]

Anyone have a good, simple steak marinade recipe? I don't have a ton of elaborate ingredients laying around my place, so the simpler the better.

[Kipper is King]

Anyone have a good, simple steam marinade recipe? I don't have a ton of elaborate ingredients laying around my place, so the simpler the better.

You want to marinade steam?
:blink:
I consider myself a pretty good cook, but that would be tough!:D

[redforever]

Anyone have a good, simple steam marinade recipe? I don't have a ton of elaborate ingredients laying around my place, so the simpler the better.

Did you mean steak?

For a simple teriyaki style marinade, put 1/4 cup oil, 1/2 cup soy sauce, 1/2 tsp each of powdered ginger, pepper and dry mustard, 1/2 tsp garlic powder or 1 large clove garlic finely minced, and 3 Tbsp blackstrap molasses in a bowl.

Stir to combine. Put your steak in a pan or dish that has a cover. Pour marinade over the steak. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, turning steak frequently. When done marinating, cook your steak as you normally would.

This is particularily nice with a flank steak. If using a flank steak, it should never be cooked well done.

EDIT: I amended the recipe to show powdered ginger, just in case some of you thought it meant raw ginger you would find in the produce department.

[Jordan!]

Salt+Pepper+Garlic powder is the best steak rub of all time. none of this fancy crap

[metallicat]

Whoops, meant steak. Sorry.

That sounds really good red, but I unfortunately only have about half of those ingredients. I'll keep it in mind for when I'm at the grocery store next.

[Kipper is King]

I made chocolate souffles last night! (Bernard Callebaut chocolate souffles, might I add!:D)


http://photos-d.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc1/hs267.snc1/9419_313589860227_786490227_9365224_2475901_n.jpg

http://photos-b.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc1/hs267.snc1/9419_313589885227_786490227_9365227_7882706_n.jpg

http://photos-g.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc1/hs247.snc1/9419_313589900227_786490227_9365229_624223_n.jpg

Here is the recipe I used. They turned out really well, but I found they needed a couple more minutes baking time than what the recipe says: http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Chocolate-Souffles-107102

[Biff]

Nice work! I have Souffle on my list of next things to try making.

[troutman]

City Palate (available free around town) always has great recipes from local chefs.

http://www.citypalate.ca/

http://www.citypalate.ca/index.php?p=Recipes

I made Tomato Tarte Tartin, and Kashmir Ribs recently. Yummy.

Tomato Tarte Tatin with Goat Cheese

Jul/Aug 2009
This savoury take on a classic apple tarte tatin is reminiscent of pizza, only it’s more refined. Slivered, it makes a great appetizer (tear fresh arugula overtop), or serve wedges of it with a side of peppery greens.

8 - 10 Roma tomatoes, halved lengthwise, or 2 baskets cherry or grape tomatoes
Olive or canola oil
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1 sheet frozen puff pastry, thawed
10 oz pkg. soft goat cheese or Boursin (plain, peppered or herbed)

In a large cast-iron or ovenproof skillet, arrange the tomatoes cut-side up and drizzle with oil; toss gently with your hands to coat them well, rearrange them in a single layer, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Preheat the oven to 400°F, then roast for an hour. Remove from the oven.

Roll the puff pastry out to approximately the same size as the tomato pan. Crumble the goat cheese over the roasted tomatoes and top the pan with the puff pastry, crimping the edges with your fingers in a “sloppy/rustic” style or trimming the corners off with a paring knife to make a circle.

Bake 20 minutes, until the puff pastry is golden. Let sit for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a serving dish; retrieve any goat cheese that has stuck to the bottom of the pan and put it back onto the tart. Cut into wedges to serve. Serves 4 to 6.

[wooohooo]

You guys are amazing. I made a pizza pop last night!

[yads]

When I was in Krakow I tried white borsch (sometimes they called it Zur or Zurek). It was the best soup I've ever had, bar none.

Here how it's made:
http://www.soupsong.com/rbarscz.html

Sounds rather disgusting from the ingredients, but damn it is good.
Interesting. The soup base they use sounds awfully similar to kvass (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kvass)
the unsweetened version of which is used in some cold soups in Russia.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kvass)

[yads]

Also in regards to Polcan. I went there recently and some of their meats were good, but their rouladen was terrible. There's a deli I go to called Old Fashioned Meat and Deli in the middle of the industrial park (http://maps.google.ca/maps?ie=UTF8&oe=utf-8&client=firefox-a&q=old+fashioned+meat+and+deli+calgary&fb=1&ei=Or5GScjxIpnEjQO8kuSsAw&cid=2729744225916209949&li=lmd&z=14) that I find much better.

[sadora]

Anyone have a good, simple steak marinade recipe? I don't have a ton of elaborate ingredients laying around my place, so the simpler the better.

Here's a few restaurant tips when it comes to marinating. First, if you plan to marinade any type of meat for a period longer than 6-8 hours DO NOT use any type of sodium product. Using salt/sodium in your marinade will have the affect of curing or drying out your meats. You should seriously only salt your meat right before you cook it. When it comes to pepper, use it at the end because pepper can easily burn and give your meat a bit of a bitter taste.

Since any type of meat is something better enjoyed when it's moist use marinades that promote that, and really the simpler the better. For chicken, you can simply use olive oil and any type of herb you like...maybe even add a bit of garlic to that. (btw, try olive oil and fresh tarragon...amazing together) For a steak, use oil and italian parsley or fresh thyme. Plain yogurt is another one of those things that's basic but also acts as a tenderizer (though I would only recommend you use this with chicken or pork...ie, butter chicken is simply chicken marinated in yogurt with some spices, with a spiced based tomato sauce added in the end)

With beef, my suggestion would be to be mindful of what you are buying. Buy a better quality beef, such as AA, AAA or Prime cut such as top sirloin and you wont need to marinade because there is enough marbling in the meat to give it great taste and moisture. All you want to do is enhance that aspect of the beef which you can do by using salt right before you cook it. Also with beef, concentrate more on your sauce if you want to get a bit more creative. You want something simple, use butter, shallots, fresh thyme, port wine, beef stock and a bit of butter at the end to thicken your sauce.

If you want to get a bit more adventourous, try a game meat. Moose for example is great if marinated with olive oil and fresh thyme over night. Cook it from rare to no more than medium rare (because there is not enough fat in the meat to keep it moist after that point) and for a sauce, use butter, shallots and port wine (reduce), beef broth (no sodium added) and reduce, dark chocolate, and finish with a little bit of butter to thicken. I know that for most the sound of using chocolate is weird but trust me, dark and somewhat bitter chocolate mixed with port or a pinot noir tastes delicious and helps to cut some of the gamey taste.

I know that I just threw a bunch of information there but if you have any questions, feel free to pm me.

[metallicat]

No that is excellent. Thanks for the info!

[missdpuck]

Anyone ever try making seitan?

[Methanolic]

I saw this in the Bay flyer last week. Lagostina 17 pc. cookware set.

I'm thinking of buying this as it's 70% off ($199 reg. $699)

just curious if anyone here at CP sees any glaring difficiencies in these pots.

http://www.lagostina.ca/html/productDetail.asp?idstore=&idpro=79&idcat=26&idsubcat=20

[BlackArcher101]

I saw this in the Bay flyer last week. Lagostina 17 pc. cookware set.

I'm thinking of buying this as it's 70% off ($199 reg. $699)

just curious if anyone here at CP sees any glaring difficiencies in these pots.

http://www.lagostina.ca/html/productDetail.asp?idstore=&idpro=79&idcat=26&idsubcat=20

No, that's a pretty good price for what you get there.

[Methanolic]

No, that's a pretty good price for what you get there.


Thanks,

I was concerned why so cheap? I'm just not to savvy when it comes to stainlees steel gauges, this one says it's 18/10.

As far as I know, Lagostina has a pretty good rep. So I guess I'll bite the bullet and get them.

Thanks again BA.

[Kipper is King]

^^^with a price like that, I'd say it's worth the gamble.

[onetwo_threefour]

I made a double rack of lamb with accordianed roasted baby yukon golds for my wife's birthday last night. The lamb was beautiful, marinaded with a lemon juice, olive oil, dijon mustard and fresh rosemary mix for a couple of hours, then scraped off the marinade and pan-seared the racks, stood them up in the pan and coated them with a patted on mizxture of the marinade plus toasted bread crumbs. Baked in the oven at 350 for 20 minutes. It was one of the nicest lamb dishes I've ever had.

(The potatoes went in about an hour before the lamb hit the oven (50 min before searing)

[Regulator75]

Has anyone made Crème brûlée at home? It's one of my favorite desserts when I'm out for dinner, is it easy to make?

[sadora]

Has anyone made Crème brûlée at home? It's one of my favorite desserts when I'm out for dinner, is it easy to make?

Here's a very basic recipe...and all you really need to make this work properly is a few ramekins and a blow torch.

Basic Mix (about 12 portions)

1/2 L whipping cream, 35 - 36%
6 egg yolks
3/4 cup of sugar

place the cream in pot and scold. (just beginning to boil, enough to form a skin)
in a mixing bowl, whisk the egg yolks and the sugar.
once the cream has scolded, temper the egg/sugar mixture...adding the cream a little bit at a time. If you add the hot cream to the egg too quickly you may scramble your eggs.
-----------------------------------------------

To bake, pour the mixture into ramekins and place ramekins into a half hotel pan or something large enough to hold all the ramekins. Pour enough water to cover ramekins about half way up. cover with tin foil and bake at about 325F, turning pan around every 15 minutes for about 45 minutes...or until brulees are fully set.

With this basic mixture you can get as creative as you want with the flavorings for your brulees. Just remember to always add your flavoring agent to the cream before scolding. Depending on what you use, you may need to strain the cream before tempering the eggs.
------------------------------------------------

Here's a few of my favorite flavorings for brulees.

Vanilla---cut three vanilla beans in half and add the pods to the cream, also add a touch of vanilla extract.

Espresso---ground espresso, vanilla beans, frangelico liqueur or kaluah. when adding these ingredients to the cream, add just enough to get a hint of each. you can also use decaf espresso to get rid of the extra kick in this one. (make sure to strain)

Orange and Gin---orange zest (add once cream has scolded) fresh orange juice, bombay gin

white chocolate---vanilla pods, white chocolate (approx. 125g)
place the chocolate in a mixing bowl and cook over a pot of warm water. once the cream has scolded, add the cream slowly into the chocolate before tempering the egg/sugar mixture.
------------------------------------------------

once your brulees are cooked, place in the fridge. once cool, add some caster sugar and torch until caramelized.

[sadora]

Has anyone made Crème brûlée at home? It's one of my favorite desserts when I'm out for dinner, is it easy to make?

Here's a very basic recipe...and all you really need to make this work properly is a few ramekins and a blow torch.

Basic Mix (about 12 portions)

1/2 L whipping cream, 35 - 36%
6 egg yolks
3/4 cup of sugar

place the cream in pot and scold. (just beginning to boil, enough to form a skin)
in a mixing bowl, whisk the egg yolks and the sugar.
once the cream has scolded, temper the egg/sugar mixture...adding the cream a little bit at a time. If you add the hot cream to the egg too quickly you may scramble your eggs.

To bake, pour the mixture into ramekins and place ramekins into a half hotel pan or something large enough to hold all the ramekins. Pour enough water to cover ramekins about half way up. cover with tin foil and bake at about 325F, turning pan around every 15 minutes for about 45 minutes...or until brulees are fully set.

With this basic mixture you can get as creative as you want with the flavorings for your brulees. Just remember to always add your flavoring agent to the cream before scolding. Depending on what you use, you may need to strain the cream before tempering the eggs.

Here's a few of my favorite flavorings for brulees.

Vanilla---cut three vanilla beans in half and add the pods to the cream, also add a touch of vanilla extract.

Espresso---ground espresso, vanilla beans, frangelico liqueur or kaluah. when adding these ingredients to the cream, add just enough to get a hint of each. you can also use decaf espresso to get rid of the extra kick in this one. (make sure to strain)

Orange and Gin---orange zest (add once cream has scolded) fresh orange juice, bombay gin

white chocolate---vanilla pods, white chocolate (approx. 125g)
place the chocolate in a mixing bowl and cook over a pot of warm water. once the cream has scolded, add the cream slowly into the chocolate before tempering the egg/sugar mixture.

[BlackArcher101]

OK... I think myself as a good cook, but for the life of me I can't seem to make chocolate mousse without royally messing it up. All I ask for is some nice fluffy creamy chocolate mousse that can be dipped with strawberries.

What's the proper technique?

[4X4]

OK... I think myself as a good cook, but for the life of me I can't seem to make chocolate mousse without royally messing it up. All I ask for is some nice fluffy creamy chocolate mousse that can be dipped with strawberries.

What's the proper technique?

You're destined to fail at making mousse just as I am destined to fail at making hash browns. Yes, hash browns. I'm pretty sure I'm the only person in the universe that fatas up hash browns, but I do it consistently. Making lasagna is a breeze, but putting shredded potatoes in a pan is a recipe for disaster in my kitchen.

[enthused]

You're destined to fail at making mousse just as I am destined to fail at making hash browns. Yes, hash browns. I'm pretty sure I'm the only person in the universe that fatas up hash browns, but I do it consistently. Making lasagna is a breeze, but putting shredded potatoes in a pan is a recipe for disaster in my kitchen.

I think that's your problem. Shredded hashbrowns are terrible.

[Komskies]

You're destined to fail at making mousse just as I am destined to fail at making hash browns. Yes, hash browns. I'm pretty sure I'm the only person in the universe that fatas up hash browns, but I do it consistently. Making lasagna is a breeze, but putting shredded potatoes in a pan is a recipe for disaster in my kitchen.

Make sure you use a high starch potato, like russets, when making hash browns. The #1 step here is to make sure the potatoes are very dry before you add them to the pan. If there is too much moisture the surface starch absorbs the moisture which prevents browning and he potato will absorb the oil giving you a greasy, unappetizing mess.

After you grate the potatoes, dry them fairly thoroughly with a tea towel or paper tower. You can now either form the potatoes into patties or make one big hash brown. Add some butter and oil to a hot pan (butter for flavor and oil to prevent the butter from burning), and add your potato. Season it with your favorite flavors (garlic powder, pepper, chili powder) and don't flip it until the first side is well browned. Flip it, brown the other side, and season with a small pinch of salt when you remove it from the pan. Enjoy!

[Pinner]

I think that's your problem. Shredded hashbrowns are terrible.

I would agree, cube up your potatoes and fry them in a hot pan with olive oil or bacon fat or what ever you have.

Don't overwork them, let them brown up, I like a sprinkle of Montreal steak spice on mine.

Now potato pancakes... hmm, I failed last try, I think they need to be shredded and then strained, or put in a clean tea towel and twisted till dry. ?

Any good Potatoe pancake recipes?

[Komskies]

I would agree, cube up your potatoes and fry them in a hot pan with olive oil or bacon fat or what ever you have.

Don't overwork them, let them brown up, I like a sprinkle of Montreal steak spice on mine.

Now potato pancakes... hmm, I failed last try, I think they need to be shredded and then strained, or put in a clean tea towel and twisted till dry. ?

Any good Potatoe pancake recipes?

It's almost as if I said how to make them 4 cm above your post..

[bomber317]

After you grate the potatoes, dry them fairly thoroughly with a tea towel or paper tower.

I read that using a salad spinner to dry them does the trick as well.

Going through Thomas Keller's Ad Hoc at home cookbook, and it was listed in there. There was something to do with Ice water as well, i'll have to go home tonight and check.

On another note, I made a very nice tomato sauce from his book. Using leeks/fennel/onions/garlic/tomatoes. Quite delicious.