Kitchen and Cooking Thread

[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]

Originally Posted by 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.

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]

Originally Posted by 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.

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]

Originally Posted by 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!

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]

Originally Posted by 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!

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/

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

and here is a recipe for red velvet cupcakes

http://www.elise.com/recipes/archive...e_frosting.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]

Originally Posted by 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.

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]

Originally Posted by oilers_fan

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]

Originally Posted by fotze

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.