Thread: The Food Thread

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  1. #1

    The Food Thread

    This is a multi-purpose thread:

    1. Tell me the ingredients you have available, and I can probably help you do something interesting.
    2. Share your own culinary creations. Everyone can learn things, even me.
    3. Request recipes. If you have an ingredient you don't know how to use, or something you'd like to try, just ask.
    4. What I'm most interested in seeing, if anyone is willing to share, is "secret" family special recipes from any cuisine.

    I know MMOC has members from many different countries. Thus, I will just state upfront:

    1 teaspoon = 5 ml
    3 teaspoon = 15 ml = 1 Tablespoon
    4 Tablespoon = 60 ml = 1/4 Cup
    1 Cup = 240 ml
    2 Cup = 480 ml = 1 Pint
    4 Cup = 1 Quart = 960 ml = just short of 1 liter

    I don't think any other volumetric measurements are typically used.

    Americans, for whatever reason, don't measure things by weight so don't ask about those conversions. Only matters for baking bread or pastries anyway, and I don't do that. If you have a recipe that uses weight measurements, go ahead and post it. I'm just not familiar with weight conversions.

    EDIT: Again, MMOC has members from many different countries. Not all of us use the same systems of measurement. I don't expect anyone posting a recipe to list the measurements in multiple systems, but at least specify units for the numbers you do give. For example, if a European specifies cooking chicken at 150 for 45 minutes, you might very well kill an American with salmonella. Please say 150 C. Likewise, if an American specifies cooking chicken at 300 degrees for 45 minutes, a European will first wonder how the oven can get that hot, and then probably burn the chicken. Please say 300 F. (These are the same temperature, btw, within 2 degrees).

    Google will quickly translate temperatures and other measurements. Just type in something like "150 C to F"

    Index so far: (Up to page 12)

    *Note, I can't vouch for every recipe here. Just compiling what I and others have posted. Links are all to posts in this thread.

    Me:
    Refreshing Greek Tzatziki sauce
    Best hamburgers
    Miracle Bread Crumbs
    My Attempt at Lukz's Crazy Chopped Challenge
    Simple is Best Pasta
    Pork Chops with Quick Pickled Veggies
    Beer Can Chicken
    Soba Noodle Soup
    Cheese Fondue
    Fish Tacos
    Had a Bad Day Fried Chicken (takes all night, makes you look forward to tomorrow)
    Diffucult but Delicious Thai Curry
    Something Wet--Sangria
    Basic Chili con Carne
    My Favorite Soup

    Willeonge:
    Family's Christmas Breakfast ...mmm, bacon

    Pallydan:
    Pizza in a toaster oven!

    Xelios:
    Epic Summer Treat

    Kruen:
    Simple but Delicious Avocado Dip

    Psylon:
    Stuffed Sous Vide Chicken Breast

    Manbeartruck:
    Family Secret Lasagna

    Kerath:
    Shepherd's Pie

    Lukz:
    Spicy Seasoning Mix for Popcorn or Anything

    StayTuned:
    Overnight Ćevapčići

    Butler Log:
    My Madras Curry
    Simple Chicken Korma
    Snack Time Cheese on Toast
    Snack Time Beans on Toast
    Spicy Scrambled Eggs

    Backseattaxi:
    Pizza Stuffed Portobellos
    Spaghetti Squash

    Disenchanted:
    Family Special Meatballs
    Sunday Gravy (aka tomato ragù for pasta)
    Chicken Fajitas

    Drwelfare:
    Tasty Chicken on a Budget

    Splenda:
    Flourless Chocolate Chip Cookies
    Decadent S'more Bars

    Nehran:
    Budget Sweet and Sour Chicken

    Jivebunny:
    Danish koldskål

    Tangster:
    Mango Salsa!

    Cupstuntid:
    Crazy Meatloaf

    Powerogue:
    Crazy Gooey Dessert Thing

    Electrik
    Argentinian Steak Sauce
    Last edited by belfpala; 2011-08-29 at 06:10 PM.

  2. #2
    I am very interested in the outcome of this thread.

  3. #3
    Quote Originally Posted by Theronus View Post
    I am very interested in the outcome of this thread.
    Hey, me too. Any questions?

  4. #4
    Deleted
    Quote Originally Posted by belfpala View Post
    Americans, for whatever reason, don't measure things by weight so don't ask about those conversions. Only matters for baking bread or pastries anyway, and I don't do that. If you have a recipe that uses weight measurements, go ahead and post it. I'm just not familiar with weight conversions.
    There is no general formula for that. 1 tabblespoon of oil is a different weight than 1 tablespoon of flour or breadcrums.

  5. #5
    Quote Originally Posted by Ioannes View Post
    There is no general formula for that. 1 tabblespoon of oil is a different weight than 1 tablespoon of flour or breadcrums.
    Oh I know, but 1 tablespoon of flour weighs differently from another 1 tablespoon of flour, depending how the flour has settled and how you pack that tablespoon. Weight measurements are always best, especially with baking.

  6. #6
    Deleted
    I have 1 lil question for you.
    Whats the best way to bake a pizza dough at home :? (ingredients/cooking time)

  7. #7
    Quote Originally Posted by Aterons View Post
    I have 1 lil question for you.
    Whats the best way to bake a pizza dough at home :? (ingredients/cooking time)
    I have no clue, to be honest. I've never been able to replicate true Italian or NYC style pizza at home. The problem is, my oven only goes to 500 and they use wood/coal ovens that go to 900 or more.

    One thing I haven't tried is doing it on the grill. I know I can get my charcoal grill over 700 degrees, and that might be just enough. The dough is nothing special... cup of flour, active yeast, some water, salt. Let it rest 30-60 minutes, stretch it into pizza shape. Thin coat of tomato sauce, cheese, other toppings. shouldn't need to cook more than 2 minutes if you have a proper wood/coal pizza oven. If you don't (and I don't), you're going to end up with a dry product.

    Edit: Those temperatures are in Farenheit. Wouldn't want any non-Americans to melt their grills...

    Edit again: If you really want to try doing pizza at home, try this site... http://slice.seriouseats.com , they know far more about Pizza than I do. I love great pizza, and I'd count myself a pizza snob, but it's not something I've explored really.
    Last edited by belfpala; 2011-07-01 at 06:32 AM.

  8. #8
    Titan Kalyyn's Avatar
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    What are some things I can put on a hamburger that people normally don't put on a hamburger? I've tried things such as spicy queso, cooking butter into the buns, tartar sauce, and even peanut butter once. However, I feel like thats all a bit tame and I'm sure theres crazier, better stuff out there.

    Also, what would go on your ultimate hamburger and how would you cook it?

  9. #9
    Quote Originally Posted by Kalyyn View Post
    What are some things I can put on a hamburger that people normally don't put on a hamburger? I've tried things such as spicy queso, cooking butter into the buns, tartar sauce, and even peanut butter once. However, I feel like thats all a bit tame and I'm sure theres crazier, better stuff out there.

    Also, what would go on your ultimate hamburger and how would you cook it?
    Potato chips.

    No, really. Potato chips.

    All the things you mentioned could be great, but it depends on what else is going on with the burger. To me, a burger should be formed gently, grilled to medium-rare, and then... cheddar? Yeah, cheddar, jalapenos, and a toasted bun. Or maybe swiss? Swiss! plus some sauteed mushrooms and, again, a toasted bun. Toasted bun.

    Ok, the only constant is a toasted bun. Best way to do this is to brush the burger-side part of the bun with either butter (my choice) or the cooking oil of your choice, then laying it on the grill or a dry skillet for 1-2 minutes until golden brown inside.

    There are plenty of crazy things to do with a burger. However, I would avoid all that. Instead, make your own ground beef. Equal parts chuck and sirloin cut into small cubes, pulse several times in your food processor. Handle as gently as possible as you form it into patties. Salt and pepper just before it goes on the heat. Nothing more. Best burgers you'll ever have.

    Top with anything. I'm partial to fully melted cheddar, jalapenos, and avacado. But whatever floats your boat, burgers are like pizza, there's no such thing as an incorrect choice of toppings.

    ---------- Post added 2011-07-01 at 07:31 AM ----------

    Ok, going to sleep.

    Before I go... a healthy salad dressing, dip, or sauce:

    Tzatziki:
    Per cup of low-fat Greek yogurt:
    2/3 English cucumber, prepared as described below
    1 clove garlic, minced
    1 tablespoon lemon juice
    1/2 teaspoon fresh dill OR fresh oregano, chopped (your preference).
    Kosher salt

    Cucumbers: peel and halve, remove seeds using spoon. Grate and salt, allow to drain in mesh strainer for at least 30 minutes. Transfer to paper towels and squeeze gently to remove more water.

    Combine all ingredients in air-tight container and refrigerate at least 2 hours, preferably overnight.

    Serve with fresh vegetables (raw cucumber, onion, tomatoes, olives, and feta cheese + this sauce = amazing salad), seasoned fish, seafood, chicken, pork, lamb; or use as a marinade with additional seasonings (red pepper flakes, or whatever you want.... Yogurt has amazing tenderizing properties).
    Last edited by belfpala; 2011-07-01 at 07:26 AM.

  10. #10
    Bloodsail Admiral DownButStillOut's Avatar
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    Heh, my dads half of the family is mainly composed of people who know how to cook XD.
    OK ILL START WITH THIS. I have alot of spices, veggies, fruits, and raw meat. I like all of these things. GO!
    And I hate stuff that takes a long time to cook.

    My only successful creations...
    Mountain Dew + Iced Tea + A mild energy drink, Microwave a few seconds, then add ice. (or just mix and drink)
    Epic Sauce
    Ketchup + Salsa + crushed Scallions + Bacon Bits
    Last edited by DownButStillOut; 2011-07-01 at 07:45 AM.
    BeeeeeeeoooooOOOOoooooooooooooooOOOO-FFFSSSHHHHHHHHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMMMMMM!!!
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    I regret somethings! (like setting this in my signature)

  11. #11
    Pandaren Monk Willeonge's Avatar
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    Heres one of my family recipes that we tend to have only for Christmas morning breakfasts:

    Super Breakfast Dish! (this recipe card says for 2 people, but multiply ingredients by half the people served)

    3 slices of bread (I like sourdough), buttered and cubed
    1cup milk
    2 eggs
    salt and pepper to taste
    1/2cup grated sharp cheddar
    6 slices of bacon (you can sub in ham or sausage here if you prefer, and I prefer it with sausage)
    -precook whatever meat you are using here

    Grease a shallow baking dish. But 1 layer of bread cubes and sprinkled thickly with cheese. Next, sprinkle the bacon(or w/e else) over the cheese. Cover with another layer of bread cubes. Beat eggs with milk and add the salt and pepper. Pour over the bread and let it stand in the refridgerator over night. Add milk the next day if it looks too dry. Bake at 350 degrees farenheit for an hour.

  12. #12
    Quote Originally Posted by DownButStillOut View Post
    Heh, my dads half of the family is mainly composed of people who know how to cook XD.
    OK ILL START WITH THIS. I have alot of spices, veggies, fruits, and raw meat. I like all of these things. GO!
    And I hate stuff that takes a long time to cook.
    LoL.

    I suggest doing something with the spices and the meat so that the meat is marinaded and/or brined, then cook it and the veggies until they're done!

    ---------- Post added 2011-07-01 at 07:48 AM ----------

    Quote Originally Posted by Willeonge View Post
    Super Breakfast Dish
    I saw bacon, cheese, and eggs all in the same recipe and couldn't figure out how it could possibly go wrong... win!

  13. #13
    Bloodsail Admiral DownButStillOut's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by belfpala View Post
    LoL.

    I suggest doing something with the spices and the meat so that the meat is marinaded and/or brined, then cook it and the veggies until they're done!
    Given that I can accumilate enough motivation to do something tommorow I accept this challenge!
    And in a few weeks I'm sadly being dragged over to a family reunion and will return with adequate cooking skills (Yeah theyre paying for airplane tickets)
    BeeeeeeeoooooOOOOoooooooooooooooOOOO-FFFSSSHHHHHHHHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMMMMMM!!!
    My attempt at being less of a pessimist was choosing Dawnbringer as my choice of server.
    I regret somethings! (like setting this in my signature)

  14. #14
    Quote Originally Posted by DownButStillOut View Post
    Given that I can accumilate enough motivation to do something tommorow I accept this challenge!
    And in a few weeks I'm sadly being dragged over to a family reunion and will return with adequate cooking skills (Yeah theyre paying for airplane tickets)
    Hah. I can give better pointers if I know which meat you're using, preferably down to the specific cut.

  15. #15
    Herald of the Titans Mechazod's Avatar
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    I once made something that tasted like grass. I think the ingredients i used were:

    -2 Eggs
    -fistful of sugar
    -some grapes
    -salt
    -peanut butter
    -ass-load of Captain Crunch
    -cup of milk

    five minuets in the microwave

  16. #16
    Quote Originally Posted by belfpala View Post
    I have no clue, to be honest. I've never been able to replicate true Italian or NYC style pizza at home. The problem is, my oven only goes to 500 and they use wood/coal ovens that go to 900 or more.

    One thing I haven't tried is doing it on the grill. I know I can get my charcoal grill over 700 degrees, and that might be just enough. The dough is nothing special... cup of flour, active yeast, some water, salt. Let it rest 30-60 minutes, stretch it into pizza shape. Thin coat of tomato sauce, cheese, other toppings. shouldn't need to cook more than 2 minutes if you have a proper wood/coal pizza oven. If you don't (and I don't), you're going to end up with a dry product.

    Edit: Those temperatures are in Farenheit. Wouldn't want any non-Americans to melt their grills...

    Edit again: If you really want to try doing pizza at home, try this site... http://slice.seriouseats.com , they know far more about Pizza than I do. I love great pizza, and I'd count myself a pizza snob, but it's not something I've explored really.
    Due to a recent move to another country, I only have a small toaster over - but I've made pizza in it.

    I bake the pizza in 2 steps.

    First, at the highest temperature setting, on a baking pan/tinfoil.

    Next, once the pizza bread has reasonably baked/solidified, use a spatula to remove off the pan/foil, and place on the metal grill - bake at a slightly lower temperature, periodically checking the underside of the pizza - until it is nicely toasted, lightly browned.

    If using a pizza stone - you must preheat the stone for a decent amount of time. Stone requires you to periodically check on the pizza and turn it with a spatula, which also aerates the underside of the pizza. The pizzerias in New York City (where I was born and raised) use this technique.

    It is very important NOT to let the underside of the pizza get moist at any point, or the crust/bread will have a shitty texture.

    With the 2-step pan/foil + grill method, it's very important to both grease the pan/foil amply with olive oil, so that you can remove the semi-baked pizza off of it, or else you're ruin the pizza ripping chunks off while trying to remove it. Also when flattening the dough, use oil instead of flour. From my experience, flour doesn't work well enough to prevent the cooked bread from adhering to the surface it is being cooked on.

  17. #17
    Quote Originally Posted by Mechazod View Post
    I once made something that tasted like grass. I think the ingredients i used were:
    You made me chuckle. It was a flat out chortle, really. That's one of my new favorite words... chortle.

    ---------- Post added 2011-07-01 at 08:19 AM ----------

    Quote Originally Posted by pallydan View Post
    Due to a recent move to another country, I only have a small toaster over - but I've made pizza in it.

    I bake the pizza in 2 steps...

    [snip]
    Interesting to know. At what point do you put the sauce and other toppings on the pizza? Do you cook the sauce beforehand, or does the toaster oven take care of it?

    If you're from NY like you said, how does your version compare? I really detest pizza that doesn't satisfy the NYC test... which is... you can hold it vertical without anything falling off, you can fold it in half length-wise without the crust breaking, the sauce isn't too sweet or too acidic (hello Roma tomatoes), and the crust is crispy on the bottom but still doughy at the top. I'm really picky.

  18. #18
    Deleted

    Cool Sumemr Baskin' Goodness!

    This is an epic summer treat for when you are basking in the hot summer:

    You need:
    Macarones
    Strawberries
    Unwhipped Cream/Milk


    How To:

    1. Boil macarones and let 'em cool, or don't, depending on personal preference.
    2. Mash the Strawberries, getting the nommy juice, but don't liquify them. Just mash them.
    3. Add hot/cooled macarones in a bowl, add mashed strawberries and add the none-whipped cream.
    4. Grab a spoon, go outside, pull up a chair and sit in the warm sun and go OMNOMNOM!
    5. ???
    6. Profit!

    I personally enjoy this dish the most when you take the mac' newly boiled. The cream will cool it off somewhat either way. If you are concerned about your weight, add the ever dependable milk instead!

  19. #19
    Quote Originally Posted by Xelios View Post
    This is an epic summer treat for when you are basking in the hot summer:
    Need moar like this... I'm dying in the summer heat and humidity here. (The Tzatziki I posted above is also really good as a summer coolant).

  20. #20
    Quote Originally Posted by belfpala View Post
    You made me chuckle. It was a flat out chortle, really. That's one of my new favorite words... chortle.

    ---------- Post added 2011-07-01 at 08:19 AM ----------



    Interesting to know. At what point do you put the sauce and other toppings on the pizza? Do you cook the sauce beforehand, or does the toaster oven take care of it?

    If you're from NY like you said, how does your version compare? I really detest pizza that doesn't satisfy the NYC test... which is... you can hold it vertical without anything falling off, you can fold it in half length-wise without the crust breaking, the sauce isn't too sweet or too acidic (hello Roma tomatoes), and the crust is crispy on the bottom but still doughy at the top. I'm really picky.
    As far as sauce goes, I just use regular spaghetti tomato sauce - but can go with thinly sliced fresh tomatoes, basil, and mozz. Most places just use canned tomato sauce. Pizza is pretty versatile, just about anything can go on top as long as it's not too moist or heavy.

    Sauce doesn't need to be pre-cooked, but I'm pretty sure that marinara from scratch requires water reduction of the minced tomatoes. Also the tomatoes have to be blanched and peeled - imo this is just way too much time spent on sauce, which is why I just go with the pre-made stuff.

    The bread is really tricky. Getting that perfect texture of chewy and crunchy at the same time, etc - the toaster method will never compare to a real professional pizza oven. I'm definitely no pro at pizza-making, but I can say for sure, just leaving the pizza in the oven without moving it periodically will end up with a soggy and disgusting pizza, that will most likely be glued to the baking surface. Putting it on the grill after the pizza has 'puffed' up (and yeast all dead) ensures that the underside gets well cooked.

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