The Food Thread

[Stuffs]

Pepperjack cheese, tomato sauce, potato chips, and some chocolate.
I really need to go shopping.

[Deleted]

I have peppers, bread, noodles, milk, cucumber, chips.
Need to go shopping

Oh and a mango.

EDIT: I'm british, so chips as in "fries"

[Kruen]

Not sure if it counts, but a quick meal I enjoy is to mash up an avocado, grate a similar amount of tasty cheese, and scoop out the same amount of sour cream. Mix it all together and eat it with Doritos as a dip. Delicious

[belfpala]

I have peppers, bread, noodles, milk, cucumber, chips.
Need to go shopping

Oh and a mango.

EDIT: I'm british, so chips as in "fries"

Well, noodles, milk, and peppers has you most of the way to an asian-style soup. But I'm doubting you have fish sauce or shrimp paste, so...

Do you have garlic, onions/shallots? Garlic powder and onion powder will also do the job. If your bread is healthy and fresh, just slice it and toast it a bit, then rub a clove of garlic over it a few times. If it's older bread, break it into crumbs, throw it in a pan with some minced garlic and shallots (or onions) until golden brown. Set aside. This is like a miracle substance for pretty much any soft food, from pasta to shrimp.

From there, pick any of your remaining ingredients and go for it. Reduce the milk with some herbs (say, Oregano or whatever herb blend you happen to have, parmesan cheese would be ++), toss with pasta, top with bread crumbs. Or just make a simple salad, cucumbers and the bread crumbs.

---------- Post added 2011-07-01 at 09:52 AM ----------

Really truly going go sleep now. Back later.

[Deleted]

Hello there. just got out from a chef education in sweden. and this is the recipe i usualy use to impress on people / have a freakishly good meal

Sousevide Chicken roasted spring primals

You need
1 chicken breast
1 can of good crushed tomatos
1 pack of good bacon
1 half onion
1-3 fresh potatos
1-3 fresh carriots
1 spizy pepper

Start with the tomato sauce. slice the onion really small. then fry the onion. slice the spizy pepper and then putt it togheter with the onions. slize the bacon really thinly and putt them in aswell and let them come togheter. pour the crushed tomatos in and let it cook for 30 mins roughly. salt and black pepper it.

The chicken. slize the chicken in the middle and then lay some tomato sauce in there and then roll carefully togheter, salt and black pepper the outside. plastic wrap it or if you have vacum bags. use them.

take a big pot. fill it with water and turn on a oven on about 60 celsius and putt the chicken in the pot and the pot in the oven. lett it be there for about 6 hours

spring primals. boil the potatoes and carriots for about 20 mins in salted water. then slize them on the diagonal and let them cool down. take the potatoes and carriot and fry them some so they get some colour.

take the chicken out of the oven and take of the plastic wrapping or vacum bag.
fry the chicken in a really hot pan so it got some slight colour.
slice the chicken in about 2-4 cm bits and serve with the potatoes and tomato sauce.

the chicken should be reeeaaalllyyy succelent and have lots of juice in it and the potatoes and carriots should be awsoumesauce. and the tomatoe sauce is awsoumesauce aswell.
White wine or a nice ale is awsoume with this

[Deleted]

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.

After moving to Italy I learned that just saying simply 'pizza' is of no use at all. There are literally dozens of different kinds of pizze. Plain (no toppings, just bread), Red (just tomato), high crust, low crust, etc., etc., etc. It really depends on what you want. And for pro pizza makers here.. they go to school for several months just trying to get the basics of it. Will share a pro lasagna recipe i picked up from my father-in-law.

4 people (or 3, if one of them is me..)

2 x cellery (stem, not root)
1 onion
1 clove of garlic
6-10 tomatos, depending on size (you want to end up with about quart of sauce here)
1/4 lbs of mortadella (probably available in a delicatessen)
1/4 lbs of pork rib meat.
1/4 lbs of ground meat - pork or veal, or a mix, if needed. Any will do. Don't get beef.
1 small package of shredded parmesan
Plenty of mozzerella (the white balls.. dont get the shredded psuedocheese)
Fresh pasta sheets.
salt
pepper
fresh basil
oil


Finely chop and fry rib meat, onions and celery, using oil in a pot.
Put aside when the onions have turned golden.
Clear tomatoes of squishy insides, chop and boil. Once liquid ad a bit of water, and small portion of white wine. Not alot. Just a tiny bit.

Add salt, pepper, basil and bring to a boil. Once it has settled and reduced into a nice thick sauce, add meat, onion and celery.

Boil for a couple of minutes, but no more.

Shred and add mortadella.

Get a big oven proof dish. Pour a bit of oil in the dish - you want it greased up, not overflowing. Add sauce and some small chuncks of mozz. Add pasta and top with sauce. Be sure not to add too much chease INSIDE the lasagna, as it can get weird on you, as mozz contains a lot of liquid.
Top the thing with thin slices of mozz and sprinkle with parmesan. Bake in the oven at 360 until it looks golden brown and tasty on top. Leave it to settle for half an hour.

Eat with crisp-fried bread, sprinkled with fresh extra virgin olive oil+salt and fresh pepper.

Tip: if you can make the sauce the previous day or several hours in advance, it will be even better.

Im so hungry

[Sumbunny]

I would <3 a good peanut sauce recipe, preferably one that doesn't need fish sauce. Tried one and it tasted too... peanut-y... so I went back to the bottled stuff. I've had sweet and spicy variations, I like them both.

[Kerath]

Ok, I'm no great shakes as a chef, but I can put a halfway decent meal together.
This is my slightly different take on an English favourite: Shepherds Pie.
If someone thinks they can improve on it, I'd be glad to hear suggestions. This dish is very popular with my friends and family. I won't put specific amounts because its one you can easily adapt to your own taste - more or less potato, more or less mince, seasoning etc. Besides, I never measure anything at home unless baking - taking a look and going "heh, looks like enough" works for me

You need for the mince:
Minced Lamb
Bisto Gravy Granules
Cornflour to thicken gravy
1 vegetable stock cube
Fresh Rosemary
English Mustard
Onion
A little salt and pepper
Carrots
Leeks
Mushrooms (if you're lazy and cba chopping loads of stuff, pre-chopped Soup veggies work ok)
Garlic

For the mashed potato topping
Potatoes (oddly enough) Desiree or Maris Pipers are the best spuds for mash.
Milk
Butter
1 egg
Mature cheddar (Red Leicester cheese also works well and makes the mashed potato a funky colour).

Get your spuds peeled and chopped and in a pan of water, it will take a while for the water to boil and cook them, so may as well crack on with the mince.

Mince in a pan, don't add any oil. Add your chopped onion, and crushed garlic and a little salt and pepper. however much you like, but 1 large onion is nice in about 500g of mince and go easy on the garlic, 1 or 2 cloves is plenty. Brown off the mince, tip off excess oil (HATE greasy mince). Add your chopped veggies and a bit of chopped rosemary.

I find it easier to make the gravy separately and add to the meat and veg once it's done, so:
Boil water in a separate pan. Add your stock cube, gravy granules, a good dollop of english mustard, cornflour to thicken as needed. Once you've got a nice thick gravy, add your rosemary, then you can chuck that in with your mince and veggies. Give it a good mix and allow to simmer whilst you attend to your potato.

Try a little potato to ensure it's cooked. Should be nice and soft and crumbly. Strain potatoes well.
Put in suitable bowl or pan for mashing (for pity's sake, don't try and mash in a non-stick pan!). Add a little butter and milk, 1 raw egg (trust me, I ALWAYS add an egg to mash, makes it smooth and binds it together into a great texture). Mash well then add your cheddar cheese or red leicester (grated or chopped well) Hold a little cheese back to sprinkle on top. Mash some more until the cheese has melted into the mash and is evenly distributed.

You'll then want a suitable casserole dish - lightly grease with a tiny bit of butter, your mince goes on the bottom and then spread the mash potato evenly over the top. Sprinkle the last of your grated cheese over that. Put in an oven at about 200 degrees C for about 45 mins (or until it's nice and crispy golden brown on top.

Stuff yourself silly and enjoy

[backseattaxi]

I really want a recipe for a healthy, delicious omlette preferably without cheese.. also how do I stop mine from turning a bit brown? It bugs me. I know the milk trick for making an omlette more "fluffy". And in your opinion, when is the best time to add the veggies to the omlette?

[Deleted]

2-3 eggs. 1 cl of water. some veggies. like 2-3 broccolis. putt it all togheter. have a medium hot pan put a little olive oil in. fry untill it is allmost done and then take it off and lett serve. the heat that he omelette have picked up from the pan should make it done when you are ready to chug in to it

[lukz]

Simple but easy, for chile heads only though:

Mix 1:1 ratios of
-Chipotle Powder (smokey goodness)
-Habanero Powder (provides citrus like flavor and HEAT
-japones powder (simple heat)
-onion powder
-garlic powder
-Cumin and coriander (same 1:1 ratio) (use premade or take whole seeds, toast for 5 min or so at 300F then grind to a powder)
-salt.

Then add this to:

POPCORN (AMG AMAZING FLAMING POPCORN)
Potato Chips (pour some in a bag and shake it up)
Tortilla Chips (see potato chips instructions)
ANY CHIPS (see above).
On top of Nachos, in a quesidalla, on fries, onion rings, pasta with olive oil, etc, etc, etc (rinse and repeat with any dish or snack deserving heat and flavor.

[Deleted]

Any1 has a recipe for cake?

[lukz]

I really want a recipe for a healthy, delicious omlette preferably without cheese.. also how do I stop mine from turning a bit brown? It bugs me. I know the milk trick for making an omlette more "fluffy". And in your opinion, when is the best time to add the veggies to the omlette?

When using "tough" veggies, like broccoli, bell peppers, even squash, just steam or cook them a bit before making the omlette, then add, it takes a lot longer to cook veggies than the eggs, unless you like a crunch!

[Zarasthura]

Are you versed in Caribbean food? Of so, what are your favorite foods/recipes?

Also, I don't know about anyone else, but my fav things to put in an omelette are bacon, green peppers, red onions, broccoli, beef bits and tabasco sauce, with a drizzle of syrup because for some reason syrup is good with eggs to me.

[lukz]

Quote: Well, noodles, milk, and peppers has you most of the way to an asian-style soup. But I'm doubting you have fish sauce or shrimp paste, so...

OK, not that I was doubting, but now I see you can cook! I lived with two guys from Thailand for a few years in college, their mom came out every summer and I learned to make every basic Thai Curry dish (from soups to curries to noodle dishes) from her. It took a while to be allowed in "her" kitchen when visiting, but I soon brought good Sake, wine, and beer every time and shared with her. Soon, she would actually speak to me in english and describe her families techniques. It took several visits and many recreation attempts, but I can say I finally got it! I go through a bottle of fish sauce and tube of shrimp paste every couple weeks now, and on a side note, was astonished to find my parents have a Kaffir lime tree here in CA to use for garnish!


Edit, and if you want a food challenge, I always use these 4 ingredients as the ultimate challenge! (cavaet, I believe this is an insolvable cooking combo):

Peanut Butter... Pepperoncini.... French Brie..... and canned tuna....

[belfpala]

I lived with two guys from Thailand for a few years in college...

Edit, and if you want a food challenge, I always use these 4 ingredients as the ultimate challenge! (cavaet, I believe this is an insolvable cooking combo):

Peanut Butter... Pepperoncini.... French Brie..... and canned tuna....

Sorry for the delay in responding. I worked from 9 am to midnight today.

Thai is probably my favorite cuisine, as it's among the most balanced flavor profiles in the world (perfect mix of sweet, sour, savory, salty, spicy). I spent 3 months traveling around Thailand and other parts of SE Asia once. Amazing experience, I always have fish sauce, shrimp paste, kaffir leaves, lemongrass, galangal, palm sugar, and bird chilies in my refrigerator or pantry.

As for your food challenge... that is just straight up cruel. It's like Chopped threw up on your pantry. I'm going to assume I have what I can typically get in an American supermarket (overly sweet peanut butter, pickled pepperoncini, brie of dubious authenticity and quality, and stringy bits of tuna packed in very salty water), and I'll also assume I can use other ingredients that are reasonably common.

Thinking out loud... Tuna and brie... possible tuna melt sandwich? Peanut butter and brie... workable, as the brie is mild enough. Tuna and peanut butter... my 5 year old niece might enjoy that. But... Brie and pepperoncini. That sounds like a start. It would make a good appetizer on some small toasted slices of bread (rubbed with fresh garlic a couple times maybe), sprinkled with a few chopped nuts. Getting somewhere... that's close to a complete dish, just hit it with a wine and fruit reduction and some chopped parsley. But no tuna or peanut butter anywhere.

Still thinking... Tuna and pepperoncini would work. Just mince the peppers and mix with the tuna. Brie? Back to the tuna melt sandwich idea, but this time the tuna would have a little zing. But wtf peanut butter...

Peanut butter is killing me here. Maybe Asian style peanut sauce... or... peanut butter goes well with fruit (as does brie)... I can probably use that.

Final solution...

Tuna and pepperoncini cakes, served with crostini, a spicy peanut sauce, warmed brie, and an apple and berry reduction.

edit: I can provide an approximation for how each of those elements should be made, if anyone wants.

[warhead0]

I regret not taking up a chef's apprenticeship.
An amazing job where you can go all over the world, taste all sorts of foods.

I can imagine it would be a VERY rewarding job if you have the balls to stick out the hard work.

I am only 21 yrs old its not too late, but im just a lazy stoner lol.

[beanburrito]

I'm a vegetarian and eat beans every single night. Thing is, all I can ever think of making is beans and rice or bean burgers, and it's getting pretty boring. Can you suggest some other tasty ideas I could do with beans? I use mainly kidney beans if it helps. Thanks!

[belfpala]

I'm a vegetarian and eat beans every single night. Thing is, all I can ever think of making is beans and rice or bean burgers, and it's getting pretty boring. Can you suggest some other tasty ideas I could do with beans? I use mainly kidney beans if it helps. Thanks!

I love beans!

How about bean soup? Most recipes you'll encounter will include ham, but obviously that won't work for a vegetarian. Most recipes you can find also work with vegetable stock, which I'm sure you know is readily available at any grocery store or easy to make for yourself.

Have you tried mashing beans? Assuming you use dried beans, rehydrate them in salted water; also throw in a few slices of tomato or a small amount of vinegar. The salt and acidity help to soften the skins. Cook them as the package instructs. If you have a lot of time, it should be easy to remove the skins at this point. Or just leave them on and give them a few pulses in the food processor. Voila, bean paste. Depending what you want to do, or what it's going to be served with, you can throw seasonings in with the beans in the food processor (garlic, onions, herbs, spices). Use it as a side dish, or a spread for bread, or a filling for tacos or burritos (lard-free tortillas, obviously).

How about branching out from kidney beans to try chickpeas? Yum, felafel and hummus (my mashed beans thing above is essentially how you make hummus).

[Snakez]

I have sugar.... and pasta.... and milk....

yep