The Food Thread

[belfpala]

Thanks for the recipes, everyone. I'm still working atm, so I'll get back to this later for the people who asked questions.

[jakeic]

Anyone willing to relocate to be my sous chef?

to where and what kind of pay?

[belfpala]

to where and what kind of pay?

I was kidding, sorry. I have two awesome sous chefs. The only thing I don't let them do is go to the farmer's market, which I think is what I was whining about (lack of sleep, get up early, go shopping).

[mynameisjona]

This thread makes me hungry. Loving the recipes!

[belfpala]

This might be rather unconstructive, but i'm going to Canada in 3 weeks or so and i'll be doing helluvalot of BBQ'ing, could you suggest anything interesting to barbecue? it's most likely gonna be on a gas grill and not charcoal :/ Done various things like Swordfish, trout, steaks and such, but any specific cuts/preperations you can suggest?

Ever tried turning a gas grill into a smoker? Soak a couple handfulls of wood chips for about 30 minutes (hickory or whatever), then make a couple pouches out of tin foil, fill with the wood chips, poke some holes in the top, and toss them directly on the burners. On the side of the grill that doesn't have the burners running, put a disposable pie tin or metal bowl filled with water (on the inactive burners, below the grate). Cook your meat of choice on the side with the water. Great for pork (yum, ribs), fish, and chicken. Cooking times will vary greatly depending on the meat, of course.

Or something more straight up (literally)... ever had beer can chicken? Get a whole broiler/fryer chicken (should weigh about 3.5 pounds). Rub it inside and out with a spice rub of your choice, including lifting the skin off the breast side and rubbing under the skin. Then take a can of beer, open it, drink about half and stick it up the chicken's rear end. Now the chicken will stand straight up with the legs and can acting as kind of a tripod. Put it on a disposable pie tin or something similar to catch the drippings, fire one burner on the grill up to high, and put the chicken over the non-burning side of the grill. Cook 60-90 minutes with the cover down, rotating a few times, until internal temperature is 160 F. Let rest 10-15 minutes, carve up and serve. Use the drippings to make some amazing gravy if you want.

Edit: Just a note, when working with raw poultry, make sure you stay sanitary. Don't use the same cutting board or utensils for other things until they're washed, and wash your hands obsessively.

Edit again: Brining the chicken before doing the above is also a good idea. About 1 teaspoon kosher salt per cup of water, enough to cover the chicken, brine for 1-2 hours. Rince it off and pat it dry before applying spice rub (and don't add more salt with the rub... make your own). Keep it in a cooler, refrigerator, or add ice cubes (and then more if they fully melt) for the duration.

---------- Post added 2011-07-03 at 05:41 AM ----------

I usually make a (very) simple chicken with curry when I'm tired and cba anything that takes any effort. Do you have any suggestions for stuff I could add to this for variety?

This is how its made:

Frying pan > a little oil > wait until hot > .5 teaspoons of curry/person > chicken > wait about 5 minutes > add 2 dl water/person > add some salt > add some pepper > add 1 (or 2) grated apples > add appropriate amount of chicken broth > add .2-.5 dl cream/person (add cornstarch mixed with water for a thicker sauce) and just wait until the rice is ready.

Great thread btw.. I'm very hungry now

Remind this stupid American (or maybe I'll google it)... a dl is 100 ml, right? I actually think in ml for most measurements (as reflected in my OP) but dl is something I don't have a "feel" for.

I assume you're from the UK and are used to the UK version of Indian food (which is actually far more diverse than you can possibly imagine). Your recipe has many (but not all) of the flavors you'd expect in the UK version of Indian food, but I think your techniques could be refined a bit. But, as you said this is for a cba dinner so I won't go all crazy about it.

I can't pretend to be a master of Indian cuisine. I spent about 2 weeks there several years ago and I never made it south of Agra. That said, there's a curry recipe posted earlier on this page (after your post) that looks pretty damn good.

But if you want a Thai curry recipe... I have several.

---------- Post added 2011-07-03 at 06:37 AM ----------

I have bell peppers, chicken breasts, green onions, a regular onion, lots of spices, chedder cheese, american cheese, a little bit of butterkase cheese, pineapple juce, coca cola, orange juice, some udon noodles, and carrots, also chunky peanut butter, teriyaki sauce, a few liquers, smooth peanut butter, and lots of sauces, spices and extracts. I expect a 4 course meal for this ingrediant list!

I forgot to add bread and ritz crackers.

Four courses, eh?

I'm going to be excessively liberal in my interpretation of "spices and extracts" to create a soup course.

There will obviously be a cheese course (like cheese much?). I'd prefer a salad course, but you said nothing about greens.

Chicken breasts are the only protein I see on your list, so that'll be the entree (how boring!)

You didn't give me much to work with for a dessert course, but I think it can be done...

first course - Japanese soup

By "spices and extracts" you obviously meant kombu and katsuobushi (ahem, I meant kelp and bonito tuna flakes). Find them at your local asian market or order online. You'll also need miso paste (yummy), mirin (or sake plus sugar; dry sherry plus sugar is fine too), and tamari (low sodium soy sauce is fine too). Sesame oil is a plus.

Pot. No heat. 2.5 quarts water (roughly 2.5 liters). Soak 3 pieces of kombu for 30 minutes. Turn on medium-high heat. Just before it simmers (bubbles start to form along the sides), remove the kombu. DO NOT LET IT BOIL. Reduce heat to low or medium-low. Add the katsuobushi (about 2 loose cups, not compressed). DO NOT LET IT BOIL. Keep it at a simmer or just below for about 10 minutes. Watch the tuna dance. Strain through fine mesh into a large bowl (or use cheesecloth, coffee filters, or whatever.. just get all the kelp and tuna debris out of it). What you now have in the bowl is called dashi stock. It's amazing. It will change your life for the better. It's going to form the base of the soup (getting there), but can also be used as a poaching liquid for pretty much anything that likes to be poached.

1 bunch of green onions. Cut off the root, slice up the white parts, place those in a small bowl, reserve the green parts.
Ginger. A couple knuckles worth. Peel, grate, combine with white parts of green onion.
Garlic. 2-3 medium cloves. Remove skin, grate into bowl with the other stuff.

Back to the pot. It's empty now. But it would be very happy if you put it on medium-high heat and added a couple teaspoons of (preferably) sesame oil. Any other cooking oil is fine too. The pot would then enjoy it if you add the contents of that small bowl, with the white parts of the green onions, garlic, and ginger. Cook that for 60-90 seconds, until the garlic and ginger aroma is strong, then add the dashi stock. Let that come to just about a simmer and reduce the heat to low or medium-low. DO NOT LET IT BOIL.

Meanwhile, cook the Udon noodles in another pot.

Add in veggies of choice to the dashi stock, in order of how long they take to cook. Veggies should be cut small or julienned. When the veggies are nearly done, add in about 1/2 cup miso and 1-2 tablespoons mirin. Taste after a minute or two; if it needs more salt, add a few dashes of tamari (or low sodium soy sauce).

When veggies are cooked, put a pile of Udon noodles in a bowl, ladle in the soup, and garnish with sliced pieces of the reserved green onions.

Ok, I wore myself out with the first course. I'll get back to the other three soon.

[Stuffs]

I have a question, is it really uncommon to like Pesto with jalapeno burgers?
I always get odd looks over that

[Omnoms]

Thanks a lot, will give the beer can chicken and the smoking a shot, favourited this thread, i'll most likely post results when i'm over and
maybe add a couple of pics of the meal, and i for sure will be back with more questions or suggestions :P

[backseattaxi]

If any of you are trying to clean up your diet and want an interesting recipe...


Healthy Mushroom Pizza



Not my original idea - got it off from bodyrock.tv from the lovely Zuzanna. Can read the recipe by clicking here.

Tips from my learning experience with this recipe:
- Try to find portobello mushrooms' that are "deep" since it holds the mixture better.
- I really had no experience with leeks ... now I know that you need to make sure you wash the leek REALLY well unless you want bits of sand in your mushroom pizza. I had about 2 bites with some in it - lol, bleh.
- Chop up the leeks into small-ish slices... (can tell in the picture my slices are a bit big, haha)

Modifications:
I added 1 chopped up jalapeno pepper to the mixture, used 1 less tomato, used mozerella cheese in place of parmiganio reggiano (didn't have the time to go searching all over for that), used dried basil over fresh for convcience, used 1 tablespoon of olive oil in the pan instead of 2.

Overall though really yummy, healthy (maybe minus the cheese) and FILLING. Can really play around with this recipe too and add whatever veggies and spices you want.

Approx calories per mushroom (for my recipe)
~ 145

Calories can be greatly influenced by the amount of cheese you use! Mushroom can also range from 22 calories - 40 depending. But nbd. Enjoyy.

[Disenchanted]

Backseat, that looks amazing. I'm going to try that out this week.

Oh, and parmiganio reggiano isn't hard to find at all (every grocery store in the US should carry it). It will be a hard block cheese, usually sold in wedges. Just don't buy the pre-grated stuff.

My variation will be using red pepper flakes in place of your jalapenos. But only a touch.

[backseattaxi]

I live in Canada P: but thank you for the tip! I will remember to look for that next time (:
I hope you like ittt

[belfpala]

That portobello "pizza" looks great. I've done probably 20 different variations on portobello, but I've never done that. Thanks for the great idea

Oh, and parmiganio reggiano isn't hard to find at all (every grocery store in the US should carry it). It will be a hard block cheese, usually sold in wedges. Just don't buy the pre-grated stuff.

Real parmigiano-reggiano (that is, imported from cheese makers in Parma and nearby regions of Italy) should be available in most good supermarkets and specialty cheese shops. It is, however, quite expensive. It's worth it in recipes that will feature it, though, as it has a more complex and nuanced flavor (earthy, nutty, salty... yum). Domestic versions from Wisconsin or elsewhere are fine in recipes where the cheese is hidden in other ingredients. As said, buy whole wedges and grate yourself. Pre-grated is a big no-no for any kind of cheese.

Edit: Also, save the rind. It's great for making soups (just simmer it along with everything else, especially good in tomato-based soups or sauces).

[Maluko]

I've been having troubles making fondue au fromage, im using gruyere and emental (75/25) but i cant get the creamy but still dippy texture, tried using some starch but didnt go so well, any tip?

[belfpala]

I've been having troubles making fondue au fromage, im using gruyere and emental (75/25) but i cant get the creamy but still dippy texture, tried using some starch but didnt go so well, any tip?

Ahhh, that brings back memories. Climbed a mountain in Switzerland and when I came back down, there was a place with the best cheese fondu ever. I've only made it a few times myself, but I can try help...

First, you need high quality cheese. If you're working with cheap brand or pre-grated stuff, it's not going to work well.

A 75/25 mixture of gruyere and emental is probably fine, but the few times I've made it I used 50/50. Gruyere melts up pretty stringy (making it great in grilled cheese sandwiches...) so that might account for your lack of creamy/dippy texture.

Additional ingredients...
* dry white wine, about a cup per pound of cheese mixture
* a small squeeze of lemon juice or a dash of white wine vinegar
* a splash of kirsch (cherry brandy)
* a couple pinches of powdered mustard (might be able to use prepared mustard, and omit the lemon/vinegar)

Simmer the wine and lemon/vinegar. Add in the cheese gradually as you stir constantly (adding it too fast can make it clumpy). Once all the cheese is melted, add the kirsch and mustard and then serve.

(Unfortunately I don't know the recipe from that place in Switzerland, but I've never been able to match it).

[Disenchanted]

Real parmigiano-reggiano (that is, imported from cheese makers in Parma and nearby regions of Italy) should be available in most good supermarkets and specialty cheese shops. It is, however, quite expensive. It's worth it in recipes that will feature it, though, as it has a more complex and nuanced flavor (earthy, nutty, salty... yum). Domestic versions from Wisconsin or elsewhere are fine in recipes where the cheese is hidden in other ingredients. As said, buy whole wedges and grate yourself. Pre-grated is a big no-no for any kind of cheese.

Edit: Also, save the rind. It's great for making soups (just simmer it along with everything else, especially good in tomato-based soups or sauces).

I must be lucky. I never have a problem finding the imported stuff. The price doesn't bother me because it's worth it. Of course, I have fudged and bought domestic a time or 3 if I planned on using a bunch (like for my meatballs).

Good tip on the rind. I forgot about that. I like to drop mine in my "Sunday gravy." Alas, I don't always have a rind.

[belfpala]

I must be lucky. I never have a problem finding the imported stuff. The price doesn't bother me because it's worth it. Of course, I have fudged and bought domestic a time or 3 if I planned on using a bunch (like for my meatballs).

Good tip on the rind. I forgot about that. I like to drop mine in my "Sunday gravy." Alas, I don't always have a rind.

Mind sharing your meatball recipe? I love meatballs.

[Butler to Baby Sloths]

White wine in the fondue.


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

Chicken Korma (light coloured creamy sauce with crushed almonds)

This one is really simple (so long as you don't let it burn it is very hard to mess this one up)

Tbs = tablespoon
tbs = teaspoon

500g boned Chicken Breasts, into thumb sized pieces
2 onions
2 cloves of garlic
3-4 cm of fresh root ginger
A pinch of saffron strands (optional because it can be effing expensive)
80-100g ground almonds
150 ml double cream
Natural yoghurt

Preparation time: 10 mins + 90 mins of marinading
Cooking time: approx. 90 minutes

Slice one of the onions finely
Chop the chicken breasts into bitesize pieces
crush one of the garlic cloves and put it in a mixing bowl with half the ginger (chopped small) and about 5 Tbs of natural yoghurt.
Add the chicken and the saffron (along with the yellow water from the saffron) to the mixing bowl, coat the chicken in the mixture and leave for 60-90 mins to marinate.

Slice the other onion and the rest of the ginger.
Fry the onion until it starts to go brown and soft, add the remaining ginger and crushed garlic clove. Fry until the garlic no longer smells raw (it should start to smell a little sweet)
Add the chicken from the mixing bowl and fry it until it starts to brown (hold back the yoghurt because you will end up boiling the chicken)
Add the remaining mixture from the bowl and simmer for about 60 minutes. If (or rather when) the curry starts to get dry, add a Tbs of yoghurt. Salt and Pepper to taste. The yoghurt will start to separate - this isn't bad. The curry will look off-yellow and not too appetising, this is normal.
Mix the almonds and the cream together and pour them into the curry. Mix really well. Now you need to really pay attention because the almonds REALLY like to stick to the pan and the cream will curdle (i.e. turn into cheese) if allowed to boil. The curry will now be a creamy whitish colour (a bit like this forum's colour theme).
Let it simmer (IT MUST NOT BOIL) for a further 20-25 minutes.

Serve with basmati rice.

---------- Post added 2011-07-04 at 11:55 PM ----------

Snack time:

Cheese on toast.

50/50 English Cheddar (12-18 months ripened, very strong tasting and crumbles) and Double Gloucester (mild and melts really well).

Toast the bread
Grate the cheese and mix well
Butter the toast, put the cheese on the toast with some salt and black pepper
Toast it under the grill for a couple of minutes

Eat immediately.



Sausage and beans on toast

fry chipolatas or any decent pork sausages.
cut them up and add them to heated baked beans.
pour over buttered toast with lashings of HP sauce.

---------- Post added 2011-07-04 at 11:59 PM ----------

You can make spicy scrambled eggs really quickly.

Fry sliced onion until very soft and starting to caramelise.
add some chilli and ground coriander. a little crushed garlic and finely chopped ginger root are also very good.
when the garlic no longer smells raw, add egg, scramble them.

serve immediately with toast.

[Disenchanted]

Mind sharing your meatball recipe? I love meatballs.

All amounts (other than meat) are estimates. I don't really measure.

1 pound ground beef
1 pound ground veal
1/2 pound ground pork

4 cloves minced garlic (you can use less. I love garlic. I actually use 8 cloves sometimes. )

1-2 diced onions (depends on the size of the onion. 1 large, or 2 small)

1-2 eggs

1/2 to 1 cup grated Parmigiano or Peco Romano cheese (not pre-grated. Cannot emphasize that enough. Buy fresh and grate yourself)

1-2 cups bread crumbs (I usually cheat and just use store bought seasoned breadcrumbs)

Chopped Italian parsley leaves. I'm not sure the amount. About a handful or 2.

Oregano, thyme, salt and pepper (I just eyeball it. Better to under-season than over-season, so don't go too hog wild. Maybe a tablespoon oregano, and a teaspoon of the rest? Fresh herbs are best if you can get them)

Drizzle some extra-virgin olive oil into a pan, add garlic and sweat it for about a minute. Add onion and sautee until the onion is soft and translucent. Remove from heat.

In a large mixing bowl, add meat, cooked garlic and onion (including any oil left in the pan), parsley, cheese and seasonings. Mix with your (clean) hands. Add half your breadcrumbs and an egg, mix again. Depending on consistency, add more crumbs or another egg. Form into small balls (maybe slightly larger than a golf ball).

Brown the meatballs in olive oil until browned on all sides. Add them to your spaghetti sauce and simmer a few hours (one will suffice, but a traditional Sunday gravy simmers all day long).

Now, some people prefer their meatballs to be crisp on the outside. If that's the case, re-fry them after simmering. I prefer mine moist and tender so I don't bother.

[belfpala]

All amounts (other than meat) are estimates. I don't really measure.

Good, measuring is only for baking

The first chef I worked for would never give me amounts. I'd ask "How much vinegar in this?" His response: "I don't know, just enough to make it taste good."

Thanks for the recipe, I've never tried putting cheese in my meatballs.

[Disenchanted]

Good, measuring is only for baking

The first chef I worked for would never give me amounts. I'd ask "How much vinegar in this?" His response: "I don't know, just enough to make it taste good."

Thanks for the recipe, I've never tried putting cheese in my meatballs.

You're welcome. I should add that I only make meatballs when making Sunday gravy (spaghetti sauce cooked all day for the uninitiated). So I also have at a minimum hot Italian sausage simmering with them, sometimes I'll also have braciola simmering too. I'm sure those spices and seasonings from the other meats are all working together. (I fail at making braciola though, so I only have it if someone else makes them for me. Mine always fall apart)

[drwelfare]

Dr. Welfare's loser feast. Catch this stuff on sale or with coupons eat 2-3 times for $4-5 or less. This is actually really quick and good

1lb chicken, or 1 pack of already cooked chicken meat.
1 box pasta
1 package Philadelphia cooking cream, (Italian Herb)
Garlic based on your preference
1-2 tbsp butter

Cook chicken and pasta. Cut chicken into pieces based on your liking.
Put butter and garlic in pan, heat for about 1 min, add cooking cream and chicken, still around for about 2 mins, dump in pasta, stir around for 4-5 mins, done.
Add pepper or chili oil to spice it up.
If you cook the pasta in the microwave you can serve in the same dish you cook it in.
Only use one pan to cook chicken and then mix everything in. Simple cleanup