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trailrunnerbiker

Kitchen at work...post what you are cooking !

trailrunner
12 years ago

DH made his home made corn chips and salsa and I made white chicken chili...Denver Pale Ale is for all those in CO and places north and east that are snow bound tonight. I sure wish we were all having a get together but this will have to do. To top it off Auburn is beating Ole Miss ...WAR EAGLE !!


Comments (150)

  • trailrunner
    Original Author
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    hey rhome: hmmm...that is some response from a server...I am not sure either what she meant. Given the choices that is what i would have gotten also. The veggie medley in most restaurants like Appleby's and Chili's and the rest of the better chains is always raw tasting and awful. I never get it. I wouldn't have gotten a Ceasar salad with the creamy dressing and the salmon but since they are served separately that is not really a flavor issue...more the richness factor , but that is just me. I always get baked potato no matter what since the rice pilaf is also usually bad. So I guess I have no idea what that server was talking about. Just let it go !!

    thank you will...sounds like a yummy quick dinner. Yes what looks like "fresh" shrimp here has just been thawed by the store...unless it says "fresh never frozen". We get pretty good quality frozen.

    law: you do what I do !! I look in the fridge and cook backwards ..this is what I have so this is what I am going to make. Usually turns out great !! Your stone soup sounds yummy too.

    I do that when I am making quick breads. I have my sourdough starters that are wild yeast. I take out a bunch when I have too much and let it start to get warm and a little active...don't feed it but just let it do whatever it is going to do . Then I look for leftover stuff in the fridge...applesauce, and bananas, almond paste...apples...pears...yogurt, buttermilk. I work from that. If I have pumpkin puree and nuts and dried fruit I use that too. Depending on the "soft" stuff I choose the spices. The starter subs for some of the flour/liquid in my formula and the soft stuff is the stuff that equals the pureed bananas that you would use in banana bread. it always comes out so good. Great way to clean out the fridge on a Friday before shopping on Saturday. I usually make 6 loaves and sometimes I make some of it into muffins. All goes in the freezer and we are set for a while. c

  • houseful
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Trailrunner, we make those sesame cookies! They are a family favorite!

    Here is what I made Sunday...

  • bonesoda
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    @cloud_swift: Nods, sounds good you have got me in mood for some soup - will buy some squash or pumpkin this weekend.

    @trailrunner: Baking powder already has cream of tartar in it and i would not put too much in, depending on how much flour he is using e.g i would not go over 1tsp per 3 cups of flour. Also depending if he is using plain flour or bread flour, some bread flours also use cream of tartar in it. It is high in potassium and some might consider it to be not good but if you are using 1/2 tsp per 1 cup of flour its not so bad... everything in moderation. I think he would have to try adding it but not go overboard... i would start with 1tsp per 3 cups of flour and go down or slighly up from it.

    @rhome10: I wouldn't worry about it, here in toronto that is quite the norm as everyone is anti-starch so most of time people have meal with non-starch sides. There is no set rule that you have to have rice with salmon.

    In fact one dish i developed had purreed leek n purple yams and some bok choi (baby) with the salmon encrusted with curry n almonds. This dish did not have option of "sides" but as you can see no rice.

    Rule of thumb for me is if it tastes good its good.

    Some of the weird things i have done that some people love is salted fruits (esp black grapes). Started chilli chocolate chip cookies & sea salt choco chip cookies a decade ago, not everones cup of tea but i find them fantastic.

    I never really order fries if i go out unless i know they are good :) - Baked potatoe good sea salt encrusted potatoe that is done right is one of my favs. I probably would have picked something similar to what you ordered at that restaurant.

    @willtv: I just asked because the way rice were sitting they looked like Fragrant Jasmine Asian rice (my fav rice as it has a bite to it and has more body than basmati).

    @lawjedi: I would call it Seasonal Veggie & Bean soup (non vegetarian) - if it was on a menu. :)

  • mabeldingeldine_gw
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Trunner, I would also love the recipe for the sesame cookies. Boston's North End is too far to travel to regularly for tasty Italian treats.

    Cloud, you've inspired me to make some squash soup this weekend! Tis the season, and I'm planning a squash taste-off so I'll have lots of squash to use.

    And houseful, you forgot the directions so I missed the dinner, when will you be making stuffed artichokes again? One of my favorites....

    We had Trader Joe's frozen veggie gyoza last night with stir fried garden veggies after reorganizing our freezer. Our pig arrives soon, and we just learned that DH **won** a fundraising raffle of a quarter of grass-fed beef that will be ready Saturday. I might have to borrow a friend's small freezer for the winter!

  • rhome410
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Thanks for the feedback... I was just curious, as I'd never had my meal choices seemingly 'graded' before. I think this place sees themselves as serving higher end fare...but the atmosphere was something like a dr's office waiting room! Anyway... back on-topic.

    Jmith, I am totally intrigued by chili choc chip cookies! I love chocolate with chilies in it, and we add cayenne pepper to almost everything, but hadn't thought about cookies!

  • trailrunner
    Original Author
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Oh those artichokes ! We used to eat them all the time in New Orleans. It is a staple down there. My MIL used to make them all the time with a seafood filling...fresh seafood right from the Gulf. This was in the 70's. Artichokes were 4/$1 LOL. Not that anymore.

    J. I was thinking that you were doing the complete substitution of baking powder. Making it by using the cream of tartar with baking soda...the formula is on the web. I wouldn't try to just add some to the baking powder..would leave it out all together. DH is a chemist as well as cook so this is right up his alley , thanks for the suggestion and we will keep you posted.

    Here is the current iteration of the Regina Biscotti cookie:

    4 c Unbleached King Arthur AP flour

    1 Tbsp + 1 tsp baking powder ( may substitute 1 T only of ammonium carbonate ...you must keep it sealed up very tightly. You also have to grind it with a spice grinder as it is hard and chunky)

    1 c Crisco ( I KNOW we never ever use this stuff but if you want the cookies to be like the Italian deli ones you have to use shortening not butter ..they taste bad with butter )

    1 tsp vanilla
    1 c sugar
    3 eggs

    2 c roasted sesame seeds ( we use unhulled so they must be preroasted or they will never have the proper sesame taste. if you use hulled then they will brown enough when you make the cookies. Roast the unhulled for 20min/350. If they roast too long they will be bitter.

    Oven preheat at 350 F. Bake cookies 20 min. cool and and bake again same temp for 10 min.

    Cream sugar and Crisco. Sift measured flour and salt and leavening. Add beaten eggs and vanilla to creamed mix. Add sifted mixture and mix thoroughly like you would regular cookie dough.

    Chill 30 min. Shape 3 oz at a time into 15 " long narrow logs . Cut this into exactly 6 cookies. Each cookie will weigh 1/2 oz.

    Keep dough chilled while you work with each 3 oz piece. It takes practice but gets easier. The dough may want to crumble a little but just press it together. Don't add more liquid.

    Dip each cookie into water and then the toasted sesame seeds. Work quickly. Place on parchment and bake/cool/bake. Do not eat till they are cool...LOL. They taste better each day that goes by. We store in freezer. This makes 56 cookies-60 cookies. c

  • bonesoda
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    @rhome410: You have to realise you don't go to restaurants to impress the waitresses or the cooks/chef. Its you who they should be trying to impress and win over.
    That place may have the clientelle who seem to believe they are the "in crowd" so whatever they order/do must be the scripture.

    We have places like that here not too much effort in the kitchen mostly on who fills up the dinning room.

    Cayenne in choco chip cookies is fantastic. I use about 1/8 (1/16 if extra hot cayenne) tsp for a batch of 12-18 cookies you can try and adjust it according to your tasteas some people like it hot. I find semi sweet chocolate marrys better than milk chocolate with cayenne. You will have to try and report back.

    @trailrunner: I am not sure if you can substitue baking powder and use tartar, baking powder has rising agents also which i am sure you need for the cookies. I would use baking powder and suppliment with tartar.

    Good point on crisco its one of hte big secrets all around in the baking world i hear. Lots of dry baked goods work better with lard than butter.

    When i make my pie crust i still use lard.

  • trailrunner
    Original Author
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    j: yes I love good lard. I get leaf fat from my son's butcher and render it myself. I use the iron skillet that my grandmother used. Always is so pure. It was nice when the stores sold good quality lard but the junk in the boxes is terrible now.

    Noting like lard crust. My grandmother also always said " a good cookie greases its own sheet " , I remember her telling me that when I see parchment on my own baking sheets LOL. Things change.

    Will probably not fool with the cookie recipe DH says...he is pretty happy with everything but the seeds. Hard to get the right kind here. We have to go to the Oriental grocery in Atlanta and they have the perfect ones. Need some more. We use a lot of them.

  • trailrunner
    Original Author
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Pizza !! We have been doing them on Wednesday night but life and the new grand baby's birth intervened. So we did it tonight. I use Surround 550 with my stone preheated for 30 minutes after oven reaches temp. it is stored in the oven so it starts heating as the oven preheats. I have it on an upper shelf to take advantage of the broiler/heat from the top of the Miele ovens. I have found it really makes a difference. The crusts get really blistered on the bottoms, and we like them that way.

    You will note that DH's pizza is stretched better than mine :) We prebake as we like the way the crust is much crispier . We also always pre cook toppings since the pizzas cook so quickly there is no way the vegs would get done. OK here is a slide show. I have a secret sauce and if you ask I will tell you :) c

    Here is a link that might be useful: pizza slide show

  • rhome410
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I never worried about impressing the server, was just curious what I'd done that was so 'interesting,' and thought maybe there was some obvious foodie faux paus. I enjoyed my choices and that's all I actually worried about. I go to a restaurant like that about... never... so I just wanted to make sure I took the best advantage of the opportunity, and that meant liking what I ordered. I am unlikely to ever see that woman again.

    Also, I am truly interested to learn more about what makes good and 'bad' combinations...so thought of this as a possible educational opportunity. I watch shows like Hell's Kitchen and Master Chef, and the 'experts' rave or complain about such things. But I'm into making sure I have the nutrition bases covered, and having it taste good to me and the family. I'm sure I'd never pass muster on those shows, and wouldn't want to try. But if there is a 'better' that means just some tweaking and fun experimentation, I'd like to try to strive for it.

  • trailrunner
    Original Author
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Still have NO idea what she was referring to. I think this is one for the trash bucket !! I love restaurants like DS1's where it is all planned by him and plated and I eat what I am given. I know that they have thought it out and they are sure of what they want you to taste. My fave way to eat out. I learn a lot when this happens.

    When they give YOU a choice, as they did rhome, then there is no right or wrong. Can't be since they didn't have the choices made for you. Only in fine dining , at least in my experience, are there no choices...you eat what you are served and there are no substitutions at all ever. I love it but it isn't to everyone's liking LOL. I have had some doozy complaints when I worked for DS1.

    Anyway ...let it go...she was ignorant .c

  • bonesoda
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    @trailrunner: Good pizzas! Funny enough i made pizza for lunch myself laughs. You got the trick re: preheating the stone. I see you used parchment paper... I am not sure if your dough is a "wet" dough or not but if its "mobile" you should try tossing it right on the stone. If not try it on a pizza tray for 1/2 the time and then slide it right on the stone for the rest of the time.

    @rhome410: Hell's Kitchen and other shows like that (I havn't seen the american version of it nor master chef) are just showing a lot of theory and dos and donts. Food pairing and wine pairing and matching flavours that compliment each other... this is truely one of those skills you either have or don't have. They are very important for cooks as this is how they make their money and if their "creations" are not fresh, tasty and balanced no one is going to spend the money.

    Then there is another side to the coin where you just take what tastes good and pair it up and just do it... a lot of popular foods all over the world are considered abomonations in the cooks world but hey it works.

    So my rant is basically saying what trailrunner kinda already said that if the choice is there then they did not really pair anything together but leaving it upto you to decide and if you don't like it then its your own fault... so no right or wrong.

    I mean some simple things matter, if you are going to serve shortribs oyou are not going to make the sauce base out of chicken or fish stock...

    I recommend for all cooks to just try what they like and learn from mistakes. If you need inspiration we have lots of resources tv, internet & restaurants. When i first started to cook (very young age) i made a lot of mistakes those mistakes have heavily influenced my skill set.

    It's odd though at home i never make "fancy dishes" even dishes i develop i never make them at home... i almost always do classics and do simple foods... i put effort into execution and i think that is the most important thing any cook should do. Good ingredients and proper/precise execution.

    Things that will aid you in the execution would be proper seasoning and tricks on how, when and how much to season. Also taste everything... once you are familiar with flavours on their own, its like a colour palette and you combine them to make a painting, in the same way can create various dishes.

    Don't be afraid of the unknown!!!

    P.S Don't mind me i am just rambling after a late night.

  • trailrunner
    Original Author
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    j: you are right on. My son and dil never make fancy things at home. Instead he will make really simple homey foods like meatballs and they taste exquisite...he adds some little thing and you see him frown a second and add something else...he raises the bar but it is the precise execution of the simple.

    Jaques Pepin was interviewed recently on NPR about his new book. He was telling about having his students do 4 simple things, at his school. A hamburger, a hot dog, a grilled cheese and I think toast. Anyway the point was , because the students were horrified to be asked to something so simple, if you can't do the very simple and do it so everyone talks about it " I have NEVER had a hamburger as good as that one" , then you can't do a complicated dish either.

    It was a great interview. I told my son about it and he agreed completely. He has worked with some really really "famous" folks while has was at Blackberry Farms in TN. Most of them had long since forgotten how to do the simple. He was stunned at the relative incompetence of these guys and how they had lost touch with the concept of flavor combinations etc..they were trying TOO hard to make something wildly different and complicated and impressive.

    Please post more pics everyone !! c

  • plllog
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Nothing fancy here. I took a picture of it for you, anyway, but I can't find my card reader which is always right here. It wasn't much to look at anyway. A red-brown pile on a brown pile on a yellow pile with beige, orange and blackish dots, on a yellow dish with a green border. It probably looks a lot better than you're imagining, but it tastes a whole lot better than that.

    I had bought ground lamb to make lamb couscous. That's where each ingredient is cooked separately with its own flavors and spices, then combined and cooked together with the couscous. It's killer. With the change in the weather, I've been waking up sleepy. Plus, it demands thought and measurement.

    Instead, I made something delicious, but just thrown together. I also made the daikon salad, but that was to put in the fridge. It's a pickle, so would be okay with couscous, but it has to settle first. I did chop up some of the orange bell pepper I decorated the daikon with for the couscous, however. The dressing on the daikon is rice wine, toasted black sesame seeds, sugar, ground ginger, salt, pepper, a drop of Japanese sesame oil and a large drop of pomegranate molasses, since I had it out. In theory one should use a lot more sugar than I did, but I didn't want it as sweet as traditionally it is.

    The couscous (whole wheat) came out of a box. I like boxed couscous. I hate making couscous from scratch. It hurts my hands. The stuff in the box is as good as dried at home. Fresh might be a tad nicer, but after putting all kinds of stuff in, I can't tell the difference. So I made that lean, with just a drop of olive oil, plus seasoning and cardamom, then stirred in almond slivers, currants and chopped orange bell pepper.

    In a shallow pan, first I sauteed a couple of small pomegrantes' worth of seeds, then added rough sliced mushrooms and onions and some wine, and let that all cook down. In another pan, I browned the lamb and seasoned it with salt and pepper, cardamom, dried basil, dried marjoram, fenugreek, and cinnamon. When it was done, I added a good dollop, but not a lot, of pomegranate molassas.

    Then just made beds of the couscous, piled on the lamb, and then the onion mixture. Served with green salad. Lots of pots, but really easy dinner.

  • trailrunner
    Original Author
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I have a big pack of ground lamb in the freezer, a gift, and I have been wondering what interesting thing I could make. Here you have provided the perfect dish. We love everything that you listed and I have it all but the pom seeds. Did you get fresh and clean them to get the seeds ?

    I have never "made" couscous. Always use the dried. I have had the fresh at Imperial Fez in Atlanta and it is good but can't tell the difference as you say by the time you add everything. Thanks for providing a great recipe !!

    Now make sure and take pics next time :) I love your "colorful" description...red pile, yellow dots HA HA ~ C

  • aliris19
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I thought the couscous *was* the box? ;)

    whoopsey.

    So it's essentially little tiny dried dumplings then? I'm embarrassed to say I just never wondered how you make that stuff.

    I think I just automatically "went" to a place of annoyance with family and shared houses where their purchases get left behind and invariably include boxed couscous blends with "recipes". It sort of baffles me and there are these periodic conversations about extraneous packaging and cost and processing... the sort of thing one should just bite ones' tongue about. But anyway, I think I zoomed to that scenario without checking where I "was", if you follow -- sorry!

    That lamb looks so so so so good.

    You'll be happy to know I made PIE yesterday - not fruit pie but veggie-mix pot pie. Pie dough seems to be one of the slipped skills my years of kitchenlessness have rendered. I don't really know what the problem was and I don't care too deeply, but man was that material hard to roll out! I ended up coating it with milk and smashing pieces of it together and stuffing it in the oven quickly so I wouldn't have to look at the dismaying mess any longer. It actually held together to my astonishment, and everyone seemed to eat it with gusto except me. I was too grossed out by the process! A sad incarnation of PIE I'm afraid. I'm sure yours was far better.

    How can one forget how to make pie crust?? So weird.

  • aliris19
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    So cold here, such need for fall fare (I know it's southern california, but with no heat, well-insulated house and 40-degree nights, it's really chilly inside this house).

    I just loved tonight's effort in this regard: leftover potatoes topped with baby broccoli and shredded cheese and yogurt, plus onions and mushrooms in a beurre blanc reduction of wine and cider vinegar and savory - yumm-mee. Plus cranberry topping made with tons of cinnamon and a whole mandarin and a wee teensy bit of raw sugar.

    I felt warm eating it but I'm back to freezing!

    I've been dismayed by the slippage of my culinary skills, but it's meals like this that shed a little hope on the matter. I didn't realize that one could get rusty in the kitchen after a couple years, though I suppose it stands to reason. Still, I thought cooking was like falling off a bicycle (an unfortunate metaphor in my case; I'm still recovering from a serious such accident!). or something.

    Anyway, no pictures because I was way too hungry (and late) to stop for some. Plus, it wasn't all that pretty as food-pics go. But tasty. (As well it probably slays a hundred foodie rules and bad combinations but it was what I wanted separately and if maybe they weren't the most beauteous of pairings, all that explosion of different tastes just worked well for me anyway. Or again, maybe I was just hungry. Those mushrooms were so good).

    pllllog - couscous from scratch doesn't really come easier. I might be missing something but all I do is just pour the dried stuff in a coverable bowl (aka french soup crock) and pour boiling water on it and cover it. 5 min later you fluff it and it's couscous. It's possible boiling an egg is easier, but that might be just about it (and probably not true as you should pierce the shell which I never manage). Come to think of it drat it - why didn't I think to make some tonight? That would have worked *great* with the mushrooms.

  • plllog
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Uh oh! I don't have a name for the dinner I threw together and C. is calling it a recipe? It's very tasty, but maybe your large amount of gift lamb is worth the real thing? Cubed lamb is more authentic, but I like the way ground blends with the couscous. It's not fresh in my mind, but when I make it, I cook down the lamb in red wine with cardamom and cinnamon (salt and pepper), the mushrooms in butter and port, the onions (chopped) in chicken stock and herbs, unsulphured apricots (chopped) with spices (your choice but fenugreek would be good against the sweet and tart) and lemon juice or champagne vinegar, pistachios toasted with paprika, charred red peppers, etc., etc., depending on what you have around (e.g., broccoli bits with saffron, I haven't tried it but I think peas might be good with sumac). The trick is to think of all the flavors you like to have together, and separate them so that each ingredient is yummy. Keep the couscous plain with just a little oil to lend richness and keep it from sticking. Stir all the non-meat into the couscous and add a very little moisture, not enough to wash the spices off the different bits (stock, white wine, orange juice or whatever goes with all the different flavors you have), bring to heat and let them marry a little until the not much liquid is gone--don't stir too much--heat the lamb and stir it in. A lot more work but wonderful.

    There's probably a YouTube video, but the way you make couscous is by rubbing the moistened flour between the heels of your hands until it makes little lumps that look like couscous. Set out in pans, as close to single layer as it'll get to dry. I'm sure they have a machine that makes the boxed kind. This is the kind of labor saving that machines were meant for. I know snobs who say it's no good. I'm not buying it. :)

    So I found the card reader where it had slid down a crack. Here are some pictures for you:

    Tonight's easy dinner:

    Last month's rustic edged (folded rather than fluted) fresh apple pie (no pre-bake cooking):

    Sweet Italian turkey sausage with broccoli and homemade red sauce brushed, grilled (dry) toasted multi-grain rolls (i.e., amazingly delicious, no-guilt sandwiches):

  • plllog
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Aliris, ROTFLHMS!!!! That's the boxed stuff. I'm talking about making the stuff that's in the box! Couscous is a pasta. Someone has to make it.

  • trailrunner
    Original Author
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    plllog great pics and tips for the sides with the couscous. I don't have a couscoussiere ! I am linking a great food blog and she explains the cooking of the "real " kind LOL. A lot of work .

    aliris I make a buttermilk crust that is wonderfully easy and tastes great. You do similar things as the biscuits above ...very cold butter grated over your flour into a very cold bowl. Toss together with pinch of salt and then add just enough buttermilk to hold together . not tooooo much and toss and then press into disk and wrap and refrigerate to let the flour absorb the milk. 1 hr should be enough. Voila when you take it back out of the fridge it is easy to roll. I will be glad to add proportions if you want.

    It sure is hard to keep up cooking skills during a long remodel. Do you not have heat in your home ???? That would be so difficult ...you need lots of hot stew !!

    You mentioned a bike wreck...are you OK ? I know how painful that can be. I had a bad one at the end of my last trip...actually 2 in the last 3 days of the trip :( I was a sore sore gal and my right elbow took 3 weeks to heal. Please be careful . c

    Here is a link that might be useful: cooking couscous

  • plllog
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I tried to find a video, but only found ones where they were making bigger couscous in large bowls. That looks easier, but the bigger couscous is an entirely different texture.

  • plllog
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Yes!!! That blog is exactly it! Though it makes it sound much easier and more worthwhile than it is in reality. I realized after I posted above that I'd left out the steaming, but that's the easy part. You really don't need a couscoussiere. BTW, some people use dough to make the seal, like with a pot chicken.

    Aliris, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have laughed so hard. I just figured you hadn't read closely and thought I was complaining about the difficulty of hydrating the boxed stuff and you'd think it was funny too. And, yes, it's teeny tiny nano-dumplings, though usually referred to as a pasta, probably because it is commonly dried and stored.

    I'm sorry your PIE was so sad! The pie above is made with RHome410's recipe, more or less. If you're looking for something foolproof and dead easy, try it. I'm going to have to try Trailrunner's buttermilk recipe. The acid must do something interesting. I have a Moroccan stew that went wrong in the freezer (I followed the recipe against my better judgement) and it should make great PIE. Maybe I'll add some pumpkin to cut the sweetness. Worry not about forgetting! It was because I hadn't in so long, and was so not in the mood to look in books, that I went straight to Rhome's recipe because I knew it was there. I hadn't used the FP for pie before and it was so easy I ended up making double the number I'd planned.

  • bonesoda
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Hiya! This somehow is one of my favourite threads on the internet right now... (laughs) no one here knows anyone and we are sharing our foods/recipes. I espeically do not share my recipes so this was a first on this thread.

    I am going to kickstart this again.

    @p111log: Where in states are you located i don't see a lot of places in states into couscous or even morocon unless there are the usual "Blue" states.

    I wonder if any of you have cooked the morocon stewed lamb shank? One of my good friend's restaraunt has this on the menu and its a must for all lamb lovers.

    @rhome: I just stumbled on that link p111og posted, I would have never guessed your age i just assumed everyone here was from late 20s-30s. Its fantastic how you say you are reinventing and learning/delving into new intrests.

    Also question re pie recipe... i always make mine with lard... how is the butter pie recipe vs lard you find? The crumb, handling of pastry & cooking times.

    Back to the thread here i have been busy so did not do enough pics but some quick meals i made:

    Pizza again:
    (2 types of salami, onion, buffalo mozzarella)

    And just tonight i just baked some chorizo with potatoes and carrots:

  • plllog
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Jmith, I don't completely understand your question, but I'm in So. Cal. I learned to make couscous from Moroccans. The stew I mentioned went bad before it got in the freezer, btw--too sweet. It's a friend's recipe and I'm not sure where it comes from. There are a hundreds of ways in Morocco to make lamb shanks, ranging from good to amazing. How is the one you like made?

    Tonight was another too busy/tired to cook night. The chicken breasts that were going to be roulade, ended up on top of the squash that escaped the couscous when I went quick and easy. Sliced them added a layer of onion slices, and a layer of large basil leaves, scattered half a large head of garlic cloves around the pan, and coated the chicken breasts with cabernet mole (from the fridge) and garlic pepper blend, and drizzled some more mole around the anything not covered by chicken. Popped it in the combi-steam. Really delicious. Like no work. Okay, maybe peeling the garlic. The fwomp fwomp fwomp to slice the onion and squash was nil. Keeping my chicken hand from touching the bottles was the biggest chore. No pictures. Delicious. :)

  • aliris19
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Yum.

    Plllog - no worries. I just lick the egg off my face and eat it. It's been a while since I was 20's-30's and mostly what an additional decade gets you here or there, is less real embarrassment. It's all good.

    Purchased, steamed (someone else's Grandma's) homemade tamales tonight.

    TR explained to me something about what the acid in the buttermilk does to the crust. I'm planning on trying it next time. Mine tasted fine, just dry and it rolled [poorly. Mostly it's just weird to see things that would never have gone wrong formerly, go wrong. I never knew I had any real skills in the kitchen until I've discovered them gone!

    Mmmm ... I can't wait for pumpkin PIE.

  • Circus Peanut
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Mmm, just happened back by this thread and what do you know, we just made lamb. Lamb and feta and parsley burgers with the classic Greek yoghurt/lemon/garlic/cucumber side (tsatsiki) and lots of fresh spinach salad:

  • trailrunner
    Original Author
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Wonderful pics !! j that pizza looks very good ! I am older than rhome !! Almost 61 . We all love to delve into new things here. Glad you are enjoying it so much. I can't get lamb shanks here. My DS1 does them , he braises until they are so tender. Have no idea what he does though . Not Moroccan though. I used to do a lot of Moroccan cooking but have gotten away from it. You guys are dragging me back. plllog has amazing combos and lots of people to cook for . With just 2 most of the time I am letting DH do more stirfry.

    I didn't take a pic tonight ...should have for aliris. It was the black bean pork and cabbage...I love love fermented black beans ..they stink in such a good way.

    plllog your description sounds very yum. I haven't done mole in ages. I don't have a steam oven so have never tried that method of baking/cooking.

    aliris I love love tamales. We had lots of Mexicans in our area and a group with a cart but now that AL has passed that stupid law a LOT of folks have disappeared. It is so terrible.

    cp ...please post how you made the lamb burgers. I still have the frozen ground lamb and haven't made plllog's recipe...I have feta and mint could do yours !!

    j: in answer to the crust. I used lard exclusively for decades. Now I have to sub butter more often since I can't get leaf lard locally. Have to get it in VA by my DS1. I like the texture and taste of good lard crust much better than butter. I think because it is rich w/o the "taste" of butter if that makes sense. Butter has too much taste. I think that lard makes a much more tender crust too and is easier to work with. Also it is harder to make a tough crust with lard but with butter you have to be careful. Baking time is about the same. Oh and you don't have to have the lard frozen/ice cold to get a good crust made. Just the ice water and cold bowl is enough...at least for me.

    .I thought I wasn't going to be able to log in to GW but changed computers so all is OK again. c

  • plllog
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Thanks for the kind words. People in other forums don't like me because I put things together in a totally fusion style and don't care if they fit any particular tradition. I'm making dinner, not teaching a course on cultural heritage. The mole is from a bottle. :) "Mole" just means "sauce", and the cabernet mole is a good sauce for making the seasoning stick. :) I also have this strange kung pao sauce that has nothing in common with normal kung pao, but is very good on chicken. :) The combi-steam oven is great. You could probably achieve the same results with a bain marie, but the whole point is to make it easier, not harder! I use the settings on the clue wheel that comes with the oven: 360 degrees/60% steam/45 minutes. With the skinless breasts there's no greasiness to worry about getting into the vegetables, and with the steam there's no worry that the veg will get overcooked or the chicken will dry out. Some variation on this has become my go to meal for when I just don't want to be bothered. Plus it's a great way to clean the fridge. I'll throw in peaches or pears or whatever needs using and it always comes out well.

    Trailrunner, Not that it matters, since you're on to the next recipe (which does look yummy), but I kept forgetting to answer your question about the seeds: The pomegranates had gone soft so I bought fresh seeds, which we get in boxes. Sometimes there are garden pomegranates but the birds and squirrels aren't always cooperative.

  • lawjedi
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I actually was going to come on here last night and ask about pie crusts. :-).

    A bit of a background - My mom (single mom) NEVER cooked/baked. My brothers and I just sort of learned as we went, trying different things. My older brother can't cook to save his life. My younger brother and I were both able to sense our way through it.

    But I often find I don't have the background base to understand the whys and whats... just a good basic instinct. Fast forward to adulthood and you had someone that was relatively good at food prep, but didn't truly know anything. I also managed to have have 4 kids rather fast and furious and really took a hiatus from cooking. So now for the past 2-3yrs, I am fascinated by food. Learning. Learning. Learning. Watching shows, reading books, scouring the web. I really love being able to create in the kitchen. Manipulate truly raw ingredients into food my family can eat and enjoy.

    Anyway. Last night's dilemma - confession... it was my first pie crust. I had avoided it and last night finally decided to go for it. Chicken pot pie. (It had previously been the filling with a biscuit top in our house.)

    it was not a thing of beauty. ;-)

    but taste was wonderful. I'm not sure why I didn't go to one of my "it always works" sources for the pie crust recipe, but I just did a basic cookbook one. As I said, it tasted great and the flakiness/tenderness was more than good enough for my family of non-connoisseurs. But rolling out was difficult. I did find myself thinking, "I'm going to get online and ask the cooking thread!!"

    (& as an aside, the cream of mushroom/asparagus soup I made to "bind" the chicken and veggies for the pot pie was AWESOME!)

    So, who wants to give me a pie crust tutorial? lol. sounds like I need to hightail it over to Rhome's blog for her pie crust.... it wouldn't be the first time I've headed over there. ;-)


    ~C

  • trailrunner
    Original Author
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    haha...plllog I cook the same way...the other day I got out all of my extra wild yeast starter and fed it 2x so I had 6 c !! I took four cups of it and started the basic quick bread with the butter and sugars..I use 1/2 white and 1/2 brown. Then I looked in the fridge/freezer. I found one banana that was frozen, 1/2 can almond paste and a qt of applesauce . Yup all went in. Added chopped pecans too. I then added enough buttermilk to soup it up some more. Mad a bundt size cake and 4 8x4 loaves. Then I took 2 c of the starter and began the same but added a pint of lemon/fig preserves and chopped pecans and some lemon zest. Made 2 8x4 loaves and 12 muffins....yum! Now I have to feed the starter again since we are getting low on bread.

    I love your original recipe. I have enough lamb to do both. Will look for seeds in a box....very cool. Didn't know they came that way. Our farmer's market has a lot of poms right now so one way or t'other ! c

  • macybaby
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Yesterday I made chicken stew with drop biscuits.

    About 40 mn to go from this

    To this

    I love fast food!

  • aliris19
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Attn: CIRCUSPEANUT
    This message is from Trailrunner:
    Subject: problems...with GW. It won't let me log in anymore. I have sent them 2 notes and they have not answered. I have tried to go in on several different forums and it still won't let me in. So....guess I won't post to the Kitchen at Work....ask peanut how she made the lamb burgers ??? I want to do those and have mint and feta . Tell others I can't log in so will remain outside the fray LOL. c

  • mtnfever (9b AZ/HZ 11)
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I'm obviously and certainly not circuspeanut (or I would already have a much better looking kitchen) but I used to make...if you can stand it... Lamb-burginis. Two thin patties handmade from ground lamb (that Ralph's in LA carried as easily as ground beef--23 years later I still miss Ralph's!) with a mix of feta cheese and chopped mint leaves sealed in the middle. Grill and then top with plain yogurt (sorry I didn't know about Greek yogurt back then but it would've been perfect!) on a not-too-hard roll and yum.

    The important part was to let them sit a few minutes so you didn't burn your mouth on the cheese. From the pic, it sure looks like circuspeanut has figured that out but when I just mixed the cheese in with the lamb, the cheese tended to melt out of the burger.

    hth

  • trailrunner
    Original Author
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    oh macy...be still my heart...that looks so YUMMY !! And you are an amazing canner . My Mom always canned meat and poultry. The broth for dumplings was so good.

    mtn: thank you for the recipe...I am going to get the lamb thawed and get on it. pics to follow. c

  • annac54
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    On tonight's menu is "Cream of Everything" soup with potato, leek, mushroom, celery, and asparagus. I make a basic cream of potato soup and add the leeks and celery with the potatoes. Mash the potatoes slightly when they are done and add the mushrooms and asparagus, and a handfull of chopped herbs/parsley. Cook till the asparagus is tender but not mushy. Add cream/milk and heat till hot. The soup is hearty without being overly thick as happens sometimes with cornstarch or flour.

    Regarding the pie crust, I think acids help keep gluten from forming, so make the crust more tender. Also important not to use a high gluten flour (bread flour), as high gluten (either from the flour or from overworking the dough) will make it tough.

  • trailrunner
    Original Author
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    anna it is supposed to get colder here for 2 nights...your soup sounds like just the thing. I am glad I can cut/paste all these good ideas. c

  • plllog
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Cathy, I love seeing what you've made from your expert canning! My mother used to make chickndumblins that looked a lot like that, but not since I was little. Makes me nostalgic. :)

  • aliris19
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Macy that looks delicious.

    Now get back to finishing your kitchen! ;)

  • aliris19
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    TR, sorry -- no pictures; it just got scarfed. It was very simple for light appetites tonight. After the soba some necessary greens, of unknown asian provenance. Quite bitter. Chopped and steamed atop sauteed onions and shitakes cut into large chunks about 2" on a wedge size. Steam it all up making its own thick, brown sweet sauce. Oh yes, the sauteeing was done in "melted" anchovies - toss in a whole can, oil and all. No further seasoning is needed! ;) It sure tasted strange at first bite but, to my surprise, grew quickly addictive and everyone started fighting for the last mushroom chunks.

  • bonesoda
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    There has not been a lot of action as i am sure a lot of you were busy... I have not had time to post up whatever I have been cooking but here are some things i managed to snap some shots of:


    Spicy Baked Chicken:

    I cheated a bit with this as I used a dipping sauce from a Mediterranean restaurant and modified it a bit as the marinade for the chicken and it was surprisingly very good. I did the twice cooked baked potatoes with it and it was very delicious.


    Banana Bread:

    Usually we do banana breads that are "bready". I prefer them moist so I am tweaking the recipe I use in commercial settings. This bread was made with toasted walnuts and chocolate chunks 30% sweet.


    Hybrid Cottage Pie:

    Lard crust is the best but it's a bit too much when it comes to eating a slice of pie so i usually put mashed on top to offset the lard in crust. The filling was curried mince meat with peas n carrots (no rainsons this time).

  • bonesoda
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Chicken Panang Curry:






    Frittata (Chorizo, onions & red peppers):

  • bmorepanic
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

  • remodelfla
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    bmore... I have had many fails with biscuits. They taste fine, but never rise enough. And I work the dough as little as possible. Recipe please??

  • trailrunner
    Original Author
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Gorgeous !! Elyse...we use Self rising flour and buttermilk. Make sure and have the dough wetter than you think you should and then have plenty of flour on the counter. Make sure and not twist the biscuit cutter when you press down...that will seal the edges and the biscuit won't rise. PLace them close together so they just barely touch.

    Look forward to hearing from bmore ..those are right pretty biscuits.

    I made 26 bagels yesterday and didn't take pics :( I have the most most most perfect recipe for sourdough fool proof bagels ! c

  • bmorepanic
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Did Trailrunner's and baked at 450. I'm a manual person, so used a pastry cutter and a fork.

    What I did differently this time was not stir the milk into the flour as much as I used to and it was some ugly looking dough when I turned it out onto a rolling sheet. But I gently patted it together anyway and started cutting. I believe there was some prayers in there too. I think I might kiss it with a little baking soda as I would like just a little more puffiness. I will try just a little more milk too.

    I wonder if the proportions of wet to dry changes a little from region to region?

  • remodelfla
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    googled and found where trailrunner posted this recipe for me back in October! I clipped it this time. Boy...I must a have short term memory thing! Sorry 'bout that...

  • trailrunner
    Original Author
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    bmore and Elyse...that is why we switched to the Self Rising...the baking powder and the baking soda are already in there and the salt in the right proportions. Fool proof. And yes if it is somewhat too wet and lumpy all the better...it does look rough LOL !

    Take more pics...make more biscuits :) c

  • davidro1
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    See http://girlmeetsbug.com/

    Daniela eats insects. She has no countertop next to her range. How does she do it? A wax worm "tastes like a cross between a chanterelle mushroom and a pine nut."

    http://www.treehugger.com/treehugger-radio/daniella-martin-on-how-and-why-to-eat-bugs-podcast.html

    Here is a link that might be useful: recipes for bugs

  • bonesoda
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    So merry xmas (holidays) and happy new year to all.

    2011 is over and i am sure a lot of you had wonderful and delicous meals... lets see some shots of the holiday festivities in the kitchen.

    I am going to kick off this thread again by posting on a quick lunch i made a couple of days ago..

    Oeufs en Cocette.

    Had ham, carmalized onions, parmesian & fresh dried thyme with sea salt n fresh pepper.

    Looking forward to pics n stories of xmas.

  • trailrunner
    Original Author
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    jsmith...no crickets or leeches LOL ???

    I didn't cook much at all...only one small Christmas dinner. Otherwise the usual baking of breads etc. I think we need to start a new thread as this one will top out at 150. Perhaps you can post pics of your kitchen ??? would love to see where you delicious meals are prepared.

    How long and how did you cook the egg dish. DH just got out of the hospital this AM so may make this for him as comfort food tonight. c