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The General Cooking Thread

Discussion in 'Cooking' started by Blue Dog, Oct 20, 2009.

  1. Harry Coolahan

    Harry Coolahan
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    I'll try broiling, but I'd also like to know what I need to adjust in terms of cooking methods when I want to pan-sear a marinated steak. If nothing else, just to understand the mechanics of cooking and the reasons for how I fucked up.

    The marinade I used tonight was beer-based. Maybe that's too watery of a marinade? The other steaks are marinading in teriyaki base.
     
  2. Creelmania

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    What type of recipes are you looking for? Dinner? Breakfast? For the grill? On the stove? You have to narrow it down a bit.

    And before responding to this, you should simply read through this entire thread. Here's two recipes I posted a while back that a 2 year old chimp with an extra chromosome could whip together.

     
  3. foredeck

    foredeck
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    Made Gravlax this week-end, and brought it to a potluck family supper. I was quite happy with the outcome, but having a family full of seafood loving people raving about it, and standing around the plate eating it like starved kids is quite a surprise. There was other good food, good beer/wine and lots of things going on, but the main topic of discussion was this meal. So, yeah, I'm pumped.

    Gravlax, for those who have no idea what it is, is a salmon that is cured for 3 days. Basically similar to cold smoked salmon, but without the smoke.

    I cured it in a mixture of salt, sugar, pepper, maple syrup and brandy, and it came out pretty good. Was slightly over salted, probably because I used sea salt instead of kosher salt, so I'll adapt it next time.

    This is a great recipe for people who love smoked salmon, but don't have the smoker or the expertise to do that. And, actually planning on ordering smoked flavoured sea salt for my next time, so hopefully I'll be able to compete in a blind taste test with some good smoked salmon next time.
     
  4. MisterMiracle

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    I recommend that you get black or grey volcanic sea salt. Both have a unique smoky undertone that would add a new dimension to your overall dish.
     
  5. MisterMiracle

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    Hey dude, give us an idea of what you like to eat and I think we can take it from there. As it stands your post is way too ambiguous for me to help in any manner.
     
  6. scotchcrotch

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    People rave about trip-tips on here and I finally found a place that sells them the other day.

    I was surprised to find it more of a slender tenderloin than a traditional steak. Almost seems too small to cut up into steaks.

    Best tri-tip recipes?
     
  7. Pato

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    I read through the thread, that Pioneer Woman site is awesome. Will try out some of the things on there and let you guys know how it turned out. With pics of course.

    I'm sorry if I didn't clarify the first time, didn't think it through. You know, stuff like steaks, salads, spaghetti, some sauces. How to use condiments, which ones to use in what situation... Like I said, from scratch. You don't have to answer everything, a nudge in the right direction would go a long way.

    Much appreciated.
     
  8. scotchcrotch

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    Steaks are 90 percent quality of the meat. Hell, if you have a prime steak, you need no seasoning. Just sear the outside in a cast iron skillt as hot as you can get it for a few minutes and enjoy.

    Cooking is half science and half art. Try a half dozen simple recipes, understand what works well together and take note.

    Nowadays, I usually take two or three recipes, take my favorite parts, and make a hybrid recipe of my own.

    It can be a lot of trial and error, but you're not reinventing the wheel. Learn from others what works well together, and cook within the boundaries. If you got a wild hair up your ass, combine some random shit. But the odds are against you. Everything's been tried before, and speaking from a strictly amateur pov (I've studied culinary arts for years and gone to countless expos), it's more about finding quality, local ingredients, and a lot less mad scientist combining exotic shit that's not nearly as fresh.
     
  9. Queen-Bee

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    *Posting in 2 threads.

    Help please! My dumbass, stubborn daughter is a vegetarian and super-poor. She is barely eating and certainly not fueling properly. She has recently lost 20 lbs. and is generally unhealthy physically and mentally. I believe she is suffering from malnutrition. She doesn't live at home and won't take money from me.

    Now to the point.....

    I'm going to make meals and freeze them for her. She can't refuse that (I hope). I am clueless here and need some guidance. I want the meals to be very high nutritionally, not too complicated and freezable. I have never cooked with beans and lentils, so I don't even know how to handle them. The internet is just too vast for me to navigate. Any recipes, cooking tips or a specific site would be very helpful.

    I'm a decent cook who is addicted to the food network, so I'm familiar with most terms and techniques. The kid likes most everything, but is not a fan of corn and doesn't like a lot of heat.

    Thanks!
     
  10. theking23

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    Thought I would post this here, I've been cooking it a lot lately.

    Penne with Chicken and Cheese and Veggies

    First, I put some chicken cutlets in the oven, while I boil some water and chop up some veggies. I just take whatever I have at hand, yesterday I did frozen peas + fresh onions and peppers. When the water is boiled, I throw some penne in there and chop up the cutlet into small squares. I cook the penne until it's just about done before I drain it. Lastly, I throw everything in a hot pan with some olive oil and throw a handful of mozzarella and a handful of cheddar on top. Cook until the cheese is melted, then eat.

    It's pretty delicious, but I have no idea how healthy (or unhealthy) it is.
     
  11. foredeck

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    Two recipes come to mind. I'm far from a vegetarian, but I've attempted these two, and I enjoyed them.

    First, if you do a spaghetti sauce, and instead of meat, put some tofu, just crumble it up (I think you have to boil it). With the right spices, it has the consistency of meat, and it'll have the taste as well.

    Same goes for chili. You can put beans in it, I like it with red kidney beans and pinto beans. Lots of good recipes online, and with the right spices, she'll love it.
     
  12. effinshenanigans

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    The first thing I thought of was a vegetarian lasagna. They're easy to make, they freeze great, and still taste good after reheating. Plus, depending on how much you can send, if you fill a 13x9 pan, she'll have food for a little while.
     
  13. Frank

    Frank
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    This is more or less advice that you can give her for cooking on her own. When I was a broke ass vegetarian (I was experimenting, I also went vegan for a while, that was fucking hard) my go to meal was pasta with marinara sauce and egg whites, topped off with a fried egg. I know it sounds weird, but it's actually quite tasty. I would also throw in whatever vegetable was on sale.

    For clarification I would cook up a ton of the pasta and sauce at the beginning of the week, then cook up the egg whites and fried egg while I was microwaving the pasta.
     
  14. Now Slappy

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    Does anyone have a good/go-to recipe for smoked fish dip? (Paging Blue Dog...) I've got one of our local charter fishermen who frequents my bar and is willing to give me the smoked fish for free if he can just have a small portion of the dip for himself. My bar is right on the beach so I thought this would be a great(read: cheap) appetizer to add to our menu or just use as a special. The fish he mainly catches/uses is Red Snapper, Mackerel, Grouper(domestic black), Pompano, and Mahi.

    Thanks in advance.
     
  15. fishy

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    I would also do a large batch of soup/stew. You can use vegetable broth as the base and add whatever veggies she likes. Kidney beans will add texture & protein. You can add rice instead, or ditali pasta.

    I do an excellent roasted buterernut squash & apple soup that is to die for. These can be made vegan if she's going that route.

    I like the soup idea because I would buy a bunch of those individual ziploc plastic containers and package single servings. If she lives alone this will be easier to thaw out and won't go to waste.

    Is she vegan? or ovo/lacto? I have a ton of recipes, PM me if you need anything in particular.
     
  16. SBSam

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    I dated a vegetarian for a few months, and got pretty good at some vegetarian dishes. My favorite from those days I still sometimes make for myself, roasted pepper and goat cheese sandwiches which I stole from an ina garten recipe. Not really freezable, but I have been able to store the roasted peppers for quite a while in the fridge, and that's the hardest part to make.

    I basically would roast red/yellow peppers in a 450 degree oven for like 30 minutes, turning them, until the skin is charred black. Take it out and once you can handle it, take off the charred skin, remove the seeds, and cut into slices. Keep the juice, and put it all in a bowl, add olive oil, balsamic vinegar, salt pepper, and capers, and let it sit overnight. Then, to make the sandwich, toast some ciabatta, cut it in half, spread goat cheese on it, put on the peppers, thinly sliced red onions, and basil leaves.

    So good.
     
  17. Harry Coolahan

    Harry Coolahan
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    Last night I made what is by far the best pork I've ever had. Ridiculously easy recipe with crock pot/slow cooker.

    Step 1 (prep. time: 5 minutes)
    - put 5 lbs pork roast in slow cooker
    - add:
    • -1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
      -1/2 cup of scotch whiskey
    - let it cook on a low temperature (my slow-cooker just has a "high" and "low" settings) for 10 hours

    Step 2 (prep. time: 15 minutes)
    - drain all the liquid from the pork, return pork to slow cooker
    - mash the pork up with a fork
    - add any/all of the following ingredients to taste:
    • - BBQ sauce (do yourself a favor and make sure it doesn't have high fructose corn syrup)
      - spicy teriyaki sauce (I think this is a more interesting alternative to just adding salt)
      - garlic powder
      - chili powder
      - cayenne powder
      - black pepper
      - "sweet pepper" powder (this is some bullshit premixed seasoning I bought, I looked at the ingredients and it's mostly paprika and tomato powder—so I think any spice that's on the sweeter side will do)
      - liquid smoke (to give it more BBQ flavor)
    (there should be enough to coat the meat, I ended up using 2 bottles of BBQ sauce because this was so much pork)
    - mix it all up and let it recook in the slow cooker for another 45 minutes or so.

    I used scotch because I didn't have enough apple cider vinegar, and I think that's what made it so good. I've never eaten anything cooked in scotch before and it gave it a really wild taste, just a slight sour that contrasts really well with the spices and the sweet BBQ sauce.

    Seriously guys, this stuff is good. The recipe is my own creation and is mostly the result of getting drunk.
     
  18. scotchcrotch

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    Imagine you're auditioning for a cooking reality show (Hells Kitchen, Top Chef, whatever), what signature dish would you make to impress the judges ( no time constraint).

    I would brine a pork picnic overnight and smoke with a combo of apple and cherry wood for 12 hrs, slathered in yellow mustard and homemade bbq rub.

    I'd mop it with a vinegar/apple juice mix with habaenros. Finally make a sandwich with apple cole slaw on top.



    Alternatively, which dish or cuisine is your kryptonite?

    For me, I love Thai but cannot cook with curry to save my life. However I cook with it, it always tastes the same.
     
  19. MisterMiracle

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    You can get the same effect by wrapping the peppers in foil and grilling them until their skins become black.

    Then take off the charred skins and put them in a plastic bag to allow the peppers to sweat a lot. This is where the roasted peppers get their flavor, so let them sit out and gt the juices flowing.
     
  20. WickedBitch

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    They have these neat new long, flexible skewers for the grill. They are also on sale today at Woot! but only for like another hour so hurry!

    <a class="postlink" href="http://deals.woot.com/deals/details/88811932-b053-4a9f-885b-a64a37df2515/inno-labs-firewire-flexable-grilling-skewers-6-pack" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">http://deals.woot.com/deals/details/888 ... ers-6-pack</a>