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The General Cooking Thread

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

  1. rei

    rei
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    So I just got a cast-iron skillet from an aunt who's going off to a retirement home; she says she did what she could to de-rust it, though I also went over it with paper towl, peanut oil, and some kosher salt

    The thing is, I've never owned cast iron before so I'm very much in the "not sure if it's okay or not" boat
    [​IMG]
    is what it looks like now, still a bit greasy from my rubdown, though I haven't re-seasoned it yet.
    My basic question is, does that look normal to you guys or should I apply more elbow grease before I reseason? I realize the colour isn't uniform but I don't think that's rust and I don't know if that's even worth worrying about after I reseason
    Sorry for the total ignorance question but I trust you guys more than google on this as there is no consensus on anything


    Also, I have a glass cooktop - it seems to me that this isn't an issue if i'm not a moron - the bottom of the pan is pretty uniform, and other than that just don't drag and drop it
    [​IMG]

    That said, I've heard there are 'heat diffusers' I can put on top of my burners - does it matter much what kind I get / anything to avoid or specifically go for? Or should I not bother?
     
  2. LatinGroove

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    I think it was you who mentioned this to me as well, but I can vouch for this as well. It definitely works.
     
  3. Blue Dog

    Blue Dog
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    Here's one for your new cast iron skillet:

    I had a buddy who gave me a bunch of homegrown peppers this week, and saw that I pretty much had everything at my house for this recipe (other than the brats and the bread, so I picked those up). The Wife and I were in the mood for some simple comfort food, and this did the trick- it was a pretty damn good sandwich.

    First, I browned my brats in a bit of butter

    Once they were browned, though not cooked all the way through, I set them aside to rest. In the pan, I deglazed with about half a cup of beer (The recipe called for German beer, but I had Sierra Nevada so I went with it), scrapped the browned bits from the bottle of the pan, and threw in a small sliced videlia onion and cooked until caramelized

    Next came the thinly sliced bell peppers, cooked them until they were caramelized as well

    Once the peppers were done, I added a couple cloves of minced garlic, cooked another few minutes, then I removed everything to a bowl. Now I added my baby portabella mushrooms to brown. I let them brown for a few minutes, then added a little bit more butter to really get a good color and flavor on them

    Now everything goes back to the pan- onions, peppers, and sliced brats. The brats were still a little pink in the middle, so now you cook until they are done all the way through

    All done- tossed with some fresh chopped basil for garnish

    Put it all in a soft roll with melted provolone cheese and a little bit of mustard
     

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  4. Pink Candy

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    I have been making Spaghetti Carbonara for years and I've tinkered with the recipe until it was, in my opinion, perfect. Just dropped off a freshly made batch of it to the boy because he's working late. I'm the best girlfriend ever.

    Spaghetti Carbonara

    1/2 pound spaghetti
    5 slices of good bacon (since this is the star of the meal, get good bacon, don't scrimp!)
    3 large garlic cloves, minced
    1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
    3/4 cup heavy cream
    1 egg
    1 egg yolk

    Bring water for spaghetti to a boil. Salt the water, drop the spaghetti in.

    While the pasta is cooking, chop and drop the bacon into a large pan over high heat. Let the bacon cook down. Drain off the excess fat (unless you like really greasy Carbonara, then by all means, keep it in) and add the garlic. Let the garlic lightly brown. Add the heavy cream and bring to a lively boil. Add the parmesan.

    Once the bacon/cream/garlic mixture comes to a boil, lower the heat to low and let the mixture reduce by half. If it gets too thick, ladle in some of the pasta water to thin it out. The mixture should be thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Leave the mixture to gently simmer while the pasta cooks.

    Drain pasta and add to the pan. Turn up the heat to high and toss the pasta with the bacon/cream mix until thickly coated.

    Remove the pan from the heat. Let sit for 2 minutes.

    Add the egg and egg yolk, tossing the pasta quickly. The heat from the pasta will cook the eggs. Remember to keep the pan off the heat or the eggs will begin to scramble.

    Serve immediately with more parmesan to dust on top.
     
  5. Blue Dog

    Blue Dog
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    Whoops, sorry man, you're right. I must have posted in the wrong thread- I was looking for the "Unpretentious-Everything-Doesn't-Have-To-Be-Fucking-Complicated-To-Taste-Good-Cooking-Thread". I mean, how DARE I post pictures of steps that might serve to help those who think they can't cook but want to learn, instead of just posting a single line of generic "brown, deglaze, saute, serve". What the fuck was I thinking? From now on, I promise to only post here when I'm making a 9 course meal fit for Eric Rupert, and only if I can fit the description into 10 words or less.

    Oh wait, my bad again- what I really meant to say was that you can suck on my butthole. If you don't like a post, fucking red dot me to hell or something, I don't give a shit. but don't come here cluttering up the thread with bullshit that doesn't add anything.

    TO EVERYONE:

    Don't be afraid of dickheads like our buddy up here- if you cooked something you are proud of that you enjoyed, but don't think it is "fancy" enough to share, I promise you that we would love to see and hear about it. That's what this thread is for- to learn and to share how to cook ANYTHING, be it a boiled egg or a 100 step authentic mole'. If you think others will enjoy it, post away.
     
  6. JeffPrevails

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    Hate to continue the derailing of the thread, but I enjoy Blue Dog's(and everybody else's) postings no matter how simple the recipe may be for a few reasons.
    1) I sometimes peruse the board high, and the food always looks scrumptious
    2) As someone who learned how to cook completely from youtube videos and blogs that do the same thing he's doing, I know there is value in that for somebody.

    Question: Does anybody have any good black bean+protein recipes? Maybe like a good jumbalaya or something? Or a good black bean chili? Appreciate it.
     
  7. Gator

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    OH shit.

    Now Blue Dog's is gonna want his pics taken down now too!

    Please don't! Since there's no more titties on the titty board, this is where I come for my ME time.
     
  8. rei

    rei
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    I 100% agree, and BlueDog's food looks amazing tasting


    Anyway black bean jambalaya - I've made a few google'd recipies before and have taken away two valuable lessons:
    Chorizo is key, and more is better
    Use spices and peppers instead of seasoning powders - this should be obvious but most recipies want a powder somewhere.

    But really, just make sure it's got Chorizo.
     
  9. Nettdata

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    Take a week off for being a moron.
     
  10. iczorro

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    I'm only up to page 5 of this thread on my read through, but I was tab browsing that Bitten Word site as well and saw their Bleu Cheese Burger recipe. Here's how I do my Feta Burgers.

    3 pounds of medium fatty ground beef (say, 85% or so)
    Worchester Sauce
    salt
    garlic powder
    feta crumbles
    1/2 large white onion
    1 egg

    Put all the thawed hamburger in a big bowl. I tend to season/mix ingredients in more by feel than with measurements, so I give the worchester about a four second pour. dust the top with the salt and the garlic powder. Dice up the onions and drop those in. Empty the whole package of feta on top, crack the egg in, and then get in there with your hands. Mix it up by hand until you've got a pretty even spread of feta and onions.

    Cook each burger for about four minutes a side over a medium high heat on the grill, and they should come out a bit crispy, juicy as hell, and medium-well. I like to top them off with grilled onions, a big slice of tomato, a dab of guac, and some pepper jack cheese added AFTER the grilling is done. No need for ketchup or mustard, as I think they drown out the flavors cooked into the meat. I also like a nice soft potato bread roll for the bun.
     
  11. dieformetal

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    I for one, don't know a damn thing about cooking(thank god for the fiancee), yet am trying to learn. And I found the pics to be quite helpful.

    Just sayin'
     
  12. Aetius

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    Cereal Tutorial:

    Step 1) Pour shit into a bowl
    [​IMG]
     
  13. Nettdata

    Nettdata
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    Oh please... we all know this is how you roll:
     

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  14. Aetius

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    Beerios are for pussies. Real men eat Apple Jack Daniels.
     
  15. konatown

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    Anybody got a Red Beans and Rice recipe?

    Ordered a bowl for lunch and got served a very soupy, bland version, disappointing at best.

    Still got the craving though.
     
  16. Blue Dog

    Blue Dog
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    I've always like John Folse's recipe (Make sure you soak the beans in water overnight before you cook them):

    1 pound dried red beans
    1/2 cup shortening or bacon drippings
    1 cup onions, chopped
    1 cup celery, chopped
    1/2 cup bell pepper, chopped
    1/4 cup garlic, diced
    1 cup green onions, sliced
    2 cups smoked ham, diced (or Tasso if you can find it)
    6 (3-inch) links smoked sausage
    1/2 cup parsley, chopped
    1 cup green onions, sliced
    salt and hot sauce to taste

    METHOD:
    The cooking time of red beans will be cut by about 1/3 if the beans are soaked overnight in cold water. This will help soften the outer shell and naturally the cooking time will be shortened. In a 4-quart sauce pot, melt shortening or bacon drippings over medium-high heat. Add onions, celery, bell pepper, garlic, green onions and smoked ham. Sauté approximately 5 - 10 minutes or until vegetables are wilted. Add smoked sausage and beans. Blend well with vegetables and cook 2 - 3 minutes. Add enough cold water to cover beans by approximately 2 inches. Bring to a rolling boil and allow to cook 30 minutes, stirring occasionally to avoid scorching. Reduce heat to simmer and cook approximately 1 hour or until beans are tender. Stir from time to time, as beans will settle to the bottom of the pot as they cook. Add chopped parsley and additional green onions. Season to taste using salt and hot sauce. Using a metal spoon, mash approximately 1/3 of the beans against the side of the pot to create a creaming effect. Once the beans are tender and creamy, they are ready to be served. In order for the maximum flavor to develop, this dish should be cooked one day before it is to be served.

    BD EDIT: I like to add red pepper, dried thyme, and bay leaf when cooking down, as well.
     
  17. mya

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    what type of milk? They all sorts of types and I'm confused. How much milk? How much cereal? What is the proper cereal to milk ratio? Does it vary depend in if you have flakes vs a sturdier cereal? What's your stance on Almond or Soy milk with cereal?

    Man, you suck at this.
     
  18. Frank

    Frank
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    Either you have some weird looking shit or I need to go to a doctor.
     
  19. Pink Candy

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    Second night in a row the boy worked late, and yet again, I come to the rescue. This is my favorite way to cook bone-in chicken breasts.

    2 tbsp fresh rosemary, chopped finely
    2 tbsp fresh thyme, chopped finely
    3 garlic cloves, minced finely
    olive oil
    1/2 cup white wine
    2 bone-in chicken breasts

    Heat oven to 350.

    Combine the garlic, rosemary and thyme in a bowl, add enough olive oil to combine everything together. I'd say a good 4 tbsp will do. Rub the chicken with the rosemary/thyme/garlic mixture.

    Heat a nonstick pan on high heat, add the chicken skin down. When browned, flip to brown the other side.

    Remove chicken from pan, place in a baking dish. Deglaze the pan with the white wine, let reduce by half. Pour over chicken.

    Bake until chicken is no longer pink, 30-45 minutes.

    I served this with garlic sauteed green beans and buttermilk mashed potatoes. And maybe he got some key lime bars I baked earlier this weekend.
     
  20. Dude

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    If you don't have a lot of time, here is a quick way to make ramen more tolerable:

    - asian style ramen (not like beef flavor or chicken, although those will work in a pinch)
    - one egg
    - chili powder

    when you get down to 1 minute left on the timer for the ramen, crack the egg directly into the boiling water. Stir quickly with fork to break up egg, add a dash of chili powder. Makes noodles with strands of egg mixed in. I can't eat ramen without the egg anymore.

    Also.....


    I'm sorry.
     
    #740 Dude, Aug 16, 2011
    Last edited by a moderator: Mar 27, 2015