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[ViolentDove]

Hmm... I've got smoked paprika. It's pretty popular in Spanish cooking. They wood-smoke the herb before grinding, so I'd imagine the same would be done with smoked cumin.

[octodexy]

I live in Las Vegas. I know what Buttermilk is, so I imagine that most other people from here would know what it is... The reason I called ahead is, because I've been to two grocers, and they didn't have any buttermilk. On the shelf or listed. I think it just depends on how they stock their dairy section, I guess. However it's likely that the person I spoke to on the phone didn't know what I was talking about. Either way, I appreciate all everyone's help, and if I just can't find buttermilk, I can make my own.

[abadname]

Downloaded seasons 1-11 of Good Eats. Alton is making me really wish I had a bigger kitchen and whatever "smoked" cumin is.

Whoo, me too. And not to mention Grains of Paradise.

Any time you need a strange spice or want to play around with "molecular gastronomy"(fucking hate that name, it doesn't describe it) then go to http://le-sanctuaire.com/

I check it daily, amazing site.

[gospel]

Hmm... I've got smoked paprika. It's pretty popular in Spanish cooking. They wood-smoke the herb before grinding, so I'd imagine the same would be done with smoked cumin.

Hmm. I love paprika (which I'm convinced is 80% of the colonel's special recipe). What sort of dishes do you use the smoked version for, or is it heavily ethnic stuff?

[ViolentDove]

I know it definitely goes well with fish and lamb, but as for traditional Spanish dishes I'll have to ask my housemate. I most frequently use it for making spiced chickpeas (basically you bake chickpeas with a bit of olive oil until they're crunchy and then roll them in your own spice-mix. It's kind've like a morrocan substitute for potato chips or something, I guess, and it's awesome)

The flavour is really quite strong, so you don't need very much of it.

[Inlander]

I put some hot paprika and some nutmeg in a chocolate milkshake I was making the other day.

It was super-delicious.

[Slick]

I'm sure none of you make soda bread often, if ever, but I'm wondering if I can substitute a cup of whole wheat flour with a cup of cornmeal.

Not really. With soda bread you may be able to get away with it, but meal is not flour and corn is not wheat. Try it as an experiment but it is not a safe thing, and you'll probably need to add extra flour to get the right texture, like replace a cup of whole wheat with a cup of corn meal plus a quarter to a half cup of whole wheat.
That said, I know most of what I know because I tried substitutions, so actually, go for it. See what happens.

I've heard of substituting buttermilk with plain yogurt, but that just seems bizarre to me.

This is actually what I'd recommend. Buttermilk is a cultured (like, bacterial culture) milk. You can add lime juice or vinegar to milk for a substitute; it'll curdle a bit for the thicker texture and sour a bit for the sour flavour, but it's a weak approximation. Yogurt is closer to real buttermilk since it's cultured and thick and sour. Kefir could probably work if you can get your hands on some, but odds are against that if you can't find buttermilk. Try a health food store?
Yogurt is actually a key component of my standard bread recipe.

[KvP]

I'm reading "A Cocking Thread?" whenever I pass by the link. This happening to anybody else?

Anyway, I really would like to learn how to cook. Thing is, I always thought if I learned how to cook as opposed to go out all the time, I'll save myself money. But it hasn't necessarily been the case. I find that I spend about the same amount, usually slightly less, for more portions of a dish that isn't quite as good as one I could go out and buy from someone whose job it is to get it right. Maybe I'm not going about it the right way. Maybe my tastes are too narrow. I'd love to be able to cook italian food. Chinese as well. At this point all I've mastered is a pretty good (and actually very, very cheap) vegetarian chili.

[gospel]

I'm reading "A Cocking Thread?" whenever I pass by the link. This happening to anybody else?

Anyway, I really would like to learn how to cook. Thing is, I always thought if I learned how to cook as opposed to go out all the time, I'll save myself money. But it hasn't necessarily been the case. I find that I spend about the same amount, usually slightly less, for more portions of a dish that isn't quite as good as one I could go out and buy from someone whose job it is to get it right. Maybe I'm not going about it the right way. Maybe my tastes are too narrow. I'd love to be able to cook italian food. Chinese as well. At this point all I've mastered is a pretty good (and actually very, very cheap) vegetarian chili.

It's only really cheaper if you buy in bulk and freeze (especially meats). Cooking is, no doubt, a luxury compared to the cheaper alternatives of eating out. It's really about learning something because you want to and because the stuff cooked outside is generally really unhealthy. Eating healthy, even out, is usually expensive too. 

I'm not sure where you live, but the tax out here is about 10% + eating-out charge. It's literally $6-7+ to eat at McDonalds.

[e] And, I'm not sure QC allows "cocking" threads. >.>

[ViolentDove]

Cooking is usually cheaper once you're buying larger quantities and cooking for three or four people (or alternatively, freezing or refrigerating the food you make). I agree that if you cook for one meal, it usually isn't that much cheaper than eating out. Also, if you've only just started cooking, it takes a while to get a good stockpile of spices and herbs that make it cheaper for the next time you need 'em.

My girlfriend made a salad with fried haloumi, roast pumpkin, pine nuts, and rocket last night. It was sooooo good. Man, I love haloumi.

[Slick]

It's only really cheaper if you buy in bulk and freeze (especially meats). Cooking is, no doubt, a luxury compared to the cheaper alternatives of eating out. It's really about learning something because you want to and because the stuff cooked outside is generally really unhealthy. Eating healthy, even out, is usually expensive too. 

I do not agree with you. I do not think cooking is a luxury compared to eating out. $6 a meal times two and a half meals a day seven days a week is $105. I can make two sandwiches for maybe three bucks. Frozen juice is dirt cheap. Pork chops, rice, and carrot sticks is a dead simple meal and that's under $6 a head. I spend $50-$60 a week on groceries eating light breakfasts and good suppers.
I don't think your point about buying in bulk and freezing is valid either. I mean, yes, if you buy a weeks worth of groceries in a go, you should freeze the meat you're not eating that day. That's common sense. Buying a pack of four chicken breasts and eating them one or two at a time is hardly buying bulk.

[Ozymandias]

I'm seeing a chef.

He wants me to cook for him.

What do I do?

Bacon hotdogs.

[-Karamazov-]

Does anyone have an idea for a quick breakfast I can grab and take to class?  Particularly something with a high amount of protein and requires almost no preparation time.  I have 8 am classes Monday through Friday, and I rarely wake up earlier than an hour before class.

What I usually do is make a variant of Swedish hardtack/crisp bread that my mom taught me.  It’s incredibly simple, fast, and is tender rather than crisp.  I'll typically make a batch once a week and store it in a large zip lock bag.


The original recipe that my mom taught me was as follows:

preheat oven to 425° F

• 1 cup water
• 3 tbsp. vegetable oil
• 3 tbsp. honey
• 3 cups rye flour
• 1/4 tsp. salt

Knead mixture into a dough, making sure everything is evenly incorporated.  Roll thin to about the thickness of a graham cracker.  Prick with the tines of a fork all over, flip mass over and prick all over again.  Cut into 5 x 3 pieces, and place on a lightly greased baking pan.  Bake for 8 - 10 minutes.
This forms a thin tender cracker that will keep for a long time if stored properly. 

I used to grab about 2 - 3 of these and a cup of coffee before class, and they do a pretty good job as a quick breakfast or snack while studying.  They are also good if you toast them and spread cream cheese or honey on them.

I usually use whole wheat flour instead due to a higher protein content (actually dark rye flour generally about the same protein content as whole wheat, but I hate dark rye), and use butter instead of vegetable oil. I also like to add a teaspoon of vanilla extract and some brown sugar.  This is about the most basic recipe ever so it’s very easy to alter. I tried mixing in some almond meal once also, which was harder to knead and made a crumbly end product, but tasted pretty good.  I've never tried this, but my mom told me that if you knead crushed ice into the dough and cook at a lower temperature for significantly longer, you will get a crispy wafer like product.  Like traditional crisp bread.

After having this for breakfast every weekday for nearly 2 years I've started to get tired of it.  Additionally, being a bread product, they don't have the protein content I want unless I spread something on them.  I was wondering if anyone had an idea for an easy breakfast I could use.

[Edith]

Do you have a blender? If so, dump some frozen fruit, whey protein, and milk or yogurt into it, pour it into a glass, fill the blender with water so it won't be so hard to clean up later, and drink your smoothie on the way to class.

I should start doing that again. I used to do it every day, and it was great.


I also find hardboiled eggs to be pretty quick. Cover an egg with water and turn the stove on while you shower. By the time you're ready, so is your egg. Run cold water on it until you can handle it, peel it and take a bite. Add a dash of hot sauce and finish it up. I usually have a glass of milk with my egg.

[-Karamazov-]

I do have a blender, and I do make shakes like that occasionally.  However I prefer to eat my breakfast instead of drink it.  I think hard boiled eggs are also quick, and I sometimes make them when I get tired of hardtack, but its hardly the class friendly food.  They leave shell fragments everywhere, and I don't eat the yolk which smells if left out to long.

[Boro_Bandito]

you dont *gasp* eat the yolk?!? But that's...that's the b-best p-p-p-part....

[Slick]

I used to start boiling some eggs before I start doing my dishes after supper, then peel them that night and store them in the fridge in a plastic container. Avoids the shell problem, but not your yolk smell problem.

For a while when I worked an office job, I would make my lunch the night before since I'd never want to make it in the morning, the sleep in and not have time for breakfast, then eat my sandwiches for breakfast and go out for lunch. Which is just to say a cold-cut sandwich is not that bad for breakfast, especially if you toast it when you make it and then microwave it at school if you can.

[yelley]

you dont *gasp* eat the yolk?!? But that's...that's the b-best p-p-p-part....

i find the yolk to white ratio to be too high, so when eating hardboiled eggs i usually only eat maybe a third of the yolk of each one. same goes when i make egg salad... most of the yolk just gets thrown out.

[-Karamazov-]

I agree, there just to much yolk.  I don't like its texture when hard boiled.  Plus a single egg yolk can contain two-thirds of the recommended daily recommended value of cholesterol.  That is just too much.

[Beren]

Hummus is good at any time of day. Or night. Red Pepper Hummus and pita.

[gospel]

It's only really cheaper if you buy in bulk and freeze (especially meats). Cooking is, no doubt, a luxury compared to the cheaper alternatives of eating out. It's really about learning something because you want to and because the stuff cooked outside is generally really unhealthy. Eating healthy, even out, is usually expensive too. 

I do not agree with you. I do not think cooking is a luxury compared to eating out. $6 a meal times two and a half meals a day seven days a week is $105. I can make two sandwiches for maybe three bucks. Frozen juice is dirt cheap. Pork chops, rice, and carrot sticks is a dead simple meal and that's under $6 a head. I spend $50-$60 a week on groceries eating light breakfasts and good suppers.
I don't think your point about buying in bulk and freezing is valid either. I mean, yes, if you buy a weeks worth of groceries in a go, you should freeze the meat you're not eating that day. That's common sense. Buying a pack of four chicken breasts and eating them one or two at a time is hardly buying bulk.

This is true. I fail to consider I usually don't eat breakfast beyond some toast and maybe an egg and lunch is usually a sandwich. For some reason cooking was stuck in dinner mode in my head. But, actually looking at the math, you're absolutely right.

[abadname]

On Tuesday I made lemon pepper chicken with garlic green beans and potatoes with peppers and onions.  It was good, really simple comfort food.

Then I just finished making chicken stuffed organic bell peppers.  I really enjoyed that because I made it really southwestern style.

[gospel]

Thanks, now I miss my short trip to Arizona and New Mexico.

WTB authentic SW cooking recipes.

[Scandanavian War Machine]

Do you have a blender? If so, dump some frozen fruit, whey protein, and milk or yogurt into it, pour it into a glass, fill the blender with water so it won't be so hard to clean up later, and drink your smoothie on the way to class.

I should start doing that again. I used to do it every day, and it was great.

this, plus a couple Psilocybe cubensis, and you've got yourself a psychedelic breakfast on the go!

hmmm 

[Edith]

Best soup I've ever made:
Saute until translucent in 2 T olive oil: 1 onion, 6 cloves garlic
Add 1 tetrapak chicken broth, 3 potatoes peeled & diced, and 2 medium butternut squash. Simmer for 45 min. Use an immersion blender until soup is smooth. Add 5 T butter and 1 c. Fat free sour cream. Top with cheddar cheese.
Yum yum. It's good as soup or served over vermicelli.

[Beren]

I am interested in this business of squash in soup. There seems very little else to do with squash, sometimes.

[Inlander]

Speaking of soups, tonight I successfully made a recipe idea I've been thinking about for a while now: chilled tomato soup with ginger. The ingredients were:

- Tomatoes (peeled, chopped)
- Fresh ginger (grated)
- Carrot (diced)
- Salt (a pinch)
- Water (just a dash, to thin out the soup as desired)
- Fenugreek (ground)
- Olive oil (just a little)
- Fresh coriander leaves (chopped).

Use whatever quantities you think you'll need. In a saucepan, heat the olive oil and cook the carrot in it. Then add the tomatoes, salt, ginger, and fenugreek, and the water if necessary, put the lid on the saucepan and cook over a medium heat until - well, until it's cooked. Until the tomatoes are mushy. Transfer the mixture from the saucepan into a container of some kind - a metal bowl is good. Let it cool, then put it in a blender and blend it until it's smooth. Return it to the metal bowl, then put it in the freezer until it's chilled. Serve, garnished with the coriander.

This was a really, really delicious soup.

[Boro_Bandito]

I've always been wary of chilled soups, for some reason it just feels wrong for it to be anything other than piping hot when you eat it. Though I think there's been a couple times when I've had a savory cold soup and enjoyed it, can't remember what kind it was though.

[Inlander]

They're good when the day is already piping hot: you need to eat something for dinner, but you don't want something too filling and you don't want something hot.

[Slick]

Are we bragging about accomplishments? I just made croissant. Pretty great. As soon as butter's on sale again I'll buy a whole bunch and make croissant to freeze.
Next time I will not botch it up by rushing the turns, and I'll let them rise more.
Having the power of croissant at my disposal is intoxicating.

[Inlander]

Next you need to master the brioche.

[Barmymoo]

Particularly in this economic climate, yes.

[Edith]

Cooked for the chef today.

So the meal I ended up making was brunch. I made omelets (with cheddar, baby zucchini, sauteed onions and ham), baked grits, and shredded potatoes. I meant to make bacon but I forgot to get it out of the freezer last night. The potatoes were a little wetter than I would have liked, but they tasted fine. He put hot sauce on everything, complimented and thanked me for it all, and went back for seconds on the grits.

Later in the day we had a late lunch/early supper of takeout sushi, which we took to a park and ate at picnic tables while dodging bees.

[-Karamazov-]

Today I can into an assortment of raw and roasted chicken bones and meat, and I decided to make a chicken stock.  I have about a gallon and a half of chicken stock on the stove, its been simmering for 2 hours so far.  I was wondering if anyone had a good recipe for stew I could make.  I'm looking for something that's easy to cook in a dorm kitchen, and can feed four people.

[Edith]

Oh, man, just add some vegetables. That sounds so delicious already.

Carrots, onions, celery, turnips, potatoes, cabbage...anything you like, really. Maybe throw a half-cup of raw rice in there, or a handful of pasta noodles, and keep simmering it until you like the texture of everything in it.

I am jealous of your chicken stock.

[jhocking]

Hey guys, would you consider the terms "rare," "medium," and "well-done" to be descriptions of temperature? tommy just confused me in another thread.

[Edith]

Technically, they refer to color, but color is directly correlated to temperature.

I read that, and I think Tommy was trying to be funny.

[nobo]

Do you have access to a crock pot?

Toss in 4 chicken breasts, carrots, onion, celery, potatoes, rice, and then cover it with the stock. After a few hours you can shred the chicken with a fork and you'll end up with a pretty solid chicken and rice soup.


and yes. rare, medium and well-done refer to the temperature in the center of the meat.

source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Temperature_(meat)

[nobo]

Yes, it refers to color, but the chef/cook isn't going to cut into a steak to see its color which is why they use a meat thermometer to judge doneness

[-Karamazov-]

Oh, man, just add some vegetables. That sounds so delicious already.

Carrots, onions, celery, turnips, potatoes, cabbage...anything you like, really. Maybe throw a half-cup of raw rice in there, or a handful of pasta noodles, and keep simmering it until you like the texture of everything in it.

I am jealous of your chicken stock.

Actually, its about 9:00 pm right now so I am not planning on cooking tonight.  I'm making the stock ahead of time and either freezing it or storing it in the fridge.  I don't know how well chicken stock freezes, my cookbook and mom say that as long as its in several containers it should be fine.  I am actually going to freeze it in a couple ice cube trays, and storing them.  I'll probably use most of it in a stew or soup, but any extra stock cubes could be just added to a sauce or something for some quick flavor.

Do you have access to a crock pot?

Toss in 4 chicken breasts, carrots, onion, celery, potatoes, rice, and then cover it with the stock. After a few hours you can shred the chicken with a fork and you'll end up with a pretty solid chicken and rice soup.

My roommate has a crock pot.  How do you think it would taste if included some diced tomatoes or a can of tomato paste into the stew?

[Edith]

It freezes great; your cookbook and mom are right.

I like to freeze soup in ziplock bags, actually.

[nobo]

I don't know. I've never tossed tomatoes in mine. I've been aching for some tomato soup though. I don't think experimenting would hurt.

[-Karamazov-]

I think I know what I am going to do.  I found a recipe on the food network here.  I'll have to substitute the chicken broth for the stock I made (I prefer chicken stock anyway), and I would probably add more than a tablespoon of tomato paste.  Also, I was surprised this contained no garlic, so I would defiantly add a couple cloves.  It sounds like something everyone here would like.

Chicken Stew
Recipe courtesy Giada De Laurentiis

Cook Time: 35 minutes
Yield: 4 - 6 servings

Ingredients:

[0] 2 tablespoons olive oil

• 2 stalks celery, cut into bite-size pieces
[0] 1 carrot, peeled, cut into bite-size pieces

• 1 small onion, chopped
[0] Salt and freshly ground black pepper

• 1 (14 1/2-ounce) can chopped tomatoes
[0] 1 (14-ounce) can low-salt chicken broth

• 1/2 cup fresh basil leaves, torn into pieces
[0] 1 tablespoon tomato paste

• 1 bay leaf
[0] 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme leaves

• 2 chicken breast with ribs (about 1 1/2 pounds total)
[0] 1 (15-ounce) can organic kidney beans, drained (rinsed if not organic)

   

Directions

Heat the oil in a heavy 5 1/2-quart saucepan over medium heat. Add the celery, carrot, and onion. Saute the vegetables until the onion is translucent, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Stir in the tomatoes with their juices, chicken broth, basil, tomato paste, bay leaf, and thyme. Add the chicken breasts; press to submerge.

Bring the cooking liquid to a simmer. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer gently uncovered until the chicken is almost cooked through, turning the chicken breasts over and stirring the mixture occasionally, about 25 minutes. Using tongs, transfer the chicken breasts to a work surface and cool for 5 minutes. Discard the bay leaf. Add the kidney beans to the pot and simmer until the liquid has reduced into a stew consistency, about 10 minutes.

Discard the skin and bones from the chicken breasts. Shred or cut the chicken into bite- size pieces. Return the chicken meat to the stew. Bring the stew just to a simmer. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

Ladle the stew into serving bowls and serve with the bread.

Serving suggestion: crusty bread

Anyone have any additions they think would go well with this?

[nobo]

Does that recipe have a name?

And a grilled cheese + bacon sandwich would go great with that

[gospel]

I never tried making cookies besides out of a tube, since I adamantly despise baking. I gave my crack at some pumpkin cookies. The recipe was a lot softer of a cookie than I had ever had before--almost like a cake. Many people will be have diabetes forced upon them tomorrow.




And, now I want soup. Thanks jackasses!

[pwhodges]

Hey guys, would you consider the terms "rare," "medium," and "well-done" to be descriptions of temperature? tommy just confused me in another thread.

Rareness is (lack of) doneness.  Meat that hasn't been cooked to as high a temperature will be less done, so rarer. 

However, even a rare steak needs to be done on the outside to seal the juices in, and to give a contrast in taste; and the way to get the outside done but leave the inside rare is to cook at a higher temperature for a shorter time. 

If the steak is a good bit of fillet, I like mine Bleu, please - in France I have had them query the order on the basis that (a) I couldn't possibly know what I was going to get, and (b) no Englishman could possibly want that anyway.

[october1983]

Man adds anchovies to mashed potatoes, wins Nobel prize

So, I tried this today and fuck yes, that is amazing. You are a genius. My anchovies also came in a garlic and herb oil and so it was incredible. I guess my only concern is what to serve it with. It kind of overpowered the breaded lemon sole I cooked tonight. How was it with the stew?

[Boro_Bandito]

I'm afraid of anchovies, so I can't see how that's such a good idea.

[Barmymoo]

Don't click here.

[Boro_Bandito]

As in eating them. I admit they aren't much to look at either, but I'm not going to run screaming from the room by a big ol' pile o' an-choh-veez.