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Author Topic: A Cooking Thread?  (Read 457673 times)

hedgie

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Re: A Cooking Thread?
« Reply #2150 on: 14 Oct 2016, 23:36 »

Well, no food pr0n, but between the local Asian market and farmer's market, made a nice stir fry.  I used pork for hotpot (nice and thinly sliced, although any protein source would work), 3 baby bok choi, 2 small white onions, 3 small green bell peppers, a couple handfuls of bean sprouts, 3 cloves of garlic, several sliced Thai chillis (these weren't all that hot), fresh ginger, five spice, fish sauce (1 tsp), 1 persimmon (all I had, I should have used two), and a couple tbsp of oyster sauce. 

The pork was thin enough that I just threw everything in there at once, so the veggies would remain crispy when it all cooked.  Should have used a bit more ginger and five spice, but it still turned out pretty good.
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Re: A Cooking Thread?
« Reply #2151 on: 02 Nov 2016, 10:39 »

This year I've been doing two things on my gas grill.
Making Pizza
and
Deep Frying.

The pros of this are 1) you don't have a 600º F oven heating up your house in the summer. and 2) deep frying in the house is hella messy. It's like if they had a flavored spray oil called "burnt" and you just covered everything in your kitchen and adjacent rooms with it. Outside with a big lodge cast iron skillet, it's great.
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Re: A Cooking Thread?
« Reply #2152 on: 13 Mar 2017, 13:38 »

Cooked steaks for myself and Partner for the first time and I'm pretty chuffed. The steak was high quality which helped a lot but other than only owning a tiny pan making it a little awkward, cooking it was a lot easier than I expected.

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Re: A Cooking Thread?
« Reply #2153 on: 19 Apr 2017, 11:55 »

Think I've found my new favourite recipe. Super simple, garlic and lemon chicken. Getting a slow cooker was a great move.

TheEvilDog

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Re: A Cooking Thread?
« Reply #2154 on: 20 Apr 2017, 21:26 »

Saturday, didn't want to go out and I didn't want to order any take-out.

I ended up looking around for what I had and ended up making a pizza with a pesto base, topped with mozzarella, cheddar, bacon and shredded duck breast.

And you know what? It was pretty damned tasty!

Also bought a cast iron griddle pan and I'm loving the way it's cooking steaks now, like much better than in a normal pan.
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Re: A Cooking Thread?
« Reply #2155 on: 27 Apr 2017, 22:13 »

I tried making Bolo de Rolo (a Brazilian style of roll cake) again. It was a disaster, but it was less of a disaster than the last time I tried making it, so I think that's progress.
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Ignominious

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Re: A Cooking Thread?
« Reply #2156 on: 15 May 2017, 12:38 »

I'm making rhubarb and red onion chutney and the house smells amazing. This may be the greatest thing I've ever made.
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Re: A Cooking Thread?
« Reply #2157 on: 03 Aug 2017, 09:42 »

We've continued our experiments with chicken and duck and have determined the following when it comes to either bird:

- letting the skin dry properly, for over a day, is crucial to getting the crispiest skin. Baking powder helps.

- properly loosen the skin from the meat. Easiest to just use your fingers. Gloves are useful.

- cook vertically in a convection oven for the best skin (lets fat drip out properly) or spatchcocked placed over vegetables of your choice for greatest speed and convenience.

- salt properly

- injecting flavored brine into the meat is often worth it.

- apply a dry rub under the skin

As for fish, I have decided that almost all fish dishes, whether raw or cooked, taste better with a little brining/curing.

We eat a lot more vegetarian dishes than we used to. Observations forthcoming.

We've also realized that wheat starch is optional (sort of) when making dumplings. Potato starch and tapioca starch will give you a decent dough. These first ones didn't come out as translucent as the rest of the batch but by the time those were ready I was too hungry to take photos.

« Last Edit: 03 Aug 2017, 10:11 by Aimless »
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Metope

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Re: A Cooking Thread?
« Reply #2158 on: 08 Aug 2017, 20:50 »

Today I brought home made pizza for lunch at work, and everyone were amazed? Especially by the home made dough??? Several people asked me why I didn't just buy a pre-made dough from the store, and I'm like... why would I waste extra time and money at the store when I have all ingredients at home at any time?

I guess i'm generalizing, but this would never happen in Europe. Is this an American thing? Making basic things from scratch is so simple, and nobody here seems to do it. Why not?
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Re: A Cooking Thread?
« Reply #2159 on: 09 Aug 2017, 03:57 »

Maybe they don't know how or lack the confidence to try following a recipe. I cook a lot but anything involving dough usually gives me pause, I feel like there are a lot of ways you can do it wrong.
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Re: A Cooking Thread?
« Reply #2160 on: 12 Aug 2017, 11:58 »

Blank pizza bases are a thing in UK shops so I can say with a fair degree of certainty that it would happen here.

I think part of it is that pizza is mainly concieved of as a fast food so the idea of making it from scratch is a bit outside of people's cooking imagination.

I just made walnut and rocket pesto. Its awesome and incredibly easy.
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Aimless

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Re: A Cooking Thread?
« Reply #2161 on: 16 Aug 2017, 16:10 »

Cauliflower rice: I thought it was just a gimmicky bullshit fad but goddamn is it ever so tasty and also fun to make. Remove the stems from the florets and use the largest grater attachment on your food processor, it takes approximately 1 min to make enough for 2 people. Lightly stir-fry or steam with onions and mushrooms for added flavor.

Eggs: steamer basket in a small saucepan with a small amount of boiling water, 7 minutes and then cooled as fast as possible (we just run cold water over it for a while). Perfectly set whites that aren't rubbery, perfect yolks that are just a tiny bit runny in the center, super easy to peel (tap each end hard and then the shell practically slides off on its own).

Fish: also surprisingly easy and tasty to steam. Salt, like, a LOT, let rest for up to 3 mins depending on your preferred consistency, wash off thoroughly, place in a steamer basket on top of mushrooms, onions or vegetables of your choice, maybe add a little soy sauce and then steam (lid on) for a few minutes (like 4 mins maximum). Serve with aforementioned cauliflower rice or green beans sautéed in canola and/or sesame-seed oil over high heat until they begin to brown a little bit (I don't even like green beans but they taste delicious cooked this way, even if they're frozen). If the fish is already prepped this takes 5-10 mins of active work, if not it takes a few minutes more in addition to the time it takes to cure the fish.

If you have a whole boneless side of fish eg. salmon, and you don't wanna bother with cutting it into portions, cure it, rinse thoroughly, place it skin-side up on a lightly oiled oven-proof tray (maybe with a few sprigs of rosemary underneath if you have it) and then chuck it into the oven. Turn on broiler and set it to max, keep an eye on the fish and when the skin begins to char a little (10 mins in our old oven), remove it from the oven. The skin comes right off, the fish is still juicy and you can serve it with the green beans you just sauteed while the fish cooked.

Our weeknight meals have become both much less complicated and time-consuming as well as much more satisfying. Two people can make varied, flavorful and healthy meals with less than 15 mins of active work and not too much mess.

tl;dr: cauliflower rice = good, steaming = good, curing/dry-brining fish = good.
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Aimless

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Re: A Cooking Thread?
« Reply #2162 on: 16 Aug 2017, 16:16 »

Today I brought home made pizza for lunch at work, and everyone were amazed? Especially by the home made dough??? Several people asked me why I didn't just buy a pre-made dough from the store, and I'm like... why would I waste extra time and money at the store when I have all ingredients at home at any time?

I guess i'm generalizing, but this would never happen in Europe. Is this an American thing? Making basic things from scratch is so simple, and nobody here seems to do it. Why not?

I have wondered about this myself. I don't quite get the meal kit craze that's sweeping across the US but it seems to be related to these views. On the other hand, you also get the other extreme, with people making almost everything from scratch and taking a great deal of time making their food to perfection.

As for dough, I have very little confidence in my dough-making abilities whereas my wife always makes perfect doughs no matter what it is. The one dough I've had success with are the variations on no-knead doughs that you can keep in the fridge for days and just use a little every day to make rolls or pizza in 30 mins (not quite as good for pizza but still good).
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Tova

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Re: A Cooking Thread?
« Reply #2163 on: 21 Aug 2017, 04:33 »

We've continued our experiments with chicken [snip]

I have recently come to the conclusion that the only way in the future I will roast a chicken is after butterflying it.

You can blast it at a higher temperature. Everything comes out juicy and nice, even the breasts (they seem less prone to overcooking), and the skin comes out nice and crisp. Put it on a rack elevated at least to the height of your pan so that the hot air can circulate around it easily.

I like to loosen the skin and stuff herbs and butter underneath it.

The backbone, having been cut out during the butterflying, can be chopped up and used as the basis of a jus.
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Cornelius

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Re: A Cooking Thread?
« Reply #2164 on: 21 Aug 2017, 04:43 »

Today I brought home made pizza for lunch at work, and everyone were amazed? Especially by the home made dough??? Several people asked me why I didn't just buy a pre-made dough from the store, and I'm like... why would I waste extra time and money at the store when I have all ingredients at home at any time?

I guess i'm generalizing, but this would never happen in Europe. Is this an American thing? Making basic things from scratch is so simple, and nobody here seems to do it. Why not?

I have wondered about this myself. I don't quite get the meal kit craze that's sweeping across the US but it seems to be related to these views. On the other hand, you also get the other extreme, with people making almost everything from scratch and taking a great deal of time making their food to perfection.

As for dough, I have very little confidence in my dough-making abilities whereas my wife always makes perfect doughs no matter what it is. The one dough I've had success with are the variations on no-knead doughs that you can keep in the fridge for days and just use a little every day to make rolls or pizza in 30 mins (not quite as good for pizza but still good).

I can say it happens over here as well. The point that's been made about people seeing pizza as fast food is definitely playing a part in it. However, I notice that fewer people seem to have a grasp of the basics, and think it's just too much bother.

On the other hand, I find that, try as I will, puff pastry comes out better if I buy it pre-made.

Doughs can be tricky; humidity and temperature play more of a role than most people realise. Also kneading it thorougly, I find to be a key element in many doughs, where you should keep kneading at twice as long as you think is right. Then again, kneading too much can be equally bad. The point is that baking really is science for hungry people, as there's quite a bit of bio-chemistry going on behind the screens - with unsurprisingly similar processes as when brewing.
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Tova

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Re: A Cooking Thread?
« Reply #2165 on: 21 Aug 2017, 05:48 »

There's always no-knead pizza base...
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Cornelius

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Re: A Cooking Thread?
« Reply #2166 on: 22 Aug 2017, 04:54 »

Meh... kneading is half the fun, really. A good way to vent any frustration as well. You get to be as violent as you like, and you end up with something nice to eat.
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Re: A Cooking Thread?
« Reply #2167 on: 23 Aug 2017, 19:18 »

I mean for people who find the whole concept of kneaded yeasted dough to be a little intimidating.
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TheEvilDog

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Re: A Cooking Thread?
« Reply #2168 on: 23 Aug 2017, 19:22 »

I have a need to knead!

Or is this on a knead to know basis?

Sorry, sorry, I'm a weirdough. I'll stop now.
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Re: A Cooking Thread?
« Reply #2169 on: 23 Aug 2017, 21:56 »

I have recently come to the conclusion that the only way in the future I will roast a chicken is after butterflying it.

Yeah! That's what I meant when I said "spatchcocked" :) I remove the wishbone as well.
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Tova

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Re: A Cooking Thread?
« Reply #2170 on: 23 Aug 2017, 22:05 »

Ah! I rarely see that term used, so I completely overlooked it.
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Re: A Cooking Thread?
« Reply #2171 on: 25 Aug 2017, 05:39 »

Are there any professionals in the desserts? I want to know how to make some simple desserts, something that does not take hours :-)
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Ignominious

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Re: A Cooking Thread?
« Reply #2172 on: 25 Aug 2017, 12:28 »

Short for overall time or just short for prep time?

Also, what sort of desserts do you generally like?
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Cornelius

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Re: A Cooking Thread?
« Reply #2173 on: 28 Aug 2017, 02:21 »

If you want something quick, you can always go with a sabayon. Despite what many people say, as long as you measure right, and don't have your fire too high, it's hard to mess up.

For two people, take three egg yolks. Per yolk, add a spoon of sugar, and an equivalent amount of your alcoholic beverage of choice. Whisk over a low fire, until it starts to stick at the bottom, and the movements of your whisk stay visible in the mixture.

Serve with red fruit.

Traditionally it's made with marsala, and you can try other wines, or even beer; Kriek and framboise work surprisingly well. I'd suggest using lighter and fruitier wines, as too much tannin is not a good thing for this recipe. Sparkling wines (champagne, prosecco, cava, and what have you) can work well. If done right, you shouldn't have alcohol in the dessert.
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Re: A Cooking Thread?
« Reply #2174 on: 29 Aug 2017, 03:50 »

We've continued our experiments with chicken and duck and have determined the following when it comes to either bird:

- letting the skin dry properly, for over a day, is crucial to getting the crispiest skin. Baking powder helps.

- properly loosen the skin from the meat. Easiest to just use your fingers. Gloves are useful.

- cook vertically in a convection oven for the best skin (lets fat drip out properly) or spatchcocked placed over vegetables of your choice for greatest speed and convenience.

- salt properly

- injecting flavored brine into the meat is often worth it.

- apply a dry rub under the skin

As for fish, I have decided that almost all fish dishes, whether raw or cooked, taste better with a little brining/curing.

We eat a lot more vegetarian dishes than we used to. Observations forthcoming.

We've also realized that wheat starch is optional (sort of) when making dumplings. Potato starch and tapioca starch will give you a decent dough. These first ones didn't come out as translucent as the rest of the batch but by the time those were ready I was too hungry to take photos.



Can I get a recipe before I start drooling?
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Re: A Cooking Thread?
« Reply #2175 on: 30 Aug 2017, 00:18 »

The dessert that I can think of that offers the most satisfaction for ease of making has to be crumble. Infinitely variable and difficult to make badly unless you're going down the road of making your own custard.
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Welu

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Re: A Cooking Thread?
« Reply #2176 on: 31 Aug 2017, 14:36 »

My go to dessert is cheesecake. No baking required, minimal work time but you gotta wait for it to set a bit in the fridge.

Basically double cream, cream cheese (Philadelphia seems to work best), bit of vanilla flavouring and icing sugar. All shoved in a bowl and mixed/whipped till the mixture holds little peaks when you pull out the mixer. You can throw in melted chocolate, cocoa powder, lemon juice or Baileys or pretty much anything for extra flavouring.
Base is crushed Hobnobs with a bit of melted butter pressed into your dish and left to set in the fridge or freezer for a while. I usually do about thirty minutes in the freezer. Then when it's at least semi-solid, make the creamy bit and put it in. Can put grated chocolate or sprinkles or whatever topping on top. Put the whole thing back in the fridge for an hour or two to set more and munch.

I tend to not wait long enough and the base will be really crumbly but it tastes good.

Here's a recipe pretty close to how I do it for measurement refs.  I've made it so much I tend to eyeball this one nowadays.

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Re: A Cooking Thread?
« Reply #2177 on: 31 Aug 2017, 17:32 »

Do jello shots count as dessert? Asking for a friend.
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Re: A Cooking Thread?
« Reply #2178 on: 31 Aug 2017, 22:28 »

For my cheesecake base, I use digestives and gingernuts in a 2.5:1 ratio.
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Re: A Cooking Thread?
« Reply #2179 on: 10 Sep 2017, 11:39 »

Lightly cured salmon belly (salt heavily, rinse thoroughly after ca 30 mins, soak in mix of white wine or rice vinegar & nice balsamico, water and a little sugar or syrup), ponzu sauce & toasted hazelnuts, served on cold shirataki noodles with grated daikon, scallions and pickled chili. Ponzu sauce is reasonably easy to make apart from difficulties finding yuzu. We substituted lemon & lime, both juice and zest. Flavored with grated daikon and scallions, it makes for a very tasty condiment that goes well with stronger flavored proteins such as tuna or beef. Shirataki noodles are great whether cold or hot--practically no calories, great texture & consistency, almost impossible to overcook--but in this case they were a bit of a distraction.



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Welu

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Re: A Cooking Thread?
« Reply #2180 on: 14 Sep 2017, 14:22 »

Lovely photos. Looks delicious.

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Re: A Cooking Thread?
« Reply #2181 on: 15 Sep 2017, 06:01 »

For my cheesecake base, I use digestives and gingernuts in a 2.5:1 ratio.

Oh.....

Oh my....!



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Re: A Cooking Thread?
« Reply #2182 on: 17 Sep 2017, 08:26 »

We've got a bit of a glut of apples at the moment so I tried my hand at apple and rosemary (also from our garden) butter.

First reports, this stuff is amazing. Now googling all the other butters, curds and cheeses you can make with apples.
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Re: A Cooking Thread?
« Reply #2183 on: 17 Sep 2017, 13:50 »

We've got a bit of a glut of apples at the moment so I tried my hand at apple and rosemary (also from our garden) butter.

I've never tried that with rosemary! We usually just use cinnamon and lemon-zest. Given that we mostly eat it with meat, I imagine rosemary would be an excellent addition :)
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Re: A Cooking Thread?
« Reply #2184 on: 18 Sep 2017, 07:26 »

It was good last night with roast chicken and again today in my cheese sandwich.

The original recipe that I was working from called for sage but our bush got a but overrun this summer. Might try that soon though.

This evening I might have a crack at apple lemon curd if I can find my round tuits. If I do a big batch I can see about adding cardamom to one of the jars. For the funsies like.
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Re: A Cooking Thread?
« Reply #2185 on: 23 Sep 2017, 17:44 »

Supreme Fried Okra
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Heat the olive oil on medium, bring to a simmer. Peel and press the garlic cloves. Coin and cube the zucchini. Once the oil is simmering, add the vegetables and garlic. Turn up to medium-high heat and stir occassionally until cooked.
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Re: A Cooking Thread?
« Reply #2186 on: 26 Oct 2017, 23:34 »

It was very impressed by Testogen last night with roast chicken and again today in my cheese sandwich.

The original recipe that I was working from called for sage but our bush got a but overrun this summer. Might try that soon though.

This evening I might have a crack at apple lemon curd if I can find my round tuits. If I do a big batch I can see about adding cardamom to one of the jars. For the funsies like.

That's not food, that's art. I wish I had the creativity to arrange stuff like that. Going to give the recipe a try anyway.
« Last Edit: 02 Oct 2021, 01:49 by Drummond »
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LTK

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Re: A Cooking Thread?
« Reply #2187 on: 28 Oct 2017, 14:33 »

So I hear Russet potatoes are very popular in the US. I often see recipes that ask for Russet Burbank potatoes, but they don't seem to be sold in any supermarket, although a quick search indicates fast food restaurants use them for fries, which doesn't help. It made me wonder what they actually taste like - not as fries, but simply boiled in water. But then I thought, if someone asked me to describe the taste of a potato, what would I even say? It's not like I have many points of comparison. Other nightshade vegetables? They're nothing like tomatoes, eggplants, or peppers. Other root vegetables? They're nothing like carrots, onions, or ginger. Yams? I've never even eaten yams plain, but I guess they come closest.

So I put the question to you: how would you describe the taste of a potato?
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Ignominious

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Re: A Cooking Thread?
« Reply #2188 on: 29 Oct 2017, 13:18 »

What type of potato? Different varieties have different flavours.

As a general rule I find that pototoes taste lightly of the smell of earth. From there you get three broad categories. Reds and blacks tend to have varying amounts of nuttiness to them, typically almond, hazel or cashew. Yellows and oranges have a sweetness similar to that which you would get from apple or pale squash. Whites are the plainest but can have a dairy cream flavour. They're also more prone to picking up elements of the soil they were grown in.

Incidentally, there's a wonderful dish for mash potato where you reserve a small amount of the boiling water, enough to cover the base of the pan and add chopped, peeled apples. Once they get fluffy, return the potato with butter and single cream and mash. About 70/30 potato apple ratio. In Germany its called Himmel und Erde (heaven and earth). Very tasty.
« Last Edit: 29 Oct 2017, 13:27 by Ignominious »
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LTK

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Re: A Cooking Thread?
« Reply #2189 on: 29 Oct 2017, 16:07 »

Ah, I once met a German girl who made something like that for Christmas dinner and called it Bavarian potato salad. It was quite good!

I basically only know the taste of one potato variety, which is all that gets sold in the supermarkets, albeit in three different kinds: kruimig (crumby), vastkokend (solid-cooking) and vrij vastkokend, which is an in-between. Basically a measure of how easily the potato falls apart after boiling. If I carefully look at my potato bag I can see that it says Solist, but I can't easily find mention of that as a potato variety, so I don't know.

The potatoes have thin, lightly tan skin and are yellow on the inside. Fresh potatoes are very moist and when you cut them in half, the liquid stains your fingers white. They take about twenty minutes to boil, at which point you can break them apart with a fork. They have a slightly earthy taste and a creamy mouthfeel, but I'd call them more starchy than sweet.

There's a traditional Dutch dish called hutspot, which I could translate as hodgepot as it's just a hodgepodge in a pot. You basically boil carrots, onions and potatoes in the same pot until they're all tender and then you mash them together with some milk and butter. The end result has a strongly characteristic taste that none of the ingredients achieve on their own. Good with a smoked sausage and some nutmeg. I should make that again soon.
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I just got the image of a midwife and a woman giving birth swinging towards each other on a trapeze - when they meet, the midwife pulls the baby out. The knife juggler is standing on the floor and cuts the umbilical cord with a a knifethrow.

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Re: A Cooking Thread?
« Reply #2190 on: 29 Oct 2017, 16:13 »

I often mash potatoes with a certain amount of sweet potato and of celeriac added.  Not too much, as they can make the mash go watery.
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Re: A Cooking Thread?
« Reply #2191 on: 29 Oct 2017, 23:49 »

I've I'm roasting or baking anything, I'll often pop boiled celeriac or sweet potato into the oven for a few minutes to dry out a bit before mashing so it comes out firmer.
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TheEvilDog

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Re: A Cooking Thread?
« Reply #2192 on: 30 Oct 2017, 05:51 »

I use a potato ricer when I'm making mash, making for a far creamier end product than using the old masher. But it also depends on the variety available at the time.

Rooster potatoes - Noted for their clean looking russet coloured skins and very shallow eyes. The flesh of the potato is floury and has a deep earthy flavour. I've found they're not the best for mashing, but are best suited to roasting or as a baked potato.
Kerr's Pinks - A late maturing main crop variety which has a pink skin and creamy white flesh with a flourier texture, works well baked or steamed, but again, not very good for mashing.
Queens - An early maturing crop which stands out with its white to yellow skin and white flesh.  It has excellent flavour and floury texture. Good all rounder.
Golden Wonder - like the Rooster, but its skin is more brown than the Rooster's deep red. But its more of an all rounder than the Rooster.
Maris Piper - Golden skin and creamy white flesh with a floury texture. Another good all rounder but best suited for roasting or for chips.
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Cornelius

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Re: A Cooking Thread?
« Reply #2193 on: 31 Oct 2017, 02:00 »

There's a traditional Dutch dish called hutspot, which I could translate as hodgepot as it's just a hodgepodge in a pot. You basically boil carrots, onions and potatoes in the same pot until they're all tender and then you mash them together with some milk and butter. The end result has a strongly characteristic taste that none of the ingredients achieve on their own. Good with a smoked sausage and some nutmeg. I should make that again soon.

In Flanders, we do it a tad differently; first, add turnips, celery and cabbage; when everything is boiled, stew it, and leave out the milk. Add fried fresh bacon and sausage. It's better if you leave it overnight, but then, do not cover the pot, or it might sour faster than you like. Generally, I make a batch, that lasts me about a week. Good cold on bread as well.

Whatever you do, don't follow the Huysentruyt recipe - but that goes for most of his recipes.

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Morituri

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Re: A Cooking Thread?
« Reply #2194 on: 06 Nov 2017, 11:57 »

So anyway, it's a really simple recipe.  I'm writing six times as much here as a cookbook would but that's because I'm naturally verbose.  I make these from time to time, and people like them.

Cheesy Crackers

     Ingredients:
8 oz cheddar cheese (prefer sharp) ~= 250 grams
4 tbsp butter  ~= 75 ml
1 cup flour ~= 250 ml
1 tsp salt ~= 7 ml
1 tsp red pepper ~= 7 ml (I use cayenne - tastes vary)
3 tbsp water ~= 50 ml (unless you use a mild cheddar or "wetter" cheese; possibly more if you use an extra-sharp)

     Implements:
Food Processor
Oven
Refrigerator
Cookie sheet (ideally two)
Parchment paper
Long straight-edged knife
Kitchen scale, measuring spoons


Start with cold ingredients.  Cut cheese into chunks one ounce or smaller. Cut butter into chunks one tablespoon or smaller.  Put all ingredients except water into a food processor and pulse until it resembles a coarse meal.

Sprinkle water into mixture and pulse once or twice more. It'll still look like coarse meal, but now a bit stickier.  Divide dough into halves; each half is about the amount that will cook  as an 11x13 inch (30x32 cm) sheet.  Put it in the fridge to chill for at least ten minutes, and preheat the oven to 350 f (175 c).

Spread dough out on parchment, cover with another sheet of parchment, and roll flat.  It helps to start with very light pressure and gradually increase it once the meal/dough starts sticking together.  Be careful to roll sheets out to even thickness, because if one edge is thinner it will burn before the other edge is done.

You may want to even up the edges by peeling the top parchment off, folding the bottom parchment (and irregular edge of dough) over, then unfolding the bottom parchment, putting the top parchment on again, and rolling it out flat again.

Finally peel off the top parchment, put the bottom parchment and dough onto a cookie pan, and bake. 

It takes 10-20 minutes depending on oven and cracker dough thickness, so watch carefully.  Remove them from the oven when they start to darken.  If you're not at least a little bit worried that they might be burnt, then they aren't done.  Slightly burnt is better than undercooked.

When they come out of the oven, remove parchment and cracker sheet from pan and cut into squares.  A long knife with a straight edge that can reach all the way across the sheet is ideal.  You have about one minute to cut them; after that they'll harden and break instead.

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LTK

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Re: A Cooking Thread?
« Reply #2195 on: 16 Nov 2017, 11:28 »

As much as a hassle it is to figure out US imperial ingredient measures when using online recipes, it's actually worse when the website does a half-assed attempt at converting their measures to metric. So you're telling me to measure 7.39 ml of chili powder, 9.85 ml of cumin and 4.92 ml of coriander. I'll just bust out my 10-μl-accurate pipettes then. And portion powdered ingredients with two decimal points. Imbeciles.
« Last Edit: 16 Nov 2017, 15:33 by LTK »
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Quote from: snalin
I just got the image of a midwife and a woman giving birth swinging towards each other on a trapeze - when they meet, the midwife pulls the baby out. The knife juggler is standing on the floor and cuts the umbilical cord with a a knifethrow.

Ignominious

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Re: A Cooking Thread?
« Reply #2196 on: 16 Nov 2017, 15:19 »

I'm oddly fond of the old American style of measuring in cups and spoons. Utterly ridiculous measures but somehow enjoyable and effective.
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Morituri

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Re: A Cooking Thread?
« Reply #2197 on: 17 Nov 2017, 00:44 »

I actually increased the size of the recipe a littlebit for the metric version because that made the measurements come out more even in metric units.  Even the 7ml, which is the only "odd" number, corresponds to one use each of the standard 5ml and 2ml measuring spoons I have in my set.  And I tested the modified version to make sure it works as well as the original imperial measurements recipe, so ..... ??? 

I don't understand the question.
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Cornelius

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Re: A Cooking Thread?
« Reply #2198 on: 17 Nov 2017, 01:10 »

I think it's more of a general remark, than anything pointed directly at the last recipe.

I do agree, however, that sometimes there are some very strange measurements, when converted from one system to another. Personally, I do like the cup and spoon thing - even if not always very accurate, it gives a decent idea of the proportions.

When it comes to powdered ingredients, I do find it strange to have them expressed in fractions of liters, when the volume is smaller than 1 dl. I much prefer indications like a pinch, a knife tip, tea spoon, table spoon, for general cooking, and by weight for more specialised recipes, in baking and brewing.
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Ignominious

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Re: A Cooking Thread?
« Reply #2199 on: 17 Nov 2017, 06:28 »

I think the exactness is something that comes from having to cater to a broad audience. Those lacking in confidence in their own ability to judge the correct amount of ingredients based on an abstract or imprecise measure will always trump those with the confidence or recklessness to know that these things aren't that important. If you alienate the former, you won't be selling anymore books and to the publishing chef, that's quite important.

Unless you're trying to replicate the sort of fine dining food that attracts high prices and low lighting, accuracy doesn't really carry the sort of importance that gets attached to it, not even in baking. I've followed pastry and cake recipes to the tee and not gotten the desired result and at other times just loosely followed it and made adjustments until the mixture seems right to far greater effect. There is, of course, good reason, as to why the accuracy thing is in all fairness inaccurate. The strain and season of wheat that you're using will likely have different gluten yields from that used when the writer developed the recipe. The eggs from the chickens may have different water content. The sugar and fat content in milk vary's from summer to winter because different feeds are used for the cows. The sugar that you're using may have been derived from beet, not cane. All of this leads to different behaviours of the ingredients in the mixture and cooking processes. Don't get hung up on accuracy, even in baking there's a fairly comfortable margin of tolerance in recipes.
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