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Cooking: Welcome Back to the Good Food Thread.

2456799

Posts

  • tynictynic PICNIC BADASS Registered User, ClubPA regular
  • DouglasDangerDouglasDanger PennsylvaniaRegistered User regular
    Lalabox wrote: »
    So the classic Easter ham... I'm making it. Any secrets or tips? My in-laws like their traditional foods traditional.

    make it so that it comes out of the oven pretty hot and ready to serve.

    try not to use pure sugar on the glaze, as it'll burn a bit more easily. We've mostly used orange marmelade, although I want to try apricot jam. Add some wine, the juices of one orange, and maybe some star annise, and I think you've got everything. maybe some mustard idk

    if the skin is on the ham, and you need to get it off, the way to do it is to go to the lip, and try and separate it from the fat very gently with a knife, and then, once you've got the teensiest bit of separation, to stick your fingers in there, and gently run them from side to side, slowly separating the skin off, without tearing the fat. You might need to start from multiple positions at times, and it can be useful to have a knife or some scissors on hand to remove bits of skin so they aren't in the way anymore.

    Thanks for the advice.

  • TallahasseerielTallahasseeriel Registered User regular
    edited March 2016
    My appetite has been way lower since starting this medicine.

    I'm still going to try that dough recipe this week though if I can get my hands on some instant yeast (I normally keep active dry in the house)

    Also that looks delicious Tynic, what all is in there?

    Tallahasseeriel on
  • DidgeridooDidgeridoo Flighty Dame Registered User regular
    Making this for dinner tonight:

    Morrocan Chicken Stew with Sweet Potatoes

    ed103160_1007_chickenstew_vert.jpg?itok=hhedYnQv


    It's pretty dang tasty! A bit pricey because of the saffron, but easy and delicious. I personally prefer to skip the couscous and instead add a bit more liquid to make it more soupy, but both ways are good.

  • Darth WaiterDarth Waiter Elrond Hubbard Mordor XenuRegistered User regular
    edited March 2016
    Fuck, stupid phone.

    Darth Waiter on
  • Darth WaiterDarth Waiter Elrond Hubbard Mordor XenuRegistered User regular
    Let's try this again ....

    Fresh cut Kentucky green beans, sauteed with butter, seasoned with sea salt and fresh ground black pepper:
    zTKLycGQizr1qrKVXHbnLIZBt1yZOgyy9fvYDGSmP4w%2CypLdWiPPrI5KmNoYkPsRUhDT6NyX_o88SldcEQffP-c?size_mode=5

    My first attempt at Beef Wellington, still in the oven and I can't stop salivating:
    K3_Tn58jrXWF9hYan6s_NFbIqSEW75jBQjPUOv0jV_E%2Cab2NZvzSm0TWGIibQ87XMiGp37UTvOUD0htsb19OMxE?size=1600x1200&size_mode=3

  • tynictynic PICNIC BADASS Registered User, ClubPA regular
    still not working. Did you upload them directly to the forums?

  • Darth WaiterDarth Waiter Elrond Hubbard Mordor XenuRegistered User regular
    tynic wrote: »
    still not working. Did you upload them directly to the forums?

    I used Dropbox and then copied the links. How should I do it from my phone, he asked stupidly.

  • DouglasDangerDouglasDanger PennsylvaniaRegistered User regular
    I use imgur.

  • tynictynic PICNIC BADASS Registered User, ClubPA regular
    If you're on the mobile site, there's a little file icon just above the comment reply box. Click on that, it should let you browse to where your pictures are and upload them directly to the site.

  • Darth WaiterDarth Waiter Elrond Hubbard Mordor XenuRegistered User regular
    edited March 2016
    This isn't fucking working at all.

    Darth Waiter on
  • UnbrokenEvaUnbrokenEva HIGH ON THE WIRE BUT I WON'T TRIP ITRegistered User regular
    They sound delicious, at any rate

  • Darth WaiterDarth Waiter Elrond Hubbard Mordor XenuRegistered User regular
    Fucking finally:

    Beans:
    H9UPyil.jpg

    Beef in Oven:
    PvjqfKP.jpg

    On the slab:
    WVJ8p7m.jpg

    Sliced:
    Ly1WNT3.jpg

    Plated with cranberry sauce:
    eeq4ZXn.jpg

  • UnbrokenEvaUnbrokenEva HIGH ON THE WIRE BUT I WON'T TRIP ITRegistered User regular
    I went to my parents for easter dinne, and I brought roasted Brussels sprouts.

    Goddamn I love roasted Brussels sprouts.

  • TallahasseerielTallahasseeriel Registered User regular
    Oh man that looks like it's delicious.

  • Darth WaiterDarth Waiter Elrond Hubbard Mordor XenuRegistered User regular
    Uriel wrote: »
    Oh man that looks like it's delicious.

    I used a mushroom, garlic and green onion mix for the filling and I'm really happy with how the handmade mustard turned out (vinegar and salt helped to keep it tangy while it cooked).

  • YukiraYukira Registered User regular
    Damn that looks good.

  • StericaSterica Yes Registered User, Moderator mod
    edited March 2016
    Okay, let's deep fry.

    First Rule: You will never ever let oil heat up unsupervised. This is how you get a grease fire and holy shit you do not want to deal with that. You may not even have a fire extinguisher that can put one out, but the good news is that by being a responsible adult you really don't need one! Just watch your temperature and if for whatever reason you have to leave the oil for an extended period of time, then just kill the heat and take the oil off it. If your oil catches fire, do not attempt to use water to put it out. All you will do is launch flaming oil in every direction and probably die a fiery death. If your pot has a lid, then cover the pot, kill the heat, and wait for it to die down. If that is not an option, a chemical fire extinguisher may work, or something like sand to smother the flames. Baking soda also works, but I'm really skeptical the average household has sufficient baking soda for that to work. Maybe just don't start oil fires in the first place.

    You will need: either a pot or a pan, oil, a thermometer, a metal strainer to extract the goods (or metal tongs), whatever you're frying, and cheesecloth (optional, but recommended).

    Deep frying is honestly pretty simple: pour in the oil (enough so whatever you're cooking can swim around aka "A Lot"), heat the oil up to a specific temperature, and then dump in the lovely foods and watch them turn golden brown or whatever color is "done." There's more to it than this, but I want to keep it simple because fundamentally it is simple and there's no reason to be intimidated.

    Oil: generally a high smoke point and neutral flavor. Peanut is my oil of choice, but generic soybean oil ("vegetable oil" in most cases) will be fine. Honestly for starting out you want something cheap that won't burn at lower temps. If you are trying to be heart healthy then olive oil (refined, I believe) is best but your food will taste like olive oil. Olive oil also has a relatively low smoke point, if I'm not mistaken, so watch yourself.

    Thermometer: An instant-read can work, but a thermometer made for watching oil temps is far better since you can just stick it in and keep constant watch of your oil's heat.

    The important things for food prep is to keep the food as dry as possible. It doesn't have to be like...dehydrated, but oil doesn't like water and as it gets hotter you risk some violent reactions if a bunch of water is tossed in the pot. This does not mean a drop of water will cause the whole thing to explode, but you don't want wet food to go in there. As further incentive to keep stuff dry, water will also reduce the temperature of the oil. We don't want that!

    Temperature control is important. As you add stuff to the pot, the food is going to leech heat from the oil and the heat will probably cause water to evaporate from the food, taking heat with it. Your oil that was at 350 degrees may suddenly go down to 320 after a batch goes in, and you also don't want the heat to get too high because of burnt food and the aforementioned murderfires. So keep an eye on the thermometer and a hand on the heat controls.

    Once you are done frying, you will have a bunch of shitty oil you need to deal with. The good news is that oil can be recycled. The bad news is that it's kinda of a pain in the ass and "recycling" is being a bit generous. With a bit of cheesecloth you can filter most of the food bits to ensure that the oil will cook fairly well next time. However, it's not going to get everything, so your oil is going to taste like whatever it was cooked in. For recipes that call for just a bit of oil (or maybe greasing a pan to fry an egg or something) this may be fine, but if you fried fish and then use it to fry some dough...the taste may not be agreeable. You can recycle oil like 2-3 times before you have to throw in the towel. Take the oil to a recycling center or let it cool and toss it in the trash (I think you can also use it on your garden but don't quote me on this). Do not put oil down the drain. It can congeal and cause clogs.

    One last fry tip: for smaller food you can save a bit of oil by using a frying pan over a pot. This will only work for smaller foods (chips, bite-sized portions) but I feel it's worth doing over the pot if you don't feel like buying shitloads of oil.

    These are the mere basics of deep frying. There's obviously finer details that help foodstuffs, but this should be sufficient to prevent you from killing your family in a french fry fire.

    Sterica on
    YL9WnCY.png
  • LalaboxLalabox Registered User regular
    One of my newer housemates has decided that he finally wants to set up his deep fryer in our kitchen and I am dreading everything.

  • NotoriusBENNotoriusBEN Registered User regular
    what's your housemate's cooking experience?

    deep frying is not for the uninitiated. take that outside, at least 6feet from a house wall if the most complex thing they've cooked was mac and cheese

    a4irovn5uqjp.png
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  • KakodaimonosKakodaimonos Code fondler Helping the 1% get richerRegistered User regular
    I'd recommend you don't deep fry with olive oil unless you're absolutely sure you have the right type of olive oil. Extra virgin olive oil has a smoke point of around 320 and trying to to fry at 350 with it is going to be a bad idea.

  • UnbrokenEvaUnbrokenEva HIGH ON THE WIRE BUT I WON'T TRIP ITRegistered User regular
    I don't deep fry, but for other high heat cooking (like steak in a cast iron pan) I like safflower oil as it's smoke point is around 500 degrees

  • tynictynic PICNIC BADASS Registered User, ClubPA regular
    I use rice bran oil for deep-frying, which I can't seem to find here, but looks like safflower and soybean oil have similar smoke points.

  • MorivethMoriveth BREAKDOWN BREAKDOWN BREAKDOWN BREAKDOWNRegistered User regular
    I'd love to get a deep fryer because at least that's a thing specifically designed for frying stuff and at least they're usually equipped to have some sort of drain for the oil.

  • pookapooka Registered User regular
    grapeseeeeeeeeed
    high heat, light flavor

    but i also haven't really paid attention to the nutritional aspects when i'm frying something (in this case, i actually use it for steak-ing the Alton Brown way, in the oven at 500.)

    also, looking for hairdye things and, heh, http://fuckingrecipes.tumblr.com/ reblogged this and omg
    Peach-Clafoutis-with-Vanilla-Creme-Fraiche-HonestlyYUM-640x963.jpg

    i'm not even a peach fan and i want to make this

    lfchwLd.jpg
  • LalaboxLalabox Registered User regular
    what's your housemate's cooking experience?

    deep frying is not for the uninitiated. take that outside, at least 6feet from a house wall if the most complex thing they've cooked was mac and cheese

    He used it a bunch in his old house, and he used to work at Maccas a while back. He knows what he's doing with it. And it's a pretty simple self-contained electric one with a basket thing.

    It's just that our kitchen is already pressed for space, and we don't need even more grease everywhere.

    Also, I'm already not the healthiest person.

  • BedigunzBedigunz Registered User regular
    Moriveth wrote: »
    I'd love to get a deep fryer because at least that's a thing specifically designed for frying stuff and at least they're usually equipped to have some sort of drain for the oil.

    I picked up this one and it works pretty well (though the plug is a little loose).

    http://www.bedbathandbeyond.com/store/product/waring-pro-reg-professional-deep-fryer/1018728303?Keyword=deep+fryer

    cdmAF00.png
    Coran Attack!
  • LalaboxLalabox Registered User regular
    anyone got a good recipe for poached chicken?

  • PolaritiePolaritie Sleepy Registered User regular
    I am so glad there's a thread for this!

    Made bread with yeast for the first time a couple weeks ago... not nearly as hard as I thought (and kneading is really relaxing)

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  • DouglasDangerDouglasDanger PennsylvaniaRegistered User regular
    Can I freeze ham? I have lots of leftovers. I've already made ham salad, and there's at least another two pounds.

  • Blake TBlake T Do you have enemies then? Good. That means you’ve stood up for something, sometime in your life.Registered User regular
    Lalabox wrote: »
    anyone got a good recipe for poached chicken?

    Whole or piece?

  • XaquinXaquin Right behind you!Registered User regular
    Uriel wrote: »
    Sorry to double post and this might be a little off topic but I let my kitchen go for a little too long without cleaning and today I just started my new medication for add so I guess I up and stared cleaning.

    So uh. My stove is kinda grody. What is the best method for getting off some caked in grease short of something like simple green? I guess just a scrubby pad and lots of sweaty scrubbing but my scrubbers are more of the dish scrubbing variety and are absorbing too much oil gunk I think.

    I spray on simple green and let it sit for a few minutes

    then a paper towel will usually get most everything

    a really hot wash cloth will get everything else

  • TallahasseerielTallahasseeriel Registered User regular
    I was out of simple green apparently.

    OR I misplaced it.

    Gonna go ahead and get some and some tougher scrubbies this weekend. Other than that my kitchen is p much totally clean.

  • NoisymunkNoisymunk Registered User regular
    edited March 2016
    Can I freeze ham? I have lots of leftovers. I've already made ham salad, and there's at least another two pounds.

    Yep, portion it up, put it in zip top plastic freezer bags, get as much air out as you can and it should freeze just fine and last for a couple months since it's already cured and cooked.

    Noisymunk on
    brDe918.jpg
  • Darth WaiterDarth Waiter Elrond Hubbard Mordor XenuRegistered User regular
    Uriel wrote: »
    I was out of simple green apparently.

    OR I misplaced it.

    Gonna go ahead and get some and some tougher scrubbies this weekend. Other than that my kitchen is p much totally clean.

    For me, it's super satisfying to see a clean kitchen after a huge dinner project. Makes me feel like Anthony Bourdain or Alton Brown.

  • TallahasseerielTallahasseeriel Registered User regular
    Uriel wrote: »
    I was out of simple green apparently.

    OR I misplaced it.

    Gonna go ahead and get some and some tougher scrubbies this weekend. Other than that my kitchen is p much totally clean.

    For me, it's super satisfying to see a clean kitchen after a huge dinner project. Makes me feel like Anthony Bourdain or Alton Brown.

    Honestly I hadn't cleaned it all winter really.

    So uh

    Extra EXTRA satisfying?

  • KaplarKaplar On Google MapsRegistered User regular
    Uriel wrote: »
    I was out of simple green apparently.

    OR I misplaced it.

    Gonna go ahead and get some and some tougher scrubbies this weekend. Other than that my kitchen is p much totally clean.

    For me, it's super satisfying to see a clean kitchen after a huge dinner project. Makes me feel like Anthony Bourdain or Alton Brown.

    Yes. Counters wiped, stove burners cleaned, and dishes washed and put away. Great feeling.

  • V1mV1m Registered User regular
    I made baba ganoush for the first time, and I'm not going to post a pic of it, partly because I'm lazy but mostly because it looked like the aftermath of one of those giant cow abcess videos.

    However it tastes extremely good and was shockingly easy.

    IMPORTANT: puncture the aubergines a couple of times before cooking

    Put 2-3 aubergines on foil, ~6" under your grill, or broiler as I understand you call it, and grill for ~40-45 mins. 1/4 turn every8-10 mins, you want the skin to char.

    When they're soft and squishy, wrap the foil around them and let them rest for 10 mins

    Carefully peel off the charred skin and scoop the squidgy goodness into a bowl.

    Add the juice of a lemon, a tablespoon of good plain yoghurt, 2 tablespoons of tahini, and plenty of the best olive oil you can get. Mash with a fork for a while until the texture you want is achieved. Salt and pepper to taste. Garnish with a little more olive oil and a sprinkle of sumac. Go make some flatbread.

  • TallahasseerielTallahasseeriel Registered User regular
    My yeast is way past it's best by date.

    I am going to wait til Friday so I can buy some more. I might also pick up some semolina. Should be better to use on the pizza peel/stone than regular flour.

    Also what kind of canned tomatoes do you think would make the best sauce?

  • NoisymunkNoisymunk Registered User regular
    Uriel wrote: »
    My yeast is way past it's best by date.

    I am going to wait til Friday so I can buy some more. I might also pick up some semolina. Should be better to use on the pizza peel/stone than regular flour.

    Also what kind of canned tomatoes do you think would make the best sauce?

    San Marzano plum tomatoes. Gently break them apart and let them drain in a strainer for a bit while you stretch out the dough, then I just add a pinch of salt, oregano and crushed red pepper and blitz it with my stick blender. You could also add a clove of garlic, a little extra virgin olive oil, a splash of red wine vinegar, fresh basil, et cetera.

    Lately I've been really into making a basic buffalo sauce with franks redhot, butter and a little minced garlic and brushing that onto the crust and topping it with roasted vegetables and cheese.

    brDe918.jpg
This discussion has been closed.