The Cooking Thread
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@PleegWat
There is obviously a wurst competition
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@Polygeekery said in The Cooking Thread:
@TimeBandit said in The Cooking Thread:
And, of course, everything is past the expiration date
I've recently been cleaning out all of the cabinets and such (amphetamines are a wonderful productivity enhancer). Some of the expiration dates I found were truly alarming. Some were getting close to a decade.
I did that about a year ago. When one of the cans exploded. That was truly gross.
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@Polygeekery said in The Cooking Thread:
@PleegWat said in The Cooking Thread:
What was your high score?
By that scoring method I'm going to say 22.5.
((2020-2011) ÷ 40) x 100 = 22.5
If I remember right,
((2018-1996) ÷ 56) x 100 = 39.3But as my other post hints, it really isn't a contest you want to win! (that black gooey stuff was truly awful)
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Rate the first loaf of bread I ever baked, mildly drunk and using a four ingredient recipe that I didn't really follow anyway
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@blek The nice thing about bread is that it will turn out alright if you put in even a little bit of effort and give it time. It might still be a brick but at least it will be edible if you can slice it thin enough.
This bread looks fine from the outside, but the real test is slicing it up and seeing how much the leavening did its job.
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@JBert It's torn a bit, I should have let it rest a bit longer I suppose. (Also I should get a bread knife at some point...)
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@blek The heck you put ants in it, though?
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@Applied-Mediocrity Protein
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@Tsaukpaetra I see a perfectly good shot glass right behind that. It's even labeled!
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Behold: The totwaffle!
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@Tsaukpaetra said in The Cooking Thread:
https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/235451856594141184/681689542453231643/R9xz1i5.jpg
I would think the shot glass would be worse, depending on the imparted flavors.
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@Jaloopa I don't think we have those here. But I have made hash browns in a waffle iron before. Since the best part of hash browns are the browned crispy bits it works well because of the increased surface area and it negates the need to flip them without having them fall apart.
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@Jaloopa kind of. Never seen those before, though they look like these:
The texture would definitely be different. And yeah, not exactly revolutionary, but they look like a fun thing to do for variety.
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@Polygeekery said in The Cooking Thread:
@Jaloopa I don't think we have those here. But I have made hash browns in a waffle iron before. Since the best part of hash browns are the browned crispy bits it works well because of the increased surface area and it negates the need to flip them without having them fall apart.
I never even thought of this before... Oh the joy that is beheld...
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@dcon bagged hash brown mix will work pretty well. If you're making it from scratch you need a couple of extra steps to ensure they brown. You have to get as much moisture out as possible or else they steam and don't brown.
Shred the potatoes and salt them well in a colander to let the water drain away. I usually let them sit for a half hour or so and then rinse them and squeeze them in a kitchen towel lined ricer to really get the water out. Then season well and mix in a little melted butter. Press lightly in to the waffle iron and really press the top of the waffle iron down to smush it all in to the books and crannies of the waffle iron plates. Then get on with making the rest of your breakfast while it cooks.
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@dcon said in The Cooking Thread:
@Tsaukpaetra I see a perfectly good shot glass right behind that. It's even labeled!
I assume you mean the container labeled "RUM," not the one labeled "SPAM."
@boomzilla said in The Cooking Thread:
Behold: The totwaffle!
I was with it until they mentioned SYRUPCHUP. As if ketchup needs more sugar?!
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@brie said in The Cooking Thread:
@dcon said in The Cooking Thread:
@Tsaukpaetra I see a perfectly good shot glass right behind that. It's even labeled!
I assume you mean the container labeled "RUM," not the one labeled "SPAM."
@boomzilla said in The Cooking Thread:
Behold: The totwaffle!
I was with it until they mentioned SYRUPCHUP. As if ketchup needs more sugar?!
I kept expecting some sriracha was going to be added...
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@boomzilla nightmare fuel.
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When breading the meat instead of just a scrambled egg he mixes some mayo with it, which he says helps it to adhere to the meat, which sounds like a good idea.
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Couldn't decide between here and the Nope thread. I found this thread first and wins every time.
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@Polygeekery I might try that - but the globs of cream cheese need to be a lot smaller.
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@Polygeekery Cream cheese, as in a fresh, spreadable cheese? Now that I hadn't seen before...
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@JBert said in The Cooking Thread:
@Polygeekery Cream cheese, as in a fresh, spreadable cheese? Now that I hadn't seen before...
Huh? Really? Like, on pizza? Or in general?
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@Polygeekery I'm not talking about the general case. We do get Kraft's Philadelphia cream cheese on this side of the ocean as well, and a whole bunch of (more interesting IMHO) local alternatives.
It's just that I've never seen it on pizza before, and that's why I was wondering if there's some even more solid cream cheese used in this
recipeheresy.
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Yup--that's what we'd talked about. Waffled tator tots.
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@Benjamin-Hall
Is that the reason you used a potato to take the picture as well?
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@Luhmann said in The Cooking Thread:
Is that the reason you used a potato to take the picture as well?
Looks like there's dust inside the camera housing on the phone.
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@dkf said in The Cooking Thread:
@Luhmann said in The Cooking Thread:
Is that the reason you used a potato to take the picture as well?
Looks like there's dust inside the camera housing on the phone.
Probably, the top part there is cracked (on the other side left-right, but same general top housing area). Or there's oil/grease on the lens...my hands were a total mess right then. It's on its way out anyway--the battery is no longer holding a charge very well (and progressively so). It's a 2+ year-old Pixel 2 (replacing another one that ended up getting RMA'd), so it's about due anyway.
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Cooking status, Apocalypse edition:
Mac and cheese and blue cheese cole slaw in the house.
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@Polygeekery said in The Cooking Thread:
Cooking status, Apocalypse edition
Some of the best barbecues I've ever had have been on the beach using a circle of stones, some driftwood in the middle, and a piece of chicken wire over the top to make a cooking surface.
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Since Moussaka keep popping up in another thread, I thought I'd post my recipe here... (all text is from the original posting, except that I added the source at the bottom, the html I added)
Vegetarian Moussaka
This recipe is not for the faint-hearted. It's very good, and it takes a lot of work. Don't waste it on someone who would be just as satisfied with steak and salad!
Tomato Sauce:
2 large onions
2 Tbsp olive oil
2 Tbsp butter
2 cups minced mushrooms (if you insist upon using meat, substitute 1 pound ground beef or lamb)
3 tomatoes, peeled and pureed
3 Tbsp tomato paste
3/4 cup dry red wine
1/2 cup chopped parsley
1 tsp cinnamon
1 Tbsp finely chopped garlic
1 Tbsp oregano
1 tsp sugarBechamel Sauce:
4 cups milk
1/2 cup butter
6 Tbsp flour
1/8 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp white pepperThe Casserole:
olive oil
3 pounds eggplant
4 eggs, beaten
2 cups ricotta cheese
1 cup dry bread crumbs
2 cups grated kefalotyri or parmesan cheeseFirst make the tomato sauce: Peel and mince onions. Saute onions in 2 Tbsp oil and 2 Tbsp butter over medium heat until they are soft and lightly colored (about 8 minutes). Add mushrooms and saute. Stir in tomatoes, tomato paste, wine, parsley, seasonings and sugar.
Reduce heat to low and simmer uncovered, for 30 to 45 minutes, stirring occasionally. Most of the liquid should be evaporated, and the mixture quite thick. Remove skillet from heat and let it cool completely.
Start seasoning the eggplants: peel eggplants and slice vertically, 1/8 to 1/4 inch thick. Sprinkle lightly with salt and let sit for 30 minutes.
Now make the Bechamel sauce: Place the milk in a saucepan and heat it just until tiny bubbles appear along the edges. Remove and set aside.
Melt one cube butter in 3-quart saucepan over very low heat until foamy, being careful not to brown. Slowly add the 6 Tbsp flour, stirring constantly until smooth (3-4 minutes), and still being careful not to let it brown. Add the milk slowly, whipping with a wire whisk. When the mixture is thick and smooth, remove it from the heat and stir in seasonings. Cool sauce slightly.
Back to the eggplant: Rinse well with cold water; squeeze gently and pat dry. Dredge the eggplant in 1 1/2 cups flour, and saute in olive oil.
Put it all together: Stir ricotta cheese until it is smooth and creamy. Gently fold it into the Bechamel sauce. Stir in beaten eggs until thoroughly incorporated.
Remove and discard any excess oil that has risen to the top of the tomato mixture.
Lightly grease a 16x10 baking pan and sprinkle the bottom with a few breadcrumbs. Place a layer of eggplant in the pan, following with a layer of tomato mixture. Sprinkle with breadcrumbs and grated cheese. Repeat as many times as you have eggplant to last.
Pour the Bechamel-ricotta sauce over the top and bake at 300F (ed: I found 325 better) for one hour (ed: usually closer to 1 1/2 hours), or until a golden-brown crust has formed on top. Remove moussaka from oven and let it stand undisturbed 20-30 minutes. The delay allows the layers to fuse.
Rating: Difficulty: moderate. Time: 1 1/2 hours to prepare, 1 hour to bake, 20-30 minutes to set and cool. Some can be done ahead of time. Precision: Approximate measurement OK for eggplant, tomato mixture.
From USENET Cookbook, Thu Mar 6, 1986, Moira Mallison, Beaverton, OR
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This seems like kind of a dumb idea but it's no better than we deserve these days.
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@boomzilla No idea why you would really want to make shot glasses out of it, but it sounds like bacon and chocolate work together.
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@JBert yes, they do.
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Chicken breasts were in stock and on sale this week. So I bought quite a few.
Hey, that's a good excuse to get the griddle out of winter storage. I don't know why I don't use it more often....
Oh yeah. Because it takes an absolute fuck ton of food to make it worth getting out.
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@Polygeekery That's one reason I've never bought an electric griddle (counter-top size). Because I'm single and live alone, so I just don't cook food in the volumes required to make it worth the space consumed.
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@Benjamin-Hall a good countertop model (they are few and far between, most are crap) can be awesome for weekend (and every day is a weekend right now) breakfast. You can cook everything at once with just one thing to clean when you're done. Pancakes, sausage, hash browns, etc. Just stagger when you start them so it's all done at roughly the same time. You could even cook bacon on there if you're blasphemous and don't do it in the oven.
I wore out a few before I had a family. When it was just me I could cook it all with one appliance. If I had company it added extra cooking capacity when needed.
I just realized that could seem like "if you hook up with a big fat chick who needs lots of food for breakfast" but I meant it as when I had parties or people crashed at my place after the bars. Oh well, I'm leaving it as-is.
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@Polygeekery said in The Cooking Thread:
if you hook up with a big fat chick
We don't judge your preferences
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@Polygeekery even before the virus, I've had people over like... Once? In the three years I've lived in this house. Oh, and I don't eat breakfast. So yeah.
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@Benjamin-Hall said in The Cooking Thread:
That's one reason I've never bought an electric griddle
I LOVE mine - and it's not even a really good model. (and it's time to replace, the surface is starting to get a little scored) It makes things like pancakes so incredibly easy! Just getting it ready and then clean up just seems so much easier than cooking on the stove.
(and pancakes are not just for breakfast!)
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@dcon I mean...I could use it. More for bacon and french toast than pancakes because , but I don't think I'd use it enough to make it worth it.
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@Benjamin-Hall said in The Cooking Thread:
@dcon I mean...I could use it. More for bacon and french toast than pancakes because , but I don't think I'd use it enough to make it worth it.
I didn't get one until I visited a friend. After that, I ate a lot more pancakes (and french toast!). Oh, and quesadillas!
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(Very late) Easter brunch:
Cinnamon French toast — gluten-free, of course
Hash browns from scratch — a couple of hours ago they were whole russet potatoes
All the bacon I had in the house — which wasn't very much, unfortunately; barely enough for the two of us
Sliced kiwi fruitI ate too much; I need a nap.
I cooked the bacon first, then used the fat left on the griddle* to cook the hash browns. Started the French toast in a skillet while the hash browns were still cooking. Made way too much French toast; I always run out of the egg mixture, so today I made too much. Ah, well; French toast for breakfast a couple of days this week.
* Not an electric griddle, although I have one somewhere that I quite like. But the center burner of the gas stove in my house can be used as a regular (elongated) burner, but the regular pan support can be replaced with a (rather small) cast iron griddle, which is what I used today.
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