The Cooking Thread
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@polygeekery said in The Cooking Thread:
Into the sauce and ~6-7 hours later:
Actually now that I look at this picture this was before they went on the stove. I posted the earlier reply from mobile and the Android photo picker is pretty shit. Will get a follow up picture tomorrow once I reheat them and such.
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Another Xmas tradition around our home is Xmas breakfast after we do stockings. Since we don't want anyone in the kitchen for an hour on Xmas morning we do Overnight French Toast. You prep everything the night before and bake it in the morning.
Strata works also. Or just search for "breakfast casserole". I prefer simple and easy for this particular occasion. Betty Crocker, not Gordon Ramsay.
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@polygeekery Bacon is essential for such purposes, though. As for most purposes, come to think about it...
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@benjamin-hall cook it in the oven also. That's how it is supposed to be cooked anyway. :-P
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@polygeekery said in The Cooking Thread:
@benjamin-hall cook it in the oven also. That's how it is supposed to be cooked anyway. :-P
Sure. In fact, I just got done pulling some out of the oven myself. I just felt that not mentioning bacon in this context would be a wrongful act
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I did the biscuits and gravy casserole again (below is a copy/paste from Facebook, where I found it). I use two packs of (sausage, not pork) gravy and I think I did 10 eggs, but you get the idea. I browned the sausage last night. I put it in the oven right before we started on presents and it came out of the oven right after we finished up. Perfect timing. I also left a corner without gravy because my son is weird and hates gravy.
Biscuits & Gravy Casserole
Last time I shared this it got over 200,000 shares, so I'm guessing it's the BOMB…(SHARE this pic so it saves on your Timeline & you have it when you want to make it)
Join us here for more every day fun, tips, recipes, weight loss support & motivation>>> Slim & Trim with TY
This makes for an awesome easy breakfast for the gang...
Ingredients
1 pound sausage
1 1/2 ounces pork gravy mix ( 1 package of Pioneer Brand Peppered Sausage Gravy Mix )
1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
6 eggs
1/2 cup milk
to taste salt
to taste black pepper
1 Can (8 oz) biscuits ( 1 can Pillsbury Grands Biscuits )Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degree's. Take a 9x13 pan and spray it with Pam or whatever you like to use. Then take the Biscuits and it into 1" pieces and line bottom of pan. Brown Sausage and scatter over biscuits. Sprinkle with Cheddar Cheese. Whisk eggs and milk with a pinch of salt and pepper and pour it over the pan. Make Gravy mix per package directions and pour over. Bake in the oven for about 30-45 minutes.
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We've got two ribs of the utterly best possible beef roasting right now. It looked absolutely beautiful when we collected it from the butcher yesterday…
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@boomzilla said in The Cooking Thread:
I did the biscuits and gravy casserole again
Seems like a perfect example of:
@polygeekery said in The Cooking Thread:
Betty Crocker, not Gordon Ramsay.
:)
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I did a goose crown this year. Much nicer than turkey, juicy and flavourful.
Since it's just me, my wife and the kiddo this year, it's not much more complicated than a normal Sunday roast
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@dkf said in The Cooking Thread:
We've got two ribs of the utterly best possible beef roasting right now.
Update: It was delicious (especially with some toe-curlingly strong horseradish sauce, potatoes roasted in goose fat, and sophisticated Bordeaux wine). We've got some left to make awesome beef sandwiches too. I love this time of the year!
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@polygeekery said in The Cooking Thread:
Will get a follow up picture tomorrow once I reheat them and such.
Sorry, I failed you. No follow up photos. But, no hyperbole, that was one of the best meals I have ever eaten. Our littlest one devoured it. The wife didn't say a word except when she finished she asked that I make it for our anniversary dinner this year.
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@polygeekery I wish I could say the same. Sadly, my dinner, while it didn't fail was really meh. Nothing was bad, just nothing really worked. Story of my life. Mediocrity.
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@benjamin-hall what did you make?
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@polygeekery just a ham, some rolls, and cranberry sauce. The ham was a bit overcooked, the rolls were pretty bland, and the sauce didn't jell right. But since it's just me, it doesn't really matter. Just a downer, especially after a week of being sick.
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@boomzilla Well, I'm going to try making that immediately. But really, a "biscuits and gravy casserole" recipe coming from "Slim and Trim with Ty?" Uh... only reason I'm trying it is because I'm bulking; it certainly doesn't look healthy to me. :P
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@polygeekery said in The Cooking Thread:
@boomzilla said in The Cooking Thread:
I did the biscuits and gravy casserole again
Seems like a perfect example of:
@polygeekery said in The Cooking Thread:
Betty Crocker, not Gordon Ramsay.
:)
Hey, as long as it doesn't taste like five gallons of gunk, it's all good, right?
https://youtu.be/nbJLXTatXgI?t=1m58s
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@benjamin-hall said in The Cooking Thread:
But since it's just me, it doesn't really matter.
There are a lot of dishes that it is extremely hard to do well in quantities suitable for one person. OTOH, it does matter a lot that you had a meal that didn't make you as happy as it should. I suggest cheering yourself up with a good steak and fries; that's fairly easy to do well in single-portion amounts.
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@dkf said in The Cooking Thread:
There are a lot of dishes that it is extremely hard to do well in quantities suitable for one person...a good steak and fries; that's fairly easy to do well in single-portion amounts.
So is bourbon.
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@polygeekery when have you ever had a single portion of bourbon?
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@jaloopa like lots of Americans I have a problem with portion control.
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@polygeekery As long as your hands aren't wobbling too much, you'll keep the portion under control.
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@jaloopa All the time! A fifth is one portion (for @Polygeekery), right?
Filed Under: once you pop (the cap), you can't stop.
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@scholrlea said in The Cooking Thread:
A fifth is one portion (for @Polygeekery), right?
You can usually wager that if I am drinking from a fifth then I received it as a gift. Or, occasionally, just that I have been too busy to go to Costco.
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@polygeekery Ah, so it would be less than one portion to you. TIL.
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I am making kinda-sorta not-quite-deep-enough dish pizza based on this recipe. However, because my dish is not, in fact, deep enough or wide enough, I will probably do it as a two layer crust rather than that recipe's single layer crust (AFAICT both are more or less acceptable for Chicago-style, with the two-layer being a later variant usually associated with the Nancy's restaurant chain, but they do give distinctly different results). I'll see whether there will be enough dough for that once the second rise (the one after you fold in extra butter) is done.
I did diverge from the sauce recipe quite a bit, as I ran out of oregano; I instead added fresh rosemary (which I'd been thinking of doing anyway), dried basil, dried parsley, a tiny bit of coriander (not sure what I was thinking just then), a 1/4 tsp each of fennel and fenugreek, and some generic 'Italian seasoning' which is mostly oregano. I used a small electric chopper (basically a Cuisineart knock off by Proctor-Silex which I got for under $10, for which I thank the relatives who gave me the gift card I used buying it) to mince half a large red onion, a shallot, and three garlic cloves, which I sautéed with the butter (a little more than actually called for) and spices for what may have been a bit too long. I also added a 1/2 tsp of crushed red pepper, which was a recommended but optional part of the recipe.
I furthermore added a smaller (14.5oz) can of diced tomatoes as well as the 28oz. can of crushed tomatoes. Finally, I added about a tablespoon of the crumbled sweet Italian sausage I'd cooked for the fillings, and the grease from same, about the time I dropped it down to simmer.
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Still working on the pizza, and wondering if doing this when I was still a bit under the weather was a great idea. I would say 'this is gonna get messy', but it is well past that point already. Anyway, I have photographic proof of just how badly I bollixed this, and will take pictures of the final results when it comes out of the oven. Sorry for the blurry pics.
https://imgur.com/HM7EnFT
https://imgur.com/Q545EZ8
https://imgur.com/6xjokfe
https://imgur.com/sQZ9twy
https://imgur.com/qUZB3MZThe filling/topping includes fresh mozzarella, asiago, parmesean (though it was the cheap stuff, I know I bought some real parm but I couldn't find the wedge), the aforementioned Italian sausage, pepperoni, hard salami, sliced Kalamata olives, bell pepper slices, and crumbled bacon. This is clear overdoing things, at least given this pan. Fortunately, I still have half the dough for another try some time.
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@scholrlea OK, it's done, though it's still cooling. It looks a bit overdone, but we'll see. More momentarily.
https://imgur.com/4JRvPEP
https://imgur.com/BlJyeVB
https://imgur.com/nQOCXPDEDIT: It did come out pretty well, though. The sauce is a bit odd, due to the mix of spice, but it's interesting.
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@scholrlea The images in this last post seem to be missing?
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@jbert said in The Cooking Thread:
The images in this last post seem to be missing?
It's Node 's automatic filtering of potential harmful content kicking in, just be glad at least half of @ScholRLEA 's post made it through the filtering. There even seems to be some sense in there.
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You guys are just pulling my leg with the grape jelly/ketchup sauce, right? It sounds horrendous. I almost want to try making it.
Actually, some friends were talking about doing a cookoff the other day. Hmmm...
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@blek said in The Cooking Thread:
You guys are just pulling my leg with the grape jelly/ketchup sauce, right? It sounds horrendous
I know, it does, and people usually don't believe you when you tell them what's in the sauce after they've tried it.
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@boomzilla Hm. Problem is, I don't think I can easily buy grape jelly in Blekistan. Dang it.
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@blek said in The Cooking Thread:
You guys are just pulling my leg with the grape jelly/ketchup sauce, right? It sounds horrendous. I almost want to try making it.
Seriously, it is super tasty. I made some meatballs for Xmas after being reminded of it. It is an unlikely combination but it works.
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@blek said in The Cooking Thread:
@boomzilla Hm. Problem is, I don't think I can easily buy grape jelly in Blekistan. Dang it.
Nifty. I never considered just how American the Concord grape is and that grape jelly might not be widely available elsewhere in the world.
Do you have chili sauce in Blekistan? I imagine you can use nearly any type of jelly or preserves. Chili sauce is a lot better than ketchup, IMHO.
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@polygeekery Yeah, chili sauce won't be a problem. For the grape jelly I'll try checking out some international food sections in supermarkets, maybe I'll find something hidden between tons of salsa, Irn Bru, and weird Russian sauces. If I don't find anything I guess I'll have to try to find a substitute.
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@boomzilla said in The Cooking Thread:
@heterodox Beef chorizo just sounds wrong.
"Beef chorizo" sounds like a euphemism
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@boomzilla said in The Cooking Thread:
1 Can (8 oz) biscuits ( 1 can Pillsbury Grands Biscuits )
Forgive my ignorance, but what are they? I've heard of "biscuits and gravy", but never understood what they are (I know what gravy is).
Looking at GIS, they look kind of like puff pastry. Is that correct?
Pillsbury Grands Biscuits
Puff pastry
They're clearly not the same as biscuits in the UK
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@doctorjones said in The Cooking Thread:
Looking at GIS, they look kind of like puff pastry. Is that correct?
Pillsbury Grands BiscuitsEh...I'm not a fan of the layered versions but even those are more substantial than puff pastry. Still, in the casserole, you pull them all apart into little bits so those work just as well as the "normal" biscuits.
@doctorjones said in The Cooking Thread:
They're clearly not the same as biscuits in the UK
Nope. A more accurate search might be for "buttermilk biscuits."
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@doctorjones said in The Cooking Thread:
They're clearly not the same as biscuits in the UK
Our biscuits are similar to your scones. Usually more savory than sweet though.
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@polygeekery They are also not a stiff, usually, and not quite as dense though they are often a bit doughy if they aren't cooked right. The pre-packaged ones in the roll-up dough cans, however, are often more of a puff pastry style, though it depends on the specific brand and type.
While they were originally a Deep South thing, they are pretty common throughout the US today. Among other things, they are the biscuits served at KFC alongside the fried chicken, and are used (or at least are the basis for) the breakfast biscuit sandwiches found in many other fast-food establishments, including MacDonald's. The Biscuits and Gravy thing is mostly still a Southern dish, and is a staple for
AwfulWaffle House in particular, though it is found elsewhere in a lot of greasy spoon diners, especially ones at truck stops - an inordinate number of teamsters in the US were from the Deep South in the mid to late 20th century.One of the advantages of buttermilk biscuits is that they are dead easy to make. A typical recipes would be:
- 2 cups all-purpose flour (that's 256g, for those of you in the civilized world)
- 1 cup (240ml) buttermilk
- 1/4 (57g) cup cold unsalted butter, cut or broken up into small chunks
- 1 tsp (5g) salt (preferably non-iodized, but it really doesn't make much difference)
- 1 tbp (15g) baking powder
Add flour, salt and baking powder to a mixing bowl and combine dry to get the baking powder and salt evenly distributed. knead in the butter, trying to get it as even as possible. Add in buttermilk and mix for about two minutes until it is evenly mixed and all the dry ingredients are wetted. Turn dough onto a floured board and gently pat it down to about 1/2 inch (12mm, you can say 1cm for simplicity's sake), fold it, and pat it down again, up to five times, with the last fold being left at 1 inch (25mm) thick. Cut the dough into rounds between 2-3 inches (5-7.5cm) in diameter.
Place rounds on buttered baking sheet; if you place them so that they touch when they rise, they will rise higher, but if you separate them they will have crust around the edges rather than having to be pulled apart. Bake at 425°F (218°C, let's make it 200°C for the sake of argument) for 15 minutes until the tops are golden brown. Let cool for ten minutes and serve with butter or jam, or pour some sausage gravy over them.
A few other example recipes can be found here, here, here, and here, if you care to look - there's a fair amount of variation, but they are all basically just flour, buttermilk, salt, butter, and baking powder, in different proportions, mixed, shaped into small rounds, and baked at around 425=450°F (215-222° C) for 10-15 minutes. There are also drop biscuits, which are (usually) similar but fried in oil instead.
Note that a number of them call for self-rising flour. I don't know if that is common elsewhere, but it is basically white flour that is pre-mixed with baking powder and baking soda - it is really common here, especially in the South and Midwest, as it is easy to use for things like biscuits, pancakes, and the like. There are entire prepared mixes for buttermilk biscuits and pancakes which incorporate dried buttermilk and salt as well, with the most popular brand being Bisquik - it is as easy as measuring out a bit of the mix and adding water to make the dough. This has contributed greatly to the popularity of both of those dishes.
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I forgot to add that the 'canned' biscuits, which are even easier to make, are also really common and come in a number of variations.
The 'cans' are actually waxed cardboard tubes with aluminum endpieces, and the cardboard is perforated in a helical fashion so that they pull apart when you press along the perforation. The biscuits are precut, though they aren't separated so they do tend to stick a little.
They are a must for people too lazy or too busy even to use a prepared biscuit mix.
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@doctorjones is buttermilk easily obtained in the UK? If not, or if you don't want to make a special purchase, the recipe I'd recommend if you're curious is an adaptation of http://allrecipes.com/recipe/20075/basic-biscuits/.
ing us met flour, all-purpose 2 cups 240 g butter or shortening (recommend butter) 1/2 cup
(1 stick)113 g baking powder
(may sub: 1 part baking soda + 2 parts cream of tartar)1 tablespoon 14 g milk 3/4 cup 177 ml salt (may be omitted if using salted butter) 1/2 teaspoon 2.8 g Mix together dry ingredients.
Cut in very cold butter or shortening: ideally, freeze it beforehand, and grate it into the mixture.
Stir until the butter is blended in; the mixture should still be cold and dry; you will almost not be able to tell the butter is there once it's mixed. (If the butter was warm, then the flour/butter mixture will resemble coarse crumbs. This is ok, but will not turn out quite as flaky and delicious.)
Finally, add the cold milk. Mix only until well incorporated; do not over-stir or knead.
Turn dough out onto lightly floured surface; roll to 1/2 inch, or a bit more than 1 cm, thick. Dough should be soft but not excessively sticky; add a bit more flour if so.
Cut into 2-2.5 inch (5-6 cm) diameter rounds using a cookie cutter or the end of a tumbler (if dough sticks, dip the cutter in flour). Avoid twisting; cut straight down and lift straight up.
Press together remaining dough, and continue rolling and cutting until all is used.
Place biscuits on ungreased baking sheet (whatever you'd bake cookies on, I mean biscuits).
Bake in preheated oven at 450 degrees F (230 degrees C), about 10 minutes or until golden brown.
Eat while hot, split through the middle, with butter, jam, etc. For a sandwich, add fried egg, cheese, and sausage or bacon. For biscuits and gravy, split or crumble biscuits, and top with sausage gravy (basically, browned pork sausage + milk + flour, cooked until thickened, plus salt/pepper to taste).
Real homemade biscuits are much better than the canned ones, even using a basic recipe like this. The canned ones have a rather peculiar flavor to them, in my opinion. They're alright, but the difference is noticeable.
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@anotherusername said in The Cooking Thread:
@doctorjones is buttermilk easily obtained in the UK?
It is. But, for people who do not want to keep it on hand you can get very close by adding a tablespoon of lemon juice to a cup of milk.
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@scholrlea said in The Cooking Thread:
One of the advantages of buttermilk biscuits is that they are dead easy to make. A typical recipes would be:
2 cups all-purpose flour (that's 256g, for those of you in the civilized world)
1 cup (240ml) buttermilk
1/4 (57g) cup cold unsalted butter, cut or broken up into small chunks
1 tsp (5g) salt (preferably non-iodized, but it really doesn't make much difference)
1 tbp (15g) baking powderThanks, I'll give it a try.
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@boomzilla said in The Cooking Thread:
Eh...I'm not a fan of the layered versions but even those are more substantial than puff pastry. Still, in the casserole, you pull them all apart into little bits so those work just as well as the "normal" biscuits.
@polygeekery said in The Cooking Thread:
Our biscuits are similar to your scones. Usually more savory than sweet though.
We do have savoury scones, usually cheese based.
Your biscuits sound like a bit of a cross between scones and dumplings.
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@anotherusername said in The Cooking Thread:
@doctorjones is buttermilk easily obtained in the UK?
Yes, it's a common supermarket item.
Thanks for the recipe, I'll give it a go :-)
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Here's a recipe of sorts:
- Buy the cheapest generic ice-cream you can get at a store near you. I've tried with coffee ice-cream, chocolate ice-cream and vanilla ice-cream on separate occasions. Whatever quantity you think you'll eat;
- Melt it in the microwave;
- Dump flour into it (I've tried "regular" (wheat) and oat) and mix it until the consistency looks good enough;
- Put the mix in the oven. You may ask someone who actually knows about cooking at what temperature, but I hear 180ºC is good enough.
- Wait whatever time. Again, either go ask someone instead, or just keep an eye or your nose on it;
- Take out your cake of the oven. You can eat it as is, or put some cream or nuts over it or something.
TL;DR: (melted icecream + flour) x oven = basic cake.
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@polygeekery said in The Cooking Thread:
@benjamin-hall cook it in the oven also. That's how it is supposed to be cooked anyway. :-P
No, that's bakin'.
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@masonwheeler said in The Cooking Thread:
@polygeekery said in The Cooking Thread:
@benjamin-hall cook it in the oven also. That's how it is supposed to be cooked anyway. :-P
No, that's bakin'.
???
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@polygeekery You were talking about bacon, and saying it should be cooked in the oven. I said no, that's bakin'.