The Cooking Thread
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@raceprouk said in The Cooking Thread:
@polygeekery said in The Cooking Thread:
pulled pork
Has anyone ever made pushed pork?
Well, there was that one scene in Deliverance.
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@raceprouk said in The Cooking Thread:
@polygeekery said in The Cooking Thread:
pulled pork
Has anyone ever made pushed pork?
you mean Sausage?
yes actually.
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@raceprouk said in The Cooking Thread:
@polygeekery said in The Cooking Thread:
pulled pork
Has anyone ever made pushed pork?
Its stringy texture holds up better under tension than it does under compression.
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@anotherusername Have you tried a different compression algorithm? Some are better than others at different types of material...
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@masonwheeler that's the problem... stringy things compress very well under nearly all of them, but it's lossy compression; they won't inflate back to their original shape (that'd be springy things).
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@anotherusername said in The Cooking Thread:
@masonwheeler that's the problem... stringy things compress very well under nearly all of them, but it's lossy compression; they won't inflate back to their original shape (that'd be springy things).
???
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@masonwheeler Now look, you've made me hungry in the cooking thread!
edit: also those look more like egg rolls.
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There is a dish that we make occasionally that I do not have a name for, but it is basically grilled veggies with spaghetti with pesto.
Take three squash (yellow, zucchini, whatever is handy), a red onion, 2-3 ears of corn on the cob and a couple of bell peppers and slice them up in to grillable sizes. (1/2" slices for the squash and onion, bell peppers in to any size that won't fall through your grill grates) Coat everything with a few tablespoons of olive oil and season liberally with salt and pepper. I put all but the corn and onions in a large bowl so that I can toss it while I season it to make it easier and quicker. Corn and onions are put on a platter and drizzled and seasoned.
Heat your grill to high and start your water to boil. Grill all of the veggies until they have some good grill marks and light charring. Corn will take the longest and goes on first, squash next along with onions and peppers go on last. Pull all of the veggies when they are done and take them inside and drop the spaghetti in the water to cook while you chop the veggies up in to large but bite-size pieces and cut the corn off the ear and then toss with ~1 cup of pesto (I prefer to make my own as store bought is too oily for me, but store bought would work also).
Once the spaghetti is done, reserve a cup or two of the pasta water and drain well and toss with the pesto/veggie mixture. Season with more salt and pepper if needed, maybe drizzle over some lemon juice and add some chopped parsley and grape/cherry tomatoes sliced in half. If too thick, loosen it up with the pasta water.
Super yummy, pretty healthy (the pesto does add quite a bit of oil) and does not need any meat to go with it but a grilled chicken breast would probably pair well. Also, it makes a ton so you can either feed a crowd or have leftovers for lunch for the week.
Tonight for dinner I have had steaks in the garage fridge drying for a few days to be served with Austrian potato salad, grilled corn and grilled romaine.
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My wife and I both love to cook, but for some reason she can't stand going to the grocery store. She wanted to try Blue Apron, I didn't want to try it, so we compromised: we're trying Blue Apron. The first meal was fantastic, cooking it together was fun, and we already can't wait for the next meal. So I guess I'm a Blue Apron customer now.
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@nedfodder said in The Cooking Thread:
She wanted to try Blue Apron, I didn't want to try it, so we compromised: we're trying Blue Apron.
That's an interesting compromise.
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@pleegwat said in The Cooking Thread:
@nedfodder said in The Cooking Thread:
She wanted to try Blue Apron, I didn't want to try it, so we compromised: we're trying Blue Apron.
That's an interesting compromise.
Spoken like a bachelor.
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@boomzilla said in The Cooking Thread:
@pleegwat said in The Cooking Thread:
@nedfodder said in The Cooking Thread:
She wanted to try Blue Apron, I didn't want to try it, so we compromised: we're trying Blue Apron.
That's an interesting compromise.
Spoken like a bachelor.
Reminds me of the time when my wife wanted to get a china cabinet for the dining room. I didn't want one (okay, I didn't want to buy one... plus, we never eat in the dining room). So she trolled Craigslist for a couple of weeks looking for reasonably priced used ones, and we compromised and bought one. And then when we got home I found an email in my inbox from a friend whose mom was giving away some furniture. Including... a china cabinet.
Also, that was last night.
I can't complain too much, I guess... the one that we got is fairly nice, and it was under $100. And it'll help thin out the kitchen cupboards a little. They're pretty full, but everything did fit, and had a place...
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@anotherusername I have been watching VinWiki videos on YouTube which are mostly videos about guys who own super expensive and exotic cars. The one where he bought a Lamborghini from a prostitute had a line something to the effect of: "She wanted $75K and I offered $30K. She was a shrewd negotiator so we met right dead in the middle at...$30K".
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Here's the video:
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@nedfodder said in The Cooking Thread:
My wife and I both love to cook, but for some reason she can't stand going to the grocery store. She wanted to try Blue Apron, I didn't want to try it, so we compromised: we're trying Blue Apron. The first meal was fantastic, cooking it together was fun, and we already can't wait for the next meal. So I guess I'm a Blue Apron customer now.
I looked at their stuff but seems pretty expensive for a small number of meals during the week. You still have to shop for all the other meals.
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So I could use some suggestions. I have a staple dish I make when I don't want to spend much time fussing in the kitchen:
- 1 C rice
- 2 C water
- 2 chicken leg quarters or 4 thighs (skinless)
- curry powder
Put everything in a heavy enameled dutch oven, cover, and bake at 350 F until done (about 45 minutes to 1 hour).
It works well, but it's a little bland. Sometimes I add a tiny amount of soy sauce for the umami boost.
What can I add that's both easy and tasty? What flavor profiles would work here?
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@polygeekery said in The Cooking Thread:
There is a dish that we make occasionally that I do not have a name for, but it is basically grilled veggies with spaghetti with pesto.
Take three squash (yellow, zucchini, whatever is handy), a red onion, 2-3 ears of corn on the cob and a couple of bell peppers and slice them up in to grillable sizes. (1/2" slices for the squash and onion, bell peppers in to any size that won't fall through your grill grates) Coat everything with a few tablespoons of olive oil and season liberally with salt and pepper. I put all but the corn and onions in a large bowl so that I can toss it while I season it to make it easier and quicker. Corn and onions are put on a platter and drizzled and seasoned.
Heat your grill to high and start your water to boil. Grill all of the veggies until they have some good grill marks and light charring. Corn will take the longest and goes on first, squash next along with onions and peppers go on last. Pull all of the veggies when they are done and take them inside and drop the spaghetti in the water to cook while you chop the veggies up in to large but bite-size pieces and cut the corn off the ear and then toss with ~1 cup of pesto (I prefer to make my own as store bought is too oily for me, but store bought would work also).
Once the spaghetti is done, reserve a cup or two of the pasta water and drain well and toss with the pesto/veggie mixture. Season with more salt and pepper if needed, maybe drizzle over some lemon juice and add some chopped parsley and grape/cherry tomatoes sliced in half. If too thick, loosen it up with the pasta water.
Super yummy, pretty healthy (the pesto does add quite a bit of oil) and does not need any meat to go with it but a grilled chicken breast would probably pair well. Also, it makes a ton so you can either feed a crowd or have leftovers for lunch for the week.
Sounds delicious, but if I ever make that I think I'll go with some sort of short pasta, and maybe sun-dried tomatoes instead of cherry tomatoes.
Tonight for dinner I have had steaks in the garage fridge drying for a few days to be served with Austrian potato salad, grilled corn and grilled romaine.
Grilled romaine? What's that like?
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@dreikin said in The Cooking Thread:
Grilled romaine? What's that like?
I'm assuming it works similarly to grilled iceberg lettuce--you grill a quarter of a head at a time, enough to lightly char the outside. I've also seen it done with brassica oleracea.
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@benjamin-hall said in The Cooking Thread:
So I could use some suggestions. I have a staple dish I make when I don't want to spend much time fussing in the kitchen:
- 1 C rice
- 2 C water
- 2 chicken leg quarters or 4 thighs (skinless)
- curry powder
Put everything in a heavy enameled dutch oven, cover, and bake at 350 F until done (about 45 minutes to 1 hour).
It works well, but it's a little bland. Sometimes I add a tiny amount of soy sauce for the umami boost.
What can I add that's both easy and tasty? What flavor profiles would work here?
Well, off the top of my head:
- Use yellow rice instead of whatever you're using
- Use white rice + black beans
- Try different seasonings for the chicken. Stone Spice Company's Kickin' BBQT is pretty good, although I think it's aimed more at red meat.
- Chili peppers and chili pepper powders/spices make everything better
- Sear the chicken's surface on the stove first (~3 minutes a side)
- Get some microwavable vegetable packs.
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@dreikin said in The Cooking Thread:
What's that like?
We bake romaine sometimes. The dark ends of the leaves become crispy, while the hearts remain somewhat juicy. Great with lemon juice.
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@dreikin Thanks.
I use chili powder/spices in my other staple:
- Chop a link (~1 lb) of kielbasa (or similar cooked sausage) into small pieces and saute until the surface is browned.
- Add black beans and a (small) can of tomato sauce.
- Season with chili seasonings.
- Cook for a while to meld the flavors.
- Serve over rice.
Each of these makes enough for 2-3 meals worth (and I eat large portions) for basically no cost. Both are simple and quick.
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@benjamin-hall said in The Cooking Thread:
@dreikin said in The Cooking Thread:
Grilled romaine? What's that like?
I'm assuming it works similarly to grilled iceberg lettuce--you grill a quarter of a head at a time, enough to lightly char the outside. I've also seen it done with brassica oleracea.
@yamikuronue said in The Cooking Thread:
@dreikin said in The Cooking Thread:
What's that like?
We bake romaine sometimes. The dark ends of the leaves become crispy, while the hearts remain somewhat juicy. Great with lemon juice.
Sounds interesting. Romaine's (one of?) my favorite lettuce(s), so maybe I'll try that sometime. I assume after cooking you chop it up and use it like usual?
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@benjamin-hall said in The Cooking Thread:
@dreikin Thanks.
I use chili powder/spices in my other staple:
- Chop a link (~1 lb) of kielbasa (or similar cooked sausage) into small pieces and saute until the surface is browned.
- Add black beans and a (small) can of tomato sauce.
- Season with chili seasonings.
- Cook for a while to meld the flavors.
- Serve over rice.
Each of these makes enough for 2-3 meals worth (and I eat large portions) for basically no cost. Both are simple and quick.
Ooh, that's a good idea; I may try that. I'm one of those people who likes to cook but almost never has the motivation/time to do it, so I have to be able to prepare ahead on the weekends.
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@dreikin said in The Cooking Thread:
I assume after cooking you chop it up and use it like usual?
I usually eat it with fork and knife. It's part of a recipe my husband likes called Deconstructed Chicken Caesar Salad. I think there's meant to be anchovy paste on it, but I don't really like fish. He breads the chicken with panko, olive oil, salt, pepper, garlic powder, and oregano, and adds lemon juice.
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@yamikuronue said in The Cooking Thread:
@dreikin said in The Cooking Thread:
I assume after cooking you chop it up and use it like usual?
I usually eat it with fork and knife. It's part of a recipe my husband likes called Deconstructed Chicken Caesar Salad. I think there's meant to be anchovy paste on it, but I don't really like fish. He breads the chicken with panko, olive oil, salt, pepper, garlic powder, and oregano, and adds lemon juice.
His deconstrunction sounds incomplete. Never-the-less, sounds interesting and like something I might like to try, eventually.
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@dreikin I think there was more to it when Food Network or whoever did it, we just kept the parts we liked lol
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@yamikuronue anchovy paste or fish sauce is a flavor booster. The quantity used is so low that you don't taste it by itself, but it punches up the other meat flavors. Other things that do it are soy sauce or Worcestershire sauce (man that's a pain to spell).
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@benjamin-hall said in The Cooking Thread:
@dreikin Thanks.
I use chili powder/spices in my other staple:
- Chop a link (~1 lb) of kielbasa (or similar cooked sausage) into small pieces and saute until the surface is browned.
- Add black beans and a (small) can of tomato sauce.
- Season with chili seasonings.
- Cook for a while to meld the flavors.
- Serve over rice.
Each of these makes enough for 2-3 meals worth (and I eat large portions) for basically no cost. Both are simple and quick.
If you want to try a variation on that, look for chorizo. Unfortunately, there's good chorizo and then there's this stuff that looks absolutely disgusting when you squeeze it out of its tube like a paste. I had the misfortune to encounter the latter once, and it was this:
Good stuff should be together like other sausages, or similar in form to ground beef from the meat section.
Edit:
This is the stuff I can usually get around here that's not crap:
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@heterodox I'm not sure how well it freezes, but you can certainly scale the recipe easily and portion it into Tupperware. Having a rice cooker also helps (living alone, it's not worth it to me, but I can see the value for larger quantities)
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@benjamin-hall said in The Cooking Thread:
Having a rice cooker also helps (living alone, it's not worth it to me, but I can see the value for larger quantities)
oh, I have a great rice cooker recipe I use for lunches sometimes! Cook rice as usual (I use Japanese rice which likes a good long soak before cooking; wash the night before, soak overnight, start in the morning), but also make a tinfoil packet with chicken (I use thighs for juice) and bell peppers, diced into bite-sized pieces. Rub in seseme oil and add salt and pepper, toss in fridge overnight. In the morning, I drop the packet onto the rice (you can use a tray for this if your cooker has one, or it'll float on top) and cook. It steams the packet while the rice cooks. That one I got from Maki Itoh if you need more advice
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@dreikin said in The Cooking Thread:
Sounds delicious, but if I ever make that I think I'll go with some sort of short pasta, and maybe sun-dried tomatoes instead of cherry tomatoes.
Any pasta will work, but the sun-dried tomatoes will throw off the flavor profile. I am not certain if that would be for the better or for the worse.
@dreikin said in The Cooking Thread:
Grilled romaine? What's that like?
Super yummy. It is like a smoky, cheesy, wilted salad. I originally got the idea from Alton Brown, but his version is much more involved.
I find it best with baby romaine, but full-size heads of romaine will work also. They are just a lot to eat for one person.
Split the romaine in half and brush the cut side with olive oil. Grate parmesan cheese over the top in to the oil (it has to be the good stuff, freshly grated, the finer the better. I use a Microplane) and push it down in to the oil until it sticks. Once you pull your meat, and you grill is already super hot from grilling, lightly coat the grates with oil and plunk the romaine halves down, cut side down. The cheese will initially stick, then brown, then release. When the cheese releases it is done and the romaine will be slightly wilted.
Plate up all your food and then splash a little red wine vinegar over the grilled romaine. Some people eat it with a fork and knife. I prefer to just pick it up like a taco and eat it. If you want to make a salad of it you can. Use full-size romaine halves and prep like before. Cut it up with a sharp knife once it is done, splash on the red wine vinegar and add toppings. Cherry tomatoes, bell pepper, etc.
Good stuff. In the winter months you can also make it on a rocket hot griddle and skip the grill.
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So I could use some suggestions. I have a staple dish I make when I don't want to spend much time fussing in the kitchen:
If you want really easy, get a bag of frozen veggies (peas, corn, carrots, nothing large) and just dump some in before you mix it all up. Minced garlic could also work if you're baking it that long.
Less easy but still easy, slice up some onion. Won't add too much flavor (unless its red, but even then), but the texture change could be nice. Could also do much the same with some chopped up bacon (because bacon makes everything better).
Bonus points if you saute it first (with the chicken maybe, as @Dreikin suggested) though that does increase the time needed to prep and the number of dishes used.
Super lazy move: BBQ sauce after it's done.
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@kaelas said in The Cooking Thread:
Super lazy move: BBQ sauce after it's done.
That's your answer to everything ;P
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@dreikin said in The Cooking Thread:
Sear the chicken's surface on the stove first (~3 minutes a side)
Good suggestion, but I sear off everything when making dishes like that. I might even brown the rice in oil a little bit.
Brown color is flavor. So when you say:
@benjamin-hall said in The Cooking Thread:
It works well, but it's a little bland.
Think about ways you can add flavor. Brown the chicken, add some veggies (also sauteed/browned) and substitute chicken broth or stock for the water. I might also finish with a pat of butter.
@benjamin-hall said in The Cooking Thread:
Sometimes I add a tiny amount of soy sauce for the umami boost.
Good idea.
@benjamin-hall said in The Cooking Thread:
What can I add that's both easy and tasty? What flavor profiles would work here?
What you have is nearly a blank palette. Add whatever you wish. I might consider some corn cut from the cob (or, canned corn if pressed for time or need to keep ingredients on hand) along with some bell pepper. Red onion should work with that also. A dish that simple is begging for experimentation.
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@benjamin-hall said in The Cooking Thread:
@dreikin Thanks.
I use chili powder/spices in my other staple:
- Chop a link (~1 lb) of kielbasa (or similar cooked sausage) into small pieces and saute until the surface is browned.
- Add black beans and a (small) can of tomato sauce.
- Season with chili seasonings.
- Cook for a while to meld the flavors.
- Serve over rice.
Each of these makes enough for 2-3 meals worth (and I eat large portions) for basically no cost. Both are simple and quick.
We have a cookbook that I picked up at a library book sale that is "Williams and Sonoma: Beans and Rice". It is full of recipes similar to this and most all of them are recipes that may as well be free. Beans and rice is one of the cheapest staple dishes you can ever make that also has nearly endless variety.
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@polygeekery and high protein as well.
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@dreikin said in The Cooking Thread:
If you want to try a variation on that, look for chorizo.
Chorizo is like magic in a meat casing. I make a dish that is equally well server for dinner or breakfast.
Small dice some potatoes (it does not matter what kind, experiment) and then slowly fry off in a scant amount of oil in a good non-stick skillet until they dehydrate some and start to brown off. Remove potatoes to a bowl. In same skillet, slowly fry off some loose chorizo. Fry very slowly to render off the fat, because that fat is pure flavor. When it is nearly completely browned add a finely diced onion and cook until it starts to brown. Once both and almost done (adding the onion adds water which almost stops the cooking until some water cooks off) add the potatoes back to the pan and fry them off in the chorizo fat.
Once that is all what you consider done, add some eggs. The amount is not picky. Remove the dish from heat when the eggs are just almost done (carry over heat will finish the job) and serve in or with tortillas. I prefer to cook my tortillas straight on the gas stove burner until lightly charred on both sides. Do it however you wish though. Serve with salsa, chopped green onions, queso fresco cheese (which is super easy to make at home, and kids find fascinating to make) and whatever else sounds good. It is a great dish to use up leftovers on.
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@benjamin-hall said in The Cooking Thread:
@polygeekery and high protein as well.
Yep. I freaking love red beans and rice. I still remember the first time I made it for my wife. I had the day off work and I sent her and email and told her to invite whomever over for dinner that she wanted to, as it made a ton. She asked what I was going to serve with it. "Uhmmmmm, nothing. That is the dish." She thought I was being silly, but invited over some friends anyway.
It turned out amazing, and she was impressed. Really it was nothing but some smoked sausage, beans cooked in chicken broth with some diced onion and garlic and served over rice and it was amazingly delicious. I cook some variety of it at least twice a month during the winter and I am convinced that they only way you can mess it up is by not adding enough salt. :)
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@benjamin-hall if you think "bland" is a word that corresponds to that dish, it sounds like you're not adding enough curry powder.
Actually, the curry powder is really throwing me... I'm not sure what flavor profiles will go well with it. But... I'm thinking maybe add a cube of chicken bouillon (dissolved in the water), and a diced tomato? Maybe a bell pepper (or, if you can stand the heat, 1-3 jalapenos)?
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@polygeekery said in The Cooking Thread:
along with some bell pepper
This reminds me: we (my grandparents and I) will chop up bell peppers, put single- or double-portions in freezer bags, and store them in the freezer. Makes it really easy to add flavor to something when you're being lazy: just grab one bag from the freezer and mix in.
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@benjamin-hall said in The Cooking Thread:
dutch oven
I think this doesn't mean what I thought it meant.
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@dreikin said in The Cooking Thread:
squeeze it out of its tube like a paste
how can you dare to call something chorizo and have it come out of a tube ... it's a fucking sausage by definition
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@heterodox said in The Cooking Thread:
You still have to shop for
all the other mealsbeer and wine.Now to find a beverage delivery service...
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@dreikin said in The Cooking Thread:
If you want to try a variation on that, look for chorizo. Unfortunately, there's good chorizo and then there's this stuff that looks absolutely disgusting when you squeeze it out of its tube like a paste. I had the misfortune to encounter the latter once, and it was this:
I tried that exact same brand of chorizo one week I was interested in making chorizo and eggs. It is absolutely FUCKING FOUL. I don't know why anyone carries it.
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@heterodox Beef chorizo just sounds wrong.
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@boomzilla said in The Cooking Thread:
@heterodox Beef chorizo just sounds wrong.
I tried the pork chorizo, same brand. Just as awful.
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@dreikin said in The Cooking Thread:
@polygeekery said in The Cooking Thread:
along with some bell pepper
This reminds me: we (my grandparents and I) will chop up bell peppers, put single- or double-portions in freezer bags, and store them in the freezer. Makes it really easy to add flavor to something when you're being lazy: just grab one bag from the freezer and mix in.
I do that, and also the same thing with chopped onion. It really doesn't need to be portioned, though; it's easy enough to crumble off the amount that you're after.
Well, except that one time I chopped the onion way too finely (basically to a soggy pulp) and it turned into a solid brick of ice...
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@anotherusername said in The Cooking Thread:
@dreikin said in The Cooking Thread:
@polygeekery said in The Cooking Thread:
along with some bell pepper
This reminds me: we (my grandparents and I) will chop up bell peppers, put single- or double-portions in freezer bags, and store them in the freezer. Makes it really easy to add flavor to something when you're being lazy: just grab one bag from the freezer and mix in.
I do that, and also the same thing with chopped onion. It really doesn't need to be portioned, though; it's easy enough to crumble off the amount that you're after.
Well, except that one time I chopped the onion way too finely (basically to a soggy pulp) and it turned into a solid brick of ice...
That works with herbs also. Give them a rough chop, stuff them in ice cube trays, freeze them and store in freezer bags b
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@anotherusername said in The Cooking Thread:
They're pretty full, but everything did fit, and had a place...
Ah. Now you have space to buy more!!!
