Whitechapel - Food & Cooking Oct 09 resurrected?

Food & Cooking Oct 09 resurrected?

Brendan McGinley — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 11:13:50 -0700

The old one sank too deep, I guess.

In today's crockpot: chicken thighs, onions, carrots and potatoes. steaming in a shallow brine of white wine and sprite. I'll put the meat under some homemade tzatziki sauce (yogurt, radishes, cucumbers and peppers), and serve the veggies on the side.

Food & Cooking Oct 09 resurrected?

Dervaspa — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 14:29:55 -0700

n't get to go shopping for groceries until Thursday, but when I do I'm hoping to get the ingredients to make bread, sofrito, fried green tomatoes, a couple of soups, pastas, and the like.

AS of now, I spent last night cooking 8 pork chops, seasoned with adobo and a little cayenne which I plan to chop off the bones and use to make a sort of sauce with bell peppers and gravy to go over rice tonight. Update when I can :)

Food & Cooking Oct 09 resurrected?

Draug — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 14:51:37 -0700

I like to bake this is what I've done lately Graham flour loafs:

Rye Sourdough loafs:

Orange and chocolate Sponge cake and cinnamon buns

Food & Cooking Oct 09 resurrected?

StefanJ — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 15:50:57 -0700

@Draug: Oh man, those look good. Especially the rye sourdough.

* * *

This morning I had re-boiled oatmeal. I made a big batch of steel cut oatmeal with lots of dried fruit on Sunday morning. Waaaaay too much. I ate what I thought was about half, put some water in the pot, and stuck it in the fridge. This morning I added more water, chopped up the clotted mess, and simmered it while I took my shower.

It came out really good, but man, I feel like I've eaten a bowling ball.

If you're ever in a low-funds situation, buy about ten pounds of scotch oatmeal. A really cheap way to stay well fed.

Food & Cooking Oct 09 resurrected?

Brendan McGinley — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 16:09:55 -0700

Jebus, Draug. Those are 100% pro-grade. Can you share your secrets?

Food & Cooking Oct 09 resurrected?

Alan Tyson — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 16:35:52 -0700

Draug, that sourdough looks fuckin' consumable. It's begging to be part of a sandwich.

Food & Cooking Oct 09 resurrected?

StefanJ — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 16:38:56 -0700

A medium-thick slice of that sourdough, warm, with butter = totally fucking happy.

Food & Cooking Oct 09 resurrected?

brittanica — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 16:48:00 -0700

Hell, the whole loaf of that sourdough, w/ butter. Split down the middle.

Tonight is a Very Alton Night.
Broiling a sirloin, using his technique.
Leftover Mac and Cheese from my parents', using his recipe (subbing Colby-Jack for Cheddar and regular milk for evaporated).

Food & Cooking Oct 09 resurrected?

Brendan McGinley — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 18:26:19 -0700

You want to know the secret to incredible mac 'n' cheese? Havarti. Mix some in with your cheddar. You won't need any salt after that, though. I also add a little paprika and butter.

Food & Cooking Oct 09 resurrected?

Draug — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 18:37:56 -0700

I wont lie I'm pretty pleased myself with those sourdough loafs and the taste ain't all that bad either.
Well I don't think I got any secrets but I guess I can try to translate my recipe for you but I will not even try to convert anything.

Day 1: 25g yeast, 3dl water, 3dl sifted rye-flour (40-50% sifted rye the rest wheat flour)

Mix the yeast with the finger-warm water (37°C) in a big bowl then add the flour (you don't need to worry to much about lumps). Cover with a baking cloth and let it rest in room temperature.

Day 2: 1/2 dl sifted rye-flour

Mix in the flour. Cover with a baking cloth and let it rest in room temperature.

Day 3: 7 dl water, 1/2 dl cooking oil (I use Colza oil) or liquid margarine, 1 msk salt, 2.5l (roughly 1.4 kg) sifted rye-flour, (I also like to add some seeds like pumpkin, sunflower or linseed)

Mix the sourdough with the finger-warm water (37°C), oil or margarine, (seeds,) salt and flour. Knead it until you get a flexible dough, first in the bowl then on an flour covered kneading table. Rise under a baking cloth about 1 hour.

Knead the dough lightly on an flour covered kneading table. Shape into 2 loafs (I put mine in baking-tins). If you first flatten out the dough and the roll them together the loafs will rise a bit higher. Rise under a baking cloth about 30 min.

Heat the oven to 250°C and lower to 200°C when you put in the bread.
Notch the loafs with a sharp knife or razor-blade.
Bake in the bottom section of the oven for about 45min.
Let them cool off on a Cooling rack beneath a baking cloth.

Food & Cooking Oct 09 resurrected?

Dervaspa — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 19:20:06 -0700

@ Draug: I'm not patient enough for all that... anyway i can get you to ship me some?

@ Brendan McGinley and Brittanica: Another thing I've found is great for mac n' cheese is whipped topping... like cool whip... I used it when making mac n' cheese pizza once and it gave a nice little change of pace. I only used about a quarter cup but it was also to thin the sauce out (figuring that whipped cream is just like... cream... or milk yeah? it made sense at the time) i think all in all it was about a pound of macaroni and cheese after it was cooked and combined.

Food & Cooking Oct 09 resurrected?

Draug — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 06:31:28 -0700

@ Dervaspa: My bigest problem is forgetfulness but midnight baking can be nice sometimes to. Can't you just print them out?

Food & Cooking Oct 09 resurrected?

Jess — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 09:34:56 -0700

@Draug -- Oh, those are amazing. This thread makes me want to bake, but I know it won't come out looking anywhere as good as that.

Food & Cooking Oct 09 resurrected?

Frekky — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 08:43:04 -0700

Am at work now, but thinking out tonights menu.
So far:

Zuccini Bread, free range spicy italian sausage cooked in imperial stout & garlic, squash (either kuri or turban) roasted with apples, brown sugar, and onions.

Trying to figure out a side dish. Perhaps a simple heirloom tomato & mozzarella.- not sure on the last bit though.

If the meal is a success I will upload a few photos.

Food & Cooking Oct 09 resurrected?

spinnerin — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 11:20:50 -0700

Last night: pesto mac (macaroni, pesto, cream, parmesan, salt and pepper) with roasted green beans and onions. A one-color meal, but it was tasty.

@frekky - Any kind of vegetable salad would be good with that. I'd probably go for something crunchy.

Food & Cooking Oct 09 resurrected?

allana — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 15:21:18 -0700

today i made a pledge to myself to experiment with Chocolate Chili Chicken until i get it right. this could get costly.

Food & Cooking Oct 09 resurrected?

Kosmopolit — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 16:49:43 -0700

I'm currently fiddling around with homemade peanut butter.

The basic recipe for peanut butter: roasted peanut, peanut oil; food processor. If you want chunky throw more peanuts in when the rest is done and run the processor for another 30-60 seconds.

But because of my diet, I'm trying to come up with a lower calorie version. My first attempt was 50% peanuts, 50% canned chickpeas. Which came out ... edible.

Next up I'll try roasting (well microwaving) raw chickpeas and probably shift the proportions to 60:40. I might also add some artificial almond flavoring to mask the taste of the chickpeas.

Or I might try butter beans.

Beats have about 25% of the calories of peanuts for a given weight so if I can get the proportions right, the results should be much lower in fat than ordinary peanut butter.

Food & Cooking Oct 09 resurrected?

Fan — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 17:22:35 -0700

@Kosmopolit

I buy a brand of peanut butter called "Just peanuts", made from "100% fresh roasted peanuts". Because it's made without an emulsifier, then having been sitting on the store shelf for who-knows-how-long the oil has separated and is floating on the top when I first open it. So I stir the oil in; but if you didn't want the oil, then you could maybe just leave it for a while (so that it separates) and then pour it off instead of stirring it back in.

Also, occasionally I've bought peanut butter from a bulk store, where you grind it yourself in a big machine they have, which feeds peanuts in from the top like a big coffee grinder. I didn't notice that the machine adds any peanut oil: I think it's just made from peanuts. So that too (making it without oil, perhaps if necessary in something more powerful than a food processor) would be a way to reduce oil.

I also buy almond butter, made from real almonds: it's delicious and high in calcium; but (compared to peanuts at least) relatively expensive, and I don't think any less fatty.

Food & Cooking Oct 09 resurrected?

Frekky — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 18:06:44 -0700

after 90 minutes at the farmers market and a slight food processor mishap my deliciousness is complete:
Zucchini Bread:

Salad (lettuce, 3 types of peppers, tomato, carrots) Amazing Sausage & my roast squash masterpiece:

This is seriously delicious. Worth every second I put into it.

Food & Cooking Oct 09 resurrected?

Dervaspa — Sun, 18 Oct 2009 03:36:27 -0700

I've noticed a bit of down time happening all around online and off latley. With the chill comes some of the less happy times I suppose. So I thought I'd post my cure all recipe. This drink has gotten my friends and I through break ups, separations, friends and family dying or moving, Surgeries, pregnancies, adoptions, flus, and just plain old normal days where the weather was extremely cold (Or Florida's sad versions which pale in comparison to Louisiana as I'm learning more and more recently)

White Hot Chocolate (no chocolate involved actually)

1/2 cup milk (or cream)
1/2 cup eggnog
two capfuls of vanilla extract (imitation or no, I've used both)
A sprinkling of cinnamon and or nutmeg.

pretty easy and no nonsense, just mix the milk, eggnog, vanilla, and heat until as warm as you need then top with your spices and enjoy. I have been known to put cherries or orange slices in mine because I'm weird and I love it like that. But this is my gift for the week to you as it grows a little colder Whitechapel, it's not much but it's what I can offer.

Food & Cooking Oct 09 resurrected?

Brendan McGinley — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 08:41:22 -0700

Stolen from myself on today's blog:

I made barbecue ribs. They were too salty, so I steamed/boiled those bastids into porky pulp. The only other thing in my fridge was cabbage, scallion and onion, plus some flour, which it turns out are all you need to make some delicious Chinese dumplings and pancakes, using this recipe from epicurious. You can find your own scallion pancake recipe. Until Excellent Dumpling reveals their secrets, they're all the same.

I saved the broth from steaming the ribs to cook the cabbage and onions. At any rate, the pork went back in once it was shredded.

This will be our scallion pancake dough, and the broth that will make sweet love to it.

Dumplings all dumpled. The dough is pretty much the same as the scallion pancake's.

These will be served with a melted peanut sauce to which you'll need to add some oil and soy sauce.

The broth.

Great sizzling dumplings!

The Horde. The black bottoms show the need to keep on eye on them and find that sweet spot for heat.

Pret a manger.

Food & Cooking Oct 09 resurrected?

steevo — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 15:48:58 -0700

Hey all, throwing a party on the 31st. Any ideas for appetizers/desserts at a Halloween party?

Food & Cooking Oct 09 resurrected?

StefanJ — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 16:01:57 -0700

@steevo:

bOING bOING and MAKE: Online occasionally post pictures of cool / gross desserts. Like "litter box cake" with simulated cat turds, meat loaf molded to look like a cooked baby, and cup cakes with hideous monster faces made of candy bits.

In general: Stuff that is easy to serve and eat, because folks will be in costumes.

Food & Cooking Oct 09 resurrected?

sacredchao — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 16:05:20 -0700

I'm making fried chicken ala Alton Brown right now. It has to sit for half an hour for the breading to set, then I'm gonna fry it up.

Also, I ordered canned haggis off Amazon, because I've always wanted to try it, and it looks too complicated to make without first knowing what to expect.

@Brendan - those look awesome. I had something similar in Chumphon, Thailand a couple months ago with mussels in them. They were awesome.

Food & Cooking Oct 09 resurrected?

Lani — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 19:09:40 -0700

Today I wanted fruit so I bought four peaches, four pears, and four kiwis (fruit, not the bird. I always think of the bird when I see the word.). No specific plans for them yet, though I'm kinda thinking some pear-gorgonzola salad might be excellent. Suggestions on preparation in a veggie household? Raw is, of course, wonderful, but I also like to experiment and try new things.

Food & Cooking Oct 09 resurrected?

spinnerin — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 10:42:36 -0700

Last night: apple cheddar tart.

You need: pie dough for 1 8-9" crust, sharp cheddar, apples. Premade puff pastry would also work.

Roll out the pie dough in a big circle, transfer to a baking sheet or pie plate, grate enough cheddar on the bottom to cover (like you're making pizza), top with slices of apples and about a tablespoon of sugar. Fold the edges of the pasty over the top of the fillings (this is called "rustic"). Bake for about 45 min at 350F.

It looks like this (with a few pieces missing):

Food & Cooking Oct 09 resurrected?

taphead — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 11:39:21 -0700

@racingpenguins

Hmm. The first thought I had would be hot pears (say, sliced and fried on a HOT pan in [clarified] butter) mixed with lumps of [frozen] cookie dough and gorgonzola.

Maybe have cubed and chilled peaches and kiwi on the side? Oh! With ginger syrup! (And strawberries, if possible.)

Maybe some bubbly to go with?

Food & Cooking Oct 09 resurrected?

Lani — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 20:39:35 -0700

Ginger syrup and fruit? Oh man, that sounds fantastic. Not sure about the cookie dough and bubbly is out of my budget, but I think the rest can more or less be accomplished. Mmmmm, delicious accomplishments........

Food & Cooking Oct 09 resurrected?

Kosmopolit — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 06:23:30 -0700

Anyone got any idea what might cause agar jelly not to set?

Food & Cooking Oct 09 resurrected?

Draug — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 05:32:50 -0700

Blueberry and coconut muffins cools so slow....

Food & Cooking Oct 09 resurrected?

Fan — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 09:38:49 -0700

Anyone got any idea what might cause agar jelly not to set?

I've never tried it mysef, but the following is a quote from the 'net (quoted from Gelatin Alternatives, at VegCooking):

Agar-Agar

This flavorless gelling agent, derived from cooked and pressed seaweed, is available flaked, powdered, or in bars. For best results, grind the agar-agar in a coffee grinder or food processor and then cook it, stirring it regularly until it dissolves. When used in a recipe, agar-agar sets in about an hour and doesn't require refrigeration to gel. For a firmer gel, add more agar-agar, and for a softer gel, add more liquid. And don't worry if you don't get it right the first time—you can fix a faux pas simply by reheating the gel. Here's a general guide on how to use agar in recipes:

• Substitute powdered agar-agar for gelatin using equal amounts.

• 1 Tbsp. of agar-agar flakes is equal to 1 tsp. of agar-agar powder.

• Set 2 cups of liquid using 2 tsp. of agar-agar powder, 2 Tbsp. of agar-agar flakes, or one bar.

• Keep in mind that highly acidic ingredients, such as lemons, strawberries, oranges, and other citrus fruits, may require more agar-agar than the recipe calls for. Also, enzymes in fresh mangoes, papaya, and pineapple break down the gelling ability of the agar-agar so that it will not set. Cooking these fruits before adding them to a recipe, however, neutralizes the enzymes so that the agar-agar can set.

Food & Cooking Oct 09 resurrected?

howyadoin — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 14:45:49 -0700

Goddamn, what a droolworthy thread. I hope my french toast lives up to the standard already established:

(With orange zest, Triple Sec, cinnamon, butter and powdered sugar.)

Food & Cooking Oct 09 resurrected?

Kosmopolit — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 15:56:21 -0700

"• Keep in mind that highly acidic ingredients, such as lemons, strawberries, oranges, and other citrus fruits, may require more agar-agar than the recipe calls for."

I suspect it was the food acid in the artificial vanilla flavoring I added.

Food & Cooking Oct 09 resurrected?

Dervaspa — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 03:04:35 -0700

@racingpenguins

not sure if you're still looking for ideas but i just today found a recipe that uses pears :)

Pear-Cinnamon Crisp with Vanilla Ice Cream

Filling
4 to 5 large pears (I used Bosc)
2/3 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt

Topping
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 cup pecans, very finely chopped
1 stick (8 tablespoons) melted

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Peel, core, and dice pears. Place into a bowl and stir together with 2/3 cup sugar and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Set aside.
In a separate bowl, combine flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, and pecans. Stir together. Drizzle melted butter gradually, stirring with a fork as you go until all combined.
Pour pears into a baking dish; top with crumb topping.
Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.
Place pan on top rack of oven for an additional 10 minutes, or until topping is golden brown.
Serve warm with vanilla ice cream.

Food & Cooking Oct 09 resurrected?

Lani — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 09:14:37 -0700

Dervespa - I had, but then I bought more. This looks delicious!

Food & Cooking Oct 09 resurrected?

Frekky — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 09:44:40 -0700

Pumpkin bread is on the horizon. Must kill off zucchini bread first, half of which was frozen last week.

Food & Cooking Oct 09 resurrected?

Dervaspa — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 15:41:20 -0700

@ Racingpenguins

I just found another recipe for a chocolate pear brownie tart... if you'd like.

Sorry I spend most all day if I'm not doing anything looking up recipes... so chances are (except for the agar agar bits) I have recipes for plenty of things you all can think of... even flowers. >_>

I'm hoping to try a new fish recipe this weekend I'll put it up if I don't forget.

Food & Cooking Oct 09 resurrected?

Alastair — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 15:42:34 -0700

i did a red tilapia ceaser salad tonight it was bloody delicious, didn't think to take any pictures though :s

Food & Cooking Oct 09 resurrected?

Dervaspa — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 16:20:09 -0700

I've never cooked or eaten tilapia... Is it easy to cook and make recipes with, like, how does it lend itself in flavor to a dish?

Food & Cooking Oct 09 resurrected?

Lani — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 20:27:17 -0700

Dervespa - hell yeah! That sounds fabulous. I'm getting swamped again at school, but I can tuck them away and try them when I get a bit of time again.

Food & Cooking Oct 09 resurrected?

StefanJ — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 20:39:47 -0700

I've been utterly unmotivated to bake or cook anything lately, but I made some crass but satisfying comfort food the other night.

Two cups of biscuit mix, some milk => dough. Spread half on the bottom of a casserole dish. Poured in a giant can of beef stew I bought on special. Threw in a can of roast beef chunks. Spread the rest of the dough on top. Aluminum foil. Oven.

The result was a sort of amateur shepherd's pie. I chopped it into squares and froze half of them in plastic containers.

Food & Cooking Oct 09 resurrected?

Dervaspa — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 00:05:03 -0700

I just realized the original recipe I found uses *butter substitute* I say this is blasphemy but... I'll post it like I read it... lol a lot of the people in the forum i found this on are health foodies, or allergic to some of the usual baking ingredients etc etc... so apologies if they include odd ingredients.

pear chocolate brownie tarts:

Ingredients:

* 1 cup Unbleached White Flour
* ½ cups Unrefined Sugar
* ½ cups Brown Sugar, Packed
* ¼ cups Cocoa Powder
* ½ teaspoons Baking Powder
* ¼ teaspoons Salt
* ½ cups Natural Soy Creamer, Plain
* 3 Tablespoons Earth Balance Butter Substitute
* 1 Tablespoon Heaping Chopped Bittersweet Chocolate
* ½ teaspoons Pure Vanilla Extract
* 2 whole Bartlett Pears

to make:

Preheat oven to 350?F. Spray four 4? tart pans with oil.

Whisk together the flour, sugars, cocoa, baking powder, and salt in a bowl. Put the creamer, Earth Balance, and chocolate in a microwavable bowl or measuring cup. Heat for 30 seconds, then stir. Heat for another 30 seconds and stir until the butter and chocolate have melted.

Pour the liquid ingredients into the dry ones and stir until everything is blended. Divide evenly into the four tart pans.
Peel the pears and remove the seeds and stem. Slice the pears horizontally and arrange half of a pear on each tart.
Bake the tarts, on a cookie sheet, for 25 to 30 minutes. Do the toothpick test.
Let them cool for at least 20 minutes before removing them from the pans.

edited with picture:

Food & Cooking Oct 09 resurrected?

Kosmopolit — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 00:09:46 -0700

Tilapia, (also known as Basa) is pretty bland.

There's no really strong flavor to it.

The main reasons to eat it are that in a lot of places it's about the cheapest fresh fish around and that in sia a lot of tilapia is actually farmed and its one of the most sustainable aquaculture crops on the planet.

Oh also outside Asia it's an invasive pest so even if it's wild-caught you're doing the environment a favor.

Food & Cooking Oct 09 resurrected?

spinnerin — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 10:38:30 -0700

Last night's dinner was mac & cheese with pepperoni:

Boil some pasta (macaroni, rontini, small shells) however long the package says and set aside to drain. In a saucepan, make a roux with 2 tablespoons butter and 2 tablespoons flour. Add a cup of broth (chicken, veggie, mushroom are all good choices), and stir over medium heat until it thickens. Add chunks of pepperoni. Add a splash of cream and a bunch of sharp cheddar. Add the pasta. Salt and pepper it. Eat.

Food & Cooking Oct 09 resurrected?

Frekky — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 18:16:37 -0700

Tonight's creation:
winter/root vegetable puree (delicata squash, sweet potato, carrot, parsnip, purple orchid potato, garlic, black pepper)
for the lady: mulled cider & garlic roast tofu
for me: garlic black pepper and cider roasted lamb chorizo (freshly made yesterday).

1- It was my first time making the winter root vegetable puree. I've been hitting up the local farmers markets since they opened for the season (mid may) and became friendly with a man who runs the farmers market/retail side of the farm. We've exchanged recipes & cooking tips all spring and summer. He tipped me off to this great recipe:

2 parsnips
2 sweet potatoes
2 or 3 carrots
1 mid sized squash
dice ingredients into 1-2 inch pieces. boil on high 1 cup cider & 3/4 cup water. Once boiling add garlic, turn to low heat and let simmer for 40 minutes. Drain. Through back in pan for 2 min to dry out. Puree to desired consistency adding black pepper & garlic. Mix in room temperature butter and serve.
Feel free to substitute some root vegetables for others. The man said as long as you have the sweet potato or squash as a base and you should be fine.

2- Every ingredient I used tonight (except the tofu) came from within 150 miles of my house. I'm not all ra-ra everything should be local organic and natural people but I am big into supporting local small business. For me it's nice to know all my ingredients were fresh and ended up supporting a handful of regional/local business.

All in all I was very pleased with the puree and the chorizo was extremely flavorful. I'll post food porn if anyone is interested.

Food & Cooking Oct 09 resurrected?

icelandbob — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 06:27:43 -0700

Essential knowledge....

Food & Cooking Oct 09 resurrected?

Frekky — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 12:01:13 -0700

Made spicy pumpkin bread.

Happy Halloween.

Food & Cooking Oct 09 resurrected?

Dervaspa — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 12:58:18 -0700

That actually is quite interesting @Icelandbob Thank you :) Now i can show off at the next 50 cent wing night!