What can you expect in the Food Thread on PF?

[scorpa]

Mmmmm! Venison. I struck out this year. The too-warm weather this fall meant that almost everything except trees and some berry bushes were still vegetative into December, and the deer didn't have to forage much. It's hard to find deer when they can sleep comfortably all day.

That is unfortunate Turbo. From what I hear it was a pretty good season here, apparently at home all you heard was the popping of shotguns. Our poor dog isn't very couragous so he spends most of hunting season huddled up in our porch...he is a 80 pound chicken :P


I have no food right now. My fridge contents include an old bag of carrots, some ketchup, cream cheese and 2 three year old beers. I'm going home next wednesday so I don't want to get groceries. I've made it for 4 weeks so perhaps I can make 5...or maybe I will have to get some this weekend if I can tear myself away from studying :(

 

[turbo]

I'm not going to tell you that I've been known to eat cold soup right out of the can, the condensed kind, not the "ready to eat". Did you know that Cream of Mushroom soup eaten out of the can has the consistency of cold snot?

Oh, man! You are just begging for more food-thread demerits! How can you abuse yourself this way? Canned soup is 'way bad, and cold canned soup is piling insult upon injury. I may be able to fix you up with a woods-bound mountain-man if you bring in a trailer-load of canned goods as a dowry, but if you don't learn to cook with some real food, you'll be dumped after the first winter.

My newest neighbor (Maine native who moved to Mass in 1969 and moved back this year) still doesn't know how to properly gut and clean out a deer. I promised to teach him, but neither of us even caught a glimpse of a white-tail this year due to the unseasonably warm temperatures. I'll teach him eventually, and we are going to list each other as alternates on next year's moose permit applications.

 

[turbo]

That is unfortunate Turbo. From what I hear it was a pretty good season here, apparently at home all you heard was the popping of shotguns. Our poor dog isn't very couragous so he spends most of hunting season huddled up in our porch...he is a 80 pound chicken :P


I have no food right now. My fridge contents include an old bag of carrots, some ketchup, cream cheese and 2 three year old beers. I'm going home next wednesday so I don't want to get groceries. I've made it for 4 weeks so perhaps I can make 5...or maybe I will have to get some this weekend if I can tear myself away from studying :(

Darn! The deer that got hauled into the weighing stations were fat and healthy, but they were few and far between.

My brother-in-law Jim (now deceased of pancreatic cancer that went into remission and came back to kill him 10 years later) had a pointer named Quincy. He was a friendly, quirky dog, and every time there was a thunderstorm, he would run to the front door and quiver and shake all over wanting to be let out. He was convinced that someone was hunting without him, and with each crack of thunder, he'd work the tree-lines looking for birds to retrieve. He was a nut, but such a sweetie, too!

Get some food, Scorpa! Even a little fry-up of hamburg, onion, garlic, peppers, etc can give you a boost, especially when you combine that with some potato, pasta, or basmati rice. You've got to make a little bit of time every day to cook, because you are what you eat. That sounds like a cliche, but it's true.

 

[turbo]

I've got to mention that my finances in college depended greatly on my ability to buy/sell guitars and amps, and milk what money I made playing frat parties on weekends. Sometimes things got a bit lean, and I would make some pea soup, lentil soup, or baked beans during the weekend, with varying appearances of bacon, ham, etc. Good weekends often found me making batches of Spanish rice, spaghetti, or even lasagna. The really lean weekends found me making "Fench soup" which consisted of a thin soup of rice, potato, onion, and canned tomatoes.

 

[Evo]

I've got to mention that my finances in college depended greatly on my ability to buy/sell guitars and amps, and milk what money I made playing frat parties on weekends. Sometimes things got a bit lean, and I would make some pea soup, lentil soup, or baked beans during the weekend, with varying appearances of bacon, ham, etc. Good weekends often found me making batches of Spanish rice, spaghetti, or even lasagna. The really lean weekends found me making "Fench soup" which consisted of a thin soup of rice, potato, onion, and canned tomatoes.

I pretty much live on lentils and other legumes, loved them all my life. There is a French soup my mother used to make for us when we were sick, onions, potatoes and carrots, pureed with a pat of butter floated in the bowl.. I used to look forward to getting sick so I could have that soup.

I still eat very frugally most of the time, only splurging once in awhile. Probably why my cholesteral and blood sugar levels are so good.

 

[turbo]

When things were getting lean, my mother would send me down into the cellar to bring up a jar of salted leeks and some canned tomatoes. She would combine these with potatoes, rice, and onions to make "French Soup" that was to die for. A nice hot bowl of that soup with a stack of Saltines and some butter was a killer meal.

 

[Moonbear]

Darn! The deer that got hauled into the weighing stations were fat and healthy, but they were few and far between.

That's too bad. I've seen plenty of road kill, so they're definitely out around here. Haven't heard from anyone if they've actually shot any yet. Mostly, I've been getting deer jerky as they've been cleaning out the freezers of whatever was leftover from last year making room for this year's deer.

 

[Evo]

That's too bad. I've seen plenty of road kill, so they're definitely out around here. Haven't heard from anyone if they've actually shot any yet. Mostly, I've been getting deer jerky as they've been cleaning out the freezers of whatever was leftover from last year making room for this year's deer.

I had fresh deer tenderloin today. My deer killer is on the ball.

Also, I couldn't find any decent calve's liver, so I bought some chicken livers and am going to have my Jewish step mother-in-law's world famous chopped chicken liver. Got to have schmaltz.

 

[Moonbear]

I had fresh deer tenderloin today. My deer killer is on the ball.

Ooh...yum! That is the BEST meat. My friend is away bird hunting this week, so I'm really hoping he's hunting chukars (if I spelled that right this time) while out.

 

[fourier jr]

the "cooking as art" crowd don't usually like alton brown very much, but the "cooking as science" crowd, like people here, seem to like him though. if you like alton brown you'll probably like this site also:
http://www.cookingforengineers.com/

 

[turbo]

the "cooking as art" crowd don't usually like alton brown very much, but the "cooking as science" crowd, like people here, seem to like him though. if you like alton brown you'll probably like this site also:
http://www.cookingforengineers.com/

I don't mind Alton Brown's shows, except when he is absolutely wrong,

like his show on knife-sharpening in which he dictated that aside from honing on a steel, all cooks should let their knives be sharpened on belt grinders by itinerant knife-sharpeners "like the pros do". That show is so far from right that it turns my stomach. The suggestion that people like butchers (who rely on nice, sharp knives every day) cannot keep their own knives sharp is stupid. Worse, the suggestion that you ought to turn over your knives to some yahoo with a belt-grinder is short-sighted, unless you are unable to learn how to maintain a steady sharpening angle with your knives on a water-lubricated diamond stone and sharpen your own knives. There are plenty of jigs and other fixtures that will help you do this, so you do not have to let somebody with a belt-grinder take lots of material off your blades, or ruin the temper by over-heating the edges.

 

[wolram]

I had myself a Stilton and mixed mushroom steak.

Steak fried 2mins a side, put mushrooms on top then the Stilton ,grill for a minute or two.
served with roasted baby beets, roasted honey glazed parsnips , new potatoes and onion gravy.

 

[Andre]

wow, a copious meal.

I had "hutspot". Mashed potatoes, cubed carots and oignons mixed together with a smoked sausage.

One of the oldest traditional recipes in Holland. The "Water Geuzen" (Dutch freedom fighters during the 80 year war) broke the Spanish siege in the night of 3 October 1574. In the morning a small orphan discovered that the Spanish camp was empty and he found a big pot with "Hutspot". Later, the water geuzen gave the starving populating herring and white bread. Of course traditionally, the Leideners still eat herring and white bread and "hutspot" on 3 October. Nowadays my Dutch residence is exactly in the area where the Water geuzen assembled before the battle.

"Leidens ontzet"
http://quotidiana.punt.nl/upload/Leidens_ontzet.jpg

Distribution of herring and white bread at the Relief of Leiden, in the background, smoke from the burning Spanish camp

Painting Otto van Veen in the Rijksmuseum Amsterdam

 

[Evo]

Should there be a link? I like hutspot, although my recipe calls for beef brisket.

 

[Andre]

Yes that's true http://www.ethnicrecipes.org/index.php?search=&category=dutch However the meat is mentioned seperately Hutspot with "klapstuk". The personal touch for more flavor is to replace the beef brisket with "rookworst".

 

[rewebster]

some food looks better in person/ on the plate

---------------------------

This just happened:

an older guy (hard to tell as he looked beyond his years) asked if he could shovel the drive and walk for some cash, as he was out of money and needed food---I may have done it, but he smelled of beer---

 

[wolram]

Which is you favorite gravy? mine is onion and mushroom, i fry the onions with a little brown sugar until they are caramelized, chop the mushroom into very small pieces, place in water with a beef stock cube and any meat juices and thicken with mashed potato.

 

[Evo]

Yes that's true http://www.ethnicrecipes.org/index.php?search=&category=dutch However the meat is mentioned seperately Hutspot with "klapstuk". The personal touch for more flavor is to replace the beef brisket with "rookworst".

Sausage sounds good. I'll have to try that next time.

 

[turbo]

Which is you favorite gravy? mine is onion and mushroom, i fry the onions with a little brown sugar until they are caramelized, chop the mushroom into very small pieces, place in water with a beef stock cube and any meat juices and thicken with mashed potato.

My favorite gravy is made from the juices of a New England boiled dinner. It's a really easy meal to prepare.

https://www.physicsforums.com/showpost.php?p=1194466&postcount=15

 

[Evo]

My favorite gravy is my turkey giblet gravy.

A guy I dated once said that his mother always added chopped hard boiled eggs to it. I thought he was crazy, but wanted to make him happy so I added a chopped egg. It's the only way I'll make it now, it was so good.

 

[arunbg]

So I'm at home and being treated to good old Mum's cooking. But now I am having an attack of vegetarianism!
The university mess serves only vegetarian food, which is what I have 9 months a year. Probably the diet rubbed off on me or something, but right now I feel it an absolute effort to eat meat at home. Just today, I refused meat dishes on two separate meals :Eek:
My love for animals, is I guess another reason, though all these years I have been thinking it was okay and part of the biological chain. I had quit eating eggs for many years now (don't ask why). I don't know if this is just temporary or permanent, but I admit I have been contemplating vegetarianism for some time now.

Any vegetarians on the board for some advice? Non-vegan advice is also welcome

 

[wolram]

Pan boiled fox

http://www.wildmanwildfood.com/pages/recipes.htm#fox

Pan Boiled Fox (serves 6-8)

This recipe is inspired by my Greek friend's father who cooked wild
mountain goat using this (Ikarian) method. The flavour is extremely
similar to fox. So, as you can see, very occasionally - and in the
interest of research - I have tasted non-roadkill meat!

INGREDIENTS (all approximate measurements)
2 large onions roughly chopped
Boned or still-on-the-bone legs of one medium to large fox (cut into 8
pieces if still on the bone)
6 medium sized carrots (cut into thick inch long batons)
6 medium sized courgettes (cut into thick inch and a half long batons)
(with flowers if available)
1 tea cup olive oil
2 bay leaves
4-6 whole pepper corns
2-3 pieces of allspice
2-3 lemons
2 large eggs
Sea salt (fairly liberal amounts) and ground black pepper
Water

METHOD

In a large saucepan gently brown the onions in olive oil. Add the meat and cook in the onion/oil mix for a few minutes. Add the bay leaves, allspice, pepper corns, salt, ground pepper,juice of one lemon, carrots and a few cups of water to the pan. Cover with a lid and simmer for half an hour stirring occasionally. Add the courgettes. Add more water if necessary. Cook for about another half-hour at a slow but steady boil.

Beat the eggs and mix with remaining lemon juice. Gradually ladle off all the hot cooking liquor from the pan and carefully beat it in with the eggs.

Return to pan. Serve with hunks of good rustic bread to soak up the juices.

 

[gravenewworld]

The best bread and tomato pie you will ever have. From Marchiano's in Philly and rated best of the city. I've been calling for 3 days straight and can not get through to make an order. They have pictures on the wall of people who have been there to get some bread like the Pope, a ton of professional sports players, and presidential candidates. They are a little bit soup-nazish when you go there but they can be as big of jerks as they want because their bread is so freaking good.http://www.marchianosbakery.com/menu.htm

 

[wolram]

Flaming hedgehogs

http://www.rogersmushrooms.com/recipes/detail~RecipeID~16.asp

 

[Evo]

Flaming hedgehogs

http://www.rogersmushrooms.com/recipes/detail~RecipeID~16.asp

Thank God they're mushrooms, I was afraid to look, thinking they were actually using hedgehogs.

 

[Evo]

Ok, I bought a turkey for Christmas. I think I'm going to cook it tomorrow though. Going to do the Alton Brown brining thing. No turkey derrick.

Anyone have turkey leftovers recipes? I've got the usual turkey fricasee and a la king recipes. Damn I wish I could get my hands on some wild garlic, slices of turkey sauteed in butter with wild garlic shoots, placed on a bed of couscous would be heavenly. I can't think of anything else that really tastes like wild garlic. I guess maybe a sautee of leeks, shallots and garlic might do.

 

[turbo]

We always make turkey soup. After reserving some meat for sandwiches, stir-frys, etc, we boil down the carcas, skin, scrap meat, etc to make a rich turkey stock. Using a colander we strain out the solids and put the stock in the 'fridge to solidify the fat so that most of it can be removed. In the meantime, we clean all the meat off the bones and save that to return to the soup. We add carrots, onions, potatoes, celery, parsley, and whatever else comes to mind. Substitute rice for potatoes, or maybe include a can of black beans for a little twist.

Turkey often finds its way into a curry-spiced stir fry with lots of green pepper and onion, served over a bed of rice. There are no recipes for stuff like this - we just "wing it" and remember what worked best, for the next time.

 

[Astronuc]

Turkey soup, stew or pie comes to mind.

Turkey Potpie with Biscuit Crust
http://food.realsimple.com/realsimple/recipefinder.dyn?action=displayRecipe&recipe_id=524363

Recipes
http://food.realsimple.com/realsimple/recipefinder.dyn?action=categoryBrowse


Appetizer Recipes
http://www.realsimple.com/realsimple/package/0,21861,1679014-1571913,00.html

 

[Evo]

I always do soup with the carcass once all of the meat is gone.

 

[turbo]

I always do soup with the carcass once all of the meat is gone.

We don't strip all the meat from the carcass - especially the dark meat around the spine and flanks. A lot of the richness of the stock comes from that.

My wife got a commercially-processed turkey from her employers, and it is currently soaking in a water cooler full of brine. She'll roast that tomorrow for my father. I can't eat any of it because it is self-basting (injected with a broth loaded with MSG), so I'll be suffering tomorrow, smelling roasting turkey, soup stock being boiled down, etc, and not being able to sample it. I'll probably compensate with a couple of hot dogs and rolls fried in butter with onions, loaded with chili relish and mustard. It won't cut my turkey cravings much, but it'll help.

 

[Evo]

I always throw extra meat into the soup when I start it.

That's to bad that you can't eat the turkey. My boss gave me a $20 gift certificate and I bought the turkey with it, it was on sale for 68 cents a pound! I bought a 15 pounder and have money left.

 

[Astronuc]

How about turkey fajitas?!

http://www.thatsmyhome.com/texmex/main/turfaj.htm

 

[turbo]

I always throw extra meat into the soup when I start it.

That's to bad that you can't eat the turkey. My boss gave me a $20 gift certificate and I bought the turkey with it, it was on sale for 68 cents a pound! I bought a 15 pounder and have money left.

My wife promised to make me a batch of black-bean dip as a way of cutting the pain. Black beans, lemon juice, crushed garlic, onion, seasonings, and some hot chili relish. It's great on corn chips or crackers. It has the consistency of hummus, but with a really lively flavor and a nice burn.

Pretty much all chicken and turkey sold in supermarkets is loaded with water laced with "natural flavoring", especially the breast meat that can be so dry and bland if the cook is not careful. There is nothing "natural" about boiling corn solids (from which the oils and starches have been extracted) in acid to make glutamates and neutralizing the product with caustic, but maybe that's just me. Nowadays, I have to avoid pork and other meats with "water added" because of the same reason. Luckily, there are farms and butchers in the area that offer minimally-processed meats, but we have to limit our consumption because of the costs. It can be expensive to avoid foods from ADM, Con-Agra, etc, because they dominate the market and our government's subsidies to them penalize the little farms.

 

[turbo]

Ah, yes! I am in the midst of food-torture. The turkey has been roasted and stripped of meat and the skin, bones, and scraps are boiling down to make soup stock. The cabin smells like Thanksgiving all over again, and I can't wander out to the kitchen area and taste. No turkey meat, no neck meat, no heart or gizzard...there is no justice!

 

[wolram]

I have some braising steak, 2 big field mushrooms, carrots and peas, can i make a spicy hot dish with lot? i have birds eye and finger chillis, hot chilli powder, stem ginger, fresh corriander, garlic and other spices.