Jalapenos I Grew: The Food Thread Part 2

[danago]

Anybody else here a fan of Yotam Ottolenghi? Yesterday I made his roasted eggplant with buttermilk sauce, pomegranate and za'atar.

 

[Monique]

I love that dish! Mine is with basil and pine nuts:
http://www.ah.nl/allerhande/recept/R-R931364/yotam-ottolenghi-s-geroosterde-aubergine

 

[danago]

Yum! I can't read Dutch, but it sure looks good! (Although I am a little obsessed with both pine nuts and basil, so they will always win me over )

 

[Monique]

Yes, the green and sweetness of the basil really compliments the dish. The pine nuts give a good crunch, so yummy.

I want to start making infused oils, does anyone have experience with them? Can I just put ingredients in oil and allow them to infuse, or do the ingredients really need to be sterilized? I saw one lady on youtube that soaked ingredients in vinegar overnight, this chef recommends seeping for 5-10 min in 350oF oil:

I'm not sure how he can seep something in such hot oil, when I make french fries they spend 2 minutes in 350oF oil and come out brown and crispy.

 

[danago]

I have never made infused oils, however quite a few articles I've read warn of the dangers of botulism poisoning when using fresh ingredients (especially garlic).

 

[Evo]

I keep peeled garlic and ginger in sherry, I keep them in the refrigerator, allows you to always have them fresh peeled and for the ginger, sliced. Then the flavored sherry is great added to sauces. Basil and other herbs would be great this way, I live alone and it's hard to keep these items fresh, my apartment doesn't get enough sun from the windows to grow herbs.

 

[Evo]

Had a craving for pasta carbonara today and was reminded of just how many variations (wrong) there are. My fiance was visiting me from Sicily about 10 years ago and he wanted to make me pasta carbonara because when I was in Sicily I fell in love with it. He needed pancetta, none was to be found, we even went to a specialty store Dean and Deluca that boasted of having everything for the gourmet, their employees looked at us like we were aliens, they had never heard of pancetta. Then we needed cream, nothing we found was like the cream they had in Sicily. We decided to forget it and make something else. A delightful Italian dish made with rice, mayonnaise and canned tuna. Yes, canned tuna is a top quality product in Italy, more desirable than fresh. You can now buy this quality canned tuna here, but back then it was not the same.

David Tanis, a chef writing the City Kitchen column for the NYT, has taken this immaculate dish and, as chefs are won't to do, has touched it up. Red and yellow bell peppers, red pepper flakes, a smashed garlic clove, basil, mint, or marjoram appear, gratuitously, in the salad. Most unfortunately of all, he replaces the good canned tuna with fresh albacore. Fresh tuna, a bland, almost neutral-tasting meat can’t compare with the irresistible flavor of good Mediterranean tuna packed in olive oil. People who think to improve a niçoise salad by using fresh instead of olive oil-packed tuna make the same mistake.

- See more at: http://giulianohazan.com/blog/fresh...er-canned-tuna-vs-fresh/#sthash.Fr6bfl4N.dpuf

Hopefully more people will come to understand that canned tuna is a delicacy. Don't get me wrong, I also enjoy fresh tuna, but the two should not be compared, they are very different and a recipe that calls for the flavor of canned tuna cannot substitute rare seared fresh tuna.

Yes, I'm a terrible food snob. Not apologizing, just stating a fact. Here is a great recipe for a nicoise salad. Got to love the last picture.

http://www.davidlebovitz.com/2010/07/classic-salade-nicoise/

 

[Monique]

I have never made infused oils, however quite a few articles I've read warn of the dangers of botulism poisoning when using fresh ingredients (especially garlic).

Indeed, in my search over the internet I've found that as well. My boyfriend's mom often makes infused oils (delicious!), including what looks like fresh chopped garlic. They've never made anyone ill, but I'll be extra careful now. Unfortunately all her kitchen recipes appear secret, she won't share recipes I'll check the botulism issue next time I see her, maybe that will yield something.

In the meanwhile, I found this article from the Univ of Maine: http://umaine.edu/publications/4385e/ apparently using dry ingredients is strongly recommended for safe use.

 

[trollcast]

Made honey roast ham last night

Tasted amazing although the excess glaze baked into a toffee on the bottom of the roasting tin and I think there's still traces of it around the edges.

 

[Evo]

Looks delicious troll! I know you are quite a cook, so I hope you will post more.

 

[Evo]

Indeed, in my search over the internet I've found that as well. My boyfriend's mom often makes infused oils (delicious!), including what looks like fresh chopped garlic. They've never made anyone ill, but I'll be extra careful now. Unfortunately all her kitchen recipes appear secret, she won't share recipes I'll check the botulism issue next time I see her, maybe that will yield something.

In the meanwhile, I found this article from the Univ of Maine: http://umaine.edu/publications/4385e/ apparently using dry ingredients is strongly recommended for safe use.

Thank you for the link!

 

[trollcast]

 

[drizzle]

I am hungry T_T

 

[Evo]

OMG, troll :!) That looks so delicious!

 

[Borg]

General Tso's Chicken is definitely my favorite dish but, sometimes it just takes too long to make. However, I have a backup:

General Tso's Potatoes!

 

[dlgoff]

After a couple beers, I needed something quick & simple to prepare. This is what I came up with.

Cheap Texas Toast spread with a teaspoon of Prago Three Cheese Italian Sauce (sprinkled with onion power) and topped with a folded slice of American Cheese. I baked 4 of them for 13 minutes @ 425ºF.

 

[dkotschessaa]

My oatmeal pancakes (no flour) recipe. -OR- How I've been getting my wife to eat oatmeal every sunday for the past year. Perfected at last! I believe this also qualifies as gluten free.

1 cup whole oats
1 egg
1 teaspoon baking powder
4 oz (really 3.9) apple sauce VERY IMPORTANT
1 tbsp brown sugar
dash of vanilla
cinnamon to taste
as much water as needed for desired consistency

Run in food processor for..awhile.

The applesauce I am using is basically those little Mott's snack packs that come 6 per pack. I throw one of those in there. The applesauce holds it together well and gives it a nice little flavor.

It is pancake sunday in our house!

-Dave K

 

[Evo]

Just watched a program on this deli on Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives. I'm sick of that show, but was channel surfing when I saw them making sausages. I plan to order some of their meats. This blood sausage with tongue looks awesome. My mother used to get this when i was little, loved it, but I'm surprised that this sausage appears so light colored, I've only ever seen it black, so I am curious as to how they've made it.

http://www.edelweissdeli.com/index.php?route=product/product&path=71&product_id=180

 

[trollcast]

 

[Evo]

troll, what are the breaded things?

 

[trollcast]

Homemade chicken goujons

 

[Evo]

Homemade chicken goujons

Oooh, recipe please?

 

[trollcast]

Chicken breast cut into roughly equally sized chunks. Coat in flour mixed with salt, black pepper and cayenne pepper. Dip in egg then roll in wholegrain breadcrumbs. Deep fry until dark brown. Leave in hot oven to finish cooking. Deep fry chips and if the goujons are sized to perfection the chips and goujons should be finished at the same time.

 

[Psinter]

My version is made:

• One layer of boiled yellow plantains.
• One layer of boiled chicken breast.
• One layer of shredded cheese.
• Another layer of yellow plantains.
• Another layer of shredded cheese.

Original version recipe:

• One layer of fried yellow plantains.
• One layer of ground meat.
• One layer of shredded cheese.
• Another layer of yellow plantains.
• One layer of pizza sauce.
• Another layer of shredded cheese.

 

[fluidistic]

I just finished to eat a dish that my girlfriend cooked to me. I am in heaven!
Bruschetta and meatballs:

 

[Evo]

I love all of these food pictures! Some great cooks!

 

[lisab]

I scratched a creative itch this weekend to make a different kind of BBQ sauce: rhubarb and apricot. It was just OK, too much fruit flavor for my taste. A basic description (all amounts are approximate, I rarely measure anything!):

About 3 handfuls of rhubarb, cut into cubes
5 apricots, chopped

Simmer these in a tiny bit of water (the rhubarb starts to give up a lot of water as it cooks). Add 1/4 cup sugar, 1/8 cup molasses, and salt. Puree after about an hour.

Separately:
Saute an onion and 4 cloves of garlic in avocado oil*. Spice to taste: cayenne, thyme, smoked paprika, cinnamon, and salt to taste.

Puree the onion/garlic into the rhubarb. Add worcestershire sauce to taste.

This is tasty but sweet - it lacks umami. It would appeal to children. It's pretty good on fall-off-the-bone smoked ribs...but what wouldn't be ?

*Avocado oil: my new favorite oil. Good for high heat without smoking, has almost no flavor.

 

[dkotschessaa]

I have never made infused oils, however quite a few articles I've read warn of the dangers of botulism poisoning when using fresh ingredients (especially garlic).

Ah hell. Never heard this until now. We just started making these. Was making garlicky olive oil for my hummus. ::pout::

The FDA recommends that if you want to make your own infused garlic oil, you should prepare it fresh and use it right away. If you are saving any leftovers, you must refrigerate it right away and use within a week.

Source: http://theolivepress.com/news-blog/be-aware-of-the-risks-of-botulism-with-homemade-garlic-infused-oil#.U7FSz_ldXh4

Use right away? That's not an infusion!

Oh well. I'll use the one I started a few days ago.

 

[Psinter]

I scratched a creative itch this weekend to make a different kind of BBQ sauce: rhubarb and apricot. It was just OK, too much fruit flavor for my taste. A basic description (all amounts are approximate, I rarely measure anything!):

About 3 handfuls of rhubarb, cut into cubes
5 apricots, chopped

Simmer these in a tiny bit of water (the rhubarb starts to give up a lot of water as it cooks). Add 1/4 cup sugar, 1/8 cup molasses, and salt. Puree after about an hour.

Separately:
Saute an onion and 4 cloves of garlic in avocado oil*. Spice to taste: cayenne, thyme, smoked paprika, cinnamon, and salt to taste.

Puree the onion/garlic into the rhubarb. Add worcestershire sauce to taste.

This is tasty but sweet - it lacks umami. It would appeal to children. It's pretty good on fall-off-the-bone smoked ribs...but what wouldn't be ?

*Avocado oil: my new favorite oil. Good for high heat without smoking, has almost no flavor.

I have no idea what it looks like, but from the ingredients I can tell it is very sweet... And I love sweets!

EDIT:

༼ つ ◕_◕ ༽つ gimme some please.

 

[JorisL]

Made a cake with wild cherries today.
Also made a plain 'quatre (4) quarts' (French) cake.

It's all really easy (especially with this great Kenwood my mom has ). Just take equal parts of sugar, self-rising flour, melted butter and eggs.
Melt the butter, let it cool a bit.
Mix all but the flour.
Then add flour and put in your favorite baking tin.
Wait about 45 minutes and done.

For the wild cherry one, pick up a jar of those.
Also increase the amount of flour.
My recipe uses 250 grams of sugar, butter and eggs.
With that you need 330 grams of self-rising flour.
Pro-tip: Before adding the cherries, roll them in some regular flour. This keeps them from sinking to the bottom.

I might add pictures, it's for a little diner party however so won't have much time.