What can you expect in the Food Thread on PF?

[turbo]

I shouldn't have gone there! Now I have cravings! Split a nice flaky pastry biscuit, and fry it in butter, top with sugared-down wild strawberries, capped off with a dollop of whipped cream. There is no better strawberry shortcake in the world, and I'm missing most of the fixins.

 

[ThomasT]

I shouldn't have gone there! Now I have cravings! Split a nice flaky pastry biscuit, and fry it in butter, top with sugared-down wild strawberries, capped off with a dollop of whipped cream. There is no better strawberry shortcake in the world, and I'm missing most of the fixins.

I'm going to get some biscuits now. I've got the strawberry preserves ...

 

[turbo]

I'm going to get some biscuits now. I've got the strawberry preserves ...

I envy you. People who try to make strawberry shortcake on a base of shortcake or some other substitute have no idea what they are missing.

 

[netgypsy]

Amazing biscuit recipe. Let me go look for it

2 cups COLD unbleached all purpose flour (I keep flour in the freezer)
1 tablespoon baking powder
5 tablespoons chilled unsalted butter (you can freeze the butter and grate it on the largest part of grater and return it to the freezer until use)
3 tablespoons chilled vegetable shortening or lard (I used 3 tbsp extra butter)
3/4 cup COLD buttermilk or milk

Pre heat oven to 450 degrees F put a rack in the center of oven

Mix dry ingredients in food processor with steel blade

Add cold butter and process until it looks like oatmeal

Don't overprocess

Transfer mixture to a large bowl

Stir in milk with a rubber spatula or fork until dry ingredients are just moistened

Let dough rest for 1 minute, then dump it on a floured work surface.

Gently roll the dough into a rough 6 by 10 rectangle 1/2 inch thick

With a knife cut rectangle three times across and five times down to form 15 2 x 2 rectangular biscuits. (You can cut round ones with a cutter or an open ended can)

Place dough 1 1/2 inches apart on an ungreased baking sheet. Brush dough tops with melted butter or milk (I don't do this)

Bake until biscuits are lightly browned 10 to 12 minutes

Serve immediately. You can wrap in plastic wrap and freeze as soon as cool.

The secret is to keep everything COLD - Put the butter back in the freezer until you dump it in with the dry ingredients. Be sure the milk stays in the frig until you use it. Do the very minimum of processing.

These take about five minutes to make and are so light and delicious. Before trying this recipe my previous biscuit attempts were horrible. (So bad they were embarrassing). Once you make these you'll never buy the ones in the can again. YUKK by comparison.

You could try substituting frozen light olive oil in place of the lard but be sure you use LIGHT or the biscuits will taste nasty. I haven't tried it yet but it's on my "round to it" list.

 

[dlgoff]

... We got our milk from a dairy farm that had no pasteurization equipment. ...

He sold chilled raw milk ... My mother and my grandmother used to pour off the cream to use separately or to make butter. Sometimes the old ways are the best.

You're killing me turbo. At age 4, my parents moved here from Arkansas where my Grandmother was the cow milker; sending long streams to each of the begging cats... and me. Haven't drank store milk since.

http://www.homebysunset.com/.a/6a00d834cdafac69e201543876fe44970c-320wi

 

[netgypsy]

YUMMM

If you get a chance - try raw goat milk also. It's amazing. And no there is no "off" flavor. Female goats don't smell bad, in fact they smell really nice.

 

[turbo]

A co-worker of mine years back used to bring in goat milk and cheese for people that wanted it. He was high-up in the financial department, and kept goats as a hobby. He'd barter, but if you wanted to buy the milk or cheese, it was $$ stuff.

 

[lisab]

Female goats don't smell bad, in fact they smell really nice.

Taken out of context, that's really funny .

 

[Jasongreat]

Sometimes the old ways are the best.

One thing you and I see eye to eye to. I love raw milk, won't touch the pastuerized stuff unless I am using it to cook with, since I can't bring myself to pay bout seven bucks a gallon for raw milk only to pastuerize it while cooking. :) I also took up shaving with a straight razor, the craftmanship and quality of the shave can't be found in the disposable junk of today.

Luckily for me there are two or three dairies licensed to sell raw milk in my state. When I lived in CA, there was a dairy that allowed their cows to stay out on pasture and the milking facilities were taken to them, that was awesome milk, and their raw butter actually had a great strong flavor to it and it was the brightest yellow of any butter I have ever seen, I miss it terribly.

 

[ThomasT]

Amazing biscuit recipe. Let me go look for it

2 cups COLD unbleached all purpose flour (I keep flour in the freezer)
1 tablespoon baking powder
5 tablespoons chilled unsalted butter (you can freeze the butter and grate it on the largest part of grater and return it to the freezer until use)
3 tablespoons chilled vegetable shortening or lard (I used 3 tbsp extra butter)
3/4 cup COLD buttermilk or milk

Pre heat oven to 450 degrees F put a rack in the center of oven

Mix dry ingredients in food processor with steel blade

Add cold butter and process until it looks like oatmeal

Don't overprocess

Transfer mixture to a large bowl

Stir in milk with a rubber spatula or fork until dry ingredients are just moistened

Let dough rest for 1 minute, then dump it on a floured work surface.

Gently roll the dough into a rough 6 by 10 rectangle 1/2 inch thick

With a knife cut rectangle three times across and five times down to form 15 2 x 2 rectangular biscuits. (You can cut round ones with a cutter or an open ended can)

Place dough 1 1/2 inches apart on an ungreased baking sheet. Brush dough tops with melted butter or milk (I don't do this)

Bake until biscuits are lightly browned 10 to 12 minutes

Serve immediately. You can wrap in plastic wrap and freeze as soon as cool.

The secret is to keep everything COLD - Put the butter back in the freezer until you dump it in with the dry ingredients. Be sure the milk stays in the frig until you use it. Do the very minimum of processing.

These take about five minutes to make and are so light and delicious. Before trying this recipe my previous biscuit attempts were horrible. (So bad they were embarrassing). Once you make these you'll never buy the ones in the can again. YUKK by comparison.

You could try substituting frozen light olive oil in place of the lard but be sure you use LIGHT or the biscuits will taste nasty. I haven't tried it yet but it's on my "round to it" list.

Thanks. I LOVE biscuits and will do this.

 

[dlgoff]

Taken out of context, that's really funny .

Baaaah

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q5COm8560JA

 

[netgypsy]

The falafel recipe sound really good. Our local Lebanese restaurant puts a lot of cumin and turmeric in theirs and I don't like them. It's too overpowering.

Love the goat chat.
The smell comment did sound funny.

The reason I mentioned it was because when I would offer friends a taste of the milk or cheese the first thing they would ask was "doesn't it have a funny taste and smell"?? Because goats are reputed to be so strong smelling. But that's only the males, I have heard that milk from does that are in with bucks can take on a peculiar odor. Also if they eat onion or wild garlic, this will also flavor the milk. But we had no onions, wild garlic or male goats on the premises so the milk was free of all weird odors and flavors. Just very very rich and delicious.

I have tasted mare's milk also and it's sweeter than goat milk. The reason I tried it was I read that people in Mongolia drink mare's milk and I think there's another culture that does also. I will say my mare was annoyed at being milked for even that tiny amount. She gave me the LOOK.

We got so much goat milk we ended up freezing a lot of it. We'd let it sit over night in the frig so the cream would rise, separate the cream from the milk, and freeze in previously used yoghurt containers.

We had so much we forgot about a lot of the cream and months later got it out of the freezer. It had morphed into the best cheese I've ever eaten in my life. I used no rennet, salt, or lemon or anything. The cream just turned into cheese from sitting so long in the freezer I guess. I thought bacteria was needed?? I wondered how it cheesed. I milked the goat after I washed her udder with a soap and mild clorox solution, then rinsed it with filtered water. I milked directly into a previously cloroxed thermos jug. I then immediately transferred the milk to the dish washed and again cloroxed plastic containers. The transfer was very fast. So no idea why it ended up cheese.

The cheese stayed good for a year in the freezer. I sure hated when the last container was used up. SIGH. Goat cheese you buy is excellent but nothing compared to what we made by accident.

 

[netgypsy]

hoping for more great recipes

super easy eggplant Parmesan

1 jar GOOD pasta sauce like serafina or Gia Russa cherry tomato
herbs and garlic as desired
1 medium eggplant
6 to 12 ounces mozarella cheese - grated or you grate it

Wash, cut the ends off and stab a medium sized eggplant multiple times
Cook in microwave until soft but not squishy. Start with 8 minutes and go from there.
Grate anywhere from 6 to 12 ounces mozzarella cheese
open one jar or can of GOOD spaghetti sauce - Serafino or Gia Russa cherry tomato are excellent
Slice the eggplant into a square glass baking dish
Layer cheese and tomato sauce and any herbs and garlic you wish to add finishing with cheese
Cook in microwave until cheese melts.
You can layer a drizzle of olive oil in the layers if you wish

this is lower calorie than traditional since the eggplant is not fried and breaded.

 

[Monique]

Recently I'm hosting one diner party after the other and somehow I always feel obliged to make something I've never made before.

So yesterday I had an Italian-style menu that included stuffed mushrooms as an appetizer, they were delicious so I must share

The stuffing:
0.5 cup dried fine bread crumbs
0.5 cup grated Pecorino Romano
2 tbsp chopped flat parsley
1 tbsp chopped mint
2 squeezed garlic cloves
2 tbsp olive oil

Remove the stems out of button-mushrooms, put a few drops of olive oil inside, fill with the stuffing compress inside and cover with a little mount of loose stuffing. Put in an oiled oven-plate and bake for 25 minutes until mushrooms are soft, filling is crisp and golden.

Next time stuff double the amount of mushrooms

I also made chicory leaves filled with melted 1/4 mascarpone + 3/4 gorgonzola and topping with some parsley. Simple but tasty.

Now I need to think of something new for the next 4 planned diners, I'm thinking of buying a book to keep track of who's had and liked what.. of course I need to check this thread more often.

Are there any tips for tapas-type dishes (without meat)?

 

[turbo]

Monique, my wife has been experimenting with all kinds of stuffing for wonton wrappers. The sky is the limit. Little bite-sized (OK, maybe two bites) appetizers containing cheese, vegetables, meats, sauces, etc. My father and my brother flip over them. You can let your imagination go wild. They are really popular! Stuff those little rascals and bake them until brown on a cookie-sheet lubricated with a bit of peanut oil. They don't last.

 

[Monique]

I love wontons, does she make the dough herself? I once made them a long time ago with a Chinese friend and I remember it was quite a lot of work. I'd be afraid I would mess up the dough somehow.

 

[Borek]

Anybody knows how to tell if the apple pear (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pyrus_pyrifolia) is ripe? Wikipedia says they have tendency to bruise, but the one we bought today (it was cheap like dirt so we decided to try) can be used instead of a hammer, so I guess we should wait.

 

[turbo]

I love wontons, does she make the dough herself? I once made them a long time ago with a Chinese friend and I remember it was quite a lot of work. I'd be afraid I would mess up the dough somehow.

We can get the dough in vacuum-packed plastic envelopes. All the rest of it is imagination and ingredients on-hand.

I make my own home-made pizza sauce, and some of her family-favorites have featured that spicy sauce with cheese and vegetables (with or without meat). Still, you can stick about anything in those wrappers and get a good audience response. Got chick peas, roasted garlic, some onion, etc? Give them a try. Chopped mushrooms would be a good addition, too.

When she gets out a package of wonton wrappers, I just sit down and stay out of her way. The result is always good, even if unconventional.

 

[turbo]

Anybody knows how to tell if the apple pear (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pyrus_pyrifolia) is ripe? Wikipedia says they have tendency to bruise, but the one we bought today (it was cheap like dirt so we decided to try) can be used instead of a hammer, so I guess we should wait.

I haven't ever had one and wouldn't know how to judge ripeness. They sound real tasty from the Wiki page. Real pears should yield to pressure when they are ripe, and they should smell sweet, too.

 

[Monique]

We can get the dough in vacuum-packed plastic envelopes. All the rest of it is imagination and ingredients on-hand.

That'd be nice, I'll check the Asian store. Hopefully they also have some rice paper for making Vietnamese summer rolls.

 

[Ms Music]

Borek, normally I pick when they fall off the tree, but that doesn't help you. :D They are a hard and crunchy pear, so maybe give it a day or two to sit on the counter. They are naturally sweet though, so even if unripe, should still be decent.

Does anyone have any good ideas for simple crock pot meals? Minimal preparation is great for me, while appealing to a variety of eaters (picky to I eat anything) is what I need.

Any ideas?

 

[Jasongreat]

Borek, normally I pick when they fall off the tree, but that doesn't help you. :D They are a hard and crunchy pear, so maybe give it a day or two to sit on the counter. They are naturally sweet though, so even if unripe, should still be decent.

Does anyone have any good ideas for simple crock pot meals? Minimal preparation is great for me, while appealing to a variety of eaters (picky to I eat anything) is what I need.

Any ideas?

Is there such a thing as a bad meal coming from a crockpot? :) They work wonderfully for anything that cooks slow and long.

I love to put a couple hot italian sausages, couple cans of diced tomatoes, some italian seasoning and vegtables, go to work and come home to a ready made spaghetti dinner.
Another is a can of decent beer and a roast(any kind will do, I especially like venison), add some veggies and you have a great stew. Use pork and some bbq sauce and you have pulled pork dinner waiting.

One great advantage of the CP is that one can use cheaper cuts of meat, and they still come out tender.

 

[Ms Music]

Is there such a thing as a bad meal coming from a crockpot? :)

Right?! I actually call it the crack pot, because its all so addicting good!

Spaghetti sounds good and simple, do you cook the spaghetti in the crock pot, or on the stove just before eating? And if on the stove top, have you ever cooked the spaghetti in the crock?

I was thinking I might do a (pre cut) ham with potatoes and carrots for this weekend, but I need varieties unless I get a favorite among all the kids. Spaghetti might be better...

 

[Jasongreat]

Right?! I actually call it the crack pot, because its all so addicting good!

Spaghetti sounds good and simple, do you cook the spaghetti in the crock pot, or on the stove just before eating? And if on the stove top, have you ever cooked the spaghetti in the crock?

I was thinking I might do a (pre cut) ham with potatoes and carrots for this weekend, but I need varieties unless I get a favorite among all the kids. Spaghetti might be better...

I usually cook the noodles on the stove top, but I suppose one could cook them in the sauce, like is done with some lasagnas. I like my noodles full length and I don't think you could keep them from breaking, but that might just be me. The noodles can be cooked anytime, then when you get ready to use them just run some hot water over them.

Your ham reminded me of one of my all time favorites, split pea and ham soup, turns out spectacular in a crackpot. :)

 

[netgypsy]

Regarding tapas, there is a great stuffed grape leaf that uses a combination of chick peas and rice, a little tomato, mint, lemon, olive oil. I think it's a Lebanese recipe.

LOVE split pea soup - just finished a huge pot.

Regarding Asian pears I ate them crispy and they were quite good.

Chicken chili is a great crockpot dish. White beans, onions, garlic, poblano peppers, ham or bacon if you wish. I used the breast of a grocery store barbecued chicken and add it when all the rest is done. I like the beans done with stock rather than water but either way is good.

 

[Evo]

Someone brought up fried rice the other day. So tonight, I had rice, I had eggs (thank you dl and Roger :!)), but no veggies, so I made veggie less fried rice. It was so delicious. Probably the best I've ever made. Veggies would have been good though.

 

[turbo]

Someone brought up fried rice the other day. So tonight, I had rice, I had eggs (thank you dl and Roger :!)), but no veggies, so I made veggie less fried rice. It was so delicious. Probably the best I've ever made. Veggies would have been good though.

Veggies? OK Rachael Ray. Are you going to extol EVOO for cooking next? You need to get out more. That cooking channel is rotting your brain.

 

[netgypsy]

had this at camp a million years ago. it was really good and the name was so funny. We put all the ingredients in foil and cooked it over a campfire.

----------------------------
RING-TUM-DIDDY

1 lb. bacon, diced
2 lg. green peppers
3 (1 lb. 3 oz.) cans tomatoes
3 med. onions
1 pound fresh corn (3 small cans niblets corn)
Salt & pepper to taste
1/2 lb. cheese
12 slices toast

Dice and fry bacon. Wash, seed and chop green pepper. Slice onions thin. Add pepper and
onion to bacon. When pepper and onion are browned, add tomatoes and corn and season to taste.
Heat thoroughly and add cheese. Allow cheese to melt. Serve on toast. Serves 12.

There is an alternative that is essentially Welsh Rarebit with added tomato and it's spelled Rinktum Ditty. Once source says it's English, another said Armenian, so who knows, but it's good.

 

[Monique]

hoping for more great recipes

super easy eggplant Parmesan

1 jar GOOD pasta sauce like serafina or Gia Russa cherry tomato
herbs and garlic as desired
1 medium eggplant
6 to 12 ounces mozarella cheese - grated or you grate it

I've been breaking my head over this recipe, indeed the idea sounds good I remember having something like this in an Italian restaurant. Two questions: shouldn't it be called eggplant mozzarella since there is no Parmesan in the recipe? And how do you grate mozzarella cheese? Oh, and third question: does the mozzarella really melt? I once made a pasta out of the oven with slices of mozzarella and it just dehydrated and became rubbery.

 

[netgypsy]

Sorry - you can sprinkle parmesan or romano over the top and you can sprinkle breadcrumbs and parmesan. Sometimes I do and sometimes I don't. You can also add grated parmesan to the tomato sauce along with fresh basin, oregano, garlic - just whatever you like and have in the house.

There is no pasta in eggplant parmesan in case some of you have never had it. Restaurants serve some type of pasta usually with marinera sauce as a side with it.

You can buy mozzarella cheese already grated or use the largest opening on a grater. I prefer a box grater but a cheap flat grater from the goodwill works just fine. It's quite easy to grate and you'll have fairly large gratings cause it's gooey. I've actually just sliced it before and put squares of mozzarella over the eggplant and tomato sauce. You can use a meat sauce instead of the cherry tomato sauce but since there's a lot of cheese you really don't need any meat.

Yes mozzarella does melt and, like on pizza, when you serve the eggplant parmesan it strings all over the place. The main thing about mozzarella is set the microwave for about 3 to 5 minutes and check the cheese before cooking any more. You don't want to cook it until it browns or it gets very tough.

Addendum:

IF you want to make a more traditional eggplant parmesan cook the eggplant just a little less so that it's still firm enough to slice easily. Coat with an Italian breadcrumb mixture (you can dip in an egg/milk solution first to get more coating) and sautee in olive oil on each side until the crust crisps. I never do this because I don't need the calories and actually prefer naked eggplant