What can you expect in the Food Thread on PF?

[turbo]

Oh, that sounds good!

Yes, the trick is to get it very hot immediately so it doesn't start "roasting". I used to broil my steaks, but not all ovens are good for broiling.

Happy Anniversary!

Yeah, we have an older gas range that does a poor job at broiling, so if I don't feel like firing up the grill, I cook steaks this way.

And thanks! My wife will be at her mother's starting this afternoon, but our noon anniversary meal will center around spicy grilled shrimp. Mmm!

 

[Andre]

Mooing is good. :!) Mostly rare is perfect, but it's hard to get "mostly rare".

Remember my trick. Put the meat in a plastic bag in warm/hot water, ~90-100F for half an hour. Then bake for a minute or less. That's how you spell delicious+

 

[Borek]

my wife and I are celebrating 34 years together tomorrow

Congratulations to both of you, tell Beth your postcard pal sends his best regards

 

[nottheone]

I have been trying for years to make really good bread. The kind that you can only get from certain bakeries. With a thick hard crust and soft chewy center. Not the crap you get at the supermarket. The last time I found a bakery that made that kind of bread it was from the Bronx Bakery in NY. There is one or two in Paris that ship but I don't want to pay 60 dollars for a loaf of bread, even if it's to die for which it is from all reports.

It just so happens I found a recipe online a couple weeks ago and it is the answer to my dreams. Not only does it make the most incredible loaf I have ever had, it is also the easiest thing to make in the world. It can be made in 5 minutes and doesn't require kneading. It sounds too good to be true but it is. The first time I made it, it came out EXACTLY like in the article. I use nothing but All-Clad cookware, you can put it in the oven at any temp. I used a saucepan and I thought that it was going to stick because I followed the recipe with nothing in the pan to prevent sticking and there is no oil or fat in the bread. It always pops right out. Incredible.

http://steamykitchen.com/blog/2007/09/10/no-knead-bread-revisited

If you like GOOD bread, you will love this.

One of my cooking rules is ALWAYS follow the recipe the first time, then experiment. Don't expect it to come out the same if you use all-purpose flour instead of bread flour either.

 

[turbo]

Thanks, nottheone! My wife makes some wonderful bread, but this one sounds great, an next time I decide to make bread, I'll give this one a whirl.

 

[Borek]

This recipe was already posted several months ago, it has its own separate thread if I recall correctly.

 

[turbo]

Congratulations to both of you, tell Beth your postcard pal sends his best regards

Thanks, Borek! Every year SHE is the one that asks ME how long it has been.

Edit: Your postcard and envelope have a place of honor in her "special" keepsake box, along with my hand-drawn and hand-painted 1975 Valentine's Day card in which I asked her to marry me.

 

[Evo]

Oh man, my meat connection gave me a large container of the restaurant's dry rub for the steaks. This stuff is killer. Not so hot that you can't take it, but a nice heat.

 

[turbo]

Oh man, my meat connection gave me a large container of the restaurant's dry rub for the steaks. This stuff is killer. Not so hot that you can't take it, but a nice heat.

Ooh! I never do that to good steaks! Hot stuff on the side maybe, but the locally-raised Black Angus steaks are treated with gentle care. I serve hot stuff very early on as appetizers, or as snacks afterward, but after paying premium prices for premium cuts, I am not going to overwhelm the taste of those steaks. Are you sure that you're dealing with someone who know what he's doing? Seems like such a waste...

 

[Evo]

It's a national steak restaurant chain. I'm using my regular seasoning on it, but will sprinkle some of this on afterwards, it's very tasty.

I'm the same, I don't like to destroy the taste of a good steak. I CANNOT believe that people use things like A-1 sauce which makes any cut of meat taste like vinegar and nothing else, or catsup. OMG are you people nuts?

 

[turbo]

It's a national steak restaurant chain. I'm using my regular seasoning on it, but will sprinkle some of this on afterwards, it's very tasty.

I'm the same, I don't like to destroy the taste of a good steak. I CANNOT believe that people use things like A-1 sauce which makes any cut of meat taste like vinegar and nothing else, or catsup. OMG are you people nuts?

Really! Steak sauce?! How many ways can you find to ruin a good cut of meat?

 

[turbo]

BTW, about the only difference I can find between good steaks bought at Ruth's Chris steakhouses and the ones that I produce at home is that the chain seems to want to drench them in butter. I can do better than that.

 

[Evo]

I sent The Evo Child out to buy sesame oil. She came back with some natural crap that was $9 a bottle that's endorsed by Jacgues Pepin. What a sellout! This is disgusting! It's called "refined" Sesame oil. It has no odor, no taste and I seriously cannot tell the difference between it and Crisco.

You buy sesame oil for the fragrance and the tase it gives. WTH?

 

[turbo]

I sent The Evo Child out to buy sesame oil. She came back with some natural crap that was $9 a bottle that's endorsed by Jacgues Pepin. What a sellout! This is disgusting! It's called "refined" Sesame oil. It has no odor, no taste and I seriously cannot tell the difference between it and Crisco.

You buy sesame oil for the fragrance and the tase it gives. WTF?

That is SO wrong! Oils for cooking/eating should not be refined. I can get "refined" olive oil dirt-cheap, but my wife (who does all the food shopping) pays extra money for extra-virgin (first cold-pressing) olive oil from reliable suppliers. People who don't know how to cook don't have a clue, and I'm afraid that category fits 99+% of the American public.

 

[turbo]

BTW, here is a tip that I have shared before, but that bears repeating. When I make pizza sauce, I start from a basic set of ingredients using fresh tomatoes in season or canned if not, and simmer all day to thicken. I do this in a stainless-steel stock-pot over a gas burner. If you don't want to stand there for hours stirring to avoid scorching, put an aluminum tray or pizza-pan over the burner and then set the stock-pot on top of that. The aluminum distributes the heat more evenly to the bottom of the stock-pot, and you won't have bad hot-spots. It's much easier to get acceptable thickness in your sauce this way without risking bad taste from scorching.

 

[nottheone]

This recipe was already posted several months ago, it has its own separate thread if I recall correctly.

I searched this thread for no knead and didn't get a hit. Oh well, it's good enough that if someone new sees it they'll be happy too.

 

[Evo]

I have been trying for years to make really good bread. The kind that you can only get from certain bakeries. With a thick hard crust and soft chewy center. Not the crap you get at the supermarket. The last time I found a bakery that made that kind of bread it was from the Bronx Bakery in NY. There is one or two in Paris that ship but I don't want to pay 60 dollars for a loaf of bread, even if it's to die for which it is from all reports.

It just so happens I found a recipe online a couple weeks ago and it is the answer to my dreams. Not only does it make the most incredible loaf I have ever had, it is also the easiest thing to make in the world. It can be made in 5 minutes and doesn't require kneading. It sounds too good to be true but it is. The first time I made it, it came out EXACTLY like in the article. I use nothing but All-Clad cookware, you can put it in the oven at any temp. I used a saucepan and I thought that it was going to stick because I followed the recipe with nothing in the pan to prevent sticking and there is no oil or fat in the bread. It always pops right out. Incredible.

http://steamykitchen.com/blog/2007/09/10/no-knead-bread-revisited

If you like GOOD bread, you will love this.

One of my cooking rules is ALWAYS follow the recipe the first time, then experiment. Don't expect it to come out the same if you use all-purpose flour instead of bread flour either.

Ehehehe, this is the no-knead pizza dough recipe I've used for ages. A great trick is to pour olive oil over it before baking, make sure you heavily coat all sides, it gives the dough a fried taste and texture that is out of this world.

 

[Proton Soup]

that's funny about the sesame oil. probably refined because it comes from inedible dregs.

 

[Astronuc]

I sent The Evo Child out to buy sesame oil. She came back with some natural crap that was $9 a bottle that's endorsed by Jacgues Pepin. What a sellout! This is disgusting! It's called "refined" Sesame oil. It has no odor, no taste and I seriously cannot tell the difference between it and Crisco.

You buy sesame oil for the fragrance and the tase it gives. WTH?

Evo, you need to start your own line of foods and ingredients. and host your own show.

My daughter's boyfriend cooked a really nice soup last night. He browned some italian sausage and added some bacon. To this he added onions and potato, and kale. It was really good for a cold night.

It made me think of potato-leek soup.

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/leek-potato-soup-recipe/index.html

http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/POTATO-AND-LEEK-SOUP-11599


Boy, I strongly dislike the pop-ups and advertisements on these commercials sites. Anyway, there are some good recipes there.

One could do variations on kale, swiss chard and/or leek, and add bacon and/or italian sausage. I find soups and stews are much better the next day.

 

[OmCheeto]

I have been trying for years to make really good bread. The kind that you can only get from certain bakeries. With a thick hard crust and soft chewy center. Not the crap you get at the supermarket. The last time I found a bakery that made that kind of bread it was from the Bronx Bakery in NY. There is one or two in Paris that ship but I don't want to pay 60 dollars for a loaf of bread, even if it's to die for which it is from all reports.

It just so happens I found a recipe online a couple weeks ago and it is the answer to my dreams. Not only does it make the most incredible loaf I have ever had, it is also the easiest thing to make in the world. It can be made in 5 minutes and doesn't require kneading. It sounds too good to be true but it is. The first time I made it, it came out EXACTLY like in the article. I use nothing but All-Clad cookware, you can put it in the oven at any temp. I used a saucepan and I thought that it was going to stick because I followed the recipe with nothing in the pan to prevent sticking and there is no oil or fat in the bread. It always pops right out. Incredible.

http://steamykitchen.com/blog/2007/09/10/no-knead-bread-revisited

If you like GOOD bread, you will love this.

One of my cooking rules is ALWAYS follow the recipe the first time, then experiment. Don't expect it to come out the same if you use all-purpose flour instead of bread flour either.

O...M...G...

That website has a recipe for http://steamykitchen.com/blog/2007/07/03/sunday-morning-family-tradition-german-oven-pancakes-2" ...

I used to eat those all the time at a local restaurant. Think crepes married with pancakes with just a light topping of butter, powdered sugar, and lemon.

What a delight!

And thank you for the bread recipe. I've yet to make bread...

 

[physics girl phd]

O...M...G...

That website has a recipe for http://steamykitchen.com/blog/2007/07/03/sunday-morning-family-tradition-german-oven-pancakes-2" ...

I first tried these out from my grandma's church cookbook. I was quickly addicted. Still make one for myself when I need a comfort-food breakfast just for me.

 

[turbo]

Supper tonight centered around some cheap previously-frozen haddock fillets. The frozen stuff loses the sweetness of the fresh, so you've got to tinker with them. My wife came up with this last week, and it was wonderful tonight. Layer filets in a covered baking dish, spread chopped spinach (bird's eye frozen is good) on the fillets and top with crumbled feta cheese. Add another layer of fillets, and use a spatula to smear a layer of mayonnaise over the top, season lightly with salt and pepper, and bake. Uncover for the last 5-10 minutes if you want the top surface of the dish to be browned. We had ours with a baby-spinach salad, baked potatoes, and some steamed asparagus (on sale for $1.99/lb a few days ago). A VERY nice supper, especially if you have no ready access to fresh haddock or if you find the previously-frozen fillets on sale. Ours were $3.99/lb which is very cheap for good protein like fish.

 

[turbo]

Most posts have been about some nice dishes or even complicated recipes. How about a really simple one that lots of people can get wrong?

I like to make scrambled eggs in the morning for a quick and easy breakfast, and there are lot of ways to ruin them. Here's a method that is fool-proof. Pre-heat a cast-iron skillet and while it is heating up, crack a couple of eggs into a high-sided mixing bowl, season with black pepper, and add about an egg's worth of volume of warm water to the eggs. (I use 2:1 eggs:water as a guideline). Whisk briskly, mixing everything up and entraining some air into the mix. Throw a pat of butter into the pre-heated pan (it should sizzle), distribute the butter with a spatula and dump in the egg mix. Don't disturb the cooking eggs too frequently, but lift them from the skillet and flip them, working your way around the pan until they are done (soft, light, and moist) and get them onto a plate ASAP. You can season lightly with salt after the eggs are cooked, but do not add salt before cooking - that will make the eggs tough and rubbery, as will the addition of no water or too little water. I like to have my scrambled eggs with buttered toast and home-made tomato-based salsa. Fastest, tastiest on-the-go breakfast ever. It takes me longer to eat it than to make it.

 

[Evo]

Oooh, I'm going to make that! I love spinach and feta!

 

[turbo]

Oooh, I'm going to make that! I love spinach and feta!

It is really good Evo, and it can make even a flat-tasting fish fillet (previously-frozen) into a treat. It is so easy and fast, you won't believe it.

Edit: I'm having some refrigerator-cold as a snack right now, and it is great.

 

[turbo]

Tonight was chicken thighs. I had spent a lot of time clearing snow today, and my wife cooked after she got home from work. For college students (LISTEN UP!) it's so easy to cook a great meal if you have an oven. Just beat an egg in a bowl. Dip the chicken parts (we prefer drumsticks and thighs) in the egg, then roll them in a mix of Panko bread crumbs, salt, pepper, and whatever spices you might have a craving for. Put the chicken parts in a greased pan and bake them.

Keep a bag of panko crumbs around, and buy small quantities of chicken parts if you don't have a freezer. It is possible to have fantastic home-cooked meals very fast and on a budget if you plan for it.

 

[Borek]

Scrambled eggs? Best with bacon, onion and yesterdays leftower boiled potatos.

 

[Ben Niehoff]

Considering that most people's error with scrambled eggs is that they end up watery, it seems silly to add water to them.

I think the main thing to be aware of is that eggs (and anything else) continue to cook after you remove them from the heat, so you should remove them from the heat a few seconds before you think they're done. Also, be sure to cook them in a thin layer; don't overload the pan. The cooking time is then very short.

Watery scrambled eggs are usually the result of overcooking the eggs, as it forces additional moisture out.

 

[Evo]

Considering that most people's error with scrambled eggs is that they end up watery, it seems silly to add water to them.

Adding a liquid like milk or water makes them fluffier.

 

[turbo]

Adding a liquid like milk or water makes them fluffier.

Yes. Adding liquid and whisking vigorously just before cooking entrains air into the mix, so the eggs cook up nice and light and fluffy with more volume than you could get by whisking eggs alone. No magic or chemistry here - just mechanical air entrainment.