What can you expect in the Food Thread on PF?

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    Evo Food Thread
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The discussion revolves around a vibrant exchange of food-related topics, with participants sharing favorite recipes, culinary experiences, and kitchen mishaps. A notable focus is on lentil recipes, with suggestions for dishes like chocolate lentil cake and lentil lasagna, as well as creative uses of lentils in various cuisines. Participants also share recipes for pasta with pesto, grilled shrimp marinades, and Indian dishes like dahl and gulab jamun. There’s a strong emphasis on improvisation in cooking, with many contributors discussing how they cook "by feel" rather than following strict measurements. The conversation also touches on cultural influences, such as the appreciation for Lebanese and South Indian cuisine, and the importance of traditional meals like the Indian sadya. Additionally, humorous anecdotes about kitchen disasters and the challenges of cooking techniques, like frying mozzarella sticks, add a lighthearted tone to the thread. Overall, the thread celebrates the joy of cooking and the communal sharing of food experiences.
  • #3,451
nismaratwork said:
Oh god... I did that once in my youth, in Greece... on Ouzo and Retsina. I have vague memories of what I pray was the meat of some mammal, wrapped in grape leaves... then hangover.

I once found myself sitting in a little Greek village - the only English speaking person. We sat on a patio shielded from the sun by vines of the biggest yellow grapes I've ever seen. The family owned restaurant made wine from these grapes - and it was VERY, VERY good. My associate ordered a wide range of appetizers and we ate well. One of the dishes looked a little strange - but was very good. They caught big juicy purple earthworms, threw them into the fish tank for a few days - then pan seared them with butter and lemon. You probably won't find them on a menu in Athens.
 
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  • #3,452
nismaratwork said:
did you see that jerky I linked you to? You'll LOVE it, and never want a slim-crap again. :smile:

Don't get me wrong. I love real beef jerky and I certainly have no taste for Slim Jims. But I was at the hardware store and they were at the checkout. I was hungry. It just all came together for me. If they were selling real beef jerky at the checkout, I would've had that with dinner instead.

I did check out that site. The best jerky I've ever had is from a place in Concord, NC. My sister lives nearby in Kannapolis and knew how much I loved it. So, when I visited her she took me there. (http://www.dojerky.com/concord/ )

They have big bins of free samples. Their honey BBQ and teriyaki are masterpieces of flavor.
 
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  • #3,453
FlexGunship said:
Don't get me wrong. I love real beef jerky and I certainly have no taste for Slim Jims. But I was at the hardware store and they were at the checkout. I was hungry. It just all came together for me. If they were selling real beef jerky at the checkout, I would've had that with dinner instead.

I did check out that site. The best jerky I've ever had is from a place in Concord, NC. My sister lives nearby in Kannapolis and knew how much I loved it. So, when I visited her she took me there. (http://www.dojerky.com/concord/ )

They have big bins of free samples. Their honey BBQ and teriyaki are masterpieces of flavor.

You... bought food... at a HARDWARE store. OK, lapse in judgment, got it... the link looks delicious!
 
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  • #3,454
nismaratwork said:
You... bought food... at a HARDWARE store. OK, lapse in judgment, got it...

Why? Where do you get your food?
 
  • #3,455
FlexGunship said:
Why? Where do you get your food?

Before you answer - a lot of people buy their food at the gas station. :smile:
 
  • #3,456
I almost bought some of this at an Ace Hardware a couple of days ago.

[PLAIN]http://http.cdnlayer.com/ec1images/raw/products/9/9027293_061509i_mk.jpg

I love the "messing with Sasquatch" commercials.
 
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  • #3,457
dlgoff said:
I almost bought some of this at an Ace Hardware a couple of days ago.

[PLAIN]http://http.cdnlayer.com/ec1images/raw/products/9/9027293_061509i_mk.jpg

I love the "messing with Sasquatch" commercials.

Not buying it was the kind move that instills confidence in your advisory status! :wink:


@FlexGunship: Remember what truck stops used to be like? Remember THOSE sandwiches? I think the point is that eating those, or a Slim-Jim should be like eating condiments as a whole meal: an act of necessity and/or desperation. There are DOG TREATS made to a higher standard than Slim Jims... which is kind of ridiculous when you consider how easy it is to make a jerky-like product.
 
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  • #3,458
The building-supply shops around here carry jerky, Slim Jims, etc. When a jobber runs out of materials or fasteners and has to make a quick run to town to stock up, that trip can screw up his schedule, so he's more likely to grab these "snacks" and eat them on the way back to the job-site without taking time for a healthier meal. It ain't pretty - just good business.
 
  • #3,459
turbo-1 said:
The building-supply shops around here carry jerky, Slim Jims, etc. When a jobber runs out of materials or fasteners and has to make a quick run to town to stock up, that trip can screw up his schedule, so he's more likely to grab these "snacks" and eat them on the way back to the job-site without taking time for a healthier meal. It ain't pretty - just good business.

At least the jerky is an actual cut of meat... not an oiled slurry. I'd rather eat a bag of chips and snark down a snickers bar... not because I think it's healthier... that's just how much I hate Slim Jims. I hate Slim Jims like they abused me as a child, stole my pocket money, and slapped me silly.

edit: To be fair, those same guys could eat better and save money if they brought their own jerky...
 
  • #3,460
turbo-1 said:
Nice link. My wife and I use the "bring to a simmer and wait for 10 minutes" method using a heavy 1-1/2 quart saucepan. In fact we had hard-boiled eggs last night, chopped and used as a topping (along with walnut pieces) on our baby-spinach salad. With a pan-seared rib-eye, that was a wonderful supper.
Here it is. Our range has 3 different sized gas burners, so we use the simmer burner on high or a slightly larger burner on medium. Put your eggs in cool water right out of the tap, set the pan on the burner and heat it up until the water just starts to simmer, then shut off the burner and set your timer for 10 minutes. Perfect hard-boiled eggs every time. The heavy bottom on this pan makes the heat-up and cool-down slow, so the eggs heat evenly and don't overcook or get rubbery.

pot.jpg
 
  • #3,461
turbo-1 said:
Here it is. Our range has 3 different sized gas burners, so we use the simmer burner on high or a slightly larger burner on medium. Put your eggs in cool water right out of the tap, set the pan on the burner and heat it up until the water just starts to simmer, then shut off the burner and set your timer for 10 minutes. Perfect hard-boiled eggs every time. The heavy bottom on this pan makes the heat-up and cool-down slow, so the eggs heat evenly and don't overcook or get rubbery.

pot.jpg
Good sturdy pot. I loved that guy's egg site. I love soft boiled eggs and those are hard to get right, now it looks easy.
 
  • #3,462
Evo said:
Good sturdy pot. I loved that guy's egg site. I love soft boiled eggs and those are hard to get right, now it looks easy.
As I kid, I loved my mother's soft-boiled eggs, served in old wooden egg-cups with toast points. Comfort food.

Now, we tend to use hard-boiled eggs to top salads or to make potato salads with, or to turn into deviled eggs for a holiday get-together. This is THE pot for hard-boiled eggs, and I was pleasantly surprised to see the simmer/10 minutes method on the site that you linked. It is fool-proof if you use a heavy high-quality or clad pot that heats up and cools evenly.

If you use thin, light pots, they heat up quickly and they cool quickly so your results are not guaranteed. Before we got the heavy-bottomed pot, we had to watch the transition to simmer very closely, then cover the pot so that it wouldn't cool too fast.
 
  • #3,463
Evo said:
Good sturdy pot. I loved that guy's egg site. I love soft boiled eggs and those are hard to get right, now it looks easy.

Although I didnt check out the site, I would agree that good soft boiled eggs are hard to get, grandma had a little cooker that would do six at a time. Crack the shell, whites were cooked yokes were nice and runny. I have tried numerous times in my later years to repeat the process without her special pan, never had good results. The eggs were either over cooked or the whites were runny.
 
  • #3,464
turbo-1 said:
As I kid, I loved my mother's soft-boiled eggs, served in old wooden egg-cups with toast points. Comfort food.

Now, we tend to use hard-boiled eggs to top salads or to make potato salads with, or to turn into deviled eggs for a holiday get-together. This is THE pot for hard-boiled eggs, and I was pleasantly surprised to see the simmer/10 minutes method on the site that you linked. It is fool-proof if you use a heavy high-quality or clad pot that heats up and cools evenly.

If you use thin, light pots, they heat up quickly and they cool quickly so your results are not guaranteed. Before we got the heavy-bottomed pot, we had to watch the transition to simmer very closely, then cover the pot so that it wouldn't cool too fast.

re bold: I still love that for comfort food! I have my great-grandmother's egg-cup (one size on each end, and it looks like crudely fired clay/terra-cotta. I've never gone full-out toist POINTS though... I like that.

In fact, it gives me an idea to "gourmet it up" for company:

quail eggs: soft boiled, peeled, and served whole and salted on buttered toast points. If that works, I'm calling them, "eggs a la turbo".
 
  • #3,465
Jasongreat said:
Although I didnt check out the site, I would agree that good soft boiled eggs are hard to get, grandma had a little cooker that would do six at a time. Crack the shell, whites were cooked yokes were nice and runny. I have tried numerous times in my later years to repeat the process without her special pan, never had good results. The eggs were either over cooked or the whites were runny.

Pactice... nothing is a substitute for practice with a given burner. Eggs, in all of their uses, have such a thin line between yummy... and curdled.
 
  • #3,466
Evo said:
I love soft boiled eggs and those are hard to get right, now it looks easy.

Okay. What's a soft boiled egg? I'm aware of hard boiled eggs. Is it like a poached egg? Is it just another way of saying scrambled?

And is it "soft boiled-egg" or "soft-boiled egg"?
 
  • #3,467
FlexGunship said:
Okay. What's a soft boiled egg? I'm aware of hard boiled eggs. Is it like a poached egg?

In a way similar, but still in the shell. Soft yolk, solidified white.
 
  • #3,468
Borek said:
In a way similar, but still in the shell. Soft yolk, solidified white.

Hmm, sounds good... if not a bit complicated. How do you get it back in the shell?
 
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  • #3,469
FlexGunship said:
Hmm, sounds good if not a bit complicated. How do you get it back in the shell?

Hoo boy...

Flex, think conduction of heat: you cook from the white inward to the yolk... right? So, you never breach the egg: you just cook it LESS than hard-boiled, but enough to cook the whites and begin to denature the yolk.

You then place it in a cup or specially made vessel for the purpose (one end up), and break the shell around the top. Inside, you basically have a perfect dipping vessel AND sauce, complete with snack (the white).

Salt a bit with each bite. I'd just say, this is great if you like them, but much like poached eggs: some HATE them. Others can't be bothered to calibrate the cooking time, but kids ESPECIALLY love them... so they tend to stick around in families.
 
  • #3,470
nismaratwork said:
Flex, think conduction of heat: you cook from the white inward to the yolk... right? So, you never breach the egg: you just cook it LESS than hard-boiled, but enough to cook the whites and begin to denature the yolk.

Hmm; this makes sense. I'm with you, but it doesn't seem like such a clearly delineated food, then. I mean, wouldn't this really point towards an entire spectrum of finely boiled chicken ovum?

I suppose the spectrum would go from "raw" to "incinerated carbon ash." Given that the edibility lends itself mostly to the non-immolation end of the scale, I propose a log-base system for determining in-shell egg-types. Except that "raw" would be impossible to express on a log-plot.

Grr. Why must cooking be so infuriatingly difficult!?
 
  • #3,471
FlexGunship said:
Hmm; this makes sense. I'm with you, but it doesn't seem like such a clearly delineated food, then. I mean, wouldn't this really point towards an entire spectrum of finely boiled chicken ovum?

I suppose the spectrum would go from "raw" to "incinerated carbon ash." Given that the edibility lends itself mostly to the non-immolation end of the scale, I propose a log-base system for determining in-shell egg-types. Except that "raw" would be impossible to express on a log-plot.

Grr. Why must cooking be so infuriatingly difficult!?

Eat yer damned slim jims and hush! :smile:
 
  • #3,472
nismaratwork said:
Eat yer damned slim jims and hush! :smile:

Woah! Giving me a hard time?! I'll never understand the "cooking" community. Ounces are both volume and weight?! At what density are they equivalent? I would assume at the density of water, but I'm not sure.

And why are there so many settings on an oven?! You need exactly two: hot, and un-hot. If the oven is over the mean temperature of the item being cooked, then it's cooking! Newton has seen to that. What could it possibly mean to "pre-heat" an oven? If it's on... it's heated!

Don't get me started on... well... don't get me started.
 
  • #3,473
FlexGunship said:
Woah! Giving me a hard time?! I'll never understand the "cooking" community. Ounces are both volume and weight?! At what density are they equivalent? I would assume at the density of water, but I'm not sure.

And why are there so many settings on an oven?! You need exactly two: hot, and un-hot. If the oven is over the mean temperature of the item being cooked, then it's cooking! Newton has seen to that. What could it possibly mean to "pre-heat" an oven? If it's on... it's heated!

Don't get me started on... well... don't get me started.

Look, juuuust, because I have plans to tatoo: "CANNOT BOIL WATER" on your forehead, doesn't mean cooks are weird? *hysterical laugh* We're THE SANE people Flex... you'll see... I'll make fondue and you'll ALL see!

MUAAHHAAA!


Kidding aside, your comment about ovens made me physically cringe... on... and heated... ARRGH!
 
  • #3,474
nismaratwork said:
Look, juuuust, because I have plans to tatoo: "CANNOT BOIL WATER" on your forehead, doesn't mean cooks are weird?

Was that a Snow Crash reference?

"POOR IMPULSE CONTROL"
 
  • #3,475
FlexGunship said:
Was that a Snow Crash reference?

"POOR IMPULSE CONTROL"

You are the first person to get that in all the time I've used that reference, and you are correct. "The Deliverator..." ahhhh, I love that book. It's both in and mocking the same genre... and fun.

edit: Raven was a very VERY interesting character, and surprisingly well developed. You can see the roots of him in 'Cryptonomicon'.
 
  • #3,476
nismaratwork said:
You are the first person to get that in all the time I've used that reference, and you are correct. "The Deliverator..." ahhhh, I love that book. It's both in and mocking the same genre... and fun.

I'm 25... I'm pretty sure I've read every book worth reading at this point. I'm actually reading a book on advanced (d)SLR photography techniques. I just re-read Snow Crash a few months ago. Nothing like getting a dentata from a 15 year old girl in the tip of your giant Aleutian...

...well, what happens on the Raft, stays on the Raft. Reason will see to that.
 
  • #3,477
FlexGunship said:
I'm 25... I'm pretty sure I've read every book worth reading at this point. I'm actually reading a book on advanced (d)SLR photography techniques. I just re-read Snow Crash a few months ago. Nothing like getting a dentata from a 15 year old girl in the tip of your giant Aleutian...

...well, what happens on the Raft, stays on the Raft. Reason will see to that.

Reason... that was a fantastic joke too. "Ultima Ratio Regum"... Classic.

edit: I think Uncle Enzo would be Veeeeerrrryyyy dissapointed with this recent roundup of his former familia, hmm? Then again, the razor-toting old feller turned out to be OK.
 
  • #3,478
I love Snow Crash, but you both must stop derailing the Food thread. Take it to Random Thoughts.
 
  • #3,479
Evo said:
I love Snow Crash, but you both must stop derailing the Food thread. Take it to Random Thoughts.

The best pizza in the world is from CosaNostra. Delivery in 30 minutes or less! I think they have tomatoes in their sauce.
 
  • #3,480
FlexGunship said:
The best pizza in the world is from CosaNostra. Delivery in 30 minutes or less! I think they have tomatoes in their sauce.
I got Om to read it recently. FIDO!
 
  • #3,481
Evo said:
I got Om to read it recently. FIDO!

I didn't see any food mentioned in your post!
 
  • #3,482
FlexGunship said:
I didn't see any food mentioned in your post!
See what you did?
 
  • #3,483
I'm laughing SO hard right now...

...and eating popcorn. With, uhhh.. rosemary-browned-butter.

So.. food. :rolleyes:
 
  • #3,484
My wife has to tend to her mother tonight, and she made her supper before she left. Linguini with a creamy feta sauce, ground medley peppercorns, and dulse. She took a small container of the marinara that I made last summer/fall to top the pasta with.

Cooking, preserving, and freezing produce from a decent garden is lots of work, but now winter is here, I'm missing it.
 
  • #3,485
I just got a fish and chips craving...like, a really really strong one!
 
  • #3,486
turbo-1 said:
My wife has to tend to her mother tonight, and she made her supper before she left. Linguini with a creamy feta sauce, ground medley peppercorns, and dulse. She took a small container of the marinara that I made last summer/fall to top the pasta with.

Cooking, preserving, and freezing produce from a decent garden is lots of work, but now winter is here, I'm missing it.
Seaweed in a creamy cheese sauce?

I'm boiling down tomatoes for sauce and going to bake meatballs to go in it.
 
  • #3,487
Evo said:
Seaweed in a creamy cheese sauce?

I'm boiling down tomatoes for sauce and going to bake meatballs to go in it.
Just a dusting of dulse flakes. She likes it. Because of high BP, she's always looking for ways to add flavor to dishes without adding salt.
 
  • #3,488
turbo-1 said:
Just a dusting of dulse flakes. She likes it. Because of high BP, she's always looking for ways to add flavor to dishes without adding salt.
Ah, I just use a water pill and eat normally. My doctor has never suggested that I cut out salt, so I guess he doesn't feel I need to. (thank good ness)
 
  • #3,489
nismaratwork said:
I'm laughing SO hard right now...

...and eating popcorn. With, uhhh.. rosemary-browned-butter.

So.. food. :rolleyes:

Rosemary Browned butter? That what you get when you let her near your butter, man!
 
  • #3,490
turbo, I am searching for a meatball recipe that tastes as good as banquet meatballs, you have a really great recipe? Mine just taste like meatloaf balls.
 
  • #3,491
Evo said:
turbo, I am searching for a meatball recipe that tastes as good as banquet meatballs, you have a really great recipe? Mine just taste like meatloaf balls.
For meatballs (as opposed to balls of meatloaf) you have to plan what you're going to use them for. My wife and I don't use recipes that much, so I can't give you hard-and-fast rules, but here's the way I approach it. Hamburg and moistened bread make the base. Instead of using fresh vegetables, you should consider using dried versions. Onion powder, garlic powder, oregano flake and crushed red pepper should be included, as well as salt and black pepper. Depending on the application, you might want to consider some dried mustard and/or curry powder, too.

Typically, we brown meatballs in hot oil with a high smoke-temperature, like peanut oil, then when they are seared and sealed, add the meatballs to whatever sauce they will be served in and simmer until they are done through. I hope this gave you some ideas. Meatballs should never be bland like meatloaf, so don't be afraid to add "too much" of a seasoning. You can always tone it down next time, but often you won't want to.
 
  • #3,492
*seeks comfort food*
any recommendations?
 
  • #3,493
HeLiXe said:
*seeks comfort food*
any recommendations?
What do you like?
 
  • #3,494
HeLiXe said:
*seeks comfort food*
any recommendations?

Flan/Indian Pudding/Custard
Chips/Pretzels/Carrots
Cocoa/Tea/Coffee


I tend to think along lines of textures, and sweet/fat/salt.

Ice cream is always a winner.
 
  • #3,495
HeLiXe said:
*seeks comfort food*
any recommendations?

Chicken and dumplings.
Macaroni and cheese.
Toast (ok so i guess I'm easy to comfort).
 
  • #3,496
lisab said:
Chicken and dumplings.
Macaroni and cheese.
Toast (ok so i guess I'm easy to comfort).

GENIUS. Any kind works too.
 
  • #3,497
My wife made deviled eggs today. She mixed the yolks with Cain's mayonnaise, onion powder, garlic powder, ground chipotle, smoked paprika, black pepper, and my home-made jalapeno/garlic relish. VERY tasty.
 
  • #3,498
HeLiXe said:
*seeks comfort food*
any recommendations?

Paella

2motsif.jpg


This is how they serve it on the market in St-Girons in the Arriege in France
 
  • #3,499
Sausage making day next week! I'll upload some pictures.
 
  • #3,500
turbo-1 said:
My wife made deviled eggs today. She mixed the yolks with Cain's mayonnaise, onion powder, garlic powder, ground chipotle, smoked paprika, black pepper, and my home-made jalapeno/garlic relish. VERY tasty.

That Paella looks awesome Andre, but right now I'd take some of turbo's wife's deviled eggs. Ahhh...
 

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