What can you expect in the Food Thread on PF?

[ZapperZ]

If you like it hot and exotic, try this:

Buy one of those "chilli paste" in a plastic jar that you can find at any Asian grocery stores (Some of them have the name "Sambal Olek" - btw, "sambal" is a malay/indonesian word for "chilli paste"). Take a teaspoon of it and mix it with 2 teaspoon of your favorite soy sauce.

Now here's where it'll blow you away. Drizzle your hot/spicy mixture over some fresh pineapples. Trust me on this! Now go pop one into your mouth.

You'll find that after the initial shock, and after you get used to it, you'll never want to eat fresh pineapples without it again.

Zz.

 

[turbo]

Sounds good! I'm going to try hot sauces with fruit.

There is a resaurant in Ellsworth Maine called The Mex, and they make a hot sauce that is 100% peppers - mostly jalapenos, I think. There are no other ingredients at all, just peppers. We have habaneros and jalapenos a-plenty in the garden and I'm going to see if I can make something similar, only hotter.

http://www.themex.com/

 

[turbo]

Pace hot picante sauce is great on eggs, or on or in omlets.

Pace?? (Not as severe as "New York City!?" ) You've got to work up a recipe for your own sauce. My wife and I can pints and pints of really hot salsa every year - hopefully enough to hold us over until the next garden comes in, because the commercial stuff doesn't cut it. We ran out earlier this year and had to start buying salsa again. We settled on hot Arriba! salsa, made with fire-roasted tomatoes and peppers. For our next batch of fresh salsa, we are going to fire-roast the peppers and tomatoes, and if we like the taste, that's how we'll prepare our salsa for canning - at least a batch or two, anyway. I grill a lot of vegetables, and the carmelization that comes with browning adds a lot of character, so I think that roasting the vegetables before processing will work out fine.

 

[Moonbear]

I've had both raspberry and peach salsas (sorry turbo, from jars), and the sweet fruit with the spicy peppers was definitely a tastebud pleaser.

 

[turbo]

Had the flame-roasted tomatoes and peppers tonight as salsa on our cheesburgers. A little tuning is in order (more blackening needed!) but definitely a keeper. I think that we've got to keep this blackening off the grill and on the side-burner, where the vegetables can be scorched without the cooking. It's a delicate balance between fresh salsa and fresh salsa with a little scorching and carmelization. I'd love to have a restaurant if I could stand being around people. Fragrances (and even "unscented" cosmetics with their masking fragrances) cripple me for days, with asthma, migraines, and joint pain, so a restaurant is out of the question. I love cooking, and can come up with a sauce for almost anything with a quick rummage through the pantry. Some of my most popular sauces (for chicken shishkebab and grilled shrimp in particular) arose from my wife's insistance that "we need something for supper, and you should come up with a meal". If you've got some cheap red wine, some vinegar or lemon juice, and a basic supply of spices, I can give you a primo meal with a minimum of time or fuss.

Edit: I'm assuming that you have some cold-pressed olive oil, molasses, brown sugar, dry mustards, etc, that I can press into service. If you have just salt, pepper and Mrs. Dash, you're on your own. I can't help you.

 

[Evo]

Had the flame-roasted tomatoes and peppers tonight as salsa on our cheesburgers. A little tuning is in order (more blackening needed!) but definitely a keeper. I think that we've got to keep this blackening off the grill and on the side-burner, where the vegetables can be scorched without the cooking. It's a delicate balance between fresh salsa and fresh salsa with a little scorching and carmelization. I'd love to have a restaurant if I could stand being around people. Fragrances (and even "unscented" cosmetics with their masking fragrances) cripple me for days, with asthma, migraines, and joint pain, so a restaurant is out of the question. I love cooking, and can come up with a sauce for almost anything with a quick rummage through the pantry. Some of my most popular sauces (for chicken shishkebab and grilled shrimp in particular) arose from my wife's insistance that "we need something for supper, and you should come up with a meal". If you've got some cheap red wine, some vinegar or lemon juice, and a basic supply of spices, I can give you a primo meal with a minimum of time or fuss.

Edit: I'm assuming that you have some cold-pressed olive oil, molasses, brown sugar, dry mustards, etc, that I can press into service. If you have just salt, pepper and Mrs. Dash, you're on your own. I can't help you.

You can come cook for me anytime!

 

[Astronuc]

Had the flame-roasted tomatoes and peppers tonight as salsa on our cheesburgers. . . . . Some of my most popular sauces (for chicken shishkebab and grilled shrimp in particular) arose from my wife's insistance that "we need something for supper, and you should come up with a meal". If you've got some cheap red wine, some vinegar or lemon juice, and a basic supply of spices, I can give you a primo meal with a minimum of time or fuss.

Edit: I'm assuming that you have some cold-pressed olive oil, molasses, brown sugar, dry mustards, etc, that I can press into service. If you have just salt, pepper and Mrs. Dash, you're on your own. I can't help you.

I've done much the same. I like to experiment with food flavor and spices, although the rest of the family is not so keen. I like it when I try something and the flavors just go together - like braised chicken and cilantro, and the right white wine (chardonnay, without fermentation or aging in oak).

I also like to certain cuts of beef in red wine (e.g. certain Cabernets or Merlots) which makes a really nice gravy.

I have Mrs. Dash in the cupboard, along with other spices. Mrs. Dash works in a pinch.

We have an herb garden and grow a fair amount of basil, which brings me to something I heard tonight -

Celebrating Late Summer's Basil Bonanza
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5726130
by Jack Staub

All Things Considered, August 28, 2006 · Commentator Jack Staub rhapsodizes about his favorite herb, basil, which is abundant this time of year. He also offers hints about what to do with all of it, including a recipe for handy and easy-to-use pesto cubes.

These cubes will maintain a zingy, summery bite even after months in the freezer. To use, just thaw one or two. For real Italian pesto, reprocess with pine nuts and fresh Parmesan cheese.

You can also use them for marinating meats, tossing with vegetables and a squeeze of lemon, starting salad dressings, and adding fresh, green body to soups and stews. And, best of all, they'll keep that yearned-for taste of summer lingering on your tongue all winter long.

Commentator Jack Staub lives and gardens in Bucks County, Pa. He's also the author of 75 Exciting Vegetables for Your Garden.

Pesto Cubes
Bunch of fresh, rinsed and dried basil leaves
Olive oil
3 or 4 fat garlic cloves
Salt and pepper

Pack the basil leaves into a food processor, add about an inch of good olive oil, the garlic, a palm-full of salt, and some generous grindings of fresh pepper.

Process into a thick, green emulsion, adding more oil if necessary.

Pour into plastic ice cube trays and freeze.

When the cubes are frozen, pop them out and store them in freezer bags.

I thought this was a cool idea, and I'll have to try this. But I will probably have to buy a freezer.

See also - Indian Food: Eating in Technicolor
Kitchen Window By Roseanne Pereira

I love curries, especially Madras hot curries - the hotter, the better.

And this looks good - Keeping Cool: Salads Stay Composed - some pretty decent salad recipes:
Chicken Paillard with Spicy Summer Corn
Warm Salad of Salmon and Orange
Sesame Chicken Salad
Quick Shrimp and Spinach Salad
Lobster and Wild Rice Salad

And then early this summer - Summer's Here: Grills Catch Fire:
Spice-Rubbed Flank Steak with Cajun Swamp Sauce

Turbo, we definitely need to get together and experiment.

 

[ZapperZ]

I also like to certain cuts of beef in red wine (e.g. certain Cabernets or Merlots) which makes a really nice gravy.

That is very European. Popular dishes such as boef bourgeneon and others are often marinated and cooked in robust, red wines.

I have a "pot-roast" recipe that calls for beef marinated overnight in a dry red wine, rosemary, garlic, and peppercorns. It is then braised on the stove for about 3 hrs until fork tender. Supposedly, this is an italian country dish, so it is supposed to be rustic. You reduce the roasting liquid at the end as the gravy. Serve with mash potatoes and simple steamed vegetables and you have it made.

I've served this for several dinner parties and always got very good compliments for it.

Zz.

 

[turbo]

I have a "pot-roast" recipe that calls for beef marinated overnight in a dry red wine, rosemary, garlic, and peppercorns. It is then braised on the stove for about 3 hrs until fork tender. Supposedly, this is an italian country dish, so it is supposed to be rustic. You reduce the roasting liquid at the end as the gravy. Serve with mash potatoes and simple steamed vegetables and you have it made.

Zz.

When I make a pot roast, I kind of reverse that. I rub the roast with salt, pepper, onion powder and garlic powder, then brown it heavily on all sides. I use a big pot with a little peanut oil, and do the browning outside on the grill's side burner to avoid smoking up the house, because it's important to get the meat well-browned. When the meat is browned, there is a heavy layer of carmelized juices on the bottom of the pot. I put the pot (with the meat) on the gas range and add about 2 cups of water and 2 cups of dry red wine to the pot, and bring to a rapid boil to dissolve the carmelized juices, then reduce to a simmer and add carrots, potatoes, cabbage, turnip and onions and seasonings. Add hot water as needed, cover and simmer for at least 2 hours. The long cooking time helps the carmelized meat juices and wine penetrate the vegetables. Near the end, remove the cover, and let the juices reduce. When you're ready to eat, remove the meat and vegetables from the pot, and while the roast is relaxing, whisk some flour-and-water mixture into the juices with a little added salt and pepper to make a gravy. Make more than you need - people often go for seconds, and if there are left-overs, they won't go to waste. If you chop the leftovers and pan-fry them, they make a wonderful breakfast hash.

 

[turbo]

I thought this was a cool idea, and I'll have to try this. But I will probably have to buy a freezer.

When our second crop of basil comes in, I'll have to freeze some pesto cubes. Our second 13 ft³ chest freezer will be delivered today. Our first one is full, and we have been shuffling food to relatives' freezers in order to keep up with the berries and the garden. I checked the berry patches yesterday, and tomorrow, I will probably get close to 4 gallons of wild blackberries. The zucchinis are swamping us and we need the freezer ASAP.

Edit: Yay! 10:40 and the appliance guys showed up and delivered the freezer. Now, I'll have to go visit the relatives and get all that food out of their freezers and into our new one.

Turbo, we definitely need to get together and experiment.

We'll have to cook in secret, or the PF sisters will arrange a field trip and eat all our experiments. Maybe we could schecule it on the same weekend as the big chocolate festival, so they'll be distracted.:!)

 

[Astronuc]

That is very European. Popular dishes such as boef bourgeneon and others are often marinated and cooked in robust, red wines.

I have a "pot-roast" recipe that calls for beef marinated overnight in a dry red wine, rosemary, garlic, and peppercorns. It is then braised on the stove for about 3 hrs until fork tender. Supposedly, this is an italian country dish, so it is supposed to be rustic. You reduce the roasting liquid at the end as the gravy. Serve with mash potatoes and simple steamed vegetables and you have it made.

OK, the three of us have to get together and compare recipes, and eat and drink.

The zucchinis are swamping us and we need the freezer ASAP.

Make zucchini boats!

 

[turbo]

OK, the three of us have to get together and compare recipes, and eat and drink.

Make zucchini boats!

We have been doing that, stuffing them with sauted vegetables, meats, etc, and topping them with sauces and cheeses. I've been giving extras to relatives and neighbors.

 

[Moonbear]

We'll have to cook in secret, or the PF sisters will arrange a field trip and eat all our experiments. Maybe we could schecule it on the same weekend as the big chocolate festival, so they'll be distracted.:!)

It'll never work. With the turbo-RV, we can make it to both.

If you want to open a restaurant without dealing so directly with people, maybe you could start with just a delivery service? I'm sure your spicy concoctions would be a hit during football season, even if you just sold it seasonally just as a side business.

But, never fear, I don't even own perfume, so you can serve me dinner anytime.

 

[Math Is Hard]

I wish Turbo would sell his pickles and salsa online. I would be a regular customer!

 

[Lisa!]

I'm wondering what you people with shrimp!

 

[turbo]

I wish Turbo would sell his pickles and salsa online. I would be a regular customer!

We give extra production away to family members, though I tend to be pretty stingy with the salsa - last spring we ran out and had to start buying the canned stuff. Now, I'm back in heaven with the fresh salsa. I just had a bowl of the fresh flame-roasted salsa with tortilla chips for lunch. It tastes even better than yesterday - the flavors got better overnight in the fridge.

I don't think that I would want to go through any kind of licensing procedures to go pro in the food biz. Cooking is best when you're doing it for fun and enjoyment, anyway. Right now, I'm boiling down a few gallons of fresh tomatoes, and we'll process them tonight. I'm going to have to build some shelves in the cellar for canned pickles, salsa, vegetables, etc. We are running out of pantry space.

 

[turbo]

I'm wondering what you people with shrimp!

I get the jumbo shrimp (~30 count), remove the entire shell and tail and devein them. Then I soak them in a marinade made of (amounts approximate, but in decreasing order)
Olive oil
red wine
ketchup
"Annie's Naturals" roasted red pepper salad dressing (find it at health food stores)
fresh lemon juice
molasses
our home-made HOT habanero sauce
1-2 cloves crushed garlic
oregano
salt
black pepper
cayenne

I cook them in a hinged wire basket on the grill, using high heat, and basting frequently with the marinade. You'll need at least 1/2# of shrimp per person, closer to 1#/person if it's the main course. These are the best shrimp ever. When I serve them at family get-togethers, people are always eyeing each other when the plate gets low, to see if they can snag at least one or two more without appearing too rude.

 

[Astronuc]

remove the entire shell and tail

Save the shell and tail for me. I love the tail and shell when fried and crunchy!

 

[ZapperZ]

The shell and tails also make very good broth and sauces.

Zz.

 

[Lisa!]

Ok I'll keep the shell and tails for you 2!

I get the jumbo shrimp (~30 count), remove the entire shell and tail and devein them. Then I soak them in a marinade made of (amounts approximate, but in decreasing order)
Olive oil
red wine
ketchup
"Annie's Naturals" roasted red pepper salad dressing (find it at health food stores)
fresh lemon juice
molasses
our home-made HOT habanero sauce
1-2 cloves crushed garlic
oregano
salt
black pepper
cayenne

I cook them in a hinged wire basket on the grill, using high heat, and basting frequently with the marinade. You'll need at least 1/2# of shrimp per person, closer to 1#/person if it's the main course. These are the best shrimp ever. When I serve them at family get-togethers, people are always eyeing each other when the plate gets low, to see if they can snag at least one or two more without appearing too rude.

Thanks! Well I should think what I can use instead of tat red wine!

 

[turbo]

Save the shell and tail for me. I love the tail and shell when fried and crunchy!

I'll have to try that. I remove every bit of the hard stuff, and have become pretty good at getting the tail shell off without losing the meat from the tail. The reason I do this is that I want the marinade to thoroughly cover all the meat.

Often, when I grill the shrimp, I have extra marinade, so I fill a grilling basket with sliced onions, peppers, zucchini, etc, and baste those with the marinade while grilling them. Nothing goes to waste, here. When we cook a turkey or a chicken, we break the bones, and boil the carcass afterward to make a broth that we freeze for later. Chicken broth is the secret ingredient in our home-made tomato soup - comfort food when combined with grilled cheese sandwiches (old-style sharp cheddar on rye bread).

 

[turbo]

Ok I'll keep the shell and tails for you 2!

Thanks! Well I should think what I can use instead of tat red wine!

Well, I invented this stuff in a couple of minutes and have been refining it to taste. Certainly, you can use this recipe as a base and, substitute whatever for the wine. Unsweetened fruit juices, like pineapple juice, orange juice, grape juice, etc, might be good. If you use anything with a high sugar content, be aware of scorching and carmelization, and cut out the molasses entirely.

 

[arunbg]

This is my first post in almost 2 months in PF.
Glad to see that this thread is still up and running

I have joined my new college for an engineering degree in computer science .
Ironically, I am hardly able to use the computers for internet, but I hope all that will change in a month or two. God, I have missed you guys so much, and now I feel like a newbie.
Anyway, coming back to food, my diet now consists of "timetabled" hostel food.
The food is relatively good, but there is little variety and the cuisine is different ( I am now in a different state).Monotony in food is something I hate and I'm sure you'll agree too.
But with 4 more years to go, I think I'll adjust
Vacations will start in a couple of days and I can't wait to get home.
Boy, do I miss my Mom's cooking

 

[ZapperZ]

This is my first post in almost 2 months in PF.
Glad to see that this thread is still up and running

I have joined my new college for an engineering degree in computer science .
Ironically, I am hardly able to use the computers for internet, but I hope all that will change in a month or two. God, I have missed you guys so much, and now I feel like a newbie.
Anyway, coming back to food, my diet now consists of "timetabled" hostel food.
The food is relatively good, but there is little variety and the cuisine is different ( I am now in a different state).Monotony in food is something I hate and I'm sure you'll agree too.
But with 4 more years to go, I think I'll adjust
Vacations will start in a couple of days and I can't wait to get home.
Boy, do I miss my Mom's cooking

Speaking of Mom's cooking, and since you're from India, maybe you (or Gokul or someone else) can answer this.

I love indian food, especially southern india, which isn't as easy to find here in the US. Most restaurants are typically a mixture of food from various parts of india, especially nothern that make use of the tandoor. I think most americans think indian food is nothing but tandoori this or tandoori that.

Anyway, I want to ask you about sambar. I understand it is a rather common dish that basically is a "watery", vegetarian "curry" (for a lack of a better word). I have seen it poured on rice, and have seen it used for dipping with various indian breads (paratha, roti, chapatti, etc.). Now are those the common way of how sambar is eaten?

The reason I asked this was that I thought that is how sambar is used, but there is a fairly decent indian restaurant near where I work, and I go to lunch there, oh, maybe twice a month or so. They have the best sambar that I've ever encountered, and the first time I had it, I poured it all over my rice. Suddenly, out of the blue, one of the wait staff told me that it was a soup and I may want to use a soup bowl for it (there were soup bowls and spoons close to the sambar - and oh, it was a buffet).

Well, that kinda threw a bit of doubt into my head since I thought I knew what it was and how it was commonly eaten. Ever since then, whenever I get there, I would fill my soup bowl with the sambar, and then when I get to my table, I would either spoon it all over my rice, or I would dip breads into it. I still refuse to eat it as a "soup".

So, can you help? :)

Zz.

 

[Gokul43201]

I love indian food, especially southern india, which isn't as easy to find here in the US. Most restaurants are typically a mixture of food from various parts of india, especially nothern that make use of the tandoor. I think most americans think indian food is nothing but tandoori this or tandoori that.

Too true. We've got one good South Indian restaurant here in Columbus, for the dozen or so North Indian restaurants.

Anyway, I want to ask you about sambar. I understand it is a rather common dish that basically is a "watery", vegetarian "curry" (for a lack of a better word). I have seen it poured on rice, and have seen it used for dipping with various indian breads (paratha, roti, chapatti, etc.). Now are those the common way of how sambar is eaten?

'Poured over rice' is the most common way of eating sambar. Nearly as common is as a dip for any of the various South Indian rice/lentil-based appetizers traditionally served for breakfast (dosa, idli, vada, etc.). Rotis and parathas are of North Indian origin and are wheat-based. They go better with dals (the milder, northern cousin of the sambar).

The reason I asked this was that I thought that is how sambar is used, but there is a fairly decent indian restaurant near where I work, and I go to lunch there, oh, maybe twice a month or so. They have the best sambar that I've ever encountered, and the first time I had it, I poured it all over my rice. Suddenly, out of the blue, one of the wait staff told me that it was a soup and I may want to use a soup bowl for it (there were soup bowls and spoons close to the sambar - and oh, it was a buffet).

Either this person is not Indian, or of Indian origin but never lived there, or has lost it!

I still refuse to eat it as a "soup".

I can't remember the last time I ate sambar like a soup - it may have happened once or twice, but that's just a guess.

 

[JasonRox]

Either this person is not Indian, or of Indian origin but never lived there, or has lost it!

Could it be so that he (ZZ) won't enjoy the sambar as a soup and hopefully leave. ZapperZ is probably clearing the table!

 

[turbo]

Could it be so that he (ZZ) won't enjoy the sambar as a soup and hopefully leave. ZapperZ is probably clearing the table!

I had an interesting circumstance at an "all you can eat" lobster buffet in a restaurant in Truro, NS. After my second time back for more lobster, the lady running the buffet tried to cut me off, offering me bread pudding, tapioca, potato salad - anything but lobster. I pointed out that I had also paid for buffet meals for my wife, my mother-in-law, and my wife's aunt, all of whom ate like birds. She relented, but only reluctantly, and she only served me half a lobster (they were split down the middle). I ate it and went back up for another half just to make my point. I'm not very big, but don't offer me "all you can eat" of anything I like, unless you can make good on it. She's lucky the buffet didn't feature fresh sea scallops - that would have made her crazy.

 

[scorpa]

I had an interesting circumstance at an "all you can eat" lobster buffet in a restaurant in Truro, NS. After my second time back for more lobster, the lady running the buffet tried to cut me off, offering me bread pudding, tapioca, potato salad - anything but lobster. I pointed out that I had also paid for buffet meals for my wife, my mother-in-law, and my wife's aunt, all of whom ate like birds. She relented, but only reluctantly, and she only served me half a lobster (they were split down the middle). I ate it and went back up for another half just to make my point. I'm not very big, but don't offer me "all you can eat" of anything I like, unless you can make good on it. She's lucky the buffet didn't feature fresh sea scallops - that would have made her crazy.

Haha same thing happened to my uncle once, this guy can eat...A LOT! He was a this chinese buffet with my dad once and he went up for another plate and one of the waiters came up to him and said "No more chicken! You eat vegetables!"

 

[Hootenanny]

Crash Potatoes

Ingredients
12 medium Jersey Royal Potatoes (Don't peel)
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Caraway Seeds
Thyme Sprigs
Sea Salt
Black Pepper
​

Scrub the potatoes and cook in simmering salted water until tender. Preheat oven to 230^oC. Place potatoes in a baking tray lined with grease proof paper. Squash them flat with a masher but do not mash. Brush liberally with the olive oil, scatter a teaspoon of caraway seeds on top together with a table spoon of chopped thyme sprigs and sea salt. Grind some black pepper over the top. Bake for thirty minutes or until crisp. You may need to grill for a few minutes if you prefer them very crispy.

One of my favourite side dished, goes excellent with steaks.

 

[Evo]

Crash Potatoes

Ingredients
12 medium Jersey Royal Potatoes (Don't peel)
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Caraway Seeds
Thyme Sprigs
Sea Salt
Black Pepper
​

Scrub the potatoes and cook in simmering salted water until tender. Preheat oven to 230^oC. Place potatoes in a baking tray lined with grease proof paper. Squash them flat with a masher but do not mash. Brush liberally with the olive oil, scatter a teaspoon of caraway seeds on top together with a table spoon of chopped thyme sprigs and sea salt. Grind some black pepper over the top. Bake for thirty minutes or until crisp. You may need to grill for a few minutes if you prefer them very crispy.

One of my favourite side dished, goes excellent with steaks.

Mmmmm, that sounds yummy! I'm saving this one!