The Foodie Thread

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I have made it 4-5 times and everyone loves it. The key is having a pan you can broil for a few minutes. I use a dish from Le Creuset that can take the heat
 
Recipes are cool and a great way to try new things, and fun for sharing with friends - or if you're not too comfortable in the Kitchen.
NOTE: Baking, pastries, confectionery is a WHOLE 'NOTHER THANG! As a matter of fact, in the Culinary world or the Professional kitchen, baking "recipes" are actually called "formulas". That's right. The art of baking is more nearly a science than anything else. Too many things can go wrong: The weather outside; uneven oven temps; uneven temps in the kitchen (That one's for you chocolatiers and those dealing with the confectionery arts); The wrong flour (or flower as it were, @UNCCatTech ;-); "Dead" yeast; Wrong H2O temp.; Hard water vs. "soft" water; proper measuring techniques (1 pound sifted flour ain't the same as 1 pound of unsifted).

In the professional kitchen, the "cooks", the "chefs" the "prep cooks", the "garde manger", the "sous chef", the "commis" (no - pubs on the board - we're not talking Russians or Chinamen, ha); every other person in the kitchen - stays FAR, far away from the baking chef, the pastry chef... They are whole 'nother animals. And never the 'twain shall meet. The bakers are some serious m-fers - they get up at unGodly hours in the AM. When the cooks are going to bed, the bakers are just getting up.

I don't really have "recipes" to share - though I can share certain little bits and pieces. But I can share cooking "techniques" or pro kitchen tips and best practices if anyone is interested. As far as "tips" on baking? See first paragraph.

When I get a chance I will share my process for making a basic Marinara sauce. Mind you, I don't have this written down anywhere so I can't just link it or copy and paste it in this thread. Although it is rather easy, and quicker to make than you might expect. You don't have to "simmer the sauce all day" like you may have heard from your neighbor's old, Italian Grandmother. As a matter of fact, I learned this technique from an Italian when I lived in Europe. But that's 'nother story.

Speaking of simmering or "stirring the sauce", remind me to tell you the joke about the Maria's Italian Wedding night.
 
Recipes are cool and a great way to try new things, and fun for sharing with friends - or if you're not too comfortable in the Kitchen.
NOTE: Baking, pastries, confectionery is a WHOLE 'NOTHER THANG! As a matter of fact, in the Culinary world or the Professional kitchen, baking "recipes" are actually called "formulas". That's right. The art of baking is more nearly a science than anything else. Too many things can go wrong: The weather outside; uneven oven temps; uneven temps in the kitchen (That one's for you chocolatiers and those dealing with the confectionery arts); The wrong flour (or flower as it were, @UNCCatTech ;-); "Dead" yeast; Wrong H2O temp.; Hard water vs. "soft" water; proper measuring techniques (1 pound sifted flour ain't the same as 1 pound of unsifted).

In the professional kitchen, the "cooks", the "chefs" the "prep cooks", the "garde manger", the "sous chef", the "commis" (no - pubs on the board - we're not talking Russians or Chinamen, ha); every other person in the kitchen - stays FAR, far away from the baking chef, the pastry chef... They are whole 'nother animals. And never the 'twain shall meet. The bakers are some serious m-fers - they get up at unGodly hours in the AM. When the cooks are going to bed, the bakers are just getting up.

I don't really have "recipes" to share - though I can share certain little bits and pieces. But I can share cooking "techniques" or pro kitchen tips and best practices if anyone is interested. As far as "tips" on baking? See first paragraph.

When I get a chance I will share my process for making a basic Marinara sauce. Mind you, I don't have this written down anywhere so I can't just link it or copy and paste it in this thread. Although it is rather easy, and quicker to make than you might expect. You don't have to "simmer the sauce all day" like you may have heard from your neighbor's old, Italian Grandmother. As a matter of fact, I learned this technique from an Italian when I lived in Europe. But that's 'nother story.

Speaking of simmering or "stirring the sauce", remind me to tell you the joke about the Maria's Italian Wedding night.
I see what you did there. :unsure:

After once not proof reading and posting about eating a Beagle instead of a bagel, I can handle any ribbing about my ability to spell. (Even though I believe that one was spell check also, but I did get it wrong enough for spell check to replace it with beagle.)

:cool:

This is so true about bakers. My daughter is a baker and cake decorator, she's put in a lot of time learning to make cakes, etc. it's as precision as you say.

She's not the manager of the bakery for a retail establishment. She wants to have her own store someday, but at this time she needs other things.
 
When I get a chance I will share my process for making a basic Marinara sauce. Mind you, I don't have this written down anywhere so I can't just link it or copy and paste it in this thread. Although it is rather easy, and quicker to make than you might expect. You don't have to "simmer the sauce all day" like you may have heard from your neighbor's old, Italian Grandmother. As a matter of fact, I learned this technique from an Italian when I lived in Europe. But that's 'nother story.

Speaking of simmering or "stirring the sauce", remind me to tell you the joke about the Maria's Italian Wedding night.

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I see what you did there. :unsure:

After once not proof reading and posting about eating a Beagle instead of a bagel, I can handle any ribbing about my ability to spell. (Even though I believe that one was spell check also, but I did get it wrong enough for spell check to replace it with beagle.)

:cool:

This is so true about bakers. My daughter is a baker and cake decorator, she's put in a lot of time learning to make cakes, etc. it's as precision as you say.

She's not the manager of the bakery for a retail establishment. She wants to have her own store someday, but at this time she needs other things.
First, I'm glad you took my poor attempt a humor - at your expense - in good nature, as it was meant. Truly just kidding as you noted.
And kudos to your daughter: cooking - and baking - for a living is an act of love, and courage. It's not for the faint of heart. In the Culinary Arts the baking and pastry end of it can be humbling to say the least. I wish her all the best. May her cakes never fall. Icing on the cake: Cream cheese, butter cream and then "regular" frosting in that order...
 
I've never done this before but might start after reading this article:


Freeze Every Citrus Peel That Comes Through Your Kitchen​

Unless you plan to use the zest right away, stashing large slivers of citrus peel in your freezer is a great way to preserve their flavor until the day it's needed.​

 
Some good stuff on this thread.

I am a very amateur chef and don't have any great recipes to contribute (I sort of like to do things ad hoc, never exactly the same way twice). But I will contribute by sharing a couple videos from one of my favorite Youtube chefs, Brian Lagerstrom; I would recommend his content for anyone who is looking for approachable cooking videos. I've made both of these recipes before and liked them.



 
Some good stuff on this thread.

I am a very amateur chef and don't have any great recipes to contribute (I sort of like to do things ad hoc, never exactly the same way twice). But I will contribute by sharing a couple videos from one of my favorite Youtube chefs, Brian Lagerstrom; I would recommend his content for anyone who is looking for approachable cooking videos. I've made both of these recipes before and liked them.




3 things on the sauce: 1) cook the diced onions with the raw ground beef. The onion help flavor the meat, and the onion absorbs some of the fat - also helps the overall flavor. Plus doing it his way, the meat OVERCOOKS and gets tough and rubbery. 2) definitely add sugar to your tomato/spaghetti sauce. 3) definitely add FRESH BASIL whenever possible, and do it at the very end of the cooking process. Just like in the video. (If using dried, add it much earlier in the cooking process, with the onions and beef.)

Also, on the fajitas- pan roasting veggies is always a good thing
 
Salsa Macha...

Where have you been all my life??

So crazy good. I'm currently working my way through a bottle of this...
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Just the preftect chili oil. It brings more than enough heat, but most importantly is tastes so good! It's near universal in that you can put it on practically anything.

But excited to try making it at home form a recipe like this one: Salsa Macha Recipe I'll let you know how it comes out.
 
if you want creamy Mac and cheese, I wholesale recommend this recipe!
So good! Full disclosure, I’ve never made it. But it’s the one my sister-in-law makes for family dinners and it’s the best ever. The sauce consistently is basically that of Kraft Delux (the kind with the silver foil pouch) but instead of tasting chemically, it’s delicious.
 
Birthday dinner for my daughter's wife was a huge success.

We made chicken wings. I brined them overnight, then dry rubbed seasoning. I Cooked them on the smoker at 200 for a couple hours, then raised the temp up to 400 to crisp them up. They were exceptional. Probably the best I've ever made.

My daughter made green bean casserole. But not the Campbell's version. We purchased fresh green beans and blanched them. We made the sauce with cream, mushrooms, unions and spices. It was great.

The mac n cheese. I couldn't decide so I made three and we had a tasting.
Thank you for the recommendation of Poole's Diner Mac and Cheese. This one won out for texture and taste. I doubled the recipe and purchased all of the correct cheeses. Loved the creaminess and texture, also had a great taste. I didn't have time to use the broiling technique, because I had too much going on.

The second was a southern mac n cheese.
This one had no flour/roux and included eggs and sour cream. The texture was less creamy. My middle daughter said this was her favorite. She likes mac n cheese a little less creamy. This one contained sharp yellow cheddar, sharp white cheddar, and some Havarti.

The third, I made based on all that I have been reading.
I used a roux and heavy cream as the base. The primary cheese was gruyere, with a little havarti, and some cream cheese. This one had a really nice texture also, very creamy.

Interesting the distinct difference in taste based on the cheeses.

Thanks for all the recommendations. I've learned a lot about how to get the texture and taste that I'm looking for.

Now I just need to find a place that sells Mascarpone cheese. :oops:
 
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