The Foodie Thread

[UNCatTech]

I was watching master chef and Ramsay made reference to salting fish before battering it and frying. I've got to look that up to understand.

I recall Alton Brown talking about when to salt meat and the impact of salting at the wrong time on an episode of good eats, years ago.

I grilled salmon this evening, it was good, well seasoned, though maybe a little too much salt, but good. Only issue, the skin wasn't crispy enough. I always struggle to get the skin crispy enough.

 

[stankeylegjones]

I was watching master chef and Ramsay made reference to salting fish before battering it and frying. I've got to look that up to understand.

I recall Alton Brown talking about when to salt meat and the impact of salting at the wrong time on an episode of good eats, years ago.

I grilled salmon this evening, it was good, well seasoned, though maybe a little too much salt, but good. Only issue, the skin wasn't crispy enough. I always struggle to get the skin crispy enough.

I pan fry my salmon, so the skin is always crispy (to my liking, at least). Can you blow torch it, a la crème brûlée? Or pull it a little early and broil skin-side up?

 

[stankeylegjones]

Paella (standard sofrito, rabbit, garrafo beans, standard spices, bomba rice, broth from parts of rabbit I don't eat) cooked over almond wood. The socarrat was perfection. And yes, I ate the whole thing (30 cm pan)

 

[Centerpiece]

Paella (standard sofrito, rabbit, garrafo beans, standard spices, bomba rice, broth from parts of rabbit I don't eat) cooked over almond wood. The socarrat was perfection. And yes, I ate the whole thing (30 cm pan)

Do you hunt rabbit? Or purchase it?
No shrimp or any other type seafood? Just the rabbit?
Paella in a 30 cm pan - Sort of “personal pan size” deal I guess.
I may have to try that as my wife’s vegetarian so I don’t get to cook many meals like a good paella at home.

Sounds like you know your Paella.
I had a good one last night at a friend’s house. No rabbit, just chicken, shrimp, mussels (standard stuff). She was stingy with the saffron but I understand that. Not cooked outside over soft wood, but on stove top. The “grannies” (or socarrat) didn’t form up, but it was a rather hastily prepped meal. Very good, all the same.

 

[stankeylegjones]

Do you hunt rabbit? Or purchase it?
No shrimp or any other type seafood? Just the rabbit?
Paella in a 30 cm pan - Sort of “personal pan size” deal I guess.
I may have to try that as my wife’s vegetarian so I don’t get to cook many meals like a good paella at home.

Sounds like you know your Paella.
I had a good one last night at a friend’s house. No rabbit, just chicken, shrimp, mussels (standard stuff). She was stingy with the saffron but I understand that. Not cooked outside over soft wood, but on stove top. The “grannies” (or socarrat) didn’t form up, but it was a rather hastily prepped meal. Very good, all the same.

I buy the rabbit.
No, I never mix seafood with meat. (Other than sliced chorizo.)
Yes, it’s not a big pan. I like your description of it! I do have larger paellas for when people are over.
Yes, definitely try it!

Last night is when I made/ate the paella in my post. Great minds….

What was wrong with the socarrat?

 

[Centerpiece]

I buy the rabbit.
No, I never mix seafood with meat. (Other than sliced chorizo.)
Yes, it’s not a big pan. I like your description of it! I do have larger paellas for when people are over.
Yes, definitely try it!

Last night is when I made/ate the paella in my post. Great minds….

What was wrong with the socarrat?

I don't think they made it in the proper manner. Although I didn't watch the entire cooking process, I think they cooked the rice separately (perhaps? not sure) and then mixed it altogether. If so, the rice didn't cook in the Paella pan long enough to form the nice crusty brown bits stuck to the bottom.

One of the worst Paella I ever had was on the Ramblas in Barcelona... one of those street-side touristy joints. My mistake. should have known better.

 

[stankeylegjones]

I don't think they made it in the proper manner. Although I didn't watch the entire cooking process, I think they cooked the rice separately (perhaps? not sure) and then mixed it altogether. If so, the rice didn't cook in the Paella pan long enough to form the nice crusty brown bits stuck to the bottom.

One of the worst Paella I ever had was on the Ramblas in Barcelona... one of those street-side touristy joints. My mistake. should have known better.

For me, “one of the worst [blank] things I’ve ever had” almost always comes from a touristy joint. Not sure why I still get fooled, but we do . We’re pretty good about finding where “the locals eat” and typically stay in apartments with kitchens so we can shop at the store/market (it gives us a more authentic experience, imo), but still manage to get fooled by trip advisor reviews from time to time.

They cook it separately and then mix everything together? I haven’t seen that done before. Do they arrange the seafood and peppers on top after cooking and eat from the paella, or do they actually “mix” everything up?

Although I didn't watch the entire cooking process

You didn’t hover over the entire process??? Seriously??? What the fuck is wrong with you???

 

[Centerpiece]

For me, “one of the worst [blank] things I’ve ever had” almost always comes from a touristy joint. Not sure why I still get fooled, but we do . We’re pretty good about finding where “the locals eat” and typically stay in apartments with kitchens so we can shop at the store/market (it gives us a more authentic experience, imo), but still manage to get fooled by trip advisor reviews from time to time.

They cook it separately and then mix everything together? I haven’t seen that done before. Do they arrange the seafood and peppers on top after cooking and eat from the paella, or do they actually “mix” everything up?

Although I didn't watch the entire cooking process

You didn’t hover over the entire process??? Seriously??? What the fuck is wrong with you???

It was actually at a gig we were playing this private party my band and I oh yeah yeah I hear you we’re on the front porch playing jazz all kinds of folks in the front yard then after the show we go inside and eat paella so honestly, I didn’t see much of the cooking process at all But it just seemed like it was an old school pay process they had going on.

 

[stankeylegjones]

It was actually at a gig we were playing this private party my band and I oh yeah yeah I hear you we’re on the front porch playing jazz all kinds of folks in the front yard then after the show we go inside and eat paella so honestly, I didn’t see much of the cooking process at all But it just seemed like it was an old school pay process they had going on.

That sounds like a fun event. And, to be honest, to me, paella is like pizza, as in there's no such bad one. Now that I think about it, I rarely find that I'm eating "bad" food. Some is better than others, but I'll still eat just about anything, and find something to enjoy about it.

 

[SmilingJack]

That sounds like a fun event. And, to be honest, to me, paella is like pizza, as in there's no such bad one. Now that I think about it, I rarely find that I'm eating "bad" food. Some is better than others, but I'll still eat just about anything, and find something to enjoy about it.

My dad always said "The worst I ever had was wonderful!"

 

[UNCatTech]

Everyone, can we go a little deeper in the food conversation as the OP intended?

I don't want this to end up like the what's for dinner thread, after RBG was banned, full of post like "McDonalds", and no substance.

I really like reading about how to make these foods, so I can give them a try. I looked up paella, we make something very similar, but normally use andouille or smoked sausage. I'm going to try it with chicken. It will give me more opportunities to sharpen my knife skills.

 

[stankeylegjones]

Everyone, can we go a little deeper in the food conversation as the OP intended?

I don't want this to end up like the what's for dinner thread, after RBG was banned, full of post like "McDonalds", and no substance.

I really like reading about how to make these foods, so I can give them a try. I looked up paella, we make something very similar, but normally use andouille or smoked sausage. I'm going to try it with chicken. It will give me more opportunities to sharpen my knife skills.

Jambalaya?

It's funny you mention andouille. That is one of the very few things that I simply cannot (in France). It tastes and smells like merde de cochon. It's freaking horrible. The US version, however, is very tasty imo.

 

[Rock]

Well, I decided to do the financially sensible thing and buy the cheaper granite mortar and pestle. I was showing it to a friend which is why there's a dollar for scale. Note my attempt at starting to grow several basil plants.










I have been trying to season it for quite a bit now by grinding the stone together. Some people just throw some rice in it and call it a day but that doesn't seem thorough enough to me.

 

[UNCatTech]

Jambalaya?

It's funny you mention andouille. That is one of the very few things that I simply cannot (in France). It tastes and smells like merde de cochon. It's freaking horrible. The US version, however, is very tasty imo.

We make Jambalaya also. My wife makes another dish that seems more like what I looked up for paella with the saffron rice.

 

[stankeylegjones]

We make Jambalaya also. My wife makes another dish that seems more like what I looked up for paella with the saffron rice.

Ooohhh. I'd love to hear how she makes it.

 

[Centerpiece]

On the topic of knife skills: If you don't already have one, purchase a good, high-quality, 8" Chef's knife (also called a French Knife). I recommend something like a Wüstof, Henckels (Zwilling) or a Sabatier. These knives are not cheap & can cost anywhere from $80 to $250 for a good 8" knife. Both Wüstof and Henckels are made in Solingen, Germany. Sabatier is made in France. There is a "fake" Sabatier called the "Edgekeeper" it's a knockoff for $20 or $30... One could get something like this as a beginner. But I'm not sure at all if it's any good. The legit Sabatier website doesn't even list "Edgekeeper" as one of their official lines of knives.

While you're at it, get a good quality knife sharpener and honing steel as well. Get the hand-held sharpener that matches the knife you purchase (get the Wüstof sharpener with the Wüstof knife, etc.) Do NOT get a cheap honing steel. A cheap honing steel can be made of softer metal than a good knife... you would be sharpening and honing the steel - not the other way around.

Now learn some basic cuts - dice, mince, chop, chiffonade... there are others but you don't need to know how to do a rondelle, brunoise, julienne, paysanne or battonet...

The easiest is just a rough chop, whereby the shape of the cuts doesn't really matter EXCEPT that the SIZE of the cut is roughly the same. And this goes with ALL of the CUTS. You want the same size to ensure even cooking (main goal) - and it looks better.

The Dice cut (cubes) comes in large (3/4" cube), medium (1/2") and small (1/4" cube) The Brunoise would be even smaller (1/8")

Mince is just that - even smaller than 1/8" but it's no longer a "cube" it's just roughly chopped to almost a paste it's so small. A "rocker chop" technique is used.

A chiffonade is small ribbons usually used on fresh leaves of herbs like basil, etc.

Practice on carrots, celery, onions, bell peppers, potatoes, zucchini squash, basil, other fresh herbs like parsley or oregano.
Make a vegetable soup out of your practice cuts.

 

[UNCatTech]

On the topic of knife skills: If you don't already have one, purchase a good, high-quality, 8" Chef's knife (also called a French Knife). I recommend something like a Wüstof, Henckels (Zwilling) or a Sabatier. These knives are not cheap & can cost anywhere from $80 to $250 for a good 8" knife. Both Wüstof and Henckels are made in Solingen, Germany. Sabatier is made in France. There is a "fake" Sabatier called the "Edgekeeper" it's a knockoff for $20 or $30... One could get something like this as a beginner. But I'm not sure at all if it's any good. The legit Sabatier website doesn't even list "Edgekeeper" as one of their official lines of knives.

While you're at it, get a good quality knife sharpener and honing steel as well. Get the hand-held sharpener that matches the knife you purchase (get the Wüstof sharpener with the Wüstof knife, etc.) Do NOT get a cheap honing steel. A cheap honing steel can be made of softer metal than a good knife... you would be sharpening and honing the steel - not the other way around.

I recall an show with Alton Brown talking about knives. He played the Ginsu commercial where they cut through a can laughed and said that a knife is not for cutting cans, so it doesn't matter if you can do that with it.

I looked up the knives he recommends, but they come with a lifetime payment plan and I'm not ready for that yet.

Knife-Buying Tips And Tricks from Alton Brown | Alton Brown

Before you buy a knife, read Alton Brown's knife-buying tips, including his thoughts on knife blocks and where he buys his kitchen cutlery.

altonbrown.com

This past weekend, at my mothers, I found a pretty nice knife. I bet it had never been sharpened. Sharpened it for a while and it did very well in cutting the brussels sprouts and steak.

 

[UNCatTech]

Question for all of the good chefs here.

Do you have a natural ability to taste certain spices and judge food by taste? Or was it learned over time?

I don't seem to have a refined pallet and I'm curious if/how I can train it. I can taste if something is over salted. But some of the spices I use, I used because the recipe calls for them, not because I have an understanding of how they taste or make the food taste.

 

[Centerpiece]

Now for my basic Marinara sauce. This sauce does not take long to make - it's not one of those sauces that needs to simmer all day. That said, like most all sauces, it can "taste" better the next day. After a sauce cools down and "congeals" in the fridge over night, and is then re-heated (always re-heat sauces to a boil!), all of the flavors have had a chance to mingle and meld in both a cool and hot state. I'm sure there's a science to it. But at any rate this sauce is ready to eat with your pasta of choice in about 20 - 30 minutes.

You will need:

• A good sized sauce pan or med. sized pot
• Olive oil - and plenty of it, but at least 1/4 cup
• 1/2 to 1 whole onion; chopped or small dice (exact amount to your taste, may start with 1/2 of a large yellow onion)
• Dried herbs (any Italian seasoning blend or at least some dried basil and oregano)
• Salt and Pepper (recommend sea salt and fresh cracked black pepper)
• Canned tomato product: whole-peeled; or diced; tomato sauce, perhaps some paste (NOTE: fresh tomatoes are great - BUT you may rather want to eat those uncooked on a sammy or in a salad. Fresh Tomato season doesn't last all year! However you can use fresh tomatoes in this marinara - if you're already tired of tomato sandwiches)
• Sugar (or Stevia or honey or sweetner of choice)
• Fresh Garlic (minced) - MUST BE FRESH, not powder or garlic salt - or out of a jar - FRESH
• Fresh Basil (chiffonade)
• REAL Parmagiano cheese

(Optional ingredients: Red wine - a nice italian red - but any kind will do if it's still good enough to drink; Also - REAL butter can be added at the end)

1. Pre-heat pan on stove top on med-low for a minute; Add olive oil - let it heat up a few seconds until it shimmers - but DON'T LET IT smoke (if it smokes, get rid of it and start again.)
2. Turn up heat to medium. (perhaps med. high but WATCH it!) Add chopped onions and stir. Also add some dried herbs NOW. (Dried herbs have been asleep too long, they need time to "wake up"). Add a pinch of salt and pepper too. Stir until onions loosen up a bit, get translucent - BUT DO NOT LET THEM TURN BROWN OR BURN!
3. Stir in the tomato product(s); add more S&P; add a little bit of sugar, maybe a teaspoon (depends on how much sauce or how many cans of tomatoes you're using); Turn heat up to med-high to high and bring tomatoes to a good boil - reduce heat immediately after the boiling point - down to low or med-low. (stir in some red wine now, if using).
4. Now add the fresh basil and garlic (yes, don't add the garlic until now... you don't need to sautè the garlic at the beginning - it's not asleep like the dried herbs). Keep stirring. Reduce heat to low - or simmer.
5. Stir and taste. Add S&P as needed/desired. If it tastes a bit bitter or TOO TART or tangy - add some more sugar - But not too much sugar, you don't want the sauce too sweet, you just want to cut the tartness or tanginess. If you've added too much salt, simply add another can of tomatoes.
6. Add some more olive oil now (or perhaps some butter). Keep stirring.
7. Taste - adjust with S&P and sugar.

Enjoy with your favorite shape of pasta, with plenty of parmagiano cheese; a fresh salad with a vinagrette dressing; and some crusty euro bread (Ciabatta or french baguette, whatever); and the rest of that bottle of wine.

NOTES: There are a gazillion ways to make a basic "red" sauce or marinara or spaghetti sauce... this is just how I learned it from some Italian friends when I lived in Europe. Their mother was from Sicily but they grew up in Milano. HUGE difference between those two regions and how they cook. Not sure if this was how their mother made it or if they learned this in Northern Italy. I put my own twist to it.

Ingredients can be dropped (don't like cooked onions, don't use them; etc...)

I specifically did NOT include EXACT amounts of anything. I could have said "1/2 teaspoon" of salt or whatever - or exact # and size of cans of tomato product... but I didn't. It all depends on how much you wanna make - Plus I want you to eyeball some things and experiment. Fuck it up and then fix it. Add more salt; add more tomatoes; add more sugar; add more - whatever... Toss it out and try again... the ingredients are cheap and it's not like you've wasted hours and hours...

This sauce can be frozen and brought out and used as a base for soups; You can add browned ground beef or Italian sausage to if for a meat sauce or Ragù; add it to toasted crusty euro bread for bruschetta; Use it with rice dishes; Polenta; dipping sauce for pizza or garlic bread; loads of possibilities.

Questions/comments welcome.

 

[Centerpiece]

I recall an show with Alton Brown talking about knives. He played the Ginsu commercial where they cut through a can laughed and said that a knife is not for cutting cans, so it doesn't matter if you can do that with it.

I looked up the knives he recommends, but they come with a lifetime payment plan and I'm not ready for that yet.

Knife-Buying Tips And Tricks from Alton Brown | Alton Brown

Before you buy a knife, read Alton Brown's knife-buying tips, including his thoughts on knife blocks and where he buys his kitchen cutlery.

altonbrown.com

This past weekend, at my mothers, I found a pretty nice knife. I bet it had never been sharpened. Sharpened it for a while and it did very well in cutting the brussels sprouts and steak.

A sharp knife it 100% SAFER than a dull knife - believe it or not.