The Foodie Thread

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Centerpiece said:
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.
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Put a lot of work into my knife-skills during COVID and it's had a huge impact. Ingredients cooking evenly, for one, but it also saves a ton of time and goes a long way for presentation. Plus it makes cooking a little more fun

One or two quality knives are a better investment than just about anything you could buy for your kitchen imo.

I really enjoy Japanese knives and use a 7" santoku knife (close to a chef's knife) and a 6.5" nakiri (kind of a vegetable chopper), but you could easily get away with just the santoku. Other than that, I keep a decent paring knife, serrated bread knife, one of those long slicing knives, and a cheap boning knife.
 
Centerpiece said:
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.
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I've never tried using wine in my marinara sauce (olive oil, garlic, san marzano tomatoes, fresh basil at the end). I will have to try it out. Thank you for this post!
 
stankeylegjones said:
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) 😆
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Now THIS sounds like paella... At least the version I prefer. I've not made it with rabbit yet or over wood, which would be a real game changer

I typically make it a couple times of year with varying degrees of success. Always bomba, plenty of beans, and usually chicken legs
 
Heelsandeers said:
Now THIS sounds like paella... At least the version I prefer. I've not made it with rabbit yet or over wood, which would be a real game changer

I typically make it a couple times of year with varying degrees of success. Always bomba, plenty of beans, and usually chicken legs
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I love the smell of the burning wood while it's cooking. But, I've always enjoyed the smell of wood burning.
 
HesNaughtHere said:
Put a lot of work into my knife-skills during COVID and it's had a huge impact. Ingredients cooking evenly, for one, but it also saves a ton of time and goes a long way for presentation. Plus it makes cooking a little more fun

One or two quality knives are a better investment than just about anything you could buy for your kitchen imo.

I really enjoy Japanese knives and use a 7" santoku knife (close to a chef's knife) and a 6.5" nakiri (kind of a vegetable chopper), but you could easily get away with just the santoku. Other than that, I keep a decent paring knife, serrated bread knife, one of those long slicing knives, and a cheap boning knife.
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Bingo!
We have a winner.
6”, 7” to 8” knife plus a 4” paring knife is all one needs.
Serrated 6” utility knife is also nice.
Bread knife, slicing and boning knives are also nice to have.
But as you know, a good French knife and one good paring knife (kept sharp) is all one needs.
Santoku keeps veg from “sticking” to the side of the blade. But it’s a matter of preference in terms of the curved French knife as opposed to the straighter Santoku. Nice to have both.
Santoku and paring knife.
Or…
French knife and paring knife.
After that, it’s all gravy.
 
stankeylegjones said:
I've never tried using wine in my marinara sauce (olive oil, garlic, san marzano tomatoes, fresh basil at the end). I will have to try it out. Thank you for this post!
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Wine is optional and the Italians use it to cut the tartness of the tomatoes.
That’s also why they use the parmigiana.
The sugars in the wine, or the sugar itself keep the tangy tomatoes in check.
After the cooking- and if the sauce is still too tart/tangy- they add the cheese to cut it.
It’s all about the yin and yang
 
Centerpiece said:
Wine is optional and the Italians use it to cut the tartness of the tomatoes.
That’s also why they use the parmigiana.
The sugars in the wine, or the sugar itself keep the tangy tomatoes in check.
After the cooking- and if the sauce is still too tart/tangy- they add the cheese to cut it.
It’s all about the yin and yang
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I use it, along with carrots, when I'm cooking a tomato-based sauce with meats. Never thought about using it in a marinara. Thanks for the information!
 
Centerpiece said:
Carrot is actually the go to “sweet” factor in a classic French tomato sauce.
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It's used quite a bit in northern Italian soffritto too. I'm surprised by how many US recipes call for adding sugar to the sauce.

Tonight was kadai prawns + basmati.

Heat spices in dry wok. Remove.
Heat ghee in a wok. Add onions, garlic, ginger, habaneros (any chilies you like) and fry.
Add in spices. Add in crushed tomatoes. Cook down to a paste-like consistency.
Add prawns and liquid (you could add pretty much any liquid you like, from water to broth to tomato puree to coconut milk to etc.).
When prawns are done add fresh coriander leaves/cilantro, and more ghee.

I cook my rice in a rice cooker (just rice and water).
 
I'm still trying to catch up with the mac n cheese from page 2...

Can't do much cooking nowadays with a little toddler running around (I usually have to watch him while my wife makes something), but I plan on coming back to this thread again and again and trying as much of this stuff as I can. Those prawns look fantastic. Don't think I'd be able to pull off that paella, though...

We spent pretty good money on our first good knives recently, a couple of Cangshan ones. They're much nicer than the ones we'd been using, but don't know how worth it they are for the price point...guess the jury is still out. But definitely better than the previous ones.
 
TarSpiel said:
I'm still trying to catch up with the mac n cheese from page 2...

Can't do much cooking nowadays with a little toddler running around (I usually have to watch him while my wife makes something), but I plan on coming back to this thread again and again and trying as much of this stuff as I can. Those prawns look fantastic. Don't think I'd be able to pull off that paella, though...

We spent pretty good money on our first good knives recently, a couple of Cangshan ones. They're much nicer than the ones we'd been using, but don't know how worth it they are for the price point...guess the jury is still out. But definitely better than the previous ones.
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Are you planning to make a big amount of the mac n cheese and then freeze portions for quick, good, reheated meals? I've never pulled the trigger on good knives...but I probably should.
 
stankeylegjones said:
It's used quite a bit in northern Italian soffritto too. I'm surprised by how many US recipes call for adding sugar to the sauce.

Tonight was kadai prawns + basmati.

Heat spices in dry wok. Remove.
Heat ghee in a wok. Add onions, garlic, ginger, habaneros (any chilies you like) and fry.
Add in spices. Add in crushed tomatoes. Cook down to a paste-like consistency.
Add prawns and liquid (you could add pretty much any liquid you like, from water to broth to tomato puree to coconut milk to etc.).
When prawns are done add fresh coriander leaves/cilantro, and more ghee.

I cook my rice in a rice cooker (just rice and water).
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Look at the ingredients in a store, everything in America seems to have too much added sugar.

I almost never use white sugar in cooking.
 
UNCatTech said:
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.
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Have you ever worked in a well-regarded restaurant kitchen?

If you haven’t, you’d be shocked at the amount of fat, salt, and sugar used.

For about 2 years (once every month or so), I played around Bill Neal’s (Crook’s Corner) recipe for Shrimp and Grits. It always came out good; but, something was missing.

Then, a friend shared with me Bill’s notes on several dishes. Increase the salt and fat A LOT……ah, there’s the Crook’s Corner Shrimp and Grits I remember.

About every 3 months or so, I make cheese grits for a get together…….everyone loves it and asks, “What’s in this?”

My response is, “You DO NOT want to know.”

My point is those restaurant dishes you love - way more fat, salt, and sugar than you’d use at home. Don’t sweat it. You eat this once a month or year.

If chefs wrote what they actually used in cookbooks, no one would buy the books.
 
Zoo_View said:
Have you ever worked in a well-regarded restaurant kitchen?

If you haven’t, you’d be shocked at the amount of fat, salt, and sugar used.

For about 2 years (once every month or so), I played around Bill Neal’s (Crook’s Corner) recipe for Shrimp and Grits. It always came out good; but, something was missing.

Then, a friend shared with me Bill’s notes on several dishes. Increase the salt and fat A LOT……ah, there’s the Crook’s Corner Shrimp and Grits I remember.

About every 3 months or so, I make cheese grits for a get together…….everyone loves it and asks, “What’s in this?”

My response is, “You DO NOT want to know.”

My point is those restaurant dishes you love - way more fat, salt, and sugar than you’d use at home. Don’t sweat it. You eat this once a month or year.

If chefs wrote what they actually used in cookbooks, no one would buy the books.
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I wouldn't consider taco bell as a well regarded kitchen, so the answer is no.

I do understand your point, I've been told this by others also.

I agree these times are not our daily diet items, these are for more than just the meal.

What gets me is the added sugar for no reason at all, like in sandwich bread or pasta sauce. I buy sugar free versions that are equally as good.

I've stopped drinking 90% of the drinks on the market because of the high sugar content.
 
Zoo_View said:
Have you ever worked in a well-regarded restaurant kitchen?

If you haven’t, you’d be shocked at the amount of fat, salt, and sugar used.

For about 2 years (once every month or so), I played around Bill Neal’s (Crook’s Corner) recipe for Shrimp and Grits. It always came out good; but, something was missing.

Then, a friend shared with me Bill’s notes on several dishes. Increase the salt and fat A LOT……ah, there’s the Crook’s Corner Shrimp and Grits I remember.

About every 3 months or so, I make cheese grits for a get together…….everyone loves it and asks, “What’s in this?”

My response is, “You DO NOT want to know.”

My point is those restaurant dishes you love - way more fat, salt, and sugar than you’d use at home. Don’t sweat it. You eat this once a month or year.

If chefs wrote what they actually used in cookbooks, no one would buy the books.
Click to expand...
Separate question. Are you making these cheese grits from scratch? I love shrimp and grits, but my wife doesn't like shrimp. I wonder if I could make a chicken version?
 
Rock said:
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.


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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.
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I thought the dollar was going to be in reference to money saved

Sad summer of basil for me. First in many years where I didn’t have more than I could use
 
Speaking of financially sensible, I’ll be adding a tortilla press that is nicer than one would reasonably need, sometime soon

Only one place near me that makes fresh tortillas and they are expensive and decent at best
 
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