I'll make sure to report back, this ride has been fun so far. Thanks for the suggestions Dan Thunder, I'll be experimenting a lot over the weekend. And having a lot of eggs. No yolk about that ;)
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CookingEra | OT | vol. 1 mise en place
- Thread starter infinitebento
- Start date
- OT
I'll make sure to report back, this ride has been fun so far. Thanks for the suggestions Dan Thunder, I'll be experimenting a lot over the weekend. And having a lot of eggs. No yolk about that ;)
I've been learning to make bread, made my own sourdough starter, have had pretty good success so far.
But something about having that starter on my counter makes me want to make bread even though my co-workers still haven't finished off my last batch yet. I just did a method where I mixed, kneaded and let it proof overnight (I think it was the Cultures for Health version) and then cooked in the morning.
It got enormous in the morning, way more than I was expecting, and after baking, cooling, and trying it it tasted extremely bland.
Upon reflection, I now think I forgot to put in the salt---I mean like no salt at all which would explain both the blandness and enormity of the loaf in the morning.
But something about having that starter on my counter makes me want to make bread even though my co-workers still haven't finished off my last batch yet. I just did a method where I mixed, kneaded and let it proof overnight (I think it was the Cultures for Health version) and then cooked in the morning.
It got enormous in the morning, way more than I was expecting, and after baking, cooling, and trying it it tasted extremely bland.
Upon reflection, I now think I forgot to put in the salt---I mean like no salt at all which would explain both the blandness and enormity of the loaf in the morning.
Yeah, salt will control yeast growth and of course flavor. If you've run out of coworkers you probably have neighbors, go make some friends ;). We have the same issue with eggs right now, I have four dozen in the fridge from our chickens and it's been a task to get rid of them regularly.
Ok so
How do you actually make good fried tofu
Just crisped up a couple pounds of tofu I had lying around and the results were not awesome. Wanted to get them into little slabs I can use to make Asian-ish tacos and the result plus my weird ad hoc cabbage slaw were kind of strange
Pic (yes I used portrait mode)
How do you actually make good fried tofu
Just crisped up a couple pounds of tofu I had lying around and the results were not awesome. Wanted to get them into little slabs I can use to make Asian-ish tacos and the result plus my weird ad hoc cabbage slaw were kind of strange
Pic (yes I used portrait mode)
I don't eat a lot of tofu, fried or otherwise, but the times I've made it was with a 1:1 dredge of rice flour and corn starch, then egg, then panko. Gotta use extra firm tofu too.
Smush as much moisture as you can out of them with a dish cloth. Toss in soy sauce, sesame oil, red pepper flakes (edit: forgot garlic). Let set for ten minutes. Get some grapeseed oil going on medium-high heat. Plop them into the pan and check every minute or so to make sure it's getting crispy. Eat them joints with some yaki-soba noodles.
For things like creating strips for slaws/tacos I would actually marinate it and then bake it. I do this when I make the basis for some of my sushi rolls. Your usual soy/mirin/sesame oil/garlic/etc. slice the tofu into "steaks", marinate, then bake and cut into strips.
I do the same but with a light dusting of corn starch before the fry.
Still can't get over how large goose eggs are! After trying the lot of them, I'd have to say turkey is my favorite followed by duck. Perfect amount of richness without getting too heavy. Goose is great but it is so much egg. Makes me want to try ostrich.
If you lived near me, i'd take them in a heart beat. I love fresh eggs. I usually cook up a few on the weekends at my friend's house because he gets farm fresh eggs.
Last night I made an angel food cake, and I ate half of it in one sitting. I love that stuff. But it's a good way to use a dozen eggs.
I wish I had the time to bake a loaf of bread. I haven't done it in ages.
Why does everyone think snickerdoodle is just an over cinnamon-y/sugary cookie? So I've been make snickerdoodle cookies for a bit now and everyone loves them hands down. When I went to a cupcake shop, they had a snickerdoodle cupcake, but it was just an overdone cinnamon cupcake. This past week, I went to my favorite cookie shop, and again just an overdone cinnamon cookie. Not a snickerdoodle in the least. Ugh... it's annoying.
I've been with my parents in France for the past month, and have been eating a *lot* of duck. Best dark meat:
And they make killer cold cuts:
And they make killer cold cuts:
20 Euros, and it weighs about 90 grams. Doesn't smell like much on the outside, so I'm hoping it tastes good when I mandoline it up. At the very least I'll get some dope Instagram shots out of it :)
Unless frozen, that's a summer truffle. That's why it's cheaper than winter ones and won't smell much. Don't be stingy with it, you'll need to get all the flavour from it. Get a good workout from the microplane.
Source: Family is in the business. This was our last haul from the winter.
And the first one from the new field (it was absolutelly stellar):
Wow, amazing! And yes, it's a truffe d'été. Only in France for two more weeks, so no winter truffles for me.
Yeah, I get infuriated when I see cooking programs where they just put a few shavings over some pasta. Same with ground black pepper, a couple of twists is pointless as you don't get any of the depth from it. I think a lot of people automatically link it with salt so only add a pinch, as you'd do when adding extra salt.
Not that I'm impartial or anything, but generally speaking you really need to go HAM on truffle unless you are dealing with a particularly potent winter truffle and a delicate dish. I basically demolish a good halve for four broken eggs for two.
Any restaurant "sprinkling" it instead of piling it on is bilking its customers. Specially if they are working with off season/Eastern European truffle.
Any restaurant "sprinkling" it instead of piling it on is bilking its customers. Specially if they are working with off season/Eastern European truffle.
Found my new favorite way to do mushrooms:
Cut up
Honey sriracha
Soy sauce
Pepper
Hit it with medium hit for a while then down to low heat. Come out soft with an amazing mix of sweet and savory. Poured the whole mixture on top of some mashed potatoes yesterday - whooeeee.
Cut up
Honey sriracha
Soy sauce
Pepper
Hit it with medium hit for a while then down to low heat. Come out soft with an amazing mix of sweet and savory. Poured the whole mixture on top of some mashed potatoes yesterday - whooeeee.
Couple days ago I made a really good shrimp scampi. This was the first dish I made that was any kind of "complicated" and honestly I still love it. Despite living like a block away from a fish monger I don't make nearly enough sea food.
Truffle update:
Looks pretty, buuuuuuuuut I wouldn't go out of my way for them again. The dried forest mushrooms (and their soaking liquid) and fresh thyme from my parents' garden offered far more powerful and satisfying taste and aromas than that black golf ball, tbqh. Oh well!
More process shots on my IG feed.
Looks pretty, buuuuuuuuut I wouldn't go out of my way for them again. The dried forest mushrooms (and their soaking liquid) and fresh thyme from my parents' garden offered far more powerful and satisfying taste and aromas than that black golf ball, tbqh. Oh well!
More process shots on my IG feed.
Ohne Titel
Small suggestion: next time use a microplane instead of a mandoline. The sliced truffle you usually see in restaurants is for show, unless extremely potent. And it's not like truffle has a great texture anyway.Truffle update:
Looks pretty, buuuuuuuuut I wouldn't go out of my way for them again. The dried forest mushrooms (and their soaking liquid) and fresh thyme from my parents' garden offered far more powerful and satisfying taste and aromas than that black golf ball, tbqh. Oh well!
More process shots on my IG feed.
Sriracha honey is great, wish I had started using it earlier. Made mushrooms with it - along with some soy sauce and pepper - once and been doing it ever since.
Awesome on meat too.
Awesome on meat too.
What's the best way to reheat shepherds pie? I got my hands on a ton of ground lamb so I decided to make three big pies. Gonna be eating this stuff for a while. I was thinking putting the pan in an inch of water, covering it all with foil, and heating at 350F until piping.
Looks great. Not sure what it has to do with religion?
Any advice for marinating then cooking meat? I want to try out something besides usual spices, maybe something saucy.
Also, anyone know a way to make chicken, greek yogurt, and avocado mesh? I had this ridic urge to throw something together with those but the results were unsatisfactory 🤔
Also, anyone know a way to make chicken, greek yogurt, and avocado mesh? I had this ridic urge to throw something together with those but the results were unsatisfactory 🤔
As you say besides usual spices I'm assuming that you mean you usually go indian, mexican etc, something a little spicier? If so you could maybe try and do an italian style one? You can do lighter or darker ones. For a lighter one I'd probably say throw your meat in a bag with some white wine, olive oil, salt, pepper, garlic and rosemary/oregano. For a darker one I'd swap out the white wine for red and add some tomato puree.
The beauty of these is that you can literally just empty the bags into a tray, cover them with foil and whack them into an oven. Depending on the length of time you'll be cooking you may need to add additional water or stock. The light one you could even stir in a little cream at the very end.
For the mash I'd probably leave out the yoghurt tbh. Avocado doesn't have a particularly strong flavour so the sharpness of the yoghurt will likely overpower it. Personally I'd mash the avocado up with some finely chopped red onion, garlic, chili, S&P, lime juice and a spoon of good olive oil.
If you're just going for plain chicken I'd be tempted to brine it before cooking as it can be pretty bland. It's simply a case of a tablespoon of salt per cup of water, bring to the boil with whatever aromatics you want (if any) then let it go cold and throw your chicken in for a few hours. Obviously though that can be a bit of a faff so you can always just check the seasoning when you mix everything together!
Thanks for the recommendations, I'll try out the lighter italian style first :D
Really appreciate the seasoning tips, I've got some experimenting to do now!
Anyone have suggestions for a rice with similar qualities to basmati? I'm looking for a regular longer grain white rice with a bit of the fluffiness basmati has but with a more neutral flavor.
Anyone have a good chili recipe that involves dried chorizo? A neighbor I often spark up with gave me a package of these: https://www.amazon.com/Goya-Chorizos-Count-14-Ozs/dp/B0050OCOUK
After tasting it I thought of two things: either Spanish-style rice or chili, and I have pretty much every spice, bean, and vegetable for chili, but only about a cup of rice left.
Winging it
After tasting it I thought of two things: either Spanish-style rice or chili, and I have pretty much every spice, bean, and vegetable for chili, but only about a cup of rice left.
Winging it
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Is it actually dried or do you just mean cured chorizo, as opposed to the softer cooking chorizo?
Long time since posting, as I haven't been cooking regularly or doing much that is interesting in the kitchen with a ton of overseas travel over the past few month. But back home for the next month, and being on a bit of a health kick am trying a few different spins on past dishes.
Below is last nights sweet potato, cashew, and coconut curry on cauliflower "rice". The stuff on top is beetroot hummus, unsweetened protein yoghurt and cilantro garnish.
Below is last nights sweet potato, cashew, and coconut curry on cauliflower "rice". The stuff on top is beetroot hummus, unsweetened protein yoghurt and cilantro garnish.
I have some chicken breasts, french bread, onions, garlic, a few chunks of mozzarella, and lettuce and tomato. Philly chicken tonight. I'll try to remember to take a pic of my ugly creation later.
I mean your guac does. Garlic is a staple in the guac i make at home. Never thought of adding oil to it though? For me, the most important element of guac is cilatro hands down.
uh my guac has garlic, and may or may not have cilantro (not coriander). (yes I know they're the same thing, lol)
Cilantro are the leaves of the coriander plant but usually the seeds ground up are what people call coriander.
Wow didn't know that. Iron Era schooling me.
It's funny because I love coriander but don't care for cilantro.
Not strictly true though. Coriander and cilantro are the British and Spanish words for the whole plant. In America though cilantro has been reduced to leaves only because of the influence of Mexican food where they pretty much just use the herb part of the plant and not the spice.
Hey everyone,
Looking to finally purchase a set of stainless steel cookware. I have narrowed it down to the following two sets and I cannot decide. I know most seem to suggest straying away from sets and buy piecemeal, but I do have use for every item in these sets. Would love any input (or even if you would recommend another set in a similar price range <$300):
Cuisinart MCP-12N
Tramontina 10 Piece Tri Ply Clad
I've seen a lot of folks raving about the Tramontina set in the past, but it appears that quality may have declined over the past couple of years so I am unsure if it is still considered a good set. Would love input from anyone who has either one of these sets or would recommend one over another.
Thanks Era!
Looking to finally purchase a set of stainless steel cookware. I have narrowed it down to the following two sets and I cannot decide. I know most seem to suggest straying away from sets and buy piecemeal, but I do have use for every item in these sets. Would love any input (or even if you would recommend another set in a similar price range <$300):
Cuisinart MCP-12N
Tramontina 10 Piece Tri Ply Clad
I've seen a lot of folks raving about the Tramontina set in the past, but it appears that quality may have declined over the past couple of years so I am unsure if it is still considered a good set. Would love input from anyone who has either one of these sets or would recommend one over another.
Thanks Era!
probably not helpful, but if you can find a set of All Clad on sale or lightly used, I recommend them. They last for-ever. Honestly you don't need 12 pots/pans. Get a stock pot, a saute pan, a large skillet, a small skillet, and a medium/small pot. And a nonstick for when you need that.
edit: looking at those I guess it's only 6, with lids. Still I'd maybe just buy piecemeal on sale as you need them.
edit: looking at those I guess it's only 6, with lids. Still I'd maybe just buy piecemeal on sale as you need them.
This is what we've done, although I think in the past the Cuisinart set has been considered the solid recommendation for someone who just wants to get it over with and not spend a ton of money. That said, we're also up to... a lot of All-Clad. I think we have four sauce pots, five skillets (I cook a lot of breakfasts at once), and a stock pot. And then we have two cast-iron pans, our enameled cast iron pot...
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Yeah, I already have a non stick set with pretty much the same pieces and I use them all regularly. I've been wanting to ugprade from non stick for a while (I will keep a pan for eggs).
I see more and more reviews with the Cuisinart clad set complaining of warping on the skillets. Their warranty seems to be pretty shitty as you need to pay shipping to and from for any replacements. I don't see many complaints at all complaining about warping on the Tramontina set and they appear to have a much better lifetime warranty. Yeah, right now I only have non stick, two cast iron skillets, and a cast iron dutch oven. Very much looking forward to having a stainless set to replace the majority of my non stick stuff.
Thanks for this! This pretty much made up my mind since they updated it in 2018 to say the Tramontina set is still one of their highest recommended sets. Also confirms what I've been seeing in reviews about the Cuisinart set warping.
I found my entire collection of All Clad at the flea markets here. My most expensive purchase was a 2qt and 3qt pots with lids for $40. The rest were $10 or under. It takes a while, but it was well worth it.
Nothing wrong with a good set now, but keep at an eye on a good bargain and build your all clad collection in the background.
