What can you expect in the Food Thread on PF?

[Astronuc]

A thought for Thanksgiving - how about a cranberry-raspberry-jalapeño sauce or dressing.

And a jalapeño stuffing, either cornmeal (or bread) or rice based turkey stuffing.

I did a stuffing once that was wild rice, apricot and nuts.

Oh, and I was munching on some ribs from one of my habaneros - it was nice and hot. :!) So I am pickling a few and looking for a recipe for super hot hot sauce.

Here's some background on habaneros - http://www.thescarms.com/hotstuff/pepperfacts.htm

I've got to get some Red Savina Habaneros.

Some recipes - http://habanerorecipes.blogspot.com/

 

[scorpa]

I made chili with buffalo meat today instead of beef, and even had some homemade salsa to put in it...very good!. If no one has tried buffalo before I really recommend it, it's a lot leaner than beef is and tastes very good.

 

[turbo]

I made chili with buffalo meat today instead of beef, and even had some homemade salsa to put in it...very good!. If no one has tried buffalo before I really recommend it, it's a lot leaner than beef is and tastes very good.

I have had buffalo meat, and it is great. We used to live fairly close to a fellow who raised them, but he eventually went to buffalo-cattle crosses (beefalo) to breed animals that were a bit easier to handle. Even better are white-tail deer and MOOSE - venison is the king of meat, and I love deer meat, but there is nothing like moose - very tender and flavorful. These are very lean meats, and the flavors that can vary, depending on what the critters have been eating.

Feedlot beef has lots of marbled fat in the muscle, so we try to buy locally-raised Black Angus raised on grass to get leaner cuts. Buffalo and venison have beef beat hands-down, but buffalo is currently unavailable or really expensive here, and venison is available only on a shoot-your-own basis. Yes, I hunt. For the last 15 years, I have hunted with a Ruger Model 1 single-shot rifle chambered for .45-70, and I practice with it. I have never lost a wounded deer with it, and never needed a second shot. My dad drilled into me over 40 years ago that if the shot was not certain to kill the animal, don't take it. On a rainy day, I take my rough-looking but deadly accurate Winchester Model 94 chambered for .38-55 - the most accurate round ever chambered for that fine old lever action. I still only put in one round. Discipline.

 

[scorpa]

I have had buffalo meat, and it is great. We used to live fairly close to a fellow who raised them, but he eventually went to buffalo-cattle crosses (beefalo) to breed animals that were a bit easier to handle. Even better are white-tail deer and MOOSE - venison is the king of meat, and I love deer meat, but there is nothing like moose - very tender and flavorful. These are very lean meats, and the flavors that can vary, depending on what the critters have been eating.

Feedlot beef has lots of marbled fat in the muscle, so we try to buy locally-raised Black Angus raised on grass to get leaner cuts. Buffalo and venison have beef beat hands-down, but buffalo is currently unavailable or really expensive here, and venison is available only on a shoot-your-own basis. Yes, I hunt. For the last 15 years, I have hunted with a Ruger Model 1 single-shot rifle chambered for .45-70, and I practice with it. I have never lost a wounded deer with it, and never needed a second shot. My dad drilled into me over 40 years ago that if the shot was not certain to kill the animal, don't take it. On a rainy day, I take my rough-looking but deadly accurate Winchester Model 94 chambered for .38-55 - the most accurate round ever chambered for that fine old lever action. I still only put in one round. Discipline.

Yeah deer and moose are also very good, we usually have home made deer sausage at home, but haven't had moose in a very long time. Mostly we usually have beef at home, however ours is always freshly butchered and packaged and we have it made to our specifications. Our meat is always made very lean, usually store bought sausages are full of fat and grease but you have to watch the ones we have every second and keep water in the pan or they will burn because there is no fat in them at all. I am always glad I don't have to buy store bought meat...it's icky.

 

[turbo]

Yeah deer and moose are also very good, we usually have home made deer sausage at home, but haven't had moose in a very long time. Mostly we usually have beef at home, however ours is always freshly butchered and packaged and we have it made to our specifications. Our meat is always made very lean, usually store bought sausages are full of fat and grease but you have to watch the ones we have every second and keep water in the pan or they will burn because there is no fat in them at all. I am always glad I don't have to buy store bought meat...it's icky.

Yeah, we limit our store-bought meat to lean cuts of unprocessed meat. We get our hamburg 25-50# at a time from the farm that field-raises the Angus cattle. They also raise free-range chickens, and the store-bought ones simply cannot compete in quality and taste. These animals have healthy, natural, productive lives and that makes me feel a lot better about buying meat from these people vs the meat coming from huge chicken processors and feedlots. It's usually not any more expensive, either, just better quality and more humane to the critters.

 

[Evo]

Ooooh, these sound good and super easy!

Smoked Salmon Quesadillas with Cucumber Salsa

Salsa

1 Cup cubed seeded cucumber
1/2 Cup cubed peeled avocado
2 Tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 Teaspoon ground cumin
3 Tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
2 Teaspoons mild green hot sauce

Quesadillas

1 Cup shredded regular or hot pepper Monterey Jack cheese
2 Ounces cream cheese, room temperature
16 oz Alaska Smokehouse Natural Smoked Salmon
4 (10-12 inch) Flour tortillas
Non-stick vegetable spray
1/2 Cup sour cream
Total of only 4.5 carbs per quesadilla!

Procedure:

1. In a small bowl mix together all the salsa ingredients; set aside.
2. In a medium bowl mix together the hot pepper cheese, cream cheese and Alaska Smokehouse Smoked Salmon.
3. Lay two tortillas on a work surface and spread each equally with the smoked salmon mixture.
4. Top each with the remaining 2 tortillas.
5. Spray a large non-stick skillet with the vegetable spray.
6. Working in batches, grill each side of the tortilla over medium heat until golden:about 3 minutes per side.
7. Cut in wedges and top with a dollop of the sour cream and salsa.

 

[larkspur]

What side dishes go well with smoked pork ribs?

 

[Evo]

What side dishes go well with smoked pork ribs?

corn on the cob, potato salad, cole slaw, but I make the world's best cole slaw and potato salad.

 

[larkspur]

corn on the cob, potato salad, cole slaw, but I make the world's best cole slaw and potato salad.

Email some to me!

 

[turbo]

Last night, I ate the last of the leftover baked stuffed peppers, and when my wife came home from work today, she was not amused. This is my plan - to keep her making these great dishes. The peppers (from our garden) were stuffed with Basmati rice and sauteed hamburg, onion, and jalapenos (the peppers were from our garden) and the tomato sauce was made from our home-grown tomatoes and herbs, with a dash of cinnamon. She baked this with a topping of sharp Vermont cheddar and it was a killer meal. As I reheated it in the microwave, I added grated Romano and some salt and pepper, but it certainly would have stood on its own.

 

[turbo]

My wife made chili today (hers usually turns out better than mine) and as we were tasting mid-way through, we both decided that it needed more "heat". She had already put in black pepper, crushed red pepper and fresh jalapenos from the garden, but it needed more. We had only one properly (very red) ripened habanero, and it wasn't very large, but she minced it and added it to the chile. The taste was not much hotter, but the burn seemed to grow, and between the cleared-out sinuses and the sweaty scalp, I've got to say that one little fella did the job pretty well. Our jalapenos are 'way hotter than the store-bought ones, and it looks like the habaneros are following suit. I've got to slice a couple of them into a small cruet of vinegar for something nice & snappy to splash onto Swiss chard, spinach, and other cooked greens.

 

[larkspur]

Beef Guinness

I am going to try this today.

Beef & Guinness Stew
Ingredients
2 pounds lean stewing beef
3 tablespoons oil
2 tablespoons flour
Salt and freshly ground pepper and a pinch of cayenne
2 large onions, coarsely chopped
1 large clove garlic, crushed (optional)
2 tablespoons tomato puree, dissolved in 4 tablespoons water
1-1/4 cups Guinness stout beer
2 cups carrots, cut into chunks
Sprig of thyme

http://homecooking.about.com/library/archive/blss129.htm"

 

[Evo]

I am going to try this today.

Beef & Guinness Stew
Ingredients
2 pounds lean stewing beef
3 tablespoons oil
2 tablespoons flour
Salt and freshly ground pepper and a pinch of cayenne
2 large onions, coarsely chopped
1 large clove garlic, crushed (optional)
2 tablespoons tomato puree, dissolved in 4 tablespoons water
1-1/4 cups Guinness stout beer
2 cups carrots, cut into chunks
Sprig of thyme

http://homecooking.about.com/library/archive/blss129.htm"

That sounds yummy! I'm making split pea soup.

 

[Moonbear]

That sounds yummy! I'm making split pea soup.

Hey! I thought you were making nothing but chili from now until the contest! Check out tribdog's thread, he found an orange chicken recipe for you that actually has orange in it! Who knew tribdog would be the one to find a recipe?! (Then again, unless he disappeared off to cooking school while he was away, I doubt he'd get close enough to the stove to actually try preparing it. )

 

[Evo]

Ooooh, I had to copy the recipe here. This stuff is heaven on earth. :!)

Panda Express® Orange Flavored Chicken

As far as Chinese food goes, I think the stuff these guys
throw together in sizzling woks is surprisingly tasty for
a takeout chain. This dish is something of a twist on the
traditional sweet and sour chicken commonly found at Chinese
restaurants over the years. This popular menu item has a
delicious, citrus-laced, tangy-sweet sauce with a spicy nip
the regulars find truly addictive. The chain claims to cook
all of its food in woks, including sauces. But this homegrown
version will work fine, whether you go for a wok, or not.

Sauce
1 1/2 cups water
2 tablespoons orange juice
1 cup packed dark brown sugar
1/3 cup rice vinegar
2 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce
1/4 cup plus 1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon minced water chestnuts
1/2 teaspoon minced fresh ginger
1/4 teaspoon minced garlic
1 rounded teaspoon chopped green onion
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
5 teaspoons cornstarch
2 teaspoons arrowroot
3 tablespoons water

Chicken
4 chicken breast fillets
1 cup ice water
1 egg
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups unsifted cake flour
2 to 4 cups vegetable oil

1. Combine all of the sauce ingredients - except the cornstarch,
arrowroot, and 3 tablespoons of water - in a small saucepan over
high heat. Stir often while bringing mixture to a boil. When sauce
reaches a boil, remove it from heat and allow it to cool a bit,uncovered.

2. Slice chicken breasts into bite-size chunks. Remove exactly 1
cup of the marinade from the pan and pour it over the chicken in
a large resealable plastic bag or other container which allows
the chicken to be completely covered with the marinade. The chicken
should marinate for at least a couple hours. Cover the remaining
sauce and leave it to cool until the chicken is ready.

3. When chicken has marinated, preheat 2 inches of vegetable oil
in a wok or skillet to 350 degrees.

4. Combine cornstarch with arrowroot in a small bowl, then add 3
tablespoons of water. Stir until cornstarch and arrowroot have
dissolved. Pour this mixture into the sauce and set the pan over
high heat. When sauce begins to bubble and thicken, cover and
remove it from heat.

5. Beat together the ice water and egg in a medium bowl. Add baking
soda and salt.

6. Add 3/4 cup of the flour and stir with a fork just until the
flour in blended into the mixture. The batter should still be lumpy.

7. Sprinkle another 1/4 cup of flour on top of the batter and mix
with only one or two strokes. Most of the new flour will still
floating on top of the mixture. Put the remaining flour (1/2 cup)
into a separate medium bowl.

8. Dip each piece of chicken first into the flour, then into the
batter. Let some of the batter drip off and then slide the chicken
into the oil. Fry up to 1/2 of the chicken pieces at a time for
3 to 4 minutes, or until golden brown. Flip the chicken over halfway
through the cooking time. Remove the chicken to a rack or paper
towels to drain.

9. As the chicken cooks, reheat the sauce left covered on the stove.
Stir occasionally.

10. When all of the chicken is done, pour it into a large bowl,
and cover with the thickened sauce. Stir gently until all of the
pieces are well coated.
Serves four.

 

[tribdog]

Hey! I thought you were making nothing but chili from now until the contest! Check out tribdog's thread, he found an orange chicken recipe for you that actually has orange in it! Who knew tribdog would be the one to find a recipe?! (Then again, unless he disappeared off to cooking school while he was away, I doubt he'd get close enough to the stove to actually try preparing it. )

it may have orange in it, but is it even noticible? 2 tablespoons of orange juice seems like it isn't even enough to make a dent in the taste. but you are right, I'll never get close enought to the stove to make it.

 

[Ivan Seeking]

I'm on the road right now. Earlier I went to a fairly nice restaurant for a good lunch. The waitress was taking my order and asked if I wanted soup or salad [just to confuse them I used to say "sure, I'll take the supersalad"], to which I replied "salad with blue cheese". She looked at me rather oddly but went off to place the order.

She brought back a salad with bleu cheese; not dressing, just bleu cheese!

 

[tribdog]

I'm on the road right now. Earlier I went to a fairly nice restaurant for a good lunch. The waitress was taking my order and asked if I wanted soup or salad [just to confuse them I used to say "sure, I'll take the supersalad"], to which I replied "salad with blue cheese". She looked at me rather oddly but went off to place the order.

She brought back a salad with bleu cheese; not dressing, just bleu cheese!

What made you stop asking for a supersalad? let me guess either Tsu told you to quit embarassing her or you got a grumpy waitress who said supersalad-good one, never heard that one before.
Personally I think its a good line, but it's always risky making a joke like that someone who is in that same situation thousands of times and has heard every possible joke. I know because I've had to say "Ha ha, don't squeeze the charmin, that's funny. " at least 9325 times.

 

[Moonbear]

it may have orange in it, but is it even noticible? 2 tablespoons of orange juice seems like it isn't even enough to make a dent in the taste. but you are right, I'll never get close enought to the stove to make it.

It's better than the last recipe someone posted for orange chicken that had no orange at all. But, even though Evo disagrees with me on this, I don't think you can taste any orange in the actual Panda Express orange chicken either, so 2 tablespoons might be overkill for their recipe.

Supersalad!

 

[Evo]

It's better than the last recipe someone posted for orange chicken that had no orange at all. But, even though Evo disagrees with me on this, I don't think you can taste any orange in the actual Panda Express orange chicken either, so 2 tablespoons might be overkill for their recipe.

Supersalad!

It doesn't have any obvious orange flavor, it's just yummy. :!)

 

[tribdog]

I like a slight orangey flavor. That's why I always squeeze half an orange into my chili.

 

[Moonbear]

I like a slight orangey flavor. That's why I always squeeze half an orange into my chili.

I think Evo's still around...you better duck if she gets close with that big spoon she's using to stir the chili.

 

[turbo]

I like a slight orangey flavor. That's why I always squeeze half an orange into my chili.

My wife sometimes juices a lime and adds it to chili when cooking, but given the price of limes up here and the fact that I can't always taste the difference (in our very lively chilis), I save limes for marinades, and to squeeze on tacos, etc. When I marinade shrimp for grilling, I always include lime or lemon juice in the marinade, though.

There is no hard-and-fast division of labor in our kitchen, but in the past decade or so I am by default the saucier (which would make my wife the head chef). I write down lists of ingredients that work well together, but I never measure stuff, so I don't end up with recipies - only "reminder" lists for favorite ingredients. If I am out of one or more of the ingredients, I improvise, and sometimes that results in a better "reminder" list for that particular dish.

 

[tribdog]

i improvise a lot too, but it's mostly a matter of me not being able to leave stuff alone. So I usually make something that is eventually inedible. I also have a tendency to toss in spices from that shelf on the spice rack that has stuff you've never heard of. That never turns out the way I hope.

 

[Ivan Seeking]

...let me guess either Tsu told you to quit embarassing her

that would be the time I tried to negotiate the price of a lobster dinner.

To tell you the truth, I don't remember one waitress who had heard the supersalad response.

 

[tribdog]

To tell you the truth, I don't remember one waitress who had heard the supersalad response.

of course not. And I think I really had a chance with that stripper the other night. She was into me I could tell.

 

[turbo]

i improvise a lot too, but it's mostly a matter of me not being able to leave stuff alone. So I usually make something that is eventually inedible. I also have a tendency to toss in spices from that shelf on the spice rack that has stuff you've never heard of. That never turns out the way I hope.

With spices, it's BABY STEPS. You can take a spare, simple dish from divine to abysmal by throwing spices at it. For example, some herbs impart a very different character to your dishes fresh than they do in a dried form, and you've got to gain a feel for that. You can't shake in a bunch of parsley flakes, for instance, and expect to get the same flavor that you would get from adding a handful of fresh minced parsley into the dish. Real cooking schools will teach you the basics of this stuff, but in the end you can only learn by doing and tasting the result. If you have a good sense of what people want, and can cook food that YOU can't wait to make again, you've gotten beyond the "cook to stay alive" bridge to the "cook for enjoyment" stage, and that can sustain you for all of your life.

Try more subtle things and keep your dishes simple. If you're going to simmer a strongly-flavored meat that needs competition in the flavor department or perhaps a bland vegetable that needs a kick in the pants, consider simmering it in beer or wine instead of water. Butter or sour cream are the "secret ingredients" in much of French cuisine, and they are very potent tools in your arsenal, if you don't overwhelm them with other flavors. If you want to create a "hot" dish, use little portions of LOTS of different hot stuff to create a complex burn with a rich flavor. I cannot make chili with just jalapenos (even fresh ones) nor do I like the taste of Texas-style chili powder. I use fresh black pepper, cayenne, crushed red pepper, jalapenos and habaneros for a wider range of flavors. You're going to sweat if you eat my chili, but I'll bet that you'd go back for seconds and never consider that it was "too hot".

 

[tribdog]

baby steps, subtle, lol. yeah, I'll do that.
let me describe how I use spices to ruin food. here's me cooking:
la la la, I'm stirring, stirring nice and slow, take a taste, mmmm needs something. Let's see what's in the spice rack. oregano? nah. parsley? nah Alum? hmm what the heck is alum? 1 teaspoon alum coming up. I'm stirring I'm stirring la la take a taste. AAAccckKKK! shoot I ruined it. maybe I can cover up that horrible taste. Let's see what's in the spice rack...

 

[turbo]

baby steps, subtle, lol. yeah, I'll do that.
let me describe how I use spices to ruin food. here's me cooking:
la la la, I'm stirring, stirring nice and slow, take a taste, mmmm needs something. Let's see what's in the spice rack. oregano? nah. parsley? nah Alum? hmm what the heck is alum? 1 teaspoon alum coming up. I'm stirring I'm stirring la la take a taste. AAAccckKKK! shoot I ruined it. maybe I can cover up that horrible taste. Let's see what's in the spice rack...

Ooooh! tribdog's cooking supper for us tonight. Where will we go to eat when he's done? Back over 30 years ago, I was working at a failing veneer mill and sharing a 2 Bm apartment with another guy from the mill. One late saturday night (after the bars had closed), he brought back a couple of guys that were guitar players (like me), and rousted me out of bed to sing and play guitar with them. We jammed for a while and then the guy that I shared the apartment with said "I'm hungry - do we have anything in the refigerator?" I said that I would whip up something, and surveyed the available food, then got butter going in my big skillet, threw in some minced onions, mushrooms, and garlic and hamburg. When that was browned, I mixed in the last of my home-made baked beans and the last of my eggs from the refrigerator and turned them until the whole mass was done. There was a huge skillet of food there and my apartment-mate said "I'm not eating that mess", but after the other two guys ate like that was the last food on the planet, he tried it, and tucked in like he might never eat again. You can take simple stuff and create great meals if you don't over-think it and drive them into the ground.

 

[Moonbear]

that would be the time I tried to negotiate the price of a lobster dinner.

Let me guess, it said "market price" and you tried suggesting the price you saw it for in the fish market.

 

[Ivan Seeking]

No, I realize that they have to make a profit, but this was price gouging, so I offered to purchase the dinner for a reasonable price. I knew very well what the price of a lobster dinner would be in a comparable restaurant.

 

[Math Is Hard]

I went to Ninfa's in Houston this week. Evo, I had some chips and green sauce in your honor and a Ninfa-rita as well.

 

[alias25]

man i can eat or drink till about 7pm hmmm, fasting, although i appreciate food sooo much more now.

 

[Evo]

I went to Ninfa's in Houston this week. Evo, I had some chips and green sauce in your honor and a Ninfa-rita as well.

Oh how I envy you!

 

[larkspur]

I went to Ninfa's in Houston this week. Evo, I had some chips and green sauce in your honor and a Ninfa-rita as well.

I used to love Ninfa's when I lived in Houston. I also loved a greek restaurant called The Great Greek on Westheimer and Antones that little deli in the train car.