What can you expect in the Food Thread on PF?

[Jimmy Snyder]

Shaved Ice.

1. Shave some ice. We used to have an ice shaver made by Zojirushi, a well respected Japanese manufacturer. However, it broke. Go figure. It's a really basic piece of equipment. Anyway we have a new one now and it's easier to use. Unfortunately, it's made by no name manufacturer so I can't recommend the brand.
2. Pour some sweet sauce on it. I used Very Cherry by Jelly Belly, but you may have your own favorite.
3. Drizzle some condensed milk on it.

It's a great treat for such a hot day like today.

 

[dlgoff]

Shaved Ice.
...We used to have an ice shaver made by Zojirushi, a well respected Japanese manufacturer. However, it broke. Go figure. It's a really basic piece of equipment. ...

My grandfather hauled ice from age 14 to age 65. These are what he used to shave ice.

 

[turbo]

The milk-man has his ladies, but the ice-man has his pick.

 

[turbo]

Hilda's Swedish Apple Pie

Spray or grease pie plate

Fill plate (about 8 regular apples)

Sprinkle with mixture of:

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp nutmeg

1/2 tsp baking powder

Beat one egg, add 1/2 cup of sugar gradually, and 1 stick of melted margarine or butter, then add 1 cup of flour and stir until smooth.

Pour batter over apples.

Bake 40 minutes at 350. Batter should be light to golden brown. Cool pie and refrigerate.

Cross-posted, but it's worth trying this recipe.

 

[turbo]

Independence Day fare in Maine. I'm going to grill yellowfin tuna steak for myself and probably steam a small lobster or two for my wife. This time of year, the lobsters have shed their hard shells and are particularly easy to tear apart. Soft-shell lobsters have less meat than hard-shells because they need some space to grow into their new exoskeletons, but they are very popular on the 4th because you don't have to use nut-crackers and picks to get the meat out. Just tear them apart. Due to the glut on the market, they are selling for ~$3.50 to $5.00/lb. That's cheap. I still want my tuna steak though.

 

[Evo]

I bought an expring ham for 99 cents a pound. I'll smoke it and it'll be great for bean soups.

 

[Astronuc]

This program has some great ideas for this summer.

Summer Cooking Tips From 'America's Test Kitchen'
http://www.npr.org/2012/07/03/156184929/summer-cooking-tips-from-americas-test-kitchen

and

http://www.npr.org/series/139002011/fresh-food

and

http://www.americastestkitchen.com/

 

[Ivan Seeking]

Eureka! I have finally perfected my technique for BBQing steaks on a gas grill. Last night they were about as close to perfect as one can get.

I added a second grate below the factory grate. The BBQ was preheated to max temp with all burners on 100%. It is important to get the entire grill up to temp to minimize temp drops when opening the lid. Then dry, oak branches, about and inch in diameter and cut to length, were placed on the lower grate with enough cover one half of the grilling area, with spacing to allow air flow. Once those were burning intensely, I threw the steaks on over the wood for searing, for about two minutes. Rotate the steaks by 45 degrees after one minute, as always. After about two minutes of allowing the steaks to be engulfed in flames, they were moved to the other half of the grilling surface. There they were still exposed to max burner temps but without the raging fire below. After three minutes [total cooking time 5 minutes] they were flipped over and placed back over the wood for searing for another two minutes or so. Then moved over away from the wood again to finish cooking for the last three minutes. At that point I turned down the burners under the wood so as to reduce the fire and produce more smoke, which worked like a champ.

I keep the lid closed as much as possible.

The oak flavor was very strong, they were evenly cooked with no visible layering, a perfect pink from surface to surface, and they melted in your mouth. They might have been two of the best steaks I've ever cooked. It was definitely a first using gas and wood.

I had wood and charcoal down pat for years, but gas has been a real challenge.

 

[Ivan Seeking]

For anyone who hasn't seen this before, and while I mentioned the time involved, this is the final test.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o-JqE0_bAZA

 

[dlgoff]

For anyone who hasn't seen this before, and while I mentioned the time involved, this is the final test.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o-JqE0_bAZA

Using this method, I would always get steaks too well done. Dang Trigger finger.

 

[Evo]

I was taught that you put your thumb and middle finger together and that caused the feelings of the various doneness, works for me.

 

[Ivan Seeking]

I was taught that you put your thumb and middle finger together and that caused the feelings of the various doneness, works for me.

I actually use the back side of my hand, in the fleshy part between the thumb and index finger, with the order being reversed for the finger progression. There is still technique involved since it depends on how hard your squeeze, but it is a pretty reliable measure with a bit of practice.

A long time ago... while in high school, I worked in a good steak house. Our top guy there could just use the flat side of a long fork and tell by the springiness of the surface. That never seems to work for me.

 

[Ivan Seeking]

One more thought is that when a steak is cooked properly, meaning as fast and as hot as possible without turning it to a cinder, it is important to allow the meat to relax for at least five minutes afterwards. If you like it medium rare like we do, it should be soppy wet and drenched in its own juices when served... with lightly blackened surfaces. Mmmmmmmmmmmmmm. Of course you have to pick a good piece of meat in the first place. We always buy ribeyes from top-quality Angus Beef.

 

[nei14]

PORK ADOBO! The best! :D

Ingredients

- 2 lbs pork belly
- 1 tbsp whole pepper corn
- 2 1/2 tbsp of sugar
- 1 1/2 tbsp of oyster sauce
- 1 clove of garlic, minced or crushed
- 3 to 4 pieces dried bay leaves
- 4 tbsp vinegar
- 1 cup soy sauce
- 1 cup water
- salt to taste

Cooking Procedure
- Slice the pork belly in good chunks of cubes then put in the mixture of soy sauce, oyster sauce, garlic and sugar to marinade for at least 1 hour
- Heat the pot and put-in the marinated pork belly then cook for a few minutes.
- Pour in water, whole pepper corn, and bay leaves until it boils. Leave for 40 minutes to 1 hour to soften the meat.
- Put-in the vinegar and simmer for 10-15 more minutes
- Add salt to taste

Serve while hot and with rice! Enjoy!

 

[rollcast]

What is a good flavour combination with rhubarb?

I was thinking on either apple or ginger but maybe there's something better?

 

[Evo]

What is a good flavour combination with rhubarb?

I was thinking on either apple or ginger but maybe there's something better?

Strawberry and rhubarb is classic.

 

[Jimmy Snyder]

Chicken a l'orange.

4 chicken thighs. Actually, you're supposed to use breasts, but everyone in my family prefers dark meat.
6 oz frozen orange juice concentrate
4 Tbsp honey
1 l'orange, sliced near the center into disks across the wedges so they look like wagon wheels.

We have a great abundance of oranges in the house and so someone suggested that I make chicken a l'orange. For the purpose of reducing the orange population, this was a fool's errand. The orange is just for a garnish, the orange juice is what makes this dish what it is.

Pre-heat the oven to 375 F. Wash the chicken and rub in some salt and pepper. Sear the skin side of the chicken in a bit of vegetable oil. Make sure the skin is brown and crispy. While the chicken is searing mix the orange juice with 12 oz water and the honey along with some salt and pepper in a small sauce pot and bring it to a boil for 3 minutes. When the searing is done, paint the chicken with the orange sauce, place a slice of orange on each piece and put it in a baking pan skin side up side. Pour a little more sauce on each piece and place it in the oven. In about 8 minutes, open the oven and pour the rest of the sauce on the chicken. In another 8 minutes check the internal temp. 170 F or so should be good. Then take it out and let it rest.

I served it with rice and some snap peas. If you want you can do the same, but really, it doesn't matter what vegetable you serve, you will never be as elegant as the Snyders.

 

[turbo]

A Maine main-stay is going to be featured on "Food Paradise". Dysarts is a truck stop that serves breakfast fare 24-7 and also has a lot of other tricks up their sleeves. I'd always opt for the full breakfast (baked beans, home-fried potatoes, biscuits, eggs, bacon, pancakes, etc, and an endless cup of coffee) but they have a lot more specialties. Still, long-haul truckers that work in pairs and have to watch their logged hours are quite fond of Dysart's menu. It allows them an opportunity to pull in late at night and get their trucks and themselves fueled up.

http://bangordailynews.com/2012/07/...s-good-eats-at-dysarts/?ref=mostReadBoxLiving

 

[dlgoff]

What is a good flavour combination with rhubarb?

Nothing.

 

[turbo]

What is a good flavour combination with rhubarb?

As Evo said, the classic combo is strawberry-rhubarb, but I wouldn't be be afraid to pair rhubarb with peaches. Up here, the wild strawberries come into season at about the time when rhubarb is at its peak, so strawberry-rhubarb pie and even strawberry-rhubarb sauce over biscuits topped with whipped cream (a kind of shortcake recipe) were popular. Peaches are not in season when rhubarb is at its peak, but I wouldn't hesitate to pair them, now that we have ways (freezers, mostly) to preserve the rhubarb until it is time to make the pie-filling/sauce.

 

[Astronuc]

What is a good flavour combination with rhubarb?

I was thinking on either apple or ginger but maybe there's something better?

My mom made rhubarb pie which was delicious without adding other fruits or berries. Strawberry is common, but one could add raspberry and/or cranberry, and perhaps red currants.


Tonight I made a dish somewhat like a succotash. I browned some ground beef with onion and garlic, and various seasons, including a little chile powder. To that I added sweet corn, black beans and green beans.


A more traditional succotash is beans, corn and tomatoes. If I had a can of Rotel tomatoes, I would have added it. Here is another possibility: summer succotash with bacon and croutons
http://smittenkitchen.com/2010/07/summer-succotash-with-bacon-and-croutons/

 

[Evo]

AAAARGH! Stupid celebrity chefs propagating misinformation.

I watched the finale of the worst cooking competition show yet "Around the world in 80 plates". That woman won for impaling a goat and sticking it in a barbecue pit when the other chef actually created dishes?

Anyway, that's not what really bugs me. What bugs me is all of the misinformation I see on tv about Italian people being used to only fresh pasta and knowing and expecting their pasta to be fresh. That's absolute bull. Italians eat primarily dried pasta. Fresh pasta is not the norm.

The contestants were in Italy and the stupid "celebrity" chefs kept saying how crucial it was for the contestants to make fresh pasta because the Italians they were serving would be expecting it.

The emphasis on fresh pasta is an American fabrication. Italians know the best pasta is going to be from a pasta producer and dried, they don't mess with making it. Sure some people do, but that's a minority.

And yes, I have source to back it up. Also, recently on Lydia's Italy, I was glad to see her explaining why she used pre-packaged dried pasta, she explained that in Italy, even fine restaurant chefs used dried pasta, it was the norm.

Not here in Italy. Except in a few regions of the north, Italians don't bother much with pasta fresca at all. Don't get me wrong. Beautifully made pasta fresca is glorious, but for everyday meals, whether in high-priced Milanese restaurants or humble Tuscan farmhouses, Italian cooks rely on the stuff in the box. And they don't apologize for it, either.

That's not just because pasta secca represents a cheap, quick, easy way to throw together a delicious dish. Italian cooks, professional and at home, are fully persuaded that commercial dried pasta is a high-quality product, every bit as tasty as -- and often even better than -- pasta fresca.

http://www.nytimes.com/1997/09/17/d...-for-return-basics.html?pagewanted=all&src=pm

So, why do these tv chefs continue to spread false information?

 

[turbo]

Today is my wife's "give food to the neighbors" day, apparently. She gave away most of the broccoli, and we just grilled up a big pizza-pan full of jalapeno poppers - way more than the 2 of us could eat, especially since we're going to have steamed clams and mussels and corn on the cob for supper, so she's giving poppers away right now.

Very simple recipe: slice large jalapeno peppers in half. De-seed them and fill them with a mix of cream cheese and chopped cooked bacon. Top with shredded Monterey Jack and cook them on the grill. We line a large pizza-pan with oiled aluminum foil and put the poppers on that. About 5 minutes or so on our gas grill, set to medium heat or until the shredded cheese browns.

 

[Evo]

My stuffed bell peppers turned out so good. I keep it super simple. Just brown a pound of ground beef with chopped onion, garlic and salt to taste. Mix in 4 cups of cooked rice and one 15 oz can of tomato sauce, season with salt.

Either cut off the tops or cut in half lengthwise 3-4 large bell peppers, remove seeds and ribs, stuff with rice mixture. Arrange stuffing side up in a baking pan, pour in just enough water to cover the bottom of the pan, and lay a sheet of foil across the top. If you prefer you can parboil the empty peppers briefly to soften before stuffing.

Bake at 350F for 35 minutes, or until a knife easily slides into the side of the pepper. I didn't parboil the peppers and they were very thick walled, so I had to bake them for an hour before the peppers were done. Luckily, the water and the top foil kept the stuffing moist and they turned out perfect.

I did get a little creative with the meat this time. I added red curry powder (corriander, cumin, chili pepper, red pepper and cardamom) when I was browning the beef. OMG, that's my new trick from now on when making these.

 

[turbo]

Tonight's supper was fast and fantastic. My wife made a garden salad while I fired up the grill. Get the gas grill to around 500 degrees, take out a tuna steak, dust it with salt and pepper and some peanut oil. A 3/4" to 1" thick steak only takes a few minutes to sear,with a couple of flips per side, leaving the center rare to medium rare.

BTW, this isn't the Maine bluefin tuna that the Japanese covet, but the less-pressured yellowfin. Once the bluefins are wiped out due to Japanese demand, they will probably start putting pressure on the yellowfins, too.

BTW, Duke had some tossed salad (no onions) and some tuna-steak, too. Judging by the looks of his tail, he approved.

 

[Ivan Seeking]

After over a year and a half, this Atkins diet [very low carb] lifestyle is becoming rather comfortable and seems normal. The idea of eating bread actually seems a bit strange now. The only thing that got to me one night was the smell of fettucini alfredo, in a restaurant. I do miss pasta but not the blood sugar issues.

The other day I was in a 7-11 to get some milk [whole milk, of course]. As I stood there I was noticing that there was almost nothing in the store that I can eat! Even more amazing is that it isn't even tempting any more. It is quite rewarding to know there are entire stores full of crap that I won't eat.

I heard that C&H had to shut down an entire factory when I gave up sugar.

 

[Evo]

After over a year and a half, this Atkins diet [very low carb] lifestyle is becoming rather comfortable and seems normal. The idea of eating bread actually seems a bit strange now. The only thing that got to me one night was the smell of fettucini alfredo, in a restaurant. I do miss pasta but not the blood sugar issues.

The other day I was in a 7-11 to get some milk [whole milk, of course]. As I stood there I was noticing that there was almost nothing in the store that I can eat! Even more amazing is that it isn't even tempting any more. It is quite rewarding to know there are entire stores full of crap that I won't eat.

I heard that C&H had to shut down an entire factory when I gave up sugar.

What about the new version of Atkins? Have you looked into that?

 

[Ivan Seeking]

What about the new version of Atkins? Have you looked into that?

I heard a bit about it. For me the diet serves the dual role of weight loss and blood sugar control. My pancreas is so out of control that shutting down the glucose-insulin response is critical. I'll probably adopt the second phase of the original diet, which is a little less restrictive than the induction phase, as my new permanent lifestyle.

At times, when I wasn't eating well, even a glass of milk was enough to put me on the verge of passing out from the sugar [actually the release of too much insulin in response to the sugar]. When I realized that I knew I had to do something drastic.

 

[Jimmy Snyder]

Overheard on a cooking show on PBS.

A: What kind of salt do you use, Kosher salt or sea salt.
B: I use sea salt.
A: I use kosher salt. Sea salt has a lot of sodium.

 

[Evo]

Overheard on a cooking show on PBS.

A: What kind of salt do you use, Kosher salt or sea salt.
B: I use sea salt.
A: I use kosher salt. Sea salt has a lot of sodium.

Buwahaha

 

[Jimmy Snyder]

Chili

One can of cheap store brand diced tomatoes.
One can of cheap store brand crushed tomatoes.
One can of cheap store brand kidney beans.
One pack cheap store brand chili powder.
One lb. cheap ground beef.

Saute the beef and drain off the fat. Then mix all the ingredients and simmer. Serve with cheap store brand grated chedder and pepper jack cheese and cheap store brand saltines. Tell your wife you used expensive ingredients so you can step out Friday night for a beer.

 

[Evo]

Chili

One can of cheap store brand diced tomatoes.
One can of cheap store brand crushed tomatoes.
One can of cheap store brand kidney beans.
One pack cheap store brand chili powder.
One lb. cheap ground beef.

Saute the beef and drain off the fat. Then mix all the ingredients and simmer. Serve with cheap store brand grated chedder and pepper jack cheese and cheap store brand saltines. Tell your wife you used expensive ingredients so you can step out Friday night for a beer.

 

[turbo]

My wife made a nice potato salad for supper (heavy on the eggs and sweet pickles!) and I grilled a yellowfin tuna steak. Get the grill up to 450-500 deg F, grease the tuna with peanut oil (minimal scorching) and dust with salt and pepper. Just cook the tuna to get grill-marks, but leave the insides rare or medium-rare. As long as the tuna specials keep running, that's my go-to seafood.

 

[Monique]

Does anyone have experience with making sourdough bread? I'd like to make some, but I'm no star in fermenting things.. I blame my education in aseptic techniques But then the dough will be baked, so what could go wrong..

I've never seen starter cultures for sourdough, so I think I'll start experimenting with making some myself following this (6 day) tutorial: http://www.thefreshloaf.com/node/10251/starting-starter-sourdough-101-tutorial

 

[trollcast]

This is a funny conversation I had with my aunt this afternoon as I was putting the meat loaf into the oven for tonights dinner:

Aunt: Whats that?
Me: Meatloaf
Aunt:Are you putting it in the oven in that? #Points at the 2lb loaf tin
Me: Yes, why?
Aunt: Its full up to the brim.
Me: So?
Aunt:Well it'll come out over the top
Me: No it won't
Aunt: But, but its a loaf