What can you expect in the Food Thread on PF?

[danago]

Actually, I've found curries one of the most difficult things to photograph in an appetising way. I've found that I need to use a lot of garnishes, otherwise it just looks like a plate of colourful mud. Here is a green curry I made a while ago.

 

[collinsmark]

I'm impressed!

 

[Evo]

Agreed! Very nice pictures danago, hopefully we can get this food thread revived.

 

[danago]

Agreed! Very nice pictures danago, hopefully we can get this food thread revived.

What type of things do you like cooking? I'm sure I'd probably find the answer if I searched this thread, but there are 277 pages and I have an exam soon

 

[danago]

My version of shakshouka - eggs poached in a spicy tomato sauce. Perfect pre-exam breakfast

I should spend more time eating my food and less time photographing it :P

 

[Evo]

Now that looks professional!

 

[lisab]

My version of shakshouka - eggs poached in a spicy tomato sauce. Perfect pre-exam breakfast

I love egg dishes. I need remember to make more of them!

Good luck with your exam!

 

[danago]

The exam went well thankfully I rewarded myself with a refreshing mint lemonade afterwards.

I'm getting way too into this thread haha. I guess I'm making up for all the time before I realized it existed

 

[OmCheeto]

I moved my 12 lb. turkey from the freezer to the refrigerator two days ago, thinking it was going to take a week for it to thaw out. Then I googled it and found out I should not have done that until Monday.

Turkey Basics: Safe Thawing
A thawed turkey can remain in the refrigerator for 1 or 2 days before cooking.

REFRIGERATOR THAWING
Thaw breast side up, in an unopened wrapper on a tray in the fridge.
Allow at least 1 day of thawing for every 4 lbs.

7 days > 2 days(thawed in fridge) + 3 days(thaw time)

I checked the turkey this morning, and it is still as hard as a rock, and a thermometer says its underside is still 28.5 °F (-1.9 °C).
I checked my other temperatures:
refrigerator: 33.2 °F (0.7 °C)
freezer: 10.3 °F (-12.1 °C)

According to the FDA my freezer is not cold enough, and my fridge is a bit on the cool side:

Keep your appliances at the proper temperatures. Keep the refrigerator temperature at or below 40° F (4° C). The freezer temperature should be 0° F (-18° C).

Paranoid as I am about poisoning myself(see "Om mixes up garlic and wood hyacinth bulbs in the pork roast" post), I checked up on bacterial growth vs temperature, and saw this image:

which made me sure I had just produced a deadly toxin turkey, until I noticed the scale was in Celsius.

But then I looked at their list of bacteria and it looked like I might be safe:

Nutrition and Growth of Bacteria (page 5)
________________________Temperature for growth (°C)
Bacterium_______________Minimum__Optimum__Maximum
Listeria monocytogenes__1________30-37____45
Vibrio marinus__________4________15_______30
Pseudomonas maltophilia_4________35_______41
Thiobacillus novellus___5________25-30____42

Anyways... With Thanksgiving coming up, I was wondering if anyone had ever poisoned themselves with their Turkey thawing and/or cooking methods?

ps. After some research, I've decided to change my method of cooking my turkey from "190 °F for about 12 hours and then broil for 30 minutes" to "Bake at 500 °F for 30 minutes, remove and stuff, and then slow cook at 190 °F for 12 hours", based on the USDA's "DANGER ZONE!":

The USDA does not recommend cooking meat and poultry at oven temperatures lower than 325 °F because these foods could remain in the "Danger Zone" (temperatures of 40° to 140 °F) too long. Bacteria which may be present on these foods multiply rapidly at these temperatures.

though...

Foodsafety.gov gives no mention of this 325 °F restriction.

I've cooked my turkeys at 190 °F for at least 15 years, and am not dead.

pps. In my research over the last two weeks, I've only found one website that came close to describing what I do, and why I think I should do it this way. (If the temperature is over 212 F, the water will boil away. Duh! Dry Turkey sucks!)

I like their graph of weight loss vs temperature.

The Food Lab's Guide to Corned Beef and the Science of Simmering

Yah, I know. It's about Corned beef. So sue me.

ppps. I think I may invest in more chrome plated metal skewers tomorrow. The thermal conductivity of meat, sucks. Strategic placement of a dozen metallic skewers may allow me to cook the bird more efficiently, and at a lower temperature. I will let you know how it works out.

pppps. I'll be weighing my bird before and after the cooking process, to confirm the "seriouseats.com" data.

 

[hypatia]

Om...wow dang, you just put the stress back into my dinner plans

 

[OmCheeto]

Om...wow dang, you just put the stress back into my dinner plans

Put it back in the freezer!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4tIg2nK67LQ​

Nightmares on PF Street...

ps. without stress, we'd be jellyfish, or, something...

 

[hypatia]

Lol love it.

 

[OmCheeto]

...
If the temperature is over 212 F, the water will boil away. Duh! Dry Turkey sucks!
...

OMG! I just realized why KFC's chicken doesn't suck. Or at least, why it didn't, back when I was cooking it, 37 years ago.

-----------------------
I know the secret recipe! I actually always did, but never realized it, until just now.
Have I mentioned that I'm a bit slow?

 

[Monique]

Danago, that looks amazing, could we have your recipes (especially the chocolate stack and lemonade)? I made an no-bake passionfruit cheesecake yesterday topped with berries, it looked something like this:

My throw-together chocolate stack with an espresso. Layers of chocolate biscuit, salted peanuts, caramel, chocolate mousse, shortbread biscuit and finally a layer of Lindt Piccoli couverture chocolate. Lucky I exercise regularly

https://fbcdn-sphotos-h-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-prn2/1461242_352577821552937_563625171_n.jpg

 

[willis hallis]

coma

reading these sunday morning i thought I'd passed out and woke up 19th december ! losing a month "god what have i done during this time what terrible things have i done that my mind wants to block out " then i thought ahhh,,, american website thanksgiving day etc etc !

 

[danago]

Put it back in the freezer!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4tIg2nK67LQ​

Nightmares on PF Street...

ps. without stress, we'd be jellyfish, or, something...

Hahah too funny! I might show that video next time I'm cooking for somebody :P

Danago, that looks amazing, could we have your recipes (especially the chocolate stack and lemonade)? I made an no-bake passionfruit cheesecake yesterday topped with berries, it looked something like this:

Wow that too is a great cheesecake photo! It looks like it came straight from a Donna Hay cookbook (are people outside of Australia familiar with Donna Hay? She is kind of the cake queen here).

Unfortunately there is no recipe for the chocolate stack. I just had lots of leftover chocolate, egg whites and cream to use up, so I made up all of the recipes without measuring much. The mousse is a ganache of roughly equal quantities (by mass) chocolate and cream, with whipped egg whites folded through. The caramel is really just an ordinary caramel of sugar, water and cream. I used pre-made chocolate biscuits from a packet for the base (yea, I cheated ) and the shortbread is just an ordinary shortbread. I salted the peanuts, because I looooovvveee the chocolate/caramel/salt/peanut combination, and the top layer is just Lindt Piccoli couverture chocolate.

I took the lemonade recipe from another Australian food blog:
http://thelifeofclare.com.au/mint-lime-ade/

I just published the recipe for the squid ink tagliatelle on my blog today:
http://eatspeakwrite.com/recipes/squid-ink-pasta-with-calamari/

 

[ZapperZ]

It may be Sunday morning, but I've been up since 6:00 am. Hosting a Sunday brunch this morning, and I started out making my often-requested blueberry scones. Made with 2 parts all-purpose flour and 1 part whole-wheat flour, I use only sweet Irish butter, no shortening, so no trans-fat. It's not diet food, but I certainly don't want to make it any worse.

The first batch is out of the oven, and it tastes yummy, if I may say so myself.

Zz.

 

[lisab]

Those are gorgeous, Zz!

 

[Evo]

Yummy Zz! I don't think members here realize what a great cook Zz is.

 

[Monique]

(are people outside of Australia familiar with Donna Hay? She is kind of the cake queen here).

I'm a Masterchef Australia addict, so I do know her I should try and bake one-person cakes, then I could try out a lot more recipes. My boyfriend doesn't eat cakes so only when a group of people are stopping by, and I have enough time, do I prepare fancy desserts. I must say the cheesecake was ridiculously easy: the hardest part was crumbling the cookies for the base Thursday I have a potluck party, I think I'll make another one.

Unfortunately there is no recipe for the chocolate stack. I just had lots of leftover chocolate, egg whites and cream to use up, so I made up all of the recipes without measuring much. The mousse is a ganache of roughly equal quantities (by mass) chocolate and cream, with whipped egg whites folded through. The caramel is really just an ordinary caramel of sugar, water and cream. I used pre-made chocolate biscuits from a packet for the base (yea, I cheated ) and the shortbread is just an ordinary shortbread. I salted the peanuts, because I looooovvveee the chocolate/caramel/salt/peanut combination, and the top layer is just Lindt Piccoli couverture chocolate.

Thanks for the tips, I should try and throw together something like that, it looks absolutely delicious!

 

[danago]

It may be Sunday morning, but I've been up since 6:00 am. Hosting a Sunday brunch this morning, and I started out making my often-requested blueberry scones. Made with 2 parts all-purpose flour and 1 part whole-wheat flour, I use only sweet Irish butter, no shortening, so no trans-fat. It's not diet food, but I certainly don't want to make it any worse.

The first batch is out of the oven, and it tastes yummy, if I may say so myself.

Zz.

Oh they look great!

I'm a Masterchef Australia addict, so I do know her I should try and bake one-person cakes, then I could try out a lot more recipes. My boyfriend doesn't eat cakes so only when a group of people are stopping by, and I have enough time, do I prepare fancy desserts. I must say the cheesecake was ridiculously easy: the hardest part was crumbling the cookies for the base Thursday I have a potluck party, I think I'll make another one.

Thanks for the tips, I should try and throw together something like that, it looks absolutely delicious!

I love Masterchef Australia too - I watch it religiously Actually a few of the Masterchef stars (contestants, judges and past chefs) are currently here in Western Australia for an event called the Gourmet Escape. George, Poh Ling Yeow, Heston, Adriano Zumbo, plus a whole heap of other famous chefs. So devastated that I couldn't make it

 

[lisab]

Today I made sweet pickled red onions . A bit of sugar, apple cider vinegar, and a lot of lime juice. And thinly-sliced onions of course. I'll let you know how they came out tomorrow!

 

[danago]

Today I made sweet pickled red onions . A bit of sugar, apple cider vinegar, and a lot of lime juice. And thinly-sliced onions of course. I'll let you know how they came out tomorrow!

I don't think I've tried anything pickled in lime juice like that. I'm intrigued!

 

[danago]

What's the best thing about Christmas? Panettone of course!

Anybody else a fan? I didn't make this one, I only unwrapped it and took the photo (and then ate)

 

[OmCheeto]

Today I made sweet pickled red onions . A bit of sugar, apple cider vinegar, and a lot of lime juice. And thinly-sliced onions of course. I'll let you know how they came out tomorrow!

My friend suggested I try introducing sliced lemon into my turkey yesterday.

A sliced sweet Walla Walla onion might impress everyone even a bit more.

OMG, I love onions! :!)

 

[danago]

Here are some zucchini flower fritters, made about 10 minutes ago. My grandmother grows zucchini and uses them, along with the flowers, to make these incredible fritters. They are crispy on the outside and so soft and silky in the middle. I don't know what else she puts in them (I should find out), but they are so tasty.

 

[Borek]

My friend suggested I try introducing sliced lemon into my turkey yesterday.

Thanksgiving turkey porn!

Be ready for a ban the moment Evo sees the picture.

Edit: wow, 5000^th random post in the 2^nd random thread.

 

[Evo]

Someone showed that to me the other day, OH MY!

 

[turbo]

My wife has been cooking since early morning. All kinds of bread, including cherry bread and raw-apple cake. Right now there is a chicken roasting in the rotisserie oven. She just got back from visiting the neighbors and handing out fresh loaves of bread. When she visits, she always takes them baked goods. Fresh bread for Thanksgiving... Bread is inexpensive to make - flour, salt, water, and yeast, but it is so tasty - especially hot out of the oven. Our nearest neighbors' grandson is about 7 or so, and he always wants fresh bread - a crusty heel piece with no butter is fine with him.

 

[Ben Niehoff]

A work in progress: gravlax! Did this yesterday; it should be ready by Thanksgiving.

 

[OmCheeto]

A work in progress: gravlax! Did this yesterday; it should be ready by Thanksgiving.
...

Have you done this?:

During the Middle Ages, gravlax was made by fishermen, who salted the salmon and lightly fermented it by burying it in the sand above the high-tide line.

Do you live near a sea shore?

And I think fermenting takes more than a day.

You might want to order pizza...

 

[Evo]

Love the pictures Ben!

 

[turbo]

My wife and I decided to delve into sour-dough breads. The trick is that you have to leaven the dough with naturally-occurring yeasts in the air and make batches of "starter" to save and preserve the character of these basic breads. Sour-dough pizza crust is to die for.

 

[OmCheeto]

Love the pictures Ben!

ditto.

I was so jealous/hungry after I saw those...

 

[Ben Niehoff]

Have you done this?:

Not the medieval way, no. My fish aren't fermenting, just curing in sugar and salt. It takes 2-4 days, depending on what flavor you want.