What can you expect in the Food Thread on PF?

[turbo]

I have some braising steak, 2 big field mushrooms, carrots and peas, can i make a spicy hot dish with lot? i have birds eye and finger chillis, hot chilli powder, stem ginger, fresh corriander, garlic and other spices.

You sure can! Just improvise with your wok. I would slice the carrots about as thick as the slices of steak and put them in the wok at about the same time with garlic and grated ginger. Peas later, mushrooms last.

You already know what's going to happen when you put chopped chili peppers in a hot wok, so use discretion. Don't try to put too much stuff in anyone dish - especially spices. Keep it simple and make up your meals in small batches, so you'll get more chances to experiment.

 

[wolram]

Tubo, how do i get a sauce to sort of blend the flavors, i have soy, rice wine, beef stock cubes etc.
I am thinking of flouring the meat so i have a thickener.

 

[turbo]

I would leave out the beef stock cubes, and go with the soy sauce and wine. Brown the carrots and meat first in hot oil, then add some soy, wine and chopped chilies and the peas. Add the thin-sliced mushrooms a couple of minutes before the other ingredients are about done. Remove the solid ingredients from the wok and thicken the liquid with flour and water. Put a little cold water in a bowl and whisk in some flour, stirring continuously. Once you have a thick mixture of flour and water whisk it into the liquid in the wok while heating the liquid, and stop adding when you've gotten the desired consistency. Spoon the solid ingredients over a bed of hot rice and top with the thickened juice.

 

[wolram]

Sounds Tasty i can not wait to get cooking.

 

[Moonbear]

I would leave out the beef stock cubes, and go with the soy sauce and wine. Brown the carrots and meat first in hot oil, then add some soy, wine and chopped chilies and the peas. Add the thin-sliced mushrooms a couple of minutes before the other ingredients are about done. Remove the solid ingredients from the wok and thicken the liquid with flour and water. Put a little cold water in a bowl and whisk in some flour, stirring continuously. Once you have a thick mixture of flour and water whisk it into the liquid in the wok while heating the liquid, and stop adding when you've gotten the desired consistency. Spoon the solid ingredients over a bed of hot rice and top with the thickened juice.

I usually add the liquids last, that way everything else is stir-fried and not boiled. I like it better that way. I've seen other people do it the way turbo describes, adding the liquids earlier in cooking, so I think it's just a matter of personal preference. You could try it one way this time and the other next time to see which you like better.

 

[turbo]

Sounds Tasty i can not wait to get cooking.

Just keep it simple at first, and when you get the hang of it, you'll be able to look in your refrigerator, and come up with a recipe right off the top of your head. With stir-frying, you've got to think your recipe through a bit before starting, because things move very quickly once you start adding foods to a hot wok. It's a good idea to taste stuff before it is done, so you can judge whether or not to add something to perk up the flavor. For this reason, we keep basic spices in sealed shakers near the stove. Need a bit of rich flavor to complement the garlic? There's onion powder at hand. Need a bit of complex heat? There's curry powder and cayenne. You don't have to plan these spices from the beginning, as long as there is time to add them before the end, because they can be added very quickly.

 

[turbo]

I usually add the liquids last, that way everything else is stir-fried and not boiled. I like it better that way. I've seen other people do it the way turbo describes, adding the liquids earlier in cooking, so I think it's just a matter of personal preference. You could try it one way this time and the other next time to see which you like better.

That's a good point, Moonie. Some times, I don't add liquids at all, and keep everything fried, and sometimes (especially when I'm going to add broccoli/mushrooms) I add liquid once the meat and the harder vegetables are browned, and cover the wok to steam these softer vegetables lightly. When you add liquids like wine, it recovers flavors from the initial browning, and the sauce is a perfect candidate for thickening. There are no rules, but I do tend to change the way I cook stuff based on what's on-hand.

 

[Astronuc]

Here are some ideas - http://www.pillsbury.com/bakeoff/

The judges have selected the 100 finalists in the 43rd Pillsbury® Bake-Off® Contest. These finalists will head to Dallas, Texas in April, 2008 to compete for the $1 million grand prize!

So get busy with those ideas.

 

[Astronuc]

First there was Quantum Mechanics, Quantum Electrodynamics, Quantum Chromodynamics and Quantum Field Theory.

Now we have Quantum Computing.


Now introducing Quantum Cooking. The fundamental units are dash and pinch.

Now it's a matter of defining a smidgeon, and the uncertainty principle as in a "dash here, pinch there" and whether or not it is commutative with "pinch here, dash there".

 

[turbo]

Since I discovered Applegate Farm's All Natural Organic hot dogs, I have been doing a lot of independent research on quantum hot dogs. Through diligent and careful experimentation, I have discovered the fundamental units of this field. The frank length, the frank mass, and the frank time. The elementary units of the frank appear in multiples of 8, though the elementary units of the complementary bread seem to arise in multiples of 6 - an inequality that is inexplicable, and does not adequately resolve until one has fabricated 24 units of the basic compound.

Through the liberal application of habanero relish, I have been able to test these fundamental food compounds at higher and higher energies, though as yet I have been unable to find traces of the theoretical Hot Diggity Dog-zon from which the frank mass originates. I am approaching the energy-limitations of my testing apparatus, and judging from the looks of the larder, I may have to ration energy and either test less frequently or forgo testing at the highest energy levels until the inventory is replenished. 9 months/3 half-pint energy cannisters = almost certain curtailment.

 

[turbo]

We hosted dinner for my father today, with a large pork rib roast, baked potatoes, home-grown buttercup squash from our cold-cellar, frozen home-grown Swiss chard, and other goodies. We brined the roast overnight with the same brine that Alton Brown recommends in "Romancing the Bird" rinsed it thoroughly, and dredged it in a coating of flour with garlic powder, salt, pepper, and turkey seasonings (Sage is SO good with pork). We roasted the pork in a shallow pan with a little water in the bottom, lightly covered with aluminum foil. When the pork was done, I made up a flour-water mix and whisked that into the juices that were boiling on the stove-top. The roast and the gravy were to die for! Moonie, even your inept brother-in-law (he of the dry pork roasts) cannot screw this up. When you brine the roast, it drives in juices, and the coating keeps in the juices while it's cooking. You've got to use very little water in the pan, so the juices from the pork get a chance to caramelize in the pan so you can make a nice DARK rich gravy! Since we tried brining roasts, we keep a super-sharp eye out for sales on pork - it has turned into our favorite meal.

My father's 82nd birthday is Wednesday, and we sent him home with a ton of food, as always.

 

[wolram]

Since I discovered Applegate Farm's All Natural Organic hot dogs, I have been doing a lot of independent research on quantum hot dogs. Through diligent and careful experimentation, I have discovered the fundamental units of this field. The frank length, the frank mass, and the frank time. The elementary units of the frank appear in multiples of 8, though the elementary units of the complementary bread seem to arise in multiples of 6 - an inequality that is inexplicable, and does not adequately resolve until one has fabricated 24 units of the basic compound.

Through the liberal application of habanero relish, I have been able to test these fundamental food compounds at higher and higher energies, though as yet I have been unable to find traces of the theoretical Hot Diggity Dog-zon from which the frank mass originates. I am approaching the energy-limitations of my testing apparatus, and judging from the looks of the larder, I may have to ration energy and either test less frequently or forgo testing at the highest energy levels until the inventory is replenished. 9 months/3 half-pint energy cannisters = almost certain curtailment.

LOL, you should be the funniest member.

 

[turbo]

LOL, you should be the funniest member.

Hey! I'm serious about this field of research!

 

[wolram]

Turbo, may be you are the one to ask about corned beef, not the stuff you get in a tin, this is joints of meat preserved in some way, the only place i have eaten it is Ireland and it is very good, i have searched all over for the method used without result.

 

[turbo]

Corned beef is beef that has been picked in brine. It is generally available in supermarkets year-round here, though some stores run special sales ahead of St Patrick's day. I've never had tinned corned beef, so I wouldn't know how they compare. Corned beef makes a nice boiled dinner, cooked in the same pot with cabbage, potatoes, onions, carrots, etc.

 

[wolram]

Is there a prefer ed brine? it is annoying you guys seem to have every thing, why the heck is England is so food poor.

 

[turbo]

I don't know what kind of brine the meat-packers use - I imagine that it's a saturated solution of salt in water, with some spices added.

Here's a recipe for corning your own beef briskets.

http://homecooking.about.com/od/beefrecipes/r/blbeef29.htm

 

[wolram]

Thanks Turbo, i printed off a copy for my file.

 

[wolram]

Hot chili

I found this in a mag and it is good.

1/4 cup vegetable oil
3-4 pounds boneless beef chuck, cut in pieces
2 onions chopped
2 green bell peppers
1 can 4 ounces chopped jalapenos
1/3 cup chili powder
1 tablespoon dried oregano
2 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup beer

Heat 2 table spoons oil in a skilllet over medium heat, add the beef and brown,
transfer to slow cooker, add the remaining 2 tablespoons oil to the skilllet and saute the
onions and green peppers until soft, transfer to slow cooker, stir in jalapenos, chili powdwer, oregano, cumin , salt and beer, cover and cook on low for 6 to 8 houres.

I had to half the measures.

 

[hypatia]

BLUEBERRY BUCKLE

Mix together
3/4 c. sugar
1/4 c. butter, room temp
2 eggs
1/2 c. milk

Mix in
1 1/2 c. flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp any spice you like{I use cinnamon}

Fold in 1 quart of berries

spread into a 8x8 buttered pan

In a small bowl mix until crumbly.
1/2 c. sugar
1/3 c. flour
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 c. butter
spread on the top

Bake in preheated 375 oven about 45 minutes.

This stuff rocks! heheh eating some now!

 

[wolram]

How come you ladies are not as fat as barrels eating all this sweet stuff?

I mean 3/4 cup of sugar!

 

[rewebster]

hey--turbo

have you ever 'brined' chicken?

 

[turbo]

hey--turbo

have you ever 'brined' chicken?

I have brined turkeys, and they come out juicy and delicious. I imagine chicken would be even more tender. I don't eat commercially packed chickens or turkeys because they are injected with MSG and I'm very allergic to that. I have to be careful of pork, too because a lot of pork is now water-added (with MSG included).

 

[rewebster]

What?!

no chickens running around that garden keeping the bugs down?

-----------------

are they too much, or have you got a local supplier then?

 

[hypatia]

How come you ladies are not as fat as barrels eating all this sweet stuff?

I mean 3/4 cup of sugar!

Because you only eat one slice of it, and take the rest of it to work and leave it in the break room.

 

[turbo]

What?!

no chickens running around that garden keeping the bugs down?

-----------------

are they too much, or have you got a local supplier then?

There is a farm a few miles from here that raises free-range Black Angus and free-range chickens and we buy from them. There is another place that raises turkeys, nearby. We are currently about out of poultry and will have to hit one of these places and stock up again. I don't want to get into raising chickens, in part because I would have to keep them penned. Where we live, there are weasels, fishers, raccoons, and other critters that would love me to provide them free chickens.

 

[jim mcnamara]

Because you only eat one slice of it, and take the rest of it to work and leave it in the break room.

Aw shucks, our break room is broken. It's specialized a black hole. Any remotely edible object or collections thereof are sucked into a gravity well instantaneously. Put 'em down, poof! gone. The gravity well seems to reject plates, though. It ate fourteen pizzas last week, leaving just the cardboard boxes. Any attempt to measure entropy fails as it also eats that as well. I can accept no other conclusion All the data is gone, too.

 

[Evo]

Good lord, I'm watching some stupid show on the Food Network and this "chef" is supposed to fix dinner at the Pixar studios and one of the themes is the movie "Ratatouille". Everyone is pronouncing it rat tat too eee. ARRRGGGGHHHHH It only has three syllables, not four. It's pronounced ra ta tooy.

Ok, no one cares except me.

 

[turbo]

Good lord, I'm watching some stupid show on the Food Network and this "chef" is supposed to fix dinner at the Pixar studios and one of the themes is the movie "Ratatouille". Everyone is pronouncing it rat tat too eee. ARRRGGGGHHHHH It only has three syllables, not four. It's pronounced ra ta tooy.

Ok, no one cares except me.

I don't care about ratatouille so much because US citizens routinely mangle French words. What makes my skin crawl is when "W" claims that some group has "nukuler" weapons. I'm assuming that his handlers WANT him to sound like a redneck hick without a clue, because he has not pronounced the word properly in 7 years.

To get back OT, I called my father this morning to wish him a happy 82nd birthday, and since we sent him home with lots of food last Sunday, he saved the big slice of roasted brined pork rib roast, gravy, potatoes, Swiss chard, and buttercup squash for his birthday lunch. We can't buy him anything he wants or needs, but we can keep him supplied with tasty food. His cooking is abysmal! Actually, he cooks lots better than many women I know, but he's lazy about it. He'll buy some Ragu spaghetti sauce, and saute pork sausage, garlic, etc to add to it, along with oregano, basil, etc, for instance. If anything takes longer than 20 minutes total prep/cooking time, he's not motivated.

 

[wolram]

Which is the best cut of steak for grilling and how thick should it be?

 

[turbo]

Which is the best cut of steak for grilling and how thick should it be?

It depends on the butcher and the quality of the meat. For a time, we had a local grocer who got incredible cuts of beef. I used to get 1-1/2" thick cuts of sirloin strip to grill. The beef at the local supermarkets is so lousy that even "tender" cuts like T-bone and porterhouse sometimes disappoint.

 

[wolram]

The local store is advertising 10 day Aberdeen Angus, it is expensive but i thought i would treat my self.

 

[Ouabache]

...one of the themes is the movie "Ratatouille". Everyone is pronouncing it rat tat too eee. ARRRGGGGHHHHH It only has three syllables, not four. It's pronounced ra ta tooy.

Ok, no one cares except me.

oui oui, ra-ta-tuye .. though Merriam Webster has their own unique pronunciation

Wollie, on steak for grilling, whichever cut you decide on, i recommend getting it dry-aged. It naturally tenderizes the meat and upon grilling this steak yields a delightful texture

 

[Evo]

oui oui, ra-ta-tuye ..

Yes, that's much better! I had a hard time trying to figure out how to write it phonectically.

though Merriam Webster has their own unique pronunciation

That's awful.

 

[Andre]

i thought i would treat my self.

A real treat for steak would be to pre-heat marinated steak (w/bbq sauce for instance) in a plastic bag in water of a hot bath tub temperature, ~100F or something for about 10-15 minutes (it should not discolor, then it's too hot), then put it in a pre heated frying pan. Fry both sides for only one minute just until the first streaks of dark brown appear. That's the way to keep the fluids inside and to get the melting sensation when eating. Serve with brown gravy or other light sauce. careful with salt pepper or spices, don't kill it's delicate taste.

Don't forget to honor it with a glass of Burgundy.