What can you expect in the Food Thread on PF?

[Moonbear]

I also like that turbo's kitchen looks cozy and inviting. Just the place to hang out and have a cup of coffee or cup of soup after spending a morning shoveling feet of snow!

It looks VERY functional, and that's the most important part. I see some kitchens that people have and while they are shiny and pretty, they end up nearly useless to actually work in with nothing in any places that make them accessible to the stove or sink where you need to do most of your work.

 

[turbo]

Very practical and no doubt well deserved. My attitude on cooking is that if you are doing it a lot, you can afford to bank some of the food savings in equipment and kitchens and stuff. After 35 years, of saving into the account, nothing wrong with pulling a little back to go forward in style.

It looks very serviceable. May you enjoy it in pleasure for years to come.

Thank you. I love cooking, as does my wife, and we don't go on expensive vacations/cruises, etc. It feels good to do a hard day's work, bring in produce, and make something nice out of it, freeze or can it, and sit down and relax in the evening knowing that you have accomplished something that will benefit you and your family for years. I still have quarts of bread-and-butter pickles (my elderly father's favorite!) from a couple of years ago and keep him well-supplied, and I will NEVER run out of hot salsas or chili relishes.

 

[turbo]

I also like that turbo's kitchen looks cozy and inviting. Just the place to hang out and have a cup of coffee or cup of soup after spending a morning shoveling feet of snow!

It looks VERY functional, and that's the most important part. I see some kitchens that people have and while they are shiny and pretty, they end up nearly useless to actually work in with nothing in any places that make them accessible to the stove or sink where you need to do most of your work.

Thanks, Moonie. That was our intent. In French-Canadian families (and in Irish families representing my father's side of the clan) the kitchen was always the focal point, the gathering point, and the place where one entertained visitors. When you are of modest means (especially in cold climates), the homes are small, and the main entrance opens into the warmest room of the house. It makes sense that when someone visits, you would want to be able to sit with them in a warm place and offer them tea or coffee, and perhaps a sweet. Old Maine kitchens are perfectly set up for this.

As for the second paragraph of your post, I have some well-to-do relatives who have build mini-mansions in the past decade or so, and have kitchens that are equipped with semi-commercial appliances, wine-glass racks, specialty cooking appliances, etc, that can't put together a decent meal if their lives depended on it. One of them (and I love her dearly!) is visibly disturbed about every time that her eldest daughter and her husband (a restaurant manager) come over for a cookout and they hound me for recipes, cooking tips, etc about the food that we have just had. I don't use recipes, so I ask them to show up early the next time and walk them through the steps to create marinades, basting sauces, etc.

BTW, my wife LOVES the new kitchen, but she brought home some jumbo tiger shrimp tonight so I had to make up some more wine-based spicy basting sauce so we could have those as an appetizer and I had to cook them on the grill. Summer=grill-time.

 

[Moonbear]

As for the second paragraph of your post, I have some well-to-do relatives who have build mini-mansions in the past decade or so, and have kitchens that are equipped with semi-commercial appliances, wine-glass racks, specialty cooking appliances, etc, that can't put together a decent meal if their lives depended on it.

That reminds me of my brother-in-law's parents. He's the not-very-good almost chef...as much as I don't care for his cooking, he enjoys doing it and tries. I think part of the problem was that he was NEVER allowed to use the kitchen in his parents' house. It was one of those kitchens done all in white, so every spot showed if you actually used it, so instead of having to clean it, they didn't let anyone use it . Their kitchen looks like it's still brand new, because they order out or eat out or get catering for events (it seems pretty insulting to my brother-in-law that they cater events instead of even letting him do the cooking...I'm not a fan of his cooking, but at least can politely go along with it when he insists...it isn't anything so bad it's going to put anyone in the hospital).

 

[Borek]

Everything I would like to say was already told - nice and cozy. That's all you need in kitchen. As a kid I spent each summer in places where the kitchen was the center of the house, so I know what Turbo is talking about

 

[turbo]

Everything I would like to say was already told - nice and cozy. That's all you need in kitchen. As a kid I spent each summer in places where the kitchen was the center of the house, so I know what Turbo is talking about

Thanks, Borek. Most modern kitchens look cold and sterile to me, and we wanted to avoid that. BTW, I finally got a local Lowe's store to order this fixture for me. I wanted a wall-mount fixture for over the kitchen sink and it needed to be compact and bright, since that is a prime work area. It is very dark and will fit in with the slate countertop pretty well. Not a single Lowe's store in the whole state had one, so I pre-paid and will have to wait a few weeks. I got the refrigerator properly leveled today, and a couple of more little jobs. Almost done!

http://www.lowes.com/lowes/lkn?action=productDetail&productId=37316-1811-VB70-4ORB&lpage=none

 

[signerror]

I hate cooking. I'm here on PF because I'm stuck waiting for a stupid sauce to reduce. Giant mutant tomatoes (3 cups chopped), olive oil (2 tbsps), and wine (100 cc). No clue what I'm doing.

Oh, and I'm throwing in half a white onion, browned in oil, at the very end.

 

[signerror]

Just remembered I had rosemary growing in the back garden. Threw in two sprigs.

 

[turbo]

Just remembered I had rosemary growing in the back garden. Threw in two sprigs.

See!? The dain-bramage hasn't got to you, yet! You should also grow basil - the green leaves seem to take all the acidity out of boiled-down tomato sauces, and "sweeten" them up.

 

[lisab]

I hate cooking. I'm here on PF because I'm stuck waiting for a stupid sauce to reduce. Giant mutant tomatoes (3 cups chopped), olive oil (2 tbsps), and wine (100 cc). No clue what I'm doing.

Oh, and I'm throwing in half a white onion, browned in oil, at the very end.

How's the sauce coming along, signerror?

 

[GeorginaS]

I'm trying to figure out what's going to happen with the sauce next. What kind of sauce are you trying to make, signerror?

And turbo! That light is the best! I need one for over my kitchen sink. I'll have to see if local stores carry it. Very spiffy. Yes, yes, yes, must have one.

Edited to add: Your new kitchen is very nice. Very homey and looks as if it would feel extremely comfortable to be in. And it looks like it's nicely functional too. It's all about layout in a kitchen. Easy movement, loads of counter space for working and easy access to appliances and cupboards you may need while working. Yours looks that way. Nice job.

 

[signerror]

Lucky accident: it turned out great! Amazing flavor, very thick. Onions are sweet and brown.

I'm trying to figure out what's going to happen with the sauce next. What kind of sauce are you trying to make, signerror?

Well, "tomato and wine" sauce I guess It's supposed to go with pasta, which luckily is difficult to screw up.

 

[GeorginaS]

Lucky accident: it turned out great! Amazing flavor, very thick. Onions are sweet and brown.
Well, "tomato and wine" sauce I guess It's supposed to go with pasta, which luckily is difficult to screw up.

Ah, okay, pasta sauce. Yes, it is difficult to screw up; I make it up as I go along each time I make it. Glad it worked out.

 

[Moonbear]

Lucky accident: it turned out great! Amazing flavor, very thick. Onions are sweet and brown.

It sounded like a good sauce while you were cooking it. Though, I would have added the onions earlier, right after they were lightly carmelized (browned), and let them cook into the sauce the whole time. Congrats on developing your improvisation skills with meals! That's a great way to learn to cook, by trial and error.

 

[turbo]

Edited to add: Your new kitchen is very nice. Very homey and looks as if it would feel extremely comfortable to be in. And it looks like it's nicely functional too. It's all about layout in a kitchen. Easy movement, loads of counter space for working and easy access to appliances and cupboards you may need while working. Yours looks that way. Nice job.

Thank you. A lot of planning went into the project and we're happy with the finished product.

 

[turbo]

I snapped the garlic scapes a few days ago, and want to share a recipe (if you should find them at a farm-stand). My wife decided to make some macaroni and cheese with a nice Cooper sharp cheese that she found on sale, so she boiled the noodles, and while they were cooking, she sauteed garlic scapes, yellow onions, jalapenos and fresh mushrooms in a skillet. After draining the noodles, she mixed the vegetables with the noodles and layered the mix in a stone-ware casserole dish with sliced cheese, added milk, and topped with some crumbled Saltines to make a crispy crust as it baked. Very nice! Spicy, cheesy, with a tinge of garlic.

 

[TheStatutoryApe]

I snapped the garlic scapes a few days ago, and want to share a recipe (if you should find them at a farm-stand). My wife decided to make some macaroni and cheese with a nice Cooper sharp cheese that she found on sale, so she boiled the noodles, and while they were cooking, she sauteed garlic scapes, yellow onions, jalapenos and fresh mushrooms in a skillet. After draining the noodles, she mixed the vegetables with the noodles and layered the mix in a stone-ware casserole dish with sliced cheese, added milk, and topped with some crumbled Saltines to make a crispy crust as it baked. Very nice! Spicy, cheesy, with a tinge of garlic.

That sounds very good. I'll have to try it. I'll probably make myself even more fat eating like that though. Soon I should have my own place and be able to cook again. I have recently been only buying precooked food as I go so I don't have to worry about my roomie eating it all before I get to it.

And I neglected to compliment you on your kitchen. Its quite lovely. Maybe someday I will be as lucky as you to find a lady who knows the importance of a good kitchen! We can alope and then live in a poor neighbourhood where they value a good mom and pop grocery. Or at least find a place near a Trader Joes.

I asked in general a while back but I don't think anyone answered. Turbo, do you have any experience with thai curry? I love the stuff but its expensive around here. I'd like to make my own though admittedly I am weary of making the curry paste fresh and proper myself. From what I have read it is a rather complicated task and may turn out bad if I don't mix the right portions of ingredients or get good enough quality. I can't really afford to screw up with fresh ingredients.

 

[turbo]

That sounds very good. I'll have to try it. I'll probably make myself even more fat eating like that though. Soon I should have my own place and be able to cook again. I have recently been only buying precooked food as I go so I don't have to worry about my roomie eating it all before I get to it.

It is very good, and you can put it together in no time.

And I neglected to compliment you on your kitchen. Its quite lovely. Maybe someday I will be as lucky as you to find a lady who knows the importance of a good kitchen! We can alope and then live in a poor neighbourhood where they value a good mom and pop grocery. Or at least find a place near a Trader Joes.

Thank you. We love it, and it is a great space to work in. Before the re-do, it was poorly laid-out with insufficient storage and counter-space.

I asked in general a while back but I don't think anyone answered. Turbo, do you have any experience with thai curry? I love the stuff but its expensive around here. I'd like to make my own though admittedly I am weary of making the curry paste fresh and proper myself. From what I have read it is a rather complicated task and may turn out bad if I don't mix the right portions of ingredients or get good enough quality. I can't really afford to screw up with fresh ingredients.

I do not make my own, sorry. There are no asian markets around here where one can pick up appropriate ingredients, and the supermarkets do not carry a good variety of ethnic-food ingredients, either. I often use Javin-brand curry powder in sauces and dishes, but that is not a reasonable substitute for fresh curry pastes. We have tried the canned curries, but not with any great results.

 

[TheStatutoryApe]

I do not make my own, sorry. There are no asian markets around here where one can pick up appropriate ingredients, and the supermarkets do not carry a good variety of ethnic-food ingredients, either. I often use Javin-brand curry powder in sauces and dishes, but that is not a reasonable substitute for fresh curry pastes. We have tried the canned curries, but not with any great results.

Well that's too bad. I figured if anyone knew good hot thai red curry recipes it would be you.
I'll let you know what I find. There are plenty of asian markets around here if you look for them and apparently you can buy decent curry makings online. Of course I haven't the taste for the scoville units that you do. I usually beg off once I start to feel the chill in my scalp. Maybe though what ever brand I find will have those scary little chillies in the clear fluid that they have at the thai resteraunts for the people who like the really hot stuff.

 

[Astronuc]

Top 10 Super Summer Foods to Improve Your Health according to the AARP.
http://assets.aarp.org/www.aarp.org...hotogalleries/healthy_summer_foods/index.html

Beets for flavenoids
Watermelon for carotenoids
Tomato paste (pizza) for lycopene
Broccoli for sulforaphane
Mushrooms for B-vitamins, antioxidants and elements such as potassium, selenium and copper
Iced tea for antioxidants
Blueberries for antioxidants (our blueberry bushes are full of ripening berries)
Bananas for potassium
Grapes for antioxidants
Fresh garlic for allicin

and I'd add organically grown strawberries to reduce risk of colon cancer

 

[lisab]

Top 10 Super Summer Foods to Improve Your Health according to the AARP.
http://assets.aarp.org/www.aarp.org...hotogalleries/healthy_summer_foods/index.html

Beets for flavenoids
Watermelon for carotenoids
Tomato paste (pizza) for lycopene
Broccoli for sulforaphane
Mushrooms for B-vitamins, antioxidants and elements such as potassium, selenium and copper
Iced tea for antioxidants
Blueberries for antioxidants (our blueberry bushes are full of ripening berries)
Bananas for potassium
Grapes for antioxidants
Fresh garlic for allicin

and I'd add organically grown strawberries to reduce risk of colon cancer

Those all sound terrific...except for the beets. What's another food high in flavinoids? (Been a long day...too lazy to google .)

 

[Astronuc]

Those all sound terrific...except for the beets. What's another food high in flavinoids? (Been a long day...too lazy to google .)

Flavonoids are a large family of protective phytochemicals found in fruits and
vegetables. Flavonoids, also called bioflavonoids, act as antioxidants. Antioxidants
neutralize or inactivate highly unstable and extremely reactive molecules, called free
radicals that attack the cells of our body every day. Free radical damage is believed to
contribute to a variety of health problems, including cancer, heart disease and aging.
There are many different types of flavonoids and each appears to have protective health
effects. Some of the better known flavonoids include resveratrol, anthocyanins,
quercetin, hesperiden, tengeritin, kaempferol, myricetin, and apigenin. Flavonoids are
found in a variety of foods such as oranges, kiwifruit, grapefruit, tangerines, berries,
apples, red grapes, red wine, broccoli, onions, and green tea.
Ref: Wine Institute - Defining Bioactive Food Components

Apparently tea, cherries and grapefruit have the highest levels of flavonoids.

 

[Borek]

Apparently tea, cherries and grapefruit have the highest levels of flavonoids.

But red wine has the highest level of good mood - so you get two in one.

 

[TheStatutoryApe]

I love mangos and mango juice (more like a smoothy really) and they are supposed to chock full of antioxidants.

Grapefruit juice and red wine would be my favourite flavonoid sources.

 

[lisab]

Flavonoids are found in a variety of foods such as oranges, kiwifruit, grapefruit, tangerines, berries, apples, red grapes, red wine, broccoli, onions, and green tea.

Aaahhh...any one of those are preferable to beets, to my palate . Thanks, Astro!

 

[Astronuc]

I should add another important food to the list of those with flavonoids -

Dark Chocolate -

Dark chocolate contains a lot more cocoa than other forms of chocolate. And standard chocolate manufacturing destroys up to half of the flavoniods. But chocolate companies have now learned to make dark chocolate that keeps up to 95% of its flavoniods.

http://www.webmd.com/news/20040601/dark-chocolate-day-keeps-doctor-away

 

[lisab]

I should add another important food to the list of those with flavonoids -

Dark Chocolate -

http://www.webmd.com/news/20040601/dark-chocolate-day-keeps-doctor-away

Double aaahhhh...

 

[Ivan Seeking]

If we are talking about antioxidants, we can't forget about my favorite source - coffee.

... The total antioxidant activities of different plant phenol- containing beverages have been compared. Using a method based on the ex vivo oxidation of low density lipoprotein (LDL), it has been shown that coffee has significantly more total antioxidant activity than either cocoa, green tea, black tea or herbal tea (10). Using the ABTS•+ method, it has been confirmed that coffee has a significantly greater total antioxidant activity in vitro than cola, beer, a variety of fruit juices, lemon ice tea or black tea (11). A study conducted in 2004 looked at dietary sources of antioxidants and found that the single greatest contributor to total antioxidant intake was coffee (12). A further study in 2006 (13) set out to determine the content of phenolic acids in the most consumed fruits and beverages. Coffee, as wel as black and green teas were the best source among beverages with coffee containing 97mg/100 g whilst teas contained 30-36 mg/100 g

It can be concluded that coffee possesses greater in-vitro antioxidant activity than other beverages, due in part to intrinsic compounds such as chlorogenic acid, in part to compounds formed during roasting such as melanoidins and in part to as yet unidentified compounds...

http://www.cosic.org/coffee-and-health/antioxidants

 

[Evo]

A co-worker of mine made this and it's the best cornbread I've ever eaten. Thought I would share.

3 cups buttermilk cornbread mix (she used Aunt Jemima
2 1/2 cups milk
1/2 cup olive oil
3 eggs beaten
1 cup chopped onion
2 tablespoons sugar
1 can cream style corn
1/2 cup (8 peppers) finely chopped jalapeno peppers or milder chile such as Anaheim
1 1/2 cup Mexican Blend cheese, shredded (monterery jack, cheddar, Queso Quesadilla and asadero
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup of flour

preheat oven to 350F
I used a cast iron skilet and poured a little olive oil on the bottom
to fry the cornbread a little while baking. After the bread is done, I poured real butter over the top.

Combine cornbread mix and milk in a mixing bowl. Add remaining ingredients in order. Pour into three greased 8-inch square baking pans, or one 9x13x2 inch baking pan and one 8-inch square baking pan.

Bake at 350F for 35 to 40 minutes

 

[GeorginaS]

If we are talking about antioxidants, we can't forget about my favorite source - coffee.


http://www.cosic.org/coffee-and-health/antioxidants

You made my day.

 

[physics girl phd]

regarding coffee & anti-oxidants --

You made my day.

I think this partly why I came back to work early after delivery... I can feed Ellie, then rush to Starbucks and work... then by the time I'm out of classes, the caffeine is low enough in my system that it doesn't seem to effect her.

Mmm... enjoying my coffee now!

 

[Evo]

I've got to ask how many people have bought into the 'dry rub' craze for barbecue. I was watching a show the other day and this young guy is saying "we use the time honoured dry rub". What? I never heard of dry rub before about 5 years ago, None of my cookbooks even mention it. Kansas City is world famous for its barbecue, there is no dry rub. It's all sauce. Same in Texas, same in the Carolinas. Those are the three areas in the US famous for the three distinct types of barbecue.

If a restaurant wants to be considered trendy, they have had to switch to "dry rubs". thankfully some refuse to change.

I bought a few pounds of baby back ribs recently. They were done with a "dry rub". They were inedible. Way too salty, the meat was like jerky. So I put them in a large pot of water to leach out the salt. I added a bit KC Barbecue sauce to the water to give it a bit of tang. Dry rubs don't have that traditional barbecue tang. After a couple of hours, I had moist, fall off the bone, much less salty and more flavourful ribs.

It amazes me how quickly trendy hype via televison and the internet can replace reality.

I can't wait until the "dry rub" craze is over.

 

[turbo]

My brother is into the "dry rub" thing. I've tried it, but went right back to my marinade and sauce combo. Once you've gotten something perfected, why change? I have noticed that when we are both grilling stuff at a family get-together, my ribs, chicken, etc disappear pretty quickly, and he often has left-overs. Very unprofessional polling, but people do vote with their tastes.

My wife started her vacation today and has the next 2 weeks+ off. She went grocery-shopping and I had encouraged her to buy herself a lobster as a belated birthday treat. The lobsters are still "soft-shell" (post molt) and the meat doesn't fill out the shells very well in this stage, so you pay for a lot of water if you buy them. She's going to wait until the hard-shell lobsters are available.

She is so sweet to me, though. She saw fresh north Atlantic sea-scallops for $9/lb, smelled them and bought me a pound of them - they are my favorite sea-food. I pan-fried half of them in butter with a bit of salt and pepper for my supper. I'm going to cook the rest tomorrow morning for breakfast (she's away taking care of her mother). If scallops are not absolutely fresh or were previously frozen (and cheap enough to bother with) I'll bread them with cracker crumbs and herbs and spices and bake them in a lightly-buttered unglazed baking dish. For the real fresh scallops, though, there is only one way to fix them. Fry them in butter, until they are lightly browned. Mmmm!

 

[Evo]

Rachel Ray's misinformation today, well in the first 5 minutes, I'm sure she has plenty more misinformation before her 30 minutes is over. "hominy - it's like, just big, big corn". No you clueless moron, it's corn soaked in LYE. That's why it smells like sweaty sneakers.

 

[turbo]

It's like, big, big corn with the hull and germ chemically removed, leaving the starchy interior more easily digestible. Or maybe Ray Ray doesn't ever notice the contents of her scat after eating corn on the cob.