What can you expect in the Food Thread on PF?

[Ivan Seeking]

There are generally 2 ways to achieve the orange beef experience... the first is this:

http://allrecipes.com//Recipe/crispy-orange-beef/Detail.aspx
"Toss dried beef in cornstarch to coat."

THAT IS KEY. I will add: make very sure that your beef is just tacky to the touch, or as dry as can be. That little tiny dusting of starch is the different between limp beef, and something orangy-delicious.

I would add, that you can ratchet up the spice factor by adding chilis, but a little Sriracha will straighten you right out. just add sparingly and about in the middle of the final cooking process.

edit: Right.. I forgot the second! The second is a version I had which I can only guess at... a kind of orange DUSTED sauteed beef. I THINK that orange juice and zest are mixed lecithin or one of those "molecular cooking" bits, along with some vinegar and sugar. You use the powder as the coating INSTEAD of the starch, and then sautee or lightly brown in the pan, cook the veggies in the sauce seperately, then you bring them together and cook the beef through.

thanks! I will try and report back with the results. Tsu and I both absolutely love orange beef. There is one place in town that makes a somewhat okay orange beef - great flavor but too much fat and low-quality meat - but there is lots of room for improvement. I've been threatening to try this for years.

 

[HeLiXe]

In my office no one ordered cheese pizza. I always voted for the eggplant & zucchini pizza, knowing I'd have it all to myself. My office was full of meat eaters.

OMG that sounds good :) They ordered veggie pizza a few times, and that went faster than the cheese pizza.

 

[Office_Shredder]

Every time we have to grade exams we get 20 or 30 pizzas for dinner for everybody. For some reason they always order 2 or 3 ham pizzas, and they're the only leftovers at the end

 

[Evo]

Every time we have to grade exams we get 20 or 30 pizzas for dinner for everybody. For some reason they always order 2 or 3 ham pizzas, and they're the only leftovers at the end

Do they have pineapple on them?

 

[Evo]

My jar of yeast is expiring so I'm making a bunch of bread. My favorite is a basic pizza dough rolled into a ball and soaked in olive oil and baked. OMG, it's so good.

 

[nismaratwork]

My jar of yeast is expiring so I'm making a bunch of bread. My favorite is a basic pizza dough rolled into a ball and soaked in olive oil and baked. OMG, it's so good.

Sounds good to me! I might set aside a bit to make thin-crusts with some lightly sweated garlic and shallots, and a lot of Parmesan to make a crust...

Bread... in whatever form, is the one of the greatest things next to a truly good steak, or a glass of ice cold (for me) water.

 

[nismaratwork]

thanks! I will try and report back with the results. Tsu and I both absolutely love orange beef. There is one place in town that makes a somewhat okay orange beef - great flavor but too much fat and low-quality meat - but there is lots of room for improvement. I've been threatening to try this for years.

Good luck, and I waive liability for fires or accidental demon summonings! Bon Appetite!

 

[OmCheeto]

I was going to ask for a recipe for gravy yesterday, (I'm so insecure in my abilities), but I just discovered something that is a triumvirate of culinary nirvana:

a. mom's gravy (sorry if your mom couldn't cook)
b. that gravy they used to put on the mashed potatoes at KFC (why else would we eat that stuff?)
c. hollandaise sauce

An actual vortex of gustatory sensual delight.

(Not some of that 'VR' 3D tasteless crap they try and feed us nowadays...)

Oh my god. I am so glad there is a La Niña going on right now. I'm going to need a whole lotta cold weather to burn off the 20lbs of fat I'm about to put on.

 

[nismaratwork]

I was going to ask for a recipe for gravy yesterday, (I'm so insecure in my abilities), but I just discovered something that is a triumvirate of culinary nirvana:

a. mom's gravy (sorry if your mom couldn't cook)
b. that gravy they used to put on the mashed potatoes at KFC (why else would we eat that stuff?)
c. hollandaise sauce

An actual vortex of gustatory sensual delight.

(Not some of that 'VR' 3D tasteless crap they try and feed us nowadays...)

Oh my god. I am so glad there is a La Niña going on right now. I'm going to need a whole lotta cold weather to burn off the 20lbs of fat I'm about to put on.

Master the roux spectrum and no gravy or mother sauce will foil you, except perhaps a sabayon.

 

[Evo]

I can't eat filet mignon without bearnaise.

In a pinch, heat some Hellman's mayonaise in a tiny pan with some white wine and tarragon. My ex actually liked my makeshift bearnaise so much, it became the only bearnaise.

 

[lisab]

Master the roux spectrum and no gravy or mother sauce will foil you, except perhaps a sabayon.

Definitely worth it to learn to make a good roux. My favorite: peanut oil and flour. It takes a *long* time but the oil gives a nutty flavor that mixes beautifully with the toasted flour.

 

[nismaratwork]

Definitely worth it to learn to make a good roux. My favorite: peanut oil and flour. It takes a *long* time but the oil gives a nutty flavor that mixes beautifully with the toasted flour.

Mmmmm... I've never tried that... but I will now!

Evo: Well mayo has the egg, the spicing... it makes a lot of sense really. I used to make a similar sauce using mayo, tarragon, lemon and capers for poached salmon. I like your idea a lot for a quick steak when I don't feel like a saucier!

 

[HeLiXe]

I'm thinking of trying to make brownies from scratch

 

[turbo]

While I was doing dishes this afternoon, I started doing a mental inventory of the cooking tools that my wife and I have that we didn't have 35 years ago. Now we have separate measuring cups for solids and liquids, a digital scale, nice bread peels, a custom "whisk" for mixing bread dough, and all kinds of torture devices to crush and juice fruits, vegetables, etc. Not to mention nice hand-forged knives and a growing collection of antique cast-iron cookware. The important part is that we use all of that stuff.

Some of the tools (like the Hobart/Kitchenaid mixer and all the attachments) seemed to be really pricey at the time, but after 20 years or so of regular, reliable service, they seem like good investments, and would have to be replaced immediately if they were stolen or lost in a fire. We used to have an Oster blender with about 20 buttons on it. Now we have a heavy metal-bodied restaurant-grade Oster with a toggle-switch and two speeds. Another must-have. Some stuff is worth paying for and keeping forever, like Thiers-Issard cutlery.

 

[lisab]

I'm thinking of trying to make brownies from scratch

Do, or do not. There is no try.

 

[HeLiXe]

Do, or do not. There is no try.

>_< too strict!

I made them from scratch once before, and they came out ok...a little fudgy but ok.

 

[turbo]

>_< too strict!

I made them from scratch once before, and they came out ok...a little fudgy but ok.

Heed Yoda Basil well, young one, or risk falling to the dark side.

 

[HeLiXe]

 

[Evo]

I wanted soup yesterday and I had milk that was about to go bad, a large can of veg-all (nasty stuff, someone gave it to me), so I decided to make soup. I made a light roux, poured in the veg all (seriously if you have real vegetables, use them), added three chicken bouilion cubes, a quart of milk, some red pepper flakes, some velveeta (two 1/2 think slices, chopped) a couple of tablespoons of grated parmesan/romano. Heated until thickened, then pureed with a hand blender.

When I started, I figured I would be throwing the milk and veg-all away, so WTH. It was good! I had 2 bowls and the Fruit Bat had one.

Who knew?

 

[Ivan Seeking]

Tsu went out for dinner with a cousin and brought home a gryo and some tater tots for me. I'm not much of a ketchup or tater tots eater, but got to have ketchup on tater tots. We were out of ketchup so I started poking around for something else that might work. Then I spotted the hot chile oil. Hey, not bad! And the tots really soak it up.

 

[nismaratwork]

Ooooh life is good! My mother made chicken soup (I live a few hours drive away) with barley and root veggies... I always come home for the love and the soup. Some foods are inextricably linked with a holiday or event, but in my mind the best are those that never fail you and you grew eating. It's a pleasure... *happy sigh*... I do love a homemade soup... takes patience and creativity to be really good. Evo, yours sounds very rich, and VERY tastey... roux... divine base of all the really evil (in a good way) sauces.

Oh, and agreed about the ketchup for tots... they're made for it. Without ketchup it's just a hash-brown nugget damn it! Oils do work well... I bought some white truffle and made my own infused walnut oil with it... that, with some salt and pepper goes a long way for a batch of fries or tots.

I wonder if vinegar would be good as well?...

 

[OmCheeto]

Master the roux spectrum and no gravy or mother sauce will foil you, except perhaps a sabayon.

I'm not 100% sure what it was that I made, and I probably should have written it down afterwords. So I'll try and recreate what I did.

As some may recall, I cooked the turkey for 14 hours at a very low temperature, below 200'F.
When you do this, you get a whole bunch of what I can only describe as turkey jello, and a bit of fat, at the bottom of the pan. I poured this into a steel mixing bowl and, to make a long story short, removed all the fat. So I had about 1 quart of this turkey jello to which I added about a cup of olive oil. I then put that into the blender and made what I am guessing is the equivalent of mayonnaise. I poured that back into the steel mixing bowl and stored it in the fridge.

So I guess it's quite similar to Evo's mayo method, only 100% from scratch.

The gravy was made using no flour, so I'm not sure if it's technically a roux. But the only ingredients I added to turn the turkey-jello-oil mayo into gravy was a cup of milk and a tspn of cornstarch.

 

[Evo]

As some may recall, I cooked the turkey for 14 hours at a very low temperature, below 200'F.
When you do this, you get a whole bunch of what I can only describe as turkey jello, and a bit of fat, at the bottom of the pan. I poured this into a steel mixing bowl and, to make a long story short, removed all the fat. So I had about 1 quart of this turkey jello to which I added about a cup of olive oil. I then put that into the blender and made what I am guessing is the equivalent of mayonnaise. I poured that back into the steel mixing bowl and stored it in the fridge.

Fascinating, i'll bet it was delicious. That turkey jelly was the juices from the turkey made gelatinous from the gelatin from the bones. If you heated that you would have a delicious turkey stock.

The gravy was made using no flour, so I'm not sure if it's technically a roux. But the only ingredients I added to turn the turkey-jello-oil mayo into gravy was a cup of milk and a tspn of cornstarch.

Cornstarch is a great substitute for flour in gravies where you want a light, non-floury taste, it also gives a nice clear sheen to the gravy.

 

[nismaratwork]

I'm not 100% sure what it was that I made, and I probably should have written it down afterwords. So I'll try and recreate what I did.

As some may recall, I cooked the turkey for 14 hours at a very low temperature, below 200'F.
When you do this, you get a whole bunch of what I can only describe as turkey jello, and a bit of fat, at the bottom of the pan. I poured this into a steel mixing bowl and, to make a long story short, removed all the fat. So I had about 1 quart of this turkey jello to which I added about a cup of olive oil. I then put that into the blender and made what I am guessing is the equivalent of mayonnaise. I poured that back into the steel mixing bowl and stored it in the fridge.

So I guess it's quite similar to Evo's mayo method, only 100% from scratch.

The gravy was made using no flour, so I'm not sure if it's technically a roux. But the only ingredients I added to turn the turkey-jello-oil mayo into gravy was a cup of milk and a tspn of cornstarch.

Well you have very good instincts. The turkey jello is in fact... turkey jello, you're completely right! A turkey is loaded with connective tissue that slowly breaks down to form gelatin, the stuff that makes ribs fall off the bone and have that special mouth-feel. You can also take that turkey jello as you say, and use it to add a wonderful texture to a soup.

 

[HeLiXe]

any cooking today?

 

[Evo]

any cooking today?

The only food I planned to prepare today was a mexican cheesy beefy taco dip.

I only use one specific type of taco seasoning, but my younger daughter, Evo Child, went shopping with her boyfriend and apparently he figured taco mix is all the same and bought some brand I'd never heard of. I figured, how bad can it be, it's chili powder, garlic and salt, right?

So I rip the packet open and stir it into my meat. It smells funny. I take a taste and almost puke. It tastes like bad candy. I grab the envelope and the ingredients, chili powder, BROWN SUGAR.

Brown sugar, who makes tacos with brown sugar? Lots of brown sugar.

I had a terrible day.

 

[lisab]

The only food I planned to prepare today was a mexican cheesy beefy taco dip.

I only use one specific type of taco seasoning, but my younger daughter, Evo Child, went shopping with her boyfriend and apparently he figured taco mix is all the same and bought some brand I'd never heard of. I figured, how bad can it be, it's chili powder, garlic and salt, right?

So I rip the packet open and stir it into my meat. It smells funny. I take a taste and almost puke. It tastes like bad candy. I grab the envelope and the ingredients, chili powder, BROWN SUGAR.

Brown sugar, who makes tacos with brown sugar? Lots of brown sugar.

I had a terrible day.

hug {{Evo}}

I agree, sugar has no place in taco meat !

 

[HeLiXe]

The only food I planned to prepare today was a mexican cheesy beefy taco dip.

I only use one specific type of taco seasoning, but my younger daughter, Evo Child, went shopping with her boyfriend and apparently he figured taco mix is all the same and bought some brand I'd never heard of. I figured, how bad can it be, it's chili powder, garlic and salt, right?

So I rip the packet open and stir it into my meat. It smells funny. I take a taste and almost puke. It tastes like bad candy. I grab the envelope and the ingredients, chili powder, BROWN SUGAR.

Brown sugar, who makes tacos with brown sugar? Lots of brown sugar.

I had a terrible day.

Awwwww Evo *hugs* was it a Skyline Chili seasoning packet? I know they put brown sugar in their chili and I cannot stand that crap. I had a terrible day too, but I just complain about the small things so at least I feel as if I have vented somewhat. Oh well tomorrow is another day, I hope you have a wonderful day tomorrow with your most favorite breakfast ever

 

[Evo]

Awwwww Evo *hugs* was it a Skyline Chili seasoning packet? I know they put brown sugar in their chili and I cannot stand that crap. I had a terrible day too, but I just complain about the small things so at least I feel as if I have vented somewhat. Oh well tomorrow is another day, I hope you have a wonderful day tomorrow with your most favorite breakfast ever

Will you come make me breakfast?

I'll make you lunch.

 

[HeLiXe]

Will you come make me breakfast?

I'll make you lunch.

Sure :) Breakfast is the only thing I cook extremely well Do you know how to make philly cheese steak sandwiches? I haven't found a decent one since I moved to this town -_-

 

[Evo]

Sure :) Breakfast is the only thing I cook extremely well Do you know how to make philly cheese steak sandwiches? I haven't found a decent one since I moved to this town -_-

Yes, I can make them! And they are recognizable!

 

[HeLiXe]

*is on the way*
I cannot make them to save my life. I burn the onions and I have no idea of how to season the meat/ which cuts of meat to buy, it always comes out like a flat tire with cheese and burnt onions...but the cheese is good

 

[turbo]

The only food I planned to prepare today was a mexican cheesy beefy taco dip.

I only use one specific type of taco seasoning, but my younger daughter, Evo Child, went shopping with her boyfriend and apparently he figured taco mix is all the same and bought some brand I'd never heard of. I figured, how bad can it be, it's chili powder, garlic and salt, right?

So I rip the packet open and stir it into my meat. It smells funny. I take a taste and almost puke. It tastes like bad candy. I grab the envelope and the ingredients, chili powder, BROWN SUGAR.

Brown sugar, who makes tacos with brown sugar? Lots of brown sugar.

I had a terrible day.

Chili powder and brown sugar? I feel for you. Bad, Bad, Bad!

 

[HeLiXe]

Chili powder and brown sugar? I feel for you. Bad, Bad, Bad!

This reminds me...I saw chili flavored chocolate at the store yesterday...I wonder what it's like.

 

[turbo]

Lately, I have been getting a lot of mileage out of some spicy smoked paprika. It's like chipotle, but a bit smokier and milder. It is wonderful with salt, pepper, and sage as a rub for chicken.