the Old Granny thread
When I first started to cook, I was advised by someone or other not to flit from recipe to recipe, but to concentrate instead on perfecting a few dishes to the point where they're pretty much flawless and you can do them from memory. I've never *quite* lived up to this high ideal, but I like to think that this potato salad comes close.
All too often potato salad is a nasty, spiteful concoction of rubbery potatoes and watery mayo. This recipe, on the other hand, gives a creamy, flavoursome potato-based orgasm.
Potato Salad
You will need:
3/4 kilo waxy potatoes
100 g roulé cheese (this is like a soft cream cheese coated in herbs and garlic and then rolled into a log shape. If you can't get this, use a mix of 75g cream cheese and 25g aioli.)
100 g philadelphia cheese
280 ml soured cream
small bunch spring onions (scallions)
100-odd g radishes
4 tablespoons mayo
juice of half a lime
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
First, peel the potatoes and cut them into bite-sized chunks. Place in a pan of salted water so that the potatoes are completely covered and boil for 15 minutes or so, or until the potatoes are tender.
While the potatoes are cooking, mix together the cheeses, soured cream, mayo and lime juice until smooth and completely combined. Chop the spring onions and radishes finely and add to the cheesy-mayo-cream mixture. Season with some black pepper and mix together. Cover and shove in the fridge so the flavours can mingle.
Once the potatoes are done, drain them and leave them to cool in a colander, covering the top with a teatowel (this will keep them moist but not soggy). Once cooled, mix into the cheesy-mayo-cream-radish-spring onion mixture and replace in the refrigerator. Take out of the refrigerator about ten minutes before serving, and drizzle over the olive oil.
The salady ingredients- the radish and spring onions can be varied according to what you like: celery and pine nuts work well in this. Also, adding some grilled bits of bacon to this works admirably well.
All too often potato salad is a nasty, spiteful concoction of rubbery potatoes and watery mayo. This recipe, on the other hand, gives a creamy, flavoursome potato-based orgasm.
Potato Salad
You will need:
3/4 kilo waxy potatoes
100 g roulé cheese (this is like a soft cream cheese coated in herbs and garlic and then rolled into a log shape. If you can't get this, use a mix of 75g cream cheese and 25g aioli.)
100 g philadelphia cheese
280 ml soured cream
small bunch spring onions (scallions)
100-odd g radishes
4 tablespoons mayo
juice of half a lime
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
First, peel the potatoes and cut them into bite-sized chunks. Place in a pan of salted water so that the potatoes are completely covered and boil for 15 minutes or so, or until the potatoes are tender.
While the potatoes are cooking, mix together the cheeses, soured cream, mayo and lime juice until smooth and completely combined. Chop the spring onions and radishes finely and add to the cheesy-mayo-cream mixture. Season with some black pepper and mix together. Cover and shove in the fridge so the flavours can mingle.
Once the potatoes are done, drain them and leave them to cool in a colander, covering the top with a teatowel (this will keep them moist but not soggy). Once cooled, mix into the cheesy-mayo-cream-radish-spring onion mixture and replace in the refrigerator. Take out of the refrigerator about ten minutes before serving, and drizzle over the olive oil.
The salady ingredients- the radish and spring onions can be varied according to what you like: celery and pine nuts work well in this. Also, adding some grilled bits of bacon to this works admirably well.
Salmoneus wrote:(NB Dewrad is behaving like an adult - a petty, sarcastic and uncharitable adult, admittedly, but none the less note the infinitely higher quality of flame)
Gulliver's Things-I-Found-In-The-Kitchen-While-Drunk Curry.
Ingredients:
• 2 white onions, chopped into chunks
• 3 handfuls of mushrooms, halved
• 4 cloves of garlic, chopped
• ½ litre coconut milk (or less if coconut cream… I always make it from powder)
• ½ teaspoon cardamom seeds
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• ½ teaspoon curry powder (adds warmth)
• ½ teaspoon of chilli (or one small chilli if fresh)
• 2 handfuls of dried apricots, chopped into quarters (use scissors)
• 1 handful of almonds
• 2 dried bananas, sliced (if you have them, not essential)
• 2-3 blocks of spinach (fresh from the freezer!)
Fry the spices, mushroom and onion in oil of some kind. Split peas make this dish orgasmic, and are vegan. Actually, add split peas anyway. It adds sexyness.
Add chicken or chicken-substitute (Quorn is good here).
Add everything else that is dry. Flick and stir it around until bored.
Add coconut milk. Wait until cooked. Eat with rice or something.
The sauce is quite sweet and goes will with most things. Add potato for chunkiness, or chick peas, or anything else that seems like a good idea at the time. A squirt of tomato purée adds a layer of sharpness, which can be very nice if you're not into coconut.
I refuse to buy sauces in jars, so this recipe has been honed over time through necessity.
Ingredients:
• 2 white onions, chopped into chunks
• 3 handfuls of mushrooms, halved
• 4 cloves of garlic, chopped
• ½ litre coconut milk (or less if coconut cream… I always make it from powder)
• ½ teaspoon cardamom seeds
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• ½ teaspoon curry powder (adds warmth)
• ½ teaspoon of chilli (or one small chilli if fresh)
• 2 handfuls of dried apricots, chopped into quarters (use scissors)
• 1 handful of almonds
• 2 dried bananas, sliced (if you have them, not essential)
• 2-3 blocks of spinach (fresh from the freezer!)
Fry the spices, mushroom and onion in oil of some kind. Split peas make this dish orgasmic, and are vegan. Actually, add split peas anyway. It adds sexyness.
Add chicken or chicken-substitute (Quorn is good here).
Add everything else that is dry. Flick and stir it around until bored.
Add coconut milk. Wait until cooked. Eat with rice or something.
The sauce is quite sweet and goes will with most things. Add potato for chunkiness, or chick peas, or anything else that seems like a good idea at the time. A squirt of tomato purée adds a layer of sharpness, which can be very nice if you're not into coconut.
I refuse to buy sauces in jars, so this recipe has been honed over time through necessity.
- Yiuel Raumbesrairc
- Avisaru
- Posts: 668
- Joined: Thu Jan 20, 2005 11:17 pm
- Location: Nyeriborma, Elme, Melomers
I have two recipes.
Quebecois Crepes
You need :
1 large egg
100 ml of flour
200 ml of milk
15 ml of oil
a lot of maple syrup
You mix the egg, the flour and milk until it is well mixed. Then you add the oil and mix again.
Preheat a pan at medium-high level. Then you take from 75 to 100 ml of the mix, fill the pan with a thin layer of your mix, and let it cook until is is fairly strong to turn it over. You turn it over, let it cook for a few seconds and is ready to serve. Fiil with as much maple syrup that you want.
Gives either 3 or 4 crepes (more, if your pan is small).
Bannock
Water
½ cup (125 ml) of flower
1 teaspoon (5 ml) of baking power
1 teaspoon (5 ml) of baking soda
(If you have "Magic Powder", replace the last two with 2 teaspoons of it)
1 teaspoon (5 ml) of salt
Mix all ingredients in a large bol except water. Add water until you can make a clear ball out of your mix, without it being sticky on your fingers, you may add flour if you added to much water.
Make small balls out your mix, and make them like a flat cake (thickness of about 1 cm, or a third of an inch). You put them on a preheated (medium-high) pan and cook them on both sides. Then you cut them in half, and cook them on the non-cooked interior.
Spread on your bannock anything you would like on bread, and serve.
Quebecois Crepes
You need :
1 large egg
100 ml of flour
200 ml of milk
15 ml of oil
a lot of maple syrup
You mix the egg, the flour and milk until it is well mixed. Then you add the oil and mix again.
Preheat a pan at medium-high level. Then you take from 75 to 100 ml of the mix, fill the pan with a thin layer of your mix, and let it cook until is is fairly strong to turn it over. You turn it over, let it cook for a few seconds and is ready to serve. Fiil with as much maple syrup that you want.
Gives either 3 or 4 crepes (more, if your pan is small).
Bannock
Water
½ cup (125 ml) of flower
1 teaspoon (5 ml) of baking power
1 teaspoon (5 ml) of baking soda
(If you have "Magic Powder", replace the last two with 2 teaspoons of it)
1 teaspoon (5 ml) of salt
Mix all ingredients in a large bol except water. Add water until you can make a clear ball out of your mix, without it being sticky on your fingers, you may add flour if you added to much water.
Make small balls out your mix, and make them like a flat cake (thickness of about 1 cm, or a third of an inch). You put them on a preheated (medium-high) pan and cook them on both sides. Then you cut them in half, and cook them on the non-cooked interior.
Spread on your bannock anything you would like on bread, and serve.
- Radius Solis
- Smeric
- Posts: 1248
- Joined: Tue Mar 30, 2004 5:40 pm
- Location: Si'ahl
- Contact:
Multi-Pepper Pasta
Cook pasta of your choice in an amount of your choice. Set aside.
Return the pan to medium-low heat and add enough olive oil to cover the bottom completely. In the oil, fry a red bell pepper that has been finely chopped for a minute or two. Then add: 2 tablespoons flour, 1 teaspoon black pepper, 1 teaspoon salt, several dashes of cayenne or chili powder, and any other herbs and spices you may desire. Stir together until a floury-oily paste is formed with the bell peppers.
Turn heat to medium-high and pour in 1 to 1.5 cups of milk. Stir constantly until sauce is thick and bubbling. Stir pasta into the sauce, then stir chopped green onions (preferably lots) into the pasta; serve immediately, topped with generous dashes of paprika.
Amounts of flour and milk can be varied depending on how much pasta you want to made; the above works well for a two meal-sized portions.
Cook pasta of your choice in an amount of your choice. Set aside.
Return the pan to medium-low heat and add enough olive oil to cover the bottom completely. In the oil, fry a red bell pepper that has been finely chopped for a minute or two. Then add: 2 tablespoons flour, 1 teaspoon black pepper, 1 teaspoon salt, several dashes of cayenne or chili powder, and any other herbs and spices you may desire. Stir together until a floury-oily paste is formed with the bell peppers.
Turn heat to medium-high and pour in 1 to 1.5 cups of milk. Stir constantly until sauce is thick and bubbling. Stir pasta into the sauce, then stir chopped green onions (preferably lots) into the pasta; serve immediately, topped with generous dashes of paprika.
Amounts of flour and milk can be varied depending on how much pasta you want to made; the above works well for a two meal-sized portions.
- Wycoval
- Lebom
- Posts: 110
- Joined: Wed Feb 02, 2005 11:49 am
- Location: Body of an adult, mind of a child.
- Contact:
CABBAGE
Even if you've never liked cabbage, this very easy method of preparation will make a true believer out of you.
Wash and quarter a small to medium sized head of cabbage and trim out the core. In a pot with a lid, heat about a tablespoon of butter on med-high until bubbly. Toss in the cabbage and let it brown for a minute or two. Sprinkle salt over the whole mess. Turn down the heat to med-low and add about a quarter cup of water or chicken broth. Stir lightly, cover and let steam for about ten minutes. Don't over-cook it!
Browning in butter brings out a wonderful flavor that permeates the rest of the cabbage as it steams.
Even if you've never liked cabbage, this very easy method of preparation will make a true believer out of you.
Wash and quarter a small to medium sized head of cabbage and trim out the core. In a pot with a lid, heat about a tablespoon of butter on med-high until bubbly. Toss in the cabbage and let it brown for a minute or two. Sprinkle salt over the whole mess. Turn down the heat to med-low and add about a quarter cup of water or chicken broth. Stir lightly, cover and let steam for about ten minutes. Don't over-cook it!
Browning in butter brings out a wonderful flavor that permeates the rest of the cabbage as it steams.
[size=200]☧[/size]
- Radius Solis
- Smeric
- Posts: 1248
- Joined: Tue Mar 30, 2004 5:40 pm
- Location: Si'ahl
- Contact:
At this point I have refined and perfected a few of my recipes enough that they deserve to be updated here in all their possibly restaurant-quality goodness. Tonight it's the stir-fry. Tomorrow, jambalaya.
Stir-Fry with Couscous
ingredients
- one cup of plain dry couscous
- two peppers - one red bell, one poblano. Substitute something else if you like.
- half a sweet onion
- green onions
- fresh garlic
- fresh ginger
- fresh basil
- half a pound of meat - both chicken and kielbasa work beautifully. I haven't tried anything else.
- soy sauce
- one of those little packets of "stir-fry" or "fried rice" seasonings you get on the Asian foods aisle, the sort that claim to allow you to reproduce those dishes (but don't actually follow the instructions)
preparation
- Chop up peppers and sweet onions into a bowl, and set it aside.
- Chop green onions and basil into inch-long chunks and lots of fresh ginger into little pieces, then put these in a different bowl and set it aside.
- Cut up meat into bite-sized pieces.
- Crush or mince one or two fat cloves of garlic into a cup, and add 2-3 tablespoons of soy sauce and 1-2 tablespoons of water. Mix briefly and set aside.
cooking
- Saute meat in a little cooking oil in a large skillet on low heat. For chicken do this until it's done, for kielbasa until it just begins to brown.
- Meanwhile, empty the seasoning-packet thingy into a saucepan and add a cup of water (or however much is appropriate for the couscous). Bring to a boil, stir in couscous, cover, remove from heat and set aside.
- Once meat is done, turn skillet heat up high, and add the peppers/onions mix. Stir-fry for 1-2 minutes.
- Pour in the soysauce/garlic mix and continue to stir-fry until most of the liquid has cooked off.
- Remove from heat and stir in the green onions / basil / ginger mix while the pan's still hot.
- Serve immediately over couscous.
Stir-Fry with Couscous
ingredients
- one cup of plain dry couscous
- two peppers - one red bell, one poblano. Substitute something else if you like.
- half a sweet onion
- green onions
- fresh garlic
- fresh ginger
- fresh basil
- half a pound of meat - both chicken and kielbasa work beautifully. I haven't tried anything else.
- soy sauce
- one of those little packets of "stir-fry" or "fried rice" seasonings you get on the Asian foods aisle, the sort that claim to allow you to reproduce those dishes (but don't actually follow the instructions)
preparation
- Chop up peppers and sweet onions into a bowl, and set it aside.
- Chop green onions and basil into inch-long chunks and lots of fresh ginger into little pieces, then put these in a different bowl and set it aside.
- Cut up meat into bite-sized pieces.
- Crush or mince one or two fat cloves of garlic into a cup, and add 2-3 tablespoons of soy sauce and 1-2 tablespoons of water. Mix briefly and set aside.
cooking
- Saute meat in a little cooking oil in a large skillet on low heat. For chicken do this until it's done, for kielbasa until it just begins to brown.
- Meanwhile, empty the seasoning-packet thingy into a saucepan and add a cup of water (or however much is appropriate for the couscous). Bring to a boil, stir in couscous, cover, remove from heat and set aside.
- Once meat is done, turn skillet heat up high, and add the peppers/onions mix. Stir-fry for 1-2 minutes.
- Pour in the soysauce/garlic mix and continue to stir-fry until most of the liquid has cooked off.
- Remove from heat and stir in the green onions / basil / ginger mix while the pan's still hot.
- Serve immediately over couscous.
-
- Sanci
- Posts: 51
- Joined: Sat Nov 24, 2007 1:15 am
- Location: Sweet home Chicago
I shall contribute recipes.
Aunt Terrie's Cheesy Potatoes
1 stick melted butter
1 can Cream of Chicken soup
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1 cup (16 oz) sour cream
1 small diced onion
salt
pepper
1 2lb bag of frozen hash browns
Combine in order. Bake at 350 degrees (farenheit) for 1-1.5 hours. (Easy enough.)
Spiced Pecans (Great for Christmas, by the way)
Preheat oven to 300 degrees (farenheit)
Aluminum foil, baking sheet, non-stick spray
1/2 c. sugar 3/4 tsp. salt, 1 tsp. cinnamon, 1/4 tsp. cloves, 1/4 tsp. nutmeg
Put in a bag.
In a separate bowl put in:
1 egg white, 1 tbs. water, 1/4 tsp. vanilla
Add to bag and add 2 c. pecans. Shake and coat. Place in the oven for 15 min, then stir, then cook another 15 min.
Aunt Terrie's Cheesy Potatoes
1 stick melted butter
1 can Cream of Chicken soup
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1 cup (16 oz) sour cream
1 small diced onion
salt
pepper
1 2lb bag of frozen hash browns
Combine in order. Bake at 350 degrees (farenheit) for 1-1.5 hours. (Easy enough.)
Spiced Pecans (Great for Christmas, by the way)
Preheat oven to 300 degrees (farenheit)
Aluminum foil, baking sheet, non-stick spray
1/2 c. sugar 3/4 tsp. salt, 1 tsp. cinnamon, 1/4 tsp. cloves, 1/4 tsp. nutmeg
Put in a bag.
In a separate bowl put in:
1 egg white, 1 tbs. water, 1/4 tsp. vanilla
Add to bag and add 2 c. pecans. Shake and coat. Place in the oven for 15 min, then stir, then cook another 15 min.
"Happiness can be found even in the darkest of times, if one only remembers to turn on the light."
Economic Left/Right: -4.62
Social Libertarian/Authoritarian: -2.87
Economic Left/Right: -4.62
Social Libertarian/Authoritarian: -2.87
No replies for more than two months? I'm scandalised. In fact, in order to make up for it, I shall share with you no less than three recipes, with a Mediterranean theme.
Verdure alla dewrad
This is basically a mixture of vegetables, which I normally serve as a side dish. However "dewrad's mixed veg" lacks a certain something in the nomenclature stakes, hence an Italian name to go with the Italian theme.
You will need:
1 bell pepper, any colour you fancy. Green works nicely.
1/2 a red onion
about six or so closed-cup mushrooms
half an aubergine
2 cloves garlic
2 tomatoes
1 stalk celery, leaves removed
1/2 teaspoon thyme
handful fresh basil leaves
a frying pan with a lid (improvise if you don't have a lid)
De-seed and chop the tomatoes and pepper into chunks. Crush the garlic. Chop everything else up into fairly hefty chunks, except the celery, which should be chopped pretty finely.
Over a medium-high heat, fry the celery, tomatoes and onion in olive oil until the onions are softened. Throw in everything else apart from the basil, put the lid on and reduce the heat. Cook for about ten minutes, shaking the pan occasionally so it doesn't stick to the bottom. Take off the lid, throw in the basil and leave to cook for another five or so minutes, or until the liquid is pretty much gone.
You'll be left with a rich, vegetably mass, almost like an impromtu ratatouille. The flavours in it will be pretty robust, so serve as an accompaniment to something similarly robust. It also makes an acceptable meal on its own, if you don't mind the meat. Just drizzle over some extra-virgin olive oil and serve with crusty bread or pasta.
Funghi alla panna
This is an "authentic Italian" recipe, in that I learnt how to cook it in Italy (by the same token, on the other hand, Chicken Korma is also "authentic Italian"). It looks and tastes rich and impressive- you can serve it to guests without blushing- but it's really pretty simple to make (horribly fattening, though).
You will need:
250 g of mixed mushrooms. Whichever you fancy. Just make sure they won't kill you.
200 ml double cream (extra-heavy whipping cream, to Americans)
2 medium-sized eggs
1 glass white wine or dry vermouth
1 tablespoon ricotta or cream cheese
1 shallot
1 clove garlic
1 stick celery
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg (if you like nutmeg)
enough pasta to serve two people. any kind of pasta will do, although I'd advise against spaghetti or tagliatelle.
parmesan shavings to serve
Slice the mushrooms relatively thin, likewise the celery. Dice the shallot small. Crush the garlic. In a large saucepan, fry the shallot and celery in sunflower or groundnut oil (not olive oil!) over a medium heat until the onion is soft and translucent. Add the garlic and mushrooms and cook uncovered for approximately ten minutes or so.
While the mushrooms are cooking, beat together your eggs, cream and ricotta. Season to taste with salt, pepper and the nutmeg. This is also a good point to cook your pasta.
Once the mushrooms are done, throw in the wine or vermouth and turn up the heat. Once the alcohol has burned off and the wine starts sizzling, take the pan off the heat and stir in the cream. Return to a very low heat and stir constantly. If the heat is too high you'll end up with posh scrambled egg. You want it to just thicken through- you'll know when this happens because the sauce will have a bit more "resistance" when you're stirring it.
Check the seasoning and serve over pasta, decorate with the parmesan and a herb of some sort. Chervil, possibly, as it serves no other purpose.
Saltimbocca al basilico
You might well have heard of the famous Italian dish, saltimbocca. No? Philistine. Where would you be without me to show you the light of civilisation? This version, I confess, takes some liberties with the original- it uses basil rather than sage (which only really works with pork, IMO). It also uses chicken, although that's perfectly normal, even though the veal variant is probably better known.
You will need:
3 chicken breast fillets. Get some decent chicken, not mass-produced battery-farmed rubbish. It's kinder to the chicken and tastes better. And don't whinge about the price, either. It's my firm belief that we should eat better meat, and in order to do this we should eat it less often and pay more for it. Eating a chicken a day is scandalously profligate. You people should be ashamed of yourselves.
12 rashers ("rasher" is BritEng for "slice") of streaky bacon. Or an equivalent amount of thinly-sliced pancetta, which is more authentic but harder to get in the US, or so I'm told.
12 fresh basil leaves
1/2 glass fortified wine of some sort. Marsala is traditional, but madeira will do at a pinch. Frankly, even vermouth will do.
unsalted butter.
Take your chicken breasts and pound them flat, to about 1.5 cm thickness. Cut each in half width-wise, so you have six square-ish bits of chicken. Place two basil leaves on top of each bit, side by side, and then wrap each bit with two rashers of streaky bacon, again side by side. You might find it handy to secure them with a cocktail stick.
Heat some butter over a medium-high heat in a frying pan until it is foaming and then add the chicken-bacon-basil parcels. Fry for five or so minutes on each side, pressing down with a fish knife to stop them from springing back into their original shape if neccessary.
While we're waiting for them to cook, let us spend a couple of minutes talking about frying pans, and other cookware. Teflon is of the Devil and should be shunned. Non-stick pans mean non-flavour sauces. When you fry food and stuff gets stuck to the pan- those brown crunchy bits- that's not simply happening because a spiteful deity takes pleasure in you struggling to wash up, rather it is a gift from the kitchen gods themselves. These brown crunchy bits are the foundation of any good sauce (except HP Sauce). We shall see why in a second. Your chicken should be done by now.
Once the chicken is nicely browned on the outside and unlikely to give you food poisoning, remove from the pan and keep somewhere warm. Your pan should have some nice brown bits on them now. They're called fond (which I believe is a mass noun when used in English), and are what will make your sauce more than thickened wine. Deglaze the pan by pouring in your Marsala and stir well, scraping up all the brown bits. Cook off the alcohol and allow the wine to reduce by about half or so. Add about a tablespoon of butter, swirling the pan (don't stir) to incorporate it as it melts. Season to taste and then serve over the chicken-bacon things. Take the cocktail sticks out.
Saltimbocca has a pretty delicate flavour, so don't serve it with anything too heavy or complicated. A nice salad would probably do. Rocket leaves, perhaps.
Verdure alla dewrad
This is basically a mixture of vegetables, which I normally serve as a side dish. However "dewrad's mixed veg" lacks a certain something in the nomenclature stakes, hence an Italian name to go with the Italian theme.
You will need:
1 bell pepper, any colour you fancy. Green works nicely.
1/2 a red onion
about six or so closed-cup mushrooms
half an aubergine
2 cloves garlic
2 tomatoes
1 stalk celery, leaves removed
1/2 teaspoon thyme
handful fresh basil leaves
a frying pan with a lid (improvise if you don't have a lid)
De-seed and chop the tomatoes and pepper into chunks. Crush the garlic. Chop everything else up into fairly hefty chunks, except the celery, which should be chopped pretty finely.
Over a medium-high heat, fry the celery, tomatoes and onion in olive oil until the onions are softened. Throw in everything else apart from the basil, put the lid on and reduce the heat. Cook for about ten minutes, shaking the pan occasionally so it doesn't stick to the bottom. Take off the lid, throw in the basil and leave to cook for another five or so minutes, or until the liquid is pretty much gone.
You'll be left with a rich, vegetably mass, almost like an impromtu ratatouille. The flavours in it will be pretty robust, so serve as an accompaniment to something similarly robust. It also makes an acceptable meal on its own, if you don't mind the meat. Just drizzle over some extra-virgin olive oil and serve with crusty bread or pasta.
Funghi alla panna
This is an "authentic Italian" recipe, in that I learnt how to cook it in Italy (by the same token, on the other hand, Chicken Korma is also "authentic Italian"). It looks and tastes rich and impressive- you can serve it to guests without blushing- but it's really pretty simple to make (horribly fattening, though).
You will need:
250 g of mixed mushrooms. Whichever you fancy. Just make sure they won't kill you.
200 ml double cream (extra-heavy whipping cream, to Americans)
2 medium-sized eggs
1 glass white wine or dry vermouth
1 tablespoon ricotta or cream cheese
1 shallot
1 clove garlic
1 stick celery
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg (if you like nutmeg)
enough pasta to serve two people. any kind of pasta will do, although I'd advise against spaghetti or tagliatelle.
parmesan shavings to serve
Slice the mushrooms relatively thin, likewise the celery. Dice the shallot small. Crush the garlic. In a large saucepan, fry the shallot and celery in sunflower or groundnut oil (not olive oil!) over a medium heat until the onion is soft and translucent. Add the garlic and mushrooms and cook uncovered for approximately ten minutes or so.
While the mushrooms are cooking, beat together your eggs, cream and ricotta. Season to taste with salt, pepper and the nutmeg. This is also a good point to cook your pasta.
Once the mushrooms are done, throw in the wine or vermouth and turn up the heat. Once the alcohol has burned off and the wine starts sizzling, take the pan off the heat and stir in the cream. Return to a very low heat and stir constantly. If the heat is too high you'll end up with posh scrambled egg. You want it to just thicken through- you'll know when this happens because the sauce will have a bit more "resistance" when you're stirring it.
Check the seasoning and serve over pasta, decorate with the parmesan and a herb of some sort. Chervil, possibly, as it serves no other purpose.
Saltimbocca al basilico
You might well have heard of the famous Italian dish, saltimbocca. No? Philistine. Where would you be without me to show you the light of civilisation? This version, I confess, takes some liberties with the original- it uses basil rather than sage (which only really works with pork, IMO). It also uses chicken, although that's perfectly normal, even though the veal variant is probably better known.
You will need:
3 chicken breast fillets. Get some decent chicken, not mass-produced battery-farmed rubbish. It's kinder to the chicken and tastes better. And don't whinge about the price, either. It's my firm belief that we should eat better meat, and in order to do this we should eat it less often and pay more for it. Eating a chicken a day is scandalously profligate. You people should be ashamed of yourselves.
12 rashers ("rasher" is BritEng for "slice") of streaky bacon. Or an equivalent amount of thinly-sliced pancetta, which is more authentic but harder to get in the US, or so I'm told.
12 fresh basil leaves
1/2 glass fortified wine of some sort. Marsala is traditional, but madeira will do at a pinch. Frankly, even vermouth will do.
unsalted butter.
Take your chicken breasts and pound them flat, to about 1.5 cm thickness. Cut each in half width-wise, so you have six square-ish bits of chicken. Place two basil leaves on top of each bit, side by side, and then wrap each bit with two rashers of streaky bacon, again side by side. You might find it handy to secure them with a cocktail stick.
Heat some butter over a medium-high heat in a frying pan until it is foaming and then add the chicken-bacon-basil parcels. Fry for five or so minutes on each side, pressing down with a fish knife to stop them from springing back into their original shape if neccessary.
While we're waiting for them to cook, let us spend a couple of minutes talking about frying pans, and other cookware. Teflon is of the Devil and should be shunned. Non-stick pans mean non-flavour sauces. When you fry food and stuff gets stuck to the pan- those brown crunchy bits- that's not simply happening because a spiteful deity takes pleasure in you struggling to wash up, rather it is a gift from the kitchen gods themselves. These brown crunchy bits are the foundation of any good sauce (except HP Sauce). We shall see why in a second. Your chicken should be done by now.
Once the chicken is nicely browned on the outside and unlikely to give you food poisoning, remove from the pan and keep somewhere warm. Your pan should have some nice brown bits on them now. They're called fond (which I believe is a mass noun when used in English), and are what will make your sauce more than thickened wine. Deglaze the pan by pouring in your Marsala and stir well, scraping up all the brown bits. Cook off the alcohol and allow the wine to reduce by about half or so. Add about a tablespoon of butter, swirling the pan (don't stir) to incorporate it as it melts. Season to taste and then serve over the chicken-bacon things. Take the cocktail sticks out.
Saltimbocca has a pretty delicate flavour, so don't serve it with anything too heavy or complicated. A nice salad would probably do. Rocket leaves, perhaps.
Salmoneus wrote:(NB Dewrad is behaving like an adult - a petty, sarcastic and uncharitable adult, admittedly, but none the less note the infinitely higher quality of flame)
- Radius Solis
- Smeric
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Pasta au Gratin, aka Health Disaster #241
Boil a pound of bowtie pasta. Drain and set aside.
Put the pan back on heat, add a little oil, sautee finely diced onion (quarter of a cup should do it) until it begins to turn golden.
Take half a pound of bacon that's been chopped into small pieces and add it to the onion, and stir. Continue frying (stirring regularly) until the bacon starts turning darker red, but not so long it becomes crispy.
Stir in 3 tablespoons flour, a teaspoon each of salt and pepper, and generous dashes of oregano and whatever other herbs/spices you like. As soon as that's mixed into the baconfat, add two cups of milk. Stir until mixture simmers and becomes thick.
Mix pasta into bacon sauce until thoroughly coated, then dump everything into a 13x9 baking pan, or similar. Top with half a pound of shredded cheddar and bake uncovered at 400 degrees for 15-ish minutes or until cheese starts to brown. Consume. It makes a good-sized meal for 2 to 3.
Boil a pound of bowtie pasta. Drain and set aside.
Put the pan back on heat, add a little oil, sautee finely diced onion (quarter of a cup should do it) until it begins to turn golden.
Take half a pound of bacon that's been chopped into small pieces and add it to the onion, and stir. Continue frying (stirring regularly) until the bacon starts turning darker red, but not so long it becomes crispy.
Stir in 3 tablespoons flour, a teaspoon each of salt and pepper, and generous dashes of oregano and whatever other herbs/spices you like. As soon as that's mixed into the baconfat, add two cups of milk. Stir until mixture simmers and becomes thick.
Mix pasta into bacon sauce until thoroughly coated, then dump everything into a 13x9 baking pan, or similar. Top with half a pound of shredded cheddar and bake uncovered at 400 degrees for 15-ish minutes or until cheese starts to brown. Consume. It makes a good-sized meal for 2 to 3.
Another ad-hoc recipe of my mother's:
Noodles with ... stuff (suitable for ovo-lacto vegetarians!)
- noodles (I prefer those small spiraled ones)
- some corn
- some mushrooms (more specifically, agraricus bisporus -- those are called Champignons here and usually come in tins or glasses)
- onions according to your taste and the number of eaters*
- an egg per person and plate
- a tablespoon of flour
- milk
- some butter or margarine
Cook noodles in salt water until they're soft, but don't over boil them. While doing that, cook the eggs as well. Boil them hard, then quench them, peel them, slice them. Mix corn (e.g. from a tin or fresh), sliced mushrooms and the onions, diced, together in a bowl. Also add the sliced eggs to that. Prepare a roux in a separate pot by first melting the fat on small heat, then carefully stir the flour into that. Slowly add milk while still stirring, and pay attention that the flour does not clump together if possible. Likewise, the mixture shouldn't boil over. Add some pepper and salt to that and then let the sauce cook for a moment so that it will get more viscous and also the clumps of flour that may still be left will vanish (keep stirring). If it doesn't get viscous, stir another teaspoon of flour into half a cupful of milk and add that to the sauce. If it's too viscous you can thin it a little with some water. If the roux is OK, put the corn, mushrooms etc. into it and pour that over the noodles when they have finished cooking and you've drained the water (of course!).
The roux is the most difficult part about this actually.
*) if it's only yourself, half a medium-sized onion will do.
I'd also like to share Grüne Soße (which is actually white, but anyway) à la granny with you, but I don't know (yet) how to make it. I'll ask.
Noodles with ... stuff (suitable for ovo-lacto vegetarians!)
- noodles (I prefer those small spiraled ones)
- some corn
- some mushrooms (more specifically, agraricus bisporus -- those are called Champignons here and usually come in tins or glasses)
- onions according to your taste and the number of eaters*
- an egg per person and plate
- a tablespoon of flour
- milk
- some butter or margarine
Cook noodles in salt water until they're soft, but don't over boil them. While doing that, cook the eggs as well. Boil them hard, then quench them, peel them, slice them. Mix corn (e.g. from a tin or fresh), sliced mushrooms and the onions, diced, together in a bowl. Also add the sliced eggs to that. Prepare a roux in a separate pot by first melting the fat on small heat, then carefully stir the flour into that. Slowly add milk while still stirring, and pay attention that the flour does not clump together if possible. Likewise, the mixture shouldn't boil over. Add some pepper and salt to that and then let the sauce cook for a moment so that it will get more viscous and also the clumps of flour that may still be left will vanish (keep stirring). If it doesn't get viscous, stir another teaspoon of flour into half a cupful of milk and add that to the sauce. If it's too viscous you can thin it a little with some water. If the roux is OK, put the corn, mushrooms etc. into it and pour that over the noodles when they have finished cooking and you've drained the water (of course!).
The roux is the most difficult part about this actually.
*) if it's only yourself, half a medium-sized onion will do.
I'd also like to share Grüne Soße (which is actually white, but anyway) à la granny with you, but I don't know (yet) how to make it. I'll ask.
- Tarasoriku
- Sanci
- Posts: 67
- Joined: Mon Apr 02, 2007 10:17 pm
- Location: NYC
Ali Nazik
This is my Ali Nazik recipe, a Turkish peasant dish that tastes richer than it really is. Very simple ingredients, really:
1 lb ground beef (or mix of beef and lamb) (alternatively, finely chop a chuck steak)
1 pint yogurt, or 2 cups (Greek yogurt is best)
2 large eggplant
1 green bell pepper (or optionally a few chili peppers)
1 large onion
3 garlic cloves
1 large tomato diced (or a can diced tomatoes)
3 tablespoons finely chopped parsely or cilantro (I add fresh taragon to this).
1 teaspoon coriander seeds
Salt and pepper
Step 1: Put half the herbs into the yogurt with some of the garlic chopped and ground pepper and mix well. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 mins. (I add some curry powder to the yogurt at this point).
Step 2: Roast the eggplant and the pepper(s) in a 375 degree oven or under a broiler. The eggplant will take twice as long as the pepper to roast completely, about 15 mins pepper and 30 mins eggplant. When done, peel skin off each and mash together everything in a bowl (chop before mixing if necessary). Set aside.
Step 3: Chop the onion and garlic, sweat for 6 mins or so in a large skillet over medium-low heat. Bring heat up to medium-high, add the meat, and cook until just browned. Turn heat down, add the coriander and the tomatoes with all their water, stir for a minute and then let the liquid evaporate - do not cover.
Step 4: While meat is cooking, heat butter or oil in a pan on medium. Add the eggplant/pepper puree. Salt and pepper both dishes in their pans.
Step 5: Let yogurt come back to room temperature if it was chilled. Get a large pyrex-type dish, pour in all of the eggplant/pepper mixture, and then 3 ladelfuls of the yogurt. Stir into the eggplant until creamy. Spread the eggplant/yogurt mixture over the bottom half of the pan, and then ladel a thin coating of the remaining yogurt over the top of that, spread like a cake.
Step 6: Once the liquid has evaporated a bit, remove the meat mixture from the head and spoon over the top of the eggplant/yogurt in the pan. Garnish with the remaining herbs. Serve with rice or bread. You can get 3-5 meals out of this batch. If desired you can cut thin pieces goat cheese put on top of the dish and melt under a broiler, yum.
*Alternative plating method: just divide everything into 4 and make individual plates if you don't want it party-style.
This is my Ali Nazik recipe, a Turkish peasant dish that tastes richer than it really is. Very simple ingredients, really:
1 lb ground beef (or mix of beef and lamb) (alternatively, finely chop a chuck steak)
1 pint yogurt, or 2 cups (Greek yogurt is best)
2 large eggplant
1 green bell pepper (or optionally a few chili peppers)
1 large onion
3 garlic cloves
1 large tomato diced (or a can diced tomatoes)
3 tablespoons finely chopped parsely or cilantro (I add fresh taragon to this).
1 teaspoon coriander seeds
Salt and pepper
Step 1: Put half the herbs into the yogurt with some of the garlic chopped and ground pepper and mix well. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 mins. (I add some curry powder to the yogurt at this point).
Step 2: Roast the eggplant and the pepper(s) in a 375 degree oven or under a broiler. The eggplant will take twice as long as the pepper to roast completely, about 15 mins pepper and 30 mins eggplant. When done, peel skin off each and mash together everything in a bowl (chop before mixing if necessary). Set aside.
Step 3: Chop the onion and garlic, sweat for 6 mins or so in a large skillet over medium-low heat. Bring heat up to medium-high, add the meat, and cook until just browned. Turn heat down, add the coriander and the tomatoes with all their water, stir for a minute and then let the liquid evaporate - do not cover.
Step 4: While meat is cooking, heat butter or oil in a pan on medium. Add the eggplant/pepper puree. Salt and pepper both dishes in their pans.
Step 5: Let yogurt come back to room temperature if it was chilled. Get a large pyrex-type dish, pour in all of the eggplant/pepper mixture, and then 3 ladelfuls of the yogurt. Stir into the eggplant until creamy. Spread the eggplant/yogurt mixture over the bottom half of the pan, and then ladel a thin coating of the remaining yogurt over the top of that, spread like a cake.
Step 6: Once the liquid has evaporated a bit, remove the meat mixture from the head and spoon over the top of the eggplant/yogurt in the pan. Garnish with the remaining herbs. Serve with rice or bread. You can get 3-5 meals out of this batch. If desired you can cut thin pieces goat cheese put on top of the dish and melt under a broiler, yum.
*Alternative plating method: just divide everything into 4 and make individual plates if you don't want it party-style.
- Radius Solis
- Smeric
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Boot Hill Beef
Named for the fantastic "Boot Hill burger" served by Big-Nose Kate's in Tombstone, Arizona, which inspired this.
* one pound of beef chopped into half-inch cubes (your choice of cut, get something tender... I actually use pre-chopped beef from the butcher's sold for stir-fry and chop-suey)
* one large green chili and half an onion, both diced
* a teaspoon of Luzianne cajun seasoning, if you can get it (if not, substitute half a teaspoon each of salt and cayenne)
* 6 oz. grated pepper jack cheese
Prep: cut up beef and vegetables. A few hours before cooking, coat the chopped beef with Luzianne, and refrigerate.
Cooking: Saute the green chili for a couple minutes in a bit of oil, on medium-low heat (or longer if you want it softer). Add the beef and onion, and continue to saute for another 8-10 minutes or until the beef is completely cooked and has sweated a bunch of liquid into the pan. Mix a tablespoon of cornstarch into a quarter cup of cold water, and then stir this into the beef such that a sauce is formed.
Serve covered in grated pepper jack, such that it melts all over the beef (this is an important part of the taste). Suggestion: accompany with fried potatoes, french fries, tater tots, or the like.
EDIT: also works beautifully served over spanish rice.
Named for the fantastic "Boot Hill burger" served by Big-Nose Kate's in Tombstone, Arizona, which inspired this.
* one pound of beef chopped into half-inch cubes (your choice of cut, get something tender... I actually use pre-chopped beef from the butcher's sold for stir-fry and chop-suey)
* one large green chili and half an onion, both diced
* a teaspoon of Luzianne cajun seasoning, if you can get it (if not, substitute half a teaspoon each of salt and cayenne)
* 6 oz. grated pepper jack cheese
Prep: cut up beef and vegetables. A few hours before cooking, coat the chopped beef with Luzianne, and refrigerate.
Cooking: Saute the green chili for a couple minutes in a bit of oil, on medium-low heat (or longer if you want it softer). Add the beef and onion, and continue to saute for another 8-10 minutes or until the beef is completely cooked and has sweated a bunch of liquid into the pan. Mix a tablespoon of cornstarch into a quarter cup of cold water, and then stir this into the beef such that a sauce is formed.
Serve covered in grated pepper jack, such that it melts all over the beef (this is an important part of the taste). Suggestion: accompany with fried potatoes, french fries, tater tots, or the like.
EDIT: also works beautifully served over spanish rice.
Last edited by Radius Solis on Sun May 18, 2008 3:25 am, edited 1 time in total.
- schwhatever
- Lebom
- Posts: 157
- Joined: Mon Aug 14, 2006 6:04 pm
- Location: NorCal
- Contact:
Quick drink of warm milk.
2. Add the milk while constantly stirring. This is best done immediately after pouring the near boiling water into the mug/bowl. Continue to stir even after done pouring.
3. Still stirring constantly, add vanilla to taste.
4. Drink the ambrosia of the gods; works miracles against stuffy noses, sore throats, and headaches.
- *1-2 cups Water
*1/2 - 1 tablespoon Cinnamon
*1-2 cups Milk
*Vanilla Extract to taste
////////
*Mug, Small bowl (pour les francophonistes qui prennent les boissons chaudes aux bols) must be able to hold hot water
*Kettle
*Spoon (long enough to reach bottom of bowl/mug)
2. Add the milk while constantly stirring. This is best done immediately after pouring the near boiling water into the mug/bowl. Continue to stir even after done pouring.
3. Still stirring constantly, add vanilla to taste.
4. Drink the ambrosia of the gods; works miracles against stuffy noses, sore throats, and headaches.
[quote="Jar Jar Binks"]Now, by making just a few small changes, we prettify the orthography for happier socialist tomorrow![/quote][quote="Xonen"]^ WHS. Except for the log thing and the Andean panpipers.[/quote]
Which reminds me:schwhatever wrote:4. Drink the ambrosia of the gods; works miracles against stuffy noses, sore throats, and headaches.
Gulliver's Cure-All Elixir
1 tea bag.
1 lemon.
1/4 teaspoon of chilli.
1/4 teaspoon ginger.
Boiling water.
A mug.
Make a cup of black tea. Add the juice of one lemon. The lemon seems to bleach the tea, making it go a strange colour. Add chilli. Add ginger. Stir. Drink.
Now, cough up all that phlegm that's been bothering you for a day. It tastes good, and is like culinary paint-stripper.
- Tarasoriku
- Sanci
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- Joined: Mon Apr 02, 2007 10:17 pm
- Location: NYC
- Risla
- Avisaru
- Posts: 800
- Joined: Sun Mar 25, 2007 12:17 pm
- Location: The darkest corner of your mind...
Mmhmm. Whole milk is better; skim milk doesn't really do anything. There's something in cream that negates capsaicin (I believe); drinking a sip of heavy cream will make a mouth on fire instantly normal.Tarasoriku wrote:You've Handled Hot Peppers Without Wearing Protective Handwear And Now the Toxins are Eating You Alive
1/2 cup milk
small tray or deep vessel
Soak offending hand part in milk 30 seconds.
I hear beer works wonders too.Eccentric Iconoclast wrote:Mmhmm. Whole milk is better; skim milk doesn't really do anything. There's something in cream that negates capsaicin (I believe); drinking a sip of heavy cream will make a mouth on fire instantly normal.Tarasoriku wrote:You've Handled Hot Peppers Without Wearing Protective Handwear And Now the Toxins are Eating You Alive
1/2 cup milk
small tray or deep vessel
Soak offending hand part in milk 30 seconds.
Mundus vult decipi.
-
- Avisaru
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- Joined: Wed Dec 28, 2005 2:58 pm
- Wycoval
- Lebom
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- Contact:
Capsaicin is an oil. Just about anything oily should dilute it and lessen the burning sensation. Milk works because it's a colloid of proteins and oils, the higher the fat the better. Ice cream is milk on steroids, plus it's cold.
I wonder how well various cooking oils might work.
After diluting the capsaicin, you could probably wash the area with soap and water to finish it off.
I wonder how well various cooking oils might work.
After diluting the capsaicin, you could probably wash the area with soap and water to finish it off.
[size=200]☧[/size]
- Radius Solis
- Smeric
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- Joined: Tue Mar 30, 2004 5:40 pm
- Location: Si'ahl
- Contact:
Yes, capsaicin is fat-soluble (and alcohol-soluble) but not water-soluble. Simple as that. So rinsing your hands won't do anything, but soap (which is fatty) will. This is why in Mexican cooking, highly spicy foods are so often served with fatty ones - cheeses, guac, sour cream, and the like.
In extreme cases I have rubbed my hands with a bit of butter and then washed that off. It works. If you've got any liquor around you could use a sprinkle of that instead.
In extreme cases I have rubbed my hands with a bit of butter and then washed that off. It works. If you've got any liquor around you could use a sprinkle of that instead.
-
- Avisaru
- Posts: 807
- Joined: Wed Dec 28, 2005 2:58 pm
(Nordhessische) Grüne Soße ((Northern Hessian) Green Sauce)
... which, as mentioned above, isn't actually green in this version (Wiki: "The green sauce typical of the city of Kassel is made with a sour cream base, and is nearly white in color."), but it has herbs in it, that's probably the reason for the name. Nice in summer, because served cold.
Ingredients:
Boil all eggs hard Stir the yolk of one egg with a teaspoon of mustard and stir that under the other ingredients. Cut the other eggs in slices. Serve with potatoes boiled in their skin (peel the potatoes before eating them of course!).
[edit] Corrected some stuff [/edit]
... which, as mentioned above, isn't actually green in this version (Wiki: "The green sauce typical of the city of Kassel is made with a sour cream base, and is nearly white in color."), but it has herbs in it, that's probably the reason for the name. Nice in summer, because served cold.
Ingredients:
- eggs
- mustard
- 1 tablespoon of lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons of oil
- salt
- herbs (chives, dill, borage, leek (or whatever else "Zwiebelgrün" is) or whatever else is available. Chives are essential though!)
- 2 cups of sour cream (10% fat)
- 1 cup of smetana (or crème fraîche, or 24% fat sour cream)
Boil all eggs hard Stir the yolk of one egg with a teaspoon of mustard and stir that under the other ingredients. Cut the other eggs in slices. Serve with potatoes boiled in their skin (peel the potatoes before eating them of course!).
[edit] Corrected some stuff [/edit]
Last edited by Jipí on Mon Jun 30, 2008 12:29 pm, edited 3 times in total.