the Old Granny thread

[Qwynegold]

Sherbet! (is this what it's called in English?)
6 oranges
1 dl Campari (except I replaced this with cranberry/raspberry saft)
2 dl white syrup
3 eggwhites

1. Cut the oranges in halv and squeeze out juice. Save six orange peel halves. (I put them in the freezer in a plastic bag and it worked out well. Just rip out all the skin from them first.)
2. Mix the campari (or saft) and syrup with the orange juice. Pour this into something that can be kept in the freezer. I used plastic boxes with lids that came from take-away Thai food.
3. Let it freeze for about two hours, but stir with a fork a couple of times during this time.
4. Mix the eggwhites into a foam and mix that with the half-frozen orange juice.
5. Let it freeze for 2-3 hours, and stir with a fork like once every hour. At first it will be hard to get the eggwhite to blend with the rest of the stuff, but eventually it'll become right.
6. Scoop sherbet into the orange peel halves. (Actually it was impossible to make balls out of the sherbet, but meh.) Then let those freeze again.
7. Nom.

Tomorrow I'm gonna try making kiwi sherbet. Yum!

[Dewrad]

Sherbet! (is this what it's called in English?)

Here in the UK, no. What you describe is a sorbet: sherbet is either fizzy powder you get from sweet shops or a slang term for an alcoholic beverage (as in "well, we did have a few sherbets" as code for "I was so utterly inebriated that it is a medical miracle that I am speaking to you now"). A quick glance at Wikipedia indicates that Americans might recognise what you describe as sherbet, but I couldn't confirm that myself.

It sounds tasty though, either way (I second the replacement of Campari: can't stand the stuff.)

[dunomapuka]

Tonno Alla 2 am

It was 2 am, I had no fresh vegetables in the house and I didn't want to run out to the deli because it's freezing outside. So I gathered my thoughts and the weird smattering of ingredients available and I made a creamy tuna pasta. Maybe it's just because I'm really hungry but it's one of the best things I've cooked.

Get your pasta water going. With plenty of salt, of course. I used 1/2 lb of cavatappi; gemelli would also be good, or penne; anything small and craggy, or with pockets, will do. I don't think this would be as good with a "long" pasta like linguine.

Heat some olive oil in a pan on medium high heat - I was on the second-highest setting. You want it hotter than you would want if you were sauteeing garlic or onions. Throw in a liberal pinch of hot pepper flakes, let them toast a minute, then throw in a can of tuna (drained).

The pan will certainly splatter a bit. Move the tuna around a lot without mashing it into a paste. The objective is to get a toasty flavor and suck all possible moisture out of the fish. Continue to cook for five minutes until the result is rather dry. Then turn the heat down and add the juice and zest of half a lemon, or a little less. Mix thoroughly. Season with salt and black pepper.

I kept taste-testing and was thrilled at how "toasty" it tasted. It was excellent.

When the pasta's almost done add roughly equal amounts (maybe 1/4 cup each?) of heavy cream and the cooking water from the pasta. Toss in some parmesan and let it all stew together for a minute or two. Add salt, pepper and additional lemon juice to taste (optional: a pinch of nutmeg), then throw the drained pasta into the sauce. Mix. Serve with additional parmesan (I think it's better than romano for this dish) and black pepper to taste.

I am eating this now, as I write. It is incredibly savory and a bit sweet and just spicy enough to stimulate the palate. It's not super creamy; the cream is like a binding agent. This is so damn good.

INGREDIENTS:
1/2 lb of pasta, of a short, chunky type. Obviously scale everything up if you're making a full pound.
1 can of white albacore tuna
1/2 a lemon (juice + zest)
biggish pinch of red pepper flakes
2 or 3 tbsp olive oil
1/4 cup heavy cream (or a bit more?)
small handful (like, a palm-ful) of parmesan, plus additional for serving
salt, pepper
optional: pinch of nutmeg

I know everyone is going to be tempted to start the dish by sauteeing garlic, but I think it's better without. If I could add any fresh ingredients I wanted, I'd probably do some chopped parsely at the end and *maybe* some finely diced green olives at the beginning.

[dunomapuka]

A quick glance at Wikipedia indicates that Americans might recognise what you describe as sherbet, but I couldn't confirm that myself.

It sounds tasty though, either way (I second the replacement of Campari: can't stand the stuff.)

Nope, definitely sorbet; sherbet (everyone pronounces it "sherbert") has to have a small amount of milk. Sorbet is certainly the more familiar name and product from my perspective, though I'd estimate it hit Peak Trendiness well before I was born, maybe in the mid-80's.

Sherbet, by contrast, I've never even seen on a menu, though I think the supermarkets carry a few varieties. I vaguely recall my Gran saying it was fashionable in HER childhood, in the 30's! She is also one of <10 people in the US who says it correctly, without the extra R.

[Radius Solis]

Perhaps the best cheese-and-crackers experience that I know of, but which happens to be easy and cheap:

"fire-roasted tomato & olive oil" flavor Triscuits;
common orange cheddar, sharp;
chipotle Tabasco sauce, one drop per.

The smoked-ness of the chipotle tabasco works with the cheddar to produce all the same goodness you'd get with much more expensive smoked chedder; meanwhile its chili-ness pairs with the tomato-ness of the cracker for a good base flavor, and offers a little kick that doesn't overwhelm.

[vampireshark]

Recipe time! And I assume no liability for any customary-metric conversion screw-ups.

Orange Tiramisù (vegetarian; potentially kosher)
Before our resident Welsh chef comments, yes, it's a tiramisù dessert without coffee or marsala, so it may not be an orthodox tiramisù. However, it's prepared the same way as one and it's really delicious.

These quantities are sufficient for an 8"×8" (approx. 25 cm × 25 cm) glass baking dish, and it normally serves 4-8 people depending on appetite and slice size.
·1 cup (approx. 250 ml) heavy/double whipping cream
·16 oz. (approx 500 g) marscarpone
·½ cup (approx. 100 g) sugar
·4 tlb. (60 ml) Grand Marnier (Cordon Rouge) liqueur
·½ tsp (a drop or two) vanilla
·ladyfingers/savoiardi in sufficient quantity to make at least two layers in whatever pan you're using
·orange juice sufficient for soaking the ladyfingers
·cocoa powder for dusting, about 1 or 2 oz. (30-60g)

1.) Whip the whipping cream into whipped cream (soft peak stage). Set aside.
2.) Mix together the marscarpone and sugar in a separate bowl. Add Grand Marnier and vanilla, then lightly beat until blended.
3.) Fold in whipped whipping cream.
4.) Soak ladyfingers in orange juice until the exteriors are well-soaked, but the biscuits/cookies are still somewhat rigid.
5.) In the bottom of the dish, make a layer of ladyfingers. Spoon about half the marscarpone mixture over the ladyfingers to make a layer; top with cocoa powder. Make another layer of ladyfingers on top of that, then add the remainder of the mixture.
6.) Refrigerate for half an hour or more.
7.) Consume in large quantities.

[Qwynegold]

A quick glance at Wikipedia indicates that Americans might recognise what you describe as sherbet, but I couldn't confirm that myself.

It sounds tasty though, either way (I second the replacement of Campari: can't stand the stuff.)

Nope, definitely sorbet; sherbet (everyone pronounces it "sherbert") has to have a small amount of milk. Sorbet is certainly the more familiar name and product from my perspective, though I'd estimate it hit Peak Trendiness well before I was born, maybe in the mid-80's.

Sherbet, by contrast, I've never even seen on a menu, though I think the supermarkets carry a few varieties. I vaguely recall my Gran saying it was fashionable in HER childhood, in the 30's! She is also one of <10 people in the US who says it correctly, without the extra R.

Hehe, I'm talking about the thing without dairy products. Don't you eat that in America?

Oh, and my kiwi sorbet didn't turn out that good. If you're making kiwi sorbet, you need to put the kiwis in a blender and then sift it. I don't have a blender so I just mashed them with a fork, and the result was just like frozen kiwi. :/

[Qwynegold]

Chocolate truffels
2 dl cream
½ dl sugar
50 g butter
300 g chocolate
flavoring of your choice
something to roll the truffels in
papercups? Is that what you call them? Those things that look like those things you have muffins in, except really tiny.

First boil the cream for 5 minutes. Then add the sugar, chocolate, and butter which need to be diced up and soft but not melted. Blend these ingredient together. Then add the flavoring; it could be liquer of some kind, it could be artificial aromas, maybe orange zest would also work. Blend the flavoring with the rest, and then pour it into a plastic container. Put it in the fridge or somewhere else where it's cold, overnight. Next day you spread something on a plate; it could be like cocoa or coconut flakes. In Finland they have these ready crushed candy of several types that worked really well. Take small pieces of the hardened chocolate and make balls of it with your hands. At first it's difficult because it's rock hard, but it becomes easier when it gets warmer. Roll the balls in whatever you have spread on the plate and then put them in the papercups. The truffels need to be stored cool.

My best truffles were:

• White chocolate with peppermint aroma, rolled in crushed Marianne
• Milk chocolate with bitter almond, rolled in crushed Wienernougat
• Dark chocolate with vanilla aroma (although the aroma wasn't noticeable at all), rolled in crushed Turkish pepper

[Dewrad]

Recipe time! And I assume no liability for any customary-metric conversion screw-ups.

Orange Tiramisù (vegetarian; potentially kosher)
Before our resident Welsh chef comments, yes, it's a tiramisù dessert without coffee or marsala, so it may not be an orthodox tiramisù. However, it's prepared the same way as one and it's really delicious.

Meh, I've got a charlotte made with mushrooms and pistachios on the specials board at the moment. I'm not a total authenticity fascist. Orange tiramisu sounds awesome, like Terry's chocolate orange in delicious tiramisu form.

[din]

Tonno Alla 2 am

...

I made it at 2 PM, and it wasn't bad for a (high calorie) quick lunch


(quick for a homemade lunch, that is)

[Radius Solis]

Greek Fries, as opposed to French

You could use fresh potatoes and cut into wedges and whatnot if you want to be an authenticity queen, but for holding loose toppings on fries so that they successfully arrive in your mouth together, you really can't beat "criss-cut" or waffle-cut fries, which you can buy frozen.

1. Get some.

2. Deep-fry according to package directions. Or bake them if you really insist, but don't complain to me when that doesn't turn out fantastic.

3. Sprinkle with black pepper, cumin, a little onion powder, and if the fries aren't pre-seasoned, perhaps a little salt. The main saltiness will come from the cheese.

4. Sprinkle lightly with lemon juice; now we finally get to the important bit, which is to top the fries with crumbled feta - and, optionally, a bit of chopped mint or chopped oregano.

5. Serve with tzatziki to dip them in. Sano posted a recipe a few pages back in this thread, as I recall; two or three years ago maybe.

[din]

Even without the other toppings, tzatziki and fries is an amazing combo.


There's a little greasy spoon run by Greek people close to my old university, and they sold fries, grilled meat and fried Greek snacks (like squid rings). I once decided to dip a fry in my tzatziki and have since dipped many more fries in tzatziki.


There are very few Greek places here in Brussels though, so I kinda forgot about the combo.

[masako]

Greek Fries, as opposed to French

You could use fresh potatoes and cut into wedges and whatnot if you want to be an authenticity queen, but for holding loose toppings on fries so that they successfully arrive in your mouth together, you really can't beat "criss-cut" or waffle-cut fries, which you can buy frozen.

1. Get some.

2. Deep-fry according to package directions. Or bake them if you really insist, but don't complain to me when that doesn't turn out fantastic.

3. Sprinkle with black pepper, cumin, a little onion powder, and if the fries aren't pre-seasoned, perhaps a little salt. The main saltiness will come from the cheese.

4. Sprinkle lightly with lemon juice; now we finally get to the important bit, which is to top the fries with crumbled feta - and, optionally, a bit of chopped mint or chopped oregano.

5. Serve with tzatziki to dip them in. Sano posted a recipe a few pages back in this thread, as I recall; two or three years ago maybe.

I'm gonna try your recipe Rad...along with mine, of course.

Homemade tzadziki is best.

----

1 large cucumber, peeled and graded with either a cheese grader or the shredding tool of a food processor

4-6 cloves of garlic, chopped finely

1 tbsp of salt

1 tbsp of pepper, or cumin (my preference)

20 oz of Greek strained yogurt (Fage brand is best)

3-4 tbsp lemon juice (fresh squeezed is best, but bottled works just fine)

Mix slowly with a spoon until thoroughly mixed.

I promise you'll like it.

[Astraios]

graded with either a cheese grader

Weird.

[masako]

graded with either a cheese grader

Weird.

Innovative.

[Torco]

Since this is the thread about cooking and all, guise... how on earth do you cool leeks?
I mean they're fine raw, but a bit on the strong side as far as meals go [its decent as a substitute for onion for sure, but it looks meaty and sweet, like it would be decent food on its own if cooked somehow]. You can buy grilled leeks in skyrim, but I don't wanna take my cooking advice from Bethesda

[masako]

Skyrim is actually right in this case. Leeks are best IMO grilled, with onion slices and bits of Gouda or feta thrown in.

[Dewrad]

Since this is the thread about cooking and all, guise... how on earth do you cool leeks?

Sweat them in butter. Boil them. Stuff them with cheese and bake them. Cook them on a chargrill. Blanch them when they're really young and eat them wrapped in ham.

[Torco]

Skyrim is actually right in this case. Leeks are best IMO grilled, with onion slices and bits of Gouda or feta thrown in.

Fus Ro Da !

Stuff them with cheese and bake them

that sounds pretty nice too... shall try.

[Radius Solis]

Cardamom Steak Cutlets in Wine-Garlic Sauce

Among my personal bests thus far.

Inspired by watching them do teppanyaki at Benihana, but here we look to Europe and the Middle East for our main flavors.

You will need:

- a tender cut of beef, such as tri-tip, cut into pieces finger-thick and 1-2 inches long
- seasonings: 1 tsp each salt, ground coriander; 1/2 to 3/4 tsp each cardamom, black pepper; dash or two of cumin
- oil, flour, and white wine
- a goodly amount of green onions cut into 1-2 inch lengths
- 1-2 fat cloves of garlic and a garlic press
- a non-nonstick electric frying pan or wok
- a cup of water or broth

Have everything cut, measured, peeled, and otherwise ready so you don't risk overcooking.

When pan is fully heated to 375 F add steak cutlets, season, and sear, stirring only once or twice, two-ish minutes - or until pieces are well browned on 1 or 2 sides and stuff has browned onto pan bottom. Pieces should be rare to medium-rare. Turn down heat to 250 F, stir in green onions, and let fry a few moments only. Leave heat on and divide steak among plates.

Add a little more oil to pan; crush in garlic with a garlic press and fry it for a moment. Add a spoon or so of flour, mixing fully into oil, then glug in a generous splash of white wine, add water/broth, and stir - mixing up the stuck-on stuff into the liquid - just until mixed and thickened. Err on the side of thin sauce rather than thick. Pour over steak and serve.


Serve over rice. Amounts given are intended to feed two people. The first time I instead served it next to bolani; the two went well together, but lack of something to soak up the sauce was a conspicuous flaw.

[Radius Solis]

Radiusolarian Chana Masala

Curried chickpeas. Recipe adapted from, well, lots of others, which I've consulted over time and then gone my own way with, and having now ironed out all the wrinkles. The amount of flavor-rich ingredients may look insane, but it is necessary, don't skimp. Amounts designed to feed two.

Doing the bay leaves and the garlic and ginger can be tedious, but you'll be glad you did, and the rest of this recipe is a snap - and healthy too.

Remember, don't skimp on:
1 tsp each of the Six Cs, all in powder form: coriander, cinnamon, clove, cardamom, cumin (optional), cayenne (adjustable to preference), and a tablespoon of turmeric - mix all together and divide in half
3-5 dried bay leaves, pulverized with mortar and pestle, or just crumbled finely between fingers
1/4 cup finely-chopped garlic and ginger, 50-50

Plus:
2 cans chickpeas (a.k.a. garbanzo beans)
half a sweet onion, diced
3 oz. tomato paste
optional: a small to medium potato, cubed to 1 cm size and parboiled five minutes; tomato or red bell pepper similarly chopped; I also tend to add chopped cooked chicken

and:
1 - 2 tsp lemon juice
1/2 - 1 tsp salt

Saute onion slowly, on low heat, in a bit of oil, until rich golden-brown; 20-30 minutes. While this is going you can put the spices together and prepare the bay leaves and garlic and ginger. Add garlic/ginger and let saute until aromatic. Add 1 cup water, then all other ingredients except salt, lemon juice, and half the spices - those go in the pot minute or two before it's done. Simmer gently for 10 minutes, stirring periodically; nearly all liquid will evaporate by the end of this time. If it gets too dry too quickly you can add a little more water. Do not overcook.

[Shrdlu]

I have tried to make the thing, where you put oil in the pan and then herbs and spices: the problem is that it's getting burned when I put something else in there to stir with it. Is there anyone who could share the secret of how not to burn the herbs/spices? I know my mother, and possibly my father have solved it but they are not here at the moment.

[Radius Solis]

I have tried to make the thing, where you put oil in the pan and then herbs and spices: the problem is that it's getting burned when I put something else in there to stir with it. Is there anyone who could share the secret of how not to burn the herbs/spices? I know my mother, and possibly my father have solved it but they are not here at the moment.

Use less heat.

[Shrdlu]

Yeah, I think I have solved it. I first max the heat and then lower it. Thanks!

^edit:I think this just uped the result of my cooking-abilty with like 50%. I now make semi amazing things instead of things that tastes just like... things.

[din]

I'm glad you got use out of it 2 years after I posted it (if that's where you got it from)

If so, the credits go to my Indian cook book (by Madhur Jaffrey)