As winter is now firmly upon us, I thought I'd share three recipes. All three are warming and comforting, ideal for when it's pissing it down with rain outside and it's pitch black outside at five o'clock.
And, having just written all three down, I notice that the three together happily represent my ethnic heritage...
Stovies
As few of you probably remember, I'm 1/4 Scottish. And, about the only time I ever get in touch with my northern roots is in the kitchen, either making tablet or the following dish. It was taught to me initially by my father and was pretty much his entire culinary repertoire. This version is my own, modified significantly since I learnt how to cook properly and stopped seeing burnt bits as a feature rather than a bug.
You will need:
two fat cloves of garlic
one small onion
one carrot
half a kilo of minced beef
about the same of potatoes
a litre of meat stock (suit yourself on this, I use chicken.)
a teaspoon of bouillon powder
a pinch each of dried thyme, salt and coarsely ground black pepper
a small glass of dry vermouth
First, peel the potatoes and chop into bite-sized chunks, then chop the garlic and onion up very small, and grate the carrot. In a large, heavy-based saucepan, heat some oil and fry the onion, carrot and garlic over a low heat for about five or so minutes, until the mix has softened and the onion has gone a golden colour. Add the beef and fry until browned. Pour in the vermouth and turn the heat up high. Allow the alcohol to boil off and the liquid to reduce by about half. Add the remaining ingredients and turn the heat down very low. Allow to simmer covered for about an hour, stirring occasionally. Uncover and turn the heat up to medium and leave reduce for about fifteen minutes or so. You should end up with a thick sauce and potatoes that are soft and crumbly. Serve with a couple of slices of white bread, for dunking/bowl-wiping purposes.
If you have any left over, leave it overnight and have it the next day. It's even better after it's been left to fester for a while.
Ffagod
Faggots. Mmm. These are traditionally served with stwns (a mix of mashed potatoes, turnips, cabbage and leeks) but I like them with sglodion- chips (fries). Normally, you'd make these with offal, but since good offal is tricky to come by these days (and, I've heard, near-impossible in the US), I tend to use plain old minced pork instead.
You will need:
half a kilo of minced pork
pork liver, if you can get it
two slices of brown bread
a little milk
one small onion
a dessertspoon full of plain flour
a dessertspoons full each of butter and cornflour
a litre of meat stock
a pinch each of thyme, rosemary, sage, black pepper and salt
Chop the onion up very small. Cut the crusts off the bread and soak in the milk briefly, then squeeze out the liquid. Mix both with the minced pork, combining well with the herbs and black pepper. Form into balls about an inch accross. Season the plain flour and place in a saucer. Coat the balls with the flour and fry in batches in a little oil over a high heat until browned. Once you've browned your balls, place them in a large saucepan and pour over the stock. Bring to the boil, turn down the heat and allow to simmer over a gentle heat for twenty minutes or so.
Mix together the cornflour and butter in a cup or similar. Turn the mixture out into the saucepan with the faggots in and allow the sauce to thicken, stirring gently. Once the sauce is good and thick, serve with either stwns or chips. Peas also work well with this.
Soupe à l'oignon
(OK, I grant you, presenting onion soup as representative of my Breton ancestry is tenuous at best, but meh.)
My partner can't stand this, as onions give him indigestion in large quantities, but I think it's a wonderful winter dish. Great for colds.
You will need:
two large onions
two cloves of garlic
half a cup of plain flour
two litres of beef stock
two glasses of dry white wine
a dessertspoon full of butter
a bay leaf
a pinch each of thyme, salt and black pepper
as many slices of baguette as there are people eating
enough gruyère to cover said slices
First, slice the onions finely. Melt the butter in a large saucepan and add the onions and leave to fry over a low heat for about twenty minutes or so. The onions should be dark brown and soft, not black and crispy. Chop the garlic finely and add to the onions with the flour, stirring well. Gradually add the stock, stirring as you do so. Drink one of the glasses of wine and add the other to the soup in the same way as the stock. Bring to the boil, add the thyme, salt and pepper and the bay leaf. Cover and leave to simmer gently for about twenty minutes again.
To serve, place a baguette slice in each bowl and ladle the soup over the top. Sprinkle with the cheese and grill until the cheese melts and goes bubbly. Then eat. Be warned, this makes a crapload of soup, so freeze what's left over.
the Old Granny thread
As the nights draw in...
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)
Re: As the nights draw in...
You make tablet? Great stuff. My granny used to make that. It's a wonder I have teeth. What's your recipe for that?!Dewrad wrote:As few of you probably remember, I'm 1/4 Scottish. And, about the only time I ever get in touch with my northern roots is in the kitchen, either making tablet
- "But this can be stopped."
- "No, I came all this way to show you this because nothing can be done. Because I like the way your pupils dilate in the presence of total planetary Armageddon.
Yes, it can be stopped."
- "No, I came all this way to show you this because nothing can be done. Because I like the way your pupils dilate in the presence of total planetary Armageddon.
Yes, it can be stopped."
Re: As the nights draw in...
It's fantastic stuff! I use this fellow's recipe- hasn't failed me yet and tastes just like I remember from my childhoodTengado wrote:You make tablet? Great stuff. My granny used to make that. It's a wonder I have teeth. What's your recipe for that?!Dewrad wrote:As few of you probably remember, I'm 1/4 Scottish. And, about the only time I ever get in touch with my northern roots is in the kitchen, either making tablet
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)
I'm glad of it, since otherwise I would've missed the link to the candy porn.Dewrad wrote:Bump. I am unwilling to see this thread die.
It's quirky what offal you can and can't get your hands on in the USA. My bigger half decided to make haggis for Hogmanay in celebration of his Scottish roots and we soon discovered that it's illegal to sell the lung of any animal here. The Canadians don't seem to have the same problem, though, at least according to an anthropologist friend of mine in Toronto who helpfully helped identify the components in my kokoretsi. So we had to settle for calves' heart and liver mixed with some ground lamb. Quite tasty; we'll defrost what's left and make a pie of it with the leftover neeps and tatties for Burn's Nicht.
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Mr. Saturday
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For that reason, I have heard stories of Scots smuggling haggis into the US, usually via Canada, to their expatriate or family friends.linguoboy wrote:It's quirky what offal you can and can't get your hands on in the USA. My bigger half decided to make haggis for Hogmanay in celebration of his Scottish roots and we soon discovered that it's illegal to sell the lung of any animal here. The Canadians don't seem to have the same problem, though, at least according to an anthropologist friend of mine in Toronto who helpfully helped identify the components in my kokoretsi. So we had to settle for calves' heart and liver mixed with some ground lamb. Quite tasty; we'll defrost what's left and make a pie of it with the leftover neeps and tatties for Burn's Nicht.
The man of science is perceiving and endowed with vision whereas he who is ignorant and neglectful of this development is blind. The investigating mind is attentive, alive; the mind callous and indifferent is deaf and dead. - 'Abdu'l-Bahá
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Radius Solis
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Time for more recipes perhaps, hmm? It's been a while.
Rich Chocolate Frosting
The kingpin of my original recipes. Based loosely on the old "powdered sugar frosting" approach, but altered over time and with practice to the point where twice I've been offered money for the recipe.
3.5 cups (16 oz.) powdered/"confectioner's" sugar
2 tbsp milk or so
1 stick (half a cup) butter or margarine
6 oz. cream cheese, plain (see note 1)
2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tsp vanilla
Soften or melt butter in a large mixing bowl. Mix in sugar with a fork - will form a stiff doughy material. Add milk a little at a time (see note 2) until mixture has a creamy consistency. Dump in the cream cheese and vanilla. Beat on HIGH speed for 2 - 5 minutes, until frosting is perfectly smooth. The longer you beat it the more air will be incorporated and the "lighter" it will turn out.
Gently stir in cocoa powder until completely mixed in. Spread on cake or whatever and serve. Makes a bit more than needed to frost the top of a 13"x9" cake, or about right for the top, sides, and filling of a 9" two-layer cake. Excess frosting can be frozen if you have iron will, or eaten with a spoon if you're like me.
NB: Getting the consistency how you want it can sometimes be an issue. You can thicken the frosting at any stage by adding more powdered sugar, or thin it with milk, but be careful not to add too much of either at a time or you'll have to add more of the other to fix it, a cycle which once or twice has gone on until I had way too much total frosting.
note 1: Soften the cream cheese first by stirring it up, especially if it's packaged in block form instead of in a plastic tub. However, do not use pre-whipped cream cheese. Trust me on this.
note 2: It doesn't take much milk and only a little will have a lot of effect on the consistency. It should be thick enough at this point you need to exert a little effort to stir it, about halfway between "batter" and "dough", but not much more.
Rich Chocolate Frosting
The kingpin of my original recipes. Based loosely on the old "powdered sugar frosting" approach, but altered over time and with practice to the point where twice I've been offered money for the recipe.
3.5 cups (16 oz.) powdered/"confectioner's" sugar
2 tbsp milk or so
1 stick (half a cup) butter or margarine
6 oz. cream cheese, plain (see note 1)
2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tsp vanilla
Soften or melt butter in a large mixing bowl. Mix in sugar with a fork - will form a stiff doughy material. Add milk a little at a time (see note 2) until mixture has a creamy consistency. Dump in the cream cheese and vanilla. Beat on HIGH speed for 2 - 5 minutes, until frosting is perfectly smooth. The longer you beat it the more air will be incorporated and the "lighter" it will turn out.
Gently stir in cocoa powder until completely mixed in. Spread on cake or whatever and serve. Makes a bit more than needed to frost the top of a 13"x9" cake, or about right for the top, sides, and filling of a 9" two-layer cake. Excess frosting can be frozen if you have iron will, or eaten with a spoon if you're like me.
NB: Getting the consistency how you want it can sometimes be an issue. You can thicken the frosting at any stage by adding more powdered sugar, or thin it with milk, but be careful not to add too much of either at a time or you'll have to add more of the other to fix it, a cycle which once or twice has gone on until I had way too much total frosting.
note 1: Soften the cream cheese first by stirring it up, especially if it's packaged in block form instead of in a plastic tub. However, do not use pre-whipped cream cheese. Trust me on this.
note 2: It doesn't take much milk and only a little will have a lot of effect on the consistency. It should be thick enough at this point you need to exert a little effort to stir it, about halfway between "batter" and "dough", but not much more.
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Radius Solis
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The off-the-cuff result of some experimentation I just finished doing tonight by adding various stuff to a drop-biscuits recipe:
Peculiar Biscuits (Britlandese: "scones")
2 cups flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons chicken bouillon powder (actually I just used two flavor-packets from cheap Top Ramen)
1/2 teaspoon basil
1/2 cup shortening or softened butter
1 cup milk
3-4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 cups or 6 oz. grated cheddar cheese
Preheat oven to 450 Fahrenheit. Mix together dry ingredients (flour, baking powder, bouillon, basil) in large mixing bowl. Cut in the butter or shortening until a crumbly mixture is achieved. Stir in milk to make a loose and lumpy dough, and then evenly mix in cheese.
Drop by very large spoonfuls (8 - 12 of them total) onto a large baking sheet / cookie sheet, and bake for 12-15 minutes or until the edges begin to brown.
Peculiar Biscuits (Britlandese: "scones")
2 cups flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons chicken bouillon powder (actually I just used two flavor-packets from cheap Top Ramen)
1/2 teaspoon basil
1/2 cup shortening or softened butter
1 cup milk
3-4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 cups or 6 oz. grated cheddar cheese
Preheat oven to 450 Fahrenheit. Mix together dry ingredients (flour, baking powder, bouillon, basil) in large mixing bowl. Cut in the butter or shortening until a crumbly mixture is achieved. Stir in milk to make a loose and lumpy dough, and then evenly mix in cheese.
Drop by very large spoonfuls (8 - 12 of them total) onto a large baking sheet / cookie sheet, and bake for 12-15 minutes or until the edges begin to brown.
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Salmoneus
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My experimentation: Stuff a la Goo
Salt cut pieces of an aubergine; leave for a bit.
Add aubergine and oil to a pan, and cook.
After five minutes, add a roughly cut red onion. Probably add some more oil, too, as the aubergine drinks it. Maybe two onions! (if small) At same time, begin cooking a normal onion in another pan.
After five minutes, add three fillets of salmon in with the normal onion. Add nine roughly chopped cup mushrooms to the aubergine pan.
As soon as possible, remove skin from the salmon. Attack with blade of the spatula, dividing into chunks. Continue dividing at leisure; turning also divides. The end result should be flakes of salmon (if you end up with paste of salmon, that's too much dividing). Remember to stir to prevent the onions burning.
Over the course of the salmon-cooking, add a fair dash of light soy sauce, and some drops of fish sauce too. Maybe a touch of worcestershire. And pepper, and thai 7 spice, and plenty of tarragon, and maybe some dill.
Total salmon cooking should take fifteen minutes - a fairly low heat.
Going back in time: five minutes after adding the mushrooms, add a chopped green (bell) pepper, and likewise a chopped red (bell) pepper. And you're to have been stirring this all the time, though not constantly. Stir, leave under lid, stir, etc, just to mix the contents and prevent sticking and burning. Maybe add more oil at this stage.
Five minutes later, add two or three cloves of garlic. Pepper, too. I added some leek at this point, because i was using it for something else and had some left over.
Five minutes later, add a handful of couscous that you have been cooking. Don't ask me how, that's the bit I got wrong - overdone. Add paprika. Plenty of it - it doesn't have much effect. The salmon should be ready now, and add that, with its onion, and stir profusely.
Actually, no. Move all those salmon thing five minutes later. Cook for five minutes more before adding the salmon, which you started cooking five minutes later than you did.
Continue cooking for a few more minutes.
Eat.
I'm weirdly tempted to try 'lamb con stuff a la goo' - i've no idea what lamb plus weirded salmon tastes like, but it must be worth a go.
Salt cut pieces of an aubergine; leave for a bit.
Add aubergine and oil to a pan, and cook.
After five minutes, add a roughly cut red onion. Probably add some more oil, too, as the aubergine drinks it. Maybe two onions! (if small) At same time, begin cooking a normal onion in another pan.
After five minutes, add three fillets of salmon in with the normal onion. Add nine roughly chopped cup mushrooms to the aubergine pan.
As soon as possible, remove skin from the salmon. Attack with blade of the spatula, dividing into chunks. Continue dividing at leisure; turning also divides. The end result should be flakes of salmon (if you end up with paste of salmon, that's too much dividing). Remember to stir to prevent the onions burning.
Over the course of the salmon-cooking, add a fair dash of light soy sauce, and some drops of fish sauce too. Maybe a touch of worcestershire. And pepper, and thai 7 spice, and plenty of tarragon, and maybe some dill.
Total salmon cooking should take fifteen minutes - a fairly low heat.
Going back in time: five minutes after adding the mushrooms, add a chopped green (bell) pepper, and likewise a chopped red (bell) pepper. And you're to have been stirring this all the time, though not constantly. Stir, leave under lid, stir, etc, just to mix the contents and prevent sticking and burning. Maybe add more oil at this stage.
Five minutes later, add two or three cloves of garlic. Pepper, too. I added some leek at this point, because i was using it for something else and had some left over.
Five minutes later, add a handful of couscous that you have been cooking. Don't ask me how, that's the bit I got wrong - overdone. Add paprika. Plenty of it - it doesn't have much effect. The salmon should be ready now, and add that, with its onion, and stir profusely.
Actually, no. Move all those salmon thing five minutes later. Cook for five minutes more before adding the salmon, which you started cooking five minutes later than you did.
Continue cooking for a few more minutes.
Eat.
I'm weirdly tempted to try 'lamb con stuff a la goo' - i've no idea what lamb plus weirded salmon tastes like, but it must be worth a go.
Blog: [url]http://vacuouswastrel.wordpress.com/[/url]
But the river tripped on her by and by, lapping
as though her heart was brook: Why, why, why! Weh, O weh
I'se so silly to be flowing but I no canna stay!
But the river tripped on her by and by, lapping
as though her heart was brook: Why, why, why! Weh, O weh
I'se so silly to be flowing but I no canna stay!
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Radius Solis
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Radius Solis
- Smeric
- Posts: 1248
- Joined: Tue Mar 30, 2004 5:40 pm
- Location: Si'ahl
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Chicken Noodle Soup
Preparation:
Boil half a pound of pasta (your choice of type) until it's just slightly underdone, drain, and set aside. It will soften the rest of the way while you do everything else.
Cut up 1/3 pound or so of chicken breast into bite-sized pieces. Do not remove fat while cutting, and in fact maybe get some more fat from any unused chicken left over (fat content is important for chicken soup). Set aside.
Chop vegetables: slice a few stalks of celery; dice a small bell pepper of your choice of color, or half of a large one; cut a couple of carrots into matchstick-size pieces or else grate them coarsely; and cut up a bunch of green onions (6 - 8 or so) into one-inch lengths. Other vegetables of your choice can be added.
Place a strainer/colander over a bowl, and pour a can of Campbell's chicken noodle soup (or equivalent) into the strainer. You want to catch the liquid in the bowl, straining out the solids. Let it sit while the soup cooks so all the liquid can drain from the so-called "noodles" in the strainer. Don't just buy pre-canned chicken stock, it's not remotely as good as doing this.
Bring vegetables to a boil in a medium-large saucepan with 3 or so cups of water. Once it's boiling, turn the heat down to medium-low and add the chicken. Don't cover. Stir occasionally while this simmers until the chicken is completely cooked through, or about ten minutes.
Remove from heat. Stir in a teaspoon of butter/margarine, the Cambell's soup liquid, and the pasta. Salt and pepper to taste. Serves 2.
Extra Credit: stir in the contents of one of those little flavor-powder packets from a cheapass Top Ramen package.
Preparation:
Boil half a pound of pasta (your choice of type) until it's just slightly underdone, drain, and set aside. It will soften the rest of the way while you do everything else.
Cut up 1/3 pound or so of chicken breast into bite-sized pieces. Do not remove fat while cutting, and in fact maybe get some more fat from any unused chicken left over (fat content is important for chicken soup). Set aside.
Chop vegetables: slice a few stalks of celery; dice a small bell pepper of your choice of color, or half of a large one; cut a couple of carrots into matchstick-size pieces or else grate them coarsely; and cut up a bunch of green onions (6 - 8 or so) into one-inch lengths. Other vegetables of your choice can be added.
Place a strainer/colander over a bowl, and pour a can of Campbell's chicken noodle soup (or equivalent) into the strainer. You want to catch the liquid in the bowl, straining out the solids. Let it sit while the soup cooks so all the liquid can drain from the so-called "noodles" in the strainer. Don't just buy pre-canned chicken stock, it's not remotely as good as doing this.
Bring vegetables to a boil in a medium-large saucepan with 3 or so cups of water. Once it's boiling, turn the heat down to medium-low and add the chicken. Don't cover. Stir occasionally while this simmers until the chicken is completely cooked through, or about ten minutes.
Remove from heat. Stir in a teaspoon of butter/margarine, the Cambell's soup liquid, and the pasta. Salt and pepper to taste. Serves 2.
Extra Credit: stir in the contents of one of those little flavor-powder packets from a cheapass Top Ramen package.
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Radius Solis
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Simple Soup
half an onion, diced
1 cup chopped parsley
a clove of garlic, minced or crushed
1 cup chicken stock
1 cup rice, already cooked
Fry onions until golden brown. Add chicken stock, garlic, onions, and rice to a suitably sized saucepan. Bring only just to a boil, then stir parsley in and serve.
This feeds one but it can easily be scaled up or modified as you see fit. For such an easy recipe it's damn good.
half an onion, diced
1 cup chopped parsley
a clove of garlic, minced or crushed
1 cup chicken stock
1 cup rice, already cooked
Fry onions until golden brown. Add chicken stock, garlic, onions, and rice to a suitably sized saucepan. Bring only just to a boil, then stir parsley in and serve.
This feeds one but it can easily be scaled up or modified as you see fit. For such an easy recipe it's damn good.
mmm...thread
Cooking is something I would like to be able to do beyond a few things but since I live in catered halls, it's kind of unnecessary now so I can't really be bothered.
I've had all three of the above with brown sauce and tabasco on my chips and on my pasta several times...Rory wrote:I enjoy cooking. Well, when I'm not tired or rushed, I enjoy cooking.
Things that I find invaluable when cooking:
Vinegar
Soy Sauce and Worcestershire Sauce - these two buddies don't go well together, but you have to have one of them in a meal.
Cooking is something I would like to be able to do beyond a few things but since I live in catered halls, it's kind of unnecessary now so I can't really be bothered.
There isn't enough sweet stuff in this thread. So, this is what I'm cooking right now:
Tartenni Bychan Afal
1 egg
14 oz plain white flour
teaspoon dried yeast
1/4 pint lukewarm water
3 dessertspoons sugar
pinch cinnamon
about 1 oz unsalted butter (ish, a lump about the size of a golfball)
2 old apples*
dash of milk (or single cream)
handful of sliced almonds
First, you need to activate the yeast. Dissolve a dessertspoon of sugar in the lukewarm water and scatter the yeast over it. Give it a good whisk and put in a warm place for the yeast to come alive.
Next, sift the flour and salt into a bowl and add the salt and cinnamon. Using your fingers, work in half the butter until it resembles pale yellow breadcrumbs.
Then peel your apples, remove the core and chop into small pieces- about half an inch cubes or so. Melt the remaining butter over a low heat in a small saucepan and add the apples. Allow to cook, stirring regularly, for about five or so minutes. Then, add enough milk to cover the apples, about half the almonds and a dessertspoon of sugar. Leave to simmer for about twenty or so minutes, stirring occasionally.
While the apples are cooking, mix the yeast mixture and the egg into the flour. When the dough begins to come away from the side of the bowl, transfer it to a floured surface and knead it for ten minutes or so, adding more flour should the dough start sticking. Once this is done, place in an oiled bowl and cover with a damp teatowel, then put this in a warm place to rise for half an hour.
Your apples should be done by now, with most of the liquid evaporated. Stir and then remove from the heat. Using a potato masher, have at it and turn it into a pulp. Allow to cool.
Once the dough has risen, knock it back by kneading for a further five minutes. Roll it out to about half a centimeter's thickness and cut an even number of circles from it- use a pint glass as a template or something. Divide the circles into two equal groups. On one group, put a dollop of the apple mix in the middle and dampen the edges. Cover these with the other group, pressing down the edges to seal. Decorate them with the rest of the almonds.
Place on a greased baking tray and brush with either beaten egg or milk. Cook in a moderately hot preheated oven (200 C, 400 F, Gas 6, according to Wikibooks) for 20 minutes or so. Turn out onto a wire rack and eat when warm.
*Apples can last for ages, if they're kept in a cool, dry place. I reckon they actually work better for cooking when they're old- they seem to be sweeter. The ones I used for this were about three months old or so.
Tartenni Bychan Afal
1 egg
14 oz plain white flour
teaspoon dried yeast
1/4 pint lukewarm water
3 dessertspoons sugar
pinch cinnamon
about 1 oz unsalted butter (ish, a lump about the size of a golfball)
2 old apples*
dash of milk (or single cream)
handful of sliced almonds
First, you need to activate the yeast. Dissolve a dessertspoon of sugar in the lukewarm water and scatter the yeast over it. Give it a good whisk and put in a warm place for the yeast to come alive.
Next, sift the flour and salt into a bowl and add the salt and cinnamon. Using your fingers, work in half the butter until it resembles pale yellow breadcrumbs.
Then peel your apples, remove the core and chop into small pieces- about half an inch cubes or so. Melt the remaining butter over a low heat in a small saucepan and add the apples. Allow to cook, stirring regularly, for about five or so minutes. Then, add enough milk to cover the apples, about half the almonds and a dessertspoon of sugar. Leave to simmer for about twenty or so minutes, stirring occasionally.
While the apples are cooking, mix the yeast mixture and the egg into the flour. When the dough begins to come away from the side of the bowl, transfer it to a floured surface and knead it for ten minutes or so, adding more flour should the dough start sticking. Once this is done, place in an oiled bowl and cover with a damp teatowel, then put this in a warm place to rise for half an hour.
Your apples should be done by now, with most of the liquid evaporated. Stir and then remove from the heat. Using a potato masher, have at it and turn it into a pulp. Allow to cool.
Once the dough has risen, knock it back by kneading for a further five minutes. Roll it out to about half a centimeter's thickness and cut an even number of circles from it- use a pint glass as a template or something. Divide the circles into two equal groups. On one group, put a dollop of the apple mix in the middle and dampen the edges. Cover these with the other group, pressing down the edges to seal. Decorate them with the rest of the almonds.
Place on a greased baking tray and brush with either beaten egg or milk. Cook in a moderately hot preheated oven (200 C, 400 F, Gas 6, according to Wikibooks) for 20 minutes or so. Turn out onto a wire rack and eat when warm.
*Apples can last for ages, if they're kept in a cool, dry place. I reckon they actually work better for cooking when they're old- they seem to be sweeter. The ones I used for this were about three months old or so.
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)
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schwhatever
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Yay! Cooking!
I enjoy cooking, although I'm mainly inclined towards a Throw Everything Into A Pot With Indian Spices (hereafter TEIAPWIS) form of it.
TEIAPWIS:
Like all good meals it begins with sauteed onion slivers in a pot.
In a seperate pot, start either Bismati rice or a Bismati-Wild rice mix.
Go through your cabinets and fridge. Find all veggies and hearty, interestingly flavored fruits. Throw them in.
If you err on the side of caution and want to purchase ingredients rather than throw what you have in look for-
Back to the food though, add hardest vegetables into the onions first, but don't cook each group until done, unless you like mushy overcooked vegetables. After the first few bunches of vegetables are added, start mixing in spices. Remember that the earliest added ones have greater effect, although not always. The amount of spice generally dominates, however.
Add small amounts of water as cooking, only to bake off. When added water is brown from spices and vegetables are partially discolored, discontinue adding water and let boil off. Remove from heat. Take steamed or boiled rice (remember from way back at the beginning?) and serve vegetables over rice.
For non-vegetarians, you can add a little poultry or (if you're feeling adverturous) a little fish, but sometimes that detracts from the flavor or makes the meal too complex (with the diversity of other flavors).
I enjoy cooking, although I'm mainly inclined towards a Throw Everything Into A Pot With Indian Spices (hereafter TEIAPWIS) form of it.
TEIAPWIS:
Like all good meals it begins with sauteed onion slivers in a pot.
In a seperate pot, start either Bismati rice or a Bismati-Wild rice mix.
Go through your cabinets and fridge. Find all veggies and hearty, interestingly flavored fruits. Throw them in.
If you err on the side of caution and want to purchase ingredients rather than throw what you have in look for-
- *Carrots (firm and flavorful, go for big, uncut, unshaved, organic ones, dice and slice)
*sweet peas, snow peas, snap peas (an interesting additional flavor, but you might want to cut them up)
*greenbeans (always fun)
*chickpeas, lentils, peas (authentic, but if raw need additional preparation)
*tofu (always delicious, not exactly authentic though, and get organic!)
*peppers (any kind, but I'd say bell peppers best balance out the spices)
*corn and lima beans (completely non-authentic, but not too striking)
- *Cloves: they're worth cannot be understated. I eat them raw to wake up on hard mondays. I suggest ground cloves, however, if you aren't used to eating them, because it's a pain to either fish them out or bite into them.
*Curry: duh.
*Alspice: it's made of win.
*Tumeric: it is absolutely delicious! Be careful though, it leaves ghastly yellow stains (as my kitchen counter can attest).
*Cardemom: it's basically tumeric's long lost, deeply and yet not-so-deeply altered twin. It's much more subtle than the others, but I like it still.
*Nutmeg: a little
*Cinnamon: a little
*Mango (or other fruit) Chutney: a little when the feeling strikes you
Back to the food though, add hardest vegetables into the onions first, but don't cook each group until done, unless you like mushy overcooked vegetables. After the first few bunches of vegetables are added, start mixing in spices. Remember that the earliest added ones have greater effect, although not always. The amount of spice generally dominates, however.
Add small amounts of water as cooking, only to bake off. When added water is brown from spices and vegetables are partially discolored, discontinue adding water and let boil off. Remove from heat. Take steamed or boiled rice (remember from way back at the beginning?) and serve vegetables over rice.
For non-vegetarians, you can add a little poultry or (if you're feeling adverturous) a little fish, but sometimes that detracts from the flavor or makes the meal too complex (with the diversity of other flavors).
[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]
You forgot chupaquesos.
Sprinkle cheddar on skillet. Fry until it separates out and is cheese frying in oil. As soon as it's able to, flip it and sprinkle more cheddar onto the cheese-pancake and quickly wrap it up into a roll. Fry for a little longer (<1min probably) if necessary, remove.
100% cheese.
Outer part is crunchy and tastes like bacon. Inner is gooey melted cheddar.
Sprinkle cheddar on skillet. Fry until it separates out and is cheese frying in oil. As soon as it's able to, flip it and sprinkle more cheddar onto the cheese-pancake and quickly wrap it up into a roll. Fry for a little longer (<1min probably) if necessary, remove.
100% cheese.
Outer part is crunchy and tastes like bacon. Inner is gooey melted cheddar.
Oh, and all this stuff: my Iron Chef WTF entries
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Radius Solis
- Smeric
- Posts: 1248
- Joined: Tue Mar 30, 2004 5:40 pm
- Location: Si'ahl
- Contact:
This is what's on my menu right now:
Intense Vinaigrette
Dump 1/2 teaspoon each of...
* salt
* pepper
* Italian spice or similar herb/spice blend
* tabasco sauce
* sesame oil
* powdered chicken stock
* soy or worcestorshire sauce
...into a blender. To this, add 1/4 cup vinegar, one crushed clove of garlic, and two tablespoons spicy or dijon mustard.
Blend, while pouring in one half cup vegetable or olive oil in a thin stream, then continue blending until fully mixed (takes but a moment).
Strong. Excellent over green salads and over cold plain pasta. And probably many other things I haven't tried yet.
Intense Vinaigrette
Dump 1/2 teaspoon each of...
* salt
* pepper
* Italian spice or similar herb/spice blend
* tabasco sauce
* sesame oil
* powdered chicken stock
* soy or worcestorshire sauce
...into a blender. To this, add 1/4 cup vinegar, one crushed clove of garlic, and two tablespoons spicy or dijon mustard.
Blend, while pouring in one half cup vegetable or olive oil in a thin stream, then continue blending until fully mixed (takes but a moment).
Strong. Excellent over green salads and over cold plain pasta. And probably many other things I haven't tried yet.
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sintau.tayua
- Niš
- Posts: 5
- Joined: Fri Mar 17, 2006 4:53 pm
- Location: Taranaki (taradise!)
And my peach-custard pastry things!
What you need:
- pastry, preferably flaky.
- a can of diced peaches. If you can't find diced, get sliced and manually dice them. Pineapple works well too.
- plain custard
What to do:
- drain the diced peaches, keep the juice, however.
- make the custard, leave to set for a while (2 minutes?), then add the drained peaches.
- get the pastry and roll it out big. the bigger you roll it, the more finished pastry things you get, but if you roll it too far you get holes in the pastry.
- using a bowl, cut circles of pastry. either eat the leftover pastry scraps or re-mold them to make more circles.
-Take the custard+peaches mix, place two or three spoonfuls in the center of each pastry circle.
- fold the pastry in half, enclosing the custard, and pinch the edges together. Glaze with egg whites and cook in oven until the pastry looks done.
While the pastries are cooking, use the peach juice to make a sauce. If you don't know how, ask your mother or a trusted adult friend.
-eat!
What you need:
- pastry, preferably flaky.
- a can of diced peaches. If you can't find diced, get sliced and manually dice them. Pineapple works well too.
- plain custard
What to do:
- drain the diced peaches, keep the juice, however.
- make the custard, leave to set for a while (2 minutes?), then add the drained peaches.
- get the pastry and roll it out big. the bigger you roll it, the more finished pastry things you get, but if you roll it too far you get holes in the pastry.
- using a bowl, cut circles of pastry. either eat the leftover pastry scraps or re-mold them to make more circles.
-Take the custard+peaches mix, place two or three spoonfuls in the center of each pastry circle.
- fold the pastry in half, enclosing the custard, and pinch the edges together. Glaze with egg whites and cook in oven until the pastry looks done.
While the pastries are cooking, use the peach juice to make a sauce. If you don't know how, ask your mother or a trusted adult friend.
-eat!
[img]http://altuses4googleearth.pbwiki.com/f/Cirrusy.png[/img]
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Radius Solis
- Smeric
- Posts: 1248
- Joined: Tue Mar 30, 2004 5:40 pm
- Location: Si'ahl
- Contact:
I have decided to stop posting recipes here and instead start blogging them. There's only one there right now, one that isn't also in this thread, but I'm going to transfer all of mine from this thread there too.
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Radius Solis
- Smeric
- Posts: 1248
- Joined: Tue Mar 30, 2004 5:40 pm
- Location: Si'ahl
- Contact:
I am unwilling to let this thread die. >:\
Thus, a simple down-home-style recipe I've been making a lot lately:
Onion-Fried Potatoes
This one counts as vegan, but you'd never know because it's so excellent.
Per Person:
one large potato
half an onion, preferably a sweet onion
Skin potatoes and cut into half-inch cubes. Fry in liberal cooking oil on high heat in large skillet, turning/strirring around often enough for relatively even cooking. Meanwhile, or previously, chop onion into lots of small bits and make the topping (below). When the potato pieces have started turning golden around the edges and on sides that haven't been turned enough, add chopped onion. Stir/turn very frequently to make sure the onions get fried reasonably evenly (in the final stages I keep the potatoes and onions moving constantly in the pan). When everything's a nice golden brown, serve.
Topping (optional but delicious):
per person, one quarter cup consisting of 50% chopped green onion and 50% chopped fresh parsley.
Season to taste.
Thus, a simple down-home-style recipe I've been making a lot lately:
Onion-Fried Potatoes
This one counts as vegan, but you'd never know because it's so excellent.
Per Person:
one large potato
half an onion, preferably a sweet onion
Skin potatoes and cut into half-inch cubes. Fry in liberal cooking oil on high heat in large skillet, turning/strirring around often enough for relatively even cooking. Meanwhile, or previously, chop onion into lots of small bits and make the topping (below). When the potato pieces have started turning golden around the edges and on sides that haven't been turned enough, add chopped onion. Stir/turn very frequently to make sure the onions get fried reasonably evenly (in the final stages I keep the potatoes and onions moving constantly in the pan). When everything's a nice golden brown, serve.
Topping (optional but delicious):
per person, one quarter cup consisting of 50% chopped green onion and 50% chopped fresh parsley.
Season to taste.