Sandbox thread for cooking, nutrition nazis, your fucking lunch, etc.

Because we all know the food threads are the best threads.

I need ideas for cauliflower.

Is there anything worse than undercooked rice? Those jerks at the deli screwed me today on my stir-fry order.

I have a head of cauliflower in my fridge that's been there for a week - I am also looking for an idea for cauliflower!

Roasted cauliflower with parmesan sprinkled on top?

Last night for dinner (and last week; made it twice because omgsoyum) was blackened chicken stuffed with feta and spinach, served with sauteed chickpeas, onions and lentils on top of raw spinach. kdjfal;skdjf;alskdf

ooh i have one:

chop cauli into florets

to a large bowl add:
2 tbsp oil (canola, peanut, evoo, whatever)
juice of one lemon
3 minced garlic cloves
salt and pepper
2 tbsp nutritional yeast
1-2 tsp dijon (depending on how mustardy you want it)
couple pinches of either dried dill or tarragon

whisk, then add cauli, toss to coat. arrange on parchment-lined dish, bake at 400 fro about 30 mins, or until caramelized.

roast cauli flower is the bomb
what is the deal w/ nutritional yeast? i dont think i've ever cooked w/ that

or

boil it, drain it, mash/blend it with some cashew cream (1/2 raw cashews blended till smooth with 3/4 c water - quincie you have a vitamix so you should totes do this), salt and pepper, put into glass baking dish, generous amounts of paprika on top, bake till whenever.

nut. yeast kind of has a cheesy flavour. i like it in moderation: most recipes i use that feature it, i always halve the stated amount. some ppl LOVE that noochy taste, but i find it overwhelming, the cheesy part comes out more if you use less. good replacement for parmesan in cooking.

i am trying to use up all the thanksgiving leftovers in sort-of healthy ways. last night i made roasted brussel sprouts with apples and stuffing croutons, and started a turkey, navy bean and kale soup which will be finished today. i am going to garnish that with stuffing croutons too because i have about a pound of stuffing.

i have been cooking a lot of cauliflower and usually roasting with either a mustard sauce or a olive oil and curry or shallots and bacon.

I think I'll try the puree! But I don't have cashews--I wonder if another nut will work? I have some pecans, some almonds, maybe some walnuts?

i think walnuts would be good? pecans would maybe be too strong. i don't like almond cream at all, but that's bc i hate that marzipan flavour. making nut creams is the #1 reason i want a vitamix! so much better for you than dairy cream (but still totally fatty). maybe also try using a veg or chicken broth in place of water when you blend the nuts.

This is quick n easy: hot lightly pickled cauli.

Sauté sliced garlic, add cauli florets and chopped red chilli, sauté v quickly on high heat. Turn off heat, add 100ml rice vinegar (per 500g cauli). Season with soy sauce.

I just got two calphalon dutch ovens that look almost new at the thrift store for $10 each.
Oh yeah.

Oh btw I made that vegan gravy that just1n3 says is the bestiest gravy in the world. And it was pretty damn good. I made my own veg stock for it (so glad it is finally cool enough to make stock). Veg stock is probably my favorite kind to make, esp since imo the veg stock I have bought tastes like compost dirt. The gravy was yummy but it tastes kind of carroty. I love carrots but it's not a flavor I'm used to in gravy. First time I used nute yeast too; that stuff is funky!

This is the gravy in question, for ref:
http://vegweb.com/index.php?topic=6966.0

I used only a tiny drop or two of vinegar instead of a fourth cup. I could not see that much vinegar turning out well!

The gravy was a very nice color, too.

cauliflower

roast @ 350 for an hour w/olive oil & chili powder & sea salt, add a 1/4 cup of stock to finish

or saute red onion & garlic, add cauliflower and cook until tender, toss w/ziti grated parmesan & mint

^copyright mario batali but hey its GOOD

xp to abbs, yeah i made that gravy again for thanksgiving - the carroty taste must come from your stock because mine didn't have that. i also only use maybe a tbsp of balsamic and don't add mushrooms. plus i add fake beef stock to mine, so it's more meaty tasting. it's so rich, i only make it for big holiday meals.

just made these http://smittenkitchen.com/2008/10/pumpkin-swirl-brownies/ except with my usual ridiculously casual substitutions: butternut squash for canned pumpkin, black pepper for cayenne, ginger mixed with the cinnamon, and about half the chocolate made up with cocoa and treacle.

they are pretty good! but kind of... too floury for my idea of brownies?

oooh i like that website! i've made a veganized version of her raspberry scones that was delish.

my fucking lunch is a turkey sandwich and some apples, again
my fucking dinner will be kale, navy bean and turkey stew, again

no complaints about either.

My fucking lunch: leftover beef stroganoff, leftover "butterpeas" -- some strange and wonderful hybrid pea that my dad discovered and grew this year, a delicious cross between blackeyed pea, butterbean and sweet pea.

So much garlic, I'm going to knock someone unconscious at my 3.30 department meeting. Garlic and kale are a match made somewhere wonderful.

I have another crock pot experiment going - black bean, tomato, carrot, cumin, chili powder, veg broth.

BUTTERPEAS! I want to eat them
I decided my favorite easy home sandwich is avocado + salt & pepper + radish sprouts on toasty bread; I think I have told about this before but I am a proselyte for it!

dear deli llama:

paella dinner @ 10PM = not good idea

all best,

yr tummy

I started eating stuff that is making me irrationally dragon-level hungry so I'm going to need a lot of easy home sandwich recipes, keep them coming because the nutritionist is quite expensive. OK thanks sandbox bye.

Oh btw I made that vegan gravy that just1n3 says is the bestiest gravy in the world. And it was pretty damn good. I made my own veg stock for it (so glad it is finally cool enough to make stock). Veg stock is probably my favorite kind to make, esp since imo the veg stock I have bought tastes like compost dirt. The gravy was yummy but it tastes kind of carroty. I love carrots but it's not a flavor I'm used to in gravy. First time I used nute yeast too; that stuff is funky!

i have never made veg stock & always want/mean to, not because the stock i have isn't good but bc it sometimes denudes me of a sense of auteurial control over how i made a meal delicious

imo it is fun as hell to put five pounds of veg in a pot and think 'I am stealing your SOUL, vegetables!'

so glad it is finally cool enough to make stock

Assuming you've got a non-climate controlled kitchen. Here's the second place (besides beans) where a pressure cooker really shines. A thoroughly
cooked stock can take under an hour, there's less heat loss from evaporation, and once the cooker comes up to pressure (15 psi over ambient), one can turn the burner down very low.

I make 8 qts at a time and freeze it in 1 qt ziplocks, and always add a couple of tbsp of Marmite which gives it a nice savoury flavor.

if i had a deep-freeze i would totally be into making my own stock, but as it is, my little freezer is full (i always freeze leftovers, always have frozen bananas and bread, plus vegan cheese, gardein, tomato sauce...).

my blackbeantomatocarrot crockpot soup was pretty delish, btw.

I just moved 10# of beef neckbones from the freezer to the fridge for stock-making this weekend.

I made a clean-out-the-vegetable-drawer minestrone soup the other night. I didn't have stock but I used a lot of tomato puree in the broth. It turned out pretty well. A pinch of sugar helped the flavor.

brussels sproutttsssssss

So I ended up making a cauliflower puree with steamed cauliflower and garlic thrown into the vitamix with a half cup of milk and two ounces of cream cheese, 'cause that's what I had. A little nutmeg, too. Tasty and not a terrible substitute for mashed potatoes if you are on the NN train.

I will pick up more cauliflower from the farmers' market tomorrow and will give the other suggestions a spin!

OK so moving on, will everyone please tell me everything they know about MISO and uses thereof? TBH my experience with miso is only of the japanese (and sometimes korean) soup version in restaurants, which ime is kinda meh.

Also of recent interest: korean bbq prepared at home.

good in salad dressings?

i like to make a paste of miso + hot pepper paste + sesame seeds and put it on/in things
it has a name but of course i can't remember what it is
you may know it as the stuff they serve with bibimbop?

roasted delicata squash w/miso-based dressing and harissa (have made this and it was good - has kale in it too)

and this one is a potato salad from tal ronnen's book:
1lb fingerling or baby potatoes
3-4 handfuls of baby spinach
4 green onions, sliced

Boil the potatoes in salted water till tender. Drain well and slice into rounds. Refrigerate over night.

Add the spinach and green onions.

2tbsp yellow or white miso
1 tbsp agave
3 tbsp seasoned rice vinegar
salt & pepper
1 tbsp dijon or whole grain mustard
3 tbsp lemon juice
1 clove garlic minced
1/2 shallot minced
1/2 safflower or canola oil

Add all of the above to a food processor (or whisk in a bowl) and pulse till combined. Slowly the oil until emulsified. Pour over vegetables and toss till everything is coated.

aha ssamjang?

you can google for recipes or just wing it
here is one http://www.trifood.com/ssamjang.asp

tastes good on virtually everything imo (not sweets, obvs)

http://justbento.com/handbook/johbisai/miso-tahini-and-nut-paste

Any tips on what miso to buy? My big-ass "international" grocery store has dozens of kinds, many of which have labels I cannot read because lolmonolingual 'merican. How long will it last in my fridge unopened and how long unopened? I am a pitiable miso novice.

I did manage to procure some ssamjang for my korean-bbq-at-home experiment tomorrow. I suppose it would help if I had any korean bbq experience whatsoever, nevermind at home (I am decently versed in korean non-bbq such as bibimbop, soondubu, panchan, etc.). . . will report back.

But MISO remains a mystery. Also: various types of latin american cheeses and wtf to do with them.

http://www.justhungry.com/handbook/just-hungry-reference-handbooks/japanese-miso-primer

^^^just bookmarked that site, looks good!

For Korean BBQ sesame oil with salt is the best dipping sauce. I love it way more than ssamjang. Also grilling some onions and garlic cloves and mushrooms with it is awesome.

The red to white miso spectrum reflects Japanese climate, as the amount of salt required to prevent summer time spoilage rises going south. So traditionally the more highly salted red (mostly soy) misos came from the south, while less salty, sweeter (with more rice or barley) misos occur further north on Honshu.

I use it almost exclusively for miso soup, and I think I've got a two pound bag of Yamajirushi shiro (white) miso. There are some much more white misos useful for salad dressings, but I hated them in soup.

Could I get a recommendation (specific brand or general miso "class," either would be helpful) for: 1. soup 2. salad dressing 3. bbq marinade 4. dipping sauce component

oh man, i just discovered this site - they're having a big sale!! i spent $41 total (free shipping!!) on a cookie sheet with silicone insert, a 1.5 qt saucier, and 3 qt sauce pot!!

why am i so excited about cookware

SMOOVE are u steviedee

also ps it is December which means it is time for fucking TAMALES and the vegan Tex Mex place is selling em by the dozen I AM ABOUT TO ROCK THIS GODDAMN TWO WEEK BREAK IM GETTING IN TWO WEEKS

lol no but i am his vegan-lovin' twin...

the sandbox is...a treacherous land of mistaken identities

i am making this today, it's marinating now (8 hours instead of 24 should be fine imo) http://www.publicradio.org/columns/splendid-table/recipes/filipino-style_chicken_adobo.html

the filipina ladies i work with made an incredible chicken adobo last xmas - i have my fingers crossed they'll bring it in again this year!!

i'm so excited to eat it!

that looks like a real good recipe! I wonder if you can use tofu instead?

might be better with tempeh, i think i'll try that sometime

but I have a short tempeh

yeah i was thinking tempeh

the potatos I bought from the farmers market, I forgot about them and now most of them are kinda soft and feel gross

:(

it happens to all of us, just don't do it again

http://clandesdinempls.com/

doing this tonight

you cookin or eatin?

eating like a boss

the chicken was awesome. i made some roasted sweet potatoes & garlic w/ cinnamon and rosemary too.

i made burritos with black beans, roasted butternut, and cumin, stuffed inside steamed cabbage leaves w/spinach, a salsa made from tomatoes and red onion and balsamic, and vegan sour cream.

this rules btw

I don't know if this is the right place but I just made my first pecan pie from scratch, so excited!! :D

this is interesting http://www.nytimes.com/2011/11/23/health/nutrition/orecchiette-with-grated-squash-walnuts-and-ricotta-salata-recipes-for-health.html

my food processor died while i was grating squash though. i'm not sure if it's because of the squash or because it was just dying. some of it melted and some smoke came out. that's ok because i'm getting a bigger newer one for xmas!

I just ate some more brussels sprouts while watching + lamenting epic meal time

felt like I was committing a sin

harbl what kind are you getting

I thought I broke my new-used kitchenaid because dough got into the little spinning spindle thing but it still works okay

sometimes it smells smokey after I try to mix dough with it though

1/2 HP my butt!!!!

I've had my new Kitchenaid for almost six months -- kinda hate it, miss my old Hamilton Beach stand mixer something fierce.

I love my Cuisinart food processor...I've had it for 10 years, good workhorse. I should use my Kitchenaid stand mixer more but my kitchen is so tiny it's just ugh.

Chicken with brussels sprouts in dill/lemon/dijon.

last night, bf and i ordered our local's tandoori dinner for two, which is easily enough food for six. we were hungry though, so after dinner and breakfast, there's only like one big portion left -- some rice, a few spoonfuls of saag, a couple pieces of naan, two half-cups of kheer.

I need to try out some saag recipes using mustard greens instead of spinach.

i dunno what kind -- my mom's gonna get me one and i put a cuisinart and a kitchenaid on my amazon list

pretty sure i'm getting a fancy chef's knife for my b'day - kind of terrified tbh

i mean, the only i haven't caused myself serious injury in the kitchen is bc my knife set is all cheap serrated blades

Cuts from really really sharp knives hurt less, frankly -- you might go deeper and bleed like a stuck pig, but if you wash/disinfect/bandage it quickly, it's no big deal. Cuts from dull blades hurt like radioactive hell.

The sharper the knife, the less force one applies in prep work. Its the force that turns a nick into a missing fingertip.

i gave myself a wonderful cut one time cutting a bagel in the morning with a serrated knife. it's a pretty good knife so it was cutting the bagel like it was nothing and on one stroke i opened up my thumb. it was like i could see inside it.

You will like not having to saw your vegetables.

from biology class 8 years ago: a cut from a sharp knife heals faster because the cut is clean, the cells can bond together more easily. a serrated knife or a dull knife mushes up all your cells, they can't bond together again, it's awful.

I think I started a thread about oxymorons in conventional wisdom, 'a sharp knife is a safe knife' or something is one of them

Yeah, potatoes cut like zucchini! Good sharp well-balanced chef knife = happiness.

there are other rules of knife safety too - cut away from your body parts, not towards - curl your finger tips inwards so that at most you'll nick you knuckle and never take off a finger tip (unless you wanna join the yakuza)

yeah i'm super happy to finally have a decent knife, but i'm really clumsy and unthinkingly incautious in the kitchen, so i hope i don't do any severe damage.

unrelated: is there a secret trick to removing thyme leaves from the stem???

yeah, just take your thyme

I'm queen of kitchen clumsy, but have cut myself less since we got good sharp knives. Now I just burn myself & drop potatoes on my toe

Cutting and burning and dropping are to be expected imo, part of the deal of being a foodmaker. Might as well minimize the pain and use a decent knife.

speaking of which my knives REALLY need sharpening but i haven't the slightest idea how to go about doing this.

maybe try contacting the closest hair salon to you? i bet they would know where to get blades sharpened.

Buy a blade sharpener?

We have an electric sharpener that works really well

I have one of those sharpening stick things but I tried it once and I think I made the knife duller

you need to sharpen at a really acute angle iirc

you're near a big city right tza? should be pretty easy to find a professional knife sharpener

I googled "[my town] knife sharpening" and found a place called BLADE RUNNER. I was excited to go because of the name, of course! When I went in, it was a hunting/militia/crazy knife store (eg giant knives painted w/the Confederate flag). He had SO MANY anti-Hillary Clinton pictures taped to his wall and cash register. The only way he would address me is "sweet little honey," the same way he was addressing his dog, who was hanging out in the store. He sharpened my two knives for $6 but he did not do a good job. I can't stop wondering if he's bad at blade sharpening, or if he's a sexist and only sharpens blades well for men.

also the sharpening stick I think is only good for getting rid of burrs after using a sharpening block. you can buy them for $1 at the chinese supermarket but real heads will prolly tell you you need a ceramic sharpener or something.

Yeah, sharpening and honing are two different parts of knife prep -- the steel stick is for honing. I sharpen my knives about once a year with a Lansky sharpening system recommended by Jaq, and hone the main ones almost daily before doing prep with a Furi Diamond Fingers thingy.

http://www.bestchefsknife.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/Honing-vs.-sharpening.jpg

http://www.bestchefsknife.org/chef-knife-sharpening-101-honing-vs-sharpening

my knives REALLY need sharpening but i haven't the slightest idea how to go about doing this

I need to do mine soon. Want to ship me yours?

you put it in the envelope blade first fyi

Cardboard sleeves or knife safes preferred.

I have the basic Lansky knife sharpening system ($30), which is a angle guide that clamps onto the blade and 3 whet stones that one moves holding the blade fixed. Once you find a comfortable way to hold both, it takes from 3 (touching up) to 10 minutes (new edge angle) to put a new edge on a blade. If you are the sort that enjoys polishing shoes while watching a movie (or have a partner that does), something like this will do a better job sharpening your knives/scissors than any electric sharpener I've used.

Lansky is what I use - I've got both the diamond one and the 5 stage standard one, but mostly use the standard.

tza - get your knives sharpened at the meat counter of yr grocery store. theyve done mine before. I also live a block from a kitchen supply store that does it.

i always bring a crapload of food to work but it's a pain to bring a buncha stuff back and forth, plus i've been way overeating and have decided to institute some portion control, so i brought a normal sized sandwich and a small soup today and I'M HUNGRY! :(

it's only 3:30...

I don't know why but I put an apple in the freezer and now it's frozen. what should I do with it?

i know but i will not Tell

making chicken tacos, psyched about eating them

frozen apple could be
* hurled at offensive strangers
* brandished as weapon in comedy convenience store holdup
* employed as a hammer in the making of an art or craft
* photographed as it decomposes into mush
* mushed into applesauce preemptively so as not to watch it decompose without dignity

just did a straight-up eye of round roast tonite with little red potatoes and shallots.

i've been thinking about lamb chops all day. i wish i'd bought some at TJ's when i was there, but they're fucking expensive and i haven't really cooked meat in 3 yrs so i can't even remember how to do it properly.

if someone could go to my house right now, cook me a perfect lamb chop with just some garlic and rosemary and salt, have it ready for me when i get home, i would probably pay a lot of money for that.

I made lamb chops this past summer, over a grill, they were great iirc

i roasted an 8.5 lb turkey torso (2 breasts) last friday and have been eating it every day since. today i ate turkey 3 times. there are still leftovers. i think tomorrow i want to eat some beef. maybe fish.

Bill (Tep) talked on his blog about buying 3 turkeys because it's such a cheap protein this time of year, but that's one of the food areas where he and I part ways. I can't stand the thought of that much turkey.

it was insanely cheap (why i bought it). i am also making stock.

update: apple is still frozen, still in fridge. saving it to throw at something unsavory

this is in the oven http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/13/health/nutrition/13recipehealth.html
not sure its a recipe "for health" if u use whole milk ricotta like i am i mean i saw it so i had to get it

how did you fit whole milk ricotta into there?

I have a can of san marino tomatoes in my pantry, I just need to buy garlic cloves to use w/ it I guess

not health-related post at all, but I am making bouef bourguignon right now
my kitchen it smells amazing

lol sorry i meant this http://www.nytimes.com/2011/11/22/health/nutrition/giant-shells-filled-with-spinach-and-ricotta-recipes-for-health.html

making this recipe with smoked bacon instead of ham:
http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Ham-and-Black-Eyed-Pea-Soup-with-Collard-Greens-15835

and kale instead of collards

i made a corn beans and squash chili. it was good. i'm cooking a lot lately because it's cold.

eating the last of my sweet potato/tomato/garbanzo/chard curry -- p good, tastes like it always does

chard/mushroom omelette with hot peach salsa. A bit of a strange combo.

oh now I want to make those pasta shells!

eating the last of my sweet potato/tomato/garbanzo/chard curry -- p good, tastes like it always does

could you share your recipe for this, it's up my alley.

lowv, do you have a recipe for that? sounds yum.

oops xpost

i don't really have a recipe, but it's a basic curry with those things --

can of diced tomatoes (with liquid)
can of garbanzos (drained and rinsed)
2 largeish sweet potatoes
tons of chard

first I sautee spices and aromatics in a little oo in my small cast iron pot,
then add the cut up sweet potatoes and stir for a few min
then i add the tomatoes and garbanzos, simmer for 10-15 min? sometimes I add a little water if it seems like it needs it
then about 5 min before it's done i add the chard and it wilts into the rest
stir, serve

spices and aromatics:
garlic
ginger
shallot or onion, whichever
ground cumin
cumin seed
nigella seed
little bit of hot curry powder (prob not entirely necessary but it's there)
garam masala
hot pepper flakes
salt

I think that's it? I'm not really sure, but it's the best i can offer atm

also i nuke the sweet potatoes a little bit (boiling would work too) to soften them up before The Flavoring begins

i am really bad at writing recipes, sorry

this is what it looks like with rice
http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2606/4094309284_a8d6a06709.jpg

that looks really good! thanks.

my pleasure! it's amazing how far 2 sweet potatoes and two cans of other stuff that you probably already have on hand will stretch, really.

would eat!

I am defrosting my last bag of black beans but I don't know what to make with 'em

hot or cold?

hot: burritos or soup?
cold: salad with quinoa, peppers, corn, other stuff you like

that photo reminds me of why i am not so good w/recipe books that don't have photos. at least at first glance (maybe it changes when it's a book you have to rely on). just the visual fact of garbanzos & the colours, i am half-way there.

my next i-ate-it-now-i-will-cook-it thing is gonna be trying to make good fassoli, after eating some at a yemeni place in bay ridge. i found a bunch of recipes like this which are all kinda frustratingly brief; i think it totally was a simple bean thing, cooked in tomatoes that almost entirely simmered off, & almost burnt to give the beans some texture, but it was so transcendently nicer than the cannelini-beans-in-onion-&-tomato i make to have on toast sometimes, like there was some jedi spice magic happening that i have to work out.

xp frozen beans, huh?

I soak beans a bag at a time but obviously I am not gonna eat a whole pot of beans at once!

xp LL ooh, a cold vinegary corn and beans salad sounds good - what else should I put in it?

multicolored bell peppers, cilantro, quinoa, whatever else you like! or do something like this
http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6129/5990088385_b7d520b117.jpg

as for the curry photo, that's why i take somewhat substandard photos of new things i make (and save them) -- it's like a visual menu, which really helps in the planning/shopping stage of regular cooking (a stage that i think is generally underappreciated by most people who don't engage in it on a weekly basis) even if it's not the world's most beautiful food photo

Made an excellent vegan stir fry y'day that had loads of veggies in it inc some crunchy fresh choy sum, cabbage, capsicum, carrots etc, and added some firm tofu which I'd marinated in sesame oil, a little soy and a sprinkling of smoked paprika so the cubes came out all crunchy. Chucked over some udon noodles. Tres yum.

aw that looks great LL! bell peppers are out of season but maybe I'll do an asian style marinade w/ chinkiang vinegar xp

my soup will be like 100x better tomorrow after it sits overnight i think - i used dried black-eyed peas and tried to speed soak them but it didn't QUITE work as well as it does with other beans (it's my first time cooking them).

i definitely want to try to make that curry!

I make a chickpea/sweet tater curry a fair bit, theyre easy and tasty. I also add some coconut cream to mine at the end.

i am really bad at writing recipes, sorry

one of my new year's resolutions is to go back to all the recipes i either half-assedly wrote down or adapted from somewhere else -- and write everything down meticulously. i want to put all my recipes into a sort of cookbook that i can give to friends and family.

like, i have a vague idea of how i made that yam curry a while back, but i want to do it over so i can write down how much coriander it needs, how much turmeric, etc.

yeah, not only that, but i have no idea how many people it will "serve" or if i measured the spices to begin with. usually i just use a spoon and put some spices in the spoon and poof, it tastes good. whether or not it is the ideal measurement, i don't know (and really i don't notice the difference a little bit either way)

i guess writing recipes seems like a job for a perfectionist, and i am not one of those

Yeah ppl often ask me on FB for a recipe when i post a pic of some random thing i made and I'm like "i dunno I just chuck things in"... my mum hates this, she has to follow EXACT INSTRUCTIONS or else it is a disaster. When its baking or something then sure but not otherwise.

I acknowledge that there is a process to be followed (sautee the spices and aromatics, then add the rest of the ingredients, etc) but beyond those processes, I don't really pay much attention to measuring things.

This year we gathered together piles of loose recipes -- some handwritten on index cards or scratch paper, some printed off the net -- into a 3-ring binder and called it the Gastronomicon.

I have a binder! It doesn't have a name, but I did organize it somewhat and it includes stuff I printed, wrote, and ripped out of various magazines.

I have a binder too! YAY BINDERS!

A good cheeseburger is a great comfort to me, and right now I am very comforted.

sweet potato/tomato/garbanzo/chard curry

I made something very similar to that this past weekend - except with kale instead of chard and with carrots instead of garbanzos!

(I would have liked to use garbanzos, but my wife doesn't like them.)

i made a similar thing with blackeyed peas, yogurt, and regular potatoes once, it was really good!!
sorta like this? http://www.food-nepal.com/recipe/R002.htm

(for ppl who don't like garbanzos but do like curries)

Hmm, that looks interesting, though she probably wouldn't like the bamboo shoots either. She's a bit particular about certain ingredients. I didn't have curry powder so I kind of rolled my own with coriander, cumin, turmeric, and fennel. Probably used more fennel than is typical for curry, but it tasted good anyway.

I'm taking kale and brussels sprouts home w me and making my parents eat them.

My parents need a good setting-to about their nutrition iirc, and no one else is going to do it.

i bet they're gonna LOVE THAT

I'm sure! I will also love that, every second of it remembering when I was forced to stay at the table with a quarter-cup of peas on my plate long after everyone else had gone off to play.

nobody in my family ever seems to want to eat as many cruciferous greens as i do (which is admittedly a lot/more than usual).

I only ever want to eat kale now idk why

i will never tire of brussle sprouts; you don't need to gussy em up w/fat either as long as they're cooked slow

My parents need a good setting-to about their nutrition iirc, and no one else is going to do it.

― OH GNUS (Pyth), Monday, December 12, 2011 3:17 PM (1 hour ago) Bookmark Permalink

i bet they're gonna LOVE THAT

― league of women voters, Monday, December 12, 2011 3:25 PM (1 hour ago) Bookmark Permalink

I'm sure! I will also love that, every second of it remembering when I was forced to stay at the table with a quarter-cup of peas on my plate long after everyone else had gone off to play.

delicious irony

my grandmother apparently boiled her brussels sprouts until they were grey, so there has always a ban on them in my mom's house. i can't say that i blame her. i'm glad they were not ruined for me as a child because they are one of my top 5 veg now easily.

acc. to my dad, his mother boiled everything until it was grey. she was a nutritionist! she actually met my grandpa when he was recovering from getting his appendix out in the hospital.

well it would make sense if she drank the pot likker afterwards

one thing i've never really come around to is regular broccoli...i love broccoli rabe, chinese broccoli and cauliflower but i just have never learned to love it. i think the answer may be lots of garlic and lemon.

garlic needs to be stir-fried and/or roasted, must retain the crunchy mouthfeel. also it improves immeasurably with SALT. steaming/blanching broccoli is so sad

so bored w/broccoli. even broccolini is better, tastes a little sweeter. regular broccoli steamed is like soft wood.

thanks, l, i am going to make a modified version of that with what i have on hand tonight (potatoes and kale instead of sweet potatoes and chard).

I only ever want to eat kale now idk why
this!!!

Garlic, chilli, salt and a little butter will zing brocooli right up.

Nnnoo, I like broccoli! With sauces of some kind, though. In a sauce or in a pasta or with enough garlic, lemon, and olive oil. It does need something.

dayo is correct. Broccoli roasted with salt, pepper, oil? Optional cumin? It's fast and perfect. I do it in a toaster oven set to broil. There's something magical about those florets when you catch them just as they turn brown.

roasted broccoli! that is a good idea

tonight (because tonight is my book club (club of 2, myself included) for which i make dinner), i made fish curry with coconut milk and added swiss chard, cooked on low for a while which made the chard taste not bitter and entirely like fish curry. with basmati rice. so good.

i have kale and more chard in the fridge :)

california apricots > turkish apricots

Broccoli is good in a stir-fry, where the florets soak up lots of tasty sauce.

Favorite broccoli method: blanch/steam in a covered frying pan for a minute or two, drain water leaving broccoli behind, add a bit of olive oil so it doesn't scorch, toss in onion/garlic/sambal oelek and stir-fry until onion is done, finish with kecap manis (sweet soy), toss to coat.

I made a chicken, cider and leek casserole last night but there was way too much of the liquid/veg sauce type stuff for the meat, so today I had the leftover sauce as a kind of soup with applewood bacon thrown in and damn if it isn't the tastiest lunch I've had in ages!

made ginger muffins using ground flax plus water as egg sub, holy hell that stuff doesn't not mess around

everytime I try to look at a recipe on allrecipes I get a johnsonville tortilla recipe or something. what gives?

I'm trying to think of how broccoli could be bad.

Made satsivi chicken, my favourite ever food, for a work potluck (sauce: stock, walnuts, onions, garlic, eggs, coriander/cilantro, spice mix, vinegar). Made three times too much and froze bags.

Ooh, that sounds strange and interesting! What's in the spice mix?

QUESTION: what is the best way to make Chinese bbq pork in an oven?

like the kind you buy from chinatown?

yeah i think so -- the kind that is in wonton soup?

this stuff?

http://www.gog.com.cn/pic/0/10/44/02/10440261_611319.jpg

that looks so good.

this cod with chard and potatoes is simmering now. smells great. i'm completely into this building the entire dish within one pot thing!

xp re satsivi: the spice mix is turmeric, coriander, paprika, chilli, cayenne, tarragon, fenugreek, cinnamon.

xpost

that looks better than the cod w/tomato onion & breadcrumbs i just made

Yes! Tell me the best way to make it.

QUESTION: what is the best way to make Chinese bbq pork in an oven?

Use some fatty pork shoulder, or belly if you can afford it. Couple, three pounds maybe.

Cut pork v. thin, 1/8th inch, across the grain.

Make a marinade of honey, rice wine vinegar, dark soy sauce, hoisin, five spice powder and split it in half. It'll be a nice deep maroon from the soy, but if you want it a silly degree of red, add a little food dye. Marinate the pork in half of it, preferably overnight. Reserve the rest.

Heat the oven to 300, Put the pork in a single layer on a roasting rack over a foil-lined pan. Flip the pork and brush with the reserved marinade every 10-12 minutes for about an hour.

Now you're talkin, thanks!

you want it a little dark + carmelized at the edges, darker than you might think

Yes! Tell me the best way to make it.

― league of women voters, Thursday, December 15, 2011 8:17 PM (1 minute ago) Bookmark

hah I've never made it, I just buy it from the supermarket pre-made.

remy's recipe looks nice tho

woah that looks pretty reasonably easy to make. i will try sometime!

the cod was delicious :)

Hi everyone! I'm going to try to make a delicious 4-course meal to impress my new boy + my new roommate. The menu is as follows:

a mind-blowing raw kale salad thing (that is totally easy and I'm going to post the recipe soon and you guys HAVE TO TRY THIS)
some sort of winter squash soup (need a recipe)
one of those gourmet-ass raviolis from Trader Joe's (thinkin goat cheese + sun dried tomato if they have it; it tastes so fancy)
some sort of dessert (no idea what to do here)

does anyone have any squash soup and/or dessert ideas? The kale salad and the ravioli are super simple to make so it's OK if the soup and/or dessert take a bit of effort. I just want it to go w/ the other things and also be totally WOW.

wait so are you not a vegan anymore???

stevie I was disappointed by the goat cheese + sundried tomato one! I like the portabella one tho

RAW TUSCAN KALE SALAD (or just TUSCAN KALE SALAD if yr not feeling bougie-tentious)

1 bunch Lacinato kale (4-5 cups sliced)
2 thin slices country bread
1 garlic clove
1/3 cup basil leaves
1/4 tsp Kosher salt
1/4 cup (or small handful) grated Pecorino cheese
1 Tbsp ex-virg olive oil
1 lemon
1/8 tsp crushed red pep
Freshly ground black pep to taste

1. Pound or mince the garlic (this stupid recipe says use a mortar and pestle so I guess you could do that if you want?). Put it in a small bowl and let it rest for 5 minutes "for its flavor to evolve and its full health benefits to emerge"

2. Wash/dry the kale and basil. Trim the excess stems off the kale (up to the bottom of the leaves). Stack the kale leaves on top of each other, roll them up into a tight tube, and cut the kale into half-inch ribbons (chiffonade). Place the kale in a large bowl and allow it to rest for 5 minutes

3. Juice the lemon (it should be about 1/4 cup). Add the Pecorino, oil, lemon juice, pepper flakes, salt and black pepper (to taste) to the garlic. Whisk to combine.

4. Pour the dressing over the kale and toss very well (the dressing is thick and the kale needs to be tossed a lot to coat the leaves well). Let the salad sit for at least 5 minutes for the flavors to combine

5. Toast the bread until golden brown (this ridiculous lady says to do it under a broiler, 1-2 minutes per side, but you can prob just use a fucking toaster). When cooled, tear the slices into small pieces and coarsely chop

6. Tear the basil leaves into small pieces and finish the salad by sprinkling it with the bread crumbs, torn basil leaves, and a little more Pecorino and olive oil.

TOTES YUM

Ya I gave up vegan like a year a go bro gwtp! Though I sort of didn't really talk about it at all so even like a year later ppl are all OMGWTF YOU BROKE (V)EDGE!!!

squash soup is really easy. do you have an immersion blender?

That is a great menu! Squash soup is great with Indian spicing--curry, garam masala, sambal, all great! Some coconut milk is great, too. And cilantro, always cilantro :)

Oh and I am totally gonna get kale at the farmer's market tomorrow and prepare it a la StevieD!

it's 5.99/lb sirloin day at whole foods! i made my own chopped beef for burgers for the first time. so good!

^^^

dayo you saying it was so good was what inspired me to do it!

:) it's like eating a thousand tiny burgers in one big burger!

Kale has been procured! I don't have pecorino on hand, but I imagine parmesan will do the trick. Stevie, is the basil really U&K? 'Cause it ain't basil season, so none at the farmer's market this a.m.

Anyone have thoughts on what to do with a 1.5 lb london broil?

It's all a matter of personal taste; I love basil so I'd def go for it if I could but im sure it'd be fine without. The time I had it was with reg kale and not Lacinato (which I've never tried) so I'm hoping the Lacinato will be good

i just got a global chef's knife and a super fancy bread knife AND a brand new universal knife block - all for my b'day!! apparently i have jaq to thank (again) for advising my husband :)

I know it's just work stress but my guts are ruined right now -- going to go on a couple of days of just fruits/juices/steamed vegetables after Christmas. Sling the chitlins against a tree stump while they're still in the pig, knowhatimean?

Tonight we're cooking a gluten free chicago style pizza with layers of italian sausage, pepperoni, thick cut mozzarella slices, homemade chunky tomato sauce, mushrooms, and fresh basil. It's my first homemade pizza from scratch.

I've never really had chicago style pizza aside from Mangia's pizza in Austin. But after watching a cooking show about pizza I felt inspired.

If the OP is still soliciting suggestions for cauliflower, try roasting/frying it and making a soup with roasted chestnuts. I don't know how accessible fresh chestnuts are in the Northern Hemisphere, but hopefully you're close to a farmers' market or similar. Be careful not to let the chestnuts explode in the oven, unless you enjoy watching things explode in your oven. Pumpkin and chestnut soup is also delicious. Score the skins with a craft knife (take care with this, too!), roast, and remove from the oven once slightly blackened. You'll probably have to discard some dud nuts. Whiz with immersion blender or processor.

Finalized dinner party menu:

Kale salad
Kabocha squash soup
Goat cheese and sundried tomato ravioli
Cranberry cheesecake

Omg so excited

would party

yeah nice menu

makin pork loin w/anise seed rub tomorrow for family friends. weeknite bash!

finally got a 2nd coffee grinder for spices. what a taste difference

pork loin always seems like such a good idea but i have never cooked it!
maybe for NYE dinner...
winter is somewhat killing my desire for healthy food. i mean, i eat kale and other vegetables and fruits of course but i also have eaten more potato chips and cookies and imbibed more booze in the past week than i have in the whole year it kinda feels like. and there's more to come, i'm sure... post christmas i am totally on the detox train. someone i know is doing a juice fast throughout the holiday season and i sort of get it now, but still am like, why??

pork roasts and loins are awesome and easy to make. citrus marinade works well with them.

I braised a whole duck at thanksgiving, the braising liquid was:

-soy sauce
-chicken stock
-hoisin
-agave nectar (or honey)
-a couple of cloves (supposed to use star anise but i couldn't find any)
-red wine
-garlic
-carrots
-onions
-celery

1. trim fat off of duck and freeze the trimming + giblets for soup stock
2. brown duck on all sides
3. remove duck and cook carrots, onions and celery in duck fat
4. drain most of the fat
5. add all ingredients and duck, making sure you have enough liquid to almost cover bird
6. simmer until done, maybe two hours
7. remove duck (covering it with foil) and cook the liquid way down to a thick consistency
8. spread glaze on duck and brown in oven for 15 minutes
9. die

9. die

seriously that duck sounds rad

i don't cook meat often mostly for guests. thinking lamb for nye

yeah, the duck was good!

i forgot- peel an orange, section it and drop into the liquid

mmm duck
a friend was telling me abt his work's holiday party at a chinese restaurant and how because half the people were vegetarian he ended up eating like his weight in peking duck. because when peking duck is there you just have to eat it.

One of our main Xmas traditions here is a huge breakfast after the gift-opening. Usually it's standard fare like pancakes & bacon or biscuits/gravy/grits/fried eggs, but this year I made Eggs Hussarde and home fries. So good...still stuffed, five hours later.

Dayyyyyum

i ate abt 15 tamales yesterday:

pumpkin spice...like pumpkin pie in a tamal :D
broc and vegan queso...YES
black bean and cheez...ALSO YES

got myself all geared up to use this week to expand my cooking repertoire to more than 3 dishes, and went to go grocery shopping -- realized it was raining harder than I thought & now I'm back inside... :/

i'm making coq au vin in my fabulous new le creuset french oven!

gonna make paella in my new ceramic casserole dish

these two posts have inspired me to try again to get some damn groceries.

always been intimidated by baking but gonna try the focaccia from this alice waters cookbook i got at xmas.

alice's rap is pretty heavy but the actual recipes seem simple, straightforward i.e. just my speed.

i also found out there are le creuset and calphalon outlets in kittery, maine and they are magical places. i got a $200 calphalon sauce pot for $40! i'm thinking of stopping by the le creuset outlet on my way out of town and buying some pretty casserole dishes.

Took some of the marchand de vin sauce I made for Xmas breakfast and some of the leftover smoked turkey from Xmas Eve dinner and turned them into a wondrous combination for turkey po-boys tonight.

I got a free half gal of vanilla coconut beverage from work and then I picked up some kale, bananas, and frozen strawberries on the ride home. Smoothie time!!

NEW VITAMIX

HOLY SHIT

my coq au vin turned out rather beautifully:
https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-o2Cb7EZU4ks/TvqyRTmcqPI/AAAAAAAAAPc/7k3irbRQ7dE/s640/photo-4.JPG
https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-xjF0L98xxnI/Tvqxz5ncBHI/AAAAAAAAAO8/vA4n4QFvqI0/s640/photo-8.JPG

very purple chicken:
https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-JKnasgil0z0/TvqyL5gswaI/AAAAAAAAAPU/RhRc8coIQRg/s640/photo-5.JPG

yuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuum

looks gorgeous!

yum @ purple coq

i'm starting the tagliatelle with lamb ragu from the frankie's cookbook that i got my mom for christmas (but secretly wanted for myself) today, it takes too days to cook.

i'm reheating some osso buco broth with white beans and pastini for lunch.

next week i will go back to not gorging myself of rich foods, hopefully!

too = two, gah

new food processor is awesome. no more annoying whining noise. it's very quiet and fast and i've used it yesterday and today! i minced garlic and ginger for thai curry yesterday and today i ground fresh herbs and grated parmesan for a chicken coating i just invented. i'm going to invent so many things.

well not grated, i put the cut up cheese in with the herbs and turned it to dust

my dad used all the bread flour while I was away and I never actually made any bread with it

I just bought more bread flour today tbh

Shit, now that my dishwasher is working, I should use my food processor for TONS of stuff instead of dicing or micro-plane grating it all! Curry with pulverized onion mash coming right up!

Bring it!

did i already brag about scoring a mini cuisinart from my sister's cast off pile yet? i am so excited to make pesto.

actually i want to make pesto pistachio butter

pistachio butter? gtfo that sounds awesome

in related pistachio news: the lindt pistachio milk chocolate is delicious.

My boss sent me a big package of calories from Trader Joes, incl some toffees that are coated in dark chocolate and rolled in crushed pistachios. They look like lumps from the cat's litterbox, but they taste GREAT.

I gave a box of those to my mom for Christmas! Rave reviews all around.

They are really, really good -- I need to mention those to my boss so she'll remember them at the next gifting time.

The Lacey's Cookies are good too.

oh god lacey cookies are like crack to me - i can easily eat a whole package in one sitting without even thinking twice

I find they're a little too much toffee per bite, wish they were in smaller pieces so they could have more chocolate and pistachio on them. Otherwise no complaints.

After 10 days in MI, during which I desperately tried to get in enough spinach, kale, brussels sprouts, radishes, salads, quinoa, etc to keep on track, some tastebud-reset was inevitable when everything comes with ham and cheese, or beef and potatoes. Last night I went a steak too far--a hanger steak, to be exact, and now I have a meat hangover.

So today I'm on green tea and some quinoa with tuna, lemon, spinach salad. Until further notice.

also in nut-related tj's news the dark chocolate almonds with sea salt and turbinado sugar are a++++

ahhh lol at "a steak too far".

literally all we have around the house is rich food (leftover osso buco, leftover coq au vin, chocolates, the lamb ragu i braised yesterday) and i think i am going to need to OD on beets and kale next week.

i think this is the recipe my mom used to make with salmon and pesto pistachio butter:
http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Salmon-with-Pistachio-Basil-Butter-1103

Oh god, bell, those dark chocolate almonds with salt are my favorite non-cheese thing in the whole world.

i disappeared a box of them over the last few days

now I have a meat hangover

i'm feeling like a human spare rib today. sweated BBQ sauce doing pilates this AM, grossing myself out. brussell sprouts & farro for dinner tonight

could probably do with a week off meat myself, but, b_g's coq au vin photos and brownie's duck recipe both looking goooood

(bonus of duck recipe: we accidentally have two nearly full jars of cloves, so any clove-featuring recipes are much appreciated currently.

we tried mulling some wine, in a half-assed "which of these random ingredients we happen to have in the cupboard seem like they might possibly go in mulled wine" sort of way, but then had to admit that neither of us much liked mulled wine even when made by people who know how to mull wine)

if anyone is interested this is more or less the recipe i followed for coq au vin:
http://cookware.lecreuset.com/cookware/product_Coq-au-Vin_10151_-1_20002_20065__

yes, it calls for 2 cups of bacon. i used slightly less than that but just about.

i added celery and carrots to the sauce and substituted pearl onions for shallots in the glazed mushroom mix because it's what i had on hand.

i really have to stay on track with my whole "lower my cholesterol" plan. my breakfast this morning was the french fries that came with the hoagie i ordered for dinner last night.

the hardest part is cutting back on red meat, cheese, and egg yolks. my diet has basically been turkeychickentunaturkeychickentunaturkeychickentuna. today it's tuna for lunch and fish tacos for dinner (the fish is probably cod or haddock).

i got this book called 660 curries and i made black lentil curry from it tonight and it's like a flavor explosion. i think i'm gonna cook through all of it but not the pork parts. there are enough legume curries to go for a while (esp since i have 4 lbs of urad dals i have to use now).

are they split or whole? I bought a bunch a while ago w the intent of making dosa batter but I just don't do it tht mch why bc it takes too much time

bunch of split urad dal, I should say

i want that curry book!

i made the tagliatelle and lamb ragu from the frankie's cookbook which was ready yesterday - came out totally delicious. today i made the beet and avocado salad from the same book and had ragu leftovers. this is really the first time i've taken the initiative to cook for my mom and sister so i am kinda going overboard.

nye menu:

smoked salmon & cc on endive spears
pigs-in-blankets (storebought)
grapefruit/avocado/arugula salad
chicken "bolognese" (more like a ragu, really) on fusilli
leftover birthday cake

champagne, wine. the chef will be sipping gin martini(s)

would do something more adventurous but guests preferences should be accommodated imo

it's a cheap book for what you get, i recommend it. i'm not even a big cookbook person. the urad dal are whole. i was concerned i bought the wrong thing but apparently these have like 10 different names. like everything indian bc they have so many languages i guess

i think split would work really well for any soup calling for them. i don't know why i've never used them before. they have a texture like black beans.

"u rad, doll"

Prosperity dinner tomorrow - pastrami (subbing for corned beef), cabbage, hominy, black-eyed peas.

Worked on condiments today -- a fresh batch of kecap manis and some of Chuck Hughes' apple barbecue sauce to go with a big hunk of oversmoked beef brisket I got from my parents. Prosperity dinner tomorrow I guess. Monday I'm going to make my folks a batch of tom kha gai and blow their minds.

NYE - courgette fritters, salmon-head soup, left over from day before but still v nice. Roman beef stew, with some fresh parpadelle I bought from Italian deli and some braised fennel.

Guys I am so fucking excited abt these kale smoothies. I usually do 5-7 leaves of kale, a banana, a good handful of frozen strawberries, and maybe a cup or so of non-dairy milky bev. This morning I added a heaping spoon of PB and holy shit this just went next level.

I wonder if I could do like choc soy milk with PB and banana and kale?

i don't think i've done that before but i don't see why not because the kale taste is always masked by whatever else you have. i mostly use baby spinach instead because my blender doesn't do kale that well. it's true it's very exciting! i use almond milk and soy protein powder and a banana and frozen strawberries and mangoes.

Just discovered the wonder of avocado smoothies (with almond milk and whatever else I have around - usually frozen blueberries or an apple).

brb, making cream puffs

that's fun!

have you ever made gougeres? they're basically cream puffs with gruyere mixed in to the dough and no filling. i want to make them.

^^ that is exactly the recipe I use - I used to be a pastry chef and made gougeres every day

ground pepper, fresh thyme, and gruyere in addition to the basic pate aux choux

btw my first dozen I tried in tinfoil and the bottoms stuck, the next dozen I did on parchment and the bottoms burned

I miss the professional convection oven I used to use

now I have a bunch of cream puff halves that I will conjure into a misshapen approximation that will be delicious

maybe I will come home early tomorrow and make more, we'll see

the secret is to chill the dough, like, a lot. I used to put it in the freezer for 45 minutes, then into the fridge for another hour or so.

making a 2nd batch now, gonna leave it in the fridge for longer

325 seems like the sweet spot in our home gas oven

this is very great, the sandbox was crying out for a proper pastry chef, we love pastry.