BS: Mudcat foodies thread

Subject: RE: BS: Mudcat foodies thread
From: Wordsmith
Date: 30 Mar 07 - 02:00 AM

Wow, I really liked that, mrdux. I had a roommate from college who I later lived with in a house with her and her husband, also a college mate, and two other men. No, it was not a commune...my friends rented out the rooms to pay for overhead, etc. It's a long story. The reason I brought it up was because she was always waxing poetic about M.F.K. Fisher, and I was too busy to borrow any of her books to check Fisher out. Now, eons later, I regret that, especially since my local library has none of her books. I now know what the fuss was all about.

Thanks, Scoville, that new link works perfectly. I was just salivating over the pictures alone.

I'm with RangerSteve, I steam almost all of my veggies now, and what a difference! I even steam my ears of corn. I grew up mostly on canned with an occasional frozen. I prefer the latter in a pinch, but I tend to have mostly fresh, now.

I now make my own soup from scratch, and here's a hint for those who do. Caramelize...an overused verb these days on cooking shows, but absolutely correct...your vegetables, I usually do them separately and put them in a bowl, while I do the rest, before you put them back in the pot and add your stock. I can't tell you what a difference that makes. Yes, it's more work, but if you look at it as a bonus for yourself and all who eat your finished product, you will be well-rewarded and willing to do it. It keeps the veggies from getting soggy, too. I was surprised to read where most chefs, in the city, don't use celery much. When you caramelize it, it loses its concentrated essence that tends to overwhelm the other vegetables. Anyway, hope that helps.

I also agree that baking is more of a precision making event, but I really do believe that stovetop cooking is too to some extent, hence the caramelization aspect I spoke of. It does change the end result.

I also switched to kosher (more coarse) salt once I read that major restaurant chefs switched to keep the line cooks from oversalting. It helps if you salt each vegetable when you're working on a soup, e.g., to help sweat the produce. But just a pinch or two. It takes more coarse salt than regular to spoil a dish...that's why the switch. You can rarely miss if you undersalt. My roommate I spoke of once ruined a dish that took all day to make by oversalting, and it was for a dinner party. When we all sat down that night, and went to take the first bite, the faces we made...while trying not to hurt her feelings. Trooper that she was, she immediately forbade us from eating further and whipped an alternative meal up while we sipped on the wine. We offered our help, but she declined. Good meal, good friends.

Subject: RE: BS: Mudcat foodies thread
From: Wordsmith
Date: 04 Apr 07 - 04:17 AM

I apologize for the impromptu cooking lesson...I forgot I was on a site with grownups. I'm usually the elder stateswoman who get to explain things in detail.

Subject: RE: BS: Mudcat foodies thread
From: Scoville
Date: 04 Apr 07 - 12:41 PM

Cayman Net News: Johnnycake, rescued from the ashes.

Subject: RE: BS: Mudcat foodies thread
From: GUEST,maire-aine
Date: 04 Apr 07 - 01:23 PM

I read this about over-salting:

If you accidentally over-salt a dish while it's still cooking, drop
in a peeled potato and it will absorb the excess salt for an instant
"fix-me-up."

Has anybody ever tried this? did it work?

Maryanne

Subject: RE: BS: Mudcat foodies thread
From: Bee
Date: 04 Apr 07 - 01:29 PM

I have a better solution: in most cases, don't add salt until after the dish is cooked. Stews and soups don't need the salt cooked in, neither do roast, grilled, or fried meats. Any commercial sauces you add already have salt in (and often sugar as well). In fact, some raw 'fresh' meats and chicken already have salt added - read packaging carefully.

Subject: RE: BS: Mudcat foodies thread
From: bobad
Date: 04 Apr 07 - 01:32 PM

There's a discussion on this topic here, it seems there are varying opinions on that question. My own thinking is that the potato will absorb as much salt as is in the water it absorbs, which is not too much.

Subject: RE: BS: Mudcat foodies thread
From: Scoville
Date: 04 Apr 07 - 01:57 PM

I've heard the potato thing doesn't really work. Logically, it doesn't make sense to me, but I agree with Bee that it's probably more sensible to simply not salt food until it's done. We don't salt anything and let the person eating it salt to his/her taste.

Subject: RE: BS: Mudcat foodies thread
From: Dave'sWife
Date: 04 Apr 07 - 04:30 PM

I am an unabashed foodie as well.   Cooking for the family largely fell to me as a teen when my Mum went back to work and my father who was retired disabled from law enforcement also went back to work in a new field. It amazed me how I could make things my mother said my Dad would never eat and he would eat them because I made them. he he- Daddy's little girl.

It was good experience and I picked up a lot both from women in the family and from cookbooks. When I went to college, I took a job as an apprentice cook to the head cook of a leading caterer in Albany NY. I still make some of his signature dishes such as Sesame fried (I do oven baked) chicken, Asian Cole Slaw, Onion tart, Crab and Cavier spread and others.

My husband is very good at making Japanese homestyle cooked meals. In adition, he's an adventurous eater so I can get away wit thrying just about anything and he'll eat it. I metnioned in another thread that sunday I made Peruvian chicken with plums. I had a box of plums (fruit of the month club from his boss) going to waste and figured I could peel them up and make dinner with them. What I have leftover I used to make a plum vinegarette which came out nicely. I had soooo much Chicken with plums that I brought some of the leftovers to my doctors office today for their lunch. My nurse there has been bugging me to bring in a dish from a recipe I had featured on AOL but I brought her this instead!

So, three cheers to this thread. Food is wonderful and good food is even better

Subject: RE: BS: Mudcat foodies thread
From: Scoville
Date: 04 Apr 07 - 04:50 PM

My mother got an Eritrean cookbook somewhere and made up her own berbere. We've tried it with beef, pork, and chicken (pork and chicken are great, beef is sort of too strong) but discovered that it goes best with cubes of Indian paneer. (We don't make it as hot as a real Eritrean would, either, but oh, well. A little goes a long way.) You make a stew of tomatoes, onions, berbere, and protein of choice. It would probably be great with shrimp or something, too.

Subject: RE: BS: Mudcat foodies thread
From: Bee
Date: 04 Apr 07 - 05:04 PM

I gotta share this remembered recipe, from an old but adventurous cookbook , because it tastes really good.

Pollo Pina (I think)

One cut up chicken: brown both sides in big cast iron skillet (or whatever pot you got, eh?). Add one fresh skinned and seeded crushed tomato, one quarter cup finely grated onion, juice of two small fresh limes, one half cup crushed fine pineapple, one tablespoon brown sugar (demerara is nicest), one teaspoon current jelly (trust me:leaving this out changes the flavour), one quarter cup dark rum. Simmer til chicken is very tender, serve with rice drizzled with pan juices.

Subject: RE: BS: Mudcat foodies thread
From: The Fooles Troupe
Date: 04 Apr 07 - 06:35 PM

In South America, Coca Cola is sometimes added to stewed chicken dishes.

Subject: RE: BS: Mudcat foodies thread
From: GUEST,HiLo
Date: 05 Apr 07 - 10:06 AM

I just a hirshmy called a racelette, looks interesting but I've no idea what to do with it. Anyone have any suggestions.

Subject: RE: BS: Mudcat foodies thread
From: Scoville
Date: 05 Apr 07 - 10:20 AM

In the Southern U.S., Dr. Pepper is sometimes added to barbecue, and chickens are cooked on the grill with cans of beer shoved into their body cavities, which steams them from the inside out and makes them super-tender. They also taste vaguely of beer, but not in a bad way.

Subject: RE: BS: Mudcat foodies thread
From: GUEST,Hi Lo
Date: 05 Apr 07 - 12:18 PM

I do the chicken beer can thing quite often but I drink thwe beer and half fill the can with red wine and garlic..very good indeed.

Subject: RE: BS: Mudcat foodies thread
From: Scoville
Date: 05 Apr 07 - 12:58 PM

Mmmm, that does sound good.

I saw some sort of fancy cone thing at one of those overpriced kitchen place at the mall that was supposed to do exactly the same thing as the beer can. Ha ha!

Subject: RE: BS: Mudcat foodies thread
From: Dave'sWife
Date: 05 Apr 07 - 03:57 PM

Seeing as Easter is coming up, I'm gonna post a favorite easter recipe I posted 2 years ago in another thread. Enjoy:


>>>This is one of my favorite recipes even though it's not from my own family. I got it from a next-door neighbor when I was growing up. This is a very traditional Italian-American easter Treat!

Nana's Italian Easter Rice-Ricotta Pie

INGREDIENTS for Filling:

1/2 c. dry rice (short grain, Arborio works best)
1 c. water
1/2 qt. milk or heavy cream
3/4 c. super fine sugar (or castor sugar for us Irish people)
1/2 lb. ricotta cheese (not low fat, low fat won't taste proper)
3 egg yolks, lightly beaten
1 tsp. cinnamon
Pinch Nutmeg
1 Tsp of Sambuca Liqueor..or more..depending on taste (can be omitted and replaced with Vanilla Extract)
1/4 c. candied Citron (can be found in most stores) (can be omitted and replaced with chopped cherries)
Grated orange Zest to taste..probably a teaspoon or..half tsp Orange zest, half tsp Lemon Zest. Bergomot zest ok too
(some people put mini choloclate chips in as well)

CRUST: (or use your fave cold pastry recipe)
3 1/2 c. flour
1/2 c. vegetable shortening or lard
3/4 c. sugar
1/4 c. water

Boil rice and 1 cup water for 10 minutes; drain, then add hot milk/cream. Cook 15 minutes and cool. Stir in 3/4 cup sugar, ricotta cheese, egg yolks, cinnamon, nutmeg, sambuca, citron fruit and citrus rinds; mix together.

Crust: Cut shortening into flour; add sugar, 1/4 cup water to form stiff dough. Roll dough (thinly) and line one 9 inch pie pan (you will have enough dough for 2).

Pour rice mixture into dough. Roll out remaining dough (thick), cut into 1 inch strips and place on top of pie. Brown at 450 degrees, then reduce heat to 350 degrees for 40 minutes to cook until pie filling is firm and jiggles a bit. Cool at least 40 minutes. Can be served warm or cold. Top with Vanilla Iceream if desired.

Me..I prefer no Pastry strips on top of my Easter Pie. Also..I like mine backed in a Square Pie Dish for easy cutting of servings.

Here in the States, Ricotta cheese often comes in 15 ounce containers for some reason. I have been known to dump the whole 15 ounces in this recipe, but if you do that, you must add at least one more egg yolk to make it come out properly. Another option is to simply double the recipe and use the 15 ounce container all up. Why make one when you can make 2? Works for me.

Try this one this year instead of Hot Cross Buns or..make 'em both!<<<<

Another way to make this is tostart with a good ricotta cheesecake recipe and then just add some cooked arborio rice and the flavorings. If you have a good recipe for ricotta cheesecake that never fails, you might prefer this method. Another change is to crush cannoli shells for the crust, mix with melted butter and a few tablespoons of flour and then bake that for 10 minutes before pouring filling in. That comes out REALLY yummy!

Subject: RE: BS: Mudcat foodies thread
From: mrdux
Date: 06 Apr 07 - 02:06 AM

I just a hirshmy called a racelette, looks interesting but I've no idea what to do with it. Anyone have any suggestions.

HiLo --

Do you mean raclette? If so, it's a cheese from the Swiss and French Alps. It comes as a largish -- maybe 15 pounds? -- round wheel and traditionally it's put in front of an open fire where it slowly melts; the melted parts are scraped off ("raclette" comes from the French word for scrape) and served with boiled potatoes, onions, pickles, etc. Very tasty. And very popular in Switzerland and alpine France. There's a table-top device -- i've seen it called a raclette machine or raclette grill -- that's designed for melting individual servings of cheese in little trays or pans that get put under a heating element. There's even a Swiss Raclette Association if you're interested.

On the other hand, if you don't mean raclette, well, then, uh... i dunno.

michael

Subject: RE: BS: Mudcat foodies thread
From: Dave'sWife
Date: 06 Apr 07 - 02:56 AM

That Raclette association is wanting to sell you their raclette cooking set!


Raclette Association product

BTW _ Emeril lagasse made easter pie tonight and made it different than my recipe. instead of water for the crust, he used 2 eggs and some vanilla and substited some lard for part of the butter. For the filling, he skipped the rice, used plenty of ricotta, added shaved choclate and left out the liquor and citreon. He DID make a double crust though. I think I'll have to try his recipe.

Subject: RE: BS: Mudcat foodies thread
From: Wordsmith
Date: 06 Apr 07 - 03:40 AM

Thanks for all the tips and yummy recipes. I've been wanting to make a ricotta pie for some time, but totally forgot about it. I'll have to try your recipe, Dave's Wife.

As for the potato to desalinate? Never tried it. but I did hear that vinegar might work...however, I never had to nerve to try, either...all I could picture was an oversalted dish that now tasted sour, too. I now use salt sparingly, with the same idea of letting people spice to taste. Someone, I think it was Lydia Bastianich, said to check what your recipe calls for and then put it in a separate little dish and when it's gone, that's it...e.g., a tsp. Makes sense.

I've also heard about Cola, but not Dr. Pepper. On the beer thing, though, do you actually insert the can itself inside the chicken? Obviously with the top popped. I have used beer to make Flemish Pot Roast...makes a nice gravy. Thanks for the links, too. Happy Easter and Bon Appetit!

Subject: RE: BS: Mudcat foodies thread
From: GUEST,HiLo
Date: 06 Apr 07 - 08:10 AM

Thanks, I do know about the cheese, but I think the thing I have is for cooking it in. I only assume that because it has the same name as the cheese. It has three wee pans that go under a broiler, but surely it must have uses other than cooking cheese! Does it ?

Subject: RE: BS: Mudcat foodies thread
From: mrdux
Date: 06 Apr 07 - 02:28 PM

re: raclette

From what I've read, machines like that were devised for the one narrow purpose. For other uses, I'd think it would depend on how wee the trays are and how hot the heating element gets. My first thought is that if the thing gets hot enough, maybe you could use it to heat up or brown -- or melt cheese on top of -- individual tapas or other appetizers, maybe? something like a thin slice of toasted baguette, topped with a thin slice of tomato, a basil leaf and a thin slice of romano cheese (small enough to fit, of course) and run it through the machine. Or, brush the tray with olive oil, preheat it and pour in a little beaten egg, pop the tray in until the egg is set and then top the egg with some kind of filling, fold it or roll it and you have some very small omelets. . .

michael

Subject: RE: BS: Mudcat foodies thread
From: Scoville
Date: 06 Apr 07 - 02:35 PM

You open a can of beer, drink about half, and shove the can into the chicken. Then you sit the chicken upright on a covered grill and cook until done. It steams from the inside out.

Looks kind of uncomfortable, really.

Subject: RE: BS: Mudcat foodies thread
From: GUEST,Dani
Date: 06 Apr 07 - 05:41 PM

Potato trick definitely works. I've used it many times over the years. Whole or half, peeled, has to cook in the soup/stew for a while.

Glad to know who all you other foodies are ; ) I don't like to muck up the music here with food, but I'll take advantage now that you've started the thread.

Dani

Subject: RE: BS: Mudcat foodies thread
From: Wordsmith
Date: 07 Apr 07 - 03:28 AM

Thanks, Scoville, that picture says oodles...ouch! I gather you have to buy the rack, too, then? I put the site in my favorites file for when I get time to research it. Looks like a launching pad: Caution: Chicken Launching at 6! Great thread! Happy Easter to one and all, before I leave. ;D

Subject: RE: BS: Mudcat foodies thread
From: GUEST,Bardan
Date: 10 Apr 07 - 04:46 PM

HiLo

Yeah, raclette machines are kind of fiddly but good fun for a dinner party kind of thing if you've got time. You stick a load of ingredients out. (I remember pre-cooked potatoes, ham, pickled onions, pretty much what someone else mentioned earlier as traditional acompaniments.) Everyone gets a tray, loads it up with ingredients, sticks some raclette cheese on top and browns it in the machine. Repeat till satisfied. I'm sure you could vary the ingredients and the cheese if you wanted to. It does take quite a while to really eat your fill though. Those trays aren't huge. You *could* have two on the go at once I spose, but then you'd need a great big machine with lots of trays, and you could probably do something similar in big batches under a normal grill.

Subject: RE: BS: Mudcat foodies thread
From: Jerry Rasmussen
Date: 10 Apr 07 - 07:32 PM

I had promised to post the Cowboy Cake recipe in appreciation for all the suggestions and the cassoulet recipe. The trick was finding it. It was in a cookbook of my favorite recipes of my Mom's, and when we remodeled the basement, everything got moved around. Now that I've found it, here it is.

COWBOY CAKE

3/4 cup white sugar
1/3 cup dark brown sugar
1/2 cup light brown sugar
3 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup (2 sticks) butter or margerine
1 egg, large (beaten)
1 1/2 cups buttermilk
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon cinammon

Mix together sugars, flour, baking powder and baking soda. Cut in butter as with pie crust. Save out 1 cup of this mixture. To remaining mixture add egg, buttermilk and vanilla, mixing until ingredients are moist. Pour mixture into greased 9 x 13 pan.

Mix cinnamon with reserved flour mixture. Sprinkle over batter. Bake at 350 degrees for about 45 minutes, or until done.

As I may have mentioned, I swapped a perfectly good, unopened cassette of Handful Of Songs for this recipe. A woman brought a plate of cake to be sold during intermission at the Sounding Board in Hartford, CT. where I was doing a concert. I bought half the plate, I think.

Don't ask me why it's called Cowboy Cake, because I don't know. I find it hard to believe that the average cowpoke carried all this stuff in his saddle bag..

Jerry

Subject: RE: BS: Mudcat foodies thread
From: GUEST,Scoville at dad's
Date: 10 Apr 07 - 08:07 PM

Or you prop it up with empty beer cans. It doesn't really matter as long as the beer doesn't spill out.

Subject: RE: BS: Mudcat foodies thread
From: mrdux
Date: 11 Apr 07 - 01:26 AM

Jerry --

Thanks. I've been curious since you mentioned it.

So here's a question: both my wife and mother-in-law are gluten intolerant. . . anyone have any thoughts on how this might work with a gluten-free flour? For that matter, any suggestions on gluten-free flours, since there seem to be a raft of them out there?

Thanks.

michael (of the cassoulet recipe)

Subject: RE: BS: Mudcat foodies thread
From: MMario
Date: 11 Apr 07 - 08:15 AM

with a gluten free flour it would be much heavier. Possibly could be done if you cut down on the buttermilk by 1/2 cup, add two eggs (for a total of three) and whip the whites of the eggs, folding them into the batter.

Subject: RE: BS: Mudcat foodies thread
From: GUEST,maire-aine
Date: 11 Apr 07 - 10:30 AM

My mother was gluten-intolerant too. I usually used rice flour, altho only for thickening gravy/soups and to make the struesel topping for apple crisp. I've never tried real baking (like muffins or such) with it. I have some recipes at home-- I'll look for them.

Maryanne