The Cooking Thread

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  • CommanderRossCommanderRoss The bottom of a pitch lake in Eastern Trinidad, place called La Brea
    Posts: 7,965
    Nice thread here @SirHenry, and how Flemingesque! I'll try to add some interesting stuff as soon as I get my house in order. Litteraly, my new houe. I have no oven yet but a recapy for a lovely cheese soufflé. It's vegie as well, for those who love that. And I'm dying to make my oat cookies as well. They're not really cookies, but that's what we call them. again it's vegie but very, very good indeed. And yes, I eat proper steaks as well ;-)
  • MrcogginsMrcoggins Following in the footsteps of Quentin Quigley.
    Posts: 3,144
    Mr Coggins the cook! The Best Cheese on toast
    First take two med size slices of brown wholemeal bread and toast until just under done then give them a good covering with salted butter then take a med mixing bowl and grate sufficient cheddar cheese in order to ensure ample covering of the toast to this mix you then add a splash of milk into which has been mixed a level teaspoon of English mustard and a good dollop of Worcester sauce mix well until nearly smooth spread liberally on to the toast then place under a med high grill untill golden brown Enjoy with a glass of dark ale I find Newcastle Brown is a great choice to go with. Regards coggins Eat well be happy.
  • edited October 2013 Posts: 3,494
    This is awesome stuff, appreciated. The sandwiches and toasts sound delicious. My bacon cheeseburger meatloaf is baking now, it smells delicious- I'll let everyone know how it turned out tomorrow and eventually when I have it nailed, because I tinker a little bit, I'll put it out here.

    This thread will continue free form until Monday, as I've received a wonderful suggestion from member @Sandy, suggesting having an ingredient of the week and everyone posting their favourite recipes and tricks as far as using it. I'll start at "A" and go from there. Until then, keep it going!
  • Mrcoggins wrote:
    Mr Coggins the cook! The Best Cheese on toast
    First take two med size slices of brown wholemeal bread and toast until just under done then give them a good covering with salted butter then take a med mixing bowl and grate sufficient cheddar cheese in order to ensure ample covering of the toast to this mix you then add a splash of milk into which has been mixed a level teaspoon of English mustard and a good dollop of Worcester sauce mix well until nearly smooth spread liberally on to the toast then place under a med high grill untill golden brown Enjoy with a glass of dark ale I find Newcastle Brown is a great choice to go with. Regards coggins Eat well be happy.

    Sounds a bit like Welsh rarebit.

  • MrcogginsMrcoggins Following in the footsteps of Quentin Quigley.
    Posts: 3,144
    Mrcoggins wrote:
    Mr Coggins the cook! The Best Cheese on toast
    First take two med size slices of brown wholemeal bread and toast until just under done then give them a good covering with salted butter then take a med mixing bowl and grate sufficient cheddar cheese in order to ensure ample covering of the toast to this mix you then add a splash of milk into which has been mixed a level teaspoon of English mustard and a good dollop of Worcester sauce mix well until nearly smooth spread liberally on to the toast then place under a med high grill untill golden brown Enjoy with a glass of dark ale I find Newcastle Brown is a great choice to go with. Regards coggins Eat well be happy.

    Sounds a bit like Welsh rarebit.

    Indeed some do call this dish or something like it Welsh rarebit.
  • 4EverBonded4EverBonded the Ballrooms of Mars
    edited October 2013 Posts: 12,459
    One of my old favorites is Liver Parmesan:

    Calve's or beef liver
    Breadcrumbs - make your own or buy any regular seasoned bread crumbs (Pepperidge Farm was pretty good); but use a rolling pin to break them into very tiny pieces
    Italian seasoning - I liked oregano and basil
    Small sprinkling of sea salt (or Lowry's seasoned salt)
    Favorite marinara style Italian sauce (homemade or bought)
    Mozzarella cheese - sliced is good, shredded will work
    NOTE : Doing this recipe from memory; please be careful with the cooking time - the liver should be cooked through, but slightly pink inside and still somewhat juicy (not dried out or overdone).
    Also you may want to add some Parmesan cheese into the bread crumb mix.

    Wash and drain the liver; pat dry
    Heat up Italian sauce in a separate pot while cooking the liver
    Heat up sautee or frying pan with canola or olive oil
    Dip liver in milk, then sprinkle on the basil/oregano (not too much) and coat with the bread crumbs
    Place liver in the pan and cook on low medium heat for about 2 minutes; turn
    Continue cooking for about 1 minute on low medium heat, then lower the heat again, add a tiny bit of sea salt now and put the mozzarella slice on top and cover the pan
    for only about 1 minute or less, just to melt the cheese well (so keep an eye on it)
    Remove from the pan and put on paper towels to drain a bit
    Serve on a plate (preferably warmed in the oven slightly first)
    Put Italian sauce on the side

    I liked to serve this with oven roasted potatoes or mashed potatoes and a simple mixed green salad or sugar snap peas.

    You can add personal variations easily - mushrooms/eggplant in the sauce, etc.
    You can pop the liver onto some nice warm Italian bread to make a sandwich, too, adding the sauce on top.

  • MurdockMurdock The minus world
    edited October 2013 Posts: 16,330
    Want to jumpstart your tastebuds?

    Cheesy Potatoes Murdock Edition.

    8-10 cubed potatoes with the skin on.
    Half a tub of sour cream
    three cans of cream of chicken
    a whole bag of shredded cheese
    and lightly season with onion powder and garlic powder.
    Oh and if your feeling really excited add some crispy bacon into the mix.

    cook at 450 for an hour with the pan or container covered so the cheese don't burn. Once done, let it sit and cool down, then add some pepper and soul food seasoning and dig in! Secret school recipe a teacher gave me. Best teacher ever. ;)
  • SandySandy Somewhere in Europe
    edited October 2013 Posts: 4,012
    Iscas com Elas (=Slices with them, have no idea why it's called this way)

    This is a very traditional Portuguese liver dish that you will find everywhere, but is best either either eaten in an old tavern/pub or home made. Iscas are very thin slices of something, in this case liver. It is delicious! I plan to do it today.

    Get a nice piece of liver (usually porc, but with calf it's extremely good and perhaps superior) and cut very thin slices (the thinner the better), like escalopes. Season with salt, bay leaf, garlic, pepper and, very importantly, lemon juice or vinegar (I use small amounts of both). Some people will also add white wine to the marinade. Leave to rest for a few hours. Now you have three choices for cooking, either you use lard, butter or olive oil (I prefer the later) in a pan, heat well, add the liver and fry both sides. After the liver has gained a little colour, add the marinade and let it cook a bit longer. Serve with boiled potatoes, along with plenty of the sauce. It also works great used in sandwiches, again with plenty of sauce.

    My grandmother's secret, that she learned from a master in this recipe, was to add a little bit of mashed spleen to the sauce but it is very difficult to get and not essencial to the recipe.
  • 4EverBonded4EverBonded the Ballrooms of Mars
    Posts: 12,459
    @Murdock and @Sandy, I love both of your recipes! They sound great!
    I can't get enough cheese; there is no such thing as too much for me.
    And I enjoy liver - Sandy, this is a really new recipe for me.

    Thanks to both of you. Yum! Now if I can just cook them somehow ...
  • edited October 2013 Posts: 3,494
    @Murdock- that sounds good and I'll have to try that. Sold! You sound like an infomercial! :))

    @Mrcoggins- I agree with PK, it does sound exactly like a Welsh rarebit right down to the mustard and Worcestershire sauce. Some recipes include the ale and paprika as well. I admit to being a cheater at this dish and use the Stouffer's premade cheese mix. I make toast, lay bacon slices on top, (one of my mottos is bacon makes everything better), and pour the cheese over that. Delicious!

    @Khan- thank you for the recipe, I must try that sometime along with my garlic spinach :)

    I took my index card with me to work so I could give anyone interested a very simple recipe for something that Bond himself might actually enjoy in the place of his usual foie gras, my recipe for chicken liver pate that comes from my best friend's Jewish grandmom. As far as I am concerned, the Jewish people are the undisputed masters of this little schmear of heaven- R.I.P Grandmom Frieda, what a wonderful lady (sniffling) :(

    GRANDMOM FRIEDA'S CHICKEN LIVER PATE-

    Ingredients:

    3 hard-boiled eggs
    1 large onion, finely chopped
    1 medium clove garlic, crushed
    1/3 cup butter or 5 tbsp rendered chicken fat
    1 tsp sea salt or kosher salt
    1 pound (450 g) cooked kosher chicken livers
    20 grinds black pepper
    Generous pinch of ground nutmeg

    Preparation-

    Cook the chicken livers and set aside to cool. Gently saute onion and garlic in the butter/fat over low heat until browned, but not burned. Sprinkle onions and garlic with salt as soon as they begin to wilt.

    Slice the hard boiled eggs in half. If you are planning to serve at a party, you can boil a 4th egg and then refrigerate it for use as a garnish.

    Scrape the sauteed onion, garlic, and drippings into the bowl of a food processor fitted with a metal blade. Blend until smooth. Add hard boiled eggs, cooked chicken livers, black pepper, and nutmeg. Process until smooth. Taste and adjust seasoning, keeping in mind that flavor will increase during refrigeration.

    Scrape chicken liver mixture into plastic wrap-lined decorative mold or bowl. Cover with another layer of plastic wrap, pressing wrap to touch the top of the pate. Refrigerate at least 12 hours or overnight.

    When ready to serve, take pate from refrigerator and remove plastic wrap covering. Invert onto a decorative dish and remove bottom layer of plastic wrap. Let rest at room temperature 30 minutes to 1 hour, then grate remaining hard-boiled egg over the top before serving.

    Serve with warm French bread (or challah if you prefer), melba toast, or saltines. Personally, I prefer the fancy Captain's Wafers, or if not Town House or Ritz crackers for mine.

    May be refrigerated up to 5 days or frozen up to 1 month.



    I'll tell the story of my first attempt at bacon cheeseburger meatloaf (and I never made a meatloaf before in my life to be honest) later this evening if time permits. If not, Friday for sure.

  • Posts: 14,816
    Ludovico wrote:
    I make an unorthodox but delicious puttanesca and also a sausages pasta sauce that is to die for.

    I would love to hear about this, please tell. I always appreciate a fellow cooker with the creative sense to tinker and experiment a little bit with an existing dish. Puttanesca was invented as a free form dish to begin with.

    P.S- You should look up what "puttanesca" means, I got quite the chuckle because I've known since I was a teen what "puttana" means ;) :))

    Basically I change the anchovies with sardines. I buy sardines in olive oil and use the olive oil of the tin to fry them, then add the tomatoes, either crushed tomatoes either whole (I cut them in the pot), then capers and olives. I add a bit of sugar and a drop of red wine.

    The sausage sauce is more or less the same thing: there is this sausages maker that produces the best garlic sausages, very fatty. I cut them, fry them in the pot, add tomatoes, a bit of sugar and balsamic vinegar. Ridiculously simple.
  • Sir Henry,

    Yes, I always add ale to the Welsh rarebit, and I pour it over good rye toast. You really can't go wrong with cheese and bread; just ask the Swiss.

    Made the Albanian cutlets last night and they were very good. Plain, simple food, but satisfying. And if you make them, don't forget to add the feta to the meat mixture. I believe the recipe I posted omits that ingredient from the step where the mixture is put together.
  • CommanderRossCommanderRoss The bottom of a pitch lake in Eastern Trinidad, place called La Brea
    edited October 2013 Posts: 7,965
    What I usually eat when time is short is a decent hamburger. This is how I make them:

    Use brown buns
    smear mayonaise on both sides of the open bun
    put on some cashews on one side
    add iceberg slaw (use some proper sise leaves)
    Sometimes I'll ad a pineaplle slice too
    put on the burger
    I usually fry some union rings as well, add those
    add some chilli sauce

    these have become rather popular amongst my friends.
    bon appetit!
  • Anyone have a good recipe for chicken fajitas? Tried one the other week but went overboard with the chilli power.
  • Well, the rule of thumb is 1/2 teaspoon per 1 1/2 pounds of chicken. Standard chili powder in a marinade is usually a mild type like an ancho chile, so getting too much pepper heat shouldn't be an issue. If you want it hotter, chop and add some jalapenos to the marinade to release the heat. Fajitas are ridiculously simple to make if you can follow instructions, I'll bet you nail it next time :)

    Tomorrow, I promise, I'll put my bacon cheeseburger meatloaf recipe up. Those of you who prefer a flavorful yet not spicy meal should enjoy it immensely at home.
  • Posts: 14,816
    Anyone have a good recipe for chicken fajitas? Tried one the other week but went overboard with the chilli power.

    One can never go overboard with the chilli powder.
  • Ludovico wrote:
    Anyone have a good recipe for chicken fajitas? Tried one the other week but went overboard with the chilli power.

    One can never go overboard with the chilli powder.

    Hear hear.

    Tonight it's Jordanian meatballs with a saffron sauce and a side of roasted green beans.

  • edited October 2013 Posts: 3,494
    @Khan- sounds like another fascinating dinner on tap for you and the Khantessa. What exactly are Jordanian meatballs may I ask?

    Okay, here my bacon cheeseburger meatloaf recipe- keep in mind you can easily feed a family of 4 and have 1-2 days of leftovers for sandwiches.


    Bacon Cheeseburger Meatloaf


    INGREDIENTS-

    2 pounds ground beef
    ½ cup Italian bread crumbs
    ¼ cup minced onions and celery mix
    ½ red bell pepper, minced
    1 tbsp minced garlic
    2 eggs
    1 tbsp sea or kosher salt
    1 tbsp black pepper
    2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese
    8 slices of pre-cooked bacon
    1 can Campbell's tomato soup or your favorite brand

    Preheat oven to 350°F. In a large mixing bowl, combine beef, bread crumbs, onions, celery, bell peppers, garlic, eggs, salt, and pepper. Mix well. On a piece of wax paper, shape meat mixture into a ½-inch thick rectangle. Lay bacon on top of the meat and then spread cheese over the bacon, leaving a ¾-inch border around the edges. Roll the meat in a jellyroll fashion to enclose the filling and form a pinwheel loaf. Press all open ends to enclose the cheese. Place in a 10" x 15" baking dish and pour tomato soup over meat, then bake for about an 1 hour and 10 minutes or until internal temperature reaches 160°F. Any leftovers make great sandwiches for the next day.

    What I do after removing the finished meatloaf for slicing is to pour the tomato soup, which has combined with all the natural juices and flavors during the cooking process, into a bowl. I serve regular mashed potatoes and I like to spoon the gravy onto my meat and potatoes. If you prefer another kind of sauce like a steak variety for your meat, you can also do a quick diced tomato/green chile relish with works very nicely with the potatoes.

    Enjoy!
  • retrokittyretrokitty The Couv
    Posts: 380
    What I usually eat when time is short is a decent hamburger. This is how I make them:

    Use brown buns
    smear mayonnaise on both sides of the open bun
    put on some cashews on one side
    add iceberg slaw (use some proper side leaves)
    Sometimes I'll ad a pineapple slice too
    put on the burger
    I usually fry some union rings as well, add those
    add some chilli sauce

    these have become rather popular amongst my friends.
    bon appetit!

    That sounds amazing. I love cashews in my Indian foods so I know I will like them with burgers. Also, I don't eat land meat (just from the water) so the nuts will add protein and nice texture.
  • Posts: 14,816
    A delicious, hearty, meaty dish from my region (and this is the detailed family recipe):

    http://tourtiere.comicgenesis.com/tourtiere-el.html

    I never made tourtière, but I have seen it being made time and again.
  • Okay fellow foodies, here is a list of foods and spices beginning with the letter "A". Let me know if you can add anything I missed. We'll start with the first food tomorrow. Some of these things I've never eaten, so it will be intresting to hear from those who know about the first food on the list, "abalone". I've heard of it but I'm thinking it's not something commonly eaten, if at all, in America.

    FOODS-

    Abalone
    Acorns
    Almonds
    Anchovies
    Apples
    Apricots
    Arugula
    Artichokes
    Asparagus
    Avocado

    SPICES-

    Allspice
    Anise
  • Posts: 6,396
    I've always been fascinated to know what meatloaf is like. I may well use your recipe @SirHenry in the next couple of weeks. Anything with bacon and cheese is always going to appeal to me :-)
  • MurdockMurdock The minus world
    Posts: 16,330
    @WillyGalore, you should see my Cheesy Potato recipe above. It also has Bacon and Cheese. ;)
  • edited October 2013 Posts: 3,494
    I've always been fascinated to know what meatloaf is like. I may well use your recipe @SirHenry in the next couple of weeks. Anything with bacon and cheese is always going to appeal to me :-)

    I think you will love it Willy. One thing about the peppers and onions here from my own experimentation. They will have a bit of crunch left in them if you just mix them into the meat. You'll have to be really good and really patient to roll the loaf without that wax paper. Anyway, if you like them like that, by all means. I like to first saute mine until they just barely start to get translucent, maybe 3 minutes on medium heat, and then drain them. They'll still have enough natural juice left to flavor while they finish softening. I spread the mix of peppers/onions down before I top with the bacon and then the cheese.

  • Posts: 6,396
    Thanks @Murdock. I missed that previously :-)

    @SirHenry. I'll probably pack it into a greased bread tin.

    Something I've always wanted to know, do you Americans ever eat roast potatoes or is it almost always mash?
  • MurdockMurdock The minus world
    Posts: 16,330
    Roasted potatoes usually go in stews in America but typically in my household, we eat Mashed or Baked potatoes.
  • edited October 2013 Posts: 2,483
    Sir Henry, here's the recipe for Jordanian Meatballs with Saffron Sauce.


    1 1/4 lb. ground beef
    1 small onion minced
    2 cloves garlic minced
    1 ½ t. fresh thyme
    1 t. caraway seeds
    1 t. paprika
    1 large egg
    Salt to taste
    Black pepper to taste
    ½ t. allspice powder
    ¾ t. grated carrot
    Pinch saffron threads
    Pinch sugar
    1 1/2 t. very hot water
    1 1/2 T. Italian parsley minced
    ¾ t. lemon zest
    Wedges from one lemon
    3/4 cup sour cream

    1. Combine beef, onion, garlic, thyme, caraway seeds, allspice, carrot, paprika, salt, pepper and egg. Don't over-salt!
    2. Shape into balls, cover, and refrigerate at least 20 minutes.
    3. Fry or grill until cooked through.
    4. Add saffron and sugar to very hot water and steep for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
    5. In a bowl, mix together saffron water, parsley, lemon zest, sour cream and salt to taste.
    6. Serve meatballs with sauce and lemon wedges.

    Made these for the first time and liked them very well, indeed.
  • Thanks @Murdock. I missed that previously :-)

    @SirHenry. I'll probably pack it into a greased bread tin.

    Something I've always wanted to know, do you Americans ever eat roast potatoes or is it almost always mash?

    Roast potatoes, per se, are not common in America. We do, however, occasionally make scalloped potatoes, and I love chunked potatoes, carrots and onions cooked with roast beef.

  • RC7RC7
    Posts: 10,512
    Bacon Cheeseburger Meatloaf


    INGREDIENTS-

    2 pounds ground beef
    ½ cup Italian bread crumbs
    ¼ cup minced onions and celery mix
    ½ red bell pepper, minced
    1 tbsp minced garlic
    2 eggs
    1 tbsp sea or kosher salt
    1 tbsp black pepper
    2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese
    8 slices of pre-cooked bacon
    1 can Campbell's tomato soup or your favorite brand

    Preheat oven to 350°F. In a large mixing bowl, combine beef, bread crumbs, onions, celery, bell peppers, garlic, eggs, salt, and pepper. Mix well. On a piece of wax paper, shape meat mixture into a ½-inch thick rectangle. Lay bacon on top of the meat and then spread cheese over the bacon, leaving a ¾-inch border around the edges. Roll the meat in a jellyroll fashion to enclose the filling and form a pinwheel loaf. Press all open ends to enclose the cheese. Place in a 10" x 15" baking dish and pour tomato soup over meat, then bake for about an 1 hour and 10 minutes or until internal temperature reaches 160°F. Any leftovers make great sandwiches for the next day.

    What I do after removing the finished meatloaf for slicing is to pour the tomato soup, which has combined with all the natural juices and flavors during the cooking process, into a bowl. I serve regular mashed potatoes and I like to spoon the gravy onto my meat and potatoes. If you prefer another kind of sauce like a steak variety for your meat, you can also do a quick diced tomato/green chile relish with works very nicely with the potatoes.

    Enjoy!

    ***** me sideways. This sounds tremendous.
  • SandySandy Somewhere in Europe
    Posts: 4,012
    Okay fellow foodies, here is a list of foods and spices beginning with the letter "A". Let me know if you can add anything I missed. We'll start with the first food tomorrow. Some of these things I've never eaten, so it will be intresting to hear from those who know about the first food on the list, "abalone". I've heard of it but I'm thinking it's not something commonly eaten, if at all, in America.

    FOODS-

    Abalone
    Acorns
    Almonds
    Anchovies
    Apples
    Apricots
    Arugula
    Artichokes
    Asparagus
    Avocado

    SPICES-

    Allspice
    Anise

    @SirHenryLeeChaChing nice list, I can't remember anything else right now.
    I don't have much time today but when I do I might add some recipes including almonds, apples, asparagus (I live in a region famous for its white asparagus) and Anise.
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