Anybody cook/What's Cookin'?

[RodJSM]

I figured we (I) could use a thread for cooking related stuff. Feel free . . .

[RodJSM]

http://graphics7.nytimes.com/images/misc/logoprinter.gif
August 28, 2002
Hey, Man, What's for Dinner?
By PILAR GUZMAN
http://www.nytimes.com/2002/08/28/dining/28MALE.html


FIVE days a week and often on weekends, Robert Rosenthal cooks breakfast and dinner for his wife and two daughters. His wife, Carolyn Kremins, doesn't cook at all.

"It's an amazing luxury because it gives me some time when I get home," Ms. Kremins said. "It's a point of pride for me."

Ms. Kremins, 40, is the group publisher of The Week, a Manhattan-based news digest. Mr. Rosenthal, 43, is an advertising executive. He is also among the 27 percent of American men who, according to a study conducted at the University of Minnesota School of Public Health, act as primary food handlers for their families. These are men for whom grocery shopping, cooking and the semi-regular dinner party are as intuitive as reaching for the sports page.

But as more men go into the kitchen, more women are heading out, often with a smile on their faces. Professional kitchens have long been the domain of men, a fact that has hindered the rise of women as professional chefs. But at home and to the secret delight of women around the country, the rise of lower-pressure supporting roles for women in the kitchen might just be the ultimate feminist victory.

"I have no sense of regret that I don't cook," said Doreen Small, an intellectual property lawyer in Manhattan, whose husband does the bulk of the family's cooking. "I could cook anytime I wanted to and if I felt it would give me some pleasure." But she doesn't. "More power to him because he loves it," Ms. Small added.

Men's cooking for their families is also big business. "Growing male interest in cooking is one of the bright spots in the kitchen retail market," said Hugh J. Rushing, the executive vice president of the Cookware Manufacturers Association. "People used to think cooking was a sissified thing."

Used to — and then, "Bam!" The percentage of men in the audience for the Television Food Network's programs is 42 percent and rising, according to the network; for the shows of some chef-personalities, notably the voluble Emeril Lagasse of "Emeril Live" and the antic and flame-haired Mario Batali, star of "Molto Mario," the numbers are even higher.

"When we do our marketing for prime-time," said Adam Rockmore, the network's vice president for marketing, "we are looking for a 50-50 male-female split, because that is where we think it's heading."

Examining specialty cookware sales is another good way of tracking male dollars spent in the marketplace, Mr. Rushing said. "Men tend to have no problem buying a special pan for paella, if the recipe calls for it," he said, "whereas women will make do with a regular skillet or pan." Specialty cookware sales are up 17 percent since 2000, he added.

According to Dr. Ross Koppel, an adjunct professor of sociology at the University of Pennsylvania, the rise of men as primary family cooks began in the 1980's. The trend toward men cooking, he said, is part of a general one toward "the yuppification of what we eat" that has forever raised the stakes and expectations for the food Americans put in their mouths — not to mention the requisite gadgets used to prepare it.

"It's only since men have been cooking that you can justify the $275 knife," Dr. Koppel said. All of which has led, in some homes, to the replacement of trophy heads on the walls of the den with glistening granite trophy kitchens packed tight with All-Clad pans and stainless-steel professional-style appliances.

Such trappings aside, though, the notion of a man actually in that kitchen, a domestic gladiator basking in the blue glow of his humming Viking range while sprinkling $25 sea salt from Brittany into pasta water, is a relatively new one.

Indeed, a majority of men still don't have anything to do with the kitchen regularly. Instead, they limit their appearances to preparations of one or two signature dishes: Dad's banana pancakes, for instance, or his blue-ribbon chili or top-secret hamburger mix.

"When men cook it's on special occasions, such as at barbecues or under exceptional circumstances," said Samantha Kwan, who is writing her doctoral dissertation on food and identity for the sociology department at the University of Arizona. Indeed, as sociologists have long argued, a man's interest in food preparation is directly proportional to the approval he receives from his audience. A seminal academic paper on the subject, Ms. Kwan said, is "Making Pancakes on Sunday: The Male Cook in Family Tradition," published in 1983 by Thomas Adler.

"The ability to cook well is impressive and gets you enormous kudos," said Brian Loube, 37, a new-media producer in Manhattan who has always cooked for his girlfriends. That praise, he added, "is certainly a big reason to do it."

Women are well aware of that rationale, and act accordingly.

"I do the baking, shopping and chopping," said Sheri Warshaw of Westport, Conn., whose husband, Jeffrey, regularly cooks meals for her and their children. "But Jeffrey is the star of the kitchen."

Indeed, many women who have found their husbands or boyfriends increasingly in the kitchen say that the key to keeping them there is never to steal the limelight.

"I'm lucky enough to have a husband who cooks for me, and I'm nothing but proud of his talents," Mrs. Warshaw said. "Often, Jeffrey will stay home and cook while I go to the beach with the kids."

At a time when a woman's sense of self doesn't rise and fall depending on whether her soufflé does, these lucky recipients of man-made food are finding that leaving their egos at the office comes naturally. In fact, for some women, not knowing how to cook has become a kind of badge of feminist honor.

"I'm proud of the fact that I don't cook and that my husband does," said Lisa Young, 32, an art historian who lives in Brooklyn. Ms. Small, the lawyer, agreed. "We both get a kick out of telling new acquaintances that I've cooked two meals for him in 20 years," she said of her husband. "I always get the `You go, girl!' kudos."

Christina Maguire, 39, has happily handed over the primary food- and care-giving roles in her family to her husband, Bill, who works from their home in Ipswich, Mass. "I'm among the few whose husband cooks not just as a hobby," said Mrs. Maguire, who commutes for her job in finance to Boston five days a week. "There is status to it, sure," she added, "but from my point of view certainly no guilt."

The mere act of kitchen role reversal alone, however, doesn't determine status for a woman, said Ms. Kwan.

"That he makes spaghetti and meatballs is really nothing to brag about," she argued. "I think that men who cook are a status symbol for women only if the men are able to make risotto, find a way to use cardamom, or incorporate artichokes into a recipe."

On those grounds, though, even Ms. Kwan would allow that Ms. Small's husband, Charlie Dorego, qualifies with high grades. A common weekday menu prepared by Mr. Dorego, a real estate lawyer in Manhattan, might include sea bass fillets artfully swaddled in paper-thin potato slices and flash-fried in hot oil.

"The potato protects the fillet while creating a nice crispy layer, and you get the benefit of a quick fry without burning your fish," said Mr. Dorego, 48, who then finishes the bundles off in the oven while perfecting a Barolo wine reduction on the side.

"If I'm the envy of my friends in any way, it's not because I've successfully avoided cooking," Ms. Small said. "We would just rely more heavily on takeout if neither of us enjoyed cooking. It's because Charlie makes such nice food for me."

There's that artful praise again, which seems to be keeping some men in the kitchen as surely as tradition used to bind women to the stove.

"Cooking is theater — I'd be lying if I didn't admit that," Mr. Dorego said. "You love the applause when you see people smiling after taking a bite."

[jhans]

This quote sounds exactly like my wife, my friends wives and just about every woman under the age of 40 that I know:

If I'm the envy of my friends in any way, it's not because I've successfully avoided cooking," Ms. Small said. "We would just rely more heavily on takeout if neither of us enjoyed cooking.

The kitchen is one of my favorite rooms in my whole house. It is the main reason that we purchased our house instead of purchasing the next larger model in our tract. Since I really enjoy cooking you would think that I would use it all the time. However, besides the fact that I hate to clean up after cooking, my wife has a mood swing problem when she hasn’t eaten (very nice person but momentarily loses all rationale) so I rarely get home in time to cook dinner before she melts down. I have only used the oven about 5 to 6 times in the 1.5+ years we have lived in the house. The stove probably has been used about twice that much but it requires dusting more often than it requires clean up. My wife is always buying stuff for us to cook and I am always throwing it away once it has sat in the refrigerator for a couple of weeks without either of us attempting to cook it. I’d say that I probably throw out around $50 worth of uncooked food a month. I’d like to think that someday we will eat more meals at home than meals out but except for special occasions, who really cooks anymore?

[Bucko]

I love to cook and love to eat. My wife rarely cooks but seems to enjoy mine. Nothing fancy but tasty.

Anyone know what spices they use in KFC chicken?

[Freida]

My wife is always buying stuff for us to cook and I am always throwing it away once it has sat in the refrigerator for a couple of weeks without either of us attempting to cook it. I’d say that I probably throw out around $50 worth of uncooked food a month.

I do this too, and it makes me feel so guilty. I'll take meat out of the freezer to defrost then in sits in the refrigerator so long I wind up throwing it out a week later.

One thing I used to do religiously is make a menu each weekend for the following week. I would post it on the refrigerator so that I didn't have to think about what I was going to cook for dinner each night.

Creativity is one of the biggest barriers to cooking. I'm usually tired and hungry when I get home from work and can stare at the cupboards for an hour trying to figure out what to make for dinner. I often give up and we go out.

Maybe we need a menu thread.

[jhans]

Bucko, my mom has a book that answers all of those questions. It lists the ingredients for many favorite restaurant recipes. I know it lists the ingredients for KFC cole slaw so I bet it lists the 7 herbs and spices too. I'll check with her to find out what the book is called.

[Freida]

I think KFC's secret is just flour, salt and pepper and double-dipping. I don't think there are really seven herbs and spices.

I've heard buttermilk is the best marinade for chicken before frying it. I haven't tried it, but southern cooks swear by it.

[Eagle3]

Originally posted by Bucko
...Anyone know what spices they use in KFC chicken?

I'd be more concerned about what meat they use. I think it's Ground Hog. :hehe: But it's damn tasty Ground Hog!

[Eagle3]

My wife and I usually cook together. Somethings we make by ourselves though. She makes a great Chicken Kiev, my Chicken Alfredo is better. We're looking for some new things to try though. Especially as it get's colder and we grill less. BTW - if anyone else loves those Red Lobster biscuits they're easy as heck to make at home. Use the Bisquick recipe for drop biscuits and add a 1/4 to 1/2 cup of shredded cheddar cheese (depends on how big a batch you make. Also, about a minute or two before you pull them out brush or spoon on some melted butter mixed with garlic powder. Good stuff!

[groovehouse]

I love to cook. I do all the cooking and grocery shopping for me and my wife. I'll cook just about anything and don't have a particular specialty. I usually cook alone. I prefer not to have help, as I like to do things in the kitchen, my way. The wife usually pours me a beer or wine, watches for a little while, maybe some small talk, then she sneaks off while I finish...

here's a website for those restaurant recipes and whatnot
http://www.topsecretrecipes.com/

actually here's a google search (http://www.google.com/search?sourceid=navclient&q=secret+recipes) for "secret recipes"

[Bucko]

Originally posted by Freida
I think KFC's secret is just flour, salt and pepper and double-dipping. I don't think there are really seven herbs and spices.

I've heard buttermilk is the best marinade for chicken before frying it. I haven't tried it, but southern cooks swear by it.

You know Freida you might be right. I thought I had read somewhere that they use several types of pepper, white, black and others I'm not familiar with. They cook it under pressure from what I'm told.
But most people I've asked say when making fried chicken salt and pepper is the best. I'm going to try the buttermilk next time though. Thanks!

[Bucko]

My biggest quest is for a good chicken-fried steak. I always try them everywhere we go. I LOVE it!. The best one I've had so far was in Walla Walla Washington in a little mom and pop cafe.
I should have asked for the recipe.

I did see on TV some gal making it at a place in Alaska. I missed the ingredients but the way she prepared it fixed the problem I was having making it.

If anyones got a seasoning tip for them I'd love it.

[Kimmy]

Bucko, KFC was my first job. I don't know what the 11 herbs and spices are (poultry seasoning from the spice aisle is close), but you're right about the pressure cooking. Original Recipe is pressure cooked, Extra Crispy is cooked in an open fryer. Extra Crispy uses a milk and egg dip before flouring (plain white flour, dipped and dredged twice)and Original Recipe is marinated in something that's probably mainly water, salt and MSG. Then it's dredged in flour with a spice packet added.

Here's the recipe for KFC cole slaw:

50 lbs. grated cabbage
1 lb carrots, grated
1 or 2 onions, grated

Dressing:

7 lbs. of sugar
1 gallon Miracle Whip
5 cups salad oil
5 cups tarragon vinegar

When I make it at home, I usually break the dressing down to 1 cup each sugar and Miracle Whip, 1/4 cup oil, 1/4 cup vinegar. This is probably enough for 2 medium heads of cabbage. I throw in enough carrots to add color and 1/4 of an onion. Pour the dressing over the grated vegetables and mix well. It might seem dry at first, but it has to sit for a while and masticate. The dressing will draw the juices from the cabbage. This should keep for 2 days in the refrigerator.

I actually have a credit in the Top Secret Recipes website for telling how to make Extra Crispy chicken. :hehe:

[MissCreant]

Here in Australia it is widely suspected that what is being sold is actually Kentucky Fried Rabbit, and I'm willing to bet the eleven different herbs and spices are what we more commonly refer to as "chicken salt". Why I do not know, I think because it is a condiment that is yellow in colour and comes in a green container. For some reason anything that is yellow and comes in a green packet tastes like 'chicken' in Australia, how these colours relate is anybodies guess.....

[Bucko]

Originally posted by Kimmy
Bucko, KFC was my first job.
I actually have a credit in the Top Secret Recipes website for telling how to make Extra Crispy chicken. :hehe:

Thanks Kimmy. Was there any water in the pressure cooker to make steam or do they just close and pressurize it?

Boy I'd sure like to find out what was in that spice packet.
Thats the key ingredient.:)

[Bucko]

Originally posted by MissCreant
For some reason anything that is yellow and comes in a green packet tastes like 'chicken' in Australia, how these colours relate is anybodies guess.....

That Vegimite I had sure didn't taste like chicken. It was in a green and yellow container.;) :)

[JDub]

Originally posted by Bucko
My biggest quest is for a good chicken-fried steak...If anyones got a seasoning tip for them I'd love it.

Bucko, the secret to a truly dreamy Chicken Fried Steak is not so much in the seasoning as in the preparation. To properly season the flour, really all that is needed is a teaspoon of black pepper or so, and about half that amount of Lawrey's seasoning. The real trick to getting a good CFS is using nothing but bacon grease to cook it in. I know, I know...it'll kill you and all that, but if you really want a CFS to write home about, cook it in an iron skillet about half full of yummy bacon fat! ;) I'll dig up a decent cream gravy recipe when I have a chance...please don't tell me any of ya'll put brown gravy on a CFS?:(

Also, I checked out that secret recipe website, and I must say that all of their Outback recipes are wrong. The closest to true that they have would be their Caesar dressing, but it is still not close at all. If you want to know anything about anything about Outback steakhouse, ask me...I was a manager there for five long years.:D

[MissCreant]

Most of the chicken stuff doesn't taste like chicken either, they just tell us thats what it is so thats what we taste.....Curiously, Vegemite is packaged in Red and Yellow here, I think that means beef.

[Laurie]

Originally posted by Freida
Maybe we need a menu thread.


Freida, I had thought about doing a menu thread before (sort of along the lines of the drink thread), but didn't know people were this interested in food and cooking. Let's go for it and add some more favorites to our collection.


If any of you have any favorite recipes that you'd like to share, post them here. I collect recipe books and would like to see what other tasty dishes I can add to my collection.

When posting a recipe, just state (although I'm sure it's obvious) which category dish it is. I'll start with a favorite of mine. It's an excellent summer dessert as it's served cold.


DESSERT:

Mix together:
1 cup flour
1/2 cup shortening
2 tbsp sugar
1/2 cup chopped walnuts.

Press this mixture into the bottom of a 9x13 inch pan. Bake @ 350 for 12 minutes. Cool.

Mix together:
2/3 cup powdered sugar
8 oz soft cream cheese
1/2 lg carton cool whip

Spread on cooled crust.


Mix together:
2 cups milk
3 pkgs Pistachio pudding

Pour this mixture over the cream cheese mixture. Cover with the rest of the cool whip and garnish with sprinkled walnuts. Keep refridgerated.


DEEE-LISH-US!! Enjoy!!

[MissCreant]

Here's a soup recipe. I haven't cooked it for a while, but it is an excellent recipe for a hearty, tasty soup. Perfect Winter recipe.....
German Potato Soup.....

Ingredients
4 rashers diced bacon
4 large chopped onions
2 tablespoons each of butter and oil
2 tablespoons flour
2-3 chicken stock cubes
4 peeled, sliced large potatoes, (I use 'new' potatoes)
2 egg yolks
300mls sour cream
1 tablespoon chopped parsley
4 cups hot water
Salt & pepper

Method
Saute' bacon until it curls. Add chopped onion and saute in butter and oil until the onion is soft and yellow. Stir in flour, mix well and cook for a minute or two.
Crumble in chicken stock cubes, and add hot water, stirring constantly. Add salt and pepper to taste, and add sliced potatoes. Simmer for 8 minutes or ubtil potato slices are barely tender.
Whisk egg yolks with sour cream and add a little hot soup to this mixture, whisking well as it is poured in. Add this sour cream mixture to the saucepan of soup and continue to heat. Add chopped parsley. Stir, bring to boiling point and serve piping hot.

*Use four cups proper chicken stock if possible, instead of stock cubes and water.

[Kimmy]

Originally posted by Bucko


Was there any water in the pressure cooker to make steam or do they just close and pressurize it?

Boy I'd sure like to find out what was in that spice packet.
Thats the key ingredient.:)



No water in the pressure cooker. The pressure is the true secret to KFC. The spices are nothing exotic... all commonly found in American kitchens. I'm serious about the poultry seasoning...it's close. There's also a seasoned flour you can buy at the grocery store.. Kentucky Kernel. If they don't have it in your part of the country, let me know and I'll send you some.

[Laurie]

Sounds tasty Misscreant. I figure the easiest way to add any of the recipes that get listed is to copy and paste into a word doc, then print.

[Laurie]

Originally posted by JDub
If you want to know anything about anything about Outback steakhouse, ask me...I was a manager there for five long years.:D

JDub, interesting you say that. I have been, for the past year been trying to find Outback's recipe for their Creamy Onion/Potato Soup. That stuff is delicious!! Got the goods on that recipe?? :)

[Dave]

When I was married I can remember cooking all day while watching football on Sundays....there is something about the cooler weather that sparks the stomach juices.

[Kimmy]

This is a cornbread recipe...I think this would be great with MissCreant's soup. We eat cornbread all the time here. The part of Ohio I live in is really just people that have moved from Kentucky to work in the factories. This isn't the normal, everyday type we eat... and we don't like it sweet.

category?

Bread?

2 cups self rising cornmeal mix
1 small container sour cream
1 small can creamed corn
5 whole eggs
1/4 cup oil

grease a square baking dish (9x9?) and bake at 400-425F until browned on top.

[shotglass]

I guess that we need someone to figure out what the categories should be? I think cornbread could be in a bread category, since bread IS one of the food groups.

Anyone got a good recipe for hot braised chicken?

[JDub]

Originally posted by Laurie


JDub, interesting you say that. I have been, for the past year been trying to find Outback's recipe for their Creamy Onion/Potato Soup. That stuff is delicious!! Got the goods on that recipe?? :)

Laurie, I will dig up those recipes. I still have friends who would know them very well.;) I don't remember them specifically because I absolutely hated Front Line Prep...I think it was the smell of cooking those evil croutons. Also, here's Cream Gravy...scaled large, but I'm sure you can all divide. ;)

Cream Gravy

Roux

1 lb. butter
1 lb. bleached white flour

Place butter in large skillet and heat over medium-hi until butter begins to simmer. Slowly sift in flour while stirring (wire whip or rubber spatula works best here). As the mixture becomes more dense over the next 30 minutes, reduce heat to medium-low and continue adding flour. The key here is stirring...not enough stirring = lumpy gravy...or worse, broken roux. Remove mixture from heat, and refrigerate/freeze to cool. Once the mixture hardens, remove it from the container and run it through a cheese grater to a medium grind. Set aside. Roux can keep for a month or more in a refrigerator when prepped this way!

Gravy

4 gallons whole milk
1/4 cup chicken base (moist, pasty kind works best, check the label, though)
5 Tablespoons black pepper
2 Tablespoons white pepper
2 Tablespoons of salt

Pour 3 gallons of milk into large stock pot and bring to boil. As milk approaches boil, stir in remaining ingredients (except for final gallon of milk). The moment gravy mixture begins to boil, stir in roux mix grom above. Stirring here is critical to keep from scalding/sticking. Vigorously stir the mixture and reduce heat to medium-hi. The gravy will be thicker at this point than it needs to be (which is what the final gallon of milk is for). Slowly add the final gallon of milk until the desired consistency is reached. Pour over anything in your vicinity and consume with reckless abandon. :rolleyes: ;)

[Bucko]

Oh man Jdub..that sounds good...Thanks!

[Comic Book Guy]

ok ..iwill give potato soup a try.

3 lb. onions chopped
2 lb. 10oz butter
22 oz flour
(melt butter and cook onions until translucent)

2 1/2 qt water
1 lb. chicken base
2 tsp basil
3 Tbsp salt
2 tsp black pepper
(add all ingredients to pot and boil. when step 2 is boiling add flour to onion mix from step 1 and combine mix tyo step 2 while boiling)


12 lbs cubed baked potatoes (peeled)
(potato baking process::completely cover potatoes in margarine and coat with kosher salt bake for 1 hr at 350)

add potatoed and enjoy with cheese cheves and bacon (cvbb)


chef CBG has spoken (I will add creamy onion very soon, its a wee more difficult ;))

[Comic Book Guy]

OK...the ever elusive Walkabout onion soup (again Outback)

ONION PREP

12 lbs. onions peeled, halved, cored, sliced 1/4" thick

1 qt white cooking wine (the better the wine the better the onions)

1 lb butter

cook all above ingredients together covered on medium heat until onions no longer crunch at all. (do not scorch onions)


SOUP BASE

4 qts water
12 bay leaves
4 Tbsp onion powder
2 Tbsp black pepper
2 Tbsp White pepper
1 c. sugar
3 Tbsp salt

boil above in stock pot

ROUX

(I think anyway remember this is from memory)
9 c flour
2lb 6 oz flour

mix and hold

after the stock boils add 3 1/4 lbs of velveeta cubed stir until melted then add roux, stir and remove from heat.

add onion mix from step 1 serve with melted cheese atop

chef CBG has spoken

[Comic Book Guy]

correction on the onion soup step 3

ROUX

(CORRECTLY)

9 c flour
2 lb 6 oz BUTTER

sorry for the inconvenience :thumbs:

[Laurie]

Thanks CBG....Sounds nummy!

[Dave]

I am a casserole kind of guy, all in one dish, it's good leftover.....anyone have any good dishes to share??

I can do the tuna thing but I am looking for something with chicken and veggies.

[Freida]

My new favorite seasoning is steak seasoning (naturally, I can't remember the brand). It has a great blend of pepper, salt, fennel, celery salt and a few other things. I used it on everything. I even put a little dash of it in some tuna I mixed up last night.

Here's a tasty and very simple breading blend for chicken (made it last night).

Italian seasoned bread crumbs (enough to coat your chicken)
Steak seasoning (a couple splashes)
Flour
Milk

Dip your chicken in flour and shake off excess;
Dip in milk
Dip in breadcrumb mixture

Cook in a hot frying pan with a few tablespoons of cooking oil.

[Dave]

Freida

If you want to kick those bread crumbs up a little, put a tablespoon or two of grated cheese in there......gives it a nice flavor.

[Freida]

put a tablespoon or two of grated cheese in there

Absolutely. My mouth is watering.

So you like casseroles, eh? The classic, of course, is rice, cubed chicken, broccoli, mushroom soup and dry onion soup mix.

A nice quickie on a cool day is simply a can (or two) of chili beans in a dish with cornbread mix over it. (I like to put a can of diced green chilis and about a cup of shredded cheddar cheese in the cornbread.) Bake and voila, you've got yourself a meal.

For a chicken pot pie casserole, use Pillsbury biscuits on top of the chicken filling. For filling, make a simple white sauce, add a small bag of frozen mixed veggies, 1/2 cup yellow onion and cubed chicken. Season with poultry seasoning or a little rosemary (not too much), pepper, celery salt, garlic salt, whatever....

Simple white sauce: Equal parts butter and flour (start with 2 TBS each) Melt butter and stir in flour to form paste. Slowly add milk (about a cup to start) and cook until boiling. The sauce will thicken. Add milk until you get the consistency you want. (For cheese sauce, add cheese and a little more milk, for alfredo add parmesean and garlic)

And finally, there's enchilada casserole. Layer corn tortillas, enchilada sauce (from a can), shredded chicken or ground beef and cheese. Season the ground beef with some salt and chili powder. Saute in some yellow onion and diced chilis. Cover with foil and bake. Toward the end, take off the foil and top with cheese until melted.

[RodJSM]

<p>We've had some shark steaks in the freezer for a while (probably too long) so we figured it was time to pull them out and do something with them. I've never cooked shark before so I wasn't quite sure what the best thing to do with them would be. BBQ? Marinate? So I surfed around a few of my favorite recipe sites and found a couple that looked good and came up with a compilation. Here are the recipes and I'll add my comments on how I actually did it.</p><p><b><font color="#000099">Seared Fish Steaks (<a href="http://www.epicurious.com/run/recipe/view?id=103425">epicurious</a>) over Spiced Cashew Rice (<a href="http://www.foodandwine.com/invoke.cfm?objectid=D0F6753C-7B6D-4EE4-8798B5F241059502">Food &amp; Wine</a>)</font></b></p><p><font color="#000099">For steaks:<br>1 1/2 pounds tuna, swordfish or shark steaks, but 1 to 1 1/4 inches thick<br>2 tablespoons olive or vegetable oil<br>Salt and ground black pepper<br>Lemon wedges, or a pan sauce, uncooked relish, or flavored butter</font></p><p><font color="#000099">For rice:<br>1 1/2 cups basmati or other long-grain rice<br>2 1/4 cups water<br>2 cinnamon sticks<br>10 cloves<br>3 bay leaves<br>1/8 teaspoon turmeric<br>1 teaspoon salt<br>1 tablespoon butter<br>2 tablespoons cooking oil<br>2 teaspoons black or yellow mustard seeds<br>1/4 cup chopped, roasted, unsalted cashews<br>1/3 cup chopped cilantro or parsley</font></p><p><font color="#000099">Rice:<br></font><font color="#000099">Rinse the rice until the water runs clear. Put the rice in a medium saucepan with the water, cinnamon sticks, cloves, bay leaves, turmeric, and 1 teaspoon of the salt. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to low, and cook, covered, for 15 minutes. Remove from the heat and let sit, without removing the lid, for 10 minutes. </font></p><p>I used jasmine instead of basmati. I didn't have any cinnamon sticks so I used about 1 1/2 teaspoons of cinnamon. 1 teaspoon would probably be a little better. I didn't have any turmeric but it's related to ginger and used in curry so I threw in about 1/2 teaspoon of ginger and maybe a quarter-teaspoon of cumin for good measure.</p><p><font color="#000099">In a small frying pan, melt the butter with 2 tablespoons of the oil over moderately high heat. Add the mustard seeds and cook, stirring, until they begin to pop, about 30 seconds. Add the cashews; cook, stirring, for 30 seconds longer. Gently stir the cashew mixture into the rice with a fork. </font></p><p>I didn't have either mustard seeds or cashews but I had some pine nuts I had previously roasted so I chopped a quarter cup of those (half of them were already seasoned with cumin, garlic powder, and chili powder), skipped the frying step altogether and mixed them into the rice.</p><p><font color="#000099">Steaks:<br>Set a heavy-bottomed 12-inch skillet over low heat for 5 to 10 minutes, or medium heat for 3 to 4 minutes, while preparing the meal and seasoning the fish steaks. Three to four minutes before searing the fish steaks, turn on the exhaust fan and increase the heat to high.</font></p><p><font color="#000099"> Set steaks on a plate, drizzle with oil; turn to coat. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.</font></p><p><font color="#000099"> A minute or so after the residual oils in the skillet send up wisps of smoke, put the fish steaks in the pan. Cook over high heat until the steaks develop a thick, rich brown crust, about 3 1/2 to 4 minutes. Turn the steaks and continue to cook over high heat until the other sides develop a thick, rich brown crust and the fish is medium-rare to medium, 3 1/2 to 4 minutes longer. (For medium-well-done fish, turn the heat to low and cook, turning once, for 1 to 2 minutes longer.) Remove to a plate and let stand 5 minutes. </font></p><p>Since I don't have pans that are oiled and wiped instead of cleaned (I'm guessing that's where the &quot;residual oil&quot; comes from) I just took a skillet and wiped a coating of olive oil in there with a paper towel. Vegetable oil might be better since on high heat the olive oil turned a little black. </p><p>It's sorta scary throwing slabs of fish steak on a pan that's heated up to high but I think it would have worked really well if our exhaust fan would have worked really well. I expected some smoke given the exhaust fan recommendation in the recipe but, as it turned out, it created enough smoke to set off our alarm. It wasn't actually <i>that</i> much smoke and both times our alarm has gone off (another time with a slightly overcooked pizza) it was the smoke/heat sensor on our security system that went off even though there still wasn't enough smoke to set off the smoke alarm that's right next to it. I just think it's extra sensitive. Anyway, I took the shark off the heat for a bit, turned it down some and cooked it at a lower temperature. I think the higher temp would make more of a crust without the inside getting overcooked but it turned out fine this way too.</p><p><font color="#000099"> Serve with lemon wedges, or an uncooked relish or flavored butter. Or make a pan sauce by adding 1/2 cup liquid to the skillet; boil until the liquid is reduced to about 1/4 cup. Tilting the skillet so that the reduced liquid is at one side of the pan, whisk in butter or other enrichments until the sauce is smooth and glossy.</font></p><p>The original recipe from Epicurious calls for this to be served with horseradish butter but my wife doesn't like horseradish and I wanted to use the rice from the other recipe as an accompaniment but I thought that pan sauce sounded good so I removed the steaks, put them on a plate in the toaster oven at about 125F to keep warm, and added about half a cup of chardonnay. I whisked that until the fond (that yummy crap that's left in the bottom of the pan) was mixed into it. I wanted to flavor the sauce similar to the rice I was making so I added about half a teaspoon of ginger and maybe half that much of cinnamon. Then I added about a tablespoon of flour and whisked that in. It tasted a little dry and strong at this point so I added about a tablespoon of sugar. Even though it was an after thought, this process was definitely worth the extra effort. I think the gew&uuml;rztraminer recommended by Food &amp; Wine would be a little nicer than the dry chardonnay and would probably require less sugar in the sauce.</p><p><font color="#000099"> Add the cilantro to the rice and mound on plates. Top with the shark and serve with the lemon wedges. </font></font></p><p>I didn't have cilantro so I skipped this but it would have been nice. I didn't have lemons either but I had a lime so I served it with a lime wedge and the shark with a squirt of lime juice, a drizzle of sauce, on a bed of spiced rice was mighty tasty if I do say so myself.</p>

[robb]

I can make Top Ramen.

[RodJSM]

The Single Man's Guide to TV Dinners
http://yarayara.com/tv

article (http://www.examiner.com/ex_files/default.jsp?story=X1008SINGLEw)

[STIBROKER]

I was rasied in the food industry from waiting tables at pizza hut when I was 16 to french tableside cooking in private clubs to food and bev.director ...needless to say I get to do all the shopping and cooking....

[STIBROKER]

as well as wait tables at the magic time machine...it is a restaurant that you have to dress in costume....this was one of them......

[STIBROKER]

and also Robin Hood.....

[STIBROKER]

from tux.......

[STIBROKER]

to cartoon...a bartender did this to me......

[RodJSM]

http://www.briansbelly.com/recipes/poultry/deepfriedturkey.shtml

[Eagle3]

Too cool Rod, thanks!!!

[RodJSM]

That's an awesome site. Their motto: "Eat, Drink, & Be Heavy" And check out their "about" page:

<blockquote><blockquote>Brian's Belly is a place where guys can go... guys like us. Guys that know how to fire up a grill in their backyard and know how to boil water but never strayed too far from the basics or the frozen food section at the grocery store.
Join us here at The Belly compadre. You know you're one of us. You like to eat, and drink and eat little appetizers, and that's all you do. Let us show you the way to a better burger... a happier steak... a hotter sauce... a colder beer.

The website before you now was born of simplicity- we wished there was a place on the internet where we could go when we wanted a great recipe that sounded like a guy telling another guy how to cook... something simple, delicious and HOT. Something covered in cheese and washed down with a beer.

You can find that here. You can find information about what to cook, how to cook it, and what to drink with it. We'll teach you a thing or two- and if you have something to teach us, we're all ears.</blockquote></blockquote>And every recipe gets a 3-scale rating. Heat, Cheese, and Work.

http://www.briansbelly.com/images/scale/h5.gif
http://www.briansbelly.com/images/scale/c5.gif
http://www.briansbelly.com/images/scale/w5.gif

What else matters? I love it.

[Eagle3]

I especially like this recipe. Going to have to try it out this weekend. :)

Bambi vs. Godzilla (Venison Teriyaki)
By Chef Executive Belly David Lauterbach

Here's a pretty simple way to give a venison steak a Chinese overhaul.

Ingredients:
2 pounds of Venison
1 small chopped onion
1/2 cup of soy sauce
1/4 cup of water
2 tablespoons of sugar
1 teaspoon of ground ginger
1 clove of garlic, minced
1 teaspoon of wasabi, powder or paste

Mix up all of your ingredients thoroughly in a glass or porcelin bowl to create a marinade. Wasabi can pretty hot depending on brand and the amount you use, so know what you're doing or just go by our suggestion... you may like heat, but you don't want to kil the flavor of the meat. Hey, that rhymes. Place your steaks in the bowl and marinate the meat for 2-4 hours, covered and in your fridge.

Fire up your grill to medium and grill (or broil) to desired degree of doneness. Baste your steaks occasionally with marinade.

If women or homosexuals bitch and comment with things like "How could you eat Bambi?" simply reply "with onions." That always gets them even more pissed.

[Barb101]

:hehe:

[RodJSM]

http://graphics7.nytimes.com/images/misc/logoprinter.gif
November 20, 2002
Turkey Finds Its Inner Duck (and Chicken)
By AMANDA HESSER

ONCE upon a time, possibly at a lodge in Wyoming, possibly at a butcher shop in Maurice, La., or maybe even at a plantation in South Carolina, an enterprising cook decided to take a boned chicken, a boned duck and a boned turkey, stuff them one inside the other like Russian dolls, and roast them. He called his masterpiece turducken.

In the years that followed its mysterious birth, turducken has become something of a Southern specialty, a holiday feast with a beguiling allure. There are some Cajun butchers, like Hebert's Specialty Meats, who have made it their signature, stuffing dozens of turduckens each week, and shipping them frozen around the nation. At Thanksgiving time, Hebert's production leaps to nearly 5,000 a week.

"I think it's like the deep-fried turkey that came to the fore a few years back," said John T. Edge, the director of the Southern Foodways Alliance in Oxford, Miss. "It's a fairly exotic meal that has gone mainstream."

"When I visited my father in Macon, Ga.," Mr. Edge added, "he had a turducken that he bought cut rate from Sam's Club in his freezer."

But since many people don't seem to mind dunking an entire turkey in boiling oil, it doesn't seem so ambitious to try stuffing a duck stuffed with a chicken into a turkey, rather than buying it prepared. It seemed straightforward from a cooking point of view, and the results were tantalizing.

A well-prepared turducken is a marvelous treat, a free-form poultry terrine layered with flavorful stuffing and moistened with duck fat. When it's assembled, it looks like a turkey and it roasts like a turkey, but when you go to carve it, you can slice through it like a loaf of bread. In each slice you get a little bit of everything: white meat from the breast, dark meat from the legs, duck, carrots, bits of sausage, bread, herbs, juices and chicken, too.

I called Paul Prudhomme, the Louisiana chef who has long proclaimed himself the inventor of the turducken. He insisted that to truly understand turducken, you need to bone all of the birds and prepare three stuffings, one for each layer of meat, and cook the whole for 12 hours. (And yet, purist though he is, Mr. Prudhomme would not reveal the name of the lodge in Wyoming where he says he came up with the dish, when exactly he created it, or even his age.)

Leaving aside the mystery of its birth, perhaps the more interesting question is why turducken hasn't caught on more north of the Mason-Dixon line, especially at Thanksgiving, when even the most rigid cooks toss aside restraint.

There are a few diehard fans, like John Madden, the colorful N.F.L. football analyst, who usually buys three to last him and his broadcast crew through the Thanksgiving Day game. "The first one I ever had I was doing a game in New Orleans," Mr. Madden said. "The P.R. guy for the Saints brought me one. And he brought it to the booth. It smelled and looked so good. I didn't have any plates or silverware or anything, and I just started eating it with my hands."

Mr. Madden gets his turduckens from the Gourmet Butcher Block in New Orleans. Between each layer of bird is a different dressing. "And when you get the whole combination — the oyster dressing, the spicy dressing and the rest — it's pretty doggone good," he said.

I thought about ordering a turducken, but had heard the mail-order ones were something like mail-order fruitcakes — inconsistent at best. Or I could make one and see for myself what Mr. Madden was talking about.

At Hebert's (pronounced ay-BEARS), which has locations in Louisiana, Texas and Oklahoma, the butchers can bone a turkey in two and a half minutes and a chicken in a minute and five seconds. Still, Mr. Prudhomme's words notwithstanding, I am not a masochist. I have boned birds before. It's about as much fun as stripping paint. I called Staubitz, a butcher shop that's been in Cobble Hill, Brooklyn, since 1917.

"I'd like to know if you can bone a turkey, duck and chicken for me," I said.

"Say that again, nice and easy," John McFadden, the owner, said. So I did.

"I know we're a butcher but that's artwork."

I pressed my case. I offered to pay extra.

"Nope," Mr. McFadden said. "Can't do it. They do it in Louisiana. They don't do it here in New York."

I called another butcher, who said you need special equipment to bone poultry. A sharp knife? Another said he wouldn't do it because it was "a royal pain in the neck."

Several more calls, though, yielded a handful of butchers who were happy to do the work (mostly for a price, about $10 extra), and I ordered the birds — a 3-pound chicken, 4- to 5-pound duck and 10- to 12-pound turkey. These proportions would allow each bird to fit snugly into the next without over-stretching the turkey.

A few days later at Lobel's Prime Meats, on Madison Avenue in Manhattan, Stanley Lobel began slicing into a duck, carefully removing the backbone, and then shaving the meat from the rib cage. It was beautiful to watch as the bones emerged and all that was left was a floppy duck "suit." Mr. Lobel has been a butcher for 55 years. It took him 15 minutes to bone the duck. Get a butcher to bone the birds.

Mr. Lobel, who has made turducken, and even a capon in a capon, suggested cutting the duck and chicken into four pieces, so you can spread them out over the turkey, allowing the meat to be dispersed more evenly. He kept the wings of the turkey intact, and butterflied the drumsticks in the duck and chicken.

Recipes other than Mr. Prudhomme's for what follows are scarce. But it is not difficult to find in the annals of culinary history examples of birds stuffed into birds. There is a reference in the diaries of John B. Grimball from 1832 for a Charleston preserve of fowl. It consisted of a dove stuffed into a quail, a quail into a guinea hen, a hen into a duck, a duck into a capon, a capon into a goose, and the goose into a peacock or a turkey.[Holy cow! -RodJSM] The whole thing was then roasted and cut into "transverse sections." It makes turducken seem like the lazy way out.

Barbara Wheaton, a food historian, said that in the 14th century, peacocks were boned and roasted and re-stuffed into their feathered skin. In his Encyclopedia of Practical Gastronomy, published at the turn of the last century, Henri Babinski, who used the pseudonym Ali-Bab, gives instructions for stuffing boned ortolans into truffles.

"In the Republic of Georgia," Darra Goldstein, a professor of Russian at Williams College and the editor of Gastronomica, a journal of food and culture, wrote in "The Georgian Feast" (University of California Press), "there's a very old feast dish that calls for a huge ox roasted on a spit, stuffed successively with a calf, a lamb, a turkey, a goose, a duck, and finally a young chicken, and seasoned throughout with spices. [Holy Elephant! -RodJSM] The art lay in ensuring that each type of meat was perfectly roasted."

Mr. Edge said, "If this was going on in Charleston in the 19th century, it is likely that some other enterprising cooks in places around the South were preparing this dish previous to Paul Prudhomme's so-called invention of the turducken."

"It strikes me as a dish invented by men in a hunt camp," he added, "men who have a snootful, who say, `What would happen if we took this bird and put it in this bird?' "

But then again, the Cajuns like to make chaudin, the stomach of a pig stuffed with sausage and peppers, stuffed calves tongue and stuffed pork chops. "Witness the Hebert stuffed fowl list," Calvin Trillin, the New Yorker writer, who has a turducken in his freezer, wrote via e-mail, "and the fact that Cajuns get needles from veterinarians to inject the secret spices into turkeys that are about to be deep fried."

Nevertheless, the codified definition of a turducken, and the name itself, is most likely 20th century in origin. But with no details available, its creator remains elusive. "Of course, now everyone's on the bandwagon," said Conrad Comeaux, a tax assessor and home cook in Lafayette, La.

Mr. Comeaux once smoked turducken for an hour or so on the grill before roasting it. It turned out well. "Good enough to make you go home and slap your mama," Mr. Comeaux added, using a local expression.

Although smoking turducken on my deck in Brooklyn was unlikely to happen, I would roast it in my oven. Turducken, it turns out, is not unlike preparing a turkey with stuffing, and not unlike cooking a rolled and tied butterflied leg of lamb. So that is just how I approached preparing it.

I wanted the flavors of the meats to be clear and distinguished, so I developed a stuffing that would complement them, rather than three stuffings muddling the mass. You want the stuffing to be full flavored and sturdy; it should fill the dips and cavities where the bones once were, without making the bird bulky. And if you fill the turkey too full, it will split open when cooking.

I sautéed cubed pancetta and sausage. With the duck and chicken giblets, I cooked onion, celery, carrot, garlic and aniseed, deglazed the pan with brandy and added tarragon and thyme. Then I folded this together with cubes of dry country bread.

Assembling a turducken is simple. You lay the turkey skin side down (if your butcher hasn't butterflied the bird, slice through the skin where the backbone was and open up the bird so it lays flat), season it with salt and pepper and spread it with some of the stuffing. Make sure to tuck some stuffing into the drumsticks. Then lay the duck in the same manner on top of the turkey and repeat. The same goes for the chicken.

Then you have a choice: you can sew up the bird using a carpet or upholstery needle and butchers' twine, or thread through each side of the bird with thin skewers and then lace the skewers with twine. I recommend sewing, and enlisting someone to help. Begin at the tail end, folding up the tail skin and pulling the sides of the bird, close to the wings, back together. Stitch the bird from side to side about an inch from each edge, pulling to tighten. Continue sewing up to the neck end, then tie off the string.

Flip the bird. You could roast the turducken as is, but its amoebic shape might frighten your guests. I recommend trussing the turducken, as you would a chicken, which will help outline the drumsticks and reform the birds into one plump turducken.

Then it's smooth sailing. You put it in a roasting pan, cover it with foil and bake it at 250 degrees. Turducken needs to be roasted at a low temperature so the outer layer of turkey doesn't dry out before the chicken in the middle is cooked. The best method I found was to cook it until cooking juices formed in the pan, then baste it every half hour. You will need a cooking thermometer, because that is the only way to know what's going on inside the turducken.

When it reaches 130 degrees, you remove the foil and increase the oven heat. The outside will get brown, and basting will allow the mix of juices to moisten the entire turducken.

When the turducken is done, you set it on the platter, collect the cooking juices — which are rich and concentrated, like a demiglace — in a gravy boat and march both to the table. Give someone who's never encountered a turducken the honor of taking a long thin knife and slicing.

"It's about as formidable as a meatloaf," Mr. Trillin said. "It makes everyone into a grand holiday carver. It gives them tremendous confidence. You just slice it."

Mr. Edge said, "I wonder how far away we are from turducken being available in Dubuque?" I think you will agree, after you taste it, that we are getting closer and closer.

Article (http://www.nytimes.com/2002/11/20/dining/20THAN.html)

Recipe (http://www.nytimes.com/2002/11/20/dining/201TREX.html)

[Ty]

Oh man, that sounds soooo good. Damn mouth is watering. Gonna look up online to see if I can find a turducken around here. Doubt it though.:(

"he had a turducken that he bought cut rate from Sam's Club in his freezer."

Maybe here.

[Dave]

I have a wine question......I am having Thanksgiving dinner at my sister's house, I told her I wanted to bring something but she seemed to have all the bases covered...she said she would like to have some wine with dinner...so I offerred to bring some...now, I don't drink the stuff and have no idea what to bring..I am thinking that two bottles will be more than enough....and I am not looking to break the bank here...any suggestions on what would go well with the traditional Thanksgiving dinner.

[Eagle3]

Hey Dave. You're bound to get a lot of answers to this. :D If it were me.......
I'd bring a couple bottles of Beringer White Zin. Won't break the bank and it's a good choice if you don't know what everyone likes. Standard, "JMHO" disclaimer applies. ;)

[shotglass]

Boone's Farm and Mad Dog 20/20 go well with any occasion.

[JDub]

Dave, eagle's right about the Beringer White Zin..it's a good flavored cheap wine that goes with pretty much anything. It is a little bit sweet, though, and can tend to overpower lighter flavors. I might suggest a Kendall Jackson Chardonnay as something with traditional Thanksgiving food, because it's a little dryer, and might tend to complement the foods served a little better. It will also cost a little bit more, but I think it's well worth the difference in price.;)


Our evening began in Peter Seychelle's comfortable study in his New York townhouse, where the candlelight was just right, the hifi was in the background, and the wine, was delicious...
"What's the secret, Peter?"

"Naturally, I'll say it's the wine."

"Hmmm. It does go well with the chicken."

"Delicious again, Peter."
:dance: :dance: :laugh:

[Eagle3]

Good call Jdub on the Kendall Jackson :thumbsup:

[JDub]

Originally posted by eagle3
Good call Jdub on the Kendall Jackson :thumbsup:
You like the Kendall but don't care for the Blue Nun??:confused:

[Dave]

Thanks for the suggestions...I will take them into consideration when making my purchase :)

[Butterlugs]

Bucko, the trick to country fried steak is to use a pressure cooker, I make it when my wife is out for the day or weekend for the boys, the house stinks like peanut oil afterward so we usually do onion rings and go all the way, the trick to any of this deep frying stuff is cornstarch in the mix, and 400 degree oil.

Buttermilk works on beef as well as chicken, the lactics dissolve the sinew in the beef and make it tender.

I smell a bressler cookbook coming on, but we would have to be all serious and not do crockpot recipes for old insians or anything like that. I have what is definitively the best pecan pie recipe, aclaimed from Houston to Mobile as being the best, and am willing to share.

[Butterlugs]

they are available at the gourmet butcher block in Metairie Louisiana, they have a webpage, they are expensive to ship but always available when you are in new orleans

[Eagle3]

Eagle 3's Chili Bake
Got this idea from a hangar snack bar at my last duty station. It's a perfect "guy's" dish.... easy to make, tastes great, lot's of cheese, and will choke off any artery.:)

Ingredient List:
1 bag of Fritos
1-2 cans of your favorite Hormel Chili
1 jar of Tamales
CHEESE (I've used Cojack, Cheddar, Munster before. They all work.)

Take a shallow cassarole dish and put down a layer of Fritos. If you're making this just for yourself you can use a smaller dish, but this reheats pretty well so extra can be used for lunch the next day.

Open your can(s) of chili and use enough to cover the Fritos.

Open jar of tamales, peel off the paper wraps and cut them into bite size lengths. Lay the pieces on the chili.

Cover with cheese. Use as much as you like. :)

Cover with foil and bake at 350. Baking time varies depending on how much you made. Roughly 20-30 minutes. When it looks good and baked, remove the foil and bake an additional 4-5 minutes.

Spoon and serve. This dish lends itself well to experimentation so play Frankenstien all you want!

[k0k0peli]

My favorite tasty recipe is very simple.

Banana slugs (a North Coast favorite) lightly sauteed in hemp oil with habanero peppers and psylocibe mushrooms. Serve on jasmine rice, accompanied with Chinese ciliantro-cumin-cabbage salad and a nice chilled chardonnay. MSG is allowed.

Or try this prize-winning entry to the 1985 SlugFest: a phyllo-dough pie crust filled with live banana slugs covered with fresh whipped creram dusted with cinnamon sugar. Washed down with fine anejo tequila, this dessert can't be beat!

Banana slugs are greatly underrrated as a food source. Come on out to the Russian River and devour some now!

[k0k0peli]

Originally posted by Dave
I have a wine question......I am having Thanksgiving dinner at my sister's house, I told her I wanted to bring something but she seemed to have all the bases covered...she said she would like to have some wine with dinner...so I offerred to bring some...now, I don't drink the stuff and have no idea what to bring..I am thinking that two bottles will be more than enough....and I am not looking to break the bank here...any suggestions on what would go well with the traditional Thanksgiving dinner.

If you live anywhere near a Trader Joe's store, you can get fine Charles Shaw wines (red or white) for US$2 per bottle. The white (usually a chardonnay) is fine by itself, or use to cook a rissoto. The red (probably a merlot) is OK by itself if you're already drunk, or you can mix it with 7-Up and call it sangria. Add limes to either to improve their flavor.

If you live elsewhere, just grab a few bottles of whatever Gallo product is available, add some limes, and they'll do fine. Stay away from Taylor wines and Mad-Dog-20-20, they kinda suck.

[Kimmy]

I'm looking for a recipe for Sour Cream Cookies. I've found several online for rolled/cut cookies, but the ones I'm looking for were drop cookies. Can you use the same dough for a drop cookie? Anyone have a recipe?

[Dave]

Okay, I went out and bought a bottle of Beringer's White Zif and a bottle of Kendall Jackson Chardonnay


Thanks Peoples

:)

[Kimmy]

Bumped for Seaman

Go ahead, Seaman.. don't wait on me...Share.. please!

[Seaman Stains]

Originally posted by MissCreant
Here in Australia it is widely suspected that what is being sold is actually Kentucky Fried Rabbit,

It's Kentucky Fried Kitten since the calcivirus killed off most the rabbits!

[Seaman Stains]

I've just found this thread, I've posted my recipe for sponge cake over in the happy birthday Kimmy thread, but as I've got no idea of how to transfer it to this thread, i suggest ya go there for it!

[Kimmy]

Originally posted by Seaman Stains
i suggest ya go there for it!

Yeah, yeah... but you dangled the promise of more recipes..

[Seaman Stains]

All in the fullness of time, you dont want to suffer from information overload now, do you?
Ya can only cook one dish at a time!
So I suggest ya have a go at the sponge tomorrow, 'n I'll post another during the week!

[JasmineDreamz]

Would you guys like a little secret on making homemade lasagna? When you put it together, you don't have to pre-cook the noodles. Just layer them in like you normally would and when you bake it, cover it with foil, bake for 30 minutes with the foill on, remove the foill and then bake for another 30 minutes. Watch it towards the end of the last 30 minutes though so you don't burn the cheese on top. Simple and easy. You just use the regular lasagna noodles, don't bother buying the special no-cook noodles. It works the same.

[Barb101]

Awesome tip Jasmine! I make homemade lasagne all the time. That'll save me some time & effort. Thanks :) :thumbsup:

[JasmineDreamz]

My pleasure:D

[Laurie]

I'm heading out to the Minneapolis Farmer's Market. Anyone want anything while I'm there?

[Seaman Stains]

Originally posted by Laurie
I'm heading out to the Minneapolis Farmer's Market. Anyone want anything while I'm there?
Yeah! Would ya be able to pick me up a couple of redheads with big tits 'n no sauce?

[Laurie]

Originally posted by Seaman Stains
Yeah! Would ya be able to pick me up a couple of redheads with big tits 'n no sauce?

Sorry, they were about of those by the time I got there.

[Freak]

Originally posted by Seaman Stains
Yeah! Would ya be able to pick me up a couple of redheads with big tits 'n no sauce?

I'll have what Seaman's having.

[Seaman Stains]

Chocolate Cake!
1 cup Selfraising flour
2 table spoons cocoa
125g (4 oz) butter
1/2 cup milk
1 cup castor sugar
2 eggs

Sift flour and cocoa together, then mix all the ingredients and beat until smooth and creamy, put mix into cake tin well greased with butter and bake in a moderate oven for about 40 min
I suggest you serve with freshly whiped cream (real cream not that shit outta spraycan!!!!!)

[Pistol Pete]

Check it out. It's your one-stop shopping. :D

http://www.petsorfood.com/mammals.shtml

[Sister Zombie]

ewwwww! :nuts:

now if I could only stop laughing :hehe:

[Laurie]

Originally posted by Pistol Pete
Check it out. It's your one-stop shopping. :D

http://www.petsorfood.com/mammals.shtml

Why am I not the least bit surprised this link came from you? :scary: :nuts:

[gopsdragon]

I need a thermometer for liquids that clips to the side of the pan. Crate & Barrel apparently had one, but they have discontinued it.

All I can find are meat thermometers (which I have) and candy thermometers used with big boiling pots etc. The one I'm looking for looks like a meat thermometer so it's short enough to use in pans, but has a mounting clip so one can measure the temperature of the oil, rather than the bottom of the pan.

[JDub]

Originally posted by gopsdragon
I need a thermometer for liquids that clips to the side of the pan. Crate & Barrel apparently had one, but they have discontinued it.

All I can find are meat thermometers (which I have) and candy thermometers used with big boiling pots etc. The one I'm looking for looks like a meat thermometer so it's short enough to use in pans, but has a mounting clip so one can measure the temperature of the oil, rather than the bottom of the pan.
http://www.servu-online.com/subpages/Products.asp?dept=18&cat=89&grp=1514

[Laurie]

Originally posted by gopsdragon
I need a thermometer for liquids that clips to the side of the pan. Crate & Barrel apparently had one, but they have discontinued it.

All I can find are meat thermometers (which I have) and candy thermometers used with big boiling pots etc. The one I'm looking for looks like a meat thermometer so it's short enough to use in pans, but has a mounting clip so one can measure the temperature of the oil, rather than the bottom of the pan.

Maybe you can find it here? (http://www.chefgadget.com/)

Or perhaps here? (http://www.cooking.com/products/shprodli.asp?Keywords=thermometers&Advanced=spine)

[shotglass]

Here's another:

http://www.chefdepot.net/therm3.htm

It's near the bottom of the page. It's just the clip, supply your favorite thermometer.

http://www.chefdepot.net/therm4.htm Has the all-in-one.

[gopsdragon]

Thanks everyone. For all of life's needs, consult your friends at Bressler.org.

[MissCreant]

I'm just trying my hand at 'Habeet', Stewed Lamb....Iraqi style!
Hope the pressure cooker doesn't explode or anything.....:hehe:

[shotglass]

Is Saddam going to be hiding in your house sometime soon? :hehe:

[shotglass]

I just 'inherited' a bread maker that has never been used. I have never used one, can anyone give me some tips on how to work this thing?

Recipes would be nice, too. :)

[Eagle3]

I can post the bread recipe I use tomorrow. Tip? Follow the instructions precisely or you don't know what you may end up with. I've either put too much sugar or salt in once or twice and man, you end up with a loaf alright but not the kind you want. :laugh:

[gopsdragon]

Originally posted by shotglass
I just 'inherited' a bread maker that has never been used. I have never used one, can anyone give me some tips on how to work this thing?

Recipes would be nice, too. :)

I tried very few things with the breadmaker, but for some reason I've drawn the conclusion - only make bread with it. Don't remember why though. Mine came with a cookbook for pretzels, pizza dou..Aaahhh. That's why. The pizza dough recipe they had wasn't anything special, but the bread has been tasty warm with butter. Haven't tried vegemite on it yet.

[DMS]

:(

[shotglass]

:nolike: I am NOT eating anything that looks like that....:laugh:

[gopsdragon]

New meaning to the term "mushroom dick"

[Ether_Elemental]

:scary:

[Laurie]

Just slice it up and put it in your salad. You'd never know the difference. :hehe:


*licks lips*

[Eagle3]

Here's that recipe Shotglass. It works pretty well for me. :)

9 ounces lukewarm milk (1 cup + 2tbs), about 80 degrees
3 cups bread flour
1 1/2 tbs sugar
1 1/2 tsp salt
*Don't mix the salt/sugar measurements up like I did once!*
2 tbs butter or margarine
2 tsp active dry yeast (1 packet)

Add warm milk to bread pan. Make sure the knead bar is already in it.

Add flour, sugar and salt. Level ingredients.

Cut butter into four pieces and place a piece to each corner on top of the dry ingredients.

Make a shallow well in the center of of the dry ingredients and add yeast.

Fire up the breadmaker. In three hours you should have a nice hot loaf that's poking out the top of the pan. :)

E3

[Laurie]

Hey JDub darling? Do you have that Outback potato soup recipe? :)

[cuda]

Toast a'la Cuda:

I thought I'd give out my little secret...

Place the bread IN the toaster. It's important to make sure the bread is IN the toaster or this won't work. Turn the dial thingy to JUST PAST the halfway mark, DON'T TURN TO FAR!! Push the lever thingy down and wait.

When the toast pops up take it out, serve with butter, margerine or vegamite. Then sit back and listen to all the compliments you'll get from friends and family about the best damn toast they've ever had!

That's it, enjoy! :D

[JDub]

Originally posted by Laurie
Hey JDub darling? Do you have that Outback potato soup recipe? :)
Here's the closest one I could find...

OUTBACK STEAKHOUSE POTATO SOUP

5 or 6 large potatoes
1 can evaporated milk (12 ounce can)
1 lb. Velveeta Cheese, cubed
salt to taste
pepper to taste
garlic to taste

Garnish
Sour cream
Bacon bits
Shredded cheese
Green onion tops

Wash, peel, cut potatoes in small pieces. In medium size pot, barely cover with water, boil until cooked but still firm. Add milk and cheese. Cook on low stirring constantly until cheese melts. Do not boil. Ladle into serving bowls and add toppings of sour cream, bacon bits, shredded cheese, and green onion tops.

...and don't forget the bread... ;)

Outback Honey Wheat Bushman Bread

List of Ingredients

Dough
1 1/2 cups warm water
2 tablespoons butter, softened
1/2 cup honey
2 cups bread flour
1 2/3 cups wheat flour
1 tablespoon cocoa
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
2 teaspoons instant coffee
1 teaspoon salt
2 1/4 teaspoons (1 pkg.) yeast
cornmeal for dusting

Coloring
1/4 cup water
75 drops red food coloring
45 drops blue food coloring
30 drops yellow food coloring

Recipe

If using a bread machine, add all of the ingredients for the dough in the exact order listed into the pan of your machine. Set it on "knead" and when the machine begins to mix the dough, combine the food coloring with 1/4 cup of water and drizzle it into the mixture as it combines. After the dough is created let it rest to rise for an hour or so. Then remove it from the pan and go to step #3.
2. If you are not using a bread machine, combine the flours, cocoa, sugar, coffee and salt in large bowl. Make a depression or "well" in the middle of the dry mixture. Pour the warm water into this "well," then add the butter, honey and yeast. Combine the food coloring drops with 1/4 cup of water and add that to the "well." Slowly mix the ingredients with a spoon, drawing the dry ingredients into the wet. When you can handle the dough, begin to combine it by hand, kneading the dough thoroughly for at least ten minutes, until it is very smooth and has a consistent color. Set the dough into a covered bowl in a warm place for an hour, to allow it to rise.
3. When the dough has risen to about double in size, punch it down and divide it into 8 even portions (divide dough in half, divide those halves in half, and then once more). Form the portions into tubular shaped loaves about 8 inches long and 2 inches wide. Sprinkle the entire surface of the loaves with cornmeal and place them on a cookie sheet, or two. Cover the cookie sheet(s) with plastic wrap and let the dough rise once more for another hour in a warm location.
4. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Uncover the dough and bake it for 20-24 minutes in the hot oven. Loaves should begin to darken slightly on top when done. Serve warm with a sharp bread knife and butter on the side. If you want whipped butter, like you get at the restaurant, just use an electric mixer on high speed to whip some butter until it's fluffy. Makes 8 small loaves.

Tidbits
It is normal for this dough to be a bit tacky and to seem somewhat thin. Just be sure to add plenty of flour to your hands and work surface when working with the dough to prevent sticking.

If you are able to find caramel color, you can use that rather than the food coloring formula described in the recipe. Just measure 1 tablespoon of caramel color into the dough mixture where the recipe uses food coloring and water.

[Laurie]

Thanks sweets. One more thing besides football to look forward to here in the Tundra this winter.

I appreciate it. :Peck:

[shotglass]

OOooohhhhhh..Mr Big Shot....

Brother in law is going to some place called the Cordon Bleu or something like that in November (the place in Paris, and it's all being paid for by someone else) . That place is supposed to be famous for something or other, and he's supposed to be in training to be a pastry chef. He can cook up some pretty good stuff, but now it looks like he's gonna get serious about this stuff...he already works for the local baseball team (Cardinals).....I remember when he used to burn water....

[Laurie]

Here's a recipe for those love to cook chicken, but aren't always sure when the chicken is done.

I say give it a whirl. Looks pretty reliable to me. :D


BAKED STUFFED CHICKEN
6-7 lb. chicken
1 cup melted butter
1 cup stuffing (Pepperidge Farm is good.)
1 cup uncooked popcorn (ORVILLE REDENBACHERS LOW FAT)
Salt/pepper to taste
______________________________
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Brush chicken well with melted butter, salt, and
pepper.

Fill cavity with stuffing and popcorn. Place in baking pan with the neck end toward the back of the oven. Listen for the popping sounds.

When the chicken's ass blows the oven door open and the chicken flies across the room, it is done.

[KrzDefKat]

Originally posted by Kimmy
I'm looking for a recipe for Sour Cream Cookies. I've found several online for rolled/cut cookies, but the ones I'm looking for were drop cookies. Can you use the same dough for a drop cookie? Anyone have a recipe?

Kimmy, I found a few sour cream drop cookie recipes. One is for Orange Sour Cream, another for Maple Cream, another for Sour Cream Cherry, and yet another for Sour Cream Chocolate Chip.
If you're interested in any of them, I'll post the recipe(s).

:)

[Kimmy]

Orange and chocolate chip sound good. Have you tried any of these recipes?

[KrzDefKat]

Not personally, but my sister did. She said they turned out really well.

Orange Sour Cream Cookies

2 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter
1 1/2 cups firmly packed brown sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon grated orange rind
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup chopped pecans

Frosting:
1 1/2 tablespoons butter -- softened
1 1/2 teaspoons grated orange rind
3 tablespoons orange juice
3 cups sifted powdered sugar

Sift flour, baking soda, and salt and set aside.
Cream 1/2 cup butter and brown sugar, add eggs, vanilla, 1 teaspoon orange rind, and sour cream.
Stir in dry ingredients, blending well. Add pecans. Drop by
teaspoonfuls onto lightly greased cookie sheet.
Bake at 350 for 12-15 minutes.
Meanwhile make frosting: Combine 1-1/2 tablespoons butter,
1-1/2 teaspoons orange rind, orange juice, and powdered sugar, beating well until of spreading consistency.
Remove cookies from oven. While still warm, place 1/4 teaspoon frosting on each cookie.
Makes about 5 dozen

Sour Cream Chocolate Chip Cookies

2 1/4 cups flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/2 cup sour cream
1/4 cup butter or regular margarine, softened
1/4 cup shortening
1 tsp vanilla
1 egg
1 pkg (11.5 ounces) milk chocolate chips

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Sift flour, baking soda and salt and set aside.
Beat sugar, sour cream, butter, shortening, vanilla, and egg in a large bowl with electric mixer on medium speed. Using a wooden spoon, blend in dry ingredients. Stir in the milk chocolate chips. Drop dough by rounded tablespoonfuls about 2 inches apart onto ungreased baking sheets. Bake 11 to 14 minutes or until set and just beginning to lightly brown. Cool 1 to 2 minutes, then remove them from the cookie sheets and place them on a wire rack to cool completely.
Makes about 3 1/2 dozen cookies.

:)

[Kimmy]

Thank you! I'll let you know how they turn out.. sometime closer to Christmas ;)

[KrzDefKat]

You're welcome. Hafta start thinking about what kind of goodies I'm gonna make for Christmas myself.

[Sideout]

For all you food channel nuts out there...we got to meet Rachael Ray at a book signing last night. Waited for quite awhile, but she's pretty cool.

[gopsdragon]

Originally posted by Sideout
For all you food channel nuts out there...we got to meet Rachael Ray at a book signing last night. Waited for quite awhile, but she's pretty cool.

Did you see her in FHM scantily clad and seductively sucking a lollipop? Never expected to see a food channel chick in my FHM.

[RicardoHead]

One of my favorite recipe sources is http://www.recipesource.com because it has so many recipes so neatly sorted (region, ethnic, food type, etc). Now all I need is some :Boobies: to log on and cook me dinner! =8-D

Originally posted by Kimmy
Orange and chocolate chip sound good. Have you tried any of these recipes?

Kimmy, if you mean orange chocolate chip cookies, here's a few from that website:
1. Orange Chocolate Chunk Cookies: http://www.recipesource.com/baked-goods/desserts/cookies/14/rec1417.html
2. Chocolate-Dipped Orange Cookies: http://www.recipesource.com/baked-goods/desserts/cookies/19/rec1904.html
3. Mrs Fields' Orange Chocolate Chunk Cookies: http://www.recipesource.com/misc/copycat/orange-chocolate-chunk1.html

[Kimmy]

Thanks, Ric.. those sound really good. I love chocolate and orange together. I'm afraid I won't have the will power I had last Christmas. :scary:

[RicardoHead]

Originally posted by Kimmy
Thanks, Ric.. those sound really good. I love chocolate and orange together. I'm afraid I won't have the will power I had last Christmas. :scary:

Kimmy, if you haven't already I highly recommend that you treat yourself to a Terry's Chocolate Orange (plain or milk - I prefer plain). They have to be the coolest chocolate things to break apart and eat. Specifically I am referring to the 175 gram version in the upper left of the link below (in the boxes).

http://www.kraftfoods.co.uk/terryschocolateorange/range.htm

[Kimmy]

yeah, the oranges are great...smashing them is fun, too!

[Kimmy]

I'm supposed to cook prime rib for Christmas and I've never even tasted it.. can someone help?

[cuda]

Originally posted by gopsdragon
Did you see her in FHM scantily clad and seductively sucking a lollipop? Never expected to see a food channel chick in my FHM.

mmmmmmm.... :)

[Butterlugs]

Nice idea i am coming to your house.

Seriously, buy the meat at the butcher first. Rub it liberally with real garlic, so your hands smell wonderful for days, cut a few slits and put the garlic cloves and whole pepper corns in. Then cook

There is two preferred ways to do this, first on a bed of kosher salt in a heavy cast iron pan or roaster with the oven cranked up to 500 (maximum degrees) temperature for a short pewriod of time (twenyty minutes) then turn it off and let the oven cook as it cools, the roasting box method.

Second method is in a convection oven at a low temperature. I prefer the former. sk the butcher about the time necesssary for the two methods.

[Kimmy]

Thanks, Butterlugs.. I've been looking up recipes and I was wondering about what you called the roasting box method. I have a good gas oven, so that's what I'll probably do.. if I can find the salt. I called the butcher to order the roast, but I'm not sure how big. He suggest 3-4 lbs, but that doesn't sound like enough for 4 of us.. that includes one man and a teenaged boy.

[Butterlugs]

bone in will net you about 60% of the gross weight for meat... i'd go a little bigger, since this is christmas and, by the way if you are adventurous try making yorkshire pudding (popovers) with it, saute some spinach in olive oil and roast some red potatoes and you have a winner. many recipes for referenced item on the net, don't spare the garlic

[Sister Zombie]

Last time I did a prime rib, I had the butcher cut the meat off the "bone" in one piece and then tie it back with string. (also known as 'scalping') The meat still got the flavor from the bone while it was roasting, but when it came time to carve the roast, I just had to snip the string to separate the meat from the bone. It made carving the prime rib a whole lot easier.

[Kimmy]

A man I work with told me to have that done, Sister. He told me to have them put their rub on it and tie it up. He's a good cook and knows the butcher shop, so I'll trust his judgement on the rub.

[KrzDefKat]

I've never heard that before, Sister Zombie, but it makes sense.
That's a great idea. Thank you! :)

[Sister Zombie]

Ok, I was going to have Turkey for Christmas dinner this year, until you guys started talking about prime rib. I guess I'm going to the commissary tomorrow and getting a prime rib, lol. (or rather a 'choice rib roast' because it tastes almost like 'prime rib roast' and it's a little cheaper)

[Sister Zombie]

Originally posted by KrzDefKat
I've never heard that before, Sister Zombie, but it makes sense.
That's a great idea. Thank you! :)

;)

[Kim Possible]

Originally posted by Sister Zombie
[B]Ok, I was going to have Turkey for Christmas dinner this year, until you guys started talking about prime rib.

Any meal is special with beef!! It's what's for dinner.:D

[Kim Possible]

Cookies - Cookies - Cookies

That's my project for the day - I've got an easy chocolate/toffee cookie made with saltine crakers that is one of Sideout's favorites -

Layer Saltine crackers on a cookie sheet LINED WITH FOIL
Heat oven to 400
Bring one stick of butter with 3/4 cup of brown sugar to a boil - allow to boil for 3-4 minutes stiring often.
Pour the hot butter/sugar mixture over your crackers spreading evenly - cook for 10 minutes.
Remove from oven and spread out one bag of chocolate chips. Let sit for a few minutes until spredable - and gently spred evenly.
Shake on your favorite nuts on top and let sit for several hours until the chocolate has firmed and you can cut it.

Anybody else have a fun holiday cookie to share??

[evereno]

Irish Whiskey Cookies

1 cup butter, softened
1 cup granulated Sugar
3 large eggs
2 cups all-purpose Flour
1/4 cup Irish whiskey
1/4 cup candied citron, chopped
1/4 cup golden raisins, blanched and chopped
1/4 cup almonds, chopped

Preheat oven to 375 F and grease two cookie sheets; set aside.
In a small mixing bowl, cream together the butter and the sugar. Beat in the eggs until well blended. Add the flour and
the Irish whiskey, and beat the dough until smooth. Add the fruit and nuts, and mix well. Drop cookie dough from a tablespoon onto the prepared cookie sheets. Bake each sheet of cookies for 8 to 10 minutes. Remove the cookies from the baking sheets with a spatula while still warm. Place on wire rack to partially cool.

Store the cookies in an airtight container with a slice of white bread to maintain their soft, fruity texture.

[cuda]

This is an excellent way to cook old squirrels, which are too tough for Frying.

2 dressed squirrels, 2 to 2¸ lbs
2cups water
1 teaspoon salt
Dash of black pepper
2 tablespoons Parsley

Dumpling Recipe
Skin and gut squirrels. Remove any Shot, then wash well inside and out with warm water Cut into serving Pieces Put squirrel into a kettle, add water and salt. Heat to boiling, Then reduce heat. Cover tightly and simmer until very tender, from 2 to 3 hours. The meat should be almost ready to fall from the bones.

Add pepper and butter to pot. Increase the heat until Liquid boils. Lay the rolled dumplings over the top of pot, cover Tightly and cook for 12 to 15 minutes.

[Barb101]

Mmmm num nums :nuts: :worry:

[cuda]

Originally posted by Barb101
Mmmm num nums :nuts: :worry:

redneck... :sure:

[shotglass]

Anyone ever have the Aztec chicken at Red Lobster? I was quite surprised at how good that was.

[Kim Possible]

Shotglass - not being mean but I hate red lobster. my hubby loves it but I've never had a good experience. I've also never tried the chicken. Maybe I should try it again and just order the chicken. I'm a huge seafood fan - but just don't appreciate how they serve their seafood.

[KrzDefKat]

Got lost in this site for a few hours. Lots and lots of recipes from appetizers to vegetables, kids cooking, beverages...

http://www.cooks.com/

Warning: lots of pop-ups/unders, so make sure you're running whatever popup blocker you've got.

[STIBROKER]

lastnite I cooked chicken spinch artichoke casadeaz......sautee brown mushrooms,can artichoke,fresh spinch in real butter,add already roasted chicken last cut in small peice's....( CAN BUY PRE~ROASTED CHICKEN AT STORE )...... layer in tortilla and cover with monteray jack then place second tortilla...then put in pan and cook both side's till brown...on side make the sauce.....jar of roasted red pepper and whiping cream(blend till smooth and red ) then heat .....cover the cassad. with alvacado and spoon sauce over top and yus got some good eatn'......

[cuda]

Originally posted by STIBROKER
lastnite I cooked chicken spinch artichoke casadeaz......


...with a side of squirrel dumplings. :rolleyes:

[Butterlugs]

I want the Crazy canadian recipe for cooking kids.

[KrzDefKat]

:hehe: Well, personally, I like to fatten them up first with Fake Snot, Lizard Skins, and Maggotini Alfredo. For dessert I feed them Cat Poop Cookies and get them to wash it down with Sewer Soda.
You can try these yourself if you go here: http://www.recipesource.com/misc/kids/index1.html

;) :D

[KrzDefKat]

Sorry Kimmy and Dave, I just now made the muffins and remembered I was going to post the recipe.

Pizza Muffins

1 1/2 cups chopped pepperoni sausage
1 green pepper, seeded and finely chopped
10-oz can sliced mushrooms (I used about 8 large fresh ones this time)
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 1/4 cups grated cheese (I use a mix of cheddar and mozzarella)
1/2 cup pizza sauce
2 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. crushed red chili pepper flakes
5 eggs
1/4 cup oil
1 1/4 cups flour
1 Tbsp. baking powder

Preheat oven to 375F. Combine first 8 ingredients. In another bowl, beat eggs, blend in oil, and add flour and baking powder. Stir in pepperoni mixture until well-blended. Spoon mixture into greased muffin tins (or use those little paper liners). Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or till lightly browned. These keep well in the refrigerator.
Makes 12 muffins.

***
I have some leftover ham and some bacon to get used up. I'll bet I could substitute them for the pepperoni and toss in some well-drained pineapple instead of the mushrooms.

Hope they turn out well for you guys. :D I find them very filling.

[Kimmy]

thanks, 'kat... this sounds like something good to keep on hand for my kid

[Kimmy]

Ok, I need help.. dinnertime is becoming a nightmare in my blended household. I have 2 adults that are trying to lose weight and eat healthy. I have a finicky 14 yr old boy that's nothing but bones and eats nonstop. Also, one of the adults has high blood pressure and gout. If I cook to please the adults, the kid can't hardly choke the food down.. if I cook to please the kid, the adults aren't going to feel as well as they could. If I cook seperate dinners, I am going to end up pulling my hair out. I'm thinking maybe sauces that can be served on the side. Anybody have any recipes or ideas for me? I'm worn out...

[KrzDefKat]

Low sodium and low cholestrol for the adults, and something to beef the kid up. What a conundrum. I'd be pulling my hair out too.
I don't cook with salt at all; I got used to that when my parents were still here.
I do have a couple of different kinds of Mrs. Dash here. A side dish I like to make with broiled meats is: Take some mushrooms, cut out the stems and slice, leaving the caps whole. Heat some low-cal Italian dressing in a skillet and saute the caps and stem slices. Sprinkle with Mrs. Dash, and if you want, some bread crumbs. Remove with a slotted spoon and serve. Everybody I know likes this.
I've made a double batch of mashed potatoes, with a little unsalted butter and milk. Half I chilled, formed into patties, rolled in cornflake crumbs, put a little butter on top and broiled (my mom used to make these); the other half I would mix in a few tablespoons of jarred roasted garlic alfredo sauce. I don't know if your son would like that, maybe another flavour.
I guess I'm not much help. I did try this site - they have a lot of sauce recipes. I keyed in low sodium, and low cholestrol, and they do have recipes for those needs.

There are a lot of pop-ups/unders. But it's a pretty good source.

http://www.cooks.com/

[KrzDefKat]

You can also try Mrs. Dash's site. The recipes give you all the nutrition information, and they look pretty good.

http://www.mrsdash.ca/ca/Recipes.cfm

:D

[Kimmy]

Thanks, 'kat.. I used to use Mrs. Dash a lot, but haven't in awhile. The lady at the health food store says she doesn't believe salt causes high blood pressure.. she thinks margarine and other modern foods are the culprit. She's 87 and has 2 poached eggs and toast with butter every morning. My grandmother always thought additives were the cause of cancer. The potato pancakes sound like they'll satisfy everyone, especially if I cook them in olive oil for the hypertensive one.

[STIBROKER]

Originally posted by KrzDefKat
You can also try Mrs. Dash's site. The recipes give you all the nutrition information, and they look pretty good.

http://www.mrsdash.ca/ca/Recipes.cfm

:D

this is the only seasoning I use.....

[Kimmy]

Originally posted by STIBROKER
this is the only seasoning I use.....

Why, Sti? Elaborate :p

[STIBROKER]

Originally posted by Kimmy
Why, Sti?


look at the lable......it's great on everything.......

[Kimmy]

I'm not Cajun.. I don't really know any Cajuns.. I live in the Buckeye state.. we season things with salt pork, if possible...what does it taste like? What's in it?

[STIBROKER]

Originally posted by Kimmy
I'm not Cajun.. I don't really know any Cajuns.. I live in the Buckeye state.. we season things with salt pork, if possible...what does it taste like? What's in it?

Ingredients:

table salt
cayenne pepper
black pepper
onion powder
garlic powder
chili powder
thyme
sweet basi
bay leaf


http://www.tonychachere.com/recipes.asp

[Kimmy]

thank you... sounds like it would be good on chicken

[Butterlugs]

i uy this stuff in N.O. every quarter.

For the buckeyes and other weak palates, take the Cajun seasoning and dilute 1 to 1 or 2-1 with chicken broth mix crystals.

[Barb101]

Kimmy, another voucher for Tony Chachere. I use it all the time too. Although I rarely eat my own cooking, my kids love it. ;)

[Kim Possible]

Hey Kimmy,

That seasoning is great on broiled/baked fish too.

I take catfish, whitefish or even salmon -
Spread a VERY thin layor of mayo on the fish then shake on the seasonings - a little or a lot for each individual taste.

you can Bake it at around 300 for about 20 minutes - and then put on the broiler for the last 5 minutes to just crisp up the crust.

I usually put in some veggies that have a touch of olive oil, thyme (dry) and pepper with some mrs. dash about 20 minutes before fish goes in - better than plain old boiled veggies - better taste.

[STIBROKER]

see kimmy....would I steer you wrong....it's good stuff....I garounteee.....IYEEEE.......

[KrzDefKat]

Originally posted by STIBROKER
http://www.tonychachere.com/recipes.asp

Thanks for the link, Sti. I've been lost at the site for over an hour, reading all the lil anecdotes and all the recipes. Definitely a lot of them that I'm going to try. :thumbsup:

I'm going to get them to send me a catalog and info on S&H, because I've never seen the products here.

Now, a question: I've never had mirliton, or chayote, but I hear it tastes like zucchini. If I was unable to get that ingredient for something, could I substitute zucchini?
:)

[STIBROKER]

Originally posted by KrzDefKat
Now, a question: I've never had mirliton, or chayote, but I hear it tastes like zucchini. If I was unable to get that ingredient for something, could I substitute zucchini?
:)

I dunt zee why not...or potatoes or squash. ...

[Kimmy]

maybe the seasoning will please the two finickiest ones in my house.. but one won't eat fish at all.. ah, hell.. two of us won't eat fish, unless it's canned tuna... the other would rather have fish than anything... I guess I could cook two seperate things one night and make them eat it twice?

[STIBROKER]

Originally posted by Kimmy
maybe the seasoning will please the two finickiest ones in my house.. but one won't eat fish at all.. ah, hell.. two of us won't eat fish, unless it's canned tuna... the other would rather have fish than anything... I guess I could cook two seperate things one night and make them eat it twice?

have you tryed grilled tuna steaks.......I luv em....

[Kimmy]

Sti.. the only things we get fresh around here are bass, blue gill, crappie and catfish :p

[STIBROKER]

Originally posted by Kimmy
Sti.. the only things we get fresh around here are bass, blue gill, crappie and catfish :p

call the lo~cal seafood store's or seafood dept. at supermarket..see if they can get it in..if you know were to look....

[shotglass]

Originally posted by Barb101
Kimmy, another voucher for Tony Chachere. I use it all the time too. Although I rarely eat my own cooking, my kids love it. ;)

How is it on Sketti'Os? :p

[Barb101]

Originally posted by shotglass
How is it on Sketti'Os? :p

I dunno, I may have to try that now! :hehe:

[Seaman Stains]

I've just made the first batch of homemade tomato sauce (ketchup to you yanks)
It looks good but I wont really know till it's been matured, I find ya get a much better flavour if ya age it for at least 3 months!
And yes Barb I do remember promising to send you some, PM me some details n' it'll be on it's way!

[Barb101]

Ketchup! Alright Stains! :cool: My Mom & Dad used to put up their crops (No, not that kind, ya dopers :rolleyes: ;) ) every summer. I know how much work is put into doing that. :thumbsup:

Tell me, and it's totally ok if you hated it, you either do like it or hate it, did you try the garlic spread shit?

[Seaman Stains]

Nah i haven't had a go at the garlic stuff yet as I've not seen Jill for ages.

[Kim Possible]

Hello all - I just wanted to know what you all love to have for dinner or lunch in the summer.

My daughter is so great about eating anything and she's trying all new things. Our son, who is about to turn 4 still is leary about any new foods.

I love to BBQ, we use charcoal - but I want to jazz things up and see how much Taylor and Andrew will let me expand their 'culinary horizons!'

:idea:

[shotglass]

How about Jamaican Jerk? I got some rub from a hole in the wall store that makes a lot of their own sauces and rubs. I used the Jamaican Jerk rub I got there for the first time tonight on some chicken that I grilled. Turned out excellent. I'll be getting some more of that stuff soon. It's on the hot side, but the flavor is excellent.

[Kim Possible]

Sounds great - I'll try that.

My girl went over to eat at a friends house - we told her that it's polite to try a bit of everything that is offered, and just don't eat what you don't like, but don't say anything. When she got home she told us that "guess what mom, I like PEAS." I love my girl!!

[Sideout]

I swear - I've actually said the words that I never thought any parent would:

"No more broccoli until you finish your other stuff!" :laugh:

[Kimmy]

This is good on the grill. Serve with white or spicy rice and steamed cabbage. The same stuff you get at the mall or from a food cart:


Bourbon Chicken:

2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken thighs
2/3 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon powdered ginger
2 tablespoons dehydrated onion flakes
1/3 cup bourbon

Mix all marinade ingredients in a big ziplock bag and add chicken. Marinate overnight. Baste the chicken with the marinade while it's grilling.

[Dave]

Those cajun places in the mall make kick ass boubon chicken, I have to try that Kimmy!

[Dave]

Woohooo..Mall Bourbon Chicken (http://www.bourbonchickenspices.com/?source=overture)

[RodJSM]

How cool is this?

Christopher Walken’s

T.N.T. Shrimp Appetizer

Zucchini Linguine

New Delhi Salmon (http://www.ojai.net/swanson/cooking_with_chris.htm)

[shotglass]

Made my first loaf of homemade bread yesterday, a KrustEaz honey wheat loaf in a Toastmaster breadmaker. That stuff was goooooood. :thumbsup: Gonna make another honey wheat loaf and a sourdough loaf for Turkey Day to feed the gang when they come over.

[Kim Possible]

I have a great new beef roast recipe that you all might enjoy. You can add stuff or change things up to your tastes - so have fun.

Aunt Vera's Stew
1/2 cup of red wine mixed with a package of onion soup mix
beef roast (chuck or sholder)
2 cans of cream soup (mushroom or celery)
water
Cut up the roast into stew size pieces.
Mix the wine and onion soup mix together.
Place the meat and wine mixture in roasting pan - you can soak this overnight, a few hours or not at all if you don't have time.
Mix in the 2 cans of soup and a half a can of water with the meat and wine.
Cook for 3 hours at 350.

It's great served with hot noodles and there should be pleanty of 'gravy' to spread over the noodles or potatoes.

You can add onions to the stew. Cook other veggies on the stove top before stew is finished in the oven and add to the stew at the end.

ENJOY! :D

[Barb101]

Weight Watchers recipe cards from 1974 (http://www.candyboots.com/wwcards.html)

Check out the comments beside the cards. :D

[Kim Possible]

Weight Watchers recipe cards from 1974 (http://www.candyboots.com/wwcards.html)

Check out the comments beside the cards. :D

How hilarious! Those look so disgusting and a bit familiar. I'm sure my mother has a copy of those things - I KNOW I've seen them before. :p

[shotglass]

Ugh. No wonder they changed 'em...http://bushwhacked.net/forum/images/