Those knives are more expensive than what you need, but I can't blame you for jumping on such a good bargain. Just make sure you take good care of them.
Those knives are more expensive than what you need, but I can't blame you for jumping on such a good bargain. Just make sure you take good care of them.
The knife you have was actually more expensive there.
Those knives are more expensive than what you need, but I can't blame you for jumping on such a good bargain. Just make sure you take good care of them.
The knife you have was actually more expensive there.
Shouldn't be. I have this knife, which I can reliably find for about $55. Maybe the Broadway Panhandler is just overcharging for it.
Those knives are more expensive than what you need, but I can't blame you for jumping on such a good bargain. Just make sure you take good care of them.
The knife you have was actually more expensive there.
Shouldn't be. I havethis knife, which I can reliably find for about $55. Maybe the Broadway Panhandler is just overcharging for it.
Oh, I thought you had the Wusthof. Easy to confuse those Germans.
Those knives are more expensive than what you need, but I can't blame you for jumping on such a good bargain. Just make sure you take good care of them.
Those knives are more expensive than what you need, but I can't blame you for jumping on such a good bargain. Just make sure you take good care of them.
The knife you have was actually more expensive there.
And I have a pair of knives I bought for 4 British pounds, re-ground the edges and sharpened properly that I'd set against the knives that either of you have. Cost means nothing - Hell, the Kukri knives that the Gurkhas use are most often made from Truck leaf-springs. It's how you take care of it and how you use it.
I took a bunch of strawberries, a handful of blueberries, a banana, sugar, water, and a splash of lemon juice, boiled it until it became smooth, added some flour to thicken it, some cinnamon, ginger, and vanilla extract, let it boil down, then added a bit of half and half, let it boil down some more, and served. Ideally, one eats this with yogurt or ice cream, but I had neither. It was really tasty on its own, though, if not a bit thick and powerful (I think it would be better served chilled... or during the winter). It was pretty good for a first attempt... if I were to do it again, I would add less flour, and increase the amount of blueberries and bananas (it was very, very, "strawberry-y"). I'm also considering upping the flour, eliminating the half and half, and using it as a pie filling.
I also made those big cookies Scott linked to, and they were very good, but a bit dry and crunchy.
Grilled a rather large piece of strip steak today, 4 minutes to a side on a blazingly hot grill. At the same time, I grilled a giant portobello cap that had been brushed with a simple balsamic vinaigrette. The only preparation the steak received was freshly ground black pepper on each side before grilling, and a dash of salt afterwards. The steak was perfect: bloody as hell and only slightly better done than raw in the center, it still had all of its own flavor. The portabello was phenomenal, and had the added bonus of sucking up all the steak juice on my plate during dinner, giving it a meaty note behind the rich mushroom and balsamic flavors it was carrying.
Dinner was a GRAND success tonight. Given that I'd have fresh parsley to chiffonade and garnish it with, I'd gladly cook this for someone. Simple, fast, and mindblowingly delicious.
Crab cocktail with dill and mint. I whipped this up just to get the sauce down, and hammer down the presentation, and to give a preview to the people who will be enjoying it this Friday. It wound up being fucking delicious. Here's the recipe for 2 pounds of crab meat:
2 pounds cooked crab meat (I used canned in this photo, but fresh is always better) 1/2 cup mayonnaise 1/2 cup heavy cream, whipped (or whipping cream, whipped) 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice 2 teaspoons sugar 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh dill 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh mint lemon slices, to garnish mint leaves, to garnish
Mix the mayo, lemon juice, sugar, and chopped dill and mint together until smooth. Gently fold the whipped cream into the mixture until uniformly mixed. Layer the sauce and crab into a martini glass (I used a sorbet cup here, because it's all I had). Garnish with a lemon slice, mint leaves, and a sprinkle of fresh dill.
Has anyone ever made a whipped chocolate ganache? I just made a regular ganache, which I used as a dip for the tops of these cupcakes, and I wanted to whip the ganache and pipe it onto the tops in little rosettes. Unfortunately, the ganache I made doesn't have enough cream to whip effectively, and my endeavors to add more cream and try whipping that failed.
If I can't get it to work, I'll just go ahead with the presentation that I was planning anyhow (a fanned half strawberry and a mint leaf) and of course, there will be pictures. The whole meal will be documented. I'd just really like to get this whipped ganache thing down.
Has anyone ever made awhippedchocolate ganache? I just made a regular ganache, which I used as a dip for the tops ofthese cupcakes, and I wanted to whip the ganache and pipe it onto the tops in little rosettes. Unfortunately, the ganache I made doesn't have enough cream to whip effectively, and my endeavors to add more cream and try whipping that failed.
I haven't, but my old boss from when I worked at the corn exchange, Anthony, he has - I'll ask him how he managed it when I get a chance.
Has anyone ever made awhippedchocolate ganache? I just made a regular ganache, which I used as a dip for the tops ofthese cupcakes, and I wanted to whip the ganache and pipe it onto the tops in little rosettes. Unfortunately, the ganache I made doesn't have enough cream to whip effectively, and my endeavors to add more cream and try whipping that failed.
If I can't get it to work, I'll just go ahead with the presentation that I was planning anyhow (a fanned half strawberry and a mint leaf) and of course, there will be pictures. The whole meal will be documented. I'd just really like to get this whipped ganache thing down.
Has anyone ever made awhippedchocolate ganache? I just made a regular ganache, which I used as a dip for the tops ofthese cupcakes, and I wanted to whip the ganache and pipe it onto the tops in little rosettes. Unfortunately, the ganache I made doesn't have enough cream to whip effectively, and my endeavors to add more cream and try whipping that failed.
If I can't get it to work, I'll just go ahead with the presentation that I was planning anyhow (a fanned half strawberry and a mint leaf) and of course, there will be pictures. The whole meal will be documented. I'd just really like to get this whipped ganache thing down.
Google provides: Link 1 Link 2 Link 3
Yeah, I looked at those recipes last night too. I just wanted to check and see if anyone had a secret that Google did not reveal.
I think the issue was that my ganache wasn't cold enough before I whipped it. I aim to fix that this time around.
So, last night was my big catering night. Two friends of mine (Tyler and Vanessa) were celebrating their one-year anniversary, and Tyler had asked me if he could pay me to make cupcakes; apparently, the cupcakes that I make (from the previously linked blog) are Vanessa's favorite.
Then, Tyler's brother (Wyatt, templar21 on these here forums) came up with a brilliant idea: be their private chef for the evening. I thought it was a fantastic idea, and Tyler and Vanessa both loved it. They bought all the food, and I cooked it, at no charge to them. Really, I love cooking so much that simply getting to use all the ingredients was reward enough.
The menu:
Appetizer: Crab cocktail with dill and mint I've described this one previously. This time, I did it properly, using a martini glass and freshly-cooked king crab legs. Fucking delicious.
Entree: Taragon lobster with asparagus This is half of the lobster. I started with a 3.5 pounder, which is pretty damn big as far as lobsters go. The thing was so old that it had barnacles on its shell. Barnacles. Fuck. If you're wondering, this was also fucking delicious.
Dessert: Epic cupcakes I've made these cupcakes before, repeatedly, so I decided to crank it up a little bit. I dipped the tops in chocolate ganache, and then (successfully!) made a whipped ganache. My intention was to pipe a rosette, but I didn't have a big enough tip for that, so it wound up being just a tower of pipe ganache. I garnished with a fanned strawberry and a mint leaf. Pretty epic, I have to say. It was incredibly delicious.
To do the whipped ganache, by the way, you just have to get everything thoroughly chilled. I used 3 ounces of chocolate and 1 cup of heavy cream, and then stuck it in the freezer for about 20 minutes. Whipped up perfectly.
Now, I refused monetary compensation for my time. As I said, cooking the food was enough for me. However, they decided to get me a little something anyhow: Needless to say, that's an excellent compensation.
So, I used Scott's big cookie recipe to make cookies to sell at the farmer's market the other day. I made about 100 of them, and they sold out fairly quickly. People really loved them, so kudos to Scott for finding the recipe. Anyway, there was a surprisingly large interest in gluten-free cookies. I've never made them before, and there's a crazy lady who sells them already, but they're fucking disgusting as all hell. So, given the good taste and vast food knowledge of the forums, I was wondering if anyone knew some good gluten-free cookie recipes I can make at a relatively low cost.
So, I used Scott's big cookie recipe to make cookies to sell at the farmer's market the other day. I made about 100 of them, and they sold out fairly quickly. People really loved them, so kudos to Scott for finding the recipe. Anyway, there was a surprisingly large interest in gluten-free cookies. I've never made them before, and there's a crazy lady who sells them already, but they're fucking disgusting as all hell. So, given the good taste and vast food knowledge of the forums, I was wondering if anyone knew some good gluten-free cookie recipes I can make at a relatively low cost.
I searched for some on the Internets because I wanted to make them for Nuri. The ones I found were very Toll House, only they used other types of flour that do not have gluten. If you Google, you can find them. Next time Nuri comes, I might try one.
So, I used Scott's big cookie recipe to make cookies to sell at the farmer's market the other day. I made about 100 of them, and they sold out fairly quickly. People really loved them, so kudos to Scott for finding the recipe. Anyway, there was a surprisingly large interest in gluten-free cookies. I've never made them before, and there's a crazy lady who sells them already, but they're fucking disgusting as all hell. So, given the good taste and vast food knowledge of the forums, I was wondering if anyone knew some good gluten-free cookie recipes I can make at a relatively low cost.
I searched for some on the Internets because I wanted to make them for Nuri. The ones I found were very Toll House, only they used other types of flour that do not have gluten. If you Google, you can find them. Next time Nuri comes, I might try one.
A couple of our grocery stores now offer a decent selection of gluten free groceries and basic ingredients that are clearly marked in their own section!
So, some time ago, we had a muffin bake-off in the lab, appropriately titled Muffin Mayhem. I lost HORRIBLY in that competition, using a dark chocolate and cherry muffin recipe. Clearly, nobody understands my baked goods.
However, the loss prompted me to try improving the recipe. I present to you: Loser Muffins 2.0.
And this is how you make them:
6 tbsp unsalted butter 4 oz bittersweet (60%) chocolate*, coarsely chopped 1 c whole milk 2 large eggs 1 1/3 c all-purpose flour 1/3 c unsweetened cocoa powder* 1/3 c packed brown sugar 1.5 tsp baking powder 1/2 tsp baking soda 1/2 tsp salt 1/2 cup cherry brandy (Hiram Walker Kirschwasser) 1 - 2 tbsp white sugar, depending on taste 1 c (4 oz) dried sour cherries, coarsely chopped 1 tsp fresh orange zest (optional)
Preheat the oven to 400 F.
Melt the butter and half of the chocolate in the milk using a saucepan over low heat. Stir constantly until just melted. Let the chocolate mixture cool for 15 minutes, then whisk in the eggs until smooth.
Meanwhile, mix the white sugar, cherries, and cherry brandy in a small saucepan. Heat gently over low heat until the sugar is dissolved, and then poach the cherries until they've absorbed almost all of the liquid (no more than 2 tsps remaining). Remove the cherries from the heat and allow to cool.
Mix the flour, cocoa powder, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, orange zest (if using), and salt together in a mixing bowl. Add in the chocolate mixture and stir until JUST combined; you should still have some lumps in the batter. Stir in the remaining chopped chocolate and the cherries along with any remaining poaching liquid.
Divide evenly between 12 greased muffin cups. Bake on the middle rack for 14 - 18 minutes, until a cake tester comes out clean.
Enjoy with a tall glass of very cold milk.
*I use Ghirardelli chocolate products. They're widely available and pretty good. Avoid Hershey's or Nestle chocolate; they're inferior products.
Today I had my first conflict of interest. Guess who won?
My stomach. Clearly, I NEEDED to spend an hour cooking dinner instead of reading for tomorrow's class.
IT WAS SO GOOD.
Baked pork chop with sliced apples (Braeburn), raisins, and assorted apple-pie-type spices and seasonings over rice. Accompanied by sliced yellow squash cooked in barbeque sauce with added brown sugar and salt. Normally I would go for tangy with the squash, but it wouldn't have worked with the pork chops, so I improvised with what we had in the fridge.
My stomach. Clearly, I NEEDED to spend an hour cooking dinner instead of reading for tomorrow's class.
I'm sorry, but for some reason, I laughed quite a bit at this. It just seemed like quite an amusing moment! I definitely would have done the same.
How exactly did you cook the apple slices in this dish? I've never tried combining apples with any sort of meat product. Seems like an excellent idea, though.
I've never tried combining apples with any sort of meat product. Seems like an excellent idea, though.
Apples and pork go together amazingly well. Apricot and lamb also make an excellent combination.
Nuri, that looks fucking delicious. I want that, like, right now.
On a different topic, does anyone here make their own puff pastry? I tried my hand at it two nights ago, and it failed pretty hard. I'm pretty sure I know exactly what went wrong - I let the butter get too warm in between chilling, so it started to squirt out of the detrempe - but I'd like some advice from anyone who might have more experience with it. I'm going to be working at it till I get it down.
Today we put a pork roast in a crock pot and immersed it in root beer. Twelve hours later we dumped the root beer and pulled the pork, putting it back in the pot and covering it in BBQ sauce. We'll be eating BBQ pulled pork sandwiches for days.
Apricot and lamb also make an excellent combination.
I made an amazing leg of lamb roast a few weeks ago which involved making some space around the main bone in the leg of lamb and stuffing it with dried apricots. The dried apricots were together with a combination of thyme and a little rosemary while the actual meat had a few deep cuts into which I stuffed thyme and some diced dry apricots. I wasn't really sure as to how it would work out but it was amazing.
All the apricot became almost like a jam and it sounds silly but it was really tasty.
I tend to do roast butternut pumpkin, well dressed in honey oil and rosemary, it was a great side to the above dish.
I second apple and pork going well together. I've never actually baked a pork chop though, I tend to pan fry, grill or barbecue.
Nuri, I assume you baked the pork chop separately to the apple or was the pork chop partially cooked prior to adding the apple and sauces for baking?
Too bad for you, Pete...we had one left over. It is gonna be my lunch today. I cannot make this meal very often though...I fear I would become diabetic. There is so much sugar in it. o.o
Actually, apple is like potato. If you're going to cook it with meat and expect it to soften, you're better off microwaving it a little first. I do this for pies, too. Or did, back when I made pies. They usually take much longer than the meat or bread, and you don't want to dry out or burn the rest of the dish.
I sliced the apple insanely thin and put it in a casserole dish with the raisins. Then I coated them with dark and light brown sugar, cinnamon, and a little nutmeg. Next, into the microwave for 3 minutes to soften the apple and melt the sugar into a sauce. (It was originally 6, but they were definitely fine after 3. The apples were REALLY thin.)
Then I pulled it out, arranged 3 pork chops in the bottom of the dish, and spread the apples and raisins over them. I added more brown sugar and cinnamon as well as ground cloves and allspice on the top.
Don't ask me for measurements; I'm from North Carolina.
Baked in the oven on 250 F for about 30 minutes, then let it sit in there on 150 F for another 15 or so while my roommate talked on the phone.
The rice was made in a rice cooker, and the squash was cooked on the range. I timed it all to be ready at exactly the same time, because I am just good like that.
That actually sounds like it would be great in a stuffed pork chop. Chop up some apples, raisins (or maybe prunes), bread crumbs, and add in some rosemary and/or thyme, then stuff a nice, fat, brined pork chop and bake until awesome.
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Buckminster Buns
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Spock's scrumptious berry sauce
I took a bunch of strawberries, a handful of blueberries, a banana, sugar, water, and a splash of lemon juice, boiled it until it became smooth, added some flour to thicken it, some cinnamon, ginger, and vanilla extract, let it boil down, then added a bit of half and half, let it boil down some more, and served. Ideally, one eats this with yogurt or ice cream, but I had neither. It was really tasty on its own, though, if not a bit thick and powerful (I think it would be better served chilled... or during the winter). It was pretty good for a first attempt... if I were to do it again, I would add less flour, and increase the amount of blueberries and bananas (it was very, very, "strawberry-y"). I'm also considering upping the flour, eliminating the half and half, and using it as a pie filling.
I also made those big cookies Scott linked to, and they were very good, but a bit dry and crunchy.
Dinner was a GRAND success tonight. Given that I'd have fresh parsley to chiffonade and garnish it with, I'd gladly cook this for someone. Simple, fast, and mindblowingly delicious.
Crab cocktail with dill and mint. I whipped this up just to get the sauce down, and hammer down the presentation, and to give a preview to the people who will be enjoying it this Friday. It wound up being fucking delicious. Here's the recipe for 2 pounds of crab meat:
2 pounds cooked crab meat (I used canned in this photo, but fresh is always better)
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup heavy cream, whipped (or whipping cream, whipped)
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 teaspoons sugar
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh dill
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh mint
lemon slices, to garnish
mint leaves, to garnish
Mix the mayo, lemon juice, sugar, and chopped dill and mint together until smooth. Gently fold the whipped cream into the mixture until uniformly mixed. Layer the sauce and crab into a martini glass (I used a sorbet cup here, because it's all I had). Garnish with a lemon slice, mint leaves, and a sprinkle of fresh dill.
If I can't get it to work, I'll just go ahead with the presentation that I was planning anyhow (a fanned half strawberry and a mint leaf) and of course, there will be pictures. The whole meal will be documented. I'd just really like to get this whipped ganache thing down.
Link 1
Link 2
Link 3
I think the issue was that my ganache wasn't cold enough before I whipped it. I aim to fix that this time around.
Then, Tyler's brother (Wyatt, templar21 on these here forums) came up with a brilliant idea: be their private chef for the evening. I thought it was a fantastic idea, and Tyler and Vanessa both loved it. They bought all the food, and I cooked it, at no charge to them. Really, I love cooking so much that simply getting to use all the ingredients was reward enough.
The menu:
Appetizer: Crab cocktail with dill and mint
I've described this one previously. This time, I did it properly, using a martini glass and freshly-cooked king crab legs. Fucking delicious.
Entree: Taragon lobster with asparagus
This is half of the lobster. I started with a 3.5 pounder, which is pretty damn big as far as lobsters go. The thing was so old that it had barnacles on its shell. Barnacles. Fuck. If you're wondering, this was also fucking delicious.
Dessert: Epic cupcakes
I've made these cupcakes before, repeatedly, so I decided to crank it up a little bit. I dipped the tops in chocolate ganache, and then (successfully!) made a whipped ganache. My intention was to pipe a rosette, but I didn't have a big enough tip for that, so it wound up being just a tower of pipe ganache. I garnished with a fanned strawberry and a mint leaf. Pretty epic, I have to say. It was incredibly delicious.
To do the whipped ganache, by the way, you just have to get everything thoroughly chilled. I used 3 ounces of chocolate and 1 cup of heavy cream, and then stuck it in the freezer for about 20 minutes. Whipped up perfectly.
Here's the photostream, with a few other photos.
Now, I refused monetary compensation for my time. As I said, cooking the food was enough for me. However, they decided to get me a little something anyhow:
Needless to say, that's an excellent compensation.
However, the loss prompted me to try improving the recipe. I present to you: Loser Muffins 2.0.
And this is how you make them:
6 tbsp unsalted butter
4 oz bittersweet (60%) chocolate*, coarsely chopped
1 c whole milk
2 large eggs
1 1/3 c all-purpose flour
1/3 c unsweetened cocoa powder*
1/3 c packed brown sugar
1.5 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup cherry brandy (Hiram Walker Kirschwasser)
1 - 2 tbsp white sugar, depending on taste
1 c (4 oz) dried sour cherries, coarsely chopped
1 tsp fresh orange zest (optional)
Preheat the oven to 400 F.
Melt the butter and half of the chocolate in the milk using a saucepan over low heat. Stir constantly until just melted. Let the chocolate mixture cool for 15 minutes, then whisk in the eggs until smooth.
Meanwhile, mix the white sugar, cherries, and cherry brandy in a small saucepan. Heat gently over low heat until the sugar is dissolved, and then poach the cherries until they've absorbed almost all of the liquid (no more than 2 tsps remaining). Remove the cherries from the heat and allow to cool.
Mix the flour, cocoa powder, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, orange zest (if using), and salt together in a mixing bowl. Add in the chocolate mixture and stir until JUST combined; you should still have some lumps in the batter. Stir in the remaining chopped chocolate and the cherries along with any remaining poaching liquid.
Divide evenly between 12 greased muffin cups. Bake on the middle rack for 14 - 18 minutes, until a cake tester comes out clean.
Enjoy with a tall glass of very cold milk.
*I use Ghirardelli chocolate products. They're widely available and pretty good. Avoid Hershey's or Nestle chocolate; they're inferior products.
My stomach. Clearly, I NEEDED to spend an hour cooking dinner instead of reading for tomorrow's class.
IT WAS SO GOOD.
Baked pork chop with sliced apples (Braeburn), raisins, and assorted apple-pie-type spices and seasonings over rice. Accompanied by sliced yellow squash cooked in barbeque sauce with added brown sugar and salt. Normally I would go for tangy with the squash, but it wouldn't have worked with the pork chops, so I improvised with what we had in the fridge.
How exactly did you cook the apple slices in this dish? I've never tried combining apples with any sort of meat product. Seems like an excellent idea, though.
Nuri, that looks fucking delicious. I want that, like, right now.
On a different topic, does anyone here make their own puff pastry? I tried my hand at it two nights ago, and it failed pretty hard. I'm pretty sure I know exactly what went wrong - I let the butter get too warm in between chilling, so it started to squirt out of the detrempe - but I'd like some advice from anyone who might have more experience with it. I'm going to be working at it till I get it down.
All the apricot became almost like a jam and it sounds silly but it was really tasty.
I tend to do roast butternut pumpkin, well dressed in honey oil and rosemary, it was a great side to the above dish.
I second apple and pork going well together.
I've never actually baked a pork chop though, I tend to pan fry, grill or barbecue.
Nuri, I assume you baked the pork chop separately to the apple or was the pork chop partially cooked prior to adding the apple and sauces for baking?
Actually, apple is like potato. If you're going to cook it with meat and expect it to soften, you're better off microwaving it a little first. I do this for pies, too. Or did, back when I made pies. They usually take much longer than the meat or bread, and you don't want to dry out or burn the rest of the dish.
I sliced the apple insanely thin and put it in a casserole dish with the raisins. Then I coated them with dark and light brown sugar, cinnamon, and a little nutmeg. Next, into the microwave for 3 minutes to soften the apple and melt the sugar into a sauce. (It was originally 6, but they were definitely fine after 3. The apples were REALLY thin.)
Then I pulled it out, arranged 3 pork chops in the bottom of the dish, and spread the apples and raisins over them. I added more brown sugar and cinnamon as well as ground cloves and allspice on the top.
Don't ask me for measurements; I'm from North Carolina.
Baked in the oven on 250 F for about 30 minutes, then let it sit in there on 150 F for another 15 or so while my roommate talked on the phone.
The rice was made in a rice cooker, and the squash was cooked on the range. I timed it all to be ready at exactly the same time, because I am just good like that.
I feel the need to cook lamb now.