What did you cook today??

Oh man Zoot! That does look good :)

Mine came out alright, just a touch on the sweet side. I was out of wine vinegar, but I had some white and splashed in two cap-fulls to tweak it back to the middle. Earlier I had lifted out nearly all of the fat… maybe too much, but not complaining. Spices used:

My fresh clove of garlic that I bought last night was moldy! Had one clove left of last weeks’ so it was thin on garlic. The peppers came out pretty good, not nearly as hot as I thought it might get. Next time I’ll throw in more Serrano. Added Basil, Celery Seed, Sage, Fennel, and a bag of Mexican Sesame Seed: Adds great texture! The Black-Eyes were cooked for three hours. After all that time of cooking, I should have done up the whole bag!

Enjoyed two bowls with a movie; every bite was full of meat and not at all oily from animal fat. Normally I can eat three bowls but this was thick and heavy; I am stuffed. Tomorrow I’ll do like you and freeze off a portion, else it would take me a week or ten days to reach the bottom :lol:

Bon Appétit, KF
 
Kingfish said:
Oh man Zoot! That does look good :)

That does look good! Hook it up with some fresh chopped onions, sour cream, shredded cheddar and you are all-kinds-of-set!

Looks like we gonna have us a chilli cook off here :D I'm gonna have to try your recipe, Zoot 8)
But will use a Coleman dutch oven which I'll buy soon...
 
Pic of the "finished" chili from above:
DSC06112.JPG


Thru the morning and afternoon, it was doing it's cool-down processing, sitting in the microwave (to keep the dogs out of it); now the rest is in teh fridge. Had a bowlful last night when i posted cuz I couldn't wait, but it didn't yet taste as good as it does now. :)
 
Dee Jay said:
Kingfish said:
Oh man Zoot! That does look good :)

That does look good! Hook it up with some fresh chopped onions, sour cream, shredded cheddar and you are all-kinds-of-set!

Looks like we gonna have us a chilli cook off here :D I'm gonna have to try your recipe, Zoot 8)
But will use a Coleman dutch oven which I'll buy soon...
Thanks gents, it did turn out good. Much better than when I was putting the garlic and chilpotles in at the start of cooking.
It's basically my granny's recipe but spicier.
It leaves a tingle on your lips and a bit of after burn the next day.

With a batch this size I have to use the big stainless pot.
A five liter, cast iron, Le Creuset, dutch oven is what most does of my cooking.
 
Oh boy, an ebike chili cook-off; wouldn’t that be fun!

Pots: I used a stainless steel stock pot. About a year ago or so I bought my first cast iron skillet on advice from a new butcher in town and I have used it nearly every day since to cook my dinners. It took a long time for me to figure out how to break it in properly. A Dutch Oven sounds intriguing.

Corn: I do like corn in some stews, although I have some rules about it, and carrots for that matter, but I’m digressing. I found that fresh corn has by far the best flavor and texture. The problem is that my local rarely has corn singularly; if available it’s in a 4-pack. I’ve had good luck with frozen corn as a faithful backup, but don’t use canned corn because I hate the smell of DMS (Dimethyl sulfide) which is a classic beer fault; canned corn odor is used to teach fledgling beer judges, and even as a kid – I never liked it. For some reason I don’t have the same issue with canned beans; go figure.

Pecan Pie looks so awesome! I’ve been hooked on PP ever since reading Michener’s Texas and followed it by living in Austin for a year. Nothing like a slice of Pecan Pie with a scoop of Amy’s Ice Cream after a bowl of 3-Stars from the Texas Chile Parlor.

Cilantro: I have never tried that; used Parsley normally. I shall keep that in mind for next time.

Chilpotle Peppers: Thanks for reminding me; I had forgotten about that type. Seems to me that there is a fest in Albuquerque where they flame Chilpotles. Best breakfast burrito is in Albuquerque. Best breakfast Migas is in Austin. Now I’m hungry…

BTW – the 3-hour cook on the Black-eyes worked out perfect :wink:
Starvin’ for Migas, KF
 
I made/make a killer 2 egg omelet. :mrgreen:

2 eggs, dash of milk, pepper and salt mixed well.
Several slices of quality lunchmeat, shredded.
Cheeses...mostly real cheddar.
Veg to taste (olives, green onions, etc).

One of the big things is to use a 6" cast-iron skillet that's been fully coated in real butter. The other big thing is to cover the pan almost immediately after adding the egg, but you have to use the plate that has the meat w/ the cheese sprinkled over it because when the cheese starts sweating and melting, it's time to add the filling and fold the egg over. After folding it over you have to stay on it...like, it's already done and now it's burnt.

The result should be a thick, meaty, cheesy, taco-shaped omelet that has a sort-of thin crispy outer layer....perfection.
 
Zoot Katz said:
A five liter, cast iron, Le Creuset, dutch oven is what most does of my cooking.
Ohf**k, Le Creuset... man a good sized one sets you back about $300. Coleman is no more than $30 plus a little TLC on your part.. :roll: meh...cast iron is cast iron 8) enameled would be nice tho.. maybe I'll try to win a whole Le Creuset set at a game show like The Price is Right :lol:
 
REdiculous said:
I made/make a killer 2 egg omelet. :mrgreen:

2 eggs, dash of milk, pepper and salt mixed well.
Several slices of quality lunchmeat, shredded.
Cheeses...mostly real cheddar.
Veg to taste (olives, green onions, etc).

One of the big things is to use a 6" cast-iron skillet that's been fully coated in real butter. The other big thing is to cover the pan almost immediately after adding the egg, but you have to use the plate that has the meat w/ the cheese sprinkled over it because when the cheese starts sweating and melting, it's time to add the filling and fold the egg over. After folding it over you have to stay on it...like, it's already done and now it's burnt.

The result should be a thick, meaty, cheesy, taco-shaped omelet that has a sort-of thin crispy outer layer....perfection.
2 eggs huh.. sounds like a serious omelet...nice tips, thanks,my omelet never turn out right.. I'll add a cast iron skillet with a lid to my shopping list.
 
yup, it is a pretty hearty meal - might want some fruit on the side. :wink:

For breakfast burritos I add apple and pear chunks to the potatoes - I know it's there, but I feel like I'm sneaking the fruit in. :lol:
 
Dee Jay said:
Zoot Katz said:
A five liter, cast iron, Le Creuset, dutch oven is what most does of my cooking.
Ohf**k, Le Creuset... man a good sized one sets you back about $300. Coleman is no more than $30 plus a little TLC on your part.. :roll: meh...cast iron is cast iron 8) enameled would be nice tho.. maybe I'll try to win a whole Le Creuset set at a game show like The Price is Right :lol:
yeah, it's a luxe item but it has quality built in. I bought it for my French wife, 20 years ago, and ended up with it when we split.
Granny's cast iron dutch oven wasn't nearly as fancy and it never got rusty either.
Neither was it the type made for banking in live embers like "real" dutch ovens with a bail and recessed lid..
The thing that puts me off buying a new one today is wondering what third-world mystery metals might be included.
 
My favorite Jamie Oliver show :D

To hell with this radiation we gonna hit up a rave at a camp ground up in the mountains and will cook my ass off :lol:
[youtube]wnBHyfMtK5o[/youtube]
 
"Niku Jaga" Literally translated, Meat and Potatoes, Japanese Stylee...

Soy saucey, oniony, sweet and meaty, served with rice. Very simple and very "oishee" deee lish, tho requires four oriental ingredients that can be found in most oriental shops.

details soon.
NikuJaga.jpg
EDIT
Ingredients listed in MY order of cooking appearance..

-onion, 1 large, sliced sauteed till translucent with enough oil for it and beef

-marbled beef, thin sliced about 300 to 500 grams, added and sauteed with onions.don't over cook beef

-water, enough to cover everything including potatoes (and carrots if you like)
bring fire up to simmer till beef scum rises, scoop out scum

-dashi, 1 tsp,added to water,

add the following in "sweet to salty" order :

-sugar, 2 to 3 tsp

-mirin, 1 TBSP

-rice wine, about 1 to 2 TBSP

-soysauce, 4 to 5 TBSP, more if you like it soysaucey, onions soaks up soysauce

-potatoes, peeled, cut in chunks, enough to go with beef portion

simmer and stir occasionally to cook potatoes evenly. Reduce water to thick and slightly oily juice and potatoes soft all the way through, poke with a toothpick. add water if reduced too fast till potato is DONE

let potatoes cool and serve with rice!

takes no more than an hour depending on potato quality and thickness

was watching another fantastic Jamie Oliver series "Jamie Does" and WOW! "Jamie Does- Morocco just blew my mind... never had Moroccan food but now I gotta hit up a restaurant and spice shops here for some research. Japanese food just pales in comparison to Moroccan food. Also the street food culture in Japan is so tame... and spice shops are rare which is surprising since japan adopted indian curry as a staple dish but even curry has been tamed with the smelly pungent stuff omitted.. :roll: I guess this is what happens to industrialized nations.

definitely gotta try Jamie's Moroccan burger, too. 8)
 
Kingfish said:
Pecan Pie looks so awesome! I’ve been hooked on PP ever since reading Michener’s Texas and followed it by living in Austin for a year. Nothing like a slice of Pecan Pie with a scoop of Amy’s Ice Cream after a bowl of 3-Stars from the Texas Chile Parlor.

The pecan pie is actually really simple. If I am making it for a special occasion, I will make the crust from scratch, but if I'm just doing it for myself then I use a store bought crust. I personally prefer the kind that are not preshaped in a pie dish. I like the kind that come rolled up.

After that it's just:

4 tbls. butter (recipes almost always call for unsalted, but I always use salted.)
1 cup of brn. sugar (you can use light or dark but I almost always buy & use dark.)
3 lg. eggs
3/4c light corn syrup
1 tbls. vanilla
1 tbls. flour
2 cups pecans

There are lots of intricate recipes online, but this is what I have found to consistently work.

put the butter, brn sugar, & corn syrup in a pot and melt it and bring it to where it is just starting to boil, then remove from heat & add & mix the tablespoon of flour and the tablespoon of vanilla.

I keep my pecans in the freezer and I think this is a good practice, but it also helps for when I add the eggs.

While I am waiting for the sugar mixture to get hot, I scramble the eggs in a bowl and measure out my pecans. DON'T add the eggs to the hot sugar mix as it will cook your eggs. Immediately after you mix in the vanilla and flour, add the pecans (they should still be cold from the freezer and will drop the temp of the sugar mixture low enough that it will not cook the eggs) and then add the eggs. Stir it all up one more time until the eggs are completely incorporated into the mixture.

Pour it all into your prepared pie crust and put it into a 350 deg. oven for 20 minutes, after 20 minutes lower the temp to 250 deg. and cook for another 20-25 minutes.

Remove pie from oven and let cool COMPLETELY. If you cut into it too soon, it will run. After it has cooled, then cut into it and enjoy. :D
 
Tofu and bean spouts. (I have to reconcile for the fact that I work for a Fortune 500 oil company) So I'm a mercenary if you want to call a spade a spade. Hey this hobby requires money ya know.
 
Dear God man, here I am in land of nothing but tofu and bean sprouts willing to give my left nut for some decent Bar-b-Que, and there you are in Houston, SURROUNDED by awesome Bar-b-Que and you're eating curds and sprouts!!!

What can I say. It's a funny world we live in...but it does sound like we are both rebels to our surroundings.
 
I was "cooking" tea, boiling it up to then pour into some salvaged 3-liter bottles for freezing, to take to work with me (where it would thaw out enough to drink but still be really cold without refrigeration), but I forgot to let the stuff cool down before pouring into the first bottle. :(
DSC06126.JPG
I only had half the tea boiled up for that bottle, and it cooled rapidly enough to stop shrinking in about 10 seconds. I suppose if I'd fully filled it up, it'd be even smaller than that, probably forcing nearly-boiling liquid out the top as it shrank.

If it had been 2-liter bottles with their notably thinner plastic, I'm not sure what the result would have been, but likely much more dramatic size change at the least.

So...just so you know...if you heat that kind of plastic to water's boiling point it begins rapidly shrinking (and the walls thicken up). I suppose this might make a neat source for DIY "Shrinky-Dinks", if any of you remember those from a couple decades ago or more. :) Draw your pictures on the plastic cut from the bottles, then drop in boiling water, and voila! :lol:

It also might make them good for "heatshrink" for battery packs and the like, too. (in fact, I think I read someone doing that here on ES).

But definitely, don't pour your boiling beverages into them...unless you just prefer the more compact container with tougher (thicker) sidewalls. ;)
 
@amberwolf - Never pour the hot tea into 2 liter bottle. I would suggest let it cool down first at least 30 mins then pour it. Due the plastic bottle 2 liter is very thin easily melt.

I learend a lesson, When I pour hot (non-broil) tea into the plastic pitcher, the plastic pitcher got deform and ruined the pitcher. That's why I let it cool down about 30 mins and pour into plastic pitcher.

Other recommend, I filling of ice almost full at 3/4 in the pitcher and while the tea in pot still hot then pour slowly into pitcher. It will give you instant cold tea. I learned from one of the automatic tea maker machine from a friend of mine. 8)
 
time for a Shaggy chikin salad samwich! :D

bit cold for a salad sandwich, in fact it snowed big time yesterday... but combined with the right soup or cup of coffee it ROCKS! :twisted:
chicken salad.jpg
Filling:
-Chicken breast grilled with salt, sliced and diced

-Celery, diced or chopped mixed with...

-...mayo 60% mixed with creamcheese 40%

-lemon juice

Taste?

-sourdough lightly toasted, crispy airy and mouthwatering

-chicken filling is tender, chunky, creamy, tangy with lemon juice

-celery bursts with refreshing juice

-bean sprouts texture contrasts creams and juices

-more juices from fresh tomato slices

-jalapeno, diced, buzzes your whole head :twisted:

-coarse fresh ground black pepper surprises like landmines :shock:

-more creaminess from avocado 8)


The after-tastes swishes around your mouth with every gulp of coffee with milk and sugar .. :D

HOOOOOO WEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!
 
It's not a great pic but here's my omelet served on the warm plate...
omlete.jpg

There wasn't much to work w/ so this one was 2 brown eggs, a dash of milk, pepper, ham, cheddar and cottage cheese. :)
 
Love fish and chips so I added vinegar in the fries ahead of time, something I just made up! :mrgreen:

Frozen fries, thawed and dried with paper towel

stir fry one portion half way in a wok with just enough oil

pour out excess oil

heat high

add a swig of vinegar over fries, let evaporate till fries fully cooked

add salt while in the wok

place in paper towel

and enjoy!

Great with my chicken salad sandwich!
 
found some kidney beans at the local grocery store so I thought I'd join in on this es chili cook off, ala Jamie Oliver stylee...

I've made chili a few times before but with packaged taco seasoning, and kidney beans from "international" shops. I was surprised to find kidneys at our local grocery store. It makes me wonder what dishes the Japanese use kidney in.. maybe Japanese cook mexican food more than I thought..

Anyway, it was super easy. I used very nice green, red and yellow bell peppers, red onion, garlic, oregano, olive oil. Hot peppers wasn't available. Not sure what cut of beef I used but it's the usual marbled beef used in niku jaga (usa beef). couldn't wait for the cast iron pot I wanted so I went with the old stainless steel wok. And I roasted and ground my own cumin seeds and it smelled amazing. I think I used too much beef, about 800 grams, so it should be called Carne con Chili!

only 3 hours of slow cooking but it turned out GREAT!

Cooking it again now for the 3rd time and will try it with shredded cheddar, sour cream, and fresh onions

pics soon!
[youtube]c9G5zlu8njs[/youtube]
 
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