Cooking Dammit!!

[alex.s]

orange chicken, fried rice

[Rifleman]

It's Friday, time to make the pizza

[csmith12]

[alex.s]

drunk food

[csmith12]

Fresh from the garden!





Fried green tomatoes are my 100% without a doubt my favorite food.

[Rifleman]

now that looks azz smackin' yummy

[Racer x]

What is the best way to stock a new pantry with spices. I remodled the pantry and tossed out all the old stuff. Now I need a new rack and spices. My wife said not to go to Walmart because the spices are not good. Any suggestions on top quality spices.

[Rifleman]

Originally Posted by Racer x

What is the best way to stock a new pantry with spices. I remodled the pantry and tossed out all the old stuff. Now I need a new rack and spices. My wife said not to go to Walmart because the spices are not good. Any suggestions on top quality spices.

unless you have a very specific pallet that is looking to make Saag Paneer with Cumin and Coriander only from the Jhansie Province like mama made...

McCormick spices should be just fine... they will get you 99% of the way there.

old spices are iffy, a number of spices get their flavor from volatile oils that will off gas over time. They will lose their flavor/scent/spice.

keep them cool and dry and SEALED...

buy the smallest amount of a spice unless you use it frequently.



now I must get back to my Saffron Rice... made only with Saffron grown in Kashmir, on the south side of non-volcanic mountains, and only above 7500 feet elevation.

[csmith12]

Got kids? A small window sill spice garden is fun for them and it's pretty hard to beat fresh spices. Spices are soooo darn expensive too.

My fav bulk spices are; (Safe to buy at Wal-Mart)
Morton's Kosher Salt - I buy this by the large box.
Morton's Table Salt - Normal everyday use
Morton's Sea Salt Garlic - Steak, shrimp and other recipes where dry garlic + salt is called for.

When I go for an off the shelf spice, I buy the Spice Island brand when I can, but the price is sky high. Your wife may have banned you from Wal-Mart due to the Sauers brand. This brand used to be semi-ok but has went TOTALLY to sheet! But honestly, spices in MOST stores suck badly and are stale on the shelf.

Next, find a source for these small bottles or similar to your liking. Build your own rack of spices in an airtight and functional bottles that fit your decor. A wide berth on the bottle is good too.



Then, you want to find a store that sells "whole spices" and buy a quality grinder. My search for spices is neverending. It normally has me traveling to a few ethnic stores as well. My wife hates it, that I drive 10 miles out of the way to pick up $1.50 worth of paprika and a tiny $5 bottle fresh honey. After you grind them or partially use some, then store in one of those little jars.

My spice rule #1 - Aside of a few exceptions like cinnamon and liquid extracts, if I don't need it often enough, I don't store it and buy fresh. My spice rack is only about 7 bottles and a few containers of salts and the kids spices (cinnamon, sugar, maple extract, raspberry concentrate, ect...).
My spice rule #2 - Good quality spices are very potent. When I buy a spice, I take note on how much I use. If I feel I have to use too much, it might not be as good as I thought it was. Salt is exempt from this rule, quality salts are very smooth with a hard finish. Normally, if the recipe calls for 1tb of salt, you will need 1.5tb of quality salt.

Lastly, skip the spice mixes like Italian seasoning too. These are easy to make from scratch and 1000% time better.

ps.... good tasting minced garlic is a pain in the arse to make. And don't let the kids in your good sugar.

[Racer x]

Thank you for clarifying that. Good advice in going to start a spice garden.

[Flying]

As Rifleman says, McCormick gets you most of the way there.

Except for their black pepper, it sucks. There is no beating spending a few extra dollars for whole peppercorns and grinding it yourself.


Be careful around garlic powder/granulated garlic, the quality between brands differs exponentially.

[Racer x]

Originally Posted by Flying

As, Rifleman says, McCormick gets you most of the way there.

Except for their black pepper, it sucks. There is no beating spending a few extra dollars for whole peppercorns and grinding it yourself.


Be careful around garlic powder/granulated garlic, the quality between brands differs exponentially.

My wife says the spices that come from the super store are made with concrete dust.

[csmith12]

Originally Posted by Racer x

My wife says the spices that come from the super store are made with concrete dust.

ikr!!! Many contain anti-caking agents because people can't store spices properly so they set up hard. Ask yourself, is your spice rack over your stove, near your dishwasher or fridge? Q@#$%@$^@$#%%@!#$%#%$^!!!@$ that noise. You want dark, cool, dry and airtight.

Sounds like your wife is picky about her cooking. Why is she tasking you with this chore? lol

[csmith12]

Originally Posted by Flying

There is no beating spending a few extra dollars for whole peppercorns and grinding it yourself.

The next time you grill up some steaks or other red meat, try grinding up a teaspoon of pink peppercorns and give it light sprinkle as the meat rests. Or maybe if you like pepper on your salad. It's more delicate than your run of the mill pepper so it will get "lost" if used while cooking.

[Rifleman]

silicon dioxide... it's basically sand... anit cake agent.

really only used on powders like garlic powder, onion powder, ground ginger, ground mustard... things that you don't want to turn into one big lump.

If she knows what she wants, got to have the Madagascar cinnamon then she should be going to the farmers market and picking up what she wants.

[corksil]

If you want to become proficient at cooking, study chemistry.

Spices will make an otherwise boring meal into something new.

Diligence is the same as concentration on the task at hand.

Repetition breeds proficiency.

Cook one thing, and master it. Expand your skills from that point forward.

[Racer x]

I like to cook. She likes to eat. She is an ultra long distance bicycle rider. Doing Paris Brest Paris next month. So training involves eating good food. I wanted to clean the pantry. I had a lot of old spices. Like 15 years old. And I want a new rack to organize everything. She came home and I already tossed out everything g and said I was going to buy a rack full is spices. She said no. She will do that.

[Rifleman]

Originally Posted by corksil

If you want to become proficient at cooking, study chemistry.

Spices will make an otherwise boring meal into something new.

Diligence is the same as concentration on the task at hand.

Repetition breeds proficiency.

Cook one thing, and master it. Expand your skills from that point forward.

Just don't become TOO proficient at chemistry.

a "chemical formula" for chocolate chip cookies.

Ingredients:

532.35 cm3 gluten
4.9 cm3 NaHCO3
4.9 cm3 refined halite
236.6 cm3 partially hydrogenated tallow triglyceride
177.45 cm3 crystalline C12H22O11
177.45 cm3 unrefined C12H22O11
4.9 cm3 methyl ether of protocatechuic aldehyde
Two calcium carbonate-encapsulated avian albumen-coated protein
473.2 cm3 theobroma cacao
36.6 cm3 de-encapsulated legume meats (sieve size #10)

To a 2-L jacketed round reactor vessel (reactor #1) with an overall heat transfer coefficient of about 100 Btu/F-ft2-hr, add ingredients one, two and three with constant agitation. In a second 2-L reactor vessel with a radial flow impeller operating at 100 rpm, add ingredients four, five, six, and seven until the mixture is homogenous. To reactor #2, add ingredient eight, followed by three equal volumes of the homogenous mixture in reactor #1. Additionally, add ingredient nine and ten slowly, with constant agitation. Care must be taken at this point in the reaction to control any temperature rise that may be the result of an exothermic reaction.

Using a screw extrude attached to a #4 nodulizer, place the mixture piece-meal on a 316SS sheet (300 x 600 mm). Heat in a 460K oven for a period of time that is in agreement with Frank & Johnston's first order rate expression (see JACOS, 21, 55), or until golden brown. Once the reaction is complete, place the sheet on a 25C heat-transfer table, allowing the product to come to equilibrium.

[Rifleman]

For those who didn't get the Formula...

2.5 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup butter
2/3 cup sugar
2/3 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon Vanilla
2 eggs
2 cups chocolate chips
1/4 cup crushed peanuts

Put the flour, baking soda and salt in a bowl. Put everything but the chocolate chips and peanuts in your mixer and blend until smooth on medium. Dump in the flour/baking soda/salt mix with out making a mess. Add chocolate chips and nuts.

spoon onto cookie sheets and bake at 365 for 11 - 18 minutes. Cool on cookie wrack.

[Geezer-60]

Originally Posted by Rifleman

Just don't become TOO proficient at chemistry.

a "chemical formula" for chocolate chip cookies.

Ingredients:

532.35 cm3 gluten
4.9 cm3 NaHCO3
4.9 cm3 refined halite
236.6 cm3 partially hydrogenated tallow triglyceride
177.45 cm3 crystalline C12H22O11
177.45 cm3 unrefined C12H22O11
4.9 cm3 methyl ether of protocatechuic aldehyde
Two calcium carbonate-encapsulated avian albumen-coated protein
473.2 cm3 theobroma cacao
36.6 cm3 de-encapsulated legume meats (sieve size #10)

To a 2-L jacketed round reactor vessel (reactor #1) with an overall heat transfer coefficient of about 100 Btu/F-ft2-hr, add ingredients one, two and three with constant agitation. In a second 2-L reactor vessel with a radial flow impeller operating at 100 rpm, add ingredients four, five, six, and seven until the mixture is homogenous. To reactor #2, add ingredient eight, followed by three equal volumes of the homogenous mixture in reactor #1. Additionally, add ingredient nine and ten slowly, with constant agitation. Care must be taken at this point in the reaction to control any temperature rise that may be the result of an exothermic reaction.

Using a screw extrude attached to a #4 nodulizer, place the mixture piece-meal on a 316SS sheet (300 x 600 mm). Heat in a 460K oven for a period of time that is in agreement with Frank & Johnston's first order rate expression (see JACOS, 21, 55), or until golden brown. Once the reaction is complete, place the sheet on a 25C heat-transfer table, allowing the product to come to equilibrium.

Kinda blurring the line between Breaking Bad and Baking Bad
Sorry couldn't resist the pun!

[Racer x]

I took my wife out to dinner. The place is a bar/ Restaurant. They said they have great wings. Well if HOT is what you like they they are good. And we did not even order the rocket fuel.
I'm going to make a better wings.
First I'll start with twenty good winglets and just grill them with pepper and oil. Then make different drippings sause. Ranch dressing , honey musters and oil with soy. And maybe BBQ. Plus celery and maybe sweet potato fries.
Just like at the bar at 1/4 the price.

[Rifleman]

Two words for home made chicken wings... Fry Daddy.

Let me get you 90% of the way there, and you can tweak it to your taste.


I get the big package of chicken wings and cut them up and freeze them 6 to a package (unless the big package has an odd number of wings) 3 drumlets and 3 "forearms" per zip lok bag and freeze them. Wing tips, obviously useless, discard.

I deep fat fry 6 in the fry daddy for about 6 minutes or until lightly brown. pull them out and drain, but don't let them cool. Put them in a Tupperware or Rubber made container and add...

one to two Tablespoons of hot sauce (yeah, that's where the trick is) I use that super cheap stuff from Aldi or Jewel. More vinegar and less hot, but find a sauce that works for you. Taste it by putting a dab on your finger and running it along the "SIDE" of your tongue, not in the middle. this allows your tongue to taste the sauce, with out getting burned out by the heat... obviously insane hot sauces will still out smart this trick, but works on hot Asian and Indian cooking as well, get the taste before the bonfire is ablaze on your tongue.

a good shake or two of basil and Oregano (or Italian spices, which is mostly basil and oregano)

Shake to coat the wings and put on a plate to cool a bit.



So tricks to watch for. Coat the wings almost as fast as you can right out of the Fry Daddy. The cooling pulls the sauce in the wing, pouring sauce on cool wings is like ketchup on french fries.

for less heat
1. add vinegar to your hot sauce. the Vinegar will add tang with out heat, or will cut the heat down on a good sauce that is too hot for your taste. If you are going to try and cut a "too hot" hot sauce with vinegar, use the apple cider vinegar.

2. half a teaspoon of butter on the wings before coating with the hot sauce. the wings taste "rich" but are half as hot depending on the sauce.

now start experimenting with garlic salt, onion powder, ground ginger, ground mustard,

go exotic and "secrete recipe" try...
ground cinnamon, coco powder, chili powder, ground cumin.


Stay out of the dog house, purchase or dedicate the container to chicken wings. 1 it will get that red/orange stain from the hot sauce, it just will. Looks creepy to put Jello in a container that looks like Tabasco. It will also get scratched up from the bones in the chicken wings. The better half will give you the scowly look if you scratch up and stain her favorite $40 Tupperware bowl.

oh and normal garnish is Celery sticks and blue cheese dressing... though ranch will work in a pinch. I soak the cut celery in ice water and then dry and serve... super crunchy and cool on the tongue, but dry so it picks up the dressing.

Pictured tonight when I get home.

[LittleRedNinjette]

Mmmm.... That sounds yummy!

[Rifleman]

[Racer x]

My wings turned out OK. Much better meat than the bar. Jut j needed to cook them longer to make the meat fall from the bone better. Longer marinade would help also.

[jokesonyou24]

Hey guys...FINALLY have internet, but now I don't have a PC lol. So for now I'm just using my phone...hey it works, right?

Anyway, here's a recipe for you guys, from a friend of mine:

Matt's Super Baked Fried Chicken

2 cups crushed frosted flakes

1/2 cup flour

2 tablespoons black pepper

2 tablespoons crushed red pepper

2 tablespoons dry mustard (optional)

2 teaspoons crushed dried rosemary

1 teaspoon powdered sage (optional)

2 teaspoons powdered thyme

3 teaspoons paprika

2 eggs, beaten

Preheat oven to 375

Combine dry ingredients in a large bowl, mixing well. Dip the chicken in the egg, then the breading mixture. Bake for approximately 35 to 40 minutes. Drizzle with honey, if desired.
This is enough for about 6 to 8 pieces, depending on the size. Double it if you need to, or use it for wings

[JohnnyBravo]

Welcome back!

Whatever fool came up with pizza pasta is a genius! Made me a pizza lasagna the other night, an will probly cook another tommorrow!

Yea yea yea recipe...
Pasta cooked something denty, pizza stuff, layer an bake till the cheese is gooey an such.
gonna mix next time instead of layer, but it was lasagna.

[Racer x]

I got a grill pan. It's metal and made like a square cage but smooth with square holes. And coated with Teflon. All I have to do is cut up veggies ,oil ,spice and toss them. Then throw them in and put them in the grill. Stir them every five munites for twenty twenty five and they are done. The spices and garlic grill and they smell really good.
I'm looking forward to tonight. I found photos off interesting ways to cut up the veggies.

[DEFY]

Italian chicken and oven cooked acorn squash

[Rifleman]

Pickled some peppers yesterday. with the rain and it's fall, I metric butt ton of peppers on the plants. Had to do something with them.

[VaFish]

Originally Posted by Rifleman

Pickled some peppers yesterday. with the rain and it's fall, I metric butt ton of peppers on the plants. Had to do something with them.

Wow that's a peck of pickled peppers peter piper picked.

[csmith12]

Originally Posted by VaFish

Wow that's a peck of pickled peppers peter piper picked.

[Rifleman]

ha HA HA ha

[windingroads]

Find a good spice house near you, and buy in some decent sized containers - at least the stuff you use a lot of (basil, oregano, garlic salt, coarse pepper, cumin, etc). Hardly more expensive than the teeny tiny jars at the supermarket. If you can't find a spice house, Penzeys.com does mail order.

[csmith12]

[Rifleman]

Originally Posted by csmith12

Achievement unlocked

(James Bond 007)

[csmith12]

Originally Posted by Rifleman

Achievement unlocked

(James Bond 007)

Thank you sir.

[jokesonyou24]

Hey...that's only 10 herbs and spices

[SLOWn60]

Originally Posted by jokesonyou24

Hey...that's only 10 herbs and spices

No wonder Calvin was canned!

[csmith12]

Punctuation is important!