Plus they're like $5 or $6 usually!
― drawn to them like a moth toward a spanakopita (Laurel), Friday, 16 March 2012 17:11 (twelve years ago) link
We get them at Costco (it's on my way home from work) - inexpensive, hot and tasty. Chop meat + skin, mix with broccoli, cream, shredded cheese of some sort, bake if feeling fancy, nuke for 6 minutes if not, eat.
― Jaq, Friday, 16 March 2012 17:20 (twelve years ago) link
I like the costco chickens but since I rarely drive during the week, I just roast my own - it's pretty simple.
― L'ennui, cette maladie de tous les (Michael White), Friday, 16 March 2012 17:22 (twelve years ago) link
Yeah, I don't get home until well after 7 most nights anymore. We end up mostly roasting chicken thighs now instead of whole birds.
― Jaq, Friday, 16 March 2012 17:24 (twelve years ago) link
I do that a lot too. Good portion control and they cook pretty fast.
― L'ennui, cette maladie de tous les (Michael White), Friday, 16 March 2012 17:40 (twelve years ago) link
I don't get the hate for washing dishes upthread, I love washing dishes. anyway, I've never been able to get emulsifying a dressing? Any tips?
― JacobSanders, Friday, 16 March 2012 18:05 (twelve years ago) link
do you add mustard?
― just sayin, Friday, 16 March 2012 18:09 (twelve years ago) link
sometimes, depending on what sort of dressing I'm trying to make, but most of the dressings I've made from scratch failed to taste like I want them to.
― JacobSanders, Friday, 16 March 2012 18:15 (twelve years ago) link
I don't usually make "dressing" -- just oil + vinegar. Sometimes I've made vinaigrettes, but usually I just whip with a fork.
― Laura Lucy Lynn (La Lechera), Friday, 16 March 2012 18:17 (twelve years ago) link
i whip my food back and forth
xxpost well mustard helps it emulsify
― just sayin, Friday, 16 March 2012 18:17 (twelve years ago) link
Just oil and vinegar gets old, I like flavor, like blue cheese vinaigrette or cucumber poppy seed vinaigrette or avocado vinaigrette, but they never work.
― JacobSanders, Friday, 16 March 2012 18:19 (twelve years ago) link
maybe you just need to shake them up in something, for a longer amount of time?
― 40oz of tears (Jordan), Friday, 16 March 2012 18:21 (twelve years ago) link
I never thought of using a shaker!
― JacobSanders, Friday, 16 March 2012 18:24 (twelve years ago) link
I use old jelly jars with screw-on lids. Spoonful of mustard right out of the jar + glug glug of red wine vinegar + 3 shakes of salt and 4 turns of pepper = shake up really well. Then glug glug glug of olive oil. Shake again. Taste. If too sharp and acidic, add more oil. If too tongue-coaty, add more vin.
― drawn to them like a moth toward a spanakopita (Laurel), Friday, 16 March 2012 18:25 (twelve years ago) link
Not all mustard/jelly jars seal liquid-tight, fyi. Shake over sink if yours leaks.
― drawn to them like a moth toward a spanakopita (Laurel), Friday, 16 March 2012 18:26 (twelve years ago) link
I've always used a whisk
― JacobSanders, Friday, 16 March 2012 18:31 (twelve years ago) link
lemon instead of vinegar can freshen up a salad, esp in summer with some torn up basil amidst the other leaves.
― Fizzles, Friday, 16 March 2012 18:31 (twelve years ago) link
Nuh uh. This was the jelly jar is what the dressing is stored in. So if you end up having to add some ingreds to get it to taste right, you save the rest for later, it's not wasted. And it keeps for weeks and weeks. Just shake up again to use.
xp I love lemon acidity too but shhh was trying not to overwhelm w options.
― drawn to them like a moth toward a spanakopita (Laurel), Friday, 16 March 2012 18:32 (twelve years ago) link
*This way
rough guide i don't really follow:
lemon = lettuce-only salad, or maybe if you're having the salad alongside fishvinegar = salad w/ tomatoes in
also sometimes olive oil is too strong to have in a salad and a thinner veg oil will work better
― uh oh i'm having an emotion (c sharp major), Friday, 16 March 2012 18:34 (twelve years ago) link
I put lemon on kale, usually, and red wine vin (maybe with a splash of balsamic if I want sweetness) on arugula & spinach salads. Don't really eat lettuce, I guess.
― drawn to them like a moth toward a spanakopita (Laurel), Friday, 16 March 2012 18:35 (twelve years ago) link
― JacobSanders, Friday, March 16, 2012 1:19 PM (7 hours ago) Bookmark
dude sounds like you should get a food processor or blender with that. also those tools totally emulsify the shit out of whatever you put in there
― Anton Levain (jdchurchill), Saturday, 17 March 2012 02:18 (twelve years ago) link
A good stick blender is worth every penny.
― Carlos Pollomar (WmC), Saturday, 17 March 2012 02:45 (twelve years ago) link
true dat i have a small food pro, a blender (which i never use for anything other than beverages) and the stick blender. and i use them often, boyo.
― Anton Levain (jdchurchill), Saturday, 17 March 2012 02:46 (twelve years ago) link
emulsifyin up what have u
― Anton Levain (jdchurchill), Saturday, 17 March 2012 02:47 (twelve years ago) link
realized that i shd probably start talking cooking over here instead of doing wheelies all over the ILE threads :)
- jelly jars for salad dressing is the easiest. emulsifies really good. - different flavored vinegars like red wine, white wine, balsamic etc is an easy way to change dressing but that's probably super way too obv- mustard awesome in dressing, also dried herbs can be kinda useful here if you aren't averse to keeping them around
- I was told of a salad mixing trick that tends to work pretty well for distribution: - put the dressing in the bottom of the empty salad bowl (usually only a couple of TBs is all you need, unless you like a really super-wet-crazily-dressed salad. - put veggies/all your salad extras in the bowl, minus the leafs - put the leafs in last - take your salad mixers or two spoons or w/e and grab what's on the bottom and pull it to the top. Do that a few times til everything's mixed. - salad: tossed
― Peppermint Patty Hearst (VegemiteGrrl), Saturday, 17 March 2012 04:21 (twelve years ago) link
This assumes you need to slice your own bread, I don't buy sliced, but if you do - even easier!
Where in the world would you even buy unsliced bread?
Of course you can find unsliced baguettes, but not regular loaf bread.
― free societies must let drunken gay Texans have sex (Je55e), Sunday, 18 March 2012 03:08 (twelve years ago) link
a good bakery will sell unsliced loaves
― Peppermint Patty Hearst (VegemiteGrrl), Sunday, 18 March 2012 03:12 (twelve years ago) link
I often use empty spice jars for my dressing, as it usually makes enough in the jar for one salad!
lemonjuice based dressing, also good on a basic pasta salad (cold cooked spiral pasta, a few chopped things eg olives, spinach leaves, sundried tomatoes, artichokes from a jar, etc), dressing, stir. Tuna also if yr not veggie.
― Medical Dance Crab With Lesson (Trayce), Sunday, 18 March 2012 04:00 (twelve years ago) link
The food co-op here bakes good bread and sells them unsliced. They have a self-serve automatic bread slicing machine by the checkout though should you desire to have it sliced, which I usually opt to do.
― joygoat, Sunday, 18 March 2012 18:20 (twelve years ago) link
Jesse, Treasure Island sells unsliced bread that they will slice for you in their slicing machine.
― carl agatha, Sunday, 18 March 2012 18:42 (twelve years ago) link
Huh. I have never noticed unsliced bread anywhere, but I've probably just repressed the memories.
― free societies must let drunken gay Texans have sex (Je55e), Monday, 19 March 2012 17:44 (twelve years ago) link
are you wearing sunglasses, like in They Live? That might be why
― Peppermint Patty Hearst (VegemiteGrrl), Monday, 19 March 2012 17:57 (twelve years ago) link
I often use old mustard jars to make and keep dressings.
I've said this before on ilx, but I will again. Sometimes instead of oil, I use greek yogurt in salad dressings. You might give that a try, jacob, since it emulsifies every bit as well as oil and it's great for coating the salad. The flavors of whatever you add (pepper, herbs, mustard, etc...) also infuse pretty handily with yogurt but you might want to taste before adding somethings since greek yogurt is pretty tangy.
― L'ennui, cette maladie de tous les (Michael White), Monday, 19 March 2012 18:04 (twelve years ago) link
Roast chicken juices, esp if the chicken has been cooked with a lemon in it, are an exceptional leaf salad dressing.
― Fizzles, Monday, 19 March 2012 18:19 (twelve years ago) link
Oh wow, Greek yogurt. Great idea.
I'm not sure I'm quite on board w/ the chicken juices, but it sounds interesting.
― free societies must let drunken gay Texans have sex (Je55e), Tuesday, 20 March 2012 01:30 (twelve years ago) link
chicken juices great for combo bread/leaf salad, if you're into that kind of thing. You don't need much, but it's kind of a cool flavorsome touch for a special occasion dinner.
― Peppermint Patty Hearst (VegemiteGrrl), Tuesday, 20 March 2012 01:39 (twelve years ago) link
scrambled eggs. why do mine taste of nothing? what can i add to increase flavour?
― Summer Slam! (Ste), Wednesday, 21 March 2012 15:10 (twelve years ago) link
Salt & pepper are an absolute must-have.
Good options:A bit of sharp cheddar.
Minced chives.
Fresh thyme and scrambled eggs play together very well.
If you're not vegetarian and have it on hand, mince up a bit of smoked salmon or gravlax into the egg before scrambling.
― any major prude will tell you (WmC), Wednesday, 21 March 2012 15:14 (twelve years ago) link
My choice - lots of butter, cook slowly, don't overcook - my preference is for these soft, barely set curds rather than the polystyrene blocks. Salt and pepper. Also, fresh eggs.
― Fizzles, Wednesday, 21 March 2012 15:14 (twelve years ago) link
Here is how I make basic "weekend" scrambled eggs (because they are really rich):
Add to a bowl: two eggs, salt, pepper, grated sharp cheddar cheese, and maybe a tablespoon one of the following dairy products: cream, milk, sour cream, plain yogurt. Whip them up real good.Meanwhile, melt some butter in a pan over low heat.When the butter is melted, add the eggs. Let them sit a minute before you start messing with them, and then stir them gently over low heat. Right about the time you think they are almost done but could use another minute, turn the pan off.
― carl agatha, Wednesday, 21 March 2012 15:16 (twelve years ago) link
barely-cooked >>> undercooked >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> overcooked
― any major prude will tell you (WmC), Wednesday, 21 March 2012 15:17 (twelve years ago) link
^yes, good point - they carry on cooking after you turn the heat off. xpost.
― Fizzles, Wednesday, 21 March 2012 15:17 (twelve years ago) link
xp Those are basic. I also like to add onions, mushrooms, and diced ham or Canadian bacon. I dice all that stuff small, and saute thoroughly before adding more butter and the eggs. Otherwise the mushrooms will be too wet, plus I hate hate hate underdone vegetables in scrambled eggs.
― carl agatha, Wednesday, 21 March 2012 15:17 (twelve years ago) link
Ste, what is your scrambled eggs method?
― any major prude will tell you (WmC), Wednesday, 21 March 2012 15:21 (twelve years ago) link
great. although i despise cheese to the point of wretching even at the smell, but i'll try the other suggestions.
I knew about the turning the heat off before they are cooked thing.
I put salt and pepper in, maybe i'm not putting enough in. also never tried butter instead of olive oil so i'll give that a go.
― Summer Slam! (Ste), Wednesday, 21 March 2012 15:23 (twelve years ago) link
xp. yeah i use olive oil. a pinch of salt and pepper, a few eggs, some milk.
― Summer Slam! (Ste), Wednesday, 21 March 2012 15:24 (twelve years ago) link
(straight from the "how to cook everything" book btw)
Personally I don't use milk.
― Fizzles, Wednesday, 21 March 2012 15:25 (twelve years ago) link