What's cooking? part 4

It's so reassuring that that happens to experienced, amazing cooks and not just to me because I'm dumb.

xp stevie - that's what I did, but I think I whisked the cream in too slowly, so I ended up with lumps. Also my recipe said to whisk after 30 secs - I'll leave it longer next time.

Pot roast plan b is in effect. Giant (and somehow expanding) hunk of beef shifted to the large oval le creuset along with all the juice. Fingers x'd that all night in a warm oven will do the trick.

made my Patti Labelle mac & cheese for Easter dinner today.

still delicious! But I haven't made mac & cheese a whole lot, and I'm still wrestling with how to handle it if it's cooked before the rest of the food's done. I've tried keeping it warm in the oven but it keeps cooking and gets clumpy. I've tried taking it out, but then it goes cold. I'm wondering about water baths and such.

Anyone got any genius ideas?

The only thing I can think of is some kind of steam table setup, but a bain marie might work pretty well. What size pan do you make it in?

Just a normal 9 x 13 pyrex casserole

Not sure this works for everything but we tend to keep food warm on a tealight-powered warmer.

You'd need a pretty big pan of hot water to keep a 9x13 warm. I bought an electric buffet server awhile ago that's worked pretty well for dips/entrees, but that might be ott. Depending on how long the wait is, you could try setting the hot pan on towels or cork trivets in a cooler (the insulation will keep things warm as well as cold).

yeah a big cooler sounds like the way to go. those things are boss

i'll give that a go, good idea

I hope it works - cheesy things can be problematic!

There's probably mathematically a sweet spot where if you took it out a bit early the internal heat would keep cooking it while it sat, and it could finish on the counter. You'd have to get the top as crispy as you wanted it with some high heat and then...turn it down and then pull it? Idk exactly.

yeah i might have to experiment with it

Crisp up the top with a torch right before you serve it!

I'm all about the flaming. And the knives.

I don't have a torch. I want one but my potential for creating kitchen hazards leads me to think this might be a bad move. cf: absent minded thread

Someone gave me one, but there was no creme brulee in my future so I gave it away. Douse it with alcohol and set it on fire! Add drama to your holiday get togethers!

lololol

Mr jaq roasted me some beets today, but forgot they were in the oven. Tomorrow I have wizened little lumps with charred bases for lunch.

I've done that overnight. Apartment smelt like nothing on earth.

anyone have thoughts on duck legs?

i bought a couple, put them overnight in a modified hoisin sauce, and roasted them on 300 for 2 hours after a very brief sear on the skin. they still ended up black on the outside and not very moist inside. maybe they need more of a braise? idk.

Confit, all the way.

I like to sear duck breast, skin side down to render the fat, then flip over to briefly sear the other side but leave the meat med rare - it's not like chicken. Pre-sear marination optional but recommended, esp. with asian flavors.

I accidentally discovered something great about pecans today -- they can be toasted at a low temp for a really, really long time before they burn. I was making a broccoli/pasta salad today, one of those straight off the salad bar type things (but better because it's homemade, right?) and put some pecan halves in a 300˚ oven to toast. Set the timer for 20 minutes, but I was busy with something else when it went off, and thought "oh I'll get those in a minute." Forgot all about them until at least another hour had passed and my wife noticed that the oven was on. They came out really dark brown, like mahogany colored, but didn't smell burned at all. They were delicious!

2 hrs sounds long for a couple of legs, even at 300. Maybe less time and/or cover with something (baking bag type thing) so they steam more than roast?

yeah, covering prob would have helped

I'm going to the Asian supermarket to get jasmine rice but there are like five thousand different brands. Does anyone have good/bad experiences w/ any particular ones?

I usually stand there looking helpless and either ask a savvy looking fellow shopper or grab the one with the most interesting label.

Turning a 5 lb. pork shoulder into Kalua Pig right now. Slightly modified -- I bought a fresh pineapple the other day, kept the core when I disassembled it, and it's in the dutch oven with the pork. Otherwise, just salt, garlic and liquid smoke.

this http://smittenkitchen.com/blog/2013/04/lentil-and-chickpea-salad-with-feta-and-tahini/#more-9888 with the suggested potato gratin (i am doing half potato half celery root) and a lamb burger

avoid anything described as glutenous imo, stevie

i have been cooking quite a lot from this book and so far it is batting a thousand.
http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51ZMstWhqsL._SL500_SS500_.jpg

gonna make a big ole (pizza) pie later. dough is resting. using sun dried tomatoes in lieu of tomato sauce, fontina, will top with sliced criminis and some lashings of basil pesto. haven't had any slices in a few weeks so looking forward to this

lotsa stuff going on today. jerk chicken thighs marinating for later. 3 lbs of pork in the oven on a low, slow roast.

xp my eye is watery and read that as "hashtags of basil pesto"

My breakfast is a bowl of leftover chicken red curry w two fried eggs on top and WHOA THIS IS GOOD

so hearty, so flavorful

arancini might be my ideal food

Can I use a banana loaf/cake recipe to make muffins instead? I made this: http://www.allaboutyou.com/community/forums/thread/1465914
but accidentally made too much for my one small loaf tin so wondering if it will go all wrong if I try and make muffins too.... (reducing cooking time to about 15 mins?)

Don't see why not!

Sure, that should work fine!

they've gone in....
(btw I tasted a glacee cherry and it wasn't very nice on its own. I used to love them as a kid, have they changed?)

no they've always been weird and gross imo

yeah I think I'll replace them with MOAR DATES next time, not that they taste of much in a cake
The muffins are good! Haven't tried the loaf yet.

i got about 1.5 lbs of lamb front shanks 50% at farmers' market today. i guess you're supposed to braise them. i also have rosemary, thyme, and sage. and a lot of turnips. and potatoes. and probably some carrots in the fridge. and i have a lot of kale. how do i shot?

50% off i mean, so i had to get them no matter what they cost originally because sale

Brown them well then braise on low for hours with your herbs. You could put the root veg in for the last hour or so. Or not. Maybe roast them. The shanks are done when the meat falls willingly off the bone.

Roast them with them being root veg not shanks

I love making indian curries with lamb shanks if you're into that sort of thing. Still braising, flavors work great, etc.

yeah that's a good idea (and of course i'm into that, i am the OP on curry chronicles of course!) but now i have like 100 lbs of turnips. a week or so ago i ate at this place that makes a prix fixe dinner they change every week and it was meatloaf made in an animal casing with turnips and parsnips and spaetzle. i think it had mushrooms too. it rekindled my interest in turnips.

oops too many of courses. i meant after all. i'm hungry now.

Turnip pickles!