What's cooking? part 4

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!

The place I moved into has this sad little Charlie-Brown-Christmas-tree-type scrubby little bush that it turns out is a Meyer lemon tree. "Tree." I am projecting "YOU ARE WICK" beams at this little thing in the hopes of someday getting a Meyer lemon. It seems like it's the only way I can get them!

Every time I water it I think how magical these lemons will be. I love you, sad little plant!

lemony vibes

There is a kumquat tree but it got overfertilized (word on the street says) and since then they're all pith. Kinda disappointing. I like to eat them anyway and tell the tree, "You ALMOST made a kumquat." The grapefruit tree makes perfect grapefruits, though. I kind of went nuts making g-fruit juice for a while.

You should sing that lemon tree very pretty song to encourage it. I'm envious of having a grapefruit producing tree btw.

Mr Veg got me a new wok for my birthday :D :D

as the better the wok, the cheaper it is, I hope he spent a buck oh five.

I dunno from how much he spent, all I know is it's silver, kinda heavy, and from the Wok Shop in San Francisco.

sounds legit

i want a g-fruit tree!!!!

I want to go nuts making g-fruit juice.

otoh i feel pretty juiced to make grapenuts

cashier lady at whole foods asked if i was a chef? i don't know if she meant pro or just "do i do the cooking at home." i guess maybe because my shopping basket was basically all raw ingredients except for a loaf of bread? idk, i'll take it.

what are y'alls favorite things to add to steel cut oats for a hearty and nourishing (but most imptly delicious) breakfast?

almond milk
ground flax
honey (just a little)
small pecan pieces if i'm feeling nutty
raisins/other dried fruit if i'm feeling fruity
both if i feel like really going crazy

chopped fresh apple (cooked with the oats) or dried fruit (cherried, cranberries, raisins, apricots) for me

I am feeling nutty and fruity tbh

I need to up my dried fruit game, I think.

The huge losses in Michigan's 2012 cherry crop has made one of my favorite fruits insanely expensive. I noticed that a 14 oz. can of Kroger's store-brand cherries was $4.50+ the other day.

dried apricots and/or cranberries/tart cherries are good

what are y'alls favorite things to add to steel cut oats for a hearty and nourishing (but most imptly delicious) breakfast?

I subtract the oats and add eggs and bacon.

xp Oooh, my mother brought me a bag of dried cherries that I'm hoarding. Now I feel even hoardier.

I made a beef & barley soup today that turned out great, even though the stew beef my wife had gotten was ridiculously lean -- I think it was cubed-up eye of round. Simmered the beef on low heat in homemade beef stock, red wine, worcestershire and a bit of tomato paste for a couple of hours before I made any moves toward turning it into soup. I haven't used barley much before -- gotta put it into heavier rotation.