What's cooking? part 4

i made butternut squash and black bean soup this evening too! except i couldn't find black beans anywhere today so they got rather limply substituted with aduki and kidney beans :/

whoah i should make some cauliflower soup, that's an excellent idea

btw jaq's beef and pico and cream sauce were a+++++++

can you make a cauliflower soup w/out a cream base?

Sure can! Cauli is so creamy anyway I really dont think it needs it. I made mine by sauteeing a big pile of thinly sliced leek, then adding some thyme, cooking it all down a bit - then added half a cauliflower and a couple of peeled and diced potatoes. Add vege stock or chicken stock to just cover the lot, then simmered for about 30 mins, then pureed with a blender-stick. I actually strained of about half the liquid off, pureed then added back - that way you control the thickness. But yeah, though you could put milk or cream in, its pretty rich without.

The thyme is the real magic though.

i will try this! i can't stomach cream-based soups!

coconut milk!

Cauliflower cheese soup is gorgeous, also.

I've got pumpkin risotto on as a side to roast chicken at the mo, it seems to be going down okay.

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2497/3991683762_aa29c796d6.jpg
thai green papaya salad aka som tam

yum

I love that stuff so much. Sadly I can't get green papayas here but a friend and I have a standing arrangement to buy them for each other when we go to asian groceries elsewhere.

you made that?! how? omg it looks delicious!

It's pretty easy to make, actually. My friend lived in Thailand and bought me a cheap little tool designed specifically to shave little strips off the papaya, which works much better than my mandoline or cutting by hand.

like a vegetable peeler?

It's basically a vegetable peeler with a zig-zag blade on it so it cuts a dozen thin strips at once. I've seen them in asian markets here for a couple of bucks. I think their sole purpose is to make this one particular dish.

i will check at uwajimaya when i am looking for a rice cooker :)

yeah, while i like thinking that it impressed someone (anyone!) it was not hard to make. slice slice slice, mix the dressing, crush the peanuts, combine, eat. lots of easy recipes available online, i kind of made mine up because i didn't have enough limes and only had garlic chili sauce and not actual chili peppers.

things i added that were not part of the recipes i saw online:
shredded carrot
shredded zucchini
one almost bad red pepper
green beans

the more the merrier, yknow

making trayce's soup now!

Yay! Let me know what you think tza! <3

came out v tasty!
i think i used too many potatoes, though (obv you can never have too many potatoes! but i mean in terms of it being a 'cauliflower' soup probably too many).

Yeah I think you need the cauli to be the dominant veg in the soup... Still, its one of those tings you cant stuff up, just experiment with :)

i have a feeling i will go through this batch quickly, so next time! more cauliflower!

also i did a recipe calculator thing on this and it came out to like 80 cal/serving! woah.

hey scallop fans: i think i might get some fresh scallops tomorrow at teh farmer's market, but i need a simple way of cooking them - i've never cooked them myself!! i have an empty pantry, so something pretty minimal on ingredients would be awesome.

PAN SEAR

raw, or with some garlic butter & lemon

the two times i have made scallops: fresh dill, olive oil, light cajun spices

the thai store had just got in a massive bunch of green papayas (wasn't sure what they were at first) and i got all excited at the idea of making papaya salad then remembered i'm moving out this weekend and don't have time :|

i actually need some really specific cooking instructions, i.e. the temp i should have the pan on, how long, etc. i really have no clue!! (NB i have a gas stove)

This would also be usedul to me! I've only ever cooked them from frozen in a cioppino.

This is a good tutorial: http://culinaryarts.about.com/od/fishseafood/ss/searseascallops.htm

i've done:

1 minute high heat w/vegetable oil
2-4 minutes med heat
flip
another couple minutes, keep an eye on 'em

After I take them out, I like to deglaze the pan with just a bit of white wine and toss in some fresh thyme (I have a ton of it out back so it's my go-to herb), reduce a bit, drizzle over scallops, PROFIT.

ur next level, dude

that sounds like MAJOR PROFIT!

it's so lol. in my youth, i was always so scared of ANYTHING sticking to a pan bc i hated the thought of trying to clean it off later. then i discovered the joys of deglazing!

ehhh i missed out on going to the farmer's market today, and won't get there next weekend cuz of big event thing, but DEF the week after.

I know, right? I used to be terrified of any cookware that wasn't nonstick. xpost

now i'm getting more and more terrified of nonstick cookware! i am concerned about it overheating and seeping nonstickiness into my food.

yeah, i need to deglaze more

to do list
- deglaze

i need to buy a cast iron pan still! i keep staring at things like BEEF in the market but not buying it bc fuck if i'm gonna waste it on a nonstick pan. guess i could do it on stainless steel if i was doing a stew or something but...

to do list:
stew

i don't have a cast iron pan either! what the heck!

omg guys here is a complete list of cooking gear that we own:
1 x very small nonstick frypan
1 x large stewing pot
1 x baking tray
1 x roasting dish

my husband hadn't even used that frypan before i moved here

i need to buy a goddamn wok

never understood the super tiny frying pan thing---every dude i've lived with seems to have one and it's like uh are you gonna fry exactly one egg in that? i mean, i've had a couple, i guess, and i'm not sure why??

i chalk it up to the fact that most ppl's initial cooking stuff is inherited/garage sale/second hand. at least mine has been

I kinda want to get a 2nd cast iron skillet because I want to keep the one I have for cornbread only, but I'm not sure how much use another one would get because I have the grill outside for steaks/burgers and a cast iron dutch oven for braising and stews and such.

Just1n3, you don't need a LOT else...maybe just a good saucepan or two and a big frying pan.

i wanna eat at yr house WmC

Don't get a wok...home stoves can't generate enough heat for really good stir-frying.

Come on over! Downside: you have to enter the state of Mississippi.