What's cooking? part 4

that looks delicious!

it is! I think I like it better than real spinach because the taste is a bit lighter but more importantly the stalks have better mouthfeel - they kind of 'crunch' in your mouth without being too tough

man that's why i have been LOVING pea shoots lately
i put them in everything -- noodles, soup, salads

I really don't like cooked spinach but I love the shit out of random stir-fried asian greens.

moving to a kitchen with a GAS STOVE soon! so psyched!!

i am going to attempt some kind of sesame kale salad today. blanch/quickly steam the kale to soften a little... maybe soy, sesame oil, chili flakes, dried seaweed flakes?

bought some locally grown long beans, made a stir fry roughly following this recipe:

http://www.cooks.com/rec/view/0,1618,151176-240200,00.html

(didn't use pork, subbed sriracha for chiles.) very very good but I think I cooked the beans for too long, luckily I have half a bag left with which to refine my technique

Last night - chicken cooked in white wine, garlic and rosemary. + french beans and for dessert a fantastic orange and almond cake that I'd made earlier in the day.

dry fried beans are one of my fav things ever at chinese restaurants

made some awesome black beans with sauteed onion, roasted garlic, roasted jalapeno, cumin, chili powder, simmered w/ a touch of water for a few min.

and a few squirts of lime juice for pep

Pea soup, then roast chicken in an Italian way - put two whole lemons in a chicken, that you've salted and peppered, then close it up with some cocktail sticks or a skewer or whatever, truss the feet lightly together - and it expands like a balloon in the oven and you get an incredible flavour.

Wanted to use Sicilian lemons, which are not tart in the slightest (tho you might purse your lips slightly as you pay for them thru clenched fist. Anyway, there weren't any, so I got the normal ones.

Raspberry and almond tart for pudding.

Got home from Atlanta with a ton of exotic groceries; been cooking all weekend. Yesterday was lamb burgers, replenishing my crystallized ginger stash, making a carrot cake for my daughter's birthday. Today is cayenne pepper mash, roasting anaheim chilies, roasting tomatoes for puree, and making falafel in a little while. If I have any energy left later tonight, my basil is going haywire and I need to make a batch of pesto.

recommendations for a good quality balsamic vinegar?

Trader Joe's usually has one or two decent brands, and actually the Costco Kirkland brand isn't bad (hat tip: WmC)

I'm still trying to sort out the oven at our new place - it cooks really hot! Like, the 350 deg F setting is more like 400.

Yesterday though, made tabbouleh and a black bean/cheddar dip for a get-together. I didn't have any chipotles in adobo, so I used some New Mexico, Anaheim, and pequins and some smoked paprika in addition to Mexican oregano and epazote for seasoning. Very tasty, not too spicy.

I made some guacamole and the avocados I used today were much much tastier than the avocados I had been using. these ones came from mexico (haas avocados, but not grown by coleman) whereas the ones I'd used before were from australia.

I had a bunch of old tortillas sitting around, so I had no choice but to make a bunch of really delicious tortilla soup. My husband likes it, too, which is rare/incredible.

Some veal ravioli (from the oldest and still the best italian deli in London afaik, Camisa's) in brodo, and some peas with mint and butter, plus glass of nice light Italian red.

All about dips right now -- jaq those sound yum!
Threw together a nom dip/paste/spread of white beans, garlic, artichoke, spinach, sardine, oo, and lemon. So good.
My oven is way weird. I think the dial is inaccurate, but I'm learning to turn it up higher than the desired temp. I need to get a thermometer and test it out.

oh man pad thai is so much more effort to make for yourself than i always remember

Roasted beets, potatoes and broccoli (figured I might as well take advantage while the oven was cranked up). Ate the first two with fresh dill and sour cream, the third with grated parmesan.

pan-fried tilapia (lightly dusted w/flour)
mango salsa w/onion & cilantro
steamed asaparagas
corn on the cob
couscous zapped w/curry powder

^^tonight's humid summer dinner

this week I want to make some kind of cucumber/mint salad. thinking rice-wine vinegar might be better than something sharper like white or red wine

tilapia gets a bad rap for being tasteless but I dig the mild flavor & texture, and oh yeah the price is right

I like tilapia, and it's a lot more environmentally friendly than most fishes iirc.

Tilapia is hella cheap! Last Lent, I got some for $1.50/lb.

this week I want to make some kind of cucumber/mint salad. thinking rice-wine vinegar might be better than something sharper like white or red wine

― too rock for country/too country for rock & roll (m coleman), Sunday, 11 July 2010 23:02 (Yesterday) Bookmark Suggest Ban Permalink

^^ this is a good idea

I did this for lunch yesterday:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bp-a5y8rY28

from COOKING WITH DOG in heavily accented English for the JP impaired.

I subbed SPAM for slice pork because SPAM is way more authentic imo. Also I used miso paste from the jar rather than making it from scratch.

I like COOKING WITH DOG, he is a nice dog who is not afraid of the kitchen!

this week I want to make some kind of cucumber/mint salad. thinking rice-wine vinegar might be better than something sharper like white or red wine

dude try lime juice i think it goes nice with mint cuke

Hello, do any of you have some exciting different things I can make with banana peppers or squash?? thanks!

a diorama

a diarrhea more like

:O

I don't recommend that!

take banana pepper remove top (stem end) clean out seeds and junk
place insides some cheeses or your choosing
if you are badass you will now put it through a batter and fry it
if you aren't you can put it hotbox for 20-30 at 350F

for squash what types we are talking?

Banana pepper and summer squash casserole (zukes or yellow squashes or a mix):

stem and seed peppers and halve longwise.
slice squashes into 1/4" thick rounds.
lightly salt veggie slices and lay on toweling to drain a little.
oil or butter the bottom of an oblong casserole dish (big enough to hold all veg slices, plus a little extra room).
layer of squash slices.
drizzle generously with heavy cream or sour cream.
layer of pepper slices.
another cream drizzle.
grind of black pepper.
layer of squash slices.
etc until all veg slices are in layers.
finish with a extra generous drizzle of cream and top with a layer of herbed/buttered bread crumbs.
bake at 350 deg F for 30 - 45 min.

We are starting a lunch co-op at work and I am so excited! I think there will be about 6 of us. Every week we'll each bring a dish that can serve 6 - entrees, salads, etc. Each person gets varied meals for a week out of it. I need ideas! I want to make nazi things to show ppl that healthy food can be delicious.

when i get home tonight i am gonna eat the fuck out of some slow cooked pork shoulder that was scored then spiked with cloves, skillet seared and then thrown into a crockpot filled with (mexican) coca cola, cumin, paprika, sriracha, slivered garlic, white onions, candied grapefruit zests*, summer tomatoes and water.

i got some fresh bread, some greens (mustard and collard), and some black eyed peas that were stewed with a ham hock.

*RIP my grandmother, the best cook this world has ever known.

wow steve shasta homestyle

carne y tres with sweet tea

candied grapefruit zests

Wannnnt

anybody got any great coleslaw recipes?

^seconded for coleslaws

I do a really basic lime slaw that I like -- for every 1/2 head of cabbage, grate a couple of carrots and mince some sweet onion really small. Add zest and juice of 1 lime -- don't skip the zest, it brings a lot. Salt, pepper and just enough mayonnaise to bring it all together. Great with fish or on fish tacos.

WmC are you still in NoMS?

yeah

::curses fate::

hahaha, hang in their brudda. kudos.

shasta that sounds _crazy_

it's not that so much is cooking (it is, but nothing interesting) but that i got a new kitchen storage unit thingie and now I have more counter space with which to make more space-hogging things, like bread, etc.

CAN'T WAIT

honestly, it's right about this time of year that i get tired of simple summer salads and i get the itch to make something more (1) labor intensive (2) COMPLICATED and (3) roasty.

but summer salads it is until october probably :(
at least i will have more room to work when bread-and-soup season returns

Make fresh rolls! They meet criteria 1 and 2, and take up lots of space for assembling. Hooray for more counter space! We got a kitchen island and a rolling butcher block cart thing at Ikea a few weeks ago and it just makes so much difference to have that extra room.

man, you KNOW it! it really does. my new storage thing has a butcher block top and lots of storage for cuisinart, mandoline, dutch oven, etc. in it. every thanksgiving i make butter rolls, but maybe i'll make some special for my birthday (which is coming up.)

or pretzels! http://farm1.static.flickr.com/124/382294403_68e24ba976.jpg