What's cooking? part 4

I made chick peas today too - threw them in the crock pot with some olive oil, cumin, lemon, salt, garlic and onions. They were cooked in less than three hours and were tender in that canned chick peas way that I have trouble achieving that effect with using the stove. Only difference is how fresh they tasted - without that tinny can flavor.

This may be the best way to cook hummus from now on. I've been told my hummus is underwhelming, I'll try cooking the chick peas this way.

I've long been a snob about crock pots but my dad left me five of them, each in a different size! Cut hundreds from your monthly grocery bill!

I love crock pots. I broke mine ;_;

I guess I should get used to them, those chick peas are the best I've ever eaten! Bean dishes must turn out great in them. It was kind of fun making a dish with one.

I really want one

have any of you-all ever used a vegetable starter culture? i'm dying to make these fermented beets (nourishedkitchen.com/fermented-beets), and i guess i need the aforementioned thing before i can make them.

I haven't tried that - sounds like you might be able to use whey from yogurt (full of lactic acid), but that it would take quite a bit. I want to start a nukazuke bucket this year - wonder how beets would do in that?

i figured i would just buy some to make the beets and then use the remainder to experiment
seems like a fun enough spring project?

yes! and there are so many fresh little veggies to try to pickle in the springtime

Jaq, do you heat process any of the veggies you pickle? or seal? or do you just quickly brine/store in fridge?

I've done preserved lemons and sauerkraut that were just left at room temp until used (I froze some of the kraut before it got super sour, we weren't eating it fast enough). Other veggie pickles have just been fresh and stored in the fridge - the texture changes so much with heat processing, I haven't tried it. We have gotten wonderful pickled asparagus and cauliflower from friends though that have been cold processed canned.

Trying another bean recipe in a larger crock pot today.

I can also make grape leaves in my crock pot, can't I? Found a jar in the cabinet. Seems like they might turn out better from the crock pot than cooked in an oven (had disappointing results here too).

Sorry, just looked it up. Now those jars of grape leaves won't sit unopened for months!

When ready to roll bundles, place a grape leaf on the counter with the shiny side down and stem end closest to you. Spoon 1 tablespoon of the filling near the end, fold both sides in, and roll away from you, firmly but not too tightly. Place seam-side down on a plate. Repeat until all grape leaves (and rice) are used up.

Into the slowcooker: Place all the grape leaves into a 5 or 6 quart slow cooker, arranging them in layers. Pour the 3 cups of water and lemon juice on top. Cook on low for 5 to 6 hours.

No more running to the middle eastern place to get my favorite food! Good for dinner parties, no?

there was a recipe with picture instructions in bon appetit last fall and i got a jar of leaves and we still haven't gotten around to making them!

wasn't there a thread where we talked about cook books we like? did i make that up? i want a good cuban cookbook.

There's this one: Three (3) most recent cookbooks you've used.

And this one: s/d: cookbooks!

a ha. ty.

i searched for cookbooks, two words, not one, because of the hole in my head.

Got a couple of wild caught sockeye fillets, gonna make some more gravlax.

I've been wanting to do that sometime - how does it work out?

It worked out great the first time I made some, about 5 years ago. It helps that I have a 2nd fridge out in the carport shop. Take two sides of salmon, make up a mixture of salt, sugar, pepper and chopped dill. Rub them down good with it, pack a lot of it between them (so they're both skin side out), wrap 'em up in plastic wrap and let them cure in the fridge for a few days, turning them every 12 hours. Et voila, gravlax. My mom has a vacuum sealer and I sealed 3-4 oz. portions -- they keep for years in the freezer if they're vacuum sealed.

jealous. I just realized that bring away for a week means I'm not going to be able to cook anything for myself and I an kinda sad/worried about this.

I've long been a snob about crock pots but my dad left me five of them, each in a different size! Cut hundreds from your monthly grocery bill!

uhhh, why?

Going to make shrimp and grits later this afternoon.

I have one shallot in my cupboard, what should I do with it

Anything else in the cupboard at all?

small bag of turmeric

Go get takeout or have something delivered then.

hah, okay, but what can I use it for in the future

Good in a vinaigrette. Mince up really fine, add to eggs for scrambling. Deviled egg filling.

ty

Didn't mean to sound curt, I'm watching the golf at the same time. Trying to think of other ideas. It kinda calls for preparations that are uncooked or barely-cooked.

sautee some mushrooms & a finely minced shallot, then add zucchini when shrooms are browned, season w/ s/p to taste = YUM

just eat the shallot raw and cry

hold it aloft & recite Tennyson's Lady of Shallot while watching Anne of Green Gables

3 lb bone-in veal roast (marinated in olive oil/lemon thyme/lemon juice) currently in the smoker with cherry wood. Couple of sweet potatoes on there, too. Salami and tater tots as appetizers.

!!!!

* drool *

I tried using the shallot like you would red onions w/ a cream cheese and sardine and sriracha sandwich, but shallots are actually pretty strong

so I roasted them with olive oil instead, yum

yeah they're closer to garlic than onions strengthwise

you could use them raw in a cream cheese dip but kinda sparingly

roasted sounds delish tho

it was delish

I don't think I've ever done that, I only ever roast garlicks
*lightbulb*

Braised beef with tomato and cumin and a lahahahat of dried red chilies. And curry and ginger and stuff, natch. Because I had all this saffron rice left over from hosting Lechera and horseshoe and it was just sitting there in the fridge, mocking me, along with a plate of thawed stew beef.

This stuff'll put some heart intah yah.

i had this delicious asparagus dish at an indian restaurant a few weeks ago, pretty successfully replicated it at home tonight!! pan-fried asparagus with smoked paprika and maldon salt served with a creamy dipping sauce made of soy sour cream, soy yoghurt, tahini, lemon, miso and cashews. so so so good.

I'm going to try curried chick peas in the crock pot this time. It will be a few hours.

Gravlax is in progress. I started it Tuesday -- will let it cure until Saturday at the earliest, maybe Sunday.

tonight! vermouth-braised short ribs.

^^^this was fun although a lot of work (which i knew going in). couldve let them braise longer but it was getting late and i was hungry. shallots, leeks, garlic, celery, carrots, herbs, etc. etc.

most satisfying part was getting to break out the le creuset and watching the ribs sear perfectly with absolutely no effort on my part.

any pro tips for making baby back ribs without a grill?

pretty sure you can do them successfully in the oven. If I recall Alton Brown laid out a pretty sound method?
I'll google and see if I can find it. I think a lot of people do them in the oven, it's not totally uncommon.

here it is

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/who-loves-ya-baby-back-recipe/index.html

i cooked a greek dinner for my family tonight, homemade humus, stuffed grape leaves, greek meatballs, falafel, tzatziki with an olive mix and feta. not a big hit with the family