what's cooking? part 5: 2017-2027

nice, took a long break and second try for me as well

xpost I have such a gap in my repertoire of cooking meat. I kind of figure at this point there is no use in experimenting, I pretty much just go balls out when I travel/dine out or someone else prepares it for me. Those momofuku pork buns are soooo good.

I'm getting pretty good with the vegan creole red beans. Soak lb Camellia brand (no good substitutes) beans overnight. Chop big onion, green pepper, 2+ stalks celery, 2+ cloves garlic and saute in the bottom of a big pressure cooker. Add Tbsp smoked paprika, 1/2 tsp thyme, 3 bay leaves, pinch cayenne, 1/4 tsp salt, generous black pepper, stir in, then add beans with water just to cover. Tsp marmite/other yeast extract/bullion optional. Heat the cooker to the standard 15 psi, and maintain 30 minutes, then turn the stove off as the pressure releases over the next 30+ minutes. No stirring necessary, and no risk of burning as there isn't an external heat source and water isn't boiling off. Don't worry if it looks a bit liquid, stir it up and the starches will congeal as it cools. Adjust flavor with balsamic vinegar, creole hot sauce, salt, black pepper. Serve over basmati rice (microwave recipe: 2 pts rice, 3.5 pts water, in my microwave 7 minutes uncovered, 7 covered) with a plate over the bowl.

the pork belly and the buns turned out well. i tend to think the bread-to-filling ratio in most bao i've eaten is too high, which makes me think i've probably never eaten very good bao. i'm very excited about the format and look forward to making a veg version that everyone in our house can enjoy. i need to get a big wok steamer or something, though, because I was up all night steaming 50 buns at 4 or 5 at a time. maybe i can find something that would work for tamales, too.

i tested the bun quality in real time with just some quick pickle, hoisin, and scallion sauce. that alone was pretty awesome, but it looks like mushrooms is the way most veg versions go.

oh wow steaming that man buns without a stacked set up sounds like a nightmare.

uh, many buns.

that many buns was a pain in the man buns, yes. i drank wine and listened to a few podcasts. normally i would buy the tools for the job beforehand, but i wasn't sure i'd love these. going to do the soy pickled rehydrated shiitakes for the veg version.

my grandpa cut out a receipt for lumpia... but I have been told it is not worth the effort and that the frozen kind at like 99 Ranch are almost/just as good

fucking nonsense

i've not had lumpia and enjoyed looking into it. according to yelp, i'd have to drive a ways to find it. might have to give the frozen a try, as i'm sure one of the grocers have it. giving one a recipe for a thing and then immediately encouraging one to just buy the thing is a classic cookbook move as well. making it seems like good calibration and instruction, even if you do end up buying ready made afterward.

To commemorate a trip my wife and I took to Brittany in May, 2012, I made some savory gallettes tonight, stuffed with ham, gruyere, mushrooms and greens, with steamed artichokes and asparagus on the side. We broke out some nicer-than-our-usual wine and reminisced. Very nice.

i would like those

I normally cook 6 days a week, every week; I simply can't imagine what it would be like to be presented with a delicious cooked meal like that!

Ok, this is a little off topic but it's driving me a bit crazy and I know someone here will know. In France (and other part of EU), it seems there are not a lot of big conventional home ovens but are those little microwaves also little ovens? For some reason I thought they were but I haven't been able to figure it out how to use them and I don't seem to be googling the right things. I always want to make some type of pastry cheese thing in France but I can't figure out the oven situation.

I love savory galletes.

You might be mistaking a small convection oven for a microwave. I don't think they would be compatible in the same appliance, but they can look very much alike.

You can get microwaves that are 'combination' ovens so they also grill and a few are convection ovens too.

Your average microwave isn't likely to be one, although they are getting more popular. I do have one but haven't ever used the convection oven setting!

I can't imagine not having a normal built-in oven/range in a kitchen though?

https://www.which.co.uk/reviews/microwaves/article/combination-microwaves-how-to-buy-the-best

Almost all the apartments I have stayed in France don't have a regular oven. i know I have seen one in a larger house though.

^^^ That seems to be what I have seen but was scared to use because I was worried about setting something I didn't own on fire.

My kitchen reno includes both a standard oven and a "speed oven" thingie, which microwaves and does other stuff I guess? Anyhow, I fully expect that I will be using the standard oven over the speed oven 99.99% of the time.

Said oven(s) and other appliances were delivered this week. I think there is light at the end of the tunnel on this reno! So excited to have a high-BTU range top with a proper hood! And a bright-orange oven! That I swear I will learn to bake in!

sean brock was raving about this thing in an instagram post today. it's a wild idea: https://www.vermicular.us/

Having had some success with kimchi last year, I have gone all-in and just started a batch of lime pickle. If this works well I will have achars coming out of my ears because it'll be a straight production line from now on.

would love to make some kimchi and real pickles, but don't know that we have space for fermentation in our fridge or otherwise.

xp vermicular looks pretty cool if also expensive

If I can find shrimp paste to sub for dried shrimp gonna make this tonight http://www.beyondkimchee.com/vegetables-in-coconut-milk-sayur-lemak/
otherwise will make Khao soi for the first time.

Haven't been doing anything exciting lately but have some nice buckwheat flour for soba making later in the week

I've made this French-style potato salad like 5 times recently and everyone goes crazy for it every time (even extremely timid eaters like my parents who, tbh, I didn't expect to like it).

https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/french-potato-salad-recipe-1914223

It must be all the fresh herbs honestly, because it's just got tons of flavor! Absolutely do not skip the dill, dill is key. Otoh you can simplify the liquids, I think. I've done it with white vinegar and white wine but no chx broth, or with white wine and lemon zest when I didn't have vinegar. It's always great.

I feel especially...something...when I collect all the herbs from my boyfriend's garden on a sunny summer evening. Very Lady of the Manor or homesteader or something vaseline-hazed and dreamy. It's fun.

sounds excellent IO! i love warm potato salads in pretty much all forms. def gonna try it

Oh hell yeah!

On the mustard note, I like Dijon but I also like whole-grain Dijon for the look and texture here. Half and half of each maybe.

I never think of making potato salad but that looks delicious

Love that little extra step with adding flavor/moisture to the still warm taters

Yeah Cook's Illustrated does that in their classic "American" potato salad recipe too. Sprinkle the white vinegar on before the other ingredients. They also recommend using Russet potatoes bc they apparently absorb flavors better/have more internal faultlines for the salted water & vinegar to get into.

In either case, hot potatoes soak that vinegar right up!

I love all mustards. THey all have a purpose.

discovered a local bakery that makes these amazing everything pretzels. feel like i ought to get some plain yella just to get to pretz heaven

finally warm here so it's time to fire up the grill. mark bittman's chicken thighs are always a favorite: https://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2012/06/mark-bittmans-grilled-mediterranean-chicken-thighs-recipe.html

you can do anything you want with the flavors, but the core technique of 5 mins skin up cool side, 20 mins skin down cool side, 5 minutes skin down hot side is incredibly effective. i do this on a gas grill with a smoker box on the hot side and the results would make you think i have a much more impressive setup.

I've been making my own lime pickle and now it's in individual jars and ready to eat. I also have a big jar that will now only be any good for making more lime pickle in, so it's just as well I'm going to start a new batch almost straight away because it's so good.

Recipe, pls? I have never made a lime pickle.

https://www.fermentationrecipes.com/indian-lime-pickle/500

I made this one because I'm quite happy with letting things ferment and break down that way - there are lots of others I'd seen that involves cooking the limes which just seems less authentic somehow.

NB Mustard oil is technically not food safe under EU regs because of erucic acid content. Despite this it's still pretty widely available - and Morrisons appear to do one specifically labelled as 'edible'.

Mine had 5 weeks initial ferment then 2 fully mixed and it needed both those later weeks for the oil to lose its harshness/combine flavours. I still think next time I might 50/50 it with mustard oil and olive oil.

I have been trying to copy Pathak's lime pickle, since we apparently can't get it here any more at the 2 Indian grocers I can get to.

This was my first attempt:
7 limes, cut into 8 pieces each
1 tsp black salt
bunch of kosher salt <- just winging it here!
mix in non-reactive bowl, put into glass jar
leave for 3-4 days, mixing a couple times a day

toast and grind:
2 teaspoons cumin
1 tsp fenugreek
1/2 tsp nigella

heat 2 tablespoons vegetable oil over medium heat, then add
1 tablespoon mustard seeds
pinch asafoetida
1 teaspoon dried coriander
½ teaspoon chilli powder <- this was from the Indian shop
½ teaspoon ground turmeric
and cumin, fenugreek, and nigella from above

After the mustard seeds begin to pop (about 30 seconds),
add the limes
2 tablespoons water
1 tablespoon white vinegar
1 tablespoon brown sugar

Bring the mixture to a boil, reduce the heat and let simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Take the mixture off the heat and let cool slightly. Spoon lime pickle into small, sterilized jars. Seal the jars and let the mixture sit in the refrigerator at least overnight, or up to 4 days before serving. If properly sealed and sterilized, lime pickle can last in the fridge for several months, if not longer.

I will add more brown sugar next time, and also make a smaller quantity more frequently. It has gotten more pungent since I made it last October.

I have had some success replicating Pathak's garlic pickle:
about .25 cup veg oil
50 grams garlic, sliced and slivered
25 grams raisins, chopped
25 grams dates, chopped
1 tsp turmeric

1 tsp fenugreek roasted, ground
1 tsp dried onion (not fried shallots)
1 tsp cumin roasted, ground
1 tsp coriander, roasted (already ground)
1 tsp powdered mustard
pinch of hing
pinch of cinnamon
pinch ground cloves
3 big pinches of kosher salt (Morton's)
.5 tsp crushed dried red pepper
1 tsp ginger paste

1 heaping tbsp brown sugar
1 tbsp cider vinegar

heat veg oil on low, add garlic, turmeric, raisins, dates, barely simmer until soft, about 30 minutes.

add spices, continue to simmer

take off heat, add sugar, vinegar. Allow to cool, spoon into sterilized jars.

That garlic one looks good.

I should also say the 'cut into 8' leaves them a bit big for my taste - each 1/8th wedge can easily get cut into 3 or 4.

Yeah, I will definitely cut them much smaller next time. The limes were kind of big this time, too.

i got 10 pickling cucumbers (i hate the word "cukes" i'm sorry) from farmers' market this am. they were too fat to fit into my jars whole so i am fermenting a half gallon of spears and a quart of slices. also making fridge pickles with a quart + a pint of spears. "we'll see what happens."

yum! i've done this very lazily before by halving cukes and sticking them in empty pickle jars that still had juice. the liquid is totally reusable 2-3 times i found

that's a good idea! no pickle juice wasted

How long in the pickle juice before they are pickled?

well, i was just going to say, i tried a fridge pickle just now after it had been in the liquid for 24 hours. the recipe i used said to wait that long. it's a good, solid pickle. i'll see what it's like in the next few days. i used this recipe https://www.aspicyperspective.com/best-homemade-refrigerator-pickles/ skipped the onion out of laziness

also used white vinegar instead of apple cider

i'd like to try this one, too. much longer process though https://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2017/08/milwaukee-dill-pickles-cucmber-recipe.html