What are you Cooking?

[Treamayne]

Cooking (as a hobby) is entertainment, right? So, what are you cooking (with recipes if you want).

Breakfast today was Sauté stuffed Crepe

This afternoon I'll be making some stock for the freezer and baking some Pumpkin cookies to take to work tomorrow.

Basic Crepe:

Spoiler

Size of the batch will be determined by the number of eggs - I can generaly get three 10 inch Crepes from a one egg batch

For each egg:

• 1/4 cup milk
• 2 tsp butter (melted)
• 1/3 cup flour
• dash salt (to taste)
• water (to consistency) 

Heat nonstick pan over med-high heat.

Add melted butter to milk (alternatively, add cold butter to milk and heat in microwave in 10 second increments, stirring in between until butter is mostly melted but milk is not warm enough to steam)

Add egg and salt (and any other seasonings, if desired - herbs, chives, etc - tey may affect the "pretty" look, but can work well for some applications)

Add flour and mix until starting to foam (blender/bullet, etc works well) then add water 1 tsp at a time until desired consistency

- Batter should be thin enough to pour 1/4 to 1/3 cup slowly into heated pan (tilting as you pour) and coat the entire bottom, Us 1/4 cup for thinner Crepe, and 1/3 cup for slightly thicker crepe. Depending on humidity, It usually takes 2 -3 tsp of water for me at 200ft elevation. 

Reduce pan heat to Med-Low and pour the batter into pan slowly - starting at the center and tilting in a circular motion until teh bottom of the pan is coated and no more batter is "running."

Return to heat and leave it alone. You'll know it is ready to flip when there are no wet spots, tiny bubbles may form and you should see some of the butter beading up on top (tilting the pan should slide the crepe easily) - it takes about 90-120 seconds (depening on how your pan retains and distributes heat). Flip to brown other side (about 30 seconds), remove to paper towel to cool or place on plate to prep for eating. 

Repeat until all batter is cooked.

Batter can be prepared ahead of time (or left raw in fridge and cooked as needed) for about 3 days. Some separation may occur, but will be fine with some mixing. 

Breakfast Crepe Saute

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Crepes prepared - as above

Vegetables (to taste - mine below are an example)

Meat (optional - to taste)

• Eggs (cracked, seasoned and set aside)
  • 3 cup water*
  • 1 tbsp vinegar*
• 3 oz sausage (or bacon, ham, preference) - formed into patties or strips
• 1" ribbon cut Bellpepper (color by preference)
• 1/2" ribbon cut Poblano (optional - or chili by preference) 
• 1/3 cup ribbon cut Onion (by preference)
• Mushroom 1Med or 2 small - cleaned and ribbon cut
• Spinach (about 1 handful)
• Kale (1 med or two small stalks)
• Shredded cheese (optional - I use whatever is on hand, usually some cheddar/gouda/havarti blend)

- This recipe annoys some because it is so much by-eye (but really depends on how much you need to make and ratio is more important than quantity) The goal with the vegetable cuts is long-thin pieces so they tangle into a "nest" for the poached eggs when you fill the crepe.

Heat water in sauce pan, add vinegar once steaming (a small amount of vinegar in the poaching liquid will help set the egg whites)

Slice onion into thin ribbons and season with salt (for a "tall" onion [at least 2"] I'll cut off what I want and slice the ribbons height-wise (root to tip) but for a "thin" onion [under 2" - like most sweet onions] I'll cut off an edge and slice ribbons width-wise) - Salting the onion now will help draw out extra moisture before it even hits the pan. Cut bell pepper similarly; season with celery salt, garlic powder, cumin and pepper (or to taste). Cut poblano like bell pepper (if using - for smaller chilies - cut thin ribbon rouds after removing seeds and ribs) Clean mushroom and slice thin ribbons. Remove stalk from kale and wrap spinach in the center - chiffonade together.

Cook sausage (or preferred meat) in saute pan over med-high heat, set aside and drain extra grease drippings. 

Add onion and bell pepper (and chilies), reduce heat to Med-Low and cook 1-2 minutes. Add mushroom. Crumble cooked sausage and add to pan with spinach and kale. Reduce heat to low and cover for 3-4 minutes so that steam cooks the greens. While the sauté finishes, add eggs to paoching liquid (should be a simmer - but not a boil) and begin cooking crepe(s). 

As the crepes finish, place flat on a plate. Set eggs to drain. Top crepe with a small amount of sauté (just enough for place to set the eggs so they don't roll) just off-center of the crepe. Add two poached eggs to "nest" and top with veggie sauté. Fold "short" side of crepe over eggs, and continue rolling so that the edges are under the "stuffed" crepe. Sprinke top with shredded cheese and serve.  

Pumpkin Cookies

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Pumpkin Cookies (puffy and moist) either plain or with coice of chips or nuts)

Preheat overn to 375

"Wet" ingredients 

• 1 can cooked pumpkin (15oz - not pumpkin pie mix)
• 1 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 eggs
• 3/4  cup oil
• 2 tbsp milk
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
  •  1 1/2 tsp Baking Soda (dissolved in milk and vanilla)

Dry Ingredients

• 3 cup flour
• 3 tsp Baking Powder
• 1 tsp salt (to taste)
• Spices (Cinnamon, Nutmeg, Clove, Ginger - to taste ~1tbsp total mixed)

Add flour to bowl 1 cup at a time, adding salt, 1 tsp baking powder and spices at each stage, then sift together and set aside. Add pumpkin and sugar to mixing bowl and mix together until sugar and pmpkin "creams" together, reduce speed and poor in oil. Blend until smooth, add in milk mixture adn eggs (one-at-a-time). When all wet ingredients are mixed smooth, add in flour mix 1/2 cup at a time and scraping down sides periodically. When all flour mix is added, batter should be thich and slightly sticky. Stir in chocolate chips, nuts or any other desired mix-ins (be carefull with white chocolate chips and other temperature sensitive "chips" as they will completely melt in a 375 deg oven and give you burnt "holey cookies" instead).

Drop by rounded tablespoon on cookie sheets and bake for 13-15 minutes (or until top is dry and "poofy" - and bottom is slightly browned)

 

Edited May 30, 2024 by Treamayne
SPAG

[jamesbondsmith He/him]

I spent about 4-5 hours last night making a somewhat inauthentic bolognese sauce (I added garlic! ). 

I've been trying to get alla gricia and cacio e pepe down. I think I can get alla gricia reliably, but my cacio e pepe ends up either too runny or clumpy.

[Guest]

I made Arrabbiata pasta for dinner today

[jamesbondsmith He/him]

3 hours ago, Cruciatus_heart said:

I made Arrabbiata pasta for dinner today

With penne? On a tray?

Suzy Eddie Izzard- Death Star Canteen - YouTube

[Guest]

16 hours ago, jamesbondsmith said:

With penne? On a tray?

Suzy Eddie Izzard- Death Star Canteen - YouTube

with penne

[Lotus Blossom she/her]

On 5/22/2023 at 11:58 AM, Cruciatus_heart said:

I made Arrabbiata pasta for dinner today

now you have me craving pasta loll

rn im making rice krispies bc they're super easy and rlly good 

[Guest]

Spoiler

Burritos with a bean, rice, and tofu scramble filling with homemade salsa on the side 

So freaking proud of these. First thing ive made that ive eaten and gone damn that's delicious 

i also tried to portion it out this time (cause i always make too much) and succeeded. Only the bean filling went to waste, and that too very little.

Also finally made something other than pasta for once so thats a win

Edited June 11, 2023 by Cruciatus_heart

[Kasimir he/him]

Warabi mochi with matcha, just because I could, it's low effort, and I love the texture of chewy foods.

[Treamayne]

Pumpking Cheesecake 

(originally posted for the Holiday Thread)

Spoiler

*Note - recipe designed to be modular - depending on size of pan and how deep you want the cheesecake. Average 8" Springform would use two packages of cream cheese, 10" may use two or three and 12" at least three packages. Adjust remainder accordingly. Likewise, crust should be doubled or tripled depending on pan size.

**Note 2 - People are often intimidated by making Cheesecake - likely because technique matters at least as much as recipe. Mix correctly (especially the eggs), use a Water Bath and bake in two stages and you have already solved almost all Cheesecake complications (and even failures taste amazing - usually. . . ) The water bath helps insulate the edges so the cheesecake cooks evenly, rather than the outside overbaking while the center is still raw.

Pre-prep: 

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• Allow cream cheese to come to room temperature
• Waterbath - a vessel at least 1" larger than the cheesecake pan in all directions - filled with water so that when the cheesecake pan is set in the water the water level is at-least as high as the raw batter (but not high enough to boil water over the pan edge). I use a round deep-dish pizza pan for this
• Preheat oven to 350 (180 C) degrees  

Crust:

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• 1/2 Cup Graham Cracker Crumbs
• 2 tsp Granulated sugar
• 2 tsp Brown sugar (light or dark by preference)
• 2 tbsp Butter, melted
• 1-2 tbsp Water (environment dependent)
• ~1/4 tsp Salt (to taste)
• ~1/2 tsp ground Cinnamon (to taste)
• ~1/4 tsp ground Nutmeg (to taste)

Mix graham cracker crumb with salt, cinnamon, nutmeg and sugars with a fork. Heat butter 1 and 1 tbsp water in 8-10 second increments (microwave) or in a pan until melted but before foaming or browning. Drizzle over crumb mixture while mixing with the fork. Mixture should resumble clumpy wet sand - if dry portions remain (often in low humidity households) add more water 1 teaspoon at a time until it is all moist. 

Press mixture into bottom (and sides - by preference) of the pan (hint - you can put a spritz of baking spray on flat tinfoil to help press the mixture flat) until evenly covered. Bake at 350 for 6 minutes, then remove from oven to cool. Set oven to 450 (235 C) degrees to preheat and place the water bath on the center rack. 

Ingredients:

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For each 8oz package of Cream Cheese:  
1/3 cup Pumpkin Puree (if canned - do NOT use "Pumpkin pie filling/mix" - it is pre-spiced and the wrong texture)
2 tbsp Sour Cream
1/3 cup Sugar
1/2 tsp Vanilla Extract
1 Egg
2 tsp Cornstarch
1 tsp ground Cinnamon (to taste)
Dash ground Clove (to taste)
Dash ground (or 'fresh' grated) Nutmeg (to taste)

Directions:

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Add sugar to mixing bowl and top with cream cheese. Blend on increasing speed (low, med-low, med) until the mixture becomes "fluffy." Mix the spices and cornstarch together in a small bowl, and sprinkle over the cream cheese mixture. Add the sour cream, pumpkin, and vanilla - restart blending on med-low until mixture is well incorporated and "airy." Remove from stand mixer or put away your blender - do not use them for the next step! Add one egg and stir slowly by hand until you do not see separate white or yolk - repeat for each egg (using a blender or mixer will collapse the air you whipped into the cream cheese and stiffen the egg white- making a less-than-creamy cheesecake).

Pour the cheesecake batter into the previously prepared crust (do not tap to even out batter - if it needs smoothing, use 1/4 rotations left-and-right on the counter so that centripetal force smooths the top without breaking the crust)

Bake at 450 Degrees for 15-20 minutes (pan size dependent). Then, without opening the oven, reduce temperature to 250 degrees. Continue baking another 30-45 minutes (pan size and depth dependent) until the top appears dry (top may lightly brown - overbaking will crack the top). Remove from oven to cool to room temperature, then place in refridgerator overnight (or at least 4 hours) to set. 

To cut, heat a cup of water to just-below boiling. Place pie knife in water for 10 seconds and wipe it dry, then cut the cheesecake with the hot knife to prevent breaking or having the filling stick to the knife. Wipe clean and repeat for each cut. 

 

[jamesbondsmith He/him]

Random question to necro the thread, but people without an oven, how do you cope?

I've been looking at places to rent and I looked at this one place that is 5 minutes walk from the same train line I work on (I don't drive, and even if I did it means I can avoid traffic/parking issues/vehicle costs). It's about 10 minutes walk from one of the popular entertainment precincts and a couple of train stops from the CBD and other useful places. It's about as cheap as I can manage in the current rental climate without having to resort to possibly psycho housemates on Craigslist or whatever. 

Thing is, it lacks an oven, toaster or kettle (it has a microwave, a two-burner stove and a fridge/freezer. I cook a lot (I'm waiting for my pot of chashu that I did in my oven to cool down as I write this), and I'm trying to figure out if this is something I can work around.

Anyone have tips for adapting recipes? I could just buy the things I need, but anything that means I don't have to fork over more of my wages (which are already averaging twice the rent rather than the recommended triple) would be good.

Edited May 30, 2024 by jamesbondsmith

[Treamayne]

1 hour ago, jamesbondsmith said:

Random question to necro the thread, but people without an oven, how do you cope?

I've been looking at places to rent and I looked at this one place that is 5 minutes walk from the same train line I work on (I don't drive, and even if I did it means I can avoid traffic/parking issues/vehicle costs). It's about 10 minutes walk from one of the popular entertainment precincts and a couple of train stops from the CBD and other useful places. It's about as cheap as I can manage in the current rental climate without having to resort to possibly psycho housemates on Craigslist or whatever. Unfortuna

Thing is, it lacks an oven, toaster or kettle (it has a microwave, a two-burner stove and a fridge/freezer. I cook a lot (I'm waiting for my pot of chashu that I did in my oven to cool down as I write this), and I'm trying to figure out if this is something I can work around.

Anyone have tips for adapting recipes? I could just buy the things I need, but anything that means I don't have to fork over more of my wages (which are already averaging twice the rent rather than the recommended triple) would be good.

For years in the barracks I only cooked with plug-in electric appliances.

An electric Wok works as a saucepan (such as boiling pasta) and other uses. Many braising techniques can be adapted to stovetop without an oven by using a good cast iron  dutch oven or crock pot for plug-in countertop use. Also, many smaller "baked" items can be done in a toaster oven with few adaptations (especially a decent one that has top and bottom heating elements, and lets you choose top, bottom, or both). 

Then there are all of those "instant pot" things that have multiple uses, but I have not tried any of those myself (my sister loves hers though).

[strmblsd he/him]

I made Mac and cheese... Successfully!!! (It's shocking... I failed at making eggs cookies and frosting)

[Treamayne]

27 minutes ago, strmblsd said:

I made Mac and cheese... Successfully!!! (It's shocking... I failed at making eggs cookies and frosting)

Congrats. Now the important question: Cheese sauce or cheese shred/cubes recipe?

Spoiler

I have a "sauce" recipe version I make sometimes where I fry up some smoked bacon and use the drippings for the Cheese sauce roux, so there is a subtle smokey flavor to the sauce. Great as a BBQ side.

 

Edited June 26, 2024 by Treamayne
SPAG

[All_Mighty_Juice Royal Grand Exalted Highness]

I uh... I made some uh... instant mac and cheese...like the microwaveable stylophone bowl, and added some American cheese.

 

 

let me know if you want the recipe

[Use the Falchion]

Nothing this week, but next week I'll be making a Beef Wellington, wine-poached pear salad, twice-baked sweet potatoes, and smoked ice cream for my friend. He asked for the ice cream as a birthday gift last year, and I said I'd owe him a Beef Wellington. 

Also next week, I'll be trying out Stuffed Chicken Parm Version 6.0.* It's a cheese and spinach stuffed pan-fried chicken served over pasta with a vodka sauce. I've tried twice with chicken, then went to quail, then to duck breast and now back to chicken. I've tried this mostly with vodka sauce, but I also tried this with a lemon and brown butter sauce that my parents loved. I've tried this with homemade pasta (toasted flour, cooked spinach, and egg), but honestly it's easier to just buy some spinach tagliatelle and toasting it before boiling it. 

I'll serve this with a brown-butter vanilla* and almond "wedding" cake with champagne cream cheese icing (and if I can, a bourbon creme anglaise*) as dessert.

Despite not liking alcohol, I like serving this with a blueberry or blackberry wine. The wine tastes sweet with the main meal, and then becomes tart and cuts through the sweetness of the cake with dessert. 

My parents will be out of town when I make this, and I'll be watching their house, so this all is for me and whoever I decide to give the leftovers to. I'm really just making this because I want to. 

What I really need to work on is my weekday meal repertoire. I've got a Japanese-inspired chicken curry and rice, Egg Foo Yung when I remember, and Spaghetti Bolognese. I have a nice lemon honey garlic salmon recipe that's pretty good that I want to add in, but I also want to make it a tad more complex. (Partially poach it in white wine before adding the sauces and finishing in the oven for roughly ten minutes.) I also like to serve this with lemon couscous, but I want to try and use a duck stock instead of chicken stock, but the effort it takes to make duck stock is daunting. (I have a very good roast duck recipe, but using the remains for stock kinda scares me.) 

As you can see, I like cooking with alcohol. I always say I don't like drinking alcohol, but I like eating it lol. 

 

*This is based off of Natasha's Kitchen's Cheesy Spinach Stuffed Chicken recipe.

**I plan on toast the vanilla beans before adding them to the cake. I've done this before for a standard vanilla cake, and I couldn't take a difference, but that was pan-toasting. This time, I'm gonna roast them in the oven for a few minutes instead. The beans will go in the cake, and the husks will soak in the milk for the anglaise. 

Edited July 6, 2024 by Use the Falchion

[Treamayne]

Whole Post sounds awesome, thank you. 

On 7/5/2024 at 9:21 PM, Use the Falchion said:

(I have a very good roast duck recipe, but using the remains for stock kinda scares me.) 

Stock tops my list of things I refuse to buy because homemade is easier, cheaper and/or signifcantly better[1]. That said, stock does take significant overall time, but not much "cooking time." Depending on an individual level of commitment, stock can be a part of your normal routine. For example, I try not to waste any meat or vegetable product. All bones, fat, cooking liquid (as long as it is not too salted), etc. goes into a container by protein type (red meat, white meat, poultry) to be used the next time I make that stock. Ditto with vegetable trimmings and peels (see notes below).

That level of commitment is not required at all, you can just use a decent mix of bones, fat and vegetables in water to make a one-time stock without saving scraps over days/weeks/months. Just remember that while a stock base begins with celery, carrot, and onion; the more vegetables you use the more depth of flavor you will build. 

Making the actual stock is maybe 1 hour of work over 16(ish) hours of time. essentially:

• Put vegetables, meat, bones and fat is a pot over medium low heat
• Simmer, stirring once an hour or so, until you are happy with the taste test (about 6 hours for my 12 qt pot)
• Strain
  • This is, by far, the most labor-intensive step
  • My technique is to put the chinois over the cooling pan and use tongs to fill it with the solids to drip until cool enough to put in the trash, when 75+% of the solids are disposed, I feel safe enough to try pouring the rest through the strainers to cool.
• Cool overnight
• Remove Fat
• Store

I tend to make stock 1-2 weekends per month.

Notes for the Stock:

Spoiler

•  I tend not to use "starchy" peels for stock (but may save them for soups) so I do not use potato, sweet potato, etc.
  • Anything that may discolor the liquid (Mushroom gills, eggplant skin, tomato skin, beet trimmings, etc.) goes in the beef bag where the color does not matter.
  • Sweeter trimmings (apple skin, corn cob cores, etc.) go in the Pork bag where the flavor better matches the stock.
  • Everything else goes in the vegetable bag.
•  Whenever I have a full veggie bag, I use whichever bone bag is most full, dump them both in a stock pot and simmer all day. 
•  When it comes time for a taste-test, I put the strainer on top and use a turkey baster to pull some liquid from below any fat floating on the surface to taste the stock (note: without the strainer, the baster is likely to be clogged by veggie bits and make a mess)
  •   If needed, I might use a teaspoon or two of "Better than Boullion" (because it has little-to-no salt, compared to boullion cubes) to reinforce the flavor
•  That evening, I pour the stock through a strainer into a glass "bowl" I use for this purpose (it's essentially a gallon-sized measuring "cup", complete with lid (example image link) and allow it to cool to room temp on the counter, then store over night in the fridge.
  •   The next morning, all of the fat will have risen to the top and hardened (or for chicken stock, slightly hard) and can be easily removed before storing the stock in the refrigerator or freezer 

Note: When freezing in ziplocks, do not fill more than 2/3ds or the expanding liquid may split the bag as it freezes - Frozen stock can last 6+ months
Note 2: Depending on the amount of skin and cartilage - bone stock can "geletanize" when cold, so you may need to warm it to make it "pourable." I usually heat 1-2 cups in the microwave for 2 minutes - pour it back into the cold stock and stir. The result is liquid enough to pour, but cool enough to store (rhyme intended)

Pictured Example: bag of vegetable parts, bag of chicken bones and cooking liquid, and the start of the new Beef bag (I had recently emptied it to make Beef Stock)

Spoiler

[1]: That list also inludes things like Applesauce, Marinara, many soups, etc. 

Hope that helps

Edited July 16, 2024 by Treamayne
SPAG

[Use the Falchion]

The Frankenstein (cheesy spinach stuffed chicken parm) went off without a hitch! It was probably the best iteration so far, thanks to marinating the chicken in buttermilk for 6 hours and frying the chicken in duck fat. I ended up just buying the vodka sauce, since baking the cake was a LOT, and I ended up buying a beer bread mix instead of making a loaf of Broa de MIhlo. (I've never made Broa before, but SOMEDAY I WILL!) 

The beer bread was a massive failure, but it was also unnecessary. 

The wedding cake with champagne icing was a success though! That being said, I don't think the icing was worth the effort, and while I like the wedding cake well enough, I don't plan on making it again. Interestingly enough, my favorite sugar cookie place uses the same flavors of almond and vanilla! I realized this when I tasted the batter, and it tasted eerily similar to the cookies. The cake's almond flavor really mellowed out in time, and found a nice balance by Day 2 or so, but overall I'm just not a big fan of the flavor outside of those cookies. 

The bourbon creme anglaise was AWESOME. I made it a few times before, but this was easily the best time. The biggest problem was that it congealed into a custard after being in the fridge. I've seen this happen with my rice pudding sometimes, so I definitely cooked it too long. 

I also made a second bourbon creme anglaise last night, and it wasn't nearly as good as the batch I made on Friday. Part of me thinks the lack of vanilla bean shell did this. You see, for the wedding cake, I used vanilla bean and vanilla extract. I toasted the bean in the oven until it was aromatic and then scrapped out all the pods into the batter for the cake. After that, I put the husk in the milk I planned on using for the creme anglaise. It didn't impart a massive vanilla flavor, but it helped round out the anglaise. 

Between the anglaise, the cake, and a nice blueberry wine, the dessert was a massive success. But I'm ready to move on. 

For my friend and his family, last night I made beef wellington, twice baked sweet potatoes, and smoked ice cream, just as promised! The beef wellington was good! It was well-done rather than rare or medium-well unfortunately (due to using medallions rather than one long piece because of logistical issues). but the meat was tender, juicy, and flavorful all the same. Honestly, this was my most relaxed experience making Beef Wellington, and while I don't plan on making it too often due to the cost, I'm no longer afraid or intimidated by it. Maybe next I'll move onto Lobster Thermidor so I can make the ultimate Surf'N'Turf! 

The twice-baked sweet potatoes turned out really well also! My friend's kids loved them and getting the "Kid Stamp of Approval" is always a highlight for me. They were soft and sweet, but not too sweet as to be a pie. It was a fine line and I think I walked it well. The biggest problem was that my mom had no cinnamon in the house. She uses Cinnamon Plus (which is cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and a few other things mixed in) instead. This is fine, but I was thinking about toasting the spices for depth and aromatics real quick, but I wasn't comfortable doing that with her Cinnamon Plus. I also had to use a bit more than asked for to round things out. 

The smoked ice cream is the star of the night though. There are several ways to smoke ice cream, apparently! You can smoke the custard before you freeze it, infuse it with liquid smoke, infuse the custard with a smoked chip or bark, or smoke the finished ice cream and refreeze it. I chose the latter, buying a high quality ice cream and smoking it on my dad's grill using offset heat and hickory chips. I put it in a disposable aluminum tray, put ice in the tray, and then put the ice cream in a metal bowl on the tray. I covered the grill for about three minutes, flipped the unmelted parts of the ice cream over, and repeated for five minutes. The effects were AWESOME. The smoky flavor brings another dimension to the ice cream, and it's so surprising more places don't do this. My friend was just in shock at how good it was. He compared it to being at a campfire and the smoke blowing your way, but it being like all of the smell and nostalgia and none of the irritation. Okay, I added in the nostalgia part, but he did the rest! (Although my mom, my friend's wife, and my friend's eldest child did NOT like it. They all said it was good once you take the smoke out lol.)

My goal now is to make a brown butter ice cream and smoke it and find a nice dessert to put it on top of. ('m thinking a copycat version of Linda's Fudge Cake from Cheesecake Factory, but I'm also thinking of putting Sea Salt Ice Cream on that, so I'm undecided just yet.) 

I have one full week of summer vacation left. Next week, I want to make duck and then use the carcass for a stock, just like @Treamayne does! Then, I'll use the stock for couscous! 

[Treamayne]

That all sounds awesome.

15 minutes ago, Use the Falchion said:

My goal now is to make a brown butter ice cream and smoke it and find a nice dessert to put it on top of.

For a smoked brown butter ice cream, I would probably try a fruit cobbler.

Last weekend I made a Cherry cobbler (simmered with a cast-iron toasted cinnamon stick, for just a touch of spice in the compote and a dash of fresh grated nutmeg) with a Cocoa Cobbler short bread. Your smoked ice cream sounds like it would go very well with something like that - and Cobbler is one of those great desserts that can adapt to nearly any in-season fruit. 

My other weekend test was to use a new batch of Stock (chicken and pork mix - about 75/25%) to make a savory Mushroom Leek Bread Pudding with chicken and sausage crumbles (a mix of bratwurst and bangers removed from the casing, mixed together and poached in the stock so it was not overcooked in the pudding). My herbs are doing well (if getting a bit over-hot if I don't keep them trimmed) so I had fresh sage, rosemary, and thyme from the garden to use. 

 

[Use the Falchion]

6 hours ago, Treamayne said:

That all sounds awesome.

For a smoked brown butter ice cream, I would probably try a fruit cobbler.

Last weekend I made a Cherry cobbler (simmered with a cast-iron toasted cinnamon stick, for just a touch of spice in the compote and a dash of fresh grated nutmeg) with a Cocoa Cobbler short bread. Your smoked ice cream sounds like it would go very well with something like that - and Cobbler is one of those great desserts that can adapt to nearly any in-season fruit. 

My other weekend test was to use a new batch of Stock (chicken and pork mix - about 75/25%) to make a savory Mushroom Leek Bread Pudding with chicken and sausage crumbles (a mix of bratwurst and bangers removed from the casing, mixed together and poached in the stock so it was not overcooked in the pudding). My herbs are doing well (if getting a bit over-hot if I don't keep them trimmed) so I had fresh sage, rosemary, and thyme from the garden to use. 

 

That all sounds great! Except for the cherries, but that's a personal thing lol! (Cherries are my most-hated food item.)

I actually spent several summers trying to making a good peach cobbler, and...I didn't succeed. They were decent, but they weren't great. But I have some recipes I can rediscover and try it with the ice cream. Thanks for the suggestion! 

[Treamayne]

On 7/16/2024 at 9:00 PM, Use the Falchion said:

That all sounds great! Except for the cherries, but that's a personal thing lol! (Cherries are my most-hated food item.)

I actually spent several summers trying to making a good peach cobbler, and...I didn't succeed. They were decent, but they weren't great. But I have some recipes I can rediscover and try it with the ice cream. Thanks for the suggestion! 

Cobbler:

Spoiler

Preheat oven to 400

• 1 cup flour
• 1 tbsp sugar
• 1.5 tsp baking powder
• Salt - To taste (about 1/3 tsp)
• 3 tbsp shortening/butter (or mix)
• 1/3 cup milk (approx)

Mix flour, salt, baking powder and sugar in bowl, whicsk lightly to combine. "Cut" shortening/butter into flour (my technique is to use chilled shortening or butter, dip it into the flour mixture to make it easier to hold, and use a cheese grater to grate it over the flour mixing with a fork each "pass"). If not ready to bake right away, leave to chill in refrigerator until fruit is ready. 

Right before baking, add 1/4 milk and stir slowly with fork or whisk until incorporated, adding more milk slowly until no dry flour remains (usually 1/3-1/2 cup total). Put fruit in bottom of prepared dish, drop cobbler batter by rounded tablespoon with 1-2 inches spacing over the top, bake 25-35 minutes or until fruit is bubbly and cobber has expanded and browned. 

For cocoa cobbler, replace 1/4 c flour with 1/4 c dutch processed cocoa powder (may need 1-3 tsp more sugar to offset bitterness, brand dependant). (optional) Mix in chocolate chips. 

Compote:

Spoiler

Heat pan over Medium heat

• 1 cup water
• 1 tbsp corn starch
• 1/2 to 3/4 cup sugar (depending on desired sweetness and sweetnes of fruit being used)
• 1/2 tsp butter
• Dash salt (to taste)
• Spice (to taste - such as a dash of clove or nutmeg, simmer fruit with a cinnamon stick removed before baking, etc)
• 3 cups prepared fruit (approximate - prepared depends on the fruit - pitted, skinned, sliced, diced or sometimes just rinsed)
  • Preserve as much of the juice as possible if peeling/cutting/pitting
  • More firm fruit may need a short sautee if browning is desired, or longer simmer to soften

If pre-browning fruit for, place butter in pan on med-low, then add fruit and cook 5-8 minutes per side (slices) or about 10 minutes stirring twice (berries, diced fruit).

Bring water to a slow boil. Mix cornstarch into sugar and dissolve in water. Add spices and salt (as needed) and whisk, then add fruit, reduce temperature to medium low and simmer 8-12 minutes (or desired doneness). If fruit was not sauteed, remove from heat, add butter (and remove the cinnamon stick or other whole spices) and stir to combine. Pour into casserole or baking dish and top with Cobbler - bake as per that recipe. 

Serve with ice cream, whipped cream or a vanilla sauce. 

Hope that helps

[Use the Falchion]

On 7/19/2024 at 6:13 PM, Treamayne said:

Cobbler:

  Reveal hidden contents

Preheat oven to 400

• 1 cup flour
• 1 tbsp sugar
• 1.5 tsp baking powder
• Salt - To taste (about 1/3 tsp)
• 3 tbsp shortening/butter (or mix)
• 1/3 cup milk (approx)

Mix flour, salt, baking powder and sugar in bowl, whicsk lightly to combine. "Cut" shortening/butter into flour (my technique is to use chilled shortening or butter, dip it into the flour mixture to make it easier to hold, and use a cheese grater to grate it over the flour mixing with a fork each "pass"). If not ready to bake right away, leave to chill in refrigerator until fruit is ready. 

Right before baking, add 1/4 milk and stir slowly with fork or whisk until incorporated, adding more milk slowly until no dry flour remains (usually 1/3-1/2 cup total). Put fruit in bottom of prepared dish, drop cobbler batter by rounded tablespoon with 1-2 inches spacing over the top, bake 25-35 minutes or until fruit is bubbly and cobber has expanded and browned. 

For cocoa cobbler, replace 1/4 c flour with 1/4 c dutch processed cocoa powder (may need 1-3 tsp more sugar to offset bitterness, brand dependant). (optional) Mix in chocolate chips. 

Compote:

  Reveal hidden contents

Heat pan over Medium heat

• 1 cup water
• 1 tbsp corn starch
• 1/2 to 3/4 cup sugar (depending on desired sweetness and sweetnes of fruit being used)
• 1/2 tsp butter
• Dash salt (to taste)
• Spice (to taste - such as a dash of clove or nutmeg, simmer fruit with a cinnamon stick removed before baking, etc)
• 3 cups prepared fruit (approximate - prepared depends on the fruit - pitted, skinned, sliced, diced or sometimes just rinsed)
  • Preserve as much of the juice as possible if peeling/cutting/pitting
  • More firm fruit may need a short sautee if browning is desired, or longer simmer to soften

If pre-browning fruit for, place butter in pan on med-low, then add fruit and cook 5-8 minutes per side (slices) or about 10 minutes stirring twice (berries, diced fruit).

Bring water to a slow boil. Mix cornstarch into sugar and dissolve in water. Add spices and salt (as needed) and whisk, then add fruit, reduce temperature to medium low and simmer 8-12 minutes (or desired doneness). If fruit was not sauteed, remove from heat, add butter (and remove the cinnamon stick or other whole spices) and stir to combine. Pour into casserole or baking dish and top with Cobbler - bake as per that recipe. 

Serve with ice cream, whipped cream or a vanilla sauce. 

Hope that helps

I used your recipes last month! They turned out great! ...most of it went wasted due to my family having too many sweets in the house, and (blessedly) not enough people in my house have a sweet tooth, so most of it went to waste, but I'm excited to make it again and share it with friends!

Modifications:

Cobbler - I had some whole fat buttermilk and used that instead of regular milk. It worked out great! The recipe you gave me is very similar to a buttermilk cheese biscuit recipe I use for pork belly (and duck) eggs Benedict, so I wasn't afraid of this change. 

Compote - I substituted most of the other spices with Chinese Five Spice, since that has ginger and nutmeg and all of the things. That, and two tablespoons of bourbon really added some nice flavor to the peaches, especially since the peaches were NOT sweet at all. I also did 3/4 cup of sugar, with 1/2 cup being granulated white and teh final 1/4 cup being light brown sugar. 

Overall, thanks for the recipe! I'll definitely come back to it later this year! 

The smoked vanilla ice cream was smoked too long, and the smokiness overpowered every other flavor it was paired with, be it the cobbler, some cookies I had made for another group, or in an Oreo milkshake just for experimentation. I think smoking it 3 minutes and then 5 minutes was the best way to go, not 8 and 8. 

I'm also thinking about a soy sauce caramel glaze/sauce to put on ice cream as well. I'm not sure it'd go with the smoked ice cream, but I'm willing to try!

 

 

My next adventures for Labor Day - Chicken & Waffles, but built to excess:

 

Sweet Potato Waffles - I could do an overnight yeasted waffles or just buttermilk waffles, but my recipes have a complexity addiction. And I like sweet potatoes.

Gochujang Mac & Cheese Stuffed Cornflake-fried Quail - This is probably the most extreme and weird part of the meal, but it's the part I'm most excited for. I've been toying with what to stuff a quail with. I've done chorizo, I've tried stuffing it with a spinach-cheese mixture, I've toyed with sausage, and now I'm thinking about Mac & Cheese. This whole meal is a play on the old southern chicken, mac & cheese, collard greens, and sweet potatoes, all packed in the form of chicken & waffles. (I'll figure out the greens after I see if this works. I have a collard greens recipe that's amazing, but it's a little too sweet for this meal, so I'll be using some greens my dad made and froze.)

Quail is a popular substitute for chicken in "scaled up" chicken & waffles (I like the gaminess of quail, but my dad suggested Cornish Hen and I may try that), and chicken goes with mac & cheese, so I thought trying to stuff a quail with said mac & cheese would be an interesting take. The cornflake-fried aspect is there for a couple of reasons. First and foremost is that I wanted to keep the theme of breakfast throughout each part of the meal, and cornflakes help that. Secondly, cornflakes are a popular thing to fry chicken and whatnot in. It works! Third is because it's extra, and I like extra. It's why I like to make beef wellingtons at least once a year. 

The gochujang is there for a hint of spice, and I'll probably use extra-sharp cheddar as the main cheese so that it can pair with the maple in the whipped cream.

Maple and breakfast cereal whipped cream - The base for this would be Heavy Whipping Cream that's soaked Frosted Flakes in it for about 20 minutes or so, and then strained. This is also why I wanted to fry the quail in cornflakes, so you get a secondary flavor of cereal throughout the bites. You then add in a little salt, about a half cup of maple syrup or so, and then whip it up. 

 

My major concern is texture. I don't think the mac & cheese and waffle texture may clash, and that could create an uncomfortable mouth-feel. Mushy vs tender vs soft. But that's about it. I think the cheese and maple/sweetness flavor combo could work, so long as I get the cheeses right. 

 

As a dessert baking item, I'm hankering to make another Guinness chocolate cake. I made one years ago, and it was good but wasn't what I was looking for at that time. I think I'm ready to make it again. The icing will be a simple cream cheese icing. I'm toying with adding the soy sauce caramel icing here, but I'm not sold. 

 

 

I also had a good char-grilled cheeseburger my parents brought home from one of their date nights last week, so I'm in a mood to try smoking and char-grilling a burger on my dad's grill. Maybe after smoking some more ice cream? I love smash burgers, but variety is the spice of life! 

 

[Use the Falchion]

I made the Mac & Cheese-stuffed Fried Quail yesterday! I left out the waffle and everything related to it. (Although I did consider buying an Eggo waffle for kicks and giggles.)

Overall, it was a success in that it tasted good and went together, but it's also a failure in the sense that now that I've made it, I'm not sure I'll go back to it ever again. It was worth trying and succeeding at, but not worth investing too much time into in the future. Well, the stuffing part anyways. Serving friend quail over a homemade waffle is something I'll most certainly do in the future. 

[Lego Mistborn he/him]

I made fried ice cream and it turned out okay, but not great. It was a very stressful thing to make with not that much payoff.

I also tried a new breakfast dish that I now love, I'm not sure what it's called, but you start with hash browns, throw a hamburger patty on top of it, drizzle/drown with chili and garnish with cheese. It might seem weird for a breakfast food, but I think it works really well. I was lazy though and used a hash brown patty and Hormel chili for it, so does it really count as cooking.

[jamesbondsmith He/him]

Last week I tried making Uzbeki Plov. It ended up quite nice, although I'm not sure I added enough salt. I used lamb chops and it would probably work better with boneless cuts of meat.

[Treamayne]

38 minutes ago, jamesbondsmith said:

Last week I tried making Uzbeki Plov. It ended up quite nice, although I'm not sure I added enough salt. I used lamb chops and it would probably work better with boneless cuts of meat.

Did you use a yogurt marinade for the lamb? I've found it helps a lot with my Afghan curry (and other dishes).