Food. Food. Food. And spreads

[Delightful]

Just now, TwiLyghtSansSparkles said:

Well, I was thinking that cat hair would be a flour substitute, but maybe we could convince the administration to eat them by telling them it's Polyjuice.  

\o\

/o/

\o/

[Queen Elsa Steelheart she/her]

19 minutes ago, Delightful said:

Is....is it terrible that I snorted? Murphy really does/n't like you today.....

I say we throw them at @Queen Elsa Steelheart's school admin. Serves them right.

I love you Delightful.

[Darkness Ascendant he/him]

^^ that was epic  

[Delightful]

I was making food for Shabbat and my roommate pointed out that what I was making was so classic Jewish European because its so darn unhealthy. So I decided to share! This is served as a side dish, and.......funnily enough its called Yerushalmi (Jerusalemite) Kugel. So it really has no excuse for being so European-fatty.

So here's how you make it.

Boil a packet of spaghetti.

Heat sugar and oil until the whole thing caramelises.

Pour caramel liquid over spaghetti. 

when its a little cooled add eggs, salt and a hefty dose of pepper.

Bake for like an hour.

 

Looks something like this:

 

 

 

This is only the second time I've made it, and I think its slightly over-caramelised and under-peppered, but thats literally a matter of taste so.

And I was just debating with myself wether this is a healthier snack than cake. XP

Edited March 26, 2017 by Delightful

[A Budgie she/her]

@Delightful that looks really nice...

[Sunbird she/her]

@Delightful

[Darkness Ascendant he/him]

Oh my god,

diabetes.

That just makes me shudder.

 

[A Budgie she/her]

So, tonight I made a mushroom-and-ricotta lasagne for dinner, and it looks so good.

[TwiLyghtSansSparkles she/her]

2 hours ago, A Budgie said:

So, tonight I made a mushroom-and-ricotta lasagne for dinner, and it looks so good.

Mushrooms aren't really my thing, but I do love a good lasagne. 

[Delightful]

Okay! Pesach! This means lots and lots of potatoes.*

Whats your favourite thing to do with potatoes?

 

side note: the matzah I bought this year did not spend like 6 months on a boat to get to Australia so it was *crunchy* instead of having the approximate consistency of cardboard. Like it might have even been made this week. So happy.  

 

*grain+water left to rise is forbidden, = bread cake cookies pasta, and for some Jews such as myself, anything that resembles grains, so also no rice or beans (or hummus!  ). Therefore main carbs are matzah and potatos. and potatoes. and potatoes. Till they're growing out your ears.

Edited April 11, 2017 by Delightful

[TwiLyghtSansSparkles she/her]

19 minutes ago, Delightful said:

Okay! Pesach! This means lots and lots of potatoes.*

Whats your favourite thing to do with potatoes?

 

side note: the matzah I bought this year did not spend like 6 months on a boat to get to Australia so it was *crunchy* instead of having the approximate consistency of cardboard. Like it might have even been made this week. So happy.  

 

*grain+water left to rise is forbidden, = bread cake cookies pasta, and for some Jews such as myself, anything that resembles grains, so also no rice or beans (or hummus!  ). Therefore main carbs are matzah and potatos. and potatoes. and potatoes. Till they're growing out your ears.

Let's see….is dairy allowed? If so, twice-baked potatoes are a favorite of mine. 

Russet potatoes (plan on one per person—if they eat less than that, there'll be leftovers) 
Cheddar cheese, grated (about 1/4 cup per whole potato)
Chives (probably about 1/4 teaspoon per potato if using dried) 
Salt and pepper to taste 
Milk (1/8 cup for every potato) 
Butter (1 tablespoon per potato) 

Wash and bake potatoes in oven until pierced easily with a fork. Cut potatoes in half lengthwise and scoop insides out into a bowl, being careful not to break the skin. Lay skins out empty side up on baking sheet.
Mash potatoes with a potato masher to clear any lumps, then add butter, chives, salt and pepper and blend with a hand or standing mixer. Add milk until potatoes are moistened, and whip potatoes until they reach desired level of fluffiness. Beat in cheese. 
Fill each potato skin with potato mixture. There will probably be too much potato mixture, so just keep adding to the skins until all the mixture is gone. Bake potatoes at 350F/176C for another 15 minutes, until tops are golden brown and the potatoes are heated through. 

[Tristan]

Anyone else love chili? I'm craving it, but I'm making Thai chicken meatballs in a curry sauce instead.

... but my southern girl heart really wants chili...

[Delightful]

12 minutes ago, TwiLyghtSansSparkles said:

Let's see….is dairy allowed? If so, twice-baked potatoes are a favorite of mine. 

Russet potatoes (plan on one per person—if they eat less than that, there'll be leftovers) 
Cheddar cheese, grated (about 1/4 cup per whole potato)
Chives (probably about 1/4 teaspoon per potato if using dried) 
Salt and pepper to taste 
Milk (1/8 cup for every potato) 
Butter (1 tablespoon per potato) 

Wash and bake potatoes in oven until pierced easily with a fork. Cut potatoes in half lengthwise and scoop insides out into a bowl, being careful not to break the skin. Lay skins out empty side up on baking sheet.
Mash potatoes with a potato masher to clear any lumps, then add butter, chives, salt and pepper and blend with a hand or standing mixer. Add milk until potatoes are moistened, and whip potatoes until they reach desired level of fluffiness. Beat in cheese. 
Fill each potato skin with potato mixture. There will probably be too much potato mixture, so just keep adding to the skins until all the mixture is gone. Bake potatoes at 350F/176C for another 15 minutes, until tops are golden brown and the potatoes are heated through. 

Thank G-D yes .

Some people don't because its processed and 'the more processed something is, the more likely chametz (forbidden grain product) will get in'. Sometimes it feels like a competition of who eats what....

Anyway. I will eat milk and butter and cheese, that sounds really good! How do you scrape out everything without breaking the skins? Does adding cheese lessen fluffiness?

I'm also gonna have to go search for your butter beer recipe because we seem to have an awful lot of butter for no good reason.

[TwiLyghtSansSparkles she/her]

13 minutes ago, Delightful said:

Thank G-D yes .

Some people don't because its processed and 'the more processed something is, the more likely chametz (forbidden grain product) will get in'. Sometimes it feels like a competition of who eats what....

Anyway. I will eat milk and butter and cheese, that sounds really good! How do you scrape out everything without breaking the skins? Does adding cheese lessen fluffiness?

I'm also gonna have to go search for your butter beer recipe because we seem to have an awful lot of butter for no good reason.

You just have to scrape it carefully—I like to take a spoon and stab it into the potato, then gently twist it around so that the potato flesh is filling the bowl of the spoon before lifting it out. It's one of those things that gets easier with practice, so go slowly and if you do accidentally stab a small hole or create a little tear in the skin, don't panic—just put it back as best you can and fill the skin anyway. If you do it right, the baking cheese should help hold the hole together. 

As for whether adding cheese lessens fluffiness—sort of, but not really. I like to add the cheese at the end because the potatoes will have cooled off some by then, so the cheese won't melt as much. 

Here's the butterbeer recipe (so you don't have to search): 

2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 cup milk 
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Dash cinnamon 

Melt the butter and add the sugar; whisk together until sugar has dissolved and combined with butter to make a caramel. Add milk in increments, pausing to whisk it into the caramel. Heat mixture while whisking until all ingredients are combined and milk is desired temperature, then add the vanilla. Whisk in, then add the cinnamon and whisk that in as well. Pour into a mug and drink immediately. Serves one. 

Edit: For chocolate butterbeer, add 1/2 to 1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder to the finished caramel, whisk in thoroughly, and follow the rest of the recipe as usual. 

Edited April 11, 2017 by TwiLyghtSansSparkles

[Oversleep]

Until now I thought that butterbeer is some kind of beer

[Delightful]

23 minutes ago, TwiLyghtSansSparkles said:

You just have to scrape it carefully—I like to take a spoon and stab it into the potato, then gently twist it around so that the potato flesh is filling the bowl of the spoon before lifting it out. It's one of those things that gets easier with practice, so go slowly and if you do accidentally stab a small hole or create a little tear in the skin, don't panic—just put it back as best you can and fill the skin anyway. If you do it right, the baking cheese should help hold the hole together. 

As for whether adding cheese lessens fluffiness—sort of, but not really. I like to add the cheese at the end because the potatoes will have cooled off some by then, so the cheese won't melt as much. 

Here's the butterbeer recipe (so you don't have to search): 

2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 cup milk 
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Dash cinnamon 

Melt the butter and add the sugar; whisk together until sugar has dissolved and combined with butter to make a caramel. Add milk in increments, pausing to whisk it into the caramel. Heat mixture while whisking until all ingredients are combined and milk is desired temperature, then add the vanilla. Whisk in, then add the cinnamon and whisk that in as well. Pour into a mug and drink immediately. Serves one. 

Edit: For chocolate butterbeer, add 1/2 to 1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder to the finished caramel, whisk in thoroughly, and follow the rest of the recipe as usual. 

you da best

Why specifically brown sugar?

 

[TwiLyghtSansSparkles she/her]

4 minutes ago, Delightful said:

you da best

Why specifically brown sugar?

It's better at adding that caramel-type flavor. Cane sugar might work as well, but brown sugar is the best for caramels. 

[Darkness Ascendant he/him]

Chili is the best

[A Budgie she/her]

@Delightful I love smashed potatoes: really just potatoes that are hit slightly to become nice and flat, coated with the spice/s of your preference, and baked in the oven.

[+Slowswift]

On the subject of potatoes:

I don't have the recipe on me, but. For years, the mashed potatoes we had at Thanksgiving were literally just mashed potatoes, maybe with some other stuff? But it was really basic. Good, but basic (which is good, because that's like the only thing I eat at Thanksgiving ).

Then, one Thanksgiving, I'm helping move pots and stuff over from my grandparents' place (where things were being prepared) to the neighborhood clubhouse (where everyone was gathering/eating). I go in to grab some pots, and my aunt's like "here, taste this and see if it's good." So I, expecting the usual somewhat bland stuff, was like, "whatever."

Oh heavens. I have rarely been so pleasantly surprised in my life.   Like I said, I can't remember the recipe, but I do remember that that amount of butter, cream, and cream cheese ought to be illegal.   

[TwiLyghtSansSparkles she/her]

24 minutes ago, Slowswift said:

On the subject of potatoes:

I don't have the recipe on me, but. For years, the mashed potatoes we had at Thanksgiving were literally just mashed potatoes, maybe with some other stuff? But it was really basic. Good, but basic (which is good, because that's like the only thing I eat at Thanksgiving ).

Then, one Thanksgiving, I'm helping move pots and stuff over from my grandparents' place (where things were being prepared) to the neighborhood clubhouse (where everyone was gathering/eating). I go in to grab some pots, and my aunt's like "here, taste this and see if it's good." So I, expecting the usual somewhat bland stuff, was like, "whatever."

Oh heavens. I have rarely been so pleasantly surprised in my life.   Like I said, I can't remember the recipe, but I do remember that that amount of butter, cream, and cream cheese ought to be illegal.   

Oh yeah, I've made that before! Here's an approximate recipe: 

3 russet potatoes 
1/2-3/4 brick cream cheese, softened 
Probably….1/4-1/2 cup milk
2-4 tablespoons (ish) butter
Salt and pepper, to taste
Garlic powder, to taste 

(seriously, all of these measurements are approximate because I learned this recipe from my mom, and we share the same cooking method—that is, "add some more of this ingredient and keep tasting and adjusting until it tastes good," so as you make this recipe, keep tasting it and adjust as needed) 

Peel and cut potatoes, and boil until pierced easily with a fork. Drain, and transfer potatoes to a bowl. Add butter, and mash with a potato masher until free of lumps. Add salt, pepper, and garlic powder, and mix with a standing or hand mixer. Add milk, then cream cheese, a little at a time, adding more salt, pepper, or garlic powder as needed. (Again, keep tasting this as you make it; I have no exact measurements and my tastes will probably be different from yours anyway. However, you want the cream cheese and potatoes to be the dominant flavors. The garlic powder and pepper should be subtle background flavors.) Beat potatoes until fluffy, then transfer to a buttered baking dish. Top with one or two generous pats of butter, and bake at 350F/176C for about 15-20 minutes, until top is golden brown, butter is melted, and potatoes are heated through. 

Edit: I should add that with this recipe, you can have too little cream cheese, but unless you use a whole brick of cream cheese to every potato, it's really difficult to add too much. So if you wind up using the whole brick of cream cheese to three potatoes, don't panic. It'll probably wind up tasting delicious….which is bad news if you're watching the amount of fat in your diet, but good news otherwise.  

Edited April 13, 2017 by TwiLyghtSansSparkles

[Erunion he/him]

@Delightful - wait, so people do no grains at all for Pesach? I thought it was unleavened bread? (So no leaven, nothing left to rise, but carbs were allowed?) 

Mind you, my knowledge of pesach traditoon stems mostly from Moses.... so if memory serves it was lamb, unleavened bread, bitter herbs? That kind of thing? I thought the feast on the 15th of the month was the feast of unleavened bread? Mind you, there's a world of difference between what a Christian will read from Moses and what a Jew practices in their day to day life; we lack context and tradition there.

 

 

Meanwhile, I am very pleased with my recent culinary endeavours, as I try desperately to learn how to cook before I move out at the end of the year... 

 

So anyway, I made shawarma spiced pork over couscous with lemon-drenched cabbage, and it was delicious. And I didn't burn down the kitchen! So win win! 

[Darkness Ascendant he/him]

Been making lots of curry and lately.

Some Beef Korma, Nihari, Chicken Karai  

[A Budgie she/her]

Okay, so I want to make a food for dinner. I was going to try some pasta, but we had lasagne yesterday so I want to try something else. Any suggestions?

[Darkness Ascendant he/him]

6 minutes ago, A Budgie said:

Okay, so I want to make a food for dinner. I was going to try some pasta, but we had lasagne yesterday so I want to try something else. Any suggestions?

Curry course.