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Dane posted:More chili questions: I have a ton of habaneros on my plants now, way more than I can eat, and I don't have much time to do stuff with them. Will they freeze well if I just cut them and bag them? Yes, but their texture suffers a bit.
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# ? Sep 27, 2011 16:43 |
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# ? May 23, 2024 15:47 |
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You can always dry them. A low oven with the door slightly ajar for hours and hours until they are dry.
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# ? Sep 27, 2011 17:06 |
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Dane posted:More chili questions: I have a ton of habaneros on my plants now, way more than I can eat, and I don't have much time to do stuff with them. Will they freeze well if I just cut them and bag them? Seconding drying them, smoke some if you can, too. Also, blend some up with an acid and a sugar and make a chili sauce to keep in the fridge.
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# ? Sep 27, 2011 17:26 |
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Averrences posted:I've just started Uni recently - and I really need some help in learning how to cook/plan shopping on the cheap. You need to go out grocery shopping frequently to understand what is the standard price for foods, and what is a good price. Keep in mind that just because something is on sale doesn't mean it's actually a good price. How much freezer space do you have? Can you buy and freeze things? How quickly do you go through foods? Do you want to bake your bread, or buy decent loaves? For example, any time any cut of chicken is $.99/lb or lower, it is a good price. However, if you have little fridge/freezer space, you can't buy a family pack and freeze it. If you don't know how to roast a whole chicken (very easy) or how to cut one up, you might not want to buy a whole chicken. But, perhaps you can find someone to split family packs when they are on sale. Salmon is cheap at around $7.99/lb or less. Pork I am not sure about, but some times (very rare) you can find a pork loin roast for $1.99/lb which is EXCELLENT. You can then cut it up into porkchops, or cook the whole thing if you have a get together. 1 lb of butter is usually >$3. Good is $2.50. Cheap and buy 4 lbs is when it's $2/lb or less. Eggs are usually $1.99+ a dozen, more if you want to buy farm eggs. Rarely, you will see them at $.99. If I see them for $.99 a dozen, I buy about 3 dozen and plan for baking and cooking that week, such as brioche, cookies, crepes, eggs for breakfast, etc. Broccoli is normally $1.50/lb. Great if you can find it for $.99 a lb. I could go on forever about prices, but you need to see what the prices are like in your area to know what is a good price. I did grocery shopping for my family for years, and it is doing me a lot of good when hunting for bargains now that I am on my own. Remember to check Target or Walmart food ads. Also, Costco pricing is not necessarily cheaper just because it is in bulk. And, can YOU eat 2 whole chickens, 5 lbs of broccoli, etc etc before it goes bad? Planning is much trickier. It takes time, and even now I don't do it well. Try to think about leftovers and how many different ways you can prepare the same thing. For me, last night I made breaded porkchops (from aformentioned pork loin), with green beans that were on steep sale, and I fried 3 extra ones in panko and put them in the fridge. Tonight, I will make katsudon with those 3 and roast some broccoli for a side. When I make rice tonight, I will make a huge pot and use the left over rice to fry rice tomorrow. Thursday and Friday, I am screwed with no ideas. I think it will be spaghetti. I do have a suggestion though. Keep a block of parmesean cheese in your fridge. It will enliven your pasta, eggs, beans, etc. It takes a long time to go moldy, so it is safe if you buy a nice block. Best of luck. Try not to live on pasta and canned tuna. I did that once ($30 a week on food!), but it was the most depressing year of my life. squigadoo fucked around with this message at 19:21 on Sep 27, 2011 |
# ? Sep 27, 2011 19:13 |
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Thanks guys, I'm running around like a headless chicken these days, so with my luck I'd burn all the chiles if I tried my hand at drying them out. So freezer it is. Just pop em in whole, or de-stem and -seed first?
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# ? Sep 27, 2011 19:14 |
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squigadoo posted:stuff I pretty much live on pasta and it is the bees knees. As long as you can keep mixing it up, it really is a great and cheap food to base your existence on. Pasta, bread, and whatever meat was on manager's special that day make for a great dinner. Living literally down the street from the supermarket helps that. And adding to your cheapness points for meat, the manager's specials are great if you plan on cooking them that day or the following. It is all the stuff that is nearing its sell-by and will taste just fine. Tomorrow is a work from home day, so I will swing by the supermarket first thing in the morning and do a run on the meat case doing just that. My local Shoprite every month or two will run a $2/pound special on butter. It cannot be overstated that you need to pounce on these. The stock will run out fairly quick and there is no way of knowing how long it will be before the sale comes again. You shouldn't question whether or not to jump on it, but rather how much salted vs unsalted you want to get. Adding to the original question of basic stuff to keep in the kitchen, go find a local asian supermarket. You can do a lot with rice, various soy sauce types, ginger, oyster sauce, rice noodles, etc, etc. Before I go grocery shopping I use this as the fridge cleaning stir fry kit. Just go into your fridge, find everything that is getting old, dice it, and stir fry. They're all quite cheap to keep on hand too. Pretty much: http://www.goonswithspoons.com/Drunken_Noodles
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# ? Sep 27, 2011 19:24 |
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Dane posted:Thanks guys, I'm running around like a headless chicken these days, so with my luck I'd burn all the chiles if I tried my hand at drying them out. So freezer it is. Just pop em in whole, or de-stem and -seed first? Whole.
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# ? Sep 27, 2011 20:43 |
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Have a question relating to the op recipe from the now closed Chili thread. I was wondering how many "servings" that recipe resulted in? (or the "aspichili" or the Chipotle and Chocolate one) I'm going to feed 40 mouths in a couple of weeks, and need a baseline to scale the recipe up by. Also, is a 30 quart pot large enough for that? Thanks. I realize I'm sort of diving into the deep end, been over a decade since I cooked anything for that number of folks, and then it was BBQ.
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# ? Sep 27, 2011 21:34 |
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Aspichili was six servings. I usually figure a half pound of meat = a bowl of chili, but if you're using beans, maybe 1/4lb meat and 1/2-1c beans per bowl. If a full bowl is 2c, you'd need 80c of chili, so 20 quarts after reducing. 30 quart pot might be pretty full at the start.
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# ? Sep 27, 2011 21:46 |
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Fantastic! Thank you very much. Looking at 20 lbs of meat. Luckily, I don't have to pay for any of it.
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# ? Sep 27, 2011 22:21 |
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If you're doing that large of a batch, you'll definitely want beans or something to extend it, plus have rice/cornbread/pasta/whatever as a side so you don't run out of food by making exactly enough for everyone to have one bowl
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# ? Sep 27, 2011 22:50 |
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CuddleChunks posted:I thought you were using a slow cooker because you didn't have access to a regular stove. I don't think you'll have very good stock if you don't watch it a little bit and skim it and take care of it. It requires some definite labor during the creation. Ok so if I want to cook a whole chicken in a slow cooker I just have to make peace with the fact that all the foam that I usually skim off when I cook it in a pot is just going to get incorporated into the liquid?
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# ? Sep 28, 2011 01:26 |
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Does anybody have a good hamburger-bun recipe? I want to try and see how much a from-scratch bun adds to my usual hamburger recipe, but I really only know how to make a baguette.
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# ? Sep 28, 2011 01:31 |
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I'm still a mushroom noob, bought some unmarked mushrooms from the grocery store. They are either Portabella or shiitake, am I right in deciding that since the gills are white they are shiitake?
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# ? Sep 28, 2011 01:42 |
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THE LUMMOX posted:Ok so if I want to cook a whole chicken in a slow cooker I just have to make peace with the fact that all the foam that I usually skim off when I cook it in a pot is just going to get incorporated into the liquid? Sorry, why can't you skim it?
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# ? Sep 28, 2011 01:57 |
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Randomity posted:I'm still a mushroom noob, bought some unmarked mushrooms from the grocery store. They are either Portabella or shiitake, am I right in deciding that since the gills are white they are shiitake? Portobellos have black gills that are thick and meaty, and shiitakes have delicate white gills.
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# ? Sep 28, 2011 02:01 |
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SYFY HYPHY posted:If you're doing that large of a batch, you'll definitely want beans or something to extend it, plus have rice/cornbread/pasta/whatever as a side so you don't run out of food by making exactly enough for everyone to have one bowl Well, cornbread was definitely in the plan. Beans tho, yeah. I'll take that under advisement. Thanks again!
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# ? Sep 28, 2011 04:06 |
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Does anyone have a decent Swedish meatball recipe? So far I've only had the horrible junk food ones they serve at Ikea, and I want to try something more like the real thing.
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# ? Sep 28, 2011 04:30 |
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yes posted:Sorry, why can't you skim it? The main reason I want to do it in a slow cooker is so I don't have to be at home watching it and skimming foam. That's why I'm so eager to do it this way instead of having to babysit a pot on a stove for a few hours. But I guess some things are unavoidable
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# ? Sep 28, 2011 04:34 |
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Skim it when you get home.
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# ? Sep 28, 2011 04:35 |
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Soylent Pudding posted:Does anyone have a decent Swedish meatball recipe? So far I've only had the horrible junk food ones they serve at Ikea, and I want to try something more like the real thing. Making them from scratch is so much better than the frozen ones they serve in the store. This is the recipe I use: http://worthhersalt.com/archives/217 The allspice is the key flavoring in the meatballs. Start with the 1/2 t called for, then once your meat is mixed, cook up a little bit of the meat to taste it. If it seems like it's missing something, try more allspice (and/or salt).
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# ? Sep 28, 2011 05:18 |
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Suggestions for some nice gluten-free recipes to go with gluten-free dumplings? A friend wants to cook dinner for his girlfriend, and is at a loss for ideas (beyond the dumplings) Nothing overly complicated, as he's a beginner in the kitchen.
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# ? Sep 28, 2011 07:01 |
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Chicken soup?
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# ? Sep 28, 2011 07:05 |
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Well, I got a bit involved question here. I like making Chocolates, the small bitsized things with stuff inside, such as nougat or nuts. I have the forms, a fondue pot (no double boiler for me!) but what I lack is the proper technique. What I do now is to just coat the bottom and sides with chocolate, then put in freezer, then take out form and put in the form what I want inside it, and then fill to the top. Then it is put in the freezer. Then remove bit, put in sealable container and put in freezer until you got the occasion to have some. However, this results in chocolates I can't really risk putting out from the freezer in case they melt. Maybe it's just a silly fear or something. But when they've been standing in a bowl for an hour or two, they accumulate some 'sweat' which makes it sticky and unpleasant to hold. So, what should I change to so I can store it in the larder rather than freezer (or even fridge)? And how do I prevent this sweating from happening?
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# ? Sep 28, 2011 09:51 |
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bartolimu would it be ok if I started a new NYC dining thread that was kept to strict posting of reviews and recommendations? The old thread was a gold mine for me as I would commute to the city for food(other things too but mainly the food) and having the opinions of people that dine around everyday in NYC was very helpful.
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# ? Sep 28, 2011 13:56 |
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Iced Cocoa posted:Well, I got a bit involved question here. I like making Chocolates, the small bitsized things with stuff inside, such as nougat or nuts. I have the forms, a fondue pot (no double boiler for me!) but what I lack is the proper technique. http://candy.about.com/od/candybasics/ht/temperchoc.htm
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# ? Sep 28, 2011 14:07 |
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Iced Cocoa posted:Well, I got a bit involved question here. I like making Chocolates, the small bitsized things with stuff inside, such as nougat or nuts. I have the forms, a fondue pot (no double boiler for me!) but what I lack is the proper technique. The problem you are having is because you have not tempered your chocolate. Basically the fats present in the chocolate can take on a variety of crystal forms. Only one of these results in the glossy solid chocolate form that we usually buy it in. If you google "tempering chocolate" you will get a LOT of information about it. There are a couple of methods for this. Professional chocolatiers temper their chocolate by working it out on a big slab of marble. As this is pretty impractical for most people you can also use the "seeding method." This works by adding in some solid store-bought chocolate to your melted chocolate and the crystals present in the solids you introduce should encourage all the cooling oils in your melted chocolate to take on the same crystal structure. This method is described here. You will need a good thermometer as temperature control is essential to achieve tempering.
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# ? Sep 28, 2011 14:14 |
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KidDynamite posted:bartolimu would it be ok if I started a new NYC dining thread that was kept to strict posting of reviews and recommendations? The old thread was a gold mine for me as I would commute to the city for food(other things too but mainly the food) and having the opinions of people that dine around everyday in NYC was very helpful. Absolutely. I'd also encourage you (and other NYC eaters) to start an NYC page on the GWS wiki so the occasional forums urban renewal won't result in lost data. bartolimu fucked around with this message at 14:43 on Sep 28, 2011 |
# ? Sep 28, 2011 14:38 |
Ktb posted:You will need a good thermometer as temperature control is essential to achieve tempering.
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# ? Sep 28, 2011 14:49 |
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This is probably the best thermometer that you can buy (within reason). I know it's expensive, but it's worth it. http://www.amazon.com/Splash-Proof-...17218378&sr=1-1
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# ? Sep 28, 2011 15:01 |
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Oh wow! Thanks everyone! I didn't realize that making Chocolates was that big of an art form, but at least I can see now just how involved the process is. As much as it saddens me to stop using the fondue pot and start worrying about water in the chocolate, it will be shadowed by the fact that I could be making non-sweaty Chocolates!
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# ? Sep 28, 2011 16:09 |
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Tempered or not, if you refrigerate your chocolates then take them out into humid air, they will get condensation on them. Tempering isn't some magic bullet that will change physics. Properly tempered chocolate won't need to be refrigerated to be firm, however.
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# ? Sep 28, 2011 16:16 |
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Flash Gordon Ramsay posted:Tempered or not, if you refrigerate your chocolates then take them out into humid air, they will get condensation on them. Tempering isn't some magic bullet that will change physics. Well, I had been thinking of just tossing it in the freezer or fridge for 2-5 minutes to cool it down and harden, but if it can harden and be made solid in room temperature, that would be preferred.
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# ? Sep 28, 2011 16:27 |
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pot roast question. I want to make this pot roast recipe, but I do not want to get home to cook and then eat at 9PM. What I do want to do is use my slow cooker to do this recipe. I'd like to sear the meat and sautee the veggies in the morning, toss it into my slow cooker for 6 hours and come home to delicious food. Does that sound feasible, or am I over cooking the meat? Will all the juice run out of the meat? Is it supposed to?! I've never made pot roast before, and only have residual nightmares of my dad's.
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# ? Sep 28, 2011 17:32 |
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Meningism posted:Suggestions for some nice gluten-free recipes to go with gluten-free dumplings? A friend wants to cook dinner for his girlfriend, and is at a loss for ideas (beyond the dumplings) Nothing overly complicated, as he's a beginner in the kitchen. What kind of dumplings? Jiaozi? Pierogi? Soup dumplings? More information is necessary here.
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# ? Sep 28, 2011 18:17 |
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squigadoo posted:pot roast question. You won't overcook it. The juices will run out, but they're supposed to. The basic idea of braising meat is an exchange of flavor between your meat and the flavorful liquid in which it is cooked. As long as your braising liquid is tasty and well seasoned then you don't really have anything to worry about. Worst case scenario I guess would be the roast falls apart into "pulled beef" but it'll still taste really good 9 hours sounds about right, anyway.
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# ? Sep 28, 2011 20:00 |
I'm going to make some pulled pork sandwiches for a football party this weekend. Most of the recipes I see are along the lines of:quote:5 lb pork butt The party is going to be a come and go thing throughout the day, so I'd like to keep the slow cooker on low once the BBQ sauce is mixed in to keep the meat warm/non-toxic. BBQ sauce can be kind of think, though. My intuition tells me to reserve some of the beef broth and drippings and add that in if things get too thick/dry in the slow cooker. Is this correct? And is there anything else wrong with my plan?
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# ? Sep 29, 2011 00:10 |
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I'm cooking for somebody who is gluten intolerant and have been given 'potato' and 'jam' as parameters. The best I've found is potato dumplings with a plum jam centre, any other ideas? Edit: sweet christ what are the odds this would be on the same page. number one pta fan fucked around with this message at 05:11 on Sep 29, 2011 |
# ? Sep 29, 2011 05:09 |
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"'potato' and 'jam' as parameters"??? What does that even mean? You're cooking for someone who is either extremely silly about food or for someone who is screwing with you.
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# ? Sep 29, 2011 07:41 |
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# ? May 23, 2024 15:47 |
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Dogfish posted:What kind of dumplings? Jiaozi? Pierogi? Soup dumplings? More information is necessary here. Sorry, looks like dumplings covers a wider variety of things than I thought. Jiaozi seems closest to what I'm thinking off. Maybe something to go with some steamed rice? She's also sensitive to things like onion, and some fruit.
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# ? Sep 29, 2011 08:07 |