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eggrolled posted:Lodge's enameled dutch ovens seem to be at a pretty good price on amazon. Not whether to go for 6qt or 7.5qt? I'm terrible at gauging quantity for small groups (Potatoes for four people?? ...better get a 10# bag we go through tons at work!! Latest reports are that lodge has changed their manufacturing processes and their enameled cast iron is kind of crappy.
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Jul 17, 2012 20:18
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Phummus posted:Latest reports are that lodge has changed their manufacturing processes and their enameled cast iron is kind of crappy. How recently? I bought one of their pans like 6 months ago and it works great for me.
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Jul 17, 2012 20:19
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Appl posted:Yeah. It depends on the winemaker. I'm You can find "cooking wine" in some stores, they had it at Price Chopper and No Frills for $3.50. I haven't seen it there recently, but there's the godawful Chinese "cooking liquor" that I use to deglaze the pan. Be careful as they're both salty. If there's a TNT near you, they have a nice glutinous rice wine at a good price (also not for drinking).
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Jul 17, 2012 20:20
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so the cheapest wine I can find is like $8, and a lot of those are not drinkable. Some are fine.
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a lot of grocery stores sell little 4-packs of 12 oz wine bottles: usually you arent using a full size bottle at a time so you can end up only opening what you need for one recipe, and pick up some savings that way. one near me lets you mix and match too, so you can get a couple white and a couple red if you want to. I've also gone the route of buying the giant screwcap jug of $7/gallon wine; when im using it only for braising liquid or cooked down sauces it's hard to tell the jug has been open a while.
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Jul 17, 2012 20:20
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Is there any reason you can't freeze unused wine? If you're using it for cooking, I can't see the harm in freezing an ice cube tray of wine.
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Jul 17, 2012 20:53
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Peapod made a mistake and instead of including 6 green bananas in our grocery order, they delivered 6 bags of fresh green beans. Any ideas on how to possibly use these up before they go bad? I'm only cooking for 2 people so it's seeming rather daunting at the moment.
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Jul 17, 2012 21:08
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EVG posted:Peapod made a mistake and instead of including 6 green bananas in our grocery order, they delivered 6 bags of fresh green beans. When they're ripe you can always freeze them and use them in smoothies and quick breads.
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Jul 17, 2012 21:22
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Scientastic posted:Is there any reason you can't freeze unused wine? If you're using it for cooking, I can't see the harm in freezing an ice cube tray of wine. The alcohol might separate out when it starts to freeze.
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Jul 17, 2012 21:27
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PokeJoe posted:The alcohol might separate out when it starts to freeze. Use an ice cube tray to avoid this. It'll still separate a bit, but it will be in smaller portions, so you'll get a more even distribution when you take the 'frozen' wine out of the freezer. Don't be surprised if it doesn't freeze solid either. Alternatively you could freeze the whole bottle. The water would solidify and leave the liquid something like brandy?
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Jul 17, 2012 21:30
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GrAviTy84 posted:When they're ripe you can always freeze them and use them in smoothies and quick breads. I think EVG was supposed to get bananas, but got a shitload of green beans instead. Personally I would pickle them, pickled green beans are awesome.
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Jul 17, 2012 21:32
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Phummus posted:The water would solidify and leave the liquid something like brandy? No, thick wine-flavored alcohol syrup. The sugar will follow the booze.
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Jul 17, 2012 21:34
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FishBulb posted:How recently? I bought one of their pans like 6 months ago and it works great for me. I got a dutch oven about two years ago, and the enamel came off the inside in big patches the first or second time I used it. Lodge were dicks about it, too.
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Jul 17, 2012 21:48
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RazorBunny posted:I think EVG was supposed to get bananas, but got a shitload of green beans instead. Correct! That sounds interesting - how would one go about that? I've never pickled anything before.
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Jul 17, 2012 21:49
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Scientastic posted:Is there any reason you can't freeze unused wine? If you're using it for cooking, I can't see the harm in freezing an ice cube tray of wine. I do this routinely - does not affect taste negatively, and with the amounts that you'll have as leftovers, it is fine to just do it in a bag, because you'll use all of it at once anyways. Yeah - the crystalization is crazy, and it is kinda slush-ice-y... but it is all good.
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Jul 17, 2012 21:52
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FishBulb posted:I want to buy some pink salt (prague powder) when I get back home, not sure where to look, not grocery stores right? Penzey's? Bass Pro Shop? uh... Not sure, help me out here?
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Jul 17, 2012 21:52
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SubG posted:Do you have a local beer/bait/ammo store? At least in rural Texas I'd expect to find curing salt in one. Well there's Bass Pro Shop (and Cabellas)! There's a couple home brewing supply stores a butcher shop and a few bait shops I imagine I can find it at one of those places (hopefully)...
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Jul 17, 2012 21:58
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RazorBunny posted:I think EVG was supposed to get bananas, but got a shitload of green beans instead. Oh, derp. n/m. Make sichuan dry fried beans erryday
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Jul 17, 2012 22:03
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GrAviTy84 posted:Oh, derp. n/m. gently caress that noise make banana wine. Banana wine.
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Jul 17, 2012 22:06
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FishBulb posted:Well there's Bass Pro Shop (and Cabellas)! There's a couple home brewing supply stores a butcher shop and a few bait shops I imagine I can find it at one of those places (hopefully)... You might also find Morton Tender Quick at a place like Costco/Sam's/whatever, if you can live with it instead of pink salt/#1 or a more `traditional' curing salt.
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Jul 17, 2012 22:31
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Is there any reason you can't just look for it online? Its how I ordered my curing salt. I'd give you a link but I'm in the UK and it sounds like you aren't
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Jul 17, 2012 22:33
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Scott Bakula posted:Is there any reason you can't just look for it online? Its how I ordered my curing salt. I'd give you a link but I'm in the UK and it sounds like you aren't No but I'd prefer to just find a place that sells it near me, and Amazon doesn't have it with free shipping 
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Jul 17, 2012 22:41
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FishBulb posted:No but I'd prefer to just find a place that sells it near me, and Amazon doesn't have it with free shipping I got mine at an Asian Market. I've also seen it in Chinatown. You also used to be able to ask for saltpetre at a pharmacy
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Jul 17, 2012 22:54
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GrAviTy84 posted:I got mine at an Asian Market. I've also seen it in Chinatown. You also used to be able to ask for saltpetre at a pharmacy There is a big rear end asian market right next to my place where I buy my duck and pork belly. I will check that first, thanks.
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Jul 17, 2012 22:55
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EVG posted:Correct! That sounds interesting - how would one go about that? I've never pickled anything before. Basically vinegar, water, salt, and any seasonings you prefer. Some folks use sugar, too. Here's a decent basic recipe.
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Jul 17, 2012 23:08
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I'd like to use dried beans more often, but every time I've cooked them in the past they wind up having a different texture than canned beans. I follow all the directions involving soaking and not adding salt and all that, but they always turn out the same. Kind of gritty I guess? They never seem as good as canned beans but dried ones are cheaper. Am I doing something wrong or do I just have to deal with it? 
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Jul 17, 2012 23:15
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TomWaitsForNoMan posted:Ever since I was a kid I've had a dislike for vegetables, but having eaten out and about I realised that I've just rarely had them cooked properly. I don't really like plain bland boiled peas and beans, but cook them up properly with a nice sauce and I love it. Here are my tips, as a vegetarian who is the only cook in the house and has a low-carbin' husband who hates most vegetables: Cheese will be your friend, getting over the hump of any vegetables you're not really keen on. Learning to make your own Indian vegetarian curries will also help. Hate cooked broccoli? Try it raw, with your favourite salad dressing, or dipped in hummus, or be gross like me and dip it in Marmite! If you don't like one kind of veggie cooked, try it raw (and vice-versa). Make chili and put chopped zucchini in it, or even frozen spinach. You won't really notice it and it'll help bulk it up, since if you're doing low-carb and vegetarian, you'll have to watch out for pulses. If you're making a dice that has a strong flavor and is usually served with rice, make the infamous cauliflower rice instead. But definitely don't try to use it in sushi- we learned that the hard way. Finally, if you feel like you need more veggies, throwing a carrot or two in orange juice or apple juice is a good way to do it. Also, yes, the English do tend to overcook their veg at home. My gran would boil a chicken, a potato, and some broccoli in the same pot for the same amount of time, then serve them each as a separate dish, complete with zero seasoning.  THE MACHO MAN posted:Anyone got a good gazpacho recipe they'd like to share? This was from six pages ago, but I made gazpacho last night and it was sooooo good. Here's the recipe: 3 medium-sized tomatoes Roughly 6 inches of cucumbers, peeled 1 medium-sized green pepper, chopped 2-3 sundried tomatoes, chopped/broken up 2 tbsp olive oil (or oil from the sundried tomatoes!) Juice of 1 lemon 1 tsp balsamic vinegar 1 tsp white wine vinegar 1/4 cup of chopped onion 1 clove of garlic Roughly 1/2-1 cup of tomato juice or V8 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley 1/4 cup basil 2 scallions, chopped 2 pieces of stale bread, chopped 1 tsp sumac To taste: Salt Pepper Paprika Cayenne 1. Chop every drat thing. 2. Blenderize 3. Season to taste 4. Chill and snarf, or just eat it right away. Fleta Mcgurn fucked around with this message at 23:46 on Jul 17, 2012 |
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Jul 17, 2012 23:33
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Stupidly dumb question. I buy 40-count packs of Mi Rancho flour tortillas at Costco; the problem is that since they're frozen, even if I defrost, they're usually all stuck together in the middle, so I generally get a hole in every single tortilla I try to peel off. Is there a better way to do this?
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Jul 18, 2012 00:35
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Are they frozen when you buy them?
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Jul 18, 2012 01:11
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Altair X89 posted:I'd like to use dried beans more often, but every time I've cooked them in the past they wind up having a different texture than canned beans. I follow all the directions involving soaking and not adding salt and all that, but they always turn out the same. Kind of gritty I guess? They never seem as good as canned beans but dried ones are cheaper. Am I doing something wrong or do I just have to deal with it? Just out of curiosity, what are you using the beans in? It's kind of crazy how many wives-tales there are about dried beans out there. Don't worry about salt in cooking bean water, it does not make any difference. Cook the beans in salted water so they're well seasoned when finished. Soaked or unsoaked will not cause a bean to be uncookable, it will only change the time. You can cook unsoaked beans, provided you cook them for a long enough time. You can also soak the beans in salted water beforehand (although I forget the proportions) That said, a few things might be culprits: * Hard water might be a problem * Acidity will stop beans cooking, so always add fully cooked beans that have the ending texture in acidic dishes * Old beans will not cook as well as newer beans. I'd say just keep cooking them until they're tender. Beans will definitely be "chalky" until they're tender, and only time will render an uncooked bean tender. The time they tell you to cook the beans for is really only a guideline, the times can definitely vary widely based on a lot of factors. If they're not tender, just keep cooking them.
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Jul 18, 2012 02:05
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I use beans for all sorts of things, soups, chili, etc. Maybe I am just not cooking them enough then...I cook them for the time suggested and they are soft I guess and break apart easily but yeah have that chalky texture. Will try boiling the poo poo out of them. Thanks!
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Jul 18, 2012 04:17
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I don't know if you have access to a slow cooker, but I've had excellent success with cooking beans from dry in one of those. Like you, I was disappointed by my soaked/boiled beans that ended up with a not-so-nice mealy texture. Lately I've been throwing about 1-2 cups dry beans in a crockpot (no need to soak), filling the crock with water, and having that sucker on 'low' all day. Makes for wonderful creamy beans with a minimum of having-to-give-a-poo poo.
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Jul 18, 2012 04:52
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What are good spices to replace spice mixes like McCormic's? I live in the UK so getting those is a huge pain, and they have way too much salt. Specifically I'm talking about the spicy chili mix which I use for chili and tacos.
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Jul 18, 2012 05:32
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Can anyone reccomend a good rack to go with the electric roaster so the meat doesn't get soggy? It comes with one, but it's honestly pretty crappy.
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Jul 18, 2012 07:16
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buy actual spices instead of a prergound premixed blend. your spicy chili mix is probably paprika+cayenne+cumin, maybe with onion and garlic powders
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Jul 18, 2012 07:16
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pile of brown posted:buy actual spices instead of a prergound premixed blend. Thanks! Those three and garlic + a pinch of salt seems to have imitated the flavour pretty well.
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Jul 18, 2012 07:30
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Taciturn Tactician posted:Thanks! Those three and garlic + a pinch of salt seems to have imitated the flavour pretty well. You can change out the chiles, too. And grinding your own chiles and spices fresh will make it even better. You'll notice that there are two chile powders that pileofbrown recommended: paprika (mild) and cayenne (spicy). The idea is that one gives you the pepper character and you can add as much as you want without adding too much heat, while the other gives you the punch. You can replace these with any combination of mild and spicy chiles for a first order attempt at your own proprietary chilepowderblend. Guajillo and arbol chiles are a good starting point for most tex-mex type applications. Adding other chiles can give you different effects, too. Habaneros have a very signature back of the throat filling, lingering heat, for instance. Japones are all front of the palate immediate hit. To me anyway, ymmv.
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Jul 18, 2012 07:57
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GrAviTy84 posted:Oh, derp. n/m. A recipe would be helpful!
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Jul 18, 2012 15:04
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Eeyo posted:Just out of curiosity, what are you using the beans in? And in reverse of using acid to stop them from cooking, adding baking soda to the boil to make the pH more base will speed the softening.
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Jul 18, 2012 15:53
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Last Celebration posted:Can anyone reccomend a good rack to go with the electric roaster so the meat doesn't get soggy? It comes with one, but it's honestly pretty crappy. Carrots, onions and celery. Or appropriate bones.
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Jul 18, 2012 17:45
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Ron Jeremy posted:two buck chuck If my friends had told me such a thing not only existed but wasn't actually half bad before I visited California, I really wouldn't have believed them. Two buck chuck is a miracle.
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