The General Questions thread - for quick questions, recipe requests, help.

The Something Awful Forums > Discussion > Goons with Spoons > The General Questions thread - for quick questions, recipe requests, help.

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Squashy Nipples: Aug 18, 2007

mobby_6kl posted:

I picked some chilies I've been growing on the balcony and now have no idea what to do with them. It's way too much for me to eat in the near future, and there are more coming up:

There are two generic varieties I can't identify exactly (the red ones), as well as the habaneros and jalapenos. I already have a bunch of dry ones so I was thinking maybe freezing or pickling. What would you guys do?

I love quick pickles. Slice into rings, stuff into sterilized jars, pour hot vinegar brine over them, store in fridge once cooled.

You can also make relish or jelly (but you might need more then that).

# ? Jul 31, 2017 20:04

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# ? May 12, 2024 18:04

wormil: Sep 12, 2002; Hulk will smoke you!

mobby_6kl posted:

Another thing, my very basic rice cooker always ends up with a layer of dried rice stuck to the bottom, it seems no matter how much I mess with the water ratio. Is this somehow fixable, or is that just how these cheapo cookers are?

It's because the metal insert is relatively thin material and gets too hot. They are convenient but I gave up and did the experimentation to make rice on the stove and now I never have rice stuck to the bottom. It did take some trial and error but here is my process using a thick bottom Wearever pot. It will probably be completely useless to you but for what it's worth.
1.5 cups of white rice, rinsed.
2 cups stock (maybe a tad over)
Bring water/stock to a boil, add rice, turn down to 3 on electric stove for 20 minutes.
Turn off heat, let set 5 minutes
You will have to adjust the water based on how tightly the lid fits.

Or you can buy a rice steamer. We used to have one that made perfect rice every time but we never replaced it for some reason. You can also make good rice in an Instantpot but mine has a tendency toward rice sticking on the bottom just like the cheap cookers.

# ? Jul 31, 2017 20:51

spankmeister: Jun 15, 2008

Make sambal

# ? Jul 31, 2017 22:07

hakimashou: Jul 15, 2002; Upset Trowel

Winco is absolutely no-frills and not at all upmarket here but they have great prices on a lot of stuff. I think I usually drop in once a month or so.

# ? Jul 31, 2017 22:29

GrAviTy84: Nov 25, 2004

mobby_6kl posted:

I picked some chilies I've been growing on the balcony and now have no idea what to do with them. It's way too much for me to eat in the near future, and there are more coming up:

There are two generic varieties I can't identify exactly (the red ones), as well as the habaneros and jalapenos. I already have a bunch of dry ones so I was thinking maybe freezing or pickling. What would you guys do?

Another thing, my very basic rice cooker always ends up with a layer of dried rice stuck to the bottom, it seems no matter how much I mess with the water ratio. Is this somehow fixable, or is that just how these cheapo cookers are?

Those will freeze nicely. pick out single chiles as you need em. You can also make a shelf stable hotsauce by pureeing them with lots of vinegar and spices.

# ? Jul 31, 2017 22:55

Sextro: Aug 23, 2014

mobby_6kl posted:

I picked some chilies I've been growing on the balcony and now have no idea what to do with them. It's way too much for me to eat in the near future, and there are more coming up:

There are two generic varieties I can't identify exactly (the red ones), as well as the habaneros and jalapenos. I already have a bunch of dry ones so I was thinking maybe freezing or pickling. What would you guys do?

Another thing, my very basic rice cooker always ends up with a layer of dried rice stuck to the bottom, it seems no matter how much I mess with the water ratio. Is this somehow fixable, or is that just how these cheapo cookers are?

Eat them whole. Stuff then roast them. Or any of these other options.

# ? Jul 31, 2017 23:04

Veritek83: Jul 7, 2008; The Irish can't drink. What you always have to remember with the Irish is they get mean. Virtually every Irish I've known gets mean when he drinks.

GrAviTy84 posted:

Those will freeze nicely. pick out single chiles as you need em. You can also make a shelf stable hotsauce by pureeing them with lots of vinegar and spices.

homemade hotsauce is awesome, make hot sauce

# ? Jul 31, 2017 23:05

SSJ_naruto_2003: Oct 12, 2012

What should I do with like 40 lbs of leftover pulled pork. Grocery store had a huge sale on shoulder(the bone in huge roasts) so my dad and I bought 6 huge chunks and smoked it all. It took like 24 hours to finish :v:

# ? Jul 31, 2017 23:28

Mr. Wiggles: Dec 1, 2003; We are all drinking from the highball glass of ideology.

Make a bunch of burritos, wrap in paper and then foil, freeze. Enjoy your large supply of fantastic frozen burritos.

# ? Jul 31, 2017 23:37

SubG: Aug 19, 2004; It's a hard world for little things.

GrAviTy84 posted:

You can also make a shelf stable hotsauce by pureeing them with lots of vinegar and spices.

This, but ferment them first.

# ? Jul 31, 2017 23:42

OBAMNA PHONE: Aug 7, 2002

SSJ_naruto_2003 posted:

What should I do with like 40 lbs of leftover pulled pork. Grocery store had a huge sale on shoulder(the bone in huge roasts) so my dad and I bought 6 huge chunks and smoked it all. It took like 24 hours to finish

got a foodsaver? pack them into 1lb bags and freeze them, they last indefinitely in the freezer.

# ? Aug 1, 2017 00:05

Papes: Apr 13, 2010; There's always something at the bottom of the bag.

Is there a vegetarian thread? I saw a vegan thread but that's all I could find. If not, does anyone have any goon approved resources to get tasty vegetarian recipes? I'm trying to shift my diet from the typical American diet to more of a 'meat is a sometimes food' but I don't really know how to prepare vegetables outside of roasting/sauteing/grilling them or basic soups/salads. I know seriouseats has a pretty good variety of recipes but I'd like to have a few books or websites to look through.

# ? Aug 1, 2017 01:06

Veritek83: Jul 7, 2008; The Irish can't drink. What you always have to remember with the Irish is they get mean. Virtually every Irish I've known gets mean when he drinks.

https://cookbooks.leannebrown.com/good-and-cheap.pdf always comes up when folks are talking about cooking on a budget, but it works really well for cutting down on meat.

# ? Aug 1, 2017 01:33

LongSack: Jan 17, 2003

mobby_6kl posted:

I picked some chilies I've been growing on the balcony and now have no idea what to do with them. It's way too much for me to eat in the near future, and there are more coming up:

There are two generic varieties I can't identify exactly (the red ones), as well as the habaneros and jalapenos. I already have a bunch of dry ones so I was thinking maybe freezing or pickling. What would you guys do?

Another thing, my very basic rice cooker always ends up with a layer of dried rice stuck to the bottom, it seems no matter how much I mess with the water ratio. Is this somehow fixable, or is that just how these cheapo cookers are?

The long skinny red one look like cayennes. Not sure about the shorter ones

# ? Aug 1, 2017 01:36

Mordiceius: Nov 10, 2007; If you think calling me names is gonna get a rise out me, think again. I like my life as an idiot!

My wife and I have recently become obsessed again with the Great British Bake Off and it has made me want to start working on my baking skills once more.

The first thing I want to try is making puff pastry because it is always fascinating watching that be made.

So my question for you all... what should I make with my puff pastry once I made it? (Preferably something fairly simple)

# ? Aug 1, 2017 07:09

Liquid Communism: Mar 9, 2004

Turnovers.

You don't get much simpler than 'cut a square of puff pastry, put something sweet or savory in, seal and bake'.

Alternatively, make dutch letters but beware that you will then forever be eating dutch letters.

Filling :

8oz almond paste
1 egg white
1/2c granulated sugar
1/2c packed brown sugar

Cream together until fluffy enough to pipe, but still fairly firm. Shove into pastry bag with a large round tip for easiest use.

Roll out your puff pastry dough to about 12 x 10. Cut into 2 1/2 x 10 strips. Pipe a line of filling down the middle, then brush one edge with egg wash, fold the strip over the filling, and pinch to seal. Roll the closed tube on a lightly floured surface briefly to round it out evenly, then place on a parchment lined baking sheet seam side down, shaping into an S. Brush with egg wash, then sprinke with sanding sugar.

Bake @375 for 20-25 minutes until golden and flaky. Let cool, jam in your face.

# ? Aug 1, 2017 07:29

SSJ_naruto_2003: Oct 12, 2012

BraveUlysses posted:

got a foodsaver? pack them into 1lb bags and freeze them, they last indefinitely in the freezer.

actually we do and were planning on freezing a lot of it, just asking if there was anything else we could do with it. We've given away probably 20 pounds of barbecue and still have tons.

# ? Aug 1, 2017 07:47

Captainsalami: Apr 16, 2010; I told you you'd pay!

Is there a thread or even a series of youtube videos someone can recommend to help me learn how to stir fry at home on my gas stove?

# ? Aug 1, 2017 07:48

Helith: Nov 5, 2009; Basket of Adorables

Papes posted:

Is there a vegetarian thread? I saw a vegan thread but that's all I could find. If not, does anyone have any goon approved resources to get tasty vegetarian recipes? I'm trying to shift my diet from the typical American diet to more of a 'meat is a sometimes food' but I don't really know how to prepare vegetables outside of roasting/sauteing/grilling them or basic soups/salads. I know seriouseats has a pretty good variety of recipes but I'd like to have a few books or websites to look through.

Indian food is the answer for you here. Lots and lots of great vegetarian dishes with lots and lots of flavour.

# ? Aug 1, 2017 07:53

GrAviTy84: Nov 25, 2004

Captainsalami posted:

Is there a thread or even a series of youtube videos someone can recommend to help me learn how to stir fry at home on my gas stove?

The chinese food thread to some extent. a lot of the problem of a home stove is that they usually dont get nearly hot enough to get proper wok flavor.

https://forums.somethingawful.com/showthread.php?threadid=3401971

# ? Aug 1, 2017 16:10

Papes: Apr 13, 2010; There's always something at the bottom of the bag.

Helith posted:

Indian food is the answer for you here. Lots and lots of great vegetarian dishes with lots and lots of flavour.

Veritek83 posted:

https://cookbooks.leannebrown.com/good-and-cheap.pdf always comes up when folks are talking about cooking on a budget, but it works really well for cutting down on meat.

Thanks, I'll check these out!

# ? Aug 1, 2017 17:29

Captainsalami: Apr 16, 2010; I told you you'd pay!

GrAviTy84 posted:

The chinese food thread to some extent. a lot of the problem of a home stove is that they usually dont get nearly hot enough to get proper wok flavor.

https://forums.somethingawful.com/showthread.php?threadid=3401971

At least mine has a quickboil burner which pumps out more gas and flame, so that should help at least a little I think?

# ? Aug 1, 2017 17:32

mobby_6kl: Aug 9, 2009; by Fluffdaddy

Squashy Nipples posted:

I love quick pickles. Slice into rings, stuff into sterilized jars, pour hot vinegar brine over them, store in fridge once cooled.

You can also make relish or jelly (but you might need more then that).

Never actually pickled anything myself, I think this would be the time to try it. Seems simple enough

LongSack posted:

The long skinny red one look like cayennes. Not sure about the shorter ones

Upon closer examination, yeah you're probably right!

Sextro posted:

Eat them whole. Stuff then roast them. Or any of these other options.

I'm not nearly hardcore enough to eat a habanero whole

I do quite like jalapeno poppers though.

wormil posted:

It's because the metal insert is relatively thin material and gets too hot. They are convenient but I gave up and did the experimentation to make rice on the stove and now I never have rice stuck to the bottom. It did take some trial and error but here is my process using a thick bottom Wearever pot. It will probably be completely useless to you but for what it's worth.
1.5 cups of white rice, rinsed.
2 cups stock (maybe a tad over)
Bring water/stock to a boil, add rice, turn down to 3 on electric stove for 20 minutes.
Turn off heat, let set 5 minutes
You will have to adjust the water based on how tightly the lid fits.

Or you can buy a rice steamer. We used to have one that made perfect rice every time but we never replaced it for some reason. You can also make good rice in an Instantpot but mine has a tendency toward rice sticking on the bottom just like the cheap cookers.

Are the fancy talking japanese cookers any better? I'm probably not going to shell out hundreds of bucks for one anyway, just curious.

Cooking it manually is obviously not too difficult, I just like the cooker for the multitasking convenience so I can pay attention to something else. Thanks for the suggestions anyway, I'll give it a try some day.

I do actually have a small Thai rice steamer (the kind you put over a regular pot), though I only used it to make sticky rice so far. I'll have to try this too!

# ? Aug 1, 2017 19:23

Zorak of Michigan: Jun 10, 2006

mobby_6kl posted:

Are the fancy talking japanese cookers any better? I'm probably not going to shell out hundreds of bucks for one anyway, just curious.

I bought a Zojirushi induction-based model purely out of rice cooker elitism, and I've never had any trouble with rice sticking at the bottom. On the other hand the $50 one we had before that never had overdone rice either, I upgraded for the timer feature.

# ? Aug 1, 2017 21:55

Eeyo: Aug 29, 2004

Yeah the Zojirushi my buddy got worked pretty well.

I've had good luck measuring the right amount of water for rice in a pot by first simmering a pot of water for the rice cooking time with a known amount of water (3 cups or something), then measuring how much water I need to add back to get to 3 cups. Then just use 1:1 rice:water and the extra water you got from the first part.

You've just got to get the heat just right. Too much and it burns and sticks on the bottom, too little and it's tough and watery. Light bubbles on the bottom with some wisps of steam escaping the pot. Not like a constant stream, but large puffs every second or two maybe.

# ? Aug 2, 2017 02:42

SubG: Aug 19, 2004; It's a hard world for little things.

Captainsalami posted:

At least mine has a quickboil burner which pumps out more gas and flame, so that should help at least a little I think?

Yeah, and keep in mind that you can make perfectly good food even if you're not hitting all the traditional/purity checkboxes.

There are also a shitload of techniques that aren't technically stir frying (and don't require an ultra high output heat source) but which most people who aren't way into cooking would probably lump in with stir frying. Like I think most Americans looking at a bowl of fish fragrant eggplant or dry braised string beans would probably call them stir fried even though neither actually is (or rather you can produced rituallistically pure traditional forms of the dishes without stir frying).

# ? Aug 2, 2017 03:50

PDP-1: Oct 12, 2004; It's a beautiful day in the neighborhood.

I cooked up a big pot of chili this morning and when it was done I set it on a trivet to cool, intending to portion it out and freeze it for future work lunches. But then I got a long phone call and totally forgot about it, went and did other stuff for 5-6 hours and eventually came home to a pot of room temperature meatsoup.

Realizing my mistake I re-heated it to a simmer for 30 minutes and then let it re-cool and popped it in the freezer as originally intended. Should this be good enough to kill any bugs or should I just take the loss and toss it all in the name of not food poisoning myself into a few days on the shitter?

It was a beef based 'Texas Red' style deal with a pile of hot-ish peppers if that matters.

# ? Aug 2, 2017 04:33

OBAMNA PHONE: Aug 7, 2002

not safe imo

# ? Aug 2, 2017 04:43

rgocs: Nov 9, 2011

I also cook a big pot of chili every 3 weeks or so and freeze for lunches. Usually do it in the evening and let it cool overnight, popping it in the fridge in the morning, go to work, and then portion and freeze in the evening after work. Done this for over a year, have not gotten sick. But that's me. :shrug:

# ? Aug 2, 2017 05:27

wormil: Sep 12, 2002; Hulk will smoke you!

rgocs posted:

But that's me.

Same. Did it today with a pot of ham & bean soup.

PDP-1 posted:

It was a beef based 'Texas Red' style deal with a pile of hot-ish peppers if that matters.

I wouldn't even hesitate to eat it.

My dad used to tell stories about this old hermit that lived in the woods when he was a kid. In winter, the guy would make big pots of stew in a cast iron cauldron outside over an open fire then leave it to freeze. Get up in the morning, chip a piece off, take it inside to thaw and that was his food for the day. It's also my retirement plan.

# ? Aug 2, 2017 05:42

Liquid Communism: Mar 9, 2004

wormil posted:

Same. Did it today with a pot of ham & bean soup.

I wouldn't even hesitate to eat it.

Yeah, I wouldn't serve it in a restaurant, but I'd definitely eat it.

# ? Aug 2, 2017 05:44

That Works: Jul 22, 2006; Every revolution evaporates and leaves behind only the slime of a new bureaucracy

PDP-1 posted:

I cooked up a big pot of chili this morning and when it was done I set it on a trivet to cool, intending to portion it out and freeze it for future work lunches. But then I got a long phone call and totally forgot about it, went and did other stuff for 5-6 hours and eventually came home to a pot of room temperature meatsoup.

Realizing my mistake I re-heated it to a simmer for 30 minutes and then let it re-cool and popped it in the freezer as originally intended. Should this be good enough to kill any bugs or should I just take the loss and toss it all in the name of not food poisoning myself into a few days on the shitter?

It was a beef based 'Texas Red' style deal with a pile of hot-ish peppers if that matters.

By any technical definition it should not be regarded as safe.

But, if you set it to cool and it went from being at full temp and left covered the entire time it's very unlikely to be dangerous. If I was serving this to a big group or had anyone with immune issues etc I might be wary but if its just for yourself you can roll the dice on that one. Probably not going to be an issue but Clostridium is the primary concern for something like that.

# ? Aug 2, 2017 10:57

Bollock Monkey: Jan 21, 2007; The Almighty

Papes posted:

Is there a vegetarian thread? I saw a vegan thread but that's all I could find. If not, does anyone have any goon approved resources to get tasty vegetarian recipes? I'm trying to shift my diet from the typical American diet to more of a 'meat is a sometimes food' but I don't really know how to prepare vegetables outside of roasting/sauteing/grilling them or basic soups/salads. I know seriouseats has a pretty good variety of recipes but I'd like to have a few books or websites to look through.

We started going mostly veggie a few months ago. Veg Recipes of India has been really handy, and Indian food is a great go-to for delicious and fairly easy veggie stuff.

A few from my bookmarks:
Sweet potato burgers and amazing garlic cream
Halloumi burgers
Lentil lasagne
Persian recipes

Digital veggie cookbook

Other staples include pasta dishes with veg in - broccoli, peppers, asparagus (lemon and asparagus is tasty), whatever really. I also like to get a bunch of different veg, maybe courgette, aubergine, peppers and onions and coat them in harissa/similar, roast and serve with cous cous. There's also vegetarian chilli, which I do with sweet potatoes and a couple of kinds of beans.

Linda McCartney sausages and these mozzarella-filled burgers are actually pretty decent if you want to experiment with meat substitutes. I made vegetarian toad in the hole the other day and it worked very well.

Soy protein mince is a useful way to add bulk and a different texture to things. If you soak it in stock instead of water you can add some flavour, as it doesn't taste of anything on its own. I find it useful for doing bolognese type things.

# ? Aug 2, 2017 16:50

dead lettuce: Sep 12, 2014

Smitten Kitchen has a ton of great veg recipes too

# ? Aug 2, 2017 17:23

Trastion: Jul 24, 2003; The one and only.

SSJ_naruto_2003 posted:

actually we do and were planning on freezing a lot of it, just asking if there was anything else we could do with it. We've given away probably 20 pounds of barbecue and still have tons.

I make a bunch of extra pulled pork when I fire up the smoker and I always just portion it into freezer baggies in 4 & 6oz portions. Get a food scale if you don't already have one. Put the smaller Ziploc freezer bags inside a larger Gallon size bag to keep air out and you won't get freezer burn. Then when I am wanting to make some nachos, pizza, omelettes or anything else that can use some pork I can grab an appropriate sized bag or two and thaw it out in a warm water bath (or microwave if in a hurry).

I do not sauce my pulled pork, just rub, though. I sauce it when I use it so all my pulled pork n the freezer is just flavored with my rub, basically Meathead's Memphis Dust though I add my own twist to it depending on the meat.

I also have recently done the same thing (the freezing portions part) with pulled chicken made in my Instant Pot. Makes for quick meals when needed.

# ? Aug 2, 2017 17:39

AnonSpore: Jan 19, 2012; "I didn't see the part where he develops as a character so I guess he never developed as a character"

Got a friend who's visiting from Germany who asked me if I want anything from there. What are some good shelf-stable German foods that can survive a trip through checked luggage?

# ? Aug 2, 2017 18:43

Mr. Wiggles: Dec 1, 2003; We are all drinking from the highball glass of ideology.

Curry ketchup.

# ? Aug 2, 2017 18:52

SymmetryrtemmyS: Jul 13, 2013; I got super tired of seeing your avatar throwing those fuckin' glasses around in the astrology thread so I fixed it to a .jpg

Mustard.

# ? Aug 2, 2017 19:32

hakimashou: Jul 15, 2002; Upset Trowel

mobby_6kl posted:

Never actually pickled anything myself, I think this would be the time to try it. Seems simple enough

Upon closer examination, yeah you're probably right!

I'm not nearly hardcore enough to eat a habanero whole I do quite like jalapeno poppers though.

Are the fancy talking japanese cookers any better? I'm probably not going to shell out hundreds of bucks for one anyway, just curious.

Cooking it manually is obviously not too difficult, I just like the cooker for the multitasking convenience so I can pay attention to something else. Thanks for the suggestions anyway, I'll give it a try some day.

I do actually have a small Thai rice steamer (the kind you put over a regular pot), though I only used it to make sticky rice so far. I'll have to try this too!

A hundred-ish dollar Zojirushi rice cooker will make rice perfectly every single time with no effort at all. Just rinse the rice, put it in, fill with water to the line, close the lid, push the button.

If you eat a lot of rice you should get one, its like a microwave or something it's a basic kitchen thing.

# ? Aug 2, 2017 21:17

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# ? May 12, 2024 18:04

GrAviTy84: Nov 25, 2004

hakimashou posted:

A hundred-ish dollar Zojirushi rice cooker will make rice perfectly every single time with no effort at all. Just rinse the rice, put it in, fill with water to the line, close the lid, push the button.

If you eat a lot of rice you should get one, its like a microwave or something it's a basic kitchen thing.

worth mentioning, especially if you eat rice everyday, even more so if more than one meal a day, it'll keep your rice hot and ready to eat for at least 2 days. So like, it's sort of an endless supply of ready to eat steamed rice. I don't think I've unplugged my zoji in at least a couple weeks, just been replenishing the rice after I finish it.

# ? Aug 2, 2017 21:33

The Something Awful Forums > Discussion > Goons with Spoons > The General Questions thread - for quick questions, recipe requests, help.

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