Food, food, glorious food!

[cinderella]

Let's talk food/cooking. Those who like to make it, those who like to eat it - I know you're out there!
This is a place for posting any and all things about food. Share your recipes, food you've made/eaten, etc. Let's keep it light and airy - this is no place for discord or argument - unless it's done in a constructive and friendly manner.

I'll start by telling what I'm planning for the day. I am making a pasta sauce from scratch - a big ol' pot full. I am making lasagna from scratch, but want to freeze some too for when I want to make a quick pasta dish, but don't want to go thru the trouble of making the sauce from scratch - which takes hours. Well, at least ANY decent home-made sauce should take hours - lol.

Any fans of The Food Channel out there? Who's your favorite chef, and why? Favorite dishes to make? C'mon, let the chats begin!

Oh, and a special p.s. - ethnic foods & their recipes are especially welcome!

[aishah]

i love food and cooking! i love making south asian food especially, when i have the time. and also recipes i learned growing up in the rural south - which are not always the best or healthiest because we didn't have access to a lot of stuff but are still so comforting to me, especially homemade mac n cheese and chocolate eclair cake i don't have a lot of time to type right now (hanging out in the airport between flights) but i'm so grateful you started this thread

i don't really have a favorite chef - i don't have tv so i catch most of my food network stuff online, but i get bored with it sometimes. i like to follow cooking blogs though. http://www.zaiqa.net is one of my favorites. for american food i like http://www.recipegirl.com and http://www.smittenkitchen.com i'll be back to post recipes later.

[clay]

Being southern, loving my southern delicacies, and yes, even our FRIED foods...I am always open to hearing others talk of their food love(s). It's a WIN-WIN!
It will be interesting to subscribe to this post and to follow with drooling anticipation the posts..yummmm.
One of my faves is:
Lowcountry Boil....made with bacon, kilebasa, onions, Old Bay Seasoning, and S & P to taste. Once that is browned in bottom of a pot....add a bottle of beer, diced red potatoes, and a little water...let potatoes cook, then add in corn cobettes, and add more beer/water to cook them. I add a little more Old Bay with each layer..as you want all th eingredients to have the taste. Once all this is done, I have a steamer basket I place shrimp in single layer in, sprinkle with some Old Bay and place inside top of pot and cover. Let shrimp turn a nice cooked pink (NEVER submerge shrimp in liquids!! a big NO NO) Once shrimp cooked, place steamer rack aside and dip out bowl of the veggies, meats, and potatoes and an ear of corn. Add shrimp..ENJOY!!!
Nextttttttttttttt..

My FAVE chef is....Paula Deen and Gordon Ramsey!!

[cinderella]

Hey, aishah & Claybaby - thanks for participating and sharing your comments & recipes. Keep 'em coming...

Yesterday, I made my own home-made pasta sauce - it cooked for about 5 hours. Tedious, I know, but I'm retired and have the time. Now I have plenty of sauce to freeze and use later on. I also made a lasagna - it came out yummy despite the fact that I had no ricotta cheese. I substituted with sour cream - who knew?? I'd never done that before, but as they say, necessity is the mother of invention, so I used what I had in hand - came out pretty nice, altho it didn't have the texture of the ricotta.

Today I'm making pork chops & maybe some white rice and black beans a la Cuban style. I admit I do use canned beans (in salted water which I rinse off). I add my own natural herbs & condiments, tomato paste, a small peeled potato for the starch to help thicken the sauce for the beans, cilantro, chopped onion & garlic, 1 T of olive oil, bring to a brief boil, then simmer on low to med heat until the sauce thickens to the consistency I want. Comes out yummy and tastes like home-made every time. Same procedure for red kidney, or any other type of bean - so yummy!

Ok, come share some more of your recipes, stories, tips/advise, questions, etc. Also, what are your fav kitchen gadgets that you have, or on your wish list. Crockpots, pressure cookers, cast-iron dutch ovens? This curious kitty wants to know!

[1QuirkyKiwi]

This morning I’ve made a selection for people to choose from; Italian Sun-dried Tomato, Olive and Char-grilled Artichoke pasties; Vegan Cheese and Onion pasties; Veggie mince and Onion pasties and Kumara and Veggie pasties.

Serving with; Potato and Leek Au Gratin and a Parsnip, Leek and vegan Blue Cheese Au Gratin, sautéed Carrots and Green Beans lightly dressed with a Balsamic Vinegar Dressing.

Dessert is; a homemade Lavender Ice Cream with homemade Dark Chocolate Ginger pieces.

I love cooking from Scratch; over the years I’ve experimented with veganising some recipes; some have been very successful, others not so much (more like a school science project gone badly wrong, lol!). I make my own vegan cream and Cottage Cheeses; Mayonnaise and Pates.

I cook anything from Italian; French; Chinese; Indonesian; Thai; South African; Maori; Mexican; Cajun and Creole, etc.

I don’t bake a lot of cakes and biscuits as I’m not mad keen on them. I use Gram flour as an egg replacer where needed (I’ve tried the other suggestions and they don’t seem to work as well, either that or I’m doing something wrong! LOL!).

Last night I made Lentil and Veggie soup with croutons. This morning I’ve made a selection for people to choose from; Italian Sun-dried Tomato, Olive and Char-grilled Artichoke pasties; Vegan Cheese and Onion pasties; Veggie mince and Onion pasties and Kumara and Veggie pasties.

Serving with; Potato and Leek Au Gratin and a Parsnip, Leek and vegan Blue Cheese Au Gratin, sautéed Carrots and Green Beans lightly dressed with a Balsamic Vinegar Dressing.

Dessert is; a homemade Lavender Ice Cream with homemade Dark Chocolate Ginger pieces.

Tomorrow night I’m making Pissaladiere with a green salad. Thursday night is homemade Cannelloni (not sure what the filling will be yet). Friday is vegan sausage and apple casserole with brown rice. Saturday I’m out to dinner and Sunday I’m making Roasted Mediterranean Veggie Pasta.

I plan a weeks menu and make up some things in advance if I can.

[cinderella]

Thanks for stopping by, posting, and sharing your menus - I'm sure all the vegans, and non-vegans, out there will appreciate them. I for one am a carnevoir (sp?), and couldn't live without my meat. I am esp fond of pork & bacon, lol.

I love lentil soup, and often make it - from scratch of course. However, I do put in chorizo or some sort of savory sausage. The flavor it imparts to the lentils is phenomenal.

I have heard of lavender-flavored deserts - esp ice cream. I love the scent of lavender, but have never used it or tasted it in cooking. It sounds very romantic and lovely - I would love to try it some day.

Again, thanks for sharing. I hope you will share more of your menus and cooking tips with us.

[genghisfawn]

I absolutely cook for myself and others, not only because I love to cook, but because I have to stick to a gluten-free diet or be chronically ill.

GF is not boring... I can make a lot of what I used to make, but use different ingredients in different proportions.

The other day I made a shepherd's pie... it was such a snap. I don't do recipes, but here are the instructions:

Make mashed potatoes. If you can't, I can't help you.

Heat the oven to 375F (150ish C, gas mark 6).

So take a large onion, chop it fine and soften them in some oil. Throw in a pack of medium-sized pack of ground meat (usually pork or beef) and brown it nicely.

When you drain the beef, save the drippings.

Add some peas, carrots and whatever other vegetable you have dying in the crisper (or some frozen stuff - same difference.)

Put the drippings in a small saucepan and shake up some cold water with cornstarch in a mason jar. Season the drippings well with salt, pepper, a bit of cayenne and bring them to a simmer. Mix in dribs and drabs of the cornstarch water and whisk until you have gravy. Stir the gravy into the meat mix and keep seasoning to taste.

Let the meat mix cool down. Put it in a 9x13" pan and press it all down. Spread the mashed potato overtop and use the tines of a fork to swirl some pretty patterns in it. Bake in the preheated oven for about 30 minutes on the low rack, then broil the top until brown.

[Deborah]

Ooooo I LOVE recipes... reading them, looking at the pictures for them, trying new ones and of course the cooking for my honey <3

[cinderella]

gengisfawn and Deborah - thanks for stopping by and posting. gengis, a special thanks for sharing your Shepherd's Pie recipe - I've been looking for one for a long time now. I will try it soon - and yes, I can make mashed potatoes.

[sylvie]

i sooo wish i got the Food Network, but i don't..=(
i like Curtis Stone, my fave.

Since working through my food addiction & eating disorder, i have grown a love of cooking once again, and it's been years since i've had that.. SO thankful.. Developing a new healthy relationship with food again, one step at a time..

Mr Mtn & i choose a new dish each week to try, after healthying it up first .. We'll both buy the ingredients, and We'll get on Skype, cook together and enjoy the meal together afterwards...♥ It's something i sooo look forward to each week..
We've recently made cabbage rolls, that i just had to make again this week.. froze a bunch, it was my first time trying them..

i've also started a Recipe Collection of Our recipes tried, in a cute lil recipe box with cards - that we'll have in Our home together... & my mother loved the idea so much, that she demanded that We make HER a collection of Our recipes as well.. LOL.

Great thread Carmen.♥ i'll be revisiting!

[clay]

I LOVE PEACH AND/OR CHERRY cobblers best!
2 cans pie filling..any flavor
1 stick butter , melted
1 cup flour
1 cup sugar
1 cup milk
Mix flour, sugar, and water together, pour in melted butter. Pour this into a greased 8x8 OR 9x13 pam, greased or sprayed with non stick coating (ie PAM). Add pie filling with a large tablespoon so as to disperse evenly. Cook in a 350 degree oven til top is golden brown and bubbly.

[Sassy]

... "Food Glorious Food" is the name of my favorite restaurant my home town.

Subscribed

OK, foodies, here's a puzzle for ya... I've been trying to recreate my Grandma's recipe for scalloped potatoes. She was a southern woman who made the best Sunday dinners of my childhood. What I remember of this dish is warm potatoes cooked until tender in a buttery/creamy sauce. Grandma died when I was 20 so I can't ask her what she used to do to those potatoes. And no one in my family makes the recipe, so aunts and cousins just shrug when I ask if they know what she did. I've looked up a lot of recipes online and tried them. But I think most of them are a little over the top. (C'mon ... "Herb de provence?" ... I know that wasn't in my Grandma's spice rack. LOL) So... anyone out there have a simple scalloped potatoes recipe they'd like to share? ... huh? huh? Do ya?

Thanks,
-S

[clay]

Oven 350 for 1 hr.
1 lge. bag Noodles (I use extra large egg yolk noodles)
2 lbs. ground turkey (can use beef or venison)
1 lge. onion chopped up
2 lge. cans crushed tomatoes
2 bags Four Cheese Mexican blend cheeses
1 lge can mushrooms
salt and pepper to taste
1 tsp. cumin
1/2 tsp each: oregano, parsley, and Italian seasoning
Brown seasoned meat, and drain. While meat is browning, add onion and let it get translucent. Just prior to drianing meat, add mushrooms to meat mixture.
Boil noodles in salted water for 2 minutes only. DO NOT overcook as they will finish cooking in the oven.
In a 9x13 pan, greased....
ADD IN LAYERS...
noodles, meat mix, crushed tomatoes, and cheese. Do this til all ingredients are used. TOP layer should be cheeses and I sprinkle with Italian seasoning blend. Place in oven til cheeses are golden brown and bubbling.
This is excellent to be frozen and tastes so good when it is reheated.

[cinderella]

Yummo!! Sounds delish, claybaby. Thanks for sharing. I will try it soon. It's true, these type of dishes always taste better the following day(s) - gives all the flavors time to meld with each other.

Originally Posted by claybaby

Oven 350 for 1 hr.
1 lge. bag Noodles (I use extra large egg yolk noodles)
2 lbs. ground turkey (can use beef or venison)
1 lge. onion chopped up
2 lge. cans crushed tomatoes
2 bags Four Cheese Mexican blend cheeses
1 lge can mushrooms
salt and pepper to taste
1 tsp. cumin
1/2 tsp each: oregano, parsley, and Italian seasoning
Brown seasoned meat, and drain. While meat is browning, add onion and let it get translucent. Just prior to drianing meat, add mushrooms to meat mixture.
Boil noodles in salted water for 2 minutes only. DO NOT overcook as they will finish cooking in the oven.
In a 9x13 pan, greased....
ADD IN LAYERS...
noodles, meat mix, crushed tomatoes, and cheese. Do this til all ingredients are used. TOP layer should be cheeses and I sprinkle with Italian seasoning blend. Place in oven til cheeses are golden brown and bubbling.
This is excellent to be frozen and tastes so good when it is reheated.

[girl_dee]

holy heck! the thread of my dreams!

i love COOKING!!!


Cajun anyone?

[Martina]

Did everbody hear about the brouhaha over Paula Deen's English pea recipe. Apparently, it's melt butter and warm up canned peas. So i gather there are many snarky replies on the site. i only read a few.

i imagine they are good that way. Mushy. But . . .

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/p...ews/index.html

[clay]

just saw this....first time back to thread in a while...YVW. Enjoy!!!

Originally Posted by cinderella

Yummo!! Sounds delish, claybaby. Thanks for sharing. I will try it soon. It's true, these type of dishes always taste better the following day(s) - gives all the flavors time to meld with each other.

[Beloved]

I like to cook and love to bake. Last night I made tamarind lentils. I especially love Indian food. I am vegetarian. A good site for vegetarian Indian food is http://www.manjulaskitchen.com/ Right now I often cook things that I know my daughter will like and not necessarily what I want. She is still in the picky stage and I am hoping she will outgrow it.

[LeftWriteFemme]

[aishah]

i love this website for cheap vegan recipes: http://melomeals.blogspot.com/

food glorious food is one of my favorite restaurants too! hehehehe. there's a restaurant where i live now called ingredient that's really great too...it's more cafe-style (they serve soup, salad, pizza, sandwiches, burgers - but they have the MOST AMAZING salads ever). i've been working on cooking at home more lately though.

i love pendle hill - it's a quaker retreat center outside philly and i've been there twice. i just got home from a weekend retreat there. they have the most amazing food...there's some info about their food philosophy and daily menus on their site, and they post recipes from time to time on their blog. every time i visit i come home energized to cook amazing food i also got a bag of their yummy homemade granola this time.
http://pendlehill.org/community/food-and-garden
http://pendlehill.org/blog