Culinary Discussion, We could call it our House of Earthly Delights... Options

[Grits]

mALX, thank you for the rice tutorial! I am doing all of those things wrong. I’m usually making the rest of the meal, answering the afternoon’s emails, and refereeing kid interactions while the rice is cooking, so the rice gets my pimp hand rather than the loving touch it deserves. Next time I'll start it a little earlier on a lower heat. The extra few minutes will also reduce the risk of one of my fingertips getting mixed in with the vegetables.

For the Chorrol fanfic table, here’s haute ecole rider’s recipe for Cloud Ruler Temple stew served in her story Old Habits Die Hard. I imagine Julian by that big fireplace every time I think of it!


Cloud Ruler Temple Slow Cooker Beef Stew

Ingredients

5 pounds boneless beef chuck-eye roast, trimmed and cut into 1 1/2 inch cubes
pinch salt
pepper
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
4 medium onion(s), chopped fine
6 ounces tomato paste
2 cups low-sodium beef broth
3 tablespoons soy sauce
1 pound carrots, peeled, cut into 1 inch pieces
1 pound parsnips, peeled, cut into 1 inch pieces
1 pound red potatoes, cut into 1 inch pieces
1 1/2 teaspoons fresh thyme, minced
2 leaves bay leaves
2 tablespoons Minute Tapioca
2 cups frozen peas, thawed


Method

Dry beef with paper towels, then season with salt and pepper. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until just smoking. Add half of beef and brown on all sides, about 8 minutes. Transfer to slow-cooker insert and repeat with remaining beef (you shouldn't need more oil).

Add 1 tablespoon oil, onions, and 1/4 teaspoon salt to empty skillet and cook until golden brown, about 6 minutes. Add tomato paste and cook, stirring well, for 2 minutes. Add broth and soy sauce, bring to simmer, and transfer to slow-cooker insert.

Toss carrots, parsnips, potatoes, 1/2 teaspoon thyme and remaining 1 tablespoon oil in bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Wrap vegetables in foil packet that will fit in the slow cooker. Stir bay leaves and tapioca into slow-cooker insert; set vegetable packet on top of beef.

Set slow cooker to high, cover and cook for 6 to 7 hours (or cook on low for 10 or 11 hours). Transfer vegetable packet to plate. Carefully open packet and stir vegetables and juices into stew. Add remaining 1 teaspoon thyme and peas and let stand until heated through. Season with salt and pepper to taste and serve.

Notes

You can make ahead through step 2 and refrigerate the beef separately from the onion mixture. Just transfer to the crock pot the next day, and go on to step 3. The time will be at the high end of the ranges.

Servings: 8
Source: Haute Ecole’s sister

[ghastley]

I got a steamer as a "gift" from my credit card a few years back. The only thing I use it for is rice, but you can't wrong with that. It turns itself off when the time's up, and the rice doesn't need draining or anything.

[Grits]

If I had storage space the first one-hit wonder I’d buy would be a rice cooker. We eat a lot of brown rice, which means I spend a lot of time at the stove with my head in the exhaust fan. Plus it’s a nightmare to cook while friends are over (everyone stays in the kitchen), so I never get to show off my awesome recipes that go with rice. Come to think of it, I just tossed my medium-sized slow cooker and haven’t replaced it yet. That means there’s an empty spot on the bottom shelf behind the toaster, assuming Mr. Grits hasn’t stuffed something back there yet. Hmm…

[Colonel Mustard]

Awful, awful act of threadomancy, I know, but a bunch of friends and myself tried to make cookies today. We failed spectacularly, but we did end up with a really nice caramelised wafery thing that we're calling Leeds Mishap. We're experimenting with recipes for it right now, but if you want to give it a try yourself and help refine it, please do so.


150g butter, softened
120g caster sugar
75g plain flour

• Cream butter in a mixing dish until soft
• Beat in sugar and beat together to create a fluffy mixture
• Add flour and fold in until entirely mixed
• Roll into walnut-sized balls and place evenly on clean baking tray - do NOT use foil or greaseproof paper, it comes off it dead easily

• Cook for 15 minutes until brown in centre and dark around edges
• Stand for 15 minutes for cooling
• Pour grease off into sink before consumption

• Break surface with fork and divide into chips</h5>

This post has been edited by Colonel Mustard: Jan 19 2013, 05:38 PM

[mALX]

Awful, awful act of threadomancy, I know, but a bunch of friends and myself tried to make cookies today. We failed spectacularly, but we did end up with a really nice caramelised wafery thing that we're calling Leeds Mishap. We're experimenting with recipes for it right now, but if you want to give it a try yourself and help refine it, please do so.


150g butter, softened
120g caster sugar
75g plain flour

• Cream butter in a mixing dish until soft
• Beat in sugar and beat together to create a fluffy mixture
• Add flour and fold in until entirely mixed
• Roll into walnut-sized balls and place evenly on clean baking tray - do NOT use foil or greaseproof paper, it comes off it dead easily

• Cook for 15 minutes until brown in centre and dark around edges
• Stand for 15 minutes for cooling
• Pour grease off into sink before consumption

• Break surface with fork and divide into chips</h5>

Scottish shortbread! I love it, my grandmother used to make it for us.

[Elisabeth Hollow]

Mmmmm....fooooooood..... I'll post my recipe for Vegetarian Chili one day :]

[mALX]

Mmmmm....fooooooood..... I'll post my recipe for Vegetarian Chili one day :]

Here's mine: "Leave out the meat..."

[Elisabeth Hollow]

Bahaha! Apparently it's more complicated than that. I tried that once and it didn't taste so great. Unf, I wanna make that stuff again. It was delicious...

[Colonel Mustard]

<Snippedydoobbedywappedibop!>

Scottish shortbread! I love it, my grandmother used to make it for us.

It wasn't Scottish shortbread; I know my Scottish Shortbread, and while this was surprsigingly delicious, Scottish shortbread it was not. More like a caramelly wafery thing, really.

[mALX]

<Snippedydoobbedywappedibop!>

Scottish shortbread! I love it, my grandmother used to make it for us.

It wasn't Scottish shortbread; I know my Scottish Shortbread, and while this was surprsigingly delicious, Scottish shortbread it was not. More like a caramelly wafery thing, really.

Hmmm, the ingredients are the same (minus the colored sugar sprinkles on top) - could it be the baking pan had leftover residue of carmel apples? ROFL !!! (Obviously kidding).

[Illydoor]

Leeds Mishap haha? What inspired that name?

[mALX]

Leeds Mishap haha? What inspired that name?

England or Massechusetts? Last name? Colonel Mustard Leeds?

[Grits]

Wow, Mustard. It’s hard for me to tell because I use cup measures instead of grams, but was there more butter than flour involved in your mishap? Sounds like it was fun and tasty, though. It’s hard to go wrong with butter, sugar, and flour.

I am still burning/overboiling the rice even after mALX’s expert coaching. New steamer arrives Wednesday. I love free shipping.

[Colonel Mustard]

Leeds Mishap haha? What inspired that name?

My friends and I are currently in Leeds (where our abortive attempt to make cookies occured), and the process that caused its creation was somewhat of a mishap. Hence the name.

I'm afraid that 'Leeds' is nothing close to my actual surname.

Edit for Grits: Definitely more butter than flour, no doubt about that. My friend who dealt with the flour messed that one up, not myself; I'm actually fairly competent when it comes to cooking. Butter, flour and sugar are very hard to get wrong, though, I'll agree.


This post has been edited by Colonel Mustard: Jan 20 2013, 01:29 AM

[King Of Beasts]

I'm gonna necro this thread anyway.....


Would anybody here be interested in making cheese mashed potatoes? It's the one thing I can actually cook without burning, and I'd be glad to share it.

[Elisabeth Hollow]

Me!!!

[King Of Beasts]

Me!!!

It's very simple, so don't laugh at me.

You cook mashed potatoes(if you don't know how, I'll explain it)

You take a handful of shredded cheese, and while the mash is still hot, you mix it in. Putting it in the microwave for 10-15 seconds might help melt the cheese better.

If you really like cheese(like me) you can put in more than one handful...

[mALX]

*snip*

KOB! If you clicked on any of those links you had better do a thorough antivirus scan immediately! Delete all cookies and tmp files, then run the scan!

[Grits]

That’s a good idea, KoB.

I made really good barbecue chicken last night in the style of Eastern North Carolina pulled pork. I was pushed for time so I just used boneless chicken breasts from the freezer roasted in the oven (without thawing first), then put the whole pieces in the crockpot with the mopping sauce (vinegar based, I use Scott’s). Then when I got home about 3 hours before dinner I got the meat out and pulled it apart with two forks (You could chop it if you prefer it to be finer and not chunky), then put it back in the crockpot with some Carolina Treet (another vinegar based sauce, but thicker). Then I just made the slaw right before dinner, done. It lacked the greasy appeal of pork barbecue, but that was kind of the point of using chicken. Also it was much quicker. Well, it took all day but my part was quicker.

Rice update: I love my new steamer! I can cook one portion of brown rice for myself for lunch, and since the steamer has a tray I can put some veggies in to cook with it in the last few minutes. I set a timer so I remember. Much better than microwaved whatever-is-left, or just forgetting lunch altogether.

[mirocu]

*puts on the necro robe*

-Ok, lets do this

Today we´re going to an ice cream restaurant which, as the name suggests, only serves ice cream. But it´s not kiddie portions, let me tell you that! Don´t come on a full stomach!

Every dish is elegantly presented in a nice glass bowl, and more often than not it comes with a trinket such as a flag, a chocolate coin or as in the one I had last year; a small LED lamp with a clamp at the other end. I use it as a bedside lamp in the cabin!

Don´t know which ice cream I´ll take today. They usually have a range of new arrangements each year