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Food and cooking

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11.05.2012 5:32pm

Thread Creator

Vyers
Dark Adonis

Ulterior said:

I recuse myself from this thread, it's too much like being at work. I kid, I kid.

I think you all should know that I ordered an 8" meat cleaver and it should get here any day now and I AM SO EXCITED.

Pro Chef? That's awesome!

Got any top tips for sub-par amateurs?

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11.05.2012 11:32pm

Mavilu
Yep, still gaming

Ulterior said:

I think you all should know that I ordered an 8" meat cleaver and it should get here any day now and I AM SO EXCITED.

I got one as a present for 2009 Christmas... and excitedly chopped the pad of a finger off months later.
And it's not like I didn't know that I had mind my fingers, haha. it took about two months for the finger to fully heal and cooking in the meanwhile was not fun.
So yeah, cleavers are fun (cracking bones for stock, oh my!) but even being a pro, I'll make sure that you remember to mind them fingers.

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11.06.2012 12:12am

Kellios
Yikes and away!

Note to self: Attempt making this delicious sounding chili.

I've been making some mean enchiladas too. Shoud this thread turn into "FFO Recipes"?

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11.06.2012 1:04am

Southern Comfort
silently judging all of you

Kellios said:
I've been making some mean enchiladas too. Shoud this thread turn into "FFO Recipes"?

Yes. Yes it should.

Vyers said:
I think we only have one in Ireland, and it's probably called "Chilli Pepper".

You should be able to get "chili powder", which is just dried chilis plus cumin and a couple of other spices. That plus some fresh chiles of whatever type, leaving the cumin out, would make a capable substitute. I learned how to make chile con carne from a Mexican lady, so I use whole chiles, but pretty much every recipe will call for chili powder instead.

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11.06.2012 7:08am

Ulterior
Registered Member

Vyers said:

Pro Chef? That's awesome!

Got any top tips for sub-par amateurs?

Use whole ingredients when you can. Use fresh over canned or frozen when you can (canned tomato and canned beans are reliably excepted to this rule). Worry about uniform knife cuts over how fast you cut, speed comes with lots of practice. Uniform cuts are important as they allow your food to cook at the same rate. Do all your prep (slice/dice/mince, weigh or measure spices, etc) before you start to actually cook.

Believe it or not, I'm trying to start up a Youtube cooking tutorial series at the moment. My roommate is using his DSLR and lighting to help me out. We've already go the rough cut for two episodes filmed, plus a 90 second intro sequence. But I digress, this part of my post is not actually about cooking.

Tomorrow I'm making pork loin with an apple brandy and cream reduction. Going to serve it on top of rice pilaf with some green beans on the side. Then on Wednesday I go back into the belly of the beast and start rolling out buffet slop for 2,000 covers a night til Sunday. Wish me strength and fortitude, lest I curse out too many dumb front-of-house employees.

I love you, everything burrito.

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11.06.2012 10:52am

Thread Creator

Vyers
Dark Adonis

Ulterior said:

Use whole ingredients when you can. Use fresh over canned or frozen when you can (canned tomato and canned beans are reliably excepted to this rule). Worry about uniform knife cuts over how fast you cut, speed comes with lots of practice. Uniform cuts are important as they allow your food to cook at the same rate. Do all your prep (slice/dice/mince, weigh or measure spices, etc) before you start to actually cook.

Ingredients fresh except canned tomatoes and beans: I do this exactly already

Uniform cuts: I never ever thought about knifework before, that's interesting.

Prep before starting: I definitely don't do this. Like last night I had roasted slices potatoes, carrots, onions, garlic and chickpeas.
The potatoes take 30 mins to cook, the rest take 15. So it made sense in my head to prep the potatoes first, put them in the oven, and prep the other bits while they cooked (which took me about 12/13 mins) and added everything in together at the 15 minute mark. I thought I was being clever and time efficient

Ulterior said:
Believe it or not, I'm trying to start up a Youtube cooking tutorial series at the moment. My roommate is using his DSLR and lighting to help me out. We've already go the rough cut for two episodes filmed, plus a 90 second intro sequence. But I digress, this part of my post is not actually about cooking.

I'd subscribe day 0. I think I'm your target audience.

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11.06.2012 5:05pm

Kellios
Yikes and away!

Do post them here once you do, Ulterior. I'll definitely check them out.

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11.13.2012 3:14pm

Raine Loire
Registered Member

I personally love mushrooms, of any kind. Heard they are a good protein source.
My usual salad takes lettuce, mushroom, ham, cheese, tomato, pea, corn, olive..

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11.13.2012 3:55pm

Catastrophe
I'm Catbug!

I usually do squat when it comes to cooking in my house, but this sunday, we had a bigger breakfast and my dad made waffles and I made bacon and it was perfect. It was my first time doing it too :)

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11.13.2012 8:53pm

Ulterior
Registered Member

Vyers said:

Prep before starting: I definitely don't do this. Like last night I had roasted slices potatoes, carrots, onions, garlic and chickpeas.
The potatoes take 30 mins to cook, the rest take 15. So it made sense in my head to prep the potatoes first, put them in the oven, and prep the other bits while they cooked (which took me about 12/13 mins) and added everything in together at the 15 minute mark. I thought I was being clever and time efficient.

You got away with it because you had nothing else going on. And yes, that was the most efficient way to do it. But let's say you wanted a protein (besides your chickpeas, maybe a chicken breast?), and maybe even a sauce to go with. At that fifteen minute mark you're paying attention to your chicken on the stovetop, and then have no time to peel and chop your vegetables. I realize this is exactly why peole like to do those all-in-one casseroles, cause they're easy as shit and require little-to-no prep or active babysitting, but in order to actually improve skill and expand repetoire, getting out of your comfort level is a must. And in order to minimize mistakes that can (and will) occur when you do this, prep everything first. Even herbs and spices! If you're not freehanding your herbs/spices (and if you truly are the sub-par amateur that you claim, you should not freehand anything), measure them out first. It's the mise-en-place principle (translates to "everything in its place"). The more ambitious and confident you become in cooking, and the more complicated your dishes become, the more vital prep becomes.

And that's all for just cooking at home. If you are in a commercial kitchen and you don't follow mise en place, you won't last a day.

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11.14.2012 5:36am

Megz
Capital M before egz

I made my own pasta yesterday with my brand new pasta roller. I have learned that it needs to be thinner if I want the roller to cut it properly into fettucine. It came out really tasty but wasn't cut properly and I made the mistake of thinking it'd seperate during cooking. Otherwise it was a great and quick dinner.

Home-made pasta
Scotch fillet with a dash of salt, pepper, paprika and mixed herbs cooked in the same pan as about half a red onion and half a caspsicum
Broccoli

When all cooked a dash of grated mozzerella over the pasta and broccoli as I didn't have any cheese sauce nor the patience to make any. Om nom nom.

Sugar. Short AND sweet.

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