Dinner Tonight

Merkin · Post by **Merkin** » Mon May 04, 2015 10:01 am

My dogs won't even eat raw eggs now, they make me cook them.

azgreg · Post by **azgreg** » Mon May 04, 2015 10:24 am

Merkin wrote:

My dogs won't even eat raw eggs now, they make me cook them.

Do they like them any particular way? Sunny side up? Scrambled?

Longhorned · Post by **Longhorned** » Mon May 04, 2015 10:52 am

mmmmmmmm

Merkin · Post by **Merkin** » Mon May 04, 2015 11:12 am

azgreg wrote:
Merkin wrote:

My dogs won't even eat raw eggs now, they make me cook them.
Do they like them any particular way? Sunny side up? Scrambled?

They actually do like them scrambled. When I make them over medium they tend to get all messy with them and drag the egg around.

azgreg · Post by **azgreg** » Mon May 04, 2015 11:33 am

Slightly on topic: How awful was re-heating meals prior to the microwave oven? I can't even remember.

BearDown89 · Post by **BearDown89** » Mon May 04, 2015 11:41 am

azgreg wrote:Slightly on topic: How awful was re-heating meals prior to the microwave oven? I can't even remember.

I haven't had a microwave in probably 7-8 years and never used it myself when there was one in the kitchen. The ex and kids used it. I always heat stuff up in a pan on the stove or in the oven. That's not to say, however, that I don't nuke up a good gas station burrito from time to time on the road . . .

Longhorned · Post by **Longhorned** » Mon May 04, 2015 12:50 pm

BearDown89 wrote:
azgreg wrote:Slightly on topic: How awful was re-heating meals prior to the microwave oven? I can't even remember.
I haven't had a microwave in probably 7-8 years and never used it myself when there was one in the kitchen. The ex and kids used it. I always heat stuff up in a pan on the stove or in the oven. That's not to say, however, that I don't nuke up a good gas station burrito from time to time on the road . . .

I haven't had a microwave in 3 years. Prior to that, I had a microwave but never used it once over the course of 5 years. I just never figured out the advantage.

Merkin · Post by **Merkin** » Mon May 04, 2015 1:01 pm

Pizza should always be reheated in an oven.

scumdevils86 · Post by **scumdevils86** » Mon May 04, 2015 1:12 pm

i only use microwaves at work to reheat leftovers or for the same at home occaisonally. go days without using it sometimes. pizza is reheated in the oven. popcorn is made on the stove.

Longhorned · Post by **Longhorned** » Mon May 04, 2015 1:44 pm

I usually eat leftover pizza cold. Like a man.

azgreg · Post by **azgreg** » Mon May 04, 2015 1:47 pm

Longhorned wrote:I usually eat leftover pizza cold. Like a man.

Over the sink?

Longhorned · Post by **Longhorned** » Mon May 04, 2015 2:40 pm

azgreg wrote:
Longhorned wrote:I usually eat leftover pizza cold. Like a man.
Over the sink?

And no shirt.

scumdevils86 · Post by **scumdevils86** » Mon May 04, 2015 2:48 pm

can't do cold pizza. don't think i have ever been able to finish half a slice when it is cold.

ghostwhitehorse · Post by **ghostwhitehorse** » Mon May 04, 2015 3:14 pm

scumdevils86 wrote:can't do cold pizza. don't think i have ever been able to finish half a slice when it is cold.

Longhorned · Post by **Longhorned** » Mon May 04, 2015 3:26 pm

Dinner tonight: I'm inventing a new Chinese American recipe. I'm calling it "thousand lucky pork". I think that might be racist.

ghostwhitehorse · Post by **ghostwhitehorse** » Mon May 04, 2015 3:58 pm

Longhorned wrote:Dinner tonight: I'm inventing a new Chinese American recipe. I'm calling it "thousand lucky pork". I think that might be racist.

A little, I dunno. . . what are the ingredients?

Longhorned · Post by **Longhorned** » Mon May 04, 2015 6:06 pm

ghostwhitehorse wrote:
Longhorned wrote:Dinner tonight: I'm inventing a new Chinese American recipe. I'm calling it "thousand lucky pork". I think that might be racist.
A little, I dunno. . . what are the ingredients?

I dredged cuts of pork shoulder in corn starch and cooked them crisp in hot oil. Put them and some green onion and green peppers in a translucent, thickened sauce of rice vinegar, sugar, soy sauce, ketchup, and soy sauce. Some might call it sweet and sour pork, but I have more imagination and racism.

CalStateTempe · Post by **CalStateTempe** » Mon May 04, 2015 6:23 pm

Awkwardness with a side of guilt.

I feel sick.

Chicat · Post by **Chicat** » Mon May 04, 2015 6:59 pm

Chicken Fajita Pasta

It was actually quite tasty. I'd make it again.

Longhorned · Post by **Longhorned** » Mon May 04, 2015 7:03 pm

Chicat wrote:Chicken Fajita Pasta

It was actually quite tasty. I'd make it again.

Your invention?

All Italians say, "No! You can't have chicken pasta!"

Oh, Italians. How much you all miss.

Chicat · Post by **Chicat** » Mon May 04, 2015 7:16 pm

Longhorned wrote:
Chicat wrote:Chicken Fajita Pasta

It was actually quite tasty. I'd make it again.
Your invention?

All Italians say, "No! You can't have chicken pasta!"

Oh, Italians. How much you all miss.

Not mine. Simple recipe...

Brown a pound of chicken breasts cut up into bite size pieces and sprinkled with a half a fajita packet or 3 ounces of your own fajita spice mixture in a tablespoon of hot olive oil. Set aside once cooked through.

Dice a red bell pepper, a green bell pepper, and a yellow or white onion and cook in the same pan you just removed the chicken from in another tablespoon of oil and sprinkled with the other half of the fajita spice packet or spice mixture. After everything gets soft, add three minced garlic cloves. Stir for a minute or two and then remove from the pan and set aside.

Pour two cups of chicken broth, 1/2 cup of heavy cream, a can of diced tomatoes with green chilies, a half a box of dried pasta (I used campanile), and a couple of pinches of salt into that same pan and bring to a boil while stirring and scraping up the bits of chicken and peppers/onions/garlic from the bottom of the pan. Then cover, lower to a simmer and cook for 15 minutes or until the pasta is done to your liking.

Add the peppers/onions/garlic and chicken back into the pan, heat all the way through and serve.

We added some shredded Colby Jack and a dollop of sour cream to the top.

azgreg · Post by **azgreg** » Mon May 04, 2015 7:17 pm

Kid's request: chicken fingers and garlic mashed potatoes.

Chicat · Post by **Chicat** » Mon May 04, 2015 7:25 pm

CalStateTempe wrote:Awkwardness with a side of guilt.

I feel sick.

Did you get the shame as an appetizer?

Reydituto · Post by **Reydituto** » Mon May 04, 2015 8:31 pm

scumdevils86 wrote:I felt guilty last night, grilled a beautifully marinaded london broil and it turned out pretty good even by my standards. Then my gf put a little salt on it (she salts a lot of stuff...wisconsin habits die hard) and I snapped at her. I felt personally offended that she had to add seasoning to a thing I thought turned out beautifully. then I felt like a turd.

I've never understood that habit. My Grandma was from Chicago, and she disabused me of the salt notion as a young child, always telling me to "Taste it first." It''s a pet peeve of mine now, right there with ketchup on eggs, and "steak sauce" on beef. An insult indeed.

I get why you felt bad for snapping at your GF ... but you were in the right ...

Longhorned wrote:
Gato Salvaje wrote:
pokinmik wrote:
scumdevils86 wrote:i always feel like it just isn't right.
I think food is never as good for the one doing the cooking. As the cook/chef it is more enjoyable to live thru everyone else as they hopefully enjoy the meal. Plus the cook/chef is usually all jacked-up and strung out from cooking and timing the meal. I always felt bad for my mom for this reason and would plead with her to sit down and relax and enjoy. The dinner can still be good for sure, but not as good as sitting back watching tv, beer in hand possibly, faint aroma from the kitchen entering the nose each breath...then walking to the table and being fed with no concept of the chopping, skinning, mashing, boiling, that went into it all. Especially with meats. I prefer to not see what goes into the preparation.

Very true. I seldom REALLY enjoy eating anything I make.

Others enjoying your food is a definate perk. I cook pretty healthy, and getting my kids to enjoy what I make is my own special challenge I thoroughly enjoy. My 8 year old asking me to start grilling 2 octopus instead of 1 because between the siblings there wasn't enough was a big win for me.

The down side now is that my kids feel the need to critique each meal like they are panelists on cutthroat kitchen. That they are miniature food snobs goes without saying.
The mere mention of school lunch is likened to the culinary equivalent of feeding them canned dog food that's been in the fridge uncovered for a week, and children's menu's at the restaurant are returned as fast as they are set down in favor of an adult menu. It all was cute at first.
Three great posts, quoted for truth.

For this problem about the cook not getting to enjoy the meal, there's actually a solution. I read about how it works, and I've done it and can say that it really does work.

The problem is caused by too much time too close up while smelling the food cook at various stages of the process, so that by the time it all comes together, we're immune from the integrated experience of flavor that your companions get to enjoy.

The solution to this problem is: Once you've done your final tasting for seasoning, and plated it out, open up that bag or canister of coffee you have in your kitchen, and take a big, long whiff of them coffee beans. It completely wipes out everything and resets you to zero. Then you sit down and enjoy the meal as if somebody else made it.

+4.

Also a great tip on enjoying the meal more. I use lemons or limes if I have them nearby, and they weren't a major part of the dish(es) I made.

I am my own harshest critic, but I also have truly enjoyed the majority of what I make.

wyo-cat wrote:My ex is from Iowa, and she would salt everything before tasting. Her whole family did the same. I thought that one should taste the food first, because it's an insult to the cook.

Because it is.

BearDown89 wrote:Speaking of salt, was at a restaurant last night that offered three varieties of salt on the table. Regular sea salt, a pink Himalayan and then a very course shiny black salt. The black salt was really good, very salty and crunchy. A little went a long way. Forgot to ask what it was because I was so annoyed by the rest of the experience.

Usually Hawaiian black lava salt. Igneous crunch!

(Rest of your post was an enjoyably funny read too. You didn't miss much in missing the fight. Boise's on my list ...)

BearDown89 wrote:Love the cracked egg on a pizza. There's a place in Chicago you and Chi must know about that cracks an egg on their pizza. That knucklehead, Guy Fieri, went there on Triple D. Pizza looked great. Don't remember the name, but I do remember Fieri being squeamish about the egg. I've done it on doctored-up frozen pizzas and it's delicious.

The one I saw with Guy was at a place in Minneapolis, and Andrew Zimmern was there as well, making slurping sounds as he ate as usual ... :barf:

But a SSU egg on pizza is delish.

Longhorned wrote:
BearDown89 wrote:
azgreg wrote:Slightly on topic: How awful was re-heating meals prior to the microwave oven? I can't even remember.
I haven't had a microwave in probably 7-8 years and never used it myself when there was one in the kitchen. The ex and kids used it. I always heat stuff up in a pan on the stove or in the oven. That's not to say, however, that I don't nuke up a good gas station burrito from time to time on the road . . .
I haven't had a microwave in 3 years. Prior to that, I had a microwave but never used it once over the course of 5 years. I just never figured out the advantage.

The microwave I have doubles as a convection oven. I use the microwave for the odd frozen dinner (or Stoeffer's Mac & Cheese), and for certain vegetables as part of the overall cooking process. Try corn, with husks and silks still on, wrapped in microwave-safe plastic wrap. Or butternut or spaghetti squash, cut lengthwise in half, covered with seasoning of choice and microwave-safe plastic wrap, 6-8 mins depending on size. I also use it to par-bake potatoes that I finish in an oven later to cut down on cooking time.

I probably use the convection oven just as much to bake anything from cookies to par-baked bread from a bakery/store to pork tenderloin to turkey breast. It also has a function where you can use both microwave & convection in combination to shorten cooking time, but the only think I liked using that was a cornish hen that was juicy & had crispy skin. Otherwise, too much trouble trying to time it right.

Merkin wrote:Pizza should always be reheated in an oven.

I use my toaster oven, on a piece of foil. Perfect every time.

scumdevils86 wrote:can't do cold pizza. don't think i have ever been able to finish half a slice when it is cold.

Cold pizza is fine by me. Prefer it reheated, but don't always have that time.

Longhorned wrote:Dinner tonight: I'm inventing a new Chinese American recipe. I'm calling it "thousand lucky pork". I think that might be racist.

Or a satirist of "American" Chinese Food menu dialect.

Chicat wrote:
CalStateTempe wrote:Awkwardness with a side of guilt.

I feel sick.
Did you get the shame as an appetizer?

He probably skipped that and had the Regret for dessert ...

Merkin · Post by **Merkin** » Tue May 05, 2015 10:29 am

I'm OK with people salting food, but I normally brine or salt my meats anyway, so it's never really added. At least 30 minutes before grilling. A-1 Steak Sauce is never acceptable. Never ever.

http://www.seriouseats.com/2011/03/the- ... teaks.html

Immediately after salting the salt rests on the surface of the meat, undissolved. All the steak's juices are still inside the muscle fibers. Searing at this stage results in a clean, hard sear.

Within 3 or 4 minutes the salt, through the process of osmosis, will begin to draw out liquid from the beef. This liquid beads up on the surface of the meat. Try to sear at this point and you waste valuable heat energy simply evaporating this large amount of pooled liquid. Your pan temperature drops, your sear is not as hard, and crust development and flavor-building Maillard browning reactions are inhibited.

Starting at around 10 to 15 minutes, the brine formed by the salt dissolving in the meat's juices will begin to break down the muscle structure of the beef, causing it to become much more absorptive. The brine begins to slowly work its way back into the meat.

By the end of 40 minutes, most of the liquid has been reabsorbed into the meat. A small degree of evaporation has also occurred, causing the meat to be ever so slightly more concentrated in flavor.

Saturday:

My local non-chain grocery store had some turkey legs for sale. Tossed a shoulder in there to fill it up.

Sunday:

Instead of putting cheese, bacon, onions and peppers on top of the burger after grilling, I put them in the burger before grilling.

azgreg · Post by **azgreg** » Tue May 05, 2015 10:47 am

Those turkey legs look fantastic.

Longhorned · Post by **Longhorned** » Tue May 05, 2015 11:06 am

Gorgeous, Merk.

Tonight I'll make salmon sashimi and salmon roe rice bowls.

Longhorned · Post by **Longhorned** » Tue May 05, 2015 7:26 pm

Merkin wrote:
Sunday:

Instead of putting cheese, bacon, onions and peppers on top of the burger after grilling, I put them in the burger before grilling.

It's a perfectly reasonable thing to do. Back in the magical 70's there was a recipe going around where you wrap the burger around a core of cheese, bacon, and onions, and you put it on the grill and brown the meat all nicely and end up with a molten core of cheesey bacony onion goodness in the middle. I saw it done on Good Morning America in 1979. I was impressed, and said I'd try it. I never did.

Longhorned · Post by **Longhorned** » Wed May 06, 2015 3:12 pm

Chicken adobo

scumdevils86 · Post by **scumdevils86** » Wed May 06, 2015 6:52 pm

Linguine with sauteed breadcrumbs, lemon, capers, onion and sardines

azgreg · Post by **azgreg** » Wed May 06, 2015 7:28 pm

Pacific Cod filets with squash, tomatoes, and onions.

CalStateTempe · Post by **CalStateTempe** » Wed May 06, 2015 7:32 pm

grilled pork chops and applesauce

looking forward to leaving the hellhole that is baltimore tomorrow for the greater hellhole that is Philly for a friend's wedding.

Longhorned · Post by **Longhorned** » Wed May 06, 2015 8:12 pm

CalStateTempe wrote:grilled pork chops and applesauce

looking forward to leaving the hellhole that is baltimore tomorrow for the greater hellhole that is Philly for a friend's wedding.

Get a hoagie from Sarcone's or Chicky's (both are made with Sarcone's bread). Don't get all girly and ask for a small size because they have to put those on fake bread. There's not a cheesesteak in the city worth having. Breakfast is still at Sam's Morning Glory. Make sure to get s biscuit, and do use that home made ketchup in the wine bottle on the table.

scumdevils86 · Post by **scumdevils86** » Wed May 06, 2015 8:42 pm

scumdevils86 wrote:Linguine with sauteed breadcrumbs, lemon, capers, onion and sardines

Awesome. So perfect yet elegant and amazingly simple. Good olive oil and sardines make a difference. Also added a pinch of red chili flakes. A+

Chicat · Post by **Chicat** » Wed May 06, 2015 9:02 pm

I made pork chops too, CST. Breaded and sautéed then baked. Cheddar mashed & broccoli.

Gato Salvaje · Post by **Gato Salvaje** » Thu May 07, 2015 6:25 am

Longhorned wrote:
CalStateTempe wrote:grilled pork chops and applesauce

looking forward to leaving the hellhole that is baltimore tomorrow for the greater hellhole that is Philly for a friend's wedding.
Get a hoagie from Sarcone's or Chicky's (both are made with Sarcone's bread). Don't get all girly and ask for a small size because they have to put those on fake bread. There's not a cheesesteak in the city worth having. Breakfast is still at Sam's Morning Glory. Make sure to get s biscuit, and do use that home made ketchup in the wine bottle on the table.

Didn't hit Sam's when I was there this past Summer, but the wife and I still recall how good it was when we went (per your rec.) a few years back. Definitely one of the best breakfasts one could have. Anywhere.

Merkin · Post by **Merkin** » Thu May 07, 2015 9:36 am

To follow up on the pork shoulder I tossed in the smoker with the turkey legs, I finished it up on the grill.

One of my son's friends was by, and he said he never heard of putting jam in with your barbecue sauce. I have been doing it for over 25 years.

Just carmelizes real nice and makes it nice and sticky like in the restaurants.

Longhorned · Post by **Longhorned** » Thu May 07, 2015 10:17 am

Gato Salvaje wrote:
Longhorned wrote:
CalStateTempe wrote:grilled pork chops and applesauce

looking forward to leaving the hellhole that is baltimore tomorrow for the greater hellhole that is Philly for a friend's wedding.
Get a hoagie from Sarcone's or Chicky's (both are made with Sarcone's bread). Don't get all girly and ask for a small size because they have to put those on fake bread. There's not a cheesesteak in the city worth having. Breakfast is still at Sam's Morning Glory. Make sure to get s biscuit, and do use that home made ketchup in the wine bottle on the table.
Didn't hit Sam's when I was there this past Summer, but the wife and I still recall how good it was when we went (per your rec.) a few years back. Definitely one of the best breakfasts one could have. Anywhere.

Sam passed but the diner lives on. I saw it in a documentary recently.

Longhorned · Post by **Longhorned** » Thu May 07, 2015 10:21 am

Merkin wrote:To follow up on the pork shoulder I tossed in the smoker with the turkey legs, I finished it up on the grill.

One of my son's friends was by, and he said he never heard of putting jam in with your barbecue sauce. I have been doing it for over 25 years.

Just carmelizes real nice and makes it nice and sticky like in the restaurants.

I use jam all the time and with all kinds of sauces, and not just glazes. It's important for the "mush method" where you bring a sauce together in spontaneous ways. People say, "Wow! Can we have this again?" You can look them all in the face with complete honesty and say, "no."

For meat glazes, apricot jam or red current jam are it.

azgreg · Post by **azgreg** » Sat May 09, 2015 9:16 am

Got another basket from Bountiful Baskets this morning. Not bad for under $20.

http://bountifulbaskets.org/

scumdevils86 · Post by **scumdevils86** » Sat May 09, 2015 9:54 am

Love bountiful baskets. Have done maybe weeks a month since October

azgreg · Post by **azgreg** » Sat May 09, 2015 10:00 am

I was happy to see the heirloom carrots and orange peppers.

KillerKlown · Post by **KillerKlown** » Sat May 09, 2015 12:13 pm

Two words: Lucky Wishbone.

Longhorned · Post by **Longhorned** » Sat May 09, 2015 12:49 pm

azgreg wrote:Got another basket from Bountiful Baskets this morning. Not bad for under $20.

http://bountifulbaskets.org/

You get produce moisture on your bed and dust mites on your produce?

Longhorned · Post by **Longhorned** » Sat May 09, 2015 12:52 pm

Dinner tonight: huaraches, sopes, tacos, etc. at a place I haven't tried yet.

CalStateTempe · Post by **CalStateTempe** » Sat May 09, 2015 1:04 pm

Wedding food.

Longhorned · Post by **Longhorned** » Sat May 09, 2015 1:07 pm

CalStateTempe wrote:Wedding food.

Where in Philadelphia is the wedding?

ghostwhitehorse · Post by **ghostwhitehorse** » Sat May 09, 2015 2:04 pm

CalStateTempe wrote:Wedding food.

How the hell do you get hitched to. . ."food"?

(I would totally marry a good Panang Curry. . . just saying.

)

Chicat · Post by **Chicat** » Sat May 09, 2015 2:27 pm

CalStateTempe wrote:Wedding food.

Me too brother. I believe I'm getting the cold filet while the wife will get the cardboard chicken.

Best wedding food I've ever had was my own (Hacienda del Sol in Tucson). Too bad I was too busy greeting and thanking people to eat it.

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