(mis)Adventures in Cooking

[Isaac Sauvage]

haha,
Y... M... C... A...!!

 

[Isaac Sauvage]

STEVE-- or "Steve-O," is that right?

Would you like to know more?

Let's do it! :D
Young man, there's no need to feel down
I said, young man, pick yourself off the ground
I said, young man, 'cause you're in a new town
There's no need to be unhappy
Young man, there's a place you can go
I said, young man, when you're short on your dough
You can stay there, and I'm sure you will find
Many ways to have a good time
It's fun to stay at the Y.M.C.A.
It's fun to stay at the Y.M.C.A.
They have everything for you men to enjoy
You can hang out with all the boys
It's fun to stay at the Y.M.C.A.
It's fun to stay at the Y.M.C.A.
You can get yourself clean, you can have a good meal
You can do what ever you feel
Young man, are you listening to me?
I said, young man, what do you want to be?
I said, young man, you can make real your dreams
But you got to know this one thing
No man does it all by himself
I said, young man, put your pride on the shelf
And just go there, to the Y.M.C.A.
I'm sure they can help you today
It's fun to stay at the Y.M.C.A.
It's fun to stay at the Y.M.C.A.
They have everything for you men to enjoy
You can hang out with all the boys
It's fun to stay at the Y.M.C.A.
It's fun to stay at the Y.M.C.A.
You can get yourself clean, you can have a good meal
You can do what ever you feel
Young man, I was once in your shoes
I said, I was down and out with the blues
I felt no man cared if I were alive
I felt the whole world was so tight
That's when someone came up to me
And said, young man, take a walk up the street
There's a place there called the Y.M.C.A.
They can start you back on your way
It's fun to stay at the Y.M.C.A.
It's fun to stay at the Y.M.C.A.
They have everything for you men to enjoy
You can hang out with all the boys
Y.M.C.A., it's fun to stay at the Y.M.C.A.
Young man, young man, there's no need to feel down
Young man, young man, pick yourself off the ground
Y.M.C.A., it's fun to stay at the Y.M.C.A.
Young man, young man, are you listening to me
Young man, young man, what do you wanna be?
Y.M.C.A., you'll find it at the Y.M.C.A.
No man, young man, does it all by himself
Young man, young man, put your pride on the shelf
Y.M.C.A., and just go to the Y.M.C.A.

 

[StevOz]

haha,
Y... M... C... A...!!

Ah, mmmm, 'okay' ( metal slug voice over )...

In other breaking food news... My sister is taking me to lunch today at https://nicolasristorante.com.au/

 

[StevOz]

Ordered the Crab Linguine...​

Shark Bay crab meat, chilli, garlic and vodka cream sauce with fresh coriander.

Got to say it was a most excellent meal, the best I have had for many a moon...5 stars from me.

 

[Isaac Sauvage]

Ordered the Crab Linguine...

Shark Bay crab meat, chilli, garlic and vodka cream sauce with fresh coriander.

Got to say it was a most excellent meal, the best I have had for many a moon...5 stars from me.

Okay, I'll be honest with you, Steve-R:
my comment above started out a bit sarcastic and combative, is true, is true..

But... matey-- I'd LOVE to hear more about Aussie cuisine.
For exanples-- most of you feckers live near the coast, so imagine how great your fresh ceviche might just be, yeah?

Holy smokes... if true!!

 

[StevOz]

Googles ceviche...interesting, sounds tasty, never came across this, closest I would have tasted would be something similar though Japanese restaurant style. My Dad used to sometimes pickle some of our freshly caught, whenever we caught more than a meal's worth, which was often.

https://www.fish.wa.gov.au/Documents/recreational_fishing/fact_sheets/fact_sheet_australian_herring.pdf

I also have a very good Fish and Chips shop which uses fresh locally caught fish, within walking distance, which is handy.

https://www.facebook.com/WollastonFishAndChips/

mmmm...edited several times, forum software was playing silly buggers with my embedded links, got to hate that...

 

[Isaac Sauvage]

@StevOz

Googles ceviche...interesting, sounds tasty, never came across this, closest I would have tasted would be something similar though Japanese restaurant style. My Dad used to sometimes pickle some of our freshly caught, whenever we caught more than a meal's worth, which was often.

https://www.fish.wa.gov.au/Documents/recreational_fishing/fact_sheets/fact_sheet_australian_herring.pdf

I also have a very good Fish and Chips shop which uses fresh locally caught fish, within walking distance, which is handy.

https://www.facebook.com/WollastonFishAndChips/

mmmm...edited several times, forum software was playing silly buggers with my embedded links, got to hate that...

You know I was a big fan of sushi & sashimi ever since I wanted to reinvent myself as a 'Peruvian-American ninja / samurai' in my early teens.

Indeed, I really liked the stuff, too! Seriously-- super-fresh tasting seafood morsels, with toasted nori, a bit of rice, with some nice, fresh green horseradish. <3

A few years later, during my trips back to my birthland (Peace Corps baby here), I tasted the Latin-American version of the Nihon' version of 'raw seafood,' and my desire for sushi from that point went down the tubes, sadly or unsadly.

The Latino way of doing raw fish is generally to marinate it in thinly-sliced red onions and ripe, spicy pepper in an acid-based, milky broth (typically key lime-based, with chopped cilantro, sea salt and maybe some tomato).

Hungry fisherman can even just take some fresh-caught seafood, gut it properly, put in a marinade bath for a mere five minutes, and chow down on the delicious earnings!

To be clear-- the key difference between the 'Japanese way' and the 'Latino way' is that the fish is indeed cooked in S.America. But it's cold-cooked specifically, via the high acid / lime content, which denatures the proteins in the meat.

Indeed, this method goes back well before the conquistadors came along and kicked our arses, so to speak (haha, big talk for someone who's genetically more conquistador than native). Inany case3, native Peruvians had a different fruit than the key lime that the invaders introduced. (wasn't as acid tho, so cold-cooking times took longer)

​

 

[StevOz]

Fettuccine Bolognese, with mince, diced bacon, onion, garlic, chilli, diced tomato, tomato concentrate, mixed herbs, olives, mushrooms, peas and carrots. Enough for the next week or so...

 

[StevOz]

Diced onion, bacon, oysters, pineapple, ham, mussels, cayenne pepper, seafood sauce, turmeric, sliced cheddar and mixed herbs...mmm...pizza.

 

[Isaac Sauvage]

Interesting combo! How well do you think that group paired together? Like, would you add or subtract anything in future?

Hmm, a made myself some South Indian & Lebanese style lentils the other day, meaning I started by sauteing "panch phoron" seeds in ghee, adding in lentils, and meanwhile caramalising onions for about an hour, separately. Mixed them all together, adding some favorite spices, and it came out nicely as ever. Unfortunately I think with all the frying and such, it gave me heartburn that's lasted a couple days now.

I think I'll finally be able to have a proper meal tonite, which will probably be a stew of black beans, spinach, onion, sliced cabbage & arugula / rocket placed in an omelet. Btw, pro tip-- arugula is a pretty awesome addition to pizzas with it's peppery, fresh taste.

​

And now for my latest crazy experiment, in which I air fry three large cake cones for 2min, then spritz with buttery spray and add whatever spices I like. I find they're surprisingly tasty as a crackery snack, and very low on sodium & calories!

 

[StevOz]

cake cones

Not seen or tried one for years, though maybe I might be tempted, it seems there's more to cake cones, then I imagined...

https://restaurantclicks.com/types-of-ice-cream-cones/

 

[StevOz]

1904 was the year of the ice cream cone as a gentleman from Damascus called Abe Doumar decided to take Syrian flatbread and add ice cream to it rather than the regular falafel and meatballs. The following year, Doumar opened his own ice cream stand in Coney Island where his cones became a sensational success. In the Jamestown Exposition of 1907, Doumar and his brothers sold a whopping 23,000 cones! The dream of all ice cream vendors.


Thanks to this huge success, Doumar bought an iron machine that was capable of producing 20 cones every minute. This enabled him to open Doumar’s Cones and BBQ in Virginia which is still running to this very day.

If I was a good old boy, this place would have to be a must-visit...

Doumar's Cones & Barbeque - Ghent, Norfolk, VA

Welcome to Doumar’s, where every day is Ice Cream Day!We create our own creamy shakes, ice cream sundaes and more just the way they were made when your grandparents were kids. As the home ...

www.doumars.com

 

[Isaac Sauvage]

Hmm, I didn't know about pretzel cones and waffle bowls! Pretty cool ideas, as taco salads are an excellent thing, and adding salt to ice cream / caramel is a nice way to help unlock the flavors.

Btw, I should point out that the cake cones have very little sugar, so they really do taste fairly neutral, like wafer-style cookies. If they were sugared, adding the butter-spritz and spices would be kind of insane.

EDIT: Still curious to hear about the pizza. Wakey wakey!

 

[StevOz]

Still curious to hear about the pizza.

I have found tumeric and cayenne pepper add a nice zing. The base is just a cheap basic supermarket pineapple and ham and then I just throw on the rest. I just happened to have some leftover seafood sauce, so on it went. A very tasty change and I have half in the fridge for today.

 

[Isaac Sauvage]

I have found tumeric and cayenne pepper add a nice zing. The base is just a cheap basic supermarket pineapple and ham and then I just throw on the rest. I just happened to have some leftover seafood sauce, so on it went. A very tasty change and I have half in the fridge for today.

Yes, turmeric adds a nice earthy flavor.
Altho as with cumin & some other spices, you don't wanna add too much!

Btw, another little food hack I've come up with is to put a Goya-brand cinnamon stick in to stews. Unlike ground cinnamon, it adds a delicious, subtle flavor.

Oh, and steel-cut oats to replace rice is perfect in wet dishes. That way you lose the arsenic, gain a bunch of fiber and actual nutrients, and even get an extra pleasant after-meal feeling from the calming effect of oats.

 

[StevOz]

@xenonph

Air fried toad in a crater...

 

[druadic]

Anyone out there have a favorite recipe? This is one of mine and no matter how many times I make it, folks ask for it over and over again. Let me know if you try this recipe and what you think. I LOVE IT. I just one day decided to slap together something that would "stick to the ribs" for the colder months and it was a winner.

I've also included a TXT file so you can print it right up to try it. Enjoy.

Billy's Green Pepper Stew

(I cook this on a gas stove so it tends to be pretty fast).

1 can of Red Gold tomato sauce (regular size)
1 can of Red Gold diced tomatoes (regular size)
1 bag of taco seasoning mix
1 bag of long grain rice (A soup pot will allow up to HALF the bag. Stock pot will take the entire bag).
3 large sized green peppers
1 large onion
2 cans or 1 box of beef broth (regular size)
1 to 1 1/2 pounds of ground beef

BEFORE START:
- Cook the bag of rice according to instructions. Drain. (See above for pot information).
- Slice onion into decent chunks and put to the side.
- Slice green peppers into nice sized chunks and put it to the side.

1. Get a soup pot or larger stock pot and pour entire box of beef broth into it. Add 1 cup of water. Bring to a boil.
Add the tomato sauce and diced tomatoes. DO NOT DRAIN tomatoes.

2. While broth is boiling, fry up the ground beef. Add packet/bag of taco seasoning mix. Thoroughly get the taco mix
mixed into the ground beef. Once cooked to your taste, add the ground beef, including the drippings to the soup/stock
pot. DO NOT scrape the pan.

3. Fry up the green peppers and onion in the left over hamburger grease / taco seasoning in the pan. SEAR everything. Once cooked down a bit then add to the soup/stock pot. The taco seasoning mix will sear into the peppers and onions! ADD the peppers and onions to the pot.

4. Gently add as much rice as you desire. Now you'll have to keep stirring this constantly so nothing burns at the
bottom of the pot. You'll notice everything in the pot will get THICK and tougher to stir.

5. TURN DOWN HEAT to 2 or 3 for around another 20 to 30 minutes. If needed add more water if it boils off but just a little at a time. KEEP STIRRING as much as possible.

Turn it off then let it cool for a few minutes. You'll be very happy with this recipe and it's VERY TASTY.

Enjoy!

 

[Isaac Sauvage]

@druadic / Will-san,
So I merged your "Adventures in Cooking" recipe to this thread, as it seems like a good fit, and sent you a notice you should see.

MAN I'll tell you hwat-- I've actually started to cook with meat about once every week or two, and I don't think I'm going BACK, dangit!

​

Man I'll tell you hwat, you kinda inspired me there, pard. So now, a variation of this Mexican-chili is what I make about once a month for myself:

UNGREEDYMINTS:
- a mighty bulb of an onion, chopped right up
- 1-2 cans of black beans
- three whole bunches of cilantro
- about 1/4 cup steel-cut oats
- a beef cut, maybe around 15% fat, sliced well (alternatively ground)
- a can or two of Mexican tomatoes-n-green chilis, or ~four big tomatoes
- 1-2 packs of low-sodium chili seasoning
- a full stick of cinammon
- all the red pepper you can handle, or even habanero if you're feeling badass & your poop chute is feeling just dandy
- black pepper & MSG to taste
- obviously (duh), add as much personally favorite spices as ye like there, matey!

AFTER SIMMERING UP NICELY:

- If you want the various flavors to heavenly mix, bonus pts for putting it on very low heat
- Taste it after being well-mixed and well-cooked, then adjust it to your personal likes. For me, this would be:
-mixing in fennel seeds, cumin seeds, flaxseeds, and all kind of delicious health-supporting un-greedy-mints.
- point is, highlight your specific seeds & spices in the mix, because if you do it too early, they can get lost like Hansel & Gretel, I Hank you not!

LAST, CRITICAL STEP:

Now, If the mixture has become dry, then add ~a cup of water, then stir. Otherwise, do nothing. So then, here's the secret sauce which blows the top off this particular recipe. Are you ready? Are you listening? Ready...?

-now add a BIG-ol' handful of instant mashed potatoes to the mix, mix well, and let sit for a couple minuits.

AFTERMATH:

- so in theory, we wound up with sort of a 'mixed-up Shepard's Pie,' and now it's fiesta time! :D
- bonus pts for smothering in sour cream (nah, let's do Greek Yogurt!)
- and then using tortilla chips (or Fritos, frankly!) to scoop up the goodness :D

POINT IS?:

- absolute meal of the GODs, matey.
- and pretty dang healthy, dang tootin!

 

[druadic]

Amazingly I had NO IDEA there was a (mis)Adventures In Cooking thread! WHOA - I just thought I would post what I've made twice already in less than three days. TWO MASSIVE pots of it are GONE. POOF. My friend that I live with LOVED it. Same for my friend at the trailer park and the woman who works at Dollar General two doors down from me. She couldn't believe how good it was.

I LOVE CHILI but it DOESN'T LIKE ME. If I so much as eat a BEAN I blow the sails off a sailboat and have much to spare to skim the water to dry land. I have to keep it VERY BASIC which kind of sucks but I'm used to chili like Wendy's; VERY basic. If you ever have time try Bear Creek "Darn Good Chili" if you can find it. I can eat that and I love it.

I can imagine your version has got to be tasty as hell! Some of the ingredients you mention I NEVER would of thought adding to any type of chili. When I have the time I'll have to try your version of the recipe. Sounds REALLY GOOD. I LOVE cilantro just as much as parsley.

PS: I am a CARAWAY SEED FREAK. I wonder how this would taste in some chili?

PS I LOVE TOBASCO GREEN in just about anything since it's not too hot but if I ever have to truly wake up I put around 5 to 10 drops in my coffee. Not joking and it wakes me up fast. Not many folks I know want it anywhere near them. I also LOVE stuffed poblano peppers that a Mexican restaurant sells not far from here and they are tasty. I wonder how this would taste in the above recipe.

Today the woman at Dollar General got sirloin steak cut into strips along with fried green peppers and onions with some cauliflower mac and cheese. I didn't make the mac and cheese though. She is not only kind to me but I can call her a friend since we've helped each other time and time again so she gets meals from me now and then. I just cook them and walk them right over.

I do have other recipes that I love and one that is always asked for is my sausage with mac and cheese. I make it a certain way and folks BEG me for it. Wish I could send you some as I'm sure you would love it. I use a SPECIFIC sausage and I think that's the reason why it's so good. I MAY have to put this recipe up for everyone as they might be surprised how EASY it is to make and prepare. TASTES AWESOME and you'll find yourself licking the POT to finish it off!

Thanks for the reply and post. Let's see what else we can post. I do have my Grandmother's Noodle Bake recipe which is to DIE FOR. I may share it once I find the card with the recipe on it. My Mother's Stroganoff is TO DIE FOR - as a kid EACH WEEK my Mother would make this for me and there were days I would BEG for her to make it. I may have to put this up as well. I also have the card for it somewhere.

 

[druadic]

As an alternative to meat, substitute the ground beef to beans of your choice. I'm a LENTIL FREAK so this would be my choice but who knows how it would come out. One day I'll have to find out and try it.

Let me know if you find another alternative to a change in the above ingredients as well. The above recipe is definitely a winner for any meat eater and it's so tasty!

 

[Isaac Sauvage]

Lol... okay sorry, matey. (sorry-sorry)

But now it's YOUR turn, right-so?!

 

[druadic]

No need to be sorry. It's a GREAT idea for those that don't eat as much meat and maybe beans would make the meal nicer for others. Honestly I grew up eating meat but some don't or have changed their lifestyle. I look forward to see what others have to say with alternatives or changes to the recipe. Who knows what culinary delights are in store for us.

Personally I LOVE veggies just as much as meat. Honestly I do so let's see what others have to add to mine as well as your recipes. We might find the next chef.

 

[Isaac Sauvage]

Darn TOOTIN!

 

[StevOz]

Green chicken and bacon curry... tonight, tomorrow and for a few days after that...

The pictures tell the recipe...

 

[Isaac Sauvage]

So-- sometimes I want a hot, interesting meal, but don't feel like cooking much, so I'll take a small prepackaged meal and extend it in to a much larger meal, like so:

1) I start with cooking up a saucepan of sliced onions, steel-cut oats, sliced cabbage, red pepper, curry and a cup of water. These are the veritable "meal-extenders." Then I use a potato masher* to smush it down a bit into a uniform, small-piece consistency, because I want these ingredients to be the background players, not the star of the show.

2) After a bit more cooking & a bit more smushing, it's time to add the prepackaged meal, typically which one simply heats up and stirs in to the mix, over the next few minutes. Easy-does-it.

3) Taste-testing is extra-important at this stage, because if the flavors in the primary dish are getting lost, now's a critical opportunity to re-emphasize them. For example, in the dish below, I added in some ghee and more curry powder to bring the Indian lentils out more. Also, some MSG & black pepper, both of which help with... almost anything, right?

4) Next, I usually (but not always), add another cup of water, cooking a little bit more, then add in a handful of instant mashed potatoes (or potato flour). Mix that up, then take off the fire. Now, are you ready? Are you ready for my thinking? It's this-- the rare, Peruvian-beauty of potatoes (that's where they're from) is that they lend themselves beautifully to dang'ol any dish out there, helping add thickness, umami, and smoothing all the other flavors out.

5) Let cool, then spread on top of your salad. Then (not always, but usually) add two 5-oz containers of Greek yogurt on top, then a can of diced tomatoes & green chilis, and finally, a crunching topping, such as a handful of tortilla chips, Fritos... something like that.


Now, the cool thing (IMO) about this approach is that it works for loads of yummy meal-types, such as lasagna, gnochi, hundreds of different stews of all types, Chinese food (I recommend Szechuan peppercorns for step three), Tex-Mex... almost anything.

So basically here's my point-- take your ultra-favorite meal on a budget, and blow it right through the dangol, pennies on the dollar.

You're welcome.