Cooking and Dining

Postby **Sarcastic** » Fri Apr 03, 2015 6:43 pm

I decided my next burger will be swiss, mushrooms, and bacon.

Postby **Sarcastic** » Fri Apr 03, 2015 6:48 pm

I want this.

http://www.thedailymeal.com/eat/2015-s- ... -slideshow

Best Burger: The Dirty South Burger, Chuck's Burgers & Frites; Raleigh, N.C.
The most outrageous offering at this down-home burger joint starts with a house-ground 100 percent chuck patty that’s seared on a flat-top. You have your choice of a 5-ounce or 8-ounce patty, but we recommend going with the 5-ouncer, because what comes next is delicious insanity: smoked pork shoulder, Anson Mills red pea chili, crispy tobacco onions, roasted tomato malt vinegar slaw, Cheddar, and yellow mustard. All the components work perfectly together, thanks to the deft hand of a great chef: Ashley Christensen, who recently won the James Beard Award for Best Chef Southeast.

Postby **dodint** » Sat Apr 04, 2015 11:35 am

Anyone make traditional halupki (not a casserole) in a 7-qt slow cooker or even a roaster? I'm worried that stacking them vertically will cause them not to cook through the way they would in a traditional pan. I usually cook them in an oven where they're spread out horizontally and only stacked two or maybe three high.

Postby **Kraftster** » Sat Apr 04, 2015 11:42 am

Always a toaster in the oven for me. Never a second layer. One layer makes, what, a dozen? That's enough for a couple dinners and lunches, so haven't had the need to make more than that. Not sure if it would affect cooking, I think probably.

Postby **dodint** » Sat Apr 04, 2015 12:04 pm

My grandma would make them in a slow cooker and put a rack in the bottom so the lower level wouldn't burn. I think I'm going to do them in a traditional pan but in a roaster instead of the slow cooker. I'm just trying to help my wife by freeing up the oven tomorrow.

Postby **shmenguin** » Sat Apr 04, 2015 12:44 pm

You guys have recipes? I want to make that soon.

Postby **columbia** » Sat Apr 04, 2015 1:31 pm

I had lunch at this place and it was definitely *not* Tex Mex:

I had to get a face transplant after picking the wrong/right salsa.

Postby **blackjack68** » Sat Apr 04, 2015 2:49 pm

Hope the new face is an improvement.

Hi-yoooo!

Postby **dodint** » Sat Apr 04, 2015 6:23 pm

You guys have recipes? I want to make that soon.

My sister has my grandmas recipe, and I lost the one I had online that I really liked so I'm working off of this one tomorrow:

http://easteuropeanfood.about.com/od/sl ... alupki.htm

They're all pretty similar. Just tweak the spices to your own taste. I went to the local Mennonite grocery store and bought some fresh ground beef and pork, and two cabbages the size of basketballs for $2 each. It's a great little store. The first time we made them we under bought on cabbage and had to roll with some of the stiffer/greener portions (pictured below) but haven't made that mistake since. The recipe above calls for sauerkraut for the layering but I've never done that, I just use the leftover cabbage to make the layers.

I have an old website that I adore for pierogi if you're interested in that. I printed them off as .pdfs in case they ever fail to pay their bill.

http://home.comcast.net/~dyrgcmn/Pierogi/pierogi.html
http://home.comcast.net/~dyrgcmn/Pierog ... lings.html

Postby **columbia** » Sat Apr 04, 2015 9:25 pm

Riffing (liberally) on an approach I ran across the other day, I cooked four chicken thighs:

Made a nice thick paste of olive oil, salt, pepper and cayenne
Generously applied it to the chicken and set it aside in the fridge for three hours
Broiled the chicken for 12 minutes
Finished it off at 300 for 20 more

That was quite good.

Postby **llipgh2** » Sat Apr 04, 2015 10:19 pm

Other night I roasted a chicken, using a cast iron skillet lined with parchment paper.

Stuffed the chicken with a halved lemon and thyme. Separated the skin from the breast and slid lemon slices under the skin. Rubbed the chicken with olive oil then seasoned with pepper, remaining thyme and a seasoning mixture.

Set the oven to 425 and let the chicken (3.6 pounds) cook for about an hour and 20.minutes.

It was the most flavorful, juiciest chicken I ever cooked.

Postby **AuthorTony** » Sat Apr 04, 2015 10:36 pm

I'm considering making an apple pie tomorrow. Never made one. Never made any pie, actually. Anyone have a great recipe to share?

Postby **blackjack68** » Sat Apr 04, 2015 10:44 pm

I'm considering making an apple pie tomorrow. Never made one. Never made any pie, actually. Anyone have a great recipe to share?

I just use a frozen deep dish pie crust to save time. This is not my exact recipe but it's close. Mine actually uses 10-12 softened caramels in the apple mixture.

http://www.cinnamonspiceandeverythingni ... apple-pie/

Postby **dodint** » Sat Apr 04, 2015 10:56 pm

My wife just prepped some stuff for tomorrow. There are three total people eating at my house, us and a co-worker whose family lives in Texas.

She made cheesy potatoes that have 4 cups of sour cream. These things are like crack and I never knew why. Mystery solved.

She also prepped a bacon onion quiche for us to eat while we cook tomorrow. So good.

Marry an Italian chick if you can.

Postby **blackjack68** » Sat Apr 04, 2015 11:18 pm

I made a chocolate pecan pie for brunch at my brother-in-law's.

Best part of the day.

Postby **FreeCandy44** » Sat Apr 04, 2015 11:30 pm

Im looking forward to Ham with Ginger Ale poured on it, Cheesy Potatoes, and Deviled Eggs tomorrow.

Postby **tifosi77** » Sun Apr 05, 2015 11:50 am

Monkfish, Spring Vegetables, Crispy Fingerlings, Red Wine Emulsion

Postby **dodint** » Sun Apr 05, 2015 11:52 am

That looked amazing on FB but I had to do what I did.

Postby **tifosi77** » Sun Apr 05, 2015 11:54 am

Wouldn't have it any other way.

Postby **dodint** » Sun Apr 05, 2015 11:56 am

You're absolutely right though. Crinkle Cut fries are good for, ummm, fertilizer maybe?

Postby **columbia** » Sun Apr 05, 2015 11:56 am

I've decided to start a Sunday night fried fish tradition, so this evening it will be beer batter red snapper.
(Living 5 minutes from a Whole Foods made this snap decision very easy.)

Postby **Z'MaattaU** » Sun Apr 05, 2015 11:57 am

Personally I like to roast a bunch of garlic, mash it and smear it on my buns for hamburgers. If I don't have time to roast fresh peppers, I'll mix some chipotle powder into the garlic.

Postby **Viva la Ben** » Sun Apr 05, 2015 11:58 am

Today's menu
Ham
Tater tot casserole
Pineapple stuffing
Yams
Asparagus
Corn
Chocolate mousse cake

Oops, I see my wife peeling easter eggs for deviled eggs

Postby **dodint** » Sun Apr 05, 2015 12:05 pm

Nice, bet that mousse cake is a good treat.

We're doing a multicultural thing. Our guest is Filipino and we're doing non-traditional ourselves.

Homemade Halupki
Cheesy Potatoes
Asparagus wrapped in prosciutto and pastry.
Homemade Lumpia (guest is making it)
Deviled Eggs
Snickers Fluff (found in a local deli)

Not a lot of traditional Easter grub happening there but it should be a tasty day.

Postby **count2infinity** » Sun Apr 05, 2015 12:05 pm

Went and visited my parents yesterday. They get about 6 eggs a day and don't have a lot to do with them. Took 2 dozen of their hands. One dozen for me, one dozen for a guy at work. The deep orange yolks on these things are a.m.a.z.i.n.g...