Foo - Excellent recipes you want to share. Food and Drink!!!

I thought that since there are so many tallented chefs here on Foo that we might as well get a recipe thread started.

Even if you don`t ave anything to add at this time please remember the titlle and and come back with a good recipe when you find it. And show pictures of your masterpiece in the Food Picture thread.

I started one last week, it didn't get much farther than this has. :(

Bacon, Eggs and Rice:

Cut up some bacon into fingernail size pieces, stick them in a frying pan over medium/high heat and fry them until they pwn.

Cook some white rice using a rice cooker (You can boil the stuff, but that is for n00bs).

Whisk three or four eggs in a cup with some pepper and salt and dump them into the frying pan after you clear some of the bacon grease off.

When the eggs are done, put all of this stuff in a large bowl, mix in some soy sauce to your liking and serve it to whoever likes food that pwns.

The open secret of most top cooking is to use self prepared stocks/bone broths and its not that hard. Its a flavor that everyone is familar with because MSG which is hidden in most proccessed foods is just artificial stock. MSG in water tastes like cheap chicken soup.

I learn't a fairly complicated way to make stock at first but I tried out a simple stripped back recipie one day and I liked it so much that I didn't go back. Buy yourself some chicken carcasses. One for a medium/large saucepan or several if you have a decent sized stockpot. Fill the pot up to an inch bellow the top and bring to the boil. Don't go away too far when doing this as it will boil over fairly easily. As its comming to the boil some scum will form at the top so skim this off. Just as it reaches boiling turn it down to the lowest setting, add a pich of salt, put the lid on and walk away for anywhere from 8-24 hours. The longer the better. In this time it will reduce but this is desirable. You can make stock faster in say 2-3 hours simmering it faster with the lid off. Its optional to add some vinegar after an hour or so. This will bring more of the minerals out of the bones which I like but it will also make your stock cloudier. Remove the bones at the end and you have a wonderful basis for many recipies.

Cook vegetables in the stock and serve as a soup or without the liquid just as a side. Cook rice in the stock. It makes FANTASTIC meat stews to cook them in stock. Adding just a little stock to meat that your panfrying is a great way to make a sauce and it adds tremendous flavors.

So many things to do realy using stock. Its realy the key step in going from a OK cook to a great cook.

Regards, Anthony

The open secret of most top cooking is to use self prepared stocks/bone broths and its not that hard. Its a flavor that everyone is familar with because MSG which is hidden in most proccessed foods is just artificial stock. MSG in water tastes like cheap chicken soup.

I learn't a fairly complicated way to make stock at first but I tried out a simple stripped back recipie one day and I liked it so much that I didn't go back. Buy yourself some chicken carcasses. One for a medium/large saucepan or several if you have a decent sized stockpot. Fill the pot up to an inch bellow the top and bring to the boil. Don't go away too far when doing this as it will boil over fairly easily. As its comming to the boil some scum will form at the top so skim this off. Just as it reaches boiling turn it down to the lowest setting, add a pich of salt, put the lid on and walk away for anywhere from 8-24 hours. The longer the better. In this time it will reduce but this is desirable. You can make stock faster in say 2-3 hours simmering it faster with the lid off. Its optional to add some vinegar after an hour or so. This will bring more of the minerals out of the bones which I like but it will also make your stock cloudier. Remove the bones at the end and you have a wonderful basis for many recipies.

Cook vegetables in the stock and serve as a soup or without the liquid just as a side. Cook rice in the stock. It makes FANTASTIC meat stews to cook them in stock. Adding just a little stock to meat that your panfrying is a great way to make a sauce and it adds tremendous flavors.

So many things to do realy using stock. Its realy the key step in going from a OK cook to a great cook.

Regards, Anthony

+1 I prefer to make my own stock also. I only use can stock in an emergency.

A great tip I learned is to freeze the stock in an ice cube tray and store it in the freezer in a ziploc bag. It will keep and you'll always have it.

I made a bacon and cheese quiche using hash browns for the crust this weekend curteousy of Paula Deen. Not exactly diet food, but with bacon, eggs, cheese and potatos it was good eatin.

http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/recipe/0,,FOOD_9936_36987,00.html

I roast the bones before using them to make stock. It makes a difference.

Jsharr's Fish Margaritas

You can use any cheap fish for this, the cheaper the better actually.

Lay the fish out on a sheet of clean newspaper

Prepare the margarita as you usually would

Wrap the fish in the paper

Drink the margarita

Throw the fish away

Hot Wing Dip

3 boneless chicken breasts, cooked and chopped
1 8oz. block of low fat cream cheese
½ bottle Frank’s hot wing sauce (large bottle)
½ jar Nature’s Own Blue Cheese chunky dressing
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Melt cream cheese with dressing. Mix chicken with the wing sauce, Mix together in baking dish. Sprinkle top with cheddar cheese.

Bake @ 350* for 40 minutes. Serve with crackers or corn chips

Yumminess ensues.

8-12 oz of coke
1 glass of ice
1 1/2 oz. Capt. Morgan's spiced rum.

That is my recipe contribution.

Potato Candy

Boil a potato for about 30 minutes. Peel the skin, and mix it with powdered sugar until it becomes a dough. Roll it flat, smear peanut butter on top. Roll it up. Slice it into cookies.

This delicious concoction was my grandma's recipe. Not surprisingly, she died of diabetes.

The open secret of most top cooking is to use self prepared stocks/bone broths and its not that hard. Its a flavor that everyone is familar with because MSG which is hidden in most proccessed foods is just artificial stock. MSG in water tastes like cheap chicken soup.

I learn't a fairly complicated way to make stock at first but I tried out a simple stripped back recipie one day and I liked it so much that I didn't go back. Buy yourself some chicken carcasses. One for a medium/large saucepan or several if you have a decent sized stockpot. Fill the pot up to an inch bellow the top and bring to the boil. Don't go away too far when doing this as it will boil over fairly easily. As its comming to the boil some scum will form at the top so skim this off. Just as it reaches boiling turn it down to the lowest setting, add a pich of salt, put the lid on and walk away for anywhere from 8-24 hours. The longer the better. In this time it will reduce but this is desirable. You can make stock faster in say 2-3 hours simmering it faster with the lid off. Its optional to add some vinegar after an hour or so. This will bring more of the minerals out of the bones which I like but it will also make your stock cloudier. Remove the bones at the end and you have a wonderful basis for many recipies.

Cook vegetables in the stock and serve as a soup or without the liquid just as a side. Cook rice in the stock. It makes FANTASTIC meat stews to cook them in stock. Adding just a little stock to meat that your panfrying is a great way to make a sauce and it adds tremendous flavors.

So many things to do realy using stock. Its realy the key step in going from a OK cook to a great cook.

Regards, Anthony

Do you have anything for beef stock? My way of doing it is the classic way. Get beef knuckles from the butcher, roast them until they caramelize a bit, boil for several hours, freeze stock in ice cube trays

I mostly use this stuff to make Pho, but it's a huge PITA.

Here is a great, super easy toffee recipe. I make this every year and give it as gifts.

I'm doing this off the top of my head
1 cup natural sugar
1 TB light corn syrup
2 TB water
2 sticks butter - I want to say 1/2 cup
about 1 cup of chocolate chips
about 1 cup of slivered almonds

You need a good candy thermometer for this.
Melt the butter in a sauce pan. Add the sugar, corn syrup, and water. Heat the mixture, stirring constantly, until it reaches 300 F and is nice and toffee colored. Remove from heat, and pour the hot toffee onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Make sure to spread it into a nice thin even layer. Then, take your chocolate - chips or otherwise, and spread it over the hot toffee. The toffee will melt the chocolate and allow you to spread it on as a layer. Lastly, sprinkle your slivered almonds over the still melted chocolate. Put the whole pan into the refrigerator to set. Then, simply break into pieces.

I'm boring as a cook. I rarely do anything new and exciting. I enjoy making anything WELL though. As for baking, I'll do anything. There's interesting things you can do. Tonight, I need to make another loaf of whole wheat bread, and I think I'm going to try making a loaf of Earl Grey tea bread at the same time.

I roast the bones before using them to make stock. It makes a difference.

Chicken bones? I've heard of that with beef and veal. Interesting.

Brown a beef fillet.
Cool then spread with English mustard.
Blitz lots of flat mushrooms to a fine dice then fry until all the moisture is gone.
Lay out clingfilm.
Lay slices of prosciutto on wrap.
Spread cooled mushrrom paste on ham.
Roll fillet and tighten ends to form a tight package. Chill (you and the beef).
Wrap in thin puff pastry. Egg wash.
Roast.
Eat.
Die poor but happy (unless you're a vegetarian).

Chocolate chip pancake:

1/2 oz chocolate liqueur
2 oz Macallan Amber

Potato Candy

Boil a potato for about 30 minutes. Peel the skin, and mix it with powdered sugar until it becomes a dough. Roll it flat, smear peanut butter on top. Roll it up. Slice it into cookies.

This delicious concoction was my grandma's recipe. Not surprisingly, she died of diabetes.

I need an insulin shot just for reading that.

POP-TARTS MICROWAVE INSTRUCTIONS
1. Remove pastry from pouch. Place pastry on a microwave-safe plate.
2. Microwave on high for 3 seconds.
3. Cool briefly before handling.

If you have time to wait:
POP-TARTS TOASTING INSTRUCTIONS
1. Remove pastry from pouch.
2. Warm pastry in toasting appliance at lowest or lightest heat setting for one heating cycle only.
3. Cool briefly before carefully removing pastry from toasting appliance.

Long Island Iced Tea:

1 part vodka
1 part tequila
1 part rum
1 part gin
1 part triple sec
1 1/2 parts sweet and sour mix
1 splash Coca-Cola®

Chicken bones? I've heard of that with beef and veal. Interesting.

Absolutely. You will have a darker, richer chicken stock.

Jsharr's Fish Margaritas

You can use any cheap fish for this, the cheaper the better actually.

Lay the fish out on a sheet of clean newspaper

Prepare the margarita as you usually would

Wrap the fish in the paper

Drink the margarita

Throw the fish away

Any advantage to using one fish over the other? Bass over flounder, for instance?

whichever is cheapest, or whichever one you can get out of the nearest pond or creek. Sometimes I have been known just to draw a fish on the newspaper with crayon, or lime juice.

Absolutely. You will have a darker, richer chicken stock.

Cool. I will remember that in the future.

Long Island Iced Tea:

1 part vodka
1 part tequila
1 part rum
1 part gin
1 part triple sec
1 1/2 parts sweet and sour mix
1 splash Coca-Cola®

That brings back some fuzzy, painful memories.

Do you have anything for beef stock? My way of doing it is the classic way. Get beef knuckles from the butcher, roast them until they caramelize a bit, boil for several hours, freeze stock in ice cube trays



I make some beef stock using the same method as for chicken stock although I have found it to be a little hit and miss. Its always usable but lately my beef stocks have been VERY cloudy. I may have to roast the bones but I kind of like them unroasted.

I DO have my stock simmer for 24 hours though. It makes for a rich, jelly like stock. I also add chicken feet to my chicken stocks as well.

Regards, Anthony

That brings back some fuzzy, painful memories.

But does it fill in the blank spots in those memories?



Champagne Pom-Pom:

Need
- champagne
- flutes
- pomegranate juice concentrate (POM brand is best)
- fresh pomegranate
- long stem funnel, or long straw

Prep
- pour flute of champagne, leave 1" space to lip of glass
- using long funnel or straw (must reach to bottom of flute), layer 1/4 to 1/3 ounce of pomegranate concentrate into bottom of glass. Champagne will float above it w/o mixing.
- float 3-4 pomegranate seeds on top of drink

Do you have anything for beef stock? My way of doing it is the classic way. Get beef knuckles from the butcher, roast them until they caramelize a bit, boil for several hours, freeze stock in ice cube trays





You didn't mention it, but I always throw an onion, some carrots, and celery into stock. Parsley if I have any fresh.

I usually freeze them in about 2 cup containers. Figure it's equivalent to a can give or take....

You didn't mention it, but I always throw an onion, some carrots, and celery into stock. Parsley if I have any fresh.

I usually freeze them in about 2 cup containers. Figure it's equivalent to a can give or take....

Whether you know it or not (given your Baton Rouge location, I have a feeling you do) the combo of onion/carrot/celery is so central to cooking it has its own name: Mirepoix. It's a staple to lots of French, cajun, and creole recipes.

Try sauteeing it in garlic oil with a little bit of celery salt and cracked pepper before adding it to your soups or stocks.

OK, here's what we had tonight: Chicken Fettucini Alfredo (pic in another thread)

INGREDIENTS:
4-1/2 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves - cut into cubes
1/4 cup and 2 teaspoons butter, divided
3 cloves garlic, minced, divided
2-1/4 teaspoons Italian seasoning
3/4 pound fettuccini pasta
3/4 onion, diced
3/4 (8 ounce) package sliced mushrooms
1/4 cup all-purpose flour 2-1/4 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon ground white pepper
2-1/4 cups milk
3/4 cup half-and-half
1/2 cup and 1 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese
6 ounces shredded Colby-Monterey Jack cheese
2-1/4 roma (plum) tomatoes, diced
1/4 cup and 2 tablespoons sour cream

DIRECTIONS:
1. In a large skillet over medium heat combine chicken, 2 tablespoons butter, garlic and Italian seasoning. Cook until chicken is no longer pink inside. Remove from skillet and set aside.
2. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain.
3. Meanwhile, melt 4 tablespoons butter in the skillet. Saute onion, 2 tablespoons garlic and mushrooms until onions are transparent. Stir in flour, salt and pepper; cook 2 minutes. Slowly add milk and half-and-half, stirring until smooth and creamy. Stir in Parmesan and Colby-Monterey Jack cheeses; stir until cheese is melted. Stir in chicken mixture, tomatoes and sour cream. Serve over cooked fettuccini.

Most of what I make isn't from recipes, it's thown together and based on general principles of flavour. Like a kitchen version of free-form jazz.

Some general ideas...

Basic brine:
1 part salt to 3 parts sugar.

Variation ideas:
Use strongly flavoured smoked salts to add a wood-grilled flavour to roasts and poultry cooked indoors. Yakima applewood, and Salish alderwood smoked salts are readily available.
Replace the brown sugar with cane sugar to get a sweeter caramelization without the molasses flavour. Try orange blossom or raspberry honey as the sugar when brining ribs, and use the same honey in the mopping sauce when you grill 'em.
Add harissa, or other strong spice pastes to your brine to infuse the entire piece of meat with the flavour.

Marinades:
Anything you can brine with, you can turn into a marinade with the addition of an acid. Soy sauce, flavoured vinegars, wines, citrus juices, etc...
Don't over-marinate anything or it will turn to goop as the acids break down the proteins. Thin sliced meats as for stir-fry, no more than 30 minutes; Big ol' 5 pound roasts may take 2 - 4 hours.

Sautees:
Sautee with infused olive oils rather than butter. You can hold a higher heat w/o burning the oil, and you'll use less of it. Healthier? Maybe. That's not the point, though. A sautee should be done hot and quick. Deglaze (scrape all them burnt bits off) your sautee pan with a complimentary wine or flavoured vinegar, whip, and reduce to make a sauce base to go with your meal.

Play with your food:
Experimentation in the kitchen is (usually) good. Play around with flavour and texture combinations. Don't just prepare a recipe... make something no one has seen before.

Gusboh's Famous "drier than a nun's nasty" martini.

5 oz of your favourite Gin.
Dry Vermouth
Ice
Cocktail Shaker

1. Ice in shaker
2. Gin in shaker
3. Give vermouth to the kids to make them go to sleep
4. Strain into a martini glass
5. Add crap to the glass if you like. I add more Gin as a rule, but olives are acceptable

Gusboh's Famous "drier than a nun's nasty" martini.

5 oz of your favourite Gin.
Dry Vermouth
Ice
Cocktail Shaker

1. Ice in shaker
2. Gin in shaker
3. Give vermouth to the kids to make them go to sleep
4. Strain into a martini glass
5. Add crap to the glass if you like. I add more Gin as a rule, but olives are acceptable

Nice!

I used to follow the recipe of
- gin in chilled shaker
- pour into glass over 2 olives
- think wistfully about the vermouth... not too much or you'll ruin it
but now I find myself liking just about a capfull of dry vermouth in my martinis, even with a gin like Tanq-10 or Sapphire.


Try this one if you like mint chocolate:

Cadbury's drinking chocolate (warmed, but not HOT)
mix 8oz of the warmed 'hot' chocolate with 2oz of white chocolate irish cream, and 1 oz of chocolate liqueur. Serve in edible peppermint candy shot glasses.

To all those who are already making their own stocks using herbs and vegetables I don't want to say in anyway that its wrong. I learn't that way too but I was a little unhappy with my results so I dedided to cut the recipie right back and then slowly add items so that I learn't what influences they were having on taste. I was so happy with the stripped back basic version that I stuck to it. It has a strong meaty taste obviously.

You only need to add a dash of vinegar to bring out the minerals and not so much that you can taste vinegar in the result.

Here's my stew recipie,

1 Kg, (about 2 lbs) of whatever meat your going to cook. Osso Bucco is very nice. I like to add kidneys. Ribs are a great cut for a stew as well.

Actualy to start with I take some beef tallow (use your prefered cooking fat but animal fats are preferable) and saute a coursely chopped onion + garlic. Add some sea salt but not the total amount your going to use. Save some for later as the flavors will concentrate potentialy making it too salty.

Add the meat and brown.

Add enough stock to just about cover. Vegetables like potato's, carrots, celery are optional.

I then add 6-7 peppercorns to taste, a few star anise's and half a dozen Cardomon pods.

Put the lid on the pot and simmer on the lowset setting for a couple of hours. this would be a good recipie for a slow cooker.

Regards, Anthony

Whether you know it or not (given your Baton Rouge location, I have a feeling you do) the combo of onion/carrot/celery is so central to cooking it has its own name: Mirepoix. It's a staple to lots of French, cajun, and creole recipes.

Try sauteeing it in garlic oil with a little bit of celery salt and cracked pepper before adding it to your soups or stocks.

Oh yes! The ratio I use for this is 2 parts onion 2 parts celery 1 part carrots

Cuban Black Bean Soup

pick over, rinse, soak, and cook 1/2 pound dried black beans
save the cooking water- should be about 3c or so
(canned beans are OK, but not as tasty, IMO- you need 3cups, and use the packing liquid- don't discard)


Saute in 2tbs olive oil:
2 carrots diced
2 stalks celery
1 medium onion (yeah, it's mirepoix- who doesn't make a soup base without it?)

when onion is translucent, add 3-4 crushed garlic cloves and saute over low heat- don't burn it!

add 3/4tsp dried oregano (or 2 TBS fresh, chopped) and 2 bay leaves continue sauteing for a minute to release the oils in the oregano

add the saute mixture to the beans and cooking water (use a little of the water to deglaze the saute pan and add that too, bring to a boil, and simmer for 45mins

mash the beans a little- you want some still whole, and then add 1/4c red wine vinegar and 1tsp sugar, freshly cracked black pepper and salt to taste.

Sounds like mojito time to me!

Salad Nicoise

For the vinaigrette:
3 tablespoons best quality cider vinegar
1 tablespoon Dijon-style mustard
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 medium new white onion, sliced paper-thin
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 cups flat-leaf parsley leaves, loosely packed
3/4 cup mixture of tarragon and fresh chervil leaves, loosely packed
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
(or skip this and use Newman's Creamy Caeser dressing - very good flavour mixed in with this salad, and honestly, i'm usually too lazy to do the whole dressing bit)

For the Salad:
2 pounds fresh tuna ( or good canned works as well, but it's sooooo much better with fresh)
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, for rubbing on the tuna
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
20 anchovy fillets (i skip these and use more tuna - not an anchovy fan)
2 pounds green beans, trimmed
2 pounds of tiny new potatoes, scrubbed
6 medium red and yellow tomatoes, stemmed and quartered
5 farm eggs, hard-cooked and peeled
1 cup nicoise olives

Then have the whole thing with a loaf of some good French or Italian bread, and some good wine or beer.