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IronGAF Cookoff (hosted by OnkelC) Vol. 2

le-seb

Member
I posted pictures of my vegetable garden in the last thread. I need to do another update soon. It's come so far since last time.
Yes, please, I'm curious to know how it's going.
In the meantime, here are some pictures of my all new kitchen garden on the balcony !

In the gardeners, you'll find some strawberries, regular and pepper mints, tarragon, coriander, citrus thyme, chives and some local kind of bell pepper:
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And next to them, three different kinds of tomatoes:
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I still have a batch of plants left, but I'm out of pots.
 
We're not quite ready to put things into the ground in our garden and pictures of seedlings under grow-lights aren't too exciting, but here are the new chicks which are being "brooded".

new-chicks.jpg


More eggs in a few months. Speaking of which our araucuna layed a super tiny blue egg the other day:

tiny-egg-r.jpg


Weird!
 

OnkelC

Hail to the Chef
fresh eggs are luxury! Looking forward to the progress of that project. thanks for sharing!

makes me feel a litte guilty of tonights dinner because I'll try my hands on yakitori-style skewers.
Anyone interested in prep pics?
 

rezuth

Member
fresh eggs are luxury! Looking forward to the progress of that project. thanks for sharing!

makes me feel a litte guilty of tonights dinner because I'll try my hands on yakitori-style skewers.
Anyone interested in prep pics?

Hell yeah!
I wish every post here came with prep pics.
 
Nothing fancy, but I made a fruit pizza last night. Turned out pretty great. I think I'm gonna throw more blueberries on it today. Also, I'm gonna try my hand at making spareribs today. I've never even eaten spareribs let alone make them so it should be fun. Also have an interesting recipe for honey roasted red potatoes I wanna try.


I'll try my hands on yakitori-style skewers.
Anyone interested in prep pics?
Absolutely
 

OnkelC

Hail to the Chef
Yakitori-ish chicken skewers, pt.1:
The dish is simple, as is the brine.
Mix soy sauce, Mirin (or semi dry sherry) and honey of choice in same parts, add a few crushed garlic cloves or a tablespoon of garlic salt.



Cube chicken breasts and one or two large onions, add to the brine and..


Stik in the Kühlschrank to let the magic happen!



I'll serve some fried rice topped with Tilsit along.

stay tuned! :)
 

zbarron

Member
Yes, please, I'm curious to know how it's going.
In the meantime, here are some pictures of my all new kitchen garden on the balcony !
They are sprouted but not nearly as large as yours. Did you start with seeds or seedlings? Also when did you plant?
chicken hath skewered, grilled and served on tilsitered fried rice in the last couple minutes:


Beautiful. How did you grill them? I actually made chicken kebabs and veggie kebabs tonight as well. For the vegetables I did corn, zucchini, red pepper, and eggplant. I marinated them in a homemade vinaigrette and grilled them over the last of my charcoal and some hickory wood chunks. It did not go well. The smoke absorbed into the oil and got bitter. Also I did the chicken after the veggies so it didn't get the sear I was hoping for.

After they were cooked I realized my camera was dead so no pictures sadly. The veggies at least looked fantastic. My chicken would just be embarrassing after this post. I'm charging the camera now.

I will post a garden update tomorrow. I pruned all the excess sprouts. Almost every single seed germinated. I am definitely using this company again.
 

le-seb

Member
They are sprouted but not nearly as large as yours. Did you start with seeds or seedlings? Also when did you plant?
Ah ah, kind of cheating here, as I've directly started with young plants, and I've just finished planting them over the weekend.
I should have started back in march if I were using seeds.

And I think it was about time planting them: temperature has reached 30°C yesterday, summer's well on its way.
 

N0VAM0D

Member
This thread is so, so great. I used to lurk the other one a lot, but maybe this time I'll be brave enough to post something. Sadly, I don't get to cook too often, but I really enjoy it when I do.

Looking forward to seeing more delicious food from all of you talented people!
 

Rafavert

Member
Fellow cookers <3 Ima try to be active here. I could really use some new recipes! Bummer I don't have a proper camera to share my meals =p
 

SPEA

Member
Cooking is a pretty big passion of mine so I loved lurking in the last thread. Excited for this one! Most of these aren't recipes per se, but let me know if something looks good and I can type some stuff directions out. Here are some of my latest dinners.

Seared duck breast. Roasted root vegetables. Cherry reduction. With some crispy duck skin julienned on top for good measure.
ubMQ8R8.jpg


Fisherman's "stew". Seared scallops. Poached rock shrimp. Roasted brussels. Barley. Over a bacon dashi broth (aka. the nectar of the gods).
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Herb crusted organic lamb roast. Pine nuts glazed with maple syrup, cayenne pepper, paprika. Sautéed beech mushrooms.
Tt0KsB3.jpg


Airy Jerusalem artichoke soup. Coconut milk. Roasted pine nuts. Baby rainbow char. Paleo too if you're into that hippie stuff.
4ID3oBk.jpg


Seared skirt steak. Asparagus. Homemade pickled radishes and mustard seeds. Chimichurri sauce.
gnEoOzR.jpg


Basting with herb butter makes the body feel better. Seared steak in the Lodge Cast Iron.
s8YcoNB.jpg


King salmon with crisped skin. Bok choy. Hen of the woods mushrooms with toasted walnuts. Beet purée.
f09y2sw.jpg


Chick thigh noodles. Shaved mushrooms. Seared spice crusted soft tofu. Thai basil. In a tentsuyu broth (fish stock. mirin. soy sauce. kombu. bonito flakes.) Umami bomb.
7JODjla.jpg


Bass. Grilled ramps with lemon zest. Sunflower shoots with a peach vinaigrette
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Salmon. Pea shoot purée. Roasted celery root with walnuts. Blood orange.
utZddve.jpg
 

Dascu

Member
Jesus fucking Christ, SPEA.

I would be very interested in the duck breast and the seared skirt steak recipe (the chimichurri sauce in particular).
 

zbarron

Member
Ah ah, kind of cheating here, as I've directly started with young plants, and I've just finished planting them over the weekend.
I should have started back in march if I were using seeds.

And I think it was about time planting them: temperature has reached 30°C yesterday, summer's well on its way.
Not cheating at all. Many plants are recommended to use seedlings. I just don't like how much more expensive they are. While I love that I will have fresh picked, heirloom, local produce that uses no pesticides, herbacides or synthetic fertilizers, a huge reason I am doing this is to lower our food budget.

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This is 4 weeks after planting. They might have been farther along but since this was my first time I was under-watering and the temperature was quite cold in week 2. I had no idea raised beds needed so much water. I am watering them most days anymore with a full 2 gallon watering can per bed. Row 3 Column 4 is empty since it was supposed to have a parsley seedling in it and admittedly I never got around to picking one up and planting it.

17521645722_97a6fa55ea_h.jpg

I just started Bed 2 this weekend. This time I used Bamboo Skewers as markers because the toothpicks can be hard to see. I misplaced my carrot seeds so only planted peas in row 2 column 4 and row 3 column 4. I planted some radishes in row 2 column 1. If I find carrots I will plant those and the rest that get planted now will be seedlings.

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2 or 3 weeks ago I picked up some Living Organic Herbs from Shenadoah Growers. I got Cilantro and Mint. I want Basil but I can never find one that looks decent. I definitely recommend it for fresh herbs with minimal work. I just put them on small plates and pour water on the plates and it absorbs it from the bottom. They usually look a little more lively but as you can see I just watered them. I don't know if they also might be struggling since they need a bigger container by now. Still for only $3 I got a lot more fresh herbs than I would otherwise. The mint makes a fantastic Mojito and I love making guacamole with a handful of fresh cilantro.
 

Funky Papa

FUNK-Y-PPA-4
Not being able to grown my own herbs is one of the few things I miss about living in a house instead of an apartment.

Oh well.
 

zbarron

Member
Not being able to grown my own herbs is one of the few things I miss about living in a house instead of an apartment.

Oh well.

Do you not have a patio or any windows that get good light?

This is not mine but I am so jealous of a nice indoor herb setup like this:
indoor_herb_and_spice8su2n.jpg
 

Funky Papa

FUNK-Y-PPA-4
Do you not have a patio or any windows that get good light?

This is not mine but I am so jealous of a nice indoor herb setup like this:
indoor_herb_and_spice8su2n.jpg

My kitchen is tragically dark. Quite probably the only dark room in the whole place. I have an interesting place at it that looks ripe for an indoor garden like the one you just posted, but it may get about two hours of sun at best.

I guess I could grow them at the office. The balconies are out of the question since the plants would get all nasty with dust and pollution from being out there (living in the centre has its perks, but also its downsides).
 

zbarron

Member
My kitchen is tragically dark. Quite probably the only dark room in the whole place. I have an interesting place at it that looks ripe for an indoor garden like the one you just posted, but it may get about two hours of sun at best.

I guess I could grow them at the office. The balconies are out of the question since the plants would get all nasty with dust and pollution from being out there (living in the centre has its perks, but also its downsides).

That's a shame. It would be an initial investment but if your desire for a garden is strong you could probably do a small greenhouse on your balcony. They have some nice ones for reasonable prices or if your budget is tight like mine you could build your own.
 

captive

Joe Six-Pack: posting for the common man
Never really posted in these threads, usually hang out in the BBQ thread http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=505559

Love all the fantastic pictures of food in here.

But I love to cook and make a lot more things than BBQ.

Did a lot of cooking over the weekend. Mothers day dinner for my wife on Saturday, she requested shrimp risotto. Dinner Sunday for my mom, she requested BBQ Chicken, also made smoked Italian sausages. Also pictured is the best cornbread I have ever tasted, its like crack. The risotto pic is old but, same recipe and everything is what made Saturday.




 

yasu151

Member
We went camping this weekend, and enjoyed the unique challenge of a fire-pit.

The first pic is a marinated sirloin cut, sliced thin. While we normally cook it for tacos and such, we instead ate it as an appetizer. As well, we are cooking a Tri-Tip.

Second picture is the tri-tip removed. We'd brought veggies (zuchini & sweet potato's) pre-cut and seasoned before the trip.

Third pic has Asian bananas. We simply let them sit on the skillet until the peels split. They were slightly carmalized and a little bitter. Absolutely wonderful.

We had smores as well, but I figured you wouldn't want pics of those.

I think I eat better when camping. That, or I enjoy it more.

20150509_165837ralei.jpg

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20150509_18440403auk.jpg
 

SPEA

Member
^ all of that looks absolutely fantastic

Thanks

Jesus fucking Christ, SPEA.

I would be very interested in the duck breast and the seared skirt steak recipe (the chimichurri sauce in particular).

The key to a good duck breast is rendering the fat properly. All duck breasts has a layer of fat on top. Start the duck breast skin side down in a cold pan (yes I know that's weird, but trust me). On medium low heat, render the fat till you have about an 1/16 of a inch of fat left then turn up the heat to get a nice sear. Turn over the breast and cook it on the muscle side till its cooked to your preference or pop it in the over at 350.

For the chimichuri, runs this through a food processor:

1 cup (packed) fresh Italian parsley
1/2 cup olive oil
1/3 cup red wine vinegar
1/4 cup (packed) fresh cilantro
2 garlic cloves, peeled
3/4 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon salt

I also like to char a jalapeno and add a little piece in there as well. You can put this on steak, pork, chicken, it'll all taste awesome.
 

Friggz

Member
I made homemade bagels for mothers day. Its the second time i attempted bagels, but i think they came out well.

Photo%20May%2011%209%2011%2055%20AM_zps4lfrntuu.jpg
 

Friggz

Member
Those look awesome.


thanks! something i want to try for next time is to boil them a little longer. Also i took them right out of the oven and served them, ideally i should have let them cool off a little so the bread should solidify a little more.
 
I feel bad cause whatever I post is gonna be cheap/easy and you guys make some amazing and fancy looking stuff. Anywho, I whipped up a faux cheese steak calzone type thing today and it tasted awesome imo ..

 

yasu151

Member
I feel bad cause whatever I post is gonna be cheap/easy and you guys make some amazing and fancy looking stuff. Anywho, I whipped up a faux cheese steak calzone type thing today and it tasted awesome imo ..

Don't feel bad. It looks awesome, and I'd tear into that if I had one.
 

Keen

Aliens ate my babysitter
God damn, SPEA! Awesome stuff!

Stuff I've cooked:

Pulled pork sandwich



Grilled Secreto Iberico with mash (with the wrong type of potato, so it ended up too glutineous) and chicken velouté

Toast Skagen


Food from trip to Berlin:


Apparently a classic german breakfast. Two eggs in a glass with toast


Damn good hummus with chicken


Fried vietnamese spring rolls

Vietnamese soup

Vietnamese coffee


Tonkotsu Ramen
 

zbarron

Member
My wonderful wife is going vegan. Tonight we did Vegan Burritos with Spanish Rice.
17348146308_5789dc20c9_h.jpg

In here we have black beans, roasted red peppers, chipotle corn salsa, avocados, olives, and pickled jalapenos. It was delicious.

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The rice isn't the prettiest. without chunks of tomato and I made it without chicken stock obviously but it was damn tasty.
 

N0VAM0D

Member
Woah, everything posted recently looks amazing.

Here's a little something of mine. Sorry about the horrendous photo quality (and presentation)! It's miso cod, served with a side of sunomono! Tasted amazing.

 

zbarron

Member
Tonight I made two white pizzas and two loaves of bread. My wife had a cheeseless white pizza with a layer of eggplant as the "cheese" component with zuchinni as a topping. She loved it so much that I didn't get a chance to snag a picture.

I made a white pizza with onion and jalapeno for myself.
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I threw one fourth of the dough in a loaf pan and threw it in in the oven while the pizzas cooked under the broiler.
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I threw another quarter in a banneton but it ended up a little triagular. The bosses at my wifes work think we are hippies. I am nothing if not a spiteful bastard so I am sending this with her.
16955456863_35f6d8316e_h.jpg
 
To the AUS/NZ GAF members!

I want to try to make some ANZAC biscuits so please, if you don't mind sharing a recipe or 2, I'd really appreciate it.

And yes, I managed to get a hold of Lyle's Golden Syrup so I'm good on that end.

Thanks!
 

OnkelC

Hail to the Chef
fathers day food binge! :)
the wife and I went to our burger place of choice. first one is with smoked mozzarella and a caper/lemon dressing, second one plain with sauteed onions and cheese:



on the way back to the car, the skewer between the two tomato ones provoked me, so I took it home as well ;)


*burp*
 

zbarron

Member
That is drool inducing. Father's Day in the U.S. isn't until June 21st. I am having my wife play video games with me pretty much all day. I still need to decide on the meal.

Right now I am making an eggless strawberry honey ice cream and tonight I'm making some Vegan Nachos with whatever I have on hand.
 

zbarron

Member
17073555894_7de3f7a614_h.jpg

(Yes the white balance is correct. It is more purple than pink.)

Yesterday I made a strawberry honey ice cream and froze it overnight. This recipe used heavy whipping cream and sweetened condensed milk. I made the sweetened condensed milk, made essentially strawberry jam with honey in it and folded those into fresh whipped cream. I froze and whipped every half an hour for a couple hours to make sure it wasn't crystally. Texturally it was fantastic. Rich and creamy while almost coating your mouth. Flavor wise I am not entirely sure. It doesn't taste like the ice cream I am used to but it's not bad. In fact it might be good, it's just so different it's throwing me.
 

OnkelC

Hail to the Chef
Looks good!

Made a little trip with the wife to the countryside today, easy lunch:



mixed salad with grilled goat cheese and pears:


Spaghetti Bolognese:
 
I...I don't think I can eat something I raised.

Understandable. Luckily these are laying hens, not broilers. Also we are vegetarians.

Using eggs from the older ladies, made some simple tagliatelle from scratch, and dressed with asparagus, mushrooms, garlic, parmesan reggiano, cracked black pepper. I made a double batch and then yesterday cooked up some more, making a simple tomato sauce from fire roasted crushed tomatoes, olive oil, garlic, onion, cracked red pepper and crushed red pepper, and then another simple butter, parmesan, cracked black pepper. Unfortunately I didn't take many pictures while making it as I was covered in flour etc. Cooking:

fresh-pasta-cooking.jpeg


My messy prep table and eating table:

fresh-pasta.jpeg


Was pretty damn good once I got them thin enough. Rolled it all out by hand because the machine is a lie, and doesn't make anything easier.
 
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