[Haly]

What's the gravy made out of?

I assume drippings from the roast and some other stuff?

[ShinAmano]

I wouldn't foil until after the bark and smoke is set in anyway, and I actually like softening up the bark a bit (after it is set). I also wouldn't foil unless I was trying to speed up the cook. I have a few things I will try differently next time. I love Bourdain, but he's not a professional BBQ'er (and either am I, apparently). edit: Awesome tho that people talk BBQ here...probably not enough for a spin off thread.

I agree. I used to lurk on the BGE forums to get my fix, but if you guys are smoking I am all about sharing ideas.

On that note...I am heading to the beach tomorrow night and I plan to do somethign on the grill. The grill is a gas grill that looks pretty nice...but I have never done any sort of BBQ on a gas grill.

Would ribs be the way to go? They are simple enough on my egg so i cant imagine that on a gass grill they would be hard (outside of the smoke).

[CrankyJay]

I agree. I used to lurk on the BGE forums to get my fix, but if you guys are smoking I am all about sharing ideas. On that note...I am heading to the beach tomorrow night and I plan to do somethign on the grill. The grill is a gas grill that looks pretty nice...but I have never done any sort of BBQ on a gas grill. Would ribs be the way to go? They are simple enough on my egg so i cant imagine that on a gass grill they would be hard (outside of the smoke).

Well, you could take some wood chips and soak them and then wrap them in heavy foil and poke some holes in it. Then you set it above one of the heating elements, but even then you have to get the grill hot enough to make the wood chips smolder. It's not ideal.

You'd want the ribs on the other side of the grill away from the heat source so it doesn't get any direct heat.

I've tried this with a smaller pork shoulder and it look like 6 hours and it's just not the same, but you gotta go with what you can work with.

You could always just do the ribs in the oven until they are tender than crisp them up on the grill if you like that, but then you wouldn't really get any smoke flavor.

[Zyzyxxz]

What's the gravy made out of? I assume drippings from the roast and some other stuff?

Yup.

[Haly]

Stuffed chicken breasts turn out a little less than satisfactory. Somewhat dry, and a very light flavor. I thought the mozzarella would add more body to it but I guess fresh mozzarella isn't very strong.

If only I had some bacon on hand.

[DonCuco]

Is that a global knife G2 back there in the background? If so, very nice. :)

[nakedsushi]

Have you considered using eggplant to replace the texture of fat?

I haven't thought of that, but that might work. Should I fry the diced eggplant separately in oil first? Then when it stews, it gets pretty melty and soft? I was thinking of adding agar flakes in with the sauce to give it the thickness that pork fat usually does.

[ElectricThunder]

So in keeping with my tradition of attacking at the unknown, yet compelling, it has at last dawned on me that not only did I really enjoy those dry roasted chickpeas I picked up from many months back----but also that I've never had any falafel, neither baked nor I suspect the superior fried rendition.

What should I look for in terms of quality when hunting for perhaps some sort of bagged mix of the stuff to cook up one way or the other IronGAF? A brief Wiki jaunt only tells me that I know I don't want onions or fava beans in the mix...but from there...?

[ameratsu]

Nothing special, just some souvlaki I made with pork tenderloin

[Zyzyxxz]

I haven't thought of that, but that might work. Should I fry the diced eggplant separately in oil first? Then when it stews, it gets pretty melty and soft? I was thinking of adding agar flakes in with the sauce to give it the thickness that pork fat usually does.

Not really sure it depends on how long you cook it for because too long and it will disentegrate. So I would just add it in before its done cooking. No idea how agar works either.

[TheExodu5]

I made some vegan (dairy free) icecream last week. It was made using avocado as a base. Surprisingly delicious.

[CrankyJay]

Nothing special, just some souvlaki I made with pork tenderloin

I love souvlaki. Did you end up marinating the pork in anything?

[ameratsu]

I love souvlaki. Did you end up marinating the pork in anything?

Yep, marinated the pork, onion, and peppers in a mixture of lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, and oregano. Should have marinated for longer than an hour, but I was hungry.

[nakedsushi]

Vegan fish tacos for dinner last night. Made the pico the day before so it has time sitting around in the fridge for maximum flavor. The fish part was frozen and then thawed tofu, battered and fried. This time, I put cumin, tumeric, and cayenne pepper as well as salt into the batter it and came out pretty convincingly like bits of fried fish!

Basic recipe: http://www.runawaysquirrels.com/2008...n-fish-taco-2/

[pax217]

My girlfriend now supports my NeoGAFing. Thanks for this thread, all.

[ElectricThunder]

For better or worse, this is probably the best meal I'll get all Memorial Day Weekend proper----last night was a glorious time out and about though with my first multi-course meal, no pics of course lacking any portable camera : /.

Cheese: Rocinante Media Curacion They are all different, but I guess this is the black sheep thus far of the Rocinante stable----it is definitely the creamiest of the lot, but I miss the utterly delicious/plentiful oil of the Super and the wonderful aroma of the Cabra. Still melts decently as always, if a bit of a browning tendency.

Crumble: Baked Lays Southwestern Ranch This did the trick nicely for such a strange looking chip as far as contributing a nice, relatively mild, peppery kick to everything.

[dyonPT]

Oreos Chocolate cake











Thank you guys for all the nice comments :)

[Haly]

Mother of god.

[Maklershed]

I must have that.

EDIT: Is there a way to make or simulate mascarpone cheese? I'd like to try to make tiramisu but I live in the middle of nowhere and my grocery store doesn't have something so 'fancy'.

[WhatRobEats]

Oreos Chocolate cake Thank you guys for all the nice comments :)

Much classier than the "Slutty Brownie" I do say.


Looks absolutely delicious. I love your photography style too.


edit: I'm doing a pool party today for US Memorial day. Fixing pork ribs, burgers, hotdogs, probably some bbq chicken. I cooked about a gallon of my homemade BBQ sauce last night. I'll try to remember to take some shots and post them up later on.

Anyone else have big memorial day cooking plans?

[CrankyJay]

Made ribs on the smoker yesterday. Grilling up marinated chicken for souvlaki today and tomorrow is grilled Italian sausage sand burgers and dogs.

[ElectricThunder]

Good god at that cake dyon....

You might as well be the damn Emperor of Dessert.

[Cosmic Bus]

Is there a way to make or simulate mascarpone cheese? I'd like to try to make tiramisu but I live in the middle of nowhere and my grocery store doesn't have something so 'fancy'.

Mascarpone is fairly distinctive and unlike, say, buttermilk, there isn't really an ideal way to make a substitute. That said, blending cream cheese and sour cream at roughly a 4:1 ratio with a couple small splashes of heavy cream is a solid alternative.

[Zyzyxxz]

So since I spend most of my cooking time at work here's a few pics from the kitchen:

Made pasta for staff meal:


Gotta concasse those tomatoes:


Didn't have a couple hours so the sauce only simmered for an hour or so.


Fancy bowl plate woot!


Chicken wings from the menu: dusted in szechuan peppercorns and aji amarillo ranch sauce


DAT pig ears!


Braised, sealed, and ready to be fried!

[RatskyWatsky]

DAT pig ears! Braised, sealed, and ready to be fried!

[Cosmic Bus]

I've been doing a lot of cakes lately and while the end result is nice enough, it all feels so... fussy. Starting to think I just want to focus on being a breadmaker. Bread is amazing.

[Zyzyxxz]

I've been doing a lot of cakes lately and while the end result is nice enough, it all feels so... fussy. Starting to think I just want to focus on being a breadmaker. Bread is amazing.

I think focusing on your pastry skills would make you more valuable in the job market but focus on bread on the side?

There's always good work for pastry chefs who can make killer bread as well.

[Eschaton]

those look tasty even if i fucking hate fucking cake fuck.

[Cosmic Bus]

I think focusing on your pastry skills would make you more valuable in the job market but focus on bread on the side? There's always good work for pastry chefs who can make killer bread as well.

Yeah, you're probably right.

I recently had a job offer to become the baker/pastry chef for the restaurant in Norstrom, and they did a great job of selling me on it, but now that I've been there for about a month... Man, it's just soul-crushing. I make [mandatory] total shit out of a corporate recipe book and have no time whatsoever to work on the creative things they want from me. Never should've left my other job for a minor pay raise. :\

[los]

So since I spend most of my cooking time at work here's a few pics from the kitchen: Chicken wings from the menu: dusted in szechuan peppercorns and aji amarillo ranch sauce

Aji amarillo ranch sauce sounds delicious. Do you use fresh aji? I'm not sure I've ever seen fresh or otherwise for sale around where I live (Houston).

[Zyzyxxz]

Aji amarillo ranch sauce sounds delicious. Do you use fresh aji? I'm not sure I've ever seen fresh or otherwise for sale around where I live (Houston).

No I use a jar paste, not worth making it for such a small amount that I use.

[jet1911]

I had egg whites leftover from making Nutella ice cream this week so I made some meringues!



It's dangerously easy to eat lol

Edit:




The ones that are a bit more "burned" are still really good. Taste like a marshmallow grilled on a fire. :)

[fly high ~ayunite~]

Can anyone recommend a good marinade/sauce for chicken kebabs? I used a light yakitori sauce for these and they tasted great but I've had better.


Using a griddle pan and an indoor grill.

[-PXG-]

Last night's dinner.

[TheExodu5]

Has anyone ever tried making Heston Blumenthal's Bacon and Egg ice cream? I'm tempted to try it...though I'd need to get my hands on dry ice.

[BriareosGAF]

I had egg whites leftover from making Nutella ice cream this week so I made some meringues!

My wife does a variant of these where she gets the peaks a bit higher and then puts two small chocolate dots in for eyes and you get cute little ghost meringues. Adorable, fun to eat. I have a photo of them somewhere I'll have to see if I can dig them up.

[Zyzyxxz]

Made some seared fish that my parent's friend caught. Don't know what it was but it wasn't that great. Started with making a stock out of chicken broth, chinese sausage, dried shrimp, onions, ginger, and shitake.


Seared the fish and basted in butter.


Deglaze and throw in the veges and other bits.


Plated.

[Maklershed]

Had a busy day yesterday - made an enormous batch of chili, enchiladas, brownies, and asian coleslaw salad. All turned out great. Especially the asian coleslaw salad. I could eat just that for the rest of my life and be happy.

[Talon]

Had a busy day yesterday - made an enormous batch of chili, enchiladas, brownies, and asian coleslaw salad. All turned out great. Especially the asian coleslaw salad. I could eat just that for the rest of my life and be happy.

I would love for you to share that asian coleslaw recipe. :)

[Zyzyxxz]

Apologize for not getting around to posting the results of the burger testing. Everytime I made one I sent it out before snapping a pic. Bacon, cheddar cheese, mizuna greens, guacamole.


Other things I've been working on:

Fried chickpeas dusted in Sriracha salt.


Cripsy pig ears with a aji amarillo ranch, although I'll probably change the sauce since I haven't developed one for this yet.

[ShipTheCheese]

Why did I discover this thread while I'm on a diet?

So cruel.

[Maklershed]

I would love for you to share that asian coleslaw recipe. :)

No prob. I can type it out when I get home. I have a big bowl of it for lunch again today. I will warn you beforehand to not get your hopes up as its nothing too fancy. Its more on the level of junk food as it includes ramen noodles but it tastes great. It also makes a lot at one go so its good for picnics and stuff.

[nakedsushi]

Apologize for not getting around to posting the results of the burger testing. Everytime I made one I sent it out before snapping a pic. Bacon, cheddar cheese, mizuna greens, guacamole. Other things I've been working on: Fried chickpeas dusted in Sriracha salt. Cripsy pig ears with a aji amarillo ranch, although I'll probably change the sauce since I haven't developed one for this yet.

Yes! Great looking chickpeas. That's a great idea. I usually toss them with oil and harissa, but the sriracha is a good idea too. Yum, I love pig ears.

[Deadly Cyclone]

So since I spend most of my cooking time at work here's a few pics from the kitchen: Chicken wings from the menu: dusted in szechuan peppercorns and aji amarillo ranch sauce

Don't suppose you could give the recipe for either? Are the wings only dusted in the peppercorns? Can you get those at most grocery stores?

Also, what's aji? How is the sauce made?

[Eschaton]

Got an interesting idea for a marinade for chicken thighs- apple butter.

Think I might fold it in some BBQ sauce, but im worrying it might be a bit sweet. Any ideas of what else to add to balance out the flavor? I was thinkin a little citrus, garlic...

[Zyzyxxz]

Don't suppose you could give the recipe for either? Are the wings only dusted in the peppercorns? Can you get those at most grocery stores? Also, what's aji? How is the sauce made?

Wings are dusted with salt and Wondra Flour to achieve a ultra cripsy crust and fried once, frozen, and then fried again.

The peppercorns may be hard to find but you can probably order them online. The spice mix is just Korean red chile powder, fried shallots, fried garlic, szechuan peppercorns, salt, and a little sugar.

[Maklershed]

So tomorrow is my first opportunity to get Thai food from a restaurant. Any opinions on what is best from this list? (NOTE: I love hot and spicy stuff)

Thai Pineapple Fried Rice
Thai Seafood Fried Rice
Pad Thai
Thai Red Curry & White Rice
Thai Green Curry & White Rice
Thai Stir Fry & White Rice
Thai Peanut Chicken

Apologize for not getting around to posting the results of the burger testing. Everytime I made one I sent it out before snapping a pic. Bacon, cheddar cheese, mizuna greens, guacamole.

That looks so good. I love pictures of cheeseburgers.

[cartoon_soldier]

So tomorrow is my first opportunity to get Thai food from a restaurant. Any opinions on what is best from this list? (NOTE: I love hot and spicy stuff) Thai Pineapple Fried Rice Thai Seafood Fried Rice Pad Thai Thai Red Curry & White Rice Thai Green Curry & White Rice Thai Stir Fry & White Rice Thai Peanut Chicken That looks so good. I love pictures of cheeseburgers.

No Yellow Curry?

I always test American Thai food restaurants the first time by eating Pad Thai or Kang Masaman/Yellow Curry.

A Thai place close to my old work place had an awesome dish - Yellow Curry Fried Rice.

[CrankyJay]

Cripsy pig ears with a aji amarillo ranch, although I'll probably change the sauce since I haven't developed one for this yet.

Heh, before I read the description I thought they were fried anchovies.

[Keen]

So tomorrow is my first opportunity to get Thai food from a restaurant. Any opinions on what is best from this list? (NOTE: I love hot and spicy stuff) Thai Pineapple Fried Rice Thai Seafood Fried Rice Pad Thai Thai Red Curry & White Rice Thai Green Curry & White Rice Thai Stir Fry & White Rice Thai Peanut Chicken That looks so good. I love pictures of cheeseburgers.

Is that all? Stuff with Thai Basil is usually pretty spicy! Out of that, if you want spice, I guess one of the curries.