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IronGAF Cookoff (hosted by OnkelC)

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Cornballer said:
heavy liquid - I'm doing the Fisherman's Stew tonight from the 2nd thread. I'll report back and let you how it went. :)

Excellent. :) I'm looking forward to it. Hope it turns out well and you like it!
 
PhoenixDark said:
I have a challenge for you guys. OnkelC gave me an interesting idea for cooking potatoes, but I want to get more.

Basically I like cutting them up and putting them up and frying them in a pan along with onions. What are some good ideas on how to do this and make them nice and hashy?

That's basically the recipe for hash browns.

I'm a big fan of America's Test Kitchen, and use many of their recipes. Here's their take on hash browns:

What sets this recipe apart from the majority of hash brown recipes is the fact that we do not precook the potatoes. In early tests we used partially cooked potatoes, but found that they were more difficult to work with and created hash browns with an interior texture similar to that of mashed potatoes. Because of the high starch content in russet potatoes, our hash browns never fell apart: They fried up to a deep brown, crisp cake - one with full potato flavor.

serving: 4
start to finish: 30 minutes

Ingredients:

1 pound russet potatoes (2 medium), peeled
2 tablespoons grated onion
1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley (optional)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1 tablespoon unsalted butter

1. Grate the potatoes using either the large holes of a box grater or the shredder attachement of a food processor (about 1 1/2 cups). Wrap the grated potatoes in a towel and squeeze thoroughly of excess moisture, then toss with the onion, parsley, salt and pepper.

2. Melt 1/2 tablespoon of the butter in the skillet over medium-high heat until it begins to brown. Scatter the potatoes evenly into the skillet and press firmly into a cake. Reduce heat to medium and continue to cook until dark golden brown and crisp on the first side, about 8 minutes.

3. Slide the hash brown cake onto a large plate, and then invert so that the browned side is facing up. Add the remaining 1/2 tablespoon of butter to the pan and let it melt. Slide the hash brown cake into the pan, browned side up, and continue to cook over medium heat until the second side is golden and crisp, about 5 minutes. Slide the hash brown to a plate or cutting board and cut into wedges. Serve.

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heavy liquid said:
Excellent. :) I'm looking forward to it. Hope it turns out well and you like it!
The Fisherman's Stew turned out great. We had it with some crusty bread from the bakery. I'll definitely make it again, and my friends that showed up for dinner all asked for the recipe. :) Thanks!
 

OnkelC

Hail to the Chef
Nice stuff, everybody! :) Hi and welcome to KoffiiKat and thanks for the nice stew recipe.

As for the Potato recommendations, I would go with heavy liquid and try the Roesti vraiant, it is worth the effort. I posted a basic variant along with Zurcher Geschnetzeltes in Volume 1 iirc.

ThatCrazyGuy said:
I put brats in a slow cooker with white wine, onion, garlic, tyme, salt, pepper, stew tomatoes. I think its pretty good :)

"Brats" as in Bratwurst or as in annoying little children? ;)
 
I'm glad there's a no shorter thread... the old one was so long I was too intimidated to keep up with it. I'm going to try and follow this thread, and perhaps some of the recipes.

Are there any sort of rules/customs dictating recipe posting? I cook a lot, but I'm not exactly a chef. I tend to follow recipes rather than create my own. If this is acceptable/the norm, I may have to start sharing. Otherwise, I'll wait until I get up the guts to attempt the weird dish idea I've been ruminating on lately.
 

OnkelC

Hail to the Chef
platypotamus said:
I'm glad there's a no shorter thread... the old one was so long I was too intimidated to keep up with it. I'm going to try and follow this thread, and perhaps some of the recipes.

Are there any sort of rules/customs dictating recipe posting? I cook a lot, but I'm not exactly a chef. I tend to follow recipes rather than create my own. If this is acceptable/the norm, I may have to start sharing. Otherwise, I'll wait until I get up the guts to attempt the weird dish idea I've been ruminating on lately.

Hi platypotamus (and other so far silent readers),

Everything goes. There are no rules. Don't be intimidated by anything posted so far. Feel free to post the dishes you made yourself or meals you had outside, everything is welcome.

To keep it as informative as possible, a list of ingredients and a short description of the preparation process would be fine and a picture of the finished dish would grace this thread. If you can go the length of taking some pictures of crucial preparation steps, the better. If you would like to share a bit of background info on the dish, it's optimal.

But there are no mandatory requirements to post here, it's a free forum after all ;)

So keep 'em coming! :lol
 

SumGamer

Member
I shouldn't have clicked.... now I feel like anticipating but its way past midnight here.
Bookmarked and will come back with some of mine not too shubby cooking. :D

P.S. I'm ghetto beginner so I tend to cook to my feeling and not the recipe :p
 

bovo

Member
A new one from me - it's pseudo-Austrian cabbage with pasta (kind of like Krautfleckerl, but I used tagliatelle and didn't mix it together) and sausages (vegetarian).

Ingredients: White cabbage, onion, caraway seed (kummel for the germanically inclined) and tomato ketchup. I used tagliatelle, and the sauages were from the freezer...



Because I couldn't be bothered to watch more than one pan, I cooked the sausages in the oven (not pictured!).

To prepare the kraut/cabbage, finely slice the onion and cabbage (failure to cut it fine enough will result in irate austrians complaining that it is not done correctly - I speak from experience:) )



Heat some oil in a pan, and slowly cook the onions.



After a bit, add caraway seed/kummel and salt and pepper, then add the sliced cabbage.



After it all been cooking for a while (5-10 minutes?) add a few tablespoons of water, and a blob of tomato ketchup.



Stir it all together, put a lid on the pan, and cook over a low heat for another 10-15 minutes (or longer - can't quite remember how long I normally cook it for...)



Once the lid is on, cook you pasta as usual (tagliatelle takes about 10 minutes).



After draining the pasta, stir in some butter and black pepper (if required...)



And serve with the sausages (and mustard) ...

 

OnkelC

Hail to the Chef
yum.
YUM.
dee-lish, bovo, thanks for sharing.

I made some Schnitzel Swiss style, gratined with some cheese and sauce bearnaise yesterday, it turned out quite nice:

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Tonight will be Käsespätzle. Stay tuned and keep it coming, all.
 
Looking forward to your Käsespätzle, OnkleC!

And bovo, that looks excellent!

Okay, finally! Time for the Beer-Braised Short Ribs!

Ingredients:

3-5 pounds English-style beef short ribs (about 5 to 8 ribs), trimmed of excess fat
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 pounds yellow onions, halved and sliced thin
2 tablespoons tomato paste
2 12-ounce bottles dark beer, such as Newcastle Brown Ale (I used a fine German Beer, Beck's Dark :))
2 tablespoons Minute Tapioca
2 or 3 bay leaves
2 teaspoons minced fresh thyme leaves
2 tablespoons soy sauce
12 pitted prunes
3 tablespoons Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley leaves

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Chop the onions and mince your thyme and parsley.

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Season the ribs with salt and pepper. Heat oil in a skillet over medium-high heat until just smoking. Add the ribs, meaty side down, and cook until well browned, about 5 minutes. Turn each rib on one side and cook until well browned, about 1 minute. Repeat with remaining sides.

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Transfer the ribs to the slow-cooker insert, arranging them meaty side down.

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Pour off most of the fat from the skillet, but leaving maybe a teaspoon left over. Add butter and reduce the heat to medium.

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When the butter has melted, add onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until well browned, about 25 to 30 minutes.

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Stir in tomato paste and cook, coating the onions with tomato paste until the paste begins to brown, about 5 minutes.

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Stir in the beer, bring to simmer, and cook, scraping browned bits from the pan bottom with a wood spoon, until the foaming subsides, about 5 minutes.

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Remove the skillet from the heat, and stir in tapioca, bay leaves, 1 teaspoon thyme, soy sauce and prunes. Transfer to the slow-cooker insert.

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Set the slow cooer on low, cover, and cook until the ribs are fork-tender, 10 to 11 hourse. You can also cook them on high for 4 to 5 hours if you wish.

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5 hours later:

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When finished, transfer the ribs to a baking dish, and strain the liquid into a bowl. Cover and refridgerate for at least 8 hours or up to 2 days.

The only way to remove the fat from the braising liquid is to prepare this recipe a day or two before you want to serve it. Luckily, the short ribs actually taste better if cooked in advance and then reheated in the defatted braising liquid.

After being in the fridge, you'll be able to scrape off the hardened fat from the braising liquid easily with a spoon.

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Reheat the ribs in the braising liquid in a covered pot over medium heat for about 20 minutes.

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Take out the ribs, and whisk in the dijon, and the rest of the thyme. Season with salt and pepper.

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Pour the sauce over the ribs, and garnish with parsley. Done! You can pass the remaining sauce separately, as some people might like more sauce than others.

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I seem to have been having problems taking close ups with my camera, lately. I'm going to have to try and figure out what the problem is, because it's starting to annoy me. Sorry the close-ups have been a bit blurry as of late.

Tomorrow I'll be making a Polish/Slovak dish, haluski (or halušky).
 

OnkelC

Hail to the Chef
heavy liquid, that looks hearty, thanks for sharing. I never knew of Beck's Dark ale, they should start to import that to Germany. No, wait...:lol

I am looking forward to the halusky, is it the dish with noodles, bacon, sour cream and sheep cheese?


The preparation of the spätzle yesterday was somehow disastrous, I will go into more detail when I return from work, but this is how they turned out:
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Scrow

Still Tagged Accordingly
heh, this is the exact same colander i have

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i wish i had something more worthwhile to add :(
 

tnw

Banned
i was wondering around Muji(rushi) last night, and found a package of chili I wanted to make, cuz it was cheap.

silly me forgot that I would have to soak the kidney beans over night. I went ahead and boiled them anyway, and they turned out okay. a little crunchy (and I was a little gassy the next day), but good.

With super spicy and savory dishes, substituting crumbled tofu for ground meat works really well.

Boil beans for like an hour

sautee minced onions and crumbled tofu

drain beans and add to onions/tofu

add spices

simmer for 30 more minutes

Chili

(my parents would add corn to chili when I was growing up., )
 
ChryZ said:
I'm drooling like a waterfall! :lol

I'm so going to do that one.

:lol

Thanks for the comments, ChryZ and OnkleC!

Sorry to hear the spätzle turned out disastrous. It certainly looks pretty good to me from the pictures.

Here's the Wikipedia for Beck's Beer. Their brewery is in Bremen. It does say that they're a big exporter, which seems to make them known better internationally than nationally and has a taste more akin to other internationally marketed brands than to mainstream German beers. Still a pretty good beer!

Haluski is actually a very simple dish of small dumplings with sweet cabbage or sauerkraut. I'm sure there are many different variations, but this recipe was taught to me from my brother-in-law's grandmother who is Polish. It's a very tasty comfort food that's perfect for the winter.
 
For dinner last night I made Sloppy Joes. A lot of us here in the US had these when we were kids. It's a simple, tasty dish that qualifies as comfort food for me.

SLOPPY JOES
Taken from this recipe on Epicurious and tweaked a bit.

=====================
Ingredients:
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 onions, chopped
4 ribs celery, chopped
1 jalapeño pepper, diced
1 green bell pepper, diced
6 cloves crushed garlic
2 pounds ground beef
1 cup tomato sauce
3 tablespoons tomato paste
1/2 cup ketchup
1 teaspoon Tabasco sauce
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
2 teaspoons cider vinegar
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 teaspoons dry mustard

6 hamburger buns, toasted

Heat oil in large frying pan over medium heat. When oil is hot, add the onion, celery, jalapeño, and bell pepper. Cook until soft. Add the garlic and continue cooking for 3 or 4 minutes.

Increase heat to medium-high and add the ground beef to the skillet. Cook meat until browned (about 10 to 12 minutes). Season with salt and pepper.

Lower heat back to medium and add the tomato sauce, paste, ketchup, Tabasco, Worcestershire sauce, vinegar, brown sugar, and mustard. Cook, stirring, until the liquid is reduced and the mixture is thick (15 to 30 minutes).

Season with salt and pepper and serve on toasted hamburger buns. Put some mustard over the top and/or serve with pickles. We added a splash of hot sauce, too.
=====================

Pictures!

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The ingredients that I used. I didn't have any traditional tomato sauce, so I just used some leftoever pizza sauce that I had - pretty much the same thing. I was also out of Tabasco, so we used Frank's Hot Sauce instead. The beef was a 50/50 mix of lean (4% fat) and regular (20% fat).

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The diced onion, green pepper, celery, and jalapeños.

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Cooking the veggies over the stove. Add the garlic once the vegetables are soft.

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At this point, I realized that I couldn't brown the beef in the pan w/ the vegetables because of space constraints, so I just browned it in another pan. Season the beef with some salt and pepper.

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The sauce ingredients combined in a bowl before adding to the veggies and meat in the big pan.

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Combine it all and simmer for a while to blend the flavors. Check the seasonings and add whatever you feel is necessary. I added a bit more hot sauce because the jalapeño I used was somewhat weak. Once you're getting close to finishing, toast the hamburger buns.

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Put the meat mixture on a bun and serve it up! Condiments vary based on personal preference. I usually just have a little hot sauce with mine, but other people like yellow mustard (like my roommate here) or some pickles. You can eat them open faced or put it together like a burger. Enjoy!

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I also baked some cookies last night. Let me know if you want the recipe for that, as well. :)
 
Great looking sloppy joes, Cornballer! It's been a long time since I've had them. They were always a childhood favorite (is there any kid that doesn't like them?). I'm going to have to try out your recipe soon!

Okay, this recipe is for Egg Haluski (dumplings)

Like I said earlier, this recipe is from my brother-in-law's grandmother who is Polish. I've always enjoyed it at the family gatherings, and finally got the recipe from her.

2 eggs, well-beaten
3 cups flour
2 pounds sauerkraut
2 onions, sliced thin
1 stick butter

Mix 2 (well-beaten) eggs, 1/2 cup water, 3 cups water and 2 teaspoons salt.

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Cut the dough into little dumpling pieces.

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Drop the dough into a pot of boiling water.

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Cook uncovered for about 10 minutes, and then drain.

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Mix together 2 bags of sauerkraut, 2 onions (sliced thin), and saute together with 1/2 stick of butter until the onions are brown.

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Add the other 1/2 stick of butter, and cook until all the water has evaporated (about 20-25 minutes).

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Mix the dumplings with the sauerkraut mixture in the pot, and cook together for a minute.

Done!

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OnkelC

Hail to the Chef
Cornballer and heavy liquid, I am proud of you.

So, let me fail at yesterdays cooking.
It started out with these ingredients:
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500 grams (1lb and change) wheat flour,
four medium sized eggs,
two large onions,
a chunk of Emmental cheese,
some butter, salt, water (not pictured).

While preparing the dough, my long time companion "Kneading Hook" passed away:
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This was a major letdown for me, as this machine was a hand-down from one of my grandmothers. I got distracted for the following preparations.

When doing the onions, I was too generous with the sugar, resulting in a candy-like mass in the pan which I had to cook loose with some water:
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The dough was way too firm, resulting in a serious workout while scraping it in the boiling water:
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I was quite angry at that point, slapping the pasta and cheese together with an angry fist:
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And that's how it turned out after all:
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...

No cooking tonight, as I was following the Keynote.
 
Sorry to hear that you won't be cooking tonight, OnkleC. And sorry that you lost your kneading hook. :(

I was getting some pictures together in preparation for a future post, and ran across something that looks absolutely delicious! I suppose this would be a continuation of Let's Talk Hot Dogs!
I found this while looking up some info on my recent infatuation with authentic Mexican cuisine (ie-- NOT Taco Bell!).

A common street vendor food in Mexico is the bacon-wrapped hot dog. First of all, how can you go wrong? And second, how can you go wrong?

The hot dogs sliced lengthwise about halfway through and slathered with mayonnaise. The bacon is slightly pre-cooked, and then wrapped around it. The whole thing is then grilled on a flat top until the bacon is pretty crispy. The bun is then opened and more mayonnaise is spread inside and then grilled until it's toasty brown. The vegetables are then piled on--shredded cabbage, chopped onions, chopped tomatoes, jalapeños--and it's hit with some mustard and handed to you.

The fragrance of the hot dog and bacon sizzling together is apparently to die for. And from the pictures, it seems like they're right. I've got to try one of these! :)

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OnkelC

Hail to the Chef

OnkelC

Hail to the Chef
So, let's cook.
ChryZs' Loco Moco looked very intersting, so I tried an interpretation of the beef-gravy-rice-eggs thing.

These were the ingredients for me:
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1/2lb ground beef,
rice (I used parboiled long grain rice),
leftover emmental cheese from monday,
2 eggs,
some white vinegar,
teriyaki sauce and ketchup (not pictured).

Preparation is simple, cook the rice, spice the beef and fry it (I did it witout additional oil or fat this time):

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When the rice is done, put it in a bowl, add vinegar to taste, grate the cheese, place half of it on top of the rice, add the beef and the rest of the cheese, then spice it with a bit of teriyaki sauce:
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Finish Line:
Cover the bowl with a plate so the cheese will melt and prepare the eggs:
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Finish Line:
Place the eggs on the rice/patty and finish off with some ketchup:
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DONE!
Serve hot and enjoy:
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Tastes great, preparation is fast and painless and the dish is cheap and filling. Good choice for a wednesday evening.

Feel free to comment.
 
Nice work on the Moco Loco, Onkel. Looks tasty - I think cheese makes everything better. It reminds me that I still haven't used ChryZ's recipe yet, but I should get to it soon. I have a copy sitting in my cookbook at home.

I had completely missed heavy liquid's beer-braised short ribs recipe before, too. That looks amazing. Might be all the motivation I need to go and get a slow cooker. :)

It looks like all eating out and leftovers for the next few days for me, but I'll post something when I cook again.
 
ThatCrazyGuy said:
I live in Southern Cali and get those bacon wrapped hotdogs all the time. Peppers and mayo and bacon, mmmmm, f'n good.

I'm so jealous. I'm going to try making them at home... maybe this weekend or next.

Looks like a great variation of ChryZ's Loco Moco, OnkelC. Glad that tonight's dinner was better. :)

Thanks, Cornballer. You really should get a slow-cooker. It's a nice piece of equipment to have, and there are some great recipes for it. Not only that, but they're fairly cheap, and many of the recipes not only turn out delicious, but they're very easy to prepare.

Tonight was Brown Sugar Meat Loaf

Unfortunately I don't have pictures of most of the initial preparation. But I'll describe it as best I can.

Meatloaf isn't difficult to make, but there area a couple of small steps that can be taken to make it even better. First, use a mix of meats. A mixture of beef, pork and veal give the loaf a round, meaty flavor. This can sometimes be found at the market labeled as "meatloaf mix". Also select the right binders. Cracker crumbs and breadcrumbs add a nice texture and don't mask the flavor of the meat.

Ingredients:

3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1/2 cup ketchup
1 pound lean ground beef
1 pound ground pork
1/2 pound ground veal
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 cup milk, plus extra if needed
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 small onion, chopped
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
2 teaspoons Worcestershire
1/4 teaspoon Tabasco
1/3 cup minced fresh parsley
4 teaspoons cider vinegar
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
3/4 cup finely crushed saltine crackers or 1 1/3 cups fresh breadcrumbs

Adjust the oven rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 350 degrees. heat the oil in the skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add the onion and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and thyme and cook until fragrant, about 15 seconds. Set aside to cool for 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, mix together the ketchup, 1/4 cup brown sugar, and vinegar and set aside. In a separate bowl, mix the eggs, milk, mustard, Worcestershire, salt, pepper, and Tabasco together.

Mix the meatloaf mix, crackers, parsley, sauteed onion mixture, and egg mixture until evenly blended and the mixture doesn't stick to the bowl (if the mixture sticks, add additional milk, a tablespoon at a time, until it no longer sticks).

Press 1/2 cup brown sugar in the bottom of the prepared loaf pan and spread the ketchup over the sugar. Place the mixture into the loaf pan.

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Cover with foil and place in the oven.

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I forgot to place a pan underneath the pan, but this is a necessary step, in case the meatloaf bubbles over. Bake it for 1 hour, or until the juices are clear. Remove from the oven, and let cool for 20 minutes before slicing and serving. I usually can't wait. :)

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The finished product actually looks much better in person, smells even better, and tastes the best!
 
wow...all of these recipes are amazing. i will definitely have to try heavy liquid's beef-braised short ribs in the slow cooker (i did a variation of baby back ribs in the last thread) and onkelc's moco loco.

...and the hot dogs wrapped in bacon...and the meatloaf...ARGH so much cooking to be done!

i will try to add in the near future some more asian cuisine, like REAL chinese fried rice and potstickers...be prepared!

on a side note: had a lovely fondue (will post pics later) which consisted of emmenthaler and gruyere, with a little bit of sherry. served with a lettuce of grape tomatoes and avocado and homemade mustard dressing. tasty with baguette slices and apples.
 
smirkrevenge said:
wow...all of these recipes are amazing. i will definitely have to try heavy liquid's beef-braised short ribs in the slow cooker (i did a variation of baby back ribs in the last thread) and onkelc's moco loco.

...and the hot dogs wrapped in bacon...and the meatloaf...ARGH so much cooking to be done!

i will try to add in the near future some more asian cuisine, like REAL chinese fried rice and potstickers...be prepared!

on a side note: had a lovely fondue (will post pics later) which consisted of emmenthaler and gruyere, with a little bit of sherry. served with a lettuce of grape tomatoes and avocado and homemade mustard dressing. tasty with baguette slices and apples.

Thanks, and looking forward to your pics and recipes. ChryZ has a lot of fantastic asian recipes, but the more the better, as far as I'm concerned.

I'm also looking forward to your fondue. It seems to be coming back in style recently, and I wouldn't mind trying it out. There's a restaraunt called The Melting Pot that opened recently near me that's based on fondue and a bit pricey (but doing amazingly well!):

http://www.meltingpot.com//index.htm

I've also been to a few Chinese "Hot Pot" fondue restaurants which were excellent. I think the place I I like the best was in Toronto (Scarborough): Flavor King Szechuan Hot Pot Restaurant, at 4186 Finch Ave East, Unit 22. It's incredibly authentic, and spicy. Friends that have all lived in China for more than 3 years have said that bar none it's the best in Toronto (and they make the trip down the DVP pretty much every weekend for it - they are addicted). Medium is crazy spicy, mouth numbing, with a base of chicken stock, loaded with peppers and sichuan peppercorns.
 

OnkelC

Hail to the Chef
Thanks to the all of you, it's good to see that the nightshift never fails to amaze :).

The cheese fondue variant sounds interesting, I would like to see it.

We had some "Fleischfondue" (meat fondue) for christmas, where cubes of beef and pork fillet are deep fried at the table and served with various dips and relishes; if there is interest, I'll post some pics of it later today.

The meatloaf looks awesome, too, some people over here call the dish "falscher Hase" (aka "Faux rabbit"), which is one of the unsolved mysteries of dish nomenclature. It is interesting to see ground veal used in it, which is generally uncommon in Germany. It should add a nice texture and taste to the dish, maybe I'll try to make some ground veal myself when the new mixer arrives.

Again, thanks to the all of you and keep it coming! I am still looking forward to seeing more fast food pictures btw.
 

Flynn

Member
heavy liquid said:
I've also been to a few Chinese "Hot Pot" fondue restaurants which were excellent. I think the place I I like the best was in Toronto (Scarborough): Flavor King Szechuan Hot Pot Restaurant, at 4186 Finch Ave East, Unit 22. It's incredibly authentic, and spicy. Friends that have all lived in China for more than 3 years have said that bar none it's the best in Toronto (and they make the trip down the DVP pretty much every weekend for it - they are addicted). Medium is crazy spicy, mouth numbing, with a base of chicken stock, loaded with peppers and sichuan peppercorns.

My favorite hot pot is Japanese Shabu Shabu. Beef + Ponzu sauce is heaven.

I also have eaten my share of bacon-wrapped dogs in Los Angeles. One of the guys told me that he froze the dogs with the bacon wrapped around them to help them keep their shape during the course of the day.

Los Angeles street meat is fascinating. Some guys jury rig hot dog carts by placing a simple metal baking tray over a gas flame, sometimes strapped to a cheap luggage cart with wood strapped to the sides. These guys are unlicensed and move fast, hitting bus stops and subway stations to feed commuters. So neat.
 

ChryZ

Member
Woah, such great cooking action. Props to you guys!

OnkelC, I'm glad you liked Loco Moco. Nice variation. No gravy though? The pan glaze from browning the meat got such an awesome beef flavour, "capitalise" on it! Some teriyaki sauce to deglaze the pan, some ketchup ... voilá beef gravy :lol
 

OnkelC

Hail to the Chef
ChryZ said:
Woah, such great cooking action. Props to you guys!

OnkelC, I'm glad you liked Loco Moco. Nice variation. No gravy though? The pan glaze from browning the meat got such an awesome beef flavour, "capitalise" on it! Some teriyaki sauce to deglaze the pan, some ketchup ... voilá beef gravy :lol

No pan glaze due to experimental use of teflon pan and no oil for frying :(
 

jman2050

Member
Sorry, no fancy pictures or original recipes here. I stole mine directly from Good Eats, with a few minor changes. So consider this sort of a repost. The dish we're cooking today is extremely easy (well, unless you bought block cheese instead of grated cheese), extremely popula, and though not nearly as 'professional' as some recipes here, is sure to satisfy anyone with a comfort food fetish. I present...

Stove Top Macaroni and Cheese

(Maybe I'll post pictures later, when I do this dish again)

-------------------------
Ingredients
-------------------------

1/2 pound elbow macaroni
4 tablespoons butter
2 eggs
3/4 cup evaporated milk
1 tsp of salt
black pepper
3/4 teaspoon dry mustard
10 ounces mild cheddar, shredded

Cook the elbow macaroni until al dente. I'm still not sure if I ever got the 'al dente' part right in all the times I've attempted this recipe, but the result is awesome anyway, so I don't worry too much about it. Anyway, cook it, drain it, wash it with cold water, then return to the pot at low heat. Mix in the butter and coat the macaroni. Now, if you're REALLY in a hurry, you can stop right here and enjoy a nice pot of buttered noodles, but that's a bit boring, isn't it? :p

In another bowl, whisk the eggs and the milk together. As an aside, DO NOT USE REGULAR MILK IN THIS RECIPE. Believe me, I tried. The consistecy of regular milk in this dish is watery and rather disgusting. Use evaporated milk, even if you have to make your own (just take 1 1/2 cups of milk and reduce it by half. It's not the most economical solution, but when you're in a bind, it's the best choice available). The consistency will be much better, believe me. Anyway, now's the time to put in your choice of spices. I'm not too much of a seasonings person, so salt pepper and mustard suffice for me, but feel free to use whatever you like at this point. The original recipe called for hot sauce, but I don't like the kick it gives it. I like my mac and cheese tasty but soft in its flavor. This is the reason I use mild cheddar instead of sharp cheddar like the orignal recipe says.

Anyway, after you mix in the milk, eggs, and seasonings, put it straight into the low heat pot of macaroni, and mix away. You'll know you did it right if the mixture coats the macaroni nice and thickly. You should expect some liquidness in the mixture, but that'll be taken cared of when we add...

...mild cheddar cheese. I prefer mine freshly grated. It seems to taste fresher than buying already grated cheese from the market, but then again, I doubt many can taste the difference anyway. Mix in the cheese, and stir until melted over low heat. Should take no more than 2 minutes if you used a fine grater. Add in any extra salt or pepper if you so desire, and serve. Nothing fancy, just a plain old favorite that's quick to make and absolutely delicious. And the best part? Mac and cheese made like this absolutely FANTASTIC as leftovers. Just microwave for a minute or so and bask in the gooeyness. You'll never eat from the box again :)
 
jman2050: I also prefer to shred my own cheese whenever possible. I usually do, unless I'm in a rush. Shredded cheese and cheese cubes are coated with a specific anticaking additive. It prevents it from clumping together during further processing, packing, storage. Not only do I think it affects the taste of it, but also the texture and how it melts.

Oh, and thanks for the recipe. I've tried a couple other mac and cheese recipes that also called for evaporated milk. Those were oven-baked recipes though. They all say it improves the consistency and texture, like you mentioned.

Flynn: I think I've only tried Japanese Shabu Shabu once, but loved it. I need to go back. I wish I had more street vendors where I live that sold things like the bacon hot dogs. *sigh*

Nothing from me tonight, as I'm going to a friend's house tonight. I have some pictures ready for something else I wanted to talk about, but forgot to upload them this morning. Maybe tomorrow.
 

ChryZ

Member
So I've tried something new and it turned out great, enjoy:

Gan Bian Ji
(dry-fried chicken)

main ingredients

1 X big chicken breast (sliced)
1 CUP celery (sliced)
1/2 CUP scallion (sliced)
1/2 CUP leek (sliced)
1 CUP cooked rice
3 TBSP peanut oil
4 TBSP rice wine

marinade ingredients

1 TSP soy sauce
1 TSP rice wine
1 TSP starch

sauce ingredients

1 TBSP peanut oil
1 TBSP hoisin sauce
1 TBSP rice wine
2 TBSP chili flakes, powder or whole dried ones
1 TSP whole szechuan peppercorns
1 TSP sambal olek
1 TSP sesame oil
1 TSP dark soy sauce
1 TSP honey
1 TSP dry garlic powder (fresh one would burn)

cucumber salad ingredients

1 X half cucumber
1/2 CUP minced scallion green
1/2 CUP minced leek green
2 TBSP soy sauce
2 TBSP light soy sauce
1 TBSP rice wine
1 TBSP veg oil
1 TSP rice wine vinegar
1 TSP chili flakes
1 TSP sesame oil
1 TSP honey

coleslaw ingredients

1 X half white cabbage (shredded)
2 TBSP veg oil
2 TBSP rice wine vinegar
1 TSP soy sauce
1/2 TSP honey or sugar
1 TSP salt and pepper (more or less)
1 TSP sesame oil (pressed from roasted seeds, the dark one)
1 TSP black sesame

no pics of the coleslaw prep, just shred the cabbage and mix with the other ingredients,
best done a couple of hours in advance, the coleslaw needs some time to develop its full flavour

slice the chicken and marinate with marinade ingredients while prep'ing the rest

ground szechuan peppercorns and mix with the remaining sauce ingredients,
(this recipe is quite mild, add more heat with more sambal olek, szechuan pepper or chili flakes)

quarter the cucumber into bit-sized chunks and dress with remaining cucumber salad ingredients

Gan_Bian_Ji_01.jpg


add peanut oil to pan/wok and crank up the heat until it's smoking, then add the sliced chicken

Gan_Bian_Ji_02.jpg


brown the chicken, no need to cook it all the way through at this point

Gan_Bian_Ji_03.jpg


add sliced celery and stir-fry for a moment

Gan_Bian_Ji_04.jpg


remove from the burner and add the sauce to the pan

(adding the sauce at full heat is dangerous, it will burn quickly, too quickly)

Gan_Bian_Ji_05.jpg


stir well and return to medium-high heat

Gan_Bian_Ji_06.jpg


stir-fry until almost dry, then add the sliced leek/scallion

Gan_Bian_Ji_07.jpg


dry-fry a bit further, but don't wilt the greens too much, then add a small drizzle of rice wine,
just enough to deglaze the pan (2-4 TBSP at most), stir while it's vaporizing, this will
transform the pan-glaze to a chicken-glaze

Gan_Bian_Ji_08.jpg


serve right away with rice, cucumber salad and black-sesame-garnished coleslaw




some of the pics are a little blurred, everything had to be done hasty ... so think of it as motion-blur :p
 

OnkelC

Hail to the Chef
jman2050, thank you for sharing this one fine recipe. I have to admit that I knew nothing about the secrets of mac and cheese before NeoGAF, but I am learning every day ;)

ChryZ, deelicious as always! But I wonder why you didn't use a wok for preparation, it would be perfectly suited for fast stir-frying. Have you tried a real cheap one? They are usually the best.

I made some Apple pancakes tonight, but used some more sparkling water for the preparation (250ml instead of 125ml) to get the dough more crepe-ish. They turned out fine IMHO:
smallCIMG4395.jpg


smallCIMG4396.jpg
 

ChryZ

Member
Thanks slidewinder. Give it a shot, cooking is fun.

OnkelC said:
But I wonder why you didn't use a wok for preparation, it would be perfectly suited for fast stir-frying. Have you tried a real cheap one? They are usually the best.
I don't own a wok. I thought about it, but with with electric burners it's kinda lame.
Some day I'm going to buy a high-btu gass burner and then a wok will make sense:

burner.jpg


:lol
 

ChryZ

Member
Cornballer said:
Very niiiiiice, how much? :lol That looks like a jet engine.
Around $150. It's on medium setting in that pic btw. The burner peaks at 120.000-125.000 BTUs. It's from some Thai brand.
 

OnkelC

Hail to the Chef
ChryZ said:
Around $150. It's on medium setting in that pic btw. The burner peaks at 120.000-125.000 BTUs. It's from some Thai brand.

HELLFIRE!
you can also forge the knives in that if they get scarred:lol
 
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