Shelter At Home Cooking: Show Us Yours!

[frigilux]

My mom made rice "the Italian way" as she called it, which is similar to the method used for pasta. She'd stir rinsed white rice into a large volume of boiling, salted water, maintaining a boil and giving the rice a stir occasionally until done, then drain it through a mesh strainer.

I find Dan Souza's method produces rice with a better texture. He also goes into using the "knuckle method" to determine the amount of water to use, which I've heard of before, but I prefer the simplicity of the "add 1/2 cup water to account for evaporation" technique.

post was last edited: 8/23/2020-07:53]

 

[foraloysius]

The thing with rice is that it absorbs a lot of flavour. I have had a few times that I made a very flavourful Asian beef dish, but when I served it with rice, it's tasted as spectacular as when I tasted it. When I tried some without the rice, the full flavour came out again. I think this doesn't happen with pasta or potatoes. At least not as much. I'm trying to find a way to tackle this problem. Perhaps making pilav rice is an option?

 

[perc-o-prince]

Sarah Moulton saying how she had a problem cooking rice

I used to watch her and scratch my head because of a lot of the things she'd say/do. I used to say that the "secret" in "Sarah's Secrets" was that she didn't know how to cook!

2:1 here for rice as well. Bring to a boil, set the temp to the lowest setting, cover and come back 15 minutes later to test which depends on whether I want a bit of 'toothiness' for the dish it's accompanying. I use a heavy enameled cast iron pan. No mush.

Louis- maybe make the rice with broth so it already starts with good flavor and doesn't rob so much from the beef (or other) dish?

Chuck

 

[ea56]

Quick and Easy Rice Pilaf

with all the talk about rice I thought I’d share this easy recipe.

 

In a 10” skillet melt 2 tbs butter, add 1 finely diced carrot, 1/2 cup finely diced onion, 2 cloves garlic, minced, sauté over med heat until onions are golden and carrots tender, add pepper to taste.  

 

Meanwhile put 2 cups of water in a pyrex or plastic liquid measuring cup, add 2 tsp chicken bouillon powder or 2 chicken bouillon cubes and heat to boiling in MV oven.  Add 1 cup long grain white rice to the skillet and stir until rice becomes opaque, add the bouillon, reduce heat to simmer, cover and simmer for 15-20 mins.  You can also add parsley or thinly sliced fresh mushrooms to the vegetables while sautéing if you like.   I sometimes cut the amounts in half for fewer servings, or double for more.

 

Its very quick and easy and tastes great.

 

Eddie

[this post was last edited: 8/23/2020-14:27]

 

[foraloysius]

Thank you! I will try both methods!

 

[agiflow4]

I started using chicken broth about 30 years ago to cook the rice in. Was great at first but now I can't taste it anymore. Definitely can tell when I don't use it though.

 

[chachp]

Biscotti anyone?

 

<span style="font-family: helvetica;">Our Biscotti jar was empty.  What self respecting Italian has an empty Biscotti jar?</span>

 

[ea56]

Those are beautiful Biscotti Ralph.  They are a lot of work, but sure worth the effort.

 

I use a recipe that one of my customers gave me in 1981 when I was still doing hair.  She was an Italian lady named Alpha Bertolucci.  I still have the handwritten recipe on the scrap of paper Alpha wrote it on.

 

 Years later, when I was working for the Human Services Dept. one of my workers brought in some Biscotti that she had made.  I told Carmen that they tasted just like the ones I make.  She said they were her Auntie’s recipe.  I said, is your aunt’s name Alpha by any chance?  To which she replied yes.  Her aunt was the very same Alpha that gave me her recipe. It’s a small world.

 

Eddie

 

[appnut]

Wow Eddie. What a story!!!

 

[chachp]

Thank you.

 

<span style="font-family: helvetica;">I love that story too.  They are a lot of work but my niece turned me on to these Biscotti pans she bought and they are amazing.  You don't have to spend the time forming the loaves and all that.  You load the dough into the pans and bake.  Really speeds up the process.</span>

 

[chachp]

Eddie

 

<span style="font-family: helvetica;">With that much flour I'm guessing that recipe makes four "loaves"?  Does she consider a cube of butter to be a stick?  </span>

 

[ea56]

Thanks for the Tip Ralph!

Biscotti pans huh!  I’ll have to look for them. I’d make them more often if it was less work.  Also, Alpha used to make them with walnuts if she didn’t have almonds and they were good with the walnuts too.  She sprinkled sugar on the Biscotti before the second bake, and I make them this way too.  She didn’t include this detail on her handwritten recipe.

 

Eddie

 

[ea56]

Yep Ralph

four loaves. BTW, a “cube” of butter is old school Bay Area vernacular for a “stick” of butter.  Only us old timers still refer to butter as a “cube”.

 

 I like the old ways.  I still refuse to abbreviate California as CA, it will always be correctly abbreviated as Calif. in my book.

 

Eddie

 

[chachp]

Eddie

Eddie.

These are the ones I bought. They don’t stick either.

Ralph

https://www.amazon.com/USA-Pan-Bake...s&qid=1599429078&sprefix=biscotti+pans&sr=8-3

 

[ea56]

Thanks Ralph!

With the size of these pans I think Alpha’s recipe would make 3 loaves.  This is great tip!

Eddie

 

[frigilux]

Eddie- My pie crust bags finally arrived, two weeks late. I wound up purchasing both the 11" and 14" sizes of the Mrs. Anderson's brand at Bed, Bath and Beyond. Would like to find an 8" Pyrex pie plate. Will probably have to look on e-bay. Back at the house I had every size from 8"-12". Don't really miss the big ones, but should have kept the 8". Also: I enjoy seeing all your handwritten recipes. Using the Pepperplate app to keep recipes in the cloud is convenient, but they have no personality. Kept a couple of my mom's handwritten recipes. She never really learned to read/write English properly, so three-quarters of the words are in Italian, lol.

Ralph- Those biscotti look great! Haven't made them for years, but my mom made them all the time when I was growing up.

 

[ea56]

Ebay Eugene, Ebay

is the best place to buy the pie crust bags, much faster than Bed, Bath and Beyond.  I’ll bet you can find the 8” pie pan your looking for on ebay too.  I hope you find them as convenient as I do.  I got the 16” pie crust bag from BB and B, and it took way longer than ebay.  As it happens I prefer the 14” bag, works well with a standard 9” pyrex pie pan.  I’m continuing to experiment with pie crusts made with oil. One thing I’ve learned is that with this type of crust its better to build up less of an edge as this type of crust isn’t as tender as shortening made crust and keeping the edge smaller works better flavor wise.

 

It makes me happy to know that you enjoy the handwritten recipes I share.  There is something comforting about having these bits of my culinary history to pull out for reference. I make notations of what works and what doesn’t, they are sometimes a work in progress.

 

Eddie

 

[mattl]

From time to time I think of scanning all the handwritten recipes I have and use all the time. But I much prefer pulling out to binders and working from them, something about the connection to the past makes me feel a part of the history.Plus most are written in my mother's impeccable handwriting, mine is illegible at best.I do put sticky notes all over them with updates I've made.

 

[chachp]

Thank you Eugene

 

<span style="font-kerning: none;">I also use a cloud based recipe app.  I wish I could scan in my handwritten recipes and store them that way but it doesn't offer that option that I've seen.  I can scan them and it will convert the handwritten version to text.  I can use the scan as a picture within the recipe but not the whole recipe itself.  I think that would be a good enhancement and I may suggest it because at least they could be organized by type, etc.  They are generally pretty responsive to enhancements like these.</span>

<span style="font-kerning: none;"> </span>

<span style="font-kerning: none;">As far as using handwritten recipes I have a tip to pass along.  I know this isn't anything new.  I'm sure millions have done this but for some reason I never thought about it until last week when I was organizing.  I put a command clip on the cabinet door and clip the recipe there.  I don't have to pick it up with dirty hands and its out of the way of a lot of splatters.</span>

 

<span style="font-kerning: none;">We have been on a mission here to get the house better organized.  I have been working on a “baking station” so to speak in my kitchen and as I was putting up hooks to hold measuring cups and spoons I thought why not a clip for the recipe.</span>

 

[ea56]

Thanks Ralph

for the great tip about using a hanging clip tp secure handwritten recipes for reading them while cooking or baking!  I’m going to get a clip out for this purpose.

 

Eddie

 

[perc-o-prince]

Tonight's dessert out of my trusty cast-iron pan and made with fresh pineapple. I used a bit of the pineapple liqueur I made last fall in the butter/brown sugar mix instead of pineapple juice like Fannie Farmer calls for. Made one of these last weekend for company with the FF recipe for the cake as well. I used a boxed yellow cake mix this time but added vanilla and subbed pineapple liquor for 1/2 the water.

Chuck

 

[perc-o-prince]

Chicken, penne rigate, portobello, tomato and basil in a light Romano sauce. Dessert was the pineapple upside-down cake shown above with a little of the pineapple liqueur I made in the spring on the side.

Chuck

 

[agiflow4]

Chuck that chicken & pasta dish looks absolutely delicious. I'll have to try this.

 

[revvinkevin]

About 2 weeks ago, inspired by a post I saw on another site, I decided to try roasting a whole head of cauliflower. Normally cauliflower is not one of my “go to“ vegetables, but I figured what the heck. I found this other recipe that sounded more appealing flavor wise than just a plain roasted head of cauliflower. Seasoned with a mixture of basil, parsley, thyme, minced garlic, grated Parmesan cheese and S&P in some olive oil, it was pretty tasty!

Kevin

 

[chachp]

That really looks good

 

<span style="font-family: helvetica;">I'm not a huge cauliflower fan but that looks like something I would like.   How did you roast it?</span>

 

[perc-o-prince]

Patrick,

And it's easy too! I cooked the pasta until almost done, and drained it. I cooked the chicken separately, then the veggies except the tomatoes. Sat those aside then a little oil and garlic in the pan to sweat. Then a little flour, brown slightly, and add chicken broth until a loose sauce forms. Add Romano to taste, whisking it in, until the desired flavor/thickness. Add more broth or Romano as needed. Pop everything back into the pan to combine, warm through until hot, and just cook the tomatoes a little. Serve with chiffonade of basil and more cheese on the side.

When I've made this just for me I add red pepper flakes to the oil. Rich doesn't like the heat they give so I leave them out when making it for 2.

Chuck

 

[revvinkevin]

Ralph, I roasted the cauliflower in my recently installed, (5 year old), Miele Combi Steam Oven! This is A regular convection oven that will do everything a regular oven will do, roast, bake, broil, etc. but can also add from 0% up to 100% steam at temps up to 435°F! I love it so far and have been using it a lot. Now I just have to find the time to try baking bread or making NY style bagels in it (steam first, then bake).

BTW, I cooked the cauliflower @ 375°F with 60% steam for 35 mins. The regular recipe called for cooking @ 400°F for 35 to 45 minutes covered Dutch oven, then removing the lid and brown under the broiler for 10 minutes more.



post was last edited: 9/25/2020-13:06]

 

[foraloysius]

Shepherd's pie, Brussels sprouts and the Hellman's curry sauce after a recipe from an old ad that Louis posted a few years ago. This time I made the curry sauce a bit thicker.

 

[combo52]

An Almost Home Made Apple Pie

In just under 30 minutes from start to out of the oven.

 

A variety of 6-7 large apples, 2 Ts flour, 1 ts cinnamon dash of nutmeg, 1/3 C sugar, 1/3 C stevia sweetener 2 Ts organic Coconut  oil .

 

One  pie crust that you roll out and a Corning ware pie dish.

 

Oven preheated to 425 F, and bake Microwave power high [ approximately 700 watts ] for 8-10 minutes, check at 8 minutes.

 

It was good, the apples still have a nice texture, crust was flakey, Todd and I took a nice chunk out of it last night along with home made vanilla  ice cream.

John 

 

[foraloysius]

Melanzane alla Parmigiana

It was still bubbling along the sides when I took the picture but you can't really see that.