Foodgasms

tortoise said:

Exactly. We have decent places galore, so the urge to tackle it has never been overwhelming, but the thought of an all day affair, especially as the aromas start to deepen and waft about, is not a deterrent. There are times when I'm looking for just such a labor of love. Definitely not something I would do often, though, maybe not even more than once. My favorite things to cook do tend to be things that I just can't find dining out, at least not quality examples thereof. That's one of the reasons I've never tried to make Thai, Indian, or Szechuan food. I absolutely love all of the above, but I seriously doubt I could produce better results than the people who have it in their blood. It's also an equipment issue. I don't have a tandoor, nor a stove that can produce enough BTUs to really make a wok sing. Ditto the wood oven pizza issue. I have no problem leaving certain things up to people with the expertise and the proper tools.

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i've made it for dinner parties.

i have to admit, though, that i got a bit disgruntled when a guest said something to the effect of: "chocolate and chicken. how -- unusual." a deflating comment indeed.

just make certain you've got a good sous chef if you decide to.

i keep looking at green eggs as a type of tandoori oven substitute. couldn't do naan on it, but i can't help but think that it would provide a similar heat.

CrackerjackHrt said:

i've made it for dinner parties.

i have to admit, though, that i got a bit disgruntled when a guest said something to the effect of: "chocolate and chicken. how -- unusual." a deflating comment indeed.

just make certain you've got a good sous chef if you decide to.

i keep looking at green eggs as a type of tandoori oven substitute. couldn't do naan on it, but i can't help but think that it would provide a similar heat.

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Hah! "Unusual." Heathens! Take the mental blinders off your taste buds, set aside your preconceived notions, and just taste.

Oh yes, I covet a BGE something fierce. I'd be a detriment to the air quality of SoCal with the amount of hickory and mesquite smoke I'd be producing every weekend. I agree that it could probably heat up to tandoori levels.

CrackerjackHrt said:

persephone's feast.

that looks wonderful.

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It was! It was very good and easy to make. The yogurt sauce was surprisingly wonderful.

rosco rathbone said:

Now, usually I'm put off by weird combos like pomagranite and chicken, seems "yuppie fusion" to me, but that looks good.

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You know I'll cook for you again if you're ever in the region.

tortoise said:

Exactly. We have decent places galore, so the urge to tackle it has never been overwhelming, but the thought of an all day affair, especially as the aromas start to deepen and waft about, is not a deterrent. There are times when I'm looking for just such a labor of love. Definitely not something I would do often, though, maybe not even more than once. My favorite things to cook do tend to be things that I just can't find dining out, at least not quality examples thereof. That's one of the reasons I've never tried to make Thai, Indian, or Szechuan food. I absolutely love all of the above, but I seriously doubt I could produce better results than the people who have it in their blood. It's also an equipment issue. I don't have a tandoor, nor a stove that can produce enough BTUs to really make a wok sing. Ditto the wood oven pizza issue. I have no problem leaving certain things up to people with the expertise and the proper tools.

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you need to come make pizza in my wood oven!

Hester said:

you need to come make pizza in my wood oven!

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Yes, yes I do! You have a beautiful specimen. There are so many other things that are delicious when done in a wood oven, too. The very BEST crusty bread, amazing gratins, all manner of roasted veggie delights... *salivating*

tortoise said:

Yes, yes I do! You have a beautiful specimen. There are so many other things that are delicious when done in a wood oven, too. The very BEST crusty bread, amazing gratins, all manner of roasted veggie delights... *salivating*

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i'll have you and a few others in here over for a woody night!

Hester said:

i'll have you and a few others in here over for a woody night!

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*sporting wood*

Heh.

That sounds like so much fun!

My friend is under the weather so I'm making her a batch of chicken soup. My secret is fresh lemon zest.

Rambling Rose said:

My friend is under the weather so I'm making her a batch of chicken soup. My secret is fresh lemon zest.

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Oh, I'm making soup now. I've been simmering the stock all day. I usually stick half a lemon in there. What else do you put in yours?

Here's how I do it:

Whole black peppercorns, 2-3 cloves smashed garlic, thyme, rosemary, lemon zest, 2 salty little cubes of chicken bouillon, celery, onion and carrots.

I put four skin-on chicken leg quarters (I used to use only breast meat but I prefer the flavor and richness of dark meat after experimenting) in a base of prepackaged chicken broth. Throw in the above to taste (I use 4 carrots and three stalks of celery, one onion quartered per 4 aseptic boxes of broth), then simmer gently for 45 minutes - after 45 minutes cover your stockpot and let it rest off the heat for an hour - then drain into another stockpot. After salting and nibbling the veggies out of the strainer (I can't resist the carrots), I peel and dice 3 more carrots and 3-4 celery stalks and boil them in the strained stock for 25 minutes. Then I add half a bag of extra wide egg noodles (I buy Muellers) and continue cooking for 12 minutes. While noodles are cooking, I remove the chicken meat from it's carcass and add it to the individual bowls (not the soup) before serving.

This is how my mama taught me and I thank her for it. It cures what ails you.

That sounds very yummy, Rosita.

I tend to make my stock from leftover roasted chicken carcasses (or, if 'tis the season, turkey). I freeze them until I have a quantity sufficient for a huge potful, then simmer them for hours with mire poix, whole peppercorns, a couple bay leaves, and some flatleaf parsley. Sometimes, I'll add a diced celery root.

Cauliflower Spanish Tortilla

• 1 large head of cauliflower, washed and cut into 1/8" slices
• 1 medium onion, diced
• few tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• salt and pepper, to taste
• 12 large eggs

Scramble the eggs in a large mixing bowl and set aside. Saute the onions and cauliflower in the olive oil in a 10 inch nonstick omelette pan until the onions are translucent and the cauliflower tender and browned (but not mushy), stirring and/or flipping regularly. Fold the cooked vegetable mixture into the eggs until fully combined, bring the omelette pan back up to medium low heat, then transfer the egg mixture back to the pan, leveling it with a spatula if necessary. Cook over low heat until the egg starts to set at the sides (but still wet in the middle), then put the pan under the broiler until the top is set. Let stand for 5 minutes in the pan to ensure that it is set, then invert and transfer to a cutting board. Cut into 16 wedges. Can be served warm or room temperature as an excellent tapas (or with a small green salad for a light lunch). Slightly less traditional than the potato version, but I actually prefer the complex flavor of the caramelized cauliflower.

I can't cook worth shit but went to a restaurant today and had Baileys Creme Brulee for dessert at it WAS TO DIE FOR! I was oohing and aahing all over the place.

Found this recipe on the net, dunno how much it differs from what I had today, (see, I'm no cook!) but it's worth a try.

Bailey's Crème Brulee

Serves: 12 - 6 oz servings

I N G R E D I E N T S
6 1/2 cups whipping cream
1 cup Bailey's
12 egg yolks
1 cup sugar
2 tablespoons vanilla

I N S T R U C T I O N S
Warm whipping cream and Bailey's over a double boiler. In a separate bowl, mix together egg yolks, sugar, and vanilla. Slowly add the warm cream mixture to the yolk mixture, stirring constantly. Pour mixture into individual soufflé cups and put soufflé cups into a 2" deep pan. Fill the pan with warm water and cover with foil. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes or until set in the center. Don't over-cook, or eggs will curdle. Remove from oven and let cool. These will keep in the fridge for three days.

For the topping, mix equal parts brown and white sugar, then cover the tops of the custards. Cook under the broiler until caramelized.

~Fata Morgana~ said:

I can't cook worth shit but went to a restaurant today and had Baileys Creme Brulee for dessert at it WAS TO DIE FOR! I was oohing and aahing all over the place.

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Hey you! I was so hoping that you would grace this thread. I've had (and loved) Kahlua brulees, but never a Bailey's one, and it sounds even better. Thank you for sharing.

I am going to repeat: this thread is NOT just for cooks! ALL foodgasms are more than welcome, whether you prepare them or simply indulge in them. Whether you're a gourmet, a gourmand, or just someone who loves good food, ALL are welcome here.

That chicken broth recipe looked solid.

Re above conversation---I've known a lot of young yuppies of my socioeconomic background that tried to cook the complicated Asian recipes and so on, and it never comes out. Some things you have to leave alone.

tortoise said:

Hey you! I was so hoping that you would grace this thread. I've had (and loved) Kahlua brulees, but never a Bailey's one, and it sounds even better. Thank you for sharing.

I am going to repeat: this thread is NOT just for cooks! ALL foodgasms are more than welcome, whether you prepare them or simply indulge in them. Whether you're a gourmet, a gourmand, or just someone who loves good food, ALL are welcome here.

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I love love love Baileys. Afterwards I had a Baileys latte. Then er...a few Baileys! I was pretty scuttered when I left the restuarant.

My friend, who is an amazing cook, tried one of Gordon Ramsay's recipes for Baileys bread and butter pudding. She said it was wonderful and boozy. Here's the recipe - Sarah is never wrong when it comes to food, so I trust her judgement even though I've never tried it myself.

Baguette and Butter Pudding Laced with Baileys

Gordon Ramsay's bread and butter pudding uses thin slices of French bread to allow the richness of the egg custard to come through. A good splash of Baileys cream liqueur takes this into the ethereal

Dish Details:




INGREDIENTS:

50g butter, softened
½ large French stick (about 150g, thinly sliced)
60g sultanas or dried cranberries, or a mixture of both
2 large free-range egg yolks
2 large free-range eggs
40g caster sugar
300ml double cream
300ml milk
4 tbsp Baileys cream liqueur, or more to taste
demerara sugar, to sprinkle.
3 tbsp apricot jam



PREPARATION:

1. Use a large knob of the butter to grease the sides of a 1.5 litre shallow ovenproof dish. Spread the bread slices with the remaining butter. Arrange the bread in the dish in overlapping layers, sprinkling the dried fruit between.
2. Beat the egg yolks, whole eggs and sugar together in a large bowl until creamy, then beat in the cream, milk and Baileys. Slowly pour this mixture over the bread.

3. Press the bread slices down gently with your fingers so they are completely submerged.

4. Leave to stand for about 20 minutes to allow the bread to soak up the custard. Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/gas mark 4.

5. Stand the dish in a roasting tin and surround with boiling water to come halfway up the sides of the dish. (A bain-marie is used to avoid overheating the custard, which otherwise might curdle.) Sprinkle with demerara sugar and bake for 40–50 minutes until golden. Shortly before this time is up, warm the apricot jam until runny.

6. Dab this glaze over the surface of the pudding and leave to stand for 15 minutes before serving. The custard will continue to cook and firm up during this time. Trickle a little more Baileys over each portion to serve if you like.




PREP/COOK
INFORMATION:

Prep time: 1 hour 20 minutes
Serves: 6

rosco rathbone said:

That chicken broth recipe looked solid.

Re above conversation---I've known a lot of young yuppies of my socioeconomic background that tried to cook the complicated Asian recipes and so on, and it never comes out. Some things you have to leave alone.

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Exactly. Some things you either have in your blood, or you don't. I know my limitations in the kitchen, and I'm perfectly comfortable staying within them.

~Fata Morgana~ said:

I love love love Baileys. Afterwards I had a Baileys latte. Then er...a few Baileys! I was pretty scuttered when I left the restuarant.

My friend, who is an amazing cook, tried one of Gordon Ramsay's recipes for Baileys bread and butter pudding. She said it was wonderful and boozy. Here's the recipe - Sarah is never wrong when it comes to food, so I trust her judgement even though I've never tried it myself.

Baguette and Butter Pudding Laced with Baileys

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Excellent! A good Bailey's scuttering is exactly what you needed, methinks.

I trust your faith in your friend's taste, I trust Ramsay, and, most of all, I trust the fact that my stomach just growled reading that recipe. Delicious!

Butter pudding. Those are some sexy words.

tortoise said:

Excellent! A good Bailey's scuttering is exactly what you needed, methinks.

I trust your faith in your friend's taste, I trust Ramsay, and, most of all, I trust the fact that my stomach just growled reading that recipe. Delicious!

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Nothing like a load of Baileys to dull the throbbing (in my thumb that is).

Oh and looking at my post up there, how wonderful to see the words 'Gordon Ramsay' and 'big knob' in one post.

I have many kitchen fantasies about that man that involve no cooking whatsoever. Some flogging with an egg whisk mind...but very little cooking.

*swoon*

Rambling Rose said:

Butter pudding. Those are some sexy words.

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Couldn't agree more. The title alone was enough to make my toes curl with lust.

~Fata Morgana~ said:

Nothing like a load of Baileys to dull the throbbing (in my thumb that is).

Oh and looking at my post up there, how wonderful to see the words 'Gordon Ramsay' and 'big knob' in one post.

I have many kitchen fantasies about that man that involve no cooking whatsoever. Some flogging with an egg whisk mind...but very little cooking.

*swoon*

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I have a whisk that would fit the bill very nicely, methinks. I'm no Ramsay, mind, but I can be pretty fucking snarly when I put my mind to it (and my back into it).

tortoise said:

I have a whisk that would fit the bill very nicely, methinks. I'm no Ramsay, mind, but I can be pretty fucking snarly when I put my mind to it.

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Excellent!

If I wear just a bib apron will you flog me about the thighs with it? Whip up me batter good and proper?

(Baileys makes me fiesty!)

~Fata Morgana~ said:

Excellent!

If I wear just a bib apron will you flog me about the thighs with it? Whip up me batter good and proper?

(Baileys makes me fiesty!)

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*growl*

Reading that, I can literally hear the sound of the whisk whooshing through the air and smacking against your delicate thigh flesh. Your light skin would look amazing with a nice pink flush to it.

(Huzzah for Bailey's! Nectar of the Gods and Godesses!)