What's Cooking?

[Aurora Black]

This thread is dedicated to Abs, who's an admitted Food Network junkie. So was I (God, I miss the Iron Chef), and since you can't get FN over here without an ultra-expensive satellite, I'm starting this thread.

This is what's cooking right now at Chez Aurora: Beef stew. Yummy.

I've chopped the beef into cubes and put them to boil in plain water until they're soft. When the meat is tender, the vegetables and spices will go in: Cubed potatoes, chopped carrots, diced onion, celery, salt, pepper... and of course, a soup ladle of olive oil.

Everything will boil together until the potatoes and carrots get soft, add some good bread and it'll be time for lunch.

 

[lil_elvis]

This thread is dedicated to Abs, who's an admitted Food Network junkie. So was I (God, I miss the Iron Chef), and since you can't get FN over here without an ultra-expensive satellite, I'm starting this thread.

This is what's cooking right now at Chez Aurora: Beef stew. Yummy.

I've chopped the beef into cubes and put them to boil in plain water until they're soft. When the meat is tender, the vegetables and spices will go in: Cubed potatoes, chopped carrots, diced onion, celery, salt, pepper... and of course, a soup ladle of olive oil.

Everything will boil together until the potatoes and carrots get soft, add some good bread and it'll be time for lunch.

Sounds yummy. I'm just getting the first coffee of the day.

When the weather turns cold, nothing beats a good braise (stew, coq au vin, osso buco, beef burgundy, etc.)

'Scuse me, gotta wipe this drool off the keyboard

 

[dr_mabeuse]

If you brown the beef first in olive oil and a little bacon fat for richness, and then cook the stew in a dark beer with a lot of onions and mushrooms (pound of meat, pound of onions, pound of mushrooms) and a little thyme and bay leaf, you get Beef Carbonnade or Flammonde or something like that. It's a rich and terribly masculine dish, and tastes like musk and the woods and testosterone.

I make dumplings to put on top and soak up the gravy, and even the dumplings come out butch. That and some warm French bread and a bottle of burgundy used to be my instant seduction dish. I've seen women's eyes glaze over when they taste it, and I don't think it's ever failed, even when I burned it a little.

Don't even bother with dessert.

--Zoot

 

[Aurora Black]

If you brown the beef first in olive oil and a little bacon fat for richness, and then cook the stew in a dark beer with a lot of onions and mushrooms (pound of meat, pound of onions, pound of mushrooms) and a little thyme and bay leaf, you get Beef Carbonnade or Flammonde or something like that. It's a rich and terribly masculine dish, and tastes like musk and the woods and testosterone.

I make dumplings to put on top and soak up the gravy, and even the dumplings come out butch. That and some warm French bread and a bottle of burgundy used to be my instant seduction dish. I've seen women's eyes glaze over when they taste it, and I don't think it's ever failed, even when I burned it a little.

Don't even bother with dessert.

--Zoot

That sounds wonderful, although I'm not cooking to seduce anyone new. I just want to get Winter's chill out of my bones and those of my sweetie, and to basically impress the hell out of my "mother-in-law" with my fabulous cooking.

Lil' El, I've only had Coq au Vin once, but it was great.

 

[matriarch]

I watched the Iron Chef last week for the first time. Great programme. I love cookery competitions. In the UK we have one called MasterChef, which is all for amateur cooks who want to be professionals. Used to be just a two hour heat thing in the studio, judged by various professionals. Now its graduated to a huge competition that goes on for weeks, with each heat of 6 chefs taking place over a week, and gradually whittling down. They have to perform in professional kitchens, of every variety, as well as produce creations in the studio, where they are judged - very critically and very honestly - by two professional chefs with their own restaurants. Fascinating study of personalities from a psychological point of view.

As for the rest......its 4.25 in the morning, I can't face anything more than hot chocolate and cookies.

 

[lil_elvis]

That sounds wonderful, although I'm not cooking to seduce anyone new. I just want to get Winter's chill out of my bones and those of my sweetie, and to basically impress the hell out of my "mother-in-law" with my fabulous cooking.

Lil' El, I've only had Coq au Vin once, but it was great.

You've already impressed me

During the winter, I always try to be sure to have onions, carrots, celery, dried porcini and potatoes on hand. Some meat, a little wine, herbs of some sort and I can whip up somethin tasty and easy.

After browning the meat, sweating the veggies, I add the liquids (wine, water, stock and/or the liquid from rehydrating the muchrooms) and herbs, bring it to a boil, put the lid on the pot and stick it in a 300/325 deg f oven for 90 minutes or so. You don't have to worry about burning anything that way and you're free to do other stuff because you don't have to watch the pot.

 

[Aurora Black]

Okay, the stew is boiling and it should be only a little while before the carrots are soft enough. It's only 1:30, so I'm making good time.

Anyway, now that I have some time to kill, I'm going to chop some fresh spinach leaves before putting them in the freezer for future use. For today's salad, I've already chopped some romaine lettuce and when the time's right I'll add equal measures of apple cider vinegar, lemon juice and olive oil to serve as a dressing.

 

[Aurora Black]

I watched the Iron Chef last week for the first time. Great programme. I love cookery competitions. In the UK we have one called MasterChef, which is all for amateur cooks who want to be professionals. Used to be just a two hour heat thing in the studio, judged by various professionals. Now its graduated to a huge competition that goes on for weeks, with each heat of 6 chefs taking place over a week, and gradually whittling down. They have to perform in professional kitchens, of every variety, as well as produce creations in the studio, where they are judged - very critically and very honestly - by two professional chefs with their own restaurants. Fascinating study of personalities from a psychological point of view.

As for the rest......its 4.25 in the morning, I can't face anything more than hot chocolate and cookies.

Isn't there a program in the UK where the head chef makes all the hopefuls cry because he's such a strict asshole?

 

[Aurora Black]

You've already impressed me

During the winter, I always try to be sure to have onions, carrots, celery, dried porcini and potatoes on hand. Some meat, a little wine, herbs of some sort and I can whip up somethin tasty and easy.

After browning the meat, sweating the veggies, I add the liquids (wine, water, stock and/or the liquid from rehydrating the muchrooms) and herbs, bring it to a boil, put the lid on the pot and stick it in a 300/325 deg f oven for 90 minutes or so. You don't have to worry about burning anything that way and you're free to do other stuff because you don't have to watch the pot.

Ooh, porcini! Lovely.

I love watching the pot! I love to check every few minutes to see how things are going, stirring a little bit and then going back a few minutes later to repeat the whole thing!

The celery that I used in the stew, we grew it ourselves after planting the base of another stalk into a pot we keep outside on our balcony. We also have a basil plant for those times when I make spaghetti sauce from scratch.

 

[lil_elvis]

Ooh, porcini! Lovely.

I love watching the pot! I love to check every few minutes to see how things are going, stirring a little bit and then going back a few minutes later to repeat the whole thing!

No kids, I take it.

 

[Aurora Black]

No kids, I take it.

Not yet, thank God.

 

[matriarch]

Isn't there a program in the UK where the head chef makes all the hopefuls cry because he's such a strict asshole?

Oh, that's shithead Gordon Ramsey. That was another competition, Celebrity Chef. The contestants are all celebrities, who work in teams, on camera, in his restaurant, and the viewers decide which celebrity is ejected on each selection.

He delights in using a constant barrage of swear words, fucks, buggers,and anything else he can think of, just for the shock effect. I watched around 5 minutes of one episode and was so disgusted, refused to watch any more.

The part that got the newsheadlines was when he came up against an ex-cabinet minister (female), who just refused to be cowed by him, and did her own thing (that's why she's no longer even a member of parliament). Made me grin hugely.

Gordon Ramsay

 

[Aurora Black]

Oh, that's shithead Gordon Ramsey. That was another competition, Celebrity Chef. The contestants are all celebrities, who work in teams, on camera, in his restaurant, and the viewers decide which celebrity is ejected on each selection.

He delights in using a constant barrage of swear words, fucks, buggers,and anything else he can think of, just for the shock effect. I watched around 5 minutes of one episode and was so disgusted, refused to watch any more.

The part that got the newsheadlines was when he came up against an ex-cabinet minister (female), who just refused to be cowed by him, and did her own thing (that's why she's no longer even a member of parliament). Made me grin hugely.

Gordon Ramsay

Well, if he treats his people like that, I'd never step into one of his restaurants, that's for sure. Even if I could afford to.

 

[Aurora Black]

The stew is ready! I just tested two slices of carrot and potato, tasted the broth, and it's time to move it off the burner and serve!

All that's left now is to set the table, lightly toast the bread and dress the salad. Lunch time!

 

[lil_elvis]

The stew is ready! I just tested two slices of carrot and potato, tasted the broth, and it's time to move it off the burner and serve!

All that's left now is to set the table, lightly toast the bread and dress the salad. Lunch time!

Buon appetito

 

[SensualCealy]

I have to check now to see if I have any carrots left, Ive a hankoring for beef barley soup now with Irish soda bread!

with my luck, there wont be any!
C

 

[NoJo]

Well, if he treats his people like that, I'd never step into one of his restaurants, that's for sure. Even if I could afford to.

The more of a dickhead he is, the more people clamour to go to his restaurants. I went to his original place a few years ago (someone else was paying). It was okay, but, as you might expect, it was a lot of show, and not spectacular food. Give me a plate of Spaghetti Vongole or a Turkish kebab with salad any day.

The best "British" restaurants I've been to have all been foreign (Italian, Turkish, and of course Indian), and relatively cheap.

 

[dr_mabeuse]

Seinfeld had his soup Nazi, you have Gordon Ramsay and Bobby Flay, and of course any decent French restaurant has to have a maitre d' who makes you feel like worm frass. Here we have a couple of deli's where the food isn't that great, but people flock in to be yelled at and abused and have their purchases thrown at them.

There seems to be a connection between good food and masochism.

 

[NoJo]

Seinfeld had his soup Nazi, you have Gordon Ramsay and Bobby Flay, and of course any decent French restaurant has to have a maitre d' who makes you feel like worm frass. Here we have a couple of deli's where the food isn't that great, but people flock in to be yelled at and abused and have their purchases thrown at them.

There seems to be a connection between good food and masochism.

Yes, they can both make your ass sore

 

[Aurora Black]

Seinfeld had his soup Nazi, you have Gordon Ramsay and Bobby Flay, and of course any decent French restaurant has to have a maitre d' who makes you feel like worm frass. Here we have a couple of deli's where the food isn't that great, but people flock in to be yelled at and abused and have their purchases thrown at them.

There seems to be a connection between good food and masochism.

That sounds intriguing. In the right hands (don't look at me), it could even be made into a story.

The stew was delicious and perfect, and he ate TWO bowls of it.

Of course, I made plenty to share with his parents and brother next door. They've already eaten their lunch, so they'll sample the stew tonight for dinner.

 

[dr_mabeuse]

Yes, they can both make your ass sore

That's it. I'm never taking you out to dinner again.

 

[Aurora Black]

It truly boggles the mind how people could flock to his restaurants when he's such an asshole. It makes me wonder if they have a deep-seated need for approval that stems from a troubled childhood... *shakes head, coughs*

Get out of there! All better.

Ramsay's a jerk, so they shouldn't put more money in his pocket and give him any more of a license to behave in such a way.

 

[Selena_Kitt]

If you brown the beef first in olive oil and a little bacon fat for richness, and then cook the stew in a dark beer with a lot of onions and mushrooms (pound of meat, pound of onions, pound of mushrooms) and a little thyme and bay leaf, you get Beef Carbonnade or Flammonde or something like that. It's a rich and terribly masculine dish, and tastes like musk and the woods and testosterone.

My god, my mouth is watering... ! I want to eat at Doc's house...

I'll bring dessert!

 

[dr_mabeuse]

I heard a news piece on a restaurant in Zurich where the guests are led blindfolded to the tables and the food is served in perfect darkness so you can't see what you're eating. The waitstaff wear little bells or something so they don't bump into each other. (I forget how they find their tables. Ropes or something.)

The reporter described eating something he could hardly describe--solid yet soft and creamy but not greasy, with a velvety feel and subtle flavor. He couldn't identify it and thought it was some kind of pudding or pastry.

Turned out to be the yolk from a hard-boiled egg.

 

[Aurora Black]

My god, my mouth is watering... ! I want to eat at Doc's house...

I'll bring dessert!

Yourself?