screech on 26/7/2004 at 18:54

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and find out what's in it.

1) monkfish
2) thinly sliced lemon 1/2, 1/2 lemon
3) dijon mustard
4) pepper
5) capers
6) olive oil

put monkfish in bake pan, slather on mustard, pepper and capers. squeeze 1/2 lemon on, drizzle oil over, cover with thin lemon slices and bake for 20-30 mins at 300 in convection oven or till done.

Schechter on 29/7/2004 at 02:19

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Seeing as how I wasn't around much when this thread first started, I guess I'll partake in it now that it's resurrected and post some of my own recipes. Most of these are vegetarian and/or require some additional know-how to prepare properly, so let's talk about ingredients and technique.

Curries - Few things are as satisfying as being able to prepare a curry from scratch and have it taste authentic, with that right combination of complex flavors. Fortunately, the hardest part about doing that is acquiring the ingredients. Spices needed are as follows: cumin, cordiander (preferably having both in both seed and powder form), turmeric, cinnamon, ginger (preferably fresh), garlic (ditto), pepper (or peppercorns), and your choice of heat - indian chili, cayenne pepper, fresh chilies, whatever. Additional, optional ingredients include lemongrass, mustard seed, or even anise if you're looking for a Chinese flavor. Take a teaspoon of each, except for the garlic if it's powdered, use half a teaspoon, and a quarter to half a teaspoon of your heat depending on how potent it is and how hot you want the curry. Oh, and just a pinch of anise if you're using it, unless you want the whole thing to taste like licorice. Now, usually all this needs to be mixed into a base, and it depends on the kind of curry you're making. Indian cooking will use some kind of oil, Thai uses shrimp paste. I prefer olive oil, it does the job just fine. Just put in a tablespoon or so to combine the ingredients into a paste. We'll refer to this later.

Tofu - Making tofu in a way that is acceptable to the Western palette is difficult and comes with practice. Unfortunately, many people encounter tofu in either health food-type restaurants that may or may not know how to properly prepare it, or else in Japanese restaurants where that bland flavor and silky, mushy texture that is so unappealing to Westerners is exactly what is desired. Properly made tofu should have a taste and consistency similar to scrambled eggs. If you want to try it done "right", have it in a Vietnamese or Thai restaurant. Achieving it on one's own takes some doing. One of the keys is proper draining, which requires at least a dozen paper towels. Cut the tofu into cubes prior to draining to give the water more outlets. Gently press the tofu with the paper towels, exchanging them often. Properly drained it should be barely damp to the touch, if that. The next key is deep frying, preferably in peanut oil. Getting the frying right is the art form, as it depends on the temperature of your oil and the size of the cubes you make, but a good rule of thumb is to fry at relatively low heat to ensure thorough cooking. Don't worry about getting a golden color on the outside - the cubes will crisp up considerably when removed. If your cubes look golden and crispy in the fryer they will be overdone when you take them out.

Stir-fry - The key to a good stir-fry is high heat and getting everything else done beforehand. Get your sauces mixed, your meat (if you're using meat) cooked, your rice boiled, and your vegetables chopped well beforehand. On the meat, it needs to be cooked longer, so this is usually cooked first while the wok is warming up. Cut the meat into small pieces so it cooks quickly. A rather little known fact that I've discovered is that, due to low fat content which makes it cook very quickly, game meat such
as elk or venison makes for excellent stir-frying, and the gamey flavor complements the other ingredients well.

Now, the recipes. These form the absolute backbone of our diet here.

Vegetable Curry
I found this recipe online and modified it to suit my taste. When it comes to authentic Indian flavor, this is the real deal.

7-8 medium potatoes, chopped
2 medium onions, chopped
2-4 tablespoons olive oil
Curry paste (see above, include mustard seeds)
6 cloves
1 15-ounce can chick peas (or equivalent)
4-6 ounces tomato paste
1 bunch spinach, chopped
1-2 cups peas
1-2 cups chopped green beans
one oven-ready 4-6 quart pot, preferably cast-iron. Dutch oven is perfect.

Preheat oven to 350F. Sautee onions in olive oil with the curry paste and cloves in the pot until the onions turn clear. Add potatoes. (word of advice - cooking goes fairly quickly, it's best to have everything chopped and measured before you start). Mix thoroughly until potatoes are covered evenly with the spices. Mix the tomato paste with 2/3 cup of water and add. Chuck in everything else. Again, mix thoroughly. Cover and put in the oven for about an hour. Serve with basmati rice.

Shloimi and Dassi's Kosher Beans n' Franks

Olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon curry powder (not the paste, just plain store bought curry powder)
2 teaspoons chopped garlic
1 28oz can Bush's baked beans (take your pick - we use the vegetarian variety)
1 15oz can kidney beans
3-4 kosher hot dogs, sliced into sections (we use the big ol' dinner franks, 3 of them)

Again, sautee the onion with the spices and the garlic. When the onion is clear, chuck in the rest and heat slowly over medium heat, stirring frequently.

Vegetarian Chili
Another family favorite with an unusual list of ingredients that actually works very well

Olive oil
2-3 medium onions, chopped
2 green peppers, chopped
4 teaspoons garlic
1 teaspoon basil
1 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 - 1 teaspoon hot spice of your choice; cayenne, chili, etc.
1 16oz can stewed tomates
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 cup cashew pieces
2 cans (or 3 cups) kidney or chili beans

Sautee onions and peppers in olive oil for about ten minutes. Add in garlic and spices, stirring well. Add tomatoes with juice and vinegar. Reduce heat and cook for 3 minutes or so. Stir in cashews, cook on low heat for 15 minutes. Add beans, cook 20-25 minutes stirring frequently. Can also include celery in the vegetables, but I usually choose not to.

Ugh, and that's plenty for right now. I had at least two more I was hoping to get to, but I've got other things to do. Maybe later.

TheHurley on 11/8/2004 at 06:24

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ya need

a big pot.
2 jugs spicey v8
potatos
brocoli
canned tomatos.
some chili powder(rocket fuel is my fave)
any gound meat.
and whatever other veggies ya want but these are needed

brown the meat.
toss all the stuff in the pot till the spuds get soft.
quantities do not matter
just make sure theres plenty of broth.
its always better after a couple days in the freezer


reheat. add v8 to get more broth and serve.
also some chichen stock adds a nice twist.

its an easy cheap meal and you can make a ton easy.
gets much better with age.

Goblin on 21/8/2004 at 17:23

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Heart Attack Sandwich

If you're skinny, eat these sandwiches and die of a heart attack from cholesterol overdose. If you're not so skinny, eat these sandwiches and never be able to leave your spot at the dinner table.

Slice a tomato. Heat a shitload of oil in a frying pan. Fry the onion slices, turning when brown and sprinkle each side with coarse black pepper and oregano. Set aside.
Fry two eggs. No more, no less. Set aside.
Get half a continental cucumber and slice it. Fry and set aside.
Two thick slabs of bread - butter both sides and fry (after the vegetables and eggs have soaked up all the oil).
Break off some lettuce leaves. Slice some cheddar into thick slabs.
Assemble into sandwich. It should stand about four inches tall and drip oil all over the place. Lay down tarp or newspaper before eating and avoid naked flames for at least an hour afterwards.

Consume, enjoy and know you've damn well earned your early grave.

NeoPendragon on 21/8/2004 at 20:08

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Guess I have to give mine a name. Lets just call it...oh...

Reses' Suicidal Ice Cream

A bunch of Miniture Reses' Peanut Butter Cups.
A bowl of vanilla ice cream.

Chop up the peanut butter cups really well. Melt them in the microwave, pour them over the ice cream. EAT YOU PIG!