[hapa_angel]

If it isn't mine and I didn't dirty it, there's no chance in hell I'm making it clean for everyone else to use. *wink*

[hapa_angel]

Okay, next dinner idea, anyone?


Add to that megalist:

pasta sauce
barbecue sauce
teriyaki sauce

celery
more broccoli
cauliflower
normal carrots

Minute Maid tropicalish juice (forgot the type)
more alcoholic beverages (although no wine)

and... a toaster! Hooray for Walmart at 12:30 am.

[Mara's Mom]

Hey, Miss Rachel. I don't have time to suggest a meal, but I do want to tell you that a really good way to clean a microwave is to add some lemon juice to a mug of water and mic it for several minutes. The steam should loosen all the gross stuff.

And on the subject of cleaning appliances, think of yourself as a servant, dear. I'm sure you will earn some kind of jewel in your crown. Aren't we living for eternity after all? *sweetsmile* Besides, a few minutes of gross is worth eliminating anything nasty.

[bobthecockroach]

Side dish idea:

Coarsely chop the carrots, boil for as long as you like (based on your texture and vitamin-retention preferences ), drain, pour on some soy sauce (to taste), and season with ginger and pepper (to taste). You won't need any salt because of the soy... unless you really like salt.

This is one of my favorite simple and quick side dishes.

You could probably also throw some other veggies in and make it a feast of tasty gingery veggies.

Oh, and, how did the last one turn out?

[FTS]

For a good old hearty breakfast, you could slice and fry up some mushrooms in a bit of butter, when they start to give up their moisture and turn brown add some garlic powder and soy sauce (and if you have it, a little bit of cream). Caramelize some onions (sliced, rings or half rings). Fry a tomato (cut in half, fry both sides till caramelized). Fry a couple of eggs and put them on toast. Serve with the mushrooms and onions on the eggs, and the tomato on the side. Nice hearty breakfast.

For a dessert idea, you could make a sabayon from the sugar, egg yolks, and a bit of alcohol (something considered sweet. You basically whisk it all together in a double boiler till it doubles in volume. Watch the temperature, because if it gets too hot it'll become grainy. It's nice by itself, but even better with fruit. I'm not quite sure how the sabayon would take to your pineapple though. For a nice touch, you could place the fruit in an oven proof dish, pour the sabayon over the top, and then caramelise the top (or gratineé) by putting it under the grill (I believe you guys call it a broiler?). If you're wondering about the sugar:egg ratio, it's about 1/4 cup:2 egg yolks. Just double if you want more. And with the alcohol, it's between half to equal the amount of sugar. So if it's 1/4 cup of sugar, it's about 1/4 cup of alcohol.

*edit* If you don't like the idea of wasting the egg whites, you could whip up a little meringue and make some nests to serve the sabayon in.

[hapa_angel]

Originally Posted by Mrs D

Hey, Miss Rachel. I don't have time to suggest a meal, but I do want to tell you that a really good way to clean a microwave is to add some lemon juice to a mug of water and mic it for several minutes. The steam should loosen all the gross stuff.

And on the subject of cleaning appliances, think of yourself as a servant, dear. I'm sure you will earn some kind of jewel in your crown. Aren't we living for eternity after all? *sweetsmile* Besides, a few minutes of gross is worth eliminating anything nasty.

I already have Art's burned teapot I'm trying to figure out how to clean.
Expounding on issues with microwave are going over to my blog now, so as not to hijack this thread any more.

Originally Posted by bobbyroach

Side dish idea:

Coarsely chop the carrots, boil for as long as you like (based on your texture and vitamin-retention preferences ), drain, pour on some soy sauce (to taste), and season with ginger and pepper (to taste). You won't need any salt because of the soy... unless you really like salt.

This is one of my favorite simple and quick side dishes.

You could probably also throw some other veggies in and make it a feast of tasty gingery veggies.

Oh, and, how did the last one turn out?

Mmmm. That's fun to do. I just did that last night, with a veggie medley and a small drizzle of teriyaki sauce. Not so much ginger by itself, as I tossed in a bunch of spices. The main course was mushroom/garlic/onion beef over rice.

The last dish recommendation was pretty good. I ended up slightly burning the toast. Nothing attacking it with a butter knife can't handle, though. I'd never had anything served over toast like that, so I was totally going off of your word there. I'm guessing that's a Southern sort of dish...?

Originally Posted by Kepa

For a good old hearty breakfast, you could slice and fry up some mushrooms in a bit of butter, when they start to give up their moisture and turn brown add some garlic powder and soy sauce (and if you have it, a little bit of cream). Caramelize some onions (sliced, rings or half rings). Fry a tomato (cut in half, fry both sides till caramelized). Fry a couple of eggs and put them on toast. Serve with the mushrooms and onions on the eggs, and the tomato on the side. Nice hearty breakfast.

For a dessert idea, you could make a sabayon from the sugar, egg yolks, and a bit of alcohol (something considered sweet. You basically whisk it all together in a double boiler till it doubles in volume. Watch the temperature, because if it gets too hot it'll become grainy. It's nice by itself, but even better with fruit. I'm not quite sure how the sabayon would take to your pineapple though. For a nice touch, you could place the fruit in an oven proof dish, pour the sabayon over the top, and then caramelise the top (or gratineé) by putting it under the grill (I believe you guys call it a broiler?). If you're wondering about the sugar:egg ratio, it's about 1/4 cup:2 egg yolks. Just double if you want more. And with the alcohol, it's between half to equal the amount of sugar. So if it's 1/4 cup of sugar, it's about 1/4 cup of alcohol.

*edit* If you don't like the idea of wasting the egg whites, you could whip up a little meringue and make some nests to serve the sabayon in.

Oooooooh. That dessert sauce sounds good. And I have absolutely no experience making anything like that. The most complicated thing I've done sans explicit recipie was carmelizing almond slivers.

We don't have a double boiler in this house, to my knowledge. Art and I have some nonstick pans and a pot, and now a new oven pan. The rest of the cookware in this house is pretty much on a find-and-use basis.


I can cook halfway-decently when I'm in my most comfortable element, but the real problem is that I'm at a loss as to Anglo dishes. I need recipies for the majority of nonAsian cuisine, to start myself off, because I don't even know what much of it is really suppossed to look, smell, or taste like. I can make a mean Asian fusion marinade for the chicken, but what goes into a quiche? What kinds of dishes would rosemary go into? How can I cook with vinegar or lemon juice without using soy sauce? It's things like that where I need the most help.

[FTS]

Originally Posted by hapa_angel

Oooooooh. That dessert sauce sounds good. And I have absolutely no experience making anything like that. The most complicated thing I've done sans explicit recipie was carmelizing almond slivers.

We don't have a double boiler in this house, to my knowledge. Art and I have some nonstick pans and a pot, and now a new oven pan. The rest of the cookware in this house is pretty much on a find-and-use basis.

A double boiler is the easiest thing to make. It's just a sauce pan, or pot if you will, with a little bit of water, say a cup or two, and you let the water simmer. SIMMER. Not boil. LOW heat Then, you place a bowl (glass, metal, ceramic, not plastic) over the top of that simmering water, but MAKE SURE the bowl doesn't touch the water. The bowl will sit on top of the pot. Use that for melting chocolate as well.

That sabayon is relatively easy. Whisk together the eggs and the sugar in a bowl till it's good and mixed. The color will have lightened slightly due to the air introduced. Now place the bowl over the pot (thus creating a double boiler) and add the alcohol and whisk. Keep on whisking till it's double it's volume. Make sure the temperature doesn't get too hot. I assume you're not pregnant or have a compromised immune system?

Oh, and rosemary goes great with potatoes (boiled or roasted), and is delicious with lamb.

[bobthecockroach]

Originally Posted by hapa_angel

The last dish recommendation was pretty good. I ended up slightly burning the toast. Nothing attacking it with a butter knife can't handle, though. I'd never had anything served over toast like that, so I was totally going off of your word there. I'm guessing that's a Southern sort of dish...?

I don't think it's really southern. I'm not sure where I picked it up. I guess mostly from needing some form of starch/stretching ingredient but not wanting to take the time for rice/pasta. I seem to remember my dad occasionally making a dish called "chipped beef on toast" which I guess is what made me think to use bread as the starch.

We do use bread frequently as a means of sopping up extra sauce down south, so perhaps that also played a part.

[hapa_angel]

Originally Posted by Kepa

A double boiler is the easiest thing to make. It's just a sauce pan, or pot if you will, with a little bit of water, say a cup or two, and you let the water simmer. SIMMER. Not boil. LOW heat Then, you place a bowl (glass, metal, ceramic, not plastic) over the top of that simmering water, but MAKE SURE the bowl doesn't touch the water. The bowl will sit on top of the pot. Use that for melting chocolate as well.

That sabayon is relatively easy. Whisk together the eggs and the sugar in a bowl till it's good and mixed. The color will have lightened slightly due to the air introduced. Now place the bowl over the pot (thus creating a double boiler) and add the alcohol and whisk. Keep on whisking till it's double it's volume. Make sure the temperature doesn't get too hot. I assume you're not pregnant or have a compromised immune system?

Oh, and rosemary goes great with potatoes (boiled or roasted), and is delicious with lamb.

We have a small pot and no bowls that fit it. If we did, I would've been making rice like that, believe me. It's the best way in the world to make rice. [/unbiased opinion]

Alky is perfectly agreeable with me.

I'd not purchased rosemary because I really had no clue how to use it. Cloves, nutmeg? Sure. Rosemary?
Lamb.... there's something else I've not ever touched. I think my mom cooked it all of once. Unless it was something else. I was maybe 8 at the time, and my memory is spotty.

Originally Posted by bobthecockroach

I don't think it's really southern. I'm not sure where I picked it up. I guess mostly from needing some form of starch/stretching ingredient but not wanting to take the time for rice/pasta. I seem to remember my dad occasionally making a dish called "chipped beef on toast" which I guess is what made me think to use bread as the starch.

We do use bread frequently as a means of sopping up extra sauce down south, so perhaps that also played a part.

Ahh, okay.

It was different and interesting, but also good. I'd make that again, if we had any more bread.

[bobthecockroach]

Random comment: rosemary is really good on pork.

[FTS]

Originally Posted by hapa_angel

We have a small pot and no bowls that fit it. If we did, I would've been making rice like that, believe me. It's the best way in the world to make rice. [/unbiased opinion]

Not even a huge bowl?
I've never heard of making rice in a double boiler! Wow. You'll have to explain to me how that works.

Alky is perfectly agreeable with me.

That's good I was asking primarily due to the eggs.

I'd not purchased rosemary because I really had no clue how to use it. Cloves, nutmeg? Sure. Rosemary?
Lamb.... there's something else I've not ever touched. I think my mom cooked it all of once. Unless it was something else. I was maybe 8 at the time, and my memory is spotty.

Oh, lamb is delicious. Lamb chops are one of my favourite things. It's hard to go wrong with lamb in my opinion.

[MtlMom]

Rosemary is very easy to grow. It would grow like a weed in Roseville. I use it in spaghetti sauce too. When you roast chicken it's nice to lay a few sprigs on top for flavor.

Lamb isn't very popular in California. I like it, but you almost have to go to a meat market to find a nice cut. If you ask for ground lamb they will stare at you as if you just fell from the sky.

[hapa_angel]

Originally Posted by Kepa

Not even a huge bowl?

If we had a huge pot, any of the glass bowls would probably fit. I'm not keen on using the glass bowls in our teflon pot seeing as they don't fit.

I've never heard of making rice in a double boiler! Wow. You'll have to explain to me how that works.

It's about a 30-45 minute cook time. 3 parts to the cooking: high, medium, and low heat. High heat for about 8 minutes or so, medium heat for 15 or so, low heat for the last part. Rice is perfect coming out: fluffy and tender and just a bit stickyish.

That's good I was asking primarily due to the eggs.

Ahaha. Right, right.

Oh, lamb is delicious. Lamb chops are one of my favourite things. It's hard to go wrong with lamb in my opinion.

I'll have to get a hold of some when we have a specialish occasion, then.

[H.M. Murdock]

An important note on caramelization:
1) What it isn't:
Browning. A woefully large percentage of people who are told to "wait until caramelization occurs" simply remove the food when it is browned, or when it starts to show signs of burning or somesuch.
2) What it is:
Caramelization occurs during the cooking process when sugars- be they base sugars or sugars resulting from starches (potatoes, corn, etc.)- seep out to the surface where the heat begins to crystallize those sugars. That's essentialy what caramelization is- it's literally sugar becoming caramel on your food.
Scientists allegedly still don't know the specifics or the reasons. But caramelization is pretty much pure flavor. It's not browning, as you would do with beef. It's definitely not burning.

Sorry, that was random. But what better thread for it?

Rosemary is awesome for brining. Or for boiling potatoes- throw in the leaves from one sprig of rosemary (about 2-3" long) and a dash of dill, then finish it off with a dash of salt, and you've got some scrumptious potatoes. The same is true of a tomato when placed in a hot skillet in olive oil, pepper, rosemary, dill and a hint of lemon or lime juice, which is really good for any type of sandwich.

[FTS]

Originally Posted by hapa_angel

If we had a huge pot, any of the glass bowls would probably fit. I'm not keen on using the glass bowls in our teflon pot seeing as they don't fit.

If it can sit on top of/just inside the sauce pan without risk of it falling off, it fits You don't want the bowl to sit too far into the sauce pan so that it touches the water. Basically, there should be almost no way for steam to escape, except for the natural irregularity between the bowl and pan.

It's about a 30-45 minute cook time. 3 parts to the cooking: high, medium, and low heat. High heat for about 8 minutes or so, medium heat for 15 or so, low heat for the last part. Rice is perfect coming out: fluffy and tender and just a bit stickyish.

So you put the rice, and I assume water into the bowl? Do you need a lid to cover the bowl?

I'll have to get a hold of some when we have a specialish occasion, then.

If/when you do, let me know how you like it!

Originally Posted by H.M. Murdock

An important note on caramelization:
1) What it isn't:
Browning. A woefully large percentage of people who are told to "wait until caramelization occurs" simply remove the food when it is browned, or when it starts to show signs of burning or somesuch.
2) What it is:
Caramelization occurs during the cooking process when sugars- be they base sugars or sugars resulting from starches (potatoes, corn, etc.)- seep out to the surface where the heat begins to crystallize those sugars. That's essentialy what caramelization is- it's literally sugar becoming caramel on your food.
Scientists allegedly still don't know the specifics or the reasons. But caramelization is pretty much pure flavor. It's not browning, as you would do with beef. It's definitely not burning.

Sorry, that was random. But what better thread for it?

Great distinction. Cheers for that.