Cookin again

Dannyalcatraz · Aug 27, 2018

More recent kitch-craft:

Dannyalcatraz · Sep 24, 2018

Thinking about taking a stab at oeufs cocotte...
https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/262798/oeufs-cocotte-baked-eggs/

But tonight, I did thin pork chops on a bed of diced garlic & onions. Didn’t eat them for dinner, but wanted to get the meat packaging out with tomorrow’s garbage.

Dannyalcatraz · Nov 9, 2018

When I lived in Tacoma as a kid, a schoolmate introduced me to sliced apples dusted with cinnamon and topped with american cheese as an after-school snack. I’ve been eating that ever since then.

But recently, I wondered what it would be like with different cheeses. I was originally going to try it with some Vermont cheddar slices, upbut had already used them on sandwiches. So today, I tried it with Swiss and with smoked Gouda. Separately, of course.

The Swiss wasn’t a good option. It’s flavor was almost completely overwhelmed by the apple & cinnamon. And it was a fairly good Swiss, too.

The Gouda, OTOH, not only stood up to the other flavors, it maintained a distinct and pleasant contrast. I’m not sure it as better than the American, but I would definitely do again.

I still feel that the cheddar will be better than any of those, though.

Dannyalcatraz · Nov 9, 2018

In other news, I have @20-30 people coming for Thanksgiving, the biggest number I’ve fed since 2015. PLUS, one of the families coming has a kid who will be celebrating her birthday that day.

So. Much. Fun.

Dannyalcatraz · Nov 18, 2018

So, this is our prospective menu- subject to change- for Turkeycaust 2018. I’m cooking about half of it. Besides the store-bought fried turkey, any dish with (Guest) beside it is being brought by someone else:

Thanksgiving Menu 2018

Cheese Platter/Charcuterie

Steamed Turkey
Fried Turkey
Baked Ham (Guest)
Roast Beef (Guest)
Shrimp Creole
Oyster Dressing
Schnitzel (Guest)
Duck (Guest)
Turnip Greens w/smoked Turkey
Maque Choux
Potato Salad
Sweet Potatoes (Guest)
Rice

Zucchini Bread
Bourbon Pecan pie
Cherry Blitz
Birthday Cake (Guest)
Ice Cream
Banana Pudding (Guest)
Bacon Apple Pie (Guest)

Soft Drinks
Beer
Wine (Guest)

As if that were not enough, one of my cousins- who is arriving in town tonight (but not staying with us)- has asked that I make some of my beef pasta salad.

My kitchen & my body will be feeling the pain!

Dannyalcatraz · Dec 5, 2018

‘Tis the season!

...to make edible gifts, of course. One of the ones I give to the greatest number of people is a homemade no/low sodium trail mix. I make a big batch, then divvy it up in baggies for the recipients. I’ve been trying to standardize my mix a bit, and it’s getting close. Currently, I do:

1lb each raw or roasted (unsalted) cashews, almonds, hazelnuts, and macadamias
1.5-2.5lbs raw pecan halves
1lb dried pineapple chunks
1-2lbs of raisins. Sometimes the regular kind only, sometimes a mix of goldens, jumbo reds, and whatnot.
1-2lbs chopped dates
0.5-1lb shelled sunflower seeds, preferably unsalted depending on availability- will use salted if necessary

Optional: 0.5-1lb dried cherries, blueberries or cranberries,
Optional: 0.5lbs Brazil nuts

I tried other stuff- shredded coconut, banana chips, Chex, pretzels- but, tasty as they were, they each introduced issues I didn’t want to deal with. Usually, they’d get stale/rancid before the other stuff in the mix, but banana chips seem eerily immortal.

And today, I bought @$320 of nuts and dried fruit, plus 24 1lb tins and their liners.

So it begins...

Aeson · Dec 5, 2018

Do you have a place to sign up to get on a mailing list for the trail mix? You pay shipping cost, right? Holiday spirit and all?

Dannyalcatraz · Dec 18, 2018

. It’s pretty easy to D.I.Y. once you figure out what ingredients you like and where to get them. But nuts & dried fruit aren’t exactly cheap, so I don’t make it often. And as it turns out, the entire 12lb batch I made is slated to be given away as Christmas gifts to locals- none gets mailed this year. Even I just got nibbles

*****

OTOH, I did a variant on that simple pork chop dish (mentioned a few posts up) the other night.

Buttered my 2 baking sheets, and I mean thoroughly. (I used unsalted.) Upon each I laid down a layer of thinly sliced yellow onions. On top of that, a layer of thinly sliced Yukon gold potatoes, nicely seasoned. On top of those, I placed my liberally seasoned pork chops, and baked them at 350F until the chops & onions started to brown.*

That’s it. Easy peasy. The chops and potatoes come out tender, buttery and garlicky. The onions are slightly carmelized.

The key is using the right ingredients:

1) I always use a decent butter, not margarine or oil. It not only provides a non-stick layer, it also reinforces the flavors of the onions & potatoes.
2) I have tried different cuts, but thinly cut, bone-in chops seem to work best. Part of it has to be their relatively high fat content.**
3) my seasoning is simple but thorough. I use any of a few reduced sodium or salt-free spice mixes of garlic pepper or garlic & herbs, but any savory mix YOU like for pork will work- just make sure you get good coverage of the potatoes and both sides of the chops.

Next thing I’m cooking this week is a 7.8lb rib roast I bought today. $4.47/lb.

* Don’t worry if the onions stick a little. Scrape off those brown bits with a spatula and you’ll find them crispy & yummy.
** I haven’t tried it with this particular recipe yet, but you should be able to do essentially the same thing with other fatty meats, like chicken wings or thighs.

Dannyalcatraz · Dec 25, 2018

Been doing some cooking for the holiday. Some of it was just for the immediate family, some for giving as gifts.

This was dinner from just a day ago: prime rib roast, some Yukon gold potatoes, and a mix of onions, portobellos, and whole garlic cloves that were nestled underneath the rib roast. So feast your eyes upon:

*****

Next up, here are some pix from the process of prepping the batter for the bread puddings I’ll be baking tomorrow. We like to let the bread crumbs- this time, French baguettes I sliced then toasted- soak overnight to maximize the flavor distribution refine the texture.

Bread pudding, inchoate: