Cookin again

[the Jester]

Mom's got a bad tooth right now, so I'm working on a soup that is overcooked, so everything is soft. The broth is a mix of beef broth, coconut milk, orange juice, and apple cider vinegar, with a little soy sauce. Other ingredients include baby bok choy, bean sprouts, carrots, and meat balls (beef with green onions and tomatoes diced up and mixed in with them).

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

Got an immersion blender? You can use those to partially or completely puree stuff in the pot as it cooks.

Not only would that minimize the possibility of pain, I’ve seen a few nutritional studies that show that- for reasons still not fully understood- thick soups like that are processed more slowly by the body, leading to more complete and longer lasting satiation.*





* the studies in question served people identical meals, except that one group’s meal had been pureed into a thick soup. Those who had the unaltered meals reported not feeling as full and got hungrier sooner.

 

[the Jester]

Got an immersion blender? You can use those to partially or completely puree stuff in the pot as it cooks.

I don't, but my girlfriend may- she has a bunch of blender related things.

Not only would that minimize the possibility of pain, I’ve seen a few nutritional studies that show that- for reasons still not fully understood- thick soups like that are processed more slowly by the body, leading to more complete and longer lasting satiation.*

That's interesting! Well, tonight's soup came out pretty thick, between the fat from the meat balls, the coconut milk, and the long cooking of veggies. But I'll have to ask about an immersion blender.

 

[Beleriphon]

That's interesting! Well, tonight's soup came out pretty thick, between the fat from the meat balls, the coconut milk, and the long cooking of veggies. But I'll have to ask about an immersion blender.

As an option a regular blender can do the same job.

 

[prabe]

As an option a regular blender can do the same job.

It just makes the logistics more challenging, especially if the soup is hot while you are pouring it back and forth between the pan and the blender. That said, especially if you want the meatballs to retain some integrity, it might be the better option. I think if you use an immersion blender, you'll want to pull anything out that you want to remain chunky.

 

[Beleriphon]

It just makes the logistics more challenging, especially if the soup is hot while you are pouring it back and forth between the pan and the blender. That said, especially if you want the meatballs to retain some integrity, it might be the better option. I think if you use an immersion blender, you'll want to pull anything out that you want to remain chunky.

True, but only one with a really big head will blend meatballs. I have decent Cuisenart one and it doesn't pull bigger stuff into the blade. I have to drop it on top of bigger bits to get them to blend. That said, they do blend.

As a though, and here's an odd one that I've used, if you have any left over french fries (oven or fast food) toss a hand full into a soup as it cooks, especially if it will be blended. The extra starch is good as a thickener, and the worst they'll do is add a bit of potato flavour.

 

[prabe]

True, but only one with a really big head will blend meatballs. I have decent Cuisenart one and it doesn't pull bigger stuff into the blade. I have to drop it on top of bigger bits to get them to blend. That said, they do blend.

As a though, and here's an odd one that I've used, if you have any left over french fries (oven or fast food) toss a hand full into a soup as it cooks, especially if it will be blended. The extra starch is good as a thickener, and the worst they'll do is add a bit of potato flavour.

That's a good thought with French fries.

My immersion blender is a pretty beefy (so to speak) Breville. I don't think I'd be surprised if it blended the pan.

 

[CleverNickName]

The next time you bake a batch of cinnamon rolls, add 1/4 tsp. of ground cardamom, 1/4 tsp. of ground nutmeg, and a quarter-cup of finely-chopped candied ginger to the filling. (Use the regular amount of cinnamon and sugar.)

Chai spiced cinnamon rolls, baby. My wife is a genius.

 

[Vael]

Chai spiced cinnamon rolls, baby. My wife is a genius.

If only others in my family liked Chai.

So, work has been nuts, haven't cooked much, but I do want to talk toys, I mean tools of the trade. What are everyone's favourites, how many do you have?

Since I'm more a baker than a cook, my Kitchen Aid stand mixer is a life-saver. I mentioned I make homemade marshmallows, I wouldn't attempt such a thing without one, as you have to beat the hot sugar syrup for a good 15+ minutes.

But the one that has changed my cooking the most has to be the Instant Pot, an all-in-one rice cooker, slow cooker and most importantly, a pressure cooker. I tried stove-top pressure cooking, and it was a challenge, regulating the temperature and timing. I make stock, hummus from dried chickpeas, ribs so tender they literally do fall off the bones ... it's also my preferred method of making risotto, it's faster and less labour intensive.

 

[CleverNickName]

The kitchen tool that I use the most is probably my Kitchen Aid stand mixer. It's got so many attachments and functions that I really don't know how I cooked anything before I got one. (I got the pasta extruder attachment for Christmas.)

Also for Christmas, I got a spice grinder. I don't think I can ever go back to pre-ground spices now.

Other favorites that I've had for years are my food processor (it gets used 2-3 times a week), my immersion blender (easy to make my own soups, sauces, and mayo), and my 5-gallon boil kettle (not just for beer, it is also great for making broth and jam, and for canning.)