# The Talked About Recipe Thread and Fun in the Kitchen WikiPost



## Huntn

*Welsh Cookies *(Family recipe)
Simple but delicious.

4 Cups White Flour
1 Cup Shortening
2 Cups White Sugar
2 Eggs
1/8-1/4 cup Milk or Water
10 Oz Currents
1 Teaspoon Nutmeg
3 Teaspoon Baking Powder (not baking soda)
Nutmeg for sprinkling.
small bowl of sugar for dipping
Heat oven to 375 degrees F. Mix ingredients except (except flour, milk or water) together.  I start with the shortening and sugar first, eggs, seasoning, then add flour and currents last. This mixture will be on the verge of being crumbly to being crumbly. Then add just enough milk or water to moisten the mix so it holds together, don't over do it. If you add more than the recommended quantity of liquid, the dough will become sticky when you are handling it.  I take a large tablespoon dallop, shape into a ball, flatten the dough a little, then dip the top in white sugar. Place a dozen on a greased cooking sheet. Sprinkle them lightly with nutmeg.  Bake for 15 minutes. Makes approximately 2 1/2 dozen cookies.

*3Jan* Updated Recipe to make corrections, length of time to cook, amount of liquid specified, suggestions on the order to mix ingredients, my photo.



My cookies, mm. ​


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## Scepticalscribe

Great idea for a thread.


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## Huntn

*Gingerbread Cutouts

1 Cup Butter
1 Cup white granular sugar
1 Egg
1 Cup Dark Molasses
2 TBS Vinegar
5 Cups All Purpose Flour
1.5 TSP Baking Soda
2 TSP ginger
1 TSP Cinnamon
1 TSP Cloves*

Cream butter. Add sugar,  beat in egg, molasses, and vinegar. Blend in dry ingredients. The original recipe says to sift ingredients, but I never do. Wrap dough in plastic wrap and chill.

Then take out of the refrigerator, allow to warm enough to roll out at 1/8”-1/4” thick on a flourerd surface. Cut into desired shapes, ideally with cookie cutter cutouts. Place on greased baking sheet. Bake at 375, 5-15 minutes depending on thickness. Allow to cool on sheets of paper towels. Then after they have cooled, apply icing and sugar sprinkles if desired. Should make several dozen up to 5 dozen, cookies depending on how large they are. 

Here are my masterpieces. My favorite is the road kill reindeer and the Christmas headstones, somehow Mickey Mouse showed up.  

​


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## Huntn

*Brandy-Buttered Cornish Hens* (Southern Living Cookbook 1987, page 406)
*Bake 1-1.5 hours @350°F
Yield: 4 servings.*

**​
*4- 1.5 Lb Cornish Hens*
*Salt and Pepper*
*Pecan Stuffing*
*1/3 Cup butter melted*
*3 Tbs Aricot, Peach, or Plum flavored Brandy*
*Fresh Parsley sprigs*
*Apple Slices*
*Green Grapes*
*Instructions*

Remove any giblets found in hens, reserve for other uses if desired. Rinse with cold water, and pat dry. Sprinkle cavity with salt and pepper.
Stuff hens with Pecan stuffing and close cavities with wooden picks or truss.  (or heat the Pecan stuffing separately your preference).
Brush hens with butter and sprinkle generously with pepper.  Combine remaining butter with brandy.
Place hens, breast side up, in a shallow pan. Bake 1-1.5 hours @ 350°F or until juices run clear when thigh is pierced with a fork, basting frequently with the brandy/butter mix.
Garnish with parsley, apple slices, and grapes.
*Microwave Cooking Direction*
Place hens breast side down on a microwave roasting rack, placed in a 12x8x2 inch baking dish. Cover hens with a tent of wax paper. Microwave High for 15 minutes. Flip hens breast side up then rotate 1/2 turn on rack. Brush with brandy mixture. Cover with wax paper, and microwave at High for 16-20 minutes or until juices run clear when thigh is pierced with a fork.
Baste with brandy mixture, and turn uncooked portions to outside every 5 minutes.* After cooking let stand 4-6 minutes before serving. Garnish with fruit as above.
*I'm not actually sure what "uncooked portions to outside" means. I assume this means to baste the birds and rotate them on the rack every 5 minus.


*Pecan Stuffing-* This is delicious.
Yield: Enough stuffing for 4 Cornish Hens.

1 cup apple juice
1/4 cup apricot, peach, or plum flavored brandy
1/4 cup butter
1- 8oz package of cornbread stuffing mix.
3/4 cup chopped pecans.
Combine first 3 ingredients in a saucepan; cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until butter melts. Add stuffing mix and pecans; stir lightly.


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## Huntn

I won’t explain why I’m posting this link.  









						The Difference Between Baking Powder & Baking Soda
					

Baking powder and baking soda make baked goods rise. Learn the difference between them and how to make ingredient substitutions.




					www.thoughtco.com


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## lizkat

Hah, my grandma handing me a huge basket when I was a little kid,  to go out and fill it up by picking spinach leaves, and me wondering how the heck she managed to turn such a big basket of leaves every single time into this ordinary casserole-sized dish of spinach on the dinner table.   I used to think she must have wasted a lot of it or froze the extra or something.  And yet somehow she managed to turn just two cups of uncooked rice grains into enough to fill another ordinary sized casserole dish at that table.   WTF?    I decided that cooking involved magic even back then.


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## Scepticalscribe

Huntn said:


> I won’t explain why I’m posting this link.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> The Difference Between Baking Powder & Baking Soda
> 
> 
> Baking powder and baking soda make baked goods rise. Learn the difference between them and how to make ingredient substitutions.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> www.thoughtco.com




That is hilarious.


lizkat said:


> Hah, my grandma handing me a huge basket when I was a little kid,  to go out and fill it up by picking spinach leaves, and me wondering how the heck she managed to turn such a big basket of leaves every single time into this ordinary casserole-sized dish of spinach on the dinner table.   I used to think she must have wasted a lot of it or froze the extra or something.  And yet somehow she managed to turn just two cups of uncooked rice grains into enough to fill another ordinary sized casserole dish at that table.   WTF?    I decided that cooking involved magic even back then.




Yes, both pasta and rice expand (though rice expands even more than does pasta) while spinach inexplicably shrinks; no matter how much of it you buy, there is never enough in the finished dish, a fact that never bothered me until I learned that butter, oil and garlic, are seriously intimate friends of spinach, a dish best kept well away from water.


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## Huntn

I‘m finished with today’s batch of Welch Cookies, and by virtue of reading baking powder and grabbing baking soda, I have been rewarded with some tasty but flatter than usual cookies. I varied the recipe a bit, going with half white and half wheat flour. Making them appear darker.

Now if you read the link I posted earlier,  both of these ingredients do the same thing, help baked goods rise, in fact they are both bicarbonate of soda, but baking powder also includes cream of tartar and starch and the article describes the difference.




missing 2 cookies eaten...​


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## lizkat

Huntn said:


> missing 2 cookies eaten...




I'm certainly familiar with that part of a lot of recipes...


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## Huntn

Huntn said:


> I‘m finished with today’s batch of Welch Cookies, and by virtue of reading baking powder and grabbing baking soda, I have been rewarded with some tasty but flatter than usual cookies. I varied the recipe a bit, going with half white and half wheat flour. Making them appear darker.
> 
> Now if you read the link I posted earlier,  both of these ingredients do the same thing, help baked goods rise, in fact they are both bicarbonate of soda, but baking powder also includes cream of tartar and starch and the article describes the difference.
> 
> View attachment 2277
> 
> View attachment 2278
> missing 2 cookies eaten...​



Updated post No.1. to make corrections, length of time to cook, amount of liquid specified, suggestions on the order to mix ingredients, my photo. If you look at the new photo, you'll see that these cookies from the second batch are not flat.


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## Scepticalscribe

A version of Indonesian rice, or Nasi Goreng; actually it is an adaptation of Gordon Ramsay's Indonesian rice recipe.

Indonesian rice: First,"old rice" (yesterday's left over basmati - I deliberately made extra yestersay when preparing dinner). For this dish, you always use day old rice.

Finely diced onions and carrots (organic) sautéed, to which a cup of peas (from the freezer, but defrosted earlier) are added, and sautéed until soft; Chinese chives - finely chopped - are added to this - the lot seasoned with sea salt and black pepper.

Then, the spices are added: a grated thumb of galangal, and some grated ginger, and a finely diced chilli pepper plus a full head of minced garlic, all sautéed, and a little brown sugar. And finely chopped French onions.

Eggs (free range, organic, three or four) have already been whisked; then, they are added to the pan and scrambled briskly.

This is when the old rice is added, and fried, and sautéed (even toasted); at this point, I made a well in the rice, and added some sambal oelek paste, and some rendang paste into the well, - I tend to have a generous hand in such things - and fried them off, and then stirred the rice through them. Once that has been done, a dessertspoon (or two) of kecap manis, sweet Indonesian soy sauce, is added and fried off, and stirred and mixed through the rice.


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## Huntn

*Broccoli Puff Casserole*
https://www.keyingredient.com/recipes/207553/broccoli-puff-casserole/
We make this for special occasions, although it could be eaten more often than that. The original is one of my wife's Mom's recipes, but could not find it. This is the closest we've found online. 
*Ingredients*

2 bunches broccoli (2 small bags of frozen or 1 large bag of broccoli florets)
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 cup grated cheddar
1/4 cup milk
1/4 cup mayo
1 beaten egg
1/4 cup bread crumbs
1 tablespoon melted butte
*Directions*

Heat oven to 350°F.
Cut up broccoli into florets, and steam until crisp, drain (Starting with frozen broccoli, place in a microwavable bowl, add a small amount of water, cover bowl with a plastic food wrap, and cook on high 4 min, then jostle them, and cook for another 4 min.)
Put broccoli in casserole dish.
Stir soup, cheese, milk and egg together and pour over broccoli. Combine bread crumbs and butter and sprinkle over top.
Bake for 45 minutes.
​


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## Huntn

*Grilled Fish Fillets (Southern Living Cookbook 1987)*
Used on catfish filets, which are delicious, no fishy taste.




Not my image, but it looks like this, minus the parsley flakes.
Also Cooked on the grill, not in the pan.

6 fish fillets (3/4” thick)
1/2 cup butter
1/4 cup lemon juice
1 TBS Worcestershire Sauce
1/2 TSP Seasoned salt
1/2 TSP paprika
1/4 TSP red pepper
Place fillets in large shallow dish. Combine ingredients in a saucepan, cook, stirring constantly until butter melts. Pour marinade over fish. Cover, place in refrigerator for 1 hour (but it can sit in the fridge all day if you want).

Drain marinade, saving liquid. Place fillets in fish basket and grill over hot coals for 5 minutes on each side until flakey, basting with marinade.

*Note- recipe alterations:*

I don’t use a fish basket or know what that is. I place a piece of aluminum foil on the grill grating and cook the fish on that, placing the skin side up first so it is easier to get a spatula under it to flip before it becomes flakey and tends to fall apart. For catfish the skin has been removed, but you can still identify which side is the skin side.
I also sprinkle seasoned salt on the fish once it is on the grill.


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## Huntn

*Coquilles St. Jacques*
A delicious scallop recipe from The Southern Living cookbook.

​

Ingredients

3/4 Cup chopped fresh mushrooms
3 Tbs chopped green onions (I use scallions)
3 Tbs butter
1 Lb of fresh bay scallops
1/2 Cup dry white or white cooking wine
2 Tbs chopped fresh parsley ( I use dried from a bottle)
1 Tbs lemon juice
3/4 Tsp salt
Pinch of red pepper
3 Tbs butter
1/4 Cup all purpose flour
1 Cup Half and Half
2 egg yokes
1/4 Cup soft breadcrumbs
1 Tbs butter melted
Create

Sauté mushrooms and onions in 3 Tbs butter in a large skillet until tender.
​
Add scallops, wine, parsley, lemon juice, salt, and pepper; cover and cook over medium heat for 3-5 minutes.
Drain scallop mixture, reserving 3/4 Cup plus 2 Tbs of liquid and set aside.
​
Melt 3 Tbs butter in a heavy saucepan over low heat.
Add flour, striiring until smooth. Cook 1 minute, stirring constantly.
Gradually add Half and Half; cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until mixture is thick and bubbly.
Beat egg yokes until thick and lemon colored.
Gradually stir about 1/4 of hot mixture into yokes, then add that back into remaining hot mixture, stirring constantly.
Gradually stir in the reserved scallop liquid (3/4 Cup plus 2 Tbs), fold in scallop mixture.
Spoon mixture into 6 greased individual baking shells. (I use a single casserole dish.)
Combine breadcrumbs with 1 Tbs melted butter; sprinkle evenly over scallop mixture.
Place shells (or casserole dish) on a large baking sheet.
Broil 3 to 5 minutes or until top(s) are browned and bubbly.
Yield 6 servings.
​


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## Huntn

*Easy Fall Off The Bone Baked Ribs Recipe*
It’s easy and worked well. I used baby back pork ribs


Heat oven to 275 degrees.
Pull the thin membrane off the bone side of the ribs. Yes, it was there.
Lay ribs on aluminum foil, enough to wrap them.
Sprinkle both sides with salt and pepper or your preferred BBQ seasoning (not BBQ sauce). I used Season All.
Wrap ribs with the aluminum foil, I sealed the edges folding the foil so the juice would remain inside with the ribs.
Cook in oven 3-4 hour, remove from oven. (I cooked mine for 3 hours, 30 minutes.)
Optional: After cooking them, apply your favorite BBQ sauce. (I prefer tangy over sweet,)
I ended  up with tender, moist, delicious, fall off the bone ribs.We opted for no BBQ sauce this time.  Hmm, good!

​
Baby Back Ribs

​
Pre-cooked, seasoned. Cut in half with 2 packages side by side to fit in pan.



​
3 hours, 30 minutes later @ 275 degrees.


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## Huntn

*Baked Zeti I* (found on *AllRecipes.com*)
Easy tasty recipe. For two people it’s easy to half this recipe.


not my photo​
*Ingredients*

1 pound dry ziti pasta (Any short pasta. I used a gemeli pasta made with chick pea flour.)
1 onion, chopped
1 pound lean ground beef (I used ground turkey.)
2 (26 ounce) jars spaghetti sauce
6 ounces provolone cheese, sliced
1 ½ cups sour cream
6 ounces mozzarella cheese, shredded
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
*Directions*

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add ziti pasta, and cook until al dente, about 8 minutes; drain.
In a large skillet, brown onion and ground beef over medium heat. Add spaghetti sauce, and simmer 15 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Butter a 9x13 inch baking dish. Layer as follows: 1/2 of the ziti, Provolone cheese, sour cream, 1/2 sauce mixture, remaining ziti, mozzarella cheese and remaining sauce mixture. Top with grated Parmesan cheese.
Bake for 30 minutes in the preheated oven, or until cheeses are melted.


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## lizkat

@Huntn Wow, that looks delicious,  but for a cooler day than what's on tap for me locally right now. 

I'm leaning towards making some quite simple version of cold sesame noodles,  garnished with either strips of cooked chicken or else diced cucumber and scallions. 

Recipes for that dish abound on the net,  here are two pared-down ones that I have used in the past, although it's a simple enough preparation that I pretty much just wing it nowadays.  All ingredients are usually in my pantry or fridge.









						Cold Sesame Noodles
					

Even my kids can’t resist this unique salad with a peanut butter dressing. To make it a main dish, stir in some cubed cooked chicken.—Elizabeth Perez, Flower Mound, Texas




					www.tasteofhome.com
				









						Cold Sesame Noodles
					

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.




					www.epicurious.com
				




If you do any Asian-themed cooking at all you're likely to have the seasoning ingredients on hand.  Aside from the basic "sesame noodle" concoction,  you can use any garnish or addition that strikes your fancy.


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## Scepticalscribe

lizkat said:


> @Huntn Wow, that looks delicious,  but for a cooler day than what's on tap for me locally right now.
> 
> I'm leaning towards making some quite simple version of cold sesame noodles,  garnished with either strips of cooked chicken or else diced cucumber and scallions.
> 
> Recipes for that dish abound on the net,  here are two pared-down ones that I have used in the past, although it's a simple enough preparation that I pretty much just wing it nowadays.  All ingredients are usually in my pantry or fridge.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Cold Sesame Noodles
> 
> 
> Even my kids can’t resist this unique salad with a peanut butter dressing. To make it a main dish, stir in some cubed cooked chicken.—Elizabeth Perez, Flower Mound, Texas
> 
> 
> 
> 
> www.tasteofhome.com
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Cold Sesame Noodles
> 
> 
> Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> www.epicurious.com
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> If you do any Asian-themed cooking at all you're likely to have the seasoning ingredients on hand.  Aside from the basic "sesame noodle" concoction,  you can use any garnish or addition that strikes your fancy.




Sounds delicious.


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## Huntn

lizkat said:


> @Huntn Wow, that looks delicious,  but for a cooler day than what's on tap for me locally right now.
> 
> I'm leaning towards making some quite simple version of cold sesame noodles,  garnished with either strips of cooked chicken or else diced cucumber and scallions.
> 
> Recipes for that dish abound on the net,  here are two pared-down ones that I have used in the past, although it's a simple enough preparation that I pretty much just wing it nowadays.  All ingredients are usually in my pantry or fridge.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Cold Sesame Noodles
> 
> 
> Even my kids can’t resist this unique salad with a peanut butter dressing. To make it a main dish, stir in some cubed cooked chicken.—Elizabeth Perez, Flower Mound, Texas
> 
> 
> 
> 
> www.tasteofhome.com
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Cold Sesame Noodles
> 
> 
> Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> www.epicurious.com
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> If you do any Asian-themed cooking at all you're likely to have the seasoning ingredients on hand.  Aside from the basic "sesame noodle" concoction,  you can use any garnish or addition that strikes your fancy.



re: Zeti, it is delicious, simple recipe. Last time I tried making it with a chic pea pasta and that had too strong a flavor. This time stuck to traditional noodles but technically it was penne, could not find any ziti noodles, so I just grabbed any ole short noodle, and penne is practically identical, and they all taste basically the same except different shapes.


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## Huntn

*How do you squeeze your lemons?**
* for use in the  kitchen. 

Back in December I purchased a robust looking lemon press, Moocii Brand. During that time I squeezed about 25lb of lemons about 65 lemons before it broke.

​So now I have a decision to make. As a hand press, this one is better than most with long handles providing better leverage, but squeeze enough lemons, and I can feel it in my hand. ($25) With light use I’d expect it to last longer.

I do have an old fashioned dome juicer, cut the lemon in half and twist it on the riged dome to extract the juice. (<$20) I’ve not used it a while for occasional juice extraction, maybe it will suffice.

Option 3 is an electric juicer, which I imagine is  easiest but most expensive. ($80ish +). 
Is it slow? A Lemmon press is a couple of seconds per lemon half.
Opinions?

Opinions?

​


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## DT

For a lemon or lime ?  If it's being used on a dish, like a shot of lime for the guac, hand squeezed, if it's to get all the juice out, like making a skinny marg' (yes, I have a theme ...) then we just use a simple, inexpensive little manual squeezer like so:






Now, if we're juicing oranges for actual OJ, yeah, bust out the electric, but that's very rarely used.


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## Huntn

DT said:


> For a lemon or lime ?  If it's being used on a dish, like a shot of lime for the guac, hand squeezed, if it's to get all the juice out, like making a skinny marg' (yes, I have a theme ...) then we just use a simple, inexpensive little manual squeezer like so:
> 
> View attachment 7867
> 
> 
> Now, if we're juicing oranges for actual OJ, yeah, bust out the electric, but that's very rarely used.



I’ve got one like your yellow one, but some of the lemons were too big to fit in it without cutting them into fourths. I really don’t want to spend $85 for an electric model for the frequency  at which I squeeze lemons.


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## DT

I saw Amazon has several like this, it's "oversized", this one has killer reviews (4.7/5 @ 490 reviews), it's only $20:



			Amazon.com
		


I think ours is actually larger too, it looks like the yellow one I posted, but it handles some BIG lemons


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## Huntn

DT said:


> I saw Amazon has several like this, it's "oversized", this one has killer reviews (4.7/5 @ 490 reviews), it's only $20:
> 
> 
> 
> Amazon.com
> 
> 
> 
> I think ours is actually larger too, it looks like the yellow one I posted, but it handles some BIG lemons



I might try this.  I’m waiting for an answer about replacement from the company I purchased my current squeezer.


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## Scepticalscribe

Huntn said:


> *How do you squeeze your lemons?**
> * for use in the  kitchen.
> 
> Back in December I purchased a robust looking lemon press, Moocii Brand. During that time I squeezed about 25lb of lemons about 65 lemons before it broke.
> 
> View attachment 7839​So now I have a decision to make. As a hand press, this one is better than most with long handles providing better leverage, but squeeze enough lemons, and I can feel it in my hand. ($25) With light use I’d expect it to last longer.
> 
> I do have an old fashioned dome juicer, cut the lemon in half and twist it on the riged dome to extract the juice. (<$20) I’ve not used it a while for occasional juice extraction, maybe it will suffice.
> 
> Option 3 is an electric juicer, which I imagine is  easiest but most expensive. ($80ish +).
> Is it slow? A Lemmon press is a couple of seconds per lemon half.
> Opinions?
> 
> Opinions?
> 
> View attachment 7840​




I still use my trusty old manual dome juicer each and every morning. (For lemons, oranges, and grapefruit).   For some strange, inexplicable reason, I actually like the physical action of juicing lemons (and/or oranges, grapefruit etc) by hand. 

And I have a citrus/lemon reamer, perfect for salad dressings.


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## Huntn

Update on the lemon squeezer, the item I purchased had a 6 month warranty. The company Moocii, or Moocii-US, whoever they are, I can find zero info on them, they have a store on Amazon but are completely shielded other than the abilty to send them messages and their response seems like from someone whose English is a second language. That bugs me a little that I can find no info.  Anyway the item has a 6 months warranty on it, it is 8 months since purchase, but they have agreed to send me a replacement. So the issue is deferred for now.


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## Huntn

*Boiled Shrimp*
https://www.myrecipes.com/how-to/how-to-boil-shrimp

Fresh Shrimp with shell on preferred.  With shell off can become mushy during boiling.
The more aromatic your boiling water, the more flavorful your shrimp. There’s no right or wrong combination of ingredients, so feel free to experiment with different amounts and types of spices and fresh or dried herbs until you find what you like best. Toss in aromatics like coriander seed, mustard seed, celery seed, whole allspice, and cloves—or keep it old-school with Old Bay Seasoning (if you're a paprika fan, you'll instantly fall in love). Whatever you do, aim for bold, but balanced flavors.
Options any combo with 1-2 lb of shrimp in mind:

3-4 bay leaves.
3 TBS Old Bay Seasoning (a must IMO)
Pinch of Cayenne
2 Tsps of black peppercorns
1/2 head garlic, halved crosswise (I used minced garlic).
5 sprigs fresh parsley (I used dry parsley).
1 Cup apple Cider Vinegar
1 Lemon Halved.
Steps:

Fill a large pot with water until a little more than halfway full.
Stir in all of the aromatics except lemon (if using) and bring the water to a boil.
While waiting fill a large bowl with ice to cool the shrimp after cooking so they don’t overcook.
After the water boils, reduce heat  and simmer for 10 minutes to infuse the flavors.
Squeeze the lemon juice into the water (toss in the lemon if you want).
Add the shrimp (cook in two batches if more than 2 pounds of shrimp). and simmer 2-3 minutes until pink. Shrimp cook quickly!
Remove shrimp with slotted spoon and place on ice. Serve immediately or chill on ice in the refrigerator.
Don’t forget the dipping sauce:

Cocktail Sauce
Remoulade Sauce
Tartar Sauce
or melted butter.


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## Huntn

not my image​
*Crab Imperial* (from the Maryland's Flavor cookbook 1981)
1 LB Crab meat (I use 3- 6 oz cans of lump crabmeat)
2 TBS Butter (6 TBS for triple sauce)
2 TBS Flour (6 TBS for triple sauce)
3/4 Cup Milk (2 1/4 Cups for triple sauce)
1 Egg Beaten
1 Hard boiled Egg (chopped fine)
1 TBS Mayonnaise
6 Drops Worcestershire Sauce
1/2 TSP Parsley Flakes
1/4 TSP Seafood Seasoning (I use Old Bay)
1/2 TSP Dry Mustard
1 Cup Bread Crumbs (for topping, you can purchase bread crumbs or crumble your own old, but not moldy bread. You can use fresh bread too to make crumbs, but if you premix the melted butter with it like I do, it can become somewhat of a glob of bread. )
1/4 Cup melted Butter (for topping)

This casserole recipe is not technically hard and is delicious. Preheat Oven 325°F. Place Crab Meat in large bowl removing any noticeable cartilage.

*The sauce: *Of note, I triple the sauce or the casserole comes out on the dry side. In a large shallow sauce pan, melt 2 TBS Butter over low heat, add Flour and stir into a paste. Slowly add milk, stirring constantly until all milk is added and sauce has thickened.

Reserve 6 TBS of sauce in a separate cup. (With triple sauce, I reserve 12 TBS. Note, this step is optional. If you don't do this, it makes no significant difference in the taste of the final dish IMO. )

*Combine Ingredients: *Add sauce to Crab Meat, along with Raw Egg, Hard Boiled Egg, Mayo, Worcestershire Sauce, Mustard, Parsley, and seasonings. Mix thoroughly, and pour in a 1 1/2 Qt Baking Dish. I use a 9x11" rectangular shallow glass baking dish.

Top with Bread Crumbs and melted Butter (I mix bread with melted butter before scattering on top), and then drop dollops of the reserved sauce on the top.

*Bake *for 45min or until brown on top.


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## Huntn

*Nana’s Cornbread Stuffing +*

**​
2 Apples (cut into small pieces).
2 Potatoes cubed (boiled).
2 Celery Stalks (chopped fine).
1 Green Pepper (chopped fine).
1 Onion (chopped).
2 Hard Boiled Eggs (chopped)
2 sticks of butter (8 oz total) melted.
1 package of cornbread mix.
1 package of chicken livers boiled (need 5), diced.
Giblets, if included with a chicken your cooking, boil with livers.
Broth from livers, Chicken broth (optional)  or water.  (personal taste).
*Preparation*

Prepare ingredients as listed above.
If you have giblets from a bird being prepared for dinner, boil these with chicken livers.
Cube potatoes, skin on or off and boil till soft.
Mix up cornbread and bake per mix instructions cook in a pan.
Preheat oven to 375deg F.
*Mix*

After the cornbread is baked.  Crumble up and add to large mixing bowl.
Add other ingredients as prepared above.
Mix gently, if mixture seems dry add some of the left over liver water, chicken broth or plain water.  The goal is to keep the mixture on the dry side, not real wet.
Spread mixture in a 9x12” cooking pan.
Cook at 375 deg F for 15 min.


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## Huntn

*Green Bean Casserole*
*Easy*
**​
*Ingredients*

1 can (10 1/2 ounces) Campbell’s® Condensed Cream of Mushroom Soup or 98% Fat Free Cream of Mushroom Soup or Condensed Unsalted Cream of Mushroom Soup
1/2 cup milk
1 teaspoon soy sauce
4 cups cooked cut green beans (I nuke them in Microwave.)
1 1/3 cups French's® French Fried Onions_ (amount divided in recipe steps below)_
*Steps*

Heat the oven to 350°F.  Stir the soup, milk, soy sauce, beans and 2/3 cup onions in a 1 1/2-quart casserole.  Season the mixture with salt and pepper.
Bake for 25 minutes or until hot.  Stir the bean mixture.  Sprinkle with the remaining 2/3 cup onions.
Bake for another 5 minutes or until the onions are golden brown.


----------



## lizkat

Scepticalscribe said:


> still use my trusty old manual dome juicer each and every morning. (For lemons, oranges, and grapefruit). For some strange, inexplicable reason, I actually like the physical action of juicing lemons (and/or oranges, grapefruit etc) by hand.
> 
> And I have a citrus/lemon reamer, perfect for salad dressings.




Yep,  I stick with what still works okay for me,  looks pretty much like this.   Somewhere I have a two-piece alternative, a yellow plastic top part with straining capability and a cup underneath,  so the seeds are kept out.   But I usually want the pulp too and that yellow thing keeps too much of it out along with the seeds. So I persist in using the glass one, just fish the seeds out with a spoon

​


----------



## Scepticalscribe

lizkat said:


> Yep,  I stick with what still works okay for me,  looks pretty much like this.   Somewhere I have a two-piece alternative, a yellow plastic top part with straining capability and a cup underneath,  so the seeds are kept out.   But I usually want the pulp too and that yellow thing keeps too much of it out along with the seeds. So I persist in using the glass one, just fish the seeds out with a spoon
> 
> View attachment 10038​




Ah, yes.

Actually, I still sometimes use my mother's trusty two-piece (yes, plastic); not only are the seeds kept out, but the pulp is, too.  However, that means that the pulp can be spooned into a nearby conveniently greedily (open) mouth.


----------



## Huntn

lizkat said:


> Yep,  I stick with what still works okay for me,  looks pretty much like this.   Somewhere I have a two-piece alternative, a yellow plastic top part with straining capability and a cup underneath,  so the seeds are kept out.   But I usually want the pulp too and that yellow thing keeps too much of it out along with the seeds. So I persist in using the glass one, just fish the seeds out with a spoon
> 
> View attachment 10038​



I remember those!


----------



## Huntn

Do you have a good stew recipe?

​
*Basic Beef Stew*

1 package of stew meat (cubed) 1.5-2lb, or if a piece of steak, cube it yourself.
1 large onion. Peel, slice and dice the onion.
3 large, or 7-8 small potatoes, wash  and cut up into small pieces.
1 package of frozen corn (not on the cob).
1 package of frozen carrots or baby carrots, cut into small pieces as desired.
3 cans of beef broth. Beef and chicken broth are being sold in 1qt containers locally. If this case just 1 of those.
White flour
Vegetable oil (I used olive oil)
Makes 4-8 portions for us. If this is the meal by itself, more like 5 portions.
Pour some flour in a bowl, then dump in the cubed beef and mix to coat each piece of beef. Brown this beef in a skillet with oil. You can be liberal with the flour because this will add body to the stew liquid.

Dump all of the ingredients in a pot or a slow cooker. Add water if needed to cover the ingredients. If you bought the 1quart container of beef broth, you can use all of it instead of adding water. I prefer  a slow cooker, preparing it in the morning, and setting it to 6-8 hours and let it go for a tasty stew. If you cook it in a pot on low-med heat, you have to keep an eye on the liquid level and I assume this would be for a couple of hours.

Usually, I add some sprinkles of hot sauce to a bowl of the final product to excite it a little. 
And we eat it with some hearty bread. I’ll buy a loaf of a grainy Italian bread loaf, slice it, add butter and some garlic salt and warm it up in the microwave.

I’ve seen variations of this recipe where wine is added.


----------



## lizkat

Huntn said:


> Do you have a good stew recipe?
> 
> View attachment 10578​
> *Basic Beef Stew*
> 
> 1 package of stew meat (cubed) 1.5-2lb, or if a piece of steak, cube it yourself.
> 1 large onion. Peel, slice and dice the onion.
> 3 large, or 7-8 small potatoes, wash  and cut up into small pieces.
> 1 package of frozen corn (not on the cob).
> 1 package of frozen carrots or baby carrots, cut into small pieces as desired.
> 3 cans of beef broth. Beef and chicken broth are being sold in 1qt containers locally. If this case just 1 of those.
> White flour
> Vegetable oil (I used olive oil)
> Makes 4-8 portions for us. If this is the meal by itself, more like 5 portions.
> Pour some flour in a bowl, then dump in the cubed beef and mix to coat each piece of beef. Brown this beef in a skillet with oil. You can be liberal with the flour because this will add body to the stew liquid.
> 
> Dump all of the ingredients in a pot or a slow cooker. Add water if needed to cover the ingredients. If you bought the 1quart container of beef broth, you can use all of it instead of adding water. I prefer  a slow cooker, preparing it in the morning, and setting it to 6-8 hours and let it go for a tasty stew. If you cook it in a pot on low-med heat, you have to keep an eye on the liquid level and I assume this would be for a couple of hours.
> 
> Usually, I add some sprinkles of hot sauce to a bowl of the final product to excite it a little.
> And we eat it with some hearty bread. I’ll buy a loaf of a grainy Italian bread loaf, slice it, add butter and some garlic salt and warm it up in the microwave.
> 
> I’ve seen variations of this recipe where wine is added.




That sounds pretty good!   I make a lamb stew pretty much like that except that I do use a Dutch oven on the stove top,  lamb instead of the beef, sliced mushrooms and (picked over, rinsed) brown lentils instead of the corn and generally a home-made vegetable stock in lieu of the beef stock.  I dice some celery and put that and minced garlic in with the onion at the sauté stage after I've seared the cubed meat,  and I put the potatoes in fairly far along in the simmering stage later on, so they don't disintegrate.  

Sometimes the supermarkets here will have Australian lamb at this time of year,  so it makes for a nice winter stew in the northern hemisphere, otherwise with locally raised lamb, it's a dish I make in in late winter, early spring.   I serve it alongside some green beans cooked just prior to meal time, and some crusty bread that's been sliced,  run under the broiler and rubbed with garlic.

This dish freezes well but if making it ahead for that purpose I omit the potatoes, then add them freshly cooked to the simmering stew after it has thawed.  I also undercook the carrots if making the dish to freeze and use later.


----------



## Huntn

lizkat said:


> That sounds pretty good!   I make a lamb stew pretty much like that except that I do use a Dutch oven on the stove top,  lamb instead of the beef, sliced mushrooms and (picked over, rinsed) brown lentils instead of the corn and generally a home-made vegetable stock in lieu of the beef stock.  I dice some celery and put that and minced garlic in with the onion at the sauté stage after I've seared the cubed meat,  and I put the potatoes in fairly far along in the simmering stage later on, so they don't disintegrate.
> 
> Sometimes the supermarkets here will have Australian lamb at this time of year,  so it makes for a nice winter stew in the northern hemisphere, otherwise with locally raised lamb, it's a dish I make in in late winter, early spring.   I serve it alongside some green beans cooked just prior to meal time, and some crusty bread that's been sliced,  run under the broiler and rubbed with garlic.
> 
> This dish freezes well but if making it ahead for that purpose I omit the potatoes, then add them freshly cooked to the simmering stew after it has thawed.  I also undercook the carrots if making the dish to freeze and use later.



I’ve suggested adding some extra flavorings into our stew, mushrooms sound good, and she is adamant about the virgin recipe.  In the slow cooker, the potatoes hold up well.


----------



## lizkat

Huntn said:


> I’ve suggested adding some extra flavorings into our stew, mushrooms sound good, and she is adamant about the virgin recipe.  In the slow cooker, the potatoes hold up well.




I've been tempted to buy both a slow cooker and a rice cooker, but so far  have resisted.  I don't like the idea of having to put them away and fish them out from the base cupboards, as I haven't the counter space to devote to them just standing out at the ready.

In theory I've reduced my rice intake or at least switched over to brown rice, but in winter I invariably tire at some point of oatmeal and start cheating by having chili beans (or peanuts w/ a dash of soy) over...  yeah, white rice...  or a pilaf made of a mix of brown and white rice and some orzo.

As far as the slow cooker goes, I dunno.  Still mulling over whether I'd use it enough.   At the rate I'm progressing, by the time I decide, I'll be in my 90s and lucky to have enough wit left to be messing around in a kitchen at all.


----------



## Scepticalscribe

Until the carer arrived in our lives, to care for my mother, - and made having a rice cooker something that was non-negotiable - I had never ever seen, let alone used, a rice cooker.

Now, to be absolutely honest, I swear by them. 

Slow cooker, no; but, rice cooker - absolutely; it is never put away, for it is used (daily, when the carer lived with us), at least once or twice a week.

Okay, paella, and risotto, etc, I cook the old, proper, stove top way; that is the nature of such a dish, and that is how it has always been done.  But, for almost everything else with rice - that is, anything with an Asian, rather than a European culinary ancestry - I will use the rice cooker.

And, for something such as Nasi Goreng, which calls for day old rice, I will cook the rice initially in the rice cooker, and then use the cooked rice the following day on the stove top.


----------



## lizkat

Scepticalscribe said:


> Until the carer arrived in our lives, to care for my mother, - and made having a rice cooker something that was non-negotiable - I had never ever seen, let alone used, a rice cooker.
> 
> Now, to be absolutely honest, I swear by them.
> 
> Slow cooker, no; but, rice cooker - absolutely; it is never put away, for it is used (daily, when the carer lived with us), at least once or twice a week.
> 
> Okay, paella, and risotto, etc, I cook the old, proper, stove top way; that is the nature of such a dish, and that is how it has always been done.  But, for almost everything else with rice - that is, anything with an Asian, rather than a European culinary ancestry - I will use the rice cooker.




Have you a recommendation as to the brand of rice cooker?  Or the size?  I've not really shopped for one at all yet but I do think about it now and then.  It would be handy not to have to keep an eye on rice taking its sweet time on the stove when the weather is better and I'm outside half the time.


----------



## Scepticalscribe

lizkat said:


> Have you a recommendation as to the brand of rice cooker?  Or the size?  I've not really shopped for one at all yet but I do think about it now and then.  It would be handy not to have to keep an eye on rice taking its sweet time on the stove when the weather is better and I'm outside half the time.




Re size, I would recommend a rice cooker for 1-3 people.

When the carer first arrived, the rice cooker that she brought with her (4-6) fed the family; after all, she was caring for my mother, (although Mother far preferred potatoes, and usually was given roasted potatoes as well) and me, whenever I was around, and whatever Filipina friends turned up (and we always encouraged her to have her friends to dinner).

Then, around a month or so after my mother's death, the carer left, heading off to a fresh family, but also sent her rice cooker back to her family in the Philippines.

Between positions, (and before Covid) she landed back with me for several weeks, - as far as I am concerned, her room is still hers, and some of her stuff is still here - which necesitated the purchase of a brand new rice cooker.

Anyway, as she is considerably more expert in such matters than I am, I gave her money to make the purchase, my only request being that she ensure that it was a good quality rice cooker.

So, the actual rice cooker is a Russell Hobbs - a very reputable brand, which came with a solid guarantee, and works beautifully well; the only problem is that the carer (possibly operating on autoomatic control) made the purchase on the assumption that it was a family purchase (as it would have been while my mother was alive) and bought a machine that would effortlessly feed 4-6 people, which, to be honest, is probably far too large (as I live toute seule these days) for my needs.

With all that said, I would recommend the small size (1-3 people) and that you invest in a reputable brand.


----------



## Huntn

*Easy Chicken Enchiladas* (makes 10 enchiladas)
2 cups cooked chopped chicken (I use skinned deboned thighs)
2 cups sour cream
1 can condensed cream of chicken soup
2 cups Monterey Jack cheese shredded
3*cups of Longhorn (mild cheddar cheese) shredded- * set 1 cup of this cheese aside to sprinkle on top.
2 TBS chopped onion
1/2 TSP salt
1/4 TSP pepper
10" flour tortillas (package of ten)
Vegetable oil

These are delicious and a huge hit in our family.  Unlike many enchilada recipes there is no tomato sauce used, and these are not drenched/floating in sauces in the pan. They appear as rolled tortillas side by side, with just shredded cheddar cheese melted on top. This is closest picture I could come up with online but with just yellow cheddar cheese on top, no sauce.


​
*Cook the chicken:* Boil it in water until cooked through. I boil it for about 20-30 min. Then shred or cut up into small pieces.

*Mix the filling: *Set 1 cup of the Longhorn cheese aside.  Combine first 8 ingredients in large mixing bowl. It's optional to fry each tortillas one at a time in 2TBS oil, 5 sec on each side. I usually don't, using them straight out of the package. This recipe allows you to make up all 10 enchiladas at once or make up less and keep the left over mix in the fridge or freezer to assemble and cook later.

If making all 10, plan on 2, 8x12" or 9x13" glass cooking pans, 5 enchiladas per pan (glass optional ).

*To assemble: *You can, but it is not necessary to spray or wipe these pans with vegetable oil prior to placing the enchiladas in them. Place a large dallop of the mix in a tortilla and roll it up. This should make a substantial enchilada, not a little skinny one. Place in cooking pan seam down, side by side. Sprinkle some Longhorn cheese on top of each enchilada. Cook at 350 degrees for 20 min. Serve immediately.

Any mix left over can be refrigerated to make more later. This recipe lasts 2 people, 3-5 meals, 5 meals if each person only eats 1 enchilada. For us, it's usually 3 meals.


----------



## Scepticalscribe

Roast pork belly, loosely based on a Gordon Ramsay recipe.

This started with scoring the pork belly rind, into diamond patterns and rubbing sea salt (and, in my case, I also added brown sugar) into the crevices.

In a roasting dish - Gordon had called for a bulb of fennel which I forgot to buy yesterday - so, for vegetables, I used roughly chopped carrot, celery, onion, (the classic soffritto), plus parsnip, (I am a northern European, that is a root vegetable - and root vegetables go well with pork - and it is still winter), I sautéed vegetables, and later, fruit, and spices.

Unlike Gordon, I thought that fruit - a large cooking apple and a large conference pear - both sliced and peeled - would work well with pork. And a tin of apricots, their juice added later to the stock - I decided to forego citrus.

The vegetables (and fruit) were sautéed in olive oil in a large roasting tin; spices - several (around seven for me, whereas Gordon had mentioned a mere three) bashed (and peeled) cloves of garlic were added, as were several star anise, bashed cardamon seeds, and a fistful of caraway seeds. (To my surprise, my well stocked spice cupboard did not have the fennel seeds that Gordon suggested).

The inevitable sea salt and black pepper; the pork was seared on both sides; then a large glass of white wine was added, the alcohol allowed to burn off, after which I added the liquid from the tin of apricots, and some stock.

Next, into a preheated oven at 180C (360F) for two and a half hours.


----------



## Scepticalscribe

Another recipe loosely based on a Gordon Ramsay recipe: Classic comfort food:  

Sausage and pasta:

Firstly, finely diced onion was sautéed until soft in olive oil, then half a head (around seven or eight cloves) of peeled, minced, garlic was added to the pan, and also sautéed until soft, and golden.

Merguez sausages, (artisan made) three of them (peeled of their casing and broken into chunks) were added to the pan, and browned; meanwhile, a few chopped tomatoes (a mix of vine tomatoes and a few cherry tomatoes) were roasted in the oven (for around 40 minutes - seasoned with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, and drizzed with olive oil); this (plus the olive oil, seasoned with tomato) was then also added to the pan and mashed and mixed through.

In a separate saucepan, boiling water (salted with a dash of olive oil) awaited pasta (fettuccine); a few tablespoons of the pasta cooking water were then added to the sausage, onion, garlic and roasted tomato mix and stirred through.

The pasta was drained, seasoned with a little olive oil and black pepper, then added to the sauté pan, where it was mixed through with the sausage, onion, garlic and roasted tomato mix. Chopped parsley was added, and then it was served.

Dessert took the form of a (homemade) compot of blueberries and sliced strawberries - with a few teaspoons of honey and the juice of a small freshly squeezed lemon.


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## Scepticalscribe

Chicken Fricassee (Gordon Ramsay does a very good version) is a French rustic dish.

Chicken thighs (skin and bone attached, and seasoned with sea salt and black pepper) are sautéed (in a large sauté pan) in olive oil until golden, and diced pancetta, chopped - or diced - onion and roughly chopped cloves of garlic (I have a generous hand with garlic) added, and sautéed until all are soft. Mushrooms - halved (or quartered, depending on size) - are next added.

Fresh rosemary (and thyme, if you have it; I didn't have it today) are added; that is, you strip the "needles" - leaves - of both herbs, for that is what is to be added to the pan - and discard the woody stems.

Then, some white wine (around a small wine glass) is added, and let cook down until reduced. Next, in with some chicken stock, and let this lot simmer away for around twenty minutes, (uncovered) and a further ten minutes or so, with a lid - slightly covered, so that the steam can escape.

That is when you can add (should your inclinations lie that way) a generous glug (or more, I used around half a mug) of double cream. Allow that to simmer for a further five to ten minutes. Check for seasoning. Then, serve.

Today, I served it with sautéed (small, salad) potatoes, parboiled first, then sautéed in a little olive oil, sea salt, black pepper, and roughly chopped (fresh) parsley.


----------



## Huntn

*Easy Taco Soup* from a friend in Tulsa. This is surprisingly good. The image below was grabbed online, I don’t include the chives, or greenery whatever it is, scallions sliced (?), flour tortilla strips, or the dallop of sour cream on top, but I might include that next time! 

​

1-1.5 Lb of ground or shredded chicken (I might boil a package of thighs and shred them).
1 large Onion, diced.
Olive Oil.
1 Package of Ranch Dressing seasonings (dry).
1 Package of Taco Seasons (McCormick with30% less salt).
1-27 Oz can of pinto beans.
1-15 Oz can of stewed tomatoes.
1-15 Oz can of Mexican style tomatoes.
1 package of frozen corn (off the cob).
*Instructions*

The quantities of chicken, pinto beans, corn and tomatoes can be varied to preferencem but start with the above. The cans of ingredients, don’t drain, dump it all in.
Fry the chicken and onions in a pan with olive oil. After it is cooked, stir in the Ranch and Taco seasonings, then place in a large pot.
Dump in the reminder of the ingredients, and add enough water to make it look like a soup. I filled the pinto bean can with water and used that.
Cook to a boil, then simmer for 1 hour.
This recipe as is, made 6 large bowls of delicious soup.


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## Huntn

*Shrimp Fettuccini Alfredo*
found at Delish.com
This includes outstanding advice for preparation of the key ingredients.

Image to be posted​Easy to make imo.

*Great advice in general:
Overcooking the pasta.*
Nothing is worse than a bowl of mushy pasta. We're going for al dente in this recipe—as in, it should still have some bite. This can be especially tricky when you're adding cooked pasta back to a hot pan because it will continue to cook. We recommend tasting your pasta for doneness a 3 to 4 minutes before the box recommends. There should still be a bit of firmness in the center of your fettuccine. That means, given a little extra cooking time in the sauce, it'll come out perfectly.
*Overcooking the shrimp.*
Never underestimate how fast shrimp can cook. Depending on their size and the heat of your pan they could cook in literally one minute, so keep an eye on them! As soon as they turn from gray and translucent to pink and opaque, they're good to go! Set them aside on a plate and continue with the sauce. Just don't ditch anything they've left behind in the pan! Those juices will add so much flavor to your final sauce. Using shell-on shrimp would provide even more flavor, but we don't love to use our hands while eating pasta. If you don't mind getting your hands dirty, feel free to leave the shells on!
*Curdling the sauce.*
One of the secrets to making an extra creamy Alfredo sauce is the addition of an egg yolk. In order to incorporate that yolk without cooking it, you need to make the sauce in a specific order. After you've added your flour, add your cold milk and cream first, so that when you drop your yolk in, it won't start cooking immediately. When you do drop your yolk in, whisk it into the sauce immediately to avoid clumping. If it still sounds risky to you, you can whisk together your heavy cream, milk, and yolk in a separate bowl and pour it into your pan as a homogenous mixture.
*Using pre-grated parm.*
This creamy sauce is totally dependent on the cheese. Most of the pre-grated parmesan cheeses sold at the grocery store are mixed with preservatives in order to prevent caking, and to keep the cheese dry. Unfortunately, this can lead to a less than favorable texture, and can make it more difficult for the cheese to melt. If you can, splurge for a real piece of Parmigiano Reggiano (or another hard cheese like Locatelli or Pecorino Romano). It'll make your Alfredo sauce a bit more smooth and creamy.

Nutrition (per serving): 910 calories, 37 g protein, 95 g carbohydrates, 4 g fiber, 7 g sugar, 42 g fat, 25 g saturated fat, 1,148 mg sodium
YIELDS:4
PREP TIME:0 HOURS 15MINS
TOTAL TIME:0 HOURS 25MINS

*INGREDIENTS*


1 lb. fetuccine
3 tbsp. butter, divided
1 lb. shrimp, peeled and deveined, tails removed
kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbsp. all-purpose flour
1 c. heavy cream
1/2 c. whole milk
1 egg yolk
1 c. freshly grated Parmesan, plus more for garnish
1 tbsp. Chopped parsley, for garnish
*DIRECTIONS*


Cook fettuccine according to the instructions on box, reserving a cup of pasta water to thicken the sauce, if needed.
In a large skillet over medium heat, heat 1 tablespoon butter until melted. Add shrimp, season with salt and pepper and cook until pink and completely opaque, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Remove shrimp from skillet and set aside.
Into the pan, add remaining 2 tablespoons butter and garlic. Cook until the garlic becomes fragrant, about 1 minute. Whisk in flour and cook until no longer raw, 2 minutes. Stir in heavy cream and milk, then whisk in egg yolk.  Bring to a low simmer and whisk in parmesan. When cheese is melted and sauce has thickened slightly, add cooked pasta and shrimp, tossing to combine. Season with salt and pepper.
Garnish with more parmesan and parsley.


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## shadow puppet

I made these last night, recipe courtesy of spinach & bacon.  They are the poor man's version of lobster rolls and quite tasty. 
If you have a Trader Joe's in your area, everything can be sourced from their store.






Ingredients:​
1 lb Frozen Argentinian Shrimp
4 Brioche Hotdog Buns
1/4 cup Minced Celery
3 Green Onions Minced
1/2 Lemon juiced
1/4 cup Mayonaise
5 tbsp Butter
1/4 tsp Sea Salt
1/4 tsp Black Pepper
Method:​
Mince the green onions and celery and add to a medium size bowl. Add the mayonnaise, sea salt, and pepper and mix. Add the juice from half a lemon and mix. Keep cold until your shrimp are are done cooking.
Melt 3 tbsp of butter in a large saute pan. Once melted, add the thawed shrimp.
Cook shrimp for 1-2 minutes per side, or until cooked through. Once, it is cooked, place shrimp on a cutting board and cut shrimp into 1″ chunks.
Toss shrimp into bowl with mayonnasise mixture.
Wipe out the pan that you cooked the shrimp in, and add the remaining butter into the pan. Melt it on medium low heat.
Place brioche hotdog buns, cut side down, into the pan to soak in the butter and grill up. Keep a close eye and do not let them burn.
Fill the brioche buns with the shrimp mixture and enjoy
I also used a bit of Chef Paul's Seafood Magic on the red Argentinian shrimp along with a dash of Grey Poupon Country Dijon mustard for some added zing. 

It was my first time making these and will definitely now be in my rotation for hot days when you don't want to turn on the oven.  Delicious!


----------



## DT

Yes!  The Argentinian Red shrimp are amazing, we get them from Omaha steaks (weirdly 95% of our orders are seafood ...).  They're big and super succulent, definitely closer to lobster in taste and texture, that's a killer substitute for lobster.


----------



## DT

@shadow puppet

Doing these tonight 





As tacos   Using this awesome dry Datil pepper seasoning, homemade slaw, and the usuals


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## shadow puppet

@DT enjoy every bite!  

I just began thawing the other half bag I have on hand of my Argentinian shrimp.  You nailed it with the lobster taste.  No wonder I enjoyed them so much.  Lobster is my favorite meal but sadly, haven't been able to enjoy for years due to cost.  Now I have a workaround!

p.s:  share a pic of your shrimp when done!


----------



## Scepticalscribe

Pasta Carbonara:

This evening, I reminded myself that these days, I live alone, and, as I love to dine late sometimes, why not indulge myself, as nobody here is demanding an early dinner.

Anyway, dinner took the form of the Italian classic, Pasta Carbonara; I realised that I had all of the ingredients to hand, and thought, why ever not?

So, Pasta Carbonara:

The ingredients for this dish are quite simple, and there aren't all that many of them, but, as with any supposedly "simple" dish, this means that it stands or falls on the quality of the ingredients.

The ingredients are: Pasta (preferably one of the long strand types, such as spaghetti, or tagliatelle, but any good quality pasta will suffice); eggs (actually, egg yolks - and here, the quality of the eggs do matter; preferably free range, as they taste better); guanciale (pig cheek); at a push, pancetta - or, any other bacon - will do fine, but guanciale is better; and Pecorino Romano (rather than Parmigiano Reggiano); some recipes call for a 50/50 mix of both, if you only have Parmigiano Reggiano that is fine, but the original recipe calls for Pecorino Romano.

And black pepper. This is a dish that calls for a generous hand with freshly ground black pepper.

Slice and dice the guanciale (remove the rind, and the peppered coating - just slice them off and discard them), then add the diced guanciale to a large saute pan, on a low heat. A very generous, a seriously large chunk of guanciale is what I have in mind; be generous, for this lovely bacon will add a wonderful flavour to your finished pasta dish.

Tonight, I added a little olive oil to the pan - most Italians do not even do this, as the fat of the guanciale will be rendered - to start them off; they will become translucent, and eventually, a little crisp.

Heat the pasta water; for once, you will not need to salt it, as the Pecorino (or Parmesan) cheese will be quite sufficiently salty, and cook the pasta - paying attention to how long it will take to cook - according to the instructions on the packet.

Separate the egg yolks from the egg whites (roughly one egg yolk per 100g of pasta, although you can be more generous), and add them to a bowl; tonight, I used two egg yolks (organic, free range) and one whole egg; whisk them.

Do not buy cheese already grated, it will not be fresh and it will taste of nothing; instead, buy a hunk, and grate it yourself.

When I had the cheese grated, most of it (in two batches) was added to the already whisked eggs, and stirred and whisked. Add some freshly ground black pepper.

If this mix is too claggy, too solid, one can dilute it a little with a few tablespoons of the pasta cooking water (which I did this evening); also, - although the purists will howl - should you feel the need for cream, this is when and where you can add it; as with the pasta cooking water, a few tablespoons/dessertspoons should suffice. You want the egg/cheese mix to be neither runny nor solid.

Turn off the heat for both the pasta and the guanciale in its saute pan. This is because you do not want the egg mixture to become scrambled eggs once it has been added to the pan.

Remove (and reserve) around half a mug of pasta cooking water; drain the pasta, and add it to the pan. Stir, coat it with the guanciale (and, above all, that lovely bacon fat that has rendered into the cooking liquid); add a few tablespoons of the pasta cooking liquid to it and stir and mix and marry.

Now, you pour in - slowly - the egg and cheese mix, on top of the pasta; stir around, blend, mix and meld and marry the lot, with tongs, and/or a wooden spoon; and don't forget to add plenty of freshly ground black pepper while you are stirring.

The pasta should be creamy, and should taste delicious (what is there not to like? For here, we have a dish that combines bacon, egg, cheese and pasta).

Serve, and savour.


----------



## DT

shadow puppet said:


> p.s:  share a pic of your shrimp when done!


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## DT

We made a little slaw that was shredded slaw mix, some [light] ranch, a little fresh lime and Sriracha - we also took some of the slaw mix, and brazed it in the same skillet with a little onion, so we had a couple of ways to eat them.  Had some more traditional taco toppings like cheese, lettuce (shreds) but decided to stick with the slaw variants.

We went ahead and cleaned the whole bag, so there are another 12+ ready for tomorrow, might do some kind of panko crust and make some cheese grits


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## Renzatic

I got tired of waiting for Taco Bell to restock their Mexican pizzas, SO I WENT AHEAD, AND MADE MY OWN!


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## Huntn

*Extra Creamy Lobster Mac and Cheese*


Not my image. Recipe found online.​
 Not the typical inexpensive Mac and Cheese kids are normally fed, at least the kids I know personally.  

*Ingredients*

8 ounces lobster meatcooked, chopped, about 2 cups *Shrimp, crab, scallops, salmon, combination can be substituted. I use 4 small lobster tails @$6 each.
16 ounces dry pastacavatappi, penne or shells (I used about 3/4 of the cooked pasta to fit in a 6x9” baking dish.)
1/3 cup butter
1/3 cup flour
1 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard powder
1/2 teaspoon salt or to taste
1/4 teaspoon Old Bay Seasoning
1/4 teaspoon black pepper to taste
2-3/4cups milk
1/2 cup light cream
2 cups sharp cheddar shredded
1 ¼ cups Gruyere cheeseshredded, or swiss cheese, mozzarella, or havarti
1/2 cup fresh parmesan cheese shredded
*Toppings*

1/2 cup bread crumbs
2 tablespoons butter melted
2 tablespoons parmesan cheese grated
1 teaspoon parsley chopped
*Instructions*

Preheat oven to 400°F. Grease a 9x13 pan.
Combine topping ingredients in a small bowl. Set aside.
Cook pasta al dente according to package directions. Drain and run under cold water and set aside.
While pasta is cooking, melt butter over medium heat in a saucepan. Stir in flour and seasonings and cook 2 minutes.
Combine milk and cream. Add to the flour mixture a little bit at a time whisking in after each addition. The mixture will be very thick at first but will smooth out as you continue adding liquid.
Once all of the liquid is added, bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 1-2 minutes or until thickened while whisking.
Remove from heat and stir in the cheeses whisking until the sauce is smooth and melted.
Combine the sauce and the pasta. Gently stir in half of the lobster meat and spread into the prepared pan.
Add remaining lobster meat on top and sprinkle with the topping mixture.
Bake 20-25 minutes or until bubbly and topping is browned. Do not overcook.
*To Boil Lobster Tails for Meat*
Bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a boil. Place 3 lobster tails (approximately 3-3.5 oz each) in the boiling water and let simmer 3-4 minutes or just until cooked through. The thickest part of the meat should reach 140°F. Check them early to ensure they do not overcook.

Note: No clue on how you check the internal temp of lobster tails in boiling water. I took 4Small refrigerated lobster tails and placed them in boiling water, and let them cook for about 9 minutes total.


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## DT

Hahaha, Daughter is an M&C gourmet, she can ID various brands with just a taste 

Wife's Mac is stellar, I've mentioned this before, the secret ... is xxxxxx xxxx.   

Fluffy?   Creamy?  








Toss it in a skillet, MORE CHEESE and bake it?  YES PLEASE


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## DT

Lobster bonus tip:

Poach in butter (no boiling), add fresh flavors on demand


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## Scepticalscribe

Ragù:

Perfect winter fare.

This recipe takes time: Around an hour of prepping - it can be nice, relaxed cooking, - and seven hours in the oven.

For the meat, I used shin beef, bone attached, ordered from the organic butcher who has a stall in the weekly farmers' market. This is a cut of meat that requires long, slow, cooking, (minimum fours hours, preferably a lot longer) but the flavour obtained from this method of preparation is well worth the time it takes.

The meat was browned (in a mix of olive oil and butter), and then chopped roughly, seasoned with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, and placed into a large, copper casserole.

A tin of tomatoes, (San Marzano, an excellent Italian brand) was chopped and mashed and added to the casserole, and the tin rinsed with water that was also added to the casserole; next, I added some stock, and half a bottle of Chianti (an Italian red wine).

In the sauté pan, some chopped Guanciale (pig cheek) was sautéed; some recipes call for pancetta, but, I realise that I have come to prefer guanciale for such flavours. The sautéed guanciale was added to the casserole, and the lot then put into a preheated oven (150C, 300F) where it mingled, married, and melded for around an hour.

While the meat was being greeted with heat, a wall of warmth, I prepared the soffritto: two sticks of finely chopped celery, one large (very large) carrot, and two enormous onions, all diced finely, and sautéed in the sauté pan (more olive oil and butter added), which took the best part of an hour (on a low heat) to soften and caramalise; while they were sautéing gently, I added six fat cloves of finely chopped garlic to the pan.

The soffritto and its gloriously softened garlic were then added to the casserole which - upon examination - gave evidence that it was coming along nicely.

After that, around every hour, or every hour and a half, the casserole is removed from the oven, inspected, tasted, stirred, - whereupon a little (a few tablespoons) of milk, (yes, milk, full fat milk) are added - and then returned to the oven for a further hour's alchemy, where the wonder of warmth and heat can work its magic.

Ragù recipes often suggest - or recommend - that gremolata is served as a condiment to accompany the dish: (Gremolata: Finely chopped parsley, minced garlic, grated lemon rind, juice of half a lemon and some olive oil).

Now, as it happens, all of these ingredients were winking at me.

So, the gremolata has been prepared. 

This dish can be served with polenta, potatoes (boiled, mashed, roasted), fresh bread, or - obviously - pasta, something such as fettuccine, or tagliatelli.

And, as with any such dish, it improves when consumed (devoured?) the day after it has been prepared, and tastes even better.

My own personal suggestion is to serve something along the lines of pasta the first day, and, perhaps, roast potatoes the following day.


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## Scepticalscribe

Pasta e fagioli: (Pasta and beans):

This recipe - classic comfort cooking, soothing winter cooking, what Italian friends describe as "classic peasant food" is deceptively simple, yet utterly delicious.

I started with the classic soffritto: Very finely diced carrot, celery, and onion, - sautéed in olive oil until soft (something that always takes a lot longer than you think), and added four fat cloves of garlic, finely sliced, to the (large, copper) sauté pan.

Next to be added was some finely diced guanciale - pig cheek, which - to my mind - is even better - far better - than pancetta, and fulfills a similar function in Italian cuisine; the rendered fat adds a most wonderful flavour to the finished dish.

Once they were soft and translucent and tasty - I added the contents of half of a jar of excellent quality (Spanish, because that was what I had to hand) cannellini beans to the sauté pan. In this instance, a jar was better than a tin, as the jar containing the rest of the beans could be kept in the fridge.

Meanwhile, in another saucepan, water - actually, stock, to which I added some olive oil - was set to boil, at which point fettuccine was added.

A generous half cup (that is, a Le Creuset mug, not the formal American measurement) of pasta cooking water - nice and starchy - was reserved, and added to the sauté pan, where it met with, mingled with, (a stir with a wooden spoon aided this process), merged and married the other ingredients already in the pan, and they were brought to a smart simmer for a few minutes.

The pasta was drained and then, the rather tasty sauce added, whereupon dinner was served, with napkins, tablecloths, proper glassware, and so on.


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## Herdfan

Huntn said:


> *Gingerbread Cutouts
> 
> 1 Cup Butter
> 1 Cup white granular sugar
> 1 Egg
> 1 Cup Dark Molasses
> 2 TBS Vinegar
> 5 Cups All Purpose Flour
> 1.5 TSP Baking Soda
> 2 TSP ginger
> 1 TSP Cinnamon
> 1 TSP Cloves*
> 
> Cream butter. Add sugar,  beat in egg, molasses, and vinegar. Blend in dry ingredients. The original recipe says to sift ingredients, but I never do. Wrap dough in plastic wrap and chill.
> 
> Then take out of the refrigerator, allow to warm enough to roll out at 1/8”-1/4” thick on a flourerd surface. Cut into desired shapes, ideally with cookie cutter cutouts. Place on greased baking sheet. Bake at 375, 5-15 minutes depending on thickness. Allow to cool on sheets of paper towels. Then after they have cooled, apply icing and sugar sprinkles if desired. Should make several dozen up to 5 dozen, cookies depending on how large they are.
> 
> Here are my masterpieces. My favorite is the road kill reindeer and the Christmas headstones, somehow Mickey Mouse showed up.
> 
> View attachment 2069​




That is very similar to my grandmother’s recipe.


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## fooferdoggie

the closest to a thanksgiving meal I make. veggie fried rice with ham. 
I use any veggies I want but this time it was graded cauliflower and carrots. I stir fry garlic and ginger then put I the veggies with some green onion and steam/fry them. add chopped ham then move to the outside and cook some eggs with sesame oil. then mix it all add some teriyaki sauce grain free oyster sauce and soy sauce.


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## Huntn

*Delicious Pecan Pie*
Featured in Texas Monthly Magazine


​

*Ingredients*

1 1/2 Cups granulated sugar
1 1/2 Cups light corn syrup
3 TBS butter
1 TSP vanilla extract
4 large eggs, lightly beaten- beat them with fork or wire whisk until yokes and whites are well blended.
1 Cup chopped pecans- some people like a combination of chopped and pecan halves. The difference is esthetic only.
1- 9” unbaked pie shell
*Instructions*

In medium saucepan, combine sugar, corn syrup, butter, and vanilla extract.
Constantly stirring, bring to a boil over medium heat, then reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 6 minutes, continuing to stir. Note: Instead of just mixing these ingredients and stopping there,  heating them on the stove top, dissolves the granulated sugar Into a creamy smooth consistency.
Remove from heat and allow to cool to room temperature, then mix in lightly beaten eggs, until well blended.
Preheat oven to 350F.
Place pecans  evenly in the bottom of the pie shell, then pour sugar mixture over them.
Cook 50-60 minutes until pie is set in center. Note: Be wary of over cooking pie. At 60 minutes, my pie was not set in the center, I let it cook another 10 min, removed it and it firmed up as it cooled but was still slightly runny when cut into. Firmer is better.


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## fooferdoggie

Huntn said:


> *Delicious Pecan Pie*
> Featured in Texas Monthly Magazine
> 
> 
> View attachment 19621​
> 
> *Ingredients*
> 
> 1 1/2 Cups granulated sugar
> 1 1/2 Cups light corn syrup
> 3 TBS butter
> 1 TSP vanilla extract
> 4 large eggs, lightly beaten- beat them with fork or wire whisk until yokes and whites are well blended.
> 1 Cup chopped pecans- some people like a combination of chopped and pecan halves. The difference is esthetic only.
> 1- 9” unbaked pie shell
> *Instructions*
> 
> In medium saucepan, combine sugar, corn syrup, butter, and vanilla extract.
> Constantly stirring, bring to a boil over medium heat, then reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 6 minutes, continuing to stir. Note: Instead of just mixing these ingredients and stopping there,  heating them on the stove top, dissolves the granulated sugar Into a creamy smooth consistency.
> Remove from heat and allow to cool to room temperature, then mix in lightly beaten eggs, until well blended.
> Preheat oven to 350F.
> Place pecans  evenly in the bottom of the pie shell, then pour sugar mixture over them.
> Cook 50-60 minutes until pie is set in center. Note: Be wary of over cooking pie. At 60 minutes, my pie was not set in the center, I let it cook another 10 min, removed it and it firmed up as it cooled but was still slightly runny when cut into. Firmer is better.



Should not add vanilla so soon wait till it is done cooking otherwise there wont be anything left.


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## Scepticalscribe

Reading recipes for Pasta All'Amatriciana.

It would appear that I have all of the necessary ingredients to hand.


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## fischersd

We made these last night:









						Honey Garlic Chicken Wings Recipe (Oven Baked)
					

Honey garlic chicken wings are easy to make with an irresistible sticky honey garlic sauce! Everyone loves these easy addictive oven baked chicken wings!




					www.spendwithpennies.com
				




Phenomenal Honey-Garlic wing sauce (I'll likely increase the chill flakes next time to give them some zip) 

Didn't bother brushing with oil - dusted the wings in flour, salt & pepper and cooked in the air fryer for 20 minutes at 390.  Perfect!

I should have taken a pic.  Gloriously sticky!!!


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## Scepticalscribe

Scepticalscribe said:


> Reading recipes for Pasta All'Amatriciana.
> 
> It would appear that I have all of the necessary ingredients to hand.



And yes, it does appear that I have all of the necessary ingredients to hand.

Pasta All'Amatriciana:

This is a deceptively easy recipe, is very tasty, and is one that uses very few ingredients, but, like all such recipes, it stands or falls on the quality of the ingredients used.

The first step is to prepare the guanciale, the pig's cheek.

Cut off the rind and the peppered side, and discard (although the rind can be retained and used to flavour stock, or soups).

Slice it, and then dice it, and put it into a large pan (I used a large copper sauté pan) where a small quantity of olive oil has been heating. The diced guanciale will become translucent and transparent, the fat will render (and will give a glorious flavour to the sauce) and blend with the olive oil.

When the diced guanciale has rendered - and you can stir it with a wooden spoon - the meat soft, the fat luscious and succulent, add a small glass of white wine to the pan, and stir, allowing the alcohol to burn off.

Meanwhile, prepare the tomatoes: These will come from a tin - San Marzano (an excellent Italian brand, for preference); Open the tin, and tip the contents into a bowl or dish, where you mash them and cut them up; season them (with sea salt, - some recipes insist that this is not necessary as the guanciale is already quite salty - but I am of the opinion that tomatoes, in common with potatoes and eggs, that tomatoes also require the addition of some salt - freshly ground black pepper, and a dash of sugar, I used organic brown sugar); this is then added to the sauté pan, where the chopped and sautéed guanciale awaits; let this cook, at a simmer, stir occasionally, for around twenty minutes.

While the sauce is simmering, prepare a green salad if you wish: Today, I used mixed leaves (organic), and prepared a dressing: Olive oil, red wine vinegar, sea salt, freshly ground black pepper, locally sourced organic runny honey (instead of sugar), French mustard.

I also grated some Pecorino Romano, to be served with the finished dish.

Water (rather than stock, the sauce will be sufficiently flavoursome, the pasta does not need the addition of being cooked in stock to enhance its flavour) is put to boil, with a little salt and olive oil added, and the pasta is then added once it has reached the boil. When almost ready, the pasta is drained, and added to the sauté pan, and a little of the pasta cooking water is retained, should a little more liquid need to be added to the sauce.

And this is when dinner is served.


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## fooferdoggie

Scepticalscribe said:


> And yes, it does appear that I have all of the necessary ingredients to hand.
> 
> Pasta All'Amatriciana:
> 
> This is a deceptively easy recipe, is very tasty, and is one that uses very few ingredients, but, like all such recipes, it stands or falls on the quality of the ingredients used.
> 
> The first step is to prepare the guanciale, the pig's cheek.
> 
> Cut off the rind and the peppered side, and discard (although the rind can be retained and used to flavour stock, or soups).
> 
> Slice it, and then dice it, and put it into a large pan (I used a large copper sauté pan) where a small quantity of olive oil has been heating. The diced guanciale will become translucent and transparent, the fat will render (and will give a glorious flavour to the sauce) and blend with the olive oil.
> 
> When the diced guanciale has rendered - and you can stir it with a wooden spoon - the meat soft, the fat luscious and succulent, add a small glass of white wine to the pan, and stir, allowing the alcohol to burn off.
> 
> Meanwhile, prepare the tomatoes: These will come from a tin - San Marzano (an excellent Italian brand, for preference); Open the tin, and tip the contents into a bowl or dish, where you mash them and cut them up; season them (with sea salt, - some recipes insist that this is not necessary as the guanciale is already quite salty - but I am of the opinion that tomatoes, that, in common with potatoes and eggs, tomatoes are a delight that requires the addition of some salt - freshly ground black pepper, and a dash of sugar, I used organic brown sugar); this is then added to the sauté pan, where the chopped and sautéed guanciale awaits; let this cook, at a simmer, stir occasionally, for around twenty minutes.
> 
> While the sauce is simmering, prepare a green salad if you wish: Today, I used mixed leaves (organic), and prepared a dressing: Olive oil, red wine vinegar, sea salt, freshly ground black pepper, locally sourced organic runny honey (instead of sugar), French mustard.
> 
> I also grated some Pecorino Romano, to be served with the finished dish.
> 
> Water (rather than stock, the sauce will be sufficiently flavoursome, the pasta does not need the addition of being cooked in stock to enhance its flavour) is put to boil, with a little salt and olive oil added, and the pasta is then added once it has reached the boil. When almost ready, the pasta is drained, and added to the sauté pan, and a little of the pasta cooking water is retained, should a little more liquid need to be added to the sauce.
> 
> And this is when dinner is served.



the way you write about making the food is great.my days of enjoyable foods are over but I like to watch others cook and such


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## Scepticalscribe

fooferdoggie said:


> the way you write about making the food is great.my days of enjoyable foods are over but I like to watch others cook and such



Thank you.

When I read a recipe, while I enjoy (even revel in, and relish) an elegant prose style (both Nigel Slater, and Jay Rayner, for example, write beautifully about food), I also look for two further key elements or features:

The first is whether the recipe is "doable", whether it reads as though I could master it, or do it, fairly easily, or without undue stress.

There is a reason I do not post any recipes that involve baking: Baking is precise and exacting cooking, one that requires close concentration, and it is both quite demanding and fairly unforgiving; leaving aside the (relevant) fact that I do not have a sweet tooth, my palate prefers savoury stuff, (and besides, one is often quite full by the time dessert rolls around), that is not what I am after, when I set out my pots and pans.

So, I look to see whether a recipe looks as though when you read it, you think, "ah, yes, I can do that".  And yes, better still, I will even enjoy doing that, preparing that dish, or meal.  Relaxed, enjoyable, unstressed cooking.

How many recipes - or TV programmes - have you (or anyone) read or watched and thought - dismally - that's wonderful but is way beyond my pay-grade; or, that is wonderful, but there is no way I will be able to do that: or, that is wonderful, but - yelp! - it is waaay too complicated and difficult and demanding.....and.....and....

Cooking that makes you feel inadequate just by looking at it is no fun, lacks joy, and, to my mind, misses the point somewhat.  You should want someone to want to do this, and not make them feel inadequate and incompetent and frustrated.

The second test I apply when reading a recipe is whether I think I will enjoy it, - the finished product - whether it reads as though it would be something that I think would be good to eat.  Do I want to eat - better still, devour - that dish when I have finished reading the recipe?  If the answer is in the affirmative, is a heartfelt yes, then, yes, I will want to try to cook it.

And so, when writing recipes, I try to do the same: Write something that people know, or realise, when reading it - that yes, I'm pretty certain that I can do this, and that also means writing clear and easy to follow instructions - and secondly, write something that you think (or hope) that people will want to eat when they have finished cooking it.


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## Huntn

View attachment 2127382
not my image​*Date Pinwheels *(via Mom/Aunt Dot)
Found this identical online recipe, but it includes the vanilla extract. It says this makes 16 dozen cooki…...but I ended up with about 4 dozen. 
13Dec22-Recipe edited, see dough section. Added instructions to avoid complications.

*Date Filling*

2 1/2 Cups Dates*
1 Cup Sugar
1 Cup Water (may need more)
1 Cup Chopped Pecans
* In the olden days , I remember being able to find a box of chopped dates at the grocery store for baking. I’ve not made this in more than a decade. My visit to 2 local groceries, and they had whole dates, but none chopped and packaged. So I used whole dates, cut them up with scissors not fine enough to be called chopped and at the end of cooking used a masher to get the bigger remaining pieces to break down. I have yet to assemble these, and will report back with any issues with chunky date filling.

*Dough*

1 Cup Shortening
2 Cups Brown Sugar
3 Eggs
4 Cups Flour
1/2 Tsp Salt
1/2 Tsp Baking Soda
1/2 Tsp Vanilla Extract (optional)
Wax Paper and/or plastic wrap
rolling pin
*Instructions
Date Filling*

In a large saucepan, bring the dates, sugar and water to a boil. Reduce heat to medium; cook until mixture is thickened, about 15 minutes. Cool completely. Stir in pecans.
*Dough*

In a large bowl, cream butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy.
Beat in eggs and vanilla. Combine the flour, salt and baking soda; gradually add to creamed mixture and mix well.
Divide into four portions, wrap in wax paper. Refrigerate until chilled.
On a baking sheet, roll out each portion of dough between two sheets of waxed paper into a 12x9-in. rectangle. It you try to do this without wax paper, you’ll need flour on the rolling pin and on the dough itself or it will end up sticking to the rolling pin. Wax paper is easier. Wax paper u der each and on top, roll out with a rolling pin. *Refrigerate for 30 minutes*.
*Note*: It’s important that for the first 30 Min timing that you want theses doughs fully cooled in the refrigerator. At this stage the dough is sticky and can become as mess real fast if you don’t follow the instructions. You can even wait 60 minutes. 
Remove waxed paper off the top of the dough, pull gently parallel to the surface of the dough and it should separate mostly clean of dough.  Lay it (the removed paper) flat and spread a light coating of flour on it. Then flip and lay the dough on wax paper with flour, exposed side down.  Pull off the other piece of wax paper that is on top In the same manner. Spread the date mixture On top. Then tightly  roll up each portion jelly-roll style, starting at the  long side and  wrap in wax paper. *Refrigerate for 2 hours* or until firm.
*Assembly and cooking*

Unwrap  dough and cut into 1/4-in. slices.
Place 1 in. apart on greased baking sheets.
Bake at 350° for 10-12 minutes or until set.
Remove to wire racks or where ever to cool.
*Aftermath*

Store in an airtight container at room temperature, or freeze for up to 3 months.
Also if you are a cookie dough fanatic, try these raw, at your own risk, lol… delicious! My mom used to keep one of the uncooked rolls in the freezer for me to snack on when I came home at Christmas to visit.


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