OT: What's cooking?

[Dave Bryce]

I just whipped up the most tasty batch of Coq au Vin over long grain & wild rice for Christmas dinner. Butternut, zucchini and acorn squash soup for starters.

 

I'm guessing I may not be the only one here who likes to cook?

 

dB

[BluesKeys]

i cooked up some roasted Butternut Squash with dryer cranberries that was a hit with the family.

[ElmerJFudd]

Went out Friday night with the in laws. Had the salmon steak with potatoes, string beans, grilled asparagus with a cabernet. Tonight we cooked in. The Mrs. did a great job on a Bolognese over linguini. Slummed it with a bottle or two of Bluemoon. Tomorrow night, my side of the family - the plan is a beef tenderloin. Can't wait. The weight on the other hand will have to come off in 2017.

[Dave Bryce]

The weight on the other hand will have to come off in 2017.

Speak not of such things this week...

 

dB

[ElmerJFudd]

[eric]

Christmas is a great time to cook!

 

This morning, we had homemade french toast based on challah bread baked in the oven, plus sausage balls, biscuit & gravy casserole, hash brown potato casserole, cinnamon buns, etc.

 

I could create an entire OT thread on the feast we had for a holiday party last weekend!

[Doerfler]

I cook more than I play keyboards. Good news I'm a much better cook than a keyboard player.

I cooked omelettes for the family today for Christmas brunch. Went downtown for dinner though, family tradition we go out for nice dinners on Christmas.

I am the family cook. I make dinners average 5 night a week for the last 25 years. Interestingly enough, I rarely eat anymore. I lost 55 pounds this year. Life is strange.

[ProfD]

Another cooking KB player here.

 

Today, I did a London Broil with carrots, green peppers and onions.

 

Beef was tender enough to cut with a dollar store plastic fork.

[NewImprov]

Had a fabulous Christmas dinner, mostly cooked by my wife's older sister. I made a Brussels sprouts with shallots and pomegranates dish from a Yotam Ottolenghi cookbook, people liked it but I thought it was a little too sweet, it has a glaze of maple syrup and pomegranate molasses that I thought was a little too much. But was at least trying something new.

 

But I have to crow about a dish I made last weekend, a chile Colorado stew with pork and squash, used about 4 lbs of pork shoulder braised in a red pepper sauce, along with kobucha squash from the garden, topped with pickled red onions, shredded cabbage, avocado, toasted pepitas and cilantro, damn, this was good!

 

Most of my musician friends are also really good cooks, in fact one of my bands has 2 pro chefs in the rhythm section.

 

[mate stubb]

I threw some taco meat and cheese on some tortilla chips and made nachos.

[S_Gould]

Many years ago I trained under a Cordon Bleu instructor, and was a sous chef, until I started making more money playing in bands.

The only thing I made from scratch for Christmas was a chilled asparagus & French bean vinaigrette with chopped tomato, fresh garlic and bleu cheese. For NYE I'm planning seared lobes of duck foie gras with a carmelized onion & tart cherry relish on toasted baguette slices.

 

[Dave Bryce]

Many years ago I trained under a Cordon Bleu instructor, and was a sous chef, until I started making more money playing in bands.

The only thing I made from scratch for Christmas was a chilled asparagus & French bean vinaigrette with chopped tomato, fresh garlic and bleu cheese. For NYE I'm planning seared lobes of duck foie gras with a carmelized onion & tart cherry relish on toasted baguette slices.

You and I have been talking about getting together for a meal for way too many years. Sucks that I don't travel very much any more..

 

dB

[joegerardi]

I wanted my own cooking for Christmas dinner, so I stayed home by myself and made:

 

Roast turkey (with the stuffing inside the bird, the way it should be);

Twice-baked yams;

Mushrooms sauteed in butter and red wine.

 

And a great helping of the movie "Donovan's Reef."

 

..Joe

[DanL]

I made an 8lb prime rib roast and roasted potatoes with garlic, rosemary and olive oil. Also some mac and cheese since my giant of a son was here and he'd have eaten half the roast otherwise!

[Rusty Mike]

Mrs. Rusty and I cook together all the time. We entertain family and friends every Christmas Eve. This year we made a paella and Chicken Marbella. We often create "theme" meals according to a certain cuisine or style.

 

A few times each year we attend recreational cooking classes at the Institute for Culinary Education in NYC. Certainly a passion of ours.

[Tusker]

Last night my wife made lovely pies so I did a side of asparagus.

 

Tossed asparagus with olive oil, pecorino romano, salt, pepper. Grilled for 10 minutes

Fried bacon, broke into bits, scattered over asparagus.

Deglazed bacon pan with a Malbec we were having. Reduced and drizzled over asparagus.

[Markay]

I made a Brussels sprouts with shallots and pomegranates dish from a Yotam Ottolenghi cookbook, people liked it but I thought it was a little too sweet, it has a glaze of maple syrup and pomegranate molasses that I thought was a little too much. But was at least trying something new.

 

Ottolenghi Islington is our favourite restaurant in London. My wife got to chat with Yotam and his partner on our last visit.

 

I admire those that can cook, my wife is the chef in our family. My skills start and stop at the BBQ and are limited to steak, sausages and butterfly lamb. On rare occasions I have done a passable Barramundi or Salmon.

 

Our Xmas fare is king prawns, ham, turkey and salads. Works best when it is 30°C and there are 24 1/2 at the table.

[Markay]

I lost 55 pounds this year. Life is strange.

Nah in that case life is excellent. New clothes, never lost for an answer when folks ask what you would like for Xmas. Enjoy.

[PianoMan51]

I have become my wife's sous chef. I do the meats. Thanksgiving is a 22lb turkey with the dressing inside the bird and under the skin. Christmas is a three-rib beef roast, with garlic under the fat, well salted and peppered.

 

The key tool for me is a quick-read meat thermometer. I learned a great lesson from a guest on the Lynn Rosetto Casper radio show years ago: the FDA states 'safe' food temperatures by promoting the temperature at which bacteria will immediate die. BUT, (and I use the shouting caps rarely) if you reach a lower temp but hold it for a certain time you get the same results. Every holiday I Google That For Myself on the time vs. temp charts.

[Dave Bryce]

Roast turkey (with the stuffing inside the bird, the way it should be)

My experience has led me elsewhere.

 

I've been studying the Art of Stuffing for many years (cornbread, baby...with a nice crumbly sausage mixed in along with celery, onions, 'shrooms, sage, etc), and I can't see the benefits of putting it in the bird. If you do, it always comes out way too soggy, and no crust...?

 

Baking it separately (while the bird is cooling and being sliced) you get better consistency, and can always add juices from a baste or two in order to get the authentic flavor boost....and/or put a bit of homemade gravy on it when it hits the plate (my preference).

 

I stuff the front and back of bird with tangerines with holes poked in them, pearl onions and cloves of garlic. I think it way improves the flavor of the bird; and, since it's not as dense as stuffing, the bird cooks more evenly as well.

 

YMMV, of course.

 

dB

[Rusty Mike]

Roast turkey (with the stuffing inside the bird, the way it should be)

My experience has led me elsewhere.

 

I've been studying the Art of Stuffing for many years (cornbread, baby...with a nice crumbly sausage mixed in along with celery, onions, 'shrooms, sage, etc), and I can't see the benefits of putting it in the bird. If you do, it always comes out way too soggy, and no crust...?

 

Baking it separately (while the bird is cooling and being sliced) you get better consistency, and can always add juices from a baste or two in order to get the authentic flavor boost....and/or put a bit of homemade gravy on it when it hits the plate (my preference).

 

I stuff the front and back of bird with tangerines with holes poked in them, pearl onions and cloves of garlic. I think it way improves the flavor of the bird; and, since it's not as dense as stuffing, the bird cooks more evenly as well.

 

YMMV, of course.

 

dB

 

We tend to go both ways. Stuff the bird with the stuffing mixture and also cook some outside the bird in a separate baking dish. This way we please both types.

 

Either way, the real secret to a great turkey is to brine. Since we discovered that, we have had a perfect bird every time.

[J. Dan]

This year I just went traditional and baked a ham covered in pineapple slices and cherries glazed with homey, brown sugar, Dijon mustard, clove, etc. served with scalloped potatoes and steamed broccoli.

 

A few years ago I did a Turduken. It turned out great, but I'll never do it again - it took two full days including prep. De boning a turkey is no easy task, I have to say. I made 3 different stuffings and layered them between the birds. One was bread based with sausage, sage, cerarly and onion, then next was corn bread based, and the third has rosemary and pine nuts. The duck was sautéed on the skin side prior to zipping them together to give some crisp to it, the chicken was brined overnight, and the turkey was injected. 9 hours in the ove slow cooking so that the turkey isn't dry by the time the duck is cooked. Again, turned out really awesome, but I'll never do it again.

[Sundown]

I absolutely love to cook, but I'm an outdoor cook (grilling and BBQ). Christmas dinner is still led by my mother, who typically does a beef tenderloin or ham.

 

In the spring/summer/fall, it's grilling and barbecue all the time. Chicken, Filet Mignon, and baby back ribs are my best. I'm still working on perfecting brisket.

 

I do cook indoors and I can do a few good dishes, but outdoors is where I shine.

[ksoper]

Indian Chicken in Tomato/Butter Sauce over basmati rice with green peas. Was almost going to go with Lamb Biryani but felt lazy.

[SteveCoscia]

Roasted a 12 lb. turkey in the oven. Put the turkey in an oven bag with shallots, carrots, black peppercorn and onions. This turkey was moist and our family and friends were hungry.

 

Today's turkey sandwiches are killer!

[Dr88s]

Potato latkas.

 

Lots and lots of potato latkas.

[NewImprov]

Ottolenghi Islington is our favourite restaurant in London. My wife got to chat with Yotam and his partner on our last visit.

 

You are lucky! On re-reading my post, I should have mentioned that this is the first thing I've cooked from one of Ottolenghi's recipes that I haven't absolutely loved, and I've worked through several of his cookbooks. The guy's a genius with vegetables.

[NewImprov]

 

Either way, the real secret to a great turkey is to brine. Since we discovered that, we have had a perfect bird every time.

 

I used to think that, and made a number of fantastic tasting birds after brining them, but this T-day, we bought a 14 lb organic bird from a local grower, and for various reasons didn't have time to brine it, and it came out absolutely wonderful, the best turkey I've ever cooked. Just rubbed it with butter, salt and pepper, and watched the checked the internal temp often, came out really tasty and perfectly moist. I now think that the quality of the bird really matters. That said, brining does make cooking the turkey pretty foolproof.

[Doerfler]

I now think that the quality of the bird really matters.

Yes. Yes it does.

That said, brining does make cooking the turkey pretty foolproof.

see above.

[ksoper]

...But this T-day, we bought a 14 lb organic bird from a local grower, and for various reasons didn't have time to brine it, and it came out absolutely wonderful...

 

There was a video going around a couple of years ago, "Just put the f#$%ing bird in the oven." I did exactly that, basted every 45 minutes, and tented with foil the last 45 minutes. It was just fine. I do want to try brining, though, particularly chickens on the Akorn grill.