sheograth

Who hear cooks? What are your specialties? I'm best with Italian/California cuisine, I do a good eggplant parmesan
and grilled fish. Salads too.

The_Shark

peanutbutter and jelly.

im not to shabby at making Philly cheese from scratch.

i need to cook more, as soon as im out of the house, im going to have to cook for myself.... till i get a wife

butt_housed247

DarkFire989

I'm very good at baking stuff. My father is great at smoking ribs. He has his own special rub for his ribs. They are incredibly good.

gearz

I have two kids......we eat cereal. Without milk.

HJJFFFAA

Wait, I thought you were like 30. And married.

Ttam Says Blarg

I can make any subway sandwich look like the ones in the commercial. Takes more than two minutes though.

redfisher1974

I do the BBq'ing and the wife does the rest.

iexion

Barbecue, Grilling (Yes there is a difference) frying. You name it. I still have yet to make a whole Turkey or Roast but I'm not really afraid to do so. Everyone in my family (cept my Grandfather) knows how to cook and it all comes from my Grandmother. Her being a suhthern woman, she is know for making huge amounts of food when family gets together *Huge = 30+ pieces of chicken and all the fix'ins that go with.

Myself I was in some culinary class in high school then spent a couple of years in restaurants like "the hook" (Flying J), Perkins small town tuck stops etc.

Asian, Italiano, Mexican or "Meh'heken", Southern, even Russian. Beef, Skrimps, Fish and poultry (not all)

I Like cooking. Just hate the cleaning up part

Mr. Mugen

I do! I love to cook but rarely do it any more. The little woman cooks 3 meals a day for us now sooooo.... I met her while in Culinary school I knew what I was looking for and found it! The wife was pissed but hey...... I can cook anything just about anywhere. Chili is my specialty though. Took the blue ribbon 3 years in a row with my recipe. Did a few short restaurant jobs (which I hated) but never cooked professionally. We volunteer for youth camp cooking in the summer and a few odd events through the university when we can. Turns out no matter what, we got good food around here.

iexion

I've had this idea of using curry (powder) in chili but have yet to get around to it. In same cases I like to use a small amount of KC master piece to a bowl of chili

And that part about hating restaurant jobs... I would have to agree. I like cooking but It has to be done right. Not just sloppy fast [:@]

The_Shark

spooky isnt it? im not your average young pup.

basketballfan60123

My Feedback: (2)

I have excellent culinary skills when it comes to grilling chicken breasts, tilapia, cod, and haddock fish fillets .
Everything looks and tastes good enough to be served in a restaurant; I may even enroll in a culinary school after an upcoming shoulder surgery.

tommygun32

I love to cook. It's an absolute passion. Some people chill out after work by drawing, watching tv, going to a bar, etc. But I get that same effect from heading into the kitchen. To me, there's nothing like whipping up dinner for 4 people and all the plates come back empty and everyone's got a smile on their faces....or making Christmas lunch/dinner with all the trimmings for 20 people...it just gives me that warm feeling all over.

Mexican, Italian, Thai, Indian, French, Chinese, Greek, Arabi, Mediterranian, American, BBQ, Grilling....you name it.

I've also worked in my fare share of professional kitchens, but I wouldn't do that again because it can suck that love for cooking right out of me. Working the trenches for 8 straight hours sweating in places that you shouldn't sweat....[:@]...naah, not for me.

There was a thread that ran for a bit in the "clubhouse" called "Labor Day cooking on the grill". It became more of a recipe thread than a grilling thread.... If you get the chance and like to learn more recipes, here's the link: http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/m_9075440/tm.htm

Now I don't know if this against the rules, but I'm going to copy and re-post my recipes that I posted in that thread. My appologies to Admin if that's not allowed, feel free to delete if you feel that's not right.

Number 1.

While everyone's waiting for the steaks to get cooked but want to start getting their juices flowing, here's a great 'in-a-pinch' recipe for a dip.

1 medium tub of sour cream (or Labneh)
2 - 3 heaped tablespoons of dried French Onion Soup mix
3 - 4 spring onions or a small bunch of chives chopped small
a generous grind of black pepper

mix it all thoroughly. Let set up in the fridge for about 20 minutes. (If you think ahead - make this about 4 hours before and chill in the fridge)

Serve with Fritos, Ruffles, raw vegies, etc.......

tommygun32

Number 2.

Can't forget the classic: WINGS!!


1 - 2 pounds fresh wings, tips removed and cut into two seperate pieces at the joint

Marinate these for a couple of hours with a bit of olive oil, lime or lemon juice, chili powder, paprika, salt and pepper and a few dashes of your fav hot sauce.

Take them out and shake them in a zip-loc bag filled with a flour dredge of flour, salt, pepper, chili powder (all to your taste)

Deep fry at 350 till done (or shallow fry in a skillet with either oil or crisco turning them a couple of times throughout the cooking) then let them drain off on paper. (they can also be baked in the oven at 350 for about 15 - 20 minutes if you prefer. they'll need turning as well)

Get a frying pan on heat and add a couple of tbs of butter. When it melts and gets to bubbling, pour in a 1/4 cup of Frank's or Tabasco or your fav hot sauce. (I like a mix of half and half frank's and tabasco)

Shake the pan until it all imalgimates (only about 5 seconds or so)

Toss the wings in the pan and coat by shaking the pan around and tossing the wings throughout.

Plate up with a side of blue cheese dressing, carrot & celery sticks (take a potato peeler and run it along the back of the celery ribs to remove the tough stringy fibers).

Blue Cheese Dressing:

Tub of sour cream
Juice of half a lemon
1 clove of garlic mashed to an absolute pulp
1/2 cup of crumbled blue cheese
lots of grinds of black pepper

Put all that in a bowl and mash together with the back of a fork until well mixed.

Now, here's the thing. I don't like a blue cheese that runs off my wings, I like it to STICK to the wings.

At this point, the dressing is seriously thick. Start adding a little bit of butter milk (or regular milk) at a time (like a couple of drops ONLY) and stirring it up, keep adding and stirring until you get the consistency you like.

Enjoy.

Edit note: This is by no means a LOW CAL recipe, so it only happens occasionally.

tommygun32

Number 3.

Next time you make a home made salsa, just blacken the jalapeno and peel the skin off and chop (don't rinse under running water, you want some of those blackened bits in the dish). Also.....here's a whicked additive for salsa.. A shot of Tequila.

You'll stump everyone who tries to pinpoint that secret flavor.

Salsa:

2 - 3 tomatoes chopped fine
1 red onion chopped fine or 2 or 3 spring onions chopped fine
2 cloves garlic crushed
juice of 3 - 4 limes
2 roasted jalapeno - peeled and chopped ultra fine (up to you to leave the seeds and membranes)
(use a different chili for hotter or a combination of them)
1 handful of chopped fresh coriander (cilantro)
1/2 cup tomato juice
Salt and pepper
1 shot Tequila

Put it all in a bowl and mix. Let sit about an hour in the fridge to let everything get to know eachother.

tommygun32

Number 4.

My brother made a brilliant smoker about 3 years ago in the back yard of his house. His back yard slopes upwards to the fence about 75 feet from the back of the house with a total incline of about 10 feet up. He built the fire box near the back door and the smoke house was about 60 feet away near the back corner of the yard and uphill.

Light the fire in the box and turn the small exhaust fan on in the smoke house, this starts a natural draft that pulls all the smoke through the underground pipe up to the smoke house. Almost all the yellowtail, calico and sand bass, halibut and mahi mahi we'd catch would go into that smoke house....absolutely to die for. I'm not even going to talk about the ribs and briskets!!!!

tommygun32

Number 5.

We cut the fish as if we are filleting them, but keep the tail intact and break the spine off there at the base of the tail. This leaves the tail with two fillets (skin on) boneless and head off. Then we hang the fish on a dowel (from the tail end) and tie the fish onto the dowl with kitchen string. This keeps the fillets seperate while hanging. The skin actually imparts moisture as it keeps the 'oil vein' or gland. Its that dark vein that runs down the middle of the fillet next to the skin. We also go through all the fillets and remove the pin bones with tweezers before we smoke. These all get hung from racks that can hold the dowels. Because it's more like cold smoking, it takes a bit longer but hooooooooboy!!! moist, smoky, tender fish. Use whatever wood chips catch your fancy. I do like the 'Jack Daniels' old wood barrel chips.

Take some smoked mahi mahi and flake it up in a bowl, add sour cream, chopped chives, pinch of salt and plenty of pepper (even chopped chili). mix that up and eat on crackers, toast, sourdough bread sandwhich, throw in some elbow pasta to make it a pasta & smoked fish salad, spoon it over a baked potato.....the ideas are as diverse as someone's palate.

tommygun32

Number 6.

Both my Grandparents moved to San Diego from Texas before WWII. And I'll tell you, wars could be fought over how to make the "right" Chili. Bean / No Beans, Minced or chucked (cubed), Hot/Med/Mild, fresh chilis/dried/powdered, roasting spices before adding or not, beer or no beer, JD or Tequila or no JD or Tequila, sausage meat or no sausage meat, beef, pork, venison, buffalo, rabbit....etc, etc, etc...

That's exactly why I like making chili. I can put whatever i feel like in it, making it as spicy or mild as i want and using what ever i have on hand. This one isn't blow your head off, but it does have a nice 'bite' to it.

My basic chili:

Couple glugs of veg oil
1 lb ground beef (or cubed chuck)
1 large yellow onion chopped fine
5 cloves of garlic crushed
1 Tbs cumin
2 tsp Kashmiri chili powder (adds lots of color but little heat - local influences here )
1/2 tsp cayenne chili powder
1/2 tsp habanaro chili powder
1/2 tsp neutral paprika
1/2 tsp fresh ground pepper
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp dried thyme
2 dried Ancho chilis
2 dried Anaheim chilis
2 dried Negro chilis
2 fresh Jalapeno chilis (fire roasted till black, skin scraped off, de-seeded and chopped real fine)
1 tin 440 grm petitie diced tomatos
1 heaped tsp instant coffee
2 small squares of 70% + cocoa bitter sweet chocolate
1 can or bottle of good beer (New Castle Brown / Amstel / etc)
Salt to taste

In a small frying pan, mix all the powders and pepper and dry roast over a low heat, stirring so it doesn't burn. Once it starts to fill the kitchen up with that roasted spice smell, take it off the heat.

In a heave based pot saute the onions off until translucent, add the garlic and saute for about another 30 sec.
Remove and keep aside.
Brown the meat and break it up good. Once browned, drain off the extra oil.
Now add the onions, Jalapeno and spices to the meat in the pot and give it a stir for about 30 sec.
Now add the can of tomatos and give that a stir.
Now add the beer and stir.
Now throw the dried chilies, coffee and chocolate into the pot and stir.

Let that simmer for about 3 hours on a nice low heat. Remove the dried chilis (if they haven't completely broken up) ONLY NOW do i taste and season with salt to taste.
Once you get here, you can add a can of pinto beans if you want and let that heat through.
Eat and enjoy ANY way you want.
I actually like to let it cool and stick in the fridge. Reheat it the next day and then eat it (just lets everything marry up)

(It's rare to find out here, but if I do come across it, I like to use half beef and half Johnsonville(?) minced sausage meat. Somehow adds a really nice level of 'moistness' to the dish)

I like this recipe cause if I don't have minced, I'll use cubed beef (chopped about 1/4 - 1/2 inch dice). But first I'll fry off 4 rashers of finely chopped bacon, once nice and crisp seperate the bacon and fat and keep aside. I'll then use the bacon fat to brown off the meat in batches. Then carry on with the rest of the recipe.

***EDIT*** Amount of chopped tomatoes was wrong. Meant to be 440 gms not OZ. Sorry

tommygun32

Number 7.

Spag Bol Sauce:

350 gms minced beef
350 gms minced pork
5 cloves garlic crushed
2 cans whole peeled Italian plum tomatoes (quickly blitzed with my stick blender)
2 Tbs double concentrated tomato paste
1 tsp oregano (if using fresh double this amount and add near the end of the cooking time)
1/2 tsp thyme (if using fresh double this amount and add near the end of the cooking time)
1 tsp salt (pure flaky sea salt - not iodized)
1/2 tsp fresh ground pepper
1 bay leaf
good pinch of chili flakes
good pinch of sugar
1 cube maggi chicken stock (reduced salt)
1 cup medium white wine (if you can't drink it, don't cook with it)

Brown off the meat in batches and drain off the fat and set the meat aside. Same pot add a Tbs of x virgin olive oil and gently fry off the garlic. Now add the meat, herbs and spices back into the pot and stir it up for about 30 seconds or so. Add the 2 cans of tomatoes and mix it up. Now add all the other ingredients and just let it simmer for about an hour or so, till it's nice and thick. Taste and adjust for seasoning. If I'm using fresh herbs, I'll throw those in about 10 minutes before the simmering is finished.

Like most of my recipes, this one can be altered to taste or desire. One important thing though, I never mix onion and garlic in this recipe. If using onion, fine, but don't use garlic, and viseversa.

I have a chef friend who makes pretty much the same recipe, but after browning the meat, he'll add about 3 Tbs of extremely finely blitzed (almost pureed) carrot, leeks and celery and saute that off with the garlic. It's chopped so fine it disintigrates into the sauce. You'll never actually see the pieces. It does add a real nice aromatic base to the sauce. Also, the pinch of chili flakes, (never chili powder - that will destroy it) just a pinch. It just adds an extremely slight base to the whole pot and I think also helps to cut through that sharpness of the tomato (along with the pinch of sugar).

Many people have asked "why white wine and chicken stock?" Well, with the half / half mixture of beef and pork, I find the sweetness of the pork really works better with the chicken (rather than beef) stock and white wine (rather than red wine)

Having said that, if I'm only using beef mince, it's beef stock and red wine. Adaptability baby!!

tommygun32

Number 8.

That recipe looks pretty good. And THANK YOU very much for making me remember that method of cooking the sausages!!

I used to work in a mom and pop Italian place part time when I was a kid and that's how they always cooked the sausages. Let them cook right down until they browned on all sides as well. Kept them really moist. I'd totally forgotten that one.

I see by your recipe it's quite capable of being a purely vegetarian one as well, just by omitting the meat. A good basic tomato sauce.

A dish I used to love eating at the Italian place was their double baked ravioli with spicy Italian sausages.

1 portion of Meat or Cheese Ravioli - cooked - placed in a decent sized bowl
2 cooked spicy Italian sausages - placed on top of the ravioli
1 good sized ladle of basic tomato sauce (like your recipe) poured over the lot
1 good handful of mozzarela cheese and topped with a sprinkling of parmessean.

Stick that under the broiler until bubbling, gooiey and slightly browned.

Very filling and pure decadence

tommygun32

Number 9

The addition of the ribs to the sauce is primarily to flavor the tomato sauce. Technically, the ribs get taken out and it gives the cook a quick little 'snack' (or any kids hanging around and helping the cook). They do taste quite nice though. A quick threat of bbq fire wouldn't go amiss before eating those, but you'd need to be carefull as the ribs are literally falling apart.

I have however doubled the amount of ribs before, then pulled all the meat off the bone once the sauce is finished, finely chopped the rib meat and chucked it back into the pot. My kids really like that version too.

After reading the sausage method, I pulled out a couple of spicy Italian sausages, cooked them to your method and browned them off, sauted a sliced onion with a clove of garlic, white wine, white wine vinegar, sugar, chili flakes, salt n pepper, and a good amount of chopped fresh thyme. Stuck it all in a nice soft rustic hot dog bun with some mustard. That made a BRILLIANT snack.

ANY MEAT cooked with booz has my two thumbs up by the way..

Thanks again.

tommygun32

Number 10.

Here's a family fav I made last night. Braised Lamb Shanks


I find that 3 shanks are more than enough for a family of four. Doube the recipe if you need more.

3 Tbs olive oil
3 lamb shanks
2 carrots, sliced
2 celery stalks, sliced
1 large yellow onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, crushed
1 can of chopped tomatoes (400gms)
4 Tbs Balsalmic Vinegar
1 Fresh Jalapeno (chargrilled until black, peeled, deseeded and finely chopped)
2 Bay Leaves
Salt n pepper to taste
1 can haricot beans (400 gms) drained and rinsed. (or any other kind of beans you may have, chickpeas, pinto, blackeyed, etc)
Chopped fresh thyme and flat leaf parsley to finish

Preheat the oven to 170c

In a dutch oven, brown the shanks all over on high heat with the olive oil. Set them aside. Reduce the heat and in the same pan, saute the onions, carrots & celery for about 5 minutes or until soft. Once they're done, add the garlic and Jalapeno and fry that off for about a minute. Now add the tomatoes, vinegar, bayleaves, salt and pepper along with the shanks and any juices. Get that back up to a simmer with the lid on. Now transfer it to the oven and forget about it for about 2 1/2 hours or so. Keep the lid on nice and tight througout. (Yes you can check it every now and then)

At this point, you'll notice quite a bit of oil sitting on the surface. I like to skim that off. Now add the beans and taste for seasoning (adjust if needed) and put it back in the oven with the lid on. If you think there's too much liquid at this point, just crack the lid a little to let the moisture evaporate. Leave it for another half hour. Plate up in big, wide bowls and sprinkle with the thyme and parsley. Ready to eat.

I like to serve it with either a nice tossed salad and good crusty country bread or the salad and roasted sliced potatos that I've drizzeled with olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper and either chopped thyme or rosemary. Just peel and slice the potatos about a 1/4 inch thick, throw them in a bowl and toss them around with all the other ingredients to coat. Lay the spuds in a single layer on a roasting / cookie sheet and stick them in the oven for about 45 minutes to 1 hour, turning them occasionally while cooking.

tommygun32

Number 11.

Made this last night....came out pretty darn good. Very loosely based on a recipe I found in a chicken cook book, but I twisted it quite a bit to my and my family's tastes.

Splash of olive oil
1 medium yellow onion - chopped
1 medium carrot - chopped
1 medium courgette (?spelling?) - chopped
1 strip of smoky bacon - chopped fine
1 small can of condensed tomato soup
1 cup dry white wine
2 1/2 cups of macaroni (elbow, spiral, penne...whatever)
3 medium or 2 large chickent breasts cut into bitesize cubes
1 Tbs chopped fresh thyme
1 Tbs sour cream
Salt and pepper to taste
enough shredded cheddar cheese to cover (or use half cheddar and half parmesian)

Preheat oven to 180c or about 350f.
Boil the pasta till just under al dente. Drain, rinse to stop cooking and keep aside.
In a hot heavy based pan, add a splash of olive oil and saute the chicken chunks in batches so they just brown on all sides but don't cook through (high heat). Remove from pan and drain on paper towel. Keep aside. Reduce the heat to medium.
In the same pan, fry off the bacon bits until just crispy. Now add the onion and carrot and saute till onion is translucent. Now add the courgettes and cook till the onion begins to color. Turn the heat up and deglaze the pan with the wine. Let simmer until reduced by about half, adding the thyme about half way through (about 10 minutes). Take off the heat and now add the condensed tomato soup, sour cream, salt and pepper and stir till combined. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed. Now add the chicken and cooked pasta and mix well.

Pour all that into an oven proof dish large enough to hold it all and cover with the cheese (not too much though....not good for the old health). Stick it in the oven for about 25 - 30 minutes until golden and bubbly. Serve with a nice side salad of your choice.

Although I used almost 2/3 cup of cheese in this, this is enough for about 6 people, so you're not really getting THAT much cheese (or sour cream) per serving. Still reasonably healthy dish.

tommygun32

Number 12.

Burgers:

2 lbs lean minced beef (or 1 lb beef & 1 lb pork)
2 cloves crushed garlic
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp chopped fresh thyme
3 - 4 tbs A1 or BBQ Sauce
1 tsb Dijon mustard
Salt and fresh ground pepper
1 small read onion very finely chopped (optional)

Throw all these ingredients in a bowl and mix by hand until well incorporated. Now form all the meat into burger patties about 1/2 inch wider than your buns (they shrink) and keep aside. Cover and refrigerate while you get everything else ready. For an additional touch of elegance, push a chunk of nice blue cheese in the middle of your patty and work the meat around it.....yum.

While your patties firm up, get the following ready.

Ketchup
Mayo
Mustard
Lettuce leaves
Sliced tomatoes
Sliced Cheese (of your choice)
Sliced Onion rings

(optional ingredients)
Sliced jalapenos
sliced avocados
Bacon
Fried Egg
Slice of Beet Root (this is popular in Australia)
Chili
Or whatever else tickles your fancy....

Get your BBQ or grill pan up to heat.

slice your burger buns in half, spread each half with a bit of margarine or olive oil and toast them cut side down on a big frying pan.

Grill or cook up your burgers, place on bottom slice of bun and let everyone make their own the way they like it.

Serve with whatever else you want.