Weekly Cooking (and related issues) Thread

[Jamestown1630]

A few weeks ago some of us were talking about Spaghetti, and how we like it plain, with butter and no sauce. I happened to find the following recipe for ‘Spaghetti Aglio e Olio’ (Spaghetti with Garlic and Oil), from my favorite YouTube chef, John Mitzewich of 'Food Wishes'. This is one of those simple recipes that nevertheless has to be done precisely, in this case especially in the cooking of the garlic:

http://foodwishes.blogspot.com/2010/12/this-spaghetti-aglio-e-olio-recipe.html

A recipe I’ve wanted to try for a long time, is ‘Hot Jezebel’; I’m wondering if this one is traditional/authentic (I’ve seen several variations, including one that adds pineapple):

http://recipecircus.com/recipes/shugga/APPETIZERS/Hot_Jezebel.html

-JT

[Jamestown1630]

I didn’t have time to experiment with anything this week, but here are two recipes I want to try soon - especially the Spaghetti recipe, which looks great for those of us who just like Spaghetti for its own sake, without needing tomato or other sauce.

(If you would like to be on or off of this weekly cooking thread, please send a private message.)

-JT

[Califreak]

I made something kind of tasty out of leftover chicken and ham. I cut it up and mixed it with garlic, green onions, red bell pepper and provolone.

I mixed italian seasoning into some pizza dough and made kind of like mini calzones. I rolled them in parmesan cheese, baked at 400 for 20 minutes. They were pretty good.

I served them with tuscan soup-knock off of the soup they serve at Olive Garden.

[PUGACHEV]

An Italian woman cooked me a simple meal once that consisted of nothing but fettuccini fried in olive oil with garlic and red papers. Somehow she made the fettuccini crisp almost like chow mien noodles, but not burned. I watched her do it, and there was no trick but knowing the exact temperature and time for cooking the noodles. With a little parmesan cheese, it was unbelievably tasty.

[Jamestown1630]

She had probably done it many times. The best cooking is usually simple things done perfectly, from much practice.

JT

[dainbramaged]

Got some beef ribs going in the oven, too rainy to fire up the smoker. Rice, baked beans, cole slaw.

[libertarian27]

I made Pasta Carbonara Monday night.
So easy, so simple, so yummy....
I need to make it more often :>)

Merged these two recipes together:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oYeWU0dyanY
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3AAdKl1UYZs
I used cream and a combo of bacon and minced panchetta.
(lots of stores carry packages of minced panchetta in the meat dept/cheese case)

[Jamestown1630]

I really like cole slaw; but I’ve never perfected a home-made version. I like the one at Popeye’s ;-)

-JT

[Aliska]

Sorry I've been AWOL and should be now writing some checks to pay bills. Ugh.

Last week, I was going to post my 50's pink fluff salad with my fine tuning. Maybe I'll post what I saved below.

I didn't know that was Chef John's last name! I would have to say he is probably my favorite, too. I saw that recipe on the side bar. My favorite non-Italian spaghetti my Jewish friend gave me long ago. It's just cooked spaghetti, tomatoes depending on amt of spaghetti, and the secret is lots of onions, salt and pepper, she topped with a little milk, I cover and cook long and slow in the oven at 275. I made a huge batch in my turkey roaster years ago, and I and my kids couldn't get enough of it.

I also have enough clams and clam juice to make linguini only I would use up the rest of my big box of spaghetti. I just haven't been hungry for it yet.

That hot stuff doesn't sound too good to me. I may have mentioned it. Set a block of cream cheese in a dish, open and drain a can of quality crab meat (I have since substituted cut up artificial crab with good results) and cover liberally with shrimp dip made with Heinz chili sauce, a little ketchup, lemon juice to taste and I like lots of horseradish. It makes a meal for me actually. I especially like it on the Keebler longer and narrow buttery crackers.

Here's my recipe I use for pink fluff. I went to the link where I got it and got attacked with adware with a long window and nowhere to close it, also activated the speaker with a voice that drove me nutz. The voice said to call the number for a mac support team. I knew it was bad news, couldn't quit from the task bar, but did get it closed from the apple menu on the top bar (sometimes I can't even get to that). I made a screen grab and looked it up and verified it was malicious adware.

[darkangel82]

At the lunch counter at our farmers market I had a sausage potato kale soup that beats Olive Garden by far. And the spaghetti sounds good, I had 2 plates on Sunday with garlic, oil and red pepper(though the last one may not have been a good idea.)

[miss marmelstein]

I’ve been fed this in Sicily by my husband’s family. It’s served as a late night snack - Sicilians whip up this up (I call it Al Yo Yo after hearing them pronounce it) in something like two minutes. They don’t use butter. Just olive oil, garlic and cheese. Delicious!

My current favorite is Spaghetti Carbonara with bacon, peas and an egg cracked into it. My husband makes it very nicely. We made it with rigatoni about a week ago and that worked well too.

[Aliska]

I decided to make a new post. I really combined two separate recipes as I often do. It's Pink Cloud, Pink Fluff, Glorified Rice Salad

3/4 cup Arborio rice (only use that) cooked and cooled
One 16 to 20 oz can crushed pineapple drained
10 maraschino cherries drained and cut in quarters
1/4 or a little more maraschino cherry juice
1 medium can fruit cocktail
up to 1/4 cup miniature marshmallows (to soak up more juice as it sits in fridge, lasts 3 or 4 days)
1 large carton of Cool Whip Extra Creamy

Mix the cooled, stuck together Arborio rice (will be about 1-1/2 cup) with the drained pineapple with a whisk, gently, break apart the rice and the pineapple mixes in. Add the rest of the ingredients except Cool whip and gently toss together. Add Cool Whip. Some said 2 containers but one was fine. The extra creamy works well for this.

I remember my mom made it a couple times in the 50's, and we liked it then. When I found the recipe on the web in the last year, I've made it a couple times, and my daughter just loves it. Her favorite salad was the 5-ingredient fruit salad, pineapple tidbits, mandarin oranges, sour cream, coconut, can't remember any more of it, maybe cherries?

Oh, I have a new craving.

Chef's John's hot chocolate mix (used his link to Guittard cocoa rouge at Amazon, pricey) I make with Nestles Fortificada powdered milk (I always hated powdered milk but this is wonderful, made in Mexico, full cream milk). I got it at Walmart online. They say (did I post this before?) check the Mexican Aisle. It's a little expensive, $15 a large can makes 3 gallons, just right for me. Also got some Cremora. Sometimes I make the hot chocolate with my home brew Starbuck's coffee chopped up in a ziplock bag and blunt side of a meat tenderizer hammer. I heat water (or can use milk) to boiling, remove from heat. Add a couple smallish handfuls of chopped coffee beans (I keep them in the freezer). Cover and let steep for one hour, make it a little on the strong side, strain with very fine strainer, store in fridge. If you drink coffee, use that and mix the powdered milk in (it mixes best in lukewarm liquid).

What I eat with that but don't dunk is some wonderful bread I get at the store. It's expensive and I buy 2 at a time. Foccacia just covered with Asiago cheese mixed with something to make it stick. I cut four slices, brush on melted butter and toast in a 425 oven just until the edges are nicely browned and the inside just beginning to brown. Then when toasted, brush with a little more melted butter. It is so yum.

I'm trying to figure out how to make that bread and shape it right so the slices come out like what I have, doubt if I can pull that off unless the store gives me the recipe.

I also want to make Phyllis Stokes' square hamburger buns for that chicken cordon bleu when I get my Panini Press. It still in my amazon cart if they haven't taken it out. I'll get to it when I'm ready.

[Jamestown1630]

Chef John says that the Aglio e Olio is the Italians’ favorite way to cook Spaghetti.

(But I don’t think I’ll ever get my Italian-descent husband-unit to forego the family Tomato Sauce ;-)

When Husband and his siblings were very little, one year Mom asked them what they wanted for Christmas Dinner. They all said, “Spaghetti!” and ever since, the family Christmas dinner has been Spaghetti with ‘Special Christmas Sauce’, which includes stew beef, sweet Italian sausage, and pepperoni (all made with homemade sauce, from homegrown tomatoes, that has been aged for a year - my father-in-law always held back 8 quarts of puree every year, just for Christmas the next year :-)

-JT

[Fast Moving Angel]

I'm not a cole slaw fanatic, but this is a really good recipe:

2 bags Confetti Cabbage (shredded green and red cabbage, carrots), 10 oz. each
1 bunch green onions, washed and trimmed
3 stalks celery, washed and trimmed
¾ cup mayo
½ cup sugar
3 tbsp. salad oil
3 tbsp. apple cider vinegar

Day before serving:

Finely chop Confetti Cabbage, celery and green onions (I used a vegetable chopper, worked fine) and place in large bowl. Mix mayo, sugar, oil and vinegar in a separate bowl and pour over cabbage mix; stir well, refrigerate overnight, stirring once or twice before serving. Flavor improves overnight.

[Mariner]

"‘Spaghetti Aglio e Olio’"

I make it with grilled sweet red pepper (julianne) and artichoke hearts.

Parmesan and fresh basil leaves are mandatory.

I also recommend a shift to whole wheat pasta, for both taste and health.

[Mariner]

Shreaded cabbage.

Equal parts mayo and vinegar.

Carraway seeds to taste. Oh, and a full tablespoon of sugar.

That's for 1/2 head of cabbage.

You'll never try another recipe.

[Twotone]

“This is a very simple recipe – in fact, the recipe is much easier to make than pronounce. You know a recipe name is hard to say when you can’t even come up with a respectable phonetic spelling. It’s something close to “ah-leoh-oh-leoh.” Give it a couple tries, and if you can’t do it, feel free to just call it garlic spaghetti. “

That’s funny, since I just started a crash-Italian course for a trip we’re taking this summer & the first thing they said was Italian was a phonetically pronounced language. :-) That being said, the recipe sounds terrific!

[LesbianThespianGymnasticMidget]

Cole slaw.... Love it too. Here is my version. Definitely not like popeye’s.

1/4 a cabbage and then run 1/4 through your food processor with the slicing blade. Throw on the shredding blade and run through 2 carrots. Cover with ice cold water and let it sit while you do the rest.

1 egg Yolk in a container which allows your stick blender to reach the bottom with little clearance on the sides. 1/2 cup of nuetral veg oil (Or olive if this is for a Mediterranean meal) teaspoon of mustard powder, some paprika, and here comes the secret... between a teaspoon and a tablespoon of Asian smoked sesame oil (To taste). Also add about the volume of the yolk of the acid of your choice like vinegar or lemon juice. Put the stick blender to the bottom of the container and pulse 3 or 4 times. Let it rip. Less than two minutes later you have home made mayo with incredible flavor.

Add raisins and cashew pieces salt and fresh ground pepper after draining the slaw. Combine with mayo and chill for a few hours.

I swear that my slaw has virtually brought people to tears.

[SkyDancer]

What I’d like to know is a good fried chicken coating.

[Jamestown1630]

I like that, because it’s not too much sugar. I will save it!

-JT