Weekly Cooking (and related issues) Thread

[Jamestown1630]

While enduring a ‘bug’ this week that left me unable to do much but sleep or sit in front of the TV, I happened upon Clarissa Dickson Wright’s series, ‘Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner’, which you can find on YouTube, and which is a really interesting history of how our 'three squares', and the ways we partake of them, have evolved over time.

In the Lunch episode, she featured a pasty (yes, no 'r') crust design, executed by food scholar Ivan Day. This was so beautiful, I had to find the design, and know more about it.

On the way, I found some interesting stuff – including Day's great website on historic food:

http://www.historicfood.com/portal.htm

The pasty design seems to have been derived from Edward Kidder’s ancient ‘Receipts of pastry and cookery, for the use of his scholars’, published in 1720 (you can still buy a copy on Amazon ;-):

http://www.historicfood.com/Edward%20Kidders%20Lamb%20Pasty.htm

I’m not personally a fan of British pasties; but it seems to me that we could decorate our sweet or savory pies just as beautifully – it just takes practice, and starting small! And you don’t need cutters to do this; just find a design, make a cardboard cutout of it, and find a sharp knife to cut the pastry to each of the shapes; then do some detail on the pieces.

Food52 has a lot of starter ideas for ‘fancying up’ your pie:

https://food52.com/blog/8744-9-ways-to-fancy-up-your-pies

-JT

[Jamestown1630]

This week: Fancying-Up our Pies, Sweet or Savory!

We had snow today, and it’s very cold tonight – am hoping against the forecast that we will have a proper White Christmas. I wish you all a very warm and happy one, full of the love of friends and family!

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

-JT

[beef]

I made a cottage pie today, and now I am making yogurt in my Instant Pot.

[Jamestown1630]

Let us know how your yogurt turns out. What did you use for starter?

[x1stcav]

We’ve been making yogurt in a crock pot and just used some store-bought Greek yogurt as a starter. You just have to read the label to make certain it still has the live bacillus.

Once you’ve done the first batch you’re off to the races.

[beef]

The yogurt always turn out great. I got a bulgarian starter some months ago. Now it’s just milk and couple of tablespoons of the last batch of yogurt. I make it once every week or two. Costs about $0.60/qt to make. And I can pronounce all the ingredients in it! I am sick of the stupid yogurt department in the grocery store. You can get everything except just yogurt with a little fruit in the bottom. This is much better and easy to make with the Instant Pot. I think it has just about paid for itself making yogurt.

[Jamestown1630]

Yes, one of the main reasons we bought the Instant Pot was for making yogurt. Hoping to try it out over our long Christmas vacation.

In the old days, before you could buy good starters, you just inoculated the milk with store-bought, and left it wrapped up on a warm shelf. But now, you can begin your first batch with great starters, use a controlled-heat gizmo like the Instant-Pot and, yes: you’re off to the races! and you know you’ve got a lot of good bugs in there ;-)

[mylife]

I am a savory guy but like sugar in low doses or small proportions with milk or coffee to cut it but here is a goodie (not Pie)

Redneck Truffles (use you instincts there is no recipe)

In a food processer or blender mix some oreo cookies to grandndma level consistency and mix with cream cheese, get some kidst put their fists in there and mix it up.

Teach them to roll meatballs.

Take this great effort and dip it in dark Chocolate and drizzle with dark chocolate an drizzle with white chocolate

CHILL

You can reverse the chocolate scheme or add raspeberry jam and chipolte

HAVE FUN

[mylife]

I took great care in posting that an Effed it up LOL

[topspinr]

Any one here using the NuWave Precision Induction Cooktop?

I bought one but haven’t used it yet.

[mylife]

for the cook top gas is your friend, for the oven electric is

[Jamestown1630]

LOL! That sounds wonderful.

(But given my exacting, didactic inclination, I’m wondering: What is ‘Grandma Level Consistency’?

(Though I’m guessing that it’s ‘whatever Grandma did’...:-)

Merry Christmas, MyLife; and a very good New Year!

[mylife]

Thank God you are here! I am so sick of #metoo gate and just want to enjoy the Holidays with family

[mylife]

Fancying the pie up aint that hard and is an embellishment,

the important part is can you make a pie?

[greeneyes]

I almost never make a pastry anymore-lowcarb/crustless.

I am really getting too tired/lazy to do much other than dump something in a crockpot.

I had to slice up a ham this week, and had a big bone leftover, so I cooked ham and beans in the crockpot.

[Jamestown1630]

That’s what my husband always says. He hates that all we’ve got right now is electric, top and bottom.

[RegulatorCountry]

An induction cooktop is electric but can be awesome, very precise, boils water quicker than gas. Certain types of cookware don’t work on it though. Might want to buy a single burner countertop model, True Induction makes a good one that’s not overly expensive.

[mylife]

I love savory meat pies

Here is a cheater recipe... mix a can of Veg all with a can cream of chicken/mushroom , in a cassoroule dish add your secret hobo spices and mix.

Top with bisquick.

Is it Yo Grannys Pot Pie?

NO! but its better than the Colonel or MCDodo

[mylife]

You do with what you have,

I like campfire cooking but its a challenge , you have to build an oven LOL

[beef]

I’m a soup maker, too. I made a big pot of soup with turkey leftovers after Thanksgiving. Easy to do, and it always taste good. As a matter of fact, I’m going to take some out of the freezer right now!