Weekly Cooking (and related issues) Thread

[Jamestown1630]

My husband caught a nasty cold last weekend, and promptly shared it with me. We came out of the haze just in time to hear from the NWS that our little area of the US is in the bull's eye for an official - and very rare - blizzard this weekend. We've been preparing, as we're largely concerned about a power outage.

I remember a few pretty bad snowstorms when I was growing up, but a power outage was never a real problem: we lived in one of those old buildings with radiators, whose hot water/steam was powered by burning coal; and with a gas cook-stove that could be lit with a match. I remember playing out in the snow for hours, the cold never bothering; and then seeing our mittens, hats, socks drying for awhile on a radiator or even on the open door of the stove while we ate lunch; before we were out in the snow and playing again.

Breakfast on days like this was, for some reason, always Cinnamon Toast and Tea. (I've never understood why, as kids, we were only allowed hot tea on snow days or when we were sick, even though we drank iced sweet-tea all Summer; but I guess hot tea was some kind of tradition or old-folks' notion of 'healthy'. )

Great slatherings of butter are KEY to good Cinnamon Toast. Spread a lot of butter on white sandwich bread, and make sure a few areas of the bread have thicker bits of butter than others. Top the butter with dark brown sugar, and then sprinkle all over with a generous dusting of powdered cinnamon.

Put this in the oven until the crusts of the bread are crisp, and everything is sort of melted, with the cinnamon looking a little shiny and like a glaze on top.

(The joy of eating this is when you hit one of those butter-soggy areas where the butter was thicker :-)

Kids tend to love this and gobble it up. In a pinch, you can make it with white sugar instead of dark-brown; but my brother and I recall the 'white sugar' days as offering very mediocre Cinnamon Toast!

Now, I live with all-electric heat, cooking, hot water. So we've stocked up on sterno, and foods and drinks that we can heat on a little camp stove or steam tray. We'll be doing a Boston Butt in the crockpot and roasting a chicken during the hours before the storm, so that we have something that is good enough cold or lightly warmed, if it comes to that over the next few days.

I am also roasting some eggplant, for a recipe that was, when I found it decades ago, labeled 'Eggplant Caviar'; but which I learned later is actually a version of a well-known Middle Eastern spread/dip called

Baba Ghanoush

2 small Eggplant

4 T. fresh Lemon Juice

4 T Olive Oil

1 large clove Garlic

1 seeded and chopped Tomato

1/4 tsp. Paprika

1/2 tsp. Cayenne

1 finely minced Scallion (Spring Onion)

1 tsp. Salt

1/2 tsp. Black Pepper

Pierce Eggplant in several places and bake at 400 degrees for 30 minutes or until very soft. Split open and remove pulp.

Place pulp in blender with all other ingredients except Scallions and Tomatoes. Blend until smooth; add remaining ingredients and adjust seasonings.

Serve as an appetizer or snack with chunks of bread, fresh vegetable crudites, or crackers/chips.

-JT

[Jamestown1630]

Just a quick post tonight, as we hunker down for a storm that we hope will NOT be ‘historic’, against all prevailing predictions (one model suggest an incredible amount of snow).

I hope that everyone in our little area of the Mid-Atlantic stays warm and safe over the next few days.

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

-JT

[miss marmelstein]

Yes, we’re in the path of the storm. I have fixins’ for tomorrow and through the weekend. Big batch of chili con carne, lots of beer and wine and homemade brownies. The stores have run out of water (the water here doesn’t taste very good) but my husband is bringing home 2 pounds of fresh coffee from Porto Rico Importing - NYC’s finest purveyor of java. French Peruvian. Plenty of food for the pets and the heat is turned up!

[Fai Mao]

Perhaps I am the only one in the world to not know this.

BBQ tip:

When grilling chicken it is really difficult to not burn the skin and outer layers. Try placing a piece of aluminum foil sprayed with oil on the grill under the chicken. Poke a few holes in the foil to let grease drip through. This prevents flare ups from scorching the chicken and allows the chicken to cook until done without burning.

[Jamestown1630]

You reminded me! We’ve got to brew extra coffee! because there’s No Brewing, once the power is out. But at least you can heat up old coffee on the sterno. As I’ve said before, it’s lousy, but better than none :-)

-JT

[miss marmelstein]

That’s how I grew up eating French toast - we made it with butter, cinnamon and powdered sugar. I made it this morning using Texas Toast and maple syrup. Texas Toast is no substitute for Challah.

[Jamestown1630]

That’s a very good idea, and I’m saving it for my husband, ‘aspiring grillmaster’.

-JT

[miss marmelstein]

Lousy coffee is better than none.

[Trillian]

That sounds really good, I’m surprised I’ve never tried it.
I’m a big fan of eggplant.

[Jamestown1630]

Challah would be wonderful for Cinnamon Toast.

We used to be able to get a frozen, unbaked Challah loaf at the local Giant Food every year around Hanukkah; we bought it many times to bake and have at the Christmas table. But we haven’t seen it in the local stores in ages.

-JT

[umgud]

So now you have electric heat and cooking. So what do you do if the power goes out?

[SkyDancer]

Prayers that all goes well for you and your loved ones. I’m following the progress of the storm. L/Janey

[Trillian]

I’m making these either tonight or tomorrow. They look so good:

Bakery Style Chocolate Chip Muffins

Ingredients

2 3/4 cups (390g) all-purpose flour
2 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/3 cup (74g) unsalted butter, softened
4 Tbsp (60ml) vegetable oil, divided
1 1/4 cups (265g) granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
3/4 cup (175ml) milk
1/2 cup (122g) sour cream
1 1/4 cups (220g) mini chocolate chips

Directions

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Line 12 cup muffin tin with paper liners. In a mixing bowl whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt for 20 seconds, set aside.
In the bowl of an electric stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment whip together butter, 1 Tbsp vegetable oil and sugar until pale and fluffy. Mix in remaining 3 Tbsp vegetable oil. Blend in eggs one at a time adding in vanilla with second egg. In a 2-cup liquid measuring cup measure out milk then add sour cream and whisk to blend.
Remove mixing bowl from stand mixer and add 1/3 of the flour mixture and fold until nearly combined, then add 1/2 of the milk mixture and fold until nearly combined, repeat process once more with flour and milk mixture. Add in last 1/3 of the flour mixture and fold until nearly combined then add in chocolate chips (you can set aside about 2 tbsp to sprinkle over the tops before baking so more show through if desired) and fold until just combined. Divide batter among prepared muffin cups filling each slightly mounded full. Bake in preheated oven 8 minutes then reduce oven temperature to 400 degrees and continue to bake until toothpick inserted into center comes out clean, about 10 - 11 minutes longer (they should be nicely domed and edges of cupcakes will likely just be slightly touching). Transfer muffins to a wire rack and let cool (I highly recommend trying at least one while still warm!). Store in an airtight container at room temperature.

http://www.cookingclassy.com/2016/01/bakery-style-chocolate-chip-muffins/

[cloudmountain]

Baba Ghanoush....

Gesundheit!!

.

.

Good stuff especially with the flatbread. Haven't had that in 30+ years. Enjoy.

[Jamestown1630]

We eat stuff we’ve stored or prepared in advance, things that can be eaten cold or heated to at least warm over sterno. We live in a suburban apartment, and while we have a wood-burning fireplace and its lovely ambience, it’s not much good for cooking (so far as we’ve practiced), or for heating, for that matter ;-)

We’re also working on developing our outdoor cooking skills. A lady named Marcella, another Freeper, is the ‘Goddess of Alternative Cooking Methods’. You might find her posts on the prepper threads. We’ve gotten a great many good ideas from her research and experimentation.

-JT

[darkangel82]

Our Mideastern takeout place uses smoked eggplant for theirs. I was never a fan until I had it with pita.

[Jamestown1630]

Thanks, Janey. Not sure where you are now, but fly safe.

-JT

[SkyDancer]

I’m at home, we’ve lots of rain but nothing compared to what you might get. Be safe. G-d Bless.

[Jamestown1630]

It’s good with Naan - a little fluffier than Pita - too.

-JT

[Eric in the Ozarks]

Thanks for the tip !