Weekly Cooking Thread - Friday the 13th of January version 2017

All of us ^ | 01/13/17 | Substitute in da house

[Yaelle]

Good morning, happy Friday the 13th. Cotton Ball and I are the substitute cooking leaders for our dear Jamestown1630, who is nursing someone close to her back to health. May he be having a uptick in health this weekend, JT!

Anyway, no creepy morbid Friday the 13th recipes for me. But in my area (Southern California) we've had chilly weather and rain, for us quite delightful. So I'm thinking warm, homey slow cooker meals today. But as you know, we here are open to EVERYTHING food and food related.

Today I'm going to make a white bean chili recipe in the slow cooker for tonight. I'm taking a recipe from a slow cooker cook book, and I don't feel I need to type the whole thing out here, so I went online and found a bunch of similar recipes and picked one to share.

The one I am making won't have any meat at all except the homemade chilcken broth. And it doesn't just use white beans, it adds cream right before serving, which I can't do (can't mix meat and dairy), so I'll be substituting with coconut cream for the thickness and color.

The one I found online sounds equally good, and has the addition of chicken. Lots of spicy flavors. I'm looking for warm, cozy, and satisfying.

What is going on in your kitchen?

[CottonBall]

LOL, nothing at all, I’m glad you enjoy cooking. I started a little later in life so you will make friends and family very happy with the skills you learn sooner.

We were kidding about how Food Network, once it finds a show that is popular, they run it endlessly. Now the new thing is chopped with kids on it. Or that other show I think with Rachel ray? It has kids on it too. And of course there’s four hours of either chopped or diners drive-ins and dives every night.

I am amazed at some of those kids. I’m amazed they even know some of the cooking terms, much less being able to do them. They cook circles around me!

[Liz]

These taste like they came from a fancy French confectionery shop.
Like Russell Stover French Chocolate Mints.....creamy and delectable.

Mint Meltaways / makes about 100 pieces

METHOD On low heat, gently melt combined 3 c milk/choc/chips, chp oz sq unsweet/choc, tb butter; stir occa. Offheat stir in 14 oz can sweet/cond/milk, tsp ea peppermint and vanilla extracts (do not use regular mint extract---there's also crème de menthe extract). Elec/mixer on low a min, then on high a min. Chill 15 min. Then elec/mixer two min. Pour into buttered 8" sq pan; chill firm. Cut into 1/2" squares. Option: dip in chocolate.

VARIATION
ORANGE use 11/2 tsp orange extract and 1/2 tsp vanilla.

[MomwithHope]

Can’t stand Bobby Flay. We used to call him Burn It All Bobby. He had a grilling show long ago called Grillin and Chillin. He faced off against country type who used charcoal and Bobby always used gas. All his dishes were the same whether it was meat or fish, they had fruit and peppers and he burned everything. The charcoal guy always had good looking food.

[Jamestown1630]

I was sitting in a doctor’s office yesterday thumbing through magazines (a much more interesting collection than one usually finds) and I found two recipes that look really good.

Shallot Tarte Tatin, from Bon Apetit:

http://www.bonappetit.com/recipe/shallot-tarte-tatin

and Salsa Black Bean Burgers, from Eating Well:

http://www.eatingwell.com/recipe/256455/salsa-black-bean-burgers/

-JT

[Yaelle]

I am saying YES YES YES to the shallot tarte tatin. I just called the DuFour company in NYC and their frozen puff pastry is not enriched, meaning I can eat it!! Apparently I can buy it at Sprouts, so I am very happy and hungry just thinking about this.

Pepperidge Farm puff pastry is enriched - a dumb word meaning has iron shavings in it and thus can’t be digested and poor for your health. Lol. I am one of those people who thought I could not digest gluten only to find that what I can’t digest is cheap American enriched wheat. Organic unenriched is what I buy and bake with now.

[Yaelle]

The kids cooking on master chef blow my mind. I’m amazed at what they can do. None of my boys showed much of an interest in cooking. I wanted them to learn a few signature dishes for feeding their friends but they haven’t so far. Though my second son makes a mean plate of eggs. (Almost as good as mine but he is chintzy on the butter...). Maybe my daughter will - she loves to help me bake. She can crack eggs nicely now.

[Yaelle]

Can’t stand Bobby Flay.

---

Did you ever watch the series Entourage?? The brash but lovable agent Ari Gold (modeled on the monster Ari Emanuel of the disgusting commie Emanuel family, yes THAT Emanuel family) is always neglecting his typical Beverly Hills wife for his work. And so she takes up with a lover when they separate, though Ari always wants her back. He tries, with his explosive temper, to find out who her lover is, and it ends up being Bobby Flay, playing himself. Hilarity ensues. ;)

[MomwithHope]

No, never watched it. Doesn’t surprise me. We dislike him so much we only watch maybe a minute of when see him on a cooking show. Then it’s change the channel.

[CottonBall]

How old is she?

My son had no interest - maybe a guy thing ;( Maybe i should have introduced him to the BBQ, LOL

[Liz]

You'll thank me for this recipe.....your hips'll hate me.

KILLER CUPCAKES / Makes about 20-22 cupcakes

PIC:blisstree.com

BATTER ING 4-one oz sq semisweet chocolate tsp vanilla 2 sticks butter 4 eggs 1 ½ cups sugar cup flour

FILLING 8 oz cream cheese softened 1/4 cup sugar beaten egg dash of salt 3/4 Cup semi-sweet choc/chips (can use mint chips)

BATTER In bain over simmering water, melt chocolate, vanilla, butter. Separately beat eggs thick; add sugar. Beat in flour. Fold in butter/chocolate. Spoon into paper- lined tins filling 2/3 full. Drop a rounded teaspoon Filling atop each cupcake. Bake 350 deg 30 min.

FILLING Mix/just blend cream cheese, sugar, egg and salt. Stir in the chocolate chips.

[illiac]

1/2 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup honey
4 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
Sesame oil to your tasted
tablespoon minced garlic
tablespoon minced ginger

If not quite sweet enough for you, add some more honey

Marinade for 2 hours up to one day