Monthly Cooking Thread - March 2018

[Jamestown1630]

Dear Cooking FRiends;

Due to issues at home and at work, I am going to be unusually busy for the foreseeable future, and I have decided that I will have to reduce our Weekly Cooking Thread to a monthly thread. Often, the thread is still quite active when I’m ready to post the following week’s installment, so I don’t think it will make a great difference if we continue each thread over a month.

I’ve greatly enjoyed the camaraderie that we’ve developed here; learning about all of your family culinary traditions and cooking secrets; and just sharing TALK, as our conversations wandered - often into ‘terra incognita’, as a lot of threads on FR do ;-).

You have all taught me many things, and introduced me to new horizons – not all of which have had to do with food and cooking - and I’m grateful for that, and for all of you.

I’ve also enjoyed and learned a great deal from the sheer effort of posting on a weekly basis for the last couple of years, ‘digitally challenged’ as I am. I’m still not very smart about using this little 'spaceship' as I call my computer; but at least I can post a picture and have a little HTML under my belt (Thanks, Liz!)

Instituting a cooking thread was one of my priorities when I ‘signed-up’, because I had always enjoyed the cooking threads on FR during my many years as a prior lurker – especially the Thanksgiving ones! - and I hope to continue for a long time.

I will probably post around the first of each month – and will always be checking in!

***********************************************

I recently discovered Stephane of the ‘French Cooking Academy’ YT channel. He does great videos that are packed with information on ingredients and technique, and I’ve been especially impressed with everything he does with Potatoes.

Here is his video on Gratin Dauphinois - the Classic French Potato Bake; but check out the Duchesse potatoes, as well - they look fancy, but aren't that hard to do:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2QCdN89DAYE

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mjdzwYREr48

-JT

[Jamestown1630]

AI’m just lazy....and easily frustrated ;-)

[mylife]

All I know is potatoes are loved high and low :)

[txhurl]

Just a tip: when you make twice-baked potatoes, whip cheese, bacon, butter, sour cream, chives into the potato flesh for stuffing back into the skin AS WELL as piling them on top.

[Jamestown1630]

You’ve already made me envious with your Redwoods; and now you have to pile it on with great crabs...

[mylife]

A Tx hot sauce.

One time I had breakfast at a little café at the crossroads in Chalkhill Pa and the home fries.. OMG the homefries, with onions and Hungarian wax peppers blew my mind!

[sheana]

Tuna taquitos. I know. I know. But seriously. They’re so darn good and easy. I made them for dinner tonight. If you want to make rice and beans to go with them even better.
1 can of tuna in water will make 3 taquitos. Drain it.
Heat up your corn tortillas so they won’t break when rolling. I fry them in some oil first.
Spoon tuna onto corn tortilla and roll. Cook in hot oil til gold n brown then flip and do the other side.
Top with guacamole.

[leaning conservative]

Hot sauce

[mylife]

penelopesire makes the best potato salad I have ever eaten, bar none, but she will make you peel those taters, dice them taters...

[SkyDancer]

Now there’s a goodie I can try!

[MomwithHope]

Crab - you lucky dogs!

[SkyDancer]

When we’re going to watch some stuff on TV I make up a bunch of treats. I cut out flour tortillas and press them into a muffin pan. I add salsa and stuff and bake. I’ll do several dozen of them. Great treats.

[leaning conservative]

I don’t know if I can deal with this abandonment....... Seriously, so grateful for this thread. It feels like a real community. Thank you & I will be salivating for your once a month thread.

You have created a wonderful thing JT, thank you.

[MomwithHope]

You know I think a monthly thread will be easier. Many times I go back looking for a recipe on a thread and have to go through 2 or 3 until I find it.
I've really been liking these gourmet bay redskin potatoes. Tender, flavorful and very moist.

[leaning conservative]

Yum, please detail “stuff.”

[sheana]

You can bake the tuna taquitos instead of fry them. They’re pretty good that way. I just like them fried better. But try them. You’ll be surprised how good they are. So will everyone else.

[JayGalt]

We discovered a new way of making potatoes in the last couple of months. I absolutely inhale them.
From the Original poster:
“These potatoes are a staple in our home. Whether accompanying roast lamb or chicken, or just on their own, we have them a couple of times a week. They are delicious and the ones that get overly-brown in the pan and stick a bit are MINE! Clean up is a little tricky with this recipe, unless you line your pans with foil, but I find that just filling the pan up with hot, sudsy water and forgetting for an hour (something I apparently have no problem doing ;-)) helps a lot.”

Ingredients

8 large potatoes, peeled, cut into large wedges (about 6-7 wedges per potato)
4 garlic cloves, minced ( more garlic is a good thing, less garlic is a no-no for this recipe)
1/2 cup olive oil
1 cup water
1 tablespoon dried oregano ( to taste)
1 large lemon, juiced
sea salt
fresh coarse ground black pepper
Directions
Preheat oven to 420°F A reviewer has suggested spraying the baking pan with Pam - that sounds like a great idea!
Put all the ingredients into a baking pan large enough to hold them.
Season generously with sea salt and black pepper.
Make sure your hands are very clean and put them in the pan and give everything a toss to distribute.
The garlic will drop into the water/oil solution but its flavour will permeate the potatoes, and this way, it won’t burn.
Bake for 40 minutes.
When a nice golden-brown crust has formed on the potatoes, give them a stir to bring the white underside up, season lightly with a bit more sea salt and pepper and just a light sprinkling of oregano.
Add 1/2 cup more water if pan appears to be getting dry, and pop back into oven to brown other side of potatoes.
This will take about another 40 minutes.
Do not be afraid of overcooking the potatoes- they will be delicious.

http://www.geniuskitchen.com/recipeprint.do?rid=87782

[Trillian]

I love potatoes so much my husband says I should have been Irish ;)

Diane’s Colcannon

Ingredients
2 1/2 pounds potatoes, peeled and cubed
4 slices bacon
1/2 small head cabbage, chopped
1 large onion, chopped
1/2 cup milk
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 cup butter, melted

Directions
Place potatoes in a saucepan with enough water to cover. Bring to a boil, and cook for 15 to 20 minutes, until tender.
Place bacon in a large, deep skillet. Cook over medium high heat until evenly brown. Drain, reserving drippings, crumble and set aside. In the reserved drippings, saute the cabbage and onion until soft and translucent. Putting a lid on the pan helps the vegetables cook faster.
Drain the cooked potatoes, mash with milk and season with salt and pepper. Fold in the bacon, cabbage, and onions, then transfer the mixture to a large serving bowl. Make a well in the center, and pour in the melted butter. Serve immediately.

https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/58642/dianes-colcannon/

There was also a potato recipe posted here a few days ago:
Aligot is the Cheese Dish You’ve Been Waiting For (Amazing Video)
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/3635130/posts

[txhurl]

Get the plumpest 8ozers they have. Last time I made these at Christmas one potato actually exploded all over the oven, so stab with fork to be sure. I was certain that was an urban legend my whole life. If it DOES happen to you, fix a drink, evacuate largest pieces then char the flecks at 500o so you can whisk-broom them up after you dis-assemble your oven.

[econjack]

Speaking of hash browns...How about breakfast for dinner?

I recently took 6 slices of bacon and cooked in a 12” cast iron skillet until crisp. Set aside. Drain off about 1/2 of the bacon fat. In the same skillet, cook a pound (or more if you’re really hungry) of hash browns until they start to turn a light brown. Gently press the hash browns down and let them form a light crust on the bottom. Take a ladle and make 6 “dents” in the top of the hash browns and break an egg into each dent and cover with a lid for about 2-3 minutes. Cut into wedges, crumble two of the bacon slices on the eggs and serve hot with the rest of the bacon.

[mylife]

Thanks JT, I know how hard it is to run a thread.

Sometimes it eats up all your time, and that was never the intent.
You just want to share.

gnight