Monthly Cooking Thread - May 2021

[Liz]

Great recipe.....thanks.

[Liz]

This is supposed to be the real recipe for the fabled
ORANGE CRUNCH CAKE FROM THE BUBBLE ROOM,
Captiva, Florida.

Use 2 Betty Crocker yellow box cakes, OJ instead of the water
2 tbl orange extract, cup oil and 6 eggs. Butter well then spray 3 cake pans.

CRUNCH Mix one package crushed regular grahams and one and a half cups
brown sugar and one cup toasted almonds. Divide into three pans; press on bottom lightly.

FINAL Pour in orange cake batter and bake accordingly.

ASSEMBLY Remove cakes from pan when cooled; place first cake crunch bottom down; frost;then place cake layer down
frost; then the top layer and rest frosting. Add thin slice oranges w/ rinds in a decorative pattern.

GLAZE heat up orange marmalade and drizzle all over cake.

ICING pound of butter, 16 oz cheese, one and a half boxes of confectionery sugar three drops
red food coloring, 1/2 tb yellow food coloring, tb orange extract. Will seem a little thin but hardens up.

[Liz]

I still think your recipe for Italian beef is the best I’ve used.

[Covenantor]

Found a fascinating video about tradional artisanal French butter making in Brittany. Informative and humerous. First I’ve heard of flavored butters on offer such as buckwheat, seaweed, jalapeno, etc.

Apparently butter qualities are not only effected by feed but also by the seasons, winter butter being whiter and more brittle. Who knew brittleness was a quality of butter.

https://youtu.be/ZyXUzhTn0kI

[Liz]

Thanks for the artisanal French butter-making in Brittany video.

The French are so inventive in the kitchen but they never sacrifice their French ways ....technique is everything to the French chef.

[Jamestown1630]

You can make it at home from heavy cream - it’s often been suggested as a ‘party game’:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dxyla_OJKgA

http://www.thespruceeats.com/homemade-butter-in-a-jar-4155677

[Covenantor]

Yes, my third grade class churned some up after touring a local dairy. Spread the soft sweet butter on our graham crackers with whole milk....yum.

But the video is not about the churning it’s about processing the ‘raw’ butter...getting much of the water out and final hand shaping and finishing. The owner’s poetic commentary on the process is the cherry on top

[Jamestown1630]

Oh, you got the fun stuff. At that age, I was taken to tour a brickyard...

(The planetarium, which we also saw on a field trip, was pretty good, though. I’ve always wanted to go to one again.)

[MomwithHope]

Hi, the month is almost over and I finally got a chance to go to the nearest Asian market - 45 minutes away, and found some rice wrappers and stopped by Costco for some shrimp, going to make those spring rolls tomorrow!

[Jamestown1630]

Enjoy.

I was recently weeding out my cabinets, and found a couple of jars of Gochugaru (Korean red pepper, commonly used in Kimchi.)

In the past when I’ve bought this, it has seemed to spoil (become moldy). The recently purchased batch didn’t seem to, but I was convinced to look this up. Apparently it DOES spoil, and we are advised to keep it in the freezer.

I’m dumping my stash, and buying new for the freezer.

[Liz]

A snappy gochujang sauce to keep around.
Koreans use it on egg-topped Bibimbap.

Bibimbap sauce

ING 2 Tbsp gochujan, Tbsp sesame oil, Tbsp sugar - Korean cook used raw sugar, Tbsp water,
Tbsp toasted sesame seeds, tsp vinegar - Korean cook used apple vinegar, tsp minced garlic.

[Jamestown1630]

I’m always confused Bibimbap with those kimchi/scallion pancakes - the latter are the only Korean thing I’ve ever had that I really disliked.

[Liz]

Bibimbap is a popular takeout....and the ingredients are limited only by the vendor’s imagination.

Lots of vegetables and meats, topped with the iconic fried egg........and plenty of tasty sauce.

[Liz]

"This may be my new obsession...Veggie Bibimbap with Gochujang sauce "--
from LA @chef_daniellecampbell. Serves 2-4

Gochujang Sauce Ingredients: 1/2 Cup Hot pepper paste 2 Tbsp Honey 1 Tbsp Soy sauce 2 Garlic cloves, crushed or grated 3 Tbsp warm water Bibimbap

Ingredients: 2 Tbsp Canola oil 2 Cups Cooked brown rice 1 Cup Bean sprouts 2 Large carrots , julienned or shredded 2 Large Zucchini, julienned or shredded 1 Cup Purple cabbage, shredded 1 Cup Kimchee 2 Cups Spinach 2 Cups Assorted mushrooms, thinly sliced 4 Scallions , thinly sliced length wise 4 eggs 1 Tbsp Sesame oil 2 Tsp Toasted black sesame seeds

Directions: Gochujang Sauce Add hot pepper paste, honey, soy sauce, garlic and warm water to a bowl. Whisk until smooth, set aside.

Bibimbap Heat 1 Tbsp of canola oil in a wok or heavy bottom skillet on medium-high heat. Add mushrooms and cook until softened and browned, about 4 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, remove from pan and set aside. Add spinach to pan and cook until spinach is wilted , about 3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, remove and set aside.

Heat 1 Tbsp of canola oil in a non-stick pan. Add eggs and cook until whites are cooked through. Remove and set aside.

Portion out rice into separate bowls. Add assorted vegetables, cabbage and kimchee. Top with egg, add scallions, drizzle with sauce and garnish with sesame seeds and sesame oil. Enjoy!