Monthly Cooking Thread - June 2022

[Jamestown1630]

- Photo: GreatLeap.com.my

The cake pictured above is a Malaysian Lapis (layer) Cake. It’s usually made as a ‘spicy’ cake with cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, and it can take an entire day to make one. They are generally purchased for special occasions in Malaysia.

If you’re up for trying something as colorful but not quite as gruelling to make, the blog ‘Mel’s Pantry Kitchen’ has posted a simplified ‘rainbow’ cake:

https://melspantrykitchen.blogspot.com/2012/09/rainbow-lapis-legit.html

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sarawak_layer_cake

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I’ve been seeing an Arby’s commercial lately about a Chicken-Pecan salad sandwich. It looks wonderful in the ad, but there isn’t an Arby’s very convenient to us here, so I went looking for a recipe.

I found a video by ‘Rachel Cooks With Love’. Rachel’s videos are longer than many, because she explains everything she’s doing and why, and doesn’t cut corners. She is Mexican-American, lives half the year in Texas, and also offers wonderful Tex-Mex and Mexican recipes and techniques.

We’ve been getting free rotisserie chickens from the rewards program at our grocery, so I used that; though I’m sure it would be better with the poached breasts that Rachel uses. And, I had grapes for it, but left them out – it seemed like overkill. It turned out very, very good; but I wanted some little ‘zing’ that wasn’t there; so I think next time I’ll add some cayenne.

Here is her recipe:

Chicken Salad with Grapes and Pecans – Rachel Cooks With Love

(Suggested to be served on Croissant rolls)

3 Med/Lrg Boneless chicken breasts

3 celery ribs (diced)

3 green onions

1/2 C. dried cranberries

1/2 C. roasted pecan halves

1 heaping Cup red seedless grapes (cut in 4)

1 C. mayonnaise

2 Tbsp cream cheese (room temperature)

1 Tbsp dijon mustard

1 Tbsp honey

zest of 1/2 lemon

juice of 1/2 lemon

1/2 tsp pepper

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp garlic powder

ROASTED PECANS

1 tbls melted butter

1/2 C. pecan halves

pinch of salt

TO BOIL CHICKEN 3 chicken breasts

1 celery rib

small piece onion

1/3 tsp peppercorns

1 tsp salt

And her technique:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1I-

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I used to have a friend who made really good corn fritters and was looking for a recipe for that.

Freeper Nopardons passed on her family recipe which comes from a very old cookbook by the Royal Baking Powder Company, ‘Anyone Can Bake’, copyrighted in 1929. I’ve since purchased a copy of this – they are still available from used bookstores – and it really is a wonderful little book with exhaustive information on all kinds of baking.

Here is Nopardon’s Family/Royal Baking Powder Recipe:

"This recipe calls for you to use fresh corn,but yes, you CAN use canned corn ( we use Delmonte’s ) and you don’t have to cook it first...just drain it."

CORN FRITTERS:

1/2 cup milk

2 cups boiled corn cut from the cob

2 cups flour

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

3 teaspoons Royal Baking Powder

1 tablespoon melted shortening ( we use Crisco )

2 eggs

Add milk to corn; then add the flour sifted with salt, pepper, and baking powder, then add the shortening with the well beaten eggs.

Beat all together well and fry by spoonfuls in fat hot enough to fry a piece of bread in 60 seconds 375 F. Drain well on unglazed paper (paper towels to us... LOL ) and serve immediately.

Makes 18 fritters.

Next I want to do Eggplant Fritters. That was one of my father’s ‘hangover cures’, and I think my Grandmother made them with slices of eggplant, instead of chopping it up.

-JT

[Jamestown1630]

Yes, there's one very near us. The regular groceries are starting to get some things because of the population here, but there are still things that I like but can't find outside of the ethnic stores.

One of my favorite things is this ginger candy in the blue checked wrappers that a Korean friend first gave me (it's very strong, though, and might be an 'acquired taste':

[Flaming Conservative]

I love corn fritters! America’s Test Kitchen had a recipe for vegetable fritters that were also delicious. I changed it a bit to leave out the red and green peppers; really, you can use any kind of quick cooking vegetables, except perhaps tomatoes. Here’s my version:
Vegetable Fritters
1 small (8”) zucchini, grated
½ carrot, grated
1 green onion, minced
¼ cup diced onion (small dice)
½ cup flour
½ cup cornstarch
½ teaspoon salt
Dash of garlic powder
¼ teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon baking powder
Enough cold water to make a batter slightly thicker than pancake batter
Vegetable oil for ½ inch in large frying pan
Mix dry ingredients with water
Add in veggies, combine thoroughly
Heat oil over med high heat til just shimmers.
Using large utility spoon or ½ cup measure, scoop batter into patties, into pan, flattening them slightly. Do not crowd. Fry until golden brown on one side, turn over and fry other side til golden brown.
Drain on paper towels.

I like them plain, but may also serve with sour cream, or ranch dip, even applesauce.

[Born in 1950]

This informative article includes the differences between tapioca flour and cassava flour:

https://www.bobsredmill.com/blog/healthy-living/what-is-tapioca-flour-where-does-it-come-from/

[markomalley]

I regularly drink Ginger Tea made from fresh ginger root and sweetened with Stevia leaves. I make it a lot stronger than what most people like, but I use it for medicinal purposes.

Ginger is a powerful anti-inflammatory as well as having other health benefits.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3665023/

[markomalley]

Here's an instant ginger tea that is popular over here. You might be able to find it in an Asian grocery.

Not nearly as good for you as homemade, but it tastes pretty good.

[Repeal The 17th]

Is a corn fritter the same thing as a hush-puppy?

[Jamestown1630]

No, corn fritters are made of corn kernels. Hush puppies are made of corn meal.

[Jamestown1630]

I think I’ll try the homemade.

[Jamestown1630]

Thanks. I hadn’t read it all.

[Born in 1950]

I do that, too. Sometimes you gotta scroll, lol.

[cherry]

how do you fix the meat for the gyro’s?

[Jamestown1630]

That looks very good!

(I’ve noticed that ‘fritter’ can mean something deep-fried by the spoonful; or done flat, like a pancake, fried in a skillet. My friend made them like little pancakes; Nopardons’ recipe is the other style.)

[GOPJ]

Easy homemade ginger ale. I’ve made this - it easy and better tasting. Only make it in plastic containers (2 liter containers are best - glass can explode)

https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/ginger-ale-recipe-1944722

[Jamestown1630]

My father made root beer when he was a kid.

[Born in 1950]

These are what I used: https://costcofdb.com/daphnes-beef-and-lamb-gyro-meat-slices-costco-review

Tonight I portioned it in a cast iron pan with some sweet onion and olive oil. I figured I'd use the oven heat from baking earlier and cook it that way. Thought a two minute blast right under the broiler would get it off to a good start.

Ten minutes later…lol! Pulled the pan, looked.. not sure. Stirred with spoon, no sticking, smelled good. They were moist with the edges slightly crisped. Delish.

Whew! I'm going to do it like that next time, definitely.

[Jamestown1630]

Alton Brown had a recipe for making a facsimile of Gyro meat in the oven. My husband tried it, and it was ok, but a poor substitute for the real thing (the Tzatziki, on the other hand, was very good):

https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/gyro-meat-with-tzatziki-sauce-recipe-2047710

[Born in 1950]

I didn't know what tzatziki sauce was until earlier today. Sounds refreshing. Yogurt, lemon and cucumbers.. genius.

I plan to use tahini sauce sometime, I could drink that by the glass. Have used Bitchin’ Sauce from Costco. Took a flyer. That stuff is approved! Excellent.

It’s Easy to like food, lol.

[Flaming Conservative]

I like both kinds!

[Jamestown1630]

It’s very good, even if you just use it as a dip for pita or other flatbread.

I have an eggplant recipe that uses a tahini sauce. I can’t remember where I got it, but I’ve made it many times and it’s very good:

Roasted Eggplant with Tahini Dressing

2 medium eggplants (about 1 1/4 pounds total), trimmed and halved lengthwise

coarse sea salt

freshly ground black pepper

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons finely chopped flat-leaf parsley

DRESSING:

3 tablespoons well-stirred tahini

2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

2 tablespoons hot water

1/2 teaspoons fine sea salt

1/8 teaspoon minced garlic

1/8 teaspoon ground cumin

For Eggplant:
Heat oven to 425°F with rack in middle.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. (It helps to first sprinkle the eggplant halves with salt, and let them “drain”, flesh side down, in a large colander for about 30 minutes before roasting. It helps to reduce the moisture content of the dish.)

Put eggplant pieces on prepared baking sheet, flesh-side up. With the tip of a sharp chefs knife, score flesh, about 3/4 inch deep.

Season eggplant with salt and pepper, and drizzle with oil.

Roast, rotating pan once halfway through, until eggplant flesh is soft and collapsed and edges are deep golden, 35 to 40 minutes.

For Dressing:
While eggplant is roasting, in a bowl, whisk together all dressing ingredients.

Remove eggplant from oven and sprinkle with salt. Transfer to serving plates, drizzle with half of the dressing and sprinkle with parsley. Serve with remaining dressing.

[Jamestown1630]

Me too. Fried things are my downfall.

There’s an annual fair in my husband’s hometown, and I always have to have the deep-fried vegetables: chunks of cauliflower, zucchini, and mushroom, dunked in a beer batter, deep fried.

They’re wonderful. I learned how to make them at home, and they’re just as good.