Home Cooking Ideas, Tips and Recipes

[katie1997]

HAL9000 Wrote:

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> Consistency is the key to professional quality

> cooking - whether at home, in the restaurant or

> the factory.

thanks for that HAL, I'll remember that when I'm making hummus at my factory tomorrow and then later when my restaurant opens for business :))

> ETA: I don't see anyone in the 'fresh ingredients'

> brigade grinding their own sesame seed paste, by

> the way.

OMG are you implying that you spotted me leaving the Dulwich Supermarket (across from EDD, btw) with a jar of ... tahini!! I can assure you that each sesame seed is grinded, individually, in my kitchen. Honest guv.

Viva the Fresh Ingredients Brigade B)

[katie1997]

Peckhamgatecrasher Wrote:

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> Bit of a disaster - ended up with only two and a

> half pots.

oh no, sorry to hear that PGC. I am sure it tastes FAB though.

Thanks for sharing the recipe, I would love to try this (have made chilli jam before but was not that impressed with it, someone told me that adding apples would give a much better result).

(I recently bought some chilli and lime jelly from a local deli/cafe but the lime was overpowering and made it taste artificial :()

[Ladymuck]

But PGC - that's not a disaster. On the contrary! DC said it was delicious. Quality not quantity. Just pick more crab apples next time.

[HAL9000]

Eerie silence from Marmora Road - did those rare, butter-browned steaks fight back, I wonder?

[Marmora Man]

Marmora Man Wrote:

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> Going to try a new, expensive recipe as a special

> treat fopr Sunday "roast" this weekend.

> Brother-in-law (a butcher) has given me a middle

> cut fillet steak about 500gms. Intend to seal,

> cool, wrap in cling film and cook @ 60c for 40

> mins - take out, cut into four thick steaks,

> season and brown off in hot foaming butter .

> Apparently, according to my sister (professional

> chef), it will be meltingly tender, moist and just

> brilliant. We'll see.

Tried this and it works. The centre of the steak needs to reach a uniform 60C - and a bit of overcooking won't hurt. I took maybe 55 mins to get to the uniform temp - cookers will vary in temperature. This is a simpler version of the water bath cooking style favoured by current crop of chefs.

An advantage is that the steaks don't need to rest - tho' they do need a good red wine gravy / sauce as the meat, while very tender, needs a "dressing". I used an old Gordon Ramsay version of shallot & red wine sauce - relatively quick & easy and very flavoursome, particularly with just a tablespoon of malt whisky added to taste. Served with creamy / buttery potato & celeric mash, green beans & brocoli stems - all plates were licked clean.

Special occasion food tho' unless you have a butcher in the family!

[HAL9000]

I bought half a kilo of topside steak yesterday - I'm going to try your 60 C slow bake and butter saut? technique. But I plan to experiment with one piece after it comes out of the oven by searing it for a minute or so in a frying pan with a 50:50 Olive/Mustard oil mixture heated just shy of smoking. I've got a feeling that may ameliorate the blandness.

[HAL9000]

Couldn't improve on MM's recipe - plain butter browned the steaks perfectly: best I've had in a long time. Served with potato and parsnip mash spiced with black pepper and whole grain mustard, a mushroom and wine sauce and steamed carrots. All washed down with a fruity red.

[Marmora Man]

HAL - glad it worked for you - according to my sister, once the meat has reached the "magic" 60C it can be held there without overcooking for up to another hour - so good cooking method if friends / family are somewhat tardy in arriving at the table. I'm going to trial it with a sirloin at the weekend.

[Tarot]

I want to cook a jacket potato, with cheese and bacon, but usually land up with semi cooked spud raw bacon and burnt cheese, Hardly spuds are us .what would you put with it as well? Hal im, asking you,.

[HAL9000]

I'm not an expert on jacket potatoes - I've only ever cooked them in campfires ? cross-cut, wrapped in aluminium foil and buried in the ashes with a knob of butter.

I think they'd probably go with anything that's usually served with potatoes - the choice is only limited by one's imagination.

[Tarot]

Being a bit short on imagination, plus no scout sense, I just had a bacon sanwich with sauce.

[Peckhamgatecrasher]

Put a metal skewer through the long middle of the potato - it will help to cook the centre. Turn spud over halfway through. If you like crispy skin - don't wrap in foil. (Depending on size, gas mark 6 for one hour)

[katie1997]

Tarot Wrote:

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> I want to cook a jacket potato, with cheese and

> bacon, but usually land up with semi cooked spud

> raw bacon and burnt cheese, Hardly spuds are us

> .what would you put with it as well? Hal im,

> asking you,.

How about individually peeled chick peas with some citric acid and finished off in a rice cooker?

[Tarot]

Thanks PGC. I,ll try that. I wondered what those long wiry things were for. I thought they were kebab sticks.:-$

[louisiana]

I'm stocking up/topping up my kitchen cupboards for winter - golly, sounds like I'm going into hibernation! - so a lot of surveying what is there and what is needed.

Which led me to wonder what other people think are essential kitchen cupboard (or fridge or freezer) items, things you should always have to hand.

[Jeremy]

Torat - put your potato in the microwave for 4 minutes, then in the oven for half an hour. Soft on the inside and crispy on the outside.

[Peckhamgatecrasher]

Louisiana, Heinz tomato soup and a bottle of scotch will get you through most winter cooking crises.

[david_carnell]

louisiana Wrote:

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> I'm stocking up/topping up my kitchen cupboards

> for winter - golly, sounds like I'm going into

> hibernation! - so a lot of surveying what is there

> and what is needed.

>

> Which led me to wonder what other people think are

> essential kitchen cupboard (or fridge or freezer)

> items, things you should always have to hand.

Olive oil

Groundnut oil

Vinegars - red wine, white wine, cider, balsamic, malt, preserving

Sea salt

Pepper corns

Fats - beef and duck

Tomato paste

Stock cubes

Tins tomatoes

Capers

Jar of anchovies

Mustards - English, French, Wholegrain

Worcestshire sauce

Pastas

Cous cous

Rices - basmati, risotto, pudding, long grain

Smoked paprika

Harissa paste

Curry spices - tumeric, cumin, cardomon, garam masala, coriander

Flours - corn, semolina, white, bread, wholemeal, rye etc

Pancetta

Chorizo

Probably other stuff too.....

[SeanMacGabhann]

Fish Sauce

Dried Chillies

Brown Sugar

Soy Sauce

Cashew Nuts

[cate]

Dried lentils, esp. red as they cook quickly. Dried beans and tinned ones for a quick meal. Tins of tuna. Strings of onions and shallots.

Tins of custard. Fresh or frozen crumpets. Cheese to melt on top of crumpets. Cholula hot sauce. Chiptotle Tabasco sauce.

Slices of bread, frozen which I defrost to make grilled cheese sandwiches. Tins of peas to make peas and shells. Shell shaped pasta.

[Ridgley]

I have a two year old niece, and my sister cannot get her to eat pieces of toast. I advised her to cut teddy bear shapes out of bacon foil then put the foil in the middle of the toast then put it under the grill when the toast turn brown peel of the foil and it leaves the shape of the foil then butter she seems to like it now children are funny when it comes to food :))

[Tarot]

Tried that Ridgely, done a monster for nephew, he covered it in sauce, and said "thats blood" funny kid.

[louisiana]

Cashew nuts - interesting!

I'd agree with practically all your list David. And SG - except perhaps the cashews.

My hot pepper sauce of choice is Encona (the original one) which is excellent on cheese on toast amongst other things.

[Marmora Man]

Vermouth - add to fish dishes

Whisky - for medicinal hot toddies

Lemons

Horse radish sauce

Red wine

White wine

[Ladymuck]

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