Have any generic cooking questions?

Crohn's Disease Forum

Help Support Crohn's Disease Forum:

vonfunk

vonfunk

Bourbon Bandito
Joined
Jul 8, 2010
Messages
1,652
Location
Toronto,
I trained as a chef, and I know there is at least one other chef here. I figured that we should probably have a generic thread for asking questions regarding cooking or food in general.

This shouldn't be home for medical advice or "what should I eat because I'm in a flare?". Just simply I'm trying to do this, or I have this how can I prepare something with it.

SO any questions?
 
AWESOME.

Do you do desserts? I can't get fudge to work out. I can do other tasks with candy thermometer (candied ginger, caramel) but have *never* produced a proper fudge. Advice appreciated!
 
Usually a puddle of goo, even if the thermometer says it's fine. (Hmmm...new thermometer is in order?!). Thx!
 
Are you using butter? And are you cooling the sugar down to 120f after you take it off the stove?
 
As far as donuts go, it really depends on the recipe. A denser dough would require a lower cooking temp. That would allow the middle to cook before the outside becomes burnt. You may wish to flip it more than once.
 
I have an extremely general question - I never really learned how to cook. My parents never cooked and they never taught me anything about cooking. I feel totally clueless in the kitchen. I learned in college how to prepare extremely simple meals (stuff like tuna salad or spaghetti) but I'm pretty much a dunce and don't know what should be very simple things. Like, do I thaw meat on the counter or in the fridge or in water or is it okay to just stick frozen food right into the oven to cook?? I swear I've heard different answers on that from different sources! Is it different for different kinds of meat?? And, what's the ratio of water to rice - I can never figure that one out and I always get very dry crunchy rice (too little water) or rice soup (too much water). I think I need a "cooking for not just dummies, but complete and total morons who are incredibly stupid" book. Help? Are there very simple cooking rules you could share?
:eek: :sign0085:
 
Okay, lots to answer.

Frozen foods - Unless it was purchased frozen and the directions on the package say cook from frozen don't do it in the oven. If it is a slightly frozen chicken that's fine, but never with a large cut of meat. All methods of thawing or okay depending on how you do it. The fridge is the safest way, but the slowest. It can take a couple days. Thawing in water is good provided you periodically change the water, or do it under running water. Thawing on the counter is okay, but don't do it over night. At most it should be left out 5-6 hours (speaking from a sanitation point of view, however most guides and sanitation codes will say it is never okay). Ground meat should be thawed in the fridge.

Rice- I'm terrible at cooking proper rice. I generally follow all directions to a T, or I use instant rice.
If I am actually required to cook real plain white rice, This is the cheaters way I learned when I was still cooking in a restaurant. I wash it several times in water to remove the starch (only if it is a long grain non-sticky rice like basmati). I cook it in way too much water and periodically test it to see how cooked it is, usually starting at the 10 minute mark. Then I put it in a strainer to get rid of the excess water. There is no shame in putting rice in a strainer. If you do come across the rice soup situation, you can add a more water to the pot, stir it around and strain it. That will help remove any excess starchy water.
 
I made orange beef a few days ago by sort of following this recipe: http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/crispy-orange-beef/detail.aspx

I bought 3 navel oranges and had my finance zest them all (I usually do it but he wanted to help and it was his first time and I told him to not go to far cause the rind/white part is bitter) and juiced them all. We didn't have soy sauce so I used worcestershire instead. I also had him grate the ginger root but he didn't remove most of the skin. Didn't have rice wine vinegar and used regular vinegar.

Fast forward, when the sauce was just about done I noticed it didn't look the same way it did the first time I made it by myself (I had soy sauce then and used the same amount of ginger but the skin was completely removed and used fresh oranges but don't recall how many or how much zest exactly but most likely the amount the recipe called for (didn't have enough orange flavoring and that's why I used 3 oranges this time around)) so I tasted it before adding the beef and it was the most BITTER thing I have ever tasted besides Prednisone. What happened? Was it the orange zest (do I have to do everything myself?)? Was it the skin still on the ginger root? I'd like to make it again but goodness I had to doctor that sauce up so much (strained it and added more worcestershire, salt, vinegar and sugar to kill the bitterness) just to save it.
 
It's hard to say. It could be the zest but my guess is the worcestershire. It has a very strong and complex flavour profile. I've never used more than a couple of dashes of it. The ginger shouldn't be it. I keep mine frozen and use a fine grater, the skin tends to stay whole and in one piece.

An easy Asian style orange sauce that I use all the time is something along the lines of that recipe.
sautee the garlic and ginger, maybe a green onion or to if you have them, add a quarter cup of soy sauce, and 1-2 table spoons of marmalade, you can thin it out with more soy or some beef stock (I used the powdered instant stuff, that way i don't need to add salt and I can easily adjust the amount used). Adjust the flavour orange juice if it's on hand. I then adjust the sweetness or sourness depending on the marmalade with sugar and lemon or lime juice (or rice wine vinegar). You can strain it if you have trouble with the orange peel in marmalade, then use some corn starch mixed with water to thicken it.
 
Cool! Just saw this thread.

I agree with what vonfunk says about frozen foods - don't put frozen food in the oven unless the packaging specifically states to cook from frozen... If you are roasting meat, the inside will remain frozen while the outside overcooks and becomes dry. Bad scene. Thawing meat under running water is quicker than thawing in the fridge, but both are acceptable methods. I don't usually recommend countertop thawing.

Re: Ratio of water to rice - depends on the kind of rice, but generally I use 1.5 parts water to 1 part rice. If I make rice on the stovetop, it usually sticks to the bottom - invest in a rice cooker, even a cheapie $10 one takes the guesswork out of rice cooking.

Re: Orange-Ginger Beef - it's gotta be the Worcestershire. I'd never use it as a sub for soy. As vonfunk, I use frozen ginger a lot and the skin gets grated as well, never had an issue.
 
Sharon, you were the other chef I was taking about (I didn't want to put you on the spot). I only started this thread this afternoon.

I've never had the skin grate on my ginger, for me it tends to just stay in one piece, but then again that could just be how I'm grating it.

The reason I said only 5-6 hours is because generally it takes at least 2 hours for something small to thaw. and 4 hours is the limit for something to be between the temperature for 40f-140f as directed in most sanitation codes.
 
I use 2 parts water to one part rice, and I dont peek under the lid until its done. If someone lifts the lid the rice turns out terrible. I dont make over 2 cups of rice at a time because it doesnt work out. I add water, rice, oil and salt to the pot, bring it to a boil, put the lid on, and turn my stove down to minimum. I leave it sit for about 20 min and its good. If I make more than 1 cup of rice I let it go for 25 min.
 
vonfunk said:
Rice- I'm terrible at cooking proper rice. I generally follow all directions to a T, or I use instant rice.
If I am actually required to cook real plain white rice, This is the cheaters way I learned when I was still cooking in a restaurant. I wash it several times in water to remove the starch (only if it is a long grain non-sticky rice like basmati). I cook it in way too much water and periodically test it to see how cooked it is, usually starting at the 10 minute mark. Then I put it in a strainer to get rid of the excess water. There is no shame in putting rice in a strainer. If you do come across the rice soup situation, you can add a more water to the pot, stir it around and strain it. That will help remove any excess starchy water.
Click to expand...

I have NEVER been able to cook rice properly unless it's bagged 10min rice or whatever. I never thought about straining it though. Great idea, and thank you! I feel like I just stumbled upon a treasure or something. Awesome!

<3
 
i use long grain minute rice uncle bens, if you are just cooking it for yourself , just use 1/2 cup of rice. 11/3 cup of water , 1 tsp of butter no salt. let it boil for a minute and put it on low heat for 10 minutes , most of water should be boiled off then. and leave it for about 5 to 10 minutes or more for it to absorb the rest of the water. no straining , just fluff with fork and your fine.
 
I was in Detroit, and cancelled all of my thread subscriptions so that I wouldn't get any unnecessary e-mails on my blackberry while I was out of the country.
 
RICE: Agree with Lydia on every detail. Except I use 1 3/4 cups water for each cup of rice. Use coconut oil for a heavenly scent. Watch carefully until the water boils, then add the rice, cover the pot with a tight-fitting lid, turn down the burner to the lowest setting, set your timer for 20 minutes, and DO NOT OPEN THE LID for 25 minutes (keep it covered for another 5 minutes after you turn off the burner/remove the pan from the burner).

SIGH. Should say "I used...". We no longer eat rice because my entire family has gone on the SC/GAPS diet.
 
Thank you for starting this Jason! I am always interested in learning new things while in the kitchen! Sharon will be a big help also!
 
Thanks for starting this, vonfunk.

I recently started canning and, while rewarding, it is very prep-intensive, especially for some of the tomato-based canning "recipes," like salsas and chili.

To skin tomatoes, I have been plopping one in boiling water, then into cold water, and slipping the skin off in the cold water with my fingers. Maybe I'm still not up on the fast side of things yet, but it takes about 3 minutes per tomato this way. That doesn't sound too bad, until you multiply it by 100 or so. :eek: Is this the way to go? Or is there something else you can suggest? Thanks.
 
That's really the only way to do. Scoring the bottom will help remove the skin if you aren't already doing it. the only way to really speed things up is to increase the size of the containers. So using a metal (not foil) roasting pan instead of a pot will allow you to do the boiling water faster, and I would suggest really cleaning the sink and using that as your ice bath. the roasting pan will take longer to bring to a boil, but the you also don't need to worry the water cooling too much as you dump in the tomatoes.

As far as scooping them out of the boiling water i would suggest using a colander with a long handle.

Another option would be to remove the stem part cutting them in half and roasting them. It will work, but the flavour of the tomatoes will change slightly, and they will cook a bit. Depending on the size of your oven and the amount of cookie sheets that you have it may take awhile to do but it will be less labour intensive. I've never done this method so you would need to experiment.

A few days ago I threw a bunch in my smoker for a few hours, they partially cooked, the skin came off easily and they got a lovely slightly smokey taste.
 
I don't have a preferred brand. All of my pots and pans I bought from a restaurant supply store. They are stainless steel, and not part of a set. I new what i wanted so I bought individual pieces.
3 sizes of pots with tight fitting lids, and a large frying pan. I still need a decent large non-stick pan and a small non-stick pan. Stainless steel will last for a very long time.

I don't do it professionally any more but I'm still in love with the equipment. Look for something that's heavy. Aside from a couple of pieces of non-stick I avoid buying it and I tend to stay away from things with glass lids.
 
Any ideas on a substitute for sherry?

I have a recipe for shrimp bisque and it calls for sherry. Sherry isn't something I usually have in, and I hate buying something I won't use again for just one recipe.
 
Hi Jill;
You could use a splash of dry white wine or brandy or some apple cider; How much does it call for? You could also just omit it... However, I think Trader Joe's carries a reasonably priced cooking sherry, and it keeps forever... If you have a TJ in your area, maybe check that out.
 
whitebait are little fish, about the size of a match and transparent. glassy like water. a delicacy and very expensive unless you catch your own.
 
Sorry for the delay, I've not been around much.
So I've not used plantains, however they can be used in the same way one would use potatoes. They are dense and starchy, you need to think of them as root vegetable. One way to cook the is to cut them into large round, pan fry them until soft, put them on to a baking tray, flatten them and bake them.

Broccoli is a veg that you can just add to so many things. The thick stocky parts are a nice addition to soups. if you want to use it raw you can take the stock, peel off the tough layer and grate it, it is a good addition to salads. One of the easiest ways to consume it for digestion is in soup format. Cook the broccoli until it is just cooked and remove it from the water, and throw it into an ice bath to set the colour, but don't throw out the water. Then in a blender of food processor blend the broccoli using the cooking water as your liquid, adding only as much as you need.
That will retain the most nutrients as a lot of vitamins are water soluble and are lost in the cooking water.

And I still don't have any suggestions for whitefish. They seem to be very similar to elvers, i would suggest checking for recipes online as it seems like they would work.
 
vonfunk said:
Sorry for the delay, I've not been around much.
So I've not used plantains, however they can be used in the same way one would use potatoes. They are dense and starchy, you need to think of them as root vegetable.

Starch should not be part of a Crohn's Disease sufferer's diet (actually, of anyone's). If any of it is digested, it turns into sugar, which feeds cancer. Most of it is probably not digested, so it goes on to the colon where it feeds the bad bacteria that proliferate thanks to this constant fuel, and whose waste is truly toxic. Don't eat starches, don't eat sugar. Stick to meat, non-starchy vegetables, and fruit (fructose, a simple sugar, is easily digested by healthy guts - maybe leave out the fruit until you're healed).
Click to expand...
 
@ Odddlycrunchy
The purpose of this thread is not for medical advice it is simply a "how do I cook this" thread. I would give directions on how to cook a shoe should it be requested.

There are other threads that cover topics like diet food restrictions.
Please keep this thread on topic
 
Sorry, I was on two threads at the same time and didn't pay attention to the thread title. I'm new to this forum stuff, and I find the possibility of exchanging like this just amazing. Keep up with your good work.
 
hey vonfunk... I was wondering... I've got this brown leather shoe, and I was thinking it'd make a good supper. Any suggestions?
 
If it's a rubber soled shoe you need to remove the sole. Then braise it with red wine and tomatoes in the oven at 250f for 3 days. That actually might work.
 
vonfunk said:
If it's a rubber soled shoe you need to remove the sole. Then braise it with red wine and tomatoes in the oven at 250f for 3 days. That actually might work.
Click to expand...

I'm buying new appliances within the year. Before I get rid of my stove, I'll cook a shoe in it. :D
 
vonfunk said:
Sorry for the delay, I've not been around much.
So I've not used plantains, however they can be used in the same way one would use potatoes. They are dense and starchy, you need to think of them as root vegetable. One way to cook the is to cut them into large round, pan fry them until soft, put them on to a baking tray, flatten them and bake them.
Click to expand...

I pan-fried some plantain last night. They are indeed dense and starchy, and at least in the basic way prepared, in need of additional taste. :) I think next time, I might pair them better with the meal, like breakfast food, so I can put some other flavors with them. But, first impressions, it's not nearly as much like a banana as I expected it to be, and while not my new favorite food, certainly worth it if it helps our guts! thanks, von.

Nchuleftingth said:
I'm buying new appliances within the year. Before I get rid of my stove, I'll cook a shoe in it. :D
Click to expand...

Hot, melty, rubbery foot stank? Eewww. :runaway:
 
Thanks for that bit on rice, I never thought about washing it more than a quick rinse, and it always stuck to the bottom! It worked flawlessly tonight.
 
Hello Von,

I am not a chef, but I am an extremely advanced cooker and very adventurous eater. A lot of the foods I have found on this site so far lean in the sweet direction. I am desperate for delicious savory dishes! I have not been able to eat much of anything though, so I don’t know how much help you can provide.

I do have some recipes to share…

Lucky for me and my condition, I love soups. My current favorite is really simple and delicious.

Thai inspired carrot soup:
All I do is let carrots simmer until they are very soft, at which point you can add a touch of soy sauce for flavor, extra salt if needed, and just a bit of peanut butter for taste, let it all simmer together for a bit (which makes the peanuts extra soft) then blend until silky. The consistency will vary depending on how much water you add. I would start off with not too much water because you can always add more later. [Note: If you can handle granulated onion and/or ginger, throw those in to simmer with the carrots.]

I used to include more ingredients, but my stomach can’t handle much of anything these days, so there is this extremely spartan version, which is still quite yummy.


I will post more recipes as time allows.
 
Hey Jason, serious question:
what is the most delicious way to cook/make ramen that you know of? I have too much of it and it honestly is disgusting with the powder flavoring. I hate to waste food as I am a starving college student. Is there anything I can do to make it delicious? :D
 
Emily, ramen is very close to my heart, and I'll reply properly when I'm not on my blackberry. Out of curiosity what brand are you using?
 
first of all that is my favourite brand in cup.

But aside from that point the stuff in a cup is harder to fix. All you can really do i cook the noodles, drain it and then and then replace the broth.

The chicken stock that comes in the big juicebox situations, works well add a couple dashes of soy sauce to it, that and some chopped green onion.

if you have access to a kitchen what you can do is buy a cheap cut of beef or pork, fro the supermarket, cut it into large chunks, cover it with water, add some dry herbs, an onion a couple clove of garlic, maybe a carrot. Bring it to a boil and then simmer it until the meat is tender enough to fall apart.

Keep the stock and break up the meat. Then freeze some of it. But whenever you make the ramen you can drain the water which will reduce the fat content (because most noodles are fried), throw the noodles in a bowl, the reheat the stock and meat.

You spend maybe $10 on meat, but it will add more substance to the meal and make it tastier.
I would recommend
 
Okay this may be a little off the wall, but a couple years ago I ate one of the best steaks I have ever gotten my hands on in the bahamas. Cant remember if it was a new york strip or a t-bone but you could cut it with a fork and it would melt like butter in your mouth. Whats the trick to doing a tender steak like this. Cut choice, ageing, cooking, or all three combined.

I've messed around doing a 500F pan sear on both sides for color and lock in the juices then baking to finish cooking the meat like a bunch of online recipes says but it just doesn't work out the same. Any help on the perfect resturaunt steak at home?
 
I personally buy grilling tenderloins about an inch thick and put them in steak spice marinade in a plastic bag in the fridge for 3-5 days. Then grill at 450 for around 8 minutes a side approximatly for well done. I can't even bring myself to spend the outrageous prices for a steak from a restaurant when this always turns out just as good if not better than most.
 
Have found no gluten flour.

I have crohns. Sometimes I have problems digesting gluten. So I searched the web for a gluten free flour. And it's Almond Flour or meal. I also found that cooking all of our meals with home made coconut butter. We get a better and healther diet. Steaming our veggies, except the corn. We get all the vitamins that we need. I go out of my way to find the foods we need to eat to keep us health. And I share it with everyone. silvermist:)
 
I absolutely love spaghetti, but the jarred sauces in the grocery store tear me up! Would making my own sauce reduce the acidity or does it even matter? The sauce doesn't bother my gut so much, but my bum the next day. :ymad:
 
to sarah

This in reply to spaghetti. I really don't eat spaghetti anymore because of my ulsers. But I know what you mean by loving the stuff. So far I haven't found a sauce that we could eat without the burn. But I can give you a pill ( OTC ). That my doctor told me to take if I got the burn. It's Zantac 150. So I eat things that make the burn, then pop a zantac. With a little prayer. It's goes away. Another thing you can do is space out your eating spaghetti. And why all the surgeries? Is it an apsolute thing that you have to do? I wanting to hear more from you, sarah. Silvermist
 
okay I'll try to shed light on the steak situation when I get home.

But as far as tomato sauce goes. Making your own will definitely reduce the acid. the key is a very long cooking time. A proper tomato sauce generally takes about 4 fours for the acid to disipate and for the sauce to sweeten up. Most prepacked sauces cheat by adding sugar, and a lot of home cooks cheat by adding carrots, but a slow simmer for 4 hours will greatly reduce the acid.
 
Spaghetti Sauces

I do understand that some people can eat spaghetti, I can't. I'm not saying that people shouldn't eat spaghetti. I would just like to find away for them to eat it. Without the burn. I've had to give up alot when it comes to eating. I'm still on a trial and err kind of thing. But with ulcers, I would rather not hurt. Because usually I go out of remission. Right now with the way things are with me I can't have any veggies at all. Period. I just want to help people that have crohns, and if you have away for some to eat foods that have tomato sauce, then I thank you. But like I said. I know what the hurt is and I don't like it . Silvermist. PS If this gets me kicked off of this forum, just for speaking my mind. Then so be it.
 
Last edited:
New Here....

Released from hospital yesterday, received 1st Remicade Tx for my now "advanced" Chron's. Sent home being told, soft diet and lactose free. Have no idea what this entails....any suggestions? Thanks.
 
No milk, cheese's, sour cream. Soft diet is soups with no meat or veggies. I know it sounds horrible. I went thru that samething three times. I hated it because I was so hungry. I wanted to eat so bad, that I started eating every time I got hungry,which was most of the time. I did stick to what they told me. First chance I got when I went back to see the doc. And the blood tests came in good. I started eating the things I missed, omitting the hamburger meat and veggies. Then my doctor put me on a sugar diet, cakes, candy, cookies. All the things that make you gain weight. Now I'm at a healthy weight. I'm doing fine. Silvermist. Keep me updated please.
 
silvermist said:
I do understand that some people can eat spaghetti, I can't. I'm not saying that people shouldn't eat spaghetti. I would just like to find away for them to eat it. Without the burn. I've had to give up alot when it comes to eating. I'm still on a trial and err kind of thing. But with ulcers, I would rather not hurt. Because usually I go out of remission. Right now with the way things are with me I can't have any veggies at all. Period. I just want to help people that have crohns, and if you have away for some to eat foods that have tomato sauce, then I thank you. But like I said. I know what the hurt is and I don't like it . Silvermist. PS If this gets me kicked off of this forum, just for speaking my mind. Then so be it.
Click to expand...

I honestly have no clue what is going on with this post and who/what you are angry at.

This is a thread to answer questions regarding cooking. Was there a deleted post that I missed that would explain this?
 
I'm sorry. I'm tired. I get like this when my blood count is down. I have a very bad habit of taking it out on everybody else. Please forgive me. Silvermist.
 
Thank you, Silver

Thanks for not only the clarification, but the understanding, too. Definately going to have to develop a love relationship with soups...they found 2 severe contrisrictures and 3 fistulas, and want to avoid any further surgeries. So do I! Thanks again for the encouragement.

Denise
 
Your welcome denisejean. If you need any more info or if you need any kind of help. Let me know and I'll do my best to help you. Take care of yourself. Silvermist. PS I don't want you to have any more surgeries.
 
I will definitely try making my own, I have plenty of time during the day to spend on a decent sauce! I miss my Italian food so much! I hear everyone talk about how they miss eating Mexican food, whatever, I could avoid it forever and it wouldn't bother me. But a decent lasagna, spaghetti with meatballs......yum.

The red sauce doesn't bother my gut so much, btw. It is mostly the next day during my bowel movements that I regret it. I have mostly loose bowels all the time, and the acid in the red sauce coupled with frequent BM's makes for a very red and sore bum. It's usually just not worth it to have to break out the A&D ointment. If making my own sauce would eliminate or even alleviate it somewhat, I could handle it on occasion. And occasionally would be enough to satisfy me.

The surgery was due to a stricture, caused by scar tissue from my previous surgery. Previous surgery was when I was diagnosed, and I had so much diseased bowel, no amount of meds would have turned some of it around. Since my recent surgery, I have been able to successfully progress my diet normally with no pain, nausea or vomiting. It's been great! Obviously I've not been eating steaks and salads, but I've moved beyond soft foods only with great success. And I love to cook and bake! I will certainly be taking advantage of the "professionals" on this site! I need some new great dinner ideas, especially for baked or grilled fish!
 
Hi sarah. I'm glad that you can progress your diet. I to have come that far. But with no surgeries.( doc said no ). I gave an idea for people who can't eat gluten. Like me I can't digest it. Almond Four or meal is a non gluten flour. I saw a photo of almond flour waffles. I love pancakes and waffles. But any way. I looked it up, drooling along the way, and found that it can be had thru a health food store. It's a novelty and for people like me it's something I'll be trying. So, if you can find it where you live, use it like bread, pie crust, cookies, chicken. And let us know how it worked. Really I'm dieing to know. Silvermist.
 
I'm not sure what flours you have access to but if you can find chickpea (garbonzo) flour or red bean flour you'll find it makes a better dough for pie crusts. It will be softer when handling it raw, but it makes a good product. Red bean is very good for cookies.

Stay away from rice flour as it tends to be gritty.
 
I don't know. With me not being able to have nuts. I was searching for something as a way for me to have nuts. I don't eat rice at all. With the strictures I, well I just don't want to be put into the hospital again. I do thank you for the idea. But I miss my nuts. And not meaning a pun. Ha Ha Silvermist.
 
SarahAnne said:
I hear everyone talk about how they miss eating Mexican food, whatever, I could avoid it forever and it wouldn't bother me.
Click to expand...

Yah know I'm one of those people that loves some mexican food. The funny part is that it bothers me less than my normal bland diet for some reason; I guess I'm lucking in that regard. The joke I make with my family when they see a big ole plate of mexican food is that its allready pre-digested and thats why I do better on it than regular stuff.
 
How well I know, I still eat chili. And it's got to be hot. The only thing I can't handle is between corn tortillas or flour. I hate flour enchiladas. That don't taste good to me. I love chili verde, but only with pork. I've tried others, with out the onion. Instead I use onion powder, garlic powder. Very little salt. Not like I use too. It's funny how they want you to not use so much salt and we have to get sick and do what they want us to do. All my beans have to double refried before I'll eat them. But aleast we're staying healthy. I hope.
 
Aloysius M said:
Okay this may be a little off the wall, but a couple years ago I ate one of the best steaks I have ever gotten my hands on in the bahamas. Cant remember if it was a new york strip or a t-bone but you could cut it with a fork and it would melt like butter in your mouth. Whats the trick to doing a tender steak like this. Cut choice, ageing, cooking, or all three combined.

I've messed around doing a 500F pan sear on both sides for color and lock in the juices then baking to finish cooking the meat like a bunch of online recipes says but it just doesn't work out the same. Any help on the perfect resturaunt steak at home?
Click to expand...

Okay, the big thing is the cut of the meat, followed by the aging. You are never going to get the same quality of meat from the supermarket that you will from a steak house.

Most supermarket meat is wet aged which is done so very quickly. Dry aged the proteins break down, it is not uncommon for some meats to actually develop a bit of mold on the outside during the aging process. It's still good, they remove anything that isn't in the trimming process.

Certain cuts, like the tenderloin, you can cook to hell and they can still cut like butter.

The only thing I can recommend is finding a good butcher, and make them your friend. You'll pay more than you would grabbing from the super market but it can be worth it.

if you take two of the same cuts of meat bought from a supermarket and a proper butcher you'll see the difference. the butcher cut will be a darker red, the one from the supermarket will be bright red.

the easy way to check for doneness is a trick with your hand. If you touch your thumb to your pinky and poke around at the fleshy part at the base of the hand below thumb at the front of the hand, that is what well done feels like. The open hand is what rare feels like, the middle finger is medium, and then the other two are medium rare and medium well.

I personally do all of my steaks on the stove top. Try to get in the habit of eating them at most medium.
 
This is the reason I'm not wanting to eat a steak, even tho I miss it. I love brussel sprouts. And I don't care what some people say about them I just love them. I got me a box of frozen brussel sprouts in butter. I fixed it the way they said. I ate what I wanted, now here is the reason to why I won't eay something I can not digest. Those brussel sprouts stayed in my tummy for three days before I got sick. I had to be rushed to the hospital. I finally vomited while I was in ER. The pain that I went thru I don't want again. So, not to be catty. You enjoy your steaks, but there is people out there that do want that, but there is also those of us who's had a bad experience with eating foods we can't digest. I'll stick with my diet. Silvermist. Have a good day.
 
Hi Silvermist, this thread is meant for people to ask and receive answers to their various cooking questions. It is not for medical advice, nor is it meant for people to state why they won't eat something that other people enjoy.
There are other thread that exist for food restrictions and for people to talk about what they can't eat. I value everyone's opinion, but this is a Q&A thread. Please stay on topic.
 
Von - My boyfriend and I have made from scratch raviolis for the past few years. The dough can be tricky though. Seems we can't roll it thin enough, don't cook it enough... something. Seems too tough. Do you have any suggestions on a new recipie? We use semolina flour I think, as a mix.
 
I haven't made pasta from scratch is over a decade, I never had the patience for rolling it. My first thought would be the mixing of the dough. WIth anything that is being mixed from making hamburger to pie crust over working the dough will make it tough. That's the first thing I would look into.

I would suggest grabbing a couple packs of fresh lasagne noodles from the supermarket, they seem to be fairly common now. And try using those as control group, that shed some light as to if it's your cooking technique.
 
That could be it! The excess from cutting and edging is rolled back into the remaining and re-rolled out again and again. Geez, I hope it's just that simple. I'll have to check for those premade noodles. Pretty sure I've seen them somewhere around here. :) Thanks!
 
Thanks so much for this thread. I had forgotten about it.

The other day I tried making pumpkin pancakes with canned pumpkin and the spices you put in pumpkin pie. It tasted delicious! But it refused to cook all the way through. They were as thin as crepes and the center still wouldn't cook.

Do you have a favorite pancake recipe? How do you think I could get it to cook through? Just use less pumpkin? Thanks!
 
My favourite pancakes tend to say just add water on the box.

But on the few occasions that I've made them from scratch I've not used a recipe. I just know how the batter is supposed to look.

As far as the pumpkin pancakes go, I don't think that they will never really get the same level of doneness that you would like. The issue is the bulkiness of the pumpkin that you are adding. Mainly because pancake batter is relatively thin.

There are a few things you can try.

1) Go very lightly on the pumpkin, try a table spoon or two and mix it with the liquid so it thickens a bit but not so that it's soupy. Perhaps the constancy of cream.

2) Add a bit more flour and some baking powder to it will be a denser pancake you'll need to make adjustments to the cooking. use a lower temperature and manually spread out the batter a little.

3) Use maybe a spoonful at most in the batter, add the spices, but use the pumpkin as a topping or filling. I tend to mix cream cheese and some sort of vanilla yogurt together (sweeten it as needed), which makes a vaguely cheesecake like flavour. Then I use that as a base for the topping. Pumpkin would work well in that.

4) Pumpkin in cheese cloth in a strainer with a weight on it, and a bowl underneath the strainer. The bowl will catch the pumpkin juice and you can use that. it may take a couple days and lots of pumpkin, but the now drained pumpkin can be used for other baking needs (breads and what not).

I recommend option 3, because you can add gelatin to the remaining topping put that into little cups and it is excellent for desserts (breakfast).
 
I will have to try some things and report back. I was afraid you were gonna say I probably couldn't get it to cook! I was spending like 10 minutes per pancake with how low the heat was. *le sigh*

We had them at IHOP and they were perfectly cooked and so tasty so we had to try doing it at home. They were still good just... mushy. :p In any case much easier than baking a pie.
 
The IHOP has a lot of resources to fall back on. If you thin out the pumpkin so that is very liquidy it should work. Throw it in the blender, start with 1/4 cup and blend it with liquid until it thins out a great deal. That will help a lot. But the big issue is the amount of fibre in it.
 
I am not the cook in my house, but, my husband has made pumpkin pancakes using pureed fresh pumpkin (cook it, puree it, then freeze it - I think that's what he does anyway). From what I can tell, he then cooks them just like any other pancake and they have no problem getting done, and are really tasty. Perhaps it's a matter of trying fresh pumpkin vs. canned? My hubby hates canned pumpkin, he says it's no comparison to fresh and we only use fresh in our house. It's easy on my tummy, I think the puree'ing process breaks down most of the fiber.
 
O one more questions before I forget... making baked french fries. Mine usually stick to the pan. I was told to soak them before I baked them. Does this work? And for how long is good to soak for?

Thanks :heart:
 
Soaking them will help remove some starch, which will help them from not sticking to the pan. I've not done it, I generally just toss ith oil and over cook them. But try for 20-30 minutes, rinse them off and let them dry. Either air dry or paper towels. For the most part you'll be removing the surface starch, but it should help.
 
yeh i wash them, then make sure the chips are really dry, before tossing them in a bit of oil and cooking them at about 200degC for 20 or so mins
 
I love this thread!

If anyone's looking for an amazing gluten-free pancake mix, I highly recommend Pamela's. It's pretty widely available. Pamela's also makes gluten-free cake, cookie, brownie mixes but I haven't tried them. Pamela's is basically the perfect blend of gluten-free flours with the best consistency of any packaged mixes I have seen. My husband actually prefers Pamela's to any other regular pancakes, even though he has no problem with gluten! You can also use it for a flour substitute for some other recipes.

Another great thing I like to do, is if I'm making a crisp, I use almond meal instead of flour. It adds an amazing flavor, plus is gluten free!

My question is, does anyone have suggestions for making vegan cheese sauce? I tried a recipe recently and wanted to make vegan mac-and-cheese, but the cheesy sauce was a bit to "soy sauce" flavored for me. Any ideas?
 
with basmati i do a 2 to 1 ration Water to Basmati Rice with no rinse. I bring 2 cups of water to a boil add the rice and stir it in well and bring back to a boil and stir well again before reducing to low simmer covered with a lid. it only takes 15-20 minutes until the water is evaporated to have perfect fluffy white rice every time. i've noticed strains other than basmati can get weird and need varying amounts of water and cooking times so i stick to the basmati and it turns out the same every time. Uncle Bens Long Grain and Wild Rice blend is an amazing out of the box rice.

vonfunk said:
Okay, lots to answer.

Frozen foods - Unless it was purchased frozen and the directions on the package say cook from frozen don't do it in the oven. If it is a slightly frozen chicken that's fine, but never with a large cut of meat. All methods of thawing or okay depending on how you do it. The fridge is the safest way, but the slowest. It can take a couple days. Thawing in water is good provided you periodically change the water, or do it under running water. Thawing on the counter is okay, but don't do it over night. At most it should be left out 5-6 hours (speaking from a sanitation point of view, however most guides and sanitation codes will say it is never okay). Ground meat should be thawed in the fridge.

Rice- I'm terrible at cooking proper rice. I generally follow all directions to a T, or I use instant rice.
If I am actually required to cook real plain white rice, This is the cheaters way I learned when I was still cooking in a restaurant. I wash it several times in water to remove the starch (only if it is a long grain non-sticky rice like basmati). I cook it in way too much water and periodically test it to see how cooked it is, usually starting at the 10 minute mark. Then I put it in a strainer to get rid of the excess water. There is no shame in putting rice in a strainer. If you do come across the rice soup situation, you can add a more water to the pot, stir it around and strain it. That will help remove any excess starchy water.
Click to expand...
 
glory_h said:
My question is, does anyone have suggestions for making vegan cheese sauce? I tried a recipe recently and wanted to make vegan mac-and-cheese, but the cheesy sauce was a bit to "soy sauce" flavored for me. Any ideas?
Click to expand...


It's really about replacing things. You'll never properly replicate the same gooeyness that macaroni and cheese has, you must accept that.

You can start by cooking some flour and an oil to make a roux and then adding unsweetened unflavoured non-dairy milk. Rice milk or soy will work, but when you heat soy milk it tends to develop a beany flavour. That will create your sauce base.
There are two approached here, you can either use soy cheese or flavour it with nutritional yeast. I haven't used either. Nutritional yeast is often used in vegan flavourings to simulate cheese
 
How do you make a good burger? I've noticed that when we buy meat and throw it on the grill, it's just not the same as a burger you get in a pub. But when I try to look up recipes, they are usually something specific like "jalapeno burgers," etc. I just want a normal burger! Any tips?
 
I don't so much have a standard recipe, it changes depending on what I have on have. However the basics are always the same. Below are basic steps I have for making burgers awesome.

Never use lean ground beef, try to go with medium ground. Try to avoid lean meat when making a burger. Anyone who tells you to use lean is a charlatan and wants you to live a life filled with dry tasteless burgers. Disregard them as they will only bring you pain.

There needs to be fat in a burger as when it melts it moistens the meat as well as creates tiny pockets making the burger lighter in texture when you bite down on it. In addition to that flavour is fat soluble and it the fat in the burger help spread out the flavour of the seasonings.

In a bowl take a piece of bread, rip it into tiny pieces, add some water until it's mushy and then squeeze out as much water as you can and mush it even more. To that add a spoon of tomato paste, an egg, and then a couple splashes of soy sauce or worcestershire sauce. The egg helps bind it, the bread helps with binding a moisture, the tomato paste helps moisture and flavour and he the soy (or worcestershire) help by deepening the flavour of the meat and making it richer. Then add your seasonings, I tend to use garlic, green onions, basil, oregano, sage, rosemary, cumin and smoked paprika. mix that in with the bread/egg/tomato paste. If you want to add barbecue sauce or what not do it now. the idea is that if all of you flavours are in the bowl mixed together they will be evenly distributed. it's easy to hide bran in it.

If you want to add onions, use green onions, or sautee the regular onions. The burgers will not be cooked for long enough for the onions to cook. If you want to add garlic, either use granuated garlic, garlic powder or cook the garlic first. No one wants to bit into the burger and get a hunk of uncooked vegetable, plus it provides almost no flavour. Green onions wilt quickly as such the will actually cook a bit.

Once everything that you want to add to the burgers is in a giant slurry, add your meat and mix it up. Be careful not to over mix as that will make it tough.

When flattening out the burgers always make them flatter and bigger than desired. When burgers shrink they tend to pull inwards, if you make the too thick they will contract to lumps. The leaner the meat the more it will contract to being the same shape and texture of a hockey puck.

If they complain about the being too thin, tell them to throw a second burger on the bun.
 

Similar threads

Anna's Bandit
Hospital
Replies
3
Views
366
my little penguin
my little penguin
N
Loose stool 6-months post-op and diet questions
Replies
0
Views
525
NeverBeenEasier
N
G
Infliximab and Psittacosis (not me, my cockatiel)
Replies
2
Views
589
GillyB
G
L
Seton
Replies
0
Views
895
LittleBluebird
L
C
GI says he is 99% sure I have chron’s
Replies
23
Views
3K
Bespectacledberries
B

Latest posts

Back
Top