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[DJ_Lae]

Sorry for dropping in, but I figured this was a good place to ask...what are your favorite recipes to make on the cheap?

Chili and spaghetti sauce are my two cheap go-tos as they are cheap to make and give plenty of leftovers.

Both start well with a large can of diced tomatoes, tomato paste (can use sauce for the chili instead), onion, green pepper (multicoloured peppers for the chili, though they can be expensive out of season), ground beef or meat substitute, and spices.

For the chili you also need to add some beans - doesn't really matter what kind, I usually go with red kidneys or black beans and also throw in some frozen corn near the end of cooking for a bit of colour.

Spices - garlic powder, oregano pinch of chili for the spaghetti, lots of chili, cumin, and garlic powder for the chili. Garlic works too but the powder's cheaper and I find it holds up better for something that's cooked long and slow.

And cooking...I usually go with a slow-cooker, although you can easily do either on the stove or in a dutch oven. Serve with pasta or rice, top with parmesan or cheddar and you're good to go...and have days of leftovers.

 

[ElectricThunder]

Very tasty eats this time around!

Meat: Italian Chorizo Casero
Crumble: Riceworks Salsa Fresca likely the best salsa flavor in a chip I've ever had
Cheese: Behold the boundless mystery that is....

Heini's All Natural Yogurt Cultured Semisoft Part-Skim Cheese Garlic & Herb

Yes....I don't know WHY it lacks a proper name and instead just that wacky description(Only other info was it out Ohio care of Amish doings), but I tell ya, it was one of the better cheeses I've had of the many dozens now. Melted very well, no mess, and was one of the few that get smooth/silky by the time it is done----garlic and herb component adding nicely to the aroma and taste as well. An awesome deal on clearance for $3.99 with a fair sized chunk leftover and the sell date in late April.

 

[MrBig]

That cheese looks interesting. I'll buy some if I see it in stores.
I'll also buy a bag of garden salsa sun chips for a crumble like you did. I absolutely love those chips but I've never thought of putting it on a pizza

http://i73.photobucket.com/albums/i216/OnkelC/Pancakes2/smallCIMG3155.jpg[IMG]
;)[/QUOTE]
:lol :lol

 

[ElectricThunder]

There's pretty much 2 ways to go on the crumble: Either you crumble them over the top where they do a great job of trapping any excess oil that might run around otherwise while accepting that sometimes they will just jump off onto the plate, or work them down under. Usually, of the 2 of these pizzas I do each time to even it all out, the first is a top crumble and for the second I put them under or mixed into the sauce before topping with cheese as usual.

Good luck and enjoy....this also reminds me that I've never had a Sun Chip before! If you have a Kroger in your area, try there as I haven't seen it anywhere else. There was also a Jalapeno and Plain variety, but hey, those weren't on sale~

 

[MrBig]

There's pretty much 2 ways to go on the crumble: Either you crumble them over the top where they do a great job of trapping any excess oil that might run around otherwise while accepting that sometimes they will just jump off onto the plate, or work them down under. Usually, of the 2 of these pizzas I do each time to even it all out, the first is a top crumble and for the second I put them under or mixed into the sauce before topping with cheese as usual.

Good luck and enjoy....this also reminds me that I've never had a Sun Chip before! If you have a Kroger in your area, try there as I haven't seen it anywhere else. There was also a Jalapeno and Plain variety, but hey, those weren't on sale~

You're missing out on something fantastic then. I refuse to eat any other regular store bought chips. They're simply amazing.
No Krogers within an hour of where I am.

I think I'll try mixing some into the sauce and then maybe sprinkling them onto the pizza halfway through to give it a crunch.

 

[Ether_Snake]

Does anyone have a great brownie recipe they swear by?

I'm tired of eating tasteless brownies I've made from packet mixes.

* 8 x 1 ounce squares of unsweetened chocolate
* 1 cup butter
* 5 eggs
* 3 cups sugar
* 3 tablespoon vanilla (OMG yes three!)
* 1-1/2 cups flour
* 1 teaspoon salt
* 2-1/2 cups chopped pecans or walnuts, toasted

And the secret ingredient: A LOT OF CINNAMON! Seriously, make it a good four tablespoons.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Grease a 9 x 13 pan. Melt chocolate and butter in a saucepan over low heat; set aside. In a mixer, beat eggs, sugar and vanilla at high speed for 10 minutes. Blend in chocolate mixture, flour, cinnamon and salt until just mixed. Stir in the nuts. Pour into prepared pan. Bake for 35-40 minutes. (Don't overbake.)

 

[dyonPT]

Just done a Chocolate Loaf:

So good

 

[Zoe]

Just done a Chocolate Loaf:

Looks great! Recipe?

 

[MrBig]

Brownie pie? You have destroyed the universe

 

[dyonPT]

Looks great! Recipe?

Easy, here are the ingredients:

And how I made it:

 

[Meadows]

Very tasty eats this time around!

Meat: Italian Chorizo Casero
Crumble: Riceworks Salsa Fresca likely the best salsa flavor in a chip I've ever had
Cheese: Behold the boundless mystery that is....

Heini's All Natural Yogurt Cultured Semisoft Part-Skim Cheese Garlic & Herb

Yes....I don't know WHY it lacks a proper name and instead just that wacky description(Only other info was it out Ohio care of Amish doings), but I tell ya, it was one of the better cheeses I've had of the many dozens now. Melted very well, no mess, and was one of the few that get smooth/silky by the time it is done----garlic and herb component adding nicely to the aroma and taste as well. An awesome deal on clearance for $3.99 with a fair sized chunk leftover and the sell date in late April.

You know your posts comfort me, in a world where everything changes so quickly I can always be assured that the sun will rise/set, and ElectricThunder will keep posting different combinations of the same recipe at least every week.

 

[ElectricThunder]

You know your posts comfort me, in a world where everything changes so quickly I can always be assured that the sun will rise/set, and ElectricThunder will keep posting different combinations of the same recipe at least every week.

: ) What can I say? Pizza'ish things are a good vehicle for experimenting with different things outside the usual cast of characters that is mozzarella, pepperoni, dough, and sauce that was essentially all I'd eaten of it for the past 20odd years. Besides, the ride won't last forever, as it was sheer luck between this find and that bumper crop of cheeses from the BJ's closing as otherwise I'm about out of local sources since I don't live near any big hubs. My only hope to keep the pace strong is to manage a(nother) trip to the Farmer's Market, Whole Foods, and Trader Joe's(family friend goes to them here and there, hoping to tag along...only went to the first one the one time) and THIS TIME take a ton of notes and hope that I time it where the stock is long dated and rack up a haul if there is money on hand to do so.

IronGAF helps me plot and gives much food for thought too!

 

[rykomatsu]

its very easy, the hard part is trying to get as much meat off as possible off the bone. First time I did it I left so much meat on the bone, good for stock but it means you have less duck leg and breast meat.

It wasn't as bad as I thought. I have a better idea now, so I don't think it'll be as hard (or messy) next time...

2 breast filets about 14oz each
2 legs about 8oz each
2 tenders (that strip that kinda falls off the breast) 2oz each
16oz (give or take) duck fat
4~5cups of duck broth concentrated down a little bit

The rendered duck fat alone costs like $15 around here, so all in all, made out pretty nicely and a fun evening of deboning. Was a tad expensive, but I've found a local source that will do $3/lb for whole ducks + shipping about 50 miles. That should allow me to break even with just the duck fat rendering alone

Did a duck hot pot and tried a sous vide confit...flavor was great with the duck albeit i think I cured it too long...slightly on the salty side, even as part of a salad lyonnaise. I may try a duck roulade with the remaining breast I have.

 

[Zyzyxxz]

It wasn't as bad as I thought. I have a better idea now, so I don't think it'll be as hard (or messy) next time...

2 breast filets about 14oz each
2 legs about 8oz each
2 tenders (that strip that kinda falls off the breast) 2oz each
16oz (give or take) duck fat
4~5cups of duck broth concentrated down a little bit

The rendered duck fat alone costs like $15 around here, so all in all, made out pretty nicely and a fun evening of deboning. Was a tad expensive, but I've found a local source that will do $3/lb for whole ducks + shipping about 50 miles. That should allow me to break even with just the duck fat rendering alone

Did a duck hot pot and tried a sous vide confit...flavor was great with the duck albeit i think I cured it too long...slightly on the salty side, even as part of a salad lyonnaise. I may try a duck roulade with the remaining breast I have.

Rendering the duck fat off an entire carcass is an art in itself.

 

[rykomatsu]

Rendering the duck fat off an entire carcass is an art in itself.

Isn't it just taking the skin off and also the bits and pieces of fat that's accessible, then boiling those pieces in water and evaporating them off? Had quite a bit of cracklings left...dog was going crazy from the aroma

 

[Zyzyxxz]

Isn't it just taking the skin off and also the bits and pieces of fat that's accessible, then boiling those pieces in water and evaporating them off? Had quite a bit of cracklings left...dog was going crazy from the aroma

I find that too much trouble to be honest. I'll cut off all the fit bits and trimmings along with excess skin and slowly render them out in my cast iron.

The bones I'll roast in the oven and any fat drippings I'll save before I boil them for stock. As it boils down for stock I'll use a fat seperator if theres enough to be worth saving.

 

[Face it Tiger..]

Wandering in, just looking for a good New York Cheesecake recipe? Any ideas Iron-GAF?

 

[OnkelC]

Maybe something like this?
http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showpost.php?p=5378587&postcount=213

 

[Zyzyxxz]

nothing too exciting going on from me, I'm trying to get fired though so if that works out I'll finally have a chance to do some real cooking again.

salmon over mashed pees everything was simply seasoned

American style Wagyu strip steak cooked sous vide @ 120F, then seared to medium rare with red sea salt. Served with a side of creamy polenta anddry roasted and broiled beech mushrooms.

 

[Zoe]

I've got a bunch of galbi that I need to finish off this week, and I think I'm gonna get sick of just eating it with plain rice. What are some other ways to eat it?

 

[Zyzyxxz]

I've got a bunch of galbi that I need to finish off this week, and I think I'm gonna get sick of just eating it with plain rice. What are some other ways to eat it?

fusion food truck style, in tacos?

 

[nakedsushi]

I've got a bunch of galbi that I need to finish off this week, and I think I'm gonna get sick of just eating it with plain rice. What are some other ways to eat it?

I just eat it by itself, but maybe that's barbaric.

How about cut up, on rice noodles like Vietnamese bun and a little splash of bun sauce (fish sauce, lemon, chopped garlic, a little water to dilute, and sugar). Add in a couple handfuls of chopped lettuce, maybe some bean sprouts, some Thai basil, and you've got yourself something healthy.

edit: kind of like this, but instead of eggrolls, kalbi:


Bun Cha Gio by su-lin, on Flickr

 

[Deadly Cyclone]

Dinner tonight is Kale and Ham Pasta with Mushroom-Onion cream salad.

The ham was meant to be Prosciutto, but I cannot find Prosciutto here that comes cut in cubes, only slices (and they are $5 a pack, so I would have needed 2).

Ended up turning out delicious though.

 

[Zyzyxxz]

Dinner tonight is Kale and Ham Pasta with Mushroom-Onion cream salad.

The ham was meant to be Prosciutto, but I cannot find Prosciutto here that comes cut in cubes, only slices (and they are $5 a pack, so I would have needed 2).

Ended up turning out delicious though.

Prosciutto doesn't come in thick slices normally though. Do you have a Whole Foods market near you? Usually they will cut slabs for you at their deli counter if you want.

 

[Deadly Cyclone]

Prosciutto doesn't come in thick slices normally though. Do you have a Whole Foods market near you? Usually they will cut slabs for you at their deli counter if you want.

Nope, all I have is typical grocery stores. It sucks, I love the stuff but it is like $5 for a 3oz package.

 

[otake]

Am I the only one who cooked for his SO?

Zyzyxxz, that skirt steak looks incredible. How did you achieve that exterior? I know you need to pat it dry at room temp but I've done that and never achieve that look.

 

[Zoe]

fusion food truck style, in tacos?

Unfortunately all the food trucks are too far from where I live, so I've never tried a Korean taco

Do people typically dress them with the stuff you'd see in a Mexican taco, or is everything pretty much Asian?

 

[Zyzyxxz]

Am I the only one who cooked for his SO?

Zyzyxxz, that skirt steak looks incredible. How did you achieve that exterior? I know you need to pat it dry at room temp but I've done that and never achieve that look.

Its new york strip, although I personally prefer skirt I can only find American style wagyu in ribeye, ny strip, or chuck steak form.

The steak was cooked for a little while via sous vide and water bath at 120 degrees F. The crust is achieved by simply getting my cast iron extremely hot until the oil was smoking and then dropping the steak on it for at least a minute, you can't touch or move the steak only press it down a little to achieve that nice crust.

Unfortunately all the food trucks are too far from where I live, so I've never tried a Korean taco

Do people typically dress them with the stuff you'd see in a Mexican taco, or is everything pretty much Asian?

its nothing special, either go for a kimchi style lettuce topping/salsa if you want or just go with regular salsa, its all good.

 

[Talon]

I've got a bunch of galbi that I need to finish off this week, and I think I'm gonna get sick of just eating it with plain rice. What are some other ways to eat it?

Lettuce wraps.

Buy some fresh red leaf lettuce and perilla leaves.

Create an easy curled green onion slaw with a touch of vinegar, a little sesame oil/sesame seeds, salt, and red pepper flakes.

Buy a small thing of korean ssam bean paste.

Red leaf lettuce, Perilla, Slaw, Meat, Bean paste in that order.

 

[CrystalGemini]

Dinner tonight is Kale and Ham Pasta with Mushroom-Onion cream salad.

The ham was meant to be Prosciutto, but I cannot find Prosciutto here that comes cut in cubes, only slices (and they are $5 a pack, so I would have needed 2).

Ended up turning out delicious though.

Best bet would be to find a private deli or butcher. Try mom and pop grocery stores and such. I like to cut my own meat (ie. coppa, salamis...etc) so this is the route I usually take. Chain stores like Safeway and Trader Joes will always have it pre-sliced for you as opposed to selling you the whole thing.

EDIT - Just remembered! Business COSTCO (San Francisco Bay Area) sells pancetta whole! Not sure about prosciutto but it's worth a shot. Perfect for soups and pasta.

Now remember it's only at the business Costcos and you're buying the whole thing so make sure you have a ton of recipes requiring it. Also this would depend on where you live as every Costco has a different inventory of stuff.

 

[ElectricThunder]

No pic this time folks, but I bring The Truth from On High:

Carob Chips make for a DAMN FINE mug of Hot....Carob...----an alternative to hot/drinking chocolate. I've zero prior experience in using chips to make such a thing in terms of proportions, but it seems like the best bet is just to put enough to relatively neatly line the bottom of a mug then just pour the piping hot milk into it----stuff melts and incorporates almost instantly with a bit of stirring. Also, even lacking the caffeine and whatnot, it was somehow especially refreshing---perked up my mid-afternoon.

Anybody know of any other brand aside from Chatfield's? Tangentially, what's the deal with (their)Date Sugar---as that's another new one on me? Again I ask for IronGAF's goodness and wisdom as it relates to Carob, as it is incredibly rarely the case that I run into something you lot haven't already tangled with and found cool stuff on.

 

[Face it Tiger..]

Maybe something like this?
http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showpost.php?p=5378587&postcount=213

Thanks, Onkel.

I'll start it up next weekend, wanted to do it for family day but got caught up on Dead Space 2.

 

[Shao Kahn Brewing a Stew]

Onkel, you are my cooking idol.

 

[adam.chance]

Wandering in, just looking for a good New York Cheesecake recipe? Any ideas Iron-GAF?

Just to add to your options this recipe for N.Y. Cheesecake has served me well. I have made three of them and they have all come out great. I mixed in a melted bag of chocolate chips into the last one of these I made and it came out great. I have a few pictures that I can post when I get home.

 

[OnkelC]

Thanks, Onkel.

I'll start it up next weekend, wanted to do it for family day but got caught up on Dead Space 2.

found the other one:
http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showpost.php?p=4699710&postcount=182
shagg_187, thanks, much appreciated.

 

[adam.chance]

Is anyone throwing an Oscar party? I was considering having one and was thinking about making some theme dishes to go along with the pictures nominated for Best Picture (probably not all 10 films, because that is a lot of food for four people). Kind of along the same lines as what "Dinner and a Movie" would do. I haven't been able to come up with any good ideas just yet and I know I am running out of days until the event. Does anyone have any good ideas along my theme? What are you serving at your Oscar party (or what will you be dining on?)

Here is the list of the ten films nominated for Best Picture:
Black Swan
The Fighter
Inception
The Kids Are All Right
The King's Speech
127 Hours
The Social Network
Toy Story 3
True Grit
Winter's Bone

 

[luoapp]

Is anyone throwing an Oscar party? I was considering having one and was thinking about making some theme dishes to go along with the pictures nominated for Best Picture (probably not all 10 films, because that is a lot of food for four people). Kind of along the same lines as what "Dinner and a Movie" would do. I haven't been able to come up with any good ideas just yet and I know I am running out of days until the event. Does anyone have any good ideas along my theme? What are you serving at your Oscar party (or what will you be dining on?)

Here is the list of the ten films nominated for Best Picture:
Black Swan
The Fighter
Inception
The Kids Are All Right
The King's Speech
127 Hours
The Social Network
Toy Story 3
True Grit
Winter's Bone

popcorn.gif ?

 

[amitaiwinehouse]

Inception

A chicken within a larger chicken within a larger chicken within a turkey.

 

[OnkelC]

I'd go with the movie lobby fare as well, popcorn, hot dogs, candy bars and the like. try to get those paper cups for the soft drinks.

 

[MrBig]

Made jerky again. Beef sirloin this time.

Bought big bottles of soy and teriyaki from a local asian market. Also added a bit of honey and changed up some of the seasonings

Thick and juicy, just like it should be

 

[Face it Tiger..]

found the other one:
http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showpost.php?p=4699710&postcount=182
shagg_187, thanks, much appreciated.

What's Quark?

EDIT: noticed the second cheesecake doesn't have a graham cracker crust, would it be possible to add to it?

 

[SnakeXs]

What's Quark?

A kind of cheese. Similar to cream cheese but not really.

 

[gimmmick]

Been meaning to post this here for a while. My buddy is a sous chef at one of Mina's restaurants here in Vegas. We went to Michael Mina @ the Bellagio last month, and no joking aside... it was one of best meals I have had living here in Vegas (almost 9 years here, and been working in the industry for 7)

Russian osetra paired with a large shot of belvedere vodka.

Hors d'oeuvres. Cured ocean trout, foie gras PB&J, crab blt and steak tartare

Tuna tartare assembled table side. (ancho chile, sesame oil, pine nuts, mint)

Market greens & fall fruit salad (roasted beet, caramelized goat cheese, almond)

Hamachi crudo (green apple, winter black truffle, tempura crunch)

Dungeness crab tortellini (artichoke, sylvetta, meyer lemon)

Crispy quail (harissa, pita panzanella, iranian pistachios)

"Three seas" (tasting of japanese fish, bamboo rice, ginger vinaigrette)

Porterhouse for two served with whole roasted foie gras
carved tableside.

Root beer float

Each course of the tasting menu was paired with wine. (14 courses was the final count). There was 3 of us, and I was expecting to be shelling at least 175 for my end of the half... In the end they only charged us for 2 menus It was hilarious because the other table seemed really pissed because they ordered the same menu as we did and they were asking how the hell did we get more courses then they did. All and all, really good dining experience and I would highly recommended the restaurant to anyone that is visiting Vegas.

 

[otake]

I visit Vegas once a year in April. While I would love to visit that restaurant, it does seem pricey. Last time I visited I went to a steakhouse in NewYork NewYork. It was expensive, the steak was ok and the wine was mediocre. I have not had a good culinary experience in Vegas, care to do some affordable recommendations?


I'm traveling to Burbank CA next week and Washington DC in march as well, any restaurant recommendations are welcome.

 

[Zyzyxxz]

I visit Vegas once a year in April. While I would love to visit that restaurant, it does seem pricey. Last time I visited I went to a steakhouse in NewYork NewYork. It was expensive, the steak was ok and the wine was mediocre. I have not had a good culinary experience in Vegas, care to do some affordable recommendations?


I'm traveling to Burbank CA next week and Washington DC in march as well, any restaurant recommendations are welcome.

http://www.kevineats.com/

He eats and reviews fine dining restaurants. In Vegas there are alot of "fine" dining restaurants that look nice but serve mediocre food. All the Vegas ones he's reviewed have been of high caliber chefs.

If you are looking for a steakhouse I would suggest you try CUT, its not crazy expensive unless you want to go for the real from Japan Wagyu beef which would set you to $200+ person

 

[CrunchinJelly]

This recipe for browned-butter brownies was in the new issue of Bon Appetit and I'm going to try them out this weekend:

10 tablespoons (1 1/4 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 1/4 cups sugar
3/4 cup natural unsweetened cocoa powder (spooned into cup to measure, then leveled)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 large eggs, chilled
1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon unbleached all purpose flour
1 cup walnut pieces

Position rack in bottom third of oven; preheat to 325°F. Line 8x8x2-inch metal baking pan with foil, pressing foil firmly against pan sides and leaving 2-inch overhang. Coat foil with nonstick spray. Melt butter in medium saucepan over medium heat. Continue cooking until butter stops foaming and browned bits form at bottom of pan, stirring often, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat; immediately add sugar, cocoa, 2 teaspoons water, vanilla, and 1/4 teaspoon (generous) salt. Stir to blend. Let cool 5 minutes (mixture will still be hot). Add eggs to hot mixture 1 at a time, beating vigorously to blend after each addition. When mixture looks thick and shiny, add flour and stir until blended. Beat vigorously 60 strokes. Stir in nuts. Transfer batter to prepared pan. Bake brownies until toothpick inserted into center comes out almost clean (with a few moist crumbs attached), about 25 minutes.

Thank you for this, these came out really great. I replace the walnuts with chunks of Green & Black's 85% so they are really dark and chocolatey.

Picture doesn't convey it, but they are really gooey in the centre. Nice and almost crisp on the outer, but when you get it in your mouth, it's almost like cake mix... delicious.

 

[thespot84]

I visit Vegas once a year in April. While I would love to visit that restaurant, it does seem pricey. Last time I visited I went to a steakhouse in NewYork NewYork. It was expensive, the steak was ok and the wine was mediocre. I have not had a good culinary experience in Vegas, care to do some affordable recommendations?


I'm traveling to Burbank CA next week and Washington DC in march as well, any restaurant recommendations are welcome.

I had an excellent experience at wolfganag puck's in MGM, I wouldn't call it cheap but it wasn't the most expensive on the strip.

 

[Stalfos]

I visit Vegas once a year in April. While I would love to visit that restaurant, it does seem pricey. Last time I visited I went to a steakhouse in NewYork NewYork. It was expensive, the steak was ok and the wine was mediocre. I have not had a good culinary experience in Vegas, care to do some affordable recommendations?


I'm traveling to Burbank CA next week and Washington DC in march as well, any restaurant recommendations are welcome.

I know of a couple well regarded restaurants off the strip but I haven't had a chance to eat at either yet. One is Rosemary's Restaurant which is west of the strip. The other is Todd's Unique Dining which is southeast of the strip. I believe they may be more reasonable than many of the restaurants on the strip that inflate their prices.

 

[OnkelC]

What's Quark?

EDIT: noticed the second cheesecake doesn't have a graham cracker crust, would it be possible to add to it?

http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quark_(cheese)

i already learned that Quark is hard to get by outside of europe, but it's worth the hunting.
I'd try the recipe without the cracker shell.

 

[otake]

Making picadillo tonight using frozen veggies. It's just red, green and yellow peppers that will be frozen. The onion will be fresh. I made ropa vieja recently using the same frozen veggies and the taste was still there. Conclusion, frozen is sometimes just as good as fresh.