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IronGAF Cookoff (hosted by OnkelC)
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nakedsushi
Member
I agree and feel the same way about gluten free pasta and bread. Why try to make something while removing the essence of it? Just...no.
I haven't been taking many pics of food lately (too busy cramming it in my mouth) but can I take a moment to say what a pleasure it is to just have some small bites and glass of beer at the end of the day?
DJ_Lae
Member
I've done a fair bit of gluten free cooking and actually went gluten free for a few weeks while waiting to hear back on my celiac test (it was, thankfully, negative, as I was concerned given how many people in my family are full blown celiac).
I came to a similar conclusion to eating vegetarian/vegan - to eat things that are naturally gluten-free, rather than try and mock and mimic gluten. Gluten free bread, I learned fairly fast and even after making my own, is an abomination the likes of which I have never seen before in the culinary world. It is absolute, complete, and utter shit. You can make it edible by toasting it, but it's still full of so many compromises I cannot imagine eating it on a regular basis. I'd turn to rice crackers instead or something, I dunno.
I did find a fantastic gluten-free cupcake recipe, though, using quinoa flour. They have a pleasant nuttiness to them and are a little less sweet than regular ones and because the gluten doesn't really matter you don't miss it.
I came to a similar conclusion to eating vegetarian/vegan - to eat things that are naturally gluten-free, rather than try and mock and mimic gluten. Gluten free bread, I learned fairly fast and even after making my own, is an abomination the likes of which I have never seen before in the culinary world. It is absolute, complete, and utter shit. You can make it edible by toasting it, but it's still full of so many compromises I cannot imagine eating it on a regular basis. I'd turn to rice crackers instead or something, I dunno.
I did find a fantastic gluten-free cupcake recipe, though, using quinoa flour. They have a pleasant nuttiness to them and are a little less sweet than regular ones and because the gluten doesn't really matter you don't miss it.
RatskyWatsky
Hunky Nostradamus
That is very easy to say when you don't have to eat gluten free. Even if you do only eat naturally gf foods, after a while you will start craving things like pasta/bread/cake/whatever, and at that point you stop caring whether or not it tastes exactly like the real thing (and eventually you forget what the real thing ever tasted like in the first place).
Thankfully there are tons of options out there and while some of the pasta/bread/cake/whatevers are revolting, there are some brands that are very close to the real thing.
I would like to try to make things myself but the per recipe ingredients (of which there are usually many) are so expensive.
I agree and feel the same way about gluten free pasta and bread. Why try to make something while removing the essence of it? Just...no.
I haven't been taking many pics of food lately (too busy cramming it in my mouth) but can I take a moment to say what a pleasure it is to just have some small bites and glass of beer at the end of the day?
cheers to that.
Cosmic Bus
pristine morning snow
I will say that, as far as the "mainstream" blends go, King Arthur Flour gf all-purpose mix is pretty acceptable; for something more specialist, Maninis gf varieties are actually very good because they use ancient grains versus the typical rice/potato/tapioca (which is where a lot of the odd textures come from in gf stuff). Maninis doesn't come cheap since they sell in 2 and 5lb bags, but you won't be disappointed.
Mackenzie 92
Member
Blurry cell phone pics, but made a BLT on some homemade bread.
Bacon, tomato, jack cheese, and a roasted green chili.
Bacon, tomato, jack cheese, and a roasted green chili.
RatskyWatsky
Hunky Nostradamus
Thanks for that! I've heard of King Arthur Flour, but I wasn't aware that they made gf stuff. I'd also never heard of Maninis before and will definitely check that out as well. Thanks again! <3
abstract alien
Member
Haven't posted any creations in a while, but I have been making them, as many as alwaysOne cake I was proud of was the
Rose Cake
This my be the most perfect cake I've ever seen.
Haven't posted any creations in a while, but I have been making them, as many as always
Rose Cake
This is so beautiful. I'm glad you also shared the recipe, it seems like a very tasty cake. Is there a specific type or brand of rosewater you use?
Cake for my boyfriend's birthday: chocolate espresso chiffon with hazelnut italian buttercream. White chocolate shavings, not parm
This looks amazing, I bet your boyfriend loved it!
nakedsushi
Member
We mostly eat vegetarian at home, but don't do "vegetables as main" like you say. Mostly we have ethnic foods that lend themselves well to being vegetarian like Chinese, Thai, Indonesian, Japanese, Mexican, Italian, etc.
Whenever we do "vegetables as main" it always ends up being a little one-note. Cauliflower steak, for example is too much cauliflower and I _love_ cauliflower. I'd have to have a side of complex carbs and something green like salad or sauteed kale with it. I think if you treat vegetables as they are (delicious vegetables) instead of trying to pretend that they're subbing in for meat, you'll be more satisfied with what you're eating. At least for me, then I'm not thinking about comparing the vegetables to something like meatballs or a hamburger.
On a different note, I just got back from watching Chef (the film) and it was pretty good! I bit cheesy and obvious where it's going, but lots of food porn shots. I recommend it if you're into that sort of thing. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2883512/
nakedsushi
Member
Nice chicken and great view!
Thanks. That's the new apartment. Much larger kitchen which I'm really enjoying cooking in now that I'm somewhat settled.
LocknessMobster
Member
One of my most favorite threads evar! It inspired me to start cooking outside of my comfort level,thanks everybody! Will post some pics of meals Ive made when I get home.
nakedsushi
Member
Mind posting a kitchen tour? I would love to have giant windows like that in my kitchen.
seconded! I'd love to see it as well.
Thanks! looking forward to your dishes.
The kitchen is still "unfinished" because I am getting the benchtop composite stone replaced with a different granite and done properly by my father, plus have the splashback to get done. So, I've been holding off taking photos of it directly.
However, I have a couple of construction snaps. Below are the kitchen in progress and the view.
Hard to see from these shots but installed are a five burner gas hob, twin ovens, single door refrigerator, and double sink with waste disposal.
I'll take some finished shots and put them up once the new stone is in a couple of weeks from now. Might even have the dining table and chairs in by then too.
Zeouterlimits
Member
Been baking a good bit recently.
Tried to bake caramel slices last night, and I undercooked the caramel, so it's slightly runny/messy. Darn, what a waste
Tried to bake caramel slices last night, and I undercooked the caramel, so it's slightly runny/messy. Darn, what a waste
nakedsushi
Member
Those windows! I'm so jealous. Looks like a nice setup you're about to have.
I cooked a quick dinner for Sunday. Spaghetti with kale from the garden and crushed pistachio. I used the pistachio for flavor and protein content, but considering how many aphids there were in the kale, I probably could have left the nuts out.
RatskyWatsky
Hunky Nostradamus
What's a good thing to put in cake/brownies in place of cocoa powder? Like, what else can I put in there to flavor the cake? Do they have vanilla powder or something? lol
nakedsushi
Member
^-- espresso or really strong brewed coffee.
MistaPropella
Member
So, two days ago I found this thread and since then my mouth is watering. Such interesting receips, will definitely try some of them.
The first one, will be OnkelC's bacon plumes. They will accompany my Cajun Chicken Pieces at our next BBQ just perfectly.
Damn my mouth is watering again.
RatskyWatsky
Hunky Nostradamus
That's a really good idea. If only I liked coffee...
LocknessMobster
Member
No thank you! Some day I hope to be on your level
I tried making a new dish (to me) Chicken Adobo.
Starts off with a quick sear on some chicken pieces (I love legs and thighs) and then pan boiling chicken pieces in soy sauce,rice wine vinegar, garlic vinegar,ginger,green and white onion,honey and cayenne pepper.
Once the chicken is mostly cooked (25-30 mins),take it out and throw in your rinsed and chopped Nappa cabbage in the same pot with the soy/vinegar sauce and place all your chicken pieces on top of the cabbage. Start your rice too!
After around 10 mins your rice and chicken should be done and your nappa cabbage wilted down to the point where there is still a little "chew" to them and have soaked up a good amount of the soy/vinegar sauce. Plate your rice,and scoop the cabbage onto the rice,then throw the chicken on top. I ended up reducing the remaining sauce by a third and pouring some on top of everything. Simple and delicious!
Please forgive the bagged rice lol,two things I suck at are cooking rice and frying chicken. Also Ive never went to school for cooking,just a guy who loves to cook and well eat! I have been toying with the idea of taking some cooking classes,there is so much more for me to learn.
Cosmic Bus
pristine morning snow
Cast-iron pizza tonight. White pie with asparagus, sauteed mushrooms, garlic, red onion, moz and parm
Also gave Peter Reinhart's 100% whole wheat brioche a spin. It's a super weird process that's nothing like a standard brioche, with very little liquid besides egg and butter, and an overnight soaker and biga. I love whole wheat bread, but tbh I'm kinda on the fence about this. The texture is soft and tender, but you don't really get a sense of that blatant richness a white brioche has. It's not exactly a healthy version (40% butter, so yeah) and I'm trying to figure out who actually prefers to have this unless it's just for all the fiber? That said, the orange-glazed cinnamon rolls and little sugar pull aparts are definitely tasty
Also gave Peter Reinhart's 100% whole wheat brioche a spin. It's a super weird process that's nothing like a standard brioche, with very little liquid besides egg and butter, and an overnight soaker and biga. I love whole wheat bread, but tbh I'm kinda on the fence about this. The texture is soft and tender, but you don't really get a sense of that blatant richness a white brioche has. It's not exactly a healthy version (40% butter, so yeah) and I'm trying to figure out who actually prefers to have this unless it's just for all the fiber? That said, the orange-glazed cinnamon rolls and little sugar pull aparts are definitely tasty
nakedsushi
Member
It doesn't really end up tasting like coffee. Do you like dark chocolate? It gives it more of that bitter-sweet dark-chocolate taste. But maybe that's the taste you're trying to avoid, hahaha.
Please forgive the bagged rice lol,two things I suck at are cooking rice and frying chicken. Also Ive never went to school for cooking,just a guy who loves to cook and well eat! I have been toying with the idea of taking some cooking classes,there is so much more for me to learn.
Looks pretty good! I've never had chicken adobo before, but now I want to give it a try. Also, that cabbage -- yes! I love cooked cabbage even though people think it's bland.
Very few of us went to cooking school, but most of us posting here make pretty nice-looking dishes! I think as long as you're someone who loves to cook and eat, it'll get easier and easier the more you practice. One thing I do recommend is taking a knife-skills course.
Cast-iron pizza tonight. White pie with asparagus, sauteed mushrooms, garlic, red onion, moz and parm
Oh wow, that looks great. Makes me want to start cooking pizza again. For a while, I would do it every week or so, but ever since forgetting to pack the pizza stone when I moved, I've stopped doing it. But I have a cast iron pan, so maybe I'll take some inspiration from you and start again. I just have to get over the hump of being prepared enough to make the dough.
LocknessMobster
Member
Thanks! Great suggestion on the knife course.
RatskyWatsky
Hunky Nostradamus
Well, the main thing I'm trying to avoid is the caffeine in the chocolate. They probably make caffeine free chocolate, but as much as I like chocolate, I'm sort of growing tired of it and I figured the no caffeine excuse would help me broaden my flavor horizons a bit. Thanks for the suggestions though!
BriareosGAF
Member
Well, the main thing I'm trying to avoid is the caffeine in the chocolate. They probably make caffeine free chocolate, but as much as I like chocolate, I'm sort of growing tired of it and I figured the no caffeine excuse would help me broaden my flavor horizons a bit. Thanks for the suggestions though!
Say hello to carob.
Cosmic Bus
pristine morning snow
Fondant and pastiage are... not my favorites. Can they look nice? Of course. Does anyone actually want to eat it? Not really. It's like with large-scale chocolate and sugar art: technically impressive, but also a waste of time and good ingredients! At least marzipan is vaguely appealing flavor and texture-wise.
Learn to be creative with different buttercream and ganaches, and I think you'll be happier with that skill, along with finding the end product a lot more palatable. Fondant is for fussy bridezillas
BriareosGAF
Member
Learn to be creative with different buttercream and ganaches, and I think you'll be happier with that skill, along with finding the end product a lot more palatable. Fondant is for fussy bridezillas
My children have heard my wife and I complain about fondant enough that they parrot us in public which has occasionally lead to uncomfortable moments...
RatskyWatsky
Hunky Nostradamus
Do they have carob powder? :3
BriareosGAF
Member
Yes, I used to bake with carob all the time when I was a vegan. But that was... man... 14 years ago or something so I don't really have a good sense of the pros/cons. We were cooking with applesauce as a binding agent instead of eggs, it was dark times
.nakedsushi
Member
I feel the same way. Every time I see fondant on a cake, it makes me not want to eat it. It looks and tastes like playdough to me. I can't recall meeting anyone who liked the taste of fondant.
Making dal at home is easy with a pressure cooker. 30 min meal.Dal is so easy and cheap to make that I want to start making a batch every week. Eaten with rice and some sort of green, it's a pretty healthy meal, right? But what kind of green vegetable goes well with dal? One time I made saag paneer except with kale and using cashew cream and tofu instead of cheese to make it vegan. It was okay, but not worth the hassle.
ElectricThunder
Member
I will join Briareos in representing the Carob Mafia!
You can do most things with it that you can with chocolate in an equivalent exchange of forms---it'll just be a bit different though definitely far moreso inline with dark chocolate than milk. It is also used for various dog treats as, unlike chocolate, the chemical makeup is significantly different so as not to be lethal~
I recommend, though mainly for lack of any other options aside from one stray bag at one stray herb shop I've not gotten around to picking up as it was even more expensive: Chatfield's, the chips in particular.
http://www.chatfieldsbrand.com/products
I HOPE to get a b-day cake wrangled at a local place this year that MAY be a carob based one...depends on how it goes as things are complicated. Aim would be a strong carob frosting and a "carob fudge" in between the layers with a marshmallow drizzle on top----mirroring a similar first b-day cake I got from the place some years back now that was the same but dark chocolate based all the way.
RatskyWatsky
Hunky Nostradamus
Yes, I used to bake with carob all the time when I was a vegan. But that was... man... 14 years ago or something so I don't really have a good sense of the pros/cons. We were cooking with applesauce as a binding agent instead of eggs, it was dark times
Thanks! It's a little on the pricey side, but I think it'll be worth it to not have to deal with caffeine again.
Thanks brah!
Recipe?
Fondant and pastiage are... not my favorites. Can they look nice? Of course. Does anyone actually want to eat it? Not really. It's like with large-scale chocolate and sugar art: technically impressive, but also a waste of time and good ingredients! At least marzipan is vaguely appealing flavor and texture-wise.
Learn to be creative with different buttercream and ganaches, and I think you'll be happier with that skill, along with finding the end product a lot more palatable. Fondant is for fussy bridezillas
Haha fair enough. I've got to perfect my consistency of my buttercreams then. They have a tendency to a bit just slightly runny most of the time
nakedsushi
Member
I loosely used this one:
http://norecipes.com/recipe/masoor-dal/
The important part is charring the ginger and other aromatics like the recipe says. It's probably not traditional, but it gives the dal a lot of flavor! Once you make it a few times according the recipe, feel free to improvise.
Looks like great potential with that space. I recently bought a place and am also in the middle of renovation. Once the kitchen is done I should be posting regularly again.
RatskyWatsky
Hunky Nostradamus
Thanks! That sounds really good. I'm sort of scared to use a pressure cooker though. I'm always afraid that it'll blow up on me.
nakedsushi
Member
Thanks! That sounds really good. I'm sort of scared to use a pressure cooker though. I'm always afraid that it'll blow up on me.
Dude, that's exactly how I am/was before I got it. The first couple times I used it, I would hide in the hallway and poke my head through to fiddle with the stove if I needed to. Then I would stand really far away and release the pressure with a long wooden spoon in case it did blow up.
Now I'm a little more comfortable with it, but it's still scary! I ended up getting the duromatic which supposedly is pretty safe. I hope the extra bucks I spent on it means it won't blow up in my face.
RatskyWatsky
Hunky Nostradamus
Ha! The other day my mom's pressure cooker valve (or whatever) came off and sprayed the contents all over her kitchen (it was like a spewing volcano!) - floor, walls, ceiling, you name it - and it took all day to clean up.
So A: I'd be afraid of having to clean up a spectacular mess every time I used my pressure cooker and B: I'd be afraid that it would blow up in my face and maim/kill me. lol
A duromatic seems like a safe bet though. I'll look into it.
nakedsushi
Member
Hey guys, I need some help.
This squash-like thing started growing in my vegetable garden this spring. I'm not sure what it is at all. Last year we planted zucchini, so at first I thought it was, but once the fruit came out, I'm sure it's not zucchini. My second thought is that it's a squash we ate and then composted the rest, but we never ate any squash that looked like it before, so not sure what it would be doing in the compost.
We _did_ eat acorn squash about 3 years ago. Could this be acorn squash? How would they be in the compost for this long and still germinate?
Am I going to die of squash poisoning if I cook this?
This squash-like thing started growing in my vegetable garden this spring. I'm not sure what it is at all. Last year we planted zucchini, so at first I thought it was, but once the fruit came out, I'm sure it's not zucchini. My second thought is that it's a squash we ate and then composted the rest, but we never ate any squash that looked like it before, so not sure what it would be doing in the compost.
We _did_ eat acorn squash about 3 years ago. Could this be acorn squash? How would they be in the compost for this long and still germinate?
Am I going to die of squash poisoning if I cook this?
BriareosGAF
Member
According to my wife (who is now typing this) I am pretty almost definitely sure that looks like baby acorn squash...that was my first guess even before reading the post and lo:
http://www.specialtyproduce.com/produce/Squash_Baby_Acorn_Green_453.php
Sure looks like it to me. I remember being wary of eating unripe winter squash when I had to harvest a bunch of butternuts early because of an early frost but apparently it's totally cool. Good luck and don't die!...but if you do die please note the 'almost' above....why did you trust the internet?
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