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[tnw]

It's getting close to valentine's day, and muji always sells these little sweets kits for the season. They were selling a truffle kit, but I forewent the kit and just bought the melting chocolate

200g melting chocolate

2-3 tbsp yogurt (or cream if you want; I just didn't have any I couldn't be bothered to buy a whole carton for one use)

splash of single malt scotch (a liquer would probably be more appropriate)

mattcha powder

in a double boiler (or an ad hoc one like I did ) melt the chocolate. whisk in the yogurt/cream and liquer until consistant. refrigerate.

when the chocolate has solidified into ganache, pour a couple tablespoons of mattcha powder into a small bowl or mug. pinch off balls from the ganache, form into balls by rubbing between your hands (your hands will be covered with chocolate! :9), and drop into the mattcha, moving the container around until the ball is fully covered with mattcha.

refrigerate the balls until fully solidified.



I found the yogurt to work just fine. I think I added a little bit too much though; 2 tbsp seemed to be enough or maybe a little less liquer.

DELICIOUS and so easy too.

 

[nakedsushi]

I went to Santa Barbara this weekend for some food and wine.

Cioppino from the Santa Barbara Shellfish Company. It's basically a breadbowl full of clams, mussels, scallops, prawns, and shrimp covered with a zesty reddish bisque.

Appetizer on one of those nights was a walnut pate with rice crackers.

The BF had this appetizer on a different night. Seared tofu, mushrooms, greens, and some sort of balsamic reduction.

My appetizer that night was hamachi sashimi with avocado and ponzu sauce.

I would have taken more pictures, but the lighting was bad to take pictures in and it's hard to be discreet in a quiet and small restaurant with a giant camera.

 

[holliberry]

I just got a crockpot (slow cooker) for my bday, please recommend some easy meals/recipes!

 

[Zyzyxxz]

I just got a crockpot (slow cooker) for my bday, please recommend some easy meals/recipes!

beef stew? some homemade chili?

Those are the first things I'd cook with it

 

[heavy liquid]

I just got a crockpot (slow cooker) for my bday, please recommend some easy meals/recipes!

This is a really easy recipe that I did a little over a year ago. Most of it can be prepared the night before, and then you can throw it all together the next morning and let it cook while you're at work or school.

Slow cookers are great: It's awesome to come home and have a delicious meal waiting. All you have to do is stir in your pearl onions, chopped bacon, wine and parsley when you get home, and you're ready to eat!

http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showpost.php?p=4872117&postcount=354

Beef Burgundy

 

[nakedsushi]

I just got a crockpot (slow cooker) for my bday, please recommend some easy meals/recipes!

Corned beef stew

Ingredients:
a package of corned beef (in the meat section, not the canned type).
an onion
carrots
potato
cabbage

French-slice the onions and put them on the bottom of your crockpot. Slice the potatoes and carrots and put it on the bottom of the crockpot with the onions.

Take out the corned beef and drain whatever juices it sat in in the package. Save the spice package.

Slice the corned beef into 1 inch slices against the grain and throw it in the crockpot on top of the veggies. Then throw in the sliced cabbage on top of that.

Put in the spices from the spice package and throw in a bay leaf if you have one handy.

Fill up the crock-pot about 2/3s of the way, or covering most of the vegetables and some of the corned beef.

Cook on low overnight (about 8 hours).

When it's done, the corned beef should just melt and fall apart. I usually don't add any salt because the corned beef is salty already.

 

[heavy liquid]

Tonight's dinner was pasta with chicken and sauteed broccoli, mushrooms and onions.

 

[heavy liquid]

Tonight was Pancit with shrimp. It's a common Filipino noodle dish that can be cooked with many different meats and ingredients. There's no right or wrong way, really.

 

[beelzebozo]

i'm going for sushi friday, and i've got a few things i normally get but would like to branch out and try some new suggestions. i know several of you live in japan (looking at you, tnw) or are at the very least gastronomical lewis and clarks who know their stuff about sushi.

think if i post the stuff i normally get and give you an idea of the sort of flavors i dig that you could make some suggestions for me to branch out?

 

[nakedsushi]

i'm going for sushi friday, and i've got a few things i normally get but would like to branch out and try some new suggestions. i know several of you live in japan (looking at you, tnw) or are at the very least gastronomical lewis and clarks who know their stuff about sushi.

think if i post the stuff i normally get and give you an idea of the sort of flavors i dig that you could make some suggestions for me to branch out?

How's your budget? If you're going to a pretty traditional sushi establishment and have wad of cash, you can sit at the bar and ask for 'omakase'. Basically, you eat whatever the sushi chef serves you. Hopefully, he serves you all of the fresh picks of the day.

The first time I had it, it was delicious and WELL worth it. It cost about $90 not including tip for 2 people.

 

[beelzebozo]

my budget's pretty open. i'm not paying :lol

i regularly spend $80-$120ish, but my benefactor (heh) doesn't really worry about budgets

 

[tnw]

hey beelza

two things about sushi

I've become pretty aware posting on GAF how different things in the US are. I've been here awhile, and needless to say I avoid Japanese food when I am visiting the states. I had never heard of those 'dragon rolls' until I started posting on GAF. So i don't really know what's avaliable at a typical sushi place in the US.

Second, I'm (theoretically) vegetarian, and I rarely go out for sushi actually.

But some of my recommendations are roll sushi (makizushi) to start with. umeshiso is great and so is negitoro. Natto is proably my favorite; try it if they have it. Two other standard makizushi are kampyo and kappa (cucumber) I doubt they'll have all of those, but all are very common in Japan (all are avaliable at the convenience store).

As for nigiri zushi (what you picture to be 'sushi') Scallop (hotate) sushi is probably my favorite. there's the obvious tuna/shrimp/salmon ones that are pretty hard to not like. There's octopius and squid, ut I've never tried those.


----------------

As for a crockpot, make some soup! I made some pumpkin soup that would have been perfect for that. Standard Japanese pumpkin has an edible skin, so if you just cut up the pumpkin into chunks, and let it simmer for a long time in a crockpot, it will all break down into soup. Here's what I used.

1/4 japanese pumpkin
1 stalk of celery
2 cloves garlic pressed
1/4 onion minced
1 tbsp red curry paste
1 tbsp coconut milk
1 tbsp ponzu

It's actually really very good. I think I'm going to use the rest to make some pumpkin risotto.

 

[beelzebozo]

very interesting. thanks, both of you. it sounds like i mostly had an idea of what i wanted, but natto in particular is new on me. i regularly do get dragon rolls, spider rolls, shrimp tempura rolls, mexican rolls, smoked salmon nigiri, mackerel nigiri, squid salad, etc., but wanted to be sure i wasn't missing anything obvious that's delicious.

 

[nakedsushi]

my budget's pretty open. i'm not paying :lol

i regularly spend $80-$120ish, but my benefactor (heh) doesn't really worry about budgets

That's exactly in the range of omakase! If you're adventurous and open to trying new fish, I'd go for omakase. That's how I discovered that I actually *do* like uni, as long as it's fresh, and that kampachi is delicious.

 

[smirkrevenge]

two meals in one post this time, fellow cooks.

lamb + beef burger (inspired by another post), aged cheddar, homemade tzatziki, english muffin, grilled onions:

balsamic chicken - onions, garlic, pinot noir, balsamic, on a bed of polenta. sooooo tasty.

 

[nakedsushi]

smirkrevenge, those burgers look good!

Dinner for me tonight was mixed greens salad with home made wasabi and yuzu dressing. The brown sticks on the top are fried sesame seed and tofu sticks I made for protein.

I also had a freshly baked baguette with jam after the salad. My baguette baking skills need some work.

 

[slidewinder]

Some taco-truck takeout:

Up front, birria on a flour tortilla, topped with some diced cabbage and onions and a little cilantro. On the left, a couple carne asada tacos on corn tortillas. That particularly messy-looking, gnawed-on thing in the center background is a Sonoran-style hot dog: dog wrapped in bacon, topped with grilled onions, beans (not visible here, I think they were running low), diced tomato, mayo, mustard, and relish, served on a sorta-bolillo bun. Next to that a grilled wax chile.

 

[Beavertown]

Anyone have any good lasagna recipes?

 

[johnsenclan]

Dinner last Thursday, Thai Coconut and Lime soup



1 quart chicken or vegetable stock
1 lemongrass stalk, white part, crushed slightly
3 kaffir lime leaves
several slices ginger root
1 small fresh Thai chiles, halved lengthwise
2 large garlic cloves, smashed
1 can coconut milk
1 T Thai fish sauce
1 1/2 tsp. sugar
1 can mushrooms
2 cups shredded cooked chicken
juice of 4 limes
fresh ground black pepper to taste
1/4 cup fresh cilantro to garnish

In large soup pot, bring chicken stock to a simmer over medium heat. Add lemongrass, kaffir lime leaves, ginger slices, Thai chiles, and smashed garlic cloves. Simmer, covered, for 10-15 minutes, then strain stock to remove these inedible flavorings.

Turn heat to low, then stir in coconut milk, fish sauce, sugar or Splenda, mushrooms, shredded chicken, lime juice, and cracked pepper. Simmer about 5 minutes without boiling to blend flavors and heat chicken through. Ladle soup into individual bowls and sprinkle with cilantro if desired.

It was good, but a little bland. Next time I'll probably ad another chili and another lemongrass stalk.

 

[OnkelC]

you make me proud, folks.
And a little ashamed of myself, too. I haven't eaten one decent meal in the last two weeks and only cooked once in the weekday flat, looked like this:

(pic from ze archive)

Keep'em coming!

 

[Zyzyxxz]

felt like having breakfast for dinner since I usually wake up in time for lunch, just put some sausage meat on the pan, scrambled some eggs, and fried up some has browns from a freezer package, and a sprinkle of shredded cheese, nothing special

 

[JJN]

Breakfast for dinner is pretty damn great as I too wake up at obscene hours. One term after my last final, I had breakfast for everything (either cooked by myself/roommates or at diners) and napped/drank in between. It was glorious.

 

[tnw]

Hey Onkel, I bought some german cheese today called Steppen (not sure of the spelling). Any suggestions on how to use it?

I could only find information in Japanese because I think I'm misspelling steppen, but it says that it's a semi-firm cheese, kind of a 'german mozerella', low in fat and sodium.

It says it's a good melting cheese or good blended with other cheeses. Apparently it's a ripened cheese, not a fresh cheese. hmmm. interesting.

I bought some cabbage today, so I might try and do something fun with that. That sounds german-ish right?

 

[OnkelC]

Zyzyxxz, looks spectaculare for breakfast. my day would be over after such a dish
Thank you for sharing.

tnw, I never heard about "Steppenkäse" before, is it a stinker? If so, it should be similar to tilsit or limburger cheese and would be great for gratins and casseroles.

 

[tnw]

Well I just tried the steppenkase. I steamed some cabbage, and then melted the cheese over it with some course black pepper.

It was very good! It reminds me of Comte cheese a lot. It's not nearly as boring as mozzerela cheese. Has a very nice flavor I thought. Many places I've read say it's bland, but it's much more flavorful than something like provolone or mozzerella.

I've never heard of tilsit cheese, but wikipedia has this to say:

"Tilsiter has a medium-firm texture with irregular holes or cracks. Commercially produced Tilsiter is made from pasteurized cow's milk, ranges from 30 to 60 percent milk fat and has a dark yellow rind. Often flavoured with caraway seed and peppercorns, Tilsiter is a superb complement to hearty brown/rye breads"

......

I must try that.

 

[Flo]

Anyone have any good lasagna recipes?

http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showpost.php?p=9396899&postcount=1945

 

[painey]

felt like having breakfast for dinner since I usually wake up in time for lunch, just put some sausage meat on the pan, scrambled some eggs, and fried up some has browns from a freezer package, and a sprinkle of shredded cheese, nothing special

I..i have so many questions! how did you get the scrambled eggs to be like that?! how do you get sausage meat in burger form? what are those chunks on the side of the plate?! i must know!

 

[Zyzyxxz]

I..i have so many questions! how did you get the scrambled eggs to be like that?! how do you get sausage meat in burger form? what are those chunks on the side of the plate?! i must know!

you aren't being sarcastic LOL right? I thought breakfast was self-explanatory

well for scrambled eggs I just scramble them and use a small pan. I keep the pan on high heat and as soon as I drop in the eggs they start to cook really fast so just fold them over in a whatever shape best fits you.

The sausage patties can be purchased in the shape of a burger patty nothing special. I dont buy the pre-cooked ones, those tastes like the iffy McDonalds ones.

the chunks on the side of the plate are hash browns (you know, potatoes?) from the freezer section of the market that need a little pan frying.

 

[DonCuco]

Some taco-truck takeout:

Up front, birria on a flour tortilla, topped with some diced cabbage and onions and a little cilantro. On the left, a couple carne asada tacos on corn tortillas. That particularly messy-looking, gnawed-on thing in the center background is a Sonoran-style hot dog: dog wrapped in bacon, topped with grilled onions, beans (not visible here, I think they were running low), diced tomato, mayo, mustard, and relish, served on a sorta-bolillo bun. Next to that a grilled wax chile.

Sup slidewinder, those are some tasty looking tacos and hotdog. The tacos seem like they have hand made tortillas, and that birria looks good. When I eat birria I usually like the soup like version w/ some oninos , cliantro, and hot sauce.

 

[Zyzyxxz]

Im interested in buying a slow cooker and I saw a Hamilton Beach 5qt (4.7L for the lot of ya) for $20 at Walmart.

Anyone have any recommendations against a 5qt?

 

[nakedsushi]

Dinner tonight was spicy and lemony pasta with broccoli.

 

[Zyzyxxz]

looks good, I have too much meat in my fridge to ever have to cook something like that though lol.

 

[Flo]

Sunday

Yesterday

 

[nakedsushi]

Sunday
Yesterday

I don't know what that is, but I want to eat it!

 

[Xisiqomelir]

Looks like carrot cake.

 

[Cosmic Bus]

Tonight was my first attempt at making lasagna. I overestimated the size of the relatively small baking dish I have and wound up with a stubstantially well-stuffed, three layer behemoth that piled precariously above the sides of the pan. Good thing I put it onto a cookie sheet in case there was spillover.

Has fresh, locally-raised beef, fresh mozzarella, baby spinach, mushrooms, onion, burgundy olives, and a pretty basic red wine-and-tomato sauce. Part of me is afraid of how much of this I may eat tonight...

 

[Zyzyxxz]

holy crap I thought that was a pizza at first!

Normally I think of lasagna as minimal in terms of what to put between the layers but that still looks good!

 

[Flo]

I don't know what that is, but I want to eat it!

It's called Aardappel Anders I added some spinach to it. Don't know if i really liked that though, maybe I should have put more in because I hardly tasted it.

 

[tnw]

man, good taste in music, film AND food.

you rock cosmic.

 

[Xisiqomelir]

Tonight's dinner, a stuffed cornish hen.

Pre-everything

Post-potato-peeling-dicing-and-panfrying, bacon-crisping-and-crumbling, onion-dicing-and-caramelizing, stuffing mixing, stuffing, and my terrible, terrible trussing job.

Dinner!

 

[takotchi]

This stuff all looks pretty good. I definitely need to go grocery shopping later today...

Oh, and:

:lol

I've always wanted to do one of those...

 

[tnw]

I made a nice broccoli risotto for lunch today, inspired by the NYT The Minimalist

http://video.on.nytimes.com/?fr_story=a34fc6e478846627b2b69580b10c64779678f929

florets from 1 head of broccolli

the cloves garlic

1/2 cup aborio rice

cheese (I had some chevre and some leftover steppenkase)

salt and pepper to taste

olive oil (or butter if you have it)

kupii mayonaise (optional)

-------

set aside about 1/4 of the florets.Coursely chop up florets, and in a bowl cover with cold water, with a hand blender, puree the mixture until smooth. set aside.

in a hot pan add oil and garlic. sautee the aborio rice in the oil briefly. Gradually add the puree broccoli, waiting for the rice to absorb the liquid. you may need extra water to fully cook the rice.

add the cheese now, stiring to mix and melt. Season, and add the last of the broccoli florets (they should be broken up small.

I added a little japanese mayonaise to round out the flavor.

It's very good!

 

[nakedsushi]

tnw: Broccoli risotto sounds good. I might attempt a vegan version next week.

Dinner two nights ago was a mushroom and walnut in vegan cream sauce crepe topped with a tomato and cream sauce:

Dessert that night was a sweet banana crepe:

Dinner tonight was polenta lasagna with kale and portabello mushrooms.

 

[Xisiqomelir]

so I found something called Kaya at the grocery store today

I missed this post before!

Have a Singapore coffeeshop breakfast! Slice kaya and butter toast into fingers, then eat them with a soft-boiled egg and pepper.

 

[tnw]

are you vegan nakedsushi? everything you make looks so good

I bought a norwegian cheese called Ridder at the grocery store today.

http://www.norwegiancheeses.co.uk/ridder.htm

"Ridder is a surface ripened, edible rind soft cheese with a creamy texture and rich aroma. As its translated name ‘Knight’ suggests, it is a cheese with a strong characteristic flavour. Ridder is a wonderful dessert cheese best served with crackers and summer fruits and berries. It can also be used as an appetiser, thinly sliced in sandwiches or melted."

can't wait to try it!

wow, look at all these cool recipies for ridder cheese

http://www.jarlsberg.com/page?id=470

 

[nakedsushi]

are you vegan nakedsushi? everything you make looks so good

Thanks! I'm not vegan, but the bf is, and since we live together, most of our dinners are vegan. I'm thankfully nondiscriminatory when it comes to food =D

 

[Keen]

Last night I made breaded turkey schnitzel with oven-roasted potatoes, mushrooms and schallots. Served with store bought (shame on me) mushroom sauce and herb sauce.

Sadly, no pictures. =(

Tasted great though, but next time I'll make my own sauce.

 

[jarosh]

been sitting on these pics for a while... finally posting now.

made this lentil stew a few weeks ago. pretty simple actually.

ingredients:
green/brown and red lentils, carrots, potatoes, leek, parsley, quorn sausage, vegetable bouillon or chicken brod or something similar, white wine (not pictured), marjoram, coriander, pepper

 

[Zyzyxxz]

wait there is no meat in there!

jk, wow it does looks good though

 

[beelzebozo]

have any of you been to poilâne bakery in france? i saw it on tv last night, and i've been scouring their website scoping out these huge 4lb. loaves of bread. they look freaking amazing, but they're $35 apiece! still, i'm scraping together my change to order one. some pictures:

left to right, their 4lb. sourdough, the 2lb. rye, currant raisin bread, and walnut breads.

some of the country loaves on the shelves, and poilâne himself giving you some idea of just how big they are:

finally, an interior view of a delicious looking loaf of bread to get you salivating (it worked on me)