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[Flo_Evans]

Well its lent and my girl is catholic and I like fried fish so I have been making it allot lately.

Traditional fish fry is catfish, but I find it kind of nasty so for a few pennies more I get tallapia. I like cornbread breading but I didn't have any so I just picked up a pack of it in the fish section. You should wash your fish then pat it dry with paper towels then dip straight in the breading.

You want to heat your oil up to 350F. use enough so it covers the fish. You want enough oil so that when you drop in fish the oil temp doesn't drop too much. Any kind of vegetable oil is good. If you don't have a thermometer that goes to 350, just cut a small piece and test the oil with it. It should bubble like mad when you drop it in.

Cook it for around 5min. Should stop bubbling in intensity abit. I usually just go by color.

If you didn't fuck up and burn your house down or burn your skin off you should have some tasty fish!

Now you are asking me Flo?! wtf do I do with this huge pan of oil? I rig up a paper towel or a coffee filter over a pitcher and strain it so I can use it again next time. Fish cooked in oil thats been used a bit tastes better.

 

[smirkrevenge]

Flo: that fried fish looks mighty fine, mighty fine. do you add any extra seasoning into the mix? or tartar sauce?

here is an open-face sandwich i made with the leftover bread, roast chicken + avocado + mozz + roasted garlic spread:

a flourless chocolate cake w/ fresh whipped cream, taken from the zuni recipe:

and tonight, simple crispy, buttery, chocolate chip cookies:

 

[Flo_Evans]

It already had salt pepper and paprika in it so I didn't mess with it the 1st time. After testing it I would probably add a bit of garlic and lemon pepper.

Of course I dipped it in tarter sauce when I ate it

I think next time I will try this method I have heard of: dredge the fish in buttermilk+hot sauce before breeding. Or maybe mix up some batter and make some hush puppies to go with it. Damn now I am hungry again.

 

[Mecha_Infantry]

Mozzerella Macaroni Bake *sorry for lack of pics, I couldn't find my camera till it was finished*

/needs to work on personal presetation :lol

 

[Xisiqomelir]

My new beauty (thanks Amazon!):

Can't wait to try making real hash browns

 

[nakedsushi]

Dinner tonight was nien gao, which I've seen translated as 'rice ovals'. It's pounded rice sliced in ovals (kind of like mochi in texture). I stir fried it with some Chinese spinach and preserved cabbage.

 

[CowboyAstronaut]

Oh... my.. god..

I never would've assumed there were so many people on here that could cook like this.

Wish I could cook

 

[slidewinder]

Traditional fish fry is catfish, but I find it kind of nasty so for a few pennies more I get tallapia.

What about tilapia do you like more than catfish? The two times I have bought tilapia it was much "fishier" (stronger-smelling, and not in an appetizing way) than the catfish I have bought from the same place, and the second time I tried it, it had a downright muddy flavor even after having been deep-fried and doused with lemon. Granted that catfish isn't the cleanest, sweetest of fishes, but I've really been put off from tilapia after these experiences.

Farmed and advertised as fresh (not previously frozen) in both cases, the two being the cheap choices alongside the better wild stuff (my problem with buying more expensive fish being that good beef steaks start looking much more appealing at those prices :lol).

 

[zam]

walleye is the best fish for fish fry, sadly most places will just use cheap cod but there is one place in Wisconsin that I always go to when I'm there that uses walleye and it's delicious.

 

[tnw]

My new beauty (thanks Amazon!):

Can't wait to try making real hash browns

I have one of those too! I really like using it.

walleye is delicious too! my dad used to catch and we would do a fresh fish fry.

and nakedsushi, nien gao are used in korean food too I think. I've had something similar anyway, many I love them. They sell them in a spicy sauce at street vendors in korea. yum.

 

[slidewinder]

Walleye's basically the freshwater fish equivalent of platinum-encrusted diamonds :lol Don't make us land-locked motherfuckers hurt!

 

[Xisiqomelir]

I have one of those too! I really like using it.

Holy fuck it is the greatest thing.

My breakfasts are going to be so awesome from now on

 

[electricpirate]

sadly, the biggest obstacle between the home cook and a nice loaf of home baked bread isn't the technique, but the tools. home ovens are just not designed to turn out a great artisanal loaf. the "no-knead bread" recipes get around this by baking it in a dutch oven, but for the large part, if you don't have a brick/clay oven capable of holding extremely high heats without cycling ala a conventional oven, your bread will never be the same as a great bakery's.

Not sure that I totally agree, With the high moisture dutch oven method you can get damn close. Alternatively you can par bake, then crisp the crust after the loaf cools. If you load your oven with enough heat soaking stuff you can keep the heat extremely consistent.

There are also some types of bread that don't even need that kind of heat (Brioche, Challah, rolls, sandwich loaves).

Baking these loaves at home has other advantages too, you can customize the bread. Add a little olive oil, salt the top, or just turn the dough into pizza (which was delicious ).

I just think making bread at home is an easy way to eat better and more cheaply, and if done properly doesn't take crazy effort, you can have great results without spending a fortune.

 

[beelzebozo]

Not sure that I totally agree, With the high moisture dutch oven method you can get damn close. Alternatively you can par bake, then crisp the crust after the loaf cools. If you load your oven with enough heat soaking stuff you can keep the heat extremely consistent.

There are also some types of bread that don't even need that kind of heat (Brioche, Challah, rolls, sandwich loaves).

Baking these loaves at home has other advantages too, you can customize the bread. Add a little olive oil, salt the top, or just turn the dough into pizza (which was delicious ).

I just think making bread at home is an easy way to eat better and more cheaply, and if done properly doesn't take crazy effort, you can have great results without spending a fortune.

a lot of this is true. i actually posted pictures of both a nice challah and the no-knead bread i made earlier in this thread. i'm actually referring to this, from on food and cooking:

Until the middle of the 19th century bread was baked in clay, stone, or brick ovens that were preheated by a wood fire. . . The oven surfaces start out at 700-900 fahrenheit/350-450 celsius, the domed roof radiating its stored heat from above, the floor conducting heat directly into the loaves from beneath. . . The result is a rapid initial heating that encourages the dough to expand, and temperatures high enough to dry the crust well and generate the color and flavors of the browning reactions.

The modern metal oven is certainly easier to bake in than the wood-fired oven, but it isn't as ideally suited to breadmaking. It usually has a maximum cooking temperature of ~500 fahrenheit/250 celsius, and its thin walls are incapable of storing much heat, so its temperature is maintained by means of gas flames or electric elements that get red hot. . . Because they are vented to allow the escape of combustion gases, gas ovens don't retain the loaves' steam well during the early stage. Electric ovens do a better job. Some of the advantages of traditional baking can be used through the use of ceramic baking stones

so yeah, some of that is true. the dutch oven baking definitely fixes some of those problems. but modern bakeries actually use ovens that pump steam into the bread oven, almost supercharging the whole process. i agree that home bread baking is a worthwhile endeavor, though.

 

[electricpirate]

so yeah, some of that is true. the dutch oven baking definitely fixes some of those problems. but modern bakeries actually use ovens that pump steam into the bread oven, almost supercharging the whole process. i agree that home bread baking is a worthwhile endeavor, though.

I really need to pick up the McGee book, so much good info in there.

 

[nakedsushi]

and nakedsushi, nien gao are used in korean food too I think. I've had something similar anyway, many I love them. They sell them in a spicy sauce at street vendors in korea. yum.

You're right! I think it's called dduk in Korean. I've had the spicy sauce ones and they're delicious, but I can never finish the whole thing before I wuss out.

 

[electricpirate]

Flo, do you strain and re-use the oil, or dump it after the frying?

Looks delicious BTW, I've been eating for a new Tilapia recipe.

 

[Star Power]

a flourless chocolate cake w/ fresh whipped cream, taken from the zuni recipe:

could you share the recipe for this?

 

[Flo_Evans]

What about tilapia do you like more than catfish? The two times I have bought tilapia it was much "fishier" (stronger-smelling, and not in an appetizing way) than the catfish I have bought from the same place, and the second time I tried it, it had a downright muddy flavor even after having been deep-fried and doused with lemon. Granted that catfish isn't the cleanest, sweetest of fishes, but I've really been put off from tilapia after these experiences.

Farmed and advertised as fresh (not previously frozen) in both cases, the two being the cheap choices alongside the better wild stuff (my problem with buying more expensive fish being that good beef steaks start looking much more appealing at those prices :lol).

Catfish is pretty greasy and the flesh is a bit mushier. Its a bitch to fillet properly and get all the skin off. Tilapia will eat whatever you feed it so you might of just gotten some that was raised on a bad farm. You may be able to get slightly fresher catfish though as everytime I go to the market there is a line of people buying catfish and I am the only one getting talapia. :lol

And yeah electricpirate I strain the oil and re-use it a couple of times. For some reason oil thats been used a little tastes better than fresh oil.

Last night I did the milk+hotsauce dip before breading, gave it a nice little extra kick.

 

[beelzebozo]

both tilapia and catfish, i find, are great for frying if that's what you're going for. i think catfish is definitely a bit "fishier," so to speak, but i don't mind a little fishy musk when it comes to fried fish applications. i mean, christ, i'm eating fish--fishiness is what i came for!

 

[Star Power]

You should try whiting:

The best fried-fish IMO. I prefer my tilapia baked.

 

[Flo_Evans]

Whiting is good, but you can only get it frozen whole around here. Thawing it out and getting all the bones out is too much of a pain for me. I am an extremely lazy cook.

 

[smirkrevenge]

Star Power: I got the recipe here.

 

[Star Power]

Awesome, what kind (brand) of chocolate did you use?

 

[smirkrevenge]

Ghiradelli.

 

[Zyzyxxz]

beef stir fry and scrambled eggs with spam cubes and onions tonight.

 

[Razorwind]

OO the beef rice looks very nice! =D Are you from asia by chance? Looks like the good old stuff i always used to have as a boy in Hong Kong =D

 

[smirkrevenge]

just bought some marrow bones.

plan to roast them tonight and serve with bread. anyone have any good recipes for that? or should i just simply roast them and serve with parsley salad a la fergus?

 

[nakedsushi]

just bought some marrow bones.

plan to roast them tonight and serve with bread. anyone have any good recipes for that? or should i just simply roast them and serve with parsley salad a la fergus?

I saw a recipe on slashfood about it yesterday, what a concidence: http://www.slashfood.com/2008/02/28/south-western-roasted-bone-marrow-and-spicy-parsley-salad-p2/

 

[aznpxdd]

OO the beef rice looks very nice! =D Are you from asia by chance? Looks like the good old stuff i always used to have as a boy in Hong Kong =D

He's from US. That second plate was for me.

BTW, the first post on this page...is very NSFW.

 

[electricpirate]

just bought some marrow bones.

plan to roast them tonight and serve with bread. anyone have any good recipes for that? or should i just simply roast them and serve with parsley salad a la fergus?

Foodwishes.com (great food video blog) just had a recipe about it last week, You should put it in a bacon bowl! :lol

http://foodwishes.blogspot.com/2008/02/im-not-fat-im-big-boned.html

 

[OnkelC]

So many wonderful new dishes, I'm amazed!

Thanks to you all for sharing.

My diet has improved recently, but I don't know the restaurant owners good enough to take pics by now. this will change in a short time, be prepared to see some interesting stuff...

 

[tnw]

I bought some wheetabix today. We don't really have them in the US, so I thought I would give them a try.

I was glad that they aren't sweetened, so I put one in some pumpkin soup I had. It was quite tasty actually.

anyone have some interesting ideas for what to do with wheetabix?

 

[Jake.]

I bought some wheetabix today. We don't really have them in the US, so I thought I would give them a try.

I was glad that they aren't sweetened, so I put one in some pumpkin soup I had. It was quite tasty actually.

anyone have some interesting ideas for what to do with wheetabix?

are you talking about the cereal. you put it in...soup?!

 

[tnw]

are you talking about the cereal. you put it in...soup?!

yeah. it wasn't sweetened. The soup was a little too watery, and it gave it a nice texture.

try it some time!

vegemite with goat cheese, and gets similar reactions from australians.

 

[Jake.]

yeah. it wasn't sweetened. The soup was a little too watery, and it gave it a nice texture.

try it some time!

vegemite with goat cheese, and gets similar reactions from australians.

i don't know why people would think that was weird, vegemite is often eaten with cheese.

 

[OnkelC]

Food schedule for this weekend:

Spaetzle w/salad tonight

some orangey ragout tomorrow.

 

[nakedsushi]

I went out with the parents tonight for some SPICY szechwan food.

Appetizers: (a veggie plate, and a deliciously spicy meat plate)

Mains: (mapo tofu and mouth-numbingly spicy chicken)

 

[Grecco]

I had the privalage of trying MaPo Tofu last year. Soo good but my Colon probably never recovered. :lol

 

[Zyzyxxz]

I had the privalage of trying MaPo Tofu last year. Soo good but my Colon probably never recovered. :lol

you can try making it yourself but just not as spicy or not spicy at all.

for what I would do.

1 block of silken (soft) tofu do not use normal or hard tofu
-cut the tofu into a 1/2 inch chunks maybe a little bigger because they will break as they cook.
a handful of ground pork/chicken
green onions with the ground parts cut in 1 inch long strips

for the sauce

2 parts soy sauce
1 part oyster sauce
optional: a little bit of chili oil

if you want a stickier consistency add a spoon or two of corn starch dissolved into a little water when almost dont cooking.

 

[OnkelC]

nakedsushi, legendary pics as ever! And wonderful looking dishes too.

Thank you for sharing. What were the sides on the meat plate?

 

[nakedsushi]

you can try making it yourself but just not as spicy or not spicy at all.

But what's the fun of that??

I think the tricky thing about mapo tofu is that if you have the authentic version, because it's kind of numbing, you don't realize how spicy it is until it's too late.

I make mine at home like Zyzyxxz's recipe, but I add in some freshly ground szechwan peppercorn (yay, they're no longer illegal in the US) to give it the numbing taste.

 

[nakedsushi]

nakedsushi, legendary pics as ever! And wonderful looking dishes too.

Thank you for sharing. What were the sides on the meat plate?

Thanks. The meat plate was brined chicken feet, slices of cured spicy meat (beef?), and slices of congealed pig ear. Sounds disgusting, but it's actually pretty tasty.

I think I'm paying for all the spicy food this morning though. Luckily, I drank some herbal tea last night to combat it and it seems to help. I think it could have been MUCH worse, if you know what I mean :lol

 

[ari]

I thought those were fingers or something. :/

Oh, i have a killer chilli bacon cheeseburger i whipped up yesterday. posting it soon.

 

[nakedsushi]

I thought those were fingers or something. :/

They are fingers -- chicken fingers =)

 

[Xisiqomelir]

Pre-Birthday dinner cooked alone and eaten by myself, to guarantee satisfaction in case next week turns out a disaster! :lol

Garlic mashed potatoes dusted with red pepper, Baconsparagus

Spoiler

(Asparacon?)

bundles with quail's eggs and a medium rare ribeye steak.

Also guys, OnkelC is totally right about the lighting making the photo. Check out the operating-room sterile version of this picture w/ normal room lights+flash. Now I just have to figure out why the main pic lost focus.

 

[electricpirate]

Looks delicious. For your camera, Try stabilizing somewhere (tripod, desk ect) when taking the shot in low light/no flash. Your shutter is open longer and little shakes will mess up the focus.

Still too cold in NY for asparagus, I'm jealous

 

[rocksolidaudio]

i don't remember if i've ever actually contributed anything to this beautiful thread in which i lurk all the time. here's some chicken-mushroom curry over rice:

 

[Zyzyxxz]

i don't remember if i've ever actually contributed anything to this beautiful thread in which i lurk all the time. here's some chicken-mushroom curry over rice:

wow, as a lover of curry I gotta say that looks good.

I have not made curry in quite some time, the roux I have in my shelves are just collected dust, now that you remind me I think I will make some in the next few days.

But what's the fun of that??

I think the tricky thing about mapo tofu is that if you have the authentic version, because it's kind of numbing, you don't realize how spicy it is until it's too late.

I make mine at home like Zyzyxxz's recipe, but I add in some freshly ground szechwan peppercorn (yay, they're no longer illegal in the US) to give it the numbing taste.

I dont know about numbing spiciness, personally I like my ma-po tofu spicy but sometimes when I cook for others I gotta put their tastes into consideration.

Also I did not realize szechwan peppercorns were illegal for a while. My family comes from the southern parts of China so we don't cook spicy foods much at all.

I think in the next week I will try making some claypot steamed rice for you guys, pretty simple and quite open-ended in terms of ingredients. Also some Tantan Ramen most likely coming up as well since I like to get a little more out of my ramen.

 

[Keen]

But what's the fun of that??

I think the tricky thing about mapo tofu is that if you have the authentic version, because it's kind of numbing, you don't realize how spicy it is until it's too late.

I make mine at home like Zyzyxxz's recipe, but I add in some freshly ground szechwan peppercorn (yay, they're no longer illegal in the US) to give it the numbing taste.

Wait what? Szechuan pepper was illegal in the US? Why? That's crazy :lol