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IronGAF Cookoff (hosted by OnkelC)
- Thread starter OnkelC
- Start date
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Eh, tonight my camera suddenly wanted to work again.... and I only have reheated Spaghetti aglio e olio to offer. Ah well.
The red stuff betwixt the noodles is a bunch of cocktail tomatoes that were at the wrong place at the wrong time.
Quick & tasty. I like "simple" food. I just wish I hadn't misjudged the portions the first time around, reheated it's only 50% as delicious.
The red stuff betwixt the noodles is a bunch of cocktail tomatoes that were at the wrong place at the wrong time.
Quick & tasty. I like "simple" food. I just wish I hadn't misjudged the portions the first time around, reheated it's only 50% as delicious.
nakedsushi
Member
tnw said:have you ever had bakudan (explosion) domburi?
No, but that sounds delicious. It has everything I like in it! I'm a bit scared of why it's named an explosion donbori.
Also OnkelC, that bratwurst looks great! I love a good sausage =D
wow GAF is really stepping up its game! Impressive. Let me take you on a little culinary journey that I like to call: Livin' it up, flo-style in sunny Florida.
We arrive. Beach house is über alles. Upon seeing the kitchen, we knew what must be done!
All matching Kitchenaid appliances, surrounded by the very best marble or granite or whatever.
1st things 1st, we got some fresh fruit from a guy selling it from his rusted out van on the side of the road. Nice for the ladies, but we men wanted some meat. Red meat.
We got some flank steak from the local Publix grocery store. A+ store, don't know about the rest but the one by our yuppie beach community was on its game. The deli guy spent a full 30 min slicing up our cheese and sausage (not pictured opps!).
We marinated our kabobs in olive oil, soy sauce and some McCormick brand "meat seasoning" was the bomb with the fruit and a nice red we got. A good trick I learned form my boy Alton Brown is: squeeze all the air out of your plastic ziploc marinade baggie when you are in a hurry, and the vacuum will force the marinade into the meat.
After we had satisfied our craving for cows blood, and since it was friday and we had catholics with us, we went to the local fish shop.
That was a pound and a half of fresh steamed cajun shrimp, still warm. I went into frenzy mode and almost ate it all before I remembered to snap a pic. They also supplied us with some of their house made cocktail sauce, made with salsa in it instead of just hot sauce. I am stealing that trick.
We then asked the fish man what cut he was going to take home for himself tonight. His answer: amber jack. I had never had it but as you can see it looks like jesus in fish form. They also gave us a tub of their house fish seasoning, no idea what was in it but now I wish I had some more!
We went crazy and actually set the table for this. Some safron rice and asparagus rounds out the plate with a nice bottle of the local brew to wash it down. I kind of fucked up on my flaking the fish all pretty for the camera, but at this point I was drooling and ready to grab it with my hands and go all NOM NOM NOM on its ass.
Hung over and tired we headed over to the "World Famous Pickles" in Seaside for lunch. They filmed the Truman Show here! I always thought it was a set. If you have never had a deep fried pickle then my friend, you don't know what you are missing.
We went back to the fish market this time with tuna on our minds. Rolled it in sesame seeds, a quick sear on the grill and we DID go all NOM NOM NOM on this with our hands. Dipped it in some soy sauce. I don't know if I can order tuna thats been shipped around frozen in a truck anymore
Just when I thought to myself. Damn. This was the best vacation ever. We ended up missing our flight home due to an unfortunate daylight savings mishap and had to rent a car to drive home 750 miles. We stopped at Krystal (I am sorry this is no White Castle, avoid at all cost) and I immediately felt queasy. I couldn't even finish my combo meal.
Several hours later I stopped at a Tennessee trucker dude stop. Whoa. Whoa. The place stunk. Against my better judgment I got a "Roast Beef" with "Cheddar" on "Sourdough". As I paid my $3.79 I overheard some trucker in a self monologue lamenting how he couldn't get an advance on his check because "they" would know he was here. Then as I left what looked to be a 50 year old chinese woman solicited me for a "massage". I quickly put 2 and 2 together and should of just thrown the sandwich on the ground right then and there, but I was curious to just how nasty this thing would be... I was not disappointed.
Yes that is the color. No photoshop. Try and imagine the smell. I almost didn't want to post this and make everyone gag after all the good food I had, but hey, it was part of the journey. I didn't eat it. Thank god I had some dorritos.
OK thats it! whew. Time to hit the sack. I hope you enjoyed this as much as I did!
We arrive. Beach house is über alles. Upon seeing the kitchen, we knew what must be done!
All matching Kitchenaid appliances, surrounded by the very best marble or granite or whatever.
1st things 1st, we got some fresh fruit from a guy selling it from his rusted out van on the side of the road. Nice for the ladies, but we men wanted some meat. Red meat.
We got some flank steak from the local Publix grocery store. A+ store, don't know about the rest but the one by our yuppie beach community was on its game. The deli guy spent a full 30 min slicing up our cheese and sausage (not pictured opps!).
We marinated our kabobs in olive oil, soy sauce and some McCormick brand "meat seasoning" was the bomb with the fruit and a nice red we got. A good trick I learned form my boy Alton Brown is: squeeze all the air out of your plastic ziploc marinade baggie when you are in a hurry, and the vacuum will force the marinade into the meat.
After we had satisfied our craving for cows blood, and since it was friday and we had catholics with us, we went to the local fish shop.
That was a pound and a half of fresh steamed cajun shrimp, still warm. I went into frenzy mode and almost ate it all before I remembered to snap a pic. They also supplied us with some of their house made cocktail sauce, made with salsa in it instead of just hot sauce. I am stealing that trick.
We then asked the fish man what cut he was going to take home for himself tonight. His answer: amber jack. I had never had it but as you can see it looks like jesus in fish form. They also gave us a tub of their house fish seasoning, no idea what was in it but now I wish I had some more!
We went crazy and actually set the table for this. Some safron rice and asparagus rounds out the plate with a nice bottle of the local brew to wash it down. I kind of fucked up on my flaking the fish all pretty for the camera, but at this point I was drooling and ready to grab it with my hands and go all NOM NOM NOM on its ass.
Hung over and tired we headed over to the "World Famous Pickles" in Seaside for lunch. They filmed the Truman Show here! I always thought it was a set. If you have never had a deep fried pickle then my friend, you don't know what you are missing.
We went back to the fish market this time with tuna on our minds. Rolled it in sesame seeds, a quick sear on the grill and we DID go all NOM NOM NOM on this with our hands. Dipped it in some soy sauce. I don't know if I can order tuna thats been shipped around frozen in a truck anymore
Just when I thought to myself. Damn. This was the best vacation ever. We ended up missing our flight home due to an unfortunate daylight savings mishap and had to rent a car to drive home 750 miles. We stopped at Krystal (I am sorry this is no White Castle, avoid at all cost) and I immediately felt queasy. I couldn't even finish my combo meal.
Several hours later I stopped at a Tennessee trucker dude stop. Whoa. Whoa. The place stunk. Against my better judgment I got a "Roast Beef" with "Cheddar" on "Sourdough". As I paid my $3.79 I overheard some trucker in a self monologue lamenting how he couldn't get an advance on his check because "they" would know he was here. Then as I left what looked to be a 50 year old chinese woman solicited me for a "massage". I quickly put 2 and 2 together and should of just thrown the sandwich on the ground right then and there, but I was curious to just how nasty this thing would be... I was not disappointed.
Yes that is the color. No photoshop. Try and imagine the smell. I almost didn't want to post this and make everyone gag after all the good food I had, but hey, it was part of the journey. I didn't eat it. Thank god I had some dorritos.
OK thats it! whew. Time to hit the sack. I hope you enjoyed this as much as I did!
smirkrevenge
Member
went a little easy tonight. bought some fresh crab cakes from central market and paired it with spring mix and edamame salad. so taste!
smirkrevenge
Member
Flo: Haha...thanks for the kind words. Don't know if it's good or bad, but I am neither pro-chef nor pro-photographer. Just enjoy those two as hobbies. I have to admit, I did cheat quite a bit with that dish, as most of those things were pre-bought and I just threw them all together. Pan-fried the crab cakes, and 1, 2, 3...done.
As far as the photography goes, all it takes is a decent DSLR and a 50mm lens, some practice, and you can get those shots just as easily.
So, would it be overkill to post my nutella cake I made afterwards? Fine...I will anyways. :lol This was made from scratch, not pre-made!
As far as the photography goes, all it takes is a decent DSLR and a 50mm lens, some practice, and you can get those shots just as easily.
So, would it be overkill to post my nutella cake I made afterwards?
Fine...I will anyways. :lol This was made from scratch, not pre-made!
smirkrevenge said:So, would it be overkill to post my nutella cake I made afterwards?
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2243/2325438001_61a7a16a55.jpg[IMG][/QUOTE]
I raise you this
[IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v695/th_crazyJ/1385630348_912f39ca4d_o.jpg
A buffet fit for kings, costs about 400 HK dollars ( ~50 USD)
Thriller
Member
Hey guys, ive got a request, Friday the 21st i am asked to cook at a girlfiends place.
I am to make a tunafish salad for two persons that is enough for supper.
is there anyone who can help me out with some ideas or maybe even make one and post pictures that i can use? i'd appreciate it!!
I am to make a tunafish salad for two persons that is enough for supper.
is there anyone who can help me out with some ideas or maybe even make one and post pictures that i can use? i'd appreciate it!!
smirkrevenge said:Flo: Haha...thanks for the kind words. Don't know if it's good or bad, but I am neither pro-chef nor pro-photographer. Just enjoy those two as hobbies. I have to admit, I did cheat quite a bit with that dish, as most of those things were pre-bought and I just threw them all together. Pan-fried the crab cakes, and 1, 2, 3...done.
As far as the photography goes, all it takes is a decent DSLR and a 50mm lens, some practice, and you can get those shots just as easily.
So, would it be overkill to post my nutella cake I made afterwards?
Do you set up lights for your shots too? I have access to a Nikon D70s at work but its usually not around whenever I get the urge to cook. I guess I could spend a bit more time color correcting in photoshop but your lighting looks awesome! Can only polish a turd so much :lol
Twilight Princess
Member
i just want to ask something. there's this green paste in the vegetarian subs in my school's cafeteria. do you guys know what it might be? it's green, and has this fresh taste, kind of like herbs.
Flo_Evans said:
sounds like pesto
Thriller said:
Hmm depends on how fancy you wanna get. Is salad the only thing you are eating?
Personally I do not make salads much but here is what I would do:
-Romaine lettuces chopped into about 1 inch pices
-diced tomatoes
-light mayo based dressing
-topped with some cheese
Smirksrevenge seems to do salads often so better to ask him
Twilight Princess
Member
i don't think it is. it's a really fine green paste and i'm sure there's no garlic in it. it's kind of like avocado and some herb. the taste (and smell) is very mild but goes perfectly with the veggie.Flo_Evans said:
smirkrevenge
Member
Twilight: Could be a cilantro dressing, or maybe Green Goddess salad dressing?
Zyzyxxz: if i made all that, i don't think i would have the energy to take a picture! :lol
Flo: the only lighting i use is the available light in my kitchen (overhead lights, etc.). if i'm cooking during they day, i place my shots closer to the window, as natural light always makes it looks best. the dreamy, depth-of-field quality of the shots is a Canon 50mm f/1.4 -- great for food and portraits, my primary targets of choice.
Thriller: tunafish salad? hmm...i've only made a seared tuna salad (look through the posts, too lazy to re-post), which is pretty easy, but if your gf isn't into raw...might not be a great idea. i find with salad, a simple vinegarette is the most delicious and the sweet-tang combo goes a long way. there's also a bacon-spinach salad you could try which is really simple.
bacon-spinach salad:
fry up some bacon, chop it up, reserve the hot oil. drizzle bacon pieces and oil over spinach to wilt slightly. careful -- not all the oil! salt, pepper to taste. you should add vinegarette to cut the grease-factor (see below).
another salad combo i have enjoyed as of late:
feta, honeyed pecans, craisins, spring mix. you have the crunch, the sweet, the salty, great, great combo. i have made this for people, and they are surprised at all the disparate flavors working together.
smirkrevenge's salad rules:
1. use fresh ingredients.
2. we eat with our eyes first, so try to include all primary colors in your salad.
3. avocado - who doesn't love avocado? creamy, healthy, and a nice texture difference with all the other crispness.
4. use cheese sparingly - for a hint of flavor, not overkill. freshly grated parmesan works best (for me).
smirkrevenge's simple vinegarette (probably stolen from a million other recipes...and apologies for no amounts...adjust according to taste):
extra virgin olive oil
some good balsamic vinegar
kosher salt
freshly ground pepper
whole grain mustard
chopped shallots
honey
shake it around, and voila. i've seen other suggestions including red pepper flakes or tabasco, depending on your tolerance to spice level.
Zyzyxxz: if i made all that, i don't think i would have the energy to take a picture! :lol
Flo: the only lighting i use is the available light in my kitchen (overhead lights, etc.). if i'm cooking during they day, i place my shots closer to the window, as natural light always makes it looks best. the dreamy, depth-of-field quality of the shots is a Canon 50mm f/1.4 -- great for food and portraits, my primary targets of choice.
Thriller: tunafish salad? hmm...i've only made a seared tuna salad (look through the posts, too lazy to re-post), which is pretty easy, but if your gf isn't into raw...might not be a great idea. i find with salad, a simple vinegarette is the most delicious and the sweet-tang combo goes a long way. there's also a bacon-spinach salad you could try which is really simple.
bacon-spinach salad:
fry up some bacon, chop it up, reserve the hot oil. drizzle bacon pieces and oil over spinach to wilt slightly. careful -- not all the oil! salt, pepper to taste. you should add vinegarette to cut the grease-factor (see below).
another salad combo i have enjoyed as of late:
feta, honeyed pecans, craisins, spring mix. you have the crunch, the sweet, the salty, great, great combo. i have made this for people, and they are surprised at all the disparate flavors working together.
smirkrevenge's salad rules:
1. use fresh ingredients.
2. we eat with our eyes first, so try to include all primary colors in your salad.
3. avocado - who doesn't love avocado? creamy, healthy, and a nice texture difference with all the other crispness.
4. use cheese sparingly - for a hint of flavor, not overkill. freshly grated parmesan works best (for me).
smirkrevenge's simple vinegarette (probably stolen from a million other recipes...and apologies for no amounts...adjust according to taste):
extra virgin olive oil
some good balsamic vinegar
kosher salt
freshly ground pepper
whole grain mustard
chopped shallots
honey
shake it around, and voila. i've seen other suggestions including red pepper flakes or tabasco, depending on your tolerance to spice level.
smirkrevenge said:
I can tell you had a nice wide lens by the depth of field. Do you have hanging halogen lights? I live in an apartment so I can't fuck around that much. My place is bathed in the constant yellow light of energy saver incandescent bulbs
Maybe I should do what Onkel does and use a halogen desk lamp.
nakedsushi
Member
Veggie burger and potatoes:
nakedsushi
Member
What kind of veggie burgers do they have in Japan? I would think theirs would be better. Some of the veggie burgers taste kind of like dogfood. The one in the pic is one that doesn't taste that meaty, which might be why it's good; it doesn't try too hard to taste like meat.
nakedsushi said:
there aren't any veggie burgers in japan
EDIT: well they do make tofu 'hambaagu' (hamburger steak), which is minced tofu with stuff in it. Unfortunately the 'vegetable' or 'tofu' sounding ones almost always have chicken or some kind of meat in it.
Being vegetarian in Japan is quite difficult I think.
trncekr, welcome to the thread and thank you for the awesome pasta dish! I dig the egg as a "side". Mind sharing the recipe(s)?
nakedsushi, really nice veggie burger. Did you use a slice of eggplant for the patty?
Jacobi, you inspired me to make some frozen breaded fishy goodness tomorrow!:lol To give it some class, I'll make a sesame/cucumber salad as side dish.
nakedsushi, really nice veggie burger. Did you use a slice of eggplant for the patty?
Jacobi, you inspired me to make some frozen breaded fishy goodness tomorrow!:lol To give it some class, I'll make a sesame/cucumber salad as side dish.
smirkrevenge
Member
Flo: I don't have hanging halogen lamps. Just regular lightbulbs. And knowledge of photoshop.
i will combat all this veggie burger talk with...real meat!
since the weather was so nice out yesterday, decided to go by the coast and get some fresh oysters and a tasty burger.
a freshly toasted, buttered bun makes all the difference + some grilled red onions:
forgot to take a picture of the oysters before i gulped them down, but they were mighty tasty:
i will combat all this veggie burger talk with...real meat!
since the weather was so nice out yesterday, decided to go by the coast and get some fresh oysters and a tasty burger.
a freshly toasted, buttered bun makes all the difference + some grilled red onions:
forgot to take a picture of the oysters before i gulped them down, but they were mighty tasty:
nakedsushi
Member
OnkelC said:
No, it's a store-bought veggie patty:
I love eggplant, but I'm not a fan of grilled eggplant for some reason. It gets too dry for me.
also yummy! if we weren't invited to a birthday party tonight, I'd have started the grill season too!smirkrevenge said:i will combat all this veggie burger talk with...real meat!
since the weather was so nice out yesterday, decided to go by the coast and get some fresh oysters and a tasty burger.
a freshly toasted, buttered bun makes all the difference + some grilled red onions:
DarkJediKnight
Member
OnkelC said:also yummy! if we weren't invited to a birthday party tonight, I'd have started the grill season too!
nakedsushi
Member
You guys and your meaty burgers *drool*
I've found that what makes a good burger even better is if you put the slice of cheese on the bottom, right on top of the bottom bun. Supposedly since that's where your tastebuds touch when you eat the burger, it makes it taste better that way. I'm not sure if that's why it tastes good, but it does make a difference.
I've found that what makes a good burger even better is if you put the slice of cheese on the bottom, right on top of the bottom bun. Supposedly since that's where your tastebuds touch when you eat the burger, it makes it taste better that way. I'm not sure if that's why it tastes good, but it does make a difference.
lordg
Member
I'm not much of a cook, but here's my contribution to the thread. A nice simple bacon and egg sandwich for breakfast.
Fry the egg.
Fry the bacon.
Put them together.
Done!
For more recipes with step by step photo instructions, you can check out my site at http://www.cookskills.com. It's brand new and was launched just a month ago, so I would love if you guys submit something, since you all seem to be really good cooks.
Fry the egg.
Fry the bacon.
Put them together.
Done!
For more recipes with step by step photo instructions, you can check out my site at http://www.cookskills.com. It's brand new and was launched just a month ago, so I would love if you guys submit something, since you all seem to be really good cooks.
PrivateRyan
Member
Inspired by this thread, I made my new year's resolution to cook every meal FRESH, no more frozen garbage. I'm finally getting somewhere too! Getting the hang of rustling up some decent grub.
But the main question I have to ask now is... how the hell do you guys take such great pictures of your food?
But the main question I have to ask now is... how the hell do you guys take such great pictures of your food?
rollingstart
Banned
beelzebozo said:this was in cook's illustrated, and they highly recommended it. i love new kitchen gadgets and the influx of techmology (intentional, charming misspelling) into the culinary arts, as well as the chewy corners of brownies, and i thought others here might appreciate this.
the interior walls help ensure even cooking through the middle of whatever you're baking, and--in the case of brownies--also add those chewy edges i love so much. they say it also works well for lasagna, which tends to get a bit goopy in the center, with the caveat that you have to cut down the noodles to fit the pan's labyrinthine structure. personally? i'm scooping one up just to make brownies and pecan bars. the corner pieces are always always always the best.
that is seriously brilliant.
Whenever I make brownies, I always go for the edge ones before anyone in my family.
nakedsushi
Member
lordg said:
Done!
That looks great! All it needs now is a slice of cheese between the eggs and bacon, and some mayo on the bread!
PrivateRyan said:Inspired by this thread, I made my new year's resolution to cook every meal FRESH, no more frozen garbage. I'm finally getting somewhere too! Getting the hang of rustling up some decent grub.
But the main question I have to ask now is... how the hell do you guys take such great pictures of your food?
is that resolution because you eat too much microwaved frozen food or you dont like to freeze your meats? Unless you are a vegetarian then that would make sense. Otherwise for normal cooking it would be a pain in the ass to buy your meats and being forced to use em before they go bad sitting in the fridge.
Anyway my contribution for the week:
Curry made by me, broccoli by housemate.
It is final exams week so I have been relying on quick food and this was one of the few hot meals I have been eating. Good thing about curry is the leftovers are good for a quick but hearty meal along with some rice of course.
beelzebozo
Jealous Bastard
Linkzg said:
the really cool part is that the same principle can be applied to any baked good that is better at the edges. i like to make pecan bars--pictured below--and the edge pieces always get more caramelization on the pecan filling, almost setting up like a chewier toffee.
that pan proves that the future is now
congrats to that resolution! best of luck to keep it up, it's worth going the distance IMHO.PrivateRyan said:Inspired by this thread, I made my new year's resolution to cook every meal FRESH, no more frozen garbage. I'm finally getting somewhere too! Getting the hang of rustling up some decent grub.
But the main question I have to ask now is... how the hell do you guys take such great pictures of your food?
picture-wise, key is a small tripod for the camera, long exposure time, USE NO FLASH!
Fun on Sunday:
For all you wannabe Pizza makers (including myself), the classic Pizza Napoletana has been approved as a "regional speciality" within the European Union, giving it a similar rank as Champagne from France or German Beer.
This also means that a product that calls itself "Pizza Napoletana" from now on has to be made according to this standard; otherwise, one could be prosecuted for false labelling.
Here's the press blurb (source):
Yeah, right.
PRO LEGAL TIP FOR EU RESIDENTS: Just call your Pizza "Napoli" in the future to avoid the wrath of the EU inspectors
.Here's the complete EU document, including the full recipe as well as some history of the Pizza:
http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=OJ:C:2008:040:0017:0025:EN:PDF
Same in German:
http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=OJ:C:2008:040:0017:0025:DE:PDF
Enjoy. And discuss.
Zyzyxxz said:
speaking of broccoli, I've found this little guy perfect for instant, perfect steamed broccoli
put a tablespoon of water in the bottom, put in the broccoli florets, 90 seconds in the microwave, and you've got awesome broccoli.
I use it for making pasta in the microwave too. just fill the tub without the strainer part in it with water and pasta, water and pasta in, 10 or so minutes in the microwave, strain with strainer part, awesome way to make a single portion of pasta really fast.
(they also make a steamer type thing like this for mantou and gyouza)
OnkelC said:
You sure about the latter? Our politicians sat on their thumbs and didn't get a TSG on German beer, last time I checked. They didn't even get a PDO or PGI... There's a bunch of PGI's on bavarian/Munich/etc brews, but that is by far not the same as a full-blown TSG.
Sayeth http://ec.europa.eu/agriculture/foodqual/quali1_en.htm :
Basically, I could be part of the bavarian brewers association and outsource 95% of my beer brewing to Timbuktu, yet I could still call the resulting beer bavarian beer, as long as I conformed to a few very loose specs...
I could be wrong, and I'm high on Medinait (Nyquil equivalent) right now, but that's the way I remember this stuff. Feel free to correct me, as I'd love to be wrong on this particular issue.
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