Support NeoGAF

[capslock]

jet1911, nice and simple dish! did you use the marinade as a sauce base? +1 cred for serving the meat with pasta, it's the connoisseurs choice...:lol


sure! how many people do you have to cater, how many meat eaters/vegans and anything else worth noting for the guests and their tastes?

cooking schedule for the weekend: tonight will be white asparagus with new potatoes and classic sides, and for the Eurovision chanson thingie some Mettbrötchen and cheese cubes
We also bought some pastry for the afternoon.

Tomorrow will be a simple pasta with homemade tomato sauce. Stay tuned and share your stuff, folks!

Onkel, I expect about 30 people, with maybe 10% (3-4) of them being vegan. Right now I want to keep it simple, burgers, chicken, and a salad. And I am thinking of store bought burgers so there's less hassle, but is there a way I can jazz them up? As for chicken, I am thinking of using an Indian Tikka marinade so that it's not your typical bbq chicken.

 

[sprsk]

nice sporsk. looks tasty

looks like momen tofu? I really like yakidofu in stir fry dishes like that. It's aesthetically pleasing, plus it tends to crumble less (not that that's a bad thing in mabo dishes)

did you use cook-do?

I'll be having a couple people over tomorrow to have gyoza and pajeon (chijimi) making party. There's a place that sells gluten burger down the street from me, so it'll be vegetarian. what else should I fill my gyoza with gaf? I made goya gyoza before and they were pretty good, but not everyone might like that.

Kimendofu actually. Yeah still cookdo, (I really need to learn how to make from scratch) but I altered my recipe a little by putting in a little moyashi. They really absorb the flavor well.

 

[OnkelC]

sp0rsk, great contribution! Keep it coming.

Onkel, I expect about 30 people, with maybe 10% (3-4) of them being vegan. Right now I want to keep it simple, burgers, chicken, and a salad. And I am thinking of store bought burgers so there's less hassle, but is there a way I can jazz them up? As for chicken, I am thinking of using an Indian Tikka marinade so that it's not your typical bbq chicken.

marinated chicken is a good start. The maple/mustard marinade that jet1911 posted would also make a great taste for chicken.

Concerning the burgers, I would not spice them before BBQ, salt before roasting will make them dehydrate and loose their juicyness.

As a nice touch, you could shop for some Tsatsiki (greek yoghurt/cucumber/garlic dip) that's a treat to anything grilled. I'd also add a german touch and make some bratwursts as well.

For the vegan crowd, do they eat mushrooms? If so, you could buy a couple of giant mushrooms, remove the stem and fill them with a paste from garlic, salt, pepper, oregano, rosemary and a bit of olive oil. put them on the grill and let them roast along for a couple of minutes, tastes great.

 

[OnkelC]

OT:
I'm watching the movie Tampopo for the 100000th time right now as the wife is peeling the asparagus
It's a movie everybody with a remote interest in cooking should watch at least one time in his/her life. Here's a small excerpt, the famous "Omurice" scene:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a-GFimGcYJw

The movie has gotten a re-release in Japan a couple of months back, make sure to get any version you can get a hold of:

http://www.dvdbeaver.com/film/DVDReview/tampopo.htm

 

[nakedsushi]

I'll be having a couple people over tomorrow to have gyoza and pajeon (chijimi) making party. There's a place that sells gluten burger down the street from me, so it'll be vegetarian. what else should I fill my gyoza with gaf? I made goya gyoza before and they were pretty good, but not everyone might like that.

I've only made vegan dumplings/gyoza before, but here's what I had for fillings:
bean thread (the clear noodles)
baked tofu (the really firm one that's dark brown on the outside)
cabbage
a bit of the green part of green onions

I just cooked the bean thread and cabbage in boiling water till they're almost done, then combine all the ingredients in the food processor to chop it up.

Since yours is vegetarian, you can put in some egg as a binder so that the filling isn't so loose.

 

[jet1911]

sp0rsk, great contribution! Keep it coming.


marinated chicken is a good start. The maple/mustard marinade that jet1911 posted would also make a great taste for chicken.

It really does.

 

[trancekr]

Once again, I made some italian dishes - Tuna Pasta & Braised Artichokes

 

[HoTHiTTeR]

Did anyone happen to catch Iron Chef America tonight? There was an episode where they mixed teams; Flay w/ Morimoto and Batini w/ Sakai. Anyway, Sakai made some some Potato Strings/Noodles that he wrapped around Langostino and pan fried.

My Question; He used a hand crank slicer/grader that created these strings for him. Alton Brown mentioned that it was a Japanese tool of some type. I failed to find anything on Amazon.com, does anyone have an idea what I need to look for?

 

[OnkelC]

trancekr, really nice pictures! thanks for sharing. Recipe would be nice.

Did anyone happen to catch Iron Chef America tonight? There was an episode where they mixed teams; Flay w/ Morimoto and Batini w/ Sakai. Anyway, Sakai made some some Potato Strings/Noodles that he wrapped around Langostino and pan fried.

My Question; He used a hand crank slicer/grader that created these strings for him. Alton Brown mentioned that it was a Japanese tool of some type. I failed to find anything on Amazon.com, does anyone have an idea what I need to look for?

Hi, it's not a japanese tool IIRC, they are called spiral fry cutters:
http://www.akitchen.com/store/spiral-fry-cutter.html
I am sure there are cheaper options around, they can be had for around 30EUR in Europe.

 

[OnkelC]

Pastry for coffee, Streusel cake and custard pretzel:

White asparagus for dinner (sides were hollandaise, potatoes and cooked ham):

Enjoy.

 

[HoTHiTTeR]

trancekr, really nice pictures! thanks for sharing. Recipe would be nice.


Hi, it's not a japanese tool IIRC, they are called spiral fry cutters:
http://www.akitchen.com/store/spiral-fry-cutter.html
I am sure there are cheaper options around, they can be had for around 30EUR in Europe.

YES! only I think his was plastic. I'm going to go hunting for one tomorrow. Thanks for the help OnkelC!

 

[Blablurn]

my parents arrived from greece and they brought me some lukomades

i love greek desserts

 

[tnw]

I've only made vegan dumplings/gyoza before, but here's what I had for fillings:
bean thread (the clear noodles)
baked tofu (the really firm one that's dark brown on the outside)
cabbage
a bit of the green part of green onions

I just cooked the bean thread and cabbage in boiling water till they're almost done, then combine all the ingredients in the food processor to chop it up.

Since yours is vegetarian, you can put in some egg as a binder so that the filling isn't so loose.

So the gyoza and pajeon turned out great!

reference pictures (not mine)

pajeon

gyoza

For the gyoza we used nira onions, gluten burger, and some maitake mushrooms

For the pajeon we used.....nira onions, some maitake mushrooms (lol), and some daikon kimchee that I had on hand (kakuteki). We ought some special pajeon/okonomiyaki flour that also came with a nice dipping sauce (tare) for the pajeon. It was quite nice, and we used it also for the gyoza.

this was my first time making pajeon, and it was really fun. I used a teflon pan, and after one side of it picked, I wrist flicked the pan to make the pajeon flip in the pan

we also bought some brie cheese and a little shinkenbrot that we toasted and ate with the cheese. The rest of the guys drank beer and we all had some of the 1.5 liter bottle of green tea.

 

[capslock]

sp0rsk, great contribution! Keep it coming.


marinated chicken is a good start. The maple/mustard marinade that jet1911 posted would also make a great taste for chicken.

Concerning the burgers, I would not spice them before BBQ, salt before roasting will make them dehydrate and loose their juicyness.

As a nice touch, you could shop for some Tsatsiki (greek yoghurt/cucumber/garlic dip) that's a treat to anything grilled. I'd also add a german touch and make some bratwursts as well.

For the vegan crowd, do they eat mushrooms? If so, you could buy a couple of giant mushrooms, remove the stem and fill them with a paste from garlic, salt, pepper, oregano, rosemary and a bit of olive oil. put them on the grill and let them roast along for a couple of minutes, tastes great.

Onkel, sounds great, especially the tsatsiki and mushrooms recs, thanks!

 

[SRG01]

This thread makes me feel better as I'm here in my cubicle eating campus food.

I do have a question though: is there a better way to thicken up a curry aside from evaporating most of the water content? I tried a little corn starch, but it didn't do anything. For reference, I'm using some curry paste mixed with coconut milk. Perhaps mixing curry paste with less coconut milk to get the right consistency first before adding it to the saucepan?

 

[capslock]

This thread makes me feel better as I'm here in my cubicle eating campus food.

I do have a question though: is there a better way to thicken up a curry aside from evaporating most of the water content? I tried a little corn starch, but it didn't do anything. For reference, I'm using some curry paste mixed with coconut milk. Perhaps mixing curry paste with less coconut milk to get the right consistency first before adding it to the saucepan?

Well, I prefer evaporating the water as it concentrates the flavour better, but if you insist on adding something I would recommend adding some sort of pureed vegetable that has a fairly neutral flavour, perhaps pureed butternut squash or green papaya?

 

[SRG01]

Well, I prefer evaporating the water as it concentrates the flavour better, but if you insist on adding something I would recommend adding some sort of pureed vegetable that has a fairly neutral flavour, perhaps pureed butternut squash or green papaya?

Butternut squash is neutral? It's fairly sweet tasting to me.

 

[nakedsushi]

What's pajeon? Is it like okonomiyaki? That would be tasty with kimchi.

 

[AirBrian]

Chicken Paprikash

Chicken:

2 lbs chicken pieces (with or without bones)
1 medium onion, chopped finely
2 tablespoons margarine
2 tablespoons sweet Hungarian paprika
1 teaspoon hot Hungarian paprika (optional, but recommended)
1/2 teaspoon salt
black pepper, to taste (about 1/2 teaspoon)
2-3 cups chicken broth or stock

1 cup (8 oz) sour cream (do not get the fat free type)
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

Dumplings:

2 cups all-purpose flour
3 eggs, room temperature
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup lukewarm water

In a large skillet, cook onion in butter until tender.

Stir in paprikas and mix well.

Add chicken pieces and lightly brown.

Add broth (or stock) until chicken pieces are covered.

Add salt & pepper. Cook, covered, for 30 minutes.

Remove chicken and keep warm.

In separate bowl, mix sour cream and flour. Slowly add 1/2 cup chicken juice. Mix well.

Slowly add mixture into remaining juices while whisking.

Put chicken back into pan and reheat slowly. Do not bring to a boil.

I wasn't in the mood to make the dumplings because it takes a bit of time (30-45 minutes), so I just subsituted some hearty pasta. I would've used store-bought dumplings if I could've found them (usually in the frozen section).

Combine the two and you're done!

 

[Zyzyxxz]

that looks tasty AirBrian!

Butternut squash is neutral? It's fairly sweet tasting to me.

grated potatoes or apples?

Apples are used to help sweeten the curry if you like that, maybe enough will thicken it?

.

dam that looks colorful and tasty at the same time. I suppose we won't be seeing much of this when you go over to the UK no?

 

[tnw]

What's pajeon? Is it like okonomiyaki? That would be tasty with kimchi.

aggh, I hate korean food names. In japanese it's called chijimi. But they don't call it that anymore. I think it's called pajeon or buchimgae?

Anyway, it's like okonomiyaki but way better in my opinion. You can find it at pretty much any izakaya here which demonstrates how popular it is here.

so I got a camera!

Here's a food pick for you kind of.

They have these limited time flavor jagariko. They're basil flavored! :9

 

[Tuvoc]

Chicken Paprikash

[Delicious Pictures.]

I can't say that I've ever had Chicken Paprikash with egg noodles. Always had them w/ dumplings. But that looks like an awesome combo. I'm definitely gonna try that next time.

 

[capslock]

Butternut squash is neutral? It's fairly sweet tasting to me.

The green kind then.

 

[ChryZ]

What's pajeon? Is it like okonomiyaki? That would be tasty with kimchi.

Pajeon is scallion (pa) pancake (jeon), so it's kinda like okonomiyaki but with scallion instead of cabbage.

Two years ago I made a pictorial for Haemul Pajeon (korean seafood/scallion pancake with spicy dip) for a previous GAF cooking thread.

Hey and while we're on the subject of kimchi, I also made okonomiyaki ... with kimchi :lol

It's also very delicious to use the "kimchi juice" of a very old batch in pajeon batter. Pajeon is usually a bit bland and a dip is required to spice them up, but kimchi flavored pajeon is just perfect all by itself.

 

[tnw]

nice chryz.

pajeon usually uses nira onions, but I have a feeling they are hard to find outside of east asia (but what do I know)

I use nira in a lot of things, especially korean stuff. I use them in my kimchee fried rice for example. yum yum yum. They're like a flat bladed chive I guess.

 

[tnw]

And here's my tribute to onkel

my asian fusion redux version of the strammer max.

one slice schinkenbrot toasted
some vegemite spread
1 egg
some cubed daikon kimchee (kakuteki)
a spoonful of yogurt
pepper/sanso mix to taste

 

[ChryZ]

pajeon usually uses nira onions

AFAIK nira/韮 just means scallion/leek.

The flat bladed kind is just another variety of it. Is it possible, that they're only popular in Japan? I've watch many Korean/Chinese/Japanese cooking shows and read many recipes ... but actually only saw them once explicitly calling for the flat bladed sort. It was the Japanese show どっちの料理ショー.

 

[tnw]

well, here's a little japanese entry on them. I put 'nira onion' in to google, and my blog post from like 3 years ago was the first hit :lol

http://www2.edu.ipa.go.jp/nicer/cont4_23/cont-edu/e21/gazo2001c1hsa4.jpg.xml

nira are about as common as garlic or bulb onions here.

 

[slider]

Wow. My GF's away til Fri - not only does the flat have to be clean but, I'm guessing, I'll have to have some food in when she returns. For extra points I might attempt AirBrian's Chicken Paprikash. Seems fairly easy. Unless someone has a better idea.

 

[ChryZ]

well, here's a little japanese entry on them. I put 'nira onion' in to google, and my blog post from like 3 years ago was the first hit :lol

http://www2.edu.ipa.go.jp/nicer/cont4_23/cont-edu/e21/gazo2001c1hsa4.jpg.xml

nira are about as common as garlic or bulb onions here.

Oh, man .... I confused negi (scallion) with nira, damn ... I'm rusty

Nira / Chinese Chive

Stronger in flavour than regular chives, there are a number of varieties of nira commonly used in Japanese cuisine, including green nira (known as garlic chives), yellow nira and hananira, which has a flower bud on top of its stalk. Often used to flavour soup or as a garnish, nira stir-fried with liver is another popular way to enjoy this vegetable. Nira contains high levels of carotene and vitamin E, and also aids the body's absorption of vitamin B1.

To be sure, if pajeon is made with scallions or chinese chive I looked up a korean recipe:

http://kitchen.naver.com/recipe/40580

It's calling for scallion/negi.

 

[tnw]

Oh, man .... I confused negi (scallion) with nira, damn ... I'm rusty


To be sure, if pajeon is made with scallions or chinese chive I looked up a korean recipe:

http://kitchen.naver.com/recipe/40580

It's calling for scallion/negi.

interesting. maybe the make it both ways? certainly wouldn't be the first time the japanese altered foods to suit the japanese pallet. I mean they serve thai and indian curries with japanese rice :lol

It might also be that they altered the recipe to accommodate western audiences who don't have access to nira. Do they sell nira in asian supermarkets?

I'm just so used to nira in my pajeon, you assume that's how it's made everywhere.

 

[ChryZ]

It might also be that they altered the recipe to accommodate western audiences who don't have access to nira. Do they sell nira in asian supermarkets?

I'm just so used to nira in my pajeon, you assume that's how it's made everywhere.

Well, naver.com is targeted towards a Korean audience. I doubt, they tweak their recipes for us western folks.

For plain pajeon it might even be a good idea to use nira, since its flavor is more potent than negi.

On the other hand, if you add seafood to your pancake, then negi would be the better choice. It's not going to overpower the seafood that easily.

 

[tnw]

oh,I just realized that last sentence might have sounded rude. I meant one assumes (meaning me), not you.

>_> <_<

 

[ChryZ]

oh,I just realized that last sentence might have sounded rude. I meant one assumes (meaning me), not you.

>_> <_<

No worries

Spoiler

Your dutch friend is rubbing off on you, huh?

 

[AirBrian]

that looks tasty AirBrian!

Oh, it is! I can't wait for the leftovers tonight!

I can't say that I've ever had Chicken Paprikash with egg noodles. Always had them w/ dumplings. But that looks like an awesome combo. I'm definitely gonna try that next time.

Yeah, I almost always have it with dumplings too, but like I said, I was feeling a bit lazy. :lol It was still very good, but I do like the dumplings better.

Wow. My GF's away til Fri - not only does the flat have to be clean but, I'm guessing, I'll have to have some food in when she returns. For extra points I might attempt AirBrian's Chicken Paprikash. Seems fairly easy. Unless someone has a better idea.

It is really easy and hard to mess up. I do recommend checking on the chicken after 15 or 20 minutes though depending on the thickness of your meat. Also, for the full effect, either make or buy dumplings. She'll be even more impressed!

 

[slider]

It is really easy and hard to mess up. I do recommend checking on the chicken after 15 or 20 minutes though depending on the thickness of your meat. Also, for the full effect, either make or buy dumplings. She'll be even more impressed!

Sweet. I'm gonna do it and I think I'll take pictures too (unless it turns out disastrously!).

 

[tnw]

some more snacks I've been eating recently

stroopwafels!

a ice cream stick. green tea ice cream with red beans and shiratama on the inside ...

 

[Cosmic Bus]

I often shy away from making meals that include less commonplace, versatile ingredients because there's always extras sitting around at the end that I don't know what to do with. At the moment, I've got about a cup each of coconut milk, guava puree and black beans sitting in the fridge left from a batch of sweet glazed pork and rice-and-beans that I had a few days ago. Any suggestions what I could do with some or all of the leftover items?

 

[Zyzyxxz]

make a coconut, guava, bean dip?

LOL, sorry I have no idea.

 

[nakedsushi]

I've been lazy and haven't been posting, so here's a mini-photo dump of what I had for dinner these past few days:

Okonomiyaki! You guys talking about it made me crave it. Since the BF's vegan, we can't really go to a restaurant to get it (most places make them with eggs), so I made my own with batter, cabbage, bean sprouts, green onion, and my own okonomiyaki sauce.

Okay I didn't really make this, but I was craving poke and there's a Bristol Farms near me that has a poke bar! Sweet! I got the spicy tuna poke and the salmon poke. Pretty damn good.

I made some chickpea flatbread, mixed up some spices for za'atar, and then roasted some eggplant to make a spread. It doesn't look pretty, but it tasted good.

The BF made this. Savory beet pancakes with wilted beet greens on top. Fried goodness.

Last but not least, this one store near me carries Hitachino Nest beer! SWEET. The bad part is that they're kind of expensive. They were out of white ale, which is what I usually like, but I bought the red ale to try and it's so flavorful and tasty, I might have a new favorite. If any of you are a fan of microwbrew beers and you see this 'owl beer', you should try it.

 

[nakedsushi]

At the moment, I've got about a cup each of coconut milk, guava puree and black beans sitting in the fridge left from a batch of sweet glazed pork and rice-and-beans that I had a few days ago. Any suggestions what I could do with some or all of the leftover items?

Use the coconut milk, guava puree, some water and a bit of sugar and cook it up with white sticky rice. Tropical rice pudding!

Can't help you with beans. I've never cooked with black beans before =/

 

[BakedPigeon]

Wow I have never been in this thread before, stoned and hungry here.

 

[OnkelC]

Here's one reason why I didn't post a lot of new dishes in the last couple months, my office moved and I was kinda tied up. Anyway, here it is:

I enjoy it. Keep sharing, folks!

 

[tnw]

i spy with my little eye.....BELIEVE :lol

i want one of those.

 

[Shiggie]

I enjoy it. Keep sharing, folks!

Awesome, Awesome to the Max!

 

[Zyzyxxz]

nice office, even better coffee mug

 

[SRG01]

grated potatoes or apples?

Apples are used to help sweeten the curry if you like that, maybe enough will thicken it?

Hmmm. Apples seem like a good idea.

What about pureed onions? Very neutral tasting when cooked and tends to soak up surrounding flavor too.

edit: I have no idea whether this ability remains once pureed.

 

[Zyzyxxz]

Hmmm. Apples seem like a good idea.

What about pureed onions? Very neutral tasting when cooked and tends to soak up surrounding flavor too.

edit: I have no idea whether this ability remains once pureed.

soak up flavor, but don't onions have a high water composition percentage?

 

[layzie1989]

this thread is making me hungry...im gonna go make a grilled cheese sandwich

 

[OnkelC]

this thread is making me hungry...im gonna go make a grilled cheese sandwich

pics and post them please!