Cooking 101

[old_pop2000]

As many of you might know, I was talked into a Cooking 101 class at night school by my wife. I have been cooking since I was 12 or 15, however, my wife wanted me to gain some confidence in the kitchen. It has been a great time. I have learned some new recipes but few techniques. I plan to take some more culturally specific foods like Mediterranean, Far Eastern etc. My wife and I are going to take a desserts class together.

I thought it would be interesting to start a thread on cooking. If the ladies can share recipes, why not the guys. My father-in-law, my dad and all the men on both sides of our family were all good cooks, so it isn't unmanly. Maybe we can share techniques, wine-food pairings, etc. Possibly some of the younger guys, still unmarried might need some help, so here it is. Most of the old guys, except the Commander ;), should be pretty good cooks.

Anyway, I hope this can be fun. Also, I love gourmet coffee and tea, so we can share reviews and such on that subject, as well as appliances and tools. We might even drop in some microbrewery stuff from the Oregon area from our NWestern guys.

[Ed Rotondaro]

As many of you might know, I was talked into a Cooking 101 class at night school by my wife. I have been cooking since I was 12 or 15, however, my wife wanted me to gain some confidence in the kitchen. It has been a great time. I have learned some new recipes but few techniques. I plan to take some more culturally specific foods like Mediterranean, Far Eastern etc. My wife and I are going to take a desserts class together.

I thought it would be interesting to start a thread on cooking. If the ladies can share recipes, why not the guys. My father-in-law, my dad and all the men on both sides of our family were all good cooks, so it isn't unmanly. Maybe we can share techniques, wine-food pairings, etc. Possibly some of the younger guys, still unmarried might need some help, so here it is. Most of the old guys, except the Commander ;), should be pretty good cooks.

Anyway, I hope this can be fun. Also, I love gourmet coffee and tea, so we can share reviews and such on that subject, as well as appliances and tools. We might even drop in some microbrewery stuff from the Oregon area from our NWestern guys.

Dennis:

Good idea, we talk enough cooking anyways, might as well put it on a dedicated thread. I have a vegetable stew recipe that was passed own from my Italian grandmother that I will be posting shortly. For those of you who live in the warmer climes with longer growing season, this should be a good one. Hope to post it soon. Mangia!

[asnrobert]

Don't think I can add much. My idea of cooking is a can opener and a recipe by a chef named Boiardi... :o

I like deviled eggs, so I tried to make them once following a recipe in an old Betty Crocker cook book my Mom had given me- gad what a mess... :eek:

[old_pop2000]

Dennis:

Good idea, we talk enough cooking anyways, might as well put it on a dedicated thread. I have a vegetable stew recipe that was passed own from my Italian grandmother that I will be posting shortly. For those of you who live in the warmer climes with longer growing season, this should be a good one. Hope to post it soon. Mangia!


I thought it would be fun, especially for people who want some new ideas and techniques. I have a garlic roasted potatoes recipe that is real good and simple. I will post that today, when the race is over. I have to get some instant yeast to make hamburger buns. Yum Yum!!

[Kyle Holgate]

I too enjoy cooking quite a bit. I would hate to have to do it all the time, and admit a frozen dinner popped into the nuke machine isn't too uncommon a thing, but when the bug hits me (once or twice a week) I like to whip something up the old fashioned way.

It seems my "specialty" is soups and stews, based on reviews from those I've had over or given some to. My main issue is that I rarely write anything down, so am never quite sure how to repeat a success!

My main experiments that are not soup releated of late are attempts at Indian food and Thai food (with varying degrees of success). I enjoy the spices and flavors of Indian and Thai foods quite a bit and am learning how to make curries from scratch which is challenging as to do it really right you have to grind with a mortar and pestal.
Anyhow I'm not sure I have any recipes to share, but this atta be a fun thread.

[old_pop2000]

I too enjoy cooking quite a bit. I would hate to have to do it all the time, and admit a frozen dinner popped into the nuke machine isn't too uncommon a thing, but when the bug hits me (once or twice a week) I like to whip something up the old fashioned way.

It seems my "specialty" is soups and stews, based on reviews from those I've had over or given some to. My main issue is that I rarely write anything down, so am never quite sure how to repeat a success!

My main experiments that are not soup releated of late are attempts at Indian food and Thai food (with varying degrees of success). I enjoy the spices and flavors of Indian and Thai foods quite a bit and am learning how to make curries from scratch which is challenging as to do it really right you have to grind with a mortar and pestal.
Anyhow I'm not sure I have any recipes to share, but this atta be a fun thread.

Sounds great, I love soups, that's one of the things I like to make. I haven't tried Indian or Thai food, I am not a fish lover, so I am limited.

Just a suggestion, it certainly helps if you make careful notes on printed recipes from the internet or books. I.E. today I made homemade hamburger buns and it took a little longer than 12 minutes, so I noted that. I also screwed up the first batch by substituting bread flour for all purpose flour. You can't do that because of the extra gluten and starch makes the dough dry. Just notes like that help.

Anyway, I was hoping you and others from the microbrew capital of the world could share some good brews with us and maybe some recipes that you have eaten with them.

I think we will have good fun and even learn from each other, especially about certain specialty foods from each region.

[old_pop2000]

As promised, here is the recipe I made today. It is from Allrecipes.

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Burger-or-Hot-Dog-Buns/Detail.aspx

Notes: Do not substitute bread flour in the recipe
Do not over knead the dough. My wife says the dough should look satiny.

[old_pop2000]

Spices make a meal, as most of us who cook will tell you. However, remember that spices have a shelf life. The spices you buy in the store containers are dried and will deteriorate with time. Remember that if a recipe calls for fresh spices, you can use dried, but don't use as much, they are stronger than fresh although not as good.

We grow ten different spices in our yard, some in pots like our bay leaf plant, some in an oak barrel. This is really great, because when I need fresh spices, I just go to the garden. We grow mint, which looks like a weed to me and grows like one. But its great to make sun tea and put mint into it. My son is now hooked on mint tea. Some spices to grow are:

Mint
Bay leave
Thyme
Rosemary
Parsley
Sage
Sweet basil
Oregano

We grow the basic ones that most recipes call out for, but if you have specialties foods you like, attempt to grow those spices like curry. Remember that they are seasonal, and don't do as well in certain climates and in the winter.

[Kyle Holgate]

Fresh herbs can really make a difference. I like to use both fresh and dried of some herbs such as thyme. Other ones like Basil I have no use for dried, parsley too is almost useless in my view. I don't think I can grow bay up here. You have to watch bay, there are a few different kinds - one is like eukaliptus (sp?) and isn't so good.

Beer... we could start a whole thread just for that! Pairing beer with food is still an emerging "science". The wine snobs out there have whole volumes on what wines go with what foods, but with beer it's fairly uncharted territory. In general I like a good IPA or hoppy ale with things you'd pair a red wine with. White wine pairings call for a more subtle beer too, a light amber ale or a good lager (note I say good, that rules out bud, miller, coors, micolob....etc!). A good porter is great in stews and chili can take a stout (one for me, one for the pot of course).

Speaking of chili, one of the biggest discoveries I had was how chili powders both differ between one kind and the next AND how the flavors they impart change over cooking time. I now have several kinds I add and at different times during cooking. Making chili for me now starts on Thursday evening if I want it on Saturday for dinner. It simmers then goes into the 'fridge, then comes out and simmers more with more stuff added and so on. MMMMMM is it good though.

[old_pop2000]

Fresh herbs can really make a difference. I like to use both fresh and dried of some herbs such as thyme. Other ones like Basil I have no use for dried, parsley too is almost useless in my view. I don't think I can grow bay up here. You have to watch bay, there are a few different kinds - one is like eukaliptus (sp?) and isn't so good.

Beer... we could start a whole thread just for that! Pairing beer with food is still an emerging "science". The wine snobs out there have whole volumes on what wines go with what foods, but with beer it's fairly uncharted territory. In general I like a good IPA or hoppy ale with things you'd pair a red wine with. White wine pairings call for a more subtle beer too, a light amber ale or a good lager (note I say good, that rules out bud, miller, coors, micolob....etc!). A good porter is great in stews and chili can take a stout (one for me, one for the pot of course).

Speaking of chili, one of the biggest discoveries I had was how chili powders both differ between one kind and the next AND how the flavors they impart change over cooking time. I now have several kinds I add and at different times during cooking. Making chili for me now starts on Thursday evening if I want it on Saturday for dinner. It simmers then goes into the 'fridge, then comes out and simmers more with more stuff added and so on. MMMMMM is it good though.


Great, A chili gourmet. I love chili. In two weeks, our class will be making chili, corn bread and a fruit crisp. so, ok, start by giving us the kinds of chili powders and names. Then your secret chili recipe.

I agree about beer. Since discovering microbrews, I am hooked. I enjoy a good wheat beer, porter or an ale. But I haven't really delved into the food pairings. One problem is that my wife and I eat the biggest meal at lunch time with only her and I. Our son is usually long gone to work. It is also better on the waistline, I don't like to eat late and then have to sit.

Something I've learned about chili, stews and soups. They take a day or two in the fridge to get better, must be the melting of the different tastes takes time. Nothing better than a day old chili.

[Kyle Holgate]

Great, A chili gourmet. I love chili. In two weeks, our class will be making chili, corn bread and a fruit crisp. so, ok, start by giving us the kinds of chili powders and names. Then your secret chili recipe.

I agree about beer. Since discovering microbrews, I am hooked. I enjoy a good wheat beer, porter or an ale. But I haven't really delved into the food pairings. One problem is that my wife and I eat the biggest meal at lunch time with only her and I. Our son is usually long gone to work. It is also better on the waistline, I don't like to eat late and then have to sit.

Something I've learned about chili, stews and soups. They take a day or two in the fridge to get better, must be the melting of the different tastes takes time. Nothing better than a day old chili.

Funny thing is I like chili powders better than fresh chilis. I experimented a bit with fresh ones but returned to powders. My chili isn't too hard to make, just takes time. I could probably improve it with different meat, but good ol' hamburger is usually available and I'm happy with the results using it.
I don't know exactly what happens when a soup or stew cools off and sets around, but it's worth it to have it next day if you can stay out of it! Potato ham soup, clam chowder, my cream of Chantarelle soup... next day is the time

[Ed Rotondaro]

Spices make a meal, as most of us who cook will tell you. However, remember that spices have a shelf life. The spices you buy in the store containers are dried and will deteriorate with time. Remember that if a recipe calls for fresh spices, you can use dried, but don't use as much, they are stronger than fresh although not as good.

We grow ten different spices in our yard, some in pots like our bay leaf plant, some in an oak barrel. This is really great, because when I need fresh spices, I just go to the garden. We grow mint, which looks like a weed to me and grows like one. But its great to make sun tea and put mint into it. My son is now hooked on mint tea. Some spices to grow are:

Mint
Bay leave
Thyme
Rosemary
Parsley
Sage
Sweet basil
Oregano

We grow the basic ones that most recipes call out for, but if you have specialties foods you like, attempt to grow those spices like curry. Remember that they are seasonal, and don't do as well in certain climates and in the winter.

Dennis:

When lokking for spice blends, especially for Indian or other Asian cooking try this company:

Penzy's.com.

[Ed Rotondaro]

Great, A chili gourmet. I love chili. In two weeks, our class will be making chili, corn bread and a fruit crisp. so, ok, start by giving us the kinds of chili powders and names. Then your secret chili recipe.

I agree about beer. Since discovering microbrews, I am hooked. I enjoy a good wheat beer, porter or an ale. But I haven't really delved into the food pairings. One problem is that my wife and I eat the biggest meal at lunch time with only her and I. Our son is usually long gone to work. It is also better on the waistline, I don't like to eat late and then have to sit.

Something I've learned about chili, stews and soups. They take a day or two in the fridge to get better, must be the melting of the different tastes takes time. Nothing better than a day old chili.

Dennis and Kyle:

Chili is one of my favorite meals, especially in cold weather. Regarding beer and food, there are a lot of books as well as internet articles on pairing them. Since there are so many styles of beer, you'll note that regional styles go better with the local food. Serving a hearty stew? Try one of the dark lagers or brown ales. Serving pork? Try a good wheat beer or even a crisp dry lager. Stout goes well with shellfish. Pale ale works very well with beef. Just some suggestions.

[old_pop2000]

Funny thing is I like chili powders better than fresh chilis. I experimented a bit with fresh ones but returned to powders. My chili isn't too hard to make, just takes time. I could probably improve it with different meat, but good ol' hamburger is usually available and I'm happy with the results using it.
I don't know exactly what happens when a soup or stew cools off and sets around, but it's worth it to have it next day if you can stay out of it! Potato ham soup, clam chowder, my cream of Chantarelle soup... next day is the time


You could add some ground pork or even try something like chicken. I believe a good ground beef with ground pork adds lots of flavor.

I love potato soup so I guess potato ham is great.

[old_pop2000]

Dennis and Kyle:

Chili is one of my favorite meals, especially in cold weather. Regarding beer and food, there are a lot of books as well as internet articles on pairing them. Since there are so many styles of beer, you'll note that regional styles go better with the local food. Serving a hearty stew? Try one of the dark lagers or brown ales. Serving pork? Try a good wheat beer or even a crisp dry lager. Stout goes well with shellfish. Pale ale works very well with beef. Just some suggestions.

Dark beers do go better with stews, goulash or even beef burgundy. I am not certain about Hungarian Goulash. I don't like shellfish or any fish, but I like a good stout.

Keep the suggestions coming.

[Kyle Holgate]

Dark beers do go better with stews, goulash or even beef burgundy. I am not certain about Hungarian Goulash. I don't like shellfish or any fish, but I like a good stout.

Keep the suggestions coming.


Give me stout, keep nasssty fish? I don't do beer and fish typically, having learned my lesson long ago. Beer makes ya burp & to be crude, but blunt - I prefer the flavor on the way down. I once munched a whole dungeness crab, had some ice cream then a beer. Shudddddder.

Cooking with beer can be tricky. The hops can add a bitterness to things that doesn't work well. Chocolate and beer though, are a good pairing as are coffee and beer - something already bitter in other words. Stout brownies... mmmm.

[old_pop2000]

Ed & Kyle:

http://www.beertown.org/education/pairing.html

Give me your opinions on the suggestions on this site, when you have time.

Thanks

[asnrobert]

Something I've learned about chili, stews and soups. They take a day or two in the fridge to get better, must be the melting of the different tastes takes time. Nothing better than a day old chili.
My Mom makes a Polish dish called kapusta, made with sauerkraut, fresh cabbage and pork. After making it, she keeps it in the fridge overnight to let it "rot."

[old_pop2000]

My Mom makes a Polish dish called kapusta, made with sauerkraut, fresh cabbage and pork. After making it, she keeps it in the fridge overnight to let it "rot."
Robert:
Does this resemble her recipe?



TRADITIONAL POLISH KAPUSTA

large head of cabbage
1 can of sauerkraut
salt and pepper, to taste
pork chop
chicken broth
salt pork
onion
kielbasa

Cook salt pork pieces in large soup pot until they turn into chitlins. Add one small chopped onion to salt pork grease and fry until tender. Slice cabbage and add to pot along with 48 oz. of chicken (or turkey) broth and the pork chop. Simmer 1 to 2 hours.
Cut pork off the bone and into small pieces and return pork to pot. Add a small drained can of sauerkraut, salt and pepper to taste, and sliced kielbasa ring to the pot.

Simmer an additional 45 minutes.

Serve with rye bread as a side.



I am not sure about the salt pork, I would like to find a substitute, however it looks good. I will give it to my wife, she is the head chef in the family.

[Ed Rotondaro]

Ed & Kyle:

http://www.beertown.org/education/pairing.html

Give me your opinions on the suggestions on this site, when you have time.

Thanks

Dennis:

Those are some good solid recommendations and with the micro-brewery movement in the US, there are lots of good regional breweries especially on the West Coast. Portland Oregon is a real good place for microbrews as I'm sure Kyle will attest to.

[Kyle Holgate]

Ed & Kyle:

http://www.beertown.org/education/pairing.html

Give me your opinions on the suggestions on this site, when you have time.

Thanks

Good website. I have gotten some homebrew recipes from there or rather gotten ideas on what to make (I don't think I ever follow a recipe exactly!). I have never quite figured out wine pairings. Everyone has different tastes, and to me some wines they say go with some things just don't, and vice versa. For beer I just tend toward less powerful flavors in the brew if I'm eathing someting something wth more subtle flavor. For example I wouldn't necessarily choose a stout with a chowder or cram soup. One the flip side though, a good lighter beer goes good with spicier things. Stouts and Porters are mainly what I think of to pair with beef - hamburgers to steaks or potroast. A porter IN the pan with the roast is good too of course (or just drink it and put beef stock in).

[asnrobert]

Robert:
Does this resemble her recipe?



I am not sure about the salt pork, I would like to find a substitute, however it looks good. I will give it to my wife, she is the head chef in the family.

Sounds similar, except she doesn't use kielbasa or pork chops. I'm not sure what kind of pork she uses- she had given me the recipe years ago, but can't find it (see my first post on this thread regarding my cooking abilities, or lack thereof).

[Spook046]

A couple of years ago some co-workers asked me to write up my own chili recipe, so after doing some dredging from then........



Beans -- mix of black, kidney, and pinto. Pre-soak dry beans (overnight) and cook for 6-8 hours in a crock until tender. Use enough mixed beans that would fill two 15-oz cans. If pre-cooking dry beans is too much a hassle, then two 15-oz cans of canned kidney or pinto “chili” beans should do.

Chili powder – fresh-ground from dry chiles. Sometimes the dry chiles are available as packs at local groceries, but at least available at various international foods grocers. New Mexico chile peppers along with some (spicier) Arbol chile peppers is good for a "warm" mix, cutting off the stems before grinding in a blender into a fine-grain powder. How much ground chiles to add to the full chili recipe is dependent on taste, but 3-4 tablespoons is reasonable to start. You can choose other dry chiles, blending and mixing, and then adding to the full recipe at your taste.

Beef --- at least 3 lbs, and 80% lean or better if using ground beef.

Tomatoes – one 15-oz can of diced tomatoes and two 15-oz cans of tomato sauce.

Liquid beef broth – Add some from a 15-oz can, or you could use up to one whole can to replace one of the 15-oz cans of tomato sauce.

Corn flour (NOT corn meal) – about 2-3 tablespoons to help “tone down” the tomato flavor. It’s usually available at health food stores, but maybe also some main grocers too.

One small can of whole jalapeno peppers and one can of chipotle peppers --- chop & dice before adding. (Be forewarned, adding in the chipotle pepper sauce also from the can REALLY heat up the mix.)

Olive oil – about 2-3 tablespoons, but again you can add to taste.

Spices – small amounts of oregano and cumin, again add to taste, but not much needed (particularly the cumin). Some Mrs. Dash spice mix is optional.

Cheese – also optional, but it helps take off some “edge” if the chili recipe turns out too spicy for your taste.

Cook the beef separately until brown, with one chopped onion thrown in. Put the tomato sauce, broth, and beans first into the crock pot, add some corn flour until I the tomato taste seems toned down enough, and then add the various spices, peppers, ground chiles, salt, and olive oil to taste. Then throw in the browned beef and onion (with the grease drained off first). After heating and stirring for an hour or two, add some more salt, ground chiles, and/or cheese to personal taste.

[Antonin]

With chili, I agree strongly (as does my wife) that it's better the day after you make it.

I'm the only one who's allowed to make chili in my home. Since my wife can't take acid foods, I leave out the tomato sauce for her half.

Since we both have to watch the cholesterol I never use beef. It's always ground turkey. First I sautee it in lots of olive oil, adding lots of oregano (I grow it behind the garage...but it's coming up everywhere now because oregano has a way of taking over), a couple of chopped cayenne peppers (frozen or fresh; I grow those too) and lots of chopped onion. Also some garlic powder, onion powder and chopped fresh garlic.

Cumin is an important ingredient for my chili, since the wife can't handle tomato sauce acids. I use more than most people do. The amount of cayenne is rather small; just enough to give a hint of heat.

Another real important ingredient is sesame oil. My wife is Asian and introduced me to this wonderful product and it's great in just about everything. You don't need a lot, but I use enough so that you can get some hint of the taste.

While sauteeing the ground turkey I begin heating the kidney beans (the canned variety, light and dark mixed together) in a separate pot. I add a little cumin to them, a little powdered dill, and some sugar and seasoned salt.

Then when the ground turkey is really brown I add it to the beans. Put the stove on "low". We (try to) wait a least a couple hours before eating any of it. Sometimes I will take some of the chili and put it in another pot and add tomato paste for me.

We always eat chili in a bowl with rice. We don't mix them up; just put the rice in first and pour chili over the rice.

Sometimes if we have some old bread (Italian, preferably) I'll add it to my bowl.

Yum!

Seeing the big smile on my wife's face while she's eating is just great! She'll joke about the "end result" of eating chili, and I just laugh and say, "So? We've been married for 21 years. Eat your chili and enjoy."

In my family the master chef was my elder brother, who passed away last year. I will have to try to remember some of his barbeque recipes. God, I miss him!

[old_pop2000]

A couple of years ago some co-workers asked me to write up my own chili recipe, so after doing some dredging from then........

Looks like a good recipe, I am going to steal it.

[old_pop2000]

With chili, I agree strongly (as does my wife) that it's better the day after you make it.

Since we both have to watch the cholesterol I never use beef. It's always ground turkey. First I sautee it in lots of olive oil, adding lots of oregano (I grow it behind the garage...but it's coming up everywhere now because oregano has a way of taking over), a couple of chopped cayenne peppers (frozen or fresh; I grow those too) and lots of chopped onion. Also some garlic powder, onion powder and chopped fresh garlic.

Cumin is an important ingredient for my chili, since the wife can't handle tomato sauce acids. I use more than most people do. The amount of cayenne is rather small; just enough to give a hint of heat.

Another real important ingredient is sesame oil. My wife is Asian and introduced me to this wonderful product and it's great in just about everything. You don't need a lot, but I use enough so that you can get some hint of the taste.

While sauteeing the ground turkey I begin heating the kidney beans (the canned variety, light and dark mixed together) in a separate pot. I add a little cumin to them, a little powdered dill, and some sugar and seasoned salt.

Then when the ground turkey is really brown I add it to the beans. Put the stove on "low". We (try to) wait a least a couple hours before eating any of it. Sometimes I will take some of the chili and put it in another pot and add tomato paste for me.

We always eat chili in a bowl with rice. We don't mix them up; just put the rice in first and pour chili over the rice.





I think chili can be made with different meats, I especially like vegetarian chili. But turkey, chicken is good. I have never tried sesame oil in it, however I do use it for my Chinese Chicken salads and when I use the WOK. Love the taste of it. We usually put the chili on fritos, but rice sounds like a good idea.

Keep the ideas coming, this is great.

[old_pop2000]

If anyone is interested, I have some a kettle corn recipe that is good. You can make it with white granulated sugar or brown sugar for a different taste. It's much cheaper than buying it, and better. I use a Cooks stainless steel stockpot that I bought cheap at Ross. Works great and nothing sticks that I can't get off. It also has a clear top, which makes it easy to work with.

[john964]

Looks like a good recipe, I am going to steal it.
You're not going to get mine I have 5 recipes for chili, and 3 are former winners at the Texas State Fair Chili Cookoff. If my Uncle Harley ever found out I was even thinking of sharing these recipies he would rip both my arms out and shove'em down my throut. He might be 83 but he can still crack walnuts with his hands.

[Vince O'Hara]

I just stumbled across this thread. I like to cook and I do a lot of it. I also like kettle corn. How do you do it, Dennis?

Adding cooked, chopped spinach to a receipe generally gives favorable results. (I would never eat it plain). Try it with corn bread. A company meal I make that gets consistent raves is ground turkey (not the breast, too dry) well mixed with diced onions, cooked chopped spinach, soy sauce, and cumin. I generally cook it as hamburgers, but you can use it as mandu (potsticker) filling as well. I also do a lot of currys based on lentils, garbonzo beans or dal.

Vince

[old_pop2000]

I just stumbled across this thread. I like to cook and I do a lot of it. I also like kettle corn. How do you do it, Dennis?

Adding cooked, chopped spinach to a receipe generally gives favorable results. (I would never eat it plain). Try it with corn bread. A company meal I make that gets consistent raves is ground turkey (not the breast, too dry) well mixed with diced onions, cooked chopped spinach, soy sauce, and cumin. I generally cook it as hamburgers, but you can use it as mandu (potsticker) filling as well. I also do a lot of currys based on lentils, garbonzo beans or dal.

Vince

Hey Vince:
Welcome aboard the NWS version of the Food Network. :D

Ok, my recipe is from the internet but here goes.

2/3 cup popcorn
1/4 cup oil
1/4 cup sugar

Heat the oil over medium heat using a skillet or stockpot with a tight lid

Add the popcorn and wait until the first kernel pops

quickly stir in the sugar until it is dissolved

Cover and shake the pot or skillet to prevent burning

When completed, just pour it in a bowl and salt.

You can add the sugar with the popcorn and stir well. I've done that and everything comes out just fine.

Remember the sugar gets hot, so be careful. Also, sugar solidifies quickly, so you might want to have the hot soapy water available to clean the pan or pot. Also, you might want to dedicate a pot or pan to this.

Love the ground turkey idea, I will have to try that. Cumin and soy sauce are good combinations.

[Vince O'Hara]

Thanks, I'll try that. We have a set of nested tamale steamers most of which we never use so I can dedicate one of them to the kettle corn. That is called multi-culturalism.

[old_pop2000]

Thanks, I'll try that. We have a set of nested tamale steamers most of which we never use so I can dedicate one of them to the kettle corn. That is called multi-culturalism.


Sounds good to me. I just suggested that because over time, the pot may acquire the taste of popcorn oil and kettle corn. Mine hasn't yet, but every pot is different. I hope you like it. It isn't as strong as the stuff you buy, but it is much fresher.

[old_pop2000]

My wife said this morning that we are The Iron Chef's. I thought it was pretty cool. She was impressed by the response and the recipes, along with the knowledge of the men on this forum.

Keep it going guys.

[Ed Rotondaro]

Dark beers do go better with stews, goulash or even beef burgundy. I am not certain about Hungarian Goulash. I don't like shellfish or any fish, but I like a good stout.

Keep the suggestions coming.


Dennis:

Goulash is the sort of dish where I would actually prefer a full bodied red like a Zinfandel (which incidently hails from that part of the world). If I was going with a beer, I might consider a dark lager or a wheat beer so as to counter balance the spicy seasonings.

[old_pop2000]

Dennis:

Goulash is the sort of dish where I would actually prefer a full bodied red like a Zinfandel (which incidental hails from that part of the world). If I was going with a beer, I might consider a dark lager or a wheat beer so as to counter balance the spicy seasonings.

Interesting, what about white Zinfandel? Some great suggestions, Ed.

[Ed Rotondaro]

A couple of years ago some co-workers asked me to write up my own chili recipe, so after doing some dredging from then........

Ed:

Do you ever make chili with cubed beef or do you always use ground beef? Just about everywhere I have it out, they use ground beef, but from what I understand, real Texas chili should have cubed beef. My wife uses ground turkey which helps keep the fat content down and when seasoned properly makes a good substitute for beef.

[Ed Rotondaro]

With chili, I agree strongly (as does my wife) that it's better the day after you make it.

I'm the only one who's allowed to make chili in my home. Since my wife can't take acid foods, I leave out the tomato sauce for her half.

Since we both have to watch the cholesterol I never use beef. It's always ground turkey. First I sautee it in lots of olive oil, adding lots of oregano (I grow it behind the garage...but it's coming up everywhere now because oregano has a way of taking over), a couple of chopped cayenne peppers (frozen or fresh; I grow those too) and lots of chopped onion. Also some garlic powder, onion powder and chopped fresh garlic.

Cumin is an important ingredient for my chili, since the wife can't handle tomato sauce acids. I use more than most people do. The amount of cayenne is rather small; just enough to give a hint of heat.

Another real important ingredient is sesame oil. My wife is Asian and introduced me to this wonderful product and it's great in just about everything. You don't need a lot, but I use enough so that you can get some hint of the taste.

While sauteeing the ground turkey I begin heating the kidney beans (the canned variety, light and dark mixed together) in a separate pot. I add a little cumin to them, a little powdered dill, and some sugar and seasoned salt.

Then when the ground turkey is really brown I add it to the beans. Put the stove on "low". We (try to) wait a least a couple hours before eating any of it. Sometimes I will take some of the chili and put it in another pot and add tomato paste for me.

We always eat chili in a bowl with rice. We don't mix them up; just put the rice in first and pour chili over the rice.

Sometimes if we have some old bread (Italian, preferably) I'll add it to my bowl.

Yum!

Seeing the big smile on my wife's face while she's eating is just great! She'll joke about the "end result" of eating chili, and I just laugh and say, "So? We've been married for 21 years. Eat your chili and enjoy."

In my family the master chef was my elder brother, who passed away last year. I will have to try to remember some of his barbeque recipes. God, I miss him!

Antonin:

Excellent recipe and I like how you compensate for the lack of tomatoes with spices. I happen to love both oregano and cumin and without cumin it just ain't chili. I grow oregano and majoram in our garden, and I agree, oregano can take over if you're not careful. Funny thing is, I prefer dried oregano, along with bay leaves it's about the only dried herb I prefer to fresh herbs. The flavor seems more concentrated. My mom, my wife and both of my sisters-in-laws are excellent in the kitchen. I mainly prep ingredients or handle the grilling.

[Ed Rotondaro]

I just stumbled across this thread. I like to cook and I do a lot of it. I also like kettle corn. How do you do it, Dennis?

Adding cooked, chopped spinach to a receipe generally gives favorable results. (I would never eat it plain). Try it with corn bread. A company meal I make that gets consistent raves is ground turkey (not the breast, too dry) well mixed with diced onions, cooked chopped spinach, soy sauce, and cumin. I generally cook it as hamburgers, but you can use it as mandu (potsticker) filling as well. I also do a lot of currys based on lentils, garbonzo beans or dal.

Vince

Vince:

That sounds excellent! I like spinach in soups, especially chicken. I will eat raw spinach as part of a mixed salad though.

[Kyle Holgate]

Antonin:

Excellent recipe and I like how you compensate for the lack of tomatoes with spices. I happen to love both oregano and cumin and without cumin it just ain't chili. I grow oregano and majoram in our garden, and I agree, oregano can take over if you're not careful. Funny thing is, I prefer dried oregano, along with bay leaves it's about the only dried herb I prefer to fresh herbs. The flavor seems more concentrated. My mom, my wife and both of my sisters-in-laws are excellent in the kitchen. I mainly prep ingredients or handle the grilling.

There are at least 2 kinds of Oregano (or "classes"). Mexican is harder to find, at leat for me and then there is the greek sort. It's hard to describe the differences in taste, but they're fairly obvious if you have both kinds. It's sorta like basil, where there are probably half a dozen sorts I can think of right off and all are a bit different.
Ideally for me, I use a combination of dried and fresh herbs. Each tastes a bit different from the others - even using dried of the same exact plant I'm using for fresh. I like dried oregano better in some things like sauces but will add fresh too (with care) as it adds a different sort of zing. Using several kinds of basil is fun too - I particularly like the Thai type. Mints are fun to explore too - it's surprising what they go with. I have a really zippy Vietnamese mint I like to use when I can find it, in different things like even pasta or right at the end on a soup. I get many a "wow, what IS that?" (in a good way).

[old_pop2000]

There are at least 2 kinds of Oregano (or "classes"). Mexican is harder to find, at leat for me and then there is the greek sort. It's hard to describe the differences in taste, but they're fairly obvious if you have both kinds. It's sorta like basil, where there are probably half a dozen sorts I can think of right off and all are a bit different.
Ideally for me, I use a combination of dried and fresh herbs. Each tastes a bit different from the others - even using dried of the same exact plant I'm using for fresh. I like dried oregano better in some things like sauces but will add fresh too (with care) as it adds a different sort of zing. Using several kinds of basil is fun too - I particularly like the Thai type. Mints are fun to explore too - it's surprising what they go with. I have a really zippy Vietnamese mint I like to use when I can find it, in different things like even pasta or right at the end on a soup. I get many a "wow, what IS that?" (in a good way).


I am going to have to explore more about spices. I think different spices, different species of oregano and mint etc. can make a meal.

[Ed Rotondaro]

Interesting, what about white Zinfandel? Some great suggestions, Ed.

Dennis:

White Zin seems to have waned a bit in popularity these days. I still think it is a good wine with fruit, cheese, certain forms of charcuterie and some seafoods. It could also work with some of the hotter Asian foods, much like Riesling does. But up against a properly made goulash, it would probably get overwhelmed. But of course the best way to find out is to try it and see. I always say eat and drink what you prefer, because no one likes sad eaters and drinkers. (Paraphrased from Ian Fleming's "From Russia with Love".

[Ed Rotondaro]

There are at least 2 kinds of Oregano (or "classes"). Mexican is harder to find, at leat for me and then there is the greek sort. It's hard to describe the differences in taste, but they're fairly obvious if you have both kinds. It's sorta like basil, where there are probably half a dozen sorts I can think of right off and all are a bit different.
Ideally for me, I use a combination of dried and fresh herbs. Each tastes a bit different from the others - even using dried of the same exact plant I'm using for fresh. I like dried oregano better in some things like sauces but will add fresh too (with care) as it adds a different sort of zing. Using several kinds of basil is fun too - I particularly like the Thai type. Mints are fun to explore too - it's surprising what they go with. I have a really zippy Vietnamese mint I like to use when I can find it, in different things like even pasta or right at the end on a soup. I get many a "wow, what IS that?" (in a good way).

Kyle:

I grow fresh basil and when you rub it, it does give off a hint of mint (no surprise they are in the same family just as oregano and marjoram are in the same family). I tend to prefer the Greek basil, but I've had the Mexican and its quite good as well. We also have fresh chives and rosemary in our herb garden as well as flat leaf parsley (perfect for Mediterrean food).

[old_pop2000]

Dennis:

White Zin seems to have waned a bit in popularity these days. I still think it is a good wine with fruit, cheese, certain forms of charcuterie and some seafoods. It could also work with some of the hotter Asian foods, much like Riesling does. But up against a properly made goulash, it would probably get overwhelmed. But of course the best way to find out is to try it and see. I always say eat and drink what you prefer, because no one likes sad eaters and drinkers. (Paraphrased from Ian Fleming's "From Russia with Love".

I am not a big fan of Zinfandel's, I do like cabernet's, Chianti, merlot etc. I like good rieslings from Germany. I tend to be free with what I like and the meal. If I want a red and am eating chicken, so be it. Sorry if the experts don't like it, that's too bad. I drink what I like. But, I do like suggestions, because I want to improve.

[Ed Rotondaro]

I am not a big fan of Zinfandel's, I do like cabernet's, Chianti, merlot etc. I like good rieslings from Germany. I tend to be free with what I like and the meal. If I want a red and am eating chicken, so be it. Sorry if the experts don't like it, that's too bad. I drink what I like. But, I do like suggestions, because I want to improve.

Dennis:

I like red zinfandel if it is a well made wine. There is a lot out there masquerading as jug wine. Shiraz is another possibility with highly seasoned foods as it has a decent amount of fruit and but can still stand up to the foods. Also it has less tannins so it's easier to drink. I like cabernet, but find that you need to spend a bit more these days to get a balanced one from California. I'm not as excited about French grapes grown in places like Italy or Spain. I would rather drink the native wines which always seem to taste better than the merlots and cabernets that are not from France (although California and Australia do a good job with these varietals).

[old_pop2000]

Dennis:

I like red zinfandel if it is a well made wine. There is a lot out there masquerading as jug wine. Shiraz is another possibility with highly seasoned foods as it has a decent amount of fruit and but can still stand up to the foods. Also it has less tannins so it's easier to drink. I like cabernet, but find that you need to spend a bit more these days to get a balanced one from California. I'm not as excited about French grapes grown in places like Italy or Spain. I would rather drink the native wines which always seem to taste better than the merlots and cabernets that are not from France (although California and Australia do a good job with these varietals).

We belong to the Leonesse Wine Club from the Temecula area. We get a shipment every four months. They sent us a good riesling and red table wine. I am dying to try that red table wine, because the riesling is great. They have an excellent restaurant that we have to visit for dinner. There is a bed and breakfast in the wine country, so we probably will go and spend some time up there.

[Antonin]

Ed:

Do you ever make chili with cubed beef or do you always use ground beef? Just about everywhere I have it out, they use ground beef, but from what I understand, real Texas chili should have cubed beef. My wife uses ground turkey which helps keep the fat content down and when seasoned properly makes a good substitute for beef.

Years ago my wife was making something from a recipe she got from the newspaper, called "Tri-Color Chili." It featured cubed beef and hot peppers, maybe jalapenos, plus oregano and some other spices and things, but no beans. She never ate any herself because it was just too darned hot for her.

I will ask if she can find that recipe so I can post it here.

If any of you like hot food you will absolutely love this!

[old_pop2000]

Years ago my wife was making something from a recipe she got from the newspaper, called "Tri-Color Chili." It featured cubed beef and hot peppers, maybe jalapenos, plus oregano and some other spices and things, but no beans. She never ate any herself because it was just too darned hot for her.

I will ask if she can find that recipe so I can post it here.

If any of you like hot food you will absolutely love this!

Hey buddy, you got my attention!:D

[Spook046]

Got my attention too. :D

My experiments with chili are ongoing (tried other spices/condiments like cilantro and mole pablano on earlier occasions), but it's far removed from my initial forays decades ago using just beef and......... (haarummmphh)

........Hamburger Helper.

(....the horror.......the hoooorrrrrooorrrrr.....)

Then there's (SHUDDER......) Hormel. Every time my wife and I drive past Beloit, Wisconsin to visit family further north, we see a Hormel factory from I-90 with one of its cylindrical water tanks painted up like a can of Hormel Chili. We thus always call the place the "Fart Factory." ;)

[old_pop2000]

Got my attention too. :D

My experiments with chili are ongoing (tried other spices/condiments like cilantro and mole pablano on earlier occasions), but it's far removed from my initial forays decades ago using just beef and......... (haarummmphh)

........Hamburger Helper.

(....the horror.......the hoooorrrrrooorrrrr.....)

Then there's (SHUDDER......) Hormel. Every time my wife and I drive past Beloit, Wisconsin to visit family further north, we see a Hormel factory from I-90 with one of its cylindrical water tanks painted up like a can of Hormel Chili. We thus always call the place the "Fart Factory." ;)

My wife and I tried canned chili once, and it was tossed and we went back to my chili and hers. Can't beat fresh components.

[Ed Rotondaro]

We belong to the Leonesse Wine Club from the Temecula area. We get a shipment every four months. They sent us a good riesling and red table wine. I am dying to try that red table wine, because the riesling is great. They have an excellent restaurant that we have to visit for dinner. There is a bed and breakfast in the wine country, so we probably will go and spend some time up there.

Dennis:

That sounds like fun. How far is that from where you live?

[Ed Rotondaro]

Got my attention too. :D

My experiments with chili are ongoing (tried other spices/condiments like cilantro and mole pablano on earlier occasions), but it's far removed from my initial forays decades ago using just beef and......... (haarummmphh)

........Hamburger Helper.

(....the horror.......the hoooorrrrrooorrrrr.....)

Then there's (SHUDDER......) Hormel. Every time my wife and I drive past Beloit, Wisconsin to visit family further north, we see a Hormel factory from I-90 with one of its cylindrical water tanks painted up like a can of Hormel Chili. We thus always call the place the "Fart Factory." ;)

Ed:

Heh Heh! Considering how easy it is to make chili in large amounts and store it, why bother with canned unless you are camping maybe?

[old_pop2000]

Dennis:

That sounds like fun. How far is that from where you live?

It's about 54.7 miles north on Hwy 15. The bed & breakfast is actually across the valley from Calloway's winery. It used to be an exclusive home for a winery owner, now turned into a bed & breakfast. There are two wineries below it on the hill that you can walk to. It's a great setting.


In October for our anniversary, we are going to spend three to four days in Solvang at the Danish community and visit the Santa Ynez Valley wine district. They have some great wines and even better restaurants. Should be a nice time. That's about two to three hours north above Santa Barbara, inland.

[Kyle Holgate]

The wine business up here in Oregon has boomed quite a bit over the last 20 years (ish). South west and west of Portland there are hills now that seem more like those of France than what you'd expect in Oregon, and they make some really world class wines. Unfortunatey I've never really gotten very familiar with wine, and since it's my tastes apparently are different than those of the critics - I'm reluctant to get a $12 or more bottle and find I don't like it. In contrast, there is almost never a beer I can't drink (though Bud or Miller would probably go down the drain or in the toilet rather than in me!).

Dennis, you aught to come up here some time with your wife on a vacation. If you give me a bit of notice I'd take some time off work and give you the "locals" tour - cool places up at Mt. St. Helens, Mt. Hood, the gorge... the beaches that few know about. For payment you'd have to take me wine tasting and maybe I'd learn something! ;)

Back to Chili 101 ( :D )


Back to Chili. My main ingredient is of course the beef. I was spoiled growing up with superb beef from cows we raised on a small farm. The stuff from the supermarkets is often really bad in comparison - I don't know what they feed those cows but it often makes for (to me) odd tasting beef. Try to get beef from a farmer's market or perhaps organic - grass/grain fed only. It can really make a difference! Eggs from chickens that eat grass and grasshppers and whatever they can scratch up is also way better than caged ones or even the so called range run ones, that really just eat the same crap but aren't stuck in cages. My point is that the beef really makes a huge difference in Chili. I can get away with using ground beef 'cause I get the good stuff (yes, more expensive usually too). I'd probably go for chopped steak or cubed steak if I couldn't get the good ground beef!

I urge anyone that hasn't taken the time to find a farmer's market (and I think they're all over the country) to find one and try the herbs, veggies, meat and what not you can find there. It's local so you can claim to being "green" and it's really, really worth it in the taste dept.

[john964]

Got my attention too. :D

My experiments with chili are ongoing (tried other spices/condiments like cilantro and mole pablano on earlier occasions), but it's far removed from my initial forays decades ago using just beef and......... (haarummmphh)

........Hamburger Helper.

(....the horror.......the hoooorrrrrooorrrrr.....)

Then there's (SHUDDER......) Hormel. Every time my wife and I drive past Beloit, Wisconsin to visit family further north, we see a Hormel factory from I-90 with one of its cylindrical water tanks painted up like a can of Hormel Chili. We thus always call the place the "Fart Factory." ;)
Ah canned chili its not bad and its not great either there are some good ones out there and there are others I only use as a cheap coney sauce.

The best canned I have tasted is Stagg Chili.

[Kyle Holgate]

Ah canned chili its not bad and its not great either there are some good ones out there and there are others I only use as a cheap coney sauce.

The best canned I have tasted is Stagg Chili.

Yep, I agree. I much prefer home made chili but it takes time and effort and I'm lazy! Stagg has many kinds and is pretty good. One thing many people don't seem to think of is that you can doctor up a can with a bit more chili powder, cumin or whatever spices you like and make it much better than it was right fromt he can. You have to let it simmer for a while to get the flavors from the stuff you put in, but if you can stand the wait it can be worth it.

[Ed Rotondaro]

It's about 54.7 miles north on Hwy 15. The bed & breakfast is actually across the valley from Calloway's winery. It used to be an exclusive home for a winery owner, now turned into a bed & breakfast. There are two wineries below it on the hill that you can walk to. It's a great setting.


In October for our anniversary, we are going to spend three to four days in Solvang at the Danish community and visit the Santa Ynez Valley wine district. They have some great wines and even better restaurants. Should be a nice time. That's about two to three hours north above Santa Barbara, inland.

Dennis:

I keep forgetting just how far the California wine country stretches. I usually visualize it as being mainly in Northern California. Sounds like you and the wife will have a nice time. Let us know about any new wines you like.

[Ed Rotondaro]

The wine business up here in Oregon has boomed quite a bit over the last 20 years (ish). South west and west of Portland there are hills now that seem more like those of France than what you'd expect in Oregon, and they make some really world class wines. Unfortunatey I've never really gotten very familiar with wine, and since it's my tastes apparently are different than those of the critics - I'm reluctant to get a $12 or more bottle and find I don't like it. In contrast, there is almost never a beer I can't drink (though Bud or Miller would probably go down the drain or in the toilet rather than in me!).

Dennis, you aught to come up here some time with your wife on a vacation. If you give me a bit of notice I'd take some time off work and give you the "locals" tour - cool places up at Mt. St. Helens, Mt. Hood, the gorge... the beaches that few know about. For payment you'd have to take me wine tasting and maybe I'd learn something! ;)

Back to Chili 101 ( :D )


Back to Chili. My main ingredient is of course the beef. I was spoiled growing up with superb beef from cows we raised on a small farm. The stuff from the supermarkets is often really bad in comparison - I don't know what they feed those cows but it often makes for (to me) odd tasting beef. Try to get beef from a farmer's market or perhaps organic - grass/grain fed only. It can really make a difference! Eggs from chickens that eat grass and grasshppers and whatever they can scratch up is also way better than caged ones or even the so called range run ones, that really just eat the same crap but aren't stuck in cages. My point is that the beef really makes a huge difference in Chili. I can get away with using ground beef 'cause I get the good stuff (yes, more expensive usually too). I'd probably go for chopped steak or cubed steak if I couldn't get the good ground beef!

I urge anyone that hasn't taken the time to find a farmer's market (and I think they're all over the country) to find one and try the herbs, veggies, meat and what not you can find there. It's local so you can claim to being "green" and it's really, really worth it in the taste dept.

Kyle:

The Williamette Valley is especially known for good ones. The climate is similar to the Burgundy region of France and you can find some excellent Pinot Noirs from Oregon, although they ain't cheap.

[Vince O'Hara]

There are winerys all over the place in California. Near San Diego there are several in Escondido between Temecula and San Diego. South of Tijuana the Guadalupe Valley has about a dozen from just a few acres to one of the largest in Mexico (L.A. Cetto) There are more in San Vicente and San Tomas south of Ensenada. (The Mexican operations don't charge for tasting so they get pretty merry). I no longer drink so I make this statement based solely upon observation. However, I still buy wine for entertainment and a good bottle makes a handy gift. One of my wife's favorite wine receipies is sangria. Get a bottle of cheap red wine and put orange juice in a one to one ratio, diced apples, oranges, strawberries and grapes and a little sugar. Or use mineral water instead of orange juice and a bunch of ice. Either way it makes a nice light beverage that the ladies seem to like. If no one is driving, skip the sugar and use port instead of red wine.

Vince

[old_pop2000]

There are winerys all over the place in California. Near San Diego there are several in Escondido between Temecula and San Diego. South of Tijuana the Guadalupe Valley has about a dozen from just a few acres to one of the largest in Mexico (L.A. Cetto) There are more in San Vicente and San Tomas south of Ensenada. (The Mexican operations don't charge for tasting so they get pretty merry). I no longer drink so I make this statement based solely upon observation. However, I still buy wine for entertainment and a good bottle makes a handy gift. One of my wife's favorite wine receipies is sangria. Get a bottle of cheap red wine and put orange juice in a one to one ratio, diced apples, oranges, strawberries and grapes and a little sugar. Or use mineral water instead of orange juice and a bunch of ice. Either way it makes a nice light beverage that the ladies seem to like. If no one is driving, skip the sugar and use port instead of red wine.

Vince

That is certainly true, on the way to Julian, there are at least three. There are some in Ramona, one in Santa Ysabel and the Menghini in Julian. But they are all over the place.

Menghini just held a astronomy show where you could go up and look through telescopes. Next year I want to stay up there and go.

[Ed Rotondaro]

There are winerys all over the place in California. Near San Diego there are several in Escondido between Temecula and San Diego. South of Tijuana the Guadalupe Valley has about a dozen from just a few acres to one of the largest in Mexico (L.A. Cetto) There are more in San Vicente and San Tomas south of Ensenada. (The Mexican operations don't charge for tasting so they get pretty merry). I no longer drink so I make this statement based solely upon observation. However, I still buy wine for entertainment and a good bottle makes a handy gift. One of my wife's favorite wine receipies is sangria. Get a bottle of cheap red wine and put orange juice in a one to one ratio, diced apples, oranges, strawberries and grapes and a little sugar. Or use mineral water instead of orange juice and a bunch of ice. Either way it makes a nice light beverage that the ladies seem to like. If no one is driving, skip the sugar and use port instead of red wine.

Vince

Hi Vince:

Thanks. I have memories of Sangria from my early days of drinking. It was one of those pre-made products, not the homemade stuff (I think it was called yago Sangria). Great way to get looped when you're a teenager. There are similar recipes from Sicily as well, must be a Mediterrean thing.

I would imagine that Southern California would be very conducive to the sorts of grapes one finds in Spain, Portugal and Southern Italy since the climates are similar.

[old_pop2000]

Hi Vince:

Thanks. I have memories of Sangria from my early days of drinking. It was one of those pre-made products, not the homemade stuff (I think it was called yago Sangria). Great way to get looped when you're a teenager. There are similar recipes from Sicily as well, must be a Mediterrean thing.

I would imagine that Southern California would be very conducive to the sorts of grapes one finds in Spain, Portugal and Southern Italy since the climates are similar.

That's why there is a large contingent of italians, like my family. The weather and conditions are similar to Sicily and southern Italy. Many came here to get involved in the big tuna fishing and canning industry, starkist and chicken of the sea. That is mostly defunct now, but that is why they came.

[Vince O'Hara]

Hi Ed.

Sangria must have fruit. The fruit soaks up the alcohol and tastes good, I guess. Frankly, I never could stand sweet drinks. Stone India Pale Ale used to be my choice.

Vince

[old_pop2000]

Well, tonite, we are making Angel Hair pasta with black beans, feta cheese, tomatoes and bruschetta. We are making our own baguettes and I have special instructions from my son to get good at it, because he likes fresh bread. In fact, He will buy me a brand new, expensive bread machine if I will make it. So, I might be going into the bread making business.

I might have mentioned that on our cruise up the Napa River to the Napa/Sonoma wine region, we were treated to a class in wine blending at the Culinary Arts Institute. If you ever saw the Christian Brothers Winery logo, you will remember the stone edifice that was their main winery. That now houses the Culinary Arts Institute. I still have the long glass tube for extracting the wine and measuring an amount. We used Bourdeaux, Claret and Meritage. If any of you are interested in that sort of experiment, it is interesting and great fun.

For any of you that are interested, the Cruise West line has two cruises to that area. It visits the Culinary Arts Institute, St. Francis Winery in Sonoma and Chateau St. Jean, and Mumm Napa which makes champagne's. It also has an excellent lunch at an exclusive hillside restaurant for all and they serve many different types of wines. You also cruise SF bay and visit Sausalito. All in all, it is interesting and great fun. Educational also as they have a noted SF wine critic on board to teach and show different wines.

[old_pop2000]

Dennis, you aught to come up here some time with your wife on a vacation. If you give me a bit of notice I'd take some time off work and give you the "locals" tour - cool places up at Mt. St. Helens, Mt. Hood, the gorge... the beaches that few know about. For payment you'd have to take me wine tasting and maybe I'd learn something! ;)




Sorry for the delayed response, sometimes these post get by me. I will certainly take you up on your offer. We are scheduled to cruise to Alaska next year, but we have discussed flying to Portland International, picking up a car and going up the Columbia. We have visited Portland before and headed southward to Cooley's Iris Gardens. Thanks for offer, and what ever I know about wines, I will teach you.

[Ed Rotondaro]

That's why there is a large contingent of italians, like my family. The weather and conditions are similar to Sicily and southern Italy. Many came here to get involved in the big tuna fishing and canning industry, starkist and chicken of the sea. That is mostly defunct now, but that is why they came.

Dennis:

That's true, remember that chioppino was created in San Francisco by Italian fishermen. A lot of the early vineyards were planted by Italian immigrants, although the Spanish also put vines in.

[old_pop2000]

Dennis:

That's true, remember that chioppino was created in San Francisco by Italian fishermen. A lot of the early vineyards were planted by Italian immigrants, although the Spanish also put vines in.

The italian families would either grown their own grapes or buy the grapes, then make the Italian red table wine or Chianti. It was normal for them. The spanish did the same thing when Father Serra established the mission system in California, with Mission San Diego de Alcala being the first. Grape arbors grew up around the Mission and the Presidio.

[Ed Rotondaro]

Hi Ed.

Sangria must have fruit. The fruit soaks up the alcohol and tastes good, I guess. Frankly, I never could stand sweet drinks. Stone India Pale Ale used to be my choice.

Vince


Vince:

India Pale Ale seems to be one of the more popular styles for microbreweries to produce. I like it myself, but then I like most beers except for light beer. I may make up a batch of sangria the next time we have a party. Does it keep well in the refrigerator?

[Kyle Holgate]

Ed, funny - Willamette valley wines aren't expensive around here.

One thing I noticed (and hate to admit) is that the east coast IPA's are more to my taste, in general, than local ones. They use a lot of cascade hops and similar ones out here and they have a very grapefruity taste. Bridgeport IPA is almost like a big glass of bubbly grapefruit juice for example. I found some back east (can't remember the name right off - but I thin hair on the dog is one) that were much less citrus tasting and had more floral tasting hops.

I think my favorite style of beer is the American ale. It tends to be less malty and a bit more hoppy than ales from jolly ol' England. I really like a good dark lager too - usually imported from Germany as no local breweries seem to make it. Ales are apparently much cheaper to make and more popular as few micro's make lager beers.

Cheap Dinner - easier probably than most hamburger helpers and way better!

1 Can Stagg chili of your favorite kind
1 tbs chili powder (or more!)
1/2 tsp origano
1/4 tsp cumin
pinch cinnamon (yes, I know, sounds really weird but it's good)
pinch ground cloves (read same as above).
1/2 pkg noodles
Good extra sharp cheddar

Bring it to a boil, stir it up, let it simmer for a few minutes then turn it off and let it cool off. Put it in the Fridge if you want - it's fine for a while.

When ready to eat, dig out the chili and heat it up. Boil about 1/2 pgk of macaroni or whatever noodles you like. Put it in a frypan or cassarole or something and dump the chili on it 'n give it a mix.
Put the stuff under the broiler for a bit with the cheese on top. Sour cream is good with it too, blop a few blobs on it.

Be warned, I don't usually make it very carefully by amounts - I just guessed at how much of each thing. The cinnamon and cloves shouldn't be too obvious, but do add a very good hint of flavor to Chili. I probably put more than I listed above in - I like it. When I make it from scratch I put a cinnamon stick and about 4 cloves in it (the Chili). The fun part is when you find the cloves later while eating it.. they can be a bit of a surprise!

Oh, serve with a good Full Sale amber ale.

[Ed Rotondaro]

The italian families would either grown their own grapes or buy the grapes, then make the Italian red table wine or Chianti. It was normal for them. The spanish did the same thing when Father Serra established the mission system in California, with Mission San Diego de Alcala being the first. Grape arbors grew up around the Mission and the Presidio.


Dennis:

I envy you having the magnificent produce and wines while not missing earthquakes, massive traffic and a very high cost of living.

[Ed Rotondaro]

Ed, funny - Willamette valley wines aren't expensive around here.

One thing I noticed (and hate to admit) is that the east coast IPA's are more to my taste, in general, than local ones. They use a lot of cascade hops and similar ones out here and they have a very grapefruity taste. Bridgeport IPA is almost like a big glass of bubbly grapefruit juice for example. I found some back east (can't remember the name right off - but I thin hair on the dog is one) that were much less citrus tasting and had more floral tasting hops.

I think my favorite style of beer is the American ale. It tends to be less malty and a bit more hoppy than ales from jolly ol' England. I really like a good dark lager too - usually imported from Germany as no local breweries seem to make it. Ales are apparently much cheaper to make and more popular as few micro's make lager beers.

Cheap Dinner - easier probably than most hamburger helpers and way better!

1 Can Stagg chili of your favorite kind
1 tbs chili powder (or more!)
1/2 tsp origano
1/4 tsp cumin
pinch cinnamon (yes, I know, sounds really weird but it's good)
pinch ground cloves (read same as above).
1/2 pkg noodles
Good extra sharp cheddar

Bring it to a boil, stir it up, let it simmer for a few minutes then turn it off and let it cool off. Put it in the Fridge if you want - it's fine for a while.

When ready to eat, dig out the chili and heat it up. Boil about 1/2 pgk of macaroni or whatever noodles you like. Put it in a frypan or cassarole or something and dump the chili on it 'n give it a mix.
Put the stuff under the broiler for a bit with the cheese on top. Sour cream is good with it too, blop a few blobs on it.

Be warned, I don't usually make it very carefully by amounts - I just guessed at how much of each thing. The cinnamon and cloves shouldn't be too obvious, but do add a very good hint of flavor to Chili. I probably put more than I listed above in - I like it. When I make it from scratch I put a cinnamon stick and about 4 cloves in it (the Chili). The fun part is when you find the cloves later while eating it.. they can be a bit of a surprise!

Oh, serve with a good Full Sale amber ale.

Kyle:

Now that sounds a lot like Cincinnatti style chili with the mac and cheese. I like a little grated cheese and chopped green onions on my bowl of chili, but I actually like Monterey Jack better than Cheddar. Another great cheese for melting is smoked Gouda (which my family loves as a snack with bread or crackers).

Regarding ales etc, there are some great micro breweries in my neck of the woods. The entire Saranac line is great from top to bottom. Their Adirondack Amber and Pale Ale are amazing and their Black and Tan (a premixed version of their Black Forest Ale and I believe their Pale Ale) is inspired. The brewery goes way back to the 1800s and used to brew Utica Club and then Matts, all regional beers that I doubt ever made it past the Mississippi (although Matts was the original beer ball beer). Now the breery makes craft beers and is doing even better than ever. And of course there is always Sam Adams which also produce a fantastic line of beers (their Summer Ale may be the best summer beer ever).

[old_pop2000]

Dennis:

I envy you having the magnificent produce and wines while not missing earthquakes, massive traffic and a very high cost of living.

Well, Ed, I visited my uncle when he taught at UNY at Plattsburg, and it was a beautiful area. Of course, I did not visit in the winter, but it was beautiful nonetheless. The whole NE was simply gorgeous, so green and lush, people were nice. There is something to be said for that.

As far as my area, it is brown most of the time, but we are blessed because we can live our lives all year around without worry about weather. You can plan anything, 360 days out of the year, so that is nice. We have fruits, wines, vegetables, fish(if you like it) almost all year round. But, as with anything, you have to accept some bad aspects like traffic, the high cost of living and occasional earthquake to remind you of who rules. When you are retired, you plan your day around the traffic. You wait to hit the roads until after 0900 in the morning and get home at 1500 to avoid the two traffic periods. It is different if you are working, of course. I was lucky, because my work day started at 0630 and I was gone by 1500. I avoided the early morning and evening rush. You do have long distances to travel out here, in many cases. I had to drive 22.5 miles to get to Coronado and the base. But, if you just settle into it, and don't get upset, enjoy the drive home. As far as the high cost, you learn that to balance it with other items that are low cost. We don't have the heating expenses that most places do and our food prices are stable all year. It all balances out eventually. If I moved to Arizona, I could probably live much better, with lower home prices etc. But with three retirement incomes and two sizeable inheritances, its not really a problem. Understand, to get those three retirements, my wife had to continue working and sacrifice a lot. It was good planning, not luck that we acheived our current status.

Anyway, MIB is probably watching so back to food. I will let you know how my bagettes, bruschetta and angel hair pasta comes out tonite.

[Kyle Holgate]

Kyle:

Now that sounds a lot like Cincinnatti style chili with the mac and cheese. I like a little grated cheese and chopped green onions on my bowl of chili, but I actually like Monterey Jack better than Cheddar. Another great cheese for melting is smoked Gouda (which my family loves as a snack with bread or crackers).

Regarding ales etc, there are some great micro breweries in my neck of the woods. The entire Saranac line is great from top to bottom. Their Adirondack Amber and Pale Ale are amazing and their Black and Tan (a premixed version of their Black Forest Ale and I believe their Pale Ale) is inspired. The brewery goes way back to the 1800s and used to brew Utica Club and then Matts, all regional beers that I doubt ever made it past the Mississippi (although Matts was the original beer ball beer). Now the breery makes craft beers and is doing even better than ever. And of course there is always Sam Adams which also produce a fantastic line of beers (their Summer Ale may be the best summer beer ever).

I first had Sam Adams on tap back in 1985 or so in Boston when it was pretty much local. Place called Frog Lane. I've enjoyed it ever since, and haven't found a "sammy" I have not liked. Dogfish Head company from Delaware has my favorite IPA (the 90 minute, not the 120 minute) and stout (worldwide stout). The latter is about $8 for a 12oz bottle (!!!) but it's soooo good. My 2nd favorite stout is Dragon Stout from Jamaca. I can't find it locally, but had some when in Washington DC last spring!

The chili mac- it's my hamburger helper of sorts, and I put in green pepper sometimes, onion sometimes, more garlic. There is a huge cheese factory 50 miles from here - Tillamook cheese - that makes an extra sharp white cheddar I cannot do without. It's a must for my fridge. I like it a lot on chili and chili mac. Gouda or even mozarella work in chili - heck about any cheese does though I've never tried blue... not sure about that.
The point of my recipe was that you can make a hamburger helper type meal cheaper than HH AND better by far with about the same work or less.

[Ed Rotondaro]

Well, Ed, I visited my uncle when he taught at UNY at Plattsburg, and it was a beautiful area. Of course, I did not visit in the winter, but it was beautiful nonetheless. The whole NE was simply gorgeous, so green and lush, people were nice. There is something to be said for that.

As far as my area, it is brown most of the time, but we are blessed because we can live our lives all year around without worry about weather. You can plan anything, 360 days out of the year, so that is nice. We have fruits, wines, vegetables, fish(if you like it) almost all year round. But, as with anything, you have to accept some bad aspects like traffic, the high cost of living and occasional earthquake to remind you of who rules. When you are retired, you plan your day around the traffic. You wait to hit the roads until after 0900 in the morning and get home at 1500 to avoid the two traffic periods. It is different if you are working, of course. I was lucky, because my work day started at 0630 and I was gone by 1500. I avoided the early morning and evening rush. You do have long distances to travel out here, in many cases. I had to drive 22.5 miles to get to Coronado and the base. But, if you just settle into it, and don't get upset, enjoy the drive home. As far as the high cost, you learn that to balance it with other items that are low cost. We don't have the heating expenses that most places do and our food prices are stable all year. It all balances out eventually. If I moved to Arizona, I could probably live much better, with lower home prices etc. But with three retirement incomes and two sizeable inheritances, its not really a problem. Understand, to get those three retirements, my wife had to continue working and sacrifice a lot. It was good planning, not luck that we acheived our current status.

Anyway, MIB is probably watching so back to food. I will let you know how my bagettes, bruschetta and angel hair pasta comes out tonite.

Dennis:

I can understand the charm and if I lived in California that's where I would want to be. There is an excellent Pinot Noir made in what is considered a traditonal French style that comes from Calera Winery. Here's a link to their website. http://www.calerawine.com/
Try it sometime, but I will warn you, its made in small batches and ranges from $20 to $75 a bottle.

[Ed Rotondaro]

I first had Sam Adams on tap back in 1985 or so in Boston when it was pretty much local. Place called Frog Lane. I've enjoyed it ever since, and haven't found a "sammy" I have not liked. Dogfish Head company from Delaware has my favorite IPA (the 90 minute, not the 120 minute) and stout (worldwide stout). The latter is about $8 for a 12oz bottle (!!!) but it's soooo good. My 2nd favorite stout is Dragon Stout from Jamaca. I can't find it locally, but had some when in Washington DC last spring!

The chili mac- it's my hamburger helper of sorts, and I put in green pepper sometimes, onion sometimes, more garlic. There is a huge cheese factory 50 miles from here - Tillamook cheese - that makes an extra sharp white cheddar I cannot do without. It's a must for my fridge. I like it a lot on chili and chili mac. Gouda or even mozarella work in chili - heck about any cheese does though I've never tried blue... not sure about that.
The point of my recipe was that you can make a hamburger helper type meal cheaper than HH AND better by far with about the same work or less.

Kyle:

I see we appreciate the same beers LOL! I'm not a huge fan of blue cheese, although I do like it crumbled on a salad. I love mozzarella though. We have an Italian dairy company that makes it locally and it is superb. I like cheddar on burritos and as a snack with crackers. It's also good on chili. There are some superb cheese makers in upstate NY and even better ones in nearby Vermont. There has been a move among the better restaurants in this country to locally source their ingedients and to specify natural organic meats. Grass fed beef seems to be the hottest thing in upscale restaurants along with Kobe beef which I have not yet tried.

[old_pop2000]

Kyle:

I see we appreciate the same beers LOL! I'm not a huge fan of blue cheese, although I do like it crumbled on a salad. I love mozzarella though. We have an Italian dairy company that makes it locally and it is superb. I like cheddar on burritos and as a snack with crackers. It's also good on chili. There are some superb cheese makers in upstate NY and even better ones in nearby Vermont. There has been a move among the better restaurants in this country to locally source their ingedients and to specify natural organic meats. Grass fed beef seems to be the hottest thing in upscale restaurants along with Kobe beef which I have not yet tried.

I love mozzarella sticks especially when sliced into Cucumber-Tomato salad. I hate it when pizza restaurants don't use good mozzarella cheese. You can always tell by the taste. Yuch.

[old_pop2000]

Dennis:

I can understand the charm and if I lived in California that's where I would want to be. There is an excellent Pinot Noir made in what is considered a traditonal French style that comes from Calera Winery. Here's a link to their website. http://www.calerawine.com/
Try it sometime, but I will warn you, its made in small batches and ranges from $20 to $75 a bottle.

Well, it is expensive, but who knows, might get some.

Our recipes from last nights class were great. We had angel hair pasta with feta cheese, chopped tomatoes and a sauce of the black beans, garlic, onions, broth, bay leaves, oregano, parsley, margorum, basil, all slow cooked. We had Roasted red pepper tapenade on toasted sliced baguette, Kalamata olive tapenade and of course, old fashioned bruschetta made with chopped garlic, tomatoes, oregano, parsley, basil, olive oil and parmasan cheese.

What I would not have done for a good red wine like Cabernet or chianti.

[keschofield]

Here's a question thats been bugging me for a few weeks - With Anheiser-Busch now sold are there any American brewed AND owned, nationally distributed beers left besides Samual Adams? AB was the last that I knew of and now its gone (as far as I'm concerned). Coors is owned by Molson. Miller is owned by the South Africans. Most of the other famous old brands live on as labels only and are owned by one of the above big three. :(

I guess I'll have to go visit Ed in upstate NY and then load my car up with Genesse Cream Ale to bring back home. That's assuming that Genesse is still around. :cool:

[old_pop2000]

Here's a question thats been bugging me for a few weeks - With Anheiser-Busch now sold are there any American brewed AND owned, nationally distributed beers left besides Samual Adams? AB was the last that I knew of and now its gone (as far as I'm concerned). Coors is owned by Molson. Miller is owned by the South Africans. Most of the other famous old brands live on as labels only and are owned by one of the above big three. :(

I guess I'll have to go visit Ed in upstate NY and then load my car up with Genesse Cream Ale to bring back home. That's assuming that Genesse is still around. :cool:

I have a positive outlook. Since I didn't like Bud or Colorado Cool Aid, maybe being taken over by foreign manufacturers will provide us with a better beer. I like Belgian beers, and Molson, I am encouraged. Globalization is a fact. So, back to cooking 101.

[keschofield]

Sorry to interrupt.

[old_pop2000]

Sorry to interrupt.


Its not a problem for me, mate, but MIB likes us to stay on track in the threads. :D

[Warship NWS]

Its not a problem for me, mate, but MIB likes us to stay on track in the threads. :D

OT posts are not as strictly enforced in the OT section of our forums except for possibly when it is a matter of courtesy to other forum members or if the posts are entering topics not allowed on the NWS forums.

What Kurt asked about USA beer companies was perfectly fine, and a good curiosity question.

Thanks.

[old_pop2000]

OT posts are not as strictly enforced in the OT section of our forums except for possibly when it is a matter of courtesy to other forum members or if the posts are entering topics not allowed on the NWS forums.

What Kurt asked about USA beer companies was perfectly fine, and a good curiosity question.

Thanks.

Ok, MIB says its alright. Knock yourself out, guys. :D:D

For the record, I am for globalization, as long as the product improves and our country gets to produce the bulk of the product. Nothing is perfect, so let's quit looking for it. Maybe our beers will improve with the competition. I believe that the current surge in microbreweries, is due to the poor quality of Bud, Coors, Miller etc. With the influx of foreign beers like Lowenbrau, Heineken, etc. Americans finally got fed up and started to make their own. So, competition is good, no matter where it comes from. Just enjoy it guys.

[asnrobert]

Here's a question thats been bugging me for a few weeks - With Anheiser-Busch now sold are there any American brewed AND owned, nationally distributed beers left besides Samual Adams? AB was the last that I knew of and now its gone (as far as I'm concerned). Coors is owned by Molson. Miller is owned by the South Africans. Most of the other famous old brands live on as labels only and are owned by one of the above big three. :(

I guess I'll have to go visit Ed in upstate NY and then load my car up with Genesse Cream Ale to bring back home. That's assuming that Genesse is still around. :cool:


There's also Yuengling, in Pennsylvania. It's supposed to be America's oldest brewery. Don't know if it's owned by a bigger company, though. Here's their website:
http://www.yuengling.com/index.htm

[old_pop2000]

There's also Yuengling, in Pennsylvania. It's supposed to be America's oldest brewery. Don't know if it's owned by a bigger company, though. Here's their website:
http://www.yuengling.com/index.htm


What about Anchor Steam Brewery in San Francisco?

http://www.beerinfo.com/index.php/pages/breweries.html

[asnrobert]

What about Anchor Steam Brewery in San Francisco?

http://www.beerinfo.com/index.php/pages/breweries.html

I forgot about them- they make good beer.

[old_pop2000]

I forgot about them- they make good beer.

There are plenty of small, medium and large scale breweries in the US. I believe the microbreweries, which specialize and produce small quantities for local and state consumption are a new genre or simply a rebirth of the old genres. Breweries like Pabst Blue Ribbon etc. started that way.

[Spook046]

Personally, as brews are concerned, I could go for a sizable bottle of Arrogant Bastard Ale any day.

(Yes, that's its name.)

And given my frame, any one bottle of brew doesn't give me much of a buzz. However, one bottle of AB actually does get me just a hint light-headed. ;)

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

EDIT: Apologies, a link from the brewer would be appropriate to include.

http://www.stonebrew.com/index2.php

[old_pop2000]

Personally, as brews are concerned, I could go for a sizable bottle of Arrogant Bastard Ale any day.

(Yes, that's its name.)

And given my frame, any one bottle of brew doesn't give me much of a buzz. However, one bottle of AB actually does get me just a hint light-headed. ;)

Hey, I've had that many times, good ale anyday. The bottles are sizeable.

BTW, does the museum still have the B-36. When I was there in '72, I could not believe they had a full B-36. The wingtips were just at the edge of the building. I missed the XB-70, it was in refurbishment, so we missed it. Great museum. The B-36's used to fly over San Diego all the time in the '50's. Convair was based here along Harbor Drive.

[Spook046]

If you're asking about the Air Force Museum in Dayton OH, Dennis, then yes, the B-36 is still here. The XB-70 is here also, but re-located to the ancillary hangar containing the X-planes and the earlier Presidential transports.

There's now three big hangars for the primary museum complex, and an attached "Aviation Hall of Fame". The more recent third main hangar building, completed in 2004 (IIRC), contains the "Cold War" theme and that's where the B-36 is now.

Siiggggghhh.... used to be a day for our plastic modeler's group to be able to climb into the cockpits. One time I did get inside the B-36, along with the "Bocks Car" B-29 among others.

[old_pop2000]

If you're asking about the Air Force Museum in Dayton OH, Dennis, then yes, the B-36 is still here. The XB-70 is here also, but re-located to the ancillary hangar containing the X-planes and the earlier Presidential transports.

There's now three big hangars for the primary museum complex, and an attached "Aviation Hall of Fame". The more recent third main hangar building, completed in 2004 (IIRC), contains the "Cold War" theme and that's where the B-36 is now.

Siiggggghhh.... used to be a day for our plastic modeler's group to be able to climb into the cockpits. One time I did get inside the B-36, along with the "Bocks Car" B-29 among others.

Sounds great, I will have to see if my wife and I can get there someday. I would like to see that museum again. It was nice in 72 and sounds like it simply outstanding now.

[Spook046]

Best part is it's still free to visit. :D

Yeah, it's a class act, though one should budget at least the better part of a day (if not the whole day) to absorb properly.

Now, for one of the more daunting pursuits between the missus and I.........

Any recommendations among you for the ultimate chocolate chip cookie recipe?

[keschofield]

Ok, MIB says its alright. Knock yourself out, guys. :D:D

For the record, I am for globalization, as long as the product improves and our country gets to produce the bulk of the product. Nothing is perfect, so let's quit looking for it. Maybe our beers will improve with the competition. I believe that the current surge in microbreweries, is due to the poor quality of Bud, Coors, Miller etc. With the influx of foreign beers like Lowenbrau, Heineken, etc. Americans finally got fed up and started to make their own. So, competition is good, no matter where it comes from. Just enjoy it guys.

We'll have to agree to disagree about globalization. I hate it and I always have whether its a foreign company buying an American icon or an American company "americanizing" a foreign market. The first sign that I saw in Holland in 1975 on my first trip overseas was a MacDonalds sign (yechhh!). Just my prejudice I guess. Please don't take this as an invitation to hijack this thread and start another one. If need be, start a new thread to discuss this.

I was just asking if there were anymore nationally distributed beers besides Sam Adams that were American owned. Having lived in Europe I know full well that most European beers are superior to ours. That wasn't my question. Yuengling, Anchor and some of the others mentioned I've heard of also, but they're not nationally distributed. The question has nothing to do with quality, taste or anything else.

Interestingly enough, this is a peculiarly hard piece of information to nail down. I wonder why that should be the case. Thanks for everybodys replies. I'll leave the forum to the cooks again.

[old_pop2000]

Best part is it's still free to visit. :D

Yeah, it's a class act, though one should budget at least the better part of a day (if not the whole day) to absorb properly.

Now, for one of the more daunting pursuits between the missus and I.........

Any recommendations among you for the ultimate chocolate chip cookie recipe?

I don't know about ultimate, except always use good butter and chocolate chips. We always get Ghirardelli's Chocolate chips. Maybe someone has an ultimate, that would great to have. I just use the recipe on the Ghirardelli Bag.

[john964]

Best part is it's still free to visit. :D

Yeah, it's a class act, though one should budget at least the better part of a day (if not the whole day) to absorb properly.

Now, for one of the more daunting pursuits between the missus and I.........

Any recommendations among you for the ultimate chocolate chip cookie recipe?

I always add chopped nuts to my CCC recipe I recomend pecan, macadamia and walnuts. Like Dennis I use the recipe on the bag, usally Tollhouse.

[old_pop2000]

I always add chopped nuts to my CCC recipe I recomend pecan, macadamia and walnuts. Like Dennis I use the recipe on the bag, usally Tollhouse.


If I make CCC for myself and my wife, I always use chopped walnuts or mac's. However, my son doesn't like nuts, so I have to leave them out. However, the next batch is going to have walnuts. If he doesn't like it, go make them yourself or buy them. Tollhouse is a good recipe, I just like Ghirardelli's better.

[asnrobert]

We'll have to agree to disagree about globalization. I hate it and I always have whether its a foreign company buying an American icon or an American company "americanizing" a foreign market. The first sign that I saw in Holland in 1975 on my first trip overseas was a MacDonalds sign (yechhh!). Just my prejudice I guess. Please don't take this as an invitation to hijack this thread and start another one. If need be, start a new thread to discuss this.

I was just asking if there were anymore nationally distributed beers besides Sam Adams that were American owned. Having lived in Europe I know full well that most European beers are superior to ours. That wasn't my question. Yuengling, Anchor and some of the others mentioned I've heard of also, but they're not nationally distributed. The question has nothing to do with quality, taste or anything else.



I don't know if Anchor and Yuengling are distributed throughout all 50 states, but they are available in other parts of the country besides where they're brewed- both are available here in Florida.

[old_pop2000]

Here is an interesting link to America's Test Kitchen. They have a program on PBS and will send you a weekly email with different things like tests, menus, recipes, kitchen tips, and even video recipes that usually can be downloaded and saved. I am going to start saving them and putting them on my IPOD for use in the kitchen.

http://www.americastestkitchen.com/

Enjoy and Thanks

[Ed Rotondaro]

I always add chopped nuts to my CCC recipe I recomend pecan, macadamia and walnuts. Like Dennis I use the recipe on the bag, usally Tollhouse.

John:

Yes, that's how my wife and my mom make 'em. And they are good.

[Ed Rotondaro]

I don't know if Anchor and Yuengling are distributed throughout all 50 states, but they are available in other parts of the country besides where they're brewed- both are available here in Florida.

Robert:

We get both of them around here. Yuengling on draft is really good beer.

[Ed Rotondaro]

Here is an interesting link to America's Test Kitchen. They have a program on PBS and will send you a weekly email with different things like tests, menus, recipes, kitchen tips, and even video recipes that usually can be downloaded and saved. I am going to start saving them and putting them on my IPOD for use in the kitchen.

http://www.americastestkitchen.com/

Enjoy and Thanks

Dennis:

My mom and I both like that show.

[keschofield]

Last post on this topic then I'll leave the kitchen to the cooks ;)

Here's a link to the closest I could come to an answer to my question. Based on my reading of this list (and other research), it looks like Boston Beer (Sam Adams) and Yuengling are the top two American owned and operating beer companies. Pabst is still American owned and owns a large number of the old familiar brands but --- Pabst owns NO BREWERIES, all their beer is brewed by Miller (South African owned).

http://www.beertown.com/pr/pdf/2007Top50Release.pdf

If I can find Anchor in stores around me, I'm going to try it. Both it and I are natives of the San Francisco bay area. Failing that it looks like either Yuengling or Sam Adams for me. My old friend Genesee is now High Falls Brewing Company and I may see if Genesee is available here as well.

Thanks to those of you who assisted me in this little project.

[Ed Rotondaro]

Last post on this topic then I'll leave the kitchen to the cooks ;)

Here's a link to the closest I could come to an answer to my question. Based on my reading of this list (and other research), it looks like Boston Beer (Sam Adams) and Yuengling are the top two American owned and operating beer companies. Pabst is still American owned and owns a large number of the old familiar brands but --- Pabst owns NO BREWERIES, all their beer is brewed by Miller (South African owned).

http://www.beertown.com/pr/pdf/2007Top50Release.pdf

If I can find Anchor in stores around me, I'm going to try it. Both it and I are natives of the San Francisco bay area. Failing that it looks like either Yuengling or Sam Adams for me. My old friend Genesee is now High Falls Brewing Company and I may see if Genesee is available here as well.

Thanks to those of you who assisted me in this little project.

Kurt:

Actually these days Pabst is what they call a "Zombie Brewer". Or more correctly, a "beer marketing company".Using Miller, they re-animate lots of regional beers again. Examples:
Schaefer, Piels, Heilman's Old Style, Schlitz, Schmidt's etc.

[old_pop2000]

This thursday in cooking class we will be making Tacos, salsa fresca and fruit crisp. The two ladies that are in our group will not be in class, soooooo its my little lady substituting. I will be ok if I just keep quiet and follow orders.:D

[old_pop2000]

Well, we made tacos, salsa fresca and guacamole. The best thing was the cinnamon apple burritos. Yep, cinnamon apples inside a flour tortilla, fried on the grill for two minutes. Those were great. Simple except for the thin slicing of the apples, but delicious. I heartily recommend that recipe.

[john964]

Kurt:

Actually these days Pabst is what they call a "Zombie Brewer". Or more correctly, a "beer marketing company".Using Miller, they re-animate lots of regional beers again. Examples:
Schaefer, Piels, Heilman's Old Style, Schlitz, Schmidt's etc.
God I hope not Olympia and Rainer.

[Ed Rotondaro]

God I hope not Olympia and Rainer.

John:

I haven't heard if they are. I wasn't aware that Oly was no longer made. I remember from my college days.

[keschofield]

God I hope not Olympia and Rainer.

I'm afraid so. Both are gone. Here's a snippet from Wikipedia: "The Schmidt Family, which owned and operated the Brewery and company, elected to sell to Heilemann's Old Style Beer Company in 1982. Heilemann's was subsequently purchased by Pabst in 1983.

As with many other regional breweries, ownership of this brewery eventually passed through several corporations including Pabst, G. Heileman, and Stroh's, until the brewery was eventually purchased by SABMiller. For a time, the Olympia brewery took over the brewing of other Pacific Northwest brands as their original breweries were closed one by one, including the Lucky Lager brewery in Vancouver, Washington, the Henry Weinhard's brewery in Portland, Oregon, and the Rainier Beer brewery in Seattle, Washington. Miller closed the Olympia brewery on July 1, 2003 citing the unprofitability of such a small brewery."

[Ed Rotondaro]

I'm afraid so. Both are gone. Here's a snippet from Wikipedia: "The Schmidt Family, which owned and operated the Brewery and company, elected to sell to Heilemann's Old Style Beer Company in 1982. Heilemann's was subsequently purchased by Pabst in 1983.

As with many other regional breweries, ownership of this brewery eventually passed through several corporations including Pabst, G. Heileman, and Stroh's, until the brewery was eventually purchased by SABMiller. For a time, the Olympia brewery took over the brewing of other Pacific Northwest brands as their original breweries were closed one by one, including the Lucky Lager brewery in Vancouver, Washington, the Henry Weinhard's brewery in Portland, Oregon, and the Rainier Beer brewery in Seattle, Washington. Miller closed the Olympia brewery on July 1, 2003 citing the unprofitability of such a small brewery."

Kurt:

Thanks for the info on these older beers. Some of them never made it east of the Rockies. Olympia was about the only one I ever saw around here. Stroh's was popular for awhile and was actually a decent lager. Miller bought them out years ago.

One of the large beverage distributors frequently comes to the place I eat lunch at. One salespersons is an attractive lady who often gives out samples of Miller's latest offerings for obvious marketing reasons. The Miller Co. is now marketing a version of their Genuine Draft that apparently only has about 65 or 85 calories (Why bother they already have Lite beer). Now I've always considered Miller to be as the Brits say "Like making love in a canoe" (i.e. F**king near water). To water it down even further demonstrates that Miller thinks Americans don't know what good beer is.

Anchor Steam is an excellent beer. I don't know if Fritz Maytag (heir to the Maytag fortune) still owns the brewery. He actually started the craft beer craze back in the '80s when he heard that the Anchor Steam brewery was closing. It was his favorite beer so bought the brewery and learned how to make beer. Others like Jim Koch followed and now we actually have some good American microbrews to drink. I can't believe you can find Genesee down in Georgia. Drank a lot of that in college.

[keschofield]

Ed,

According to their website, Anchor is still owned by Fritz Maytag. The site also shows distributors here in Georgia, so perhaps I'll be able to try it sometime.

Kurt

[Ed Rotondaro]

Ed,

According to their website, Anchor is still owned by Fritz Maytag. The site also shows distributors here in Georgia, so perhaps I'll be able to try it sometime.

Kurt

Kurt:

That's good to know. Must have been one of those rumors in the beer press. We've got several local small newsletter such the Ale Times that cover microbreweries, especially those in the NE and Mid-Atlantic states.

[Ed Rotondaro]

Ed,

According to their website, Anchor is still owned by Fritz Maytag. The site also shows distributors here in Georgia, so perhaps I'll be able to try it sometime.

Kurt

Kurt:

I checked Pabst official website and they market at least 25 old beers including Ranier and Olympia as well as Piels. They themselves don't brew, Miller and Lion do the brewing. Pabst handles the marketing. Apparently Pabst is gaining in popularity among urbanities as a gritty, working man's beer. It's also popular in Canada around Toronto where it has a higher alcohol content than in the US. This is becoming a really interesting topic.

[old_pop2000]

Well, a wave of inventiveness came over me. I like margarita's and I am going to start learning how to make them better. So, I made my own sweet and sour mix from water(purified), sugar, lemon juice and lime juice. Tonight, I will make myself my favorite drink and see how the mixture works. News at a 11:00:D

I am also going to develop a taste for single malt scotch, budget willing.:D

As we used to say, down the hatch, over the gums, lookout stomach, here it comes.

[Ed Rotondaro]

Well, a wave of inventiveness came over me. I like margarita's and I am going to start learning how to make them better. So, I made my own sweet and sour mix from water(purified), sugar, lemon juice and lime juice. Tonight, I will make myself my favorite drink and see how the mixture works. News at a 11:00:D

I am also going to develop a taste for single malt scotch, budget willing.:D

As we used to say, down the hatch, over the gums, lookout stomach, here it comes.

Dennis:

Heh Heh. Margaritas maybe the only way I can stomach tequila. My favoriate local watering hole just got a special display that has platic base upon sits three Patron styles of tequila illuminated by a light from below. They have an Anjeo and two others I don't recognize.

Regarding single malt scotch I'm on far more familar ground as it is one of my top drinks of choice. As you mention budget willing. Should you wish to discuss this either by private email or phone, feel free to contact me. I don't want to clog up this thread with a subject as complex as whiskey. Just remember the time difference between EST and the West Coast.

[old_pop2000]

Dennis:

Heh Heh. Margaritas maybe the only way I can stomach tequila. My favoriate local watering hole just got a special display that has platic base upon sits three Patron styles of tequila illuminated by a light from below. They have an Anjeo and two others I don't recognize.

Regarding single malt scotch I'm on far more familar ground as it is one of my top drinks of choice. As you mention budget willing. Should you wish to discuss this either by private email or phone, feel free to contact me. I don't want to clog up this thread with a subject as complex as whiskey. Just remember the time difference between EST and the West Coast.

I like tequila sunrise's but love Margarita's. My home made sweet & sour came out good. When I use up my triple sec, I am going to use cointreau, it makes a better drink. I may just make it with lime juice instead of SW mix.

I will take you up on the idea about the scotch. Can you at least give me a recommendation on single malt scotch or a good, blended. What about Glenlivet?

[Ed Rotondaro]

I like tequila sunrise's but love Margarita's. My home made sweet & sour came out good. When I use up my triple sec, I am going to use cointreau, it makes a better drink. I may just make it with lime juice instead of SW mix.

I will take you up on the idea about the scotch. Can you at least give me a recommendation on single malt scotch or a good, blended. What about Glenlivet?

Dennis:

Ahh Tequila Sunrises, my first mixed drink in my college days! There was a college bar that had two for one nights back in the '70s and my friends and I would go there and drink Sunrises all night along with 7&7s and the occasional beer (I wasn't much of a beer man in those days). Cointreau is essential in my opinion for a good Margarita.

Regarding single malts, Glenlivet is my personal favorite followed by Glenfidich. Both are worth the price and should be served either with ice of just plain water (not too much, just enough to open up the flavor). You'll find that the single malts are offered in a wide range of styles, many are aged in old sherry wine barrels that impart a special flavor to the whiskey. Macallan and Glenmorangie have seveal sherry aged styles. The main reason why single malts are so expensive is the long aging (minimum of 8 years with 12 years as the average). So the whiskey distilled this year won't be profit until 2020. There are whiskeys aged 15, 18 20 and 25 years and as you can imagine the prices are astronomical, approaching a Chateau Lafite Roschild Bordeaux in price. A very affordable single malt whiskey is Speyside which is aged 10 years and can be found in 1 liter and 1.5 liter bottles (the latter is very tall and will not fit in most liquor cabinents). Oh the Glen in whiskey names means valley. The key to any good whiskey whether scotch or bourbon is the clean water used in the making.

Blended whiskeys can be quite drinkable since they are not aged as long and are a good mix of other single malts. Some particularly good ones are Chivas Regal, Famous Grouse (a personal favorite and very affordable), J&B and the real dark horse, Old Smuggler (rated 85 by the Wine Spectator magazine and my house whiskey). The blended whiskey's usually have a good single malt as the base and then are combined with lesser whiskeys to produce a very drinkable spirit. If you are going to try mixed whiskey drink opt for scotch and club soda. Don't do that with a single malt, that's like buying an expensive steak and making tacos out of it (am I a snob or what?)

One of the big flavors in scotch is smoke. This has to do with the process of making whiskey. You start with barley and malt it. Malting, which is also used in brewing is allowing the grains to germinate by wetting them down and letting them start to sprout. This causes the sugars to concentrate which makes for fermenting. But you have to stop the process or else the malted barley will use up the sugar as it starts to sprout. Heat stops the process, so with scotch whiskey, the malted barley is heated over a peat fire which gives the barley the smokey tastes so characteristic of this kind of spirit. Some brands take the smoke flavor to the extreme. Irish whiskey by contrast uses heated water so it lacks the smoke and has a much more floral taste.

Essentially the basic process of making whiskey resembles brewing beer in the initial stages, it is the subsequent distilling of the wort that produces the higher alcohol content whiskey. Then the clear colorless whiskey is aged in oak barrels as I mentioned above. The aging adds to the flavor and actually gives the whiskey its amber color (this is true of any type of whiskey and cognac as well). If possible seek a good liquor store and see if they offer tastings or even classes on whiskey. Some actually have a multi-night seminar for a fee where you get try smaple various whiskeys. Hope this overly long dissertation was informative.

[old_pop2000]

Dennis:

Ahh Tequila Sunrises, my first mixed drink in my college days! There was a college bar that had two for one nights back in the '70s and my friends and I would go there and drink Sunrises all night along with 7&7s and the occasional beer (I wasn't much of a beer man in those days). Cointreau is essential in my opinion for a good Margarita.

Regarding single malts, Glenlivet is my personal favorite followed by Glenfidich. Both are worth the price and should be served either with ice of just plain water (not too much, just enough to open up the flavor). You'll find that the single malts are offered in a wide range of styles, many are aged in old sherry wine barrels that impart a special flavor to the whiskey. Macallan and Glenmorangie have seveal sherry aged styles. The main reason why single malts are so expensive is the long aging (minimum of 8 years with 12 years as the average). So the whiskey distilled this year won't be profit until 2020. There are whiskeys aged 15, 18 20 and 25 years and as you can imagine the prices are astronomical, approaching a Chateau Lafite Roschild Bordeaux in price. A very affordable single malt whiskey is Speyside which is aged 10 years and can be found in 1 liter and 1.5 liter bottles (the latter is very tall and will not fit in most liquor cabinents). Oh the Glen in whiskey names means valley. The key to any good whiskey whether scotch or bourbon is the clean water used in the making.

Blended whiskeys can be quite drinkable since they are not aged as long and are a good mix of other single malts. Some particularly good ones are Chivas Regal, Famous Grouse (a personal favorite and very affordable), J&B and the real dark horse, Old Smuggler (rated 85 by the Wine Spectator magazine and my house whiskey). The blended whiskey's usually have a good single malt as the base and then are combined with lesser whiskeys to produce a very drinkable spirit. If you are going to try mixed whiskey drink opt for scotch and club soda. Don't do that with a single malt, that's like buying an expensive steak and making tacos out of it (am I a snob or what?)

One of the big flavors in scotch is smoke. This has to do with the process of making whiskey. You start with barley and malt it. Malting, which is also used in brewing is allowing the grains to germinate by wetting them down and letting them start to sprout. This causes the sugars to concentrate which makes for fermenting. But you have to stop the process or else the malted barley will use up the sugar as it starts to sprout. Heat stops the process, so with scotch whiskey, the malted barley is heated over a peat fire which gives the barley the smokey tastes so characteristic of this kind of spirit. Some brands take the smoke flavor to the extreme. Irish whiskey by contrast uses heated water so it lacks the smoke and has a much more floral taste.

Essentially the basic process of making whiskey resembles brewing beer in the initial stages, it is the subsequent distilling of the wort that produces the higher alcohol content whiskey. Then the clear colorless whiskey is aged in oak barrels as I mentioned above. The aging adds to the flavor and actually gives the whiskey its amber color (this is true of any type of whiskey and cognac as well). If possible seek a good liquor store and see if they offer tastings or even classes on whiskey. Some actually have a multi-night seminar for a fee where you get try smaple various whiskeys. Hope this overly long dissertation was informative.


Great information! Glenlivet it is. I would not adulterate a good scotch with anything but water or soda. Same with JD. I use Seagrams VO or Seven for mixing drinks. When I make margarita's, I don't use good tequila, it does not make any sense.

Thanks Much. Don't worry about long dissertation, especially with me!!;)

[Ed Rotondaro]

Great information! Glenlivet it is. I would not adulterate a good scotch with anything but water or soda. Same with JD. I use Seagrams VO or Seven for mixing drinks. When I make margarita's, I don't use good tequila, it does not make any sense.

Thanks Much. Don't worry about long dissertation, especially with me!!;)

Dennis:

VO is probably the most underrated blended Canadian whiskey in the world. It works in mixed drinks and with simple things like water or soda. It's not as "sweet" when combined with mixers as Seagram's 7 is. I've got a Canadian born naturalized friend who I occasionally share lunch with. We were talking about stuff we drank in college and lo and behold one day I find him drinking what I thought was a rum and coke only to find out it was a Black Velvet and cola (talk about sweet, ecch!). He told me he had to go back down memory lane one more time after our talk!:D Have a great weekend!

[old_pop2000]

Dennis:

VO is probably the most underrated blended Canadian whiskey in the world. It works in mixed drinks and with simple things like water or soda. It's not as "sweet" when combined with mixers as Seagram's 7 is. I've got a Canadian born naturalized friend who I occasionally share lunch with. We were talking about stuff we drank in college and lo and behold one day I find him drinking what I thought was a rum and coke only to find out it was a Black Velvet and cola (talk about sweet, ecch!). He told me he had to go back down memory lane one more time after our talk!:D Have a great weekend!


I have always had a bottle of VO or CC on hand. Both are good blended whiskey's. As for rum, I have always enjoyed rum and coke or a Cuba Libre. A CL is just light rum, coke and twist of lime, as you know. It really has a good taste. Captain Morgan is a good rum that adds something to it. Cruzan and of course, Bacardi Gold are great.

Nice weekend to you.:D

[Ed Rotondaro]

I have always had a bottle of VO or CC on hand. Both are good blended whiskey's. As for rum, I have always enjoyed rum and coke or a Cuba Libre. A CL is just light rum, coke and twist of lime, as you know. It really has a good taste. Captain Morgan is a good rum that adds something to it. Cruzan and of course, Bacardi Gold are great.

Nice weekend to you.:D

Dennis:

Cruzan is a complex rum and I am still learning its flavors. Capt. Morgan is my brother's drink of choice and probably is better without a mixer. I was surprised one day when ordering a Cuba Libre to have it made with Capt. Morgan. I thought the cola was bad since the drink tasted weird. Well we had a nice grilled steak for dinner and are looking forward to watching the last game at old Yankee stadium tonight. Have a great week my friend!

[Kyle Holgate]

Dennis:

Cruzan is a complex rum and I am still learning its flavors. Capt. Morgan is my brother's drink of choice and probably is better without a mixer. I was surprised one day when ordering a Cuba Libre to have it made with Capt. Morgan. I thought the cola was bad since the drink tasted weird. Well we had a nice grilled steak for dinner and are looking forward to watching the last game at old Yankee stadium tonight. Have a great week my friend!

I spent many days in the Carribean when in the USN (it was rough going back down there every winter when home port was RI!). I got a taste for the excellent rum one could find down there with a bit of work (there were many not so excellent). Back up here in OR - not so easy to find good rum, but I finally did. One called Zaya is the best I have found so far, it's best in a brandy snifter.
How did cooking 101 become drinking 101? Heh, can ya tell we're mostly if not all men here? :cool:

Dennis, what does your wife think now - not so much Iron chef's any more?!

[old_pop2000]

I spent many days in the Carribean when in the USN (it was rough going back down there every winter when home port was RI!). I got a taste for the excellent rum one could find down there with a bit of work (there were many not so excellent). Back up here in OR - not so easy to find good rum, but I finally did. One called Zaya is the best I have found so far, it's best in a brandy snifter.
How did cooking 101 become drinking 101? Heh, can ya tell we're mostly if not all men here? :cool:

Dennis, what does your wife think now - not so much Iron chef's any more?!

I don't think it really matters to her, she understands that food and drinking go together, especially for a bunch of old guys like us. She just thinks its interesting about the interest in talking about food preparation and all.

Just a note: we are making chili this week in class so I will pass it along if it is good to see how you gents like it.

We need some good rub recipes for steaks and roasts.

[Ed Rotondaro]

I don't think it really matters to her, she understands that food and drinking go together, especially for a bunch of old guys like us. She just thinks its interesting about the interest in talking about food preparation and all.

Just a note: we are making chili this week in class so I will pass it along if it is good to see how you gents like it.

We need some good rub recipes for steaks and roasts.

Dennis:

A good all purpose rub can be made with finely ground pepper, onion and garlic powder and celery seed. Also the Penzeys spice company sells many prepared seasoing mixes including a very nice prime rib roast seasoning and a good beef seasoning. I use them all the time, especially when grilling a steak.

[Jittery]

Nice, Chilli is the ultimate meal, and it so tastes better the next day.

I myself am a sucker for seafood. where i live (Melbourne Australia) i learnt early from both my grandparents fishing out on the bay and also in some of the country river systems. Although the recepies are varstly different they both taste awesome.

White Fish (Blue Grenadier or Baramundi is what we generally use, depending on where we are fishing)

2-4 fish fillits (fresh)
big simmer pan to go in the ovan.
2 tablespoons of cappers (per slice of fish)
1/2 onion diced (per slice of fish)
Cask of dry white wine. (preferably one that is nice to drink, but if not get a good bottle to drink with the meal as well)

cooking, dice the onion and fry up in pan. Throw in cappers also cut up a few times to let the flavour get out. fill it up with the white wine until it is deap enough to hold all your fish compleatly submerged. Heat up the onion, cappers and wine in the ovan. Add Fish to pan so that it is completely submerged under the wine etc. Cook for 3-6 minutes. (until fish is cooked or white in the middle)
Take fish out carefully it will be really really easy to break it up ;) and place on pre-heated plates. then put a small amount of the cappers and onion from the dish ontop as a garnish. Serve straight up with fresh vegi's (steamed) or a nice salid (whatever is in season).

This comes up really nice and will always imprese every time. It also gives you an excuse to go fishing overnight to get the freshest fish posible. Depending on the local produce salid/steamed vegies whatever your most comfortable cooking. Another way to cook is with those electric frying pans if your only cooking for a few people instead of having to use the ovan. Something my grandmother used to do was also add lemon rind if it wasnt a strong flavoured fish (i never liked this myself as with fresh fish it can cancel the flavour a bit)

This one takes about 15 mins all up from starting to finished product and best of all you have a good excuss for going fishing, only the best fish will do ;)

Ill try and find the recepies i have for callamari & crab later, the key to calamari i remeber being kiwi fruit..... ill get back to you shortly. As for roasts, nothing beats a spit...

[old_pop2000]

Nice, Chilli is the ultimate meal, and it so tastes better the next day.

I myself am a sucker for seafood. where i live (Melbourne Australia) i learnt early from both my grandparents fishing out on the bay and also in some of the country river systems. Although the recepies are varstly different they both taste awesome.

White Fish (Blue Grenadier or Baramundi is what we generally use, depending on where we are fishing)

2-4 fish fillits (fresh)
big simmer pan to go in the ovan.
2 tablespoons of cappers (per slice of fish)
1/2 onion diced (per slice of fish)
Cask of dry white wine. (preferably one that is nice to drink, but if not get a good bottle to drink with the meal as well)

cooking, dice the onion and fry up in pan. Throw in cappers also cut up a few times to let the flavour get out. fill it up with the white wine until it is deap enough to hold all your fish compleatly submerged. Heat up the onion, cappers and wine in the ovan. Add Fish to pan so that it is completely submerged under the wine etc. Cook for 3-6 minutes. (until fish is cooked or white in the middle)
Take fish out carefully it will be really really easy to break it up ;) and place on pre-heated plates. then put a small amount of the cappers and onion from the dish ontop as a garnish. Serve straight up with fresh vegi's (steamed) or a nice salid (whatever is in season).

This comes up really nice and will always imprese every time. It also gives you an excuse to go fishing overnight to get the freshest fish posible. Depending on the local produce salid/steamed vegies whatever your most comfortable cooking. Another way to cook is with those electric frying pans if your only cooking for a few people instead of having to use the ovan. Something my grandmother used to do was also add lemon rind if it wasnt a strong flavoured fish (i never liked this myself as with fresh fish it can cancel the flavour a bit)

This one takes about 15 mins all up from starting to finished product and best of all you have a good excuss for going fishing, only the best fish will do ;)

Ill try and find the recepies i have for callamari & crab later, the key to calamari i remeber being kiwi fruit..... ill get back to you shortly. As for roasts, nothing beats a spit...

This is great, recipes from Australia. I love it. My wife will love the fish recipes. Her and my son are great fish lovers.

[Jittery]

hmmmm,

If you have salmon near where you live this is a good one, cant find calamari recipe at the moment.

Awesome pasta sauce. (these measurements are approximate but still a good guide)

2/3 cups of diced salmon (pre cooked)
1/2 green pepper, diced
1/2 cup onion, diced.
1/2 red pepper, diced.
4 table spoons of butter
1/4 a cup of flour.
2 cups of milk.
1 cup of sliced mushrooms.
2 egg yolks, beaten.
Salt & pepper to taste.

saute/grill red & green pepper & onion in butter until slightly tender.
Blend in flour, salt, pepper. Add milk & cook until it starts to thicken up, stirring constantly. (this is the important bit) get a little bit of the sauce out and add to the egg yolks and mix it in, then pour all the eggs and sauce back into the mixture, continue to stir.

It should be pretty thick and as soon as the egg is stired in add the sliced mushrooms and precooked salmon (salmon should be cooked just before starting this but not all the way just browned). continue to cook until the salmon is heated up all the way through (this will cook it the last bit).

Serve straight onto hot noodles/pasta (depending on diet a little bit of butter in the noodles/pasta goes along way).

This one is really nice any time of the year. If you put the salmon straight into the mix uncooked or unbrowned previously it breaks apart so you have to have it sort of 1/2 cooked before adding it.

Credit for this must be given to my old boss or his wife. Either way its a killer meal. I had to swap this for the previous recipe, i think i got the good end of the deal although it takes a little bit more preparation. (plus im pretty sure there isnt baramundie in the US, however there is salmon everywhere)

All this food talk is making me mighty hungry.... im going fishing this weekend :D

[Ed Rotondaro]

Nice, Chilli is the ultimate meal, and it so tastes better the next day.

I myself am a sucker for seafood. where i live (Melbourne Australia) i learnt early from both my grandparents fishing out on the bay and also in some of the country river systems. Although the recepies are varstly different they both taste awesome.

..

Sounds like a nice poached fish recipe to me. I'll see if I can find any Barramundi around here.

[old_pop2000]

Well, my lady and I are going to Julian, an old mining town up in the hills above San Diego and spend a couple of days in a great bed and breakfast to enjoy the festivities, go hiking, and go to a couple nice wineries up there.

[Ed Rotondaro]

Well, my lady and I are going to Julian, an old mining town up in the hills above San Diego and spend a couple of days in a great bed and breakfast to enjoy the festivities, go hiking, and go to a couple nice wineries up there.

You have too much fun.:D But you've earned it old friend. Have a great time.

[old_pop2000]

You have too much fun.:D But you've earned it old friend. Have a great time.


Yeah, I do have too much fun. Here is a link to the lodge. We are staying in a cottage, not in lodge itself.

http://www.orchardhill.com/

Here is a picture of the cottages, ours is the Valmore

http://www.orchardhill.com/rooms.html

[Ed Rotondaro]

Yeah, I do have too much fun. Here is a link to the lodge. We are staying in a cottage, not in lodge itself.

http://www.orchardhill.com/

Here is a picture of the cottages, ours is the Valmore

http://www.orchardhill.com/rooms.html

Dennis:

Cottage? That's a freakin' luxury condo man! Wish I was there.

Here's a great vegetable side dish that you might like if you like eggplant.

Garlic Parmesan Eggplant Slices:

1 medium (1lb) eggplant sliced into 14" slices
1 tsp. salt
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup of seasoned bread crumbs
1/4 cup of freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1 tbsp of basil leaves
1/3 cup of vegetable or olive oil (use olive it tastes better)
1/2 tsp of pepper (freshly ground in my opinion)
1 tsp. minced fresh garlic
2 eggs slightly beaten
1 cup (1 medium) chopped ripe tomato (best if fresh from the garden)

Place eggplant slices on a large flat pan such as a cookie sheet and sprinkle with salt. In a pie pan mix together flour, bread crumbs, cheese and basil. In a skillet cook the oil, pepper and garlic over medium heat until sizzling. Meanwhile dip the eggplant slices in the eggs and then coat with the flour mixture (classic breading process that you are familar with). Fry about half the slices until golden brown (say about 2 to 3 minutes per side depending on your stove). Remove to a serving platter and keep warm. Repeat with the remaining eggplant slices. Remove to a serving platter and sprinkle with the tomato. Cover with foil and let stand about 2 minutes or until the tomato bits are heated thru. Serve with a wide variety of main courses (pork chops, chicken, lamb chops, steak). Bon Appetit!

[old_pop2000]

Dennis:

Cottage? That's a freakin' luxury condo man! Wish I was there.

Here's a great vegetable side dish that you might like if you like eggplant.

Garlic Parmesan Eggplant Slices:

1 medium (1lb) eggplant sliced into 14" slices
1 tsp. salt
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup of seasoned bread crumbs
1/4 cup of freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1 tbsp of basil leaves
1/3 cup of vegetable or olive oil (use olive it tastes better)
1/2 tsp of pepper (freshly ground in my opinion)
1 tsp. minced fresh garlic
2 eggs slightly beaten
1 cup (1 medium) chopped ripe tomato (best if fresh from the garden)

Place eggplant slices on a large flat pan such as a cookie sheet and sprinkle with salt. In a pie pan mix together flour, bread crumbs, cheese and basil. In a skillet cook the oil, pepper and garlic over medium heat until sizzling. Meanwhile dip the eggplant slices in the eggs and then coat with the flour mixture (classic breading process that you are familar with). Fry about half the slices until golden brown (say about 2 to 3 minutes per side depending on your stove). Remove to a serving platter and keep warm. Repeat with the remaining eggplant slices. Remove to a serving platter and sprinkle with the tomato. Cover with foil and let stand about 2 minutes or until the tomato bits are heated thru. Serve with a wide variety of main courses (pork chops, chicken, lamb chops, steak). Bon Appetit!

I copied and pasted the recipe, then printed it. Looks good.

As far as the cottage, it really is nice. I am going to bring along some good italian red table wine from Leonesse. Just me and my lady, and a bottle of wine. Yummy;)

[Ed Rotondaro]

I copied and pasted the recipe, then printed it. Looks good.

As far as the cottage, it really is nice. I am going to bring along some good italian red table wine from Leonesse. Just me and my lady, and a bottle of wine. Yummy;)

Dennis:

Now that sounds like fun. Let us in on any new wines or recipes you find. And pace yourself old friend!:D

[old_pop2000]

Dennis:

Now that sounds like fun. Let us in on any new wines or recipes you find. And pace yourself old friend!:D

Well, my little lady and I had a good time, hand picked apples from the trees, tasted and purchased some wines and got a good recipe and ideas.

We went to a local winery called Mengini, tasted six different wines. Enjoyed and purchased a nice chardonnay along with a sweet Riesling, both my wifes favorites. We got a great egg recipe titled Eggs Rio. It is baked, uses cottage cheese, olives with sour cream and simple salsa topping. It was wonderful and I have the recipe.

We went to an apple farm and picked our own apples and discussed apple growing with the owners. The owners wife told us about sauteing sliced apples in butter, then freezing them to use in pastry's etc. later. We will try that idea and give you feedback. She also stated that the apple skin is the most vitamin rich portion and that you should not remove it. I've never hear that, but will attempt it.

We also had some true Austrian made sauerkraut made in a restaurant at a local lake. It was heavenly. We are going to take a ride over there next weekend and get some to take home.

By for now.

[Kyle Holgate]

This is virtually as good as the layered oven baked kind and it amazed me that it worked as well as it did. I LOVE a good lasagna, and will be making this far more often than I used to make "regular" lasagna. Regular is very time consuming, this one pan version I did in about 15 minutes of prep and 1/2 hour of cooking.

1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes packed in juice
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium sized onion (any kind you like), diced.
1/2 tsp salt
2 cloves garlic, minced or put through a garlic press (about 1 TB)
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes (I used more!)
1 pound ground meat (whatever you like, I used 1/2 Italian sausage, 1/2 Ground pork)
10 lasagna noodles, broken into 2-inch lengths
1 8-ounce can tomato sauce
1 tsp dried basil
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
coarse salt and fresh ground pepper
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese (or any good melting kind you like)
1 cup ricotta cheese

Heat oil over medium heat in a 10 or 12-inch nonstick skillet until shimmering. Make sure Skillet has a good lid! Add the onion, sprinkle with salt and saute until the onion is translucent. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes and stir. Cook about 30 seconds, till you can smell the garlic then add the ground meat, breaking it apart. Brown the meat until no longer pink.
Add broken up lasagna noodles, distributing evenly - DO NOT STIR. Pour on the tomatoes with the juice and the tomato sauce. Push the noodles down so all are "drowned" as much as can be. Sprinkle on the herbs.
Cover, bring to a boil, then reduce heat and let simmer, stirring from time to time, about 20 minutes, until the pasta is tender.
Remove from heat. Stir in the Parmesan cheese, season to taste with salt and pepper.
Put spoonfuls of the Ricotta, spread around on the top of the lasagna then sprinkle on the Mozzarella. Take it off the heat, Cover it and let it stand for around 5 minutes.

If you have a pan that can go in the oven, try putting it under the broiler at this point and brown the cheese a bit. I scattered more Parmesan on top of the Lasagna and browned it just a bit.
I also played around with the herbs some - adding fresh Oregano (1 Tbs) and fresh Basil (same amount).

2nd time I made this I used spicy Italian sausage and left out the red pepper flakes and used both dried and fresh herbs - best one yet. Also consider using whole San Marzano tomatoes (28oz can) and smushing them up yourself. They are the BEST canned tomatoes you can get (that I've found at least). Parmesano Reggiano is worth the money too if you feel like splurging for it.

[old_pop2000]

This is virtually as good as the layered oven baked kind and it amazed me that it worked as well as it did. I LOVE a good lasagna, and will be making this far more often than I used to make "regular" lasagna. Regular is very time consuming, this one pan version I did in about 15 minutes of prep and 1/2 hour of cooking.

1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes packed in juice
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium sized onion (any kind you like), diced.
1/2 tsp salt
2 cloves garlic, minced or put through a garlic press (about 1 TB)
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes (I used more!)
1 pound ground meat (whatever you like, I used 1/2 Italian sausage, 1/2 Ground pork)
10 lasagna noodles, broken into 2-inch lengths
1 8-ounce can tomato sauce
1 tsp dried basil
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
coarse salt and fresh ground pepper
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese (or any good melting kind you like)
1 cup ricotta cheese

Heat oil over medium heat in a 10 or 12-inch nonstick skillet until shimmering. Make sure Skillet has a good lid! Add the onion, sprinkle with salt and saute until the onion is translucent. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes and stir. Cook about 30 seconds, till you can smell the garlic then add the ground meat, breaking it apart. Brown the meat until no longer pink.
Add broken up lasagna noodles, distributing evenly - DO NOT STIR. Pour on the tomatoes with the juice and the tomato sauce. Push the noodles down so all are "drowned" as much as can be. Sprinkle on the herbs.
Cover, bring to a boil, then reduce heat and let simmer, stirring from time to time, about 20 minutes, until the pasta is tender.
Remove from heat. Stir in the Parmesan cheese, season to taste with salt and pepper.
Put spoonfuls of the Ricotta, spread around on the top of the lasagna then sprinkle on the Mozzarella. Take it off the heat, Cover it and let it stand for around 5 minutes.

If you have a pan that can go in the oven, try putting it under the broiler at this point and brown the cheese a bit. I scattered more Parmesan on top of the Lasagna and browned it just a bit.
I also played around with the herbs some - adding fresh Oregano (1 Tbs) and fresh Basil (same amount).

2nd time I made this I used spicy Italian sausage and left out the red pepper flakes and used both dried and fresh herbs - best one yet. Also consider using whole San Marzano tomatoes (28oz can) and smushing them up yourself. They are the BEST canned tomatoes you can get (that I've found at least). Parmesano Reggiano is worth the money too if you feel like splurging for it.

Thanks Kyle, I love lasagna. Good ingredients are important, that's why we go to the Little Italy in San Diego to buy all of our ingredients. Makes a world of difference.

Recently discovered baked apples. My wife has always loved them, but now with the special plates and coring tools, they are great. Especially with maple syrup on them and some vanilla yoghurt. Non-fat, of course.

[Kyle Holgate]

Thanks Kyle, I love lasagna. Good ingredients are important, that's why we go to the Little Italy in San Diego to buy all of our ingredients. Makes a world of difference.

Recently discovered baked apples. My wife has always loved them, but now with the special plates and coring tools, they are great. Especially with maple syrup on them and some vanilla yoghurt. Non-fat, of course.

It's apple country up here too. I saw a recipe for putting a crispy topping on them like is on some apple crisp. I don't remember the exact amounts, but brown sugar, oatmeal, cinnamon and I think butter are in it.
I find ingredients make so much difference it's surprising (but shouldn't be). Italian Parmesan cheese, Barilla noodles (my best choice at least), San Marzano Tomatoes (I usually make my own sauce from scratch with them), fresh basil. I've got a taste for flat leaf parsley too now, used to think parsley was just for decoration. Problem is I now have gourmet tastes and end up at New Seasons instead of the general grocery store (it's a local(?) upscale market chain. I get organic pasture/grass fed beef, free range chickens (and turkey), buy local produce and otherwise find the imported stuff from which ever country I'm steeling my recipe from. It get$ Expen$ive!
Even hot dogs. I used to have a good ol' ball park once in a while and be happy with it. Now though, since I discovered how good Hebrew Nationals are... No $uch Luck.

[old_pop2000]

It's apple country up here too. I saw a recipe for putting a crispy topping on them like is on some apple crisp. I don't remember the exact amounts, but brown sugar, oatmeal, cinnamon and I think butter are in it.
I find ingredients make so much difference it's surprising (but shouldn't be). Italian Parmesan cheese, Barilla noodles (my best choice at least), San Marzano Tomatoes (I usually make my own sauce from scratch with them), fresh basil. I've got a taste for flat leaf parsley too now, used to think parsley was just for decoration. Problem is I now have gourmet tastes and end up at New Seasons instead of the general grocery store (it's a local(?) upscale market chain. I get organic pasture/grass fed beef, free range chickens (and turkey), buy local produce and otherwise find the imported stuff from which ever country I'm steeling my recipe from. It get$ Expen$ive!
Even hot dogs. I used to have a good ol' ball park once in a while and be happy with it. Now though, since I discovered how good Hebrew Nationals are... No $uch Luck.

That idea of a crispy topping sounds delightful, I will research that. I just had a baked apple about 10 minutes ago.

I agree about good ingredients. We use italian Pecorino Romano, italian canned tomatoes, home grown basil, parsley, bay leaves, sage etc. I always use Barilla sauces and pasta. My wife and I usually buy the Hebrew National or Nathan's from New York. Nathan's are great.

We have an italian restaurant that has now moved closer to us, and it is owned and operated by traditional italians. You just can't beat the food. It makes a real difference. When my wife makes lasagna, or sausage and peppers etc. We always make a special trip to the italian stores in downtown San Diego. They now have a saturday farmers market on two streets. Produce and such, come from everywhere is Southern California. All organic and fresh picked.

Life is good with good ingredients, and it really shows. Even in the quality of olive oil, it makes a real difference. I usually have one very expensive, small bottle for special meals like italian bread and dipping oil, and one bottle of imported olive oil for just general cooking.

This is making me hungry.:)

[Kyle Holgate]

What are some good brands of Olive oil? The stuff is expensive, so I'm not inclined to buy bottles and find the oil isn't to my liking. I put up with a brand called Napoleon which is ok for cooking, but not that good for veggies and what not. I'd like to find a nice flavorful one for salads, bread dipping and using on veggies.

Barilla sauces are a good 2nd best to home made. I particularly like the one with the green olives in it. I usually doctor them up with a few fresh herbs. Herb season is over though until I get my Aero garden up and running (and I've been too lazy to get that started so far). Can't get Nathan's hot dogs up here that I know of. Maybe whole paycheck (Whole foods) may have them. That place makes even New Seasons look like a discount store!

[old_pop2000]

What are some good brands of Olive oil? The stuff is expensive, so I'm not inclined to buy bottles and find the oil isn't to my liking. I put up with a brand called Napoleon which is ok for cooking, but not that good for veggies and what not. I'd like to find a nice flavorful one for salads, bread dipping and using on veggies.

Barilla sauces are a good 2nd best to home made. I particularly like the one with the green olives in it. I usually doctor them up with a few fresh herbs. Herb season is over though until I get my Aero garden up and running (and I've been too lazy to get that started so far). Can't get Nathan's hot dogs up here that I know of. Maybe whole paycheck (Whole foods) may have them. That place makes even New Seasons look like a discount store!

We use Da Vinci, for general purpose, Filippo Beria, and Colavita are also good. I am not certain what we have for special purpose. We bought some produced in Santa Barbara at the Olive company in that town. Temecula, California is about one hour from my house, and it has an olive oil company that I also buy my special purpose olive oil from. Next time I go to the italian store, I can research it. I've heard that Spanish olive is also good. But nothing beats good italian olive oil. Maybe Ed has some. But, in a word, it depends on who you talk to. Ten chef's will give you ten different answers. We've used Carapelli's, and for GP's, it's not bad. I don't like Kirkland from Cosco.

[Ed Rotondaro]

This is virtually as good as the layered oven baked kind and it amazed me that it worked as well as it did. I LOVE a good lasagna, and will be making this far more often than I used to make "regular" lasagna. Regular is very time consuming, this one pan version I did in about 15 minutes of prep and 1/2 hour of cooking.

1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes packed in juice
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium sized onion (any kind you like), diced.
1/2 tsp salt
2 cloves garlic, minced or put through a garlic press (about 1 TB)
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes (I used more!)
1 pound ground meat (whatever you like, I used 1/2 Italian sausage, 1/2 Ground pork)
10 lasagna noodles, broken into 2-inch lengths
1 8-ounce can tomato sauce
1 tsp dried basil
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
coarse salt and fresh ground pepper
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese (or any good melting kind you like)
1 cup ricotta cheese

Heat oil over medium heat in a 10 or 12-inch nonstick skillet until shimmering. Make sure Skillet has a good lid! Add the onion, sprinkle with salt and saute until the onion is translucent. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes and stir. Cook about 30 seconds, till you can smell the garlic then add the ground meat, breaking it apart. Brown the meat until no longer pink.
Add broken up lasagna noodles, distributing evenly - DO NOT STIR. Pour on the tomatoes with the juice and the tomato sauce. Push the noodles down so all are "drowned" as much as can be. Sprinkle on the herbs.
Cover, bring to a boil, then reduce heat and let simmer, stirring from time to time, about 20 minutes, until the pasta is tender.
Remove from heat. Stir in the Parmesan cheese, season to taste with salt and pepper.
Put spoonfuls of the Ricotta, spread around on the top of the lasagna then sprinkle on the Mozzarella. Take it off the heat, Cover it and let it stand for around 5 minutes.

If you have a pan that can go in the oven, try putting it under the broiler at this point and brown the cheese a bit. I scattered more Parmesan on top of the Lasagna and browned it just a bit.
I also played around with the herbs some - adding fresh Oregano (1 Tbs) and fresh Basil (same amount).

2nd time I made this I used spicy Italian sausage and left out the red pepper flakes and used both dried and fresh herbs - best one yet. Also consider using whole San Marzano tomatoes (28oz can) and smushing them up yourself. They are the BEST canned tomatoes you can get (that I've found at least). Parmesano Reggiano is worth the money too if you feel like splurging for it.

Kyle:

Sounds good. Interestingly enough, my mom and my grandmother didn't make lasagna even though it is a typical Southern Italian dish. My wife who comes from a German and Italian family makes killer lasagna as does her brother. Her vegetable lasagna is one of my all time favorites. I'll try and pry that recipe out of her.

Always pay the money for genuine Parmesan and don't buy it pre-grated, it loses flavor quickly. Always grate it as you need it. Fresh basil rules, but I actually like dried oregano better than fresh, it seems to have more depth of flavor. We grow both in our garden and one way to know when autumn has finally arrived is when the first hard frost kills off our remaining basil plants. We lasted until the week before Halloween this year.

[Ed Rotondaro]

Thanks Kyle, I love lasagna. Good ingredients are important, that's why we go to the Little Italy in San Diego to buy all of our ingredients. Makes a world of difference.

Recently discovered baked apples. My wife has always loved them, but now with the special plates and coring tools, they are great. Especially with maple syrup on them and some vanilla yoghurt. Non-fat, of course.

Dennis:

I still love baked apples as perfectly simple and perfectly delicious. Lots of cinnamon and sugar to balance the tartness of the Macintosh apples we always used. It brings back memories of simple dinners as a boy. What a great finish to an autumn meal.

[Ed Rotondaro]

It's apple country up here too. I saw a recipe for putting a crispy topping on them like is on some apple crisp. I don't remember the exact amounts, but brown sugar, oatmeal, cinnamon and I think butter are in it.
I find ingredients make so much difference it's surprising (but shouldn't be). Italian Parmesan cheese, Barilla noodles (my best choice at least), San Marzano Tomatoes (I usually make my own sauce from scratch with them), fresh basil. I've got a taste for flat leaf parsley too now, used to think parsley was just for decoration. Problem is I now have gourmet tastes and end up at New Seasons instead of the general grocery store (it's a local(?) upscale market chain. I get organic pasture/grass fed beef, free range chickens (and turkey), buy local produce and otherwise find the imported stuff from which ever country I'm steeling my recipe from. It get$ Expen$ive!
Even hot dogs. I used to have a good ol' ball park once in a while and be happy with it. Now though, since I discovered how good Hebrew Nationals are... No $uch Luck.

Kyle:

The tragedy of equisite taste LOL! Flat leaf parsley is good for Italian or any Mediterrean cooking. We also grow that in our garden and it resists frost quite well. I've gone out in December and cut some off of our plants to add to a recipe. We also have chives for omelets and baked potatoes.

[Ed Rotondaro]

What are some good brands of Olive oil? The stuff is expensive, so I'm not inclined to buy bottles and find the oil isn't to my liking. I put up with a brand called Napoleon which is ok for cooking, but not that good for veggies and what not. I'd like to find a nice flavorful one for salads, bread dipping and using on veggies.

Barilla sauces are a good 2nd best to home made. I particularly like the one with the green olives in it. I usually doctor them up with a few fresh herbs. Herb season is over though until I get my Aero garden up and running (and I've been too lazy to get that started so far). Can't get Nathan's hot dogs up here that I know of. Maybe whole paycheck (Whole foods) may have them. That place makes even New Seasons look like a discount store!


Kyle:

Dennis has made some excellent recommendations for olive oils. I would add in Caparelli to the list, they seem to be widely distributed. The main problem is finding the extra virgin oil that you like since they are as you noted expensive. Filippio Berio is a good general purpose oil for cooking. Colavita makes a great salad dressing and is good for bread dipping. Here is an excellent mail order source of authentic sausages, hot dogs, and other meat products:

www.usinger.com

They are a German family out of Wisconsin and their bratwursts are excellent!

[Kyle Holgate]

Ed, I too like dried Oregano but find that a mix of dry and fresh work really well, and I like the fresh in vinaigrette salad dressings and marinades in particular.

You know that like Basil, there are different kinds of Oregano? Two families (I guess you'd call them) are Greek and Mexican. Both have distinctly different flavors both dried and fresh, and there are sub types in each family. Finally as you'd expect, where you grow them matters. If the plant is not watered much and is almost too thirsty they come out stronger and tastier than if you water them a lot. They come from a dry climate and hare almost happier I think with very little water.

[Ed Rotondaro]

Ed, I too like dried Oregano but find that a mix of dry and fresh work really well, and I like the fresh in vinaigrette salad dressings and marinades in particular.

You know that like Basil, there are different kinds of Oregano? Two families (I guess you'd call them) are Greek and Mexican. Both have distinctly different flavors both dried and fresh, and there are sub types in each family. Finally as you'd expect, where you grow them matters. If the plant is not watered much and is almost too thirsty they come out stronger and tastier than if you water them a lot. They come from a dry climate and hare almost happier I think with very little water.

Kyle:

I happen to prefer the Greek/Turkish oregano as it is what I was accustomed to tasting in my grandmother's cooking as a boy. Drying definitely concentrates flavors. Certain red wines are made by drying the grapes first to almost a raisin like state and then pressing them for the juice (Amarone, a potent and expensive Italian red wine is made this way).

There are also various types of Basil with widely differing flavors. There is purple basil, Thai basil and the kind found in the Meditterean area. It is a member of the mint family and you can detect some of that aroma in fleshly picked basil.

Wine grapes are sensitive to amounts of water that they receive. They can survive on very small amounts of water since their roots are very deep. Too much rain and the grapes get bloated and watery and lack the concentrated flavors to make good wine.

[Kyle Holgate]

Kyle:

I happen to prefer the Greek/Turkish oregano as it is what I was accustomed to tasting in my grandmother's cooking as a boy. Drying definitely concentrates flavors. Certain red wines are made by drying the grapes first to almost a raisin like state and then pressing them for the juice (Amarone, a potent and expensive Italian red wine is made this way).

There are also various types of Basil with widely differing flavors. There is purple basil, Thai basil and the kind found in the Mediterranean area. It is a member of the mint family and you can detect some of that aroma in fleshly picked basil.

Wine grapes are sensitive to amounts of water that they receive. They can survive on very small amounts of water since their roots are very deep. Too much rain and the grapes get bloated and watery and lack the concentrated flavors to make good wine.

The numbers of different kinds of Basil is crazy. I went to a local nursery and they had about a dozen kinds. If you break them up into a few classes they had about 6 that were more like the classic Italian type, about 5 Thai sorts and several others like lemon basil and what not. Being the food snob that I am ( :D ) I had to taste each one (slight of hand - picking off leaves) in order to calculate which would be best for what. Hard work that, many different bold and subtle flavors!
I do a lot of Thai cooking and of course use the Thai basil varieties. Wish they didn't bolt and flower so quickly!
I like the Greek sort of Oregano better - generally - also, but it all depends on what sorts of flavors I'm after. If I have both kinds fresh and dried I sometimes mix and match all 4 choices.

[Ed Rotondaro]

The numbers of different kinds of Basil is crazy. I went to a local nursery and they had about a dozen kinds. If you break them up into a few classes they had about 6 that were more like the classic Italian type, about 5 Thai sorts and several others like lemon basil and what not. Being the food snob that I am ( :D ) I had to taste each one (slight of hand - picking off leaves) in order to calculate which would be best for what. Hard work that, many different bold and subtle flavors!
I do a lot of Thai cooking and of course use the Thai basil varieties. Wish they didn't bolt and flower so quickly!
I like the Greek sort of Oregano better - generally - also, but it all depends on what sorts of flavors I'm after. If I have both kinds fresh and dried I sometimes mix and match all 4 choices.


Kyle:

If you grow your own basil, you can pinch off the flowers to keep the plant producing leaves for a long time. That's what I do with my basil plants.

[Kyle Holgate]

Kyle:

If you grow your own basil, you can pinch off the flowers to keep the plant producing leaves for a long time. That's what I do with my basil plants.

I do that, but the Thai plants are trouble! I got a gizmo called an Aerogarden that lets me grow herbs all winter. I've been lazy about starting mine up this fall and am still deciding what to grow. The classic seed kits they have cover a fairly wide range but I like to be pickier (bet that is a surprise :rolleyes:). I have a kit from them that lets me make my own seedpacks... what to grow, what to grow.
Dennis has it made down in San Diego. My dad lives down there and he and his wife grow herbs all year around I think. I'd love to have a kiefer lime tree, Thai basil, Lemon grass and Vietnamese peppermint as well as many other more hard to find herbs growing!
If I buy my house next year... I'm gonna have some intersting flower beds.

[old_pop2000]

I do that, but the Thai plants are trouble! I got a gizmo called an Aerogarden that lets me grow herbs all winter. I've been lazy about starting mine up this fall and am still deciding what to grow. The classic seed kits they have cover a fairly wide range but I like to be pickier (bet that is a surprise :rolleyes:). I have a kit from them that lets me make my own seedpacks... what to grow, what to grow.
Dennis has it made down in San Diego. My dad lives down there and he and his wife grow herbs all year around I think. I'd love to have a kiefer lime tree, Thai basil, Lemon grass and Vietnamese peppermint as well as many other more hard to find herbs growing!
If I buy my house next year... I'm gonna have some intersting flower beds.

Our problem in Lakeside is that we get temperatures below 32 or close, many nights during the winter. Herbs don't necessarily like that, although it gets sunny by 0700.

Kyle:
Why not build a small hot house for year round fun? Maybe you can buy one, and assemble it. My mother-in-law had a small hot house.

[Ed Rotondaro]

I do that, but the Thai plants are trouble! I got a gizmo called an Aerogarden that lets me grow herbs all winter. I've been lazy about starting mine up this fall and am still deciding what to grow. The classic seed kits they have cover a fairly wide range but I like to be pickier (bet that is a surprise :rolleyes:). I have a kit from them that lets me make my own seedpacks... what to grow, what to grow.
Dennis has it made down in San Diego. My dad lives down there and he and his wife grow herbs all year around I think. I'd love to have a kiefer lime tree, Thai basil, Lemon grass and Vietnamese peppermint as well as many other more hard to find herbs growing!
If I buy my house next year... I'm gonna have some intersting flower beds.

Kyle:

Sounds good to me. I haven't grown the Thai basil so I'm not familiar with its growing habits. Good luck with buying a house.

[Ed Rotondaro]

Our problem in Lakeside is that we get temperatures below 32 or close, many nights during the winter. Herbs don't necessarily like that, although it gets sunny by 0700.

Kyle:
Why not build a small hot house for year round fun? Maybe you can buy one, and assemble it. My mother-in-law had a small hot house.

Dennis:

Yes, basil especially is susceptible to frost, although my plants can usually handle a light frost. Once the temp is below 30 degrees, the plants die and turn brown. Does it get the cold because you're in a desert type environment?

[old_pop2000]

Dennis:

Yes, basil especially is susceptible to frost, although my plants can usually handle a light frost. Once the temp is below 30 degrees, the plants die and turn brown. Does it get the cold because you're in a desert type environment?

That's partially the problem, we are over 22.5 miles from the water( I know, because North Island NAS is a spit of land in the middle of San Diego Bay, next to the ocean, that was the travel distance over the bridge to my office.) We have a ridge between us and the moderating effect of the ocean. So, we are about 20-30 cooler at night than along the coast. We are also 20-30 degrees warmer than the coast. We are only 409 feet above sea level, but the intervening hills are over 800 or 900. So, we sit in a valley right at the base of the inland mountains.

Last night, it was 42 degrees, which is actually fairly warm for early fall. By January, it will be in the low 30's.

[old_pop2000]

Well, I am off on thursday of this week, to another cooking class. Same teacher(nice), except it is a Vegetarian cooking class. We will use Tofu, soy products and of course, veggies. After that, its dessert class in March.

To Kyle:

Just bought 12 pack of Widmer Hefeweizen. I believe it hails from your neck of the woods. Next time I am in Portland, I am headed to their brewery. I might get some things for my son and I like caps. Love Wheat beer.

[Kyle Holgate]

Widmer is indeed a Portland brewery. The Hefeweizen is their most popular brew, particularly with the those that are not hop heads. Being a hop head myself, I don't go for most of the hefeweizens, though I do like Dunkelweizens quite a bit. They seem to have a more bold flavor even without the hops. Last home brew I made was one of them, though started out tasting like brewed it with fresh Bananas (bleah!) it aged nicely and was really good after 6 months!

I don't often cook with tofu, but I do at times. My main issue with it is the consistency (or lack of it!). For me it takes a bit of work to make it both taste good and have a good consistency. I make a wicked taco filling with it - and have served it to others who could not figure out what it was. It's obviously not beef, but most think it's Chicken or Turkey. It picks up the spices really well and gets a good chewy consistency - and is in fact better than a taco filling based on ground beef in my view.

[Ed Rotondaro]

Widmer is indeed a Portland brewery. The Hefeweizen is their most popular brew, particularly with the those that are not hop heads. Being a hop head myself, I don't go for most of the hefeweizens, though I do like Dunkelweizens quite a bit. They seem to have a more bold flavor even without the hops. Last home brew I made was one of them, though started out tasting like brewed it with fresh Bananas (bleah!) it aged nicely and was really good after 6 months!

I don't often cook with tofu, but I do at times. My main issue with it is the consistency (or lack of it!). For me it takes a bit of work to make it both taste good and have a good consistency. I make a wicked taco filling with it - and have served it to others who could not figure out what it was. It's obviously not beef, but most think it's Chicken or Turkey. It picks up the spices really well and gets a good chewy consistency - and is in fact better than a taco filling based on ground beef in my view.

Kyle:

My wife uses tofu occasionally when she makes a stir fry recipe. She also uses it with a Chinese soup made with pork and herbs and it works out OK.

I love a hoppy beer, but I also love hefeweizens. They are very refreshing in summertime and go well with food, especially pork and seafood. About the only beer style I don't like is light beer since it is as the British say, like making love in a canoe (F**king near water).:p

[asnrobert]

I love a hoppy beer, but I also love hefeweizens. They are very refreshing in summertime and go well with food, especially pork and seafood. About the only beer style I don't like is light beer since it is as the British say, like making love in a canoe (F**king near water).:p
Life's too short to drink light beer (I especially loathe Michelob Ultra- vile tasting stuff!). I hate when I go out to eat and ask for the list of available beers and almost all of them are lite beers!

[Kyle Holgate]

Life's too short to drink light beer (I especially loathe Michelob Ultra- vile tasting stuff!). I hate when I go out to eat and ask for the list of available beers and almost all of them are lite beers!

Luckily around here any restaurant short of fast food places have a few local microbrews available along with one or more of the national lagers. I like the taste of beer, and light just doesn't do it for me. I rarely have more than one at a sitting, so the calorie count isn't too bad in the scheme of everything I eat. A beer to me is an indulgence I allow myself once in a while - so I want something either new (to try) or one I already know I like.

I do use tofu in a Thai hot and sour soup I make. It's very easy, and very popular with any that have tried it. The trickiest part is finding the galangal - which is a tuber related to ginger. I have a good Asian food market nearby, can get that and keifer lime leaves (anther ingredient) there. It is an excellent soup. My biggest problem is the variability of the hot peppers! I use the same number, and it can turn out to be too mild or too hot and rarely just right. There is no way to tell that I know of as the peppers steep in the soup for some time and their heat level is hard to determine until everything is done and it's too late. You can't just add more and make it come out right!