# Forum > Discussion > Friendly Banter >  Anyone here cook?

## northernbard80

Do you cook?  If so, what do you make and what have you concocted recently?

I live on my own and can't eat out regularly so I do a lot of my own cooking.

I like making gumbo, jambalaya and red beans & rice.  I've also made soups, stews, casseroles and goodies in my crockpot. :Small Big Grin:

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## Beeftank

I make salmon a lot, sometimes in the oven but grilled is better.  A little salt, medium amount of garlic/onion powder, a lot of pepper, grated cheese, olive oil and lemon juice topped with a few tomato chunks is the recipe I use. 

I also like making big meat sauces, having meatball subs and spaghetti and meatballs for a few days and freezing the rest to have in a few weeks on a day I dont feel like cooking. 

For grilled chicken Italian dressing works as a marinade in a pinch. 

Most steaks are good with just salt and pepper,  but for steaktips I get a little fancy with a teriyaki based marinade with some Worcestershire sauce, red pepper flakes, garlic powder and brown sugar.  

Also, you have an air fryer it works wonders for roasting veggies up nice and crisp.

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## northernbard80

I've heard a lot about air fryers but never really got one.  Are they that good or just hype?

When I make steaks, I cook them on my stovetop and throw on some seasonings like black pepper, basil, oregano, onion power and a little garlic.

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## Beeftank

They are pretty convenient.  Sort of like a mini convection oven on steroids that doesnt take as long to heat up.

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## northernbard80

Baked ravioli is one of my favorite recipes.  It is easy to make and I get a few meals out of that.

https://www.mrshappyhomemaker.com/easy-baked-ravioli/


The ingredients are easy to get as any supermarket, Walmart, etc. will have them.

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## theangelJean

I'm not an especially good cook, but I do a bit of baking, does that count? 

My daughter is allergic to all animal milks, so a lot of shop-bought baked goods are off limits to her - so if I want her to be able to try stuff I have to make it somehow. Most recently, I've almost perfected my dairy-free Black Forest Gateau recipe.

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## Anonymouswizard

Eating out and premade food is expensive, so I try to cook. I make a lot of curries and pasta dishes, currently trying out variants on mac and cheese.

Also I'm able to get liver easily for the next few months, so I'm using it as my main meat. Cheap, tasty, and has lots of lovely nutrients. I find it goes well in a spicy tomato pasta sauce (which is, of course, so easy to make that I wonder why people buy them).

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## Rater202

I love food. I love eating and I love cooking.

In the last couple of years I've done a number of experiments with differant forms of grilled cheese and assorted meltsI've found that extra sharp cheddar on Vienna bread with dijon mustard gets the best results, though I want to experiment with pumpernickleand I've been tinkering with a recipe for barbecue sauce that my grandmother tought me on and off for years.

The most recent permutation, created after I was diagnosed with diabetes, is three tablespoons of brown sugar substitute, a teaspoon each of garlic powder, onion powder, kosher salt, and cayenne pepper stirred together and then mixed with a mixture of a tablespoon each of soy sauce, wostershershire sauce, and red wine vinegar.

Then stir in about 2/3rds a can of hunts tomato sauce, and bring to a boil for a few minutes. Let cool and then place in a container to settle overnight n the refrigerator.

I'm hoping to try and make a low-sugar cranberry sauce next month for "Celebrate the Colonization of the continent by practicing gluttony with people you don't like" Day.

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## Metastachydium

> Also I'm able to get liver easily for the next few months, so I'm using it as my main meat. Cheap, tasty, and has lots of lovely nutrients.


It's not technically meat, but damn, liver's the best indeed!

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## Anonymouswizard

> It's not technically meat, but damn, liver's the best indeed!


I thought offal counted as a subset of meat?

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## Imbalance

I'm generally in charge of the seafood, beef, and pork dishes at home, save roasts.  Several times a year I'll blow a Saturday cooking bacon just to have on hand as a snack for a week or so.  I used to experiment more, but have been phoning it in for the last little while.  I'll do veggie stuff that includes meat, kabobs, stir-fry, etc.  I would cook chicken more, but fryer oil became too costly and my wife has the oven recipes dialed in.  I would have married her for her meatloaf, alone.

We've been in a CSA the last few years to get a steady supply of fresh, local produce.  Some the kids love, some I've never heard of but we're worth trying...once.  We've tried pattipan(?) about a dozen different ways now - I'm not a fan.  Yet I'll gladly fatten up on fried squash chips.

I'd like to get back to hunting and foraging like when I was a kid.  Mrs. wants to get our own garden started.  I've had a lot of outstanding dishes from all over, but trout, venison and mushrooms and fresh garden greens and good potatoes is where it's at.

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## theangelJean

> Also I'm able to get liver easily for the next few months, so I'm using it as my main meat. Cheap, tasty, and has lots of lovely nutrients.


Almost too nutritious - I assume you are aware of how much liver you can safely eat per week without overloading on Vitamin A (and Vitamin K, if you're on particular medications)? Having looked it up, the limit is higher than I expected. But the weekly serving of liver wouldn't be enough to meet average protein requirements by itself. At least there are plenty of other types of protein other than meat, and some of them are even relatively affordable.

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## MontCestMoi

I love food.  It is absolutely my biggest vice.  I love eating it, and because I love eating it, I have to make it.

Recently, I made some loco moco, and it was absolutely fantastic (if I do say so myself).  It's a modern Hawaiian dish that, in its fundamentals, is a bed of white rice, with a burger patty on it, with a fried egg on top of that, and not-quite-drowned in brown gravy.  I learned it from a friend from Santa Cruz, a place that likes to pretend is Hawaii despite the fact that they're Santa Cruz, which is already pretty good.

As a vegetarian, I have to modify the recipe with a meatless burger and vegetable gravy (my favorite is onion based, because onions are rad as heck).

Highly recommended as a comfort food, or for when you want something hearty as all get out.

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## Palanan

Ive made some progress recreating a Freebirds quesadilla from the days of yore.  Still havent found the perfect tortilla, but Ive managed to bring together something decent using Trader Joes pico de gallo, mixed cheddar cheese and spicy guac, layered over TJs carne assada taken from a burrito.

Not nearly the original, and Im not sure if Id inflict it on anyone else, but I enjoy it for myself.

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## northernbard80

> Ive made some progress recreating a Freebirds quesadilla from the days of yore.  Still havent found the perfect tortilla, but Ive managed to bring together something decent using Trader Joes pico de gallo, mixed cheddar cheese and spicy guac, layered over TJs carne assada taken from a burrito.
> 
> Not nearly the original, and Im not sure if Id inflict it on anyone else, but I enjoy it for myself.


I cook quesadillas too; I even made some for lunch!  I don't do anything fancy.  I just cook them in my frying pan with whatever cheese I have and I throw spices on for good measure like garlic powder, black pepper and chili powder.

Tonight, I'll be brewing up a point of a favorite comfort food of mine, matzoh ball soup!

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## Rater202

Earlier today I experimented with a melt made from pepperoni and sharp cheddar on whole wheat with some sugar-free honey mustard sauce.

By my standards, 8/10.

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## northernbard80

My creation tonight - matzo balls in chicken soup with rice, carrots and various spices.  I used black pepper, oregano and rosemary.

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## Palanan

> Originally Posted by *Rater202*
> _Earlier today I experimented with a melt made from pepperoni and sharp cheddar on whole wheat_


Im with you this far.   :Small Tongue: 

Baked, grilled?  And what kind of pepperoni?




> Originally Posted by *northernbard80*
> _My creation tonight - matzo balls in chicken soup with rice, carrots and various spices. I used black pepper, oregano and rosemary._


Tried matzoh bread once, we didnt hit it off.  

But the soup sounds interesting.  How do you cook the matzoh balls?

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## Rater202

> Im with you this far.  
> 
> Baked, grilled?  And what kind of pepperoni?


Deli pepperoni. Four slices between two of cheddar.

Grilled.

Bread was treated with cooking spray, wanna say canola based, in a pain treated with the same. I find that oils give a more even toasting than butter.

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## northernbard80

> Im with you this far.  
> 
> Baked, grilled?  And what kind of pepperoni?
> 
> 
> 
> Tried matzoh bread once, we didnt hit it off.  
> 
> But the soup sounds interesting.  How do you cook the matzoh balls?



I use readymade matzo ball mix.  If you live in the Northeastern USA, many stores should sell the mix.  If not, you may have to look in specialty stores or resort to online ordering like Amazon.  The recipes on the box usually call for you to mix the matzo ball mix with eggs and some sort of vegetable oil; I use olive oil.

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## Willie the Duck

> Do you cook?  If so, what do you make and what have you concocted recently?
> 
> I live on my own and can't eat out regularly so I do a lot of my own cooking.


A default dish I do is make a roux, add milk or stock as desired (do not feel beholden to the classic 5 of french cooking), and then whatever flavoring fits the situation -- curry, chili, oriental 5-spice, whatever. It goes well with pasta, rice, or potatoes; most meats; most vegetables. Throw it into a soup and it become more stew-like. 

I'm married (no kids), so I have to work with my wife's tastes. However, when I was single (and trying to lose weight) I positively lived off of wild rice and mixed dried beans/legumes (16 bean mixes, or make your own with beans, lentils, split peas, etc.) and some kind of spice. That, and veggie stir fries with chicken breast or egg as protein.

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## sihnfahl

I do the usual seasoned, baked chicken and salmon thing.

But what I make the most of is effectively a mix between a tomato soup and a marinara.

I start with mixed veggies of all types.  A 1 pound package of mixed roots (beet, carrot, sweet potato, parsnips) and a 1 pound package of mixed veggies (broccoli, snap peas, water chestnuts, etc).

Heat some olive or other light vegetable oil in a 5 quart (or deeper) pot, toss in the veggies, stir, cover and let them soften.

Transfer in batches to a blender, use unsalted chicken broth as liquid, puree, return to pot.

Add in whatever seasonings; default I use are, of course, basil, oregano and garlic.

Add in a few diced tomatoes, and a small can of unsalted tomato paste.

Blend it in together at low heat, let simmer for at least 30 minutes.

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## NichG

Currently experimenting with a lot of oils and pesto variations and things like that. Made a chili/garlic oil recently, currently I have a sichuan pepper + bayleaf oil infusing, and might end up making a rosemary oil later on. As far as pesto, I made a lot of basil pesto from a mix of spiky globe basil and lemon basil (both much smaller leaves than the usual kind you get in supermarkets, and much more intense flavor), and most recently tried a fresh lemon thyme+oregano pesto that was a bit trickier to get the right consistency from (the oil separated out rather than emulsifying, though the herb paste left at the bottom was still nice). I'm going to try to scale up my plants by a factor of 10 or something for next year so I can make like a gallon of the stuff, since a single jar goes very fast when you use it for things like pizza sauce.

As far as cooking I've been playing with a grill of late now that I can actually have one - all vegetarian stuff, but getting really charred bell peppers for sauces or eggplant for baba ghanoush is nice. And in-husk corn cooked until the husk is just char, leaving sort of caramelized but still soft kernels on the cob is really nice. I've also been trying to smoke things like feta cheese and tofu with very mixed results. It's not really good for low temperature smoking, so I was having a lot of difficulty with the cheese sinking down into the grill and basically losing all of the flavored surface when I tried to scrape it free. Now I'm using a piece of fine iron mesh, so smoke can rise from below but the cheese even if it gets extremely soft can't really get through. The result was this really caramelized block of feta that had lost a lot of water and picked up only a little smoke flavor. Not exactly what I was aiming for, but it was pretty good. The tofu became almost like a deepfried tofu in that smoke environment, but picked up much more of the smoke flavor (not I think because tofu is more receptive than cheese, but because I turned the heat down for the cheese and also ended up getting less smoke as a result).

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## EarlGraye

Dude if you can cook cajun why are you here looking for other recipes?  :Small Big Grin: 

I love my instant pot! You can cook so much in it. But I typically just go look in the pantry and fridge and make something up using what I have. And, honestly, it's usually pretty good. Here's one of my grandkids favorites.

Cook some egg noodles
Brown a mixture of italian sausage and ground beef seasoned to taste
Steam some veggies (I like to use red colored bell peppers, chopped yellow squash, green beans of snow peas, carrots, etc. The more color the better)
I try to have everything finish about the same time. Then I drain the noodles and the meat and toss everything into the pot I cooked the noodles in. I add about 6 oz of grated parmesan and 12 oz of italian dressing. If you add these while the mixture is hot and stir it makes a creamy sauce.

Hope you like it.

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## MaryPoppinsYall

Cook a ton. 

Biggest few pieces of advice I have for people: 

1. Meat Thermometer - Perfect cooked meat should never be a guessing game. 
2. Salting - Namely pre-salting meat the night before you cook. It's the only way to get flavor deeper into your meat. Other seasoning can usually wait. 
3. MSG - makes everything better. 
4. Rice Cooker/Oven/Air Fryer - Use different tools so you aren't swamped on the stove or having to bounce between oven temps. 
5. Mise En Place - French for things in place. Cut, everything, before, you start, cooking. Measure out ingredients. Only exception is probably rice. Way easier to just grab a little bowl and throw it in when needed then timing the cutting of 6 things. 

As for what i've cooked that great lately. A simple and cheating duck confit. 
Get enough duck legs/thighs to fit the bottom of your dutch oven. Slice the skin and salt the night before to dry out. Oven on 250. Put the legs skin down in the pot, throw in a bunch of garlic, and a bay leaf. Flip after 1.5 hours and cook for another 1.5 hours. Once "done" throw on a baking sheet and oven on 450 to get skin crackly. 

I personally make these shreddy salty duck legs into tacos.

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## Bohandas

I mostly cook snacks for parties I'm hosting or going to. You can make a really easy "cake" by mixing together 3 cups of milk, 2 small packs of vanilla pudding max, and a small tub of Cool Whip, lining a casserole dish with chocolate graham crackers, pouring half the mix over it, adding a second layer of graham crackers, pouring innthe rest of the mix and then a third layer of graham crackers and icing. And instead of baking it it goes in the fridge

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## Willie the Duck

> Transfer in batches to a blender, use unsalted chicken broth as liquid, puree, return to pot.


Do you find it hard (or seasonally hard) to get no-salt-added stock (beef and veggie in particular, but also chicken)? It's utterly frustrating. I get that the brine-like stock was really useful in keeping meat drippings viable longer in a pre-refrigeration era. These days, though, stock is an ingredient, so I'm never using it when I couldn't go to the next cabinet over and grab a huge cheap container of pure salt. I like a really flavorful stock (like taking the stock liquid and then adding a bunch of powder or paste stock into it), and it's hard to get that concentration without salting it out of the taste (or health consciousness) zones of my diners.

Sorry, micro-rant.

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## olskool

> Do you cook?  If so, what do you make and what have you concocted recently?
> 
> I live on my own and can't eat out regularly so I do a lot of my own cooking.
> 
> I like making gumbo, jambalaya and red beans & rice.  I've also made soups, stews, casseroles and goodies in my crockpot.


Do yourself a favor and Youtube DAVE CANTERBURY of the PATHFINDER WILDERNESS SURVIVAL SCHOOL.  He does a lot of "bushcraft cooking" and you will be amazed at the number of dishes you can create with simple ingredients like flour, salt, sugar, corn meal, and basic meats, rice, and oatmeal.  His flatbreads are particularly good watches.  I use his recipes a lot in everyday cooking as well as backpacking. 

Cooking with Emmie is another good channel to watch for easy and cheap 3 or 4-ingredient meals.

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## Cygnia

The plan is to roast a chicken with piri-piri and potatoes tomorrow night

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## northernbard80

A few months ago, I made Johnny Longbow Stew.  This is a homebrew recipe someone came up with based on what the character Johnny Longbow made from the B-movie "Track of the Moon Beast".

If that movie title rings a bell, it's because it got a boost in popularity thanks to Mystery Science Theater 3000.

https://theherbeevore.com/johnny-lon...e-gluten-free/

That's the recipe; I didn't use squash or zucchini in my version.  I did use chicken, corn, green peppers...*sigh*...

This is really good and worth trying!

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## farothel

I have a few recipes I'm quite good at.  First is my (well, actually, my late mother's) banana soup.  It's a tomato soup in which you add some bananas to thicken and to sweeten the soup.  Very nice and easy to make.  Just add all ingredients in a pot, boil and then mix to a creamy texture.

The second thing I'm quite good at is chocolate mousse (and not the Swedish chef's version).  I make it with half fondant and half milk chocolate so it's not as heavy (and Belgian chocolate of course).

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## Anonymouswizard

Decided to try doing a Ragu from fresh tomatoes again, currently got it on a low heat waiting for the tomatoes to soften before I add beef stock and simmer it for a few hours. Don't have any pork mince, but beef mince with some chopped chicken livers should work fine.

This is my second time doing it like this instead of just using tinned tomatoes, but honestly do it right and it works so much better.

Also going to prep a mushroom and goat's cheese risotto to take into work tomorrow. It'll take like an hour to get the mushrooms nice and work in all the stock, but it's a delicious use of some mushrooms I forgot about and need to use up (the ones I can't fit in I'll probably salt and bake, see if that'll work as a snack).

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## Cygnia

Making homemade pizza tonight, trying this recipe out.  Got the dough and sauce already made from yesterday.

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## Domino Quartz

Something I quite like making sometimes is a macaroni-and-cheese made with something we have in New Zealand called "Tasty cheese" (it's cheddar that's been aged in a specific way for about 18 months), along with bacon, capsicum (bell pepper) and caramelised onions. The roux for the cheese sauce is made with the rendered fat from the bacon. Then I add a dollop of Dijon mustard, some onion powder, garlic powder and black pepper. It's really very good.

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## Asmotherion

I make a great pizza bread. Guaranteed to be in your top 3 pizzars you've ever eaten. U_U

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## Rater202

I find that using a mixture of cheddar and mozzarella, both shredded, when making grilled cheese results in something that retains the strong cheesy flavor you'd expect while also having a nice and satisfying cheese pull.

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## Drakeburn

I usually make scrambled egg sandwiches or omelettes for myself (my chickens has pet chickens). I remember my first attempt in making Fettuccine Alfredo with pieces of a store-bought rotisserie chicken in it. Even though my mother actually loved it, there were a few things that could've made the dish better. 

But ever since I've made that dish, there were a couple restaurants that my mother doesn't want to go to again because she actually said that the fettuccine alfredo that I made was better than theirs. Although there is one restaurant that has some pretty good fettuccine dish that we go to from time to time.

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## dan.meme

I do cook, though not as often as I would like. I usually make simple meals like pasta or grilled chicken, but every once in a while I like to get creative and try something new. Recently, I made a dish that was a bit of an experiment: pork tenderloin with apricot glaze. It turned out surprisingly well, and my family loved it. I think I'll definitely be making it again soon.

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## ZhonLord

I have become a foodie in recent years, trying out, adjusting and refining recipes along the way. It's fun to take something good and make it great!

My latest mastery was of a recipe that only needed two tweaks surprisingly. It originates from the D&D cookbook, Heroes' Feast: Delzoun Tide-me-over Meatballs and Sauce. 

The meatballs are half pork sausage, half hamburger, with a structural paste of dark rye bread that's been soaked in heavy whipping cream and an egg. The sauce is a butter/flour roux with brown sugar, soy sauce, lemon juice and black pepper. And the whole thing is best served alongside a batch of egg noodles, just like swedish meatballs!

The end result is an intensely flavorful medley, high in fat and carbs, which gives you the energy to keep going through the day, or ensures you won't need ANY after-dinner snacks. I am thoroughly in love with them.

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## Cygnia

Made this pie yesterday...

https://www.atlasobscura.com/article...arlborough-pie

I need to tweak a few things next time out.  Came out a bit too boozy & eggy.

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## Metastachydium

> Made this pie yesterday...
> 
> https://www.atlasobscura.com/article...arlborough-pie


As an Old Worlder, I came here to contest the whole "[t]ell me where your grandmother came from and I can tell you how many kinds of pie you serve for Thanksgiving" thing, but then I realized zero is technically a number.




> Came out a bit too boozy & eggy.


Nothing's too boozy if the booze happens to be sherry!

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## Peelee

> Nothing's too boozy if the booze happens to be sherry!


Are you Frasier or Niles?

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## Cygnia

Didn't have Sherry, so I used Marsala instead.  Realized what I would need to do to tweak it before Thanksgiving, integrate the booze better, drop the eggs down to 3 instead of 4...

...aaaaaaaand the hubby's brothers said "Ooops, forgot to tell you -- more people are making desserts!  Can you only make 1 pie for Thanksgiving -- and can it be a normal blueberry?"

 :Small Furious:

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## Metastachydium

> Are you Frasier or Niles?


Last I checked, neither was a FLOWER.




> Didn't have Sherry, so I used Marsala instead.


Hm. So long as it's a dry white variety, I suppose that's acceptable.




> Realized what I would need to do to tweak it before Thanksgiving, integrate the booze better, drop the eggs down to 3 instead of 4...


Good luck!




> ...aaaaaaaand the hubby's brothers said "Ooops, forgot to tell you -- more people are making desserts!  Can you only make 1 pie for Thanksgiving -- and can it be a normal blueberry?"


That cannot stand. Kill 'em _WITH FIRE_!

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## Peelee

> Last I checked, neither was a FLOWER.


Niles was quite the delicate flower, if I recall correctly.

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## ZhonLord

New discovery, a frittata recipe that uses carrots, onions and bell peppers, but also chunks of easy-melt cheese like havarti dropped on top right before it goes in the oven. Result is a meal that tastes different with every bite and has occasional pockets of cheesy goodness as you work your way through it.

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## Radar

I do, although most of the time extremely simplistic dishes that I throw together to take to work as lunch. This would typically be: rice/pasta + some vegetables (frozen mixes or canned tomatoes which are way cheaper than the fresh kind) + beans/meat cooked together and seasoned in whatever I have at hand. I even experimented with using instant soups as flavoring, which I had a surplus of at one point - it worked pretty well. I do this kind of cooking when I am away from home and have limited tools to work with (just a microwave and no kitchen space to speak of). I does get the job done and is really quick to make.

When I am at home, I obviously do not subject my family to such things, but due to time constrains I still prefer simple things (anyone trying to juggle work, kids and tending to the house will understand that): spaghetti bolognese (although I add some non-traditional spices like smoked bell pepper), thick soups that are filling enough to be the whole meal, fried/grilled/baked meat served with some steamed* potatoes and vegetables etc. Not much time to experiment or go for more elaborate processes to do something special. The reason for various types of pancakes not being on the list is simply that my wife makes them way better.  :Small Smile: 

I do try to bake when possible: simple buns (I like how garlic+onion ones turned out), cakes (recently learned to make Pavlov's meringue - surprisingly easy to do), cookies (rarely as rolling and cutting takes quite some time). 

*Quite a while ago we got ourselves a steam cooker and the taste difference is immense - fully recommend this instead of regular cooking.

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## Velaryon

I don't do anything too fancy, but I can cook a few things at least. I keep telling myself I should be more adventurous in cooking, but it's hard to be motivated when I'm cooking just for myself and I'm also lazy.

I stir fry fairly often, usually with chicken and whatever veggies I have on hand (most often some combination of broccoli, cauliflower, green pepper, onion, and zucchini, but sometimes a few other things). I used to buy premade stir fry sauces but these days I mostly mix in spices and garlic for flavoring.

I have a pasta salad recipe that I created and riff on sometimes. It barely even counts as cooking since the only thing that actually needs to be heated is the pasta noodles, as everything else comes out of various cans, jars, and bottles. But it's tasty and easy to make when I'm otherwise not very motivated to cook.
*Spoiler: Pasta salad*
Show


I prefer tri-color rotini for the noodles, but have used penne, farfalle, and a couple others depending on what I have.
Then I add in half a jar of green olives, half a can of black olives, half a jar of kalamata olives, a full jar of artichoke hearts, a can of stewed tomatoes, parmesan cheese, a jar of pesto sauce (I prefer red, but green works fine as well), and a spice blend that's primarily oregano but has some other stuff in it too. I just stir all of that in once I drain the noodles and it's good to go.

That's the base recipe, but I've changed it up depending on what else I have. I've added in avocado, subbed in the stewed tomatoes for fresh, and swapped to green pesto, and that worked pretty well. Sometimes I get these cheese-stuffed peppers at the store and those make a great addition. Capers if I happen to have them are a good addition as well. My parents have adapted the recipe and added some mushrooms; they liked it but I hate mushrooms so I can't say how it goes. I'm sure adding chicken would be good too, but that sorta defeats the point of it being simple and low-effort, unless I happen to have pre-cooked chicken I can cut up or something.



My job has been having food competitions every few months or so, and earlier this year they did a chili cook-off. I found a recipe online that I liked and made a few changes to come up with a really nice recipe that's pretty hot, but has a nice smoky sweetness thing going on as well. I think I overdid the hot last time though, as it gave me a bit of a stomachache (and burned again on the way out...).

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## Rater202

Made homemade cranberry sauce.

Cinnamon compliments the taste of cranberries very well.

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## Cygnia

> That cannot stand. Kill 'em _WITH FIRE_!


...y'know, it be one thing if the brother-in-law's in-laws made their own pies, but to be shunted aside for Marie Callander boxed crap?!

Yeah, I'm more than a little bit torqued about that.  :Small Furious:

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## rohanvos

I do enjoy a good lasagna, have one I use a lot that does not require boiling noodles before hand, always a winner!

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## oxybe

made myself some stew, served on a bed of rice.

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## Hof

For christmas dinner I intend to make dessert. For this gathering it has to be both lactose and gluten free.

My plan is banana pancakes (with almond flour), with baked apple slices, non-dairy whipped cream of some sort and sugar/cinnamon encrusted pecan nuts.
I hope it works out!

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## Cygnia

I'm on oyster stew duty tomorrow.  Father-in-law says mine is better than his mother's.  :Small Red Face:

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## Caedorus

My father usually cooks but I'm perfectly capable of making anything except the hardest of meals provided a recipe.

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## Cygnia

This coming week, the new recipe I'll be trying is Mapo Tofu Nachos for the hubby (he doesn't eat red meat anymore, so pork is being subbed out for chicken).

*Spoiler: Recipe here*
Show


Ingredients
Yield: 4 servings

    For the Mapo Tofu Sauce
        1(14- or 16-ounce) package silken tofu
        1½teaspoons Sichuan peppercorns
        2tablespoons neutral oil, such as canola oil
        8ounces ground beef or pork (preferably 80 or 85 percent lean), roughly chopped to loosen
        2½ to 3tablespoons doubanjiang (fermented chile bean sauce or paste)
        1tablespoon douchi (fermented black beans, optional)
        1teaspoon minced fresh ginger
        ½teaspoon red-pepper flakes (optional)
        2teaspoons regular soy sauce
        1rounded teaspoon granulated sugar, plus more as needed
        Fine sea salt
        1large scallion, trimmed and sliced on a sharp bias into 2-inch-long pieces
        1tablespoon cornstarch dissolved in 2 tablespoons water
    For the Nachos
        5 to 6ounces corn tortilla chips (about 5 cups)
        2medium scallions, trimmed and sliced on the bias into ¾-inch-long pieces
        4ounces shredded Oaxacan, Monterey Jack or other mild-flavored melty cheese (about 1⅓ cups)
        ⅓cup sliced or coarsely chopped pitted olives, such as black, green or a combination (optional)
        2whole pickled jalapeños, sliced (optional)
        ⅓cup coarsely chopped cilantro (optional)

Preparation

    Step 1

    Prepare the mapo tofu sauce: If the tofu came as a block in water, discard the water. Cut the tofu into large chunks, then use a stand blender or immersion blender to whirl the tofu into an ivory smoothie.
    Step 2

    In a medium (3- or 4-quart) pot over medium heat, toast the Sichuan peppercorns for 2 to 3 minutes, until super fragrant and slightly darkened. (A wisp of smoke is OK.) Let cool briefly, then pound with a mortar and pestle or pulse in a spice grinder.
    Step 3

    Prepare the remaining sauce ingredients and set them near the stove.
    Step 4

    Warm the oil in the pot over high heat. When shimmering, add the meat. Stir and mash into cooked and crumbly pieces, 1 to 2 minutes. Add 2½ tablespoons doubanjiang, the douchi (if using), ginger and red-pepper flakes (if using). Fry about 2 minutes longer, stirring constantly, until the mixture is a rich reddish brown.
    Step 5

    Reduce the heat to medium-low, then stir in the soy sauce and 1 rounded teaspoon sugar. Scrape in the blended tofu. (If theres much left in the blender jar, add 1 tablespoon water and whirl to loosen it.) Stir to combine well, partially cover and bring to simmer. Cook for about 3 minutes, stirring occasionally, to develop flavor throughout. Expect orange oil to appear on top.
    Step 6

    Taste the sauce and if needed, add the remaining ½ tablespoon doubanjiang (for heat), or a pinch of salt (for savoriness) or sugar (to tame heat).
    Step 7

    Stir in the scallion, then add the cornstarch slurry and stir until thickened. Turn off the heat. Stir in half the crushed Sichuan peppercorns for a bit of zing. Let sit for 5 to 10 minutes to deepen flavor and color before using; a little lingering orange oil is normal. This recipe makes about 2½ cups, which is twice the amount that youll need for this recipe; save the rest for spaghetti, more nachos or another use. (You can cool the sauce completely then refrigerate it in an airtight container for up to 3 days.)
    Step 8

    Prepare the nachos: Heat a toaster oven (or standard oven) to 350 degrees. Line the baking pan of the toaster oven (or a small sheet pan) with parchment or aluminum foil, leaving a little overhang on two sides so you may later easily transfer the nachos. Arrange half of the chips on the pan, laying them flat; some overlap is fine. Use a spoon to strew a heaping ½ cup mapo tofu sauce onto the chips. Sprinkle with half the scallions, half the cheese and half the remaining Sichuan peppercorns. Repeat with the remaining chips, a heaping ½ cup mapo tofu sauce, the remaining scallions, cheese and peppercorns.
    Step 9

    Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, until the cheese completely melts and there is gentle sizzling. Remove from the oven, then lift the parchment paper or foil to remove the nachos from the pan, then use a spatula to carefully usher the nachos to a platter. Top with any combination of olives, pickled jalapeños and cilantro, if desired.

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