Well? What did you have for dinner tonight??

[Skull Pilot]

Man that sounds delicious, are you planning to put down something special for Thanksgiving next week?

I'm looking for something new to try for T day. i usually just fall back on the old standbys but this year I'm looking to take it up a level

I'm thinking of adding an oyster dish and a soup course.

I'm going to try grilled pumpkin soup with a maple chipotle creme. I don't know what I'm doing with the oysters yet.

I'll definitely be baking bread this year I'm thinking of a rosemary sage bread to both serve and use for stuffing. (And yes I stuff the bird none of that oven stuffing for me)

Man you sound like a chef with all the stuff you cook up.

Just a hobby. I found that cooking isn't really as hard as most people think.

 

[Foxfyre]

I'm looking for something new to try for T day. i usually just fall back on the old standbys but this year I'm looking to take it up a level

I'm thinking of adding an oyster dish and a soup course.

I'm going to try grilled pumpkin soup with a maple chipotle creme. I don't know what I'm doing with the oysters yet.

I'll definitely be baking bread this year I'm thinking of a rosemary sage bread to both serve and use for stuffing. (And yes I stuff the bird none of that oven stuffing for me)

Man you sound like a chef with all the stuff you cook up.

Just a hobby. I found that cooking isn't really as hard as most people think.

Sometimes when folding clothes or doing other stuff I will have the Food Channel running just to see what the real chefs do with unusual ingredients. Gourmet cooking requires a certain kind of palate, actually, and is very much underappreciated by folks who prefer old fashioned basic everyday cuisine. And that actually goes for me too though I do love to cook and do love experimenting with new recipes. In my opinion, the worst sins in cooking are over cooking or undercooking, over seasoning or under seasoning.

The hardest part is knowing what seasonings and spices go with other flavors, when to add that dash of cayenne for instance, and when it will fight with the seasonings already there, how much to use, when to use it, what compliments what etc. I have been at it for a lot of decades now and still don't have it all figured out. But I think I would very much like to compete with the other amateur home cooks on "Master Chef".

 

[Uncensored2008]

Wifey made a squash bisque from yellow squash, cream cheese, ginger and paprika last night. It was to die for.

I have to cook tonight. I'm thinking pork loin medallions with a reduction of persimmon, guava and pequin peppers. Raw spinach with pecans and asiago in rice wine vinegar as a side.

 

[Skull Pilot]

Man you sound like a chef with all the stuff you cook up.

Just a hobby. I found that cooking isn't really as hard as most people think.

Sometimes when folding clothes or doing other stuff I will have the Food Channel running just to see what the real chefs do with unusual ingredients. Gourmet cooking requires a certain kind of palate, actually, and is very much underappreciated by folks who prefer old fashioned basic everyday cuisine. And that actually goes for me too though I do love to cook and do love experimenting with new recipes. In my opinion, the worst sins in cooking are over cooking or undercooking, over seasoning or under seasoning.

The hardest part is knowing what seasonings and spices go with other flavors, when to add that dash of cayenne for instance, and when it will fight with the seasonings already there, how much to use, when to use it, what compliments what etc. I have been at it for a lot of decades now and still don't have it all figured out. But I think I would very much like to compete with the other amateur home cooks on "Master Chef".

A while ago I got this book

The Flavor Bible: The Essential Guide to Culinary Creativity, Based on the Wisdom of America's Most Imaginative Chefs [Book]

It's a great way to learn what flavors compliment each other. My own strategy is to use 3 things that go together and then build a meal from them.

Each of the three components of the meal will have their own three ingredients that elevate their flavor profile.

I found three to be a great number as you can achieve wonderful flavor depth without being overly complicated or too simple.

 

[Mr. H.]

Well, I wouldn't say that Mrs. H. is a good cook, but at least there's something on the table at 6 every evening.

 

[Dude111]

I had a yummy turkey Dinner

 

[Annie]

While my dinner was a success, two dishes got raves. Horseradish-Sour Cream Baked Mashed Potatoes and Broccoli-Wild Rice Casserole.

I was surprised to find two of my kids, none of the other guests, could identify the ingredients of the potatoes. Their palates are quite developed, as the taste of the individual ingredients was subtle.

On the downside, while I love cranberries-not the stuff in the can-it seems that others don't share my love universally. I had a homemade cranberry relish, cranberries in the dressing, and cranberry bread. Out of 9 people, 5 shared my like. The others, not so much. Won't do that 'theme' again.

 

[Samson]

I had a "Wilted Salad"

Basically, finely chopped lettuce head, with garlic, balsamic.

Heat up about 1/4 cup olive oil until it smokes.

Pour over the lettuce and quickly stir.

Add parmisan cheese and chopped artichoke hearts.

 

[Toro]

This evening, I made French onion soup for dinner.

 

[Uncensored2008]

This evening, I made French onion soup for dinner.

From an envelope?

 

[Mr. H.]

This evening, I made French onion soup for dinner.

From an envelope?

That's for the meatloaf.

 

[AngaleenaMark]

Hi I am a vegetarian and the last food I had for my dinner was Mix vegetable chopsuey with fried rice and it was delicious and I did enjoy my meal.

 

[Uncensored2008]

That's for the meatloaf.

A good French Onion is a real treat. Make it once and any delusion of it being at all healthy is dispelled.

What do you use for your beef stock? Bullion? My grandmother had an interesting method, take cheap beef, cube it, and cook it over high flame while it stuck to the pan, getting brown and hard, but not burnt. Once well cooked, THEN add water, letting the cooked on drippings in the pan form the basis of the stock. It was damned good. Took many hours, but great results.

 

[Unkotare]

Shumai tonight

 

[Unkotare]

That's for the meatloaf.

A good French Onion is a real treat. Make it once and any delusion of it being at all healthy is dispelled. .

Very low in sodium!

 

[Uncensored2008]

Very low in sodium!

Unless you use bullion for your beef broth.

 

[Annie]

That's for the meatloaf.

A good French Onion is a real treat. Make it once and any delusion of it being at all healthy is dispelled.

What do you use for your beef stock? Bullion? My grandmother had an interesting method, take cheap beef, cube it, and cook it over high flame while it stuck to the pan, getting brown and hard, but not burnt. Once well cooked, THEN add water, letting the cooked on drippings in the pan form the basis of the stock. It was damned good. Took many hours, but great results.

That sounds similar to how I make French Onion Soup. This post brought to mind though why my mom, now myself are always called to the kitchen 'to make the gravy.' You've got to 'burn', (not really, it's browning), the drippings to get both the color and flavor for gravy. So many people now are so careful with their expensive pans, that they are losing out on so much flavor.

I have high quality pans I'd never put in the dishwasher, but they are well seasoned and I wouldn't hang them for the world to see. They are certainly clean, but look well worn, because they are.

 

[Kiki Cannoli]

Carne asada with rice & beans.

 

[Uncensored2008]

Carne asada with rice & beans.

That sounds good.

Homemade?

I may have to go through Albertos for dinner...

 

[Uncensored2008]

That sounds similar to how I make French Onion Soup. This post brought to mind though why my mom, now myself are always called to the kitchen 'to make the gravy.' You've got to 'burn', (not really, it's browning), the drippings to get both the color and flavor for gravy. So many people now are so careful with their expensive pans, that they are losing out on so much flavor.

I have high quality pans I'd never put in the dishwasher, but they are well seasoned and I wouldn't hang them for the world to see. They are certainly clean, but look well worn, because they are.

I hear you, I have a couple of cast iron skillets in the garage for this kind of thing.