Jump to content

What's for Dinner?


Recommended Posts

  • Replies 1k
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Top Posters In This Topic

Wish I had a wok as well...I keep looking for a replacement (as I lost mine during my last move), and all I can find are these flat bottomed things. Someone PLEASE tell me what the heck is the point of a flat bottomed wok???

It rests easy on a burner without need of a ring and can be used on any type of range, gas, electric. I've had both the flat and rounded bottom woks, and both work quite well.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Wish I had a wok as well...I keep looking for a replacement (as I lost mine during my last move), and all I can find are these flat bottomed things.  Someone PLEASE tell me what the heck is the point of a flat bottomed wok???

It rests easy on a burner without need of a ring and can be used on any type of range, gas, electric. I've had both the flat and rounded bottom woks, and both work quite well.

I'll take the ring and those perfectly slanted sides, thank you.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

You live in the Bay Area, home to one of the biggest Asian populations in the country, and you can't find a wok?! Just go to the biggest Asian supermarket you can find...they should have cooking supplies somewhere in there, if they're anything like what we have in Boston...

(the reason I don't have one is because I can't afford a good one, not because I can't find one...)

Edited by Big Wheel
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Tonight, mostly some leftovers (you don't want to know what) plus some Shanghai bok choy I picked up cheap, sauteed in some chicken stock and butter with garlic. But I'm also making a whole roast chicken with a sort of habanero-garlic-coriander rub invented on the spot (I needed to get rid of a few habaneros I bought on a whim), to eat for the rest of the week. I jammed a can half-full of Coke in the cavity to make the chicken stand up in the oven, per a recipe I saw recently. Supposedly the coke comes out and keeps the chicken moist.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

But I'm also making a whole roast chicken with a sort of habanero-garlic-coriander rub invented on the spot (I needed to get rid of a few habaneros I bought on a whim), to eat for the rest of the week. I jammed a can half-full of Coke in the cavity to make the chicken stand up in the oven, per a recipe I saw recently. Supposedly the coke comes out and keeps the chicken moist.

This recipe turned out DAMN good, by the way. I must have gotten lucky and timed it just right. Crispy skin (not for long after I tipped the chicken in the juices by accident), only a tiny hint of the heat of the chiles, and tender meat. It doesn't taste like Coke at all. This one is a definite keeper!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Been doing a lot of cooking lately. Tonight's recipe:

Pasta with squid, tomatoes and capers

1 lb cleaned squid, bodies and tentacles separated but kept intact

6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

4 large garlic cloves, finely chopped

1 (1 1/2-inch) fresh red or green Thai or serrano chile, halved crosswise

1/2 lb grape or cherry tomatoes, halved

1/3 cup dry white wine

1/2 cup raisins

1/4 cup drained bottled capers, rinsed, patted dry, and coarsely chopped

1/2 lb campanelle (small bell-shaped pasta) or fusilli pasta

1/2 cup loosely packed torn fresh basil leaves

1/4 cup pine nuts, lightly toasted

1 (1- by 1/2-inch) strip fresh lemon zest, finely chopped

If squid are large, halve ring of tentacles, then cut longer tentacles, if attached, crosswise into 2-inch pieces. Pull off flaps from squid bodies and cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices. Cut bodies crosswise into 1/4-inch-thick rings. Pat squid dry.

Heat 3 tablespoons oil in a 12-inch heavy skillet over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking, then sauté garlic and chile, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add squid and sauté, stirring, 1 minute. Add tomatoes and wine and simmer, stirring, 2 minutes. Add raisins and capers and simmer, stirring, 30 seconds. Remove from heat.

Cook pasta in a 6-quart pot of boiling salted water until al dente. Reserve 1/2 cup pasta cooking water, then drain pasta in a colander.

Add pasta to tomato mixture with 1/4 cup reserved cooking water and cook over moderately high heat, stirring constantly, 1 minute. Remove from heat and stir in basil, pine nuts, zest, and salt and pepper to taste. If pasta looks dry, moisten with more cooking water.

Divide pasta among 4 plates, then drizzle each serving with some of remaining 3 tablespoons oil.

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

I left out the raisins, and didn't have any basil or lemon. It came out damn good regardless, and was even better with a bottle of organic white wine. Plus there was enough left for lunch tomorrow!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

But I'm also making a whole roast chicken with a sort of habanero-garlic-coriander rub invented on the spot (I needed to get rid of a few habaneros I bought on a whim), to eat for the rest of the week. I jammed a can half-full of Coke in the cavity to make the chicken stand up in the oven, per a recipe I saw recently. Supposedly the coke comes out and keeps the chicken moist.

This recipe turned out DAMN good, by the way. I must have gotten lucky and timed it just right. Crispy skin (not for long after I tipped the chicken in the juices by accident), only a tiny hint of the heat of the chiles, and tender meat. It doesn't taste like Coke at all. This one is a definite keeper!

Careful handling those habaneros- I once was chopping some, then washed my hands and thought I got all of it off. Then I took a leak, and it felt like somebody dropped ben-Gay in my shorts!(flaming smilie)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Haha--they're mean little bastards, aren't they? I've definitely made the mistake of touching my eyes and nose after handling Thai chiles, which are almost as hot. Ouch!

A couple of years ago in college I popped a whole one in my mouth at dinner to impress some friends. I can take most chiles, so I figured this couldn't be much worse. It was one of the strangest feelings I've ever experienced--within about 15 seconds my scalp was tingling so much it actually felt as if I was wearing a hat. I turned beet red and started sweating really profusely. The only word one of my roommates could muster to describe the way I looked was "unhealthy." :g

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Careful handling those habaneros- I once was chopping some, then washed my hands and thought I got all of it off. Then I took a leak, and it felt like somebody dropped ben-Gay in my shorts!(flaming smilie)

I made the mistake of cutting up some jalapenos and then had to go *handle some toilet paper* if you know what I mean.

HOOTCHIE MAMA!!!!

OK, I now realize two things:

1) that was too much information :mellow:

and

2) no one is ever going to come to my house for dinner :o

...but I just had to share! :g

Link to comment
Share on other sites

One thing some people don't realize about chiles is that they can burn even more on the way out then they do on the way in...have had a few painful experiences, though none recently.

Might be going to the East Coast Grill's "Hotter Than Hell Night" next week--it's their semi-annual tradition of making food that's just too spicy to be edible. Am a little worried, though, that I won't be able to handle it and will thus be flushing some CD money down the crapper.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Get us right back into it:

(1) can of Spanish Tuna packed in olive oil;

(2) slices of bread, smeared with Escargotine*, toss under broiler for ca. one minute, remove, and eat;

(3) glasses Oregon Pinot Noir, Knudsen Erath vintage 1999.

Ahhhh, bachelor life!**

* French "paste" of escargot, salt, parsley, garlic and butter. YUM!!!

** Thank god my 3,000-mile-away-wife isn't a member of this board! :lol:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.

×
×
  • Create New...