Cooking and food MidAtlantic, late winter 2013

Coming from
http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/1293201/#new
Fight boredom in the kitchen!
Post today's menu, ask cooking questions, suggest recipes, whatever...Guests welcome!

Gita posted=

Rotisserie chicken from BJ's-----Yech!

Theirs comes in a plastic bag with a handle on it. Juices and fat all over everything...
The meat was kind of 'slimy"--maybe because it was in a plastic bag?
Never got to 'rest" after it was cooked??? I'll see if it will be any better tomorrow
after being in the fridge. I will eat it--of course--just not the greatest...

Whatever---------Gita

(I moved GIta's post , I had a goof in starting this thread)

Bummer Gita!

I've heard that due to drought and crop failures last summer, that chicken prices (and many other prices ) will go up because cost of feed is going up..Maybe we are starting to get chickens raised on lesser amounts of feed and more filler?

The chicken my daughter gets from her CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) tastes very different from me Sam's Club fowl. I'm beginning to not like the smell of what ever they infuse or rub their rotissery chickens with....can't quite place it, but it isn't fresh herbs and spices!

Fortyfive years ago, favorite party finger food was to dip a piece of fruit in sour cream and then in brown sugar. I love 'caramel' taste.

I've had a few store rotisserie chickens and with good.luck so far. But last year I got a ham to cook at home that was slimy for lack of a better word! I suspected some new additive. i wish i remembered where i got that yucky ham.

Gita, that sounds like a really delicious idea, to add sour cream to gravy. I will certainly try that! I use sour cream when I make my mashed potatoes, they come out nice and fluffy and creamy, Yummm!! I also use it in place of milk for scrambling eggs, the eggs come out creamier and yet fluffier... I don't know what it is.. magic? =)

Last night's dinner was calzones with my marinara that I made the other day. BOY did those things turn out good! Homemade calzones, by the way. I have read somewhere to brush the dough with olive oil before baking, so I tried it once.. NO MORE! From now on, egg wash is what they get!

Oh, yeah...sour cream in gravy is YUMMO!!!

Tried making crab cakes. OK, but probably won't do it again unless somebody has a killer, surefire recipe. LOL

Will make lasagna this week to add some more mealsinthefreezerfor Jeff while I'm gone. Now, hopefully he takes advantage of them. Heehee

Ya know, it's funny, but sort of sad... living in Southern Maryland, I have yet to meet a crab cake I like. Every one I've had has made me sick. < =( After 5 attempts I give up.

I don't even try crab cakes any more, everyone disagrees on what is good, over the years I've refined my recipe for crab imperial everyone agrees on this:
Ingredients
4 tablespoons (½ stick) butter
2 tablespoons diced green bell pepper
2 tablespoons diced red bell pepper or pimiento
½ cup chopped mushrooms
¾ cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
¼ teaspoon Tabasco Sauce
1 teaspoon capers, drained and chopped
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon Chesapeake seasoning, I use Wilder Spice Md. Sea Food
1 pound jumbo lump crabmeat, picked over
1 egg, beaten
¼ cup mayonnaise
Pinch of paprika
1 tablespoon chopped parsley
Directions
Preheat the oven to 350°F.
Melt the butter in a small skillet and sauté the bell peppers and mushrooms until soft. Set aside.
Combine the mayonnaise, mustard, Worcestershire, Tabasco, capers, pepper, and Chesapeake seasoning in a small bowl and mix well. Add the sautéed peppers and mushrooms.
Place the crabmeat in a mixing bowl and pour the mixture over it. Toss gently. Spoon the mixture into 4 individual gratin dishes or well-cleaned crab shells. (Place filled shells on a baking sheet.) Bake for 20 to 25 minutes.
Meanwhile, prepare the topping: Combine all the ingredients in a small bowl and mix well. Remove the casseroles from the oven. Preheat the broiler. Spoon the topping evenly over each casserole. Place under the broiler for 1 to 2 minutes, or until nicely browned. (If a broiler is unavailable, brown the top in the oven. It will take a bit longer.) Serve immediately.
This has always been a pleaser at our house.

Oh my Heavens to Betsy that looks outta this world good!!!!!!!!!!
I've only had Crab Imperial once, and I have no idea what was in it, but it was fantastic!

Soooo Holly... name the date and time, and I'll bring the wine! < =)

That's what I originally thought, however, I have eaten crabs in many other forms and have been perfectly fine.. same goes for other shellfish(es) as well: Muscles, oysters, lobster, shrimp.. all no problem. Crab steamed with Old Bay, A-OK! (and delicious, too!) Even that crab imperial I mentioned up there ^^ gave me no troubles at all. It's just strange I tell ya. (then again, so am I!) =)

That crab imperial does sound delicious! No bread crumbs, and I think that's the key. I've made something similar (but will have to try your seasoning next time) to stuff big mushroom caps, which are then sauteed in white wine. MMMmmmmm

I think the main problem with most crab cakes is too much breading. Yes, it makes it easier to handle... but I had an "add one for $5" on V day that was half breading, and to add insult to injury their idea of "lump crab" was claw meat plus some mangled shreds.

I had a crab cake at May's that was just like I'd make it, maybe even better... almost pure lump crab with a dab of mayo to hold it together and a tiny sprinkle of Old Bay. Sometimes I add an egg and just a few crumbs on the top & bottom surfaces (not mixed in), but that's because I lack the skill to flip and brown it if it doesn't hold together a bit better than is possible with just a spoonful of mayo.

And yes, that kind of crab cake does taste different than just a pile of lump crabmeat... because it's moistened by the mayo and browned in butter.

Sorry Ladies, That was not Holly's recipe, it was mine. I forgot to sign my post. A friend enjoyed my recipe so much that he gave me set of these, that were his fathers. Ric

I have some of those in storage somewhere too, they were my fathers also.

Aaaaw Ric, that's such a cool gift!! WOWEE, you're really appreciated!! =)

I hope you don't mind, but I will respectfully defer to your Mrs. about coming over for dinner... it just wouldn't be right otherwise. =) You can pick the wine, though! < =D

Sounds good. I'll have to try this one.

DH came home with another of those wonderful Papa Murphy's pizzas today, YIPPEE!! The last one we had was great, so this time he got a meat-stuffed one. It was pretty chilly out today so he had it sitting in his truck, now it's all fat and fluffy, HA! Can't wait to eat this puppy, it sure looks good. ...may have to heat some of that marinara up for dipping. ;)

I don't know why I come to this thread around dinner time when I'm so hungry. Pizza, crab cakes, crab imperial - I want some of everything. Alas, I didn't go grocery shopping this weekend and am not that creative with putting stuff together from what is left in the pantry. I am tired and can't seem to get warm after getting soaked in the rain on the way to the car this afternoon - why oh why do I forget an umbrella??? Mike is bringing Chinese take out - all I wanted was hot and sour soup - should do the trick. Oh, can't not get a spring roll to go with it LOL... Not in the mood for an entree though.

anyone ever watch the show "Chopped" ? we can sympathize with the principal of trying to improvise dinner out of what you have on hand. It's a lovely feeling when todays extra side dish can work with tomorrows entree as well.

Roast chicken on Sunday means I have chicken and broth, promised to make soup. Anything goes with soup.

Actually I have 'chopped' on right now. Amazing what they can do. I can't imagine the stress of trying to get things done in such a short period of time. Some of the ingredients they find in the baskets are really out there.

I love that show! Some of the combinations even have me saying, hmm, should write that down. But since I'm usually watching the late night re-run when I can't sleep, I don't manage to take notes. LOL

Shows like that do make me more courageous about just trying things, or thinking of ingredients in terms of what general element they would add -- "sour" or "crunchy" or ? -- instead of in terms of exactly what I'm looking at.

I really enjoy making a peanut satay, but isn't that more Indonesian than Asian? I tried mine after eating at a Thai place called Bangkok Wok. They do extraordinary curries. All meals are available in mild, medium, and hot. Holly and I want to try another called Thai Palace, Hmmm, that may mean more ideas. Ric


Sometimes I cheat and resort to one of these sites to get something right, Blush,Blush. Holly says my Marsala Chicken is better than Olive Gardens.

This message was edited Feb 27, 2013 10:34 AM

I've done that PB thing since making egg rolls with a friend in college... she said it was the secret ingredient that made them stick together! LOL

I don't think of it when I'm making a "regular" stir fry (for us, that means garlic, ginger, soy, stock, and 5-spice)... I should!

I like melding elements from different cuisines... Isn't the "fancy" word for that "fusion?" Seems that was a buzz word from quite a few years back.

Will have to try the PB in a sauce.

Do you 'present' or style your plates?

Jan once in a while I will present the entree, but more often I will present a platter for everyone to destroy. It's so much easier to prepare one plate than individuals. That way you can still serve a presentation with fresh herbs or flowers for everyone to enjoy. Sometimes I present soups if they are dressed with a piece of herb, dollop of sour cream, and piece of pumpernickel toast. Ric

Present the plate ?
ROFL.
Not much, since making food faces for lunch with preschoolers!!!

Heehee, me neither. Usually I leave it in pots and we dish up before we sit down.

Made two casseroles of baked pasta with meat sauce this morning, so I can make meal-sized portions to freeze, so Jeff has a bunch of choices for dinner while i'm gone for the month.

I rarely "plate" dinner for us... even with company, we often just make something "easy" and let people dish up the portions they'd like at the stove.

However, I often make a quick little flower or butterfly arrangement when I'm getting lunch or a snack out for Joyanna. The possibilities are endless with apple slices,hot dogs, scoops of mac 'n cheese, hummus & veggies... you name it, there's a cute way to arrange it! She's never been a "picky" eater, because there are so many things she likes, and she'll try things pretty readily... but she's a "pecky" eater, so I try to tempt her appetite. Sometimes it's as simple as choosing a blue plastic plate because it'll be a nice contrast to a row of "carrot wheels."

I do plate desserts... partly, I usually have a little extra time to be "fancy" right after dinner, and it's fun to do. But that's usually nothing more than a dollop of whipped cream and a few chocolate curls next to a piece of cake or brownie... although I do make a pretty big production out of strawberry shortcakes!

Ric, I do the "platter presentation" thing, too... I like to serve buffet style with a crowd, and I like it to look pretty -- at least until it's attacked & destroyed, as you said!

I read something about that Japanese moms are very careful about making their kids lunch 'cute' to take to school. how nice.

Jim & some of his coworkers used to pack a lunch, back when we were first married... or, more accurately, I packed up something for him to heat up and usually also a PB&J for a late afternoon snack since he often worked fairly late. On Valentine's Day, he unpacked his bag and discovered I'd painted a big red heart (with food coloring) on his sandwich. He was still living that down weeks later. LOL

We had a Paul Prudhomme recipe for dinner tonight, one of our favorites, and definitely spicy. He calls it Red Eye Chicken, and it involves a lot of paprika and sour cream. I made a really big batch of it when I got both chicken and red peppers at a good price... froze it without the sour cream. I added green peas also when I warmed it up and served it over noodles (for Jim) and also over steamed cauliflower (for me, but I had some noodles also!).

Oops here is pic

Often when I make pancakes for the Gkids I make Initals and Mickey/Minnie Mouse faces. Dinosaurs are hard. I just use my baster for the batter to make shapes using fruit for eyes and such. JR's old enough he mostly just wants breakfast sausage with whatever. It's become a joke, asking JR what do you want with your sausages. LOL :-} Ric

Lol, I had a friend in college whose question would be "What do you want with your ketsup?"!! And a brother, "You're going to put peanut butter on what?"

My brother used to like peanut butter on his burgers... I never did "get" that. ;)

I've been known to "plate" up a pretty little presentation from time to time. I used to have more pics, but when I had to re-do my computer from scratch, I seem to have lost most of them. For some reason, I still have this one on my camera though. It's a "Burro Grande"... or, slices of it. :)

We had a treat for dinner last night -- shad and shad rod, steamed spinach, a glass of wine and ice cream. Spring is around the corner, isn't it?

peanut butter = fat and sugar, whats not to LOVE??? Our taste buds enjoy an almost limitless amount of fat, unlike sugar where we can actually go ugh too much--according to an interesting piece I listened to yesterday on npr radio online, an investigative reporter's book about the food industry manipulating sugar, fat, salt, and marketing. Philip Morris, after they bought Kraft, at some point actually told the Kraft people they better deal with the unhealthy aspects of processed food before the health issues come down hard on them, the way cigarette problems hit the cigarette industry.

Sally, I heard that.too. Peanut butter has salt, too, the big three drivers of what we eat and how much!

The 'bliss point' for sugar, fat and salt cravings without satiaty, and marketing, known since 1999 industry-wide to grab and retain 'stomach' share of humans world wide and thus market share for stock holders.

Four case studies and some history here:
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/02/24/magazine/the-extraordinary-science-of-junk-food.html?pagewanted=all