Om nom nom nom

[Sasha Distan]

 We drank a bottle of Maqués de Cáceres Reserva 2008 with dinner, and a Contessa Matilde Lambrusco di Sorbara with dessert, followed by first flush darjeeling. I am so full right now!

 

*this wolf does not understand wine*

[Thorn Wilde]

*this wolf does not understand wine*

 

This human loves it.

[Former Member]

This human also loves it. ^-^

[paya]

So I'm planning to make beef meatballs with tomato sauce for the weekend. Any tips how you make the meatballs? What do you mix the beef with?

[Former Member]

So I'm planning to make beef meatballs with tomato sauce for the weekend. Any tips how you make the meatballs? What do you mix the beef with?

 

My family's always mixed it with onions and uncooked rice.  Don't be afraid to get your hands dirty!  Let us know how it goes!

[Sasha Distan]

So I'm planning to make beef meatballs with tomato sauce for the weekend. Any tips how you make the meatballs? What do you mix the beef with?

 

We cook a lot of Turkish, so our meatballs have onions and mustard seeds and Kofte spices in (we get our mix from the lovely Amir of "the Spice Boys" in Kas. approx a mix with allspice, paprika, chilli, cumin and coriander, plus stuff i don't know. and egg obviously.

[Thorn Wilde]

So I'm planning to make beef meatballs with tomato sauce for the weekend. Any tips how you make the meatballs? What do you mix the beef with?

 

My meatballs contain onion, beets, capers, cream and salt and pepper, usually. But I also make mediterranean type ones with garlic, thyme or oregano, salt, pepper, feta cheese and olives.

[pmdacey]

Tonight it was BBQ chicken in the oven, we don't have a grill or anything because we live in the city.  I found a good gluten free BBQ sauce called Stubb's Honey and Pecan sauce.  My husband has Celiac and can't have have any gluten, so we have to read labels very carefully.  You would be surprised how many sauces (and even drinks) have gluten in them.  We also had some corn on the cob, but that wasn't really very good.  Topped it off with a salad of mixed greens with onion, grapes, and Cremini mushrooms topped off with balsamic vinegar and olive oil with some cracked pepper.  Not too fancy, but tasty.

[Sasha Distan]

Tonight it was BBQ chicken in the oven, we don't have a grill or anything because we live in the city.  I found a good gluten free BBQ sauce called Stubb's Honey and Pecan sauce.  My husband has Celiac and can't have have any gluten, so we have to read labels very carefully.  You would be surprised how many sauces (and even drinks) have gluten in them.  We also had some corn on the cob, but that wasn't really very good.  Topped it off with a salad of mixed greens with onion, grapes, and Cremini mushrooms topped off with balsamic vinegar and olive oil with some cracked pepper.  Not too fancy, but tasty.

 

quite apart from being gluten free, Stubbs honey and pecan is probably the best BBQ sauce around. you can't get it over here, which makes me very said in indeed,

sounds tasty *steals*

[Miles Long]

Aside from my mad baby food making prowess (who wants sweet potato, kale risotto with a pureed beet swirl? ) my crinkle cookies are like checking in with GA a slight addiction.  The crinkle, if made correctly, is the perfect balance of cake and cookie...adorned in a messy sugar making it an event to eat.  If fact I think I should pull out some butter to temper right now .

[Sasha Distan]

Aside from my mad baby food making prowess (who wants sweet potato, kale risotto with a pureed beet swirl? ) my crinkle cookies are like checking in with GA a slight addiction.  The crinkle, if made correctly, is the perfect balance of cake and cookie...adorned in a messy sugar making it an event to eat.  If fact I think I should pull out some butter to temper right now .

 

you are now duty bound to share this recipe. i have to bake for big family-in-law lunch tomorrow.... something new would be fun

[Former Member]

you are now duty bound to share this recipe. i have to bake for big family-in-law lunch tomorrow.... something new would be fun

 

seconded

[Miles Long]

Here is one of the two Crinkle recipes that I have good luck with:

 

Chocolate Crinkle

1 cup tempered/softened butter (salted or unsalted depending on preference)

1 cup unsweetened chocolate powder

2 cups white granulated sugar

3 eggs

2 generous tablespoons vanilla

3 cups all purpose flour

1 teaspoon of baking soda

1 teaspoon of baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt (1/4 if using salted butter or like a saltier flavor profile)

1 1/2 cups powdered sugar*

 

Whisk together flour, salt and baking powder and soda

 

In a separate bowl mix butter, chocolate powder and sugar until blend is a choco gritty mess (no sign of mixed ingredients)

Note: If you are a chocoholic it will be tempting to stop here and eat the chocolate concoction with a spoon.  Free will allows one to do this of course but then you will either waste the flour or have to start over  .

 

Add eggs in one at a time blending each egg completely before adding the other

Add vanilla and mix thoroughly

 

Slowly blend dry mix from first bowl into the chocolate mix and blend completely

 

Chill cookie dough for at least four hours.

 

When ready to cook preheat oven to 350 degrees (I used convection so adjust accordingly if your oven runs hotter or cooler)

Line cookies sheets with parchment (or silpat if that's your thang)

 

Place powdered sugar in yet a third and smaller bowl

 

Using small spoon or small scoop (between teaspoon and tablespoon) scoop balls of cookie and coat with sugar and place on cookie sheet.

 

Cook for 10-13 minutes (ovens, like people, all heat up differently)

 

When done pull out and let set for 1-2 minutes before moving to cooling rack to cool completely.

 

*I encourage the experimentation with decorative sugars; they are a bit less messy but add a nice crunchy texture.  If your wicked use black sugar and turn everyone's mouth black.

[Miles Long]

Here is the second recipe:

 

Citrus Crinkle

 

 

1 cup tempered/softened butter (salted or unsalted depending on preference)

2 cups white granulated sugar

2-4 tablespoons of citrus zest (I highly recommend Meyer lemon)

4-5 tablespoons of citrus juice

3 eggs

2 tablespoons vanilla

3 cups all purpose flour

1 teaspoon of baking soda

1 teaspoon of baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt (1/4 if using salted butter or like a saltier flavor profile)

1 1/2 cups powdered sugar*

 

Whisk together flour, salt and baking powder and soda

 

In a separate bowl cream butter and sugar until there is no sign of mixed ingredients

Blend zest and juice into butter mix

Add eggs in one at a time blending each egg completely before adding the other

Add vanilla and mix thoroughly

 

Slowly blend dry mix from first bowl into the chocolate mix and blend completely

 

Chill cookie dough for at least four hours.

 

When ready to cook preheat oven to 350 degrees (I used convection so adjust accordingly if your oven runs hotter or cooler)

Line cookies sheets with parchment (or silpat if preferred)

 

Place powdered sugar in a third and smaller bowl

 

Using small spoon or small scoop (between teaspoon and tablespoon) scoop balls of cookie and coat with sugar and place on cookie sheet.

 

Cook for 10-13 minutes (ovens, like people, all heat up differently)

 

When done pull out and let set for 1-2 minutes before moving to cooling rack to cool completely.

 

*Same note as for Chocolate Crinkles.

[Former Member]

Sounds delicious!

[scotty94]

Dear Sasha,

 

love the question I would cook the worlds biggest chocolate cake and eat it all on my own, and end up felling sick and bloated and ashamed that I didn't share it .

 

yours,

scotty94

[Former Member]

Dear Sasha,

 

love the question I would cook the worlds biggest chocolate cake and eat it all on my own, and end up felling sick and bloated and ashamed that I didn't share it .

 

yours,

scotty94

 

That reminds me of that one cake scene in Matilda.  XDD good times.

[Sasha Distan]

Dear Sasha,

 

love the question I would cook the worlds biggest chocolate cake and eat it all on my own, and end up felling sick and bloated and ashamed that I didn't share it .

 

yours,

scotty94

 

sounds like a good plan buddy.

[Thorn Wilde]

I was home alone and had to make dinner for just myself the other day and didn't feel like shopping, so I raided cupboards and freezer and fridge and ended up making the following:

 

Salmon kebab

 

1. Take one salmon fillet (like, the kind that's one portion), fry it in a pan on high heat, crushing it into smaller bits as it cooks, so it ends up a little crispy. If it's not marinated or something (mine was with garlic and herbs), add your favourite spices. 

 

2. Take one pitta bread, and heat it in the toaster or oven. Ae handy (I had grated carrot, sweetcorn and cucumber) and grated cheese in a bowl. Add some lemon juice and mayo and stir it all together. 

 

4. Shove it all inside the pitta bread, and enjoy. 

 

Alternately, if you have some kind of flat bread or tortillas you can do it like a shawarma roll or a burrito or something.

 

Took me all of fifteen minutes to make.

[Former Member]

Tomorrow (Tuesday) I will be cooking with my leftover zongzi from Dragon Boat festival.  We'll see how it goes.

[Kitt]

I have the worlds easiest fruit cobbler recipe.  Works from fresh fruit or you can use canned fruit. If you use prepared fruit the whole thing takes maybe 10 min to get into the oven! 

[Sasha Distan]

Today i made apple, cinnamon and sultana crumble for the year 7's and let my tutor group eat it. I also oversaw the cooking of 17 fairly good curries. ten were in fact very decent, two totally messed up and one burnt. the rest were just ok.

 

tonight, mini beef sliders with cheese and salad. strawberries in the garden for dinner.

[Sasha Distan]

no burgers tonight.

 

Rabbit. Killed, gutted, skinned cooked and eaten by me (Cris got to eat too), followed by Kitt's cobbler recipe with apricots and strawberries. nommy... we pan fried the rabbit, it was small

[Thorn Wilde]

Om nom, bunny!

 

We spent the evening making ice cream. Ginger and lime ice cream. It's currently in the freezer getting done. Before serving, we're rolling it in coconut flakes. It's gonna be dessert for the dinner party Magpie and I are throwing on Friday. Asian theme. Starter will be pork gyoza, soup will be Thai tom ka gai, main course will be Korean bulgogi with kimchi salad and rice. Out of all these things, the gyoza are the only part we've made before, so this will be interesting. We're going shopping tomorrow. Magpie's currently sat making a shopping list. He cooks recipes. I usually cook by gut feeling.

[Former Member]

Om nom, bunny!

 

We spent the evening making ice cream. Ginger and lime ice cream. It's currently in the freezer getting done. Before serving, we're rolling it in coconut flakes. It's gonna be dessert for the dinner party Magpie and I are throwing on Friday. Asian theme. Starter will be pork gyoza, soup will be Thai tom ka gai, main course will be Korean bulgogi with kimchi salad and rice. Out of all these things, the gyoza are the only part we've made before, so this will be interesting. We're going shopping tomorrow. Magpie's currently sat making a shopping list. He cooks recipes. I usually cook by gut feeling.

 

YOU CAN ACTUALLY MAKE GYOZA?  I bow down to you, sir.  The last time I tried making jiaozi (Chinese equivalent) it was a WRECK.  Even Chinese people hear don't just MAKE jiaozi.  Typically they buy them frozen lol.