Foodie Thread

[C_Mucius_Scaevola]

NO BAKING!!! Baked Mac and Cheese is ridiculously stupid!

That depends. Do you just want plain old macaroni cheese, or do you want a magnificent cheese crust on top to add some texture to the (no doubt already delicious, but still ...) flavour?

 

[Jimmy Higgins]

NO BAKING!!! Baked Mac and Cheese is ridiculously stupid!

That depends. Do you just want plain old macaroni cheese, or do you want a magnificent cheese crust on top to add some texture to the (no doubt already delicious, but still ...) flavour?

Crust and mac and cheese are not compatible. Cheese should never be crusted! Who likes to overbake pizzas so that all the cheese is brown and flavorless?

It defeats the whole point of having the cheese involved. Without moisture, the cheese lacks the flavor and gooeyness that makes it so cheesy. The only reason to have the stuff in the over, is when it is set to low to keep the food warm.

To avoid making "plain old" mac and cheese, you need to find a nice mix of cheeses, which I think I've done with the gouda, havarti, and parmesan.

 

[C_Mucius_Scaevola]

Chacun son gout.

I like a good crust on my macaroni. Not, as you say, "without moisture" and lacking flavour and gooeyness. Just baked enough to give a thin crust on top, while retaining moisture and flavour. Grilling works, too.

 

[IanSYK]

Using up black pudding and eggs. With a bit of artistry.

 

[Potoooooooo]

Beautiful Gelatin Desserts

 

[Potoooooooo]

 

[IanSYK]

Monday dinner.

Broccoli Stalk Soup.



Meatballs.

 

[IanSYK]

Sunday Lunch

Artichoke, Tomato & Broccoli Salad with Chorizo.



Meatballs & Mushy Peas



Malteser Supreme

 

[IanSYK]

Pasta two ways.

Deconstructed.



Constructed.

 

[IanSYK]

Hummus & Artichoke.

 

[Jimmy Higgins]

Daughter's b-day again. Made Mac and Cheese 3.0 and Mock Chicken Salad.

Mac and Cheese 3.0

The sauce is 1/4 cup flour, 3 tbsp butter melted together in a saucepan. Then add 2 cups of milk, whisking thoroughly to combine. Heat the milk mixture slowly. Once warm enough to melt cheese, add about 1/2 pound gouda cheese (shredded), 1/3 pound of havarti cheese (shredded), and 1/2 cup shredded parmesan. I think the weights are about right. Season with black pepper. Pour over pasta once you finish cooking the pasta. NO BAKING!!! Baked Mac and Cheese is ridiculously stupid! You wouldn't boil ice cream, would you?!

This combines all the right cheeses for a perfect mac and cheese that adults and children can enjoy.

That was 0.4 lbs of both gouda and havarti.

I'm really thinking gouda makes a perfect cheese for pasta. Made ravioli last night. Used half a container of ricotta cheese, quarter pound of finely chopped gouda, and probably 3/4 cup of shredded mozzarella. Gouda seems to have the mixture of tanginess and creaminess to add the right flavor.

 

[gmbteach]

Chorizo Pasta for dinner tonight. 2 chorizo sausages, 2 small carrots, a few mushrooms and olives, with a tin of tomatoes makes enough for 4 serves.

 

[IanSYK]

Birthday Meal

Mackerel Pate with Red Onion & Tomato Salad



Broccoli Mushroom & Stilton Soup



Chicken stuffed with Stilton Tomato and Garlic Pork Pate & Wrapped in Ham in Red Wine



Mango Trifle.

 

[IanSYK]

Sprout Stalk Soup.

Thick.



Thin.

 

[Potoooooooo]

 

[gmbteach]

French Toast Bake for Christmas Day breakfast!

 

[Potoooooooo]

Martha Washington's Great Cake:Our first persident's favorite treat

 

[Jimmy Higgins]

Xmas Brunch is the new tradition. Did it last year, but it was relatively simple, except for the great cinnamon rolls my wife makes. I took it up a notch today and made pretty much a Four Star Brunch. This included an Egg Frittata, no pic... forgot to take a pic. It included browning a roll of sausage Gimme Lean in about 2 tbsp of butter. Once browned enough, added chopped up green pepper and cooked on medium for about 10 minutes, most of that to kill time. Then added 8 eggs which had probably 1/5 cup of coffee creamer added to it. Cooked this three minutes, then added small tomato slices to the top, and put into the oven for 15 minutes at 375.

The surprise for this meal was an additional item:

Homemade croissants, which were completely from scratch including the butter that was whipped from heavy cream. This included a ton of anxiety as I haven't tackled croissants before, but it went perfectly. Pretty much make dough, make thin slab of butter. Wrap dough in butter. Fold -> roll -> chill. Repeat three times then fold roll twice, then chill. Cut and roll the dough into croissants, then let rise. The directions I was using didn't have much in the way of pictures and I ended up making two different size rolls. They came out the same, both in cooked consistency and baking time. Recommend looking for Julia Child's The French Chef episode on croissants. You get an honest feel for how to make them on a live broadcast program.

Also made belgian waffles, which we really good, but we're a sideshow to the Brunch. Added some home whipped butter, blueberry sauce, a fruit salad (made by others), and I'm left exhausted from two days of intense work. But it was perfect... and then the cinnamon rolls came out. I don't think anyone on the planet had a better Xmas breakfast, that didn't have to pay a lot for it. Absolutely stoked about the results.

 

[Jimmy Higgins]

Took it "easy" today. Homemade spring rolls (with homemade wonton wrappers as no place had them this week!), mozzarella sticks, tortilla chips (why didn't anyone tell me it was easy to make those darn things?!).

I'm not cooking for a month now! Though looking forward to repurposing a couple croissants to make baked veggie turkey (St. Yves) sandwiches tomorrow!

 

[Potoooooooo]

Red Eye Gravy

Strikes me as a dish Sauron might enjoy