deltadoc

If it really is from a "cow", I'd throw it out! Maybe it's just midwest farmer colloquiallism, but cow was the beast that gave milk, bull was the one that made the cow give milk, and steer is where the steaks came from. doc

My wife gets a free big 22+ lb turkey from work every year. We immediately begin to defrost it and then I carefully debone the raw breasts. These I smash down into pie dough type rectangles. I make a mixture of portabellas and crimini mushrooms, rosemary, shallots, etc. and layer the flattened breasts. I roll them up and tie with string into roulades. The rest of the turkey gets roasted as usual, and the wife will probably eat one of the turkey legs, but she picks off all of the edible meat from the entire carcass. That is basically vacuum sealed in foodsaver bags, dated, and frozen. The remaining carcass and skin and throwaway "stuff" goes back in the oven with a mirepoix added slightly later, until all is nicely browned and carmelized. Then into the stock pot with a bouquet garni and I make brown turkey stock, which then gets canned by my wife, dated and into the cellar it goes till needed. Most efficient use of a big turkey we've found and the roulades when browned on all sides, then stock and cover is added, and into the oven it goes until almost done, and then remove the cover. The roulades are then removed and the pan drippings get made into a roux sauce by just adding bread flour and turkey stock from the year before. Seasoned and then ladled over the roulades which are sliced into rounds and served. Makes a great lunch at work....if I still have work after today, Black Thursday, Nov. 8, 2007! doc

Just breakdown and go to the store and get some horseradish! Other than that, get some Hoffman House Shrimp and Seafood Cocktail sauce. Its the best commercial brand I've ever had. Handy when you don't have time to make it from scratch. doc

I've got the American translation of Escoffier's Art of Cooking circa 1964. The recipes are all numbered. Can you tell me what number the recipe is? I've read through the whole book and don't remember seeing such a recipe. Closest was the low numbered recipes for brown stock, Espagnole sauce, and then the recipe for combining them into demi-glace. tx, doc

I make my own marinara sauce and can it. I used to make different sauces for pizza, spaghetti, lasagna, etc., but ended up finding my marinara sauce can be used for all the above. It is a cooked thick sauce made from fresh plum tomatoes that my wife cans, and tomato paste. I know there is a lot of controversy regarding paste, but it tastes just fine to me. I do as Lidia Bastianich does, and "fry" the paste before adding the puree my wife makes from fresh tomatoes. A lot of onion and garlic in the sauce, and fresh basil added near the end of the 2 1/2 hours of simmering I do. Anyway, the point not to miss is that the pizza wants to "evaporate" in the oven. I use plenty of sauce, cause I think pizza is still pasta and I like lots of thick sauce with my "pasta"! So the trick is, don't cover the entire surface of the sauce with mozzarella, because as the mozz melts it forms a "blanket" which doesn't allow the moisture in the sauce to evaporate. It gets trapped underneath the cheese. So I still use plenty of cheese, but I leave large "gaps" in the coverage so as to let the pizza "breathe" as it cooks. At 550 F, and using a 12 oz dough that creates a thin crust, my pizzas come out better than any I've eaten from pizzerias. I think I use about 8 oz of mozz, but a relatively thick layer of thick sauce. Any sausage or fennel seed or anise seeds or fresh basil leaves always go onto the sauce before the parmesan and then the mozz. doc

1. Definitely use a pizza stone at least 1/2" thick. Pre-heat it to 550 F for at least 45 - 60 minutes. It is a "holder of heat", whereas a pizza screen transmits the oven heat, and ovens use a thermostat to maintain temperature. That means there will be flucuations in the actual heat in the oven. Depending on the oven, and the size of the oven cavity, and the sensitivity of the oven's temperature sensing thermostat, the oven will drop in temperature before the thermastat sends a message to the oven element to "Come on". To avoid the flucuations, the pizza stone evens that out. 2. Use a pizza peel (wood is best) after creating your crust, dust the peel with some corn meal. Place the dough on the peel, and then make sure the dough moves freely on the peel by picking up the peel by its handle and gently shake it to see if the dough moves. BE CAREFUL. i've had the pizza dough fly off the edge of the peel! 3. Use a boar bristle paint brush (new one that has never seen paint!) to paint on some olive oil directly to your dough on the peel. This "waterproofs" the dough so that the sauce and cheese and other liquid leaching ingredients do not permeate into the top side of your dough crust. This will prevent the bottom of the crust being done and the inside/topside of the crust be mushy or soft or gooey. doc

I can remember about, maybe, 30 years ago, that L&P Worcestershire had right on the label, "Aged 2 years". I don't rightly recall when I stopped seeing that on the label, but I believe it was somewhere around the 1980's. doc

There was a long discussion on the fact that many people were suddenly noticing that the USA L&P Worcestershire was tasting sweeter than it used to and definitely not as good. I found out that Heinz bought them. I called, and they claimed that they hadn't owned L&P long enough to be accountable for a change in flavor. But I had 8 large bottles of it that I had bought 3-4 months earlier, and everyone of them didn't taste like the 'ol L&P that I've used for 50+ years now. I found a recipe on a different forum that I use now for Worcestershire. I'd print it here but it would be copyright infringement. doc

After 20+ years of trying to make the perfect burger meat combination, the closest I have come is: 1 lb Beef Tenderloin strap (sans silver skin) 1 lb Prime Chuck with lots of marbling and trimmed of gristle, connective tissue, etc. 1 lb Sirloin (desectioned to remove the gristle). The burgers come out smelling like great burgers while they're frying and the taste is close to the best I ate as a kid in the 1950's-1960's. And best of all there are no crunchy "bits" in the patty! doc

Tahini can come made with untoasted sesame seeds and is sometimes referred to as "Raw Tahini". I've had it from the local Natural Foods Market. But I prefer the Tahini made with slightly roasted sesame seeds, and I'm told that this is the more popular and more prevalent form of Tahini to be found in markets. When I've made it from sesame seeds, I found there was a tendency to brown the sesame seeds "too much" and the taste was way too strong after processing. Never ever, have I seen Tahini made with anything but sesame seeds, and especially not made with olive oil. On the other hand, just as "hummous" as found in the restaurant may be really "hummous bi tahini", someone once said that "hummous" is the Arabic word for garbanzo bean, so "hummous" sometimes refers to ground garbanzo beans without tahini and sometimes with. In that same manner, perhaps someone is referring to "tahini sauce" as "tahini" and "tahini sauce" would usually be a mixture of tahini, olive oil, lemon juice, S&P, garlic, and maybe a bit of water. doc

I'm not altogether sure that suggesting "grilling a steak" to an self-admitted inexperienced cook is especially a good idea. It took me quite a while before I felt competent to grill steaks. It wasn't as easy as it looks, unless your taste runs in the "well done to very well done" range. I think Chicken Kiev is a bit of a reach too for an inexperienced cook. While this is simply my opinion, I'm thinking, take the chicken breast and lay it between two sheets of waxed paper or put them one-by-one in a ziploc Freezer bag (a sturdy bag) and pound them to about 1/4" thick. Then salt and pepper them, mix 1 C of flour with 1 TBSP salt and 1 tsp black pepper, dredge the chicken breasts in that, shake off the excess. IN a separate bowl, whisk a couple egg yolks with a tsp or two of water, and dip the floured breasts in that. Then dredge them in some store bought Italian bread crumbs. Fry them in olive oil at moderate heat until they're golden brown. This way you'll be sure the chicken is cooked through. Take out the golden breasts and put them on a plate covered with aluminum foil and stick them in a 200 F oven. In the meantime, chop some shallots or red onion finely diced, add a bit of butter to your pan that you cooked the breasts in, and when the onions/shallots are just starting to turn clear, add some TBSP's of flour whilst stirring like crazy. You should end up with a thick floury paste (what you're aiming for is an equal mixture of oil (original olive oil + butter) and flour. Have handy some stock or very warm milk and slowly add that in whilst stirring madly again, until you get a sauce that surprisingly will loosen up that doughy mixture (roux) and turn into a nice sauce. S&P and maybe add a bit of freshly grated nutmeg and maybe some parmesan cheese. This will go good with the breasts that are still in the oven staying warm. As a side dish, any type of rice or mashed potatoes will go nicely with the sauce. Any kind of steamed fresh vegetable will also be a colorful and tasty accompaniment, and all you have to do is make sure the veggies don't get too mushy while you're steaming them. A fork pushed through them should show them tender, with little resistance. If the veggie "mashes" easily, they're overcooked! All of the above would seem to me to be within the range of an inexperienced cook, yet the finale will be quite edible and enjoyable to you and your brother. He won't eat that good in the Army! Just my thoughts. doc

I wouldn't be without my Zojirushi bread machine. Makes pizza dough, which then knead a bit more on the countertop before putting it on the cornmeal dusted peel. However, every once in a while, I am in the mood for really heavy whole wheat or 5-grain bread like my grandmother used to make. Then I use my 1964 Vita-mix where I can take whole wheat berries, grind them in it. It grinds so fast that it generates enough heat that you can add the water, yeast, maybe TBSP of olive oil and TBSP of honey and knead it right in the Vita-Mix. Then just dump it all out into a greased bread pan, and let it rise. (The griddle on my Thermador gas cooktop at the lowest setting is perfect for dough rising). THen plop the pan in the oven and Grandma's bread! doc

Hot bacon dressing made with red wine vinegar. Wilts the spinach and never has a problem mixing with the leaves! doc

If you're retired, I'm thinking you might not be wanting to eat a bunch of butter, cream, etc. Middle Eastern dishes come to mind as they can be prepared for two. My wife and I do it all the time. Buy a lb. of #2 bulgar for your pantry. It isn't really that hard to find anymore. Soak a little in salted water over night, rinse and drain. Add some finely chopped fresh Italian parsley, deseed and dice a fresh tomato. Add some purple diced onion or scallion (green onions), add some fresh lemon juice and some olive oil, and some S&P. Now you got a delicious healthy Middle Eastern salad known as Tabouli. Buy a couple cans of garbanzo beans, and buy a stack of whole wheat pita breads. You can keep the pitas in the freezer and split one between you as you need it. Pour out half the juice in one can of garbanzos, put two peeled cloves of garlic in your food processor and process them. Add the remaining can of garbanzos and juice left in the can. Buy a jar of Tahini. You're likely to find it anywhere Pita and/or bulgar is sold. Put in about 1/4 C of the tahini, a little bit of olive oil, juice of one lemon, and process it. Add some water if it is too thick. Taste it and add some S&P to taste. You can dip the pita bread into the Hummous bi Tahini that you just made, and it is very healthy and tasty. It stores well in the refrigerator if you happen not to eat it all up! You could take some lean ground meat (lamb, hamburger) mix in some freshly crushed garlic and chopped parsley, some chopped onion and S&P. Roll into little patties, and fry or grill them up. You've just made some nice Kofta Kabobs to eat. You could even add some of that drained soaked bulgar to the kofta and make a little pie out of it. In the center you can put some of the meat mixture, and bake it. It's delicious. You can make some Tahini sauce to splash over some of the kabobs by mixing Tahini, lemon juice, water, S&P and some olive oil, and crushed garlic. Very tasty. You can even take a pita and open the pocket, add some of the Tabouli, some of the hummous, and some of the kabobs and some Tahini sauce and have yourself a nice delicious pita sandwich. Hope this helps! doc

Steam about a 1lb of fresh green beans. Shock them in ice water and dry them off for later. Chop up some portabella (or other mushrooms) and saute in butter with some finely diced shallots. Don't turnover the mushrooms until they've had a chance to brown on one side. Add zest and juice of one lemon. Stir back in green beans and heat through. S&P to taste. A touch of freshly grated nutmeg sets this off really nice. doc

Just "Google" "encyclopizza" without the quotation marks. I think he has about 8 sauce recipes, and about anything else you'd ever want to know about everythng pizza. I particularly like his "sweet and saucy" pizza sauce with fennel in it. A homemade pizza without a good solid heat capacity pizza stone and a 550 F oven isn't worth the effort. doc

Hold it vertically with one of those little corn-on-the-cob pointed cob holders, slice the corn off onto the plate, S&P and add butter. Lots less messy than trying to break my front crowns off eating straight off the cob. doc

It all basically boils down to how long since they ate and how long since they "went". The "vein" is really the shrimps intestines and colon (if they have a colon!) doc

Begin with Joy of Cooking (get an edition from no later than 1964). It explains a lot of stuff. The older the edition, the more classic the recipes. Then try Professional Chef and/or Professional Cooking. See if they build upon your educational pursuits. Try the internet. Millions of recipes, start by googling "gourmet recipes" or "gourmet techniques". Just a few suggestions. With practice you'll be able to make anything. My problem is that I'm a fussy eater. I tend to try something in a fine restaurant first, or better yet, get my dining companion(s) to order something I've never had, and then beg a bite of it. When I find something I really like, I go about researching it, and maybe spread a half dozen or more versions of the recipe in front of me, and then mentally taste each ingredient from each recipe, and from that I formulate what I'll use and how I'll make it. doc

How gratifying to see this post. I make vinagrette all the time, right in the bowl. 2 TBSP EVOO, 2 TBSP aged Balsamic (or 1/2 & 1/2 Balsamic and Red Wine vinegar), heaping TBSP dijon (sometimes German coarse ground mustard for a change), sometimes chopped shallots, heaping TBSP brown sugar, pinch of salt, lots of freshly ground black pepper. If I have it, sometimes I'll chop some fresh basil, but not too much. In goes the romaine, toss and toss, and then sometimes I add parmesan grated over the top. Every once in a great while, I will cube some fresh mozz instead of the parmesan or sometimes combine both. We haven't grown tired of it yet, and it does coat the leaves really well, leaving a tasty aftertaste in the mouth! doc

← I agree, I can't stand Strawberry-rhubarb pie either. My mother's mother's mother handed down a recipe for rhubarb pie which is the only one I'll eat. The secret is to use lemon juice and some lemon zest along with the rhubarb. While it sounds highly acidic, the lemon juice/zest combines with the rhubarb to make an incredibly delicious combination. I made this pie for Jean-Claude Tindillier who is considered, arguably, a world-class Classical French chef. First, his wife told me that rhubarb pie was his favorite, and secondly, Jean-Claude had never encountered combining lemon with rhubarb. He loved the pie so much, that he went into his private orchard and picked some fresh pears and made me a huge Pear Charlotte Rousse as a gift in return. He retired to France and I still miss his outstanding cuisine. doc

From Zoroastrianism, the religion of ancient Persia: Across the river lived the first man, Gayomard, bright as the sun. Angra Mainyu also killed him. Ouch! The sun purified his seed for forty years, which then sprouted a rhubarb plant. This plant grew into Mashya and Mashyanag, the first mortals. doc

1. Traditional "Happy Hollow Tavern" hamburger: Coarse ground German style mustard, slice of Bermuda Onion on bottom of bun, Sweet pickle relish, dill pickle slices, ketchup on top. 2. Dijon mustard with green peppercorns and shallots mixed in. 3. A-1 Peppercorn Sauce: 10 oz Meyer's Peppercorn Sauce concentrate (available on Amazon) 5 oz Mayonnaise 5 oz Heinz 57 2 oz A-1 Steak Sauce (optional: thin sliced fried onions piled high along with the Peppercorn Sauce, a slice of bacon or two) 4. Just plain ol A-1 Steak Sauce on the burger and bun, nothing else doc

Here's an interesting twist on this thread. What if you actually did cook for someone who was a really famous chef? What if you actually made something that they specialize in, and their own wife liked your version better? Happened to me when I made a dish for a famous chef about 20 years ago. And Fat Guy, you hack around on the piano, huh? Don't sell yourself short. I was playing guitar for a very very famous guitar musician about 10 years ago. I'd only been playing for about a year. I wasn't trying to impress him, but was excited to have the chance to play in front of someone professional and recognized as such. When I got done playing for him, he said "Well, sxxx Man, I've been playing blues for 55 years and I can't even play like that!" and he walked off and wouldn't speak to me for the rest of the 3 day festival. So, a chef may be experienced, but that doesn't automatically make him "good". There's carpenters out there been carpentrying for 30 years, and they can't build anything decent. Check the BBB. That's one reason I kind of bristle at the "aplomb" that someone calls themselves "chef" like it automatically means they're great. Like any profession in the world, there's the good, bad and the ugly. doc