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chardan

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Posts posted by chardan

    What Beers Did You Drink Today? Or Yesterday? (Part 2)

    in Beer

    Posted

    I'm happy that Oregon beer is being consumed as far away as Florida!

    If you like beer, it's a good time to be living in Oregon. I know crazy

    people here: they grow their own hops and malt their own grains. Yes, they're

    nuts. No, I'm not that crazy... but, I sure enjoy the result.

    In a world of ever-increasing machination, under permanent threat of bald

    blandness, where everything being "good enough for everyone" is the party

    line, I'm so thankful that crazy, irresponsible people are doing their own

    thing-- and showing others that not everything has to be the way it is.

    _Jesse Williamson ;-};

    The Perfect Burger

    in Cooking

    Posted

    Apparently (i.e. I haven't had chance to try this yet) a tablespoon of duck fat in the mix really helps keep the burgers moist. This sounds really nice for a barbeque.

    Hi, Julianne! I've tried it and it works really well on the grill! Or, at least, people oooh and ah. ;-P Have fun. :) (Note: Too much extra fat can make the burgers crumbly; you'll find the amount you like.)

    Michael Ruhlman's Ratio

    in Cookbooks & References

    Posted

    Late, and relevant or not, I must weigh in.

    "Ratio" contains the only explanation of baking that I've ever responded to.

    I've baked stuff, sure: usually in abject fear of what I was trying to make, /hoping/

    that it would work, crossing my fingers: I knew better, but didn't know how to get better.

    I am never going to be a perfect baker, but something that turns mysticism

    into understanding is always welcome by me.

    Micheal Ruhlman's book has done this for me. WOW! Thanks for waking me up.

    best toasted/grilled sandwiches

    in Cooking

    Posted

    I've been playing with grilled cheese sandwiches lately, and I got to thinking "Hey! Nobody said that grilled cheese sandwiches had to be vegetarian!". So, I've been using duck or goose fat instead of butter: Major win. Renders the bread just amazingly crispy on the outside, without getting greasy.

    I'm still playing with the cheese, but lately I've been fixated on raclette

    with a paper-thin layer of Dijon and a little salt and pepper.

    (Dang, now I'm hungry!!) :)

    _ Jesse Williamson ;-};

    Spirit makers in Oregon

    in Pacific Northwest & Alaska: Dining

    Posted · Edited by chardan (log)

    Ransom Spirits makes some very tasty grappa.

    Unfortunately, the OLCC (Oregon Liquor Control Commission) does not make it terribly easy to do all things liquor here, so although there are more and more coming, there aren't too many distilleries that I know of and you can't legally operate one in your home.

    _ Jesse Williamson ;-};

    Chicken fingers that don't suck

    in Cooking

    Posted

    I have been making turkey nuggets lately, since turkey breast often goes on sale. I slice into smallish pieces, pound them flat, and then pan-fry them. After that, when cool enough to handle (or, I suspect you could freeze them at that point): dip in egg, roll in panko seasoned with cayenne pepper, salt, and blcak pepper. Then fry in an inch of so of a mixture of peanut and toasted sesame oil cut with vegetable oil until pleasingly brown. Pretty happy with that so far. I think that the turkey, in addition to being cheaper than chicken breast, has more flavor.

    The five essential hot sauces

    in Ready to Eat

    Posted

    Great suggestions above! My own 5 (for the moment, anyhow!):

    * Tabasco (perhaps the perfect vinegar-and-pepper sauce?);

    * Marie Sharp's Firey Hot Sauce (my favorite hot sauce ever, period-- beyond addictive);

    * Dave's Insanity Sauce (heat);

    * Siracha (essential deliciousness);

    * Pickapeppa (no, not hot... but good);

    Honorable mention to Tabasco Chipotle, Susie's Hot Sauce, the garlic-and-chile past you get in big jars (can't remember the name right now-- but it's great stuff :>), and to non-bottled things like homemade Nuc Cham, habanero sauce, handmade curry, paprika and drippings, etc..

    _ Jesse Williamson ;-};

    Weiss vs. Wiess

    in Beer

    Posted

    In Munich, ordering "ein Weißbier, bitte" usually did the trick for me. I am not a beer expert and have little idea if this also resulted in me getting a totally different beverage (I don't /think/ so, but am not completely sure), but the results were delicious. :)

    -J.

    The Goat Topic: Tips & Techniques

    in Cooking

    Posted

    I love goat! I'm still trying different things to do with it, but curries seared "steaks", braised shank, ... it seems to be pretty versatile. The one thing I might mention is that the goat I've been getting (from Copeland Family Farms, "http://www.goatmeats.com") tends to be very lean so it can dry out if you aren't careful.

    One of the tastier goat explorations of the summer were just some grilled kebabs. I marinaded some goat for a few hours in a grilling sauce of pureed onions, pineapple and orange juice, habaneros, salt and pepper. Skewered with red onions, pineapple, and plantains. That was pretty good-- give goat a go!

    _Jesse Williamson ;-};

    Working your way through a cookbook?

    in Cooking

    Posted · Edited by chardan (log)

    How about "Jacques Pepin's Complete Techniques"? It's just fantastic! I'm learning a lot from it. (Including, in just a few months, at least three new and wonderful ways to cook eggs, and some awesome cabbage rolls. :>)

    I also submit the "Les Halles Cookbook", the "further reading" section of which pointed me to Pepin. I've made about 40 recipes from it so far, and I'm sure learning a lot (many more, and much learning to go).

    (I'm editing to say that for me it has been the Bourdain book that's done it, and worked for my situation.)

    _Jesse Williamson ;-};

    Campari Cocktails

    in Spirits & Cocktails

    Posted

    I stand corrected! And, appreciate learning that. I've seen what appeared to be "Chartreuse" that was very different than what I'd seen before (just green and yellow)

    and made an assumption. Thanks.

    _Jesse Williamson ;-};

    (As pennance, I'm going to have Campari and soda. :>)

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