[Unusual & mysterious kitchen gadgets]

5 hours ago, Thanks for the Crepes said:

I can't even guess what the device would be useful for otherwise, but I could see it holding a ladle or spoon with a heavy bowl put into place on the top "rack" ring above the "foot". Okay, you know what, it still seems really tippy on that narrow foot. I don't think it's a spoon holder, or else I can really see why she gave it away. 

 You and quiet 1 are both exactly right. But, unlike hers, neither mine nor this one have the little bowl on the bottom. I had to set it on a saucer which did make it unstable. Either that or put up with the mess. If you notice, it slopes slightly forward and that along with the fact that the ladles that they sell for Chinese restaurants are very heavy bottomed really does make them quite stable, just a mess to use.

[Unusual & mysterious kitchen gadgets]

17 minutes ago, Smithy said:

Paper towel holder? 

No, sorry, not even close. I thought that this would be an easy one.

[Instant Pot. Multi-function cooker (Part 5)]

4 minutes ago, weedy said:

I'm still not clear how that's substantially different form another cheesecake recipe; or why any recipe that "fits" won't work.

There really isn't any reason that any cheesecake recipe wouldn't work. I would just be sure to add the flour. And to be sure that whatever recipe you are using isn't too wet. The two references that I give, will give you all the information you need to get started. I do cook my cheesecakes a little longer than they do. Just start out at the minimum time, and if it seems too jiggly in the middle, cook it 5 minutes longer. You aren't going to ruin it. Hope this helps.

[Unusual & mysterious kitchen gadgets]

24 minutes ago, dcarch said:

Toilet paper holder!

Not in my kitchen. Sorry, no.

[Instant Pot. Multi-function cooker (Part 5)]

On 9/27/2017 at 7:17 PM, weedy said:

can I use ANY cheesecake recipe?

 Not really. Because of the size of the pan that you will be using, you are limited to the amount the ingredients that you can use. I have found a good ratio is, 16 oz of cream cheese, 1/2 cup of sugar, two eggs, and not more than 1/4 cup of another liquid ingredient (example: cream cheese, ricotta cheese, pumpkin).

Also, because the cake does not bake as firmly as it would end in the oven, I always add two tablespoons of flour.

 This is the recipe that I use:

 

Instant Pot New York Cheesecake

Crust
3/4 cup any type of shortbread cookie (crushed)
2 teaspoons sugar
1/4 cup butter melted
Filling
16 oz cream cheese, room temperature
1/2 cup sugar
2 tablespoons flour
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 tablespoon lemon peel grated
2 eggs, room temperature
1/4 cup sour cream, room temperature
1 pinch salt
Sour Cream Layer
1/2 cup sour cream
2 teaspoons sugar

Crust
Add cookies and sugar to the bowl of food processor and pulse a couple of times, until small crumbs form. Melt butter in microwave and add to cookie mixture. Pulse until just combined.
Pour cookie mixture into bottom of greased 8-inch cheesecake pan and press the mixture firmly into the bottom of the pan and no more than one inch up along the sides.
Place pan with crust into freezer for 20 minutes while you mix up the filling.
Filling
Blend together cream cheese, sugar, flour, grated peels, salt and vanilla extract until smooth.
Add eggs, one at a time, lightly mixing until just combined. Do not over mix the eggs.

Gently stir in the sour cream.
Pour filling into the pan, on top of the crust.
Add 1 1/2 cups of water to the bottom of your pressur cooker and place a trivet inside the pot.
Cover the cheesecake first with a paper towel and then with a piece of aluminum foil and loosely secure the foil.
Place cheesecake into pressure cooker.
Lock on lid and close Pressure Valve.  Cook at High Pressure for 35 minutes. Allow a 20 minute natural release.
After all pressure has been released, open pressure cooker and leave the cake the cooker. Remove the foil and paper towel. Tilt the cheesecake pan and dab off any liquid that may have accumulated.
Sour Cream Layer
Whisk together the sour cream and sugar and then spread on the hot cheesecake.  Let cool inside the pressure cooker for at least one hour.
Tightly cover and place in refrigerator overnight.  Cheesecake can be removed from pan after an hour in the refrigerator.

Note: the gentler that you treat the ingredients, the denser the cake will be. If you want a creamier cheesecake whip the cream cheese sugar and sour cream together, but never whip in the eggs. This will cause air bubbles in the cake that you do not want!

As I said, I took the procedure and most of the recipe from this website: https://thisoldgal.com/pressure-cooker-new-york-cheesecake/  and it is well worth reading her instructions and tips at this site: https://thisoldgal.com/perfect-pressure-cooker-cheesecake-tips/

 I have made this quite a few times now and it has never failed. And yes, it is much better in the IP than in the oven. It never cracks, and it never falls, and I don't have to babysit it in the IP. I just set it and forget it until it's done

[Unusual & mysterious kitchen gadgets]

This one will probably be an easy one for some of you. I took a picture of this one in the store because I had one and found it to be completely useless. I gave it to the same friend that got the waffle iron.

[Unusual & mysterious kitchen gadgets]

59 minutes ago, liuzhou said:

A menu card holder?

Yes, exactly right! Although, why it was in with the knives, I have no idea

[Dinner 2017 (Part 6)]

51 minutes ago, Captain said:

Ignore the spring..

It all looks delicious... except for the spring!

[Unusual & mysterious kitchen gadgets]

58 minutes ago, liuzhou said:

Who is going to manufacture and sell a grape knife targeted at a place with next to no grapes?

The Costa Ricans would do it. A while back, I came across a sale bin here that had ice scrapers for your windshield and furnace grates. There's not one furnace in the whole country.

[Unusual & mysterious kitchen gadgets]

4 hours ago, liuzhou said:

I'll be interested too hear what he says, but I've been in hundreds of kitchen supply shops here in China and never seen anything like it.

Well I hope this helps. When I showed him the picture he took me straight to this knife.

It's not as curved as yours but it is similar. He said his mother in China had one with a metal handle just like yours and it is a fruit knife. She uses it both to cut up fruit and harvest fruit out of the garden. the young man that works in the shop with him said that his family had a farm that grew something that he could only describe as mustard, and that the children were given the knives with wooden handles to harvest the plants. I have no idea what part of China they are from. Stupid me, I didn't ask.

Now I have one for you. This little Gizmo was right in the middle of the knives. I had to ask, but can you tell me what it is? It would be considered restaurant equipment.

And they had my tea. all I had to do was show them the translation you sent me and they got it for me. I'm anxious to try it. Thank you so much.

 

[Unusual & mysterious kitchen gadgets]

4 minutes ago, liuzhou said:

t's a kitchen knife!

Okay, you've got my curiosity up, too. I was going to wait until later in the week to go to my Chinese store downtown and get my tea but I'm going to download this picture and go right now and ask my Chinese restaurant supply man if he knows.

[Unusual & mysterious kitchen gadgets]

1 hour ago, liuzhou said:

Suggestions as to what it might have been designed for would be very welcome, thanks.

It looks to me like something that you would use to harvest herbs in the garden. It also looks like it would be good to use to butterfly steaks or to prepare pockets in pork chops for stuffing, neither of which the Chinese would be apt to do.

[Instant Pot. Multi-function cooker (Part 5)]

7 hours ago, Thanks for the Crepes said:

Worrywart that I am, although it never happened to me personally, I haven't owned a PC of any kind since until this IP. I feel like I have catapulted reluctantly into the 21st century! 

 

Does anyone remember the manual Presto aluminum pressure cookers I described above?

My mother had a manual Presto aluminum pressure cooker that blew up with her twice. I can still see the noodles hanging from the ceiling. I was scared to death of pressure cookers until I got an Oster pressure cooker. I didn't really use it all that much, just for beans and broth and soup, and it blew up for me. I was lucky, I was well away from it when it blew but my kitchen didn't fare so well. I was cooking pork soup and I had broth and pork splattered on everything within 12 feet of the cooker. Thinking back, I don't think the lid engaged quite right but I used it anyway. Just a word of warning, if it doesn't feel right don't use it. That extra minute of precaution can save a lot of cleanup and possible injury.

The people that use the stove top pressure cookers love them and have total confidence in them. I admire them for that because, to use them safely requires an expertise and a level of concentration that I don't have. I love that I can set mine and walk away and do something else until it's time to take out the finished product.

On another note, I had an electric pressure cooker in the 70s. It was from Sears and it was made just like the Presto deep fryers with four legs and an electric element in the bottom. It was green enamel. I used it with complete confidence until the rubber parts wore out and I couldn't get replacements. I then used it as just an electric cook pot until it died. Does anyone remember these?

[Instant Pot. Multi-function cooker (Part 5)]

11 hours ago, weedy said:

 

I'm not arguing about whether those circumstances might decide a cooking method.

But that's entirely different from 'things it does BETTER'.

 

I do 72hr short ribs because it filed a result that is otherwise unattainable. That doesn't mean I can do that every day (nor would I want to), but it is clearly the 'best' or really only, way to get that result.

OTOH, I can bake potatoes (if you really think boiling them 'loses flavor') or microwave them when making mash... and end up with a near identical result.

And actually within a similar time frame in the  oven and in much less time in the micro.

 

I like the thing for pressure stocks, and as a rice (or polenta) cooker.

I'm not sure that makes me a convert.

 

 

I think what this boils down to is the fact that all of us cook differently and have different levels of expertise. Your method of cooking sous-vide yields results that make my mouth water, but I don't have the expertise or the patience to use that method. I'm too much geared to instant gratification. That chicken that I poached would have been delicious baked in the oven but I didn't have the time that day to babysit it for 2 hours and the leftover meat wouldn't have been as moist and good to use in the meals I wanted to make the rest of the week. And my kitchen would have become an oven (it's hot down here). Everything I did could have been done equally well by conventional methods but I would have used more electricity, taken more time, and I would have been terribly uncomfortable doing it because of the heat. For me, anything that accomplishes those goals and puts good food on the table is a better way.

I hate to tell you this, just the fact that you own one and you are interested in our opinion and methods makes you a convert of sorts. Maybe little by little you will find more things that you like to do with it or you may get tired of it and it will go the way of my waffle iron. The thing that I like best about it is that it's not a one-trick pony. I can do so many things with it that it has definitely earned it's space in my kitchen.

[Instant Pot. Multi-function cooker (Part 5)]

1 hour ago, rotuts said:

I'd really like to hear more

 

perhaps some Rx's

 

on those 

 

Egg Pucks in the iP

 

thanks !

 

also

 

@Tropicalsenior

 

a bit more on that Mexican Bread pudding

 

many thanks again

 

It couldn't be easier. Here's a picture of the equipment that I used. The ramekins are 8 oz. They are 3 1/4 inches inside diameter.

You're right when you called them egg pucks, at least the first batch. I cooked them 6 minutes and that was too much. They were tasty but a little bit chewy. Haven't tried it but they might even bounce. The second batch I cooked five minutes and they were perfect. For three ramekins, I used three eggs, about two tablespoons of milk and salt and pepper. I sprayed the ramekins and covered the bottom with shredded cheddar cheese. I did beat the eggs until they were really smooth.

For the Mexican Bread pudding, I used a 6 inch glass dish, three inches deep. I used, probably:

1 1/2 cups of leftover chocolate cake, cubed. It filled about half the dish.

1 1/2 cups whole milk

2 eggs

2 Tb. Sugar

1tsp. Cinnamon

1/2 tsp. Almond flavor

1 tsp. Vanilla

Beat the eggs, milk, sugar and flavorings together well. Pour over the cake and let it sit for about 10 minutes to let it soak up the milk. Put it on a rack in the IP and pour in one and a half to two cups of water, just so it comes up but not over the rack. I covered it with the lid in the picture and I cooked it on high for 20 minutes. I left it on natural release for 10 minutes, quick released it and took it out of the pot.

I make this with banana bread, any leftover quick bread, cinnamon bread, leftover cake and just vary seasonings or add some fruit.

if you feel so inclined, this chocolate pudding is also good with about a quarter cup of rum substituted for part of the milk.

[Instant Pot. Multi-function cooker (Part 5)]

3 hours ago, weedy said:

Okay, 

so then what are those " things it does well", that you'd consider it does better than those other methods?

 

Here is what I found that the IP does better. Saturday I bought three beautiful big beets at the Farmers Market. I halved them and cooked them in the IP for 20 minutes. They cooked to perfection and I could peel them with a spoon. No mess!

I then steamed six eggs to make pickled eggs with the beet juice. Again, perfection. No cracked eggs and they peeled beautifully. I steamed diced carrots and potatoes together for three minutes to use to make an Olivier salad. I've always had to cook them separately before.

I poached a whole chicken to have the meat for things I want to make this week, deboned it and put the bones and the broth back in the IP to make chicken bone broth. I cooked some fresh red beans that I got at the farmer's market for dinner. Six minutes in the IP and they were perfect. I then made ham broth with some leftover Sorento ham  and a smoked ham chop with mushrooms from the market and the beet tops, combined it with the beans for soup. No photo. It wasn't all that pretty but it sure was good.

Sunday I made a Mexican bread pudding with some leftover chocolate cake. Also, not so pretty, but really good.

Today was maybe the best yet. I used the idea of kayb to make some eggs for Egg McMuffins. I've always made them in the microwave and they've always exploded. And I had to make them one by one. Then clean the microwave. I used ramekins so I had to make two batches, but even then, I think it took less time and the cleanup was practically nothing. And they are so much better! the ones in the top of the photo I cooked 6 minutes. Too much, so I cook the next batch 5 minutes and they were perfect. Thank you kayb.

Not only did I save energy by not using my stove, microwave or convection oven, but my IP didn't heat up my kitchen. It's hot down here so for me, that's a big consideration. I'm able to use the IP for so many more things than I did my regular pressure cooker. Since I've had it, I've given away my rice cooker, a small electric cook pot, my electric roaster and my waffle iron. No, my IP doesn't make waffles. I just always hated that thing.

[Dinner 2017 (Part 6)]

3 hours ago, lindag said:

Otherwise it's expensive dog food.

Oh, don't do that, unless you really love your dog. Chop it up in the food processor and make some good roast beef hash. Or you could chop it and make a really good bolognese sauce. How about tacos, burritos or enchiladas.

[Instant Pot. Multi-function cooker (Part 5)]

3 minutes ago, Beebs said:

Mmmmm... beef fat!

It would give a new twist to refried beans instead of using bacon fat.

[Instant Pot. Multi-function cooker (Part 5)]

13 minutes ago, Beebs said:

waste not, want not!

Here's another use for that beef fat. Make roux by cooking it off with an equal amount of flour. Cook it until it is a light amber color, then freeze it in small ice cube trays or in a roll that you can shave the roux off to have instant roux for thickening soups or stews.

[Instant Pot. Multi-function cooker (Part 5)]

2 hours ago, rotuts said:

any thoughts ?

I measured my regular cupcake pan and it looks to me like this would be about nine and a half inches wide. My pot is just barely nine inches. I'm looking here for the individual silicone cupcake molds. Those you could put closer together in the pot and there would still be room for the steam to rise around them. kayb, did you cover them with foil when you used them?

[Dinner 2017 (Part 6)]

8 minutes ago, mgaretz said:

Lagunitas IPA

 I had to go to the internet and look up Lagunitas. Was it by chance this one?

[Dinner 2017 (Part 6)]

8 minutes ago, Anna N said:

Having never had much success with this dish in the past

Looks like success and then some. Those potatoes are beautiful.

[Dinner 2017 (Part 6)]

18 minutes ago, Okanagancook said:

Looks messy to eat but then most burgers are.

I would volunteer to have this burger dripping down my chin. It looks wonderful.

[Instant Pot. Multi-function cooker (Part 5)]

1 hour ago, Anna N said:

You might even be able to find a garam masala already mixed.  

Here is the recipe for garam masala that I have used.

[Dinner 2017 (Part 6)]

1 hour ago, dcarch said:

How do they do that?!

Why do they do that?