The Cooking Thread

[Y0UNGBL00D]

4 sticks.

[Courtney]

Just wait til you see the butter for dinner.

[Courtney]

On an unrelated note, does anyone have suggestions for good things to do with slow cookers beyond the standard chili, pot roast, carnitas, beef stew, ragu, pulled pork type classics?

[mountmccabe]

Caramelized onions?

Cook black/red/white/whatever beans?

Cut-up sweet potatoes go nicely in a slow cooker. You can mash 'em or eat as is. I've also seen recipes that call for adding cubed apples.

This chickpea and lentil stew turned out fantastic.

[mountmccabe]

In slightly related news yesterday I made Vegetable Pumpkin Turkey Chili again (though this time I made it entirely on the stove because I increased the batch size too much to fit in the slow cooker) and it turned out delicious and there is so much of it. I love how well it freezes. I also doubled the pumpkin.

Today I am making something like Manx Broth, a variation of Beef and Barley Soup from the Isle of Man. Though that turns out a rather thin soup (the "broth" in the title is no joke) so I increased some of the vegetables and added a pound of cubed chuck. And it is now ready!

Update: It is very tasty! The cubed chuck was cooked perfectly and is fantastic; the meat from the shank is tougher and gristly and nothing special. It either needs to be cut into very small pieces, kept very selectively (or possibly not used at all, though it is supposed to be helping flavor the broth).

[Shaxspear]

On an unrelated note, does anyone have suggestions for good things to do with slow cookers beyond the standard chili, pot roast, carnitas, beef stew, ragu, pulled pork type classics?

Cassoulet

[insbordnat]

On an unrelated note, does anyone have suggestions for good things to do with slow cookers beyond the standard chili, pot roast, carnitas, beef stew, ragu, pulled pork type classics?

You could make things like moqueca, thai curry, meat/fruit/vegetable confit, filipino adobo, indian curries, indian vegetables (lentils come to mind), congee, chile colorado, etc. However all of these are not all dissimilar cooking methods from chilis, pot roasts, carnitas, etc. perhaps with the exception of time for some. I guess you could make cake too. Or lasagna. Maybe the question is why would you want to make anything in a slow cooker other than the items described above? Unless you don't have an available stove perhaps?

[canexplain]

I made a pot roast with potatoes and (canned grrrr ) carrots. It turned out pretty tasty, even better today ... No, the butter btw was just for color. My greens as it were cr****

[miscorrections]

Maybe the question is why would you want to make anything in a slow cooker other than the items described above? Unless you don't have an available stove perhaps?

The benefit of a slow cooker is you can prep the night before, throw it all in the cooker in the morning, and then at the end of the school/work day come home to a ready meal. I imagine this is why Ms. Courtney, busy bee that she is, is interested in broadening her slow cooker scope.

[TomAz]

On an unrelated note, does anyone have suggestions for good things to do with slow cookers beyond the standard chili, pot roast, carnitas, beef stew, ragu, pulled pork type classics?

http://www.foodandwine.com/articles/...cooker-recipes

[insbordnat]

The benefit of a slow cooker is you can prep the night before, throw it all in the cooker in the morning, and then at the end of the school/work day come home to a ready meal. I imagine this is why Ms. Courtney, busy bee that she is, is interested in broadening her slow cooker scope.

I get why people normally use slow cookers, she wanted to know uses beyond stews, pot roasts, meat sauce, chili, and so on, which is what people generally use slow cookers for (tough meats that can handle long cooking times, stew-like dishes, etc), hence my question. I'm curious as to whether she wants to do alternative cooking (baking or quicker cooking items) in the cooker, which is possible.

[Miroir Noir]

Not sure if this has been mentioned, but for those interested, some enterprising chap has posted a nice pdf copy of this on ?.

[jackstraw94086]

are you saying someone has posted one or are you asking whether someone has?

[Miroir Noir]

Someone has posted one there. The question mark unnecessarily confuses the meaning of what I was trying to say.

[bmack86]

I made the jambalaya I posed in here again, and it turned out much better than the first time I made it. Cooking is fun.

[Hannahrain]

Farmer's market season is nigh. Can I challenge anybody to another round of local-foods-only week?

Edit: I guess given how it went last time I should say: can I challenge anybody to an actual round.

[mountmccabe]

What are your rules? What are the consequences of failing? What are the glories we will bask in if we win?

Also it is not farmer's market season here yet. But I could be in when our CSA starts paying out veggies and fruits in June.

[canexplain]

National Potato Chip Day is March 14th

crunch .........

[bmack86]

I could be down to do a local-foods-only thing. I DO like locally raised beef.

[miscorrections]

I want to see some corn(ed beef) porn up in here this weekend.

[canexplain]

I want to see some corn(ed beef) porn up in here this weekend.

I bought three pretty good sized briskets. One for down south, one for the freezer, and one to cook. $1.79lb at King Soopers, $4.29lb Costco ......

[miscorrections]

I don't know what "down south" means but it sounds ominous.

[canexplain]

Naw another house of my gf......

[jackstraw94086]

Someone has posted one there. The question mark unnecessarily confuses the meaning of what I was trying to say.

I'd be interested in that. where is it?

[JustSteve]

what

[insbordnat]

I don't know what "down south" means but it sounds ominous.

I was thinking it was a brisket merkin.

Ron, at those prices, what did you get? Whole packer briskets? Point? Flat? That's a pretty good price. I usually get mine at restaurant depot.

[canexplain]

I was thinking it was a brisket merkin.

Ron, at those prices, what did you get? Whole packer briskets? Point? Flat? That's a pretty good price. I usually get mine at restaurant depot.

Point, so not as good as flat, but I can do with a little more fat at that price. Besides, they were in see thru bags so you got an idea of what you are buying. I cook it pretty good, slice it up, and freeze some for later.

[Hannahrain]

What are your rules? What are the consequences of failing? What are the glories we will bask in if we win?

Also it is not farmer's market season here yet. But I could be in when our CSA starts paying out veggies and fruits in June.

I'm willing to reschedule based on interested parties. The rules are: items leftover from before the challenge begins are fair game, as wasting food is not in the spirit of the challenge. You are on the honor system not to stock your fridge with your favorites before the week begins. Do your best to shop locally/regionally, but use your judgment when parameters are in doubt. I'd probably consider small Washington farmers/apiarists/whatever who show up at the local farmers' market fair game, for example, since they're involved in my community.

If you participate, you will get a pin of my own design declaring your participation. If you succeed, you will get a certificate declaring your success, your astonishing level of physical attractiveness, and your best overall quality (subject to my bias). If you fail, I will foot-draw a picture of everybody laughing at you which you will be obligated to display in your home for one month.

I could be down to do a local-foods-only thing. I DO like locally raised beef.

They say you are what you eat.

[mountmccabe]

OK, I will be in!

Our farmer's markets get food from upstate New York and nearby New Jersey. Our CSA food will be from the same.

This will be fun!


Also please feel free to try before June if you like; I will still make an effort; it will be good practice.

[Courtney]

If you fail, I will foot-draw a picture of everybody laughing at you which you will be obligated to display in your home for one month.

Well, then I'm definitely in. Unfortunately, if it's June, I'm out in terms of lunches because that will be during my internship, and going out to lunches is a pretty integral part of networking and thus my career success, and therefore not a negotiable. But I would be up for trying this sometime during my school year.