Cooking and food thread

[Elanor]

I have a few interesting recipes to contribute. These are things i invented for the purpose of eating (somewhat) healthily at college.

The Microwave Gourmet Omelet
Put some eggs in a glass bowl. Add any of the following:
Shredded cheese, chopped veggies, salt, salsa, ketchup, barbeque sauce, italian seasoning, torn-up bread, or pretty much anything you can find.
Microwave for one to five minutes, or until eggs are cooked.
Experiment until individual taste is met.
Great for a snack or quick meal

The Lasagne Burrito
This is a well-kept secret invention of mine. You're lucky I can't kill you.
Get a tortilla, and load it up with any or all of the following:
Spaghetti sauce
Ricotta or cottage cheese
Cheddar, mozarella, or your favorite cheese
veggies
Microwave for 30 seconds. It might get gooey, depending on how runny the cottage cheese is. Experiment until satisfactory...

[Lotesse]

Originally Posted by -elfearz-

I put sour cream in as well as milk - always makes it really creamy . And I definitely add butter, salt and pepper. Always
I've used parsely, and parmesan, and can vouch for both suggestions!
Mmmm...I think I'm addicted to potatoes

Elfearz nailed it on the head, here; it's all about the sour cream. Whip in the sour cream with butter, salt & pepper and oh - my - god, it's culinary drugs. SO yummy. Another excellent idea is to whip in, instead of sour cream, Cream Cheese. The whipped cream cheese from the tub is good, 'cause it's esier to fold into the potatoes. After processing the potatoes, sweet cream butter, salt & pep to taste, then fold in the whipped cream cheese. SO GOOD! and fattening...

[Hasty Ent]

mashed potatoes are the archetypal comfort food, imho

I make them with Yukon Gold potatoes, a yellow fleshed potato with a naturally buttery flavor. I'll use milk, butter, white pepper (looks nicer and slightly stronger bite than black pepper), and a bit of truffle oil. Finished off with a sprinkle of sea salt and man oh man, as Lotesse said, it's culinary drugs.

[-elfearz-]

Oh yummmm Hasty Ent! I have always meant to try them with truffle oil, coz I read about it in this article with chefs' tips and thought it sounded great...but I just keep forgetting to buy some.

And now you've reminded me

[Lotesse]

Ciao, you guys! Hey, check it out; I stumbled upon this recipe while trolling the 'net for Christmas cookie recipes. I'm day-dreaming; can't bake cooies 'til I finally get to move into a real house, but this one looked good enough to share with you all, and I'm definitely trying it whenever I get moved in!


From NeimanMarcus.com: "An urban myth is a modern folk tale, its origins unknown, its believability enhanced simply by the frequency with which it is repeated. Our signature chocolate chip cookie is the subject of one such myth. If you haven't heard the story, we won't perpetuate it here. If you have, the recipe below should serve to refute it. Copy it, print it out, pass it along to friends and family. It's a terrific recipe. And it's absolutely free."

Makes about 15

1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 cup brown sugar
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 egg
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1-3/4 cups flour
1-1/2 teaspoons instant espresso powder, slightly crushed
8 ounces semisweet chocolate chips



Cream the butter with the sugars until fluffy.
Beat in the egg and the vanilla extract.
Combine the dry ingredients and beat into the butter mixture. Stir in the chocolate chips.
Drop by large spoonfuls onto a greased cookie sheet. Bake at 375 degrees for 8 to 10 minutes, or 10 to 12 minutes for a crispier cookie. Makes 12 to 15 large cookies.

[Grey_Wolf]

In The Vicar of Dibley (the tv-series with Dawn French) there is an old woman, Mrs Cropley (ie the Dibley Poisoner), who has some rather interesting recipes.

Like for example, the Marmite + Anchovies + tomato + strawberry-cake.

or Fried potatoes + Anchovies + Chocolate-chip + Gooseberry cookies.

What think ye?

[Lotesse]

Have you ever tried french fries dipped in strawberry milkshake? VERY yummy. Hold the anchovies, though...

[Grey_Wolf]

Originally Posted by Lotesse

Have you ever tried french fries dipped in strawberry milkshake? VERY yummy. Hold the anchovies, though...

Is it the saltyness of the fries combined with the sweetness of the milkshake then that you find so yummy.

Then you should try my very own special sandwich.

Take two slices of white bread, butter them, lay to two slices of almond paste inbetween. The salty taste of the butter combined with the sweetness of the paste is a terrific combination. Try it out.

[Elanor]

Yeah, if we had slices of almond paste here...

[Pytt]

I don't think almond paste exists over here. To bad, since alot of the food your talking about which contains almond paste sounds really great.

[Grey_Wolf]

Originally Posted by Pytt

I don't think almond paste exists over here. To bad, since alot of the food your talking about which contains almond paste sounds really great.

Perhaps not a lot, but this particular sandwich which is my very own invention, and is not eaten in any other part of Sweden, what I know of.

You actually mean that almond paste doesn't exist outside Europe?

[Grey_Wolf]

Originally Posted by Elanor

Yeah, if we had slices of almond paste here...

Well, it's just mashed almonds (made into a paste) mixed with sugar. Shouldn't be to difficult to make, should it?

[Lotesse]

You can find marzipan fairly easily in specialty grocery stores anywhere, I should think. OR, you can order it online...

The real German Marzipan made from ground almonds, for use in pastries and breads, on cakes or for moulding

[Grey_Wolf]

Actually we do have a sort of christmas candy also made out of almond paste.

You take about 200g (half a pound) of paste and make it into a loaf, which you divide into to two parts, then you fill it with raisins which has been lying in some liquor and chopped up peanuts.

Then you put the two halves together and paint the loaf with melted dark chocolate and decorate with a few walnuts.

One of my favourite Christmas candies.

[Lotesse]

That sounds incredibly decadent & rich, and in my mind's eye it really does look very Scandinavian. Do you have a piccy of this desert, Grey Wolf?

[Pytt]

Originally Posted by Grey_Wolf

Perhaps not a lot, but this particular sandwich which is my very own invention, and is not eaten in any other part of Sweden, what I know of.

You actually mean that almond paste doesn't exist outside Europe?

I live in Norway. And I can't say I have found it in a regular grosery store here...

[Grey_Wolf]

Originally Posted by Lotesse

That sounds incredibly decadent & rich, and in my mind's eye it really does look very Scandinavian. Do you have a piccy of this desert, Grey Wolf?

Sorry. We usually don't photo them, not even when my mother had a Christmas thingies get-together, where they are usually made.
If you have seen Anton Berg's mini-marcepin loaves our Sune looks about the same but is, of course larger.

[Lotesse]

Pytt - If you go to the grocer, and ask him or her directly if they sell marzipan, they could tell you or direct you to a grocer's or deli that did. I bet a cake and pastry shop would know.

[Pytt]

I belive I've seen marzipan around. They have it in 1kg rolls, sort of. I can make almond pasty out of that?

[Grey_Wolf]

Originally Posted by Pytt

I belive I've seen marzipan around. They have it in 1kg rolls, sort of. I can make almond pasty out of that?

Well, it would be a lot sweeter than my variety. But if you mix in some chopped almonds in it it will get more substance I suppose.

That is the major difference between Marzipan and almond paste, the amount of crushed almonds used.