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IronGAF Cookoff (hosted by OnkelC) Vol. 2

Easy_G

Member
So here was an almost success. I tried making tart tatin. Made my own puff pastry (using a rough puff pastry recipe) as well. Overall, I think everything was great, except that I left it in the oven a bit too long, and my oven tends to burn the underside of things. The puff pastry tasted delicious and was flaky, and once the burnt bits were picked off it tasted great. Next time I need to be more careful.

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Easy_G

Member
After the disaster last night, I used the extra puff pastry to try and make palmiers. Didn't burn them!

Code:
[IMG]http://i.imgur.com/OP9XMnZ.jpg[/IMG]
 
Does anyone have experience carbonating fruit?

I've done it before with whole orange segments, but I'm wondering how it would work with diced oranges or clementines instead of whole sections. I also need to know how long the carbonation effect lasts if you hold the fruit in the iSi?

Any help is appreciated.

I'm working on a brunch plate to present to my chef as a potential new menu item, if successful will definitely share here.
 
Tried my hand at spinach pici pasta to get more veggies into the kid. Came out ok and made a chili/chorizo adult version, but didn't taste as good as I'd hoped.




So here was an almost success. I tried making tart tatin. Made my own puff pastry (using a rough puff pastry recipe) as well. Overall, I think everything was great, except that I left it in the oven a bit too long, and my oven tends to burn the underside of things. The puff pastry tasted delicious and was flaky, and once the burnt bits were picked off it tasted great. Next time I need to be more careful.

Still making me want tart tatin something bad... Can't believe you made your own puff pastry. Isn't that pretty hard?
 
been trying my hand at making pasta sauces, feel that i've got a pretty good handle on the most basic stuff like carbonara, cacio e pepe and aglio i olio, but...

either im doing something wrong with spaghetti or i just find bavette, tagliatelle and fettuccine so superior that it ain't even funny. Every sauce i try simply tastes miles better with the wider pastas.

also good lord, a decent carbonara is a crime against human decency.
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Oh, and thanks for making me aware that rough puff pastry is a thing that exists, Easy_G. Googling around, those recipes certainly seem miles easier than the standard method.
 

Easy_G

Member
Tried my hand at spinach pici pasta to get more veggies into the kid. Came out ok and made a chili/chorizo adult version, but didn't taste as good as I'd hoped.








Still making me want tart tatin something bad... Can't believe you made your own puff pastry. Isn't that pretty hard?

It was actually really easy. No more difficult than most other doughs. I looked up a rough puff pastry recipe after hearing about it so much on the great British baking show. The one in particular I used was from Gordon Ramsay. I would definitely make it again.

been trying my hand at making pasta sauces, feel that i've got a pretty good handle on the most basic stuff like carbonara, cacio e pepe and aglio i olio, but...

either im doing something wrong with spaghetti or i just find bavette, tagliatelle and fettuccine so superior that it ain't even funny. Every sauce i try simply tastes miles better with the wider pastas.

also good lord, a decent carbonara is a crime against human decency.
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Oh, and thanks for making me aware that rough puff pastry is a thing that exists, Easy_G. Googling around, those recipes certainly seem miles easier than the standard method.

I'm glad to spread the word!

I love your description of carbonara. It's true. With the spaghetti vs other parts, the wider pastas do tend to stick better to sauce with their wide surface. Maybe that's it. Are you using fresh pastas or dry, and are they the all the same type?
 
been trying my hand at making pasta sauces, feel that i've got a pretty good handle on the most basic stuff like carbonara, cacio e pepe and aglio i olio, but...

either im doing something wrong with spaghetti or i just find bavette, tagliatelle and fettuccine so superior that it ain't even funny. Every sauce i try simply tastes miles better with the wider pastas.

also good lord, a decent carbonara is a crime against human decency.
-
Oh, and thanks for making me aware that rough puff pastry is a thing that exists, Easy_G. Googling around, those recipes certainly seem miles easier than the standard method.
Every other pasta noodle tastes better than spaghetti. I prefer angel hair or fettuccini depending on the sauce. Can't use a heavy sauce on angel hair.
 
I love your description of carbonara. It's true. With the spaghetti vs other parts, the wider pastas do tend to stick better to sauce with their wide surface. Maybe that's it. Are you using fresh pastas or dry, and are they the all the same type?

i`ve toyed with both. Of the fresh variety, can only find tagliarini here (until i stop being a cheap bastard and buy an extruder). Tasted pretty good, but i really doubt i`d be able to tell the difference vs dry pasta in a blind test. Factor that it`s also marginally more expensive than the dry, even barilla or la molisana (which i'm quite fond of on account of their flours being terrific), and it kinda fell by the wayside. Plus much easier storage.

Every other pasta noodle tastes better than spaghetti. I prefer angel hair or fettuccini depending on the sauce. Can't use a heavy sauce on angel hair.
feel inclined to share in that conclusion.

Did find it interesting how, once one`s gotten the hang of using oil, garlic, pepper and pasta water to make the sauce, the dish becomes akin to pizza or a sandwich, wot with looking at the fridge and going "ok, what leftovers can i add to this thing?" .
 
i`ve toyed with both. Of the fresh variety, can only find tagliarini here (until i stop being a cheap bastard and buy an extruder).

You don't need an extruder to make fresh pasta, just a rolling pin, knife, and some time. That's how I make pretty much all of mine, usually something on the order of linguini fini is the result.

Tasted pretty good, but i really doubt i`d be able to tell the difference vs dry pasta in a blind test.

I would be shocked if you couldn't tell the difference between dry and made on the spot yourself. They're almost different foods.

Did find it interesting how, once one`s gotten the hang of using oil, garlic, pepper and pasta water to make the sauce, the dish becomes akin to pizza or a sandwich, wot with looking at the fridge and going "ok, what leftovers can i add to this thing?" .

Yeah you have a framework for ingredients and just execute. "Okay, mushrooms, shallots, cream, let's go." "Tomatoes, olives, onions, let's go."
 
I would be shocked if you couldn't tell the difference between dry and made on the spot yourself. They're almost different foods.

Ah, was talking about store-bought "fresh" pasta. You've picked my curiosity tho. Never had it made on the spot, aside from some forays into chinese noodles. Am quite goddamn dreadful with a rolling pin, but got some 00 flour lying around so i'll give it a shot during the weekend and report.
 

Easy_G

Member
Ah, was talking about store-bought "fresh" pasta. You've picked my curiosity tho. Never had it made on the spot, aside from some forays into chinese noodles. Am quite goddamn dreadful with a rolling pin, but got some 00 flour lying around so i'll give it a shot during the weekend and report.

I use a hand crank machine and I've found it necessary to really knead the dough by running it through several times at every size increment in addition to the hand kneading when the dough is just a ball. I'm not sure how that applies to doing this with a rolling pin, but just know you can't really over work as long as you have the right moisture. If it's dry you'll notice it start to crack though. If it's too wet, well, it'll be gummy while kneading.

Good luck! I hope you enjoy doing it.
 

GAMEPROFF

Banned
Whats the best way to marinate sausages? I am sick of ordinary sausages and would love to give the few remaining ones in my fridge a special something.
 

snacknuts

we all knew her
Whats the best way to marinate sausages? I am sick of ordinary sausages and would love to give the few remaining ones in my fridge a special something.

I always boil mine in beer with sliced onions until cooked through and finish them on the grill to crisp up the skin. Then top them with mustard and the beer onions they cooked in.

Welp, I know what I'm making for dinner tomorrow.
 

Easy_G

Member
I always boil mine in beer with sliced onions until cooked through and finish them on the grill to crisp up the skin. Then top them with mustard and the beer onions they cooked in.

Welp, I know what I'm making for dinner tomorrow.

Seriously. I've got half a mind to just do that now also after reading that.
 

GAMEPROFF

Banned
I always boil mine in beer with sliced onions until cooked through and finish them on the grill to crisp up the skin. Then top them with mustard and the beer onions they cooked in.

Welp, I know what I'm making for dinner tomorrow.
Have an recommention without beer? :D I am not a beer fan :D
 
My Mom came back from vacation and went to a really fancy gourmet market and got me a bottle of Citrus Habernero Olive Oil, and ideas as to what I could use it on/for?
 

Nordicus

Member
Tried using coconut milk in my cooking for the first time as one of my friend's simple chicken curry recipe called for it.

Will not be the last time 'cause that was some good curry.
 

Pennywise

Member
Have an recommention without beer? :D I am not a beer fan :D

It's all about the taste.
There are plenty of variations with dark sauce or onion sauce, both with and without beer.

http://www.essen-und-trinken.de/rezepte/55276-rzpt-bratwurst-mit-zwiebelsauce
http://www.chefkoch.de/rezepte/1765541286439887/Bratwurst-an-Zwiebelsauce-mit-Kartoffelpueree.html
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/bratwurst-and-onions-in-beer-recipe-1940351
http://www.chefkoch.de/rezepte/3075501460203391/Bratwuerste-in-Biersosse.html

Apart from those I would definitely try out some bratwurst braised in red wine.
Haven't done that yet, but I bet a sauce base similar to roulades would be fitting.

Not exactly a summer dish though.
 
A few tasty morsels we cooked up as a family (wife, two young kids and myself).

Anzac Biccies

NU81lzp.jpg


Slow Cooker Pulled Pork

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Homemade Wholemeal Pizza (proofing)

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The kids pizza, forgot to take photos of our parental traditional Margherita and the other 5 pizzas we made over two days.

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The beginnings of our first simple Paella

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The resulting Paella (next time we'll go with adding large dices of fish/calamari)

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Easy_G

Member
A few tasty morsels we cooked up as a family (wife, two young kids and myself).

Anzac Biccies

http://i.imgur.com/NU81lzp.jpg[/IMG

Slow Cooker Pulled Pork

[IMG]http://i.imgur.com/pu0PhAc.jpg[/IMG

Homemade Wholemeal Pizza (proofing)

[IMG]http://i.imgur.com/jpbhRpK.jpg[/IMG

The kids pizza, forgot to take photos of our parental traditional Margherita and the other 5 pizzas we made over two days.

[IMG]http://i.imgur.com/gR3kMJ7.jpg

The beginnings of our first simple Paella

http://i.imgur.com/udXiGIA.jpg[/IMG

[IMG]http://i.imgur.com/OxBeO56.jpg[/IMG

[IMG]http://i.imgur.com/3WQq5As.jpg[/IMG

The resulting Paella (next time we'll go with adding large dices of fish/calamari)

[IMG]http://i.imgur.com/kRE2TjV.jpg

The pizza and paella both look delicious! That is one hell of a proof on that dough as well. Amazing

For 4th of July we had hot dogs with onion and sauerkraut, corn with lime and paprika, and fresh made blackberry pie. We went to a nearby farm and picked 7 pounds worth of blackberries! I'll have to make a jam out of the remaining lot.

 
thank you for the link. Yes, it is a shameful practice as I used the paid service for the better part of eight years or so. The price hike is ridiculous.
When you posted about it, I thought I was safe. But a few days later all my pictures have gone missing too. Their website is bloated with ads, and I avoid it for the most part. I mostly use the app to upload food pictures and post them on here, and the process usually went smoothly. I dread the idea of using the website to download all my pictures back to the computer.
 

NEO0MJ

Member
This is an emergency, cooking Gaf. So I was making Pho and left the house for a couple of hours to get stuff. When I came back almost all the water has managed to evaporate (even though I left the lid on) and some of the bones have parts of them charred black. I guess I should throw it now or is it still useful?

Edit: threw it away. It did not look or smell good for humans at all. Guess I'll use stock from the store to make something quick.
 
Going to a BBQ tomorrow and I decided to try to make something for dessert, so I made Hummingbird Cake Cupcakes.

aRFdUYC.jpg


They look alright, I tasted one and boy was it sweet and tasty. Just need to make some cream cheese icing to put on top.
 

Easy_G

Member
Going to a BBQ tomorrow and I decided to try to make something for dessert, so I made Hummingbird Cake Cupcakes.

aRFdUYC.jpg


They look alright, I tasted one and boy was it sweet and tasty. Just need to make some cream cheese icing to put on top.

I'd never heard of hummingbird cake before. Take a pick once you've frosted them!
 
in my endless quest to postpone doing fresh pasta, found some brie deals and opted to try to make an instant pot risotto. Got the suspicion that i horrendously fucked up the amount of liquid that was supposed to go into it, but the final result did taste good and exactly like what risotto from a fancy local restaurant tastes, so i'm inclined to think it worked (even if it took 8 extra minutes to reduce the two cups of liquid all the way to the expected consistency).


was following this and just jettisoned everything pertaining to the mushrooms, so inclined to believe that they'd have absorbed some of the chicken stock.
 

Stinkles

Clothed, sober, cooperative
in my endless quest to postpone doing fresh pasta, found some brie deals and opted to try to make an instant pot risotto. Got the suspicion that i horrendously fucked up the amount of liquid that was supposed to go into it, but the final result did taste good and exactly like what risotto from a fancy local restaurant tastes, so i'm inclined to think it worked (even if it took 8 extra minutes to reduce the two cups of liquid all the way to the expected consistency).



was following this and just jettisoned everything pertaining to the mushrooms, so inclined to believe that they'd have absorbed some of the chicken stock.



(Many) Fresh mushrooms contain a significant amount of water So kinda depends. Dried mushrooms would absorb a lot of broth but also filter some of the flavor and concentrate the intensity of the broth. Always best to rehydrate separately if consistent or predictable results are needed.
 

Nordicus

Member
Been experimenting more with thai curry. Going to a really small (20 seats) thai restaurant with my sis two months ago, and trying out panang curry with beef, left an impression on me. It was considered the best ethnic restaurant in the city 3 years in a row, so no wonder.

Have not gone as far as to make my own curry paste. Either used store-bought paste, or went a sort of weird route with sautéing onion, garlic, chilis, cilantro, ground pepper, ginger and cumin in oil before adding the coconut milk and protein. Will probably shop for thai fish sauce and kaffirlime leaves some time.

Ended up nice either way, likely because coconut milk is a fantastic cooking ingredient and I regret not knowing this before. The fat separates so nicely, it even look neat, giving the orange-colored sauce nice red streaks and outline
 

Shandy

Member
Made pasta for the first time tonight (with a machine). Wasn't planning to, but the machine showed up, and I was making spag bol, so...

I wouldn't call it an unmitigated disaster, but I can't call it a success, either. But I've identified some errors and I'm looking forward to trying it again. Even though the pasta didn't come out great and looked a bit sickly after cooking, it was fine once it had sauce on it.

My mum drafted me to make ravioli next week, so that's going to be... something. Anyone got any fillings to recommend?
 

Easy_G

Member
Made pasta for the first time tonight (with a machine). Wasn't planning to, but the machine showed up, and I was making spag bol, so...

I wouldn't call it an unmitigated disaster, but I can't call it a success, either. But I've identified some errors and I'm looking forward to trying it again. Even though the pasta didn't come out great and looked a bit sickly after cooking, it was fine once it had sauce on it.

My mum drafted me to make ravioli next week, so that's going to be... something. Anyone got any fillings to recommend?

I always have trouble deciding on fillings. You could keep it simple and do ricotta, parmesan, and spinach. If you do that I've found you should be generous with the parmesan and salt. The small amount of filling needs lots of flavor to be noticed within the pasta.

What kind of flour did you use for the pasta? Ive always used 00. Also, did you knead the pasta a lot? It took me a little while to learn, but I found that I have to fold and pass the pasta through each size setting at least 3, more like 5 times. It takes a while, but it makes a much stronger pasta.
 

Shandy

Member
I always have trouble deciding on fillings. You could keep it simple and do ricotta, parmesan, and spinach. If you do that I've found you should be generous with the parmesan and salt. The small amount of filling needs lots of flavor to be noticed within the pasta.

That sounds really good, actually. I'll put that on the list.

What kind of flour did you use for the pasta? Ive always used 00. Also, did you knead the pasta a lot? It took me a little while to learn, but I found that I have to fold and pass the pasta through each size setting at least 3, more like 5 times. It takes a while, but it makes a much stronger pasta.

I used 00, but I'm absolutely certain I didn't use enough of it during the rolling/cutting portion. I did a last quickie batch with some off cuts and floured it more vigorously and it definitely came out better and was just generally more attractive. Running it through more often is about half the advice I received (twice on the largest setting). It might actually be the case that I was trying to half follow the instructions that came with it and half advice I received from An Actual Italian.

I'll definitely keep your post in mind for next week. Thank you!
 

GiJoccin

Member
i've tried making pasta a few times, and it came out OK, but i'm always confused at how hydrated the dough should be before putting it through the roller

how should it compare to, say, bread dough? pie crust dough?
 
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