So....who here likes to cook? *tosses up hand*

[GhostMachine]

I cook quite a bit. In fact, I've got a devil's food cake in the oven right now (Duncan Hines - I don't do batters from scratch, thank you very much, and I was sort of ambushed into baking it as I hate to cook desserts). However, sometimes I end up being....forced to be experimental by having to toss stuff from the pantry, fridge and freezer together. I call this `Mad scientist cooking'. Fortunately, more often than not what I toss together tastes pretty good. Only once have I concocted something that I was begged never to make again - pickle soup. (Not as bad as it sounds - it was a beef and veggie soup I added diced pickle wedges to)

Last week, I came up with a stew that sounds a bit weird once you see all the ingredients, but was actually pretty good, and I thought I'd share the recipe in case anyone is....bold enough to try it:

Brian's Stew With No Name (because I couldn't think up a better name):

1 lb hamburger (use whatever fat to lean ratio you want; I prefer no more fat than an 80/20 ratio myself)
1 can stewed tomatoes
1 can garbanzo beans (also known as chickpeas)
1 can yellow corn (NOT creamed)
1/2 tablespoon dill seeds
half to 3/4 a package of sliced mushrooms (the kind you get in the produce section that are raw, NOT the canned stuff, although you could probably use that if you want......yuck)
black pepper and garlic powder to taste
Three other ingredients - shredded cheese (whatever type you want, but nothing with spices in it!), water and ketchup, but I'll get to those in the directions

Using the liquid from the cans the corn and garbanzo beans come in is optional; drain it if you want, but I'd toss it in, myself. Keep one of the cans - doesn't matter which.

Combine the stewed tomatoes, garbanzo beans, and corn in a soup pot. Set aside the pot and cook the hamburger thoroughly in a skillet. Depending on how you like your shrooms, you can either cook them in with the hamburger or add them raw to the soup pot AFTER you cook the hamburger. Add the dill seeds to the hamburger once cooked and mix well, then add the hamburger and dill mixture to the pot. If you didn't cook the mushrooms with the hamburger (I didn't), add the mushrooms after the hamburger. Then follow with black pepper and garlic powder.

Now add as much or as little ketchup as you want - if you don't want any, fine by me. Using the can you set aside, add water to the pot - if you used the corn and garbanzo bean juice, one can should probably be enough; if not, one and a half cans should work. This is supposed to be a stew, not a soup, so you don't want it to be TOO watery.

Put the pot on to boil and then cut the temperature down to low and let it simmer for AT LEAST 10 minutes - 15 will be better. Put into bowls and top with the shredded cheese.

It made enough stew to serve 4 people with a little left over, and I served it with garlic bread and some broccoli and olive oil flavored pasta mix.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
If anyone tries this, let me know what you think. It does sound a little gross, but it was actually quite good.

Note: I *may* try this with canned black olives in place of the mushrooms. Might be an option you want to try if you don't like shrooms; if you don't like mushrooms OR black olives, diced onions might be a good substitute, but personally I'd toss the onions in with the boil so they come out half raw with a bit of crunch left instead of cooking them with the hamburger. I'd also leave the dill seeds out if using the olives, but not with the onions.

[Spring Heeled Jack]

Cooking and gastronomy are a couple of my favorite pasttimes! I'd rather cook than go out to eat, though both can be pretty expensive. My specialties are curries and steaks--spices are insanely overpriced, and of course beef has always been pricey.

Anyway, I have a few slight suggestions to tweak that recipe of yours:

01. Corn is very difficult to cook by boiling. Heat a little butter in a pan and toss in the corn over low heat for a few minutes until the outside gets a little browned. The sugars will caramelize inside and really punch up the naturally sweet taste of yellow corn. The husks may toughen a bit if you heat them too quickly or at too high a temperature, but tossing them in the stew will soften them up again anyway, and the one-two punch of browning and boiling will make them much more digestible.

02. Sautee the mushrooms in olive oil apart from the hamburger. Mushrooms tend to go to mush (go figure) when they're prepared in stews, or just about anything else, but sauteeing them will add a little outer layer that not only helps maintain a little texture but also draws out the natural husky flavor within. I'd recommend not tossing them in with the hamburger, as they tend to asborb the flavor of meat too readily and lose their own in the process.

03. Fresh ground pepper. It may be a tad obvious, but canned ground pepper loses the majority of the oil that holds all the flavor. Fresh ground pepper has all the natural flavor plus a little extra bite.

04. Instead of using water or ketchup, go for a larger can of tomato paste. Remember the phrase "stewing in one's own juices"--water will just dilute the flavor of the ingredients. Likewise, ketchup will overpower the understated taste of the corn, mushrooms and spices, and will add entirely too much salt in the process. Try tomato paste, and if necessary buddy up to the spice rack and don't be shy. Chicken or beef stock is also good, though the salt will go through the roof.

05. Too much salt can kill any meal--and give you heart disease! But hey, I'm a hypocrite, and we gotta go with what tastes good. So, trade in that hamburger for corned beef. OMG OMG OMG.

06. Boiled potatoes.

Yours is a good recipe, though. I can never find a good use for dill, so now I really want to make this!

[GhostMachine]

Thanks for the tips, SHJ.

Had to look this up because I posted it on another board back in 2005 and I don't have another copy of it handy, but if you're looking for another use for dill....

Dry rub for pork

I use this on baked or broiled pork chops, but I suppose you could use it on ham, pork loin, etc.

And I don't give amounts because it depends on how much of the rub you're making.

Black pepper (or red pepper, if you want to make it hot)
Garlic powder
Paprika
Thyme
Dill

Get a bowl and combine equal amounts of the pepper and paprika. Add in an amount of dill equal to about half the measurement of pepper\paprika, then garlic powder and thyme to taste. Shake up the bowl to mix the spices. If you've got a container big enough to fit your pork in, put your spice mix in the container and dredge the pork in it. If not, sprinkle it on the pork and rub it thoroughly over the meat until you've got it well covered, and store any of the rub that's left in a sealed container. Cooking the meat is up to you, but obviously you don't want to use this with a wet cooking method, such as boiling.

(This mix *might* also work for fish, but I'd advise removing the paprika and increasing the amount of dill if you want to use it for that)

[ow_tiobe_sb]

I do all the cooking in my household, but no particular (vegetarian) recipes come to mind that seem worth sharing.  I enjoy cooking: 'tis a bit of me-time. :)

ow_tiobe_sb
Phantom Bunburyist and The Prat in the Hat

[Uncle Yuan]

Cooking and gastronomy are a couple of my favorite pasttimes! I'd rather cook than go out to eat, though both can be pretty expensive. My specialties are curries and steaks--spices are insanely overpriced, and of course beef has always been pricey.

Spices: If you live in a decent sized town check out the food co-op.  Bulk spices are the way to go!  It's much cheaper because of the lack of packaging, and much cheaper because you can buy small quantities.  The quality is also waaaaay better because you don't have this jar of dill seed or whatever that sits on your shelf for months/years.

Ethnic markets are also less expensive, but I find the quality is generally less than coops.

[Sword]

I like to cook, more in an improv manner than with any structure(translation: Oh, Smoke Alarm, better turn off the flame)

I've seen thing I want to try, like on Food Network's Better Burger, someone stuffed their burger patty with cheese rolled in bacon bits. I'm up for making that, so long as it doesn't kill me.

[El Condor]

I've seen thing I want to try, like on Food Network's Better Burger, someone stuffed their burger patty with cheese rolled in bacon bits. I'm up for making that, so long as it doesn't kill me.

Mmmm, there are very few things stuffed with cheese and rolled in bacon that wouldn't taste delicious!

Add me to the "loves to cook" list.  I just made a skillet lasagna that was out of this world - I'll share it when I can dig up the recipe (I just moved this weekend :wacko:)

EC

[ThePrelate]

I -love- to cook, and am thankfully quite good at it.

my friends clamor for my desserts, but my savory dishes are just as good.

one of my favorite uses for dill, albeit rather dull for some people, is to just roast some potatoes in the oven with olive oil, kosher salt, fresh cracked pepper, and a liberal use of chopped dill (or dried dill). it is so good and tasty!

I also make a wicked Mushroom Artichoke Lasagna (bechamel w/vermouth instead of red sauce).

[Glitch Girl]

Ah, foodies!

My gaming group and I alternate who cooks dinner for everyone every Saturday.  We've slowly started drifting intovarious specialities (one guy is good with fusion dishes, one of the girls is good with very southern homecooking type meals, I tend to lean towards Itallian and Asian)

I just came up with my own recipe for Chicken Cordon Bleu:

[spoiler=Chicken Cordon Bleu a la Mea]
Boneless Skinless Chicken breasts of breast fillets
Mustard Powder
Prochuttio Ham
Swiss Cheese
Progresso Itallian Bread Crumbs
Bamboo or Metal Skewers

Take chicken, cut breasts in half and pound flat with tenderizing hammer (1/4 inch or thinner)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees

Dust lightly with mustard powder (careful, a little goes a long way)

Layer on one layer of swiss cheese and one strip of the ham so it doesn't overlap the chickenbreast.  Roll up like a jelly roll and secure with skewer. The smaller the roll, the better.

Coat the entire outside with breadcrumbs. (No I don't use egg, you can in you want to try, but I like the breading to be very light)

Place on a baking sheet and cover with foil.  Bake for 15 minutes.  Remove foil and bake for another 5. 

Remove from oven and serve with Wild rice and green beans on the side.[/spoiler]

[Spring Heeled Jack]

I'm a monster in the kitchen. I flip out if anyone touches anything, especially the food. :D

Needless to say, I'd drop dead if I were on Dinner: Impossible.

[Mr. Hamrick]

I like to cook but don't do it that often.  And I don't have any recipe books anymore. 

hmm, may go buy one today. 


I think we should do a FR Cookbook.

[Sword]

Provided I could actually write it down, I'd be happy to contribute to an FR cookbook.

[Spring Heeled Jack]

HAMSTER stew, anyone?

[thalaw2]

I enjoy cooking!  I make the best boiled water this side of the Pacos! 

In fact I'm going to the farmers market tomorrow to buy some vegetables and meat so I can "throw down" in my kitchen.   If I come up with anything interesting, I'll let you know.  I'm gonna put my foot in it!

[El Condor]

I think we should do a FR Cookbook.

Count me in!  I have some mean Colombian recipes, for added fun.

EC

[Mr. Hamrick]

does that mean I just volunteered myself to put this thing together? 

[GhostMachine]

I'm a monster in the kitchen. I flip out if anyone touches anything, especially the food. :D

Needless to say, I'd drop dead if I were on Dinner: Impossible.

Yeah, but what about Iron Chef America?

By the way, Dinner: Impossible is my second favorite Food Network show, after Good Eats. Alton Brown FTW!

[Pyroclasm]

I do all the cooking in the house, but I never follow any recipes.  I do own cookbooks, but the only purpose they served was to teach me the skills.  My cooking is like art.  I just do it and end up with something delicious.  (It's been very rare that a meal didn't turn out right.)  Most of my cooking has an asian or mexican slant because my wife is allergic to wheat, and rice dominates the former, while corn dominates the latter.  I always say I should write down my cooking "masterpieces" as recipes, but then never do.  I just enjoy the creation of new dishes.  Guess it goes with my inclination for design.  ;)

[GhostMachine]

I do all the cooking in the house, but I never follow any recipes.  I do own cookbooks, but the only purpose they served was to teach me the skills.  My cooking is like art.  I just do it and end up with something delicious.  (It's been very rare that a meal didn't turn out right.)  Most of my cooking has an asian or mexican slant because my wife is allergic to wheat, and rice dominates the former, while corn dominates the latter.  I always say I should write down my cooking "masterpieces" as recipes, but then never do.  I just enjoy the creation of new dishes.  Guess it goes with my inclination for design.  ;)

If you ever feel like it, could you please post a recipe or two from the Mexican slant dishes? :)

As for the FR cookbook idea, I'm all for it.

[thalaw2]

A FR cookbook would be cool!  We could name our dishes after heroes or superpowers! 

[Pyroclasm]

If you ever feel like it, could you please post a recipe or two from the Mexican slant dishes? :)

As for the FR cookbook idea, I'm all for it.

I don't ever write recipes down, so there are none to post.  I cook by scent, taste and appearance, so writing down "add <ingredient> to taste" (or some such) for everything wouldn't be very helpful. :)  No dish is ever truly the same twice for me.

[Spring Heeled Jack]

By the way, Dinner: Impossible is my second favorite Food Network show, after Good Eats. Alton Brown FTW!

I have a man-crush on Alton Brown (and a normal crush on Rachael Ray).

A FR cookbook would be cool!  We could name our dishes after heroes or superpowers! 

Great. I guess I'll be making Spring Heeled Flapjacks. :P

[Mr. Hamrick]

definitely up for participating in the project.  don't know if I am up for doing ALL the organizing.  but I can help.

[Glitch Girl]

If you ever feel like it, could you please post a recipe or two from the Mexican slant dishes? :)

As for the FR cookbook idea, I'm all for it.

I don't ever write recipes down, so there are none to post.  I cook by scent, taste and appearance, so writing down "add <ingredient> to taste" (or some such) for everything wouldn't be very helpful. :)  No dish is ever truly the same twice for me.

Heh, sounds like me.  If you notice on that recipe I posted, there's no exact measurement except for the time and temperature.  Only reason I had it was because I promised to write it down last time I shared it with friends.  For something complex, I'll rely on a recipe, but I also tend to improvise even then - taking stuff out, adding stuff in...

A recipe book would be nice, and if someone can compile it in PDF format, Lulu.com is pretty good about book publishing.  I'd suggest finding someone to add some illustrations as well if you can.  I've got two or three recipes I could contribute.

[DireWolf]

Shanghai-style Sweet-Sour Ribs

History- This one started as a recipe from Sunset magazine. It got tweaked a bit and became a favorite.

3 Lbs Pork Spareribs (cut across the bone into 1 ½ inch lengths) *
½ Cup Sugar
½ Cup Chinese black Vinegar or Balsamic Vinegar
1 T Dark Soy Sauce or 2 ½ t Soy Sauce and ½ t Molasses
Salt

•   You an also make this dish with chicken wings. Cut off the tips and separate the wings into pieces.

Rinse the ribs and cut between the bones to separate. Place in a 10 x 15 inch roasting pan. Bake uncovered at 450, stirring often until well browned, about 30 minutes. Drain and set aside

Heat a large frying pan or wok on high. Combine the sugar, vinegar and soy sauce and boil, stirring frequently until the mix reduces and becomes very thick (about 10- 15 minutes). Add ribs to the pan and stir to coat and re-heat the meat. Season lightly with salt and serve.

[GhostMachine]

If you ever feel like it, could you please post a recipe or two from the Mexican slant dishes? :)

As for the FR cookbook idea, I'm all for it.

I don't ever write recipes down, so there are none to post.  I cook by scent, taste and appearance, so writing down "add <ingredient> to taste" (or some such) for everything wouldn't be very helpful. :)  No dish is ever truly the same twice for me.

Heh, sounds like me.  If you notice on that recipe I posted, there's no exact measurement except for the time and temperature.  Only reason I had it was because I promised to write it down last time I shared it with friends.  For something complex, I'll rely on a recipe, but I also tend to improvise even then - taking stuff out, adding stuff in...

A recipe book would be nice, and if someone can compile it in PDF format, Lulu.com is pretty good about book publishing.  I'd suggest finding someone to add some illustrations as well if you can.  I've got two or three recipes I could contribute.

I can come up with at least three, maybe four, recipes besides the two I've posted here. However, I'd have to rename one of the recipes: "Chicken B A M F" - and the name has NOTHING to with Nightcrawler from the X-Men; think Samuel L. Jackson.

[thalaw2]

Someone come up with some submission guidelines for this project and I'll sticky it up.  hehehe...sticky up

[Uncle Yuan]

Who knew there were so many foodies here?  I'm in!  Because Aunt Yuan is (despite the Chinese name) actually Indian, I've gotten quite good at Indian food.  I have a great Egg Curry recipe, a really interesting Cauliflower recipe and a awesome Morroccan stew, and a . . .

And yeah, Alton Brown rocks, 'cause that's just good eats.  Used to be all about the Rachel Ray, but she's gotten way, WAY overexposed.  (And not in a good way, if you know what I mean.)

I bet I'm not the only one around here whose favorite channels are Food and Sci-Fi

[Mr. Hamrick]

You're right Yuan, you're not the only one.  I keep forgetting Iron Chef is on though. 


As for Guidelines: We will need categories of food.  This would done by stages of the meal for the most part.

Appetizers
Soup and Salad
Main Course
Side Dishes
Dessert
and Drinks.  This would largely be reserved for things like Smoothies and After Dinner type drinks (must be legal to make please).  Given that there is all age groups here, we could include Smoothies under Desserts or Appetizers if necessary.

I am pretty sure the formatting of recipes would be self explanatory and if not then ask.  However, I think it's fair to ask for the submitter to include a paragraph or sp information about the type of food (Asian, Italian, Southern, Island, etc.) and why they chose it.  If nothing can be included then the editors will try to come up with some sort of short paragraph or so to include instead. 

Personally, I think we should aim to get the book out by January or Feb of 2008.  The calendar is coming out in December in time for Christmas and the additional time would give time for some of those artists to contribute to illustrations in the book.  Maybe something in time for a Valentine's Day Gift or something?   That would give maybe a January 3rd deadline?  Preferably sooner.

Anything additional?

[Spring Heeled Jack]

If someone has a good alcoholic drink recipe, I'd be interested in hearing it. I don't think excluding alcoholic beverages is necessary. If it's a good recipe, it's a good recipe. We foodies of legal drinking age are still interested. ;)

I would be available to act as copy editor if necessary. I've had stints as copy editor for college newspapers, my own site, &c., and I've got a knack for clarity and flow.

Anyway, I've gotta get back into my kitchen workshop and make a better recipe. Competition's gonna be tough with these guys!