So, pretty sure everyone likes eating stuff sometimes, especially when stuff is tasty. It also helps to make it good for you, and look good, and smell appetizing. All of this can be pretty hard to do, and I hope this thread is going to help people do that.
If you feel good about something you recently made, feel free to post it. If you have ingredients around but don't know what to do with them, post it here. If you have a recipe, but want opinions on what you could do differently, ask around. If you want to get some feedback on something you're working on, etc etc.
I don't want it to stop there though. Not only the cooking process, but things like what ingredients to get. When I went to local spice store, I saw so many things that I had never heard of before, from so many different parts of the world, and if you have something you'd like to share, go for it.
I don't want this to be reserved only for main meals either, and I want people to be free to discuss whatever dishes they want. Maybe you've made a nice desert dish, or baked a really nice cheesecake. Even though people have probably had cheesecakes before, doesn't mean they've made one before, and tips are always welcome. I'm not vegetarian, but I'm sure some people on this site are, and they'd probably be happy to have some new stuff to work with.
While I'm currently not in any food science field, I am personally studying it a bit, so questions in fields such as molecular gastronomy and the process by which we can taste so many flavors are welcome. If you've learned something interesting about it, you can post it here as well.
So, some ground rules:
No fighting please. Feel free to disagree with someone about preferred tastes, but don't start insulting each other about having inferior tastes etc. If you want to post a picture, please put the name of the dish and spoiler the image. If there is more you want to put (ingredients, instructions) then please place that in the spoiler as well.
And yeah, that's it. I hope this thread manages to help people out and let them learn a few things about the vast world of cooking.
Good first. I'd probably spice up the cucumber a bit, salt and pepper, and put it in the oven for at a really low temperature (ex. 230F). It's not going to have that same crunchy texture, but the idea is to watch it and take it out before it gets too mushy (test it yourself for what you want). While I haven't tried myself, I've heard of it being used in stir-fry as well. It's a bit crunchier than most vegetables, so it adds a nice new texture along with the refreshing taste.
Lately I've been eating a lot of simple orzo. About 5/4 cup orzo; 7/4 cup water. 1 tablespoon chicken bouillon; 2 tbsp. vegetable oil spread (which is like butter) Makes nice and fast, tastes good, very inexpensive.
Probably my favorite dish with cucumber is a cold Chinese chicken pasta salad. Julienne cut cucumber and carrots, and throw them into chilled noodles and chicken. Then mix with a spicy sesame sauce. Fairly easy to make as long as you get the sauce right (Chinese tahini, soy sauce, dark vinegar, and hot pepper oil).
EDIT: It's a Sichuan dish for those wondering. Very authentic and nowhere to be found in American Chinese restaurants =(
On April 03 2014 07:24 zlefin wrote: Lately I've been eating a lot of simple orzo. About 5/4 cup orzo; 7/4 cup water. 1 tablespoon chicken bouillon; 2 tbsp. vegetable oil spread (which is like butter) Makes nice and fast, tastes good, very inexpensive.
Any idea what kind of store you'd get orzo from? Don't see it much at grocery stores. I might not have looked hard enough at the market near me though.
On April 03 2014 07:12 hellokitty[hk] wrote: Nom nom nom nom nom nom nomnomnomnomnomnomNOM. I like eating food it's my favorite.
What to do with cucumbers, if you don't want to eat them raw?
Just thought about that question while cooking, trying to remember when I used cucumber in a cooked way.. It definitely does not happen often. The only ones I could think of was that I once used it in a rice dish mixed with other vegetables, then noodles with salmon and cucumber and as third, cut in half and filled with ground meat, mushrooms and gratinated (?) in the oven.
cooking with cucumber is definately rare, usually a lot of people with use zuccinis instead. I prefer fresh cucumber in salad/dips or simply for fancy meal presentation.
often you will see zuccinis filled with cheese(its actually very good with parmegiano) and broiled in over. you can probably do the same with cucumber but they contain more water so i don't know about the texture they'll have.
classic for raw cucumber would be in a greek salad : red onions cucumbers tomatoes feta cheese pepper olive oil
Something I learned from cooking recently: hungarian paprika seems to give that perfect mix of sweet and spicy to not disagree with anyone. Even just sprinkling some on potatoes a bit before serving gives it such a great taste. I actually really like the mix of it and a bit of dill weed, the aroma is awesome.
On April 03 2014 09:13 Dark_Chill wrote: Something I learned from cooking recently: hungarian paprika seems to give that perfect mix of sweet and spicy to not disagree with anyone. Even just sprinkling some on potatoes a bit before serving gives it such a great taste. I actually really like the mix of it and a bit of dill weed, the aroma is awesome.
There are definitely hotter varieties of hungarian paprika, but yeah it is pretty fantastic.
Maybe in some stir-fry recipes where you put them in a bit before the end (don't want them too dry). Or (and I don't know if this works, I might try it sometime) cook it slowly to drain out the water and juices and use it the same way you might heat a tomato.
On April 03 2014 07:24 zlefin wrote: Lately I've been eating a lot of simple orzo. About 5/4 cup orzo; 7/4 cup water. 1 tablespoon chicken bouillon; 2 tbsp. vegetable oil spread (which is like butter) Makes nice and fast, tastes good, very inexpensive.
Any idea what kind of store you'd get orzo from? Don't see it much at grocery stores. I might not have looked hard enough at the market near me though.
I just get it from the supermarket; it seems fairly ubiquitous in the supermarkets in my area. There's a pasta section, with a whole bunch of kinds of pasta, orzo is always in there, though it seems to be one of the less common types. I prefer barilla or prince to the store brand, but it's all pretty similar. I use a 'stop and shop' and a 'market basket' store primarily. While I just eat directly as a meal; you can also use it basically the same as rice in other recipes. The only downside is that it doesn't reheat so well; so unlike rice, I can't make a big batch and refrigerate the extra to reheat later.
Tried this today. I didn't turn out the way I wanted to, but I think I know how to make it work. Bacon Potato Wrap with sweet egg filling. + Show Spoiler +
Boil potato until you're able to mash it. Spread it over strips of bacon, and make a hole to allow sweet egg (scrambled egg with sugar and soya sauce) to go in at one of the ends. Roll it, and wrap it in tin foil. Put it in the oven at 350F and let it cook until bacon is cooked.
I put paprika and oregano in mine, but I screwed up. I thought I should cook the bacon a bit because I didn't want the egg to solidify too much, but I cooked the bacon too much and it shrinked too much. And I didn't cook it enough because, the bacon was too cooked.
A special i made about a year ago at a restaurant i worked at:
It's a "California roll" but instead of rice it is a layer of shrimp pounded flat to mimic it. avacado and king crab on the inside with fried wild rice on top, micro greens and supreme of grapefruit round out the plate.
I'm living alone and I don't really know to cook besides frying. So I'm here to ask, is there any food/recipe i cook (read:fry) that is healthy? or is there some way to make it healthy? i dont eat fruits and vegetables
On April 05 2014 11:15 icystorage wrote: I'm living alone and I don't really know to cook besides frying. So I'm here to ask, is there any food/recipe i cook (read:fry) that is healthy? or is there some way to make it healthy? i dont eat fruits and vegetables
Well, "healthy" is I find a term which people misunderstand quite a bit. It's not like fruits/veggies are healthy, everything else isn't. Healthy refers more to getting a balance between nutrients, and fruits/veggies give important nutrients. Other than learning to like them, try and strike an accurate balance between meats/starches/etc, avoid simple sugars (if I remember my biology correctly) and exercise regularly. Simple stuff like boiled potatoes with a fried steak is fine. Mix it up with some white meat like chicken and sea food like fish for some variety. I find that only frying leaves your options a bit limited, as some foods are more difficult to cook when it's harder to get an even heat distribution. And stir-fries don't feel the same to me without vegetables, but nevertheless, here's something Chicken Potato stir fry + Show Spoiler +
Cut potatoes into round disks thick enough to not fall apart easily when cooked. Parboil them. During this, begin cooking chicken breast (diced into small with chunks) in a medium to large frying pan. Once parboiling is done, place potatoes into frying pan, mix in 1.5-2 tablespoons of soya sauce and stir. Salt and pepper as necessary, and spices such as rosemary for the chicken are welcome.
On April 05 2014 11:15 icystorage wrote: I'm living alone and I don't really know to cook besides frying. So I'm here to ask, is there any food/recipe i cook (read:fry) that is healthy? or is there some way to make it healthy? i dont eat fruits and vegetables
Learn how to boil stuff. It's not that hard in many cases; being little more than boil water; put ingredients in; then leave to simmer for awhile. Baking also tends to be a bit better than frying. What kind of kitchen do you have to work with? Oven? Range? Microwave?
On April 05 2014 11:10 Shymon wrote: A special i made about a year ago at a restaurant i worked at:
It's a "California roll" but instead of rice it is a layer of shrimp pounded flat to mimic it. avacado and king crab on the inside with fried wild rice on top, micro greens and supreme of grapefruit round out the plate.
On April 05 2014 11:15 icystorage wrote: I'm living alone and I don't really know to cook besides frying. So I'm here to ask, is there any food/recipe i cook (read:fry) that is healthy? or is there some way to make it healthy? i dont eat fruits and vegetables
Well, "healthy" is I find a term which people misunderstand quite a bit. It's not like fruits/veggies are healthy, everything else isn't. Healthy refers more to getting a balance between nutrients, and fruits/veggies give important nutrients. Other than learning to like them, try and strike an accurate balance between meats/starches/etc, avoid simple sugars (if I remember my biology correctly) and exercise regularly. Simple stuff like boiled potatoes with a fried steak is fine. Mix it up with some white meat like chicken and sea food like fish for some variety. I find that only frying leaves your options a bit limited, as some foods are more difficult to cook when it's harder to get an even heat distribution. And stir-fries don't feel the same to me without vegetables, but nevertheless, here's something Chicken Potato stir fry + Show Spoiler +
Cut potatoes into round disks thick enough to not fall apart easily when cooked. Parboil them. During this, begin cooking chicken breast (diced into small with chunks) in a medium to large frying pan. Once parboiling is done, place potatoes into frying pan, mix in 1.5-2 tablespoons of soya sauce and stir. Salt and pepper as necessary, and spices such as rosemary for the chicken are welcome.
Imma try that as an experiment i haven't done anything aside from frying
On April 05 2014 11:15 icystorage wrote: I'm living alone and I don't really know to cook besides frying. So I'm here to ask, is there any food/recipe i cook (read:fry) that is healthy? or is there some way to make it healthy? i dont eat fruits and vegetables
Learn how to boil stuff. It's not that hard in many cases; being little more than boil water; put ingredients in; then leave to simmer for awhile. Baking also tends to be a bit better than frying. What kind of kitchen do you have to work with? Oven? Range? Microwave?
I'm a avid cook and one of those people versed in food science but when I want a 5 minute meal, tomatoes and eggs is the best my preferred choice of satisfying eats.
edit: Anyone else used to be a big fan of Alton Brown? Hes like the Bill Nye of food.
The best piece of equipment i ever bought for my kitchen was a coffee grinder. It cost me £12 and all of my food tastes better for it. Learning to make your own spice mixes from fresh spices is cheap and rewarding and can turn a simple piece of poultry or meat into something awesome.
On April 07 2014 09:35 Disregard wrote: I'm a avid cook and one of those people versed in food science but when I want a 5 minute meal, tomatoes and eggs is the best my preferred choice of satisfying eats.
edit: Anyone else used to be a big fan of Alton Brown? Hes like the Bill Nye of food.
Add some cheese in there for me, that texture is too good to pass up.
If you have time, decent ramen is truly legit eats. The best thing is that the broth can be done however you want (there's like a billion styles) Here's a basic recipe for ramen I make occasionally.
Broth: Around 4 pounds of pork neckbones, 3 pigs feet sliced in half and a chicken carcass (bones from a rotisserie chicken) You can use bones of any species, I prefer pig+chicken for a tonkotsu style broth but I can imagine beef shank, oxtail, chicken wings would all work as well. As long as there's bone+fat it'll make a good broth.
optional: -roast bones in oven/skillet -add onion/ginger/garlic
put in a stockpot and cover in water get to a boil and skim off the foamy stuff on top lower heat and let it go overnight (or pressure cook)
Next day, strain meat+bones out of broth add mirin, soy sauce, a bit of rice wine vinegar, ground+toasted white sesame seeds, shichimi (if you like spicy) to taste
Noodles: Most people will probably want to buy their noodles from a store. If you want to make your own, this is my basic mix: 1 cup of high protein flour (king arthur bread flour works well) 1/4 cup of water 1 tablespoon of kansui (KCO3 + NaHCO3)
hand knead and roll out with a pasta roller
Toppings: You can do anything here. Sometimes I just eat noodles + broth cause I'm lazy and the broth is so fucking amazing.
fresh bamboo shoots or mu er (wood ear) cooked in soy sauce is good scallions (green onions) soy sprouts slow cooked pork cheek (or loin) in soy half boiled egg sauteed spinach katsuobushi (dried bonito flakes)
basically whatever you got in your fridge
Assembly: Put noodles in boiling water until done. Drain noodles and wash in cold water to remove excess starch place in bowl, fill with broth, top with toppings Enjoy!
The stuff I just described is a tonkotsu ramen, super heavy umami bomb. If you want something different, look up recipes for shio, shoyu, miso ramen. There's even more variations by region.
On April 07 2014 09:35 Disregard wrote: I'm a avid cook and one of those people versed in food science but when I want a 5 minute meal, tomatoes and eggs is the best my preferred choice of satisfying eats.
edit: Anyone else used to be a big fan of Alton Brown? Hes like the Bill Nye of food.
Add some cheese in there for me, that texture is too good to pass up.
Being Chinese, I don't think I want cheese on my rice D=
Im not a cook and never will be....i wanted to be one around when i was 12, but by the time i was 15 and learnt about the hours they work, i was like...NAAA. My only thing i "cook" / "prepare" is a homemade subway basically.
Add that, then you put it in the oven under the grill setting thing (Cookers, what the fuck are they idk, i just press things). Leave it under the grill thing until you see the cheese melted and the bread slightly crisp. Take it out then i personally add; + Show Spoiler [Sweet Chilli Sauce] +
GG! I haven't got a pic of the completed thing as i haven't made one in a while xD But i used to have them every Saturday afternoon (when i woke up lolz) they are pro! All of that costs like under £3. That would be for a pack of cheese/ham/bottle of sauce as well so you just spend like sub £1 on the mini french stick every week and you have fresh sub.
On April 09 2014 20:37 SC2Toastie wrote: Planning to make vegetarian, spicy noodles tonight. Tips?
Well, unless there's actually a specific recipe under that name and I'm wrong, looks like there really isn't any end to what you can make under that. Tomatoes, basil and parmesan for me, with black pepper.
On April 09 2014 20:37 SC2Toastie wrote: Planning to make vegetarian, spicy noodles tonight. Tips?
Well, unless there's actually a specific recipe under that name and I'm wrong, looks like there really isn't any end to what you can make under that. Tomatoes, basil and parmesan for me, with black pepper.
That's called pasta to me 0.0! It's great as well, be sure to have some olive oil with that!
these are supposed to be very good. omit minced meat obviously.
I am sure you can google a recipe.
On April 07 2014 09:35 Disregard wrote: I'm a avid cook and one of those people versed in food science but when I want a 5 minute meal, tomatoes and eggs is the best my preferred choice of satisfying eats.
edit: Anyone else used to be a big fan of Alton Brown? Hes like the Bill Nye of food.
Generally unless there's a specific recipe I want to copy, I get 2-3 versions and cobble something together. His is usually the baseline. google 'dish name alton brown'. Though ever since I saw a recipe of his with sugar in a mother fucking marinara, I haven't been as big of a fan.
Heat the cream, melt the chocolate within, once it's melted, add the alcohol, and let it sit for at least 6 hours. After that, mix the soft butter with the chocolate and fill it in a piping bag. Pipe the truffles on a baking sheet and let them sit again for a while. Now coat them with a thin layer of melted chocolate and roll them in cocoa powder afterwards.
The difference beween the recipes is basically you vary the ingedients for differnt taste, texture and usage. You could make it harder so you don't pipe it, instead cut the ganache. Or you use chocolate shells and pipe will them. The cocolate shells could be either bought or created from a mould. And once you start creating chocolates where plain chocolate is the coating you need to learn how to properly temper the couverture to get a glossy look and that chocolate cracking feel when eating.
To give you an idea of e.g. the pistacio ones in notes: - buy ingredients (yes that's actually a pretty tricky part sometimes) 1/2 cup heavy cream, 3/4 cup unsalted green pistacios, 8 oz white chouverture, 10 oz bittersweet couverture - chop pistacios very fine - heat 1/2 cup cream with pistacios in a pan till simmer - remove from heat, let it sit for 10 minutes - strain mixture - add cream to infused cream to get back to 1/2 cup - stir 2 spoon soaked pistacios back in - reheat it, add white chocolate - let it cool down - fill it in chocolate shells - let it sit for 12 hours - close the shells with melted chocolate - temper dark chocolate (heat it to 43°c, cool it to 28°c while infusing it with new chocolate, reheat it to 32°c) - coat shells with dark chocolate - add pistacio on top
I had fried halloumi cheese for the first time tonight. I don't know what I was doing with my life prior.
It originally started out as a thrown in experiment for a veggie chicken marsala (subbing fired eggplant for chicken). I just ended up doing a bunch traditional style fried in evo. so good.
Regular chicken marsala is such a great dish when done right. gtfo with your roux yo
On April 10 2014 17:22 puppykiller wrote: Quick... what are some good spice to use with black beans and rice!
Any earthy spice would be nice IMHO, cumin or coriander even cinnamon etc. if we are counting salt as a spice i guess that is a gimme as well. Also don't rule out plain black pepper, just don't go overboard. Some spice mixes could be good either a Moroccan blend or a curry blend as well. On the flip side if we were to include herbs into the discussion, cilantro is a natural pair with black beans.
Star Anise so good. Used that and some green sichuan pepper with a pork tenderloin. Smells amazing with those too. Also steamed for the first time as well. I need to start doing that all the time, corn tasted so good.
star anise is one of those things ive got in my spice cabinet, but i've used a few times so i dont really know the exact flavor it gives dishes and thus i dont use it in any of my random throw together recipes
2 cups of thickly sliced (13mm - 1/2') field mushrooms. Gotta be this thick because they shrink. 1/2 cup of dry white wine. 1 tblsp butter. 1 cup of hot beef gravy. 3/4 cup of cream.
Put the mushrooms and butter in a frying pan on a medium heat and cook until mushrooms go slightly soft. Keep an eye on them and stir occasionally. Add the wine and cook until reduced to about 10%. Add gravy and cook for 5 mins. Add cream and heat through.
How do you guys make the eggs turn fluffy? Like asian restaurant style fluffy, not chef ramsay style fluffy. I've been trying to improve my tomatoes n eggs /shrimp n eggs, but they keep turning out not the way I want them...
On April 16 2014 06:50 imBLIND wrote: How do you guys make the eggs turn fluffy? Like asian restaurant style fluffy, not chef ramsay style fluffy. I've been trying to improve my tomatoes n eggs /shrimp n eggs, but they keep turning out not the way I want them...
How do they turn out not the way you want them?
Generally when I do this recipe, I beat two eggs and cook them before hand. Mix it around while it's still liquid on the pan with chopsticks or spatula, and set it aside while it's still slightly runny.
Cook the tomatoes with a couple slices of ginger and salt/sugar to taste, a splash of ketchup, and add the eggs for like half a minute to finish.
I've never tried just shrimp and eggs, but I might cook shrimp first and then add beaten eggs in shortly after and mix? without having to set eggs aside.
On April 16 2014 06:50 imBLIND wrote: How do you guys make the eggs turn fluffy? Like asian restaurant style fluffy, not chef ramsay style fluffy. I've been trying to improve my tomatoes n eggs /shrimp n eggs, but they keep turning out not the way I want them...
Depending on how much you beat them, they can turn out pretty fluffy, if I'm not mistaken. If remember correctly, it had a lot to do with how much air was in it. Adding cream can also help, and cooking at a low temperature is a must. Edit: Reached page 4!!!
On April 16 2014 06:50 imBLIND wrote: How do you guys make the eggs turn fluffy? Like asian restaurant style fluffy, not chef ramsay style fluffy. I've been trying to improve my tomatoes n eggs /shrimp n eggs, but they keep turning out not the way I want them...
How do they turn out not the way you want them?
Generally when I do this recipe, I beat two eggs and cook them before hand. Mix it around while it's still liquid on the pan with chopsticks or spatula, and set it aside while it's still slightly runny.
Cook the tomatoes with a couple slices of ginger and salt/sugar to taste, a splash of ketchup, and add the eggs for like half a minute to finish.
I've never tried just shrimp and eggs, but I might cook shrimp first and then add beaten eggs in shortly after and mix? without having to set eggs aside.
I'm trying to figure out how asian restaurants get that "layered" fluffy instead of the "complete" fluff if you can understand what I'm trying to say...that's the best way I can describe it. Like if you watch chef ramsay cook eggs, he adds a bunch of butter/cream/low temp, and makes the entire thing super fluffy. It looks nice, but I don't think that goes very well with tomatoes/shrimp/anything else in eggs
On April 16 2014 06:50 imBLIND wrote: How do you guys make the eggs turn fluffy? Like asian restaurant style fluffy, not chef ramsay style fluffy. I've been trying to improve my tomatoes n eggs /shrimp n eggs, but they keep turning out not the way I want them...
Depending on how much you beat them, they can turn out pretty fluffy, if I'm not mistaken. If remember correctly, it had a lot to do with how much air was in it. Adding cream can also help, and cooking at a low temperature is a must. Edit: Reached page 4!!!
Maybe I should try low temp again? From my experience, the eggs just turn out runny and it takes a while for them to solidify. I've been experimenting with adding milk into the mixture, then beating it. It's supposed to make the milk evaporate so that it leaves holes in the scrambled eggs
how much oil should you put for scrambling eggs? i find my scrambled eggs too oily. i usually fry something else with the oil first, throw the oil away and use the frying pan for scrambled eggs. am i doin it right?
A teaspoon or so of oil is usually more than enough. If you have a relatively new non-stick pan, that's usually all you need if any at all.
Also if you're going to get rid of cooking oil after you've cooked something, use a paper towel to soak up the hot oil, let it cool, then throw out the paper towel. Don't just pour it out. It avoids the oil from dripping under the pan etc.
On April 16 2014 12:32 icystorage wrote: wont the paper towel stick? imma try that tho thanks!
just ball it up and wipe it up quick and it shouldnt be an issue
I've not had asian eggs and tomatoes, but I would imagine it would have to do with low heat and some kind of dairy product (milk, cheese... mayo if you are out of the other stuff or a savage like Torte De Lini)
I've never heard of cooking eggs with mayo. Will try. And good tip for dealing with extra amount of oil. I can't remember how many times oil dripped off the side.
butter works in pan sauces. a slurry of water and corn starch would do it too if you wanted some heavy duty thickening. sometimes for chili i crush up some tortilla chips and throw them in for the same effect.
On April 16 2014 12:27 icystorage wrote: how much oil should you put for scrambling eggs? i find my scrambled eggs too oily. i usually fry something else with the oil first, throw the oil away and use the frying pan for scrambled eggs. am i doin it right?
the words 'oil' and 'scrambled eggs' should never occur in the same breath
On April 16 2014 12:27 icystorage wrote: how much oil should you put for scrambling eggs? i find my scrambled eggs too oily. i usually fry something else with the oil first, throw the oil away and use the frying pan for scrambled eggs. am i doin it right?
How much oil?. Zero. If you are using oil to cook scrambled eggs the heat is too high. Scrambled eggs should be cooked on a medium to low heat. Butter is better. When the eggs are 3/4 cooked, take them off the heat and keep stirring until set. If they need a little more cooking, put them back on and then take them off before they set.
A general cooking thread, eh? I guess I'll just throw in a list of ingredients that don't go bad easily and are always handy to have at home. With these (plus bread, meat and vegetables which you should buy fresh), you should have plenty of possibilities to cook a decent meal.
Noodles/pasta Rice Potatoes Flour Eggs
Frozen mixed vegetables Tomatoes, canned or sieved Onions
Cheese Soft cheese Sausage Ham Bacon bits Canned tuna
Butter Olive oil Balsamic vinegar Milk
Salt Pepper Basil Oregano Something hot like chili powder or cayenne pepper Garlic Sweet paprika powder Curry Mustard Honey Sugar
Huh, I always mix before the eggs are in. Will try that. And what`s the opinion on letting the butter sit and melt before the eggs are in. Some of the things in the video weren't really explained
On April 25 2014 14:27 QuanticHawk wrote: anyone have ecuadorian food before? looking for some lunch spots near my gfs work and i saw a highly rated one pop up. I have no idea what to look for
I'm seeing a lot of stew recipes, so don't know if that says anything. Pretty sauce heavy. I'm not sure if I have this right, but plantain looks like a pretty signature part of their dishes.
yeah i did a little googling after. that's pretty nuts. i didnt even know that guinea pigs were food items somewhere.
i ended up just doing indian, but there's apparently an ecuadorian place nearby that im gonna try in the near future. I think plantains were on there too
If you have the time, get a nice marinade going before you start. And don't make the mistake of cooking it too quickly. What's really nice about lamb meat is that when it's cooked slowly, it really does feel like it falls apart in your mouth. Some common spices for lamb include thyme and rosemary. I'd say olive oil is better than butter for it, since it's deeper flavor goes really well with lamb.
On November 29 2014 04:04 Dark_Chill wrote: If you have the time, get a nice marinade going before you start. And don't make the mistake of cooking it too quickly. What's really nice about lamb meat is that when it's cooked slowly, it really does feel like it falls apart in your mouth. Some common spices for lamb include thyme and rosemary. I'd say olive oil is better than butter for it, since it's deeper flavor goes really well with lamb.
On November 29 2014 04:04 Dark_Chill wrote: If you have the time, get a nice marinade going before you start. And don't make the mistake of cooking it too quickly. What's really nice about lamb meat is that when it's cooked slowly, it really does feel like it falls apart in your mouth. Some common spices for lamb include thyme and rosemary. I'd say olive oil is better than butter for it, since it's deeper flavor goes really well with lamb.
cheers man
how would you cook it
grill or fry?
Fry? Wtf? Grill for sure! Get a skillet or other smooth cast iron cooking surface to cook the lamb on (you should always do this with meats anyway) so that you get a proper searing on the outside (400 degrees F minimum). If you want it more done, then stick it in the oven afterwards.
As for spices, you have a lot of options. Just depends upon what else you're serving. I personally am partial to a more Arabic style that features yogurt, zataar, and sumac. Mustard/rosemary/thyme is also excellent.
I definitely feel like oven cooking after grilling slightly is great for it. And xDaunt is right, there are so many different ways to cook lamb when it comes to spices, it's hard to go wrong.
The best lamb I've ever eaten was cooked at low temperature, basicly around 50°C for 5 hours iirc, you need a special oven thermometer as the thermostat is not accurate at those temperatures. It was some basic herbs with it, can't remember what but it was the cooking which made it very good.