|
Better links: The Spice Replacement Gift Crate: http://www.penzeys.com/scstore/giftboxes/new/spiceReplacement.html The Two Hearts Gift Crate: http://www.penzeys.com/scstore/giftboxes/new/twoHeartsCrate.html I'd probably get the Two Hearts Gift Crate myself -- it looks like it has more variety and less "this is spicy hot," but neither of them seem to actually have a lot of basic spices, just... named mixes.
|
#
?
May 1, 2013 07:47
|
|
|
|
| # ? May 22, 2024 07:35 |
|
|
I would find an Indian grocer and start from there. They will oft have great spices for super cheap.
|
|
#
?
May 1, 2013 07:53
|
|
|
tarepanda posted:Better links: A lot of that is useless stuff. curry powder, cake seasoning blah blah blah. Gets some s/s jars from ikea or somewhere, buy whole seeds where you can, buy spices as needed, indian or asian small grocery shops are the best bet, but even small independent shops have spices in bags. Just saying as recently I've been throwing out powdered spices my partner got in spice racks or for a one off lovely recipe. Here's the ones I kept and use: Whole: coriander seed cumin seed mustard seed fennel seed cloves szechuan pepper cardamom pods fenugreek seed Powder: Turmeric Garam masala ginger (don't really use this much as I keep ginger in the freezer to grate) nutmeg chinese 5 spice allspice onion (bought this for rubs) garlic (bought this for rubs) smoked paprika cinnamon yellow mustard (bought this for a few AB GE recipes) Dried leaves: Oregano curry bay leaves tarragon But I grow coriander(cilantro), parsley, dill, thyme, rosemary, mint, basil, oregano (sometimes I want dried oregano, sometimes I want fresh) in pots, so you might want some of them dried if you aren't growing them. But I grow them because I don't like the dried versions, so you should look into growing them in pots. Edit: Yeah, forgot chilli, get a cayenne powder as well. I grow chillies fresh so I don't have that, but either grow a plant or get a packet of that. Fo3 fucked around with this message at 13:12 on May 1, 2013 |
|
#
?
May 1, 2013 13:05
|
|
|
Assuming they're new to whole spices, I wouldn't go out and buy a shitton in one go. Buy on a per cuisine/recipe basis and learn how to use then before committing to a ton you may or may not use. Of course there are ubiquitous spices like pepper, cumin, mustard seed, etc. Pick a cuisine, learn a few recipes with those spices. Get comfortable with them, then move on. Also, fresh vs dried ginger, chiles, and others are different things both in application and in flavor profile. GrAviTy84 fucked around with this message at 13:34 on May 1, 2013 |
|
#
?
May 1, 2013 13:32
|
|
|
GrAviTy84 posted:I would find an Indian grocer and start from there. They will oft have great spices for super cheap. I would do exactly this!
|
|
#
?
May 1, 2013 13:47
|
|
|
GrAviTy84 posted:Assuming they're new to whole spices, I wouldn't go out and buy a shitton in one go. Buy on a per cuisine/recipe basis and learn how to use then before committing to a ton you may or may not use. Of course there are ubiquitous spices like pepper, cumin, mustard seed, etc. Yeah, and I have them both, like ginger (in powder and in the freezer), fresh chillies, and chillies I've dried and/or powdered myself. Just gave a run down man, of stuff I kept, and buy as you need them, not in a rack like I said in my third sentence. I've been throwing out stuff like lemongrass and ginger, lemon pepper and stuff. I just wanted to point out the basic spices that are more useful. The spices better to buy whole in my list were spices that are easily available whole, and they will last a lot longer on the shelf than powdered version if you don't use them a lot. So buy whole if you can of those spices rather than powder was my point. Fo3 fucked around with this message at 13:56 on May 1, 2013 |
|
#
?
May 1, 2013 13:53
|
|
|
If you do get powders make sure to keep them in airtight containers to maximize how long they'll last. You'll probably want to toss and replace them every six months or so, though some last longer than others. They don't go bad they just get weak. That's why whole ones are recommended when possible, until you grind it they won't go off. Some will last you several years if they're kept whole.
|
|
#
?
May 1, 2013 13:57
|
|
|
I agree with anyone posting to get your own jars/powders and stick to straight up spices/dried herbs. Those other things are just mixes. Don't use spice mixes if you can help it.GrAviTy84 posted:Assuming they're new to whole spices, I wouldn't go out and buy a shitton in one go. This though, I'm not too sure - my only reasoning for this is that if you do it this way, for the first 3 months of cooking you'll say "...dried dill? Well, back to the store." or whatever. Get as many as you can comfortably afford. I mean, if you're looking at $200 spice mix gift sets. You could easily get dozens of 'regular' spices for that price in one go and then have them on hand.
|
|
#
?
May 1, 2013 15:51
|
|
|
There's a recipe on the wiki labeled "Lentil & Chicken Curry" which is completely inaccessible because clicking on any link to it just sends you to a nonexistent Lentil page. Every time I look at chicken recipes I try clicking on it just to see what it's about and it's starting to bug me. What is this recipe? Or alternately, is there a way to access the page? If someone can rename the page to get rid of the & I think that would fix it, but they'd still have to figure out how to access the page I think. Relatedly, I'm also looking for something easy to do with a bunch of chicken thighs that won't send me on a trip to the store. I also can't cook with alcohol :/ Otherwise I had found a few things that were interesting. So far I'm thinking maybe chicken adobo. Comic fucked around with this message at 16:40 on May 1, 2013 |
|
#
?
May 1, 2013 16:33
|
|
|
I tried getting to the page using google's cache option, but even that's no luck. Chicken thighs make for great chicken satay if you don't mind boning them. After boning them, if you've got curry making things, I'd suggest marinating them in either something with a little fish sauce, or alternatively yogurt (and coconut milk if you've got it), with some curry seasoning mixed in. Then skewer, grill (or pan fry), and dip in a peanut sauce you can make from peanut butter, or whatever suits your fancy.
|
|
#
?
May 1, 2013 16:50
|
|
|
I have a bunch of bok choy. I know you can stir fry it, and I've sliced some thin and used it in a slaw, but what else can I use this stuff for?
|
|
#
?
May 1, 2013 17:51
|
|
|
rj54x posted:I have a bunch of bok choy. I know you can stir fry it, and I've sliced some thin and used it in a slaw, but what else can I use this stuff for?
|
|
#
?
May 1, 2013 18:15
|
|
|
I like to julienne it and use it as egg roll filling.
|
|
#
?
May 1, 2013 19:10
|
|
|
I see that there. posted:I agree with anyone posting to get your own jars/powders and stick to straight up spices/dried herbs. Those other things are just mixes. Don't use spice mixes if you can help it. Yeah. My bad for not really looking closely at the penzeys sets. Don't think I'll go that route. I actually pulled about 25-30 essential spices into a cart on the Penzeys site, and it ended up cheaper than the sets. I even had cardamom and other expensive stuff. I agree with your advice, everyone  I'm definitely going to check locally before I resort to online. I just moved to Portland OR from Las Vegas so the difference between the ingredient availability is night and day--I have to get it out of my head that I don't have to order everything online anymore!
|
|
#
?
May 1, 2013 19:24
|
|
|
I just saw my grocer has fresh turmeric. My instinct is to grab it, but I don't know what will be really good to make with it (vegetarian). Any suggestions, good goons? I'm thinking of making my own paneer, so a fresh turmeric paneer dish might be good.
|
|
#
?
May 1, 2013 20:30
|
|
|
You're going to be 20 and want a spice and be pissed that you don't have it. You're going to be 30 and have a spice and be pissed because you don't know why you have it.
|
|
#
?
May 1, 2013 21:12
|
|
|
Anyone here versed in South East Asian cuisine? We have a fairly large Asian expat community here that has resulted in a bunch of great and more traditional Chinese restaurants, several Vietnamese restaurants, two Thai restaurants, and sadly no Korean restaurants but a ton of Viet/Korean run and owned hair and nail salons :P. My GF is from Shanghai and we've been trying to find a restaurant that helps cure her homesickness a bit. The last few times we've gone to an Asian restaurant she's ordered the Hot Pot. The Hot Pot has largely been the same everywhere and has largely resembled the type of service you get when you order Pho. Huge bowl, delicious broth, noodles, meat, some type of vegetable and greens to go along with it. Regardless of whether or not the restaurant predominantly identifies as Vietnamese or Chinese. Except for one place, which is the "most" Vietnamese of all the Vietnamese style restaurants. Whereas the other restaurants are focused around serving Vietnamese baguettes with sushi and Pho on the side, this one particular restaurant is almost 100% focused on Pho and Hot Pots. This particular restaurants Hot Pot is not like the soupy Hot Pot you get else where. You get what is basically a ramekin half filled with rice (that has a crispy almost fried texture on the outside reminiscent of tahdiq) and topped with what I believe to be julienned bamboo shoot and thinly sliced onion. Very very very flavorful and definitely not a soup. We go back to this restaurant specifically for their Hot Pot (and a very spicy and ginger heavy variant of Pho that I am in love with). We were thinking of making this at home, so I've begun looking up recipes, YT vids, etc. Sadly, I have not come across a recipe or video that resembles the Hot Pot I am ordering at my favorite Vietnamese restaurant. Could anyone offer some insight, clarification, etc? Also, Vietnamese pancakes are freaking awesome. ed I never make dhal or any type of lentil dish without tumeric. It's also great in dishes with chickpeas, okra, and I even put it with brussel sprouts once. I purchased a bottle for four bucks about six years ago and still have about half left. Oh, btw, good way to get the funk out of brussel sprouts is to soak them in lemon juice for a bit prior to cooking, right?
|
|
#
?
May 1, 2013 21:15
|
|
|
^^^ I just roast them, works good enough for me. therattle posted:I just saw my grocer has fresh turmeric. My instinct is to grab it, but I don't know what will be really good to make with it (vegetarian). Any suggestions, good goons? This just came up like 10-15 pages ago. Only certain cuisines use it fresh; Dino had an answer but I don't recall what it was. therattle posted:I'm thinking of making my own paneer, so a fresh turmeric paneer dish might be good. DO IT! You can taste the freshness.
|
|
#
?
May 1, 2013 21:24
|
|
|
Who had the awesome gluten-free flour recipe? dino.?
|
|
#
?
May 2, 2013 00:42
|
|
|
I bought a plantain the other day and was too lazy to look up how to cook it so I did the following: 1) Chopped it into slices 2) Fired them in an alarming amount of butter until brown 3) Threw in more butter and like a tablespoon of dark brown sugar 4) Tossed them around to coat and let the sugar burn a little 5) At them all like a piggy. They were good, the burnt sugar was a nice addition over how they normally taste when I get them at like Jamacian places. Do you guys think frying them in a small amount of neutral oil would work? I would like to cut down on the butter and only add a smaller amount at the end with the sugar but I don't want them to be oily.
|
|
#
?
May 2, 2013 01:03
|
|
|
Drink and Fight posted:Who had the awesome gluten-free flour recipe? dino.? Here's a lemon poppyseed cake he did: http://forums.somethingawful.com/showthread.php?threadid=3413016&pagenumber=18&perpage=40#post408530947 Thomas Keller has a well known gluten free flour, but it's $20/3lbs. You can google for knockoff/DIY versions: http://glutenfreeonashoestring.com/better-than-cup4cup-gluten-free-flour-blend-d-i-y-how-to/ Steve Yun fucked around with this message at 01:09 on May 2, 2013 |
|
#
?
May 2, 2013 01:07
|
|
|
I put some ground cinnamon in my ginger ale this time and it seems to have gathered most all of the grated ginger into a foamy mass at the top of the bottle. Is something going wrong? It looks really weird. I'm guessing it's the heat but fermentation seems to be getting about done after about 7 hours. dis astranagant fucked around with this message at 02:08 on May 2, 2013 |
|
#
?
May 2, 2013 01:37
|
|
|
bunnielab posted:Do you guys think frying them in a small amount of neutral oil would work? I would like to cut down on the butter and only add a smaller amount at the end with the sugar but I don't want them to be oily. Frying things without them being oily is all about oil temp. I deep fry plain bananas chunks (1/8-1/6 a banana or so) at 375 degrees in peanut oil and then dredge in a cinnamon and powdered sugar mixture. They are not oily and are freaking amazing as the sugar combines with the little bit of oil at temp to form a thick glaze.
|
|
#
?
May 2, 2013 01:51
|
|
|
baquerd posted:Frying things without them being oily is all about oil temp. I deep fry plain bananas chunks (1/8-1/6 a banana or so) at 375 degrees in peanut oil and then dredge in a cinnamon and powdered sugar mixture. They are not oily and are freaking amazing as the sugar combines with the little bit of oil at temp to form a thick glaze. Interesting. I would like to stick with pan frying due to the aforementioned laziness. Other than an infrared thermometer, is there a decent way to gauge the temp of a very light skim of oil?
|
|
#
?
May 2, 2013 02:00
|
|
|
bunnielab posted:Interesting. I would like to stick with pan frying due to the aforementioned laziness. Other than an infrared thermometer, is there a decent way to gauge the temp of a very light skim of oil? Not really, oil looks pretty much the same from maybe 200 degrees up to a few below its smoke point. If you drop stuff in it, with time and accurate temp readings to correlate with you might be able to tell. That said, pan frying is an inch or two of oil away from deep frying - just get a small pan with high walls and work in batches if you want to conserve oil. As a question, I'm curious why the temperature effect happens, I know that particularly with porous stuff like breading, temp is a huge deal with oiliness. I'm less certain about stuff like bananas, but it seems that higher temps lower oil viscosity, so more of it slides off when you pull it out? Is the same effect happening with bread crumbs, or is there another variable?
|
|
#
?
May 2, 2013 02:35
|
|
|
If your oil is hot enough you're basically steaming the food in its own juices. The juices become steam and force the oil out. Cook too long and the steam pressure starts to fall and oil gets in. Cook too cold and oil gets absorbed before steam forms.
|
|
#
?
May 2, 2013 02:49
|
|
|
dis astranagant posted:I put some ground cinnamon in my ginger ale this time and it seems to have gathered most all of the grated ginger into a foamy mass at the top of the bottle. Is something going wrong? It looks really weird. Ground cinnamon tends to clump together and create this vaguely snot-like mass in liquid. If you google "snot cinnamon" whatever (seriously) you'll get a lot of hits of "what the gently caress happened to my coffee?!"
|
|
#
?
May 2, 2013 04:59
|
|
|
Is there some way to prevent that short of throwing a stick or 2 in there?
|
|
#
?
May 2, 2013 05:23
|
|
|
dis astranagant posted:Is there some way to prevent that short of throwing a stick or 2 in there? Pour a tiny bit of ginger ale into a bowl, whisk the cinnamon in madly, then pour it back in and stir. The same thing happens if you try to thicken something with cornstarch without dispersing it in a bit of water/liquid first.
|
|
#
?
May 2, 2013 05:27
|
|
|
Or just make a cinnamon tincture and add it.
|
|
#
?
May 2, 2013 05:32
|
|
|
Probably gonna try mixing it in good with the water next batch. I got a little bit of cinnamon flavor from this attempt but not as much as I'd expect from the amount I used. The ginger pulp/cinnamon sludge at the top of the bottle is about the consistency of tar and made a mess when I tried to bleed off a bit of pressure before I opened the bottle, so I'm definitely not going to just dump it in and give it a shake at the start of the ferment next time.
|
|
#
?
May 2, 2013 05:48
|
|
|
therattle posted:I just saw my grocer has fresh turmeric. My instinct is to grab it, but I don't know what will be really good to make with it (vegetarian). Any suggestions, good goons? nooooooo raw turmeric is so assy, you need to let it bloom in some hot fat first, and that would likely make pressing paneer complicated. There are some vietnamese rice crepes out there that use turmeric which are fun. Bánh xèo
|
|
#
?
May 2, 2013 07:09
|
|
|
I have about 30 corn tortillas that are good for another 3-4 weeks. It is really hard to come by fresh tortillas in Australia so I don't want to waste them. I'm looking for recipe thoughts that are kid or adult friendly. I'm already thinking about - Basic quesadillas, cheese/corn/beans/whatever I have in the fridge - Chilaquiles. I love these but they are going to chew up only 1-2 tortillas a serve Have already done a round of enchiladas and consumed probably 15 tortillas (not including the remainders) so far. I don't really want to do another enchilada run unless totally necessary. Ideas welcome!
|
|
#
?
May 2, 2013 08:06
|
|
|
How about tostadas or migas?
|
|
#
?
May 2, 2013 08:35
|
|
|
Hey guys, got some questions about making masa, specifically the soaking/boiling step: 1. Does the corn have to be soaked in a cal solution (calcium hydroxide) specifically, or can it be any type of alkaline water? 2. How bad of an idea is soaking coarse-ground corn in the alkaline water instead of corn kernels? Or is this actually viable? I live in Dongguan, China, so kansui and other types of alkaline water are readily available. Regular field corn is also available, but so far I've only found them in big-rear end hog feedin' bags. Coarse-ground corn is more readily available in sane amounts. (Of course, 5 seconds after I post this, I'll find a TaoBao seller with exactly what I want...) Any info would be great, thanks!
|
|
#
?
May 2, 2013 09:03
|
|
|
I have some creamed coconut that I bought to make korma. Wikipedia tells me creamed coconut is also used in Thai cuisine. I've never cooked anything Thai, what should I make with it?
|
|
#
?
May 2, 2013 12:04
|
|
|
Tupperwarez posted:Hey guys, got some questions about making masa, specifically the soaking/boiling step: 1. No, you don't have to use cal, but it is ideal because it is less poisonous then other options, and it doesn't leave residual flavors after you wash it off. Do you have Amazon.com in China? Even if you can find a small packet, a little goes a long way. That said, if you have other alkaline solutions that are typically used in pickling/food processing, there is no harm in experimenting. 2. SUPER BAD idea. The whole point is to partially dissolve the pericarp (outer shell). The insides barely get wet. In general, this is something that just takes practice, if only because of how much corn varies. You may find various recipes online, but you still need to monitor the process, paying attention to the smell and feel of the corn, to know when it's done. I used a purpose made masa grinder (looks a lot like a manual meat grinder, but with a different grinding plate), but you can use a food processor. Grind finer for tortillas, and coarser for tamales and gorditas. EDIT Here is the link that originally inspired me, some good info: http://www.cookingissues.com/2011/03/09/mesoamerican-miracle-megapost-tortillas-and-nixtamalization/ Also, here are my notes from my ISCA entry where I made tamales from scratch: quote:2 pounds corn, 2 tablespoons cal, 12 cups of water. Bring to rolling boil, turn heat back to a low boil/simmer, cook for 15 minutes and turn off flame. Let soak for 1.5 hours, the water will get cloudy and gross looking from the dissolving pericarp. Drain, and then agitate with your hands to break up some of the pericarp. You want some remaining, as it provides workability to the eventual dough (and tamale dough needs more then tortilla dough). That slime on my hand is mushy, partially disolved pericarp. Soak and rinse twice more, and we are ready to grind. Again, every batch of corn is different. Let your nose guide you. Squashy Nipples fucked around with this message at 13:13 on May 2, 2013 |
|
#
?
May 2, 2013 13:07
|
|
|
therattle posted:I just saw my grocer has fresh turmeric. My instinct is to grab it, but I don't know what will be really good to make with it (vegetarian). Any suggestions, good goons? Cube up some potatoes, boil them, drain and coat in oil/turmeric. Yum.
|
|
#
?
May 2, 2013 13:44
|
|
|
Lovies, he's talking fresh turmeric, not the powdered stuff. Fresh is awful stuff. The rattle is well aware of how to use the turmeric spice. The fresh stuff is like if you got a ginger root fresh. Just avoid it, rattle.
|
|
#
?
May 2, 2013 16:22
|
|
|
|
| # ? May 22, 2024 07:35 |
|
|
Bob Morales posted:Cube up some potatoes, boil them, drain and coat in oil/turmeric. Yum. Like Dino said, he's talking fresh tumeric. But I get where you are coming from, that's my dinner tomorrow night. Well not just potatoes and turmeric (powder), going the whole hog and making tikil gomen. Turmeric, potatoes, ginger, garlic, onion, cabbage, chilli. Though I normally grill or broil sliced potato and plate them separately (tikil gomen works better with crunchy potatoes not falling apart). Then while I'm grilling the potatoes, I saute the onions, cabbage, garlic, turmeric, chilli and ginger separately, and pour that on top of the potatoes.
|
|
#
?
May 2, 2013 17:30
|
|