USCHO Cooks: Are you our Top Chef?

[Slap Shot]

If you had to pick a final meal of 4 courses + 1 beverage? These came to mind first but I suspect if I chose a list next week some of these would change:

-A dozen oysters from Oceanaire, pass on the Groth sauvignon blanc for something later
-Kuay Teow Reua from Dusit in Bangkok
-The filet oscar from Capital Grille
-Dry Aged burger from Red Hook in Brooklyn
-Aberfeldy 20-year-old exceptional cask single malt

Hard to pass on a half-dozen double jalapenos from White Castle.

 

[Kepler]

I know mine would include heroin.

Also a WGC from the Hot Truck behind UHall 4 at 2 am in December 1981.

Then. I dunno, probably more heroin.

 

[The Sicatoka]

So I declare a course, they prepare it, I eat, I then declare next course, like that?

If so ...

Kimchi please.

(At 21 days to prepare a course, I bet you can guess then next three courses.)

 

[dxmnkd316]

1. Sausage, pepperoni, black olive pizza from Tasty Pizza (Beating Campus Pizza's Paulson by about an angstrom)
2. "Taco" "salad" from when we were younger.
3. A bowl of my dad's beans recipe
4. A fresh batch of my ribs
+
1. Angel's Envy Rye - leave the bottle


(though, a pizza from Luce may also be warranted. We had that on my first date that wasn't a date that turned into a date with my now wife. One of those meals in life worth reliving.)

 

[The Sicatoka]

2. "Taco" "salad" from when we were younger.

Is that what you kids called it? ;-)

 

[FadeToBlack&Gold]

I'm gonna guess that "salad" is the 80s Midwest summer picnic version with taco meat, beans, shredded taco cheese, crushed Doritos, thousand island dressing, and maybe a bit of diced tomato and a few shreds of iceberg lettuce over the top?

 

[dxmnkd316]

I'm gonna guess that "salad" is the 80s Midwest summer picnic version with taco meat, beans, shredded taco cheese, crushed Doritos, thousand island dressing, and maybe a bit of diced tomato and a few shreds of iceberg lettuce over the top?

Essentially, yes. Sans lettuce. Lol. This was from when I was like 8-10. I hated lettuce back then. Also Ortega sauce instead of thousand island.

 

[RaceBoarder]

Took the plunge today and picked up a 10.25" LeCreuset deep skillet and an 11.75" skillet in Navy Blue. These were found at the LeCreuset outlet so I was about 30% under retail, but still... Woof! :-X

These damn things better last till the 2100's and be given to my Great Grandkids/nieces/nephews.

 

[Deutsche Gopher Fan]

Took the plunge today and picked up a 10.25" LeCreuset deep skillet and an 11.75" skillet in Navy Blue. These were found at the LeCreuset outlet so I was about 30% under retail, but still... Woof! :-X

These damn things better last till the 2100's and be given to my Great Grandkids/nieces/nephews.

Congrats!! Most of my pieces are from outlet too.

the everyday braiser/deep skillet is my fave

 

[RaceBoarder]

Congrats!! Most of my pieces are from outlet too.

the everyday braiser/deep skillet is my fave

Yea, I'm thinking the 10" will be the common use one. The sides are quite a bit higher so should be much less spatter to clean up afterwards. It just seems that I always need to have something bigger available because inevitably I seem to try and make something at some point that is just too compacted on a small surface (bacon for example). So that why I got the 11 3/4" as well.

Was tempted to pick up one of the ribbed, rectangular "grill skillets" (what is the technical term for these?) but that makes for some spendy cheeseburgers.

 

[dxmnkd316]

I'm going to say it. The ribbed cast iron grill pans fucking suck. I've reseasoned mine four or five times, used a rub down of oil immediately before cooking, and after cleanup. They just aren't great. I've never been happy with it.

 

[RaceBoarder]

I'm going to say it. The ribbed cast iron grill pans fucking suck. I've reseasoned mine four or five times, used a rub down of oil immediately before cooking, and after cleanup. They just aren't great. I've never been happy with it.

So not close to replicating the open flame/heat directly to the meat effect of an actual grill, eh? Now I feel better about not wanting to spend $Texas today, ha ha...

 

[dxmnkd316]

So not close to replicating the open flame/heat directly to the meat effect of an actual grill, eh? Now I feel better about not wanting to spend $Texas today, ha ha...

I will readily admit I could be a complete moron and don't know what I'm doing. And after using it about a dozen times, I find it's best for fajitas. It's really, really good for that. Almost worth being a unitasker. But you gotta know it's going to be a pain in the ass to clean. Even the flip side that's just a griddle I find to be more trouble than it's worth compared to the anodized aluminum nonstick my wife gave me*.

But burgers I'd rather just take the time and fire up the grill. 30 seconds to mound and light (gas starter FTW!!) and 15 minutes to prep the burgers and accoutrements. Coals are ready by then and I'm good to go.


*this was the first gift she got me for our first Christmas about two months into dating. To this day, probably the best Christmas present I've ever received. First, we built our relationship on cooking together and that pan was used a LOT. Second, it's just so good at what it does. Light, even heat, etc. I'm going to cry when I have to get rid of that pan. The reason I'm saying this is I am probably not totally unbiased.

 

[St. Clown]

I will readily admit I could be a complete moron and don't know what I'm doing. And after using it about a dozen times, I find it's best for fajitas. It's really, really good for that. Almost worth being a unitasker. But you gotta know it's going to be a pain in the *** to clean. Even the flip side that's just a griddle I find to be more trouble than it's worth compared to the anodized aluminum nonstick my wife gave me*.

But burgers I'd rather just take the time and fire up the grill. 30 seconds to mound and light (gas starter FTW!!) and 15 minutes to prep the burgers and accoutrements. Coals are ready by then and I'm good to go.


*this was the first gift she got me for our first Christmas about two months into dating. To this day, probably the best Christmas present I've ever received. First, we built our relationship on cooking together and that pan was used a LOT. Second, it's just so good at what it does. Light, even heat, etc. I'm going to cry when I have to get rid of that pan. The reason I'm saying this is I am probably not totally unbiased.

What kind of pan is the aluminum? I’ve been looking for a good non-stick, but have had great luck. I even used Consumer Report to research the last one I bought. Either I bought a dud or CR just flat out missed the mark on this one.

 

[dxmnkd316]

A fairly generic calphalon. I'll see if I can find a model in the morning.

 

[MissThundercat]

Today, I got a harsh reminder that composed salads at most restaurants are overpriced at best, and if I want one at home, I can probably do it for about $4/serving instead of paying $12 + cost of added protein.

 

[Scarlet]

So, my company is a taking part in the National Black MBA Conference and I'm online watching one of the sessions. After it ended, there was a commercial for this sauce made by a 17-year-old girl. She started the company at 14, has been featured on Shark Tank, etc. The commercial was basically about her partnership with FedEx, but wow. I am so amazed. I think back to when I was 17. I wouldn't have known what to do to start something like this. The sauce looks amazing. Check it out. I may have to order some.

 

[MissThundercat]

A Mom friend let me have some of the cherry tomatoes out of her garden.

I am never going back to store bought tomatoes.

 

[dxmnkd316]

A Mom friend let me have some of the cherry tomatoes out of her garden.

I am never going back to store bought tomatoes.

This was the first year we grew our own bell peppers. Just unreal how good they are even relative to Kirkland.

the fajitas we made with them were s close to perfect as a human could expect.

 

[MissThundercat]

A huge reason for a decrease in my sugar intake is I stopped baking. A lot of my baking creations were based on "what would drunk Amber want," and since Drunk Amber no longer exists, it's hard to create anything.