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USCHO Cooks: Maybe We Can Beat Bobby Flay

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Re: USCHO Cooks: Maybe We Can Beat Bobby Flay

wolverineTrumpet said:
Hubby's family does a gift exchange where we each draw a name. I've been told the uncle I drew likes snack mixes and homemade cookies. He's getting my family's chex mix (mom gave it to neighbors as a gift every year), and various cookies that I'm busy making. Opened up my Southern Living cookbook and skimmed through the cookie section for something that looked good and is a bit different. Made Pecan pie bars last night. They are delicious and I need to pack them into a container to give away before I eat them all myself.
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Recipe?
 
Re: USCHO Cooks: Maybe We Can Beat Bobby Flay

I lost my chili recipe. When I made the spice mix, I made enough for three or four batches, but I don't know exactly how much I need to put into the beef, or amount of beans, onion, chili peppers, etc. I'm so irritated with myself. I've been searching for the recipe online, but can't find it. :mad:
 
Re: USCHO Cooks: Maybe We Can Beat Bobby Flay

St. Clown said:
I lost my chili recipe. When I made the spice mix, I made enough for three or four batches, but I don't know exactly how much I need to put into the beef, or amount of beans, onion, chili peppers, etc. I'm so irritated with myself. I've been searching for the recipe online, but can't find it. :mad:
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Did it happen to have Wasabi paste in it?
 
Re: USCHO Cooks: Maybe We Can Beat Bobby Flay

FadeToBlack&Gold said:
Did it happen to have Wasabi paste in it?
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Nope.

So I've taken another stab at chili, it seemed like the right weekend to do it. This could get spicy due to the chili peppers, but I did de-seed them so I'm hoping that mitigates the heat a little.

2 lbs 93/7 ground beef
2 15.5oz cans dark red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 15.5oz can black beans, drained and rinsed
2 15oz cans tomato sauce
1 6oz can tomato paste
1 4oz can green chili peppers
1 red onion - large, diced, though didn't use 100% of it
5 cloves garlic, minced
2 Serrano chili peppers, chopped
1 Anaheim chili pepper, chopped
And roughly 3.5 Tbsp of the chili spice mix I made last year, basically all that I had left from last year, which could be way more than I was suppose to use. I'll find out in about four hours!


Browned the beef in 1Tbsp of garlic & chili pepper infused olive oil, with the onion, garlic and peppers, drained the grease before placing in the slow cooker. Tossed the beans on top of the beef, then the tomato sauce, tomato paste and then the spice mix. Mixed all but the beef with a spoon and put the lid on the slow cooker, low heat for 4.5 hours.

As to the mystery mix, I don't know the ratios, but it consists of cumin, cayenne pepper, coriander, chili powder, oregano, and possibly some parsley and garlic powder.
 
Re: USCHO Cooks: Maybe We Can Beat Bobby Flay

I've found that seeding & de-ribbing any hot pepper decreases its heat substantially, so I think you're fine. Anaheims are very mild to begin with, it's the Serranos (and maybe the cayenne powder, depending on amount) that will fire you up.

I once put a whole, chopped birds' eye pepper into a pot of chili. Huge mistake. I like heat, but that batch of chili was almost inedible.
 
Re: USCHO Cooks: Maybe We Can Beat Bobby Flay

St. Clown said:
I lost my chili recipe. When I made the spice mix, I made enough for three or four batches, but I don't know exactly how much I need to put into the beef, or amount of beans, onion, chili peppers, etc. I'm so irritated with myself. I've been searching for the recipe online, but can't find it. :mad:
Click to expand...

I never use a recipe for chili, or most things like that. Just throw stuff together, and it always tastes good. No need for a recipe. My wife always wants to use recipes, but I've found that too many recipes aren't that good anyway. Its easier to just put ingredients together that work well together, compliment each other, and then season appropriately to taste.


A few nights ago, I made bean soup, the way my mom always makes it. I froze a ham bone, with some ham left on it, after Thanksgiving. So, pulled that out of the freezer, boiled it for 2 and a half hours. Added some great northern beans that I soaked for 12 hours, some onions, salt, pepper, and chopped carrots. Boiled it for a bit more, pulled the bones out, and the result was just about the best soup you can find. Very simple, not many ingredients, but the ham bone makes such a flavorful soup base, you really don't need to do much.
 
Re: USCHO Cooks: Maybe We Can Beat Bobby Flay

Baking requires recipes. Cooking recipes are just guidelines. Ways to remember how you made something taste good in the past.

Take my chili recipe, it's awesome. But it's different every time. I keep notes when I try something new.
 
Found out where I screwed up with my candy the other night. I grew a little impatient, turned up the heat, and the sugar scorched.

On that note, I checked out Joy of Cooking from the library, and I'm going to have some fun with the "Candies and Confections" section over the next couple weeks.
 
Re: USCHO Cooks: Maybe We Can Beat Bobby Flay

ShirtlessBob said:
Found out where I screwed up with my candy the other night. I grew a little impatient, turned up the heat, and the sugar scorched.
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I have done this. It's one of the saddest things in the universe. "My children! Just a moment ago they were full of such promise!" :(
 
Re: USCHO Cooks: Maybe We Can Beat Bobby Flay

bigblue_dl said:
I never use a recipe for chili, or most things like that. Just throw stuff together, and it always tastes good. No need for a recipe. My wife always wants to use recipes, but I've found that too many recipes aren't that good anyway. Its easier to just put ingredients together that work well together, compliment each other, and then season appropriately to taste.


A few nights ago, I made bean soup, the way my mom always makes it. I froze a ham bone, with some ham left on it, after Thanksgiving. So, pulled that out of the freezer, boiled it for 2 and a half hours. Added some great northern beans that I soaked for 12 hours, some onions, salt, pepper, and chopped carrots. Boiled it for a bit more, pulled the bones out, and the result was just about the best soup you can find. Very simple, not many ingredients, but the ham bone makes such a flavorful soup base, you really don't need to do much.
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I don't have a strong ability, or just never developed the ability, to take a taste of something and figure out what's missing. So I mostly rely upon recipes, though I will go off script from time to time, like I did with the chili. And the chili did turn out pretty good. It definitely would have had issues had I kept the seeds in the two Serrano peppers.

Speaking of which, after de-seeding the chili peppers my hands were on fire for the remainder of the day no matter how many times I washed them. Lesson learned.
 
Re: USCHO Cooks: Maybe We Can Beat Bobby Flay

dxmnkd316 said:
Baking requires recipes. Cooking recipes are just guidelines. Ways to remember how you made something taste good in the past.

Take my chili recipe, it's awesome. But it's different every time. I keep notes when I try something new.
Click to expand...

Yeah, baking is completely different. But I don't bake very often, I prefer cooking over baking. I guess when I am changing how I make stuff, I just remember it, and don't take note of it. If it is good, I'll remember, and do it again.

I actually killed it all last week with making dinner. Also made a really good seafood pasta, and an awesome homemade jambalaya, using Northern Waters Andouille.
 
Re: USCHO Cooks: Maybe We Can Beat Bobby Flay

Chicken Paprikash

Used half sweet paprika, half smoked, and also added a couple dashes of cayenne to emulate the hot kind (which is tough to find in an ordinary grocery store).

Turned out just about perfect. Next time I would salt the gravy to taste before putting the chicken back in for the oven braising portion. Also, definitely use chicken thighs instead of drumsticks - easier to eat.
 
Re: USCHO Cooks: Maybe We Can Beat Bobby Flay

Made Smitten Kitchen Brown Butter Coconut cookies for our first holiday party and they were a huge it.
 
Tried making Nancy Fuller's chocolate toffee no bakes. That was a disaster. The chocolate burned in the pan, and they didn't set as cookies. I'll rework the recipe and try again later.
 
Re: USCHO Cooks: Maybe We Can Beat Bobby Flay

ShirtlessBob said:
Tried making Nancy Fuller's chocolate toffee no bakes. That was a disaster. The chocolate burned in the pan, and they didn't set as cookies. I'll rework the recipe and try again later.
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Try....baking them? :D ;)
 
Re: USCHO Cooks: Maybe We Can Beat Bobby Flay

In terms of things I can do, I checked out a copy of "Joy of Cooking" from the local library, and the section on Candies and Confections just has my heart fluttering. Fudge, caramels, turtles, butterscotch, etc... all I need for those is time and patience. If you take your eyes off a candy thermometer, the sugar will go over on you.
 
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