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USCHO Cooks: Open Your Mystery Basket.
- Thread starter MissThundercat
- Start date
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Re: USCHO Cooks: Open Your Mystery Basket.
A little.
I would definitely recommend the Bake-cations only for people that really LOVE baking, as that is a LONG day. And then you do it again the next day. I was in bed at 9:30 each night.
A little.
I would definitely recommend the Bake-cations only for people that really LOVE baking, as that is a LONG day. And then you do it again the next day. I was in bed at 9:30 each night.Re: USCHO Cooks: Open Your Mystery Basket.
Turning in my Christmas cookie contest entries tomorrow.
Roaring Dan's Maple-Cran Oat-Pecan Cookies
Caramel-Scotch Eggnog Cookies with Kahlua Nutmeg Glaze
Gingerbread Bars with Hot Buttered Rum Glaze (made with caramel and cream cheese)
and all 3 involve booze.
Turning in my Christmas cookie contest entries tomorrow.
Roaring Dan's Maple-Cran Oat-Pecan Cookies
Caramel-Scotch Eggnog Cookies with Kahlua Nutmeg Glaze
Gingerbread Bars with Hot Buttered Rum Glaze (made with caramel and cream cheese)
and all 3 involve booze.
bigblue_dl
Armed
Proud2baLaker
Master of Science
Re: USCHO Cooks: Open Your Mystery Basket.
Thinking about brining the turkey for Thanksgiving this year. Thoughts, tips, tricks, suggestions, recipes? I know the basic recipe with water, salt and some sugar for balance. Curious what others might have tried to impart some flavor.
Thinking about brining the turkey for Thanksgiving this year. Thoughts, tips, tricks, suggestions, recipes? I know the basic recipe with water, salt and some sugar for balance. Curious what others might have tried to impart some flavor.
MissThundercat
Are the cis okay?
FadeToBlack&Gold
Microlot Marxist
Re: USCHO Cooks: Open Your Mystery Basket.
Yep, it's a dandy. Works every time.
I miss the days when Alton did that kind of stuff. Now he's relegated to cheesy Food Network hosting duties. Not sure which is worse that, or Bourdain's last-ever appearance on Travel Channel when Tony was in Atlanta to finish his contract for The Layover - Alton met him for a breakfast-dinner at some locals place, spouted a few lines on the history of "Southern cuisine", and then...they went to the oldest strip club in Atlanta, dating to the late 1800s. Picture Alton, wearing a bowtie, in a nasty old strip club with wrinkled strippers who've worked there for years (sorry...here's the brain bleach). Tony, of course, was in his element, but adding AB to the formula made it awkwardly bad.
Yep, it's a dandy. Works every time.
I miss the days when Alton did that kind of stuff. Now he's relegated to cheesy Food Network hosting duties. Not sure which is worse that, or Bourdain's last-ever appearance on Travel Channel when Tony was in Atlanta to finish his contract for The Layover - Alton met him for a breakfast-dinner at some locals place, spouted a few lines on the history of "Southern cuisine", and then...they went to the oldest strip club in Atlanta, dating to the late 1800s. Picture Alton, wearing a bowtie, in a nasty old strip club with wrinkled strippers who've worked there for years (sorry...here's the brain bleach). Tony, of course, was in his element, but adding AB to the formula made it awkwardly bad.
MissThundercat
Are the cis okay?
Re: USCHO Cooks: Open Your Mystery Basket.
I really don't like Cutthroat Kitchen. At least on Iron Chef America, Chopped, Cupcake Wars, and Sweet Genius, where you're judged on your ability to produce a dish with the mystery ingredients. On Cutthroat Kitchen, you win by screwing over your competitors. And for a show like that, Alton's personality doesn't mesh with the attitude of the show. Simon Majumdar would be a better host...
True Blue Fan
USAF
Re: USCHO Cooks: Open Your Mystery Basket.
Alton Brown's brine is great. I tried my own a few years ago and have stuck with it since. I take 4 quarts of vegtable stock, add 1/2 cup kosher salt, 1/4 cup sugar, 2 tablespoons each of dried thyme, rosemary and sage. Bring to boil and quickly take of heat and let cool to room temp. Add approx 1 gallon of ice water and then soak the bird for 12-24 hours. Awesome flavor.
Alton Brown's brine is great. I tried my own a few years ago and have stuck with it since. I take 4 quarts of vegtable stock, add 1/2 cup kosher salt, 1/4 cup sugar, 2 tablespoons each of dried thyme, rosemary and sage. Bring to boil and quickly take of heat and let cool to room temp. Add approx 1 gallon of ice water and then soak the bird for 12-24 hours. Awesome flavor.
Proud2baLaker
Master of Science
Re: USCHO Cooks: Open Your Mystery Basket.
Alton's was the first I looked at when I started looking around on the web. It sounds interesting and good. Never heard of the allspice berries or candied ginger. Where in a typical grocery might one find them? One of the things I had read from others doing a brining was that the juiciness you get is kind of bland. Though, I have a feeling that was due to them using very basic brines (salt, sugar, and water only).
Alton's was the first I looked at when I started looking around on the web. It sounds interesting and good. Never heard of the allspice berries or candied ginger. Where in a typical grocery might one find them? One of the things I had read from others doing a brining was that the juiciness you get is kind of bland. Though, I have a feeling that was due to them using very basic brines (salt, sugar, and water only).
FadeToBlack&Gold
Microlot Marxist
Re: USCHO Cooks: Open Your Mystery Basket.
They're usually in the spice aisle, sometimes you just have to look through the spice racks a little harder.
They're usually in the spice aisle, sometimes you just have to look through the spice racks a little harder.
Re: USCHO Cooks: Open Your Mystery Basket.
Check the produce section for candied/crystallized ginger. It's usually sold in a plastic bag.
Check the produce section for candied/crystallized ginger. It's usually sold in a plastic bag.
Proud2baLaker
Master of Science
Re: USCHO Cooks: Open Your Mystery Basket.
I figured that's where those items would be. Don't use them in my normal cooking so can't say I have ever had to look for them before. I have been in some weird grocery stores where things seem to be just randomly put together in the isles/areas.
I figured that's where those items would be. Don't use them in my normal cooking so can't say I have ever had to look for them before. I have been in some weird grocery stores where things seem to be just randomly put together in the isles/areas.
DaveStPaul
New member
Re: USCHO Cooks: Open Your Mystery Basket.
Issue #1 / Side Dishes
a) Brussels sprouts and baby carrots, with balsamic vinegar
You could saute them until they're really nice and carmelized, but if the stove top is too crowded you can roast them, too. You can also do them in maple syrup instead of balsamic. Or -- wait for it -- in bourbon.
b) Salad
It sounds boring, but I love having a fresh, seasonal salad with Thanksgiving dinner. Not least because it doesn't involve any cooking, and can be done ahead of time. Just pick three or four seasonal things:
i) Watercress, baby spinach, orange segments
ii) Curly endive, radicchio, persimmons
Heck, even iii) Green leaf lettuce, celery, green olives
Issue #2 / Sweet Potatoes
One slight twist is to do mashed sweet potatoes, but with tropical flavors mixed in. Sweet potatoes *are* tropical, so other things that grow where they grow will go well with them. The easiest way is to mash them with butter and lime juice. (Salt and pepper too, obviously.) They're *really* good with a squeeze of lime.
Issue #1 / Side Dishes
a) Brussels sprouts and baby carrots, with balsamic vinegar
You could saute them until they're really nice and carmelized, but if the stove top is too crowded you can roast them, too. You can also do them in maple syrup instead of balsamic. Or -- wait for it -- in bourbon.
b) Salad
It sounds boring, but I love having a fresh, seasonal salad with Thanksgiving dinner. Not least because it doesn't involve any cooking, and can be done ahead of time. Just pick three or four seasonal things:
i) Watercress, baby spinach, orange segments
ii) Curly endive, radicchio, persimmons
Heck, even iii) Green leaf lettuce, celery, green olives
Issue #2 / Sweet Potatoes
One slight twist is to do mashed sweet potatoes, but with tropical flavors mixed in. Sweet potatoes *are* tropical, so other things that grow where they grow will go well with them. The easiest way is to mash them with butter and lime juice. (Salt and pepper too, obviously.) They're *really* good with a squeeze of lime.
FadeToBlack&Gold
Microlot Marxist
Re: USCHO Cooks: Open Your Mystery Basket.
Chopped Brussels sprouts, red onion, crumbled bacon, and cheese.
Or, Google a recipe for 24-Hour Salad, which (as you can guess) is made a day ahead and refrigerated.
I was never big on sweet potatoes, I may have to try that lime juice trick sometime.
DaveStPaul said:
Chopped Brussels sprouts, red onion, crumbled bacon, and cheese.
Or, Google a recipe for 24-Hour Salad, which (as you can guess) is made a day ahead and refrigerated.
I was never big on sweet potatoes, I may have to try that lime juice trick sometime.
bigblue_dl
Armed
Re: USCHO Cooks: Open Your Mystery Basket.
The only way to have sweet potatos is cooked in a mapley brown sugar slurry, covered in toasted marshmallows. Sooooo good.
The only way to have sweet potatos is cooked in a mapley brown sugar slurry, covered in toasted marshmallows. Sooooo good.
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