181

Unfortunately I’ve never done either, perhaps someone else could volunteer a personal recipe. However a quick search on the website that posted a few posts back yields the following recipes:

http://www.insanitytheory.net/kitchenwench/2007/11/25/not-your-average-pancake/

http://www.insanitytheory.net/kitchenwench/2007/11/27/a-frozen-nose-a-burnt-tongue-and-a-sweet-sugary-memory/

OC

182

What do you bake your pizzas on? An aluminum sheet or somethign?

183

Aluminum pizza tray which is OLD as fuck (Here’s the backside…loks like a Spartan Shield). I think I should be using the cookie sheets that I have because it’s just better designed and keeps the heat well. I’d love to have a pizza stone but how often am I going to use it really is the question.

OC

184

I think I see the problem there… There’s no easy way for steam to escape from the bottom, so your crust remains soggier than it could be. Three options:

1 - get a perforated pan; probably the best option for you
2 - get a pizza/baking stone; most expensive but best results (requires long preheat)
3 - get some unglazed quarry tiles from your local tile place - you may get enough samples to fit a pizza on them

185

I noticed someone wanted a recipe for Kimchi Soup aka Kimchi Jigae (It’s more of a stew than a soup). I can pretty much give you the basics on what to do with it, but you’d have to experiment to get it to your liking. The one that me and my mother make at home is a lot more spicier as my dad likes more spicy and salty. My grandma makes it crazy spicy, to the point where any one that eats it either spits it out, chugs down water, or sweats like crazy.

Kimchi Soup aka Kimchi Jigae

What you need

  • A soup pot, preferably a big one.
  • A frying pan (you’ll only use this too cook the meat if you decide to put it in the soup).

Food wise you’ll need:

  • Kimchi that is cut into rectangles or squares that are the size of a GBA cartridge. I don’t know the exact amount you need, but you’ll need quite a bit…especially if you’re feeding a family of four.
  • 1 teaspoon of minced garlic
  • 1 lb of that thick ass bacon (you usually get this from a deli)
  • 2 green onions
  • 1 package of Medium Tofu
  • Red Pepper Paste (Go-ju-jang), this is where the soup’s spiciness will vary. You can put a soup spoon full or go as big as a soup ladle. I usually put in about 5 soup spoons full.
  • 1 teaspoon of salt, go with 2 if you want a bit saltier.

Optional:

  • Any veggies you’d prefer.
  • Hot dog wieners cut up (about 6)

What to do

Step 1: Cut your thick ass bacon that you get from the deli into squares, oil up the pan, place the garlic in the pan (oh, set the oven to high, then when you start to cook the bacon, set it to med-high). Place bacon on pan while frying the garlic. Cook thoroughly as you don’t want food poisoning from pork.

Step 2: Get the pot ready, stick the kimchi in the pot, and stir fry it a little for about 5-6 mins. Then add the bacon/garlic to the pot. Add water to the pot until you cover the kimchi/pork/garlic. Don’t drown the stuff, the water should just be like half a finger’s length above it.

Step 3: Put in your desired amount of Red Pepper Paste into the pot. Stir it around, it should look a bit darker (since the kimchi turns it slightly orange with red speckles). Let it boil for now and then let it simmer.

Step 4: Cut your green onions into little pieces, long or short, your choice. Set them aside. Now, the medium Tofu is great, it’s not hard and not to crumbly. If you get the block of the stuff, you can cut it into cubes easily.

Step 5: When the Kimchi Jigae is boiling, put it down to medium heat to let it simmer a bit. It should be an orange/red color and a bit frothy. Put in the cut green onions, tofu cubes, and salt (and any other veggies you cut). Taste test the soup to see if you need more salt. Let the soup cook your tofu and stuff.

Finishing Touches: From taste testing it periodically, you can adjust the amount of flavour by adding more Red Pepper Paste or Kimchi, hell even add more salt. In the end, your stew should be a red/orange opaque liquid with chunks of bacon/tofu/veggies/etc. The tofu should also be a bit orange with red speckles on it as it acts as a SPONGE OF KIMCHI FLAVOR!

I hope that kinda helps, it’s REALLY difficult to type it out w/o actually cooking it in front of someone. But I honestly hope this helps though.

186

dudley to the rescue

187

Green to the rescue as well. I’ll follow your suggestions. Thanks Green!

Recent Non-Work Personal Experiences

None for the meanwhile too tired working the overtime in order to do anything of merit. However planned to plant an indoor herb garden this weekend and shall report with pics later. When summer rolls around I will be making a personal area in the garden. My ceramic knife had seen better days. Knicked, chip and even broken off the tip however I’m going to send it in for a sharpen for $10. Treated it like shit at work, but at the time I’d rather have the convenience of a sharp knife at hand rather than sharpen the dull ass ones at my previous work.

I remember a coworker busting my balls over how on the back of the box it says “Handle grip designed for comfort. Ideal for women’s hands. Improves cutting.”

Work Related Experiences

When I moved, I quit my first job at the position of being in charge of prep. It wasn’t the greatest job in the world, but I found it funny that me starting out in my first job I ended up advancing so fast in a period of 3 months. Like I said before, it wasn’t because I was a good worker and they noticed my work ethic, but because the road to my final position in the company was paved with people quitting. I was working up on line when one night my boss told me if I liked days. I said HELLS YEAH. I became one of the prep cooks with a supervisor. I followed what he told me to do, he liked me, he offered me to be in a threesome with his girlfriend, I WTF’d and said No-Homo.

The story of my final promotion start off with my supervisor pulling his back. This was like months before he left the restaurant. Aside from being insane and showing everyone the bruise on his bare hip to every single staff member, he ended up taking a 2 day weekend, which turned into a 4 day weekend when my boss scheduled him to have a break. I was in charge of prep for a bit, thinking ZOMG my supervisor will be back, I won’t have to wake up as early and do this shit anymore. I can just cruise control it the rest of the way. However, my boss had other plans.

My Boss: Hey OC, you’re pretty comfortable with the kitchen back here right?
Me: Uh…yeah.
My Boss: You know how to do every recipe right?
Me: Well there are some recipes that I haven’t done but I can always consult the recipe book.
My Boss: Yeah…you’re a smart guy you know what’s going on.
Me: Yup…I guess I do.
My Boss: walks away to the line

What happened before my supervisor left for his mini vacation was that my boss told him for the 3rd time in a year what order to do the recipes and cooks on the prep-list. If you do it in a certain order, you will succeed in completing the list on time. I always expect the best of people so I imagined that what my boss was alluding was that I was going to be supervisor and he was going to be demoted to being my assistant until he could earn his trust back.

Meanwhile the restaurant manger was being a dick to my supervisor’s wife who worked at the hotel attached to the restaurant. Eventually he got wifey fired which occured sometime during his mini-holiday; he blew a gaskey once again playing the race card how he assumes everyone doesn’t like his wife because they are prejudice/racist towards native people and the day that he was supposed to return to work; came in one hour early and quit. Had the dumbass waited for 1 more hour he would have been fired and therefore gotten severence pay. So there we go…the circle is complete. My naivety basically gotten the best of me as I was partially shocked but more disappointed that I’ll be waking up that early in order to do this job. But I got used to it, it was fun and a good taste of responsibility of basically controlling what the people out there taste! The funny thing about this all is that even though I probably didn’t do any faster or a better job than my old supervisor…my boss said: “You know what the best thing about back here (in the prep-kitchen) now that’e he’s gone? I don’t have to worry about what’s going on back here or if any fucking around.” I guess peace of mind is worth it if you can fire some guy who’s wreaking it.

Internet Ramblings

For those of you on a budget or who live in an area where sometimes you can’t get access to the freshest food if you can still make good food that’s all that matters. Ran along this website where all of it’s food concentrates on the most simplest store bought ingredients availble at most places, unless you live in 1920’s rural America. Picture hefty for aiding on a visual front, a bit boastful but isn’t that was food is about nowadays? Pride in your recipes.

Television/Movies

None in the meanwhile

Recipe Recommendation

From the same website mentioned above, The Best Lasagna ever. I have high doubts about that, but any lasagna (aside from complete roadkill ones) is good.

OC

188

I like cooking. I also like eating. Strange how that works out.

Last night I made some wraps. I got some flat bread from the local bakery, cut a steak into strips and pan fried them with oil, a touch of butter and pepper and steak seasoning. Chopped some lettuce, onions and peppers for the veggies, then made a sauce out of cucumbers, yogurt, garlic, little bit of lemon juice. That was it. Heated the flat bread, through everything on, and wrapped it up, ate it. No complaints. And for a side, I had some leftover batter, so I cut an onion and made some onion rings. They were fine as well.

I like cooking like that sometimes. No real recipe. Just kinda rolling with it and using common sense, and seeing what comes of it. Kind of a gamble, but I enjoy it. Especially when it works out.

189

I want to make tasty meals but everytime I cook, the food ends up going in the trash can so the whole cooking thing ends up being expensive. Where can I learn how to cook and make money at the same time?

190

OC where are you working?

And global > ceramic

191

I cooked the Korean panckaes OC linked. They were really fucking good. Thanks.

192

I just wanted to say I cannot live without Indonesian food. I’m taking a whole lot of spices back to Edinburgh with me when I go back there this week. (In Holland right now, big Indonesian community.)
Gotta eat dat nasi goreng.

193

Any recipes that you’d recommend?

Thank the link and tastespotting, I just did the searching.

I currently work at Joe Forte’s More on that later since I have some pretty damn proud news to announce. Also, you can go fuck yourself with a baseball bat covered in barbed wire for that comment. Just kidding, I saw a global knife tonight, so I’m going to inquire further into it.

Work at a restaurant. Even high class ones can teach you to cook while making money. The problem is that you have to pay attention to your surroundings if you’re not in a place that encourages learning. Hell even take it up as a part time job, preferably in prep. In prep that’s when you get access to recipes and know the ingredients and therefore they have to teach you their way of making it. While you are doing prep and if it’s a slow time, just visit the line cooks one day or night and ask them “How do you finish and plate the dish?” Usually they are pretty good about telling you about it and therefore you learn how to cook.

Recent Non-Work Personal Experiences

I tried my first hand at some plating that I learned from my job with my own personal meal. I was over at my mom’s house and cooked up a salmon fish. She already ate, but I just cut off lower and thinner part of a fillet steak, fried it up, put in on a small bed of rice in the middle, added some green onions that I chopped 2 inches long and then length-wise (it’s called “grass” at my previous job), put it on top nicely and added a lemon wedge.

Even though my mom wasn’t all that hungry she loved the presentation and ate the whole thing up. Kind of crazy what a little plating could do to make food all the more appealing. It reminded me when my old crazy ass supervisor had said that they did a study where enjoyment of food is like 90% visual and thus making the food look good makes perfect sense. If I do recreate the dish again, I’ll post up pics.

Work Related Experiences

Some people are back from vacation and therefore I’m moving on up onto line. 2 things that I’m most proud of at working at this restaurant.
[list=1]
[*]Joe Forte placed 2nd on the Top 25 small businesses to work for in all of Canada. That’s national. It’s quite an honour and encouraging because it makes my own personal goals seem far more achievable with this business than most others. However going a bit more personal;

[*]I’ve learned how to shuck and oyster. We have the best oyster bars in Vancouver and I basically learned the secret of getting those critters open. It’s so damned easy when you get into the zone, I shucked over 2 dozen after I got the hang of it. The great thing is that the guy who taught me was most likely taught by the world’s 2nd fastest oyster shucker. Used to be ranked #1 but not last year. So basically I learned how to shuck them fast and shuck them clean.
[/list]
Other than that, work has been good. Had my 30 day review which went well.

Internet Ramblings

None that I know of as of yet. Except this cute ass little thing. I’d love measuring cups like that, however I am aiming to invest in one of these little bad boys. Nearly shit a brick when I saw that one.

Television/Movies

I’ll discuss Ratatouille in a later post, however from what I heard of the HD releases, it’s eye-searingly awesome to see the film in HD. I’d get a HD player and television for that alone, but we’ll see.

Foodie Books I’m Reading

I went into the kitchen library and picked up a few books. One is Anthony Bourdain’s Les Halle’s Cookbook. I’m reading the intro and I like it already. Although it is his typical writing, at least this time it’s something different rather than him ranting. A book that someone recommended me at work was Gotham Bar and Grill Cook Book. I haven’t have much time since my days off I go to enjoy other things but I heard there are a lot of fun recipes in it. I also cannot turn down a recommendation of any kind regarding foodie material.

Recipe Recommendation

Chocolate Hazelnut Cookies

A recipe that I’ve been using for years for entertaining and regular gift giving, they are cookies that are evilly great yet a good mild taste.

Ingredients
[list]
[] * 3/4 cup butter, softened
[] * 1 cup granulated sugar
[] * 1 cup packed brown sugar
[] * 1 13-ounce jar chocolate-hazelnut spread
[] * 1 ounce unsweetened chocolate, melted and cooled
[] * 1 teaspoon vanilla
[] * 2 eggs
[] * 2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
[] * 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
[] * 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
[] * 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
[] * 1/4 teaspoon salt
[] * 1 cup semisweet chocolate pieces
[] * 1 cup coarsely chopped toasted and skinned hazelnuts* [color=red]I personally use walnuts from a package. Just get them from any super market. While hazelnuts are nice, walnuts are just easier and less hassle. Also they taste good.
[] * 5 ounces white chocolate baking squares, meltedSEE ADVICE BELOW*
[/list]
Procedure

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degree F. In a very large mixing bowl beat butter with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds. Add granulated sugar and brown sugar. Beat until combined, scraping sides of bowl occasionally. Add chocolate-hazelnut spread, unsweetened chocolate, and vanilla. Beat until combined. Add eggs, one at a time, beating until combined. Combine flour, cinnamon, soda, baking powder, and salt. Beat as much of the flour mixture into creamed mixture as you can. Stir in any remaining flour mixture. Stir in chocolate pieces and hazelnuts.
  1. Drop dough by rounded tablespoons 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheets. Bake about 10 minutes or until the edges are just set. Let cool on cookie sheets for 2 minutes. Remove and cool completely on wire racks. Drizzle melted white chocolate over cooled cookies. Let stand until set.
  1. Toasting hazelnuts: Spread hazelnuts in a single layer in a shallow baking pan. Bake in a 350 degree F oven 10 to 15 minutes or until light golden brown, watching carefully and stirring once or twice so the nuts don?t burn. Cool slightly. Place the nuts in a clean kitchen towel and rub vigorously to remove the skins. Makes 4 to 5 dozen cookies.

*Toasting hazelnuts: Spread hazelnuts in a single layer in a shallow baking pan. Bake in a 350 degree F oven 10 to 15 minutes or until light golden brown, watching carefully and stirring once or twice so the nuts don?t burn. Cool slightly. Place the nuts in a clean kitchen towel and rub vigorously to remove the skins.

OC

194

Did the perforated pan work for you?

195

I have a problem, so I shall throw this to the chefs of SRK and hopefully I will get a good solution. I like brown rice and have been trying to substitute it in white rice recipes and most of the time it turns out fine, HOWEVER I have failed repeatedly to find a good way to make spanish rice with brown rice. Why is it failing? Half of the recipe is mush and half is crunchy. Is browning the brown rice what is messing the recipe up? Basically I just brown the rice with onions in some oil, throw it in a pot, allow it to start to boil and then let it simmer for about 20-25 minutes, and I tried the same thing with brown except I allotted for the longer cooking time, and EPIC FAILURE keeps occurring.

196

I don’t know anything about brown rice and have never tried to cook with it. So therefore I asked my boss about it and he said brown rice just sucks at being cooked. The thing he suggested is to rinse it well, so all the starches get out of it, don’t brown it at too hot smoking a level and when you cook it in the water, slap it into the oven rather than simmer on the stove.

From what information I gathered is brown rice still has the husk on it when compared to white rice. So therefore it’s that husk that’s kind of making trouble for you. Some people suggest soaking the brown rice for about an hour before using it so you can soften it up and cook it just like white rice. I imagine it is the husk that’s fucking up the recipe because it adds more density to the rice, therefore has less of a chance for the water to be absorbed into the rice. Therefore brown and crunchy due to drying and no doubt the starches burning and mushy because all it did was soak up the water by that point.

I’d suggest to soak the brown rice if you haven’t already done so. I don’t know where to go from there, try out a test batch. Another thing I read is to use less water and have the steam cook the brown rice although I do wonder what the fuck is that all about.

I don’t know if this helped, but I’ll ask around if I am to going to get a solution to your problem. Hope it works out but perhaps a better thing to do is the post the recipe that you do including the steps and I’ll see if I could do it as well.

Green: I haven’t gotten the time off to try any new pizza stuff, nor do I have the interest for some good pizza right now. But you are getting me thinking about it. MmMMMMmMmMm Yummy pizza.

OC

197

You are either cooking off the rice too hard in the beginning or cooking it too hot throughout the whole process.

Don’t even try to cook it off before you let it cook in the water, and you also shouldn’t be bringing it up to come to a boil to then bring it down again. just put the water and the rice leave it low and let it just come up by itself

patience is the key with rice

oi OC hit up ebay for good geals on Globals, got mine there.

198

speaking of rice, has anyone here cooked anything in their rice cooker besides rice? I don’t really have much room in my apartment and I don’t have my own kitchen. so if I cook its on my foreman grill and I was wondering what kind of stuff I could use my rice cooker for besides rice…

199

Here’s an awesome easy recipe for baked ribs. If you dont got a que or its mid winter and you still want some great tasting ribs:

Tip: you need to marinate over night or for at least 8 hours. So think of this in advance!

Marinade:
1 cup soy sauce
1 cup sake, optional
1 teaspoon ground dried chile flakes
4 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons minced fresh ginger
2 tablespoons minced fresh garlic
6 tablespoons sesame oil
2 sides (about 3 pounds) baby pork ribs
In a bowl, mix together all of the ingredients for the marinade. Place the ribs in a container just large enough to hold them 1 side on top of the other. Pour the marinade over the ribs, cover with plastic wrap or aluminum foil and let marinate in the refrigerator overnight.
Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F.
Place half of the marinade in a baking pan with the ribs and bake, turning the ribs frequently, for 2 hours, or until the meat is tender. Reserve the remaining marinade.
Under a preheated broiler or on a wood-fired grill, glaze the ribs for 3 to 4 minutes on each side. Watch carefully so they don’t burn. Remove the ribs and cut each side into individual pieces. Bring the reserved marinade to a boil.
Arrange the ribs in an overlapping fashion on each plate or on a large serving platter. Spoon the warm marinade over them.

-AC
i make these all the time and SMB eats till he’s hurtin.

200

lol what the hell is a pork rib?

I always laugh when I go to a supermarket and I see all these retarded new names for unknown meats. Like I was at Publix looking for some steak and decided to get churrasco (for anyone who;s not a spic that’s skirt steak) however there is in reality two sides of the skirt outside and inside therefore you’re supposed to specify. the more commonly seen one is the inside skirt, that’s the one everyone is pretty much familiar with. however this place was trying to sell me a shitty outside skirt of the price of a good inside skirt.

thats fucking bullshit.

another thing that pisses me off.

WHAT THE FUCK IS A JUMBO SHRIMP

that’s about the most retarded thing I’ve ever heard