3821

Goldwyn is awesome, and that website is an amazing reference for all things barbecue. Is the book good?

3822

All I can tell you is that while my cook times have been significantly longer, the techniques and recipes I used for the brisket, pastrami, and pulled pork pictures came straight from there and all were fantastic.

I bought the print version so I can have it open on the counter when I need it (but see below). I have found it to be an enjoyable read and really like that he goes into the science of how/why stuff works in some detail.

He occasionally speaks in absolutes I don’t agree with, but that’s a minor nitpick. I think it’s a terrific resource. I do suspect that the majority of the material in the book is on the website in some form, so keep that in mind.

I haven’t been there in years, but if you guys ever get over near Highlands, NC there’s a cool store there called Colonel Mustard’s that has one of the larger selections of mustards and sauces I’ve ever seen.

3823

I’ve been through Highlands a lot and never knew that! I’ll see if I can check it out next trip.

As for the book, I love things like that, I’ll check it out. The site can be hard to find things on sometimes.

3824

Damn, that’s pretty out of the way!

On the flipside, I go to Cullowhee every year for work, and they’re not that far apart. . .

3825

My folks have a place out that way that they spend several months at each year. I haven’t actually gotten over there in 10ish years.

3826

Qt3 is far too hooked into NC for my comfort. This is weirding me out, man!!!

To return (slightly) to topic, Panang Curry is on the docket for tonight. . . but I am currently bereft of Thai (or Holy) Basil! Damnation!

3827

I can’t even find regular basil fresh around here most of the time. I’ve never so much as seen Thai basil.

3828

The huge Asian grocer about 6 minutes from my apt is usually super reliable about having it (exactly as reliable as they are for always being at least a little bit filthy and disorganized), but no go this time around. I’m prepped to use mint as a substitute, but it’s a poor one.

3829

I can’t get thai basil here either, so this year I decided to just grow my own.

3830

I grew one pot of basil, an 8 inch round pot. Thing grew like crazy, and is still growing strong. I love it, as fresh basil is just so amazing. Sometimes when I’m cooking I’ll just kind of suck on a leaf.

Don’t look at me like that!

3831

I always knew you were a home-growin, herb-suckin hippy, Craig.

My relatively straight-laced upbringing may have left me woefully ill-informed as to how the wacky backy works.

3832

Which is where I went to school. QT3 is really my backyard status: confirmed.

3833

Goddamn dude, seriously? Are you like my brother from another mother?

I have a huge Thai Basil plant right outside my front door. Normal and purple basil as well. For that matter I have some I dried myself. Let me know next cook time, I’ll send ya some.

My experience as well. Planted a tiny plant this year and it’s now nearly 3 feet tall and has taken over the planter that had other less brawny herbs in it.

3834

I’ve actually been meaning to plant some of the more unusual/hard-to-find herbs in pots around my house, if I can convince my gf that I’ll care for them and that they won’t bring in bugs. And if I can find a sunlit space that won’t trip her hyper sun phobia. . .

But it’d be nice to have some Thai basil, curry leaves, even tarragon! readily available.

3835

Do it. I drug my feet as well. My girlfriend decide as an anniversary gift she would buy the planters and plants and we’d have herbs from spring throughout the summer. It’s November and I’m still pulling things off of them. I have yet to bring any inside, but I’ve pulled and dried a lot already. I wish I’d done it years ago. Fresh herbs are a-m-a-z-i-n-g when you start using them in even the smallest things you make.

Examples of things I would never have done include some lemon thyme in scrambled eggs, or some fresh basil on a BLT sandwich, or thai basil in some store-bought korean ramen, or even some rosemary on reheated chicken bought elsewhere. Suddenly those were all like tasting brand new dishes.

3836

Do you have a window in your kitchen?
Get a planter box that hangs on the windowsil, on the outside. They the bugs and crap stay out there, don’t need to worry about sun on the inside. Then just open the window and get the herbs when you want them.

3837

I’m starting to prepare for thanksgiving, and that means trying out recipes ahead of time to see if they’re something I’d want to serve guests. My first test is a butternut squash with pecans and dried cranberries dish:

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To go with it (because I’m hungry), a simple shrimp tomatoes and feta dish that I will not serve over thanksgiving, but looked really tasty when I read the recipe:

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3838

A couple pasta dishes I’ve cooked in the last two days - got two more in the queue.

Three Bs Pasta
from How To Cook Everything Fast

Basically, you cook up a pot of cut pasta (I used fusilli) on one burner. And then meanwhile you cut up a pound or so of boneless skinless chicken thighs into half inch pieces and put them in a large skillet or pot with some olive oil on medium high, sprinkle them with salt and pepper, and cook until the side that’s down is browned and releases easily. Then you turn down to medium low and stir them periodically until they’re not pink anymore. Then you transfer them to a plate with a slotted spoon. Trim and halve a pound of brussels sprouts and put them in the skillet with some salt and pepper and basically pan roast them until they’re significantly browned and just tender. Then you add the chicken back in, plus a quarter cup of balsamic vinegar. Then the pasta, then some blue cheese and chopped walnuts and mix them all together. Quite yummy. (All the talk of brussels sprouts in this thread convinced me to finally try it.)

Baked Penne with Roasted Red Peppers, Chicken and Goat Cheese
from Pasta Revolution

First up, I poached a pound of boneless skinless chicken breasts (salted and peppered, then cooked one side down in vegetable oil for about 6 minutes, flipped, added a half cup of water and covered for another 6-7 minutes) and shredded. If you just have shredded cooked chicken lying around (the book seems to think you might), that works too. Then I cooked 8 oz of penne, and while that was going I a) mixed together ricotta, goat cheese, olive oil, salt and pepper and b) blended a big (Trader Joe’s) jar of roasted red peppers, grated parmesan, a shallot, some chopped fresh thyme and parsley, garlic and about 5 tbsps of olive oil together in the food processor. Once the penne was done, I tossed it with the pepper sauce, mixed in the chicken, and deposited the lot in an 8x8 baking dish, then topped it with the cheese mixture and baked for fifteen minutes at 450 degrees. Pretty simple, really. And super tasty.

3839

Oooo, that penne looks pretty fabulous, and the ingredients list sounds even moreso. Thanks for sharing, malkav :)

Actually, the Brussel sprout pasta also sounds really good, though my mind will forever associate rotini with dreadful, clammy pasta salad. But I’d totally eat the hell out of that with some bowties or something.

Thai Spicy Fried Rice

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This is my “not fucking around” spicy fried rice recipe. Chicken breast, sliced thin and cooked in a little oil and flavored with garlic, shallots, and sambal olek. The stir fry sauce is 3:2:1:1:1 oyster sauce, fish sauce, soy sauce, Sriracha, and sugar. Scramble an egg or two and reserve for later. At the base of the actual stir fry is shallot, garlic, and Thai red chilies, minced. Then in goes harder veggies (carrots, onions), then softer (red bell pepper) and the chicken. Toss in the rice, a couple of tbsp of the stir fry sauce, and cook, stirring. Finish with green onions, mint (as I found no Thai basil anywhere), cilantro, and the scrambled egg in the pan, then sprinkle with lime juice and crushed, roasted peanuts on the plate.

Panang Curry

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Easy enough to make. Mae Ploy-brand Panang Curry paste, fried in a ton of hot oil. Dump in coconut cream, let it come to a boil, then add chicken. Simmer till cooked through most of the way, then add in carrots, green beans, chopped kafir lime leaves (which freeze really well, btw!), and the remaining coconut milk. Season at the end with sugar, fish sauce, and tamarind sauce . . top with crushed peanuts and serve over Jasmine rice. YUM

3840

The beauty of pasta recipes, of course, is that within broad categories they’re pretty interchangeable. I happen to like the form factor of fusilli but bow ties would certainly work.