Tell us what you have cooked lately (that's interesting)

I think most of the difference you mention comes from the fact that wheat berries are usually whole grain, and farro is usually pearled, right?

Cause ultimately, they are basically the same, since farro is just an older strain of wheat?

I’m taking some “great grains” recommendations for next week’s menu, coincidentally enough.

I recently had a chicken-apple couscous with (I think) mandarin oranges and some nuts in it that was surprisingly tasty, and had been meaning to try something like a faro or barley dish, so thought I might kill two birds with one stone and make a week of it.

I recognize “give me your favorite grain-based recipes!” is a vague request, so let’s cut out rice, pasta, and quinoa, all of which I’ve had pretty regularly in the past.

Go! :-D


Also, on thread-topic:

Popcorn shrimp po boy with tartar sauce, lettuce, tomato, and hot sauce on toasted french bread.


Brined, blackened pork chops with green beans and baked sweet potatoes spread with homemade cinnamon-brown-sugar-butter :)

Yeah, I mean, they’re both fundamentally wheat. But they’re slightly different varieties and farro needs to be pearled to be edible, apparently.

Allow me to refer you back to this previous post of mine: Tell us what you have cooked lately (that's interesting) - #5417 by malkav11

I also really enjoyed a variation of that recipe that skipped the tuna and instead mixed in a couple chopped ripe tomatoes, a chopped cucumber, 4 oz or so of feta, and some chopped kalamata olives.

I’m on my phone so I don’t have access to all my recipes. But I throw out a couple of ideas.

I like a good risotto with barley instead of arborio rice. A standard risotto recipe works well. Barley works well as a fall/winter mushroom risotto. It’s chewier and heartier than arborio risotto.

I’ve made congee with millet. I didn’t care for it but my wife really liked it. It was a sweet congee, which aren’t really my favorites.

Freekeh can be substituted in barley/farro/wheat-berry type grain salads but it can bring a little bit of grassiness and (subtle) smokiness to the dish. Some nuts, some fruit maybe a little cheese and some fresh herbs.

A super generic idea that I often use:
Make something like gumbo, that you would serve over rice… But instead just put some grain like barley or farro directly into it.

Those grains won’t turn to mush, so it can make things into a super easy one pot meal.

Today was lazy smoking day.

Pork ribs for dinner.

Marinated overnight in a mix of “Yucatan marinade” that we’d had in the fridge forever (mostly cider vinegar, adobe, and citrus) plus some extra garlic powder, thyme, lemon pepper, and a few drops of orange oil. Smoked for just under 10 hours at 220 degrees.

At the same time I smoked a pork loin.

(note that the ribs are almost gone)
This one marinated overnight in a mix of pomegranate syrup, soy sauce, ginger, minced garlic, sesame oil and red pepper flakes. I took it off after we ate the ribs so roughly a 10.5 hour smoke. The first slice was tasty but it’s been wrapped for tomorrow.

Finally, since I had room so I did a little beef roast for 4 hours in the morning (done just in time for a late lunch sandwich).

Dry rub of paprika, garlic powder, thyme, mustard powder, salt, pepper, and a little sugar. Delicious. This will mostly turn into sandwiches over the rest of the week. It would be best sliced really thin but I’m normally not that patient.

Somehow smoking 10+ pounds of meat makes a day of mostly video games feel productive!

Just gorgeous! Wonderful. Kudos!

Agreed! That is an amazing meat production line you’ve got going there, @Madmarcus. Consider me thoroughly envious!

I’d trade for some Indian food but we’re not quite close enough (I’m outside Atlanta).

Next time I’m down there for a show, you’re on :P

Anyone have a carne guisada recipe they can recommend? Living in Texas many years ago, there was a little family-run Mexican restaurant that had godlike carne guisada burritos. Never found anything like it since I moved to the midwest. Figure I may as well trying making my own.

Just here to tempt people with awesome countertop ovens again, pay no mind:
https://home.woot.com/offers/breville-convection-toaster-oven-2

That’s a good price. If I had any confidence that the thing would last more than 3 years I’d be all over it.

I’m on year 7 or 8 and counting.

Right on! That’s a decent lifespan for a toaster oven. My current one is very basic—nothing digital, mechanical timer; I’m not sure if it even has a thermostat—and I attribute its durability to the absence of bells and whistles. Well, whistles, anyway. It actually has a bell that dings when the timer winds down.

It’s overdue for retirement, but I’m frankly afraid to replace it.

My old toaster oven is like yours. Nothing digital, over 10 years old and it still keeps on ticking. Literally sobbed the mechanical timer sites tick rather loudly.

So, related to this, I picked up a Ninja blender on the Prime day sale. BUT, my GF spotted the box and talked me into sending it back because she had, “an awesome blender at her old place and would bring that over for us to use.”

What she doesn’t know is I’ve had a love/hate with old blenders. It seems they all die during ice crushing duty. Usually right when people need their party drinks on the odd times I make them. And twice, those blenders have been Oster brand. Granted, I had cheap models, but still.

And what does she bring over? An Oster. I’m not saying a peep, but I certainly won’t be the one who pulls drink making duty if it comes to that. Here’s hoping that it isn’t the same as my last units.

An appliance or kitchen tool that isn’t used much should CERTAINLY last more than 2-3 years. And that’s about the lifetime of my cheap blender purchases.

I got their Vitamix competitor, the Versa:
https://smile.amazon.com/Oster-Performance-Blender-1400-watt-BLSTVB-RV0/dp/B00EO1AQUU

Have to say I really like it, but I’m not a blender connoisseur. It was cheaper than a Vitamix at least. :)

I have made delicious peanut butter with it a handful of times.

Freezer cleanout special!

Frozen Swai, blackened in butter and olive oil, with roasted asparagus (drizzled with homemade balsamic glaze and olive oil), seasoned, buttered corn, roasted, and a couple of buttered slices from a miniature pumpernickel loaf I bought. Tasty!

Your freezer has nicer stuff than mine. Trade?

Also a comment. I love asparagus. Love it. We all know the flip side of that, the smell of it. Can anyone tell me why some is worse than others? Is it the young vs. old? Is it the way it’s cooked?