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

[interman]

Thanks Rimbo, and as promised:

Made the guacamole out of avocados, garlic, salt, pepper, lime juice, coriander, chili powder, blanched tomatoes, and finely chopped leek. Pretty good stuff, though I’ve never actually tasted any other proper guacamole to measure it against.

[tromik]

There’s a lot of fish in my diet now, and mostly I’m just cooking cheap IQF fillets. Because they’re so delicate, I can’t really put them directly on the grill. Instead, I put them in foil with olive oil, pepper, and a few other non-salt seasonings. I’d love to throw some lemon slices in there, but I’ve heard that the acid and the aluminum can cause a weird reaction. I recall this from Good Eats:

Now, finally, we can ponder the actual pouch material. Now, I like aluminum foil. I love this stuff. I mean, it’s aluminum, so it conducts a lot of heat. It crimps air-tight. But the problem is, is that it is reactive, and acid will be going into this dish, it’s a very delicately flavored dish, so that might be a problem.

His solution is parchment paper, but I don’t think that stuff would hold up on the grill. Tried Googling for some info, but most of it was vague and spotty. Anyone have any solid knowledge about this? Is it safe? Is there a way to do it right? Is it just a taste or flavour thing that I don’t need to worry about?

[ChristienMurawski]

Thanks Rimbo, and as promised:

Want.

Made the guacamole out of avocados, garlic, salt, pepper, lime juice, coriander, chili powder, blanched tomatoes, and finely chopped leek. Pretty good stuff, though I’ve never actually tasted any other proper guacamole to measure it against.

Try it with a couple of finely diced serranos sometime.

-xtien

[interman]

Sounds good. I need to level up my Scoville resistance.

[Houngan]

There’s a lot of fish in my diet now, and mostly I’m just cooking cheap IQF fillets. Because they’re so delicate, I can’t really put them directly on the grill. Instead, I put them in foil with olive oil, pepper, and a few other non-salt seasonings. I’d love to throw some lemon slices in there, but I’ve heard that the acid and the aluminum can cause a weird reaction. I recall this from Good Eats:

His solution is parchment paper, but I don’t think that stuff would hold up on the grill. Tried Googling for some info, but most of it was vague and spotty. Anyone have any solid knowledge about this? Is it safe? Is there a way to do it right? Is it just a taste or flavour thing that I don’t need to worry about?

Solution: Parchment paper on foil. The parchment wouldn’t survive the direct flame, but it will survive indirect very well, especially with wet stuff on it, and will provide a barrier from the aluminum reaction.

H.

[tromik]

Solution: Parchment paper on foil. The parchment wouldn’t survive the direct flame, but it will survive indirect very well, especially with wet stuff on it, and will provide a barrier from the aluminum reaction.

H.

Whoa, duh. That’s a great idea! Should I just put foil down over the grill, or should I seal the parchment pouch in foil? Also, Should I brush anything on the parchment or soak it before using it, or if I’m cooking the fish from frozen and using lemon slices should that be enough moisture to stop anything from bursting into flames?

Thanks for the advice!

[CLWheeljack]

Thanks, I had no idea. I have had rhubarb pie, but I didn’t recognize the plant. Are you saying it’s a native of the US northeast? I grew up in PA, pretty much in farm country, but never had any rhubarb until I moved to the pacific northwest.

According to the wikipedia, it’s originally native to China (what didn’t they invent?) but that it entered the US via the Northeast.

Its value is mostly in the fact that its grows early in the spring, so traditionally it’s been useful in places with harsh winters since they’re among the first edible plants of the year, providing vitamins, etc and warding off scurvy. The old New Englanders I know think of it as much as a tonic as a food. Maybe PA was far enough south that it wasn’t necessary, ie. the growing season started early enough that actual good plants were available before malnutrition set in. I can’t explain its appeal in the pacific northwest, except maybe that the climate is suitable for it, and there are a lot of New England transplants?

[Omniscia]

Rhubarb all over the place up here. Great in a cobbler with some vanilla ice cream and cinnamon.

[interman]

And you can make a quick and tasty soup too. Just add water, sugar, and let boil until it gets stringy. Serve and add cinnamon.

[Gendal]

Sounds good. I need to level up my Scoville resistance.

I recently thought the same thing, but then rediscovered the old adage “What goes in must come out” is not in fact purely humorous.

[interman]

Yeah… There’s that.

[Marged]

We are launching a serious “cook out of the pantry” effort, brought on by a scary credit card bill and the fact that I stock the pantry like I’m preparing to feed the Russian army.

Monday: Aglio e olio with garlic from my dad’s garden. This garlic is like, the platonic ideal of garlic and he had a bumper crop. Served with a frozen fish fillet on the side.

Tuesday: Leftover pasta from Monday turned into a pasta frittata with a carton of Egg Beaters (classy) and some chopped up ham. Stuck to the pan but still delicious.

Wednesday’s bento box lunch: Leftover frittata, frozen haricots verts from Trader Joe’s with soy sauce and sesame seeds, frozen pineapple chunks, a slice of bread with almond butter and honey.

I’m thinking of tossing some of the peeled garlic cloves in a hot skillet, searing them, and then adding a can of chopped tomatoes for a pasta sauce. I might also break down and buy a dozen eggs, since they are the perfect cheap protein.

[Timemaster_Tim]

We are launching a serious “cook out of the pantry” effort, brought on by a scary credit card bill and the fact that I stock the pantry like I’m preparing to feed the Russian army.

That sounds like a self-induced version of Doorknock Dinners. I don’t think I’ve ever had a session of clear out the pantry type cooking. Clear out the fridge occurs often enough. Although the norm for leftovers is a quick nuke in the microwave, I do end up occasionally fashioning a new dish out of leftovers.

[Athryn]

If you have a ton of garlic, Marged, you can also roast it in the oven (without peeling it) and the roasted cloves will just slip out of the skins. You can smear the result on bread, and or mash it into stuff.

[interman]

Trying some Indian food today. This is a “keema matar”, with homemade naan bread and a parsnip purée. Quite a few ingredients and prep work, but well worth it.

[Athryn]

That doesn’t look like any naan I’ve ever seen O.o

[interman]

Shaped it according to a book, but looking at google image search there are probably quite a few spices I could add.

edit: and some guy suggested making it in a cast iron pot on high heat. Any experienced naan bakers around?

[Ed_Solomon]

It’s not actually “cooked” but I made homemade gravlax using frozen sockeye salmon from Trader Joe’s. Didn’t have any fresh dill, so I used dried juniper berries. Very tasty.

[WarrenM]

Whoa, duh. That’s a great idea! Should I just put foil down over the grill, or should I seal the parchment pouch in foil? Also, Should I brush anything on the parchment or soak it before using it, or if I’m cooking the fish from frozen and using lemon slices should that be enough moisture to stop anything from bursting into flames?

Thanks for the advice!

I think we’ve had this discussion before but what’s the point of putting something on a grill that’s wrapped in foil? The grill is really just a heat source at that point and isn’t doing anything more than the stove.

I can think of situations where you’d want this (camping, being outside with friends, etc) but it always strikes me as odd nonetheless.

[Athryn]

Shaped it according to a book, but looking at google image search there are probably quite a few spices I could add.

edit: and some guy suggested making it in a cast iron pot on high heat. Any experienced naan bakers around?

Maybe it’s the picture, I expect naan to be flat, to look more like a tortilla as opposed to what’s in your picture, which looks tasty, but doesn’t look like naan. Yours looks more like a yeasty like roll.

I think we’ve had this discussion before but what’s the point of putting something on a grill that’s wrapped in foil? The grill is really just a heat source at that point and isn’t doing anything more than the stove.

I can think of situations where you’d want this (camping, being outside with friends, etc) but it always strikes me as odd nonetheless.

It’s not inside making my house heat up to a gazillion degrees in the already hot summer? :D