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

Kaigen · 2010-07-11T12:30:53.000Z

I made my own spin on Mac & Cheese.

Chevre, St. Augur Blue, toasted walnuts, thyme and pureed pear (poached in viognier).

Some minor mistakes - I need more pear because you could barely taste it. I might even add some chunks of raw or roasted pear. I also need a stronger blue cheese. The St. Augur was too smooth and I need something that can stand up against the goat cheese.

Overall, still a success.

tiohn · 2010-07-11T13:46:24.000Z

Omniscia:

Garlic scapes?

Don’t just use them like garlic. I always just treat them like asparagus and they are especially fantastic grilled.

Athryn · 2010-07-11T14:15:45.000Z

Kaigen:

I also need a stronger blue cheese. The St. Augur was too smooth and I need something that can stand up against the goat cheese.

I’d go with Gorgonzola.

Dean · 2010-07-11T14:46:02.000Z

tiohn:

Don’t just use them like garlic. I always just treat them like asparagus and they are especially fantastic grilled.

They only gave us 3 of them, which would be a pretty light serving of asparagus even for one.

Kaigen · 2010-07-11T17:20:45.000Z

Athryn:

I’d go with Gorgonzola.

That was my original plan, actually. However, I got a sample of the St. Augur and really liked it so I deviated a little bit. St. Augur is really, really delicious but Gorgonzola would have definitely worked better in this case.

Timemaster_Tim · 2010-07-12T08:13:46.000Z

tiohn:

Don’t just use them like garlic. I always just treat them like asparagus and they are especially fantastic grilled.

We grow garlic in our garden. The scapes are nice blanched and tossed into a stir fry.

walTer · 2010-07-12T08:19:29.000Z

I actually heard this on the radio.

Brush some olive oil on a halved avocado. Then add a bit of lemon juice. Drop face down on a grill, cook lightly then enjoy a really great flavor.

(the ad said to add salsa to it after cooking…eh. But, the taste grilling the avocado is interesting and really good)

WarrenM · 2010-07-12T08:22:25.000Z

Did some relatively simple stuff this weekend, nothing picture worthy but all of it was really good! It was a grill fiesta. Steak, peaches, vegetables (home grown from our own backyard), burgers, reduction sauces … that was a hella tasty weekend.

Interesting idea there, Walter. I’ll give that a shot next time we get some avocado.

tromik · 2010-07-12T14:53:31.000Z

Another attempt at the eggplant pasta, this time with chicken.

I don’t mind the seeds, but they look awful. Still, I love this stuff.

Colicchio’s reaction says it all.

interman · 2010-07-13T12:59:51.000Z

Huevos Rancheros, garnished with avocado and fresh thyme. First time I’ve made this, and definitely won’t be the last.

wbotcl.jpg800×503

tromik · 2010-07-13T13:24:32.000Z

interman:

Huevos Rancheros, garnished with avocado and fresh thyme. First time I’ve made this, and definitely won’t be the last.

Whoa, that’s an egg!?

Eilonwy · 2010-07-13T13:46:35.000Z

interman makes me ashamed of my Kraft mac and cheese cooking abilities :(

Tortilla · 2010-07-13T13:49:08.000Z

He certainly knows how to make foodie porn!

Norfair · 2010-07-13T14:07:18.000Z

The only mildly interesting thing I did with food this week was introduce my 3 year old niece to grilled pineapple. I usually get a fresh cored pineapple and slice it into 1" thick slices, marinate it in some orange juice, honey, lime juice and lime zest and then grill until it has caramelized a bit. Then I’ll serve it with a bit of the marinade poured over it.

TimElhajj · 2010-07-13T16:08:02.000Z

Norfair:

The only mildly interesting thing I did with food this week was introduce my 3 year old niece to grilled pineapple. I usually get a fresh cored pineapple and slice it into 1" thick slices, marinate it in some orange juice, honey, lime juice and lime zest and then grill until it has caramelized a bit. Then I’ll serve it with a bit of the marinade poured over it.

When she gets a little older, you can light it on fire!

interman · 2010-07-14T00:58:05.000Z

Thanks guys, life is just too short for boring food. I didn’t really start cooking seriously until a year and a half ago, and what I started out doing was just making a list of the dishes I liked the most, and then trying to figure out the ultimate version of said dish, whether it be pizza, lasagna, or whatever else. Helps to aim high even if you don’t have the skills yet.

And as you can see from kaigan’s pic you can do a lot just with a concept like mac and cheese.

tromik · 2010-07-14T06:21:18.000Z

interman:

Thanks guys, life is just too short for boring food. I didn’t really start cooking seriously until a year and a half ago, and what I started out doing was just making a list of the dishes I liked the most, and then trying to figure out the ultimate version of said dish, whether it be pizza, lasagna, or whatever else. Helps to aim high even if you don’t have the skills yet.

And as you can see from kaigan’s pic you can do a lot just with a concept like mac and cheese.

How long do you spend each day cooking meals like those? Even though I’m really organized in the kitchen, I’m very slow so a meal from scratch will take me hours.

interman · 2010-07-14T08:46:08.000Z

It really depends, but a few hours for some of these for sure. It really helps to gather all the stuff you’re going to use, all the tools, pots, etc. I try to keep a plan of sorts in my head. Like if I’m doing something that involves baking I know it’s probably going to take three hours or so. With experience prep work goes by pretty fast, and same with techniques like pureéing, kneading, blanching / shocking, etc.

It helps that I’m visiting my mom for the summer and there’s not a whole lot to do outside of the house. I’ve been appointed executive chef, so I have more or less free reins.

Athryn · 2010-07-14T08:53:55.000Z

Also, the more you cook, the better you get at it. I never used to use a mise en place (getting all the ingredients together beforehand,) but now that I cook daily, it helps to be organized.

Read the recipe before you start, and after a while you can see where you can organize things.

Tortilla · 2010-07-14T08:58:23.000Z

I learned that the hard way. While food is in the pan/oven is the worst time to discover that the onion you need to add isn’t yet chopped or the garlic isn’t minced. Everything should be cleaned, opened, cut appropriately, measured appropriately, and mixed appropriately so that it is ready to add at the proper step. It may seem like a tedious PITA but taking this step transforms the rest of cooking from a stressfest to a joy.

Plus of course if you have more attention free to pay attention to your actual dish and not last minute chopping you are likely to produce a better dish.