The Cooking Thread

[Zero]

That sounds good.

A rice cooker is mandatory in my kitchen. If mine failed me I would immediately go out and get a new one. Stove-top rice? Not in my house.

I cook probably 90% asian food and I probably would have agreed with you until recently. I moved house a few months back (after recently moving across the ocean) and ended up without a rice cooker and too lazy to go buy one. All I had was probably the worst paper-thin pot you could imagine and a wretched electric coil stove - not even any fire for my poor wok.

Anyway, using knowledge from my rice cooker days, I managed to cook a rice-cooker perfect pot of rice on the stove in about as much time as it takes a rice cooker - maybe even a bit less. The trick is to get the mix of water just right, to get the water boiling first, to rinse your rice well in warm water, and to turn the heat WAY down once it's returned to a boil after adding the rice. I keep the lid on and stir once or twice early on. Once maybe 70% of the water is absorbed I just turn the heat right off and leave it sit while I cook the rest of the meal. After 15-20 minutes of sitting it absorbs the rest of the water and it's perfect - just like out of a rice cooker. One less appliance in the kitchen.


PS: For anyone who loves Thai cooking - check this goodness out :


http://importfood.com/vendor_video/t...or_videos.html

Watch street vendors cook all the greats - complete with narration explaining the ingredients and steps. Sweet!

[Zero]

Here's one I made the other day - a Korean favourite called 떡볶이 (dduk bok ki). It's a fat rice noodle (called "rice cake") cooked in a spicy sauce made from fermented chilli paste (gochujang) and anchovies. Cheap street food/comfort food. =D


Add some anchovies to a few cups of water and boil them up...



Warming up the frozen rice cakes... Fresh is better, but you gotta use what you've got.



Here is the gochujang - a Korean secret ingredient that no home is without.



So... take out the anchovies and add the gochujang and some garlic...

....

[Zero]

Add sliced onions and some extra crushed chillies...



Add some asian cabbage...



Add the rice cakes...



TIME WARP!

...

[Zero]

Serve with sesame, spring onions, a bit of kimchee, and .... DONE!

You can add egg or meat, fish cake, or lots of other things to this as well. This one is pretty basic.

[tom502]

That looks good!

I ordered 2 large Papa Johns pizzas.

[Mr. Snuffleupagus]

Wow! Looks great, Zero!

[Roo]

Zero that Thai Street Vendor video recipe site is awesome! Great find. I definitely bookmarked it. And very impressive work on that Korean dish man. Where did you learn that? You seem to have some pretty deep knowledge of Korean cuisine. I lived in Busan as a little kid but I haven't been back since. I was born in Seoul too, and I really need to revisit. My "godfather" has a mansion in Seoul and I think godfather status mandates an invitation to one's godson to stay at one's mansion.

[RobsanX]

Beautiful Zero! Thanks for the link!

[Bigblue1]

A platter of braised Lamb shanks of which there were two. It was served with buttermilk and garlic mashed taters and Peas.
Oh and a salad of baby greens and baby spinach.

[RobsanX]

Very nice Blue!

[Mr. Snuffleupagus]

Looks great, all of them from everyone! Love this thread. Rob, you totally inspired me with the Canadian Bacon...Planning on curing it in the fridge for 5 days, maybe pulling some salt out after, and then smoking. Looking forward to it, thanks!

[Bigblue1]

Thanks Rob, and snuffles, they had that same loin on sale at the Dominicks(owned by safeway) that I bought those delicious shanks from. As a matter of fact I am going back to pick up more shanks for the freezer on Tuesday. That's when my guy over at the Dominics told me he gets a new shipment(and in time for the sale price), Might just have to buy a loin and join in on the great snuson bacon experiment of 2k10. I'm definitely buying more shanks tho, they were imported, I believe from new zealand and prolly grass fed, for $2.99 a lb. It's hard to find lamb shanks let alone get them for that price. Think I might go blow $50 bucks on like 12 more. Even better they are cryo-vacd in packages of two which means i don't really need to freeze them for like a month. And Yes I love this thread as well, I'm just not in the habit of taking pics of my stuff, just want to eat it. Anyways more pics to follow If I can remember. Cookon snuson! Thanks to my man roo for starting this shit and Rob for introducing the pictures.

[RobsanX]

Good luck with that bacon Snuffy!

I did a roast on the Weber tonight. First time doing it, so there are some tweaks. I pulled it 10 deg. below med. rare, but the carryover cooking took it to med./med. well. I think resting it with the veggies still in the pan caused that. It was still good though...

[Monkey]

Even better they are cryo-vacd in packages of two which means i don't really need to freeze them for like a month.

You have 22 days from the day they were sealed before there is any chance of them turning. If they are imported from NZ, they will come frozen anyway. In that case, ask your butcher for still frozen ones as the less freezing and thawing, the less chance for damage to the meat (even though it is a tough cut that you will be braising anyway).

[Bigblue1]

good point I will call the store tomorrow and ask that they don't face 6 packages and keep them frozen for me..... I always deal with the same cutter when I go. At first I think he hated the fact that I asked him to cut steaks fresh for me. But after dealing with me 10 times he expects it, as a matter of fact I bumped into him on friday, he gave me that look like"what are we doing today" and I slyly said, your off the hook today man I'm buying the shanks. His response was to buy em while there hot, He was the one who told me they have more coming in tuesday, before the sale goes off. It's kinda cool to build a relationship with somebody in the big box world, you know what I'm saying........