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Tabacco’s Favorite Culinary Techniques & Best Quick Cooking Tricks I
posted Sunday, 25 September 2005
Tabacco’s Favorite Culinary Techniques & Best Quick Cooking Tricks I
The TV Show is superb. They teach you how to cook, why things work and don’t work, or work better, they compare the same recipe using different ingredients or different amounts of the same ingredients to achieve optimal results. It’s like chemistry in the kitchen. I love it.
You can also go to the website www.americastestkitchen.com/ and get complete recipes. This is a real cooking class, not a recipe class. There is a difference. With these guys you learn why things work or don’t work. With a recipe, alone, you learn how to make something, not why it works.
But beware: they are in business to make money!
1- Don’t buy the magazine subscription - in December every year they offer the 6 yearly magazines in book form with a marvelous Green Binder called “Cooks Illustrated”. Keeping the books in order makes so much more sense than trying to keep track of 150 separate magazines. Try finding a single recipe that way. And you can purchase the Red Index. Caution: the Index only covers issues through the current year. I suggest buying the Index every five years or so to remain virtually current.
They compare packaged food brands, cookware, utensils, appliances etc. You can trust them to be fair although I will never forgive them for not ranking my all-time favorite Orange Juice higher.
Overnight Oatmeal Muesli
This recipe, courtesy of Alton Brown of “Good Eats” on The Food Network, requires minimal preparation time – even though it cooks all night long in a Rival Crockpot or Slow Cooker. If you don’t have a Slow Cooker, get one. If you have one, dust it off and use it. While you’re at it, get out that old Pressure Cooker too. We’ll be using that gem of the cookware royalty line in the near future.
1C pinhead oats
3.5-4C water@
1C heavy cream
1C dried cranberries
.5C dried figs, chopped
(or other dried fruit: blueberries, cherries, apricots or prunes (sliced thin), pineapple, raisins)
1. Fill crock-pot with all ingredients and cook on Low overnight.
When you awake in the morning, breakfast is ready. It’s like having a paid chef in your home. And could “cooking” be any easier that this?
NOTE: 1C = 1 cup, .5C = one-half cup
"Steelcut, Irish or Scotch oatmeal, porridge or substitute whole rolled oats or oat groats"
2/19/02 too liquid initially, thickens nicely after refrigeration>reduce to 3.5C water@ next time
Scrambled Eggs With Water Trick
This is not really a recipe, just a hint or “trick”. Over the years, I added milk, orange juice, apple juice, hot sauce, A1 steak sauce and anything else liquid I could think of. These additions may have improved the flavor, but nothing really helped the texture. At least my scrambled eggs were no worse than restaurant or McDonald’s concoctions. Some restaurants barely stir their eggs at all before scrambling. I have always beaten my eggs to death. I also tried scramble eggs over a very low flame, which requires 15 minutes cooking. The texture was OK, but the eggs were nothing special, and who wants to wait 15 minutes for eggs?
Then one day, I had no milk or O.J. and decided to try plain water. BINGO! It didn’t add any taste, of course, but the texture was superb. I might add other things such as Velveeta cheese or McCormick’s Marinade for Seafood, Cajun Style; but I always add water now, and the texture is always perfect.
Steak In A Bag
I think this recipe was published in the New York Daily News about 2 decades ago. This is not an easy or quick recipe, but I get about 9 servings out of 1 preparation. And nothing else makes chuck steak taste this good. I never use less than 3 * 1.5lb chuck steaks - always use chuck! I have tried more expensive cuts with less than adequate results. So save your money and buy chuck! I also swear by Progresso “Parmesan” Bread Crumbs. They are not in every supermarket. That’s why I make an annual pilgrimage to Waldbaum’s and purchase 3 to 4 containers of it. The Parmesan does make a difference. But if you can’t find the Parmesan, I guess any seasoned breadcrumbs will do.
3-4 large chuck steaks
5-6 garlic cloves, sliced down the middle
salt & pepper
Peanut Oil or Olive Oil
Progresso Parmesan BreadCrumbs
onion, sliced
1- Pound the crap out of chuck steaks on both sides
2- Rub with sliced garlic clove on both sides
3- Salt & pepper both sides
4- Pour oil generously on one side and spread by hand
5- Sprinkle bread crumbs generously over steak and spread by hand (the more oil on the steak, the more Progresso the steak can absorb)
6- Turn steak over and repeat Steps 4 and 5
7- Cut steak into 2 or 3 equal serving portions
8- Place each steak portion into a brown paper sandwich bag
9- Place onion slice and used garlic slice into bag
10- Seal bag with paper clip
11- Place 3 steaks, in paper bags, inside large freezer zip-lock bag and freeze
12- Repeat process with each large chuck steak
13- Place steak in bag(s) to be cooked now on cookie tray, bake at 350º F. for 35 minutes +/-, depending on personal preference
14- If steaks have been frozen, bake 40-45 minutes to allow for frozen state
Yield 9 servings: freeze what you don’t use immediately. To use one of the frozen steaks in coming days, just place brown paper bag, with steak inside, on cookie sheet and oven-cook. After day 1, it’s a breeze.
Waffles Enclosing Bacon & Peach Slices
This is Not a recipe, but a technique. First though, I was raised on Aunt Jemima pancakes, so I hate to say this. I don’t like the New Aunt Jemima - yeah, it’s mistake proof, but texture is like puffed plastic.
For quick waffles, use Bisquick and substitute buttermilk for regular milk. They are superb, crispy and easy to make. “School Morning Bisquick Waffles” recipe was recently printed in New York Newsday. When I compared that buttermilk recipe with the Bisquick recipe on the box, the only difference was the buttermilk.
Now to my technique: Fry some bacon. Open a can of peach slices; slice the peach slices in half to make them thinner. When you place the waffle batter on the waffle iron, place a slice of bacon on the batter along with the cut peach slices. Maneuver the peach half-slices down into the batter as much as possible; then proceed cooking as usual. The waffles, with bacon and peaches inside, will be a big hit with anyone who has never eaten them before at your home, not to mention a conversation starter. And most waffle irons are non-stick anyway.
Another Tip on Waffles or Pancakes with Syrup: Don’t pour syrup directly on waffles or pancakes. The syrup is absorbed into the hot cakes. When you eat them, you can hardly taste the syrup, so you pour more syrup on. The dollars and calories add up very fast. Pour the syrup on the plate next to the cakes. Then dip a forkful into syrup. You will save both money and calories.
Potato Chip Dip Tip: Buy the packet of Onion Dip that comes in powdered form. Empty the sour cream into a serving vessel. Stir in the powdered dip mix. Cook regular pork bacon till very crispy, but not burnt. After the bacon cools, place pieces inside a ziplock bag and beat with the flat side of a meat pounder to reduce bacon to small bits. Stir the bacon bits into the Chip Dip, refrigerate and serve the next day, if possible. The bacon adds both flavor and texture to the Dip. Bacon is even better in clam dip, if you can locate clam dip today.
My all-time favorite Orange Juice, bar none - no it’s not Tropicana, nor is it fresh squeezed, unless you happen to live in Florida or California. The very best: Just Pik’t Orange Juice. You can’t buy it everywhere and it’s expensive. I pay $2.19 for 1 liter, although I just found it on the Internet at $3.29 – you don’t need that source. You may have to look for it at the Whole Foods Market or other Organic source. You don’t mix it with water. It comes frozen. Just thaw, shake and drink. I never thaw it completely, and it’s not much if it sits around in the refrigerator a couple of days. But day 1, it’s manna from heaven.
Just Pik’t is unpasteurized, but is flash frozen. It tastes like real orange juice because it is. By not pasteurizing it, they don’t kill the enzymes. We need enzymes in the worst way. That’s why folks, who don’t eat raw vegetables (as in salads) or fresh fruit, are usually sickly and loaded with food allergies. You do have to be careful with unpasteurized products like this. But then you really have to be careful with fresh oranges too. Nothing, you place in your mouth, is immune from all kinds of danger. When you defrost it, drink it! But if you live in New York, Ohio, Virginia and other places, where oranges are not grown, you have never tasted real orange juice if you haven’t tasted Just Pik’t. Its natural sweetness is incapable of being duplicated by Tropicana. I used to drink Tropicana, so I know.
T.A.B.A.C.C.O. (Truth About Business And Congressional Crimes Organization)
The TV Show is superb. They teach you how to cook, why things work and don’t work, or work better, they compare the same recipe using different ingredients or different amounts of the same ingredients to achieve optimal results. It’s like chemistry in the kitchen. I love it.
You can also go to the website www.americastestkitchen.com/ and get complete recipes. This is a real cooking class, not a recipe class. There is a difference. With these guys you learn why things work or don’t work. With a recipe, alone, you learn how to make something, not why it works.
But beware: they are in business to make money!
1- Don’t buy the magazine subscription - in December every year they offer the 6 yearly magazines in book form with a marvelous Green Binder called “Cooks Illustrated”. Keeping the books in order makes so much more sense than trying to keep track of 150 separate magazines. Try finding a single recipe that way. And you can purchase the Red Index. Caution: the Index only covers issues through the current year. I suggest buying the Index every five years or so to remain virtually current.
They compare packaged food brands, cookware, utensils, appliances etc. You can trust them to be fair although I will never forgive them for not ranking my all-time favorite Orange Juice higher.
Overnight Oatmeal Muesli
This recipe, courtesy of Alton Brown of “Good Eats” on The Food Network, requires minimal preparation time – even though it cooks all night long in a Rival Crockpot or Slow Cooker. If you don’t have a Slow Cooker, get one. If you have one, dust it off and use it. While you’re at it, get out that old Pressure Cooker too. We’ll be using that gem of the cookware royalty line in the near future.
1C pinhead oats
3.5-4C water@
1C heavy cream
1C dried cranberries
.5C dried figs, chopped
(or other dried fruit: blueberries, cherries, apricots or prunes (sliced thin), pineapple, raisins)
1. Fill crock-pot with all ingredients and cook on Low overnight.
When you awake in the morning, breakfast is ready. It’s like having a paid chef in your home. And could “cooking” be any easier that this?
NOTE: 1C = 1 cup, .5C = one-half cup
"Steelcut, Irish or Scotch oatmeal, porridge or substitute whole rolled oats or oat groats"
2/19/02 too liquid initially, thickens nicely after refrigeration>reduce to 3.5C water@ next time
Scrambled Eggs With Water Trick
This is not really a recipe, just a hint or “trick”. Over the years, I added milk, orange juice, apple juice, hot sauce, A1 steak sauce and anything else liquid I could think of. These additions may have improved the flavor, but nothing really helped the texture. At least my scrambled eggs were no worse than restaurant or McDonald’s concoctions. Some restaurants barely stir their eggs at all before scrambling. I have always beaten my eggs to death. I also tried scramble eggs over a very low flame, which requires 15 minutes cooking. The texture was OK, but the eggs were nothing special, and who wants to wait 15 minutes for eggs?
Then one day, I had no milk or O.J. and decided to try plain water. BINGO! It didn’t add any taste, of course, but the texture was superb. I might add other things such as Velveeta cheese or McCormick’s Marinade for Seafood, Cajun Style; but I always add water now, and the texture is always perfect.
Steak In A Bag
I think this recipe was published in the New York Daily News about 2 decades ago. This is not an easy or quick recipe, but I get about 9 servings out of 1 preparation. And nothing else makes chuck steak taste this good. I never use less than 3 * 1.5lb chuck steaks - always use chuck! I have tried more expensive cuts with less than adequate results. So save your money and buy chuck! I also swear by Progresso “Parmesan” Bread Crumbs. They are not in every supermarket. That’s why I make an annual pilgrimage to Waldbaum’s and purchase 3 to 4 containers of it. The Parmesan does make a difference. But if you can’t find the Parmesan, I guess any seasoned breadcrumbs will do.
3-4 large chuck steaks
5-6 garlic cloves, sliced down the middle
salt & pepper
Peanut Oil or Olive Oil
Progresso Parmesan BreadCrumbs
onion, sliced
1- Pound the crap out of chuck steaks on both sides
2- Rub with sliced garlic clove on both sides
3- Salt & pepper both sides
4- Pour oil generously on one side and spread by hand
5- Sprinkle bread crumbs generously over steak and spread by hand (the more oil on the steak, the more Progresso the steak can absorb)
6- Turn steak over and repeat Steps 4 and 5
7- Cut steak into 2 or 3 equal serving portions
8- Place each steak portion into a brown paper sandwich bag
9- Place onion slice and used garlic slice into bag
10- Seal bag with paper clip
11- Place 3 steaks, in paper bags, inside large freezer zip-lock bag and freeze
12- Repeat process with each large chuck steak
13- Place steak in bag(s) to be cooked now on cookie tray, bake at 350º F. for 35 minutes +/-, depending on personal preference
14- If steaks have been frozen, bake 40-45 minutes to allow for frozen state
Yield 9 servings: freeze what you don’t use immediately. To use one of the frozen steaks in coming days, just place brown paper bag, with steak inside, on cookie sheet and oven-cook. After day 1, it’s a breeze.
Waffles Enclosing Bacon & Peach Slices
This is Not a recipe, but a technique. First though, I was raised on Aunt Jemima pancakes, so I hate to say this. I don’t like the New Aunt Jemima - yeah, it’s mistake proof, but texture is like puffed plastic.
For quick waffles, use Bisquick and substitute buttermilk for regular milk. They are superb, crispy and easy to make. “School Morning Bisquick Waffles” recipe was recently printed in New York Newsday. When I compared that buttermilk recipe with the Bisquick recipe on the box, the only difference was the buttermilk.
Now to my technique: Fry some bacon. Open a can of peach slices; slice the peach slices in half to make them thinner. When you place the waffle batter on the waffle iron, place a slice of bacon on the batter along with the cut peach slices. Maneuver the peach half-slices down into the batter as much as possible; then proceed cooking as usual. The waffles, with bacon and peaches inside, will be a big hit with anyone who has never eaten them before at your home, not to mention a conversation starter. And most waffle irons are non-stick anyway.
Another Tip on Waffles or Pancakes with Syrup: Don’t pour syrup directly on waffles or pancakes. The syrup is absorbed into the hot cakes. When you eat them, you can hardly taste the syrup, so you pour more syrup on. The dollars and calories add up very fast. Pour the syrup on the plate next to the cakes. Then dip a forkful into syrup. You will save both money and calories.
Potato Chip Dip Tip: Buy the packet of Onion Dip that comes in powdered form. Empty the sour cream into a serving vessel. Stir in the powdered dip mix. Cook regular pork bacon till very crispy, but not burnt. After the bacon cools, place pieces inside a ziplock bag and beat with the flat side of a meat pounder to reduce bacon to small bits. Stir the bacon bits into the Chip Dip, refrigerate and serve the next day, if possible. The bacon adds both flavor and texture to the Dip. Bacon is even better in clam dip, if you can locate clam dip today.
My all-time favorite Orange Juice, bar none - no it’s not Tropicana, nor is it fresh squeezed, unless you happen to live in Florida or California. The very best: Just Pik’t Orange Juice. You can’t buy it everywhere and it’s expensive. I pay $2.19 for 1 liter, although I just found it on the Internet at $3.29 – you don’t need that source. You may have to look for it at the Whole Foods Market or other Organic source. You don’t mix it with water. It comes frozen. Just thaw, shake and drink. I never thaw it completely, and it’s not much if it sits around in the refrigerator a couple of days. But day 1, it’s manna from heaven.
Just Pik’t is unpasteurized, but is flash frozen. It tastes like real orange juice because it is. By not pasteurizing it, they don’t kill the enzymes. We need enzymes in the worst way. That’s why folks, who don’t eat raw vegetables (as in salads) or fresh fruit, are usually sickly and loaded with food allergies. You do have to be careful with unpasteurized products like this. But then you really have to be careful with fresh oranges too. Nothing, you place in your mouth, is immune from all kinds of danger. When you defrost it, drink it! But if you live in New York, Ohio, Virginia and other places, where oranges are not grown, you have never tasted real orange juice if you haven’t tasted Just Pik’t. Its natural sweetness is incapable of being duplicated by Tropicana. I used to drink Tropicana, so I know.
T.A.B.A.C.C.O. (Truth About Business And Congressional Crimes Organization)
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