What's for dinner?

[Pauleo1214]

Wife had an early dinner with her parents so I was on my own for dinner. I got a nice strip steak for a good price and carrots and potatoes are cheap.

I find strip steak to be the most forgiving steak to cook. Let it come to room temp, coat with sea salt and throw it on a searing hot cast iron 3 minutes per side. This usually produces a great sear and keeps it medium rare.

As for the fries I usually cut them thick and par boil before frying. Cutting them thin let's you forego the patrolling.

Carrots are roasted and coated in a honey butter glaze.

 

[PapaBear]

Cube a large butternut squash and about 3 granny smith apples, some nutmeg and a few pats of butter, bake until mushy, I like to blend it good and press it through mesh strainer. It's great as is on stuffing, pork, turkey etc., I like to put it in a pot and cut it with stock (usually chicken) until it's still somewhat thick (about like tomato soup) and serve with a dollop of whip cream sprinkled with freshly ground nutmeg.

 

[RetiredUnit1]

Wife had an early dinner with her parents so I was on my own for dinner. I got a nice strip steak for a good price and carrots and potatoes are cheap.

I find strip steak to be the most forgiving steak to cook. Let it come to room temp, coat with sea salt and throw it on a searing hot cast iron 3 minutes per side. This usually produces a great sear and keeps it medium rare.

As for the fries I usually cut them thick and par boil before frying. Cutting them thin let's you forego the patrolling.

Carrots are roasted and coated in a honey butter glaze.

View attachment 62046

Looks delicious!

One of the problems with using black pepper at high heat is that it burns and doesn't taste so good. To avoid this, use a pepper grinder set to the largest diameter. Grind over the steak, then use the back side of a spoon or tongs to push the large grounds into the meat. Repeat on both sides. This gives it that steak house flavor that is difficult to achieve! Another steak trick is to use a garlic press to smash some fresh garlic, then mix that into room tempreture butter, whisking it in a bowl. Just before removing the steak smear it over the top, and remove as soon as it melts to prevent burning the garlic. Go easy on the garlic, just one toe will do it for a whole cube of butter.....

 

[PapaBear]

Holidays approaching and parties galore, so I’m churning out 4-6 pounds of spiced nuts a week from now thru New Years

 

[jwin615]

You used Roma tomatoes? They make the best soups, salsas and pasta sauces. Hands down! I just dump a couple pounds into a stock pot, give 'em a slight squeeze with potato masher, then simmer at low heat until they cook. Then it's wand blender time! I like to add some fresh squeezed lemon juice to pasta sauce and it just brightens the flavor up and makes it POP. And of course some thyme and rosemary..... not that found of oregano but occasionally I'll add some Thai Sweet Basil that grows wild in my backyard........

edited: And I roast the garlic in butter in a pan prior to blending....

With pasata, the PH is everything.
*Usually* come the end of September I have bags of rippened green tomatoes that I put in brown paper bags.
When making tomato sauce with non-"sauce" tomatoes, sometimes they are too acidic. I love acidic tomatoes personally, but they don't make good sauce (but can well).
If your pasata is to acidic, add baking soda slowly. It takes very little to alter ph.
I use the tip of handle of a spoon.
BS is very powerful. A dusting of a pinch is enough some times.
But. In time you learn how little you need and the acidity bypasses and the sweetness comes out.
But beware, if you use to much, it tastes like 9v battery.
The less sauce, the more it matters .BS is very strong in acidic solutions. In a small pan, an imperceivable amount can alter the ph drastically. Tread with caution.

 

[RetiredUnit1]

With pasata, the PH is everything.
*Usually* come the end of September I have bags of rippened green tomatoes that I put in brown paper bags.
When making tomato sauce with non-"sauce" tomatoes, sometimes they are too acidic. I love acidic tomatoes personally, but they don't make good sauce (but can well).
If your pasata is to acidic, add baking soda slowly. It takes very little to alter ph.
I use the tip of handle of a spoon.
BS is very powerful. A dusting of a pinch is enough some times.
But. In time you learn how little you need and the acidity bypasses and the sweetness comes out.
But beware, if you use to much, it tastes like 9v battery.
The less sauce, the more it matters .BS is very strong in acidic solutions. In a small pan, an imperceivable amount can alter the ph drastically. Tread with caution.

I've been making it from scratch for 50 years-ish. Actually started using romas for salsa when my girlfriends mexican mother taught me how to cook mexican food. She was the master chef at a local restaurant. You should try my pan fried hard shell shredded beef tacos!!!! I use morrell lard with just a touch of bacon grease added!!!!

 

[RetiredUnit1]

Fish stick tacos for lunch. Don't laugh till you tried it!!! Ideally this would have some cabbage and onions, but I was too hungry to bother. Just some soft tortillas heated in a dry fry pan till slightly browned, a layer of grated jack, three fish sticks and topped with herdez salsa casera. It looks like a mess as I didn't take a pic till after I smashed it taking a bite, but it didn't look like a mess FOR LONG!!! Yum...

Costco has the *best* fish sticks, if you've tried them you know.

 

[jessenator]

Haven't had good fish sticks in a while. I actually haven't even had good fish in a while. Tuna sandwich with avocado (sub for mayo) a couple months ago

Tomorrow we're having a breakfast casserole

Pre-browned hash browns on the bottom, eggs and sausage in the middle, cheese and ham on top.

 

[jwin615]

I've been making it from scratch for 50 years-ish. Actually started using romas for salsa when my girlfriends mexican mother taught me how to cook mexican food. She was the master chef at a local restaurant. You should try my pan fried hard shell shredded beef tacos!!!! I use morrell lard with just a touch of bacon grease added!!!!

If not using my own fresh tomatoes, I usually just use whatever DOP I have on hand.

 

[RetiredUnit1]

If not using my own fresh tomatoes, I usually just use whatever DOP I have on hand.

I haven't grown tomatoes since my wife died in 2021. My first garden was in 1961 at the age of five. Maybe next year, this year I only had cannabis plants. I literally have weed growing as a weed in my backyard, lol. My largest plant this year was about 8' tall and 12' wide. Freaking massive.... A strain I developed over the past decade much higher in CBD than that crap they sell at the dispensary. Very relaxing and great for pain.

Also in 2021 (a bad year) I found out I am very allergic to eggs, which I had for breakfast every day of my life till then. Surprisingly, when I stopped eating them my blood pressure dropped to dangerous low levels and I had to stop taking my BP meds. WITH meds my normal BP was 145/95, now without meds my normal BP is 105/55 to 110/60 ish.

I make jack cheese grilled sandwiches for breakfast, it's surprisingly egg like in consistency and flavor.

 

[music6000]

Wok rings are more common than crop circles, you should be able to get one @giovanni .

Take your eyes away from the flame, the Ring is to the right. Should wok with induction, too.


Here's another style:

 

[giovanni]

I haven't grown tomatoes since my wife died in 2021. My first garden was in 1961 at the age of five. Maybe next year, this year I only had cannabis plants. I literally have weed growing as a weed in my backyard, lol. My largest plant this year was about 8' tall and 12' wide. Freaking massive.... A strain I developed over the past decade much higher in CBD than that crap they sell at the dispensary. Very relaxing and great for pain.

Also in 2021 (a bad year) I found out I am very allergic to eggs, which I had for breakfast every day of my life till then. Surprisingly, when I stopped eating them my blood pressure dropped to dangerous low levels and I had to stop taking my BP meds. WITH meds my normal BP was 145/95, now without meds my normal BP is 105/55 to 110/60 ish.

I make jack cheese grilled sandwiches for breakfast, it's surprisingly egg like in consistency and flavor.
View attachment 62123

Amazing flower!!! Do you smoke it or make edibles or something else?

 

[fig]

So that's what became of Francis..

 

[music6000]

I think he died from old age, It was made back in the 1950's


Anyone tried Mule on a Wok???

 

[jwin615]

I haven't grown tomatoes since my wife died in 2021. My first garden was in 1961 at the age of five. Maybe next year, this year I only had cannabis plants. I literally have weed growing as a weed in my backyard, lol. My largest plant this year was about 8' tall and 12' wide. Freaking massive.... A strain I developed over the past decade much higher in CBD than that crap they sell at the dispensary. Very relaxing and great for pain.

Also in 2021 (a bad year) I found out I am very allergic to eggs, which I had for breakfast every day of my life till then. Surprisingly, when I stopped eating them my blood pressure dropped to dangerous low levels and I had to stop taking my BP meds. WITH meds my normal BP was 145/95, now without meds my normal BP is 105/55 to 110/60 ish.

I make jack cheese grilled sandwiches for breakfast, it's surprisingly egg like in consistency and flavor.
View attachment 62123

I've been told tomatoes cannabis and tomatoes like similar soil profiles.

 

[giovanni]

I've been told tomatoes cannabis and tomatoes like similar soil profiles.

I think that’s true. That’s why weed grows so well in Italy.

 

[RetiredUnit1]

Amazing flower!!! Do you smoke it or make edibles or something else?

Well, I make an arthritis salve from it by infusing oil at a temperature of only 190f. This prevents it from becoming psychoactive. Edibles need to be heated to 245f for about 15 minutes to convert THCA into THC. THCA is not only more effective in pain relief, but immediately enters through the cell wall thanks to the lower PH (the A stands for acid). I mix that oil with shea butter, bees wax and cocoa butter for the salve. I also consume about 1/2 a TBL of just the infused and filtered oil every morning and night for general pain relief with ZERO intoxication. In fact it's kinda more like coffee waking up feeling. I use the salve on my feet twice a day and it's like being 15 years younger. Insane....

And in the evening just before bed I finally smoke some. I'm freakin' old. In the old days it was three bongs before breakfast. If I was to do that now I'd play all day instead of work. I used to make edibles, I'm a fantastic baker. Cakes, cookies, candies, brownies. But since I became allergic to eggs that eliminates about 80% of my recipes.

Try this, instead of using cocoa powder in a from scratch brownie recipe, substitute the same amount of milk powder. It is the most intensely delicious confection I've ever made. I call it 'Pan de Flan' which is Spanish for Custard Bread. Throw in some drops of lemon flavor oil and cream cheese and you have New York cheese cake brownies. Holy moly they're good.....

edited: And I substitute white chocolate instead of milk or semi-sweet in the pan de flan. Did you know that the white chocolate chips in the store AREN'T CHOCOLATE AT ALL??? They are Palm Kernel oil chips. I buy Guittard High Sierra 10lb brick instead of the crap they sell in the store.

Guittard High Sierra Brick

A true cocoa butter white with a rich creamy flavor. The smooth buttery texture is best highlighted in mousses, ganaches, frostings, dessert sauces and glazes. 28% cacao and a viscosity of 155. Case is 50 pounds and contains five 10 pound bricks.

www.bakerscandc.com

 

[RetiredUnit1]

I've been told tomatoes cannabis and tomatoes like similar soil profiles.

Yes, the soil acidity is very important. You want between 6.5 and 7ph. And they both need support. I make an 11' tall cage from 3/4" PVC pipe and anchor that to the ground with T-posts then use trellis netting wrapped around the cage instead of horizontally like most people use it. We get the Santa Annas, or Devil winds here that just rips trees out of the ground and all kinds of crazy destruction. I use only t-posts and trellis for tomatoes as they're so much shorter, and I do use the trellis horizontally on those.

Most years I don't even need to water until around mid July. My house seems to be in some sort of wet zone or something. I get up in the morning and my cars are covered with water. Everyone else on the street has dry cars. wtf? I dunno but it sure saves on the water bill....

 

[giovanni]

@RetiredUnit1 have you looked into egg substitutes for baking? I never tried it but I had vegan baked products that were not too bad.

 

[RetiredUnit1]

@RetiredUnit1 have you looked into egg substitutes for baking? I never tried it but I had vegan baked products that were not too bad.

I bought some only to find it had an ingredient that I’m allergic to