anyone do most of the cooking at your home ? I do most of it at ours, ( I have always wanted to open a small restaurant) I'm wanting to learn more italian dishes, we love one dish meals and pastas, anyone have any favorite or simple italian recipes ?
Well I can't cook. Tried learning about two years ago. Burned a pound cake, and then almost got the kitchen to catch on fire by overboiling a few eggs. When I travel, I usually eat out. When I am in Los Angeles, I have someone that comes twice a week and cooks. Chicken Tetrazinni and Spaghetti Carbonara are my favorites.
My wife and I whip up quite a bit of Bolognese meat sauce, linguini with clams, and the infrequent but delicious bracciole (sp?). One of my favorites is a mix of onions, mushrooms, and prosciutto with linguini noodles. Everyone at work thinks I should open a restaurant (and they have paid me to bring in vacuum sealed portions of dishes), but that is WAY too much work for too little pay in most cases.
Everyone really like this blackened chicken with ziti and vodka sauce that I make. It is really easy(hardest part is cleaning the chicken) and it tastes great. Chicken: Basically, you just take the chicken, cube it into about 1 or 2 inch pieces. In a bowl mix, olive oil, franks red hot, garlic powder, chili powder, a little italian seasoning, black pepper, a pinch of salt, and stir it until it is in a thin paste. Heat a pan until when you drip water in it it turns to steam, and put a thin coating of oil in it. Take your chicken, put it in the bowl, cover it in the seasoning, then toss it in the pan, cook it for maybe 2 minutes on each side and you are done. Depending on how hot you like it, you can season it to taste hotter or cooler. I like it to be super hot, but that is just my taste Pasta: Well... if you need directions for pasta, that is a shame. I will say that I think 8 minutes does pretty good- not too firm, not to soft- as for the Vodka sauce, I usually buy Newmans Own, cause I like it, but whatever floats your boat. I like to top it off with some freshly grated cheese, and a little more black pepper. Let me know if you like it. Craig
I usally make a pesto sauce for my pasta by putting some Italian herbs (fresh basil, cilantro etc.) in a food processor with lots of garlic and either pine nuts, walnuts or pecans. Once this is mixed add in olive oil to blend and then grate some fresh parm or romano into it. Mix with the pasta and add any combination of the following:crumbled bacon, proscuitto, toasted nuts, diced roma tomato, sauted mushrooms etc. This is a meal in itself, but my friends always seem to request that I serve it with paneed veal, which is also very easy. Just coat very thinly sliced veal scallopini strips with cracker meal (using an egg wash)and quickly fry in olive oil, about 30-45 seconds a side. Place and top of the pasta, and present with more pesto and grated cheese.
I grill at racetracks, does that count? Bratwurst simmering in beer --- yuumm At home, I have literally destroyed a pan trying to boil water. My oven hasn't worked in 2 years. The microwave does all the heavy lifting
I usually just wing it for the most part. Like I said, it is all about taste, I like it hot so I use a decent amount of pepper and hot stuff. The recipe could be modified to have a more mild taste, and it would still be good I think. As for mixing the stuff up, I usually use the consistency as my guide. The trick is to get it thick enough that it sticks to the chicken, but not so thick that it can't be mixed. I usually end up with something that could be brushed on with a BBQ brush, and then I just put all the chicken in there and mix it around. Hope this helps. Craig
I enjoy cooking (rather, I like the food that comes out!) Seared Ahi is fun and *super* easy (all about the ingrediants and hot cast iron) I do cheesecakes, sometimes make my own pasta <from scratch, takes days to dry though>, omletts, waffles from scratch, other miscelania. Trying to convince mom to license me her spegatti sauce recipe (seriously.)
I cook quite a lot at home. I've been told I make a pertty mean Tiramisu, and a homemade Ragu that'll really stick to the ribs. It's made with ground beef,veal,and pork,heavy cream,etc. One of the best gifts I ever got was a Ron Popeil (Don't laugh, it really works) Pasta machine. Nothing like fresh pasta! Dave
I enjoy cooking immensely, and do all the cooking (or at least about 90% +) for our family. I make a killer pumpkin cheesecake. Anyone else into high end kitchen knives?
I current'y have just a basic set of knives, I eventually plan on getting some of those ceramic knives. Darth, the lamb is making my mouth water just thinking about it. It has been way too long since I had lamb chops. Wolf- Glad you and the wife liked it. I would love to hear other recipies, how about a good recipe for some robust steak or chicken marinades?? Craig
I love cooking and do most of the cooking at home. Over the years I have developed my own recipes for most dishes and do everything from pizzas to curry. Most of my dishes are prepared in 30 minutes or less. I don't know what you would call this one with wild salmon, Scottish lox, basil over bed of linguini: Bake salmon filet with olive oil, salt and pepper for just a few minutes (I do it in a toaster oven), Just enough so it can be broken apart by hand, when cool. With a few cloves of garlic (just crushed but still whole and extra virgin olive oil sauté the garlic. Don't over cook the garlic just that the oil gets the garlic flavor. Replace the chunks of salmon filet in the oil and sauté for a couple of minutes (remember the salmon was not thoroughly cooked). Add chopped basil while salmon is being sautéed and add white wine, let it evaporate (not all the way, just as it loses the alcohol smell), add a dash of salt and pepper. Meanwhile the linguini is ready to go (I usually use fresh pasta, takes only two minutes to prepare). Peel layers of the lox and place them on top of the salmon and it is ready. Serve the pasta and pour the salmon on top and it's ready to be enjoyed in less than 30 minutes.
Craig...I've had a nice set of Wusthof knives for years and haven't tried anything that I've liked better. I also love to cook and will try the pasta recipe. Recently I had a ton of tomato's on the vine that I couldn't possibly use fresh so I made a roasted red sauce that I could can in jars or freeze for later. The recipe is incredibly easy......In a roasting pan put a few pounds of whole tomatos, rough cut a large onion, as many cloves of garlic as you like, some fresh basil and oregano, salt and black pepper and a few cups of chicken stock. Roast it in the oven at 250 - 275 for 4 or 5 hours. I use one of those boat motor, stick blenders to chop it up a bit but you could use a large mixing fork. Great for pasta or a sauce for pizza. Best Steve
