Foamy T. Squirrel Posted February 13, 2021 Share Posted February 13, 2021 Happy Birthday, too. Back to pizza: I can do the sauce from scratch using home grown tomatoes when possible and it's excellent. I have discussed this pizza issue many times with pizza experts, and have decided that the secret (beyond the meat and cheese, which is extremely important) is in making the proper crust, and making it properly. I can always bake a good loaf of bread, but a dependable pizza crust is an elusive art. Some of this is because crust is such a matter of personal taste and texture. For example, for myself, I don't like thin hard crust. I also don't like floppy, soggy, bread-like crust. To me, the crust of a pizza is like an aircraft carrier; a surface that is resilient enough to chomp into; a structure that is stable; and a surface the works as a flight deck for your wonderful topping ingredients. I'm also picky. It must be served with decent beer or hearty red wines. (I've had a good calamari dinner exactly once in my long life. All other attempts were chewy and disappointing. Cooking that stuff requires an expert. Same with alligator. TIA for any hits on what's going on with that stuff...) 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BgLubowski Posted February 13, 2021 Share Posted February 13, 2021 SOMEONE Please get Ariana and B1 a knife sharpener or at least a honing steel! Those dull knives are ruining watching her cook. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BgLubowski Posted February 13, 2021 Share Posted February 13, 2021 B4 boiled pierogi with sour cream and sauerkraut: My kinda ladies. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TBG 150 Posted February 14, 2021 Share Posted February 14, 2021 On 2/12/2021 at 10:23 PM, Foamy T. Squirrel said: Happy Birthday, too. Back to pizza: I can do the sauce from scratch using home grown tomatoes when possible and it's excellent. I have discussed this pizza issue many times with pizza experts, and have decided that the secret (beyond the meat and cheese, which is extremely important) is in making the proper crust, and making it properly. I can always bake a good loaf of bread, but a dependable pizza crust is an elusive art. Some of this is because crust is such a matter of personal taste and texture. For example, for myself, I don't like thin hard crust. I also don't like floppy, soggy, bread-like crust. To me, the crust of a pizza is like an aircraft carrier; a surface that is resilient enough to chomp into; a structure that is stable; and a surface the works as a flight deck for your wonderful topping ingredients. I'm also picky. It must be served with decent beer or hearty red wines. (I've had a good calamari dinner exactly once in my long life. All other attempts were chewy and disappointing. Cooking that stuff requires an expert. Same with alligator. TIA for any hits on what's going on with that stuff...) The biggest secrets to a proper pizza are 1) the water used in the dough, 2)a good quality meat for the meat toppings, 3) the cheese. You can't use a cheap, greasy cheese. And lastly, the tomato sauce base. Roma Italian tomatoes make the best sauce. It has to be put on just right too. Too much and the crust becomes soggy, too little and the pie is dry tasting. Pizza is an art, not an assembly line item. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nagachilli2 Posted February 18, 2021 Author Share Posted February 18, 2021 On 2/13/2021 at 8:25 PM, BgLubowski said: B4 boiled pierogi with sour cream and sauerkraut: My kinda ladies. Ate these often in Krakow 4 years ago...Great! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nagachilli2 Posted February 19, 2021 Author Share Posted February 19, 2021 Sorry guys...Somehow I missed a few of your posts, and only discovered them when visiting tonight... To make up for that, I'll give you my authentic Indian recipe for Chicken Dopiaza....which translates as '2 Onions'. That means onions cooked 2 ways here... Indian cookery is my particular passion, and although I'm by no means an expert, I've picked up numerous tips over 30 years... Apologies if, as we say in UK, I'm telling a granny how to suck eggs, and you know all this shit 😉 Ok, this will serve 4, with side dishes of rice, nans or veggy curries...or just increase the meat and amend accordingly... Now I have a store cupboard full of this shit, plus an Asian supermarket just down the road, so if you haven't got any of the spices, you should still be able to make a cracking curry with my alternative suggestions, but obviously if you have them, all the better... I've tried to do it metric rather than ounces etc...but sorry, CUPS confuse me, US guys...😏 60-75 ml oil...Most are fine, except Olive oils...I usually use Rapeseed or Ghee 4 whole cloves, 4 cardamoms ( bashed or split), 1 Bay leaf, 5cm piece cinnamon stick (all optional) 1 large, or 2 medium onions, finely chopped...the finer the better....+15ml spoon Salt 15ml spoon garlic paste and 15ml spoon ginger paste...or chop and grate your own 15ml spoon ground Cumin, Coriander (Cilantro), Turmeric, and Chilli... If you haven't these spices, the equivalent of a good curry powder or curry paste will still give good results, 2 large tomatoes, finely chopped 500g boned and skinned chicken thighs, cut into chunks, or left whole, as they break up a bit during the cooking...and they cook better than diced chicken breasts, which tend to dry out a bit in a dish like this. 200 ml water 30ml ghee, or oil 1 large onion 15ml garam masala, if you have it... Ok, here we go... Heat a pan to medium high...I use a big heavy aluminium pot...much bigger than I need, but it work...Whatever suits Add oil when hot, and fry whole spices, if using, for 15-20 seconds Add the onion, and the salt, which will help to soften them. Now this is 1 of the most important stages in achieving a good curry, and the biggest tip I ever picked up, and probably the most important, to get that authentic flavour...!! You've gotta really cook the onions down to almost nothing, so it looks almost like it's been blended. So it could take a good 30 minutes. But you've gotta make sure those onions don't burn, otherwise the curry will taste bitter. That's why we start with quite a bit oil. But turn the heat down, and add a splash of water now and again to get the right consistency...Keep checking and stirring! I find putting a lid on controls it better... Now the easier bit... When the onions are done, add the ginger and garlic, and fry for 5 mins, again don't burn Add ground spices, and cook out for a minute or 2 Add the chicken and fry over medium high for 5 mins or so Add tomatoes, and fry for another 5 mins, then the water. The chicken will take about another 50 mins...(1 hr total) Keep check, and give it the odd stir...you might need to add a little more water then (but not at the end) When ready, heat the ghee/oil in another pan and quickly fry the onion on high till cooked, but still crisp and holding its shape Add the garam masala, mix and add onion/garam masala mix to the main curry mix and sprinkle with fresh coriander/cilantro if you want... Good luck if anyone fancies a crack at this, and please let me know if it worked...Apart from the end bit, it's the base of quite a few curries I make, with a few additions I hope it's ok to follow and makes sense... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BgLubowski Posted February 20, 2021 Share Posted February 20, 2021 Artisanal garlic sausage in oven. More garlic minced and ready. Shrimp, ready. sauvignon blanc, ready. keri gold unsalted butter, ready. Baby Spinach, ready. Splash of aged Modena balsamic, ready. Noodles, ready. Artisanal bakery French farmers style loaf bread, ready. Fresh grated Pecorino cheese, on standby. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nagachilli2 Posted February 20, 2021 Author Share Posted February 20, 2021 1 hour ago, BgLubowski said: Artisanal garlic sausage in oven. More garlic minced and ready. Shrimp, ready. sauvignon blanc, ready. keri gold unsalted butter, ready. Baby Spinach, ready. Splash of aged Modena balsamic, ready. Noodles, ready. Artisanal bakery French farmers style loaf bread, ready. Fresh grated Pecorino cheese, on standby. If I hadn't eaten I'd be salivating Bg...Sounds great! Saturday is curry night here...Beef Madras, pilau rice and Nan bread...nowt fancy tonight, but went down well... 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nagachilli2 Posted February 25, 2021 Author Share Posted February 25, 2021 Evening guys... Someone posted that Amalia was eating Pam in the bath in B2, and it immediately conjured up this image... Anyone here remember this blast from the past? I'm sure you UK guys will. I used to have it at school dinners, covered in batter and fried...and not a lettuce leaf in sight! It didn't do me any harm...😏 I must admit, the sPAM on the menu tonight look a lot meatier and tastier...😁 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TBG 150 Posted February 26, 2021 Share Posted February 26, 2021 Still a common item on the store shelves today. The canned stuff anyway. 😉 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StnCld316 Posted February 26, 2021 Share Posted February 26, 2021 8 hours ago, nagachilli2 said: Evening guys... Someone posted that Amalia was eating Pam in the bath in B2, and it immediately conjured up this image... Anyone here remember this blast from the past? I'm sure you UK guys will. I used to have it at school dinners, covered in batter and fried...and not a lettuce leaf in sight! It didn't do me any harm...😏 I must admit, the sPAM on the menu tonight look a lot meatier and tastier...😁 That was good shit back in the day. Made a lot of sandwiches. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mspanker Posted February 26, 2021 Share Posted February 26, 2021 2 minutes ago, StnCld316 said: That was good shit back in the day. Made a lot of sandwiches. Same for me, all the way through school and packed lunches at my first job for years...a packet of crisps a mars bar or similar. Always white bread, never heard of wholemeal or wraps. Don`t remember hearing people say they were allergic back then, more they just had no choice. 2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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