Poll: Anyone like to cook?

[Mercutio]

Mostly just playing with the poll-posting options.

Anyone else here like to cook?

[mitch808]

I love to cook! In the past 4-6 years all the womenI dated couldn't cook to save their lives.

[timwhit]

The majority of my meals are scrambled eggs on a bagel with ham and cheese. Does that count as cooking?

I can also cook frozen pizza and hot dogs. But I don't think that counts much.

-Tim

[Pradeep]

I cook because I have to, living alone. I enjoy eating what I have cooked, but prefer to cook things fast. Nothing worse than slaving for 2 hours over a stove, only to eat it all in 10 mins!

[mitch808]

My new best friend is the george foreman grill. Great fast, low fat cooking!

[jtr1962]

I can cook a few simple things-spaghetti with sauce, BLTs, cinnamon toast, hot dogs(I don't think that counts), anything frozen, and probably a few more things that I don't remember. I don't dislike the cooking part too much, but rather the cleanup part, so I don't cook very often. Fortunately, I don't live alone, so I don't have to cook all the time. Given the large variety of good-tasting take out food available locally(real food, not junk fast food), more often than not nobody in my household cooks.

[Mercutio]

I like making Italian food. People act like it's something special but most of it is really, really easy to make. Basic stuff like Chili is always good, too. Anyone can make chili.

I'm trying to teach myself to make a few Chinese dishes but nothing ever turns out the way I want it. I even screw up fried rice. But I make decent noodles. Go figure.

Mitch, don't you live in a place where outdoor grilling is possible year-round?

Tim, learn to cook. It impresses the hell out of women. ;)

[jtr1962]

Yep, I've watched my mom prepare many Italian dishes, and most are really easy to make. Some, such as lasagna, may require many steps and take a while, but no special skills are required. Of course, you have all the pots and pans at the end...

I love Chinese food myself, but I think the art there is in the chopping and especially in the timing. The whole point of this style of cooking is to cook fast with a minimum of fuel, so a good Chinese cook times everything by seconds. If I were to personally try to learn to cook Chinese, I think it would take quite a bit of trial and error before things started to turn out edible. Anyway, thanks to my moderate carpal tunnel, certain repetitive motions like chopping will leave me in pain the next day, so learning to cook Chinese will probably be out for now.

[flagreen]

Taking it out of the Freezer is Thawing right? I think so. That's all I know. :o

[mitch808]

Mitch, don't you live in a place where outdoor grilling is possible year-round?




Well I used to live in Hawaii, born and raised... Sure we could BBQ all we wanted to. Now in Seattle WA it's a different story. We get about 4 months of sunshine and the rest of the time it's overcast and drizzle. But I just throw the BBQ in the closet on my deck(I live in an apartment) and cook inside that.... With the door open of course so I don't die of smoke inhalation. But now that I have my George Foreman grill, I don't really need to cook outdoors too much. But nothing beats Charcoal and lighter fluid all over your food... :)

[adriel]

You just put things in the microwave and food comes out.

[NRG = mc²]

What I hate about cooking is

a) waiting for it to cook
b) clearing up afterwards with a full stomach... I just want to relax.

...

[Prof.Wizard]

What I hate about cooking is

a) waiting for it to cook
b) clearing up afterwards with a full stomach... I just want to relax.

...


Ditto... actually b is a real pain in the ass!

[CougTek]

Ditto to NRG comment.

[flagreen]

What I hate about cooking is

a) waiting for it to cook
b) clearing up afterwards with a full stomach... I just want to relax.

...


What's cleaning up?

[flagreen]

Never mind, I think I figured it out. It's like changing diapers isn't it? You set the kid in the corner and turn the garden hose on him right? Works great.

[Cliptin]

I can make superb omlettes, oatmeal and steak but since I live alone I don't actually cook that much.

As for clean up, I usually just leave the dishes and pans on the counter for a week. It's like magic. By the end of week all the big bits are gone and they only need rinsing.

[Prof.Wizard]

No. Actually, there are the bugs that do the cleaning for you... :lol:

[Tannin]

I voted yes, but it all depends on the context.

I despise cooking for one! Left to myself, I grab takeaway, open a can, microwave something pre-packaged, or just eat toast with honey and vegemite.

But cooking for two or more, that's a different matter entirely! I love to do that.

[Mercutio]

Hm. I started doing dishes when I was five. Now I think it's relaxing. Mindless activity. Turn up the stereo in the kitchen and just do it.

Tannin, vegemite is the most horrible thing I've ever eaten, and I've had Kim Chee.

[Pradeep]

Hm. I started doing dishes when I was five. Now I think it's relaxing. Mindless activity. Turn up the stereo in the kitchen and just do it.

Tannin, vegemite is the most horrible thing I've ever eaten, and I've had Kim Chee.


What did she taste like? And are there any pics? :o

[flagreen]

And does Tea know about Kim?

[Mercutio]

Salty?

(I don't know how that space got there. It's supposed to be KimChee)
Erm, KimChee is a sort of combination of fermented cabbages, peppers and radishes, spiked with various hot spices and bits of fish.
Koreans like to make the stuff, then bury it in the ground for a few months while it ferments.

It's disgusting, but it'll clear up a stuffy nose.

[flagreen]

I've often heard of vegemite yet don't really know what it is. Anyone care to explain?

[NRG = mc²]

Its a disgusting Yeast extract, I believe similar to Marmite

http://www.marmite.com/

[flagreen]

Hmm... doesn't sound very appetizing. :cry:

[Mercutio]

My very own recipie for Marinara (which I made tonight).
I'm very proud of it. You can put it on anything and it keeps very well in the freezer.

1 large can diced tomatos
1 can tomato puree - in the US, only Contadina makes this
3 fresh basil leaves
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 Yellow onion
a largish pinch of red chili flakes
2 Tbs extra-virgin olive oil (olive, not canola or whatever)
1 cup of water
salt, pepper, oregano to taste
chopped, fresh italian parsley.

In a medium saucepan over a medium heat, heat olive oil. Add garlic and onions, and saute basically until everything is brown. Add the chili flakes to the mix and cook for another minute or two, then add in the tomato products and water.

This mix should simmer over medium heat for an hour or more. It needs to be stirred frequently, so you should probably find something else to do in the kitchen. Do not cover the pan, if it spatters, turn down or remove it from the heat - the goal is to reduce the water out of the sauce.
When you're just about done cooking, add your salt, pepper, oregano, basil and parsley.

Mushrooms, peppers, well-drained sausage or ground meat can be added as well.

[NRG = mc²]

argghh... don't post such tasty info... its 4:00am and the fridge is empty.

Oh well, once more I think I'll have to eat my clothes again :wink:

[timwhit]

argghh... don't post such tasty info... its 4:00am and the fridge is empty.

Oh well, once more I think I'll have to eat my clothes again :wink:


Eat your shoes, but only if they are leather. People have survived from shoe leather before.

I ordered Chinese food tonight. So much better than what I would have made.

-Tim

[Pradeep]

Ahh, sirloin and chips for dins tonight. Pink and bloody on the inside, medium-rare.

[Tea]

I have never used a recipe in my life. Just constitutionally unable to do it. I'm the same with music: hand me a page of sheet music and I can't play it. Hum a few bars and tell me "just improvise in the key of F" and I'm fine.

Mostly, I cook what we know as "a tomatoey thing". This nearly always starts with onions fried in olive oil and butter - the secret is to fry them hot so you get that beautiful camelisation taste. Then add ... almost anything: particularly olives, garlic, capsicum, fish, eggplant, most any sort of fresh vegetable, parsley, herbs ... whatever seems like a good idea at the time. And always, home-grown tomatoes, fresh or frozen. Little grape-sized ones are the best, but they take forever to pick.

Serve with pasta if you like, but rice is better. Never made two the same yet.

I cook lots of other stuff, but this is my favourite.

[Groltz]

so you get that beautiful camelisation taste.

Remind me to pass next time you invite me over for dinner. I'd
prefer to skip the beautiful tasting camels.

[Tea]

Camel plain? Or Camel filter?

[Groltz]

If you move on to caramelized onions, however, give us a
ring. :mrgrn:

[NRG = mc²]

Eat your shoes, but only if they are leather

Yes they are - big fat Caterpillar boots. Could live for days off them, I think. Size 49 (whatever... big!)

[James]

Remind me to pass next time you invite me over for dinner. I'd
prefer to skip the beautiful tasting camels.


Tastes like chicken, I'll bet.

[Mercutio]

I guess we aren't the only forum with people who like to cook (http://ars.flyingember.com/)

[Vlad The Impaler]

Cooking just get in the way of eating. I don't like cooking because I always want to eat what I am cooking before it is ready. Talk about torture!!

[Clocker]

I cook because my wife's cooking sucks. She is great at baking but, otherwise, I'd rather handle it.

C

[Buck]

Since I don't recall ever seeing this thread, I'll revive it. :D

Yes, I like to cook. I had a few friends over the other day and made Bratwurst, skewered chicken breast, and rice (the bread just needed reheating, was a baguette from the bakery).

I made the rice in one of my usual ways: One cup basmati rice, two cups water, and a chicken bullion. Heat up some Canola oil in a pan, sprinkle in a liberal pinch of chile pepper flakes for 20 seconds (let's the flakes fry up real fast and spreads the pepper flavor through out the oil) and then add one chopped medium sweet onion. Toss and cook until onion bits become translucent but not caramelized, soft and no longer crispy, then add the finished rice. Toss and serve.

The chicken was new for me . . . well, actually not the chicken but the marinade. Marinade started with a base of yellow mustard and vinegar. Added Canola oil and sage honey to taste and texture. Added a 1/8 cup of paprika, liberally sprinkled in some nutmeg, cinnamon and cracked pepper. Cleaned chicken breasts and tenders, cut into smallish strips for easy skewering. Let marinade for two days. Skewered day of the BBQ. Turned out good, although I’ll probably use less cinnamon next time, and depending on the guests, I might add curry and cumin, maybe even extra turmeric.

Bratwurst was simple, just boil for 20 minutes and then BBQ when the time is right.

The beer was good too; I went through a Theakston Old Peculiar, a Samuel Smith Taddy Porter and a Samuel Smith Imperial Stout. The Old Peculiar was probably best with the food since it is flavorful but smooth, dark but not bitter; whereas the other two are slightly bitter, and followed by a slight smoky flavor. They would probably go better with a heavier dish, like a beef chili or pork roast. However, if the chili were super spicy then a good IPA would be best.

[Mercutio]

This was, I think, the second-ever thread from the Pub. Maybe the third. It's, uh, pretty old. :)

[Buck]

This was, I think, the second-ever thread from the Pub. Maybe the third. It's, uh, pretty old. :)

After two years and 8 months, it has awaken. :D

[Handruin]

I'd guess the search feature works, or you went through a hell of a lot of posts. :)

[Buck]

I'd guess the search feature works, or you went through a hell of a lot of posts. :)

I just went to the very first page. :)

[Mercutio]

The search works just fine. I can find anything here that I'm looking for. The benefit of omnipresence. :P

Anyone know a good mix of spices for chili? I've been using packaged stuff but looking at the ingredients list on a spice packet, I'll bet all that stuff is in my spice rack.

I mix three 12oz cans of kidney beans, 2 cans of "spicy" beans and a can of light refried beans to a 12oz. can of corn, a large chopped onion, 16oz. of diced tomatoes, 2 chopped green peppers and about a pound of fried, mixed ground beef and pork. I season with chili powder and a bunch of whatever hot sauces (e.g. "Dave's Insanity (http://www.davesgourmet.com/)") I have available, plus onion and a little garlic powder, tons of ground pepper and a packet of chili seasoning.
I throw all of the above in a that in a crock pot - using the juices from the beans and tomatoes for a base, and I let it sit the "low" setting for, oh, 10 hours or so.

Then I'll serve it with some rice or egg noodles and some brick, jack or meunster cheese. It's yummy and I can put it all together in about 15 minutes if the meat is thawed.

[Buck]

Anyone know a good mix of spices for chili? I've been using packaged stuff but looking at the ingredients list on a spice packet, I'll bet all that stuff is in my spice rack.

I mix three 12oz cans of kidney beans, 2 cans of "spicy" beans and a can of light refried beans to a 12oz. can of corn, a large chopped onion, 16oz. of diced tomatoes, 2 chopped green peppers and about a pound of fried, mixed ground beef and pork. I season with chili powder and a bunch of whatever hot sauces (e.g. "Dave's Insanity (http://www.davesgourmet.com/)") I have available, plus onion and a little garlic powder, tons of ground pepper and a packet of chili seasoning.
I throw all of the above in a that in a crock pot - using the juices from the beans and tomatoes for a base, and I let it sit the "low" setting for, oh, 10 hours or so.

Then I'll serve it with some rice or egg noodles and some brick, jack or meunster cheese. It's yummy and I can put it all together in about 15 minutes if the meat is thawed.

Your mixture sounds great Mercutio. The only change would be to switch some fo those powdered spices into minced pieces of the real thing, such as Anaheim Chiles, or Habanero Chiles. The only drawback to that is if someone gets a small piece in their mouth and it is still too spicy. So, I wouldn't necessarily budge from your method.

As a note, I have also added carrots and potatoes to my chili.

[blakerwry]

cilantro?

[ddrueding]

I love cooking, but the combination of no time and no company makes it much less rewarding. I look forward to living with my girlfriend, every time we get together we cook something good. Last time it was enchiladas, lasagne, and tequila-lime chicken. I think some Thai food is on the list this time around...

[Gilbo]

I make chili regularly and I also usually use some habaneros to give it some zing. That's rather dangerous advice though Buck. Habanero's are not to be given to the unprepared. The first time I used them in my chili I almost blew my face off. I'd been using jalapenos before, and thought I could exchange them one for one. I mean habaneros are so much smaller :(. It turned out that they make jalapeno's seem, well, not-spicy...

I also use a crock pot and patience for my Chile Mercutio. In my experience the pieces of pepper aren't anything to be worried about after a couple hours of cooking.


By the way, some friendly advice for anyone who's going to handle habaneros (warning, not for the faint of heart):
You have to treat these things with respect. I once touched the internals a little, washed my hands, and then went to the washroom to quickly, innocently relieve myself. Despite the soap and water I apparently transmitted a little... spiciness to a tender area. It will go right through areas of thinner skin. I don't think anything could be more painful and uncomfortable --it was terrible. It was worse than thistles, worse than chlorosulfonic acid (on the hands anyway). I can't really even compare it to anything else (jellyfish got nothing...). I actually had to shower in cold water for about an hour...

I hope that wasn't too much information. I'm just trying to save other amateur male chefs from a potentially traumatic experience. Besides in retrospect it's really kind of funny... if you enjoy other people's suffering anyway ;).

[LiamC]

This is simple to make, but the cutting up is a bit of a pain.

Good for three or four. Bit of a fave. It's not too hot, but you could easily leave out the chilli.

Spicy sausage pasta with tomato, chilli, shallots & cheese

2 Chorizos (spicy Spanish sausage). Slice.

Dice (small cubes) two tomatoes.

Finely slice a half bunch of shallots/eschallots. If your supermarket doesn't sell this things in bunches, just grab a fist full of the suckers, drop a few out and you should have the right amount.

Grab a good hand full of parsley (either kind). Chop finely.

1 chilli. Finely sliced. 2 cloves of garlic

150 grams of fresh Ricotta. 150g of Fetta (cube it)

Cook enough pasta for three or four people--penné or spirals.

Brown/seal the sausage in a hot pan with a little olive oil. Remove and place in bowl.

Clean pan (or use another).

With little oil over a medium heat, saute (gently cook) the shallots, chilli and garlic (three to four minutes).

Add tomato, parsley and ricotta. Cook for a minute or two. Add Fetta, and sausage and cook for another minute or two. Add pasta-stir through.

Serve. Bellisimo!

PS. For those in the states, I believe that what we refer to as shallots is different to what you call them. This is what I mean:

http://www.vegies.com.au/store/productpage.cfm?productID=102

[blakerwry]

they're called green onions in the midwest

[Mercutio]

I eat hot peppers at any opportunity. I've never had Gilbo's, uh, experience, but I've had the odd burn on my hand from insufficient washing.

[Tea]

I supppoze that I better not ask you about the burning ring of fire, then Gilboo00##—

Tea! Get off the computer!)

(But I woz—)

(No you weren't!)

(But you said I coullll&—

[Tannin]

Sorry about that. She's a little willful at present.

Anyway, as I was going to say in the first place, I like the sound of your rice, Buck. I'll bookmark this and try it for myself one day. Son, I hope.

[Buck]

All these recipes sound good, plus we have a new food: Chile Mercutio, thanks Gilbo. :P

Good suggestion Blake with the Cilantro. I was surprised when I first ate Indian food that they use Cilantro a lot. I was only used to it in Mexican food.

PS: I haven't made that mistake with peppers, but I have worked with Jalapenos, hurriedly rushed to my neighbors house to help with a computer problem, forgot to wash my hands, and rubbed my eye. Talk about tears, ha!

[e_dawg]

Speaking of spiciness and the perils of chili peppers, just had a sinus exploding experience with wasabi today. The place I went to made their wasabi fresh right in front of us, so you know that stuff has kick. Hidden in one of the sushi pieces -- a sea urchin roll, IIRC -- was probably a grape sized ball of wasabi. It's not like I haven't had wasabi before, but this was a lot more than I was used to, and I don't often get to have the freshly made stuff. Man did that sting. It was like someone set off napalm in my sinuses and I was having an aneurysm -- at the same time.

(now I know this chef likes to use a lot of the stuff, I will tell him to take it easy next time...)

... as for the "do I like to cook?" question, I used to in university. But it's tough to want to cook and clean up after a long day at work. Eating out with friends is so much more enjoyable I find...

[Mickey]

Yes, I like to cook. Lack of time (and company to share it with) tends to limit my cooking, though. Also love to bake (cookies, cake, cheesecake, etc).

An acquaintance in uni used to make this horrid dish called "glop." Sauteed hamburger meat, a bottle of Tabasco sauce, a bottle of BBQ sauce, and I *think* cinnamon, all ladled over cooked pasta. I tried it once and never did so again.

Of course, he *also* used to leave toenail clippings in a tidy little pile on his coffee table. :eekers: Never did figure out why he did so.

[Buck]

Of course, he *also* used to leave toenail clippings in a tidy little pile on his coffee table. :eekers: Never did figure out why he did so.

How to ruin a perfectly healthy appetite. :puke-r: :puke-l:

[Fushigi]

Of course, he *also* used to leave toenail clippings in a tidy little pile on his coffee table. :eekers: Never did figure out why he did so.Stew. :lol:

[Onomatopoeic]

Poll: Anyone like to cook?

Yes. Pancackes in the nude.

[Mickey]

Poll: Anyone like to cook?

Yes. Pancackes in the nude.


Better than bacon in the nude. Painful, that.

[i]

Pancacks?? Yuck!

Pancakes on the other hand ... mmmm ... pancakes. :)

[BooST]

Better than bacon in the nude. Painful, that.

Bacon in clothes can be painful... Why even try it in the nude?

[time]

Oliver burns meat and two veg (http://www.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,4057,9212270%5e13780,00.html)

[JSF]

My father was a proprietor/chef for 28 years in a small town in British Columbia. As a kid and teenager I ate well. Through college and post-college I got so hungry for well-prepared food I taught myself to cook by reading several of Julia Child's cookbooks. Now I have moved from French cooking to Italian cooking using the cookbooks of Marcella Hazan. My shift from French cooking is not for political reasons, although I have boycotted French products since 9/11.

A few weeks ago I prepared the following meal for 19 guests:
1. Open bar, self-serve (a friend prepared martinis)
2. Antipasto---Assorted parboiled veggies with tuna in a tomato sauce with Italian bread
3. Insalata---Butter lettuce, sliced pear, pine nuts, crumbled Stilton cheese & dressing
4. Il Primo---Homemade pasta (tonnarelli) with a porcini mushroom sauce
5. Il Secondo---Roast leg of lamb
6. Contorni---asparagus and prosciutto bundles
7. Dolci---fresh fruit salad laced with maraschino liqueur
8 .Bevanda--- Pinot Grigio with pasta, Montepulciano red with the roast, coffee with dessert and Vecchia Romagna Nera after dinner (ranks with VSOP cognac).

I deviated from a traditional Italian meal by serving the salad at the beginning of the meal rather than at the end. My guests left my home happy and content.

Joe.

[Onomatopoeic]

OK, so I mispelt pancakces. Whoopdie doo. :oops:

Better than bacon in the nude. Painful, that.

I was talking about the pancakes being nude, with the opposite being pigs in blankets, which is, as I understand, southern breakfast cooking at its finest. Here's the recipe:


http://www.kuking.net/pictures/8_617_step1.jpg

На 50 штук

375 гр. муки с разрыхлителем
1 ч.л. соли (с верхом)
25 гр. тертого сыра Чеддар (или любого другого твердого сыра с ярко выраженным вкусом)
250 гр. цельного молока
1 яйцо
3 ст.л. растительного масла
50 коктейльных колбасок (1 пакет готовых к употреблению)

[Onomatopoeic]

...Now I have moved from French cooking to Italian cooking...

Absolutely run like hell from French cooking.

Italian cuisine is vastly superior to French in every way -- and just about anything else as far as that's concerned.

[Buck]

Nice job Joe, I wish I could cook like that.

[Buck]

So, I'm at home sick today. Being sick, we unanimously decided no computer work (that was an easy decision too). So, what to do? First, take care of important chores: do some laundry. After that, I decided to cook -- what a way to enjoy the day. Two and half pounds of rib eye chopped up and now slow cooking on the stove with some yummy seasonings. I tell, it's great getting up late (7:30 am), relaxing with a little breakfast, start dinner, take a nap, clean up, take another nap, all the while sipping on some nice Darjeeling. If I could afford this, I'd do it more often (minus being sick). Now that the afternoon has started, I guess it's time for some lunch, and then another nap. :) Oh, and it helps to toss in a few Buffett CDs and listen to them all morning too. I guess in the afternoon we'll switch modes and change the music over to some Sinatra and Dino.

[Buck]

Dinner turned out very good. I cut the slab of beef into long strips about 1.5 inches thick and seared them in a pan before putting them in the pot with the seasonings (deglazed pan with a little red wine and added that to the pot). In the pot I sautéed some onions and garlic in a little oil, added a liberal dash of some ground Thai peppers (very spicy). Then I added one can of diced tomatoes, two jars of Trader Joe's salsa, and about two cups of beef stock. I let the beef cook in this concoction from about 10:00 am to 2:00 pm, and then I removed the beef, shredded it, and put it back in the pot until 5:00 pm. Made a little rice to go with the beef, and voila, dinner was served. Yummy. Both the rice and the beef had a nice spicy kick to it, which was helpful in alleviating my sinus misery. :D

[Mercutio]

One of my personal favorite quicky meals - and I freely admit that this barely qualifies as cooking, is to take a couple precooked chicken patties, cover them with "Pizza Quick" sauce (or my own marinara if I have some on hand), a little bit of minced garlic, and some mozzarella cheese.

Cooking for one person sucks mightily.

[Handruin]

I like cooking tacos. They aren't the most interesting meal, but I love how they taste.

I did make some homemade bruschetta loaf a couple months ago. I took a fresh bake loaf of sourdough (usually it's Italian) bread and sliced it up. Laura and I baked a garlic in the oven with extra virgin olive oil. Once it was done we spread the garlic over the sourdough bread. We then added fresh scallions, chunks of blue cheese, fresh tomatoes, and finally some shredded mozzarella over the top. We cooked it in the oven for about 10-15 minutes so that the bread was slightly crispy, and the mozzarella was melted.

yum.

[Mercutio]

Bachelor Chow is accomplished with as little work as possible and ingredients I might actually have on hand.

With that in mind: Lasagna.

1 Package of fresh, cheese filled ravioli from freezer part of the grocery store.
1 package frozen spinach.
1 jar of Pasta sauce (I use Prego Garden Vegetable)
Some Shredded Mozzarella.

I usually go ahead and freeze the fresh ravioli, but that's OK. This still works. Actually I've never tried it with un-frozen ravioli. It probably takes even less time.

Heat oven to 300 or 350 degrees. Something like that.
Get out a baking dish.
Put frozen ravioli in the bottom of the dish.
Then a layer of frozen spinach.
Then a layer of sauce.
Then another layer of ravioli.
Then another layer of spinach.
Then another layer of sauce.
Then Mozzarella on top of that.

Put in oven, covered with tin foil. Cook for a while (15 - 20 minutes?)
Take the tin foil off. Cook another 5 minutes.

It's lasagna, and I'm not screwing around with ricotta cheese or noodles I have to cook before I can cook them.

I made this for dinner tonight. It worked pretty well.

[Chewy509]

Holey cow batman, what an old thread? but anyway voted, I can cook...

Being a bachelor for the last 2 yrs, I've cooked for myself pretty much every day, with the odd occasions in having friends/family over...

Last Sat night made a pretty basic lamb vindaloo with papadums and rice... Takes about 20mins, but mostly waiting for the rice to cook.

Makes for 1.

200-250g lamb, chicken or beef, cubed/diced in smallish pieces. Leave fat/skin on.
2 teaspoons of Vindaloo curry paste (I like Par-taks). More for extra hot.
100ml milk.
2 cloves garlic - crushed.
1/4 onion, finely chopped.
1 cup rice.
Papadums
Oil.
Chicken stock powder.

Rice, cook the rice until done. Stove Top: add 1.5cups of water to 1 cup of rice, add teaspoon of chicken stock. Bring to boil. Once boiling, reduce to low simmer for 15minutes. Rice ready when all water has been absorbed. Or whatever your preferred rice cooking method.

Papadums, v.lightly coat with oil, (oil in spray can works really well here). place on paper on plate, and 60sec in microwave or until done.

Curry. Place 2 teaspoons of oil in medium-hot fry pan (make sure you have a lid for your fry-pan). Add onion, garlic and curry paste. Fry for 2-3 minutes. Add meat and lightly brown meat. Turn down to simmer, add milk and cover. Let simmer for 10-15minutes, stirring every 5 minutes or as needed.

Once all cooked, serve curry on top of a bed of rice, with papadums on side. Goes really well with beer. Substitute other curry pastes if vindaloo a little too hot.

[ddrueding]

I've just started cooking again in the last week. For the last decade or so I've been eating out pretty much every meal of every day. Now I have an actual apartment that I'm happy with (proud of?) and someone worth cooking for. So far it's been real simple; quesadillas, pancakes, pasta, sandwiches. Soon I hope to buy actual cooking utensils, and perhaps make something that requires measurement of some kind (volume, mass, weight, or time). Kinda stoked on the idea.

[Buck]

Holey cow batman, what an old thread? but anyway voted, I can cook...

Being a bachelor for the last 2 yrs, I've cooked for myself pretty much every day, with the odd occasions in having friends/family over...

Last Sat night made a pretty basic lamb vindaloo with papadums and rice... Takes about 20mins, but mostly waiting for the rice to cook.

Makes for 1.

200-250g lamb, chicken or beef, cubed/diced in smallish pieces. Leave fat/skin on.
2 teaspoons of Vindaloo curry paste (I like Par-taks). More for extra hot.
100ml milk.
2 cloves garlic - crushed.
1/4 onion, finely chopped.
1 cup rice.
Papadums
Oil.
Chicken stock powder.

Rice, cook the rice until done. Stove Top: add 1.5cups of water to 1 cup of rice, add teaspoon of chicken stock. Bring to boil. Once boiling, reduce to low simmer for 15minutes. Rice ready when all water has been absorbed. Or whatever your preferred rice cooking method.

Papadums, v.lightly coat with oil, (oil in spray can works really well here). place on paper on plate, and 60sec in microwave or until done.

Curry. Place 2 teaspoons of oil in medium-hot fry pan (make sure you have a lid for your fry-pan). Add onion, garlic and curry paste. Fry for 2-3 minutes. Add meat and lightly brown meat. Turn down to simmer, add milk and cover. Let simmer for 10-15minutes, stirring every 5 minutes or as needed.

Once all cooked, serve curry on top of a bed of rice, with papadums on side. Goes really well with beer. Substitute other curry pastes if vindaloo a little too hot.

Yum.

I think it's time I try my hand at making another curry.

[Mercutio]

I do not know where to get curry- anything, except the yellow powder that I have been assured is nothing like actual curry.

I have one of these and I really like it. (http://www.tabletools.com/tabletools/showdetl.cfm?DID=6&Product_ID=2631)

Indoor Steak, No Grill - I learned this one from, of all places, Slashdot

Preheat Oven to 500 degrees
Wait 15 minutes for it to get that hot
Warm a burner on your stove to "arson"
Take a nice steak - season both sides with pepper and some kind of coarse salt (usually ground sea salt, but not table salt), then a light coating of cooking oil.
Lay your steak down on a skillet, on the burner set to "arson"
Don't touch it for 30 seconds. It will hiss and smoke and stuff.
Flip it. 30 seconds more on side #2.
Grasp skillet with appropriate protection.
Put skillet in 500 degree oven.
Cook for about five minutes.

Take it out.

Set it aside for another five minutes. Making a salad and cooking a potato seems to be about right, timewise.

Enjoy a wonderful steak.

[ddrueding]

Nice steak recipe Merc. I love steak, and was actually shopping online for a grill last night (my complex lets me BBQ on my deck).

[timwhit]

What kind of steak do you use?

[Sol]

I've been living in backpackers hostels since the start of September so it's been a while since I've really thought of cooking. Mostly it's slightly modified pizzas from the fridge section or pasta and a basic pre-packed sauce.
Generally I eat whatever comes in packets that I can finish in one or two days. Hostel fridges seem not to keep food very well, it either goes off or just goes if I leave it longer than that.

[Buck]

Here is an easy curry recipe. You can use chicken instead of lamb. I would probably use boneless, skinless chicken breazts or chicken tenders, cut them into smallish chunks, marinade for 24+ hours before starting this recipe. A nice spicy marinade would be equal parts of yogurt and sour cream with a few teaspoons of chile powder. If you don't want the hassle of making a marinade, you can buy them or just use your favorite vinaigrette dressing.

Foodnetwork (http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/recipe/0,,FOOD_9936_25869,00.html?rsrc=search)

[Clocker]

Here's a favorite:

Coarsly up a bunch of onions, carrots, celery. Throw in a bowl. Add EVOO (extra virgin olive oil) and mix with your hands to lightly coat them. Add a bunch of seasoning, salt pepper, poultry seasoning, tex mex, whatever you like & mix it in. Pour it all in a medium sized cookie sheet.

Take a medium size pork loin (thawed). Apply a light coat of EVOO and season with your favorites. Throw it on top of your bed of veggies. Thow in the oven and bake at 400F until the internal temp of the meat is 160F (about 25min). Quick and easy. Tastes yummy.

[Clocker]

Do the same thing with sliced potato wedges and you got some nice home fries.

[Mercutio]

What kind of steak do you use?

Usually a Ribeye or DelMonico.

[LunarMist]

It is an easy answer - NO!!!

[Chewy509]

Here's my Honey-Mustard marinade recipe that goes really well with American-style BBQ pork ribs.

1 cup Dijon or any other full grained mustard
1 cup honey
1 clove crushed garlic
1 tablespoon of olive oil (extra virgin)
sprinkle of Worcestershire sauce (Soy sauce works well as a substitute).
pinch of sea salt (don't add the salt if using Soy Sauce)
sprinkle of mixed herbs (Rosemary , Garlic, Marjoram, Thyme, Oregano, Mint, Basil) aka Masterfoods Lamb herb mix here in Australia (http://www.masterfoods.com.au/products/catalogue/?prodPK=1518&ProdCat=17)

Mix together in bowl, add additional mustard, honey or oil as needed to soften/thicken as needed.

Coat pork ribs and leave in fridge for 2-3 hours. (Longer if you like the mustard flavour).

Fire up your BBQ (I use a traditional Charcoal Weber BBQ), and cook ribs turning once or twice only.

Also as a side, try sweet potato (or known as "yams" in the US) slow roasted on BBQ as well, served with sour cream and whipped butter. Add a garden salad in as well.

This is a great one while watching the footy/cricket with mates on the weekend!

[Chewy509]

And this one is for the late Sunday afternoon drinking session, when you have some nice ladies in attendance!

All you need is Vodka (good quality), limes, white sugar and water. (And some ice)

There are no measurements for this one, as it depends on how strong you like your drink. Normally 1 cup of sugar for each cup of water, and half a cup of vodka. 1 lime per cup of water.

Bring the water to the boil in a large saucepan, then turn down heat, start adding sugar slowly, stirring consistantly. Once all the sugar has been added and dissolved, take off heat and place in glass pitcher and place in fridge, leave overnight to cool. (This is called sugar water and used as a basis for quite a few cocktails).

Thinly slice 1 lime, and muddle the rest of the limes in a wooden bowl. Add muddled limes to pitcher of sugar water (push the lime to bottom), add ice and vodka (a 2:1 mix works well). Stir a small bit to mix ingredients. Float the slices of lime on top. Serve immediately into tall 8oz glasses.

PS. Our bartender should be able to name this one!

[Handruin]

... Add EVOO (extra virgin olive oil)...

:rotfl:

First thing I thought of after reading that:

http://kitchen.apartmenttherapy.com/images/uploads/2006_05_01-Rachel-Ray.jpg

[Buck]

And this one is for the late Sunday afternoon drinking session, when you have some nice ladies in attendance!

All you need is Vodka (good quality), limes, white sugar and water. (And some ice)

There are no measurements for this one, as it depends on how strong you like your drink. Normally 1 cup of sugar for each cup of water, and half a cup of vodka. 1 lime per cup of water.

Bring the water to the boil in a large saucepan, then turn down heat, start adding sugar slowly, stirring consistantly. Once all the sugar has been added and dissolved, take off heat and place in glass pitcher and place in fridge, leave overnight to cool. (This is called sugar water and used as a basis for quite a few cocktails).

Thinly slice 1 lime, and muddle the rest of the limes in a wooden bowl. Add muddled limes to pitcher of sugar water (push the lime to bottom), add ice and vodka (a 2:1 mix works well). Stir a small bit to mix ingredients. Float the slices of lime on top. Serve immediately into tall 8oz glasses.

PS. Our bartender should be able to name this one!

The bartender doesn't know nothin'. But it sounds tasty, so make me one Chewy.

[Bartender]

With water it is a Vodka 7, without water it is a Vodka Gimlet.

[Chewy509]

With water it is a Vodka 7, without water it is a Vodka Gimlet.
Ahh, very good. It's also known as a Caipiroska (a Brazilian cocktail).

Buck: Anytime you're over in Brissie, Australia let me know and I'll open up my bar... (Same offer for any other SF members)!

Handruin: Who is that? (Very nice smile).

[Handruin]

That is Rachael Ray (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rachael_Ray). She has become so much more popular these days. She's on the food network and is known for her "$40 a day", and "30 minute meal" shows. The phrase EVOO is said many times by her on her shows...it's the first place I ever heard it and I was guessing that's where Clocker got it from (but I could be wrong). :) I think she's a pretty lady and that picture does her some justice.

[Buck]

I like watching Giada De Laurentiis and Nigella Lawson. :)

[Bartender]

Ahh, very good. It's also known as a Caipiroska (a Brazilian cocktail).

I've never mixed company with Brazilians, they have good taste.

The key is to make your own syrup and to use fresh lime juice (or lemon juice for a cooler). The off-the-shelf sweet-n-sour mix sucks wind.

[ddrueding]

Ugh...watch out, those brazilian things are the biggest hangover in a bottle I've ever tried (and that is saying something). So much sugar and so much acid...

[Pradeep]

I have recently acquired a deep fryer. Probably taking 10 years off my life expectancy, but what a way to go....

Tonight, boneless, skinless chicken thighs in a light flour batter.

[Buck]

I use mine for making Samosas. Yum!

[Chewy509]

I have recently acquired a deep fryer. Probably taking 10 years off my life expectancy, but what a way to go....
Mmmm, try some of these: http://www.recipezaar.com/43463 (Deep Fried Mars Bars).

[Mercutio]

I see your unhealthy food and I raise your bet. (http://pimpthatsnack.com/)

[paugie]

just saw this thread and took the poll.

too late to notice it was started in 2002!

anyway, I like to cook. but as we filipinos usually do, it's just mostly saute-ing. and the wife keeps me from the kitchen because I don't clean up afterwards, she does, or the kids do. The kids say I cook well enough. Got it from my father.

That Ray person is refreshing looking.

[Mercutio]

Paugie, could you tell us more about this saute that you make? Philippino cuisine is something I'm curious about.

[Clocker]

Giada is freaking HAWT! She has made watching FoodTV with my wife so much more tolerable! :-)

Rachel Ray has a nice face but seems to be lacking in some other areas. But yeah, that's where I first heard the term EVOO. Good call Doug!

[Mercutio]

Channeling the wisdom of every "Boobies" thread on Fark.com...

I'd hit it. :)

[ddrueding]

Just did the steak recipie for the second time. 4 big ribeyes on a huge (24"x18") cast iron skillet. Worked great; just as advertised. Only problem was that there was so much smoke I had to pull the battery from my smoke alarm.

[ddrueding]

That was really good, but I want a barbeque. Now soliciting advice. I want one that can handle 4 large steaks simultaneously.

Is there a particular brand I should be looking for?

What do you think of this Ducane 688-Square Inch 2 burner (http://www.amazon.com/Ducane-13003101-688-Square-Inch-2-Burner-Natural/dp/B0006I731A/ref=pd_lpo_k2_dp_k2a_1_txt/002-6217595-4919238)?

[Chewy509]

That was really good, but I want a barbeque. Now soliciting advice. I want one that can handle 4 large steaks simultaneously.

Is there a particular brand I should be looking for?

What do you think of this Ducane 688-Square Inch 2 burner (http://www.amazon.com/Ducane-13003101-688-Square-Inch-2-Burner-Natural/dp/B0006I731A/ref=pd_lpo_k2_dp_k2a_1_txt/002-6217595-4919238)?
I've always liked the Weber Charcoal Kettle style BBQ's, but Weber has just released a range of gas powered BBQs that should suite, (they have a split grill and hot plate setup). Even the smaller Kettle BBQs will fit 4 large steaks with ease.

The biggest advantage of the kettle BBQ setup, is that they can be used for roasting/baking as well as grilling, and hence get my vote. Charcoal also gives you options to smoke your meat with various flavours as well. (Weber Kettle BBQs now have optional gas attachment, if charcoal isn't your thing).

My only advise is to go to a BBQ store and check them out yourself in person...

[Mercutio]

My ex- bought me a "BBQ-Pit" Crock Pot for my birthday. It's a slow cooker, but it's constructed with racks inside to do indirect heat cooking of slabs of meat. Makes wonderful ribs and chicken, which is all I've had time to use it for. Absolutely wonderful for apartment dwellers who can't have proper grills.

[timwhit]

I got a deep frier for Christmas. Anyone have any good ideas of things to cook?

I am going to cook some corn dogs in a moment to test it out.

[Handruin]

Twinkies (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deep_fried_Twinkie)? :-D

[ddrueding]

Monte Cristo Sandwiches (http://southernfood.about.com/od/turkeysandwiches/r/bl30107j.htm) are better deep fried. Just be sure to use enough cheese to hold it together first.

[Buck]

I got a deep frier for Christmas. Anyone have any good ideas of things to cook?

I am going to cook some corn dogs in a moment to test it out.

Samosas, perogies, pakoras, onion bhajis, onion rings, chips . . .

[Mercutio]

I like O'Reida Vidalia Onion Rings. They're yummy.

I don't eat much fried food, now that I think about it.

[LunarMist]

My arteries are clogging just thinking about all that deep fried fried stuff. I guess your doctors allow you to eat all of it.

[ddrueding]

My doctor has been dead for over 10 years now. Taking health advice from him seems...ill advised ;)

[Pradeep]

I got a deep frier for Christmas. Anyone have any good ideas of things to cook?

I am going to cook some corn dogs in a moment to test it out.

Get a 5lb bag of wings from Walmart, and a bottle of hot wing sauce to suit. Fry wings for around 12 mins, drain, and mix in the sauce. Goes well with all types of beer.

[timwhit]

Yeah I tried some wings in it last night. Quite good.

Corn dogs were good.

I need to go grocery shopping so I can construct some more complicated things to put in there.

[Handruin]

That Monte Cristo Sandwiche sounds hella good right now.

[ddrueding]

Monte Cristo are my favorite. There is one place in monterey county that serves them (the Monterey airport), and they are fantastic.

[Handruin]

The only place I've had one in a restaraunt was in natick Mass at a place called Bennigan's. It was tasty!

[udaman]

All this unhealthy food here, while it's not cooking, how about starting your meal with a Isalata Caprese? You must have bufala mozzarella though, non other have enough flavor. TJ's in the states wher some of you live has a brand that is $3 cheaper than the normal $8+ price of this imported Italian specialty.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v103/udaman/Insalata-Caprese.jpg

Giada is freaking HAWT! She has made watching FoodTV with my wife so much more tolerable! :-)

Rachel Ray has a nice face but seems to be lacking in some other areas. But yeah, that's where I first heard the term EVOO. Good call Doug!

Oh, you mean like a nonirritating personality :), or grating gravely voice? If you've seen her show, you'd think she's got an over abundance of most everything. Take about junk in trunk, and I'm sick of her constanly showing off excessive clevage. There are many small breasted Asian women I particularly enjoy seeing clevage with, but RR's chubby body and flabby cleavage is just too much all the freaking time...I think she's insecure. Hate her smile, gaps on either side are so big you could put two ... in them, never mind, that wasn't nice.

You guys need to raise your standards. If Giada or kind of heavy what's her name 'ella? are hawt, then I'm droooling to lick this woman's curry sauce, lol (and I don't usually like Indian women). Just caught the last few minutes of the TOP CHEF Bravo series, also running on NBC. If you want talk about a FN hottie...

Padmi lakshmi is freakin hawt!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Padma_Lakshmi

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/9/9c/Lp_cosmo.jpg

[ddrueding]

Pot Roast braising with vegetables and a London Broil in the oven...I got a deli meat slicer for Christmas, and want some good meat ;)

[Mercutio]

I have a very large number of hot dog buns sitting in my office.

Where they came from is shrouded in mystery, but there are a lot of them. And they aren't cheapie store-brand hot dog buns - they're an upscale brand.
And I have eight loaves of them.

I know that I cannot possibly eat 80 hot dogs before some of them go stale. But I like hot dogs and things that normally go on hot dog buns in general, and it seems like an interesting challenge to refine all my gustatory experiences for the next week and a half to the singular shape and portability of the form.

[ddrueding]

So you are seeing the consumption of 80 hot dogs as a personal challenge? I probably only average 2 or 3 a day.

[Mercutio]

So you are seeing the consumption of 80 hot dogs as a personal challenge? I probably only average 2 or 3 a day.

Well, 80 hot dog BUNS.
I don't think I want or need to eat 80 hot dogs.

But I don't exactly know what else I am going to do with them. I am open to suggestions.

I bought some extra fancy things to try: Apple-chicken sausages filled with gouda cheese and the like.

[Bozo]

Double bag some of them in plastic bags and put them in the freezer.
Maybe a dozen in a bag and then those bags inside a larger bag. Make sure the insde bag is as air tight as you can get it.

Donate some to womens shelter you were working at?

Bozo :joker:

[Mercutio]

Well, no room in the freezer (apartment size, about 2/3rds the size I used to have) and the women's shelter already has a hook up on bread and milk

Also, that thing in udaman's post scares the hell out of me.

[Bozo]

Also, that thing in udaman's post scares the hell out of me.

Looks like something the dog threw-up the other night.

Bozo :joker:

[udaman]

Well, no room in the freezer (apartment size, about 2/3rds the size I used to have) and the women's shelter already has a hook up on bread and milk

Also, that thing in udaman's post scares the hell out of me.

LOL, Merc, do you know what goes into those 'dogs'? That would make you throw up. In the pic (do a search on Insalata Caprese, classic southern Italian dish), you only have olive oil (what you think it's cat pee?) drizzled over slices of mozerella cheese, on top of slices of heirloom tomatoes. A little salt and pepper, with slivers of sweet basil on top. Damn what a bunch of whussies you guys are, it tastes great!That reminds me (we'll let's not start a gross out thread on food, cause then we'd have to go into Apocolips (not misspelled ;) ) (http://www.deependdining.com/2006/07/apocalypse-chow-food-is-on-in-little.html) Chow-probably not safe for work either, even though it's not really 'sex'???) about bird's nest soup. Eddie Lin (http://www.deependdining.com/) is married (huh, some poor woman actually married this guy???), kind of whack to put it mildly (a quote from link above "No penis envy here. And I’m totally not trying to be a dick. It’s only my opinion." Hmm, that Megan McCormick over there in the side bar, as part of the team for PBS series Globe Trekker's, more my style of whacky:owneddnce: Be sure to check out the
"Archives Notorious"


Link to the side ;).


My mother grew up in Hawaii, long ago, in the Chinese neighborhood of Diamond Head. A delicacy known as 'bird's nest soup' (I don't know how you'd write it in English pronunciation of the Chinese words). Back then it was a favorite Cantonese luxury item up there with shark fin's soup & abalone soup. And it was a laborious preparation of one days worth of pork & chicken stock, mixed in with that stock was flour to thicken it a little, some dried egg whites that float in a pretty patter in the soup, some small shreds of quality crab meat, and a small amount of thin slivers of 'bird's nest'. That was the old preparation, it was a comfort food hot soup. Now days, here in the USA and China (Hong Kong) the generations have changed the fashion such that when you ask for bird's nest soup, it is usually for rich people, and they use a good amount of the bird's nest mixed into a cold coconut desert soup concoction!!!

I asked this fluent in English (she went to HS in England & was going to university here in LA area) Chinese college student working part-time in a restaurant if the restaurant she was working in did a good bird's nest soup. She looked at me with confusion, did not understand what I was referring to. Only after I told her it was expensive, did she utter the Chinese name for it, and she told me that growing up her mother would make it for her back in HK. But she did not really like the taste of it, as it was the desert prepartion. She told me it's supposed to be good for the complexion/skin, but that she looked at me with disgust when she asked if I knew what the bird's nest is made of? When she learned that it was made from the bird saliva exuded by a certain species of swallow, she was grossed out by that.

Same thing happened when I was at a Chinese area, HK seafood restaurant on the eastside of town, and I asked the young female assistant manager if that restaurant did the 'old-fashioned' style Cantonese bird's nest soup. She had now idea what I was talking about, being in her early 20's; she too thought it was a cold desert soup. And likewise, she made the 'eeeew' look on her face saying she was also disgusted by what it is made of. Honestly it is like shark fin, very mild, and just adds a little something extra to the complexity of the soup. Yet she too was grossed out by what it was made from...what's the matter with modern day Chinese women they're sending over here, damn it!?!? There all a bunch of friggin whussy pansy arse sissies, no backbone, no character.

[Buck]

Hot Dog Bun:

1) Meatballs, cheese and marinara sauce.
2) Butterfly and french toast.
3) Dip in egg then crushed rice crispies/sugar, deep fry, add three scoops of favorite icecream.
4) Let it go stale, cut into 1/2 cubes, lightly sprinkle with olive oil and italian seasoning (garlic, basil, oregano, salt, pepper, etc.), toast in oven at 225F until golden brown and crispy - croutons.
5) Cut length-wise, spread with generous helpings of butter and garlic, slightly drizzle with olive oil, bake at 225F - garlic bread.
6) Shove in car's tailpipes and watch drivers go nuts when their car stalls.

[Bozo]

Let them get really stale, and use them for CD/DVD holders :-D

Bozo :joker:

[ddrueding]

Does anyone have a good recipe for Sweet and Sour Pork? I'm going to be gathering some from the 'net, but if anyone has a favorite, I would be interested.

I've been going out to Chinese at least twice a week for a month now, can't seem to get enough of the stuff.

[Chewy509]

Does anyone have a good recipe for Sweet and Sour Pork? I'm going to be gathering some from the 'net, but if anyone has a favorite, I would be interested.

I've been going out to Chinese at least twice a week for a month now, can't seem to get enough of the stuff.

I generally cheat with Sweet and Sour Pork, and use a pre-bottled mix from Kan-Tong. However one trick is to use Pork Spare Ribs, and leave the fat on. If you use a lean pork fillet, the pork tends to dry out too much.

[ddrueding]

I have a fondness for foods that can be cooked, cooled, and eaten in about the same time frame.

Example: Warm up the pan, start making quesadillas, continue to cook, cool and eat until full.

[ddrueding]

Of course, some part of me thought that I was better at flipping things out of the pan than I actually am, so now I have a nice grease burn/blister right on the end of my primary mouse-finger.

[Mercutio]

Have we had a discussion on how to make a proper pot of chili? We should do that, because it is 1 degree F out today where I am and chili sounds good.

[ddrueding]

Yup. It rained like crazy here, though it never got below 55F. I don't recall any chili conversations, though I am interested in trying out any suggestions.

[Mercutio]

I use...
1 or 2 cans kidney beans
1 can "spicy" chili beans
1 can black beans or sometime no-fat refried beans
1 can of corn, drained
2 cans of stewed tomatoes
1 big onion, chopped fine
1 big green pepper, chopped fine
Half a jar or so of jalepenos, or a couple fresh ones chopped fine
A good quantity of hot sauce (um.. 4 tsp. Dave's temporary insanity, say)
1 tsp or so minced garlic
4 tsp chili powder
2 tsp ground black pepper
2 tsp red pepper flakes
2 tsp cinnamon
cilantro if I have any

I've done different things with meat. Usually about a pound of cooked hamburger (lean, drained). Sometimes I use small bits of stew meat or flank steak if I can find it (not often).

I cook it on low in a crock pot all day. I might serve it on pasta or with some rice or maybe corn bread. I add a little grated cheese and fresh chopped onion on top though.

[Gilbo]

I love Chili. In university my roommates would steal it, so I started tossing a couple extra habanero peppers in to keep them away. Some people found the stuff caustic; I loved it and ate it nearly everyday.

I ate it so frequently though, that I developed a sensitivity to spicy food. I love it, but I can't stomach it. So now I have to make boring, not spicy, chili. :(

[ddrueding]

Sounds good Merc, though I will be reducing the spice by a factor of 10 or so. I'll also probably throw in some flank steak that I've marinated in tequila and lime juice and seared on the grill. (That is my favorite topping for pizza, BTW).