Kitchen Essentials

[Signe]

I have some copper bottom pots and pans from my mother.  I love them, especially the big stock pot.  Creamy soups, desserts, spaghetti, sauces, ect. all go in there.  I'm lucky to have a gas cooker in a rented house.  It seems most rentals are all electric.  The thing I like the most is when I turn it off, it's off.  I would only ever buy a gas cooker.

[Arnold]

Sharp knives are safer than dull knifes. There is no question. But in the thread of a clueless collage kid I would tend to say "be carefull". Knife cuts hurt and can be serious. A lot of us like to play in the kitchen. And that is fun and makes for some good eating. But in a thread about a collage kid who would like to make a grilled cheese samwitch or something. Buy a pot, buy a knife and be carefull.

Unless you acutally cut yourself.  Dull knives make it more likely that you will cut youself, but when it comes, believe me, a sharp knife does a lot more damage.

The worst scenario is when you have someone who is accustomed to using dull knives (pushing very hard on the chop), that grabs a very sharp knife from someone else.  Disaster waiting to happen.

[Signe]

[Trippy]

Heh I love that show.

[Abagadro]

And just because I am currently eating some and it is quite delicious, find the Carol Shelby chili kit. It's basically just the spices, but it is handy and you can customize the recipe to your liking very easily (and it lists some suggestions).  If you go basic, you just brown 2 pounds of ground beef, drain it, drop in a can of tomato sauce, two cans of water, the bags of spices (which you can use the spicy one or not, or the thickening flour or not) cover and let it simmer. Really easy.

The one I made today is 1/2 of a chopped white onion sweated, 1 pound ground beef & 1 pound ground pork browned, the spices, then added a can of pinto beans towards the end. Mmmmm.

[Signe]

Oooh.  If his chili is as spicy as his cars, I'm sold. 

[Abagadro]

You can customize it as the cayenne comes in a separate packet. I use it all and it isn't outrageously spicy, just damn good.

[Khaldun]

Chili is one of the secret essential arts of cooking. You must kill anyone who learns the full secret of your chili.

I shall disclose several of my secrets. If you learn them all, you must die.

Balsamic vinegar
Pure ancho chili. Do not use chili powder, it will contain many things which must be applied precisely.
Italian sausage, skins removed, as well as ground beef.

[voodoolily]

Liquid smoke.

[MisterNoisy]

I've never been a huge fan of ground meat in chili - I prefer chunks (roughly 1 inch or so) of beef and pork cut from chuck/shoulder roasts.

As for 'secrets', I dunno if serving it over a bed of jasmine/basmati rice counts.  I've run into people that don't like the idea, but they're converts afterwards.

[Signe]

Righ always has his chili over rice.  For some reason, I like without rice and without too many beans.  I like it with broken up saltine crackers, though.  Beans and rice make it too heavy for me.  Same reason I enjoy moo shoo over most Chinese rice dishes.

[Abagadro]

I've never been a huge fan of ground meat in chili - I prefer chunks (roughly 1 inch or so) of beef and pork cut from chuck/shoulder roasts.

As for 'secrets', I dunno if serving it over a bed of jasmine/basmati rice counts.  I've run into people that don't like the idea, but they're converts afterwards.

I make the Shelby chili with chunks of sirloin as well. I wanted to try the two meats and thought it would blend better texture wise with ground.

[Samwise]

I'll see your "over rice" and raise you a "with cheese melting on top".

[Arnold]

Righ always has his chili over rice.  For some reason, I like without rice and without too many beans.  I like it with broken up saltine crackers, though.  Beans and rice make it too heavy for me.  Same reason I enjoy moo shoo over most Chinese rice dishes.

Chili is basically goulash, made with American ingredients.  I like my goulash over rice, but my Austrian uncle, who showed me how to make it properly, says it is a sin to eat goulash over anything but boiled potatoes.

[Bunk]

Chili is one of the secret essential arts of cooking. You must kill anyone who learns the full secret of your chili.

I shall disclose several of my secrets. If you learn them all, you must die.

Balsamic vinegar
Pure ancho chili. Do not use chili powder, it will contain many things which must be applied precisely.
Italian sausage, skins removed, as well as ground beef.

Cinnamon

Oh, and kidney beans, not those icky pintos.

[Nevermore]

I like using black beans.  I also use a combination of ground beef, ground pork and chunks of stewing beef.  I simmer it for at least 3 hours so the chunks of meat end up almost falling apart tender.

[Sky]

Guinness.

I cook on a 70's electric coil in my apartment, but I actually have very good temperature control after using it for years. I know the quirks of each burner, the hotspots, it's actually tough for me to cook on gas right now because I haven't done it in so many years. My mother's got gas and I'm always overcooking stuff on it because I'm not used to it.

[NiX]

Best way to go about finding those weird spots of an electric? That's what I have.

[WayAbvPar]

Damn it, now I am craving some chili over rice. It was one of my staples when I was a bachelor and it was the day of the month when I didn't order take out  :-D Chili mixed with good ol' Kraft Mac and Cheese was also a bachelorhood fav.

[Sky]

Best way to go about finding those weird spots of an electric? That's what I have.

I know mine mostly from using it daily for years, moving bits of food around to heat or cool. I almost use it like direct/indirect heat on a grill, move more-cooked pieces off the hotspots to simmer.

I guess maybe you could put some steaks in a pan and take note of which areas brown quickest.

[Nevermore]

Damn it, now I am craving some chili over rice. It was one of my staples when I was a bachelor and it was the day of the month when I didn't order take out  :-D Chili mixed with good ol' Kraft Mac and Cheese was also a bachelorhood fav.

I learned on CSI: Miami* the other day that that's called 'Cincinnati chili'.  Personally I can't even imagine chili on pasta but when you think about it, chili is really 'just' a meat sauce so I guess it's not that far fetched.

*Sue me, it's one of Tivo's 'suggestions' it automatically records and there was nothing else to watch while I ate dinner.

[Bunk]

Guinness.

Ok, that actually sounds quite good, I may steal that.

[Murgos]

I'll second the Carol Shelby's chili mix.  If you just want to make some quick chili it's a pretty good way to go.  I usually 'oomph' mine up a bit but it's pretty good right out of the bag.

I've added a little bit of whatever beer I'm drinking to my chili pot for years, don't go overboard though!

Beer braised steak is a another good bachelor recipe.  Buy a big piece of cheap meat (like 3-4 bucks a lb cheap).  Brown it with some oil in a pan (garlic, salt and pepper also - maybe an onion if you are feeling plucky).  Pour a beer in, cover with tight lid, reduce to a simmer and walk away for an hour.  Check to see if it's fork tender.  If so, eat.  Veggies and/or tater optional.

[Furiously]

Damn it, now I am craving some chili over rice. It was one of my staples when I was a bachelor and it was the day of the month when I didn't order take out  :-D Chili mixed with good ol' Kraft Mac and Cheese was also a bachelorhood fav.

I learned on CSI: Miami* the other day that that's called 'Cincinnati chili'.  Personally I can't even imagine chili on pasta but when you think about it, chili is really 'just' a meat sauce so I guess it's not that far fetched.

*Sue me, it's one of Tivo's 'suggestions' it automatically records and there was nothing else to watch while I ate dinner.

Yea and you feel really funny ordering it if you are not from there. I recall gigling as I said, "I'd like the chili in a 3 way."

[hal]

I have to speak up here. You hit a nerve. I have been eating Shelby's chili for well over 30 years. Buy it a busy market. It will be fresher. I have never found a chili powder as good as what is in that brown bag. Buy some lean beef, Cut it against the grain. Brown it well.  Use it with that brown bag. As you dig your spoon in, say to your self (" IT JUST DON"T GET NO FUCKING BETTER THAN THIS"). Enjoy and as an added bonus enjoy some more tomorrow.

[Lt.Dan]

Guinness.

Ok, that actually sounds quite good, I may steal that.

I'd rather drink the Guinness and skip the chilli entirely, but that's just me.

On topic again, I have three pots (anolon, non-stick, but great heat distribution), an 8 inch and 12inch cast iron skillet, a saute pan, a Le Crueset casserole pot, a $10 stell roasting pan, a $10 steel wok (not stainless), and a couple of old do-dad pots for rice cooking, boiling water etc.  I have a 20cm chef's knife, a 6cm paring knife, and a japanese two-sided whetstone.  My other essentials are a colander, a sieve, a plastic japanese mandolin (slicer thing), and a variety of wooden spoons.  Everything else in my kitchen I could live without (except for the baking stuff but that's a different story entirely).  I cook a wide variety of things ranging from simple one-pot stuff (chilli, bolognese, and the like) right up to more tricky stuff (deboned chicken, salt-crusted fish, sauces etc) and I've never wished for more gadgets.

My other suggestion, particularly if you are buying a sharp knife, is do a cooking class at adult education classes through a local college or cooking class.  You'll at least learn some simple stuff about how not to lop off your fingers and get some starter recipies which you've helped make.   Plus learning from a professional cook lets you find out stuff that you'd never find out about (like why add wine to a pastry dough or cooking times or easy-peasy reduction sauces).

[Paelos]

My favorite chili is over a few lightly crumbled up tortilla chips, topped off with a dab of sour cream, salsa, and a little mexican cheese. ME GUSTA!

[Sky]

My other suggestion, particularly if you are buying a sharp knife, is do a cooking class at adult education classes through a local college or cooking class. 

And meet local ladies!

[cmlancas]

Just think about what kind of people you are meeting at "adult school."


That is all.

[Sky]

Eh, you'd be surprised. Some people take classes for part personal enrichment, part finding people interested in personal enrichment. Sure the fuck beats clubs for meeting people.

[naum]

Eh, you'd be surprised. Some people take classes for part personal enrichment, part finding people interested in personal enrichment. Sure the fuck beats clubs for meeting people.

Better than scooping up the leftovers come closing time…

[Lt.Dan]

Just think about what kind of people you are meeting at "adult school."


That is all.

You mean you might meet people interested in the same thing.  Who knows you might actually make new friends and have some fun. 

Or you could could just hang-out with Butthead and do the same things you've been doing for the last 20 years.

[cmlancas]

:P


I took a course at an adult school once. I needed it to graduate high school early. It was beginning computers, and my god, it was horrible.

[MisterNoisy]

I took a course at an adult school once. I needed it to graduate high school early. It was beginning computers, and my god, it was horrible.

'This is a 'floppy disk'' *passes one around the room*

[Bunk]

The photography classes I took over the last couple years were great experiences. Learned some new things and met some interesting people with similar interests. Can't reccomend that type of thing enough.

Since this thread is about learning cooking, I shall share what I had for dinner last night. It was a classic whatever the fuck is in the fridge meal.

Two skinless chicken thighs - sliced up and browned. After browning, threw in one sliced red bell pepper, some fresh asparagus tips, and some snap pea pods. Looked around for what I was going to use for sauce - had nothing. Ended up adding a healthy shake of Chinese 5 Spice, and then a dose of Balsamic Vinaigrette salad dressing of all things. Stir fried it briefly, mixed in bunch of egg noodles. I then discovered I had no Parmesan, so in a further moment of lunacy I grated in a bit of Havarti.

It was odd to say the least, and I'll probably never duplicate it, but it tasted good. All comes down to be willing to experiment with what you've got.