College Cookbook

[Signe]

Cook up a box of spaghetti.  Heat a couple of tablespoons or so of olive oil in a skillet or wok.  Throw in a couple of fresh garlic cloves, chopped or smushed, however you like.  Turn off the heat. Throw in the pasta and some fresh cooked broccoli rabe or rapini.  One or two shakes of dried red pepper flakes.  Toss.  Have some crusty Italian bread and a nice glass of wine.  If you have to have meat, bite your girlfriend.

[Johny Cee]

Ketchup (I am serious)
mustard powder
cayanne to taste (or scald as the case may be)
brown sugar or regular gran. sugar, but brown is way better, IMO
possibly other adjuncts like A1 sauce (adds good smoky tones and stuff -- also a good seekrit additive for split pea soup)(Instead of A1, I have used soy sauce before...mostly for the color)
black pepper
MAYBE salt, but the ketchup should really have enough
You can get all fancy at this point and add stuff like cumin, curry powder, wasabi, etc. to make various kinds of new bbq flavors.  Jerk spice would work too.  Or cajun spice.  Really, any spice blend.  Perhaps a 5 spice or 7 spice.

At any rate, mix that crap together in a bowl.  I use a wisk or a fork.  Put it on food.  Enjoy your fast and dirty ghetto BBQ sauce.

Instead of A1,  use Worcestshire (however that thing is spelled...) Sauce.  And I load in alot of crushed garlic (uncooked).

But then I baste the hell out of anything I'm barbequeing.  Slather it up before it goes in,  turn frequently, and slather each time you turn it.  The garlic pretty much cooks itself on the chicken.

I'm also a big fan of brown sugar.  Throw some in your barbeque sauce,  throw some in your spaghetti sauce, it's all good!

[dusematic]

So, where's your recipes to share?

About one of the best easy things I know of in the kitchen is asparagus.  Put some asparagus in a pyrex container, drop some butter over the top, cover with saran wrap, and microwave for about a minute. There are better ways to prepare asparagus, but you can't fuck this up, and it's still decent.  Salt to taste.

If you're trying to impress a girl, wrap some prosciutto around the asparagus.



Edit:  By the way, for what it's worth I wasn't trying to come down so hard on your bbq.  Obviously things got out of hand when I was told to drink drano, and the rest was self-justification.

[NiX]

He said he wanted to bulk up a bit.

Not to fuel this fire, but I put that in there because I wanted to give people an idea of what kind of food I'm looking for (Carbs and what not.) I wasn't looking for meal plans or "BULK UP NOW!" stuff. Just food that would fuel such tasks that need lots of energy.

Also, I have ground beef and the will to try something new and out of the norm. Suggestions?

Anyone know how to make GOOD vermicelli Vietnamese style? I go to this vietnamese place all the time and get vermicellis with diced lettuce, carrots, grilled pork balls and (REAL) spring rolls. Trying to recreate this cause it's so good and doesn't kill my body.

[Azazel]

If you're into Vietnamese style food (or any asian stuff), then I reccomend that you get the following spices/sauces:

Fish Sauce
Hoi Sin Sauce
5-Spice Powder
Sweet Chilli Sauce
an Asian Chicken Stock (for genericness)
Soy Sauce
A jar of crushed Lemongrass
Rice Wine Vinegar
Green/Red curry paste
Chilli Powder
Curry Powder

all of these should come from a proper Asian grocery store, and be asian-branded stuff. (just find an asian grocery and ask for these things, because they should have original asian labels) Do NOT buy this stuff from a regular supermarket, or you'll get the watered-down softcock flavourless/filled with sugar versions. Even the Soy.

Armed with these sauces and spices (it's actually pretty cheap to buy all this stuff, especially from an Asian grocery, and it lasts for ages) you can manufacture any number of really tasty meals from cheap stables like rice and vermicelli and even ramen. And it's much tastier than bullshit packet ramen, too.

[schild]

However, my Dad has an old friend on the "real ghetto" side of this town, who runs a BBQ place (he's originally from Kansas City, so it's that kind of goodness). If I need BBQ sauce, it's from there (I don't tell my friend that though).

Does your dad's old friend bottle the sauce? And/or have a cookbook of any sort?

[stray]

Probably has a cookbook, but yeah he bottles it (not labeled or advertised or anything like that. It's just something he'll sell if you ask).

[Llava]

A year ago I weighed 135. I'm 6 feet tall.

I started training in about August.  I'm up to 160 now, only slightly more body fat.

My diet consists of egg whites in the morning with oatmeal, protein powder in milk or water for a snack between breakfast and lunch, a turkey sandwich for lunch, another protein powder in liquid dose between lunch and dinner, then red meat and a potato with ranch dressing for dinner.

I work out about 3 times a week for an hour each.

I'm not OMGRIPPED, but I've got a decent body now.  Still not where I want to be, but progress has definitely been made.

These are all easy things to make.  Good luck on your way there.

[stray]

Friend of mine was like you, same height/same weight. Now he's my weight (200), but several inches shorter. I don't even know the guy anymore.


Also, for those who don't want to get too elaborate:

Ramen, milk/milkshakes, and red meat.

Or....Pasta, milk/shakes, and red meat.

Two dumb bells (there's a lot you can do with that), and walk/ride a bike for 5/10 miles every day. :)

You can go back to eating something more sane afterwards.

[Paelos]

Make your own soups instead of buying canned. It helps cut down on the sodium intake and it's relatively cheap to do. Here's a favorite of mine:

1 Carrot (peeled and chopped)
3 ribs of celery (chopped)
1 Medium Onion (diced)

Put all those in a large pot with about 2 Tablespoons of Olive Oil and saute them for about 7-10 minutes. Then add:

1 - 28oz can of diced tomatoes
1 - 10oz box of frozen cut green beans
1 - 32 oz Box of low Sodium Beef Stock
1/2 - of that Box filled up with Water and added

Cook that covered on the stove for about 2 hours on low, stirring it every 30 minutes. Then, boil some pasta and add:

2 cups of cooked corkscrew pasta

Cook for another 20 minutes. I typically seperate the recipe into about 7-8 Gladware containers and freeze them for the week.

EDIT: I forgot to mention seasonings. Soups are very individual and that's a base recipe. You can add any kinds of spices to them to make them your own. I personally like to add about a cap-ful of dried Italian seasoning, and a few shots of Tabasco sauce for heat.

[voodoolily]

Oh dude I make hell of soups.

Easiest corn chowder:

1/2 c diced celery
1/2 c diced onion
1 tbsp butter
1 fist-sized potato, 1/2" dice (if you use a waxy potato like Yukon gold you don't hafta peel, it tastes better and it doesn't disintegrate in the soup)
1 can creamed corn (yes, I use this shit sometimes - it has amazing thickening powers!)
1 c frozen corn
2 c chicken stock (make your own! it's free if you roast a chicken)
1 c milk (or sometimes I do 1/2 c half 'n half to 1/2 c water)
S&P to taste, maybe a pinch of thyme or sommat

In a soup pot, melt butter over med-high heat and saute celery and onion. Meanwhile, get a pot of water boiling to cook the potatoes (you can cook 'em in the soup but the soup gets all foamy with denatured proteins if you do). Spread frozen corn out on a baking sheet and roast it at 350 for like 20 minutes or until it starts to get golden-er (you can skip the roasting if you're lazy, the soup is fine without it). When celery and onion are becoming translucent, add stock, milk and creamed corn. If you like, you can also throw in some chopped chicken breast or sometimes I use a little smoked salmon or crab (I have a career and can afford these things). Add roasted corn and potatoes. Simmer for a few minutes until the flavors meld. Add lots of pepper and a pinch of salt. Serve with cheese-herb bicuits for best effect.

This can be made even better if you have corn on the cob. Cut the corn off and roast as above, and roast the cob too. Simmer the corn cobs in chicken stock for 15 minutes before using the stock in the soup (discard cobs before using - duh). Corn cob stock also makes excellent chicken tortilla soup.

[Strazos]

Real cooking is hard. I avoid the hassle by eating only once or twice a day.

Ramen (without the seasoning packet) with scrambled eggs mixed in, mushrooms if I have them, and this kickass soy sauce my mom found...somewhere.

That, PB&J sandwiches, and oatmeal is pretty much my diet. That, and whatever my mom cooks when she feels like it.


I hate real cooking.

[Yegolev]

College food, heh.  Ramen, microwaveable bean burritos, and Milwaukee's Best.  Bulk up in no time.  It seems that I must have eaten something else during those years, but I can't remember doing so.  Unless you mean Taco Bell or all-you-can-eat pizza for $2.99 at CiCi's Pizza.

[voodoolily]

In college I ate a lot of black beans and rice with cumin and plain yogurt. And spaghetti w/stir-fried tofu, garbanzos and hoisin sauce. And curried potatoes. I was a vegetarian then and could get a bag of groceries for under $10 by buying bulk. Beans take a couple hours to cook and hafta be soaked overnight, but they're very versatile and economic. Veggie chili is really easy and nutritious. And with most of that stuff you can just make a pot on the weekend and not cook for a few days after.

If you decide to go the bulk route, please learn from my roommates' mistakes and for the love of god put your grains in an air-proof container! One roommate used to keep rice and oatmeal and such in paper bags in the cupboards, and we ended up with a gnarly moth infestation that forced me to get over my fear of maggots. Little yellow moth larvae were writhing around and pupating all over our ceiliings and completely filled all of the food bags. I had to go through the apartment with a chopstick and a paper plate and knock them all off the ceiling onto the plate and put them in the garbage. Those little tiny brown moths are the worst. And weevils can get in your food too. I keep all that shit in washed-out pickle jars and it makes for neat storage.

[Signe]

I'm not hungry anymore.   

[CmdrSlack]

This is, hands down, the best BBQ sauce that you can buy.  Period.

I give you Dreamland.

[dusematic]

You know your BBQ.

[Sky]

Maggot stories are fun! One buffet/dinner theater I worked for had a dumpster. This dumpster would have about a six-inch layer of maggot soup in the bottom in the summertime. Same place that once cut the mold off a ham and served it. Seriously people, eat at home.

[Sky]

This is, hands down, the best BBQ sauce that you can buy.  Period.

I give you Dreamland.

...WRONG!! ;)

http://www.dinosaurbarbque.com/browseProducts.php?cat=1

I recommend the Wango Tango. Amazing stuff. I use all the Dinostuff, it's a solid product line from rubs and marinades to finish sauces.

[stray]

http://www.dinosaurbarbque.com/browseProducts.php?cat=1

I recommend the Wango Tango. Amazing stuff. I use all the Dinostuff, it's a solid product line from rubs and marinades to finish sauces.

To quote those old Picante commercials: "NEW YORK CITY?!"


Seriously guys. The guy I know is the real deal. Old, big, black dude from KC. Has a restaurant in the ghetto. His bottles have no name.

Sorry, anything from NYC, and anything from a franchise is not going to top it.

HOWEVER, most BBQ is good. I wouldn't really complain. 

[Sky]

Firstly, it's a biker bbq from syracuse, a great blues joint. It's only franchised because it's so damned good they had to build more.

Secondly, obscurity doesn't necessitate quality. Try some Wango Tango before passing judgement.

[Yegolev]

I like to not put things in my mouth that have "wang" associations.  Besides, got to go with the home territory and side with Cmdr Slack.  Plus I am pretty sure I like Dreamland a lot.

If you are in a strange place and you want to know where to find the good food, look for cop cars in the parking lot.

[stray]

Firstly, it's a biker bbq from syracuse, a great blues joint. It's only franchised because it's so damned good they had to build more.

Secondly, obscurity doesn't necessitate quality. Try some Wango Tango before passing judgement.

Lighten up. It's just barbeque sauce. What part of that post made me sound like I wanted a serious argument here? I quoted a Pace commercial for crissakes. I'm shooting you down with the same amount of "seriousness" that you did to CmdrSlack with "WRONG!!"

I already said I wouldn't complain about most of the stuff out there (barring a Sam's Club brand or something).

...

To be serious though, I'm not pushing "obscurity". Where did you get obscurity from?

If anything, Syracuse Biker Barbeque is obscure. 70 year old guys from Kansas City who cook barbeque are not "obscure". They are the real deal.

[Sky]

SERIOUS BUSINESS!

I'm not being serious. Sorry if I sounded that way. But I do take DinoBBQ seriously. It's a great place and it's a 'real deal' whatever that means. Fuck tradition, I just want good sauce. If anything, the 70yr old guy probably forgot how he used to make it 50 years ago :P

[WayAbvPar]

This is, hands down, the best BBQ sauce that you can buy.  Period.

I give you Dreamland.

...WRONG!! ;)

http://www.dinosaurbarbque.com/browseProducts.php?cat=1

I recommend the Wango Tango. Amazing stuff. I use all the Dinostuff, it's a solid product line from rubs and marinades to finish sauces.

My wife went there last summer when she was in NY for a wedding. She was raving about it a couple of weeks ago, so I found their website and bought her 3 bottles of sauce (including Wango Tango, which was more for me  ) and the cookbook for her birthday. Wango Tango has fantastic flavor, but is just a bit runnier than I like my BBQ sauce. Their menu and cookbook looks absolutely fantastic, however.

[Paelos]

Reality check time.

BBQ is highly individualistic. Put all the great places from the great regions together and it's like trying to define the best looking model in a Victoria's secret catalogue. Personal taste rules all. There is no best, simply many awesome types.

[dusematic]

Actually, I'm a big fan of North Carolina style vinegar based BBQ.  My subjective inclination is that it is the superioer BBQ.

[stray]

Reality check time.

BBQ is highly individualistic. Put all the great places from the great regions together and it's like trying to define the best looking model in a Victoria's secret catalogue. Personal taste rules all. There is no best, simply many awesome types.

Says the guy who'd convert everyone to Guiness and Irish Whiskey if he could ;).


Disclaimer: No really. I AGREE. This is not serious business.

[voodoolily]

I like to make my own BBQ sauce so I can get that perfect combo of sticky-sweet, spicy hot and smoky all in one. Molasses, garlic, pineapple salsa, liquid smoke, chipotles in adobo and a little tomato paste (for thickness) all blitzed up in the MagiMix really does the trick. Also, I made some really good blackberry glaze the other night from stewed blackberries (that I picked in October during fieldwork), apple cider vinegar, honey and a drop of smoke that really did amazing things to lamb ribs.

btw, lamb ribs are not worth the trouble. The meat-to-fat ratio blows - you end up sucking all the glaze off, chewing a tiny shred of meat and spitting out huge wads of fat, and then you end up with the pimp skitters the next day. Not worth it. I got them for free, so I'm not really complaining, but if I had paid cash money for 'em I'da been pissed.

[Strazos]

I'm not a fan of BBQ when it is overly-charred - Sorry, I don't like to eat charcoal.

[stray]

[EDIT] Oh, nevermind.

[CmdrSlack]

Seriously guys. The guy I know is the real deal. Old, big, black dude from KC. Has a restaurant in the ghetto. His bottles have no name.

I'm sure it's good.  Dreamland is only franchised now.  The original restaurant in Tuscaloosa still has sawdust/peanut shells on the floor if what I've heard is true.  Dreamland is also originally made by an old, big, black dude.  But from Alabama.  I'd have linked this place called Archibald's but they don't have a website.  This is largely because Archibald's is literally in the dude's backyard.  The restaurant has barely enough space for 4 dudes to sit at the counter.  You must call the house to call the restaurant.  Fortunately, it's the family name, so it's easy enough to find the number. 

Besides, KC ain't got shit on Southern BBQ.  And those Texans?  Fucking pussies.

SERIOUS BUSINESS!!   :-D

ETA -- emoticon for proper nonseriousbusinessness

[Yegolev]

College BBQ sauce: ketchup, worcesterchire, brown sugar, other shit (garlic powder?) as you feel.  All the flavor-masking of ketchup, but you feel more like you are eating something good.

[CmdrSlack]

College BBQ sauce: ketchup, worcesterchire, brown sugar, other shit (garlic powder?) as you feel.  All the flavor-masking of ketchup, but you feel more like you are eating something good.

ZOMG! Why waste someone's time with "ghetto" BBQ???

[Strazos]

Just. Shut. Up.