[skeptic7]

I used to be so impressed by the new tools and pans. Now not so much but I'm getting jaded and cynical. I have bought things like Espresso powder and not found much use for it. I think chocolate espresso biscotti was the only recipe. Or bakers powdered milk its more convenient than regular powdered milk but not as versatile. I also remember going to the store to buy a pie server and they didn't have anything that basic.

[skeptic7]

I used to love doing the tradition Hartford Election day cake. This was more a very rich raisin bread than anything else and tasted wonderful. I stopped with the first Trump election. I was so sad after that it didn't seem like making a cake was worth it for election day. Also voting was not so much a group activity. The moderne cakes in the contest look wonderful.

[skeptic7]

I did a version of Moravian Sugar Cake Friday. I was combining two recipes as I didn't have the mash potatoes called for in the original recipe and I did have potato flour. I also used buttermilk for most of the liquid.
The plan was to make the Moravian Sugar Cake ( modified recipe ) using a little whole wheat flour for better color, and dried strawberries, and then use strawberry cream cheese to pipe 60 on it in honor of Sam's 60th birthday. I mixed and kneaded it using a Kitchen aid mixer, then realized the dried strawberries were too fragile to mix in the dough. I spread the dough in the 9x13 pan and let it rise, then put the strawberries on top of the dough. It was a very soft moist dough. I let it rise some more and then sprinkled it with brown sugar, cinnamon and melted butter. After it had finished rising I baked it -- that turned out well. I blended strawberry jam and cream cheese together and then piped a big LX, 60 in Roman numerals on the top. After all that effort I went to the local SF meeting, and found that Sam had decided to attend via Zoom. Oh well those present in person had a fun time celebrating Sam's birthday without him.
The bread turned out well, light and moist and airy. The brown sugar topping and the strawberries and the cream cheese combined well. The only thing missing was Sam.

[skeptic7]

Chocomouse, I hope you recover quickly and well. I hope to see you next year alert and completely healthy.

[skeptic7]

A friend had given me her "Power Pot" which is somewhat like an Insta Pot, in that its a computerized pressure cooker. I made poached chicken legs in it yesterday, working from Reddit suggestions and my memory of an old recipe. After deboning the chicken, I cooked down the bones into broth. It did a good job poaching the chicken and making stock. Its more precise, down to the minute than a stove top pressure cooker but it isn't easy to set time and temperature.
The chicken was tasty and not overcooked. I ate it with rice and soy sauce, green onion and ginger dipping sauce.

[skeptic7]

I did the lamb shoulder with cider, chard and butternut squash cooking it on low on the stove top. I was using a pressure cooker but was originally just using as a normal pan. When I got tired and wanted to sleep, I turned the heat off, and tightly fastened the lid and let it just cook in the residue heat. Everything was cooked but not over cooked in the morning. I brought it back up to a boil in case of food poisoning, and then cooled it off in a sink of cold water and divided it up into pint freezer containers. Most of it is going to be frozen for later but its quite good.

[skeptic7]

I had the Cumin lamb from WoksofLife. My 3 lb lamb shoulder produced 2 lbs of meat and 1 lb of bone. The lamb bone is currently being boiled into lamb stock and the rest of the lamb will be cooked later. Currently looking at lamb and butternut squash braised in apple cider. This is a slow cooker recipe so I'll have to adapt it to stove top or oven. I'm in Kentucky at my father's house without a slow cooker. The lamb shoulder had a very complicated bone structure. A real pain to cut out. Next time I'm going to look at recipes that cook the shoulder whole and debone it afterwards.

[skeptic7]

The weather is great and I want to cook a 3lb lamb shoulder. I have a recipe for Chinese Cumin lamb stir fry, so that uses up a lb or so. Could anyone suggest other recipes for lamb shoulder? I've used ground lamb, and lamb shanks, and lamb chops, but this is the first time I've tried to cook a lamb shoulder. I think I should make lamb stock/soup with the bones.
Is this a cut of lamb that lends itself to a long braise?

[skeptic7]

I did Chicken Thighs, Jacques Pepin style. I've done variations of this before but this time I followed directions and sliced the chicken flesh on both side of the bone. This makes it lie flatter and cook more thoroughly. I found one of the tricks to getting the chicken skin to cook properly is to place it skin side down on a cold pan and then not turn it until the skin is cooked and the fat is melting. This way the skin cooks and doesn't stick to the pan.
I did two chicken thighs with rice and frozen peas last night and I'll do two more tonight. I put a little barbecue sauce on it after it was cooked and found the sauce too salty and strong flavored.

[skeptic7]

Mike; That pizza looks wonderful. Is this one of the crust recipes you were experimenting with?

[skeptic7]

It finally got cool enough yesterday to consider cooking more than grilled cheese sandwiches. I did green beans with meat sauce , using green beans and hamburger from the farmer's market. I had to do a lot of subsitutions to this recipe. My version turned out mildly spicy. Next time I'll cook the meat part a little longer to make it softer -- or perhaps a lot less. Ate this with white rice.

Sauteed Green Beans with Ground Beef

[skeptic7]

Its been too hot the last couple of weeks to do any baking and my cooking has been minimal. I've been subsiding mainly on grilled tomato and cheese sandwiches, sometimes with luncheon meat and/or onions added. I did manage to cook stir fry pork and vegetables, and stir fry chicken and vegetables and once a pork chop with apples.
My plan for this week is hamburgers and more hamburgers. I plan to give blood or try to on Wednesday and I want to boost my iron.

[skeptic7]

Its been too hot to cook for nearly a month, and I have been living on sandwiches. I have found a neat bun/bread called "Sandwich Starters" at Trader Joe which is like small rectangular foccacio which makes a great sandwich that can be heated up in a frying pan. I've found some sandwich buns are too soft and crumble in your hands, and others have big holes that lets the mustard dripped out. Has anyone tried to make sandwich size focaccia? I've mainly made this bigger and sliced them up later.
I tried cooking black bean soup in a slow cooker which doesn't heat the kitchen as much. And even if it did I can safely hide in the basement from the slow cooker. I'm going to have to start doing bread again in a slow cooker and look at other recipes.

[skeptic7]

A friend gave me a Power Pot which is a electronic pressure cooker. I haven't used it yet but is it similar to an InstaPot?

[skeptic7]

I did lemon-vanilla scones yesterday with dried lemon; and Chocolate Cherry rolls. The rolls first needed extra buttermilk and then extra flour but turned out very well. I'm very happy to have a Kitchen Aid Mixer now. My right shoulder is a bit sore from shoveling ice last winter and I couldn't have kneaded this by hand.
Dried lemon as a spice sounds wierd. I had bought it at a Halal Grocery and think its Middle Eastern. I put a generous tablespoon in the scones. The scones also contain a teaspoon of vanilla which I rarely add to scones and something has added a distinct flavor.

Aaron; I look forward to hearing about your cooking adventures at your synagogue. Have you ever made mandelbrot? I was discussing this with a friend and she told me that it should be less dry than a biscotti. I had previously thought these were nearly identical cookies only one was made with oil instead of butter.

[Author]

Posts