What'cha Cookin' Tonight II

[hobbsyoyo]

We've been trying our hand at sourdough making and it's been really hit or miss. Our first loaf failed to raise at all and was super dense. The second loaf was ok but still pretty dense. The third loaf we let sit too long and the dough turned into goo and the resulting loaf was borderline inedible. We trying again but this time we're going to see about adding some baking soda to help it rise. The starter mix is fully active, but we've been using non-bleached flours and apparently breads like this don't rise as much as bleached-flour breads so we're going to try and help it out.

 

[Ferocitus]

If you've got a woman who stands for that, no wonder you've made it this long. Here's to smooth sailing for 100 years , you picked the blue ribbon peach!

More of a curate's egg.
She is on the cusp of being a super-taster: some foods, especially green vegetables, taste bitter and metallic.

 

[hobbsyoyo]

We've been trying our hand at sourdough making and it's been really hit or miss. Our first loaf failed to raise at all and was super dense. The second loaf was ok but still pretty dense. The third loaf we let sit too long and the dough turned into goo and the resulting loaf was borderline inedible. We trying again but this time we're going to see about adding some baking soda to help it rise. The starter mix is fully active, but we've been using non-bleached flours and apparently breads like this don't rise as much as bleached-flour breads so we're going to try and help it out.

I had read beforehand that adding baking soda to sourdough will lessen the sour flavor so I expected it, but not to the extent it happened. There was effectively no sour taste at all in the dough and though it did rise, it was still too dense for my taste so all in all it was a big disappointment. There are some other tricks you can use to make the dough rise more but I doubt they will be as effective as the maximum dose of baking soda was. We may switch to bleached flours though, that may help.

 

[hobbsyoyo]

I had read beforehand that adding baking soda to sourdough will lessen the sour flavor so I expected it, but not to the extent it happened. There was effectively no sour taste at all in the dough and though it did rise, it was still too dense for my taste so all in all it was a big disappointment. There are some other tricks you can use to make the dough rise more but I doubt they will be as effective as the maximum dose of baking soda was. We may switch to bleached flours though, that may help.

I finally cracked the code!

Ok so here's how I got the sourdough to rise -

We added about 30% more water to the dough to begin with. This made it gooier but not so gooey that it couldn't be handled. It clung to the walls of the pot we mixed it in but came free when pulled. Next, we added about 50% more starter to the dough as well to supercharge it with bacteria and yeast. We also cooked it in a glass container with a lid that's a lot like a dutch oven to help trap the moisture. I wiped the top of the loaf with extra water before baking as well to help keep it moist.

Finally, we blasted it at 450F for the first 25 minutes. The extra heat helped make the air bubbles bigger and all the extra moisture kept the dough pliant so it could actually rise. It more than doubled in volume in the first 15 minutes of cooking until it cracked open at the top like it is supposed to. I then turned down the oven to 375F and took off the top to let the crust firm up. Perfection, no baking soda or bleached flours needed.

 

[Takhisis]

I have to admit that I parboiled the lobsters before grilling because I didn't want to put live lobsters on the grill.

So you boiled them alive instead of roasting them alive? I've never done (or maybe even eaten) boiled lobster so I'm missing something here.

 

[Sommerswerd]

So you boiled them alive instead of roasting them alive?

Yes exactly... except that if I was going to grill them raw it wouldn't have been alive. I would have split them in half with a cleaver before putting the open halves on the grill... so they'd be dead on account of being cleaved in twain.

 

[Takhisis]

Does it change the taste? As I said, I've lived a lobsterless existence these past three decades.

 

[Sommerswerd]

Does it change the taste? As I said, I've lived a lobsterless existence these past three decades.

Yes, charcoal grilling does change the taste. Its still delicious, but it tastes... well... charcoal-grilled.

Tak, unless you're allergic or something... I highly suggest taking the plunge and having a lobster tail. Use the melted butter for dipping a few bites and take a few bites butter-less for contrast... and that's pretty much it, because there isn't much meat in a whole lobster, let alone the tail... in fact, the tail is where most of the met is on the scrawny things. But please don't go to your grave having never tried lobster... its one of the many exquisite delights that being alive has to offer... right up there with seeing a good movie, and meeting a new person that you get along with.

 

[hobbsyoyo]

The local county fair is closed due to Covid but they are opening a limited line of food stalls on the fair grounds so you can drive through and buy fair food. We're going to get some today for dinner so that should be fun. I am dubious though - the last time we went the food was awful and I don't just mean it was awful in the way that all deep-fried fair food is, I was served super stale and overcooked food that was inedible and threw most of it out.

 

[Timsup2nothin]

The local county fair is closed due to Covid but they are opening a limited line of food stalls on the fair grounds so you can drive through and buy fair food. We're going to get some today for dinner so that should be fun. I am dubious though - the last time we went the food was awful and I don't just mean it was awful in the way that all deep-fried fair food is, I was served super stale and overcooked food that was inedible and threw most of it out.

Stale and overcooked I think is pretty much the standard for fair booth food. As a venue for a professional kitchen a tent is basically inadequate in every possible way, so fresh and perfect are unlikely outcomes.

 

[hobbsyoyo]

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We waited in line in the car for 4 hours. We thought it would be one hour, two at most. The food was actually pretty good, especially the corndog-style cheese sticks but damn I did not plan on spending half the day in the car.

 

[Ajidica]

Spiced Moroccan style Meatballs with basmati rice. Super tasty and pretty easy!

https://www.tablespoon.com/recipes/spiced-moroccan-meatballs/13bd1b55-0079-41fc-bf10-f91c68e0e34f
Finished up with some mint ice cream for desert.

 

[Sarin]

Processing leftovers for breakfast. Put some cheese and ham between two tortillas and baked it for a while. Eaten with leftover garlic dip, simple yet delicious.

 

[Sommerswerd]

Stale and overcooked I think is pretty much the standard for fair booth food. As a venue for a professional kitchen a tent is basically inadequate in every possible way, so fresh and perfect are unlikely outcomes.

Very near my home there is a YUGE annual Fair called the "Eastern States Exposition" we call it "The Big E" for short. Of course the Fair was canceled this year due to Covid, but its the biggest Fair I've ever seen or heard of by far... like Six-Flags sized big... and the food there is Out.Of.This.World good... fresh, hot, delicious... like people waiting in line for 30 minutes to get fresh squeezed lemonade because its so good, waiting 90 minutes to get a fresh, handmade "Bloomin Onion" because its really that good...giant Turkey legs spitroasted and then fire grilled right in front of your eyes on a grill as long as a house, summer corn so juicy that the juices run down your chin as you try to eat it., chopped ribeye cut and grilled in front of you smothered with fresh onion, mushrooms and peppers... It sucks that its canceled, because I would probably be going there this weekend under normal circumstances.

 

[hobbsyoyo]

I guess when you buy something that is marketed as extra spicy, the assumption from the manufacturer is that the spice is the entire flavor profile they are expected to provide in the food.

I bought a small bag of Ghost Pepper tortilla chips and they tasted like smokey dirt. The heat was not as much as I expected it to be either and they tasted just awful.

 

[hobbsyoyo]

It turns out that Gooey Butter Cake does not have very much butter in it. It is instead mostly cream cheese - it is basically a variation of cheese cake. In any case it is delicious and surprisingly easy to make.

 

[Sommerswerd]

Oh crap, I didn't leave any meat out to defrost... take out again tonight I guess

 

[Takhisis]

Oh crap, I didn't leave any meat out to defrost... take out again tonight I guess

Strange, I could've sworn I read something earlier today about Mr. Sommerswerd being the one to cook dinner with fresh groceries. Really. Could've sworn.

 

[Sommerswerd]

Strange, I could've sworn I read something earlier today about Mr. Sommerswerd being the one to cook dinner with fresh groceries. Really. Could've sworn.

You did indeed, and instead of takeout tonight... I opted for cooking sauteed pork chops in pepper-parsley sauce and smothered chopped onion, steamed spinach, corn with cracked pepper, and garlic mashed potatoes with a light pork gravy. All prepared from groceries that I picked up on the way home instead of waiting for delivery.

The keen-eyed will notice on the right side of the pic... I planned ahead and put a pot roast with potatoes, carrots, fresh garlic cloves, halved onion and celery in the crock pot. So I have tomorrow's dinner covered as well.

You were saying Tak?

 

[onejayhawk]

Hawaiian Loaf

1 can Spam (reserve jelly)
1 lb ground pork or ground turkey
1 cup oatmeal, bread crumbs or shredded zucchini
1 egg
1/2 cup milk
1 mall can pineapple tidbits, drained (reserve juice)

Grind the Spam or mince it in a food processor.
Beat the egg and mix with milk.
Combine all ingredients and knead well.
Refrigerate for an hour to overnight.
Mold into a loaf about 1 1/2" thick. Dot with whole clove if desired.
Bake on a cookie sheet at 350° for 20 minutes.
Top with glaze

Glaze

Reserved pineapple juice and Spam jelly plus water to 2/3 cup
1/2 tsp dry mustard
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp ground clove
Simmer until reduced by 1/3

If you have any baseball bat zucchini, this is a great way to use it. Always bake meatloaf on a sheet. You do not want it swimming in it's own grease. The glaze works well with ham or smoked turkey.

Another method is to make the loaf mix without the tidbits. Form it around a pineapple ring with a cherry in the center. This makes a burger-like shape, but smoke instead of grilling

J