Cuisine Corner

[42x16ss]

Being summer and all on the flip side of the planet. Here's a handy guide for when it's time to throw another joey on the barbie.

Kangaroo is good eating, very lean, high in protein and not too gamey. The thing is, you need to either serve it fairly rare, slow cook it or marinade it overnight for best results.

As for height vs weight, I'm 182cm and 70kg but I'm a couple of kg's overweight because it's crit season

 

[krebs303]

 

[LaFlorecita]

203cm and 122kg

Big Krabby

Not to worry krebsy we can't all be skinny climber types

 

[krebs303]

Tortellini Salad. Had it with some grilled chicken

 

[lemon cheese cake]

Tortellini Salad. Had it with some grilled chicken

We hope you left some for the rest of us!

 

[krebs303]

A little something different Jackfruit.

 

[SafeBet]

Ever tried to make a curry with it?

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

 

[krebs303]

Re:

Ever tried to make a curry with it?

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

as much as I enjoyed it I will not be acquiring any more. It smells up the house for days much like a durian. it wasn't at first but after a few days it grows tiresome. but tastes divine. I have seen it canned(tinned) in the asian markets. but never tried

 

[krebs303]

Gnocchi and Peas

Gnocchi with Peas and Procuitto in a cream sauce is very common. Here's a meatless lighter version. I was going to have these with grilled chicken thighs but I forgot and didn't cook them

Simple meal. The peas were frozen so I zapped

Tossed the gnocchi and onion in some butter till the gnocchi just barely takes on some color and the onion is translucent

Toss the peas in and let the peas get coated with butter. Top with shredded parmesan. very happy

I grilled the chicken finally and had it watching MotoGP yesterday

 

[krebs303]

Gnocchi and Peas

Gnocchi with Peas and Procuitto in a cream sauce is very common. Here's a meatless lighter version. I was going to have these with grilled chicken thighs but I forgot and didn't cook them

Simple meal. The peas were frozen so I zapped

Tossed the gnocchi and onion in some butter till the gnocchi just barely takes on some color and the onion is translucent

Toss the peas in and let the peas get coated with butter. Top with shredded parmesan. very happy

I grilled the chicken finally and had it watching MotoGP yesterday

 

[python]

i understand that this thread has become a repository of the delicious food images...

i am a horrible photographer, and most certainly an atrocious cook, but would anyone mind if i attempted to share a little food story (and perhaps a delicious recipe) if there will be an interest ?

to avoid a lengthy intro, i'll go directly to a punchline...

in our household, we all absolutely love the trader joe's mandarin orange chicken. we are crazy about it !

the other day, our older daughter called and said she'd drop by for a dinner and 'by the way', she said, 'dad, make sure you buy at least 3 pacs of the tj mandarin orange chicken'. 'why so much ?', i quipped. 'there will be just 3 of us ?' 'b/c there is never enough of the delicious sauce in one pac'

she was ABSOLUTELY correct. that sauce is the key, the essence of the incredible chicken taste.
But there was something that bothered me...bothered a great deal. ever a stickler for a total efficiency and a fierce enemy of ANY waste, i was bothered by the left over frozen chicken that will ALWAYS lack the delicious sauce under our daughters scenario...

my mind immediately devised a simple action plan - just buy more of the sauce. believe it or not, but i could not find any retailer selling the seemingly ubiquitous and popular item - the god damn mandarin orange sauce

yes, you guessed right, i had 3 days to make the sauce myself and i had to make an exact copy...

And I did it ! it was NOT easy. i received plenty of complements and feel enormously proud ! really, cooking isn't my thing at all.....

if interested in the recipe, let me know and i'll gladly share it.

 

[Amsterhammer]

I had no idea this had turned into serious food porn. Good work, Krebby.

 

[ferryman]

Re:

i understand that this thread has become a repository of the delicious food images...

i am a horrible photographer, and most certainly an atrocious cook, but would anyone mind if i attempted to share a little food story (and perhaps a delicious recipe) if there will be an interest ?

to avoid a lengthy intro, i'll go directly to a punchline...

in our household, we all absolutely love the trader joe's mandarin orange chicken. we are crazy about it !

the other day, our older daughter called and said she'd drop by for a dinner and 'by the way', she said, 'dad, make sure you buy at least 3 pacs of the tj mandarin orange chicken'. 'why so much ?', i quipped. 'there will be just 3 of us ?' 'b/c there is never enough of the delicious sauce in one pac'

she was ABSOLUTELY correct. that sauce is the key, the essence of the incredible chicken taste.
But there was something that bothered me...bothered a great deal. ever a stickler for a total efficiency and a fierce enemy of ANY waste, i was bothered by the left over frozen chicken that will ALWAYS lack the delicious sauce under our daughters scenario...

my mind immediately devised a simple action plan - just buy more of the sauce. believe it or not, but i could not find any retailer selling the seemingly ubiquitous and popular item - the god damn mandarin orange sauce

yes, you guessed right, i had 3 days to make the sauce myself and i had to make an exact copy...

And I did it ! it was NOT easy. i received plenty of complements and feel enormously proud ! really, cooking isn't my thing at all.....

if interested in the recipe, let me know and i'll gladly share it.

Never heard of this so you have my interest P. Post the recipe

 

[krebs303]

Re: Re:

Never heard of this so you have my interest P. Post the recipe

all is good I have been buying these mandarins called Halo's they are fabulous. can't wait to use them in cooking. So far my favorite is sectioning the mandarin and mixing with yougurt plain or try different flavors.

 

[python]

Re: Re:

ferryman wrote:

Never heard of this so you have my interest P. Post the recipe

krebby wrote:

all is good I have been buying these mandarins called Halo's they are fabulous. can't wait to use them in cooking. So far my favorite is sectioning the mandarin and mixing with yougurt plain or try different flavors.

ferryman, krebby - i am quickly dropping by to let you know that i plan to address the recipe in greater detail a bit later today...with links, suggestions for modification etc. i am running around at the moment.

krebby, the sauce you mentioned would not work for chicken, imo. i used a finely minced mandarin orage zest that i made from the dried skins...later...

 

[python]

here's the product as it appears on a trader joe's counter:

the pack includes pre-cooked, breaded chicken (16ozs) and 2 small packs (3 ozs each) of the mandarin orange SAUCE. As i noted earlier, the sauce is the key to the tangy, sour-sweet, deep and fruity taste....verrry DELICIOUS, in one word... and, as my daughter noted, the pack ain't got enough of the sauce. none of the sauce can be bought anywhere, other than inside the tj's pack.

searching for the alternative, the closest i came across the sauce recipe was in this link
http://www.saucycuisine.com/2012/08/09/poultry/mandarin-orange-chicken-recipe

cooking the chicken itself can be pretty much replicated by the recipe in the link. that's the opinion we all (my family) held. however, the sauce - the glaze in the link - came too thick when i followed the suggestions in the link

bottom line, here's what i ended up with after modifying the suggested with what we had available or felt needed to change the consistency:

Glaze (the sauce) Components
1/3 cup sugar
2 tsp cornstarch
1/4 tsp salt
2 Tbsp white vinegar
1/2 tsp Mandarin orange zest, finely minced
1/4 cup chicken broth
1 tsp ketchup
1 Tbsp soy sauce
1/2 tsp grated garlic clove
1/2 tsp Chinese chili sauce

The sauce/glaze PREPARATION INSTRUCTIONS
- In a medium saucepan, combine sugar, 2 teaspoons cornstarch and 1/4 teaspoon salt.
- Stir in vinegar, zest, 1/4 cup chicken broth, ketchup, 1 tablespoon soy sauce, garlic and chili sauce.
- Cook over medium heat until the sauce comes to a boil and thickens, about 3-4 minutes. Cover to keep warm and set aside.

NOTES on the ACTUAL as I cooked it:
1. Instead of the chinese chili sauce (which i lacked), added about 1/4tsp of hot chili powder. Also, instead of white vinegar, used whine vinegar and white flour for corn starch.

Conclusion on the taste and consistency 1st time: the sauce came out much thicker (commercial honey vs olive oil consistency). Much more tangerine flavor. The sour sweetness of the original was slightly more like a sweet sourness. Overall, the flavor similarity was pretty good. The color was lighter than the original deep brown.

Introduced corrections: a) added another 2 tbsp of vinegar b) added another ¼ cup chicken broth c) added/ another 3 tbsp of soy source d) added ¼ cup boiled water e) added a pinch (1/8 tsp) of orange zest.

Conclusion on the taste and consistency 2st time: after the corrections, the consistency does look similar (olive oil like). The flavor did re-balance towards the original somewhat, but the sweat/sour/tangy are still not matched.

 

[ferryman]

Re:

here's the product as it appears on a trader joe's counter:

the pack includes pre-cooked, breaded chicken (16ozs) and 2 small packs (3 ozs each) of the mandarin orange SAUCE. As i noted earlier, the sauce is the key to the tangy, sour-sweet, deep and fruity taste....verrry DELICIOUS, in one word... and, as my daughter noted, the pack ain't got enough of the sauce. none of the sauce can be bought anywhere, other than inside the tj's pack.

searching for the alternative, the closest i came across the sauce recipe was in this link
http://www.saucycuisine.com/2012/08/09/poultry/mandarin-orange-chicken-recipe

cooking the chicken itself can be pretty much replicated by the recipe in the link. that's the opinion we all (my family) held. however, the sauce - the glaze in the link - came too thick when i followed the suggestions in the link

bottom line, here's what i ended up with after modifying the suggested with what we had available or felt needed to change the consistency:

Glaze (the sauce) Components
1/3 cup sugar
2 tsp cornstarch
1/4 tsp salt
2 Tbsp white vinegar
1/2 tsp Mandarin orange zest, finely minced
1/4 cup chicken broth
1 tsp ketchup
1 Tbsp soy sauce
1/2 tsp grated garlic clove
1/2 tsp Chinese chili sauce

The sauce/glaze PREPARATION INSTRUCTIONS
- In a medium saucepan, combine sugar, 2 teaspoons cornstarch and 1/4 teaspoon salt.
- Stir in vinegar, zest, 1/4 cup chicken broth, ketchup, 1 tablespoon soy sauce, garlic and chili sauce.
- Cook over medium heat until the sauce comes to a boil and thickens, about 3-4 minutes. Cover to keep warm and set aside.

NOTES on the ACTUAL as I cooked it:
1. Instead of the chinese chili sauce (which i lacked), added about 1/4tsp of hot chili powder. Also, instead of white vinegar, used whine vinegar and white flour for corn starch.

Conclusion on the taste and consistency 1st time: the sauce came out much thicker (commercial honey vs olive oil consistency). Much more tangerine flavor. The sour sweetness of the original was slightly more like a sweet sourness. Overall, the flavor similarity was pretty good. The color was lighter than the original deep brown.

Introduced corrections: a) added another 2 tbsp of vinegar b) added another ¼ cup chicken broth c) added/ another 3 tbsp of soy source d) added ¼ cup boiled water e) added a pinch (1/8 tsp) of orange zest.

Conclusion on the taste and consistency 2st time: after the corrections, the consistency does look similar (olive oil like). The flavor did re-balance towards the original somewhat, but the sweat/sour/tangy are still not matched.

Thanks for that. We do like to cook Chinese. Heading off to the Canaries for some sun but will def give this a try when back...

 

[krebs303]

This is the recipe I use for Orange Chicken easy enough to substitue mandarin oranges for regular. Flour is not a good sub for corn starch. arrowroot is but is harder to find.
This is an excellent recipe

 

[python]

... Flour is not a good sub for corn starch. arrowroot is but is harder to find.

i agree, but we just did not have any corn starch around and i winked...perhaps, that's what screwed up the sauce consistency.

finding the Mandarin orange zest was also problematic. but it was easy enough to make myself...i used the skins, scraped the white stuff from the inside, dried them in the oven at 250 F for 20 minutes and then minced very finely in a regular coffee grinder. i was quite surprised by how little zest was required to produce a strong mandarin orange taste.

 

[mewmewmew13]

What an interesting story Python! I enjoyed this narrative
glad it all worked out!
I totally get the sauce shortage..TJ's seems to specialize it tantalizing small allotments ..I had the same prob a while back..was totally hooked on the Super Spinach salad from TJ's that came packaged with a great variety of ingredients in a wonderful salad and a small container of carrot-miso-ginger dressing which was never enough!
I see there are recipes online for concocting one's own...which I never have tried!

but here is the list of it...http://www.onelittlekitchen.com/2013/03/22/super-spinach-salad-with-carrot-ginger-dressing/
I need to try this myself soon...

 

[Semper Fidelis]

All of you guys are addicted to something good. Too much is bad for you. There is a portion for a reason. FAT Bodies

 

[Tricycle Rider]

Gnocchi and Peas

Gnocchi with Peas and Procuitto in a cream sauce is very common. Here's a meatless lighter version. I was going to have these with grilled chicken thighs but I forgot and didn't cook them

Simple meal. The peas were frozen so I zapped

Tossed the gnocchi and onion in some butter till the gnocchi just barely takes on some color and the onion is translucent

Toss the peas in and let the peas get coated with butter. Top with shredded parmesan. very happy

I'm livin' for it, Krebs!

Except that it's a bit heavy, and I still have at least 2kg to lose.

 

[krebs303]

Gnocchi and Peas

Gnocchi with Peas and Procuitto in a cream sauce is very common. Here's a meatless lighter version. I was going to have these with grilled chicken thighs but I forgot and didn't cook them

Simple meal. The peas were frozen so I zapped

Tossed the gnocchi and onion in some butter till the gnocchi just barely takes on some color and the onion is translucent

Toss the peas in and let the peas get coated with butter. Top with shredded parmesan. very happy

I'm livin' for it, Krebs!

Except that it's a bit heavy, and I still have at least 2kg to lose.

This is the light version

 

[python]

Re:

What an interesting story Python! I enjoyed this narrative
glad it all worked out!
I totally get the sauce shortage..TJ's seems to specialize it tantalizing small allotments ..I had the same prob a while back..was totally hooked on the Super Spinach salad from TJ's that came packaged with a great variety of ingredients in a wonderful salad and a small container of carrot-miso-ginger dressing which was never enough!
I see there are recipes online for concocting one's own...which I never have tried!

but here is the list of it...http://www.onelittlekitchen.com/2013/03/22/super-spinach-salad-with-carrot-ginger-dressing/
I need to try this myself soon...

thanks mew ! hope everything is fine in your life and your kitchen

my honey do list for tomorrow includes a visit to tj, i will add the Super Spinach salad to check it out...

 

[greenedge]

Re:

203cm and 122kg

Big Krabby

Not to worry krebsy we can't all be skinny climber types

198CM and 76KG. Too skinny in real life

Keep up the great photos and recipes