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Cooking Questions 4: More questions about cookery


MisterOJ

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This is actually really, really simple if you have a bit of patience.

Melt a full stick of butter with a couple cloves of minced garlic

Once melted add to it a pint of whole cream and simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. The key to this is keeping it at a simmer and giving the sauce time to let the heat break down the milk and butter fats. The reason yours is separated is most likely because you aren't giving it enough time and the milk and butter fats aren't combining, so you get a layer of fat and a layer of milk/cheese.

Add in about 1-2 cups of parmesan cheese to taste, and stir until melted. I also add in basil, and pepper at this point.

Another option I've used which is MUCH lower in fat, but is actually still VERY good is the following:

Melt 2 TBS of butter w/ a couple cloves of minced garlic

Mix in 2 tsp of flour to the butter

Whisk in a cup of low fat milk with a pinch of salt until smooth (3 min)

Add 2 TBS of low fat cream cheese and 3/4 cups of parmesan cheese and mix

At this point you'll have this pretty thick cheesy mixture, so just add milk until you get the consistency you want. Salt, pepper (basil, oregano, etc..) to taste.

I will add to this that squeezing a small lemon in after you reduce the butter and cream adds a really nice level of acidity that makes the sauce more palatable.

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I have a super dumb bread question.



I do make my own bread occasionally, but it takes a long time to rise so most times I just buy it. I love fresh, quality bread, so I like to buy a baguette or a fresh loaf of Italian bread or whatever sometimes, but I can't go through a loaf in a day -- okay, I totally could, but I really shouldn't - and if I leave it out on the counter, it goes stale within a day or so. The fridge does not seem to improve things. I can freeze it, but then it's frozen, and I have the same problem if I want to thaw it. Am I supposed to slice it and then freeze it?



If so, I currently have a loaf frozen in my freezer that is not sliced, because I didn't think ahead. What's the best way to make use of it now?


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I tend to by sliced bread, which is easy to freeze and remove in batches.



You could cut the bread in portions you would eat, and freeze those and only slice after thawing. In my experience though most frozen bread can be readily cut with a proper bread knife. So you could try and either slice it, or cut of a portion.


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When I buy a loaf of really good bread, I always slice it all up with a serrated blade knife, then freeze it in smaller batches. That way you can take out what you want, pop it in the toaster or whatever.



It comes out great!


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I like watching knife skills videos, because I'm lame. But other videos would be good too. Are there shows I can watch on Netflix or on demand from my cable company that are actual good instructional videos on kitchen skills and not, like, Guy Fieri being an asshole?

Edit: I'd love both stuff on technical skills and stuff on "softer" skills like flavor and seasoning.

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I used to be half-way decent using a knife. I could bone a salmon, for instance, in no time at all, and I could de-bone a chicken pretty easily.

However, within the past year I have a hard time boiling water. Don't know what's wrong with me.

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Yep, time is the key. I had made it for YEARS w/out doing it and stumbled upon a recipe that said to simmer for 20 min. It also helps thicken up the sauce instead of using the cheese to thicken it up as I had previously done. It doesn't taste bad if you don't simmer it, but it ends up chunky and oily.

Also, I like to add shrimp, carrots, and peas to my alfredo to give it even more color.

I will add to this that squeezing a small lemon in after you reduce the butter and cream adds a really nice level of acidity that makes the sauce more palatable.

I am pleased to report that it came out beautifully. I was going to make this at the bf's house, but the look of horror on his face when I suggested adding DAIRY AND CARBOHYDRATES to his lovely shrimp and peas shut that idea down fast.

Instead I made it tonight at home. While I watched the butter and cream reduce, I could actually see what you were talking about. I watched the clock this time, but I think next time I'll be able to watch the reduction. The butter totally broke up into smaller and smaller spots every time I stirred it. Thank you so much. The final sauce was thick and creamy. Only clumps in there were the minced garlic. I did add a couple of ounces of asiago cheese. The lemon was a really nice touch.

So, now I have a quart of Seafood stock that I made out of the shrimp heads and shells. Whatever shall I do with it?

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I am pleased to report that it came out beautifully. I was going to make this at the bf's house, but the look of horror on his face when I suggested adding DAIRY AND CARBOHYDRATES to his lovely shrimp and peas shut that idea down fast.

Instead I made it tonight at home. While I watched the butter and cream reduce, I could actually see what you were talking about. I watched the clock this time, but I think next time I'll be able to watch the reduction. The butter totally broke up into smaller and smaller spots every time I stirred it. Thank you so much. The final sauce was thick and creamy. Only clumps in there were the minced garlic. I did add a couple of ounces of asiago cheese. The lemon was a really nice touch.

So, now I have a quart of Seafood stock that I made out of the shrimp heads and shells. Whatever shall I do with it?

Some sort of seafood soup, like clam chowder? That's the only recipe I've made that calls for seafood stock.

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Hahah. Of course. But it's in the 90's and the temperature is still going up. I'm fantasizing about a cold pilaf salad or something like that. Kitchen was so hot last night I was drenched by the time I pulled the stock off the stove. Gumbo or Chowder would be unbearable to make or eat right now.


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Hahah. Of course. But it's in the 90's and the temperature is still going up. I'm fantasizing about a cold pilaf salad or something like that. Kitchen was so hot last night I was drenched by the time I pulled the stock off the stove. Gumbo or Chowder would be unbearable to make or eat right now.

You could always use it to cook rice and put some broccoli on it for a nice tasty side dish.

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Well, I guess you could freeze it in batches so you could use it when the temperatures were more conducive.

I've never made a seafood stock - always wanted to - but I would imagine it'd freeze well like others stocks do.

What say you, MC?

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So for the Irish potluck at church yesterday I made the side of mashed carrots and parsnips. The recipe I found called for just butter and nutmeg.

This recipe turned out to be one of the rare times when the finished product smelled delicious, but wound up being just "okay." I wouldn't call it bad, because it was palatable, but I probably won't make it again. Shame, I really liked the idea of it.

However, this experiment did make me want to try something else with parsnips. I remember my grandmother used to have roasted parsnips when I was a kid and liking them.

Anyone have a good parsnips recipe?

Delia Smith has a good recipe in her Christmas cookbook.

It calls for you to dip them into boiling water for a minute (or steam them) and then roll them in a mixture of parmesan cheese and flour. Then bake.

Should mention that you are doing 2' or 3" chunks this way.

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All good suggestions. I thank you. If there's any left after my pilaf experiment, I'll freeze it. I want to try using freezer bags for stock anyway. The quart containers are bulky. My kingdom for a deep freezer...and a generator to back it up.


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Ooh, I thought rice... seafood stock... what about a delicious seafood risotto? :drools:

Of course, that's kinda heavy if you'restewing in your own gravy down there. I know we're just in the upper 70s, but I made a cold salad for dinner last night.

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So it's been about a year since I decided to get serious about my cooking. Just wanted to say thank you to everyone here for the advice, feedback, recommendations, answers to my dumb questions, and so on. It's been a tremendous resource and my skills have grown by leaps and bounds because of it. I've leaned most heavily on Merc Chef (thanks MC!) but everyone has been super great.


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