Cooking Questions 4: More questions about cookery

[Sis Who Swears]

Boneless chicken thighs ARE awesome and cheap! I make baked "fried" chicken with them at least once a week. Sooo good! I have the recipe if you want.

[all swedes are racist]

14 minutes ago, MercifulChief said:

Yes. Yes you can.  I like a brisket for beef though. Braise or slow roast it.  It can then be almost anything! 

Boneless chicken thighs are awesome.  But they cook easily.  May as well just own them raw in the freezer.  Pull them out,  marinade, rub, brine to your liking and then poach, grill, roast, fry or whatever. 

Just want to add my "fuck yeah!" love for chicken thighs. My go-to chicken part; both tasty and usually half the price of breasts. Can't beat that.

I like Alton Browns pot roast:

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/pot-roast-recipe.html

think it might end up less "stewy" for you, but then again it's nowhere near as versatile as braised pulled pork or chicken as X-Ray described. Unless catering to specific dietary preference, I have a hard time coming up with a reason not to go with pork. 

[kairparavel]

http://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1017937-mississippi-roast

 

Someone please make this legendary Mississippi Roast and report back.

[Yagathai]

Yeah, pork shoulder is my most frequently-purchased cut. From carnitas to goulash, it's super versatile as long as you put the time in.

[MisterOJ]

So my plan is to make chicken noodle soup for dinner tonight. While I was home for lunch, I took a whole chicken and boiled it. I just left it in the pot with the broth to cool. When I get home tonight, I'll pull the chicken off the bones and then cook some celery and onions in the broth before adding some noodles and putting the meat back in.

When I've done this in the past, I've usually added a couple of chicken bouillon cubes to serve as the seasoning. And while that has worked out just fine, it's always felt like cheating a bit. If I wanted to season the soup another way, how much salt should I add? And anything else? Poultry seasoning, etc.?

[Dr. Pepper]

I probably wouldn't add any salt, tbh as the bouillon will have lots of sodium already, but that's more personal preference.  I like to use some mix of thyme, rosemary, basil or sage.  Usually one or two of these depending on my mood that day.  I think the simpler the better when it comes to chicken noodle soup.

 

I have a question about electric pressure cookers. I kept hearing raves about them and checked out a few random pressure cooker recipes and decided to take the plunge and buy one.  Now that I have it,  I'm completely unimpressed.  Cooking meats is fine as they come out very tender, but there isn't a lot of meat eating happening in this house. Everything else takes a ridiculous amount of time, at least to the point where there is no noticeable time-saving with a pressure cooker as getting up to pressure can take up to half an hour or more for even basic things like rice.

 Does anyone use an electric pressure cooker and think it's the best thing ever?  If so, why?  What foods are you cooking in it that makes it a worthwhile investment?  Is this thing just all hype?  I'm starting to think my friends like it just because they don't know how to use a stove or oven.  

[MisterOJ]

47 minutes ago, Dr. Pepper said:

I probably wouldn't add any salt, tbh as the bouillon will have lots of sodium already, but that's more personal preference.  I like to use some mix of thyme, rosemary, basil or sage.  Usually one or two of these depending on my mood that day.  I think the simpler the better when it comes to chicken noodle soup.

Yeah, I probably phrased the question poorly. I am looking to not use the bouillon this time. So, since I won't be adding that, I know the soup will need some salt. I just am unsure of how much I should add to what is basically going to amount to about 8-9 cups of broth.

 

ETA: I've never used a pressure cooker. I remember my grandmother had one (not electric, just one she'd use on the stove) and she only used it for canning. I remember vague admonishments to "leave it alone" because it was "dangerous" and it "could explode" if I messed with it. When I was a kid, that thing scared the shit out of me.

[Inigima]

53 minutes ago, Dr. Pepper said:

I probably wouldn't add any salt, tbh as the bouillon will have lots of sodium already, but that's more personal preference.  I like to use some mix of thyme, rosemary, basil or sage.  Usually one or two of these depending on my mood that day.  I think the simpler the better when it comes to chicken noodle soup.

 

I have a question about electric pressure cookers. I kept hearing raves about them and checked out a few random pressure cooker recipes and decided to take the plunge and buy one.  Now that I have it,  I'm completely unimpressed.  Cooking meats is fine as they come out very tender, but there isn't a lot of meat eating happening in this house. Everything else takes a ridiculous amount of time, at least to the point where there is no noticeable time-saving with a pressure cooker as getting up to pressure can take up to half an hour or more for even basic things like rice.

 Does anyone use an electric pressure cooker and think it's the best thing ever?  If so, why?  What foods are you cooking in it that makes it a worthwhile investment?  Is this thing just all hype?  I'm starting to think my friends like it just because they don't know how to use a stove or oven.  

I've heard electric pressure cookers aren't great. But uh pressure cookers should be way, way faster. The most obvious application is beans but there's all kinds of uses for it. What did you try to cook that you were unimpressed by?

17 minutes ago, MisterOJ said:

ETA: I've never used a pressure cooker. I remember my grandmother had one (not electric, just one she'd use on the stove) and she only used it for canning. I remember vague admonishments to "leave it alone" because it was "dangerous" and it "could explode" if I messed with it. When I was a kid, that thing scared the shit out of me.

Pressure cookers can be dangerous, yes.

[Tears of Lys]

(Tried to quote Mr. OJ, but for some reason, kept getting SWS's post!   )

As for salt in chicken soup, I'd cook it and then add it to taste at the end.  There are so many variables that it's tough to tell you a flat-out amount to add.  Also, unless you're buying a really good chicken, make sure you trim the fat from it.  A little is fine, but anything more will require that you chill the soup and remove a "cap" of fat. 

Admission:  When I make chicken noodle soup, I don't salt it.  I do, however, BUTTER and salt/pepper the noodles to taste (and the carrots and celery) THEN add them at the end.  Although, I do just add them to the individual bowls so if I've got a lot of broth, the noodles aren't sitting there in the hot broth becoming overcooked.  I can't STAND overcooked noodles.   

If it's just me who's eating the soup, I'll sometimes play around with a bit of curry powder.  Although, I like it better in cream of chicken soup.  Tarragon is a good addition too for a French flair.  (Not with the curry powder, I don't think.) 

 

[MercenaryChef]

If you poach  (not boil) a chicken with some veggies and herbs you will have a nice liquid to make a soup out of.  Salt will season nicely. 

I love making soups. 

[Dr. Pepper]

4 hours ago, MisterOJ said:

Yeah, I probably phrased the question poorly. I am looking to not use the bouillon this time. So, since I won't be adding that, I know the soup will need some salt. I just am unsure of how much I should add to what is basically going to amount to about 8-9 cups of broth.

 

ETA: I've never used a pressure cooker. I remember my grandmother had one (not electric, just one she'd use on the stove) and she only used it for canning. I remember vague admonishments to "leave it alone" because it was "dangerous" and it "could explode" if I messed with it. When I was a kid, that thing scared the shit out of me.

Oops, sorry, I misread that.  You've probably already made the soup so figured it out, but I probably still would say no salt.  Though, that's a personal and medical preference for myself.  I rarely even use salt while cooking and usually leave it for people to add for taste or as much as necessary to meet daily recommended values.

4 hours ago, Inigima said:

I've heard electric pressure cookers aren't great. But uh pressure cookers should be way, way faster. The most obvious application is beans but there's all kinds of uses for it. What did you try to cook that you were unimpressed by?

Pressure cookers can be dangerous, yes.

The only previous experience I had with pressure cookers was my mom canning and us not being able to go near it because there would sometimes be accidents that led to explosions that ended up all over the ceiling.  But electric pressure cookers have some safety measures that makes those accidents unlikely which is why I was willing to try.

I pressure cooked a full chicken and also a pork shoulder roast.  But these things were mostly for other people as I just really don't consume that much meat.  So yeah, that came out well, and it was fast, I could easily toss this stuff in a slow cooker to get my monthly meat cooking done (which is already what I do).  I steamed some fish and veggies but it did not come out well at all (super soggy), and it takes FOREVER for the cooker to get up to pressure before it even starts working.  So theoretically it takes 5 minutes to cook fish and veggies in the cooker, but it will take an additional 30 or so minutes to even get to pressure.  I could do it in 20 flat with stove and oven. The same with rice.  I put some rice in my rice cooker and some in the pressure cooker.  I could have made rice three or four times over in the rice cooker in the amount of time it took the pressure cooker to make it.  And don't even get me started on how long it takes to make a basic soup (tried chicken noodle this afternoon after OJ got me thinking about it since I already had left over chicken.  Took the same amount of time as it would have on the stove). 

My friends that raved about it made it seem like they were doing a lot of one pot meals.  They seemed really excited about the fact that they didn't even need more than one pan in their kitchen.  But looking over their recipes, they don't even make sense.  It's as though they are making each item separately.  I'm honestly not sure if they even know how to cook.

I have a cabinet space issue and a need to replace a broken slow cooker and worn out rice cooker.  I had hoped the electric pressure cooker would be a good alternative to replace both of these items.  I'm sort of hoping that there's just a learning curve and I'm missing something.  I have a serious problem with reading and following recipes.  There's got to be some reason they have such positive raves all over the place.  

[Inigima]

Pepper, I'm not an expert, but this sounds like a "wrong tool for the job" sort of situation. Pressure cookers are good for making things that take a long time to cook not take a long til to cook. Stuff like chicken and especially fish cook so fast already I don't see the point. It would be like making chicken breasts in a slow cooker: there's just not really a reason to do it.

I do wonder if electrics might take longer to get up to pressure. I don't know the answer to that.

[MercenaryChef]

36 minutes ago, Inigima said:

Pepper, I'm not an expert, but this sounds like a "wrong tool for the job" sort of situation. Pressure cookers are good for making things that take a long time to cook not take a long til to cook. Stuff like chicken and especially fish cook so fast already I don't see the point. It would be like making chicken breasts in a slow cooker: there's just not really a reason to do it.

I do wonder if electrics might take longer to get up to pressure. I don't know the answer to that.

Dead right. My friend. 

Pressure cookers are ace for long cooking done fast, tough cuts of meat, legumes, etc.

I cooked grouse I had shot in my father's pressure cooker with onions, mushrooms and chicken stock to find this otherwise dry and tough bird to be absolutely amazing.

[wolverine]

On 2/10/2016 at 9:24 PM, MercifulChief said:

Dead right. My friend. 

Pressure cookers are ace for long cooking done fast, tough cuts of meat, legumes, etc.

I cooked grouse I had shot in my father's pressure cooker with onions, mushrooms and chicken stock to find this otherwise dry and tough bird to be absolutely amazing.

What kind of grouse?  The ruffed grouse 'round these parts are probably the most prized game bird to eat.  They are flavorful, juicy, tender, and delicious.  A lot more people hunt migratory birds because there are soooooo many though.

 

Game birds would go something like this as far as best eating:

Grouse > pheasant > turkey > duck = goose

[HexMachina]

Since I'm going through a phase of craving all kinds of fruit right now, and I know many of you are foodies and know your stuff, I thought I'd ask how best to tell when fruit is at its best. I could probably Google search this, but whatever. 

Some of the fruits I'd like to know how to check;

Mango; kiwi; melon; strawberries; banana; peaches; nectarines; papaya; apples; pineapple.

(I already know or think I know how to check some of these, i just flicked through my last few receipts). 

I'd appreciate some advice on preparing/cutting some of these too. I've tried and tried with mango, but I suspect many of you would be horrified at my attempts to use the 'hedgehog' method. I just don't understand how to cut around the stone. Pineapple I can manage, and kiwi I usually just eat with a spoon. Melon and papaya are a bit tricky for me though.

Thanks!

[MercenaryChef]

Wolverine, blue in this instance 

We also have ruffed back home.  For me both varieties have flesh as rugged and unforgiving as the land they make home. 

[wolverine]

On 2/13/2016 at 7:46 PM, MercifulChief said:

Wolverine, blue in this instance 

We also have ruffed back home.  For me both varieties have flesh as rugged and unforgiving as the land they make home. 

Weird.  I wonder if location and what they eat has anything to do with it?

[TerraPrime]

On 2/13/2016 at 6:58 PM, HelenaExMachina said:

Since I'm going through a phase of craving all kinds of fruit right now, and I know many of you are foodies and know your stuff, I thought I'd ask how best to tell when fruit is at its best. I could probably Google search this, but whatever. 

Some of the fruits I'd like to know how to check;

Mango; kiwi; melon; strawberries; banana; peaches; nectarines; papaya; apples; pineapple.

(I already know or think I know how to check some of these, i just flicked through my last few receipts). 

I'd appreciate some advice on preparing/cutting some of these too. I've tried and tried with mango, but I suspect many of you would be horrified at my attempts to use the 'hedgehog' method. I just don't understand how to cut around the stone. Pineapple I can manage, and kiwi I usually just eat with a spoon. Melon and papaya are a bit tricky for me though.

Thanks!

If you know how to segment an orange, you can do a melon. Cut off the top and bottom so the melon sits steady on the board. Then slice off the rind following the contour of the melon, making sure you get the white/fibrous part. Trim any residual rind at the end. Then cut melon in half, scoop up seeds (unless it's water melon), and section into chunks of your preferred size.

Papaya, being so elongated, is a bit harder for this method. So I cut it open length-wise, scoop seeds, then section into strips. I use a paring knife then to separate the flesh from the skin, and then cut the flesh into cubes.

To check for ripeness:

Musk melons, cantaloupes, etc., find the spot at the bottom where there's a scar. Gently scratch it and sniff. Ripe melons should give off a rich sweet smell typical of that melon. You'd also want melons that feel heavier in your hands than it looks. 

Pineapples - try to pull one of the leaves at the top. If it comes off easily, then it's ripe. You can also smell the surface too. If there are juices or liquid on the surface, then it's over ripe already.

Peaches, nectarines, and other stone fruits - look for clean smooth surfaces without bruises. I like to buy them hard and firm to the touch (shush, all of you) and ripen them in a paper bag on the kitchen counter at home.

 

 

[Xray the Enforcer]

We are making short ribs. I braised them in an aromatic bath yesterday; we're finishing the dish today with fresh root vegetables and buttermilk dumplings.

[HexMachina]

2 hours ago, TerraPrime said:

If you know how to segment an orange, you can do a melon. Cut off the top and bottom so the melon sits steady on the board. Then slice off the rind following the contour of the melon, making sure you get the white/fibrous part. Trim any residual rind at the end. Then cut melon in half, scoop up seeds (unless it's water melon), and section into chunks of your preferred size.

Papaya, being so elongated, is a bit harder for this method. So I cut it open length-wise, scoop seeds, then section into strips. I use a paring knife then to separate the flesh from the skin, and then cut the flesh into cubes.

To check for ripeness:

Musk melons, cantaloupes, etc., find the spot at the bottom where there's a scar. Gently scratch it and sniff. Ripe melons should give off a rich sweet smell typical of that melon. You'd also want melons that feel heavier in your hands than it looks. 

Pineapples - try to pull one of the leaves at the top. If it comes off easily, then it's ripe. You can also smell the surface too. If there are juices or liquid on the surface, then it's over ripe already.

Peaches, nectarines, and other stone fruits - look for clean smooth surfaces without bruises. I like to buy them hard and firm to the touch (shush, all of you) and ripen them in a paper bag on the kitchen counter at home.

 

 

*immature chuckle*

I always found that's when they are at the best. 

The fruit I mean, obviously...

But thanks for the advice. I did know the pineapple trick with pulling the leaves already, but the rest is very helpful, thanks!