Recipes--Your Specialty

[RAGER]

zuppa di lenticchie con polpettine

Lentil soup with tiny meatballs like they make in Abruzzo.



Make little meatballs about the size of chickpeas with a little salt and pepper, nutmeg, pecorino and an egg yolk mixed in.



Brown them briefly in plenty of good olive oil until not quite done. Set aside



Sweat your mirepoix and potatoes, then add your lentils, fresh bay leaf and stock. Cook until lentils are done. Adjust seasoning and add your polpettine and some fresh parsley back in and finish cooking.

[Muffin Man]

Was flipping through the pok pok NOODLES book from the library today. I get it now. Wow! The street cooking photos are so intriguing. Great layout he puts all the ingredients up front. Haven't looked through to the back pages yet, got overwhelmed.

I had my meal comped at my go-to Northern Vietnamese noodle house the other day, all but $10. It'll all come out in the wash so no biggie but nice to have a friend in the noodle business. right?

[RAGER]

Yeah the noodle books got some good stuff in it. I was thinking yam kuay chap for tonight.

These are what I go to for reference.



Austin Bush took most of the pics for Andy's books. Then he turned around and wrote a couple of his own. They are a bit more serious.

The David Thompson one is an old one and had a million recipes and variations and doesn't have the same photography and back stories though. I like these because they don't bother with trying to make things accessible. They don't suggest using broccoli in lieu of some important ingredient.

Ka lam plee nam pla muu goong.

Sautéed cabbage with fish sauce garlic and white pepper. I also added Thai green chilies, pork and shrimp.

[Muffin Man]

outstanding reference material. thanks. that cabbage bowl looks world class. i can't get anywhere with my white pepper in the metal can, it just stinks and detracts upon use. i should toss it out and get a different one.

this one it has a distinct nasty note
Nguan Soon Thai White Pepper Powder (Prik Thai) - 20 G/can

[RAGER]

What?!?!?  That stuff is killer. Yes it smells. Does not smell like black pepper at all. A gazillion years ago I used to deal whith it in 30 gallon barrels. It smells like cow shit in large quantities. White granulated sugar smells like wet dog in large quantities.

[Muffin Man]

.

[Muffin Man]

"cow shit". spot. on. its going in the bin, man. and yes i have four and counting kinds of fish sauce and looove them. so its not that.

[Muffin Man]

.

[RAGER]

You either like white pepper or you don't but it's integral in Thai cooking.

[Muffin Man]

ok. please let me know a minimal easy white pepper dish and I'll try. plain noodles or a simple broth is best. something to reset my pallette, thanks.
ps i am okay with capsiusum/heat. i'm also totally cool with cold noodle.

[Muffin Man]

ps. reading pokpok NOODLE i quite fancy making some homemade noodles. someday. love the fresh noodles.

[RAGER]

ok. please let me know a minimal easy white pepper dish and I'll try. plain noodles or a simple broth is best. something to reset my pallette, thanks.
ps i am okay with capsiusum/heat. i'm also totally cool with cold noodle.

I'm not the person to ask cuz I really like white pepper. But. Egg drop soup usually has white pepper and I think I've seen you make that.

[RAGER]

After salt brining for several hours I marinated these in some Golden Mountain sauce, fish sauce, caiziyou and a splash of Shaoxing wine. Baked on parchment then sprinkled with Sichuan dipping chilis.

Officially in rotation.

[RAGER]

Last nights dinner. Pork patties on seeded brioche.

Lemongrass, garlic, fish salt, fish sauce, scallions, cilantro, chilis, bacon lardons oyster sauce, lime juice, whole milk mozzarella for the patties.

Nam phrik kha, white pepper, fish sauce, lime juice mayo.

Slaw, cukes, and heirloom tomatoes

[mortlock]

fuck that look amazing.

[RAGER]

Well where the hell ya been brutha? 

[RAGER]

Kellie was craving my onion dip and Ruffles for some reason so I obliged.



Caramelize one medium sliced or diced onion.
Mix 1 1/2 cup sour cream, 1/2 cup mayo, 1/4 tsp garlic powder, 1/4 tsp white pepper powder and a few dashes of wash your sister sauce.
Fold in the cooled onions. Dip Ruffles.

[RAGER]

This was actually pretty good. I think kids would love this if ya have kids. I toned down the warming spices but I see where this could easily go the way of Rochester meat sauce.


Cincinnati chili spaghetti or whatever it's called but with linguine cuz I thought I bought spaghoots. Oh well.





Secret ingredients. Low brow ketchup and high brow natural Columbia River Gorge Gamay


Into a blender put the correct amount of mirepoix for the ground beef you're using and blend with a bit of stock. Set aside

Add some oil to your rondo (recommended) or whatever pan you have and brown your meat while breaking apart with a masher. Add your ketchup or tomato paste. After a few minutes add your ground chili of choice. I used 4 different kinds along with paprika which is also a damn chili. Shrug. Or don't. Let that bloom a bit. Deglaze with your fancy red wine or stock. Add in your ground up mirepoix. Bring to a hard simmer. Add tomato sauce or unless you're like me maybe add some more ketchup to keep it meaty. You can add brown sugar here but I didn't. Warming spices to taste. I didn't go crazy but added a little cinnamon, fresh grated nutmeg and allspice. Let those bloom. Now add some stock to make it fairly soupy. Bring to boil then reduce to a simmer. Start tasting for salt and add wash your sister sauce to taste. Let that simmer until it's reduced to your desired consistency.

Cook your pasta until totally done. Dump most of the cooking water out but not all. Add a goodly amount of butter and garlic powder and toss. (I usually do this with most pastas I make. It really add another layer of flavor) plate nicely and top with meat sauce, dice white onion (I used scallions on top of cheese but whatever), add loads of fine shredded cheddar.

[RAGER]

I came across this pickled shrimp dish a couple months back and just now had a chance to make it.
I've been really intrigued with this.
I've been to Hawaii several times but never came across it. Or maybe I did when I was at this liquor store/poke shop on Maui called Tamuras that had a shit ton of options. Dang it.



It's a mix of dried shrimp, dried cuttlefish or squid, seaweed, onions, tomatoes in a vinegar shoyu
marinade.



All I had were the small dried shrimp that I use in Thai cooking but it calls for the larger ones and I can get those. You can make it a bit sweet if you want or a bit spicy. I did it just a tad sweet. I might add some chilis.
I haven't found evidence yet but this has got to be Japanese influenced. Delicious.


This might be a good source for larger dried shrimp.

https://khomarket.com/

[RAGER]

Took some neck and giblets meat and made laap.



Used my laap knife from Thailand



Pounded up some Phrae style phrik laap with about 17 ingredients.



The finished phrik laap

[RAGER]

Super fun dinner last night. Not a grand photo sorry.
Salisbury steak over smashed Yukons and smothered in a tangy onion mushroom brown gravy. Steamed broccoli with grated Gouda cuz healthy! Right?!?
There's a million recipes for the Salisbury. Pick one.
But...I recommend my gravy technique. Sear your "steaks" first in some butter until about 60% done and set aside. In that same hot pan brown your onions and shrooms until a nice dark golden brown. I like a little texture still to the onions. Deglaze with stock or white wine. Set aside. Add a bit of evoo and some butter until melted add your flour for the dark roux.
Gradually over low ish heat add in your stock of choice then add back in your onions and shrooms.
Season your gravy with s&p, ketchup, Dijon, wash your sister sauce and dark soy to your liking.
Finish your "steaks" in the gravy.
I like this way better than adding flour to your rough duxelles. You end up with a silkier gravy.
Also look up salt potatoes. Yum.

[Pissy]

Wife's making beef bourguignon tonight.  I really like her beef bourguignon.

Well, it's venison bourguignon.

[RAGER]

Wife's making beef bourguignon tonight.  I really like her beef bourguignon.

Well, it's venison bourguignon.

Meat wine stew.  Yum.

[Pissy]

It was divine. 

[Muffin Man]

the way its meant to be....a homemade stew like that