The cooking thread

ShadyStump said:
Is that a sausage stuffed alligator eating a chicken?

I new there was something I was missing in my life.
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BBQ alligator biting a stuffed wild duck circling fried alligator bites, chunks of boudin, deer sausage, and trays of crawfish pistolettes.
 
So I lined up all my spices and cooked a huge pot of phở. Since that took 8+hrs to cook I wound up making some cracklins and heo quay to eat while waiting.
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Cajunrider said:
That was my main line up for Phở. I lost a closet full of spice to the hurricanes. I’ve learned to cook with less :)
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That is completely legitimate.
As much as I like playing around with different seasonings, it's rare that I ever find something that makes enough of a difference to really get excited about.
I'm (not really, but sort of) working on paring down to my "must have" game changers over time.

But until I get there...
Carol 83 said:
Oh, I can beat that! AND I have a spice rack that looks like a ferris wheel, besides a whole cabinet full.
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Oh, game on! 😎
 
ShadyStump said:
That is completely legitimate.
As much as I like playing around with different seasonings, it's rare that I ever find something that makes enough of a difference to really get excited about.
I'm (not really, but sort of) working on paring down to my "must have" game changers over time.

But until I get there...

Oh, game on! 😎
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But I mostly use garlic powder, onion powder and garlic salt. 😇
 
ShadyStump said:
Same here. There's the basics you just can't get rid of.
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Here are my basics
1. Toney Charchere’s
2. Fish sauce
3. Black pepper
4. Garlic powder
5. Sea salt
6. Soy sauce
6. 5 spice powder
7. Oyster sauce
 
Salt and pepper go without saying, then mostly the basic default stuff from the Simon and Garfunkel song.
I'm trying to grow white sage so I can replace the regular garden variety with it. A much sweeter, brighter flavor.
I discovered that flavor in middle eastern food I could never figure out was sumac. It's in my game changers list now too. Bright, zesty, haven't found much I can't use it on.
And I'm bringing back mace. Not sure why it left at all.

Otherwise I've taken to trying to grow whatever I can fresh.
I've got ginger coming out my ears now. Need to figure out what to do with it.
 
So, my middle daughter turned 12 today. A budget birthday, but we got it done.

I'm getting things together to bake the cake, and discover that the kids have drunk all but one glassful of milk. Now what?
I dig around, and I have 2 pounds of butter in the freezer from when it was on sale a while back, just less than a dozen eggs, and, well, plenty of whatever else it takes to make a cake, so pound cake it is. I turn the last of the milk into chocolate glaze, then go to get started on frosting for decorating, which I'm terrible at, BTW. Not enough sour cream left in the tub, and I can't remember the last time I even bought cream cheese, but, look, there's a pound of butter still. Buttercream frosting it is.

I suck at the "before" pics.
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She likes pandas.

So out of 6 people, only 2 of us finished our cake.
That's right, I made a cake so buttery and rich that two 12 year olds, a 7 year old, and 4 year old couldn't finish one slice a piece. (Between me and the autistic 14 year old, there's not much of limits.) We estimate that all together this cake was AT LEAST 35% butter, and 40% sugar.
Might have been different results if it hadn't come out a bit dry and crumbly, but, hey, I achieved, "too rich of kids," status, so I'm counting it.
 
ShadyStump said:
So, my middle daughter turned 12 today. A budget birthday, but we got it done.

I'm getting things together to bake the cake, and discover that the kids have drunk all but one glassful of milk. Now what?
I dig around, and I have 2 pounds of butter in the freezer from when it was on sale a while back, just less than a dozen eggs, and, well, plenty of whatever else it takes to make a cake, so pound cake it is. I turn the last of the milk into chocolate glaze, then go to get started on frosting for decorating, which I'm terrible at, BTW. Not enough sour cream left in the tub, and I can't remember the last time I even bought cream cheese, but, look, there's a pound of butter still. Buttercream frosting it is.

I suck at the "before" pics.
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She likes pandas.

So out of 6 people, only 2 of us finished our cake.
That's right, I made a cake so buttery and rich that two 12 year olds, a 7 year old, and 4 year old couldn't finish one slice a piece. (Between me and the autistic 14 year old, there's not much of limits.) We estimate that all together this cake was AT LEAST 35% butter, and 40% sugar.
Might have been different results if it hadn't come out a bit dry and crumbly, but, hey, I achieved, "too rich of kids," status, so I'm counting it.
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You put a lot of effort into it, that's what counts. #gooddad
 
Carol 83 said:
You put a lot of effort into it, that's what counts. #gooddad
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I've blown the birthday thing pretty solidly the past two years. My and my youngest daughter's birthdays are both in January, but I was working overtime for both. Early February, the other three made up for it by giving us both a surprise party with their aunt's help.
So my dad goal right now is no more half-assed birthdays or holidays. If a couple of kids can manage it, I'm out of excuses.
And damnit they deserve it!
 
Nice job! Wish there had been a before pic so the panda would be more visible, but loving the bamboo!

not sure I could have eaten a cake that rich either 😂😂🤣. And happy birthday to Miss 12 🥳🥳🥳🥳
 
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Time for the annual 4th of July hot dog sauce, or also known as chili sauce and a couple of slaw dogs .
Still hot and cold I took half the batch over to our neighbors who had just been towed back from Philadelphia where their transmission burned up. Must be where they get their fireworks from. 20230701_144907.jpg
 
They planned grilled iguana & mango salsa.
They wound up with fiery curry iguana.
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ShadyStump said:
Weren't you moving to Ohio?
You're going to be so disappointed at the change in the food scene.
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I am moving to Philadelphia.
I have no concern. I am the food scene. I just find the local farmers’ markets and I am good anywhere in the US.

BTW this is my friends’ cooking in South Florida

PS: I am looking forward to finding snakeheads in the Potomac. They are good eating.
 
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