CAA Cooking Club

[Ashley]

Well here's some recipes I KNOW will go over well here:

Vegetarian Steamed Dumplings
Perfect Pork Potstickers
Fried Dessert Wantons

By the way, for the steamer part, Alton suggested using a huge pot with perforated pie-tins held apart with empty tuna cans.

[Sheenar]

My grandma and I would make these all the time:
Peanut Butter Snap Cookies:
Yield: 7 dozen
Prep. Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 25 minutes

Ingredients
1 cup butter, or margarine, softened
1 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
2 each eggs
2 2/3 cups flour, all-purpose
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup peanut butter
2 teaspoons vanilla extract


Directions:


Cream butter; gradually add sugars, beating well at medium
speed of an electric mixer.

Add eggs, mixing well.

Combine flour, soda, and salt; add to creamed mixture, and beat until smooth.

Stir in peanut butter and vanilla; chill dough at least 1 hour.

Shape dough into 1-inch balls. Roll balls of dough in sugar.

Place on ungreased cookie sheets.

Bake at 375F for 10 to 12 minutes.

Let cookies cool slightly before putting them in a container.

Makes about 7 dozen.

[EricTheFred]

Well here's some recipes I KNOW will go over well here:

Fried Dessert Wantons

Wantons? Doesn't that mean, like... loose women?

*stage whisper* (It's "Wontons")

[Doubleshadow]

Wantons? Doesn't that mean, like... loose women?

*stage whisper* (It's "Wontons")

I don't know if I should lend you a rim shot, or just bean you with the cymbal.

I love recipe hunting, because my stomach condition limits what I can eat most of the time. One of my favorites I picked up from my old cafeteria:

Winter Salad
(for 1 person)

Spring Mix salad (or you preference)
Chopped Walnuts (3/4 to a handful)
Chopped Green Apple (1 to 3/4)
Cheddar Cheese Cubes (half a handful or so)
Dried Cranberries (half to 3/4 the amount of cheese)
Strong (not sweet) Mustard Dressing

I left out more detailed portions because they really depend on taste. I find a few cranberries go along way, and I never add quite enough walnuts.

[Mithrandir]

Winter Salad
(for 1 person)

Spring Mix salad (or you preference)
Chopped Walnuts (3/4 to a handful)
Chopped Green Apple (1 to 3/4)
Cheddar Cheese Cubes (half a handful or so)
Dried Cranberries (half to 3/4 the amount of cheese)
Strong (not sweet) Mustard Dressing

May I assume measurements are in standard American "cups?"

This brings up an interesting point... Should we include litre measurements where applicable? Would that be beneficial to our non-american users?

[Technomancer]

I can't speak for the Europeans, but most of us north of the border use the standard measurements (cup, teaspoon, etc). I don't think I've ever seen a cookbook use metric measurements, except for calculating cooking times and the like.

[Mithrandir]

OK. I wasn't sure about it.

[mechana2015]

A friend of mine pointed out how flexible woks are. I'm considering getting one as they can be used to cook just about anything... including soup.

Anyone have recommendations on brand and/or size?

[ShiroiHikari]

I'd like to have a wok myself, but I don't know anything about them.

Oh, I made meat loaf for the first time about a week ago. It turned out awesome. I think the kicker was that I used turkey instead of beef and the turkey was pre-seasoned with Italian-y stuff (the packaging wasn't specific as to what herbs were in it). It wasn't too goopy, it didn't fall apart, it was...like a loaf of meat! Tasted great.

[mechana2015]

I was recommended a typhoon wok... but the only size I could find was pretty darn big. I saw them at Target of all places, and if they'd had a smaller one I would have got it on the spot.

[Sheenar]

I made chicken and dumplings for the first time over Christmas break. It tasted amazing!
I got the recipe from http://www.allrecipes.com
INGREDIENTS

* 6 boneless chicken thighs
* 2 (10.75 ounce) cans condensed cream of chicken soup (substituted for cream of celery soup)
* salt and pepper to taste
* 1 (12 ounce) package refrigerated biscuit dough


DIRECTIONS

1. In a large pot over high heat, combine the chicken with enough water to cover, and boil for 15 to 20 minutes. Drain some of the water from the pot, reserving 3 cups in the pot. Remove chicken and allow it to cool, then pull it apart into bite size pieces; return to pot.
2. Reduce heat to medium, and add the cans of condensed soup. Season with salt and pepper. Pull the biscuit dough into pieces, and add to the soup. Simmer over medium heat for 7 to 8 minutes, or until the dough is cooked through.

[ShiroiHikari]

I have a friend who makes chicken and dumplings almost exactly like that (sans the canned soup). It isn't bad, but I always add rosemary or something when I eat it

Sometime I want to make chicken and dumplings with dumplings that are made from scratch or at least Bisquick. XD I'm not a big fan of canned biscuits, myself.

Oh yeah, and I made Japanese-style curry with ground pork a few days ago. I took some chopped onions and sauteed them in butter, then I added the meat and browned it.

I added ground cayenne pepper (maybe about a teaspoon) and put some bell peppers in and cooked it for a little longer, then I added three cups of water and brought it to a boil.

Then I took it off the heat and added the curry mix (Golden Curry, the kind that looks like a chocolate bar XD). I put some canned water chestnuts in as well.

Finally, I beat two eggs and poured them over the top of the mixture, covered and simmered it for about 15 minutes or so. DO NOT stir it in, it makes the texture and color awful. Usually we just crack a whole egg in there and poach it, but we wanted to try it scrambled up. The first time scrambling them was a failure; this time it turned out pretty good.

[Ashley]

For Valentine's, I made my sweetheart some truffles (you know, like Godiva-quality chocolate goodies?) with a REALLY simple recipe:

1 whole bag (3 oz) milk chocolate morsels
1 whole bag (3 ox) semi-sweet chocolate morsels
2/3 cup heavy whipping cream
1 tsp vanilla extract

heat all these ingredients and stir until smooth in a double boiler. Remove top pan and let cool to room temperature; chill until "firm", that is, firm enough to shape into balls but not frozen.

Once you're mixture is ready, spoon it out and roll into balls. Spread a sheet of wax paper down, and sprinkle a topping (I chose crushed pecans for one batch, and cocoa powder for another, but really anything would work) on the wax paper. Lightly roll your truffles in it, and set aside. In about an hour, they'll be hardened but silky smooth and perfect for mailing! XD

[EricTheFred]

Just shopping for some sympathy here:
For Valentine's Day, I had a plan for dinner.
King Crab Legs,
Steamed Artichokes,
Drawn butter to go with the above,
Radichio, Butter Lettuce and Iceberg Lettuce with fresh veggies and croutons,
Green Beans,
Rice.

Got home from the supermarket to begin cooking, only to find out my darling spouse was feeling sick in the tummy. It all went into the fridge (well, the crab legs are in the freezer) and I had ramen for one.

Then, she had to work tonight.

Sigh.

[mechana2015]

My friend just handed me a wok today. As a gift.

[ShiroiHikari]

Hey, that's awesome, Mech.

Eric, that's a sad story. :\ That sounds like it would've been one heck of a meal.

[KhakiBlueSocks]

[font="Trebuchet MS"][SIZE="4"][color="RoyalBlue"]My specality is Fried Chicken. I don't bother with measuring things out, but it still turns out pretty darn good. I came up with my own secret blend of seasonings using Garlic Powder, Crab/Crawfish Boil Powder (Those from Louisiana will KNOW what I'm talking about) and a few other things. I sprinkle it all over the chicken and toss it with my hands in the sink (clean with no dishes, of course) to make sure each piece gets seasoned. Then, I fill a clean, hole free grocery bag (emphasis on the "hole free"--many a time I forgot to check a bag, and, let me just say, cleaning up was no fun) with flour, add the chicken, and start shaking until everything is coated. Then I drop it in 375 degree oil and let it fry until crispy and golden brown. It's great hot, but even better for midnight snacking. Also, I save any unused flour for the next time I fry chicken. Waste not, want not.

I've also been known to hammer out a nice roast. I stuff about 40 cloves of garlic in just about every spot I can find, use a "Cajun Injector" (Picture a big injection needle for food) and inject my own special sauces inside the roast (Consisting mostly of Liquid Smoke), and let it roast in the oven, fat side down, for about an hour, wrapped in tin foil. Then you take off the foil and let it go for about a half hour.[/color][/SIZE][/font]

[mechana2015]

Made food at this house for the first time... pork quesadillas.

[ShiroiHikari]

What kind of pork? The shredded kind?

[Angel Tifa]

I wouldn't say cooking is one of my #1 hobbies, but I can safely say it's one of my best skills and gifts that I have .

Like most of my family members, my mother was also a great cook and the skills sorta just came down to me ^^. I do also have a pic of some cookies and cupcakes I baked. It is a Valentine's Day themed cupcakes and cookies because it was a cosplay picnic we had for Valentines Day:

Everyone was so happy with how they turned out .

[ShiroiHikari]

Those cookies are pretty cute!

[Dante]

I eat out a lot, but in reality I do love to cook, I'm learning to do so too with healthier ingredients. At our place we know longer use white noodles in spagetti, only wheat noodles. Further nothing is purchased in which sugar is in the first ingredients.

Personally though, I don't watch cooking shows but rather cook on the fly. I imagine how something will taste in my head (for some reason I can materialize any of the five senses in my head) and then I put it together in a meal. To this end I love to chop up vast quantities of bell peppers (I prefer the red ones and the yellow ones over green ones) and then I have several selections of cheese, sliced onions (to cut onions without crying buy a pair of tight swimming goggles and put them over your eyes... warning though, your face will smell REALLY bad the next day and feel horribly oily, but you will be made invulnerable to onions).

For instance, I love spaggetti, I love salmon, so I mixed my two favorite meals toegether into one dish! YAY! I boiled some weat spaggetti up, keeping my sauce on the side (we use marinara most of the time, although my mom has some garden fresh stuff she brings in once in a while) and while that cooks I place salmon in the oven.

First though I drench the salmon in cheese (first), onions and red and yellow bell peppers. Make sure the cheese is all on top (it reduces the cleanup mess) and surrounded the salmon in a moat of onions to capture the juices. After heating this up in the oven and draining the weat spaggetti (don't forget to wash the noodles in a strainer, the pot works great to fill with water and pour over the noodles so you don't have to place it down and make it contaminated).

Now that the noodles are washed and back in the pot stick them back on the burner and pore the sauce over the noodles till the sauce concentration meets your fancy. Add oragono, garlic powder, cheese, garlic salt and italian seasonings to your liking (make sure not to overdo ANYTHING, subtility is the finer detail of cooking! ^_^

Then upon heating this to a boil and having the salmon finish pour the spaggetti out on a plate (it has the sauce already included) and then place the salmon on top. Don't forget to scrape off those onions with salmon juice, but avoid pulling the salmon fat onto the plate (bad). Now if you want to go New York Style, add a slab of butter on top (real butter is better for you then margerine and spray butter defiles the recipe) and melt the butter in as you cut the noodles (mixing up the salmon in the process).

Often times this exciting cuisine (if done right) not only mixes up a bit of fiesta (do to the peppers) with a traditional spaggetti mix, (with a less then traditional salmon topping) but also has the added bonus that the salmon is often a bit hotter in temperature then the surrounding spaggetti, meaning that there is wonderful temperature texture built in the dish! Bon Apatit (Hopefully Pascal can cook better then he spells ).

-Pascal

[Mithrandir]

Those cupcakes look...

...

...

SWEET!

[ShiroiHikari]

I'm a little unsure of how salmon would taste with a red sauce like marinara. I think I might try the same thing sometime, only with a white/alfredo sauce instead, or perhaps with simply olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Or maybe a garlic butter sauce...or maybe a lemon-herb butter sauce! Dang, now I'm hungry. XD

[Dante]

I enjoyed it with alfredo sauce as well, perhapse I just enjoy eating . But that and an olive oil sauce (I used marinara because that's all my mother allows in, I should give a shot at using the olive oil balsamic vinegar or garlic butter too if I got a chance, I'm not quite sure I understand precisely how they taste from lack of experience, but if its anything like I'm imagining, it might take a little bang away from the sauce giving the salmon a real chance to shine (marinara or alfredo are such strong tastes they really over-power whatever else is mixed up with them) great idea!

-Pascal

[mechana2015]

What kind of pork? The shredded kind?

It was actually like... sliced flank that I sliced thinly.

[Sheenar]

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Spinach-Alfredo-Pizza/Detail.aspx

Great recipe for Spinach Alfredo Pizza. I can't eat anything with tomatoes, so this pizza is perfect for me! Only we ditched the olives and artichoke hearts. And we used an Italian cheese mix instead of the other cheeses.

So delicious!

[ShiroiHikari]

That sucks that you can't have tomatoes.

That pizza sounds awesome, though I would definitely leave on the artichoke hearts and olives. Both of those are tasty. :d But I'd ditch the canned mushrooms in favor of fresh ones, because canned mushrooms are nasty, in my opinion. @_@ Maybe this is how I ought to use that giant bag of chopped spinach that's been sitting in my freezer...