Author Topic: thread for all ambitioned cooks, hobby or pro (Read 6074 times)

brycickle · « **Reply #60 on:** May 05, 2021, 11:58:22 AM »

After two months of looking, offering and being denied, zillow stops being sexy and starts getting stressful. But yes, seeing that sketch in the middle of this house hunt was fitting.

friendly dave · « **Reply #61 on:** May 06, 2021, 10:53:03 PM »

Made a decent dinner tonight. Mixed pasta in a roasted tomato with garlic sauce. With sautéed cauliflower and rainbow chard. Evo, and salt and pepper on everything. Some turmeric in the pan with the cauliflower chard. Not pictured was the slice of some olive/rosemary bread I used to clean the leftover sauce out of the bowl. Should have made a little side salad but I was doing dishes and cooking at the same time so I forgot.

Frank · « **Reply #62 on:** May 06, 2021, 11:07:22 PM »

this looks absolutely delicious, cauliflower especially looks great.

Easy Slider · « **Reply #63 on:** May 22, 2021, 01:47:21 PM »

We made some makis tonight for the first time ever. They turned out well and were tasty.

Bonus: During lockdown my wife learned how to bake bread. She bought that kind of glass bowl with a glass cover which you put in the oven and the stuff looks like straight out the bakery and is super good.

matty_c · « **Reply #64 on:** June 23, 2021, 10:38:53 PM »

This isn’t in same class at all as many of the pictures on here but I have a go, I eat a lot of meat and 3 veg type shit or meat and salad and chips...super basic haha but I like it

Something I saw on YouTube that I’m really digging is how you throw some thyme and or rosemary in the pan with garlic cloves then butter and you baste the meat. I reckon they come up really good like that

I’m trying to get good at feeling the meat to see how cooked it is. I haven’t got thermometers or anything

I overlooked that eye fillet but not too bad still tasted ok

That porterhouse was pretty shit I think it wasn’t super fresh when I bought it

https://ibb.co/r2MXtwF
https://ibb.co/bdr3zYg
https://ibb.co/4SNgV61
https://ibb.co/nLbKLQY

Edit cause I called eye fillet rib eye

rocklobster · « **Reply #65 on:** June 24, 2021, 01:26:45 AM »

Quote from: Frank on April 25, 2021, 08:16:03 PM

damn, those pizzas look incredible. what a great gift from your lady.

everyone is killing it in the latest posts. everytime i come in this thread i leave hungry as hell.

We all know that the real gift was all the delicious pizza she would be eating, it was a gift for her more than anything.

Very much like skateboarding, I'm very into the fundamentals of cooking, stuff that people don't think about before putting stuff in a pot and can mean the difference between mediocre and good (not great yet) food.

https://youtu.be/In9qYEgM1h0

I'm in Asia so Japanese curry is a staple in the household. Up until last week I would just toss everything in the Instant Pot (veges, meat, roux, spices, water) in, go out to skate for 3 hours and crack it open for dinner. The curry was definitely passable but very 1 note. After watching the Japanese chef's video I decided to be more deliberate about my cooking, browning my chicken and vegetables slightly in a pan before tossing them in the Instant Pot. The resulting flavors were much richer and I could taste the individual ingredients, could have done with a little less moisture (added a litle water when it was looking too thick) but that's an easy fix.

If any experienced chefs want to share some cooking fundamentals that all novices should know to elevate their cooking, that would be much appreciated. Never thought too much about what goes into a dish until I read Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat (https://www.saltfatacidheat.com/) that made me conscious about what I was putting together.

1) Don't be lazy and sear your meat, unless you like the taste of dog food
2) Taste and salt, you can always add more but you can't remove it once it's added

matty_c · « **Reply #66 on:** June 25, 2021, 05:02:35 AM »

I hadn’t heard of that documentary, it’s legit as, thanks for posting that I sent it to cunts, good find

Yeah word I reckon the sear blocks off that side of the meat and holds all the taste shit in, its super important

That basting shit I saw on YouTube is only after you sear it, just to avoid confusion

matty_c · « **Reply #67 on:** July 11, 2021, 11:40:45 PM »

I boiled the potatoes while I sautéed the leek and then I drained the potatoes and burned em off dry to get them fluffy and then mixed the leek in with a fork

The pork chops got cooked with sage just a minute or so each side then I chucked some butter in and did a real quick baste, they came up real tender

Turned out good I was gonna get the chops with the rind but I struggle to get that rind crisp without incinerating the meat

Was gonna use fennel instead of leek but they didn’t have any...it’s real good with fennel

pugmaster · « **Reply #68 on:** July 12, 2021, 05:09:43 PM »

Quote from: matty_c on July 11, 2021, 11:40:45 PM

I boiled the potatoes while I sautéed the leek and then I drained the potatoes and burned em off dry to get them fluffy and then mixed the leek in with a fork

The pork chops got cooked with sage just a minute or so each side then I chucked some butter in and did a real quick baste, they came up real tender

Turned out good I was gonna get the chops with the rind but I struggle to get that rind crisp without incinerating the meat

Was gonna use fennel instead of leek but they didn’t have any...it’s real good with fennel

If you can prepare and eat a meal like that I feel like you can automatically celebrate father's day even if you don't have kids.

Looks so good.

duniwayRobber · « **Reply #69 on:** July 13, 2021, 05:51:08 PM »

Quote from: matty_c on June 25, 2021, 05:02:35 AM

I hadn’t heard of that documentary, it’s legit as, thanks for posting that I sent it to cunts, good find

Yeah word I reckon the sear blocks off that side of the meat and holds all the taste shit in, its super important

That basting shit I saw on YouTube is only after you sear it, just to avoid confusion

It really depends on the situation. If it's something you have to sear for a long time (like a thicker steak), basting with butter helps with the caramelization (big pieces are often uneven and don't sit flat on the surface) and cooking the meat quicker.

Source: I spent a decade as a chef, basting many a meat, often while being yelled at.

Frank · « **Reply #70 on:** July 13, 2021, 08:00:27 PM »

Quote from: duniwayRobber on July 13, 2021, 05:51:08 PM

Quote from: matty_c on June 25, 2021, 05:02:35 AM
Expand Quote
I hadn’t heard of that documentary, it’s legit as, thanks for posting that I sent it to cunts, good find

Yeah word I reckon the sear blocks off that side of the meat and holds all the taste shit in, its super important

That basting shit I saw on YouTube is only after you sear it, just to avoid confusion
[close]

It really depends on the situation. If it's something you have to sear for a long time (like a thicker steak), basting with butter helps with the caramelization (big pieces are often uneven and don't sit flat on the surface) and cooking the meat quicker.

Source: I spent a decade as a chef, basting many a meat, often while being yelled at.

honest question, do you think the rough tone that's often going on kitchens is actually productive? or rather necessary to release steam? i'm no stranger to losing my shit at work nor being yelled at in kitchens, but there's this blurry line where it's just toxic alpha male type shit or it's because everyone is just mad under pressure. i feel like there has to be some leeway where tone is more important than volume and that tone doesn't have to be friendly, but then again i didn't enjoy being yelled at while preparing salads or pizzas and i often felt like it was unnecessary and more hindering to my workflow.

duniwayRobber · « **Reply #71 on:** July 13, 2021, 09:53:50 PM »

Quote from: Frank on July 13, 2021, 08:00:27 PM

honest question, do you think the rough tone that's often going on kitchens is actually productive? or rather necessary to release steam? i'm no stranger to losing my shit at work nor being yelled at in kitchens, but there's this blurry line where it's just toxic alpha male type shit or it's because everyone is just mad under pressure. i feel like there has to be some leeway where tone is more important than volume and that tone doesn't have to be friendly, but then again i didn't enjoy being yelled at while preparing salads or pizzas and i often felt like it was unnecessary and more hindering to my workflow.

I think about this question a lot - there's a lot of social analysis of the kitchen to be done.

A pragmatic approached is needed to ensure standards and to keep everyone focused - either the chives are perfect, or they fucking suck and since it's the tiny things that make or break a restaurant you can't sugar-coat problems.

You mention yelling and alpha male bs - I rarely found that to be productive to the task at hand and it is part of why I left the industry. But - I am a much tougher, responsible, and altruistic person because of my experience in the kitchen. It teaches you humility and teamwork and a whole lot more, and the intense emotions are partly to thank.

matty_c · « **Reply #72 on:** July 13, 2021, 11:59:19 PM »

Hard to answer, here a trade chef is a four year apprenticeship and apprenticeships in general are a cunt of a thing

It’s cause they’re not teachers

But also you can’t make a diamond without having all the shit diamonds break

I hate myself sometimes

Frank · « **Reply #73 on:** July 14, 2021, 05:03:07 AM »

those were both great answers to my question, thanks.

i pretty much feel the same, even though i hated being treated like that. other jobs are nothing after working in kitchens. it made me much more resilient for sure and i am grateful for that. at the same time, i wouldn't probably recommend it to some people. my roommate got just done with his apprenticeship and for him it was extra harsh, his sous chef is a total racist asshole calling everyone the n-word. he's got a trial at a different place today, so hopefully he finds a new job.

duniwayRobber · « **Reply #74 on:** July 14, 2021, 09:44:13 AM »

That's crazy about the racism, especially since cooking is all about embracing other cultures.

I swear the sous chefs were the worst though. I guess working 70hrs a week doing hard labor and dealing with servers really does a number on a person's psyche.

Frank · « **Reply #75 on:** July 14, 2021, 10:36:59 AM »

Quote from: duniwayRobber on July 14, 2021, 09:44:13 AM

That's crazy about the racism, especially since cooking is all about embracing other cultures.

I swear the sous chefs were the worst though. I guess working 70hrs a week doing hard labor and dealing with servers really does a number on a person's psyche.

yeah i have no idea how that even flies over there, the guy has a crew full of pocs that kind of just deal with it apparently. it fucking sucks. of course he's saying that it's not racist and blablabla, justifying it as pep talk. half of his crew has plans to mean mug that dude when they have the opportunity.

sous chefs having napoleon complex just sucks.

matty_c · « **Reply #76 on:** July 16, 2021, 12:59:24 AM »

I had ambitions of making avocado fries and I had a few beers this arvo already, I put Parmesan in the eggs but I completely forgot to season the flour, I had some sesame seeds in there too and I bought panko but I forgot to use it lol

You know what they didn’t even come up that bad I just smashed them with salt and pepper out of the oven but still had a bit of that shitty flour taste I reckon I’ll use fuck all flour next time and make sure I remember the panko and seasoning

I should have taken a photo but I was a but disappointed and then I just started smashing them and they were gone

I was surprised how crispy they got in the oven just a regular oven, I reckon I put fuck all effort in and I was still not like bitterly disappointed if that makes sense

Realised I wanted a dip too late and I had nothing but I think maybe aioli would be good for next time?

matty_c · « **Reply #77 on:** July 16, 2021, 02:30:26 AM »

Redemption eye fillet I like this cut, usually get the tail but same shit, I think these are easier to cook in a pan though...just frozen chips

Dog wants but she cannot have, garlic

Edit

Everyone’s different but I don’t reckon it’s raw it’s real tender this way, just looks pink there’s not like heaps of shit dripping off it it anything

chris. · « **Reply #78 on:** July 16, 2021, 05:40:24 AM »

I run my family restaurant which has been open for about 12 years. The first 5 years I was only sparingly involved (finishing up college, figuring out what I want to do, etc) and it was my Dad's show. He's an old school dude aka a big yeller. That's just not my personality type to begin with and in the transitional years where we were both involved with the day-to-day I felt very much like I had to be a counter-balance to him because I saw how it wore down on the staff. In the years since I've worked really hard to try to find my own management style that's not centered around anger/fear. I was a pushover for a while for sure and the restaurant suffered but I don't think things would have been any better if I was screaming. The problems just would have been different, but there still would have been problems. It's only been a couple years now where I feel like I am an effective leader. I have a young crew of guys in their early 20s that were with me through COVID and busted their ass. It makes me proud to see how far they've come and now a lot of our discussions are about what they are going to do next in their life and how I can help them achieve their goals, which is more satisfying than any busy lunch or weekend night.

David Chang's memoir Eat A Peach that came out earlier this year has a lot of great stuff on this, and is just a great read in general.

matty_c · « **Reply #79 on:** July 16, 2021, 05:17:15 PM »

That’s awesome mate, I bet it’s real hard sometimes keeping something going and I only watch like food tv shows and restaurant tv shows haha don’t work in food industry or anything but I reckon it would be cool as fuck doing that for job

I reckon you’re probably right about what you said, like postage reinforcement makes a lot more sense than negative reinforcement

What you described is what a small business should be like, like everyone does well together sort of thing
That’s awesome mate
I’ll suss that book out

Easy Slider · « **Reply #80 on:** July 17, 2021, 12:38:23 PM »

Home made pasta (wife made the dough, I rolled it and cut it) with some wild smoked salmon and Amalfi lemons and a creamy sauce. I start to manage to roll the dough thin enough, it really has to be transparent.

pugmaster · « **Reply #81 on:** July 17, 2021, 07:26:16 PM »

Quote from: Easy Slider on July 17, 2021, 12:38:23 PM

Home made pasta (wife made the dough, I rolled it and cut it) with some wild smoked salmon and Amalfi lemons and a creamy sauce. I start to manage to roll the dough thin enough, it really has to be transparent.

If you could only witness the pathetic squalor that I live in which is steeped in desperation and soul-crushing loneliness would you begin to understand how much this photo and caption pisses me of.

Well lit and framed photo, mentions of a loving relationship, clean eating utensils, photogenic color palette... the list goes on. If you both used your spoons with the fork to twirl the pasta while chit-chatting happily... I. Am. Going. To. Lose. It.

TL;DR: +1 because that looks really good and I wish I knew how to make noodles from scratch.

EDIT: How much faster is boiling noodles from scratch than dried?

brycickle · « **Reply #82 on:** July 17, 2021, 09:36:35 PM »

Maybe 3-4 minutes faster. The making of the noodle "product" is super easy, but having a noodle stretcher/shaper is a little bit more money. We've just started experimenting with pizza and homemade dough.

rocklobster · « **Reply #83 on:** July 17, 2021, 11:45:12 PM »

Quote from: pugmaster on July 17, 2021, 07:26:16 PM

Quote from: Easy Slider on July 17, 2021, 12:38:23 PM
Expand Quote
Home made pasta (wife made the dough, I rolled it and cut it) with some wild smoked salmon and Amalfi lemons and a creamy sauce. I start to manage to roll the dough thin enough, it really has to be transparent.

[close]

If you could only witness the pathetic squalor that I live in which is steeped in desperation and soul-crushing loneliness would you begin to understand how much this photo and caption pisses me of.

Well lit and framed photo, mentions of a loving relationship, clean eating utensils, photogenic color palette... the list goes on. If you both used your spoons with the fork to twirl the pasta while chit-chatting happily... I. Am. Going. To. Lose. It.

TL;DR: +1 because that looks really good and I wish I knew how to make noodles from scratch.

EDIT: How much faster is boiling noodles from scratch than dried?

Yeah fuck this dude and his happy life!

Jealous of the effort that went into that bowl, whenever I cook pasta I go overboard with the pasta and end up with loads of leftovers since I eat enough for 2 people.

matty_c · « **Reply #84 on:** July 18, 2021, 12:33:08 AM »

Yeah word I mean I don’t know anything about pasta but I would pay for that in a restaurant all day,

Those noodles look fucking prime bro you and your missus killed it!

I also like your cutlery and the placemat, like others said it’s a really nice photo mate

Edit - dills so nice on salmon ay, I can almost taste it haha

Easy Slider · « **Reply #85 on:** July 18, 2021, 03:11:00 AM »

Thanks for reminding me how blessed I am my dudes.

Edit: @pugmaster, I didn‘t use the spoon, promised.

Hinna · « **Reply #86 on:** July 18, 2021, 05:12:08 PM »

Quote from: Youoverthere on April 20, 2021, 07:13:16 AM

That whole spread looks bangin! Im drooling over that grilled lobster @Sleazy

I made a lemon creme brulee with a ginger sugar top and threw some homemade candied ginger on top for garnish.

very nice. love a good creme brulee used to make them at work

pugmaster · « **Reply #87 on:** July 18, 2021, 08:10:34 PM »

Quote from: Easy Slider on July 18, 2021, 03:11:00 AM

Thanks for reminding me how blessed I am my dudes.

Edit: @pugmaster, I didn‘t use the spoon, promised.

I was totally joking, just juxtaposing ridicule with compliments. I was in Walter Sobchak mode.

matty_c · « **Reply #88 on:** July 19, 2021, 11:20:32 PM »

I’m gonna do a roast pork tonight, its been too long

How do you guys do it for the good crackling I am just gonna pat it dry and use salt
Heard you can use baking soda or something? Is anyone here good at roast pork?

Sila · « **Reply #89 on:** July 19, 2021, 11:30:08 PM »

I wanna eat at your joint matty_c I don't even eat meat much but the simple australian suburban style cooking with some added flair makes me just wanna sit down with a plate and a beverage and say goodbye to another evening haha