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The Cantina Cuisine – food talk, recipes and more

Discussion in 'Random Discussion' started by Star Dude, Sep 16, 2016.

  1. Use the Falchion

    Use the Falchion Jedi Contrarian

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    I made that rabbit pudding the week leading up to Easter. Ironic timing to be sure, but it looks like the Easter Bunny avenged its fallen kin postmortem.

    The rabbit pudding was awful. The rabbit was so, SO gamey that I could barely stomach one bite. I'm not sure if it was old after sitting a week in the fridge or if that's just how rabbits always are, but it was not good. I also didn't have mushrooms, and my pie crust didn't come out as I had hoped. Steaming the meal in the oven was out of the picture, so I ended up steaming it over the stove and it still failed. I'm not sure if I'll use a Victorian Way recipe again, but I do think they're still good entertainment.

    upload_2022-5-6_21-19-59.jpeg


    Next up were two batches of Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies. Both were phenomenal, although next time I think I'll probably actually wait a day before serving them to friends. The last time I gave them away, they were two days old. I think a day old is the perfect age, as the flavors have settled and melded well but they aren't stale or crumbly.

    This Wednesday I made some brownies as well, using the same author of the Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies and the Overnight Yeasted Buttermilk Pancakes.* I did make some modifications despite it being my first time, but those modifications are staying in. The first modification was brown butter, but that's nothing new. At this point, if a recipe calls for butter in the batter, I'm probably just going to sub it for brown butter. (The exception at this time is the overnight pancake recipe, but I may try that modification in the future.) The next thing I did was sub out the semisweet baking chocolate that was 50% Cacao for bittersweet baking chocolate that was 66% cacao. Lastly, I added a tablespoon or so of chocolate liquor into the batter. (My dad's recommendation and a great one. I mean, I was going to put alcohol in the brownies regardless, but he suggested chocolate liquor over something like rum.)
    I then split the batter in half and added an extra tablespoon of coffee liquor into one of the halves.
    These brownies made my dad - a longtime brownie and a very passionate dark chocolate fan - happy, which was the main goal. Hey, the recipe called itself a dark chocolate recipe, so it had better please the dark chocolate lover of the family! The Chocolate Liquor Only pan was the first to go, with half of it being eaten by my parents on the first day. All three of us preferred this pan to the Coffee Liquor batch, but I've been eating the latter so my parents could enjoy the favored one. My dad even took some to my grandmother, who apparently loved it as well!
    It should be obvious that I'll be making this again sometime and leaving out the coffee. (Although my mom and I did workshop how to make the coffee flavor more pronounced and more like a mocha brownie.**)

    Tonight I made some fermented French Fries. I started the fermentation process on Monday by cutting up the fries, rinsing off the excess starch, and putting them into a roughly 4% salt-water solution. I covered them with cabbage leaves, put a little weight on top, and left them out on the counter for five days. This evening after seeing Doctor Strange 2 for the second time, I drained the pot, dried the fries, heated up some oil and nearly burned the house down by using too small of a pot for the first fry. The second fry pan was fine, so I ended up just frying everything once.
    The fries came out well! They had a distinct flavor and were perfectly salted. They weren't pungent, but they were a little briny. I imagine they tasted like fries soaked in pickle juice for a bit before frying. The flavor grows on you, although the amount of ketchup needed to balance this out was far too much for me as a whole.
    I also got tired of frying them halfway through, so this experience has taught me that I would be an absolute TERRIBLE worker at a fast-food joint.
    If I were to make these again, which I'm on the fence about, I'd probably serve it with a beer-batter fish melt. I saw a video that used monkfish for fish & chips, so I'd probably serve these fries with something extra like that.

    upload_2022-5-6_21-20-40.jpeg


    My next project is perfecting the brownie recipe, with timing out my Ultimate Breakfast for the future.

    https://www.melskitchencafe.com/deep-dark-chocolate-brownies/






    *She's three-for-three right now, a record only Natasha's Kitchen currently holds, and barely. There's another dessert recipe by Mel I want to use before trying out her non-baking stuff, but at this point her recipes have been so good and well-received, I trust her almost implicitly in the kitchen.

    **The general idea would be to add back in some of the liquid lost when browning the butter by adding about a quarter cup or so of instant coffee or expresso. From there, we could make a light coffee syrup (just coffee and sugar that's reduced a bit) while the brownies are in the oven, and then poke holes in the brownie and pour the syrup in. To cover up the holes, a brown butter cream cheese icing would be added on top, because cream cheese icing makes everything better, and I can't say no to brown butter. I'd keep the amount of coffee liquor as well. Now that I'm writing it out, I actually may do this sometime, but I wouldn't call it them really brownies at that point. Maybe Mocha Bars?
     
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  2. Lock_S_Foils

    Lock_S_Foils Red Leader

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    you are braver than I to try rabbit pudding….however your brined fries sounded wonderful
     
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  3. Use the Falchion

    Use the Falchion Jedi Contrarian

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    Why thank you! The fries are definitely worth trying out if you're wanting to do so!
     
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  4. Use the Falchion

    Use the Falchion Jedi Contrarian

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    I made three fried apple pies yesterday, one for the three of us in the house!

    upload_2022-5-14_10-44-34.jpeg

    My dad went out of town for Mother's Day weekend to visit his mom, so my mom wanted to make a chicken pot pie for his return. She sent me out to get some groceries and the first time around I returned with the wrong type of pie crust, since it was the only one that particular store was carrying at the time. Later on, she sent me out again for our preferred crust, which I found at a different, close-by store. I asked my mom to save the first pie crust dough so I could use it for some fried apple pies later that night. I didn't end up making them that night, or the next night, but yesterday I finally made them!

    I made fried apple pies one other time, and it turned out pretty well! This time I think was a tad better though, but it still wasn't perfect.


    I started by cutting up a single Granny Smith apple...and promptly leaving it in a plastic bag in the fridge until Friday...

    Friday morning, I browned some unsalted butter and put it in a stand mixer and waited for it to get to room temperature.

    When it was time to cook, I started by sautéing the apples in brown butter (also unsalted but separate from the stand-mixer stuff) and then flambeeing them in bourbon before adding in some dark brown sugar, cinnamon, a pinch of Himalayan pink salt (it's been in the cabinet forever and I had never used it, so I wanted to try it out), a pinch of ginger, and one star anise. (Had I been smarter, I would have toasted the star anise first, then added the butter and apples, taken it out to flambee the apples, and then added it back in right after.)
    I let the juices cook off for a few minutes before taking it off the heat and letting it cool to a workable temperature.

    While the apples were cooling, heated up my oil and made my glaze. In the mixer that held the brown butter, I added powdered sugar, a tablespoon of bourbon, and a few tablespoons of milk, and a teaspoon of vanilla. I mixed it all up until it had the desired flavor and texture I wanted and left it there.

    I scooped the apple mixture into the pie crust, cut out enough to fold over, crimped the edges...or at least I tried to...and put the pies into the oil and flipped after about two minutes. Once they were all brown and crispy, I took them out, patted them dry with paper towels, brushed on the glaze, and then topped it with cinnamon sugar.

    This attempt was very good but far from perfect. My frying technique was off, and I think the oil could sense my fear and hesitation, so two of the pies started to fall apart in the pot. (It's true with pancakes as well - if you hesitate, your flip will fail!) The glaze also wasn't as pronounced as I wanted, but that was acceptable. I needed to add another type of apple into the mixture though. Granny Smiths work for a baseline, but they're very firm and keep their shape and texture when cooked. They're great for flavor and stability, but they don't provide an oozy, gooey center, hence the need for another, softer apple.
    Lastly, I want to add a miso caramel sauce (and a scoop of vanilla ice cream) next time. I have some guiding recipes, but I didn't have any heavy cream to go into the sauce. Next time, though, I'll definitely make it ahead of time so that it can be ready!

    Overall, this attempt was a good learning point, and one that I left me wanting another pastry after I had finished off my allotted one. I'll definitely be making these again in the future, but they're on the backburner for now.


    Tomorrow I'll be making the overnight pancakes. Next week I'll be making some chicken curry that I promised a friend's parent, some brownies for a larger test audience, and some oatmeal chocolate chip cookies (and a loaf of all white-flour soda bread) for a housewarming party.

    This morning I just found out some family friends (the ones who I count as my "beta" test group, and the people who will receive the brownies next week) have an ice cream maker stand mixer attachment, and I'll be asking to use that over the summer in exchange for a meal or two alongside a few ice cream recipes that the mixer attachment will be used for.
     
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  5. RockyRoadHux

    RockyRoadHux Ginger General

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    Well, there you have it:



    FTjJgdfWQAE9R0j.jpg
     
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  6. The dinh

    The dinh Rebel Official

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    upload_2022-5-27_8-42-34.png
    Are there any out there with the refined palate to enjoy the anchovy on the pizza?
     
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  7. RockyRoadHux

    RockyRoadHux Ginger General

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    I do, but I always regret it afterwards, because the anchovies are making me really thirsty.
     
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  8. Lock_S_Foils

    Lock_S_Foils Red Leader

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  9. The dinh

    The dinh Rebel Official

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    That is why mankind invented beer.
     
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  10. Sheddai_Lightkeeper

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    Pineapple and anchovy pizza is like sardine flavor ice cream. No bueno. Dark side food.

    When pineapple pieces reach a certain size, it's easier to put pizza on your pineapple than pineapple on your pizza. And don't forget the raisins.
     
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  11. RockyRoadHux

    RockyRoadHux Ginger General

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    Actually raisins are not that crazy to put on a pizza, I believe the one from Domino's with curry has bananas and raisins.

    I knew someone is going to make this reference! xD
     
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  12. Sheddai_Lightkeeper

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    OMG Do they offer that only on Halloween with pumpkin spice crust? The horror.
     
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  13. RockyRoadHux

    RockyRoadHux Ginger General

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    Haha, no, it's a regular menu item.
     
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  14. RockyRoadHux

    RockyRoadHux Ginger General

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    The other day the Supreme leader and I had some buffalo chicken wings and fried cauliflower at BrewDog. The sauce was way too overpowering imo, but I guess that's the way buffalo chicken wings should taste?

    SNOW_20220526_120915_856.jpg
     
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  15. NinjaRen

    NinjaRen Supreme Leader

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    I think it would be much better to get the wings and the sauce speratly. I didn't taste the wings at all, only the hot sauce.
     
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  16. Lock_S_Foils

    Lock_S_Foils Red Leader

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    Seen on a Star Wars group on FB....
    kenobi cupcakes.JPG
     
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  17. Sheddai_Lightkeeper

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    That.curry, banana and raisins pizza is also at the all-you-can-eat buffet on Exegol, with unlimited anchovies and pineapple. That's how Sheev keeps his skin so soft and healthy looking.
     
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  18. Use the Falchion

    Use the Falchion Jedi Contrarian

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    About two weeks ago I made a lot of desserts for different things.
    I made my oatmeal chocolate chip cookies for a proposal that was disguised as a housewarming party. The cookies were praised as some of the best cookies of their type by some of the guests, there. And I guess the proposal was cute too. (Jk it was super cute and surprisingly low-key. The one proposing is a great friend of mine, and one who we thought would never get married because of his general aversion to the union. But here he is, the third in our friend group to get engaged this year.) I actually made two batches of cookies for this event, but the first batch was...not what I wanted. In the first batch - the failed batch - I accidentally added two tablespoons of bourbon instead of two teaspoons. I made brownies earlier that day I think (or was it later that day...? It was the same day to be sure) and I was thinking of the two tablespoons of chocolate liquor that goes in those, and I messed up. Fortunately, I fixed the mistake in the second batch and gave the first batch to my choir on Sunday. It wasn't my best received batch, but they were liked well enough.

    I made some rice pudding for a friend from choir, who I also made curry for. The curry and rice pudding combo goes well together, and my parents raved about the rice pudding being one of my best batches ever. The recipe and modifications will be down below, as always. I'll make it again soon, as it's been FAR too long, and so we can have a batch for the house that isn't overshadowed by other desserts...or may just make a batch and give some away to those family friends of mine.

    Speaking of family friends, I tested out the brownies on them, and they were a rousing success. The husband wants me to try salted brownies sometime (which I will do eventually) while the wife reflected on never having eaten homemade from scratch brownies before. (By this she means with no mix.) Their toddler liked them so much that even the cutting knife was being liked! The house pan was supposed to be for my sister, since my family were all supposed to take a trip that upcoming week - last week and my sister would be coming into town that weekend. It didn't happen due to weather, so they rescheduled for this past week. As such, my sister never got to eat the brownies. (She did come into town last weekend and they went on vacation on Monday, but that was a stressful time for them all.) She's visiting again next week to drop off my niece for a couple of days, so I'll make her some then. The brownies were still super sticky, so next time I'm going to try with parchment paper instead of tin foil.

    A picture of all three desserts:
    upload_2022-6-3_19-22-15.jpeg


    Since my family was of town this past week, I decided to have some fun in the kitchen and greet them with fun things when they returned. On Wednesday, I decided to roast some duck in preparation for my Ultimate Eggs Benedict (and for dinner) and made an Opera Cake for the first time.

    Opera Cake is a French dessert make with almond flour, coffee liquor, and coffee buttercream. The versions I had seen before were pretty complex in the creation, but I felt up to the task. I found a quick and easy version of the recipe and tried it out. It was...a moderate success. The cake was the best part IMO. The eggy almond flour cakes tasted almost like a souffle cake to me, and their delicate nature made them cute. It also made them a pain to work with.
    The cake was supposed to have six layers, but trying to cut the cakes in half when they were so delicate and thin ended up with me just cutting a portion off. The coffee liquor was fine, but the coffee never really dissolved in the set amount of water. I'm not sure if it was because of the coffee I was using or because the recipe just doesn't work the same, but it was a bit of a failure. And for one of the first times ever, brown butter failed me. The brown butter buttercream did NOT have the texture I wanted, and it was far too overpowering when combined with the coffee and sweetened condensed milk. The buttercream itself wasn't sweet enough so I added powdered sugar until it got at least close to what I wanted.

    My parents liked it though. I got comments ranging from it tasting like tiramisu to it having hints of maple syrup despite there being none in the cake.

    Still, the Opera Cake and roast duck made for a fun viewing companion to Kenobi. (Along with live-texting my friends.)

    upload_2022-6-3_19-30-24.jpeg
    upload_2022-6-3_19-52-43.jpeg


    This morning, I made what I've been dreaming about for years - my Ultimate Breakfast!

    This meal has gone through quite a few iterations. It used to include Pancake French Toast (which I haven't made in a while...hmm...) and I may include a Green Tomatillo Shakshuka in the future, but for now, this is the limit of my skills.

    I made the Overnight Yeasted Buttermilk Pancake recipe again, this time with 100% all-purpose flour. My sister enjoyed it, as did my brother-in-law and niece. I served it with the Pork Belly Eggs Benedict with Roast Duck and turkey sausage on the side, and it came out just like I dreamed. The eggs were perfectly poached and the roast duck added a nice richness that wasn't too salty (unlike the premade duck confit from the first time). The biscuit was soft and cheesy (although it needed more time in the oven to get to that point), and the pork belly melted in the mouth. The hollandaise sauce was added sparingly, which seemed to be a touch everyone appreciated.

    The meal went off without a hitch, but it was far from easy. The duck recipe is time consuming and a little hands-on at times. The eggs benedict require some prep the night before, but that doesn't actually ease the day-of stuff, particularly if you're spending time making pancakes. The pancakes were the easiest part since the batter was made the night before, but they require a lot of attention, which makes timing incredibly difficult.
    Next time I make this - and there WILL be a next time - I'll cut up some strawberries and clean some blackberries ahead of time. I bought strawberries and blueberries to serve with the meal* but the poaching of the egg, the hollandaise sauce, and everyone else being on a schedule made it impossible for me serve those alongside the breakfast at my current level. The Shakshuka can be made while the pork belly is cooking, and I can have it simmering away as I make the pancakes. A mango lassi would also be fun to serve with this, but I'd need everything ready ahead of time and would probably make it as the eggs are being poached.

    Next week I plan on fermenting some potatoes again, but for an egg and potato salad tea sandwich with watercress that I want to put on Japanese milk bread. I'd like to make the milk bread, but I'm not entirely sure I will just yet. I'll probably make some brownies to give to my sister and maybe I'll make the rice pudding again. Maybe. (Tomorrow my music update is going up, and that's gonna be a journey.)

    upload_2022-6-3_19-41-51.jpeg
    upload_2022-6-3_19-42-5.jpeg


    Recipes and modifications:
    One Bowl Fudgy Chocolate Brownies | Mel's Kitchen Cafe (melskitchencafe.com)
    (Use 66% bittersweet baking chocolate, brown the butter, add two tablespoons of chocolate liquor)

    Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies Recipe | Mel's Kitchen Cafe (melskitchencafe.com)
    (Brown the butter, add two TEASPOONS of bourbon, half the amount of chocolate chips.)

    Creamy Rice Pudding Recipe | Allrecipes
    (Cook the rice until it's done and has absorbed all of the water. That may be more than 20 minutes. Use Sweetened Condensed Milk for that final bit of milk the recipe calls for, and don't be afraid to add more if it needs to be sweeter. Add an egg yolk in addition to the regular egg. USE THE GOOD VANILLA. Brown the butter. GO LIGHT ON THE CINNAMON AT THE END. You want the cinnamon to be a background player, noticeable but never stealing the show.)

    Roast Duck Recipe - Julia's Album (juliasalbum.com)
    (Not changes, this recipe is perfect. I did have to adjust the time for my duck but be careful with that.)

    Easy Opera Cake Recipe (video) - Tatyanas Everyday Food
    (I browned the butter, but again, I'm not sure that helped here.)

    Fluffy Buttermilk Overnight Pancakes Recipe | Mel's Kitchen Cafe (melskitchencafe.com)
    (The only change I made here was adding in a tablespoon of brown sugar. It doesn't change much IMO, but I like brown sugar in my pancakes.)

    Pork Belly Eggs Benedict Recipe (cookingwithjanica.com)
    (The duck was the only real addition or modification here. But definitely use roast duck for this and not duck confit. The confit will be too salty, and there's already a lot of salt in this recipe.)

    Green Tomatillo Shakshuka | Love and Olive Oil
    (I plan on subbing out the eggs for condensed coconut milk and mango, but I need to see how this recipe turns out before I officially add it to the breakfast.)






    *The blueberries were going to be part of a tangential experiment. I was going to soak the berries in rum before flambeeing them and adding them into the pancake batter. I saved the last fourth or fifth of the batter to give my dad and I a good sample size for this, but my dad convinced me not to do so. He reminded me that blueberry pancakes are best when the blueberries are lightly cooked and still have the skin on them, so cooking them beforehand would take away that fresh burst of flavor. I agreed...although considering I still have that portion of batter saved and the blueberries in the fridge, I may just try it out anyways.
     
    #1158 Use the Falchion, Jun 4, 2022
    Last edited: Jun 4, 2022
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  19. Sheddai_Lightkeeper

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  20. RockyRoadHux

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    Ninja and I had the best lemon cake in town.the other day (Dean and David)

    SNOW_20220606_155811_597.jpg
     
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