barryc's Profile
good low end liquor
the finlaggan is an islay malt (and i suspect a lagavulin distillation) and as such, is going to be quite different from a speyside like macallan. a generic lagavulin for less than $20 is a pretty decent deal - if you like islay malts.
but stay away from the tomatiin distillation. there's serious burn in the finish.
Help. Inexperienced Bachelor Needing Recipes :)
why not try getting a copy of the book "manifold destiny"? it's about cooking meals using the heat of your car engine.
the basic idea is to assemble meals at home in aluminum foil, and if you can keep a cooler in the car, pre-freeze some of the packages so you have meals for several days. if you're staying at motels, you should have access to ice to restock the cooler every day.
1yr old goose fat...is it still good?
i'll make a duck just to save the fat to make fried potatoes. yum....
cooking tofu?
you can get the same effect by blanching the tofu and draining it. 30 seconds is all it takes. if you don't have a wok with strainer, you could substitute a pasta pot and inside liner.
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mako in sherman oaks makes a "mock steak" using tofu, smothered in mushrooms and onions.
it's been a while since i've made it , and i can't find the recipe i clipped out of the LA times years ago but...
assuming you've bought the typical 14-16 oz. block. you slice the block lengthwise into 3 slabs, drain, pat dry.
brown each slab in approx 1/4" of olive oil, both sides about 4-5 minutes. you may have to do this in shifts depending on the size of your pan.
using same pan, add sherry, about 1/2 cup per slab. unfortunately i can't remember if you reduce the liquid or ignite the sherry to burn off the alcohol.
add 1tbls butter per slab and 1tsp garlic powder to pan, heat until butter melts, then add soy sauce (1 tbls per slab) and reduce slightly, about 4 minutes.
return slab(s) to pan, brown on both sides about 4 minutes per side. the garlic powder blackens and simulates the char you'd get on an open grill.
top tofu with sauteed mushroom and onions. it's not bad for a vegetarian approximation.
Sashimi and sushi at home
instead of sushi, why not just make chirashi instead - basically, you eat the toppings on top of a bowl of rice.
the rice - making sushi rice correctly requires a lot more attention to detail than most westerners are willing to observe. it starts with washing, rinsing and soaking the rice prior to cooking. as for the ratio of mirin, sugar and salt, it depends on the brand of mirin, and each chef i've talked to about it has their own ratio which they're generally reluctant to share. it's reasonably expensive, but to avoid a lot of the fuss of trying to make sushi rice, you can purchase a premade mix to stir into the rice. but it's not just flavor; more significantly, the texture of the rice has to complement the taste of flavor of the topping. the rice should be sticky enough to hold together when lightly squeezed, yet still fluffy. the washing, rinsing and soaking of the rice are part of the process that facilitates this.
do you live near any japanese supermarkets? that's the only place i would personally endorse for acquiring sashimi-grade fish - even amongst the asian supermarkets they tend to be the only ones who actually keep their fish under the proper conditions to maintain proper rigor mortis - exposing the fish to air hastens the deterioration process.
if you are limited to the types of fish you have access to, i imagine one of them will be tuna (maguro). you can also of course make tekka maki, but you can also take some of the tuna and make zuke - which you can make by mixing equal amounts of sake, mirin, and soy sauce, and marinating the tuna for at least 20 minutes. a simple chirashi of maguro, zuke, sliced avocado, and shredded nori over rice can be a reasonably cost effective meal.
Simple roasted chicken?
i had pretty good luck roasting my last chicken stuffed with grapes (grapes sliced in half lengthwise) on a bed of sliced onion, breast side down. the breast was still moist 3 days later. continuous basting in the grape/onion juices probably had something to do with it. you could put the chicken on a roasting rack for a true roast chicken.
(all the other prep mentioned in other recipes also applies, drying the skin, a lite rub with olive oil, salt, etc.)
the recipe said 350 at 20 minutes per pound, but regardless of whatever temp the recipe suggests, i like to do the 1st 15 minutes at 450 to crisp up the skin and seal the juices, and then drop the temp down.
i also like to actually separate the wings away from the body, so that the wings are completely crispy and i eat them first.
CHINATOWN- is there anything worth it?
my parents emigrated to the midwest from southern china, and i grew up to comments like: "i love chinese food, especially lemon chicken." so i coined the term: "tourist chinese food".
with parking being the pain that it is, i avoid chinatown for the most part., but another branch of the family that's lived in bunker hill since the mid 70's swears by Hop Li and i understand why. but i've probably eaten as often at Won Kok since i moved to LA 20 years ago - but usually when I'm with non-chinese friends.
Tri-tip roast?
my take is that if it's a good, well marbled cut of meat, most of the heavy lifting is done. all i do is trim off the "skin" that covers the fatty side and trim the fat down to about 1/2" thick. and if there are any bare spots, i lay some of the excess fat to cover them.
i sprinkle onto that fat: garlic powder, salt, pepper and either a little thyme or rosemary depending on my mood. i sear the entire roast at 450 for about 10 minutes, then at 375 for another 50 minutes. i let the roast sit covered w/foil for about another 15 minutes. i've had a lot of people tell me it's the best tri-tip they've had.
How do I thicken my soup?
assuming your goal was "cooking light" - i'd go with the potato and avoid adding any sort of additional fat.
Z Sushi (Alhambra) - short review
while i generally just let toshi suggest things for me, try the seared salmon belly with yuzu kosho. also, you might ask him to make something with nagaimo - (NA GA EE MO) which will probably be a handroll with nagaimo (mountain yam), shiso, and sour plum.
toshi also does a reasonably good take on osaka style battera - with the mackeral (sp?), seaweed & sauce - but nigiri style. finally, try the anago - he prepares it himself, and he manages to get an almost fluffy texture, and his sauce is slightly smoky - he prepares the eel himself, so he has the bones to roast and add when making the eel sauce.
leftover cilantro and scallions
i like adding a touch of sesame oil - but if you're going to store it, add the sesame just before using.
Homemade BBQ Sauce - Do you?
depends. if the meat is top notch, i prefer to let *that* be the star of the show - my goal is to complement the flavor of the meat rather than mask it. otherwise, i might as well just make chili!
as such, in terms of tomato vs. vinegar, i lean towards vinegar based, but still pretty simple - i reduce vinegar with salt, black & red pepper, melt in a stick of butter, and baste every half hour or so. near the end i'll add either brown sugar or ketchup for a light glaze/caramelizing and baste again with about 10 minutes to go.
for chicken, a simple rice wine/minced garlic marinade. maybe a little rosemary.
Pig trotter prep tips
it's a chinese tradition (in the south, anyway) to make pigs feet for moms who've just given birth (apparently good for lactating moms). i wish i'd paid more attention back then - i recall beef tendon being boiled and rinsed and replaced with fresh water before adding the flavorings. whether i need to or not, i do the same with pigs feet - helps render some of the fat anyway
Help turning a pork tenderloin into multiple meals.
i like browning minced onion & carrot and then reducing some white wine before adding to the pork back to the pan & then adding a dab of butter at the end to counter the acidity as needed.
i'll also butterfly pieces and then chicken-fry them (dust with flour, dip into beaten egg and then dredge through flour, salt & pepper. serve on a bun with sweet pickle and mayonnaise.
I have decied I would like to use up some white boxed cake mix any ideas?
substituting certain fruit purees for the oil produces cakes that actually get moister over time.
Porkloin in the Crockpot - Suggestion?
i wouldn't cook a loin in a crockpot - i'd use a cheaper cut - which i just did to make pulled pork earlier today, with a south carolina sop on the side.
What is the Secret to Miso Soup?
yes.
it sounds overly painstaking - but you *can* taste the difference.
Chinese Pancake Recipe?
if you want a close approximation that's a LOT easier to make, use flour tortillas, dip them in some beaten egg, make a sandwich of them with a little minced scallion & a little salt, a few drops of sesame oil, and fry in a skillet. the egg browns up nicely - and if you want you can sprinkle a few scallions & sesame seeds on top before you flip it.
Too much watermelon!
the other benefit is that the pureed watermelon takes up a lot less space. i like mixing it with one part ginger ale myself with a shot of lime.
Boneless, skinless chicken thighs
i like a simple braise with shiitake mushrooms. i can get them fresh but dried is ok.
with approx. 2lbs of chicken, cut into bite size pieces, combine with a marinade of:
1 tbls rice wine/sherry
1 tsp sesame oil
salt & pepper to taste
1 tsp cornstarch
and marinate for at least 1/2 hour
if mushrooms are dried, soak in warm water for about 20 minutes, squeeze excess water. if fresh, skip to here: cut off and remove the woody stems
heat wok to hot.
add 2 tsps oil, to wok, fry a couple of slices of ginger and a scallion sliced into 1" lengths for about 30 seconds to flavor the oil, remove ginger and onions.
add chicken to wok and stir fry until chicken is lightly browned, maybe 4 minutes.
add:
mushrooms
1 tbls soy sauce
2 tbls oyster sauce
2 tsp sugar
1/2 cup chicken bouillion/stock/what have you
2 tbls rice wine/sherry
2 tsp sesame oil
cover & braise for 12 minutes
dissolve 1 tsp corn starch into 1/2 cup cold water, add to wok and stir, thickening the sauce.
serve over hot rice.
one of my favorite comfort meals.
Vegetarian sandwich options
in another thread, someone suggested cooking sliced eggplant with a waffle iron and a parmesian (sp?) cheese coating - crunchy on the outside. maybe you could try simulating a burger king $.99 spicy chicken sandwich with it?
Traditional Nigiri in L.A. (not for the fashionable crowd)
i concur. unfortunately, the non-purists don't recognize themselves as such.
Pork Chops - What should I do?
what i like to do is brown them lightly on each in a mix of olive oil & butter 1/2 & 1/2 - the olive oil keeps the butter from scorching - then remove and keep covered.
i then brown a mix of chopped onion & carrot in the same pan, then add some dry white wine, reducing the wine by about 1/2 and deglazing the pan.
i then return the chops to the pan (including all liquid) and heat through over medium heat.
serve with pan drippings. i like this with white rice.
Thai noodle salad w/ peanut sauce recipe?
i get a better blend by heating the sauce slightly. sometimes hot black tea ( which i brew to a little smokiness) is sufficient to get a smooth blend. otherwise i use the microwave.
Best Seafood Market in LA?
even if a fish is dressed before it goes into rigor, the act of spearing a fish creates trauma affecting the length of rigor (as does having the fish struggle before its capture) so i'm assuming that you're eating your catch fairly soon after capture. but if the fish is cooked and eaten before it goes into rigor, it tends to be mushy. the point is that "fresh" doesn't necessarily mean what people thinks it means.
seafood consultant jon rowley maintains that fish taste best when prepared while still in rigor. the average supermarket seldom offers fish in that state, and even of the asian markets, only the japanese chains really do the best towards keeping a fish in rigor (which if done correctly can last as long as 5 days or so) at time of sale. the chinese tend to steam their fish (or deep fry it & drench it in sauce) which produces mushy texture so it's not really a priority for them. haven't been to any other ethnic asian stores all that consistently so i can't comment on them.
i would have also recommended trying international marine but i wasn't aware that they went wholesale only. fish king is OK - but even they leave their fish unwrapped and sitting on ice IIRC.
Chopped egg in tuna salad?? Is that strange?
i'm from the midwest and remember seeing egg in tuna salad, but don't recall seeing egg in a tuna melt. but it seems to me that any restaurant that serves a tuna melt probably just uses their pre-made tuna salad.
it seems to me that if your business was all that important to them, they'd do more to mollify you. the implication...
$5 lunch in Pasadena-- is it possible?
IIRC, the taco plate specials at gerlach's are about $6, but the three tacos and rice & salad fill me up and i have a pretty good-sized appetite.
$5 lunch in Pasadena-- is it possible?
while i endorse lee's as well,. they've raised prices. more like $6 for a sandwich but when you throw in the complimentary pickles (armenian influenced) it's still worth it to me.
