Quarantine Cuisine |OT| : Cooking With COVID19

[BlueTsunami]

 

[Coffee Dog]

 

Looking tasty

[Momo]

Made chicken fried steak, potatoes still roastin

[BlueTsunami]

Just watched a binging with Babish vid about a sweet and sour brisket. I need to make this.

[Nintex]

Had some chicken wings nearing their expiration date and added some lemon and bread to turn it into a dish

[Bebpo]

Made fried chicken for the first time tonight. Came out good! Was a little hard to cut without the breading falling off. I'm kinda interested interested in maybe getting a deep frier at some point maybe? Would be nice to be able to make fried chicken and fried shrimp and french fries and onion rings

Unfortunately I'm eating way too healthy now. I'm starting to get headaches and feel faint from not eating enough  :'(  For breakfast I have a small bowl of cereal + coffee, maybe some orange juice, for lunch a PB&J sandwhich and maybe some veggie juice and then for dinner a meal like this. I also work out a bunch and just drink water all day and some energy drinks when working out. I'm definitely getting like 1/2 the calories that I used to get before the lockdown when I used to eat out at fast food/restaurants 2 meals a day and would get sandwiches and sides and stuff and starbucks mid-day energy boost snack.

I'm thinking I should do 2 lunches a couple hours apart. PB&J sandwich for one and then fruit smoothie a couple hours later. And maybe a light dessert after dinner to get the energy going. I feel like I'm at my most energy in the morning after cereal & coffee. I used to have yogurt with them too which added another 100 calories or so to breakfast but now yogurt is sold out so I just take probiotic pills but that's still fewer calories.

This feels like when I try to diet haha, I get light headed and headaches and feel like I just want to sleep and lay in bed and not work or cook or game or anything that requires energy. Only lost about 1-2lb in the last few weeks though. At ~129lb now.



Other stuff I've been cooking in the last week:

[Potato]

Great photos and food presentation.

[BlueTsunami]

Rice & beans with fried pork chops



The kidney beans have

onions
green peppers
potatoes
tomato paste
adobo
sazon
salt

And recaito which is essentially pulverized cilantro and other herbs. You end up with a sweet and savory vibe that basically acts as the flavor heavy lifter to the rice which simply has salt.

Pork chops were just seasoned with adobo and sazon. Pan fried in shallow oil.

[Nintex]

Baked Potato wedges, Tartare and Salad

[Madrun Badrun]

Realized I can make cinnamon toast Pillsbury croissants.

[Steve Contra]

Confited some duck legs last week

[Pennywise]

Raspberry cake.

[TEEEPO]

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Confited some duck legs last week

fffuuuu amazon fresh needs to htfu and fix their shit so i can make some duck confit along with some pork and chicken rillette

[Mr Gilhaney]

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Raspberry cake.

 

[Steve Contra]

Lamb leg for Easter



Marinade

[Nintex]

Easter nom noms


Trying to perfect my steak recipe

[Bebpo]

I don't really like pork chops (I like pork, but pork chop is just like pork steak and I'd rather eat a steak), but this was pretty good thanks to the crisping on each side and the rosemary thyme butter.

Also made a mandarin orange brocolli & shrimp that was solid.

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Raspberry cake.

Damn, that looks and sounds good.

[Bebpo]

So while I'm enjoying learning how to cook things I thought I'd learn how to make some drinks too and picked up some cocktail kits:



Pomelo Sour Classic kit



Old Fashioned Kit (with extra stuff you don't need in case you want to make different versions)



Nutty Milk Punch & Irish Sunrise



I tried making a classic old fashioned  (2oz bourbon + 1/2 ounce simple syrup + 2 dashes of bitter + orange peel) and it came out pretty solid, but I failed hard trying to use a fruit peeler without stabbing myself and ended up just cutting with a knife and it was too big of peel chunk. Also used too many bitters because fuck dashes are hard. Also 2oz bourbon seems like a lot. I think next time I might use a bit less. Still a decent start. Also that Angel's Envy is a pretty good bourbon.

[shosta]

mixology at home is how you turn into an alcoholic

[chronovore]

So while I'm enjoying learning how to cook things I thought I'd learn how to make some drinks too and picked up some cocktail kits:

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Pomelo Sour Classic kit

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Old Fashioned Kit (with extra stuff you don't need in case you want to make different versions)

(Image removed from quote.)

Nutty Milk Punch & Irish Sunrise

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I tried making a classic old fashioned  (2oz bourbon + 1/2 ounce simple syrup + 2 dashes of bitter + orange peel) and it came out pretty solid, but I failed hard trying to use a fruit peeler without stabbing myself and ended up just cutting with a knife and it was too big of peel chunk. Also used too many bitters because fuck dashes are hard. Also 2oz bourbon seems like a lot. I think next time I might use a bit less. Still a decent start. Also that Angel's Envy is a pretty good bourbon.

Make some real ice!

[Bebpo]

Thanks Chronovore, I always wondered how you got bigger/better ice cubes that what comes out of the fridge. Will have to get one of those trays and then give it a try. Definitely looks more visually pleasing for photos.

*edit* watched the video through and I think the toughest part about doing it that way is trying to eyeball measure the size of the ice cube.

[Nintex]

When life gives you lemons you make steak seasoning

[Bebpo]

Made the Pomelo Sour. It's pretty good! Grapefruit vodka (1.5oz) + simple syrup (.5oz) + lime (.5oz) + elderflower (1/4th tsp) + bitters (3 dashes). I think the vodka being 1.5oz compared to the 2oz in Old Fashioned makes a huge difference in this being more sweet than strong. I should try a 1.5oz bourbon old-fashioned.

Also I need to look up how to sugar crust a drink glass. All my favorite bars do that and their drinks are delicious.

[Bebpo]

I tried making an old fashioned with 1.5oz instead of 2oz bourbon and sugar crust the glass. Now it tastes just like how I like my old fashioneds.
Wasn't planning on drinking 2 nights in a row (and no I'm not an alcoholic yet), but after an hour of cooking wanted a treat so I tried a 7-up and it was totally flat which was gross, so I just said fuck it and made an old fashioned since my only other sweet drink option was a coke and I don't need caffeine this late.

One thing I'm realizing is either I need smaller glasses or I need to double the ingredients because these drink recipes aren't even filling halfway on the glasses. Makes photos hard!


Oh and I made a chicken with sweet potatoes and diced peppers medley last night and shrimp tacos today. Both just came out alllright. I actually liked the chili mix seasoning on the shrimp but the salsa I used wasn't that great. Also the green onions got burnt while sauteing with the sweet peppers. The chicken was good, it's just hard to cook chicken just right. I'm using a meat thermometer now and it says poultry should be 165f but getting to 165f without drying it out is hard. I honestly prefer cooking stuff I can undercook a bit safely like steak.

[tiesto]

Man, if I could be quarantined with anyone it would be Esch and Bebpo... Their food looks amazing

[Bebpo]

Thanks!

What you don’t see are all the microwave taquitos & oven French bread pizzas and PB&J sandwiches I’m eating between cooking meals haha. I’d kill for some fast food but don’t want to chance it.

[Pennywise]

Cheesecake

[Pennywise]

Don't forget the prices.

Wanted to get some veggies last week and the prices have gone up quite a bit.
Piece of broccoli is usually about 0,79 - 1 €
Now they're going for 2,50 - 3 €

[Mr Gilhaney]

Cheesecake

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is that a quarantine vegena

[BlueTsunami]

From a couple of days ago. Just a honking tbone seasoned simply with salt, seared and then thrown in the oven for a perfect rare center.  Along with three eggs fried in butter using the method I learned from Kojima. Just throw a lid on the pan and drop the temp to let the eggs slowly set after cracking them onto a smoking pan. Some Cholula Sweet Habanero drizzled in top.

[chronovore]

Vegan taco bowl. I was inspired by the By Chloe quinoa bowl but I put my own spin on it. I made guac instead of avocado, and a dressing from tahini+lime+cumin+paprika+chile. I also added pickled jalapenos and jalapeno-lime chips. Black beans, rice, TVP "taco meat", greens.


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That pic caused me to salivate so much, I nearly drooled on myself.

[Bebpo]

Make some real ice!

So I bought this mini-cooler and filled it up yesterday and gave it 24H and got it out just now and this did not work at all. Not sure if it's just that I needed more time in the freezer but only like 3/4 inch was solid and the rest was hollow and the solid part wasn't even that clear looking. Will try it again and leave it in longer and see if it's any better but I have a feeling this is pretty difficult to actually do.

[toku]

Remember he mentions in the video the quality of the water you use matters. Try different water too?

[Bebpo]

Looks great! I love stuffed peppers.

Remember he mentions in the video the quality of the water you use matters. Try different water too?

Yeah, I'm using filtered water from the fridge like he suggested. There was a hole in my ice block which I think jacked it up because the ice splintered from there.

Just gonna leave it in longer so it can freeze more. Hopefully 2nd time's a charm.

[VomKriege]

  Don't be fooled by Esch, the plates and bowls are doing all the work.

spoiler (click to show/hide)

Needs more pig for me but 

[close]

[chronovore]

Looks great! I love stuffed peppers.

Remember he mentions in the video the quality of the water you use matters. Try different water too?

Yeah, I'm using filtered water from the fridge like he suggested. There was a hole in my ice block which I think jacked it up because the ice splintered from there.

Just gonna leave it in longer so it can freeze more. Hopefully 2nd time's a charm.

He also mentioned adjusting the fridge's temperature/freezer power level. I recommend OVER 9000.

The main thing is having the sides insulated and having it freeze gradually from the single, exposed surface. Air getting in is what messes with transparency. Even if it's not clear, it's still better to have large ice.

[Bebpo]

Looks great! I love stuffed peppers.

Remember he mentions in the video the quality of the water you use matters. Try different water too?

Yeah, I'm using filtered water from the fridge like he suggested. There was a hole in my ice block which I think jacked it up because the ice splintered from there.

Just gonna leave it in longer so it can freeze more. Hopefully 2nd time's a charm.

He also mentioned adjusting the fridge's temperature/freezer power level. I recommend OVER 9000.

The main thing is having the sides insulated and having it freeze gradually from the single, exposed surface. Air getting in is what messes with transparency. Even if it's not clear, it's still better to have large ice.

Alright, loaded up another batch. My freezer settings go from 0F to -5F. I feel like I should probably keep it at 0F and just let it freeze longer. Going to -5F might mess with the food in the freezer.

[Bebpo]

spoiler (click to show/hide)

[close]

Yeah, my second batch froze better, but the problem was it wasn't an even block and carving ice blocks down is not easy with a steak knife (my only serrated blade).

I tried cutting into the blocks and hammer the knife like the video and the ice block just wouldn't split. Eventually got it in 2 halves but tried to cut those down into 1/4ths and I just couldn't cut the ice and gave up.


I got one of those plastic "whiskey block ice cube" trays. While it may not be clear see through ice, it should be about 100x easier to just make some nice block ice cubes for whiskey drinks so I'm gonna use that.

Also with Cuisine, there's nothing more discouraging than when you spend an hour cooking something and it turns out bad and then you still have to spend 30 mins cleaning it up. Pretty much spent all my free time tonight cooking and it was a waste of time. I was cooking up a frozen halibut and I left it thawing in the fridge for 8 hours or so but it was still pretty frozen. It took foreeeeeeeever to cook because the center just was too cold and by the time the center got non-grey the rest was all dried out. Blah. At least I learned that thawing frozen food long enough is pretty important because otherwise this happens.

Ate a frozen hershey pie slice after. Was the best thing all evening.

[chronovore]

So... about those whisky block ice makers: You can submerge them in the cooler and get the same effect.

[Bebpo]

So... about those whisky block ice makers: You can submerge them in the cooler and get the same effect.

I'm guessing the rub is that breaking the tray out from the center of an ice block isn't going to necessarily be easy?

[Bebpo]

Nice photo!

So after last night's disaster of Halibut, I got my fresh meats in today and had 2 halibut filets so I used one right away and made a pasta that was amazing. The fennel + cherry tomatoes + garlic butter + fish stock sauce was extremely good and flavorful. Also had a salsa verde sauce on top. Restored my confidence in cooking fish.

 Halibut cooked really well being fresh. Stuck the other one in the freezer but will let it dethaw very very long next time before trying to cook it.



Here's the recipe if you want to make it yourself!

https://dwgqqcnol8388.cloudfront.net/system/foods/3383/recipe/3383_recipe_card.pdf

[CatsCatsCats]

I bought stuff to make that whipped coffee craze that’s sweeping quarantine land, gotta wait until tomorrow to try it

[Bebpo]

I bought stuff to make that whipped coffee craze that’s sweeping quarantine land, gotta wait until tomorrow to try it

Whipped coffee looks good, I haven't tried it. Let us know how it goes.

[Bebpo]

Made ground chicken lettuce wraps. Came out great, I've starting to love mushrooms. Always enjoyed mushrooms, but cutting and cooking and eating Japanese mushrooms is so good.




Also made an Hibiscus Gin drink. It's good but I think the recipe overdoes the lemon juice because it tastes less hibiscus and more like a gin lemonade. Recipe is 1.5oz Gin +.75oz Hibiscus syrup + .75oz lemon juice + .75oz simple syrup with lemon garnish.

[CatsCatsCats]

Neglected to take any pics but the whipped coffee was fun and yummy! I put it over ice and whole milk and it tasted a whole lot like those Starbucks prepacked Frappuccino’s in glasses lol used Folgers instant crystals because that’s what the small store up here had, I think <kroger> has instant bustelo I wanna try it with

[Bebpo]

Chrono, so I just used the lazy plastic try for large ice cubes and it's not bad. I mean it's definitely cloudy but I can't figure out how to take good pictures of a rock glass anyhow, so doesn't really matter haha



Also, tonight I tried using the Old Fashioned Mixer that came with my kit. Never really tried mixers before. Verdict is meh, when I make it from all the separate ingredients myself it tastes way more flavorful.

[CatsCatsCats]

Did snap a pic this morning before devouring:

[CatsCatsCats]

I really like this thread and want to bump it


Unfortunately, I’m out here doin white claw and tuna fish

[Bebpo]

No pictures, but lately about once a week (usually mondays), I've been making some scrambled eggs & hash & a Belgium waffle & orange juice for dinner and it's always pretty satisfying and quick. I used to eat eggs & hash & waffles as a kid, still pretty bomb. Even as an adult, about once a month on a weekend I'd go to a local diner and get eggs & hash & toast breakfast.

I don't like cooking hash until it's crispy/fried though. Fried meat has like no flavor. I eat it a minute or two short of crisping.

[shosta]

[Ghoul]

Sunday roast beef, with potatoes, carrots, red onion and garlic for the base of the gravy.

Later will add some Yorkshire puddings.

[Bebpo]

Damn, looks great!

[Ghoul]

Boom!

[Ghoul]

whilst I'm posting here's last weeks roast pork, with white onion and apple sauce



That crackling was hella good.

[Flannel Boy]

edit: lol wrong thread

[shosta]

Trying to make nasi goreng but the ABC Sweet Soy Sauce my brother gave me ran out and I don't know which stores here carry it

[Fifstar]

Are those plates from Ikea?

[shosta]

Bought the medium sweet soy sauce but was fairly sparing when I went to cook the rice and in the end I could barely taste any difference from my regular fried rice. :/

On the bright side, I've got a lot left so I can experiment with it more, and also Momo gave me a ton of other Malay dishes to try.

[Bebpo]

Got a new fry pan. Spent some $$ (not crazy spending, but like $40-50) and got a nice one since I'm cooking all my stuff with fry pans and it's aluminum non-stick which I've never used. Took me a bit to get the hang of it (oil just runs to the edges pretty quick, but doesn't need much oil to cook) but it's working out pretty well. It is a bit heavy so I gotta use two hands.

I've failed every time at making a good tasting indoor hamburger so I was reading up and everything was saying you gotta use a cast iron grill if you're gonna make hamburgers indoors. So I spent all night reading about cast iron which sounds like a fucking pain in the ass (and hot & heavy) as someone who just soap hand washes everything and throws a lot in the dishwasher, but I'm gonna give it a try. Ordered a cast iron grill and cleaning brush/scraper and some better oven mitts since everything says cast iron gets HOT and I'm prone to slightly burning myself and dropping everything I'm holding. Read up on cleaning/oiling after each use and how to season the pan initially. Will put the effort in and see if I can get a good hamburger out of it. I used to eat at least 2 hamburgers a week and I've had like one in the last two months so I miss them...

[shosta]

All your food photos are amazing.