Topper's Grilling Advice!

[Arachnid]

The true test of a great cook is if you can make tofu taste good

Cook tofu the same way you cook sweetbreads.

Mmmmm vegetarian food...

I eata vegetarian...cows are vegetarians...

[Strangelove]

Not bad ole beaner...

[Arachnid]

Not bad ole beaner...

Mmmmmmm beans.... *fartsa good one*

[rats19]

Not bad ole beaner...

Mmmmmmm beans.... *fartsa good one*

Chowdah..makes em loudah

[Arachnid]

Not bad ole beaner...

Mmmmmmm beans.... *fartsa good one*

Chowdah..makes em loudah

Just don't eat your chilli cold

[KeyserSoze]

We eat a lot of chicken breast at home. It's cheap, easy, healthy, fast to cook and pretty tasty.

BUT, I'm getting pretty bored with my current chicken dishes.

Any chicken recipes you'd recommend for a mediocre cook, Topper?

You cannot go wrong with roasting a full bird like Topper mentioned. Even if it will be too much food, the extra meat, skin, and bones are useful for making another dish a few days later.

Don't be tempted to pull out your turkey roaster for a chicken. Rack on a sheet pan (or something with very shallow edges) is key if you want to get crispy browned skin all around. And speaking of crispy skin, pat the bird dry with some paper towels before roasting it. I like to stick a few cloves of garlic and lemon wedges inside the cavity before roasting as well...but only a few, you want the cavity to be pretty empty which will help the bird cook quicker and more evenly.

Topper - just out of curiosity, what do you usually cook for Christmas dinner?

[Aaronp18]

Topper - just out of curiosity, what do you usually cook for Christmas dinner?

Why pudding and roast-beast of course.

[Topper]

You cannot go wrong with roasting a full bird like Topper mentioned. Even if it will be too much food, the extra meat, skin, and bones are useful for making another dish a few days later.

Don't be tempted to pull out your turkey roaster for a chicken. Rack on a sheet pan (or something with very shallow edges) is key if you want to get crispy browned skin all around. And speaking of crispy skin, pat the bird dry with some paper towels before roasting it. I like to stick a few cloves of garlic and lemon wedges inside the cavity before roasting as well...but only a few, you want the cavity to be pretty empty which will help the bird cook quicker and more evenly.

Topper - just out of curiosity, what do you usually cook for Christmas dinner?

Did I teach you to roast a chicken because that is identical to how I do mine. 375F for roughly 2hrs, on a rack on a sheet pan, a couple of cloves, mashed but whole, of garlic, two lemon wedges.

Fat renders out of the skin and you are left with a crisp mahogany protein bark from the skin. Carcass goes for making a brown chicken stock.

For Xmas, it often ends up as duck, though I've done turkeys and hams as well.

[Topper]

The true test of a great cook is if you can make tofu taste good

Wife made tamales (bollos in Belize) with store bought smoked tofu. Corn masa and a stew of veg and smoked tofu, wrapped in banana leaf and steamed.

Fucking incredible!

[Strangelove]

For Xmas, it often ends up as duck

Made me think of...

[SKYO]

Ya'll outta try the Indian/Navajo Taco one time ......shutup arach+fakes.

[Topper]

Ya'll outta try the Indian/Navajo Taco one time

All my times in northern bars, I've never been that drunk.

[Arachnid]

Ya'll outta try the Indian/Navajo Taco one time

All my times in northern bars, I've never been that drunk.

Mmmmmmm canoes.....

[Topper]

I've gotten back into some good home cooking. My son is taking cooking lessons again and he's been talking about some of the stuff we did last year. It's got me going back to it and putting our own touches.

He made fresh pasta and wanted to do it again. Monday dinner was fresh squid ink papardelle, putanesca sauce and pork ribs. Fresh pasta is so easy, 1 egg, 1 cup flour, combine, add water if its not coming all together, roll out in a pasta roller, use a sharp knife to cut papardelle. Putanesca was roasted cherry tomato, sun dried black olive, anchovy and pesto. Ribs were a dry rub of herbs and a bit of liquid smoke, wrapped tight in foil, 350F oven for 2hrs, open the foil and put under the broiler for 5-10 minutes.

Tuesday he told me his buddies have a regular pizza night at their house. I've had the kid's father tell me in great detail which aisle and shelf he gets his favourite frozen pizza at Walmart. Uhhhg. Son and I made dough, topped with tomato sauce (friends with greenhouses gave us a case of tomatoes the other day so I made sauce), pears, Gorgonzola, fennel, pancetta and walnuts.

Last night we over at friends and they reminded me (nudge, nudge, wink, wink) of the chocolate-habanero creme brule I had once made for them. I guess they'd like another dinner invite.

[dbr]

Ever do goose Topper? Any tips?