[Abyss]

Which raises the point that a better quality (thus probably more expensive) knife will hold an edge better and require sharpening less often.


For what it's worth, i rarely sharpen my knives, and this is probably because the majority of the time i'm using one of several 'cheaper' knives so the wear is split among them.

[Malankazooie]

Remember when frying a turkey was trendy and a thing for Thanksgiving? I remember going to my uncle's one Thanksgiving and he went all out with that nonsense. I'm glad that trend seems to have died. Or any you weirdos still doing it?

Good ol' basted, oven roasted turkey for me, always. ... nuff said.

[amphibian]

Malankazooie, on 02 December 2019 - 03:18 AM, said:

Remember when frying a turkey was trendy and a thing for Thanksgiving? I remember going to my uncle's one Thanksgiving and he went all out with that nonsense. I'm glad that trend seems to have died. Or any you weirdos still doing it?

Good ol' basted, oven roasted turkey for me, always. ... nuff said.

Lots of people fry now. Some have even figured out that if you turn off the fire as you put the turkey in, there's less likelihood of a fire catching.

But it's still a bunch of work and making a chicken is easier.

[Morgoth]

I basically use two knives. A chef's knife and a smaller slicing knife. I have a set of ceramic knives I got as a present one time, and they see the occasional use when I need to do some very fine slicing (say for making sushi, some meat appetizers, that sort of thing).

The two main knives are fairly expensive, i think the set was $300. They hold an edge marvelously though, they're wonderfully balanced and can get very very sharp. You don't need to pay that much for an excellent knife, but I also think it's well worth it if you're going to spend a lot of time in the kitchen.

[Malankazooie]

amphibian, on 02 December 2019 - 06:02 AM, said:

Malankazooie, on 02 December 2019 - 03:18 AM, said:

Remember when frying a turkey was trendy and a thing for Thanksgiving? I remember going to my uncle's one Thanksgiving and he went all out with that nonsense. I'm glad that trend seems to have died. Or any you weirdos still doing it?

Good ol' basted, oven roasted turkey for me, always. ... nuff said.

Lots of people fry now. Some have even figured out that if you turn off the fire as you put the turkey in, there's less likelihood of a fire catching.

But it's still a bunch of work and making a chicken is easier.

Oh, it was fine. My uncle isn't a rube who didn't know what he was doing. It turned out fine and was a fine tasting fried turkey, but it wasn't better than an oven roasted bird, imo. So, the amount of setup and hassle just didn't seem worth it. If you are into frying and know people who still are, go with god and good luck. I just didn't think it was still a thing and thought it was one of those trends that seems to capture the general populace for a few years, runs its course and then fades away. I don't know anyone who still does it personally, but c'est la vie I suppose.

[tehol1769]

Can we all agree the turkey itself is the worst part of the meal? Sides for life. Stuffing for life.

[Morgoth]

BfuckinK, on 03 December 2019 - 12:37 AM, said:

Unless it's drenched in brown sugar. Otherwise ham is just nasty tasting. And it's slimy.

Nasty stuff.

Slimy? How in the world do you cook ham?

[Whisperzzzzzzz]

Morgoth, on 03 December 2019 - 08:54 AM, said:

BfuckinK, on 03 December 2019 - 12:37 AM, said:

Unless it's drenched in brown sugar. Otherwise ham is just nasty tasting. And it's slimy.

Nasty stuff.

Slimy? How in the world do you cook ham?

A roiling slime bath.

[Macros]

Also that.

Ham is awesome!

[amphibian]

Morgoth, on 02 December 2019 - 01:47 PM, said:

I basically use two knives. A chef's knife and a smaller slicing knife. I have a set of ceramic knives I got as a present one time, and they see the occasional use when I need to do some very fine slicing (say for making sushi, some meat appetizers, that sort of thing).

The two main knives are fairly expensive, i think the set was $300. They hold an edge marvelously though, they're wonderfully balanced and can get very very sharp. You don't need to pay that much for an excellent knife, but I also think it's well worth it if you're going to spend a lot of time in the kitchen.

I just picked up a santoku bocho from Wusthof and we love using it for the tougher veggies (broccoli, cauliflower etc). The chef's knife still gets used regularly, yet it's nice to have that smaller one too.

What's made a big difference in the kitchen is one of those foam mats that can go in front of the counters, sink, or stove for long periods of work. That's probably the biggest upgrade we've made other than the pots/pans/knives and it wasn't expensive.

[Macros]

Anyone have a portable/countertop induction hob?

The cooker we have for the apt is a small secondhand one, grill/oven is fine but the hob is slow Mo electric standard. Not installing gas (as much as I would like it). I've seen a few recipe videos recently with these little counter top induction Hobs, curious if anyone has one and what they're like. Trying to find reviews online isn't great, too many ads dressed up as reviews, common problem seems to be the low heat side of things?

[Tiste Simeon]

I've got a regular induction hob that is installed so not quite what you're after but I like it. It gets to heat pretty quickly and the low heat issue only becomes an issue if we want to cook multiple things at once. As in, it only has so much power to divide over all four rings. But it's never been so much of a problem that it's become a major issue and this isn't too different to a gas hob whereby you have the smaller burners that don't give off as much heat anyway.

Make sure your pans can be used on an induction hob as well cos not all can. If a magnet sticks to the bottom you should be fine.

[Macros]

I mean the low heat settings, for simmer etc, but thanks for the heads up on the pans!

[Tiste Simeon]

Umm I've never noticed anything being an issue on low heat I don't think...

[Abyss]

I went through this with a friend setting up an apartment.
Found that for the most part found portable induction cooktops are a 'get what you pay for' product. Do the research, get a name with a one year warranty, make sure you can return it easily if it sucks after a few uses.
There are a LOT of made in china looks good / works bad products. Multiple burners lower power is a problem. So is inconsistent heat around the burner.
There's an argument for electric portable burners instead of induction... lower price, better quality.

[Macros]

It's the naked flame I don't want otherwise I would have piped gas in.

It's a wooden framed apartment and if there ever was a fire on the the hob the place would go up like a fucking petrol covered bonfire. Hence the electric hob, but It's be used inductions before and the almost instant heat is close the gas. Just want a portable to set beside the hob for quick and simple cooking.

[Tiste Simeon]

I'm guessing a portable one won't need wiring in? A 13 Amp plug?

AO has a pretty good selection of them.

[Malankazooie]

Umami. I just can't anymore with my "foodie" friends who have watched way too many cooking shows and decided to overuse the word umami.

Next time I am out for a group dinner at some hoity-toity restaurant and one of them says anything about the "flavor profile" and "umami", I'm going to grab what ever savory sauce is on the table, dump it on their head and ask "is that umami enough for you?"

[Malankazooie]

Okay, we need to talk about cilantro. I love cilantro, and the burst of fresh, lively flavor it brings and how it meshes so well with other ingredients in a lot of dishes, but I come from the camp that approaches cilantro carefully and consider it a very sensitive ingredient. In other words, if you take it over just a smidgen too much for my liking, I can't eat the dish. Less is more when it comes to cilantro. That is all, you can return to watching your Hot Pockets spin around in the microwave.

[Macros]

Since I've been at home during lockdown me and the lady have been doing most joy f the cooking for the family as our kitchen isn't complete yet.

We're doing pretty well and the family is eating reasonably healthily.
Tonight I'll be cooking, going for a beef and veg stir fry. Anyone have any good recipes for a savory stir-fry? My dads stomach isn't so good with spicy and most stir-fry recipes I can find are more into the spicy side