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[Seppia]

I love grits, I would eat them every day when I went to Texas, I had an agent in the Dallas area that used to bring me to a place where they made spectacular ones.
I slightly prefer polenta as it's usually a bit less liquid.
But man, shrimp and grits, it was love at first taste.
I always had ideological fights with my fellow Italians who did not recognize that there's phenomenal food in the USA.

I made a simplified risotto recipe yesterday night, I think this one will be very actionable, will post it later today

[Seppia]

Ok so as promised here a simple and fast way to prepare risotto.
This is 99% as good as the real thing with 20% of the effort.

First things first: the rice.
You need a round rice, the best ones are, in no particular order:

Carnaroli
Arborio
Vialone Nano
Superfino Roma

The first two are the most commonly available abroad.
Any attempt to make a risotto using long grain, Thai, jasmine or other unfit rices will result in failure and possibly the zombie apocalypse.
Stick to the four above.
In case you wondered, my favorite is superfino Roma:



The key with this fast process is the water to rice ratio: three cups of water (or broth) for one cup of rice.

The basic is:
- Boil the water (or broth)
- Add salt to your liking (hint: rice is sweet, so add more than you think is right as you will have a tendency to undersalt)
- Put the rice in
- Close the lid
- Stir occasionally
- Let cook for 12 minutes on low-mid heat (you need to see some simmering)
- Open lid and taste the rice
- if needed add a bit of water and continue to cook till almost ready, then take it off the flame. The rice has to be a bit more liquid and a bit more "al dente" than you want it
- add a bit of butter, stir, and let rest for 2 minutes with lid on (rice will finish cooking and suck up some moisture.

You can incorporate extra ingredients along the way.
Basically:
Everything that needs to be fully cooked and is ok with boiling -> incorporate right from the start or midway through
Everything that has to be sautéed -> cook separately and incorporate at the end.

The recipe below is with Parmesan and green peas.

Boil the water with lid on to avoid loss of liquid by evaporation



Add half a cube broth and the rice



About 4-5 minutes in, add some finely cut Parmesan crust, and the green peas







Close again the lid, and grate some Parmesan while the rice finishes cooking



This is how liquid it has to look when you take it off the flame:



Add a bit of butter and 3/4 of the grated Parmesan



Stir, close the lid and let rest for 2 minutes, then put in the plate and sprinkle with the remaining Parmesan.

[Seppia]

@Fish: happy it worked out well for you, I'm pumped when people find recommendations useful, it's a great feeling, so thanks for the kind message

[J_]

Sepia thanks for your delicious recipies. I have one of the more northen part of europe: green cabbage stew with
carrot/squash-frites


1 peel a butternut squash and clean 3 wintercarrots
cut them like (potato)frites, lay them on baking paper on a baking tray
sprinkle them with some oil and bake them for 35 mins on 175 C

2 peel and cut in small pieces two sweet (purple skin) potatoes and boil them in little water
for 10 minutes ad last 5 minutes half of a green cabbage (cut in small pieces)( or a half bundle of kale)

3 fry 3 onions, some ginger and garlic in a skillet until soft, and mix them with the sweet potatoes and green cabbage or kale

Serve with some pieces of goat cheese and coriander leaves.

[distracted_at_work]

Recent creation of mine to celebrate the cold weather..

Lentil + Bratwurst Soup

3 Cups of Lentils
2 Zucchini
1 Celery
1 BIG Yam
2 28 oz Cans of Tomatoes
2 Large Onions
2 Large Carrots
1 Can of Black Beans
2 L of Chicken Broth (Can use Vegetable or Beef)
1 Can of Mushrooms (Sliced)
2 Bratwurst (or other large sausage)
2 TBSP of Canola Oil.
4 TBSP of Chili Flakes
2 TBSP of Celery Salt.
2 TBSP of Garlic Powder
X Salt and Pepper to taste.
2-4 Cups of Water.

Instructions:
In one pan add and heat the oil. Crumble the bratwurst and dice the onions. Brown the sausage in pan and cook down the onions. In the meantime, dice all other fresh vegetables. In one very large pot. Add ALL the above ingredients at the same time. Bring to a rolling boil then cover and let simmer. I simmered it for 1.5 hrs to ensure the lentils and all the vegetables cooked. Serve with cilantro and a habanero based hot sauce.

This is a great one as we move into Winter. This recipe has fed me dinner for nearly two weeks and I had to freeze some. Very hearty and economical. You can cut back on the chili flakes if you don't like spice. I had to estimate the seasoning as I never measure these things out.

It should look like this in the pot (before cooking)

[CS]

I can't share them directly (because they aren't mine), but I've found recipes by this author to be wonderful. https://healinghistamine.com Most are plant based (i.e. can be cheap), but also healing, which is helpful. She has a mailing list and sends out free recipes once in a while. Her recipe books are not that expensive.

I've no connection to her, except her green soup, with my addition of poached pastured eggs in it (ala GAPS regime), is a staple of my diet - at least several nights a week. I feel better physically when I eat it.

[Seppia]

You may remember that in the marmalade recipe I started a "side quest", basically liquor production.
This process I'm about to describe works for a variety of types of liquor.

Today I'll show how to do ginger liquor, a fantastic digesting aid.

First you need to buy pure drinking alcohol.
Usually what's for sale is a grain based, 190+ proof spirit.

Buy some fresh ginger, about 11oz will do for a bottle (300g)



Clean the ginger



Then chop it up in little pieces



Remove some alcohol from the bottle, to account for displacement



Dump the ginger in the bottle



Store in a cool and dark place for around 20 days.
If you store it for longer, the liquor will not become more flavorful, but it will become more spicy. This may not be a bad thing for you (it isn't for me).

After time has passed, you have to dilute the beast.
This is done with syrup (water + sugar).
You basically let boil some water with sugar in it for a few minutes (3-4 is enough) and you're done.

I'm not a sweet person, so my personal sweet spot is 3 parts of sugar for 10 parts of water, by weight.
The traditional Italian recipe calls for 3 parts of sugar and 4 parts of water.



Once the syrup is cool, you can mix it with the alcohol.
Again here strength is a matter of taste, but I would not go below 55-60 proof nor above 100 proof.

Worth noting: alcohol content and sugar content have both direct correlation with the stability of the syrup-alcohol mix.

So if you both go low on sugar and low on alcohol the resulting liquor could have a tendency to separate.
There is no negative effect other than the fact it might be visually unappealing.

My favorite doses are
Syrup:
10-3 water-sugar by weight
Liquor:
90 proof

Other than ginger, you can do the same exact process with many ingredients.
Just dump those in pure alcohol for a while and then mix with water/sugar syrup.

Some ideas:

- lemon peel for limoncello.
Use untreated lemons, and try use only the yellow part of the lemon skin (white is bitter).
You need the peel of 7-10 lemons for each liter (quart) of pure alcohol.
I suggest 40 days in cool dark place.

- bay leaves.
About 20 bay leaves per liter of alcohol.
Also 40 days

- any type of berries
They have to fill about 1/4 of the bottle, fill the rest with pure alcohol.
40 days


Here is the result of today's bottling.
Left two bottles is limoncello, right is ginger.

[Seppia]

Side note.
Tools are very important in the kitchen, and knives are the most important of all.
Pots and pans are second, all else is a lot less relevant.

The bad news is that good knives are expensive.
The good news is, when you buy good knives, you don't need many.
I have a grand total of two:



The top one is the only knife you'll ever need for cooking.
I had this one for 7 years, I use it every single day and it's still like new.
I had a similar one that I lost while moving to the USA, that I had bought in 1999.
It was 10 years old and still going strong.

Mine is this model:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00004RFLH/

My personal feeling is that anything less than this quality is suboptimal, anything above you are mostly paying for style.
That type is called "chef's knife".
It's usually available in 8" and 6".
I personally prefer 6" because I find it more versatile and easier to use in everyday situations.

The attributes you want to look for in a chef's knife:

- welded stainless steel blade. Stamped blade = shit.
- full tang blade.
- German or Japanese steel. Value for money the Germans are better. Careful: lower level quality German knives are made with non-German steel.
- synthetic handle. Wood is nice and classy, but there's a reason why in restaurant kitchens you only see synthetic. It doesn't grow mold, it's more resistant, has better grip.

The bottom one is just a luxury I allowed myself lately, I'm a bit ashamed.
It's a hand made Japanese knife, the best paring knife I've ever used by a mile.
I was cooking at a friend's place and he casually handed one to me to peel some garlic.
I fell in love instantly.
When I told him he smiled and said something like "yeah, it's the best paring knife I've tried in my career" (the guy is in his 60s and he used to own a Michelin starred restaurant in midtown Manhattan)

Moki long hunter is the name.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B005DL5U4M/

Hope this helps.

[jennypenny]

We joke about lentils all the time but maybe some of you don't know how to cook them. I had some carrots that were getting funky in the fridge in addition to some leftover spinach, so I made a basic lentil soup last night. It has five ingredients: carrots, onions, garlic, spinach, lentils. (seven if you count the stock and oil)

I make it in a 4L pot so I have enough left to freeze when I'm done. First I cut up an onion and 4 carrots. I normally only add 3 but I was trying to use them up. Cook them in a little oil in the pan until the onions are almost clear and the carrots are soft. Then add a little garlic (I didn't have fresh so used some from a jar).




I always make extra stock when I roast any kind of beast so I usually have some in the freezer to use for soup. If you don't, you can use beef bouillon. Add 12 cups of water to the pan, bring to a boil, then add the boullion and stir a few times. Turn the heat down to simmer and add 2-3 cups lentils depending on whether you like a chunky or brothy soup. I cover the pan and simmer for 45 minutes, or until the lentils are tender. I add the spinach about 5 minutes before serving because I like it fresh. If I'm using frozen spinach, I add it when I add the lentils.



No lectures from all of you budding chefs out there ... I know this recipe is nothing special. That was the point. It's easy and people can add whatever they want to it to make it more interesting. It's just an easy one to try if you don't cook much. Note that this recipe can be made with frozen ingredients or even freeze-dried/dehydrated ones in a SHTF scenario.

[Seppia]

it looks delicious, I love lentils.
May I suggest to try add a couple bay leaves in the mix? I find the flavor goes very well with lentils

[jennypenny]

Mmm, bay leaves sound good. I usually only cook with food I can store easily or grow myself. I'll try it.

I also make the same soup with ginger, red pepper flakes, and my curry powder mix. You can add a splash of soy sauce to the bowl before eating if you like it salty.

[Seppia]

Mmm, bay leaves sound good. I usually only cook with food I can store easily or grow myself. I'll try it.

Bay leaves are very storable (is this a word?) spices/herbs, you can just let them dry in an empty marmelade jar. The key is they have to be stored vertically, and they will dry out perfectly, retaining most of the flavor, only with infinite shelf life.

I also make the same soup with ginger, red pepper flakes, and my curry powder mix. You can add a splash of soy sauce to the bowl before eating if you like it salty.

I'm salivating in front of my PC. It's 4.25pm and I'm at work. This is not normal.

[jennypenny]

These were $.10/lb at the dairy farm, so I'm making several loaves of honey banana walnut bread. I'll share some with neighbors and family that I'll see this week and the rest will go into the freezer. I like having them around at the holidays to give to people.



I've posted pictures of it to flickr before. I'm pretty sure I've posted the recipe too but I can't find it. I'll write it down as I bake (I do this one from memory) and post it later.



That's not a good picture of the final product. I'll try to take a better one tonight. This bread is better if you let it sit at least a day. That rarely happens around here though. It's gluten free and I make it with and without the walnuts for people with allergies.


edit: Here's the recipe .

Notes: This is for two loaf pans. I use GF flour so the whole thing is GF. IMO these taste better the next day. The finished loaf freezes well, but wrap in plastic/cloth and then aluminum before putting into the freezer.

Pull butter and eggs out of the fridge to warm before starting.
Heat oven to 350 and grease or spray pans.
Mash 5 soft bananas. Set aside.
Whisk together 3 cups flour, 1 1/2 tsp salt, 1 tsp baking soda, 1/2 tsp baking powder. Set aside.
In mixer, combine 10 tbl butter, tbl vanilla, 2 tbl honey, and a cup of sugar until creamy.
Add in flour mixture (will be coarse like graham/cornmeal).
Beat 4 eggs in mug, then add to mix.
Add a cup of chopped walnuts. Fold into mix.

Split batter between pans and bake for 45-50 minutes. Cool on rack.

You can add chocolate chips instead but break them up first so they don't sink to the bottom. (Put them in a cloth or plastic bag and smash them a bit with the bottom of a thick glass. You don't want them pulverized, only broken up.)

[jennypenny]

I mentioned balsamic reduction in the other thread. It's a great item to pour onto salads or appetizers to make them look nice and it's so easy. Mix balsamic vinegar and honey (1 cup to 3 tbl). Bring to a quick boil and then turn the heat down and simmer for 15 minutes. I like to reduce the volume by half. It's an attractive dressing. I really like it on steak. I make a big batch (a bottle's worth) and keep it in the fridge.

[Seppia]

Did a quick and easy recipe recently.
Sage and white wine chicken and risotto.

Start by putting a bit of garlic on mid flame:



While it's going, chop up some chicken breast



And some fresh sage



When the garlic is ready



Add the chicken and two thirds of the sage



When it has cooked for a bit, turn the flame to high and add a glass of white wine



Cook until the wine has evaporated.

Next, prepare risotto the easy way as described in previous posts

In short:
boil three cups of broth,
add one cup of rice,
cover and leave simmering 12 minutes
Open and adjust to your liking (it will need another 5 minutes of cooking, add water as needed - you normally won't need any)

When it's almost done, add the remaining sage



Take the risotto off the heat and let rest for 2 minutes, while reheating the chicken.

Win

[jennypenny]

I didn't get the chance to take any pictures, but tonight we had shepherds pie made with lentils instead of ground beef. It's a simple version ... cook the lentils in broth* with diced carrots and mushrooms, peas, salt, pepper, and thyme. Take it off the heat just before the lentils are cooked through. Take a little liquid out to mix up a roux with some cornstarch and add it back to the lentils to thicken the sauce. Pour them into a baking dish, cover with mashed potatoes** and a healthy sprinkling of paprika, and put into a 325 over for 15 minutes.

* I used a leftover beef broth for the lentils and it gave it enough of a meat flavor to make the substitution work.

** I like adding parsnips or rutabaga to the mashed potatoes to give them a little flavor. My mother used to save beet juice and add it when she mashed them. My father liked saving a little liquid from his homemade red cabbage to add to the potatoes when he mashed them.

I never realized my family was so obsessed with mashed potatoes.

[Seppia]

I made candied ginger this last weekend.
Not sure about the great USA, but here in Italy it's something we relate to Christmas time.
Usually we buy it, but I decided to try do it myself.

Buy some ginger



Peel it and clean it (a potato peeler is perfect for the task)



Slice it up thin



Boil it for around 40 mins



Drain it and let cool down for a couple hours in the drainer. It has to go from "wet" to "humid", so it is key that you leave it in the drainer to let the extra water flow out.



Prepare a 60% water 40% sugar syrup, total weight equating the weight of the drained ginger.
Just mix water and sugar and heat up.
Let simmer a bit till all the sugar has dissolved



Next, toss in the ginger



Keep stirring with the flame on mid/low, you have to make all the water either evaporate or be sucked up by the ginger.
Then take the ginger out and let it rest in a wide surface



If you did this correctly, only a little syrup will be left:



Keep it as it makes a phenomenal addition for a plain yogurt or cottage cheese



Let the ginger rest for 24 hours in a dry place.
After this, it should be a little humid and sticky.

Prepare some sugar in a big bowl



Pass the ginger in the sugar and place again on a wide surface





Let rest for another 24-48 hours and enjoy!

[jennypenny]

I'm struggling to imagine what candied ginger tastes like. Looks good.

DD comes homes tonight (if she can get through ATL), and then the cooking and baking bonanza for christmas will begin. I'll try to take some pictures.

[Seppia]

Candied ginger is a very good digestive aid (that's why we do it around Christmas time ).
The taste is a watered down experience of raw ginger: still spicy but not as much, feels easier because of the sugar. While many people can't eat raw ginger, I would say most can eat candied ginger.
The structure is kinda similar to a hard jelly.
It's not the kind of thing you eat pounds of, more like 2-3 pieces at the end of the meal

[J_]

Thanks Sepia! You are presenting your recipies so well.
Ginger is good for me and I will use it and make it as shown.