Food!

[callistra]

I am tossing around ideas about cooking in the next few months. I have a number of cuisines I am a little bit confident at, and one cuisine per month, say two nights a week, would really broaden my horizons and get me even more confident in that cuisine!

Plus, as Babalon_93 pointed out, maybe I could learn something on the way.

I can cook in:

Indian
Thai
Chinese
Moroccan/North African
Japanese
Italian

When I feel more able, I will think about this some more. Since this is a learning experience, I am making a template for details for myself. What sort of things would you guys like to know?

Comments

[hkneale.livejournal.com]

Mexican? Quiero cocina Mexicano.

[callistra.livejournal.com]

I really don't have enough Mexican recipes, or reliable websites/books for do Mexican. It did come up (and so did Korean, since I love Bulgogi and spent most of yesterday staring at Korean food blogs) but same for both of them.

If you have any really good websites, now might be a good time to put them forward...

[hkneale.livejournal.com]

I've got a few at home. When I'm back in Perth I'll pull out my cookbook and send you a few.

[callistra.livejournal.com]

....
*gentle hint?*

[hkneale.livejournal.com]

Baked Mexican Bean Dip

2 cans refried beans
1/4 kilo beef mince, browned, and mixed with...
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp garlic powder
1 jar sliced olives, drained
1 c sour cream
1 c shredded cheese
1 jar salsa

Layer in order given, with second can of refried beans on top of beef mince. Sprinkle extra cheese on top of the salsa.

Bake in a 180C oven until bubbly.

---

Chili Con Carne

1 onion, chopped
1/2 kilo beef mince
1 large can of tomatoes
1 can, drained, red kidney beans
1 tbsp cumin
1 tsp chili
1 tsp cocoa powder
salt to taste

Brown onion and beef mince. Add tomatoes, beans and spices. Cover pot and simmer well.

Salt to taste.

---

Guacamole

3 Avocados
1 tsp dried, minced garlic
juice of one lemon
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp chili
salt and pepper to taste
2 tsp sour cream

Mix well, until a smooth consistency is achieved. Serve with any mexican food, or simply scoop up with corn chips.

---

Fresh Salsa
4 fresh tomatoes, peeled
2 jalapeno peppers
2 medium onions
1/2 capsicum
1 clove garlic
bunch fresh coriander
Salt and pepper to taste

Buzz in the food processor until desired consistency. Some like it chunky, some like it smooth.

Serve as a garnish or side to most mexican dishes.

---

Mexican Punch

1 cup sugar
1 cup water
1 cup lemon juice (about 4-6 lemons' worth)
250g strawberries, pureed
alcohol of your choice (optional)

Boil sugar and water together to make Simple Syrup. When cool, blend with lemon juice. Macerate strawberry puree in this syrup overnight. (Strain if you don't like strawberry seeds or lumps.) Blend with 4 cups cold water, to taste.

(Oh, all right. Add some alcomohol if you must. I prefer it virgin, myself.)

---

Taco Salad

1 packet flour tortillas (about 10 or so tortillas)
1 head of lettuce, shredded
300 grams beef mince, fried and stirred through with...
100g tomato paste
1 tsp cumin powder
several tomatoes, chopped
several carrots, grated
a few avocados, cubed
a purple onion, sliced into slivers
a tub of sour cream mixed with...
a packet of Taco Seasoning Mix
jar of salsa
Grated cheese

Preheat oven. Warm tortillas in the microwave. Grease some ovenproof bowls. Lay warm tortillas in ovenproof bowls so the tortillas look somewhat bowl-shaped (albeit with ripples and folds). fill half-way with rice. Bake in the oven until tortillas are crispy (brown is optional).

Remove from oven and allow to cool.

When cool, line with lettuce, and layer with everything else. Serve with a fork and fake Tex-Mex accent.

---

Corn Bread

1 c cornmeal (polenta^[1] will do, if you can't get fine-ground cornmeal)
1 c flour
1 tsp sugar
1 tbsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1/3 c oil (melted butter will do nicely as well)
1 egg, beaten senseless
1 c milk

Preheat oven to 200C. Preheat cast-iron pan in oven.

Combine cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Combine oil, egg and milk, mixing well, then add to dry ingredients. Mix well.

Drop a pat of butter into hot cast-iron pan and allow to melt. Pour in batter and bake for 25 minutes.

^[1]If you do use polenta, pre-soak the polenta in the milk to soften it before mixing up bread. Add polenta in with the wet ingredients, then pour wet into dry and mix well.

---

Navaho Frybread

2 c flour
1 tsp salt
1 c warm water
2 tsp yeast
pinch sugar

Mix salt and flour together. Activate yeast in warm water with sugar. When yeast is active, add to flour and knead well, for at least ten minutes. Let rise. Punch down and knead again.

Form into small balls and press out flat. Fry in hot oil.

Slather various taco-like ingredients on top and eat with fingers.

---

Tortillas

2 1/2 c flour
3 tsp baking powder
2 tsp salt
300g soft butter or lard
3/4 c hot water

Mix flour, baking powder and salt. Cut in butter or lard. Pour in hot water slowly and mix dough well. Shame into small balls and roll out flat. Shallow fry on both sides until light brown spots appear.

Good for soft tacos, burritos, flour enchiladas, tostitos, and more.

---

That should get you started. Let me know if you'd like my recipes for enchiladas, burritos and tamales.

[callistra.livejournal.com]

Oh wow, awesome!
I've been saving this post so I could come back to check it out when I had the time.
:-)
I'd love the other recipes too, though when it comes to making tamales, I'm hoping I can rustle you into coming over!

[mynxii.livejournal.com]

Am very interested.

Have no brain for actual intellectual response, but wanted you to know I tried (and failed). Ummm... prod me. I will give you a real response.

*loves to you*

[callistra.livejournal.com]

LOL
I can't find my slow cooker book.
:-(

I have four slowcookers.
FOUR! Still! I will sort this out later.

[mynxii.livejournal.com]

*lol*

I have punkin and sweet potato in mine, making soup!

[callistra.livejournal.com]

I forgot to give you the actual slow cooker last night.
:-o

[mynxii.livejournal.com]

LOL

At least we managed the book?

[foamiethegreeny.livejournal.com]

I just got a New cook book from my folks for my birthday. 1080 recipes, apparently it's the spanish bible of cooking. Not just spanish food but a good al-round cook book with a spanish bent to it. Yvonne and Ted asked me what I would like, Korea cookbook came to the top of the list. I am not obsessed with food ( sex and booze rates really highly too)!

[callistra.livejournal.com]

Korean is on my hitlist. I want to cook more korean food. It turns out I have nashi in the fridge. If I had meat in the freezer, I'd do bulgogi for dinner....