Recipes - I am SOOOOO hungry!

[rickztahone]

And here I am, state on the coast with a big seafood culture and not a huge fan of seafood....I do like the hush puppies though!!! Give me steak, all of the steaks. Raw to Medium rare, don't really care which cut. And it doesn't always have to be beef (love Bison). A big slab of London Broil or Prime Rib cut right off the bone would be excellent. Sides don't matter, any sort of potatoes/rice/etc and broccoli/asparagus/some type of green beans.

If we are talking snack though, it's hard to resist a bag of boiled peanuts bought from the side of the road. Pair it with some lemonade and you've made me happy.

Never tried boiled peanuts, and I believe I may have had a discussion with someone on the forum about them in the past. I have to try them sometime but no one offers it here in Cali . Maybe I should get a boiled peanuts stand going!

Good thread - wonder if it's appropriate to get something going again with recipes ? - I remember we did some neat things with recipes a while back - Brandon was involved - Liz got involved too, and she came up with a real good recipe, if I recall correctly.

If you got the recipes, by all means, please share them. I learned to cook simply because A) My mom told me, every wife wants a husband who cooks, and B) I knew my kids would hate to eat scrambled eggs day in day out, lol. Not the greatest cook mind you, but I do love to cook. In fact, when Matt started talking about steaks, I remembered a medium rare stake I had after a photoshoot. It was a 30 day aged Domonico stake. Now I'm hungry all over again....

[Discus-n00b]

Boiled peanuts are one of those things you either love or you hate, there is no grey area from everyone I've seen that try them. I might have some with me at NADA. Jim hooked me up with a bag from his house at the last NADA show because we were talking about it, I need to return the favor.

Hard to beat a legit Moroccan couscous plate or kebab in the country itself too. Not as easy to come by though.

[Keith Perkins]

Since everyone's drooling over seafood, don't forget one of the two restaurants at the Westin where the NADA show is is Holy Mackerels.

[mee]

Lau Lau, Real Lau Lau made by real Hawaiian's family style in Hawaii. Had decent Lau Lau outside Hawaii, but only because with the basic ingredients it will always be tasty... BUT, the real deal is the best food on this planet.

FYI my first job was an apprentice chef at an intercontinental in Mexico... so I know a thing or two about awesome food

Close runner ups would be a good Mexican Cocktail with shrimp and abalone and big chunks of perfectly ripe Avocado in there. Or some good Ceviche.

My families traditional Borsht with huge pieces of beef and potato (hot not cold), topped with sour cream and some johnny's seasoning salt.

Crawfish boiled with corn and onions. We do them right in the NW too btw, and have some very clean rivers to get them from. Here in Japan unfortunately they have them, but almost always in not so clean ponds. Locals catch them for fun, but have no idea how tasty them critters are. Actually me and my son watched some high school girls catching them last week with dried squid strips, and then watched a crow steal the bag of squid. I helped scare it and they got the bag back =)

[discuspaul]

If you love scallops, here's a must try recipe for Scallops Vera Cruz ! -
The secret is in the very simple, but delicious Cool Green Chili Sauce:

Here's what you'll need:
- 4 to 6 Jumbo Sea Scallops per person - (try this for 4 persons - so, say 20 Scallops)

Rub for the Scallops:
- 1/2 tspn or so, each of:
- Chili Powder
- Paprika
- Kosher Salt
- Ground Cumin
- Dried oregano

Green Chili Sauce:
- 1 large Anaheim Pepper (or Poblano Pepper)
- 2 green onions roughly chopped (root ends discarded)
- 1/3 cup chopped parsley ( or cilantro if preferred)
- 1 small garlic clove
- 1/3 cup sour cream
- 1/3 cup mayonnaise
- Finely grated zest of 1/2 lime and it's juice
-1/4 tspn. kosher salt

Anaheim ( or Poblano) Pepper:
- slice out the stem end - cut in half lenfthwise - discard interior ribbing & seeds - lightly oil the Pepper and place both halves skin side up on an oven proof tray and bake @ 400 for approx. 15 mins. or so until somewhat blackened (Turn on broiler element for last 2 mins. to hasten/finish the blackening).
Place the Pepper halves in a paper bag to cool, then remove meat from outer blackened skin(discard skin) & roughly chop up the pepper meat.

Place the baked Pepper parts along with all the other sauce ingredients (green onions, garlic, parsley, sour cream, mayo, lime zest & juice, salt) in a food processor or blender, & process to make a fairly smooth sauce - & refrigerate till ready to plate with the sautéed jumbo scallops.
(Add a little water or lime juice if sauce is too thick).

Pan-fry the scallops (coated with the above rub) over med-high heat (in a bit of veg oil & butter) until well-browned, turn over and brown the other side. (2-3 minutes or so each side).
Place a heaping spoonful of the refrigerated chili sauce unto each plate & spread around sufficiently to accommodate placing the 5 scallops for each person unto the sauce.

Serve with cooked basmati rice & whatever favorite side veg dishes you might want - along with a glass of chilled white wine, and enjoy !! Try it, you'll love it & want to have it again - guaranteed !

[LizStreithorst]

I love to cook. I have lots of excellent recipes from meat loaf to dolmas. The best advice I can give anyone who wants to cook well is to never throw away a bone, a chicken carcass, or a seafood shell. The difference between a homemade stock and the crap you buy in a box is huge.

[rickztahone]

Paul, I WILL try this.

Matt, post your peanut recipe

[discuspaul]

Paul, I WILL try this. Matt, post your peanut recipe

Please do so, Ricardo, you'll be addicted !

And yes, Matt - post your peanut recipe.

Anyone else have a recipe to post ?

How about you Liz, I've been looking for a GREAT meatloaf recipe - do you have one ?
I haven't found a real good one yet.

[Discus-n00b]

Oh I don't cook them myself usually. I stop at one of the many little roadside stands people setup out of the back of their truck and get them, like you'd do with fruit or firewood. Not sketchy at all! They'll usually be in a ziploc or small paper bag. Caviar of the south!

All you need is water, salt, and raw in-shell peanuts! Salt amount varies, I've seen 1/2 cup all the way up close to 2 cups (I think this is generally for 3-5lbs raw peanuts). I prefer them salty, it would be regret if you go to eat them and they are not salty enough. Depends on pot size, how much you are cooking at once, and amount of water I guess. You can always change it up during the process as you will be cooking for ~3 hours probably (give or take depending on freshness of peanuts). Scoop some out while they are cooking, you need to check tenderness anyway, check salt while you are at it!

It really is a pretty tailor made process for each person. People add salt at certain times, people boil at certain times, etc but the general process is:
-Take your peanuts, rinse/wash them until water runs clear
-Add them to a pot with plenty of water and mix in your salt (some people soak/brine their peanuts before this as well)
-Bring to boil then simmer for around ~3-4 hours stirring every so often and top off any water
-Remove once peanuts and shells are soft
-Drain then eat and enjoy warm or cold!

I know some people don't add their salt and seasonings until about halfway through when the shells and nuts start getting soft. You can add any seasoning you want. Cajun flavored is becoming popular, add some spice to it. I prefer plain ones myself, just salt for me. Not a very technical guide but like I said, people vary it so much that it really is a fluid process.

[mee]

I love to cook. I have lots of excellent recipes from meat loaf to dolmas. The best advice I can give anyone who wants to cook well is to never throw away a bone, a chicken carcass, or a seafood shell. The difference between a homemade stock and the crap you buy in a box is huge.

What Liz said. I would add, carrot ends, tougher outer onion layers you normally toss, and really any bits and pieces of veggies, and yes, meat bones, shells, fats, etc.. etc.... Been a long time since I made a good soup stock, you got me thinking it's about time Liz.

[discuspaul]

Yeah Liz - I'm still waiting for your meat loaf recipe - I haven't found a real good one yet, and I've been looking a long time - so please share your recipe with us.

And Matt, I get the message about how to do the peanuts properly - I'm going to try it - cause I really liker the saltiness in peanuts.

[LizStreithorst]

Mix together 3/4 lb ground chuck, 1/4 lb ground pork (I often use choriso or Ctalian sausage instead), 1/2 c onion, 1/2c green pepper, 1/3 c quick cooking oatmeal, 8 oz salsa, and 1 egg. form into loaf.
For topping mix together 1/3 c ketchup, 2 tablesppons brown sugar, 1 tablespook good mustard. Slather over top of loaf and bake at 375 for 1 hour.

[rickztahone]

Mix together 3/4 lb ground chuck, 1/4 lb ground pork (I often use choriso or Ctalian sausage instead), 1/2 c onion, 1/2c green pepper, 1/3 c quick cooking oatmeal, 8 oz salsa, and 1 egg. form into loaf.
For topping mix together 1/3 c ketchup, 2 tablesppons brown sugar, 1 tablespook good mustard. Slather over top of loaf and bake at 375 for 1 hour.

That sounds yummy. I've never cooked something like that. I always thought meatloaf would have to cook for a really long time.

[discuspaul]

Mix together 3/4 lb ground chuck, 1/4 lb ground pork (I often use choriso or Ctalian sausage instead), 1/2 c onion, 1/2c green pepper, 1/3 c quick cooking oatmeal, 8 oz salsa, and 1 egg. form into loaf.
For topping mix together 1/3 c ketchup, 2 tablesppons brown sugar, 1 tablespook good mustard. Slather over top of loaf and bake at 375 for 1 hour.

Sounds real good, Liz - Thanks. I'll try it with both of Chorizo or the Italian sausage - bet it really adds flavor - and I've never used oatmeal before, always Panko bread crumbs - so I'll try that too.

Quick note for all of you who want to try the Scallops recipe, and may not know that most scallops (whether fresh or frozen) still have a small tough muscle piece attached to the side of each scallop - you can't miss it - they should be removed & discarded. Some scallop packers remove them for sale, but it seems most do not.

[rickztahone]

Sounds real good, Liz - Thanks. I'll try it with both of Chorizo or the Italian sausage - bet it really adds flavor - and I've never used oatmeal before, always Panko bread crumbs - so I'll try that too.

Quick note for all of you who want to try the Scallops recipe, and may not know that most scallops (whether fresh or frozen) still have a small tough muscle piece attached to the side of each scallop - you can't miss it - they should be removed & discarded. Some scallop packers remove them for sale, but it seems most do not.

I've also never cooked scallops and that is a good tip! I would have never known to remove that