14
votes
What have you been eating, drinking, and cooking?
What food and drinks have you been enjoying (or not enjoying) recently? Have you cooked or created anything interesting? Tell us about it!
What food and drinks have you been enjoying (or not enjoying) recently? Have you cooked or created anything interesting? Tell us about it!
Homemade noodles are so, so simple and way quicker and easier than you’d think.
Using the same dough recipe, I’ve made udon and some scissor-cut noodles that are sort of like dumplings/gnocchi over the last week.
Mix 2 cups flour with 2 tsp salt, then pour in 1/2 cups water and knead for about 2 minutes. Add water if necessary, but it should be very firm. Let it rest for at least 15 minutes, then shape it (roll and then slice, or just hack off hunks with scissors) and boil for about 3-5 min, until they’re mostly floating.
The scissor cut noodles were used in a cabbage, bell pepper, onion stir fry. The udon went into some brown butter + miso + soy with some spinach.
I could eat chewy noodles every day and die happy.
———
Also, cinnamon cardamom rolls because it’s fall and they’re the best.
Yes! Also try replacing the water with 3 eggs for a softer dough that rolls out into fresh pasta. Boils up in about 15 seconds and tastes way better than dry boxed pasta.
Oh yeah! I made some homemade noodles a few weeks ago, was my first time and it came out so well and wasn’t even hard, I ended asking myself over and over afterwards ‘Why did I not ever try this sooner!?’ And thanks for your recipe, I’m a recipe hoarder so I’ll be taking a screenshot & then saving yours!
I have never made homemade noodles and now I really need to attempt it.
And I would love the recipe for those rolls. I love cardamom.
I use a sort of hybrid between Peter Reinhardt’s recipe from Bread Baker’s Apprentice and Claire Saffitz’s Nyt morning bun recipe. Both are fantastic as they are written so you could just adjust the filling.
I make the dough from BBA, using some vanilla instead of lemon juice and adding about 1 tsp cinnamon and 1 tsp cardamom.
Mix, let rise about two hours, then roll flat (not too thin, or the texture becomes slightly tough instead of deliriously fluffy).
Then for the filling I first brush on brown butter, sometimes with honey (Claire’s recipe), and then spread a mixture of brown sugar (6-7tbsp), cinnamon (1 tbsp), and cardamom (1 tbsp) like the BBA recipe.
Roll it into a log, cut into 12 slices, place them in a buttered casserole dish, and let rise for about 90 min.
Bake at 175C for about 25 minutes.
Then if you want, immediately brush on the remaining brown butter (melted) to make things extra gooey. Or not if you’d rather keep a doughier texture.
Fantastic, I have everything necessary. We've got a cold snap coming this weekend, I feel the need to bake. Thanks!
My partner is trying to figure out gastro problems so "we're" going on the FODMAP diet. I have a history of stomach issues myself so I'm curious to see if it helps. It's been a weird transition for cooking with the huge number of things that are now no go foods. During the first few days I pretty much ate rice + chicken/fish/eggs + acceptable greens. Almost all sauces and a good number of spices are out as well so I've been experimenting to create combinations and sauces that work for me. Soy sauce, vinegar, citrus, and peppers have been my go to and they are turning out... ok. Still more experiments to do!
I'm on FODMAP and Keto, as I get Irritable Bowel Syndrome and severe gastrointestinal, chest, and overall discomfort.
My diet currently consists of eating meat (chicken, beef, pork, lamb, fish, eggs, etc.), vegetables (cauliflower, broccoli, carrots, spinach, radish, etc.), and fruits (avocado, watermelon, pineapple, etc.), and I feel so so so much better. For sauces, I use olive oil with something like balsamic vinegar, cherry vinegar, red wine vinegar, white vinegar, and others. I also use a lot of Indian ground spices (I have a spice box with divisions of all spices) besides normal salt and pepper.
To give you more background about myself, I used to suffer from severe acne, frequent allergies (I could finish 1-2 rolls of tissue papers in a day just blowing my nose into them), poor and loose stool, and so on. My diet during this time consisted of a lot of whole meal or whole grain bread, brown rice, fast food high in carbs and trans fat like burgers and fries, fried chicken, pasta, pizza, and soon. I also frequently ate sweets like cakes, ice cream, cookies, and whatnot. I felt so bad all day.
After doing extensive research, and with the help of a General Practitioner (who was very open to the not-so-science-backed consensus of diet influencing health), I made the switch. And oh my god, my acne all receded, I don't have as much allergies anymore, and my stool is firm and regular now, and I feel better overall.
The key is to add fibre to slow down the uptake of carbohydrates in your digestive system. Fibre throttles how much your liver, intestines, pancreas, and so on have to work, so it also reduces the damage caused by carbs. I used to believe Fibre was the culprit for constipation due to some video I watched a while back, but it is not the case at all! The other key is to eat food not laden with pesticides or insecticides or other toxins. It doesn't matter if you eat organic or not (organic can mean they still use pesticides or insecticides). What matters more is that you eat food that is toxin-free, particularly for fruits and vegetables.
Oddly, doing all this, I tolerate white rice and white bread more than their brown rice and whole meal / whole grain bread counterpart (these latter of which really messed me up, when white rice and white bread were fine, but no pasta and pizza still!).
Changing your diet definitely makes a huge difference. I feel better. My mood is better. My thinking is better. And my energy levels are unbelievable. I never thought I could feel this way.
Thanks for the in depth reply, it's really encouraging to hear! It's only been about a week but I am already feeling less bloated. Possible TMI but I also had a few days of pretty mucusy poops, though hopefully that's normal and out of the way.
That's great advice! I picked up a bunch of ingredients (spicy peppers, tomatoes, vinegar, soy sauce, citrus fruits...) and will spend the evenings this week concocting condiments that I can have. I've noticed that east asian and south asian cooking tends to lend itself better to fodmap than a lot of other cuisines (well minus all the garlic).
I'm finding it hard to find a replacement for bread. I started by leaning heavily on rice and am already kind of sick of it. Corn tortillas have been a godsend. Any suggestions for carbs for breakfast?
Keeping my fingers crossed for a similar outcome to you!
I've been avoiding FODMAPs for years, and it's helped my IBS symptoms a fair amount. I have a number of other health issues impacting my gut indirectly, so I never expected this kind of diet to be a cure-all.
I'm sure you're beginning to realize the horror of not being allowed to eat onion and garlic. To me that is probably the most difficult aspect of the diet. However, I want to point out FODMAPs, being carbohydrates are not soluble in oil - so a properly-prepared garlic or onion oil will actually be FODMAP free. Some brands like FODY, for instance, sell FODMAP-free shallot oil and garlic oil which are very tasty. They don't have the jammy sweetness that the FODMAPs bring, but they do have a lot of the pungency and aroma, which can really add something to the very plain-tasting dishes that the FODMAP diet often requires.
I also want to recommend this other supplement I've been using recently called 'FODZYME'. It's a powder you sprinkle over you food containing enzymes which breakdown certain FODMAPs. In particular, it contains fructan hydrolase, which is not something you are likely to find in your standard digestive enzyme supplement. While this doesn't eliminate the reaction I get from onion and garlic, it does reduce it, so I always have some on hand if the mood strikes me to 'cheat' on the diet. Obviously if you're just starting the diet you shouldn't cheat, but perhaps in the future when you have a better view of things, this might be a tool you'd be interested in.
Wow, thanks for all the info!
Absolutely, and I'll be trying to make some fodmap free garlic oil tonight! I'm mostly surprised how many prepared things have garlic in them already. It's pretty surprising.
I'll also check out 'FODZYME'. Not planning on cheating yet, but I have a friend with a garlic allergy and maybe this can help her as well! Great info!
I'm sure you're following the correct servings and are fine, but just an anedotal heads up about soy sauce that it can trigger fodmap symptoms for me (Im generally sensitive to legumes). For me, cheap soy sauce and shoyu are fine in small amounts (lower soy %) but tamari tends to upset my stomach in small amounts (higher soy %).
Thanks for the heads up! I have a friend who was just offering me tamari as a teriyaki substitute and I'll keep that in mind.
It's soup and stew season, and I'm desperate for new recipes. Give me something good to eat!
I made tonkotsu broth as a soup base for the first time last month. It's time-consuming, but delicious. If you're making hearty food as a pastime, I recommend giving it a try.
I make chicken and vegetable broth quite a bit already, but I've seen what goes into tonkotsu broth and it's a bit much for me. Between work, school, and my family I'm strapped for time! I love soups and stews because I can walk away from them for a while without worry of burning much.
We love stew (and chili and soup) and this has been my go-to, most successful recipe for beef stew so far. It's very customizable, we frequently add in green beans as a veggie option too.
1.5-3lbs beef chuck, trimmed of excess fat and cut into ~1inch pieces
Salt & pepper (freshly ground is better but if not, it's okay)
1 1/2 cups beef broth (or beef bone broth but not stock)
1 cup dry red wine (or sub extra beef broth)
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1/2 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon salt
lots of freshly ground pepper
6 garlic cloves, minced
1 large yellow onion, cut into chunks
4 large carrots (or 5 medium), peeled and cut into 1/2-inch diagonal slices (baby carrots work too, or canned drained carrots added at the end with peas)
1lb Yukon gold potatoes, diced into cubes (or baby potatoes halved)
1/4 cup all purpose flour (or gluten free all purpose flour)
1 cup frozen peas
Steps:
To store: store any leftover stew in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days. It can also be frozen in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months if needed. Ideally defrost overnight in the fridge before reheating.
Here's my absolute favorite fall soup recipe, I start making it as soon as the temperatures drop below 60°F.
Coconut Curry Butternut Squash Soup
1 large Butternut Squash, peeled and cubed
1 medium yellow onion, diced
4 cloves of garlic, minced (but I often put in a whole head, because I <3 garlic)
1 tsp ginger, grated
2 Tbsp red curry paste
2 cups broth (chicken or vegetable)
1 16-oz can coconut milk
juice of 1 lime
salt, pepper, and sriracha to taste
Garnish with pumpkin seeds and serve with warm bread. This soup also freezes extremely well, I like to make a double batch and save half for later!
I made this last night and it was delicious. I was a bit worried about not roasting the squash first but it came out great anyways. The squash taste was perhaps a bit more vegetal and less sweet than what I’m used to with butternut but it ended up suiting the curry and coconut flavor a bit better. You do need way more than two cups of liquid—I ended up using about 6-8 cups of water in total—and since it was all getting puréed I didn’t bother peeling the squash. The leftover squash seeds roasted up nicely and made for a good garnish. I also added lots of fun spices I had in the kitchen to taste. Overall a really cozy and easy recipe that’s also super customizable. Thanks for posting it!
Glad you liked it! I think how much liquid you need must depend on your particular squash; last time I made this I used the standard 2 cups and it turned out so watery I had to make a roux to thicken it up. I always peel them though, so maybe that makes a difference.
I have also tried halving and roasting the squash, but didn't find it worth the extra effort. It wasn't even any easier to scoop the flesh out of the skin afterwards because the rind became really fragile and wouldn't separate cleanly.
I made a pan of baked pumpkin oatmeal that I’ve been reheating for a quick breakfast each morning.
I also made the sour beef for some sour beef and dumplings. The smells while slow cooking the meat took me back to my grandma’s house. Unfortunately it seems like her recipe is lost and I just have to base it on recipes I’ve found online.
That all sounds wonderful, loved to know your recipes but it’s ok if it’s too much of a hassle for you, I’ll just try doing online searches then for baked pumpkin oatmeal AND also the slow cooked sour beef & dumplings (lord I love dumplings!). And sorry that your grandma’s recipe was lost, I don’t have a recipe for my mom’s gigantic meatloaf (family of 6 plus always needing leftovers for meatloaf sandwiches), I’ve made several attempts in the past but I still haven’t quite figured it out yet.
I followed this recipe for the oatmeal. I left out the dried cranberries this time.
https://www.twopeasandtheirpod.com/pumpkin-baked-oatmeal/#wprm-recipe-container-40182
This is the recipe I used for the sour beef. The Baltimore version was brought over by German immigrants so there are lots of versions and variations of sauerbraten around the internet and everyone’s blend of vinegar and spice is a little different.
https://www.food.com/recipe/baltimore-style-sour-beef-and-dumplings-sauerbraten-469964
Thanks for recipe links and added details, looking forward to using them!
We just got the cookbook East by Meera Sodha and have been eating these cabbage okonomiyaki like every day. But everything we've made from it has been so very tasty.
I have her Made in India cookbook and absolutely love her recipes. I've been curious in her other work especially because they are more vegetarian oriented and this was one of them! Funnily enough, I've been wanting to attempt okonomiyaki too.
Thanks for your post had to go then and look up that cook book and also what cabbage okonomiyaki is, have to state that it looks delicious!
I just put a pork shoulder roast in the instant pot with some onions, garlic, herbs, and chicken stock. This is my first try at cooking 4 pounds of meat in one go. Hoping to combat rising deli meat prices ($18/lb for fresh cut roast beef at my local grocery store!) with an alternative cooked at home. Got the shoulder for $3/lb and I'm hoping to slice up the leftovers for sandwiches after having it for dinner tonight.
Whoa that sounds pretty good!
Pork shoulder roast is a fantastically flexible cut. I've made a citrus-based pulled pork variant multiple times now, and will definitely do it again with one of the ones in the freezer. Pozole rojo's amazing too.
Confit everything. Also No Knead Bread. And since I didn’t want to run out and buy a Dutch Oven pot to make confit and/or no knead bread in, I’ve been using my old tried and true crockpot/slow cooker instead. It’s been interesting and I’m happy with it.
What fat are you using to confit? And how are you storing it after use?
Hey thanks for asking.
Sometimes the fat is a cooking oil like olive oil, canola oil, etc, or sometimes it’s a combination of cooking oils and/or fat rendered, if it’s meat in a recipe, while cooking the confit.
And storing is different depending on what was made, ex: if it was confit chicken (or other poultry, or meat like pork, etc) then I prefer to transfer it to Ball jars, the glass kind of jars used to put jellies & jams in etc. I then use their white ‘plastic’ screw top lids (I just prefer them over the traditional metal band lids) and then store in my refrigerator. Though there are probably other types of recepticals one could use, Ball glass jars, for me, were just the easiest to use because I had a lot on hand already.
Simple online searches in your preferred browser for ‘confit recipes’ and ‘How To Confit’ is how I learned about it, and there’s usually tips with the recipes on how to store it, for how long, etc., I bet YouTube has lots of info to get one started as well.
I tried out Dr. Pepper at lunch time, it was not very good.
A couple of months ago I tried Apple Cider and it was horrible. Then I tried Peach Cider, it was bad too.
I haven't had much success with new drinks.
Interesting, are you just branching out or is there a way you're deciding what to try? What is your normal go to taste profile? I'd love to help out if I can!
I presume you're asking about alcohol rather than soda. I don't have much experience with alcohol, we stopped at a place by the highway that specializes in apple based stuff (pies, donuts, ciders, etc) and I decided to buy the bottle of apple cider mainly to see what it's like. A long time ago I was helping a friend move and I was offered a can of Rolling Rock and it was awful. One time while at a Chinese buffet a friend offered me a taste of her Italian beer (it was in a green bottle, I don't remember the name) and it was awful too.
I don't really know what I'm looking for or if I'm really looking; no one in my family drinks (though not due to any moral objection).
I actually meant soda (I had assumed non-alcoholic cider from the Dr. Pepper comment). I have a lot of thoughts, all of which are unsolicited, so feel free to ignore if you want.
On the alcohol front, I get not enjoying most of it. I think it takes a while to enjoy the taste of alcohol because it is so.... unique. It literally tastes for fermentation. For me, getting into making alcohol (wine and beer) really changed my appreciation for the taste. I think when you understand what that yeasty, skunky taste it's more fun. Making Tepache is a great, easy way to start. Why does my drink taste weird, oh yeah malolactic fermentation and spent yeast!
Cider also has a lot of incarnations. Most cider you can get in a store like Safeway is really sweet. Like, really sweet. In many parts of the world it's tart, skunky and very different. Originally i hated the taste, as it tastes a little bit like farts. But now it's my go to when it's available. Beer is similar. Had I not gotten into beer soley as a means of getting drunk as a 18-20 year old, I'm not sure I'd enjoy it now. If you can go through the process of brewing a batch it may warm you to the odd flavors. Also, going into a brewery and asking them to help you find a beer you like can be a great way to get into it. Often times they will see if as a mission to help you like beer because they LOVE it. I'll bet they would let you sample their entire selection and guide you through the process until you hit one that sings to you. Especially if you go off peak hours.
But for soda, man there are so many options. If you like citrus, I think Squirt is a criminally underrated soda. It's prevent in mexican/mexican american communities. Root beer is another great that has notes of Dr. Pepper without being so... strange? If you are European you might find it tastes like cough medicine though. Coke in a glass bottle, again frequently found in latin america and mexican american communities, is completely different from the canned product and about 10x better. It uses sugar cane to sweeten instead of corn syrup and is amazing.
I'm sure you're familiar with a lot of what I've posted but if anything new pops out at you give it a go! I'd love to hear what you think!
Dr. Pepper used to be my addiction, I drank 2-3 cans every day. I've pretty much quit soda completely now though.
I swap between making a big pot of burrito filling and a big pot of stew. Super cheap, delicious with the right spices, and a good amount of protein for my workouts. I need to work to get more vegetables in my diet other than the carrots, onions, and potatoes I put in my stews.
I made the beef stew I posted higher in the thread, and I tried my hand at King Arthur's French-style Country Bread. It tasted good and had good texture! But I accidentally let it rest for twice the max time for the second rest, so it turned out a bit flat. Car service took way longer than expected and my husband missed my messages about the bread.
I also made Skinnytaste's Turkey Pumpkin Chili. We had 2 meals from half and froze the other half for this coming weekend. We love it, it's been a repeat recipe. Last week, I also made the Budget Bytes coconut turmeric chicken soup but doubled the spices and added an extra garlic clove (last time we made it, the spices tasted weak to us). We had it over vermicelli and it was excellent. I think this version is the one we'll stick with, noodles dependent on our mood.