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  • Showing only topics in ~food with the tag "discussion". Back to normal view / Search all groups
    1. Teach me about biryani

      I was watching this video. The auto-translated subtitles are not great, but I followed along a bit. We tried 15 types of Biryani It made me realise that in the UK I have access to a very limited...

      I was watching this video. The auto-translated subtitles are not great, but I followed along a bit.

      We tried 15 types of Biryani

      It made me realise that in the UK I have access to a very limited selection of biryani. From a supermarket it will look like this: https://www.iceland.co.uk/p/iceland-chicken-biryani-375g/87458.html. I'm missing so much knowledge about an enormous region that covers over a billion people.

      I'd be really interested to hear about biryani, especially regional variations with different ingredients. What things are essential and often missed? What makes a biryani great?

      I'd also love to hear more about delivery - those "handi" ceramic dum cooked to order pots look amazing. There's another video here of an "unboxing" - https://www.youtube.com/shorts/Q5OA4XiGl34 , and the makers have a video here too: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H6nE1Nla3u0

      20 votes
    2. Meat eaters of Tildes - what have you tried to make use more ethical?

      I'm going to start with three questions but feel free to propose your own: What if anything have you tried around finding and using more ethical sources of meat? What cooking methods and recipes...

      I'm going to start with three questions but feel free to propose your own:

      1. What if anything have you tried around finding and using more ethical sources of meat?

      2. What cooking methods and recipes do you use that reduce the amount of meat you eat in a meal?

      3. What vegetarian protein sources do you find palatable and tasty?

      45 votes
    3. Pasta Grannies: A discussion on favorite recipes and pasta advice

      Greetings ~food! Not too long ago, I posted a topic asking for cookbook recommendations and received a flood of amazing recommendations. Thank you all for sharing your favorites; I have expanded...

      Greetings ~food! Not too long ago, I posted a topic asking for cookbook recommendations and received a flood of amazing recommendations. Thank you all for sharing your favorites; I have expanded my collection thanks to that thread! One that has become a quick favorite of mine is Pasta Grannies, although I accidentally grabbed Book 2 and I'm still needing to grab Book 1.

      Something that has dawned on me with that cookbook is the desire to make all the recipes similar to how Ash Ketchum wanted to catch all the Pokémon! The first recipe I made was Rina's Capriccio and oh lordy did it blow my mind how good it was and that I made it! My only complaint was the struggle to just pick one recipe to try and I'm aspiring to make a pasta dish every Sunday now.

      Since there are several recipes from Pasta Grannies between the two books and their Youtube channel, I'm indecisive on what to do next. To all who have dived into their recipes, what are your favorites that are absolute must tries? What are some that might not be worth the effort? I'd love to hear everyone's experience with pasta making regardless if it's a Pasta Grannies recipe!

      23 votes
    4. Cooking starter kits

      If you were to set up someone with a brand new kitchen, what are the components that you would suggest to them for getting that 80% of functionality for 20% of the investment (Pareto Principle)?...

      If you were to set up someone with a brand new kitchen, what are the components that you would suggest to them for getting that 80% of functionality for 20% of the investment (Pareto Principle)? These are especially things that I would consider to be worth a healthy investment as a buy-once-have-it-forever situation. Some things that come to mind:

      A cast-iron pan: high skillcap and can cook almost any type of food
      Stainless Steel Stock Pot: cooks most things stovetop that the pan can't handle
      Chef's Knife: A good quality, sharp knife makes all the difference in the kitchen
      Mason Jars: Preserve food, bring them to bulk stores, drink water out of them... top-tier utility

      Things that are on the fence in my mind:
      desktop blender/immersion blender/food processor: I love all of these appliances, but how important are they? A food processor is maybe the highest utility & makes meal prep way easier. Also unlocks recipes like hummus and salsa.
      a large cutting board: small cutting boards suck, but how high of a priority is upgrading it?

      Let's have a discussion where you state your case for an individual appliance/tool (or argue one of these suggestions) and see what other people have to say!

      Seeing that this is taking off a bit, I'm going to try compiling some of the response data here:

      Level 0 - Starter Kit

      • Stainless Steel Pan (+3)

      • Aluminum Stock Pot (+3)

      • Vegetable Peeler (+3)

      • Plastic Cutting Board (+3)

      • Spoons / Spatulas / Ladles (+3)

      • Chef's Knife (+2)

      • Paring Knife (+2)

      • Serrated Knife (+1)

      Level 1 - Booster Pack

      • Weighing Scale (+4)
      • Baking Trays (+2)
      Level 1a - Cooking I
      • Immersion Blender (+2)
      • Box Grater (+2)
      • Dutch Oven (+1)
      Level 1b - Baking I
      • 2L jug (+1)
      • Measuring Cup (+2)
      • Pain De Mie Tin (+2)
      • Wire Rack (+1)

      Level 2 - Intermediate

      • Instant Read Thermometer (+1)
      Level 2a - Cooking II
      • Food Processor (+1)
      Level 2b - Baking II
      • Immersion Whisk (+2)

      Level 3 - Advanced

      • Cast Iron Pan
      • Mason Jars
      • Air Fryer
      22 votes
    5. For those who partake, what beers have you been enjoying lately and what style are they?

      In the spirit of the whiskey thread I wanted to do the same for beer. What’s the style of the evening or week? I just returned from Indianapolis and IPAs definitely dominate the taps. I’ll drink...

      In the spirit of the whiskey thread I wanted to do the same for beer. What’s the style of the evening or week?
      I just returned from Indianapolis and IPAs definitely dominate the taps. I’ll drink most anything but I’m much more of a wheat guy, myself. Hoegaarden and Weihenstephaner are my go-to’s!

      6 votes
    6. Is the egg market collapsing?

      I just saw eggs at $3.06 for a 36 pack at my local Walmart. Not too long ago a 12 pack was pushing close to $7.00 in my area. What’s up with that? Is the greedy egg price gouging catching up with...

      I just saw eggs at $3.06 for a 36 pack at my local Walmart. Not too long ago a 12 pack was pushing close to $7.00 in my area.

      What’s up with that? Is the greedy egg price gouging catching up with the farms or something?

      Wasn’t sure where to put this one.

      21 votes
    7. Does anyone actually like canned beans?

      Yes, I’m totally serious. If you find a recipe online that includes beans in the ingredients list, chances are that it calls for canned beans. And I honestly don’t know why. Canned beans are...

      Yes, I’m totally serious.

      If you find a recipe online that includes beans in the ingredients list, chances are that it calls for canned beans. And I honestly don’t know why. Canned beans are terrible.

      To be specific I am not talking about flavored beans. Beans in tomato sauce or a sugary sauce for baked or barbecue beans tend to be OK. It’s the unflavored ones that bother me.

      I could only wish that a lack of flavor was the only problem with canned beans, but in addition to that they also tend to have a sharp metallic taste. I don’t even know how that can happen. Canned tomatoes don’t taste that bad. Are they just not cleaning the cans before they put the beans in them?

      We are living in an age where it’s surprisingly common for people to have access to pressure cookers which can cook dry beans en masse within an hour’s time. And the result will be properly nutty, buttery, and creamy like they are supposed to taste.

      I get that canned beans are always going to be more convenient, but they taste so much worse that I honestly don’t think the resulting dish should be called the same thing.

      Am I the only one who feels this way?

      15 votes
    8. Do you have a favorite meal to cook?

      When I have the time, money, and energy, I like cooking proper meals from scratch (as much as is reasonable, anyway). There's one that I like making more than any other, though, and that I've been...

      When I have the time, money, and energy, I like cooking proper meals from scratch (as much as is reasonable, anyway). There's one that I like making more than any other, though, and that I've been making for several years now: pizza. There's nothing quite like a pizza made from freshly rolled dough, a good sauce, and cheese shredded by hand (with none of that cellulose getting in the way), and the smell of the yeast from the dough is wonderful. There's still quite a bit I need to learn to make it better, but I've so far gotten to the point of preferring it over anything you'd get from the popular pizza chains, so I'm pretty confident in what I've managed so far!

      What about you? Do you have a favorite? What meal do you consider your "specialty"? Is there anything in particular that keeps bringing you back to it?

      13 votes