[cook]

[Duddahs]

I bought what is called an elephant garlic. Now when someone posts they use a clove of garlic, am I right to think it's a one portion of it? I just wanted to make sure I was thinking properly.

Another question, how do you keep them? I mean, in the fridge or in a dark dry place like potatoes and onions?


Miss Charlotte, I do like Elephant Garlic when I can find it. It is normally counted as several cloves of garlic of normal size.

Also, I keep mine in a drawer just like my onions.. Just be sure to check on them once in a while and try to use them before they start go grow green from the top then it becomes a bit bitter.

[grandpalovegood]

Thanks... And I've heard that if you cook it too long it will become bitter as well. Anyway, I'm glad that I didn't put it in the fridge. It's been sitting on my counter thusfar.

Here I am up and awake at just after 3am. I'm thinking about getting in the kitchen now to try out some of these recipes. Wish me luck.

[grandpalovegood]

OH I just thought I'd pop in here quickly to say...

Duddah... your chili recipe opened my sinus' I didn't even know I was having any problems. ;D Mmm good and I did hold back on the peppers considerably.

Oh and Rallem... My ex hubby loved your steak recipe. He went home and made it himself.

Then I finally tried that simple cobbler recipe. I used fresh blackberries. Oh it is so good too. I'm so glad I added it to this thread.

got to go. Thanks to you both for posting.

[rallem]

Instructions
Things You'll Need:
• Skewers
• Salt
• Salt
• Chef's Knives
• Chef's Knives
• Roasting Pans
• Roasting Racks
• Salt
• Salt
• 1 5 lb. ducks
1. 1
Preheat oven to 250 degrees F, and place a rack in the center of the oven.
2. 2
Remove the neck and giblets from the duck.
3. 3
Rinse, and pat dry duck.
4. 4
Remove large deposits of fat from the openings of the body and neck cavities.
5. 5
Rub the body cavity and sprinkle the skin of the duck with salt.
6. 6
Pierce the skin of the duck all over in 20 to 30 places with a sharp metal skewer. Hold the skewer almost parallel to the duck while piercing it to avoid puncturing the duck meat. You only want to pierce the skin.
7. 7
Place the duck breast-side down on a rack in a roasting pan.
8. 8
Roast duck for 3 hours, pricking the skin every so often a few times with the skewer.
9. 9
Drain the fat out of the roasting pan after the 3 hours, and then turn the duck breast-side up.
10. 10
Increase oven temperature to 350 degrees F, and roast for 45 minutes more.
11. 11
Remove the duck to a platter, and let stand 10 minutes.
12. 12
Serve.

Another well known way to roast a duck is to invite all of its friends and family to a banquet where the duck will be grilled by famous comedians with humorous anecdotes about the duck’s life with its accomplishments and failures where all stories will be somewhat embarrassing to the duck. Finally the duck will thank all of the comedians and give a parting speech. Both methods of roasting a duck take about 3 hours including commercial breaks and in the end nobody can really understand what the duck was trying to say, but method one produces a more flavorful duck so that is the method I recommend.

[grandpalovegood]

You know.. I have not had Duck in years. I love dark meat and was the only one at home who did. This is the second duck recipe posted for the House Elf Cookbook. I might just try both.

To be honest.. I love all of this experimenting.... finding out if I can pull something off. I'm actually liking spending time in the kitchen.

Thanks guys.


missing fangsfan's sweets posts.
How funny each of us seem to post certain types of recipes here. It makes for a well rounded cookbook huh? I think it's time for me to dig something out to post too.

[grandpalovegood]

Hey guess what? i46.TP .com/2cke8k.gif[/img]

I"m going to have to relearn how to can food once more. I am still eating on this chili... yep I even froze what I did not eat after a few days and it's still good thawed and reheated. I need to make it last in a home canning jars for smaller portions.

OH and with the way I have been feeling this past week or so... (like someone slapped a wet fish on my face. UGH!) Whenever I haveproblems with my sinuses, all of my life I've always reached for the raw onions.... the pepperoncini's... Usually that is as hot as I can stand... but when they make my nose sweat... I can breathe so much better. It sure beats taking medication too if I can help it. This chili has been perfect.. Heats me up from the inside. For the past couple of days, I've been running my backwards fever... uh... my temp drops when I'm not well. This helped a lot. Hey... I didn't have any chicken soup. Come to think about it, I could have made some on my own. I have chicken in the freezer. Oh well... I'm feeling much better.

Oh and thanks for posting the recipe.

[grandpalovegood]

Dec 3, 2010 12:12:42 GMT -6 fangsfan1 said:

Do any of you have recipes that you can make by heart without looking at the instructions? I have two muffin recipes that I make all the time that I can do that with but nothing else-I always admired people who can do that.
I want to post my almond crescent recipe that I make for Christmas-hopefully this weekend. (post it I mean not make them yet!)

HEY.... were either of those muffin recipes ones you have posted here?

I"m getting pretty good at making that one I learned recently... the cobbler one that I have a link with. I've made the blueberry one twice now and th blackberry one once. It's so easy to make... and fun to eat. My daughter got mad at me the other day when it was dissappearing too quickly. Yep, I had to have a bite or two each time I went into the kitchen. I wonder what sort of fruit ingredients I can put in it? So far, I have yet to try frozen fruit. I'll have to try peaches or something then get back here to report.

Still, if you have not already shared with us your muffins (I know you have posted a couple already , but not too sure if they were the ones you were referring to in THIS quote you made a while back.) Please... we would all like to hear it. I really like muffins for breakfast.

[Rom The House Elf]

*snickering like a gremlin who's eaten after midnight*

He makes his way out from under the desk... The office once more is dark. He scratches his head and shrugs his bony shoulders. He drags the office chair over to the cork board to see what goodies he may find....

"Ooo! That one looks to be good." he thinks to himself.

He wipes his nose on the back of his arm then quickly snatches down the little piece of paper with a recipe written upon it.

POOF! Off he goes with this in his grubby little hands....


(submitted by Fangsfan)

Easy Fill Drop Cookies

Mix 2 cups brown sugar with 1 cup shortening.
Add: 2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
a little milk if needed (I have never needed the milk)

Sift: 3 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp soda
1/3 tsp cinnamon

Mix flour mixture with sugar, shortening and eggs.
Drop 1/2 teaspoon dough on greased cookie sheet. Top with 1/2 teaspoon jam or jelly-your choice of flavor. Then top that with another teaspoon of batter.

Bake 7 to 8 minutes in 375 degree oven.

[grandpalovegood]

I have some chicken breasts.... and some fresh sliced mushrooms. Let's see what I might make with them?

i50.TP .com/1jvukn.gif[/img]

Hmmm? I guess something else would be better for dinner tonight. Better referr to the House Elves cookbook or steel something from Harry's cookbook.

[grandpalovegood]

I bought a new steamer not too long ago. I've only just now decided to take the time to learn how to use it. I've been wanting to do something more healthy for myself. I've been taking a multi vitamin and a friend suggested I take B12 too. Since then my life has changed. I feel so much better. Problem is, I've never really been one to take pills. I've always preferred to eat foods that will give me the things my body needs. It's more natural. So I bought a steamer. I've heard good things about them... better for you, keeps the vitamins in the food and not cooks them away. And I've always loved rice.

So far it's made the best Corn on the cob I've ever had. I cooked baby carrots in it this morning and the flavor is so much livelier. Everything is true so far.

I love rice and tried to cook it last night. Turns out that I have to buy a special steamer just to steam rice. How crazy is that? I looked things up online and that seems to be the case. The one's I've seen that does rice looks to be made from bamboo or something the like. I figured all steamers were alike. Guess not.

Anyhow, I'm loving the rest of the food I'm preparing in it.

[Duddahs]

Miss Charlotte,

Sounds like you have a ton of great cooking ahead of you.

As if this were not enough, Duddahs was on Vacation and happened to stop by B.J.'s in Newport RI and some how walked out of the store with a new Quesenart extra large stainless steel crock pot and a Waring deep fryer.

Always wanted a deep fryer, and with this one you can use either two small baskets or one large one. I bought a huge container of peanut oil to go with it.

Looks like some experimenting is in Duddahs future too. Maybe Miss Charlotte can make some Black Rice and Duddahs will make the deep fried chicken?
g

[grandpalovegood]

I finally figured out how to cook old fashioned sweet potatoes the way my mom used to..

simple old fashioned sweet potatoes

Wash and dry them. Just poke a fork into them a few times then on a foil lined baking sheet pop them in the oven. 375 degrees for about 45 minutes to an hour.

Slice them open and top them with brown sugar and butter if you like.

Time for me to wander off an partake of some goodness.

mmmm.

[Duddahs]

Jul 28, 2011 14:20:29 GMT -6 grandpalovegood said:

I finally figured out how to cook old fashioned sweet potatoes the way my mom used to..

simple old fashioned sweet potatoes

Wash and dry them. Just poke a fork into them a few times then on a foil lined baking sheet pop them in the oven. 375 degrees for about 45 minutes to an hour.

Slice them open and top them with brown sugar and butter if you like.

Time for me to wander off an partake of some goodness.

mmmm.

Duddahs loves Sweet Potato's and eats them all the time. Especially with Pork Chops!

He does them the cheating way... Pokes them with a fork all around, places them on a papertowel in the center of the Microwave, cooks on high for 18 minutes, takes out, slices down the center puts a tab of Olivio , salt and pepper and eats till there is nothing left but the skin... C.J. likes the skin! Also loves the Pork Chop bones if I don't get boneless chops.

Your Mom's recipe is how my mom makes them too Miss Charlotte except she only uses butter salt, pepper.

[grandpalovegood]

sweet potoatoes with pork chops? Hmm now there is a thought. How do you prepare those chops?

.....

I came in here today just now to post my breakfast... I don't think it's a southern one but one that is a fammily tradition to say the least.

Canteloupe and Buttered Biscuits
Mom would peel, clean and slice canteloupe, set it aside until the biscuits are finished cooking.

While hot you MUST butter the biscuits or use the equivalent I'd guess. We use margarine.

Now to get the full effect of eating this meal, you MUST take a small bite of both the cantaloupe AND the buttered biscuit and chew them up together. It's like an explosion of flavors that is wonderful. Now if you take a bite and eat one at a time... not chewed up together, for some reason it's nothing close to having the same experience. Don't ask me why, it's just a weird thing.

now I run off to finish my breakfast for a few minutes.

[Duddahs]

Aug 17, 2011 9:22:25 GMT -6 grandpalovegood said:

sweet potoatoes with pork chops? Hmm now there is a thought. How do you prepare those chops?

My two favorite ways of preparing Pork Chops are this.

1. Wash Chops and pat dry. Sprinkle on both sides liberally ADOBO seasoning, Grill on outdoor grill.

2. Wash Chops and pat dry. Sprinkle on both sides liberally Cajun Seasoning and grill on outdoor Grill.

I also enjoy coating the chops with egg then dredging in Panko Crumbs that are seasoned with Salt, Pepper, Paprika, Cayenne Pepper and Adobo Seasoning with a little extra Garlic powder and extra Onion Powder as well as dried Parsley flakes. Then bake for about 20 minutes depending on the thickness. Always heat to 155 to 160 degrees F.

[grandpalovegood]

Wow... you like them spicy. Sounds good to me.

My favorite way is to sprinkle them heavily with my favorite Garlic Salt blend spice (McCormick, California Style coarse ground blend Garlic Salt with Parsley.) bake that in the oven at 350 degrees until done... never overcook.. that dries it out.

OR recently someone showed me you can cook this in a skillet much faster. Then I like to use a bit of chicken stock to keep it from drying out... just a bit to keep it moist. I sometimes sprinkle my spice from above on it... but recently I've been doing that plain... OR with barbecue sauce. Your favorite.

[Duddahs]

The other day, I mentioned to Miss Charlotte that I had been making Summer Pea Soup for dinner. It is a bit different from the heavy Winter or Autumn Pea Soup I so love to make. I decided to share it here with you all.

I go to the grocery store and buy a very large can of Chicken Stock and one large can of Vegetable stock. (I buy it instead of heating up the house making it myself and it is easier too for this recipe and just as good as my own).

I take 2 1 pound bags of YELLOW not green but YELLOW split peas and rinse them well.

1 very large Vidalia Onion thrown into the food processor to make it almost a liquid mush.

I also take 2 cloves of garlic and run it over a grater to turn it into a paste. Do not chop, it really needs to be a paste.

Put the 2 large cans of broth into a very large pot, at least an 8 quart pot.

Bring to boil and then add the Onion and the garlic,

Add 4 dry bay leaves or 2 fresh bay leaves.

Take 2 Carrots, wash well but leave with the skin on. Using a grater, grate the carrots right over the pot to very small shreds.

Now add the rinsed YELLOW spit peas

1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper.

Take 8 slices of Low Sodium Low Fat Cold Cut Ham, and dice into very small pieces. I get Croatian Ham at my local butcher since they are Croatian and boy can I tell you that it is both inexpensive and good! $3.50 a pound everyday.

Lower heat to low and cover.

Stir very often to keep from sticking to bottom of the pan and simmer for about 4 hours.

During the last half hour of cooking the soup, add diced Zucchini, Yellow Squash, and Cauliflower.

Serve with French Baguette bread and a small bowl of Extra Virgin Olive Oil with seasonings of your choice.

Enjoy!

This really is a very easy dinner and makes even better leftovers.

You can substitute Frozen Veggies of Zucchini and Cauliflower/ Squash if you are in an area that does not have great fresh produce but it will make it just that much better if you do use fresh.

[grandpalovegood]

I've never heard of YELLOW peas before. I'm gonna look the next time I go to the store to see if we have any. This looks pretty easy, and it sounds like it would be good.

=====================================

The other day a friend of mine and I were talking about home made chili recipies. That got me to thinking about my crock pot. So I Googled recipies to see what I could find. I found this one and liked it due to the fact it leaves pleanty of room for your own taste... For instance, when it calls for an 1/8th teaspoon of your favorite hot sauce... This means depending upon who you are... how hot you like things or how mild... or for some like me, I like to straddle the line... not bland but just enough to give it some kick and NOT my nose hairs. I was able to choose what I like best. I only had one problem. I had to leave out one of the ingredients since I didn't know what cannellini beans were nor could I find it in the store here. Anyhow... This is what my research found and BOY WAS IT GOOD.

Slow Cooker Chili II

"The slow cooker is a great way to make chili. This beefy chili is packed with beans, veggies, and spice."

Prep Time:15 Min
Cook Time:8 Hrs
Ready In:8 Hrs 15 Min

Ingredients
1 pound ground beef
3/4 cup diced onion
3/4 cup diced celery
3/4 cup diced green bell pepper
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 (10.75 ounce) cans tomato puree
1 (15 ounce) can kidney beans with liquid
1 (15 ounce) can kidney beans, drained
1 (15 ounce) can cannellini beans with liquid
1/2 tablespoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon dried parsley
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon dried basil
3/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon hot pepper sauce

Directions
Place the beef in a skillet over medium heat, and cook until evenly brown. Drain grease.
Place the beef in a slow cooker, and mix in onion, celery, green bell pepper, garlic, tomato puree, kidney beans, and cannellini beans. Season with chili powder, parsley, salt, basil, oregano, black pepper, and hot pepper sauce.
Cover, and cook 8 hours on Low.


It's great to have started in the morning and then come home to when you are off work. It smells the house up real yummy like.

==========================================

Funny... because when I actually got online to look up stuff on Google... I started out trying to find recipies for me to use in my new double boiler steamer. I've never had one before and it did not come with a recipe book that at least lets you know what sorts of things it could be used for. I figured meals but I mostly found frostings, puddings, fondue's and the like. I thought I could cook a meal with it. It does show carrots or asparagus in the picture. Does anyone else have any suggestions I could use it for for meal type foods?

[Duddahs]

Grandpa Duddahs Meatballs for the Masses

This is a Duddahs Italian Chef's Grandfathers persona no fry Meatball recipe (if you wish, you can fry them for 8 minutes turning once till golden brown in light olive oil over medium high heat and then add to the sauce instead of baking in the oven for 30 minutes at 350 degrees)

This recipe is meant to be huge so you can freeze bags and bags for quick dinners anytime.


3 Pounds Ground Beef
3 Pounds Ground Pork
2 Large Sweet Onions Pureed in a food processor or food mill
8 cloves of fresh Garlic, grated to a paste using a nutmeg grinder wand or similar type of grating device.
1 Cup freshly or dried chopped Parsley
Half cup freshly or dried Sweet Basil
8 Eggs
4 Cups of Seasoned Bread Crumbs
2 Cups Grated Parmesan Cheese
2 Cups Milk
1/8 teaspoon finely ground black pepper
1 teaspoon finely ground Salt
1 Tablespoon Olive Oil

For Sauce to cook meatballs in before bagging;

2 large 2 pound cans of Cento brand Tomato Puree
1/3 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 teaspoon Black Pepper
1 Tablespoon Salt
8 Basil Leaves or 1/4 cup dried chopped basil
1/2 cup dried chopped parsely or freshly chopped parsley
1 finely chopped large sweat onion
4 finely chopped or pasted cloves of garlic
1 tablespoon rosemary
1 teaspoon oregano


In a very large soup pot saute the Onions and garlic over medium heat in the Olive Oil.

Once Onions are translucent add all the green herbs, salt and pepper to the onions and stir for a minute just to release their flavor.

Add the two large cans of Cento brand Tomato Puree and then heat over medium heat stirring often until the sauce begins to bubble.

Once the sauce begins to bubble a little, turn down to medium low heat and cover and now you are ready to prepare your meet balls.


Now to prepare the Meatballs


In a very large mixing bowl or if you do not have a very large mixing bowl you can always use a large soup pot to place the ingredients into.


Take 3 pounds ground beef and 3 pounds ground pork and allow to come to room temp.

Take all 8 eggs and place in a large bowl and whisk with a fork or whisk until completely blended. Pour the eggs over the meat which has not been mixed but allowed to sit in the bowl to warm to room temp.

Now preheat your over to 450 degrees F.

Add all of the green herbs, onions, garlic, milk and oil, Salt and pepper to the meat. Still do not mix.

Now add the Parmesan Cheese over all of this.

Pour Bread Crumbs over the top of the entire contents of the bowl and now with your hands dig right in and lightly mix the contents until it is uniformly mixed throughout. Please do not over mix or over process the mixture or your meatballs will become too hard and the mixture harder to work with.

On 3 large non stick baking sheets place the meatballs evenly in rows alternating so they do not line up but go between each other row of meatballs, this allows better heating throughout.

Placing the meat in the palm of your left hand, roll into a 2 inch across meat ball. Be sure not to over roll or the meatballs will become tough.

Continue this and you should make between 100 and 125 meat balls.

Once they are all made and placed on the trays, put them on the racks of your oven and promptly lower the heat to 350 degrees F, set the timer for 35 minutes.

Now stir sauce again to insure no sticking to the bottom of the pan. It should be bubbling but not over boiling.

Once the meatball timer has gone off, remove and if they are just lightly browned place them directly into the Tomato Sauce. If the meatballs are just a Grey color add an additional 5 minutes to cooking time in oven.

Once all of the meatballs have been added to the sauce, this may take two or three oven bakings depending upon if you have a small oven or a double oven. Continue to cook all of the meatballs in the tomato sauce for 3 hours over medium low heat.

After 3 hours, turn off the sauce/meatballs and remove the top of the pot and allow all to cool to a tempt that you can handle comfortably.

Now while you are waiting for your meatballs to cool down a bit in sauce, stiring often to bring the heat from the sauce to the top to cool quicker, go and clean out a section in your freezer.

This may mean you have to eat a pint of Ice Cream while you are waiting. Oh darn shucks what a shame.

Once cooled, place 8 meatballs and a ladle of sauce into each Zipper Lock freezer bags and place on freezer.

Now you have meatballs for tonights dinner and for many more dinners to come when you just do not have the time to make these wonderful meat balls.

Duddahs also likes to take 2 pounds of Sweet Italian Sausage and 2 Pounds of Spicy Italian Sausage, cut into 3" sections and place into the pot with any sauce that has not been used for bagging the meat balls.

You do not have to fry or anything, just cook those sausage for about 1 hour in the sauce and then bag just like the meatballs and you are ready for any event to come... These make fantastic quick Meatball/Sausage grinders by using a large loaf of Chibatta Bread, and putting a few slices of Provolone Cheese over them and wrapping the meat laden bread in Aluminum foil and baking for 15 minutes.

[fangsfan1]

Today we celebrated my birthday. My sister was making a chocolate cake and writing Happy BIrthday in green frosting.I asked her if it was because green is my favorite color and she told me "all will be revealed." When I opened my presents, one of them was the Harry Potter Cookbook! I was excited because I've heard you guys talk about it but never found it in stores. '
Then I found out my sister had read the recipe for Harry's first birthday cake that Hagrid gave him and decided to make that recipe. That was why the green writing. The funny thing was she picked out some other little decorations to put on it-a little umbrella with spiders on it, a candy spider and a candy pumpkin.I told her they all fit Hagrid, and she said she had no idea, she just thought they were cute! The cake was delicious too-I just had to come here and share that story.