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Outside the dugout: What's cooking?

Discussion in 'Diamond Gators' started by GatorLurker, Jul 28, 2016.

  1. GatorLurker

    GatorLurker GC Hall of Fame

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    Do you go all the way and use lard instead of oil?
     
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  2. 74nole

    74nole GC Hall of Fame

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    No—we use peanut oil. Milk, salt, pepper, and season-all salt—a couple of eggs whisk into it-let the chicken soak in it then roll the pieces in self-rising flour and fry.

    If Mama did something else I don’t remember it……
     
  3. GatorLurker

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    Last night I made pork and mustard greens soup with Sichuan peppercorns and rice noodles. It was great. Sichuan peppercorns are kind of hard to find and not all Asian markets carry them. And they are not really peppercorns. They are the dried berries from a prickly ash tree. Very distinctive flavor and gives a mouth numbing effect that some find off putting but I find to be part of the experience. For a few years (1968 to 2005) it was illegal to import them because they could carry citrus canker, but now all import restrictions are lifted.

    Tonight I am making chicken tagine with cous cous. Any excuse to use fennel.
     
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  4. GatorLurker

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    Back in my youth when we visited the family dairy farm north of Green Bay and I was part of the chicken plucking task force they always used lard for frying chicken. It gave a deeper flavor but probably really bad for you unless you worked like a farmer from before dawn to sundown. My great grandfather used to eat lard sandwiches for lunch when working the farm according to my grandmother.

    I use lard but only for making blocks for feeding birds.
     
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  5. 74nole

    74nole GC Hall of Fame

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    I grew up with Mama and both of my Grandmas frying with lard-then they got “citified” and were using Crisco shortening-then peanut oil.
     
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  6. GatorLurker

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    I like to fry in safflower oil. It has a really high smoke point (you can get it really hot before it smokes) and has a neutral flavor. Avocado oil is also really good.
     
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  7. 74nole

    74nole GC Hall of Fame

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    You know I have found over the years if you’re hungry for hotdogs but don’t want to fire the grill up-rather than just boiling them in water (ugh) if you’ve got some fresh bacon grease roll’em around in the frying pan like that-you won’t be disappointed. But then anything you roll around in fresh bacon grease ought to be good!
     
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  8. GatorLurker

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    This is going to sound really bad but I sometimes microwave a Hebrew National hotdog in my microwave for 40 seconds.

    Hebrew National is my second favorite hotdog. My first choice is Vienna Beef but I can't get that in Gainesville. That is the real Chicago dog hotdog. There is a place in Cedar Key that makes Chicago dogs close to perfection and it is a store that mostly sells tourist crap.

    One time for Christmas a friend of ours sent us a Chicago dog kit with all the correct items. Poppy seed buns and neon green pickle relish included. Going back to my youth stuff. It was great.

    I really don't miss deep dish pizza from Chicago, but I do miss Chicago dogs and Italian beef sandwiches. Actually my favorite deep dish pizza is from Urbana-Champaign. We have gotten close to making a correct Chicago Italian beef sandwich but to really do it right we would need a deli slicer and we don't have the storage space for something like that when we would hardly use it. We make something like a "pulled" beef version that tastes right but doesn't have the same texture.
     
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  9. GatorLurker

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    Tonight is rapini (also known as brocolli rabe) with sweet Italian sausage and penne.
     
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  10. GatorLurker

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    Tonight I have defrosted three frozen chicken enchiladas that we made with a green sauce for myself, my lovely wife, and my MIL. I am making dirty rice for my picky eater son that for some reason doesn't like chicken enchiladas.

    Thinking that is not enough I also bought two green plantains for making tostones. I have some oil in the frig that I have recycled a few times and needs to be used or thrown out.
     
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  11. 74nole

    74nole GC Hall of Fame

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    The cooler weather makes it impossible for me to wait any longer—
    For tonight I’m making a pot of chili to be served over white rice and topped with Sargento shredded sharp cheddar cheese.

    You are correct—that means chili cheese dogs for lunches!

    We had 34* this morning and projected 35* for tomorrow.

    The back porch Yeti is restocked and Ms Jan’s wine is chilled.

    Life is good in Gator Nation!
     
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  12. GatorLurker

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    Tonight it is ground chuck burgers on the KJ and oven fries.

    Yesterday afternoon my range was a mess and needed a cleaning. A perfect time to fry up those tostones. I spent about an hour doing a nice deep clean on the outside today. And also about time to clean the inside and doing a baking soda clean of the oven glass. Maybe just after Thanksgiving.

    Speaking of Thanksgiving what is everyone cooking for Thanksgiving? I wanted to smoke some ducks but instead I am smoking a fresh turkey like we always do. Back in the day we had a Cajun friend that deep fried turkeys on Thanksgiving but he doesn't do that anymore. They were great.
     
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  13. GatorLurker

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    Thinking back to my college days at IIT on the Southside of Chicago we would often go to a late night diner on Pershing Road called Dox. It was in a warehouse district and was mostly attended by truckers and Chicago police.

    They had the very best Italian beef sandwiches. Not the beef but the toppings. The beef was great but the toppings were excellent.

    They also thought it was funny that college kids went there but I had my steelworker cred so me and my crew were OK. And I was a real Southsider. Everyone else was either Northside or out of state and not exactly welcome.

    It was 1970's Chicago.
     
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  14. scooterp

    scooterp GC Hall of Fame

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    Traditional oven roasted turkey here. Along with green beans, Mac & cheese, stuffing, cream corn casserole and mashed potatoes & gravy.
     
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  15. scooterp

    scooterp GC Hall of Fame

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    Making pizza for tonight, not on the grill, 35* here currently. 2 small ones as usual …meatball & onion on one …white clam pizza the other.

    This 1st half has been horrible. BN needs to light’em up in the locker room.

    Go Gators
     
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  16. 74nole

    74nole GC Hall of Fame

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    We will be in Albany, Ga., with our family there for Thanksgiving. We will have a whole ham and a turkey on the smoker.

    Our inside dishes will be traditional for our family. I am prejudiced but I will put Ms. Jan’s cornbread dressing (her Mama’s recipe) up against all challenges for dressing. Her’s is the traditional cornbread dressing—with one main addition. We pressure cook a hen, then debone and chip up the meat, putting it mixed into the dressing —also that broth from the pressure cooker is used instead of water in making the dressing. There will be homemade giblet gravy to go with.

    We will have a pot of cream 40’s & petite butter beans, a pot of fresh turnips and mustard greens, a baked yellow squash & vidalia onion casserole, a baked green beans & mushroom casserole, a baked sweet potato & chopped pecans casserole (almost desert), and deviled eggs.

    We will have both fried cornbread and yeast rolls.

    I am not privy to the girls desert menu.

    I’m almost full just typing this out…;)

    Tonight we’re having spaghetti and Caesar salad with garlic bread.

    Libations of your choice are available.

    Life is good in Gator Nation!
     
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  17. GatorLurker

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    I am so jealous. Normally I can only get collard greens. I love them but I prefer turnip and mustard greens. Or chard.

    My wife doesn't like chard or beet greens and I love them. She says that they taste like dirt. Not going to get into that.
     
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  18. 74nole

    74nole GC Hall of Fame

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    Turnips and mustard greens are our favorite-we’ve both always liked collards too, but like other foods we’ve always enjoyed, as we age we steer away from the things that give us stronger indigestion. Collards is on that list.

    It’s similar to why I smoke with the fruit woods now (apple, cherry, & pecan). The harsher woods like hickory and mesquite create more indigestion for both of us.
     
  19. GatorLurker

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    Once I figured out my own style I went to apple and cherry wood and stayed away fron heavy smoke. Hickory and mesquite overpower that taste of the meat in my opinion. Oak is a great neutral smoke and is the usual hardwood when you buy a bag of lump charcoal so no need to get any more.

    I really liked the B&B lump charcoal that I used to be able to buy at my local Lowes. It was mostly post oak.

    I screwed up a few months ago when a pecan tree fell down in m neighborhood. I should have gotten some wood both for woodworking and cooking. The pile of wood at the street vanished in less than one day.
     
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  20. 74nole

    74nole GC Hall of Fame

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    Let me guess—you stood there in your yard looking at where the downed pecan tree was and said “Way to go Lurk!”….Lol…