Feral, I wish you'd do a meatloaf thread...post pics and your recipe.  I never have found a meatloaf recipe I really like.

Kitties

If you had to prepare a meat dish (really anything with beef/pork/chicken in it, and you had no seasonings other than salt and pepper: what herb would you wish to have over all others and why?





ETA and I own page 54!

I'm going to suggest good old American farm-raised catfish.  Frozen fillets are readily available.  In many parts of the US, people consider catfish a "bottom feeding trash fish" and refuse to touch one.  Those of us who know better scoff at their prejudices.

The "fishy" taste is eliminated by trimming any of the darker, "red-meaty-looking" parts (usually found along the centerline of a fillet) and any yellowish, fatty parts often found along the top or bottom edges.  What is left is a firm, white fillet that is mild when fried, broiled, baked, grilled, steamed, etc.


Make sure you are obtaining AMERICAN catfish; the US imports "catfish" from other coutnries that is NOT the same species.



Simplest is best:  Cut fillets into finger-sized pieces.  Dredge in corn meal and sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Fry it in about 1/2-3/4 inch of oil or melted shortening.  Cast iron is great but a dutch oven's depth will be appreciated as frying in a skillet tends to splatter.  Most any oil will work but most prefer to use oils that are cheap and available in gallon or five gallon quantities.  Peanut oil is popular.  I put ONE french fry in the oil as it warms.  When the potato is browned the temp is right.  Only fill the skillet 1/2 full of fish- don't crowd it in.  Cook it 2-3 minutes and turn it then cook another 2-3 minutes.  Remove to a plate, bowl or cooler lined with newspaper and paper towels.

Frying fish creates a mess and smell that is objectionable to a lot of folks.  Those outdoor fish fryers are popular for a reason and they work great.  When using my outdoor fryer, I fill the pot about 1/2 full of oil and warm it until it will cook a french fry.  I use the basket and cook one layer of fish.  The fish will start to float when it is done if it doesn't stick to the bottom of the basket.

TRY IT.  YOU'LL LIKE IT!

very good point on the fish, I failed to answer that part of the question during my missive on frying...thank you Skunkum..
I also will recomend
haddock
halibut
cod
whitefish
scallops
skate
and
shrimp
some folks are having a love affair with Talapia,,I was taken to a breeding farm 20 years ago and I will NOT eat shit fish, they live in water catfish die in..
they were (as I understand it) bread to live in anything basiclly to help feed underdeveloped countries,,,
we, though our Congress is trying to take us there are NOT a third world yet
CHEF

garlic and why, there are several different taste profiles to garlic.from raw to baked and inbetween from sweet to bitter and acctentuates all it is applied to IMHO...


yep,garlic
CHEF

SANITATION is a biggie in food prep and following the fact we are still apart of the survival forum..
Did you know?

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimate that every year about 76 million people in the United States become ill from harmful bacteria in food; of these, about 5,000 die.  

buy a $7 thermometer, on line, in the grocery, at the local restaurant supply, keep in in you kitchen and if htere is any doubt

THROW IT OUT..
 

Thermometers Aren't Just for Turkey Anymore
These days, food thermometers aren't just for your holiday roasts—they're for all cuts and sizes of meat and poultry, including hamburgers, chicken breasts, and pork chops. Using a food thermometer when cooking meat, poultry, and even egg dishes is the only reliable way to make sure you are preparing a safe and delicious meal for your family.

Why Use a Food Thermometer?
Everyone is at risk for foodborne illness. One effective way to prevent illness is to use a food thermometer to check the internal temperature of meat, poultry, and egg dishes. Using a food thermometer not only keeps your family safe from harmful food bacteria, but it also helps you to avoid overcooking, giving you a safe and flavorful meal.

Some people may be at high risk for developing foodborne illness. These include pregnant women and their unborn babies and newborns, young children, older adults, people with weakened immune systems, and individuals with certain chronic illnesses. These people should pay extra attention to handle food safely.

What Are the Signs of Foodborne Illness?
The signs and symptoms of foodborne illness range from upset stomach, diarrhea, fever, vomiting, abdominal cramps, and dehydration, to more severe illness—even death. Consumers can take simple measures to reduce their risk of foodborne illness, especially in the home.

"Is It Done Yet?"
How To Use a Food Thermometer

Use an instant-read food thermometer to check the internal temperature toward the end of the cooking time, but before the food is expected to be "done."
The food thermometer should be placed in the thickest part of the food and should not be touching bone, fat, or gristle.
Compare your thermometer reading to the USDA Recommended Safe Minimum Internal Temperatures to determine if your food has reached a safe temperature.
Make sure to clean your food thermometer with hot, soapy water before and after each use!

Large-dial oven-safe or oven-probe thermometers may be used for the duration of cooking.

Because there are so many types of food thermometers, it is important to follow the instructions for your food thermometer.

USDA Recommended Safe Minimum Internal Temperatures

Steaks & Roasts - 145 °F
Fish - 145 °F
Pork - 160 °F
Ground Beef - 160 °F
Egg Dishes - 160 °F
Chicken Breasts - 165 °F
Whole Poultry - 165 °F

Seeing Isn't Believing
Many people assume that if a hamburger is brown in the middle, it is done. However, looking at the color and texture of food is not enough—you have to use a food thermometer to be sure! According to USDA research, 1 out of every 4 hamburgers turns brown before it reaches a safe internal temperature. The only safe way to know if meat, poultry, and egg dishes are "done" is to use a food thermometer. When a hamburger is cooked to 160 °F, it is both safe and delicious!

Be Food Safe! Prepare With Care
Know how to prepare, handle, and store food safely to keep you and your family safe. Bacteria can grow on meat, poultry, seafood, eggs, and dairy products, as well as cut-up or cooked vegetables and fruits.

CLEAN: Wash hands and surfaces often
Wash your hands with warm, soapy water for 20 seconds before and after handling food. Wash your cutting boards, dishes, etc., with hot, soapy water after preparing each food item. Wash fruits and vegetables with cold water before using. There is no need to wash or rinse meat or poultry.

SEPARATE: Don't cross-contaminate Separate raw, cooked, and ready-to-eat foods while shopping, preparing, or storing. Never place cooked food on a plate which previously held raw meat, poultry, or seafood.

COOK Cook food to proper temperatures
Use a food thermometer to be sure!

CHILL Refrigerate Promptly
Refrigerate or freeze perishables, prepared foods, and leftovers within 2 hours or sooner.

To answers Feral question on a curriculum of home cooking.
I would start with basics of course and the things that keep you safe and healthy.

CLEANLINESS and sanitation.

Proper cleaning of veggies
Proper cleaning of work areas
Proper cleaning of utensils
Proper temperatures for foods hot and cold

Basic knife skills especially Knife Sharpening

Use of 5 senses in cooking
Examples: what do French fries sound like when almost done, what does good fresh fish smell like, what is the sound of fresh green beans,
Colors complimentary food selections. What are the after tastes of foods and how will it combine with side dishes or the dessert finish
Fish, what’s fresh, how to tell, HOW to cook, what to look for when done NOT OVER DONE. Get over the fear of cooking fish.
What is the proper texture of beef, color, smell, what smell is questionable what isn’t
Smelly fish is wholly different from smelly beef, which is different from smelly pork.

Basic butchering
De-boning a chicken
Filleting a fish
Breaking down and or tying up a rib-eye roast or pork roast
How to properly grind hamburger meat with fat to meat ratios
Proper cooking

Veggie basics and 4 to 5 main vegetable courses and a good half dozen side dishes.
What to look for in veggies, what do with spoiling veggies, how to blanch, steam, sauté and flavor.

Eggs and egg cookery,

Get over fear of mistakes and Always have a backup, even if hot dogs and beans or a Mean Omelet or frittata up your sleeve. Or a favored restaurant on speed dial.


Turn off the TV give the baby a lolly, tell the other kids to go read a book and have fun cooking, be adventurers but always be safe.

Hope that was the answer you sought.
CHEF

Chef Thanks for the recipes

you are very welcome..
ya'll come back

CHEF

OH, thank GOD! THis is the answer I would have given.  



At least I have SOMETHING right.




Now...on to white sauce...

Amen.



Southern Kentucky is not exactly a culinary haven.








Though I will say that some of this I have, perhaps, gotten through plain old living.



Good fresh fish smells like...a sushi bar...nothing. No fishy smell. Or at least that's what I've learned from falling in love with sushi. How to pick this out in a grocery seafood department which reeks of fishy-ness...I have no idea.



And fresh green beans...snapped those when I was a kid, and YES!
They DO sound different. There is a distinct SNAP to a fresh green bean, and a rather mushy "whump" to a not-so-fresh one.



Wow. I know two things.




But I still have not conquered white sauce.




Chef, really....your years of experience, and being able to ask you questions is SO valuable.



Thank you.

white sauce is easy,,a quick one anyways, reductions are another story..

first
make a LIGHT ROUX, meaning it should be almost syrupy in appearance, slow cook to a light tan color DO NOT BURN IT like making gumbo or brown gravey...set aside

start with a flavorful, finished fish or chicken stock dependant on what you want to do with with the sauce, (chicken is neutral )add a touch of white wine
bring to a boil
whisk in roux until it starts to thinken, allow to cook a few minutes,
whisk in more roux, allow thickening  and continue until you have the consistancy of thick ELMERS GLUE..taste sort of like chicken pot pie fill, which is what you have at this point,
it should be smooth and Glossy in appearance.
remember, you have to keep it at a roiling simmer while adding roux as you are cooking the roux into the stock and finishing the roux by boiling it, if not you have gummy paste..

then, over medium heat, slowly wisk in Heavy Cream until proper color(white) is acheived it will be about the color of quality vanilla ice cream
the cream is going to thin down your base so watch your color and consistancy, too much cream and you will have to bring it ti a boil again and add more roux.

done.

or
reduced heavy cream, 3qt pot, 1qt FRESH heavy cream,( isnt fresh it will break) bring to a boil and allow to simmer until reduced by 1/2, DONE, season with a bit of stock, salt, pepper
from there,,it can get tricky only if making citrus cream sauces,,,thats hard to describe..it works but its tricky. you can add cheeses, or onion puree, or other puree's to flavor your cream sauce
be brave, you can do it..
CHEF

ok deal, I will apprentice you in my trade if you apprentice me in yours

the biggest thing about cooking food in many degrees, is the sensuality of food, if we look at our human basics, the hunting and gathering of food entails all of our senses,.
the preperation there of is not different,
one of the reasons (and there are many physical and pschyological), I think obesity is an issue in America is people seek satisfaction in food, but recieve none in grabbing a bag of chips from the larder and munching out,,anyone who has gardened, raised stock, gathered eggs, knows what went into the total preperation of the dish, the sweat, care, and love of the earth, our gift from God..we enmass no longer appreciate it. nor wonder in it..
nothing matches fresh veggies from the garden, fresh eggs from the chicken yard and pulling that roast from the oven that came from the steer you grain fed for a year to insure it would give you the best yeild and flavor for your family.
.I dont know the percentage of folks that hunt and or fish or how many garden and raise chickens, but I am pretty sure they know more of the world and whats important then some suit in NY or DC...or some cattle grower that doesnt get dung on his boots anymore.

so,, be sensual with your food as you are in its creation (and I DO NOT MEAN sexual dammit), just pay attention, listen, smell, watch, feel, taste,
anyone can walk thru the woods, but only the ones paying attention with all thier senses, see the deer, the badger, hear the birds sing, feel the pin oak bark,, smell the mushrooms , others just trudge thru the woods.
CHEF

Hey Chef, do you have any ideas about dove? The season just started here, and I was looking to try some new things (usually, i stuff them with a jalepeno, add a little cheese, and wrap the breast with bacon.

Thanks.

you have a pretty much a Texas Classic going there,

dove, being such a small bird once cleaned, is pretty much the breast portion and it tends to hover around apperitizer proportion so it take a few 3 to 4 to make a meal of them and bacon seems to hold a common theme in cooking these little birds as they contain nearly NO fat what so ever..



DOVE ROAST RECIPE

8 doves
1/2 cup flour
2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
1/2 cup cooking oil
1/3 cup green onion, chopped
1 cup water
1/2 cup sherry (optional)
parsley to garnish

Split doves and dredge in flour, salt, and pepper mixture. Heat cooking oil to 350 degrees and braise doves lightly. Place doves and excess cooking oil in roasting pan with cover and add chopped onion and water. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes or until tender. Baste often and add sherry during final minutes of cooking. Add parsley as garnish. 4-6 servings


DOVE CASSEROLE

12 doves
Salt and pepper
Flour
1/3 cup butter or margarine
1 small onion, chopped
2 carrots, chopped
Fresh parsley, chopped (or parsley flakes)
1 cup chicken broth or chicken bouillon
1/2 cup dry white wine

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Split doves down the back, add salt and pepper to flour; dust birds lightly with flour mixture. Melt butter in heavy skillet and place the birds in pan breast side down. Saute, turning birds often until browned on both sides. Remove birds from skillet and place them in a casserole dish with lid. Pour drippings from skillet over birds; add onions, carrots, parsley, chicken broth, and wine. Cover dish and bake birds for 45 minutes. Spoon wine gravy over the birds when serving. Serves 4-5 people.

DOVES WITH PIQUANT SAUCE RECIPE

10 dove breast fillets
1/4 cup flour
1/2 tsp. garlic salt
1/4 tsp. paprika
1/8 tsp. pepper
2 tbsp. shortening

Clean Doves.

Place flour, garlic salt, paprika, and pepper in a plastic or paper bag; add dove breasts and shake until meat is well coated. Heat shortening in medium skillet and brown breasts on both sides. Remove meat to platter and keep warm while preparing sauce.

PIQUANT SAUCE:

1 med. onion, sliced
1 tbsp. shortening
2/3 cup water
2 tsp. cornstarch
2 tsp. soy sauce

Cook and stir onion until crisp-tender in same skillet used for doves. Blend water, cornstarch and soy sauce and pour into skillet. Cook and stir constantly until sauce thickens and boils. Continue stirring and allow to boil for one minute. Add doves to sauce, heat through, and serve on bed of cooked rice.



crockpot prep for dove

6-8 dove breasts, skinned
~ 1 medium chopped onion
~ 1 can cream of mushroom soup
~ 1 can diced tomatoes and chilis
~ 1 clove garlic, chopped
~ Salt and pepper to taste


Soak the breasts in salt water solution for 20-30 minutes (1 Tbsp salt to 4 cups water.) Rinse the birds and set aside.

Place all ingredients in the crockpot. Stir and cover. Turn crockpot on low.

Cook time approximately 6-8 hours. Follow manufacturer's instructions for your crockpot.

Serve with mashed potatoes, rice, or noodles.


teriyaki dove kabob with pearl onions, (or any kabob veggies)
dove breasts
~ favorite teriyaki sauce
~ pearl onions
~ pepper  

In a large bowl, place the dove. Cover with teriyaki sauce. Cover a refrigerate for at least 20 minutes.

Remove the breasts and alternate them with the onions on skewers.

Lightly sprinkle with pepper.

Grill over high heat for 4 -5 minutes. Turn and cook another 3 - 4 minutes or until done.

Dove Louisiana Style  


~ 8 doves
~ 1 stick melted butter & some to rub on doves inside and out.
~ 2-3 cups cooked rice
~ seasoning salt and pepper to taste
~ 1 tsp ground sage
~ 1 tsp onion salt
~ 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
~ 1 stick sweet butter
~ 4 cups white wine
~ 3 ounces brandy
~ 2 tsp cornstarch; dissolved in 1/4 cup cold water


Rub doves inside and out with butter, then season with seasoning salt and pepper.

Mix rice with melted butter, sage, onion salt, and cayenne. Stuff birds with rice mixture.

Melt sweet butter in a large pot, and saute the birds until brown. Add wine and brandy. Cover and simmer slowly for 1 hour. Add dissolved cornstarch to thicken pan juices

Great! Thanks.

Cooking on heated rocks and pizza stones was mentioned a couple of pages back.  Since then, I've seen some articles about cooking on Himalayan Salt slabs.  Apparently you can obtain the natural sea salt flavor and minerals while you cook on it.

Just wanted to make sure ARFCOM knows about this.

intersting,,,

does the slab get thinner as you take the salt away? will it break down with H2o?

too lazy to google,,enlighten us Skunk..
CHEF

Hope this isn't too long.  I think I hit the basics....

*** Disclaimer: I have no personal experience with using salt slabs for cooking.  A recent newspaper article was the first I heard about this stuff.  The article explains that “it is the newest sensation in chefdom and home kitchens”.

Claims: (Yes, I cribbed this info!)

You can cook directly on the salt just as you would in a skillet.  You can grill on it, bake on it, cure meats and fish on it, chill on it, mix and grind herbs, and serve on it…

It is available in blocks, slabs, chunks, and crystals or molded shapes like bowls.  Cooking grade slabs are at least 1 ½ inches thick.  The slabs are not non-stick, so a little butter or oil is often necessary.  The slabs should be heated slowly for cooking.  They can also be frozen for cooling.  To wash, wipe it with warm water and dry thoroughly.  

Heat them in the oven to 400° and sear light items such as fish, thinly sliced beef or even an egg. These dense blocks cook with near perfect heat distribution. As the blocks cook, they also delicately impart a mild and full taste, providing a new level of flavor complexity to your food.

Salt Plates can also be chilled in the refrigerator.  They become a serving tray for fruits, sushi, vegetables, cheese or today’s gourmet desserts that require a hint of salt. The food acquires an enhanced salt and mineral flavor by which no other method can compare. Easy clean up, just rinse, pat dry with a paper towel and put away. Treated right, a salt round or block will provide years of enjoyment.

Himalayan Salt

Himalayan Pink salt is harvested from ancient sea salt deposits in the Himalayan Mountain Range, crystallized more than 200 million years ago during the Jurassic Era. Ancient sea beds were covered by volcanic lava, protecting the salt from pollution, and lending to the belief that Himalayan Pink is the purest salt to be found on earth.

Himalayan Pink salt contains 84 beneficial trace minerals, believed to aid in digestive health and de-toxifying the body. The pure taste and abundant minerals make this salt both more flavorful and healthier than processed salts. Completely unprocessed and free of any additives, this is a great replacement for your every day table salt.

Himalayan Pink salt plates, bricks, slabs and chunks are an exciting new way to utilize this special salt. There are as many uses for these specialty items as there are ideas in your imagination, from showcasing their inherent beauty as a chilled serving platter for fruit and cheese to searing prawns on a heated plate on the grill. The salt imparts a delicate salty flavor to the foods you cook or serve, but its density prevents your food from becoming overly salty.

COOKING: One popular use of the plates, slabs and bricks is as a cooking aid. The salt can be heated in an oven, atop a range, or on a grill. Since it is a natural product, heating the plates will change the appearance, and may bring out internal flaws, so caution should be used, and you may wish to use one slab for cooking, and save one for more aesthetic applications.

When cooking on your salt, ensure that it is completely dry prior to applying any heat. Typically dry time is at least 24 hours. The salt is commonly heated to between 300° F to 400° F.

For gas ranges or grill: Heat on a low flame, gradually increasing to medium low until desired temperature is reached, generally around 30 to 45 minutes.

For electric ranges: Set the salt on a heat-safe metal platform so that the salt is at least ½ inch above direct heat. Direct contact could be damaging to both your equipment and/or your salt. Begin on low heat and gradually increase to medium low for approximately 40 to 55 minutes, or until salt reaches desired heat.

Caution: Salt slab will become very hot as it retains heat applied to it

SERVING PLATTERS: Another great application for these items is as a serving platter. The salt can be chilled in the refrigerator for serving items such as sushi or cheese, or even frozen in the freezer, providing a new way to present cold desserts, even sorbet! Moist foods will pick up more salty flavor, while their denser and drier counterparts will be presented beautifully and imaginatively.

CARE: To clean after use, scrub with a mildly abrasive brush. You may use a moist cloth as well. Do not run salt plate under water or submerge. Pat dry. Place on drying rack to allow the slab to air dry for 24 hours. Himalayan salt does not require the use of any cleanser, as it is inherently antimicrobial.

While your Himalayan plate should give you multiple uses worth of enjoyment, the salt will dissolve little by little, reducing the size and possibly causing irregularities in the surface, such as small depressions. Someday, when your salt gets too small for cooking or serving on, it will be a perfect size to grate over your food, break up for making soup, or even to throw in your tub for a de-toxifying salt bath. *

Note that Himalayan Salt Slabs and plates are natural products. As such, each slab is unique in all characteristics, including color and inclusions within the salt slab. Each piece may have a different threshold for pressure and temperature.

From a blog entry by RichardHuff.com, cooking up fajitas:
The tomatoes were put to salt first. The peppers and onions followed, receiving a generous squeeze of fresh lime. Marinated flank steak was the last to hit the crackling mineral, and required less than ten minutes to reach perfection. The tomato, lime, and marinate juices dissolved a layer of surface salt, imparting the ancient seasoning. You simply could not imagine the intensity of flavor. Although Himalayan salt slab cooking has a high propensity for gimmickry, we did not experience anything but a unique and wonderful result.


PRICES:  It looks like little 2x3 inch slabs are $5-10 and 8x12 inch slabs $50-60;  12x18x1.5 maybe $125 on up.

I don't think you'd want to soak these in your sink overnight!

great write up skunk..

ok, you have topped the CHEF I dont do sushi, california roll at a reception maybe, cold, wet quivering lobster  tail with bean curd cassorle and the thought of the 10ft worm taken from the intestions of some affectionado in NYC about 20 years ago, convinced me raw fish aint gonna cut it ..I will eat Medium Rare seared tuna and or Scallbut, thats pushing it..

BUT
I did have a japenese girl that came towork for me many years ago, early on sunday mornings and made sushi for sunday brunch at one of my 5 star operations where I got $35 a head for brunch weekly...

so I did learn a few things

the only real trick I can say I learned from her is keeping the roll TIGHT while wrapping and your rice 'Moist" but not damp...
eel sauce in most of these places may well be a commercially made product so you may NOT be able to make an exact match, look for Nihon Shokken Co.,Ltd
the sauce itself is a faily simple sauce and not what in implies for the Sushi Virgins..the reduction amount will strongly effect the taste in the end result..

Eel Sauce
INGREDIENTS
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup mirin (Japanese sweet wine)

DIRECTIONS
Heat soy sauce, sugar, and mirin into a small saucepan over medium heat. Cook and stir until liquid is reduced to about 3/4 cup.

Sushi is a culinary art form and presentation is as important as flavor.  The best methods, techniques, and food stylings are taught by master sushi chefs around the world at the finest culinary institutes and cooking schools.
Practiced chefs can create great sushi dishes by starting with the culinary fundamentals of sushi and combined that experience with detailed instruction, proper equipment, and patience

INGREDIENTS
2/3 cup uncooked short-grain white rice
3 tablespoons rice vinegar
3 tablespoons white sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
4 sheets nori seaweed sheets
1/2 cucumber, peeled, cut into small strips
2 tablespoons pickled ginger
1 avocado
1/2 pound imitation crabmeat, flaked yes, IMITATION but real can be subbed, the Japenese like that sharimi crap,,,

DIRECTIONS
In a medium saucepan, bring 1 1/3 cups water to a boil. Add rice, and stir. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 20 minutes. In a small bowl, mix the rice vinegar, sugar ,and salt. Blend the mixture into the rice.
Preheat oven to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C). On a medium baking sheet, heat nori in the preheated oven 1 to 2 minutes, until warm.
Center one sheet nori on a bamboo sushi mat. Wet your hands. Using your hands, spread a thin layer of rice on the sheet of nori, and press into a thin layer. Arrange 1/4 of the cucumber, ginger, avocado, and imitation crabmeat in a line down the center of the rice. Lift the end of the mat, and gently roll it over the ingredients, pressing gently. Roll it forward to make a complete roll. Repeat with remaining ingredients.
Cut each roll into 4 to 6 slices using a wet, sharp knife.

variations
Nori Seaweed, toasted sheets
Freshly Prepared Sushi Rice (see recipe)
Sesame Seeds
Wasabi (Japanese Horseradish)
Cucumbers, sliced
Avocado, sliced
Radish Sprouts
Fresh Ahi, sliced
Wasabi Tobiko (Wasabi tobiko is a type of flying fish roe flavored with a green Japanese horseradish, known as wasabi.)  

 Preparation:
 Spread sushi rice over 1/2 sheet nori.

Sprinkle some sesame seeds over the rice.
Flip the nori over and spread some wasabi in the middle of the nori. Next layer the nori with the cucumber, avocado, radish sprouts and ahi.
Roll the mixture up into a sushi roll.
Spread some wasabi tobiko over the roll. Slice into 6 equal pieces.
Serve with wasabi, soy sauce and pickled ginger.

california roll
Ingredients:
 2 cups Freshly Prepared Sushi Rice
Nori Seaweed, toasted sheets
Crab meat, cut in pieces
Avocado, peeled and cut in fine pieces
Radish Sprouts
Cucumber, peeled, seeded and cut in fine strips
Sesame seeds, toasted  

 Preparation:
 Cut nori sheet in half and place it on bamboo mat, shiny side down. Dampen your fingers in water. Spread a thin layer of sushi rice over the seaweed, do not cover completely. Leave a 1-inch margin at the ends uncovered to seal the roll.

Lay crabmeat, avocado and cucumber lengthwise. Sprinkle with sesame seeds.
To roll; slowly fold the end of the mat closest to you over the filling and tuck it in.
Use medium pressure to create compact tube. Remove the mat from around the roll, press in the loose ends and place it on a cutting board, seam side down.
Using a wet, sharp knife, slice the roll in half then in 6 equal pieces.
Serve with wasabi, soy sauce and pickled ginger.


scallop roll
Ingredients:
 Nori Seaweed, toasted sheets
Freshly Prepared Sushi Rice
Scallops (4 ounces per roll)
1 cucumber
1 avocado
2 asparagus stalks per roll
kaiware (radish sprouts)

Spicy Sauce
1/4 tsp of Kewpie Mayonnaise
1 teaspoon Masago
1/2 teaspoon Sriracha Hot Sauce

 Preparation:
 Spicy Sauce
Mix all of this together. The Kewpie will absorb some of the heat so adjust to taste. If you're mixing this with fish, cut the fish into nibble-sized pieces first, about 1/4 inch.

Sushi Roll -
Cut scallops and mix with hot sauce. Blanch the asparagus and while putting the roll together, allow the flowered ends to stick out the sides of the roll. Add cucumber and sprouts, Roll and Cut. Put slice of avocado and dollops of masago on top of individual pieces. Or if you're making Temaki, add everything to the handroll.



hope that helps

CHEF

interesting though,,

they dont have much else in the himilayas anyone may want to buy...YAK Butter is gross..the llittle butter candles are cute and probably go over at bed bath and beyond..but the whole safron robes and YAK Hair Sweaters just aint moving

Several of the articles mentioned that the salt blocks are popular for serving sushi on them because the sushi picks up the salt flavor and the blocks hold a chilled temperature well.

I don't usually consider that food gains flavor from the pan the food was cooked on, like it would if cooked on a block of salt.  Perhaps fishes cooked on cedar planks will pick up some cedar flavor, I don't know.  (Usually I want my pans to be clean so as NOT to affect the flavor, LOL).  Maybe tamales pick up some flavor from corn shucks but I usually douse them with chili and wouldn't be able to tell.  Are there other similar ways to impart flavors from the utensil used to cook on?

I think I'll stop by the Farmer's Co-op and get a couple of salt blocks to test them out.  Do you think the white ones or the yellow ones will go best with a fall tablecloth?

white or yellow...well NO one wears white after labor day, how gauche Yellow of course...


but hey,,its afrcom


GET BOTH

Chef

Chef Morris,

I'm looking for some ideas to put together a meal for a Japanese couple.  

*background info*
The local hole-in-the-wall sushi restaurant nearby is a place I've been frequenting for years.  I know that in Japan, it's not customary to tip, but if you enjoy the food you can offer to buy the chef a drink.  Well, I finally decided that I'd buy him a drink a few months ago, and the waitress gave him a Coors Light.  The guy thanked me, but I still felt like a Coors Light was NOT acceptable.

The next time I came in, I brought some homebrew beer in a 1lt bottle.  His jaw about hit the floor, and the next time I came in he insisted that I bring more.... I brought back more bottles, and since then he's given me all kinds of free dishes!  

The other day, I was talking to him about homebrewing and he seemed extremely interested.  I told him that if he was interested, I'd invite him over the next time I brew.
*/background info*

I know that Japanese cuisine is a bit more subtle, and compared to Japanese, American cuisine is sort of like using a sledgehammer when you needed only to tap your finger.

I've been thinking for the last few days of what kind of meal I would like to put together that is subtle, delicious, and "American".  When I started thinking about it, I realized that most of what I cook is either very strong, very rich, very heavy, or some combination of strong, rich, and/or heavy.  

Could you give me some recommendations?

Best way to cook Perch?

first, keep in mind that American food is Corn, wild onions, various tubers , venison, fish and buffalo...and variations there of
Americacn Cusine, thats a whole nother direction

ok, so you have a Japenese Chef you want to impress/favor with Classic American cuisine but what direction

I envision classic american meals as I would envision classic French, Italian or German..
POOR FOLKS FOOD
poor folks food is where our hearts are, were we want to be when we feel small or think of Mom,,

so, Meatloaf with mash potatoes, and blue lake greenbeans.
   BBQ RIBS with potato sal and cole slaw
   Boston baked beans and virginia ham
   Lobster roll and fresh Fremch fries(poor folks food? Ask A maine fisherman if he wants lobster for dinner again)
    Deep fried cod, Baked stuffed clams, baked potato
    GUmbo. or Chowder, Potato or Red Rhode island or Classic Bookbinders
   CHICKEN FRIED STEAK, Fried chicken,,
anyways think you have the point, Good classic american food is Mommy food, weither your Mom is Back Bay BOston IRish or Oklahoma sod buster or Californian GOld Rush, American food comes from the heart..and shared with a friend, is what makes it Fine Cusine...]

CHEF

boiled into cat food??


























being are fairly storong flavored fish (imho)I like to simply pan fri it with a light coating of seasoned corn meal...it tends to over power any sauces or stuffings too much and best as just a fried fish
CHEF

Hmmm.... I was going to steer clear of BBQ just because of the strong flavors you get with smoke.

However, if Chef Morris says Ribs, I guess I'm gonna have to smoke some ribs.    

Thanks Chef!

strong flavor V delicatejapanese palate

you have had Wassabi, correct?

Absolutely.  

But, wasabi doesn't change the flavor of what you're eating so much as it makes you unable to breathe.    That, and you can add as much or as little as you like depending on personal preference.

I dunno, maybe I'm making this into something bigger than it really is.

any CHEF worth his Toque is gonna try what ever you put in front of him and enjoy 99% of it...your friend seesm to like beer, American and German Beers compared to Japanese beers, make Japanese beer taste lik BILLY BEER or Lonestart dependant on you deprivity or pocket book..

stop worrying, and take the point I was trying to make, GOOD FOOD with GOOD FRIEND is what makes the meal. any one can make fluffernuter on white and watch TV....

CHEF

so were OFF on Japanese foods


 
The typical Japanese meal consists of a bowl of rice (gohan), a bowl of miso soup (miso shiru), pickled vegetables (tsukemono) and fish or meat. While rice is the staple food, several kinds of noodles (udon, soba and ramen) are cheap and very popular for light meals. As an island nation, the Japanese take great pride in their seafood. A wide variety of fish, squid, octopus, eel, and shellfish appear in all kinds of dishes from sushi to tempura.

Rice
Sticky, short-grained rice is the staple food in Japan. Uncooked rice is called kome. The cultivation of rice in paddy fields traditionally required great cooperation between villagers and this is said to have been central to the evolution of Japanese culture. Their are several thousand varieties grown in Japan, with Koshihikari and Akita Komachi being among the most popular. Rice is also used to make mochi (rice cakes), senbei (rice crackers) and sake (rice wine). Rice can also be cooked with red beans (sekihan), seafood and vegetables (Takikomi gohan) or as a kind of watery porridge seasoned with salt (kayu) which is very popular as a cold remedy. Onigiri are rice balls with seafood or vegetables in the middle, usually wrapped in a piece of dried seaweed (nori). They are traditionally part of a packed lunch or picnic. Individually wrapped onigiri, usually a trianular shape, make a good snack and are available at convenience stores.

Noodles - Udon and soba
Udon noodles are made from wheat flour. They are boiled and served in a broth, usually hot but occasionally cold in summer, and topped with ingredients such as a raw egg to make tsukimi udon, and deep-fried tofu aburaage to make kitsune udon. Soba is buckwheat noodles, which are thinner and a darker color than udon. Soba is usually served cold (zaru soba) with a dipping sauce, sliced green onions and wasabi. When served in a hot broth, it is known as kake soba. Served with the same toppings as udon, you get tsukimi soba, kitsune soba and tempura soba.

Noodles - Ramen
While udon and soba are also believed to have come from China, only ramen retains its image as Chinese food. Ramen is thin egg noodles which are almost always served in a hot broth flavored with shoyu or miso. This is topped with a variety of ingredients such as slices of roast pork (chashu), bean sprouts (moyashi), sweetcorn and butter. Ramen is popular throughout Japan and different regions are known for their variations on the theme. Examples are Corn-butter Ramen in Sapporo and Tonkotsu Ramen in Kyushu. Instant ramen (the most famous brand is Pot Noodles), to which you just add hot water, has become very popular in recent years.

Soy products
The humble soybean (daizu) is used to make a wide variety of foods and flavourings. Soybeans and rice are used to make miso, a paste used for flavouring soup and marinating fish. Together with soy sauce (shoyu), miso is a foundation of Japanese cuisine. Tofu is soybean curd and a popular source of protein, especially for vegetarians. These days, even tofu donuts and tofu icecream are available. Natto, fermented soybeans, is one of the healthiest but also the most notorious item on the menu. With a pungent smell and sticky, stringy texture, natto is easy to hate straight away. Japanese people themselves tend to either love it or hate it. It is usually served with chopped onions and a raw egg and mixed into a bowl of rice.


The Japanese love their food. This can be seen by the number of people who eat out, even in a time of recession, and the number of food-related programs on TV. Tell someone that you're taking a trip to Hokkaido and the first thing they'll do is insist that you try the seafood while you're there or the Okonomiyaki in Osaka and so on. While sushi has become increasingly popular in the West, most Japanese food remains pretty much unknown. Japanese restaurants around the world have tended to cater for Japanese tourists and have been priced accordingly, ie. expensive. But in Japan there is a huge variety of food available at prices ranging from a month's salary to very reasonable.
Sashimi and sushi
These two dishes are often thought to be one and the same. Sashimi consists of thin slices of raw fish or other seafood served with spicy Japanese horseradish (wasabi) and shoyu while sushi consists of the same, served on vinegared rice, but also includes cooked seafood, vegetables and egg. Another form of sushi is norimaki, or sushi roll, in which the filling is rolled in rice with a covering of nori. Cheap sushi is available at supermarkets or at kaiten-zushi restaurants, where customers sit at a counter and choose what they want from a conveyor belt.

Domburimono
These dishes consist of a bowl (domburi) of rice covered with one of a variety of toppings such as boiled beef (gyudon), chicken and egg (oyakodon), deep-fried shrimp (tendon) or deep-fried pork cutlet and egg (katsudon). They are often eaten as part of a reasonably priced 'lunch set', with miso soup and pickles.

Tempura
Seafood or vegetables dipped in batter and deep-fried, tempura is served with a dipping sauce and daikon. The word 'tempura' comes from the Portuguese 'tempero' (gravy or sauce) and this dish dates from the mid-16th century, when Portuguese and Spanish culture was first introduced to Japan. Tempura can be served with a side bowl of rice and soup or on a bowl of rice (tendon) or noodles (tempura udon, tempura soba).

Sukiyaki
This is a savoury stew of vegetables and beef cooked in a large nabe and dipped in a bowl of beaten raw egg. The vegetables usually used are green onion, shiitake mushrooms and chrysanthemum leaves (shungiku). Also added are tofu and gelatinous noodles (shirataki) and the ingredients are cooked in a sauce made of soy sauce, sugar and sweet cooking sake (mirin).

Shabushabu
For this dish, diners dip paper-thin slices of beef in a pot of boiling water and stock for a few seconds and then dip the cooked beef in sesame sauce (goma dare) before eating. Later, vegetables such as enoki mushrooms and Chinese cabbage, tofu and shirataki are added. When cooked, these are dipped in a soy and citrus sauce (ponzu). After the beef and vegetables have been finished, udon can be added to the pot and eaten with the broth. Other flavorings used include crushed garlic, chives and daikon. Economical (for those with a big appetite) all-you-can-eat meals are common in Shabushabu restaurants.

Okonomiyaki
This can best be described as a savory Japanese pancake. Chopped vegetables and meat or seafood are mixed with batter and cooked on a griddle. Like a pancake, the okonomiyaki is flipped over and cooked on both sides. It is then topped with a special sauce and mayonnaise and sprinkled with nori and dried fish flakes (katsuobushi). Variations include adding a fried egg or soba.

Yakitori
Yakitori itself means broiled chicken. Various cuts of chicken, including heart, liver and cartilage are cooked on skewers over a charcoal grill. Also cooked this way at yakitori restaurants (yakitoriya) are an assortment of vegetables such as green peppers (piman), garlic cloves (ninniku) and onions (negi). They are flavored using either a tangy sauce (tare) or salt (shio). The menu will usually contain a variety of other foods as well. Yakitoriya are usually laid-back places where the food is a snack to accompany drinking.
Alcohol appears in the earliest historical records. 3rd-century Chinese records describe the inhabitants of Japan as being fond of their liquor and this remains little changed today. Consumption of sake was overtaken by that of beer around the beginning of the 20th century. In recent years, beer and its cheaper relations happoshu and so-called "third-category beer" account for over 75% of alcohol consumption. Overall, per capita alcohol consumption has been in decline from a peak of 80 liters - that's more than 21 gallons - a year in 1999 and was around 74 liters in 2006.

A generation of young Japanese had grown up in difficult economic times and were inclined to go for cheaper drinks or avoid alcohol altogether. But there are still a huge variety of different places to go out for a drink. Most are also places to eat as the western idea of the stand-up pub is relatively new to Japan.


When is a Beer Not a Beer?
Japanese major beer brands - the top two are Asahi and Kirin, followed by Suntory and Sapporo with a quarter of the market between them - are known worldwide. The biggest breweries produce a range of top-selling beers, such as No.1 seller Asahi's Super Dry, Sapporo's Black Label and Ebisu, Kirin's Lager and Ichiban Shibori and Suntory's Malts. In addition, they sell dozens of 'seasonal' brands for a few months at a time. These are generally lagers and easily outsell other brands such as stout (black beer). Appealing to the increased health consciousness of the Japanese consumer, terms like "zero calorie" and "low alcohol" have become marketing buzzwords.

Happoshu (low-malt beer), has become more popular recently due mainly to the fact that it's significantly cheaper than regular beer. Happoshu typically retails for ¥30-40 less for a standard 350ml can because the low malt content puts it in a lower tax category. Sales of happoshu accounted for over a fifth of the beer market in recent years thanks also to heavy marketing. Taking a growing chunk of the market is "third-category beer." Made with malt substitutes like soybeans, corn and even peas, it has a taste close to that of regualr beer but at an even cheaper price thsan happoshu. Economic worries have led more Japanese consumers to consider price more carefully, and as the new alternatives are considerably cheaper, they have seen their share of the beer market grow to almost 30% in 2009. Korean-made third-category beers such as Muginosuke or Prime Draft can be had can be had for less than ¥100 a can. Meanwhile regular beer fell below the 50% market share level for the first time ever.

The bigger breweries also produce other alcoholic beverages such as whisky, wine and shochu as well as soft drinks.


Sake
In Japanese, the word sake is also used as a generic term for alcohol. The correct term for refined Japanese rice wine is seishu, or more commonly nihonshu. Like wine made from grapes, there are regional variations and good and bad years but sake is not usually stored for more than a year. Good sake is produced all over the country and with thousands of small breweries, finding one to suit your palate shouldn't be too hard. There are different grades of sake depending on the milling process used on the rice and what additives are used, if any. The production cycle takes about one year: Autumn rice is used in the brewing process, which starts in winter and ends the following spring. The sake matures during the summer and is finally bottled in the autumn. Sake has an alcohol content similar to wine, around 16%. It can be served either warmed or chilled. The cheaper varieties are usually served hot (atsukan) straight into a glass in cheap drinking establishments like izakaya or yakitoriya. Otherwise it is served in an earthenware bottle (tokkuri) and poured into small cups (sakazuki).

Shochu
Shochu is a distilled liquor made from grain and averages around 50% proof, although there are large variations depending on the ingredients and region. It is most commonly drunk in a mixture with ice and things like oolong tea (oolon-hai) or citrus juices (lemon-hai). These drinks are available ready made in cans. Ready-made cocktails have also become popular recently. Whiskey and other distilled liquors tend to be popular among middle-aged men.

Japanese Whisky
In terms of worldwide reputation, Japanese whisky may struggle to compete with Scotland, Ireland, the U.S. and others. But in recent years, that has been changing as Japanese distillers have succeeded in creating world-beating whiskies. Major company Suntory has probably the highest profile in the market, thanks largely to its use of foreign celebrities to hock its wares. This was famously parodied by Bill Murray as a Hollywood actor promoting the brand in the movie "Lost in Translation." In 2007, Suntory Hibiki was recognized as the world's best blended whisky, a title it retained the following year. Another product of the northern island of Hokkaido is the whisky of the Yoichi distillery. In 2001, the Yoichi Single Malt Cask Strength 10 Year won the "Best-of-the-Best" award from Whisky Magazine, and Yoichi 20 Years Old (photo) was voted the best single malt at the World Whiskies Awards in 2008. The Yoichi distilery was established in 1934 and is one of two malt whisky distilleries run by Nikka Whisky Distilling Co.

Japanese Wine
Like its whisky, Japanese wine is not well known outside the country and the reason is simply that Japan is not ideally suited to viticulture. High humidity and rainfall during the growing season, acidic and fertile soil and simply a lack of flat land space mean that it has remained a small industry. And most of the local brands sold around the country are cheaper table or cooking wines. The main area for wine-making is Yamanashi prefecture, near Mt. Fuji. The area has relatively low rainfall, making it less suitable for growing the staple crop, rice. The country's first commercial winery was established in Katsunuma, Yamanashi in 1875, and it is still run by Mercian, the second largest winemaker in Japan.

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Yet another person who dislikes the mandoline.  




Sorry you got cut.




I managed to avoid that, but was so antagonized by the mandoline that I egged chef into a diatribe against its entire genre.

YA THINK?


did your wife laugh and tell you your're a girly man????

glad your're only midly wounded,,the Purple Heart is in the mail and the check for your lost limb shall follow shortly..


Once upon a time while slicing cucs with just my knife, had my attention distracted by a cocktail waitress passing thru my kitchen

HAS anyone figured out I have an addiction for cocktail waitress's???

anyways, she said, careful CHEF you will cut your self cutting that fast, I in my dedicated inteligence said HUH?
and just knicked the edge of my index finger,,just enought to catch that small main vein in my finger...blood SPURT about a foot across the prep table and I got a bit shaky
I went to the nearest seat, in the bar area just out side the kitchen door, and quickly sat down..
I was actually faint..I thought I was gonna
the NEW GM, (who was a moron) says, WHY YOU SITTING IN THE BAR????(and an asshole as well)
I take the towel from my bleeding finger and say, THIS IS WHY JERKOFF...and blood spurts all over the front of his white shirt..

HE promptly


PASSES OUT, cracking his head open on the bar foot rail and BREAKS HIS LEG when it get caught in a chair as he is going down....

IT WAS HILARIOUS....
I up to that point in life had NEVER laughed qute that hard....of course, we then found out his damages and called an ambulance etc..but up to that point

thanks for your question..there is a further discussion back a few pages on food safety, not too far back but there., I know been bad at updating the INDEX

BAD CHEF... been a busy summer...

anyways, .gov is correct by my understanding
I beleive the story that actually started that study was a group of indiginous folks were living on a Mastadon for a few weeks when some explorer/scientist types found out about it, had some themselves and didnt die...TASTE may be a whole nother issue though,,I have had steaks thawed and eaten 3 years old with no break down in falvor as long as vacumed pack or at least well sealed and in a FREEZER that does NOT SELF DEFROST, self defrosting KILLS your food..for long term storage do not use self defrosting freezers..waste of time...

moving from freeze to frige, 3 days post defrost, then cook or toss is the SAFE RULE. bacteria and decomp is happening,

I will streach it 4days if there is NO odor and I will wash with vinegar bath, 30% solution ,,BEEF will go 7 days unless smelly and then it can be trimmed  and washed in acid bath as well.
GREEN BEEF is not uncommon and the taste is a preferred thing to some,,NOT ME but to some, I remember years ago, roasts being hung 7 to 10 days in a Cool room, NOT COLD cool, the meat was then trimmed, removing all excess fat and anything green then heavly seasoned and cooked at high temps or roasted to M well  to well done..

to be safe here is an old kitchen adage used by cooks world wide..

when in doubt THROW IT OUT

CHEF

basiclly


Decomp
everything rots unless held at zero degrees,,bacteria is the ultimate scavenger