Calling All Cooks

[WarpGirl]

Hola amigos! Well, I have been in a very dark place for the last few weeks and that means my appitite is shot. But after days of no energy to cook or eat much, I've finally found some strength to get off my rear and cook some dinner tonight.

So I tried something I've always wanted to try making myself: Huevos y frijoles, litterally eggs and beans. Truthfully, I was terrified that I'd screw it up but I think I did really well! Okay so I still haven't figured out how to do a fried egg sunny-side up, like the traditional way, but it was still very delicious.

So my spirit is lifted slightly today. Hopefully the light at the end of the tunnel will come soon.

[Distracted]

Here's a hint about fried eggs. If you want the yolk intact and liquid but the white cooked solid, all you have to do is cook the egg until the underside is done and then put a bit of water in the pan lid and close the pan tight for a few seconds. The steam from the water cooks the top of the whites and puts a thin skin over the yolk so it stays intact when you slide the egg out of the pan. No flipping required. You do have to use a non-stick pan, though. Sticking a spatula under the thing risks breaking the yolk.

[WarpGirl]

Um aren't non-stick pans toxic if they get scratched? Truth be told they scare me. All pans get scratched it's impossible for it not to happen.

[putaro]

A little teflon in your diet isn't that bad. If you really, really overheat the pan I think the smoke is bad for you.

I suppose the other alternative is to use enough oil so that the egg kind of floats out. I prefer my eggs scrambled so I've never worked on my sunnyside up technique.

[Cogito]

Um aren't non-stick pans toxic if they get scratched? Truth be told they scare me. All pans get scratched it's impossible for it not to happen.

I think the danger from Teflon is when it's overheated and releases a gas that is deadly to birds and harmful to humans in an enclosed space. But I think by the time it's hot enough for that to happen you have burned the teflon and destroyed the non-stick properties anyway, so I doubt it's something that you'll do without realising it.

Aluminium is poisonous too, but cheap pans were made from aluminium for many years. Many of these were teflon coated. I'd be worried about the aluminium rather than the teflon.

[WarpGirl]

Way to scare a girl Cogito. Thankfully, I use stainless steel.

[Cogito]

Way to scare a girl Cogito. Thankfully, I use stainless steel.

Not to worry you, but stainless steel pans use an aluminium binder too so you are not entirely free from the problem. But unless you are in the habit of boiling up large quantities of acidic stuff and then consuming the result, I doubt it's going to be a problem. Aluminium pans probably not a good choice for jam making, though.

[WarpGirl]

Well I can't make jam. Hey is jam making important to getting to an Englishman's heart through his stomach? Just curious. I can make apple sauce.

[Grrr]

I use cast iron. But then I don't do anything other than scramble my eggs.

[WarpGirl]

Unfortunately I can't even attempt to lift a cast iron pan.

[Grrr]

I saw the topic up in the whine thread and thought I’d post a few recipes. My mother went on a low sodium diet in about 1978. When I started cooking for myself, I just didn’t even add the salt the receipes called for it. I still think I can cook. Here are two of my current favorites.


My first is based on a carrot hummus.

http://blog.fatfreevegan.com/2006/04/sh ... ummus.html

Tomato Basil Hummus

1 can of chick peas rinsed and peeled
1/4 cup juice from no salt added canned tomatoes
at least 1/3 of the tomatoes from a 14.5 ounce can tomatoes
1 tlbs tahini
a ton of dried basil (start off with at least 1 tlbs I just coat the top several times)
onion or garlic powder (optional)

combine in a blender and make smooth. My one secret to this is that even though my tomatoes are no salt added I get the fire roasted ones to add a little more flavor.

then there is this recipe I just found the other week.

http://vegweb.com/index.php?PHPSESSID=7 ... pic=4917.0


The main thing you need for this recipe is a curry powder that you really like. I used a no salt added vegetable stock but you can probably find a a chicken stock like that. I didn’t add any salt when I made it. I left out the red chili powder because my stomach just can’t take spicy food. I was out of garlic and onions when I made it. So if you don’t normally eat them, it will turn out fine with out them. I wouldn’t give up garlic onions and salt all at once though. When I make it again with the garlic and the onions, the main change I plan to make is trying to use 1-1 1/2 tlbs of oil instead of 4-5 tlbs.

Grrr

[WarpGirl]

Mama and I love Hummus, I'll be sure to make a note of that one.

[Distracted]

Just discovered a super-fast, yet totally yummy way to make Italian Wedding soup. You know those little frozen italian meatballs in the freezer case? If you buy a couple of boxes of chicken stock, pour them in a pot and set it to boiling, add the frozen meatballs and some dehydrated onion, then later add a bag of frozen chopped spinach, then presto! All you need to do is boil up some sort of bite-size pasta to serve the soup over and add parmesan cheese. It's yummy with a nice red wine. Even better with garlic bread. And it takes 15 minutes from frozen.

[WarpGirl]

Cool! I'm on the look out for Indian (Hindustani) dishes. Preferably vegetarian, and don't absolutely need the onions. Mum and I want to eat less meat and the only way to convince the Lord and Master of the house is to make yummier vegies. Plus, the obsession with Bollywood and all things that go with it is getting worse.

The government should have put a warning lable on Hrithik Roshan's movies before letting them out of the country.

[Distracted]

I'm not much for Indian food. Never much liked the taste of curry.