Ask MetaFilter posts tagged with recipes

-sizzle-

mustcatchmooseandsquirrel — Fri, 25 Jul 2008 06:53:45 -0800

What [vegetarian or fishy] foods can I grill? Living on the street filter: After moving out of my apartment I'm staying with a friend until she has to move out, too. She has a big gas grill that we want to use as often as possible. We paid to replace the propane tank near the end of last summer so the tentative goal is to grill enough to use it all up!

In the past I have made naan, salmon, tofu kabobs, portobello mushrooms, and corn on the cob. What other vegetarian or fishy recipes are there that can be made on a gas grill? I definitely like cooking projects so recipes can be as complicated as necessary.

Simple cheeses that can be made in a day?

amanda — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 09:30:20 -0800

Cheesefilter! Any home cheesemakers out there? What simple cheeses can be made in half a day? I've made mozzarella and ricotta and now I'd like to make another quick cheese. Any suggestions? I'm doing this with a group so it's been fun to just gather the ingredients and spend a day doing the cheese. However, I'm stymied as to the next cheese. Everything I've looked up seems to require many hours of setting and/or many hours of draining. I'd like something I can make and eat immediately.

I can get fresh goat milk as well as simple-pasteurized whole milk!

I'm the king! of 11 pounds of salmon.

mimi — Sun, 20 Jul 2008 17:04:18 -0800

Fathers-Day-Fishing-Outing: Success. Yay! ...but I'm more accustomed to tiny, easily-packable, easily-fryable bluegills, and with the relative freezer space, too. I've got a whole king salmon saved (off-site) for smoking next month, but what do I do with the other eleven pounds? I asked them to save the carcasses, and have two+heads simmering for stock, but ohgodthere'smore in the freezer--in addition to all the filleted meat. Apart from grilling a side (bbq sauce+bacon is the plan for that one)... please nominate ideas and recipes for the rest of it, as well as the stock. Salmon smoking advice and canning thoughts welcome, also. Merci!

Recipes for a family covered over in bok choy.

Mimzy — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 15:50:18 -0800

We got a huge load of bok choy in our CSA last week, and I'm at a loss as to what to do with it outside of stir-fry. Please, no more stir-fry! Bonus points for dishes that could be frozen.

Eat food, not too much, mostly vegetables, and with as little effort as possible

Afroblanco — Wed, 18 Jun 2008 12:03:26 -0800

I'm a single guy living alone. I need to start cooking for myself because I spend too much money on food, and most of what I eat is kinda bad for me. However, I hate doing dishes and don't have much time to cook. What foods/recipes would you suggest? Dietary requirement

* Non-vegetarian
* Mostly lactose-intolerant, but can digest dairy products in small portions (in other words, I can eat a sandwich with a couple slices of cheese, but I can't eat a slice of pizza without dipping into the lactaid)
* I enjoy nearly any food that doesn't utilize organ meat or really salty fish
* I love salads
* The food should be as healthy as possible, but should also taste great.

Dish/utensil requirement

Ideally, preparation and serving should involve no more than the following :

*1 pot, pan, or cookie sheet
*1 or 2 plate(s) or bowl(s) for mixing and serving
*1 tupperware container for leftovers
* as few utensils as possible
* nothing that is even slightly difficult to clean (so no grinders or garlic presses or anything like that)
* no special equipment (no food processors, blenders, or anything that involves a motor)

Time requirement

A given meal should take no longer than 30-45 minutes to prepare. (this does not include time to defrost, pre-heat, marinate, or anything like that) The less preparation time, the better.

Money requirement

I'm willing to splurge a bit on quality ingredients, such as tasty fish and good cuts of meat. I'm not so willing to splurge on niche ingredients that I'll only use once or twice, although I could be convinced to do this if I could buy said ingredients in small enough quantities.

In general, I'm working with a pretty decent budget. I'm not a student or anything like that. But the meal should be appreciably cheaper to make than it would be to order at a restaurant.

Ingredient accessibility requirement

Ingredients should be available through the following providers :

* Trader Joe's
* Whole Foods
* FreshDirect
* Typical supermarket

Storage requirement

I'm okay with saving leftovers for the next day. I'm not really into making large batches of foods and freezing, although I could be convinced to do this for foods that freeze particularly well and don't lose much of their flavor or consistency after being reheated.

Yes, I know, I'm being particular. I may even come off as fussy. But I know that if anyone can help me with this, it's you guys.

Hey Reese's? You're not the only game in chocolate and peanut butter town.

orange swan — Sun, 15 Jun 2008 18:51:06 -0800

Either I'm being paranoid or the stores I frequent have stopped stocking certain items beloved by me because they contain both chocolate and peanut butter. Paranoid or not, I can bake, and am therefore not at the mercy of the peanut butter and chocolate overlords. Which leads me to ask the question, what decadent peanut butter and chocolate recipes do you have to share?

Comprehensive, authentic, good Italian cookbook?

sirion — Sat, 14 Jun 2008 06:55:50 -0800

Italian Cookbook: I'm going to live in Italy for 2 months this summer. Tell me what cookbook I should bring along! I'd like to come out of Italy with some favorite recipes that I first experienced authentically in restaurants there and then figured out how to reproduce. I'd like a relatively comprehensive cookbook that I can go to when I eat something I like and look up what was in it and how it's made.

(Side question: What food stuff (,spices, cookware, etc) should I bring back from Italy that's hard to get outside the country?)

Simple, easy and elegant recipes that are always crowd pleasers: What are yours?

Carialle — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 10:28:21 -0800

Simple, easy and elegant recipes that are always crowd pleasers: What are yours? Everyone has a few things they make that everyone always likes - often they are really simple. What are yours?

One of mine is these goat cheese toasts

It doesn't have to necessarily be that simple, but you get the idea. Great combination of ingredients, simple, but awesome. Thanks!

Meal planning for dummies?

CrayDrygu — Sun, 08 Jun 2008 18:15:17 -0800

I need help learning to plan meals, both to improve nutrition and cut down on costs. I don't want general advice or strategies so much as specific guides and menus. What's out there? My boyfriend and I eat rather crappily. We don't plan ahead very much, and so typically have very little on hand. We waste money on near-daily trips to the grocery store, we purchase too many pre-made meals, and we eat at restaurants way too often. We also frequently miss out on vegetables and grains, for lack of easy and tasty ways to incorporate them.

I'll admit a large part of this is due to laziness, but there's also a general lack of inspiration that comes into play. So, I'm looking for a source -- either web-based or print -- that'll give us pre-made menus for a week or so at a time.

I picked up a copy of Saving Dinner, which is an awesome concept -- a full menu for every week, complete with grocery lists! But the boyfriend doesn't eat fish, and there's at least one fish recipe every week -- which turns an easy pre-made grocery list into a chore of eliminating unnecessary ingredients -- made more difficult by the fact that some ingredients are shared between multiple recipes. This can be dealt with (I customized one of these lists once, it was a pain), but it'd be so much nicer to just grab a list and go shopping.

So what other resources are out there like that book? Something where I can pull up a full week worth of dinner ideas (a little customizability, like "no fish", wouldn't hurt) and just go shopping?

Smoking Foods At Home

snsranch — Fri, 06 Jun 2008 17:57:11 -0800

I've just figured out how to use my gas grill to smoke things. It's really working well. Any ideas or suggestions about great things to smoke? Meat, veggies, cheese? Different woods? Recipes? This is very new to me and I'm worried about ruining otherwise great meat and veggies.

Also, I'm able to keep the temp down to around 250f if that makes any difference.

Thanks in advance, I can't wait to try some new things!

More than mojitos...

thejanna — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 08:10:36 -0800

Help me plan my Cuban party! I have enough mint to make mojitos for an army, so I'm throwing a Cuban party. So far I've got...

Mojitos
Cigars
Flan
Ropa Vieja
Dominoes

I've also seen this thread with some cuban recipes. 'What other suggestions do you have for food, drinks, decorations, activities, etc?

sumac?

mustcatchmooseandsquirrel — Tue, 03 Jun 2008 13:41:19 -0800

I just bought a big bag of sumac (the spice, not the poison). Now what? I originally bought it to make Za'atar and the Mediterranean market only sold it in pretty big (though inexpensive) bags. Now I have a lot of leftover ground sumac sitting in my spice drawer. What else can I make with it? I prefer vegetarian or fish dishes so recipes for sumac chicken are out.

Foodier than the average bear

mudpuppie — Mon, 02 Jun 2008 14:27:38 -0800

Camping for ~~dummies~~ foodies? We're going camping for a few nights in Tahoe. The gf and I are both foodies. I'd like to come up with some fun, more-interesting-than-average campfire food that we can make/mix ahead of time, pack in bags or jars, then cook with minimal fuss. In other words, we'd rather not eat canned beans, hot dogs, or other pre-packaged stuff. She eats anything, so all recommendations are welcome. (Looking for ideas along the lines of: Make yummy pasta sauce -- maybe puttanesca -- pack it in the cooler. Boil dried pasta for dinner.)

Equipment available: Large ice chest. One or two pots, plus one or two pans. Might take the dutch oven. We'll have a fire pit, plus a two-burner propane stove.

Yes, I've read this thread. It's helpful, but not quite what I'm looking for.

Making a better broccoli cheese soup.

mattbucher — Sun, 01 Jun 2008 11:23:36 -0800

I am looking for some tried-and-true broccoli-cheese soup recipes that don't include canned soup or evaporated milk. What are some traditional ways to make this soup fresh and natural? What are some off-the-wall ways to spice up this dish or make it more summery?

If I can see it, then I can do it

reenum — Tue, 27 May 2008 18:04:09 -0800

CookingFilter: I need cookbooks or websites that have step by step visuals of recipes. After my AskMe about cooking last week, I've determined that I need cookbooks or websites that have visuals. I seem to do a lot better when I can see the steps I need to be taking, or at least some photos of how the prep should go.

I've already seen VisualRecipes.com, and am looking for more cookbooks or websites in a similar vein.

Thanks, everyone!

Ain't there nothing I can take, I say, to relieve this flipper ache

raztaj — Tue, 27 May 2008 15:34:56 -0800

CoconutFilter: Spring/Summer has finally hit Boston. I was at Whole Foods yesterday and was enticed by the freshly cut .45 lb. coconut in a little plastic container. It was white and glistening and tropical, so I bought it. I don't know what to do with it. Can you suggest any recipes or ideas what to do with it? I'm not very experienced with coconut other than in flake-form, so any and all coconut-related suggestions would be appreciated!

Thanks.

I wanna be a tofu queen

barrakuda — Tue, 27 May 2008 14:14:05 -0800

What are your favorite tofu recipes?

How to eat my syrup.

KingoftheWhales — Mon, 26 May 2008 16:41:17 -0800

I just bought some Lyle's Golden Syrup, and realized that I have no idea what to do with it. This being my first ever can of the stuff, I'm looking for easy and tasty things to do with it. Is it the same as any old syrup? It seems thicker, and it tastes rather like caramel. Besides pouring it on breakfast foods or maybe toast, what can I do?

Come on Indian MeFites, spill the lentils, divulge your most tasty family recipes.

ageispolis — Sun, 25 May 2008 22:19:02 -0800

To the Indian MeFites - and the non-indian chefs as well - what are your favorite family Indian recipes and what are some tricks in the preparation to give the food that authentic Indian taste. You know, rich, delicious, mouth-watering, and savoury to the point that eating becomes a spiritual experiece in itself. Perhaps I should have worded this question after I ate, but now that I'm returning to the Western diet after a few months of pure Indian goodness I already begin to feel the withdrawal symptoms taking hold, "Where's the spice in these potatoes? This bread needs some buttery sauce! Why is this food so depressingly bland and dry?!" I've already promised myself I'd start practicing and preparing my own Indian food, and with a large Sikh population nearby I have access to an Indian market specializing in ingredients from the Punjabi region, which is good because I do love my dal makhani. But I'd appreciate learning of recipes that run in the family as well as some tricks to the art of Indian cooking. For example, what's a good method of emulating a tandoor?

Any online resources are also much appreciated. Time to go eat lunch.

Who will help me bake this site?

soma lkzx — Wed, 21 May 2008 11:49:47 -0800

Where can I find beta testers for a niche-ish recipe site? So, I'm making a recipe site (again), and to prevent Ultimate Disappointment I need to find some beta testers to volunteer to run around on it. The magic part about the site is that it's multilingual and does some neat things with translation; the optimal tester would not only be into cooking, but also know a language beyond English (or be dictionary-capable). Places to find 'em:

Mefi Jobs?: Posted.
Forums?: Swooping in and dropping a "HI COME VISIT MY SITE" is never appreciated on forums, and if I'm going to invest some time in a few before I ask I need to know where to go. This post has some good ideas for cooking forums, but groups of people interested in translation or linguistics are also good targets. Site-specific advice on how to stop in is also welcome.
Bloggers?: I think inviting bloggers is more of a marketing beta thing than a technical beta thing. If they're going to chat the site up, I'd like to have their first impression be good! Horribly misinformed idea?

And if it helps, I'll totally call it beta tasting.

Help me find some healthy podcasts

tomcochrane — Wed, 21 May 2008 07:30:15 -0800

[Workout/Weight loss Filter] I'm looking for workout and weight loss podcasts and blogs, and healthy, wheat free recipes (due to a wheat intolerance). Any help? To be specific, they're for a 22 yr old female who is in very good shape. The internet has tons of information for people who are very overweight or who are very unfit, but that's not what I'm looking for.

She's very fit, works out regularly, and is not overweight. She just needs some extra motivation and help to lose a couple of extra pounds and to keep a healthy diet.

One other note: She is also always on the lookout for tasty but healthy recipes (or even meal plans!). However, she cannot eat wheat due to an intolerance. Any tasty, healthy, wheat free recipes would be welcome!

So if anyone knows of any good, motivational workout or weight loss resources, please contribute.

Thanks.

Back in the kitchen, what do I do now?

reenum — Mon, 19 May 2008 18:34:15 -0800

CookingFilter: Recipes, books, and blogs dedicated to recipes to beginner cooks or cooks on a budget? I learned how to do basic cooking in college. So, I can chop veggies, cook chicken, make an omelette, etc.

I've gotten away from cooking in recent years. Recently, I've gotten the jones for cooking again. Up until now, I've been living on Morningstar Farms food and Jello pudding.

I'm looking to ease back into it, and I've found that cookbooks and recipes geared towards new cooks the best way to do so. I'd also like suggestions on sites that are geared toward budget cooking or sites that can tell me what I can substitute for more exotic/expensive ingredients.

I've tried Googling for beginner recipes and the amount of results have been overwhelming. I've also checked the old AskMe's, but a lot of those have advice mixed in with suggestions for cookbooks/sites. I'd really just like to know about which books/sites I can go to for easy and hopefully healthy recipes.

I've gotten a few 'college cookbooks'. While these have decent recipes, most are uninspired. I'm looking for good food that I make on a weeknight.

So, I ask you: Where are such recipes to be found?

Thanks!

Preparing Pantry for Parties

EmpressCallipygos — Mon, 19 May 2008 09:26:07 -0800

I'm looking for ideas for simple, make-ahead pantry-stocking recipes for things I can use as appetizers or nibbles -- spiced nuts, marinated olives, etc. I'd ideally like things I don't need to refrigerate (although I do know how to can things), but I'm also thinking of some made-ahead-and-frozen cheese cracker dough as well; I'd also like things that keep a while. I'd love to be able to just pull some crackers and bread out, grab a couple jars, and there it all is. I've already got recipes for tapenade, marinated olives and mushrooms, reconstituted sundried tomatoes, and spiced nuts, as well as cheese spreads; anyone have any other tips?

Single-ingredient recommendations are welcome too (i.e., "never be without a jar of artichoke hearts"), although I'm mainly looking for things I can make myself and sock away.

Thanks.

Please help me not rue the day I planted rhubarb

orange swan — Fri, 16 May 2008 20:34:53 -0800

Looking at my rhubarb patch, it seems I'm going to be eating a lot of rhubarb this summer. Though my mother always had some in our garden, I don't think I've ever eaten rhubarb in any form but in rhubarb pie or rhubarb crisp. What's your favourite rhubarb recipe?

Drowning in Chiles.

zennoshinjou — Tue, 13 May 2008 06:01:11 -0800

Help me use these giant sacks of dried chiles. So after making a very delicious adobo chicken I am left with a giant sack of dried guajillo chiles and another of chiles de arbol. I am looking for ways to utilize the rest of them other than making more chicken. Are they good in salsa? Any recipes, tips, etc. you have for making the most of these would be appreciated!