![Mellow :mellow:](./images/smilies/m_mellow.gif)
The food and drink thread
Re: The food and drink thread
Not just about cooking but I can't get enough of Honeyjubu.
![Mellow :mellow:](./images/smilies/m_mellow.gif)
Re: The food and drink thread
How many times do you think Honeyjubu watched her dad beat her mom? I bet that guy put Joe Jackson to shame!
Re: The food and drink thread
bout tree fitty...
Utisz, save your coins br rr uh.
ENTP
"Our truest selves exist within the observational incongruencies among general first impressions and further analyses of the finer details."
- from my Ph.D. thesis in psychobabble
"Our truest selves exist within the observational incongruencies among general first impressions and further analyses of the finer details."
- from my Ph.D. thesis in psychobabble
Re: The food and drink thread
I bet yo nose is all kinds a aquiline always tryna sniff a taste. I can only imagine it.Ferrus wrote: ↑Sun Jun 12, 2022 11:54 amToday I'm making spaghetti alla vongole. With clams and mussels, Italian wine and spaghetti al nero di sepia.
Goal: https://www.google.com/amp/s/blog.giall ... ngole/amp/
I have a bottle of Greco di Tufo to go with it.
Ahem, also. Y'know whadda do... Don't boast. Sh'up and write anotha post.
![Very cool :vcool:](./images/smilies/m_realcool.gif)
ENTP
"Our truest selves exist within the observational incongruencies among general first impressions and further analyses of the finer details."
- from my Ph.D. thesis in psychobabble
"Our truest selves exist within the observational incongruencies among general first impressions and further analyses of the finer details."
- from my Ph.D. thesis in psychobabble
Re: The food and drink thread
Does anyone have an enameled cast iron Dutch oven? If so, do you season it after each use? If at all, how often? How often do you use it?
Re: The food and drink thread
I use one for pinto beans and stews/chili/gumbo, as well as cooking bread loaf's by preheating the oven to about 450, tossing in some corn meal at the bottom, and baking at 350-375 for 45min-1hr after cutting the top of the dough into a cross pattern after sprinkling it with corn meal. You could probably do something similar with any fat trimmings and bread baking session, though a roast will probably be sufficient, and for something like that just heating it to a high temperature and then slow cooking it like a crock pot is usually the best thing, as the lid will keep a lot of heat in, and cooking it at higher temps is when it can tend to not be good for the pot.
The pot use has a darker tint to the enamel and it's something I'm reluctant to scrub and wear away the layer, as it will just remove the porcelain which is just a barrier to the iron, and using a weaker soap (some specifically sold as for the purpose of cast iron) can prevent the layer from losing the "seasoning," and some soaps labeled as "biodegradable" tend to be much milder than something like Dawn. Getting a decent brush and not using a scrub pad is best, and you can also use epsom salt or kosher salt and/or baking powder/soda and using a paper towel folded over, take a flat spatula and pressing down can help to scrub without destroying the "seasoning."
For beans, I just boil water and will continue to boil for a little while after adding the beans, and a normal dutch oven filled 3/4ths the way can cook 2lbs relatively easy. I usually boil the water with a dried vegetable mix by It's Delish (which I got 5lbs of the stuff from the website along with dried fruit which I don't recommend getting,) and it makes for a good soup base which get's used for practically any combination of ingredients. Salt at the beginning seems to make it not soak as well, though just prior to adding any other ingredients boil at as high a temperature as it will reach to get rid of the gas-causing ingredients until it's completely cooked with the lid off, and anything like cooked onions or tomato ingredients, and possibly beef to make chili, would be added after the beans are done, which can then incorporate other ingredients for a continued simmer.
If you get the habit of thinking of the Dutch oven as being similar to a 'Crock Pot' the most you will need to clean or season it is more determined by how you clean it, and just brushing the pot will suffice. It could be that I have a better seasoning from using it, but I think over time I just adapted to cooking with it differently, and that might be why the porcelain has worn away (and it could just be that the cast iron is being exposed more.) Alternatively, I just view the darker enamel as being the layer that most people don't notice with cast iron because without the enamel it would be less noticeable.
I would be suspect of any pots being vintage as it was around the 1970s when many enamels were leadbased, and that's one reason I still use a modern dutch oven over buying a vintage bean pot. You generally want to season any cast iron as much as possible with whatever oily stuff is on hand (Crisco is a favorite for some, though cooking bacon with it can also be good, and just experiment with it, as anything you cook will tend to impart the character from the oils/fats.) If you have a cast iron set you ideally will want to start from one pan and move onto the rest of them all at once, and try to coat the layers around it. Allowing grease to remain is common practice, and it's the one reason most people who start using cast iron seem to not "get it" when it comes to cooking with it, and it can be far supeiror to any other cooking equipment (just get some really good hot pads that don't melt or burn easily. . . This crap can burn you if you aren't careful and it's a bit like people that buy knives will cut themselves eventually.)
Also, if you cook a bunch of bacon keep the grease for things like gumbo to make roux out of it. . . Cast iron is the perfect stuff to make gumbo with.
Re: The food and drink thread
Thanks for this! I have a cast iron skillet that I love but don't use that often, mainly due to cleaning and care. Half the times, actually, the vast majority of the times I cook, I can't be bothered to wash the dishes in my sink until the next day. Stick the pot or pan in the sink, run some water in it to keep things from sticking or drying and then when I get the energy, I'll clean it up. Can't really do that with cast iron. I got it preseasoned but that didn't stop me from seasoning it before the first use and ever since. Fewer things stick than when I first got it and it's easier to clean but still, I can't be bothered right after eating. I know things taste better cooked on it. I'll sometimes ask myself, is this worth the extra hassle. I hate to use the word hassle but it is more work. It's so surprising how much better a burger can taste on it than any other fry pan.Catoptric wrote: ↑Wed Jun 22, 2022 6:19 amI would be suspect of any pots being vintage as it was around the 1970s when many enamels were leadbased, and that's one reason I still use a modern dutch oven over buying a vintage bean pot. You generally want to season any cast iron as much as possible with whatever oily stuff is on hand (Crisco is a favorite for some, though cooking bacon with it can also be good, and just experiment with it, as anything you cook will tend to impart the character from the oils/fats.) If you have a cast iron set you ideally will want to start from one pan and move onto the rest of them all at once, and try to coat the layers around it. Allowing grease to remain is common practice, and it's the one reason most people who start using cast iron seem to not "get it" when it comes to cooking with it, and it can be far supeiror to any other cooking equipment (just get some really good hot pads that don't melt or burn easily. . . This crap can burn you if you aren't careful and it's a bit like people that buy knives will cut themselves eventually.)
Also, if you cook a bunch of bacon keep the grease for things like gumbo to make roux out of it. . . Cast iron is the perfect stuff to make gumbo with.
The cast iron Dutch oven I have is from France. Not the infamous and more pricy, Le Creuset, but it's quality and I enjoy the meals I'm able to make with it. I've never made gumbo but keep saying I will. I can't remember when I got it, prolly and good 8-10 years ago, although it wouldn't surprise me if it were more like 12-14. I hadn't been seasoning it and really not using it that much but I noticed that it's been harder to clean and wondered if maybe I should be seasoning it.
I hadn't thought about the leadbased construction aspect. I know people buy them at garage sales cuz they're indestructible and some people feel that food tastes better in them over time. I just wouldn't want something like that from someone I didn't know. I've been making simpler meals and really haven't had cause to use it. Not even opting for a different pot cause it's easier. I use a different one for pasta but that one I'm just boiling water and putting the pasta in and then a skillet to fry up sausage and mushrooms and then store bought sauce, so it's not like I'm making my own that would require a lengthy build. If so, yeah, I'd use by French Dutch but most of the time it's boil, drain, stir in a few spoonfuls of pesto and eat.
I do save my bacon grease and other greases and oils. They're ideal to use for gravy and quick flavorful frying. I notice sometimes some mold may form in the jars I store them in. I use like a big peanut butter jar when empty or mayo container. Anything big with a wide mouth and tight fitting lid. I'll use both plastic or glass. Any suggestions on how to keep mold from forming? I store it in a cabinet, not fridge to keep it from forming a solid chunk. It can be easy enough to spoon out the bit of mold, it's not like items of leftovers that go forgotten in containers in the back of my fridge but it's annoying and prolly not the most healthy thing to have contaminating the rest of my grease.
Re: The food and drink thread
Spartan26 wrote: ↑Sat Jun 25, 2022 7:07 pmThanks for this! I have a cast iron skillet that I love but don't use that often, mainly due to cleaning and care. Half the times, actually, the vast majority of the times I cook, I can't be bothered to wash the dishes in my sink until the next day. Stick the pot or pan in the sink, run some water in it to keep things from sticking or drying and then when I get the energy, I'll clean it up. Can't really do that with cast iron. I got it preseasoned but that didn't stop me from seasoning it before the first use and ever since. Fewer things stick than when I first got it and it's easier to clean but still, I can't be bothered right after eating. I know things taste better cooked on it. I'll sometimes ask myself, is this worth the extra hassle. I hate to use the word hassle but it is more work. It's so surprising how much better a burger can taste on it than any other fry pan.
The cast iron Dutch oven I have is from France. Not the infamous and more pricy, Le Creuset, but it's quality and I enjoy the meals I'm able to make with it. I've never made gumbo but keep saying I will. I can't remember when I got it, prolly and good 8-10 years ago, although it wouldn't surprise me if it were more like 12-14. I hadn't been seasoning it and really not using it that much but I noticed that it's been harder to clean and wondered if maybe I should be seasoning it.
I hadn't thought about the leadbased construction aspect. I know people buy them at garage sales cuz they're indestructible and some people feel that food tastes better in them over time. I just wouldn't want something like that from someone I didn't know. I've been making simpler meals and really haven't had cause to use it. Not even opting for a different pot cause it's easier. I use a different one for pasta but that one I'm just boiling water and putting the pasta in and then a skillet to fry up sausage and mushrooms and then store bought sauce, so it's not like I'm making my own that would require a lengthy build. If so, yeah, I'd use by French Dutch but most of the time it's boil, drain, stir in a few spoonfuls of pesto and eat.
I do save my bacon grease and other greases and oils. They're ideal to use for gravy and quick flavorful frying. I notice sometimes some mold may form in the jars I store them in. I use like a big peanut butter jar when empty or mayo container. Anything big with a wide mouth and tight fitting lid. I'll use both plastic or glass. Any suggestions on how to keep mold from forming? I store it in a cabinet, not fridge to keep it from forming a solid chunk. It can be easy enough to spoon out the bit of mold, it's not like items of leftovers that go forgotten in containers in the back of my fridge but it's annoying and prolly not the most healthy thing to have contaminating the rest of my grease.
When I bought a bunch of clearanced off bacon the grease I stored in a small La Parfait jar (and preferably you want a glass jar such as one used for jams because plastics are air permeable and will oxidize) and I kept it refrigerated for a few months where it remained fully solidified, and I would generally recommend refrigerations due to oxidation and any solids that might remain, but also you went to ensure all the water is evaporated from it. In comparison ghee is something that is shelf-stable because the solids have been boiled off and filtered out from it, otherwise you will want to refrigerate butter. Plastic also has a lot of crevices that are difficult to clean which is why it's not recommend for beer brewing, as it can be difficult to sanitize, so it may not have been fully clean.
The dutch oven you describe is probably safe as most seem to use unpigmented colors for the interior, and for some reason, I'm still reluctant to fully trust cast iron as a safe pan because you can absorb too much iron, and similar copper French cookware involving tin lining though generally considered safe, the coatings are known to wear out with use, not unlike any cast iron with enamel.
It's great to just quickly scrub out any pans using a brush and then use the burner to evaporate any water, as cast iron improperly stored will always require a steel wool or Brillo scrub to refinish and re-season, which I've ended up doing with vintage cookware that my mom acquired.
When I worked as a call center rep I was eligible for discounts and bought a few cookware on clearance with the addition of the discount, though I doubt these are still available, they are still preferred cooking equipment and costs less then $120 in total, I've been using them for nearly 8 years, though I notice people still use coated pans which I'm usually more apprehensive of (as can be evident when noticing how often coated pans just end up worse than any cast iron. Far more coated pans are likely more unsafe due to the layers falling off into cooking, and the coatings never work without a surface level of oil.) The only other cookware I have is a stainless steel brew pot, though I've never used it for cooking (as the ball valve can get really disgusting if contaminated.) Generally I only cook with stainless steel or cast iron.
I agree that no one needs to buy the $300-400 cooking pots when one that came in a $100 set are as sufficient if not more preferred for cooking (as anyone that cooks knows the pans will not look any better with use, much as professional photographers often have less than ideal looking camera gear if they actually use it,) and it's one reason I stopped working for such companies, as they stopped selling the kinds of equipment that actually seemed nice to use.
The cast-iron pans I had (without the larger pot)
https://www.westelm.com/products/mrk-ca ... set-d1863/
Stainless steel frying pan I will alternatively use and similarly the underlying part not used for cooking now has a layer encrusted into it not unlike cast iron seasoning, though the top cooking surface is relatively unblemished.
https://www.westelm.com/products/mrk-tr ... -pan-d873/
Either that or a 40 year-old stainless steel sauce pan is used which has a mismatched lid that is ideal for not overboiling.
I still consider all nonstick far more toxic than any excess of iron, and something about cast iron just has a slightly primordial element to it that I imagine can be easily adapted for camping which is something I would be reluctant to use with most "nonstick" crap.
https://www.mamavation.com/health/all-n ... toxic.html
Re: The food and drink thread
A decent Youtube channel with variety of cooking methods (sous vide, soup stock and practical adaptations for variety.)
https://www.youtube.com/c/helenrennie
She went over a tutorial on cook pans
That and Townsends (18th-century Luddites on Youtube, that mysteriously have a lot of products for sale which I would definitely advise not wasting money on, as evidently living like the Amish can get pretty expensive.)
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCxr2d4 ... lcajAkKJYw
https://www.youtube.com/c/helenrennie
She went over a tutorial on cook pans
That and Townsends (18th-century Luddites on Youtube, that mysteriously have a lot of products for sale which I would definitely advise not wasting money on, as evidently living like the Amish can get pretty expensive.)
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCxr2d4 ... lcajAkKJYw