Not a Bucket List...per se...
#11
  Re: (...)
So the year 2013 is now upon us. I know that for me there are many new things I wish to try.

So...I would like to challenge everyone. 12 months, 12 techniques or dishes you've always wanted to do but were intimidated.

Get your thinking caps on. This year let's all try 12 new things. One per month.

For me January will pressure cooking. I'm thinking short ribs.

Also on my list is Sous Vide, Rack of Lamb, Duck Prosciutto. There are more I am know which I will post later.

I think this is a great way to challenge ourselves and inspire each other
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#12
  Re: Not a Bucket List...per se... by DFen911 (So the year 2013 is ...)
I love pushing myself - I'm in. And, by gum, this year I will find time for marshmallows that I've been wanting to make for 3 years!!!

Have to think about other bounderies to leap....
Retired and having fun writing cookbooks, tasting wine and sharing recipes with all my friends.
www.achefsjourney.com
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#13
  Re: Re: Not a Bucket List...per se... by cjs (I love pushing mysel...)
WOW!!! That sure is a challenge and I LOVE a challenge! I'm not sure what I can come up with but I have a bunch of "exotic" dessert recipes I would love to tackle. Maybe that sous vide technique as well---son Jeff was into that when he was working at Petite Maison....raved!! This will be fun if I can find what I need---
"Never eat more than you can lift" Miss Piggy
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#14
  Re: Re: Not a Bucket List...per se... by Roxanne 21 (WOW!!! That sure i...)
I am in. I want to do sous vide. Just ordered Modernist Cuisine (which in addition to sous vide, has pressure cooker and other methods as well.)It will be here next week. I also want to make fresh pasta. Homemade cheese and yogurt are also on my list. Pressure canning as well. I am sure I can come up with others, but those are my top ones for now.

Denise, Short Ribs would work great. Also Cuban style eye of round and Cuban Black beans. I am going to be presumptuous and post my favorite recipes in case you'd like them.

EXPORTED FROM LIVING COOKBOOK

CARNE ASADA****

The original recipe called for the usual Cuban sofrito (chopped onions, garlic, green bell pepper sautéed in Spanish EVOO), but as she has gotten older (now 88) she has revised the recipe with the shortcuts listed below. She made it for me last week and it was better than ever with the thick chunk of Serrano instead of the Smithfield which is what I can find here. We try to get the biggest eye or the round we can find and ask the butchers at stores is they have whole ones. We ask them to trim them so we don't pay for extra fat, then cut them in half to fit the PC ourselves. This freezes very well and keeps in the coldest part of the refrigerator for a week and it is even better the second time. We serve it with white rice (and black beans if no potatoes) and fresh avocados with salt, olive oil and a splash of lime.


Prep.: 30 min. Cooking: 1 hour and 30 min.Inactive: 2 hours Total Time: 4 hours

1 Whole eye of the round 5-6 lbs.
1 Envelope Onion Soup Mix (usually Knorr or Lipton)
½ tsp. Oregano
2 tsp. Minced garlic
2 Bay leaves (dried ok)
1 cup Beef Broth
½ cup Chablis (Carlo Rossi)
1 Thick slice of Ham preferably Serrano or other flavorful salty not sweet ham
4 russet potatoes in quarters or sixths if large

Divide the beef in half if whole.

Cut ham into 1 ½ inch slices. Make hole in middle of each round with knife and stuff ham onto hole.

Brown beef, add all including potatoes. Close and wait for steam; cook one hour. Let pressure go down naturally. Take meat out and rest ½ hour on counter and 2 hours in fridge covered with plastic.

Slice after it is cold. Put liquid through colander and press. Put everything back in container after throwing out bay leaves. Reheat in microwave.

Can be frozen.

Recipe Type: Beef, Cuban Food, Grandma Hilia, Main Dish, Meat, Pressure Cooker

Author: Hilia
Source: From Hilia's recipes

BRAISED SHORT RIBS WITH CHOCOLATE AND ROSEMARY PC***** Servings: 6

Do not sub crushed tomatoes for diced and drained. Use a grenache-shiraz combo if possible and fresh thyme.

Prep.: 20 min.Cooking: 1 hour and 10 min.Inactive: 8 hours Total Time: 9 hours and 30 min.

3 TBS. olive oil
¼ cup diced pancetta (Italian bacon; about 1½ ounces)
¼ cup all-purpose flour
6 lbs. bone-in short ribs (or 4 lbs. boned)
1½ cups finely chopped onions
¼ cup finely chopped shallots
¼ cup finely chopped celery
¼ cup finely chopped peeled carrots
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 cups dry red wine
2 cups low-salt chicken broth or beef broth or combo (up to 3 if needed)
2 cups chopped drained canned diced tomatoes
1 TBS. tomato paste
2 TBS. chopped fresh parsley
1 very large fresh thyme sprig or 1 tsp dried thyme
½ tsp. dried oregano
1 bay leaf
3 TBS. shaved or grated bittersweet chocolate
2 TBS. unsweetened cocoa powder (preferably Dutch-process)
1 tsp. finely chopped fresh rosemary

Heat pressure cooker over medium heat. Add olive oil and pancetta and sauté until crisp about 4 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer pancetta to paper towels to drain.

Sprinkle ribs with salt and pepper and dredge in flour. Add ribs to pot in batches, and sear in drippings over medium-high heat, until brown on all sides, about 8 minutes per batch. Transfer to plate.

Meanwhile, combine the onion, shallots, celery, carrot, parsley and garlic in a food processor and blend until finely minced. Or use a mini food processor for each and put each veggie in a large measuring cup. and mix by hand. Then add the tomatoes and tomato paste and pulse. Add the mixture from the food processor or measuring cup to the pot.

Add wine. Boil uncovered until liquid is reduced by half, scraping up browned bits, about 5 minutes.

Add broth, thyme, bay leaf, and pancetta. Return ribs to cooker, cover and let come to pressure at 10 lbs. Cook at medium heat or just high enough to maintain steady pressure for 25 to 30 minutes (depending on how full cooker is). Let pressure reduce naturally.

Take rosemary off stem, chop roughly and place in mini food processor. Break off pieces of the bittersweet chocolate and add, add cocoa and process until rosemary is finely chopped and so is chocolate.

Transfer ribs to storage container large enough to hold rib meat and sauce, debone and defat, then refrigerate. Discard bay leaf. Leave pot out to cool and spoon fat from surface of sauce. Boil sauce until beginning to thicken, about 5 - 8 minutes. Reduce heat to medium. Add chocolate, cocoa powder, and rosemary; stir until chocolate melts. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Return ribs to pot. Simmer to rewarm, about 5 minutes, then return ribs and sauce to storage pot and refrigerate. It is better the next day, reheat in microwave. Freezes well.

Recipe Type: ALINA'S ADAPTATION, Beef, Beef Short Ribs, Gourmet, Main Dish, Meat

Author: MINE
Source: Adapted from Giada and Bon Appetit 1/2006
Web Page: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/giada...index.html

User Data 11 (link): http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/v...ary-233706

BLACK BEANS MAMI'S*****

Prep.:15 min. Cooking: 30 min. Inactive: 12 hours Total: 12 hours and 45 min.

1 lb. dry black beans
2 bay leaves
½ cup extra virgin olive oil
1 large Spanish onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 green bell pepper, seeded and cut in half
1 tsp. dried oregano
salt to taste

Wash beans well and remove any bad beans and debris. For 1 lb. of dried beans, dissolve 6 TBS. kosher salt in 4 qts of cold water. Soak the beans at room temperature for 8 to 24 hours. Drain and rinse them well before using. If you soak beans and aren’t able to use them immediately, they can be drained, transferred to a zipper-lock bag, and refrigerated for up to four days before being used without ill affect to flavor or texture. We do warn against soaking beans much beyond 24 hours as testing has suggested that they can lose flavor and develop tough skins and a mealy texture.

Wash and seed bell pepper and cut in quarters. (You can chop it you prefer, we like to have the flavor but don't eat it). Dice onion and peel and mash garlic with a bit of salt.

Place the beans with the water in which they soaked in 6 Qt pressure cooker. Add extra water if needed to have 1" over beans. Add the rest of the ingredients. Cook on high pressure for 20 minutes. Cool cooker quickly and check consistency of beans. If not tender enough close cooker and do another 10 minutes and check again. If there is too much liquid, leave cover off and boil to reduce some of the liquid. There should be some liquid, but it should not be thin and soupy.

Some folks like to add a TBS. of sherry vinegar before serving, we don't. Beans can be successfully frozen for a long time.

Some folks prefer to make a sofrito in the pressure cooker first, with the olive oil, onion, garlic. pepper and oregano before adding the beans and the bay leaf. I've done it both ways and usually do it the lazy way.

Recipe Type: ALINA'S ADAPTATION, Beans, Bell Peppers, BEST, Cuban Food, Grandma Hilia, Onions, Printed, Side Dish

Author: Grandma Hilia
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#15
  Re: Not a Bucket List...per se... by DFen911 (So the year 2013 is ...)
Hmmm...I'll have to think about this one. It sounds like fun and I would like to participate. Maybe something will come to me. For now, I may just copy what you all are doing.
Maryann

"Drink your tea slowly and reverently..."
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#16
  Re: Re: Not a Bucket List...per se... by Mare749 (Hmmm...I'll have to ...)
Ditto what Maryann said...

Barbara
When life gives you lemons, make lemonade. Then find someone whose life has given them vodka.
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#17
  Re: Re: Not a Bucket List...per se... by BarbaraS (Ditto what Maryann s...)
Erin thank you! This is exactly what I am looking for

Derek got me the Modernist Home Cuisine for Christmas and it is an amazing book.

For those needing ideas -

Grilling
Canning
Butchering
Curing
Dehydrating
Garnishing
Sauces
Fresh pasta
Candies

Just to give a few ideas.
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#18
  Re: Re: Not a Bucket List...per se... by DFen911 (Erin thank you! This...)
I think we are going to get a KA pasta attachment so that I can do. And we got a pressure cooker for Christmas last year that has never been used so that I can do.

Not sure about coming up with 10 other things but something may come to me. I'm so tired right now from these Kettlebell workouts and walking I've been doing that I can't think straight.
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#19
  Re: Re: Not a Bucket List...per se... by Trixxee (I think we are going...)
Okay! I'm in. Can it be doing something that you haven't done in ages, revisiting something?

1: Cook an entire meal without an oven.
2: Cheese
3: Curing
4: Sous vide
5: Turducken (I know - stupid, but )
6: Try 2 new veggies - sun chokes & yucca (?)
7: Raviolo (with the egg yolk inside!)
8: Making different "caviar"s (chocolate, tabasco, etc)
9:
10:
11:
12:

I'll come up with the rest. #1 is a joke, I'll be doing that for at least 3 or 4 more weeks.
You only live once . . . but if you do it right once should be enough!
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#20
  Re: Re: Not a Bucket List...per se... by Harborwitch (Okay! I'm in. Can i...)
Trixxee that's a start

List is looking good Sharon.

So many different avenues to be explored.
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