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Original Message
"Two for Twosday - Chef Boyardee Version"
Posted by samboohoo on 01-29-08 at 08:54 AM
Tell me 2 things you cook:

1. You make it well.
2. You suck at making it.

Me:

1. I make a mean Rigatoni with Vodka Sauce.

2. I cannot flip an omelet.



Boo and Captain Chaos sitting in a tree . . .


Table of contents
Messages in this discussion
"RE: Two for Twosday - Chef Boyardee Version"
Posted by Max Headroom on 01-29-08 at 08:58 AM
1. Grilled fish. DW claims my grill-cooked salmon is better than 99%+ of salmon she's had at restaurants.

2. Asking me to flip a pancake is guaranteeing a mess in the kitchen.


agman Rammed me!

"RE: Two for Twosday - Chef Boyardee Version"
Posted by DearAbby on 01-29-08 at 09:43 AM
My DH makes grilled salmon better than most restaurants, too. In fact, that's what he cooked last night.


Vintage tribephyl

"RE: Two for Twosday - Chef Boyardee Version"
Posted by syren on 01-29-08 at 10:24 AM
Ok...Salmon people, we need a recipe thread.



What?


"Salmon in the dishwasher"
Posted by frodis on 01-29-08 at 12:25 PM
http://www.surrealgourmet.com/html/recipes/salmon.html

Yes, I have poached salmon in the dishwasher.


Winter wonderland a la Arkie!

"RE: Two for Twosday - Chef Boyardee Version"
Posted by Ahtumbreez on 01-29-08 at 09:02 AM
1. Drunken PorkChops - it's what I always cook for first time guests because I've never had it flop.

2. Fried eggs - I either break the yolks or cook them too long and my edges are lacy. Yuk.


winterized by agman
I AM the Abbott of Vermont!

"RE: Two for Twosday - Chef Boyardee Version"
Posted by agman on 01-29-08 at 10:21 AM
>1. Drunken PorkChops - it's
>what I always cook for
>first time guests because I've
>never had it flop.

I always get drunk along with the Porkchops

"RE: Two for Twosday - Chef Boyardee Version"
Posted by Ahtumbreez on 01-29-08 at 10:37 AM
Me too! That's why they're my fav. I totally agree with whoever said don't cook with it unless you drink it. I just make sure it's drinkable thru the whole cooking process

I also want to add that it was a toss up between fried eggs and chili rellenos. I love rellenos but can't for the life of me fix a good one.


winterized by agman
I AM the Abbott of Vermont!

"RE: Two for Twosday - Chef Boyardee Version"
Posted by agman on 01-29-08 at 10:39 AM
>Me too! That's why they're
>my fav. I totally
>agree with whoever said don't
>cook with it unless you
>drink it. I just

LOL that's why I use so much beer when I barbecue! ;)



thanks Tribe

"RE: Two for Twosday - Chef Boyardee Version"
Posted by Lasann on 01-29-08 at 09:02 AM
I don't make many things well but,

1. Enchillada
2. Gravy


Sharnina has outdone herself this time! Bounced by IceCat!!!

"RE: Two for Twosday - Chef Boyardee Version"
Posted by brvnkrz on 01-29-08 at 09:19 AM
1. A toss up between my lasagne and my chili. Both are requested frequently.
2. Other than when I experiment, I can't remember GF ever telling me that I sucked at cooking anything. There was that one sausage surprise dish that admiddetly was horrible but otherwise I'm a pretty good cook.


An Arkie original.

"RE: Two for Twosday - Chef Boyardee Version"
Posted by kingfish on 01-29-08 at 09:21 AM
1. Chili.

2. Spanish potato omelette.

"RE: Two for Twosday - Chef Boyardee Version"
Posted by Sagebrush Dan on 01-29-08 at 09:26 AM
1. I make a killer turkey chili. *drool*

2. Pork chops. Pure leather with the essence of cardboard.

It wasn't Dan's pork chops. I was kissing a human being with a soul.

"RE: Two for Twosday - Chef Boyardee Version"
Posted by jbug on 01-29-08 at 09:27 AM
LAST EDITED ON 01-29-08 AT 09:29 AM (EST)

my specialties
1. Best chicken parmesan e.v.e.r
2. To die for Chili

on the other hand:
1. coconut or chocolate pies (the last chocolate pie I tried, DH thought it was a milkshake)

2. biscuits from scratch
(I could go on and on and on.........with this list )


BTW, speaking of Chicken parmesan, do you serve yours with pasta? or when you order it in a restaurant do you get pasta? I always do; but went to a new little country restaurant last week and got just the chicken with sauce and cheese on top - no pasta. so?

Edited because I apparently can't follow directions (ask tride) - just one of each? Well, whip me with a wet noodle, I'm not changing my answers.

"RE: Two for Twosday - Chef Boyardee Version"
Posted by Estee on 01-29-08 at 09:33 AM
1. Skirt steak.

2. Dover sole.

"RE: Two for Twosday - Chef Boyardee Version"
Posted by DearAbby on 01-29-08 at 09:38 AM
1. Meatloaf
2. Everything else

I can open a can of vegetables and warm it up, but except for meatloaf, I leave the "scratch" recipes to DH. He willingly does most of the cooking at our house—and I clean up the kitchen. But my meatloaf is pretty good, even if I do say so myself, so I'll fix it a couple of times a month to give him the night off.


Vintage tribephyl

"RE: Two for Twosday - Chef Boyardee Version"
Posted by HobbsofMI on 01-29-08 at 09:42 AM
1. Anything with a recipe that does not require fancy cuts/chops/shredded things.
2. Frozen things with you forget to take off all the wrappers or leave the cardboard under the pizza, etc.


Save Peter and Hiro, Save Heroes
sig by Pepe and bouncy by IceCat

"RE: Two for Twosday - Chef Boyardee Version"
Posted by syren on 01-29-08 at 09:42 AM
1. Cocktail meatballs. Everyone always raves about them, and my way even makes the meatless ones taste wonderful.

2. Scratch biscuits. I admit, I only tried once but it was such a Hockey puck failure I have not tried again.
(If I use Pillsbury Southern Style from the frozen section no one knows they are not scratch, unless I tell them )



"RE: Two for Twosday - Chef Boyardee Version"
Posted by dragonflies on 01-29-08 at 09:50 AM
1. I make a very good spaghetti. I used to suck at making rice, it always turned out sticky, but in the last year or 2 I've turned it around, to where it is almost always perfect.

2. I, like Boo, cannot flip an omelet in a pan. I learned how to make them on a big griddle when I was a short order cook in a greasy spoon restaurant. That is the only way I can make them without having them fall apart.



"RE: Two for Twosday - Chef Boyardee Version"
Posted by Ahtumbreez on 01-29-08 at 10:10 AM
You bought a rice cooker didn't you?


winterized by agman
I AM the Abbott of Vermont!

"RE: Two for Twosday - Chef Boyardee Version"
Posted by kingfish on 01-29-08 at 03:06 PM
Yeah, me too. I finally learned to cook rice when someone gave me an automatic cooker. Out of pity, I'm sure, but whatever...

"RE: Two for Twosday - Chef Boyardee Version"
Posted by dragonflies on 01-29-08 at 04:04 PM
No rice cooker. I just actually read the instructions.



"Omelets"
Posted by samboohoo on 01-29-08 at 11:41 AM
or omelettes for those who spell it that way.

I have tried everything in this regard. At one point I had two pans going. I don't like for my eggs to be brown. Yucky! But I also like them cooked throughout.

I have gotten better, but they still aren't pretty.



Boo and Captain Chaos sitting in a tree . . .


"RE: Two for Twosday - Chef Boyardee Version"
Posted by agman on 01-29-08 at 10:20 AM
1 I can Barbeque anything well

2. Omelettes. No one goes near any omlette I make!

"RE: Two for Twosday - Chef Boyardee Version"
Posted by jbug on 01-29-08 at 10:25 AM
I don't believe it. I lived in CA and never could find any decent BBQ


Agman
(see BBQ is the way we say it here in BBQ country )
"RE: Two for Twosday - Chef Boyardee Version"
Posted by agman on 01-29-08 at 10:35 AM
So? now you're going to all my posts to see that I spell everything correctly???

"RE: Two for Twosday - Chef Boyardee Version"
Posted by jbug on 01-29-08 at 11:55 AM
uhhhhhhh, yep!

I solly honey. I won't do it agin.


Agman

"RE: Two for Twosday - Chef Boyardee Version"
Posted by DearAbby on 01-29-08 at 12:12 PM
IIRC, we had a thread a while back about spelling barbecue / barbeque / BBQ. Any volunteers to search the archives?
"RE: Two for Twosday - Chef Boyardee Version"
Posted by jbug on 01-29-08 at 02:39 PM
You're kidding right? If I keep going in there, I'll have to join the cast of "LOST" .


Agman Special
"RE: Two for Twosday - Chef Boyardee Version"
Posted by geg6 on 01-29-08 at 10:21 AM
1) So many things that I'm having a hard time picking just one. Honestly, I really am good in the kitchen even if this sounds awfully like insane bragging. Hmmmmm. I'll pick two things I know a lot of people are wary of making that I get raves on every time: a standing roast of prime rib that you'd be hard put to find anywhere near as good in a restaurant and Beef Wellington.

2) Well, I simply don't cook anything I'm not good at. LOL! Here I'd just say baking. Anything. I don't like or enjoy doing it and, consequently, I'm not all that good at it.


"With all the talk about how to stimulate it, you'd think that the economy is a giant clitoris." - Barbara Ehrenreich

"RE: Two for Twosday - Chef Boyardee Version"
Posted by Sunny_Bunny on 01-29-08 at 10:29 AM
Bunny:

1. Chinese - I am always told that my Chinese is better than what is served in most Chinese places.

2. Omelets are also my downfall.

Ra:

1. Killer chili. Everyone drools over his chili.

2. "Ra surprise" which sometimes is really, really good, and other times it's "what were you thinking?!" LOL

We take turns cooking, and cook together on weekends. Our basic habit is that one cooks, the other one cleans up and whoever the "main chef" is when we cook together, the other is the assistant. We established that habit because we lived alone for so long that scuffles about the "proper" way to do things often led to disagreements. The Chef/Assistant plan eliminated those disagreements.



"RE: Two for Twosday - Chef Boyardee Version"
Posted by Glow on 01-29-08 at 10:33 AM
1. tuna casserole (though I do make a wonderful meatloaf and a nice chili ~ I'd have to say my tuna casserole is the best thing I make)
2. just about everything else


"RE: Two for Twosday - Chef Boyardee Version"
Posted by emydi on 01-29-08 at 11:05 AM
you completely stole both of my answers!!!


TUNA NUNA!!!


I make good hot sausage too


"RE: Two for Twosday - Chef Boyardee Version"
Posted by Glow on 01-29-08 at 11:45 AM
You don't put peas in your tuna nuna, do you? *makes icky face* little green hate-filled balls
"RE: Two for Twosday - Chef Boyardee Version"
Posted by Ahtumbreez on 01-29-08 at 12:02 PM
I love little green hate-filled balls......and twizzlers


winterized by agman
I AM the Abbott of Vermont!

"RE: Two for Twosday - Chef Boyardee Version"
Posted by emydi on 01-29-08 at 01:53 PM
OMH no!! I forbade tim from making my tuna nuna recipe with peas...

"RE: Two for Twosday - Chef Boyardee Version"
Posted by CutsyTootsy on 01-29-08 at 11:52 AM
1. It would be a choice between Lasagna and cornbread.

2. I can't grill chicken- it always tastes dry and burned.


"RE: Two for Twosday - Chef Boyardee Version"
Posted by PhoenixMons on 01-29-08 at 11:53 AM
Hmmm...I consider myself a pretty good cook and generally don't have any disasters.

1. My best is either my killer pot roast, meatloaf, or a Hungarian chicken dish. I also love baking and make a mean almond melt-in-your mouth cookie

2. My worst was a sour cream pork chop experiment. I'd made it before, but something just didn't work the second time. It was inedible. I also attempted a homemade chicken-filled pasta and it was awful.

"RE: Two for Twosday - Chef Boyardee Version"
Posted by J Slice on 01-29-08 at 11:55 AM
1. I make a flawless fried rice. Just used cold, cooked nashiki (sushi) rice, a little sesame oil, some butter, salt, pepper, various vegetables and meats... It always comes out right - you know it's done well when you realize that it's terrible for you and you continue eating it unabated.

2. I seem to have trouble making hamburgers anywhere other than the grill. Stove-top = instant setting off the entire building's fire alarms.


All Hail the Rickman!

"RE: Two for Twosday - Chef Boyardee Version"
Posted by Ahtumbreez on 01-29-08 at 12:03 PM
I knew that second answer

Do you not put eggs in your fried rice?


winterized by agman
I AM the Abbott of Vermont!

"RE: Two for Twosday - Chef Boyardee Version"
Posted by J Slice on 01-29-08 at 12:07 PM
Yeah, yeah... stupid infernal hamburgers.

I personally don't like eggs, but I occasionally cook for those who do. Therefore, the eggs are optional. They do add nice consistancy, but I just don't like them enough to prepare them for myself.


All Hail the Rickman!

"RE: Two for Twosday - Chef Boyardee Version"
Posted by Ahtumbreez on 01-29-08 at 12:24 PM
The first time I ever tried to make fried rice I broke the eggs into the cooked rice. What an awful mess that was. Ugh.


winterized by agman
I AM the Abbott of Vermont!

"RE: Two for Twosday - Chef Boyardee Version"
Posted by kingfish on 01-29-08 at 03:12 PM
How are you supposed to do it?


"RE: Two for Twosday - Chef Boyardee Version"
Posted by Snidget on 01-29-08 at 03:15 PM
"Make hole in center of mixture and add eggs. Stir fry 3 minutes and mix into rice."

http://www.cooks.com/rec/doc/0,1642,145176-230196,00.html

They tend not to scramble right if you dump them on the rice. You can also do them in a separate skillet, but pushing the rice out of the bottom of the wok and scrambling the eggs there works.


Agman's like a brother, Your best friend forever, Making the sigs, the sigs that you like.

"RE: Two for Twosday - Chef Boyardee Version"
Posted by kingfish on 01-29-08 at 04:18 PM
Thanks. The few times (OK. maybe just once) I tried it, it came out weird (like ATum said), so I quit trying.
"RE: Two for Twosday - Chef Boyardee Version"
Posted by Ahtumbreez on 01-29-08 at 04:40 PM
It was gross looking wasn't it? *squishy nose


winterized by agman
I AM the Abbott of Vermont!

"RE: Two for Twosday - Chef Boyardee Version"
Posted by kingfish on 01-29-08 at 08:01 PM
Yeah, gruesome.

But it sounds easy enough to try again. I think I'll get some Tasso and Andouille this weekend and try it with that. I do really like fried rice.

I can make a real good Jambalaya, so I ought to be able to do fried rice. Stands to reason.

"RE: Two for Twosday - Chef Boyardee Version"
Posted by VisionQuest on 01-29-08 at 12:11 PM
1. I make a pretty good Chicken Cordon Bleu

2. Meatballs - I just can't get them right.

"RE: Two for Twosday - Chef Boyardee Version"
Posted by mrc on 01-29-08 at 12:30 PM
1. PB&J sammiches.
2. Everything else.
"RE: Two for Twosday - Chef Boyardee Version"
Posted by zombiebaby on 01-29-08 at 02:41 PM
I just left 8 messages on your answering machine at home.
"RE: Two for Twosday - Chef Boyardee Version"
Posted by mrc on 01-30-08 at 08:34 AM
When you leave me a message, please refrain from squealing like a fan girl. It's embarrassing.

Sigs by Bob about chalk dust. Pretty exciting stuff

"RE: Two for Twosday - Chef Boyardee Version"
Posted by zombiebaby on 01-30-08 at 08:37 AM
Where can I find the 4 inch high action figure of you?


Arkie's Art! He's real and he is looking for you!

I have a Ziploc bag with your name on it. Really it say's "MRC".


"RE: Two for Twosday - Chef Boyardee Version"
Posted by mrc on 01-30-08 at 08:45 AM
Next to the Mickey Dolenz hair-styling kit on aisle 7.

Ferociously purrfected by thndrkttn
Does it have cookies in it? M&M cookies, I hope.

"RE: Two for Twosday - Chef Boyardee Version"
Posted by MTW1961 on 01-29-08 at 01:30 PM
1. Mexican Food - tacos, Chile Verde, Chile Rellenos, Enchiladas, Carnitas, guacamole. I do all these things very well. My Chile Rellenos are better than you can order in a restaurant.

2. Mashed Potatoes - can't make decent mashed potatoes to save my life. Thankfully, no one's life has ever depended on me making them.



Handcrafted by RollDDice!

"RE: Two for Twosday - Chef Boyardee Version"
Posted by Ahtumbreez on 01-29-08 at 01:35 PM
*sob Will you come to my house and teach me the fine art of relleno making? The only time I get great rellenos is when I drive in to Tulsa and go to Ricardo's.


winterized by agman
I AM the Abbott of Vermont!

"RE: Two for Twosday - Chef Boyardee Version"
Posted by MTW1961 on 01-29-08 at 02:17 PM
Heh! I just read your post #23. How about you come to MY house for Chile Rellenos? We'll make them together.

You need fresh Poblano chiles that you roast under the broiler, the right temperature oil, and a batter that will stick to the chile. Eggs and flour are key ingredients here.

Also, just the right type and consistency of sauce to cover it.



Handcrafted by RollDDice!

"RE: Two for Twosday - Chef Boyardee Version"
Posted by Ahtumbreez on 01-29-08 at 02:45 PM
This weekend good for you? Chihuahua's or Dos Equis? Lemons or limes? I'll bring my own olives


winterized by agman
I AM the Abbott of Vermont!
This is what I get when I go to Ricardos:
CHILE RELLENO
A mild Anaheim pepper, skinned, stuffed with cheese, battered, fried, and smothered with our famous chile con queso….(2) $6.99…(3) $8.99
So good.


"RE: Two for Twosday - Chef Boyardee Version"
Posted by MTW1961 on 01-29-08 at 02:55 PM
Next weekend will be more fun.
This weekend is SUPER BOWL!



Dos XX, lime please!

"RE: Two for Twosday - Chef Boyardee Version"
Posted by Ahtumbreez on 01-29-08 at 02:59 PM
How could I forget! Go Packers!


winterized by agman
I AM the Abbott of Vermont!

"RE: Two for Twosday - Chef Boyardee Version"
Posted by samboohoo on 01-29-08 at 02:37 PM
In our next life when we're married, I will let you make the Mexican food, and I will make the mashed potatoes.

*sticks out tongue at zombs*



Boo and Captain Chaos sitting in a tree . . .


"RE: Two for Twosday - Chef Boyardee Version"
Posted by MTW1961 on 01-29-08 at 02:42 PM
Deal! *smooch*



I have to wait a whole 'nuther lifetime?

"RE: Two for Twosday - Chef Boyardee Version"
Posted by samboohoo on 01-29-08 at 03:37 PM
*smoochback* <-------- As opposed to a jokeback.



I was actually thinking that we should probably make a deal now that if we're both single at like 70, we should totally hook up.

"RE: Two for Twosday - Chef Boyardee Version"
Posted by MTW1961 on 01-29-08 at 04:13 PM

Is that MY 70 or YOUR 70?
"RE: Two for Twosday - Chef Boyardee Version"
Posted by samboohoo on 01-29-08 at 04:18 PM



Mine, although that would require you waiting a little longer.

"*lick*"
Posted by zombiebaby on 01-29-08 at 02:42 PM
mmm...let me suck that guacomole off your fingers.
"RE: *lick*"
Posted by MTW1961 on 01-29-08 at 02:44 PM
That's not my finger!



Handcrafted by RollDDice!

"RE: *lick*"
Posted by kingfish on 01-29-08 at 03:16 PM
That might not have been guacamole either!

"RE: *lick*"
Posted by zombiebaby on 01-30-08 at 08:36 AM
I was joking.
"RE: Two for Twosday - Chef Boyardee Version"
Posted by Snidget on 01-29-08 at 01:40 PM
1. Sweet and Sour Chicken, Shrimp or Pork. Ever since I had a coworker from Taiwan that said it looked and tasted like the stuff back home it is my pride and joy.

2. I cannot flip or toss anything in the air.

I can do an omelet that will set up enough in the middle I can fold it in half and slide out of the non-stick pan, but I can't do the flip it all the way over thing some do. Toss pizza dough in the air, ha!. Flip the onions around while sauteing them, HA!. Until tossing food on the floor/the top of the stove, etc is part of the recipe, I don't toss anything.


Agman's like a brother, Your best friend forever, Making the sigs, the sigs that you like.

"RE: Two for Twosday - Chef Boyardee Version"
Posted by frodis on 01-29-08 at 01:48 PM
1. Crepes. My specialty.

2. Meatloaf. Mr. Fro always likes it when I make it, but I'm never happy with it. I keep experimenting. Some of the experiments have been particularly bad.



Winter wonderland a la Arkie!

"RE: Two for Twosday - Chef Boyardee Version"
Posted by Snidget on 01-29-08 at 01:53 PM
Do you use all beef?

Cooks Illustrated did a recent thing on meatloaf. It might be worth looking up.

Some traditional meatloafs use ground veal and they found that a small amount of gelatin (like a teaspoon) mixed in with the wet ingredients (the egg and any broth you might use) seemed to work. You want just a little bit, not a whole lot, or you get meat jello. It sits with the liquids for like 5 minutes then mix it in.

They go through a whole bunch of variables so that might be something to look at to see what might work for you.



Agman's like a brother, Your best friend forever, Making the sigs, the sigs that you like.

"RE: Two for Twosday - Chef Boyardee Version"
Posted by jbug on 01-29-08 at 02:42 PM
Since you're experimenting? add about 1/2 cup applesauce - makes meatloaf yummy.


"RE: Two for Twosday - Chef Boyardee Version"
Posted by syren on 01-29-08 at 03:13 PM
I use the Top Secret Recipes Boston Market's meatloaf. It is wonderful!



What?


"RE: Two for Twosday - Chef Boyardee Version"
Posted by adricharlie on 01-29-08 at 01:53 PM
1. I bake really good chocolate chip cookies...
2. Omellete I do not even attempt to make.


Courtesy of Agman....

"RE: Two for Twosday - Chef Boyardee Version"
Posted by qwertypie on 01-29-08 at 01:54 PM
Thing I make regularly that people rave about
1. Beef Stirfry (and it's impossibly healthy for you too!)
Thing I make less than once in a blue moon that people rave about
1. Cream of asparagus soup. Once (and only once) did I have a soup in a restaurant that I actually liked better.

Thing I really, really suck at
Cakes from scratch. They just don't rise and are neutron star dense.
I've tried different recipes, new batches of baking powder and other ingredients, new (and different material) cake pans and even 3 different stoves (1 gas, 2 electric.) I am cursed, so betty crocker or duncan hines it is.

"RE: Two for Twosday - Chef Boyardee Version"
Posted by Snidget on 01-29-08 at 02:04 PM
I always use a box mix except for two cakes that seem to work for me.

One is a chocolate cake that has no eggs. It does have baking powder, but it also has a bit of vinegar so you get the gas to lighten it up.

http://southernfood.about.com/od/chocolatecakes/r/bl40212q.htm is pretty similar.

The other one is the "chocolate mousse cake" that has no flour in it and it is not supposed to be light, it is supposed to be dense. The first time I had this someone brought left overs from a lab meeting to a party. It may look little, but it is rich and serves a bunch of people.

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Flourless-Chocolate-Cake-II/Detail.aspx is about as close as I can find. It is gluten free!


Agman's like a brother, Your best friend forever, Making the sigs, the sigs that you like.

"RE: Two for Twosday - Chef Boyardee Version"
Posted by qwertypie on 01-30-08 at 00:31 AM
I'll let you know how it turns out! Thanks for the GF recipe I am always trying to expand my repitoire.
"RE: Two for Twosday - Chef Boyardee Version"
Posted by CTgirl on 01-29-08 at 02:15 PM
1. Penne a la vodka

2. Anything that takes a lot of attention or patience. I am a good cook (when I pay attention) but I don't really enjoy cooking, so I get distracted very easily in the kitchen and tend to forget about basting often enough or adding that last ingredient.

"RE: Two for Twosday - Chef Boyardee Version"
Posted by jbug on 01-29-08 at 02:43 PM
adding that last ingredient.

you forget to add the cheese to the mac & cheese?



"RE: Two for Twosday - Chef Boyardee Version"
Posted by iatovttotx78 on 01-29-08 at 02:18 PM
1. Stuffed Porkchops
2. Mac & Cheese from a box (or really anything with a powder sauce)


Handcrafted by RollDdice.
"RE: Two for Twosday - Chef Boyardee Version"
Posted by mysticwolf on 01-29-08 at 02:21 PM
1. Spaghetti Sauce

2. Fried potatoes

Actually, I do pretty well with most things I cook, but I like my fried potatoes golden crispy and I can never get them crisp without the crisp parts bonding firmly with the bottom of the pan. Gravy isn't a strong suit, either. On the other hand, my sauteed mushrooms or round steak w. stuffing are a couple of my highlights.


Tribe's beauty.

"RE: Two for Twosday - Chef Boyardee Version"
Posted by jbug on 01-29-08 at 02:45 PM
fried potatoes? = use iron skillet
white gravy too.
course this is just a suggestion.....
"RE: Two for Twosday - Chef Boyardee Version"
Posted by Ahtumbreez on 01-29-08 at 02:47 PM
I do a good fried potato. Secret is a well seasoned, very hot cast iron skillet.


winterized by agman
I AM the Abbott of Vermont!

"RE: Two for Twosday - Chef Boyardee Version"
Posted by mysticwolf on 01-29-08 at 04:50 PM
I have some very nice, well-seasoned, cast iron skillets. I just never think to pull them out when my anodized are hanging there just above the stove. Hmmm...


Tribe's beauty.

"RE: Two for Twosday - Chef Boyardee Version"
Posted by motormouth on 01-29-08 at 03:20 PM
Well my brother and now my own family loves my burritos...but that doesn't sound like the "thing" I want to brag about. *thinks*
*pout*

I can't think of anything that is really my "specialty".

As for what I can't make...

anything that is meaty, like pork roast, or a whole chicken or turkey.



Handcrafted by RollDdice

I make a perfect Malibu and Coke though!

"RE: Two for Twosday - Chef Boyardee Version"
Posted by jbug on 01-29-08 at 04:03 PM
My neice just gave me a big bag of GREEN m&ms the other day.
Green is the new color of lvoe....

So why is this guy blue????

"RE: Two for Twosday - Chef Boyardee Version"
Posted by StarryLuna on 01-29-08 at 03:43 PM
1. I make a to-die-for NY cheesecake. And I mean it - it will kill you. 8 eggs, 5 blocks of cream cheese, about 2 cups of sugar...That's why I only make it for DH's birthday and Christmas.

2. I cannot make breakfast foods. Bacon? No clue. Fried eggs? Forget it. Pancakes? Burnt.


Winterized by Nutzy.

"RE: Two for Twosday - Chef Boyardee Version"
Posted by samboohoo on 01-29-08 at 04:01 PM
I'm gonna help you with the bacon situation because I love you so much.

Oscar Meyer now makes bacon in a box. You can't mess it up. It's in the refrigerated section where the regular bacon is, it's just in a box.

It's even layered into 5 servings of 3 pieces. Just take one serving out, leave it on the paper and put it on a paper plate. Cover with a paper towel. Zap it for 17 seconds. Take it out and blot it on both sides with the paper towel. Voila!

When you have this baby and the grandmothers are gone, I will come to your house one day and cook you a fabulous breakfast. And I will bring you some other stuff for other meals.



Boo and Captain Chaos sitting in a tree . . .


"RE: Two for Twosday - Chef Boyardee Version"
Posted by mysticwolf on 01-29-08 at 04:54 PM
Yep. The boxed bacon is actually quite good - even the shelf-stable ones that aren't necessarily found in the refrigerated section. It's particularly helpful when you don't want to make a mess.


Tribe's beauty.
The shelf-stable ones? You do have to refrigerate them after they're open.

"RE: Two for Twosday - Chef Boyardee Version"
Posted by moonbaby on 01-29-08 at 03:50 PM
1-Excellent marinara.
2-Awful burgers.

"RE: Two for Twosday - Chef Boyardee Version"
Posted by cahaya on 01-29-08 at 04:38 PM
1. You make it well.

I make a great fried chicken meal, with a recipe and method my family's in-house babysitter/housekeeper taught me as a kid. I think I first tried cooking it when I was about 10. I mix dry flour and various salts & spices (even a good dash of cinnamon sugar) and then shake it with the chicken in a bag, completely coating it. Cooking, the oil (lighter, the better) has to be really hot (not quite smoking) so the coating fries to a crisp and the chicken is moist inside.

After draining almost all the oil from the frying pan (I use an Asian wok-style pan for this, rather than the classical iron skillet), there'll be crispy droppings on the bottom, and I'll stir in a little more of the same spiced coating flour into the pan along with about 1/4 cup of milk to make a nice creamy chicken gravy.

Then, along with it, mashed potatoes, a couple of fresh vegetables like asparagus or corn on the cob or broccoli, with a salad to top it off. Dessert's optional (it's a full meal!), and an after-dinner coffee follows.

2. You suck at making it.

After at least a half dozen tries, I still haven't gotten homemade a lasagna to come out right. Some were outright disasters, either running on the plate, slipping and sliding all around, or so gooey and mucky that it was hard to tell what it was.


Caged by Snidget

Oh, hey, I make great omelets! What do you want in yours?

"RE: Two for Twosday - Chef Boyardee Version"
Posted by smokeysmom on 01-29-08 at 05:07 PM
mmmmm, your fried chicken sounds great -- but I notice you are witholding your secret "various salts and spices"

For lasagna two things that work for me are: cook the noodles very, very aldente. (barely softened, you wouldn't eat 'em). And, make sure your moist ingredients like the sauce, and the ricotta are also very, very thick and dry. The whole thing should look strangely dry when you put it in the oven. Then, voila! it all moistens just right.

Mine are:

1. Any traditional german stuff like goulash and warm potato salad

2. Fried eggs. shudder. I forget who posted above about "lacy edges". double shudder -- I feel your pain as has my entire family! Any tips OTers?

"RE: Two for Twosday - Chef Boyardee Version"
Posted by cahaya on 01-29-08 at 08:02 PM
Thanks for your lasagna suggestions. You're right, I wonder if I didn't get it too wet. I may give it a try another day, and if I do, I'll get some advice from you.

To answer your question, among the salts and spices I usually add to the chicken coating flour are garlic salt, onion salt, black pepper, white pepper, and cinnamon sugar. Once in a while for a slight Asian flavor, I'll add a dash of garlic powder and tumeric.

Fried eggs is something else I learned as a kid, and it was tougher then without Teflon (although a seasoned skillet did pretty well). For sunny-side-up eggs, I use a small non-stick pan (a large pan tends to spread the egg too much) and put just a dab of butter or margarine (just enough to coat the surface) in the pan and let it melt with the heat on medium-low. Once the butter/margarine is hot, crack open the eggs and drop them apart from each other in the pan. Use a spatula to shore up the outer edge of the eggs which are thin (lacy edges come from a thin layer of egg in a too-hot pan). After about 2-3 minutes when the egg is white, nudge it with the spatula until it moves around freely. Flip the eggs with a spatula and turn off the heat (the remaining heat will cook the other side) and let it cook another minute, two minutes for a firm yolk. To serve, flip once more onto the plate so the yellow sunny side is up. Ta da!

"RE: Two for Twosday - Chef Boyardee Version"
Posted by Karchita on 01-30-08 at 00:02 AM
You're not putting a cover on your lasagna when you bake it, are you? That can also make it too liquidy. Also, if you let it sit for 5-10 minutes after you take it out of the oven before serving it will help it set up a bit.


"RE: Two for Twosday - Chef Boyardee Version"
Posted by smokeysmom on 01-30-08 at 04:29 PM
Thanks for posting your secret recipe. Does garlic salt actually have a lot of salt? As in, should my salt-restricted DH stay away?

Great egg tips -- I'm definitely going to try them. I think my mistake was thinking that the super-scorching-hot pan was the key, and I never thought to kind of scooooch the edges away from the "main egg part".

Here's to sunny side up, all the time...


"RE: Two for Twosday - Chef Boyardee Version"
Posted by suzzee on 01-29-08 at 07:48 PM
I make chicken soup to die for, I've been trying to make it taste like my Slovenian Grandma's since day one, I'm getting close but only when I make the noodles from scratch.

I suck at meatloaf, it always tastes hideous, my daughter asks who made it before she'll eat any. I've lied & she KNOWS. I give up, the worst ever was a couple weeks ago. I threw it out it wasn't even dog food. ugh

Suz

"RE: Two for Twosday - Chef Boyardee Version"
Posted by Scuba Steve on 01-29-08 at 08:02 PM
1. Spaghetti with meat sauce except for the one time I overcooked it, but other than that it is delicious.

2. Eggs. I always end up burning them.


"RE: Two for Twosday - Chef Boyardee Version"
Posted by anotherkim on 01-29-08 at 08:09 PM
white chili--it is legendary
gravy--it's not even funny to tell my gracy stories.

Kimmah Says
--now, of course, i'm craving gravy

"RE: Two for Twosday - Chef Boyardee Version"
Posted by Snidget on 01-30-08 at 00:27 AM
I don't get why gravy is so hard.

Pour the pan drippings into a measuring cup let the fat rise to the surface, let the good stuff drop to the bottom.

Pour off almost all the fat, leave a thin film. Pour the dripppings into a sauce pan. Add some stock (usually 2-3 times as much stock as drippings, for turkey I make a broth from the neck and gibblets, but I don't put those in, just the strained broth). Heat to a simmer

Mix 1-2 Tablespoons of corn starch with a little bit of water or some more of the stock, pour into the simmering broth/drippings while stiring the broth/drippings. Simmer 5-10 minutes until it thickens, then take off the heat. How much corn starch depends on how thick you want it and how much total you have. You can always add more if too thick, or thin with some broth if too thick. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Mom used to mix flour with the drippings in the pan to cook the flour a bit then added water instead of stock, but that can leave in more fat than I like, so I mostly ate gravy after I started making it myself.


Agman's like a brother, Your best friend forever, Making the sigs, the sigs that you like.

"RE: Two for Twosday - Chef Boyardee Version"
Posted by Karchita on 01-30-08 at 00:08 AM
1. green bean pickles

2. I think of myself as a pretty competent cook and can follow just about any recipe. If something doesn't turn out, I usually know what I did wrong. So, sorry, but I don't suck at making anything.


"This is a set up...."
Posted by jbug on 01-30-08 at 11:52 AM
who wants it?
"RE: This is a set up...."
Posted by Ahtumbreez on 01-30-08 at 11:55 AM
for a swoop block?


Agman took me to the islands