General Food Thread II

[Gaius Hermicus]

Hello forum-goers!

This is the sequel to the first General Food thread (link: http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showt...od-Discussions)

This is a thread to basically just talk about whatever food-related things you want!



Anyway, to start it off, how about y'all's opinions on clam chowder? New England style or Manhattan?

As a proud Massachusettsian (Massachusettser? Massachusett?) I can say with absolute certainty that New England style is my favorite of the two, but of course that's IMO.

[Florian]

I´ve got to work a bit on my cooking skill when it comes to japanese food. Last year, I've been hitting the food trucks too much when it comes to lunch break, so one of my new year resolutions for this year was to eat a lot more healthy food and prepping a solid bento box seems to be a sensible solution to that....

[Aveline]

I've had daifuku on my mind a lot lately.

I blame Dark Souls III for including a wooden hammer as a viable PVP weapon.

[Gaius Hermicus]

I've had daifuku on my mind a lot lately.

I blame Dark Souls III for including a wooden hammer as a viable PVP weapon.

Mmm...

I had to Google daifuku, 'cause I'd never heard that term before. Apparently it's some sort of mochi pastry.

I never caught on to mochi as a dessert: I much prefer marzipan and the texture always put me off a little. These daifuku things look pretty tasty though. Maybe I'll make some.

[Spacewolf]

Hello Playground, I'm soon going to be cooking for a vegetarian and could do with some interesting recipes as I've never done much vegetarian cooking before. If possible I'd like them to be presentable but also simple.

I've been checking out various sites and found these which seem pretty reasonable but also kind of bland especially for a main course. (I was thinking of maybe adding pomegranate seeds to give it an extra flavour but I'd need to test it.

So please give any suggestions, the above was just an example of what I found.

Edit:this should probably be in friendly banter.

[random11]

Most of the recipes I tried personally are not in English and I find it hard to translate some of the ingredients, so I'll give some general suggestions.

Lasagna is a good option and has more than enough vegetarian variations.
Generally pasta has plenty of sauces that can fit.

Stuffed peppers is another good option.
I like the Mediterranean style, but there are plenty of other options.

[BWR]

This take on spaghetti aglio e olio has become a staple in our cuisine. Super easy, super good. You'll probably want a green salad on the side, though.

Lentils with fresh mint, coriander and chilis is another staple, one we are coincidentally having tonight. I believe it's meant as a side dish but we like it enough that we have it on its own, served with thinly sliced chili and seeded tomatoes on top.

Almost any curry you like can be made vegetarian. Just add more chickpeas and/or lentils to replace whatever meat the recipe calls for.

[Knaight]

There's a lot of vegetarian food that isn't specifically thought of as vegetarian - almost all deserts, for instance. Beyond that there's always various veggie + noodles/rice/whatever dishes, which can be spiced up with fruits, nuts, etc.

For specifics though, I have a broccoli, cauliflower, and artichoke heart quiche recipe, though it's all eyeball measurements. You need:
Crust
1/3 cup milk
1/3 cup oil
4/3 cup flour
Salt to taste

Veggies
1 whole head of broccoli
1/2 head cauliflower
1/2 cup artichoke hearts in oil

Misc
1 cup milk/cream/half and half/other similar dairy
4 large eggs
1 cup feta cheese.

Preheat the oven.
Mix all crust ingredients together, make the crust, stick it in a pan, and bake until slightly cooked.
Chop all veggies, stir together at heat until notably cooked (not soft).
Remove crust from oven.
Crumble feta into crust.
Put veggies in crust.
Whisk eggs in a large container. Add remaining milk/cream/whatever, whisk into eggs.
Pour whisked eggs into crust.
Bake until done.

[LibraryOgre]

The Mod Wonder: I merged in the Vegetarian Recipes thread from Media Discussions, because it was entirely in the wrong place.

[Spacewolf]

Yea that's what I get for posting at 5am. Some interesting suggestions so far.

I kind of like the idea Knaight alluded to with having a stir-fry dish with some sort of fruit to give abit extra. What type of fruit would you recommend? Apples would probably be the obvious to me.

[Knaight]

Yea that's what I get for posting at 5am. Some interesting suggestions so far.

I kind of like the idea Knaight alluded to with having a stir-fry dish with some sort of fruit to give abit extra. What type of fruit would you recommend? Apples would probably be the obvious to me.

I'd steer away from apples here - generally tropical fruits seem to work better. Pineapple, mango, papaya, etc. That said, if you're really set on apples I could see a carrot, onion, spring onion (or leek), apple mix working with some relatively mild flavored noodles. Maybe throw some almonds in there; peanuts or cashews are more common but probably a little too intense flavor-wise when you're using apples.

[Spacewolf]

I mainly though of apples because of an curry I made in the past that came out reasonably well where I used apples.

[Knaight]

I also just don't like apples, so that might be influencing this a bit. I try to separate how much I like an ingredient from how it can be used well, but that's not a perfect process.

[understatement]

In-and-Out is overrated.

stated as opinion

[Velaryon]

Feeling pretty dumb after I accidentally set my stir-fry pan on fire last week. I started heating up the oil, went back to chopping veggies, and all of a sudden the oil is on fire!

I managed to put it out quickly, but the pan is ruined. I ordered a replacement but probably won't have it for another week.

[Vizzerdrix]

I overcooked my oatmeal. It is now a flavorless slime

[Knaight]

I feel that. I did that to some millet the other day, where I added way too much water. Millet isn't rice, and I need to remember that.

[Algeh]

I bought a big bag of dried apples slices at Costco a month or so back, and finally got around to opening them today. They are...not the "dried apple chip" texture that I was expecting. I don't know if I got a bad bag or this is a different thing than the apple chips I used to buy, but they are definitely a lot mushier and less fun to eat as a snack. I'm debating rehydrating them to use in recipes (they'd probably be just fine cut up in something like muffins) versus throwing them out since I wasn't really planning on making a giant batch of apple muffins right now.

I need to find more "open up the thing and eat it as a snack" shelf-stable foods that (a) I like, (b) have some vague nutritional value, and (c) don't contain any peanuts or nuts, since we have to be both peanut and nut free at work this year. (My previous go-to snack food was cashews.) I'm looking for something that can be kept in a desk drawer and eaten quickly between student appointments.

[anjxed]

I need to find more "open up the thing and eat it as a snack" shelf-stable foods that (a) I like, (b) have some vague nutritional value, and (c) don't contain any peanuts or nuts, since we have to be both peanut and nut free at work this year. (My previous go-to snack food was cashews.) I'm looking for something that can be kept in a desk drawer and eaten quickly between student appointments.

raisins, dried mango

[tyckspoon]

I need to find more "open up the thing and eat it as a snack" shelf-stable foods that (a) I like, (b) have some vague nutritional value, and (c) don't contain any peanuts or nuts, since we have to be both peanut and nut free at work this year. (My previous go-to snack food was cashews.) I'm looking for something that can be kept in a desk drawer and eaten quickly between student appointments.

Other dried fruits (I've had good experience with apricot) and non wheat or potato based chip/crisp alternatives would be my first look - you can get things like dried and puffed greenbean pods or bean-flour based chips and crackers that will have some actual vegetable and protein content, especially compared to potato chips. Hard to find anything that will have the same level of satiation you can get from the fats and proteins in nuts, tho.

[Vizzerdrix]

I need to find more "open up the thing and eat it as a snack" shelf-stable foods that (a) I like, (b) have some vague nutritional value, and (c) don't contain any peanuts or nuts, since we have to be both peanut and nut free at work this year. (My previous go-to snack food was cashews.) I'm looking for something that can be kept in a desk drawer and eaten quickly between student appointments.

Jerky, or popcorn. Packs of cheese crackers.

[Gaius Hermicus]

Rating your burger joints...

What would you people say are the best burgers you've ever had? Chain restaurants only, please (so that it's recognizable to at least a few people).

Mine is Five Guys. They also make excellent milkshakes.

[DwarvenWarCorgi]

Anyway, to start it off, how about y'all's opinions on clam chowder? New England style or Manhattan?

As a proud Massachusettsian (Massachusettser? Massachusett?) I can say with absolute certainty that New England style is my favorite of the two, but of course that's IMO.

Hey!!!! fellow m@$$hole!!

It's New England all the way, but it's gotta be old school for me though, simpler the better. Preferred mnahattan as a kid though. Never liked RI style

As far as burgers at a chain place, I enjoy 5 guys, but I gotta go with Uno. Ikr. Chicago pizza chain. But (as a former employee) their exclusive blend season salt they use on the fries and burgers is great, and they're a 10oz patty that's also a custom blend of beef. (Been out a few years, not sure they still do it exactly the same, but they still taste the same to me.

[DwarvenWarCorgi]

I bought a big bag of dried apples slices at Costco a month or so back, and finally got around to opening them today. They are...not the "dried apple chip" texture that I was expecting. I don't know if I got a bad bag or this is a different thing than the apple chips I used to buy, but they are definitely a lot mushier and less fun to eat as a snack. I'm debating rehydrating them to use in recipes (they'd probably be just fine cut up in something like muffins) versus throwing them out since I wasn't really planning on making a giant batch of apple muffins right now.

I need to find more "open up the thing and eat it as a snack" shelf-stable foods that (a) I like, (b) have some vague nutritional value, and (c) don't contain any peanuts or nuts, since we have to be both peanut and nut free at work this year. (My previous go-to snack food was cashews.) I'm looking for something that can be kept in a desk drawer and eaten quickly between student appointments.

Something changed in dried apples a few years ago. You used to be able to rely on getting crispy apple chips, now half the time they're like apple flavored styrofoam chews. I don't know if it was some chemical everyone was using, there was a big FDA thing 5 or 6 years ago.

Banana chips are still crunchy. Could make no bake cookie bars out of tahini, oats and cocoa powder. I've got a recipe I love that uses peanut butter, easily adapted tho, I'll dig it up if you like.
Or just granola for that matter, not sure if anyone said it.

[Velaryon]

Rating your burger joints...

What would you people say are the best burgers you've ever had? Chain restaurants only, please (so that it's recognizable to at least a few people).

Mine is Five Guys. They also make excellent milkshakes.

My favorite is Kuma's Corner (they only have a few locations, AFAIK all in the Chicago area). They have a pretty cool variety of burgers, and I love that they're all named after metal bands.

The food is great and the atmosphere of the restaurant is great. The only downside is they're often so busy that it takes the better part of an hour to get a table.

[Vizzerdrix]

Rating your burger joints...

What would you people say are the best burgers you've ever had? Chain restaurants only, please (so that it's recognizable to at least a few people).

Mine is Five Guys. They also make excellent milkshakes.

Five Guys in my area is nasty as sin. More grease than a McDonalds.

[tyckspoon]

My favorite is Kuma's Corner (they only have a few locations, AFAIK all in the Chicago area). They have a pretty cool variety of burgers, and I love that they're all named after metal bands.

The food is great and the atmosphere of the restaurant is great. The only downside is they're often so busy that it takes the better part of an hour to get a table.

There's one down here in Indianapolis, at least. Makes sense they started over in Illinois - it's the only place I've ever seen malort offered.

[Tvtyrant]

I bought a big bag of dried apples slices at Costco a month or so back, and finally got around to opening them today. They are...not the "dried apple chip" texture that I was expecting. I don't know if I got a bad bag or this is a different thing than the apple chips I used to buy, but they are definitely a lot mushier and less fun to eat as a snack. I'm debating rehydrating them to use in recipes (they'd probably be just fine cut up in something like muffins) versus throwing them out since I wasn't really planning on making a giant batch of apple muffins right now.

I need to find more "open up the thing and eat it as a snack" shelf-stable foods that (a) I like, (b) have some vague nutritional value, and (c) don't contain any peanuts or nuts, since we have to be both peanut and nut free at work this year. (My previous go-to snack food was cashews.) I'm looking for something that can be kept in a desk drawer and eaten quickly between student appointments.

Dried apricots have the consistency of those fruit leather things we had as kids and are the best source of potassium.

[Knaight]

Five Guys in my area is nasty as sin. More grease than a McDonalds.

It can be a bit greasy. I don't tend to mind, but I also tend to throw on every single vegetable which dilutes that significantly.

[Velaryon]

There's one down here in Indianapolis, at least. Makes sense they started over in Illinois - it's the only place I've ever seen malort offered.

It looks like Indianapolis is the only location outside of Illinois, at least currently. They have two in Chicago and two more in Chicago suburbs. I guess when I made my previous post, I mentally misplaced Indianapolis - I always want to think it's much further north than it really is.

Five Guys in my area is nasty as sin. More grease than a McDonalds.

I've only eaten at Five Guys once. It wasn't bad, but cost a lot more than I thought its taste justified. Even 7 or 8 years ago, a simple burger/fries/drink combo was somewhere in the neighborhood of $15, while the burger tasted (to me at least) closer in quality to Burger King and Wendy's than to gourmet burger places.