Susan's Place Transgender Resources

There have been many threads about food here, but now it is time for the



Add your favorite recipes:

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Not your Mother's Tuna Casserole.

1 Package of creme cheese, plain.
1/2 cup milk.
1 stick of butter.
1/2 Cup sweet onion.  Visialias are better
3 Cups Cheddar Cheese, grated.
1 Cup Mozzarella Cheese, grated.
1 small block of smoked Gouda, grated.
( may substitute 1 Tsp Liquid Smoke for Gouda )
1 Large can Water-packed Tuna, drained.
1 Sleeve of Saltines, crushed.
1 Cup Parmesan Cheese.
3 Cups cooked egg noodles.

Preheat oven to 400^o. 

Over low heat, cook onions and 1/2 of the butter till translucent.  Add milk and creme cheese.  Cook till smooth.  Add tuna and blend.  Add Cheddar Cheese, Mozzarella Cheese and smoked Gouda allowing them to melt.  Continue to whip till very smooth, adding milk as needed. 

Pour cheese mixture into noodles and blend.  Once blended, pour in to a greased 13 x 9 pan.

Mix Saltines, the rest of the butter and Parmesan Cheese.  ( you may use Parmesan Cheese bread crumbs as a substitute )  Cover noodle mixture with Saltine mix.

Bake for 1 hour, or till brown.  Allow to set.

Guaranteed to go straight to the hips.

Ok lover I'll play...

Here is one that Alison and I have perfected over many years.

Leek Chilli & Cheese Sausages

Ingredients

3 or 4 assorted chill peppers
2 Leeks
2 packs of breadcrumbs
6 eggs
6 to 8 ounces of Monteray Jack cheese (or cheddar) – or indeed any cheese you like
Assorted mixed herbs to taste
A little White Flour.

Method

Finely chop the leeks and chillis into a bowl.
Add one pack of breadcrumbs.
Grate the cheese into the mix
Add herbs (typically parsley, mixed herbs and paprika)

Break and carefully separate the whites of FOUR eggs adding the yolks to the mixture and keeping the whites in a bowl.  Break the other two eggs and add them all to the mix.

Mix up the ingredients. If the mix is too wet then add a few extra breadcrumbs from the second pack.

Lightly whip the separate egg whites in a bowl.

Place some flour on one plate and the remaining breadcrumbs on  another.

Form the mix into sausage shapes. Roll them in the white flour then dip them in the whipped egg and finally roll them in the breadcrumbs.

Place the finished sausages on a baking tray and drizzle a small amount of olive oil on them.

Bake in an oven at gas mark 7 for 25 mins turning occasionally.

Serve with potatoes and green beans.

McEncheese

Basically, Mac and Cheese but the name is a visual joke based on my last name.

1 1-pound bag of elbow macaroni, farfalini, or other small pasta
4 cups broth (I usually use chicken broth)
1 2-cup package shredded cheddar cheese
the Blessed Trinity (garlic powder, onion powder, and paprika)
Parsley and/or Chives
fresh ground black pepper (optional)

Bring the broth to a boil and season to taste with the Blessed Trinity. Add the pasta. Lower the heat and simmer, stirring often, till the pasta is cooked. It might be necessary to put a lid on the pod to keep too much of the liquid from boiling off.

When the pasta is done, turn off the heat. Dump in the cheese and stir till it's melted and well mixed. Sprinkle the parsley and/or chives over the top and stir again.

A few twists of the peppermill is a nice touch, too.

I always use dried pasta for this one. It ends up absorbing the flavors of the broth and the Trinity.

3-2-1 Sauce

This is one of my own, based on something I'd read about in Japanese Women Don't Get Old or Fat  by Naomi Moriyama. She described a condiment that was made of rice vinegar and soy sauce. I experimented and this was what I came up with.

3 parts rice vinegar
2 parts soy sauce
1 part mirin

I use in on salads, rice, meat, fish, veggies, and just about anything I'd sprinkle soy sauce on.


4-3-2-1 Sauce

This is one is based on my 3-2-1 sauce, and it's a bit odd.

4 parts rice vinegar
3 parts soy sauce
2 parts mirin
1 part Worcestershire

As this one is a bit stronger than the 3-2-1 sauce, I usually use this with food that is a little stronger in flavor, too.

Chocolate cake!!!!

Ingredients
•1 cup margarine
•1 3/4 cups white sugar
•3 eggs
•1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
•1 1/2 cups milk
•2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
•6 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
•1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
•1 teaspoon salt
Directions
1.Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour a 9x13 inch pan. Sift together the flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
2.In a large bowl, cream together the margarine and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then stir in the vanilla. Beat in the flour mixture alternately with the milk, mixing just until incorporated. Pour batter into prepared pan.
3.Bake in the preheated oven for 40 to 45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Allow to cool.


 

Ooooooooooo    Cake challenge.   ;D ;D ;D ;D

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Eggless Chocolate Cake

Ingredients
4 1/2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
3 cups white sugar
1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 cup vegetable oil
3 cups water
3 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons vanilla extract

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C), grease and flour a 9x13 inch pan.
In a large bowl, sift together flour, cocoa powder, soda and salt. Add sugar and mix together.
Add oil, water and vanilla and mix thoroughly.
Pour into a 9x13 inch pan. Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 1 hour or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
Dust with confectioners sugar.  Or creme cheese frosting.

Random Curry:


2-3 bars Golden Curry brand curry spice bars

1 can tomatoes w/ juice ~or~ 3-4 fresh Roma tomatoes

1 small head bok choy

a few large spinich leaves

leeks(desired amount)

vegetable broth

olive oil

a pinch of each: cinnomin, clove, nutmeg (a SMALL pinch)


Directions:

(if using fresh tomatoes, slice the ends off and cut think slices and let them simmer in a small bit of broth, enough broth that it leaves a bit extra when done and cook long enough to make the tomatoes lightly tender)

in a small pot, add just enough olive oil to make pretty much a film of oil, and add the curry bars, stirring as they melt. add sliced spinach, bok choy, and leeks, stirring well for about 30 seconds-1 minute. add about 1/3 cup of broth and the spices and stir till most of the broth has reduced then add tomatoes. cook for about 3-5 mins, stirring often. serve over rice or couscous.




note: you can use lots of different vegis and such, this is just what i had on hand :P another great addition is chickpeas; 1 can, drain and rinse and add to a pot of water and bring to a boil, when at a boil, boil for about 2-3 mins then drain well and add to near finished curry.



servings: about 2

Curry Challenge! even better.

Helena's potato and chick pea curry

you will need:
2 small baking potatoes (or one large)
half a large onion
can of chick peas
Hot Madras paste (i buy the veerswamy brand)
tea spoon of marmite
4/6 cloves
2/3 bay leaves
2/3 cardnmon pods
yellow mustard seeds
ground ginger
ground corriander
ground cumin
garam masala
fenugreek
all spice
cinnamon
cumin seeds
fennel seeds
anything else you thing may add flavour.

I've not included measures for the spices because a) I don't know and b) i just add things until it all smells lush.

dice the potatoes (you can peel them if you want) and finely chop the onion.
in a big pan on a high heat coat the bottom of the pan with olive oil (again, i just circle round the pan twice rather than measure anything).
Add the potatoes and onions and fry off...if things stick to the bottom that's good
add the spices in what ever order and quantity you want (i usually leave the cardamon pods and bay leaves until after i've added the liquid.
Fry off of 5 minutes of so constantly stirring (again, doesn't have to be 5 mins, you just don't want the spices to burn...but you do want things to stick to the bottom of the pan and crisp a bit)
add the chick peas after draining and washing them...stir for a few minutes
cover the contents of the pan with water.
add a tea spoon of marmite
add the madras paste to taste (i usually do 3 heaped tea spoons)
stir, reduce heat and simmer until the liquid has reduced and the flavour is nice and intense.

serve with boiled wholegrain rice and a nice simple rieta (natural yogurt, chopped mint, chopped cucumber and lemon juice)

Serve and enjoy, marvelling at the fact that you've just had the best curry in the world but with out any dead animal in it.

serves a few people...maybe 4 :laugh:

Alison & Jenny's All in one Mars Bar cake.  :icon_birthday:

Ingredients

8 oz self raising flour
8 oz caster sugar
2 teaspoons of baking powder
8 oz soft butter or margarine
4 large eggs (or 6 smaller ones)
2 large mars bars
4 drops vanilla esssence
¼ jar caramel spread (for centre filling)
¼ jar chocolate spread (for topping)

Equipment

Food mixer.
2 x 8 in cake tins greased.

Method

Sift the flour, baking powder and sugar all into a large bowl.

Add the butter eggs and vanilla and beat with an electric beater to obtain a smooth mix.

Take the mars bars, chop them into very small bits and melt over a bain-marie. Alternatively for those who either don't know what a bain-marie is, or can't be bothered to faff about with bowls of boiling water, you can usually melt chocolate in a microwave using the defrost setting, but be careful not to over heat it or it will curdle.

Once the mars bars are melted add them to the cake mix and mix in until smooth.

Take two greased 8 inch cake tins and spoon the mix equally into them.

Bake on gas mark 3 for 33 minutes.

Inspect the sponge being careful NOT to cause drafts when you open and close the over door. It should be done, but if not done then leave for a couple of extra minutes – otherwise remove and turn out the two tins onto a cake rack to cool.

Spread the top of one sponge with caramel spread and then stick them together. Then spread the top of the combined cake with chocolate spread. (For best results it is worth buying the more expensive type of spread which uses real chocolate.)

Serve!

(oh and it is probably best to avoid weighing yourself for about a week afterwards, because it is rather moreish ;D)

Kale, Potato, and Sausage Soup

I came up with this as an amalgamation of the Zuppa Toscana from Olive Garden and the Kale and Sausage Soup from the Sunset "Homemade Soups" cookbook.

1 pound sausage meat
1 medium russet potato
2 cups kale leaves, coarsely shredded
1 small shallot, coarsely chopped
4 cups chicken or beef broth
1 cup milk

Peel and cut the potato in half lengthwise. Then, cut the potato halves into slices about 1/8 inch thick. Put the potato slices in a pot of salted water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer till they are just able to be pierced with a fork. Add the kale and simmer for about 1 to 2 minutes more. Drain and douse with cold water to stop the cooking.

Brown the sausage meat over medium-high heat. As the fat starts to render, add the shallot. When sausage is cooked through (no longer pink), add the potatoes and kale. Saute for a about 1 to 2 minutes, and add the broth. Heat to near boiling, reduce heat, add the milk and simmer for about 10 minutes.

3 or 4 really big mushrooms
grated cheese


Wash the mushrooms, scrape out the black gills and remove the stalks to create a bowl shape, put the cheese in each bowl shape so that it rises a little over the sides.  place under a low grill for 30 minutes to melt the cheese.  Once melted turn the grill up to full until the cheese goes crispy on top.  Place on a plate and pop in the microwave for 2 minutes, this helps get any residual water out of the mushrooms, eat & enjoy :)

Quote from: Princess Rachel on March 21, 2011, 12:50:07 AM

Cheese Stuffed Mushrooms ala Rachel

3 or 4 really big mushrooms
grated cheese


Wash the mushrooms, scrape out the black gills and remove the stalks to create a bowl shape, put the cheese in each bowl shape so that it rises a little over the sides.  place under a low grill for 30 minutes to melt the cheese.  Once melted turn the grill up to full until the cheese goes crispy on top.  Place on a plate and pop in the microwave for 2 minutes, this helps get any residual water out of the mushrooms, eat & enjoy :)

Modification , use a blue vein cheese or a Stilton, yummy.

Cindy

Ambrosia Salad

2 cans mandarin oranges
2 cans crushed pineapple
1 1/2 cup coconut
1 pkg small marshmellows
1 pt sour cream

Save the syrup from one can each of the oranges and pineapple.
Slice the mandarin oranges into 3rds.
Mix all ingredients together in a large bowl.  Let sit overnight in refrigerator to infuse the flavors.

When preparing to serve the next day, stir the salad.  If too dry, add some saved syrup to moisten.

_______________________________________________________________________________
doin nothin is a dangerous occupation - Robert Bolt

My parents immigrated to the US from Germany in 1953, a year and a half before I was born so German food and culture were always a very large part of my growing up. Our neighborhood, Ridgewood, NY, located right on the border between Queens and Brooklyn, was heavily populated by German speaking immigrants. We thus had a good number of stores in the neighborhood that were run by other German immigrants and catered to the local German tastes. There were at least three German butcher shops, wurst (sausage) being an integral part of German cuisine - over 1500 varieties, I read once - at least 2 or three German bakers and more than a few delicatessens. One of the dishes my mom made was Bratwürst, Sauerkraut und Kartoffel (Sauerkraut, sausage and potatoes). The sauerkraut was not just unceremoniously dumped from the jar into a pot for heating, not by a long shot. She had a specific way of cooking it that made it taste so much better. I use her recipe and have added a thing or two as the years have gone by.

First of all, I use Bavarian style sauerkraut. You can tell it's Bavarian if it has caraway seed in it. I buy it in a jar, I think it's 15 oz. I put it in a saucepan and add 1 jar full of water. Some people who don't like it to be too sour may rinse it a bit in a strainer (but not too much!) before placing it the pan but I like it the way it comes out of the jar. I then add one container's worth of water to the pot.

I start that up on medium heat and while it comes to a boil I roughly grate a medium to large sized carrot and toss that in. If there's some in the house I often use a medium carrot and add about 3/4 cup chopped sweet (like a Vidalia or Mayan sweet) onion too. Once it comes to a boil I reduce it to a simmer and go to peel the potatoes.

I use regular white potatoes. I peel, cut into halve or quarters and boil them in salt water. That's all that needs to be done with them. One small, or a half of a larger potatoe is reserved. I grate it using the next to last smallest side of my 4 sided grater. The finely grated potatoe is added to the sauerkraut to cut the sourness and to slightly thicken the water it's cooking in. A little more simmering, a pinch of sugar to balance the sourness and maybe a bit of salt, both to taste, and it's ready for the next step.

While the kraut is simmering I start frying the bratwürst. In my old neighborhood we could get authentic German sausages in more than one place. Nowadays, the closest thing I can find to those bratwürst are locally known as Johnsonville Brats. I like to fry at least three to 5 of them over medium heat in a rather large pan. The pan needs to be large enough to hold the sausages as well as the sauerkraut. A braising pan would be ideal. I fry the sausages and might even pierce them in a couple places to let some of the fats run out. When they are well browned and thoroughly cooked, I push them to the side of the pan and dump the pot of sauerkraut in. After the noise and steam quiets I stir and deglaze the pan with the sauerkraut.

I serve the sauerkraut over the boiled potatoes, mashed by a fork on the plate, with a brat or two on the side. Beer is almost a requirement as an accompaniment.
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I eat it by having a slice of sausage and a bit of the kraut and potato on my fork for each bite.  The spicy/sour/sweet/creamy combination of flavors and textures combine to make a lovely sensation every time.  I've given this recipe to a number of people and they all said they loved it.  I hope you do too!

Quote from: Janet Lynn on January 18, 2011, 04:10:59 PM
Ooooooooooo    Cake challenge.   ;D ;D ;D ;D

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Eggless Chocolate Cake

Ingredients
4 1/2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
3 cups white sugar
1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 cup vegetable oil
3 cups water
3 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons vanilla extract

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C), grease and flour a 9x13 inch pan.
In a large bowl, sift together flour, cocoa powder, soda and salt. Add sugar and mix together.
Add oil, water and vanilla and mix thoroughly.
Pour into a 9x13 inch pan. Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 1 hour or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
Dust with confectioners sugar.  Or creme cheese frosting.

How does leaving out eggs in the recipe affect the texture of the cake? I know there are substitutes for eggs in recipes for vegans, but I've never tried vegan baked good before (aside from brownies, which were delicious!). Brownies have a totally different texture from cake, though.

It does have a tendency to dry out quicker, but it is absolutely fabulous.

Grilled Bok Choy

I do this in a grill pan on the stove, as I don't actually have BBQ.

3 or 4 small bok choy, cut in half lengthwise
salt to taste
scallion oil (https://www.susans.org/forums/index.php/topic,90036.0.html)

Place the bok choy cut side up in a large dish. Drizzle with the scallion oil and sprinkle with salt. Let them stand for about 15 minutes.

Heat a grill pan over medium high heat. Add the bok choy cut/oiled side down. Grill for about 5 minutes or until they're cooked through.

Here's a recipe for some tasty dinner rolls:

Potato Rosemary Rolls
   

•   1 potato, cooked and mashed (about 4 to 5 oz)
•   1 lb (3 1/2 cups) bread or all-purpose unbleached flour (or ½ lb bread and ½ lb whole wheat)
•   ¾ - 1½ cup water (you can use the water the potato was boiled in)
•   1½ teaspoons instant yeast (aka bread machine yeast)
•   1 teaspoon salt
•   1 tablespoon butter or olive oil
•   1 tablespoon dried rosemary or 2 tablespoons fresh rosemary
•   ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
•   1 teaspoon ground sage leaves

Cook the potato until soft, either by boiling or baking in the oven or microwave. If you boil the potato, reserve a cup and a half of the cooled potato water to add to the loaf.  Mash the potato thoroughly.  Removing the skin prior to mashing is optional: if you are using tough skinned potatoes like russets, remove them, but with soft skinned potatoes such as Yukon gold or red potatoes you may leave them on.  The chopped up skin add nice color and texture to your rolls.

Combine the flour, mashed potato, yeast, salt, pepper, butter and herbs in a large bowl.  Add about ¾ to 1 cups water and knead or mix for 5 to 10 minutes, adding more water or flour until a consistency you are comfortable working with is reached.  Place the dough in a greased bowl, cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a moist towel and let the dough rise until it has doubled in size, typically 60 to 90 minutes.

Remove the dough from the bowl, gently degas it, and shape it. For rolls or buns you can weigh them if you like or just eyeball them (about 3 – 4 oz each for dinner rolls is good, 4½ to5 oz for hamburger rolls).  Place them on a baking sheet covered with parchment, place the entire sheet in a plastic trash bag or cover with an oiled piece of plastic wrap, and set it aside to rise for approximately an hour again.

While the dough rises, preheat the oven to 375 degrees.  (Mine came out rather pale at 375º with convection.  The initial ten minutes might be better at 425 – 450º for a darker and crispier crust then dropping it to 375º, or you can brush them with an egg wash.)

If you have a spritzer, spray the top of the rolls with water right before placing them in the oven. Place them in the center rack and bake them for 10 minutes. Rotate the pan 180 degrees and bake them for another 10 to 20 minutes, depending on size. My large hamburger bun sized rolls took close to half an hour to bake. You'll know they are done when the bottom of the rolls is solid and slightly crispy. If you have a probe thermometer, check the temperature inside one of the rolls. When the internal temperature is approaching 200 degrees F, they are ready to pull out of the oven.

This recipe always generates praise from the people who have tried them.  Enjoy!!

Beef Rendang (Rendang means cooked in coconut milk)

This is a really good recipe but go easy on the sambal (hot paste). Would write it out but this is a fantastic video (music aside) and also has links to many other Indonesian and Asian recipes: http://www.youtube.com/user/IndonesianFoods#p/u/37/zB4RvzJJf5w (http://www.youtube.com/user/IndonesianFoods#p/u/37/zB4RvzJJf5w)

Pippa's Mediteranean Sausage stew (serves 4 - 6)

6 Spicy sausages (such as Tolouse sausages)
1 spicy chorizo
2 large red peppers
2 large green peppers
4 large tomatoes
1 red onion
1/2 pt chicken stock
Basil and oregano to taste
1 Tablespoon garlic infused olive oil

1.   Chop the onion into strips
2.   Deseed the peppers and chop into large chunks
3.   Quarter the tomatoes
4.   Place the vegetables in a large roasting pan
5.   Fry off the Toulouse sausages in the garlic enfused oil ( large frying pan please)
6.   Cop the Chorizo into chunks
7.   Cut the spicy sausages into chunks and add the Chorizo to the pan.
8.   Fry the Chorizo and spicy sausages until the Chorizo releases it's oil.
9.   Add the contents of the frying pan to the vegetables ( including the oil for the garlic flavour)
10.  Mix the sausages through the vegetables and add the stock.
11.  Add oregano and basil to taste.
12.  Add a pinch of salt and black pepper
13.  Place in a preheated oven for 40 mins at 180 degrees Celcius

This is best served with boiled long grain rice

so i'm a health freak and eat probably 80% raw.  here's one of my favourite green smoothie/dessert concoctions:

1 banana
2 ripe persimmons
1 avocado
handful of spinach
1 cup/250ml nut or rice milk (i usually use coconut milk but almond would work as well)
for an extra fibre kick add a tablespoon of ground flax

blend together until creamy, pour into glass or bowl, sprinkle with cinnamon, enjoy. 

guilt free ice cream:

1 large or 2 medium bananas
cup of dates, soaked for a few hours
handful macadamia nuts
handful blueberries
1/2 cup mango
1/2 cup of oats
cup of coconut milk

blend together, pour mixture into bowl, shove in freezer for a few hours.  if it's frozen solid remove to thaw a little before serving. 

Faken (Veggie Bacon)

Absolutely yummy!

Ingredients

    1 (7.5 ounce) package smoked firm tofu, frozen and thawed
    1 tablespoon nutritional yeast
    1 tablespoon water
    2 tablespoons maple syrup
    1 dash liquid smoke flavoring (optional)
    2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
    1 teaspoon onion powder
    1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
    2 tablespoons butter or margarine

Directions

    Slice the thawed tofu into very thin slices (like bacon). In a medium bowl, stir together the yeast, water, maple syrup, liquid smoke, soy sauce, onion powder and garlic powder. Place the tofu strips into the bowl to marinate for at least 10 minutes.
    Heat butter or margarine in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Quickly fry tofu strips until crisp, turning once, about 5 minutes. Drain on paper towels, and serve immediately.

I recognise Ms. OBrien and that sounds wonderful.

This is one of those simple recipes which kids in the UK ate for several generations.

Toad in the Hole.

1 egg.

2 oz flour

5 oz milk

pinch salt/pepper

4 sausages.

A small frying pan and a shallow Pyrex dish or similar oven proof dish, about 1 inch or so deep, about 10 inches or so across. (dimensions not critical)




Lightly fry the sausages. Make sure they are properly pricked, allowing the fat and juces to drain out.

While these are frying beat up the flour, egg and milk with small pinch of salt plus 1/2 teaspoon of pepper. I use an electric mixer. This needs to be really beaten.

Preheat your oven to about 220, or really hot.

Remove the lightly cooked sausages, pour the fat into the pyrex oven dish and carefully turn the dish to coat the inside.

(Please be careful, the fat will be really hot. Cold water if you burn yourself).

Arrange the sausages in the dish.

Beat the mix one more time and pour over.

Put dish into the oven and cook for 40 mins. The mix should rise and get slightly crisp.

Serve with backed beans and mash potato.

Quote from: Ms. OBrien on March 31, 2012, 03:21:10 PM
Faken (Veggie Bacon)

Absolutely yummy!

Ingredients

    1 (7.5 ounce) package smoked firm tofu, frozen and thawed
    1 tablespoon nutritional yeast
    1 tablespoon water
    2 tablespoons maple syrup
    1 dash liquid smoke flavoring (optional)
    2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
    1 teaspoon onion powder
    1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
    2 tablespoons butter or margarine

Directions

    Slice the thawed tofu into very thin slices (like bacon). In a medium bowl, stir together the yeast, water, maple syrup, liquid smoke, soy sauce, onion powder and garlic powder. Place the tofu strips into the bowl to marinate for at least 10 minutes.
    Heat butter or margarine in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Quickly fry tofu strips until crisp, turning once, about 5 minutes. Drain on paper towels, and serve immediately.

Veggie bacon?!?

That is a crime against humanity.

Quote from: Jamie D on May 07, 2012, 05:29:56 AM
Veggie bacon?!?

That is a crime against humanity.

:)

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PEI Mussels with a Miso-Sake Broth (this is one I'm particularly fond of)
Time required: Prep, 2-10 mins (depends how quickly you cut); Cooking time, <10 mins
Level of difficulty: Minimal
Serves 6-8 as an App, 4 as a Main

Ingredients:
4 #               Mussels, any kind are fine, Prince Edward Island mussels are some of the ideal
2 T                Grapeseed (or any other neutral oil like veg. etc) Oil
1/2 C             Shiro Miso (White Miso Paste - Available in almost any Asian grocery store)
2 T                Sherry Vinegar
2 T                Ginger, minced
1/4 C             Scallions, whites only, thin sliced on a bias
6 ea              Garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 C         Filtered Sake
To Taste        Fresh Ground Black Pepper
As Needed     Scallion Julienne, greens only (Between the greens and the whites, you'll only need one bunch)

1. Brush the Mussels to remove any beards that may be on the shells. Discard any that do not tightly close when you tap on the shells since they're already dead
2. Finely mince the ginger and garlic, slice the scallions (whites), and combine with the miso and sherry vinegar to form a thick paste
3. Heat the oil over high heat in a saute pan large enough to incorporate all the mussels (that you can cover)
4. Add the mussels and the sake to the pan, cover immediately, and allow the mussels to steam in the sake until they open (3-4 minutes)
5. Scoot the mussels to the side, add the miso mixture, and stir to incorporate
6. Use a slotted spoon to serve the mussels in a bowl, and then pour the broth into the bowl. Garnish with the Scallion Julienne and Fresh Black Pepper

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Panzanella di Pomodorro (Tuscan Bread Salad)
Time Required: 30 mins
Level of Difficulty: Easy
Serves: 4-6
This is a pretty easy recipe that highlights the beautiful summer produce coming in right now. It's also a great way to get rid of any stale bread that you have left over from last night since that's the ideal texture for the bread going into this recipe :)

Ingredients:
2#                       Tomato, Beef steak or similar   
1 ea                     Cucumber, seedless, Euro
1 ea                     Red onion
1/3 C                    Basil, chiffonade
~3-4 Stalks          Celery heart
~15   ea                Olives
                            Vinaigrette (Recipe Below)         
½ loaf                  Bread (Italian Rustic is best but Baguette works too)   ½   loaf
5 ea                     Basil sprigs, torn roughly
                           Basil oil (Recipe Below)
to taste                Balsamico tradizionale

1. DO THIS THE NIGHT AHEAD Cut the bread into rough 1" cubes (large dice) Let the bread sit out on the counter to dry overnight (you can also use any stale bread you have for this)
2. The next day, toss the dried bread lightly with some olive oil, place on a sheet tray or baking sheet, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake in an oven for 7-10 mins at 375 F or until you have nice golden croutons
3. Cut tomatoes in small quarters and place in stainless steel bowl.
4. Peel the cucumber cut in half length wise and seed them. Cut them in small half moon shaped pieces
5. Cut three quarters of the onion in small dice and reserve for service. Slice the remaining into thin rounds for garnish.
6. Wash the celery heart and cut in small dice.
7. 20 minutes before service, toss the tomato, cucumber, red onion (minus the slices), and the celery together with ½ of the vinaigrette, salt and pepper.
8. Also 20 minutes before service, soak the croutons in some of the reserved vinaigrette
 
Vinaigrette
Ingredients:

Red wine vinegar   1 ½   Tbsp
Balsamic vinegar   ¾   Tbsp
Extra virgin olive oil   ⅔   Cup
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper      to taste

-Combine all and mix together with a whisk

Basil Oil
Ingredients

Basil, picked and blanched   2  bunches ( 2 oz.)
EVOO   1  fl oz

Method:
1. Blanch the basil, shock, remove from water and squeeze dry.
2. Rough cut basil.
3. Blend with olive oil.
4. Strain through a fine mesh sieve or cheesecloth

Assembly

• Plated Salad
  Plate the Tomato/Veg Mixture, getting 4 pieces of tomato per person
  Add basil and 4 large diced toasted croutons per portion.
  Garnish with the olives and the thinly sliced onion. Drizzle some of the red wine vinaigrette around tomatoes. Basil oil, basil sprig and some drops of tradizionale balsamico.
  Serve immediately
• Family Style   
  Combine the croutons and the salad in a large bowl, sprinkle in some of the basil oil. Add the sliced onion, olives, and basil leaves and serve with any remaining vinaigrette on the side

Edit: Added the photo

(https://www.susans.org/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fouichef.smugmug.com%2FFood%2FRepitoire%2Fi-xnwrdCQ%2F0%2FM%2F2012-06-09-at-20-35-06-M.jpg&hash=f0060f96365e9f6ff20d982aa214ba92a4d6331e) (http://ouichef.smugmug.com/Food/Repitoire/23470264_JvXCX7#!i=1896649401&k=xnwrdCQ&lb=1&s=A)
Shrimp and Grits
Time required: Active ~1 hour, Total 2-6 hours
Level of difficulty: Moderate
4 as a Main
Components with a * can be made in advance and then reheated day of

Grits *
Makes 3 Cups – Enough for 4-6 portions

3 C      Whole Milk
½ C      Heavy Cream
1 C      Grits
½ Tbsp   Salt
¼ tsp   White Pepper
2 oz       Butter
½ #      White Cheddar, Grated

•   Add Milk, Cream, Grits, Salt, and Pepper to Saucepan and turn heat on high
•   Whisk constantly (sorry ) while grits are coming to simmer
•   When comes to a simmer reduce heat to low and let cook slowly for 2-6 hours, stirring occasionally and add milk if starts to get too thick; they'll be done after about 30 mins but the more they cook the creamier they get
•   Remove from flame and adjust consistency with milk
•   Add butter and cheese, whisking constantly until melted in
•   Grits can be stored or brought back to temp over a low – med flame to serve.  Too hot and the butter and cheese will separate.  If you store then you are going to have to whisk in cream while its coming back to temp

Shrimp Stock *
Makes 1 Quart

1 fl oz   Vegetable or Canola Oil
>20 ea   Shrimp Shells, rinsed, the more the better
1 ¼ qt   H20
½ #   Yellow Onion, Large Rough Dice
¼ #   Celery, Large Rough Dice
¼ #   Parsnip, Peeled, Large Rough Dice
2 ea   Bay Leaf
8 ea   Italian Parsley Stems
8 ea   Black Peppercorns
4 ea   Garlic Cloves
1 oz   Tomato Paste
2 ea   Thyme Sprigs

1. Add oil to saucepan and turn flame on high
2. Add shrimp shells to hot oil and caramelize
3. Add onions and sweat for 2 mins, then add parsnip and sweat for 2 mins, then add celery and sweat for 1 min
4. Add the tomato paste and stir until mirepoix and shells are coated.
5. Continue to cook until tomato turns to a rusty-burgundy color
6. Add water and scrape bottom to release tomato from bottom of pan
7. Add Bay Leaves, Parsley Stems, Garlic, Peppercorns, Thyme, and simmer until flavor develops (about 45 mins)
8. Strain into container and reserve

Sun-dried Tomato and Andouille Compote *
Makes a lot

Note: if you want a bit of a spicier flavor to come out, switch the Andouille for Chorizo

½ fl oz   Vegetable or Canola Oil
¾ #   Andouille Sausage, medium dice
½ ea   Yellow Onion, sliced thin
1 qt   Shrimp Stock, from above
¼ C   White Wine
10 ea   Sundried Tomato, fine julienne
¼ bu   Italian Parsley, fine julienne
TT   Salt
TT   Black Pepper

1. Add shrimp stock to saucepan and bring to simmer, reduce by ¾
2. When stock is about halfway, heat a sauté pan with oil (should be a thin film of oil on the bottom of the pan)
3. When hot, add the sausage and caramelize
4. Add sundried tomato and continue to cook another 4 mins
5. Deglaze pan with white wine and scrape the bottom
6. Add shrimp stock from saucepan into sauté pan and finish reducing the stock in the saucepan until thickens
7. When ready to serve add parsley and season

Shrimp

½ fl oz   Vegetable or Canola Oil
3-5 ea/person    Shrimp, peeled and de-veined, tail (and head) left on if possible
TT   Salt
TT   White Pepper
3 ea   Thyme Sprigs

1. Heat Cast Iron Skillet (If you don't have one of these either take mine or use a non-stick pan) over high heat with oil
2. Add thyme to oil (careful oil will start to crackle and spit)
3. Cook shrimp in oil, they only take about 1 min on each side, but if you can get some color on them; just be careful not to overcook cause they get rubbery

Assembly

Reserved Grits
Reserved Sauce
Cooked Shrimp
Chives, sliced

Plate a bed of grits and arrange shrimp resting in bed.  Sauce the shrimp from the center of the plate and sprinkle with chives

btw, if anyone makes any of these that I posted (and is willing to of course) can you please let me know how the recipe reads/flows/etc. Curious for certain undisclosed reasons atm. Happy cooking :)

I'm going to let you in on a little secret. I love grits.
I am going to try the shrimp and grits recipe.
Thinking about a brunch.
But let me ask - how about bacon-wrapped shrimp and grits?

What are Grits?

And do they bite?

Quote from: Jamie D on July 14, 2012, 01:58:43 AM
I'm going to let you in on a little secret. I love grits.
I am going to try the shrimp and grits recipe.
Thinking about a brunch.
But let me ask - how about bacon-wrapped shrimp and grits?

I *think* that it may be a little much going on (omg I can't believe I'm saying no to bacon. Forgive me kitchen gods, forgive me for my insolence). The compote or sauce or whatever I want to call it is really flavorful, I just realized that I should make the name consistent in the recipe though. I would say if you want to add the flavor, consider cooking the shrimp in bacon fat. If you decide to go all out and bacon wrap the shrimp though, let me know how it turns out, and I'll update the recipe ;)

Quote from: Cindy James on July 14, 2012, 02:07:21 AM
What are Grits?

And do they bite?

Grits are a porridge made from ground corn. Really similar to polenta
I haven't known them to bite, in fact just the opposite. I think they may be made out of love :)

Hope I can still post on this after so long. I don't know how much of you like Chinese cooking, but I have a recipe of baozi or steamed meat buns I really enjoy.

(https://www.susans.org/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thefreshloaf.com%2Ffiles%2Fimages%2F18%3A7%3A2008%2520Baozi%25202.jpg&hash=4632e740aa4bfdb0b4177e5869ae41842f1d05cb)

A quick note: To any vegetarians, the bun will not hold together well without the meat, but it is definitely possible. I suggest adding extra cabbage.

Also, I'm the worst cook--I don't use measurements! Just use about as much filling as you want to make, ha ha.

None of this stuff is specialty (maybe the mirin?) and can all be found at Marketplace. I'd try there before Walmart.

What you will need:

Water
Self-rising flour
Sugar
Sesame Oil
Peanut Oil
Soy sauce
White cooking wine/rice wine (I use Japanese Mirin for this but it calls for Michiu which is the Chinese version of the same thing)
1 Tray of ground pork
Napa cabbage
Green onions
White onions
Freshly peeled ginger
Salt

1. Put as much flour as you intend on using into a bowl and quite a bit of sugar (maybe 1 cup) and slowly add water and knead until it has the correct dough-like consistecy, then place a wet paper towel over the top of the bowl and let sit while you make the filling.

2. Add everything else into a big mixing bowl (solids first, then all of the oils--the most prominent thing here will be cabbage or pork). I add things in slowly and stir them with chopsticks to make it a little easier on myself.

3. After about twenty minutes of sitting, the dough should be ready to use. Pinch off little sections of dough a little bigger than cookie sized and  roll them out flat--dont forget to flour them to keep it off your hands--then push the filling inside and wrap it up like a little ball. I suggest pushing as much filling as you can possibly get inside of it because the dough will swell in the steamer.

4. Put your little buns into a steamer for about 25 minutes. Keep in mind that the dough will swell up considerably so unless you dont mind them sticking together, make sure to separate them quite a bit.

5. Put em on a plate and enjoy! I eat them plain but many like to eat them with a little soy sauce (If I do that, I usually use a lite soy sauce and add a little sugar to keep the sweet taste of the pork buns.)

I LOVE this recipe! I make it in the Winter for something hearty and in the Summer I use less water and eat it like a salsa with chips.

Easy Chicken Taco Soup

2 lbs boneless chicken breasts
1 Medium Onion
2 cans of stewed tomatoes
1 can of Ro-Tel Tomatoes
1 can kidney beans
1 can pinto beans
1 can whole kernel corn
1 packet of taco seasoning
1 packet of hidden valley ranch (the powder)
1 cup of water

Cook chicken in large stock pot, shred when cooked through. Afterwards
add everything else to the pot with the chicken, stir, cover, and simmer
for 1 hour. Easy peasy! smile I like mine with a little shredded cheese, hot sauce, and a dollop
of sour cream on top!

Tetrazini

Chicken breast Boneless skinless or Turkey (great use for leftovers from Turkey day!)
2 Tablespoons of Parsley
2 Tablespoons of Flour
2 Tablespoons of Butter
2 cups of Milk
2 cups of Chicken broth
1 1lb. Package of Thin Spaghetti
3 cups of shredded cheddar cheese
Salt and pepper to taste

Boil chicken until fully cooked, (reserve 2 cups of the broth from boiling the chicken) let cool for several minutes.  While cooking chicken boil spaghetti noodles until firm (it should take from 8 to 10 minutes).  Once the chicken is cool enough to handle dice into about 1/2 inch  pieces. Place cooked, drained spaghetti noodles in an un-greased glass casserole dish (or metal pan). Spread chicken over top of noodles.

In sauce pan melt butter and mix in flour, then slowly add the reserved broth from boiling the chicken until fully combined then add the milk, add salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a boil stirring constantly to keep the milk from scalding. While waiting for the sauce to boil pre-heat the oven to 350degrees Fahrenheit. Once it begins to boil remove from the heat and pour over chicken and noodles. Sprinkle cheese and parsley over top.  Bake the dish for 25 to 30 minutes, until the cheese is completely melted and golden brown.

My personal favorite side item for this dish is a salad during the summer or a mixed veggies dish in the winter (green beans, corn, and carrots for example) Just something to add a little color to the plate.  Even alone I have never seen this dish fail to become a favorite! ;D

MMMM.  That sounds good!

You might want to check out a bunch of our cooking posts.  Some serious, some not!

This is delicious; I used it as part of my world cooking project (I am trying to cook at least one dish from every country in the world) -- this is The Gambia, and this meal is a common dish there.

Gambian Peanut Chicken Stew

2 large potatoes, peeled and cut in bite-sized pieces
1 small yam, peeled and cut in bite-sized pieces
1 medium turnip, peeled and cut in bite-sized pieces
2 small onions, peeled and chopped
1.5 lbs boneless chicken thighs
7 fresh tomatoes, chopped
1 cup peanut butter
Crushed red pepper
Salt and Pepper


1) In a large pot cover the potatoes, yam, turnip, and onions with water, and boil until tender.
2) In a medium pot, cover the chicken thighs with water, add salt, and boil until cooked. 
3) Removed the chicken from broth and cut into bit-sized pieces.  Add chicken to the vegetables.  If necessary, add some of the chicken broth to the vegetables and chicken.  Add the peanut butter and gently stir. Add red pepper and salt and black pepper to taste. 
4) Allow to simmer for 20 minutes or until flavors are blended and stew is thickened.  Serve hot.


*Note: you can add the tomatoes with the other veggies to be more broth-like, or add them at the end so they're more fresh.


I originally got this from: http://finefettlekettle.blogspot.com/2011/09/gambian-peanut-chicken-stew.html (http://finefettlekettle.blogspot.com/2011/09/gambian-peanut-chicken-stew.html)

Oh my gosh this is so wonderful. I'm going to steal more then a few of these!
My SO has proclaimed me the grilled cheese master of the house. This is by far the best grilled cheese I've ever had, also completely stolen from Pinterest.

White Pizza Grilled Cheese!!!
Makes 4 sandwiches

Ingredients
½ cup whole milk ricotta cheese
2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
1 small clove garlic, minced
1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil (or 1 teaspoon dried)
2 teaspoons chopped fresh oregano (or ½ teaspoon dried)
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
¼ cup shredded Parmesan cheese
8 ounces mozzarella cheese, thinly sliced
8 slices white bread (6 slices if your bread is on the larger side)
1 large clove garlic, peeled and halved (for rubbing on the outsides of the bread)
Butter

Instructions
In a small bowl, mix together the ricotta, olive oil, garlic, basil, oregano, salt, and black pepper. Refrigerate for at least an hour (or up to 24 hours) to allow the flavors to develop.
Lay down the bread slices and, using a butter knife, spread the ricotta mixture evenly on each piece. The ricotta mixture should coat the insides of both pieces of bread. Note: If you're using large pieces of bread, you may want to make more of the ricotta mixture, or only make two or three sandwiches instead of four).
Lay the mozzarella slices evenly on every other piece of bread (one side of each sandwich). Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and close the sandwiches by place both cheesy insides together.
Rub the outsides of the sandwiches with the cut side of the garlic clove, then butter both sides generously.
In a large frying pan over medium-low heat, cook the sandwiches, flipping often, until they're golden-brown on the outside and the cheese is melted inside, about 10 minutes.
Serve immediately.

 Franies Thick Oatmeal Raisin cookies with dark chocolate chip's

2 ½ sticks of butter softened
2 cups (packed) light brown sugar
3 eggs
2 teaspoons of vanilla extract
3 cups all purpose  (unbleached) flour
1-teaspoon baking soda
1-teaspoon cardamom
2-teaspoon salt
3 cups of rolled oats (old fashion)
1 ½ cups raisins
12 oz dark chocolate chips
Pre heat oven to 347 deg.
In a large bowl cream together the butter, brown sugar, eggs, vanilla until smooth. In a separate bowl whisk the flour, baking soda, salt, cardamom together. Stir this into the butter/sugar mixture until smooth.  Stir in the oats, raisins, chocolate chips.
Refrigerate the dough for at least 30 minutes (this will make thicker cookies). Bake for 11 -13 minutes. Do not over bake.

MY last girlfriend could not cook to save her life, and she had two kids to take care of, so I wrote a cookbook for her with all the recipes being easy to get the ingredients, easy to make in under 20 minutes, and reasonably healthy. While the book is many many pages long, here is one of my favourites to make:

Thai Salmon

+Requirements-

One salmon (fresh, though not living. If living, exchange for one not living. Skinned is preferred)
Blackstrap molasses
Dijon mustard
Basil, chopped, diced, or whole
Cooking wine
Melted butter
Worcestershire sauce
Soaking pan, large enough for (non living, but skinned) salmon.

+Preparation-

You'll note there are no exact measurements either here, or in any of the other recipes. This is because a true chef (and let's face it, you are a true chef, otherwise you wouldn't be asking for my Intergalactically famous recipes) can vary the amounts needed, as opposed to slavishly following a cookbook. And because I make this up as I went along. But every recipe has been tested on kings, queens, knights, presidents and visiting dignitaries. And none have died yet. Therefore my methods are sound...

Start by mixing into the soaking pan, the blackstrap molasses (1/4 cup will do for a large scale salmon), a heaping teaspoon of Dijon mustard (plain mustard will do in a pinch, but is more coarse and therefore less is needed), a generous dash of cooking wine (it will evaporate during cooking, so don' be worried if you use too much), and some melted butter (1/4 stick will do fine for a large salmon.) Add to this the Worcestershire sauce (1/8 cup) and blend by hand. 

Place salmon on top, and using a cooking brush (or other implement of basting) paint the salmon with the mix. Cover dish and let stand. The longer you let it stand, the stronger the taste. But anywhere from 15 minutes to 1 hour is acceptable.

+Cooking-

Cooking fish, especially red fish (salmon, tuna, mako, shark in general) can be difficult because the outsides cook much faster than the insides, and one can end up with very dry fish if cooked improperly.
The secret here is to cut the salmon into small squares (something on the order of 5 inches will do) and place over medium heat. This will allow the fish to cook completely, without drying it out. If you are unsure as to the proper cooking procedure, the extra sauce in the pan should just start to simmer, and not to boil. This is the correct temperature.

So, to start, take the entire contents of the soaking pan (non-living salmon, and mixing sauce) and place into the frying pan, placed at medium (or lower) heat. While the fish is cooking, continue to baste with the sauce the salmon is in. 
Every two minutes, flip the salmon and allow the other side to cook. Cooked salmon will go from red to pink when done and will fall apart easily. Overcooked salmon will go from pink to white, and become tough to cut, as well as very dry. This is to be avoided.
After each salmon square has been flipped twice, cut into the squares to determine if done. entire square should be pink. If the edges are white that is of no matter, just not the center.
Remove from heat and serve to hungry offspring.

+Approximate cooking time- No more than 10 minutes.
+Best served with- Rice, or fresh salad vegetables garnished with Italian dressing.

The secret of this kind of recipes is a leavening the grandma generation used, with very yummy results.
Its core is 3/4 teaspoon of baking soda and 3 tablespoons of cider vinegar per 500g of flour. The cider vinegar is used to activate the baking soda and leaves a very fine taste.
It also can be used for bread, and for pies since most of the sour taste is used up during baking, leaving a very fresh and fine tasting dough.
There is no need for rising times, the dough should be made and baked right away.


selfmade pizza (fast and easy)

500 g flour ( a mixture, i.e. of all purpose and 50 % whole grain is possible. Or a few tablespoons of oatmeal added. )
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 tablespoon salt
pepper and further spices to taste ( there are even ready made pizza spice mixtures available. But salt and pepper is also yummy )
4 tablespoons of cider vinegar
3 teaspoons oil (tasty oil like olive oil is an option)
ca. 300 ml water

Prepare a baking sheet, use some oil suitable for being heated and grease on top.

For variations of the crust:
if the baking sheet is pan like, its possible to use a few drops of oil more than only necessary to grease the sheet.
The oil soaks in the dough and makes for a frying like effect...

or its possible after greasing to finely powder with some flour. This will make for an almost heating stone like effect, like the bottom of baked bread.


Prepare toppings first, because the dough should be baked right away.

Toppings
Toppings can be fried veggies...
sliced veggies like tomatoes and onions, sprinkled with oil and pepper...
and many other combinations...


Now make the dough with the 500g flour and the other dough ingredients.
Mix the solid ingredients thoroughly first, then add the liquid ones.

Spread the dough on the baking sheet. If its too liquid, add some flour first, if its too solid add a bit of water.

Add toppings and bake at 220 C for about 25 minutes.
Look inside in time, depending on the position of the sheet, and the oven itself its possible adjustments of time or position are necessary.

After baking, its possible to add some more toppings like some fresh salad or different herbs.


And, well, it might be recommendable to use some organic ingredients, especially spices, because they might taste a bit better.

This used to be my favourite recipe, and now I can't eat it anymore. I hope everyone else enjoys The Best Fettuccine Alfredo Ever. Personally, I find everything is in the ingredients. Try to get your bacon sliced at a deli, somewhere where you know it has been smoked and is full of flavor. Feel free to substitute chicken breasts for thighs, and cilantro for parsley. As for Parmesan, Parmesan Reggiano is a requirement. You can find that at some Safeways, but you may be able to order it online. If you're buying it in person, check the rind. If the rind has the dotted look of the Parmesan Reggiano, then it's authentic. The more fresh things the better, so avoid frozen stuff and dried alternatives. You can stick your Parmesan Reggiano rind in with the Alfredo sauce when it's simmering to get all the cheese possible out of it, but remember to take the peel out when it's done. Some stores have fresh made pastas, so try to grab their Fettuccine if available. If not, the dried stuff works fine, too.

Fettuccine Alfredo
Serves 1-2

Ingredients:
1 strip bacon
1 boneless skinless chicken breast
2 clove garlic
½ yellow onion
½ cup spinach
½ cup diced tomatoes
¼ cup chopped cilantro
½ cup freshly grated Parmesan Reggiano
¾ cup flavourless nut based milk
1 tbsp butter
1 tsp corn starch
120 grams of Fettuccine
Salt and pepper to taste

Start boiling some water in a pot big enough for just your noodles. Make sure the water tastes as salty as the ocean.

In a fairly large pan, begin cooking your bacon. You want the fat to render and create a fond on your pan. When cooked, remove and set aside. Slice your onion, crush your garlic, cube your chicken breast, and add it all to the pan with your spinach. Once the chicken is cooked, add back the bacon, and add the cilantro.

Add butter to saucepan, as well as cornstarch. Mix until the cornstarch is incorporated into a paste. Add grated parmesan (and rind), as well as the milk. Mix while rubbing the bottom of the pan to incorporate the fond made by the bacon earlier. This shluld be constantly mixed and left to a mid-low. Once the cheese is melted, you should have a wonderful Alfredo sauce. Remove the rind, if added.

Just before your noodles are fully cooked in the large pot of water, remove, and add it to the pan. Feel free to also add about ¼ cup of water to salt the Alfredo sauce. Allow the noodles to finish cooking in the Alfredo sauce.

Serve with chopped tomatoes on top, and add salt and pepper to taste.