Desperate TimesStranded in a hotel in an African war zone with no internet access for two weeks, I was forced to resort to desperate measures. Possessing only my passport and the clothes I stood up in; and the warning "You can catch it shaking hands with a vicar out there" ringing in my ears, I had to draw my own porn in order to preserve my sanity.
Alas, it all came out looking like Coronation Street's Audrey Roberts, but, as they say, any port in a storm.
What have you done in times of great desperation?
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Scaryduck LIKES EGG, Thu 15 Nov 2007, 10:10)
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French onion soup / Thai peanut sauceSince we appear to have a bit of a QOTW recipes thing going, here are a couple of mine--French onion soup and Thai peanut chicken. Both are easy and cheap.
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5 medium yellow onions
3 cloves garlic
Concentrate to make 5 cups beef stock
Wine
Butter
Spices
Dice onions, mince/press/chop garlic, and saute both in butter over medium heat until the onions start to brown. (This will take a long time.) Reconstitute stock with 1/2 water and 1/2 wine (for the wine, I used half sherry and half red), heat to boiling. Add onions to stock, season to taste.
That's it! I generally wing it on this recipe as far as, well, just about everything. Some heuristic tips, though:
* I generally use soy sauce, instead of salt, for a more robust flavor. A bit of Worcestershire sauce, balsamic vinegar, or similar savory condiments may add to the effect.
* Patience is a virtue--if you saute your onions longer, they'll get browner, and sweeter and richer in flavor, thanks to our old friend the Maillard reaction.
* That is, up until they start burning. The onions should be tender and slightly sweet when you transfer them to the broth.
* For the spices, I use some pre-mixed herbes de Provence that I got at Safeway (containing rosemary, marjoram, thyme, and savory), as well as a bit of black pepper. Seems to work fine, but there's always room for experimentation.
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Thai peanut sauce. I stir-fry a pound or pound and a half of chicken breast and serve it with this and sometimes rice or pasta.
4 cloves garlic, minced, chopped, or pressed
Juice of 1/2 lemon (about 1 to 1 1/2 tablespoons)
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup ketchup
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons peanut oil
1 tablespoon sesame oil
4 teaspoons chopped ginger
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 1/2 tablespoons crushed red pepper
Combine all ingredients until smooth. Can substitute two tablespoons of oil and one of water for the peanut and sesame oils, if desired. Will keep for one week in refrigerator.
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Happy cooking, and happy eating!
(, Tue 20 Nov 2007, 5:21, 2 replies)
Sounds rather fineI think I may give it a go.
And I was interested to find out about the Maillard reaction. Highly educational QOTW, this one!
Maybe we should publish a b3ta cookbook?
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K2k6 has a proper job these days, Tue 20 Nov 2007, 9:35,
closed)
YummieI made the Thai for dinner and it ws a big hit! Everyone sucked it down and it's going in the "Dub Family Recipes" Book. Thanks!
(, Wed 21 Nov 2007, 5:23, closed)
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