i make a mean batch of Jello's gelatin

This thread always seems to make me really hungry lol

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Hey hb went to my daughters for dinner tonight . Butter garlic salmon, basil potatoes, asparagus , and cheddar broccoli rice.

two thumbs up couchy! thanks for the picture. looks like you have a very nice kid, food always tastes better when someone else makes it! ha

My first trip through here. Awesome thread! I love to cook, and do it very well. However, I don't have anywhere near the presentation that you guys do. My mom was a culinary arts teacher for 35 years... I know the value of making it look good, and you guys are making it look great. Very impressive, and I'm going to check back more often.

jacklpe wrote: My first trip through here. Awesome thread! I love to cook, and do it very well. However, I don't have anywhere near the presentation that you guys do. My mom was a culinary arts teacher for 35 years... I know the value of making it look good, and you guys are making it look great. Very impressive, and I'm going to check back more often.

i hope to see a picture or two out of you at some point sir! thanks for checking out the thread and come back anytime, we'll keep the fire on for you.

hey gang i am back to show off another fine fish meal. this time i went with catfish breaded and fried. on the side we have a green bean almodine and a mafalda pasta with bacon. the beans were picked from the garden and we added a couple cherry tomatoes from the garden to the pasta as well.

the base for the pasta was shallot and mushroom caramelized in the bacon fat, and then i added basil for the win!

I love my cast iron. I also believe the best way to season it involves lard and a hardwood fire. Because that's just a pain, I just ran my 2 favorite skillets upside down in the oven with veg oil for an hour like I always seem to do. It lasts for a while, but not like one that is really done right. I've read the hotly debated forums and such on the internet, and have seen all sorts of crap about the best ways. I can promise you I won't be buying and flax seed oil to season them with. With all of this said, does anyone have a favorite tried and true recipe for it that makes them invulnerable to soap, overheated electric burners, and whatnot without lard and a campfire?

with the cast iron i have i usually treat with veg oil after every use. although, all the cast iron i have was inherited and already pretty well broken in. if starting a new pan i would do just as you did, and repeat as necessary. it usually helps to stay far away from soap anyhow. paper towels can work some wonders.

Yea, I do the no soap and treat with oil thing myself... But, I've taken the time to do them right and the coating is a lot more durable. I just need to figure out how to do it indoors and without too much smoke. I failed with my redo tonight... Too much oil, and not enough heat. I said a few choice words when they came out sticky. Tomorrow, I think I'm going to fire up the BBQ and give em hell... Burn that crap off, and then drop the heat and use bacon grease or something. I'm tired of half assed seasoning jobs that just never work exactly right. The holy grail is finding a really old Wagner or Griswold that was used to fry French fries for 50 years... But I think I can get it the way I want it outside. I just wish I knew how to do it inside and didn't have to make such a production of it.

By the way, the two I was working on tonight are both Lodge. One is about 10 years old, and the other about 50.

I always do 3 runs of 1 tablespoon of vegatable oil baked at 450 F for 45 mins let cool between runs. then about once every 3 months or so depending on use. Never use soap and if anything ever manages to get stuck quarter fill with water and bring to almost a boil that will bring anything off I have found. I also do what HB does and once wiped clean a drop of veg oil wiped around and it's set.


Big tip: hide from mothers of any type (young, old, pretend, wanna be, etc...) the no soap thing makes them wig out and the secretly wash the damn thing.

From the Art of manliness website

SEASONING CAST IRON

Unlike Teflon pans, which get their non-stick properties from chemical compounds, the stickiness of a cast iron pan is diminished by a natural layer of oil/fat called “seasoning.” The seasoning also protects the pan from rust.

These days, the majority of skillets you will find come pre-seasoned by the manufacturer. While you should always take steps to maintain the seasoning (see below), you may encounter times that you want to repeat the seasoning process. Of course, if you are starting with a brand new, unseasoned skillet, you will need to follow this process before you begin using your cast iron.

WASH – This will be the only time I advise you to use soap on your cast iron, as you will want to strip it completely clean. Repeat, only use soap on your cast iron prior to seasoning your skillet — never again — got it? Good. Now, rinse that skillet with hot water to remove ALL of the soap. Done? Rinse it some more to be sure — you want ALL of that soap out of the pan prior to seasoning. If you are re-seasoning the surface due to stuck-on food particles or uneven color, go ahead and use a brush or even steel wool to form an even, clean surface.

DRY – After the skillet is completely cleaned, make sure the entire surface is dry and smooth.

SEASON – I prefer to use a thin layer of melted (vegetable) shortening. You will want to apply this layer over every part of the skillet. If you do not have access to shortening, choose a cooking oil such as canola, soybean, or safflower, and follow the same procedure. Avoid using low-smoke point oils such as extra virgin olive oil or butter.

BAKE – Set the oven to 350 – 400 degrees F and place the cookware (upside down) on the top rack of the oven. Bake the cookware for at least one hour. You can place aluminum foil underneath the pan to avoid drippings getting on the heating element. Then turn off the oven and allow the cookware to cool to room temperature in the oven — several hours.

STORE – cookware in a cool, dry place. Thinly coat the cookware with cooking oil in-between uses to maintain seasoning.
USING CAST IRON

As I mentioned earlier, cast iron cookware is extremely versatile. This is good news, because the more you use it, the more slick with seasoning it will become over time.

One thing is also certain: the handles will typically become VERY HOT! Always use an oven mitt or folded towels over the handles to prevent burns when handling cast iron.

PREHEAT – cast iron typically takes a bit longer to preheat than standard stainless pans, and it should be done slowly. Heat the pans slowly over low heat, and then adjust to your desired cooking temperature.

COOK – Once the pan has reached your desired temperature, begin cooking. Cast iron will maintain that level of heat, thereby providing a reliable and steady heat source. The pan can also be placed on top of a trivet or towel on the serving table, keeping dishes warm through most of your dinner service.
CLEANING CAST IRON

DO NOT – put your cast iron in the dishwasher.

NEVER – use soap or detergents to clean your cast iron. Only use soap when you are stripping the pan to re-season (see above).

AVOID – running cold water over the surface of a hot pan, as this can shock the pan, causing fissures or possibly even warping the pan. Allow the pan to slowly cool before rinsing with hot water.

CLEAN – the surface with a stiff nylon brush and hot water. For stubborn food particles, you can also add kosher salt to the pan, and work the brush against the salt to serve as an abrasive. For more stubborn food particles, heat some oil in the pan along with some kosher salt and use a kitchen towel to scrub the surface to remove the particles — careful to ensure you fold the towel enough to protect yourself from the heat. For super-duper stubborn food particles, boil some water in the skillet for a few minutes while carefully loosening the residue with the brush.

DRY – the cookware thoroughly after cleaning. If you had been using the oven, you can stick the pan in the cooling, still-warm oven for awhile or heat it on the stovetop for a few minutes to make sure all the moisture is removed.

APPLY – a thin layer of cooking oil to the surface while the pan is still warm.

STORE – cookware in a cool, dry place. Storing the pan in the oven is a viable option, but remember to remove the pan prior to turning on the oven. If your pan has a lid, store the pan and lid separately, or place a folded piece of paper towel between the lid and the pan so the pan is ventilated.

***************************************************************************

I wish i could cook
All my stuff turns out burnt...

=£=Pie of Jerry wrote: I wish i could cook
All my stuff turns out burnt...

an easy way to start out with presentation and combining flavors with no heat is to make salads. i have a pretty awesome recipe for a shrimp and spinach salad with a honey mustard vinaigrette. it's boss. also a couple pages back i posted the strawberry and kiwi salad i created, that one is easy as "pie"! lemme know if i can help out.

whip- thanks for the cast iron guide!

jacklpe- thanks again for the shot in the arm. i always enjoy any type of food conversation. the kitchen can be a wonderous and frustrating place. a good place to get the heavy duty old lady cast iron is to go to any type of small town thrift store or church rummage sale. they have tons of the stuff.

=£=Pie of Jerry wrote: I wish i could cook
All my stuff turns out burnt...

Ditto.

Maby we should start a "Non cooks of Dogfight"

All I can say: Get the Gordon Ramsey app.....

Rudolf Rednose wrote:

All I can say: Get the Gordon Ramsey app.....

Don't rub it in!

I know, I sound like Randy Marsh on that episode of South Park......

But I can't get what they mean in cook books. But everything I make from this app has been nice or really great!

wow it has already been a month since my last post! i guess i have had to work alot but geeze, i really shouldnt let things slip like this. so i'll post up a new photo!

so i made the lady a nice meal the other night. i was thinking salad for some reason so we pulled out all the stops. raided the garden and the market to get all the stuff. i served the salad with a clam soup i had made at work the other day. i found that soup really isn't very exciting to take photos of, but it was delicious.



some couples have a song they share, we have a vinaigrette we made together. so this salad features grilled chicken breast that was marinated. carrots, yellow pepper, cucumbers, feta cheese, toasted almonds and the homemade blackberry vinaigrette. yum!



not quite a clam chowder so i called it clam soup. so good!

Heres the Great Mt Nacho I threw together for the fam tonite, tasty!

oh holy smokes that looks like something i could get friendly with. thanks for the post curtis!

Im not a real cook but....I can make pancakes! Does that count...??? If only I can make Tacos....

I love pancakes Cali! I'll take 4 stacks please!

I cant take pictures and post them on here, I don't know how too.

lamb shanks

wow manic that looks supreme! thanks for the contribution...i think we will all be checking on ticket prices to australia now. i know i could do a plate or two of that!

Hi Everyone,
Thanks to my uncle who came to visit NYC, carrying one of my favorite Jamaican fruit called ackee, I was able to make and enjoy a lovely breakfast this morning. Ackee is a part of Jamaica's national dish and is relatively easy to prepare. Here I have the ackee cooked with sliced beef franks, seasoned with green and red "sweet peppers" (Bell Peppers) seasoned salt, all purpose seasoning and Mrs. Dash original and table blend seasoning. ( I forgot to use onions ) served with fried "dumplings" (biscuits) and some orange juice. It was delicious, Wife and brother loved it.



NB: Ackee can be poisonous if not prepared correctly or if the fruit's pod wasn't allowed to open on its own prior to cooking. However, commercially packed canned ackees are partially prepared and were allowed to open, thus eliminating risk of poisoning. If using the raw fruit as I did, it should be boiled first about 15 mins then cooked up with seasonings.