Quirkiest/most novel ways you have of cooking basic foods

[Redway]

I’m sure we all have one or two (those of us who cook) but for me it’s the way I make toast. Goose fat is a flavour-enhancer that’s compatible with just-about anything but it’s barely spreadable at anything less than room-temp. so I tend to just melt it in a little saucepan and melt the butter/whatever while I’m at it, then coat the toast in that once the bread’s toasted. Basically French toast without the eggs. Or milk for that matter. I still make toast the normal way but not as much, not when I’m doing it the way I really like it when it’s just for me. Sometimes the best proof of the pudding is in the eating but that only goes so far when few people are going to eat toast made like that just going by the look of how it’s made, because they won’t understand why it’s been made kike that. But it’s actually not bad at all. It’s not a common way of making non-French toast but the way it’s done is closer in prep. to French toast than normal toast. Obviously it’s not everyone who’ll like or appreciate that but when it’s done this way you get more creamy consistency across the toast without the need for zig-zag spreading and some people prefer that. It might look a little weird if you’re not used to it but it’s just one of those things.

Outside that you need some sort of fat to activate the CBD in CBD teas and in general you can use goose fat in place of (or at least alongside with) anything that you’d normally use vegetable oil to cook, and it’s more neutrally compatible with stuff than duck fat so I usually have it in my fridge. It’s not a style that translates so well in everyone’s culinary lexicon when you’re melting butter and spreading your toast across that in a pan but it’s just a way and a style. Whether you like it or not just depends on you but I know I have my preferences when I can be niche like that. I just find having a bit of goose fat in the fridge at any one time convenient and that convenience stretches into taking longer to make toast than it would be if I was just knife-spreading my margarine or jam.

The next would be making herbal teas with star anise. Purely for the fact that star anise is supposed to be easy on the stomach. It kind of adds this liquorice-peppermint quality to whatever tea you make with it and again, some people would hate that whereas others would tear it up. But even I know my limits there (and in any case it’s not even all or most of the time that I do it like that). I might put a little ‘clove’ of it in a bergamot Earl Grey but it doesn’t exactly belong in PG Tips or any other bog-standard tea. I wouldn’t go that far with it. Just when it vaguely fits and I feel like an anise infusion.

[Mystic Mock]

I help my Brother put in some extra spices in a Red Thai Chicken Curry.:evilgrin:

It makes it taste like a slightly milder Madras.

[Redway]

I help my Brother put in some extra spices in a Red Thai Chicken Curry.:evilgrin:

It makes it taste like a slightly milder Madras.

Like your spice, do ya?

[Gusto Brunt]

Iceland garlic bread.

I cook it 1 minute in the microwave to soften it up then put it in my mini oven for 90 seconds.

Perfectly crisp, perfectly brown. Oozing lovely melted garlic.:hee:

Yum.

[Redway]

I’m waiting for who’s going to come and say they warm their tea up in the microwave.

I will say that leaving your tea to brew for a few minutes and noticing the heat dissipate from the mug in that short space of time is fair enough though. Sometimes re-boiling the kettle and topping it up doesn’t get it hot enough if you’re the sort of person who leaves tea-bags in for up to 5 minutes. Whichever way extracts as much flavour as you want while the brew itself stays hot enough. Just don’t forget about the heat whatever you do, because whoever you serve a non-hot brew to will definitely remember it. And they’ll tell everyone the cuppa you made them was cold by the time their mouth got ’round to it under the anticipation that the tea was going to be scorching hot and needing a good cool. And they won’t let it go. Not until you make them one that’s hotter than Death Valley even after letting it stand for 10 minutes. Then they’ll just about call a truce.

[Redway]

Iceland garlic bread.

I cook it 1 minute in the microwave to soften it up then put it in my mini oven for 90 seconds.

Perfectly crisp, perfectly brown. Oozing lovely melted garlic.:hee:

Yum.

Do you grill food (say chicken) after semi-shallow frying it?

[Ammi]

…folk drink tea…?…well that’s quirky and novel…:laugh:…I’m not being serious obviously, I’m just not a tea drinker…my grandad would pour his into the saucer though and drink it from the saucer because it was cooler…but if he was served a cooler tea that wasn’t boiling hot then he couldn’t drink that, that wasn’t right…and then he proceeded to cool it down in his saucer…/…weird and quirky stuff…

[Redway]

…folk drink tea…?…well that’s quirky and novel…:laugh:…I’m not being serious obviously, I’m just not a tea drinker…my grandad would pour his into the saucer though and drink it from the saucer because it was cooler…but if he was served a cooler tea that wasn’t boiling hot then he couldn’t drink that, that wasn’t right…and then he proceeded to cool it down in his saucer…/…weird and quirky stuff…

Hmm. That’s quirky alright.

[Redway]

I think I prefer store coffees (Starbucks/Costa/Caffe Nero/whichever) and herbal teas (that just-about includes Earl Grey, because of the bergamot notes) to anything within the normal cupboard selection of tea and coffee but if it’s gonna be between PG Tips and Nescafe, Tips would obviously win. I only drink instant coffee when I have to.

I do love a good Earl Grey, I must admit. Some days it’s drink, drink and drink some more.

[Oliver_W]

I love spicy food.

I know it's not particularly unusual or novel, so I'll expand that by saying we have a "family recipe" of a curry which is pretty awesome.

I've scoured different websites, and no existing listing has the exact spice mix and ingredients, and it doesn't quite taste like any "standard" curries you can get from restaurants or supermarkets. Might be sellable!

[Redway]

I love spicy food.

I know it's not particularly unusual or novel, so I'll expand that by saying we have a "family recipe" of a curry which is pretty awesome.

I've scoured different websites, and no existing listing has the exact spice mix and ingredients, and it doesn't quite taste like any "standard" curries you can get from restaurants or supermarkets. Might be sellable!

Unless Carolina Reapers (which I’ve also used to cook) are involved, I’ve probably had hotter vindaloos.

[Oliver_W]

Unless Carolina Reapers (which I’ve also used to cook) are involved, I’ve probably had hotter vindaloos.

I'm not saying "my" curry is unusally hot, it's just ... amazing :joker:

[Zizu]

The nearest thing I have to spicy food are Heinz Curry Beans

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20240219/69c19a50cdb5f458229fc7b7ef545b76.jpg


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

[Redway]

I'm not saying "my" curry is unusally hot, it's just ... amazing :joker:

When you get cooking a goose, grouse or red jungle-fowl curry with turkey breast, saltfish, sweet potato and MSG, let me know. I’ll be there.

[Mystic Mock]

Like your spice, do ya?

Yeah.:dance:

My favourite Pot Noodle brand is Nong Shim, which let's just say that the Koreans don't hold back on their spices.:joker:

[Redway]

Yeah.:dance:

My favourite Pot Noodle brand is Nong Shim, which let's just say that the Koreans don't hold back on their spices.:joker:

One thing that almost puts me off instant noodles is the fact that they have chives in them most of the time (however barely perceptibly). Chives and sour cream just have this uncanny similarity in my head and I don’t rate any salad creams. I can just-about tolerate it for coleslaw and it’s actually nice that way so long as it’s not too much. But generally I stay away from stuff like chives, pickles, hummus, mint yoghurt or salad cream. I know chives are probably nothing like that and more like spring onions but in my mind chives go hand-in-hand with salad cream. And that’s something I can only like in moderation.

[Mystic Mock]

One thing that almost puts me off instant noodles is the fact that they have chives in them most of the time (however barely perceptibly). Chives and sour cream just have this uncanny similarity in my head and I don’t rate any salad creams. I can just-about tolerate it for coleslaw and it’s actually nice that way so long as it’s not too much. But generally I stay away from stuff like chives, pickles, hummus, mint yoghurt or salad cream. I know chives are probably nothing like that and more like spring onions but in my mind chives go hand-in-hand with salad cream. And that’s something I can only like in moderation.

That's more than fair tbh.

[Redway]

Anyone got any foods they’ve sworn off after bad experiences with ’em?

For me it’s banana (importantly not plantain). Hitler-like teacher way back in Reception (whose breath would be quite horrid at times) either accidentally spat on one I was eating at lunch or just got too close and breathed over me. I don’t remember being super-fond of them in the first place but that was the last straw.

Same year had a guy whose apples always had to be peeled to the skin but the poor guy had allergies. That was why.

[Gusto Brunt]

Do you grill food (say chicken) after semi-shallow frying it?

:shocked: It's that okay?

[Swan]

Most mornings i have a massive breakfast but instead of having 10 hobs on the go, ovens grills etc i try to minimise the cooking. So i'll have half a tin of mixed beans in a tomato or chilli sauce and i chop up onion, mushroom and chilli peppers and mix it in with the beans on the hob. I either grill turkey bacon or chicken sausages, or have smoked salmon, fry a couple eggs in extra virgin olive oil, then cook a bag of spinach in the microwave and eat that while the food is cooking. Or just eat a tomato. I'll have some already grated mozzarella, and put that on 2 bits of toast, then put the eggs on top of that so the cheese melts nicely, then salmon, then beans. A meal packed with protein and nutrients and even with prep it only takes about 12-15 mins.

And i mix into the beans, mushrooms etc loads of different herbs and spices like ginger, turmeric, black pepper, cinnamon, even sesame seeds.

[Zizu]

Most mornings i have a massive breakfast but instead of having 10 hobs on the go, ovens grills etc i try to minimise the cooking. So i'll have half a tin of mixed beans in a tomato or chilli sauce and i chop up onion, mushroom and chilli peppers and mix it in with the beans on the hob. I either grill turkey bacon or chicken sausages, or have smoked salmon, fry a couple eggs in extra virgin olive oil, then cook a bag of spinach in the microwave and eat that while the food is cooking. Or just eat a tomato. I'll have some already grated mozzarella, and put that on 2 bits of toast, then put the eggs on top of that so the cheese melts nicely, then salmon, then beans. A meal packed with protein and nutrients and even with prep it only takes about 12-15 mins.

And i mix into the beans, mushrooms etc loads of different herbs and spices like ginger, turmeric, black pepper, cinnamon, even sesame seeds.


Impressively healthy !!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

[Redway]

Most mornings i have a massive breakfast but instead of having 10 hobs on the go, ovens grills etc i try to minimise the cooking. So i'll have half a tin of mixed beans in a tomato or chilli sauce and i chop up onion, mushroom and chilli peppers and mix it in with the beans on the hob. I either grill turkey bacon or chicken sausages, or have smoked salmon, fry a couple eggs in extra virgin olive oil, then cook a bag of spinach in the microwave and eat that while the food is cooking. Or just eat a tomato. I'll have some already grated mozzarella, and put that on 2 bits of toast, then put the eggs on top of that so the cheese melts nicely, then salmon, then beans. A meal packed with protein and nutrients and even with prep it only takes about 12-15 mins.

And i mix into the beans, mushrooms etc loads of different herbs and spices like ginger, turmeric, black pepper, cinnamon, even sesame seeds.

Listen, we all have our ways. So long as it’s yummy in your tummy, it’s all good.

I’ve come to realise that whether you go basic or all-out, you’re never going to please everyone. Some people just will not like your food because they have set sub-cultural ways or just a plethora of other reasons. Maybe they’d like it but can’t tolerate food that’s spicy in the way that you like it. Maybe they just don’t want to go any more exotic than rice pudding and a ham sandwich (it’s a yuck to anything-ham from me). Whatever it is, there’s always going to be someone somewhere who’ll complain about your food, even if you have 5-and-a-half Michelin stars to your name and go down well at thanksgivings and parties with the people who know you and how you cook when you’re in your best space. But a hearty breakfast is far from the worst way to start your day.

[Redway]

That's more than fair tbh.

Haven’t they got that flavour (sour cream and chives) in Pringles as well?

[Redway]

Also: https://www.tasteofhome.com/collection/decadent-french-toast-recipes-weekend/

I’d get started with the s’mores and maple-bacon ones.

[Mystic Mock]

Haven’t they got that flavour (sour cream and chives) in Pringles as well?

Yes, I think that it's quite a popular flavour within that particular brand, I know that it's my Brother's favourite anyway.

I don't know if this really counts as cooking, but I really enjoy Brown Sauce on Toast.

[Redway]

Yes, I think that it's quite a popular flavour within that particular brand, I know that it's my Brother's favourite anyway.

I don't know if this really counts as cooking, but I really enjoy Brown Sauce on Toast.

Some people make hot-dogs with toast (in which case it’s down to you whether you use ketchup or brown) so I get that.

[Redway]

Anyone else just really hate ham and boiled eggs?

[LaLaLand]

I sometimes crack an egg in a cup and microwave it if I'm in a bit of a rush, mostly for breakfast.

[Redway]

I sometimes crack an egg in a cup and microwave it if I'm in a bit of a rush, mostly for breakfast.

I’m not an eggs person so I don’t need to worry about all these quick hacks. I use eggs for baking, batter and French toast and might get quail eggs from Waitrose for those purposes on a lush day and that’s the extent of it. I don’t mind scrambled eggs too much but beyond egg fried rice I’d still rather not.

“But it’s protein. Eggs are good for you.”

‘I still get eggs indirectly and more protein from broccoli and meats. I’m good.’

“But the cake you scoff has eggs in it.”

‘And so does fried chicken, banana bread and French toast, albeit indirectly. It’s not like I’m allergic to eggs. I just don’t like them as their own food.’

“Still, you should learn to like eggs.”

‘You should learn to mind your own business and understand that different people have different likes, dislikes and preferences. That’s part of what makes us … human and diverse.’