Let's Cook!

[benji]

Here's an idea that really should have been followed up in the past.

And your favorite black Christian Chef is here to get things started.

So we'll start out this thread with a few of the essentials. I'm going to base this on the idea that you can hit up a Wal-Mart. We'll get to more essentials down the road.

A KNIFE
A chef's knife. You need this. 8 inches is good, or 10 inches. When you go to the store, HANDLE THEM, even if they're in plastic, find the one that feels the best. You want something where the metal extends to the end of the handle, this means the blade won't shift as you do nor come off. You can find a great blade for at home work for $15-20. If you want something that is well regarded and meets the standards and can wait, grab a Victorinox Forschner off Amazon for a few bucks more. Wal-Mart does carry some solid blades though. I use some from there because I managed to snag two for the price of one and when my one wears out I'll just swap to the other.

Other knives? Look into a pairing knife, a santoku and something serrated. Not essential, come back to these as you need them. (If you like bread, you definitely want something serrated at the least.)

You want to clean your knives by hand. Dishwashers can bang up your blade.

Those knife sets? Don't waste your money, you get fifteen knives, all subpar and at least seven you don't probably need. You can find a block for pretty cheap if you really want one, but storing in/on a towel in a drawer works. (Or if you're like me, just leaving it on a cutting board, blade away.)

CUTTING BOARDS
I like two. One for meat, one for anything else. Helps prevent cross contamination. I use plastic because I want to dishwash them, if you want to get quality look into the woods. I like handles cut in, but you don't need them. I also like LARGE ones because I can move shit around on them. All of mine are at least 15x12. I do keep a cheap small one for minor chopping though.

Also, find some cheap shelf/cupboard liner. Cut off a few feet, turn it inside out. Your board won't slide on the counter.

We can get to other shit as we find out what you guys want to cook. Will probably do a pots/pans guide though.

We'll start with a fun recipe because everyone loves fries.

Cut up potatoes into fries. Dump them in a pot. Add oil. Bring to boil. Leave for about 15 minutes. Don't touch. Then stir and bring any off the bottom. Either pull out or wait until they're the crisp you want. (That's what she said.) Season.

There's your easy recipe, so what do we want to cook from here?

[benji]

Some fries (resized), pre-seasoning:

[JaoSming]

&

For the lazier.


Manly Eggs
Start frying 2-3 eggs in a large stovetop pan,
when it's time to flip them, start scrambling them instead
throw in cut up veges (onions, peppers, etc)
throw in cut up meats (sausage, ham, bacon, w/e)
pour in ~1:1 ratio of salsa to eggs
mix it all up in the pan
add cheese for extra credit


Royal Burger
Add a fried egg to any cheese/hamburger


Tuna Supreme
Can o' tuna
Mayonnaise
Too Much Garlic
Shredded Cheese
mix it all up, put on a lightly toasted bagel, and toast it again to melt the cheese



I got plenty more, but just typing them made me feel ashamed that I used to eat such filth so frequently.

[benji]

http://images.toolplanet.com/Large/BT064902__1.jpg
&
http://img1.targetimg1.com/wcsstore/Tar ... 836644.jpg
For the lazier.

For the dopes who spend money on crap unitaskers. MAYBE the first is "valid" even though it takes like two minutes max to chop a potato into fries.

You've got a pot, you've got a stove. USE IT.

Not all of us are rich moneybags who can shovel cash to Harmonix and Activision.

Manly Eggs
Start frying 2-3 eggs in a large stovetop pan,
when it's time to flip them, start scrambling them instead
throw in cut up veges (onions, peppers, etc)
throw in cut up meats (sausage, ham, bacon, w/e)
pour in ~1:1 ratio of salsa to eggs
mix it all up in the pan
add cheese for extra credit

You realize that this is just a shoddy way to make an omelette right?

[JaoSming]

fuck Activision


omelettes are too fluffy, not manly enough

[benji]

After further evaluation, you basically deconstructed the omelette. As I noted, basting the egg separately might be a hot tip.

[JaoSming]

basting is too similar to the fluffiness to avoid. The egg should be burnt slightly, to provide a bit of crunch with the soft salsa.

[Patr1ck]

Put taquitos in a 1-inch tall baking pan. Add El pato/tomato sauce. Add diced green chiles. Add more el pato/tomato sauce. Shred extra sharp cheddar and pepper/monterey jack cheese. Cook 20 minutes.

[Lean]

I tried do fried rice yesterday. And it was horrendous. A little bit of soy sauce to garlic rice + hotdog bits = something I cannot eat.