i'll bite (pun intended)
Please ignore the completely terrible photo lighting... iPhone camera isn't that good 
Honey Chicken Stir-fry (beer is a delicious Bluetongue Lager)
Mongolian lamb stir-fry
Vietnamese Beef and Bamboo Shoots
Chicken, bacon and lemon risotto
Ginger chicken stir-fry with hokkien noodles
Chicken and lemon grass skewers
My parents just bought me this knife set as a graduation gift
I really like my global knives, although if you get into sharpening them yourselves they are quite a pain as; the steel is way harder than most other knives on the market and they have a bevelled edge rather than a straight edge which is next to impossible to regrind with out the correct equipment. I just ground the edge straight when I started sharpening mine because life is too short to worry about it and I ain't paying someone else when I can learn the cool man skill of knife sharpening.
I really like my global knives, although if you get into sharpening them yourselves they are quite a pain as; the steel is way harder than most other knives on the market and they have a bevelled edge rather than a straight edge which is next to impossible to regrind with out the correct equipment. I just ground the edge straight when I started sharpening mine because life is too short to worry about it and I ain't paying someone else when I can learn the cool man skill of knife sharpening.
My parents have a really good knife sharpener for the bevelled edge. I'm just going to pony up the good money to get one.
Cowboy up and learn to do it on a stone. My Kasumis are like razors at the moment.
Cowboy up and learn to do it on a stone. My Kasumis are like razors at the moment.
THIS! Not only will your kitchen knives be able to slice the wind, your pocket knives (which usually have a different profile that kitchen knife sharpeners don't deal with so hot) will be able to cut properly.
And even if it's a crappy knife, it still benefits from sharpening. It will last longer, and they are far less likely to slip and cut you instead of what you're working on. It's also a good skill for all your edged tools tools like lawnmower blades and stuff.
And don't believe the "never needs sharpening" marketing bull.
If it helps, you can pretend you're a sword-smith from the medieval days, or a samurai sharpening his ancestral nihonto. 
Anyone have a recommendation for a good set of stones? I've read a few things, but there seems to be a lot of snake oil out there.
On the topic of knives, I love our Kapoosh knifeblock:
Reasonably priced, bought at Bed, Bath & Beyond, and stores a huge number of mismatched knives.
Has anyone heard anything good about Henckels Knives?
I am on the lookout for a nice set and I am looking for a mid range set and came across these.
J.A. Henckels Forged Synergy 16 Piece "East Meets West" Block Set
■16 piece set includes:
3" vegetable knife
3" paring knife
6" utility knife
7" santoku knife
8" chef's knife
8" carving knife
8" bread knife
6 - 4.5" steak knives
9" honing steel
Kitchen shears
Contemporary storage block for safe-keeping.
The reviews say the knives are excellent but the steak knives are stamped which doesn't bother me, because hell they are steak knives. I am not going to be using them unless I have steak.
Yup, Henckels and Wusthof are two of the more affordable brands of high-end knives. Our kitchen has a mix of the two, based on sales.
That is probably WAY more knives than you'll ever need. All you really need are:
a good chef's knife — 8" is standard, some people like them even bigger. You'll use this knife more than anything else, so get one you really, really like. We have two: an 8" Henckels for me, and a 6" Wusthof for my wife's tiny hands (ring size 4). They're both great blades.
a good paring knife. You use it to pare. 'nuff said.
see, wasn't that easy? depending on how you cook, the following may or may not apply:
a nice, long serrated bread knife if you eat a lot of bread.
a flexible (read: cheap) boning knife if you tend to break down lots of whole carcasses, whether they be chicken, fish, leg o' lamb, etc.
a pair of kitchen shears that detach from themselves for cleaning/sharpening, again for cutting backbones out of chickens and other affiliated tasks. If you spend more than $25 on these you've probably spent too much
a long (10"-12") slicer if you make lots of standing rib roasts, 8-lb pork loins, leg o' lambs, etc. Also good for Thanksgiving turkey.
a cheap "tomato knife" (usually a hard plastic 5-6" serrated blade). I use mine more for slashing loaves of bread than I do for tomatoes, but they're good for a few things.
I love my Henckels, by the way. I got the Pro S series, but I'm not sure if those are still made. Whatever you get, just make sure you keep them sharp.
That is probably WAY more knives than you'll ever need. All you really need are:
a good chef's knife — 8" is standard, some people like them even bigger. You'll use this knife more than anything else, so get one you really, really like. We have two: an 8" Henckels for me, and a 6" Wusthof for my wife's tiny hands (ring size 4). They're both great blades.
a good paring knife. You use it to pare. 'nuff said.
see, wasn't that easy? depending on how you cook, the following may or may not apply:
a nice, long serrated bread knife if you eat a lot of bread.
a flexible (read: cheap) boning knife if you tend to break down lots of whole carcasses, whether they be chicken, fish, leg o' lamb, etc.
a pair of kitchen shears that detach from themselves for cleaning/sharpening, again for cutting backbones out of chickens and other affiliated tasks. If you spend more than $25 on these you've probably spent too much
a long (10"-12") slicer if you make lots of standing rib roasts, 8-lb pork loins, leg o' lambs, etc. Also good for Thanksgiving turkey.
a cheap "tomato knife" (usually a hard plastic 5-6" serrated blade). I use mine more for slashing loaves of bread than I do for tomatoes, but they're good for a few things.I love my Henckels, by the way. I got the Pro S series, but I'm not sure if those are still made. Whatever you get, just make sure you keep them sharp.
That is some good advice, really out of all those yes there are a few I will not use but I can see myself using most of them. Plus the price is not bad either, most places have that particular set for just shy of 200.
Looks like Amazon has it for a mere $150, and it's prime eligible. Not particularly standout reviews, although some of the negative ones are predictably, how shall I put it, "insane". It also appears as though they aren't high-carbon steel, which generally means they won't hold as good of an edge as a high-carbon blade (not that they can't stay sharp for as long—although they probably won't—just that they won't ever be as sharp to begin with).
Have you had a chance to try them out? You'll want to know if they feel right in your hands, and if they will continue to do so for reasonable use periods (i.e. metal handles look pretty but in a warm kitchen can lead to sweating, slipping, and "mishaps"). If you like 'em, by all means buy them. Honestly, though, I'd recommend this set instead, if you want Henckels, but that's just my opinion; your needs may be totally different. Or I may have forgotten to take my meds today. 
Yo AP Erebus, can I get the recipe to Ginger chicken stir-fry with hokkien noodles you posted above?
No pics, but I thought I'd share my Chili recipe:
Ingredients:
1 large onion, chopped
6 cloves garlic, chopped
3 tablespoons of vegetable oil
1 lb. ground meat (I use beef, but any red or white meat will be fine)
1 lb. cubed meat (the cheaper cuts of beef are better for this)
2 28 oz. cans of crushed tomato
chili powder (lots! I use about one small jar's worth (about 5 oz.))
1/2 tablespoon of cumin seed
1-2 chipotle chilis (seeded; leave unseeded for spicier chili)
1 ancho chili (optional)
1 dark beer (I like Brooklyn Brewery black chocolate stout, but a Guinness, or other stout or porter beer will work equally well)
McIlhenny's Chipotle Sauce (from the guys that make tabasco sauce)
Optional vegetables:
Kidney beans
Carrots
Celery
Corn
Put oil in heavy-bottomed pot; heat to medium-high, then add onion and garlic. Cook until starting to brown. Add meat to pot. Cook until the meat is browned on all sides (at this point, you may want to skim some of the fat out for a lighter chili). Add the cumin seed, chili powder, chipotles and ancho, and stir intensely for about a minute.
Add the tomato, and bring to a boil. Then reduce the heat and let the chili simmer for 30 minutes (or until cubed beef is tender). Add the optional vegetables at the beginning of the simmer, if you want them.
After the simmer is finished, add about 4 tablespoons of the dark beer to the chili, and drink the rest yourself. Let's face it, you've earned it! Also add about 1/2 to 1 tablespoon of McIlhenny's Chipotle Sauce at this point, to taste. I like the chipotle flavor, so I tend to add the full tablespoon.
Let the chili cook for about 5-10 more minutes at a low heat, then serve, with optional garnishes of shredded monterey jack cheese, diced onions, sour cream and tortillas on the side.
No pics, but I thought I'd share my Chili recipe:
Here's mine:
1 lb lean ground beef
1 large onion chopped
1 red bell pepper
2 fresh jalapenos (green or red), chopped
1 dried chipotle chili, chopped
1 beef stock cube
Tomato paste (tinned or tubed)
1 tin pinto beans in chilli sauce
1 tin red kidney beans
2 tins chopped tomatoes
1 star anise pod
1 tbsp hot chilli powder
- Heat a good glug of olive oil on medium heat and fry the onion and star anise pod until the onion softens.
- Add the beef and chillis and cook until no red remains in the meat (~ 5-10 mins)
- Use a spoon to remove as much liquid from the pan as possible (i.e. tilt the pan, push all the meat'n'onions to the top, and allow the wet to pool - scoop it out and down the sink)
- Remove the star anise pod at this time.
- Add the tins of beans and tomoatoes, and the bell pepper.
- Crumble in the stock cube and stir in the tomato paste (I used about 3/4 of a small tin, or about an 8" squirt of the tube stuff).
- Stir well, taste and add more chilli powder/sauce if it's not hot enough for you!
- Simmer gently for at least a half hour to thicken.
Serve with steamed brown rice, or spelt, or make the world's best nachos!
Optional:
Add a half glass or so of red wine when you add the tomatoes to round out the flavour.
Grate a small amount of bitter chocolate (a couple of 'squares') in towards the end.
I often split a batch into spicy and mild - hold back the japapenos, and split before the final simmering. Add the japapenos to the 'spicy' batch, and you're good to go!
Have you had a chance to try them out? You'll want to know if they feel right in your hands, and if they will continue to do so for reasonable use periods (i.e. metal handles look pretty but in a warm kitchen can lead to sweating, slipping, and "mishaps"). If you like 'em, by all means buy them. Honestly, though, I'd recommend this set instead, if you want Henckels, but that's just my opinion; your needs may be totally different. Or I may have forgotten to take my meds today. :)
I have that exact set, bolstered by a couple of Wusthofs, and I agree completely. They've been great.
Looks like Amazon has it for a mere $150, and it's prime eligible. Not particularly standout reviews, although some of the negative ones are predictably, how shall I put it, "insane". It also appears as though they aren't high-carbon steel, which generally means they won't hold as good of an edge as a high-carbon blade (not that they can't stay sharp for as long—although they probably won't—just that they won't ever be as sharp to begin with).
Have you had a chance to try them out? You'll want to know if they feel right in your hands, and if they will continue to do so for reasonable use periods (i.e. metal handles look pretty but in a warm kitchen can lead to sweating, slipping, and "mishaps"). If you like 'em, by all means buy them. Honestly, though, I'd recommend this set instead, if you want Henckels, but that's just my opinion; your needs may be totally different. Or I may have forgotten to take my meds today. :)
I will take that into consideration. If I was staying in Texas I would think twice about the metal handle set but since I am already being PCS'd to Alaska with not even a year on station I don't think the metal will matter to much. But I am prone to get sweaty hands so that might be a matter of contention.
I am in no stretch of the imagination a stylized chef. I have always wanted to become one and I can cook fairly well for my family and friends. I watch Food Network a lot and by far my favorite show is Chopped, with Good Eats a close second. But I do need a better set of knives than the piece meal that I have and I would like a nice set. I do have to pass it by the other half but if it is for the kitchen the wife usually lets me have free rein so we will see where that goes.
Anyone have a recommendation for a good set of stones? I've read a few things, but there seems to be a lot of snake oil out there.
If your knife manufacturer has a default set you probably can't do wrong with those. I have a couple of Kasumi water stones but have since discovered that one of them is way too fine a grit and can actually get by on a medium grit with a medium-fine for taking the burr off.
The other essential bit of kit for sharpening is a set of guide rails (thanks DanB) to keep the knife at the right angle while sharpening, unless you have wrists like a cyborg. The downside is they've scratched up the spines of my knives so they don't look as pretty, the upside is that I can't ruin the edge while sharpening them.
Anyone have a recommendation for a good set of stones? I've read a few things, but there seems to be a lot of snake oil out there.
I use minosharp japanese waterstones. Oil stones are good too but way more messy, not really good unless you have a utility/work room. For all purpose sharpening you need one rough (250 grit) and one medium (1000 grit) stone. You don't have to buy expensive minosharp stones, a decent hardware store should be able to provide you with cheaper stones of the right grit. Really, super cheap "bargain" stones though will wear away quicker though. IIRC minosharp do a combination stone with rough on one side and medium on the other which is pretty good value.
To sharpen you start on the lowest grit and work up (rough -> medium), you can go up to fine and super fine stones (3000->8000 grit) and put unbelievably sharp polished edges on your knife. If you ask me life is too short, it's only really necessary you're planning on doing some surgery with your knives, otherwise I've found that medium grit puts a perfectly good, hard wearing edge for kitchen purposes.
Sharpening is all about holding a steady angle, so with enough (day in day out) practice you can do it free hand but I'm with maq and I use the guide rails that shipped with my waterstone. They clip to the spine of the knife and take all the guess work out of the process and it prevents you from ever having too vertical an angle and ruining the edge on your knife. They do mark flat of the blade a bit by the spine but I'm willing to live with that.
Pro tip: Buy a decent knife steel to hone the edge before each time you cook.
Pro tip2: Never leave the edge of a knife wet. When you wash and clean your knife after cooking always dry it immediately. The edge will hold longer that way.
I'd post my chili recipe, but all the amounts would be "to taste."
It does incorporate beer and bacon, though.
I'd post my chili recipe, but all the amounts would be "to taste."
It does incorporate beer and bacon, though.
Beer and bacon to taste, you say? That's a huuuge amount of chili!
You'll need a pretty big crock pot.
Minarchist wrote:That is probably WAY more knives than you'll ever need. All you really need are:
That is some good advice, really out of all those yes there are a few I will not use but I can see myself using most of them. Plus the price is not bad either, most places have that particular set for just shy of 200.
I use a GS-5 5.5" global knife for just about everything, like a miniature santoku. I don't particularly like bigger knives, they never feel as dexterous and that global knife is the right combination of what I want. A single decent knife of a good size (minimum 4") that you are comfortable with will allow you to do just everything in the kitchen. I really strongly suggest you go to a decent kitchenware store and try holding different knives before you buy one (online or otherwise). Henckels are good knives, a friend swears by them, but you might find another maker suits your hand more.
Beyond that one good knife that you will use for everything you probably only need to add the following; a bread knife, an 8" kitchen knife, a pairing knife. I do have a couple of paring knives as they often get used for all sorts of little jobs in the kitchen and if you only have one you'll find that it's never in the knife block when you reach for it.
You really don't need knives for specific tasks (carving, sushi) unless you are doing lots and lots of that one thing.
e2a: this book looks interesting and relevant
http://www.amazon.com/Knives-Cooks-L...
Yo AP Erebus, can I get the recipe to Ginger chicken stir-fry with hokkien noodles you posted above?
You certainly can!
*goes rummaging in the book*
Prep Time: 20 min + 10 min marinating
Total Cooking Time: 10 min
Serves: 4
2 1/2 tablespoons finely julienned fresh ginger
1/4 cup (60ml/2 fl oz) mirin
2 tablespoons soy sauce
600g (1 1/4 lb) chicken tenderloins or chicken breast fillets, thinly sliced on the diagonal
500g (1 lb) Hokkien noodles
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
180g (6 oz) fresh baby corn, cut in half lengthways
150g (5oz) fresh oyster mushrooms, large ones cut in half
350g (11oz) choy sum, trimmer and cut into 6 cm (2 1/2 inch) length
2 tablespoons oyster sauce
1. Combine the ginger, mirin and soy sauce in a large non-metallic bowl. Add the chicken and toss until well coated in the marinade. Cover with plastic wrap and marinate for 10 minutes.
2. Soak the noodles in a large heatproof bowl of boiling water for 1 minute. Gently separate, then drain and refresh under cold running water.
3. Heat a wok over high heat, add 1 tablespoon of the oil and swirl to coat the side of the wok. Using a slotted spoon, remove the chicken from the marinade and add to the wok in to batches, reserving the marinade. Cook over very high heat for 2 minutes, or until the chicken browns and is just cooked. Remove the chicken from the wok.
4. Heat the remaining oil in the wok and swirl to coat. Add the corn and mushrooms and stir-fry for 1-2 minutes, or until just softened. Add the remaining marinade, bring to the boil, then add the chicken, choy sum and soaked noodles. Stir in the oyster sauce and cook, tossing well, for 1-2 minutes, or until the choy sum has lightly wilted and the noodles are warmed through. Serve immediately.
I write notes in my cookbooks and this one has: Very Nice, Maybe no oyster mushrooms/smaller mushrooms.
To follow up from my veal stock recipe here's the first thing I've made with it:
White truffle infused custards with black truffle ragout and a chive chip
They were pretty tasty although the custard was maybe a little under seasoned, not a lot of work and not too difficult to get right.
Here are the custards in an improvised bain marie about to go in the oven.
Here's the finished result.
I think I ate about 5 of them
The eggshell used as a cup is a wonderful idea, DanB, I'll steal it (with your permission) for my personal use
Yesterday we enjoyed steamed asparagus with butter on our terrace, which can be used once again for living, coffee in the morning overlooking blooming gardens is a lovely start of the day. This basically means that spring is definitely here (and asparagus is one of the things I'm looking forward to the whole year). What is your harbinger of spring? Oh, and we planted herbs and strawberries, can't wait for them.
boogle wrote:Yo AP Erebus, can I get the recipe to Ginger chicken stir-fry with hokkien noodles you posted above?
Recipe Goodness
Nice. Can't rock a wok on my crappy apartment stove, but soon to try this out once I move back for the summer.
I'll try to find my Grandmother's coleslaw recipe as a form of reciprocation.
So, I'm about halfway through the book A Dollar a Day and felt inspired to cook something healthy and cheap with as much fresh produce as possible. Since I usually get falafel from the street vendors I decided to start with that. I wanted to stretch the recipe a bit so I added 1 pepper and 1 yellow onion.
1 orange pepper, 1 medium sized yellow onion, 5 cloves of garlic, 2 cans of chickpeas, 4-5 tablespoons of flour, 3/4 cup of fresh parsley, tablespoon of cumin, tablespoon of red pepper flakes, 1 egg and a teaspoon of salt/pepper
yogurt sauce: 1 cup of plain yogurt, salt, pepper, cumin, lemon zest, lemon juice, parsley, your favorite hot sauce...all to taste.
Dice the pepper, onion and garlic. Saute the pepper/onion in 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat for a few minutes. Then add the garlic and cook for another minute or two. Remove from heat and set aside.
I haven't had enough falafel to really know the difference between canned and dry. I decided to use canned because A, they were 5 cans for $2 and B, I wanted to have it for lunch today and didn't have enough time to let them soak overnight. In a food processor add the chickpeas, egg and dry ingredients. Pulse for a bit, then add the parsley and flour. Pulse a little more, take off the processor and add the onion/pepper/garlic mixture.
With an ice cream scoop arrange the balls on a cookie sheet (or whatever you think is best) and brush with olive oil. Put them under the broiler for a few minutes before flipping and repeating. Should make about 15-20 pieces depending on size. Serve with good flatbread/pita, yogurt sauce and whatever veggies you want. The one thing that I like better about the street vendors is the texture...they use cornmeal instead of flour and fry instead of broiling. I also left out the cilantro because my girlfriend doesn't care for it. Other than that, lunch today was great!
AP Erebus wrote:boogle wrote:Yo AP Erebus, can I get the recipe to Ginger chicken stir-fry with hokkien noodles you posted above?
Recipe Goodness
Nice. Can't rock a wok on my crappy apartment stove, but soon to try this out once I move back for the summer.
I'll try to find my Grandmother's coleslaw recipe as a form of reciprocation.
A deep sided skillet makes an excellent substitution for a Wok.
The eggshell used as a cup is a wonderful idea, DanB, I'll steal it (with your permission) for my personal use
Yesterday we enjoyed steamed asparagus with butter on our terrace, which can be used once again for living, coffee in the morning overlooking blooming gardens is a lovely start of the day. This basically means that spring is definitely here (and asparagus is one of the things I'm looking forward to the whole year). What is your harbinger of spring? Oh, and we planted herbs and strawberries, can't wait for them.
I can not tell a lie the egg shell thing is entirely from Thomas Keller's recipe. If you do do it don't forget to remove the inner membrane the coats the inside of the egg and white eggs would look better/classier if you can lay your hands on them.
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