What are you cooking?

[Achtane]

I could eat olives and cheese, like, for every meal, forever.
We made ramen, it was ok. I threw soba noodles in it but apparently I don't like the buckwheat flavor. I dunno. Give me more cheese.

(Necrobump)

[PeteeBee]

I made some buns yesterday and they turned out great. First time I've attempted any sort of stuffed dough, so I was a little nervous going in but it was easier than expected.

I took this recipe but modified it. Anything that calls for less than a full packet of yeast is ridiculous, so I doubled the dough, and improvised the filling because we were out of mushrooms and I'm comfortable making a grubbing saute of veggies to shove in there.

https://thefeedfeed.com/woon.heng/pan-f ... table-buns

[coldbrightsunlight]

Oooooooo that looks good. Might have to try!

I have been fermenting more and more things recently - it's something I've been into for a while but lockdown has given me some extra curiosity so I've been trying some new stuff. Sauerruben (turnip &/or swede/rutabaga) is a huge hit. Seriously delicious. And potatoes!!!! Fermenting chopped and washed potatoes in brine for a few days before roasting makes my new favourite food.

Doing this stuff and incorporating the results into more foods (e.g. using sauerkraut liquid for stock) is where I'm currently getting my culinary variety - I can't actually grab as wide a selection of fresh veg as I usually could at the shops right now.

[Dowi]

I somehow always avoided this thread, but the amount of new things i've been cooking since the start of quarantine is HUGE. Should Definitely write some of that recipes here.

[friendship]

Dowi, do share!

I've never heard of fermented potatoes before, I'm going to give that a try. I have a couple pounds I wanted to do something fun with! What's your brine recipe?

I've been keeping most of my quarantine cooking very simple, because I have a very limited mental bandwidth right now. Basic omelettes, the ubiquitous rice and beans, various pantry pastas, and what is a nearly daily dose of comforting grilled cheese sandwiches. I have a pound of brats in the freezer, I might bake those with some potatoes (maybe the fermented ones??) and other vegetables. Or a cassoulet with some French white beans I have in the cupboard. Still deciding.

[PeteeBee]

yep I'm going to need more info about those fermented potatoes. A quick google didn't offer much, except for french fries and a video about fermenting potatoes to make cheese (although I do love the youtuber, Sauce Stash, who makes the fermented potato cheese video). I'll look at those, but they're different than what I am hoping to make. I'm looking up recipes for the sauerruben now.

[Blackened Soul]

Making veggie cheesesteaks

This is what I did.. didn't follow a recipe so I guess this is mine?

Sautee
5 Large cremini mushrooms [that haven't become portobellos]
3/4 a yellow onion
3/4 bell pepper
1 Tbls kosher worcestershire sauce
1 Tbls bragg liquid aminos
1 Ts veggie bouillon paste
1 Tbls kalamata brine
1/2 cup water for deglazing

Cheese sauce
make roux [if you don't know how to you should not be cooking]
1/2 Ts mustard
1 1/2 cup of various cheeses

Buns/rolls
find them for you need them

[TraceItalian]

I went a little fancy (for me) and we did prosciutto & cantelope with fried tortellini mixed with onion and peppers (gotta get those veggies).

[coldbrightsunlight]

I've never heard of fermented potatoes before, I'm going to give that a try. I have a couple pounds I wanted to do something fun with! What's your brine recipe?.

My brine recipe is just water and a lot of salt I don't measure it, you know it's ok when it's about as salty as the sea (very salty). Just pop those chopped potatoes in that in a container in a dark place for a few days, the longer you do it the stronger the flavour. It can also be good to add some other things like garlic, bits of chili, coriander seeds...

The taste of the potatoes might be a bit... Weird but I love them I would start with 2 or 3 days probably if it's warm where you live. I've done a batch at 3 and a batch at 5 and the 5 day ones were funkier. Still good! But potentially an acquired taste

General fermenting tips in case you need them:

Try to fill the container as close to the top as possible - the bigger the air gap the more chance of some bacteria you don't want getting in.

You know it's working if it's bubbling.
If your container is sealed, open it to release gas every day - this is important you don't want any exploded jars. Do this in a sink so you don't get soaked, my potatoes have been particularly gassy

If you see a little bit of a film of mould forming on the surface of the liquid that should be fine just remove it and carry on. If the mould has penetrated into the liquid and is touching the vegetables then they're probably ruined and sadly you should throw them away. your nose is ever a useful guide for determining if things are off. This does not happen to me a lot. Just clean everything well beforehand and follow the tips above.

[Achtane]

Some tasty sounding things on this page...

I'm eating more cheap brie. I never used to eat the rind but I started and now I can't stop.
I CAN'T STOP.

[friendship]

RISE AND RIND LET'S GET THIS BRIE

[PeteeBee]

Question for the hive mind: We make pizza every friday. I'm getting my dough pretty dialed in and am decently happy with the vegan cheese that I make, but I know it can be better. I do dollops of almond ricotta, that I make by blending almonds, nutritional yeast, lemon juice, salt, garlic, and water. Lately I've been adding a little cashew to make it more creamy and less gritty. Any ideas for what else I should be throwing in there? Soaking the almonds softens them up a bit but they never go full squish like cashews do. I want some of the texture, but it's not quite right. I'm wondering if a nut other than cashew or a liquid other than water would crank the flavor up to flavortown.

[friendship]

I've never made vegan cheese before, but I think if you wanted to get closer to the texture of mozz, you would need some kind of gluten or starch in there, maybe yuca flour? Just to get all of your ingredients to gel together. This is a wild guess and please take it as a topic bump for actual vegans to comment!

I made a big jar of pikliz, substituting scotch bonnets/habañeros for serranos, just because I had them on hand. I pulled back on the amount of serranos so it's not even close to as spicy as I imagined it would be, but the recipe made a big batch so ultimately this is a good thing--it'll be a more universal topping.

[Chankgeez]

I just wanted to say that hummus and salsa verde are an excellent pairing.

[coupleonapkins]

Question for the hive mind: We make pizza every friday. I'm getting my dough pretty dialed in and am decently happy with the vegan cheese that I make, but I know it can be better. I do dollops of almond ricotta, that I make by blending almonds, nutritional yeast, lemon juice, salt, garlic, and water. Lately I've been adding a little cashew to make it more creamy and less gritty. Any ideas for what else I should be throwing in there? Soaking the almonds softens them up a bit but they never go full squish like cashews do. I want some of the texture, but it's not quite right. I'm wondering if a nut other than cashew or a liquid other than water would crank the flavor up to flavortown.

Try swapping out apple cider vinegar for the water - once it breaks down the yeast, it'll also give it a pinch of flavor. Rice milk is great too!

I'll also second the cassava flour addition if you want to go sans yeast (gluten free) Tapioca flour will also work, too.

The cashews squish better because they don't have an outer layer like an almond, but blanching almonds in hot water will remove that seed coat (you can use a towel or yr fingers, rinse 'em & soak in water afterward for about a day) and lend to a smoother blend (time consuming, but worth it if you're really into almonds).