Gastronomy - The Food & Drink Thread

[Russ]

I've never used fresh tomatoes to make the sauce before. Not sure I would know how. Do you blanch them?

The answer is yes -- which is why I buy peeled and diced tomatoes in the can -- blanching is a labor and time-intensive process and that's why I buy them in the can. And they're fine, trust me.

Blanching (skinning) fresh tomatoes is a pain.

[Mara]

Blanching (skinning) fresh tomatoes is a pain.

My sister cans all her produce each year. She has it down to a science.

[Russ]

They suggest using crushed tomatoes instead of tomato sauce, but I prefer to use half of one, and half of the other.

Crushed and diced is more or less the same. The tomatoes are already blanched (skins removed). The difference is the diced (chunks) tomatoes boiled down into the water to form a sauce that still has very small remnants of tomato bits in the sauce. Which is what I prefer. But really, either can be used in a spaghetti sauce.

The main thing is: You don't need to buy tomato sauce. Crushed or diced tomatoes boiled in water with your spices = tomato sauce.

[Russ]

My sister cans all her produce each year. She has it down to a science.

If she has fresh, blanched tomatoes then you should bribe her for as much as you can get. Seriously.

[Lucky]

Total cook time is an hour or 90 minutes. But it's totally worth it.

This is the biggest deterrent for me to use a recipe like this regularly. Spaghetti is an every other week kind of dinner for me, and I can whip it up in a half hour. I'll have to try the old fashioned way again one Sunday afternoon.

[Raiders]

I always used crushed. It always seems to work out to essentially being tomato sauce + paste and creates just the right texture. I throw in a can of diced for appearance sake, but it isn't necessary I don't believe.

[Mara]

This is the biggest deterrent for me to use a recipe like this regularly. Spaghetti is an every other week kind of dinner for me, and I can whip it up in a half hour. I'll have to try the old fashioned way again one Sunday afternoon.

Make a huge batch and then use it for a month. MMm.

[Russ]

This is the biggest deterrent for me to use a recipe like this regularly. Spaghetti is an every other week kind of dinner for me, and I can whip it up in a half hour. I'll have to try the old fashioned way again one Sunday afternoon.

The thing is to make enough. Try two large cans of tomatoes (approx. 28 oz or so) and 1-1 1/2 lb ground beef). The cooking time is still only an hour, an hour and a half, but it will give you many days worth of leftovers. When I make mine, I know I'm making 3 days worth of meals (and thats for two people).

[D_Davis]

When I make my sauce, I make about 4 quarts, then I freeze it in small ziploc bags perfect for single servings. Makes enough for about 6-8 meals.

[Spun Lepton]

Good Eats officially finished at 249 episodes.

:sad:

[Our Aurora]

Good Eats officially finished at 249 episodes.

:sad:

Always hated that show.

Stop using jazz hands to crack an egg, Alton. You're supposed to be showing us how to scramble -- not how to pull a bird from our ass.

[Raiders]

Always hated that show.

Stop using jazz hands to crack an egg, Alton. You're supposed to be showing us how to scramble -- not how to pull a bird from our ass.

Didn't see that episode I guess...

Regardless, I loved, loved, loved that show. I rarely made anything from it, but the science behind cooking and his amusing, knowingly dumb skits were terrific.

[Sven]

Gonna make dinner for my wife's birthday tonite, but I haven't quite decided what. Any suggestions?

[Ezee E]

Gonna make dinner for my wife's birthday tonite, but I haven't quite decided what. Any suggestions?

Beef Wellington

[Spun Lepton]

Always hated that show.

Stop using jazz hands to crack an egg, Alton. You're supposed to be showing us how to scramble -- not how to pull a bird from our ass.

Sounds like you're missing the forest for the trees.

[Raiders]

Gonna make dinner for my wife's birthday tonite, but I haven't quite decided what. Any suggestions?

What kinds of food does she like? Italian? I recently make some penne and vodka sauce that was amazing.

[Our Aurora]

Didn't see that episode I guess...

Regardless, I loved, loved, loved that show. I rarely made anything from it, but the science behind cooking and his amusing, knowingly dumb skits were terrific.

Haha... I will admit, this is a bit of an exaggeration, but I just really didn't dig the style of the show. The quick cuts and skits were too cutesy for me.

The science is exactly what I didn't like. It takes the soul out of cooking for me. I really can't stand America's Test Kitchen either -- for some of the same reasons.

[Ezee E]

The chef at my store made this:



Chef Mark's Pan Seared Salmon Pasta with roasted leeks, asparagus and a spicy tomato alfredo sauce.

I'm jealous.

[D_Davis]

America's Test Kitchen/Cook's Illustrated are the best.

[Sven]

What kinds of food does she like? Italian? I recently make some penne and vodka sauce that was amazing.

I've opted to go with the homemade lamburger route. Making my own aioli and everything. Chartreuse cocktails. Still can't decide on a side dish. I'm not so good with homemade fries. Maybe grilled beets...?

[Spun Lepton]

America's Test Kitchen/Cook's Illustrated are the best.

Yeah, the ATK cookbook is a thing of beauty.

[Spun Lepton]

I've opted to go with the homemade lamburger route. Making my own aioli and everything.

Well, you've won my heart.

[Raiders]

I've opted to go with the homemade lamburger route. Making my own aioli and everything. Chartreuse cocktails. Still can't decide on a side dish. I'm not so good with homemade fries. Maybe grilled beets...?

Just some regular grilled veggies (squash, zucchini, asparagus...) would be good.

[Sven]

Just some regular grilled veggies (squash, zucchini, asparagus...) would be good.

Grilled veggies it is, though really it will just be squash, spinach, and beets. Still, mmmmm.

[Our Aurora]

Grilled veggies it is, though really it will just be squash, spinach, and beets. Still, mmmmm.

I would mince some garlic... and sweat it in some butter and oil with spices. So you can slather the veggies with it, before you put them on the grill.