What's cooking? (1 Viewer)

[Dennis Nicholls]

 

[Johnny Angell]

 

[Stan]

Not so bad. Other than being an enormous fat bomb, still plenty of healthy protein

 

[BobO'Link]

I'm still trying to find tomato paste that's in a tube. I've seen some cooks on PBS use it but I haven't found it yet.

Amazon...

https://www.amazon.com/Cento-Tomato...=1496693440&sr=8-2&keywords=tube+tomato+paste

and (more expensive)

https://www.amazon.com/Amore-Tomato...693440&sr=8-1&keywords=tube+tomato+paste&th=1

or (Prime Pantry)

https://www.amazon.com/Amore-Sun-Dr...=1496693440&sr=8-7&keywords=tube+tomato+paste

There's also a subscribe 'n save option but it's for 12 tubes! A bit more than I want to have on hand.

https://www.amazon.com/Amore-Tomato...693440&sr=8-4&keywords=tube+tomato+paste&th=1

The last time we picked up some locally it was around $3/tube (I believe it was the Amore brand).

 

[Malcolm R]

Seems like I've seen the tubes of tomato paste in most stores. Check the top shelf around the canned tomatoes section. Usually the tube is inside a box, as with toothpaste, so you'll actually be looking for a boxed item.

If your store has a separate natural foods section, you might also check there.

 

[Citizen87645]

Definitely a top-shelf item.

 

[Stan]

Seems like I've seen the tubes of tomato paste in most stores. Check the top shelf around the canned tomatoes section. Usually the tube is inside a box, as with toothpaste, so you'll actually be looking for a boxed item.

If your store has a separate natural foods section, you might also check there.

Kevin, it's fairly common. Like Malcolm states, it will be in a box. Great when you only need a tablespoon or so, so don't have to waste a full can.

Bought my last tube a few months ago. With my local store, I remember it wasn't where you'd expect it. It was with the olives, mayo, pickles, etc.

 

[Mike Frezon]

Peg continues to knock it out of the park.

Last night she served: Slow Cooker French Dip Sandwiches with Caramelized Onions!

And, again, yummmmm!

The sandwiches:

And the crock of Au Jus:

The entire recipe is HERE on skinnytaste.com. It is another great slow cooker recipe.

She used a small eye of round roast which was really lean and REALLY tender. The house smelled soooo good from this recipe. One of the things I liked best about these sandwiches was how integral the cheese was to it's overall flavor. In so many dishes, the cheese is an afterthought and only adds fat/calories but very little flavor. She opted for the lo-fat provolone. It really contributed to the overall flavor of the sandwich. We skipped the peppers and went only with onions. The sandwiches were housed on Nature's Own multi-grain rolls.

 

[Johnny Angell]

Peg continues to knock it out of the park.

Last night she served: Slow Cooker French Dip Sandwiches with Caramelized Onions!

And, again, yummmmm!

The sandwiches:

And the crock of Au Jus:

The entire recipe is HERE on skinnytaste.com. It is another great slow cooker recipe.

She used a small eye of round roast which was really lean and REALLY tender. The house smelled soooo good from this recipe. One of the things I liked best about these sandwiches was how integral the cheese was to it's overall flavor. In so many dishes, the cheese is an afterthought and only adds fat/calories but very little flavor. She opted for the lo-fat provolone. It really contributed to the overall flavor of the sandwich. We skipped the peppers and went only with onions. The sandwiches were housed on Nature's Own multi-grain rolls.

Where is the drool emoji?

 

[Stan]

Made "Spanish Rice", out of a box, it was getting old. Will not try that again. I've made it from scratch and it's so much better.

Gave most of it to my dog. This horrible mix of vermicelli, rice and some really wimpy seasonings. Never again.

Looking forward to Mike and Peg's French Dip Sandwiches. I love low labor crock pot recipes.

And yes I used the phrase "Crock Pot". Some corporation that thinks they can trademark a name, I break the rules. Like trying to trademark Spam, Jello, Kleenex or other things that are long past that point, they're just regular phrases now so sue me.

 

[Mike Frezon]

I love low labor crock pot recipes.

And "low labor" it is, Stan.

Peg wouldn't have it any other way!

 

[Stan]

And "low labor" it is, Stan.

Peg wouldn't have it any other way!

Also totally against browning meat, veggies, etc. first. I don't want to pre-cook things, then add them to the crock-pot, defeats the purpose. Chop the ingredients, some beef stock, seasonings, etc. Put the cover on and come back ten hours later, that's my style. I make a great beef stew and a fantastic BBQ pork.

If there is a lazy way to do things, I'll find it, Have asked my dog repeatedly to prep the ingredients, but she never helps. Although she certainly enjoys the leftovers.

 

[Mike Frezon]

At least she's giving you SOME help!

 

[BobO'Link]

Also totally against browning meat, veggies, etc. first. I don't want to pre-cook things, then add them to the crock-pot, defeats the purpose. Chop the ingredients, some beef stock, seasonings, etc. Put the cover on and come back ten hours later, that's my style. I make a great beef stew and a fantastic BBQ pork.

If there is a lazy way to do things, I'll find it, Have asked my dog repeatedly to prep the ingredients, but she never helps. Although she certainly enjoys the leftovers.

Browning meats adds a flavor profile you just can't get any other way. Even in crock pot dishes. If it's asked for I do it every time for that very reason. Sure it's extra work/clean up but it's also frequently worth it.

 

[Stan]

Browning meats adds a flavor profile you just can't get any other way. Even in crock pot dishes. If it's asked for I do it every time for that very reason. Sure it's extra work/clean up but it's also frequently worth it.

I'll probably break down and pre-cook some items. Browning meat definitely is worth it, and of course stir up the browned bits with wine or something and add it to the dish. Just one more pot to clean, not really a problem. To lazy to clean up, I've always got the dishwasher.

I've got some very high end stuff that only gets hand washing. But some cheap junk from QVC that goes in the dishwasher and has gradually been tossed as they wear out. Will never make a purchase from them ever again.

Okay, enough whining from me.

 

[Aaron Silverman]

Somewhere way up thread I linked my Bella slow cooker/crock pot with a removable pot that you put right on the stove to brown the meat before replacing it in the cooker. The only extra cleanup is the wooden spoon that I use to stir/turn the meat while it's browning.

 

[Stan]

Somewhere way up thread I linked my Bella slow cooker/crock pot with a removable pot that you put right on the stove to brown the meat before replacing it in the cooker. The only extra cleanup is the wooden spoon that I use to stir/turn the meat while it's browning.

Years ago, when young and stupid, bought a crock pot where the pot wasn't removable. Big mistake.

My current crock pot, easily going on 20+ years is wonderful. None of the fancy digital controls, just high-low-warm. It goes about ten hours, then switches to warm, so things don't burn.

Ceramic removable pot but I don't think I could use it on the stove. I toss it in the dishwasher, everything is fine.

As I said earlier, lazy guy. Let a machine do the work, not me. Crock pot, dishwasher, I'm not really involved.

 

[TonyD]

Last summer we bought an Akorn Kamado grill.
https://www.chargriller.com/kamado-grills

You can smoke and or grill with this.
It's similar to a Big Green Egg but much less costly.


We have been grilling steak and veggies with it.
Smoked a boston butt that we pulled about for pork sandwiches.

Bought a slab of pork belly and plan on doing pork belly burnt ends this weekend.

Johnny this can smoke for up to 20 hours and some say even longer.
No pellets it uses charcoal briquettes but lump wood charcoal works best.
Wood chips and wood chunks are used too.

We like to smoke ribs. They might be the easiest thing to smoke.

 

[BobO'Link]

Years ago, when young and stupid, bought a crock pot where the pot wasn't removable. Big mistake.

My current crock pot, easily going on 20+ years is wonderful. None of the fancy digital controls, just high-low-warm. It goes about ten hours, then switches to warm, so things don't burn.

Ceramic removable pot but I don't think I could use it on the stove. I toss it in the dishwasher, everything is fine.

As I said earlier, lazy guy. Let a machine do the work, not me. Crock pot, dishwasher, I'm not really involved.

If the pot isn't specifically designed for stove-top use then don't. It will be OK in the oven but will break if used on a burner.

I wouldn't necessarily say you were "stupid" - I'm older than you and those early models with a removable pot cost ~$10/unit or more higher. Accounting for inflation that would equate to ~$50 today, something that would cause you to reconsider such a purchase as a young person on a limited budget. I know it's why I didn't own one until I got older. Even at church pot-luck dinners the removable pot ones were rarities - and there would be a table almost full of the "regular" ones.

 

[Johnny Angell]

I wouldn't necessarily say you were "stupid" -

I think most reasonable old farts would say "damn, I was stupid when I was young." I think Steven Speilberg has been quoted as saying in effect, that they only reason he took on Jaws was that he was too young and stupid to know better.