What did I cook this weekend.....

[Homercidal]

I've no clue as to brewing with acorns, but as a kid I made acorn flour & used it in pancakes; I've even made a sort of acorn bannock with it. It's pretty labor-intensive though. You have to leach out the tannins. There are 2 methods: hot & cold. I used the hot method described in Wildwood Wisdom by Ellsworth Jaeger; but WITHOUT using the wood ashes. There's also the cold leaching method, but that takes a few days.

Either way, it's a LOT of work, with little usable product. Though, if the boiling removed the oils along with the tannins, you might be able to use the acorn flour as an adjunct in a brew. You might get more flavor out of it if you toasted it in the oven, not sure though. You should use White acorns though, red are way too tannic.
Regards, GF.

I was always curious about this. As a kid I read "My Side of the Mountain" many times. It's a story of a boy who left home and lived on some family property in the Catskills of NY (IIRC) and one thing he did was make acorn flour. We have many acorns in our area and I've tasted them more than a few times, but never imagined they would actually make a decent tasting flour.

So maybe the part I missed in the book was how he got the tannins out before eating it. I *think* he soaked the ground up acorns in something and then saved the sedimentation and dried it to make a flour of sorts, but I may be confusing with some other process for something else. It's been a while since I read that book. (The movie was not nearly as good.)

 

[Temptd2]

Crab and Dried Scallop Soup (should've added a bit more corn starch to thicken it up)

+

Gaji-namul (Korean eggplant side dish)

Would you part with that eggplant recipe? I LOVE Korean or Japanese-style eggplant.

I love your fishie dishes!

 

[Hoppy2bmerry]

Crab and Dried Scallop Soup (should've added a bit more corn starch to thicken it up)

+

Gaji-namul (Korean eggplant side dish)

Good looking food, and I want your fish platter!

 

[cpa4ny]

Would you part with that eggplant recipe? I LOVE Korean or Japanese-style eggplant.

I love your fishie dishes!

I absolutely love eggplant as well

Here's the recipe that I used: https://www.maangchi.com/recipe/gaji-namul

 

[cpa4ny]

Interesting amalgamation of roasted sweet potatoes, fresh figs and scallion/chilli pan-fried mix.

Seasoned with balsamic reduction.

Sounded pretty outlandish when I first read the recipe, but came out really good:

http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/roasted-sweet-potatoes-fresh-figs-51115420

 

[Staestc]

Yes, I cure it whole. I leave it totally submerged in the brine/cure for just over three weeks. The cure does penetrate all the way through, but I know some people that also inject the cure, just in case. Sorry about not having any final pics, but my family crushed that thing!

Both times I have done Pastrami my family devoured it with no leftovers! It's really that good when you make it yourself!!

 

[ericbw]

I was always curious about this. As a kid I read "My Side of the Mountain" many times. It's a story of a boy who left home and lived on some family property in the Catskills of NY (IIRC) and one thing he did was make acorn flour. We have many acorns in our area and I've tasted them more than a few times, but never imagined they would actually make a decent tasting flour.



So maybe the part I missed in the book was how he got the tannins out before eating it. I *think* he soaked the ground up acorns in something and then saved the sedimentation and dried it to make a flour of sorts, but I may be confusing with some other process for something else. It's been a while since I read that book. (The movie was not nearly as good.)

We read that book a million times!

 

[slym2none]

I have Japanese Oaks where I live, they are great for acorn-flinging. Never thought to use them for anything else.

I really want to make bonsai trees out of them, but it seems like so much effort for, literally, so small a reward. But, if I could sell them...

 

[Temptd2]

I absolutely love eggplant as well

Here's the recipe that I used: https://www.maangchi.com/recipe/gaji-namul

Thank you so much! That looks really great. Gotta go find me some of those cute little eggplants - the produce market I like is run by a Korean family and they usually have them.

 

[Temptd2]

Interesting amalgamation of roasted sweet potatoes, fresh figs and scallion/chilli pan-fried mix.

Seasoned with balsamic reduction.

Sounded pretty outlandish when I first read the recipe, but came out really good:

Seriously, I can taste that combination in my mind - sounds amazing!

 

[slym2none]

Aubergines.

@blizzard

 

[Homercidal]

I have Japanese Oaks where I live, they are great for acorn-flinging. Never thought to use them for anything else.

I really want to make bonsai trees out of them, but it seems like so much effort for, literally, so small a reward. But, if I could sell them...

LOL!

You know that the Bonsai tree is not the point of Bonsai, right? I never know with you, man.

Also, I just remembered I have a Bonsai kit someone got for me a while ago and I should plant it and see what happens. I think it's several years old by now. Every time I go to plant it, it's the wrong time of year.

 

[trav77]

Interesting amalgamation of roasted sweet potatoes, fresh figs and scallion/chilli pan-fried mix.

Seasoned with balsamic reduction.

Sounded pretty outlandish when I first read the recipe, but came out really good:

http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/roasted-sweet-potatoes-fresh-figs-51115420

I've made that one a number of times and yeah it's amazing. It's from their book "Jerusalem" which is fantastic.

 

[slym2none]

*EDITED*

Not food or cooking related. Self-reported & flagellated.

 

[cpa4ny]

I've made that one a number of times and yeah it's amazing. It's from their book "Jerusalem" which is fantastic.

Ye, will try to seek out more of his recipes; he's got some really interesting ingredient combos.

 

[trav77]

Ye, will try to seek out more of his recipes; he's got some really interesting ingredient combos.

Their cookbooks are worth it for the food porn alone.

 

[bfish]

smoked chicken quarters with sweet potato and steamed broccoli, not bad for a mid-week meal.

 

[gratus fermentatio]

@bfish Try putting those sweet potatoes in the smoker with the chicken & a couple handfuls of hickory chips, I like to brush the taters with dark sesame oil, but olive oil works too. The oil helps to hold in moisture as well as adding a little flavor & the taters pick up the smoke flavor very well. I put them on at the same time I put the leg quarters on & they're done at the same time.
Regards, GF.

 

[bfish]

@gratus fermentatio
Good thought. I often do the same with regular baking potatoes (i.e. naked).

I have an unlimited supply of kiln dried red oak so that is what I use hehe. But hickory is good (and traditional around here), however sometimes with chicken it can be a little overpowering. Pecan and apple are good with chicken too.

 

[kev211]

@gratus fermentatio
Good thought. I often do the same with regular baking potatoes (i.e. naked).

I have an unlimited supply of kiln dried red oak so that is what I use hehe. But hickory is good (and traditional around here), however sometimes with chicken it can be a little overpowering. Pecan and apple are good with chicken too.

How does one get unlimited red oak? I find hickory to be slightly overpowering as well, but nowhere near as bad as mesquite. Mesquite is definitely a dab will do you. I think applewood is one of my favorite woods to smoke with

 

[bfish]

How does one get unlimited red oak? ...

My good buddy and former neighbor runs a flooring company. For new installs, he primarily uses red oak, then seals in place. He saves all the raw scraps. What I don't want, he trades off to people with fireplaces as fire starter. The cuts are perfect size for fitting into a charcoal kettle.

 

[Homercidal]

Beans and Smoked Hocks in the crock pot last night. Cooked all night. Surprisingly the beans were tender this morning, so I pulled the bones and shredded the meat and brought a small bowl of beans with an egg on top to work for breakfast. So far no adverse effects from the beans, but we'll see how the day continues...

 

[JB_Brewing2]

Twice-baked: russets with gruyere, parmesan, prosciutto, corn, sour cream, heavy cream, and whole grain mustard. Yum!

 

[slym2none]

How does one get unlimited red oak? I find hickory to be slightly overpowering as well, but nowhere near as bad as mesquite. Mesquite is definitely a dab will do you. I think applewood is one of my favorite woods to smoke with

IMHO, fruit-woods are some of the best. Apple, pear, cherry - all great to smoke with.

From experience, I can say that pecan wood is good, but don't use pecan shells. Also, corn cobs work great! They don't need to be pre-soaked, either.

 

[kev211]

IMHO, fruit-woods are some of the best. Apple, pear, cherry - all great to smoke with.

From experience, I can say that pecan wood is good, but don't use pecan shells. Also, corn cobs work great! They don't need to be pre-soaked, either.

Yeah I really like cherry wood as well. Never even thought about using corn cobs. Maybe toss whole ears in there and get smoked popcorn

 

[paulthenurse]

What do corn cobs smell like?


Uhhhhh. Corn? Sweet? What's the flavor profile?

What do you do, save your old corn on the cob dinner debris, dry it and use it? I'm intrigued.

 

[slym2none]

Corn cobs smell like corn. It gives off a sweet smoke, much like a fruit wood would. Yes, I save old corn cobs (whether they were eaten like that or the corn kernels were cut off) and then freeze them. No drying necessary, so no hydrating later is necessary either. I just put them in zip-top freezer bags and let them thaw some when I need to use them. I throw them right on top of the coals, like you would soaked chips/blocks.

 

[paulthenurse]

Another addition to my little bag of tricks.

 

[paulthenurse]

If my wife ever leaves me and I find a deaf, blind, dumb fertile female desperately anxious to further an obviously flawed gene pool and she somehow convinces my hopelessly alcohol raddled brain to 'reverse the procedure and she ends up whelping some sort of Jurassic Park-ish Mini-me I'm going to name that ill gotten fruit of my surgically remodeled loins after the totally mad chef at the local Portuguese Club, Carlos.

Or I'll call him Fuggles. It's a coin toss.
View attachment ImageUploadedByHome Brew1491007380.165367.jpg

 

[paulthenurse]

View attachment ImageUploadedByHome Brew1491007924.132109.jpg

 

[passedpawn]

If my wife ever leaves me and I find a deaf, blind, dumb fertile female desperately anxious to further an obviously flawed gene pool and she somehow convinces my hopelessly alcohol raddled brain to 'reverse the procedure and she ends up whelping some sort of Jurassic Park-ish Mini-me I'm going to name that ill gotten fruit of my surgically remodeled loins after the totally mad chef at the local Portuguese Club, Carlos.

Or I'll call him Fuggles. It's a coin toss.
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mmmmok. Good luck searching for helen keller. Jenny's got her digits. Jenny: 867-5309. I don't think she changed it. Good luck.

 

[bob1852]

Bone-in NY strip steaks into the bath...

 

[schematix]

Meat and cheese tray...

View attachment ImageUploadedByHome Brew1491014291.074446.jpg

Seed crackers, garlic crostinis, pear, olives, peppers, cheeses (asiago, romano, some soft stinky french cheese, and some hard raw stinky american cheese), speck and smoked salmon.

 

[bob1852]

Twice baked tater, roasted asparagus, and NY steak with chimichurri sauce.

 

[BrewerBrad82]

75/25% pork/beef sausages seasoned with fenugreek, paprika, white pepper, garlic.

View attachment 1491026189537.jpg

 

[slym2none]

If my wife ever leaves me and I find a deaf, blind, dumb fertile female desperately anxious to further an obviously flawed gene pool and she somehow convinces my hopelessly alcohol raddled brain to 'reverse the procedure and she ends up whelping some sort of Jurassic Park-ish Mini-me I'm going to name that ill gotten fruit of my surgically remodeled loins after the totally mad chef at the local Portuguese Club, Carlos.

Or I'll call him Fuggles. It's a coin toss.
View attachment 394834

"slym" isn't good enough? After the whole corn-cob incident?

 

[slym2none]

Twice baked tater, roasted asparagus, and NY steak with chimichurri sauce.

Overcooked. Reported.

 

[tjosborne]

View attachment ImageUploadedByHome Brew1491092024.851557.jpgView attachment ImageUploadedByHome Brew1491092038.833069.jpg

 

[Temptd2]

@tjosborne - whatever the hell that is - I WANT IT! Or at least the recipe?

I'm guessing deep dish pizza, KOTC would go nuts if I fixed that for him.

 

[tjosborne]

@tjosborne - whatever the hell that is - I WANT IT! Or at least the recipe?

I'm guessing deep dish pizza, KOTC would go nuts if I fixed that for him.

It is a deep dish pizza. Pretty good stuff.View attachment ImageUploadedByHome Brew1491093021.536054.jpgView attachment ImageUploadedByHome Brew1491093032.222869.jpgView attachment ImageUploadedByHome Brew1491093139.287280.jpg