Beaker's cooking laboratory

[[AK]Sonic Boom]

Yeah, the Bolognese I made last night was from one of Mario's recipes (see the website.) I admire his historical knowledge.

Bill Buford wrote a good book which I recommend called "Heat". He worked in Mario's kitchen at Babbo, and then went on to retrace the steps Batali took in Italy.

Cool, I've got a hold on it at the library. Currrently at the top of my wish list is On Food and Cooking by Harold McGee.

Speaking of Mario, I got some inspiration from him last night and made some spaghetti. I scrambled an egg and poured it into the hot pasta and put it back on the heat for a few seconds, sort of like a carbonara, and added half cup of fresh grated Reggiano and fresh basil. Darn good, and it only took about ten minutes. Fresh cilantro would probably work too.

[[AK]Brorlis]

I love the "Shrimp of the large variety."

That's awesome.

They were......well.....Large! and eaten way too fast to take a pic of !

[[AK]Squidly]

Cool, I've got a hold on it at the library. Currrently at the top of my wish list is On Food and Cooking by Harold McGee.

Speaking of Mario, I got some inspiration from him last night and made some spaghetti. I scrambled an egg and poured it into the hot pasta and put it back on the heat for a few seconds, sort of like a carbonara, and added half cup of fresh grated Reggiano and fresh basil. Darn good, and it only took about ten minutes. Fresh cilantro would probably work too.

The egg/bacon sauce thing is classic easy-carbonara. I own McGee's book, on the recommendation of Ruhlman. i also own most of Ruhlman's books: Soul of a Chef, Reach of a Chef, The Making of a Chef, and "Elements of Cooking." All great stuff. McGee's good if you're interested in the science behind cooling. Why emulsions work, how to save them if they blow up, etc.

Bourdain's books are amusing for a look into the gnarly inner-workings of a kitchen.

[[AK]The Beast]

These give you poopy cancer....

Or at least that's what the experts say this week. Today's health hazard is tomorrow's superfood, so it seems.

[[AK]Brorlis]

These give you poopy cancer....

Or at least that's what the experts say this week. Today's health hazard is tomorrow's superfood, so it seems.

Thanks Beast! .......

Between the Cigs, the boose, and now the Boudin, I'm screwed!

[[AK]The Beast]

Heh, that's me, a little ray of sunshine.

I'd rather live for 60 years than exist for 100 anyway.

[[AK]Beaker]

Ok some books that I have read about cooking:

History of food books:
History of Food
A History of Cooks and Cooking
Food in History
American Appetite
The last days of Haute Cuisine

Cooking as a Science books:
What Einstein told his Cook
The Science of Cooking

I am particularly interested in the science of cooking sometimes referred to as Molecular Gastronomy and there are several really good authors on this. I forgot the name of the one that just went on my wish list he had a blurb in Nature a week ago and I haven't printed the article to add to my "to buy" list

I love the really old cookbooks.
I have Julia Childs The Art of French Cooking (which I HIGHLY reccomend) and I have the American Woman's cookbook from 1938. (Clay makes AMAZING!!!! oatmeal cookies from this book but they clog your arteries just looking at em).Also some interesting war time cooking recipes there.
I have a 1964 the Joy of Cooking as well
For reference I also have the Cordon Blu cookbook and a few other gourmet cookbooks about techniques that I use.

I am going to have to get technical soon and be like Squid and Bribo so I can post links to my creations.

Oh and Brorlis I LOVE BOUDAN! it is one of the things I miss living here in the great frozen north! It is a special treat

Beast as for the colon cancer thing just get screened regularly when you get to "the age" by the time we are there (well everyone but Rocks) my hope is it will be swallowing a pill and having a camera go through.

[[AK]Sonic Boom]

You can always go for the granddaddy that started them all:

Escoffier: The Complete Guide to the Art of Modern Cookery

[[AK]Squidly]

You can always go for the granddaddy that started them all:

Escoffier: The Complete Guide to the Art of Modern Cookery

Own it. It's an interesting book to look at, but very dated and difficult to cook from.

Tonight I made another Batali recipe, Pork Chops "in the Style of Beneventana." The pictures are on my camera...

[[AK]Beaker]

It is on my list when I go to used book stores.

We should have a challenge when Clay gets back and have a non cooker give us an ingredient to play with.

Clay sometimes thaws strange things to challenge me.

Just as long as Abaddon doesn't choose it!

[[AK]Sonic Boom]

Own it. It's an interesting book to look at, but very dated and difficult to cook from.

Okay, I think we've fairly well established that you need to get your ass out to Seattle for a Seahawks game, again.

Remember, I live 300 feet from the Pike Place Market and can see the stadium twelve blocks down the road. Plenty of things to cook and eat, besides the opposing team.

[[AK]Squidly]

Okay, I think we've fairly well established that you need to get your ass out to Seattle for a Seahawks game, again.

Remember, I live 300 feet from the Pike Place Market and can see the stadium twelve blocks down the road. Plenty of things to cook and eat, besides the opposing team.

Hopefully soon... we love it out there.

[[AK]Mydrial]

Anyone got a good recipe for a nice fish entree' that can be cooked on the grill preferably for the summer grilling months? Spicier the better....lol.

My cardiologist is a real $#%& and giving me crap for my dietary habits.....I need to throw fish in their a little more often....but I hate preparing it the same way all the time in the broiler or baked.

Ideas?....Since this seems to be a popular hobby with some of you :P

[[AK]Hylander]

My cardiologist is a real $#%& and giving me crap for my dietary habits.....I need to throw fish in their a little more often....but I hate preparing it the same way all the time in the broiler or baked.

Ideas?....Since this seems to be a popular hobby with some of you :P

I hear that. My Doc is always telling me the same thing but the problem is I don't like much seafood - particularly that which doesn't involve tempura batter or being fried. I resorted to Omega-3 tablets, etc but man, talk about gastro feedback.

I've tried grilled/smoked salmon and tuna steaks and I can't stand either - although tuna salad I like. My wife isn't a huge seafood person either, but she loves crabcakes - which again, I'm OK with but don't really like a whole lot.

Basically, I'm looking for a fish that when grilled tastes like a 16oz NY Strip.

[[AK]Beaker]

Mydrial,
I love fish so I have tons I'm at work so I'll just give you the down and dirty ones here that don't take any sort of recipe.

1) BBQ Salmon - Take one salmon steak pour a generous portion of A1 thick and hearty or spicy steak sauce over it. Nuke the sucker for 3 to 5 minutes till it's flakey and done. Add more steak sauce if you want.
2) Spicy fish- Take a baggie add about 1/4 cup flour and Tony Chacheries seasoning (I add till the flour is pink (start with a teaspoon and then build up would be my best guess) but depends on your spicy tolerance) take a small filet or 4 like perch or orange roughy or tilapia place in baggie. Shake take it out and put them in a nonstick pan heated with either cooking spray or a tiny bit of olive oil and cook on both sides probably a few minutes on each side.
3) Tuna- Grill this with salt and pepper (white pepper is good here but black or red works too) top with fresh fruit salsa like mango/habinero or peach/jalepeno or really good pico if you aren't the fruity type. These fru-fru salsa's can be made or purchased at the grocery store and come in a variety of heats. Can also do this as a tuna taco with a tortilla and salsa and such.
4) Tuna, Salmon, or Shark are all quite good in a balsamic marinade and thrown on the grill then put it in a salad with artichoke hearts and such with more balsamic on it!
5) BBQ Shark (Tuna or Salmon) - Shark with A-1 or other steak sauce on it and the grill
6) Grilled trout- Get the seafood shop to dehead and gut a fresh trout stuff the inside with orange slices (round ones not sections) (or lemon or lime) add your favorite fresh herbs like chives or tarragon or rosemary or basil) place the fishy in a basket and grill the puppy. The skin will be slighty crunchy and bubbly on the outside and the flesh with the fresh citrus herb infusion is heavenly.
7) Sushi! one of my favorites but to be honest I go out for it unless I have watched the fish being caught !
Fish tastes like fish I'm sorry I can't magic it into a steak
However the preditor fish have a more meaty taste. I would suggest you try shark Highlander and cook it sorta like a steak. It won't be "the same" but it certainly isn't delicate like trout.