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2006-09-28 -Short Attention Span Theater-

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Posted by Zenster 2006-09-28 07:58|| || Front Page|| [3 views since 2007-05-07] Top

#1 The Active Index to Rantburg Recipes - 09-28-06

A Rantburg Ramadan

OP:
Barbecued Pork Ribs
Authentic Memphis Style Ribs
Submitted by Zenster

Post # 1:
Memphis Style Dry Rub
Herb and Spice Barbecue Seasoning
Submitted by Zenster

Post # 2:
Charlotte Russe
Easy Cream Torte
Submitted by trailing wife

Recipe Note:
Charlotte Russe is a dessert invented by the French chef Marie Antoine Carême (1784-1833), who named it in honor of his Russian employer Czar Alexander I. It is a cold dessert of bavarian cream set in a mold lined with ladyfingers. [1] One etymology of the word charlotte suggests it is a corruption of the Old English word charlyt meaning "a dish of custard." There is a lot of doubt surrounding the origins of the name "charlotte." Meat dishes that were known as charlets were popular in the 15th century. Other historians say that this sweet dish took its name from Queen Charlotte (1744-1818), wife of George III. [2]

Post # 7:
Anyone-can-make-it Apple Pie
Baked Fruit Tart
Submitted by lotp

Post # 8:
Darrells Easy Bake Dinner
Pork Tenderloin with Sauerkraut and New Potatoes
Submitted by Darrell

Post # 33:
Temperature correction for Darrells Easy Bake Dinner

Post # 35:
Carolina Style Barbecue Sauce
No Tomato Sauce for Barbecue
Submitted by Zenster

A Rantburg Ramadan Part II

Post # 1:
Carnitas
Mexican Style Seared Pork
Submitted by Zenster

Post # 3:
Hearty Ramadan Breakfast
Bacon & Eggs on Curried Flatbread
Submitted by phil_b

Recipe Note:
Parathas, roti and chapatis are all variations on a single traditional Indian flatbread recipe. Made from flour, water and ghee or oil, they are the soul of simplicity. The secret to making the very lightest breads happens during their cooking. As they toast on the griddle, they will begin to bubble up inside. Quickly press down on the center of this bubble to reconnect the dough and force other areas of the bread to begin expanding. This ensures a light and airy final product. Look for parathas, roti or chapatis at your local Indian food center. They are usually available in regular and whole-wheat versions. In Punjabi cuisine parathas can contain any of a wide variety of fillings baked inside the bread.

Post # 4:
Porc Cote d'Azur a la JFM
Wine Stewed Loin of Pork
Submitted by JFM

Post # 5:
Translation notes for Porc Cote d'Azur a la JFM
Submitted by trailing wife

Post # 8:
Best Chocolate Cake
Cake or Cupcake Dessert
Submitted by lotp

Chocolate Butter Frosting
Chocolate Buttercream Icing
Submitted by lotp

Post # 10:
Salsa Casera
Homestyle Mexican Picante Sauce
Submitted by Zenster

Posted by Zenster">Zenster 2006-09-28 08:15|| 2006-09-28 08:15|| Front Page Top

#2 Here's a quick-n-tasty Ramadan appetizer, perfect for iftar:

Your choice of crostini, flatbread, Ritz crackers, etc.

Prosciutto

Parmesan cheese shavings

Fig preserves

Basil leaf

Assemble in whichever quantity you desire. Yum!

Posted by Seafarious">Seafarious 2006-09-28 08:40|| 2006-09-28 08:40|| Front Page Top

#3 that sounds yummy. First time I ever heard of fig "preserves" though.

Posted by anon 2006-09-28 08:51|| 2006-09-28 08:51|| Front Page Top

#4 Fig Jam

Fig Preserves

Posted by Seafarious">Seafarious 2006-09-28 09:06|| 2006-09-28 09:06|| Front Page Top

#5 I'm going to type this recipe into the weight watcher's recipe calculator and see how it comes out. Sounds good.

Posted by Rob Crawford">Rob Crawford 2006-09-28 09:37|| http://www.kloognome.com/]">[http://www.kloognome.com/] 2006-09-28 09:37|| Front Page Top

#6 Please post your findings, RC. I'd love to know!

Posted by Seafarious">Seafarious 2006-09-28 09:54|| 2006-09-28 09:54|| Front Page Top

#7 These look too good not to try. Thanks.

Posted by anon 2006-09-28 10:20|| 2006-09-28 10:20|| Front Page Top

#8 Heh.

It came out to 15 points a serving. No wonder it sounds good. For reference, each point is roughly 50 calories. I currently get 26 a day.

Must be the pork. Nothing else in it is very high in fat or calories.

Posted by Rob Crawford">Rob Crawford 2006-09-28 11:44|| http://www.kloognome.com/]">[http://www.kloognome.com/] 2006-09-28 11:44|| Front Page Top

#9 1300 calories per day! Do you do exercise also? What is the maintenance plan?

Posted by Nimble Spemble 2006-09-28 11:52|| 2006-09-28 11:52|| Front Page Top

#10 I can still give a recipe, though:

o Thick cut pork chops, as many as you want.
o A Weber "mini" grill; their smallest kettle grill
o Charcoal
o Lots of hickory chips, soaked

Start the coals, add enough hickory to get a really thick plume of smoke. Put the chops on the grill. You don't want the grill too hot; the chops have to have time to take on the smoke flavor.

Did this about five years ago and I can still taste them. It was like eating the best, meatiest bacon in the world.

Posted by Rob Crawford">Rob Crawford 2006-09-28 11:55|| http://www.kloognome.com/]">[http://www.kloognome.com/] 2006-09-28 11:55|| Front Page Top

#11 1300 calories per day! Do you do exercise also? What is the maintenance plan?

Right now I'm not doing much in the way of organized exercise. I've been getting more active (stairs at work; coming up with excuses to head up and down the stairs at home more than I need to), and am going to try doing some "real" exercise program soon. Exercising "earns" you points, so you get to eat more if you're more active.

Once you hit your goal weight, you get an extra few points a week, until your weight stabilizes. Then you have to stay within a 10lb range.

Posted by Rob Crawford">Rob Crawford 2006-09-28 12:01|| http://www.kloognome.com/]">[http://www.kloognome.com/] 2006-09-28 12:01|| Front Page Top

#12 For those of you who are interested in trying Seafarious's recipe, I strongly urge you to look for the San Danielle brand of prosciutto. I sampled it at this year's Fancy Food Show and it was, quite simply, the finest I've ever had in my entire life. The balance of moisture and salt was absolutely perfect and the meat was so tender that the overall result was like velvet. This is a product that is well worth looking for. I cannot recommend it strongly enough.

Most Americans who have had Italian prosciutto will have tasted Prosciutto de Parma. While domestic producers are finally coming on line, the imported product is usually superior. Parma is also famed for the manufacture and aging of Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese. The legendary silkiness of Prosciutto de Parma is attributed to the fact that this region's hogs are fed whey left over from the cheese-making process. The recipe for making prosciutto dates back to ancient Rome and is thousands of years old. Try it draped over chilled slices of cantaloupe or spiraled with sliced mozzarella cheese and cut into coins. But be sure to taste a paper-thin slice of it all by itself. And for goodness sake, please do not remove the fat from it. This is where over half the flavor resides.

Special Note: For all of you food and cooking enthusiasts out there, please consider attending the Fancy Foods show mentioned above. It is held in San Francisco, Chicago and New York during each given year and is the showcase for new and exciting foods and products from around the culinary world. By registering early you can avoid the full admission price of $60.⁰⁰ and pay only $30.⁰⁰ instead. This is huge bargain for the opportunity to taste some of the worlds finest foods. At the last show there were representatives sampling Cornish blue cheeses from Britain that were light-years beyond most of the blues Ive ever had. The year before featured a balsamic vinegar sampling bar, complete with tasting notes as they set out four year-old to forty year-old vinegars. One company features organic vodkas and gins that are unrivalled for smoothness. I could go on for hours.

Heres a word of advice if you want to attend the show. The first time I went, I avoided eating breakfast in order to retain capacity for what I was about to encounter. Within forty-five minutes I was reduced to avoiding all hard cheeses and chocolates just so I could continue tasting the soft cheeses, meats and other innovative foods. This year, I did not eat dinner the night before and managed to keep going for almost two hours before tasting fatigue set in. Even if you show up when the doors open, you will be hard pressed to tour all of the booths in a single day. Try and reserve two days in order to appreciate the entire show. Be sure to park nearby as they only allow you to take a single bag out of the event. As your bag fills with taste treats youll need to stash them in your car. Technically, no samples may be removed from the show, but a topside camouflage layer of manufacturers literature will see you trotting off with endless goodies for all the folks at home. I ended up with two sacks brimful of loot this year.

Posted by Zenster">Zenster 2006-09-28 15:00|| 2006-09-28 15:00|| Front Page Top

#13 Anybody have any bachelor friendly pork recipes? Spending the weekend cooking like a Frenchman will seriously infringe upon my bender.

Posted by Mike N. 2006-09-28 15:16|| 2006-09-28 15:16|| Front Page Top

#14 Introducing: The Schmitter.

Posted by Seafarious">Seafarious 2006-09-28 15:37|| 2006-09-28 15:37|| Front Page Top

#15 Mike N -- here you go, a complete Ramadan dinner with directions:

Easy pork recipe? How about an easy dinner to go with it? Here you go

Roast pork tenderloin with Raspberry Chipotle Sauce
Fluffy rice
Brocolli with garlic and curry

Hormel sales whole pork tenderloins. They are usually packaged in pairs. Each is about 1½ - 2 inches thick. Most grocery stores have them.

The next thing you need is a Roasted Raspberry Chipotle Sauce. Lots of brands, but by far, the best is from Fischer & Wieser from Fredericksburg, Texas. (Its sold nationally, even on Amazon)

Preheat oven to temperature 325 degrees. While preheating, baste pork roast lightly with a good virgin olive oil and some salt and pepper. Line a shallow roasting pan (any pan, really, that will go into the oven) with foil (easier to clean, dont you know?).

Place the roast(s) in the pan and pop it into the oven. These small, tender roasts only need to cook about 25 30 minutes. I usually just cook these about 30 minutes cause they are so small, and thats enough time. You dont want the pork over done.

During the last 5 10 minutes of cooking, baste with the Raspberry Chipotle Sauce.

When done, let stand a few minutes, to absorb the moisture. Slice into medallions about ½ inches thick. Serve on plates, swirling additional Raspberry Chipotle Sauce on top and around the pork medallions. Serve extra sauce, if you like.

Your vegetable to continue our easy to do Ramadan dinner:
This is good with a good jasmine rice (any rice will do), and some green vegetable (cant get easier then a frozen one). I really like broccoli with this.

Broccoli is good and easy. Cook frozen broccoli to package directions (use the flowerets ones, they are better) or steam fresh brocdoli. Melt together a little butter, minced garlic (you can use the kind in a jar!) lemon juice and some curry powder in the microwave (20 seconds) and stir well. When broccoli is done, drain any water, then salt and pepper, and stir in the butter mixture.

2 TBspoons butter
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1/8 to ¼ curry powder (you know your taste)

Cooking rice never fail method for fluffy rice.

If you like, sauté some chopped onions in 2-3 TBspoons butter. When kinda translucent, add one cup of rice, then kinda stir it some, mixing the rice and onions. (Onions are optional) Add salt and pepper to taste.

To 1 and ¾ cups of water, add about teaspoon of olive oil and a teaspoon of vinegar. Campaign vinegar is good, if you happen to have it handy. (Thats the one I usually use in all recipes that call for vinegar.) However, any vinegar you have will do.

I sometimes add mushrooms or thinly sliced almonds or both. Or they can be added to left over rice for the next meal!

Add water mixture to rice, bring to a boil, stirring sometimes, then cover pot so there is a good seal, turn heat to just below medium and cook about 18 minutes. Remove from heat.

Now, heres the trick to the fluffy rice. Remove the lid and lay a dishcloth (thin is better) covering the pot, and return lid to create a good seal. The rice will just sit there, till you are ready to serve. And voila fluffy rice! The dishcloth absorbs the extra moisture, and the rice doesnt stick together.

And the little extra Raspberry Chipotle Sauce, kinda gets mixed up with the rice while eating, and you got some good eating.

Your simple Ramadan dinner?

Bake a pork roast
Cook some rice
Cook some broccoli

Thats it!
Order of battle:
Start cooking the onions and rice
Get pork tenderloin in oven
Cook the brocolli and melt the butter mixture

Oh, and a good pinot noir is always good with pork, and you can have that little smirk on your face as you drink some wine with your Ramadan dinner. Course, drinking it while cooking, only adds an extra delight to the Ramadan Dinner!

Posted by Sherry 2006-09-28 16:46|| 2006-09-28 16:46|| Front Page Top

#16 I might add -- some folks will want that pork tenderloin cooked 35 minutes.

Posted by Sherry 2006-09-28 16:50|| 2006-09-28 16:50|| Front Page Top

#17 Many thanks Sherry! I will make it this weekend. Does pork go with Single Malt?

Posted by Mike N. 2006-09-28 17:35|| 2006-09-28 17:35|| Front Page Top

#18 Mike -- anything goes with Single Malt!

Posted by Sherry">Sherry 2006-09-28 18:51|| 2006-09-28 18:51|| Front Page Top

#19 Mike -- anything goes with Single Malt!

You're my kinda gal!

Nice easy-fix recipe there, Sherry. I'm really glad you made sure to note how the pork tenderloin must rest for several minutes once it is taken off of the heat. This is essential when preparing all substantial cuts of meat, from thick chops on up.

During the cooking process, heat drives moisture out of the meat's tissue. Once you are done cooking, allowing the finished product to "rest" gives it a chance to reabsorb these released liquids. This improves the flavor, texture and ease of carving the main course. If any of you've ever tried to carve a turkey straight from the oven only to have it tear and shed under the knife, this is why.

A final bit of advice. Most of us here were raised with the admonition to always cook any cut of pork, even a chop, for at least twenty minutes. Such advice no longer applies. This precaution was meant to eliminate the trichinosis parasite. Improved ranching methods and enforced hygiene standards have eliminated almost entirely any danger of trichinosis from commercially produced pork. In the span of 1983 to 1989, there were a total of 30 cases reported in the United States. Compare that with some 400 documented cases in 1950 alone and you get an idea of the vast improvement that has taken place. Currently, the majority of trichinosis cases revolve around uninspected sources such as home raised hogs or game animals like wild boar or bear.

So, be sure to cook your pork to medium rare. A little pink in the very center means you will have flavorful, tender vittles that will be light years from the other ~~shoe leather~~ white meat we all used to eat.

As to that single malt, sinful as it sounds, try adding a wee shot to your raspberry chipotle sauce. Any good bourbon or whiskey will do. It adds a mellow slightly caramel sugar note to the whole magilla.

Posted by Zenster">Zenster 2006-09-28 22:10|| 2006-09-28 22:10|| Front Page Top

23:37 Zenster
23:32 JosephMendiola
23:29 gorb
23:23 Zenster
23:20 Mike
23:19 gorb
23:19 Zenster
23:17 DMFD
23:15 gorb
23:15 Mike
23:09 Zenster
23:03 Ol Dirty American
23:03 Zenster
23:00 Captain America
22:59 gorb
22:59 Zenster
22:59 Pappy
22:59 Classical_Liberal
22:55 gromgoru
22:54 Super Hose
22:50 gromgoru
22:49 Zenster
22:47 Frank G
22:46 gromgoru