"Like to cook" - the second helping

[robkelk]

Something vegan: tofu stir-fry

[classicdrogn]

While hardly high cuisine, I recently gave a couple of Augason Farms' dry canned foods a try - the "black bean burger" mix is nothing anyone would mistake for real meat and the protein per total unit of measure is lower, but it's not terrible in its own right and if cubed after being fried lightly as a patty and mixed into pasta or casserole style dishes it serves tolerably well. I haven't tried that with a lasagna, but I would expect similar results. Customer reviews suggest it's a good filling material for wrap or pasta-pouch style dishes, particularly one that normally include beans like burritos and the like. Using it to stretch ground beef or pork up to about double also works tolerably well. Mixing it dry in equal measures with their "Creamy Potato Soup" mix and then hydrating to a medium-stiff dough consistency before microwaving it 5-10 minutes (or probably baking it but for longer) results in a pretty decent meatless-loaf, too. The spud soup is really quite good on its own, though I find it better with a bit more potato, usually by way of crushing some "kettle style" potato chips and tossing them in before adding boiling water as they're cheaper by the ounce than any brand of canned dehydrated potato slices, dices, or shreds I've yet found, and as long as you put the sealed bags in something decently durable and rodent-resistant they will last a good while in the emergency supplies corner of the pantry, if not the nominal 25-year shelf life of the actual canned goods. I haven't tried them, but I expect that the dried peas, diced carrots, or broccoli would also work well to fill out the soup if desired, as the "bread and roll mix" and/or "cheese sauce mix" for doing actual ersatz cheeseburgers from canned supplies.

As usual, "servings" according to the label seem to be under the assumption that it will be about a third to a quarter of what an actual adult will want for an actual meal, and in terms of size think of a typical anemic fast food burger for "one patty" from the black bean mix per instructions. Note that as it is indeed legume based it is likely to cause gas, though it also contains sufficient oats to keep the results dry for the most part. Supplement that with the digestive remedy of choice if you feel it to be wise.

Amazon US listings:
black beam burger mix
potato soup mix

If you prefer to avoid Amazon or are located outside the US and feel curious there should be plenty of information to search them up from those pages, though if there's a brick & mortar shop of the right sort you'd be looking in the cans there might be almost plain white labels with a thin green "waterline" pinstripe instead of the red lower half, as they seem to be going through a packaging change.

It's too early to tell exactly how bad things will get under Trump, but there's certain to be at least some significant price increases on farm produce like meats and vegetables usually handled by the migrant workers he want's to expel, so it can't hurt to lay in a supply of stuff that'll keep before that happens just in case the answer is worse than we'd like... and if nothing major comes of it, at least there's something novel to pop open and fry up while shrugging at the nothingburger party, rather than nothingburgers at the apocalypse party.

[robkelk]

I have reason to collect pastry recipes that use both cherries and cinnamon. This one looks good: Cherry Cinnamon Kolaches



Anybody know of any more?

[classicdrogn]

I strongly dislike cherries, so I can't help you there I'm afraid.

black beam burger mix

Addendum: I accidentally put some coffee creamer powder into the mug where I was getting the bean mix ready instead of the cocoa today, and it improved both flavour and texture like whoa. Still not on par with real meat, but far more durable, and looking it up after the fact I find mentions of using it as an outer layer on actual burger patties for the same result. Consider yourselves so advised.

[MilkmanConspiracy]

While hardly high cuisine, I recently gave a couple of Augason Farms' dry canned foods a try - the "black bean burger" mix is nothing anyone would mistake for real meat and the protein per total unit of measure is lower, but it's not terrible in its own right and if cubed after being fried lightly as a patty and mixed into pasta or casserole style dishes it serves tolerably well. I haven't tried that with a lasagna, but I would expect similar results. Customer reviews suggest it's a good filling material for wrap or pasta-pouch style dishes, particularly one that normally include beans like burritos and the like.  Using it to stretch ground beef or pork up to about double also works tolerably well. Mixing it dry in equal measures with their "Creamy Potato Soup" mix and then hydrating to a medium-stiff dough consistency before microwaving it 5-10 minutes (or probably baking it but for longer) results in a pretty decent meatless-loaf, too. The spud soup is really quite good on its own, though I find it better with a bit more potato, usually by way of crushing some "kettle style" potato chips and tossing them in before adding boiling water as they're cheaper by the ounce than any brand of canned dehydrated potato slices, dices, or shreds I've yet found, and as long as you put the sealed bags in something decently durable and rodent-resistant they will last a good while in the emergency supplies corner of the pantry, if not the nominal 25-year shelf life of the actual canned goods. I haven't tried them, but I expect that the dried peas, diced carrots, or broccoli would also work well to fill out the soup if desired, as the "bread and roll mix" and/or "cheese sauce mix" for doing actual ersatz cheeseburgers from canned supplies.

As usual, "servings" according to the label seem to be under the assumption that it will be about a third to a quarter of what an actual adult will want for an actual meal, and in terms of size think of a typical anemic fast food burger for "one patty" from the black bean mix per instructions. Note that as it is indeed legume based it is likely to cause gas, though it also contains sufficient oats to keep the results dry for the most part. Supplement that with the digestive remedy of choice if you feel it to be wise.

Amazon US listings:
black beam burger mix
potato soup mix

If you prefer to avoid Amazon or are located outside the US and feel curious there should be plenty of information to search them up from those pages, though if there's a brick & mortar shop of the right sort you'd be looking in the cans there might be almost plain white labels with a thin green "waterline" pinstripe instead of the red lower half, as they seem to be going through a packaging change.

It's too early to tell exactly how bad things will get under Trump, but there's certain to be at least some significant price increases on farm produce like meats and vegetables usually handled by the migrant workers he want's to expel, so it can't hurt to lay in a supply of stuff that'll keep before that happens just in case the answer is worse than we'd like... and if nothing major comes of it, at least there's something novel to pop open and fry up while shrugging at the nothingburger party, rather than nothingburgers at the apocalypse party.

You may consider supplementing your dry stores with falafel mix and nutritional yeast.  The Falafel mix you find at the store will not be as good as doing it from scratch, but can be ok for days where you don’t feel like doing the prep work.

This isn’t too helpful for a survival meal, but In a past life, I used to make falafel burgers for employee meal. Balled the falafel mix up, tossed them into the fryer, then smashed them into a patty when done. Topped with feta cheese, tzatziki sauce, sometimes the hummus, and cucumber. Maybe douse with hot sauce if I need to wake up. Grill the whole package in the pita for buns. It just occurred to me that vine leaf may be an interesting topping option. A coworker tried something similar with Kafta once I think, but Kafta is a pain to make.

A burger goes best with fries. Serve them hot with feta cheese, a herb like parsley, and a red wine vinaigrette for flavoring. For your fries to complement a black bean burger you might try it like they used to do in the basement of the Student Union at Kent State: Top em with Blue cheese, hot sauce, and bacon (optional, many omit the meat).

One of my pals worked at Boustan years ago when he was studying in Montreal. He had his own special way of making falafel at his house, good on its own. Mine were good on their own, but his were really good. I think he used something other than chickpea sometime. Will try to recall - Lentils? (Edit: It was lentils for the kind he made at home.)

Edit: Copyedit for clarity. Confirmed it was lentils

[classicdrogn]

Sounds like some interesting possibilites at least. The bean mix as a whole is at the level of an experimental incredient I'm testing with all the other combinations I have available at the moment, so worth giving various things a try. I've always found learning what ingredients work well together more useful than recipes per se, it's much easier to make something tasty with whatever you've got to hand that way.

[robkelk]

One-pan spatchcock chicken and rice



If you're in a hurry, this can be prepared in about an hour... but some steps that involve marinating are listed as being able to take longer.

[robkelk]

I went looking for photos of hummingbirds. I found a recipe for Hummingbird Cake.

Not made with real hummingbirds.

[classicdrogn]

How little do you have to do to something from a packet before it becomes "artisinal gourmet?" Not much if the number of times a family member asks for "my special hot chocolate" is anything to judge by. One packet of Swiss Miss, a fingernail-sized pile of ground cinnamon and Folger's instant coffee from their fars on the tip of a spoon, hot water from the kettle into a mug with about 1.5cm / 5/8" left at the top for milk after giving it a good stir, to bring it down to a non-searing temperature from just-came-off-the-boil from the electric kettle.

Admittedly, it does end up quite nice, but come on, really? This is not a Michelin Star original dish that only the creator can do justice to. It's not even frying some extra ground beef to add to your Spagheti-Os!

[robkelk]

Pretty Cake Machine -- Katharina McCawley appears to be a baker who creates recipes inspired by foods seen in various works. The blog has recipes inspired by dozens of various novels, games, live-action TV shows, and anime, along with handy tips (such as Bonus: In which Katharina learns that you should not set Pop Rocks on fire.

I found it while looking for Yumeiro Pâtissière recipes; hers is for episode 33's Strawberry Bavarois.

The blog hasn't been updated for a while, alas.

[robkelk]

Time marches on... At some point between 2018 and now, the creperie where Uiharu-san purchased her snack in Ah, Crepe was bought out and turned into a Japanese-style pancake stand that's part of a chain.

It's interesting: the US and UK locations in the chain are named "Fluffy Fluffy", but the original Canadian locations are named "Fuwa Fuwa". That says something about multiculturalism in Canada. (It also means we can make K-On! references if we patronize the place, assuming we ever advance the in-universe date to 2025.)

I had reason to visit that mall today, so I got a real-life afternoon snack.

One stack of three Japanese pancakes, with blueberry cheesecake topping. Served with lemon slices and a scoop of ice cream. Yes, those are from a normal-sized lemon:


  1 - the entire snack.jpg (Size: 85.94 KB / Downloads: 21)


Just the stack:


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After one bite sliced out of the stack:


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Compared to any North American pancake that I've ever had, these are much lighter, fluffier, and tastier. On the other hand, I paid more for the snack than I did for my lunch (an A&W burger, fries, and root beer)... but I got my money's worth. They were prepared only after I placed my order.

I did mention to the young lady behind the counter that I knew they were Japanese pancakes, but I resisted the urge to mention Hokago Tea Time... even with the shop's name practically inviting me to.


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