Eating challenge

[Oregon Native]

Since there are so many unique subjects on here I thought I would post a milestone of my own.  Since we lost our daughter I've had to learn to bake....not my favorite but I have been forced to eat healthier due to one of life's bumps.  Yesterday I made "spelt" bread which is what they call an ancient grain and supposably still has a lot of good things in it with a lot of good side benefits.  Also doesn't have such a high gluten content.  Well......I should of have baked it for a couple more minutes but the stuff is awesome.   Also didn't seem to raise the blood sugars much either.   Fingers crossed.  

Note:  I'm almost positive we don't have many bakers on here but it is winter and more time for odd topics.

Tight Lines all......after all some people like to carve (smile's).....I like to eat...but have many limitations.

[BrianinMD]

I think you may be surprised at the number of guys here that cook/bake, less and less guys are playing the weaker gender and not being able to feed themselves

[slonezp]

I don't bake but I have a good friend of mine that does. You wouldn't know it though. A U.S. Marine with 3 tours in Iraq. He saw a lot of firefight. A self proclaimed gun nut. Mechanic by trade. We call him Corporal Cupcake. I'm convinced he could make a great living selling his cupcakes.  But he wants nothing to do with it. I think he does it more for mental therapy than anything else. He just caught the fishing bug last year at 40 years old which also seems to help with the PTSD

 

Me, I like to cook meat, make jerky etc.

[nick76]

I love to cook and bake, but I don't get to do it as much.  My time is split between too many various activities and my wife hates it when I make a mess in the kitchen.  She can dirty that place all day and I don't ever complain when I am cleaning it up, but let me make a mess and the world is coming to an end.  So I have assumed my role as dishwasher.

[Darren.]

I don't do much of any cooking save breakfast fare...

My wife is a phenomenal cook though. And even tho

I have 4 sons, I'm the designated dishwasher like 

@nick76...

[samwise2u]

I grill all sorts of meat and bake Oatmeal Raisin cookies. Makes my pants shrink.

[lonnie g]

2 hours ago, slonezp said:

I don't bake but I have a good friend of mine that does. You wouldn't know it though. A U.S. Marine with 3 tours in Iraq. He saw a lot of firefight. A self proclaimed gun nut. Mechanic by trade. We call him Corporal Cupcake. I'm convinced he could make a great living selling his cupcakes.  But he wants nothing to do with it. I think he does it more for mental therapy than anything else. He just caught the fishing bug last year at 40 years old which also seems to help with the PTSD

 

Me, I like to cook meat, make jerky etc.

hey you can bake fish too!!  I'm all over the meat and jerky, plus you can throw in some deer salomi. got to bake it too. cudoos and thanks to your friend.

[Burtonxj]

Lost my parents in September..it's been a lot of take out and easy mac recently..mom was an awesome cook. 

 

Picked up a few cook books and a crock pot. Looking forward to trying some stuff out! Still not big on grocery shopping..

[BrianinMD]

Sorry for your loss Burtonxj

 

Crockpots are your friend, you can do a lot of things with them and makes it easier to have decent dinners for after work.

 

I hate grocery shopping

[Burtonxj]

Like the idea of throwing stuff in it that morning and having something good to eat when I get off of work. 

 

Nothing beats a good pot roast.

[Way2slow]

I've always like to cook gourmet type meals, more so in the Italian dishes than anything else.  Living in Italy for six years back in the 70's and 80s, I feel in love with their cooking. 

I also do a pretty mean pizza and some excellent breads from there.  I've finally decided to build me a 4' brick outside oven to cook pizza's and breads.  I wanted to build it so the opening was in the house, but that required some work that my wife was totally against, so it will be outside.

 

I really like to bake a lot of unique style breads.  A couple of my favorites are Peter Reinhart's, Stolen, (I do a lot of his recipes) and some authentic Panettone's and Pandoro's, these take about a week but there is nothing better with a good cup of coffee early in the mornings.  Most of what I do is too advanced for the average cook. 

 

I also bake some pretty wicked cakes and pastries.

 

Being raised a country boy in the south, I also do one hellava barbequed pig. 

 

One thing I will mention, if you really want to get into baking excellent, healthy breads, look into getting you a grain mill, buy whole wheat berries and grind your own as you need it. I usually buy 40/50 pounds at the time.   They are seasonal and you have to learn which to buy when and where.  You need the soft wheat for pastries and lighter breads and hard wheat for wheat breads.  The whole wheat berry will keep for years and grinding your own, you get the wheat germ and no preservatives.  Something that's not possible to get in bought flour.  You can not even imagine the difference in taste of the fresh ground wheat versus the stuff you buy off the shelf.  The first time you bite into a piece of wheat bread that doesn't have that bitter/funky taste the store bought stuff has, you will be hooked.

 

Also, if you happen to make cornbread, grinding you own corn for the corn meal, there is no comparison.

[lo n slo]

i love cornbread

[tander]

Don't do a lot of cooking and no baking but I sure love to eat which I why I am always on a diet. About the only thing I cook is something on the grill and I fix breakfast every morning, eggs, grits , bacon.

[.ghoti.]

I like to cook, and do most of the cooing at our house. Almost all, now that I have become semi-retired. Most of what I cook comes out OK.

 

Baking is something I've just started getting into.

[Bluebasser86]

I cook almost all the meals in our house. My wife cooks desserts and that's about it. I really enjoy cooking, especially for other people.

[A-Jay]

1 hour ago, Bluebasser86 said:

I cook almost all the meals in our house. My wife cooks desserts and that's about it. I really enjoy cooking, especially for other people.

 

Me Too - But I cook mainly in Self-Defense  ..  ..  ..  ..

A-Jay

[Way2slow]

My wife used to be a great cook and came from an old southern family of great cooks but she has gotten very lazy in her senior years when it comes to cooking.  She doesn't put a whole lot of effort into most every day meals, just so it's quick and easy, and can be baked in the oven.  Then it's big enough to make sure there is enough for at least a couple of meals.  Who ever invented the casserole should be shot.

Now, Thanksgiving and Christmas dinner are still a traditional southern spreads of delicious food and plenty of it, but those only come once a year.

That's why I do a lot of cooking and tend to cook more of the gourmet meals, making my own fresh pasta's, sauces, yeast roles etc and try doing things to enhance the flavors of the foods I'm cooking.  I like to use a lot of the European cheeses and meats.  It's hard to beat a good cordon bleu, with a good Prosciutto, and one of the French cheeses in it.

[Sam]

I make a mean chocolate cake from scratch. And you should see me beat up some instant chocolate pudding.

 

I cook Louisiana style. Usually make my fantastic seafood gumbo (shrimp, crab meat, lots of bay leaf) for the Super Bowl but just not into it now. Maybe later for our LSU gumbo party this month.

 

I follow Chefs Prudhomme's and Folse's recipes and the food is outstanding.

 

Have made this cake before and it is a Louisiana favorite. Catt knows what it is.

 

 

 

 

 

[Oregon Native]

12 hours ago, Way2slow said:

I've always like to cook gourmet type meals, more so in the Italian dishes than anything else.  Living in Italy for six years back in the 70's and 80s, I feel in love with their cooking. 

I also do a pretty mean pizza and some excellent breads from there.  I've finally decided to build me a 4' brick outside oven to cook pizza's and breads.  I wanted to build it so the opening was in the house, but that required some work that my wife was totally against, so it will be outside.

 

I really like to bake a lot of unique style breads.  A couple of my favorites are Peter Reinhart's, Stolen, (I do a lot of his recipes) and some authentic Panettone's and Pandoro's, these take about a week but there is nothing better with a good cup of coffee early in the mornings.  Most of what I do is too advanced for the average cook. 

 

I also bake some pretty wicked cakes and pastries.

 

Being raised a country boy in the south, I also do one hellava barbequed pig. 

 

One thing I will mention, if you really want to get into baking excellent, healthy breads, look into getting you a grain mill, buy whole wheat berries and grind your own as you need it. I usually buy 40/50 pounds at the time.   They are seasonal and you have to learn which to buy when and where.  You need the soft wheat for pastries and lighter breads and hard wheat for wheat breads.  The whole wheat berry will keep for years and grinding your own, you get the wheat germ and no preservatives.  Something that's not possible to get in bought flour.  You can not even imagine the difference in taste of the fresh ground wheat versus the stuff you buy off the shelf.  The first time you bite into a piece of wheat bread that doesn't have that bitter/funky taste the store bought stuff has, you will be hooked.

 

Also, if you happen to make cornbread, grinding you own corn for the corn meal, there is no comparison.

Wow...I am so out of your league.....will stick with the store bought spelt for awhile as it hasn't been GMO'd so bad.  Thanks

[Burtonxj]

3 hours ago, Sam said:

I make a mean chocolate cake from scratch. And you should see me beat up some instant chocolate pudding.

 

I cook Louisiana style. Usually make my fantastic seafood gumbo (shrimp, crab meat, lots of bay leaf) for the Super Bowl but just not into it now. Maybe later for our LSU gumbo party this month.

 

I follow Chefs Prudhomme's and Folse's recipes and the food is outstanding.

 

Have made this cake before and it is a Louisiana favorite. Catt knows what it is.

 

 

 

 

 

Looks like a Smith Island cake..minus a few layers.

[Way2slow]

If you like to cook cakes and like a good coconut cake, check out Alton Brown's coconut cake recipe.  That is absolutely the best one I've found other than one thing, he puts way too much sugar in the cake mix for my likings so I leave out one cup.  Also watch his video and pay attention to the bowl and boiler he is using to make the icing.  Those are critical in making a good, seven minute icing turn out every time.  My wife has cursed seven minute icing for years but she keeps on insisting on making it in a double boiler and it don't work most times.  The large stainless bowl over the 8 quart boiler lets it turn out right every time.  I also make his coconut cream, milk and extract.  Those can't be bought around my neck of the woods.   

[lo n slo]

my thing is grilling and smoking, chicken and pork mainly. like some of you guys, i do alot of the daily meal prep too. my wife was still wet behind the ears when we married so it just kinda happened. fast forward 33 years and she has come a long way. but we have both settled into our individual roles in this life as a team. 

[Sittin there reelin em in]

I like to grill pork chops or steaks and make mashed potatoes and gravy for the side.

[N Florida Mike]

I cook if I get hungry enough.

I catch ,grow ,or shoot it ,then clean it.I let someone else cook it and I eat it.I figure 3 out of 4  aint bad.!

[Oregon Native]

I made date squares yesterday out of spelt flour....WRONG....also had pasta for dinner.  Can't eat much do to the pancreas thing but.....@#!$ dang....blood sugars out of town this morning.  Seems like in evening if it doesn't move I eat it....all day long I do pretty good.  Also made a another loaf of spelt bread....almost half the size of the first one.   Back to the drawing board I guess.

Going to make a sandwhich with it anyway and its off to the lake.

Tight Lines