Recent food experiments

[goldendesign]

Since Covid started we've expanded our repertoire of food we create from scratch. Many were much easier and cheaper than we had considered. 

We've done:

• Flat breads; pita, naan, and Bazlama
• Pickling; cabbage, pickles, jalapenos, carrots, beets and onions
• Hummus; this one is of course really simple but we found a process of doing it that I can promise is the best you've ever eaten. We've probably gone through about 10lbs of chickpeas in the last year alone.
• Falafel; again relatively easy but the recipe made it stand out so much we've made it part of our regular rotation
• Ahi Tuna; tacos, nachos, poke, and more
• Tartare's; beef (of course) and an absolute stunning winner lamb
• Shrimp and scallop wontons

There's more of course but this is the gist of some of the things we'd normally order from a restaurant on the justification that "we don't make that at home". Now we wonder why we eat out at all.

 

Have your cooking habits changed because of Covid? Did it improve or get worse?

[jsharr ★]

Nice.  Just shared the hummus video with my wife and a friend!  

My wife has just about perfected her sour cream chicken enchilada recipe.  Restuarant quality for sure!

 

[Razors Edge ★]

6 minutes ago, goldendesign said:

There's more of course but this is the gist of some of the things we'd normally order from a restaurant on the justification that "we don't make that at home". Now we wonder why we eat out at all.

This is the huge decider for us - can we make it at home, often better, for less money, and without the hassle of going out.

Very little is more disappointing (when eating out) than when you get something at the restaurant that you know you can make better  

[MickinMD ★]

For many of us, one of the few silver-linings of the pandemic isolation was increasing our cooking abilities and frequencies of home-cooked, healthier meals.

I was spurred along by starting to wear a Freestyle Libre instant blood glucose monitor were I could see what junk food did to type-II diabetic me.

For me, the biggest changes were a higher percentage of veggies and fruits, including a greater frequency of soups and stews.

For example, for years I had fondly remembered the elderly neighbor we kids all fondly called "Grandma Westgate," who would invite me to have dinner with her family every time she made "Mulligan Stew and Dumplings." She knew I loved it.

During the pandemic, I made it for the first time myself, and now I make 5-6 big bowls worth every so often and freeze 2 so I can still eat healthy on days I'm too tired to cook.

 

[Airehead]

I have always been a person who likes to cook but over the past year have really spent more time on breads and biscuits and large meals that I can freeze for eating at later times.  I find it comforting to know exactly what is in things.

[Airehead]

Do you make your own tahini or buy it.  I can never decide which store brands are best.  I just watched the video and plan to try this recipe soon.

[Razors Edge ★]

42 minutes ago, goldendesign said:

We've probably gone through about 10lbs of chickpeas in the last year alone.

Do you buy them dried?

We buy canned, and we probably use them once or twice a week for many other recipes (rarely hummus).  I love hummus, though, so might give that one a whirl. And I love fresh falafel, so what's your method for that one?

[goldendesign]

8 minutes ago, Airehead said:

Do you make your own tahini or buy it. 

We buy. Wife being Turkish, she has high standards. We buy this from a local Turkish/Arabic market:

Very clean and nice. About $4.00 for a 16 oz jar

3 minutes ago, Razors Edge said:

Do you buy them dried?

Yeah we buy dried. Canned works in a pinch. We soak them overnight in water with a tablespoon of baking soda. Then 5 mins in the pressure cooker, let the steam settle on its own, rinse and the shells come off themselves even easier than in the video.

We use them for other recipes too of course. Especially when doing pilav, we like to add a handful of cooked chickpeas to rice when it's about 10 minutes till finish

Oh and if you noticed we love Refika's Kitchen. She has a great English channel on Youtube and her Turkish Youtube has english subtitles as well. Like and Subscribe 

[Thaddeus Kosciuszko]

1 hour ago, goldendesign said:

Have your cooking habits changed because of Covid? Did it improve or get worse?

 

I've taught myself - after some trial and error - to make a passable bowl of instant oatmeal and to make hard boiled eggs! 

[ChrisL]

My cooking habits haven’t changed but I cook 5-6 nights a week anyway.  

What changed was our Friday night dinner out.  We still get food from a restaurant but we order it to go & eat at my daughters house.  It actually worked out better this way as we get more grand baby & grand dog time this way. 

 

[Prophet Zacharia]

24 minutes ago, Thaddeus Kosciuszko said:

 

I've taught myself - after some trial and error - to make a passable bowl of instant oatmeal and to make hard boiled eggs! 

I make coffee every morning.

[12string]

We really didn't change habits, we've always experimented.

Although one habit - being home, I always perc'd a large pot of coffee everyday.  Got everyone used to it, so now I have to make the coffee then leave it and make more for me when I get to work.

[groupw]

8 hours ago, Razors Edge said:

This is the huge decider for us - can we make it at home, often better, for less money, and without the hassle of going out.

Very little is more disappointing (when eating out) than when you get something at the restaurant that you know you can make better  

This is us. A couple restaurants we used to like because they tried different things have dumbed their menus down to burgers and pizzas- and nothing I can’t get better elsewhere or make myself. 

@chrisl mentioned doing takeout. We do that more than we used to, but there is something to be said for straight from the kitchen flavor and texture. Plus we have a few places where the staff have become genuine friends. Even if it’s a few minutes visiting once in a while it’s still great to see them in person. 

[Parsnip Totin Jack ★]

Zucchini stuffed with zucchini guts, onion, garlic, and celery seasoned with salt and pepper and a little thyme. Topped with panko and shredded Parmesan Reggiano. 

[Mr. Beanz]

My habits changed about 6 years ago. Rarely have I ever eaten fast foods. Still pretty rare. McDonald's Big Mac last week for the first time in like 5 years.

I prefer to cook at home, plenty of grilling. Just taste so much better than what we get at a restaurant. Steak at a restaurant, forget about it! Mexican food at a restaurant. OK but nothing special and not worth $15 for enchiladas ( 2 tortillas and some sauce) when we can make them at home.

I hate take out. Some places are good at the restaurant but when you get it at home, yuck! 

I'd rather make my own breakfast burritos too. 

Habits haven't really changed. Mostly at home and a restaurant once in a while to celebrate or when I take my Mom to her doc appointments.  But even then, I get a burger and a small cup of cole slaw. This place has good burgers because of their produce. The meat is OK but I dig the tomatoes and lettuce at this restaurant. So I'll eat there.

Just about everything at home so no, habits haven't changed with covid.