# Food



## Spooky Chuck (Jun 14, 2003)

I think it would be fun to talk about food. It doesn't need to be Halloween, or party related. Just food and recipes in general. Maybe this should be in the off topic section. Sorry if I'm off base. Let's talk about food! I have a really good chilli recipe if anyone is interested!


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## Annea (Aug 14, 2004)

Hi Spooky Chuck, I am always interested in a good chili recipe, bring it on!


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## littlespook (Aug 11, 2003)

I always love talking about food! I like to try different holiday theme food, 4th of july is coming so its fun to look up outdoorsy foods. Its funny because I was looking thru my Halloween recipes yesterday, Im hoping to find some new recipes in here! I already have a pretty good chili recipe, but tell us yours!

littlespoook


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## CreepyKitty (Jul 19, 2004)

I am a cooker by nature. Always love any kind of recipies! I am always looking to cook different and better things.


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## peeweepinson (Aug 18, 2003)

I would enjoy this, I love to cook for my family and would love to have your chili recipe!


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## duke10311 (Sep 28, 2004)

Being a chef for over 20 years, and owning and operating a catering business, I have millions (Literally) of recipes. LOL And no, I haven't tried all of them yet. I share some of my recipes for Halloween in the Goulish Gormet thread. I would be glad to share tips and recipes for normal food as well. And now I am recovering from an accident, so time is not really a problem. Annea, I will be sending you the recipe for the white chocolate raspberry cheesecake in the morning's email...enjoy! Ask what you will, I will try to help...


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## frizzen (Sep 9, 2004)

Let's hear the Chilli recipie. No pasta in chilli, or pasta in chilli? I'm definately NO PASTA.


Ya know those little cookbook 1/2 height magazine things you sometimes find near the checkout at grocery stores? I got the "Halloween Foods" one last year for fun, then several months later saw one that was straight foods which was a LOT scarier than anything in the other!


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## sisvicki (Jan 30, 2004)

Yep, I'm all about food, of any kind! (and my butt proves it - hee)

Hey, Duke, what do you have in the line of Luau recipes? My son wants a pig roast for his graduation party (not until June '06) and I'm thinking about planning a Luau theme. If I get a jump start on planning, I can purchase alot of decorations this fall cheap.


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## duke10311 (Sep 28, 2004)

yes I can help you with the luau. I did one last summer for 280 ppl. the menu consisted of


Hawaiian Pulled Pork w/ Pineapple BBQ Sauce
Sliced Hawaiian Teryaki Beef
Spicy Volcano Chicken
Green Beans Almondine
Herb Oven Roasted Potatoes
Fresh Fruit Salad
Fresh tossed Salad Greens with Mandarin Oranges & Shrimp
Selections of Salad Dressings including Our Own Pina' Colada Dressing
Coconut Dream Cake
Dessert Crepes' with Raspberry sauce
Rolls & Butter
Coffee and Tea Service

The year before lastI had been in Maui and attened 2 authentic Luaus. I chatted with the chefs, got some recipes, and adapted them as in most cases you cant dig a fire pit and put the hole hog in the ground, covered in banana and palm leaves, the cover it up with dirt and serve it in some ones back yard. LOL You will notice changes include substituting a greens salad instead of the smoked salmon with roe and caviar salad, and the oven potatoes instead of the blue or purple potatoes available in the islands. And since poi is a aquired taste, most folks dont like it, it is missing. However I can provide the recipes for this menu, just let me know what you are interested in.....


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## sisvicki (Jan 30, 2004)

Duke, those sound perfect. 

I know I'm having Roast Pig but We're not digging a hole! Various businesses have actual Pig Roasters, kinda like a large grill, that we can probably borrow. Have you ever done one of those? If a whole hog is too expensive or we can't get a Pig Roaster, I'll just get some ham's and do them in the oven with a glaze.

I'd be interested in the Volcano chicken the tossed Salad greens with oranges & shrimp and the Pina' Colada Dressing. 

I'm also wondering how you do the Herb Roasted Potatoes. I've done them before myself, but I didn't consider my recipe to be very Luau like. How do Islanders do their potatoes? I bet I could get blue or purple potatoes by ordering them and it'd be kinda neat.

Oh! and the coconut dream cake, too, please.

Have you ever done summer slush? I'd like to make a batch of that for the kids.


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## duke10311 (Sep 28, 2004)

Hey Sis,
The only problem I have with the pig roasters is there has to be someone there the whole time. Yes you can do it, but it helps if someone has had experience with this. Then you have to cut up the pig, and the skin does get tough and crisp. I do this a lot, so I am used to it. Another option is to see if someone in the area can roast the pig for you and then deliver it to you. In this case, I sometimes work with a butcher who will do this . I build an above ground pit. I take concrete blocks and make the base for the pit. This is very easy to do. I'll send you a diagram via email. The idea is to add a grate to the top and using wood or charcoal keep the pig warm as your chef cuts the pig up and serves it. Since the pit sits on dirt, there is not a whole of cleanup problems. And there is another option, the one I used for 280 people. You can purchase pork butts or pork shoulders( Walmart has them usually between 99 cents and 1.29 cents a pound) and slow cook them. Let me expalin, if you are not working with large numbers like I do, where I use a food purveryor like Sysco, or U.S. Foods, where you buy 600 bucks worth of meat and food products at a pop, I search out where you can go and get it very reasonable, and for smaller crowds. 
The pork butts are slow cooked in your oven over night. Depending on how many people are going to be at the party will determine how much you prepare. The pulled pork is actualy very simple.


this is based on 2 pork butts

2 Pork Butts or Shoulders (5 to 9 lb avg, each)
1 lb carrots
1 pkg celery
2 large onions
2 lbs brown sugar
salt, pepper, garlic powder, water

1. Pre-heat oven to 200 degrees
2. Place the pork butts on a clean cutting board.
3. Season the pork on all sides with the salt, pepper and garlic. Dont trim any of the fat
off of the butts.
4. In a large roasting pan, add 2 inces of water. Cut the celery and carrots into 3 or 4 inch
pieces and place in the bottom of the pan. You don't need to trim the tops off.
5. Remove the root end of the onions, and quarter them. Add them to the pan spreading 
them around evenly.
6. Place the pork butts fat side up on the veggies..(ok the fancy name for the veggies is
called your "mire poix" ) The veggies not only season the water but keep the pork 
mostly out of the liquid that will become a stock. 
7. Add more salt and pepper at this time on the top of the butts.(fat side up) Then 
sprinkle the brown sugar over the top as well. Cover the roasting pan with foil forming 
tent, then Place in the oven.

These butts will slow cook over night for 8 to 10 hrs. You can baste them from about 7 hrs into the process. I prefer to remove the foil for the last hour and a half, so it will brown a little. Why the slow cook? Here is why. When you remove the pork, and place one on a cutting board, the fatt cap will slide right off the roast. Throw that away, take 2 serving forks, and you will be able to run them across the pork and it will shred and fall apart. It will also fall off the bone. The meat will be tender and moist. You can actually cool and freeze this ahead of time if you wish . Yes it takes time, but the end result is so worth it. 

As far as the bbq sauce, would you like my homemade version, or for a less labor intense version? The less labor intense one is simply this, buy a good quality bbq sauce. One that you like of course. Put it in a large pan and add crushed pinapple and the juice to it.
A touch of salt and pepper then you let it simmer, stirring often, about 10 to 15 minutes.
the flavors will blend better if you let it set. When it comes time to heat the bbq pork, put it
in the oven for about 30 minutes (thawed of course if it was frozen) with a little of the sauce on it, covered. You may add sauce as you need it, but I think you get the idea... it will be very tastey and moist. Shoot girl there aint nothin worse than dried up ole bbq, cept maybe the old mother in law....lol I will do the Chicken in the next post... and as far as the potatoes go, if you can get them let me know, and I will tell you how they fixed them... Hope this helps you get started Sis...


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## sisvicki (Jan 30, 2004)

Duke: I think I can order organic potatoes from here:
http://www.whitemountainfarm.com/potatoes.htm
A bit pricey, perhaps, with shipping, but definately worth the WOW factor. I have seen them at markets in the summer around here, as a specialty item, but they probably are not available as early as I'd need them.

Yep that's similar to what I was thinking, too, about the Pork butts. Only I would roast them in the oven and then finish them with an apricot, honey, liqueur glaze, then slice and serve. I can serve that room temp and it's pretty good.

The hubby, luckily, has experience with actual pig roasting, although I had never heard of building an above ground pit to keep it warm for serving. We're just ********, I guess, 'cause we just throw the whole thing on a clean picnic table and go at 'er.


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## duke10311 (Sep 28, 2004)

LOL any way you can get er done.... Lets move on the the volcano chicken. This recipe is going to call for me sending you my secret marinade. Do you, Sisvicki, solemly swear that when you recieve this marinade, you will not try to break down the chemical formula, I know you will see certain spices, and that ok...but do you swear not to take the dry ingredients to a lab for analisis? Yes it is totally safe.... cmon, pinky swear....


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## sisvicki (Jan 30, 2004)

I, sisvicki, herby solemnly swear, upon my bucky's gravesite, not to break down the chemical composition of the volcano chicken marinade for the purposes of evil or plain curiosity, and shall maintain the absolute integrity of the marinade and not alter it with other ingrediants to 'just make do', I so pinky swear, amen. halelluja. jumpin johesefat's.


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## duke10311 (Sep 28, 2004)

Well done Sis, I will send you this marinade so I will PM you for the info. LOL Anyway what this marinade does is infuse the chicken by pulling the blood out of the chicken and drawing in the spices. This is strong stuff, so 6 to 8 oz for 2 gallons of water. Cut up your whole chicken (3 to 4 lb avg) and place it in a container large enough so you can cover it with the marinade and water. Oh did I mention, mix the marinade with water, then cover the chicken and stick in the frige overnight. There is enough marinade in the sample I am sending to do 2 cut up chickens.
Pre-heat your oven to 375 degrees. Drain the chicken completely and pat dry with paper towels, Now for this step, I use food service latex gloves. If you cant get any Sis, I'll send you some. Put on the gloves, salt and pepper the chicken lightly. Take the Caribiean or Jamacian Jerk sauce, lightly drizzle over the pieces of chicken, then using your hands (in the gloves of course) make sure the sauce coats the chicken. Place on a sheet pan and bake for 45 to 50 minutes, or till a knife poked into the breast runs clear. The combination of my secret marinade and the Jamacian jerk sauce is what sets this chicken off. 
1 Bottle of Jamacian Or Caribean Jerk Sauce
2 Whole Chickens cut into 8 pieces each
1 8 oz Pac of Secret Marinade
Water
Salt and Pepper, Garlic Powder if you wish.


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## sisvicki (Jan 30, 2004)

oooh, thank you, Duke! I can't wait to get it.


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## sisvicki (Jan 30, 2004)

BTW, is the secret marinade what they call a brine?


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## duke10311 (Sep 28, 2004)

a very special brine, of my own creation....shhhhhhhh be wery wery quiet. I came up with this marinade 9 years ago, and it is good for a lot of things. Also will send you a sample of moon dust, an all purpose seasoning that is great on just about everything, cept desserts and drinks. Another Duke creation..... I want you to test the marinade so you are used to it by the time the graduation party next year....ok? Kool....


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## sisvicki (Jan 30, 2004)

I am wildly waiting in anticipation. Always was curious about brining. Nobody i know does that around here, so I could start a trend.


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## duke10311 (Sep 28, 2004)

Hey Sisviki, I found my recipe for summer slush...

1 8 1/2 oz can crushed pineapple
2 Bananas cut up
1 cup sugar
6 oz frozen orange juice
2 cups ginger ale


Blend pineapple, bananas, sugar and orance juice in your blender. Gently stir in the ginger ale. Place in bowl and put into freezer untill almost solid. Spoon into sherbert dishes, eat
then or place into refrigerator until slushy.....


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## duke10311 (Sep 28, 2004)

Sisviki, the marinade and moondust are on their way. Try them, Let me know what you think. Anyone else who may wish to try my marinade or moondust drop me a PM, and I will get it sent to you...


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## sisvicki (Jan 30, 2004)

Wow, thanks a BUNCH, Duke! I can't wait!


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## Scary Barry (Oct 6, 2004)

I have a great chili recipe. But I'm most proud of my baked turkey. 

1 (10 to 12-pound) turkey 
Brine, recipe follows 
4 tablespoons unsalted butter at room temperature 
1 large yellow onion, cut into 8ths 
1 large orange, cut into 8ths 
1 stalk celery, cut into 1-inch pieces 
1 large carrot, cut into 1-inch pieces 
2 bay leaves 
2 sprigs thyme 
1 1/2 to 2 cups chicken or turkey stock, for basting 
Turkey Broth: 
1 tablespoon vegetable oil 
Reserved turkey neck and giblets 
1 large carrot, coarsely chopped 
1 onion, coarsely chopped 
1 large celery stalk, coarsely chopped 
1 small bay leaf 
3 cups turkey stock, chicken stock, or canned low-salt chicken broth 
3 cups water 
Gravy: 
4 cups turkey broth 
1 cup dry white wine 
4 tablespoons unsalted butter 
1/4 cup flour 
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Remove the neck, giblets, and liver from the cavity of the turkey and reserve for the gravy. Rinse the turkey inside and out under cold running water. 
Soak the turkey in the brine, covered and refrigerated, for at least 4 hours and up to 24 hours. I brine it for about 12 hours and find it works well.
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. 
Remove the turkey from the brine and rinse well under cold running water. Throw out the brine. Pat dry with paper towels, inside and out. Place breast side down in a large, heavy roasting pan, and rub on all sides with the butter. Season lightly inside and out with salt and pepper. Stuff the turkey with the onion, orange, celery, carrot, bay leaves, and thyme. Loosely tie the drumsticks together with kitchen string. 
For the turkey broth: Heat the oil in a large heavy saucepan over medium high heat. Add the turkey neck, heart, and gizzard to the pan and saute until just beginning to brown, about 1 minute. Add the chopped vegetables and bay leaf to the pan and saute until soft, about 2 minutes. Pour the stock and 3 cups of water into the pan and bring to a boil. Lower the heat to medium-low and simmer until the stock is reduced to 4 cups, about 1 hour, adding the chopped liver to the pan during the last 15 minutes of cooking. 
Strain the stock into a clean pot or large measuring cup. Pull the meat off the neck, chop the neck meat and giblets, and set aside. 
Make a molded aluminum foil cover over the breast. Remove the cover and roast at 450 degrees for 30 mins. This will brown the turkey and make the skin crisp. Then lower the temp in the oven to 325 degrees and put the molded aluminum cover back on the bird. Roast with the breast side up until an instant-read meat thermometer registers 165 degrees F when inserted into the largest section of thigh (avoiding the bone), about 2 3/4 to 3 hours total cooking time. There's no reason to baste...it doesn't do anything but get your hands hot. Remove from the oven and place on a platter. Tent with aluminum foil and let rest for 20 minutes before carving. 
For the pan gravy: Pour the reserved turkey pan juices into a glass-measuring cup and skim off the fat. Place the roasting pan on 2 stovetop burners over medium heat add the pan juice and 1 cup turkey broth and the white wine to the pan, and deglaze the pan, stirring to scrape any brown bits from the bottom of the pan. Add the remaining 3 cup of broth and bring to a simmer, then transfer to a measuring cup. 
In a large heavy saucepan, melt the butter over medium high heat. Stir in the flour and cook, stirring constantly, to make a light roux. Add the hot stock, whisking constantly, then simmer until thickened, about 10 minutes. Add the reserved neck meat and giblets to the pan and adjust seasoning, to taste, with salt and black pepper. Pour into a gravy boat and serve.

Brine: 
1 cup salt 
1 cup brown sugar 
2 oranges, quartered 
2 lemons, quartered 
6 sprigs thyme 
4 sprigs rosemary

To make the brining solution, dissolve the salt and sugar in 2 gallons of cold water in a non-reactive (I use a plastic 5 gallon bucket) container. Add the oranges, lemons, thyme, and rosemary. 
Note: if you have a big turkey and need more brine than this, use 1/2 cup salt and 1/2 cup brown sugar for every gallon of water.

The brining is the very important. The salt and spices in the brine will react with turkey and enter the meat of the turkey giving you VERY moist turkey.

I'll do my chili recipe another time. Let me know if you try this recipe and if you like it.


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## sisvicki (Jan 30, 2004)

Gosh Duke, I have not seen your package yet. It has been a long time. Could it have gotten lost in the mail? Could the Postal employee's have sniffed out it's essence and absconded with your special marinade?


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## duke10311 (Sep 28, 2004)

hey Sis, I recieved the package back on sat, I had transposed 2 numbers, I resent it this morning,,,,


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## sisvicki (Jan 30, 2004)

Ahhh, great, because I have had alot of difficulties with my local postal service and even the UPS guy. They like to deliver anywhere but my house, it seems. I'd hate to really have to get on the muscle with them.

Thanks! Can't wait to give them a whirl this weekend.


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## sisvicki (Jan 30, 2004)

Hey DuUuke! I got your package yesterday!. I am brining this weekend for sure. I will let you know how I make out. I'm so excited. I think they did really check out your brine ingrediants, it was pretty beat up. I wonder if you could (or would even want to) brine a whole hog? You'd have to get an old bathtub or something, hee.

Hey Scary Barry: I'm going to try your brine, too. Looks really really interesting.


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## duke10311 (Sep 28, 2004)

I hope it arrived in somewhat decent shape...just let me know how you like it....


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## scorpio (May 9, 2005)

hey duke I noticed on an earlier post you mentioned crepes. I tried to explain what a crepe and how it is made to some employees of mine but it is been so long can you remind me so I can relay the message to them thanks in advance.


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## duke10311 (Sep 28, 2004)

A crepe' is a very thin pancake. They are made with simple ingredients...flour, eggs milk, and a touch of sugar. They are made on a crepe' iron in many places, however you can use
a good nonstick pan, or I use an small cast iron skillet. They do not take long to make, and if your pan is too hot, you can definately burn them. Crepes' can be used in many ways, for a dessert based crepe' I add a little powdered sugar to the mix. They can be stuffed with just about anything....I will post in the morning some recipes for you....


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## duke10311 (Sep 28, 2004)

Basic Crepe’ Batter

1 cup milk
½ cup flour
3 eggs
¼ cup powdered sugar (optional)


1. Beat the eggs and milk together until well mixed.
2. Add the flour and powdered sugar if desired.
3. Mix well; the batter will be very thin.

Note: The powdered sugar is optional. If you are doing a breakfast crepe’ or a dessert
Crepe’, then add it. It will add just the right sweetness level. One additional step 
is required…strain the batter thru a fine sieve, as not all the powdered sugar will 
not totally dissolve, so this removes any unwanted lumps.

4. Heat your pan to med to med high heat, Use a dab of butter in the pan, seems to 
brown up the crepe’ better. Ladle about 3 or 4 tablespoons of batter into the pan.

5. Tilt the pan to spread the batter around the pan. Use a rubber spatula to slide under
the crepe’ to turn it over. Often the cooking time is less than 30 seconds a side. 
You will have to experiment with what works best for your situation.

6. Place the crepe’s aside until the batter is all cooked. This is when you can stuff 
them with just about anything.

Breakfast : Scrambled eggs and ham with shredded cheese or cheese sauce.
 Sausage links rolled inside, with syrup.
Peanut butter and jelly
Corned beef hash
Butter & cinnamon
Nutella (My granddaughter’s favorite snack, smeared, rolled up and cut
Into bite size pieces)
Or thousands of variations

Dinner: Chicken and Mushroom stuffing, \ use your imagination
Dessert crepe’s filled with fruit and topped with sauce
Crepe’ Suzette
Flavored cream cheese with a fruit sauce

I do a version of Banana’s Foster then roll it in the crepe’ and pour the
Rum and caramel sauce over the top….

The possibilities are endless….. hope this helps……


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