burun wrote:Anyone here make pickles?

I'm looking for a good pickle recipe that doesn't require the canning/sterilization method. I think the foodie types call them "refrigerator pickles."

I've made some with varying degrees of success. I'm especially looking for ones that use garlic and cayenne pepper.

None of the ones I have seen on recipe sites seem like they can be adapted much, so I am looking for one that has been tried/tasted.

burun, if you are interested, look online for korean recipe of pickled cucumber.... it's all about the red pepper and garlic. very, very tasty and easy to make (although i don' t have a recipe here offhand). probably similar method to kimchee, which just involves lots of salt, a big glass jar, some other shit and a dark place.

burun wrote:Anyone here make pickles?

I'm looking for a good pickle recipe that doesn't require the canning/sterilization method. I think the foodie types call them "refrigerator pickles."

I've made some with varying degrees of success. I'm especially looking for ones that use garlic and cayenne pepper.

None of the ones I have seen on recipe sites seem like they can be adapted much, so I am looking for one that has been tried/tasted.

12 pickling cucumbers
2 cups water
1 3/4 cups distilled white vinegar
1 1/2 cups packed coarsely chopped fresh dill
1/2 cup sugar
8 garlic cloves, chopped
1 1/2 tablespoons coarse salt
1 tablespoon pickling spice
1 1/2 teaspoons dill seeds
1/2 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper


Combine all ingredients except dill sprigs in large bowl. Stir, let stand at room temperature 2 hours until sugar and salt dissolve.

Transfer 4 cucumbers to each of three 1 1/2-pint wide-mouth jars. Pour pickling mixture over to cover. Place a few dill sprigs in each jar. Cover jars with lids and close tightly. Refrigerate at least 10 days. Pickles will stay fresh for up to 1 month. Keep refrigerated.


I used this recipe and it was great.

rachael wrote:I used this recipe and it was great.

The first one I have seen without a shitload of sugar!

Must try.

Gotta buy some cukes. Or maybe I will go right in with the carrots.

I am starting to feel like a mad scientist.

Andrew's Super Special Awesome Hummus

1 can garbanzo beans
2-3 tbsp tahini
1-3 tbsp olive oil(depends on how oily you want it)
1 big ass clove of garlic
Cayenne to taste
Cumin to taste
lemon to taste

Set up your food processor and get it running. Drop garlic into food processor while it's running. Wait until it's all chopped up. Add garbanzo beans and process. Make sure to scrape the sides down so it's well blended and mixed. Add in tahini. Blend again and keep on scraping so you get it all mixed together. Add in olive oil. If the mixture is getting to thick, add some water to it to loosen it up. Add cumin, cayenne, and lemon to taste. Enjoy with some pita, veggies, on a bagel or whatever.

The key is the garlic i believe. And the spices. You can totally screw everything else up and still get a killer batch.

Creamy Tomato-Basil Soup

28 oz. whole tomatoes
1.5 cups tomato juice
2 cups chicken broth
12-14 basil leaves
1 cup cream
4 TBS. butter
salt and pepper to taste

Place tomatoes in a non-aluminum pot and crush with clean hands or a masher. Add tomato juice and chicken broth. Boil this down until it reaches a thick, sauce-like consistency. Transfer to a food processor, add basil leaves and puree. Let cool slightly. Transfer back to pot and add cream and butter. Simmer until butter melts, stirring often. Add salt and pepper to taste and serve with crusty, warm bread.

I'll think of more later. I think that I posted this once before but here is the recipe for: Wisconsin Beer-Cheese Soup

1) 3/4 cups rinsed wild rice
-into-
3 cups boiling water

*that usually takes 45 minutes-1 hour

2) fry 10 strips of bacon and remove when crispy. place on paper towel and drain for later.

3) sautee 6 cups of mushrooms in 3 TBSP of butter. Add 5 chopped cloves of garlic and sautee for a minute. Add 3 TBSP. of flour and cook for at least one to two minute while stirring.

4) Combine rice and mushrooms along with 5 cups chicken broth, 2 cups beer, 1/2 tsp. white pepper, a dash of paprika, 1/2 tsp. black pepper, 1/8 cayenne pepper, 2 tsp. onion powder. Bring these to a near boil and allow the broth to thicken slightly, stirring occasionally.

5) Here's the difficult part:

-grate 10 oz. of cheddar cheese
-coat the cheddar in a light powder of flour
-add to broth slowly while whisking or stirring, so as to avoid coagulation

6) Chop up the bacon that was set aside and throw into the pot. Add 1 cup scallions, 1-2 TBSPs dried parsley (put fresh in if it's available), 1/2 cup of cream. Do not boil.

^ That looks awesome. I'm going to make it this week and have a bowl with a big ol' grilled 4-cheese sandwich!

Colonel Panic wrote:^ That looks awesome. I'm going to make it this week and have a bowl with a big ol' grilled 4-cheese sandwich!

Be sure to put some fancy mustard on the inside of the sandwich. It makes all the difference in the world (that and the cheeses). Hope you enjoy the recipe!

I usually use a dijon mustard on grilled cheese.

I'll probably put swiss, a fresh asiago, provolone and a little mozzarella together with some tomato and baby spinach and maybe a sprinkling of basil , then grill it using a George Foreman grill.

That's one of my favorite ways to do grilled cheese.

Speaking of mustard, these mustards are unbelievably good. I had them while wine tasting in Napa Valley and purchased the Jalapeno Y Vino, which is currently residing in Ben's refrigerator and will soon be reunited with me, at which point I will covet it from those who would see it parted from my grasp. It's one of the most glorious condiments to ever bedeck the paltry surface of a comparatively lowly genoa salami and cheese sandwich.

MMmmmmmmm those look good!

Willamette Valley, eh?

They grow a lot of hops there, as well as grapes. There's even a hop variety named after the region.