El Guapo & Randy Reed's Cooking Thread

[speedz99 145]

I bought some pate today...chicken liver & duck fat. Any recommendations for cooking? I figured I'd slice it around a half inch thick, sear it in some butter, and put it on a crostini-ish thing. Does that sound about right? What kind of accompanyment should I be going for?

[LadyGrey 6]

I thought pate is usually eaten as it is, no cooking involved, but I assume you got the searing idea from a previous dining experience so you could try that. Crostini sounds good since it's usually served with toast points or an equivalent. I would suggest having a side of green salad with a light, citrus vinaigrette to cut through the richness of the fatty pate. Heh, that kinda rhymed. Fatty pate.

[speedz99 145]

I would suggest having a side of green salad with a light, citrus vinaigrette to cut through the richness of the fatty pate.

I like this idea. The only problem is that kind of want to turn this into a meal, and I'm not sure the salad would be enough. What do you think about adding some kind of garlicky pasta to the mix?

[LadyGrey 6]

I like this idea. The only problem is that kind of want to turn this into a meal, and I'm not sure the salad would be enough. What do you think about adding some kind of garlicky pasta to the mix?

I don't think pate is normally served as part of an entree due to the richness etc. I've only ever seen it offered as an appetiser, hors douevres [sic] or as part of a buffet. That being said you can experiment with it, it's a free country. However since it is so strong and fatty I recommend keeping it simple and treating it as a starter. It just doesn't function as a protein in an entree.

[SBriand 4]

Pate is pretty much what LG said. If you got pate de foi gras then yes, sear that shit and use it as an entree. Put it on a freaking burger. Seriously.

[Tiltinagain 973]

I just got a grill basket for my out door grill.. what veggies do you recomend for the basket? Should I drizzle them in olive oil first?

Any firm veggies work great. Asparagus, zuccinni, cut up potatoes...pretty much anything you'd use for stir fry would work.I made lazagne for dinner tonight...smelling good in here!

[speedz99 145]

I want to make this potato leek soup tonight, but one of my friends is a vegetarian. Assuming that I don't want to just put it in there anyway, what's the protocol for compensating? Double the butter? And what's the best way to add bacon back in for the rest of us? Crumble some over the top? I feel like that would mess with the smooth consistency of the soup. I needed to come up with something to have with the meal anyway...maybe go high class and make BLTs? The crowd I'm eating with, minus the veggie, would probably be into that.

[SBriand 4]

I want to make this potato leek soup tonight, but one of my friends is a vegetarian. Assuming that I don't want to just put it in there anyway, what's the protocol for compensating? Double the butter? And what's the best way to add bacon back in for the rest of us? Crumble some over the top? I feel like that would mess with the smooth consistency of the soup. I needed to come up with something to have with the meal anyway...maybe go high class and make BLTs? The crowd I'm eating with, minus the veggie, would probably be into that.

I would do what it says except replace the chix stock with veg stock and then just add bacon on the top of the meat eaters bowls of soup.Edit: I would do a nice grilled cheese. Maybe some nice rye with apples and cheddar.

[El Guapo 8]

Grilled cheese is great with tomato soup or corn soup, i am not so sure about potato leek.I would not double the butter, because it could make the soup break apart, but I would add a little more than usual.For the sandwich I would do an open faced prosciutto on foccacia(sp?) bread.Cut the foccacia(sp?) bread in half, drizzle with olive oil spread some finely chopped garlic on it, ad a layer of fresh basil, a layer of fresh tomatoes, then a layer of prosciutto.

[JubilantLankyLad 1,957]

boccochini!

[LadyGhey 0]

I want to make this potato leek soup tonight, but one of my friends is a vegetarian.  Assuming that I don't want to just put it in there anyway, what's the protocol for compensating?  Double the butter?  And what's the best way to add bacon back in for the rest of us?  Crumble some over the top?  I feel like that would mess with the smooth consistency of the soup.  I needed to come up with something to have with the meal anyway...maybe go high class and make BLTs?  The crowd I'm eating with, minus the veggie, would probably be into that.

I grew up with my mum cooking awesome leek and potato soup - veggie of course - so here is my advice. 1. I think I posted that recipe in this thread once so have a look and see if you can find that. I would but I'm on my touch. 2. Only purée half the soup, leave the rest chunky. The texture of the potato chunks and the slight crunch of sauteed leek adds so much to this dish. 3. We used to grate mature cheddar on ours which is delicious with it. You can easily pair this soup with a kind of cheese on toast style side. Grilled cheese is ok, upmarket style i.e toasted crostini with cheddar melted on top is better. Maybe a ciabatta slice rubbed with garlic then loaded with fresh parsley-butter and then topped with mature cheddar finished under the grill would be the tastiest option. Don't go with foccacia though, I don't think it's a good soup bread. It's too oily, you want something that will absorb the soup a little more. 4. For subbing just change the stock to veg stock. No need for extra butter. Crumbled bacon on top should work nicely especially if you leave it half chunky like I suggest. You could even get fake bacon for your veggie friend if you want to impress, although I don't like that stuff (looks too real to me). 

[Theraflu 1,035]

(looks too real to me). 

Isn't the primary goal of the majority of the food you make/eat to make it look and taste similar to "real" food?

[Tiltinagain 973]

Isn't the primary goal of the majority of the food you make/eat to make it look and taste similar to "real" food?

That's what I though. See "veggiburger"

[LadyGhey 0]

Isn't the primary goal of the majority of the food you make/eat to make it look and taste similar to "real" food?

It's all real food of course. I just don't need bacon and don't want bacon, so why would I eat fake bacon? I only tried it because the crazy owner of a vegan hot dog place (cyber dogz in Seattle) forced me to.

[Theraflu 1,035]

It's all real food of course. I just don't need bacon and don't want bacon, so why would I eat fake bacon? I only tried it because the crazy owner of a vegan hot dog place (cyber dogz in Seattle) forced me to.

You willingly ate at a food establishment called Cyber Dogz?

[LadyGhey 0]

You willingly ate at a food establishment called Cyber Dogz?

Hot dogs + internet cafe = cyber dogz. Anywhere selling vegetarian corn dogs and local beer = me pigging out.

[speedz99 145]

Thanks for the responses. Unfortunately I didn't get a chance to check them before cooking, but the soup was still a hit. I used chicken stock...didn't even think about the fact that it wasn't vegatarian...but she didn't say anything about it, so either she didn't care or was just being polite. I used 1.5 times the butter and crumbled the bacon over the top (along with the typical chives the recipe calls for), which was delicious. I decided to just go with some hot buttered rolls to go with it instead of dealing with a whole other element, and I think it was fine.

[brvheart 1,757]

Everyone in here is a huge homosexual.

[leftygolfer 7]

I wanna drown in potato leak soup. I used to get it every time at CPK in the Mirage sports book.

[leftygolfer 7]

Menu for my parents 50th Anniversary dinner last week. I picked the wines and a friends son, a graduate of Kendall College culinary cooking school, did the rest:Hors d’OeuvresCrispy Polenta Squares, Roasted Wild Mushrooms, Herb Demi-GlazeEnglish Crumpet, Prairie Fruits Farm “Little Bloom on the Prairie” Goat Camembert, Fig Aigre-Doux2001 Schramsberg ReserveFirstCumin-Scented Carrot Soup, Brown Butter Bay Scallops2008 Raymond Sauvignon Blanc ReserveSecondGoat Cheese Ravioli, Seared Diver Scallop, Parmesan Broth, Heirloom Baby Tomatoes, English Peas, Basil2008 Raymond Sauvignon Blanc ReserveThirdSeared Duck Breast, Cippolini Soubise, Cherry Duck Jus2005 LeCadeau Pinot Noir Cote EstFourthSlow Roasted Porchetta, Heirloom Beans and Bacon, Braised Kale1999 Caymus Special Select Cabernet SauvignonFifthMichigan Apple and Golden Raisin Galette, Local Honey Comb, Homemade Vanilla Ice Cream2005 Raymond Late Harvest Chardonnay "Eloquence"

[LadyGrey 6]

I used chicken stock...didn't even think about the fact that it wasn't vegatarian...but she didn't say anything about it, so either she didn't care or was just being polite.

I hate that, really. What the hell is it with omnivores not getting that chicken/beef/ham/whatever stock isn't vegetarian? The clue is the name, moron. It's so unacceptable to serve a vegetarian food with meat/fish stock in it and tell them it is vegetarian. Fair enough that you didn't know, but come on... it's called chicken stock.Sorry, that is just one of the banes of my life so it makes me kinda mad.

FirstCumin-Scented Carrot Soup, Brown Butter Bay ScallopsSecondGoat Cheese Ravioli, Seared Diver Scallop, Parmesan Broth, Heirloom Baby Tomatoes, English Peas, Basil

Scallops twice in one meal? Very amateur. It's just not the done thing to repeat a major ingredient like that in seperate courses. Other than that, nice job.

[SBriand 4]

Two different types scallops though so I wouldn't be to upset over that. But I am a heathen.

[El Guapo 8]

Did you pick the wines, then he made the food for them, or the other way around? Because either way, good job on pairings.

[Quacktastic 106]

Scallops twice in one meal? Very amateur. It's just not the done thing to repeat a major ingredient like that in seperate courses. Other than that, nice job.

And the same wine for back to back courses? COME ON!!!

[speedz99 145]

I hate that, really. What the hell is it with omnivores not getting that chicken/beef/ham/whatever stock isn't vegetarian? The clue is the name, moron. It's so unacceptable to serve a vegetarian food with meat/fish stock in it and tell them it is vegetarian. Fair enough that you didn't know, but come on... it's called chicken stock.

Maybe read my post a little bit more carefully before you get all up in arms. I think my post made it pretty clear that it wasn't that I don't understand that chicken stock isn't vegetarian, it was that it didn't even cross my mind when I was cooking with it. If you're going to be militant about your vegetarianism (which my friend isn't), then if someone cooks your dinner it's up to you to make sure they followed the rules. Eating this way is your problem, not mine, don't bitch about it when I don't think of everything involved in your special diet....again, if you care that much, request an ingredient list prior to anyone cooking you anything.