Gentlemen's Essentials - Official B&B Cookbook

[ouch]

Introduction:

This is the thread we will be using to gather recipes for our B&B Cookbook for the Gentlemen's Essentials.

Instead of having a single member create a tutorial we are going to use the entire wealth of knowledge of the board to amass as many great recipes as we can. Once we get a solid collection, I will attempt to go through and organize all the posts into a searchable, easy to use format.

In this thread, please post your recipes (and only your recipes, no chatter or banter in this thread please). Please be as specific as you can, providing both thorough ingredients list and comprehensive instructions.

Thanks and we all look forward to seeing what all the great cooks here can do!

General Tso's Chicken

This once proud dish has become a tasteless, sticky pile of glop found at every dump in town. A shame, since it's so easy to make a good version.


Long version (or jump to short version)-

Bone several whole chicken thighs.
Cut meat into 1 1/2" chunks.
Make stock from bones, adding ginger, scallion, onion, carrot, celery, and white turnip. Strain and reduce.

Short version-

Buy boneless chicken thighs and cut into good sized chunks as above.
Marinate meat in egg white, xiaoshing wine, sesame oil, minced garlic and ginger.
Add cornstarch and mix- it will be a godawful, sticky mess.
Fry in batches about 6 minutes, separating pieces as you add to pot.
Remove and reserve.

If you're great with a wok, and fast, you can prepare the sauce at once. It's much easier to make ahead-
Heat oil in small saucepan and stir fry garlic, ginger, scallion, hot chili paste (sambal olek or similar) until fragrant.
Deglaze with rice wine (xiaoshing).
Add stock, chili sauce, rice vinegar, sugar, and sesame oil. Simmer.
Adjust to taste- sauce should be hot, sweet, and sour, and be red/orange.
Thicken slightly with cornstarch/water slurry.
Heat large pan or wok.
Add chicken pieces and enough sauce to coat well and toss.
Serve with rice and steamed broccoli.

Alternatively, use same sauce with batter dipped, jumbo fried shrimp.

[Scotto]

Here is another one that is so ridiculously easy and far exceeds anything you can find in a bottle:

1/2c. soy sauce
1/2c. sugar
1 minced garlic clove
2tsp. minced ginger
2Tbs. mirin
1/2tsp. cornstarch

Mix the mirin and the cornstarch together until smooth. Everything goes into a small saucepan - bring to boil then reduce to medium low and simmer for 4-5 minutes until thickened and syrupy.

I like to serve this with broiled chicken thighs, but I also love it with fried tofu or just about anything else.

[TimmyBoston]

I very simple dessert sauce I have always loved is my Rum Buttered Strawberries. Simply serve over vanilla ice cream, a souffle, creme brulee or anything you wish.

Start off with:
3-4 tablespoons of Butter (Absolutely not margarine! It will destroy the flavor)
1/2 cup of brown sugar
1/3 cup Dark Spiced Rum
3 cups Strawberries cut in bite sized pieces

Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat, then add brown sugar and stir to combine. Let brown sugar melt and thicken slightly. Add the strawberries and the rum and ignite. Stir the flambe' until flames die out and strawberries have softened, 2-4 minutes.

Serve (still warm) over Vanilla Ice Cream or other desired food.

This stuff is really easy and really, really good. It works especially well for dinner parties as it takes so little time and a good flambe' always looks cool. I find that it merries extremely well with Vanilla products as the Rum always contains vanilla. It also is a nice touch in place of a more traditional strawberry shortcake topping.

[TimmyBoston]

This is the thread we will be using to gather recipes for our B&B Cookbook for the Gentlemen's Essentials.

Instead of having a single member create a tutorial we are going to use the entire wealth of knowledge of the board to amass as many great recipes as we can. Once we get a solid collection, I will attempt to go through and organize all the posts into a searchable, easy to use format.

In this thread, please post your recipes (and only your recipes, no chatter or banter in this thread please). Please be as specific as you can, providing both thorough ingredients list and comprehensive instructions.

Thanks and we all look forward to seeing what all the great cooks here can do!

[DeaconKC]

This sandwich is a heart attack on a plate, be warned!
Split and toast a Kaiser roll, lay it open faced on a platter.
Grill to medium rare two large burgers, saute a large vidalia onion.
Place a patty on each bun half and smother with the onions.
Cover with a slice of cheddar, swiss and american cheese on each half and place in broiler until cheese melts.
Bury the whole thing in french fries.
Chili on top is optional.

[Aevum]

a favorite of mine designed for when you want to cook something special for the wife or GF,

boil some Bavetinne pasta (long striped noodle), preferably a spinach and normal base (green and white pasta mix),

then grill a chunk of salmon in herbs, make sure its well done and golden, but still moist, grill WITH the skin but remove before serving,

and prepare a bechamel sause with either sliced champinions or almonds (not both),

now, preparation of the plate, a pasta base, with a slight coating of olive oil, used as a cushion to set the salmon on the idea is that the green and white pasta contrast with the pink/orange of the salmon, and then add a coating of the sause,

or if you´re just cooking for yourself, replace the bechamel with sour cream, replace the salmon with grilled chicken and add some diced tomato, and you have pasta chicken alfredo,

[_JP_]

Pin this thread so that it doesn't get buried. That way people will see it and contribute.
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This recipe is courtesy of El Alamein.

Eggnog

1 dozen large eggs
1 quart of heavy whipping cream
2 quarts of milk
1 pound of 10x confectionary sugar
1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
Fresh grated nutmeg (or pre-grated from store)
1 gallon empty container (say, an empty plastic milk container)
1 ½ gallon empty container

1. Separate eggs into egg whites and egg yolks into 2 bowls.
2. Whip egg whites until stiff (easier if 1 cup of 10x sugar is added first before whipping).
3. Whip heavy cream until stiff (easier if 1 cup of 10x sugar is added first before whipping) in a separate bowl.
4. Pour whipped egg whites, whipped cream and 2 quarts of milk (any kind of milk will do) into a VERY LARGE bowl and mix thoroughly.
5. Add remaining sugar, vanilla extract and nutmeg to taste to the egg yolks and whisk until thick and pasty.
6. Add the egg yolks to the big bowl of cream, milk egg whites etc and mix thoroughly.

You will need at least a one gallon container plus a half gallon container to put the mixture into when done mixing. Let the egg nog sit for 24 hours in the refrigerator before tasting. Shake container thoroughly before pouring a drink – EACH and EVERY Time. Add spirits to individual glasses if desired.
Very fattening but delicious! Hope you enjoy.

Chris (El Alamein)

[King of Kailua]

Bachelor Chicken Curry with Steamed Rice

I label it bachelor because I use a box of S&B curry sauce mix and make a ton of it to eat for lunch and dinner. Leftovers store well in tupperware and can be stuck in the freezer for later. Microwave or stove top the leftovers as desired. This is a good meal to incorporate turmeric, ginger, and garlic if you want to get their anti-inflammatory properties into your diet.

Makes several servings, I'd say 6-8

• 3 - 4 chicken thighs or breasts, cubed
• 1 large onion, chopped
• A couple shallots, chopped
• A thumb sized piece of fresh ginger, minced (your size discretion)
• Several cloves of garlic, minced (your size discretion)
• 2 large carrots, chopped to spoonable / forkable bite sizes
• A handful of celery, chopped to spoonable / forkable bite sizes
• A handful of shitake mushrooms (or your favorite), chopped
• A sweet potato, chopped to spoonable / forkable bite sizes
• Ground turmeric
• Curry powder
• Cinnamon
• Salt
• Pepper
• Chili flake
• White wine
• Water
• S&B curry sauce mix

Clean your work area after dressing the chicken!!!

Prep your veggies and reserve them in a bowl. In a separate bowl, season the chicken with salt, pepper, curry powder, tumeric, and a little cinnamon. Heat to medium/med-high a large deep sauce pan or pot with a light coat of oil + a bit of butter. Coat the seasoned chicken pieces with flour and add the piece to the hot pan to brown them but not cook them through. Add a bit of turmeric, curry powder, a small amount of cinnamon, and chili flake to taste. Once the chicken is golden, add the bowl of mixed veggies. Stir with a flat edged wooden spoon to mix everything up. Stir every now and then until you start to smell the garlic. If the mix gets a bit dry, add a splash of white wine. Stir occasionally for 3-5 minutes. Turn the burner to high and add water to the pot/pan until you get 1/2 an inch below the lip. When the mix come to a bubble, turn the heat down to a med-low simmer for at least 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from the heat and break up the 100g package of curry sauce mix into the pot, stirring it in. Stir, stir, stir.

Serve over steamed brown jasmine (or your favorite) rice and enjoy. This should warm your belly on a winter night. If you don't have kids, reserve the rest for leftovers. If you do have kids, and a wife, enjoy the adoration and praise they shower you in. You are now a rock star in the kitchen.

[sklegg]

Do you like real Mexican food? This is so easy to make.... seriously.

Stuff you need:

• Chicken breasts
• CORN tortillas
• vegetable oil
• prepared salsa mole (see below)
• real Mexican cheese (Cotija, etc.)

You can boil the chicken or bake it with some salt and pepper. Let it cool a little then shred it with a fork. (Or just slice it into strips.) Set it aside.

Heat some of the vegetable oil (just a few tablespoons) in a frying pan and fry the tortillas one at a time. They don't have to be totally crispy, just cooked. This will help them survive the next step.

Once you have a stack of cooked tortillas take each one and dip it into the mole. Get it totally covered with the sauce. Pull it out and let the excess drip off. Lay it flat on your plate. Place some chicken on top (not too much) and fold the tortilla over. Sprinkle some of the crumbled cheese on top. You're all finished! Buen provecho!



Mole sauce:
Get yourself a jar of Doña Maria Mole* in a jar and a few cans of chicken broth. Heat the broth in a small pot. It doesn't need to boil or anything. Just get it warm. Get a larger pot and heat it to medium. Empty the ENTIRE contents of the jar of mole into the pre-heated pot. Mash the paste around to loosen it up. Add your chicken broth slowly. You don't have to be all that precise, just read the jar and go by taste. Mix these together until blended well. It should be fairly thick but not pasty.

If you like your mole a little sweet go ahead and add some white sugar. If you like it extra chocolatey add some Nestle Quik powdered chocolate. Keep mixing until everything is smooth and delicious. (Set some aside to use as an aftershave, too. It's moisturizing and smells better than Aqua Velva. )

* If you can't find the mole locally I'd be happy to trade shaving gear for it.

[expatCanuck]

1 lb. shrimp, peeled, deveined (I used the 16-20 size -- not critical)
1/4 fresh pineapple, slice again lengthwise into eighths, then sectioned (for a total of 12-16 chunks of pineapple -- strangely, only 12 made it into the wok)
1/2 shot dark rum
1/2 red pepper, sliced lengthwise (roughly 1/4 inch strips)
whole grain basmati rice (about 3/4 cup raw is enough for us)
2 dozen green beans
almost half a habanero, finely sliced crosswise
1 coarsely diced shallot
1-2 tbsp canola oil
cumin
coriander
soy sauce
coarsely ground black pepper
1/2 lime

In a wok or frypan -
soften the shallots, splash on some soy sauce and the juice from 1/8 of a lime and the juice from one pineapple eighth rind
add the sliced habanero & cook for another 30-60 seconds, 'til softened
add the shrimp, dust with coriander & cumin, cook one side 'til they get opaque -- flip & repeat
- add the juice of 1/4 lime, the juice from the other pineapple eighth rind, half a shot of dark rum, splash of soy sauce, & toss; add ground black pepper to taste (four turns of the mill does it for me)
- add the red pepper & pineapple, toss & cover (cook for an additional 1-2 minutes, tossing every 30-45 seconds)
[For a texture variation, throw in a handful or two or bean sprouts with the red pepper]

- in a separate pot, I steam the green beans for 2 minutes or so.

Serve - I ladle out the rice, put the shrimp on it, with pineapple, red peppers & green beans on the side. Spoon the remaining sauce onto the shrimp/rice.

- Richard

[ouch]

Buckwheat pancakes

1/2 c. flour, sifted
1/2 c. buckwheat flour
small handfull oat bran
pinch salt
1 tsp baking powder
1 Tbl sugar
2 Tbl vegetable oil
2 eggs
1 c. buttermilk
Blend dry ingredients
Add wet ingredients and mix until just incorporated
Alow to stand for 10 min
Cook on hot greased griddle
Serve with maple syrup and bacon

[riooso]

These are awesome recipes! This is going to get nothing but better.

Butter Scotch Morsels

• Using 2 Graham Cracker packages put in bowl and beat down to powder.
• Heat 3/4 stick of butter in microwave till almost liquid and mix in.
• I use a couple of buttered flat baking dishes and spread the crust evenly into the dishes a little less than 1/2 inch thick.
• Take one of 2 bags of Butterscotch morsels and sprinkle lightly on the crust, about 1 deep but cover the crust.
• Sprinkle a light layer of coconut on the butterscotch.
• Dribble in strings, not to thick, Eagle Brand condensed milk on the mixture
• Repeat the last 3 steps till the baking dish is 1 1/4 inches full, the reason that you do not want more, is that when you bake it the mixture will partially caramelize and if it is to thick it will not, caramelize.
• Make sure that the last layer is topped with coconut and Eagle Brand milk.
• Put in 350 degree oven and bake for 20 minutes or till the top just starts to turn brown.
• Let it cool completely. It is still baking and doing the caramelizing process.

You will have some ingredients left over like the Eagle Brand Milk but that is normal.

These puppies are really sweet and rich and must be eaten, slowly, with a cup of tea or coffee. If you give them to kids make sure they are outside running around, because when they eat them they will be, running around!


Later,
Richard

[MAK]

Simple and tasty!
Mike's Day After Thanksgiving Turkey Soup

In honor of the day after Thanksgiving, here is my “whatever” Turkey Soup.
It is very flexible as long as you don’t go too crazy with the ingredients.

Do this the evening of Thanksgiving

Place the carcass from your Turkey into a soup pot. Break it up to fit.

Add water, broth (canned turkey or chicken) or a combination to cover the carcass

Slice some carrots and celery and toss in

Chop up an onion and toss in

Toss in some parsley, 1t-2t (depending on the size of your turkey) poultry seasoning

Toss in 1-3 bay leaves

Cook until the vegetables are tender

Remove from heat and (eventually) place in a cool place. Since I live “up north” It is cold in the garage in November so the covered pot goes there

The next day…

Skim of the fat and remove the carcass.

Pick off the meat and return that to the soup

Reheat the soup, when hot, add some sour cream (1-2 pts depending on the amount) mixed with flour to thicken. When adding the sour cream, slowly whisk it in.

Add some cook rice or wild rice to the mix

Salt and pepper to taste. You may also want to add a little hot sauce to give it some zing.

Now you have a great and simple soup!

Additions
You can add (within reason) what every you want. Toss in some leftover corn, gravy, whatever. It all tastes good!

[_JP_]

Old-Fashioned Sourdough Pancakes

2 cups sourdough starter, room temperature2 tablespoons sugar
4 tablespoons olive oil
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 tablespoons warm water
In a large bowl, add sourdough starter, sugar, egg, and olive oil; mix well.
Dilute 1 teaspoon baking soda in 1 tablespoon of warm water. Only add baking soda to batter just before you are ready to cook the pancakes. Fold gently into the sourdough batter (do not beat). This will cause a gentle foaming and rising action. Let the mixture bubble and foam a minute or two.
Heat up a lightly greased griddle until fairly hot; then pour batter onto the griddle. For each pancake, pour 1/4 to 1/2 cup batter onto hot griddle. Cook 1 to 2 minutes on each side or until golden brown. Serve on hot plates.
-----

This is a great way to keep your sourdough starter lively and active.

REAL maple syrup goes perfectly with the tangy taste of sourdough.

[TimmyBoston]

This thread is sad, come on boys, we can do a helluva lot better than this! Let's start posting some recipes!!!!!!

[Confuzius]

This recipe is from the Old Grist Mill Restaurant in Kennebunkport, Maine. As the story goes it was my aunt's 16th birthday and they went to the restaurant for lunch.
My aunt mentioned that it was her birthday and all she wanted was the recipe for the Johnny Cakes. After some pleading and some 16 year old doe eyes the waiter went to get the chef, who eventually came back with this hand written on an index card. (This would have been the late 60's or early 70's, I'm not sure exactly how old my aunt is...)

Johhny Cake (corn bread)
3/4 cup cornmeal
1 cup flour
1/3 cup sugar
3 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup milk
1 egg, beaten
2 tbsp oil
1/2 cup frozen corn niblets (thawed)

Combine cornmeal, flour, sugar,baking powder and salt. Mix milk, eff and oil together. Add to dry ingredients and beat together until smooth. Add corn.
Pour into a well greased 8"x8" cake pan or 9x5 loaf pan.
Bake at 350°f for 20 minutes or until knife inserted comes out clean.


In my opinion this is some damn tasty cornbread, but I expect that cornbread is one of those things that can be pretty divisive in nature and preferences, I'd like to see some other recipes if anyone has one that they think takes the cake.

[_JP_]

This is going to be tomorrow's dinner. Dr. Martin liked to use this is he had to go out on house calls. Simple to throw together and if he was called away it would keep until he got back home. I'm going to substitute Italian sausage this time.

Dr. Martin's Mix

1 to 1 1/2 lbs mild pork sausage

1 small onion, chopped
2 green onions, chopped
2 or 3 stalks celery, chopped
2 cups chicken broth or bouillon
1 tablespoon Worchestershire sauce
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup raw rice (do not use instant or "minute" type rice!)

Crumble the sausage into a skillet and brown it. Pour off some of the fat. Add the rest of the ingredients, cover and simmer for about an hour, on the lowest possible heat.

[DeaconKC]

This is great this time of year
2 pounds of lean ground beef
2 cans of dark kidney beans
2 cans of medium kidney beans
2 cans of light kidney beans
1 large onion, finely chopped
2 cans of diced tomatoes or 4 large tomatoes diced
1 small can of tomato paste
chili powder, salt, black pepper, cumin
okay, first put the beef and onion in a large pot with a little water and cook over low heat until the beef is done. Add the tomatoes and paste at this time and simmer for 5 minutes. Now add the beans, juice and all. Put in 2 tablespoons of chili powder, and 1/2 teaspoon of cumin, slat and pepper as needed. Bring to a low boil, stirring to keep things from sticking. Taste regularly and season to taste. Simmer for at least 1 hour. You can serve it now, but it will bve better tomorrow, after everything has swam around together for a while. Toppings like sour cream, cheddar cheese and olives are just gilding.

[_JP_]

The first batch of these just came out of the oven and boy, are they good! This recipe doubles very nicely in a 5 quart Kitchen Aid mixer.


------


Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies

1 cup all-purpose flour
3T unsweetened cocoa
1 tsp baking powder
½ tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt
½ tsp ground cinnamon
½ cup light butter
½ cup brown sugar
½ cup sugar
1 large egg
1 tsp vanilla
1 ¼ cup rolled oats
½ cup semi sweet chocolate chips or raisins

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly coat a no-stick baking sheet with no-stick spray. In a small bowl, combine flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon.

In a large bowl, combine butter and sugars and beater until light and fluffy. Beat in egg and vanilla. Stir in flour mixture and mix well with a wooden spoon. Stir in oats and chocolate chips.

Drop by tablespoon onto baking sheet, leaving 2 inches between cookies. Bake for 10 minutes, or until very lightly browned. Cook on wire rack.

Makes 36 cookies. 72 calories per cookie, 1 g protein, 2.4 fat, 0.5g fiber, 12g carbohydrates and 92mg sodium.

[ancora imparo]

1/2 cup dark brown sugar
1/8 cup kosher salt
1/4 cup paprika
1/4 cup chili powder
1/8 cup mustard powder
1/8 cup granulated garlic
1/8 cup cherry Jell-O powder
1 tbs. cayenne pepper
2 tbs. coarse ground black pepper

Mix all ingredients and use as a dry run on your pork ribs. Or add about 1/2 cup of water to 2 cups of rub to make a paste. Use sparingly, this stuff has got some kick. If your beef/pork comes out a bit too spicy, just dab a little bit of BBQ sauce to "cut" the spice. This stuff is great!