Whatcha Cooking today?

[pepperhead212]

@Sue_CT I get a Thai Vesuvius from Renee's Garden that is one of the best I have found - unfortunately, it is only sold in combo (they do this with a number of things) with an Orange Thai chili, which I was not impressed with. The pepper is fast flowering, and sort of what I call a determinate pepper - once a large number is formed, flowering slows greatly, and that's when I let most of them ripen halfway, pick, ripen completely, then dehydrate. After about 3/4 have ripened and been picked, another flush of flowers happens. These I let ripen, and about 3/4 of them I freeze, for those recipes using fresh ripe Thai peppers. The third flush - usually in mid-September or so - I pick full sized green, and freeze those. I had so many of those last season, of these and Jyotis, I ended up dehydrating a bunch of green ones.

These, and those Indian jyotis, taste great fresh green, fresh red, and are the dried reds I use the most, whole in Chinese, Thai, and Indian foods, and grind them to use as my cayenne pepper - much better flavor than most cayenne. The jyoti peppers are very similar, but slightly larger, and more of an indeterminate - once they start flowering, they don't stop.

I might try to save some seeds this year - hasn't worked before, because they flower so fast, but I might try wrapping a branch with Agribon, to isolate it, before flowers even begin to appear. I used my last seeds this year, so otherwise, I have to buy some!

I'll let you know how it works.

[Kurt]

They come already cooked here in South Florida at the seafood houses in Everglades City.They are pulled from traps in the Gulf,brought in ,loaded into these large metal colanders,cooked in water for about 9 minutes,then removed and iced down and sold by the pound.As a recreational private citizen you are allowed 5 traps( registered,tag ,marked in your name)per season from Oct 15-May2 each year.They are ugly green claws until cooked.Here is our last claws of the season,cooked this am.

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[karstopography]

Stone crabs claws are good. I used to get a few stone crabs with the blue crabs when I put out my traps here in Texas. Renewable resource, simply break off one claw and return the crab to the water alive. The crab grows a new one and can feed and defend itself with the one remaining claw.

[karstopography]

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Did a couple of jars of quick red onion pickles, one for us and one for daughter the nurse.

[Cornelius_Gotchberg]

@karstopography; "Did a couple of jars of quick red onion pickles"

Recipe, s'il vous plaît?

The Gotch

[karstopography]

https://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/pickled-red-onions/

I added whole peppercorns.

[worth1]

I'm making my version of Cocotel Campechano.
Couldn't afford the other fish that goes in it and didn't put any avocado either.
Substituted some stuff with vegetables like a seedless cucumber and a chayote.
The chayote is an idea for you @karstopography
The rest is normal like raw onion diced tomatoes cilantro.
Other ingredients are.
Orange zest.
Juice of an orange.
Salted lime of my own addition.
Garlic powder.
Ketchup.
Clamato cocktail Juice of by the way was created in Mexico.
Chopped habanero.
Habanero sauce.
Chopped serrano chiles.
Vinegar.
Dash of Sunflower oil.
Pinch of salt to taste later.
One pound of just cooked shrimp.
The shrimp isn't in it yet but this stuff is fantastic on its own.
And I made it extra chunky.

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[worth1]

Instead of throwing away the shrimp peels I put them in heavily salted water to make a seafood broth.
Once I'm satisfied I'll remove the peels and add the shrimp for a short dip.
Then add some cooled down broth to the mix.
That's where I'll get more flavor and the needed salt.

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[karstopography]

@worth1 Cocotel Campechano is a favorite of mine, but I’m particular about the flavors. Seems like some I’ve had are dominated by tomato flavor, too tomato forward. A local Mexican restaurant here in town does one that is too tomato soup like, for my tastes. Goode Company Seafood in Houston has the best I’ve ever had. Jimmy Goode’s, the founder of Goode Company Seafood, mom grew up in Tampico and I do believe they spent summers there.

My chayote squash plant is growing. If it fruits, I’ll be motivated to find a use for it. I’ll remember your recipe. I grew bitter melon last year in spite of never knowingly eating any, but once it fruited, I found a use for it. Now I like it and have plans to grow more soon. Bitter melon thrives in humid heat. So is supposed to chayote squash. I know you know something about humid heat once upon a time living here. My gardening mantra is grow things that fit the climate at the right time of year. Too much trying to fit square pegs into round holes gardening going on, especially since Covid got people thinking about and attempting to grow food.

[worth1]

@karstopography
Mine is definitely not overwhelmingly tomato based.
Can't really explain it, no flavors really jump out at you dominating everything else.
Except for maybe the heat from the peppers.
I reserved some of the boiling liquid and put it on the ice bath I used to quickly stop the cooking process of 2 minutes in hot water.
I simply brought the water to a boil.
Tossed in the fish for two to three minutes and got it out.
I frigging hate over cooked shrimp and fish.
I decided to cube up some really mild catfish and cook it the same way.
And guess what, it isn't mushy.
The overall taste can be described as bright and refreshing.
Not thick like American cocktail sauce.
I think in my opinion I nailed it.

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[worth1]

With skirt and flank steak at 7 and 10 dollars a pound I opted for thinly sliced chuck roast I sliced myself at under 4 dollars a pound
Just did this with simi frozen meat and a sharp knife.
On the plus side it's more forgiving and better tasting.
I dusted both sides with tomato bullion and cumin thats it.
Cooked in hot skillet rare and diced up.
It was for a beef quesadilla.
Other ingredients are.
Freshly chopped habanero.
Onion.
Jack cheese.
Cilantro.
Fresh tomato.
That's it nothing fancy.
Here it is before the hood goes on and flipped.

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[worth1]

The cocotel came out hot as the dickens.
I think the serranos pushed it over the top.
I finished a whole large wine glass full.

[worth1]

Staying with the Mexican theme for the week Carne Asada seems be on the menu.
Probably not authentic as some purists would declare but I used what I had within arms reach.
Mostly stuff I needed to use up.
The rest of my chuck roast I sliced thin.
The marinade is......
Leftover cilantro stems and all.
My last beloved habanero seeds and all.
Beef bullion powder.
Half an onion Leftover from another cook.
Lime juice.
Garlic powder.
Apple cider vinegar.
Cooking oil.
Cumin.
Soy sauce, yes many Mexicans use soy sauce.
Put it all in a blender and liquefied it.
It tastes great.
It's now in a zipper bag with the meat doing its thing.
Gonna be cooked over screaming hot charcoal.
Nor will the marinade go to waste because it's getting mixed with a cooked chayote squash thing for a salsa.

[worth1]

Fried the chayote in oil until brown.
Took on a distinctive sweet flavor on its own.
Very tasty.
Took it out and put it into the blender.
Next chopped onion and fresh garlic .cooked it in the oil a wee bit.
Next fresh tomatoes and chili arbol and cooked them in the oil.
Put everything in the blender and liquefied with a shot of lime juice.
Once the meat is ready I'll take the marinade and add it to the mix blend and adjust flavors.
Not worried about food poisoning as it will be heated up in skillet.

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[worth1]

Carne asada.
Works for me.

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[karstopography]

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Argentine style skirt steak tacos. I marinated the skirt steak for about 6 hours in puréed garden onions, fresh garden basil, mint, and then cilantro, garlic, and lime juice emulsified with avocado oil.

Grilled over mesquite chunk and lump charcoal.

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[karstopography]

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Delicious

Edit. Also three Sungold and one sweet 100s in the Chimichurri.
Second edit. Also added dried red pepper flakes from last year’s cayenne crop. And, the thai hot sauce.

[pepperhead212]

Today I made a one dish meal, using that sauce I made a few days ago, with mushrooms and Italian sausage, made with venison. I thinned it with some white wine, and a little water, then added some pearl barley, and whole sorghum, and pressure cooked it for 25 minutes. After the pressure released naturally, I stirred in a bunch more chopped basil, and served with some grated pecorino. It was a little thinner than I wanted, but it will thicken when refrigerated, and I'll have a good amount of leftovers in the next few days.
One dish meal, using the leftover pasta sauce from a couple of days ago, adding barley and sorghum grain. by pepperhead212, on Flickr

[worth1]

YOU HAVE GOT TO BE KIDDING ME.
NOT ANOTHER SALSA!!!.
Well yes another salsa.
I love salsa and can't get enough of it.
This one is all toasted ingredients.
The chilies were soaked in hot water after toasting.
Tomato.
Guajillo.
Morita.
Arbol.
Garlic.
Onion.
Coriander.
Cumin.
Tomato bullion.
Salted lime.
Everything was toasted in a hot skillet.
Once out of the blender it will be strained to remove any skins and seeds.
It's for something special.

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[worth1]

If I only had corn tortillas.
Off to the oven they go.

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