A random thread for food things that don't really warrant a thread of their own

[ian]

Knuckle it, put your required amount of rice into wide-ish pan, add enough water that it reaches the first knuckle of your index finger if you rest it so the tip of your finger touches the rice. Add salt, bring it to a boil and then you can leave it off the heat or simmer for a few minutes. Forget about it for ten minutes or so, it will have soaked up the water and be ready to fluff up and serve.

In terms of culinary abominations, they were selling 'ready pasta' in the supermarket, as far as I can tell, pre-cooked pasta, for those who can't wait eight or so minutes to cook actual dried pasta. I look forward to 'instant gnocchi, ready in one minute.'

[citoyen]

I have to confess to occasionally using those microwaveable sachets of ready-cooked rice. It's not so much down to laziness as the fact that I might have access to a microwave when I don't have access to a hob.

[barakta]

Kim usually cooks rice properly but I also have those microwave ones for times where I need something quickly. My ability to manage hot heavy pans is minimal and for 90s in the microwave they're an absolute win and some of the flavours are quite nice.

[ian]

I have just received my new pans. One of them so heavy I think it's must be made out of depleted uranium. I pity the rhino that charges me.

I have a horrid confession, I have used the pre-cooked noodles to toss into a stir fry. Cooking normal noodles is a bit a faff if you've got a nuclear grade stir fry going, and they don't clump up if they sit around.

I also don't have a wok, which when I revealed this to a Chinese friend (ok, she's Malaysian Chinese), declared that she feared I was not mentally sound. Chinese people don't trust people without woks. She was unconvinced that doing a stir fry in a saute pan wasn't a criminal offence everywhere, and when she becomes world leader, it will be.

[campagman]

I have to confess to occasionally using those microwaveable sachets of ready-cooked rice. It's not so much down to laziness as the fact that I might have access to a microwave when I don't have access to a hob.

Today I cooked my rice similar to as described above but in the Micro. Put 1x rice and 2x water in Micro on high for 2 mins then low for 8 mins and leave for 10 mins to soak up water.

[citoyen]

some of the flavours are quite nice.

Indeed - surprisingly so.

[citoyen]

I have a horrid confession, I have used the pre-cooked noodles to toss into a stir fry. Cooking normal noodles is a bit a faff if you've got a nuclear grade stir fry going, and they don't clump up if they sit around.

Yeah, same here. I like udon noodles but you can't get them dried*, so it's either the packs of pre-cooked ones or make them from scratch.

I also don't have a wok

Me neither! Doesn't seem much point since we have an induction hob.


*well, you can get packs of dried noodles labelled 'udon' but they're not the same - always too thin

[citoyen]

Today I cooked my rice similar to as described above but in the Micro. Put 1x rice and 2x water in Micro on high for 2 mins then low for 8 mins and leave for 10 mins to soak up water.

I did try that once but it didn't really work. I expect I was doing something wrong!

[Cudzoziemiec]

Knuckle it, put your required amount of rice into wide-ish pan, add enough water that it reaches the first knuckle of your index finger if you rest it so the tip of your finger touches the rice.

"Cook rice using fingah!" as Uncle Roger puts it.

[Paul]

Angel Delight: serves four.

🤣

[citoyen]

Knuckle it, put your required amount of rice into wide-ish pan, add enough water that it reaches the first knuckle of your index finger if you rest it so the tip of your finger touches the rice.

"Cook rice using fingah!" as Uncle Roger puts it.

I’d never heard of that method until I saw the Uncle Roger video.

Still, cooking rice - hardly the stuff of Michelin stars.

[citoyen]

Angel Delight: serves four.

Yeah, if you use four packets, right?

[ravenbait]

I am perfectly capable of cooking rice properly, but my main kitchen indulgence is a fuzzy-logic Japanese rice cooker that does it for me, because I like making sushi and the rice is invariably flawless, also it can keep rice warm for ages.

Sam

[Paul]

Angel Delight: serves four.

Yeah, if you use four packets, right?

Honestly, I don't know why I even put it into two bowls. Even as I'm putting to other one in the fridge, I know it's only a matter of time, and not very much time at that.

[hellymedic]

Angel Delight: serves four.

🤣

Still have a packet lurking for when David Fancies...

[ian]

Knuckle it, put your required amount of rice into wide-ish pan, add enough water that it reaches the first knuckle of your index finger if you rest it so the tip of your finger touches the rice.

"Cook rice using fingah!" as Uncle Roger puts it.

I’d never heard of that method until I saw the Uncle Roger video.

Still, cooking rice - hardly the stuff of Michelin stars.

It seems complicated for a lot of people, I'm not sure why. The only trick with rice is not to overcook it. I didn't encounter rice until my teenage years, and then in the format where it was served with chips and curry sauce a la Engerland.

I learned the finger trick in Singapore (or Malaysia) but it works every time and saves measuring. Everyone in China has a rice cooker, of course, they find cooking rice in a pan a bit odd.

The new pan without threatening wobble is very good. It's certainly substantial. I also bought a granite non-stick one, for those times when stainless is a bit of a faff (you can do an omelette in stainless, but you have to season it first, I find). I wasn't sure how non-stick it would be, but very good. I'd forgotten how crap my old non-stick was. I think I ate all the Teflon.

[pcolbeck]

Circular corned beef slices !

Just opened a pack of corned beef and the slices are circular, is that even allowed?

Its just weird.

[Mr Larrington]

How now round cow?

[T42]

I also bought a granite non-stick one, for those times when stainless is a bit of a faff (you can do an omelette in stainless, but you have to season it first, I find). I wasn't sure how non-stick it would be, but very good. I'd forgotten how crap my old non-stick was. I think I ate all the Teflon.

Damn, now I've got Cookware Acquisition Syndrome.  I currently use an antediluvian cast-iron job that's as good for spraining wrists as A Suitable Boy.

Having watched a few Midnight Diner episodes I'm rather hankering after a rectangular omelette pan too.  Funny thing is that I rarely eat omelettes.

[ian]

The granite pan is very good (I don't think it's really granite, some kind of ceramic). The surface is quite rough so it doesn't seem like it will be very non-stick, but it's basically glass. They recommend an occasional quick seasoning (warm and rub it with oil).

[citoyen]

It seems complicated for a lot of people, I'm not sure why.

Some people find making toast complicated. That's people for you.

[ravenbait]

The granite pan is very good (I don't think it's really granite, some kind of ceramic). The surface is quite rough so it doesn't seem like it will be very non-stick, but it's basically glass. They recommend an occasional quick seasoning (warm and rub it with oil).

I'll have to try that on mine. It lost its glassy quality when Mr Bait used it rather too enthusiastically for cooking flatbreads.

(Mr Bait also set fire to our microwave recently. which we only really used for heating up leftovers, although it is was a useful tool for making single portions of porridge in a short period of time.)

Sam

[Cudzoziemiec]

How now round cow?

[citoyen]

Just opened a pack of corned beef and the slices are circular, is that even allowed?

If packs of pre-sliced corned beef are allowed then all bets are off.

[hellymedic]

No 99s
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-57149071