CSNbbs

So after seeing the thread about grocery stores in Memphis I had to know whether there are any other people out there who are insistent upon making as much as they can from scratch.

Personally I insist on making my own bread. I have a pretty good pizza dough recipe (with tossing it in the air included...I have given this recipe to just about everyone that has tried my pizzas, I bake them like I learned when I spent my semester abroad in a little town of 3,000 people at the top of a mountain on the Tuscan/Umbrian border), rye bread, ciabatta, french baguette, country bread, american sandwich bread, granola, and pretzel roll.

I also make my own peanut butter (honey roasted) and never buy Italian sauces (alfredo, ragu, basic tomato, pesto, and arrabiatta sauces) as well as things such as tomatillo and salsa (as well as the tortilla chips that go with it, a little unhealthy with the oil, but it's much better than buying tortilla chips out of a bag).

I'm going to start attempting at making my own butter, creme fraiche, and cheeses as soon as I can convince my wife that she won't get sick and die from it. I'm building her trust.


I don't know about y'all, but I get a sense of satisfaction from what I can make with my own two hands and a little bit of time on top of the fact that I can control the ingredients and taste rather than be held captive.


Anybody have any recipes that they would like to share?

I am officially old.

Yeah, I'm old ..... and evidently I'm also lazy.

Kudos to Neillis.

Totino's are 4 for $5. Thats about all my wife will let me cook in the kitchen.

Why do y'all think y'all are old?

Don't mind the cooking, but it makes way to much of a mess.

(02-25-2012 12:18 AM)neillis Wrote: [ -> ]So after seeing the thread about grocery stores in Memphis I had to know whether there are any other people out there who are insistent upon making as much as they can from scratch.

Personally I insist on making my own bread. I have a pretty good pizza dough recipe (with tossing it in the air included...I have given this recipe to just about everyone that has tried my pizzas, I bake them like I learned when I spent my semester abroad in a little town of 3,000 people at the top of a mountain on the Tuscan/Umbrian border), rye bread, ciabatta, french baguette, country bread, american sandwich bread, granola, and pretzel roll.

I also make my own peanut butter (honey roasted) and never buy Italian sauces (alfredo, ragu, basic tomato, pesto, and arrabiatta sauces) as well as things such as tomatillo and salsa (as well as the tortilla chips that go with it, a little unhealthy with the oil, but it's much better than buying tortilla chips out of a bag).

I'm going to start attempting at making my own butter, creme fraiche, and cheeses as soon as I can convince my wife that she won't get sick and die from it. I'm building her trust.


I don't know about y'all, but I get a sense of satisfaction from what I can make with my own two hands and a little bit of time on top of the fact that I can control the ingredients and taste rather than be held captive.


Anybody have any recipes that they would like to share?

Do you have a blog page where you post these recipes? If not you should.

I definitely want your pizza dough and sauces recipes. Are you growing your own herbs?

(02-25-2012 12:04 PM)Cletus Wrote: [ -> ]

(02-25-2012 12:18 AM)neillis Wrote: [ -> ]So after seeing the thread about grocery stores in Memphis I had to know whether there are any other people out there who are insistent upon making as much as they can from scratch.

Personally I insist on making my own bread. I have a pretty good pizza dough recipe (with tossing it in the air included...I have given this recipe to just about everyone that has tried my pizzas, I bake them like I learned when I spent my semester abroad in a little town of 3,000 people at the top of a mountain on the Tuscan/Umbrian border), rye bread, ciabatta, french baguette, country bread, american sandwich bread, granola, and pretzel roll.

I also make my own peanut butter (honey roasted) and never buy Italian sauces (alfredo, ragu, basic tomato, pesto, and arrabiatta sauces) as well as things such as tomatillo and salsa (as well as the tortilla chips that go with it, a little unhealthy with the oil, but it's much better than buying tortilla chips out of a bag).

I'm going to start attempting at making my own butter, creme fraiche, and cheeses as soon as I can convince my wife that she won't get sick and die from it. I'm building her trust.


I don't know about y'all, but I get a sense of satisfaction from what I can make with my own two hands and a little bit of time on top of the fact that I can control the ingredients and taste rather than be held captive.


Anybody have any recipes that they would like to share?

Do you have a blog page where you post these recipes? If not you should.

I definitely want your pizza dough and sauces recipes. Are you growing your own herbs?

I would like the pasta sauces....

(02-25-2012 11:42 AM)neillis Wrote: [ -> ]Why do y'all think y'all are old?

(02-25-2012 12:18 AM)neillis Wrote: [ -> ]I don't know about y'all, but I get a sense of satisfaction from what I can make with my own two hands

That used to be a bookcase or coffee table. Now, it's bread.

Yeah, I wish this country still made its own furniture, appliances, etc.

Kudos to you, Neil. I know you and your lovely wife will be all the healthier and happier for your efforts. Do post your recipes!

I thought that this thread was about the refs in the Marshall game.

(02-25-2012 12:22 PM)kpigout Wrote: [ -> ]

(02-25-2012 12:04 PM)Cletus Wrote: [ -> ]

(02-25-2012 12:18 AM)neillis Wrote: [ -> ]So after seeing the thread about grocery stores in Memphis I had to know whether there are any other people out there who are insistent upon making as much as they can from scratch.

Personally I insist on making my own bread. I have a pretty good pizza dough recipe (with tossing it in the air included...I have given this recipe to just about everyone that has tried my pizzas, I bake them like I learned when I spent my semester abroad in a little town of 3,000 people at the top of a mountain on the Tuscan/Umbrian border), rye bread, ciabatta, french baguette, country bread, american sandwich bread, granola, and pretzel roll.

I also make my own peanut butter (honey roasted) and never buy Italian sauces (alfredo, ragu, basic tomato, pesto, and arrabiatta sauces) as well as things such as tomatillo and salsa (as well as the tortilla chips that go with it, a little unhealthy with the oil, but it's much better than buying tortilla chips out of a bag).

I'm going to start attempting at making my own butter, creme fraiche, and cheeses as soon as I can convince my wife that she won't get sick and die from it. I'm building her trust.


I don't know about y'all, but I get a sense of satisfaction from what I can make with my own two hands and a little bit of time on top of the fact that I can control the ingredients and taste rather than be held captive.


Anybody have any recipes that they would like to share?

Do you have a blog page where you post these recipes? If not you should.

I definitely want your pizza dough and sauces recipes. Are you growing your own herbs?

I would like the pasta sauces....

I don't have a blog but will post some recipes up in a little while, it may be tomorrow because I need to write a chapter for my thesis today to not fall behind and this Tigers game is keeping me occupied (my run took a little longer today than I thought, so I am already behind).

As for growing my own herbs, I have not yet, but I will be doing this:

http://lifeonthebalcony.com/how-to-turn-...-a-garden/

this spring.

(02-25-2012 03:39 PM)mairving Wrote: [ -> ]I thought that this thread was about the refs in the Marshall game.

Why would anybody ever buy pasta sauce?

(02-25-2012 05:37 PM)TigerBill Wrote: [ -> ]Why would anybody ever buy pasta sauce?

My thoughts exactly. I'll give a recipe for pasta all'amatriciana, a rustic pancetta sauce made around Rome, it's several centuries old and takes 7 total ingredients.

If anyone is curious as to how some of my breads look, check out the photos that I have uploaded on my twitter.

https://twitter.com/#!/neillis/media/sli...BneNatq%2F

GTG

(02-25-2012 06:07 PM)neillis Wrote: [ -> ]

(02-25-2012 05:37 PM)TigerBill Wrote: [ -> ]Why would anybody ever buy pasta sauce?

My thoughts exactly. I'll give a recipe for pasta all'amatriciana, a rustic pancetta sauce made around Rome, it's several centuries old and takes 7 total ingredients.

If anyone is curious as to how some of my breads look, check out the photos that I have uploaded on my twitter.

https://twitter.com/#!/neillis/media/sli...BneNatq%2F

GTG

C'mon man, give us the recipe. I'm making dinner plans, and this could very likely be included lol.

I gotta run for a dinner-date, but here is the amatriciana recipe:

You will need-

-pasta
-1/4-1/3 pound of pancetta sliced as thick as the deli will cut it (many delis carry it, but most Wal-Mart unfortunately does not in the deli, you can buy pre-diced pancetta but it is more expensive...I go to Publix down here for it).
-one 28 oz can of (edit:) DICED tomatoes
-fresh garlic, diced
-white onion, diced
-salt and pepper

-Use any tube-like pasta, I usually use penne or rigatoni, but if you want to do something really interesting, try campanelle (which literally translates as "bells"), you will understand what I mean when you see them. In a pinch you could use farfalle or orrechiette (little ears).

-Cook according to the package.

-Dice the pancetta if not already.

-In a medium pot, drop in the pancetta with a QUICK dash of olive oil (I'm talking no more than a teaspoon) on a burner at medium heat

-stir it around, and when it gets a little translucent, take the pancetta out of the pan, reserving the oil in the pan

-throw in the garlic and onion, let them sweat for about a minute (don't let them brown, that is not a good thing...they should be translucent)

-Drop the can of (edit:) DICED tomatoes and stir around, letting the garlic and onions mix well and season with salt and pepper to taste.

-Put a cover down on the pot, and let the tomatoes cook down for 7-10 minutes, then add the pancetta.

-Let that simmer for about 5 more minutes, then add the pasta and stir around, making sure to coat.


top with parmesan and fresh parsley (to your liking), little bit of evoo too


edit: Sorry I got confused, I was going to start posting my sauces recipes and got ahead of myself mixing up the diced for crushed tomatoes.

Mucho gracias!

Just about any Italian tomato based sauce will consist of a few ingredients:

Tomato (I use crushed tomatoes rather than tomato sauce, the texture is much better)
garlic
onion

My basic tomato sauce goes like this:

-28 oz can of crushed tomatoes
-2 cloves of garlic
-half a white onion (if you don't like onions, leeks are a pretty good sub)
-1 tablespoon each of dried oregano and dried parsley
-1 bay leaf
-teaspoon of sugar
-salt and pepper to taste

-start off with some evoo in a medium sized pan, then add the garlic and onions.
-once they are translucent, add the parsley and oregano
-stir around so that the clumps form within the dried herbs.
-add the tomato sauce, salt, and pepper, and mix well.
-drop in the bay leaf
-cover and let simmer for 15-20 minutes


From this basic sauce you can make more types...arrabbiata (which means angry), all you do is add red chili pepper to the garlic, onion, evoo mixture at the beginning.

Ragu: add diced carrots and celery, to the garlic/onion/evoo mixture, then ground beef an red wine (this takes longer as the beef needs to cook down with the sauce so that it is almost paste-like).

Pesto: Pretty simple...In a food processor add parsley, basil, pine nuts, salt, and pepper...pulse for about 10-15 seconds then drizzle in extra virgin olive oil so that it becomes emulsified into a good sauce.

As far as my pizza dough recipe:

1 3/4 cups of warm (100-110 F) water
1 tbsp yeast
1 tsp sugar
1 tbsp salt
2-3 tbsp evoo
3 cups bread flour (bread flour has a higher protein content than all purpose flour, thus it cooks crispier in the oven)

-add the water, yeast, sugar, and salt into a mixing bowl, let mixture sit for 5 minutes so that bubbles form (this activates the yeast)

-add flour and evoo and mix will (5-7 minutes)
-if the dough is sticky, or stickier than you think it should be, then add more flour
-if the dough is too dry, add more water/oil*
-after mixing, roll out onto a floured work surface and knead. For a basic kneading tutorial, check this out:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-BhVPgllLW8 (the part about what your dough should look like starts at 8:17, but the entire video is pretty helpful for the entire process).

-once you knead the dough, oil a large bowl and place the dough in.

-cover with plastic wrap and a towel, let sit for 2 hours.

...

-after 2 hours, roll out onto floured work surface and divide in half.

-roll the pieces into balls and let sit for 20 minutes.

-after that you are ready to roll the dough into a pizza dough. I use a french roller because it gives me a lot more flexibility.

-You can roll as thin or as thick as you want (I generally do it paper-thin, one time I put mozzarella sticks on the edge of the dough and rolled it inside...brilliant).

-About the time you roll the doughs into balls, start the oven on as hot as it can bake (545), put a pizza stone in when you do the same.

-When the oven is ready, throw some corn meal on the stone and put the dough...just the dough...into the oven. Let the dough cook just to the point so that it will begin to harden, then take back out and add to whatever pizza recipe you want to do.**

-The pizza should be cooked hot and quick, no more than 5 minutes. It's actually supposed to be cooked in an oven at 1000 degrees or more, so if you can cook on a grill then do it.

*as with all baking, conditions such as humidity, altitude, and temperature can change the ratio of dry:wet ingredients. You will have to do a lot of this by site and sense, so experiment a little bit. Fortunately flour is not exorbitantly expensive.

**I know that seems unorthodox, but I have found that the dough is cooked more completely without burning the toppings and cheese by cooking the dough right before you add the toppings.

Thanks neillis !