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[Valentina]

Originally Posted by Prince

What I'd like to prepare for her, is a nice juicy steak. What I'll serve with it, I already have figured and planned out, but the steak...now that's the tough part for me. See, I have never prepared a steak. I don't have a grill, just an oven. I don't know how you are supposed to "cook" a steak. I don't even know so much as what kind of meat a steak is. Is it pork, beef, what? Cow, pig? German shepherd?

I'm pretty sure you're referring to the kind of "steak" that comes from cows...

Here's a recipe:

PAN-SEARED STEAKS WITH SHALLOT SAUCE
Source: Bon Apetit
Serves: 2

2 3/4-inch thick top loin steaks (aka New York Strip steaks)
1/2 cup canned beef broth
3 tablespoons sherry wine vinegar
1 shallot, finely chopped
1 1/2 tablespoon chilled butter
1/4 teaspoon dried tarragon

Sprinkle steaks with salt and pepper. Heat medium-sized skillet over medium-high heat. Add steaks and cook about 4 minutes per side for rare; transfer to plates. Add remaining ingredients to skillet. Boil until sauce thickens, scraping up any browned bits, about 3 minutes. Spoon sauce over steaks.

Serve with thick-cut fries, sautéed mushrooms, and peppermint stick ice cream, OR, for a more glamorous meal, “begin with Champagne and caviar, offer roasted potatoes and spinach soufflé with the steak, and have chocolate truffles afterwards.”

NOTES: When I made a version of this, I used one steak, and I cooked it in my 6-qt sauté pan (which is huge, not medium-sized). I didn’t have sherry vinegar, so I think I may have used a mixture of balsamic vinegar and cream sherry (I can’t remember exactly, though; maybe I used sherry only). The result was VERY good, though it was overly salty—probably because I used the Campbell’s canned beef broth and didn’t taste enough while it was cooking; I may have actually added more salt at the end without tasting it first. Because of the size of the pan, I may have reduced it too much. But still, it was extremely tasty and I want to do it again.

SOME SUGGESTIONS: If you're confused about the steaks, go to a good grocery (like Whole Foods/Fresh Fields, Bristol Farms, etc) and ask the guys as the meat counter.

If you're not familiar with shallots: they're usually found near the garlic in the produce section. They look like small elongated onions, with papery light-brown skin. They taste like a cross between onion and garlic; they're awesome!

Use low-sodium beef broth, or instead of canned broth, look for a carton of "Beef Stock."

Taste while you cook!

I might also suggest that you pick up a copy of a basic cookbook, such as Mark Bittman's "How to Cook Everything."

Even though the recipe above looks pretty simple, there are lots of things that can go wrong with even a simple recipe if you're not very experienced in the kitchen....I think you should try this...(But maybe make reservations at a good restaurant, just in case!)

Good luck and let me know how it goes!

[TivaBella]

I live alone and you would not believe how difficult it is to cook for 1. There are not a lot of resources out there either. Does anyone have any simple, healthy recipes for 1 person - maybe 2? My secondary problem is that I have almost no freezer space so the "cook up a huge casserole and freeze it" idea won't work for me.

Also, my idea of gourmet cooking is adding some seasoning to my Kraft Dinner, so the simpler the better. I can follow almost any recipe, but if it is too complex, especially after working all day, I don't bother.

Any help you can give would be appreciated.

[rthmchgs]

Originally Posted by little_tippler

interesting and fast ways to cook/marinade pork chops please...I'm bored of my own ideas

I like a recipe I found in Men's Health a while ago.

Jamaican Jerk Pork Chops

4 boneless pork loin chops (1 pound)
2 tbsp Jamaican Jerk Seasoning (the powder kind)
2 tbsp all purpose flour
1 15 oz can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 8 oz can crushed pineapple, UNdrained
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp brown sugar
2 tbsp cider vinegar
1/2 cup chopped red bell pepper

Mix flour and jerk seasoning. Dredge the chops in the mixture. Heat the oil over med heat. Brown the chops on both sides (no need to cook completely). Remove chops from pan. Stir in the leftover flour mixture, brown sugar, vinegar. Bring to a boil (this takes like 20 seconds). Add pineapple with juice, black beans, and pepper. Bring to a slight boil, add chops back in. Cover and simmer about 10 minutes, or until the chops are done. Serve with rice or orzo.

Depending on the seasoning, this can be a little spicy. It takes about 20-30 minutes total to cook.

[avocette]

Has anyone ever cooked Honey Mushrooms?

[maleficent]

I hadnt heard of them (and I practically worship mushrooms)

I did a google on honey mushrooms

These mushrooms are edible, but there are many dangerous mushrooms which are not Honey Mushrooms, even though they look just like them. Even Honey Mushrooms cause upset stomachs in some people.

I'm not sure i'd want to eat them after reading that...

But further googling brought up
Honey Caps
Honey Mushroom Loaf

[avocette]

I think these mushrooms bioluminesce. I'd like that ability. If anyone out there has eaten Honey Mushrooms, I'd love to know how it went.
Thanks for the Google recipes MALEFICENT. They sound good.

[Jason762]

remove please

[ryfo]

hi just wondering if i substitute agar agar into cheesecake instead of using geletine, what ratio would i need to use. I believe agar agar sets more firmly, but no one i know can tell me how much to use thanx

[dickdoc]

I'm not sure if this is the place to ask this. I'm looking at buying a bottle of imported absinthe. I know two brands are legal for sale in the US now, but I was looking at getting an imported bottle online. (Chech?). Anybody help?