What are you eating/cooking?

[calvegas04]

Let me brag on myself a bit,... my wife’s family runs a church group that builds homes across the border for poor Mexican families in Juarez. They recruit volunteers from all over the country and from more affluent areas of Mexico and build homes like twice a year. Every time they do they also ask for people to cook for the volunteers, which I’ve done numerous times with tacos, lasagna, jambalaya etc,... a couple weeks ago I made a huge pot of albondigas and got the reviews back today. According to the Mexican lady that helps run the program every single volunteer, Mexican and American, said it was the best albondigas they’ve ever had... everyone wants my contact info to get the recipe,... I take pride in my cooking and that made me feel pretty good.

Would like to see what you use... my family makes a pretty mean pot of albondigas

 

[Bishop2b5]

On the way home from vacation, the wife and I made a detour to intentionally stop at this little joint in Gulf Shores called The Steamer. Ordered the Little Lagoon Steamer tray. Huge offering of Crab Legs, Royal Reds, Shrimp, Oysters, Clams, Corn on the Cob, New Potatoes and Sausage. We could only finish about half. Packed the rest in the cooler and had it the next day. Highly recommend it if you're in the area.

https://gulfcoaststeamer.com/wp-content/uploads/Steamer-Menu.pdf

Can confirm. Great place to eat. Gulf Shores is one of my favorite places on the planet.

 

[Trait Expectations]

Let's see that recipe dude

Doubling this request. I am also the family chef (extended family included) so holidays and events can often fall to me. Would love to try this.

 

[ACamp1900]

Ha, no tease intended. Just sharing a cool story. I’ll always share any recipe someone actually wants. So, the albondigas that got all the recent love:

for a good sized family, feeds about five or six well.
Soup
-4 48 ounce low sodium chicken broths
-olive oil
-1 medium brown onion
-2 large carrots
-1 zucchini
-1 bell pepper
-about a cup up or so of hunts tomato sauce
-lawyers seasoning salt
-1 bottle of la Victoria green sauce
-3 cloves minced garlic
-1 half packet of Goya brand Saxon seasoning
-1 one can hunts diced tomato, nothing added
-cumin
-juice of a fresh lime
a handful of cilantro diced
For meatballs
-1 pound of 85 ground beef
-1 9 oz package of cacique beef chorizo
-fresh mint finely diced about two leaves
-fresh parsley about 1/4 cup diced fine
-1/2 cup white rice
-lil oregano
-1 egg
-Lawrys garlic salt like two healthy shakes
-pepper

i make the meat balls first. Just throw everything in a bowl together and mix it well. I do it with my hands but if you have some other way more power to you. Once well mixed ( the chorizo color is pretty well spread and not just dotted) I roll the balls. I make them just a bit smaller than a golf ball which is smaller than most. I think this makes a difference. Set aside and let them firm up a bit.

soup: I slice the carrots pretty thin like a quarter would be, maybe a lil thicker. I slice the onion and bell pepper exactly as you would for fajitas. Zucchini I cube up. I then add to the pot once the pot and oil are heated up. I add the garlic after about a minute, seasoning salt, Goya, about 2-3 good shakes from a cumin container and a bit of pepper if you like. Once it cooks for maybe five minutes I add the can of tomatoes. Cook like another minute and then add everything else except one of the chicken broths and the diced cilantro. The Lawrys is really to taste but I do about two or three healthy shakes while veggies are cooking and maybe another healthy shake when the broth is added. The last container of broth I add as needed if it cooks down too much. If you add water it just dilutes the flavor. I typically do use all four but not always. Yes, throw the entire bottle of green sauce in, that and the lawrys are the secret weapons here.

once it starts to lightly boil I add the meat balls one at a time. Lightly boil for about ten minutes then lower to simmer, add cilantro and cover, it’s ready when it’s ready. Like chili this is better the longer it has to come together. I often make this in the morning for dinner.

You can add potatoes or green beans or corn if you like. I’ve seen some do that but this is what I do for veggies,...
hope you that try it enjoy!

 

[NDdomer2]

you dont brown the meatballs first?

 

[ACamp1900]

No, you can if you want I suppose. I never have and it comes out great

 

[zelezo vlk]

You really use 192 oz of broth for this amount of albondigas? I would've though 4 cans/boxes of 48 oz broth would be too much. Maybe I just prefer my soups & stews thicker

 

[ACamp1900]

I use three and then add the fourth if it starts to cook down too much. It does come out more soup than stew so if you like it the other way cut back on the broth but I’d adjust the seasonings down a bit too. I suppose I’m at a place where I’ve learned to not add water if it cooks down so I always have more broth on hand now.

 

[zelezo vlk]

Very fair, kinda how I've approached my pozole. Thanks for sharing!

 

[BobbyMac]

Who here makes Tahini?

What's your secret?

 

[NDdomer2]

Thanks for the share ACamp!

 

[ACamp1900]

Oh man I forgot to mention cumin, I edited the recipe for anyone that already copied. Cumins important and I totally spaced on it. I am the epic fail

 

[ACamp1900]

Living in Texas is cool,... Texas>>> California okay?? So this isn’t that... but seriously the worst thing about living in Texas???

Whataburger. It’s not just the food but also the Twilight Zone level complex out here over it. Whataburger is what you get when you order In N Out from Wish! and Texans want to fight you if you refuse to say it’s the best burger... I’m honestly expecting a camera crew to jump out at any moment telling me I’m being Punk’d.

 

[greyhammer90]

Who here makes Tahini?

What's your secret?

https://www.seriouseats.com/israeli-...i-sauce-recipe

This stuff is crack on any good medaterinian dish. I love making Tahini and tzatziki for gyros or falafel.

 

[Whiskeyjack]

Living in Texas is cool,... Texas>>> California okay?? So this isn’t that... but seriously the worst thing about living in Texas???

Whataburger. It’s not just the food but also the Twilight Zone level complex out here over it. Whataburger is what you get when you order In N Out from Wish! and Texans want to fight you if you refuse to say it’s the best burger... I’m honestly expecting a camera crew to jump out at any moment telling me I’m being Punk’d.

Most of them have closed here in Arizona. Every time I drive by one of the few remaining What-a-burgers out here, I have to wonder who's keeping them open.

https://www.seriouseats.com/israeli-...i-sauce-recipe

Speaking of Serious Eats, I can't recommend their smash burger recipe enough. Start with 80/20 ground chuck and roll them into 2 oz balls. Get the cast iron ripping hot on the grill outside, then smash, season, flip, cheese and plate them. Once it hits the grill, the whole process takes less than a minute. Way tastier and more consistent than any of the thicker "cooked-to-order" recipes I've tried in the past.

 

[greyhammer90]

Living in Texas is cool,... Texas>>> California okay?? So this isn’t that... but seriously the worst thing about living in Texas???

Whataburger. It’s not just the food but also the Twilight Zone level complex out here over it. Whataburger is what you get when you order In N Out from Wish! and Texans want to fight you if you refuse to say it’s the best burger... I’m honestly expecting a camera crew to jump out at any moment telling me I’m being Punk’d.

Whataburger is the most mediocre of all the "best burger ever" regional swear-upons. I'd put it behind In N Out, Shake Shack, and Five Guys.

 

[ACamp1900]

Anyone watch foodie shows? My wife and I run through them,... Street Food on Netflix, Somebody Feed Phil, Man, Fire, Food,... anything with G Garvin.

Right now we just discovered the Kimchi Chronicles,... right up our alley.

I can’t watch a traditional sitcom or episodic show at all anymore but if it’s true crime, foodie, or historical I’m all over it. Idk

 

[calvegas04]

Living in Texas is cool,... Texas>>> California okay?? So this isn’t that... but seriously the worst thing about living in Texas???

Whataburger. It’s not just the food but also the Twilight Zone level complex out here over it. Whataburger is what you get when you order In N Out from Wish! and Texans want to fight you if you refuse to say it’s the best burger... I’m honestly expecting a camera crew to jump out at any moment telling me I’m being Punk’d.

Every time I see a review or youtube video on Whatabuger it always looks meh.

 

[greyhammer90]

Most of them have closed here in Arizona. Every time I drive by one of the few remaining What-a-burgers out here, I have to wonder who's keeping them open.



Speaking of Serious Eats, I can't recommend their smash burger recipe enough. Start with 80/20 ground chuck and roll them into 2 oz balls. Get the cast iron ripping hot on the grill outside, then smash, season, flip, cheese and plate them. Once it hits the grill, the whole process takes less than a minute. Way tastier and more consistent than any of the thicker "cooked-to-order" recipes I've tried in the past.

Kenji Lopez Alt is a genius, that's for sure. I've never tried a recipe of his that wasn't at least a *great* version of the thing I'm making. His book, The Food Lab, is my frequent recommendation if you're going to own one cookbook. It's massive and has a great/best version of just about everything.

I introduced my dad to those smash burgers and it may have done some damage to his arteries lol. They are just too easy, fast, consistent and delicious for their own good.

 

[ACamp1900]

Every time I see a review or youtube video on Whatabuger it always looks meh.

I’ve been told by SO MANY Texans their Patty Melt will be the best one I’ve ever had,... epic!!

brah, it’s like the rest of their food, completely flavorless. How you can make a patty melt with literally zero flavor is an achievement I’ll give them that. But ‘you ain’t Texan if you ain’t love Whataburger!!!’

I calling it whatabooger from now on.

 

[ACamp1900]

Smash Burger is pretty good tho. I’ve never had one near me but always try to hit it up when I know I’ll be in the neighborhood of one.

Ill def look into The Food Lab... sold.

 

[ACamp1900]

I’ve been doing fasting twice a week now since February strictly for heart health. My FiL inspired me as he does it for religious reasons and I thought, why not?

hasn’t been that hard tho I’d lie if I failed to say a few dinners got blown up by certain cravings but yeah, think I can do this long term. Long line of bad hearts on my family tree so trying to do what I can to extend this journey.

 

[Whiskeyjack]

I’ve been doing fasting twice a week now since February strictly for heart health. My FiL inspired me as he does it for religious reasons and I thought, why not?

hasn’t been that hard tho I’d lie if I said a few dinners got blown up by certain cravings but yeah, think I can do this long term. Long line of bad hearts on my family tree so trying to do what I can to extend this journey.

My BiL talked me into trying intermittent fasting about 6 months ago, and it's been amazing. You just pick an 8-hour window (mine is typically 11:00a - 7:00p) in which you can eat basically anything you want, and you eat nothing outside of that window. So now I just skip breakfast, eat a big lunch around 11:30a, and then either a small dinner or just a cocktail with the family when I get home. Keeps me at my fighting weight with nearly zero effort/ deprivation on my part.

 

[GowerND11]

Anyone watch foodie shows? My wife and I run through them,... Street Food on Netflix, Somebody Feed Phil, Man, Fire, Food,... anything with G Garvin.

Right now we just discovered the Kimchi Chronicles,... right up our alley.

I can’t watch a traditional sitcom or episodic show at all anymore but if it’s true crime, foodie, or historical I’m all over it. Idk

If you count GGG, Chopped, and Beat Bobby Flay then yes.

I've been wanting to try Street Food actually. I almost exclusively watch sports, cooking, and some historical stuff myself anymore.

 

[Trait Expectations]

My BiL talked me into trying intermittent fasting about 6 months ago, and it's been amazing. You just pick an 8-hour window (mine is typically 11:00a - 7:00p) in which you can eat basically anything you want, and you eat nothing outside of that window. So now I just skip breakfast, eat a big lunch around 11:30a, and then either a small dinner or just a cocktail with the family when I get home. Keeps me at my fighting weight with nearly zero effort/ deprivation on my part.

Started that a couple years ago. At my extreme, I reduced it down to a 4 hr window, I'm back up to 8. Lost nearly 20 lbs at one point, which was borderline too skinny for me so I started eating more. The nice thing about IF is the flexibility for different people. OMAD, 16/8, 18/6, 20/4, EOD fasting, etc.

 

[ACamp1900]

Just got an early b day present from the wife,.. Oklahoma Joe’s Rider Pellet Grill. It’s already cured and I just put some chicken in it lol

 

[Irish#1]

Most of them have closed here in Arizona. Every time I drive by one of the few remaining What-a-burgers out here, I have to wonder who's keeping them open.



Speaking of Serious Eats, I can't recommend their smash burger recipe enough. Start with 80/20 ground chuck and roll them into 2 oz balls. Get the cast iron ripping hot on the grill outside, then smash, season, flip, cheese and plate them. Once it hits the grill, the whole process takes less than a minute. Way tastier and more consistent than any of the thicker "cooked-to-order" recipes I've tried in the past.

Sounds like Steak n Shake and Freddy's burgers. Stopped recently at Freddy's one night a little before 10:00PM. Had one of the granddaughters with us. We place our order which was basically three combos. Clerk hands us our order and along with our combos, we get a sack of fries. We had enough fries to feed about 10 people. I guess they were feeling generous! lol

 

[ACamp1900]

A steak and shake is opening literally around the block from me,... I had it in Cali once but it was years ago. There’s a InO knockoff in town that’s become my go to but I’ll def try SnS when it opens

 

[ACamp1900]

Anyway,... you know I like to smoke. I just got a new Oklahoma Joe’s smoker and while I usually don’t do brisket (I just prefer other meats) I figure I’ve been in Texas long enough. This weekend I’m doing my beer can chicken and a 9 pound brisket I just picked up. Wife will make some potato salad and I’ll do so cornbread to go with. Looking forward to it.

 

[GowerND11]

Sounds great ACamp1900! Sunday my buddy, who is Filipino, is making lechno! Super excited for us to drink some delicious IPAs while watching the suckling pig roast.