A Note About Nonstick!

Have you looked at your pots, pans, and metal trays?  Do you sometimes see a light brown film that starts sticking to your pans?  It starts getting hard to scrub off and you wonder just what it is...it's probably your non-stick spray!


It leaves a residue, a film, that usually cooks on to the pan like a thin rubber film.I know you are probably like most people and don't read the 'Care Instructions' for the kitchenware that you buy so I will let you in on a little secret...you don't need nonstick spray on a nonstick pan!  Get it?

If you want a little butter, extra virgin olive oil, lard or type of oil for a little flavor (like sesame) in your pan then do it.  Or if instructions direct that you MUST do this, then do it if you feel it is necessary.  But nonstick kitchenware is already 'nonstick' you don't need to put spray on it!

Nonstick spray was originally designed for using on kitchenware that everything stuck to, in other words everything that wasn't nonstick.  Try it out...my pancakes came out flawless on my nonstick griddle without any kind of oil, butter, or spray and they browned nicely on each side.  THEN out came the butter and Maple syrup!

If you look for the 'Care Instructions' for a nonstick pan, chances are it will tell you "Do not use nonstick spray on this pan".  It does seem like a bit of common sense doesn't it?

Injected & Smoked!

 Backup to Thanksgiving 2011...I usually don't follow traditional foods for Holidays but this year family was coming over and they were all bringing a few dishes to round out the meal and I would do a flavorful Turkey with a little twist.

So, I decided to simmer up some chicken broth with a few more herbs and spices that I liked (and some onion and garlic). Then I strained all the pieces out which I later rubbed into the skin of the Turkey.  I chilled the liquid then went in search of my meat injector.

Two Turkey's For the Price of One!

Using the liquid I created I pierced the skin and went into the muscle and continually forced the liquid into the turkey at several points in muscles all over the Turkey with my big commercial needle for meat.

Cooking it overnight in my smoker (standard $59 to $69 electric smoker sold at department stores everywhere) with apple wood chips.  Ranging in heat about 200F to 220F thru-out the night for about 10 hours.  The turkey's weight was about 16 pounds before cooking.

That's it.  I took it out and let it rest...later carving it for dinner.  Oh man was it moist delicious!  I have a house full of guests AND guys at work who got to eat the leftovers that can be my witnesses!

Breakfast at Cracker Barrel!

Leadership Appreciation Dinner

First I must confess...I need to get better at remembering to take pictures, or at least acquire some that others took so I can show you examples of the menu's or food I post here.  I don't always do that, or have the pictures to do it!

Our church usually has an appreciation dinner for the different leaders of this and that like sunday school, children's church, small groups...things of that nature.  I cooked the main food for it the weekend of November the 13th.

It was heavy hor' dourves this time.  Estimated about 70 people. Menu as follows:

Mens Retreat Menu

WOW!  So things have been really busy lately...this month, weekend of the 4th, 5th, and 6th we had a men's retreat and I was cooking for it.

This group is mostly 'steak and potato' guys and so I planned my menu accordingly!  In addition to that we watched the Alabama vs LSU game which was the only sad part of the weekend (LSU won). But I tried to have an amazing line-up of food for the game.

What's cookin' lately!

When I came back to Alabama I needed a job.  So when my other options fell thru and time was running out I went to work for a company I had worked for before.  The pay is OK,  the hours are long but only Monday thru Friday, and they were happy to hire me back because of my integrity and good work ethic from before...But it's not been enough.

Culinarily this job possesses nothing for me (pause to feel the emptiness).

Lately, I have been connecting with other like-minded people and really scoping the job opportunities ( which are few and far between) to get back to what I love.  The word 'networking' comes to mind...

Rare Sweet Potato Found!

Found in captivity, the rare and elusive Grandaddy Long-leg Sweet Potato!  Named after the Grandaddy Long-leg spider for its single unit body and multiple spindly 'legs' growing out of it.

Unlike rare animals that are usually found in the wild, this sweet potato is found in the captivity of homes, long forgotten and left in bins or cupboards never to be seen again until they start to rot and stink!

I ran upon this rare species in an even rarer spot than usual...it was found in a home that cooks and eats lots of food and hosts many guests each week.  I don't want to reveal any names for fear of embarrassment to the owner.  BUT it was found in a home in the Green Mountain vicinity on a Saturday night(hint, hint).

When Life Gives You Limes...

While working in Puerta Plata, Dominican Republic on the M/V Caribbean Mercy we had some locals working on board.  Samuel was a young guy (15) who was brought on in the galley (kitchen) because he came to work with his mom who worked in housekeeping and we could use the help and they could use the extra income.

Samuel's English was limited and so was my Spanish (although it was a lot better then than it is now) but we got along fine finding him tasks to do in the galley.

One day we got these tiny limes locally grown that were only about as round and big as golf balls, with many of them smaller in size.  About 100 or more came to us and I definitely wanted to use them but was concerned with the amount of time it was going to take to squeeze or 'juice' them.

Quick @ Home Fraps/Smoothies (blender needed)

Fraps:
The Basics- Use cold coffee, put 10 regular ice cubes into the blender, pour milk & cold coffee in to just below the top of the highest ice cube (adjust the ratio for your tastes), at this point I use caramel, chocolate, or some other flavored syrup to both flavor & sweeten pulse blend & listen for no more ice cubes bouncing around (time in between pulses allows 4 remaining chunks to sink back down), at the end give it about a 3 to 5 second 'on' blend...if it's too liquidy use less 'liquids' next time. But if you don't get enough liquids in the blender it's harder to get ice cubes blended. These make about 12 oz glasses of Frap.

Or find big cans of Cafe D'Vitta at Sam's or Costco (they have caramel, chocolate,...flavors) same directions as coffee drink except add 1 scoop (scoop that comes with it) and then add milk, blend (only use mix, ice, and milk. no reason to add flavors or coffee, unless of course, you want to). They are great 4lb canisters of the mix.  By the time you figure out how many Fraps this $10 canister of powder mix makes, it is WELL WORTH IT!

Additional things I do: Add more caramel sauce to it, Mexican or regular chocolate sauce, a few coffee beans to the blender for speckled look, add peanut butter, find the Dulce De Leche sauce in 'select' grocery stores...yum.

In my professional 'making and drinking' opinion, powders work better than flavored syrups to thicken Fraps and improve taste...Using powdered creamer IS NOT A GOOD IDEA, you will soon become tired of the 'taste' that comes from powdered creamer, try using some powdered milk.



Smoothies:
For quick smoothies use the same amount of ice cubes and 8 to 12 ounces of flavored yogurt.  Use vanilla or plain yogurt and add fresh fruits for a more customized taste.

Steal lots of BIG STRAWS - (McD's or Coffee Shop straws) haven't found that they sell the big ones in any stores yet so I just get a few each time I am at Starb*cks, Pete's, or McD's

This is not definitive...just a quick guide for my friends who asked. If you have a coffee shop friend get him to let you 'have' big buckets of Big Train powder mix.

Do you like to Pickle Things?

Do you like to pickles things? This is an easy experiment I think you will like.  If you have a certain favorite pickle or pickled vegetable that you buy at the store then after eating all the contents inside the jar save the 'pickling' juice or liquid.

You can then experiment by adding more cucumber or other vegetables back to the liquid and give it a good 5 to 7 days back in the refrigerator before trying/eating your newest pickled treat.

Additional things you can do:

1. add more herb/spices or hot pepper or two


2. use a 'shot' of a different kind of vinegar to enhance the taste; cider, wine, balsamic, rice, seasoned vinegar.  But be prepared to accept that it may just make it taste worse!


3. add some MORE garlic or shallots (or another vegetable) to increase a certain taste you like


4. add sugar (honey, brown, cane...) of some sort to make it a bit sweeter

I can't guarantee to do all of this will make it taste better, that's up to you to figure out.  Usually, we (my wife and I) only refill the jar once after the original purchase, water does come out of the new ingredient(s) so the concentration of pickling gets diluted.  It also works better when the cucumbers are cut or sliced.

Just thought I might give you a new idea to play around with without getting too scientific about it!  And yes this is the cheater version of the already easy Refrigerator Pickles.

Did you know we also post videos?

Our goal is a weekly video post (or more) on simple "cookin" preparations for a variety of foods. We would love to hear from you! Email us at showtime@tyronebcookin.com

My Top 5 Eating Out Tips (@Home & Vacation)

Lets talk a bit about accommodations while on vacation, then we will get right back to the food!  If you are wavering between paying for a vacation rental or hotel, I suggest a rental.  I have found from online research that nice rentals from beach-side homes to inner city condominiums are usually cheaper or at least comparable to hotel/motel/resort accommodations.  And usually come with some of the same extras: pool, free WiFi, cable or satellite, free movie channels, local calls...You get the point.

Why does this come into play?  You can cook your dinners at the rental.  And by that I mean the evening meals (evening meals cost more at restaurants).  Also (non food related) if you have kids and/or babies you can put them to bed in a separate room!  With families it seems that hotels only REALLY provide a place to sleep, then you need to get out and about before someone gets hurt! ~ But let me get back to the eating part...

Grill your pizza!

Love that pizza oven pizza? Want to cook great 7 minute pizzas at 600 plus degrees(F) and not heat up your home?

I certainly didn't originate the idea but I do use the concept to the fullest!

Buy a pizza stone. I use the square one. Probably the best price is on sale at your local Walmart, Target, or Bed Bath & Beyond. Sometimes Pampered Chef has good sales on them.

Deep Fried Macaroni and Cheese

Terrible. I know its just terrible to make something so good and fattening and deep fry it for even more flavor. But what was also terrible is the recipes that I found when I googled deep fried macaroni and cheese. Some wrote about frying it in a skillet and adding ingredients and some wrote recipes that I believe they never tried like; use (a national known brand of) frozen macaroni and cheese and scoop it out of the foil package and bread it with white bread crumbs? How do you 'scoop' frozen macaroni and cheese? And just how did they bread it without a binder and being frozen? Terrible.

The recipes that sound good give you no pictures. And one recipe goes so far as to add meat, tomato, and...now how is that macaroni and cheese?

Train Birthday Cake (Estevam turns ONE!)

Recently I was talking with a friend about cakes and using fondant and it reminded me of a time in West Africa that I had to make my own...

Friends of mine, Tatyana & Rodrigo, had their sons’ first birthday while we were working with Mercy Ships aboard the Africa Mercy and Tatyana asked me to help with the cake.  Well I looked at some of the illustrations that she sent me by email from Internet pictures and I said, ‘Is this all you want?  You want me to do the whole cake?  I got a bigger idea…’

Of course Tatyana probably had so much more to worry about getting her child’s first party together so she freely gave up that project.