# Mythic Scribes Thread of Cooking!



## Xaysai (Jan 5, 2013)

Tonight I am making baked ziti with breadsticks.

Also, since Olive Garden makes my favorite salads, I am going to recreate it with olive Garden Salad Dressing and the the same ingredients OG puts in their salad.

What do you like to cook?


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## T.Allen.Smith (Jan 5, 2013)

I love to cook.

Italian, Chinese, Mexican, Thai, Indian...pretty much anything really.

I make a mean scallopini, enchiladas, Tom-tum style soup, General Tso's chicken, rubbed ribs....lots of different things depending on the mood.

I really enjoy hosting dinner parties and cooking all day for that great few hours with friends.


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## Sparkie (Jan 5, 2013)

Xaysai said:


> What do you like to cook?



Italian and Mexican, mostly.  I make a lot of pasta.  I mean, *a lot* of pasta.

I like to use a lot of vegetables in my pasta dishes.  Don't need sauce.  Just throw in zuccini, asparagus and squash with some penne.  I use extra virgin olive oil and a splash of red wine vinegar, no butter.  Add just a little garlic, basil, oregano to taste.  Mmm.  I'm hungry now.


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## GregorsMentor (Jan 5, 2013)

I'm a terrible cook, but I do enjoy baking bread.  

I make a pretty mean french bread.


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## Xaysai (Jan 5, 2013)

T.Allen.Smith said:


> I love to cook.
> 
> Italian, Chinese, Mexican, Thai, Indian...pretty much anything really.
> 
> ...



Well, I guess we know who is hosting the Mythic Scribes dinner party!


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## Reaver (Jan 5, 2013)

Xaysai said:


> What do you like to cook?



Anything I find in my fridge that can be nuked in the microwave.


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## Ireth (Jan 5, 2013)

Crepes. My grandma had an amazing recipe that she passed down to me years ago, and I've made them dozens of times. They're amazing with bananas and custard inside, and topped with whipped cream and pancake syrup. Or you can fill them with brown sugar and a splash of heavy cream. Or... well, anything, really. They're really versatile that way.


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## Xaysai (Jan 5, 2013)

Ireth said:


> Crepes. My grandma had an amazing recipe that she passed down to me years ago, and I've made them dozens of times. They're amazing with bananas and custard inside, and topped with whipped cream and pancake syrup. Or you can fill them with brown sugar and a splash of heavy cream. Or... well, anything, really. They're really versatile that way.



That sounds delicious, Ireth.

However, now I have Radiohead stuck in my head.



> But I'm a creep, I'm a weirdo
> What the hell am I doing here?
> I don't belong here


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## Jess A (Jan 5, 2013)

Ireth said:


> Crepes. My grandma had an amazing recipe that she passed down to me years ago, and I've made them dozens of times. They're amazing with bananas and custard inside, and topped with whipped cream and pancake syrup. Or you can fill them with brown sugar and a splash of heavy cream. Or... well, anything, really. They're really versatile that way.



Are you going to share this recipe with us?  

----

I enjoy cooking sometimes. I don't eat any red meat or chicken so I usually make fish or veg dishes. I make a fantastic veg lasagna that my mother and I came up with. It's fairly basic but delicious. 

Homemade pizza is awesome, too. I sometimes make gourmet-type ones but sometimes just basic ones. Plus fresh salmon with paprika and a bit of butter - baked in the oven. Also like to bake - cakes and muffins etc. Apple crumble is delicious, too. I use a very basic old recipe and add chia seeds to the stewed apple, and sometimes add other stuff to the crumble (like powdered seeds/nuts, or walnuts). I only ever use honey to stew the apples - never sugar, because I prefer the taste of sharp Australian honey. Can add raisins/sultanas to the apple.

I can also make a very good curry and pasta sauce - these can be frozen in bulk and therefore easy to make whenever I please. Curry can be eaten with rice or put into puff pastry to make curry puffs. So convenient.


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## CupofJoe (Jan 6, 2013)

Crispy Salmon Stir Fry is my latest creation. I've been trying to eat healthy, well, for health reason. [The secret is the Matso crumbs]
I used to make a Rogan Josh Curry where the Lamb melted in your mouth... and damn it now I'm hungry...


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## Chilari (Jan 6, 2013)

All my best recipes are currently disallowed: no bake lemon cheese cake, muffins, bacon carbonara. Even brie and crisp sandwiches. Damn diet.

My best recipe that is allowed would be special fried rice. Onion, spring onion, peas (or petit pois), mangetout, pine nuts, egg and rice. Peas straight from the freezer, no boiling first. I used to do it with bacon but that's not allowed at the moment. I suppose chicken would be allowed.


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## Sheilawisz (Jan 6, 2013)

I know that cooking is fun, cheaper and healthier than getting your food from the Mall or somewhere else, but after years of dealing with my parents' cooking madness (guess who was cleaning all their mess everyday?) I have developed an awful phobia of cooking and cleaning...

When I watch a cooking show on TV I cannot think of how good everything looks and how delicious it must be... All I can think watching that is: _Who is going to clean all of that? What the heck, poor cleaning person!!_

Now that I live alone there is no stove in my house and no cooking and no cleaning, but before I used to enjoy baking cookies, simple bread and homemade pizza =)

I would perhaps like to get a stove and cook again, simple things like pasta, popcorn and lentils soup... Let me think about it... No thanks, screw it!!

Microwave stuff and Mall food for me...


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## Phietadix (Jan 7, 2013)

I like cooking soup and . . . mainly just soup.


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## Steerpike (Jan 7, 2013)

I like cooking just about anything. My favorites are a variety of Mexican dishes. I made carnitas last night. Good stuff.


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## Sparkie (Jan 7, 2013)

Sheilawisz said:


> Microwave stuff and Mall food for me...



I can sympathize.  My crazy work schedule sometimes leaves me without time or energy to make the foods I love.  I get take out more than I should.  And you're right, Sheilawisz, the cleanup is almost never fun.

Still, I feel better after I make something myself, even before I eat it.  It's relaxing.


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## Jess A (Jan 8, 2013)

CupofJoe said:


> Crispy Salmon Stir Fry is my latest creation. I've been trying to eat healthy, well, for health reason. [The secret is the Matso crumbs]



That sounds nice, with the added crispiness. I usually just make a very basic stir fry with a lot of vegetables and flavoured using garlic and onion and olive oil. Then I throw a slab of baked salmon on top. So good!


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## Ghost (Jan 8, 2013)

I like cooking, but I hate prep work.

Savory: spaghetti (with oil and garlic or with homemade spaghetti sauce), macaroni and cheese, baked rottini, sweet potato stew, steaks marinated in chimichurri, chile, sopapaillas, pad see ew, Chinese chicken salad, stir fries. I'm trying to perfect a Chicago-style pizza, but I can't figure out the crust.

I prefer sweets, though. I make whole wheat crÃªpes and pancakes, Swiss rolls, cookies, granola, baked apples, rhubarb cobbler, lemon bread, and baklava. I like making desserts with berries. I'm pining after a tart pan! Baking is my favorite because I find it very relaxing.



Sheilawisz said:


> When I watch a cooking show on TV I cannot think of how good everything looks and how delicious it must be... All I can think watching that is: _Who is going to clean all of that? What the heck, poor cleaning person!!_



I'm not a very tidy person, but I think the same thing when I watch certain cooks on TV.


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## Jess A (Jan 8, 2013)

Ghost said:


> I'm not a very tidy person, but I think the same thing when I watch certain cooks on TV.



Hmm...there is an 'art' to efficient cooking. Having things ready at the same time requires some planning/timing. I clean whenever waiting for something. I clean as I go. And I clean up before I start cooking and I empty the dishwasher and the sink. I hate cleaning up as well, so I find that if I clean as I go, or whilst something is cooking, I can relax and eat without thinking about cleaning up later. Or having to clean everything at once.


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## Ghost (Jan 8, 2013)

Someone needs to get this information to Ina Garten!


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## Aidan of the tavern (Jan 11, 2013)

I do feel sorry for those of you who have to rely on ready meals.

As for me I'm pescetarian (I eat fish now and again, but strictly no meat).  My family has a great tradition of vegetarian home cooking which is great.  I'm not the most frequent cook in the family, but I'm more than happy to step in.  When it comes to birthday meals I'm the unnoficial cake maker now, and there's often demand for me to make a huge bowl of Greek salad, complete with feta cheese, olives and a decent dressing.


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## Chilari (Jan 11, 2013)

I am super hungry right now. I've been dieting for 11 days and eaten mostly quite simple things. I've had noodle soup a couple of times - Heinz tomato soup with noodles in them (an old student recipe of mine) and I bulk cooked some chicken stir fry with onions, spring onions, peas, pine nuts and chicken last week which lasted me three meals. I've had a couple of chicken, lettuce and cucumber sandwiches too. And boy am I ever sick of it. I want brie, I want bacon, I want satay beef with egg fried rice from the Chinese. I want garlic chibatta. Carbonara. _Chocolate_.

Can anyone suggest some simple, preferably vegetarian meals (or at least involving some sort of lean meat, no bacon at the very least), that I could have a go at? I'm a bit fussy with some veg, but fine with carrots, peas, onions, spring onions, sweetcorn, minicorn, mangetout, potatoes and most beans (just not runner). Don't eat seafood of any shade. I need something simple to cook, healthy and tasty. Or is that one of those "pick two" things?

In return I will post my no-bake lemon cheese cake later on. It is delicious. Seriously. I made one for the office Christmas/charity buffet lunch in December and it was the first dessert to be completely eaten.


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## Jess A (Jan 12, 2013)

Chilari said:


> Can anyone suggest some simple, preferably vegetarian meals (or at least involving some sort of lean meat, no bacon at the very least), that I could have a go at? I'm a bit fussy with some veg, but fine with carrots, peas, onions, spring onions, sweetcorn, minicorn, mangetout, potatoes and most beans (just not runner). Don't eat seafood of any shade. I need something simple to cook, healthy and tasty. Or is that one of those "pick two" things?



You could make roast potato (maybe roast pumpkin and carrot if you fancy). This fills me up. And with it, you can put some boiled corn, peas, carrots etc. I often steam asparagus, cauliflower, broccoli or broccolini to eat with the roast veg. To roast the veg I cut them up, then soften them in the microwave first. After, I brush with olive oil and put salt, pepper and some herbs. You can really use whatever you like. Add a nice steamed corn, or mini corns.

Stuffed potatoes are great, too, and very easy. You don't have to use cheese (I couldn't go without). You can add your favourite vegetables and some salsa dip or tomato-based stuff. Peppers are good fillers. 

Something my mum makes sometimes is roast potato with tomato, onion and zucchini/eggplant - in the oven. The tomato she uses is normally just whole tinned tomatoes. She cuts the potato up, softens it, then tosses it into a baking dish with the tomatoes all over it, cut up onions, and whatever else (can add whatever you like, really).

Another option is a Rogan Josh curry with the mentioned veg. Mushrooms and potatoes will fill you up if added. I make it in bulk and freeze portions.

Course, you can just make a salad with all of that stuff and eat it with lean meat!


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## Xaysai (Jan 25, 2013)

Making baked macaroni and cheese casserole tonight with 3-cheese chicken sausage + breadcrumbs on top.

Woo-hoo!


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## Saigonnus (Jan 25, 2013)

I used to make stuffed potato skins a long while ago... like a taste of heaven. I used a similar recipe at home (I did it myself without a recipe) but I also put sauteed mushrooms in the center, under the cheese. 

Potato Skins Recipe
INGREDIENTS
•	6 small to medium sized russet baking potatoes (total 3 pounds)
•	Olive oil
•	Canola oil or grapeseed oil
•	Kosher salt
•	Freshly ground pepper
•	6 strips of bacon
•	4 ounces grated cheddar cheese
•	1/2 cup sour cream
•	2 green onions, thinly sliced, including the greens of the onions
METHOD
1 Scrub the potatoes clean then bake the potatoes using your favorite method, either oven or microwave. If using an oven, rub with olive oil and bake in a 400Â°F oven for about an hour until the potatoes are cooked through and give a little when pressed. If using a microwave, rub all over with olive oil and cook on the high setting for about 5 minutes per potato. I have found that baking the potatoes in a conventional oven yields potatoes that are easier to work with (cut and scoop out), the potato seems to adhere to the skins a little better, but there is hardly a discernible difference in the final product.
2 While the potatoes are cooking, cook the bacon strips in a frying pan on medium low heat for 10 to 15 minutes, or until crisp. Drain on paper towels. Let cool. Crumble.
 3 Remove the potatoes from the oven and let cool enough to handle. Cut in half horizontally. Use a spoon to carefully scoop out the insides, reserving the scooped potatoes for another use, leaving about 1/4 of an inch of potato on the skin.
Increase the heat of the oven to 450Â°F. Brush or rub grapeseed oil or canola oil (or another high smoke point oil) all over the potato skins, outside and in. Sprinkle with salt. Place on a baking rack in a roasting pan (don't use a cookie sheet, it will warp, use a roasting pan or broiler pan that can take the heat). Cook for 10 minutes on one side, then flip the skins over and cook for another 10 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool enough to handle.
4 Arrange the potato skins skin-side down on the roasting pan or rack. Sprinkle the insides with freshly ground black pepper, cheddar cheese, and crumbled bacon. Return to the oven. Broil for an additional 2 minutes, or until the cheese is bubbly. Remove from oven. Use tongs to place skins on a serving plate. Add a dollop of sour cream to each skin, sprinkle with green onions.


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## FatCat (Feb 11, 2013)

Don't know if this counts as cooking, but double-brewed coffee is amazing; and simple! If you have the standard Mr. Coffee machine, simply brew a light batch, then pour the coffee into the water reservoir. Add a stronger amount of grinds atop those already in the filter, and brew again. The result is a super-rich coffee that has a pretty strong cocoa flavor. Try it!


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## Zero Angel (Feb 12, 2013)

Xaysai said:


> Tonight I am making baked ziti with breadsticks.
> 
> Also, since Olive Garden makes my favorite salads, I am going to recreate it with olive Garden Salad Dressing and the the same ingredients OG puts in their salad.
> 
> What do you like to cook?



  gahhhhhhh, baked ziti sounds sooooo goooooood -_-

CURSE YOU

(...do I have to say I don't literally mean, "curse you", but rather was bemoaning the thought of yummy baked ziti when I am presently famished and blaming Xaysai for that particular predicament (although not maliciously! (how many parentheses do you think I will open before I'm done? (parentheses in general are rather interesting, specifically how we use brackets in math to differentiate between parentheses ( braces can also be used...))))) 
PS I always like a parenthesis!


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## Zero Angel (Feb 12, 2013)

FatCat said:


> Don't know if this counts as cooking, but double-brewed coffee is amazing; and simple! If you have the standard Mr. Coffee machine, simply brew a light batch, then pour the coffee into the water reservoir. Add a stronger amount of grinds atop those already in the filter, and brew again. The result is a super-rich coffee that has a pretty strong cocoa flavor. Try it!



...Seriously? What's a "stronger amount"? Just a coating? Twice as much? Half again as much?

(As you can tell, I'm someone that seriously needs more coffee in his life).


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## Nihal (Feb 12, 2013)

FatCat said:


> Don't know if this counts as cooking, but double-brewed coffee is amazing; and simple! If you have the standard Mr. Coffee machine, simply brew a light batch, then pour the coffee into the water reservoir. Add a stronger amount of grinds atop those already in the filter, and brew again. The result is a super-rich coffee that has a pretty strong cocoa flavor. Try it!



Here our coffee is already strong enough. *grins*


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## Phietadix (Feb 12, 2013)

Zero Angel said:


> gahhhhhhh, baked ziti sounds sooooo goooooood -_-
> 
> CURSE YOU
> 
> ...



Wow! I thought I overused parenthesis. Sorry off topic.


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## Sheilawisz (Feb 13, 2013)

Guess what...

I got my little electric stove two days ago and it's very nice, painted black with wooden parts, and it really packs a lot of heating power. I have already used it for the first time to cook a delicious spaghetti, and very soon I will try some lentils soup, rice and even my traditional stove popcorn!!

It looks like I will be saving a lot of money from now on =)


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## Anders Ã„mting (Feb 13, 2013)

I'm going to bake a whole bunch of cinnamon buns now.


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## FatCat (Feb 13, 2013)

Zero Angel said:


> ...Seriously? What's a "stronger amount"? Just a coating? Twice as much? Half again as much?
> 
> (As you can tell, I'm someone that seriously needs more coffee in his life).



To be honest usually I just do the standard amount you usually use for both brews, but my brother suggested using a lighter portion for the first brew.


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## Zero Angel (Feb 13, 2013)

FatCat said:


> To be honest usually I just do the standard amount you usually use for both brews, but my brother suggested using a lighter portion for the first brew.


Thank you! Can't wait to try it out (probably won't try a lighter portion...)

Aside: Diggin' the new avatar cat.


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## FatCat (Feb 14, 2013)

Zero Angel said:


> Thank you! Can't wait to try it out (probably won't try a lighter portion...)



Yeah my brother is a crazy person.



Zero Angel said:


> Aside: Diggin' the new avatar cat.



Stayin' fresh my man.


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## Jess A (Feb 15, 2013)

Anders Ã„mting said:


> I'm going to bake a whole bunch of cinnamon buns now.



You can drop those at my place tonight if you like  How kind of you.


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## Zero Angel (Feb 15, 2013)

FatCat said:


> Yeah my brother is a crazy person.



-_- ended up not going through with it. Unfortunately, I'm currently in a one coffeemaker only household and further research has implied that my coffeemaker may get the lines gunked up if not-water is added to the reservoir. As soon as I get an extra coffee maker for my office though...


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## Nihal (Feb 16, 2013)

Zero Angel said:


> -_- ended up not going through with it. Unfortunately, I'm currently in a one coffeemaker only household and further research has implied that my coffeemaker may get the lines gunked up if not-water is added to the reservoir. As soon as I get an extra coffee maker for my office though...



You could look for one of these and do it in the old way:


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## Zero Angel (Feb 16, 2013)

Nihal said:


> You could look for one of these and do it in the old way:



Thanks for the suggestion! Is that a type of percolator? I have an old one, but I don't care for the coffee it makes.


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## Steerpike (Feb 16, 2013)

I use a french press. That makes the best coffee, in my view.


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## Nihal (Feb 16, 2013)

I have no idea of what it is called in English. It's only a support where you can put the filter. You're going to boil the water and make the coffee yourself, but you won't have to worry about ruining the machine.


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