General Chat Thread II

sammyjo90

Dial Hard wrote: »

You'd make carbonara quicker than you'd cook a frozen pizza. Sure all it takes is the pasta cooking time.

Ahh you have to weigh up the making it vs bung it the oven and forget about it for 20 mins

I didnt end up having it last night. Super stressful day at work and only got lunch at half 5 so ended up having toast and marmite..i shall have to have it a day later

BaZmO*

Dial Hard wrote: »

You'd make carbonara quicker than you'd cook a frozen pizza. Sure all it takes is the pasta cooking time.

It was very late and too heavy a dinner to have that late. Didn’t fancy the clean up either.

New Home

PARlance wrote: »

Just had another dinner via the slow cooker. I think I'm going to have to make it have an accident.

Herself unearthed it a few months ago and I've grown to hate the bloody thing (the slow cooker).

Tasteless beef soaked in watery curry was the last straw.

L1011

PARlance wrote: »

Just had another dinner via the slow cooker. I think I'm going to have to make it have an accident.

Herself unearthed it a few months ago and I've grown to hate the bloody thing (the slow cooker).

Tasteless beef soaked in watery curry was the last straw.

90% of use cases for a dedicated slow cooker have superior results with a high heat density (that's not the right term, but basically cast iron. Please cancel my engineering degree as I can't remember the right term.) casserole dish and an oven on low. Actually, it could be higher.

PARlance

L1011 wrote: »

90% of use cases for a dedicated slow cooker have superior results with a high heat density (that's not the right term, but basically cast iron. Please cancel my engineering degree as I can't remember the right term.) casserole dish and an oven on low. Actually, it could be higher.

I'd imagine it is higher. Wet papery meatballs soaked in 5 hour needlessly cooked passata was another one.

I'll cut the wires.

Faith

PARlance wrote: »

I'd imagine it is higher. Wet papery meatballs soaked in 5 hour needlessly cooked passata was another one.

I'll cut the wires.

I mean, I'm no particular fan of a slow cooker, but why would you cook meatballs in it? They cook quite quickly! Does it add anything to do a long slow cook?

I haven't had a slow cooker in over 3 years and I definitely haven't missed it. I initially just used my oven, and now use an instant pot for anything that I would have used a slow cooker for in the past.

the beer revolu

Faith wrote: »

I mean, I'm no particular fan of a slow cooker, but why would you cook meatballs in it? They cook quite quickly! Does it add anything to do a long slow cook?

I haven't had a slow cooker in over 3 years and I definitely haven't missed it. I initially just used my oven, and now use an instant pot for anything that I would have used a slow cooker for in the past.

There seem to be a thing where people want to use their slow cooker for absolutely everything.

Can I do roast beef in my SC?
Can I make pancakes in my SC?
Can I do toast in my SC??

Often, while possible to do various things in it, I wonder, why bother?
What is the advantage? Will it be better?

Alun

the beer revolu wrote: »

There seem to be a thing where people want to use their slow cooker for absolutely everything.

Can I do roast beef in my SC?
Can I make pancakes in my SC?
Can I do toast in my SC??

Often, while possible to do various things in it, I wonder, why bother?
What is the advantage? Will it be better?

It was the same with microwaves when they first became popular, then pressure cookers, and now it's slow cookers, air fryers and those whizz-bang-cook-everything-instant-pot thingummies.

Dial Hard

the beer revolu wrote: »

There seem to be a thing where people want to use their slow cooker for absolutely everything.

Can I do roast beef in my SC?
Can I make pancakes in my SC?
Can I do toast in my SC??

Often, while possible to do various things in it, I wonder, why bother?
What is the advantage? Will it be better?

I left a slow cooker group after about 2 days because of this nonsense. The question some people should be asking isnt "Can I cook X in my slow cooker?" but *Should* I?

Dizzyblonde

I have to admit that my slow cooker has been idle for the past year or more too.

The Nal

Yeah I don't really get the slow cooker thing. How is it different from an oven and a dutch oven?

Gloomtastic!

Before we were confined to the house, I'd use the slow cooker at least a couple of time a week. If you have a busy afternoon ahead, prep the dinner in the morning, stick it in the SC and 6pm dinner time!

It's all in the planning.

Muahahaha

54and56 wrote: »

The hunt for Strong White Flour has been well and truly solved - https://collect.pallasfoods.com/millers-best-bakers-strong-flour-1x16-kg-490069.html

Picked up a bag this morning. Serious value for €10. This will keep me going for a while!!

That Pallas site has some interesting stuff on it in the wild game section like venison and wild boar. Have it bookmarked for next winter.

the beer revolu wrote: »

There seem to be a thing where people want to use their slow cooker for absolutely everything.

Can I do roast beef in my SC?
Can I make pancakes in my SC?
Can I do toast in my SC??

Often, while possible to do various things in it, I wonder, why bother?
What is the advantage? Will it be better?

Yeah its the same with the Instant Pot. I watched a Youtube vid a few weeks back where she did a full chicken in the IP and then it came out all steamed up and yellowed looking like a gone off chicken. Then she goes and moves it to a hot oven to crisp it up anyway, seriously what was the point :rolleyes:

Seems there is a whole army of Youtube cooks who have gone down the IP recipe route so they just have to find more and more things to cook in it to keep their click revenues going. Doesnt matter if its suitable for it or not, its all about producing more and more content for clicks.

Lady Haywire

Hmmm there's a few stand out reasons I used a slow cooker-
*I cooked an old duck in it for 16 hrs, what would have been tough leather was fall off the bone amazing
*Shin beef stew to be ready on time for coming home from work.
*Throw in cheap joint at night, set to slow & next night nice tender meat.

TBH, I also got rid of mine, but I also have a solid fuel cooker so dunno why I thought a slow cooker was needed :pac: These days I just put something on at 11 & it's done whenever I'm hungry.

Mollyb60

Yeah I actually find the slow cooker very handy for just cooking my food during the day while I'm at work. Everything ready the night before, dump it all in before I leave for work and a dinner is ready when I get home. Chilli, bolognese, curry, stew. Anything that benefits from a few hours in a pot. I don't have time to be waiting for that in the evenings when I get home from work.

I've been using it recently to cook some crap chicken breasts we got in a multi pack. Awful quality, rotten texture. At least in the slow cooker I can shred them after a few hours of low and slow cooking and it's grand.

L1011

Got some shelf-stable premade pizza bases - Fitzgeralds - which are really just slightly thicker wheat tortillas. They were a qualified success really; when compared to my normal premade bases (Pizza da Piero)

The untoppinged bit of the crust gets extremely crispy but the centre section is fine and probably better if you have overly damp toppings than any other premade bases.

Planet X

.......first time to make yogurt.

Didn't have a thermometer either :pac::pac:
That'll do...

BaZmO*

Planet X wrote: »

.......first time to make yogurt.

Didn't have a thermometer either :pac::pac:
That'll do...

I'm doing something kinda similar. I've started a sour dough starter on Tuesday. I've done it before with mixed results. This time the first part uses natural yoghurt and milk for Day 1 and then flour on subsequent days. Should be ready to go by Tuesday!

rubadub

Planet X wrote: »

Didn't have a thermometer either :pac::pac:

You can just use a clean finger, at the upper limit of 46C I cannot tolerate it longer than about 10 seconds.

This seems to be a fairly standard test.

I keep checking the milk every little bit. And this is how I check- with clean hands, (scrubbed fingernails, too) I plunge my pinky finger well down into the middle of the milk. When I can comfortably hold my finger there for 5 seconds (1001, 1002, 1003...) then I figure the bacteria will be comfortable in there, too. Yep, I checked again with the thermometer and it registered very close to 110 degrees F. I have no recall of who first showed me this trick.

Once you make it you can freeze it in ice cubes and these can be used as starters. There is no need to buy yogurt powder culutres or any expensive stuff. Just get natural yogurt in a supermarket and make sure it says it contains live cultures.

I like it done for 24hours, more probiotics and a real zing to it. Maybe try a small amount first, some thought it was too sharp tasting.

Planet X

Drank "Laban" for years when I worked in the Middle East....loved the tartness of it.
Trying to recreate.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leben_(milk_product)

Akin to buttermilk.........

All good for gut health.

L1011

Those pizza bases ^ did a good job today with fried mushrooms that could easily have overwhelmed a soggier base with the fat they were fried in. I think that's us changed over now.

Oven is awful but do use a stone; and have a proper pizza peel which makes the transfers so, so much easier. If you do a lot of home-made pizzas, you should really get a peel.

sharpish

L1011 wrote: »

Those pizza bases ^ did a good job today with fried mushrooms that could easily have overwhelmed a soggier base with the fat they were fried in. I think that's us changed over now.

Oven is awful but do use a stone; and have a proper pizza peel which makes the transfers so, so much easier. If you do a lot of home-made pizzas, you should really get a peel.

Made sourdough bread and I've sourdough pizza bases in the fridge. I love the da Piero pizza bases but, if this goes as well as the bread I'm totally making my own from now on. The breadmaker might be on adverts too soon.

The sourdough starter wasn't hard just patience I have link to a lad on youtube if anyone wants it.

IMG_4334.jpg

New Home

Yes please!

beertons

Jeez, I absolutely love the handiness of my slow cooker.

Job for today though is to try find out why there's a low flow of gas coming through. Changed the pipe, and the regulator, still low flame.

sharpish

New Home wrote: »

Yes please!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-n9yh5lDvts the only thing i'd say is i find his recipe makes two loaves instead of one but maybe I'm over kneading or proving too much. The bread tastes amazing. I used the dried fruit method, and i pick out any dried fruit and put it back into the starter so it's not in the bread. ( if i see them i don't put too much effort into that aspect)

Love to hear how people get on.

sharpish

beertons wrote: »

Jeez, I absolutely love the handiness of my slow cooker.

Job for today though is to try find out why there's a low flow of gas coming through. Changed the pipe, and the regulator, still low flame.

Why do i think washing up liquid is handy for this. I've a vague memory of my dad doing that.

beertons

sharpish wrote: »

Why do i think washing up liquid is handy for this. I've a vague memory of my dad doing that.

Tell me more.

BaZmO*

sharpish wrote: »

Why do i think washing up liquid is handy for this. I've a vague memory of my dad doing that.

You use soap solution to find leaks because essentially it’s sticky and it will stay on the pipe and form bubbles wherever the leak is. The soap is not needed if you can immerse the item into a container of water like a bike tyre inner tube.

Muahahaha

Has anyone seen arborio rice about anywhere? Been on the lookout for it for almost 3 weeks now in Aldi and Supervalue and its not showing up. Have always been meaning to make risotto and for once I have shallots in stock but cant find the dam rice

New Home

1. You don't need shallots to make risotto, onions are absolutely fine.
2. Tesco usually has it. Not sure about Dunnes. Sometimes Supervalu has it, too, but not in the "general" rice section, it's in the Italian foods section. Or try in the Polish shops. BTW, Carnaroli is equally good for risotto, in case you find that one.