Apple Arcade's Food Thread

[apple arcade]

Not many of you know anything about me outside of this site... but I like to cook. Food is my thing. So I'm going to update this thread semi-daily with the stuff I cook. I'm more than happy to share recipes and techniques so if you see something you like, just ask.

Tonight's dinner:

Scallops, grape tomatoes, tarragon & butter w/fennel creme



A few other recent things.

Steak Au Poivre w/Haricot Verts & Pommes Tourne



Meatballs (w/lemon and zucchini) w/red pepper and onion "spaghetti"

[Skykid]

Great idea and well done, these dishes look superb!

Can I please get the recipe and instructions for the Scallop dish cos damn, it's nearly 4am and that's making me hungry.

[apple arcade]

Great idea and well done, these dishes look superb!

Can I please get the recipe and instructions for the Scallop dish cos damn, it's nearly 4am and that's making me hungry.

Of course!

http://www.howtoeatlikeabird.com/how_to ... llops.html

Only changes from above were that the Scallops were seasoned with salt, pepper, and a pinch of cayenne, cooked in canola oil not butter and I reserved a little bit of the butter (strained of the remaining shallots) to make a roux to thicken up the fennel creme (simple fennel frawns steeped in creme)

The tomato small dice garnish is a roma concasse'd.

[Specineff]

Daaaayum.

x100

[Acid King]

Scallops look good. I baked them last time I made them, though I like searing them like that more.

[Obiwanshinobi]

Thread.
Actually I'm just cooking two meals at once (sort of pancakes and sort of potato salad). Not quite like a man, but man, am I still in charge.

[Skykid]

Great idea and well done, these dishes look superb!

Can I please get the recipe and instructions for the Scallop dish cos damn, it's nearly 4am and that's making me hungry.

Of course!

http://www.howtoeatlikeabird.com/how_to ... llops.html

Only changes from above were that the Scallops were seasoned with salt, pepper, and a pinch of cayenne, cooked in canola oil not butter and I reserved a little bit of the butter (strained of the remaining shallots) to make a roux to thicken up the fennel creme (simple fennel frawns steeped in creme)

The tomato small dice garnish is a roma concasse'd.

Thanks I'll give this a shot. Might even take a pic if it doesn't turn out disastrously.

[apple arcade]

Lobster w/Parsley-Lemon Pesto, Fried Polenta w/White Wine Sauce, Tomato, Green Beans

Can you tell the counter has a slant?

[BPzeBanshee]

I guess I'm the only one that believes there should be large-size food on a large-size plate.

The stuff looks very good indeed! Do you work at a resturant at all?

[burgerkingdiamond]

making me hungry. I'm too lazy to cook for myself most of the time. My girlfriend won't cook for me right now because my apartment is a mess. When I move out in a couple months I won't have a roomate. Which means cleaner place, and home cooked meals for me.

[apple arcade]

I guess I'm the only one that believes there should be large-size food on a large-size plate.

The stuff looks very good indeed! Do you work at a resturant at all?

Nope. I'd like to though.

[Teufel_in_Blau]

Hah, I always wanted to know what Lolitraps like to eat. Just kidding.

Looks very delicious and professional.

I'm working as a waiter for some 5 stars restaurants and I have to tell you that this stuff looks exactly like the stuff I have to serve. Good work, really.

[Skykid]

God this thread makes me hungry.

[chempop]

Damn dude, I'm really impressed - your dishes look incredible, can't imagine how great they smell and taste too! Unless you are are some kinda mutant I'd imagine that a fancy resaraunt would hire you in a heartbeat. Your friends or family or whoever you cook for are really lucky.

[BPzeBanshee]

I guess I'm the only one that believes there should be large-size food on a large-size plate.

The stuff looks very good indeed! Do you work at a resturant at all?

Nope. I'd like to though.

I hear fancy resturants are quite analtight about documented past experience, but if you ever did make it to a good resturant as a chef you should let us know so that I can start scouring Iron Chef Japan to see your meals.

[xris]

I guess I'm the only one that believes there should be large-size food on a large-size plate.

The stuff looks very good indeed! Do you work at a restaurant at all?

Nope. I'd like to though.

Careful now.. I cook for a living, it's not what people expect at all. In fact it is very unpleasant. It's a fast pace, high stress job. Almost all restaurants violate the most basic labor laws. I'll work a nine hour shift, and I'll be lucky if I get 15 minutes of break time spread out through the shift. I do get lots of free food, but I have to eat standing up. And, if something comes up, I'm expected to set it aside and attend to it. No lunch break, ever. If I get an hour or two of overtime my employer will not pay me for it. Had a very busy night of nonstop work? Well, now you have to scrub EVERYTHING, and sweep and mop the floor. It must be spotless before you leave.
It pays in peanuts.
It attracts the wrong type of people. Are you really aware of the type of people that cook your food? Trust me you don't want to know. I'm one of the very few that cares about what I'm doing, but that is only because of my personality. We've been getting applications from older men that have never cooked before because they are now unemployed, and think it will be an easy job. Last year we hired an accountant in his late twenties. The job chewed him up and spit him out, he barely lasted two months.
Do you like getting hurt? Cut, scraped, bruised, burned, scratched, strained, scalded. That's just in a few hours, you still have the rest of the day to go. Fun fact: I chopped the hell out of my finger this morning. Instead of my boss asking if I was alright, he got mad because it was inconvenient to him. Trust me, if this had happened to me at an office I would have been sent home on the spot. It's still bleeding now, a few hours later, prolly could use two or three stitches to hold the big ass flap of skin in place. But, I am expected to tape it up and keep working.. Luckily I'm really good about pain, all fakir and shit. Fun fact: I got two stitches though my finger nail about ten years ago, cut it at work. They did a nerve block, and it was the most painful experience of my life.
Don't work in a restaurant, it's not fun.

Your food does look fantastic! So many people think cooking is magic. But, it is the most valuable skill you can ever learn. I cook for my self at home every day, learning how to do it professionally has made it very easy for me. With practice just about anybody can learn how to make simple dishes cheaply.
Keep it up, and just do it for fun! It's cathartic and rewarding.

[apple arcade]

Shrimp BLT's



RE:xris' post.

I'm aware and somewhat weathered in the culinary industry. I've had several jobs and have done everything from line cook to dishwasher. Hell, one place I did both positions in same shift so they could keep hours down. Cook during the rush, then do the dish pit when it came timhe to scrub the rest of the kitchen at the end of every night. Violate labor laws, that's the truth and a half. LOL I don't mind being burned, in fact during culinary school I burned my hands as much as possible, just to kill off some of the nerves in my hands. Now I can grab a lot of things that others need a tongs or a hot pad for. It saves time. This industry is what I do. ...I'm not employed currently though. Life kind of got in the way. Can't wait to get back into it though.

Also, I see where your Chef is coming from. People come into places fresh from school or whatever and think they know how to do this this and that and then turn around and cut themselves. Cuts happen, as long as it's not from your knife, you're in good shape. I've been cut on cardboard, hotel pans, aluminum foil, lol just about every dull object you can imagine.

I agree with you on the high stress factor, I've had bosses that yell and do everything they can to make you feel like shit. In fact, I even got in trouble once because I don't get stressed out like most people. My boss went off "You act like everyvthings fine and you're in control and you slip up and act like nothing even happened" Apparently she was expecting me to make a big deal out of my mistakes and act like it's the end of the world instead of accepting and moving on. This particular mistake was over the thickness of fish batter.

[BPzeBanshee]

I agree with you on the high stress factor, I've had bosses that yell and do everything they can to make you feel like shit. In fact, I even got in trouble once because I don't get stressed out like most people. My boss went off "You act like everyvthings fine and you're in control and you slip up and act like nothing even happened" Apparently she was expecting me to make a big deal out of my mistakes and act like it's the end of the world instead of accepting and moving on. This particular mistake was over the thickness of fish batter.

Christ, I knew some Chefs were arrogant but that's just terrible. [Thank God I have no cooking talent and have no interest in resturants]

EDIT: Forgot to mention, your Shrimp BLTs look really good, even though I generally can't stand seafood I'd try that at first sight.

[apple arcade]

Arugula & Caprese Salad. Not happy with the way it looks, but very pleased with the taste. You can't see it but theres a balsamic reduction and basil oil.

[MR_Soren]

I'm not into seafood, but you made all of those dishes look fantastic. I think the Arugula & Caprese Salad looks especially delicious.

You can come cook at my place, and I promise I won't throw end-tables at your xbox

[TrevHead (TVR)]

Christ this thread makes me wanna get the old wok out, Ive been eating way too lazily for awhile now. Frozen Pizzas, pastry pies and chips and anything else that can be thown in the oven or deep fat fried with no effort. I still have a traditional sunday dinner with my ma and pa but the boilled veg is only palatable if I blather it with mint sauce. It was my hate of boiled veg that started me off with wok cooking and curries.

Ive never really tried proper european style cooking like those photos, I wouldnt know where to start.

[CMoon]

Can anyone recommend a good beginner's cookbook. You know, 100 great recipes anyone can cook, that kind of shit. Preferably not just how to make sloppy joes or some shit like that. In the brewing world, there are books that give simple recipes for award winning beers. Any thing like that for those of us who aren't pros in the kitchen (and have a limited amount of patience.)

Honestly, I may be one of the few people who started thinking more seriously about cooking because of brewing. If I'm willing to brew for 5 hours to make awesome beer, why not cook for an hour or two to make incredible food?

[Heartwork]

Reading this thread at 4AM was a bad call.

...brb, going to fridge.

[apple arcade]

Can anyone recommend a good beginner's cookbook. You know, 100 great recipes anyone can cook, that kind of shit. Preferably not just how to make sloppy joes or some shit like that. In the brewing world, there are books that give simple recipes for award winning beers. Any thing like that for those of us who aren't pros in the kitchen (and have a limited amount of patience.)

Honestly, I may be one of the few people who started thinking more seriously about cooking because of brewing. If I'm willing to brew for 5 hours to make awesome beer, why not cook for an hour or two to make incredible food?

Thomas Keller's Ad Hoc at Home.

Very useful and insightful, especially to those without formal or current training.

Don't let the price tag scare you off either. It's worth every penny.

[Blackbird]

My cooking talents largely extend to blackening meat on grills =D. Your food looks really delicious though. Can I come over for dinner?

[null1024]

I dunno why I keep looking inside this thread, I always come out feeling like I'm starving... -_-

[CMoon]

I just picked up a slow cooker today. I realize this is probably the opposite direction that Apple Arcade had in mind, but I was looking for a time/money saver since I often eat out/have frozen food, or really really simple cooking that is more like preparing shit from cans. The chili I made last night was delicious and totally worth the hour+ I spent cooking it.

Looking forward to the obvious beef stew...you know, the same beef stew that everyone makes with a crock pot. I love that shit!

[MR_Soren]

I just picked up a slow cooker today. I realize this is probably the opposite direction that Apple Arcade had in mind, but I was looking for a time/money saver since I often eat out/have frozen food, or really really simple cooking that is more like preparing shit from cans. The chili I made last night was delicious and totally worth the hour+ I spent cooking it.

Looking forward to the obvious beef stew...you know, the same beef stew that everyone makes with a crock pot. I love that shit!

BBQ pulled pork is another great crock pot meal.


Apple Arcade, I think I'm going to pick up that cookbook you mentioned. Looks great!

[P_HAT]

Holy shit, i luv this thread aldredy.

[RNGmaster]