foods you should learn to cook in your 20's or 50s LoL

[zombola]

. A Deliciously Melty Grilled Cheese
http://i.imgur.com/7yivUsq.jpg

Serious Eats has a great step-by-step slideshow of how to make the ultimate grilled cheese. The key tip is that you should toast one side of each slice, sandwich the cheese between those toasted sides, then toast the other sides.


hxxp://www.seriouseats.com/2013/04/how-to-make-the-best-grilled-cheese-sandwich-slideshow.html#show-319701

[zombola]

A Truly Perfect Roast Chicken
http://i.imgur.com/AujF8ug.jpg


Thomas Keller’s recipe calls for super-high heat, three ingredients — chicken, salt, and pepper — and teaches you essential techniques that will last a lifetime.

Three ingredients, butcher’s twine, and a roasting rack. Anything else and you’re just making things difficult.



It calls for three ingredients:
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1. First, let your chicken come to room temperature before you roast it.Take your chicken out of the fridge at least 45 minutes before you start roasting it. If it’s still refrigerator-cold when you put it in the oven, your cooking time will be longer, and your chicken won’t be as tender.


2. Don’t wash your chicken.
Rinsing your chicken just spreads gross raw chicken germs all over your sink. If you cook the meat to the proper temperature (165 degrees), any dangerous germs or bacteria will be killed anyway.


3. Preheat the oven to 450°F.
4. Dry your chicken REALLY WELL on the outside……AND on the inside.
Any excess moisture will create steam and actually make your chicken drier. So use paper towels to pat your chicken dry on the outside. Then, grab a few more paper towels and stick them inside the cavity; it’ll feel weird, and you’re going to pull out some gross gunk, but this step is absolutely essential to the awesomeness of your resulting chicken.

5. Next, sprinkle kosher salt and pepper inside the chicken cavity.
The salt that you sprinkle in the cavity will get absorbed into the meat from the inside, meaning that all of the meat will be flavorful, not just the outside surface.

6. Then you’re gonna truss your chicken, and it’s going to be so easy. Here’s how:
Cut a piece of butcher’s twine that’s about 24 inches long and lay your chicken on a cutting board, breast side up with the legs facing away from you.

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Put the center of the twine under the tail.
Cross the ends then loopback under around the legs and pull the string tight to bring the legs together.

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Flip your chicken over. Bring the twine around the sides, tucking in the wings.

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Trim the excess twine with scissors or your knife.

Flip your chicken back over, and you’re trussed!
7. Season the outside of your chicken with lots of salt and some pepper.
A 4-pound chicken will need about a tablespoon. Don’t just pour salt out of a container; use your hand to sprinkle salt all over the chicken to ensure that it’s evenly coated.
8. Place the chicken breast side up on a rack over a roasting pan.
9. Put it in the 450°F oven for 50–60 minutes.
Four hundred and fifty degrees is hot! Roasting your chicken at super high heat crisps the skin and cooks the meat as quickly as possible so that it doesn’t get dry.
10. No flipping, no basting, no checking on the chicken unless smoke starts pouring out.
First of all, opening your oven while the chicken is cooking will decrease the oven heat and increase cooking time. Flipping your bird is unnecessary when you’re roasting on a rack, since the heat is hitting all sides of the bird evenly. And basting? It can actually make the skin of your chicken soggy, since you’re likely basting with not only fat but also liquid.

11. Your chicken is done when its internal temperature is 165 degrees.
Insert your thermometer right between the breast and the thigh; this is the thickest part of the chicken. If you cook the chicken past 165 degrees, it will start to dry out and won’t be as flavorful as it could be.

12. Let your chicken sit on a cutting board for 15 minutes before removing the twine and carving.
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When your chicken is cooked, take it off the rack and set it on the cutting board, then wait 15 minutes before you do anything else. Letting the chicken “rest” gives the juices a chance to settle, so that they soak into your meat and flavor it, instead of just flowing out onto the cutting board.

[zombola]

Basic Roasted Veggies
http://i.imgur.com/7rsmgSd.jpg

Set the oven to 450°F, toss veggies with oil and kosher salt, spread out on a baking sheet so they aren’t too crowded, and roast until they look/taste good. The only trick is that you sort of have to understand which veggies take a little longer to cook — harder veggies like carrots, potatoes, broccoli, etc., take longer than soft mushrooms and tomatoes — so you’d cut those into smaller pieces so everything cooks at the same rate. Basic recipe below.


hxxp://www.tablefortwoblog.com/roasted-vegetables/

[zombola]

Fudgy Homemade Brownies
http://i.imgur.com/lGpH2Gg.jpg


Ingredients


1/3 cup Dutch cocoa
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons boiling water
2 ounces unsweetened chocolate, finely chopped
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
4 tablespoons butter, melted
2 large eggs plus 2 large yolks
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 -1/2 cups sugar
1 -3/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoons salt



Instructions


Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a 9×13 pan with cooking spray or line with parchment paper. Set the prepared pan aside for later use.
Whisk together the flour, sugar, and salt in a small bowl. Set aside.
Combine your cocoa and hot water in a large bowl. Whisk until incorporated. Stir in the unsweetened chocolate until melted and smooth.
Add the oil, butter, eggs, yolks and vanilla. Once the batter is smooth fold in the dry ingredients. Gently stir until just combined.
Spread your batter into your prepared pan. Smooth out with the back of a spoon. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.





TIPS for perfect brownies: 1. For a crispy top try dividing the whole eggs. Add the egg yolks where the eggs are called for in the recipe. Whip the whites and fold into the batter before pouring into the pan.
2. Use room temperature eggs.
3. Use parchment paper in your pan. This helps with easy clean up and also prevents them from sticking to the pan.
4. Keep a watchful eye on the bars. You want to catch them at just the right time. They might not look completely cooked, but that is the secret to a perfectly gooey brownie.

hxxp://onesweetappetite.com/2013/04/brownies/

[zombola]

Macaroni and Cheese From Scratch

http://i.imgur.com/LH9S1aJ.jpg

You don't even need a recipe.

Maybe you’re eating mac ‘n’ cheese out of a box right now. It’s probably great. But with just a tiny bit more effort, you could be having a hero’s meal.


Step 1: Salt your pasta water GENEROUSLY.

Before you put any pasta in it, the water should taste like the ocean. Just throw a small handful of kosher salt in there. But not too small — noodles absorb the water they’re being cooked in, so this is the best way to season them. Otherwise they’re just taking in tasteless water.
Step 2: Don’t overcook the noodles.
You can get a loose sense of how long they should cook from the directions on the package. But if you plan to bake the mac ‘n’ cheese — which is necessary to achieve any kind of crispy topping — don’t boil them all the way until tender. Instead, take them out a minute or two early while they are still toothsome.
Step 3: Make a real sauce.
This is the most important part (aside from salting the pasta water). Good mac ‘n’ cheese doesn’t come from shredding a bunch of cheese onto cooked pasta. You’re going to fold that pasta into a silky cheesy sauce.
1. Melt butter (like 4 Tbsp. or 1/2 a stick)
2. Add an equal amount of flour (so again, 4 Tbsp.)
3. Whisk to combine and cook for a few minutes so that flour doesn’t taste raw. Now you’ve got what is called a “roux” — equal parts butter and flour cooked together.
4. Add around 2.5 cups of milk or cream and whisk again. Watch it thicken and magically turn into sauce.

And that, sirs, is how to make bechamel sauce, one of the five mother sauces of
classic French cuisine. Technically it needs some grated nutmeg and white pepper to be a bechamel, but Jacques Pepin isn’t going to bust in and bitch slap you for skipping that part, should you choose to. (Although don’t you kind of wish he would?)


Step 4: Add spices and seasoning (this step’s optional).
This is an optional step, but a lot of people swear by adding a teaspoon of dried mustard at this point. You could also add cayenne for kick, paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, and/or Worcestershire sauce. Don’t go overboard, but play around with what you like.
Step 5: Temper egg yolks into the sauce (definitely optional).OK, this sounds hard, but it’s not. Adding egg to the sauce will make it delicious, but you can’t just throw a whisked egg yolk into a hot sauce or it will scramble. So you have to temper it. These great instructional images also come from Pioneer Woman’s recipe.

1. Separate the eggs from the whites. Just use your hands, you don’t need some crazy plastic bottle trick.2. Take a little of your hot bechamel and put it into a bowl of whisked egg.3. Whisk so that the egg heats up gently.4. Then dump the warm egg/bechamel mixture into the hot pot of bechamel, and whisk.Step 6: Add CHEEEEEESE (not optional).

Step 7: Now, really just add whatever you want.http://ak-hdl.buzzfed.com/static/enhanced/webdr04/2012/10/30/19/enhanced-buzz-13466-1351641475-15.jpg

Like….
Cooked bacon and caramelized onions

Step 8: Now combine your sauce with the pasta.
http://ak-hdl.buzzfed.com/static/enhanced/webdr04/2012/10/30/19/enhanced-buzz-13466-1351640106-8.jpg

Step 9: Put it in a thing that’ll go in your oven.
A cast-iron skillet, a casserole dish, a baking sheet — it honestly doesn’t matter, as long as it can go in the oven.
One thing to keep in mind with the vessel is exposed surface area.
Step 10: Next step is toppings. Good macaroni and cheese has cheese on top too.
For extra crunch you might use a combination that includes Parmesan.
http://ak-hdl.buzzfed.com/static/enhanced/webdr04/2012/10/31/13/enhanced-buzz-27114-1351704198-4.jpg

But for the most crunch, you’ll need breadcrumbs. This just means combining melted butterwith something crunchy.
Your options here are vast: regular breadcrumbs, sourdough bread chunks, panko breadcrumbs, ritz cracker breadcrumbs, ground up nachos. Go nuts.
Step 11: Sprinkle the crumbs on top then put it in a 375F oven for 20-25 minutes.
http://ak-hdl.buzzfed.com/static/enhanced/webdr04/2012/10/30/19/enhanced-buzz-12282-1351640596-21.jpg

[zombola]

Perfectly Seared Steak


http://i.imgur.com/PhjorWT.gif

By Christine Byrne
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The most delicious cut you could cook a BONE-IN RIB EYE.





Many people prefer FILET MIGNON for its elegance. It’s less fatty but still tender and delicious.




If you’re looking for something that’s less expensive but still has great flavor, go for a TOP SIRLOIN STEAK.



The best grade of steak is PRIME,


http://ak-hdl.buzzfed.com/static/2014-02/enhanced/webdr02/6/12/enhanced-10816-1391708970-5.jpg
Once you’ve procured your steak of choice, you will need kosher salt, freshly ground black pepper, oil/fat* (for cooking), a bunch of fresh thyme, and butter (to finish)…




…plus a 12-inch cast iron skillet*, tongs, a meat thermometer**, a spoon, a cutting board, and a very sharp chef’s knife.


Forty-five minutes before cooking, take your steak out of the fridge and dry it thoroughly with paper towels.



Then season it with LOTS of kosher salt, and some pepper.


Let your seasoned steak sit out at room temperature for 45 minutes.



Before you start the actual cooking, open all of your windows, turn your hood fan on, and figure out a way to keep your smoke alarm from going off (this is not a joke).


When you’re ready to cook (about 20 minutes before you’re ready to eat), put your cast iron skillet on a burner over high heat.



Dry your steak again with paper towels.



Add about 2 tablespoons of cooking oil to the pan.



Get it ripping hot before you even think about putting the steak in. Your pan is hot enough when the oil starts to just barely smoke. Use tongs to place your steak(s) in the pan, working away from yourself.


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You should see a couple of little wisps of smoke. Then it’s GO time! Lay down the end closest to you first, then carefully lower the other end into the pan. This way, if that sizzling-hot oil splashes or splatters, it won’t splatter right onto your skin.


Keeping the heat super high, let your steak cook for 2 minutes without touching it.



After 2 minutes, flip your steak and start to brown the other side.



Continue to flip every 2 minutes until your steak reaches an internal temperature of 120°F (rare). A 1½-inch-thick ribeye steak will get to 120°F in about 8 minutes.



A 1-inch-thick top sirloin steak will get to 120°F in about 6 minutes.


f you’re cooking a filet mignon, there are more than 2 sides (the top, the bottom, and the edges), so it’s a little more complicated.



To check the temperature of your steak, stick a meat thermometer in, diagonally, so that the tip of the thermometer is in the middle of the steak.



When your steak is at 120°F, it’s time to start basting.


To baste: Turn your heat down to medium, and add 3 tablespoons of unsalted butter to the pan.


Let the butter melt and just barely start to bubble, then add about 5 sprigs of thyme.



Then, baste the steak by spooning the melted butter over the top of it, repeatedly.


After a minute, flip the steak and keep basting.


Check the temperature of your steak again. It’s done when it’s at 130°F (the low end of medium-rare).



Now put your steak on the cutting board and let it rest for 10 minutes.



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After 10 minutes, your steak is ready to be sliced. If you cooked a rib eye, the first thing you need to do is cut the meat off of the bone.


Slice your steak against the grain. Your blade should be perpendicular to the wrinkly lines on the meat.


Cut slices half an inch thick, using a single downward stroke for each slice.



Transfer your meat to a serving platter or plate.



Arrange the slices on a serving platter, making sure to fan them out so that your valentine can appreciate the beauty of the perfect medium-rare.



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If desired, pour 1 to 2 tablespoons of the fat from the pan over the sliced steak.


http://ak-hdl.buzzfed.com/static/2014-02/enhanced/webdr06/5/17/enhanced-19059-1391640175-11.jpg

[zombola]

Flavorful French Bread Pizzas
http://s3.amazonaws.com/studio-me/system/photos/photos/000/797/543/large/19713661_l.jpg?1422894226


Flavorful French Bread Pizzas (serves 4)
Ingredients


2 loaves of French bread
4 cups mozzarella cheese
1 cup pizza sauce
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 cups chopped salami
2 red bell peppers
1 white onion
1 14 ounce can of whole kernel corn

Directions


Preheat oven to 425° F.
Slice bread in half along its length so that you have a long and flat top and bottom piece for each loaf.
Slice each piece in half again, this time short ways so that you have eight flat pieces.
Cover the top (what was the inside of the loaf) of each piece with olive oil.
Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and place your pieces of bread on top, olive oil side up.
Toast bread for 5 minutes.
Remove bread from oven and let cool.
Spread pizza sauce on top of each piece of French bread.
Sprinkle 1/2 cup or desired amount of cheese on top of your sauce.
Dice your red peppers and sprinkle them on top of the cheese.
Cut your white onion into long pieces and add the to your pizza.
Add salami and corn on top of your cheese.
Bake your pizzas for 10 minutes or until the bread begins to brown.



Note: If you plan on freezing them, wrap pizzas in plastic wrap instead of baking them. To reheat them, bake for 15-20 minutes at 425° F or until they bread begins to brown.

14. Remove from the oven and let cool.

[zombola]

Killer Guacamole
http://i.imgur.com/NA6Z1es.jpg


Authentic guacamole doesn’t have garlic or tons of lime juice in it. tons of both makes it heavenly, so add it anyway.) The most important thing is to choose avocados that are super ripe and salt aggressively.


CLASSIC GUACAMOLE
Guacamole tipico
Makes about 1 3/4 cups (this recipe can easily be doubled or quadrupled)
INGREDIENTS
2 tablespoons finely chopped white onion
1 tablespoon minced fresh serrano or jalapeño chile, including seeds, or more to taste
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, or 1/4 teaspoon fine salt
1/4 cup chopped cilantro, divided
1 large or 2 small ripe Mexican Hass avocados, halved and pitted


A squeeze of lime, if desired PREPARATION
Mash the onion, chile, salt (the coarseness of kosher salt helps you make the paste), and half of the cilantro to a paste in a molcajete or other mortar. You can also mince and mash the ingredients together on a cutting board with a large knife or a fork, and then transfer the paste to a bowl.
Score the flesh in the avocado halves in a crosshatch pattern (not through the skin) with a knife and then scoop it with a spoon into the mortar or bowl. Toss well, then add the rest of the cilantro and mash coarsely with a pestle or a fork. Season to taste with lime juice (if you’d like) and additional chile and salt.