Food and Recipes while under Coronavirus quarantine #6

[killarney rose]

That’s ok PN. I never pierce mine if baking in the regular oven. Just wrap them in foil and none have ever exploded.

 

[anneg]

Nope. I thought you pierced them when they were done. Ugh.

I'm tellin ya I'm the dumbest tater maker on the planet.

This article says "Bake potatoes in the oven for about 50 to 60 minutes at 425°F (220°C)." It also says to rub some olive oil on the potatoes, season the potatoes, and pierce them with a fork before baking.

Here’s How to Make an Absolutely Perfect Baked Potato Every Time

Cracked open and still steaming, it’s ready to receive anything from a sprinkle of cheese to last night’s stew.

www.thekitchn.com

I'll confess that I usually just microwave potatoes and I poke holes in them first.

 

[anneg]

Did you pierce the potatoes? We always use a fork to pierce baked potatoes so they don't explode. Three or four pokes allows the steam to escape. We set oven to 400* and bake potatoes for about an hour. DH is cooking my birthday dinner tonight: Grilled filet mignons with baked potatoes. Nice bottle of red wine, too.

What a excellent birthday dinner! Enjoy, and Happy Birthday to you!

 

[BetteDavisEyes]

Well, clearly my kitchen skills are lacking today.

The only time in probably a decade I want a cinnamon roll, I burn them.

I swear. I just need to buy a baked potato from the steakhouse going forward. I did these 2 in the oven. First one is fine, sat the other one down and it immediately exploded. I did them in the oven at 350 degrees for 90 minutes. At least I didn’t torch the microwave this time.

Zucchini, spinach & green bean quiche. It better taste good!

Spread some of that sweet icing on them and no one will be the wiser Your kitchen must smell wonderful!

 

[iamshadow21]

Well, clearly my kitchen skills are lacking today.

The only time in probably a decade I want a cinnamon roll, I burn them.

I swear. I just need to buy a baked potato from the steakhouse going forward. I did these 2 in the oven. First one is fine, sat the other one down and it immediately exploded. I did them in the oven at 350 degrees for 90 minutes. At least I didn’t torch the microwave this time.

Zucchini, spinach & green bean quiche. It better taste good!

We've been baking potatoes in the oven our whole lives (we're 42) and we had one explode on us exactly the same way about a month ago. My partner now stabs everything like she lives in the Bates Hotel. I don't... I figure we went decades eating potato without one exploding, it's probably not going to happen again any time soon.

 

[slowpoke]

Did you pierce the potatoes? We always use a fork to pierce baked potatoes so they don't explode. Three or four pokes allows the steam to escape. We set oven to 400* and bake potatoes for about an hour. DH is cooking my birthday dinner tonight: Grilled filet mignons with baked potatoes. Nice bottle of red wine, too.

 

[PayrollNerd]

Happy birthday BDE! That meal sounds delicious and I hope your evening is/was relaxing!

 

[Yesiamapirate]

Did you pierce the potatoes? We always use a fork to pierce baked potatoes so they don't explode. Three or four pokes allows the steam to escape. We set oven to 400* and bake potatoes for about an hour. DH is cooking my birthday dinner tonight: Grilled filet mignons with baked potatoes. Nice bottle of red wine, too.

Happy Birthday to you, BDE. What a great meal.

 

[Seni]

Happy Birthday BDE, love following this thread!

 

[PayrollNerd]

My veggie quiche was delicious and so was my exploded potato!

I roasted the extra zucchini. I added the usual kosher salt, white pepper, garlic & onion but tried Tyme too. I think it’s pretty good. It’s a nice side to go with the quiche. I sent kiddo home with a plate.

I forgot to check my Japanese Cucumber vine. It needs fertilizer I’m sure. The cucumbers are supposed to be 10” long and 1 of them seems to be. It was caught in the plastic I put up for the tendrils. The others have big bulbs at the ends. We’ve had a lot of rain and it’s been very cold for SWFL.

I bought a loaf of bread because I’m anticipating tomato sandwiches this week. Now I can have tomato & cucumber sandwich on toast with Romaine from the garden!! I don’t have any bacon but I don’t care.

 

[BetteDavisEyes]

Why one particular diet is found to be the best year after year

The Mediterranean diet, which emphasizes vegetables, fruit, seafood, olive oil, nuts and whole grains, is consistently shown to boost health and longevity.

www.nbcnews.com

Over years of research and diet rankings, one regimen has consistently been found to bring a host of health benefits, and it hasn’t fallen out of favor amid changing fads.

The Mediterranean diet once again topped the list in U.S. News & World Reports’ annual ranking for 2024 — for the seventh consecutive time — earning it a renewed wave of media attention.

The eating regimen is plant-based and emphasizes multiple servings of fruits and vegetables daily, alongside whole grains, legumes, nuts, olive oil and seafood.

Red meats are eaten only occasionally, and dairy and poultry are consumed in moderation, as well. Highly processed foods or those with added sugars are generally avoided...

 

[slowpoke]

It was a very warm 79° day today, so we put hamburgers on the grill for dinner. We like to use brioche buns, that I butter then toast in the broiler. I made potato salad, too. Just like a summer meal!

We still have a lot of satsuma mandarins from our tree (really gold-tasting this year, and so plentiful) so these were our simple dessert.

What did everyone else have?

 

[IceIce9]

I made a large pot of creamy grits, using butter, cream and milk. I took some over to a friend who had said that she likes the grits in a local restaurant but when she made them at home they didn’t taste the same.

She loved the creamy grits, and I found out why she didn’t like the grits she cooked herself. She was using instant grits, and following the package directions to use water.

My recipe uses only a little water with mostly milk and half and half, and half a stick of butter. I simmer them on the stove for at least half an hour. Then I stir in half a cup of sharp white cheddar.

I don’t make them often, I realize all that butter and cream isn’t healthier. But creamy grits are a nice comfort food for a gloomy rainy day.

 

[whiterhino]

I was feeling lazy and am low on groceries so I made butter noodles fried with garlic and chili flakes! It's very, very basic lol! Boil pasta noodles in salted water w some olive oil then drain and add back to the pot with a ton of butter and some garlic (garlic powder too, I use both for flavour/texture & garnish). Stir in the pot on med-high heat until some of the noodles are crispy. Put into a serving dish and finish with chili flakes. Inexpensive and there is some healthy fat in the butter/olive oil as well as some iron, protein and fiber from the noodles. So it's not unhealthy even tho there aren't many ingredients! Sometimes I will add shrimp or veggies to this but I just wanted a bowl of warm, buttery, chewy noodles

 

[IceIce9]

We had last minute guests last night, friends who stopped over to watch the game. Fortunately I had two quarts of vegetarian chili in my freezer and I quickly put together a baked macaroni and cheese. While the mac & cheese was baking the chili was defrosting in the microwave.

 

[slowpoke]

Tonight we’re making kind of a Mediterranean inspired dinner.

Chicken breasts are marinating in Italian dressing. Well either cook it on the grill, or just put it in the oven. I’ll make tabbouleh (a parley salad) and tzatziki (yogurt based) sauce and rice pilaf. Instead of pita, we’ll have Stonefire brand naan flatbread.

I love this meal and am looking forward to it. Yum.

 

[slowpoke]

Question to everyone/anyone:

Did you grow up eating much international food? I don’t know if I’m saying it right, but food of other countries?

I am of Japanese ancestry; my grandparents were from Japan. I grew up eating foods like sashimi (raw fish), sushi, tempura, sukiyaki, etc. But simultaneously, we ate Cantonese Chinese food often as well as Mexican food.

The Chinese food was mostly from a restaurant, but my mom did cook some dishes: chow mein, sweet and sour pork, seaweed soup come to mind.

My parents’ grocery store business was in a predominantly Mexican neighborhood, plus where we lived was, too, so that’s where we got familiar with tacos, burritos, soups like cocido, posole, and menudo. And tamales! My dad learned how to make tamales at home, and was pretty good at it! He also made chorizo to sell in the store for his customers.

We were All-American, too, though, eating all the typical things. We celebrated holidays with roast turkey, or prime rib, or baked ham with all the usual side dishes. Every St. Patrick’s Day, we’d have corned beef and cabbage. Ha!

What was others’ experiences like? Did it shape how you eat today?

 

[neesaki]

Nope. I thought you pierced them when they were done. Ugh.

I'm tellin ya I'm the dumbest tater maker on the planet.

I haven’t pierced my baked potatoes for a long time, since I started using the a copycat Steakhouse method for baking potatoes.
Here’s one recipe, but I bake mine in a hotter oven, 400 - 425 degrees, so the skin gets more crispy. I also bake them longer, about 1 1/2 hours. We like them crispy outside and really soft and fluffy inside, so it works well for us.
ETA: I do sometimes start the potatoes in the microwave then transfer to the oven if I’m short on time. That has worked well too.

I’ve never had a potato explode, but thanks to your testimony , I’m thinking now I will start poking holes in them just to make sure it never happens!

Steakhouse Baked Potatoes

Back before I went to cooking school, I was working a job as a server for the university catering service. On one uneventful afternoon, I walked into the kitchen to find one of the chefs elbow deep in a giant metal bowl full of oil covered baking potatoes. I was confused. I'd seen potatoes...

heatherlikesfood.com

 

[killarney rose]

I never poke holes in oven baked potatoes. But I’ve always heard to poke them in microwave potatoes as they will explode if you don’t. Never had any exploding potatoes. I do wrap them in foil for the oven. Don’t know if that makes a difference l

 

[IceIce9]

I love baked potatoes but not from the microwave. I think they taste completely different when cooked in the microwave.

My favorite way to cook them is the James Beard method. Sometimes I only cook them for an hour, if I am short on time.

2 large baking potatoes

1. Heat oven to 450 degrees. Wash the potatoes well and dry thoroughly. Pierce them several times with the tines of a fork.

2. Place potatoes on the center rack of the hot oven and bake for 2 hours.

3. Remove from oven and cut lengthwise and then across the middle, almost through. The shells will be very crisp and thick and will not squeeze easily. Open the potatoes and mash the inside pulp as best you can with a fork.