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Food Thread: Chicken And...Cauliflower? Better Than Wonder Bread With Burgers!

As much as I dislike food writers changing ingredients of classic dishes just to cater to the latest food fad or lunatic dietary commands, sometimes they stumble upon some nice combinations in spite of themselves.

Here's one! I stopped at that photo because it looked good from afar, but then I peered at the ingredients and realized that it was just another tired and hackneyed attempt at making something new and "healthful" and "environmentally conscious" out of a pretty basic and traditional dish.

And then I looked again, and saw bacon! So the guy (or gal) wasn't completely bereft of taste. I started thinking about it and realized that while cauliflower will never replace potatoes for their ability to soak up flavor, it sure does taste good on its own, and the florets will hold sauces rather well.

Is he a stopped clock of hipster new-age cooking idiocy, or is the writer trying interesting stuff to see whether it works? I don't know (it was behind a paywall...the fools), but I really like the idea and I think I will give it a try sometime.

Well, unless those are chunks of tofu or ersatz meat instead of chicken thighs...

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A cob-logger who will remain nameless has a perverse and warped sense of taste when it comes to hamburger buns. Obviously the type of burger dictates the kind of bun, but there are clearly inappropriate combinations, and the ridiculous idea that a Kaiser roll is by any stretch of the imagination a suitable vehicle for hamburger enclosure and conveyance is unbecoming of anyone who claims some sort of expertise in cooking...speed or otherwise.

Brioche buns add richness and structure to the hamburger experience, and by "hamburger" I mean the universe of burgers, so cheeseburgers are a subset of that. Potato rolls also play an important role (hah!) as accompaniments to smash burgers.

As for Wonder Bread? I won't even dignify it with a response...

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Yes...it's that time of the year, when you maniacs who shake Manhattans are chastised and shamed and cast onto the dustbin of history.

Admit it; that looks pretty damned good without the awful froth and foamy disturbance of a lazy bartender's shortcut.

Here is my current recipe. I use 100 proof whiskey because I like the pop of the alcohol and I think it stands up to the other flavors better.

The Only Manhattan Worth Drinking

• 3.5 ounces Rye Whiskey
  
• 1 ounce Red Vermouth
  
• 1 bar spoon Maple Syrup
  
• 2-3 dashes Angostura Bitters

Stir with ice for 30 seconds
Strain into Martini glass
Garnish with Maraschino Cherry

I have been playing around with lemon peel and even orange peel garnish. I like the citrusy notes, especially if the peel has lots of oil.

The cherry is a big deal. Luxardo makes wonderful ones, but they are ridiculously expensive. I have yet to find another brand that is as good, although there are rumors of a place in Michigan that makes great ones.

There are very pungent and powerful vermouths available, but I think they can overwhelm the drink. I am using Dolin, which seems to be a nice balance of vermouth flavors without being too much.

Oh, the reason I use rye rather than bourbon is that I think the spiciness of the rye compliments the bitters. Bourbons are usually sweeter than ryes, and there is enough of a sweet component in the drink from the maple syrup.

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I originally searched for a good corned beef and cabbage recipe, but this was brought to my attention as an alternative, and I am thrilled by it.

Damn, it looks delicious, especially since a good sausage is one of Man's greatest achievements. Dublin Coddle looks like a keeper!

[Hat Tip: Bluebell]

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Yorkshire puddings are loads of fun to make and they taste spectacular.

On the other hand, with certain unintentional alterations of the recipe one can make beef-fat muffins, and they taste pretty good too!

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There has been talk of meatloaf in the comments, and it is truly a wonderful dish. It is also much maligned, mostly because there are some spectacular failures in everyone's past. I blame institutional cooking for this, but I guess a few of you grew up in homes where the meatloaf was a dry, inedible mess. Or just weird, like in my house. My mom put a hard-boiled egg in the middle, and I am not sure why!

But done well it is delicious, and Ina Garten has an excellent version. I have modified her recipe a bit, mostly because I started out making it when there were brats to be fed, and I found individual meatloaves were far more convenient, and I preferred a mix of meats rather than just beef. Here's my version in PDF form.

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Yum!

I have posted a friend's mother's spectacular recipe for baked beans, but this one has been stripped down to the basics, which is as it should be if it wants to call itself Boston Baked Beans!

How to Make Boston Baked Beans ~ A New England Saturday Tradition!

It's easy, but I imagine it tastes better after a day of playing hockey or hunting moose...

[Hat Tip: Weasel]

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Just send me oysters. Lots of oysters, and I will provide special dispensation for those without taste who insist upon maple syrup with their French Toast. And pork rib roasts from the front end of the pig where all the good and fatty meat lives, carrots that don't taste like stalky chalk, spare bottles of Van Winkle Special Reserve 12 Year Old Bourbon, an herb garden that actually produces herbs (but no basil!), well-marbled NY strip steaks and elk backstrap to: cbd dot aoshq at gmail dot com.

And don't think that the rest of you are off the hook with maple syrup and French Toast: I'm still watching you! And I am watching you perverts who shake Manhattans and keeping a list for the Burning Times.