Author Topic: What are you cooking for dinner tonight?  (Read 1687 times)

Zeon

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 391
What are you cooking for dinner tonight?
« on: February 11, 2009, 09:07:22 PM »
Not sure if this has been done here before, but even if it has I'm sure the thread is too old to justify reviving, so I'll just make a new one.

As the title says, what are you cooking for dinner tonight, or at least what do you plan to cook? It only counts if you are the one doing the cooking. It doesn't have to be homemade from scratch, though it's not very interesting if all you are doing is baking/heating a frozen pizza. :P If you would, please share the recipe too. It's no secret that I love to cook and love to try out new recipes, and I am sure others do too.

So anyways there is this awesome Chinese restaurant in my hometown that has a delicious "Sesame Chicken" dish. I got the craving for some, but alas I am nowhere near my hometown. So I did some searching for recipes online and unearthed what I will probably be making for dinner tonight (I would make it right now at 4:00 am but I lack all of the ingredients. :( ) It looks pretty damned close to what they serve at that restaurant in my hometown, so here's to hoping it will be awesome.  =P~



INGREDIENTS

    * 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
    * 2 tablespoons cornstarch
    * 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
    * 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
    * 2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
    * 1 tablespoon dry sherry
    * 2 tablespoons water
    * 1 teaspoon vegetable oil
    * 1 dash sesame oil
    * 1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breast meat - cubed
     
    * 1 cup chicken broth
    * 1 cup white sugar
    * 2 tablespoons distilled white vinegar
    * 2 tablespoons dark soy sauce
    * 2 tablespoons sesame oil
    * 1 teaspoon chile paste
    * 1 clove garlic, minced
    * 1/4 cup cornstarch
    * 1/2 cup water

    * 1 quart olive oil for frying
    * 2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds

DIRECTIONS

   1. Sift flour, 2 tablespoons cornstarch, baking soda, and baking powder into a bowl. Pour in low-sodium soy sauce, sherry, 2 tablespoons water, vegetable oil, and a dash of sesame oil; stir until smooth. Stir in chicken until coated with the batter, then cover, and refrigerate for 20 minutes.
   2. Meanwhile, bring chicken broth, sugar, vinegar, dark soy sauce, sesame oil, chile paste, and garlic to a boil in a saucepan over high heat. Dissolve 1/4 cup cornstarch into 1/2 cup of water, and stir into boiling sauce. Simmer until the sauce thickens and turns clear, about 2 minutes. Reduce heat to low, and keep sauce warm.
   3. Heat olive oil in a deep fryer or large saucepan to a temperature of 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
   4. Drop in the battered chicken pieces, a few at a time, and fry until they turn golden brown and float to the top of the oil, 3 to 4 minutes. Drain on a paper towel lined plate. To serve, place fried chicken pieces onto a serving platter, and pour the hot sauce overtop. Sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds to garnish.

Only changes I will make is the omission of the dry sherry, chile paste, and possibly garlic clove, and also the possible substitution of Dark soy sauce with regular ordinary soy sauce (mainly due to budget reasons).

I will let you all know how it turns out provided I make it to the grocery store sometime today. Wish me luck

Michael Helgeson

  • Guest
Re: What are you cooking for dinner tonight?
« Reply #1 on: February 12, 2009, 06:00:05 AM »
The pic looks like Alpo.

Sinistron

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 1865
Re: What are you cooking for dinner tonight?
« Reply #2 on: February 12, 2009, 06:20:13 AM »
Alright- maybe its just me- maybe I'm a total jerkoff- if so- I can live with that-
but if what you're doing is listing an online recipe for a very common dish- a recipe that you haven't tried yourself, that you PLAN to cook tonight but don't even have the ingredients for... which I must say- judging from the picture indeed looks like a dog's dinner and not any succulent sesame chicken that I've eaten-
then I must say this thread is pointless- unforgiveable even.  Surrender yourself at once.  I've a nice cliff to throw you from- with big jagged rocks lining the descending wall.   :D

Quote from: Tatsujin
atm its just amateurish boytoy shizzle
Quote from: Tatsujin
they will bust me for consuming drug until they found out what it was in real

Michael Helgeson

  • Guest
Re: What are you cooking for dinner tonight?
« Reply #3 on: February 12, 2009, 06:28:57 AM »
Nope, got to agree, def shouldn't post un-proven recipes if you can help it, because it may be missing steps, ingredients, or the final product may just taste awful. You should come back, and repost it after you have cooked it a few times and refined it to your liking.

Arkhan

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 14142
  • Fuck Elmer.
    • Incessant Negativity Software
Re: What are you cooking for dinner tonight?
« Reply #4 on: February 12, 2009, 07:52:52 AM »
I dunno.  Ill ask my mom when I get home.
[Fri 19:34]<nectarsis> been wanting to try that one for awhile now Ope
[Fri 19:33]<Opethian> l;ol huge dong

I'm a max level Forum Warrior.  I'm immortal.
If you're not ready to defend your claims, don't post em.

Michael Helgeson

  • Guest
Re: What are you cooking for dinner tonight?
« Reply #5 on: February 12, 2009, 08:05:34 AM »
I dunno.  Ill ask my mom when I get home.
We dunno either, so def be sure to let us know, ok?

Zeon

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 391
Re: What are you cooking for dinner tonight?
« Reply #6 on: February 12, 2009, 11:49:26 AM »
Nope, got to agree, def shouldn't post un-proven recipes if you can help it, because it may be missing steps, ingredients, or the final product may just taste awful. You should come back, and repost it after you have cooked it a few times and refined it to your liking.

Nah, I don't see any harm in it, besides I told you I was going to cook it tonight :wink: The topic does have a sense of "in the future" does it really matter if I haven't ever cooked it before? Does it even matter if it's a recipe posted all over the internet? Thought I would make a random thread on something that would spark discussion on cooking, apparently in a poor manner :P

In any case I am about to prepare it, did you really think I would post a random recipe without any intention of cooking it and letting you know how it is? I did say I plan on making it [-(

I will return with the verdict....

Zeon

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 391
Re: What are you cooking for dinner tonight?
« Reply #7 on: February 12, 2009, 02:04:09 PM »
Well I just got through eating the dish, served with "Extra Super High Quality Jasmine Rice", and I must say I really like it. It was quite different from the dish I get at that restaurant in my hometown, but not is a bad way. A few notes: first off the sauce is very sweet, something that might be a turn off for others, but for me personally, I like it that way. Secondly I will try just 1 tablespoon of sesame oil instead of two in the sauce next time, it's a tad on the strong side. It doesn't overwhelm the rest of the flavors, but it's just a bit too strong for me.

Busted suggested coating the chicken in flour before putting it in the batter, however without doing that the batter did just great, it made a nice even coating, he also suggested not using olive oil to fry it with, however it wasn't much of a problem as the most prominent flavor was the sesame from the sesame oil and the olive oil didn't really interfere.

I might add the clove of garlic in next time and see how that turns out, but as it stands minus a bit of the sesame oil, I really like the sauce. I would definitely make it again sometime I am craving some chinese type food. Hell I'd make the sauce to use on rice alone.

On a side note I can totally see peoples angle on how it looks like dog food, but that's the nature of most meat dishes that are smothered with a gravy like sauce. Many canned soups with thick gravy make me think of dog food.

rag-time4

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 1773
Re: What are you cooking for dinner tonight?
« Reply #8 on: February 12, 2009, 06:16:32 PM »
I'm working on some bean pies as we speak...

2 pie recipe

1 cup honey
1 can evaporated milk
2 tbsp whole wheat flour
1 stick melted butter
4 eggs
2 1/2 cups cooked mashed navy beans
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp ginger
1/2 tsp cloves
2 ready made organic whole wheat pie crusts

A taste of the hereafter! I'll post pix if I still have a roommate awake when they're done!
« Last Edit: February 12, 2009, 06:18:26 PM by rag-time4 »

rag-time4

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 1773
Re: What are you cooking for dinner tonight?
« Reply #9 on: February 12, 2009, 07:00:41 PM »
« Last Edit: February 12, 2009, 07:02:41 PM by rag-time4 »

Sinistron

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 1865
Re: What are you cooking for dinner tonight?
« Reply #10 on: February 13, 2009, 01:27:36 AM »
Damn Rags! I saw at the bottom of the page a picture with you and some pies and I felt proud of you!  You also look like you gained maybe five pounds!  Then I scrolled up and saw they were "bean" pies of all things- what in the world are you thinking man??  Ruin some nice pie crusts like that???  One of these days we're gonna kidnap you so you can have a decent meal for once!  No quail egg soup, no pigeon, no bean pies- just a nice porterhouse, sweet potatoe fries, assorted breads and a BEER for once!  Oh- you'll eat it!!  :twisted:

Quote from: Tatsujin
atm its just amateurish boytoy shizzle
Quote from: Tatsujin
they will bust me for consuming drug until they found out what it was in real

Sinistron

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 1865
Re: What are you cooking for dinner tonight?
« Reply #11 on: February 13, 2009, 01:29:00 AM »
btw- Awesome shirt, of course.   Too bad the pies sullied the picture.

Quote from: Tatsujin
atm its just amateurish boytoy shizzle
Quote from: Tatsujin
they will bust me for consuming drug until they found out what it was in real

Michael Helgeson

  • Guest
Re: What are you cooking for dinner tonight?
« Reply #12 on: February 13, 2009, 01:31:14 AM »
One of these days we're gonna kidnap you so you can have a decent meal for once!  No quail egg soup, no pigeon, no bean pies- just a nice porterhouse, sweet potatoe fries, assorted breads and a BEER for once!  Oh- you'll eat it!!  :twisted:

Yea start him off at a Chinese buffet, then take him to a nice steak house, then a hot Mexican eatery. Get you fed proper Rags  :twisted:

rag-time4

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 1773
Re: What are you cooking for dinner tonight?
« Reply #13 on: February 13, 2009, 06:23:33 AM »
Hahaha ragging on rag-time again Sini?

There used to be a hawaiian style Chinese buffet in my hometown. Used to love it! Great foil-wrapped chicken!

Sinistron

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 1865
Re: What are you cooking for dinner tonight?
« Reply #14 on: February 13, 2009, 06:45:47 AM »
Hahaha ragging on rag-time again Sini?

It's all out of love Rags!  :wink:

Quote from: Tatsujin
atm its just amateurish boytoy shizzle
Quote from: Tatsujin
they will bust me for consuming drug until they found out what it was in real