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[MrMephistoX]

Thought I’d just humble brag my way through motivating myself to cook more at home by bringing friends along for the ride. Let’s post what you just cooked in this thread GAF!

First up for me Brioche Day!

A. French Toast

B. Croque Madame with the leftover French Toast

 

[haxan7]

I'm getting ready to make a semi-homemade pizza and I'll post it in a bit.

 

[Phunkydiabetic]

Welly tip #208

Take a pan
Put a small amount of olive oil in it, spread it around
Cut up slices of old cheddar, then cut those in half
Put in heated pan and let it melt
Once the edges turn brown remove from heat and let cool
Pop those tasty bastards out for some good homecookin welfare cheese chips

*will work with other cheese

 

[MrMephistoX]

I'm getting ready to make a semi-homemade pizza and I'll post it in a bit.

Please do I’ve started to love home made pizza vs delivery...once you’ve ordered like all of Door Dash in your zip code takeout loses its luster.

 

[haxan7]

Please do I’ve started to love home made pizza vs delivery...once you’ve ordered like all of Door Dash in your zip code takeout loses its luster.

There were some guys in the meta thread talking about making legit homemade pizzas with dough from scratch and everything. Mine might be a bit disappointing when I finally do the reveal.

 

[Torrent of Pork]

I was a former lead cook before getting my CDL, I love cooking, but food service was damaging my soul.

Couple quick pizza tips to kick off the thread.

1. Make your dough the night before you intend to make pizza. At least 12 hours in the fridge will make the dough easier to work with, and it will prevent any cereal off flavors.

2. If you can get yourself a tight cookie rack to actually cook the pizza on. It will allow the heat to get underneath the pizza and cook it quicker. High heat is your friend, take that oven up to 500 if you can, professional pizza ovens get up to 850 degrees. An even better option is a pizza stone, but you want it hot when you put the pizza in the oven, and that can be a pain in the ass in the home. What I would do is put a thin layer of cornmeal on a plate while you build the pie, then put the hot stone on something like a big sheet pan to keep the mess down while you slide the pie off the plate.

3. Brush garlic butter onto the dough before you apply sauce, this will change your life. My garlic butter recipe is to bring 4 sticks up to a boil, add more minced garlic than you think is reasonable, then add about half again more. The garlic is essentially deep frying itself in the boiling butter. After about 3 minutes you add in enough oregano and basil to turn the concoction a light shade of green. Use what you will use for the pizza, and refrigerate the rest in a shallow container. Now you have a tub of garlic butter better than anything you can buy at the store, just remember the garlic and herbs will sink to the bottom, so go all the way down when you scoop it out.

4. Less is more when it comes to pizza sauce. Oversaucing your pizza is the easiest way for the cheese and toppings to slide off the slice while handling it.

 

[haxan7]

Here it is with my disgusting pan and all.

It has about 200g of chicken breast in it, with low fat American cheese slices and some grated parmesan. The whole thing has like 75 grams of protein. I threw the pepperoni on to make it more photogenic.

It's meant as a low cal, high protein pizza.

 

[Torrent of Pork]

Next were going to move onto grilled pizza, this will be a massive hit at your next party.

Set up your spread buffet-style with garlic butter, sauce, and cheese on one end, then all the other toppings on the other.

Make enough small dough balls that will be the size of a dinner plate, then oil up a hot grill and throw it on for 5 minutes. Sprinkle plenty cornmeal on the uncooked side, and put it uncooked side down back onto the plate. Send your guest through the spread to build their pizza how they want on the cooked side, then slide it off the plate back onto the grill for another 5 minutes.

The grill will add a nice smokey charcoal flavor to the pizza, and everybody gets exactly what they want. People will love this at your next get together.

 

[MrMephistoX]

There were some guys in the meta thread talking about making legit homemade pizzas with dough from scratch and everything. Mine might be a bit disappointing when I finally do the reveal.

Here it is with my disgusting pan and all.

It has about 200g of chicken breast in it, with low fat American cheese slices and some grated parmesan. The whole thing has like 75 grams of protein. I threw the pepperoni on to make it more photogenic.

It's meant as a low cal, high protein pizza.

Nice job! You nailed the crust pretty well from what I can see. I have made my own dough but just getting raw dough from Trader Joe’s or somewhere is what I usually do too.

This place if I were in LA:

https://www.claros.com/

 

[MrMephistoX]

Next were going to move onto grilled pizza, this will be a massive hit at your next party.

Set up your spread buffet-style with garlic butter, sauce, and cheese on one end, then all the other toppings on the other.

Make enough small dough balls that will be the size of a dinner plate, then oil up a hot grill and throw it on for 5 minutes. Sprinkle plenty cornmeal on the uncooked side, and put it uncooked side down back onto the plate. Send your guest through the spread to build their pizza how they want on the cooked side, then slide it off the plate back onto the grill for another 5 minutes.

The grill will add a nice smokey charcoal flavor to the pizza, and everybody gets exactly what they want. People will love this at your next get together.

Good tip! I’ve done dough in my cast iron but didn’t think about flipping it over with cornmeal. I suppose olive oil could work too? Then throw it in the oven?

 

[haxan7]

Nice job! You nailed the crust pretty well from what I can see. I have made my own dough but just getting raw dough from Trader Joe’s or somewhere is what I usually do too.

This place if I were in LA:

https://www.claros.com/

It’s this

 

[Torrent of Pork]

Good tip! I’ve done dough in my cast iron but didn’t think about flipping it over with cornmeal. I suppose olive oil could work too? Then throw it in the oven?

Yeah oil would work as well, just something so you can slide the uncooked dough off the plate onto the grill.

 

[MrMephistoX]

Yeah oil would work as well, just something so you can slide the uncooked dough off the plate onto the grill.

And when you say grill you mean BBQ grill?

 

[Torrent of Pork]

And when you say grill you mean BBQ grill?

Yes, gas would work, but charcoal is always better. Get yourself a chimney starter, and only use natural lump charcoal. Charcoal briquettes are charcoal dust mixed with a ceramic binder which leave off flavors IMO. The chimney starter will let you get your coals going with a sheet of newspaper with olive oil poured over it, as lighter fluid also leaves off flavors even if you burn it all off.

The first 5 minutes will cook only one side of the dough, that's the side you build your pizza on after removing it, the 2nd 5 minutes will cook the other side while melting your cheese and heating up the toppings. Remember to close the lid both times it's cooked.

 

[MrMephistoX]

Yes, gas would work, but charcoal is always better. Get yourself a chimney starter, and only use natural lump charcoal. Charcoal briquettes are charcoal dust mixed with a ceramic binder which leave off flavors IMO. The chimney starter will let you get your coals going with a sheet of newspaper with olive oil poured over it, as lighter fluid also leaves off flavors even if you burn it all off.

The first 5 minutes will cook only one side of the dough, that's the side you build your pizza on after removing it, the 2nd 5 minutes will cook the other side while melting your cheese and heating up the toppings. Remember to close the lid both times it's cooked.

Very cool I’m trying that next time for sure. I gave up on pure oven pizza because the temperature doesn’t get high enough but I saw a cool method on YouTube I’ve been using lately which is the same principle: you olive oil up a cast iron pan and fry the dough then throw on toppings and pop into the oven. But I didn’t factor in the flipping idea: it was still a tad mushy.

 

[Torrent of Pork]

Very cool I’m trying that next time for sure. I gave up on pure oven pizza because the temperature doesn’t get high enough but I saw a cool method on YouTube I’ve been using lately which is the same principle: you olive oil up a cast iron pan and fry the dough then throw on toppings and pop into the oven. But I didn’t factor in the flipping idea: it was still a tad mushy.

That's the biggest problem with home made pizza, even the best will never be as good as a pizza cooked in a no-bullshit pizza oven. Home ovens just can't get hot enough to properly cook it.

It's still better than fast-food pizza though.

 

[Tschumi]

Standard go-to easy fusion stir fry...

Chop up a breast of chicken to taste, marinate in a mix of equal parts soy sauce and mirin, just a few tablespoons of each. Sprinkle some chopped chilles in, crack a bunch of pepper, stir it up and let it sit. Good time to add some grated ginger, if like me you live for that stuff.

Crush a few dozen peanuts - unsalted, preferably the ones that come in thin red skins - in a metal bowl with the end of a large spoon or ladle. Shake the grounds up until the red skin comes to the surface, pick most of the skin flakes out - too many can distract from the other textures in the dish.

Chop up a leek, a quarter of a Chinese cabbage, Chinese garlic shoots into ~2 inch/6 or 7 cm sections, some shitake mushrooms, some of those green pepper things that look like swollen green chilies, anything else you want.

Oil your pan, a bit more mirin if you dig the sweetness, get it hot, dump a spoonful of minced garlic and your crushed peanuts into it (immediately) and let it get fragrant.

Once you can't hardly stand the good smells, dump in the marinated chicken. Give it a few stirs to seal all the surfaces then leave it for a short time to brown a bit.

Here's the fusion part. I like to steam it up a bit. Dump in your veggies and give it a stir, chuck the lid on the saucepan, lift it up with one hand on the lid and give the covered ingredients a really good mix. Then add a splash of water and leave the lid on for a few minutes to soften the veggies. They will eventually give off their own water content and it'll get pretty watery - up to you if you want to keep that sauce, pour it out or just lift the veggies right out of the pan for plating, draining the water away as you lift.

Chuck some brown rice in a big bowl, chuck in the stirfry, go to town. Using at least some of that sauce to give the rice some more flavour can't go wrong.

You can add oyster sauce if you want but really it's probably got enough flavor.

Note: if you don't mind al dente, skip the steaming step and enjoy your crunchy veggies.

 

[nush]

Simple tomato sauce that's flexible and can be used in many ways.

Take about ten tomatoes
Skin them, roughly chop them
Put in a pan and reduce them, during this process add a little salt and a couple of tablespoons of butter.
Then during the reduction process add two cut quarters of an onion. Just for flavor and remove afterwards.
20 minutes or so and you have a great tomato sauce.

Keeps in the fridge for a week or is great for freezing. When you want to use it add whatever ingredients you like (Vegetables, ground meats) and more salt for taste. Serve with pasta.

I buy big bags of just over date, maybe a bit soft and blemished tomatoes from the supermarket for this. Super cheap and it's only the outsides that are a bit bad but as you skin them that does not matter.

 

[Tschumi]

Easy curry.

Chop up some chicken or beef into hearty chunks.

Chop up an onion into very small cubes.

Peel open a can on diced tomatoes.

Prepare half a litre or so of chicken stock.

Get a bowl and mix together the following:

2 tablespoons spice a
1.5 tablespoons spice b
Heaped teaspoon grated ginger
Heaped teaspoon grated garlic
A portion of tomato paste
Tablespoon of lemon juice
Chille powder to taste

Note: if it's beef, spice a should be corriander grounds, spice b should be cumin.

If it's chicken, spice a should be cumin, b=coriander grounds.

(Beef just tastes better with a bit more tartness)​

Put the meat in a hot pan with some oil, dump your onions on top, and just let it sit there a bit until that one original side browns a bit. Then put in the spice mix and stir it up, again warming it until it's fragrant. You can even turn off the heat and leave it like that for 15 minutes for the warmth to accelerate flavour penetration.

When ready, just chuck in the tomatoes and stock and stir it up, then leave it for half an hour or more - covered, low heat - then eventually uncover it to simmer a bit until serving time. Don't let it dry out but i detest watery curry.

Serve on saffron rice, with a good unflavoured, unsweetened, cooling yoghurt - Greek is best. Don't add potatoes because they'll suck up most of the flavour. Can cook them with garlic and butter or oil separately and stir them in after, if you really want.

For me, the stronger and hotter curry is the better - otherwise the yogurt becomes pretty pointless. So find your ideal amounts quickly.

Note i never add salt, and recommend that you don't either. Sometimes it's a chemical necessity and that's fine, but really lots of ingredients have their own salts. And of course soy sauce is the asian equivalent so I'm not entirely Innocent of the stuff~

 

[nush]

Easy curry.

Chop up some chicken or beef into hearty chunks.

Chop up an onion into very small cubes.

Peel open a can on diced tomatoes.

Prepare half a litre or so of chicken stock.

Get a bowl and mix together the following:

2 tablespoons spice a
1.5 tablespoons spice b
Heaped teaspoon grated ginger
Heaped teaspoon grated garlic
A portion of tomato paste
Tablespoon of lemon juice
Chille powder to taste

Note: if it's beef, spice a should be corriander grounds, spice b should be cumin.

If it's chicken, spice a should be cumin, b=coriander grounds.

(Beef just tastes better with a bit more tartness)​

Put the meat in a hot pan with some oil, dump your onions on top, and just let it sit there a bit until that one original side browns a bit. Then put in the spice mix and stir it up, again warming it until it's fragrant. You can even turn off the heat and leave it like that for 15 minutes for the warmth to accelerate flavour penetration.

When ready, just chuck in the tomatoes and stock and stir it up, then leave it for half an hour or more - covered, low heat - then eventually uncover it to simmer a bit until serving time. Don't let it dry out but i detest watery curry.

Serve on saffron rice, with a good unflavoured, unsweetened, cooling yoghurt - Greek is best. Don't add potatoes because they'll suck up most of the flavour. Can cook them with garlic and butter or oil separately and stir them in after, if you really want.

For me, the stronger and hotter curry is the better - otherwise the yogurt becomes pretty pointless. So find your ideal amounts quickly.

Note i never add salt, and recommend that you don't either. Sometimes it's a chemical necessity and that's fine, but really lots of ingredients have their own salts. And of course soy sauce is the asian equivalent so I'm not entirely Innocent of the stuff~

My chicken curry is based off picked meat and fats from the bones from the previous days roast chicken and I bulk it up with cubed potatoes. The rest is about the same as this recipe. It's a budget no waste solution. Potatoes sucking up the flavor isn't an issue but a benefit this way.

 

[Peggies]

Yesterday I made a risotto with courgets and baby spinach. My thing is to go mad with butter and parmesan cheese to give that extra creamy taste.

 

[West Texas CEO]

I just found out trying to make grilled cheese with margarine is a major no-no.
I would've been better off eating cardboard.

 

[Peggies]

I just found out trying to make grilled cheese with margarine is a major no-no.
I would've been better off eating cardboard.

 

[West Texas CEO]

The margarine just left the grilled cheese tasting very bland , far inferior to using real butter. (duh)

Never again.

I've also heard of people using mayonnaise for grilled cheese, but I'm not that adventurous.

 

[Torrent of Pork]

I wrote out a long ass post about fermented garlic, and fat fingered my phone, so here's the damned recipe.

Edit, instead of burping jars I used an upside down mason jar lid with a loose ring. Also, packaged peeled garlic is what I use, as I sure as shit am not going to peel 5 pounds of garlic. Make a big batch of 5% saline solution by weight, and don't use iodised salt or chlorinated water, they will hurt the fermentation.

I ferment a 5 pound bag of garlic from Sam's Club, and it lasts over a year in the fridge. Fresh garlic all year round, and the fermentation process will remove that raw garlic bite so you can use it in interesting ways like salads.

 

[Peggies]

The margarine just left the grilled cheese tasting very bland , far inferior to using real butter. (duh)

Never again.

I've also heard of people using mayonnaise for grilled cheese, but I'm not that adventurous.

Oh, that doesn't sound too nice. Sorry to hear that.

Do you guys actually mean "Halloumi" when you're talking about grilled cheese?

Oh and Mayonnaise with cheese:

 

[Peggies]

I wrote out a long ass post about fermented garlic, and fat fingered my phone, so here's the damned recipe.

Edit, instead of burping jars I used an upside down mason jar lid with a loose ring. Also, packaged peeled garlic is what I use, as I sure as shit am not going to peel 5 pounds of garlic. Make a big batch of 5% saline solution by weight, and don't use iodised salt or chlorinated water, they will hurt the fermentation.

I ferment a 5 pound bag of garlic from Sam's Club, and it lasts over a year in the fridge. Fresh garlic all year round, and the fermentation process will remove that raw garlic bite so you can use it in interesting ways like salads.

I've heard a lot of good stuff about fermented garlic. Gonny try this for sure.

Thank you!

 

[Torrent of Pork]

I've heard a lot of good stuff about fermented garlic. Gonny try this for sure.

Thank you!

I view garlic like I view lube, "Too much is almost enough." It's great having a shit ton on hand knowing that it won't spoil. Ferment for 2 weeks then start trying the cloves, once they start tasting good raw it's time to put the jar in the fridge.

 

[Peggies]

I view garlic like I view lube, "Too much is almost enough."

Love it !

 

[nush]

or chlorinated water

That's a thing outside of swimming pools? That sounds like general life advice.

 

[West Texas CEO]

Do you guys actually mean "Halloumi" when you're talking about grilled cheese?

Sorry, I should've specified - I'm talking about American-style grilled cheese, which is a sandwich consisting of two pieces of buttered sandwich bread (usually white), then toasted with a piece of melty cheese in the middle (usually American pasteurized cheese)

Some people substitute mayonnaise for butter to toast the sandwich, but I've heard that it can leave a fishy taste.

 

[AV]

Great, fairly simple recipe for a sausage potato leek hash we've been eating recently, real good winter warmer, here's what I do for two people:

Oven to 200c / 390f
Peel two large potatoes and cut into tiny cubes, lay out on baking parchment in one layer, add paprika and bake for 30 mins
Also put ~4 sausages in the oven, size of them will change the serving size / cooking time
In the meantime wash and chop a leek and grate ~80g cheddar
Take stuff out of oven, get a large frying pan very hot and start frying the cooked potato cubes in just enough oil to cover
While they fry, cut the cooked sausage into small pieces and get ready to fry two eggs in another pan (optional but who doesn't love eggs)
Once the potato cubes are starting to brown, add the chopped leek for a little bit, then the sausage, stirring everything together
Fry the two eggs separately
Tip in the cheddar and a teaspoon of mustard to the big pan, stirring continuously, serve in a bowl and bang the egg on top. Black pepper and parsley to serve

Deceptively delicious, doesn't look like much but it really hits the spot. Works as a meal at any time of the day, too.

 

[Peggies]

Sorry, I should've specified - I'm talking about American-style grilled cheese, which is a sandwich consisting of two pieces of buttered sandwich bread (usually white), then toasted with a piece of melty cheese in the middle (usually American pasteurized cheese)

Some people substitute mayonnaise for butter to toast the sandwich, but I've heard that it can leave a fishy taste.

Ah I see, thanks for the explanation! Then the whole mayonnaise thing makes a little bit more sense.
We call that a "Toast" .

 

[West Texas CEO]

Ah I see, thanks for the explanation! Then the whole mayonnaise thing makes a little bit more sense.
We call that a "Toast" .

Aye, and here's a good video I found for the uninitiated:

 

[Peggies]

Aye, and here's a good video I found for the uninitiated:

Butter-side down what a great idea!
Thanks for the video. Sounds like a lovely, soothing dinner after a shitty day.

 

[Jethalal]

oops wrong thread

 

[DeceptiveAlarm]

I made this for supper last night. Itialin sausage and spinach in a creamy garlic sauce over penne. I had garlic and herb bread with it. Was pretty good.

 

[nush]

I'm talking about American-style grilled cheese

That's actually where you are going wrong, using processed cheese. That plastic shit that's only good for burger toppings. Try a real cheese like Cheddar, it's so much better and versatile.

 

[West Texas CEO]

That's actually where you are going wrong, using processed cheese. That plastic shit that's only good for burger toppings. Try a real cheese like Cheddar, it's so much better and versatile.

I would tend to agree somewhat, but processed cheese is literally formulated/engineered for maximum meltiness.
There's nothing better in this regard.

 

[nush]

I would tend to agree somewhat, but processed cheese is literally formulated/engineered for maximum meltiness.
There's nothing better in this regard.

I've tried using it as a substitute many times, because that's the easiest cheese to find here in China. It might melt at a lower temperature, but just turn up the heat for real cheese to compensate. American cheese does not string, it mushes.

 

[Mistershine.]

Carbonara:
1 pack of pasta, preferably ribbon type, I use pappardelle for preference.
2 eggs plus 1 yolk.
3 cloves of garlic, crushed and chopped.
4 slices finely chopped streaky bacon
Parmigiano(not the dried stuff) and freshly cracked pepper to taste.

Cook pasta in boiling water while gently frying the bacon and garlic in a touch of oil.

Put the eggs and pepper in a clean jam jar and shake it like you're a teenage boy that just discovered porn.

Drain the cooked pasta, return to the pan and add the bacon, garlic, and oil. Make sure to turn off the hob. Stir to stop the pasta sticking. After a minute or so add the eggs and some of the cheese and mix. The heat of the pasta will cook the eggs enough. Serve along with some more cheese sprinkled on top and a simple salad.

The cost is about £2, less if you buy cheap pasta, and it'll serve a family of 4. Perfect for these trying times.

 

[MrMephistoX]

I just found out trying to make grilled cheese with margarine is a major no-no.
I would've been better off eating cardboard.

Sorry, I should've specified - I'm talking about American-style grilled cheese, which is a sandwich consisting of two pieces of buttered sandwich bread (usually white), then toasted with a piece of melty cheese in the middle (usually American pasteurized cheese)

Some people substitute mayonnaise for butter to toast the sandwich, but I've heard that it can leave a fishy taste.

Mayo is the best same principle as French toast it’s basically an egg wash.

 

[cyber_ninja]

Last night's simple dinner.

 

[jshackles]

Yesterday my wife and I made cupcakes and frosting completely from scratch (butter, flour, milk, eggs, sugar). They turned out really good. Sorry I didn't snap some pics, we ate them all.

Tonight I'm going to attempt to make a Quiche. I've barely ever cooked a damn thing in my life that wasn't processed and/or microwave-ready.

 

[MrMephistoX]

100% GOYA Politically Charged Burrito and

...Enchiladas for later in the week.

 

[Raven117]

The margarine just left the grilled cheese tasting very bland , far inferior to using real butter. (duh)

Never again.

I've also heard of people using mayonnaise for grilled cheese, but I'm not that adventurous.

Its just a super thin layer to give it a better crunch. Don't slather it on.

Pizza is very tough at home due to the not being able to get your oven hot enough.

For me this weekend, I did a homemade French bread with red beans and rice gumbo. Yesterday, a carne guisada with homemade tortillas.

Typically, I skew more European in my cooking, especially French followed by Spanish and Italian, but this weekend was more soul food.

This pandemic, I leveled the fuck up on cooking. Ask me anything. BOOM!

 

[MrMephistoX]

Its just a super thin layer to give it a better crunch. Don't slather it on.

Pizza is very tough at home due to the not being able to get your oven hot enough.

For me this weekend, I did a homemade French bread with red beans and rice gumbo. Yesterday, a carne guisada with homemade tortillas.

Typically, I skew more European in my cooking, especially French followed by Spanish and Italian, but this weekend was more soul food.

This pandemic, I leveled the fuck up on cooking. Ask me anything. BOOM!

That’s why I loved the BBQ grill tip above: I live in Cali so I can actually try it out next time. I’d love to know more European go tos? Croque madame was my first attempt after remembering how god damn delicious it was in New York when I had one pre-pandemic.

 

[Raven117]

That’s why I loved the BBQ grill tip above: I live in Cali so I can actually try it out next time. I’d love to know more European go tos? Croque madame was my first attempt after remembering how god damn delicious it was in New York when I had one pre-pandemic.

Croque madame is a great choice! Easily one of my favorites. I don't think I have ever finished one, and not immediately want another. What's your skill level? You looking for something more sophisticated? Something more humble? Which type (ie. French, Italian, Spanish?)

Yes, gas would work, but charcoal is always better. Get yourself a chimney starter, and only use natural lump charcoal. Charcoal briquettes are charcoal dust mixed with a ceramic binder which leave off flavors IMO. The chimney starter will let you get your coals going with a sheet of newspaper with olive oil poured over it, as lighter fluid also leaves off flavors even if you burn it all off.

The first 5 minutes will cook only one side of the dough, that's the side you build your pizza on after removing it, the 2nd 5 minutes will cook the other side while melting your cheese and heating up the toppings. Remember to close the lid both times it's cooked.

While this is the correct advice (and doubly correct with grilling dough), don't write off the normal kingsford briquettes just yet. If you are an old hand at grilling and know what you are doing, then sure, go for natural lump, but if you are just finding your way around the grill, I would suggest getting the "All Natural" briquettes (Royal Oak, Kingsford...good brands), They are easier to use and more consistent.

If you are using a small kettle grill, natural lump charcoal will be difficult to use.

Natural Lump charcoal is not going to give you consistent heat. It will spike high, then drop off pretty quick. Sometimes you need that, just know what you are dealing with.

Im a firm believer in using smoking wood chips directly in the fire. Buy a small bag of oak, pecan, hickory, or mesquite chips, soak about a handful in water, and right when you get your fire ready, place the chips to the side of the fire (in the kettle, obviously), so you don't put out too much of your fire, but it starts smoking. Probably stick with Oak or the fruit woods to start. Mesquite can be wild.

 

[Punkster88]

Please do I’ve started to love home made pizza vs delivery...once you’ve ordered like all of Door Dash in your zip code takeout loses its luster.

If you're going to start making it at home then may I recommend one of the most legit pizza channels on YT.

https://www.youtube.com/c/vitoiacopelli

 

[MrMephistoX]

Croque madame is a great choice! Easily one of my favorites. I don't think I have ever finished one, and not immediately want another. What's your skill level? You looking for something more sophisticated? Something more humble? Which type (ie. French, Italian, Spanish?)



While this is the correct advice (and doubly correct with grilling dough), don't write off the normal kingsford briquettes just yet. If you are an old hand at grilling and know what you are doing, then sure, go for natural lump, but if you are just finding your way around the grill, I would suggest getting the "All Natural" briquettes (Royal Oak, Kingsford...good brands), They are easier to use and more consistent.

If you are using a small kettle grill, natural lump charcoal will be difficult to use.

Natural Lump charcoal is not going to give you consistent heat. It will spike high, then drop off pretty quick. Sometimes you need that, just know what you are dealing with.

Im a firm believer in using smoking wood chips directly in the fire. Buy a small bag of oak, pecan, hickory, or mesquite chips, soak about a handful in water, and right when you get your fire ready, place the chips to the side of the fire (in the kettle, obviously), so you don't put out too much of your fire, but it starts smoking. Probably stick with Oak or the fruit woods to start. Mesquite can be wild.

I’d say I’m amateur but ambitious? I really enjoy Asian recipes in particular and Hello Fresh fresh helped me level up my Latin and Italian game. Really interested in Spanish and French particularly home style: I can do complicated if I have time but go to weekly meals is where I’m looking to grow and not get bored.