Recipes / Food - Drink

[bjones6416]

I'm considering replacing my small basic rice cooker with a "fuzzy-logic" one. Anybody have any comments on whether or not it would be worth it? I'm able to cook most kinds of rice to my satisfaction in this one, but sometimes I have to wing it on water amounts when it's something different like brown rice, or a rice/bean mix. Are there huge advantages to the fuzzy logic one?

[astrangerhere]

Originally Posted by kindlekitten

I bake big russet potatoes with a nail in them, when they are done, let them cool, cut into long slices, stir with olive oil, smoked paprika, and sea salt, bake for about 10 minutes, then broil until browned they way you want

A nail? Also, how much do you bake them? Because my notion of a potato being done when its baked has a lot of mushiness to it...

[bjones6416]

Originally Posted by kindlekitten

I bake big russet potatoes with a nail in them, when they are done, let them cool, cut into long slices, stir with olive oil, smoked paprika, and sea salt, bake for about 10 minutes, then broil until browned they way you want

Reading that actually made me salivate, so I'd better go find something to eat for lunch!

[kindlekitten]

Originally Posted by astrangerhere

A nail? Also, how much do you bake them? Because my notion of a potato being done when its baked has a lot of mushiness to it...

a 10 penny nail in a baked potato ensures that it is baked uniformly and also much faster. about 45 minutes, but of course the size of the potato will affect the time

Originally Posted by bjones6416

Reading that actually made me salivate, so I'd better go find something to eat for lunch!

yummy huh? ;o)

[astrangerhere]

Originally Posted by kindlekitten

a 10 penny nail in a baked potato ensures that it is baked uniformly and also much faster. about 45 minutes, but of course the size of the potato will affect the time

I bow to the wisdom of the Girl Scout. I was raised by my southern grandmother who was a fantastic cook. But she had a gas range and we never had problems with things cooking properly. Then again, she'd likely have had a hissy fit if a nail made its way into her kitchen.

[kindlekitten]

even in my house the potato nails are kept in the kitchen and not allowed to play with the other hardware or tools! ;o)

[montsnmags]

Originally Posted by astrangerhere

A nail? Also, how much do you bake them? Because my notion of a potato being done when its baked has a lot of mushiness to it...

If you have metal skewers they can also be used for multiple potatoes for the same purpose. I'd not have thought of "lifehacker" nails though.

Cheers,
Marc

[tubemonkey]

Originally Posted by kindlekitten

a 10 penny nail in a baked potato ensures that it is baked uniformly and also much faster. about 45 minutes, but of course the size of the potato will affect the time

Microwave is quicker. I never bake anymore.

[Stitchawl]

Originally Posted by bjones6416

I'm considering replacing my small basic rice cooker with a "fuzzy-logic" one. Anybody have any comments on whether or not it would be worth it? I'm able to cook most kinds of rice to my satisfaction in this one, but sometimes I have to wing it on water amounts when it's something different like brown rice, or a rice/bean mix. Are there huge advantages to the fuzzy logic one?

A good rice cooker is a joy to use. Obviously, most folks here use them, and the selection is wide. In our house we eat rice at least twice a day, and the cooker can be programmed to have it ready for us freshly cooked in the morning. The one we have has different automatic settings for the different types of rice, as well as water markings inside to insure one is using the correct amount for each type. It also keeps our rice hot and fresh for 24 hours, which is a God-send when one is busy, can be programed to finish cooking at a desired hour. If there is a power failure and the cooker shuts off in the middle, when the power comes back on it 'knows' what to set itself for to still make perfect rice.



This is the model we use, a 10 cup model made by Zojiroshi.

Regarding water amounts... Fresh rice needs less water than older rice, so that is the only consideration we need to give. My in-laws grow our rice and send it up to us in 10-kilo bags every few weeks. We take most of it to the local miller who polishes off the bran for us. We keep a kilo or two for use as brown rice. My wife uses the bran for making Japanese pickles.


Stitchawl

[Stitchawl]

Originally Posted by kindlekitten

a 10 penny nail in a baked potato ensures that it is baked uniformly and also much faster. about 45 minutes, but of course the size of the potato will affect the time

I think I feel an experiment coming on...
Many kitchen shops sell 'Potato Baking Nails' but they are aluminum. I always used a ordinary 10 penny iron nail (I imagine that is what you are using too.) I wonder if one cooks faster than the other, or if there is any taste difference.

Being that potatoes have a low protein level and virtually no acidity, I wouldn't worry about cooking with aluminum in contact with the food.

yummy huh? ;o)

They don't sell big baking potatoes here. (No oven's, right?) But I had been telling my wife about the various Fast Food chains selling Baked Potatoes with Toppings prior to our trip, and that was one of the things she wanted to experience while we were in the States. There was a "Baked Potato Heaven" (or some such named shop) in one of the shopping malls and when she saw the size of the potato decided she could never eat something that big! We wound up splitting one, topped as a pizza.

Stitchawl

[Stitchawl]

Originally Posted by montsnmags

If you have metal skewers they can also be used for multiple potatoes for the same purpose. I'd not have thought of "lifehacker" nails though.
Cheers,
Marc

Is this like cooking hot dogs on a stick over the fire? I can see it now;
Folks gathered around the campfire, some with whole potatoes on single sticks, others with individual French Fries speared onto multi-tinned branches, a few toasting Brussel Sprouts... Everyone singing Kumbaya... Maybe telling ghost stories....

What's a "lifehacker" nail?

Stitchawl

[montsnmags]

No, I just mean for ordinary oven-baking (previous comment about oven-availability notwithstanding).

Cheers,
Marc

[Stitchawl]

Originally Posted by montsnmags

No, I just mean for ordinary oven-baking (previous comment about oven-availability notwithstanding).
Cheers,
Marc

Frankly, I really can't imagine folks gathered around an ordinary oven singing Kumbaya....


Stitchawl

[kindlekitten]

Originally Posted by tubemonkey

Microwave is quicker. I never bake anymore.

it seems to do something wonky to the texture of the potato

Originally Posted by Stitchawl

I think I feel an experiment coming on...
Many kitchen shops sell 'Potato Baking Nails' but they are aluminum. I always used a ordinary 10 penny iron nail (I imagine that is what you are using too.) I wonder if one cooks faster than the other, or if there is any taste difference.

Being that potatoes have a low protein level and virtually no acidity, I wouldn't worry about cooking with aluminum in contact with the food.



They don't sell big baking potatoes here. (No oven's, right?) But I had been telling my wife about the various Fast Food chains selling Baked Potatoes with Toppings prior to our trip, and that was one of the things she wanted to experience while we were in the States. There was a "Baked Potato Heaven" (or some such named shop) in one of the shopping malls and when she saw the size of the potato decided she could never eat something that big! We wound up splitting one, topped as a pizza.

Stitchawl

regular ol' galvanized steel nails

[Stitchawl]

Originally Posted by kindlekitten

it seems to do something wonky to the texture of the potato

I notice a flavor difference too.


Stitchawl