Official Recipe Thread

[movie zombie]

poppers, I want me some poppers right now!

[penguinofsleep]

I would have expected something like this in OT... Can't tell if subtle joke via OP or w/e else.

Anyways, various recipes to come in the future. Aside from firearms, cooking is another favorite hobby of mine.

[movie zombie]

OT is not always receptive to "recipes" and has resulted in many male posters being more comfortable here. welcome, and we look forward to your recipes!

[penguinofsleep]

OT is not always receptive to "recipes" and has resulted in many male posters being more comfortable here. welcome, and we look forward to your recipes!

odd. who wouldn't want delicious foods. don't like cooking = don't read thread???

to start, i made a very similar sandwich to this. this variation was made by a former chef in GA that i am acquainted with, pictures of his sandwich will come later if i can find them (i rarely take pictures of my own food):

hollow out a loaf of bread. we both used rosemary sourdough, but he had garlic in his as well. the extra garlic wouldn't have worked with my variation.
put in some cooked ribeye steak slices (season lightly, not much is needed).
make horseradish aioli. layer that on top. (can post recipe if needed, but store bought it fine).
then add bacon on top of that.
emmentaler cheese on top of bacon. (i used smoked 1/2 gruyere and 1/2 emmentaler)
portabello, oyster, shiitake mushrooms. cook in a little of the bacon fat + garlic, onions (grill and sweat out/caramelize a little before hand, do not cook at the same time as the onions as the acid in the onions will kill most of the garlic), and shallots. (i varied this layer a bit).
repeat all of the above ingredients (layered).
put the top of the bread back on.
wrap tightly in foil. put a heavy pot (or something very flat) on top for 2 or 3 hours.
bake in oven (still covered in foil) until warm throughout. temperature will depend on thickness and type of bread as well as amount of moisture in sandwich, but 375F is a good place to start.

it can be a bit heavy if not moderated, so i didn't use as thick/rich of an aoili on mine (i think he did for his as well). also minimized bacon fat in my sandwich and used a bit of soy sauce for more umami/richness in mine. however, i didn't use much soy sauce as i didn't want the taste of it by itself to come through. will serve many or last a while if only consumed by a few. also be careful with salt content, many of the ingredients going into here will already have various amounts of salt in it and salt can overpower the other flavors, but its personal preference. same with the aoili or shallots, etc... be careful not to make anything too heavy, as there are many ingredients and it can get cloying if things are not balanced.

[Off the Roster]

That corn pudding recipe sounds good and I do not like corn...

I wanna make it for the others at the table.

As an update for that friendship bread/amish bread

Pistacio pudding and butterscotch pudding make it taste pretty good. White Chocolate is OKAY, but not that great. Next we will be making either cookies and cream or more pistacio.


OKay. So who here has made any LimonCello and has it turned out good? I am going to take the plunge but I do not want to waste any of my EC190 unless I have to. Any decent recipes or am I on my own for this? I have already done the research and have two sites lined up for reading...

ive done lemoncello, both the regular and the creamy. i chose to use white dog mash #1 and not EC. DO NOT USE VODKA! it is easy to make a tester batch so you dont use all your EC and be unhappy.

i use a pint mason jar and fill it with 2" of lemon zest. make certain to have no pith on the zest as the pith imparts bitterness. next fill the jar with your EC, leaving 1.5" of headspace and place the jar in a dark space away from heat (not over dishwasher, oven, or fridge as all emit warmth). every other day shake the mason jar. when the zest no longer has any color you are done steeping (6-8 days). strain the alcohol to remove all zest - cheesecloth in a sieve. strain again. if you are making regular lemoncello you want the alcohol to be really clear, if making creamy lemoncello superclear is not necessary.

next, make simple syrup. the ratio of syrup to alcohol is a personal preference: do different ratios in several mason jars to find what suits your taste best - 2:1, 2.5:1, 3:1. cool the syrup fully before adding to the alcohol, shake very well, and put it in the fridge to mature. the longer it matures, the nicer it will be (4 months minimum imo) - the creamy batch i have atm is a good 9 months aged and it is so smooooooooooth.

the lemons you use are the maker or breaker in lemoncello, so make certain they all smell like lemons or you will be wasting your time. if you make creamy, let the milk cook down to 2/3 original volume.

[stilly]

ive done lemoncello, both the regular and the creamy. i chose to use white dog mash #1 and not EC. DO NOT USE VODKA! it is easy to make a tester batch so you dont use all your EC and be unhappy.

i use a pint mason jar and fill it with 2" of lemon zest. make certain to have no pith on the zest as the pith imparts bitterness. next fill the jar with your EC, leaving 1.5" of headspace and place the jar in a dark space away from heat (not over dishwasher, oven, or fridge as all emit warmth). every other day shake the mason jar. when the zest no longer has any color you are done steeping (6-8 days). strain the alcohol to remove all zest - cheesecloth in a sieve. strain again. if you are making regular lemoncello you want the alcohol to be really clear, if making creamy lemoncello superclear is not necessary.

next, make simple syrup. the ratio of syrup to alcohol is a personal preference: do different ratios in several mason jars to find what suits your taste best - 2:1, 2.5:1, 3:1. cool the syrup fully before adding to the alcohol, shake very well, and put it in the fridge to mature. the longer it matures, the nicer it will be (4 months minimum imo) - the creamy batch i have atm is a good 9 months aged and it is so smooooooooooth.

the lemons you use are the maker or breaker in lemoncello, so make certain they all smell like lemons or you will be wasting your time. if you make creamy, let the milk cook down to 2/3 original volume.

WOW. You have summed up what I was going to do. BUT, A slightly different.

1. I have about 17 Myers lemons just picked. Myers are more lemony and golden PLUS they have a thicker skin.

2. I will then rinse them all VERY well and even lightly scrub perhaps so that there is no other contaminates on the skin hopefully. Then dry them, then I actually have a microplane to ZEST and yes, I intend to go slow until I get the hang of it, I want to have lemons that are yellow/golden still when I am done so I am only taking off a very light layer or two of their skin with my microplane.

That is about as far as I have gotten, but I recall filtering several times, so I was going to pour it in a brita filtration container for water, but clearly for limoncello instead. THAT should give me a nice lightly pee colored liquid in theory. That if course only when done with the steeping. I was not certain as to how much zest/ec190/sugar water yet. I was gonna zest first, answer those questions later.

White Dog Mash #1 instead of EC? Why and where is that sold? Is it CA leagl for sale or do I gotta go to a class 6 store on base and get some?
This stuff?

http://www.finewineandgoodspirits.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/SpiritsProductDisplayView?level0=null&level1=M_OnlineExclusive_Spirit&level2=&level3=&level4=&catalogId=10051&storeId=10051&productId=1384232&langId=-1&prodlistCatId=Wines%20by%20Variety&parent_category_rn=Wines%20by%20Variety

The stuff I tried the other night smelt like lemon heads dissolved in ec150.

I had heard to stay away from vodka, but if I got it to use the 100 proof instead of the cheaper 80, but I was going to go for EC anyways, but now I want to try this mash #1. So then this will be whiskey based and now grain alcohol based. :\ Cool. How many days you steep it for and was your recipe worth redoing? I am after smooth, warming/numbing and lemony...

I was told for LimonCello I should use one of the following:
Spirytus (100proof vodka) $26.99/750ml
EC 150/190 $13.95/500ml EC190
Diesel (153proof neutral grain alcohol I believe) $17.99/1000ml (this looks good on paper...)
You said Buffalo trace White Dog Mash #1 (la bodega did not have this, but they had everything else...)

I am after the best taste that I can get and who knows, maybe even make more down the line, but I am not too familiar with these alcohols.

The guy said that Spiritus would be good, as well as the EC and the Diesel since the only variance was alky content, but the taste difference would be marginal. (so very little variance I guess).

[Off the Roster]

Hey Stilly

yes you want the lemons nice and clean and dry. sitting in moonshine for 8ish days will take care of any minor non-debris "contaminates." i actually use a knife for zesting because that way you can inspect the inside for any pith before using them. once again pith is the enemy of lemoncello. it took me several batches to get my zesting technique down so dont get frustrated on your first try - it will take time to do right.

using vodka, no matter how good, will impart a flavor into the lemoncello. not a terrible crisis if you use good vodka, but i prefer my lemoncello pure in taste. i went with the white dog because it is a higher quality than everclear. in the loosest sense of the term it can be considered a "sipping" moonshine. yes, the alcohol % is lower than the 180 but after a certain % it is all a brain game anyway and "bragging rights" imo. white dog is 62.5% alcohol or 125 proof, whichever term you prefer.

if you have a bevmo try there for white dog. kentucky eased their export laws so nicer stuff (than EC) is making its way onto the market these days.

if you decide to try the brita method i would only do maybe a half-cup and see what finished end product it delivers (4 months from now), that way if it turns out to be no bueno you have not lost all your time and effort. my brain completely understands the logic of the brita, but something in my gut really disagrees with the concept.

[stilly]

Hey Stilly

yes you want the lemons nice and clean and dry. sitting in moonshine for 8ish days will take care of any minor non-debris "contaminates." i actually use a knife for zesting because that way you can inspect the inside for any pith before using them. once again pith is the enemy of lemoncello. it took me several batches to get my zesting technique down so dont get frustrated on your first try - it will take time to do right.

using vodka, no matter how good, will impart a flavor into the lemoncello. not a terrible crisis if you use good vodka, but i prefer my lemoncello pure in taste. i went with the white dog because it is a higher quality than everclear. in the loosest sense of the term it can be considered a "sipping" moonshine. yes, the alcohol % is lower than the 180 but after a certain % it is all a brain game anyway and "bragging rights" imo. white dog is 62.5% alcohol or 125 proof, whichever term you prefer.

if you have a bevmo try there for white dog. kentucky eased their export laws so nicer stuff (than EC) is making its way onto the market these days.

if you decide to try the brita method i would only do maybe a half-cup and see what finished end product it delivers (4 months from now), that way if it turns out to be no bueno you have not lost all your time and effort. my brain completely understands the logic of the brita, but something in my gut really disagrees with the concept.

Kewel... The guy at the bodega had the spirytus in stock and said that it was good to use and it was 100 proof or something like that. He also said that the EC was good and so was the Diesel. He also had about every one of the Trace Buffalo drinks, but not the White Dog. I will give bevmo a call and see what they got. So then is Mash #1 the new EC 190? Oh, it is a whiskey...

I have tracked White dog down to a bevmo, but damn, 375ml at $16.99. I will see what they got at March...

Meanwhile, I put a lil more than about 500ml of EC190 over about 3 tablespoons of lemon zest. OMG that was fun. I have 18 nekid lemons sitting in the sink. That Edgeware Microplaner I have made me a PRO. Took me about 2 minutes per lemon. Freaking awesome, I had about 3/4 of a cereal bowl of lemon zest. One recipe I saw called for about half cup of lemon juice (from the lemons I zested) to be added to the mix. I am on the fence about that.

[Off the Roster]

yeah the white dog is a lil more expensive but with lemoncello you get out what you put in quality wise. dont forget that with the addition of the simple syrup you are going to end up with 2x-3x finished product depending on taste.

in one of my earlier attempts i added straight lemon juice and it was a disaster. it kept separating and rising to the top and would not incorporate well even when vigorously shaken. ymmv. i generally juice the lemons and freeze it for later use.

the difference between corn whiskey (white dog) and moonshine is that moonshine has ~50% sugarcane/50% corn and corn whiskey has to have at least 80% corn. corn whiskey (aka white whiskey) is the only whiskey not requiring aging, or if it is aged it is done so in charred barrels where it later picks up color.

as i understand it at least.

[movie zombie]

Chick, where did you pick up all that knowledge?!

about 3 years ago I was in TN and I swear to Buddha I had a real sipping white lightening. the first sip was pretty firey. then there was this slow warmth that spread and I was hooked. sipping for sure.

the guy serving was in his 80's and said it was very hard to come by and the makers were way back in the hills and he pointed in the direction of Arkansas. I really wanted to bring back a bottle of that stuff. but he said he had only his stash and wasn't willing to part with it given he didn't know when he would get more. and he was very surprised that I a California woman was willing to try it and then liked it!

Stilly and Chick, you are rocking this thread!

[stilly]

yeah the white dog is a lil more expensive but with lemoncello you get out what you put in quality wise. dont forget that with the addition of the simple syrup you are going to end up with 2x-3x finished product depending on taste.

in one of my earlier attempts i added straight lemon juice and it was a disaster. it kept separating and rising to the top and would not incorporate well even when vigorously shaken. ymmv. i generally juice the lemons and freeze it for later use.

the difference between corn whiskey (white dog) and moonshine is that moonshine has ~50% sugarcane/50% corn and corn whiskey has to have at least 80% corn. corn whiskey (aka white whiskey) is the only whiskey not requiring aging, or if it is aged it is done so in charred barrels where it later picks up color.

as i understand it at least.

Fair enough.

I dumped all of that remaining zest into the EC190 bottle (mistake cause it will suck getting it out now) but I am gonna go off to Staters and wallyworld to get some larger bottles and hopefully get some White Dog for less than $16.99/ 375ml. Else off to bevmo I shall go...

I think this year when Riverside gives out the free tree coupons, I shall look to get a Lisbon lemon tree. I do not know if my zest from the Pink Lemonade tree will be good to use. Hmmm. What if I were to add in some Lemon Verbena as well? Give it a softer Trix flavor? :\

[Off the Roster]

Chick, where did you pick up all that knowledge?!

my brain is a vast junkyard and my memory is crazy long. i did a bunch of research when i first started down the lemoncello path so now i am "stuck" with it.

people accuse me of knowing so many things and there is really only one secret behind it. try stuff - any stuff and you will learn (lol or you should). the majority of what i know is based upon recouping from failure and moving on.

I dumped all of that remaining zest into the EC190 bottle (mistake cause it will suck getting it out now)

unless you were intent on reusing that bottle you just made your straining take one step less. honestly, i would hold off on going overboard on materials until you get the results from this batch (4 months from now) as there is no real way to rush the finished product - the tastes you are going to sneak in do not reflect what you will have after time which is why i suggest the several smaller portions at different ratios of syrup. in interest of $ i suggest getting your recipe locked in then going for the white dog.

i like to use swing top bottles for my finished product (but i have the white dog bottle too cause i like the look of it). i do prep my bottles the day before by filling them with boiling water which i allow to cool fully and then i let them live upside down overnight to dry. clean whatever bottle top you have as well, and if there is that little plastic-y insert i get rid of those to keep the lemoncello pure tasting.

[stilly]

my brain is a vast junkyard and my memory is crazy long. i did a bunch of research when i first started down the lemoncello path so now i am "stuck" with it.

people accuse me of knowing so many things and there is really only one secret behind it. try stuff - any stuff and you will learn (lol or you should). the majority of what i know is based upon recouping from failure and moving on.


unless you were intent on reusing that bottle you just made your straining take one step less. honestly, i would hold off on going overboard on materials until you get the results from this batch (4 months from now) as there is no real way to rush the finished product - the tastes you are going to sneak in do not reflect what you will have after time which is why i suggest the several smaller portions at different ratios of syrup. in interest of $ i suggest getting your recipe locked in then going for the white dog.

i like to use swing top bottles for my finished product (but i have the white dog bottle too cause i like the look of it). i do prep my bottles the day before by filling them with boiling water which i allow to cool fully and then i let them live upside down overnight to dry. clean whatever bottle top you have as well, and if there is that little plastic-y insert i get rid of those to keep the lemoncello pure tasting.

I like my EC190 bottles. HOWEVER, I have made a discovery... After going to the La Bodega, They told me that Spiritus was best (out of what they had) and it is a 192 proof and I think that slightly beats my EC190 bottles. Well, either that or the Deisel was 192 or 193. I talked to them and they are going to order some White Dog now. Apparently the Spiritus is called a vodka sometimes in order to get past abc rules. But it IS a neutral grain alcohol. I am wondering if the white dog would make my apple pie moonshine taste better now... :\

I was not sure about how much zest to use so after reading a few things I decided that I can always mellow it out (which is why I dumped the rest of the zest in) later on, but maybe not make it as strong, so I just dumped it all in. I think it might not be too bad. I have a neverending supply of lemons from next door anyways it seems so I can always zest more. So now, for the final mixing with the simple syrup I found a decent jar with a lid over at wallyworld for about $6.00 and smaller ones for around $4.00 Both are wide mouth so I can do whatever easier...

Where did you get your swing top bottles from and for how much? I think I have seen them on Amazon and fleabay for about $6-$10 each... :\

[Off the Roster]

i got my bottles from surfas but i do not believe there is one in your area. ive seen the larger ones (oldschool milk bottle) in target, and cost plus generally has an interesting assortment of bottles. since lemoncello is a sipping drink i use 8oz bottles as gifts and they were in the realm of $3.50 each.

[stilly]

i got my bottles from surfas but i do not believe there is one in your area. ive seen the larger ones (oldschool milk bottle) in target, and cost plus generally has an interesting assortment of bottles. since lemoncello is a sipping drink i use 8oz bottles as gifts and they were in the realm of $3.50 each.

Hmmmmm...

K thanks. Good to know. I need another large square jar from Wallyworld. but I will get that later, and look for smaller containers for final product as well. The jar that I had seen the last batch of limoncello in was a small jar- no bigger than 8oz I am sure, prolly closer to 4-6. Heh... :\