LEGEND Food Porn

[Selassie I]

I made grilled artichokes yesterday. It's a real process and takes hours to do it from start to finish. I got this recipe from the head chef at a restaurant here called Houston's. Someone bought the restaurant and changed it's name... they kept the exact same menu though... but they fired all the longtime employees including that chef. That's how I was able to get the recipe.

It's called Hillstone's now. These artichokes are the favorite things on the menu and when you go there... the artichokes are almost always sold out.

Let me know if you'd like the recipe and I'll share it. Here's pics as I went through the process. Like I said... it takes hours to do it this way.

 

[yrba1]

Made 12 hour ramen

 

[Selassie I]

Made 12 hour ramen

Now that's real prep time. LOL

 

[RamFan503]

Made 12 hour ramen

Looks amazing!

 

[yrba1]

Now that's real prep time. LOL

12 hour pork broth gives that milky and savory texture

 

[Dodgersrf]

I made grilled artichokes yesterday. It's a real process and takes hours to do it from start to finish. I got this recipe from the head chef at a restaurant here called Houston's. Someone bought the restaurant and changed it's name... they kept the exact same menu though... but they fired all the longtime employees including that chef. That's how I was able to get the recipe.

It's called Hillstone's now. These artichokes are the favorite things on the menu and when you go there... the artichokes are almost always sold out.

Let me know if you'd like the recipe and I'll share it. Here's pics as I went through the process. Like I said... it takes hours to do it this way.


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That recipe should be posted.
It's rare when you actually offer. Lol

 

[Selassie I]

Made 12 hour ramen

It really looks like it's worth the wait!

WOW

 

[Selassie I]

That recipe should be posted.
It's rare when you actually offer. Lol

I know. As a general rule I almost never share my recipes. I got that from my Grandmother. There were recipes she had that I'd beg her for. She never shared them though... she said that if I wanted to have some, I would have to come over to her house to get it. She knew it was a powerful lure LOL. My Mom, her sister, and I still talk about how we wish she would have shared some of her best recipes with us. We almost bitch about it really. When I think about that, it makes me smile... because it seems like my Grandmother planned on that too. So.... I adopted her rule for myself many years ago. I'm able to lure friends and family the same way because of it!

I'll share this one though. Especially since that damn restaurant is always out of it when you try to order some. I'll try to put it up for everyone next chance I get.

 

[Dodgersrf]

I know. As a general rule I almost never share my recipes. I got that from my Grandmother. There were recipes she had that I'd beg her for. She never shared them though... she said that if I wanted to have some, I would have to come over to her house to get it. She knew it was a powerful lure LOL. My Mom, her sister, and I still talk about how we wish she would have shared some of her best recipes with us. We almost bitch about it really. When I think about that, it makes me smile... because it seems like my Grandmother planned on that too. So.... I adopted her rule for myself many years ago. I'm able to lure friends and family the same way because of it!

I'll share this one though. Especially since that damn restaurant is always out of it when you try to order some. I'll try to put it up for everyone next chance I get.

It's a shame some of her recipes are no more.

 

[Selassie I]

It's a shame some of her recipes are no more.

True, but like I said, when my family and I talk about it today... we always end up saying -"she planned this, she wanted us to keep talking about this (her), she's actually looking down at us right now laughing and saying hi." She loved playing jokes and being in complete control of almost everything. LOL... and she still is with her recipes.

 

[Dodgersrf]

True, but like I said, when my family and I talk about it today... we always end up saying -"she planned this, she wanted us to keep talking about this (her), she's actually looking down at us right now laughing and saying hi." She loved playing jokes and being in complete control of almost everything. LOL... and she still is with her recipes.

Yeah. Just reading this makes me smile.

 

[dieterbrock]

I know. As a general rule I almost never share my recipes.

Never share your recipes. Friend of mine asked me how I made my crabcakes. Not the most intricate dish, but there's a couple of tweeks here and there that can make or break. So I run down the ingredients, give a step by step, couple days later he tells me they came out great. So what's the problem? Well, I happened to do some high end catering back then, had built up a pretty decent clientele. I show up to a mutual friends surprise birthday (which I most certainly did NOT cater) and to my surprise, there are crab cakes. My ass hat friend is going around saying he brought my crabcakes. Used brown mustard, not coleman's dry, used dried thyme, not fresh, used breadcrumbs not panko etc, etc. You catch the drift? I have all these idiots talking to me about these lousy crabcakes, telling me I shoulda done this and I shoulda done that..... I basically had to make a public announcement to announce I had nothing to do with it
NEVER AGAIN!!!!

 

[Selassie I]

Never share your recipes. Friend of mine asked me how I made my crabcakes. Not the most intricate dish, but there's a couple of tweeks here and there that can make or break. So I run down the ingredients, give a step by step, couple days later he tells me they came out great. So what's the problem? Well, I happened to do some high end catering back then, had built up a pretty decent clientele. I show up to a mutual friends surprise birthday (which I most certainly did NOT cater) and to my surprise, there are crab cakes. My ass hat friend is going around saying he brought my crabcakes. Used brown mustard, not coleman's dry, used dried thyme, not fresh, used breadcrumbs not panko etc, etc. You catch the drift? I have all these idiots talking to me about these lousy crabcakes, telling me I shoulda done this and I shoulda done that..... I basically had to make a public announcement to announce I had nothing to do with it
NEVER AGAIN!!!!

My God... what a nightmare.

I'm feeling a lot better about not sharing now. LOL

 

[dieterbrock]

I made grilled artichokes yesterday

This brought a tear to my eye. My inspiration for cooking came from this very dish . I grew up in a very meat and potatoes family. Except the meat was london broil, and the potatoes were Hungry Jack box mix. The only vegetables served in my house was boil in bag corn in butter sauce or tomatoes from the garden (the one thing we did right!) Mom's version of turning things up a bit was by using boxed scalloped potatoes or boxed au gratin.
Anyhoo.... my best friend growing up was from a hardcore Staten Island raised Italian family. Both sets of grandparents were immigrants and when the parents spoke to their parents, it was in Italian. So my BF's mom, Angela-("Ange" of course) was always cooking up a storm. And one day after school I went straight to his house, was staying over the night, and I would be eating dinner with the fam. And my god, she made the most delicious artichoke dish. I sat in amazement while she prepared. Here I only knew of 2 vegetable dishes, yellow corn in white sauce or white corn in yellow sauce and now I'm eating artichokes like its my last meal
That literally changed my whole perspective on food, and I'm not exaggerating or using hyperbole. God I loved being in that home, Ange loved me like a son. That would have been over 40 years ago now, and I can still remember the taste. And if anyone ever asked me what my inspiration for cooking was? Roasted, stuffed Artichokes at the Amato's house
Thanks for letting me re-live this memory

 

[Selassie I]

This brought a tear to my eye. My inspiration for cooking came from this very dish . I grew up in a very meat and potatoes family. Except the meat was london broil, and the potatoes were Hungry Jack box mix. The only vegetables served in my house was boil in bag corn in butter sauce or tomatoes from the garden (the one thing we did right!) Mom's version of turning things up a bit was by using boxed scalloped potatoes or boxed au gratin.
Anyhoo.... my best friend growing up was from a hardcore Staten Island raised Italian family. Both sets of grandparents were immigrants and when the parents spoke to their parents, it was in Italian. So my BF's mom, Angela-("Ange" of course) was always cooking up a storm. And one day after school I went straight to his house, was staying over the night, and I would be eating dinner with the fam. And my god, she made the most delicious artichoke dish. I sat in amazement while she prepared. Here I only knew of 2 vegetable dishes, yellow corn in white sauce or white corn in yellow sauce and now I'm eating artichokes like its my last meal
That literally changed my whole perspective on food, and I'm not exaggerating or using hyperbole. God I loved being in that home, Ange loved me like a son. That would have been over 40 years ago now, and I can still remember the taste. And if anyone ever asked me what my inspiration for cooking was? Roasted, stuffed Artichokes at the Amato's house
Thanks for letting me re-live this memory

Man that's a great story. I think the Hungry Jack potatoes may have inspired you too. LOL. Funny as hell man.

Italians really can inspire you to want to learn how to cook. My aunt was married to an Italian guy (Uncle Joe). During holidays... our whole family would stay together at my Grandparent's big house here in Florida. Uncle Joe would fly his Mom (Tomisina) and her sister (Loretta) down too. They were old ladies who had spent most of their lives in Italy. My grandmother would have to shop for days leading up to their arrival buying all kinds of special ingredients in bulk for those two ladies to cook with. They would turn my Grandmother's big kitchen into what resembled a factory. I don't think they ever left the kitchen the whole time they would be with us. They made everything from scratch including their pasta. The sauce (gravy) was like nothing you could find anywhere. Just amazing.

They made their own meatballs, sausage, and I think they put whole pork chops or something like that in their sauce too. I can still taste their stuff just like you mentioned. Smell and taste are connected... and I've read somewhere that our sense of smell is strongly attached to our memories somehow... so remembering tastes makes sense.

We had to freeze a mountain of their food after they would leave because they made so much. 10 times more than was needed. Saying they cooked for an army would be an understatement. I picked that part up from them. I always cook way more than is needed. Especially with food that freezes well.

My first artichoke was made for me by the twin sisters I used to date. They both worked in an Italian restaurant where they were originally from in Connecticut and that's where they learned how to make em. I've been hooked on those damn things ever since.

 

[RamFan503]

Never share your recipes. Friend of mine asked me how I made my crabcakes. Not the most intricate dish, but there's a couple of tweeks here and there that can make or break. So I run down the ingredients, give a step by step, couple days later he tells me they came out great. So what's the problem? Well, I happened to do some high end catering back then, had built up a pretty decent clientele. I show up to a mutual friends surprise birthday (which I most certainly did NOT cater) and to my surprise, there are crab cakes. My ass hat friend is going around saying he brought my crabcakes. Used brown mustard, not coleman's dry, used dried thyme, not fresh, used breadcrumbs not panko etc, etc. You catch the drift? I have all these idiots talking to me about these lousy crabcakes, telling me I shoulda done this and I shoulda done that..... I basically had to make a public announcement to announce I had nothing to do with it
NEVER AGAIN!!!!

That was certainly a dick move by your friend. It's one thing to fuck up a recipe. It's a whole other thing to pass it off as someone else's.

I always shake my head when people can't repeat a recipe. I have run into this for years while trying to settle on a co-packer for my sauces and rubs. I have signed all kinds of non-compete agreement, spent hours upon hours in food labs, measured and weighed ingredients down to the grain, brought specific ingredients for them to source, specified heat units, black boxed ingredients, etc... And they not only don't get it right, but most of the time, when they get close and I tell them what is wrong, the next time it's just farther off.

Granted, my stuff has some pretty specific ingredients, but come on.... I have been making them for years in my kitchens but they can't repeat them.

And to your story, they want me to accept their rendition of my recipes and put my name on it. Fuck THAT noise.

 

[Loyal]

We need to get into some authentic Hawaiian food here besides a Hawaiian Pizza!

How about a Hawaiian Sticky Chicken with Pineapple?

Tender chicken breast, pineapple, onion and peppers, cooked in a sweet and salty sauce until deliciously caramelised.
Mmmmm...eh, @Selassie I ?

 

[Selassie I]

We need to get into some authentic Hawaiian food here besides a Hawaiian Pizza!

How about a Hawaiian Sticky Chicken with Pineapple?

Tender chicken breast, pineapple, onion and peppers, cooked in a sweet and salty sauce until deliciously caramelised.
Mmmmm...eh, @Selassie I ?

I'm going back to The 808 in June. Gonna meet up with my old neighbors who still live in the same house on my old street.

I'll get some pics of Real Local food there. The neighbors we're getting together with are actually Hawaiian, so it'll be true to The Islands.

 

[Loyal]

I'm going back to The 808 in June. Gonna meet up with my old neighbors who still live in the same house on my old street.

I'll get some pics of Real Local food there. The neighbors we're getting together with are actually Hawaiian, so it'll be true to The Islands.

I can’t wait. Now don’t hold back on all those cooked pineapple and meat dishes!

 

[Selassie I]

My son was out at a restaurant downtown last night with his friends. Josh Freeman, the old Tampon QB, was sitting at a table right by them.

Anyway... this was what he had for an appetizer. Big eye tuna on some fresh guac with some kind of rice cracker.... and a blackberry old fashioned.