labyrinth/cookin'

Documentation of my cooking misadventures. [&] notes recipes I'd make again. Asterisks are used to emphasize favorites.

202405

Chicken Teriyaki - I replaced ginger paste & garlic paste with ginger powder & minced garlic. I had to guesstimate measurements. Tasted mostly of soy sauce. Did not mince garlic thoroughly. Did not even out chicken before cooking it, which was another mistake. Cooked chicken for ~30min on stovetop; I think this was too long. Skipped rice and broccoli. Should've made less sauce. My mistakes meant that the chicken was barely edible.
Chicken Alfredo [&*] - I cut the sauce recipe in half. Seasoned chicken with salt and pepper. Added oregano and red pepper flakes to the sauce. Cooked chicken for ~20 min; did try to flatten chicken beforehand. This was edible.
Chicken recipes - used chicken thighs, cooked on stovetop in 1/2 stick of butter. I do not have a thermometer. This video was helpful.
Chocolate Pie - crust was made of coconut flakes and butter. Instead of following the instructions, I melted the butter in a pan and toasted the coconut flakes with it; froze once flakes were brown enough. Naturally, the crust stuck to the bottom of the pasta bowl. Also doubled the amount for the crust. For the filling: waited ten minutes, mixture was lumpy, chocolate chips had not melted, and the ingredients had not combined. Went back to stovetop (low heat), added some more heavy cream, and stirred for a few minutes. Once combined, poured it on top of the coconut crust. Added powdered ginger to the top. Froze it. So: great recipe for people who enjoy fucking with instructions.
Smashed Cucumber Salad [&*] - sliced cucumbers with a mandolin. Modified "The Classic." Used ~1.5tbsp soy sauce, 1tsp sesame seed oil, 1tsp red pepper flakes, and two cloves of minced garlic. Garnished with 1tsp sesame seeds. Then put ~1lb of shredded beef on top of it. Delicious.
Kompot [&*] - made some with blueberries. Was delicious.
Turkey Burgers (defrosted). Mixed with feta, oregano, lemon, and pepper. Did the same with some shrimp. Feta and lemon go well together; the tang of the lemon balances out the saltiness of the feta, and then the oregano adds a slight plant-y flavor (not a good description).
Cheesy Cauliflower Breadsticks - made in an 8-inch rectangular tin (like what you'd use for banana bread). Cooked for 30min; could've gone for longer. Had I used sheet pans, they would've been crispier. I don't have a food processor, so I ground up cauliflower by standing on a bag of cauliflower. Doing so left me with a chunky puree. When I reheated it the following day, it was a mushy and unappealing. I mixed it with tomato sauce. Then I felt like I was eating pasta!
Ground chicken cooked in coconut oil. When eating, I could taste the coconut. I salt and peppered the fuck out of it; initially tried it with a General Tso's sauce, which had an overpowering flavor that didn't complement the chicken. This was okay. I'd do it again if I were following a specific recipe---with the right mixture of seasonings, it could taste great.
Asian Pork Tenderloin - used pork chops. No green onions, cilantro, rice venegar, or vegetable oil. Also dipped pork chops in sesame seeds before cooking 'em. Tastes like a mild teriyaki sauce.
Pork chops w/ grits. Dipped pork chops in uncooked grits before cooking 'em. Mixed with lemon, garlic, oregano, salt, pepper, and a bay leaf. Grits stayed on relatively well?
Meatballs - no mozzarella (or protein powders). Also cooked on stovetop. I should've made patties; meatballs are more effort than they're worth.
Chebureki [&*] - I used this recipe for the dough. Several commenters noted that their dough was greasy and did not hold together. Responses to those comments noted that you do have to closely follow the recipe to avoid this problem. My dough came out fine! Mixing butter and mozzarella until combined took quite a few minutes, and I was surprised that they could be combined. I will absolutely use this dough in the future. The filling itself was great. To cook them, I cooked 'em in butter on the stove to brown the crust. Then I put them in the oven for ~15min at 350F (cooked until internal temp. was 160F). Wonderful; would make again. I'd like to try a dough with coconut flour, but couldn't find a recipe.
Eggs Benedict - I think every egg I tried to poach lost half of its egg whites. I'd like to get better at poaching eggs---I love runny yolks, and the egg whites are less cooked than in hard-boiled eggs; perfect mixture---but with how much egg I lost, doing so seems wasteful. When following this recipe, I poached four eggs and had them with eight breakfast sausages. I made significantly more sauce than I needed; I think I should have halved the sauce recipe. The lemon was too prominent; should've used less. Honestly, I just feel like I wasted my time. I'm still hungry.
Mug cake - I cooked this in a bowl, so it was cooked all the way through. Because of that, it was not disappointing.

202406

Souvlaki [&*]: I cooked a pork butt on the stove. Then I mixed the marinade (from this recipe) in with 2lb of the pork butt. Very good. Mixed in some corn and minced tomato for texture.
Spicy pork butt: Mixed shredded pork butt with storebought Tso, soy sauce, and sesame oil. The sesame oil gave it a much-needed kick.
Orange Chicken: The sauce was nice! Slightly tangy, could've done with more spice. Were I to make it again, I'd double (if not triple) the amount of red pepper flakes. I'd ditch the coating on the chicken. I used almond flour, and, unsurprisingly, it didn't stick to the chicken very well. Too much of a mess. Also, deboning split chicken breasts was a fun time.
Chicken Braise in Cinnamon and Cumin with Tahini (Lemon, Love, and Olive Oil - Mina Stone): HOW WAS THIS SO FLAVORLESS. Tasted better when put on top of the chickpea salad.
Chickpea Salad with Feta and Herbs (Lemon, Love, and Olive Oil - Mina Stone): I used mint, parsley, and Thai basil. This was edible on its own.
Cajita de Coco (Lemon, Love, and Olive Oil - Mina Stone): I replaced graham crackers with walnuts; flavor was not very strong. Flavor-free balls of 'fudge.' Taste improved when I sprinkled cinnamon on top.
Ox Tongue with Caper and Lemon Butter (Aegean - Marianna Leivaditaki): Ox tongue is expensive, so I used pork tongue. This was okay; not bad, but not memorable. The kiwi gave the dish a good kick.
Spicy pork heart [&*]: I used Thai chilis; I think I also added lemon, soy sauce, and sesame oil. Tasted amazing.
Mudfish with lemon: 0/10 do not recommend. Tasted like swamp.
Mashed cauliflower [&]: With garlic, salt, butter, and black pepper.

202407

deconstructed cheburek: Fucked up the pierogi dough and made breadcrumbs instead. Mixed with ~drumroll~ beef, onion, garlic, and green onion. Very nice. A+
that's called a taco: Do I need to remind myself that ground beef and taco seasoning are amazing? Added mexican blend cheese and a side of refried beans for top-tier comfort food.
sugar-free jello in coconut milk: Creamy texture. Nice.
cornstarch cake: Two eggs, 2tbsp cornstarch, 1/4c sugar, 1tbsp cocoa powder, microwave for 2min. Also added cloves and vanilla extract. Taste and texture were fine. I'd like to repeat this with less cornstarch. I'm also out of sugar, so any future experiment will also lack sugar. This was significantly better than I expected. Somewhat cakey, somewhat fluffy, overall enjoyable.
Creamed coconut corn: coconut milk, corn, paprika, black pepper. Tasted fine; I liked the kick.
Tofu with teriyaki sauce & arugula: I liked having a variety of textures. I also like the tangy sweetness of teriyaki sauce.
Crab Rangoons: Canned crab has a strong seafood taste. Were I to make it again, I would've used less crab / more cream cheese; also would've done more green onion. I skipped the Worcestershire sauce. I added a bit of toasted sesame oil (one of my favorite flavors). I used grated garlic instead of garlic powder. I cooked 'em in the oven for twelve minutes. They hit the spot.
Mango Chicken Curry [&*]: I halved the recipe, used chipotle powder instead of paprika, used a shallot instead of an onion, grated the garlic; for the broth, I used ~1 cup of coconut cream and 1/2 cup of water. I used one mango. This tastes good. Could have more of a kick to it---maybe I'll add some green onion? Or the thai chilis I have in the fridge.
Coconut Flour Cake: I scaled the recipe down to 9 servings (<3 that this author has that feature built in) and made it in a 9x5 inch loaf pan. The sweetener I used was a blend of erithytol, cane sugar, and stevia---so not quite sugar-free. I also mixed it by hand, as I don't have access to a stand mixer. I used imitation vanilla extract, and did not use coconut extract.

First impressions: it looks and tastes like a cake. I used 70g of sweetener (instead of 75g); I'd like to try using less, as it is a bit sweet for my taste. I cooked it for a little over 30min, since I'm used to needing to cook things for longer than the recipe calls for. However, it came out slightly dry; should've pulled it out at 30min (or sooner).

Definitely making this one again. I think it'll be a useful base recipe. I'd like to try it with cocoa powder and cloves.; Ended up making this again. Used lemon powder and the solid part of an unshaken can of coconut milk (and some butter). Nice.
Cinnamon Rolls: I made two batches; neither of them look like the pictures from the recipe. In the second batch, I lowered the cook time to 10min; they still turned out burnt. I think I need to turn down the cook temperature. Maybe I also need to increase the amount of baking powder?; Update...did a third batch. Used a tablespoon of baking powder. Rise was significantly better.
Kao Buri (City Rice) (Cracking the Coconut, pg44) [&]: Minus the rice. I definitely needed to add the seasonings to the pan before adding the chicken. I halved the recipe, except for the number of chilis. It could have done with more chilis. The golden raisins added a nice punch. I forgot to buy sweet pickled ginger, so I grated galangal instead. The dish was nice and flavorful; I think the cloves stood out the most. I liked it.
Coconut Flour Bread: Made with strawberries. Was okay; needed more flavor. I need to learn to like the taste of coconut flour on its own.
Kao Suratan (Cracking the Coconut, pg42): Similar to Kao Buri. The mace is strong; probably the most distinct part of the dish. I wonder if adding dried apricot would be nice, more texture with more taste? I liked it.
Keang Pet Moo Yang Kub Klouy Dipp (Cracking the Coconut, pg218) [&***]: Or: red curry with roasted pork and green banana. I used tofu instead of banana. This was fucking awesome. Took a few hours, and it was worth every moment. I skipped the coconut milk and only used coconut cream.

202408

Holy Basil Stir Fry [&***]: Holy basil tastes faintly of mint, thai basil, and spice. There's a kick to it. Fucking lit. I didn't have a lime, so I used a kaffir lime leaf. I used ground pork instead of ground chicken. Damn good.
Crying Tiger (Cracking the Coconut, pg) [&]: Used fifteen fresh Thai chilis. No green peppercorns. About 2lb of pork (instead of 1lb chicken). The spice was savory, and didn't overpower me.; More fish sauce?
Tomm Gai Kaa Onn (Cracking the Coconut, pg74): Like a chill version of the Keang Pet Moo Yang Kub Klouy Dipp. The flavors are too gentle for my liking. Needed more fish sauce. I used pork instead of chicken; when reheating it, I've added fish balls or tofu. This is very nice with fish balls, hence...
Fish ball soup: Used coconut cream, thai chilis, scallions, fish sauce, and a bit of the coriander/cilantro/peppercorn/garlic paste. Very nice. Note.
Sausage, Egg, and Cheese Casserole: Used pork instead of sausage. Added tomato, corn, and red pepper flakes. Very nice. Froze it; will see how well it reheats.
Neur Poo Chong—Ginseng (Cracking the Coconut, pg106) [&***]: AKA beef, lotus seed, and green papaya stew. The lotus seeds are awesome; have a slightly nutty taste. By the time it's done cooking, the beef is very tender. Only needed ~1/4 of a papaya; next time, I'll buy a half instead of a whole. Sliced papaya with a vegetable peeler.
Keang Gai Faa (Cracking the Coconut, pg112): UPDATE WHEN EAT. Thanks, meal prep...flavors and dishes are blending together. I think it had a nice kick to it? Got to use fresh chili leaves.
Keang Gai Kub Ma-Kheau Tedd (Cracking the Coconut, pg166): "Chicken Soup with Stuffed Tomatoes." Except I used pork and a whole tomato. I ran out of fish sauce, so I used fermented shrimp paste. I used coconut milk instead of chicken broth. I think I cut a few things from the chile paste, too. Taste-wise? Mildly spicy.; Upon eating, added: lime, onions, fish sauce, red pepper flakes.
Neur Sawan (Cracking the Coconut, pg208) [&***]: AKA beef jerky. Used pork, and it was <3
Pork & Papaya Stir Fry: used keang koa chile paste (Cracking the Coconut, pg210). Papaya because I needed to do something with the leftover green papaya from the stew. Would not repeat.
Tang Yuan: Something went wrong with the dough, so I combined the dough with the filling. I did not use sesame seeds. I added onions, fermented shrimp paste, and seeds from California peppers. Pretty good. Like a chewy peanut ball.
Coconut Flour Cookies: Added a lemon of lemon juice; definitely needed lemon zest, but I don't have a grater. Added 1tbsp of poppy seeds; should have done 2tbsp. These are so light and airy.

Fun with eggs

Ricotta. Also good with pesto, or tomato sauce.
Feta ♥
Soy sauce. Will taste like soy sauce, but it's a way to break up the monotony of eggs.
Red pepper, garlic, oregano.
Sausage. Great with runny-yolk eggs; the yolk sticks to the sausage, kinda like bread.

Fun with butter

Because sometimes salting butter ain't enough.

Brown butter - there are dozens of 'recipes' for this on Youtube. Brown the butter and freeze it. Once it's frozen, it has a nice crunchy texture. I can see why people compare it to caramel, though I wouldn't. The more salt, the better.
Brown butter with coconut - what it says on the tin. You can also mix in some brown sugar.
Lemon & thyme (compound butter). Soften the butter, and mix in the ingredients. It's like a savory ice cream.

Footnotes on ingredients...

Olives

Alfonso: Appearance: moderate/bright purple.; Taste: bitter, salty, slightly tart.
Halkidiki (black): Appearance: black, slightly wrinkled, flesh-y.; Taste: slightly musty, slightly briney. Texture is meat-y. (I do not like these ones).
Throumpa: Appearance: black, wrinkled.; Taste: buttery, nutty, very mild. Has a gummy texture.
Volos: Appearance: brown with green undertones.; Taste: acidic, bitter, pungent.

Seasoning Meat

I'm compiling a list of sauces & seasonings for meat.

Teriyaki sauce - homemade or storebought. I stick to soy sauce, sesame oil, and ground ginger.
Taco seasoning - paprika and ??? My mom gave me a mix she made; I need to ask her what else is in it. Great for ground beef. Also goes well with 'Mexican blend' cheese (cheddar with monterey jack?).
Lemon, oregano, black pepper - nice for chicken, okay for pork. If I have feta, I'll throw it in.