Food! Food! Food! The Good, Bad, Ugly, and Tasty steampunk treats and drinks

[Captain Lyerly]

In the category of cooling drinks, I discovered a ginger ale in the South Seas once that is unmatched.  I can't recall the brand name, but it had a sort of jasmine-y top note that went so well with a nice chicken curry.

I was in Victoria port in the Seychelles; there was a sort of pirate-themed bar/restaurant, open to the breezes.  Equatorial heat, mixed with a local humidity that only rarely dipped down into the mid-90s.  Chauve-souris was only served in one restaurant there, but I made do with an excellent chicken curry on a bed of greens that seemed to be their only non-seafood specialty.  The ginger ale was an absolutely perfect accompaniment.

Couldn't find anything to match it in Europe or stateside; finally experimented until I found a reasonable facsimile:

One good strong ginger ale (Canada Dry will do in a pinch)
One Elderflower extract (concentrate).  Can be found stateside in World Market, rather more common in the UK.

Combine to taste; enjoy very cold on a hot summer day.

Cheers!

Chas.

[Reni Valentine]

i'm piping in because i'm plotting away for a steampunk tea party (and possible barbecue) and i've been struggling as to what to serve aside from the standard tea party fare. what a useful set of links!

[Dr. Hastings]

I cook sporadically at home, and I also work at a restaurant, so I enjoy trying to whip up new recipes with certain sets of guidelines to create a taste, if someone could post a list or link of some Victorian spices or some favourable flavours for food I could try to cook something up. It may take a bit though, sometimes I need to cook a quick meal, actually, that happens a lot, so, I'll try to get around to cooking it up.

[CapnHarlock]

Miss Valentine,

Southern /Western US- barbeque meats and chilis are definitely of the correct time-period, and would seem to me to be exactly the type of foods that would have spread rapidly  in a time of airship travel (similar to the way Indian cuisine is so popular in the UK)   

[wavewatcher]

Mr Dieselcat and I shared a bottle of Stages breath, Which is a blend of Mead and Whiskey, perhaps not accurate period wise, but definitely a drink for an Airshipman to warm himself up with (when off duty of course)

I think you can buy it in the UK from John Lewis. And it comes in a very Art Deco Bottle (which goes well with my Plymouth Gin Bottle too...)

[Lucifargundam]

Doesn't this look delicious?

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

[The Steam Lady]

heh i'd have to ask what that is first, though i'm guessing it's quite tasty if there's what appears to be chocolate sauce and icing sugar 

[steamtastic]

Doesn't this look delicious?

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

doesn't look too appetizing. what is it?

[CapnHarlock]

I must say, one of the best things I ever made, prepared for my ex-wife's birthday party today :

Fake Shawarma 

marinade:
rice wine vinegar
ground black pepper
water
olive oil
ground cumin
minced garlic
minced green onion
fresh thyme leaves
finely-minced red onion
crushed dried oregano
onion powder
dash Worcestershire Sauce
dash Sriracha Thai hot sauce
dash crushed red pepper flakes

marinate 2.5 lb chuck steaks and 2.5 lb pork chops overnight in the marinade. Add meat and marinade to a  large Dutch Oven - simmer approx 45 minr (just to be sure no one gets Pork Sashimi) - Skewer alternate meat slices (beef/pork/beef/pork) on wide "swordlike" skewer and sear on a hot grill. Slice off seared layer and repeat grilling - moisten with cooked marinade.

Serve on pita bread with tzatziki sauce and chopped tomato.  I think this was even better than the beef/lamb traditional version.

[Miss Emilly Ladybird]

the absinthe lollipops sent my tongue numb....

[CapnHarlock]

Using the Garden Harvest (Decorative and Tasty) :

(Those who do not like spicy condiments should ignore)

Hardware:
1 empty wine bottle
1 cork.

Software:
1-2 sprigs fresh basil (purple is lovely)
8-10 sprigs fresh thyme
1-2 sprigs fresh rosemary
5-6 leaves Cuban oregano (Greek/Mexican will work, but not as pretty)
1 whole head fresh garlic, peeled
~20 peppercorns
1 habanero chile, halved
3 jalapeno chiles, halved
4-5 cayenne chiles, whole (some ripe, some green looks good)
apple cider (or red or white wine) vinegar

Preparation:

Stuff all of the fresh ingredients into the empty wine bottle. (use a chopstick to push, if needed.)
Fill the bottle with vinegar (cover the vegetation completely)
Cork and let sit at LEAST 2 weeks before use.

The bottle looks good on your kitchen counter, like something from a pretentious kitchen store.

(Keep the bottle filled with vinegar after each use and it should be OK for nearly a year)

Try quickly-sauteeing some fresh spinach, or baby asparagus (or nearly anything green) in olive oil and butter, and gently sprinkle with this sauce for a religious experience.

[Rubi Kevlar]

Mock crab is a great receipe....tastes like crab but made with tomatoes, egg and onion. Lovely warm on Toast.

[steamtastic]

Ever tried looking for your own crabs? I mean like, you see people buy these £10 crabs in the fish mongers, when they could go down to the beach and get the exact same one; no bigger ones for free. Well that’s what you can do round my coast anyway.  We also found a lobster down in the rock pools. A good sized one to, honestly it was quite big. Just be sure your beach is clean is all. And of course, there’s the load of shell fish you can get. Personally I don’t particularly like them, but you can be sure to find winkles right across the country’s coast. Along with razor shell, mussels and *eww* limpets. I like the idea of food for free.

[AlandraD]

take some apple juice, add little sugar water, large T of honey, steep chamomile tea and enjoy.
or freeze into ice cubes to cool down summer teas or lemonade.
or add gelatin and a bit more sugar and make homemade jell-o
or more gelatin for your own Turkish delights. (be sure to roll in powdered sugar for the most delightful delights)

-Amanda

[CapnHarlock]

Every time I open my back door, the fragrance drives me slightly-more insane ...

I am smoking a 4 pound bone-in dry-rubbed pork shoulder over apple wood, over a drip/steam pan of apple cider, onion and garlic. I am on hour 9 of 12 at 220 degrees F., mopped hourly with cider vinegar and chile/herbs -

The fat layer will then be removed and used to season a pot of red and pinto beans which is currently-soaking in the kitchen.

You are all invited to brunch tomorrow morning - bring tortillas. 

[Auntie Ludmilla]

Absinthe Lollipops?

لذيذ

Surely, the alcohol won't freeze? A bottle of vodka kept in the freezer is perfect to drink, so in order to make an absinthe lolly, you'd have to freeze the water content, then tip the alcohol off? Bagsy the left overs....

[Mimsy Beaucoup]

we had the most delicious dish in Pimentos in Lincoln which I have tried to re create myself to some success

chilli cheese on toast with mango chuckney

I have not found chilli cheese but have found some with peppers, or just pop chilli sauce on it!

Layer the mango chuckney under the cheese and spalsh the chilli sauce on a grill.

really very good! -cheese needs to be thick!

[Auntie Ludmilla]

An old family recipe of ours is egg splodge on toast. Mash up some hardboiled eggs with equal parts mayo and horseradish sauce, and lots of freshly ground black pepper. Slather it on a doorstop of toast, unsliced bloomer is the best bread for this, then stick it under the grill til the topping starts to buble and brown. Guarunteed to clear the sinuses... Perfect hangover cure too.

[wavewatcher]

For a rather Amusing approach to Victorian cooking i reccomend the program "Supersizers Go..." in this case "Supersizers Go Victorian" which i believe has been uploaded to Youtube. The show is half History, half Cookery and a imposssible extra fraction of Humour and honesty.

[Agustus Griffin]

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

 
  While I am not sure if this is the proper venue to display my discovery, I simply must show you my fine luck in discovering this!

 I found a working Mirro Matic Electric Perculator circa 1930-40. After some cleaning it produced the most wonderous cup of coffee I've had in ages. It came with all of it's original bits and bobs, including the cloth covered electrical cord! (in nearly new condition. No burrs or new materials.)

 Antique? Definitely. A Display? Not if I can help it. I am ever amazed by the durability and quality that used to go into making such devices.

Agustus

[Nitr0gene]

Being a healthy eater, I'm privvy to sticking to home made things. I've discovered that most Mexican dishes are, not only easy to make, but also fairly healthy if you leave out the full-fat soured cream and shed-loads of cheese! Alright it may not be very Victorian or what-have-you, but it's steampunk in the sense that you take a basic recipe and tailor it to your liking and make it your own!

Try Huevos Rancheros recipe...ranch-style eggs on a tortilla topped with home-made salsa spiced to your liking.
Can never go wrong with chicken or beef Fajitas! Perfect for dinner parties too!
Tortillas...not my favourite of the bunch as the taco shells are quite greasy, but rather nice as quick nosh!
Chilli con Carne is my current obsession. Warming, filling, and very healthy if you use lean minced pork and brown rice
Quesidillas - pretty much a Mexican cheese pancake! Can always use low fat medium cheese as a healthy sub
The holy Mexican ground - Burritos! Deliscious and can be made in a variety of ways including a breakfast burrito!
Enchiladas are probably the best dish in the world...yummy chilli con carne wrapped in tortillas and warmed through

And you can't go wrong with preparing a frozen Margarita or Mojito to compliment these gorgeous winter warmers!

Adios!

Nitr0gene

[CapnHarlock]

I've discovered that most Mexican dishes are, not only easy to make, but also fairly healthy if you leave out the full-fat soured cream and shed-loads of cheese!

My own version of the "Steampunk World" assumes airship-travel, so you will find Vindaloos in Omaha, Texas Barbeque in New Delhi, Shu-mai in Boston and burritos, well, anywhere there is a way to make fire and tortillas

I have the advantage/pleasure of living in an area with a HUGE Mexican/Salvadorean/Central American community. You can almost always tell the difference between a "Mexican" and "Gringo" shopping cart at any local grocery store, without seeing who is pushing it. The former is full of fresh meat and fresh vegetables and the latter usually contains nothing but canned, frozen and packaged "crapfood". An object lesson.

The "real" (as opposed to 'restaurant-ized') cuisine of nearly-any "economically-deprived" culture, especially near the Equator,  world-wide, tends to be inexpensive, healthful and delicious, though not always fast. (e.g. Cuban Ropa Viega takes hours to braise, but it is definitely worth the wait). You will almost always be happy that you tried something new.

[wavewatcher]

Recently I was cooking for my gf, and endeavoured to make Tortilla Wraps, but didnt have the correct spices/sauces and so used what I had to hand. Thus I ended up (roughly )with Jamaican Jerk chicken with onions and peppers in a tortilla wrap. Delicious, and not excessively strong. It was strangely cosmopolitan. When a friend asked how i came up with it, i replied "Its all we had left in the ship's galley"

[Auntie Ludmilla]

In our house we call that "back of the cupboard special"

[wavewatcher]

In our house we call that "back of the cupboard special"

It wasnt so much leftovers, we had all the other components, just not mexican spices, and so improvised