Sculptors Recipes and Gear

[Bill Harsey]

Do you folks think sculptors/metal workers cook good or have any special recipes?

The years of my working at a forge will not let me walk away from a working oven or grill for fear of "ruining the work".

I also got a smaller wire welder a couple years ago and have found it useful to make outdoor cooking gear. The latest work was a portable fire pit with a spark arresting top that we used in Oregon's Steens Mountain Wilderness a few weeks ago.

The forge fried rice I've done here uses a portable riveters forge burning charcoal and with the wok on top looks like the Mercury 7 capsule re-entry.

My wife won't let me cook inside.

Admins please advise if this is too far off the path.

[bluedogshuz]

Are you kidding? Look at the time we spend trying to figure out all of these materials, formulas, my God the microwaving bronze still has me scratchin my head. When it comes to the kitchen I have been layin low because you don't want to look to good or your spouse my get jealouse. I'm absolutely deft on my feet and can feel the food cook! I'm fabulous and I'm goona prove it tommorow for a much needed get together with all friends!

[sculptor]

I make the best spinach cheese crepes I've ever tasted, and a reasonable chicken kiev---
On average if it involves flour, eggs, butter or potatoes I'm the head cook here---usually translates to I do most of the cooking in the cold months, when our tastes shift toward high carb hi fat food.
In the spring and summer we tend toward more vegetables and lean meats and my beloved spouse, Carol takes over the greater part of the cooking.

When he's home, Mike(peace corps) makes excellent squash and pumpkin breads and pretty good wines and preserves.

being a dawn to dusk worker, it works out well this way, as I tend to want to hang out by the stove on cold days as dark settles in, while in the long warm days, I can work in the shop till I'm called to dine.

..."...forge fried rice ..." open or closed pan? wok?

maybe she don't let you cook inside due to your choice of cooking stove?

crepes
3 cups flour
1 cup powdered sugar
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
1 tblsp ginger or cinnamon or nutmeg or whatever tickles your tastebuds
1 tsp vanilla
a bunch of eggwhites and a yolk or 2(sometimes 8-9 eggs)

if cinnamon I often use applejuice instead of water (autumn favorite)
also other juices-or beer---if a really sweet juice I cut back on the sugar.
(also when young people are dining, I increase the sugar to 1/2 the flour, and sometimes for Carol and me cut it back to 1/4 the flour.)

mix dry ingredients then add water while stiring till slightly gooey----let stand for 1 - 24 hours ...let the glutten work

start spinach warming in double boiler

mix in eggwhites and yolks while gently stiring batter----maybe add more water or milk to make rather thin batter and
fry on slightly hot buttered griddle

when 2-3 crepes from finished, add (mild)cheese to spinach
as you've fried the last crepe, the cheese should be melting into the spinach, (you'll want to use the mix just as the cheese melts as the longer it sets the chewier it gets) stir
and place large forkfull on crepe, roll crepe
repeat..repeat...repeat.....etc........
sometimes, I add a little water (or milk or cream) to the spinach, and when the crepes are all full and rolled, find some chese sauce in the bottom of the pot---
I'll put 3 crepes on a plate, and pour the chese sauce over them---a few sprigs of parsley (or mint or something green) and voila...fat city

bon apetite

any left over batter should be good for a couple days----I often fry one or two for a snack and put standard sandwich stuff in/on it or pretend it's a really skinny pancake

[Bill Harsey]

Bluedogshuz,
Have a great day cooking for friends!

Sculptor,
The Forge Fried Rice is done in an open wok placed on firebricks that are at the edge of the forge. Charcoal briquets work fine for fuel and with the hand cranked air blower they come up to full heat fast. You've never seen briquets burn until you add a little forced air.
I make a shrimp and ginger forge fried rice that's actually a main dish. The guests enjoy the flames while "the cook" tries to add the ingredients in proper sequence and get them cooked just right.

My being banned from the kitchen, which has taken years to slowly lift, was the result of some chiles and a pan with oil that started out a little too warm.

Even in Oregon with effort and care we can grow many kinds of chiles. The scotch bonnets and habeneros have a very long growing season so it's a celebration whenever we get a good crop.
Here's the story:
Years ago I was celebrating something and had fresh ripe orange colored habeneros with onions sliced up for a quick pan fry to be used in a simple quesadilla. Oil was added to the pre-heated cast iron frying pan and the speed at which it smoked should have been a clue. Oh yeah, for the sake of full disclosure, beer may have been involved.

When I added the habenero chiles the smoking cloud of pepper fog was kind of strong and my eyes almost wouldn't stay open. For some reason I developed a bit of a cough. No problem, just turn on the fan and open a window. About the time I get the chiles cooked tears are running down my face (must be allergic to something...) my wife with our then two very small children get home from a trip to town.

She started coughing as she hit the back door and that was still one room away from the kitchen. The kids couldn't even come in the house.
If memory serves she spoke in a clear and direct manner with no possible misunderstanding of the intended message. The exercise has not been repeated.

I've also gotten smarter and it's very seldom and with great care that I use fresh habenero in anything. There is much to be said about the skill of using chiles for flavor without hurting the person doing the eating.

There are reasons for traditions.