cook for my friends

i know bbq is easy, but if you are cooking for a buttload of people it can be a challenge, so last weekend when i went up to a cabin with my friends i cooked for everyone, no one got sick so i guess i did a good job! mission accomplished!

i should act like it…

I LOVE to cook! I am going to try to cook for my friends once a month. I was in Barnes and Nobels the other day and notice all those kits of random stuff that you can learn to do, like make balloon animals or learn to do body art or decorate a cake. I think I am going to incorporate those fun off the wall activities into our get together if I can pull it off. I love bizarr stuff like that and my friends let me be a wierdo:)

i have the colonels secret recipe for kentucky fried chicken, and im gonna make it for my friends someday… if anyone wants it, check it out…

2 eggs, beaten
1 1/2 cups milk
1 cup flour
3/4 cup fine bread crumbs
1 tsp. Knorr chicken bouillon
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. garlic powder (not salt)
1/4 tsp. onion powder (not salt)
1/2 tsp. paprika
1/3 tsp. Bell Seasoning
1 tbsp. freshly chopped parsley
2 large cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp. soy sauce
2 tsp. black pepper
1 tbsp. Wondra flour
1/2 tsp. Monosodium Glutamate (optional)
additional flour for separate pre-coating
5-6 cups Crisco cooking oil
1 frying chicken, cut in pieces

Safety Warning: A special pressure fryer is the only type of pressure cooker that you can fry in safely. Read your manufacturer’s instructions before frying in a pressure cooker. If you don’t have your instruction manual, then prepare this chicken in a deep fryer instead.

Pour the oil into the pressure fryer or deep pan suitable for frying, and then heat over medium heat to about 360 degrees.

In a small bowl beat the egg, milk, and soy sauce, then stir in 1/2 tsp. Knorr chicken bouillon (save the other 1/2). Put the garlic cloves through a garlic press and add into the egg mixture. Add half of the parsley and 1 tbsp. Wondra flour. Stir well.

In a separate bowl, combine the 1 cup flour and the bread crumbs, and the remaining ingredients. Mix well with a fork.

Put about 1/2 cup additional flour in a separate small bowl. Use this to dip each chicken piece, prior to dipping in the milk and seasonings.

Roll each piece of chicken around until well covered, first in plain flour, then in milk mixture, then in flour/bread crumbs mixture.

Gently lower the chicken pieces into the hot oil and allow to become a golden color (add the bigger pieces first).

Pressure Fryer:

If you are using a pressure fryer, place the lid on and lock it when the chicken is a very light golden color, usually about 3 minutes. Begin timing when the lid is locked and the gauge indicates a pressure of 5-6 pounds. Bring temperature up immediately and watch carefully (don’t walk away!).

Remove from heat after about 7 minutes and reduce pressure following manufacturer’s directions. Remove the chicken pieces and place on layers of paper towels. Return the pan to the stove and bring temperature back up and continue until all chicken pieces are fried. If your chicken was too brown, cook the next batch for a minute or so less, and vice versa if your chicken wasn’t browned enough. Do not overload the cooker with too many pieces, as it brings the temperature down too quickly and will cause the pieces to absorb more of the cooking oil than it otherwise would.

Regular Deep Frying:

Fry the chicken at 360-375 degrees, placing the larger pieces in when the temperature is slightly lower (temperature will drop when pieces are added). Put the smaller pieces in when the temperature is higher, and they will be cooked more quickly. Remove when chicken is golden brown and drain on paper towels.

TIP: To flavor the oil in this method, you can thickly slice a few large onions and add to the oil before the chicken – skim these out when they are browned, before adding the chicken. It will add an additional layer of flavor to the oil!

Problem:
i wonder why this is still in my list…
1. distance
2. time

Since i have time, i will be the one to visit either golda or bernice who hold their office at home..like me, only busier.

I choose golda for now cause she lives solo…two-three hours travel from our house. but as they say, a friend’s house is never too far!

Time frame: this week!
What to cook: Adobo!

i am thinking of a nice menu for a special occassion. i think grilling would be fun…

yesterday evening I’ve cooked some carnival sweets for all my sweet’s fan at office :)

i love making a meal for friends and have done it many times, on different occasions, for varying persons. don’t care so much about washing dishes, but hubby helps with that.

After moving into my apartment (in France!) I still had no idea how to cook. My mom sent over a cookbook from home and I celebrated by having friends over, opening up a bottle of wine, and making Chinese food. Was pretty damn good, if I must say so myself.

It was great fun…Being pregnant, I ordered the turkey but made a couple of dishes myself…Prepared warm wine for friends on that cold cold night…