Seeking Ideas For The Next Fuel For The Boiler*updates on first page*

ok folks, i bet alot of ya gave up hope of there being another fuel for the boiler. but have no fear the Boo has not forgotten her obligations. life gave me a swift kick in the teeth and i might have been down for the count but i didnt forget :)however my creativity has gone Kapoot so i need ideas! as well as recipes. And a new title would be nifty i think. but ill see how everyone feels about that first. I also need ideas for the books cover. any photo shop wizards wanna help me out with that?

im also gonna have a chapter at the front called "What is this Steampunk you speak of?" please feel free to email me or post here your ideas on what steampunk is and i shall put it in the book :)ummm...and since my brain has decided to shut down... that is all......


**~~Updated Information here!!~~**

OK as i mentioned before this book shall have a few changes that i honestly hope will be of use to the reader as well as just make the book more interesting. First off we (by we i mean all of us since i am just the facilitator really) will be adding a few new chapters the first off is a request and it is Vegetarian recipes! yuppers all the lovely greens you can eat! next will be a chapter called Gogglemas, this chapter will be for all your holiday recipes. any and all of them. thanksgiving,xmas, yule,etc...etc... its my way of having a special occasions chapter without implying any sort of religious or political leanings.

Next the idea of a mixed drinks section has been mentioned,as with the last time, these will be in the section marked "Appetizers & Beverages" mostly due to i honestly have not received enough recipes for either of those for them to have their own chapters.

I will again be using images to separate up the chapters so if you have a nifty picture of some thing you created be it an object or a photoshop work,please feel free to message them to me. I also need a cover image any suggestions? i would also like a Lovecraftian-esque image for the Gogglemas chapter. And finally, if you have a well done image of one of your recipes (nifty plate of cookies wonderful serving dish of pasta) feel free to post it along with your recipe

I thought I'd missed the airship on this one and was going to have to wait for Fuel for the Boiler 3

I don't think I've sent this before so here goes :-

Neon_suntan's Easy Veggie curry

Requirements

Wok - large
Olive oil - plenty
Frozen Vegetables - various
Chopped Tomatoes - 1 tin
Tomato Puree - 1 tube
Garlic - 2 or 3 cloves
Onions - 2 - One red and one normal
Spices
- Paprika - teaspoon
- Ginger - Pinch
- Chilli powder - Pinch
- Black pepper - Pinch
- Generic Curry Spice blend - Whatever ready-mixed curry spice sachet you can get
approx 4 teaspoons

Kettle/Pan of boiling water

Instructions

1) Turn the wok onto a low heat and add plenty of oil - enough to thickly cover the base.

2) Skin and chop the garlic and the two onions then add to the wok

3) add the mixed frozen veg - ideally this should be pre-prepared and/or chopped into small-ish pieces already. Add frozen veg until wok is 2/3rds full

4) Add tomato puree and tin of chopped tomatoes

5) Add spices

6) Stir vigorously until all ingredients are mixed

7) Add the boiling water from the kettle until there is about 2 centimetre or an inch spare around the the edge of the wok.*

Stir carefully to mix the hot water with the ingredients

9) Heat the mixture until it bubbles then return it to simmering at a slightly higher heat than usual

10) Cook until all vegetables are your required softness or all the water has evaporated - this can be about an hour

11) Eat and or freeze

*rice can be added to the mixture at this point but some types may need to be partially pre-cooked [parboiled] before adding otherwise they might not be cooked through.




Stay tuned for the lo-budget and very alcoholic Death by Mocha

nope, life kinda took a U-turn on me so it got set on the back burner...heh...ahem... but have no fear my lovelies! the show must go on and it shall!

death by mocha...mmmmmm can't wait!

ms_boo_dreadful wrote:death by mocha...mmmmmm can't wait!

And you shall not wait my dear!

Death by Mocha

This a straightforward concoction for those of us whose enjoyment of the finer things is often hampered by lack of cold hard cash... I recommend this in the depths of the winter.

You will need
1 Large mug - or an outsize mug if you have one.
1 kettle or pan to boil water and/or milk / Or 1 microwave depending upon authenticity
A tea-spoon
A small coffee whisk
Milk - approx a third of a pint
A Flake chocolate bar - non UK Steampunks can see a close-up here


A selection of powdered goodies which should include at least three of the following
Dried instant coffee [decaff if it's a night cap ]
Cocoa powder
Drinking chocolate powder
Sachet of hot chocolate powder
Sweetner/White Sugar/Brown Sugar etc delete as applicable
A large measure of your favourite spirit - Vodka or Jack Daniels Bourbon usually do the trick.

Here's the simplest version recipe.

1 - Add the sachets, powders and granules [and sweetner]to the mug. Fill & boil kettle

2 - Add measure of Spirit of choice this can be anything from a hint to an Heroic dose, depending on personal preference.
3 - Stir or whisk the mixture so that the alcohol and the powders are all throughly mixed

4 - Break the flake in two crumbling the first half into the mug and put the other aside.

5 - Top up the rest of the mug with equal parts boiled water from the kettle and milk

6 - Stir or whisk vigourously

7 - Place mug in the microwave for 30-60 seconds depending upon Appliance Wattage

8 - Stir again, leave to cool or reheat for another 30-60 seconds

Enjoy the 'Mocha', and eat the remaining half of the flake.

These aren't especially steampunk, but it is rather satisfying making your own spice mix for curries

Basic curry mix

Equipment
Frying pan that can be heated empty
Pestle and mortar or similar

Ingredients
2 tsp cumin seed
1 tsp coriander seed
1/2 tsp tumeric (if the curry has cauliflower or potato, you might want to add a little more as it works especially well with these). NOTE: This is the least essential of these, and can be omitted if required. Tumeric does more than colour things yellow (although it does that very well), it has an earthy taste which complements some foods very well.
1 tsp chilli (depending on strength of chilli, and personal preferences)

Heat empty frying pan until very hot
Tip coriander and cumin into the pan, shake to distribute them, then leave until they start jumping.
WARNING: Unless you want to conduct chemical warfare on the occupants of your dwelling, do NOT put chilli seeds into the hot frying pan!
Tip hot seeds into mortar/grinder/whatever you're using, add the chilli if you're using dried seeds, and grind.
TIP: Depending on the shape of the mortar you can get better results rolling the pestle around and grinding the seeds after you've broken the seeds than by continuing to pound with it.
Add turmeric and mix
Add to curry as it's cooking

Other spices you might want to add (possibly not all at once)
To the mix being toasted in the frying pan:
Cardamon seed - break up a couple of pods and add the seeds.
Mustard seed - 1/2 tsp
Fenugreek - this spice has a very pungent curry smell and taste - add about 1/2 tsp (if you can't get the seed, use powder, and add to the powder mix

To add to the powders
(quantities given are for ground versions)
Cinnamon (stick or powder) - this adds a sweet edge to the curry - 1/2 tsp , more if you want a sweeter taste
Cloves (whole or powder) - also adds a sweet edge - 1/2 tsp
Ginger (fresh root or powder) - adds a tangy bite - 1/2 tsp

Experiment with different mixes and different quantities. Make a note of what you try so you can repeat what works for you. When you find one you love, make up a larger batch and store in an airtight container away from bright light.

Coming soon! Masala chai

oooh lovely thanks guys! now do keep in mind folks your recipes dont have to be especially "steamy" just good food!

Unauthentic Masala Chai
(my understanding is that traditionally it's made by steeping the spices in milk for a while, then adding the tea and sugar)
Makes one pot (2 mugs, 4 small cups)

Ingredients
Half a stick of cinnamon (about 2-3 inches/5-8 cm), broken up
2 cloves
2 black peppercorns (small-medium size)
1 star anise
2 cardomon pods, split - use seeds and case, it just crunches down easier if you split it
3 teaspoons loose large leaf assam, or 2 teaspoons small leaf teas, or two teabags
Boiling water
Very warm milk
Sugar to taste (I use about 5 teaspoons for a pot)

Fill teapot with very hot/boiling water
Put spices in a mortar and scrunch up with a pestle.
Check teapot feels hot, discard water
Put spices in teapot with tea leaves/bags
Fill teapot about half way with boiling water and leave to brew for 5 minutes or so - you might want a teapot cosy!
Add sugar and stir
Top up with warm milk
Leave for a minute or so more before serving - if your teapot doesn't have a built in strainer, make sure you use a tea strainer! It actually works very well with the Bodum tea pots that have the central column to put the tea in.

You can use powdered spices if you want, but they tend to end up in your cup and give the tea a funny texture towards the bottom of the cup

Variations
Add another couple of cloves and a little more cinnamon for a more "mulled" flavour
Add ginger for a warming taste that also helps a bit with digestion
And obviously mess around with the amount of the base ingredients to suit your own tastes!

Curry is steamy; Her Majesty Queen Victoria ordered her chef to cook a curry every day, even though she didn't especially like it, in case of visiting indians. Did the last edition have a mulled wine recipe? Can we scrouge recipies from other places, like adapting good old Mrs Beeton? I seem to remember rather liking her cinnamon shrewsbury biscuits, so I can check the variation I tried.

no we did not have a mulled...any thing actually not even cider! and yes feel free but please site from where you got the original recipe just to cover our bases

Also folks,last year we had a page count of 96 i would love to doulbe, if not triple that count! so keep the recipes and opinions coming!

Would you like more excerpts from my recipe book ?

Though I'm currently a bear of very little brain and can't remember what I sent you last time...

Prof Eumides Blakehurst wrote:Would you like more excerpts from my recipe book ?

Though I'm currently a bear of very little brain and can't remember what I sent you last time...

for the love of God no! ahem... im still sorting through all the files when ive picked through what i have ill let ya know. so far hmmm well ill list all the file names for you if you like?

ms_boo_dreadful wrote:
when ive picked through what i have ill let ya know. so far hmmm well ill list all the file names for you if you like?

It would probably be easier if once you have sorted everything, plus all the other contributions to put out a call for recipes of a particular type, is some area of the Boiler is looking a little bare ("We need more recipes for linguine!!"). Then we can all add more of that type of recipe (Mmmm, cocktails ?).

I love the idea of mixing steamy drinks! You could have a two-page spread featuring an array of cocktails, methinks - I'm thinking the pages could have business-card sized boxes, each featuring a steamy cocktail. I've got a rather killer sangria recipe if you'd like it!

Hm... perhaps we could call it a Steamgria.
That was possibly the worst pun I have made all week.

Here is something I whipped up one day on a whim and has become a family and friend favorite.
It's so simple and so delicious you won't want to share.
Be carefull though, people will fight over the last one.
I've tried many variations but the most basic is still the best.

Garlic Mushroom Appetizer
Hmm, needs a steamy name...
Rivet Heads!

Ingredients:
Fresh White button mushrooms, get the big container and thank me later. (save the portobellos for something else, you don't need 'em)
Salted Butter, for a large container of shrooms I use about a half stick.
Garlic, at least three cloves.

Preheat oven to 350 deg. F

Pop the stems out of the mushrooms and arrange them "open" side up in an oven safe dish. Pack 'em in there, they will shrink as they bake and for all that is Holy DON"T wash them! They are grown in a sterile medium, you'll just ruin your mushrooms. If making this dish with presentation in mind I don't use the stems, otherwise just find places to tuck 'em in around the caps.

Melt butter in a small sauce pan. Peel and finely mince the garlic and add to the butter, Saute until the butter is clarified.
(Alternate method for busy cooks, put butter and minced garlic in a pyrex measuring cup and microwave until melted and hot)

Spoon hot garlic butter into the mushroom caps, about a teaspoon or so per cap. (be sure to get some of the minced garlic into each one as well)

Bake uncovered in a 350 degF oven for approx. 15 minutes or until you just can't wait any longer.

Serve hot! (but not too hot! 350 degree butter on the tongue hurts.)

DB

Prof Eumides Blakehurst wrote:

ms_boo_dreadful wrote:
when ive picked through what i have ill let ya know. so far hmmm well ill list all the file names for you if you like?

It would probably be easier if once you have sorted everything, plus all the other contributions to put out a call for recipes of a particular type, is some area of the Boiler is looking a little bare ("We need more recipes for linguine!!"). Then we can all add more of that type of recipe (Mmmm, cocktails ?).

welp,i dont wish to use up all the space for your recipes. i would like the book to be an even mix of recipes form everyone. thus i call for recipes from everyone now and fill in the space with the recipes i already have if area seems lacking.

Heh! Nor did I intend my plans for world domination to intrude!

Back to my two current kitchening experiments - capezolli di venere in a fale 1780 style, and the Victorian era method of creating liquid centre chocolates...

he liquid centered chocolate....hmmmm currently atleast two of your recipes is in each chapter save for the vegiterian chapter...and really, so far, thats populated by just you and me.... but i think its worth having the chapter even if only you and i have recipes in it. it was requested and thus im going to stick with it


by the by folks, to morrow i will post some of the new features for the next book. and if you have not seen the original book please feel free to go to lulu.com and download a free digital copy!

also for anyone who hasnt seen last years book please go here: Fuel For The Boiler

to download a free copy

American Frontier Buttermilk Biscuits

For our British cousins, the American definition of the term "biscuit" refers not to sweet digestive wheat crackers or cookies. On the western side of the Pond, the biscuit was first immortalized by John Palmer in his Journal of Travels in the United States of North America, and in Lower Canada, (1818). By 1828, the Webster definition for the biscuit was "a composition of flour and butter, made and baked in private families". The puffy little leavened breads were dubbed "soda biscuits" or "baking-soda biscuits," in contrast to the British unleavened cracker type. Every American cookbook of the 19th century features recipes for soda biscuits, especially with reference to the rich cuisine of the Southern United States. The Southern approach produced the "beaten biscuit", which was first mentioned in 1853. In 1930 General Mills began selling a mass-manufactured quick biscuit mix called "Bisquick", which sold with great popularity.

Those who are willing to take a little more effort in producing these tender, flaky and buttery delights from scratch will no doubt feel a great swell of pride at the complimentary murmurs that accompany their blissful devouring.
Commonly served at breakfast with jam, butter or gravy, they also make a delightful topping on stews as an alternative to dumplings.

Makes 8 frontier-sized biscuits
2 cups all-purpose flour, plus 2-4 tablespoons for rolling
1 stick of cold unsalted butter (4 oz), plus 2 tablespoons melted
1 1/2 tbsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 tbsp sugar
Approximately 1 cup buttermilk

Preheat the oven to 400 F. In a large bowl, mix all dry ingredients. Cut the stick of butter lengthwise into quarters, and then into small 1/2" chunks, tossing them into the dry ingredients one at a time so that each chunk is individually well coated with flour, in order that they not form a clump.
With clean, dry hands, quickly mash each chunk of fat between your fingertips, keeping them well coated with flour until the bits of butter are no larger than a pea. Try not to handle the butter so much that it melts from your warmth.
With a large-tine fork, gradually add the buttermilk 1-2 tablespoons at a time, rotating and scraping down the sides of the bowl, until the mixture forms a ball. The dough should be moist and very sticky, with little or no dry crumbles at the bottom of the bowl, and bits of butter visible within it.
Turn out the dough onto a well-floured rolling surface and roll the ball around, generously sprinkling more flour over the dough and rolling surface, until it is well-coated and dry enough to handle. The mixture will still be moist internally, so keep more flour handy and continue to sprinkle the dough and rolling surface as you quickly and gently knead the dough, folding it 10-15 times. The dough should feel "airy" and be slightly elastic. Handle the dough at its edges, and avoid too much contact with your hands as you fold it. When kneading, don't mash down on it hard with your palms. Rather, flatten it only enough to fold it over.
Roll the dough out so that it is uniformly 1" thick. Cut the biscuits using a 2 1/2" - 3" steel cutting round. If you don't have cutting rounds, you can use the rim of a pint glass or a jelly jar. Although this crushes the edges of the biscuits, the end results are still satisfactory. Arrange the biscuits on an ungreased baking pan, basting them with melted butter.
Bake for approximately 15-20 minutes, or until golden brown.

A delicious turkey stew topped with buttermilk bicuits, baked in an iron skillet.

FANTASTIC! wonderful sir! i am going to hang on to the explanation at the start if you dont mind as well as the image! lovely sir!

Thank you for releasing the first volume as a free download.

Having flicked through it I felt my favourite Potato-leek soup recipe would not go amiss...

This is incredibly simple and excellent with freshly made bread... Soda bread is good so...

Easy Soda bread:

4 cups of flour
4 tbs sugar
1 tsp baking soda
1 tbs baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup margarine
1 cup buttermilk
1 egg

Melted butter and buttermilk for brushing on the top.

Preheat oven to 375F, grease a baking sheet.
Mix the dry ingredients together.
Cut the margarine into the dry ingredients with two knives, a pastry cutter, or rub it in with your fingertips.
Stir in the buttermilk and egg.
Knead slightly, form into a round and place on the baking sheet.
Cut an X into the top (a big X going most of the way through the round is normal)
Melt some butter and mix it with an equal quantity of buttermilk and brush it over the top (this step is optional).
Bake for 45 to 50 minutes. Best eaten within a day or so.

Potato-Leek soup

3 parts of potatoes
2 parts of leeks
milk or cream
salt & pepper
oil

Thinly slice the leeks and potatoes.
Saute the leeks in oil in a large pan for about 10 minutes.
Add the potatoes, cover in water and boil until the potatoes are soft.
Add a little milk or cream to taste and season.
Blend if a smoother soup is desired.

And what could be steamier than Funnel cakes? (Yes, I know, wrong kind of Funnel, but are you going to hold that against me?)

Funnel cakes

1 egg
2/3 of a cup of milk
2 tbs sugar
1 1/4 cup of flour
1 tsp baking powder

Oil for frying
Powdered sugar/cinnamon sugar for dusting

Beat together egg and milk.
In a different container mix the dry ingredients well.
Slowly mix the dry ingredients into the wet beating until smooth.
Drop from a funnel into hot oil.
Fry until golden.
Sprinkle with powdered sugar or Cinnamon sugar.

All of these are vegetarian and the soup can even be vegan (you can skip the milk or cream entirely if you wish). Rather than having a separate vegetarian section, you could integrate those recipes into the main sections but add a mark to denote that they are vegetarian.

I hope that this helps,
Z.

now thats a good idea...hmmmm maybe a little fluerdelise maybe? thank you for the awesome recipes and please let anyone you think might be interested know we are accepting recipes and that the last book is free to download!

Huzzah! A second cookbook! I did sooo love the first one! Well. . .heres a few of my own odd recipies

Delightfully Easy Cheesy Bread
Simple and quick, this appetizer works great at last minutes parties!

several loaves bread ( I prefer an asiago cheese bread or a nice ciabata loaf)
1/2 lb mozzerella
1/2 lb parmesan
1/4 lb cheddar
1/4 lb muenster
8-10 oz ricotta
Butter

Preheat oven to 300-350 degrees.
Shread all of the block cheeses into a bowl then add ricotta cheese and mix.
Slice and butter the bread.
Spread cheese mixture onto bread and place on a pan.
Put in oven for 10 or so minutes or until cheese is melted.
Serve warm!

A nice additive to this mixture is minced garlic and onion.

An alternative way to serve it is to add milk to the cheese mixture, melt it down and serve it with bread chunks like fondue!
I may have more recipies as my brain thinks on it!

Fruit cobblers. Old fashioned, simple, and delicious.
Fill baking dish with fruit of choice, leaving room for topping (peaches, apples (+cinnamon optional) blackberries, and pears (+nutmeg optional) are good)

topping: One cup flour, one cup sugar, and an egg (and optional a couple handfuls of oatmeal).

Stir together in a bowl 'till they're fairly even crumbles. Pour over the fruit and spread. Melt about half a stick of butter and drizzle on top. Bake until topping is golden brown.

...yeah, I'm not much of one for precision, but the recipe's not a very fussy one so it works out.

1 Egg White
450g (1lb) Icing Sugar
Peppermint Essence or Oil of Peppermint

Beat the egg white until frothy but not stiff.
Sieve the icing, adding enough to produce a fairly stiff mixture.
Add a few drops of the essence or oil.
Knead the mixture in to a firm paste and roll on surface dusted with sieved icing sugar.
Cut into rounds or form small balls and flatten.
Place the peppermint creams onto parchment or silicon paper, place in a warm place to dry for 24 hours.
Store in an airtight container.

As for others, lets see...

I've got:
Stewed Albatross
Dog Stewed and in Broth
Breadfruit and suchlike
Goat, Roast and Stewed
Gruel
Rats in Stew
Turtle soup
Fried celery
Jugged Pigeons

And a few others, but not quite as interesting.