What's for dinner?

[Cammalu]

I don’t know. I go to JiminDenver for any solar questions. I’ll bet abnorm knows too.

 

[XERTYX]

I experimented with an old glass front wine fridge as a solar cooker. Not enough light coming in. I didnt have mirrors.

Anyway cast iron worked in there. I dont have the notebook I used but I could get it up to like 190° so long as I turned it. It could have used a lazy susan.

But it would have to be black cast iron. The dark color is what's important. Poorly seasoned cast iron or that newfangled pink ceramic cast iron is a poor choice. The more black surface area inside absorbs more light radiation. Blue or dark purple will work but not well. Jet black is the most efficient.

 

[Gypsy108]

Well...i have 2 very large black cast iron, and 2 small ones....should i bring them ALL and divvy them up ?  I definitely will bring at least 1.

For diner tonight :

I plan on making a mushroom/onion/spinach/cheddar cheese omelet ....served on lightly fried flour tortillas ....topped with hot sauce...

 

[Boutdun]

Fresh blueberry pancakes for dinner tonight, only 3 hours from now, counting the minutes!
?

 

[Gypsy108]

:heart: :heart: :heart:

 

[Gypsy108]

 

[JDub]

Sweet! Nice plating!

Cheers

 

[JDub]

Fresh blueberry pancakes for dinner tonight, only 3 hours from now, counting the minutes!
?

Post Pix please! Bacon on the side?

 

[JDub]

I experimented with an old glass front wine fridge as a solar cooker. Not enough light coming in. I didnt have mirrors.

Anyway cast iron worked in there. I dont have the notebook I used but I could get it up to like 190° so long as I turned it. It could have used a lazy susan.

But it would have to be black cast iron. The dark color is what's important. Poorly seasoned cast iron or that newfangled pink ceramic cast iron is a poor choice. The more black surface area inside absorbs more light radiation. Blue or dark purple will work but not well. Jet black is the most efficient.

I saw an article that used three old tires stacked together, with a sheet of tin between the top and second tire in the stack and then a sheet of glass over over the top to make a solar oven. The article showed a casserole cooking in it and the results look pretty good. That would be really cheap and easy to make if it actually works. I've never tried it. I got the tires but then used them to make my compost bin!

Cheers!

 

[JDub]

Evening all,

today was another one of those schizophrenic weather days. cool and cloudy in the morning and then clearing to hot and sunny. Got to work on the rest of my yard chores- pruning my oleander bushes, weed whacking under my huge fig tree - it's really hard to get a whacker under those low branches w bad knees - set out the panels again to keep testing the GOLAB charge rates, worked on the lantana patch, cut back the nearly dead camellias hurt by our freeze, the hibiscus bush is showing some signs of life - thought I'd lost it too... Etc etc...

So by the time I got in I almost forgot I'd defrosted some "poke chops" last night. Luckily I remembered them and combined with leftovers had a fine meal. Pan fried pork chops coated in cornbread mix and seasoned w plenty of Tony Chachere's Creole seasoning, reheated sauce piquant and pasta (no bread tonight) and the last of my bottle of cheapo vino (had a cold beer waiting though). Pretty good! I still have chops left too. Tomorrow, I plan on laying them in a baking dish, covering w the remaining sauce piquant, smothering it in mooz, parm, and herbs then baking till golden and bubbly for something like an Italian veal parm, only no veal and no Italian!

I hope all of you out there are enjoying some good food and drink tonight wherever you are. Stay safe!

Cheers!

 

[abnorm]

Jim uses: Old-School Black Steel "Graniteware".......Roasters w/lids......

 

[VanFan]

Cast iron ?

Cast iron would be good, except it takes a long time to heat up.  Thinner is better.  I use a round Granite Wear 3 qt. roaster (kind of hard to find last year).  In non-COVID times, I would have headed to the thrift store to find something suitable.  Anything the right size can be spray painted with flat black, non-toxic paint--even canning jars (can also be slipped into a dark sock).  Starting out, I used black plastic pans from microwaveable frozen dinners, but melted one at 350F!  My homemade solar oven is a bust so far, but OMG:  the panel cooker I made rocks!

Speaking of cast iron, I have fallen hard for an 8" dutch oven I had put away years ago.  I am a total beginner, but so far have made some great meals in it.  It now holds the spot on Van Island previously occupied by a camp stove.

 

[XERTYX]

I saw an article that used three old tires stacked together, with a sheet of tin between the top and second tire in the stack and then a sheet of glass over over the top to make a solar oven. The article showed a casserole cooking in it and the results look pretty good. That would be really cheap and easy to make if it actually works. I've never tried it. I got the tires but then used them to make my compost bin!

Cheers!

Just be careful in the south around those tires brother. That's the first place I'd look if I had to come up with a black widow spider.

Probably 60 of the idk... 100 maybe black widows I've ever seen were inside of old tires. None of the other locations had a common thread. Other than seclusion. 

That is a nifty idea for an oven though. Steel belted bbq ribs. Haha.

In middle school we had a cool science teacher. He built a glass box and we went along the driveways on school grounds and collected asphalt hunks. Put them in there set it in the sun. Measured the temp then baked cookies in it.

 

[JDub]

Anything but a couple sentences just goes to: "Page Not Found". Any ideas?

Cheers

 

[JDub]

Maybe a paragraph at a time! I must be pretty dedicated here!

Evening all! I was expecting a pretty easy kitchen hour on a Friday, but it turned out to be a little more involved then I planned (doesn't everything?) I had leftovers from Wed and last night. Pork chops, Cajun sauce, and pasta. I already knew what to do with the sauce and chops - That was easy. Grab a baking dish and spread a little sauce on the bottom, place the chops, then smother w more sauce and mooz and parm, sprinkle w herbs, crushed red pepper, and black pepper. Cover tightly and into the oven for 45 min. Then uncover and bake until golden brown and bubbling. I wish I had thought of my Hot Logic 12v mini oven earlier. This is a perfect on the road dish, but the HL takes a lot more time than I had. Oh Well! Next time.

End part 1

 

[JDub]

Nope... Shut me off after that - only a sentence at a time I guess. Did I piss someone off???!!!

I'll try again tomorrow.

 

[Gypsy108]

Very strange... I saw your eggplant curry post & pic .. but it disappeared now !!!

I made a grilled cheese sandwich:
New York sharp cheddar on rye from Bread Smith....
Washed it down with chocolate milk on ice

I hope you figure out what’s going on with your posting issues JDub

 

[JDub]

Very strange... I saw your eggplant curry post & pic .. but it disappeared now !!!

I made a grilled cheese sandwich:
New York sharp cheddar on rye from Bread Smith....
Washed it down with chocolate milk on ice

I hope you figure out what’s going on with your posting issues JDub

That sounds really good! Have you ever tried an open face version with a slice of tomato on top spread w mayo, then broiled till the mayo is bubbly and the tomato is hot? Delish. Spread it to the edges so the crusts won't burn. Very British.   I have no idea why I can't post some things on the thread. Guess I'll keep tryin!

Cheers!

 

[Gypsy108]

Never tried it like that...sounds good though.   I have made open faced tuna with cheese & tomato grilled under broiler...
haven't done that in ages....

 

[JDub]

Never tried it like that...sounds good though.   I have made open faced tuna with cheese & tomato grilled under broiler...
haven't done that in ages....

Tuna Melt. It was one of my wife's favorites. Had to cut the crusts off for her though. Picky. Toasted Cheese melties are big in Britain. Baked beans on toast for breakfast too. Actually pretty good! I have it sometimes for a quick bite.