Cali Kid Corals

[Dec 14, 2013] Rich Ross Talk & Potluck 12/14/13 (Hayward, CA)

It says 1-3pm at the top of this thread, but will that be enough time for the potluck and 2 talks?
In the past the potluck occurs just before the talk, and it allows people to eat during the talk. However if people show up late with a potluck item then very often they'll go home with a lot of leftovers because it wasn't out when people started getting food :D
 
David, will there be electric plugs available near where we're setting up the food tables? I was thinking about making something in the crockpot and then just bringing the crockpot and plugging it in there to keep the food warm.

Felicia, sorry for being so late to reply. This is the same room we use for swaps and BAP, so there are definitely power outlets available, in the event that you decide to bring something that needs a crock pot to keep warm. We just need to know in advance if multiple people need outlets so we can prepare power strips. That said, I am a huge fan of snickerdoodles and am crossing my fingers! :D
 
Felicia, sorry for being so late to reply. This is the same room we use for swaps and BAP, so there are definitely power outlets available, in the event that you decide to bring something that needs a crock pot to keep warm. We just need to know in advance if multiple people need outlets so we can prepare power strips. That said, I am a huge fan of snickerdoodles and am crossing my fingers! :D
I'll definitely do the snickerdoodles (they're my holiday go-to cookie!) and then if I'm in a cooking mood I may bring an additional dish in the crockpot. I was thinking about making mini pulled pork sliders :)
 
I will definitely be making chili since my wife brought back another 20 or so pounds of dried beans from the farm... *sigh*

It will be a rootin' tootin fun potluck!

Oh yeah and Rich too ;)
 
I keep a 25lb bag of pintos in my earthquake supplies. After the first 10 years I learned that I had to rotate stock as 10 year old beans require too much cooking. So I have to find a way to consume 25lbs worth every year. 25lb makes a heck of a lot of beans! (For the frugal, survivalists or when the eventual earthquake comes, soak the beans for two full days with at least one water change before cooking to reduce the amount of fuel required).

Frozen cooked beans make awesome refritos! Melt the lard in cast iron pan, add diced onion and brown. Add a smashed garlic clove. Turn down heat to simmer, add frozen beans and stock. Simmer until bubbly, mash and then turn up heat. When consistency is right, serve! You will never want to eat canned refried beans again.

(sorry for the bean based tangent)
 
No that's good, always wanted to give a try at refried beans. I do have to ask, any other replacement for lard? as that is not something I have on hand... ever.

But yeah I try to use beans as much as I can, wife doesn't like it for unfortunate side effects that she needs to endure (via me :D). Mother in law gave us a 25 pound bag of black beans a few years ago, I maybe cracked out 5 pounds worth... either way in an actual emergency I think they'll do fine regardless of extra cook time.
 
When out of lard a pound of bacon rendered down for the fat and cracklings does just fine..... :) However, if your objections are health related this may not be a viable option....

Note: I prefer bacon fat to lard in refritos... but lard makes the most awesome pie crusts!!!!

-Gregory
 
Oh.. and to bring this thread back to its purpose I shall be attending also. I'll bring a Bombay Ball for the potluck. Its a combination of cream cheese, curry, chutney, peanuts, dried cranberries, and coconut that's spread on crackers... very Yummi

-Gregory
 
Bacon fat is a good substitute. You could probably use other kinds of oil but I believe that refritos have always been made with saturated oils, ie. solid at room temperature. And none of that hydrogenated transfat goop!
 
Mmmmm bacon fat... but yeah my concerns were health related :D

That said how much oil/fat are we talking about? What is the purpose of it? Simply to cook the beans at a higher temperature all around as opposed to just what's touching the pan?
(BTW sorry for the off topic, the upside is it keeps new posts in this thread forcing people to think about what to bring and not leave it for the last minute :D)
 
It's only for flavor as far as I know....maybe the higher heat it generates helps cook the starch in the beans to thicken them?


-Gregory
 
A little oil also keeps the beans from drying out as quickly or unevenly. It doesn't need to be too much. Just enough so that they don't stick to the pan and give them a slight protection against evaporation. I use about a tablespoon of lard or slightly more bacon fat for a quart bag of frozen beans. This adds about 100 calories and about half is saturated fat. Beware, of course, of those amazing beans at that hole-in-the-wall mexican place--the secret to their beans is even more lard.
 
Hmmm I just had a bacon cheeseburger where I cooked the bacon, they cooked the burger in the bacon fat that was still in the pan so I can see using bacon fat to cook beans :D
 
Hmmm I just had a bacon cheeseburger where I cooked the bacon, they cooked the burger in the bacon fat that was still in the pan so I can see using bacon fat to cook beans :D


Mmmmmmmm.... sounds good. When I have steak and potato night I'll cook bacon for the baked potato and then sear the steak in the bacon fat and then finish it in the oven in the same pan....

Gregory
 
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