Serious Eats
Look Who's Talkin': Comments, Quips, and Tips We Have Known and Loved
There's so much going on in Talk week to week that we almost can't keep up. If you're in the same boat, here's a small selection of topics and responses that have piqued our interest this week.
So, They Slaughtered Me a WHOLE GOAT. What to Do?
Photograph courtesy Fir0002 under a GFDL license
"I have a great recipe for a single live goat and a pair of wellingtons...... perhaps that may be saved for a different website. Seriously... Carnitas, chili, curry, tacos, roasted, grilled, rolled, stuffed... Goat is delicious! All the above recipes, I second them." —Pavlov
What One Food Mag Should I Get?
"No way could I ever choose just one. Gourmet has always been wonderful, and has a number of great features I couldn't do without. Also, the photography is exceptional. Saveur has the best photography of all, but you won't make many of their recipes. It's a 'read and dream' magazine. Bon Appétit has fabulous Thanksgiving issues, and I save them year after year. They also occasionally have great summer recipes. Cook's Illustrated is another one I couldn't live without. I always assume their recipes will be the "best," after all that exhaustive research, and that isn't always the case, but I love reading it and getting good tips on techniques, products, and cooking gadgets. I once subscribed to Martha Stewart Living, and found it very annoying. (a bit like Martha...) Food and Wine was another trial subscription for me--one that I let lapse. But everyone has their own favorites built up over time. It will be fun for you to develop your own list of favorites!" —Teachertalk
Hate My Job, Want to Cook, What to Do?
"Are you prepared to live without health insurance? Work 10 to 12 hour days? Possibly 6 to 7 days a week? Are you prepared to work for minimum wage if you're lucky, mostly likely for free for at least a few months? Are you in good physical shape? You'll be lifting 50 pounds of crap at a time, possibly running up and down stairs, standing in front of a molten-hot stove for hours at a time with no A/C and no bathroom break. You'll be cutting, burrning, and grating yourself. And, like Jerzee said, can you be eager to learn and stay positive while being yelled at and shat upon?..." —dmarina
Eating Fruit for Dinner
"So JUST fruit? Good for you! I couldnt do it for long. Grilling fruit tastes surprisingly awesome. Pineapple, oranges, tomatoes, pink grapefruit, lemons. Experiment with this application and let me know how it goes :)" —hungrychristel
If I Could Eat Anything Right Now, I'd Pick _________
"Anything. My kitchen is currently being painted and I can't leave the house because I need to be here to keep an eye on things." —Amandarama
Anyone Interested in Starting an Underground Supper Club in NYC?
Pattern Recognition
Themes seem to surface in any given week. In the last seven days:
Gardening
Arugula »
Basil: need help »
Artichokes »
How to store...
no-knead bread dough »
marsala wine »
sliced, salted, raw eggplant »
What to Do With...
3 pounds of almonds »
Zucchini, zucchini, zucchini! »
Ground beef »
Pickled beets »
A WHOLE GOAT! »
Marsala wine »
Where to Eat or Shop:
Naples/Capri Italy »
Left Bank/Paris cafes »
D.C. fish and meat market »
Best Classic Tiramisu in NYC? »
Near New York Hospital (68th and York, NYC) »
Hudson, New York »
"NARC!!! The first rule of Underground Supperclub IS YOU DO NOT TALK ABOUT UNDERGROUND SUPPER CLUB. That being said, I'm in." —SkinnyFatty
[It's also the second rule. —AK]
Any Hidden-Gem Cookbooks?
"Eula Mae's Cajun Kitchen, or Ismail Merchant's Passionate Meals. Eula Mae Dore was a farm-taught cook for the McIlhenny (hot sauce) company, and Merchant was a film producer (of Merchant-Ivory fame). Neither book is comprehensive, but they give good cross-sections of their cuisines (Cajun and Indian, respectively). And they both include great stories to go with the recipes, just illustrating what a meaningful role food plays in their lives." —skizziks
The Perfect Workday Breakfast
"I am a huge advocate of mini frittatas. Just whisk a few eggs (or egg substitute) in a bowl with salt and pepper, and any herbs you want. Pour into the cups of a muffin tin, then put in anything you want, leftover chicken, mushrooms, veggies, cheese. Bake at 350°F for about 20 minutes and pop in the fridge. They are good cold or heated in the microwave for about 20 seconds. Lots of protein and yummy too." —biabiaboiler
What Is Your Fantasy Food Business?
"First, I'd have to have a clone to fill in for me on weekends/holidays/family events. Second, all the bills would have to be paid by my fairy godmother/father regardless of cash intake. And then I'd have to be able to make the restaurant magically disappear when it stopped being fun!" —pooch
Tell Your Watermelon Story
"When I was a little foodie, I spent summers with my grandpa in the Smoky Mountains. We would get a watermelon and put it in the ice cold mountain stream outside my great-aunt's cabin. At the end of the day, we'd haul it out, he'd cut it into it with his Case pocketknife and we'd eat the whole thing with salt on it. I can't eat them without thinking of that." —FoodieSearching
Related: It's a Little Quiet in This Corner—Talk Topics That Could Use Some Love