April 6, 2008 - April 12, 2008
Need absinthe /food pairings....
Hey everybody I'm having an absinthe party and wondering what the heck to pair it with foodwise (mostly appetizers- not necessarily a meal) I'm trying to stick with kind of a turn of the century Parisian artworld theme. Any suggestions would be helpful! Thanks!
Frozen Biscuits
My mom is ALWAYS asking me to make her these biscuits that she loves; they have gruyere cheese, cracked black pepper and scallions in them. I don't mind baking, but every time she sees me or I cook for her she wants these damn biscuits and sometimes I don't feel like making them. I was watching a cooking show today and I don't know why this didn't occur to me before, but the guy made biscuits and then froze them to be used whenever. I intend on making two dozen of these biscuits for my mom and then freezing them. I just have one question: When she goes to use them, does she have to defrost them first or does she just throw them in the ofen while they're still frozen? If you can do both, which way will turn out better?
Latex Gloves - Anyone?
Okay. I am not exactly a whiz in the kitchen. But when I am trying to grill and I have to get the meat, chicken or fish ready, I wear latex gloves because the stuff is raw. I don't want to get anything under my fingernails. Does anyone else do that?
Coconut Ice Cream
I had a deliciously creamy coconut ice cream a couple of years ago and have a new countertop ice cream maker and am looking to recreate it. I'm guessing they replaced some or all of the milk/cream with coconut milk, but they probably left out some of the sugar called for in a standard ice cream recipe. Any ideas about how much milk and sugar to replace with coconut milk?
Can bread starter be frozen?
Approximately one week ago, my SO arrived home from the office bearing a small bag of goo. We had apparently been gifted with Amish Friendship Bread starter (friendship being the questionable term) and after several days of squishing the bag, I felt somewhat committed to the project. Tomorrow will mark the entire fermentation period and today I now have quite a large bag of bubbling goo.
Long story short - I know one person who may be interested in receiving a bag of starter, but what do I do with all the rest? Can it be successfully frozen in time or should I just bake up loaves and freeze them? I can't just throw it away - it's ALIVE!
grilled cheese sandwich
After reading and drooling through the thread on favorite soup & sandwich combos, I got curious about how you all make your grilled cheese sandwiches. Because I'm still cooking for the junior high set here (food loyalists if ever there were any), we can't deviate from Kraft sliced American (the individual-wrapped slices are the worst, IMO) and potato bread done up fast on an old cast iron pan with real butter, pass the ketchup, thanks. I need inspiration: how do you make your adult versions (assuming you do.......) ??? What are your favorite bread-cheese-combinations?
Mangos
Does anyone have a good recipe for mangos? Preferably as something slightly savory, that could feed a bunch?
Pilsbury Bake-Off
I heard the most interesting piece on NPR this morning. The winner of the 1998 Pilsbury Bake-Off has written a book about the experience. I've been kind of dismissive of the concept because of its "semi-homemadeness" (not that I'm a total Sandra Lee hater), but the woman in the piece was such a good interview, very self-deprecating and shocked that she'd won with her recipe for Salsa Couscous Chicken. Has anyone ever entered or considered entering this contest? I can't say that I'm much of a creator of recipes of my own, especially with pre-packaged ingredients, but she did bring her experience to life in a humorous way.
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=89530790
Clueless with Fennel
Any ideas for side dish using this great smelling root veggie and what to serve it with? Thinking more fish, chicken rather than beef. Thanks.
Pie Contest Help
Hi, all -- I'm so glad I have you to turn to in times of need...I have an upcoming pie contest at work (winner takes all: a hefty Williams-Sonoma gift certificate--hello!!) and would so appreciate your favorite pie recipes/types/links/ideas/anything!!
I promise to post the results!
In SERIOUS need of recipes!
Hey all! I really need your help. I have a 6 ' tall, stand alone freezer FULL of ground venison and my family is getting tired of my meatloaf, tacos and chili. Can you please share with me any recipes/suggestions you all have that use either ground beef or ground venison.
My family thanks you!
NordicWare Annual Competition!!
For the third time (it's only the third year that they have been doing this) I am going to enter the NordicWare Bundts Across America competition, and now I feel inundated with too many ideas!
Is anyone else entering or thinking of it? Have you entered in the past? What did you make?
And how do you narrow down your options? I mean, I have participated in many competitions before, but I always seem to run into this problem initially. I just have too many ideas and textures, and flavor possibilities. how do you decide?
Love to eat, hate to chop
Cauliflower - leaves little crumbs all over the board, the knife, the counter. But oh so yummy when roasted in the oven. What do you love to eat, but hate to chop?
Need Lemon Poppy Seed with Raspberry filling cake recipe!
I have been scouring the web for a good recipe and I've come up with many similar recipes but not one that is perfect. I have also had way too many crumbly dry poppy seed cakes and I'd like to avoid this. One recipe I came upon suggested soaking the poppy seeds in milk for 2 hours prior to mixing the cake, which might help with the dryness. I also have the cream cheese frosting down pat, as that is the only kind I make (I despise butter cream). If you have a really good, moist poppy seed cake recipe and or a recipe for a rasberry filling, please, please share! I am on a two fold mission, practicing cakes for my son's first b-day in July and making my own b-day cake for this Sunday (as no one else around here cooks). Thanks a million!!!!
I must confess...I had a naughty dream about Mario Batali.
Do you think there might be something wrong with me?
(BTW, I'm categorizing this as "In the Kitchen," because that's where most of the naughtiness happened.)
Can I make duck confit in my slowcooker?
It seems like it would make sense, right? Has anyone here done it? Did it work?
Sliced pork belly -- now what?
Picked up some "bacon" at the farmers market last weekend, but when I opened the package tonight, I saw that it says "pork belly." I cooked it up, just in case, and I think it is, in fact, uncured pork belly, sliced up like bacon.
Any suggestions what I can do with this? And how long can it stay in my fridge?
Thanks.
Hot Cocoa, anyone?
It is pouring rain here, and I crave hot cocoa -- and not the just add water variety. Anyone have a good recipe?
Savory Rhubarb
I have this very hazy recollection of someone asking for a savory rhubarb recipe. I searched the archives (briefly, I admit it) and didn't see it. But thought I'd post this link anyway for Crisp Duck breast with rhubarb-ginger confit. It combines a couple topics I've seen go by -- crisp duck & confit come to mind -- and it sounds good!
Kitchens for Hire
I remember mich23 talking about looking for a code-ready kitchen for hire.
Just came across this article on the subject so thought I'd post it for anyone interested in this idea.
Cinco de Mayo party food?
I'll be hosting a Cinco de Mayo party at my house next month, and I'm trying to come up with some different ideas for food and drink. It would mostly be snack type food, and not a complete meal. I just would like to stay away from typical choices for a theme like this: tacos, burritos, etc. But variations on those would be helpful too!
Plus, any drink ideas?
Real jambalaya??
Real Jambalaya?? I was told today at my office by an accountant from Baton Rouge today that jambalaya is not authentic 1) when you use andouille and not chorizo; and 2) when you use chicken, ham AND shrimp. You can have two meats but not three.....I laughed him off, but is he right? I always thought that is how you made it - it's how I make mine.
Japanese Turning Slicer
Does anyone own one of these? Any idea where I could find a cheap one? I saw a recipe that used one and it stipped an apple into long, thin slices for a pastry dish. I have to get one.
What should I make for Passover?
does anyone have a good passover recipe? i am going to my aunts house as i do every year and would like to bring something. her food is ok but we have the same meal every year. i haven't found any good recipes. i'll take any course.
what are you making?
Ice cream cake - can you help me make it?
Two weeks from now, I'm making a chocolate-raspberry ice cream cake for a friend's birthday, and am now trying to hammer out the details. Specifically, I'm seeking advice on these components:
1. THE CAKE I want the base to be a white cake (just one not-too-thick layer), but am unsure as to which type would be best - angel food, sponge, old-fashioned sheet/layer cake made with butter? I'm not really sure how being in the freezer for a time would affect each type and which would hold up most well.
2. THE TOPPING What type of frosting/glaze should I use? I was initially thinking a bittersweet hot fudge-type of sauce that could be poured/spread on while fairly cool (so as not to melt the ice cream) but would firm up AND still be reasonably pliable once in the freezer. Anyone have a recipe that fits those criteria? To further complicate matters, yesterday I saw a lovely and delicious-looking ice cream cake recipe that used a topping of good old chocolate ganache. But would that be wrecked by going into the chill depths of the freezer??
So yeah, I'm obsessing over this cake - but happily, I swear. If anyone else has any opinions/ideas regarding the cake base or chocolate topping, they would be very welcome! (Apologies for the long-ish post.)
"Drop It Like It's Hot"
For whatever reason, the above-mentioned Snoop song is in my head today. And it leads me to ask you:
- What's the most recent food you dropped on your kitchen floor?
- Did you eat it?
- If so, were there any ill effects?
Signature ingredient -- and is it a flaw or fav?
Do you have an ingredient -- a spice, herb, aromatic -- that tends to creep into every meal you make? For example, do you feel like your meals aren't tasty enough unless there's jalepeno involved? Or is there some herb you can't live without?
Do you know people who take this to an extreme? Would you like to pick them up and shake them and tell them that there can be mashed potatoes without garlic, and that basil isn't one of the four food groups? Do you know someone who puts hot sauce on everything to the point that you wonder why they bother with any other flavors?
What foods are kosher for Passover?
I am planning a seder dinner for several friends and came across a seder menu in which a salad made with quinoa was used. I am not Jewish and was wondering if anyone knew if quinoa was kosher for Passover? And if it is not kosher, is there another type of grain or unleavened product that could be substituted like couscous or barley? Thanks so much!
Do you tempeh here?
I have a block of this stuff at home and was wondering what other people do to make it, well, tasty. I've tried stir-frying and using in sandwiches, but nothing's really helping to make it stand out, flavor-wise. What can i do?
smoked garlic at fairway
having read about the wonderful smoked garlic at fairway by a guest blogger on bitten, mark bittman's blog, i bought some. it smelled fantastic, i must say. i used it for the first time this evening. wanting to showcase the taste of the garlic, i used it to prepare a simple sauce. i poached four cloves of chopped garlic in unsalted butter and tossed it over some spaghetti.
i must say quite frankly that for such expensive garlic, i was really disappointed to see that quite a few of the cloves had sprouted and were so full of green germ that there wasn't much meat left. and i couldn't even taste a hint of smoke!
the verdict? don't waste your money.
Savory rhubarb recipes?
I've got plenty of dessert, jam, jelly, etc. recipes- but no savory rhubarb recipes! I'd love to have some savory uses for rhubarb!