Profile

2fussie

Trying to retire from a job I love so that I can cook and read all day.

  • Location: Enon, Ohio
  • Favorite foods: Latin American, Asian, almost anything ethnic. Also, seafood and cheese
  • Last bite on earth: Lobster

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Me, too. All day yesterday and this morning, too.

British Bites: Eccles Cakes

While growing up in the military, with an American father and English mother, we were stationed in England several times and I remember Ecles cakes, along with other English yummies. But I seem to remember Ecles cakes being made with currants. Anyone else out there remember them with currants?

annoying ads

Very annoying. I'm going to be boycotting Serious Eats and visiting the other food sites for awhile - I can't stand the ads any more.

Apple Cinnamon Quick Bread

An 8 x 8 LOAF pan?

Apple Cinnamon Quick Bread

An 8 x 8 LOAF pan?

Kroger Bag Boy Woes

I could write a book about my horrible experiences with baggers at Krogers. My husband got tired of hearing me rant and rave this past November and told me to pay more and shop at the small independents who make shopping in their establishment actually enjoyable. At the check-out, they first ask you if you would like paper or plastic bags, and KNOW how to pack a paper bag!! The Kroger baggers pack paper bags just like they do the plastic - just throw everything in.

One of the best "worst" experiences with Krogers baggers was when the bagger put the half-gallon carton of milk flat on the bottom of a paper bag, laying parallel, and packed a large glass jar of pickles and several cans on top of it. The milk carton sprung a leak on the way home and when I went to remove the bag from the trunk of my car, the bag was soaked and tore open when I lifted it. Thank goodness it broke before I even had it out of the trunk, so the glass jar fell into the trunk instead of on the concrete garage floor. I have e-mailed them more times than I can count about their baggers and all I get is "thank you for your comment. We are looking into it".

Great Chicago Restaurants

Heaven on Seven, downtown. It's a fun place with wonderful New Orleans food and very reasonably priced.

Guiness substitute

I have my Irish-American friend Casey O'Hanlon to thank for the term "weird beer" after he stated "Americans and their weird beers....."

What should I do with a couple of Swordfish Steaks???

Poach them in a white wine seasoned broth. I always use 1-1/2 cup water, 1/2 cup white wine, shallots or leeks, smashed garlic cloves, salt, 1/2 cup chopped tomatoes and any herb you like - oh, and lemon slices. Simmer your broth for 1/2 hour, then add your fish and simmer slowly with lid about 8-10 minutes. Its done when fish flakes.

Niko: Impressive Japanese Fare Without Service to Match

There isn't a meal in the world worth that kind of treatment. There are just too many excellent restaurants with excellent service to put up with even mildly bad service.

Chicken stock FAIL. Serious Eaters, what am I doing wrong?

The best chicken stock I ever made was with 5 pounds of chicken wings.

Pork Roast-How Do I Dress it Up?

The Barefoot Contessa has a very good recipe called Company Pot Roast I believe which is very good.

Food related books - need a good read.

Several weeks ago I read The Hundred Foot Journey by Richard Morais which was very good. I've just started Ant Egg Soup, The Adventurees of a Food Tourist in Laos by Natacha Du Pont De Bie and it's very good so far but I'm only on chapter three.

French in a Flash: Dijon Lentil Salad with Lemon Roasted Shrimp

Are the shrimp peeled before roasting?

Restaurants In Lakeview neighborhood - Chicago

She lives on Buckingham, not far from the Blue Man Group Theater

Restaurants In Lakeview neighborhood - Chicago

Thank you so much!! We won't have access to a car but our daughter knows the public transportation system really well. Depending on the weather - I'd like to take a cab rather than the El. Thanks again.

Seriously Delicious Holiday Giveaway: Southside Market Sausage

Probably any sausage from my Pennsylvania sausage-making friend who's been at it for 30+ years and keeps getting better and better - with a little help from me, of course.

Is eating Organic Food worth spending double the money?

Have there been an food recalls on organic produce/products? Through experience, I have noticed that a lot of organic produce seems to have a longer "shelf life" than non-organic, especially strawberries and lettuce. And organic 2% milk tastes better than non-organic whole milk and also keeps longer (just look at the expiration date on the carton) I recently heard about a web site devoted to organic products - www.organic-center.org which seems to address a lot of issues related to organic produce/products.

a Trader Joe's Disappointment

I've been to Trader Joe's twice and can't see what all the fuss is about. There's no fresh produce, no deli with "unusual meats and chesses" and nothing I can't get somewhere closer to home. I, too, wonder if I'm missing something.

what's your favorite brownie recipe?

I've always used the Land-O-Lakes recipe from the butter carton, but I only eat a brownie fresh, and warm, the day they're made. My husband and daughter get the rest.

"Favorite"-ing a Recipe

I haven't been able to favorite ANYTHING for the past three months or more. Alaina has helped me in the past, but I can't remember what she said to do. Whatever it was, it only fixed the problem for a few months. My husband, the computer guy, is home today and could help with anything real "technical" . Can someone help me?

Spicy tomato sauce

i also use corasely ground black pepper and heat it in the olive oil, along with the red pepper and then add the garlic for added kick. Heating black pepper in oil for a few minutes really brings out a nice peppery flavor.

eating out on the road

Oops! I commented twice on this topic

eating out on the road

When traveling, I always stop at small, local restaurants and look for numerous "local" license plates on vehicles in the parking lot. If the food weren't good, locals wouldn't eat there and the restaurant wouldn't be around long. I still remember the wedding soup I had at a small local diner just outside of Pittsburgh where the parking lot was full of locals even at 4:00 in the afternoon.

Travel Advisory: Columbus OH, Memphis TN, Nashville TN...

Just west of Columbus at 5240 Cemetery Road in Hilliard is Staliner Diner Has great Cuban food - big steak burritoes, cuban sandwich, and one of the best Tortilla soups I've had - also yummy chili lime chicken wings and chili rellenos). They also serve breakfast starting at 9:00 (Chiliquiles, Huevos Rancheros, omlettes). I think they also have a restaurant on the North side of Columbus. They're closed Mondays, and close at 3:00 on Sundays. (also close daily from 3:00 to 5:00) Their Hilliard phone number is 614-529-1198. I live 70 miles west of there, but manage to make it there at least once a month.

Spice Rub

I just found a jar of a spice rub containing orange juice, lime, fresh garlic, cilanto, beer, etc. in the back of my fridge from last September or October. It looks ok and smells ok. Safe to use?

Asian Steamed Dumplings

Can I use an electric rice/vegetable steamer to cook Asian Dumplings. If so, would I steam them the same amount of time as I do in a basket steamer on top of stove?

Multi-Grain Muffins

I've been making a lot of different muffins made with whole wheat flour or whole wheat pastry flour. My husband complains that they don't rise enough. I follow the recipe(s) exactly. Is this because of the whole wheat flour, plus nuts, raisins, etc.?

Salmon Poached in Beer

Has anyone out there ever poached salmon in beer? My husband came across several recipes for it but it doesn't sound so good to me. I usually poach it in white wine, leeks, etc.

Mincemeat

I always make mincemeat this time of year and have used beef suet in the past. Is there a suitable substitute for the suet?

Calzones

I'm going to make calzones for the first time this weekend. Any helpful hints would be appreciated.

Scallops

Have a pound of fresh scallops and want to saute them on the stove. I thought I read somewhere not to use a non-stick pan as they will not get a good sear. True?

Hummus

Does hummus have to have tahini in it? Tahini tastes like peanutbutter to me which I do not like.

Country Style Ribs

I have a recipe for St. Louis Country Style Ribs which calls for browning the ribs, covering with BBQ sauce and baking in a 350 degree oven for one hour. One hour does not seem long enough. Any thoughts?

Annatto Seeds

The Yucatan-Style Slow-Roasted Pork calls for chopping the annatto seeds along with other ingredients until a paste forms. The only annatto seeds I've ever been able to find are little pellets, hard as rocks. I've always used them to infuse oil. A few years ago, I burned up my Cuisinart mini-chopper trying to chop some. Are there other annatto seeds out there I'm not aware of?

Guiness substitute

I have a beef stew recipe calling for a bottle of Guiness. I can only find six-packs of the beer and neither me nor my husband care for it to drink. Is there another beer I could use in place of the Guiness? My husband likes most "weird beers", but not Guiness.

Restaurants In Lakeview neighborhood - Chicago

We're going to be visiting our daughter and her fiancee in Chicago over Xmas. She lives in the Lakeview neighborhood. Any restaurant suggestions in that neighborhood? Would greatly appreciate a restaurant that is quiet. So many our daughter has taken us to are so noisy we can't have a conversation at dinner because we can't hear each other. We hurry up and eat and leave so we can talk. She has a really small apartment so we would like to take our time with dinner and conversation if we could just hear each other!

Cupcakes to Cake

I have a recipe for pumpkin cupcakes (from NPR's Kitchen Window) which makes 18 cupcakes. Could this be made as a sheet cake and if so, what size pan?

Door County, Wisconsin

My husband and I are headed to Door County, Wisconsin, the first week of September. This is our first visit to Door County. Anyone have any "must eat" restaurants, diners, etc., recommendations?

Kimchi

I tried kimchi for the first time last night at new Asian restaurant in our neighborhood. It was wonderful! In fact, it was the only good thing about the whole meal. I'm not up to making my own. Does anyone out there have a recommendation of a "store-bought" brand?

Maine Shrimp

I just saw on NPR's Kitchen Window web site that Maine shrimp are in season right now. I have checked my local grocers/seafood stores and they do not stock them. Does anyone know of a reputable seafood mail-order business?

Favorites

Why is it I can "favorite" the Grilling Spanish Chicken, but not the Intro to Malaysian food?

Favorites

I would love to be able to "favorite" articles/recipes all the time. Am only able to occasionally - usually by pure accident.

Pancakes

I hate making breakfast, even on weekends. Can made-from-scratch pancake batter be made the day before and refrigerated overnight, and used the next morning? I have a cornmeal, buttermilk pancake recipe I'd love to make ahead.

Favorites

Sometimes I can "favorite" things and sometimes I can't - like today and yesterday, I can't favorite anything, but this past weekend, I could "favorite" . Confused ! (as usual)

Sourdough Starter-Along: Day Zero

Sourdough Starter-Along: Day Zero

A sourdough starter is a simple concept—let some flour and water hang around for a while, and almost magically, the correct combination of yeast and bacteria will take up residence. Over the next many days, I'll be posting daily updates on a new sourdough starter that I've got growing. Today is Day Zero, i.e., your materials list. Read this, gather your supplies (most of which you probably already have), and then come back tomorrow! More

Italian Easy: How To Make A Stromboli

Italian Easy: How To Make A Stromboli Get Recipe

Stromboli can be a somewhat contentious term, and depending on who you ask, definitions vary somewhat drastically. We know what it's not—but while stromboli is neither calzone nor submarine sandwich, it's also not terribly distinct. So, what is it? Making stromboli begins with a dough—sometimes pizza, sometimes bread—that's stuffed with various cheeses and Italian cured meats. The fillings are encased in the dough—sometimes braided, sometimes rolled—then baked, and finally sliced to serve. More

Greek Yogurt Cake

Greek Yogurt Cake

Like pound cake, but lighter, Greek yogurt cake from Mad Hungry Cravings gets its moistness from its namesake and floral sweetness from honey. Make this the night before a big breakfast. More

Multi-Grain Muffins

I've been making a lot of different muffins made with whole wheat flour or whole wheat pastry flour. My husband complains that they don't rise enough. I follow the recipe(s) exactly. Is this because of the whole wheat flour, plus... More

Video: The Right Way to Warm Corn Tortillas

Video: The Right Way to Warm Corn Tortillas

I've always felt that the tortillas for a taco—just like the crust on a pizza or the bread for a sandwich—are at least as important as what goes inside it. This makes it particularly distressing to see the number of taquerias that simply don't heat their tortillas correctly. Here's how to do it. More

Fool Proof Pop Overs

I have tried everything and they will not pop. I tried heating the pan first. One recipe calls for high temp for 20 minutes another is lower for 45 minutes. Whole milk vs skim. Nothing. Does anyone have one that... More

Grilled Cuban Sandwich

Grilled Cuban Sandwich

On paper the ingredients for a Cuban sandwich are fairly run of the mill—ham, Swiss, roast pork, mustard, and pickles—but when pressed and grilled together within a loaf of Cuban bread, sandwich magic happens. Coming from Cuban roots, Lourdes Castro, author of Latin Grilling, knows a thing or two about this particular sandwich. She's adapted an authentic version for those of us who don't have the luxury of living in prime Cuban sandwich territory, i.e., South Florida. More

'True Blood's' Holy Hoecakes

'True Blood's' Holy Hoecakes

Hoecakes--aka corn pone, johnny cakes, or cornmeal pancakes--are a fairly common sight at brunch tables in the South, but are perhaps less known above the Mason-Dixon line. In their most basic form, a hoecake is simply a mixture of batter of cornmeal, water, and salt fried in lard or rendered bacon fat. (Other more modern recipes add flour, eggs, or whole corn to the batter.) The Holy Hoecakes in the True Blood cookbook fully embrace the simplicity of the original, adorning the cakes only with a (generous) drizzle of maple syrup. While as basic as you get, the crisp, porky outsides and soft, creamy insides make for hoecakes more than the sum of their parts. More