Today I picked up a $3.99 folding metal vegetable steamer at Target. It works perfect to hold woodchips on the grill when I want to smoke the food. It actually works better than the smoke boxes sold at dept. stores, crate & barrel or with the grills at Target. I am curious what other people have re-purposed as a better & cheaper alternative to high priced gadgets?
@ Chew on That: There are a couple ways to baste an egg...but in essence it is a cross between a fried egg & a poached egg...depending upon how you baste it.
One method is to literally baste/ladle butter, bacon grease, whatever oil you are using to fry with over the top to simply cook the white....but not the yolk.
I prefer bacon grease!
The other, and more common method at diners, is to add a little bit of cold water to the pan or griddle then cover the whole thing. The steam that builds up cooks the layer of white, but leaves the yolk runny like a sunny side up.
It is really advantageous in a diner or if you have a large group when you want to fry lots of eggs quickly & efficiently. Many times method #2 will be used to finish off method #1.
My bench mark test of a good place for breakfast or brunch is whether or not I have to explain what a basted egg is...that's my favorite, and if they know what it is....and do them right....everything else will be fantastic!
At the risk of getting a few eye rolls...LOL...I have to say my FAVORITE cookbook is an original copy of the 1963 Betty Crocker Cookbook.
It is all about the Nostalgia...
This was the same "Go To" cookbook that my mother had when I was growing up. It was the reference book she was given when moving out on her own at 18. It is the book I went to as kid when I first started to cook. It is still the book I go to for some specific recipes: Hollandaise Sauce, Double Red Devil Chocolate Cake, a recipe for Faux Tortillas and several dozen others.
Although I may have moved beyond that book in terms of skill & tastes, I revere it as where my personal journey in the kitchen began. Someday I'll have my mom's copy, but for now....I have a facsimile....which along with the Betty Crocker Cookie Book reprint I picked up....brings memories of cooking with mom & grandma back to me every time I do happen to reference them.
p.s. The vintage versions of the BCCB are primarily "from scratch" recipes with illustrations of classic techniques....far less canned creamed soup products than you might think!
;)
Kitchenaid toasters range from 69.99 - 129.99 for the consumer models...and well worth the price. I'm on my 3rd due to upgrading and regifting the old ones....I have also given 4 as gifts....all of them are still working as my friends and family could attest.
Plus....you can if so inclined, get them to match. Our latest upgrade wa to get the matching stainless model....most importantly thought, they heat up fast, toast thoroughly & are durable. When I was a Culinary Specialist in retail, we never got a kitchenaid back or heard complaints.
I have read "Heston Blumenthal: In Search of Perfection." These books are not a recipe collections or cookbooks, nor is the television show a How-to cooking program. That is not the intent, which has already been pointed out by other posters.
If I had to describe his book(s) I would say that it is a collection of doctoral dissertations on food. As an analogy "cook's illustrate" & "America's test kitchen" is High School....Blumenthal and his colleagues are doing tenured professor work at the university level. It is not the basics, it is not necessarily practical to every layman. The exploration, however, does contribute to the universal body of culinary knowledge by deconstructing (at the ingredient level) both the science & the art of cooking.
That being said, I'd like to raise a practical issue that his exercise (and this post) illustrates:
The ingredients used & where they come from are important in any "recipe" to determine the quality of the final outcome. "Organic, Local & Homemade" are labels many food snobs throw around, but we need to ask ourselves: Do we practice what we preach?
Quite frankly, this recipe/methodology shows how difficult & time consuming being a purist with those labels can be for even a "simple" entree. It is only because all those assemblies need to be homemade all at once, that this seems like a labor intensive endeavor....and it is....but in the days before SuperTarget, Whole Foods, Wegmans or Trade Joes it is what people did.
Or actually...they didn't.
Our concept of the hamburger, much like most food in our current era, is dependent upon having full access to the modern day supply chain for our food demands. Again, food bloggers are constantly advocating for organic, homemade, fresh, authentic, local, etc...
This recipe adheres to what is advocated: The Blumenburger is a hamburger made with homemade buns, homemade cheese, home ground fresh beef & homemade ketchup. Thus, the ingredients, as well as the final product, can be organic, local or whatever other criteria we want.
e.g. Buy local, organic beef and grind your own hamburger. This would be so much better than the mystery grind that is shipped in from 1000 miles away or come in pre formed frozen patties. Isn't this what the food community is advocating?
Baking your own breadstuffs, canning your own relish & instead of making your own cheese...maybe just seeking out good, workable artisan cheeses, are all in keeping with the spirit I see in the posts on these blogs every day. Again...when it all comes at you at once, it seems over orchestrated & overwhelming. And it is! The exercise demonstrates how adhering to all those labels takes some work, but is worth it in the end.
Molecular Gastronomy, and its practitioners like Blumenthal, should serve as inspiration by making us say to ourselves: "If he can go to that length to make a hamburger pretty much 100% from scratch, then I could at least learn to bake my own buns rather than buy them."
For another person it may be to grind the meat, for another it may be to make their own ketchup...or if they prefer...homemade mustard...or maybe it will be a baby step by asking a local butcher to grind plain old chuck instead of grabbing the prepack hamburger.
The reality is that this recipe/methodolgy is not practical as a daily food stuff....but it illustrates the complexity behind the simple adages of "know where you food comes from" & "know what's in your food."
I don't think anyone would dispute that smoking food in a smoker or on a grill is optimum. However, it isn't always practical or convenient, and for an intense smoke flavor requires long cook times which isn't appropriate for all foods.
If not overused (i.e. too much....the stuff is potent!) liquid smoke, like smoked peppers, will impart a natural, smokey flavor to anything.
I add a couple drops to my guacamole. A drop in your bloody mary rounds out the spiciness. Last night I grilled glazed salmon which cooks very quickly. I added a little bit of liquid smoke to the glaze to give it a smoked flavor. And of course, there is a favorite from my childhood: Turkey drumsticks marinaded overnight in liquid smoke & grilled....just like Ren Fest!
Also, per other Talk threads, there is the common complaint about gas grills (vs. charcoal) not producing the same "grilled taste" in the food cooked. I have a natural gas grill, so when I have an item to grill with a short cook time (like salmon) I'll add it in order to supplement the "real grilled flavor."
Using chipotle is a great idea, but sometimes you want the smoke without the particular spice. I find smoke...and in this case liquid smoke....to be similar to salt in that it brings out another dimension of food. Too much is awful, but just the right amount enhances the natural flavor of the food.
I got my mom a subscription to Saveur Magazine....purchased it online.
Then picked up a card, a copy of the May Issue & some Black Eyed Peas (which was needed for one of the recipes in the magazine).
I wrote in the card that there was something to read, something to cook with, and a year of future adventures in the kitchen.
It wasn't last minute, but would certainly work.
If you like bolder reds (as we do), I'd pair a Cabernet-Sauvignon or a Shiraz with Huntsman (Layers of Stilton & Double Glouster)....they stand up to one another and shiraz is budget friendly. The cheese is interesting as it is basically a chedder & blue cheese combined.
If you prefer white wines, we recently served freixinet (a budget sparkling wine) with a honey infused chevre from a local dairy. Served some candied almonds on the side. Get the extra dry to accent the sweetness of the chevre.
This probably doesn't fit with your theme, but I thought I'd share this anyway.
The one and only baby shower I have hosted was a "double entendre" themed event. Everyone had to bring an appetizer or buffet small plate dish that somehow was connected with the baby/pregnancy/newborn etc...the planners & I had a brain storming session to come up with the menu, then assigned items accordingly....
Here are some of the dishes I remember people bringing & why:
Pork Buns (bun in the oven)
baby carrots & dip
pink lemonade (the baby was a girl)
pigs in a blanket (they didn't get pregnant by sleeping in separate beds!)
cream cheese PICKLE rollups
Bundles of Choy (steamed dumplings made with bok choy)
apple tarts (apple of their eye)
Hummus (served in a giant mocked up Gerber jar)
oranges, tangerines, grapefruit with a dip (C-sections)
deviled eggs (a weak ovum joke)
condiments in baby bottles
biscotti (teething)
There were other tie ins that I don't remember....
The actual guests (non-panners) were given a game card & each dish was labeled with a number....they had to write down the connection....No one was a big game player, so...this was the only shower game....
everyone had a blast.
The one item we didn't make because some thought it would be too gross was a "dirty diaper wonton"....had we made it, it would have been a filled pasta (think bishop's hat) with a spinach filling.
tastetless yes, but it would have been the talk of the party!
We live in Minneapolis, where it gets to 30+ below zero in the winter (without windchill factored in) so year round grilling is challenging. Over the years, we have alternated between a charcoal grill & various gas grills depending upon the zoning of the buildings we were living in. The reality is that when we had to start charcoal, deal with ashes, etc....we suspended most grilling during the winter. When we had gas, we continued to grill year round.
2 years ago we were first time home buyers. One factor that made us settle on the Loft that we finally purchased was the fact it had a Natural Gas hookup on the patio (which was the second factor, the patio is 8' x 20' which is rare for a condo).
We now have a 50,000 btu natural gas grill that is as convenient & accessible year round as my stove & oven. Not all gas grills are created equal. The small, low btu grills that run on propane don't put out as much heat and require tank refills. Also, for searing, Cast Iron crates are a must, so gas grills with another type will not perform as well.
I am able to use my natural gas grill like a second oven at thanksgiving and have done numerous turkeys and one turducken on it. I have smoked meats, made neapolitan pizza (at 700+ degrees), slow roasted pork, baked naan, etc. I find that the combination of convenience, performance, and cost to use makes it the ideal choice if you can only have one grill.
If I could have two grills, I'd get a Green Egg for smoking & drying food, slow cooking ribs or brisket....and also to use when I want to do a steak like Bistecca alla Fiorentine....I do agree that charcoal or wood fires hold a slight advantage for high temp cookiking like searing steaks and for very low temp cooking where long term even heat is needed, but the downside is the lack of control.
Hello, this is my first time to post a comment on "serious eats" ,although I did post on the old food board on this website several years ago. I am surprised at all the negative comments on Liquid Smoke. It ain't chocolate but I have used it on brisket cooked in the oven and liked the flavor it imparted to the meat. My husband also has a great and simple recipe for pork chops that uses Liquid Smoke. Just sprinkle seasoned salt, pepper, Worchestershire sauce and Liquid Smoke on the pork chops and bake in the oven on a baking sheet (with raised sides, of course) until almost done. Turn pork chops over and bake until done. You can put them under the broiler for a minute if they need a little more browning. I think they are really good and easy. I am imagine real grilling outside is worse on the DNA than Liquid Smoke. I love the Food Network, love cookbooks and love to cook and am always looking for new recipes to try so I am happy to be here.
over medium between two slices of heavily buttered cinnamon raisin bread and a couple of strips of crisply cooked bacon. lots of hot sweet milky coffee to wash it down.
or shirred in salsa with a heavy gooey blanket of melted swiss cheese on top.
but i never, ever eat them that way anymore... now it's hard boiled, or scrambled in a tiny bit of olive oil and garlic with dry toast. accompanied by unsweetened tea with low fat milk.
dang.
sigh...
my favorite books to cook from are not even cookbooks... laurie colwin's two books of food essays and amanda hesser's cooking for mr. latte have supplied a majority of the keepers in my recipe repertoire.
Thanks everyone! I don't know which to buy first, (I'd honestly like to get them all) they all sound great! I have a feeling cookbooks will quickly become my new passion.
I like eggs in omelets, scrambles, and souffles, and hard-boiled.
About 4 times a year I'll really want poached eggs, but the rest of the time the liquid yolk tastes too eggy (haha, no kidding!). It's just the usual sulfurous, metallic egg-taste that lets me know I'm eating something full of iron and vitamin A, but it's too strong if the yolk isn't set.
@PerkyMac - smoked paprika is the way to go. I love that stuff so much.
Liquid smoke can be fine if it's used sparingly with a lot of other strong flavors, like a barbeque sauce, but one wrong turn makes food taste like scorched plastic.
My favorite is the Fannie Farmer Cookbook. I have the funny early 90's edition that has a microwave cooking section. Everything is a little old-fashioned, but the recipes are solid, and there are reference pages that teach you about foods and techniques.
Favorite baking book is Susan Purdy's A Piece of Cake, re-released as The Perfect Cake. I also like the Martha Stewart Pies and Tarts book for the pictures.
not runny. that's my main criteria. the texture of wobbly egg whites makes me gag.
The Gourmet Cookbook is my no-fail, go-to cookbook. Otherwise, it changes daily: at the moment I like Thomas Keller's Bouchon, and James Peterson.
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Favorite foods: Good cheeses, Raw Oysters, A Rare T-bone Steak, Sashimi Tuna, Fresh baked bread with butter (or cheese), Freshwater Fish (fried) Homemade Pasta, Neapolitan Pizza, Anything with Rosemary, Roasted Garlic, Phish Food Ice Cream, Olives, Crawfish....
Last bite on earth: Chevre, Kalamata & Proscuitto pizza - neapolitan style.