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Serious Chocolate: Understanding Necco Wafers
I wish Necco would make an all-clove roll - those are my favorite. The licorice ones are pretty awesome, too.
Where can I find quince?
My local grocery stores (Stop and Shop, Roche Brothers) have them, but only in November/Thanksgiving timeframe; it seems they only get one shipment. They're also pretty expensive (like 2.50 a piece!!!).
Help! Whoopie Pies...
I'm having a hard time trying to figure out why the baked part needs to be refrigerated at all - are they that moist with pumpkinny goodness? I think I'd keep the parts separate until almost serving time - cookies at room temp and filling refrigerated. Make and eat. Or am I missing something?
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Recent Posts
Visiting supermarkets when traveling - doesn't everyone?
Posted by Bakerloo Line, June 2, 2009 at 12:53 PM
Morning Rant: People who talk with food in their mouths
Posted by Bakerloo Line, January 28, 2009 at 8:48 AM
Stella D'Oro Sesame Breadsticks - Whither goest?
Posted by Bakerloo Line, December 19, 2008 at 6:43 PM
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Seriously Meatless: Keftes De Prasa, the Sephardic-Style Leek Fritters
Posted by MichaelNatkin, September 23, 2009 at 3:15 PM
Cakespy: Chocolate Peanut Butter Special K Bars
Posted by cakespy, September 21, 2009 at 2:15 PM
Dinner Tonight: Quick, Light French Onion Soup
Posted by Blake Royer, September 22, 2009 at 4:30 PM
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Recent Comments | Response to Comments
Gallery food
Having worked in a gallery for many years, I can offer:
1. Nothing that drips (oh, the mess - on the floor, on frames, on displays, on the ART)
2. Nothing that needs to be dipped (likewise, the mess, especially directly onto a painting. How does it happen, you ask? Don't know, but I can tell you, it does. And it's bad).
3. The owners of the gallery I worked at were quite hipped on cheese and crostini, which I think is fine if it's all assembled and/or the cheese is precut. Once there's anything spreadable, look out.
Serious Chocolate: Understanding Necco Wafers
I wish Necco would make an all-clove roll - those are my favorite. The licorice ones are pretty awesome, too.
Where can I find quince?
My local grocery stores (Stop and Shop, Roche Brothers) have them, but only in November/Thanksgiving timeframe; it seems they only get one shipment. They're also pretty expensive (like 2.50 a piece!!!).
Help! Whoopie Pies...
I'm having a hard time trying to figure out why the baked part needs to be refrigerated at all - are they that moist with pumpkinny goodness? I think I'd keep the parts separate until almost serving time - cookies at room temp and filling refrigerated. Make and eat. Or am I missing something?
The wildest food you've ever tried and will never try again
Hakarl, the Icelandic fermented shark. It's, uh, something... Never again, but glad I did it.
Cookie Problem: puffy and moundy
One more trick: about halfway through the cooking time (5 minutes?) take the tray out of the oven, rap it on the bottom with your (protected) hand or slam it on the top of the oven (this is what I do), and then return it to the oven to finish. This will knock some of the air out of the cookies as they bake. It's also a good time to reverse the tray so they bake more evenly - I need to do this in my oven.
Brown bananas
Did it by any chance get cold along the way? Refrigerator temperatures will cause otherwise OK bananas to go brown, but it's just cosmetic. The lower temp actually retards ripening.
Flank Steak Too Crusty
Wipe off ALL the marinade before you put it on the grill.
making stiffer brownies/bars
Your description of your brownies makes me wonder whether you're cooking them enough. Yes, I know they're supposed to be gooey, etc., but try adding as little as 5 minutes more cooking time. Also, make sure they are completely cool before you cut into them with a sharp knife. I'm firmly in the chewy brownie camp - mine get mixed very thoroughly and stay in the oven for a half-hour.
ice cream maker recommendations
I'll second dbcurrie on the KitchenAid attachment - I've had mine for 2 years and it's great (of course you need the KitchenAid mixer...).
Also, a word about recipes particularly for frozen yoghurt - use whole milk yogurt and all the sugar the recipe calls for. I tried "experimenting" and wound up with a white yoghurt ice cube. The Perfect Scoop is a reliable source for recipes, and all of them seem to be designed for a 1-qt home ice cream maker.
Indian Restaurant Condiments
Not to be too snarky, but why didn't you just ask someone on the staff at the restaurant? If it's anything like the local Indian places I go, they LOVE to talk about the food.
Brownies: Gooey or Cakey?
Chewy for me, but not gooey. I don't like them raw.
Dear Whole Foods,
Take the hateful raw onion out of your otherwise-wonderful tuna salad. And while we're talking prefab sandwiches, can't you figure out how not to use those brown paper boxes? Why are they always greasy and "manhandled" - at least they are at the Framingham, MA store.
What Do Fiddleheads Taste Like?
I had an acquaintance who upon tasting one said it was like a boiled mouse.
Gorgonzola Cheese cracker recipe???
Well, not a cracker, but I have made these:
http://www.cavolettodibruxelles.it/2007/11/cantuccini-da-aperitivo
I used walnuts instead of almonds, because I had them hanging around and there's good synergy between walnuts and Gorgonzola.
I realise this is in Italian and you will need a scale - here's a quick translation:
farina = flour (I used King Arthur)
gorgonzola = duh!
mandorle intere = whole almonds
latte = milk (6 cl = about 5 tablespoons/1/4 cup?)
uovo = egg
olio d'oliva = olive oil
lievito per dolci = baking powder (cucchiaino = teaspoon)
peperoncino in polvere = ground red pepper (but I used black pepper in mine) = you need a pinch, or to taste
sale, una presa = a pinch of salt (depends kind of how salty/pungent the gorgonzola is).
difference between gnocchi and polenta
Just to add a little Italian lesson: "gnoccho" = singular; "gnocchi" = plural.
"Gnoccho" means "lump" - so gnocchi, regardless of what they are made of, are always little lumps. "Gnoccho" is also a gently derisive name to call someone who is being a "lumphead".
What is your foolproof, fallback dessert?
Another vote for brownies. Everyone loves a brownie, and when made from scratch are EXPONENTIALLY better than a boxed mix. Everyone I know requests that I make "my" brownies - the truth is that I use a pretty standard recipe I found in BBC Good Food magazine (but the same recipe is just about everywhere). I think that many people are so used to "mix" brownies that when they taste a "scratch" one they're blown away. I know that I won't eat a mix brownie anymore - I'd rather have nothing.
The Worst Table in the House: Have You Ever Gotten It?
As a regular "single" diner, I often get a crappy table, even if I'm in a relatively empty restaurant. I've made reservations for one and still gotten a terrible table. I don't want to eat at the bar every single time, so I ask for a table instead. The best case is when I'm on the periphery of the room. I've actually been seated FACING A WALL on more than one occasion.
Now I just ask if the restaurant can accommodate a single diner, and ask to see the table first. If it annoys the maitre d', I thank him or her and leave.
Unsalted natural peanut butter- what can I do with it?
Did you already open it? If not, you could always bring it back to the store and swap it out for the right thing.
My Shocking Food Confession: What's Yours?
I like PopTarts too, but only unfrosted blueberry.
Recipe Request: Dense Banana Cake
There's a great Banana Cake recipe in Cake Bible. Use all-purpose flour instead of the cake flour specified - you'll get your dense cake.
How to Thicken a Runny Cheesecake?
It's a bad recipe - find another.
Starbucks Coffee *Way* or *Nay*
Love, love, love Starbucks coffee - to me, it tastes "done" whereas Dunkin tastes "raw" and sour to me. But then, I only ever get espresso or the bold drip version - never an espresso drink.
Serious Chocolate: Understanding Necco Wafers
@eeels ROFLMAO!
Reminds of of a conversation recounted by a friend this Halloween. Upon meeting a toddler Yoda, she said, “May the force be with you”.
He responded, immediately, “And also with you”.
Where can I find quince?
don't know what you want quince for... but if you go to a store that sells Spanish goodies, ask for MEMBRILLO or MEMBRILLO PASTE, which is sort of a guava paste - very sweet, but great to eat alongside manchego cheese.
Serious Chocolate: Understanding Necco Wafers
I like to use them as shingles on my annual homemade gingerbread house for the holiday season but that's it. I personally fit them into the 'chalky' category and I am quite surprised at all the necco lovers out there! I had no idea they actually had flavors! I thought they were all the same...probably because I can't bring myself to actually eat one. I made that mistake as a child and haven't looked back since.
Serious Chocolate: Understanding Necco Wafers
I loved the clove, licorice the best but actually enjoyed all the flavors. Didn't know about Neccos being the candy for the soliders..interesting. I lived on an army base when I was a teenager, we would go to the show and throw jujubees at each other...was weird going to the show all the soliders that lived on the base would stand up and cheer when my sister and I walked in, not just for us, they cheered for all young girls age 15, 17 years. Was very strange but I never felt scared, they probably knew who my Dad was!
Help! Whoopie Pies...
I just made Pumpkin Whoopie Pies from an old issue of Rachael ray's magazine and they came out great. I had to bake them a few minutes more than the recipe said as they were still under done but otherwise they were great. I wonder why this happened to yours. I have no help for you. Sorry.
Help! Whoopie Pies...
I made those whoopie pies a couple weeks ago, and they turned out great. They made more than a dozen, though - did anybody else have that happen? I think I ended up with enough cookies to make 18 whoopie pies. I ran out of frosting, so for the extra 12 cookies, I made a brown sugar glaze (butter, brown sugar, milk) and sprinkled them with minced crystallized ginger and toasted pecans. They were kind of like muffin tops or mini cakes. Very tasty!
Help! Whoopie Pies...
I made the pumpkin whoopie pies over the weekend. While I did need to bake them slightly longer than the recipe recommended, I must say they were wonderful. The spices in the cake part were perfect and they were sticky to the touch. All in all, a wonderful recipe!!
Help! Whoopie Pies...
I don't know how I got to be my age (which is fairly substantial :0) without ever hearing about Whoopie Pies until last summer when we went to Maine to visit friends, and they told us about them. These look fantastic.
Help! Whoopie Pies...
@ arwenb
Now I am drooling! It's been ages since I've had a good Whoopie Pie.
Help! Whoopie Pies...
Thank you for the update I plan on making these tomorrow!
Help! Whoopie Pies...
Update, for all of you sitting on the edge of your seats lol, I took them out of the fridge and set them out and they got back to the perfect texture very easily. I repacked them into a cardboard cake box and that kept them just fine in the fridge until a couple of hours ago when they were devoured.
Raiders757 - They did turn out the way you describe. I didn't want them dry, just didn't want them soggy either. They bounced back to perfectly moist and slightly sticky :-)
Charm City Cupcake: I am sorry yours turned out badly! I didn't have either the problem with the cinnamon being overwhelming or with the undercooking - the ended up perfect and got RAVE reviews.
Where can I find quince?
Just looked around online and found that almost all the quince sold in North America comes from Argentina. So it's an import food, which is why it is expensive and difficult to find. It is not commonly grown in the US anymore due to some bacteria that tends to kill it off. Asian markets tend to carry it because it is grown extensively in Asia and used in Asian cooking. So you might have more luck there, if you have a China Town or Asian shopping district nearby. Good luck!
Where can I find quince?
I've been dying to try quince since I heard this recipe on the Good Food podcast by Evan Kleinman. It was from that part at the beginning where they talk to a local chef who is shopping at the Santa Monica farmer's market. It's a quince tart on puff pastry with roasted grapes (wow!) and homemade ice cream. My mouth was watering as I listened. check it out: http://bit.ly/1XlrBb
Where can I find quince?
You can usually find quince in Hispanic or Asian food markets.
Where can I find quince?
I'll have to keep my eyes open around Thanksgiving. Thanks for all the suggestions!
Help! Whoopie Pies...
@finewinendine - LOL! Well said.
Help! Whoopie Pies...
I made those whoopie pies the other day and I was not at all pleased with the results - and I'm a very experienced baker. They were completely undercooked at the specified time in the recipe and the recipe called for FAR too much cinnamon. They didn't taste like pumpkin at all but like an assault by cinnamon.
Yet another reason on my list of why I don't like Baked.
Help! Whoopie Pies...
Bring them over here, I'll see if I can fix them. Can you pick up a carton of milk on your way over? ;-)
Where can I find quince?
I believe that I have seen quince at Whole Foods, too.
If you can't find fresh, membrillo is a thick jelly or paste made from quince. it is readily available in Spanish/Portuguese, and some Middle Eastern, ethnic markets and grocery stores. You can also buy it mail order. Here's a link for more info:
www.gourmetsleuth.com/quincepastemembrillo.htm
Help! Whoopie Pies...
My grandmother made the best Whoopie Pies I have ever had, and I say that without any bias what-so-ever. A truly good Whoppie Pie shouldn't be too dry and cake like. If they don't stick to your fingers, then your Whoopie Pies are an epic fail. There shouldn't be any cracks in the cake, like I always seem to see in so many pictures of them on-line.
My grandmother always wrapped hers in plastic wrap, and they never had condensation on them, so that's kind of a trip to read about. When I unwrapped one of her wonderful pies, they were smooth on the surface from the plastic wrap, and none of the pie remained stuck to the wrap. They were slightly sticky to the touch, and like I said, the cake stuck to your fingers. Once you grabbed hold of one, you didn't put it down until it was done.
Help! Whoopie Pies...
These are like little "cakes" really. The texture does not suffer at all with refrigeration like it does with hard cookies. I use a cream cheese icing type filling and fridging the cookies is necessary.
McDonald's Filet-O-Fish: Yea or Nay?
I haven't had one in decades but just to keep this sandwich going, I will go there and have them.
McDonald's Filet-O-Fish: Yea or Nay?
They're tastey but they're like 700 calories each!!!!!!
The wildest food you've ever tried and will never try again
crickets (chapulines) in Oaxaca
escargots in Chicago
The wildest food you've ever tried and will never try again
wasnt fond of stomach or tongue when I had them. I actually like durian, Im just not allowed to buy it :)
Recent Posts
Visiting supermarkets when traveling - doesn't everyone?
Posted by Bakerloo Line, June 2, 2009 at 12:53 PM
Morning Rant: People who talk with food in their mouths
Posted by Bakerloo Line, January 28, 2009 at 8:48 AM
Stella D'Oro Sesame Breadsticks - Whither goest?
Posted by Bakerloo Line, December 19, 2008 at 6:43 PM
Recent Favorites
Seriously Meatless: Keftes De Prasa, the Sephardic-Style Leek Fritters
Posted by MichaelNatkin, September 23, 2009 at 3:15 PM
Cakespy: Chocolate Peanut Butter Special K Bars
Posted by cakespy, September 21, 2009 at 2:15 PM
Dinner Tonight: Quick, Light French Onion Soup
Posted by Blake Royer, September 22, 2009 at 4:30 PM
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Bakerloo Line hasn't taken any quizzes yet.

Having worked in a gallery for many years, I can offer:
1. Nothing that drips (oh, the mess - on the floor, on frames, on displays, on the ART)
2. Nothing that needs to be dipped (likewise, the mess, especially directly onto a painting. How does it happen, you ask? Don't know, but I can tell you, it does. And it's bad).
3. The owners of the gallery I worked at were quite hipped on cheese and crostini, which I think is fine if it's all assembled and/or the cheese is precut. Once there's anything spreadable, look out.