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Charcuterista's Profile

Website: http://charcuterista.wordpress.com

Location: wild, wonderful West Virginia

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The Ten Most Recent Comments By Charcuterista

From Serious Eats

The Best of Philly's BYOBs

I've been meaning to make it to Philly for a while now; thanks for giving me six new reasons to go!

Charcuterista at 11:38AM on 03/04/08

From Serious Eats

Cook the Book: 'Panini Express'

brie and sundried tomato! yum!

Charcuterista at 2:55PM on 03/03/08

From Serious Eats

Stately Scoops: What Ice Cream Flavor Represents Your State?

I'm nominating West Virginia for Moon-Pie ice cream! I'm calling dibs since no one else has mentioned them, but an alternative could be something with dark-chocolate cookie crumbles to look like coal...Or maybe some kind of ice cream float as whitewater...I need to stop thinking about this...

Charcuterista at 6:10PM on 02/28/08

From Serious Eats

Cook the Book: Win a Copy of 'Cook with Jamie'

What an amazing response! I think I can credit a mishmash of influences for teaching me to cook. My mother probably deserves some credit, though I can remember how hard she laughed when I heated up tomato juice one day and called it tomato soup. Now I've come far enough to start with a roux, then add the tomato juice...

Charcuterista at 5:54PM on 02/19/08

From Recipes

Banana Cupcakes: Buttercream vs. Cream Cheese?

I just made a Nigella cake that called for adding heavy cream to the cream cheese icing while beating it. Definitely a success, though next time I'm going to try beating the cream thena adding it to the frosting....

Charcuterista at 5:38PM on 02/19/08

From Recipes

Sunday Supper: Chicken Pot Pie

I really like the idea of the phyllo crust. Lots of snappy, crisp layers plus less work than making a pastry crust equals me being much more likely to make chicken pot pie when I crave it...

Charcuterista at 12:07PM on 02/17/08

From Recipes

Essentials: Vinaigrette

I adore this cookbook and just finished making Julia's All-American Potato Salad, which was, of course, luscious. Pop over to my blog for a picture...

Charcuterista at 2:50PM on 02/16/08

From Serious Eats

Weekend Book Giveaway: 'Secret Ingredients, the New Yorker Book of Food and Drink'

Laurie Colwin - reading her always makes me feel better about life in general...

Charcuterista at 11:36AM on 02/16/08

From Talk

What to do with 24 leftover egg yolks?

fresh pasta. mmmm....

Charcuterista at 3:26PM on 02/15/08

From Recipes

Cook the Book: Simple Chocolate Mousse

The chocolate terrine from James Peterson's Glorious French Food. It's like a cross between a flourless chocolate cake and the inside of a dark chocolate truffle...

Charcuterista at 2:28PM on 02/15/08

Responses to Comments by Charcuterista

From Recipes

A Red Velvet Affair

I remember the first ime I had Red Velvet Cake, I was 9 or 10 years old and my brother's mother-in-law made it for the holidays. It truly was love at first bite. It became my favorite cake heads up. My brother's mother in law told me that it was very difficult to make and at times she had to remake it 2 to 3 times over to get it right? Is this something that anyone has heard of, that it has to have this certain texture or consistency or the whole thing is ruined? She gave me the recipe (still have it) but never made it because of what she said.

pjracz10 at 7:49PM on 08/25/08

From Recipes

A Red Velvet Affair

I really wish a food site as well trafficked as Serious Eats would not continue to advertise mis information.

The origins of the red in this cake come from early American cocoa, not food coloring. The Red Velvet Cake as we know it today is really a Devil's Food Cake in an unrecognizable disguise. Please read further historical information about this cake on the site What's Cooking In America.

While I agree that cakes make with egregious amounts of food coloring, in any color, are shocking to look at, and interesting because of it; I have to, as a baker, call to question, and remind you, the recipe for the RVC of today has no relation to its origins.

This cake that is now fast becoming a trend, is one dimensional in flavor, and not delicious, unless you love white cake that appears red.

shunafish at 12:23AM on 08/17/08

From Recipes

A Red Velvet Affair

So, is red velvet cake a chocolate cake or not? I don't really know, even though I've eaten in made from a mix a few times.

I remember old recipes using beet juice or tomato juice to add moisture (not really noticeable in the taste) and wondered if that's where the whole "red cake" idea came from.

chari at 1:22PM on 07/09/08

From Recipes

A Red Velvet Affair

MY OLD RED VELVET CAKE RECEIPE CALLS FOR 1 TSP BAKING POWDER PLUS THE BAKING SODA 2 TBLSP COCOA POWDER
FOR THE ICING 1 8OZ TUB OF MASCARPONE CHEESE ALONG W/CREME CHEESE/ TRY THIS WED ROSES USA

REDROSES at 5:28PM on 06/30/08

From Recipes

A Red Velvet Affair

This recipe for Red Velvet Cake (a/k/a "Waldorf Astoria Cake") is almost the same recipe as my Aunt gave me fifty years ago! I've been making it ever since, and it is the very favorite cake of all my familly members. This recipe here is missing one ingredient though; that is: one (1) teaspoon of vanilla extract. I also use 1 teaspoon of salt (versus 1/2 teaspoon). If you do not add the red coloring, the cake bakes into an unappealing beige color (because of the 1 Tablespoon of cocoa). The red coloring only enhances the appearance, and you can add enough coloring to go from pink to a dark red cake. It's your choice. Also, I agree with a reviewer who said hold the cream cheese frosting for carrot cake. I always make a good homemade vanilla buttercream frosting. This is the VERY BEST CAKE with a flavor that's hard to explain because it's not a vanilla--nor a white--nor a chocolate--nor a spice cake; it's got a unique flavor of its own.

Linda Lee Miller at 11:25AM on 03/13/08

From Serious Eats