Clare K’s Profile
Recent Comments
Cook the Book: 'The Silver Palate Cookbook, 25th Anniversary Edition'
My first cookbook was the Better Homes and Garden's Junior Cookbook. I started trying out the recipes when I was 10 years old. I started with the easy stuff, like hot dog and cheese "wraps" (hot dog + american cheese slice + white bread slice, rolled and pinned with a toothpick, then gradually went on to the more difficult like the chocolate cake and creamy lemon pie. I loved that cookbook, and still have it today. I always felt so proud whenever something I cooked from that book came out well, and I can honestly say it started my love of cooking!
Cookbook Giveaway: 'Super Natural Cooking'
My favorite healthy and pleasurable dish would be tomatoes from my parent's garden sliced thick and topped with chopped flat-leaf parsley and basil and thin slivers of red onions. Dress with a vinagrette of champagne vinegar, dijon mustard, a touch of extra virgin olive oil, crushed garlic, salt and lots of fresh ground black pepper and garnish with some toasted pinenuts for good measure. It has all the great textures - the juiciness of the sweet tomatos, the crisp heat of the onions and the crunch of the pinenuts.
What is the best store bought salad dressing?
Gerard's Champagne Vinagrette - both the regular and the light version. In fact, their light version is the only light salad dressing I'll eat. It tastes like the real thing!
See more comments by Clare K »
Recent Posts
If you are what you eat, then what food are you?
Posted by Clare K, April 9, 2007 at 5:41 PM
See more posts by Clare K »
Recent Favorites
Clare K hasn't favorited a post yet.
Recent Polls
Clare K hasn't answered any polls yet.
Recent Quizzes
Clare K hasn't taken any quizzes yet.
Recent Comments | Response to Comments
Quinoa
I would recommend buying packaged quinoa vs. the stuff in the bulk bins. Bulk bin items require much more of a thorough wash, as I learned the hard way. Since I've been buying the packaged version at Trader Joe's, I don't have any problems and I wash it the same way I wash rice.
Cook the Book: 'The Silver Palate Cookbook, 25th Anniversary Edition'
My first cookbook was the Better Homes and Garden's Junior Cookbook. I started trying out the recipes when I was 10 years old. I started with the easy stuff, like hot dog and cheese "wraps" (hot dog + american cheese slice + white bread slice, rolled and pinned with a toothpick, then gradually went on to the more difficult like the chocolate cake and creamy lemon pie. I loved that cookbook, and still have it today. I always felt so proud whenever something I cooked from that book came out well, and I can honestly say it started my love of cooking!
Cookbook Giveaway: 'Super Natural Cooking'
My favorite healthy and pleasurable dish would be tomatoes from my parent's garden sliced thick and topped with chopped flat-leaf parsley and basil and thin slivers of red onions. Dress with a vinagrette of champagne vinegar, dijon mustard, a touch of extra virgin olive oil, crushed garlic, salt and lots of fresh ground black pepper and garnish with some toasted pinenuts for good measure. It has all the great textures - the juiciness of the sweet tomatos, the crisp heat of the onions and the crunch of the pinenuts.
What is the best store bought salad dressing?
Gerard's Champagne Vinagrette - both the regular and the light version. In fact, their light version is the only light salad dressing I'll eat. It tastes like the real thing!
Question of the Day: What's your favorite candy bar?
So hard to pick one...
Twix - just the perfect flavor/texture combo
Question of the Day: Where have you always wanted to eat ...
French Laundry
Ursawa
Question of the Day: Garlic
A simple crostini of bri with chunks of roasted garlic is my idea of heaven.
What's your favorite HEALTHY meal?
Thanks for the clarification - I guess I just meant low-fat and low-calories and generally healthy as in no trans fats.
Cookbook Giveaway: 'A Twist of the Wrist'
I love frozen peas. They're great in a plain ol' salad, and I always add them to curries, pastas and soups. Another favorite is to make pea "guacamole;" simply blend thawed peas in a food processor with a store-bought guacamole spice mix. Makes a fabulous dip and looks just like the real thing.
Where have you enjoyed the most lavish brunch buffet?
The Chaminade in Santa Cruz, CA. $65 per person, and that was 9 years ago. Lobster, prime rib, eggs any style, champagne...
What's your favorite midnight snack?
Western Bacon Cheeseburger from Carl's Jr., considering the only times I have a midnight snack is when I'm drunk.
AGTV: Eggs Benedict Arnold
I loved it! Is that Craig playing the neighbor? I love the corniness...it makes everything more delicious.
What food and/or wine related print magazines do you read?
I relish every copy of Gourmet, Food & Wine and Bon Appetit magazines. The gorgeous covers and inside photos literally make my mouth water. I get extra excited if they come, say, on a Friday night when I've had a long week. I love nothing more than to sit on the couch in my sweats with a copy of one of these magazines and a glass of red wine. It's the equivelent to a hot bubblebath for me.
That said, I don't always love the recipes in the above magazines, as they often require expensive and exotic ingredients that would take half the day to find. But I get a lot of ideas from them, which is enough to keep me as a customer.
I love Eating Well because it focuses on fresh, clean foods, and it really inspires me. The recipes are pretty basic, but I enjoy the educational articles they have on subjects like organic farming and vitamin nutrition. One feature I love is their "5 ways to make [fill in blank]. They'll take something like a grocery-store roasted chicken and make five things from it. It's not rocket science, but it often gets me out of a cooking rut.
I love Delicious magazine, which I think is an Australian publication. The recipes, the photos - everything - is awe-inspiring. Too bad it costs $9.50!!
Question of the Day: What's the best food song?
Fish heads
Fish heads
Rolly polly fish heads
Fish heads
Fish heads
Eat 'em up, YUM!
Classic.
Have site feedback? We want to hear it!
Still can't type in a TITLE to any of my posts - the field is there but it is not clickable nor can I write in it...?
Question of the Day: What one ingredient do you never skimp on?
Vanilla (prefer paste or beans to liquid); eggs (always Omega-3); coffee (I love Trader Joe's for a lot but not coffee - too weak!); extra virgin olive oil for bread dipping (prefer a really fruity one for straight-up dipping).
If you are what you eat, then what food are you?
To answer my own question, I would be bacon, lettuce, avocado and tomato sandwich on wheat because I am a little bad and a little good with the intent to be somewhat healthy.
Have site feedback? We want to hear it!
I can't seem to post a Title to my Talk post :( There is no clickable field for some reason...I can see the "Title" field but cannot type into it (hence my title-less post on the Talk forum).
Otherwise, I love the site!
Who's your most/least favorite food personality on Food Channel?
Faves: Nigella and Ina
Least: Sandra Lee, Robin Miller and Rachael Ray!
Phyllo dough
It would be a major challenge, but baklava would be wonderful. Or, make use a muffin tin to create little shells of filo pastry and fill them with everything from goat cheese to eggs. I saw a recipe in a Donna Hay book for a goat cheese and lentil tart that used filo dough - the picture looked amazing.
Favorite Duos?
Goat cheese and roasted red beets, smoked salmon and dill, cheese and french bread, kimchi and milk, shortbread and lemon, peanut butter and banana, cauliflower and sea salt, proscuitto and cornichons, scrambled eggs and Tabasco.
Paula Deen Is Trying To Kill Us
I remember her son, Bobby (the thinner one) once made a joke about his mom's favorite food being "deep fried butter." Guess she ran with it? The weird thing about Paula is that, though she is overweight, she should be A LOT heavier considering what she eats. I'm sure her arteries are fully clogged, though - not good.
What is the best store bought salad dressing?
Newman's Own Light Balsamic - you can't go wrong.
What is the best store bought salad dressing?
Marie's Blue Cheese although we mostly go with oil and vinegar.
What is the best store bought salad dressing?
It's not exactly "store" bought but I came across Wistoria Garden's Very Nearly Famous House Vinaigrette at the farmer's market that the Eastern Market, in Washington, D.C. quite some time ago. To date I have gone ordered FOUR of their 12-bottle boxes. It's amazing and I love turning people on to it!
What is the best store bought salad dressing?
I make my own - saves a lot of money - no waste and I can adjust the type to fit the rest of the meal. Bottled dressings seem to go rancid fast and then they are awful!
I have several kinds of vinegar and can vary my "sauce" when I mix it. Use good oil and "taste".
What is the best store bought salad dressing?
I usually don't use store bought dressing, but when I do it's Newmans Own Light Italian with Lemon. It is very good.
What is the best store bought salad dressing?
Marie's blue cheese is the best and I always have that in the refrig..I have to try Marie's blue cheese vinigrette..While I make my own Italian dressing, I do Good Season's every so often and add my own stuff to it...
What is the best store bought salad dressing?
Gosh, I am amazed no one cited "Ranch" dressing as a favourite - here in Canada, it is probably the most popular by far. Next time I am in the U.S., I will buy some, "Maries blue cheese" - several people have mentioned it and I love blue cheese dressing, but I make my own (not always convenient) because I can't find a good one. I don't think Maries is sold here.
What is the best store bought salad dressing?
I have always loved Marie's blue cheese, and NOW they came out with Marie's Blue Cheese VINIGRETTE!!! It is simply AWESOME!!!
What is the best store bought salad dressing?
Marzetti's Blue Cheese.
My husband also uses Marzetti's slaw dressing on sandwiches and in tuna salad, potato salad, and pea & peanut salad, in place of mayo.
I also use only Kraft Free Zesty Italian in pasta salad because it doesn't get slimy or soggy. If anything, if I keep the salad more than a couple days I need to add more dressing because it dries out.
What is the best store bought salad dressing?
Garlic Expressions is terrific, and it is also a wonderful marinade.
Who's your most/least favorite food personality on Food Channel?
I used to watch a lot of FN back in the early days. I enjoyed Jack McDavid, Mario Batali, Sara Moulton. Now, I never watch FN. The turning point, for me, was when Rachel Ray became a "star" (gag).
Now if I want to learn something about cooking, I tune in PBS, and watch Jacques Pepin, Lidia, or the two ladies on America's Test Kitchen.
Who's your most/least favorite food personality on Food Channel?
Least: Ina Garten; from her voice to her food, personality, friends, etc. . .she drives me insane.
Most: Giada Di Laurentiis, I have a girl crush on her.
Who's your most/least favorite food personality on Food Channel?
I have to agree with many comments here.I have studied culinary arts for years and these housewife cook wannabees do not know the difference between a good Veloute and a bowl of gravy.
Where does the food netwok find these people?
Sandra Lee gets so excited over her booze,you would think she was an alcoholic! Rachael Ray acts like the host of Sesame Street with her ignorant, goofy, childish sayings. Paula Dean serves so much fat in her food, it is more rich than her fake,overpronounced accent which is comparable to fingernails on a chalkboard.Giada dresses like a street walker and tries to sound italian with her fancy pronouncing og food.What happened to credible culinarians? are all we are left with are women's day readers like these four women who think they are teaching cooking? please!!!
Who's your most/least favorite food personality on Food Channel?
My faves: Alton Brown, Anne Burrell, Ina Garten
Likes: Jaime O., Tyler F. Micheal Chirello (sp?)
My not so faves: Ray Ray, Sunny Anderson and the Neeleys...I started out liking Ray but her overexposure did me in...I haven't seen a thing on Sunny's show that I would make, and I can't stand her delivery, and the Neeleys...I like things they make but that lovey dovey crap really turns me off...and of course Sandra goes without saying...
Who's your most/least favorite food personality on Food Channel?
My favorite is Ina and my very least favorite is Giada. Can Giada's tops get any lower without this show being rated as porn? I have nothing at all against showing some cleavage, but please...this is a cooking show, and if her cooking isn't good enough to stand on its own, they should take her off the air. Actually, I tried several of her recipes and thought they we just "okay". Her books are loaded with photos of her rather than of the food, and she is way too full of herself. She should stop the annoying Italian accent when she pronounces Italian food items. She was born and raised in California for goodness sakes!
What's your favorite midnight snack?
I go for the easy stuff. Leftovers, (Chinese is especially good!) whatever chips/cookies/crackers are around... Things that don't need prep. I'm too lazy to put ice cream in a bowl late at night!
Paula Deen Is Trying To Kill Us
Its real and its here... (as disgusting as it is)
Paula's Fried Butter Balls
2 sticks butter
2 ounces cream cheese
Salt and pepper
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 egg, beaten
1 cup seasoned bread crumbs
Peanut oil, for frying
Cream the butter, cream cheese, salt and pepper together with an electric mixer until smooth. Using a very small ice cream scoop, or melon baller, form 1-inch balls of butter mixture and arrange them on a parchment or waxed paper lined sheet pan. Freeze until solid. Coat the frozen balls in flour, egg, and then bread crumbs and freeze again until solid.
When ready to fry, preheat oil in a deep-fryer to 350 degrees F.
Fry balls for 10 to 15 seconds until just light golden. Drain on paper towels before serving.
Full recipe is here: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/paula-deen/paulas-fried-butter-balls-recipe/index.html
Whats the difference between this recipe and deep fried mozarella or deep frying whole turkeys or chickens (before baking) or even Krispy Kremes which are deep fried TWICE?? All of which I cannot stomach.
Who's your most/least favorite food personality on Food Channel?
I used to watch a lot of FN but honestly it's so overproduced these days I just can't get into it. I understand that they get the best ratings with these lame reality shows and camera-friendly cooks, but can't they appease everyone by having a few shows with hosts passionate about a particular part of cooking? Go ahead, play them at some weird-ass time of day, I'll tape it, but to me it's such a waste of a perfect medium to march out these clowns preparing the same bland recipe over and over and over again.
Favorites (none of these exist anymore): Jamie , Mario, Alton
Least favorites: Aida Whatever, Sunni Whatever
Who's your most/least favorite food personality on Food Channel?
I used to watch this channel frequently for info on cooking techniques, and good recipes; not on much anymore. Weekend getaways at $40 and such rot are a waste of time. I have no problem with the dumbed-down shows for the chef-boyardee crowd, but I have the travel channel, with Bourdain, for the other stuff.
Faves: Alton, Mario, Sara
Middling: Sandra, Giada [OK....just eye candy....no turtlenecks needed]. Flay....I like the genre, so I follow his recipes. Emeril....shelf life date gone by......he's now a shill on the "green network".....and, not convincingly so. Paula.....on the fast track to Emeril status.
Least: Ray Ray. Well, Sandra too...although S doesn't annoy me me nearly as much as does RR.
Who's your most/least favorite food personality on Food Channel?
Favorite: Ina Garten and Bobby Flay
Least Fave: Sandra Lee (worst), Sunny Anderson, Ellie Krieger, Ann Burell
Who's your most/least favorite food personality on Food Channel?
FAVE: jamie oliver -- i LOVE jamie at home. also nigella -- apparently i love brits.
LEAST FAVES: sandra lee, hands down. not even a competition!
Who's your most/least favorite food personality on Food Channel?
Favs: Ina Garten, Giada, Alton Brown. Duff Goldman & Mary Alice from Ace of Cakes - do they count?
also sort of Flay because, hey, a good looking guy who can cook? im all for it.
least favs - Paula Deen. something about her annoys the CRAP out of me. Sandra Lee - im in college and even i wouldnt eat some of the disgusting look things she makes
Who's your most/least favorite food personality on Food Channel?
Favorites: Paula Dean, her recipes I can make and have. Sandra Lee because her recipes are very doable. Why do so many dislike her? I love to watch her. I also like the fact that with Sandra Lee, you can take common packaged stuff and make something great. Alton Brown, definitely a fav of mine. I can't stand Emeril. His recipes are so complicated, why bother? Ina Garten's recipes are too complicated as well.
Least Favorite: Obviously Rachel Ray is an amature when it comes to cooking. Come on folks, I mean, my teenage son can concoct what she comes up with. Also, she is extremely irritating with all of her hand gestures and her EEVO and her rolling eyes. I deliberately turn off the FN when she is scheduled. I just don't get it. She's awful. BEST: Alton Brown WORST: Rachel Ray
Paula Deen Is Trying To Kill Us
you people really need to get a grip.. its not like shes forcing you to eat any of her foods and she will tell you herself that she puts a lot of butter in her food.. i mean seriously butter and cream cheese isn't half as bad as deep fried ice cream or deep fried candy bars and twinkies.. and yes people really do fry these things or how bout Duck Confit (sp?) which is duck boiled and or baked covered in duck fat..lol fatty unhealthy recipes have been around forever, its up to us to learn self control and portion control..lol
Paula Deen Is Trying To Kill Us
people seriously...butter mixed with cream cheese isn't that crazy...if any of you have ever eaten cheesecake..guess what? its got both butter and cream cheese..only thing not there is the deep frying that paula added! :)
Recent Posts
If you are what you eat, then what food are you?
Posted by Clare K, April 9, 2007 at 5:41 PM
Recent Favorites
Clare K hasn't favorited a post yet.
Polls
Clare K hasn't answered any polls yet.
Quizzes
Clare K hasn't taken any quizzes yet.
About Clare K
Website: http://rainydaysandsundays-c.blogspot.com/
Location:
About:
Favorite foods: smoked salmon, goat cheese, chicken liver, French bread, dark chocolate, foie gras, a very rare filet mignon, a medium-rare burger with super crispy fries, fresh pasta, sushi of all kinds, BBQ pork, sugar snap peas, onions, Calpico, edamame, candied pecan
Last bite on earth:
I would recommend buying packaged quinoa vs. the stuff in the bulk bins. Bulk bin items require much more of a thorough wash, as I learned the hard way. Since I've been buying the packaged version at Trader Joe's, I don't have any problems and I wash it the same way I wash rice.