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Cook the Book: 'The Pioneer Woman Cooks'
Pioneer woman
Joy the Baker
Serious Eats of course!
Cakespy: Homemade Candy Corn
I just tried making these. I boiled it for 5 minutes which was probably about a minute too long. It far too stiff. I managed to get two colors formed into logs but not the third one. The two that I managed to snake-ify were too dry to stick to each other. We ate some bits of it though and it tasted good. I'll try again.
Toasting pumpkin or squash seeds - is there a trick?
When the seed catalogs come out next spring keep your eye out for a pumpkin seed called Kakai. The pumpkins form seeds with no hulls. They are just the green inner seed. That's it. They are so delicious! I've grown them for several years now.
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Recent Comments | Response to Comments
Cook the Book: 'Good Eats: The Early Years'
On the year my brother made a Turducken, I was sick with a head cold. I ended up taking a quadruple sudafed dose in the attempt to decongest myself so I could taste the turkey. Didn't work. Neither did crunching ginger altoids like popcorn. I don't think I slept for the next 24 hours.
Cook the Book: 'The Pioneer Woman Cooks'
Pioneer woman
Joy the Baker
Serious Eats of course!
Cakespy: Homemade Candy Corn
I just tried making these. I boiled it for 5 minutes which was probably about a minute too long. It far too stiff. I managed to get two colors formed into logs but not the third one. The two that I managed to snake-ify were too dry to stick to each other. We ate some bits of it though and it tasted good. I'll try again.
Toasting pumpkin or squash seeds - is there a trick?
When the seed catalogs come out next spring keep your eye out for a pumpkin seed called Kakai. The pumpkins form seeds with no hulls. They are just the green inner seed. That's it. They are so delicious! I've grown them for several years now.
What Was Your Favorite School Cafeteria Food?
In elementary school it was hamburger gravy on mashed potatoes. Also loved the canned green beans and the tots.
In the late 80's my high school had a grill w/ burgers, fries, shakes. We had a salad bar and then the regular lunch line. I shudder to think of all the lunches that consisted of fries dipped in shakes.
Honeycrisps Are Here!
I have a honeycrisp tree in my backyard. This is it's first year to produce apples and they are wonderful! The only way I have cooked them is to make applesauce and it was pretty tastly.
What Weird Family Foods Did You Grow Up Thinking Were Normal?
My husband's family made divinity every time they made waffles and used it to make waffle/divinity sandwiches.
I liked grape jelly and cream cheese on ritz crackers. Oh, and I used to put milk and graham crackers in a baggie, squish it all up and suck it out of a corner of the baggie. We called it astronaut food.
Cook the Book: 'Rustic Fruit Desserts'
Peach cobbler with peaches from our tree. Extra yummy with blackberries from our backyard too. Can't wait for August!
What's on Your Easter Menu: Ham or Lamb?
Neither - I don't eat pork because (IMHO) pigs are treated so poorly and I don't eat lamb because my Dad always called my Mom Lambie when I was a kid. It seems wrong. :) We are having a turkey.
Cook the Book: 'Urban Italian'
I'm on the pasta with shrimp train too, especially with a creamy tomato sauce.
Focaccia, the Easiest Homemade Bread
I have this baking right now. It smells fabulous! I mixed olive oil, ground italian seasonings and fresh garlic to spread on the top. I can't wait for it to come out!
Cook the Book: 'Kneadlessly Simple'
Honey whole wheat with freshly ground wheat flour.
Valentine's Day Giveaway: Macarons from Itzy Bitzy Patisserie
Yeah, I don't think it can get any better than raspberry/lemon.
Uncommon food allergies that nobody believes?
Avocado, bananas and latex all have similar proteins, so if you are allergic to one of those you might want to watch out for the others.
When I was a child I was allergic to: beef, chicken, wheat, corn, carrots, lamb, milk and scores of other things. My third grade teacher called my mom to see if I had been packing my own lunch because it just had lettuce and radishes in it. My mom told her that was about all I wasn't allergic to. After 9 plus years of allergy shots I have no food allergies any more. Trees, plants and animals are another story though...
In Videos: The Wunder Boner Infomercial
That has GOT to be Mike Rowe. I'd like to try the W.B., looks kind of cool. Not a lot of whole fresh fish in my house though except Koi, and I'm not volunteering any of them!
Green Bell Peppers: Way or No Way?
No way, never. One little chunk that accidentally makes it's way onto a pizza by hiding as a stowaway in the cheese will ruin a good 6 inch diameter piece of said pizza.
Top Chef Calendar Giveaway: What's Your Favorite Sugar-free Dessert?
fresh, warm peach right off the tree.
Favorite Oatmeal Concoction?
I go for sugar, a little milk and some hazelnut coffee creamer.
What's Your New Year's Menu?
Sushi, shrimp & cocktail sauce, stuffed mushrooms, elcairs, puff pastry thingies with whipped cream and raspberries on them, crackers and boursin, veggie tray, and I'm debating making melt-in-your-mouth sugar cookies.
Cook the Book: Martha Stewart's Hors d'Oeuvres Handbook
My first New Year's Ever party in 2005 in my new house with 24 dear friends. It is an annual tradition for us now.
Seriously Delicious Holiday Giveaway: Two Peter Luger Steaks
I like a New York Strip, medium rare. yum!
Cream of Wheat: Way or No Way?
I like it lumpy so I make it in the microwave. There is a local mill here that makes their own version called germade. I get the strawberries and cream flavor. I think I'll have it this morning!
Cook the Book: 'The Bon Appétit Fast Easy Fresh Cookbook'
white chicken chili
Treats for your neighbors
So far this year I have made two batches of Pioneer Woman's cinnamon rolls - each batch makes about 50 rolls. I have two more batches to go before I am done delivering rolls to friends and neighbors. Neighbor gifts are big in Utah - I love delivering (and receiving!) lots of treats every year.
Cook the Book: 'Good Eats: The Early Years'
the first Thanksgiving dinner I prepared I made two colossal mistakes: every dish was a recipe I had never made before & every recipe had some difficult prep or cooking techniques ~ it was handsdown the most streeful & exhausting cooking experience I've ever had ~ I got the meal on the table & then excused myself and took a long nap. Needless to say I learned a valued lesson ~ only one new recipe & only one dish with a difficult prep or cooking techniques per meal.
Cook the Book: 'Good Eats: The Early Years'
Every other Thanksgiving we visit my grandparent's ranch in south Texas. Eating the traditional dishes that my grandma makes is a great annual activity. We usually end up with lots of extended family over, including a couple that owns a vineyard and brings their wine with them. They always arrive with the air that they've been tasting it already...
Cook the Book: 'Good Eats: The Early Years'
We have a big family and cook 3 turkeys to feed the crowd. One of them is cooked outdoors since we run out of oven space. The first time I fried a turkey on my own I couldn't seem to get the oil hot enough. After a while, I finally noticed the probe wasn't far enough in the oil. After a frantic attempt to now cool down the pot (setting it on bricks in the grass and hosing the outside with water - not too smart), it finally cooled down enough and when we finally checked the bird, it was perfect.
These days I now cook the bird on my Weber. It's way more predictable!
Cook the Book: 'Good Eats: The Early Years'
Every year I grab whomever is in my unit at Dland to treat them to a Thanksgiving dinner. The reason being that for about 4 years I had to work on Thanksgiving and Xmas and know what its like trying to find somewhere to eat on that day. So it has become a tradition to invite all the guys who had to work that day and couldn't go home.
Cook the Book: 'Good Eats: The Early Years'
My story is; I was born on Thanksgiving. No one had dinner that fateful day!
Cook the Book: 'Good Eats: The Early Years'
Story, story, story, story. I wish I had a good one for you. All I know is that the best food always was done by my Grandmother. Southern cooking and all. She learned from the best. Her dumplings are legendary.
Cook the Book: 'Good Eats: The Early Years'
My mom made really good gravy. I think I was in second grade. I was so excited about it, I got up in front of my class and told them about it. Not much of a story unless you know my mom and her cooking repertoire.
Cook the Book: 'Good Eats: The Early Years'
I can't say I have any particularly interesting stories. My parents never did the thanksgiving thing until I was at least in jr high and even now i'm not sure we really have a handle on it. this year i'm doing it, we'll see how it goes.
Cook the Book: 'Good Eats: The Early Years'
I was transporting a cooked turkey with the fixings to a friend's house. When I got there the gravy had spilled all over the trunk of my car. I had to clean the trunk and run home to see what kind of gravy I had in my freezer, couldn't serve turkey and fixin's without gravy. sharonaquilino(at)hotmail(dot)com
Cook the Book: 'Good Eats: The Early Years'
I was newly married and it was my first attempt at cooking a turkey. I was completely repulsed by the gizzards and neck. So much so that I really couldn't even eat any turkey. I'm over that now.
Cook the Book: 'Good Eats: The Early Years'
A couple of years ago, we decided to forgo the turkey and have a roast and Yorkshire pudding, with all the trimmings. My mom popped the pud in the oven and unexpectedly had to leave for a few minutes, putting my sister and me in charge of watching said pudding. Well, it was ready and my sister grabbed it out of the oven and the pudding took flight out of the pan and flew across the kitchen, landing broken on a (thankfully) clean floor mat. I just remember that time stopped and the look of utter shock on both of our faces. We pieced the pudding back into the pan before mom got back.....we were going to keep it secret until she finally commented that she didn't do a good job because of all the cracks. We fessed up and had a good laugh
Cook the Book: 'Good Eats: The Early Years'
Update on the AB smoked turkey that I have been worshipping and coddling for 5 days. We put it in the smoker and after about an hour the new, fancy smoke box thingie malfunctioned, the wood and the turkey caught fire and I thought all was lost. We wiped the smoke off the bird and realized its bottom really didnt need to see the light of day so we just kept cooking and it is out now and resting. Havent tried it yet but I am hopeful.
Cook the Book: 'Good Eats: The Early Years'
A couple thanksgivings ago some friends of mine decided to make a turducken. I think they liked the idea of it more than they really wanted to eat one, and none of them were (or are) particularly avid or experienced cooks. Anyway, they approached it sortof casually in terms of avoiding cross contamination and deciding when it was finished cooking. Turns out, that much meat takes longer to cook than you might assume. End result: awful food poisoning.
I am making thanksgiving dinner for the first time for my family this year, and that story helps me to calm down about the whole thing. As long as I don't sicken everyone, I am doing better than my friends did. Hooray for the instant-read thermometer! And non-amalgamated poultry.
Cook the Book: 'Good Eats: The Early Years'
My favorite thing about Thanksgiving, or any holiday really, is when the extended family leaves and my parents, siblings, and I all come back to the table again to REALLY eat.
Cook the Book: 'Good Eats: The Early Years'
I was living in France last thanksgiving and it was probably the best thanksgiving I have ever had the pleasure of organizing and attending. We had all the fixings and we made pilgrim hats and indian headdresses and all of our European friends wore them and stuffed their faces!
Cook the Book: 'Good Eats: The Early Years'
For the first time ever we are going to have an "Alton Brown turkey". Yum yum.
Cook the Book: 'Good Eats: The Early Years'
One year, the turkey was so inedibly dry; we had to order pizza. As a kid, I was far happier with the pizza.
Cook the Book: 'Good Eats: The Early Years'
I think this year is going to be the best story so far. Having discovered my culinary chops recently, I got put on point for Thanksgiving dinner. Promises to be a delicious day!
Cook the Book: 'Good Eats: The Early Years'
I remember most years growing up with the adults eating at the kitchen table and the kids eating at the "little table" - which was a tiny little tikes plastic table
Cook the Book: 'Good Eats: The Early Years'
All the awkward family get togethers.
Cook the Book: 'Good Eats: The Early Years'
A word of warning....if your oven goes out right before Thanksgiving, make sure that the fast food poultry chain that offers fully cooked, rotissarie turkeys will have it warm and ready to eat when you pick it up. We picked ours up eager to get it home and carved. We had our side dishes in serving bowls, warm and ready to eat only to realize our turkey was cooked, but cold! We had to cut it up and try to warm it in our toaster oven. Thank goodness we had our oven fixed shortly thereafter.
Cook the Book: 'Good Eats: The Early Years'
my sister forgetting to remove the bag of giblets...i think everyone does it once. the turkey tasted just fine!
Cook the Book: 'Good Eats: The Early Years'
The first year I made Thanksgiving dinner for my family (taking over from my Southern grandma), I had everything down pat! Pies were baked, dressing was ready to go - I knew EVERYTHING! The thing I didn't know? Remove the bag of giblets before roasting the turkey! :) Thankfully, the turkey was still fine! Now every year - it's been at least 10 since then - my grandma asks if I remembered to take them out of the turkey!
Cook the Book: 'Good Eats: The Early Years'
I make the pies. One year I made two plain pies, and one where I went to town on the pastry. I made a whole fall scene on a 9" pie. And then my mother dropped it.
Cook the Book: 'Good Eats: The Early Years'
The first thanksgiving my wife and I were married was also the first in our house. We had a bunch of people over and I decided to use the leftover turkey carcasses to make broth and have some turkey noodle soup. The house smelled great, and soup was pretty good too. It's been a few years, and we haven't been in a house big enough to host for a while, but I'll have to try again soon, definitely.
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On the year my brother made a Turducken, I was sick with a head cold. I ended up taking a quadruple sudafed dose in the attempt to decongest myself so I could taste the turkey. Didn't work. Neither did crunching ginger altoids like popcorn. I don't think I slept for the next 24 hours.