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Cook the Book: 'On the Line'
I went to Eric Ripert's restaurant, "Blue", on Grand Cayman and it was out of this world. For me the simplest preparations of fish are the best - light sear, salt, pepper and acid. And I love steamed mussels or clams with a flavorful broth that can be sopped up with crusty bread. I want this book!!!!
Cook the Book: 'Almost Meatless'
I have lots of favorite pasta dishes with just a little bacon or pancetta. Mmmmmm, bacon........
Dinner Tonight: Cauliflower Gratin
I love, love, love this dish! Ina's recipes are foolproof. One note of caution on this one, though: be prepared to eat it all (or halve the recipe) because IMHO it doesn't reheat too well. The texture of the cauliflower becomes mushy and the bread crumbs get soggy. Otherwise a regular fave in our house.
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Fennel help: What to do with the stalks and fronds?
Posted by Jeana, November 6, 2007 at 7:36 PM
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In Videos: 'Julie and Julia' Sneak Peek
I didn't know about Julie's blog but I found her book and I really enjoyed reading it (much of it contains excerpts from her blog anyway.) And I quite liked the interstices of Julia and her life, and thought as a whole it was cleverly done. Many people didn't like Julie's political and other (non-food related) views coming through in the book, but I argue that it's a memoir and this is who she is; you don't have to like her on every level to appreciate the process she went through and the humor in her efforts.
Was it great literature? No, but I do think Powell is talented and I applaud her success from something that started out first as a project and later as a blog from home. And I wish I'd thought of it, dammit! The film could be even better than the book, in my opinion, if they do it right. Meryl is a good start.
Cook the Book: 'On the Line'
I went to Eric Ripert's restaurant, "Blue", on Grand Cayman and it was out of this world. For me the simplest preparations of fish are the best - light sear, salt, pepper and acid. And I love steamed mussels or clams with a flavorful broth that can be sopped up with crusty bread. I want this book!!!!
Cook the Book: 'Almost Meatless'
I have lots of favorite pasta dishes with just a little bacon or pancetta. Mmmmmm, bacon........
Dinner Tonight: Cauliflower Gratin
I love, love, love this dish! Ina's recipes are foolproof. One note of caution on this one, though: be prepared to eat it all (or halve the recipe) because IMHO it doesn't reheat too well. The texture of the cauliflower becomes mushy and the bread crumbs get soggy. Otherwise a regular fave in our house.
Cook the Book: 'Baking Unplugged'
I'm not sure if it's funny or not, but I carefully planned last Thanksgiving's meal, making certain things in advance including the pie crust. Early Thanksgiving morning, in my efforts to be so on top of the rest of the day, I planned to bake the pie and started rolling out the pie crust which had chilled overnight in the fridge. It stuck - I added more flour - it still stuck - I added more flour - again and again this continued until I realized that, whatever I had done wrong, this pie crust was not going to make it and I'd added so much flour at this point it would be tough as hell even if I could get it to roll out.
So I started over with a new one. It put me "behind schedule", but the new crust turned out perfectly. It is still a mystery what I did wrong the first time, as it was my foolproof recipe....But thankfully Thanksgiving was saved :)
Store-Bought Chicken Stocks, Reviewed: Which Are the Best?
Cook's Illustrated/America's Test Kitchen did a taste test of chicken broths that mentioned some of the same brands here. Better Than Bouillon was recommended along with Swanson Certified Organic Free Range Chicken Broth, Swanson Natural Goodness Chicken Broth, and Imagine Organic Free Range Chicken Broth. Conversely, they did not recommend Kitchen Basics. It was unclear whether they also tasted some of the brands mentioned in your test; part of the field was narrowed by eliminating those with high sodium content. Either way, it's an interesting comparison.
I live in Texas where we have a "gourmet" grocery chain called Central Market; they produce their own chicken stock and the prices are comparable to Swanson varieties. I've used it for countless soups and stews and they always taste great!
Mayonnaise Is Second Most Popular 'Treat' For American Dieters
When I'm dieting, mayo is definitely an easy thing to cut out to reduce fat content, but I get tired of mustard and I don't think "light" or fat-free mayo tastes anywhere close to the real thing. (Miracle Whip is gross and not even an option.) I'm not sure I would call mayonnaise a "treat", but I do miss it on my sandwiches more than I miss sweets or snacks.
What's sad is that margarine is #3! Not real butter? I never have anything to do with margarine, diet or not. Trans fats, people!
'Top Chef' Season 5, Episode 9: 'It Amused My Bouche'
@July:
Yes, I think there should have been no winning team! I think the judges would have been justified since the Sunset Lounge team won by such a slim margin, according to Tom. I commented to my husband that if the only thing I enjoyed from a four course dining experience was the dessert, I would never go back to that restaurant; however, if the only bad item was the dessert and the other courses were delicious, I'd probably go back and just pass on the dessert menu the next time. And I would likely never go back to a restaurant that served me fish that was raw in the middle!
The fact that Sahana had the better overall food, which seemed to be a consensus with the judges, yet was the losing team, is incredulous to me, in spite of what the comment cards said. Leah should have gone for serving the worst item of the night, and Carla should have gone for defending her dishes by saying she "sent the love" - all the love in the world won't save your business when your food tastes bad, and anyone at this level in the competition should know better or doesn't deserve to be there.
I May Never Watch Top Chef Again
I thought Ariane had some moments of talent (or luck) that allowed her to move past missteps that nearly got her kicked off early on. She hasn't been consistent enough for me to really root for her or feel like she has what it takes to go all the way. And if you don't know how to tie meat to roast, you probably shouldn't be there anyway.
That being said, it appeared as if (who really knows, with editing) Leah kind of threw her under the bus; when she stepped in to "help" her with the tying while admitting to the camera that she knew she wasn't doing the best job at it, I thought that was pretty slimey.
And andytseng is right; they've always gone by each performance individually and not a cumulative performance, which doesn't always sit well with me; there have been many seasons in which the bottom three include the same contestants over and over again, but if someone else performs just slightly worse than they did in a particular challenge, they continue to just barely skate by. I'm not really interested in continuing to watch mediocrity, and would rather those who have performed consistently well be given a "pass" when they've had an off day, allowing the most consistent chefs rise to the top.
Weekend DVD Giveaway: 'Bottle Shock'
Whether white or red
Or if it goes to my head
Wine makes me happy
In Videos: Istanbul Ice Cream Trickery
You should go to Turkey, it is a beautiful and friendly country - I never tried dondurma but there are oh, so many other culinary delights to enjoy. I get cravings for lahmacun, sort of their version of pizza, and börek, little savory pastries....yum.
Cook the Book: 'The New Mediterranean Diet Cookbook'
If I HAVE to pick only one....tzatziki sauce.
'Top Chef' Season 5, Episode 7: Toby Young Rocks
I have to agree with Buckethead: "Toby's schtick was funny for a moment three weeks ago, when I saw it in the previews after the 'Christmas' episode. But the reality of his criticism seems to be that he picks his snarky comments in advance and just looks for the opportunity to recite them."
Toby's attitude and comments seemed forced; if it was a snarky judge they wanted to bring into the mix, please bring on Bourdain! At least he's the real deal, and funny!
And the comment about fennel having "an anise flavor"?!?! Give me a break, is this Toby guy a real food critic with food knowledge, or does he just play one on TV?
Seriously Delicious Holiday Giveaway: Southside Market Sausage
Salt Lick near Austin.
Cook the Book: 'Into the Vietnamese Kitchen'
To go back on the diet, except once a week when we have "gourmet night" and cook whatever we want - hopefully digging into the cookbooks and trying new recipes and being more adventurous.
Seriously Delicious Holiday Giveaway: Edible Chocolate Box from Charles Chocolates
Brownies. A la mode, please.
Seriously Delicious Holiday Giveaway: Two Peter Luger Steaks
Ribeye for my husband, filet for me, then we share! Best of both worlds....
Seriously Delicious Holiday Giveaway: Zingerman's Praise the Lard Gift Box
Pork belly at Bouchon in Las Vegas1
Seriously Delicious Holiday Giveaway: Southside Market Sausage
Salt Lick near Austin!
Cook the Book: Jamie at Home
When the weather turns cold I can't wait to make soups and stews - one of my favorites is Butternut Squash Soup!
Seriously Delicious Holiday Food Giveaway: Russ & Daughters
Bagel, lox, cream cheese, and lots of capers!
Seriously Delicious Holiday Giveaway: Two Peter Luger Steaks
Filet mignon for me, bone-in ribeye for my husband, and we share. Win-win.
Seriously Delicious Holiday Giveaway: Zingerman's Praise the Lard Gift Box
Pork belly at Bouchon in Las Vegas...Yum!!!!
Seriously Delicious Holiday Giveaway: Edible Chocolate Box from Charles Chocolates
Brownies. Preferrably topped with vanilla ice cream :)
Seriously Delicious Holiday Food Giveaway: Russ & Daughters
Bagels, lox and cream cheese. Lots of capers, please.
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Fennel help: What to do with the stalks and fronds?
Posted by Jeana, November 6, 2007 at 7:36 PM
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I didn't know about Julie's blog but I found her book and I really enjoyed reading it (much of it contains excerpts from her blog anyway.) And I quite liked the interstices of Julia and her life, and thought as a whole it was cleverly done. Many people didn't like Julie's political and other (non-food related) views coming through in the book, but I argue that it's a memoir and this is who she is; you don't have to like her on every level to appreciate the process she went through and the humor in her efforts.
Was it great literature? No, but I do think Powell is talented and I applaud her success from something that started out first as a project and later as a blog from home. And I wish I'd thought of it, dammit! The film could be even better than the book, in my opinion, if they do it right. Meryl is a good start.