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Any 'yall cooking with lard?
I absolutely cook with lard. Leaf lard, bought from Grateful Growers Farm in Denver, N.C., rendered from their mostly Tamworth herd of field-raised pigs. For pie crusts and biscuits, there's nothing like it. And one point I haven't seen raised here is that lard is lower in saturated fat than butter. And unlike shortening (until recently), both are free of trans fats. Still higher than olive oil, of course, but if you're eating pie crust and biscuits, you're probably not trying to avoid fat anyway. My rule: If you're going to make it, make the best.
Photo of the Day: Blueberry Cheesecake
Third possibility: The berries are simply a type that people usually call Rabbit Eyes. They're larger than other blueberries, and they're commonly grown where I live in North Carolina (one of the nation's leaders in blueberry production).
Ferran Adria: The New Foam Meets the Old Foam
I have to "third" the vote for Cel-Ray. There's a reason they call it Jewish champagne. There's no flavor quite like it, and it rocks with pastrami -- it cuts through the fattiness and goes weirdly well with a half-sour.
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Recent Comments | Response to Comments
Best Party Dessert on a Budget?
Oh yeah, I have to second the motion for the Oreo truffles. Slightly time-consuming because you have to do it in stages. And chocolate isn't cheap, although you could easily get away with the candy coating/almond bark. But it's a serious crowd-pleaser. I took a big platter of them to a teen party last weekend. I can't even do justice to the way they react to them. Grownups are equally enthusiastic.
Any 'yall cooking with lard?
I absolutely cook with lard. Leaf lard, bought from Grateful Growers Farm in Denver, N.C., rendered from their mostly Tamworth herd of field-raised pigs. For pie crusts and biscuits, there's nothing like it. And one point I haven't seen raised here is that lard is lower in saturated fat than butter. And unlike shortening (until recently), both are free of trans fats. Still higher than olive oil, of course, but if you're eating pie crust and biscuits, you're probably not trying to avoid fat anyway. My rule: If you're going to make it, make the best.
Photo of the Day: Blueberry Cheesecake
Third possibility: The berries are simply a type that people usually call Rabbit Eyes. They're larger than other blueberries, and they're commonly grown where I live in North Carolina (one of the nation's leaders in blueberry production).
Ferran Adria: The New Foam Meets the Old Foam
I have to "third" the vote for Cel-Ray. There's a reason they call it Jewish champagne. There's no flavor quite like it, and it rocks with pastrami -- it cuts through the fattiness and goes weirdly well with a half-sour.
Looking For A Particular South Carolina Restaurant
Could it be the Wreck of the Richard and Charlene? That's more of a seafood place, but it started out as a fisherman's breakfast place. (Well, OK, it actually started out as a shrimp locker before it got wrecked and turned into a breakfast place, but that's going back to pre-Hurricane Hugo.)
Serious Eats Gift Guide: Kitchen Essentials
Tactful-Cactus, I've been very happy with my OXO mandolin, although Zyliss also came out with one this year in the same $50 or so price range.
A question to the board, though: Has anyone had success with seasoning Lodge's preseasoned cast iron? I've noticed real difficulty seasoning any new-model cast iron, and the preseasoned stuff never worked well for me. I've reached the point of only buying old cast iron from junk stores and flea markets. My daily skillet is a Griswold, which is getting hard to find.
The Best Fried Chicken in the World Might Be at Gus's World Famous Fried Chicken
Gee, Ed. In the interest of fair food reporting, I really think you should come to Charlotte. We could do a comparative tasting of Price's, the Coffee Cup and Keaton's in Statesville. I'll even offer to drive.
David Haskell on Online Food Crit
I'm curious though, what he means when he says "banned." Did he ban it from the computers in the restaurant's front office? Ban employees from reading it? Ban anyone who posts on Chowhound from being able to get a reservation? If you're a business with an online component, you can refuse to post a link, perhaps. But how does a restaurant ban a site?
How Do You Eat Strawberries?
Truly great strawberries -- yep, Jerzee Tomato, the kind we get from pick-your-own farms here in North Carolina every April and May -- don't need anything, of course. The best are eaten warm, in the field, while you're filling your cardboard basket. But my favorite splurge strawberry recipe is one I got back in 1995, when AOL was young and a woman named Elizabeth Waters used to run a live food chat group every Sunday night. She was from Louisville, so this is one of my Derby Day traditions: Mix 2 cups of sifted confectioners sugar, 2 tablespoons bourbon, 1 teaspoon vanilla and just enough cream to make a smooth dip. Set it out with a bowl of sifted confectioners sugar and a bowl of strawberries with the hulls on. Dip a strawberry into the bourbon cream, then into confectioners sugar. Make sure you don't let the kiddies eat it, and that you have a designated driver.
Keith McNally Takes a Groundless Swipe at Bruni
"First, anyone who has ever dined with Bruni (I have had a couple of meals with him in the company of women) would tell you he adores women."
Ed, Ed, Ed. I can only assume you have been blogging too fast in the last few days to realize what you were typing.
I can make no judgment or assumption about Bruni -- I've certainly never dined with him. And I suspect the charge stems more from percentages than blatant sexism on his part. (After all, when those two dozen Rising Star chefs paraded onstage Monday night at Avery Fisher Hall, the male chefs weren't exactly outnumbered by the female ones.)
But one can be sexist and still "adore women." I've experienced enough professional encounters with men who appeared to have suffered a spinal injury that kept them from raising their eyes higher than the twin protuberances on my chest to know that.
Yes, those men probably "adore" women, too. But the issue isn't adoration. It's respect and the ability to look past male/female expectations (and raise one's eyes high enough) to fairly judge the work.
Do food writing fads annoy you?
Or menu items that claim to be "homemade." I'm sorry -- whose home am I sitting in? House-made maybe, but unless the chef has a cot in that kitchen or his mama is dropping off the desserts, I don't think he can call the apple pie home made.
Red Velvet Cake
Megnut, there's some history on snopes.com, in a report on urban legends like the Neiman Marcus cookie. Long before that tale started circulating, red velvet cake spawned a similar legend under the name Waldorf Astoria Cake. There also was a long thread about its history in the Southern culture section of egullet a little while back. The cake is popular in the South for sure (nothing that sweet would stay out of the South for long!), but I've seen no definitive proof of where it originated.
Red Velvet Cake
Megnut, the Southern origin is disputed. Although it's certainly popular in the South, I haven't seen proof that it originated in the South. And believe me -- as a lifelong Southerner, I'm always happy to claim Southern credit. But I also know we Southerners have a tendency to claim that anything we make started here!
Do food writing fads annoy you?
The one that annoys me is when writers come to the South from other areas of the country (usually New York), discover something sophisticated, unusual or unexpected, and start their story with a variation of this one: "In the land of chicken-fried steak, biscuits and barbecue, who would expect to find XYZ." No one who knows the South well would be surprised at all. This is a diverse, fast-growing region that is far more than the sum total of its stereotypes.
Question of the Day: What movie has the best dinner scene?
"Moonstruck" is the obvious choice. ("Old man -- if you give those dogs another bite of my food, I'm gonna kick you 'til you're dead.") But I'd also add the family "dinner" at the beginning of "Little Miss Sunshine," as a sad example of dinner in too many modern households.
Best Party Dessert on a Budget?
Okay I know no one is looking at this, but I thought of the cheapest and most fun dish.
Carmel corn!
1lb of popcorn is 99 cents. Popcorn has a ratio of 40-1. So lets say you can make 20 cups of popcorn with a quarter of the bag. Next you will need sugar 2 cups approx, salt, and baking soda, well you can look up the recipe. Its so cheap!
Best Party Dessert on a Budget?
Processed foods (oreos, really not that cheap either ) and pudding mixes freak me out a little.
Baked apples, granny smith 75 cents a pound!. Cut in half and top with cinnamon, sugar, butter. Bake in a water bath for 45-60 minutes at 350. Top with ice cream if budget affords.
Best Party Dessert on a Budget?
2 small boxes vanilla pudding + milk req. by directions
1 reg. sized container of cool whip
1 box graham crackers
1 can store bought chocolate icing (I like the darker, or fudgier kinds, but any will do)
Prepare the pudding and mix with the cool whip. Lay out crackers in a single layer, trying to fill in the whole area as well as you can on the bottom of a 9x13 pan, and spread half the pudding mixture on top. Carefully lay out another layer of crackers on top of that--they sort of float on there. Carefully spread the second half of the pudding mixture and float another layer of crackers on top. This layer it's important to make sure you cover as much of the pudding as possible with the crackers and not get any pudding on top of the crackers. You will use the icing to frost the top of this, and seal the pudding/crackers underneath it. You want to aim for a thick layer of icing, sort of gluing the crackers together to form an icing crust on top. You can refrigerate this overnight before the event, and in fact, it's best if allowed to sit overnight, because the crackers absorb liquid from the pudding and get soft. You want to let it chill for at least a few hours before serving. My MIL calls it "chocolate eclair" and it is so good, I started taking two of them with me when I took any, because it goes so fast. Cheap and ridiculously easy.
Best Party Dessert on a Budget?
A great dessert is Tres Leches Cake. Aaron Sanchez on the Food Network has a good receipe. Serve with or without fresh fruit.
Best Party Dessert on a Budget?
Probably too late, but get 2 boxes of dark chocolate brownie mix. Mix together with crushed Oreos and bake both boxes together in one 9x13 pan. Make sure to underbake them a little so they stay moist and fudgy. People will think they are homemade and will only set you back a few bucks.
Best Party Dessert on a Budget?
Broiled stone fruit--my favorite are peaches, but nectarines, plums, and apricots are all delicious. Just cut in half, take out the pit, and broil flesh side up until they're getting brown and crispy. Delicious! Example (with pineapple, also great): http://bencookseverything.blogspot.com/2009/02/gaff-factory-shrimp-jambalaya-and.html
Best Party Dessert on a Budget?
Rice pudding!!!! served with a dollop of a nice jam or fresh fruit scattered over it!
Best Party Dessert on a Budget?
Stack the Oreos in a round pyramid on a decent looking plate and serve with a smile. It doesn't get much cheaper than that for you.
Best Party Dessert on a Budget?
if you're intp mexican fare... you can try CRISPAS with CAJETA.
Crispas are fried whole wheat tortillas and then sprinkled with cinammon sugar.
For the Cajeta - just take a can of sweetened condensed milk and submerge it in water and boil it for 2 hours. Trun upside-down at teh 1-hour mark. Let it cool off before opening the can.
Dunk crispas in the Cajeta... DELICIOSO!!! and cheap too. It's the sweet version of nachos with cheese...
Best Party Dessert on a Budget?
Thanks for all the ideas. I think I'll do the brownies with Oreos in the batter and maybe try the PB cookies.
Photo of the Day: Blueberry Cheesecake
Looks like this:
http://closetcooking.blogspot.com/2008/08/no-bake-cheesecake.html
A no-bake cheesecake that DOESN'T involve J-E-L-L-O.
Photo of the Day: Blueberry Cheesecake
Yummm....fresh blueberries are the best. Blueberry Fest is coming up too, so perfect timing!
Serious Eats Gift Guide: Kitchen Essentials
These are great suggestions! I recently got a KitchenAid mixer for a friend's wedding and they love it! Since it's summer, if you're looking for some new grilling gear, check out: http://www.seriouseats.com/2009/06/elizabeth-karmels-grilling-tips.html
AmericanHunter.org has some great suggestions!
The Best Fried Chicken in the World Might Be at Gus's World Famous Fried Chicken
I traveled with a U17 basketball team and about 8 parents to Memphis last summer for a huge NCAA recruiting tournament. We are from Canada and I did a ton of research on ribs, pulled pork and briket in the Memphis area. We ate at all the most well known places. Loved Central. But during my research, the name Gus's kept coming up so I put it on my list of places to eat. We had so many of us that I went over to Gus's to make a reservation and commented that they were suppose to be the best fried chicken in the world. Seconds later, my buddy and I were each offered a drum stick on the house and OMG, we were sold.
I have never had any fried chicken near as good as that. I ate there three times and some parents ate there five. We were only in town for like four days and ate at four or five BBQ places as well. Our girls basketball team devoured their meal as did the parents and after the trip was over, it was unanamous that Gus's was the best food we ate in Memphis. They kept wanting to go back and eat at Gus's after the days games. Lucky for us, our hotel was one block from Beale and about 6 or 7 from Gus's. Makes my mouth water thinking of it now.
Serious Eats Gift Guide: Kitchen Essentials
@Tactful, I've never had problems with the pasta attachments, either.
And I've got it all except the pepper mill (but I have others that I like, each filled with a different pepper), the fish spatula (looking for one I like -- that one looks good, though), and the book. I've got lotsa books. Wonder if I need that one in particular. Sigh. Time to look at the wishlist again before I email it to santa.
Ferran Adria: The New Foam Meets the Old Foam
Come on! Barney Freakin Greengrass - I can assure you he wouldn't forget that smell any time soon. On a serious note, what a way to spend the day! With the Mad Genius of Gastronomy. And the thing is, he is such a funny guy. For those who have been put off by the categorization of "molecular food innovation" all I can say is that it isn't what you think. it is about creating new powerful experiences for the taste buds - kind of HD for your tongue. If you want to learn more about the man and come close to experiencing his genius, grab a copy of his book, "A Day at El Bulli" Here is a taste of what you are in for :
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_osiPxpXDNE
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_UEzDmmfDHU&feature=related
Ferran Adria: The New Foam Meets the Old Foam
oh gosh, people, what's an egg cream and a cel-ray?
Ferran Adria: The New Foam Meets the Old Foam
yep cel-ray
i think the best egg cream is at sammy's
Ferran Adria: The New Foam Meets the Old Foam
I'm not a Cel-Ray fan; I go for a Dr Brown's Cream Soda, myself. An egg cream? Not so much.
I would have taken him to Shopsin's, myself. But that's me. And they make a hell of an egg cream there!
Ferran Adria: The New Foam Meets the Old Foam
Wow...wow...
Who knew the famous Adria would make it to Katz' Deli!
Though I don't get all of the foam and crazy food stylings of El Buli (I managed to live in Spain for 6 months and the best food that I had was a Calamari sandwich- which I still dream about!), I have to love the Maestro for trying an egg cream (even a bad one!), bagel and cream cheese (I still remember the first one I had in New York in 1994!) and pastrami on rye (NYC, 2000!).
Maybe I will try for one of those coveted spots...you never know!
Ferran Adria: The New Foam Meets the Old Foam
"Where do you go for a consistently good egg cream nowadays?"
Junior's in Brooklyn.
Ferran Adria: The New Foam Meets the Old Foam
Cel-ray definitely!
Other than that, what a wonderful account
I still remember the delicious Katz's knockwurst w kraut I had in 1994. My last visit there since I left the NYC area
Ferran Adria: The New Foam Meets the Old Foam
At 10:30 am, you can only choose a deli or someplace for waffles and fried chicken. You chose wisely...
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Oh yeah, I have to second the motion for the Oreo truffles. Slightly time-consuming because you have to do it in stages. And chocolate isn't cheap, although you could easily get away with the candy coating/almond bark. But it's a serious crowd-pleaser. I took a big platter of them to a teen party last weekend. I can't even do justice to the way they react to them. Grownups are equally enthusiastic.