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Pasta making (help!)
If you have some older cookbooks hanging around, you might check those. An old standard like Better Homes & Gardens will probably give you a recipe for pasta that just uses flour, eggs and water. Semolina has a way different texture than finely milled flour, and your results will be off. (It's probably just as well you don't have a package of semolina sitting around - it goes bad (rancid) quickly in hot weather.) The best places to find it are an upscale grocery store, or an Italian deli.
Can anyone recommend a good brand of whole wheat pasta?
I've been enjoying Heartland whole wheat pasta. The Barilla Plus is too wimpy of a blend for me - give me the sturdiness of the whole wheat. I cook ww spaghetti, then fry it in olive oil so it is crunchy AND chewy. The flavor's great this way.
Smoking Foodies
I think you can. It probably does dull the palate a bit, but then there is wide variance in peoples' tasting abilities anyway. Maybe it evens up the score. I've heard smokers need more salt on their food, and smoking has the affect of diminishing the impact of caffeine on the system.
All that being said, I'm for smoking if you enjoy it. When I smoke, it's European cigarettes, not American, and only at nighttime. It is a pleasurable activity, and one even more so, as it is nearly taboo in our society. It just feels good to be so "bad" sometimes.
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Childhood, Part II. What did you hate then that you love now?
Tom, I agree with you on the fish - I went to a camp on Lake Erie, and we had dead fish patrol in the morning, to clean up the shore before the other campers were up! Now I love perch from that region, and many other types of fish, but I shunned fish as a child.
Cheese is the other thing I discovered as an adult. My dad had taken me and my siblings on a tour of a cheese factory - the smell (like a dirty sneaker multiplied 1,000 times) put all of us off cheese for years.
Pasta making (help!)
If you have some older cookbooks hanging around, you might check those. An old standard like Better Homes & Gardens will probably give you a recipe for pasta that just uses flour, eggs and water. Semolina has a way different texture than finely milled flour, and your results will be off. (It's probably just as well you don't have a package of semolina sitting around - it goes bad (rancid) quickly in hot weather.) The best places to find it are an upscale grocery store, or an Italian deli.
Can anyone recommend a good brand of whole wheat pasta?
I've been enjoying Heartland whole wheat pasta. The Barilla Plus is too wimpy of a blend for me - give me the sturdiness of the whole wheat. I cook ww spaghetti, then fry it in olive oil so it is crunchy AND chewy. The flavor's great this way.
Smoking Foodies
I think you can. It probably does dull the palate a bit, but then there is wide variance in peoples' tasting abilities anyway. Maybe it evens up the score. I've heard smokers need more salt on their food, and smoking has the affect of diminishing the impact of caffeine on the system.
All that being said, I'm for smoking if you enjoy it. When I smoke, it's European cigarettes, not American, and only at nighttime. It is a pleasurable activity, and one even more so, as it is nearly taboo in our society. It just feels good to be so "bad" sometimes.
Which Plain Potato Chip Rules? What's Your Favorite?
I totally agree about Cape Cod Dark Russets being the best. Maybe they didn't make the grade as they are not as widely available as some of the others. To me, they have the best flavor, and the right amount of salt and oil. The only problem is the bag is too small! But then again, I'd finish the bag no matter how big it was!
Question of the Day: Favorite melons?
Ooo - crenshaw has to be the favorite. Have also had good luck with Casaba. Grew up with cantalopes (known as "mushmelons" in our family) and watermelons - they are okay but I've tired of them. Already know what to expect in terms of flavor, and they don't excite me much, like the others do.
Cook the Book Giveaway: 'Pork & Sons'
My favorite pork preparation is a recipe called Dixie Pork Chops (tho I make it with the better-marbled pork steaks instead). You saute the steaks until browned on each side, remove them to an oblong baking pan. Add slices of Granny Smith apple and a couple tablespoons of brown sugar.
Add a few tablespoons of all-purpose flour to the skillet. Whatever fat is in the pan adheres to the flour, and you then brown the flour over medium, stirring. Add hot water and a few tablespoons of cider vinegar to the pan. Stir til thickened. Pour all over the pork and apples. Seal with foil and bake in a medium oven til tender, 1 1/2 hours or so.
Runner-up fav pork preparation would be oven-baked ribs. In third place, pork shoulder in green chili sauce. Mmmm.
I Like My Asparagus Roasted, How About You?
I like asparagus roasted, but really have to watch the time on them. Otherwise, over-roasted, they somehow just disappear into thin air!
Question of the Day: What's your burger style?
I sautee chopped onions first til browned, then add them gently into the ground beef or turkey with sea salt, lots of freshly ground black pepper, and maybe some dried shallot powder, poultry seasoning, sweet paprika or Old Bay seasoning. Form loosely.
Once I have it browned, I sometimes add a few splashes of soy sauce on the top, flip it and continue cooking with the soy sauce permeating the meat. It adds a hint of darkness and a salty caramelly tang to the burger.
I think the right bun is crucial. I like a ciabbati roll that stands up to the meat, or a whole wheat English muffin, both warmed and toasted in the skillet in the meat juices. That's it - meat and bun. No condiments, and no cold lettuce and tomato that warm up and don't have good mouth-feel while also cooling the meat.
What to do when faced with fairly inedible party food?
I would enjoy what beverages were being served, and eat what appeals to me - there has to be at least one or two items I could snack on. Potato chips or cheese doodles are fine - I don't buy them often myself, so it is a treat to indulge once in a while. A lot of time they have a plate of raw vegies out - that is also something I rarely have, and is actually healthy.
If food is left sitting out, I would stay away from items which I know require a certain temperature to not spoil, like items with egg or mayo (they probably used Miracle Whip anyway!), just to avoid possible gastric distress later.
Cook the Book: 'Happy in the Kitchen' Giveaway
My favorite item in my kitchen right now is a heavy aluminum pan that my dad used to make candy in. That pan has seen a lot of use, the handle is a little wobbly, but it still cooks up a kick-ass caramel!
What makes a springform pan a worthwhile investment?
I found mine a worthwhile investment after I had made my first chocolate cheesecake in it, from Anna Thomas' Vegetarian Epicure. Mmmmmmm, may have to make it again soon!
Question of the Day: Plastic wrap or aluminum foil?
Will chime in with both, plus QuickCovers and those gallon-size freezer bags that zip. I'm the baby of 2 Depression-era babies, so I reuse my stuff until it cries uncle!
How do you top your burger? What kind of meat, cheese and bun?
I mix my seasonings into the ground beef (medium amount fat content), sauteeing the chopped onions first. Add sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, lots of it. Toast a ciabbata roll or whole wheat English muffin in the pan with olive oil, then sear the burger, flipping then covering. Reduce heat, cook a few minutes, flip again, cook a minute or two, then place on bun and eat. No toppings, just seasoned beef and bun.
Question of the Day: What is the most important part of a dinner at home?
The entree. I live alone and take as much time as I want to make the best darned entree I can. Most of the time I don't bother with salads, soups, bread, dessert or other accroutrements - just focus on the main dish and have seconds if I'm still hungry!
Cook the Book: 'The Silver Palate Cookbook, 25th Anniversary Edition'
First cookbook used as a child - Better Homes and Gardens, circa late 60s. First cookbook used regularly as an adult - Joy of Cooking, late 70s. First cookbook as a more evolved adult - Vegetarian Epicure. I think that covers all of my firsts!
Question of the Day: How do you scream for ice cream?
If I could afford it, I would have some Graeter's pints sent to me - any flavor that includes chocolate chips! But especially the chocolate chocolate chip and the coffee chocolate chip.
Otherwise, I'd go with Ben & Jerry's coffee Heath bar crunch or that NY chocolate fudge chunk. And if I'm at a store that carries it - Sheer Bliss ice cream, in the coffee flavor. Sheer Bliss is as close as I've come to Graeter's ice cream, here on the Left Coast.
Celery: More Than Just Diet Fare?
I roasted celery for the first time this weekend, and was awed by the flavor and texture! I cleaned several stalks, cutting of the ends, split each stalk down the center, then cut into 2-3" pieces. Placed them on a jellyroll pan with olive oil, sprinkled with salt and pepper. Baked at 400 degrees for 15 minutes, then turned pan, turned the stalk pieces over, lowered heat, and baked another 30-35 minutes.
Ate them right out of the oven, and saved the rest for a soup I'm making tonite!
There is a Persian dish, khoresht Karafs, which is delectable and economical - you make a beef stewish sauce (flavored with cinnamon and nutmeg), then add celery and parsley which you have sauteed til browned in butter. Throw in some lemon juice, and simmer all together for an hour or so. It's the best recipe I have found to use up the rest of the celery stalks!
What's your favorite kitchen sound?
The heavyish "ploop" sound when my tomato sauce is thickening and developing its flavor, when it is slowly simmering and bubbles bursting to the top . . .
What is the best pepper mill on the market?
Picked up my little lucite model at Williams Sonoma last year, and am quite happy with it. It is operable with one hand (has a shaft on the side that you press in repeatedly when you hold it, which sets off the grinding mechanism), and easy to fill.
Cookbook Giveaway: 'A Twist of the Wrist'
Love Trader Joe's bottled mole sauce. I add one-half the bottle after sauteeing skinned, cut-up chicken, with 2 cups of homemade chicken stock. It's rich and flavorful - one of those dishes that taste better the next day.
I agree with the other posters too about canned tomatoes and concentrated tomatos as being a key ingredient. Have been on a pizza-making kick, so that's where most of my marinara sauce has been going!
Waitering, Part Two
It should be a requirement for everyone to work one year as a waiter or retail clerk. You really get to know all sides of how people are - the good, the bad, and the way ugly. I credit my serving experience for getting me over any shyness I ever had - I can talk with anyone now, and noone scares me or intimidates me. Even the chefs/cooks! You learn how to go along to get along, and pick your battles wisely.
Question of the Day: Who Taught You to Cook?
Both my mom and dad; when growing up, Dad showed me how to make candy (types of fudge, toffee, caramels); Mom showed me how to bake (biscuits, cookies, pies, cakes). Her cooking was midwestern style, and as such, was bland and over-relied on Campbell's soups however. So, I learned from my sister when living with her as an adult what cookbooks could be trusted and how to depart from a recipe with improved results.
Then, learned Persian cooking when married - got feedback from my husband which made my dolmeh, khoreshs and polos more authentic and delicious. Now, I learn a lot from cookbooks, blogs, and other chowhounds.
Question of the Day: Are you a member of a food-of-the-month club?
Can't afford it, being house-poor - but if I was able to, Bacon of the Month club is the one I'd go with!
Milkshakes: should they come with whipped cream on top or not?
I think it's a trend - they do it out here in California, and you have to tell them not to do it. A great milkshake would be made with an excellent, butterfatty ice cream, and would not need an extra bit of fat and sugar on top. In fact, the chemical taste of aerosol whipped cream would dilute the flavor, plus it'd be messy to boot. Milkshakes are hard enough to get as chocolatey flavored as I like when I order them.
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Tom, I agree with you on the fish - I went to a camp on Lake Erie, and we had dead fish patrol in the morning, to clean up the shore before the other campers were up! Now I love perch from that region, and many other types of fish, but I shunned fish as a child.
Cheese is the other thing I discovered as an adult. My dad had taken me and my siblings on a tour of a cheese factory - the smell (like a dirty sneaker multiplied 1,000 times) put all of us off cheese for years.