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The Ten Most Recent Comments By MariannaF

From Talk

Do you eat a bed-time snack? What is it?

Oh man, bedtime snacks are the best- but unfortunately they completely mess around with my digestion and talk about trouble going to sleep...and even nightmares! So I really try to avoid bedtime snacks, but if I do have then it's either something really rich like chocolate or ice-cream, or pasta carbs or bread with cheese! I crave sugar at late hours.
But overall I really do try to avoid bedtime snacks, just cant sleep properly after that!

From Required Eating

Photo of the Day: Mario Cake

I love this cake!! Wow, I used to LOVE Mario Bros when I was a kid, back in the days of old-school Nintendo!

From Required Eating

What Are Your Recipe Deal Breakers?

So far I can only say macaron recipes! I feel like they are all lies, and no one is willing to reveal the true secret to making a perfect macaron! WHYYY?!!! All that talk about leaving eggs out for 3 days, Italian vs French meringues, bla bla bla yada yada yada... by far the most frustrating recipe yet. And despite all the frustration, I'm still stubborn and will give it another try just because! Could it be that I actually enjoy the suffering, for macaron's sake?

From Eating Out

Snapshots from Italy: Sfoglia or Frolla?

Sfogliatelle! Brings back memories of my wonderful trip to Napoli :-) I was told there that the best place to try sfogliatelle is at a place called "Scaturchio", in front of Piazza San Domenico.
It's really a shame that the city keeps having these garbage crisis...I thought it was a beautiful place, really a pity that these garbage issues keep coming back.

From Serious Eats: New York

Sugar Rush: Coffee Pocket

yaaa we don't have these in France, but I keep seeing them when I travel to Italy (actually when I'm in Italy I "discover" the entire Ferrero kingdom of products lol). Always been tempted to buy one, but never have for some reason... thanks for this post!!

From Recipes

Essentials: Hummus

ya cumin really is a must. If you're travelling in the M.East you'll never taste a hummus without some cumin, and sprinkled on top too. Then depending on the occasions and who you're making your hummus for, you can create fancier variations by topping off finished hummus with chickpeas or almonds, pinenuts, etc.
Also, our family has a very long lived tradition of adding yoghurt too. I can guarantee that it produces the creamiest texture ever and IMO really does something wonderful to the overall taste of hummus. If ever, I posted a recipe to it here: http://swirlandscramble.blogspot.com/2008/02/little-bit-of-this-and-little-bit-of.html

From Talk

Top 10 ingredients I will never have in my kitchen

hehe this is a fun one :-) First of all in France we have no such thing as Miracle Whip or Cool Whip...and even if we did I would blacklist both items!

1. Any tube-y stuff: cheese, mayonnaise, fish paste etc.
2. Ready made pasta sauce
3. Ready cake, cookie, whatever mix.
4. Bottled salad dressing
5. Margarine
6. Frozen meals
7. Minute rice/pasta preparations, you know the ones that come in a plastic kind of pouch
8. SPAM! (ok this one should had been way up there)
9. Patés & Rillettes (French speciality thing)
10. "Diet" cookies and chocolate. Biggest joke in the world, it's like eating cardboard for not all that much less calories at the end of the day. Just buy real full fat & sugar pastries but eat less of it!

From Recipes

How to Make Macarons

OK so I've done all of this with my macarons, but it NEVER works!!! I've also tried leaving the macs out 1 - 2 hours before baking, and I've also tried not leaving them out (and to be honest, it does'nt make a difference).
I feel that what I'm getting wrong is the "magma" part. I don't know what the heck magma is, even after having read gazillion of descriptions on "not too thick, not too liquidy". I just CANT DO MACARONS aaahhh. What's wrong with me? I can do plenty of other stuff, but not macarons!! :-(
Robyn, the macaron god has selected you as one of his lucky few chosen ones.
From Marianna- angry at macarons.

From Slice

Korean Shrimp Roll and Hot Dog Pizzas

woow. i love the "local" versions of "global" brands/products etc. This is interesting. When they launched this pizza in France (minus the shrimps)they plastered metro walls with huge posters...of pizzas that looked like tarantulas.

From Required Eating

The Best Fresh Tomato Recipes: What Are Yours?

I've been eating a lot of tomatoes recently, fresh and uncooked. I love them plain or with olive oil and balsamic vinegar. And I also like to dice them, mix them with chopped basil leaves and add all that to a thick slice of warm toasted crunchy bread that's been brushed with olive oil.
I've also recently spotted interesting "tartare" style salads: diced tomatoes, raspberries and parmesan.
TOMATOES tomatoes sigh..

Responses to Comments by MariannaF

From Recipes

Essentials: Hummus

I don't have a food processor, so I've been using my potato masher instead. While it isn't buttery smooth, it still beats store-bought any day. I haven't been adding cumin yet, but I will now! Also, I must be weird in that two cloves of raw garlic (for hummus and baba ghannouj) is just too much for me. I've found a nice balance using one small raw clove of garlic (pulverized to a nice consistency with a zester/fine grater) and 4 cloves-1 bulb of roasted garlic (I

I too grew up without hummus (and many other delicious foods, bless my meat&potatoes mother's heart), but thankfully, I've overcome my much-deprived childhood :P

From Eating Out

Snapshots from Italy: Sfoglia or Frolla?

Now THAT'S what i'm talkin about.
Half the reason I had to buy your book!
Can't wait for the next entry...especially if it's more sweets.

From Talk

Top 10 ingredients I will never have in my kitchen

1. Okra
2. Miracle Whip
3. Whole milk
4. Spam
5. Olive loaf
6. any ketchup but Heinz
7. Plain yellow mustard
8. mango
9. hot cereal (oatmeal, cream of wheat)
10. kale

From Required Eating

Photo of the Day: Mario Cake

Excellent cake. I could certainly power up on some of that about now. Reminds me of another favorite by CraftySue, the toadstool house cake:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/customer-media/product-gallery/B000UPRAXA

From Talk

Do you eat a bed-time snack? What is it?

It depends on the day. If it's a salty-craving day, I reach for some dill pickles. If it's a sweet-craving day, there's nothing better than chocolate milk, eaten with a spoon rather than drank straight out of the glass. Brings back all kinds of nostalgic memories.

From Required Eating

What Are Your Recipe Deal Breakers?

Anything that requires me to visit more than 2 grocery stores is out. I'll make substitutes where I can, but I have a one-year old - time is a luxury I'd rather not spend grocery shopping.

From Talk

Top 10 ingredients I will never have in my kitchen

Oh, this is fun!

1. Canned entrees (ie. spaghetti-oh's)
2. Cool Whip
3. Miracle Whip
4. Durian fruit
5. Spam (or any canned meat for that matter)
6. Any deli "meat" that you can stick your finger in, and it will congeal back to its original state---I've seen it; it's disgusting.
7. Any creme filled cookies (Oreos or those nasty oatmeal cakes)
8. Bitter melon
9. Sweetened applesauce, and most other canned fruits (I do like the applesauce with no sugar added)
10. Fake caviar...I have to have to real thing.

From Required Eating

What Are Your Recipe Deal Breakers?

I pretty much avoid most baking recipes, except for the simple things I grew up making, like cookies or biscuits. I do not make candy, cakes, or especially meringues. maybe someday when I am not living in a cramped apartment with an electric stove. That's pretty much it in terms of deal breakers; I will try most things at least once before giving up on the idea.

From Eating Out

Snapshots from Italy: Sfoglia or Frolla?

Oh man, sfogliatelle are my favorite pastries in the world as well. I've never had a good one in the United States, though. :(

From Talk

Do you eat a bed-time snack? What is it?

Peanut Butter on toast (wheat or rye)