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Morgan Eisenberg
Morgan Eisenberg is a creative blogger with an absolute obsession over all things edible. When she’s not coming up with crazy kitchen concoctions, she can typically be found playing Pitch with her family, diving head-first into a new hobby, or sharing a few drinks and a lot of laughs with friends. Check out more of her work at Host the Toast.
- Location: New Jersey
- Favorite foods: Is "all of them" an acceptable answer? If not, then I'll at least say that I never get sick of shawarma. Or tacos. Or pizza.
- Last bite on earth: A full Mediterranean spread with plenty of hot sauce, tzatziki, and tahini.
Recent Posts
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The Secret to Slow-Cooker Thai Chicken Meatballs Is All in the Timing
@mnvader Thai sweet chili sauce is not what I used here, but I'm inclined to say that you could doctor it up with some heat and likely a bit less sugar in the Slow Cooker recipe and still wind up with awesome sticky meatballs. What I use is more like a sweet Thai chili paste-- richer and sweeter than sriracha and slightly less spicy, but otherwise similar consistnecy and flavors. Hope that helps!
Chicken Vindaloo Burritos
@Cassandra, great idea! I'll have to try with tofu soon.
Make Better Bratwursts With Warm German Potato Slaw
@Koernerrr, I don't mean to suggest that the technique is German. Rather, I mean that the Warm Slaw is inspired by German Potato Salad, using the same flavors/main ingredients but adapting them to fit as a grilled bratwurst topping =) Sorry for any confusion!
Make Better Bratwursts With Warm German Potato Slaw
@AndroidUser, No, I mean Omi =) it is a diminutive of Oma, kind of like grandma and grammy or granny.
My Omi sometimes makes her potato salad with yellow, sometimes with red. I prefer the red for slaw since yellow tend to fall apart/break down during the cooking process if you slice them first.
Fried Caprese Bombs
@ The Black Night- I'm confused as to what you mean by not cutting into the tomato. You do cut into the tomato, you just don't go all the way through. (You create kind of a bowl-shape, you can see an example photo on the anchor post page.)
The flour adheres to the skin of the tomato, in a light dusting, giving the egg and breadcrumb something to cling to. A second coating makes sure everything is covered!
Boldly Go Where No Caprese Salad Has Gone Before: Fried Caprese Bombs
Thank you, everyone who has posted such nice comments. You guys always make my day and I am so glad that you like these!
@Tkocareli- as long as you do flour first and double-coat, you'll be alright. Each builds off of the other! I was surprised at how good the coverage was actually.
@Osomatic- I am not trying to replace caprese all-together or say that this version is better. I totally agree that the traditional version is simple and delicious! However, I don't think we should limit ourselves in our ideas of food simply because the originals are good as they are. These Fried Caprese Bombs definitely have their similarities to mozzarella sticks (as they're meant to), but they also feature warm, fried tomatoes, fresh basil, and tangy balsamic that set them apart. As someone who acts like every meal is my last and can never choose between appetizers, this is a great way to two-in-one it!
When Chorizo and Elote Meet Pulled Pork and Coleslaw: The Glory of A Mexican-Barbecue Fusion
Thanks, everyone!
@Coconut12, I think it would! You will still have to brown the meat in the beginning and reduce the sauce on the stovetop in the end, but the rest should be fine in the crock pot.
Chorizo-Spiced Pulled Pork With Mexican Street Corn Slaw
@jburksva Sorry about that, it's fixed now-- it's 1/4 teaspoon of each!
Switch Up Your Chips With Loaded Naan Nachos
I make the "Naancho" pun on the recipe page. Didn't want to seem too gimmicky by making it the highlight but I guess I missed the mark! Oh well. Feel free to refer to them as Naanchos to make up for it. =)
Onion Rings or Mozzarella Sticks? We Pack BOTH Into the Ultimate Cheesy Baked Bar Snack
Haha thanks, everyone! I'm so glad you are as excited about them as I was!
@Annanonnie, I tried them with cornflakes the first time, ran out, and used corn chex from then on. It was based off of what I happened to have on hand, but the cornflakes seemed just as promising from my first go if you'd prefer to use them!
Oven-Baked Strawberry-Chipotle Wings With Avocado-Blue Cheese Dip
@eabdesigns, Thank you! I am just seeing this (unfortunately got hit with a bug this week and was out of commission) but I just fixed it!
@pbergst, Baking powder! Sorry for the mix-up!
@edmund dantes, I think raspberries would make a great substitute, but I also have a particular fondness for raspberries. I've also heard of blueberries working well with chipotle, and they make the wings a really cool color!
@Karl_in_Chicago, I'm sorry for the confusion! Baking powder is correct. While you're right that baking soda does have higher pH, it also is a bit too strong flavored. The baking powder is the happy medium.
Wing in the Spring With Strawberry-Chipotle Baked Chicken Wings
Haha @Ocean, I think that might just be my forte. Hope you enjoy them!
To Reach Jalapeño Popper Perfection, Add Pulled Pork and Bacon
@ESNY1077 Next time I'll give it a go that way and see if I notice a difference. Thanks for sharing!
To Reach Jalapeño Popper Perfection, Add Pulled Pork and Bacon
@ESNY1077, I don't usually get flappy pale bacon underneath, I think the fat + the heat from the baking sheet usually take care of that even though it's thicker. Do you cut your bacon in half first? I will have to try doing it lengthwise though and compare!
@johnnytakes5, I see we share a bacon philosophy.
Philly Cheesesteak, Meet Dumpling: Introducing the Cheesesteak Pierogi
@Mark_K-- I knew I couldn't have been the only one to think of putting cheesesteak in a pierogi! I will have to check out Czerw's and compare!
Philly Cheesesteak Pierogi
@Doc Sportello- Top round is one of the most commonly used steaks in Philly cheesesteak. It has a melt-in-your-mouth quality as long as it is cooked properly, and when combined with melted cheese, it's anything but dry! However, if you do want more fat, feel free to use ribeye. It is a quick-growing alternative and is used at Tony Luke's.
Philly Cheesesteak, Meet Dumpling: Introducing the Cheesesteak Pierogi
@Brew. Drink. Repeat.- There are a multitude of great local brews that you could pair these with, but I personally like Yuengling with my cheesesteaks. Kenji did a great job of summarizing why. However, feel free to enjoy these with whatever brew you'd like =) I'd love to hear some of your suggestions!
Slow-Cooker Chicken Cordon Bleu Dip
@HeartyLarry, I have not made it without a slow cooker, however, I'll take a guess at what would work for you. You can buy rotisserie chicken and shred it or boil and shred your chicken to start. Then, heat the chicken stock and wine in a large pot until it comes to a light boil. Reduce to low heat and mix in the cream cheese until completely melted and evenly distributed, then stir in a handful of Swiss at a time until it is also completely melted. At this point, you can mix in the chicken, seasonings, and ham. As I said, I haven't tried this myself, but that's the route I'd go if I was trying to make it without a slow cooker for the first time! You may want to use slightly more chicken stock since you will not be getting the juices from the chicken that are released in the slow-cooking process.
@juztfurfun, It would be hard to get this recipe to turn out correctly at exactly 5 hours. You could, however, use pre-shredded chicken as I described above and skip the entire step of cooking the chicken, which would take your time down to about 2 hours and then switch to the "warm" setting, if that is an option.
Slow-Cooker Chicken Cordon Bleu Dip
No problem! Hope you enjoy your south-of-the-border spin on it!
Slow-Cooker Chicken Cordon Bleu Dip
@Saltier Bit-- I have made similar dips before! Replace the wine with beer and add in some minced jalapeno =) Also, keep in mind that chorizo is fatty, so you may want to pre-cook that and blot dry with a paper towel before adding it in.
Poutine Poppers (Cheese-Stuffed Potato Bites With Brown Gravy)
@Tartine410, about 2 lbs =) Hope you enjoy them as much as I do!
Poutine Poppers (Cheese-Stuffed Potato Bites With Brown Gravy)
@fwilger, it really depends on the size of your cheese curds. I typically get about 40 out of this recipe (although a few always wind up being sacrificed to the fryer). As you say, it really depends on the guest, but I typically estimate that guest will eat about 6 bite-sized appetizers each, unless other appetizers are being served. It's better to be over than under, in my opinion =)
Hope that helps!
Pump up the Party With Cheesy Poutine Poppers
@mcwolfe, @anaya, I got mine from Wegmans in New Jersey (Tip: If you ask Wegmans Customer Service if they can get a certain item in stock for you, they usually will. Didn't have to this time, but I've asked in the past and they are great.)
You can also order cheese curds on Amazon, believe it or not, although they are a bit pricey that way.
@Scotty69 Thanks for the tip!
Balsamic-Strawberry Baked Goat Cheese Dip
@Bigbananafeet, I'm so glad to hear that they wound up delicious in the end =)
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@HungryDan- I think tempeh would be a good substitution here!
@jean luc et al- Thai sweet chili sauce is not what I used here, but I'm inclined to say that you could doctor it up with some heat and likely a bit less sugar in the Slow Cooker recipe and still wind up with awesome sticky meatballs. What I use is more like a sweet Thai chili paste-- richer and sweeter than sriracha and slightly less spicy, but otherwise similar consistency and flavors. Hope that helps!
@CanuckGreg- Yes, pork meatballs would be great here as well!
@suschef- If you keep the heat very low and cover the pot, a few hours will be good. Even the lowest burner settings can sometimes get hotter than the crock pot, so just be careful not to cook to the point of burning the sauce.