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I need to learn more about Ethiopian cooking. I love the flavors and think it's something that will agree with my dairy-free, soy-free, beef-intolerant system. And I love a good curry.
Usually cashew butter and either a drizzle of honey or some preserves.
I try to be extra careful with all of my books, so my cookbooks are in pretty good shape. Though I do have a copy of the Spice and Spirit Cookbook that has seen better days in terms of breaking binding. And a few splattered pages.
I use it in banana bread and challah and applesauce cake. Mmmmm wheaty.
@theshatz, it comes down to minhag. Ashkenzi Jews that want to be guilt free (and don't have a health-related reason for continuing to eat those things) over the holiday avoid anything that contains kitniyot, including peanuts and corn and their by-products. Sephardim don't have the same custom, so they can go to town on those things and rice and beans and so on.
I hit the cashew and almond butters hard for Passover a few years ago and never looked back. Now it's a rarity to even find peanut butter in our cupboard. If you haven't tried them, please do. Especially the cashew. It's getting harder and harder to find, but you won't regret it.
I like tomatoes raw, cooked, whole, sliced, sauced, warm off the vine, chilled in a nice salad... I love the jelly supporting the seeds and the snap of the skin when you bite into a grape tomato. They're just wonderful.
I don't carbo load because the sheer amount of shmurah matzah eaten during the sederim is enough to keep the blood sugar surging. However, this year as a last chametz treat I did enjoy half of a pumpernickel bagel with lox, tomato and capers. Honestly though, by this point I'm so sick of it all I think it might just be a good time to start up an Atkins-like diet.
My first taste of Thai food was tofu in a nice yellow curry with some charred green beans and peppers and whatnot. It was pretty fantastic.
Well, I haven't got any. This is not to say I'm not willing to try. ;)
Oh wow does this bring back memories. This was my regular haunt in the late 90s after downtown concerts and poetry slams. When you get the small cone it comes with two free sauces, three for a large, and any extra were (are?) 75 cents. What beautiful, delicious times were had there...
The last amazing meal I had was at Rouge Tomate in NYC on NYE. The Jerusalem artichoke soup was revelatory.
Before that, it was Ubuntu in Napa. Their channa masala made me giggle with joy over the sheer deliciousness.
Well, my hubbs and our friends and I put together a meal from the Big Night cookbook—including timpano. It was... spectacular.
Hmmm... grilled eggplant sandwich with spinach and tomato gravy
I get Bon Appetite on a subscription basis as a gift every year, but really I want Cook's Illustrated. They're both good, but BA is a bit overwhelming.
Mmmmmm chicken Marbella.
Sourdough and pumpernickel are the breads that light up my life.
I'm Jewish, keep kosher and I cook a lot. I love almost all of it. My favorite? It changes with the weather. Though I will say that I made some seriously kickass latkes last night. I also make a mean matzah ball soup. Brisket. And my cholent is totally edible.
My friends and I are throwing our annual Jews on Christmas party. So far I know I'm making a turkey (already got it—22lbs), I know I'm probably making chocolate whiskey walnut pie, thinking of doing tortilla espagnola, avocado and sundried tomato egg rolls (baked), and some kind of fun salad. My friends are making brisket, latkes (Chanukah overlap!), pretty cakes, annnnd some other stuff. It'll be fun.
Oh man I cannot say enough about Buddhe Bodai. I took up half the place having a birthday party for my husband. The food is great, and there's even a "traditional" selection of items. I went to the location in Queens, didn't know what I wanted, saw a picture on the picture menu and this is what happened:
Me: I'd like this, please. *points*
Hostess: No.
Me: Huh?
Hostess: No. That not for you.
Me: Wh... Uh...Whyyyy not?
Hostess: That not for you. That for Chinese.
Me: Oh, I am DEFINITELY having that then.
Hostess: *shaking her head* Alriiiiiight, but you won't like.
In the end, it was awesome. And it had "hair" moss. I recommend the BBQ beef noodle soup for two, the mixed whatever it is in a taro basket, the salty fish fried rice, the shiitake mushrooms with broccoli, the many meat appetizer, and the sweet and sour ribs. And the sharkfin pumpkin mushroom soup. And everything.
In part, American flavor means that anything goes. The country is a melting pot, so the cuisine is too.
Or anything grilled.
Roasted chicken, fresh pasta, a lovely green salad.
My favorite is any crowd who likes what I've made. The more oohs and aahs, the better.
In order for meat to be considered kosher, it actually does make a difference how the animal is treated. For starters, an animal that has a broken bone cannot be considered kosher, neither can sick animals. Also, the animals must be killed (shechted) by hand with an extremely sharp blade (sharpened five different ways) in a specific spot on the throat to make the killing as painless as possible. A considerable amount of training goes into learning how to do it.
Nonkosher slaughter houses often "stun" large animals like cows with a bolt to the head (just like that character in No Country For Old Men), which renders them senseless, but the animals are often still alive when they are skinned and then dismembered. There is minimal training for slaughterers and many videos have come out showing the workers actually abusing the animals.
And the thing about kosher hot dogs is that even though some may have corn syrup (not all brands do), we know they definitely didn't have any random mystery animal parts. The countries considering banning kosher and halal production are the same countries considering banning wearing religious garments. I guess some people still see others' difference in lifestyle as a threat to their own.
I made a booboo. I purchased a dozen eggs on Tuesday afternoon, but forgot to put them away when I got them home. They sat in a room at about 63 degrees until last night. Can I use them or should I cut my losses and try to brave the snow for a new carton?
I'm going to Paris in a few weeks and heard that several staples that are vegetarian here in the States are often made with vegetarian-unfriendly ingredients. I've been told many breads, and even salad (dressings made with duck fat), are things to be wary of, and that many Parisians wouldn't even think of duck fat dressings being "meat."
Can you verify? Or at least help me out with what's really okay or not okay?
Thanks!
My hubband and I had a nit-picking the other day over what we each perceive to be the other's bad kitchen habits:
—He doesn't like putting groceries away so he can remember what he bought while he's cooking and I think he's leaving a bunch of clutter and a toe-stubbing hazard.
—I like putting all of my discarded fruit and veg matter in the sink (there's a strainer) and then throw it all out at once and he thinks it's going to clog up the sink one day.
—I clean as I go and he prefers to wash all the dirty stuff at once after it's been piled in the sink.
What are your kitchen habits? Would you put effort toward changing them, or do you kind of like them. (I need to work on not walking around with wet hands.)
My husband is taking me for a birthday trip to Chicago on Memorial Day weekend and I'm wondering if there are any budget-friendly restaurants that will help make it a memorable trip. One friend has recommended Green Zebra, and we're still looking for suggestions.
Thanks!
PS: Is there anything else we shouldn't miss while there?
So here I am, planning a menu for Sunday brunch (some kind of quiche, lox and bagels, pancakes for the kids) and was wondering you all take the opportunity to go crazy and make the most fattening dishes of deliciousness ever, or do you keep it simple?
What's the plan?
I have a block of this stuff at home and was wondering what other people do to make it, well, tasty. I've tried stir-frying and using in sandwiches, but nothing's really helping to make it stand out, flavor-wise. What can i do?
I'm looking for a nice place for an anniversary dinner. Most of the places I've found have one fish option and (maybe) one vegetarian option and that's just not the way to go, in my opinion. Does anyone know of a good place that has veggie and fish options in abundance?
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Nothing beats a good falafel with all the salads and tehina and cilantro and deliciousness.