Stay at home Mommy. Love to eat...so I cook. A lot.
Hello! Sister of myrnie_twin here. ;-) I wish I could finf a video of the handless tim-tam slam..but its awesome. Hold the cookie-straw in your lips and suck up your hot chocolate. Just before the cookie falls apart, throw your head back and toss the whole cookie down the hatch. It adds a bit of danger...like a game of chicken. If you wait too long, your cookie ends up a soggy mess in the bottom of your mug. Too early, and you can't fit the whole cookie in your mouth. Give it a try! (For added drama, freeze the cookies first. Fire and ice. ;-))
I was actually surprised the McD's Southern Chicken Sandwich didn't make the list. The last time I was that disappointed at a McD's was 6 years ago in Hong Kong, when I ordered the Faan-tastic. (Faan meaning "rice" in Cantonese".) I don't remember what was inside, but the "bun" was made of flavorless rice, pressed into a patty. The Southern sandwich was nearly as bland - white squishy bun, a few pickles, and a piece of fried chicken. Not even mayo to lube things up. I didn't see anything southern about it...maybe if they had fried the pickles?
I'm so sad the Panera turkey cranberry sandwich made the Worst list. I had one (in Bellevue, WA) that was just awesome. Yeah, it wasn't stuffed as full as the picture, but the elements were all there, and it was balanced. It disappeared from the menu almost immediately. (Full disclosure - I'm nearly 9 months pregnant, and anything tart and/or fruity is automatically going to get a thumbs up from me.)
I've been to Xian and Shanghai. Xian is big on wheat, not rice. Think dumplings and noodles. I also had the most amazing leg of lamb there - I ate so much, I was sick for days...but it was worth it! I'm sorry I'm not more specific - it was about 6 years ago, and I was pregnant at the time. Most of the trip is a blur. ;-) Try to check out Wa Shan while you're there. It's a huge mountain that is one. solid. rock. It's one of the most amazing things I've ever seen. GORGEOUS.
If your'e in New York, head up to Flushing. There's a food court there in one of the malls (Golden Mall?) with awesome regional food. SPICY, but really, really tasty.
My tastes run rather low-brow, but I'm a Seattle native. Sea Star, in downtown Bellevue, is a great place for dinner or lunch (their sushi is tasty, and their white chocolate coconut cream pie is famous!). If you want a bit of a jaunt, head up to Bellingham and go to Mallard's for some ice cream. Any ice cream. It's all good, and it's all really unique! (vanilla, chocolate...pepper...basil...port...the list goes on and on.) Make sure you take in the scenery when you are here!! Head up to Alki Beach, and get some fish and chips with a view.
Thank you! I've got a test batch in the freezer - I used my food processor to combine some cherry pie filling, crushed chocolate chips, vanilla and almond extract into my condensed milk. It tastes great - can't wait to try out the texture tonight!
It's silly, but I was always completely smitten with the food from the Mossflower series. Even after I thought about it. (Umm...in real life, "dandelion milk" does NOT sound tasty. But when it's part of a huge spread, full of nut cheeses and dense dark breads...it sounds delicious. Maybe that's just me. ;-))
@ piccola - if you do a google search for "tofu fa" or "dau fu fa" you will come up with recipes that almost exclusively use store-bought soy milk. Good luck!!!
About as well as your attempts. ;-) The soy milk coagulated as soon as the gypsum hit it, almost exactly like lemon juice in milk. Trying to salvage my time and effort, I dumped the curds into a tea-towel lined colander, and just let them drain. For hours. What I ended up with was very similar to tofu yogurt! It was thick and creamy, but absolutely nothing like the daufu fa my husband and I were looking forward to. haha
I'll have to find the Book of Tofu! You're right - making a brick of tofu seems fun, but not totally WOW. Now, making a tub of creamy, cool, spoonable tofu...sounds amazing. I will persevere! ;-)
Will this work with gypsum?? I'm so excited!!
How did you know that I tried, three times, last week to make tofu??! Not just any tofu - dau fu fa, the pinnacle of hot weather treats on the streets of Hong Kong. This sounds so similar (except that dau fu fa uses gypsum powder...or is that the same as nigari??) Thanks for the recipe!!
@Teachertalk - yeah, I'm a little worried about that...my other option, I suppose, is to be broiling sliders for two hours. I will go check out Kenji's post again - thanks! And, thank you for the reminder about how cold the dry ice will make my sandwiches!
@PoorOldMama - I've asked the mother of the bride if pulled pork sliders are an option. I'm waiting to hear back. She's out of town...and the reception is a week from Saturday. No pressure. ;-) Pulled pork would sure be a lot easier, though!! I could make them tableside, right from my crockpot! Easy...
Wow - thanks everyone!! I ended up using this recipe: http://www.joyofbaking.com/IceCreamSandwiches.html
It's a really nice compromise between a cookie, and a cake.
The batter is as thick as brownie batter, but you bake it in a half-sheet pan. It comes out just barely pliable (unless you overbake it, like I did the first time. Oops. Oh well - still tasty!) You make yourself, basically, a 12x18 cookie, cut it in half, spread it with ice cream, put it back together, and freeze. Then you use a long, sharp knife to cut it into pieces. It worked perfectly! The chocolate part doesn't get mushy, and it doesn't shatter. It's thin enough that the "cookie" part thaws almost immediately after removing it from the freezer, so you don't squish the ice cream out. Perfection! For the wedding, I will make sheets and sheets of these things, and decorate one of the cookies with hearts or the bride and grooms' initials before making my "sandwich." When it's time to serve, I will cut between all the decorations. (Kind of like a carrot cake?) Anyhow - thank you all SO much for your help!!
(I did try cutting out individual cookies out of the finished sheets, but after I put them into the freezer, sandwiched with ice cream, the ice cream seems to have melted out the sides. Better to freeze these in a huge piece - fewer edges to ooze!)
Hrm. Cookies, eh? haha. Alright - what's your favorite recipe for a thin, crispy chocolate cookie?
Heh. I guess I should have thought more before posting - cake and cookies have pros and cons. I'm trying to make something that is as easy to eat with the fingers as possible. Cake might stick to their fingers, but cookies might squish the ice cream out the back side or crumble when they bite into the frozen cookie. ??
Wow! Such a lot of great cake recommendations! Last weekend, I made no fewer than four white cakes...trying to get one that tasted the way I wanted it. (Turns out, great cupcake recipes...do not make great cakes. Oh, and non-stick pans - like the ubiquitous Wilton pans - turn out cakes with crusts. Not what I'm looking for. My thrift-store aluminum pans are much better!)
My FAVORITE chocolate cake is Hershey's Perfect Chocolate Cake. It's...perfect. If you are looking for a great vanilla cake, King Arthur Flour's Golden Vanilla Cake was the only one that came even close to what I wanted.
I love my KA. A silicone-edged paddle (like the Beater Blade) is a great thing for things like really fussy cakes that don't want to be over mixed....but be careful what you mix with it. I tried to whip up some fluffy cream cheese frosting with still-rather-cold cream cheese, and chipped my blade. Sad day!
Have fun!
My wedding was in the fall, and grandma happened to know where to get Almond Roca, wholesale. Did you know they have peppermint flavored almond roca? They have pretty red foil wrappers. Mom tied them up with some wine coloured tulle, a little white ribbon, and two gold "wedding rings" she found online at a wedding supply company. They made such pretty favors on the table, and everybody likes chocolate and peppermint!
Thanks, guys! It was the pastry that was giving me trouble. My MIL has her own recipe for Cha Siu and wasn't interested in my looking for those at ALL. In fact, all she wants is for me to make the pastry and stick it in the fridge. ;-) I'm her personal Wheat Whisperer.
Oh, YUM. The kewpie/yuhk sung sandwich sounds delicious! My kids will eat yuhk sung straight out of the container. I love it too, but too much makes me pretty "yiht hei" and I get mouth sores. :-( I'd love to learn how to make it myself, sans MSG!!!
Oh my goodness, thank you everybody! We're from Seattle, so we're not expecting tropical beach weather. We will definitely check out Ecola! Maybe Camp 18 for breakfast. ;-) And Baked Alaska sounds pretty....
Thank you!! We run a Eurasian house here, so we have loads of Glutinous Rice Flour on hand from Chinese New Year. I can't wait to start experimenting!
If you want something really exotic, head up to Flushing and go to Golden Mall. They have this funky food court in the basement with food vendors from all over China. Cantonese food is tasty, and my favorite (!), but heading out to Golden Mall is fun, too. Spicy noodles and dumplings abound!
If you want to stick to Canal Street, just head down Mott Street or Elizabeth Street and stop into the first place that catches your eye. Any place with roast ducks hanging in the window will be able to serve up a nice lunch. (ie - won't be a dim sum place).
Haha...
@ myrnie_twin - I can't cook for Amelia Ong. ;-) She could out-cook me any day!
@ErisianSaint - My husband (native of Hong Kong) and I had our first date at Top Gun, in Factoria/Bellevue, nearly six years ago. It's still our favorite place to go for Dim Sum, and their dinner dishes are also delicious. We also went to a place called Sezchuan Chef, on the corner of 148th and Main, for hot pot a few weeks ago. I LOVED it.
@GretaGrace - Thanks! We used to love the Shanghai Garden location in Issaquah...before they changed management. :-( I'll have to check out those places you mentioned! I'm a big fan of Vietnamese.
My absolute favorite is a little hole in the wall in Renton, called Teriyaki Sushi. There's a little old lady there that always comps my kids with tiny balls of sushi rice, each one perfectly topped with two little sesame seeds. Their teriyaki plates are GENEROUS - usually enough meat to feed my husband and I.
Teriyaki Sushi is on the corner of 900 and Coal Creek Parkway.
Welcome to Seattle!
Hubs is taking a business trip to Dublin soon, and he LOVES to eat. It's our favorite hobby! He doesn't drink, so the usual "find a Guinness!" doesn't totally work here. Where should he go, and what are the dishes he shouldn't miss?? This is his first time to Europe. Thanks! (I've been to Dublin...once. I was 14 at the time, and don't remember much about it, much less what I ate...)
Ok, I'm missing the HK style breakfasts I can get when I vacation north of the border, in Richmond. I'm sure I could find something decent in Chinatown (Seattle) (the Purple Spot comes to mind, though I've yet to visit), but I want something closer to home. Has anyone found a great spot for breakfast in the Bellevue, WA area?? I'm looking for Horlicks, Ovaltine, HK french toast, greasy macaroni noodles in spam soup...the works. Help!
Guys, I KNOW this is a long shot (and not just because it's the middle of the night.) Hubs and I are taking a few days to go play in the San Juans, and we need restaurant recommendations! We will be celebrating his birthday, and are looking for a nice place for a weeknight dinner. Anacortes isn't exactly a foodie destination, but I'm sure there are gems there that I don't know about.
Stipulations:
No more than $50 a head
Dinner must be DONE by 8 pm, so we can catch the last ferry "home"!
Fish or vegetarian dishes preferred.
Alright, me hearties. GO. Help a girl out. Thank you!
Hello, my fabulous Food Heroes! I'm back. I'm catering a wedding reception with a simple buffet on Saturday, and the bride has just told me she would LOVE to have Cherry Chocolate Chip ice cream inside of the ice cream sandwiches that we have planned. Buying pints and pints of Ben & Jerry's would be delicious, but is a very expensive option. I am thinking of making the ice cream, using this method (http://www.kevinandamanda.com/recipes/dessert/easy-homemade-ice-cream-without-a-machine.html). It seems the quickest option, and fairly inexpensive.
Has anyone tried it? I'm going to test out the recipe this afternoon, but I am not even sure what to mix in! Cherries, almond extract and bits of chocolate...but how much per quart?
Thank you!!
Hi, all! I'm catering a wedding reception next weekend, and the bride wants sliders and ice cream sandwiches. My plan: broil the sliders right before the party starts, and keep them warm in a turkey oven, then build the sliders throughout the evening and send them out to the buffet table.
Ice cream sandwiches will be baked, cut, stacked and frozen the day before the party, then transported in an ice chest. My problem is keeping them cold on the buffet table. My current plan is to procure some dry ice, and rig up some sort of "cold plate" on the buffet table, and hope for the best (just putting out 15-20 sandwiches at a time.) Is that going to work??
Thank you!!!
Ok, y'all - HELP. I am catering a wedding reception in a few weeks, and the bride wants homemade heart-shaped ice cream sandwiches. Fine - I can make 100 of those. BUT - recipes seem to vary so widely! Some swear by using an uber-thin chocolate cake to encase the ice cream ("like store bought, but BETTER") and some (like recipes featured here on SE) use crisp cookies. These will be made ahead, and served at the reception. Am I better off with the cake-y recipes?
Help, friends! My Chinese MIL is in town for a few weeks, and would love to attempt Cha Siu Sou while she is here...but I can only find one recipe (http://digitalgourmet.blogspot.com/2009/04/char-siu-sou.html). I'd love some more for comparison...help?
I know this is a long shot, but the hubs and I are planning a trip to Cannon Beach, Oregon (and the surrounding area), and as every one knows, FOOD is the #1 priority on a vacation! Has anyone been there? Are there any places that we just have to try??! Anywhere we should avoid?
thanks!
A good friend has given me a challenge: Bake a better loaf of gluten free bread. It must be wheat free, dairy free and white-refined-sugar free (honey is OK). My very favorite bread recipe involves 6 ingredients: flour (whole wheat and AP), water, yeast, salt, olive oil, honey. I can't help but think that there must be some way to translate that loaf into something she can have.
Her main complaint with her current GF bread is that it's more rock than bread, and isn't really good eats.
After some study, it seems that my best bet is to add eggs and some kind of synthetic "gluten." Xantham gum is obviously a popular choice, but what about glutinous rice flour? It is something I keep on hand. Is it more expensive than Xantham gum? Can I mix it with other rice flours (brown and plain) to get the effect I'm looking for?
Help!
Help! A friend is coming to town and wants to meet up for a traditional Chinese dinner, in the International District. I have a few favorite places in Bellevue, but haven't spent much time eating in Seattle.
Suggestions?
Help! I offered to make rolls for my friend's Thanksgiving table. I'm already making 60 for our table, so an extra 24 for her table didn't seem like a big deal.
BUT. There is no way I can bake them on Thursday and drop them off hot. Just no way. So, how do I get them onto her table hot?
Help! A friend is 7 months pregnant, and CRAVING the food of her homeland. Does anyone know of any Malaysian eateries in Seattle, or the surrounding areas? She's only found one, and wasn't too impressed with it. She wants the spicy food she remembers from home.
??
Help! A friend is 7 months pregnant, and CRAVING the food of her homeland. Does anyone know of any Malaysian eateries in Seattle, or the surrounding areas? She's only found one, and wasn't too impressed with it. She wants the spicy food she remembers from home.
??
I've recently come across a few recipes for making jams in slow cookers, usually using dried fruit.
I'm currently on a marmalade kick...but it is just so fiddly to stand over a stove and stir marmalade for an hour, with two under-threes underfoot!
So...help? Will it bubble up and make a mess? Will it take three days to thicken?
I know this is SUPER broad, but hubs and I are about to celebrate our third anniversary and we'd like to head in to the city. We have a sitter for the day, and want to enjoy our "sans toddler" status. Where would YOU go, mid-day, for your anniversary? We're leaning towards indulging in a little Chinatown action, but are open to ANYTHING. We love to eat, and love a great deal. Are there any tasting menus for early dinners?
I hope someone can help me. In high school, we made "Lakerli" (Lackerli?) It was a deep brown gingerbread sort of concoction, soft like a pound cake. The batter was spread into a jelly roll pan and then cut into diamonds when it was done baking and spread with a powdered sugar glaze. I remember that the recipe called for a good amount of scalded milk, molasses, ginger, flour and various other "pumpkin pie" type spices. The problem is that I lost my recipe years ago. An internet search turned up lots of recipes, but none that called for the milk that made these bars so cakey and addicting. I think what I'm looking for is the "Bavarian Lakerli" - it's supposed to be more cake-like?
Can anyone help me?
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I'm going to add this comment, and completely destroy my street cred.
IF you decide to ignore Kenji's awesome oven method, and IF you decide to make this in something like a Ninja or a Cuisinart MultiCooker...here's a few tips:
DON'T throw your roast into the cooker, set it for 250, and congratulate yourself on saving energy. Your sauce will reduce in a matter of minutes and become a layer of char on the bottom of the pot. Anything other than a slow cooker setting on low for 10 hours will require babysitting.
DON'T not cut the meat into cubes. Otherwise it will be absolutely flavorless.
You're welcome. (And, after a few bad scares, dinner is finally served. And it's delicious. *phew*!)