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Breakfast for a Crowd: Any Ideas?
Capered Eggs is a real crowd-pleaser. I have never had a single leftover portion. Here's how I do it:
CAPERED EGGS
1 dozen hard-cooked eggs, halved
1 (or more) minced jalapeño pepper
2 cups mayonnaise
1 cup sour cream
1 teaspoon bittersweet or hot Spanish (smoked) paprika
1/3 cup salted capers, very well rinsed and chopped if large
1 tablespoon Champagne or good sherry vinegar
dash of cayenne pepper or red Tabasco sauce (optional)
1/4 cup chopped chives
1 tablespoon chopped flat-leaf parsley
2 teaspoons minced fresh dill
3-4 medium shallots, minced
sea salt
freshly ground white pepper
Plenty of croissants or brioche, or make popovers (page XX)
Preheat oven to 200 degrees.
Arrange the egg halves, yolk side up, in a 9” x 13” baking dish. Top each egg with a bit of minced jalapeño, no more than 1/4 teaspoon.
Mix the rest of the ingredients and pour over the eggs.
Bake at 200 degrees for 1 hour or until the dish is hot. Don’t let it boil.
Yield: Six servings
What would be your competition food for Throwdown on FN?
Beef tenderloin steaks butterflied and stuffed with brie cheese, pan-roasted, and served with a buttered balsamic/dried cranberry reduction.
What's for dinner?
A big fat pork chop, bone-in; jalapeño peppers halved and stuffed with yogurt cheddar cheese; and buttered Brussels sprouts.
My boyfriend is on a mercifully brief crash diet (he doesn't need to be, but you know actors) so he's having two lamb rib chops (small), a hard-boiled egg, and a small tomato. Whee.
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Ed Levine's Serious Diet: Week 6, Are Flavor Intensifiers One of the Keys to Losing Weight?
Fresh chilies! Jalapeños, habaneros, and anything else you can withstand will jolt your palate and warm your tummy.
Breakfast for a Crowd: Any Ideas?
Capered Eggs is a real crowd-pleaser. I have never had a single leftover portion. Here's how I do it:
CAPERED EGGS
1 dozen hard-cooked eggs, halved
1 (or more) minced jalapeño pepper
2 cups mayonnaise
1 cup sour cream
1 teaspoon bittersweet or hot Spanish (smoked) paprika
1/3 cup salted capers, very well rinsed and chopped if large
1 tablespoon Champagne or good sherry vinegar
dash of cayenne pepper or red Tabasco sauce (optional)
1/4 cup chopped chives
1 tablespoon chopped flat-leaf parsley
2 teaspoons minced fresh dill
3-4 medium shallots, minced
sea salt
freshly ground white pepper
Plenty of croissants or brioche, or make popovers (page XX)
Preheat oven to 200 degrees.
Arrange the egg halves, yolk side up, in a 9” x 13” baking dish. Top each egg with a bit of minced jalapeño, no more than 1/4 teaspoon.
Mix the rest of the ingredients and pour over the eggs.
Bake at 200 degrees for 1 hour or until the dish is hot. Don’t let it boil.
Yield: Six servings
What would be your competition food for Throwdown on FN?
Beef tenderloin steaks butterflied and stuffed with brie cheese, pan-roasted, and served with a buttered balsamic/dried cranberry reduction.
What's for dinner?
A big fat pork chop, bone-in; jalapeño peppers halved and stuffed with yogurt cheddar cheese; and buttered Brussels sprouts.
My boyfriend is on a mercifully brief crash diet (he doesn't need to be, but you know actors) so he's having two lamb rib chops (small), a hard-boiled egg, and a small tomato. Whee.
Cook the Book: 'The Tex-Mex Cookbook'
Jalapeño poppers, but I halve them and stuff them with minced red onion and soft goat cheese whizzed in a mini-processor with 1 canned chipotle pepper and adobo to taste. I arrange the halves cut side up on a parchment-lined baking sheet, cover each pepper with a strip of bacon cut to fit the length of the pepper, and roast them for 9-10 minutes or until the bacon is fairly crisp and the filling is bubbly. Cool slightly, then go to town.
That said, I completely loathe football.
Would you rather give up coffee or pasta?
I gave up coffee with the greatest of ease about 15 years ago, at the same time I quit smoking. Coffee just didn't taste right without a cigarette. Now I drink green tea, about 4 cups a day. It gives me a nice lift without feeling jittery. And every day researchers find something ELSE about green tea that's salubrious.
I will NEVER give up pasta! Or any other food, really. Moderation is key, but who could possibly give up . . . cheese?
Overheard at Goodwill...
The other night I used some lavender that I bought at least 15 years ago. It was fine. I keep some whole spices in my freezer, where they last for years. I toast them and grind them in my spice grinder.
I rarely throw out dried spices or herbs. I try to use fresh herbs whenever possible, but when I use dry, I give the jar a good sniff. If it smells like nothing but dust, I do throw it out. If I'm desperate, I just use more than the recipe calls for.
Sunday Reading
I wonder exactly what kind of pressure the Cipriani family exerted to get them to write such a piece after that savage review by Bruni.
What do you do with Spaghetti Squash?
Here's what I do with spaghetti squash, inspired by Joanne Weir, but she boils it, and roasting really concentrates the flavors.
Spaghetti Squash with Beurre Noir
1 spaghetti squash, 2 1/2 lbs. or so (smaller squash tend to be more flavorful)
2-3 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
1/2 cup of freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
salt and freshly ground pepper
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. With a gigantic knife, carefully split the squash lengthwise (from stem to stern). Scrape out all the seeds, then rub the cut and scraped surfaces generously with olive oil. Place cut sides down on a parchment- or foil-lined baking sheet and bake in the lower third of the oven for 45 minutes. Then turn cut-side up and roast until tender, 15-30 minutes.
When ready to serve, melt the butter in a saucepan over medium-high heat, and cook it until it turns brown and just begins to smoke, 3-4 minutes. Remove immediately from the heat and stir in the nutmeg.
With a dinner fork, scrape the flesh of the squash free of the skin, and separate the “spaghetti” strands, mounding them in the squash. Serve dribbled with the beurre noir and the Parmigiano-Reggiano, and season to taste with salt and pepper.
Yield: 2 ample servings, or 4-6 side dish servings
Irresistible dishes, you just can't say no to...
I have never been able to resist any of the following, and there are several places around Manhattan that have ALL of these on the menu: Oysters and/or clams on the half-shell. Steak tartare. Quail/Squab. Veal chop. Creamed spinach. Cheese course. Pearl tapioca pudding.
Late Night Eating: East Village
I adore the falafel and schwarma at Chickpea (Third Avenue just north of St. Mark's Place, and a newer edition on 14th near Third Avenue), and they're open late (times vary). And Lucien (First Avenue near 1st Street) has pretty terrific French bistro fare, also into the wee hours. But yeah, Pommes Frites is a real treasure. When they first opened, my partner and I haunted the place, night and day. On a cold winter's day, it's a wonderful tiny and cozy place to huddle in back on a bench, nursing a cone of frites with 2-3 cups of flavored mayonnaise.
What has happened to 'City Bakery'?!
So Maury Rubin moved to Brentwood? I haven't been to City Bakery in a while, but I went there a lot when they were on 17th Street. They had the best croissants in America, especially if you got them while they were still warm. And in February, they had the best hot chocolate I've ever tasted. Are these no longer food truths? That would *really* be a shame.
Seriously Delicious Holiday Giveaway: Two Peter Luger Steaks
Rib eye has the most flavor.
What's your favorite food gift to receive?
Last Christmas, my family gave me iGourmet's "Cheeses of the Month" for six months. That was just ideal. And friends gave me "real" truffle oils, white and black (not "truffle-flavored"), pistachios, and every year my mother sends Harry and David's amazing pears.
Settle a silly debate...
I can't bring canned tuna fish near my face without nearly gagging. Might as well eat cat food. I'm not big on chocolate either, but I could eat a pickle with chocolate. I'm not at all a fussy eater--I love nearly everything else.
Seriously Delicious Holiday Giveaway: Two Peter Luger Steaks
Ribeye is the juiciest and tastiest cut.
What Five Foods Can't You Live Without?
Cheese, any cheese at all
Tacos, soft corn tortillas or crispy
Buffalo Wings, the hotter the better
Hanger steak
Oysters
Emeril: Thumbs Up or Thumbs Down?
I completely concur with Ed, that, like him or not, Emeril brought serious and delicious food front and center in the American consciousness. He did become a bit of a caricature. And what's odd is that, when I met him, he was giggly and shy and, well, quite the opposite of BAM!
It's interesting how some food TV personalities "run their course" and get tiresome, while other programs and personalities (Julia Child, Jacques Pépin) remain fresh to this day.
Need NYC group restaurant recommendation!
La Palapa on St. Mark's Place is great for groups, and who doesn't love Mexican food?
What 5 unusual things are in your fridge?
1. Curry leaves.
2. Dog antibiotic for Elsa's ear infection last year.
3. Black sesame oil.
4. REAL black truffle oil, not "flavored."
5. I have a friend whose boyfriend is a scientist doing cancer research in Germany, and she regularly picks up (human) blood from cancer patients at a compliant hospital and keeps it in her freezer until he asks her to FedEx it.
Food-of-the-month gifts, I'd like_____
For Christmas, I was given six months of a cheese of the month from iGourmet. Each month we got three cheeses from one country, and they were ALL really glorious! But since I live in Manhattan, where great cheese is readily available, I could have made the $180 go a lot further. Still, it's fun to be surprised each month.
What's the weirdest cookbook you own?
The MYRA BRECKINRIDGE COOKBOOK is most unusual. It must have had a HUGE print run (trade paper) because I still see it for sale. It was written in 1970 by Gore Vidal's lover, Howard Austen, who died recently. A lot of the recipes are impressive, but the book's art direction is WILD!
The Last Buys of Summer
At the Union Square Greenmarket, tomatoes are divine right now, and Eckerton Farm's chili peppers are explosive! They freeze very well, and make even February endurable.
Cook the Book: 'Beard on Food'
Julia Child most radically changed the way I cooked and ate. She's my idea of God.
I need new knives - any recommendations?
TOO EXPENSIVE KNIVES....
What do you do with Spaghetti Squash?
mix it with meat sauce like the recipe here: http://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2008/09/squash-gnocchi-with-meat-sauce-recipe.html
What do you do with Spaghetti Squash?
Substitute spaghetti squash for noodles in Chinese style Cold Sesame Noodles. You probably will need to increase garlic and hot pepper flakes. For a good recipe, look to the old Craig Claiborne Chinese cookbook.
What do you do with Spaghetti Squash?
Roast in oven with some oragano and Basil, and a bit of butter. If I feel decadant I switch the butter out for a bit of bacon grease.
What do you do with Spaghetti Squash?
Toss cooked squash strands with grated parm and crisped bacon--almost carbonara. Ummmm!
What do you do with Spaghetti Squash?
Since this was such a popular thread, I'll add another recipe, one which I found here on SE! I've now made it a few times, and have eaten it as a main dish, as a side, and (this morning) in a frittata...
Spaghetti Squash With Ricotta, Sage, and Pine Nuts
- serves 4 -
Adapted from The Kitchn.
Ingredients
1 small spaghetti squash (about 2 pounds)
3/4 cup part skim ricotta
1 clove garlic, mashed
Olive oil (about 1/2 to 1 full tablespoon)
6 to 8 fresh sage leaves
Salt and pepper
1/4 cup pine nuts, toasted
Procedure
1. Preheat oven to 375°F.
2. Pierce the whole squash in several places with a knife or fork, place it in a baking dish, and bake until flesh is tender (easily pierced with a fork), about 60 to 75 minutes.
3. Remove squash from oven and let cool for 5-10 minutes. Meanwhile, heat a little bit of oil in a small pan. Quickly fry sage leaves until crispy but not burnt. Crumble sage leaves into a large bowl and combine with ricotta and garlic. Set aside.
4. Cut squash in half lengthwise and remove seeds. Pull a fork through the flesh to separate and remove the strands from the shell. Add to bowl with ricotta mixture.
5. Combine squash and ricotta mixture and season to taste with salt and pepper.
6. Sprinkle with pine nuts before serving.
Original SE url: http://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2008/11/spaghetti_squash_with_ricotta_sage_and_pine_n.html
Food-of-the-month gifts, I'd like_____
I third wine. Which reminds me, I need to sign up for Tobin James "James Gang" wine club. Best late-harvest Zinfandel EVER.
Food-of-the-month gifts, I'd like_____
my mom sent us oranges. the fruit flies were free.
Food-of-the-month gifts, I'd like_____
how 'bout a coffee of the month gift club that combines sustainable coffees from small roasters all over the country and food ???
Breakfast for a Crowd: Any Ideas?
This is really a late answer... forgive me as I just joined today.
Here is a crowd pleaser breakfast that we make all the time. It's perfect for a large group, camping or even just at home for your family. I will usually make some sort of a potato dish and a fruit salad to go along with it.
The best part of this breakfast is that everyone participates and it turns into a social get-together and it allows everyone to sit down and eat together at the same time.
At home, our biggest pot allows about 5/6 baggies at a time to cook. If you have a turkey fryer setup, you can do this outside using the big turkey pot and can cook 10-15 baggies at a time.
Do this part the night before, or have people help:
Chop/slice/shred up omelet "fixins" such as green onion, cheese, mushrooms, precooked bacon or sausage, crab, shrimp, anything that you like in an omelet. Have each item in a bowl or on a plate laid out in an "assembly" line.
Have each person write on a QUART-SIZE ziplock FREEZER baggie their name with a "sharpie pen". Funny names/nicknames allowed!
Take two eggs, scramble in a bowl and pour into each baggie. For large appetites, use three eggs.
Have people go down the "assembly line" of omelet fixins that you put out and ask them to add into the baggie any type of fixins that they may want in their omelet.
Gently squeeze the baggie so the eggs and omelet fixins blend together.
While keeping the baggie upright, zip the baggie closed most of the way, push as much air that you can from the baggie and zip it closed the rest of the way.
Gently drop the baggie into boiling water for 12 minutes.
For 3 eggs, boil a minute or two longer.
Don't let any part of the baggie hang outside the pot. It will melt and make a mess on your pot.
Watch the baggies, sometimes the egg mixture will collect to one side of the baggie resulting in a very wierd shaped omelet. You might have to move the baggies around abit so they stay "level" in the pot.
Remove the baggie from the boiling water, unzip and slide it out onto a plate. Have salsa, sour cream for those who like to add that.
It is the most flavorful omelet you'll ever eat.
How do you grill when you don't have a grill?
Add my "NO" to the George Foreman grill. It's okay for some hotdogs, but definitely no good for steaks. I don't even want to tell you about the grey, steamed NY sirloin that was ruined by the GF grill...it's just too painful.
Anywho, my experiences with the indoor, stove top, grill pans, like you see used on the FN, produce copious amounts of smoke. Good grill marks, good color and flavor, but lots of smoke. The advice above to finish cooking in the oven is smart, but handling a hot grill pan doesn't sound like fun. So if you have a poor vent/hood, I would skip it and go to the park with a little Smokey Joe or mini-Weber.
How do you grill when you don't have a grill?
I'll use my George Foreman for fajita chicken, but that's basically it. I wouldn't put red meat on it, definitely not hot enough and you miss that smoky flavor and charring! I'm in a similar situation, and have been grilled food-free so far this summer :( except for occasional visits to the parents'. Maybe I'll have to invest in one of those grill pans, except I have a stupid electric stove, will it work okay?
How do you grill when you don't have a grill?
Go to a park where grills are available to all.
How do you grill when you don't have a grill?
So, essentially, if you're into the *flavor* of grilling, e.g., kiawe, mesquite, charcoal, versus form, you're SOL w/o an outdoor grill or hibachi. :(
How do you grill when you don't have a grill?
love love the Delonghi indoor healthy grill... I bought the one with the glass cover though, to retain moisture (avoid the smoke alarm) and cook faster. I did a lot of research first... glad i bought it. Paid $79 Amazon or Macys.
Emeril: Thumbs Up or Thumbs Down?
His show was overkill on Food Network. We enjoyed him at first but got tired of him very quickly. So no, we won't follow him to Fine Living.
Emeril: Thumbs Up or Thumbs Down?
Here on the left coast, Essence of Emeril is not available except in the day time. this is sad because working folk don't get a chance to see it. I wasn't really fond of the night time show, but, at least, he cooked. All the phony stuff they put on now is truly annoying. Too much making of cakes, silly contests and contrived stuff.
Paula Dean and Rachel Ray are too much. Annoying, trite and phony! My food shows come on PBS these days where the artist/cook really cooks and you learn something. Three exceptions come to mind - Giada, Ina Garten and Ellie Krieger. I also watch Alton Brown when I can. he's funny and has his facts in order. If Tyler Florence is on, I haven't found his show
Food-of-the-month gifts, I'd like_____
fresh fruit
chocolate
cheese
WINE
Food-of-the-month gifts, I'd like_____
For a minute, I thought JEP was back! I am with wookie. I am also proud to be a food whore!!!!!!! Send me everything, every month.
Food-of-the-month gifts, I'd like_____
All of the above, please.
Yeah, can you tell I'm a greedy, food-whore?
(Hi JEP)
Food-of-the-month gifts, I'd like_____
I loved the Harry & David fruit of the month gift given by my brother a few years ago. Pristine, juicy and at the peak of ripeness, these fruits were amazing.
I would love coffee of the month as well :D
Food-of-the-month gifts, I'd like_____
For the bacon of the month fan, check out Bacon is Meat Candy Bacon club at www.cvwine.com. The site is quite entertaining!
Ed Levine's Serious Diet: Week 6, Are Flavor Intensifiers One of the Keys to Losing Weight?
My diet strategies have been similar to yours and Blue Diamond BOLD flavor roasted almonds have done more to keep me on track than almost anything else. I love the Wasabi & Soy Sauce, Lime n' Chili, and Jalapeno Smokehouse flavors. Even more intense are the Maui Onion and Garlic almonds. Not great as a snack before you enter a close-talking situation, of course.
I gained a lot of weight from eating out and from learning to cook well, but snacking was a major factor in my weight gain too. Knowing that, I keep jars of almonds all over the place because I never know when hunger pangs will strike. Seriously, these almonds are so flavor intense that you don't even need to eat a full serving to satisfy your fat and umami flavor cravings. I'm not great about self-control, but with these, I've learned to eat only half a serving (14 almonds out of 28) whenever I have any. At 170 calories per 28 almond serving, I even end up feeling more satisfied than when I eat those 100-calorie snack packs while consuming fewer calories. Plus, they're also really good for you. They provide more nutrition than most other snacks; Manganese? Check. Calcium? Check. Vitamin E? Check. They are also surprisingly low-sodium although coated in what I thought was salt/flavor crystals. I checked this morning, knowing I was going to recommend them to you, and I saw that they've got 7% RDV sodium per serving. Not bad, even if you're watching your salt intake.
Anyhow, good luck. You're doing all the right things. I've lost 13 lbs tracking my calories religiously since the beginning of the year and plan to lose another 15 or so, all without sacrificing my propensity toward serious eats!
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About Tom Steele
Website: http://www.hugeflavors.com
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Favorite foods: Alaskan king crab, Buffalo wings, smoked salmon--actually, I love all foods except certain offal.
Last bite on earth:
Fresh chilies! Jalapeños, habaneros, and anything else you can withstand will jolt your palate and warm your tummy.