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Anchovies: Way or No Way?
way all the way.
1) stuffed with rosemary and garlic slivers into tiny bore holes i make in leg of lamb before roasting
2) in pasta puttanesca
3) the marinated kind on grilled bread with goats cheese
4) the fresh kind deep fried and eaten whole, preferable with a super chilled glass of fino
Grilling: Longanisa
i was just interviewing my ma about her childhood memories of food (she grew up in the philippines during the war). she mentioned this sausage, but the breakfast of champions for her was some salty dried fish with a champorado. champorado is a rice porridge with chocolate and coconut milk. she loves the combination of sweet and salty.
Are Soul Food Restaurants Dying All Over the Country? A Serious Eats Poll
i used to live right around the corner from Taste of Seafood at 125 and madison. is it still there? i moved away in 2002 but still remember their fried seafood and red velvet cake.
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How do I revive a tired sourdough starter?
Posted by astarteny, November 1, 2007 at 8:00 AM
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Kale - My New Obsession
@ ladymarmalade -- yup i make rumbledethumps but usually with savoy cabbage and to accompany haggis.
in general kale is my #1 choice for stir fry. i steam it for a bit before hand with maybe some butternut squash or sweet potato and then in it goes in the stir fry along with garlic/ginger/chillies; tofu; shitake mushrooms a seasoning of dried basil, tamari, rice vinegar and toasted sesame seeds. all on top of fluffy brown rice.
it's the classic crunchy granola stir fry from my college daze.
Anchovies: Way or No Way?
way all the way.
1) stuffed with rosemary and garlic slivers into tiny bore holes i make in leg of lamb before roasting
2) in pasta puttanesca
3) the marinated kind on grilled bread with goats cheese
4) the fresh kind deep fried and eaten whole, preferable with a super chilled glass of fino
Grilling: Longanisa
i was just interviewing my ma about her childhood memories of food (she grew up in the philippines during the war). she mentioned this sausage, but the breakfast of champions for her was some salty dried fish with a champorado. champorado is a rice porridge with chocolate and coconut milk. she loves the combination of sweet and salty.
Are Soul Food Restaurants Dying All Over the Country? A Serious Eats Poll
i used to live right around the corner from Taste of Seafood at 125 and madison. is it still there? i moved away in 2002 but still remember their fried seafood and red velvet cake.
It's time to get organized!
i'm intimately familiar with the binders and file folders stuffed with scrawled recipes or recipes torn from newspapers and magazines. i also have had to deal with an ever growing collection of back issues from the two food magazines i subscribe to. and i have at least two document folders of recipes on the computer.
to stem the flow i started using Recipe Center 5.2.
what i like about it:
it has a great autofill function for ingredients
ability to create your own keywords
ability to create and save menus of groups of recipes
handy ingredient printing list (but see what i don't like below)
ability to attach photos of finished dish
range of printing format options
what i don't like about it:
search functionality is minimal -- you can't search on more than one keyword for instance
the shopping list output doesn't add up all the ingredient quantities into 1 entry per ingredient.
i'm going to stick with it now that i've put over hundreds of recipes in it.
i've been using a scanner to slowly tackle the binders and use pretty decent OCR to generate text from the scan. then it's just a matter of copyign and pasting into the recipe database, choosing some keywords, and it's saved!
Eating for Two: How Do You Love Sardines, Tell Me All the Ways
re: sardines and rice -- yes! must be cos i'm half filipina? salad of choice to accompany is red onion/juice ripe tomatoes/coriander and a sharp vinaigrette.
my parents retired to live in st jean de luz and every time i visit them i stock up on their sardines from this WONDERFUL shop: http://www.labelleiloise.fr/
in fact, my ma sent me a dozen tins for my birthday!
the other way i like tinned sardines is in on toast with plenty of mayo and sliced tomatoes.
if i get fresh i make them in escabeche OR grilled -- too too yum.
What's Your Best Boeuf Bourguignonne?
i tried this one a couple of months ago and it was wonderful:
http://www.burgundytoday.com/gourmet-traveller/chefs-recipes/beef-burgundy.htm
Making Chile Powder (How-To)
i make a jarful of chili powder every year. i brought over my collection of dried chilies when we moved to scotland and so far, with just a few additions of chilies that friends have mailed me, i've been able to keep it going.
i like to use lots of pasilla and chipotle. to be honest i don't even know which varieties i have anymore -- the packaging is long gone and they're kept in air tight plastic jars.
i just heat the oven up, put them all on a baking tray and once i can smell em they're done. i keep the kitchen door open when i'm grinding them in the food processor -- it can get really intense! i try to remove most of the seeds but always keep a few in to keep the powder hot hot hot.
A Red Velvet Affair
when i used to live in harlem at 126th and madison, the best fried seafood place was just down the block from me. it was called A Taste of Seafood. they had really good red velvet cake.
thanks for posting this recipe -- i've always wanted to try it myself
(http://travelswithmyfork.blogspot.com/)
What are you making for the super bowl?
JerzeeTomato -- can i come to your house for the superbowl?
every year since i moved to scotland i've tried to stay up and watch the game. and every year i'm asleep on the sofa before the 1st quarter's even over! still, i make nachos and chocolate cake and yeah, we dig into it before the game even starts.
this year, there's a scotland vs. france 6 nations rugby match on during the day. i've invited our friends ian (scottish) and julie (french) over for braised lamb shanks and chocolate cake. we'll see if i'm still hungry when the game starts at 11 pm!
Robert Burns
yep. we had one, albeit with a twist! you can read the lowdown and see some great pics here:
What foods do restaurants most often mess-up?
sad sad rocket salads with absolutely wilted rocket, no dressing and minging parmesan shavings.
mind you i had the best ever one a coupla years ago at a restaurant in leith (edinburgh) called fishers of leith. it was a huge plate of totally fresh, peppery rocket with just the right amount of parmesan, perfectly dressed with a balsamic vinaigrette.
i keep ordering it at other restaurants hoping it'll be as good, but sadly, it never is.
*sigh*
What's your favorite soup?
for really cold wet days we go for scotch broth with a beef bone thrown in for extra flavour. my partner and i make our batches differently -- she cooks a big chunk of neep in the pot and then mashes it to thicken the soup. i cut everything into the same size dice. she thinks i put too much pulse in mine; i like mine nice and thick.
do lentejas count? they're not really a soup, more of a stew. i posted a pic of the one i made on sunday in the serious eats flickrpool:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/23472838@N00/2206213945/
i'm planning on making ribollita in the next coupla weeks cos i'm craving some of that cavolo nero.
Mediterranean Cookbook recommendation needed!
Claudia Roden is one of my favourites, as is Elizabeth David. Rick Stein has a new book out to accompany his new show on mediterranean cooking. not sure if it's available in the us yet.
a trifle disaster
thanks all. re: tempering the eggs -- is that the part where you add the infused milk back to the beaten eggs and egg yolk?
when i did that i did it really slowly and the egg/milk mixture ended up really frothy (i used a whisk not a beater).
or is tempering heating it all back together? i think i'm going to get a bunch of eggs and figure this thing out. will try the ice bath trick too. from your comments it sounds like the trick is do this part really slowly and with an eagle eye. i'll also experiment with the arrowroot and thicker cream suggestions too.
thanks all!
Dinner Tonight: Lamb Chops with Garlic and Anchovies
hfw's meat book is definitely one of my faves. in fact i can say reading converted me back from being a vegetarian to being a carnivore. for some reason i find it easier to find out where the meat i'm buying at the butchers comes from here in scotland than i did when i lived in new york. and knowing where it came from and that the animal was well cared for is what counts.
i probably just didn't notice the butchers in new york -- were there some good ones around that i overlooked? i was living near rhinebeck in the hudson valley.
back to the meat book -- i made his beef bone gravy to accompany my roast beef this xmas and it was the best gravy i've ever had. i started out with a 12-quart stock pot of beef bones and carrots, leeks, onions, herbs. and ended up with a small saucpanful of heaven.
In 2008, I will prepare a _____
i got an ice cream maker for xmas so first it will be mastering a basic custard (i tend to leave it too long and it turns to scramble!) and then a panoply of flavours to experiment with: basic vanilla, blueberry, coffee, choc mint, and green tea are first on the list.
other than that, i posted a while back about the murder of my sourdough starter by yours truly. so i want to start another one and be more loving and kind to it.
and finally, i'd like to make some confit of duck legs and use it in a cassoulet.
Leftover Management Skills!
1) make a big batch of gnocchi and freeze them for later
2) cottage pie/shepherd's pie/fish pie -- anything with a potato crust
3) patatas bravas
4) spanish tortilla (eggs, onions, potatoes)
5) rumbledethumps: mashed potatoes/neep (rutabaga)/wilted savoy cabbage, mixed together, topped with grated cheddar and cooked in the oven -- really nice served with haggis
6) champ
7) tattie scones
8) potato cheese soup
Dinner Tonight: Custardy Popovers
what's the diff between popovers and yorkshire pudding? i don't think there is one is there?
except maybe that yorkshire puds use really hot dripping instead of butter
Five ripe pears. Now what?
if they're perfectly ripe i'd put em in a salad with some stilton and maybe some rocket or baby spinach
What 3 comfort foods do you always have on hand?
mine are:
1) fried egg on top of rice, with a good shake of soy sauce or hot sauce on top
2) toasted cheese sandwich
3) ginger ale
What is your favorite part of pig, the magical animal?
1. ribs
2. shoulder
3. belly
What will you have on Christmas Morning?
this year it's just me and my beloved partner. i'm fixing her favourite breakfast -- banana cornmeal pancakes with warmed maple syrup and toasted pecans, crispy streaky bacon, and lots of hot coffee (spicy eggnog flavour from green mountain coffee).
Cook the Book: French Cheese and Bacon Puffs (Gougères)
does it make a difference if you use back bacon or streaky bacon?
Serious Eats Gift Guide: New York Food
i have been CRAVING bialys for months now. does anyone know if they're available in the UK? i'm in scotland but would gladly go down to london if i knew i could find them there....
Grilling: Longanisa
Your longanisa really looks good, and they're grilled! It goes well with vinegar and thinly sliced chiles and a sprinkling of rock salt. A couple of cups of steaming hot white fragrant rice will set me back 2 hours in the treadmill my friend.
Eating for Two: How Do You Love Sardines, Tell Me All the Ways
Well, it has been a year, but I got one more. I bet even Marvin from Burnt Lumpia doesn't know about this. When I get my hands on some green (unripe) mango (traditional craving for pregnant Filipinas), we get some which start to get soft but still green. We (our family) scrapes it with a fork/chops it very fine and serves it with sardines and tomato sauce and rice. Sometimes we saute it a bit, but mostly we don't bother.
Grilling: Longanisa
@josh: Pork casings really make it authentic, sealing juices in. Beware also of Filipinos telling you their region makes the best longganisa. Like European sausages, every region makes their own.
I live in the Philippines, but I like how non-Filipinos are discovering food. I am also not averse to other cuisine. This is my first post, by the way. Josh's article made me join serious eats.
Where to Find Macarons
WHERE IN THE WORLD CAN I FIND MACARONS???? I WANT A MACARON CAKE FOR MY BEST FRIEND'S BRIDAL SHOWER, BUT CANT FIND ANYONE THAT DOES THEM IN ATLANTA. HELP!!!!
Where to Find Macarons
Just opened in NYC with a pastry chef trained in Paris!
www.bisousciao.com
Best macarons I've had in the States by far.
What are you making for the super bowl?
Warm reuben dip with cocktail rye bread. Cheese and crackers. Maybe chicken wings.
A Red Velvet Affair
I agree with everyone who prefers the cooked frosting. That's original to the cake. Here's my favorite recipe, if anyone wants to try it:
FROSTING
1 C milk
5 Tb flour
1 C butter
1 C white ugar
1 tsp vanilla
Boil together milk and flour until thickened. Let stand until cool. Cream together butter, sugar and vanilla. Add milk and flour mix and beat very well. (The longer you beat it the better it gets.)
Anchovies: Way or No Way?
ANCHOVIES!!!!!!!!! WHITE ONES.... REGULAR ONES! Oh man! They are delicious! Perfect on salads, on fish, on ANYTHING! I have loved them every since I was little! Have you ever heard of a 4 year old liking anchovies?
Kale - My New Obsession
I'm obsessed with spaghetti squash & eggplant! Oh and onions too! I crave these things... I also really really really crave Tomato Paste! I eat it out of the can with a spoon! It is wonderful & so incredibly healthy too!
Anchovies: Way or No Way?
Other than flavoring in a few things, like Worcestershire sauce, NO WAY. When I worked at a pizza place I'd practically pay other employees to put anchovies on a pizza for me, if they'd been requested.
And, @iPhone spammer--screw you!!!
Anchovies: Way or No Way?
Way, but I have to sneak them into the kitchen and into the dishes 'cus noone else in the place claims to like them. I don't often eaten "straight up" except on pizza but they add a depth to a lot of things from the background.
Anchovies: Way or No Way?
Love, love, love 'em!
I would eat them on a train, I would eat them on a plane. I would eat them from a can, I would eat them from a pan. I would eat them here or there, I would eat them any where! I love them, love them, Sam I Am.
(Sorry Dr. Seuss.)
Anchovies: Way or No Way?
I've only had dried, whole anchovies in Japanese and Korean side dishes. I love how sweet, moist, chewy, and spicy they are. Oh, and in nuoc mam. I'd love to check out anchovies in other preparations at a restaurant some time.
Anchovies: Way or No Way?
I hate anchovies. Hate them. Now, if small amounts have been incorporated into a recipe, dissolved and such, they really can improve the taste of things (yay umami), but to actually taste the nasty little creature itself? Yuck.
A Red Velvet Affair
Red Velvet Cake IS a chocolate cake with a reddish color. My late grandmother used to make a red velvet cake and it contained NO red food coloring or beet juice or anything like that. Her recipe has been lost and we haven't been able to duplicate it. It was the best red velvet cake I've ever eaten. Not like todays so called red velvet cakes, with their shocking red color. Her's was red AND chocolate. Wish I could find something akin to her recipe.
What's your favorite soup?
We have a Thai place nearby and I always get the Tom Ka Gai soup . . . so satisfying! I made some homemade with relative success last year, may try again.
A Red Velvet Affair
That sounds like a lot of oil...a cup and a half. You may need to adjust your baking time. Overbaking can dry a cake out. If you are using dark coated pans, cut the bake time by five or so minutes.
A Red Velvet Affair
Hey can somebody please help me! This thanksgiving I decided to make this much talked about cake. And to my dissatisfaction after three tries I've frosted what appears to be a very dense three layered cake that didnt rise very much at all. The texture is like that of a pound cake, while the flavor is good and there was some moisture, the crumb is dry is this the intended flavor and texture. I made this from a traditonal way with the vinegar and baking soda combination almost identical to the receipe above except my recipe also called for 1 teaspoon of vanilla, a cup and a half of vegetable oil and 20 ounces of cake flour. I had never eaten one before while my guest said the flavor was good everyone thought it should have had more moisture. What could I have done wrong?
Eating for Two: How Do You Love Sardines, Tell Me All the Ways
Personally I love sardines right out of the can too. No frills just the can and the fork! I like the one with Soybean Oil and my dog is even hooked on them too! He sure has a shiny coat now and no constipation problems so I don't have too much of a problem sharing with him. lol
My problem is trying to find a quiet spot to eat them where he can't find me! lol
Husband hates the fishy smell tho. Guess its a required taste.
A Red Velvet Affair
Chari: Red velvet cake is not really a chocolate cake. Though most recipes include a modicum of cocoa, I've rarely encountered a red velvet with a marked cocoa flavor.
Shunafish: To wit, there was no misinformation here. I made no claims anywhere in this article as to the origins of the red in the red velvet. In a follow-up article to address our readers' questions and comments (http://www.seriouseats.com/2008/02/red-velvet-cake-history.html), I did, however, address those origins. What I wrote in that second article seems largely in line with your own thoughts on the subject (re: old-fashioned, non-alkalized cocoa, etc., though I and my research tend to disagree with the claim that red velvet is a direct descendent or another form of Devil's food cake). Regardless, thank you for submitting the link and for your input.
Pjracz10: Unless there is something very unique about your brother's mother-in-law's recipe, I can't imagine why it would be such a challenge. Seems like you should definitely try it some time - the only thing you have to lose is some flour and time, but it seems that you stand to gain much more. :o)
Grilling: Longanisa
@Jescel: You should ask your butcher for pork casings, most have them or can order them for you. Alternatively, you can always buy them online.
Grilling: Longanisa
I'm glad you like our food. Longanisa is an all time fave of mine as well (and yeah, I'm Filipino). The best ones come from Pampanga, Philippines. Anyways, I've tried making them here in the U.S., but don't know where to get the pork casings. Without them, I just wrap it up in wax paper, and fry 'em skinless... it's also good that way... :o)... I'd have to try the grilled ones.
Grilling: Longanisa
My fiancé just asked me the other day when we were too lazy to cook up a more complicated dinner and instead broke out the longanisa and had that for dinner, "mmmmmm...why is longanisa so good?" I just smiled. It is definitely "so good." The next thing on his itinerary on the culinary exploration of Filipino breakfast fare is definitely tocino.
Grilling: Longanisa
Thanks for the great recipe! I'll have to try it out next time I'm grilling.
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How do I revive a tired sourdough starter?
Posted by astarteny, November 1, 2007 at 8:00 AM
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About astarteny
Website: http://travelswithmyfork.blogspot.com
Location: scotland
About: food and cooking obsessed. will try 5 different recipes for the same dish to find the one that works. covets good kitchen kit.
Favorite foods: anything made with love.
Last bite on earth:
@ ladymarmalade -- yup i make rumbledethumps but usually with savoy cabbage and to accompany haggis.
in general kale is my #1 choice for stir fry. i steam it for a bit before hand with maybe some butternut squash or sweet potato and then in it goes in the stir fry along with garlic/ginger/chillies; tofu; shitake mushrooms a seasoning of dried basil, tamari, rice vinegar and toasted sesame seeds. all on top of fluffy brown rice.
it's the classic crunchy granola stir fry from my college daze.