The chewy Clif bars are pretty good, the oatmeal cookie variety being our favorite. The crunchy ones aren't as good.
Tobin James' 2009 Syrah Rose is excellent, and under $20. I think about $18 a bottle.
Dude. I haven't even completed it yet and it's already amazing. The sauce... OMG. I will be putting that cashew-chipotle salsa on EVERYTHING now, btw.
I use the America's Test Kitchen recipe for banana bread and theirs uses oil. It is the best banana bread I've ever had.
For my dad's birthday, I used a box of yellow cake mix and tried the trick I've seen circulating on Pinterest: adding an extra egg and doubling the amount of fat. Then I zested and juiced a couple of oranges, and added the zest and substituted orange juice for the water the box called for. The cake turned out beautiful. I put some of my own kumquat marmalade in between the layers and my own chocolate buttercream on the outside (I used Ina Garten's recipe). It was the best cake I've ever made.
That just begs to be put into a mojito.
@smsingram-- that is my second-favorite hot sauce recipe, right after Tapatio sauce!
What @ecca31 said. You could even put the apple butter in the cake mix. Oreo pops also come to mind. If you have a mini-muffin tin you could make little cups out of the sugar cookie dough and fill them with whipped cream and fruit.
@Les ah-- so is tahini on toast with honey! And tamarind paste adds a nice flavor to some soups, particularly lentil (I mainly use it for Chana Masala, which I love making), not to mention you can make cocktails with it.
How about a little mascarpone?
Woo hoo! Definitely deserved. Every time I see a new SE recipe with Kenji's name by it, I think, "Well, I know this one's gonna be good."
"I am A English teacher."
Um... okay.
Seriously, though, this is the SE I love and remember; the one that made me laugh my ass off on a regular basis. Thanks, everybody!
To quote Julia, "I looooove cooking with wine! Sometimes I even put it in the food!"
Side affects? Or do you mean side effects? I occasionally experience drowsiness after eating brownies, especially if I eat them with milk.
Aebelskivers, maybe?
@Jim-Bob--Thank you for reading my mind. One of my favorite comedy bits EVER.
Jeff Bridges' first bite of Dutch apple pie in "Starman".
Q: What do you get from a pampered cow?
A: Spoiled milk.
And my favorite oldie-but-goodie:
Q: What do you call cheese that doesn't belong to you?
A: Nacho cheese.
Coconut oil might be a good compromise. It's solid at room temperature. I use it when making vegan pastry crust and it yields a beautiful texture and flavor, with no trans fats (note: the shortening advertised as "trans fat free" is ONLY trans fat free until you ingest it).
I'll also agree with bobcatsteph and add this:
A guy who keeps "insisting" that you cook for him, when he knows that you aren't comfortable in the kitchen and have repeatedly said no, sounds kind of inconsiderate.
Ground beef in butternut squash soup? Ew.
I like apples in mine; a couple of granny smiths give it a nice sweetness and tang. I start with the usual base of onion, celery, and carrot, softened in some oil with a few sprigs of fresh thyme and sage, then add my cubed squash and apples and some veg broth. When everything is tender I puree the whole thing.
I haven't tried it yet, but this sounds good too: some fresh grated ginger, garam masala, and coconut milk.
I use it as an egg substitute all the time. I like the texture it gives my quick breads, muffins, pancakes, etc., even better than how they turn out with eggs. Plus it increases the nutritional value, so it's a win/win.
The ratio is one tablespoon of flax (whole--don't use the pre-ground stuff, because by the time you get it, it's already lost most of its Omega-3 content) for one egg. Grind the tablespoon of flax seed in a coffee grinder and add it directly into your dry ingredients. There is no need for it to sit and gel; that will happen when you mix in the wet ingredients. You'll need to increase the liquid by 1/4 cup for each egg you are substituting.
Well, botanically speaking, anything growing on a plant that isn't a stem, leaf, seed, root, or flower is a fruit. That includes zucchini, tomatoes, cucumbers, eggplant etc. Another fun fact is that mushrooms are not plants; fungi are in a whole separate kingdom unto themselves because they actually behave more like animals (some of them are even mobile). I personally loathe mushrooms, but it makes me chuckle, wondering what some other vegetarians would think about that.
Ditto on the cookie press. It takes up a ton of space, and I've only used it once, but my Grandma gave it to me. She's gone now and I can't bring myself to get rid of it. I should use it to make chocolate cookies at Christmas like she used to every year; I know I have her recipe somewhere.
Has anyone else noticed how much trouble the cheftestants on shows like Top Chef and Next Iron Chef have with pressure cookers? They can't get the lid on. They can't get the lid off. They stand back and ask, "Is it supposed to be hissing like that?" Is it just me, or does anyone else think that someone who's made it to Top Chef ought to know how to use a flippin' pressure cooker?
The wife of the last patient I went to see (I work for a home care agency and travel around treating people in their homes) fed me a delectable something before I left. The problem is, I don't speak enough Spanish, and they don't speak enough English, to tell me how to make it. It's a flour tortilla, deep fried and then submerged in a sticky, gooey, caramel-y sauce that almost has a maple syrup flavor and is infused with cinnamon and cloves. I asked the patient what was in the sauce and all he could say was "milk". Does anyone know what this is called? And how I can replicate it?
My friend brought up this topic the other day and I thought it was hilarious. What quirks do you have that identify you as a foodie? His was, "...if you want to make a grilled-cheese sandwich, but you only have three kinds of cheese."
Another post about dutch ovens got me thinking. I'm wanting to ask Hunny for a Le Crueset dutch oven for Mothers' Day. What size seems to be the most useful, in others' experience?
I love carrot cake. And carrot cake is just not carrot cake without the requisite cream cheese frosting. But I don't like what my cream cheese frosting does--that is, to drip down the sides of the cake as I'm trying to put it on! Does anyone have a recipe for cream cheese frosting that is stiffer than mine? Otherwise, I'm thinking of going with a whipped white chocolate ganache instead. Somebody please stop me before I make a terrible mistake!
My extra freezer contains three frozen turkeys and a turkey breast. The turkey breast and two of the turkeys are from last year. You know how some supermarkets give a free turkey if you purchase so many $ worth of groceries? Anyway, I meant to cook them over the last year but obviously never did, and I'm just wondering, is there anything I can do with them besides ship them off to Mythbusters for a turkey cannon?
My husband's late grandfather owned his own restaurant supply business before he retired. He learned over the years that you could pretty much tell what a restaurant's kitchen would look like based on how the bathrooms were kept. If the bathrooms were immaculate, you could count on a kitchen with the same level of hygeine. If the bathrooms were dirty, however, you could expect to find the same conditions in the kitchen.
Has anyone else noticed this? Or any other rules of thumb about restaurants?
My grandma just gave me a cast iron skillet that once belonged to my late grand-aunt. It has a little rust on it. What do I do?
Couscous is one of my all-time favorite side dishes. It's quick and easy and can be prepared so many different ways. For dinner tonight I fixed it with sun-dried tomatoes and fresh basil. I also like it with soaked dried apricots and nutmeg. What does everyone else like?
The adults and baby food topic got me thinking, when my 5-week-old boy hits the 6-month mark and is ready to start on solids, I'd like to try making my own baby food. I hear it's pretty easy, as well as cheaper and tastier than the Gerber jars and whatnot. Does anyone else make their own baby food? Suggestions?
Just curious what all the rest of you like to put in your turkey sandwiches to spice them up. My personal favorite is cranberry relish, shredded lettuce and Monterey Jack cheese. I'd love to hear some new ideas!
It's a cubano sandwich but without the roasted pork and the addition of a buttery, grilled crust. More
Seared lamb chops served over a quick stew of chickpeas and spinach, flavored with harissa and Moroccan spices. A one-skillet meal in just 20 minutes. More
Smoky poblanos stuffed with rice flavored with raisins and capers in a creamy cashew-chipotle sauce. More
Creamy eggs baked in creamy avocado is more delicious than you'd think. More
Tart, sweet, and very rich, this simple mango sorbet has a creamy texture verging on ice cream. More
A classic wonton soup made with Chinese superior stock flavored with chicken, pork, ham, and shrimp. The wontons are stuffed with a mixture of pork and shrimp. The shrimp are brined in a solution of salt and baking soda to make them extra crisp. More
Looking for a tart, creamy cheesecake to use up all those Meyer lemons in your yard? Search no further. More
In a weird feat of cooking magic, you can actually bake brownies by substituting the wet ingredients (typically eggs and vegetable oil or butter) with a can of cola. The result is a dark, damp brownie with a fudgy yet springy crumb. More
As something of a seasoned peanut noodle slurper, I wanted my version to be spot on, and up to snuff. The sauce is a balance of salty, sharp, sweet and rich, and just hovering between liquid and paste for the perfect amount of "noodle cling". I threw in some easy pickled bean sprouts for kick (and crunch) and some simply seared tofu to make this a well-rounded lunch box. Just try not to slurp too loudly. More
Pan frying bananas in butter then roasting them with sugar makes them into a rich sauce for chocolate pancakes. More
Parathas are a delicious way to start the day. The aloo paratha is a flatbread stuffed with a spicy potato mix that is served warm with a dollop of home made butter. More
This retro-inspired no-bake dessert is perfect for when you want a chocolate and minty treat without spending a ton of time in the kitchen. More
Whole pureed oranges make this the moistest cake I've ever had. Ground almonds and a honey syrup complete the Middle Eastern theme. More
Classic French bread pizza upgraded with a heavy does of garlicky butter, two cheese, and fresh herbs. More
These vegan falafel-esque patties made with chickpeas and bulgur wheat have a crunchy breadcrumb and are served with mashed avocado for a rich and creamy texture. More
This hot and numbing cold noodle salad is a take on Dan Dan Mein, with spinach replacing a healthy portion of the noodles. The tangy and hot dressing slings wonderfully to the blanched leaves, delivering powerful and balanced flavor in every bite. More
Homemade blueberry cereal bars pack real blueberry flavor in a crisp, tender, buttery crust. By using a food processor to do the mixing work, this recipe requires a time investment but is not labor intensive. There is a bit of the devil in the assembly details, however. More
The key to great corn flavor in this simple chowder is making a quick corn stock from the cobs of the fresh corn and using it as the base for the soup. More
Click through to the slideshow for step-by-step photos! » About the author: After graduating from MIT, J. Kenji Lopez-Alt spent many years as a chef, recipe developer, writer, and editor in Boston. He now lives in New York with his... More
[Photographs: J. Kenji Lopez-Alt] Note: Mirin is a sweet rice-based wine. It can be found in any Japanese or Asian grocery story. If unavailable, you can make a substitue by heating 1 cup of sake with 1 cup of sugar... More
This recipe is sure to revive meatloaf tastebuds of america.... More
I've always been aware of food as a thing that people eat but I've only recently started trying it out for myself. Any suggestions?... More
Note: Both the chili bean paste and the Sichuan Peppercorns can be bought online (follow the links) if you don't have a good Chinese market nearby. Use tofu labeled "silken" in a hardness range of medium to firm. Don't try this with the super-soft stuff or it'll fall apart! More
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It's like these spammers aren't even trying to be sneaky anymore. Sad, really.