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Budget cuts: Pork Leg instead of Pork Loin
Jerz - Costco? OMG. They have really good meat considering the "bulk" nature of what they sell. Or did you get it at a retail grocery?
Recipe Testing
Wow - this is certainly an esoteric field. I can only suggest you apply at cooking magazines, cookbook publishers and/or any magazine that might include recipes as part of each issue (i.e. Woman's Day - but the food will be a LOT better if you work for Saveur or Gourmet).
Birthday Food: What's your must have item(s)?
It varies from year to year but cavatelli with Sunday gravy is a favorite. And there must be cake.
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Major Holiday Meals at Restaurants: Way or No Way?
Posted by chiff0nade, December 22, 2008 at 2:50 PM
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stock pot size
Here are my criteria for cookware:
* Stainless Steel or Porcelain-Covered Cast Iron
* Riveted Handles (or one piece construction)
* Sandwich construction that includes copper, heavy bottomed for even heat distribution.
* Pourable lip. I don't think any of the All-Clads have this and it drives me crazy to have a saucepan that dribbles food down the side whenever you try to pour out the contents.
I'm not a pan snob nor a knife snob. The Wolfgang Puck set now available in Sam's Club served me very well at my little restaurant and I beat the crap out of it. It does include a somewhat large stockpot.
Budget cuts: Pork Leg instead of Pork Loin
Jerz - Costco? OMG. They have really good meat considering the "bulk" nature of what they sell. Or did you get it at a retail grocery?
Recipe Testing
Wow - this is certainly an esoteric field. I can only suggest you apply at cooking magazines, cookbook publishers and/or any magazine that might include recipes as part of each issue (i.e. Woman's Day - but the food will be a LOT better if you work for Saveur or Gourmet).
Birthday Food: What's your must have item(s)?
It varies from year to year but cavatelli with Sunday gravy is a favorite. And there must be cake.
Local butcher shops beat supermarkets
This doesn't surprise me in the least and I'm very envious of cooks who have relationships with different purveyors (a la my mother). However, in this multi-tasking, one-stop-shopping world, you sometimes need a pound of butter AND a basin wrench - and that's how stores like Wal Mart stay in business.
Possible to Bake Poblano Peppers without Scorching First?
Sorry but I have to vote for charring. I recently moved to a place with gas burners and wouldn't dream of making chile rellenos without the charring step. They will be a whole other animal if you simply fill and bake them. Yield: A stuffed naked pepper that might be soft but will lack some flavor and still have its skin.
Pepsi to Use Real Sugar?
As everyone knows I call bullshit on HFCS.
Jerz - I don't think HFCS is dangerous in and of itself. The problem is that it permeates everything from jarred tomato sauce (which is bleah anyway) to soda to canned soups to you-name-it. There's no way to get "moderate" amounts of it because it shows up in everything.
Pepsi is in enough trouble because of GMA's expose on the Appalachian kids' rotten teeth. The condition is so closely linked to Mountain Dew, they call it "Mountain Dew Mouth."
need help with old dessert
It sounds like you're looking for socca. Here's a recipe. Not sure if this link will work as it's a cached copy but this sounds a lot like what you describe.
Savory Socca - not what you asked about but might be interesting...
Can you use any other descriptors for this dessert - or have pictures you can point to??
Stickiness that won't come off
Have you ever stored them in a top cabinet near the stove? A nasty film usually forms because even if you have a vent hood, grease still rises and attaches itself to pans and dishware in those high cabinets.
For LeCreuset - I spray with EZ Off oven cleaner OUTDOORS and lay the pans on newspaper. An hour or two later, take an gently abrasive scrubber i.e. Dobie (that doesn't scratch), hose off the pans and scrub them. If you do this on the INSIDE of the pan, you need to wash liberally with soapy water multiple times to eliminate traces of EZ Off.
For Glasses, and Dishes - I use straight ammonia on a sponge. I kid you not. The grease comes off instantly. I then run the dishes and/or glasses through an entire dishwasher cycle to remove any and all traces of ammonia. OR hand wash them all. I know this sounds extreme but it works like a charm and if you are very careful to wash everything THOROUGHLY when you're done, there is no danger. WARNING: If using on plates that might have a "stamped" pattern on them, test in an inconspicuous place on the plate to make sure the design is very sound. (i.e. possibly a cup saucer.)
Jello Salad: a regional thing?
Calling any gelatinous mass that happens to suspend morsels of one type or another a "salad" is laughable to me. Call it what it is. Stuff Held In Suspended Animation Within A Blob Of Jell-O.
A friend of mine used to bring this thing to my BBQs and everyone seemed to like it. When I told her my friends enjoyed her "Green Jell-O Thing" she said it was called "Summer Salad." To quote the real men of genius ad for Giant Taco Salad Inventor - I don't see no lettuce.
We crave Italian 'Speck'. Do you?
You can totally find speck in Costco or Sam's - I always have a hard time remembering in which one I found what. I remember it being right near the prosciutto.
What's So Weird About That?
Ricotta and Jelly (Dad worked for Polly-O for 38 years)
Cottage Cheese and Jelly (Mom was perpetually on a diet and we actually liked cottage cheese)
And honestly, Cream Cheese and Jelly is not such a stretch :D
Mackerel & Onions with Vinegar (got a lot of WTF looks for that one)
Canned Salmon Salad (think tunafish) Sandwiches
Broccoli Stems (Bro and I favored the stems v. the florets and mom used to say she felt like Morticia Adams who'd buy roses for the thorns.)
Romaine lettuce in salads - before it was chic. The rest of my friends' moms were serving iceberg.
In the "it doesn't sound nasty now but did as a kid" department, bro and I looooved mom's Liver & Onions. She was the only one in the neighborhood who would cook the onions to within an inch of their lives but only briefly saute the liver. It was delicious and to this day, I love it that way.
Possible to make thick crust pizza at home?
When I make thick pizza, I bake it almost all the way without the mozzie. I really despise burned mozzie and those conveyor ovens are the worst thing to happen to pizza since the opening of Dominoes.
Here's my recipe for Spinach Pizza and the dynamic behind par-cooking it before adding mozzie.
Gourmet Style Chocolate Chip Cookies anyone?
My SIL and I made these last night. Neiman Marcus Urban Legend Cookies. I think they very closely resemble the type of thick-ish rich cooky you need. I will say they're a little closer to crunchy than chewy but slightly underbaking them might give you chewier results. It's a strange recipe as they are baked for 20 minutes at 300 degrees. Outstanding flavor.
I heart stuffed ________
Crap! My answer didn't post! :(
I love stuffed anything.
Help! Cookie Dough in check-in luggage?
The main concern would be (as said above) customs. Not so much trying to get it through security. I've brought food through security - notably a Pizza Grano at Easter time. The security guard threatened to tell everyone I had it unless I agreed to share it with him. It was nice to see a security officer with a sense of humor during a hellacious travel day.
Your most surprising cookbook?
Woman's Day Encyclopaedia of Cookery. But I have a good excuse.
Growing up, in my teen, culinary-formative years, it was my mother's main source of "cooking reference." Whatever she didn't know from her head, she grabbed from WD.
I now have my mother's WD collection and, every now and again, I'll whip something together from it.
Another one that would surprise people is the Friends cookbook (you know, after the show). It's got stuff in it like Cheesecake ("Could this dessert HAVE more calories??"). I don't remember buying it so I must have gotten it as a gift.
A fun, sort of "fluffy" cookbook I have is by Vogue. Sometimes like, food through the ages... or something like that. What I like about it is that the recipes are in chrono order - like what was popular in the 30's, 40's, etc. It's fun to thumb through, if only for the culinary history lesson.
Hand-held foods?
I will eat a doorknob wrapped in a tortilla.
In the absence of a doorknob...
* Gyro. It's a party wrapped in a pita. A messy party.
* Burrito. And it doesn't have to be a belly buster to be great.
* Summer rolls. It's the only really "light" food I can think of that's surrounded by a wrapper.
As for stuff like BBQ chix and ribs, I really have to be in the mood to get messy.
LOVE the Crabs Cantonese at Hop Kee (21 Mott Street). Friggin' black bean sauce down to my elbows!
Movies on Food
Yes!!! Sorry, Remy...Didn't mean to omit you - add Ratatouille to my list!
The 20 Dishes you need to know
Marinara
Ragu (long-simmered gravy with meatballs, sausage, et al)
Lasagna
Roast Chicken
Chicken Soup
Bread Stuffing
Good Vinaigrette
Mac & Cheese
Chocolate Cake
Pound Cake
Chocolate Pudding
Apple Crisp
Roast Beef
Shrimp Scampi
Properly Cooked Rice (this is the one I don't know)
Bread
Eggs O/E
Some form of Eggs Benedict
Pancakes/Waffles
Scones
Some decent lunch sandwich, i.e. Roast turkey breast, sliced brie, roasted peppers on crusty semolina bread
Brownies
As for muscles, I like mine sweated and pumped... (Sorry couldn't resist.) Mussels - marinara, fra diavolo or Thai with coconut milk or French with shallots, wine and chopped parsley.
Cooking for your Valentine?
I don't do restaurants on Mother's Day or Val Day. The first Val Day I spent with my present BF, he insisted we go out. I relented. Favorite restaurant. Entree served not-so-piping-hot. He admitted that less-than-perfect entree at a generally top notch restaurant proved my point. At least I know I won't get any arguments!!
Unfortunately, we will not be in the same place on Val Day this year :( :( :(. I'm in Clearwater continuing to pack and he's in ATL working like a demon. He did send me this beautiful bouquet yesterday. Pardon the makeshift "display" it's a quilt thrown over a humongous roll of bubble wrap.
Slivering almonds
Slivered almonds are one of those things I let the nut manufacturers do.
Movies on Food
I have a long list and am always on the lookout for more.
American Cuisine
Who Is Killing The Great Chefs Of Europe
Big Night
Babette's Feast
Eat Drink Man Woman
Chocolat
Pieces of April
Like Water For Chocolate
Mostly Martha/No Reservations
Never saw/heard of The Cook/Thief/Wife/Lover - but now I'll BOLO. I have a feeling I need to join Netflix...
Salsa Verde Potato Salad
Chorizo is going to make it a meat dish so you might want to think about that.
I think a dice of red onion, maybe some diced poblano or red bell (or both) but not much more than that :D.
Food Tattoos?
I'm in the process of designing a pin-up (40's style) of a chefly young lady with a plate of sushi in one hand, and a slice of maki in the other, along with all of the standard accoutrement of a pin up. I already have a toqued skull biting my first chef knife tatted on my other arm, in military style. Soon I will add the words 'Death From Within' in some form with that one. I will try to post up pics when they are complete!
Ricotta cheese filled pastry that my Aunt Carm use to make
They are called Casdette. i will post the recipe soon. they are delicious
I want a soft focaccia bread recipe
Try adding some cooked grated potatoes in your recipe.
Does Anyone Really Love Pumpkin Pie?
I love pumpkin pie, sweet potato pie, and I will eat butternut squash right out of the rind once it's roasted. I bake pumpkin bread and pumpkin pie in autumn, not really for the holidays so much. I generally love squash. I once made pies from a squash in Peru just because it was a novelty. These squashes/gourds are so big it takes two people to carry one. It's important to remember that pies aren't just a desert - they are often the main course, filled with meats, vegetables, and spices. My family usually has pumpkin pie around Thanksgiving and Christmas, but we also get tired of traditional holiday foods. Frequently, for Thanksgiving or Christmas, we will decide to have something different at the table. Last year we had an incredible Italian dish that my father prepared for Christmas, and I smoked chicken and baby back ribs for Thanksgiving. It didn't change the spirit of the holidays at all for us. So, I guess the important thing is that you enjoy what you cook and eat during the holidays.
The 20 Dishes you need to know
My personal Top 20:
1. Bacon and Potato Omelette (I'm from germany and can't live without my "Bauernfrüstück")
2. Pasta with a garlic sauce
3. Spaghetti with meatballs
4. Roasted Chicken
5. Kao Pad (I'm also half Thai, and grew up with this dish)
6. Pancakes
7. Steak
8. Pizza
9. Potato Soup
10. A good Sandwich
11. Satay Sticks
12. Mashed Potaoes
13. Meatloaf
14. Gravy
15. Thai Sausages
16. Green Cabbage and Smoked Pork Chop
17. Spareribs
18. Quesadillas
19. Burger with some Fries and Fried Onions
20. Double Mud Chocolate Cake
On Banning Photography from Restaurants
I just got back from Corton. The website asks guests to refrain from using flash photography and cell phones. I accept that gladly. You quote Drew here as saying,
"No, we're not going to stop people from taking photos," Nieporent said. "We'd just like people to be considerate of the other people in the restaurant.""
So why, when I entered, was I told that no photography was permitted. I asked nicely and was told, "no". The host asked the chef and reiterated that it was not permissible. I explained that I would not use a flash. I explained that I would not use the photos online nor for any commercial purposes. Still, my request was refused. I feel lied to based on the website only saying that "flash photography" was not permitted and also the quote here from Drew. So Drew, why is this?
The food at Corton was good but, just like Momofuku Ko, I won't be back. I see no reason to reward restaurants who don't consider my desire for a permanent memory, valid. They can make any policies they like but I still get to chose where I dine. I also chose to deal with people who advertise honestly. Drew said that, "we're not going to stop people" but that is just what they did. That to me is deceptive.
In the interest of full disclosure, the host did comp a round of drinks for us because of this. Still, it, (please, please, pardon the pun, leaves a bad taste in my mouth.
What childhood food do you wish they still made?
Oh, man, I thought I had blocked out my Gatorade Gum cravings!
What childhood food do you wish they still made?
I miss bbq munchos, planters cheeseballs (there is another brand available now in a large container that are good but...) and morton raspberry filled powdered donuts. Oh, those were the days.
The Long Search for Pizza in South Florida
no offense but I don't think you can get good NY pizza in florida or anywhere else for that matter. I grew up there and it is the first thing you miss when you leave..aside from bagels. my mom sent me a few pies from a web site that says the restaurant is in syosset. It was an very thin crust and coal fired. You can tell by the way the crust cooks. they were outstanding. here is the place http://www.buynypizza.com
Lard in NYC pizza dough
Lard was first used in pizza by Romans and is far superior than olive oil for baking in every way but one. It nearly never burns and is sweeter (as it is pork fat) and will maker a crisper crust(sorry that's just chemistry it's burning point is higher). But it is a heart attack waiting to happen so most NY pizza no longer uses it. And you can use it in any soda based recipe instead of olive oil not just yeast. So no pork lard can be used in any pizza Recipe as it is the Original ingredient NOT OLIVE OIL but it is as unhealth as it is great tasting. So you can use it in a soda recipe or a yeast. So sorry it is better tasting and was the original ingredient but is no longer used in most NY Pizza. My mom used to make a soda based crust with over a cup of lard in it and it was Heaven and would get you there to.
Here a old time Authentic pizza recipy as the romans used thow it is yeast based you could substitute 2 tsp. baking powder for the yeast .
http://www.bigoven.com/40005-Black-Pepper-Lard-Pizza-Dough-recipe.html
and here one for original NY pizza
http://www.fogazzo.com/html/pizza_dough.html
read on that page
Fogazzo’s Basic Italian Pizza Dough Recipe
Food blogs
Cocina Savant
http://cocinasavant.blogspot.com/
Avid husband and wife cooking team exploring new ideas and twists on traditional cooking form different cultures.
Do you blog? What's your URL?
Cocina Savant
http://cocinasavant.blogspot.com/
Weekly pictures, recipes, and thoughts from a husband and wife who love books and cooking for each other.
Getting garlic/onion odors out of wooden cutting boards?
Fyi, the baking soda slurry worked like a charm. Dumped a bunch of baking soda on there, then a little bit of boiling water from the kettle and scrubbed/slurried. I let it soak in the baking soda paste for about 15 minutes, then rinsed it off with very hot water/boiling water. No more garlic-flavored apples– thanks for the great tip!
Food Network Cookware? Hit or Miss?
Slandi, are you satisfied with the 12 qt. multicooker who purchased from Kohls? I just bought one and would like to know how yours worked out. Anyone out there have the 4-pc multicooker 12 qt? Thanks for any input.
Does anyone else put bechamel in their lasagna?
I make a mushroom and tomato lasagna with Bechamel sauce; it is my very favorite; so different and so good!
http://vinolucistyle.com/2009/09/lasagna-with-tomatoes-mushrooms-and-bechamel-sauce/
Pepper Mill? or Pepper Shaker?
Pepper must be ground before use, lest all those lovely volatile oils escape... BUT if you don't want to waste the shaker why not use it for something else? Home-made garam masala? Chili pepper flakes? Another type of salt???
What are your favorite sites to buy hard to find food?
i use hometown favorites to get my Orange and Grape Crush sodas and cinnamon-pecan oatmeal. They are very reliable. One time I received a short order and the packing was a bit sticky, as if a bottle had leaked, and they replaced it immediately with a free six pack, no questions asked. hometownfavorites.com
MOST favorite cookbook in collection
Hands down, my favorite cookbook of all time is Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking by Marcella Hazan. It is brilliant, completely useful in everyday life and with one single exeption (the pear cake thing) every thing I've made from it has come out great. And I've made almost everything in it over the years. It is what I give new brides. It is what I give the young people I know who are starting out on their own.
MOST favorite cookbook in collection
If you're conserving "real estate" in your home, here are a few suggestions...
Martha Stewart's Cooking School
I'd also get books of your favorite ethnicities. They round out a cookbook collection nicely.
Bottom line - get books you'll USE. I love baking bread and have several books on the subject but if you're not interested in baking bread, skip it. I like Italian baking as well and have books by Nick Malgeri on the subject. (Baking w/Julia is an "all around" baking book it has a little bit of everything from some of the brilliant minds in baking.)
You might visit a library and/or bookstore and thumb through some to get an idea if you'll like them. Don't forget to visit USED book sites. Some things strike readers as "out of my league" so they bail and sell the book with nary a splat of olive oil on it. I beefed up my cookbook collection via used book sites.
Happy shopping!
MOST favorite cookbook in collection
Kenny Shopsin's Eat Me: The Food and Philosophy of Kenny Shopsin, hands down. Really changed how I think about cooking.
MOST favorite cookbook in collection
I would have to say Professional Cooking...the massive amount of info in it is amazing! lots of step by step pictires and detail instructions. Although you have to know some professional terminology to use it. Measurements both in metric and u.s.
How do you eat your hot dogs?
Fewteeth.. I know you are probably long gone from here, but I'll ask anyway. What exactly is a "sewer beetle?" Something you invented?
What bread makes the best toast?
CROISSANTS CROISSANTS CROISSANTS so yummy!
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Bought a Beef Heart... What do I do?
I just bought a beef heart on a serious whim and I'm thinking about cutting it up and tossing it up in a crock pot full of some spicy creole seasoning with beans (not sure what kind) and then toss some onions bell peppers and garlic and let it simmer all day while I'm at school. (will that work? or is it a bit much??) of course it will all be served over rice.
Recent Posts
Major Holiday Meals at Restaurants: Way or No Way?
Posted by chiff0nade, December 22, 2008 at 2:50 PM
Mother's Day and the Restaurant Experience...
Posted by chiff0nade, May 9, 2008 at 1:15 PM
NYT Great James Beard Article...With Recipes!
Posted by chiff0nade, March 15, 2008 at 8:56 AM
What will you have on Christmas Morning?
Posted by chiff0nade, December 19, 2007 at 10:39 AM
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Posted by chiff0nade, December 13, 2007 at 9:50 AM
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About chiff0nade
Website: http://www.chiffonadecooks.com
Location: Florida
About: Cooking and fitness are my passions, along with family and friends. I take every opportunity to pimp cooking real food because boxed, canned and bagged stuff will do a body no good at all. If you love your family, see to it they eat good food.
Favorite foods: All of 'em. (Except rabbit...I had one as a pet for four years. He had the run of the house. If I were to eat rabbit, it would be the equivalent of anyone else eating Fido.)
Last bite on earth: Cake.
Here are my criteria for cookware:
* Stainless Steel or Porcelain-Covered Cast Iron
* Riveted Handles (or one piece construction)
* Sandwich construction that includes copper, heavy bottomed for even heat distribution.
* Pourable lip. I don't think any of the All-Clads have this and it drives me crazy to have a saucepan that dribbles food down the side whenever you try to pour out the contents.
I'm not a pan snob nor a knife snob. The Wolfgang Puck set now available in Sam's Club served me very well at my little restaurant and I beat the crap out of it. It does include a somewhat large stockpot.