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The Perfect Fried Egg Sandwich
I'm with Perkins--grew up with fried egg (but the yolk was fully cooked), on soft white bread with lots o' ketchup. These days it's basically the same, but on whole wheat bread, and sometimes with a slice of whatever cheese is on hand. One of my favorite sandwiches!
Cook the Book: 'Rustic Fruit Desserts'
I'll just go with what we had tonite--french vanilla pound cake with fresh blueberries, strawberries, peaches, and bananas, topped with whipped cream. Simple and fun!
Dear Whole Foods,
Open a store in Iowa! I don't understand it...do they think we Midwesterners aren't "progressive" enough to appreciate healthy, organic, REAL food?? C'mon people! We approved gay marriage....I think we deserve some real food! I have to stock up everytime I visit Minneapolis (which of course means only packaged food that will survive the trip and the storage). Same goes for Trader Joe's...what I wouldn't do for a TJ's less than 4 hours away!
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Eat for Eight Bucks: Dumplings Two Ways, with Freestyle Dipping Sauce
Posted by Michele Humes, January 15, 2009 at 3:15 PM
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Cook the Book: 'Good Eats: The Early Years'
Oh man. Mine would have to be the extremely hungover Thanksgiving that I spent with my then-boyfriends' (now husbands) family. I was about 19 (yeah, I know...), and we had gone to a big party at a friends' house the night before. Thanksgiving morning it took me forever to get ready, because I had to keep lying down on the bathroom floor to avoid getting sick. So, we're at dinner, and I'm so nauseous/headachy I can barely manage to sit at the table, and here are his grandmas (both of them!) prodding me to eat more. "Here, have some green bean casserole. How about some gravy? Jello salad?" UGH. I found out later that his entire family knew what was up, except the grandmas...
The Perfect Fried Egg Sandwich
I'm with Perkins--grew up with fried egg (but the yolk was fully cooked), on soft white bread with lots o' ketchup. These days it's basically the same, but on whole wheat bread, and sometimes with a slice of whatever cheese is on hand. One of my favorite sandwiches!
Cook the Book: 'Rustic Fruit Desserts'
I'll just go with what we had tonite--french vanilla pound cake with fresh blueberries, strawberries, peaches, and bananas, topped with whipped cream. Simple and fun!
Dear Whole Foods,
Open a store in Iowa! I don't understand it...do they think we Midwesterners aren't "progressive" enough to appreciate healthy, organic, REAL food?? C'mon people! We approved gay marriage....I think we deserve some real food! I have to stock up everytime I visit Minneapolis (which of course means only packaged food that will survive the trip and the storage). Same goes for Trader Joe's...what I wouldn't do for a TJ's less than 4 hours away!
Dinner Tonight: Beet, Avocado, and Goat Cheese Salad
I've had a salad pretty much identical to this at Biaggi's a few times (they use dried cherries instead of cranberries, and coat goat cheese rounds in crushed walnuts)--it is unbelievable! I've got arugula growing like mad in a container on my deck, some goat cheese in the fridge, and cranberries & all the dressing ingredients in the cupboard...think I need to pick up the avocado & beets tomorrow! I could eat this all weekend...
What’s Your Favorite Weird Snack Combo?
Warm chocolate pudding w/ chipotle powder mixed in
Not so much a snack food, but peanut butter on burgers...mmmmm
Cook the Book: 'Kneadlessly Simple'
Oatmeal Molasses Bread--no rising time required!
Healthy & Delicious: White Chicken Chili
I have made that Cook's Illustrated chili several times, and it is good, but very time-consuming. I've never had that issue with the peppers, though! I'll try this recipe next--it sounds great and *much* quicker!
What are your favorite products from Trader Joe's?
The closest TJs to me is about a 4-hour drive (WAAAAA!!), so when I do get there I really stock up. Here's what's always on the list:
-dark chocolate edamame
-choc-covered espresso beans
-those little tins of traveler's chocolates
-blue corn chips
-gyoza sauce
-huge jugs of green tea
-nuts/trail mixes
-mini whole wheat pitas
-cashew or almond butter
They also had a mango sauce once that my kids loved, but I haven't found it since that first time. ;o(
Cook the Book: The Essence of Chocolate
A flourless chocolate cake from a local restaurant called blend. Amazing.
What do you put in your oatmeal?
I cook it with water, skim milk & a little buttermilk--make a big pot so there's enough for the week (I actually like it better reheated the next day, when it's much thicker and chewier). I usually eat it with natural PB, sliced banana, and a little splenda, honey, or agave. Sometimes some cinnamon. And always a splash of soymilk.
Photo of the Day: Flying Dumplings
Great photo! We also made these on Super Bowl Sunday--the kids loved helping with them. We found they worked best when we fried them first, then added some water to the skillet and covering it quickly, to steam them the rest of the way. Tried frying them after steaming, and they just fell apart. But LOVED the finished product, and am now wishing we had made a double batch...
Cook the Book: 'Baking Unplugged'
The first time I tried making cookies on my own (grade school?), I mistook powdered sugar for flour...umm, yeah, I had one giant flat "cookie".
And to show that even experienced bakers screw up sometimes, I'll share this one...Last week I was making bars with the kids, and went to break the egg into the batter that was already mixing (rather than into a separate bowl--call me lazy)...got clumsy and dropped half the egg shell in with it! The mixer was running, so of course the shell got quite broken up before I could turn it off. I didn't want to throw out all my hard work, so I spent the next 10 minutes digging through the batter picking out eggshell bits...Lesson learned!
'Culinary Slumming'
Oh! And I forgot chocolate chips melted in the microwave, eaten with a spoon...mmmm
'Culinary Slumming'
Oreos soaked in milk til they're mushy
Chicken in a Biscuit crackers
Kraft mac-n-cheese (powdered cheese sauce kind)
Jalapeno poppers (cream cheese filled) with pepper jelly
My husband would definately agree on the Nutella!
Cook the Book: 'The New Mediterranean Diet Cookbook'
Spanakopita, hummus on anything, and a big Greek salad with lots of feta!
Baking with Dorie: Lemon-Lemon Lemon Cream
I made this for dessert this past Thanksgiving, and it is amazing. REALLY buttery and rich--in fact, when I smelled it I really smelled butter more than lemon!
If you could have any chef cook you dinner, who would it be?
After having an amazing meal at Frontera Grill on a recent trip to Chicago, I'd have to say Rick Bayless. It's food I can't get anywhere in my "neck of the woods".
The Cupcake Controversy Lives On!
I agree with klg, and pretty much everyone else as well. My kids' school lunches are hideous (which is why they bring their lunch 4 out of 5 days/week), and the "new" snack policy is even worse--according to that, fruit roll-ups are an "approved, healthy" snack, while any homemade food is not allowed. The only exception is birthday treats. They're just kids, let's allow them a little old-fashioned fun once in awhile. And while we're at it, let's teach them to make their own healthy choices, rather than dictating everything they are allowed to have and not to have.
Cook the Book: 'Good Eats: The Early Years'
Well it's not a very exiting story, but my favorite thanksgiving memory is rolling up those crescent rolls from the tube with my mom back when I was little. Those things are so good!
Cook the Book: 'Good Eats: The Early Years'
Back in my very early 20's.... My friend's mother was in the hospital, so she and I were going to cook Thanksgiving dinner for all the family and friends...
We did the dips & apps... the veggie side dishes.... turkey in the oven looking wonderful... things are all coming together at the right time and we are doing a great job!
Then somehow the rolls catch on fire while I am making the gravy... I think I have completely repressed the memory of how that happened??? All I remember is the fear that the curtains would catch next and the kitchen was going to go up.....
So there is this whole slapstick routine with the flaming rolls, the water, the smoke & steam and the floating ash... Finally we get back to business. I whip up some bisquick drop biscuits to fill the gap left by the rolls and we get dinner on the table...
It wasn't really until after everyone had plated up and put the gravy boat to work that we realized the skillet had been uncovered during our little diversion and a lot of ash had floated into the gravy.... mmmm mmmm mmm, creamy ash gravy.... a family favorite to this day....
Cook the Book: 'Good Eats: The Early Years'
The first year I knew my husband, he was a dedicated vegetarian. As soon as Thanksgiving came along and the possibility of not being able to have turkey occurred to him, he decided poultry was acceptable food.
Cook the Book: 'Good Eats: The Early Years'
One Thanksgiving I did my best mise-en-place thing, loading up my kitchen counter with all the stuff I'd need to make pumpkin pie. Unfortunately, the can of pumpkin got shoved behind my cookbook stand, and the pumpkin never got included in the pie. I thought the mixture seemed a bit light in color, but all those spices cover a multitude of sins. We discovered the problem during clean up.
Cook the Book: 'Good Eats: The Early Years'
In our family, the "cookers" don't have to do the cleaning....so one year my son volunteered to peel the potatoes- and thought that offset the 2 days we spent cooking, thusly no longer having to clean. Ha!
Cook the Book: 'Good Eats: The Early Years'
my first thanksgiving away from home, i decided the day before to throw together a full feast with my two university roommates (neither of whom can cook). it had all the fixings - a 12lb turkey, sweet potatoes, cranberry sauce, stuffing... everything turned out amazing and the turkey lasted less than 48 hours before we had eaten every last scrap
Cook the Book: 'Good Eats: The Early Years'
Last year I got to spend thanksgiving with my dad. It was his last. Love you dad.
Cook the Book: 'Good Eats: The Early Years'
Bob Evans once sold my brother the plastic display pie instead of a real pie-and non of us realized it until we tried to cut into it! They were very happy when he called back and returned it for a real pie-apparently the fake pies are very expensive!
Cook the Book: 'Good Eats: The Early Years'
the year I was in london and ate a turkey sandwich from starbucks for my thanksgiving dinner :(
Cook the Book: 'Good Eats: The Early Years'
the first time that I was allowed to sit at the adults table for thanksgiving with the extended family, I ended up between my great-grandpa, who couldn't hear, and my uncle, who got really loud when he had a drink or two. This ended up with my uncle trying to talk to me, and my great grandpa asking "WHAT" every time I tried to answer. I shut up after about 2 minutes.
Cook the Book: 'Good Eats: The Early Years'
After a painful Thanksgiving with my inlaws I decided that I would make our own family dinner. It turned out great until it was time for desert. The dog had decided she had enough of us ignoring her and jumped onto the table. Pies and whipped cream went everywhere. It was the first and last time our dog ever got on our table.
Cook the Book: 'Good Eats: The Early Years'
My first Thanksgiving! I was 24 and all of my fiancee's relatives came to my tiny apartment. There were about 12 of us crammed around a card table trying to eat. The food was good, but it was hard to eat, no one could move! Aaaah the good old days!
Cook the Book: 'Good Eats: The Early Years'
One year, my sis and I decided to do a "dishwasher turkey". She had read about it, seen it in one of the numerous food shows she'd watched, etc., and we just "had to do it". So, with two other turkeys and several other types of meats being brought by the 30 some crowd expected at the Orphan's Thanksgiving (at her place that year), we attempted the dishwasher turkey. She had read that the steam from the dishwasher cycle steamed the turkey perfectly, as long as the turkey was wrapped tightly in aluminum foil. Eagerly, her husband gathered around after the cycle ended to tastle this magnificent bird. One problem... it wasn't done. Not even close, actually. So, she put it in for another round. Still not done. Time was starting to run out, so she shoved it in the oven, praying that it finished in time for dinner. It wasn't. Her husband gleefully ate from the plethora of others foods available, including two other turkeys, and was very pleased when he had a whole turkey for "leftovers" the next day. For years after, we asked her if she wanted to wash the food in the dishwasher before she cooked it. After all, one can never be too careful.
Cook the Book: 'Good Eats: The Early Years'
the first Thanksgiving dinner I prepared I made two colossal mistakes: every dish was a recipe I had never made before & every recipe had some difficult prep or cooking techniques ~ it was handsdown the most streeful & exhausting cooking experience I've ever had ~ I got the meal on the table & then excused myself and took a long nap. Needless to say I learned a valued lesson ~ only one new recipe & only one dish with a difficult prep or cooking techniques per meal.
Cook the Book: 'Good Eats: The Early Years'
Every other Thanksgiving we visit my grandparent's ranch in south Texas. Eating the traditional dishes that my grandma makes is a great annual activity. We usually end up with lots of extended family over, including a couple that owns a vineyard and brings their wine with them. They always arrive with the air that they've been tasting it already...
Cook the Book: 'Good Eats: The Early Years'
We have a big family and cook 3 turkeys to feed the crowd. One of them is cooked outdoors since we run out of oven space. The first time I fried a turkey on my own I couldn't seem to get the oil hot enough. After a while, I finally noticed the probe wasn't far enough in the oil. After a frantic attempt to now cool down the pot (setting it on bricks in the grass and hosing the outside with water - not too smart), it finally cooled down enough and when we finally checked the bird, it was perfect.
These days I now cook the bird on my Weber. It's way more predictable!
Cook the Book: 'Good Eats: The Early Years'
Every year I grab whomever is in my unit at Dland to treat them to a Thanksgiving dinner. The reason being that for about 4 years I had to work on Thanksgiving and Xmas and know what its like trying to find somewhere to eat on that day. So it has become a tradition to invite all the guys who had to work that day and couldn't go home.
Cook the Book: 'Good Eats: The Early Years'
My story is; I was born on Thanksgiving. No one had dinner that fateful day!
Cook the Book: 'Good Eats: The Early Years'
Story, story, story, story. I wish I had a good one for you. All I know is that the best food always was done by my Grandmother. Southern cooking and all. She learned from the best. Her dumplings are legendary.
Cook the Book: 'Good Eats: The Early Years'
My mom made really good gravy. I think I was in second grade. I was so excited about it, I got up in front of my class and told them about it. Not much of a story unless you know my mom and her cooking repertoire.
Cook the Book: 'Good Eats: The Early Years'
I can't say I have any particularly interesting stories. My parents never did the thanksgiving thing until I was at least in jr high and even now i'm not sure we really have a handle on it. this year i'm doing it, we'll see how it goes.
Cook the Book: 'Good Eats: The Early Years'
I was transporting a cooked turkey with the fixings to a friend's house. When I got there the gravy had spilled all over the trunk of my car. I had to clean the trunk and run home to see what kind of gravy I had in my freezer, couldn't serve turkey and fixin's without gravy. sharonaquilino(at)hotmail(dot)com
Cook the Book: 'Good Eats: The Early Years'
I was newly married and it was my first attempt at cooking a turkey. I was completely repulsed by the gizzards and neck. So much so that I really couldn't even eat any turkey. I'm over that now.
Cook the Book: 'Good Eats: The Early Years'
A couple of years ago, we decided to forgo the turkey and have a roast and Yorkshire pudding, with all the trimmings. My mom popped the pud in the oven and unexpectedly had to leave for a few minutes, putting my sister and me in charge of watching said pudding. Well, it was ready and my sister grabbed it out of the oven and the pudding took flight out of the pan and flew across the kitchen, landing broken on a (thankfully) clean floor mat. I just remember that time stopped and the look of utter shock on both of our faces. We pieced the pudding back into the pan before mom got back.....we were going to keep it secret until she finally commented that she didn't do a good job because of all the cracks. We fessed up and had a good laugh
Cook the Book: 'Good Eats: The Early Years'
Update on the AB smoked turkey that I have been worshipping and coddling for 5 days. We put it in the smoker and after about an hour the new, fancy smoke box thingie malfunctioned, the wood and the turkey caught fire and I thought all was lost. We wiped the smoke off the bird and realized its bottom really didnt need to see the light of day so we just kept cooking and it is out now and resting. Havent tried it yet but I am hopeful.
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Eat for Eight Bucks: Dumplings Two Ways, with Freestyle Dipping Sauce
Posted by Michele Humes, January 15, 2009 at 3:15 PM
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Oh man. Mine would have to be the extremely hungover Thanksgiving that I spent with my then-boyfriends' (now husbands) family. I was about 19 (yeah, I know...), and we had gone to a big party at a friends' house the night before. Thanksgiving morning it took me forever to get ready, because I had to keep lying down on the bathroom floor to avoid getting sick. So, we're at dinner, and I'm so nauseous/headachy I can barely manage to sit at the table, and here are his grandmas (both of them!) prodding me to eat more. "Here, have some green bean casserole. How about some gravy? Jello salad?" UGH. I found out later that his entire family knew what was up, except the grandmas...