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From Talk

jazzing up white rice

I love the Lundberg dark rices, but I am in the minority in our house. So we usually eat their basmati white (the smell is inscrutable!). It is perfect as is (I only salt it at the end, not during the cooking). Occasionally I'll add a little toasted sesame oil at the end for a smoky nutty thing. I've also cooked it with a very small amount of dried herbes de provence to give it a delicate floral nose. I've found that with good basmati, less jazzy is more.

doodleysquat at 12:42AM on 09/30/09

From Talk

Compiling recipes for a family cookbook - advice?

Although I haven't made a recipe book yet, I have successfully used Word for similar projects. My one tip for those who decide to use Word is this: make sure you allocate adequate space in "Margins" for the vertical "gutter" that runs down the binding side of your pages, and select "Mirror Margins" if you plan to print on both sides of the paper. Otherwise, you could have your recipe butting right up against whatever your binding material is (spiral, comb, 3-ring, etc).

doodleysquat at 1:04PM on 08/31/09

From Recipes

Martha Stewart's Macaroni and Cheese

I'm not surprised to hear that Ina Garten was the originator of Martha's recipe. I don't like watching Ina on TV, but I love her recipes (try her French Potato Salad, it's wicked good).

Once we tried this M&C, there was no debate--just a natural consensus within the family that this was The One. My wife's notes indicate she always substitutes Swiss for the Gruyere/Romano. She always uses freshly grated nutmeg (it really does make a BIG difference), If you like lots of crust (we do), cook it in a broad, shallow casserole dish. And regarding freezing, it can be stored in the freezer cooked or uncooked. It's so good, it'll make your tongue smack your mama!

doodleysquat at 12:14AM on 08/02/09

From Serious Eats

Watch It with Us: 'The Next Food Network Star,' Episode 8

Maybe they need to let them both win so we get the culinary school grad and the "harried housewife" doing a combo show. I doubt I'd watch either one of them, though. Alton Brown has the goods.

doodleysquat at 10:45PM on 08/01/09

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Recent Comments | Response to Comments

From Talk

jazzing up white rice

I love the Lundberg dark rices, but I am in the minority in our house. So we usually eat their basmati white (the smell is inscrutable!). It is perfect as is (I only salt it at the end, not during the cooking). Occasionally I'll add a little toasted sesame oil at the end for a smoky nutty thing. I've also cooked it with a very small amount of dried herbes de provence to give it a delicate floral nose. I've found that with good basmati, less jazzy is more.

doodleysquat at 12:42AM on 09/30/09

From Talk

Compiling recipes for a family cookbook - advice?

Although I haven't made a recipe book yet, I have successfully used Word for similar projects. My one tip for those who decide to use Word is this: make sure you allocate adequate space in "Margins" for the vertical "gutter" that runs down the binding side of your pages, and select "Mirror Margins" if you plan to print on both sides of the paper. Otherwise, you could have your recipe butting right up against whatever your binding material is (spiral, comb, 3-ring, etc).

doodleysquat at 1:04PM on 08/31/09

From Recipes

Martha Stewart's Macaroni and Cheese

I'm not surprised to hear that Ina Garten was the originator of Martha's recipe. I don't like watching Ina on TV, but I love her recipes (try her French Potato Salad, it's wicked good).

Once we tried this M&C, there was no debate--just a natural consensus within the family that this was The One. My wife's notes indicate she always substitutes Swiss for the Gruyere/Romano. She always uses freshly grated nutmeg (it really does make a BIG difference), If you like lots of crust (we do), cook it in a broad, shallow casserole dish. And regarding freezing, it can be stored in the freezer cooked or uncooked. It's so good, it'll make your tongue smack your mama!

doodleysquat at 12:14AM on 08/02/09

From Serious Eats

Watch It with Us: 'The Next Food Network Star,' Episode 8

Maybe they need to let them both win so we get the culinary school grad and the "harried housewife" doing a combo show. I doubt I'd watch either one of them, though. Alton Brown has the goods.

doodleysquat at 10:45PM on 08/01/09

From Talk

Tabasco... or some other hot sauce?

I like Cholula for Mexican food.
For stir fry I like Asian Gourmet chili and garlic sauce.
And for shrimp creole, nothing but Tabasco will do (it needs that extra vinegar to finish the dish).

doodleysquat at 10:38PM on 08/01/09

From Recipes

Martha Stewart's Macaroni and Cheese

My boyfriend and I only refer to this as crack and cheese. It's insane. I've made it a couple of different times with a couple of different cheeses, but I favor the recommended cheeses. I brought some to a friend's "mac-off" and won hands-down.

Anyone had any experience with assembling/freezing/baking this dish?

raisingruckus at 12:40AM on 11/27/09

From Recipes

Martha Stewart's Macaroni and Cheese

@lemonfair, totally, if you imagine a 9X13 dish parcelled into 12 servings. It's really decadent.

I served this the other day with chili. In making the mac and cheese, I realised I was out of white bread, and substituted some jalapeno cheddar bread I'd bought on a lark at the grocery earlier in the week. The result was awesome! ANd the jalapeno flavour really echoed the peppers in the chili.

I was convinced this would be too much sauce, but somehow, those noodles drank it up.

BananaMonkey at 1:55PM on 10/26/09

From Talk

jazzing up white rice

I like to cook rice in chicken broth with slivers of onions, a can of drained mushroom pieces and some caraway seed. I have done this for years and it has always gone over well with my family. Some folks might not like the taste of caraway, but it is well liked here in my house in recipes featuring sauerkraut and apples, rye bread and in white rice. Try it, you'll like it.

susitee at 1:19PM on 09/30/09

From Talk

jazzing up white rice

My favorite way to jazz up white rice is to fold in onion tarka and minced green onions at the end. For the liquid I use either stock or coconut milk...it is delicious!

Here is a recipe if you like - http://rouxbe.com/recipes/64-pilau-rice/text

dthomas at 11:59AM on 09/30/09

From Talk

jazzing up white rice

@sugartoast, Its called Tahdig and you get the crusty rice at the bottom by adding oil before the cooked rice, then heating it slowly and very carefully so it doesn't burn.

GinaPet at 2:27AM on 09/30/09

From Talk

Compiling recipes for a family cookbook - advice?

Go to www.tastebook.com - it is great!

rhonda35 at 10:44AM on 09/21/09

From Recipes

Martha Stewart's Macaroni and Cheese

pdmako: ...sorry, this is not Ina Gartens mac and cheese recipe! Check your facts...recipes are all on line and available. Ina is terrific but MS's mac and cheese is an original and the best ever!

joanmc at 5:29PM on 09/19/09

From Recipes

Martha Stewart's Macaroni and Cheese

Well, right back attcha, Chiff. If you're using the Chat N Chew one, I'm going to try that now.

Adam Kuban at 9:47AM on 09/04/09

From Recipes

Martha Stewart's Macaroni and Cheese

Now you've piqued my interest. I always used the Chat N Chew Mac & Cheese recipe but with an endorsement like Adam's who can resist?? The C&C recipe also makes a ginormous batch and I frequently change up the cheeses somewhat.

therealchiffonade at 5:47PM on 09/03/09

From Talk

Compiling recipes for a family cookbook - advice?

I used tastebook.com as a gift for my bridesmaids, my mom and my MIL. I was able to upload my own photos and put stories in so I could "dedicate" a recipe to each of them. It was a HUGE hit and they all loved it.

I did have some issues with it though. I suggest putting all your recipes into word and then copy and pasting it - more than once I'd get done typing a recipe into tastebook and then it wouldn't save. I also couldn't figure out a way to change any recipes I downloaded from epicurious, so I ended up having to retype those. It also seems to encourage plagarism - I adapt a lot of recipes, so when I tried to put in "Adapted from Emeril Lagasse's. . ." (I wanted to give credit!) it would flag it for violating the terms of use, but if I took that line out I was fine.

I do love the finished product though!

cb1414 at 12:43PM on 09/01/09

From Talk

Compiling recipes for a family cookbook - advice?

My wife and I were given a book for a wedding present titled "Favorite Family Recipes" ISBN 0-89009-493-4. It had been passed around behind our backs at showers and other family gatherings for folks to write in recipes. Over the years I've added other recipes from my mother as I've discovered them.

I still use an old Win95 version of Master Cook software to keep all my recipes on an old laptop in the kitchen. It can print in several formats. When someone asks for a recipe, I just print it to a PDF and email it to them.

DAFOXFL at 11:05PM on 08/31/09

From Recipes

Martha Stewart's Macaroni and Cheese

I'm surprised that 1 pound of pasta really makes enough for 12. Do those of you who make it think this is an accurate serving size?

lemonfair at 7:43AM on 08/13/09

From Recipes

Martha Stewart's Macaroni and Cheese

I have made this mac and cheese dozens of times. Several times, when I've had fancy dinner parties, I make this for the kids but the adults just can't resist it.

I also use it as a clean out my cheese drawer recipe and I've put up to 8 different kinds of cheese that were getting to the ends of their lives -- even goat cheese. And I totally agree with the nutmeg suggestion - and must add. I'm salivating just writing about this.

Jilly at 12:47PM on 08/11/09

From Talk

Tabasco... or some other hot sauce?

sriracha, tabasco, tabasco chipotle, and asian garlic chili paste.

shoneyjoe at 10:41PM on 08/01/09

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