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From Talk

Dried Apples

PA Dutch call dried apples "schnitz" - but they're pliable, not completely dried to a crunch. Here's a recipe for schnitz pie.

Oooorrrr, you could add them along with some sauteed onion to pork chops.

From Talk

Cranberry relish and PA Dutch 'potato filling'?

Yes, definitely add S&P and poultry seasoning per PerkyMac along with chix broth/stock depending on the thickness that you want.

I went back to my little cookbook (made by the Northern Lebanon Senior Center many, many moons ago with recipes contributed by all the old local ladies) and found a cranberry salad recipe. I never made it or heard of it, but it's worth a shot:

Cranberry Salad
1 large box strawberry Jell-O
1 large can crushed pineapple, drained
1 can cranberry sauce
4 medium apples, diced
1 c. walnuts (small pieces)

Mix Jell-O in 3 cups boiling water. Add cranberry sauce while hot; mix until dissolved. Let stand until it starts to set. Put in apples, nuts and pineapple. Let set until firm.

Good Luck!

From Talk

Cranberry relish and PA Dutch 'potato filling'?

I grew up in Lebanon County. Not sure about the cranberry relish, but here's an old potato filling recipe:

Penna Dutch Potato Filling
3 lb potatoes, peeled and cut into cubes
1 stick butter, divided
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon parsley
2 eggs, beaten
3/4 cup milk
2 cups diced celery
2 cups diced onion
3 cups cubed white bread, crusts removed

Boil potatoes in salted water until tender. Drain and mash. Add pepper, parsley and eggs; mix very well. Add milk and mix again.

While potatoes are boiling, saute celery and onions in 3 Tbsp butter until light brown. Remove from skillet. In same skillet, melt rest of butter over low and add diced bread cubes - brown until lightly crisp, stirring often. Add bread cubes, celery and onions to potato mixture and mix well. Pour into a buttered casserole dish and bake at 350 until brown on top. I don't know the baking time - does "until done" count? Probably 30-45 minutes.

From Talk

vegetarian buffalo ________

There's nothing better than crispy chicken wings drenched in pungent buffalo wing sauce and slathered in chunky blue cheese dressing. Ya just can't recreate this trifecta with veggies. Keep the vice.

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From Talk

C is for Christmas Cookie!

From Talk

Finding Kvass & Eastern Euro foods in NJ/NY area

From Talk

Corn-rich diet vs. rice-rich diet

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What to do with cilantro stems?

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Recent Comments | Response to Comments

From Talk

Dried Apples

PA Dutch call dried apples "schnitz" - but they're pliable, not completely dried to a crunch. Here's a recipe for schnitz pie.

Oooorrrr, you could add them along with some sauteed onion to pork chops.

From Talk

Cranberry relish and PA Dutch 'potato filling'?

Yes, definitely add S&P and poultry seasoning per PerkyMac along with chix broth/stock depending on the thickness that you want.

I went back to my little cookbook (made by the Northern Lebanon Senior Center many, many moons ago with recipes contributed by all the old local ladies) and found a cranberry salad recipe. I never made it or heard of it, but it's worth a shot:

Cranberry Salad
1 large box strawberry Jell-O
1 large can crushed pineapple, drained
1 can cranberry sauce
4 medium apples, diced
1 c. walnuts (small pieces)

Mix Jell-O in 3 cups boiling water. Add cranberry sauce while hot; mix until dissolved. Let stand until it starts to set. Put in apples, nuts and pineapple. Let set until firm.

Good Luck!

From Talk

Cranberry relish and PA Dutch 'potato filling'?

I grew up in Lebanon County. Not sure about the cranberry relish, but here's an old potato filling recipe:

Penna Dutch Potato Filling
3 lb potatoes, peeled and cut into cubes
1 stick butter, divided
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon parsley
2 eggs, beaten
3/4 cup milk
2 cups diced celery
2 cups diced onion
3 cups cubed white bread, crusts removed

Boil potatoes in salted water until tender. Drain and mash. Add pepper, parsley and eggs; mix very well. Add milk and mix again.

While potatoes are boiling, saute celery and onions in 3 Tbsp butter until light brown. Remove from skillet. In same skillet, melt rest of butter over low and add diced bread cubes - brown until lightly crisp, stirring often. Add bread cubes, celery and onions to potato mixture and mix well. Pour into a buttered casserole dish and bake at 350 until brown on top. I don't know the baking time - does "until done" count? Probably 30-45 minutes.

From Talk

vegetarian buffalo ________

There's nothing better than crispy chicken wings drenched in pungent buffalo wing sauce and slathered in chunky blue cheese dressing. Ya just can't recreate this trifecta with veggies. Keep the vice.

From Talk

white trash/trailer trash theme party food idea?

LMAO - I LOVE IT!!! How about a taco "salad" made with Fritos, ground beef, salsa, cheese and a couple obligatory lettuce shreds? Or mac & cheese with cut-up hot dogs?

Or, if you want to dive in to the whole experience, how about a carton of smokes and some mint-flavored toothpicks?

From Talk

Pomegranate Molasses

I love pomegranate molasses. In light of the fact that not every community has a middle eastern food store, @phenoderr and @shecooks are correct that pomegranate juice can be boiled down - sugar and lemon are optional - to create the molasses.

From Talk

Eating a Fried Fish that's Still Alive

I was disturbed by the video too (saw it in my rss). Yes, I understand that animals are killed all the time for human consumption, and it could have been a mistake (horrible, horrible mistake) for the fish to have been boiled almost to the point of death, but did they have to keep poking chopsticks into its mouth?? That was the truly cruel part - PUT IT OUT OF ITS MISERY! I didn't think it was funny at all, and I'm glad that SE had the decency to remove it.

From Talk

Oh, what a dud!

Eating muppet - LMAO! I'd like to see Andrew Zimmern tackle that on Bizarre Foods.

I've made plenty of duds in my time - they make me appreciate the gems even more!

From Talk

Substitute for Lemongrass

Zest is a good substitute. For next time ;-), I just found salt lemongrass powder at the Asian supermarket in Piscataway (should be relatively easy to find in many similar markets). It's called Muoi Sa Rang - I'm putting it on just about anything right now - yummy!

From Talk

How to cook butternut squash

If you want butternut done fast, you can halve it, seed it, rub with a bit of oil or butter and nuke it for a couple of minutes (time would depend on how big it is - test it every few minutes)

From Talk

Help: Deep fried turkey not crispy

It's not a time issue - it's a heat issue. The oil's got to be really hot to get a good crisp (and the skin dry to reduce splattering.) Cooking it longer won't crisp up the skin - in fact, it just may get a lightly-crispy-yet-gummy texture. Sorry - I know crispy skin is a highlight of Tgiving dinner! :-(

From Talk

What to do with roasted Garlic?

Loooooove roasted garlic...can use it on just about anything! I've even served it as a dip (mixed with sour cream for those timid folks).

@machellebelle - I freeze mine just like pesto - I float a bit of oo on top before freezing, and I use baby food jars to I can thaw small amounts at a time.

From Serious Eats: New York

Where Does Your Thanksgiving Loyalty Lie?

I claim neutrality - I love everything about the day & the good eats/drinks!

From Talk

Pre-Thanksgiving Cocktail, what's it going to be?

I'd like to go to gastronomeg's house for a lambic with a gravy chaser (or is it the other way around?)

From Serious Eats

Is Mayo Making a Comeback?

I have always associated mayo with the result of a grilled cheese sandwich - the look, the smell, the taste...gag...

From Talk

Great take out from Dinosaur BBQ, Harlem...

I think Dinosaur originated in Syracuse (or Rochester, but definitely upstate). Their sauces are sold retail now.

From Serious Eats: New York

Off the Beaten Path: Ming Chan Dong's Giant Kimchi Bun

Am I a geek because the quote under the title immediately gave me an accurate perspective?

"Nothing screams glamour more than a gargantuan kimchi-filled bun marked with furrows deeper than a Klingon's forehead."

From Serious Eats

The Food Lab: Turkey Brining Basics

P.S. Another great job Kenji - someone needs to donate some lab equipment (moisture analyzers, pH meters, etc) to your culinary-educational cause!

From Serious Eats

The Food Lab: Turkey Brining Basics

I always brine my birds - and start them upside down in a very hot oven. The result is spectacularly juicy birds that have prompted guests to remark, "This doesn't even need gravy!"

(who needs gravy?? I always thought it more of a passionate desire)

From Talk

quitter's nibbles

Congrats on taking the big step! No eating advice for you, but when you're feeling "GRRRRRRRR", remember that you've got a whole community of Serious Eaters pulling for you.

From Talk

Dried Apples

My favorite way of using up dried apples (or, for that matter, any fresh or dried fruit compote) is to make stack cakes. Basically, an Apple Stack Cake is made up of six or more layers of giant cookies with a cooked apple filling spread between them. The whole thing sits overnight and the cookies absorb all the moisture from the fruit, and you end up with a sliceable cake.

I sometimes make individual cakes by baking smaller cookies, and I've used basic sugar cookies and ginger cookies. I always have whipped cream or ice cream to garnish.

Here's one recipe:

http://community.berea.edu/appalachianheritage/issues/fall2004/memoir.html

From Talk

Dried Apples

I've successfully added other dried fruit to baked goods, why not chop and add some to muffins or cookies?

From Serious Eats

The Food Lab: Turkey Brining Basics

I don't know if this has already been addressed, but...Can one brine in salt substitute, such as Nu-Salt, and have the same impact? I'm on a reduced salt diet as well as being diabetic. Any thoughts?

From Serious Eats

The Food Lab: Turkey Brining Basics

@MaggieN

Maggie - you can brine a bird and cook it exactly the same way you normally would, whatever method you choose, and it will come out juicier and better seasoned.

You can even brine the bird in a double layer of oven bags in a roasting pan in your fridge.

From Serious Eats

The Food Lab: Turkey Brining Basics

Oh, dear, I'm new to this site, and I have a question that may bring sniffs of disdain from you all, but here goes: I really don't like turkey and try to have as little to do with it as possible. Which means, in the past I've always used the Reynolds Oven Bags to cook the thing, and they've turned out passably well, I guess. (I'm not a good judge.) But because I'm stuck with this major bird--fresh-killed from a local farm, I might add--I would like to try and make it a bit more tasty; hence my interest in the brining, which I do think would help.
My question is, if I brine, can I still use the Oven Bag to cook the turkey in, or will that just give me steamed cardboard?
Thanks for any advice--and Happy Thanksgiving

From Serious Eats

The Food Lab: Turkey Brining Basics

@chascates: This will be my third year (Thanksgiving and Christmas each year) brining a Heritage bird and I have not noticed any increased gaminess. I am not a big fan of gaminess, so I think I probably would have noticed!

From Serious Eats

The Food Lab: Turkey Brining Basics

Thank you Kenji! I absolutely trust your view about the salt vs. aromatics, so I will follow your suggestion for a 6% solution of salt brine and go ahead with the open-air chilling as well.

Happy Thanksgiving!

From Serious Eats

The Food Lab: Turkey Brining Basics

@yayfood: That sounds about right to me. Open-air chilling helps dry out the skin which makes it crisp up faster in the oven.

I really wouldn't expect much in terms of flavor from the aromatics added to the brine though - not much flavor penetrates during brining because the flavorful molecules need to compete with the salt for space in the turkey, and the salt ions usually win because of their charge. The fact that they are added to the brine cold also means that not much flavor extraction will take place. But I supposed it couldn't hurt either way.

Just remember to keep everything cold while it's brining!

Good luck.

From Serious Eats

The Food Lab: Turkey Brining Basics

@ Kenji - It's getting down to the wire now, and I'm about to put my bird into the brine. I was thinking of following the suggestion in this this article (halfway down the page, labeled "Best Way Brined Air-Chilled Turkey") from the San Francisco Chronicle that recommends brining for 12-24 hours and then dry chilling, uncovered in the refrigerator for another 12-24. The article says it makes for a moist and flavorful bird, but I'm concerned about ruining my bird. It's a 19 lb organic bird, so I was going to shoot for 24 hours in the brine and 24 drying. What are your thoughts on this method?

From Talk

What strange things are in the door of your fridge?

Given the fact that my family has moved back to RI from MI, and can't move into our new house 'til Friday (we'll be celebrating Thanksgiving on the weekend (boo hoo, sniff, sniff) so we're staying in a hotel suite.The only items on the door of the fridge here are Irish butter and some bottles of lemon Perrier.

From Serious Eats: New York

Worst Meal This Year: Lucy's Cantina Royale

I forgot to ask.

Did you really pay $9 for what's basically chips & dip? Even if it was the best "made from scratch" chips & dip I ever had, I would never pay that much for it.

$12 for that tiny looking quesadilla?!

I envy New Yorkers for living in a food mecca, but I don't envy the prices. Most Mexican themed placed where I live, serve warm fresh chips & salsa for free. If you want something else, like the guacamoli mixed with fresh Pico De Gallo in the pic, it might cost you $1.50 at most.

From Serious Eats: New York

Worst Meal This Year: Lucy's Cantina Royale

"If the waitresses are wearing distractingly skimpy outfits, the food's probably not very good."

In Yorktown, Va., there is a biker bar that fits this criteria. The thing is, their food is really good. To be exact, their seafood and subs are so good, that the place attracts groups from all walks of life. Rock n Roll Biker Bar, or not, the food is so good, that people just don't care if loud bikes and a rough looking crowd also hang out there. Everyone gets along in perfect harmony, because of the tasty offerings and beer. The skimpy outfits only distract you while your waiting for your food. Once your meals get placed on the table, one could care less what the world is wearing.

From Serious Eats

Is Mayo Making a Comeback?

Crud. I forgot to add that the oil should be divided in this recipe- use 1/2 cup to start and the rest if the mayo is too thick for your tastes.

Also, adding a little roasted garlic to the mayo for sandwiches is just Heavenly. Of course, if you are going to the trouble of making homemade mayo it isn't much of a stretch to make the bread and create a leftover turkey sandwich that is actually yummy. hee hee

From Serious Eats

Is Mayo Making a Comeback?

I have to add my vote for Duke's... if you cannot take the time to make home made (which is ALWAYS better, imho) Duke's is a wonderful substitute. Hellman's/ Best Foods comes in a close second.

My recipe for homemade: (takes all of 3 minutes to make)

1 large egg yolk
1 1/2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon white wine vinegar
1/4 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon salt plus more to taste
3/4 cup canola oil, divided

Combine egg yolk, lemon juice, vinegar, mustard, and 1/2 teaspoon salt in bowl. Use and immersion blender and pulse until blended and bright yellow.

Gradually add oil in very slow thin stream, blending constantly, until mayonnaise is thick, about 2 or 3 minutes (mayonnaise will be lighter in color).

From Serious Eats

The Food Lab: Turkey Brining Basics

Thank you Kenji for the answer to my question.

From Serious Eats

The Food Lab: Turkey Brining Basics

@neeki
Thanks for the correciont. It's a small point, but accuracy is definitely important!

@cathy5256
No need to brine pre-injected turkey, which is essentially already brined from the inside and out. The most you'll do is succeed in making it a little bit saltier, but that's about it.

From Serious Eats

The Food Lab: Turkey Brining Basics

Please can someone tell me if I can brine a turkey that's already injected? I have a Butterball turkey and want to try brining this year. I can't find any untreated birds in my area. Will brining it ruin or improve it?

From Serious Eats: New York

Worst Meal This Year: Lucy's Cantina Royale

If Lucy's had a publicist to send you lots of press releases, i'm sure they've seen this review and it's made the rounds there. My prediction: by tomorrow morning, if not today, you'll have an email in which they'll blame it on a new line cook or chef or short staffed kitchen. I'm a publicist myself (albeit not for food) and i can't even think of another way to explain away such a terrible experience.

They'll then invite you back to try the food again, and it will be somewhat better, perhaps even remarkably so. but i think the former.

In any case, i agree with the other posters who've said that reviews of really terrible places like this are a service to the reader, and to the restaurant itself, just like when a diner sends back food that has been improperly prepared. They can't fix it if they don't know there's a problem.

From Serious Eats: New York

Worst Meal This Year: Lucy's Cantina Royale

another "we should have known better:" it seems to be attached to a duane reade?

From Serious Eats: New York

Worst Meal This Year: Lucy's Cantina Royale

Am I the only one for whom this review actually makes me want to go there, if just for knowing what a meal that was so bad that SE had to write about it is like?

From Serious Eats: New York

Worst Meal This Year: Lucy's Cantina Royale

@orpheum, I can't believe the great wide internet knows about Dirty Franks! Good call, they do have great slushies. But then again, any place willing to put kimchee on a hot dog can't be bad.

From Serious Eats

Is Mayo Making a Comeback?

Homemade Mayonnaise is very easy and cheap to make. You can serve it plain or liven it up with herbs, sriracha sauce, or anything else that comes to mind. See the link below for a video instruction. The most important tip is to use a healthy, neutral oil, such as canola oil. The recent mass-marketing of extra virgin olive oil mayo is more about tricking consumers (since most of us know olive oil is healthy) than for achieving optimum flavor.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BOymdsYMoqQ

From Serious Eats: New York

Worst Meal This Year: Lucy's Cantina Royale

I might add another indicator of potentially bad food: If you walk in off a busy street at 6pm on Saturday night and the place is dead, the food's probably not very good.

Also, I'll put in my vote for good reviews. As others have said, we have a limited number of meals to eat before we die. SE's opinion of food is one I trust, and if they can help me avoid bad food, so much the better.

Recent Posts

From Talk

C is for Christmas Cookie!

From Talk

Finding Kvass & Eastern Euro foods in NJ/NY area

From Talk

Corn-rich diet vs. rice-rich diet

From Talk

What to do with cilantro stems?

From Talk

Romantical food memories...

From Talk

Unexpected pizza toppings

From Talk

Cinco de mayo eats...?

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About finewinendine

Website:

Location: Central NJ

About: I'm addicted to cooking/eating/discussing food & drink. Don't bother with an intervention, 'cause I'm not quitting!!

Favorite foods: Chocolate, cheese and wine can send shivers down my spine. So can anything that I've never heard of (Andrew Zimmern, BRING it ON!)

Last bite on earth: Not sure - am I coming back to Earth? Or are we talking the Great Beyond? Either way, I'm sure it would be something decadent that would give me a tummy ache if I ate too much. Or not. I'm moody.