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From Talk

Dish for a S. American themed potluck

The black bean and banana empanada recipe on Epicurious is fantastic:

http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Banana-Black-Bean-Empanadas-231062

I use the empanada wrappers from Whole Foods, and serve it with sour cream mixed with lime juice and lime zest. Have brought to several potlucks and they are always a hit.

From Talk

Recipe help - smoked tomato tartar sauce?

anyone tried just asking them? i just emailed to let them know there's a thread on se and inquiring foodies would like the recipe. fingers crossed :)

From Talk

Non-milk milk

Always make my cornbread with unsweetened soy milk in place of buttermilk (the cornbread itself is sweetened with sugar) for and it turns out great!

From Talk

Strange food phobias?

cheezies or cheezits...those florescent, crunchy worm-shaped things. when i was six my babysitter hid the bowl we were eating, and convinced me someone had broken in and stolen them. hand in hand we searched the house for the intruder, my terror mounting every minute. when we returned to the living room, the cheezies had magically reappeared. i still hate those things, i suspect they have secret, evil powers.

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From Talk

Dish for a S. American themed potluck

The black bean and banana empanada recipe on Epicurious is fantastic:

http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Banana-Black-Bean-Empanadas-231062

I use the empanada wrappers from Whole Foods, and serve it with sour cream mixed with lime juice and lime zest. Have brought to several potlucks and they are always a hit.

From Talk

Recipe help - smoked tomato tartar sauce?

anyone tried just asking them? i just emailed to let them know there's a thread on se and inquiring foodies would like the recipe. fingers crossed :)

From Talk

Non-milk milk

Always make my cornbread with unsweetened soy milk in place of buttermilk (the cornbread itself is sweetened with sugar) for and it turns out great!

From Talk

Strange food phobias?

cheezies or cheezits...those florescent, crunchy worm-shaped things. when i was six my babysitter hid the bowl we were eating, and convinced me someone had broken in and stolen them. hand in hand we searched the house for the intruder, my terror mounting every minute. when we returned to the living room, the cheezies had magically reappeared. i still hate those things, i suspect they have secret, evil powers.

From Serious Eats

Serious Heat: What the Heck Is in Ras el Hanout?

the single best spice blend in the world. as far as i'm concerned, there's almost nothing that's not improved by it.

From Recipes

Dinner Tonight: Korean Roasted Fish


marinated, then baked, tofu tonight in this sauce. (would have tried it with fish but tofu was the only protein on hand). very very good. thanks!

From Talk

Indian Restaurant Condiments


They're all traditional chutneys , and most Indian restaurants will serve the tamarind (brown) and cilantro-mint (green) at a minimum. If the onion-y one is more crunchy and dry, it's an onion chutney, and, in my experience, is not available at all restaurants. If it's creamy like tzatziki, as kristgarr said, it's raita, and will also be on every Indian menu. Pickles are also standard Indian condiments, especially lime and carrot.

From Serious Eats

The Great American Food & Music Fest Is Today!


How can it be all their fault in one breath, and entirely that of another company in the next? The failed wristband system was not responsible for the mile walk to the gate, the hour wait to get in, overselling of tickets, food shortages, inadequately staffed vendors, overpriced water, poorly considered venue, uncontrolled chaos in line-ups, lack of programs, and on and on. I'm sure the refunds are appreciated, but have some integrity--own your mistakes, apologize sincerely, and don't try to place blame elsewhere.

From Talk

need vegetarian menu for meat eaters

Another vote for portabello mushroom burgers. Marinate in something teriyaki-like and serve on nice grainy buns with melted asiago cheese, sliced onions, lettuce, tomato and mayo or aioli. So good!

From Recipes

Dinner Tonight: Reuben Sandwich

@fitzowicz80, i am marinating tempeh for a reuben as we speak.

1/2 oz dried shiitakes, soaked in 1/2 cup water
1/2 t oregano
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/3 c soy sauce
2T olive oil
1/3 cup red wine vinegar
1/3 cup red wine
1 t cloves
1/2 t cracked pepper

boil all, reduce and simmer for 10, then pour over tempeh, cover, and refrigerate for a day. when you're ready to go, just drain, grill and slice.

this from the excellent rebar modern food cookbook.

From Recipes

Dinner Tonight: Roasted Asparagus with Poached Eggs and Miso Butter

i've been thinking about that recipe since yesterday, made it for breakfast this morning. omg, that's good! my first ever poached eggs, too. i did them in clingfilm and they turned out perfectly. sprinkled the finished product with shichimi togarashi. bf said, the flavours in that were incredible.

From Talk

What to do with: leftovers you don't want

do you have a homeless population where you are? i always take my leftovers downtown to give to people on the street. same things with doggie bags. we can't waste food when people are going hungry.

From Talk

Do you trust any restaurant critics? What makes a good critic?


the best restaurant critic *ever* is actually a restaurant critic critic: Jules on her blog, brunidigest.blogspot.com, where she skewers NY critic Frank Bruni with some of the most brilliant, witty and scathing writing ever. I challenge anyone to read the archives without laughing out loud.

From Talk

Looking for a good strata recipe.....

my favorite strata recipe is from epicurious:
http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/107754

i add two cloves minced garlic with the onion, and add a bunch of sauteed mushrooms during the layering bit.

not sure how to address your other questions, though. i'm not sure strata and low fat have ever been in the same room; ditto strata and puff pastry.

From Talk

Sage!

fried and crumbled over popcorn!

From Talk

Have Cointreau. Now What?

cointreau is a triple sec; "triple sec" refers to any in a range of triple-distilled clear orange liqueurs. it probably differs from what you're using now in quality, but not in general principle. my fave recipe is one i got for christmas: a friend made me rosemary-infused vodka (a few sprigs in a bottle for 3 days, then removed), which is mixed 1 part vodka to 1/2 part cointreau and 1/2 part pomegranate juice. shake over ice, then strain into a glass and garnish with an orange wheel skewered on a sprig of rosemary. it's delish. herbal and unique.

From Talk

Vegetarians: What dish could (briefly) turn you back to meat?

I've been a vegetarian for 18 years but have occasionally tried a bite of a new meat or preparation if it's presented, in case it's the best thing ever. rattlesnake and kangaroo didn't do it for me, fois gras in barcelona definitely did. i'd eat meat now at el bulli too, which i'll never get into anyway, or the fat duck.

From Talk

Pickle Juice

I use mine in homemade tartar sauce, tuna salad, and as a secret ingredient in bloody marys.

From Talk

Popcorn's poppin' today!

we always have ours topped with lemon ghee, fried crumbled sage leaves and nutritional yeast. unbelievable.

From Talk

KFC-style hot wings?

Found this here:
http://www.recipelink.com/mf/14/10219

Hope it's what you're looking for!

KFC Cajun Honey Wings
Source: Todd Wilbur
2-4 servings or 20 Wings

Sauce
1/4 cup ketchup
1 cup water
3/4 cup white vinegar
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1/3 cup honey
4 teaspoons chef paul prudhomme meat magic seasonings
1 tablespoon canned green chilies, minced
1 1/4 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon liquid smoke (hickory flavor)
1/8 teaspoon dried thyme
6–8 cups vegetable shortening
1 egg, beaten
1 cup milk
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 1/2 teaspoons salt
3/4 teaspoon pepper
3/4 teaspoon msg (Accent Flavor Enhancer)
20 chicken wings

Combine the sauce ingredients in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir until ingredients are well combined and bring to a boil. Then reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 20-25 minutes or until thickened. As sauce is simmering, heat up 6 to 8 cups of shortening in a deep fryer set to 350 degrees. Combine the beaten egg with the milk in a small bowl. In another small bowl, combine the flour, salt, pepper, and MSG. When shortening is hot, dip each wing first in the flour mixture, then into the milk and egg mixture, and back into the flour. Arrange wings on a plate until each one is coated with batter. Fry the wings in the shortening for 9 to 12 minutes or until light golden brown. If you have a small fryer, you may wish to fry 10 of the wings at a time. Drain on paper towels or a rack. When the sauce is done, brush the entire surface of each wing with a coating of sauce. Serve immediately.

From Serious Eats

A Cheese for the Season: Vacherin Mont d'Or

Just bought my annual Vacherin in Vancouver: $38.90 for 500 grams. Will serve it fondue-style, baked with garlic cloves and white wine. Yum.

From Serious Eats

How (Not To) Poach an Egg

i'm an egg novice. how long does it need to cook in the clingfilm?

From Talk

Pickle Juice

Pickle juice is great if you have high sugar levels due to diabetes to help lower them. Dallas Cowboys have been using it for years as an secret boost of energy rather than chocolate milk, candy, or energy bars that can bring them down due to the sugar. Athletes with diabetes use Pickle juice mixed with water for boost drinks. I it frozen on a stick.

From Talk

Pickle Juice

I poach chicken and fish in it, it also works well as a marinade for cheaper cuts of beef and pork...it tenderizes them like crazy. For the cheaper dill pickle juices, the ones with a lot of yellow color to them, I mix the juice 50/50 with water to use it or it yellows the meat. It's been a staple for my cooking for several years now.I wish they sold it without the pickles in it. BTW, it's also great for steaming veggies...

From Talk

Strange food phobias?

My boyfriend can't stand cereal. He can't even see someone else eating it, which is weird for me as I love it. I asked him why, and he said he didn't know.

As for me, I hate the smell of both bubble gum and cotton candy. I can't smell either of them without getting nauseous.

I don't like bananas as they're too squishy, broccoli feels weird in my mouth- it's like eating a little tree; but neither of these give me an adverse reaction. I just dislike them.

From Talk

Strange food phobias?

I know it's a little late but I'm glad I'm not the only one with strange food phobias. I won't eat condiments, cooked veggies (except corn), seafood, anything with a sauce, cheese that's the slightest bit warm, milk on my cereal (because it gets soggy), salad dressing, or anything warm and mushy (mashed potatoes, thick fries, etc). Also I don't mix some things like cheese and crackers... the texture is just gross. Oh and most breakfast foods. The only thing I'll eat for breakfast is fruit, a bagel with a little bit of butter, or cereal. If I'm served any of this I'll starve instead of eating it.

From Talk

Dish for a S. American themed potluck

I would say a nice cajun style rice dish would do the trick and be sure to include some shredded carrots and corn and black beans and make it spicy with chipolte peppers. It very colorful and festive

From Talk

Dish for a S. American themed potluck

I went to a dinner party once where the anthropologist host had just come back from South America, but I don't remember which country. At the time it struck me as rather daring to serve this as the main dish, but it's actually my favorite food now, though I take shortcuts with it and cook it as one dish and use canned beans. It was black beans on rice. The black beans (cooked from dried, not canned) were seasoned with onion and orange (maybe garlic, but the hostess didn't say so when she gave me the recipe). Served on a bed of rice with a hot oil mixed with lemon juice, slices of orange, and sour cream.

From Talk

Strange food phobias?

butter.
i love almost all food, and live for sweets like cookies and cakes, but if i'm making it myself, i can't eat it.
thats why i appreciate my mom cooking for me- i can enjoy foods like stuffing and mashed potatoes that would otherwise gross me out...

the worst thing ever- going to a diner and getting breakfast served with a huge melted pool of butter covering it :(

From Talk

Non-milk milk

I know I'm late for this but someone will search this topic...

I make my own nut milks. It's ridiculously easy and requires nothing more than a blender, a vessel to hold the nuts in (a bowl, a mug, etc.) and a strainer and/or cheesecloth. I've done almond and cashew, making cashew this morning.

Soak the nuts overnight (I forgot how much this time so I did a 1:1 ratio). Drain. Blend with water, 1 part nuts to 1 part water, or more water than that (so far proportion hasn't been a problem). Optional: Sweeten with liquid sweetener of your choice. I found that hazelnut flavoured agave nectar worked well with almond milk.

Strain in through a sieve and/or cheesecloth. I tend to add more water to the pulp and blend again until I feel confident that I've gotten as much as I can.

You can save the nut pulp for baking (breads, muffins, anywhere that breadcrumbs are used although you might need to dry the pulp in an oven first).

The great thing about your own? No preservatives or additives. You know exactly what's gone in. I've learned from experience that home made almond milk will last for about a week in the fridge and you need to be careful about this. When I queried whether my (described leftover) milk was safe to drink I was told that deadly bacteria could grow so it was best to throw it out.

When I do buy milk alternatives I avoid most rice milks because they tend to have added oil for texture (but Ryza brand brown rice milk doesn't and is therefore my preferred choice) and lower nutritional profiles than hemp or nut milks.

From Talk

Strange food phobias?

My friend is literally afraid of donuts. if she even sees a dunkin donuts box she flips out. she has no idea why they scare her. she says it's everything about them. it's not even a taste thing. she hates the way they look, everything. she will literally run out of the room if she sees one. strangest thing i've ever seen.

From Talk

Non-milk milk

I've made a cornbread dressing before with a mushroom stock, and it was delicious and moist. I'm not sure if it would work with cornbread though. But if the recipe calls for buttermilk, you really do need an acidic component in order to react with the chemical leaveners (baking soda). I'd go with the suggestion from dmarina-- a regular milk substitute "soured" with some sort of acid.

From Talk

Recipe help - smoked tomato tartar sauce?

I'm really confused as the two sauces don't lend well to each other as one is a browned butter sauce and the other is pinkish and mayo based, I would think the meuniere would darken the tartar sauce into something less than attractive.... what was the color of this sauce?

Is it possible they forgot to put the meuniere sauce on the plate and only put the smoked tomato tartar? Perhaps by calling it meuniere meant it was a sauce meant for fish and not a typical meuniere.

From Talk

Non-milk milk

I use HEMP MILK in my baking. It works great, is not sweet, and it is not a nut. I don't like the taste of soy milk.

From Talk

Non-milk milk

@NotAmerican - "Even unsweetened soya often has some sweetener in it."

I know!!!!! So not right. I've noticed this too.

From Talk

Non-milk milk

I'll add a vote for soya. We use sweetened soya exclusively, because we like the taste in tea, but for baking I'd go unsweetened, definitely. Check if it is sweetened with apple juice, sugar or vanilla, by the way. Even unsweetened soya often has some sweetener in it.

From Talk

Non-milk milk

I'm sorry, I'm an idiot--I missed the reference to a nut allergy!

I hope the soy works well, and if it is too sweet, sometimes trying a different brand might help--maybe someone here has tried a few. I use almond milk,but with all the non-dairy milks I've found a pretty wide variety of tastes between brands.

From Talk

Non-milk milk

NYCEater - I'm no baker, but I drink unsweetened soy as a sub.
You could try rice beverages too; a bit less nutty?

From Talk

Non-milk milk

Thanks all! I think I will go with the unsweetened soy. It should be good, I am going to add corn kernels and jalapenos too!

From Talk

Strange food phobias?

Zucchini.

I just can't handle the texture.

From Talk

Strange food phobias?

I don't really have food phobias, but I do have food aversions. :) Which are much more common and therefore more fun to talk about...

My main aversion is fennel seed. I have not tried fennel root but I assume it has the same sort of smell/taste as the seed.

If I even smell it in my food, I don't want to eat it. Blech. It just doesn't smell or taste good to me at all. My body must be trying to tell me SOMETHING (even if it's just that I'm a nutball) and I'm gonna listen.

I have a similar aversion to bell peppers. I don't like how they smell and they don't taste good either. Green is the worst - I can tolerate red and yellow, although I still don't like the smell. But for me, if something has green peppers in it, it's essentially ruined. The taste permeates the whole dish. It ruins salsa for me.

From Talk

Strange food phobias?

I got a little scared when I was at my fiance's parents' house, and his sister was going to start cooking the beans. In my mind, she was steaming fresh green beans. In reality, she was opening a can. Fortunately they were those little pork and beans in some sort of tomatoey sauce. I think I'm scared of canned green beans. Canned legumes I can abide.

From Talk

Strange food phobias?

For 25 years I was a seriously picky eater, but living in Japan now, I've had to get over that. Recently I've met Remy through YouTube. He's an American boy who's put us all to shame with his adventurous food quests.
Check him out with key word: foododdities in YouTube or through his blog. He's amazingly brave and fearless! He faces all your worst food phobias with grace.

From Talk

Strange food phobias?

@lorenzo - hopefully not peter cottontail.... do you? :^)

From Talk

Strange food phobias?

"Phobia" implies that there's something IRRATIONAL about the aversion. I don't think aversions to some of the things that people have mentioned--offal/organs, cartilage, exotic animals, insects, and even tentacled sea creatures--are considered all that irrational in American and European culture. LOTS of people find those things distasteful.

So, who out there has an inexpicable fear of carrots?

From Talk

Strange food phobias?

Runny eggs and okra make me gaaag! Some offal like brains, sweetbreads, hearts, tongue, blood sausages-stuff like that, ewww...though pork tripe and any type of chicken, pork, beef liver is ok. I can't stand to look or eat baby octopus, tho the grilled tentacles are delicious. No lamb, pheasant, ostrich, venison, elk, alligator, frog, bunnies, eels for me...

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