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minnarouge

  • Location: Brooklyn, NY

Cassoulet

OMG. I just made this tonight and can't believe how delicious it was. Wow!!!!! I didn't use the pork shoulder and did 1/2 lb of kielbasa, and it was still incredible--I think it would also be yummy with just the bacon plus more beans and veggies. Thanks for an amazing recipe!!!!!!

Seriously Delicious Holiday Giveaway: Korin Knife

I have an awesome 5" Henckels that rocks my world and slices through everything like butter.

Cherry-Amaretto Tart

I made this tart this summer and it was SO DELICIOUS! Now I want to make it for a friend's dinner party this weekend, but cherries are out of season in my area already. Sad. How do y'all think this would be with blueberries? Do you think amaretto would be the most complementary liqueur to highlight the blueberries????

Dear AHT: What Are NYC's 'Must Eat' Burgers? Here Are Our Favorites

Guys, the best burger in Brooklyn, which imo is better than Diner AND Dumont Burger, is at Five Leaves. The bun is unique--I've never had one like it--and the aioli is just an amazing complement to the already delicious beef. Order a side of truffle fries, and you're in heaven.

Food related books - need a good read.

I'm sure folks have already covered these, but I vote for:

-Born Round, Frank Bruni's awesome memoir, which is more about his eating disorder and not really about being a restaurant critic
-My Life in France, Julia Child's wonderful book about the time she and her hubby lived there. It's more about how she got her career up and running and created the books we all love her for now. Really great read!
-A Year in Provence, Peter Mayle, about his move to southern France and how he and his wife enjoyed the area. I read this just before my 1st visit to France, so I loved it lots!

Wedding Food-What would YOU want to eat?

Unless your caterer is a known name in food, there's no way he can execute a 10-course tasting menu well. Most wedding or event food of this nature is hit or miss anyway. Would you consider heavy apps and passed canapes? People always end up liking cocktail hour better than the actual meal anyway--well that and the cake! You could do a dessert buffet too! And honestly, I bet a 10-course menu will run you upwards of $250 pp (assuming you're in NY).

Healthy & Delicious: DIY Hot Pockets

I bet you could also use frozen pizza dough, or some from your neighborhood pizzeria. Has anyone tried that?

What's your favorite cake?

Anything with caramel frosting is amazing. It's good on jam cakes, but I think it would be yummy on a plain yellow cake too.

Char No. 4: Bourbon, Barbecue, And Pork In Cobble Hill

I went there this summer and was really disappointed. The best part of the meal were the starters, but the sandwiches we had as entrees were boring to bad. Wouldn't go there again. Fette Sau in Williamsburg is hands-down the best bbq in all of NYC!

Cook the Book: Pumpkin Baking

The pumpkin spice bread from my college cafeteria. Wow that was amazing. The only way it could possibly have been better would be if it had a thin glaze. Other than that, perfection!

Cook the Book: Pumpkin Baking

I LOVE pumpkin pancakes, but the pumpkin spice bread that the cafeteria served at my college, The University of Tennessee, was probably the best pumpkin confection I've ever had. It was perfect for breakfast, dessert or an afternoon snack!

Impressive Lunch in NYC this Friday

I love Schiller's Liquor Bar on the Lower East Side. It's a Keith McNally joint that you can actually afford (!) with excellent French-inspired dishes and great artisanal cocktails. I love it for dinner and brunch.

Suggestions for Food Gifts

I would take some jam or preserves from Sarabeth's or Stonewall Kitchen, and a hard cheese or salami from Murray's. I bet you could get all kinds of good stuff there. Oh, what about a locally made chocolate, like one of those outrageously expensive (but delish) bars from Mast Bros chocolate? I get them at Bedford Cheese Shop in my 'hood but am sure you could find them at other specialty food purveyors. Good luck!

have oodles of heirloom variety small tomatoes .....

Wait, so you can freeze tomatoes??????

seasoning Le Creuset

For what it's worth, I emailed LC's customer service last summer b/c I was having a problem with my grill pan, and they got back to me right away with advice of how to fix it. Very responsive customer service team, if you ever need anything from them. Of course, for what we pay for their cookware, they better be responsive, right?!

Nostalgic Peach Cobbler Help

Hi gals, Good Housekeeping has lots of delicious peach cobbler recipes: http://www.goodhousekeeping.com/search/fast_search_recipes/?search_term=peach+cobbler&x=47&y=13. Oh, and did everyone see Mark Bittman's article over the wknd about how to make an easier crust for fruit pies? It was more like a cobbler topping and looked great!

HELP WANTED: proper way to poach chicken

Good Housekeeping has step-by-step video on how to poach chicken: http://www.goodhousekeeping.com/food/cooking/poach-chicken-breasts. Hope it helps! (Full disclosure: I work there!)

A Star Grows In Brooklyn: Reinvented Southern Classics At Williamsburg’s Brooklyn Star

I had a light dinner here a few weeks ago, and I have to say I was very underwhelmed. I'm a Tennessean (living in hog heaven in Williamsburg, now that Southern food and culture seems to be so "in"--rock on Dolly Parton and Fette Sau!) and a Southern food connoisseur. I find Egg disappointing and over-hyped--they call that fried chicken? But the reviews for Brooklyn Star, specifically that meatloaf sandwich, were so amazing I had to try it. The meatloaf was more like Spam in its consistency and blandness, but I agree that the potato chips were perfect. Also had the mac 'n' cheese--it was good but doesn't hold a candle to Roebling Tea Room. I have to say the cornbread was the biggest disappointment of all. I like mine to be crusty, crackly and greasy--but this was light, fluffy and devoid of grease, really disappointing since it was baked in its own tiny cast-iron skillet and had the potential to be so crispy. Maybe Yankees like that kind of cornbread but not me. One highlight of the meal was iced tea, served with a side of simple syrup, so I could (over)sweeten to my heart's delight. I'll try this place again to give it another shot, but I was very unhappy with my first visit.

Sweet Ticket Giveaway, Week 2: What's Your Favorite Childhood Dessert Memory?

My grandmother used to make a dessert called a chocolate butter roll. It was basically some kind of biscuit dough into which she'd tuck a chocolate cream filling, then bake. Those things were delicious, and now that she's gone, I don't know how to recreate them. The closest thing to them would be a pain au chocolat, but it's not the same.

Cooking Classes in NYC

I took a pie-making class at the same place--Brooklyn Kitchen--and LOVED it. They have other cool stuff going on there, like a class on knife skills, which I have not taken yet--but it looks really cool.

Cook the Book: 'The Modern Baker'

I took a class from Harry at The Brooklyn Kitchen this summer (he is awesome and the store is infinitely better than Williams-Sonoma) on how to make homemade pie. He gave us an easy crust recipe and a few basics on fillings, and in the class we made a delicious peach pie together. I've made pies from his recipes several times this summer, and the best, best, best I made for a family bbq to celebrate my boyfriend's birthday. I made a peach and a blueberry, both double-crust, and when they came out of the oven, I was literally almost teary because they looked so gorgeous! Like, cover of Gourmet gorgeous. And everyone raved about how delicious they were. It felt so wonderful to learn a recipe and then really master it well enough to serve at a party. Thank you Brooklyn Kitchen!

Help Me Pick Donuts for My Wedding!

Instead of a traditional wedding cake, I am getting donuts from Peter Pan Bakery in Greenpoint. This is the place with the donut ice cream sandwich that Serious Eats reviewed last year. I'm having an awful time deciding what flavors to get. We'll probably do about 8 dozen (think that's enough for 70 people?), and I want the flavors to be really varied and fun. I love their red velvet, chocolate kruller, and cake donuts--but I need your help because I do not want to go in there and do a taste test. I will end up eating dozens of donuts myself! Help!!!!!

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