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The Ten Most Recent Posts By minstrel

From Talk

TV chefs and black pepper

Posted by minstrel, April 21, 2008 at 7:40 PM

I watch a lot of Food Network shows. I am constantly amazed at how the chefs use black pepper. They'll be making a huge pot of something or other and then add a pinch of salt (okay) and a couple of grinds of fresh ground black pepper. I know they're rushed, but it's nowhere near enough! You just can't taste that tiny amount of pepper! When I try recipes, I always wind up putting a lot more pepper in than they use on the show. Does anybody else do this? Or is it that everyone else can taste that tiny amount of pepper and I just have a lousy palate?

14 Comments

From Talk

Non-spicy spaghetti sauce?

Posted by minstrel, April 18, 2008 at 5:16 PM

Can anyone recommend a brand of pasta sauce that isn't spicy? My roommate is exceptionally sensitive to spicy foods and needs it as mild as possible. We've used Bertolli Tomato and Basil sauce for a long time, but now he says even it is too spicy.

8 Comments | Tagged: pasta, sauce, spaghetti, tomato sauce

From Talk

Cheeseless Alfredo sauce?

Posted by minstrel, February 22, 2008 at 6:13 PM

My roomie wants to stay away from cheese as much as possible (his cardiologist has advised it) but doesn't mind smallish amounts of cream and butter. Does anybody know how to make an approximation of Alfredo sauce without any cheese in it? Is it even possible?

4 Comments | Tagged: Alfredo sauce, cheeseless

From Talk

Smoked oysters: How long do they last?

Posted by minstrel, January 18, 2008 at 8:31 PM

How long can an unopened can of smoked oysters packed in cottonseed oil last and still be safe to eat? I never see a sell-by date on the packaging.

1 Comment

From Talk

Tomato in all its various forms ...

Posted by minstrel, January 15, 2008 at 10:51 PM

OK, I'm admitting ignorance here. A while ago in the marinara thread, someone posted a recipe that contained (going by memory alone; I may be wrong) tomato paste, tomato sauce, tomato puree, and tomatoes.

What's going on here? What's the difference? Can't you just put tomatoes in? Why do you need four different tomato preparations in the same recipe?

11 Comments | Tagged: tomatoes

From Talk

KFC-style hot wings?

Posted by minstrel, January 12, 2008 at 3:50 PM

One of my guilty pleasures is KFC hot wings. You know, those sauceless, crispy fried chicken wings with a good spicy kick?

Does anybody know how to make them (or a reasonable facsimile) at home? I've fried chicken many times, but I don't know how to get that kind of crisp and that kind of spice at the same time.

1 Comment | Tagged: chicken wings

From Talk

Chicken stock: Roasted bones? Raw bones?

Posted by minstrel, December 20, 2007 at 5:12 PM

I've always made chicken stock using the carcass of a roasted bird. So the bones are cooked before they go in the stock pot. But I've been looking around for stock recipes, and almost none of them specify roasted bones. I've never tried stock made with raw bones. Is there a taste difference? A texture difference?

15 Comments | Tagged: chicken stock, Question of the Day

From Talk

Annoying tomato paste packaging

Posted by minstrel, December 11, 2007 at 7:10 PM

I don't think I've ever seen a recipe calling for more than a tablespoon of tomato paste. But it's sold in little cans that can't be reclosed. I don't use it every day, so every time I do, I wind up throwing away most of the canful. How long does it keep after opening? And is there any way to safely store it for long periods of time?

24 Comments | Tagged: tomato paste

The Ten Most Recent Comments By minstrel

From Talk

Foodie Names: What Would Your Name Be?

Ma Scarpone and Pa Strami.

minstrel at 6:06PM on 07/17/08

From Talk

OK...Who's Going to WIN NFNS....Adam, Aaron or Lisa?

Aaron. Both he and Lisa can cook, but Lisa seems committed to doing "fancy" food that I would probably never cook myself. Adam just doesn't seem to have the food chops necessary.

Aaron cooks the food I'd want to cook and eat, and I think he'd be a fine on-camera host, once the nerves wear off.

minstrel at 6:45PM on 07/14/08

From Talk

Anne Burrell's show: I hate to bring this up again but...

I don't think she should be wearing a chef's jacket, and I don't think she should be cooking in a restaurant kitchen. I've made these points before. She is trying to explain to the HOME COOK what they can do to make their food taste like restaurant food. Putting her in a restaurant kitchen and making her wear a chef's jacket IMMEDIATELY tells the viewer that these tips only work for restaurant chefs in a restaurant kitchen. She needs to come across as a home cook in a home kitchen. I think she's doing very well.

Except that I still can't believe how much salt she uses, and that she refuses to use any pepper!

minstrel at 12:03AM on 07/14/08

From Talk

If you you had a food show on TV what would it be?

I'd make a show about food guys like to eat. But it would have to be reasonably simple. Guys are reasonably simple beings and usually don't like doing anything complicated unless it involves a machine shop instead of a kitchen. I would want to make a show that would make the guy watching put down the phone he's using to order his pizza and instead, go to the kitchen and make something healthy, but that a guy would want to eat.

I know Guy Fieri usually tries to focus on "guy food", but his recipes are usually so damn complicated that they're intimidating. So my show would be like Fieri's show, but more laid back and with less actual dicing of vegetables and other things that look like work. And less tequila, but more beer.

My show would run about six or eight episodes, and that's it. Guys can't handle more recipes than that, anyway. And the reruns would be very popular.

I'm kidding, of course, only just sorta ...

minstrel at 7:02PM on 07/13/08

From Talk

10 things I learned from food media (and not from momma)

Kosher salt.

Also, slicing meat thinly and against the grain to improve tenderness. I had thought that cooking tough meats low and slow would be enough, but I hadn't known that the way I sliced it made such a difference.

minstrel at 2:59AM on 07/09/08

From Talk

what are you planning to eat for the fourth of july?

Ribeye steaks, baked potatoes, and corn on the cob, all off the grill. Gonna get started in an hour or so. (I'm in California - so there!)

minstrel at 7:16PM on 07/04/08

From Talk

Doughnut Plant Throwdown

I'm not really sure that the FN really LIES to the featured cooks. They must have to sign some kind of contract before they participate in the show, and spelled out in there must be the terms under which their performances will be used. Otherwise, the FN would be opening themselves up for many lawsuits. So I think the "surprise" of the challenge from Bobby is mostly faked.

minstrel at 4:55PM on 07/04/08

From Talk

Doughnut Plant Throwdown

clemon, how is the cookfight stacked in Bobby's favor? Generally, in his throwdowns, he's cooking quite a ways out of his comfort zone against someone who is right in the center of theirs. It seems stacked the other way.

minstrel at 6:08PM on 07/02/08

From Talk

Who has the BEST cooking show on TV and why?

Jamie Oliver. He makes things look really easy, and I enjoy his Englishness.
Alton Brown. I love his out-of-the-box thinking (making his own smoker out of cardboard boxes, etc.)
Tyler Florence. He, more than most on FN, cooks food that I'd really want to eat.

minstrel at 6:05PM on 07/02/08

From Talk

The verdict! Anne Burrell's new show - Did you watch?

Just for the record, I don't like the idea of using a restaurant kitchen for a set. She's trying to present tips from a restaurant chef to home cooks, so a home-kitchen set is more appropriate. When I see a restaurant kitchen, I get intimidated, because I always assume that the equipment works better than mine at home, there's more of it, there are tools I don't have, and so on. If she can do restaurant-style food in a home kitchen, that's encouraging to a relative novice like me!

minstrel at 7:55PM on 06/29/08

Responses to Comments by minstrel

From Talk

Foodie Names: What Would Your Name Be?

Grizzlybiscuit

grizz518 at 3:19AM on 07/20/08

From Talk

Foodie Names: What Would Your Name Be?

Earl
Evie Ohoh
Manny Cotti
Bob Shishka (Shiska, Bob)
Hal Epinyo
Bae Currie
Juan Derbred
Sir Ranno
Q. Cumber
Brock Kholli
Bud Derr
Sal Ed Green
Tom Ollie
Emma Thaller
Pappy Ricca
Tony Rigga (Rigga, Tony)
Rose Mary
Kay Kyeest
Chick N Currie
Bob A Ganoosh
Ann Cho
Sue Veede
Mae Yo
Sue Vlacki
Wyett Twine
Al Mund
Ginger Snap
Cindy Munn
and after she got married, Cindy Munn-Bunz
and her brother, Sam Munn
Sam with his wife, Sam 'n Patty
Sam with his ex, Sam 'n Ella
Frye Dryce
Sal Antro
Marge Orrum
Dorrie Eto
Barbie Q.
Cookie Crumms
Kay Crumms
Frye Deggs
Sir Upp
Marge Rinn
Paul Enta
Mae Pull
Ma Keeroll
Sue Sheerice
Pa Pieya
Bae King
Poppa Ardelli
Herb Mixx
Julie Enn

dbcurrie at 2:06AM on 07/20/08

From Talk

Foodie Names: What Would Your Name Be?

Lmao! This has to be one of the best threads I've ever read!

Mo Jito
Jim Balaya
Kesa Dilla
Ms. Ba S. Mati
Gran' Ola
Toma Tillo
Po B. Lano

arathi at 12:13AM on 07/20/08

From Talk

Foodie Names: What Would Your Name Be?

Ed Amame

izatryt at 4:05PM on 07/19/08

From Talk

Foodie Names: What Would Your Name Be?

@iz

Feeling like a proud sista!!!! We must celebrate
Senorita Marg Arita

PerkyMac at 3:50PM on 07/19/08

From Talk

Foodie Names: What Would Your Name Be?

Ann Chovie

izatryt at 3:43PM on 07/19/08

From Talk

Foodie Names: What Would Your Name Be?

@Perky - LOL! And don't forget Mr. Lllllemon-Lllllime:-)

brooke29 at 2:31PM on 07/19/08

From Talk

Foodie Names: What Would Your Name Be?

@brooke29 - Brilliant!
And some of Aunt Shamdy's favorite words & phrases:

Sue Eat Li'l
Li'l Pull Llate or Pull Llatter
Butt Ah
Val Llah (voila)
Bull Llllack
Jist Add
Nice Li'l
Pop Into ___
Fin Tastic
Gerr Rrate Li'l
Ell Llllove (love)
Cock Tails

PerkyMac at 1:54PM on 07/19/08

From Talk

Foodie Names: What Would Your Name Be?

OK, I've been fighting it for days, but I simply have to get it out of my system - as a tribute to Aunt Sandy, I have to name a couple of her dear friends:

Mars Capone, Vinnie Garette, her ex, Presso, and the best friend of them all - Mr. Sal Monella.

brooke29 at 12:51PM on 07/19/08

From Talk

Foodie Names: What Would Your Name Be?

Teri Yaki

mochateri at 9:11PM on 07/18/08