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The Ten Most Recent Comments By misterybus

From Recipes

Dinner Tonight: Bourdain's Mushroom Soup

Chewy owes his/her mother an apology along with "Housewifes" everywhere. Maybe you should pay attention to Batali when he talks about Italian cooking. Those little "mamas" and "grandmas" he's so fond of and credits with the true Italian cooking are...housewives. Ayngelina, as soon as you can, invest is a small bottle of sherry. It really does make a difference and you'll be surprised at how many recipes you can try or enhance with just a little. Question: If you don't like Bourdain's cooking why would you buy one of his books? That would be like buying a RR cookbook and using it as a doorstop.

misterybus at 9:54AM on 02/13/08

From Talk

What's your favorite STOREBOUGHT food gift?

Homemade biscoti and several copies of the recipe. I did this once because the hostess wanted the recipe and now I don't get away without giving out the recipe for whatever type I make. Once people find out that biscoti is NOT hard to make, they want to try it themselves.

misterybus at 10:51PM on 02/01/08

From Talk

a reliable sweet dough for tarts

Find a copy of the original Betty Crocker Cookbook , (it was recently reprinted) or any other published cookbook of that period. The recipes are not what you want so much as the pictures that accompany techniques. Study what they have to say. Remember, in the 1950s, people made almost all the pies consumed. No frozen food industy yet to speak of then. Apply the info and as my mom would say, "Practice and then practice some more." Good pie crust sweet or savory takes practice!

misterybus at 2:48PM on 01/21/08

From Talk

Kumquats!

Talk of childhood memories! Everyone thinks I'm crazy when I mention loquats. Somewhere out there there must be someone who distributes loquates. I wish I could find them. There were two trees that I and my friends would play under and no one could see us. I am a big fan of that other plump fruit as well, the lovely avocado. Thank goodness they are not hard to acquire. As for kumquats, try pureeing them whole and adding them to a Fuzzy Navel. I 50-50 them with the orange juice.

misterybus at 1:29PM on 01/14/08

From Talk

Butter is best ____.

Butter is divine slathered on a piece of french or italian bread - broken from not sliced off the loaf - dunked in a cup of your favorite sweet hot tea. Add an icy cold globe radish and winter will just melt out of your joints! Even the lowly Lipton teabag can raise its head with this combination.

misterybus at 5:17PM on 01/12/08

From Talk

I would advise a beginner cook to _____

Collect all your favorite family recipes. Especially those from older generations. Next, keep a log of what you do. Your best bet is to follow a recipe exactly for the first time you make it. Good? But could be better? or fewer portions? write it in your log. Chefs keep notes, why shouldn't you. Before you know it, you have your own recipe book with original (mostly) recipes that others in your family will ask you for! Good luck.

misterybus at 11:49AM on 01/10/08

Responses to Comments by misterybus

From Recipes

Dinner Tonight: Bourdain's Mushroom Soup

Batali also hates bloggers. Man, I'm so disillusioned.

Chewy at 5:09PM on 02/17/08

From Talk

What's your favorite STOREBOUGHT food gift?

That oil and parmesan cheese gift is genius! I'm stealing it!

Hillary
Chew on That

Chew on That at 4:00PM on 02/05/08

From Talk

What's your favorite STOREBOUGHT food gift?

I am going to forward all these ideas to all my firends - who always come with a bottle of wine in hand. I appreciate the gesture, but I would prefer to receive some of these other hostess gifts once in a while...

I love giving as presents unsual jams, preserves, caramels... funny, but our local Marshall's store has a nice variety with unusual food items that people find truly rare and unique. I have also given Carla's Sweets - it's a local business with carts in the middle of malls with truly great brownies, masa real and merengues... I don't eat them anymore, but I know people appreciate them.

MadelynRodriguez at 4:42PM on 02/03/08

From Talk

What's your favorite STOREBOUGHT food gift?

I love anything alcohol related. Don't get me wrong I don't have a problem but it really nice not to have to buy it yourself. Wine it tops with vodka coming in at a close second, Kettle One of course.

tammie at 3:17PM on 02/02/08

From Talk

Kumquats!

Kumquats are GREAT for flavoring vodka. Slice a good amount of them in halves, place in a very clean jar with a bottle of fair to good quality vodka and stick it in the fridge for a few weeks. Trust me!
I grew up in South Florida and am very fond of both Kumquats and Loquats

EDL1215 at 11:05PM on 01/19/08

From Talk

Kumquats!

I make a heavy Simple Syrup and and boil Kumquats (halved lengthwise) in it along with some fresh hot Chilli peppers for a few minutes until they just start to get tender then let them steep to room temp. Pour off the excess syrup and you've got a great sweet/tart/hot condiment. The color is great. I made this up when I didn't have any Cranberries to make Cranberry sauce for thanksgiving. I've made this every Thanksgiving since then.

The excess syrup can be strained and used to flavor a cocktail, garnished with a Kumquat of course.

Hell2Heights at 2:07PM on 01/19/08

From Talk

Kumquats!

They are a great substitute for limes in your gin & tonic, or vodka-tonic.

Nybes at 6:03PM on 01/18/08

From Talk

Kumquats!

i grew up in sunny south Florida! Next to the side door of our house was a large kumquat bush that produced fruit twice yearly! What you do with is wait for them to get to the nearly rotten point..then throw them at my little brother....KZ

Kenzo at 7:04PM on 01/17/08

From Talk

Kumquats!

My sister uses them in pie instead of key limes. Kumquat pie - quite good!!

keg05 at 10:32AM on 01/17/08

From Talk

Kumquats!

I've been using kumquats for meat dishes. Sliced thin and then added into a sauce over pork or over any sort of gamey bird. Someone mentioned duck upthread and that should be delicious.
Use it in place of a lemon or orange. It will be milder, with less pronounced acid, but it has a sweet fruitiness that goes very well with winter style meats.

Judith klinger at 6:04PM on 01/16/08