orchidgirl’s Profile

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From Talk

Bourdain

I saw him speak in DC a few years ago: LOVED him! He was very entertaining, cursed a lot and was very much the same as he's on TV.

I think when I saw him he has just quit smoking, so his hands shook the entire time: a bit distracting.

You will have SO much fun!

From Talk

Oh, what a dud!

I attempted to cook my first ever pork roast and it took twice as long as I thought, had a totally strange texture and tasted slimy. Went directly into the trash.

Then I burned sweet potato chips I tried to bake in the oven and oversalted some other dish I was making.

Sometimes things like that just happen :)

From Talk

Veggie lasagna recipes

Here is my recipe for spinach, pork & eggplant lasagna using frozen spinach for convenience. Hope you like it.

From Talk

Weekend Cook and Tell: Your Bread

Almost a year ago I tried making a Nutella challah. Unfortunately it did not come out as I expected. Perhaps it's time to give this another try :)

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Recent Posts

From Photograzing

Vanilla Extract

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Ceviche

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Faux Pho with Tofu

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POM & Cherry Pancakes

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Recent Comments | Response to Comments

From Talk

Bourdain

I saw him speak in DC a few years ago: LOVED him! He was very entertaining, cursed a lot and was very much the same as he's on TV.

I think when I saw him he has just quit smoking, so his hands shook the entire time: a bit distracting.

You will have SO much fun!

From Talk

Oh, what a dud!

I attempted to cook my first ever pork roast and it took twice as long as I thought, had a totally strange texture and tasted slimy. Went directly into the trash.

Then I burned sweet potato chips I tried to bake in the oven and oversalted some other dish I was making.

Sometimes things like that just happen :)

From Talk

Veggie lasagna recipes

Here is my recipe for spinach, pork & eggplant lasagna using frozen spinach for convenience. Hope you like it.

From Talk

Weekend Cook and Tell: Your Bread

Almost a year ago I tried making a Nutella challah. Unfortunately it did not come out as I expected. Perhaps it's time to give this another try :)

From Talk

What to serve with my butternut squash?

spinach salad with apples, nuts and cranberries?
Steak? Seared chicken?
Roasted brussel sprouts with bacon and onions and balsamic glaze?

From Talk

The Persimmons Are Here

I eat them straight up. Actually had my first persimmon of the year in San Francisco yesterday while visiting for the Foodbuzz festival. You can also add them to salads.

From Talk

Finding Kvass & Eastern Euro foods in NJ/NY area

I grew up in Russia and loved kvass...haven't had it in 16 years...sigh.

Next time I'm in NYC, a trip to Brighton Beach will defintiely be in order.

I've also heard great things about food in Veselka restaurant.

From Talk

Weekend Cook and Tell: Pumpkins Everywhere!

I cooked my first pumpkin over the weekend: Indian styled pumpkin, bulgur & lentil side dish.

Also roasted the pumpkin seeds. Basically, to me, it's just another winter squash.

From Talk

Alex's Day Off

I thoguht it was pretty good actually. I'm not sitting home just to watch it, but if it is on, I'll watch.

From Talk

Favorite chili recipes?

I never make the same chili twice. It's too fun to change things up.
For example, instead of the tradition beef and kidney beans, try chicken and white beans.

Or if you like cornbread, and who doesn't, try baking the cornbread directly on top of chili.

From Talk

Weekend Cook and Tell: More Than Just Beer Nuts

I'm not really a huge beer fan, but I think these mini nachos would go great with a cold beer [and a football game, of which I'm also not a fan :) ]

From Talk

Carrots and Celery

add to matzo ball soup or chicken noodle soup or make a vegetable stock.
I also have a recipe for carrot soup with Indian flare.

Enjoy!

From Talk

Need potluck ideas

I just suggested this for a vegan dessert, but this would be a great way to impress your coworkers: flourless chocolate cake.

Orzo salad with different marinated vegetables would be good and can be served warm or at room temperature.

From Talk

Gluten Free Dessert Ideas?

how about a flourless chocolate cake? Only 3 ingredients, super easy to make and very impressive!

Or fruit dipped in chocolate?
Or caramel dipped apples?

From Talk

Pho Season?

You know why you saw so much pho? Because it was a challenge for Daring Cooks in October :)

The version I made was with chicken, following Smitten Kitchen's recipe. But when I order it at the restaurant, I get beef.

Tried tripe once....and never again!

From Talk

Weekend Cook and Tell: Restaurant Recreations

In the summer I went to a Latin restaurant in Washington DC and had a fabulous plantain stuffed with cheese and beef. Later, I recreated the dish at home making a few changes: Double baked sweet potato with sausage and cheese. I was really pleased with how it turned out.

From Talk

Fajitas: Help me jazz it up!

avocadoes!
also, how about adding chilies in adobo? that will add a bit of smokiness to your fajitas.

From Talk

Weekend Cook and Tell: Spaghetti, Meatballs, and Wine

Hmm, what about spaghetti and wine but no meatballs? I just posted a recipe for spaghetti with mushrooms, leeks, parmesan and mint...does that count? :)

From Talk

Friday's chicken. Okay or toss?

I'd toss it....but my dad would eat it. It all depends on how comfortable you are with taking a risk :) Give it a whiff!

From Talk

Ravioli help

Maybe try to increase the thickness of the dough?

From Serious Eats

Watch It with Us: 'Top Chef Las Vegas,' Ep. 7

Glad Ashley is the one going home.
And they are not twins :) They are just brothers.

From Talk

What do you think about my cooking blog? I need your opinions!

I would make the main column of your blog a bit wider to give it more emphasis. Also, agree with others on your choice of colors: not very easy to read.

The good thing is that you can change all those a zillion times till you like it! If that's something you enjoy doing (cooking and blogging), you'll be a success.

From Recipes

Meat Lite: Lentil Sausage Ragout

Love lentils! That's a really pretty photo.

I've actually combined lentils and fresh tomatoes in a salad. And for more autumn flavors, I've made lentil, sweet potato and eggplant stew.

From Serious Eats

White House to Offer Kitchen Garden Tours to D.C.-area Schoolchildren

darn...I'd love to go and visit the gardens, but I'm definitely older than 16

From Talk

Bourdain

Hey Gastronomeg, you must be in Columbus. Me too!! Heard about Anthony on NPR. Wish I could go, but have to work. Have fun!!!

From Talk

Weekend Cook and Tell: Your Bread

I bake bread about two or three times a week, and use a modified version of the American Sanwich loaf from 'The Best Recipe'.

The recipe is excellent as it stands (and gives a great loaf in two hours, no kidding), but my initial modification was to use spelt flour, since I don't tolerate wheat very well; this change did not sem to have any significant effect on the result. Then, my (Danish) boyfriend asked if I would mind cutting back on the sugar (European tastes tend to favour a less sweet bread); I did, eventually reducing it to about half a teaspoon or less in the warm water in which I proof the yeast (I know, it's almost never necessary, but when the yeast is dead, it's a drag to find out when you are planning to pop the dough into the pan). Next, I wanted to see how it would be if I replaced the melted butter with olive oil (I grew up in Italy, where olive oil is not unusual in bread); this works well too.

This recipe (in its many permutations) gives a lovely golden loaf which is extremely versatile; I definitely recommend it!

From Talk

Bourdain

Spotted him recently in the wilds of the Upper East Side, Manhattan...he was approaching his limo at 88th & 3rd. People were calling at him from their cars...

From Talk

Bourdain

i am so so so so jealous! so have a crush on that man and is food :)

From Talk

Bourdain

I saw the bourdain/batali tour in seattle. Tix were $50 for the cheap seats. Mario actually outshined tony by quite a bit. He seemed older, wiser and funnier than bourdain's cursing bitter persona. I'll note here that it really was a show, in that many of the jokes/anecdotes were well rehersed and came off very scripted. That said, I did overall enjoy the show, even if it was a little pricy.

And a note here to women/gay men: during the q and a part of the show don't get in line and ask tony to go out to dinner/marry you. You're wasting the audience's time. And you sound like a drooling idiot. And to my fellow cooks: he's not gonna go out drinking with you after the show.. So, again, quit wasting everyone's time.

From Talk

Bourdain

Have sat at a bar with him, and found his language much less rowdy than I would have expected, but absolutely delightful.

From Talk

Bourdain

I plan on seeing him when he comes to Austin early next year. Hopefully it'll be a great time!

From Talk

Bourdain

I missed out on his appearance in Seattle with Marion Batali. Besides ticket prices starting at, if I remember correctly, $75, I couldn't have gotten there in time and would've had to miss the first half hour. All the reviews said the pair was funny and insightful. Here's one of them:

http://blogs.seattleweekly.com/voracious/2009/06/saturday_anthony_bourdain_mari.php

Tell him we love him.

From Talk

Bourdain

snarky alert! snarky alert! snarky alert!

From Talk

Oh, what a dud!

@dbcurrie - your post reminded me of my cousin many years ago - she was trying to make popcorn and she grabbed one of our Uncles who was a priest and had never been in a kitchen for 30 years - even he knew she was using split peas and that is why it "wasn't popping up and down!"

From Talk

Weekend Cook and Tell: Your Bread

I was a busy baker...besides the French bread that's long gone, I made a sweet bread with a crumb topping, a loaf of everyday bread, and just for fun, a little sculpted loaf...all uploaded to Photograzing.

Some day I'll spend enough time out of the kitchen to get my blog whipped into shape. Meanwhile, just photos. The French bread was an experiment to see what the difference is when letting bread rise on a baker's couche as opposed to on a pan. The Placek (sweet bread) was from a Polish cookbook that I just got, the everyday loaf was because we had leftover meatloaf and I wanted sandwiches (and I was playing around with a decorate top) and the last one was just for fun.

From Talk

Oh, what a dud!

My girlfriend and I tried making shrimp stock once - that was last February and my apartment still has pockets that reek of shrimp.

And last month, I made wontons with a little too much ginger and not enough pork fat. They're edible, but quite disappointing overall.

From Talk

Oh, what a dud!

The first time I bought purple potatoes, I mashed them. And yup, it's muppet. I still buy them, but they look a lot better when they're in pieces. Or whole.

The other night, I followed a recipe for a crockpot concoction of sauerkraut, mushrooms, barley and split peas. Overnight, and the peas weren't cooked. Into a dutch oven and at a higher temp, peas still weren't cooked. Back in the crockpot the next day, and the peas still weren't cooked. The barley cooked fine, but the stupid split peas are still less cooked than I'd like them to be. I don't know if I bought peas that were harvested last century, or if it's yet another high altitude quirk, or if there's something in the mix that's keeping the peas so solid, but this is just ridiculous.

A couple days before I was testing a bean soup mix that included split peas, and they cooked just fine in the same crockpot.

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

Oh, what a dud!

I once made the most delicious and perfect looking omelette in the history of omelettes. I beat up the last eggs we had and sauteed some onions and mushrooms and sprinkled some cheese. They looked and smelled amazing. I served it up and bit into it and realize that the mushrooms in the omelette were rancid.

From Talk

Oh, what a dud!

speaking of dishwater - I recently failed to adequately rinse a pot - can't figure out how that happened - and didn't notice until I smelled my soup and got the sweet odor of the detergent. tasted it and it was clear that's what happened. had the soup anyway, at whatever risk to life and limb.

From Talk

Oh, what a dud!

@bobbieAnn - I didn't know Meat guy's explanation, but I've seen this with meat I was quite sure was adequately cooked. I'm thinking it happens more when it'd cooked hot like this. I now just roast chicken at 350 until the leg bones are loose and I've not had it pink, nor dry either.

From Talk

Oh, what a dud!

I somehow ruined an entire pot of beef stock a few weeks ago. I was so excited - I had lots of good soup bones which I roasted with lots of tasty vegetables and let the whole shebang simmer for several hours. By the time I took it off the stove, the entire house reeked of onions and garlic and the stock tasted like dishwater. (Or what I imagine dishwater might taste like.) I had to trash the whole thing. There aren't words for how pissed off I was.

On the bright side, though, I didn't have to eat muppets.

From Talk

Oh, what a dud!

@ BobbieAnn, if the chicken was frozen in transport to the store (fresh chicken is shipped in the mid 20 degree range), the bones can get hairline cracks and the marrow leaks out into the meat. The meat may be well done, but the marrow blood color doesn't fade until 175 sometimes. In the industrial cooked poultry world they call it blood bone, it is usually found in wings and legs, usually at the joint, but i have seen it in the breast and body cavity as well.

From Talk

Oh, what a dud!

I burnt my granola yesterday. My nose smelled the burning about 30 seconds too late. Now the house smells like cinnamon smoke, which is ok I guess....it's festive!

From Talk

Oh, what a dud!

Tried my hand at butternut raviolis last night - filling is great but I tried to shortcut with wonton wrappers and they were not great. I only made a few test ones though - most of the filling is in my fridge for tonight when I will actually take the time to make pasta dough.
A couple of weeks ago I was super excited to make fennel dusted tilapia served over mashed potatoes with a tomato-saffron broth and lump crabmeat. The broth was not a success - I was too heavy handed with the saffron and it overpowered everything else on the plate. Totally bummed.

From Talk

Oh, what a dud!

@ BobbieAnn, if i were you i'd recalibrate my meat thermometer with a pot of boiling water (212F). you can usually adjust it by twisting some piece where the face connects to the stick. thermometers can get thrown off just by getting knocked around the drawer.

From Talk

Oh, what a dud!

I had a grand idea last week to make acorn squash stuffed with ground turkey seasoned like italian sausage.

The main problem was that I used way too much meat, so it looked like Mojo Jojo's head when he takes off his turban. It took way longer to cook all that meat than it did to cook the squash, so the squash came out dry. Also, I used too much fennel and it tasted bitter.

It was horrendous. Horrendous. :p

Recent Posts

From Photograzing

Vanilla Extract

From Photograzing

Ceviche

From Photograzing

Faux Pho with Tofu

From Photograzing

POM & Cherry Pancakes

From Photograzing

Pork, fruit & feta salad

From Photograzing

Attempt at French Macarons

From Photograzing

Vegetable & Tofu Coconut Soup

From Photograzing

Enchiladas

From Photograzing

Virgin POM Mojito

From Photograzing

brownie bites

From Photograzing

Home-made pho: easy & delicious

From Photograzing

Mushroom Soup

From Photograzing

Mushroom & Ricotta Filled Phyllo

From Photograzing

Spaghetti with mushrooms

From Photograzing

Chanterelle omelet

From Photograzing

4 pounds of mushrooms

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Home-made biscotti

From Photograzing

Acorn squash soup

From Photograzing

Roasted Brunch Potatoes

From Talk

Do you twitter?

From Photograzing

Super duper fruit salad

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Puff pastry

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Polenta with mushrooms, bacon and lamb

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Chicken & White Bean Chili

From Photograzing

cornbread

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About orchidgirl

Website: http://mangotomato.blogspot.com/

Location: Washington DC

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