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Website: http://littlebouffe.blogspot.com

Location: austin

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The Ten Most Recent Posts By renzata

From Talk

Food for a stressed student stomach?

Posted by renzata, May 4, 2008 at 11:30 PM

I'm surely not the only one in the thick of exams around here. I definitely feel the stress in my stomach (and I do mean stomach, and not a euphemism for anything else). I know it's especially important to eat healthy and stay fueled during times like this, with many all-nighters and lots of pressure. Unfortunately, it's the only time I can honestly say that I lose my appetite. My stomach is in a knot, strong flavors are unappealing, and the simple act of eating is hard to do. I have another 8 days of this.

Any recommendations for friendly foods? What keeps you going when you're under the gun (and I don't mean coffee)?

Thanks in advance and sorry if I don't reply too much (preoccupied, obv'ly).

30 Comments | Tagged: stress, student

From Talk

WTF is on my swiss chard?

Posted by renzata, April 27, 2008 at 12:55 PM

I was cleaning this chard from the farmers market (organic) and the last 2 leaves have something strange on them, neither appears to be "organic".

One is a bunch of tiny dots, in 2 shades of brown, connected together.
The other has 2 tiny opalescent beads on it. It doesn't come through in the picture, they just look like white dots, but they shimmer like pearls.

Pics are linked.

Does anyone know what this is, before I show them to my conspiracy-theory/UFO-obsessed husband? Are they coming for us?

http://flickr.com/photos/25308817@N07/sets/72157604760910307/

29 Comments

From Talk

strawberry ice cream - recipes?

Posted by renzata, April 25, 2008 at 6:05 PM

Anyone have a tried and true recipe? I've only made it once before from a Nigella book. It used 10 egg yolks, and I think that's why I didn't like it. It was just too slimey/coating in the mouth. I'm not looking to go frozen yogurt here, but somewhere between 10 yolks and zero must be the good place.

Also, my ice cream experience is very limited. I usually make sorbet. But I'm not afraid of custards.

Thanks in advance.

3 Comments

From Talk

Rachal Ray's oval pan

Posted by renzata, April 24, 2008 at 3:00 PM

I don't want to start another discussion about her personality or hr food, but I seem to catch her show more and more frequently, and I'm starting to get intrigued by her pan.

Has anyone used a pan like this, oval-shaped? Is there much advantage to this shape?

17 Comments

From Talk

Green garlic/ garlic scapes

Posted by renzata, April 19, 2008 at 2:37 PM

Had another impulse at the market today and bought a bunch of green garlic. I'm surprised that none of my books have much to say about it, not even mentioned in my big veggie book.

It looks like scallions, so I assume I can use it that way, but I wonder if anyone has a particularly favored dish? Also, I noticed that it's already pretty mild raw. Would cooking it diminish the flavor?

Also, does anyone know what is a garlic scape? Is it the same as the green parts of the green garlic?

Thanks.

6 Comments | Tagged: green garlic

From Talk

Favism?

Posted by renzata, April 16, 2008 at 8:30 PM

So I bought fava beans for the first time ever, almost 2 lbs. And I was innocuously looking on epicurious to find a recipe, even though I thought I knew what I'd do with them (braise with some radishes). Found a little footnote at the very end of a recipe:

"Be aware that fava beans can cause a potentially fatal food intolerance in some people of Mediterranean, African, and Pacific Rim descent."

Anyone heard of this? A quick google shows that it is, indeed, true.

I've never eaten favas and am part Spanish. My husband is southern French w/ some Spanish , don't think he's ever eaten favas.

I guess I'll throw them out, which sucks (I hate, hate, hate throwing out food), but am I totally overreacting? I never heard of this before, and certainly never saw any mention in any of my cookbooks, but there it is.

18 Comments | Tagged: beans, food allergies

From Talk

Sliced pork belly -- now what?

Posted by renzata, April 10, 2008 at 8:41 PM

Picked up some "bacon" at the farmers market last weekend, but when I opened the package tonight, I saw that it says "pork belly." I cooked it up, just in case, and I think it is, in fact, uncured pork belly, sliced up like bacon.

Any suggestions what I can do with this? And how long can it stay in my fridge?

Thanks.

10 Comments

From Talk

Stems and leaves off of celeriac: what can I do with them?

Posted by renzata, April 6, 2008 at 11:11 PM

I understand that, although it's called celery root, these stalks are not actually celery. Am I wrong? I've never seen celeriac/celery root sold with all the stems attached, and a look through my books found nothing.

In any case, are there any recommended uses for them? They are certainly fragrant, but they are also fading fast.

5 Comments

From Talk

Ramps: "highly cathartic" -- what the?

Posted by renzata, April 5, 2008 at 3:06 PM

So I picked up some ramps at the market today after hearing a lot of hype. Doing a little searching now for some way to fix them, and came across the following description:

"ramps present an exquisite balance between pain and pleasure. They are delicious and addictive — but beware, they are also highly cathartic."

Can anyone tell me what this means? My husband gets the occasional heartburn, more from onions, not from leeks. Am I going to kill him? (I'm not trying to.)

Also, any recommended dishes, etc. are welcome.

12 Comments

From Talk

Has anyone developed an alternative for "cream of --- " soups?

Posted by renzata, March 26, 2008 at 4:50 PM

I often come across recipes that sound simple and tasty for basic weekday meals, but they so often rely on the ubiquitous can of cream of X (chicken, mushroom, etc).

I'm trying to avoid processed/high-sodium foods where possible. Has anyone come up with a fairly simple substitute that can fill in for the Campbells?

I'd like to be able to make a casserole without necessarily having to make a bechamel.

Thanks in advance!

33 Comments | Tagged: bechamel sauce, canned foods, casserole, substitutions

The Ten Most Recent Comments By renzata

From Talk

Really good cooking/recipe blogs

Oh I am also a fan of Homesick Texan:
http://homesicktexan.blogspot.com/

renzata at 8:51PM on 05/12/08

From Talk

Really good cooking/recipe blogs

smittenkitchen.com
elise.com/recipes/

Both of the above regularly feature good, interesting food. I've made several from each and the recipes usually turn out well, though I tend to have better results with Elise's site. Smitten Kitchen has a lot of baking, and some of them havent worked for me, but she goes in more depth than Simply Recipes. Or maybe she just writes more.

renzata at 8:50PM on 05/12/08

From Talk

Wedding Eats

Oh, eatorama, my mom wouldn't let me go with fajitas (thought I'd get it on my dress) but I insisted on the margaritas. Perfect thing for a muggy Houston night, no? Plus, they were such a crowd pleaser, all the ladies who normally wouldn't drink definitely had their share of margaritas.

renzata at 1:01AM on 05/12/08

From Talk

Cause and Effect

Oh I totally left out the Walmart. I will still buy pantry items there and will pick up something in a pinch if I'm there for other reasons, but I shop there much less than I used to. Or budget hasnt grown significantly, but we agreed that it was worth it to us to go organic. Their produce is much lower quality than HEB, too.

renzata at 12:15PM on 05/11/08

From Talk

Cause and Effect

1. Closest is regular supermarket, HEB, with a small but viable offering of organics, both produce and in dairy/groceries through their upmarket brand, Central Market, which is less than 5 miles from me. Central Market's closest competitor, Whole Foods, is also less than 5 miles away. I'm about 3 miles from an awesome urban farm called Boggy Creek, which I recently discovered. I'm about 6 miles from the big farmers market, Sunset Valley. There's also a farmer's market downtown, slightly closer than Whole Foods. My neighborhood has several carnicerias and a Korean/pan-Asian market. Also within this radius (about 5 miles) are Randalls (Safeway) and a smaller natural market called Sun Harvest, which is converting into Wild Oats/Whole Foods. So I'm actually quite spoiled for choice.
2. I now purchase organic as often as possible, but not always for everything (herbs, for example).
3.
4. When I saw the conventional prices going up I switched to organic and local. It's still just a little more, but the prices are more competitive than I expected and the quality and taste is so much better.
5.
6. Texas (Republic of Austin, so to speak)

renzata at 12:11PM on 05/11/08

From Talk

Wedding Eats

I am very lucky to have a squadron of aunts who are master cooks for large crowds (the family itself is huge). They had a business coordinating weddings ages ago, so they also do flowers and decor. We were lucky that the venue allowed us to bring our own food, so they made chicken mole for our wedding, with rice and all the accompaniments, and we ordered amazing tamales from my mom's friend's mom. I actually made the salad for the meal, with jicama, orange, melon, tomatoes, avocado, chile and lime (should have done it before I got my nails done, but what the hell). We had about 150 guests.

My aunts also made 2 kinds of mexican cookies to go alongside the cake and coffee.

I was so happy with the food, because it was delicious and special. Our budget was strictly limited, since my dad lost his job a few months before the date, and didn't start the new one until the week after. But if that hadn't happened, we still would have had a hard time with the caterers, because it's just so unbelievably expensive. I know there are costs in there somewhere, and there must be reasons for it, and I mean no offense to people who put their heart and really care about it, but to a regular customer, catering feels like one of the biggest rip offs ever. $18 a head for chicken breasts? Plus obligatory 18% gratuity?

Anyhow, I think I was lucky. The food was so much tastier and interesting than anything we could have had from a caterer for thousands of dollars. My cousin (other side of the family) had a beautiful venue that obligated her to their caterer, and it was chicken cordon blue with green beans.

renzata at 12:00PM on 05/11/08

From Talk

Take to work lunches!

It's not really about lunches but as a word of caution, I urge you to bring plenty of whatever it is you like to drink. Unless it's soda. I rarely drank cokes and refused to drink Diet Coke until i worked in an office.

For food, it's nice to be considerate of others and not bring anything too strong or unusual in smell. That can linger, and even if it was positively delicious to you when you tucked into it, not everyone may appreciate it, and even you might not around 4 in the afternoon when it's still there.

Generally, I found that anything based on rice or noodles worked out well for lunch, and that I preferred packing a sandwich to a big salad of greens (in regular life, it's vice versa).

There can be other pitfalls in the work lunch/food arena. I never ate candy on a daily basis except for when I worked in an office. People have it at their desks and it's hard not to go for it. I couldn't believe how entrenched a 4pm hershey fix could become.

Kudos for knowing well enough to brown bag, though. Conversely, though, you'll learn when to accept the invitation to join the group. The intangible benefits can definitely exceed the menu price, and if budget's really tight, I recommend having a savings set aside..

renzata at 11:36AM on 05/11/08

From Ed Levine Eats

Life Without the Momofuku Pork Bun

Has anyone tried this:
http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/240258

I'd like to, but not if it will end in deep disappointment.

I'll agree that the hype around this guy is pretty outrageous. But these buns were so good...

renzata at 12:41AM on 05/10/08

From Talk

Oh no, I have no food!

I agree with the produce, but my husband is the opposite. He opens and sees nothing but veggies, and there's no food. I tried stocking the freezer with soups, but it's too full now to be useful.

Does anyone know of any good crystal-clear food storage containers? Ithink he'd be more likely to heat up the leftovers if they were clearly visible, but if they are merely labelled, it's not appetizing. I'm kind of the same way.

renzata at 12:30AM on 05/10/08

From Talk

Freezing Cakes, Cookies, & Frosting--Need Advice

You can freeze the frosting, just use a proper freezer bag or the tupperware, if it's a good, airtight tupperware, whichever is more convenient for you. And then you will almost definitely need to beat it smooth again after it's back to room temperature.

I wrap cakes twice in plastic wrap and then in foil.

renzata at 11:01PM on 05/08/08

Responses to Comments by renzata

From Talk

Really good cooking/recipe blogs

Hands down favorites (among others):

Smitten Kitchen
Orangette
Amateur Gourmet

Hillary
Chew on That

Chew on That at 5:20PM on 05/13/08

From Talk

Really good cooking/recipe blogs

i have to second (third? fourth?) smitten kitchen. I'm made several things off of her website and have loved everyone. and Deb's amazing (serious food porn here) don't hurt either.

betsyg at 3:31PM on 05/13/08

From Talk

Really good cooking/recipe blogs

Definitely orangette and ruhlman -- I have them on my Google reader and get very excited when I see a new one come through!

megannesta at 2:56PM on 05/13/08

From Talk

Really good cooking/recipe blogs

Here is a very ambitious and informative website. I don't always eat this way, but find it enjoyable to check it out occasionally. Very pleasing photos too.

http://cook-aunaturel.blogspot.com/

kwhytehappy at 2:06PM on 05/13/08

From Required Eating

Cook the Book: Cowgirl Cuisine

Mom rarely puts her heart into cooking. About twenty years ago, though, she prepared meat fondue -- that was great fun! And most memorable. Loved cooking my beef and chicken in the hot oil at the table. She also allowed all of us to make our own assortment of dipping sauces. My brother mixed grape jelly with godknowswhat. We all laughed. It's a shame we never had it again.

Susquehanna at 2:04PM on 05/13/08

From Required Eating

Cook the Book: Cowgirl Cuisine

Her cooking and baking was so phenomenal, it's impossible to choose. She was always trying new recipes, especially from Julia and Jacques. I loved her pies and gratins.

PerkyMac at 12:33PM on 05/13/08

From Talk

Really good cooking/recipe blogs

http://steamykitchen.com/blog/
www.thepioneerwoman.com
( I also love simply recipes, orangette, homesicktexan- but they had already been mentioned)

bisbee at 11:31AM on 05/13/08

From Talk

Really good cooking/recipe blogs

Here is a site that lists all kinds of blogs and gives a rating of them. Link to the cooking ones only:

http://www.blogged.com/directory/family-home/cooking

There are 98 pages of cooking blogs alone (!!) but the highest rated ones show first. You can also add your own review.

Happy hunting!

mrsadm at 9:59AM on 05/13/08

From Talk

Really good cooking/recipe blogs


I'm not vegan (yet anyway but I keep getting seduced), however, Fat Free Vegan always seems to pop up in my searches for new recipes. Just last night I was bookmarking several of her recipes from 2006 including Chai Tea Breakfast Cake (which I want to figure out how to make with coconut milk) and Indian Veggie Buns (not being big on bread I'm more excited by the filling). That lead me to go back to the VahChef on YouTube (he's adorable) who has his own site Vahrehvah which has so many recipes I want to try I'm not sure where to begin (though Palak Dal is tomorrow because otherwise my spinach will go bad).

But there are tons of great vegan sites now with some amazing ideas though I don't have all the links handy. Gluten-Free Girl is pretty good too as is Farm Girl Fare (especially Savory Tomato Pesto Pie which drew me in).

Sieseye at 3:03AM on 05/13/08

From Talk

Really good cooking/recipe blogs

http://mattthebutcher.com/

nightmoon at 2:48AM on 05/13/08