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Repurposed Easter Candy: Milk Chocolate Space Duck Pops
I'm shocked and surprised that the Bazzini folks perpetrated something like this. Their roasted nut products are an industry standard for quality. Perhaps this awful marketing ploy was the brainchild of an advertising agency.
Sunday Brunch: Asparagus Egg Salad
It's too bad we can't edit our comments. Perhaps I should've put this more delicately. I believe that more people need instruction in how to properly cook a hard-cooked egg than need instruction in making a simple egg salad.
About the recipe: The combination of egg salad and asparagus is all good but I think the asparagus should be cooked soft, else you've a clash of textures. This recipe cries out for canned asparagus (God forgive me) that's been patted dry.
Fresh asparagus is best with as little adornment as possible, in my humble opinion. A bit of butter and salt and pepper are just enough. I also stir-fry the cut-up spears with garlic and olive oil.
Sunday Brunch: Asparagus Egg Salad
Does one really need a recipe for egg salad? Is it just me that wonders this?
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Recent Comments | Response to Comments
What do you collect?
Food related: Restaurant menus, matchbooks. Not food related: Vinyl records (jazz, predominately) and CDs (over 3,000 of those). And stuffed animals.
Repurposed Easter Candy: Milk Chocolate Space Duck Pops
I'm shocked and surprised that the Bazzini folks perpetrated something like this. Their roasted nut products are an industry standard for quality. Perhaps this awful marketing ploy was the brainchild of an advertising agency.
Sunday Brunch: Asparagus Egg Salad
It's too bad we can't edit our comments. Perhaps I should've put this more delicately. I believe that more people need instruction in how to properly cook a hard-cooked egg than need instruction in making a simple egg salad.
About the recipe: The combination of egg salad and asparagus is all good but I think the asparagus should be cooked soft, else you've a clash of textures. This recipe cries out for canned asparagus (God forgive me) that's been patted dry.
Fresh asparagus is best with as little adornment as possible, in my humble opinion. A bit of butter and salt and pepper are just enough. I also stir-fry the cut-up spears with garlic and olive oil.
Sunday Brunch: Asparagus Egg Salad
Does one really need a recipe for egg salad? Is it just me that wonders this?
Chopsticks Aid, a Fork Attached to Chopsticks
Why not just carry a plastic fork (or a few of them)? I think that at best use of this device among chopstick-users would be in violation of chopstick etiquette at best and perhaps, worse, taken as an offense...
Time for a Drink: Tipperary
St. Patrick's day, like New Year's Eve and Fat Tuesday, is an "Amateur Nite" for drinkers. The quest for "green" drinks sends shivers down my spine and makes me "green" in the gills.
I love this site but this drink suggestion is a horrendous waste of 1/2 ounce of perfectly good Chartreuse, which, by the way, despite pouring the Irish/vermouth mixture over the back of a spoon into the center of the glass quickly dissolved into said mixture. All combined into a decidedly un-appealing brown mixture.
Concern Over Food Safety and Recalls
I'm with @simon. I hope the O.P. finds something else to worry about.
homemade ravioli- too ambitious for this amateur?
Shanghai wonton are, essentially, ravioli. They're fine for making homemade ravioli for folks who've not invested in a pasta roller.
However, it's easy and rewarding to make pasta dough in the food processor and then knead it a bit, and roll it out using a pasta machine (hand-cranked, of course). Sure, it takes a bit of practice to get the dough to the correct consistency, but from there on in it's very fast and very, very rewarding.
"...and the chicken tastes like wood."
@PerkyMac had it partially right: "the right market." The right market takes delivery of fresh, top-iced chicken and doesn't freeze it. There's a world of difference between a fresh breast and a frozen one.
Of course the brining solution, pardon the pun, is good, but it does add a bit of extra sodium. It's good if sodium's not a concern.
Unique and fun Appetizers...what are yours?
Thank you, @pearl, for reiterating what I said above. But for those who, in earnest, listed their favorites, I'll chime in.
"Asian Fusion Pizza"
Order Scallion Pancakes from the Chinese restaurant (preferably not cut into triangles, if you can get 'em whole).
Spread each scallion pancake liberally with cream cheese. Top with a layer of thin slices of smoked salmon. Cut into thin wedges. Put a dollop of inexpensive caviar (buy "Roland" jarred black caviar in the supermarket - or splurge and buy something better at the gourmet store) on each triangle and serve.
Dinner Tonight: Black Bean Soup with Fried Egg
Color me old-fashioned, but I just don't "get it." What's up with chefs adding a fried egg to everything from hamburgers to soup these days?
I have my fried eggs in the morning, thank you. Now, gimme a bit of chopped, ripe avocado atop my black bean soup and I'm in heaven.
"Sticky" subject ... giving "bites" ... how to handle?
A lot of good stuff said here. The parents and in-laws above who ask for bites or force bites are smashing through personal boundaries, plain and simple. I, for one, will not tolerate it.
It is with great glee that I order oysters or steak tartare when dining with my mother, a notorious "taster," because she just can't stand either!
On the other hand, my wife and I treat a very close friend to lunch once a week -- we try a different fine restaurant in NYC each week and intentionally over-order. We share freely and share the doggie bags that inevitably result. That's what being a foodie is all about.
Spinach: Way or No Way?
Even as a child I loved spinach, whether canned, frozen, or fresh.
My two favorites are wilted spinach salad with the old-fashioned sweet and sour bacon dressing, and creamed spinach at any steak house - manna from heaven!
Using chicken that's been cooked for stock
@Bananamonkey:
I stand corrected. I've made stock with chicken backs but have thrown them out. Next time I'll "harvest" those 'oysters' and cream them with some peas and pearl onions!
Thanks for pointing out the info you did.
Red or white wine in bolognese?
I use mid-quality Chianti, because I just think it reduces better than white wines. And I add chicken livers. The real key to this meat sauce is to reduce it -- then reduce it some more.
Your take on asparagus
I'm a peeler, myself; but I'll admit that it does take some effort.
Re: cooking: I have an old Revere Ware coffee pot that goes on the stove; it's perfect for cooking a large bunch of asparagus. Half-fill it with lightly salted water and place the stalks in bottom-first (of course). This way the stems are boiled and the tips, steamed. Perfect! - Any tall yet skinny vessel with a tight cover would do.
Unique and fun Appetizers...what are yours?
@dmcavanagh: yeah, this post *must* be to promote the website. The site's quite lame and needs all the promotion it can get...
Medjool Dates - Healthy or Not?
A few posters mentioned sugar. The sugar in the dates is fructose, which is metabolized slowly, as opposed to sucrose (processed sugar) which is processed far more quickly (and can cause the sugar rush and quick crash). I could think of a thousand things worse to eat for breakfast!
Old tomato juice
Could it have been that the tomato juice you drank had been canned fresh, and the reason the same brand didn't taste the same is because (like a few brands) they've begun canning juice made "from concentrate?"
Can someone explain sous vide to me?
Health-Food pioneer Adelle Davis included a slow-cooking method for roasts in her book "Let's Cook It Right." Basically, you cook a roast at 300 degrees for five minutes per pound (to kill bacteria on the outside of the meat), then dial the oven down to the temperature you want the meat to be when done. Cook for hours. The meat comes out tender and juicy. Tender because the inside hasn't been exposed to temperatures above 200 degrees fahrenheit (the temperature at which proteins become tough). This is similar to what's achieved in sous-vide cooking, but is doable in the home kitchen.
Using chicken that's been cooked for stock
Those who critique food can be so heartless when describing chicken: "dry, tasteless, mushy, rubber, stringy..." So I'm a little surprised that so many fellow posters advocate using chicken that's been in a stock pot. Restaurants throw it out. I would recommend giving it to the pets, but not using it for anything else. I mean, is there really any flavor, much less nutrition, left after boiling for hours?
cutting a melon, and melon & prosciutto
I'm with the "halve and scoop seeds then wrap" school of opening melons.
Honeydew is the melon for wrapping with prosciutto. However, they're more disappointing than under-ripe cantaloupes when the flesh becomes mushy/mealy. I'd love to know how to choose a good honeydew!
I wouldn't give up eating ___, even if I was allergic
My wife's been told she's allergic to shrimp, crabs and lobster (she can have other seafood/shellfish). Despite this warning, she's notorious for eating shrimp, especially. This results in hives and itching for a week. She's not learned, yet.
Savory Cottage Cheese?
Nobody's yet mentioned cottage cheese with horseradish and dill, used as a relish. I first had this at The Dog Team Inn in Middlebury, Vermont. They use a *lot* of horseradish. I use 2 Tbs. to a tub of cottage cheese (pref. large curd). Plenty of fresh dill. Freshly ground pepper, and a little salt.
Vegetable beef soup
@TorontoCooks dried mushroom idea is great!
For each pound of meat you have, you could also cut up an onion, a big carrot and 2 ribs of celery and place 'em in a roasting pan. Coat and stir with a little oil. Roast at 400 degrees about 45 minutes or until the edges of the veggies turn brown. Place the roasted veggies in a ginormous pot with the beef, bring to a boil and then simmer for as long as you can - simmering very slowly. Strain this and you'll have wonderful stock with which you can proceed to make soup. If you reserve a bit of the beef you can add it to your soup. The beef that's been made into stock is only good for pet food.
For beef vegetable soup I use big fat onions, celery, carrots, and a bit of tomato. Dice all and boil in stock till cooked. Sometimes a bit of cabbage added after the other veggies start to cook is a nice variation.
Dinner Tonight: Black Bean Soup with Fried Egg
Wow that sounds good - and very economical!
The Best Fried Chicken Recipe Ever?
I'd like to comment about something Dave Faris wrote: "Bacon, butter, AND lard? Come on. My cardiologist just had a heart attack hearing about this recipe."
Let me try to put Mr. Faris' fears to rest. In 1900 heart disease and heart attacks were so rare that the adverage doctor didn't know how to treat it.
In 1930, when the population of the US was 123,000,000 there were 3000 heart attacks deaths recorded. Which means the odds of having a heart attack that year was 42,000 to 1. In 1960 when the population of the US was 197,000,000 there were 500,000 heart attack deaths. Why? Answer: Diet. Everyone was using "Bacon, butter, AND lard" back in the 1800's with no heart disease as a result. It wasn't until after 1930 that everyone started using "heart healthy" vegetable oils and margarine, low fat this and low fat that. The result? The odds of dying of a heart attack in 1950 was about 3500 to 1.
Got Lard?
Red or white wine in bolognese?
Orignal bolognese recipe used red wine, and adding in bacon
The Best Fried Chicken Recipe Ever?
I was looking around for great chicken recipe and this one came up. I cannot wait till try it, but I was wondering. Would it be ok to freeze after soaking in buttermilk step? So I can just thaw and cook some when I want some. I know it probably won't be as good if you cook right away, but I rather be able eat chicken when I want without waiting 24 hours for preparing the food. I could see this be very helpful for families too. If you’re planning cook this chicken for them, because according to buzz on this chicken "More please" haha. Btw thank you Edna and Scott for sharing the recipe and the site too. For the healthy poster, who post on this chicken recipe and wanting to change it. It’s great you have chosen to live a healthy life style and chose to eat healthy, but why are you looking at fried chicken recipe? Here my motto. “Tis better to love and lost then have not love at all.”: by Shakespeare. Better to eat food and lose the weight then have not eaten the food at all.
Bonappetit
Cooking D
Dinner Tonight: Black Bean Soup with Fried Egg
This is quite possibly one of the best soups ON THE PLANET. Plus; real easy!
The Best Fried Chicken Recipe Ever?
I am cooking this tomorrow! Cannot wait to try it.
Come on people. Seriously have you not kept up with the current medical data out there? Lard is not bad!!! No transfats (you know those artery damaging things) Butter is not bad!!! I'll give you peanut oil, but Canola??? There is no such thing as a canola plant...It comes from the word Canada because it is a genetically engineered oil from the rapeseed plant. Our ancestors have been eating animal fats from the dawn of time,or at least fire :O) and if you check your statistics heart disease started to rise at the dawn of the industrial age i.e. refined oils! So, I think I'll cook me up some of this delicious sounding fried chicken cooked in lard, coconut oil, grapeseed oil or the butter from a non genetically modified cow! Bon Appetit!! :O)
The Best Steak in NYC Might Not Be in a Steakhouse
just enjoyed the ribeye at momofuku, they actually offered the possibility of 16 oz for half the price - just tonite - we were very lucky. It was very very good. I had better, but it was excellent.
also worth while the pistachio ganache dessert. strictly for one person tho.
The Best Fried Chicken Recipe Ever?
Ok ok. Enough with the lard comments! The idea is to enjoy this recipe once in a while. Not every meal! As with anything moderation is the key.....
Coat Check Tipping in the Recession
I took a "coat check girl" job last night in New York at one of the steak houses because I am in need of some extra cash. Going from an office job to behind the scenes at a restaurant was a complete eye-opener. I am a very thrifty person and I never check my coat, always hanging it on the chair behind me, unless I am attending an event where everyone checks their coat - and even then I can't recall even tipping one dollar, although I probably have, because I never paid any attention to the coat check people. I can tell you that it is a tough job. I worked very hard to keep the coat room organized and took special care of people's things. I tried to return their belongings as quickly as I could when they returned with their tags. It was pouring rain last night, so people had a lot of bags and wet umbrellas that they wanted to store. It was amazing to me how many people checked two umbrellas and a heavy attache in one bunch, and tipped $1. One group checked 10 huge umbrellas together in one group, then tipped $5, which was at least better than nothing. I am sad to say that most of the women, if they were alone or with other women, did not even tip me $1. The men were by far the most generous tippers, some tipping $5 and one fellow $10. Even thinking about the $10 tip makes me appreciate this guy even more, because he must have a better understanding of what it means to be a coat check person than I did before I took this job. I can tell you that every dollar is greatly appreciated. I worked solely for tips, and the restaurant took 20%.
Coat Check Tipping in the Recession
I have worked coat check for five seasons and it does upset me when a number of people do not check their coats but what is worst is checking your coat and not tipping. The coat check staff hustles for those tips and we deserve to be treated as generously as the wait staff. I work coat check because I need that extra money to survive. Giving up my evenings to hustle for a job is upseting when the night is not lucrative. I get home about 1 or 2 in the morning and must wake up at 6:30 to go to my full time job. So for those who tip I say thank you from the bottom of my heart. Perhaps someday I will get out of my own economic crisis that I have been dealing with for the past 13 years. Coat check staff get paid a very small hourly wage, just like a server.
The Best Fried Chicken Recipe Ever?
This cookbooks is awesome; rented it from the library! Really down home recipes in here.
Anything fried in lard is awesome, but I would save this type of recipe for a special event.
Medjool Dates - Healthy or Not?
The medjool date and all other dates for that matter are very healthy. The carbs are complex not simple sugars. They are and were a staple food in the middle east. The date palm is known as the tree of life. It provides food and all sorts of other useful things. The Medjool Date is considered the king of dates because of it is size and sweetness. Unlike most other fruits dates are actually allowed to ripen before shipping and you unlikely to get the same from say apples, oranges, or tomatoes. You can check out the nutritional content of medjool dates at Medjool Dates Nutrition
Five Bucks, Five Dishes, High Five? Lunch Box Buffet/Fay Da Bakery in Midtown West
I went there last night and tax is included now, so if you want something for five dollars, it's ACTUALLY five dollars. And I didn't get the runs like I did at one of the Mott St. establishments (hot dog bun + five hour bus to Boston in the middle of January = bad news)
The Best Fried Chicken Recipe Ever?
This is basically my Grannies recipe. It was and is the absolute best fried chicken I have ever laid my lips on. Granny pulled the skin off and she put a little cayenne in the brine and the dredge and to make it spicy. I miss my Granny not only did she make the best fried chicken but also many other home no recipe treats. Her measurements were like :butter as big as a hen's egg, enough milk to make it wet, and things like that. Self taught and her own sense of measurement but a great cook and a greater lady.
The Best Fried Chicken Recipe Ever?
just a short comment to louisey on "how good this internet system is", its so good, that I managed to get you so many links for the chicken recipe from Omars, you shouldn't have to ask "a friend", you have the entire world at your fingertips, its not rocket science...........just Omars fried chicken....please, Enjoy all the chicken from Omars you can muster up an appetite for..........the secret is in the
link below!
What do you collect?
I've been collecting new and vintage cookbooks, cookbooks, cookbooks, since I was a teen! Most recent addition (2 days ago) : Picnic by Linda Collister et al.
I have three different editions of Roger Verge's Entertaining in the French Style (what a gorgeous GORGEOUS book[however the New Entertaining... edition is less so]), two different editions of the Larousse, Elizabeth David's French Provincial Cookery in hardcover (!) and my precious Edna Staebler's Food that Really Schmecks. Every Nigella (except Nigella Bites being a commercial rip from her stellar How to Eat). Oh and Blah Blah Blah! Obviously I can get a little too excited about the cookbooks. Yes I read them like fine literature, which many of them in fact are: Tamasin Day Lewis, Ms David, Nigel Slater, Ms. Lawson, to name a few.
Also I collect Spode plates, gorgeous blue transferware in every pattern. Gorgeous cookware (tagines, Le Creuset) and Chinese tea ware! Should I stop? Jamais, jamais, jamais!!!!
Repurposed Easter Candy: Milk Chocolate Space Duck Pops
They do carry a reliable Passover hechsher. My kids were SORELY disappointed in the "spack ducks" this Passover. Good thing I didn't use them as my "Ma Nishtana bribe." They wouldn't have performed the second night.
Cucumber, Chicken, and More from Grand Sichuan
@travels4food: I'm a big fan of the spicy eggplant as well.
Cucumber, Chicken, and More from Grand Sichuan
Add wontons in red oil, ma po dofu, and loofah to the list of orgasmically amazing dishes from this chain. Any others?
Repurposed Easter Candy: Milk Chocolate Space Duck Pops
@KarynMC: I am ashamed to think that I just didn't possess the wild imagination required for such a radical idea when I was little. Childhood...FAIL!!
Repurposed Easter Candy: Milk Chocolate Space Duck Pops
i also don't understand why ducks in space are any less christian than ducks in bonnets. ducks aren't particularly eastery, in general. I mean there are easter bonnets, but aren't there also non-easter bonnets? why not just sell bonnet ducks?
Repurposed Easter Candy: Milk Chocolate Space Duck Pops
I might need some of these.
Repurposed Easter Candy: Milk Chocolate Space Duck Pops
Geez, you're supposed to use your imagination. Like that thing kids use when they don't have a Ken doll so they cut off another Barbie's hair and call her a boy, and then pretend s/he's a space duck.
Repurposed Easter Candy: Milk Chocolate Space Duck Pops
@bearsonawire: Good question! ...They're way shorter than most sticks. Does that make them safer? Uh.
This candy is full of mystery.
Repurposed Easter Candy: Milk Chocolate Space Duck Pops
Better question: what's with the "safety sticks"?
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About shaogo
Website: http://www.asianfusion.net
Location: West Hartford, CT, USA
About: Restaurateur in the Asian food business.
Favorite foods: Steak, oysters, dim sum, sushi, Sauerbraten, Pommes Frites Souffle, Carpaccio, pasta, tomato sauce.
Last bite on earth:
Food related: Restaurant menus, matchbooks. Not food related: Vinyl records (jazz, predominately) and CDs (over 3,000 of those). And stuffed animals.