markf424

Hate to enter so late, but I don't think the answer to the name of the original dish in question was answered - pasta (con) aglio e olio. It's a typical late night snack in Italy and something really great to make for yourself (and friends/SO/whoever) if you go to happy hour and forget to have a real meal, then make it home too late for a real dinner. Very quick and delicious - I always use breadcrumbs in mine or it feels too oily. Anyhow, just figured I'd drop in my two cents.

Draining ricotta. How often do I forget? 80%? Maybe more like 90% of the time. And I stomp my foot and promise that I'll remember next time...

French fries. I do the double fry, I soak the starch off of them, I do it all, but they're never crispy and delicious like I desire. I've actually given up.

Depending on the weather outside, I'd personally either pan-sear them (colder weather) or grill them on skewers outside (warm weather). I'm not completely into the braised variety, though braising them in tomato sauce is a common way for the Italian side of my family to cook them. A very simple and short marinade of lemon juice, olive oil, minced garlic, and a tiny pinch of crushed red pepper flakes dresses them well. Be sure not to overcook them or they won't remain deliciously tender in the center! Enjoy them - how lucky you are to have them fresh from the ocean. The ones I get are almost always previously frozen or a couple of days from the sea.

I'm going to revive this thread. Wolf - Subzero has come out with their new dual-fuel ranges in the last year and offer a a lot of features on them. Things that are appealing: 16,000 BTU burners with 500 BTU simmer (similar to the high/lows on the DCS but not quite as high - still a plus for me because they're offered in native LP as opposed to field converted); Dough proofing in both ovens, not just the small one; Baking stone feature with an element that brings your baking stone up in temperature so you don't have to preheat it for 90 minutes; and the most important - they're offered in kitchen appliance packages so I stand to save a lot of money by doing the Subzero fridge/Wolf Range/Wolf Outdoor Grill combo. That being said, I don't care to save the money if I'm sacrificing quality or performance. Does anyone have any experience with these new Wolf ranges?

Pickles, hot dogs, cabbage, and turnips with sliced ginger. Just joking - you asked for different! Some great ideas in here. We're usually pretty lame and do the classic margherita pizza - sliced tomatoes, fresh ripped basil, and fresh mozzarella with EVOO and sea salt. It may be typical but doesn't everyone love it anyway?

I used to pick the leaves individually off of my parsley, but I started to realize it depends on what I'm using it for. If it's going into a sauce, I just bunch them together and chop off the leafy part at the top, discard the thicker stems. If I'm using as chopped plate garnish, I'll pick the leaves off. I always pick the leaves off of my cilantro, however. They're so much further apart and scarcer on the stem.

I think you've hit upon something here. If the product was truly as innovative as Calphalon (and, of course WS) would have us believe, then they very well may have put them in the hands of every professional gourmet publication. However, when you give a product to critics, you might get some criticism. Hand the product to WS, and you give consumers the feeling of exclusivity without the luxury of looking up the horrific reviews online. Of course, maybe I'm wrong and I'll be cooking with Calphalon One this time next year - I'll just feel better hearing how well it works from people I trust.

I meant to start an identical thread a few weeks ago. I was in Williams-Sonoma and they were handing out little flyers that revealed just enough to be mysterious. "Nonstick but perfect for deglazing", "Nonstick surface doesn't scratch", "Pan hovers in mid air when simmering to avoid hot flames", "Omelet pan cooks breakfast before you awaken", etc. I'm not buying it (literally and figuratively) - at least not until I hear a few thousand professional chefs tout the product as revolutionary. Besides, what would I do with this kitchen full of All-Clad?

This sounds awesome. I'm going to have to try it very soon.

I feel for you on this one. I spend most of my time in St. Thomas in the Virgin Islands but do spend a good amount of time in Austin, Texas as well. When I'm in Austin, I have access to so much. Going to even the most basic grocery store is a wonderful thing, let alone hitting a gourmet store like Whole Foods or Central Market. However, when I'm in St. Thomas, it can be very difficult to find good ingredients, let alone maintain them in the house. The only decent market is about an hour roundtrip, and it's not a fun drive. I'm willing to bet you are probably more creative than most of us due to this fact alone, though. That which doesn't kill you...

Two good ways to do 'em: The obvious Buffalo recipe, which is just Frank's Hot Pepper Sauce mixed with melted butter 1:1. I add a tiny bit (1/5th part of or) of sugar to the sauce. I grill the wings with salt and cayenne pepper instead of deep frying them and toss them in a covered container with the sauce until coated, then drop them back onto the grill for a few seconds to carmelize the sauce. Another fun recipe is to mix olive oil, fresh lime juice, minced garlic, and honey together and marinate the wings (or any other parts of chicken) in it for a few hours. Toss 'em on the grill and they'll get beautiful color from the honey. Coarsely chop some cilantro and sprinkle it on top when they're done. These are great to plate up when friends come over. People love 'em if they like the lime-cilantro combo (and who doesn't?!)

These are great. Anyone who cures sausages, please share as well if you're so inclined. As soon as I get back to Austin, I'm going to have to make up some tasty links.

Whoa! Now that's what I call a plate of meat. That is absolutely incredible. If you were looking to motivate, you've done so. Bravo! I also, er, noticed that there's a new thread on sausage recipes. Please add yours in as I'll be all "ears".

I was going to mention earlier that Stove Top was a tad, uh, boxed (?) but decided against it. I suppose since the thread starter admitted to the less-than-awesome quality of the product, I'll voice my opinion. It's quick and easy, and it's satisfactory, but it's by no means very good. To me it tastes like salty bread with butter and boullion - not necessarily a terrible thing, but there are better alternatives for sure.

Sorry, Jake - we must have been simultaneously posting. Good call on the additional butter for the stuffing, that'll likely help quite a bit. An aside here - I mentioned that I have sliced tenderloin and pounded it out, then pan fried it. This was something that I just decided to try for the heck of it one night and it really worked out well. The pork stays tender, which was a concern going into the dish, and it's a rapid way to cook it. Something to keep in the back of your mind. I sauteed granny smith apples in brown sugar and butter, then pulled them and added the pork to the pan. Seared those and finished with some Calvados. I was pretty pleased with the end result. -Mark

Hmm, interesting idea. What about slicing it lengthwise, flattening it, and then stuffing and rolling it instead of just generally pounding it out? I've never done it before, although I have sliced tenderloin into 2 1/2 inch to 3 inch slices, laid them flat and pounded them out. Pork tends to flatten pretty well, easier than chicken. For your recipe, I'd cook the Stove Top, stuff the tenderloin, get a skillet real hot and sear it on all sides, then toss it into a 350/375 oven to finish. I'd probably season it pretty well with whatever your tastes are - a little brown sugar, rosemary, and minced garlic with olive oil perhaps - then when it's finished, make a sauce in the pan while you let the meat sit for 10-15 minutes. I'd be careful with the sauce, probably would pull the stuffing out first so it doesn't soak it all up. Anyhow, that's what I'd do, real quick. It would make a pretty easy and quick meal. Let us know what you did and how it worked out! -Mark

I have to confess, I have the KitchenAid attachment with sausage maker, but have only used it once - to grind pork and veal for meatballs. I'm not sure why I haven't used it again, but this thread sure has inspired me. I have yet to make homemade sausages, even though I have the attachment. What a chump. I go to the store, buy sausages, complain about the seasoning, then watch the dust settle on my grinder. -Mark

Count me in. Start it up. How's the text? I haven't had much luck yet finding something complete. I have to imagine there are stellar texts on the subject, though. -Mark

Raise your budget, buy a 648 piece set. You can throw them away when they get dull.

Becoming more consistent and adventurous with bread. Charcuterie. We're building the new house this year so obviously getting the kitchen installed will be a big one. I'd also like to put some time and effort into making all of my food more heathful without sacrificing flavor or texture. I mean, it's easy to throw in six sticks of butter to thicken my sauce, but maybe I don't need to. -Mark

To those who know: How is food cooked on a Kamado compared to food grilled on an ordinary grill? I'm assuming there is more radiant heat from the ceramic walls and therefore perhaps the food is better seared all-around at the same time? I've never used one or eaten from one, but would consider purchasing one to complement my outdoor cooking instruments. I'd also like to hear any success/failure with smoking in one. Thanks, Mark

Sorry I'm so late to this thread. I, too, use my Weber Genesis Silver B and a baking stone to cook pizza. I agree that my grill meets or exceeds 600 degrees F, but also I'm basing this off of the stock Weber thermometer. In my experience, wind has been the only issue impeding me from getting the type of heat I need for that crinkly crackly crust with black spots that I love. It's rare that I have any trouble in most conditions, but if there are strong gusts of wind, continuously, I'll sometimes have a problem superheating my Weber. I don't think ambient temperature matters much at all. On the bright side, I am very pleased with the results off of the grill as opposed to in the oven. I'd recommend trying it if you haven't already. And if it really is too windy, just tie a string to your pizza and fly it like a kite. -Mark

Well, SeattleGrrl, how was it? Where did you go?

Yikes!