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ambra

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Everything posted by ambra

  1. ambra

    Pasta serving sizes

    I'm a total weight convert. I weigh it every single time. It saves the "Oh, it's too much!" arguments. I also don't think all pasta dishes are good as leftovers!
  2. I just realized what my greatest item is....it's a coffee doser. It measures the exact amount into my coffee maker each and every time. There is no mess, no fuss, and I literally can't make coffee without it. Sometimes I even have panic attacks wondering what I will do if it up and breaks since I bought it in Southern Italy!!!!! heehee Edit: typos, as always.
  3. My family feels this way about their cheap cast iron frying pans. It's my go-to pan for anything and everything. Habit, I guess. It's terrible for tossing pasta so I have a wok style (just meaning that it's tall sided and rounded at the bottom) for pasta.
  4. They're purchased here. There are Chinese products available as well, usually for much cheaper, but the dumpling flour isn't great for bread. The baking powder and baking soda I bought because they came in larger sizes for Christmas baking. I usually buy whatever's available when I'm at a certain shop. I rotate between going to different shops for different staples. Carrefour is good for bulk rice, peanut oil, spices, and wine. Summit I go to for SE Asian ingredients, cheese, and meat. I bought those baking supplies there as well. If my husband and I have a lot of time, we'll take a cab out to the Sogo, a Japanese department store in the SIP. Very good for senbei, sake, miso...and Greek yogurt for 70 yuan. I don't know who buys it. Somebody does. Vegetables I get delivered or buy at the wet market. You've got a lot more American brands than are available here in Tuscany! Not that I necessarily need American flour and the like, but there are a few things I miss. We don't have many ethnic ingredients at all here. Loving the blog!
  5. ambra

    Extra Coarse Salt

    You can always use it to salt pasta water! However, all of the above are excellent suggestions.
  6. Hi ambra. The baby artichokes were $4 a pound. The kale was $2.50 a bunch, which is all I took (1 bunch). Sam and John may have taken 2 bunches and I'd guess the weight of a bunch is around 12 ounces, so a little over $3 a pound. That's not nearly as bad as I thought it'd be. Kale is very cheap here. It's less than a euro a kilo. Not the cheapest leafy green, but probably the second. Artichokes which look more or less like the ones in your photos and NOT like those big round california artichokes are two for a euro.
  7. I see what you did there. Punny. I've given up on finding palatable bread at all, and am trying to get into the "no-knead" habit. Oh, me too. Those bread shots killed me. And the bagels, but mostly the bialys........
  8. I LOVE this thing! Thanks for bringing me back great memories!
  9. Best way to debone a chicken thigh? So that you are left with a steak? And something to stuff? Thank you!
  10. We brown the meat on a high heat and remove. Saute onions and garlic in the same pan. Sometimes add wine, sometimes don't. Add tomatoes. I use only Pelati and nothing more. I don't like tomato paste or puree in my sauce because the taste totally changes after such a long cooking time. Bring to boil. Add back meat. I use a can or so of water, salt, red and/or black pepper. Sugar only if the tomatoes are particularly acidy. Most of the time it gets added. I am a purist so I don't really add many other herbs and spicies. Actually none. The meat is usually country ribs or baby rack ribs (because where I live now, country ribs are not available)and one or more of the following: Braciole, Sausage without fennel and Meatballs. In days past we used some of the meatball grease to flavor the sauce. Haven't done that in ages because I've been using very lean beef. Sauce usually served over (sometimes homemade) orecchiette with grated Pecorino Romano on top. I'm not a fan of Pecorino so I use Parmigiano. We have another version where we use straight up stew meat. And for this version we brown the meat and remove. Grate onion, carrot and celery into a pan, saute til soft add tomato puree and a can of water. Bring up to a Simmer, Add meat, and cook until meat is soft. This isn't Sunday sugo, it's just meat flavored tomato sauce!
  11. "Tuscan ____________" It's rarely ever Tuscan in origin.
  12. YUCK! Someone once tried to serve me Rare chicken. On purpose!
  13. Swordfish. I know people the world over love it. Not me.
  14. ambra

    Pasta serving sizes

    A standard Italian rule of thumb is 80-100 grams per person of dried pasta. 80 seems to be the amount of pasta one might have if the pasta is followed by a protein. But my family never makes any more than 80 per person regardless of what does or does not come after. I think it's a decent portion. Having said that, I make no less than 250 grams for my Stepson and sometimes up to 400 for him. Depends on your appetite!
  15. Yea, in Italy they are sold on the shelves next to the long life milk or what have you. But I've never seen anyone store them on the counter. They always get put in the fridge. and a side question, aren't eggs pasteurized in the US? They aren't in Italy.
  16. Hmmm. I took the Food safety class, and I really don't remember anything arcane or unfixable. Actually found the whole thing very fair. (And Scary.) I did take the class 10 years ago so maybe I just don't remember. In any case, the complete list of possible violations is online. But I also found this in the food safety course. You have to sign up for the course to read that, but this is the link
  17. Well, I'm kind of a burger fanatic so keep that in mind. I went to the one on King's Rd. The meat was grey and stayed with me undigested for the entire day. It was convenient to where I was staying so I decided to try it again. And the burger still stayed like a brick in my stomach for the duration of the day. I also didn't think the sides were anything to write home about. I had also asked for Med. Rare both times and neither time did I actually get anything less than medium well. Waitress was lovely though. Same gal both times. Just a whole different ballgame meat quality I guess.
  18. I like the burger at Goodman. I think it's a pretty good bargain considering it's a steakhouse. It comes with fries, bacon and cheese all for one price. I would not however, recommend Byron Burger. Sorry to the poster above.
  19. I've been watching Masterchef Australia Season One which has made me want to take an Gastronomic vacation in Australia. Glad to get another view besides the TV one, although it may cost me a couple of plane tickets!!
  20. Well, if Heinz Ketchup doesn't count, I'll say French's Mustard. I neeeeeed that for my Nathan's hot dogs. Although I am learning to use fancy German mustard now.
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