Cusina
-
Posts
920 -
Joined
-
Last visited
Content Type
Profiles
Forums
Store
Help Articles
Posts posted by Cusina
-
-
pepper
salt
lemon
garlic
paprika
the next five would be
vanilla
sherry
balsamic
basil
ginger
-
At a meat market bar called the Garage in Milwaukee's Brady Street district, my husband reports that there is a one way mirror above the urinals that looks out on the main area of the bar. It is terribly tempting to stare intently at it while sipping my drink... or to wave hello. Kind of bizzare.
Also, if you are lucky enough to be female (or at least pass well for one) and you find yourself in the Pfister Hotel downtown (which is quite nice) be sure you use the very last stall in the ladies room for the bar on the top floor. Beautiful view. The bar is nice too... goblets of whole cashews for their snack mix. Yum.
-
The comment about it all stemming back to our puritan heritage is interesting. I also think about the 50s gee whiz convenience age, and the depression/war waste not want not hoarding mentality as factoring into the equation. In a relatively short amount of time, less than 50 years, America has gone from being a country that had a lot of need to one of great plenty. Perhaps we are still making that transition? In 1829 in France Careme was preparing giant banquets for royalty with tremendous sugar topiaries. Even the wealthiest Americans in that day couldn't imagine such feasts until after the Civil War. Are we just behind Europe on the timeline, will we eventually get to the point where they are or are we going in a different direction entirely?
-
Oh that is painful, a beautiful biscuit like that and margarine. My inlaws in Florida use margarine too... then when they discovered that was bad they switched to the "healthy margarine" stuff which is even worse. You may as well spread vaseline on your bread. I think they like the spreadability factor and the cost. I actually used to buy a tub when they would visit to prevent issues. Fortunately they seem to accept the canola butter blend at this point, which is a little less painful, but still not great.
Maybe those "don't mess with mother nature" ads really struck a chord in the South.
-
Americans hear daily how much of an epidemic obesity is, I guess there is no wonder we look at food as toxic. The balance is complicated, so many choices. I can't imagine how one would go about undoing that guilt though. How do you rewire your reaction to heavy cream? Organizations like Weight Watchers (which I belonged to for a while, by the way) definitely feed this way of thinking. Food is measured by calorie count and broken down into points to be added up for the day. You earn points by exercising that you can add to the amount you are able to eat for a day.
This system worked for me, I've lost that weight I wanted to and I learned a lot about what I can and can't eat and maintain my figure. Much of what changed in my life did have to do with portion control and understanding satiety. But it has introduced a constant evaluation of what I eat. I wonder if this clinical outlook on food as fuel rather than pleasure is a result of the "educating" that has happened in an attempt to reverse the obesity trend?
-
Stewarts Orange and Cream... however I have no idea if they distribute in NJ
-
hmmm... most interesting.
Thanks Blovatrix for posting those links. I missed that discussion the first time around.
I wonder if blamagory ever completed that review? I'd be most interested to hear her point of view. What exactly does she feel has lied about? I guess you can't believe everything you read.
I hate to feel that this invalidates the book completely.
-
Cooking for Kings: The Life of Antonin Careme the First Celebrity Chef
A Biography with Recipes by Ian Kelly
Walker Publishing Company, 2004
Ian Kelly put a tremendous amount of research into documenting this piece of history. He provides a glimpse into European noble lifestyle like no other I’ve read before, a look at the kitchen of premier chef Antonin Careme. Careme’s career began inauspiciously at the age of 10 when he was abandoned by his father in the city of Paris. He was one of at least 25 children in his poor family and he must have seemed likely to be able to make his own way. Fortunately, he was taken in by a pastry chef and put to work in the kitchen. He stayed there and grew to excellence and wide acclaim, until his death at 45 in 1829. In those days most cooks met an early end from the almost constant exposure to charcoal fumes. The years in-between are a story of great interest. He worked throughout Europe for a variety of wealthy aristocrats including Napoleon, George Prince of Wales (England’s infamous Prince Regent) and Russian Tsar Alexander I, and manages, in a time of almost constant political upheaval, to cross those borders and remain alive and even in great demand as a chef. The differences in these households and their traditions of meal service influence Careme quite a bit throughout his career. Kelly explains these kitchen situations well and the details make for very interesting reading.
It is fascinating that the new regimes wanted similar entertaining options. One would think that the kind of gluttony Careme represented (indeed, several of his employers died from the side effects of severe obeseity) would be exactly what the political rebellions, especially the French Revolution, would attempt to disenfranchise. However, the greed carried on, each new regime desired Careme’s service to impress their importance upon the rest of the world. Careme’s career consisted, most memorably, of extravagant banquets, some of them purely for show. The tables were elaborately set for 8 to 10,000 diners sometimes with hundreds of courses. It is hard to imagine the amount of labor and resources necessary to organize such a feast, especially in the days before refrigeration. The centerpieces of his life were his extraordinaires, sugar fantasies. Tremendous, creative desserts done in the form of giant temples or towering topiaries meant to impress rather than taste good. Careme had a passion for architecture as well as food and this is apparent in his dessert creations. Ironically, the French revolution, which was inflamed by Marie Antoinette’s famous quote “let them eat cake”, was obviously followed by the new regime eating a whole lot of Careme’s cakes.
“A Venetian Gondola
(An Italian-themed extraordinaire)
The Venetian Gondola is made of confectioner’s paste masked with sky-blue sugar icing. It is placed on a convex pedestal, four inches high in the centre and two round the outside, covered with white spun sugar so as to imitate the waves of the sea. The pavilion is composed of eight columns masked with rose-coloured sugar icing, the draperies are of sky-blue confectioner’s paste and yellow spun sugar. The cupola, the sail and the small pendant are of spun sugar; the mast is masked in the same way as the gondola, and the tackle is formed with white spun sugar. The whole is encircled with a border of middle-sized meringues with coarse sugar and filled with cream. The gondola, too, may be filled with meringues, large truffles boiled in champagne or with small casks of almond paste filled with preserves.
Antonin Careme, Le Patissier royal parisien (1815)” - Cooking for Kings pg. 87
Fortunately, Careme published several large books to document his work. There are many beautiful illustrations in the text drawn by Careme himself. The source material for Cooking for Kings is rich and plentiful. However, it is restricted to Careme’s professional life. Mr. Kelly attempts to fill in the blanks as best he can and provide a picture of Careme’s personal life and that of some of his employers as well. This is what makes the book truly interesting, the weaving of those stories together. The gossip, even two centuries later, is still juicy. Of particular interest to me were the writings of some of his diners. They were the social elite of the time, some of them journalists, most of them women.
Selecting a recipe to prepare from this work was a bit difficult. Most require ingredients that are considered obscure by today’s standards, things like chestnuts, cocks combs (and testicles!) and partridges. Other recipes sounded far too fussy and labor intensive, like a tower of glazed peach halves or apple meringue as a hedgehog. Or they just plain didn’t appeal. Cream of pigeons, for example, just wouldn’t go over well with my kids and his cheese flan sounded awfully bland by modern tastes. I settled on Le Bar Grille a L’Italien. Grilled sea bass in an Italian champagne sauce. Unfortunately, I had to settle further as there was no sea bass at the market. Mahi Mahi was the substitute. The sauce takes a simple Allemande and adds to it, so I was able to try that sauce recipe as well.
It was an interesting exercise to decode his recipe into modern terms. The ingredients were given in rough measures to give you an idea of ratio rather than specific amounts: 2 glasses of champagne, a dash of salt, a pinch of allspice, a knob of butter.
The Allemande that I’m familiar with is usually stock based and quite rich. This was just a velouette with water, a beaten egg and a few drops of wine vinegar. It was very watery and bland. Careme’s instructions are less than complete. He doesn’t instruct you to allow the sauce to develop over low heat. His assumption must have been that only experienced cooks would attempt his recipes. They certainly are not laid out in the kind of exacting detail for the layperson that you see today. Allow to reduce, for example, doesn’t include by half or to ¼ cup. It is merely stated allow to reduce and the cook must decide for himself what heat, how long and what the texture of the final sauce should be.
The champagne was simmered with chopped mushrooms (two spoonfuls), a sprig each of thyme and rosemary, a pinch of allspice and salt, a shallot and a clove of garlic. Careme specifies rocambole garlic, which, I discovered, is a purple streaked very pungent variety. I didn’t use it as it isn’t available in the grocery here. He does not specify to chop the shallot and garlic, so I left them whole. The champagne was reduced by half and the herbs removed. Two glasses of Allemande added and the whole mixture reduced yet again. A “knob” of butter and lemon juice were added just before serving. The final sauce was quite rich with a delicate flavor. Quite complex. It was good over the fish, but especially tasty over the saffron couscous I made for the side.
I enjoyed piecing together this recipe. Cooking is a surprisingly effective way to connect with history. I could imagine how different the process would be over a wood fire, if I had churned the butter myself and picked the egg out from under the chicken that morning. Careme’s cooking was luxurious for it’s time because of the tremendous amount of cumulative labor required to produce such dishes. Things we take for granted on a daily basis today, like a cool room in August in which to make pastry cream, required a lot effort in 1825.
Mr. Kelly has done an excellent job portraying the life of this Chef and the world he lived in. The writing is clear and the illustrations are excellent. This is definitely a book worth checking out.
-
ooo, one more thing, I'd guess if you put a little (maybe 1/2 a teaspoon) grated lime zest (just the green part of the lime) and a pinch of salt in that salsa it would be tasty. Balance some of the sweetness and add some color. If you like margaritas, it would be fun to dash a little tequila in there too. Maybe 1 or 2 tablespoons for a little kick.
-
Yay, another Wisconsinite takes up the blog!
So far, so good. I'm glad to read your posts.
Do you ever get to that great farmer's market in Madison? -
Last year we gave my father in law a wine of the month gift from this store in the Berkshires. He loved it. The store is on his way home from work and they would select a beautiful bottle for him each month. He doesn't drink that often, but has loved having special bottles, many of which will last for years in the cellar, to bring out for celebrations. I'm certain we'll give him this gift for Christmas for a long time to come.
I think these, _____ of the month gifts are great, if they are really well thought out and especially if they come from a local source. A lot of the people we buy gifts for really have everything they need stuffwise, so consumables like this are a good option.
-
skratty, you're on... deviled egg huh? Will you have horns and a pitchfork or a mayo filling and paprika? Both?
I'm not picky. Anyone who shows up and rings my bell gets candy. I figure, why worry about it *shrug*. The non-costumed older kids are a vast minority anyways. Most of the older kids around here go all out and get creative. Last year I had about 5 of what appeared to be high school football players on my doorstep in full on drag, dressed up like their mothers! They were hysterical! Any kid who does that definitely deserves a milky way or two. I hope those moms got pictures.
What are your parameters for buying candy? I'm cheap... I don't want to spend more than 10 cents per piece and I sort through the on sale bags.
-
Funny, we are having this for dinner tonight. It's one of those fast and easy things for when time is tight. I use the pocket method, with bone in breasts, and stuff them with goat cheese or ricotta and spinach. It also helps to smear the outside of the breast with a little EVOO and some seasonings, to keep it from drying out completely in the oven or for a double stuff effect, stuff garlic butter under the skin. They aren't half bad.
-
I had no idea... thanks for the information Anne.
-
Do you have a dining room? If so, could you live without an eat in kitchen and get rid of the table?
There is also more space for wall hung cabinets, although not terribly deep ones, above the stove (with a range hood of course) and to the right of your sink. Since you are only talking a small number of cabinets you could look into having them made to match your existing very lovely cabinet. Or, check out a local salvage place. You might find just the right thing, even if it doesn't match perfectly. Sometimes older medicine cabinets or doctor/pharmacy cabinets can have a very nice look. An older stove or a reproduction, gas of course, would be cool too. and might have some extra space for you.
http://www.oldhouseweb.com/cgi-bin/frameit...owRemoveFrame=1
-
We get about a hundred munchkins if the weather is decent (always a toss up in Wisconsin). Our neighborhood is great for trick or treat because it is full of big old houses. Extra-spooky. This year I bought mini rice krispie treats, Hershey's Smores bars, Almond Joys (my personal favorite), and yes, the ever popular Milky Ways. I'm thinking about making small glazed popcorn balls that have candy corn in them for the kids we recognize. I'll put a tag on them that says who it's from so they don't automatically get thrown out by vigilant parents.
I wish we could do all homemade treats. Sad isn't it, that you have to be that suspicious?
-
ludja, that recipe you posted is so conversational.
"This recipe will not use the whole box, so you may snack, but don't get carried away. " :big grin:
This just cracked me up.
-
Roasted pumpkin seeds are supposed to be potato chip crunchy, not soft. I love them.
Discard membrane stringy stuff. Rinse in a colander till they are not quite so slimy, dry on paper towels.
Oven at 325, drizzle with melted butter, salt liberally. Bake for about 20 minutes, stirring the seeds now and then. Watch to make sure they don't start to burn. A silpat is good for this. (Adapted from James Villas' recipe in Stalking the Green Fairy) These are great toppers for soups, in salads instead of croutons or stand alone as cocktail munchies.
-
Sweet potatoes are great just sliced, slicked with olive oil and salted then put on the grill for a few minutes. And I love sweet potato fries.
I also make a sweet potato and butternut squash soup. Slice the butternut in half, scoop out the seeds and place on a baking sheet with 2 sweet potatoes. Roast until squishy. Scoop out the flesh, put in a nice large soup pan on the stove top, cover with chicken broth. Add a little cream and some ginger and cumin if you like. Whiz with the immersion blender. Top with diced chipotle pepper and a little adobo sauce. Or, sometimes, for a sweeter soup, I'll add bourbon and maple syrup to the puree and top with candied pecans instead of the spices and peppers.
-
And you forgot the 2.5 children in the analysis too. I think most people, myself included, get a lot more interested in what they eat when they are also feeding/setting an example for a little growing person. It's also a lot more energy to take young children out or find take out that their bland loving little taste buds will accept than it is to just make something simple at home. And believe me, guilt is a mighty powerful thing. Parents don't get cut slack on this issue, even if the work two jobs and are extremely busy. It's still very much socially expected that you cook at least somewhat healthy meals for your kids and eat around a family table more often than not.
It's an interesting premise, definitely sparked a lively discussion. Thanks for asking the question, Shalamanese.
-
My family thinks I'm crazy because I love dark chocolate. The higher the cocoa content the better. They all much prefer milk.
dunno. -
I have the strange situation of now living less than three blocks away from my old dorm cafeteria. I don't miss it. In fact I walk by and think how glad I am I don't have to eat there.
Our food (required board at a small private university) was awful. I remember having a roommate who was raiseid in the Mexican tradition who just about wasted away. She existed on steamed vegetables covered in mustard because she couldn't bring herself to eat the upper midwestern yucky casseroles they made. She used to talk me to sleep describing the incredible food she and her female relatives would make for the holidays.The women I volunteer with who still attend the college, report that not much has changed. They've tried all sorts of things in an attempt to make it better, the best of which is an ala carte line that has sandwiches and pizza. I have noticed that the students are a whole lot more likely to "cook" in their rooms than in my day. Most students bring a tremendous amount of stuff to slam into their tiny dorm rooms, including a lot of food and cooking gear. I can't believe how much stuff they live with. Their rooms literally overflow.
In the late 90's I worked for Northwestern University, the downtown Campus that houses the medical and law schools. Every now and then I ate in their cafeteria and it was much like the one described at Purdue. Different stations with different entrees. Pasta to order, hot dishes, "chinese", a grill for hamburgers and such, a sandwich bar, salads etc... Eh, it was o.k. There was more choice, and it was better than my alma matter, but it still tasted like mass produced cafeteria food. It was just re-arranged.
-
I have a challenging Thanksgiving dinner this year. My Mother in law, who is usually a pretty reasonable person, has gotten it into her head that we need to give thanks with most of my husband's family in my poor brother-in-laws bachelor city boy 2 bedroom apartment. Whoo boy. He is, understandably, kind of in a panic as he doesn't cook much beyond omlettes and toast. So, he and I get to make the dinner in a very cooking challenged space. Yikes. Most of it needs to be made ahead and transported, so I'm glad for these ideas.
I'm thinking lots of snacks need to be around, as the dinner is likely to be of unpredictable timing. Maybe some sort of blue cheese stuffed mushroom, some of those meatballs Suzanne posted (thank you!) and a cheddar ale spread (basically sharp, aged cheddar and good ale in the food processor for a long time till smooth) with some locally produced sausage on toast points. Since brother in law can make toast that seems like a good idea. I know, not as elegant as they might be, but I figure they fit the circumstances.
I also made roasted pumpkin seeds for the first time in years this past week. They were delicious. Just drizzled with butter and salt before baking. They'll be great for snacking and easy to make ahead.
-
ooo... me too. Mine is the kind that fits over two burners. It is the one thing I MUST have for our new little cottage kitchen. Eunny, what brand is yours? Where did you get it? I inherited mine from a friend who never used it, so I'm not sure where to look for a new one.
Malawry, your girls are SO lucky. Just have to say that.
Bizarre Bits Between Bread
in Food Traditions & Culture
Posted · Edited by Cusina (log)
heh, these are great... I was a camp counselor in college. We experimented with those pudgie pie makers (sandwich irons). http://www.firepies.com/irons.html
I remember some weird concoctions, canned peaches and jelly beans anyone? (ugh) My favorite though was marshmallow, banana and chocolate chips. Yum.
We also did those open faced sugar sandwiches, however, we got creative and tossed them on the griddle to fry like french toast making it a whole new delicious animal.
also, see my signature line. My dad must not have any taste buds left either.