amccomb

Its Cook's Illustrated Orange-Spice Banana Bread. I used sour cream instead of yogurt, though. And I left out the walnuts. Its really good. ← I made this same recipe. I whipped a tub of mascarpone with just a touch of orange blossom honey and spread that on each piece. Mmm.... I, too, am sold on the subtle orange flavor.

What about using homemade marshmallows?

I would love to make these! Can you share the recipe? Is it from a book?

There are several ideas in the marhsmallow thread. One suggestion there was to dip the marshamllow in chocolate and then roll it in graham cracker crumbs. I love the idea of chocolate marshmallows and white chocolate ganache!

Hm...I'm not quite sure! I know the tent thing started because I thought it would be fun to go camping, but he hates the outdoors, so we set up a "tent" in front of our fireplace. I really wanted to make a cassoulet in a big cast iron pot over the fire, but I read that it was dangerous to cook over a fireplace fire. The pierogy thing...well, we used to drive to Chicago and have breakfast at The Busy Bee and we always got pierogies. I had talked about making them myself, but then I saw a special on Food Network about this little shop that makes them from scratch and sends them out via mail, so I ordered them, and every year we order a variety of flavors and eat a couple of each flavor, trying to decide which one we like best. I like sourkraut and kielbasa and he likes potato mushroom. As for the chocolates, I read about Jubilee chocolates in Gourmet magazine and wanted to try them, and we were on a diet, with the next "splurge" being Valentine's Day, so we just decided to wait and order them for V-day.

I know it might be too early to start thinking about Valentine's Day, but it is only a little over a month away... My husband and I have a set of traditions - we build a tent out of blankets in the living room (like we did when we were kids), order and eat pierogies from either Rosie's or Pierogies Plus and eat an entire box of chocolate. In the past, I've ordered chocolate from Jubilee Chocolates and been very happy with their fresh tasting flavors. I've also ordered from Vosges - both the Exotic Collection and the Collection Italiano and really happy with the flavors. I am looking for ideas of other chocolatiers I can order from. Who are considered the best? Do they have websites? We love trying unsual flavor combinations, but are happy with really well done classic flavors as well. We would love to try someone different every year. We would also be willing to try other pierogy dealers as well, if anyone has suggestions. I would have to be able to mail order them though. Thanks!

I made the Gramercy Tavern recipe, as well, and I thought it was quite bitter the first day. It definitely mellowed with age, and then I loved it after a day or two.

I will have the cake in a big tupperware container with freezer packs in the trunk, but I was thinking that whipped cream still wouldn't hold up, even in the cold environment? I may do the IMB. I don't want to do plain icing, though - I think it would be too sweet. My husband really wants me to do bavarian cream, which has some gelatin in it. I think I may try it. the hard part will be catching the bavarian cream at just the right point - it will have to be thick enough to spread a substantial layer on the chocolate cake to roll up, but not all the way set. Or maybe it wouldn't matter if it's all the way set? Could I wait until it's set, stir it up and stir in the cherries, and spread it on the roll and roll it up?

I talked to my mom last night and decided to use up the remainder of my italian cherries. I guess this will be sort of a Black Forrest yule log with a chocolate cake (from The Cake Bible), a vanilla filling of some sort with the cherries folded in, and chocolate ganache for the "bark". I'm undecided if I should use a vanilla buttercream or a vanilla mousse for the filling. I don't think a whipped cream would hold up through two days plus 4 hours of traveling. Does anyone have a vanilla mousse recipe they would recommend that would be easy for a beginner?

So I've decided to make a Buche de Noel for Christmas. Ok, not for December 25th, but for December 29th, which will be Christmas with my mom and dad. I'm looking for recommendations for recipes for the jelly roll and ideas and recipes for fillings. I'm planning on making meringue mushrooms and chocolate/sliced almond/marzipan "pinecones" and decorating the plate with some rosemary to look like pine sprigs. Maybe a light dusting of "snow", too. Does anyone have pictures of past versions, so I could also get some other decorating ideas?

I would love to do a Buche de Noel! Any recommendations for recipes?

I would recommend driving down to Bloomington for dinner at Restaurant Tallent, or catching a wine dinner at Truffles.

I was reducing pomegranate juice in a la creuset pan and forgot about it! Now it's black inside and I can't even chip it out. Is there any way to save my pan? I've been soaking it, but it hasn't made a difference

I bet they would be great folded into some ice cream!

Something from Zingerman's, preferably the Z club. Also, something from earthy delights - maybe the Asian Ingrediant sampler or one of the other samplers such as the exotic rice or world grain or heirloom bean sampler.

I was thinking about making these (my first time making pate choux!) and filling them with this pumpkin mousse and drizzling them with caramel for a party this weekend. The recipe recommends chilling the mousse for at least 3 hours to firm up before serving. Should I pipe the filling into the puffs before chilling and then chill the puff and all, or should I wait until the mousse has set up and then pipe it in? Also, any advice on filling these? Should I cut them in half with a serrated knife, or just punch a hole in with the tip of the pastry bag and then fill it, or...?

I love the sauce from this spice roast pork recip from epicurious.

I edited my post to include a clause about cost. I have been dreaming of making a rib roast with yorkshire pudding, but I am trying to keep costs down. Oh how I love yorkshire pudding!

So, I am planning to host dinner for about 12 adults and two kids for Christmas. They are a pretty unadventurous crowd, and even with as simple as last year's menu was, it was the first time many of them had had several of the items. They liked everything, but I kept it pretty close to "down home" cooking. Last year, I made a spiced pork tenderloin with assorted roasted veggies, such as fennel, parsnips, sweet potatoes. I also made a potato and roasted garlic gratin, a rice pilaf using just the rice part of this recipe, and a creamy corn pudding. I also made a cabbage strudel. For dessert, I made a chocolate mousse cake and a parsnip cake. This year, I was thinking about something different for the main course. Duck, goose, veal, and lamb are too exotic for this crowd, so I was thinking about braising beef of some sort and serving it with creamy polenta. I don't have the All About Braising book from the braising thread, so I thought I would come here for recipe ideas. I would like soemthing saucy with largish chunks of meat, a touch sweet (or maybe just sweet spices, like cinnamon and allspice). I thought about something with dried fruit, like prunes. Anyway, I'm really at a loss and would love some suggestions. Other things I was hoping to work into the menu - a creamy soup of some sort, a salad, a veggie or two, and maybe another starch. My mom wants me to make a fancy macaroni and cheese dish - maybe with blue cheese, but I'm unsure how it would pair with the braised beef and polenta. She also wants me to make popovers. So, maybe I need to rethink the braised beef thing, or go with a more savory beef instead of one with sweet spices. I also need a dessert idea. I was thinking a pie and a cake, and maybe some eggnog ice cream, but beyond that, I have no ideas. So this isn't really a fancy meal - more comforting and down home, but fancy enough for my relatives to be able to go home and talk about the new things they tried. Another problem is cost - I am on a tight budget, so a nice prime rib or soemthing along those lines is out. Any ideas?

Now I'm inspired! last year, my Grandma-in-law gave my husband and I an old template that she used to use make a simple gingerbread house. I've always wanted to make one, so we thought we might try to do one this year and transport it to grandma's house. How do you make it sturdy enough to travel? Is the gingerbread edible, or rock hard and tasteless? What recipe do you use for icing and the gingerbread? Do you "paste" the pieces of gingerbread onto cardboard for sturdiness? Please help an amateur get started on her first gingerbread house!

When I have used the Ferber method, I have found that I end up with a softer set, and with translucent jewel-like fruit floating in a soft jelly. The flavor seems deeper to me, and the texture less...rubbery? Lovely stuff!

I want to master bread and pie crust. I may try to make puff pastry, too.

I froze my turkey carcass, and I am wanting to make an asian style turkey stock for a turkey noodle soup. I can't seem to find a recipe anywhere! I was hoping for something with ginger, garlic, onion, star anise, maybe lemongrass, something along those lines. Can anyone give me some hints on what to throw in and how much? Any ideas for a soup to use the stock with?

My husband and I hate breakfast sausage, so I normally use spicy italian sausage when making my sausage milk gravy. I do the same as above - cook the susage, sprinkle on flour, add milk, season with salt and pepper. I only make biscuits and gravy once a year on the morning after Thanksgiving, and all of my friends look forward to that day and rave about the biscuits and gravy. This year, I used wild boar sausage from d'artagnan, and it was very good.

My Thanksgiving dinner is actually tomorrow (I went to Grandma's house for T-day), so I am still doing prep wprk for the big day, but I normally do turkey sandwiches, then turkey enchiladas, then turkey and wild rice soup. If I still have any leftovers, I freeze them.