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jaynesb

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Posts posted by jaynesb

  1. I tried making a single pancake in the center of the griddle because that's where things would cook best in both cases. "radiant" pancakes were fine but "induction" pancakes (or, as my husband called them, "magnetic pancakes") cooked and came out dry-looking on the outside but were gummy and wet inside. I tried a range of cooking temperatures and still couldn't get them to come out right. I'm guessing that if I thinned the batter a bit, I'd have more success but I was trying the recipe [from Cook's Illustrated] that we always use.

    Does this kind of thing sound familiar to anyone?

    Are you using the same pan? The pan is the only variable. Find a pan that works well on the induction cooktop from your boiling water tests and then use the same pan on an induction vs radiant pancake test.

    I was using the same pan in both situations, (Vollrath Tribute griddle, nonstick, induction-ready, 12-inches square.) It worked fine on the radiant cooktop. It more than covered the induction cooking region. I wonder if my problem was that the griddle was too big. I know that I need to cover the region, but I wonder if I got problems because my pan was much larger than the region. I did try cooking only in the center area because I figured that the outer surface wouldn't be as hot.

    I've tried asking someone in my local appliance center who said that the induction should be fine for everything that I'd want to be cooking. She said that she wasn't as familiar with the Sunpentown countertop models and thought that there might be something about the power of the generator that could have contributed to my problem.

    Next I'm going to try:

    1) using a smallish omelette pan to make same pancake recipe on both units.

    2) playing around with the recipe to see if that makes a difference.

    Thank you for your thoughts.

    jayne

  2. I had a funny experience cooking this kind of pasta in boiling water. I don't remember the pot size but I do remember boiling water shooting out through the pasta as it cooked!

    jayne

  3. For the folks who have induction cooktops and units,

    Have you found any types of foods that the induction cooktop isn't so great at? I'm experimenting with the Sunpentown standalone unit and things that involve boiling water are going really well. My favorite pancake recipe was another story though.

    I was using a Vollrath Tribute nonstick griddle. The batter is a bit on the thick side and I tried cooking it on both my electric [radiant] stovetop as well as on the induction. In both cases, I tried making a single pancake in the center of the griddle because that's where things would cook best in both cases. "radiant" pancakes were fine but "induction" pancakes (or, as my husband called them, "magnetic pancakes") cooked and came out dry-looking on the outside but were gummy and wet inside. I tried a range of cooking temperatures and still couldn't get them to come out right. I'm guessing that if I thinned the batter a bit, I'd have more success but I was trying the recipe [from Cook's Illustrated] that we always use.

    Does this kind of thing sound familiar to anyone?

    jayne

  4. I'm using Bloviatrix's thyme crust for a zucchini, sun-dried tomato, and mozzarella tart from Epicurious.com. I simplified it a bit to appeal to our whole family (My husband doesn't want it too rich or cheesy, my children don't want too many herby flavors......... In spite of all that, it still looks wonderful.)

    I tried roasting some diced celery root but obviously did something wrong so we won't be having that.

    Other side dishes are veggies from the farm (and I've got some fresh garlic roasting now. The green stem was still attached when I bought it! Some of the garlic scapes I bought last week went into the crust.)

    (The kitchen feels pretty hot right now, my fault for not baking the challah earlier this morning!)

    Shabbat Shalom everyone.

    jayne

  5. Hooray, our local farm has just opened for the season!!

    So, although we make it a lot, we're having lasagna (with chard, kale, and zucchini)

    also a side of kale with [bottled] raspberry dressing - a favorite of my husband

    also the last of the bunch of challah that I'd baked before Shavuot and frozen.

    Dessert is gingerbread biscotti and fresh fruit (I went wild at Costco and picked up peaches, blueberries, and cherries...They're great and now we have a lot of them.)

    Shabbat Shalom everyone.

    jayne

    p.s. The farm is located just off Glen Cove Road in Old Brookville, Long Island (New York). Yes, really, Glen Cove Road.... It's called Rottkamps Farm and it is just a wonderful place. After you drive past a couple of mansions and then the cornfields, you reach the farm stand which is basically a big barn. Almost all the vegetables and melons they sell are grown there but they bring in fruits from elsewhere. No rides or shmaltzy stuff. Just beautiful produce!

  6. In NYC and nearby, we can often find Zomicks Challah and rolls as well as many of their baked goods. Of course, you never know how long they've been in the store but for the most part, the deliveries arrive towards the end of the week in time for Shabbat.

    We love-love-love the challahs and can't even imagine how much better they would be if we drove to the bakery itself but they're still wonderful and we drive an extra few miles to the grocery stores that do carry them! (We have friends whose eyes glaze over when Zomicks is mentioned, they love it so much.)

    I've had a few of the cakes and really enjoyed them. I'll keep a lookout for the cheese danish though.

    jayne

  7. You might try checking this website (or giving them a call)

    I recently bought a portable induction unit that they make. The box contained 2 instruction sets, one was in Japanese. So I'm guessing that they may manufacture one for use there. I learned about them from andiesenji (various induction-related topics here)

    They don't sell directly but I got someone on the phone and they referred me to some distributors. Sunpentown website

    Haven't made too much but I have liked being able to cook up a pot of pasta without adding extra heat to the kitchen.

    jayne

  8. Hooray!!! My husband and I are going to Devi tonight to celebrate our wedding anniversary.

    Very yummy. We both had the vegetarian tasting menu with the wine pairing. At first, I did think it seemed funny to see only a tiny bit of wine poured for each course but I really think that that was enough, especially because each of the courses was a "tasting" size. They also brought out a plate of onion/cheese kulcha but given the amount of food we were eating, it was almost overkill but that didn't stop us from having it...

    (Here's something funny: in the middle of our meal, a table of 3 guys was seated next to us and we listened to them agonizing about how many dishes to order and what kinds of things they should have. Was it too much or not? What if this one ordered this and that one ordered that? This went on for quite a while and it was all we could do to keep a straight face when they eventually gave their order to the waiter.)

    jayne

  9. Hooray!!! My husband and I are going to Devi tonight to celebrate our wedding anniversary.

    I've been really looking forward to eating there and each time I've been in the city lately, we've been in a rush to go to a show or see people or some other thing so all my husband has been hearing for months is that I want to go Devi....tonight's the night....hooray!

    (I ate once at Amma a very long time ago and met Suvir. This was while I was a lurker/visitor on eGullet. Suvir was so gracious. He encouraged me to register and participate in the discussion forums and said that he was sure that I would have something to contribute to the discussions. I was less sure but registered anyway and have gotten up the nerve to post. So I have Suvir to thank for quite a lot. )

    jayne

  10. We had 27 (almost half were kids, aged 4-11) for Shavuot. This might be the largest group I've ever had for a full meal. I've got a good-sized kitchen but it wasn't designed for doing actual cooking. (The single 24"-convection oven makes almost everything into a logistical challenge.)

    The house is almost back to normal. I'd hoped to be outside but folks were wilting so we stuck with the air conditioning.

    grape juice/wine/challah

    humus and eggplant dips (Sabra from Costco)

    veggies (cukes, carrots, peppers), chips, and crackers for dipping/munching

    marinated chickpea salad

    taboulli

    marinated mozzarella/sundried tomato/basil salad (bought)

    cranberry relish (brought by my friend)

    bourekas (2 kinds brought by a friend), I barely got to taste them but they were really good!

    vegetable tiella (Michael Chiarello recipe) layers of potato, zucchini, spinach, with garlic, olive oil, tomato sauce, parmesan, and breadcumbs

    sourdough bread (even though most people wanted the challah)

    the kids mostly stuck with plain pasta, bagels/cream cheese, veggies, chips, and apple juice and kept asking whether it was time for dessert.

    Desserts were: Carvel ice-cream cake for a birthday, marble cheesecake, brownies, chocolate chip cookies, pecan pie (brought by a friend), fresh fruit salad, ice pops.

    I should have made tons more lemonade because that and water was what people wanted. There's something to the Cook's Illustrated method of briefly mashing the lemons with the sugar before squeezing them. Really good stuff..... (sodas, iced tea, seltzer, OJ, grapefruit juice were available too but everybody wanted lemonade!)

    Not too much interest in drinking wine yesterday but people were enjoying the single-malt.

    jayne

  11. Might the DSC CT-365 (36" drop-in cooktop) be worth considering?  (I'm not hearing that they really want a griddle)

    IMHO, cooktops are not for serious cooking. If you want to be able to abuse the equipment -- and if you're not going to do so, there's no need to buy at the DCS level of the market anyway -- it shouldn't be attached to a piece of Corian.

    Fat Guy, was your comment specific to gas ranges/cooktops?

    I've got electric only, am starting to think about a kitchen remodel and was considering putting in a cooktop and a double wall oven. But after your comment, should I be considering an electric range plus a single wall oven? (My current range is a 24-inch Miele convection that can't hold most standard-sized cookware and it's a real pain so I wanted to be sure I understood what you were saying before I create a new problem for myself.)

    jayne

  12. Here's a question. I'm starting to start to think about a kitchen remodel. My neighborhood has no gas service. (People who want gas ranges get tank deliveries of some kind of gas but we really don't want to go that route.) I've searched for induction in eGullet and saw comments going back to 2002.

    One of them indicated that induction is good if you are cooking up a lot of things in a liquid, like pasta or blanching veggies. I'd want to be cooking a variety of things. The cookware issue isn't a big deal for me. I've been looking to replace some of my 20-year old pots and pans that I never loved in the first place.

    There seem to be a lot of new developments with induction, (Viking is now offering a cooktop with induction elements as well as radiant ones.) However, I haven't seen too many people on eGullet saying that they've chosen to install them. I did buy the Sunpentown countertop model and am playing around a bit with it but only have a small saucepan and the nonstick pan (that was included as a bonus with the Sunpentown.)

    So, is anybody seriously considering putting in one of the new cooktops?

    jayne

  13. Also with the strawberries, (but not too close to them 'coz they can't touch!) some brownies (from an Alice Medrich recipe)

    Which Medrich brownie recipe? I was toying with a making a batch as well, but I loaded up on Syrian pastries at Mansoura yesterday so I figured it would be overkill.

    I usually make the one called Michael's Fudge Brownies from "Chocolate and the Art of Low-Fat Desserts." My family and friends always appreciate the idea that they're eating something that's "not as fattening as it could be" and these are also fudgy without being really too rich. One of these days, I will try some of her other brownie recipes. Do you have a favorite?

    The double batch probably won't last the weekend. We had some last night then brought some to my grandmother this afternoon, scarfed down another one this evening.... I did put a couple in the freezer but I think I'm going to be making another batch soon....and it *is* time to try another recipe, right?

    jayne

  14. We've also got strawberries but my bunch wouldn't go near them unless they are plain.... oh, well. Bloviatrix, your meal sounds yummy.

    We're having swiss chard lasagna, a favorite for my children. They helped me wash and separate the chard stems from the leaves. They're also helping with some of the assembly. Not much time left.

    Some sauteed mushrooms as a side dish.

    Also with the strawberries, (but not too close to them 'coz they can't touch!) some brownies (from an Alice Medrich recipe)

    Shabbat Shalom everyone.

    jayne

  15. Well, we're moving along with a bit of a thrown-together last-minute meal, mostly because a "cooking class" I set up for my children took a lot longer than I planned. (I opted out of an after-school cooking class when I learned that the children didn't actually participate in food prep. Mostly they watched. Who needs that? So we made our own.)

    There is a very fragrant pound cake baking right now and a lot of veggies still sitting on my counter...... First time I let my children use the electric hand-mixer and it was quite an experience for them. Not to mention a lot of interest in scraping the bowl....

    So...

    Challah and rolls from Zomicks (we always do 2 rolls because my daughters each like their own.)

    vegetable ___ (fill-in the blank) probably an Italian-ish baked casserole thing. That will go into the oven very quickly....

    chopped salad

    pound cake

    Shabbat Shalom everyone.

    jayne

  16. Blovie is still limited with what he can eat - he's now on soft solids.  So, I'm making an Asian style chicken soup infused with lemongrass, star anise and red chilis and served with shredded chicken, mushrooms and peppers.  The main will be a thai chicken curry served over basmati.  And apricot sorbet.  I made a pot of chili for tomorrow's lunch.

    I hope he's feeling better soon. From the sound of it, he's getting some wonderful food though. It sounds like you are taking his dietary restrictions and making the most of them.

    jayne

  17. I think the new vegetarian Chinese restaurant might be Buddha Boda.

    There's an ad/expired coupon on the last page of the recent New York Jewish Week newspaper.

    5 Mott Street 212-566-8388

    (Supervised by Rabbi Israel Meyer Steinberg)

  18. I'd like to hear what you all cooked/ate in the days beyond the seder.

    Aidan

    Leftovers, leftovers, and more leftovers!!

    Aside from quite a bit of matzah brei, I was given the thumbs up for something that started out as a spinach pie (lightly soaked matzah to replace phyllo) but I added tomato sauce/shredded mozzarella because it looked suspicious as I was about to put it in the oven. So it was kind of a cross between a spinach pie and a lasagna.

    I also developed a good buttermilk waffle recipe for my children. (Yes, I was crazy enough to buy a small waffle iron for Pesach but it got a lot of use.)

    One of the more interesting things I made was Suvir Saran's spinach potato patties with Green Chutney. The cakes required only minor adjustments and it was great to have something with a real bold flavor.

    jayne

  19. Hi, I just checked with the certifying agency KOF-K and was told that they do not consider safflower oil to be kitniyot but that as with many foods, different people have different ideas about what constitutes kitniyot. (Apparently, even cottonseed oil is suspect by some folks in Israel.)

    Anyway, thank you for the heads up. Just knowing that it might be a problem for some people is good to know and now I'll be aware of it.

    much appreciated

    jayne

  20. There's a good passover carrot cake recipe from one of Katie Loeb's posts here

    You can use some applesauce as a replacement for some but not all of the oil.

    There is also a pretty good apple rustica recipe from Rosie's Bakery in the ShalomBoston.com recipe link. I generally prefer recipes that don't require as much margarine but other people liked this a lot.

    jayne

    p.s. around here, we can get Hollywood brand safflower oil for Passover. I recommend it over the cottonseed or whatever else is in the other Passover vegetable oils.

  21. Can I suggest 2 additions to the guide?

    Count the Haggadahs, dinnerware, silverware, wine glasses

    Check supply of containers for leftovers (and "doggie bags" if you plan to send food home with guests)

    Our seder seems to be growing daily. Good thing I didn't call the butcher yesterday because I was only up by 1-2 adults and a 3-yr old. Today, I'm up by an additional 4 adults and a 1-yr old and I just realized that I don't have enough Haggadahs. I'm thrilled everyone is coming but I'm getting kind of nervous about it.

    jayne

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