jgm

I probably should point out that I used the term "recovering" because that's what several people have used when they've described themselves. I have enormous respect for vegetarians, and often wish I could be one. But I like meat and other animal products way too much. I actually took a month-long class called "CHIP" which I think stands for Cardiac Health Improvement Program, or something like that. It's an extremely low-fat way of eating, but I think they do use things like Egg Beaters or other dairy or egg products that are extremely low fat. However, locally the class was sponsored by a Seventh Day Adventist church; they are vegans and use no animal products at all, so that's the way the class was presented. What I had a problem with, which I understand doesn't have to be a part of vegetarianism (or the SDA church, for that matter), was their reliance on what I call pseudo-foods, i.e., tofu 'scrambled eggs' and Boca burgers. I don't want to eat something that pretends to be something else. So I continue to struggle, and for right now, I'm trying to be an ovo-lacto vegetarian who eats meat every now and then. Health reasons, and treatment of animals before and during slaughter, are my motivations.

After all that work, you are going to share, arent' you??? Aren't you????

I've seen several people mention that they're "recovering" vegetarians or vegans. And I've also been a part of several eGullet discussions about how animals are treated during the slaughtering process, which has made me do more thinking about how much meat, if any at all, I should be eating. If you're a current vegan or vegetarian, I would be interested in hearing why; what's been important in your decision not to eat meat or animal products? If you're a "recovering" or "reformed" vegetarian or vegan, what's brought you back to the world of meat eaters? Everybody play nice, now. I'm just curious to know what's moved you in one direction or the other.

Golllllllleeeeeeee, all you big city types are leaving me salivating. I've never had any of the stuff you're talking about, but the names alone sound incredible. I am very jealous. And I am going to start saving my money for more mail order food. Here in the American Outback, we have a far narrower selection. So my newest love is Cambozola. And tonight after work, at Wichita's own claim to fame, the one and only Dean & Deluca warehouse (yes, that's right, most of their stuff comes from Wichita these days) I will be picking up some manchego and membrillo. That's enough to make me happy. Will I still be, after tasting some of the stuff you're talking about?

I think the biggest change has been in the last 5 years, and that's that I am cooking. My husband and I will soon celebrate our 7 year anniversary. The first couple of years, we ate a lot of Hamburger Helper. And even when asked, he was loathe to comment on whether he liked anything I made; it was probably his way of staying out of the doghouse. Slowly that's changed, and now he's free with the comments, but still very careful. Before that, I was single and cooking for one was just too much trouble. And for most of that time, there was no Food Network. I continued to read cooking magazines, but I just couldn't bridge the gap between reading about it and doing it. Those years were useful, however, as appliance acquisition years. But in the last 5 years, with help from Alton Brown, Shirley Corriher and others, I've learned enough science to know how to fix my mistakes. Then I found eGullet, and my whole outlook on food has been transformed. I'm nowhere near where I want to be, but this definitely one example of the journey being more important than the destination. And it's a helluva lot of fun. I don't even mind cleaning up as much as I used to.

You bet I will. My brand new Le Creuset 5 1/2 qt. pot arrived this morning. I didn't order it for this purpose, but this'll do! Sounds like a good way to break it in! I also bought a pannini press, if you want to schedule a course on grilled sandwiches...

Really????? I'm not doubting or challenging you, I'm just surprised. Do you know any history of this term? I've never heard of it being pronounced that way--which is meaningless, since I live in a community where a street named Greenwich is pronounced "green witch." My friends and I have tried to change that over the years, and people think we're just being hoity-toity. But then, in this state, "Arkansas" is pronounced AR-kan-saw only when referring to that state. If referring to the Arkansas River when it's within our borders, it's ar-KAN-zuss. No wonder I don't know how to talk.

I need help with: tagliatelle and manchego --man-CHEE-go or man-KAY-go? (and that's just for starters, but I'll have to think on it.)

How can I handle the coursework best while holding down an 8-to-5 job? How long will the braising periods be? I'm trying to decide whether I can do this after work, or ...what?

Oh boy! This is going to be great. Even though I own the print version of Ruhlman's "Making of a Chef,", I also ordered the audio version through Audible, and one of the reasons was I wanted to hear how certain words are pronounced. Then after the reader pronounced a certain word two entirely different ways within 20 seconds, I realized I did not have a reliable source for pronunciations. And at the moment I can't remember what any of the words were. But I'll find them. I think we could do a whole thread on the mispronunciations of "hors d'oeurves." My favorites: whores-do-ehr'ves (brother-in-law's grandmother) whore'-dee-ohr'ves (college algebra professor)

I cooked it just to a boil. In reading previous entries on this newly combined thread, I'm beginning to suspect that may have caused the graininess. What do you think? Also, do you think it's necessary to cook it in a double boiler, or would a good, heavy-bottomed saucepan be adequate?

I know there's a lemon pie thread, but I wanted to start one specific to lemon curd. I have made it -- always with the same recipe -- many times before with no problems and excellent results. Now everything is going wrong! Here's the recipe I'm using: Zest of two large lemons, removed with a vegetable peeler. I was very careful to get no white pith. 1/2 cup lemon juice 1 cup sugar 1/2 cup butter 5 egg yolks Method: this was from a Bon Appetit recipe printed in the 1980's, as part of a recipe for "Luscious Three Layer Lemon Cake" which is to die for, I assure you. It was the era of the food processor, so it's a food processor recipe. The lemon zest and the sugar are processed first, and then the egg yolks are added, and then the lemon juice and melted butter. The mixture is transferred to a pan and cooked over low heat until thickened and just until boiling. The first recipe burned when a local news story caught my attention. Unfortunately, it meant I had to abandon the cake altogether and call some friends and deliver some very difficult news. But enough about that. It did, however, really contribute to my frustration with this whole mess. It's not been a good week. Okay, I wanted more lemon curd than the recipe made, since I've thought it to be a skimpy amount in the past, so I made two recipes. I did not double it and make it all at once. Upon tasting the finished product on the first batch, I found the lemon peel to be really obtrusive, and I strained it out. Ditto with the second batch. I strained out about 1/4 cup from each batch, and upon comparing this recipe with other lemon curd recipes, I've determined that this was just too much lemon peel. It's now 24 hours later, and I've tasted the refrigerated curd. It's bitter (which I think is caused by just too much lemon zest, but I'm open to other opinions) and pretty grainy. And there's my main question now: what did I do wrong that made it so grainy? I've never had this problem before!!!! Long story short, I'm giving up on this cake for this week. I have chosen not to proceed because I would have to start over on the lemon curd, and I'm out of patience and energy. But I haven't made this cake in years, and I want to make it again, so I need to do some troubleshooting. Any and all comments would be appreciated. I think the first fix is to find a better recipe, with specific amounts designated for the amount of zest, since lemons can vary pretty dramatically in size and thickness of the zest. The second fix is to remove the zest with a microplane grater, as was suggested on the lemon pie thread. If anyone can address the graininess issue, I'd be grateful. Any tried-and-true recipes you'd care to post, would be great also.

No. (I was very careful not to...) But these were very large lemons!

After looking at some of the recipes for lemon curd on Epicurious, I have come to the conclusion that my recipe has a LOT of zest in it. Most other recipes are around 2 teaspoons, or a little more if the recipe makes more. What I strained out each time, was around 1/4 cup. It looks like that's part of the problem.

I also need some help with lemon curd. I made a couple of batches last night according to this recipe: Remove zest of two large lemons with vegetable peeler. Place in food processor and add 1 cup sugar; process until peel is integrated into sugar. Add 5 egg yolks and process; add 1/2 cup lemon juice and 1/2 cup melted unsalted butter, and process. Pour into saucepan, cook over low heat until thickened; let it just come to a boil and remove from heat. The problem with this recipe last night was that the bits of lemon peel were bitter and just seemed to be in the way. Mouth feel was lousy. I strained them out and it was much better. Would appreciate comments or alternate recipes. I've used this same recipe many times, but this is the only time I've found to be the little bits of peel to be a problem. Maybe I'm just pickier now, but I don't think that's it. I used an Oxo vegetable peeler to remove the lemon peel, and made sure none of the white pith was included. I don't remember how I've removed the peel in the past, and maybe that's where the difference is coming from. Next time, maybe I'll try a microplane grater.

Cook's takes an extremely painstaking approach to each and every recipe, and tries not to make assumptions. In fact, they pretty much take nothing for granted. There are many, many beliefs about cooking that have been passed down from generation to generation, from chef to chef, that just aren't true, but those beliefs persist. For example, many people believe that the reason to sear a steak is to lock in the juices, but in a few paragraphs I've read of interviews with Harold McGee about his new book, he indicates that just isn't the case. I'm no expert on the subject, so I will not weigh in on either side. But if it weren't for those who are willing to explore the physics and chemistry behind various cooking techniques, we wouldn't have anywhere near the information about cooking that we have. Cook's is simply taking a scientific approach to all of their cooking, and I can't recall ever reading where they've relied on another cookbook author for information, when they can test it and prove it themselves. Some people find this approach to be dry and boring; other's can't get enough of it. There are many cookbook authors who will test a given recipe multiple times before putting it into a cookbook, to make sure it works in a home kitchen, and to make sure the directions are clear. But at Cook's, if they use crackers in a meatloaf, it's because they've tried crackers, bread crumbs, and everything else they can think of, to make sure that crackers are the very best choice, and then they'll test maybe methods of mixing them in, or what happens with varying amounts of crackers. They will probably also have tested the meat and several other ingredients. By the time they're finished with a recipe, they've tried to think of everything, and find the very best method. And they rely on their own testing for that information, not on information from some other cookbook, which may or may not be accurate. Personally, I love to read their accounts of testing recipes, but I don't know where they get the patience for it. But at least when I try one of their recipes, it's a solid recipe, and the accompanying article gives me information about what I would need to tweak to make it work in my own kitchen.

I did try Earl Grey tea with some bittersweet chocolate last night, and it was lovely! I was also impressed with how a complimentary beverage can take a small piece of chocolate, and make it seem like a full-blown dessert. I encourage other tea lovers to submit other pairings as they encounter them. If wine can enhance a meal, why not tea? Several weeks ago I attended a coffee tasting at my local Starbuck's. Although I buy lattes regularly, I usually don't purchase their coffee, because it's just too strong and acidic for me. However, they did show how certain coffees paired with certain of their desserts, are just a match made in heaven. I really think that coffee or tea pairings can enhance a meal or a dish immeasurably, and am eager to learn more.

I want a second oven. My husband wants a whole new house. I've told him I see no reason to take on a bigger mortgage unless there's a second oven involved. That's how much I want it. I'd like to have the space to keep my regular cooking stuff in. There's just not enough, even though I frequently weed out and rearrange.

Okay, I started a new thread, having done a search on "pairings" and not finding one that related to tea... Perhaps the moderator will take pity on me and merge the two, or just get rid of the new one. Anyway, a friend introduced me to the pleasures of Earl Grey on ice, which I would never have thought of myself, and how good it is with meat dishes--for me, usually sandwiches. I can't wait to try Earl Grey and chocolate! And I may just go home and put a lot of other teas on ice, just to see how the flavor changes. In the case of Earl Grey, icing it brings on a fairly substantial flavor change.

A few years ago, a friend introduced me to iced Earl Grey tea. It's a much different flavor than hot Earl Grey, and it's just wonderful with meat. I've been wondering--are there any other combinations out there that are especially good? It would never have occurred to me to put Earl Grey on ice. Having this combination at lunch, makes lunch a much better meal. And it's such a simple thing to do. I've served it to others many times, and even those without adventurous palates just love it. Other recommendations, anyone?

If you want to give up caffeine, wean yourself off it slowly. Decrease the amount by 1/4 weekly until you're off. If you start getting headaches, add a little back in and decrease more slowly. It can be done!

I eat Cheerios almost every day. I love Malt o Meal, but an hour later, I'm hungry. I consider Raisin Nut Bran to be a treat, but the box sure goes fast. Must be that second bowl thing. Whatever happened to Maypo?

A few months ago, I looked into buying an electric pannini grill. I have a cast iron grill pan, so I had to do a careful weighing of wants vs. needs vs. where am I going to put it. The Cuisinart model was new, so I decided to put off the decision for several months, to see if I can find out how others liked it. If you have one and have an opinion to share, I'd be interested in finding out how you like it. FYI, for those considering buying a grill: a two-week poll of various friends and acquaintances revealed that many, many George Foreman grills sit, unused and gathering dust, because 1) they don't allow for temperature control, and 2) (the most mentioned) they are a pain in the butt to clean and people don't want to mess with it. Everyone indicated that removable grill plates would make a huge difference.

Your dad isn't "just a cheapskate." What he is is 82. And he remembers a time when $3 or $4 would feed a family of four for a week. And he remembers how hard that money was to come by, and how much it meant to his family. I, too, have this problem when I go out to eat with my 84-year-old dad. What I do is, sometime during the meal, excuse myself to go to the restroom. Then, out of view of my father, I track down our waiter and give them the extra money. It works out great for all of us. My father is a wonderful man, a terrific provider for our family, a WWII Flying Fortress pilot, and a hero to me. I'd never embarrass him. He's not a cheapskate. He just lives in another era. ← Many good things can be said about my father (who was also a WWII pilot)... but I've known him for 50 years, and it's the truth: he's a cheapskate. I started out my adult years in the same frame of mind. Fortunately, a friend took me to task and pointed out that tips are an accepted, standard part of the restaurant industry, and if you can't afford the tip, you can't afford the meal, and you should go home and see what leftovers may lurk in the fridge. I really like your suggestion about excusing oneself and tracking down the waiter. Thanks for suggesting it; you've just removed a lot of stress from my life.