ellencho

How long does fresh paneer keep in the fridge? The giant jug of milk takes up a bit of space in my fridge and I was wondering if I could make the cheese today and then hold it until Sunday or so.

Ok, they were good brownies. Or should I say half brownie. It was so rich and chocolatey that I couldn't see myself eating an entire one even though deep inside I knew I wanted to anyway.

Perhaps it's because I arrived somewhat early (930) but all I saw at Flying Monkey was marshmallows, brownies, cupcakes and two types of cake. I was expecting to see all sorts of goodies but I was very disappointed. I did walk away with two brownies though. If they're noteworthy I'll mention something later.

That is so true. Why is it that we can buy every ingredient for an amazing cheeseburger except for a quality kaiser roll? I've always hoped someone at RTM would sell a nice assortment of petit fours. Hopefully Flying Monkey will fill that void.

It couldn't be easier. Olive oil, lemon juice, microplaned shallot, salt, and pepper. The sweetness of the beets goes very well with this simple dressing.

Reading terminal market had the cutest yellow and purple beets as well as baby arugula this week so I couldn't resist making this salad.

A friend and I stopped by to buy a treat for another friend convalescing at Jeff today. I watched while the lady packed our cups and was worried that her scoops looked scant, but once we got the gelati back to the hospital and distributed the cups they felt pretty heavy considering the size. I wish I had brought my camera with me, but I had the red grapes and plain pineapple (my all time favorite flavor combo), my friends had grapes and blood orange, and dark chocolate and grapefruit.

Yeesh. I hope the mini cones don't shrink, those are my personal favorite! If they are downsizing their portions perhaps it's because they aren't doing as well in the supermarkets as they had hoped they would? Most folks don't want to pay 10 bucks a pint (except for us of course).

My bad. Thanks for the clarifications everyone.

Fair enough. I guess I left myself wide open for a smartass answer. Let me be more specific then. Is the dress there usually casual, or is it more along the lines of trendy night life type clothing?

Some friends and I have reservations for this weekend and we have never been there before. Is there any sort of dress code?

Not exactly a food allergy but it's a "fooled you" type story. My grandfather has had issues with constipation his whole life, but refuses to take any laxatives/fiber supplements because he's convinced it'll give him a rash. Recently, my grandmother died, and my mom took over caring for my grandfather, which includes feeding him on a daily basis. She secretly began stirring Benefiber into all of his drinks and his meals. After a couple weeks of this, he mentions to my mother that after grandma died, he's suddenly able to go to the bathroom easily. My mom didn't have the heart to tell him the reason why.

I get my knives sharpened at Della Polla's Supreme Edge Co out in Havertown. Very reasonable prices. I think 3 bucks for a chef's knife. 141 S Eagle Road, Havertown (610) 446-5793 They used to have a webpage. I looked for it but I can't find it for some reason. It's run by a couple out of their home. They only sharpen on TUesdays and Thursdays I think. Call to find out.

I was at Iovines at RTM today and they had them. Big fat peanut ones.

Perhaps RTM? And maybe Nuts to You? I know we have them in the suburbs, I saw them at Food Source in Bryn Mawr.

I'm not sure how many non-Koreans will be familiar with this but I made gyaehran jjim. Basically it's a steamed egg custard with tofu, preserved shrimp, scallions, and sesame oil in it. It's really easy to make, and if you can't find the fermented shrimp it's not the end of the world. What you will need: 3 eggs 1 heaping Tb of preserved shrimp 1/2 block of soft tofu 3 scallions, finely minced 1/2 Tb sesame oil 1/2 tsp salt, or more to taste Start by mashing up the tofu, shrimp and salt in a medium sized, ceramic bowl. Get most of the chunks out to the best of your ability. Now add your three eggs, the sesame oil, and then three egg shell halves worth of water. Mix to combine. Add your minced scallions and combine well. Now, place in a pot and push bowl off to the side so you can pour water in at least 1/2 way up the side of your bowl. Place lid on, bring to boil, and then lower the heat to a simmer. Allow to cook for 30 minutes. Shut off heat, let sit for 15. Eat with rice and banchan. It's fine at any temperature.

There definitely IS good pizza in Philly, but for the most part, if one were to generalize about "Philadelphia" style pizza I'd say it was doughy, thick, with a crappy sauce and undercooked cheese. But then again, I think that's how pizza anywhere else in middle America is probably.

Sometimes salad greens are so delicate and thin that jabbing with a fork does nothing and I end up scooping leaves of salad onto my fork (when out in public). However, at home I use chopsticks for salad. Also, when eating snacks like popcorn, chips, etc I use chopsticks because I don't like oily leftover residue on my fingers.

The first time I watched Daisy I liked her, even though I knew she was annoying. But, I couldn't put my finger on what made her annoying, and then I realized she's just like my mom! And even two seconds later, she mentioned her two kids! But I have her book, and have tried many of her recipes and they were all great. They're not fussy and I like her advice on rice to "just walk away".

I devein because I don't like the crunch of sandy grit between my teeth whilst eating shrimp. I've also noticed that at the more expensive buffets in Vegas they devein their shrimp, but at the cheaper ones they do not.

I'd be ever so grateful if you could post your recipe for Jamaican oxtails. It's one of my favorite West indian dishes but I've never been able to replicate it on my own.

I was one. Eventually I was caught and made the excuse that I was playing a game called "lion". I was 8 so she believed me.

FYI, here's my link for the pho recipe I posted up on recipegullet. And here's a pic of a wonton soup I did a couple weeks ago:

Pho Serves 6 as Main Dish. In my opinion, pho is a crowd pleaser because it's one of those dishes that can be personalized to suit one's tastes. It's great for entertaining because it's an easy dish to make. To make pho, there aren't any overly difficult techniques involved and the soup can be made months in advance if frozen, or held for 2-3 days in the refrigerator. On the day you wish to serve your guests, there'll be a bit of prep work, but most of it is slicing, soaking, or washing. In terms of the cuts of meat one might like to add, filet and thinly sliced ribeye are particularly good. The meat should cook from the heat of the soup. If you have guests who are sensitive about uncooked meat, keep a simmering small pot of water on the side to cook the meat. If you dip it into the soup you'll cause some extra scum and ruin everyone else's soups. If you want to add brisket, I'd suggest parboiling it separately until it's softened a bit so your meat isn't too tough come serving time. Same with tendon. And depending on how greedy of a cook you are, don't throw away the oxtails used to make the stock. Either save them as a cook's treat or split the meat up among your guests' bowls. Ingredients 2 medium onions, cut in half 3 inches of ginger, cut in half lengthwise 6 lb oxtail 1 tsp black peppercorns 5 star anise 2 inches of cinnamon stick 1/8 c fish sauce salt to taste 1-1/2 lb of the meat of your choice, partially frozen, then sliced thinly 1 bunch culantro 1 bunch cilantro 1 bunch thai basil 1-1/2 lb rice noodles 2 limes cut into sixths 4 jalapenos 3 c fresh bean sprouts 1 onion, sliced paper thin hoisin sauce (optional) sriracha or any asian hot sauce (optional) 1. Parboiling the oxtails - In a large pot, add enough water to the oxtails to just cover. Then boil for 5 minutes. Rinse off the oxtails and pot and return oxtails to the pot. 2. Blackening the aromatics - If you have a gas range, turn your burner to high and hold your onion or ginger over the flame, using a fork until their outsides are charred and black. With an electric range, the aromatics can be blackened in a cast iron skillet (thanks chrisamirault) or you can simply broil them in your oven. 3. Simmering your stock - Once your aromatics are blackened, add them along with the spices to the oxtail and cover with enough water to come three inches above the pot contents. Bring to a boil and then simmer for ~4 hours, depending on the sizes of your oxtails. Add the fish sauce. First begin with 1/8 cup, and then add more to taste. 4. Defatting your soup - If you have your own preferred way of defatting then go for it. My personal favorite way is to leave it out on my balcony on a cold night. The following morning you'll be left with a hardened top layer of fat and a bottom layer of gelatinzed soup. Just bring the soup up to a simmer and strain out the meat and aromatics. If you want to serve the soup that day, I suggest using a strainer and gravy separator to separate the soup contents from the soup itself. 5. Prepping for your guests - Place noodles in a large bowl and cover with cold water. Allow at least 2 hours to rehydrate. Partially freeze your meat, then slice thinly against the grain. Cut as paper thin as possible. Same with your onions. Wash and dry your sprouts, culantro, cilantro, and basil. Cut your jalapenos into 1/4 rounds. Keep sprouts, culantro, cilantro, basil and jalapenos covered with a damp paper towel until your guests arrive. 6. Time to serve your guests! - Make sure your soup is piping hot, season with salt to taste. On the bottom of a large bowl, add a good handful of your noodles, drained of course. Then atop that add a sprinkling of the thinly sliced onions. Then to that add the thinly sliced meat. To that add your hot soup. Serve immediately to your guests and let them garnish with what they like. Keywords: Main Dish, Soup, Pasta, Beef, Vietnamese ( RG1590 )

Ok, so I promise by the end of the weekend I'll have the pho recipe up. We're in the midst of house hunting so my head is sort of swirling right now. All of the written recipes I've come across for pho, as well as those that I've encountered via friends call for blackened aromatics. I have no idea what pho would taste like without the blackened aromatics, but I think Duguid has a point about a certain depth of flavor. Blackening aromatics is easy. All you need is a fork/tongs and a flame. I suppose if you don't have a gas range, you can always use your broiler to blacken your onions and ginger.