jgarner53

It might make me cringe to see someone slather ketchup on my coq au vin, but if they like it that way, who am I to say? My husband likes peanut butter and maple syrup on his waffles. I won't touch it, but he likes it, so what? I don't put salt and pepper on my table either and have never had a guest ask for either (or ketchup when it wasn't warranted).

I usually use King Arthur's, but will pick up local organic flour at Whole Foods if I'm there and need bread flour (I think it's Giusto's, which makes GREAT bread).

Wow. Thanks for all the suggestions. I love the dashi risotto one, but probably not one I'll have time for this go-round. My initial thinking was wasabi mashed potatoes (love the sweet potato idea) and a bed of spinach (or maybe ong choy since it's in season) done in oil/garlic. Maybe I'll skip the marinade and just use it as a dipping sauce (it's just honey, soy sauce, and wasabi powder) instead to dial back the asian quotient a bit.

I go the route of using an Italian meringue -- no need for it to go back in the oven, just brown with a blowtorch. I put it on a cooled tart (don't usually do a full pie). One of my favorite desserts!

I'm making a sesame crusted seared ahi for dinner on Saturday. Without going all out Asian (it's marinated in a soy/wasabi marinade), what should I serve with it?

Cool Whip is, to reference another thread, a food crime, or, rather, a crime against food. One of my pet peeves about Cooking Light magazine's recipes is when they call for reduced-calorie Cool Whip in a recipe. If you're that freaked out about extra calories, you probably aren't going to be eating dessert to begin with. I'd have probably gone the way of many others in this thread, after a shocked silence, to suggest that it be put on the side to let the guests decide for themselves.

I have to agree with ladyyoung on the king's cake. It looks like a Mardi Gras reveler vomited on what otherwise might be a delicious pastry. Blue M&M's are an abomination and a crime against nature. I refuse to eat them. Then again, last time I tasted m&m's, I didn't particularly like them. Damn this palate refinement! I also can't stomach green or purple ketchup (didn't they also do blue?), food that turns your tongue colors (like the doritos or whatever that look orange but make your mouth blue). Froot Loops do not need blue and green rings, not to mention marshmallows, and apple jacks most certainly do not need green rings. I even have trouble with blood oranges. When I was in college, my sorority did something called "green night" during pledging, where the weekly dinner was all green. We would usually do something like green beef stroganoff, or green macaroni & cheese. Made it really hard to eat.

Lately it's been Barbara's Oat Squares (I didn't even know they came in vanilla, but eww) and Heritage Flakes (I believe they have flax in them, so I colloquially call them flax flakes). I also like Heritage O's when I can find them. I used to like Kashi's Go Lean Crunch, but lately I've found it too sweet. Since I'm on a supermarket boycott (personal), and national brand cereals are so ridiculously overpriced, I've given up Frosted Mini Wheats and Grape Nuts, unless I can find them at Costco. Favorites from childhood: Froot Loops, Boo Berry (seasonal), Cap'n Crunch (loved the Cinnamon Crunch when it was around), King Vitaman (essentially crown-shaped Cap'n), Apple Jacks, Sugar Pops, Sugar Smacks, Honeycomb. Mom wouldn't let me have Lucky Charms because of the marshmallows. Candy sweet cereal, sure. Marshmallows somehow crossed the line.

I'm on a chocolate nib kick right now and really liking Scharffenberger's nibby bar. At the moment, however, I'm nibbling on a square of their 82% extra dark.

Truly, truly spectacular patisserie! Absolutely gorgeous work. Makes me realize exactly how far I have to go to achieve that level (and makes me want to push myself harder) and that I am, truly, just beginning. Now if I can just convince my husband to go to Vegas (he hates it).

We keep a bucket of whites in the fridge at school (probably 8 or so quarts) all the time. I haven't any idea how old they are, though they're probably about a month or so (though we're consistently cycling in new whites and taking out old for use in meringues, etc.)

Again, yesterday it was toasted homemade levain (this week's loaf turned out more sour than last week's). God, I love that bread. Even the smell makes me giddy. today, so far, was probably the half grapefruit I had with breakfast. Really nice and juicy.

I don't love the stuff and avoid it whenever possible. But when I want to give some leftover bit of dessert to my neighbor, I'll give him a paper plate so he doesn't have to return anything to me. And if we're having a party where I don't have enough table service for everyone, I will use paper plates and almost always have paper cocktail napkins. But I do prefer using real stuff when I can. We do have service for 12, so I can have a reasonable sized dinner party without going for the plastic/paper. I will admit to bringing a plastic spoon with me to work if need one, but I usually wash and re-use it (so why not bring a real one? knowing me, THEN I'd throw it out). For prep I use small plastic bowls I picked up at IKEA (in the kids section!) for a song. Easy, convenient, and they go in the dishwasher!

glossyp, I don't really worry about the condensation at all. Most if it (in my experience) stays on the bag. I'm using a small jelly jar (about 12 oz capacity), about 2/3 full. And any condensation I've noticed hasn't affected the bread results at all. This weekend, though, I'll try the microwave trick (yet another good use for the microwave!). For those who use this trick, do you have to periodically take the bread out and reheat the water? Your bread is gorgeous though. I don't know what you're worrying about.

I've used both (tilt-head at home, bowl-lift at school) and like both. I really don't feel like my tilt-head struggles with anything, and it's been able to handle everything I've thrown in it so far, even really stiff bagel dough (using high gluten flour). I've seen the Accolade models at Williams-Sonoma and can't say that the color options (or satin finish) thrill me personally, from an aesthetic standpoint, though the extra oomph might be worth it.

What, most people don't shop that way? I will add: ...when you can't believe that the person you're visiting doesn't have anything besides Wesson oil, one kind of vinegar, no thyme (no fresh spices at all), only salted butter, and no round cake pans, loaf pans, rolling pin, or mixing bowls. edited to add: and the wife of the family goes on and on about how so-and-so is such a "gourmet" cook.

Use it all the time: melting butter, steaming vegetables (have a microwave steamer), reheating leftovers, starting potatoes (that get finished in the oven for a crispy skin), heating small amounts of liquid for a recipe. I don't use it for popcorn (prefer the stove) or bacon (the oven) or quesadillas (cast iron skillet). I'm surprised no one mentioned the classic use of the microwave: Peeps research!

My stuff is spread all over the kitchen. Tart pans and smaller cake pans are above the fridge. Muffin tins and baking sheets in the cupboard near the stove. Bundt pan, banneton, angel food and springform pan (unused lo these many years) in the wasteland corner cupboard (thank the gods I can access it from two sides). A few months ago I cleaned out a shelving unit in the garage, moved things around, and put my less-often used stuff in big plastic bins from Target out there: more cake pans, cookie cutters and decorating tools (like food coloring and sugars), my turntable, ramekins, mousse rings, etc. I like the bins from Target because they're cheap, come in multiple sizes, and you can get translucent ones. I label them with masking tape and a Sharpie, but it's still nice to know the general contents of something.

The Spanish dessert was what floored me the most, I think. While I agree with what Sinclair said, I also am starting to feel like, eh, just another amazing, delicate showpiece. (not that I could ever come anywhere close to creating one). South Korea's sugar piece does, though, look considerably different than the typical swoopy, high arcing pieces that we are used to seeing. But the Spanish dessert was breathtaking. I can't wait to hear the results!

I will usually do a pie or tart. If strawberries are in season, I'll go with my fresh strawberry pie, but other than that, I make what I feel like, or what seems appropriate for the meal (Thanksgiving: pumpkin - Easter: strawberry tart or lemon meringue) My husband calls me the pie queen

Funny. I get the pan pretty hot and cook 'em quick. Fluffy, creamy eggs every time, and they don't stick. My sister-in-law leaves browned egg on the pan. At Thanksgiving, I took my cast iron skillet, flan rings, ingredients, and rolling pin down to my mom's to make dessert easier for me.

For the warm, humid proofing, I put the loaf(ves) on a sheet pan with semolina or parchment and place that in a clean kitchen garbage bag with a cup of steaming hot (preferably boiling) water. I close up the bag and then inflate it like a giant balloon, and place it in a warm spot. I check on it periodically, depending on the length of the rise, to replace the water, reinflate the bag, check the loaves. This was suggested by the chef instructor at a CA Culinary Academy weekend bread class I took last year as a way to get around not having a commercial proofing oven. It seems to work well for me. As to the spraying, I spritz when the loaf goes in, and then twice more (at least 5 or so good sprays each time), at about 1-2 minute intervals.

That's really good to know. I used to keep a spray bottle with bleach and water in it -- guess I can toss that out. And as far as laundry goes, I guess most of us don't need to disinfect our clothes, so the deodorizing only properties of perfumed bleach. While we're on the topic, what's everyone's favorite degreaser?

A slice of homemade levain, toasted with butter

I like Chevy's tortilla chips, but can pass on the rest of their food. Occasionally I crave McDonald's, but I can usually talk myself out of it by getting a real burger and fries elsewhere. Hot dogs from Costco, while shopping.