SobaAddict70

Most definitely. This one would. Braised baby artichokes, with plum tomatoes, peas and herbs. Adapted from here, courtesy of Michael Natkin's most excellent food blog, Herbivoracious: http://herbivoracious.com/2010/06/braised-baby-artichoke-with-fennel-and-cherry-tomatoes-recipe.html

Ok, looks like the only real "problem" (and it's something we've all done at least once, if not more frequently) was not enough grease on the baking pan. You wouldn't think that bread would stick as badly as it does to baking dishes, but I've found that it's best to butter even nonstick receptacles (excepting silicone mats) to avoid sadness. What is it about the loaf that makes you think it was a failure? The pan was oiled completely with olive oil prior to the loaf being baked. It slid right out. As you can see, there's not enough 'rise', which I attribute to the dough being maybe too 'wet' prior to going in the oven. Also, it felt like I was kneading a dough-covered waterbed as the dough's texture never lost its stickiness. Maybe I didn't knead it that long, or maybe I added too little dry ingredients to wet, or perhaps I didn't sift when I should have. I'll be looking at other recipes and methods, including so-called 'no-knead' bread fairly soon. The pan appears to be 8"x8" which requires a lot of dough and high sides to produce a loaf rather than a focaccia . A rectangular loaf pan (8"x4") or even a free form might be appropriate for the amount dough you had. I agree with you, however you should also note that I cook primarily for one. The recipe I followed produces enough dough for 2 loaves of bread. There's no way I'm going to eat that much bread in the space of a week. I would be bored by Day 2. That being said, I have the other batch resting comfortably in the fridge, in an oiled bowl sealed with plastic wrap. I'll probably take it out to play this weekend and knead it properly. I don't have any loaf pans which I would need to buy in order to make a proper sandwich loaf. That's not a priority. Right now, all I'm concerned with is establishing technique. The intricacies can come later.

Ok, looks like the only real "problem" (and it's something we've all done at least once, if not more frequently) was not enough grease on the baking pan. You wouldn't think that bread would stick as badly as it does to baking dishes, but I've found that it's best to butter even nonstick receptacles (excepting silicone mats) to avoid sadness. What is it about the loaf that makes you think it was a failure? The pan was oiled completely with olive oil prior to the loaf being baked. It slid right out. As you can see, there's not enough 'rise', which I attribute to the dough being maybe too 'wet' prior to going in the oven. Also, it felt like I was kneading a dough-covered waterbed as the dough's texture never lost its stickiness. Maybe I didn't knead it that long, or maybe I added too little dry ingredients to wet, or perhaps I didn't sift when I should have. I'll be looking at other recipes and methods, including so-called 'no-knead' bread fairly soon.

Panaderia -- it's supposed to be "Classic Sandwich Bread" from page 661 of Deborah Madison's "Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone". I rarely cook directly from cookbooks unless it's something I've never made before. In the case of bread (and baking in general), I am a baking n00blet. More green than anyone. Thanks for the compliment.

so I made way too much dal as usual which means I've been eating mostly Indian (dal, rice, pickles, chutney, raita) for the past few days. however here are a few highlights... First attempt at homemade bread from scratch. Don't point fingers, it's not polite. LOL. Not bad, but not exactly what I was hoping for. There'll be more attempts in the near future, of that you can be certain. A couple of "slices" Tomato and bread salad (plum tomatoes, homemade bread, Kirby cucumbers, extra-virgin olive oil, white wine vinegar, sea salt, black pepper, chives, shallots, capers) Fried paneer cheese, with spiced tomato sauce and green Persian raisins

That's pretty neat. I realize I've been remiss posting on this thread, ah well. Zucchini "pasta" with heirloom tomatoes, shallot and herbs. I suppose 'shaving' is the my 'in'-thing this year, at least with some stuff I've done so far. Broiled monkfish (from Blue Moon Fish), stir-fried pea shoots with roasted ramp bulbs. Ramp bulbs were roasted with extra-virgin olive oil, white wine vinegar, salt and pepper and subbed instead of garlic. Pea shoots are your standard Cantonese stir-fry, with sesame oil and white pepper to finish. Rock shrimp, bluefoot mushrooms (Psilocybe caerulipes for the botanically inclined), asparagus Spinach tagliolini pasta with uncooked heirloom tomato sauce (heirloom tomatoes, shallots, mint, oregano, sea salt, black pepper, capers) Rock shrimp with Indian spices, heirloom tomatoes and cilantro No pic of tonight's dinner -- dal, rice, mint raita and mango juice.

Celery "pasta" and greenhouse heirloom tomato salad Sheep's milk ricotta gnocchi, with Greenmarket spinach, crimini mushrooms and baby peas

thank you all, for the kind words and compliments. Poached wild turkey egg, with cumin-spiced potatoes, spinach and heirloom tomatoes there really isn't a recipe for this because it's something that I tend to vary over time, depending on what's available. the basic template goes something like this: toast black mustard seeds, crushed green cardamom pods and chiles in ghee, then add some combination of garlic, thinly sliced onions, cumin, turmeric, salt and/or ginger, to which I then add potatoes and greens. tomatoes if in season. maybe a squeeze of lemon or lime. cilantro to finish, if I have it on hand. top with a poached egg. I had leftover heirloom tomatoes and chives, so used those for the garnish. I'm on vacation until next Monday so there's going to be a lot of cooking at Casa Soba.

tried to post this last night but my browser was having none of it... Pan-seared sea scallops, spring lettuce salad with asparagus, crimini mushrooms, nasturtium flowers and cheese

Penne with kale, heirloom tomatoes, garlic and lemon zest I added a more "food pr0n" worthy picture.

Fried farm egg Heirloom tomato salad (heirloom tomatoes, sea salt, lemon juice, mint, black pepper) Roasted Roseval potatoes, crimini mushrooms and cippolini onion

Recent dinners... Mesclun, heirloom tomatoes, wild turkey egg The tomatoes were diced and tossed in a 1:1 mixture of olive oil, lemon juice, seasoned with sea salt, black pepper and chives. Penne with baby spinach, capers and heirloom tomatoes Artichokes, with garlic, parsley, mint and chiles Watercress and chickweed salad, with Greek yogurt and chive dressing The dressing is 3 tablespoons Greek yogurt (Chobani is a good brand, or you can just strain plain, unflavored yogurt overnight in cheesecloth suspended over a bowl in the refrigerator), mixed with the juice of half a lemon, 1 tablespoon lemon zest, 1 tablespoon chopped chives, a pinch each of sea salt and freshly milled black pepper. This recipe will make more than enough dressing for the salad; use leftover dressing for sandwiches, or as a topping for steamed vegetables, or a baked potato. Tonight will be leftover pasta. I was planning on savory corn pancakes but I think that will be tomorrow's breakfast instead (or maybe sweetened corn pancakes, no offense to percyn's "egg rule". )

Mmm, there is at least one place I know of here in NYC where food photography and note-taking can get you banned from the establishment. I'm going to one such place at the end of this month. It's a safe bet that I won't be taking pix at dinner. These days, I don't shoot food in restaurants at all, since I prefer to work under conditions I can control. Not possible in a social setting.

I do 2:1 and don't rinse. I also don't have a rice cooker. My method is typically boil uncovered on high heat until air holes appear, then reduce heat to the lowest possible setting and cook, covered, for 15 to 20 minutes or until the rice is done. Sometimes I will fry in oil, butter, ghee, or chicken or pork schmaltz, with or without aromatics (includes but is not limited to onion, garlic, mirepoix, trinity or either Spanish or Italian sofrito) before proceeding. I almost never have any problems, and only then if I let it cook unattended for too long because I was distracted by something else. As you can see in the pic, it's not mushy at all. This was prepared using the method listed above. Two cups rice cooked in chicken fat, along with ginger and garlic; to this was added 4 cups Chinese chicken stock (chicken broth prepared with ginger, garlic and scallions instead of the usual onion, carrot and celery), salt and white pepper to taste.

Either ratatouille or a summer vegetable tian. Those aubergine recipes sound amazing, Jenni. I'll be making those later this summer when eggplants become available at USGM. (edited because the old way of inserting links doesn't seem to be working for me, and I had to play around with the new options. )

I've always done 2:1 and I don't rinse. Always worked for me.

Kim -- thanks. yes, the polenta experiment went well, so much so that I think it will be a mainstay at Casa Soba for the forseeable future. I also want to do cornmeal pancakes sometime soon. For breakfast or brunch.

Leftover spaghetti with green garlic pesto (no pic), but there was also this: Asparagus with coconut, black mustard seeds and cardamom Asparagus, mesclun, polenta cake, wild turkey egg

FP -- polenta corn meal from Cayuga Pure Organics. http://www.cporganics.com/ http://www.cporganics.com/store/795/14871

BTW, there's no cheese or butter in the polenta so it can be used as a blank canvas. I'm more interested in exploring the corn flavor than adding things that might obscure the taste.

Venetian-style calamari, served with herbs and polenta. Adapted from this New York Times recipe: http://www.nytimes.com/2012/02/29/dining/calamari-with-herbs-and-polenta-recipe.html?ref=dining Leftover polenta will be repurposed for breakfast this weekend. Ever had poached eggs on top of polenta?

Kim and Kouign -- thanks. those were from Eataly, by the way. on Facebook, Marcella Hazan thought they were herring. (yes, she's one of my "friends") Kouign -- you have a gift for leftovers that I don't. Kim -- I've never had chili-mac before, nor Hamburger Helper. Hassouni -- ditto for your chicken soup. the weather seems to be regressing lately towards cooler temperatures, enough that I'm considering making a batch of soup this weekend. tonight: Tajarin with lobster, lobster roe, asparagus and green garlic No cream was used, btw. Sauce consists of lobster meat from the claws and carcass; 1 tablespoon lobster roe; two tablespoons unsalted butter; a tiny amount of chopped green garlic; about 5-6 asparagus spears; sea salt and black pepper, to taste; and chives.

Yeah, I'm curious too. (bowing emoticon) C sapidus -- your dinners always make me hungry after I've eaten. tonight: Marinated sardines, semolina bread, tomato and onion salad Asparagus and morel mushroom salad, homemade mayonnaise, hard cooked wild turkey eggs Lobster with vanilla-lobster butter, butter-poached French breakfast radishes with mint, sautéed samphire

I'd say it's a very intense eggy taste that's the complete opposite of all the dry, flavorless turkeys I've eaten over the years. I get them from Quattro's stand at USGM. They're available for about as long as ramps are, each spring.

Welcome Justin, to the Dinner! thread. Continuing the fish theme above ... Sardines, mesclun, heirloom potatoes The sardines were marinated for a day and a half in lemon juice; then for 12+ hours in olive oil, onion, red chile flakes, parsley, salt and pepper; then topped with breadcrumbs and broiled for 5-6 minutes at 350 F. Tajarin with samphire, fried garlic, mint and parsley Tajarin is a thinner version of tagliatelle, from Piemonte, Italy