bentherebfor

Greetings I'm looking for a pancake recipe that inspires fluffiness, that is nice thick pancakes, but not heavy. Thin will simply not do. Flavor is not of quite as much importance. This recipe is for a contest that is graded on flavor, presentation, and fluffiness. Also, does anyone know of any exciting ways to present pancakes? Thanks a heap!

Tomato Soup!

I see, makes sense now that I look at the recipes

evo works well for me....maybe add a little sesame

Thankyou for the help

Warning.......stupid question to follow: Why do you need such a precise technique for canning? I mean....as long as the lid is on tightly......everything will be okay right? I'm clearly wrong on that thought.....but I dont understand why? Furthermore....what is proper technique with mason jars?

Has anyone been yet? I'm eager to get over there......or hear a report for that matter. ~Ben

I've been wondering the same thing for a while now...........Williams-Sonoma is just too expensive. edit- spelling

Unfortunately I won't be able to make it on this trip. Maybe next time! ~Ben

I think thats the one..........

This message pertains specifically to all you Montaners out there: I'm in Montana for the next week and looking for any good food I can get my hands on. I've heard that Livingston Bar and Grille is fantastic, however it is an hour and a half away (it seems like most things here are! ). Is this restaurant worth the trip? ~Ben

first, you will want to grill on a screen, if you have one that you use as a splatter gaurd, that would be good. If youdont have one then use some chicken wire wrapped around the fish, otherwise when you go to flip the fish/move it off the grill it will fall apart.

I've returned from a month away and look forward to joining in on the fun ASAP. ~Ben

Chef, I can't believe that I am actually having the opportunity to talk with one of my culinary heroes right now, so you may have to bear with me if I begin to ramble............. First, allow me to introduce myself. My name is Ben Wilcox, I'm a 13 year old (freshman in highschool this coming year) who is very interested in cooking. The thing is, I'm not alone. Many teenagers across the country are becoming interested in the culinary arts, and admissions at culinary schools across the country are booming. What do you think about this, and what do you feel is the cause? Furthermore, as a person who thinks that being a chef is what I may want to do with the rest of my life (I love it!), what can I do to seperate myself from the pack. I almost feel as though I've been blessed with bad luck in my timing in life . I've been to cooking camps, read everything I can, and basically grasp all the culinary material I can get my hands on....I'm even trying to find a job ANYWHERE that I could learn anything about food. I think I am too young to be considered seriously, though. So, my question is, what can I do to learn more at my age? Thanks alot! ~Ben PS: If your ever in or around Chicago, stop in for dinner! It would be an honor...

Seasoning the rice? I have heard about the vinegar treatment but didnt even begin to think about doing it myself. How would I do that? All I do right now is take my rice, plop it in the rice cooker with twice as much water, and wait for it to be done. Also, I am using it while its warm so that may be another problem. Thirdly, I will get some sushi rice. As for not having one layer of even rice, how do I fix that. Do I just press a shallow "ditch" were I want my fillings to go? Looks like I have a lot of problems to tackle. Well thanks for all the help! ~Ben

Alright, so I set in on my latest and greatest project in the kitchen: learning to make sushi. I bought a bamboo mat for rolling, and some nori that has been roasted and said "sushi nori" on it. So far so good? Okay, so I do have general knowledge on how to make sushi, but just in case, I logged onto the internet and watched the instructional video on www.foodtv.com I found it helpful, yet after cooking up a batch of rice and spreading my ingredients, I simply could not get the sushi to form. First off, my nori doesnt seem to stick and seal when rolled. I tried "glueing" it with a little water, and that helped the problem a little. Overall, the sushi is very loose and not tightly rapped. Another possible problem in my eyes is the fact that I am not using sushi rice. I am using only basic white rice. Is this a problem? Or is it just my lack of experience? Am I doing something blatently wrong......and is there a place that offers good instruction? Please help! ~Ben

Alright, I'll hop right on. Hopefully I'll have the book by next week, but of course, I leave for a month the week after. I may have to pick up in am month or so....but I sure am excited! ~Ben

If you guys are still going with this idea, I would love to hop on board........that is if its okay. This sounds like my kind of thing. I do still need to buy the book, but would do so happily if you guys are still baking. I realise that I am several months late. Oh well. ~Ben

Add 25 for me

Has anyone heard of Organic Pastures? They seem like a nice group of people with some high quality meat. They were at Evanston last week and were quick to explain to me not only how they raise, feed, and care for the animals, but exactly where on the animal the meat I was purchasing came from. I say all this, however, before actaully cooking the meat. I bought some lamb chops and a skirt steak. We'll find out if they are any good! ~Ben

A nice idea that you could make the night before but does require a fairly good amount of work is a "rolled up pizza". What I do is make a pizza dough and prepare some interesting toppings, don't do the boring typical things. Try carmelized onions, cooked ground beef, peppers, really any veggies will work ( some may need to be cooked in advance). Next take the dough and roll into about a 10*7 inch rectangle. cut slits about an inch apart on both sides of the long sides. Put your toppings in the middle and fold the dough nicely. Bake at 350 until nicely browned. Then, the next day, give it a little preheating and try to keep it warm until eating. Then just slice like a bagette and serve. (if my instructions were too vague, please just tell me) ENJOY! ~Ben

I LOVE the Evanston farmers market! I just discovered it this year, and it becomes my inspiration to survive the week. Heirloom tomatoes, "skinny grass", apple cider, all are amazing! For many years I had gone to the market in Northfield, just across from New Trier, which was small, and in retrospect, inadaqaute. The only thing I miss about it is the cheese stand. All the cheeses were AMAZING! I CANNOT DESCRIBE THE BEAUTY OF THIS CHEESE PLACE! I loved it. The Evanston markets does have a cheese stand, but it is overpriced, less friendly, not made by the sellers, and simply not as good. Nonetheless, the Evanston market is wonderful, and I am also excited to find out more about the market at CHiC. If you havent seen the market at Evanston, check it out, but also visit the cheese place in Northfield, its out of this world! ~Ben

Where is it! I must know.........

And in what season do the become ripe? Can you replace them with anything easier to find?

In the cookbook Charlie Trotter's Vegetables, there is a recipe for a soup that I am very interested in making. The recipe, however, calls for cattails. Never before have I seen a recipe that calls for cattails, and I am unsure of how to use them and where to get them. For starters, if there are cattails growing near my house, are they the kind of cattails I can use? Is that safe? Secondly, once I do have the said cattails, how do I prepare them? Exactly what part of the plant do I use? The recipe calls for 1 cup cleaned cattails. How do I clean them? Please Help! ~Ben