techno foodie

highchef: I'm using regular granulated (white) sugar. Another note from me: if the water is supposed to be used to dissolve the sugar, it seems the amount called for in the recipe isn't enough. Maybe I should add more? Can that hurt the carmelization process? Thanks to those of you who have responded already!

Hello! Well, I have a caramel question for all of you who have made it. The question actually pertains to a meal I've been trying to make, not a dessert, but I think it still applies to this section of eGullet. Basically, the recipe has you cook sugar (1 cup) with a minuscule amount of water (about 2 tablespoons) in a skillet until melted and browned. No stirring, just a shake here and there to get things moving. Well, I'm not sure how I can mess up such easy directions, but I am. I heat the skillet (and everything in it) to medium heat, and after a little bit the sugar seems to melt. But before it ever browns, it dries out! Am I heating it to high? Or am I supposed to wash down the sides of the skillet with water (using a pastry brush) as I have read before? I know this is kind of a dumb question, so thanks to all who will offer a newbie some advice! :) Bryan

I've never made dulce de leche the way described above - boiling or cooking an unopened can of sweetened condensed milk. It scares me a bit - the whole "exploding can" thing and all. Actually, when I don't want to make it myself, I just buy a can of Nestle/La Lechera dulce de leche. I just ate an entire can in the last 3 days, spoonful by spoonful, in fact :) The recipe I've used is from "Sundays at Moosewood" and basically calls for milk (8 cups) and sugar (2 cups) to be brought to a boil in a heavy saucepan, then simmered for a few hours, stirring occasionally. I always add a pinch of salt and some vanilla to boost it's flavor. Which brings me to a question about the recipe shared above from Saveur. It calls for baking soda instead of salt. Does anyone here know what difference this would make to the recipe?

My husband loves to saute cubes of tofu in oil (seasoned with salt and pepper) and toss them into random Italian dishes. It's especially good with homemade pesto and mushrooms or marinara. I make a sweet and sour dish with veggies, pineapple and tofu over couscous (from Crescent Dragonwagon's great book) that is easy and delicious. Also, like someone else has said, I like using tofu in Indian dishes that call for paneer. It isn't the same, but it's similar enough that it works well. For Asian food - I'm not sure how authenthic it is, but I love the stir-fried tofu with shitake mushrooms from epicurious (http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/recipe_views/views/107857) Really, I think many recipes using chicken, especially, can be adapted to include tofu or other soy products. I've adapted a white bean chili recipe to include tempeh that is wonderful (can share if you'd like) and a tagine-style dish (tempeh with onions, prunes and raisins served over couscous) that is good as well. Bryan

Patrick - you're killing me! (In a good way). Now I just have to make this cake this weekend, I think. I was going to make Wendy's banana cake, but after seeing your 3rd attempt at strawberry cake I've decided I MUST have it this weekend. Oh, heck, maybe I'll make them both :) If I try your cake this weekend I'll try making at least one of the three substitutions you mentioned - and will report back on the results. One last question: what did you top your 3rd attempt with? Is this something that would pair best with whipped cream, or would a regular frosting still work? Thanks again for testing these out! Bryan

Wow, Patrick - as always your pictures are *divine*! Makes me want to go make one of the cakes right now :) A few questions for you: 1. What size pan did you use on the second cake (the chiffon)? At what temp did you bake it and for how long? 2. Why did you like the chiffon cake better than the first cake you made (with the jell-o and puree)? 3. Any chance you could point me to the boiled icing recipe you used for the second cake? Thank you for trying out these recipes and for sharing the results! Bryan

Thank you all for your help! I think I'll try one of these gelatin-filled recipes, but also think I'll - eventually - try messing with a white cake recipe in some way. Maybe add preserves and/or puree in some combination? As Patrick said, it just seems a bit odd to use gelatin. I'll report back at some point with my results!

Hello! I'm searching for a recipe for a from-scratch strawberry cake. The only discussion thread I've seen on this site that is somewhat related to this topic dealt with strawberry mousse cake. That's all well and good, but what I'm looking for is an honest-to-goodness strawberry cake (pink in color and flecked with bits of strawberry) that can be made into a layer cake or cupcakes. I've searched the Web with little to no luck, so if anyone here would be able to help me out, I would greatly appreciate it!

andiesenji: would you be willing to share your recipe for lemon curd? Strange question, I'm sure, but I've never made it (always meant to) and I've seen some great recipes posted by you in the past. Thanks in advance! Bryan

Hello! I haven't made Panettone yet myself (soon!), but there's a nice looking recipe in Martha Stewart's Christmas cookbook. Her recipes generally seem to be good ones. Also, you mentioned panetone french toast. Well, I was a panetone neophyte like you before this holiday season, but as I was planning my many menus for Christmas eve, Christmas day, etc., I decided to buy one of those darn packages of panetone and try my hand at some french toast using it. Let me just say that it was FABULOUS! I used the recipe from Everyday Italian on FoodTV, but really, you just need the usual egg-milk-sugar base and a yummy syrup (I made some with brown sugar, water and heavy cream - oh, and cinnamon). Anyway, this will be our Christmas morning breakfast from now on :) Let us know how your Panetone baking experiments go. I'm eager to see if it's do-able for a fairly new bread baker, or something that should be left to the pros. :)

Just wanted everyone to know that I tried Jaymes' recipe for Fruit Cake cookies - look on the first page of this discussion thread - and they are wonderful! I'll definitely be adding them to my list each year from now on. Thanks for sharing, Jaymes!

I can't resist joining this discussion. I'm making the following cookies and candy this year (on Monday, to be exact): Cookies: Fruit cake cookies (shared on this site) White chocolate cranberry bars (also shared on this site!) Coconut-date skillet cookies (an old recipe from my mom) Peppermint-chocolate chip meringues Candy/confections: Chocolate-dipped peanut butter balls Coconut-pecan balls dipped in white chocolate Fudge with walnuts Mahogany butter crunch toffee Peppermint bark Thankfully I have a lot of people who will help me eat it! :)

Lloydchoc: Sorry this reply is coming so late in the game - hopefully you're still on the list and can respond. Would you mind sharing the recipe you use to make the vegan marshmallows? Or do you just use Nightscotsman's receipe and substitute the Eme's gelatin? My husband's sister is vegan and I would love to make her some of these marshmallows for Christmas (plus I'd like to eat a few myself :) Thanks for any help!

I've been a lurker on this forum for quite some time (and have found some amazing recipes - thanks SO much for sharing), but I'm finally coming out of the woodwork for one, simple reason: I'm looking for the be-all, end-all pecan pie recipe. I've tried tons of them, and all of them seem to be similar - overly sweet and with no real flavor. I'm looking for a recipe that has a rich and buttery filling, with an almost caramel-like flavor. Thanks in advance for your help! :)

Hello. Just wanted to start by saying what a great forum this is! I've searched this site (and many others) for a good pad thai recipe that can be made vegetarian (heck, I've searched for a good pad thai recipe, period) and haven't had any luck. Can anyone out there offer any suggestions?

I've been a fan of hominy ever since my mom made me try it as a wee lad :) We're the only ones that I know of who like it, though, so it can be difficult incorporating into my cooking. One recipe that has been successful is a white-bean chili I make with black eye peas, small white beans and hominy. I can send the recipe if anyone would like it!