M. Lucia

Wow, those new cameras really show what a difference a nice camera can make. I'm glad you all are enjoying them. Yesterday I made a simple tomato/chickpea stew topped with parsley. Snuck some candy after dinner (peanut butter cups and smores bars). Tonight, acorn squash risotto with fried sage leaves (which my boyfriend arranged to look like a pumpkin face). I hadn't even realized that dinner was orange colored until then. Obligatory Halloween sugar overdose later.

I use Just Whites also.

I use dried egg whites all the time and they're fine. They whip up nicely and I have used them in cakes and to make meringues and mousses. You have to make sure you add the right amount of water and mix thoroughly to get the right consistency.

Klary, thank you so much for creating this beautiful thread. I have really enjoyed learning about this cuisine that I realized I know so little about. For years I didn't appreciate a lot of the food I grew up with (a veritable melange of things from the American South to Argentina and France) but I have slowly developped a new perspective on it. Part of my new appreciation comes from my own expanding tastes and willingness to be open to new things. I guess you have to go away to come back home again. Those cookies look wonderful, I love baking with ground nuts. I do hope you'll do some traditional Dutch vegetable dishes as well.

Patrick, that's the recipe from F&W, right? I made it once and burned it, I think the cooking time in the recipe was totally off or my oven was. I remade the cake and it was pretty good, but it never called out to me to make it again. However, your pictures might make me change my mind- beautiful!

I often give food gifts. I have cousins that are constant recipients of my baking experiments- usually cookies and brownies, mainly because I like to bake and I can't eat all that stuff myself. At the holidays I always make chocolate-coated buttercreams and sugarplums. I make other candies depending on the recipient- pralines, truffles, etc. Also quick breads. I have made homemade cassis before which people are always intrigued by. I just started canning for the first time this fall and was surprised at how easy it is. So far I have jars of homemade pear-raisin chutney and spiced peach jam. I always appreciate food gifts, though I don't really want people to give me sweets as I always have plenty around the house already. However, I do have a friend who gives me a big box of petit fours from Divine Delights- I love those things. My favorite food related gift is a cookbook or dinner at a restaurant I couldn't normally afford.

yesterday i ate a big bowl of balsamic roasted shallots that i put over some greens (i love roasted onions), then a bunch of mallowcreme pumpkins that my mum sent me- the only halloween candy i look forward to tonight chinese 'longevity' noodles with bean sprouts and peanuts

There is a very cute little feature on creating Halloween goodies, and it includes directions on how to make those finger cookies. Bleeding heart cupcakes and brain cupcakes are other good ideas. Epicurious Halloween another idea is find Halloween candies like spider-shaped gummies and suspend them in green jello or chocolates shaped like witches hats

Pan-fried Potstickers I used the nice tutorial from Lucy (bleu d'auvergne) to crimp them, though my first ones weren't the prettiest, they got better with practice. Dessert was yogurt-rose mousse (again). Someone should keep me away from whipped cream.

When I saw this thread I thought it referred to a recipe in the latest Food and Wine. I was surprised to see that recipe, and now I'm afraid it's part of a trend! Thankfully, the F&W recipe does not include cans of fruit cocktail, though it looks obscenely rich. Krispy Kreme Bread Pudding with Espresso Whipped Cream (I think it might be a subscriber site)

This might be a little off topic but Alinka, your photos are so gorgeous, are you using ntural daylight or do you have a lighting setup? Just wondering b/c here it gets dark so early these days. Anyways, yesterday for dinner was Apricot/Lentil Soup with sweet potato biscuits and a green salad with a bit of gruyere cheese. Dessert was goat yogurt- rose mousse from Claudia Fleming- wonderful.

How did the spaghetti taste? Was the flavor a lot different from the wine? When I was reading that issue of Gourmet, I thought about making it. ← The noodles really absorb the flavor of the wine, so yes it's quite similar, which is why I think the garlic and cheese are good to add another level to the dish. From what I can see of it, that is a lovely looking coq au vin!

I made Fastest Cinnamon Buns this morning- fast and yummy. They don't quite have that pull apart ropy dough of yeast made buns, but they are satisfying and homemade and quick. Warm spicy goodness.

That salt sprinkled twix is hilarious! I can just picture next time I'm hanging out with friends: excuse me while I sprinkle some salt on my candy bar I made Red Wine Spaghetti with Broccoli, it was very quick and easy and of course looks impressive, gotta love those red noodles. I used an inexpensive 2000 Rioja that I also drank with the meal. I have lemon-poppyseed shortbread and korova cookie doughs in the freezer, so I'll probably bake up some of those for dessert.

The cold weather finally got me, awful, awful rain! Sundried Tomato Risotto with parmesan of course Lemon Mousse for dessert

I made a wonderful lemon mousse last night, just some lemon curd I had in the fridge combined with whipped cream and then well chilled, served with shortbread cookies. Then, I logged on here, still thinking about more of that lovely mousse waiting for me, and now I am totally craving brownies! Gorgeous, Patrick, Which brownie did you prefer?

Everyone's meals have been looking fabulous, makes me wish I had more time for cooking or more audience. Anyways, Corncakes (like these) I had made these before and they fell apart, this time sucess, satisfying, like pancakes. Beet Puree with Orange Zest Greenmarket Lettuce Salad When it finally turns cold, I'm still clinging to summer. Dessert will be a chocolate peanut butter milkshake!

Everyone's meals look great, welcome sugar cookie! I was part of a felafel tasting competition- even though I cut up some of the larger samples, I still feel ill with too much felafel. Ugh

Yes, I usually add a touch of cornmeal to get the right texture. The other thing you can do is cook the corn puree in a sauce pan for 5-10 minutes until it thickens up- actually I would recommend this. I didn't do this last time because I was lazy. It is important to have fresh corn, I find other corn doesn't thicken up as much. I wish I could be more clear, it is one of those things I do by feel. The batter should be like a thick corn puree and you should be able to mound it on the husk. Let me know if you make it!

Let's see, I make humitas without a recipe, but I think there are some good guidelines in . Reserve the soft inner husks from 8 ears of corn. Grate the corn of eight fresh cobs of corn, scraping to get the corn milk, add a pinch of salt, a pinch of sugar, a bit of chopped onion and about 1/4 cup milk. Process the corn mixture to make a wet dough. If the mixture is too liquid you can add a bit of corn meal. Stir in about 1/2 cup of shredded cheese. Make strips from a couple of the husks to use as ties. Place to soft inner husks side by side (one facingup and one facing down) to make a rectangle. Put a spoonful of the dough in the center and fold up like a package. tie the package with a strip of husk to close. Repeat with remaining dough. Steam the humitas for about 45 minutes. There didn't seem to be many recipes online in english, but I did find these: here and here. Note one includes egg, which do not use. Chufi, thanks for the advice. I might ttry the gratin soon. Did your friend come over to make hummus and not leave you any?! I am a hummus addict when I'm not in the middle east. Your chickpea-egg salad sounds good and I don't even like hard-boiled eggs. I actually ended up inverting the idea I had yesterday for dinner. I made blue cheese ravioli in a mushroom sauce. Unfortunately, things in mushroom sauces are not very pretty (add to the diary of regrettable foods), but they tasted really good. The filling was blue cheese, milk, and bread crumbs, wonton wrappers to make ravioli, the sauce basically a puree of cremini mushrooms with some soymilk to thin it.

Chufi, I never would have thought your pasta looks unappetizing, but now that you mention it... The thing is, the little ridges hold the sauce, so I like to tell myself the funny shape has a practicality. MizzDucky, I share your penchant for reusing leftovers (in all sorts of weird ways). It is a good place for new discoveries. However, I think even I would draw the line at jelled broth. Now comes the part where you remove it from the fridge, walk outside, and put it in your neighbors garbage can (to absolve yourself of any evidence).

I've been peeking in on this thread but my commitments recently have kept me from cooking anything noteworthy (though with beautiful produce, I don't really need to cook much) or having time to post. However, all your gorgeous meals are putting me to shame. Tonight I decided to use up some end of summer corn by making: humitas con queso. I have an obsession with corn in any form but this a good one I don't make often. Humitas are like tamales but the dough is made with grated fresh corn with a little milk and masa, then steamed in corn husks. The texture is like a lovely steamed pudding. I added some grated cheese for extra yum-factor. Accompanied by a tomato salad. Dessert will be P. Herme's chocolate mousse. by the way, I have this blue cheese languishing in my fridge and I was remembering that Choufi always makes these great looking blue cheese sauces and gratins. Maybe a sauce for mushroom ravioli or other ideas are welcome...

I have to echo the praise for the lemon cream- that stuff is dangerous. I find myself going to the fridge for just one little spoonful, and then find a large portion of it gone moments later. I was thinking of whipping up some egg whites and folding them into the lemon cream to make a nice light lemon mousse, served with a sable and a blueberry coulis. It sounds like a good idea, but I worry that the cream will be too heavy for the whipped whites and the thing might separate- what do y'all think?

So funny you should ask the question because I actually had the opposite dilema (which could therefore be the solution to yours). I bought some of the Imagine brand portabello mushroom soup that comes in a carton. They make stock that comes in cartons also, as well as corn and squash soups. The thing is it's not really soup, more like a mushroom broth, and it has soy milk in it. On the side of the box it says substitute for "cream of mushroom soup" in recipes. Since I don't really like this stuff plain, I was looking to use it up in some casserole recipes, but I never really liked those type of casseroles. If anyone can recommend a good recipe I'd be grateful. Meanwhile, I recommend you try subbing this stuff in your recipes. I'll try and find a link to the product.

Chufi, that bavaroise looks gorgeous. I have always liked gelatin based desserts, even when they were out of style. I love doing a glatinized riesling with berries in it. Have a great time in Germany! I made the Beet Ravioli with Poppy Seed Butter from Bon Appetit- it is amazing. I used wonton wrappers and cut them with biscuit cutters. I really can't say enough about this recipe, fabulous taste from a simple preparation. I served it with sauteed beet greens with currents and some yellow summer squash slow cooked with thyme. Dessert I made a homemade fig tart with a cornmeal crust and cardamom pastry creme. Sliced fresh figs on top and brushed them with an apricot-honey glaze.