azlee
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Posts posted by azlee
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Looking on Bakingcircle.com, they have a lot of good recipes & good baking info.
the bakingcircle.com is your best bet. and king arthur flour (host of bakingcircle.com) does sell a pan for making twinkie shaped cakes and that pan also comes with a recipe
and bed bath and beyond is having a clearance on this twinkie pan set with recipes hostess brand twinkie baking set
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The '07 KfP, 12-ounce cans are now available in the Chicago area!! I kicked off the season by purchasing a couple of cases. I was also delighted to see an expiration date of December 2007 on the bottoms of those cans.
With Passover just around the corner, it's nice to know that I could potentially go long enough to carry me to Hannukah. I don't think I'll take quite that much inventory but a few more cases are certainly on the radar.
=R=
bought my first case this week. yum!
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just so happens i live in hanover. forget about bon gustaio-they are closed and the same for home hill they, too, are out of business. the hanover inn is more formal while zins is more casual -quite okay-ate there last nite. but i would recommend the canoe club- it is fairly new and it's on main street just across from the inn. the 20 minute trip to simon pearce is well worth the drive if you can make it. and then there is across the river in norwich, carpenter street. forget the norwich inn dining room it is just okay
for a more innformal taste try the pizza at ramunto's much better than eba's and it is in a new building. you could also try mai thai for thai food, the orient for chinese and the india queen for indian. the last mentioned ethnic restaurants are all in easy walking distance. if you are coming up soon, bring warm clothes and boots. we are just recovering from a 14 inch snowfall and the evening the temp has been down to the teens or single numbers.
have fun in hanover
i'll look forward to trying the canoe club and ramunto's next time i'm in hanover
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If you're driving, try the restaurant at Simon Pearce or Home Hill French Inn & Restaurant in Plainfield, NH. There are several good bets in Hanover proper but the names keep changing, the folks at the desk of the Inn should be able to give some good recommendations in town. Murphy's across Main St from the Inn is a good bet for a nice drink and a simple meal if it's not a big college weekend. Cafe Buon Guisto was good the last time we ate there but that was a couple of years ago.
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sliced strawberries w/ balsamic vinegar
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I also have the dacor convection microwave oven and like it very much. i bought dacor to match my range but it is manufactured by sharp. if you don't need to match you can save quite a bit by buying the sharp model.
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FWIW, the best cooking I have ever experienced from the hands of a black chef is also amongst the very best I have ever experienced. That chef is Shola Olunloyo of Studio Kitchen in Philadelphia fame. He is a remarkably talented and charismatic individual.
I hate to throw another monkey wrench into the discussion, but it's been mentioned already:
Shola, like Samuelsson, is an immigrant.
I think that increased immigration of sub-Saharan Africans to America is going to muddy the discussion of race in ways both welcome and unwelcome in the years to come. Unencumbered as they are by the cultural baggage African-Americans carry, they could wind up as sticks that the truly bigoted use to beat American blacks over the head with again, much as black immigrants from the Caribbean were in danger of becoming before In Living Color defused the subject with sharp humor.
Yet if they, as Samuelsson did with this article, claim kinship with their American brethren, then that danger is probably nonexistent.
Thanks for reiterating my earlier point about Samuelsson being an immigrant. I was starting to worry that important distinction might be lost. I think it would be very interesting indeed to compare his and Shola's experiences and perceptions to those of successful African American chefs.
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It is at least clear that one African American chef, Chef Samuelsson would like to make that move.
mike
just to be clear, Marcus Samuelsson is not African American he is African (Ethiopian) and was raised in Sweden and adopted into a Swedish family.
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our fellow gulleteer michael ruhlman recently did a very nice story on the topic in the "other" times. the problem is: after samuelson, who? for whatever reason, there don't seem to be many black chefs cooking these days. (though as for the food network, cooking ability obviously wouldn't count for much.)
Come by to the school I teach at and you'll meet quite a few future chefs of African-American descent, from the continent and the diaspora. They come from all walks of life. There are instructors from the same backgrounds as well.
I started a thread here about African and African-American chefs a while back. I haven't had time to follow up with the leads I got. I think I will send chef Samuelsson an email about my experience with this and the Africans (all the diversity of people from this continent) that I know in the food industry. I suspect the scene will be very different in 5 years, in 10 years, in 15 years, etc...
ETA: same thing with Hispanics, Asians, women, etc...
Chef Zadi, a few more names of African American executive chefs currently working in NYC, for you:
Cheryl Smith
Herb Wilson
Keith Williams
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(Cary Neff? You could knock me over with a feather. Not much was made about his ethnicity when he was a rising star in Philadelphia's restaurant community. He is now in Arizona).
Sandy:
There are TWO Cary Neffs. The one in Philadelphia is most certainly not African American. They even did one of those "naked with a blender" ads together. You can draw whatever conclusions you wish as to who needed the bigger blender.
the cary neff to whom marcus referred was the executive chef at miraval spa in arizona. at the time when he was at miraval, neff was touted as oprah's favorite spa chef and miraval as her favorite spa. neff coined the term 'conscious cuisine' and created a spa menu for miraval that was healthful, low calorie and low fat, as well as, inventive, decadent, delicious, filling and had great variety. his book of spa cuisine recipes was featured on oprah. i believe he is now the executive chef at the la costa spa in california. my undertanding is that he started his culinary career in chicago.
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Uh, btw. This is a special treat for all the cocktail geeks reading this blog. Some guy on ebay is selling Hermes orange and Hermes aromatic. He has one bottle left of each.
It looks like it will be about 13 bucks including shipping from Japan.
I bought one bottle of each, so there is one left!
Thanks for the heads up n the bitters. Exactly what I was looking for as a gift for a dear friend. I took a look at these auctions and the seller says they are not for consumption but collectible bottles. Can that be right? Or is that an export/import sort of disclaimer?
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I was in Homegoods today and they just got in a shipment of the different shaped bundt pans. I saw the Bavarian, the fleur de lis, the rose, and a couple of others. They were marked between $12 and $16 each. I am very tempted to buy one (or two, or three), however, all my recipes for bundt-style cakes are for the traditional twelve cup molds. All the pretty Nordicware molds are ten cup. I hate to put the extra batter in a mini loaf pan when the whole idea is to have a gorgeous molded cake. It's also about four pieces of cake that are lost.
I'm fairly wary of fiddling with an old family recipe because, as we all know, certain cakes *must* be made every year or the universe will cease to exist. I'm sure there will be plenty of family flak coming my way just for using a different shape. If, in addition to that, the cake tastes "wrong," well, it's all over.
So there you have it. The only thing standing between me and a couple of shiny, new pans is a good idea about what to do with two cups of cake batter. Any ideas?
-L
nordicware also makes mini pans, some in sets of six like a cupcake pan and some separate minis that would use the leftover batter nicely. crate and barrel carries the minis among other places
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i have been ordering froma site called tinytrapeze.com for a few years. they are based in Mass. and have the most fantastic natural candy and marshmallows. they even sold for a while on the amazon.com gourmet food site.
their website has been down for about a month (at least), and i have no idea what happened to them. does anyone know??
here's some additional contact info for tinytrapeze: Website, www.tinytrapeze.com. Address, 119 Business St Hyde Park, MA 02136. Phone, 617-364-3200. Toll Free. Fax, 617-364-3266
i heard that their business was purchased by or invested in by whole foods and that they are still available through selected whole foods outlets but not through other outlets. i'm not sure if that is gospel but you might want to do a product search on the whole foods site. i hope your search proves to be fruitful.
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Okay, thanks. What I'm hearing is I should use 1.5 eggs somehow, whether I measure by weight or volume. I do have a scale, so perhaps I'll try that (it's probably more accurate than my eyeballing...).
Pontormo, thanks for the ideas about what to do with the leftovers!
if your recipe calls for three large eggs, one extra large egg should work in a half recipe. otherwise, i'd break two eggs and save the extra to add to an omelet or use as a binder in another recipe
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I've been impressed with how many of the food retailers, that I use, have responded. In particular, Fresh Direct, which immediately credited my account for the Spinach and Blue Cheese Salad that was part of an order I had received earlier this week. Their recommendation was that the salad be discarded for safety's sake. I know that most of their bagged greens are sourced from Natural Selections under the Earthbound Farms label and I suspect that the majority of the fresh prepped private labeled salads that FD offers are made from, at least in part, Natural Selections bagged greens.
I must admit that I have always been in the habit of washing bagged greens, even those that are labeled pre-washed but the point that has been driven home for me is that if the contamination is in the water source, no amount of washing will make a difference.
Back to the overcooked greens that grandma used to make, if hope to get my Iron w/o a side of E coli poisoning. 
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Okay, a question for all you meat spirit connoisseurs. By this point, you'll all have figured out the logical next step in this process. What's the greatest, most savory, and fully delicious meat out there? Why, bacon, of course. So by all rights, baconcello should be next up.
But the thing is, I'm looking for a good breakfast drink. And I'm thinking that bacon and egg-cello would be even better than just bacon. But I need to figure out the best way to infuse the eggs into the vodka.
I'm not going to use raw eggs-- that would be nasty, and potentially salmonellicious, and wouldn't give the "Denny's Grand Slam Breakfast in a glass" flavor that I'm looking for. My first thought was to use hard-boiled eggs. But I worry that the hard-cooked egg proteins won't infuse well.
Better would be to whip up some sous vide'd spring eggs and then infuse them.
But my thought is to poach a couple of eggs directly in the simmering vodka; this will keep all the flavor in the alcohol. My question is, is there any chance of an explosion from boiling vodka on my stovetop?
not sure how to approach the egg part of the problem, but i would imagine something like an oscar meyer ready to eat type bacon product would work nicely. it's real bacon but you won't have the problem of pooling fat. have you considered the possibility of a pastramipolitan?
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I've got to say it again, or maybe I should ask it: everybody who is getting all agitated about my bias against new restaurants, have you ever had the pleasure of a long-term, deep relationship with an excellent restaurant -- dozens of visits over a period of years? I can't imagine that anybody who has had that experience would say new restaurants are the holy grail. Not for diners at any level of seasoning.
every great established restaurant was new, at some point. if noone had bothered to eat at them before they were established, they almost certainly would have been closed rather than established. and an early and loyal customer at a new but great restaurant is more likely to recognized as a valued regular than someone who starts to frequent an established place 10 years into its success, unless of course they are a known food writer, food critic, or celebrity. it happens, of course, but it takes alot more effort on the unknown diner's part at a long established place to be welcomed in that way.
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I've brought Stilton home to NY in the past from Harrod's in London. It was packed in a well chilled porcelain container and stayed cool for the entire trip home and we now have a lovely container to keep our blue cheeses in the fridge here. I imagine any apilco type porcelain container would work and you could even use a larger one with a freezer pack in and/or around it to keep it extra cool.
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Thank you guys for all the suggestions. I think I'm going to send them to Angelo and Maxie's. While it's not dirt cheap, it fits the budget for the steak part of the meal, and it's up to them if they want to otherwise splurge on wine and/or sides.
I looked into Tad's and it seems just a little bit scary, but the thought was right. If for some reason Angelo and Maxie's disappears off the face of the earth this afternoon, Tad's will be a interesting cultural experience for everyone involved.
And for those of you who suggested Les Halles, it is, as Lucklies said, not 'merican. It was one of my first thoughts, however, until I was directed elsewhere.
not 'merican but steak frites would come in under budget. angelo and maxies is probably the best bet though
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Hospital food is a complex issue. The elephant in the living room is the homeless problem, i.e., homeless people trying to get admitted to hospitals so they can get a bed and good meals. To some extent, especially in the major urban areas (less so in Gastonia), the food at many hospitals is designed to provide sustenance but not pleasure.
It is a complex issue, because in places (like Broken Bow, Nebraska) there isn't a homeless problem. But, the hospital food there still sucks.
So, I don' think the homeless issue is all to blame. It simply doesn't affect all hospitals the same, so calling it the root issue doesn't seem to pass the sniff test. There must be some other nefarious plot at the root of it.
I agree that it is not the homeless problem that is primarily to blame. There are a number of issues at play (including the limitations inherent in creating a nutritious but limited daily set menu (3-4 meal choices) that take into account the dietary requirements and food sensitivities of numerous patients).
Chief among those issues, its appears to be an insurance problem. Both private and public (medicare/medicaid) forms of insurance make great efforts to control costs associated with patient care. Food service (which is expensive and often comes with lots of waste) is an excellent place to cut costs (because oddly enough feeding the patients is not considered a core service of the hospital) and the provision of limited and uncomplex menu choices helps to limit the risk to patients (restricted diets, hidden ingredient allergies and sensitivities) of receiving food that may trigger other health issues, prolonging stays and raising costs to the insurers.
Having recently survived a short but very expensive hospital stay, I am more thankful, than ever, that I have excellent private insurance that afforded me the "executive level" of food choices and at the time I felt it was well worth paying the 20% of uncovered costs under my premium indemnity insurance plan to have both the premium care and food available to me. It also made me consider the plight of those who for any number of reasons do not have the same options for good and/or compassionate care.
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Picked up a bottle of this stuff at my local hippie grocery store. It was produced by a company called Nature Works, but as far as I can gather, the formula for Swedish bitters is public knowledge, and several companies produce the stuff. It makes an interesting Old-Fashioned or wet Martini, and I would recommend keeping an eye out for it if you're itching for a new type of bitters to play around with.
I've seen this brand [Nature Works] of Swedish bitters in health food stores but it's sold as a gentle colon cleanser. Perhaps, it's all about proportion since many alcoholic bitters are sold as a digestive.
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azlee - i've just been looking through RLB's 'pie & pastry bible' for info on cornstarch/sugar proportions myself. for fruit turnovers, she recommends about 2/3 cup of sugar for 2 1/2 cups of pitted cherries. if you're draining off the cherry juices & then reducing them, she calls for 1 1/2 tbl. of cornstarch; if you're not reducing the liquid ahead of time, use just under 1 tbl. of cornstarch instead.
i can't vouch for her measurements, since i haven't tried making this recipe yet. compared to a regular pie, this does seem like a higher proportion of cornstarch, so you must be right in thinking that the filling needs to be thicker than for a regular pie.
as for freezing the cherries - i usually just pit mine, and then freeze in ziploc bags.
bluechefk,
thanks. i'm planning on cooking the juices along with the cherries. Will fiddle with her proportions and i think i'll add some almond extract and fresh lemon or lime juice, as well. hoping for the best. thanks again.
Actually, RLB's proportions gave me exactly the consistency that I was looking for and I added almond extract and a little fresh lemon juice. I think instead of turnover filling, I now have the perfect belgian waffle topping!
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azlee - i've just been looking through RLB's 'pie & pastry bible' for info on cornstarch/sugar proportions myself. for fruit turnovers, she recommends about 2/3 cup of sugar for 2 1/2 cups of pitted cherries. if you're draining off the cherry juices & then reducing them, she calls for 1 1/2 tbl. of cornstarch; if you're not reducing the liquid ahead of time, use just under 1 tbl. of cornstarch instead.
i can't vouch for her measurements, since i haven't tried making this recipe yet. compared to a regular pie, this does seem like a higher proportion of cornstarch, so you must be right in thinking that the filling needs to be thicker than for a regular pie.
as for freezing the cherries - i usually just pit mine, and then freeze in ziploc bags.
bluechefk,
thanks. i'm planning on cooking the juices along with the cherries. Will fiddle with her proportions and i think i'll add some almond extract and fresh lemon or lime juice, as well. hoping for the best. thanks again.
Is there such a thing as a great electric stove?
in Kitchen Consumer
Posted
cooking gas was not an option when i did my renovation and i really love my dacor millenium electric range. not as much as i'd love a gas range but i have gotten used to it.