Khadija
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Posts posted by Khadija
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Shaya, I'm not sure how well the fresh pasta will work either. It's more of a nerdy experiment than anything. (Sometimes I think I'm more drawn to the process of cooking than I am to the results.)
I'm definitely going to make it thicker than usual. Depending on my patience, I'm going to make either farfalle (butterflies) or penne. For the farfalle, I'll cut squares and pinch in the centre, and for the penne, I'll roll around pens or something similar. I think the farfalle will be easier. I won't boil for very long, but I think I should try boil a little bit. I guess I'm thinking that, based on my experience with making lasagna with fresh pasta, the fresh pasta must be able to stand up to some kind of baking.
I'll report back with results (probably Sunday).
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Based on this thread, I will try to to toast in the oven with a timer the next time I want a batch of toasted nuts. My main problem with the oven is that I am so careless, I forget about them. I always hear the point that the stovepot is worse because of the direct heat, but at least I remember that they're there, because I can see them. However, the timer probably does make a difference.
Anyhoo -- thanks to jgm for starting this thread. I toast nuts almost daily for various things, and love to hear the opinions of egulleters!
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Wendy, your mac & cheese party looks like the best party I've ever imagined
! Everyone is making such great mac and cheese around here, I'm truly inspired. I have been putting off making mac and cheese with fresh pasta for about two weeks now, and must do so this weekend! (I've been a little bit intimidated, as I not all my fresh pasta efforts have been successful, and I have even been known to make a mac and cheese dud now and then. -
I put them in a saute pan over medium-low heat, shake the pan OFTEN (to prevent the little black spots), and watch them like a hawk. If I want to be less attentive because I'm doing other stuff, I use lower heat, but they still require some attention. I have never found a "set it and forget it" kind of method that works. And, I have never put them in the oven without burning them.
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There is actually a website for deep frying Oreo cookies .. complete with photographs ... but I like my Oreos plain on a plate ...
eG thread on deep fried cheesecake
actually, it looks quite good!I especially like the part where the author doubts the existence of extreme culinary nerds who would actually measure the temperature of oil when deep-frying! I guess she or he hasn't been to egullet lately.
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Mac and cheese. I'm always experimenting with different ways to make it. I particularly like to make a bechamel-based sauce that involves heating the milk for the bechamel very slowly with pears, so the sauce is very delicately infused with pear-flavour. I take particular pleasure in going through the process very, very slowly, without the pressure of having anyone else around who might be hungry and who might want to eat sooner than later.
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I think there is only one good way to do breakfast in bed. In a hotel with a massive King-sized bed, with another person, only one tray. A flower is a nice touch, but you should put it on the bedside table before getting yourself set up in bed with the tray. Whenever all that stuff gets awkward, you either give the tray to the other person or get them to help you adjust. It is better if it is your birthday or something, because tray-duties are automatically stacked in your favour. When you're finished eating, you are allowed to get up and forget about the crumbs.
I've only done this once, but I've been dreaming about the day it will happen again ever since.
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Thanks for the tips, Marlene! I have been using Panko, but without much cheese (except a bit of parm-regg sometimes). Although the topping gets crispy, it doesn't hold together. I think I might try adding some other cheeses.
I have a new idea for a M&C experiment. I'm going to make M&C with fresh pasta. I've never heard of anyone doing this, although it doesn't seem that crazy. If anyone here has done this, let me know what you think! I'm fairly new to fresh pasta making (just received my Imperia pasta roller this Christmas), but I love the process. I'll either make penne by rolling squares of pasta around pens or farfalle by pinching squares of pasta in the middle. I have no idea whether doing this will be worth the effort (maybe there's a reason why I don't see a lot of recipes for M&C with fresh pasta), but I will try anything in the name of M&C! I probably won't have time until the weekend.
For now, I'll have to consider whether to bake or not. Maybe both, for the sake of knowledge
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-baby spinach, thin slices of Asian pear, raw green beans, toasted pinenuts, shavings of parm-regg
-vinagrette: rice vingear, tiny bit of honey, EVOO, LOTS of microplaned garlic
-grey salt on top
The key is to make the vinagrette in the salad bowl and toss the pear and green beans with the vinagrette at ten minutes ahead of time so they "marinate." Then put everything else on top, toss at the last minute and serve.
My favourite salad. I eat this at least three times a week.
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I will never decide to strain the sauce from chicken with forty cloves of garlic (so that I can reduce it a little bit) into the sink instead of into a saucepan, all because I was talking instead of paying attention.
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Thanks for the info Calipoutine and Heather! For now, I have a very nice microplane to use for myself, but since I will probably want to give cheaper ones out as gifts at some point, the information you've both given me is very useful.
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As a child, my favourite dish was macaroni and cheese (actually, M&C is probably still my favourite dish
). My mother refused to buy KD, which somehow elevated it in my mind to "best food in the world status". Sometimes, I crave KD, although when I've had a few mouthfuls I usually realise that I don't really like it. Nonetheless, as I am a grad student who has now been pursuing post-secondary education for more years than I would care to count, I've had my share of times when I just need to resort to Kraft Dinner. (In fact, KD will probably be in order when I finally finish marking these papers!)I am not a person who measures anything, but I think the directions on the box are best (1/4 cup milk (full-fat) and 1/4 butter (not margarine). Putting 1/4 cup of butter into such a small amount of noodles may seem disgusting, but I assure you that it is the best way to make Kraft Dinner. For me, it's the only way.
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I love different kinds of salt, but I'm just learning and don't know much about different brands. I always hear people here talking about Maldon, and I'm wondering if it's worth a try. Right now, I have grey salt, fleur de sel, kosher salt, and salts sold in bulk and simply labelled "fine grained sea salt," and "coarse grained sea salt" by my local natural foods market. I don't know what companies any of the first three salts come from, because I store all salt in large mason jars and throw away the packages.
Before this thread, I had never heard of popcorn salt. However, I frequently grind coarse grained sea salt in a coffee grinder precisely for the purposes spoken of here. Sometimes I throw some toasted cumin. I've actually ground my coarse grained sea salt slightly less, for fine grained, when I ran out of all purpose salt. I use the fine grained sea salt as what I call "all purpose salt" (for cooking).
I love grey salt (Celtic salt) as a "finishing" salt on most things. (I've noticed that David Chiarello guy on the foodnetwork seems to use grey salt as his all purpose salt. I always say that even expensive salt isn't that expensive, because salt is cheap, but wouldn't dream of putting grey salt into pasta water.) I rarely use the fleur de sel, because I usually forget about it.
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This may be a stupid question, but I don't really understand the talk I hear about cheap microplanes. Maybe it's because I live in Canada, or maybe it's just because I don't know to look in the right places, but I have never seen microplane in a store for less than $30. I wanted one for a long time, but didn't get one because of the expense (I am a student). This Christmas, my partner bought me this one: http://store.microplaneintl.com/Merchant2/...uct_Code=37010E. He bought it at the kitchen supply store in our neighbourhood, which means that he must have paid about $50 for it. I know that he probably went the most expensive source possible, but I'd like to know what other options are available. (I've noticed people here mentioning hardware stores, but as far as I know, Canadian Tire (the most ubiquitous Canadian hardware store) does not sell microplanes. Is buying online the key?
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I probably spend altogether too much time thinking about macaroni and cheese, because I have developed pretty serious ambivalence about baking or not baking. Sometimes I think that baking dries and increases the possibility of ruining the sauce too much. Sometimes I think that baking really completes the dish (and there is that crust thing).
I notice that Marlene's M&C looks extra gooey
, and also seems to have a very crispy crust that has stayed intact when served. This looks like a feat to me. I usually only bake for a very short period of time (in fear of dryness), but my crust usually falls apart when I serve, and I wind up with little bits of breadcrumbs dispersed throughout individual servings. I've tried baking in indiviual gratin dishes, which does solve the crumb dispersion problem, but I'd love to know how to know how to get one nice crust on a bigger casserole. -
Does anyone have a recipe for piragi? My "step-grandfather" is Latvian and gets them every Christmas from a Latvian bakery in Toronto. I have never made them, but have had a craving and do not know of any Latvian bakeries in my neck of the woods. Besides, I'm always looking for a new "cooking project" (I can picture my partner rolling his eyes). A quick internet search has turned up a few recipes, which sound straightforward enough, but I know that if there is a wealth of information to be found about any food-topic, I should look here first.
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There are pictures, taken by party guests, and I am still waiting for them to come my way. The guests loved the food and the theme!
I did tell everyone about the help I got from egullet. Many people kept saying "so, this is a recipe website?" My response, that egullet is far more than a "recipe website," a site that promotes knowledge, appreciation, and discussion of all things gastronomic, provoked some confused looks from some of my non-food-freak friends!
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Hi everyone.
The haPPy "P" themed birthday dinner was last night. It was a huge success, and I owe thanks to all of you for encouragement and great ideas.
We wound up having:
Panelle with Peppered-Almond Gremolata
Pear, Pinenut, and Parmesan Salad
Pea Pansotti
Pork tenderloin with Pomegranate Sauce, Pistachios, and Pomegranate seeds
on a bed of Parsnip Puree
with Pak Choi
Passionfruit Pavlova
As per rlibkind's suggestion, I used a bit of whole clove in the pomegranate glaze, as well as a bit of cinammon. I also brined the pork in a solution of water, salt, honey, clove, and cinnamon. The sauce was really delicious and the pistachios and pomegranate seeds really added a wonderful texture the dish.
I think writing a menu based on something kind of arbitrary in relation to food & cooking is quite interesting, because it really forces you to think of out of the ordinary ingredients and dishes. (I had never purchased a passionfruit before, but I will now!) I think it would be quite interesting to explore different letters!
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I am in the market for a meat thermometer. I have tried to do a bit of research, but I have to admit that I'm really stupid about this topic -- I'm getting confused about terminology.
Right now, I have a little metal one with a dial, which is not oven-safe. What I want most of all is to get a fairly accurate reading of the internal temperature of meats, without having to be obsessive about opening the oven and checking all the time. I think I want want of those digital thermometers that sits outside of the oven that is attached cord that is attached to the thing you stick in the meat (is this what a "probe" is?). What is the name of the thermometer am I looking for? Should I look for a certain brand? How much should I spend? I have seen ones for hundreds of dollars, which I definitely can't afford. Can I get a good one for $40-$60 (or less)?
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Thanks so much for all the enthusiasm and great ideas, everyone!
Daniel, as a matter of fact, I ate poutine with this friend the other day. There was regret afterwards, but that comes with poutine territory.
I have settled on a rough menu. I think adding the "p" adjectives is a good idea, and I will work on that later this week. I have tried to choose things that aren't especially fussy to prepare.
Appetizer: Panelle with Parsley and Peppered Almonds (loosely based on a Mario Batali recipe)
Salad: Pear, snowPea, Pinenut, and Parmigano shavings on baby spinach (I make this often)
Main: Pork tenderloin with Pomegranate sauce, Pomegranate Seeds, and Pistachios
Parsnip Puree
Pak Choi
Dessert: Profiteroles with Poached Pears
I did a test run of the appetizer and main course tonight. The panelle went very well. I thought the pork was very good too. I chose tenderloin, because some people don't like fattier cuts
. I just made sure that it came out bright pink. The pomegranate sauce was good, the sourness offset the sweetness of the parsnip puree very well. My only concern is that the sauce was a bit one dimensional. It consisted of fresh rosemary, onion, a bit of garlic, white wine, chicken stock, pomegranate juice, and pomegranate molasses. The rosemary didn't really come through, which surprised me, because I usually find rosemary pretty strong. I'm thinking about either adding more rosemary or omitting the rosemary and putting in a spice or two. If anybody has suggestions about this, I'd be happy to hear them.
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Wow. These are great ideas! I think I was just so overwhelmed that I hadn't really considered the possibilities. I especially like the idea of serving pinenut crusted pork with pomegranate sauce. And profiteroles sounds like a really fun dessert.
Meez, she just likes "p" foods in general. We're philosophers, and I think her obsession with "p" has to do with an interest in the way that language shapes aesthetic sense. I can get into this view. By a neat coincidence, I'm slightly obsessed with adjectives that begin with "p." I'm not just a culinary nerd, I'm a nerd in all possible worlds (what a wild metaphysical claim!).
Time to stop talking nonsense and start planning the menu.
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I'm in a strange cooking situation and I need some advice. A bit of background: I recently agreed to cook a birthday dinner next Saturday, for a friend. A couple of days after saying I would do this, when my friend was going on about how excited she is about the dinner, I realised that I am going out of town this week and will not get back until very late Friday night. So, most of the work will have to be done on Saturday. My partner can do some of the shopping while I am away. The guest list consists of about 12 people (including us). We are grad students with modest accomodations, and this is a big party for us. I may wind up cooking at her place, even though I don't especially like cooking in other people's kitchens, just because she has more space than I do. She has offered to help me with the cooking, but she does not know that her best friend is coming from another province to surprise her. So, she may feel differently when the day comes.
Now, I made the mistake of asking this friend what her favourite foods are. Her response was "foods that begin with the letter 'p'." I am not kidding. She mentioned pizza, potatoes, and pomengranetes, although she has been trying to go low-carb when she can (go figure!). Should I even try to make "p" a theme for the party? There is no way that I'm making a low-carb meal, but I don't think I want a really carb-centric meal (like pasta). Normally, I appreciate a cooking challenge, and I feel that my friend is a great person who deserves what she wants on her birthday (however weird), but will trying to come up a meal based on "p" just induce too much stress? Any ideas?
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I'm so glad someone brought this up. I saw an ad for them on tv. I have no intention of buying one, but I really want to know how it works.
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I use the recipe on the bag of cranberries for Thanksgiving/Christmas cranberry sauce. I have used different brands, but I always get the recipe from the bag. I have asked other people what they do, and I have yet to meet someone who does not rely on the bag when making cranberry sauce!
Vietnamese Summer Rolls/Spring Rolls
in Elsewhere in Asia/Pacific: Cooking & Baking
Posted
I'm not sure if this is the appropriate thread for this topic, but I want to discuss cha gio, fried spring rolls. My concern is the wrappers.
I have been using rice paper wrappers, which all the recipes I have consulted have recommended. The recipes say that you can use other wrappers, but rice paper is the most light and delicate. This may be true, but I've found that the wrappers don't brown well. They stay white for a long time and then start to turn translucent in spots and burn. Some of them develop air pockets, which puff up and burst leaving holes. They taste okay, but obviously they're not what I'm hoping to achieve. Also, they're incredibly ugly -- pale, white things with dark brown, almost burnt splotches all over. Does anybody know how to fix this? I bought something called "spring roll pastry," which appear to be made in Singapore, from a Korean market. These are made of wheat flour. I expect I'll have more luck with these, but I'm still wondering if I can improve my rice paper rolls.