bushey
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Posts posted by bushey
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Jenny -- Our local paper just had an article about the cookie-cooking dilemma a few weeks ago. The bottom line is you have to play around with the proportions of butter to shortening to get the consistency you want, but in general butter lends itself to crisper cookies, and shortening to fluffier ones. Have you tried using all shortening? The butter flavored kind might be a good option.
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Timely thread -- I just got a request from my daughter for kebabs tonight and I was thinking of making some swordfish and some chicken kebabs. A Greek-type marinade brings to mind olive oil-lemon-garlic-oregano. I'd go heavier on the oil and oregano because a fish like swordfish can carry it. Another marinade I love for fish is olive oil, crushed garlic, white wine vinegar, and capers. Use some to marinate the fish and reserve some to use as a dressing on the fish at the table.
Favorite vegetables to use in kebabs are cubes of zucchini and summer squash and red onion wedges -- these can be interspersed with the meat but I've never had good results with tomatoes unless they're on their own skewer, because they cook so quickly.
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Orik -- the Israeli couscous I've seen served in restaurants here looks like little gelatinous orbs. I don't really care for it because it doesn't seem to absorb any of the juices/liquids from the rest of the plate, which is what would give a neutral side dish its flavor. Does that sound like the ptitim you're familiar with?
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In a tube theres virtually no waste.
If you adhere to the right way of squeezing: from the bottom up, neatly folding over as you go. If you're a mid-tube squeezer.......
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I second Ravenswood Zinfandel -- I usually pick up the Vintner's Blend for $9.99 -- as a great summer bbq wine. We've been trying a few cheapo Spanish wines and found a good one in Protocolo Tinto for $4.99. For whites I like Trimbach Riesling and the German Ockfener Scharzberg (sp?) at $4.99 which is incredibly delicious well-chilled. The last bottle we had opened with a *pop*! There was some secondary fermentation going on in the bottle so we had a lovely sparkling Riesling on a hot summer night.
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I don't cook either but my conceptual contributions to our daily meals are of such substance I was able to get out of cleaning
.Well, the way I stay happy is to only rarely allow conceptual contributions
These little smileys are fun. Do you wear those sunglasses at night?
tommy -- of course, of course.
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For the life of me I can't figure out how to clean the dishes. I'm even too intimidated to try it.
That's why you need a kitchen staff
.I manage fine washing by hand but by husband thinks I cannot load the dishwasher correctly -- he always reorganizes it. It used to bother me until one night when my sister-in-law saw what he was doing and blurted out: "I can't believe you're doing that! Dad used to do the same thing and it drove Ma nuts!". So now I see it as his "problem" rather than my incompetence. 'course I usually cook so he has to clean and everybody's happy.
Glad to hear someone else is terrified of deep frying. I made my confession on the fried chicken thread.
re:Fear of shellfish, here's a tip: start out small, by broiling or grilling shrimp on skewers. When the grey parts turn pink, flip until the othr side just turns pink. They'll be perfect. It's way too easy to overcook shellfish.
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Someone once made me a salad with dried ramen noodles broken up in it. They were surprisingly good. Not at all what I expected.
Try the ramen noodles on a salad of mesclun greens with slivers of bartlett or Asian pear and a balsamic vinaigrette. It's delicious. Our caterer suggested it for our daughter's bat mitzvah and it got rave reviews (plus I got a new recipe!)
"come to think of it, maple syrup might be quite nice in the vinaigrette instead of honey"
Jon -- I sometimes use a drop of real maple syrup in my balsamic vinaigrette, and a touch of dijon mustard, when I'm in the mood for more of a sweet-sour type of dressing.
Mixed greens with sliced beets and small wedges of camembert, dressed with a Sherry vinaigrette.
Basic greek salad (romaine and crunchy vegetables topped with feta cheese) with lots of chopped fresh herbs on top and a lemon-olive oil-garlic-oregano-pinch of sugar dressing. Can't seem to find the right kind of bottled "greek" dressing.
We have a friend who throws together the most amazing salads with dried cherries or cranberries, pistachios, mandarin oranges.....whatever she feels like.....and they always taste great.
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I usually opt for pan frying or oven frying. I shy away from deep frying because of the mess involved. And believe me, if I tried it there would be a mess.......
For oven frying I dredge the chicken pieces in seasoned flour and bake at high heat (425) on an oiled sheet pan. Sometimes I dip the chicken pieces in a bit of oil first, then shake with spicy seasoned flour.
For pan frying I dip the chicken in flour, then egg, then breadcrumbs and pan fry until crispy brown and finish in the oven at 350 until the chicken is done, about 45 minutes or so. I know this sounds awful, but sometimes I pour a bit of Catalina dressing over the chicken before baking it off and the results are quite delicious.
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Kraft Macaroni & Cheese today is worse than it was years ago because the scientists at Kraft have screwed with it so many times to get the cost down.
I'm really disappointed if this is true.
I had leftover baked Kraft Macaroni and Cheese casserole for lunch and it was pretty tasty. Definitely a throwback to childhood. The powdered cheese mix is definitely inferior to the deluxe version with processed orange cheese goop, but it's much cheaper and will do in a pinch.
On the other hand, at my local supermarket I can choose from a variety of imported cheeses far superior to that available a few years ago. With some Keller European style butter, artisanal pasta and fresh breadcrumbs made from Iggy's bread I can (and do) make a wonderful homemade mac-and-cheese casserole at home. But the kids would still want Kraft's.
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when was the last time any of you had a really good apple? strawberry?
This morning I had a fantastic strawberry that was grown and picked locally (though not by me). And our local roadside stand has in the first new apples of the year, the Early Macs, which are also grown locally and are just the perfect balance of tart and juicy. Just samples one the other day. As we get into the fall, the local orchard features some older varieties of apples -- heirloom apples?
-- such as Cox's orange pippin that are delicious. -
Grape Nuts used to be one of my favorites, and then I discovered Cranberry Almond Crunch. Other top contenders are Kashi, the Good Friends nuts and twigs kind, and Cascade Farms organic multi grain squares or wheat crunch. I love cereal with blueberries or bananas. Only problem is a recently discovered sensitivity to milk, and the lactaid stuff has a sweet taste I don't love.
We let the kids choose junky sweetened cereal (like Lucky Charms or Cookie Crisp) every once in a while, but they usually come back to the basics like Rice Krispies and Multi Grain or Honey Nut cheerios.
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Last night's dinner was stir fried beef with broccoli. On half brown, half white rice, natch
. Not a very summery dish but I'd been craving it for a while and since no one else was in the mood for eating, having gone out for a lovely lunch while I worked, I decided to please myself. It was sauced with an improvised mixture of hoisin sauce, chili paste with garlic, rice vinegar, soy sauce, and a splash of sesame oil. More broccoli than beef and it was very sweet broccoli. Dessert was a trip to our favorite soft serve ice cream stand, where I had a black raspberry cone dipped in chocolate. Yum!Jim -- Just had fried sage leaves the other night. My husband ordered wonderful wild mushroom ravioli in sage and brown butter and it was garnished with crispy sage leaves. They were delicious. How do you make them?
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I need all the penitence I can get .
I thought brown rice would qualify as more of a whole grain than white rice. As in many things, perception is key. And since I have a finicky teenager who perceives brown rice as being healthier, I can gain some mileage from cooking it more often
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I prefer a higher heat for roasting vegetables also, because I love the crunchy parts. Sometimes I cut the caulifower into smaller florets and roast them along with cubes of red bliss potatoes and some diced red pepper. I toss them with olive oil and add in slivers of garlic, but I don't salt until after they're done. It probably just superstitious, but I think the salt adheres better when they're cooked.
Another favorite vegetable to roast this way is green beans. When they're slightly shriveled and a little brown I splash with balsamic vinegar and serve at room tempertaure.
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I've always used the non-flip stovetop-followed-by-broiler combo with great results. Spaghetti frittata (is the plural form the same as the singular?) is a family favorite. Type of cheese sprinkled on depends on what's inside. Our favorite breakfast place serves open faced omelettes, which are essentially frittata the way they make them, and the portabello mushroom with cheddar cheese option is especially good. At this time of year I also like to use lots of my fresh herbs.
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Heather -- an Italian friend once made white rice for me this way and it was delicious. She cooked it al dente and then drained and tossed with butter. It has a totally different character than steamed rice.
I've been trying to introduce brown rice into our meals so have been using half white, half brown with mixed (excuse the pun
) results. The ratio of water:rice I use with white rice is 1.5:1 but it seems that the ratio should be higher with brown rice for it to reach the right texture. I'm glad I saw this thread! -
Mix feta cheese with chopped mint and oregano and use it on homemade pizza. Also, fresh mint and basil leaves are wonderful on salads -- just had some for lunch on greens with cucumber, red pepper and a mustardy balsamic vinaigrette.
I've had great success drying herbs in the microwave. Rinse the herbs, shake them off and place in microwave on a paper towel. Use high heat for a couple of minutes. I use the smell test to gauge doneness: when the kitchen smells herby, they're done. The herbs maintain a pleasant green color (freezing usually makes my herbs turn brown).
tommy, let us know what wonderful mint-pasta dishes you create.
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Stagis -- just got back from five days at the Cape. Found an old place under new management in Dennis that would be a great family place: Center Stage Cafe on the grounds of the Cape Playhouse/Cape Cinema/Cape Cod Art Museum.
Great salads, appetizers, thin crust gourmet pizzas (the Shrimp scampi pizza was wonderful) and casseroles like Lobster Pie and Moussaka. All of the food tastes incredibly fresh. Liquor license: very good frozen margaritas, bellinis, etc. Okay wines. Fabulous desserts (italian cookies from Buckie's, homemade chocolate mousse cake, cheesecake, berry tart, italian osrbet in frozen fruit shells). Stays open late so a lot of folks drop in after the movie or play for coffee and dessert. I think you'd find soemthing for everyone there. Oh, and the young adults on the waitstaff are extremely attractive.
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You mean like kids that eat Elmer's glue?
No, not Elmer's glue, the thick paste that came in huge plastic jugs. You know, the kind where the art teacher would scoop out globs with a wooden ruler and put it on brown paper towels for each kid?
Elmer's glue was used for painting the palm of your hand so you could let it dry and then peel it off.
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I think the concept of delicious comes first.
It seems intuitive that the cerebral inspiration to pair foods together in a new way or apply a previously untried technique to a new food comes, either consciously or sub-consciously, from a feeling that the end result will be delicious. I know that’s how it works for me, when I decide to make up new recipes. It’s because somewhere in my mind, in the memory bank of tastes and smells and textures, is the assumption that it will “work”, i.e. will taste good. And amazingly, it sometimes does.
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Sometimes I'm a softie and give in to the gaze. Depends how much of a drool puddle there is on the floor.
We've found a great treat for the dog that she can have as often as she wants: ice cubes. She comes running when she hears the ice dispenser on the fridge, and then she grabs a cube and takes it to her "special place" where she eats bones and pig ears. She's really sweet but dumb as dirt.
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Fat Guy -- yes, the piece was larger than the space between the tines. For smaller pieces I use the tip of my index finger.
Aren't egg yolks supposed to be good for dogs' coats? How could you stand those big eyes watching you?
Make a dacquoise and let us know how it turns out.
I agree with Nina about the masque. Egg whites have superb pore tightening qualities. And then next time you can give yourself an alomnd and honey masque.
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Elizabeth Ann -- I love Marvin Harris. Read his book "Cows, Pigs, Wars and Witches" and thoroughly enjoyed it. Almost had him for a professor one semester. If you think about it, culinary anthropology goes far beyond what we eat to the social implications and the division of labor involved in procuring and preparing food, down to the order in which people are allowed to eat food and where they can eat it. In many ways, food represents power.
Fish Kebabs
in Cooking
Posted
MartyL - You're right about the swordfish, of course but did you ever hear anyone discuss whether or not "baby" swordfish was kosher. I remember having some frum friends who used to argue that it would be kosher, if you could find it. Something about the way the fish changes as it matures.