cakewalk

Unlike M&M's, which melt in your mouth but NOT on your hand ... (Sorry, I just couldn't resist.)

I processed and then froze a whole cauliflower before I went away on vacation last week. I'm hoping to cook some of it tonight, will let you know how it works. I've read that it freezes well, so I'll see. I like to saute some chopped onion and then add the cauliflower rice to it for a few minutes. I like it a lot, but then I like cauliflower a lot. It doesn't taste anything like rice. So if you're expecting rice, you're bound to be disappointed! I was surprised to read above that some people blanch the cauliflower first and then process it. I don't see how it could possibly retain any shape that way? I also find that a head of cauliflower makes a ton of the riced stuff, but like @gfweb I do it a little at a time and stop processing when it reaches a size somewhat like rice.

@Shelby, what's the top layer of that pie? It looks crunchy and delicious, I am tempted to pick up that little piece in the forefront and pop it in my mouth.

Yes, of course. But isn't that where you started in your original post? You were talking about how to achieve a stronger coffee flavor. Your way may be "better," but you're doing the same thing - compensating for inadequate coffee flavor. "I adjust the seasoning with a bit of extra salt, and with an addition of Pedro Ximinex sherry vinegar, whose woody, fruity, sweet-savory flavors complement coffee wonderfully."

Simpleton's question: would a bit of chocolate work? Everyone always mentions adding a bit of coffee to chocolate in order to "enhance" the chocolate flavor. (I do not do this, BTW, I think it makes good chocolate taste like good mocha.) Just wondering if a tiny bit of good cocoa would do anything for the coffee flavor. (Besides make it taste like good mocha.)

I just bought Bourbon Praline Pecan ice cream. I was so looking forward to it. But it is revolting! It has tons of maple syrup in it. I do not like maple syrup. Why would anyone sneak maple syrup into something called Bourbon Praline Pecan ice cream? Very bad.

The snake ate the mushroom.

In general, I agree with some of things you're saying @Alex. But for this thread specifically, I do not. Did you miss this part? "Am I the only person on the planet that most of time doesn't want to stop to eat?" Or this? "Love to swallow a pill and go." His ideas may well be of merit. I do not think this is the place to discuss them. The main thing I understood from his post, and the above sentences in particular (and I do not think I'm imagining it) is that he does not enjoy food all that much. That's perfectly fine. We all know people who don't care much about eating. But why would they hang out here? What sort of conversation can we have with one another?

Great video. The pliability of the dough reminds me of strudel dough. The crispiness of it after it was cooked and rolled up and he took a bite was just brilliant!

I was also going to suggest toasted flour. I have no idea if you can source such a thing (sorry) but I do think that will give you the texture you're seeking.

Maybe. But I don't think we'll be in agreement about what that better way might be. Sounds like you're firmly within an "eat to live" crowd. I think most of us here are in the "live to eat" crowd. I think it's why we're here. There are many threads about efficiency and nutrition, etc. But all of them are oriented towards getting things to taste good so that eating them will be enjoyable. I do not want to swallow a pill and go. Ever.

I'm leaving for Vegas Monday morning. Not staying at the Bellagio, but we'll certainly make a stop there. (Hell, I want to make a stop everywhere!) Looking forward to hearing if you have any off-the-strip recommendations. I know there's a real city out there.

Making the tahina cookies in the press was a great idea. I also add toasted sesame oil to tahini confections, it brings them over the top. Also I find that they usually have too much butter in them, which tends to minimize the flavor of the tahini. I periodically play around with tahini cookie recipes, and I've found that they taste better when they're a bit overbaked.

Rarely. Not because I don't want dessert, but because more often than not they're not particularly good. If I'm out with friends we usually go back to my place for a dessert I've made, often by request. But I tend to go out to particular places I want to try for coffee and cake/pastry much more often than I'll go out for dinner. Separate but connected: many people do not consider cake to be dessert. Cake is cake. Dessert is a separate thing. I think of them all as dessert, but I do kinda like the idea of having dessert and then having a piece of cake.

What is the connection between having magnets on one's refrigerator and aiming to impress?

Top hat and tails on this one! From Bouchon Bakery cookbook, it contains almost equal amounts of starter and flour. I thought that was a little weird. But when I fed my starter it was so bubbly I felt I had to make bread right now! It does have a nice tang, (He also adds 1/8 tsp of yeast.) This could have proofed for another half hour or so, but I was tired and just wanted to bake it already and go to bed. Sliced into it this morning. It's good, but it's a bit too chewy for me. I'm sure it will make nice toast. I always find that to be a disappointment. Even bad bread makes nice toast! If I bake a loaf of bread, I want it to be good bread! I think a lack of patience is the worst ingredient in any kitchen. But still, I think I'll have another slice.

An interesting old recipe found on Wikipedia: "To make Shrewsbury Cakes - Take two pound of floure dryed in the oven and weighed after it is dryed, then put to it one pound of butter that must be layd an hour or two in rose-water, so done poure the water from the butter, and put the butter to the flowre with the yolks and whites of five eggs, two races of ginger, and three quarters of a pound of sugar, a little salt, grate your spice, and it well be the better, knead all these together till you may rowle the past, then roule it forth with the top of a bowle, then prick them with a pin made of wood, or if you have a comb that hath not been used, that will do them quickly, and is best to that purpose, so bake them upon pye plates, but not too much in the oven, for the heat of the plates will dry them very much, after they come forth of the oven, you may cut them without the bowles of what bignesse or what fashion you please.” — The Compleat Cook of 1658

Probably. But they're fun. Sometimes that's the highlight.

At my friend's daughter's bat mitzvah (many moons ago) they had a chocolate fountain and somehow a piece of fruit or something got stuck in one of the levels and the thing started whirring around very fast, splattering everyone with chocolate until someone finally thought to pull the plug out. It was hysterical! But I don't suppose that will happen at the Bellagio.

@Smokeydoke: Going to Vegas on Monday for a three-day escape from reality, so I'm enjoying your posts.

Okay, we need to know more about that crust. I've seen a lot of cauliflower pizza crusts around the web but they don't look too hot to me. But that zucchini crust actually looks like it could stand up to its toppings. Can you tell us what you do?

I don't know anything about Taco Bell, but that's a great line.

It probably won't drizzle, the tahini tends to thicken. Just eat with a spoon!

One of my favorite combinations ever. Tahini goes so well in sweet applications, with honey being one of the best. Add a little chocolate and you're over the moon.

Well, it certainly does look like a Birthday Keter! (Crown). Is that caramelized like a Yerushalmi Kugel? Or is that chocolate? I never heard of a birthday kugel, but hey, it's your birthday, do what you want. (Mazal tov!)