Rebecca263
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Posts posted by Rebecca263
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I'm, um, 2nd generation in the US... grandparents on all sides born elsewhere... Syria and Italy, and I've never seen a green bean casserole. But, I still get to pass, right?
After, all, I'm the lightest in the family, and everyone says I'm white! Maybe that means that I have to LEARN to make this green bean casserole? Oh, FudgeyGoogle, I hope not! 
edited to add: boy number one is so white he's rosy(I dunno, some kind of German stock, most likely, after 20 plus years you'd think I would know this!), I wonder if he's ever had green bean casserole? I know he's had Spam and Velveeta. And, if he has, am I off the hook by association?
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Oh. My. Holy. Oats. What is left to be said? ZM, you are a gem. I have decided to teach kiddle peirogies this month, I do believe that they will entertain her, and I've always thought that they are good fodder for teenage parties, as well.
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Gee, I've read everyone's posts here and I'm feeling a bit muddled and befuddled.
I don't find a problem taking the progeny to any restaurant of stars or not, but I don't know that I'd want to share eveing meals with Daddy AND kiddles on a vacation. I just think that it is healthy for the children to know that Mommy and Daddy have their own time for each other, and I don't think there is anything wrong with them having the nights with a sitter while you indulge in the romantic aspect of your vacation.
My first real dinner dining experience happened on my fifth birthday when my parents took me to Cafe de Paris for my birthday dinner. I remember every moment of the evening, from the smell of the leather seats to the amazing sommelier who brought me a bottle of sparkling water for my birthday "toast". He explained to me that he was certain that we should not toast with just water, and that is why the small pitcher of juice was brought to add to my "bubbly". To this day I can recall the taste and look of the rare lamb on my plate, the cheese course, and my wonder at the flair of the platings and the attentive staff. And, my darlings, that was more than a few dozen years past. Before that, nicer restaurants had only been lunch time affairs for me, and I was suitably delirious by the import of my parents' gift to me of a real 'dinner'. I don't think that I am an atypical person, or that my childhood was atypical of many other peoples', although you would never guess it from the way some folks prattle on about the presence of children in 'certain' places, whether they are coffee houses or multi course restaurants. Now, I have a child (BTW, that does NOT necessarily mean that a person is a BREEDER) and she's traveled the world and eaten in many places, starred and otherwise, and always has been a human being of good comportment. Even when she was 3. I specifically can say that at 7 she happily ate her way through 7 courses one evening, and was as delightful a companion as the other 2 small children who accompanied us. They all were amazed by the idea of a granita as a palate cleanser, it was a wonderful and humbling experience to share the meal through their eyes. I do believe that a human being is well mannered when they are treated as a human being from day one.
Also, I've been in food service, and my difficult clientele were ALL of the fully grown variety. Yes, every single one, and children were a common presence at our businesses.
Still, as I said before, I'd prefer to take the children out for good meals during the days, and have Daddy all to myself for romantic dinners during travels.
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I've traveled to Melt 3 times, from the tiny town of English! We'll be sad to see it go!
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Hot dawg!
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We had olive oil drizzled, baked cod fillets atop fresh steamed string beans and zucchini, and we also had a challah from our new shul!
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I have a very sentimental item atop my refrigerator of tinyness... an IMMENSE 2 gallon vitrified china Starbucks Miami mug... with the original incorrect writing printed around the inside rim! Yes, it holds 2 gallons! Usually the aforementioned gallons are rum punch or lime rum lollygog but it has been known to hold 'highly flammable' Frappuccinos as well.
Secondly, a few dozen small cookbooks, but nothing compares to my lovely mug from the Bucksters.
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Oh my holy oats! You must keep very 'busy' at home in order to work off all of the delicious calories that you often seem to be consuming! I think that you and Ling have reverse metabolisms! <jealous Rebecca shuffles away>
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Thank you for blogging for us this week. Your photos show the joy in your life with friends and family. I really enjoyed following you!
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We're just done tasting some candies which are in development. The company in question just isn't getting the concept of what they are going for, though. The 'sweets' were singularly awful, so I'm now in need of a second dessert, but we must wait until 7 to do that, darn!
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Hi, Folks!
Well, remember that batch of steel cut oats cookie dough I made the other day Yesterday I baked them. I had replaced a bit of the butter in the recipe with applesauce, and lowered the sugar a bit as well. I refrigerated the dough overnight. They were pretty good. Very chewy, very hearty. I am going to make another batch next Tuesday, and I plan on tweaking the recipe a bit more. Less oats, I think, as in my house we aren't big fans of a heavy cookie. I'm also going to add some chunked chocolate to the dough. Kiddle says that the combination will be good, because the oats are so chewy. Usually she won't eat an oatmeal cookie with chocolate in it. This cookie needs some work to lighten it up for our taste, but I think that the steel cut oats are actually delicious as a cookie! I'll update here next week, and when I've got a recipe perfected I'll put it up for anyone else who may want to try this.
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Hey, Mr. and Mrs. Roux, I hope that all is getting better for you.
Rebecca
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I just can't make fruitcake here. Not enough time or budget. I MUST resign myself to begging for it. I even like it with maraschino cherries, if that's any help.
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I am not really expert here folks, I simply broil a fatty steak every so often when I'm on my own. Yes, I ASK my dear butcher for a 'fatty' steak, and he gives me something that costs more than I care to think about, and it is delicious.
I also like him because he calls me young lady , but that's an altogether different subject. BUT, I once dated an avowed steak lover, and he once broiled me a truly primordial steak. He had wrapped fatty corned beef AROUND the steaks and fastened it with tiny metal skewers. Then he broiled the steaks at a very high temperature for a few minutes on each side. They were delicious! I'm sure that there was more to it than that, but I'm sorry to tell you all that I just don't remember, too much imbibing went on during the meal for me to remember the details. And you know, they say perfection is in the details. Or was it dust is in the details? Huh, nope, that must be the details of the house that have dust. Well, I'll go read the rest of this thread now, maybe I'll learn what cut that lovely fatty steak is, and impress Mr.Butcher. -
Well, I'm a Jewish girl who ADORES fruitcake! Send your doorstops my way, I always tell my friends!
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Dear Megan, you are such a bright spot here on eGullet, I really enjoy your posts and I want to thank you by sharing my morning coffee fix with you.
You never know what the future may hold, unless you make your coffee in an ibrik! That's what I do, when I'm alone.
I usually get up around 5:30 or so. In Miami Beach it would be sunrise on the shore, but here in New Jersey it's dark in the parking lot. I get out my little ibrik, (Ibrahim/Abrahim depending on my mood, but I always talk to him) and I grind myself some coffee, very fine, almost a paste, it's so fine. I turn on my lovely NJ gas stove and put my ground beans and some raw sugar in the ibrik, and then fill it up to the collar with cold water(not hard to find in NJ!). Sometimes I crush a cardamom seed in as well.
Now my dance begins. When the coffee boils and bubbles to the top of the pot, I take the pot off of the fire at once, it calms, I repeat the journey of coffee coming past the collar, twice, thrice. We're ready! The smell of this strong brew is heady, intoxicating, really fetching and evocative of sensual intrigue. I kid you not.
Especially when I have well roasted Ethiopian beans, oh my.
I pour my darkly sweet brew into a rounded cup. I let it sit for a moment and the 'grinds' settle. I take my cup to the glass doors that open on my tiny back garden(here in NJ I have planted only evergreens so far, so that I will a green winter).
Kiddle will wake up soon, now. I'll be making breakfast, reminding kiddle of myriad mundane things to be done, "brush your teeth, where are your lab chem notes? wear a hat! bring your lunch bag home today. hug me or I'll chase you to the bus stop. call me if you're bringing more than 2 people home. brush-your-teeth." is usually how it goes. But right now, I'm still Rebecca, still the me who isn't Mommy of a thousand reminders, sister of a thousand smiles, Auntie of a thousand pocketfuls of surprises, nice girl who helps a thousand strangers.
I drink my dark coffee alone.
Standing at the doors of my tiny back garden, I feel solitary and peaceful.
The brew in my cup is aromatic, rich, highly caffeinated(long contact time of beans and water, you know) and delicious.
Finally, I take my grind filled cup over to a little plate I keep in the garden. I quickly turn my cup over onto the plate. 1-2-3, I count. I remove the cup. I look into the cup and stare into the patterns those fine grinds have made on the interior. I think about what they remind me of, what form they have taken. Sometimes I make up a story, like my father did for me when I was a child. Sometimes it is simply lovely imaginary things, like gazing at clouds. Sometimes I have a different kind of fun and make up fortunes, like the older women did with the grinds at family get togethers when I was younger.
So, that's it. Most people know me differently than this morning me, I'm known to be silly, light hearted(and -headed by some!), and giving. My friends think of me as soft hearted. Here on eGullet I'm a bit fluffy, I suppose, because I've only been here a short while and joined during a long convalescance, and few here know me in person. But this is me, almost every morning, and I think of Camus, Grass, Trillin, Joyce and Sartre, whoever I'm reading or rereading at the moment, as I drink a cup of coffee that is really a bit more to me than just that.
That said, I DO adore those Greek key patterned coffee cups, and I wonder if there is a common source for them? Wouldn't it be great fun if an artist produced a china cup in that form?
edited by me to add, just found out they're available in china at MOMA.
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I think that you have E.S.P. because that list is VERY similar to what I was about to post.
Braising and stock! This saves so much in time and money, and adds so much in taste to the table! I tihnk that class is the best idea I've ever seen for a basic class!
I think that adding biscuits in somewhere(perhaps the first night with the berries and cream?) will be a great addition.
I think I'd also add a basic rice dish somewhere(my sister just called me and reminded me of our neighbor who always messed up rice! Can you say crunchy?) and perhaps something with a cheese sauce, simply because it begins with a white sauce, and over the years I've found that there are MANY MANY things you can do with that classic base. You can discuss those many things while making a simple cheese sauce. Ah, well, I suppose there is the gratin. My kiddle won't eat that, so I never get to make it anymore<sigh>.
Plus, I can't say, as I'm a foodie and we DO eat a fair share of Caesar salad n the winter months, but perhaps a classic vinagrette base and some additions during class would be more useful as a basic?
And, as an aside, I've noticed that there isn't mention of, um, chocolate? Gee, won't there be women in your class???? I mean, it's such an IMPORTANT food basic.
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6 sessions, I think that you have a great idea in making a complete meal for each session. People NEED to learn the order to do things in, time management while making a meal is an overlooked skill that not having causes stress and failure for many home cooks. Plus, making a meal each session can cover quite a LOT of ground.
I would like to suggest the addition of teaching a simple bechamel/white sauce and what you can do with it, and also basic egg cookery, some people NEVER learn to make a decent omelette or scrambled egg, more's the pity because these are so quick, easy, delicious, versatile and inexpensive!
Of course, then there's also the amazing ease, low cost and wonderful quality of from scratch brownies, cakes and cookies, too.
I wish that I had learned how to braise earlier in my life.
And, I know it isn't really needed in YOUR class, but in my home a 30 minute pizza dough recipe is VERY important.
Wow, what you are doing is really important. I wonder if you realize what a real service you are doing by teaching people the basics of cookery. You are changing people's lives by giving them the tools to make their way in a kitchen. I know it may not seem like much, a 6 session ccourse, but it really is. I'm really impressed, and I think you're great for taking this kind of class on and really caring about the curriculum. Kudos to you.
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I've made a batch of steel cut oat cookie dough just now and I'm refrigerating it for a few hours to see. I use a bit of applesauce in the recipe, I'll let you all know how it turns out later.
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Biz'eh! Big with Syrian Jews, too. But I only remember salted ones. Licorice sounds better to me.
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Holy Oats, Oak Tree Road! I finally got to this area today, and it was worth the ride.
Took your advice, Rlibkind, and went to ChowPatty FIRST. I had a lot of blood taken today, so I was weak with hunger, yeah, that's my story, and I'm sticking with it!
I was going to order a mix of things, but then the guy behind the counter started talking with me... one thing led to another(I'm a very friendly girl!) and we decided that I should just go to the market side and have some freshly fried chili peppers! No, not just chili peppers, these are beautiful, mild dark geen chilis, about 6" long, dipped in a chick pea batter and then deep fried. Salty batter, but delicious! He was very happy to see me enjoy my chili peppers, well I like to make folks happy, so I also ate the stems. He laughed to see me doing that, I told him I always sneak them but they're just so good, all woody and smoky from the frying.
I then had some fried dough stuffed with a spicy mashed potato as well. There were only two on the tray, and I didn't want them to go to waste, you know.
On to the cookies. I know a young man in Florida who is learning disabled, and he loves food, so for his 29th birthday I'll be sending him a little package of Indian foods. I bought a pound or two of different cookies, and I tasted a few as well. Saffron cookies! Cardamom! Halvah filled cookies! All gorgeous, some covered in silver, but not really my favorites, I think that they could have been moister, but that's just me.
I also bought two large containers of differently spiced banana chips, one red chili and one black pepper. Both mild, but unique enough that my young friend will thrill at them, I think.
Then, I bought a little bag of candy coated fennel, for my long arduous walk around the neighborhood, and I went to a little market nearby. NOT Patel's, but the name escapes me. Full of Swad brand and Ashook, the usual suspects, but very nice produce and inexpensive!
I bought ten pounds of white onions for kiddle, gorgeous scallions, ripe and red local tomatoes, tiny tangerines, some different kinds of fresh beans, 3 packs of CrackJack crackers and a large jar of the only pickle they had with lotus root, a Punjabi pickle, by Swad. Salty and delicious!
Then I saw a pound of fresh packed butter for only 2.79! I plan on making oatmeal cookies tonight for kiddle, so I pounced. I smelled, so sweet! I bought. The girls at the front counter were also so sweet, they wanted to help me take my things to my car, and I had bought so little! I told them that they were as sweet as the butter, and they giggled. All in all, I had a great time. I looked in the store windows and walked around in the sun. Everyone I met was friendly and joyful. I was full of peppers, I had some sweets, and I have a great wonderful package to send my friend in Florida. I also drove by the Metuchen Inn, and I just may hit that place next week.
Thank you all for helping me find a small adventure in the Metuchen area!
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I dunno, I think without eggs it won't have the same unctuous texture of pots de creme. Why not make a dark chocolate pudding instead? That's what we had tonight, and I didn't use an egg. Here's my recipe:
2 cups of milk
1 cup of cream(today I used 1/2 & 1/2)
4 TBS cornstarch (I've heard that you can use flour, but I never have)
2/3 cup of raw sugar
pinch of salt
1tsp vanilla extract(or scrape a pod if you're lucky)
4 ounces of your favorite dark chocolate(I had some Mexican stuff today)
It's easy:
Break up the chocolate into small bits and set it aside. Make a little extra if you have company in the kitchen, they always take some and the dish needs 4 ounces!
Mix the dry ingredients in a double boiler over slow boiling water.
(I don't have a double boiler so I use a metal bowl over a pan of water.)
Slowly add the milk, cream and chocolate, stirring slowly all the while until everything has melded completely. I think this takes about 7 minutes. I say this because I know it is longer than 5 minutes, and I know it is less than 10, so watch your pot. I'm a very off the cuff cook though, and I haven't ruined this yet.
Now, here comes the scary part. You cover the mixture and continue to cook it for another 10 minutes or so, over the slowly boiling water.
Go in every minute or so and stir it into a smooth submission, and keep moving the pudding on the sides to the center of the pot, or bowl.
Don't let the pudding get to a boil. Lower the heat if you this coming. That's why I check it evey minute or so! I DID boil it once, but it was still edible. I just don't think you should take a chance, it is supposed to NOT boil, and we should attempt to be good and follow the rules.
Take the pudding off the stove, mix in the vanilla, and put the pudding into little dishes.
Refrigerate it(I always eat some at this step, myself) until it is chilled. Use small bowls! It's rich! I'm a good eater and I can't eat a lot of this, of course, it could be the after effects of my cleaning the pot....
tonight I ate mine with a piece of candied ginger and kiddle ate hers with a spoon.
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Go for it on the QT Daniel!! Call them rent parties if you need to.
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My camera's in the shop! I wonder, should I feed the scanner my potato pancakes?
Well, During channukah I will have guests take photos, and you all say that it is never too late to join, right? This year I've planned something UNUSUAL for one of the nights of Channukah, and it involves potato pancakes!I adore my kiddle and want to thrill her to no end by combining her favorite cuisine with potato pancakes... Stay tuned...
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One bowl brownies from the Baker's chocolate box. Well, I DO change it a bit, lessen the sugar, remove the butter, add apple sauce.... but, still, it's from the label! Kiddle loves that I make something from the label, she thinks it's so subversively 'normal'. Why is my kiddle so weird? Wait, don't answer that, I'm looking at her genuine home made tin foil hat, it just might give me the answer.