Alinka

Gingered shortbread with some modifications:

Chufi So I had "drinking food" for breakfast? Shoulda at least made a mimosa or bloody Mary to go with it spaghetttti I'm off to research "scrapple". Will be back later to report .

Percy, Megan - thanks, guys! Percy, I looked up the name of the fish in the dictionary; it said mackerel I see, that panini press gets as much work out as mine . little ms foodie Wendy, I'm jealous! Just today I was talking to someone that, ironically, I've been to Paris, Tokyo, New York, Rome, Montreal, etc. but never to St. Petersburg. Tell us about the food from the trip when you get back (take lots of pictures for us ).

Also made these orange almond biscotti from Baking Illustrated. Dipped in milk chocolate...

So, not only did I have a Russian breakfast, my lunch also came from the Russian store: This is smoked mackerel. At home, we always ate it with boiled potatoes. But now I had something better: roasted potatoes.

I was in the neighborhood yesterday, so I dropped by the Russian store. Standing there staring at the goodies I used to think I could not live without, I saw in the deli section something that I had not seen, much less eaten, for years. Livernaya kolbasa. Cheap "sausage" stuff that we used to buy sometimes when particularly pressed for money. So I bought a quarter of a pound, just to remember the taste. Had it for breakfast on whole grain bread (black rye would have probably been better): I started wondering what they make it from after all, since it never tastes like liver, despite the name. Did a quick search online - pig jowl (?), tripe, liver, bood, fat, and other stuff that I didn't understand even in Russian much less knowing their names in English. Anyway. I had a good, nostalgic breakfast .

Manual? You mean it came with a manual? I'm too arrogant to think I even need a manual. ←

legourmet Wow. Nothing to tell, really. Just cooked it in a skilled (could not start the grill). Salt, pepper, store-bought sauce. The sides were sugar peas, red bell pepper, and roasted potatoes. You're welcome for the tips! Just play with your camera using the manual, and you'll be surprised how much you can sqeeze out of it.

I meant, mine is just meatloaf, not fancy like yours . I've mashed a carrot into the potatoes for the fun specks of color. Yeah, that's what happens to you once you get into this forum: you start looking at food on your plate not just thinking "how does it taste?" but also "how will it look on photo?" Thanks you! I have Canon PowerShot G5. Nothing too fancy. I use the Av setting with the shallowest depth of field it would allow; I also selected the "vivid" setting. As to the lighting, I take most of my pictures on the kitchen counter next to the window. Daylight makes a great difference. Unfortunately, catching daylight is not always possible, especially in winter. This is why here's what my steak supper looks like (also photographed on the kitchen counter): This is my first time to cook steak, so please be kind . Edited to add: I never, ever do flash photography to my food .

Great choice of thread for the first post! Welcome . What a fun idea to decorate the soup with candy corn. And you made meatloaf and mashed potatoes look fancy! Speaking of which...

Adrienne, your pizza looks delicious! I can almost taste it, with plenty of stetchy, yummy mozzarella, and crunchy, yeasty crust. Just like I like it . Great start!

Lorna, girl, where were you before?

Breakfast was this coffee cake. I should have listened to the reviews: there was too much streusel, and the cake fell apart when being cut. But I was extremely happy with the taste .

Well, it was just an experiment, and I did not plan on elegant plating . Fortunately, my friend was game and patiently suffered through my sticking the lense into his bowl . Dinner was... Well, the sign on the bowl pretty much says it - Although, it should also say shrimp, pancetta, cream, tomatoes, basil, parmesan, and lots of red pepper flakes!

The souffle did. The cream simply melted . Thanks, Megan!

Finally, finally, finally I got around to making a souffle. The task is particularly difficult because I have never tasted one before, so I have no idea if it was right. My friend, however, and I liked it regardless . Very chocolaty. So here's what it looked like coming out of the oven: My bite: He opted for whipped cream: Before I could put the dollop of whipped cream on top, it kind of collapsed. That doesn't seem right .

Jason! Mmmm! Your "bolognese" looks so good, rich and just... tasty . Yes, it happens to be my own recipe, so I am sharing it, there you go! Only I wouldn't really call it "my" recipe since I just cooked it this once, and happend to write the proportions down because I was calculating the calories . But it should serve your purpose as a cure nicely . Megan, thank you!

Onion Soup Serves 4. I made this soup last night, when I had a craving for something warm, rich and comforting in this cold weather. It is not a traditional French recipe, but my version of it using what I had on hand. In the end, I was quite satisfied with its richness, warmth and comfort! 2 tablespoons butter 2 pounds onions, sliced (I had 1 red onion and 1 huge sweet yellow onion) 1 tablespoon flour (I used whole wheat) 1 ounce dry red wine 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard 1 teaspoon dry parsley 1/2 teaspoon thyme 2 cups chicken broth 3 cups beef broth 4 slices cheese (traditionally Swiss is used, but I prefer the stronger taste of sharp cheddar) Croutons (I used 4 slices of whole grain bread, cut into small pieces and toasted) or toasted bread I used organic packaged broth, but homemade will also work. The broth should be really good, because its flavor here is very important. The amount can be adjusted depending on the thickness preferred. Melt butter in Dutch oven, add onions, cover and cook until soft, stirring occasionally (about 20-25 minutes). Open lid and saute uncovered until deep brown. Stir in flour. Add wine, mustard, parsley, thyme, and broth. Season with salt and freshly ground pepper to taste. Bring to boil, cover and simmer for about 10 minutes. Divide soup between 4 bowls. Top with croutons or bread slices, then cheese. Broil until cheese begins to brown. Keywords: Soup, Easy, Lunch, Dinner ( RG1523 )

Last night I just HAD to have onion soup... Got home tired and cold. Did not feel much like cooking, but still wanted something warm and comforting. Simple (although not necessarily quick ) onion soup with sweet and red onions, red wine, Dijon mustard, butter, home made croutons and stretchy cheese - this yummy, flavorful, dark concoction, - was just what I needed .

That I can, here . The only problem is, I cannot remember how much whipping cream I added to the caramel; I just kept pouring it from the carton untill the sauce looked good. Also, next time I'll use 3 packages of cream cheese and 3 eggs as I like taller cakes.

Caramel Hazelnut Cheesecake Serves 8 as Dessert. Crust 1 1/2 cups hazelnuts, toasted 1/4 cup sugar 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter, melted Filling 2 8-oz packages cream cheese, softened 2/3 cups sugar 2 eggs 1/8 teaspoons salt grated zest of one small orange grated zest of one small lemon juice of 1/2 small lemon 1 tablespoon vanilla Caramel 1/2 can Dulce de leche (found in the ethnic section of supermarket or in Latin grocery stores; the can looks like condensed milk) whipping cream (appx. 1/3 cup) Hazelnuts for decoration For crust: Blend hazelnuts and sugar in food processor until finely ground. Add melted butter, blend. Press crust mixture onto bottom of 8-inch diameter springform pan. For filling: Preheat oven to 350F. Beat cream cheese and sugar until fluffy. Add eggs; mix until blended. Blend in remaining ingredients. Pour onto crust. Bake 40 minutes (until the center is almost set). Do not overbake: edges will be slightly puffed, but the center will still look moist. The cheesecake will continue firming up when cooling. Cool cheesecake in pan completely (better to refrigerate for several hours). For caramel sauce: melt dulce de leche and about 1/4 cup cream in small pan. The sauce should be pourable consistency. It it’s too thick, add more cream. Spoon sauce evenly on top of cheesecake. Cover and refrigerate until topping sets (at least 2 hours, preferably overnight). Release pan sides from cheesecake; arrange additional hazelnuts on top decoratively. Keywords: Dessert, Cake ( RG1508 )

Thanks .

I did not cook the Thanksgiving meal this year as we were invited to our fiends' house. I did, however, provide desserts. Can I, can I at least post them here since I don't have a gorgeous turkey to show? The crowd was an international one, with only one American present, so I decided no one's expectations will be deceived if I do not deliver the traditional pumpkin or pecan pie. I did, however, want to keep at least some resemblance of my desserts with pies, so I made tarts . Ginger cream tart with raspberries Tiramisu tart from The Pie Bible Hazelnut caramel cheesecake

Hallelujah, this was the first time in years since I was not the one to cook turkey, hence no leftovers. Last night's dinner was at a friend's who is a gourmet cook. And I thought MY turkey was good... . Breakfast today consisted of a cup of coffee and a chocolate cookie. And I'm getting ready to eat lunch. Sushi .

CanadianBakin', thanks!