Kim Shook

Daniel - I am so thrilled for you all! I've been watching you all along and admiring your food and your principles so much. I've never forgotten the help you gave me when I first started posting here. I've sent an email to our mutual friend, Rachel, letting her know about this. If we ever get back to NYC, Mekeburg's will be our first meal. Best, BEST wishes to you!

Patrick – that caramel tart is truly gorgeous. The kind of dessert I would order first, just to make sure that I could finish it. excv – lovely brownies! Kay – love the look of your cake. Coconut cake is possibly my favorite dessert in the world. Darienne – I’m so glad that your cake worked out so well for you. Mr. Kim was thrilled that you liked it so much. He says that he likes the idea of walnuts and will try them next time. The bake sale was a great success. We sold out of most everything and sold everything that didn’t sell on Saturday the following day after church. The coolest thing was that the lady who bought the gingerbread cake last year came in the door first thing and asked if I’d made the cake again. When she found out I had, she plunked down $30 and said that she’d waited all year for that cake and so had her entire family. I gave her one of my cards and told her that I’d make her one any time!

Sartoric – have a wonderful trip. Hope you plan to chronicle it for us! Awhile back I made shredded beef in a crock pot for a test for Xmas Eve dinner. I’m planning on doing sandwiches (everything make-ahead) that people can build themselves, side dishes and my regular ‘goodies’. I wanted to see if I could make the beef ahead of time, freeze, thaw and heat and serve. I thawed it out the other night and it worked great. The beef tasted very good and the texture didn’t suffer at all. Served with salad and pickle-y stuff: Sandwiches: I dipped the cut side of the top of the bun in the jus. The buns were a little too tender. It was fine for us, but with people walking around holding a plate, I think that a firmer roll will work better. I’ll be experimenting with that.

Darienne – does this ring any bells? https://forums.egullet.org/topic/60659-your-daily-sweets-2005-2012/?p=1884593 You mentioned somewhere that you used cardamom when you made them. I didn’t use the cardamom, but added smoked almonds. excv – I’m always happy to share: http://www.recipecircus.com/recipes/Kimberlyn/COOKIES/Tahini_and_Almond_Cookies.html and if you ever decide to try the others, here’s the link for those: http://www.recipecircus.com/recipes/Kimberlyn/APPETIZERS/Bleu_Cheese_Shortbread_w_Fig_Preserves.html Last day of bake sale cooking before the Holiday Market tomorrow - Gingerbread Cake w/ Cranberry Filling and Orange Cream Cheese Icing: Selling as a whole cake. Mr. Kim made two apple cakes this year and maimed himself in the process. He cut his finger peeling apples so badly that it bled for an hour before I finally forced him to go to Patient First. It was really a slice off the end of this finger and too wide to stitch, so they just packed it . I finished up for him, but he’d done most of the prep by that time. I forgot to take a picture, so from last year: Just incredibly good. Moist and really rich. One of the ladies from church remembered it from last year and told me yesterday that she wanted to buy a whole cake! I cut the other cake to sell in slices. up to sell like that. Last year folks treated it like breakfast and it went early! I’ll try to remember to take a picture of a slice tomorrow.

Tri2Cook - they are really fantastic. I knew I wanted to try them as soon as I heard about them. I am a tahini fan and I love sesame in sweet stuff. Bake sale baking – Meringue “Cupcakes”: I was NOT happy with how the meringue dripped down the sides and made the outside of the cups all ookey: I checked and this didn’t happen last year. Peanut Butter Crispy Bars: (Last year’s picture)These are from “Baked” – a Rice cereal layer made with sugar, butter and corn syrup, a milk chocolate and PB layer and a dark chocolate, butter and corn syrup layer. They are heavenly.

I cannot imagine anyone who wouldn't jump for joy upon receiving that fruited cocoa cake. I've blessed your name repeatedly since you shared that recipe! I tend to give bags of all of the regular 'goodies' that I make for the holidays to folks who come by on Christmas Eve, but who we don't really exchange gifts with. Same thing for neighbors. Assorted cookies and candies mostly. I'm hoping to make Darienne's Enstrom's-style toffee again this year. It is amazing!

Shelby – I get the Sugar Babies at $ Tree. If you can’t get to one, please don’t bother ordering from Amazon. Just PM me your address and I’ll mail you a couple of boxes. There are a few tricks to making these cookies because of the properties of the candies, so let me know if you actually are going to make them and I’ll pass on my hints! Three pans of cinnamon rolls . Wow – I wouldn’t have been able to control myself long enough to take the picture, much less freezing two! More bake sale baking – Bleu cheese shortbread with fig preserves – baked bottoms and tops: Filled cookies: Tahini & Almond cookies: Darienne – do you remember these cookies? They are from David Lebovitz’s blog. You made them at some point and I was fascinated with the idea of them. I made mine with those ‘smokehouse’ almonds. The original recipe calls for just using the almonds ground, but I added chopped almonds and this time I added one whole almond on top. They are truly unusual and delicious cookies. I think Jessica ate a half dozen before I could get them in the bag for the freezer!

Thank you everyone! Lots of ideas brewing now. Also - this stuff is just roasted peanuts. I'm thinking a spoon is one option!

Kay – that rouladen looks incredible. I love how browned you got the bacon! That entire meal sounds wonderful. And I LOVE crowder peas. No one in my house will eat them, so I don’t think to make them! Shelby – that is so funny about the Sloppy Joe sauce because that is exactly what I do (fix up Manwich to my taste) and for exactly the same reason. Nice looking corn. Is that some that you froze yourself? Or are you still getting decent corn? Simple, but extremely satisfying dinner a couple of nights ago – started with the usual salad: Made nice with crumbled feta. Lamb chops, rice and garlic bread: Seems a bit dull, but it was delicious and exactly what I wanted. I’ve been craving rice for a couple of weeks. And I found the chops on sale - 5 of them for $6. I have a freezer full of things we need to eat soon, but I couldn't pass that up!

Just bought a bag of this stuff and I'm wondering if anyone has any good ideas of ways to use it. They suggest smoothies, which sounds good, but I was thinking it might be a good way of getting extra PB flavor into baked goods. Since it's dry, would I need to hold back on flour?

Shelby – Seriously???? I’ve used those crusts, but NEVER had them turn out so fluffy and flaky! Ann – I love the look and sound of that apple cake. If I weren’t baking a billion other things this week, I’d be making this. My MIL is doing Thanksgiving this year and if she will ever tell me what she wants me to bring, maybe I’ll do this! Bake sale baking –Chocolate cupcakes with mini chips: Two dozen. Ginger Chewies w/ Sugar Babies: Five dozen. These are the weirdest cookies. Always delicious, but flat as a pancake. Sigh. Amy’s Super Cookies: Five dozen. Lovely cookies – ground up oats, PB, chopped chocolate AND chocolate chips. Don’t know why I haven’t made them in years!

rotuts – This is the beef that I use:http://http://grocery.harristeeter.com/pd/Esskay/Chipped-Beef-Air-Dried/3-oz/027300100155/ It is very salty, so I don’t use any additional salt. Just sizzle it in a couple of tablespoons of butter, add a couple tablespoons of flour and cook a little more. I add 1 1/2 cups of whole milk (1/2 cup more than recommended), cook down to the right consistency, add a little Worcestershire and a LOT of pepper. Shelby – I love sloppy joes. Yours looks great – how do you make it? Baked all day yesterday, so - breakfast for dinner: Perfect meal for a baking day!

rotuts – you asked ages ago about time and temp for roasting meatballs. I’m sorry I’m so late in responding. I just place them on a baking sheet and put them in for 20-25 minutes at 400. Just test one to make sure they are done – you want them JUST done because they can get tough if overdone. liamsaunt – that chicken stew is gorgeous. How thick do you make it? Paul – mussel broth ramen sounds totally weird and completely delicious! Arey – that Carbonade Flammande is utterly beautiful. That sauce is so dark and glossy and rich looking. And I completely agree with you about the overnight hold! Life is crazy just now and we are JUST getting to the ultimate crazy season! I did this salad for my niece’s wedding shower: It is my version of Paula Deen’s “Chinese Salad”. Napa cabbage with a rice vinegar-based dressing topped with toasted almonds, sesame seeds and ramen noodles. Very popular. A couple of weekends ago, I finally got Mr. Kim to give smoking ribs a try. He did great: Served with cornbread, slaw, creamed corn and baked beans: Fabulous. And creamed corn is the only way to go with the corn we are getting now. It is as tough as feed corn! We sat outside with neighbors on Halloween and gave out candy. I made Buffalo Chicken Dip. That stuff is addicting. Last night was a repeat of another recent meal - creamed chipped beef and scrambled eggs: Served with green beans and apples: Around here November is the official odd meal month. I’m working down the freezers in preparation for Christmas goodies! My pitiful lonely dinner tonight: No beans and no buns in the house, so naked dogs and some crunchy stuff.

Patrick – that is one gorgeous and delicious sounding cake! Welcome back – I love seeing old timers coming back! Shelby – that crust on your pie looks perfect! Care to share your recipe? My baking marathon for our church Holiday Market begins tomorrow. Today’s shopping: I’m making: Chocolate cupcakes w/ mini chocolate chip topping Peanut Butter Krispy Bars Meringue “Cupcakes” Gingerbread Cake w/ Cranberry Filling and Orange Cream Cheese Icing Bleu cheese shortbread w/ fig preserves Mike’s apple cake Ginger chewies with Sugar Babies Amy’s Super Cookies (they have a little of everything in them)

I'm really loving this show. I like Phil a lot. He reminds me of a dear friend who is very enthusiastic about food and experiences and the people he meets. I wish I could be more like that. Plus - travel and food eye candy is fun!

rotuts – yes, I roasted the meatballs. I have no patience with trying to evenly brown round meatballs in a frying pan! Shelby – thanks! I’m sure you are right about people not even tasting the difference. I probably should have just kept my mouth shut and shared! Elise – how lovely to ‘see’ you and your wonderful food! dcarch – wonderful to see your gorgeous meals again! I’ve been missing them. Elaina – that meal sounded fantastic – the food AND the company. That is a party I’d love to have joined. A couple of recent meals - veal loin chops with a mustard-cream-sage sauce: Mr. Kim liked it a lot, but I found the sage to be a little overwhelming. And then breakfast for dinner: Our sweet neighbors went to NYC and brought us some BAGELS! So much better than what we get here!

Thank you both! I'm adding those suggestions to my recipe for next time. And, Mjx, I do measure by weight - so that was ok.

Shelby – Happy Belated Birthday!!! Your Boston Cream Pie looks delicious! Instead of all that greasing and flouring, you should try just spraying the pan with Pam and lining the bottom with parchment paper. I haven’t done the grease and flour thing for years and I haven’t had a cake stick since I started using parchment paper. Works great for cookies, too. I bake a LOT, but I’ve never tried a Boston Cream Pie before. Believe it or not, I’ve never done a pumpkin pie, either and that is exactly what my church lady (see below) has requested for her next dessert. I’m feeling a bit like this: Ann – what an absolutely gorgeous pie! And lots of delicious, crispy edges that way! I donated 6 desserts to a fundraiser auction at church. This was the winner’s third request: Coconut cream pie. Last Sunday for coffee after church – chocolate cupcakes: And Chufi’s Gouda biscuits: Folks who have been here a long time will remember Chufi. Another missing veteran! These biscuits are wonderful. Like a combination of a cheese straw and a biscuit. They are made with aged Gouda.

I tried to make a pie crust last week. It was the CI Vodka crust that I’ve made in the past with no problems. It has been some time, though. Here’s the recipe: http://www.recipecircus.com/recipes/Kimberlyn/PASTRIES/CIs_Vodka_Pie_Crust.html I made it EXACTLY as instructed and ended up with a gooey mess – even after refrigerating for a couple of hours. I’ve read reviews online that talk about how wet it is and that they sometimes have to press it into the pan instead of truly rolling it out. Mine seemed even wetter than that. After mixing in the water and vodka there was SO much liquid in the bottom of the bowl that I resorted to working it in with my hands. So my question here is: even though there is nothing that says that you may not need all of the liquid amounts, should I have stirred half in and then proceeded to add more a trickle at a time?

Others have answered about cutting just above the bottom layer of kernels. As far as heat goes, I use those dishwashing gloves to handle them. You can get a good grip. Also - I've found that you need to wiggle the ear back and forth a bit. Kind of waving it in the air cut side down.

Let me just say it: I adore Sandra Lee. I find her particular brand of craziness hilarious. To me, she’s like a low-rent Martha – finding nothing odd about doing over-the-top preparations. Except where Martha would have us sourcing crazy expensive ingredients for our ‘authentic’ chili, Sandy says it’s fine to use Hormel as long as the table is decorated within an inch of its life. I loved her old show and wish that Food Network would put it back in rotation. I loved howling with laughter and shouting at the tv when her inanities got to be too much for me. I sometimes buy her magazine to get some craziness and the epitome of crazy Sandy-ness is the Fall/Halloween issue, which is out now. I admit that I sometimes find a recipe or presentation that I actually like or that I can use as a starting point. What I want to draw your attention to, though, is this cake in the Halloween issue: http://ideas.evite.com/food-and-drinks/sandra-lee-fudge-glazed-icebox-cake/ Please note the beads of moisture all over the sides of the cake. Can you imagine any professional baker or food stylist putting a cake that looks like that out there? I know how it happened. I’ve had it happen to me when I’ve frozen an iced cake and thawed it. It is extremely frustrating, but I wouldn’t have taken it to my clients like that!

I made venison meatballs last night with a some welcome help from Shelby: They were half ground meat and half sausage meat. I used a Food Network recipe for “Italian-American Meatballs” and they were delicious. The sausage really stood out. Served on top of spaghetti with a salad and cheese rolls: We have tons of meatballs, so I was trying to give some away. It is crazy how difficult it is to find someone who will eat venison. My mother will flat out refuse to eat any hunted meat. I tell her that I feel a lot kinder eating hunted meat than grocery store meat. Sigh.

Okanagancook – those ribs are gorgeous. What a perfect crust you got on them. Shelby – ok – time for tacos! And your fish dinner looks scrumptious! Even the potato salad and I’m not a big fan of it. Looks like it has LOTS of egg, which I DO like. Care to share the recipe? And, BTW, your hot dog bun is a work of art! I’m very impressed! Thanks for the Crepes – great minds think alike! Yesterday I got some GOOD Gruyere and am going to make a cheese sauce like you described to go with the rest of the filled crepes. And, yes, those are chives in the crepe batter. I use an Alton Brown recipe for them and he recommends that. I screwed up, though. I meant to leave a little of the batter plain so we could have what we call “English pancakes” for dessert (my stepfamily is English). I forgot and I don’t think the chives will go with sugar and lemon juice! huiray – your pasta dish looks and sounds incredibly good. I haven’t eaten yet today and I would truly dig into that! Last night was breakfast for dinner. Fruit: Mr. Kim’s egg and Benton bacon ( )sandwich: I opted for egg on toast with my bacon on the side:

rotuts – thank you! Mr. Kim wondered why mine is so much darker than his mom’s always was. I’m guessing that she made a simple white sauce and I do a medium roux and that she didn’t use Worcestershire sauce! Kay – re: your coq au vin – I checked my two go-to recipes (one by way of my Persian cousin-in-law and the other Michael Ruhlman’s weeknight version and neither of them call for a long marinate in the sauce, so I can’t imagine what the problem was for you. Sorry I’m no help. Thanks for the Crepes – I use a bag of chipped beef that comes in the refrigerated section – Esskay brand. Thanks for the Crepes inspired me to do crepes tonight. I found a recipe online for Chicken Cordon Bleu crepes with hollandaise. Crepes: Used the Alton Brown recipe. I was very pleased with how these turned out. Filled, but not yet rolled: Chicken, ham and Swiss cheese. Rolled in a baking dish: Salad: Still using up the cranberry vinaigrette. Plated crepes with hollandaise and green beans: How were they? Meh. Not terrible. Just bland and boring. So, how did I screw up? Let me count the ways: 1. Used supermarket Swiss instead of Gruyere. 2. No sauce INSIDE the crepes – they were D R Y! 3. Used thin-sliced deli ham instead of chunks. 4. No seasoning in the filling at ALL (WTF was I thinking?). 5. Used packaged hollandaise (so ashamed) . Really ‘rookie’ mistakes. I certainly should have seen #1 and 2 coming. Actually, I used to like that hollandaise mix, but haven’t had it in forever. If I corrected all of these things, would they be good? Probably. The bad thing is, I have NINE of these suckers left . So we are blaming this: on that boring dinner.

Carr's Ginger Lemon Cremes. They are so expensive that I rarely buy them. Someone brought them to church last Sunday for coffee hour and I nearly embarrassed myself!