Kim Shook

I'm sorry, c oliver, I just noticed your question. I did serve it room temperature. I made it the night before - it was a breakfast tailgate - and heated slightly that morning and carried it in a insulated dish. Worked perfectly.

I have no idea. Mr. Kim buys them and (at my request) hides them from me. I'll know tomorrow night when he gets them out. I'll still eat WAY too much candy, but at least we won't end up having to go out Halloween afternoon and replenish what I've demolished (this has actually happened) .

Shelby – I love the clam chowder. I am so impressed with what you manage out there in the middle of the country!!! Prawn – your Canelé are gorgeous. What a lovely shiny crust and perfect texture inside. I am deeply impressed! Paula – your soup looks and sounds delicious! mm – sardines in grape leaves is a genius idea! Paul – I’d love to make scallops like that. How did that work – getting the breading to stick to just the top? I finally cooked! My BIL was in town from Arizona and he and my MIL and Jessica came for dinner. Herb roasted pork tenderloin with fig jam and sherry vinegar sauce. Without the sauce: With: This was incredibly simple and so good. The tenderloin is roasted in the oven and the sauce made in the same pan. The recipe called for 1 cup each of jam and water – but that was a little too watery for me, so I doubled the amount of jam. I used sherry vinegar and it was the perfect pairing – it cut the sweetness slightly. Haricot vert – steamed and sautéed: Caramelized pancetta and fennel salad: I also had slow cooker polenta with Parmesan cheese and a local sourdough bread. Dessert was Ginger Mascarpone Icebox Cake w/ sautéed pears: Well, I cooked last night, but met family in Fredericksburg VA for a late lunch today, so I’m sitting here at 9pm eating a fried bologna sandwich (no picture!!!). I have no idea if Mr. Kim ate – he’s sound asleep in front of the football game already!

We had company over for dinner last night. Dessert was Ginger Mascarpone Icebox Cake w/ sautéed pears: This is so easy and make ahead. I’ve done this for years and everyone always is impressed. Creamy and rich and spicy with ginger and gingersnap layers.

Welcome, Jenny! Like Smithy, I'd love to hear about the differences between TX and Australia!

Welcome, orangeblossomom! I think you'll find that we are all over the place as far as experience and interest. And I've found, to my delight, that all I have to do is confess ignorance and ask for help and people just pitch in. A VERY nice thing.

Welcome! Looking forward to your involvement!

Welcome, jpebbs! I want to know what PDX is, too.

I'm an idiot. I linked to the wrong recipe! The actual recipe is this one: http://www.recipecircus.com/recipes/Kimberlyn/CAKESandPIES/Gingerbread_Cake_w_Cranberry_Filling.html . I will do as suggested and weigh after measuring and add that to the recipe. I HATE it when weight isn't given. As much as I hate when a recipe calls for 'one medium onion'. What the heck is that? Thank you all for your help!

Thank you for responding!! The recipe is for meringue 'cupcakes'. It is a recipe I've actually made before, but not for a long time. Here's a link: http://www.recipecircus.com/recipes/Kimberlyn/GlutenFree/Pink_Meringue_Cupcakes.html . Maybe I should just measure and sift and not worry about weight this one time!

If a recipe calls for "4 1/2 cups of confectioner's sugar, sieved", do I weigh it before or after sieving? All recipes says that it weighs 3.6 oz. sifted and 4.4 oz. unsifted. I am confused. Thank you!!!

Red taster here, too. I didn't know it was so common.

Looking forward to your posts, Cate! Do you ever go back to Ireland?

Welcome! As an utter Anglophile, I'm always thrilled to see a new member from the UK! Can't wait to see your contributions!

Shelby – happy belated birthday. What a feast! Worth washing dishes for (though, doesn’t someone else eat at your house who could have washed dishes on your birthday? ). BeeZee – get well soon! Love having chili in the freezer when I have a cold! Mr. Kim decided to make dinner tonight. He was planning on smoking some ribs and a turkey breast, but it was supposed to rain all day, so he did some recipe searching on the internet instead. He came up with recipes for chicken salad and bean & bacon soup. Both were delicious! The soup: Autumn chicken salad with apples and almonds: Made into sandwiches with arugula and aged Provolone: And some pickly stuff:

Shelby – yep! I cannot eat chili without cornbread. Or else saltines . Your smoked turkey breast sandwiches have been calling my name since you had them. Mr. Kim is trying smoked ribs for the first time on Saturday and I think I’ve convinced him to put a turkey breast on the lower rack! Ann – gorgeous steak. And Mr. Kim would keel over at that mushroom sauce! I would do the keeling over at those lovely livers . Sigh. Tonight was pirogues and Gypsy bacon purchased from a Eastern European market near us, green beans from the Sanitary Café in Reidsville, NC (I love them and stock my freezer when I visit) and yellow squash: I’ve never seen bacon that looked like this:

Thank you so much for the sweet comments! I am feeling much better these past few days – I even started on a project that I suspended almost 2 years ago when all my issues started! I painted a second coat on an outside door and cleaned two more that I plan to paint tomorrow if the weather cooperates! I am also planning to concentrate on cooking a lot more than I have been. I would love to meet you in real life – I’ve met a few eG folks and without exception they have been wonderful people and are still friends. If you ever get up to the Richmond area, please let me know!

Welcome! Can't wait to see your contributions.

Thanks to everyone for the nice comments on my beef Burgundy. Here’s a link to the recipe for those who asked: http://www.recipecircus.com/recipes/Kimberlyn/SOUPSandSTEWS/Modern_Beef_Burgundy.html rotuts – see the link above. It was a TV recipe (America’s Test Kitchen), not one of the magazines or books. I can’t for the life of me remember which Burgundy I used. I know it was inexpensive – maybe Woodbridge? Shelby – love the combination of potato soup and toasted cheese sandwiches. You are the only person other than my family who I’ve seen make toasted cheese sandwiches in years. Everyone seems to only make grilled. I love both, but sometimes toasted works best! Basquecook – that is certainly some gorgeous fried chicken! I love fried chicken and contend that the ‘recipe’ (ingredients) are less important than the method (brining, soaking, coating). Do you agree? Ann – gorgeous pizzas! My favorite is a Margherita – always the true test of a pizza joint. And your peel is, as always, a work of art. Mr. Kim made chili for the UVA tailgate on Saturday and we’ve been eating it ever since:

Coderebellion – thank you! This particular thread induces cravings in me every time I read it! Glad to contribute. I made two poundcakes for coffee at church – Toasted Coconut: And pumpkin topped with candied pecans:

Hey, Crepes! Welcome! Glad you finally decided to de-cloak! It took me forever, too. I spent every summer of my childhood in Reidsville NC, so I'm always glad to see someone from Carolina. Looking forward to your posts.

Welcome! You've certainly found the right place if you want to hang with other bakers and chocolate makers! Glad to have you here!

I’ve been out of commission again. Was in NC on a trip for a while and came home with pneumonia. I’ve been looking at this thread and ‘liking’ lots, but not posting. I credit you all with restoring my appetite! Finally starting to cook again! Last night’s dinner was a test for possible Christmas Eve meal – America’s Test Kitchen’s Modern Beef Burgundy: It was absolutely delicious and extremely easy to do. The sauce is deep and rich tasting and everything you want in Beef Burgundy.

I'm with Shelby. They make my teeth ache when I've used them at other people's houses. I have one that lives in front of my toaster oven for putting hot pans on. It has cupcakes all over it (of course). I think I paid $3 for it at The Christmas Tree Store.

I don't know if this counts, but I was disinterring a roasting pan (never used - I usually buy a disposable one at $Tree) from my tip of an attic and discovered a brand new, never opened, programmable, computerized, 6 qt. Crock Pot. I have NO memory of buying or receiving this. Time to clean out that attic.