Kim Shook

doctortim - I love that pizza. That's what pizza should look like in my book! Pierogi - now I want fish tacos for dinner!! scubadoo97 - wierd how things happen. I had never heard of sefaas/lahme bi ajeen before and then you post them and my daughter's brings home leftover ones from a new restaurant visit the other night. They were really good and pungent!!! suzilightning - that bread looks wonderful! I want some toast w/ my fish tacos, ok? Last night we had my MIL over for dinner - it was supposed to be someone else who bailed on us, and she came instead. She's a joy to cook for because she loves everything on the planet and I always do my exotic stuff for her, but the planned meal was for tamer palates. It was a good dinner, just not very exciting: Slow cooker pork roast with dried fruits. Those aren't carrot slices in the back, they are apricots. The dish was made with apricots, onions, prunes, cinnamon, cloves, bay leaves and Dr. Pepper. It was a....ah....um....er...Sandra Lee recipe . I know, I know, me too!! I watch her to laugh and she made this one day and it sounded good....and it was!! Anyway, I also served Tony B. gratin dauphinois (I love the evilness of sandy and tony on the same plate ), our very favorite braised red cabbage and 'German style green beans' (an erzatz recipe given to me 25 years ago that we just love). I also served some lovely Billy Bread (recognized by everyone in the RichmondVA area): and gingerbread cake with lemon frosting: Leftovers tonight! Kim

Renka - gorgeous goodies, as always! I made this for dessert last night: It was a gingerbread layer cake with lemon frosting. I thought my top was pretty. I was inspired by Ling to do the 'nekkid' sides thing - plus, I ran out of frosting ! And I got lazy and used canned frosting because it was a weeknight - I won't make that mistake again. I honestly don't mind the flavor of some of them (and I love the texture - wish I could get that texture in a buttercream), but the lemon was awful - bitter and fake tasting. Duh, what did I really expect. But the cake itself was very good - I had some good spices and the flavors really came through and the moistness was perfect. Kim

I am the wrong egulleteer to ask about this one ! Unless that is a really bad picture that is exactly how I dream that my toasted things will come and never, ever do. I like really, really toasted things - too many restaurants bring me something that resembles stale bread - stiff and tan, but not what I call toast . Seriously, if you liked the place otherwise, what I would do is just remember it and order it 'lightly toasted' next time. She can't have helped seeing what it looked like when she put it in the box, so she might be like me - a 'dark toaster' (that sounds like a Seinfeld-ism ). Kim

I am just the opposite of eje - if forced to choose, I would always choose to go without a dishwasher if I could have my garbage disposal. Kim

We don't mind double dipping. But we only do it at home and when we aren't entertaining people who mind. Kim

I love the basset nose peeking into the ice container . Our pug patrols the kitchen diligently and he is in the edge of every picture we take. We say that he is always saying, "I could eat". Kim

plafield - that is gorgeous puff pastry. Puff pastry is on my 'to try' list because I don't really like the Pep. Farm kind and haven't been able to find any of the others in my area. Nice job! meredithla - OMG! That brownie is just out of this world! And I have to agree with Rob - what a picture! Brigid Mary - those cupcakes gave me a lot of trouble this time. I made them like I usually do and when I went to fill them, they were awful. Hard, chewy texture. I was up against it, and ended up using a cake mix (which I don't really mind - except for the extra work). They are just yellow cupcakes filled with the jelly of your choice and frosted with a peanut butter buttercream. Here is the recipe: clickity! CanadianBakin' - Here is a link to the cupcake stand: clickity! It is really nice - it assembles really easily and disassembles for cleaning and kind of disappears when the cupcakes are on it. Not too expensive, either! Kim

Kim - can I nose around ALL of the recipes on your page? I opened the appetizer index, saw good sounding recipes, but I felt like I should ask before looking farther. I'm starting to plan the super bowl party for next weekend! edited because I repeated repeated myself ← Nancy - I'd be honored. I keep all of those online for my own benefit, but also for anyone who would like to use it. It isn't private at all! For one of our Super Bowl parties, I did the Buffalo Chicken Dip Wontons and people just stood and ate them until they were gone - amazing things! Kim

Wonderful!! Fabby blogging. I will absolutely savor this week! I once knew two bassets named Morley and Edna Mae. I think that bassets deserve formal and almost stuffy names. This is definitely a blog I will be checking every few minutes! Kim

DesertCulinary - that is a beautiful cake! I love the layers! Tri2Cook - gorgeous dessert. Caramel and chocolate is probably my favorite combination and I would love that! Jmahl - what was the texture like on the cookies? How much did you cut the butter and sugar by? Yesterday was the party for my daughter's 24th birthday (today is the actual day) and she requested Peanut Butter & Jelly Cupcakes: Kim

Well, this has 1 stick of butter, 1 c. PB, 8 oz. cream cheese and 1 T. milk to 4 c. 10X - that seems like plenty of sugar to me. Will the sugar really help 'preserve' it? Or am I grasping at straws here, because I really want to make this stuff and frost the cupcakes tonight ?? Kim

And while we're at it...why is sammie awful and sarnie ok? I hate 'em both, but not everybody does - so what makes the difference? Kim

No additional sugar? It has always been my understanding that it is the sugar in the buttercream that allows it to be room-temperature-stable for days on end, though I guess the egg whites get pasteurized in the process, so maybe this isn't the case. ← Sorry, I was unclear. What I should have said was that the ingredients included those things. The frosting also has 10X in it. So I need to make it tomorrow morning, huh? Crap. Oh, not you guys! Thank you a lot - I really didn't want to make anyone sick, I was just trying to cut a corner. I am the ultimate make ahead girl. I don't ever want to do anything last minute. Kim

But if, as bleudauvergne notes in her above comment, gastro in French is short for gastroenteritis - then just what in hell is a gastronaut !? Kim

I have a similar question and I'll post it here first to see if I get any answers. I am making a frosting with butter, peanut butter, cream cheese and 1 T milk. Can I make this tonight, leave it out in a cool kitchen and then use it tomorrow afternoon without poisoning my guests? Or should I just play it safe and make it tomorrow morning? Ta, Kim

Nancy - if you want to serve cold fried chicken, here is a good recipe and some tips. I did a huge fried chicken dinner for July 4th one year and I found a recipe specifically for cold fried chicken and did it in a turkey fryer. Worked great and no last minute mess! Kim

I do this, too. I don't really mind foodie, but I hate food enthusiast. I'd rather be an -ie than an -ist, I guess ! Besides, it reminds me of this odd, emaciated looking guy who shops at the store and calls himself a raw foodist <shiver>. Kim

Randi - we love ramen salad. We gourmet it all up and use Napa cabbage , but our favorite part is the crunchy ramen noodles. I actually like the looks of that eclair cake - could you give us basic amounts (scaled down for home use )? And what an awesome slicing job. Perfect cuts! Kim

Rachel and I are on the same wavelength - I was going to suggest Frogmore Stew and slaw ! Something that has worked well for me in the past for brunches is to do a "french toast station". You just set up a few fondue pots, with bread cubes, a bowl of eggs and cream and all the toppings. People just do their own. Everyone loves this for some reason! And I love serving quiche for breakfast, because it doesn't have to be piping hot. Kim

Nancy - welcome, welcome, welcome! I did the same as you - lurked for years until I felt like I knew these folks and finally got up the courage to dive in! When is this shindig? Time of year is important. (And don't tell me next week, because I will faint ). Mark's ideas sound good to me, too! Kim

Toast, with butter. I am trying to concentrate on protein for b'fast, so I don't have it a lot, but it sure is good when I do! Kim

Ann T - thanks! It was good. Bruce - thanks for pointing me in the right direction - I'll be trying that before the weather changes! That salad is one of the simplest things I've ever done and very good - the fennel is raw - you just toss fennel, pears, salt, pepper, bleu cheese, champagne vinegar and EVOO together. I let it sit a few minutes and then topped with additional bleu cheese. So easy! Graphix - that is one beautiful beef stew! Exactly what I want for dinner tonight. Unfortunately, I have a fridge full of meatballs and chicken ! Andi Pena - lovely meal and beautiful photos! You won't be getting any pictures tonight, folks - leftovers . I hate leftovers. So why do I cook such large quantities? Kim

Renka - I am just astounded. I just assumed that you were a pastry chef! Please never stop posting your photos! I can't eat a lot of sweet stuff, so I get my 'fix' here and your sweets are gorgeous. I made La Bête Noire, too and was so pleased with the results! I'll be trying those brownies - brownies are my favorite dessert! Those hazelnut studded chocolate cupcakes really caught my eye! gfron - no apologies for your cake! It is beautiful! I'd certainly be proud to be able to do that! jumanggy - it really was very much like pound cake - that's really why I thought I'd like it more - poundcake is probably my favorite cake. Well, I'll try a little tonight again - a test ! Kim

David - that pork is incredible! I really have to try this - I found the recipe on line and will make it with your adjustments! Shelby - onion soup. MMMMM. Time to make that before the weather changes! Ann T - I second Bruce's comment about your pizza and baguette! So beautiful! Bruce - that BBQ meal looks amazing! The color of the ribs is particularly impressive. There is some conspiracy at eGullet regarding me and cabbage. Look folks, I don't like cabbage, ok? So posting all these pictures of delicious looking cabbage is not going to make me try it. Really. Honest. Not going to happen. Um...Bruce, could you maybe PM me the recipe? Seriously, its wierd - I swear I haven't noticed lots and lots of cabbage postings over the last few years and yet this year they are just jumping out at me! Tonight we had a Fennel, Pear and Bleu Cheese salad with EVOO and champagne vinegar: And a rerun of that Chicken w/ balsamic vinaigrette, brussels sprouts in browned butter, orzo and store bought brioche: Kim

Renka - once again, I am in awe! Those shortbread cookies are amazing looking. I can just taste them. And like jumanggy, I don't know what Mayan Chocolate cookies are, but I really want them! Jumanggy - that Ebéniste is incredible. I am so impressed! I made two things today. Neither one of them was particularly impressive to me. White chocolate cranberry bread: See that dark corner? I tried this in my new toy - an Oster digital toaster oven with convection. It cooked so hot that the outside got very crusty and done looking with 20 minutes left to cook, while the inside was still raw (I didn't use the convection). I fiddled with the temperature and put foil over the top and it came out ok, but I guess I'll have to do some experimenting with it. As far as the flavor goes, it just seems a bit blah to me. Mr. Kim liked it a lot, so maybe its just me. I also made Pistachio Cranberry Biscotti: Also, blah to my taste and tasty to Mr. Kim, so maybe my meds are just messing up my tastebuds. But I liked dinner ! Kim