Kim Shook

Is anyone else's brain having a hard time with Nina's interrupted blog - i.e. confusing it with Stephanie's? I keep looking at Nina's food and saying "Pasta, why is she eating pasta? What's that bread doing beside the eggs? Oh, wait, it's Stephanie who is doing low carb." I am so enjoying the restart! The pies are gorgeous! You probably have tried this, but to prevent shrinkage when blind baking, I put an empty pie tin on top of the dough and press down firmly. I then put in my specially saved dried beans and bake. Your family book is just a treasure . I have just a few recipes written by hand by family and I have them saved in my printed out recipes from my webpage in page protectors. I love kitchen 'ephemira'! I love those glistening pork slices! And I need to make red cabbage soon - it's one of our favorites! Kim

Love your house! I am really looking forward, because I always enjoy your meals vicariously in the dinner thread ! Don't forget kitty/puppy pictures! Kim

Sif - One year??? One year???????? I am banging my head against the keyboard as I type! Beautiful. I am so very, very impressed and jealous! Mark - gorgeous pie and great photograghy! If eGullet had a brick and mortar institute, we would have the best photography school anywhere! I made Randi's brownies: We were blown away by these! The flavor was deep and rich and fantastic. I saw Randi's post yesterday morning at the crack of dawn and decided that I was making them. The only store in Richmond that I know of that sells Callebaut is closed on Sunday, so I used Valrhona. They were more a fudge cake than brownie, to me. They took about 50 minutes instead of 30 for me and when I saw them puff up on top, I thought I'd done something wrong, but looking closely at Randi's picture, I think hers do the same thing. I can wholeheartedly recommend this recipe. It was truly amazing! Kim

Those three things just went on my shopping list !

Is there anything better in the world than something creamy, cheesy, crabby ???? Proportions, please, please, please??? Kim

Hi, Nina! I vote you continue! I loved the beginning of the blog and always want to see more NYC stuff! Glad you are all fixed up now and so sorry that happened. We got 'fried' three times in the last year and I hated it!\ Kim

I can't find it on the package (at least in English ), but what do I do with membrilla after I've opened it? Does it need to be refrigerated or what? Thanks! Kim

That is so funny, YWalker, that recipe was just exactly the one I was going to recommend when I saw the title of this thread! I second the Bon Appetit recipe. It is my favorite. My father, a confirmed non-dessert eater, but coconut lover, loves this one! Kim

Fibilou - the nougat is beautiful. I really want to try to do that someday! Kerry - forgive my ignorance, but what is a cocomel? Do I dare to hope its a coconut/caramel candy??? If so, I need one. Tammy - I loved the marshmallows - those are something else that I am determined to try sometime! Ron - I make that seafoam, too. It is so easy and good. I dip it in chocolate. It reminds my dad (Ted Fairhead who post here, too) of a Cadbury Crunchie bar (an English candy). So good! Simonne - your candies are beautiful. I loved the green ones especially! So many gorgeous sweets! I can hardly bear to post my stuff here, but I love looking at everyone's efforts, so I'll contribute! This past weekend I got a start on my candy making for Christmas. I made - Aunt San's fudge - just a really simple, super creamy, never fail milk chocolate fudge that my great aunt made forever: She always used Hershey bars, but I use Cadbury milk bars - I much prefer the flavor. Reese's Cup fudge - peanut butter layer topped with a layer of Aunt San's Fudge: And a new one this year - Dark Chocolate Fudge w/ Dried Cranberries & Almonds: Mr. Kim said it might have been the best thing that he had ever eaten. I love feeding folks! Kim

Just thought I'd drop in (and momentarily out of my crazy life) to pass on some comments and post a few recent meals. Bruce - I'd love the recipe for the Lime-Cilantro dressing - it sounds perfect for jicima! Stephanie & Marlene - those steaks were gorgeous, I will be showing those to Mr. Kim who is very much in touch with his inner caveman. And Stephanie - nice to see yet another eGullet convert to roasted cauliflower! Kobi - the cheesesteaks looked perfect - did the store shave your beef or did you? Dr. J - your 'after' picture was hilarious and that plate is beautiful! Jamie Lee & Prawncrackers - fried rice ! Oh, how I miss fried rice (as I might have mentioned before rice is one of the few foods I haven't been able to manage since I had a gastric bypass). Fantastic! kellytree - I am impressed with your daughter - what an amazing meal, anyone would be proud to serve that! Ted - your steak pudding looks gorgeous and delicious! You aren't mad at me for slightly freaking out over kidneys, are you ? 'Cuz I think I'd love a STEAK pudding. Remember, I work in a Urologist's office now - so I'm particularly sensitive ! Here's some of our recent dinners: Creamy Swiss Chicken & Noodles - just good old comfort food: The fantastic cannelloni that David Ross posted awhile back. It was fantastic and delicious - my pictures are not as pretty as David's. I was so happy with the dish that I ordered the cookbook off abebooks.com: And, inspired by Magus' gorgeous hamburgers in his Burger Helper thread last night was Cheeseburgers on onion rolls w/ all the fixings including grilled onions, creamed butterbeans and salad: Kim

I agree, Steven! I always ask for my pizza well done and, in restaurants I often tear out the smooshy middle and just butter the crust and eat it! Kim

I agree with Dave and will go even further. To me, the fat that is rendered is the only reason to cook a goose. The yield is very small. We didn't find the meat all that great. But that fat. Swoony! If you decide to do one - roast potatoes and sweet and sour red cabbage are the best side dishes! Make sure to report!! Kim

And it doesn't matter that they cut the head's off, poultry has a mind of it's own - I have cooked 12 lb. turkeys that were done sooner than some 6 lb. chickens ! Kim

On my way out the door for all of this: I am making the cannelloni that David Ross posted in the dinner thread. Kim

Thanks so much for the help. I think I will do a little of everything. I'm making 2 loaves of banana bread this weekend and I will also store some in the freezer. And I just did one of those 'gee-I-could-have-had-a-V-8' slaps on my head, alanamoana - I should have checked the website ! Thanks again! Kim

I always have at least 2 kinds of flour - White Lily for biscuits and AP for most everything else. I just got a huge bag of White Lily in a gift basket and will never make enough biscuits to use it up before it goes bad (or stale or buggy orwhatever flour does). Here's the dumb part: can I use it for regular baking? Cakes, cookies, quick bread? See a make a LOT more of those than I do biscuits - especially since I discovered Mary B's . Ta! Kim

This is a wonderful use of country ham: Crab, Country Ham & Limas w/ Jalapeno Cream Kim

Magus - I've just read this entire thread in one sitting (very quiet day at work) and I have to tell you that 4 people walked up behind me when I had the picture of your hamburger up and wanted one! They thought it was available somewhere nearby! So I guess you should add Richmond, VA to your list of future sites! I think we are all going to 5 Guys tonight for dinner, inspired by No. 9 (a pale imitation, unfortunately) ! I have thoroughly enjoyed your journey and will keep up with this thread! Thanks so much for sharing with us! Kim

Bryan - just saw the Today show spot! Fantastic! I am at work and was very proud to say I 'knew' you! Congratulations - your food looked glorious! Kim

Oh, I have way too many magazines, going back years. My process is to go through them and read what I want, then go through again and write down the name and page # of recipes that I want to make. Then I tape the piece of paper on the front page of the magazine. The idea is that I will go back to them and make them sometime. I do it often, but I have so many that I won't ever finish them. I also use the same process with cookbooks. Kim

Susan - I, too, love the combination of beef and orange. Our very favorite pot roast, Ronald Johnson's Italian Pot Roast has orange peel in it and it just isn't the same if I don't have that orange flavor!

Susan - thanks for the recommendation! I was wishing for it in the 'what do you want for the holidays' thread and was going to PM you for your brand. I just put it on my amazon wishlist! Ce'nedra - If you are really interested in Cincinnati chili, I have a very authentic recipe: Clickety! I don't know if you will have any trouble finding all of the ingredients, but reading the blogs from other countries, you might be able to substitute what you can't find. Jamie Lee - I'd love to come and hug you and cook with you and eat your food! Everything you make looks and sounds wonderful. I hope you are feeling hungry soon! I think of you a lot! Bella SF - so funny you should mention those green beans, because I just recently made roasted green beans with shallots and hazelnuts - featuring lemon zest. It was a Bobby Flay recipe that Mr. Kim saw and requested and they were so good! Klary - what a lovely compliment! That I inspired you! It is usually the other way around! I am honored ! Your soup and biscuits look wonderful. Your roasted cauliflower always looks more roasted than mine. Do you parboil or blanch it at all, or do you roast from raw? Last night's (and most likely tonight's since it is 6:30 and no one seems to be rattling those pots and pans in there) dinner was meatloaf, corn and MIL's (really good) Curried pumpkin soup with cool toppings (Fruit Chips, pumpkin seeds, cashews and toasted cocoanut): The meatloaf had a technique I hadn't seen before. You pressed a layer of brown sugar on the bottom of the loaf pan then spread a layer of catsup on top of that and put the mixed meatloaf on that. When cooked and flipped over to serve there is this sweet/savory slightly caramelized top. MMMMMM. Kim

I want whatever panini press Susan in FL was flaunting in the Dinner thread the other day! I also have a ridiculously long list at amazon - books, chocolate temperer, pressure cooker, etc. Kim

Some beautiful meals, y'all! Monavano - You have inspired me - I need to make some onion soup soon. I make a really good one that you bake instead of cooking on top of the stove and it included roasted garlic and an egg. MMMMM. And it's also time for some Cincy chili! Nakji - I loved that you used the garlic scapes. I discovered them for the first time this summer and loved the pesto I made with them. I would like to use them like you did, too! Susan - like everyone else, I am drooling over your panino. I always use just two heated cast iron skillet and it works fine, but I just love the thinness and crispness of yours! I may just have to add a press to my wishlist for Christmas! Prawncrackers - you can protest all you want, but that picture obviously made all of us ready for egg on pasta! I am starting a new job, while still working on night a week at the old one, so I haven't been cooking a lot, but the other night I did manage this: This was a new recipe that I tried for a Swiss cheese, ham and brocolli soup w/ biscuits. It was very good - the Swiss was different and went really well with the ham and brocolli. Kim

Yeah, or 'gloppy'. And yet I love 'gooey'! Supper will depend on your geographic location, I guess. To me (living in VA and growing up summers in NC) supper just means the evening meal. Dinner was the meal that my Yankee friends called 'lunch'. I keep a food/kitchen/entertaining journal and I know I overuse 'delicious', 'really good' and 'tasty'! Kim