Kim Shook

Ling, Tin Roof bars are just brownies, hot from the oven, spread with marshmallow creme, sprinkled with salted peanuts and then topped with chocolate - pop back in the oven for a minute and then the melted chocolate is spread on top clickety! Kim

Everyone's desserts look so gorgeous and professional and droolingly delicious! Ling always, always amazes! Now that we seem to be up and running after 2 months of computer problems, I'll post a few things I've done recently. Here are some of my homely efforts: Chocolate/Chocolate Birthday cake for my FIL: Sliced: It is my standard chocolate chiffon cake that I love above all others, but the frosting was new. It was a creamy frosting that I found at recipezaar.com and it was some of the best I have ever had! Chocolate Chip Banana Bread: Coconut 'Nana Pudding: This looks horrible (hey, I have a contribution to the regrettable dishes thread !!), but tasted fantastic. It was inspired by a dessert that we had Les Halles in DC last year and I finally made it. A trio of brownies that I made for Mr. Kim's Geekfest '07 (otherwise known as Fantasy Football Draft ) - Plain: Cream Cheese: Peanut Butter: Pink Lemonade Cupcakes for Mr. Kim's birthday (that's what the big lug requested): You can't see because of my blurry photo, but on top are candied lemon peel and crumbled freeze dried raspberries. The raspberries are something that Michel Ricard suggests using in "Happy in the Kitchen". OMG - what a POW of flavor they add! If you look at these and then at the pictures of my cakes, you will see why I adore making cupcakes. My cupcakes are always pretty. My cakes usually look like I made them during some natural disaster ! MIL's birthday cake (Chocolate w/ 7 minute frosting): And lastly, Tin Roof Brownies for Mr. Kim's tailgate in Charlottesville: (can you tell I love brownies?) Ok, I'm sure everyone's tired of my massive down load. I'll go bug the folks over at the dinner thread now (I've got a lot more of those pictures ). Kim

Looks great, Marlene! I've made that dish before, using the same pictorial - it was really lovely!! Thanks for reminding me. Last night I bought some mozzarella and lean pork mince, took an onion and 2 cauliflowers from the fridge, and made this simple gratin for dinner: Not the prettiest dish in the world, but easy, homey and tasty. ← I beg to differ - that meal is beautiful and those perfectly crusted cauliflowerets are gorgeous! Kim

I was interested in (I think) Brian's comment about how cool it was to be around people who never get tired of talking about food. I can imagine that. I am not a chef or even involved in the food biz - I'm just the little piggie that loved roast beef, but I talk about food a lot. People (even the ones who love me and enjoy the results of my obsession) get really tired of it. Which is why, of course, I spend so much time here . Kim

You're in luck, i've added this recipe to the Recipe Gullet click! ← Ta, very much! I will make this as soon as Fall decides to come to Virginia! Kim

I actually liked it. I didn't expect to - I usually despise so called reality shows. I liked watching real chefs, with a lot of credibility, instead of a bunch of FOH wannabees, 'gifted' home cooks, evil little cutthroats. So far the chefs, while being totally committed to winning and having very healthy egos, seem to have respect for each other. I like that aspect. Kim

Hi, everyone! I am sort of on line again! Our computer is still in rehab , but we hooked up the daughter’s old machine so we could at least surf and read our email again. It is full of her stuff and an old and slow one, so I can’t post any photos yet. I am still taking pictures of my meals, so I’ll do a big old download when we are up and running again. I have spent the last week getting caught up here on the dinner thread and on the blogs and there are so many beautiful meals that I can’t comment on them all, but I do have a couple of requests/comments/questions: Prawncracker – could I have the recipe for the goat cheese and red onion tarts that Tug made? They look fantastic! Wendy – your mac n cheese looks exactly like I want mine to. Except it never does. Recipe, maybe?? Please! Mifi – that bison sandwich had me drooling! Monavano – I am definitely making that white gazpacho – it looks wonderful! By the way – I have bookmarked your site – I live in Richmond, but lived my whole life until college in Alexandria – went to TC Wms. I miss Alexandria and come back whenever I can! Tonight will be slow cooked beef sandwiches with Red Onion & fig compote and shaved Parmesan, tots & winter corn (my own 'invention' - a bag of frozen sweet corn and a small can of creamed corn ). Dessert will be chocolate chip banana bread.

I have a whole shelf-full of those supermarket check out line Pillsbury mini cookbooks. The ones that are next to the gum and mints? "A photo of every recipe!" "101 Things to do with Crescent Rolls!" I just can seem to resist them. Sometimes.....I even cook stuff out of them....and sometimes,........,......., we like it . I am sooooooooo embarrassed. Kim

Gabriel, I have been 'offline' for awhile now and am now marginally 'online' and finally have caught up on the food blogs and am up to date! I am so glad to see you blogging! Montreal is one place that Mr. Kim and I are considering going to, perhaps next year or the one after that. The care and time you take to make your meals is really inspiring! I am fascinated with your food and your city! Kim

I wish I could jump in because I think I have list in every freakin' room of my house! I am on daughter's borrowed computer right now and there is no room on it for photo stuff, but I'll be watching this thread and will contribute as soon as our computer is back from rehab. So far, my favorite list is Maggie's. Cat food, gin and cigs ! Kim

Thank you, broadway! Nice to know I don't have to buy something else! I know so little about wines, spirits, etc. I am going to have to spend some more time around this board! Kim

I have a recipe that calls for ruby port and I have a bottle of Warre's Warrior Special Reserve Porto - is this tawny or ruby? Thanks! Kim

Gorgeous food, everyone! I am drooling and ready for dinner at 10:30 am! Since this is the place I am most active in, I thought I'd post this here: our computer was once again fried by lightening strikes - long story short, we unplugged the computer, but not the printer and apparently that was the path it took. Don't know when we'll be back on since we just spent hundreds on the last fix, and as I discovered last time, eGullet is not cleared to be access by our library system - so I may be awhile getting back. I'm sorry for that, because I really miss this place when I am gone. Eat well, everyone! Miss you!! Kim

I did something for my daughter's graduation party that was a huge hit with everyone. I did Key Lime Shooters. Just mixed up a gingersnap crust, pressed it in the bottom of shooter cups (I found plastic ones are a party supply store), piped in some key lime custard and stored in the fridge. Just before serving, I piped in some whipped cream and slid in a little sample spoon (about the size that you get at Baskin Robbins) and sprinkled on additional crumbs: You intrigue me with the mention of freezing key lime curd. I didn't know that you could freeze it! Any special concerns? Kim

As usual, through a fantastic blog here at eGullet, I have found yet another place that I want to visit at length! Thank you so much for sharing your beautiful state! I think I might just burst into tears of joy if someone set that lobster roll down in front of me! Kitchen pictures, please!!! Kim

judiu - No bacon (mmmm good idea though) just squash, onions, vegetable oil, butter, salt, pepper and nutmeg. Mr. Kim says it was especially good this time - unfortunately, I cannot tell. I have no palate for any squashy things at all. I keep trying, but just don't like any of them. Sometimes I do the same thing, add some canned cream, throw into a casserole and top with buttered 'Chicken in a Biscuit' cracker crumbs and bake. Now, if thats not white trash, I don't know what is ! Kim

So many wonderful meals! Life is crazy just now in our house, so I am just periodically dropping in and reading and almost never have time to actually post! But I love all the descriptions and photos! Jason - I am really enjoying your contributions! Your photos are beautiful and the meals look delectible! I am especially enamored of your Butter-Poached Local Spot Prawns & Crème Fraîche Risotto & Spot Prawn Bisque <swoon>! Qwerty - doncha just love fried green tomatoes? I have a really hard time passing them up in the market, even if we've just had them recently - the season is so short! Bruce - 5 spice pork chops - what a great idea. We have been getting some great pork recently and are just making pigs of ourselves (groan, bad pun ) and I think that I will try that! percyn - how I want that lobster roll . I am determined to try Keller's butter poached lobster and I think it would be great topping a toasted, split top hot dog bun! Michael - Is that a gorgeous little sauce treatment almost hiding under the duck? It looks to me like you squirted some sour cream on your mole and ran a knive through it for a design. Beautiful! Here are some random meals from the recent past in the Shook house: Just your basic comfort meal - meatloaf, casserole mashed potatoes, Southern green beans and biscuits: Proscuitto, Goat cheese and Fig Quesadillas w/ Fig Preserves: With tharrison's Roasted Tomato & Garlic Bisque: Another night we started with a simple, but delicious Caprese w/ adorable little green striped Heirloom tomatoes: Some gorgeous, huge, super porky pork chops from the Belmont Butchery in Richmond. I just fried them like we used to be able to do with chops and they were fantastic: Also some fried yellow squash, awfully good baked beans and (like Bruce says) eternal cucumbers (these are kinda eternal, though - they are the ones I start in early summer - vinegar, cukes, onions, sugar and pepper - and just keep adding to over the season - same bowl all summer long, just dumped when the cukes let go of too much water and they get too diluted). The squash and cucumbers were from the Farmer's Market, as was the pretty ordinary baguette we had - why is good bread so hard to find?????????: Kim edited to fix dumb image gullet errors (or should I say dumb image gullet user errors? )

Bourdain wrote the introduction. I don't think he's a co-author. You're right, Steven! I just looked at it again and I must have read both names too fast. Too bad, though. That would be a fun read, I think! I still am really interested in the book - the chef series made me realize that, however much I love cooking, I am, at best, a capable home cook and it also made my respect for those who are chefs simply soar higher than ever. Kim

[shudder] I hate those creepy little things. Mr. Kim loves them and went through a phase where he played that commercial all the time [shudder]. Thank God thats done with ! Kim

Here's a link to the book on amazon. Co-authored by Bourdain. Looks like it won't be available until November. I, for one, cannot wait. I like everything I have ever read by either of them, and I think that they bring out the best in each other. Kim

I was actually in the process of making these as I asked the question, so I did it the way Steve suggested. They were very tasty, but the cherries turn the brownies very cake-like. I confess that I like extremely chewy brownies; I have been accused of trying to achieve chocolate jerky with my brownies ! But they were gobbled up, so everyone must have loved them! Thanks, everyone for the help! Kim

Amazing! I can't believe that I asked such a random question and got an answer and so fast!!! Bless your heart, Steve! Kim

I am trying really hard to do some cleaning out of our pantry/freezer/fridge. That should make for some interesting meal ! Anyway, I have discovered a brownie mix and a can of cherry pie filling and I think these would be kinda good together. If you were to add a can of pie filling to a box of brownie mix, what would you leave out - eggs, oil and/or water??? Ta! Kim

Jen, I've been out of town for a few days, so I am just catching up on your blog! I am enjoying it so much! I loved the CSA and wish I ate more types of vegetables, so that it would make sense to participate in one. Kim

When we lived in a town in Indiana with lots of Mormons, we had Mormon friends who would drink Coke (caffeine) at our house, but not with other Mormons. Similar thing, I think. Kim