lucylou95816

I agree, his Ghana episode looked like a lot of fun....I would have never thought to go there, but now I do.

Hmmm. The mashed potatoes as I recall were made with milk &, yes, a fair amount of butter. The "pancakes" weren't as thoroughly all-over browned as yours though - they were much thicker, maybe an inch or a little more, & had a distinct thin crust on either side. You could actually slide the crispy brown crusts off & eat them separately if you wanted. Of course then you were left with a big glob of leftover mashed potatoes, & there was little else to do except put more butter on them. Those were the days - bacon fat, butter & no worries. ← Who's worrying????? Actually, my friend's favorite saying is, "nothing is better than butter, bacon and booze" thanks for the advice...I still have some mashers left over, maybe I'll give that a whirl.

While you're at it Lucy, could you please tell me how you get your mashed potato pancakes to look like that (maybe in the latke topic). Mine always fall apart and never get that golden brown crust on them. ← Thanks Pam, I appreciate the compliment. Actually, this was a luck of the draw. I've tried before and had problems keeping them together. I think someone after your reply said butter and low heat, I would totally agree. I used olive oil this time and kept them in the pan for quite a while at a medium/low heat. I think the key is to make them fairly small, not gigantic, mix the potato with an egg (I just made two, the other one fell apart) and then I dredged them in flour, which is what I think helps them get golden brown. I also added a little gruyere cheese, since I had some left over. I hope that helps. ← Wow, this just triggered a long-buried memory. My mon always used to make these with leftover mashed taters. No egg or cheese, just dusted them with a little flour & fried them in an ancient, extremely heavy cast-iron skillet in - drum roll, here is what I am sure is the secret - BACON GREASE!!!!! (Yes, my dad loved bacon, & we always had a can of bacon grease around to spoon into the skillets. This may have had something to do with the 3 heart attacks that he survived. It definitely had something to do with the deliciousness of the food in our house.) Anyway the mashed potato pancakes, which I learned to make at an early age, never fell apart & the crusts never came off. And, infused with the flavor of smoky country bacon, oh my but they were good. ← I'll have to try that the next time. Does it make a big difference if the original mashed potato is made with cream and a little, well okay, a lot of butter? Thanks for the tip.

awww, thanks!

Nakji, I've been enjoying your blog, the pictures are great. I recently started trying pho, and have enjoyed it, and liked your descriptions, so maybe I'll venture further. Thanks!

Pontormo, I will take that under advisement . This will be a local competition at the dive bar around the corner. They do these every once in a while, the first was a Gumbo cookoff, that my boyfriend entered, but didn't win, and then a meatloaf, which we couldn't attend. The unfortunate thing is that there is a cook from a local restaurant that participates, and while he is a very nice person, he always wins these things. I can't wait to spring the mac and cheese on him Lorna, thanks for the panko tip, I may try that, it sounds great! edited for spelling

While you're at it Lucy, could you please tell me how you get your mashed potato pancakes to look like that (maybe in the latke topic). Mine always fall apart and never get that golden brown crust on them. ← Thanks Pam, I appreciate the compliment. Actually, this was a luck of the draw. I've tried before and had problems keeping them together. I think someone after your reply said butter and low heat, I would totally agree. I used olive oil this time and kept them in the pan for quite a while at a medium/low heat. I think the key is to make them fairly small, not gigantic, mix the potato with an egg (I just made two, the other one fell apart) and then I dredged them in flour, which is what I think helps them get golden brown. I also added a little gruyere cheese, since I had some left over. I hope that helps.

Megan from the dinner thread asked me to post my mac and cheese recipe here. It's pretty damn good, but I can't take the credit since Martha Stewart is the creator. She does some things right. Enjoy. This serves 12, but you can easily cut it half and bake in a 1 1/2 quart casserole dish. 8 Tbsp (1 stick) unsalted butter, plus more for the dish 6 slices good white bread, crusts removed, torn into 1/4 to 1/2 inch pieces 5 1/2 cups milk 1/2 cup all purpose flour 2 tsp salt 1/4 tsp freshly grated nutmeg (jar kind is fine too) 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper, or to taste 4 1/2 cups grated sharp white cheddar cheese (about 18 oz) 2 cups grated Gruyere cheese (about 8 oz) or 1 1/4 cups grated pecorino romano cheese (about 5 oz) 1 pound elbow macaroni Heat oven to 375. Butter a 3 quart casserole dish; set aside. Place bread in a medium bowl. In a small sauce pan (or I just do it in the microwave) melt 2 tbsp butter. Pour butter into the bowl with bread, toss. Set aside. In a medium saucepan set over medium heat, heat milk (again, I sometimes use the microwave). Melt 6 remaining tbsp of butter in a high sided skillet over medium heat. When it bubbles, add flour. Cook, whisking, 1 minute. While whisking, slowly pour in hot milk. Continue cooking, whisking constantly, until the mixture bubbles and becomes thick. Remove pan from heat, stir in salt, black pepper, nutmeg, cayenne pepper, 3 cups cheddar cheese, and 1 1/2 cup gruyere or 1 cup pecorino; set cheese sauce aside. Fill a large saucepan with water; bring to a boil. Add macaroni; cook 2 to 3 minutes less than the manufacturer's directions, until the outside of the pasta is cooked and the inside is under done (different brands cook at different rates, be sure to read the box). Transfer to colander, rinse under cold running water and drain well. Stir into the cheese sauce. Pour mixture into prepared dish. Sprinkle remaining cheeses and breadcrumbs over top. Bake until the top is browned, about 30 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool for 5 minutes. Serve hot. I like to serve it with a dollop of sour cream on top, makes it extra special. edited to say that I apologize for re-posting a recipe that was posted on the first page, at least there is a photo for your viewing pleasure.

Lucy, that looks fantastic. Is that sour cream on top there? Could you tell us more about the recipe? Maybe you could even share it over here... ← Hi Megan, thanks for the compliment, its much appreciated. Yes, it is sour cream, I love sour cream on top of mac and cheese, it adds something to the hot cheese...although my bf prefers to put *gulp* ketchup, anyway, the recipe is Martha Stewart's I have found that its the best out there. I'll put it up on the link you referenced. Thanks again for the compliment.

Happy New Year Everyone, I sure missed egullet when it was down. Everyone's meals look wonderful Here are a few from the past couple of weeks: I made a homemade beef stock one day, since I was off work for the holidays. Nothing like a pot of stock simmering for 4 hours. After it was done, I turned it into French Onion soup, very good: Another night, I made a roast with mashed potatoes (didn't get the pic of that) but here is the leftovers, a french dip sandwich and mashed potato pancake: Another night, I made a chicken satay with a peanut sauce with cucumber salad: Last, but certainly not least, I made my famous (ok, not really) mac and cheese, not as good as the recipe that Lorna sent out (which I am making for a cook off, so keep your fingers crossed), but tasty all the same: Thanks!

If they've been brined, they will keep without issue the couple of days post-brine. If it were me, depending on the thickness of the chops, I'd go with Saturday or Sunday, pull and dry them, wrap them and go with Monday. ← Thanks for the reply, I put them in the brine yesterday afternoon. I think I will try that. Thanks.

sorry if this is repeat, but I hear that the new episodes start on Jan 1st. In fact, I noticed on the dvr the other day that they will have a new show of outtakes from Season 2 and then the first show of the new season. It's on at either 7 or 8 pst.

Our monthly dinner club had a German theme this month. The host made rouladen, which tasted slightly better than it looked. Here is a picture of it. I figured that this thread was the best place to post it:

brining longer does not make the meat saltier, but the meat does begin to break down in the water. if it was me, i'd pull them Sunday morning and refrigerate them tightly covered until monday. ← Thanks, I just wanted to be sure that the meat wouldn't go bad if I kept it out of the brine and in the fridge for a couple of days.

Suzy, thanks for the great pictures and descriptions in your blog. I've been reading all the older foodblogs and was excited to catch one in progress. Thanks and Happy New Year to you.

Hello, I have a brining question, that I hope does not turn into a diasaster. Yesterday, I bought two thick cut pork chops, that I put together with the Alice Waters brine (scaled down for volume) and planned on making these on Saturday night. A friend of mine used thinner chops in the same brine for 2 1/2 days and said it was fantastic. My problem? Well, my dad wants to do our after Christmas celebration on Saturday. That means that I can't cook the chops, since we are meeting half way between him/me. I can't cook them on Sunday, since we're going to a NYE party and food will be there. My dilemma? Do I keep in the brine until Saturday, take out of it, wrap up until Monday or do I just put the whole thing in the freezer? Any input would be greatly appreciated.

salt and pepper shrimp Serves 4 as Main Dish. Salt and Pepper Shrimp 2 TBSP Salt 1 pound large shrimp, unpeeled and deveined Fill a large bowl with cold water, add 1 TBSP salt. Gently wash the shrimp in salt water, drain and repeat the process using fresh salted water. Rinse under cold running water, drain and blot dry on paper towels. 2 tsp coarse or kosher salt 1 tsp Schezwan peppercorns, ground 1 tsp sugar Combine the above in a small bowl and set aside. 2 TBSP finely chopped garlic 2 tsp finely chopped peeled fresh ginger 2 TBSP finely chopped scallions 2 fresh red chili peppers, coarsely chopped Combine the above in small bowl and set aside 2 cups vegetable or peanut oil (for frying) Heat wok until hot and add oil. When the oil is very hot and smoking, add the shrimp and deep fry for about a minute or until they are pink (do not overcook). Remove immediately with a slotted spoon and drain well. Pour off all but about 1 ½ TBSP of oil and reheat wok. Add salt, peppercorn and sugar mixture; stir-fry for about 10 seconds. Add the garlic, ginger, scallions and chili peppers and stir-fry for about 10 seconds more. Return shrimp to the wok and stir-fry over high heat for about 2 minutes or until the spices have thoroughly coated the outside of the shrimp. Remove and serve immediately Keywords: Appetizer, Dinner, Main Dish, Chinese, Intermediate, Shrimp ( RG1891 )

a friend of mine made salt and pepper shrimp a while back, and it had this trippy juicy/numbing feeling in your mouth. It was these peppercorns...I just made some tonight and got that same feeling in my mouth, which is really a cool thing.

Wonderful photos of your trip. I am so jealous, I have never been to Italy and want to go more than ever now. Thank you for sharing your experience.

I've made these before and they were wonderful. Take the puff pastry and roll it out. Cut it into circles with the largest size (about 2 inch) bisquit cutter. Mix together some prociutto (sp?), mozzarella cheese, fresh basil, salt and pepper, or make up your own mixture. Put a dollop of that in the middle of the circles. Moisten the edges with egg wash and press together like a dumpling, seal the edges with a fork. Brush the top with egg wash and bake at 350 degrees until they are nicely browned. Serve with some warm marinara sauce. They are a a party hit.

oh geez..... Just noticed your signature line..... guess that's why 'Culinary Detective' was stuck in my head..... Sorry about that! But whatever the name, I'm certainly looking forward to it! ← I remember reading this thread a while ago, and remembered that an egulleteer was having a show, and saw that commercial too, tonight as a matter of fact. Congrats! It will be fun to watch. Good luck with it.

Awesome site, thanks for putting it up...those pomegranite ice cream bars look divine.

Ok, you all have inspired me to hit the streets on weekends, l love buying vintage cookware/dishes, I just run out of room.. So here is my latest great bargain of all time, not from a flea market or yard sale, but a fantastic deal all the same, so I hope I am not posting in the wrong place: This is the 13 1/4 quart size, brand new. Here's the great deal price sticker (it was as clear as I could get, so I apologize for the quality of it.) It essentially says that the pot cost 116.25 from a suggestive retail price of $465.00. My dad got it at a sample sale that he knew of from a friend, after asking me if I would be interested, uh, duh Dad. He ended up giving it to me, but when we met him and his girlfriend for dinner tonight to retrieve the treasure, I paid for dinner which was slightly more than the pot, but all the same, worth it in my opinion. Now, what to make first to christen it?

I agree with the poster above that stated having the recipe written out in someone's hand is precious. My mom died a long time ago, and I still have a ton of her recipes that I come across in her handwriting, its a nice rememberance. As for the internet's role, well, two words come to mind: Food Porn. I love looking at and posting pictures of meals. I am in a monthly dinner club, where at each dinner, I take pictures of the different courses and post it to a members message board with the recipes and its cool. We recently did a tamale making party, and have pics from each step in the assembly process. Sadly, since its a new group, not everyone is as jazzed about it as I am, I hope with time, they'll appreciate it too. As for recipe books, I am starting a nice collection, and look to recommendations from people I read articles from. I do print all of my recipes off the internet that I use and put them into a binder book (along with magazine cutouts) that is sectioned off by different types of foods. When I get something off of Food Network, I save it my recipe box that is online on that site. I honestly don't know how my cooking skills/inspiration would be without the internet. I fell like cooking say, curry and can find several recipes in seconds and then turn to boards like this one and others to get help/advice. I love the internet.

HI Everyone, fairly, (no pun intended) new to the board. I was excited to say that I can report about the Krispy Creme Sandwich, but someone beat me to it. Here's an article about its debut. http://www.ocregister.com/ocregister/homep...cle_1216627.php Personal opinion, when I go to the Calif. State Fair next week, I'll have a corn dog, call me a purist.