zoe b
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Posts posted by zoe b
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thanks, all, for the advice!
I will be on the lookout for guanciale now, when I'm out and about--especially will try Di Bruno's, zeffer81--there's a museum show coming up that I want to see so I will be in Philly not too long from now...
and thanks for the mail order source, Chris--it's saved for future reference (and when I'm feeling flush!)
and divina--will be making the variation with smoked jowls, as per your friend--and i think I'll go wild and add onions, too--you've made clear again how when a food writer writes down the "authentic" recipe it is only one "authentic" recipe--and possibly the "authentic" recipe for that day with those particular ingredients in the pantry. Variation is the rule, not the exception.
I make my mother's vegetable soup and her beef stew--but i bet I've made 100 changes to each recipe--depending on my mood and larder--but they are still hers--although she might not recognise them any longer.
Zoe
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it's frightening to realize that I've made and eaten almost every one of the terrible treats mentioned--although the snow cone made with kool aid syrup is a great improv--I give four stars for that idea!!!
The hub is the nestle's chocolate ship thief--I have a giant bag from Costco that I thought i had well hidden, but no, found him munching from it the other day.
if all else fails--cheerios with milk and at least three spoonfulls of sugar--brown sugar is good if you haven't already eaten that (see above!)
Zoe
(it's good to be with your own kind)
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http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/16/dining/16ital.html
I was just reading F. Fabricant's article in the Times about pasta all’amatriciana--and salivating. There is no source for guanciale anywhere near where i live, alas, but I have a package of smoked hog jowls in the freezer from our last pig--haven't used it because I wanted a special dish for it.
Now guanciale is salt cured, my jowls are smoked--could i soak or blanch it to get rid of the smokiness? Or is that absurd, and I should just enjoy the not authentic but delicious pasta dish I can make with the jowls?
Any thoughts?
Zoe
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They are a David Rosengarten recipe and actually pretty low in fat, with amazing flavor from the rosemary. I've got some drying in the kitchen now, so I think I might just whip up a new batch....
I just made these today, and this is an excellent recipe--I think the rosemary is very interesting in a sweet --still very rich, even though they are butterless!
I used walnuts instead of cashews, not having any, and I used way less--a handful of walnuts, only--I'm not a huge nuts in things fan.
Zoe
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oh, that is good news! I'm small, and I prefer the 6" for every day , quick, a few veggies for dinner chopping--if I have a lot to do, or am wrestling with hard veggies, I bring out the 8 or 10" knives.
I'm sure i could get used to bigger knives, but the 6 feels like a part of me--I use it so often it hardly ever gets hung up--it's washed off and sits on a dish towel by the sink waiting for the next use!
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just wanted to thank you, Ah Leung, for a super tutorial--I made these last night, and they were delicious!
They weren't quite authentic--I couldn't get pot sticker skins at the store so I used won ton wrappers--so I didn't get to try pleating--well, next time.
the filling was delicious--I was concerned because the ground pork looked too fatty to me when it was in the package, but it cooked into a nice tender filling. I used scallions instead of chinese chives--the next time I'll make a trip to the Asain grocer so I can be more authentic--I also subbed black vinegar for the sauce as i don't have any red.
Once I got into the rhythm of the work it was quite pleasant--one of those peaceful kitchen jobs--if you aren't rushed they are very enjoyable.
i was afraid to use my big revereware pan like yours because of the sticking--I used a teflon one instead, and in my usual impatience I had the heat too high so some of the dumplings were "well done" --next time I'll keep heat on medium.
But you certainly made a daunting task seem simple--thank you, again!!!!
Sorry, no pics--we gobbled them too quickly....
Zoe
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that was an excellent article, Anna--I enjoyed reading it.
I think peppermint essence and extract are most likely the same thing--I believe essence is the British term for extract--and so are interchangeable for use.
(oops, posting at the same time as Kerry!)
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Man, I just realized that my party sounds so low brow, compared to all the lobster, caviar, and steak... Maybe next year we'll dress it up a little. A few years ago our theme was medieval, that was pretty weird, too. We've had Caribbean parties, and themes that revolved around one color. I really really like BekkiM's idea, too.
no, it's a fun theme--I've done 50s food and everyone loves it!
yes definitely do rumaki--it is delicious.
suzilightening
do you have a problem getting your eggs to hardboil since they are so fresh?eek, I forgot about that--and we've been going through eggs so fast I don't have an oldish dozen--oh well, they won't be pretty, but they'll be good.
and someone just dropped off some Maryland oysters here so we'll add them to the menu.
and Kate, I wouldn't even care about the surf & turf--your starters sound stupendous! As much as I love oysters Rockefeller I never manage to do anything but eat em raw--did fry some last summer and that was wonderful. I've made Shrimp Rockefeller and I like that a lot--I think it's from Bon Appetit a long time ago.
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so far, I'd love to attend each dinner that you all have described!
Which means, I guess that gluttony is MY Deadly Sin.....
we stay at home--have a few friends over--or sometimes it's just us--drinking champagne and watching old movies.
this year it's going to be a simple menu--
devilled eggs (from our hens) topped with caviar.
either prosciutto or lox --I want prosciutto, the hub lox so we'll fight it out at the store
Bay scallops in snail butter--this recipe from the Times which sounded good to me.
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/12/26/dining/2...ing&oref=slogin
a bitter green salad, maybe with a sliced pear or oranges
and dessert--i haven't decided yet--I'm just getting over a miserable cold and last night was the first night that I actually was interested enough in food to take trouble over dinner, so I'm still thinking about dessert.
But a toast to all of you EGulleters, and a happy, well fed, 2008.
Zoe
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I was actually thinking of something along the lines of a marshmallow that had been filled with a liqueur. Sort of a shooter in an edible glass... you'd need a way to prevent the marshmallow from just dissolving, though...
what would you put inside? I'm trying to think of booze that would taste good with a marshmallow?
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you guys!
I guess i'm showing my age--to me a shooter is tequila...
I'm trying to imagine a marshmallow alcohol shooter--possibly Kahlua and marshmallow fluff--but getting the marshmallow down would be a problem
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http://www.howtoons.com/toon/the-infamous-...mallow-shooter/
these look like a lot of fun...
I'm not really in favor of arming kids, but i find the idea of someone shooting marshmallows into my mouth strangely interesting...
we are going to make a bunch of them for all the kids for Christmas.
I was reading about them and it seems the colored mini marshmallows have the greatest range.
we were joking last night that we need to figure out how to shoot toasted marshmallows--maybe a flame thrower option?
Zoe
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ok, well we did eat there yesterday--the food was pretty much as you said, Nathan--BUT I liked the atmosphere a lot--it's been there for 40 some years, our waiter was nosy and chatty.
And they make everyone who comes in feel welcome--a trattoria in the true sense of being a neighborhood place.
We did have one really delicious appetizer--it was a bed of sauteed spinach --cooked really nicely in lots of decent olive oil, topped with grilled portabellas and mozzarella--everything was simple, good quality and tasty.
Zoe
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Now I'm picturing someone sitting in an airplane with a jar of jam, waiting for that telltale *pop*!
ooh, I don't think I want to picture that, lperry....flying during the holidays is stressful enough!
So, thanks for clearing this up for me--when I do the after holiday jars , just for us, I'll process them and try my luck without pressure--but for the gifty ones I'm going with paraffin--although i did read on one of the extension home ec sites that paraffin isn't recommended any longer--they said that visible mold (which I always flicked off before any of the family saw it)--isn't the only danger in jellies and jams--I don't know--right now I'm not changing my mind about using it, but i'm sure it will be bugging me for a few monthas and I'll do some more research and possibly change.
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There are a few foods I prefer to cook to old-school softness. The tougher greens, to name one category. As a matter of fact, I have a pot of collards and mustard greens simmering with a ham hock right this very minute. Okay, the mustard greens are not all that tough-textured, but I actually like how they go to mush when done this way. And the collards? I have tried some nouvelle recipes that give them a quick saute/braise for a maximum of 20 minutes, and I just do not care for their texture that way. I prefer them much more tenderized.
Another softy I find homey is soup the way my mom learned from her Eastern European immigrant mom. I see all these recipes and recommendations for soup-making--including here on eGullet--that say that, after you have simmered the vegetables and meat for hours to make your base broth, said meat and veg should be strained out and discarded because they have no flavor left. Weeeelllll--it's true that they have given up lots of their flavor to the broth. But my mom never threw that stuff out. In fact, she cut the meat and veg into big chunks specifically so that they would wind up still intact--though meltingly soft, the meat falling from the bone. I am totally unapologetic about the comfort-food value of this stuff for me. I probably wouldn't serve it at a fancy dinner ... but you can bet, if I made a beautiful clear broth to serve at a fancy dinner, I would be for sure saving at least some of the soup meat for a cook's treat. (Boiled beef with horseradish! Yum!)
mizducky, I am SO with you on greens--they need to be soft to be good....
and strain the soup or the sauce--I never do this--I want all the stuff still in there--even when I was training myself with Julia--learning French technique00I couldn't bring myself to strain a soup or a stew or a sauce.
Zoe
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it's been a few years since I've been there, and we stayed in a B&B, so don't know about groceries, but as I recall, the food was excellent--and almost any place that looked good, was good.
sorry, I don't remember any names--and there weren't big signs--there was a little hole in the wall lunch place that had great tacos and delicious aguas frescas, and the places for dinner would show you some fish and you'd pick one and they'd grill it for you.
it was a sleepy place when we were there--I hope it hasn't gotten too built up.
report back--I'd love to hear about your visit.
and about the transportation--the roads were pretty rough--I would think a scooter rather than a golf cart.
Zoe
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I just found 3 dozen of jars like this at the thrift store--8 oz size.
http://www.sks-bottle.com/340c/fin6a.html
They are brand new--I used 8 last night for some cranberry chipotle sauce I'm making for gifts--I sealed with paraffin, but I was wondering if these lids will seal if processed--they have the same kind of white coating on the interior as ball lids.
anyone know?
Zoe
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I think Pebs might be on to something...my mom grew up thinking that well-done meat was the only safe meat
Yeah, my mom's the same way--if I'm baking salmon I have to keep her piece in the oven for an extra hour or two....she cringes every time i tell her we had sushi last night.
and her pork chops were like hockey pucks, her vegetables all mushy...I hated asparagus and brussels sprouts until I had them as an adult, and I still remember the first rare lamb I had --in my college years a cousin took me to a Greek restaurant in the Village--it was a revelation.
but apropos of kids loving over-cooked, my daughter used to inhale my mom's green beans cooked for at least 45 minutes--preferred them greatly over my al dente steamed or sauteed green beans--they were comfort to her!
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matt johnson said
My family always has oyster stew at Christmas time. Not exactly sure why its called stew, but its basically fry oysters in butter until the edges start to curl, then add milk and cream with the oyster juice. Season with salt, pepper, and Worcestershire/hotsauce and serve.Always reminds me of Christmas Eve.
we always had oyster stew on Christmas Eve, too. My friend Carolyn, an Eastern Shore girl, makes hers really peppery with cayenne--it's wonderful.
Take two pints of freshly shucked oysters, then drain one pint (save the liquid). Eat the drained oysters raw, with a bit of cocktail sauce, while you are mixing up the stuffing.this, frankly, should be the first paragraph of any oyster recipe.
Our family didn't have oysrer stuffing with the turkey--we had something I've never heard of anyone else making--oyster gravy--when it was time to make the gravy for the turkey, my Great Aunt Zoe (Big Zoe) would do the roux part, then when it was time to add the liquid she would add the oyster liquor, and the stock , finish the gravy and keep it hot, and then when everything was ready at the table would add a pint or two of small oysters (she'd cut them up if she could only get biggies) let them cook untill the edges were just barely beginning to curl, and rush the gravy to the table--heavenly!
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I was afraid of that....oh well, I'm not gonna rock the boat--it's his local joint, i guess.--thanks for the info, though.
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Cranberry Chipotle Sauce
I wanted to try and replicate a wonderful Raspberry Chipotle Sauce that my mother sends me every year made by a company in Texas --it's a great sauce or glaze for chicken or pork, and delicious poured over brie or cream cheese as an appetizer. I also love it topping a quesadilla made with cheese, sliced apple, and onion.
I wanted to use cranberries--being a New Jersey fruit--and also fresh and inexpensive in the winter--rather than frozen or imported raspberries.
I consulted Anne Seranne--my preserving guru, and also searched online for recipes for both cranberry and raspberry chipotle sauce--I had them on hand to consult, but mostly worked from taste--with a few comparison tastes of the commercial sauce--although I now think mine is better--it tastes fresher and cleaner.
This recipe filled 8-8 oz jars with a small glassful extra for sampling.
- 1-1/2 large jalapeno, chopped fine
- 5 coves garlic, chopped fine
- 3/4 c cider vinegar
- 5 c sugar
- 2 chipotles, chopped
- 2 tsp adobe sauce from chipotle can
- 1 tsp salt
- 3 pkg cranberries (12 oz)
Place cranberries in a kettle with enough water to keep them from sticking--bring to a boil and cook until softened. Add the sugar, stir til dissolved, then the garlic, then cider vinegar, stir a bit, then add the jalapenos, and chipotles and sauce, finally the salt.
While this is cooking test often for taste. I think I will make it hotter the next time, but you can keep it mild or make it scorching--I'm making it for gifts so i don't want it too incendiary.
Cook for a while, stirring often, until mixture is clear and thickened--it will reach jelling point very quickly. I stirred in about a cup of water at the end to thin it down as I was hoping this would stay slightly pourable, but it is still pretty thick--next time I will add more water.
Keywords: Appetizer, Condiment, Easy, Hot and Spicy, Fruit, American, Snack
( RG2051 )
- 1-1/2 large jalapeno, chopped fine
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We're seeing a play Sunday--have a friend in it--and he recommended we meet there to eat beforehand.
Zoe
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Picked this up at the thrift store today--it looks pretty neat--originally published in 1972-- this is a reprint in 1983--it is bi-lingual which led me to think it would be authentic.
It has what you would call the basics in it--appears to be mostly Cantonese, but there's some Szechuan, too.
I love the pictures--thay are glaringly bright--like what you'd see in a strip mall chinese restaurant, but each recipe has a picture which is certainly helpful--this really could serve as a cooking course in Chinese food.
Can't wait to try a few recipes out.
Zoe
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ok, the brunch was yesterday--and I served a baked spiral ham, and I did the old faithful Baked French Toast, after all--my hub requested it, and everyone was happy to have it again, so whatever...
This is pretty much the recipe--my recipe adds chopped nuts to the topping--and you don't melt it, just mix it with the butter very soft and glop on the topping.
http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Baked-French-...t-2/Detail.aspx
I used supermarket whole grain french bread which was tasty--you don't want to use good crispy bread--you want the softer kind.
And ignore the comments for this recipe--sometimes all the liquid doesn't absorb, but just keep baking it, eventually it all absorbs--and the texture is so creamy and lovely, it would be a mistake to reduce the liquid.
This is an open house brunch so i have nibbles and food all set out together, so the menu can seem a little strange..
I made a cranberry apple fruit compote, devilled eggs, a crunchy baked chick pea snacky mix, asparagus and assorted raw veggies with a dipping sauce that i thought was delish, but most of it was left, so maybe not too popular--it was mayo, sour cream, garlic, ginger, lemon juice, sesame oil and a little soy sauce.
And I also made the Brrrownies from Baking MHTY--finally was able to cut them neatly--this, I believe was Dorrie's suggestion--freeze them for a few minutes and then cut--worked like magic.
And a cake that i made a booboo with that turned out delicious--the Lemon Buttermilk Cake from Maida Heatter's Great Desserts--I subbed sour cream for the buttermilk, and you have two separate uses of lemon juice-- three tbls in the cake and 1/2 cup for the glaze--well, i dumped the 1/2 cup in the cake, didn't realize it til later--I was afraid the extra acidity would mess up the rising of the cake, but it came out perfect, a soft, tender, dense cake--and so intensely lemony--I will incorporate the error into the recipe in the future.
And I have saved and opied all of your delicious suggestions for my next brunch--during the holidays I hope to try them out!
Zoe
anyone see A Good Year?
in Food Media & Arts
Posted
I'm embarassed to admit we watched it the other night--it's playing on HBO 12 times a day--and it was nasty outside so it was in one way a perfect movie to watch--it was like the curate's egg--good in parts.
Albert Finney was in it, and Marion Cotillard (Piaf) so that's good--Russell Crowe, not good.
Afterwards I googled it and the book was written by Peter Mayles--NOT my favorite writer.
Crowe plays a money guy who inherits his uncle's house and vineyard in France--there are flashbacks of happy childhood holidays spent there.
The house and countryside and village are gorgeous--that's what kept me watching--it's worth it jfor that.
There's a sub plot about some fabulous unknown wine that i never really understood--am guessing it got chopped up during the movie making process.
And there's a really mean scene in the restaurant where Cotillard either works or owns--Crowe steps in to help out on a busy night and an American couple is shown being ugly and dumb--trying to order Caesar salad with ranch dressing on the side--now i have cringed at horrible Americans abroad just as much as the next person--but I've also seen horrible Italians, French, Germans, Japanese, Russians--put any nationality here, please--in any order.
So, I was puzzled by this scene, as well as irritated--the audience is presumably American, so why put that in? So that the American audience could feel superior to those clucks? Bad faith!
Zoe