djyee100

A friend emailed me the recipe for the RoliRoti porchetta. I definitely want to make it. Glad you liked the sandwich. Just thinking about it makes me want one, now. The recipe is here: http://www.7x7.com/recipes/secret-recipe-porchetta-roliroti BTW, I checked out Saigon Sandwiches & I thought their sandwiches were tasty and a good value for the money. You have to look at Google maps before you go, though, or you'll be wandering all over the Civic Center area trying to find it. Saigon Sandwiches is located close to the corner of Larkin and Eddy Streets, next to the Fox Market. Another place I tried, Spice Kit, I would definitely give two thumbs up. The sous-vide beef short ribs are especially good. They've started a breakfast menu that sounds good too. The links to these places are in my post upthread.

Good luck with your ricotta-making! I tasted both the frittata w/fresh ricotta and the shepherd's style rigatoni at a recent cooking class with Rosetta Costantino. I give both dishes two thumbs up, and I want to make them at home. In class we made this appetizer with fresh ricotta. It's best when made with fresh, still warm ricotta that has drained for about an hour. Bruschetta with Fresh Ricotta: Slice some crusty French or Italian bread about 1/2 to 3/4 inch thick. Brush both sides of each slice generously with olive oil. Then grill or broil the slices on both sides until golden brown. Rub one side of each bread slice with a garlic clove. Top with a mound of fresh ricotta, sprinkle with freshly ground black pepper, and enjoy. In class we grilled the bread on the stovetop, in a ridged pan for some nice grill marks, and that gave the bruschetta a smoky flavor. People liked it.

A couple weeks ago, I took a ricotta-making class from Rosetta Costantino (My Calabria cookbook). Her recipe is made from whole milk with a little cream--She emphasized, not ultrapasteurized cream. RC developed this recipe to duplicate the rich ricotta her parents made on their farm in Calabria. It's not made from whey. An adapted recipe is on the Saveur website. The original recipe is in her cookbook. In RC's recipe, the milk is cooled to 100 F before adding rennet. An ice bath for the milk mixture will bring the temp down faster. http://www.saveur.com/article/Techniques/How-To-Make-Ricotta-At-Home This makes a delicious, curdy ricotta. The tricky part, I think, is how you stir the curds after you've coagulated the milk mixture with rennet. After breaking up the coagulated milk mixture, Rosetta gently stirred the mixture with a skimmer (like this one http://www.amazon.com/OXO-Grips-Stainless-Steel-Skimmer/dp/B00004OCOU/ref=sr_1_7?s=kitchen&ie=UTF8&qid=1333252418&sr=1-7 ), very slowly, in one direction. Someone said it was like herding the curds into a single mass, encouraging them to hang out together--if that description helps at all. You might consider buying rennet for your cheesemaking. Animal rennet will last a year in the fridge, and if it's double-strength, you'll need only a little to coagulate a big pot of milk. Ricotta draining baskets aren't necessary, though when you upend the basket-drained cheese on a platter, it sure looks attractive and professional. Cheesemaking.com ( http://www.cheesemaking.com/ ) sells rennet and baskets. (For people in the SF Bay Area, this store sells rennet and cheesemaking baskets, etc. at about the same prices: http://www.oakbarrel.com/ . )

I respectfully disagree. Food trucks vary in quality and price, of course. But for most food trucks, the price of a filling meal is under $10. Of the food trucks I mentioned upthread, the most expensive item is the big porchetta sandwich with cracklings at RoliRoti, SF Ferry Bldg on Saturday. That costs $8.50. If you can find a good meal for under $10 at a sit-down restaurant in SF, including tip, more power to you.

How about another classic, Wolfgang Puck's Smoked Salmon Pizza with Caviar? I haven't made this one myself, only tasted a version of it that some friends made. The saltiness makes it a good appetizer. I suggest that you go easy on the sour cream/creme fraiche topping since Beef Stroganoff is coming down the pike. Try a small dollop or drizzle of sour cream/creme fraiche and see how it goes. A squeeze of lemon juice in the sour cream/creme fraiche might be nice, too. The recipe is here: http://www.yumsugar.com/Wolfgang-Pucks-Smoked-Salmon-Pizza-19050987

Can you make up cookie dough a week ahead of time and freeze it? Just about any kind of roll & cut cookie, especially a butter cookie or shortbread cookie, can be turned into a slice & bake cookie. Then, of course, there are refrigerator cookies, which are meant to solidify and mellow in the fridge for awhile. Make up the dough ahead of time, shape into logs with plastic wrap or parchment paper, and freeze for later use. After removing the dough logs from the freezer, let the logs soften slightly, then slice and bake. You don't have to slice into rounds, either. If you slice at a diagonal you'll get an interesting elliptical shape. I slice the logs with the plastic wrap or parchment paper still on them. Then I remove the wrapping from the slices. I find that method easier, and the log holds its shape better during cutting. Another possibility would be scones made with melted butter or cream. Would that be feasible? I'm guessing they would take as much time to mix as muffins. To save time, try experimenting beforehand with an ice cream scoop as a disher, instead of shaping and cutting the dough in wedges. Scoop the dough gently with an ice cream scoop (don't pack it), and drop on the baking pan. With your fingers, flatten the dough ball slightly (& gently!) to form rounds, then bake. I like to sprinkle sugar on these scones before baking. I've made these scones & liked them. Cream scones with chocolate chunks. These are very rich, almost like dessert. http://pghtasted.blogspot.com/2008/09/cream-scones-with-chocolate-chunks.html Whole wheat scones. These get the thumbs up from people, even though they are whole wheat. The baking temp is 400F. http://www.hungryghostfoodandtravel.com/new/2011/8/29/rainy-day-scones.html Buttermilk scones. I make these with raisins. One of my go-to recipes. http://bookclubcookbook.com/RecipeMinJinLee.htm

For people coming to SF in the summer, the weather may be balmy, even hot, in the rest of the Bay Area, but the famous fog rolls into SF, dropping the temp into the mid-60s or lower. The moist air makes the temp feel even colder. That's when you'll want to have a jacket handy.

Some feedback from my super-foodie friend about food trucks. She highly recommends the pork belly steamed bun at the Chairman Bao truck. She also says the 510 Burgers truck and the Taco Guys truck are good. Trucks vary in popularity and quality. The ones with the long lines are, you guessed it, probably the best. An update on Off The Grid at Fort Mason: it will start again on March 23, supposedly. My friend forwarded me an email newsletter with that date. As I mentioned above, check before you go to Fort Mason.

Try to visit Napa or Sonoma on your way south. The gas will be expensive. Every gas station I've passed this week is selling over $4 per gallon. Also, do you really want to spend time commuting when you could be exploring SF?

I believe Off The Grid at Fort Mason is totally off the grid at this time, and is set to resume in March. http://san-francisco.cityseekr.com/off-the-grid/festivals-fairs-food-drink/event/mar-2-2012/2089172 Check before you go to Fort Mason, and dress warmly. The other Off The Grid locations are active. I posted the link upthread.

The last time I had dinner with a super-foodie friend, who is also a chef, she unloaded a bunch of recommendations on me. I'm glad to share the budget-minded places with you. How she manages to eat at all these places while holding down a full-time cooking job boggles my mind. I'm sorry to say I haven't checked out these places myself--too many project deadlines for me these days. They're on My List. My friend's recs have always been very reliable. Roam Burgers, http://roamburgers.com/ Spice Kit, http://spicekit.com/ Deli Board, http://www.deliboardsf.com/ Cotogna, especially for the pasta dishes. My friend says they cook pasta perfectly al dente here, other places overcook pasta. (You can tell she has strong opinions about food. ) http://www.cotognasf.com/pdf/cotogna-dinner.pdf In the Tenderloin district, be alert after dark: Saigon Sandwich, http://www.yelp.com/biz/saigon-sandwich-san-francisco Bodega Vietnamese Restaurant, http://www.yelp.com/biz/bodega-bistro-san-francisco-2 Also, some places I have tried that might fit your budget: Delfina's Pizzeria, http://pizzeriadelfina.com/menu.html Bi-Rite Ice Cream, close to Delfina's http://biritecreamery.com/ Burma Superstar, http://www.burmasuperstar.com/menu.html And don't forget the food trucks, Off The Grid: http://www.facebook.com/OffTheGridSF?sk=info There are food trucks and vendors at the SF Ferry Bldg farmers mkt on Saturdays. Recently I became addicted to the porchetta sandwich at the Roli Roti truck. http://www.roliroti.com/ have fun in SF!

Nix on trying to grind rehydrated chiles in an electric blade grinder. I tried it--what a mess. Those grinders are intended for dry ingredients. My system is to chop the rehydrated chiles with a knife, then gradually grind them to a paste with a granite mortar & pestle. Before I bought the granite mortar, I used a smaller marble one. It worked. It just takes longer and you can only grind smaller quantities of paste. Did you see this EGullet thread about the Iwatani grinder? You can join the rest of us to nag Iwatani into selling these grinders in the U.S.

I agree with Jaymes & annabelle, it's better to ditch old herbs and spices rather than use them. Taste a pinch of each, and if it's faded and dusty, throw it out. Perhaps the powers that be might be willing to spend some extra money & replenish your spice rack just this one time? It sounds like it will need it. Green herbs, like dried oregano and thyme, taste faded even after 6 months. To best preserve herbs and spices, keep them in jars in a cool, dark place, like a cupboard. Spice racks on the wall are handy, but if the herbs and spices are exposed to heat and light they will expire even faster.

For fresh chiles in Thai (or any SE Asian cooking) I use fresno, jalapeno, serrano, or Thai bird chiles. The jalapeno and bird chiles have a slightly bitter flavor to them that becomes pronounced if you're using a lot of them in one dish. Thai bird chiles are the hottest, jalapeno and serranos are next hottest, and fresno's are the least hot, in fact, moderate as far as chiles go and even a little sweet. Rehydrated dried chiles are always difficult to chop finely, unless you have a super-grinder like an Indian mixie. But if the recipe calls for dried chiles, and that is a particular flavor you're aiming for...For dried chiles in Thai dishes, I use japonais chiles, chile de arbol's, and puya chiles. All these chiles may be found in Asian markets. Chile de arbol and puya chiles can also be found in Hispanic markets. Japonais chiles and chile de arbol have the best heat and flavor. One or two puya chiles in the curry paste will give it an attractive red color. In case you think I've spent decades figuring out American substitutes for Thai chiles...No. I left that to my wonderful Thai cooking teacher, Kasma Loha-unchit, and I just do what she says.

Only parm & asiago in a cheese sauce would be too strong, IMO. Also, neither is a creamy cheese and people want creaminess in a cheese sauce. Parm, asiago, & pecorino are hard, salty cheeses that are better used for seasoning. A little goes a long way. For pasta with cheese sauce, I would use a milder cheese for the base, and spike it with a stronger cheese like parm or asiago. Taste as you go so you don't overdo the strong cheeses. I like this recipe from Joanne Weir. The mushrooms make a difference--big flavor and meatiness in a vegetarian dish. You can omit the dried mushrooms (I did), and sub a mild cheddar for the fontina. Imported fontina d'aosta is expensive. There's a milder, cheaper fontina in supermarkets that's very suitable. This is one of my faves for a mac & cheese type dish. On Googlebooks, page 197: http://books.google.com/books?id=ReV1lS1J9NMC&pg=PA197&dq=weir+penne+with+mushrooms+fontina&hl=en&sa=X&ei=h-VDT8TJEYqviQLjt72iDg&ved=0CDAQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=weir%20penne%20with%20mushrooms%20fontina&f=false

David Ross, I like that roast cod with applewood bacon. Dejah, now you've got me thinking about lamb chops. An experiment for dinner, a tryout of James Peterson's method to roast chicken from his Meat cookbook. The chicken is rubbed with salt and pepper, trussed, then set on a raft of giblets and chicken necks in a roasting pan. Vegs go around it in the pan. (I used onion, carrot, celery.) The vegs are aromatics, of course, but they also serve a practical purpose to keep the melting fat from burning and spattering as the bird cooks. A triple thickness of buttered foil covers the breast until the legs brown so the breast doesn't overcook. The bird roasts in a 500F oven for a crispy skin. This method is a keeper. The meat was tender and moist, especially the breast, which is often overcooked in other methods I've tried. I'll be doing this one again. The recipe is available on Googlebooks, page 34: http://books.google.com/books?id=85ONKkm_QS4C&printsec=frontcover&dq=james+peterson+meat&hl=en&sa=X&ei=IJNAT6WpEoiiiQL0i9mSAQ&ved=0CDwQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=basic%20roast%20chicken&f=false

Dcarch, my heart beats for your heart beets.

You can bake sweet potatoes just like Idaho potatoes. Rinse and scrub them, trim off the ends if they've gotten hard and dry, and bake in a 400F oven until the potatoes test done when pierced with a knife or skewer. Split them open, add butter and salt, and enjoy. One of my favorite ways to eat sweet potatoes. Your DIY'ers can reheat leftover potatoes in the microwave for breakfast. I'd be cautious about using the canned pumpkin like fresh pumpkin or fresh winter squash. They're not the same. That canned pumpkin is the equivalent of watery boiled pumpkin, and it's lost flavor in the can. I believe it's usually intended for pumpkin pie filling, with plenty of sweet spices (cinnamon, nutmeg, sugar) to make it taste better. You can use the canned pumpkin in other baked goods, like a pumpkin quickbread. You might be disappointed if you use it in a savory soup or stew. Anybody else know? A pumpkin quickbread recipe, adapted from the Fanny Farmer Cookbook. I haven't tried this one, but Marion Cunningham's recipes are usually reliable. http://simplyrecipes.com/recipes/pumpkin_bread/ Have you checked out the Ma Po Tofu thread on EGullet? Here:

Tofu resists frying because it contains a high percentage of liquid, 50% to 60% someone told me. Also, that liquid tastes ick so it's always a good idea to drain and press off some of the liquid in tofu, if possible. You can cut the tofu in slices and place them between layers of paper towels or smooth kitchen towels (not terrycloth) to absorb some liquid. That helps. For serious pressing, wrap the tofu in cheesecloth or a towel, place in a colander in the sink, and set a plate and then a weight (like a big can of tomatoes) on top. That last method probably isn't practical if you're cooking tons of tofu for your crowd, but it is effective. In her cookbook This Can't Be Tofu, Deborah Madison suggests placing sliced or cubed tofu on an oiled pan and letting it bake in a 375F oven. After 10-12 mins, the tofu will have released a lot of water. Drain it off, and let it cook another 10 mins or so, until the tofu is firm. I haven't tried this method myself, but it sounds reasonable and more practical for prepping tofu in quantity. Then you can add the tofu to whatever dish you're making. There's no reason to struggle with stirfrying tofu. Try marinating or oiling the tofu slices, then baking or broiling them. You can serve the slices on the side, or cut them into cubes and toss them into the stirfry just before service. The tofu still tastes good, and it won't be all broken up and crumbly. Also don't overlook how you can add tofu cubes to soups, stews, and braises. The tofu in vegetable braises becomes nice and chewy, with a pleasant texture against the vegetables. I actually prefer tofu in moist cooking, rather than frying. BTW, for tofu cookery, I suggest you track down Madison's This Can't Be Tofu if you can. Vegetarian Cooking For Everyone also has many tofu recipes. Googlebooks has a preview of the tofu chapter from Vegetarian Cooking, here: http://books.google.com/books?id=Ujfe46rgt8kC&printsec=frontcover&dq=madison+vegetarian+cooking+for+everyone&hl=en&src=bmrr&sa=X&ei=Cl4_T_nxJqOuiQKQmKWqAQ&ved=0CDcQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=types%20of%20tofu&f=false Ok, I'll bite. What are the root vegs you have that nobody else will cook?

Hear, hear, for what you're saying, also Jaymes and others. Where does this attitude come from that Jrshaul has to cook a meal for 26 people, and also act as the de facto personal chef for a few others with different food requirements? One of my friends used to lead and cater backpacking trips. She tried to accommodate people as necessary, but she made clear that people with detailed or unusual food needs should bring their own food. That stopped a lot of the baloney, right there.

Except for the stirfry, your meals sound like your pantry: starches and dairy, with odd bits of meat and (it looks like) canned tomatoes thrown in. I am still biting my tongue here, so I won't ask where's the fruit and green veg, even winter green veg like cabbage. Not that any of this is your fault. I'm thinking of your food supplier. Perhaps this recipe can help, given what you have on hand. I've made it a bunch of times. It tastes very good, especially if you can find some mushroom sauce or another savory sauce to put on top. But it's fine plain. My variation of a recipe in Darra Goldstein's A La Russe. It's got starchy veg (potatoes), dairy, protein (eggs) and a yellow veg (onions). CASSEROLE OF MASHED POTATOES WITH CARAMELIZED ONIONS 2 lbs potatoes, peeled and cubed 3 TB melted butter scant 1 cup milk 1 tsp salt 2 eggs, lightly beaten 3 large onions, thinly sliced 2 TB butter 2 TB veg oil 1 cup sour cream Boil the potatoes in salted water until soft when pierced with a knife. Drain well and mash with the melted butter, milk, and salt. Taste and adjust for salt. The mixture should be well-seasoned. Stir in the eggs. Set aside. While the potatoes are cooking, fry the onions with the remaining butter and veg oil over low-moderate heat. Salt. Let cook over slow heat, turning occasionally, until the onions are very soft and golden brown, about 20 mins. To assemble the casserole: Preheat oven to 350F. Grease a 2 qt casserole dish. Fill with half of the mashed potatoes, smoothing it into one layer. Spread the onions evenly over the potatoes. Then layer on the remaining potatoes. Spread the sour cream over the top. Bake for 30 mins, until heated through and lightly browned on top. Yields 4-6 servings. In my experience, the grease eventually starts to smoke and burn in the bottom pan--a big mess. Some people put a little water in the pan to prevent burning grease. I've done that, it's OK. I've also been told to put sliced onions and carrots in the pan instead of water. Don't know how that works out. Anybody else with ideas?

I made this black bean chili only once, and it was delicious. You'll have to omit the steak, of course. The chili should still taste good. Serve it over rice. http://home.sprynet.com/~rjstevenson/cooking/sirloin_black_bean_chili.html Thanks for answering our questions and concerns.

I have been biting my tongue here, wondering if I should say something. I have never heard of a food coop like this. One of my good friends, who is vegetarian, was part of her college food coop for years and her experience sounds nothing like yours. The students had a well-equipped kitchen suitable for prepping meals for a large number; they had rotating committees to do all the cooking and chores, including shopping and ordering foodstuffs; people cooked meals in crews, so nobody was stuck with too much work. In fact, cooking together was fun for the students and the more experienced cooks taught the less experienced cooks. Certainly their kitchen was stocked with basic foodstuffs like pasta, beans, and grains. I hope the suggestions and recipes here can help you. But your budget and resources are so limited I am concerned that you and the other students will even be eating decently. It's possible to do OK on rice and legumes with a very limited budget, but that takes knowledge and dedication to cook the food well and keep it interesting over time. Your coop's setup sounds, to say the least, haphazard. Good food for 26 people requires basic foodstuffs, basic equipment, and preferably helping hands to get dinner on the table. Correct me if I'm wrong, but it sounds like you're supposed to do this entire dinner yourself with very limited resources. I don't get it either.

You didn't mention these ingredients in the pantry, but do you have: pasta? beans? any grains? When it comes to improvising from what you have, you can check out the original hippie cookbook, Tassajara Cooking (not the Tassajara Cookbook, which is different). It gives formulae and guidelines for cooking soups, stews, and casseroles from common, economical ingredients.

Try this African Groundnut Stew. It's delicious, and has the added advantage of being vegan. The entire menu is very good and well-matched, BTW, if you're feeling ambitious. http://www.facebook.com/note.php?note_id=132458436794270 I've cooked this menu at least a couple times that I can recall. No problems that I remember, except that I started munching on the roasted cauliflower and had to put it away so there would be enough for the stew.