djyee100

I like this method for many herbs and greens, but not basil or mint. If basil or mint leaves are wet and stored in the fridge, they will turn black. I store basil and mint in a jar with a little water, as described by various people above.

Actually, people tend to have more problems with underproofing rather than overproofing, so concentrate on that. I poke a finger into the dough, and if the indentation doesn't immediately fill up, or fills up only slowly, then I consider the dough to be properly proofed. About shaping. It does take practice. Snowangel, is there any particular shape you're having problems with? Baguettes can be a little fussy for everyone. For a round loaf, Peter Reinhart once suggested: patting the dough into a rectangular shape; folding it in thirds like an envelope; turning the dough 90 degrees and folding it into thirds again like an envelope; then pull up the corners. This method produces a high, round loaf.

I'm guessing that the key step was #1: beating the flour with sugar and milk for 30 mins. That must have developed the gluten. Then late in the game, step #5, you beat in the butter. To my mind, that accounts for the croissant-like texture. I've made brioche-like breads with yeast starters (starters made of flour, water, yeast, and sugar; kept overnight in the fridge). As far as I can tell, the starter affects the flavor, not the texture. I never got a croissant-like texture in my breads, and the only difference between my method and yours is your 30 minutes of beating at the beginning. Anyway, this recipe sounds fantastic and I will have to check it out. P.S. I could not resist trying a Google search to find out the temperature of a Russian river in the summer. No definitive answer, but research indicates a large range of temperatures since some Russian rivers are mostly Arctic runoff and are very cold even in summer. Perhaps the recipe writer should specify which river or which region of the country he is talking about? ( )

I'll have to agree with Panosmex, mole is most authentically from central Mexico, especially Oaxaca. Why did your granddaughter think that mole is Mayan and choose it for her report? Also, most moles require a fair amount of prep and cooking and possibly some hard-to-find ingredients. This is not a cooking project for a 6th grader. If you can find it, check out Spirit of the Earth: Native Cooking in Latin America by Beverly Cox and Martin Jacobs, which has both traditional and modernized Mayan recipes. http://www.amazon.com/Spirit-Earth-Native-...02962028&sr=1-2 And here are a couple links: http://www.foodtimeline.org/foodmaya.html and http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maya_cuisine Chocolate drinks have been attributed to the Maya, predating the Aztecs (who were most known for it), and might be a better subject for a school report (if someone else hasn't claimed it). http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/20...Vchocolate.html good luck!

If you have what I think you do, this is gluten flour that you can add to regular bread flour to give the loaf a better rise. It's commonly added to dough for a breadmaking machine. However (according to a friend who uses it in his breadmaking machine), too much gluten flour will cause gassy indigestion, so be cautious with it. Here's one recipe I found in a Google search. I've never used 90% gluten flour myself. http://down---to---earth.blogspot.com/2007...-beginners.html

The ingredients for Wild Mushroom Souffle on this blog are virtually identical to Julia Child's cheese souffle in Mastering the Art vol 1. The major difference: increase the cheese to 3/4 cup. (No mushrooms, of course.) http://marcsala.blogspot.com/2006/07/tale-of-morel-ity.html The Mastering recipe calls for Swiss or Swiss/Parmesan. I like to make cheese souffle with Gruyere, though any kind of flavorful hard cheese should be fine. As for other fillings, I suggest you keep it simple for a first souffle. Embellishments like ham, mushrooms & veg weigh down the souffle and also add moisture. I suggest that you learn to make the basic souffle first. Any simple but hearty side dishes you can serve?

These souffles sound perfect to me. The French style souffle is somewhat runny in the center; the American style is firmer. (I prefer the American style myself.) - An ice cream scoop is handy for placing the mixture into small souffle dishes. - To achieve the "top hat" effect in a souffle, smooth the surface and cut a circle into it, about 1/2" deep and 1" away from the edge in a large souffle, maybe 1/2" away from the edge in small souffles. Well! this thread is bringing back my souffle memories. Over 30 years ago I took a cooking class entitled "La Cuisine Francaise," taught by a wonderful woman named Josette King in the basement of the Boston YWCA. It was the first cooking class I had ever taken in my life. Josette was the daughter of a French hotel chef, and could she cook. No fancy ingredients, she just knew what she was doing. I and the other neophytes were bowled over. Josette and her husband went to NYC, ate at a fancy restaurant there, and upon her return Josette replicated the orange souffle she had eaten for dessert. I asked her, "How can you do that?" She smiled and replied, "When you cook a lot, you can figure out how to make things." Here's my version of her orange souffle recipe. Enjoy! SOUFFLÉ AUX ORANGES Serves 6 Butter and granulated sugar for dish(es) 2 large oranges (preferably Naval) 2 ounces (4 tbsp) butter 1/2 cup flour 1 1/2 cup milk 1/3 cup sugar 5 egg yolks 3 TB Grand Marnier 6 egg whites 1 pinch salt Confectioner's sugar (optional) Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Butter 6 individual 8 oz soufflé dishes or one 2-qt soufflé dish, dust with granulated sugar, and shake out the excess. Remove zest from the oranges with a microplane or grater, set aside the zest, then peel and section the oranges. Remove any seeds if necessary. Melt the butter in a medium-size saucepan, add the flour, and cook stirring constantly for approximately one minute. The mixture will foam. In a separate pan, bring the milk to a boil, add the sugar, and stir to dissolve. Away from the heat, pour the milk into the flour mixture, stirring constantly with a whisk until smooth. Return to the heat and keep stirring until the mixture comes to a boil and thickens. Add egg yolks, Grand Marnier, and orange zest to mixture, stirring briskly with a whisk. Beat egg whites with salt until stiff peaks form, then fold gently into the mixture, 1/4 of the egg whites folded in at a time. Fill the soufflé dish(es) to 1/3 full, add a few orange sections, then add enough mixture to fill the dish to 3/4 full. Smooth the surface. Cut a circle into surface, about 1/2 " deep and 1" from edge of dish for a large soufflé dish, less for smaller dishes to achieve the "top hat" effect. Bake until soufflés are puffed and golden brown, approx 18 mins for small soufflés, and 40-45 mins for a large soufflé. The soufflé will still jiggle slightly in the middle when done. Sprinkle soufflés with confectioner's sugar if desired and serve at once.

- How's your technique for whipping egg whites? As long as you know how to beat egg whites to soft peaks (not to overbeat or underbeat) you are 90% there. - Cut or chop any embellishments like ham or veg into very small pieces. - Be careful not to deflate the egg whites when folding into the base. I pile my egg whites on top of the base and gently fold them in with a spatula, using a pinwheel-like motion (center to edge) around the bowl. You don't have to be super-thorough. A few white streaks here and there are OK. - I like to butter my souffle dish then sprinkle it generously with breadcrumbs or grated cheese for a savory souffle; sugar for a sweet souffle. Otherwise the souffle can have that unpleasant dried-out egg crust. I never use a collar. A regular souffle dish suffices. - The souffle is done when it is well-browned and still jiggles a little in the middle when you shake it slightly. There's a mystique about souffles that is not warranted. They are cookable. But they can be tricky, especially if you've never seen them prepared before. Give it a shot, and if necessary, come back here for some troubleshooting.

Congrats, Dejah. What a great accomplishment. When I read about all the dim sum you guys turned out, my eyes crossed. Wow.

Try Spirit of the Harvest: North American Indian Cooking by Beverly Cox and Martin Jacobs. This cookbook won the James Beard Foundation award in 1992. http://astore.amazon.com/paulag-20/detail/1556701861 ETA: recipesource.com has a section of Native American recipes. http://www.recipesource.com/ethnic/americas/native/

On busy days I like to marinate them in garlic, ginger, & soy sauce, then steam them for 25-30 mins. They taste especially good served with rice and steamed napa (Chinese) cabbage. I like them steamed with dried salted black bean, also. http://steamykitchen.com/blog/2007/11/12/c...ack-bean-sauce/ Not a super-tender cut of meat, but not tough either. I like 'em.

I use the silicone spatulas all the time. They're especially handy for cooking ice cream custard base. Once I could scrape the bottom of the pot thoroughly, I stopped losing ice cream base to overheating and curdling. But forget about those silicone mitts. One day I was assisting at a cooking class, and I pulled a big creme brulee custard out of the oven. The da-n mitts came off my hands! I managed to drop the custard onto the nearest stovetop, so it didn't hit the floor, but the top of that beautiful custard cracked into fissures. Right in front of a full demo class, of course. No silicon mitts for me from that day on.

Cook's Illustrated did a great test on pot roast (which is basically braised beef). Here's their recipe. You can look at it for comparison. They recommended chuck roast for braising, and they said to cook it for a very very long time. http://www.recipezaar.com/37554 The original article is worth reading for the information, but you'll have jump thru a hoop (trial membership) to read it online. http://beef.cooksillustrated.com/login.asp...recipe&iseason= I agree with C. Sapidus. Turn the heat up to high (if I were you, I'd be on 10), dry the meat between layers of paper towels before you sear, and cook the meat in small batches. When the meat turns gray that means the meat is releasing its juices and it's cooking in liquid. The heat's too low. Too much meat in the pan will keep the temperature too low for searing. Don't worry about drying out the meat. It's about to be moist-cooked for hours.

I was flipping thru some recipes last night and came across this gem: a slow-cooked, herb-crusted pork roast from the Mimosa restaurant in LA. Very good, and very easy. When I cooked it, I made the half-recipe with a 3 lb roast and it finished cooking in 3 hrs. http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/102530

Check out the recipes on Rick Rodgers' website. I believe many of the recipes were developed during his catering days. I once attended one of his cooking classes, and wrote in my notes: "tasty food for a crowd." Recipes on RR's website: http://www.rickrodgers.com/recipes/

I did a Google search on this superstition and found a few references here and there. In its most specific, traditional form, it's bad luck for the bride to make her own wedding cake. Some people have casually updated this cake superstition to include the couple. (Question: is that really an improvement?) BTW, for anyone about to be married, don't do this Google search for yourself. You'll uncover a host of superstitions about the wedding ritual that will probably tempt you to call the whole thing off. Thirty years ago one of my friends and her husband, both of whom like to cook, made their wedding cake and some of the food for the reception too. They said they enjoyed the cooking because it gave them some time together during the pre-wedding nuttiness. They're still (happily) married.

A friend who is a line cook told me how the famous chef-owner of a SF restaurant once broke the sauce before the evening service... Some days that's what happens. I can cook up something mediocre if I'm preoccupied with other matters. I suggest that you get back into the saddle and cook something else.

Cold greens that have been sauteed with garlic. Kale, chard, broccoli, bok choy. Oh yeah, cold roast cauliflower rates too. These are leftovers that I'm supposed to heat up for dinner, except they never make it to the plate.

I was flipping thru some old recipes last night and came across this one for dumplings in chicken soup: Sift together 1 1/2 cups AP flour, 2 1/4 tsp baking powder, 1/2 tsp salt. Add in 2 TB minced fresh parsley and 1 TB minced chives. Combine with 3/4 cup milk. Drop by tablespoonfuls into the simmering soup and let cook 12-15 mins. It's yummy.

Could you tell us exactly which ones you've been trying out? thanks. ETA: oops, just saw the comment "blued steel halfway down page." That's what reading on the computer screen does to you.

Now this is the kind of topic I like on egullet. I remembered a recipe I clipped from the NYT ages ago for Roast Chicken Volhynian Style. This is a Polish recipe for stuffed roast chicken, and the stuffing contains 2 cups of loosely packed parsley. It's fabulous. For the full recipe and article (which is well worth reading for the history of this recipe), you can pay the NYT archives here: http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.htm...BF1D3&scp=1&sq= Or you can cook a stuffed roast chicken as you usually do, and here's how to make the stuffing (my version): - Combine 1 cup day-old French or Italian bread cubes with 1/4 cup milk. - In a blender or food processor, combine 2 cups loosely packed parsley leaves and 1 chicken liver until finely chopped. - In a separate bowl, cream together 4 TB butter with 2 egg yolks. - Combine the butter mixture with the bread and parsley mixtures. Salt and pepper to taste. - Whip 2 egg whites until stiff and fold into the stuffing. Then stuff the bird. I haven't made this recipe in a very long time, and now I'm motivated to cook it again.

Here's my favorite ice cream book: Sorbets and Ice Creams by Lou Seibert Pappas. http://www.amazon.com/Sorbets-Ice-Creams-F...99941212&sr=8-4 The dark chocolate ice cream is my favorite chocolate ice cream recipe. Some excellent gelatos from this book: Gelato! by Pamela Sheldon-Johns. The book has been out-of-print, selling for $40 at used book websites, so I emailed the publisher and mentioned that, um, there appeared to be a market for this book, so how about reprinting it? They replied that the book will be reprinted this spring in paperback. http://www.amazon.com/Gelato-Italian-Cream...99941390&sr=1-3 I also like the ice cream recipes from David Lebovitz's Room For Dessert , especially the vanilla bean ice cream recipe. People look bored when I say there's vanilla ice cream for dessert, but not after they taste this one.

Spoiled Californian here... I really don't care for the "organic" lemons at Whole Foods. Purity is the brand, I think. They are too well scrubbed, oiled and waxed. While they do last a really long time after I buy them, the amount of oil and flavor just doesn't hold a candle to the ones I get at the Farmers' Market, Latin Markets, or from friends with trees. ← Most markets sell Eureka lemons, which are tart and juicy and can take a lot of handling. Whether organic or not, I suspect the supermarket lemons are simply less fresh and less ripe than those from the farmers markets or backyard trees. When I moved to a place with a backyard Eureka lemon tree, I discovered (1) ripe lemons are actually golden in color, not yellow; and (2) they have the most amazing citrus aroma. All I knew before were supermarket lemons.

An update for you. Cradle of Flavor Home Cooking from the Spice Islands of Indonesia, Malaysia, and Singapore by James Oseland Recipe Index: (numbers refer to post #s on this thread) CONDIMENTS: SAMBALS, DIPPING SAUCES, DRESSINGS & PICKLES Javanese Sambal - 156, 285 Nyonya Sambal - 10, 169, 245, 249 Lemongrass & Shallot Sambal - 51 Green Mango Sambal - 185 Sweet Soy Sauce & Lime Dipping Sauce - 40, 74, 116, 188, 301 Nyonya Dipping Sauce - 136, 142 Soy Sauce, Chile & Lime Dipping Sauce - 202 Sweet & Sour Chile Dipping Sauce - 207 Javanese Peanut Sauce - 124, 198, 301 Sweet & Sour Cucumber & Carrot Pickle w/Turmeric - 17, 40, 51, 112, 236 Javanese Cucumber & Carrot Pickle - 74, 97, 142, 158, 198, 199, 235, 281 South Indian-Style Eggplant Pickle - 157 Malaysian Spiced Pineapple Pickle - 100, 292 STREET FOODS Beef Satay - 10, 40, 45, 59, 112, 188, 301 Chicken Satay - 74, 177, 198, 301 Shrimp Satay - 259 Gado Gado - 124 Chopped Veg. Salad w/Coconut & Lime Leaf Dressing - 116 Crisp Jicama & Pineapple Salad - 45 Fried Sweet Plantains - 160 Bean Sprout & Potato Fritters - 207 RICE & NOODLES Steamed Rice - 74, 142, 199, 202 Lemongrass Scented Coconut Rice - 10, 40, 51, 97, 188, 259, 301 Celebration Yellow Rice - 83, 112, 144, 240, 281 Spiced Nyonya Rice - 235 Javanese Fried Rice - 10, 116, 302 Herbal Rice Salad Stir Fried Chinese Egg Noodle w/ Shrimp & Asian Greens - 210, 249 Penang-Style Stir-Fried Kuey Teow Noodles - 154, 283 Chicken Curry Noodle Soup, Kuala Lumpur Style - 67 VEGETABLES Stir Fried Asian Greens w/ Garlic & Chiles- 74, 134, 153, 217, 281, 283, 295, 301 Stir Fried Bean Sprouts w/ Chinese Chives or Scallions - 123, 157, 166, 249 Sauteed Cabbage w/Ginger & Crispy Indian Lentils - 286 Braised Cabbage w/ Dried Shrimp - 149, 164 Stir Fried Water Spinach, Nyonya Style - 17, 129, 183, 229, 245 Green Beans with Coconut Milk - 112, 144, 149, 156 Ching Lee's Braised Lemongrass Long Beans - 100, 119, 299 Rohati's Crisp-Fried Potatoes w/Chile & Shallot Sambal - 10, 150 Potato Rendang - 32, 173, 249 Fern Curry with Shrimp - 267 Asiah's Eggplant Curry - 36, 202 FISH & SHELLFISH Fragrant Fish Stew w/Lime & Lemon Basil - 229, 261 Spice Braised Tuna - 10 Padang Fish Curry - 10 Hot & Sour Fish Stew w/Bamboo Shoots - 260 Indian-Style Fish Stew w/Okra - 286 Pan-Seared Mackerel w/Chiles & Garlic - 10, 134 Pan-Seared Tamarind Tuna - 51 Stir-fried Tamarind Shrimp - 130 Grilled Whole Fish w/Lemon Basil & Chiles Nyonya Shrimp Curry w/Fresh Pineapple & Tomatoes - 217 Stir-Fried Shrimp Sambal - 10, 173, 273 Black Pepper Crab - 252 POULTRY The Soto King's Chicken Soup - 113 Javanese Chicken Curry - 120, 185, 280 West Sumatran Chicken Curry - 106 Chicken Rendang w/Cinnamon & Star Anise - 10 Nyonya Chicken & Potato Stew - 110 Mien's Garlic Fried Chicken - 156 Nyonya-Style Spiced Fried Chicken - 136, 142 Kevin's Spiced Roast Chicken w/Potatoes, Penang Style - 112 Javanese Grilled Chicken - 83, 97, 112, 144 Grilled Coconut Chicken w/Lemon Basil - 17, 166, 183, 187 Nyonya Duck Soup w/Salted Mustard Greens - 169 BEEF, GOAT & PORK (FOODS OF CELEBRATION) Beef Rendang - 32, 90, 125, 158, 193, 198, 199, 234, 251, 281 Spiced Braised Nyonya Pork - 10, 100, 105, 157, 158 Malaccan Beef & Vegetable Stew - 236, 245, 251 Javanese Spiced Oxtail Stew - 285 Achenese Goat Curry - 176, 182, 292, 299 TEMPEH, TOFU & EGGS Garlic-Marinated Tempeh - 201, 202, 272 Tempeh Sambal w/Lemon Basil - 280 Carmelized Tempeh w/Chiles - 240 Tofu & Summer Vegetables in Coconut Milk - 274 Twice-Cooked Tofu w/Coriander - 224 Fried Eggs w/Garlic, Shallots, Chiles & Ginger - 16, 123 Kopi Tiam Soft-Boiled Eggs - 164 Chile Omelet - 153, 295 SWEETS & BEVERAGES Indonesian Spice Cake - 152 Nutmeg Tea Cookies - 163, 165 Purple Rice Pudding w/Coconut Milk Sweet Spiced Mung Bean Porridge - 164 Plantains w/Coconut Milk & Palm Sugar - 236 Sweet Rice Dumplings w/Palm Sugar & Coconut - 291 Cinnamon Tea - 134 Hawker's Tea - 220 Warm Spiced Limeade - 162 Lime-Cordial Syrup - 296 Singapore Slings

Beautiful satays and sauces, Food Man. Here's another classic dish from C of F, Javanese Fried Rice (Nasi Goreng). This is a spicy fried rice with red chile flavoring paste and kecap manis. A convenient recipe if you have lots of leftover rice in the fridge. (Otherwise not so convenient, since the rice must be cooked and chilled before making the fried rice.) The dish is topped with firm-cooked fried eggs and garnished with fresh cucumbers on the side. A comfort-food meal. I'm on a cooking hiatus for a few wks, but I'll be around and interested in seeing what other people are cooking.