Emily_R

Anna -- One other question. What do you typically serve the shrimp fritters with? I served them with indian spiced potatoes and cauliflower, but didn't love the combination...

Anna! I made Monica's Shrimp Fritters tonight, and they are in the right place on egullet since they rocked my world! I used 31 to 40 count shrimp, which worked fine, and I appreciated the guidance for oil temperature. The only modification I made was to combine all purpose flour with potato starch for the breading, to give them added crispiness. I must have said "oh my god these are so good" about 10 times during the meal -- pretty much after each shrimp I ate. Thanks so much for posting it...

Anna -- Monica's recipe sounds and looks fantastic to me. A few questions... She doesn't specify an oil temperature -- do you know what temp you use? And how long does it typically take to fry each shrimp -- I've fried chicken before, but never shrimp...

Am I missing something -- every eggroll wrapper I've ever bought has a coating of cornstarch on them to separate them from each other. I can't see how that would work in a lasagne... Emily

Chiming in to say that I agree that simple is best, but I personally think Bearnaise or hollandaise is blah -- adds fat, but to me not that much flavor. I'd far prefer a perfectly sauced au Poivre...

No photo, but for anyone looking for something yummy to do with leftover turkey, I made a dynamite Turkey-based Sopa Azteca (aka Tortilla Soup) based off of Rick Bayless's recipe here -- http://www.rickbayless.com/recipe/view?recipeID=51. I used less broth (used maybe 5 cups of turkey broth, and replaced cooked turkey for the raw chicken... It was really satisfying and flavorful...

Achevres -- I used old fashioned oats. And the good news is I can now report that the dough freezes great -- I took some dough out of the freezer on Friday, let it thaw a bit, baked, and they were just as good as the first batch! Let me know if you make / like them!

Ok, tried this last night: super thin-cut top round, rolled up around garlic, parmesan, and a ton of fresh parsley and oregano. The meat itself was great -- really tender. I made a MAJOR tactical error with the garlic. I thought the flavor would soften since it would be braising in the meat for 1.5 hours.... Nope. Insanely garlicky -- and a sharp garlic flavor, not mellow. Sigh. My husband also thought there should have been more filling -- the meat was so thin that it rolled so many times he felt like it was just eating flavored meat, not like eating something stuffed and rolled... So - yes to the top round for sure. Everything else is back to the drawing board... Em

Thanks Heidi -- I did a search but for some reason didn't find that thread! Though it still doesn't give me a sense of whether the breadcrumb / egg mix is the way to go... Somehow that sounds like it would get all gluey... But maybe that's just because I've never had that style of braciole... Emily

Hi everyone -- I grew up eating braciole that my dad bought from Ottomanelli's butcher shop in NYC, and then braised in tomato sauce... I just got an intense craving for some and since I no longer live in the city, want to try making it myself. Looking online, I found one source suggesting ottomanelli's just uses garlic and herbs as their filling, while almost all the other recipes I've seen use breadcrumbs and cheese and sometimes an egg... Does anyone have a tried and true recipe they could share? Many thanks in advance, Emily

I second the Valrhona Manjari. It is so fruity, I find it is almost like eating chocolate covered raisins... If they were the best chocolate covered raisins in the world!

As soon as I saw this recipe on The Wednesday Chef -- for Soft Zucchini with Harissa, Olives and Feta -- I knew it would be amazing... And it is! I didn't have any olives, but honestly it didn't need them. The only other change I made was to add some lemon zest in addition to the juice. I served this alongside yogurt marinated chicken kabobs and couscous, and which made for a whole Meal That Rocked! http://www.thewednesdaychef.com/the_wednesday_chef/2010/10/gabrielle-hamiltons-soft-zucchini-with-harissa-olives-and-feta.html

Yes yes yes! I think this is the perfect way to put it.

Gotta say I'm in the company of the few others here who love compliments, and the more the better! Though really, the best compliments are food-eating noises -- when I hear grunts and groans of pleasure, then I know I've really done my job. With a very small number of foodie friends I'll dissect the meal with them, but otherwise, I just tell people "I'm so glad you like it!" (and that's true!) And I must admit, while I'm perfectly willing to admit when I've botched it, I'm also willing to agree when people tell me they like it -- or to mention that myself first! If I make a meal for friends and really like it, they'll hear (completely uncontrollable) food noises from me, along with the occasional "damn this is good!"

No photo, but last night I made Ina's Eggplant Gratin for the first time this season... So good! Roasted (she pan-fries, but its too much work if you're doubling or tripling the recipe) eggplant slices, layered with some marinara, and then covered with a ricotta, milk, egg, and parmesan mixture. Baked, the cheese mixture makes sort of a puffy-souffle-frittata thing (is it obvious I can't really quite describe it?) But the whole is delicious. I usually triple her recipe, and make it in a baking pan... The recipe is quite forgiving with proportions... Here's a link... http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/eggplant-gratin-recipe/index.html

In fact, I was not harshing on Seth for anything he did on the show, but instead for the tone of his comments throughout this post. After going back and reviewing them all, it is a series of: Shitty GE equipment, shitty ingredients, shitty challenges that he wasn't trained in and shouldn't have to do because that’s not what he likes to do or values... That plus a line of self-important and superior comments along the lines of "I was more against lowering myself to the challenges" and comments along the lines of "If there were any challenges suited to my wheelhouse, only 2 or 3 other cheftestants would have been able to put up a plate besides mine." And then there’s the “whether or not I acted like a fool and caused a lot of tension, this show was destined to suck from conception.” To me that adds up to a lack of recognition that a) whether the show sucked for him does not speak to whether it sucked for the *audience* and b) that his superior skills are ultimately not the only currency that matters, or that even should matter. Tritocook and Katie, you argue that he never said he claimed the show should have been structured differently. I just can’t help but read the the long chain of putting down the show and building up himself as exactly that. I have no doubt being on a reality TV show is extremely stressful, but again, right now I'm not talking about his actions on the show itself. Furthermore, I have no doubt he makes wonderful contributions to the pastry board, and I hope he continues to, as I'm sure his tone contributing to other threads is quite different. But he is choosing to post to this particular thread, and I think I’m entitled to my opinion about the attitude I think those posts convey.

Hi all -- I'm never sure if dessert recipes are accepted here... But I recently created a recipe so good I just had to post... I was in DC last weekend and had the most amazing cookies -- called Chocolate Salty Oat Cookies -- at this tea shop called Teaism. I got home and knew I needed to try to replicate them. After heavily adapting several oatmeal cookie recipies online -- I succeeded! These are dense, a little chewy, chocolaty, salty, and pretty much addictive. Everyone I've given one to has nearly swooned. Here's the recipe... Chocolate Salty Oat Cookie 3/4 cup butter 2 oz bittersweet chocolate (I used Lindt 85%) 1 cup packed light brown sugar 1/2 cup granulated sugar 2 eggs 1 tsp vanilla 1 cup flour 1/4 cup dutch cocoa 1 tsp baking powder 1/4 tsp baking soda 1/2 tsp Morton Kosher salt 2 cups rolled oats 1/4 cup unsweetned flaked coconut. 3/4 cup (or maybe it was a cup? I didn't measure this) chopped semi-sweet chocolate (I used chopped callebaut) Melt butter and bittersweet chocolate together. Add sugars and combine. When cool enough, add in both eggs and vanilla. Meanwhile, combine flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a small bowl -- add to the wet ingredients and mix to combine. Add the rolled oats and coconut and mix, then finally add the chopped chocolate. Chill dough for at least a half hour -- while oven preheats to 375. Place golf-ball sized hunks of dough on a baking sheet with silpat, and flatten slightly (dough balls should still be quite thick). Sprinkle tops with more kosher salt and coarse sugar (I used Sugar in the Raw). Bake at 375 for around 12-13 minutes -- they shouldn't be browned much at all, so that they don't dry out... Emily

Totally agreed. But based on the comments he has made on this board, I don't think Seth is concerned whether the show is entertaining to the audience -- and instead seems to believe it should have been structured to be a vehicle for his superiority.

Nakji and Chezcherie -- both of these recipes (the indian cabbage sabji and the bacon jam) sound fantastic! Can't wait to make them!

Hi folks -- I just returned back from a visit to a friend in DC, where we went to Teaism in Dupont... Had their Chocolate Salty Oat Cookie and nearly fell over it was so good... Came home and decided I had to try to recreate this thing... And I think I succeeded! Just wanted to share my recipe... 3/4 cup butter 2 oz bittersweet chocolate (I used Lindt 85%) 1 cup packed light brown sugar 1/2 cup granulated sugar 2 eggs 1 tsp vanilla 1 cup flour 1/4 cup dutch cocoa 1 tsp baking powder 1/4 tsp baking soda 1/2 tsp Morton Kosher salt 2 cups rolled oats 1/4 cup unsweetned flaked coconut. 3/4 cup chopped semi-sweet chocolate (I used chopped callebaut) Melt butter and bittersweet chocolate together. Add sugars and combine. When cool enough, add in both eggs and vanilla. Meanwhile, combine flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a small bowl -- add to the wet ingredients and mix to combine. Add the rolled oats and coconut and mix, then finally add the chopped chocolate. Chill dough for at least a half hour -- while oven preheats to 375. Place golf-ball sized hunks of dough on a baking sheet with silpat, and flatten slightly (dough balls should still be quite thick). Sprinkle tops with more kosher salt and coarse sugar (I used Sugar in the Raw). Bake at 375 for 12-15 minutes -- they shouldn't be browned too much, so that they don't dry out... Let me know how you like them and how you think they compare... Emily

When I need quick and satisfying I usually turn to soups + bread or a light salad... My favorite red lentil and carrot soup from Melissa Clark is hearty and satisfying... I have a super quick black bean soup recipe that is dynamite served with a simple quesadilla or with cornbread... I have a tomato and white bean soup that is also good served with something simple like biscuits... All of those whip up in about half an hour...

Chris -- can I ask why only black beans? In my mind the best vegetarian chilis have multiple types of beans in them... I actually think the Cooking Light Three-Bean Chili (http://find.myrecipes.com/recipes/recipefinder.dyn?action=displayRecipe&recipe_id=1696625) is a good place to start for proportions of main ingredients and basic flavorings... They use kidney beans, black beans, and garbanzos, though I usually sub the garbanzo's with pinto beans. I also up the ante with poblanos, or rehydrated anchos... Emily

Hi all -- Its about time someone revived this thread -- surely people have been making some fantastic recipes! I'm here to prod people to make that Scalloped Tomatoes recipe I posted above while summer tomatoes are still around. I made it again last night as a side dish with roast chicken, and it rocked my world yet again. Emily

Last night was the best my house has ever smelled... On the menu was a slow-roasted free range chicken and scalloped tomatoes (tomatoes and sourdough bread, a little basil and garlic, topped with Parmesan cheese). The two sets of smells together was driving me mad.

Come on. That's art, and art actually requires materials. Unless you'd be upset about the trees cut down to make the paper for a watercolor painting, or all the hay it took to feed the sheep that made the wool used in a tapestry, I don't see why you're raining on her parade. Dcarch -- I personally think those photos are amazing, beautiful, and inspiring.