Emily_R

Ok, now I may eat my words (and some more Sabra hummus)... While at first I was convinced the Sabra was too smooth and rich and whipped... Well... After polishing off the rest of the container as a dip with whole grain tortilla chips.... I've changed my tune. Very tasty stuff, I think particularly well suited for dipping, as opposed to something like sandwiches... Emily

Chufi -- Very interesting about the Midas -- I'm having a hard time imagining the consistency of ice cream that hasn't been stirred is very good -- can you tell us a little more about it? Emily

I'm totally with you -- just tried Sabra for the first time today (based on this thread) and while the flavor is delicious, it is too smooth and whipped for me, and actually a little too rich as well -- feels like it has more oil / tahini incorporated than I like. (Note that I couldn't find the Sabra "chunky" at Wegmans...) I think I prefer the Tribe consistency better... But I also often just make my own, as I do like just a straight chickpea dip too, with no tahini at all...

I would just say that I love the Callebaut 54% (for eating -- I'm not a chocolate maker) and think it tastes darker than most "semi-sweet" chocolate -- I would think it would be a good balance for many people who like "dark-ish" chocolate but may not want the really intense 70-85% type of taste...

DH and I like our pancakes more like crepes -- very thin, not fluffy at all -- so he uses the recipe in his old better homes and gardens cookbook but doubles the milk. I loooove them -- I usually just sprinkle them with granulated sugar, roll them up, and eat them with my hands. But homemade black raspberry syrup on them is pretty killer too...

Oooh -- Lior, eggplant method 2 sounds totally delicious to me! (Though I must admit, I don't think I'll be able to resist a little feta sprinkled on top before baking)... Will definitely try and let you know!

Yup. I must say I've never found a cooked use for them that is any better than eating them straight up (in my case directly in the garden -- they hardly ever make it to the house!)

Mette -- I am stunned! Such fabulous cakes -- all of them! You've been a busy girl! The website cake cracked me up! Emily

I totally agree with all of these, and would add something I haven't seen already posted -- a variety of canned beans, including chickpeas, cannelini, pintos, and black beans... Love my beans and greens together, and add some sausage and you're really in good shape... Emily

Nothing substantive to add, but this thread did remind me of something that made me smile... When I was a kid, my grandfather (in his 80's at the time) had heard that wheat germ was good for him. So he carried a little jar of it with him to restaurants where he proceeded to sprinkle it on... Wait for it... French fries and steak!!! :-)

I'm sorry I didn't answer you, I didn't see your question. I served it exactly as it came out of the pan. I didn't do anything to it. It did look a little odd but seriously, do yourself a big favour and make it. Also, I served it over mashed potatoes so it just kind of soaked right in. The second time I made it I did stir it up to see if it would be more visually appealing but it just looked like cream gone bad, so I HAD at that point to mix in a roux. It wasn't anywhere near as good. It's such a hit my 6 yo put a bunch of Easter Candy in the crockpot and poured milk on top of it. She told me she was braising her candy in milk just like me. Good thing she can't turn the slow cooker on. ← Ok, finally made Marcella's pork loin braised in milk, and it was indeed very delicious! Husband declared it a huge winner. My only thought is that I used pork butt/shoulder that was right next to the loin, so it was more loin than anything else. I actually think the full-on butt/shoulder would have been better, as parts of the loin felt a little dry to me. On a pleasant surprise note though, I was amazed that it was totally delicious eaten cold straight from the fridge the next day. I thought that curdle-y looking sauce would have to be heated up to taste good, but it certainly did not! Next step -- milk-braised cold cereal, in honor of your daughter Pax! :-)

Seriously -- that is meat porn! What does Bison taste like? Is it close to beef?

I think unless you are specifically looking for savory ways to use them, you might get more response to this thread if posted on the Baking forum...

Oh WOW, those Oreo muffins look AMAZING. Intense drool.

Had to share my absolute hands down favorite way to do kale. Blanch the kale and then chop coarsely. Saute a big batch of chopped garlic in some extra virgin olive oil. Add kale, saute, then add at the end a handful of raisins, a handful of toasted walnuts, and some nice crumbled feta, along with lots of fresh pepper. HEAVEN! The savory of the kale, sweet of raisins, salty of the feta... I'm getting hungry just thinking about it.

Hi all -- Glad to see this thread as I'm contemplating making carnitas tomorrow... I made my first batch a while back, using Jaymes' basic instructions... I can't remember all the details right now, but I do remember using at least some chicken broth for the braise, and -- even though the broth was "low sodium" -- found the end result VERY salty... I also found that I didn't really have distinct cubes at the end -- the meat had fallen apart enough such that I got more along the lines of tasty caramelized mush. Maybe bigger cubes to avoid this? Emily

Just so people know, it looks like all three of the recipes Margo mentions are available for free on their website! Yay! I'm making tilapia tonight, so may try the herb and lemon... The Peanut Crusted Tilapia http://www.taunton.com/finecooking/recipes...rms=50040,52602 The Herb and Lemon Tilapia http://www.taunton.com/finecooking/recipes...rms=50040,52602 The Chicken Paprikas http://www.taunton.com/finecooking/recipes...n_paprikas.aspx

Geezo Pete! Since you posted this suggestion, I've been intrigued, and went to the MSL site to see the video wherein she shows the Sarah (not so) Brightman how to make them. I happened to have all the ingredients and an an hour on my hands, fresh sage from the garden, and with much trepidation, I made them. The "dough" seemed way too soft, and I expected these dumplings to fall apart in the boiling water. Har. Why should I doubt Martha? These were light, cheesy, spinachey. I used a few new techniques, had that cool suspense -- it wouldn't work, and -- it did! Don't be afraid, as I was, that the gnudi are too soft when you form them. Give them the flour dust, the refrigeration, and watch them bob from the bottom of the stock pot ready to be sauced. Mukki, U rock. Thanks. ← Hi all -- Well I don't know quite what went wrong, as I followed the recipe exactly but I made the spinach and ricotta gnudi tonight, and while the mixture was absolutely delicious, they just didn't hold together! Its not that they fell completely apart in the water -- more like that they didn't firm up enough to really be distinct from each other in the bowl -- first batch boiled and in the bowl basically ended up as a bowl of (very delicious) mush. I was so hungry I grabbed some wonton wrappers I had in the fridge and used those to make ravioli... Maybe next time I'll add a little more flour and an extra egg yolk to the mix? One other note -- while they were delicious they were VERY rich. At first I wondered how the recipe could serve 4, but I came to see. Though I would say the recipe is closer to serving 3...

I believe to get the chocolate shiny you need to temper it, but I can't give you directions on that front... The Pastry and Baking board is likely to be a better source -- searching on there for tempering will probably bring up more information than you ever need!

Ok -- I made a recipe tonight that was fantastic -- a real keeper! It was modified from a Cooking Light recipe, but I certainly made enough changes to it, both in ingredients and cooking method to post here... This just had so much depth of flavor, and toasting the spices and using roasted tomatoes gave it a hint of smokiness... Note that I wish I had made more -- this served two for dinner with just a little left over for lunch tomorrow... Indian-Spiced Pork in Tomato Sauce (Based on a Cooking Light Recipe of the same name) Ingredients 1/2 teaspoon ground red pepper 1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds 1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds 3 Cardamom pods 1/4 teaspoon ground coriander 1/4 teaspoon black peppercorns 1/4 teaspoon salt 1.5 tablespoons white vinegar 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh ginger 1 Tbs oil 1 pound boneless pork loin, trimmed and cut into 3/4inch cubes 1 garlic cloves minced 1 cup chopped onion (1 medium) 1/2 cup fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth 2 medium red potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch dice 1.5 cups diced roasted tomato (from canned, undrained) Instructions -- Toast all spices in a pan and then grind in spice grinder. In a mixing bowl, combine spices, ginger, vinegar, and oil, then add pork and stir to combine. Let meat sit with spices at least 30 minutes (would be good longer of course) In heavy pot, saute onions and garlic in some oil. Add meat and brown it. Add the rest of the ingredients, scraping any browned bits from the bottom. Cover and cook on low heat for about 45 minute to an hour... I served this with some green beans that I had roasted along with some mustard seeds... YUM.

Chappie -- Here is a site that received permission to print the Cooks Illustrated baked brown rice method... I know there was at least one other person on eGullet who commended this method too, over on the Cooks Illustrated thread... Note that I never find it takes even close to the full hour that the recipe states -- mine is typically done in about 35 minutes using brown basmati... http://kitchen-parade-veggieventure.blogsp...lustrateds.html

Ghostrider -- What I meant is that the boiling saves time over Cooks Illustrated's baking method, when you factor in oven preheat time and such. I recognize that the boiling in lots of water doesn't save time over the more traditional cooking in just enough water to all be absorbed, but I agree with chappie that the boiling in lots of water yields a much better result -- less gluey -- between those two alternatives. I still feel the baked version gives the fluffiest, least gummy texture of all...

I do brown rice that way when I'm in a hurry or don't want to turn my oven on, and think it turns out well (even without the full time for steaming...) But my personal favorite method for brown rice is the Cooks Illustrated method which involves mixing the rice with boiling water and then baking it in a covered casserole. I've found this makes my brown basmati incredibly fluffy and not dense or sticky at all, even more so than the "boil it like pasta in lots of extra water" method (which still certainly produces better results than the "cook it like regular rice in just enough water for it to absorb" method).

Just wanted to say I second SobaAddict's recommendation of that tomato sauce -- it is amazingly good and so simple. I usually wind up eating at least a third of it straight from the pot with a spoon. I've never made it with canned tomatoes, only fresh, so I'll have to give that a try...

Well a little late for the relevant Jewish holiday, but made hamentaschen today and they are fantastic. A very nice recipe with orange zest in the dough... Filled half of them with apricot jam and the other half with homemade strawberry rhubarb jam... Mmmmmmm...