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kbjesq

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Everything posted by kbjesq

  1. kbjesq

    Crock Pot

    Yes, that's true . . . but they also recommended the HAMILTON BEACH Programmable Slow Cooker with Temperature Probe Features: 6-quart capacity, digital timer, programmable temperature probe, "keep warm" mode. According to CI: "While the temperature probe itself wasn't a lure for testers ("slow cooking shouldn't be that temperature-specific"), this model passed the evaporation test and performed well in the cooking tests. This cooker was downgraded for being the only one without handles on the insert, which made removing it difficult-especially when hot." And it's on sale at Target this week for $34.99, (here). For $100+ price difference, I'll go with the Hamilton Beach and get out my pot holders.
  2. Fingerling potatoes, steamed and cut in half, can substitute for bread or crackers as a vehicle to deliver something yummy. I personally like the sour cream and caviar topping, but it's really good with any simple flavored soft cheese (goat cheese, cream cheese, etc.), onion confit, or other topping. They can certainly be cooked ahead of time, and just assembled right before serving. (I find that they taste best when served at room temperature and I generally scoop out just a bit of the middle to provide more room for the topping). With all the varieties and colors available now, you could really make an interesting presentation and impact for a (relatively) low cost!
  3. I will second the nod for the "Food for 50" book. It is really quite a handy reference. I am also cooking for between 25-50 every Sunday for a non-profit community group, and I have found this book to be extremely helpful. The retail price is something like $60, but I got a used copy from Amazon for around $12. It does not have a lot of fancy or gourmet recipes, but it is perfect for these types of functions (serving large quantities of food to people with conservative palates, on a very tight budget). It also has helpful sections regarding menu planning, portions, cost control, etc.
  4. Check out the "dinner thread" and you will see that David Ross has recently posted photos of the most gorgeous rotisserie chicken that he makes with his "Showtime" rotisserie (by Ronco). There are more relevant photos in his blog, as well. I think that it is a very good product and the price is fairly reasonable. FWIW, I've seen "practically new" models selling on ebay for $25!
  5. kbjesq

    Crock Pot

    Andie, if it's not too much trouble, would you mind posting more pictures of your crock pot collection? This is absolutely fascinating. Just like Jean Blanchard, I threw away a really cheap crock pot that never worked properly when I bought a new pressure cooker. After reading this thread, I realized how much I miss the crock pot option and so, since I had a bunch of reward points and could basically get it for free, I pulled the trigger and ordered this Hamilton Beach Slow Cooker with temperature probe. I'm really not that into adding gadgets onto things, but the size and the price was right and maybe the probe feature will prove useful.
  6. Very, very cool!!! Maybe after I read your book, I will have the courage to replace my knives, all of which have been ruined by the "Chef's Choice" electric knife sharpener. (In my defense, it was recommended by CI!!!)
  7. When and where can advance copies be ordered? I so need this book. If the rest of the photographs are anywhere near as nice as the photos that you posted upthread, we are really in for a treat.
  8. Rona, gorgeous eggs and the steamed buns that you posted over in the Chinese Eats at Home thread are also looking very good! I would never have thought to use the chips in lieu of hash browns, but I am going to give it a try. Sounds yummy.
  9. It seems like PBS is taking up the slack in food programming. Thank goodness. If I see Paula Deen's sons on one more infomercial-disguised-as-a-program, I am going to scream. I have really been enjoying this new series with Mark Bittman. Full info about the series, broadcast times, recipes, etc. is located here - and notice at the bottom of the page there is an "Ask Bittman" link (coming soon). That should be fun!
  10. Aye-aye. I have a very dog-eared, stained version of the New York Times Heritage Cookbook that was a gift from my mother when I was in my teens. I get great pleasure when I run across the page containing a recipe for oatmeal bread. Amongst the numerous stains and splatters are the comments that I wrote some decades ago, stating, "Very easy and delicious!"
  11. I only make "real" lists for large meals. The rest of the time, I rely on impulse purchases. I will, however, stick a scrap of paper in my wallet when a reminder is needed for things that are necessary, but only purchased occasionally (batteries, aspirin, coffee filters, etc.) Here is a list from a recent meal prepared for a group of teens and adults at a community program (the budget was $2 pp!) (I do not get paid for preparing the meal, it is a volunteer position)
  12. Yesterday, I made Mollie Katzen's banana bread - with chocolate chips. Yum. Then, I made a loaf of simple white bread in the Zojirushi Bread Machine. Just throw the ingredients in there, turn it on, and a couple of hours later, done. If you haven't tried these King Arthur Bread Bags, they really do work - bread stays fresh for days.
  13. This great thread has been quiet too long. May I add: -- Swamp cabbage -- Gator tail -- Fried mullet (served with grits) -- Smoked fish dip (a/k/a "Smak") -- Frogs legs -- Cornbread stuffing with oysters -- Garlic crab All of which are very popular where I live (Central FL), and very foreign to me (a transplanted Yankee).
  14. kbjesq

    Rice Cookers

    Andisenji, in the other thread, you mentioned that you cook vegetables and potatoes in your Zo. Can you tell me how you do that? I recently acquired a 10 cup Zo IH rice cooker, and I'm interested in learning more ways to use it. It really does make great rice (much better than my old, one-button model) and I'm amazed at how well the keep warm function works.
  15. Fresh hams were on sale recently for .99/lb, so I bought the biggest one that I could find and brined in overnight in a salt/brown sugar mixture, with cloves, bay leaf, pepper, mustard seeds, and cinnamon. (Important to score the skin first, making sure to cut all the way through the skin but not all the way through the fat layer below). Next day, I popped it in the oven for about 6 hours on 325 F. (The first 30 minutes were at 450 F). Perfect.
  16. Umm, not really. To be perfectly honest. But your creativity and effort are commendable. Can you do anything with these?
  17. Hiroyuki, your supper from last night looks delicious. Tonight, I was in a hurry because I had a meeting after work. I put the ingredients for this "mushroom rice with dried tofu" in the rice cooker and went to my meeting. Dinner was ready when I got home. The recipe (for 4 cups of rice in the rice cooker) is: 3 cups of dashi, 2 tbs. of soy sauce, 4 tsp. of sake plus minced dried mushrooms and tofu. I think that means the ratio is somewhere around 16:2:1. I was disappointed to realize that I only had basmati rice available (and a 10 lb bag at that) but I didn't have time to worry about it. I had to forge ahead with the ingredients on hand. It was very tasty, but I think that I would have enjoyed the texture much more with a medium grain rice.
  18. Yesterday morning, I placed a large and lovely pot roast in the oven with some wonderful beef stock (browning it carefully first). Turned the oven to 190 F and left for work, expecting to come home some 10 hours later to dinner, all ready to go. I knew something was wrong when I opened the door and the house was full of smoke. Unbeknownst to me, the cleaning service arrived about an hour after I left and somehow reset my oven to 375 F, convection roast. So after approximately 9 hours at 375 F, the poor thing was cooked to beyond recognition (and probably less than 1/2 of its original size). Oddly, there was still just a smidgeon of moisture left in the very middle, which I attribute to the Staub pot. DH said it tasted like beef jerky: The amazing thing is that after soaking overnight, the pot is as good as new.
  19. kbjesq

    Lunch! (2003-2012)

    Rona, that looks scrumptious to me. I'd never have thought to top it with an egg. I made the hzrt8w mapo tofu a couple of weeks ago, but I used ground turkey instead of pork (sacrilege, I'm sure, but it still tasted great). Next time, I am going to try your technique and top it with a poached egg.
  20. Thanks to Hiroyuki, I knew to look for instant dashi when I finally had the opportunity to shop in an Asian market. I purchased several types of instant dashi, but my favorite is in the form of a large tea bag. The dashi is made by placing 3 c. of water in a pot, adding the bag, and simmering for 10 minutes. Voila! Instant dashi. The box has a nice soup recipe on the back (3 c. of dashi, 1/4 c. each of soy sauce and mirin). I'm not good at math, but I think that translates to a ratio of 12:1:1. With apologies for this terrible photo, here is a picture of the soup (I added shiitake mushrooms, carrots, udon noodles, tofu and chives):
  21. I'm in the same boat, jgm. I have a food saver but it's too much of a hassle to drag out every time I want to store a head of lettuce in the fridge. Try the green bags. They really work, and they are re-usable. I'm just beginning to toss out some of the bags (because they've lost their effectiveness) that I started using more than 6 months ago. Vegetables last so much longer using green bags - I'd guess at least 2-3 times longer.
  22. Here is a diagram from a book titled, "Food for Fifty" by Mary Molt. This diagram shows how to cut various cake shapes into the specified number of servings (which still looks very difficult to me, as I am not a baker!). The image in the lower, right corner shows how a 12" round cake can be cut into 36 portions.
  23. I have had the KA architect series double ovens in two kitchens, and I had zero problems. I would have them again in a heartbeat. I think you will find if you research KA wall ovens that most customers are very happy with them. I have double Miele now at more than twice the price, and not at all sure twice the performance!
  24. Very good point. I read the owner's manual after I completely removed all of the serrated edges on my bread knife using stage 1. After reading the owner's manual, I also noticed the little sticker on top of stage 1 that says, "not for use on serrated knives". Wow, come to think of it, I do get very sharp edges, but you are right, it seems like I have to sharpen my knives more frequently as time goes by. Well, at least now I know what that little hollow in the back end is called . . . sigh. BTW, I do have the Chef's Choice Model 120. Do you have any suggestions on how to use this for best results? (Other than to avoid stage 1 altogether, which is what I do now). And finally, Is there a mail-in knife sharpening service that you recommend?
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