Pierogi

Hi Darienne, Let me clarify what some others have alluded to. These chiles, with the exception of the poblano, are only available dried. As a matter of fact, "ancho chile" is the name for a dried poblano. The pasilla, chile de arbol, cascabel are only ever offered, commercially at least, and widely used as dried chiles. The recipes you've seen and are starting to use, are made with these chiles in the dry form, if they're called for under these names. Frequently they'll be rehydrated before use, and the soaking liquid will also be used in the dish. Rick Bayless does a fabulous job of explaining Mexican chile nomenclature in his books, specifically "Mexican Kitchen" (which also has a wealth of fabulous recipes). I'd really suggest you lay your hands on a copy of it, and all this will become clear to you. It's confusing even for those of us who grew up with "Mexican" food....

I have to say, I am even more disappointed in this channel than I thought I was going to be, and that' saying a LOT. The programming that I've scanned in the guides seems to be retreads from the early days of Food Network (i.e., Molto Mario, Sara's Secrets, Michael Chiarello, Emeril) and retreads from Food Network Canada. I don't think I've seen anything in the listings with a copyright date later than 2008 ! Now, Molto Mario, Sara's Secrets and Michael Chiarello were good shows, but like, I'VE SEEN THEM. I've seen them ALL, over and over when they ran on Food Network. I don't really need to see them again. In my time zone, the vintage Julia doesn't run at a time that's convenient for me to watch. The evening programming seems to be a rehash of the "Unwrapped" and "Secret Life of...." model. I did watch a new-to-me show earlier in the week. The premise was that the chef (who's also a singer/composer of rap-ish/hip-hop-ish stuff) worked with "exotic" ingredients. Like...wait for it...mango. It was a Canadian production, again with a copyright like 5 years ago. I won't be seeking it out again. No Pam, I haven't seen ANY *new* programming. Seems to me its a scam to let Scripps flog some old, tired horses over and over and sell some additional advertising time on them, and get some additional payments from cable and satellite services to carry them. Pass, thanks anyway.

Dear Darienne.... Welcome to the YaYaEnchiladaSisterhood. This is a MARVELOUSLY adaptable technique, which is just made for using up any protein leftovers you may find lurking in your cold storage units. Once you've got the technique down (sauce, even purchased works perfectly....canned, bottled, whatever), dip tortillas, fill with protein/cheese/onions/chiles/olives/scallions/whatever bound together with sauce, pour more sauce over, add more cheese and bake, you've got dinner. Leftover roast beef....? Enchiladas ! Leftover roast/grilled/sauteed chicken...? Enchiladas ! Too much turkey after a holiday feast....? Enchiladas ! Leftover pork tenderloin/chops/shoulder...? You got it.... Even just cheese and sauce is plenty satisfying and plenty good. Protein won't shred....no big deal, just dice it in fairly small cubes and carry on. Enchiladas are a gift from the culinary gods. Just don't skimp on the cheese.

I have grilled heads of romaine successfully, and like it. Cut them in half, or quarters if they're large, leaving the core intact. Brush with some oil, and plop over a low charcoal grill or onto a grill pan also works well. I've only dressed them with a thick dressing, bleu cheese or ranch, but I'm scheming on doing it with 1000 Island that I bought for some Reuben sandwiches a bit ago. I've also thought of grilling iceberg in a similar fashion. Wouldn't think any type of grilling would work so well with any of the more delicate, or baby lettuces. I think they need to be pretty robust to take the heat.

It's a mixed bag for me. I keep the base spirits and the vermouths (which I use more than any other "mixer" type-creature) in a cabinet in the kitchen, which is where, obviously the freezer is, and where I mix. The other specialty liquers and such (St. Germaine, Cynar, Herbsaint, Cointreau, Campari, etc.) are in a cabinet in another room. I pull from that what I need, and with the base spirits and such (olives, fresh fruit, etc.) put them to a side of a counter while I imbibe. When I'm cleaning up the kitchen after dinner, everything goes to it's home. My kitchen is WAY too small to leave anything out on a counter that doesn't have to be there.

I'm in SoCal. I usually get my limes from Trader Joe's. They *had* been about $1.99 for a one-pound bag (usually 5-7 limes...). Which is a steal compared to the mega-marts, where they're like 50 cents a piece, and have been forever. Lowest I'd seen them at the supers was 3 for a buck. About 2 or so months ago, TJ's price went up to almost $3.00 per pound bag. They've now come back down to I think $2.49, which is still better than the supers, but WTF.....? I vaguely remember hearing something about California's cold, wet winter affecting produce prices, and Florida had some deep freezes as well, so maybe that's it. I can't speak for produce, but know my roses look like crap this year because the weather's been so cold and dreary, and the jacarandas are *VERY* late, so maybe it was the weather that did it.

Oh Lord, one can only hope........not only is Eric pretty damn fine to look at, he KNOWS food and is articulate and gracious. Not like pissy Toby.

*WHAT* a great idea !! I made that brioche recipe about a month ago (my first ever, she says, chest bursting with pride)and it was great (she says again, chest bursting with pride). That seems like a really low-stress way to make cinnamon/sticky buns. Thanks, Jen !

If by "cartoony" heads you mean the green, clear ones, I agree. Looks more like a real lollipop, and a little less like taking a nibble out of Rover....I might like the white one with contrasting colors/artwork, but I imagine that would be way too labor-intensive to be worthwhile.

Trying to replicate my Polish grandmother's (who died when I was 6 months old) Paczki for my mother, who remembered them fondly, as only one can do through the mist of nostalgia and lost loved ones. Paczki are a yeasted, filled pastry, that's then deep-fried. They're filled with either a poppy-seed paste, or a fruit paste, like apricot (think of the fillings in other Eastern European pastries like ruglach...). After deep frying, they're dusted with powedered sugar while hot & steamy & greasy. They are clearly a delicacy one learns at the knee of ones ancestors, like making tortillas or ravioli by hand. I was a snot-nosed young 20-something, had ZERO experience with yeast dough, and less with deep frying. I wasn't sure when they'd risen, I wasn't sure how long to knead the dough (way before KitchenAid entered my life......), I couldn't keep the dough from sticking to the counter, my hands, the rolling pin, I couldn't GET the dough to stick to ITSELF to seal, they were, to put the best spin on them, a mess. Oh, and I was working from a recipe that had been translated, poorly, from Polish, and had instructions like "add a scant amount of flour until the dough is proper"..... My blessed mother, taking one bite, clueless to the torture I'd gone through to get to this point, blithely state "they don't taste like my Mom's.......".

I'll confirm what all the others have said....I *always* choose the boneless/skinless thighs for just about any chicken application that calls for the b/s breasts. UNLESS you want to stuff the breasts, like for a cordon bleu or a kiev, and need the thickness. Otherwise, the flavor of the thighs just knocks the breasts out of the game. Trimmed a bit & flattened a bit, they saute up just as nice and just as quickly. Left as is, they stew up beautifully without drying out. I got a package of 6 just today at Trader Joes that were a HECK of a lot more pricey than what you found. The pack was about 1&3/4 pounds total. The smaller 3 of them got trimmed up and flattened, breaded in flour/egg wash/panko and pan-fried for katsu curry tonight, and the larger 3 will find their way into a chicken/sausage/shrimp jambalaya on Sunday. The recipe for which, BTW, specifically calls for b/s thighs.

What a rush..... My first job, several bazillion years ago, was at an H.Salt Esq. shop down the street from my house. Yes, they were pretty decent, I remember I absolutely loved their tarter sauce. One of the perqs of working there was that the employees could skim the excess, crispy-fried batter (no fish) out of the fryers. That, and the chips, dipped in tarter sauce was manys a working night dinner. The other thing I remember about the Salt was that I started on Good Friday Yikes.....

I also do this frequently, and for an unusual twist to it, replace the basil with chopped cilantro, and the parmesan with smallish chunks of mozzarella. Toss in 1/2 to 1 (plus) minced jalapeno (depends on how spicy you like your food). Maybe a little mild vinegar (white wine or rice wine) if your tomatoes aren't acid-y enough. Make sure to let it sit for about 1/2 an hour at room temp. Don't let it sit too much longer than that, or the cilantro gets icky. Toss in the hot pasta, adjust seasoning with S&P to taste. Really good....

Honestly, it will probably not be a direct impact on me personally and my diet. We don't get much, if any, fresh Gulf Coast seafood here in SoCal, at least not in the mainstream markets. I do usually try to buy frozen shrimp that is from the Gulf Coast, but the package usually states the country of origin is Mexico. Dunno what, if any, impact those shrimp beds will have from this disaster. That said, it is a larger, more profound impact on my psyche and my soul. The area potentially impacted by this disaster is one of the most ecologically fragile in the country, and yet the aquaculture is one of the most robust and prolific. It is heartbreaking to sit on the Left Coast and watch this beautiful, fruitful area be decimated. My heart breaks for the wildlife, but also for the shrimpers, and the oystermen and the people in Louisianna, and Mississippi and Florida that love to eat their bounty.

The only brand I'm aware of is the Misto, of which I've owned two. They were not inexpensive. I believe each one was around 20 bucks, US. They both started out working fabulously, but both of them, within 6 months, petered out so that the lovely full, robust shower of olive oil became a pathetic little weak "p*ssy" stream. I tried soaking the tube assembly in hot water, reaming out the little hole in the nozzle with a needle, loading up the chamber with sudsy water, nothing restored the spray. They just kept piddling. I've had a few friends have similar experiences with Mistos as well, so I don't think its a unique problem. I gave up after the two, and just brush or drizzle. I do keep a can Trader Joe's brand EVOO spray in the pantry, but don't even use that too often. I just don't think those pump-up misters are a good design for use with oils.

Oh Lord. I'll pass right by this one, thanks anyway. I get plenty of science experiments at work. In my kitchen, I just want good food.

Ewwwwwww, I was *SO* peeved about that, I scared the dogs ! Usually that's a Food Network screw-up. I also have to say, I'm not nearly as enamoured of this season as I was last. I think the concept of having 2 chefs advance each week is making this season seem terribly rushed.

There are 2 that pop into my head immediately, both variations on the same theme of low and slow covered roasting of large pieces of tough meat. The first is a pork shoulder that's rubbed with 2 parts kosher salt to 1 part chipotle chili powder. Use it fairly liberally over the entire surface of the shoulder. Plop it in a pan, seal it with a cover (as in a Dutch oven) or foil, and toss it into a 275° oven for 3&1/2 to 4 hours. Rest for 15 minutes, and shred. Eat that day as soft tacos in corn tortillas, with cilantro, and if you like a bit of salsa. Leftovers make the best pulled pork I've ever tasted. Good in enchiladas, too. The second is a brisket (NOT corned) that's coated in a dry rub of 1/4C ground espresso beans, 3T kosher salt, 2T sugar and 1/2 tsp. chipotle chili powder. Coat all sides, and let sit in the fridge over night. Next day, slice a couple of onions and cut about 4 carrots into pretty good sized strips. Put the veg in the bottom of the pan that's just large enough to hold the meat (again, Dutch oven or roasting pan both work). Sprinkle fresh thyme leaves over the veg. Rinse the rub off the meat, and put it on top of the veg, with the fat cap on top. Pour 1/2C beef stock and 1&1/2C espresso around the meat, and cover or seal with foil. Bake at 350° for 3&1/2 to 4 hours. Remove meat and veg with slotted spoon, and let fat separate from jus. Season jus to taste and serve. Both of these meet the magic time requirement, and also the "make your house smell FABULOUS" one !

NEW ADDICTION ALERT ! At least in SoCal......Trader Joe's "Carmelized Nut Trio" mix. Ohhhhhh, man. Cashews, almonds and walnuts in a caramel toffee coating, that's also slightly salty. Think upscale tofee'd peanuts. These things are damned dangerous. I'm on my 2nd tub in 2 weeks.....

One of the deciding factors for me, in fact, probably *THE* deciding factor, is how often I'm going to be performing the task the so-called "uni-tasker" is designed for. For example, I make creme brulees pretty often. Even though my little mini torch is a uni-tasker, it does the job admirably, its fun, and I use it a lot. Not to mention I'm scared of the thought of me with a big Kahuna blow torch.... I recently asked in another thread about the necessity of a pan for deep-dish Chicago style pizza. Now, I've never made this at home before, I want to try, but since my personal pizza heaven is thin and crispy, I don't think I'd be making deep-dish often. I don't want to buy another pan (which to me looks essentially like a cake pan) for maybe a once a year excursion. Cherry/olive pitter, use it a lot. Good investment. Avocado slicer, eh, probably not so much. I'm not inherantly opposed to "uni-taskers", just superfluous uni-taskers.....

Any chance we (well, OK, *I*) could get details on Mrs. C's salad so it would be FABULOUSLY famous, instead of modestly..... Mrs. C never makes anything the same way twice, but here is the gist of her cabbage salad. Separately, brown slivered almonds and broken-up dry Ramen noodles in salted butter. Chop up dried fruit (cranberries, raisins, etc.). Thinly slice cabbage (Napa, Savoy, or green cabbage). Mix up a dressing containing acid (rice vinegar, fruit vinegar, and/or lime juice), sugar (honey, palm sugar, simple syrup, etc.), soy sauce, and oil. The original recipe, long since forgotten, called for a fairly sweet dressing but Mrs. C prefers it tart. Toss cabbage with a minimal amount of dressing and let sit until the cabbage wilts (about 10 minutes). Just before serving, mix in the dried fruit and butter-browned almonds and Ramen. Enjoy! COOL BEANS ! Thank you (and Mrs. C, of course) so much !

Any chance we (well, OK, *I*) could get details on Mrs. C's salad so it would be FABULOUSLY famous, instead of modestly.....

Ohhhhhh, not so, sir ! The tomato stem scooper is also quite, quite useful to hull and de-core strawberries, same princple as the tomato stemming action. But it is most especially spiffy to seed and de-vein chili peppers. That is probably what I use mine for most often. Its just the perfect size to fit into a nice, plump jalapeno. You cut off the stem end, halve the pepper, and ziiiiiiiip, ready to slice and dice. MUCH better than using my nails, and with less unfortunate side effects when I forget to wash my hands.....

Me too, Porthos, especially since Taco Hell stopped using scallions about 5 years ago. Their food really suffered as a result. It took me MANY years to get over Del Taco's buying out and eventually killing a small Mom & Pop regional SoCal chain called Naugles (raise your hand if you loved Naugles'....YAY Naugles' !), but I have. The bean & cheese burritos with green sauce are pretty damn close to the old version from Naugles'.... Their food is just better than Taco Hell and Mickey D's and more interesting. Don't get me wrong, its still drive-thru fast food, but it's pretty OK. Chris, I think it may only be a California thing, and maybe only a Southern California thing. MAYBE, maybe Southwest, but not far beyond for sure. Del Taco and In-'N'-Out. SoCal's contributions to great car food.

Seriously ! That is exactly what I thought......"cool, old Julia and Galloping Gourmet shows !". Although I might give the Indian cooking show, and the "spice lady" a chance. But the rest, uh, no thanks. I'll stick to PBS.