FoodMan

I got my Atlas hand cranked machine as a wedding gift and I love the thing. I use it to make all kinds of pastas including raviolis. I do not use any attachements for raviolis I just use the machine to get to the desired thickness then I cut and shape as I like (ravioli, canneloni, lasagna, tortellini,....). I did not pay for it but if nobody had bought it from the gift registry I would have certainly done so myself. Suvir it is a $30 well spent if you love pasta. FM

Stuffed poblanos. Stuffed with pacadillo, cream cheese and toasted ancho chile. I served it topped with melted Chihuahua cheese and roasted tomatillo salsa. For an accompaniment I made a mashed black bean salad with limes, tomatoes and cilantro. FM

I DID hear it on "Good Eats": "like most grains the inner part of the kernel or endosperm is surrounded by a thin layer of bran which is where most of the nutrients are. Since its a tough little cuss, brown rice needs about 3 times as much water and time to cook as the same amount of white rice. The hassle is worth it, though, because brown rice has a great nutty flavor and a stronger nutritional punch than its buffed up brother."-- excerpt from "Power To the Pilaf"

I believe because brown rice "kernels" have a protective layer (gives it the brown color) that has been removed from the white rice. I think I heard this on "Good Eats". FM

monkey bread???????

leftovers. shredded duck with noodles. fried risotto. For Dessert: coconut pots de creme.

I roasted a duck this weekend and I ended up with about a cup of pure white duck fat. I've never used duck fat much before (I think I used it once to roast some potatoes, and once to make duck confit). So what do u use it for?? recipes that use duck fat to add a little "something extra" would be appreciated, as well. Also, how long will it last in the fridge, stored air tight? Thanks FM

Seductions of Rice (Alford and Duguid) has a Risotta alla Birra that my husband has been wanting to try. I am not a beer drinker and actually even hate the smell of the stuff! Stupid question but does it taste like beer? As I said it tastes similar to risotto made with a slightly acidic white wine. I know my wife did not notice that it I used beer . However, I used Heineken ( a light Pilsner ) and I'm sure you can substitute a similar kind of beer but if you go with a darker ale or amber beer the flavor will for sure differ and will taste more like beer. FM

Sunday Dinner: Roasted duck with spicy orange sauce. Served with sweet potato and beer risotto . I used beer instead of wine for the risotto because I thought that the beer flavor would complement the rich earthy flavor of the roeasted duck that.... bla bla bla Who am I kidding, I actually forgot to buy the white wine and was out of Vermouth so I used some Heineken instead. However it did come out very good. More closely resembling a risotto made with white wine than vermouth with a nice acidic flavor. For dessert, we had individual chocolate souffles with Breyers french vanilla ice cream. FM

Last night we had an improvised sort-of pad thai pork. I rubbed a piece of pork shoulder with ginger, garlic, corriander, salt and cayene and let it sit overnight. I braised it in the slow cooker with some white wine, water, soy, sesame oil and star anise. by the time I came back from work it was falling of the bone and the whole apartement smelled great. I shredded the meat and sauteed it with garlic, ginger, green onions, honey, lime zest and soy sauce. I served it with some "rice sticks" noodles with a generous squeeze of lime and crushed peanuts.

hmmm... I still have maybe 3 cups worth of Arborio at home. I will try Carneroli next time I buy some risotto rice. FM

No, no, honestly--it's just me. No, it's the carnaroli. Real connaisseurs of risotto only eat carnaroli. Arborio is for tourists. Why is that Jin? what's the major difference between Arborio and Carnaroli? taste, starch or looks? FM

Crispy fried coconut shrimp. Served with improvised peanut dipping sauce (PB, mustard, peanut oil, hot sauce, lime juice). As a side I we had pan fried plantains. For dessert: homemade sour cream cheescake, from Alton Brown's recipe. FM

IMHO, making ravioli using Wonton skins is a horrible idea. I've seen Sara Moulton do it a couple of times and she raves how "simple" they are to make. Well sure if you are making potstickers with ravioli filling instead of minced pork, they are simple. But that's all they are, they even look like potstickers and I cannot imagine how ravioli-like they could taste. My point is if you want to make ravioli, either make your own pasta (that's what I do even though a little labor intensive) or buy fresh pasta (which could be as good) but do not sacrifice taste for convenience. As for your question, the only expalnation I can think of is that wonton skins are not designed to be cooked and handled like raviolis--they are made with rice flour and are very thin. Aren't they supposed to be steamed instead of boiled? My 2 cents, FM

OH MY GOD!!! I've away from this forum for a while (busiest time of the year at work) so I just read this whole thread today and was anticipating Suvir's breaking down and coughing up the recipe for the "Curry Steak" instead I get Suvir's recipe for "Curry 'Steak' ". Here I am reading down the thread to get to the savory/spicy MEAT and instead get a dessert recipe!!! Don't get me wrong Suvir, I am very surprised/shocked not disappointed. I just had to voice what was going throough my head. Even as I was reading through the ingredient list I was like "WHERE's THE BEEF" Thanks for a very interesting and exciting thread. Congrats for the book Suvir, I'll be looking for it next fall. Could we hope for an autographed copy?? FM

Correct... And yes the jelly is amazing. I also make Kaki Pots de Creme as well. And now, with my new found freedom, I will make Curry Powder Kaki Pots de Creme. Not! Suvir- Kaki Pots du Creme??? Sounds very exotic. Do you mind sharing the recipe? Please post or email to me if possible. and what's with the "new found freedom" comment? FM

I can only speak for what Lebanese Za'tar is. the above comment is correct it refers to both: 1- an herb that usually grows wild and has a flavor very similar to thyme/oregano and 2- an herb mixture that uses the above mentioned herb as a main ingredient in addition to Sumac, toasted sesame seeds and salt. this mixed in with EVOO is the Za'tar mixture use on "Manakish" (a delicious pizza-like pie eaten for breakfast) , and the one I have two full jars of at home and is very tasty with Pita bread. I realize other Middle Eastern countries have different varieties of the Za'tar like the Syrian one with more sumac and I believe they add crushed pistaschios to it. FM

I guess I'm a little late to this one since two posters have already mentioned that kaki is adifferent name for Persimmon. In Lebanon that's one of two names used for Persimmons (the other one is "kharma", kinda hard to pronounce). However the kaki that I used to eat in Lebanon has to be very very ripe and the flesh is almost jelly like and very tasty, if the fruit is a little under ripe it feels like cotton in your mouth (a problem I've never encountered with the American variety which is ripe but not jelly like). As Suvir said Kaki jelly is fabulous.

Yes the sauce is cooked (I've never tried uncooked pizza sauce--on my to do list though). My pizza sauce is a basic tomato sauce: plum tomatoes, lots o garlic, onions, and fresh basil added at the end. I then whiz it in the blender for a few seconds to get it smooth and easily spreadable on the dough. FM

Saturday night: Homemade hand tossed Pizza, topped with homemade tomato sauce, marinated artichoke hearts, olives, oil preserved sundried tomatoes, fresh mozz, and shiffonade of basil. This was the first time I try Alton Brown's pizza dough where you let it proof in the refrigerator for a few hours (about 6) instead of in a warm place for an hour. The result was superb, the crust was crispy with a nice chew. This is defenitly the way to go with pizza dough. Sunday night: I tried Jamie Oliver's Chicken cooked with milk (from the "Happy Days" cook book). basically it's a chicken roasted/braised with milk, butter, sage, a cinnamon stick, lemon zest and I added half a preserved lemon to the mix. The milk forms very tasty curds and the "whey" is a wonderful sauce. I served it with smoked tasso ham polenta. A satisfying Sunday dinner. FM edit to add picture

This is the only way to make lasagna-- bechamel. I like mine made with homemade pasta layered with a nice bolognese sauce, bechamel, parmeggiano, reggianno (lots of it) and maybe some mozzarella (just so it melts and makes those strings when you take a piece out). It comes out exceptionally creamy, rich and yummy. Let us know how it turned out. FM

To get zest from citrus I usually just peel the thin skin with a vegetable peeler (without the bitter white stuff). Then just chop, slice or chiffonade based on what I need it for. It is quick, easy and flexible. FM

last night we had home made Chilli. I prepred the ingeredients the night before, browned the beef, sauteed the vegetables and made the sauce. In the morning everything went into the crock pot on low. by the time we were back from work, the chilli was perfectly cooked not too spicy so my wife can eat too . I served it with chopped onions, cheddar cheese , sliced french bread and crackers. For dessert, Pistachio cake (from the "middle eastern dessert" thread) FM

Soba- Growing up in Lebanon, I also was familiar with Avocados more as a dessert fruit rather than a savory one until I settled in the US and was introduced to other uses for it. In Lebanon Avocados are blened with a little cold whole milk and honey in the blender until creamy but not liquidy. then they are served chilled in cups like a custard and topped with chopped nuts (usually almonds and walnuts), "aishta" (whole milk cream) and a drizzle of honey. The first time I served this for my wife and her family it was a real culture shock for them FM Edited to fix spelling

crack the egg on a flat surface and separate with the shells , it really cuts through the white and I think is easier than scooping them out using hands.