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Shel_B

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    Napa and SF - Looking for help

    in California: Dining

    Posted · Edited by Shel_B (log)

    Bistro Don Giovani in St Helena has been a long time favorite for very good food, relaxed atmosphere, and reasonable prices, A lot of locals eat there. Indoor and outdoor dining. Nice herb garden with some interesting art pieces scattered around. Plenty of parking. Reservations a good idea. Most ingredients are locally grown and raised, seafood can sometimes be local, but always very fresh.

    Also take a look at this thread, which covers a lot of the same territory:

    http://www.cheftalk.com/forums/late-night-...-francisco.html

    shel

    Repeat Broadcasts on Food Network

    in Food Media & Arts

    Posted

    I just recently got a basic cable feed, so all this is new to me. For many years I just used the TV to watch movies on video and DVDs. I'm not very impressed with Food Network, or TV in general, although there are some stations that air some good programming. By and large, what Newton Minnow said years ago still holds true today.

    shel

    Repeat Broadcasts on Food Network

    in Food Media & Arts

    Posted

    I don't have an issue with repeats, I have an issue with what they're repeating.

    I'd be happy to watch old:

    Taste eps with David Rosengarten. He made me see the glory of the BLT in his simple yet obsessive study of the sandwich. I loved his shows.

    I'd have loved to see that. I really enjoy when there's some explanations about the history of some ingredients, why a certain technique is used. and suggestions for choosing specific ingredients, such as why one potato may be a better choice for a dish than another. Alton Brown does that frequently, and it's really helpful and educational.

    Barefoot Contessa: Ina Garten, in my opinion, does a very nice show. She cooks real food that is simple and easy to prepare, takes very few shortcuts but when she does, it makes sense. I still enjoy watching her when I can. She's calm. I like calm.

    I like Ina Garten, and her simple, calm, friendly demeanor and the way she cooks. This may sound a little hokey, but it's realy neat to see her with Jeffrey and her friends. I soetimes feel like I'm sitting at the table with them.

    Molto Mario: Of course.

    Great show, and Mario's showmanship is a treat. Plus, he doesn't seem to take himself as seriously as some other celeb chefs. Maybe he doesn't consider himself a celebrity.

    Sarah Moulton: Always informative and easy to watch.

    Now that I'm home more in the mornings, I've been able to catch her show. It's an enjoyable half hour. I put Ellie Krieger into the same catagory - she's someone that rarely gets mentioned when talking about the FN "stars" Perhaps because she's low-key and only on once a week.

    What I don't like [...]

    Rachel Ray.

    Sandra Lee:

    Paula Deen

    I'll agree with all you said, although, to me, Paula Deen is the most annoying.

    Bobby Flay beating up on backyard cooks. I saw in a pie challenge where he took down two elderly women who were the darlings of their community.  He beat up on the Mac and Cheese Queen and won. Who dreamed up this show?

    You're talking about his "Throwdown" show. Most often it seems that he loses to the local heros. I kind of like the show - I like that he'll go back to the FN kitchen, work withhis assistants and perfect recipes, and then get his ass kicked by the locals. It seems that he tries too hard to make something that's over the top, and i don't know if he, or his assistants, have a really good grasp on some of the dishes they're trying to make. What would happen to Bobby Flay if there were no chiles?

    shel

    Dense Whole Grain Bread

    in Pastry & Baking

    Posted

    Is there such a thing as a dense, hearty, whole grain bread made without the need for all the kneading, rising time associated with many breads? Something like a whole wheat into which one can add nuts or other ingredients, maybe let it sit a bit, and then bake? I sort of remember some breads like that from the "old" days - maybe some recipes from Moosewood or Mollie Katzen? I'd like to make something to go with a good veggie soup or broth on cold winter days. Any recipes, suggestions, or pointers would be welcome and appreciated.

    shel

    Repeat Broadcasts on Food Network

    in Food Media & Arts

    Posted

    I've noticed that a lot of the cooking shows on FN are repeats of recently broadcast shows, and many of the shows are years old (some going back as far as 2004). It seems like they're not broadcasting many new cooking shows. Anyone got some insight into this? I hate it when I settle in to watch a show and discover I saw it just a few weeks ago.

    shel

    Smoothies?

    in Pennsylvania: Dining

    Posted

    Make your own ... here's one that's quick and simple:

    Banana-Cocoa Soy Smoothie

    1 banana

    ½ cup silken tofu

    ½ cup soymilk

    2 Tbs unsweetened cocoa powder

    1 Tbs (+/-) honey

    Slice banana and freeze until firm. Blend tofu, soymilk, cocoa, and honey until smooth. Add banana slices through hole in blender lid and continue blending until smooth.

    I make fruit smoothies frequently. Don't follow any real recipes. Often I'll blend together papaya, mango, OJ, maybe a banana ... set your imagination free.

    she

    Twinkie Recipes

    in Ready to Eat

    Posted · Edited by Shel_B (log)

    Forgive the hyperbole - this got me so excited I just had to share it withyou:

    http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/12239532/

    This link contains a small review of, and recipes from, the Twinkies Cookbook, including Twinkies Sushi, Twinkies Burritos, and even a Twinkies Wedding cake. It looks like a fun book, and it's published by the same people who make Twinkies. It's nice to see that they have a sense of humor.

    shel

    Mandatory Gratuities?

    in Restaurant Life

    Posted · Edited by Shel_B (log)

    ... We have recently found out that effective January 1, 2008 they will be imposing a mandatory 18% gratuity out all dinners in sit down restaurants no matter what the party size! [...] What's everybody else's opinion of this new policy?

    I think it's a crummy system. As you said in your post, it will reward poor service, and could cause a decline in the quality of service. For me, it's an unacceptable policy, and I would not eat at any restaurant that imposes such a ploicy.

    Fortunately, nothing with the Disney name attached to it is of any interest to me, so, personally, I don't care except for the sake of discussion and how I feel about such a policy in general. Were I to be eating elsewhere and receive poor service, - define that any way you wish - and be forced to pay 18% for such service, I'd really be miffed. OTOH, even if service were good, it's quite possible that I - and certainly some people - may be disinclined to leave a bigger gratuity.

    shel

    coconut cream pie

    in Pastry & Baking

    Posted

    CC pie is an every now and then treat for me. I wonder how difficult it would be to make my preferred style - I like it on the dense side, not light, airy, and fluffy. There are numerous recipes out there, but I can't tell which would be my preferred type. Any recipe suggestions for a dense filling?

    Thanks,

    Shel (the baking dunce)

    Lemon/Lime/Citrus Curd: The Topic

    in Pastry & Baking

    Posted

    There are a few lemon curd recipes in my files. One calls for using whole eggs, another for using only egg yolks, and another that asks for X-number of yolks PLUS X-number of whole eggs. Apart from the eggs, the recipes are reasonably similar. So, what taste/texture differences might I expect as a result of using the different egg variations?

    Shel

    Vegetable Oil for High Heat

    in Cooking

    Posted

    Couldn't peanut oil work here, or am I a total twat for missing something?  It'll smoke at 450, but so will everything else suggested thus far (or way sooner), including beef and other animal fats which may be delicious but not suited for those temperatures.  And remember, the poster didn't ask which fat is the tastiest to cook steak with.  The crucial element we're trying to address is cooking temperature, and not flavour.  The poster also requested a "vegetable oil", which I assume means horse fat is out. ;)

    Ghee is another option (clarified butter) and would be my fat of choice for high-heat application.

    The only fat I'm aware that won't be smoking over 500F is Avocado Oil.

    And certain safflower oils. See the charts I posted.

    The "original poster" was happy to read all the suggestions for preparing rib eye steak, and got some ideas for, perhaps, future adventures cooking that cut of meat.

    The technique that I'll be using does not create much smoke, even with canola oil, at least not on the two test pieces of meat I tried. Very little oil is used in the method I've chosen, in fact, one piece of meat was made with almost no oil at all. In any case, no oil is used in the pan, only a very, very small amount is used on the steak.

    Ghee might be worth looking into as a possibility. I'll investigate that.

    Kind regards,

    shel

    Vegetable Oil for High Heat

    in Cooking

    Posted

    You can use grape seed oil but it can be expensive. It is also supposed to be very good for you fresh ie on salads etc.  All I know is that they use it alot in Europe and it has a high smoke point. If anyone knows more I'd love to know.

    Since posting the question I found the following information. Thanks for all the replies.

    http://www.hormel.com/templates/knowledge/...temid=42&id=571

    http://www.goodeatsfanpage.com/CollectedIn...SmokePoints.htm

    Shel

    Vegetable Oil for High Heat

    in Cooking

    Posted

    I need a vegetable oil that will stand up to very high heat (500-degrees F) for a Pan Seared Rib Eye I plan to make. When watching the show that described the technique, I believe that both peanut oil and safflower oil were recommended (it was 2:00am and I was not paying 100% attention when the cooking oils were mentioned), yet the web page on which the technique was posted mentioned canola oil for this project. So, what's the best oil for such high heat?

    shel

    Questions About Pot Construction

    in Kitchen Consumer

    Posted · Edited by Shel_B (log)

    Being a curious fellow, I was wondering how the aluminum or copper disks are attached to the bottoms of various pans. Is there more than one method? Is any method considered better or more durable? Are different techniques used depending on the pan material?

    Also, are different techniques used for bonding the plies together on different brands of cookware. Several brands use three, five, or even seven ply construction, like All Clad, Calphalon, Viking ... are they all manufactured the same way or do some manufacturers use different techniques? Is any one technique considered better or more durable?

    Is 18/10 stainless more durable than 18/8 stainless?

    Shel

    Unsticking Clumped Pasta

    in Cooking

    Posted · Edited by Shel_B (log)

    Hi,

    Any suggestions for unsticking unsauced clumped together cooked pasta that's been stored for a while in the fridge? Any suggestions for preventing cooked pasta from clumping if it's not used right away? I tried adding oil to the warm pasta, but after it cooled down the macaroni still clumped together. Maybe I didn't use enough oil?

    Shel

    "The 150 Best American Recipes"

    in Cookbooks & References

    Posted

    The Zuni Cafe's Roast Chicken and Bread Salad is in here (Wow -- how did I not know about this? Maybe because I live far from Zuni Cafe

    I highly recommend getting a copy of the Zuni Cafe cook book. I was reading through a few chapters yesterday, refreshing information and looking for some sugestions. I've eaten at the Zuni for years - Judy Rogers' book is as exceptional as her food. BTW, the roast chicken is one of her more popular dishes at the cafe, as is her Caesar salad.

    Shel

    How Do YOU Make Oatmeal?

    in Cooking

    Posted

    During the cold early mornings of fall and winter, hot cereal, especially oatmeal, is a favorite breakfast here. Usually I keep it very simple. This morning I tried something new, adding about a tablespoon or so of heavy cream and a small pat of unsalted butter to water, and cooked the oatmeal in that mixture. It was very good and quite rich. So, how do you make your oatmeal? And what kind of oatmeal do you use?

    Shel

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