Shel_B
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Posts posted by Shel_B
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10 hours ago, weinoo said:
Personally, I'd start by making certain I liked my ragu, and then doing the lasagne simply as a cheese lasagne (i.e. mozz + ricotta + parm), with no sausage or meatballs...yet.
And for some reason, it sticks in my mind that the no-boil lasagne noodles were a great time saver, and came highly recommended by either ATK or CI back in the day. Whether they make the finished dish better than using classic lasagne sheets, I can't really say.
I agree about the ragu. I've been playing around with some ideas and techniques over the last few months.
Recently, I heard about sheets for lasagna. I'm looking into them. I believe ATK mentioned no boil noodles.
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15 minutes ago, blue_dolphin said:
Check out the recipes on Pasta Grammar and watch their YouTube videos. Here's their Lasagna alla Napoletana.
As far as tips go, if you'd like to test out a lasagna recipe in advance of your friends gathering and without making a ton of it, you can easily make a 1/3 or 1/4 scale recipe in an average loaf-size pan in the 9 x 5" or 8 x 4" range. Just one strip of noodles at the bottom, maybe a little more at the top if the sides are very sloped. Makes 2-3 servings and is a fun way to play around with variations.
Thanks. I'm familiar with Pasta Grammar and it was their recipe that motivated me in the direction of a Neapolitan lasagna.
I was wondering how I'd do some test batches and your idea of making a small one sounds great. There are plenty of smaller Corningware dishes here that would lend themselves to your suggestion.
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Hi, guys ... I'm toying with the idea of making a Neapolitan-type lasagna for dinner with a few friends later in the year. I am saying type because it doesn't have to be completely traditional. I've never made this before and I want to allow some time to make one or two as a learning experience.
What recipe ideas can you suggest? I don't necessarily need specific recipes, but one or two that have worked well might be useful. Tips, tricks, and techniques would be welcome.
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Fregola Pasta e Ceci with some nice Cherry Tomatoes
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My Dinner With Andre has always been a favorite, as has Diner (He ate the whole left side of the menu). White Palace has some memorable moments as well.
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3 hours ago, blue_dolphin said:
Lobster Green Curry from Shaya was a treat!
I upgraded my fish share this week and got a live spiny lobster caught by this guy:
I par-cooked it as soon as I got home, put the meat in the fridge, shells in the freezer and pulled them out to make the lobster stock this morning:
I've got a lot of stock leftover so I can make this again with shrimp or crab.
Here's the curry at the end of cooking when I've put the lobster in to finish cooking.
Excellent, on all points!
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Italian-American Cowboy Beans for lunch ... a kicked-up, smokey Fagioli all’Uccelletto with pancetta affumicata and a mixture of chipotle meco and morita chilies.
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On 1/31/2024 at 5:39 AM, weinoo said:
Personally, I've taken to NOT cooking beans in the pressure cooker, but only on top of the stove, and after using the quick-soak method (which now I can't find, but I'm pretty sure I read that this method produced the best finished product).
From a 2017 (approximately) Epicurious article:
Epicurious Winning Method for Cooking Beans
For the Epi Kitchen, the results were clear. Quick-soaking the beans, salting them at the beginning of cooking, and cooking in a pot without a lid, resulted in beans with great texture and a flavorful broth.
To cook: Place 1 lb. dried pinto beans in a large, heavy pot. Cover with water about 2” above the top of the beans. Cover pot, bring to a boil, then remove from heat. Let rest for 1 hour. Stir in 1 1/2 tsp. kosher salt and bring to a boil over medium heat. Uncover, reduce heat, and simmer until beans are tender and creamy, checking after 1 hour and adding more water as necessary to keep beans submerged, 1–1 1/2 hours total.
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On 2/2/2024 at 6:04 AM, weinoo said:
Thanks ... somehow I missed your post until now. I'll read the article tomorrow, before a little shopping jaunt.
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On 2/2/2024 at 4:48 AM, weinoo said:
If you really want to see what the IP/pressure cooking is good at, make some chicken stock.
@weinooI took your advice and made a batch of chicken stock in the IP this morning and was very pleased with the results. Thanks for the suggestion.
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1 hour ago, Alex said:
Amazon says "Manufacturer: Del Monte Foods Inc.", which probably means that Take Root is, at least in part, a marketing ploy. It also explains how it achieved such a wide distribution in such a short time.
Thanks. That's useful information. I tried to find more about who owns Take Root, and couldn't find anything by the time I stopped looking. Interest in these tomatoes has now dropped substantially.
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2 hours ago, weinoo said:
They certainly have a good story (per their web site). Why not try them and report back?
I just found out about them last night, shortly before posting my info request. The reviews I've read have been mixed. There's a store nearby that carries them, and when next I head in that direction I'll grab a can or two.
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I saw these on Amazon and a few other sites. I've neither seen nor heard of them before. Has anyone tried them and have any comment on their quality and taste?
I'm looking for a less expensive organic, canned tomato for some of those mid-week, thrown-together, leftover-using dishes in which my preferred, expensive tomatoes would be more-or-less wasted. These are about 2/3 the cost of my usual canned tomatoes.
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I saw this done on an America's Test Kitchen video and tried it on one of my older skillets. It seems to work, although I want to see what happens over a longer time frame.I didn't see any mention of how often this should be done. Does anyone have experience with this technique?How to Season a Nonstick Skillet
1. Ensure that your skillet is clean and dry.
2. Place the skillet over medium heat for about 30 seconds.
3. Apply a small amount of canola or vegetable oil to the skillet. Using a folded paper towel or cloth, rub the oil across the entire surface of the skillet.
4. Turn off the heat, let the skillet cool, and then wipe out any excess oil.-
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39 minutes ago, Annie_H said:
No coffee geek or nerd here. Just follow those that are. Similar advice in the link, HERE
Thanks for the link. I'll definitely read the article after returning home later today.
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2 hours ago, Deephaven said:
Depends a bit on how you turn them into coffee. Espresso is much more particular and even a month frozen I can see the degradation in the cup. That being said, if there isn't a roasting date I'd bet they are already that old when you get them so ymmv.
The coffee I get from the local roasters has been roasted within a week of my acquisition. I obtained the last batch within four days of the roasting date. Does that change anything?
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I have heard that it's not a good idea to freeze roasted beans, but I've also heard that problems arise when the beans are removed and replaced multiple times from the freezer.
A local coffee roaster has a Kenyan coffee that I love, but it's not always available. It is now, and I was thinking of stocking up and keeping some in the freezer. It would remain frozen until use ... no in/out of the freezer. I'd probably freeze smallish amounts, 1/2-lb or so.
What do you think about freezing the beans in this manner? Thanks!
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- Sur La Table by Escali
- Dimensions: 9" x 6.5" x 0.75"
Other Escali scales are also narrower than 7 inches
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15 hours ago, chromedome said:
I haven't had my hands on that one personally, but had taken note of it because of its very cool pull-out display [...]
IMO, that's a great reason to consider the OXO scales. The feature has made life in the kitchen easier and more pleasant many times.
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Not to belabor such a simple topic, but I did want to get back with an observation. While it seemed that the IP chickpeas were softer than I wanted, after setting for a while, and when reheating them in the dish I made, they were just about perfect. They seemed to firm up a bit after sitting a while and they retained shape and texture through the second cooking process which involved a fair amount of stirring and agitation in the pan along with the pasta and sauce. I was pleasantly surprised.
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8 hours ago, FrogPrincesse said:
I recently got the OXO scale (eG-friendly Amazon.com link) to replace my old Teraillon which was getting very inaccurate. I really like it! It’s a good design, compact, and it works really well. I like the greater capacity (11 pounds).
I bought the OXO about 12 years ago and have been happy with it. I'd recommend it to almost anyone.
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On 1/31/2024 at 5:39 AM, weinoo said:
Or, to put @blue_dolphin's thoughts a slightly different way, you can always cook beans more if they're underdone, but you can't cook them less if they're overdone.
Personally, I've taken to NOT cooking beans in the pressure cooker, but only on top of the stove, and after using the quick-soak method (which now I can't find, but I'm pretty sure I read that this method produced the best finished product).
For the time being, I'm going to continue using the pressure cooker. First, I want to learn how the tool works and how, or even if, it can be of benefit. Additionally, while some have said that the stovetop produces better results, no one has explained in what way the results are better, although I will admit to having not done a deep dive into the subject.
Since I've only made beans twice in the IP, I don't yet know how good the results can be. I've only made beans those two times, so I've a lot to learn about the process and determine what I want as a result. At some point, I may want to go further in exploring bean cookery (?) Right now, I'm just starting, and I also want to learn about the IP, and what it can, and cannot, do. So, beans it is ... at least for the time being.
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On 1/27/2024 at 8:21 AM, blue_dolphin said:
Given your target of a firmer bean that can tolerate additional cooking, I'd aim at or below the lower level and plan to finish cooking them to the desired point once the pressure is released using the sauté function so you can easily taste them for doneness.
That seems to be very good advice. I will try the next batch for ten minutes.
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My first experiment with the chickpeas in the Instant Pot was only partially successful.
I soaked the beans in lightly salted water for 10 hours and when I tasted them they had a fair amount of "bite" left. I cooked them on the normal setting for 12 minutes and let the pot cool down naturally for about 15 minutes. The result was that the beans were softer than desired but they still held their shape. I would like them to be a bit firmer.
So, should I consider a shorter soak time, less cooking time, or a shorter cooling down time? My initial feeling is to cut the soak back to 6 - 8 hours and shorten the cooking time to 10 minutes. What are your thoughts?
I'm also thinking about not soaking them at all, just rinsing until they're clean and then cooking for some yet-to-be-determined time.
The successful part was the seasoning. I used an onion diced into 8 pieces, two Calabrian peppers with their seeds broken apart, three Turkish bay leaves, two med-large cloves of garlic halved, salt, and about a Tbs of EVOO. The result was just about perfect for my taste and the beans intended use.
Comments, including critical ones, are welcome. Thanks!
Brûléed Mustard
in Cooking
Posted
I've heard of brûléed mustard, and have searched online to learn more about it, but have come up with no recipes or techniques and very few references.
Has anyone done this, or can I get a pointer to a recipe or technique? I'd like to know more about it. Thanks!