Shel_B

Recently I came across a book about cooking eggs, and in many instances a carbon steel omelet pan was used. The pan looks as though it would be great for making wonderful, buttery omelets. The sides have a nice angle to aid in sliding the eggs out of the pan, and the material and thickness of the pan suggests quick, even heating and rapid cool down. How might a dedicated omelet pan compare to a good quality clad or disk-bottomed, SS lined skillet, like All-Clad, Calphalon, Demeyer and the like? After reading some of the recipes and techniques, it seems like it may be fun - and make good sense - to use a dedicated omelet pan. What are your thoughts on this? shel

I got the reb and will probably make the dish tomorrow or Sunday. I've never made it before. A friend mentioned it to me (she had the dish some years ago while living in France), and I dug up a few recipes and techniques over the past few months. I love food like this, but rarely eat it. This is a once or twice a year dish for me, just like mac and cheese, so when I make it, it should be something special. Thanks for your help. I'll let you know how it turns out. shel

I live in the East Bay, and the local WF doesn't have reb. In a while I'm going to a better stocked cheese store - Cheese Board in Berkeley - and my guess is that they'll probably have it, however, if not, some good sub will work for my immediate purposes. The CB staff will probably have some suggestions. Thanks!

Hi, This weekend I'd like to make tartiflette, or some variation. If I cannot find reblochon cheese, what would be a good substitute? Someone suggested Gruyere - but there are many variations of Gruyere. Would a young gruyere be appropriate, or perhaps something older? Some other cheese perhaps? shel

I'd recommend Peet's and Sweet Marias as well. shel

I'm looking for some new ways to use winter squash and fall vegetables in concert, along with some interesting or unusual spices or herbs, to produce healthy meals and side dishes. It would be nice to eliminate or minimize the use of butter and cream, but not necessarily elimiate those ingredients. Any ideas? shel

Later on this fall and probably throughout the winter I'll want to make some hearty "Grandma Bessie" soups, and recently, in another thread, it was noted that adding flanken to such soup may be a nice touch. Having poked around the web a bit, it seems there's a concensus that the meat used is beef short ribs, but there's disagreement about how the ribs are cut as to what constitutes the flanken method. It appears that even some butchers disagree. Can someone provide the correct way to cut the ribs to make flanken? Also, it was mentioned that only certain ribs are used - rib # 4,5, & 6 if memory serves. Any thoughts on that? I want to become a "flanken expert" ... but help is needed. shel - the flanken dunce

Thanks to you and Jackal10 for the idea of using potatoes ... mom didn't use taters, and it never crossed my mind to use 'em either. shel

Good idea ... maybe my fish monger can help out. Thanks, shel

Thanks ... that's a completely new technique for me ... shel

Salmon croquettes - mom used to make 'em when she made chopped liver. and we kids, especially me, loved 'em. Last night, while giving Buddy, my cat, a little salmon treat, I decided to make up some croquettes, not having had them since I was about twelve years old. They were pretty good, and so easy to make (never made 'em before). Searching the 'net one can find numerous recipes for these "fish burgers", some look great, some not so great, and often the recipes and techniques reflect regional differences. So, what is YOUR favorite croquette or patty recipe. shel

Let's not forget ginger: http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/b...mports1120.html shel

Symon won with a score of something like 51 to 43. shel

Whenever I make crispy home fries, they lose their crispiness after being on the plate a while. The bottoms get somewhat soggy and the taters get a little limp. By the time I'm done eating the taters there's virtually no crispiness left. Is there a way to maintain their crispness? Hmmm ... I just this moment thought that perhaps the taters went on to the plate too quickly. Maybe they should rest a bit on a rack before plating? Then they'd get cold. Maybe putting them on a rack in a hot oven for a bit? I hate soggy taters that are supposed to be crisp ... any suggestions greatly appreciated. shel

I've a Peugeot and I like it quite a bit - to a point. Mine is made from olive wood - it looks and feels great. The mechanism is smooth, and it seems to be durable. That's the up side. The down side is that I can't adjust the grind very much. The pepper is ground pretty fine, and the range of adjustment is limited. At some point I'll get another pepper millthat offers a wider adjustment/grind range. shel

Thanks for the suggestion. Yes, the local Bed, Bath and Beyond has the Pyrex plates at a good price. When I next go to the store I'll grab or order a couple. Thanks! shel

Will there be any need to adjust baking time using two different shape pie plates, square and circular, of the same material and overall area and depth? Some recipes call for a circular plate, others call for a square baking dish, but with both holding about the same volume, does it matter which is used? I have some recipes that call for a 9" pie plate, but for various reasons I'd like to bake them in a square 8" baking dish. shel

Cat Cora has a better won/lost record on ICA than Morimoto: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_resul...on_Chef_America shel

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

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

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

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

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

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

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