Shel_B

I'm on a quest to develop a great recipe for Singapore noodles. I've only made the dish twice following the recipes, and have eaten it in four restaurants recently, and nothing has seemed quite right to me. Flavors tended to be muted, the curry was sometimes excessive, and vegetables were not particularly crisp. So, how do you make your Singapore noodles? Any tricks you've learned that you care to share, any interesting techniques or ingredients that you use? Thanks!

California Olive Ranch EV is good stuff. It's not a "great" olive oil, but very good nonetheless. It's one of three that we use as our regular, everyday EVOO. It's nice that they list the harvest date on the bottle, and that they use green glass bottles. If you can find it (it's usually available around November +/- ), you should try their Olio Nuovo EVOO, although it's too good to cook with. Other oils they produce and market can be found here: http://shop.californiaoliveranch.com/?gclid=COyPpfLT2b4CFeHm7AodMjcAKA

So, did it taste any better than a regular grilled or pan seared burger, or does it just look prettier? How long did it take to cook? Would you do it again, i.e., was it worth whatever extra time and effort you put into it?

The OP said "I only gave her a jarful but she only started eating it last week!" which suggests that the jar ad been sealed until recently. Might the sealed jar have prevented spoilage?

Well, no. The closest that I've come is chicken breast. Are you saying that you disagree with my comment that "Grilling and SV are different, giving different results with different techniques. I'd not say that grilling would 'never be as good as sous-viding.' They both have the potential to be good, they are just different."

I can see where SV may be a good option in that situation.

Sorry, I have to disagree. Grilling and SV are different, giving different results with different techniques. I'd not say that grilling would "never be as good as sous-viding." They both have the potential to be good, they are just different.

That's something that many people overlook ...the technique has been used successfully for many years. For my taste and sensibilities, a SV burger is way overkill. But then, I don't care if my burger is less precisely cooked than can be had with SV technique. I like fire and flame and smoke .... <LOL>

There's a new recipe posted on the Cook's Illustrated site, including a video, that shows a way to do this. http://www.cooksillustrated.com/recipes/7969-tender-juicy-grilled-burgers If you don't have access, send me a PM and I'll shoot the directions to you.

Genco Pura Olive Oil Company .... we were just talking about that in this afternoon's film class.

I second CIA, and have always enjoyed Bistro Don Giovanni, although it's been a couple of years since I've been there.

Sounds a lot like a crock pot (which I have heard described as a slow cooker). ETA: Whoops! I saw that was already mentioned ....

TJ's Kalmata olive oil is pretty durned good. It recently scored very high in an olive oil tasting, and tested out as unadulterated. For the price, it's a bargain.

I put all my recipes into Word files, and they are searchable on my computer by title or even words within the file. I have more than 10,000 files (collecting recipes since 1967) and have always found what I needed. The drawback is that they are not searchable if I'm away from my computer, but I've solved that by having duplicate copies of the files on flash drives and SD cards, which can be used on any computer. Since I rarely need the recipes when not at home, and when I do it's only at one of two other places, this works very well for me.

I never used Splenda. Do you use it measure for measure in the syrup?

Butter, EVOO, Grapeseed oil mostly .... for most cooking using olive oil, I buy a reputable California oil, but one that's not too expensive. I use the real good stuff mostly for finishing.

I sometimes enjoy a cold glass of chocolate milk, and I usually make my own. I use Dutch process cocoa, sugar, vanilla, sometimes a bit of espresso powder, and often a pinch of salt, plus, of course, milk. How do you make yours? 2 Tbs hot milk or water 1 Tbs Dutch process cocoa 1½ tsp granulated sugar (don't like the milk too sweet) ¼ tsp vanilla extract ⅛ tsp espresso powder 12-oz cold milk I mix the cocoa, sugar, vanilla extract, salt, and espresso powder (if using) into the hot milk and mix well until the result is a smooth, thickish mixture. Then the cold milk is added, a little at a time, stirring well between additions.

Ain't that a kick <LOL>. I believe I recommended the masala burgers (if we're talking about the same thing - http://forums.egullet.org/topic/144746-trader-joes-products-2012–/page-6?hl=%2Bmasala+%2Bburgers#entry1928679 ) ... love 'em, as do some of my friends and Toots.

Well, I tried one of these a few minutes ago, and it was terrible. Following the directions resulted in a soggy, not crisp, crust, and the interior was also mushy. The package goes back for a refund on my next visit to TJ's.

Based on your comment, I bought a box today and popped it into my freezer to try when I return home. How are they cooked? Don't have the pkg here to check.

I'll have to give it a try. Usually when buying tofu, I purchase from Hodo Soy at the local farmers market http://hodosoy.com/ They make some great soy products, but are a bit spendy.

That's akin to peeing in the shower ... yes, most everyone does it at some time.

McD's = Great Tasting Food? I don't think so. What McD's has done is reduce taste and quality to the lowest common denominator, and over time, the greater public has come to accept the food as the norm, or average. Paraphrasing Mencken, "Nobody ever went broke underestimating the taste of the American public." The Germans may have a higher standard ...

FWIW, Red Boat has a 50°N, never tried it, can't ever recall seeing it except in the taste test that was linked above, likewise for New Town, which claims a 60°N

Yes, at the nearby Indian "spice bazaar." The owner has it in, for lack of a better term, small pouches, not bins as you may be thinking, and one may buy whatever amount is desired.