llc45

Hi all- I am going to visit my sister in Fl who has been haveing some medical issues. She is a single mom with a teenage son who is a very picky eater. In the best of times, she hates to cook. She keeps an immaculate house and hates to have any mess. To complicate matters, she has been having some medical issues that make her too tired to buy groceries. Therefore, they mainly eat fast food like Chick Filet, Subway, Dominos, etc. My picky nephew does eat Italian (especially pasta), loves breaded chicken and mac and cheese, in addition to the aforementioned fast food alternatives. So, my plan is two fold. First, to stock her pantry with things that I can teach them to quickly throw together for healthier dinners. Second, is to make a bunch of things for the freezer that they can just microwave. I know I'll make a big pot of meatballs to freeze and maybe tacos (I think my nephew will eat those). Also, will find a soup and a pasta casserole thing that he will eat to freeze. However, many of the things that I normally make are either too time consuming to teach or won't be eaten. So I hoping for some help with suggestions for either freezing or teaching them how to make. Last time I was there, I showed her how to make an orzo pasta salad using mostly canned ingrediants (artichoke hearts, diced tomatoes, olives). She loves to make this for herself even though her son won't eat it. So I looking for similar ideas, even better if they will appeal to her son.

This is my favorite thread. I love to see all of the wonderful dinners. I made a meze platter inspired by an epicurious recipe. Cucumber slices with greek yogurt, feta and oregano on top. Sauted shrimp with garlic, chopped tomatoes, olives, capers, lemon zest, parsley, and red pepper flakes. Sides of hummus (there was a recipe but I had Sabra that needed to be used up), artichoke hearts, toasted pita. Last minute dinner that I loved. Sorry I didn't take a picture.

Wow, I love ww pancakes but mine don't always turn out so well. Will definitely try this recipe. Thanks

As a home baker, I now seriously want the Electrolux. I do lots of large quantities and have burned out a few mixers. But I also do small quantities and am concerned that it is too big. Can I mix up a single cake recipe? Does it come with all of the extras you can get for a Kitchenaid? Would really like a pasta attachment but could do without if I had to.

I have had several very nice meals there also.

That sounds yummy! I will definitely be making that. Paul - Can you elaborate? My husband hates to barbeque (I know, weird) and I would love to just use the oven sometimes, especially for a good flank steak or brisket. Could I just brown it and then bake? I have lots of experience with brisket in a crock pot but that isn't like grilling.

I buy the little St. Germain bottles and then group the empties as mini-vases on my table with single flowers. You could probably do this with the big bottle as well.

Can you expand on that? ← Here's a video of Michel Richard making onion carbonara. It looks awfully good! ← OOOOOHHH! I am definitely trying that. I have always wanted that cookbook.

My summer solution - brown in the pan then throw it in the slow cooker and put it out on the porch to cook all day. I am doing two briskets for a party this weekend that way.

I really enjoyed the show, even more than the regular Top Chef, and hope that there is a second season.

Thanks for the heads up on the garlic press. My current one is dinky and hard to clean. Takes forever if you don't peel the garlic first. The Lee Valley one seems like a dream come true. Do you really not have to peel first?

Well, I think Elvis Presley might have. Check out the first chapter in her book. ←

I immediately ran to the one Bayless cookbook I have hoping to find it with no luck! After reading all of the opinions about MC, I must say I am still on the he acted like a jerk band wagon. I loved his FN show and was rooting for him to win. However, even before the episode in question, I thought he acted poorly towards Keller several times. He even bugged me in the finale when he kept chiming in when the judges were commenting on the other chef's dishes. Some of the sous-chefs weren't that much younger than he is. The youngster comments and "what do you call me" went too far. If you want people to work hard for you, that is not the way to build a team. Although I no longer think he is the greatest guy, I still think he is a really good chef.

Once in awhile I get a piece of ginger that doesn't want to "Spoon". But I use ginger several times a week and a spoon is my method of choice. I run the edge towards me and it generally peels right off. I just used a microplane for the first time this week - wow, what a difference. I bought it from Williams Sonoma several months ago and it got lost in the drawer. All those year I wasted grating or mincing! I actually read on egullet somewhere about a suribachi. Supposedly you don't even need to peel the ginger. Since I use ginger alot, this gadget looks great. Still looking for one that has a style that I like.

Wow - what timing! I bought myself a microplane a few months ago but didn't use it until this morning. I used it to grate ginger and, my lord, does it make a difference. Can't wait to use it for zesting. Also, I love my milk frother but I have had that for a few years. I can pop out chai te.a that is far better than Starbucks in no time flat

GR - I can't begin to tell you how thrilled I would be to see your dishes at the potlucks I attend. Even though I live in northern NJ, I have to say my experiences have been like what everyone else has been saying. I now either just make a crowd pleasing dish that I think is blah or I add a smaller dish of something a little different. I no longer make brownies and cakes from scratch - too much work only to see the store bought things get eaten. However, when it comes to savory dishes, I still make a big batch and then just bring a smaller amount to the party, along with the quick very fattening big bowl of something that I know will get eaten. My one consistent success with something a little different is panna cotta that I bring to party every Halloween in the shape of a brain. The first year, not one taker. But as people have come to know what it is, it has become really popular.

I was a real fan of Chiarello when he was on the FN. I got a lot of easy entertaining ideas watching his show and always thought of him as a super easy going guy. Watching Master Chef has totally changed my mind. He made several comments in prior episodes that I though were rude towards Keller, and I kept wondering if it was just the editing that made him come off as obnoxious. There is a way to be competitive and still be classy. In the limited time they had to interview the sous-chefs, asking "What's my name, what will you call me?", in addition to the other obvious jabs, made him seem arrogant and like he has been watching too much Hell's Kitchen. Sorry that Lo went. Hope Keller or Bayless wins.

Katie - That sounlds like an excellant idea. We have an abundance of zucchini and love pasta. Will definitely give this a try.

OMG-Beautiful!

The stuff that Costco carries varies by region. For example, when I lived in Boston they carried King Arthur AP flour, which I liked a lot. They carried other brands in Michigan and Washington, but I haven't tried any of those. Where are you/what brand do they carry there? ← Unfortunately, I answered my own question. When I checked out the selection here in NJ, they only carry bleached flour, one brand-two sizes. No King arthur or organic flours like I had seen online. I guess I'll keep looking.

Started off with my usual Barry's Irish tea. Just tried roasted Kukicha from Special Teas. Wow - I really liked it. Beats many of the green teas that I have been drinking.

I have never checked out the flour there because I always used so little. But since I have been baking a lot lately, I am thinking about maybe buying in bulk. Can anyone comment on the quality of their unbleached flour brand(s)?

Just mixed up my first batch in awhile thanks to this inspiration. I don't have a scale but each time you post, it makes me want one. I haven't had too many problems without one. I feel like I can judge based on looks at this point, but still have the occasional clunker.

I recently made two epicurious recipes that I really like, spice rubbed chicken and shrimp tikka. http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/vie...le-Cream-235158 and http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/vie...-Chutney-242627

That bowl is a great find!