blue_dolphin

Half batch of the Cherry Coconut Almond Cake from Snacking Cakes baked in a 6-inch pan This cake uses coconut oil instead of butter so I was a bit wary of it being heavy but it's nice and light.

I didn't mention my waffle maker here earlier because it only makes one at a time and that's not what was requested but I'm going to call it out anyway because it may be a good option for others. I recommend it particularly for someone who wants to try making waffles without making a big financial or space investment. It's the little Cuisinart Classic Waffle Maker (eG-friendly Amazon.com link). The price kind of jumps around. I paid $21 about 5 years ago, it's now closer to $30, which is still less than most others. It takes ~ 5 min to heat up and each waffle takes 1-2 min to cook so even though it only makes one at a time it can still crank out a batch fairly quickly. The waffles are round, in the thinner, classic style rather than Belgian and it doesn't have extra plates or anything like that. It's a little thing and stored on its side, takes up about the same space as a cookbook. It feels really cheap. The slider moves like it's not attached to anything, though it does actually work. I've used it a fair bit and if it dies, I'd be inclined to just get another one rather than moving up to something that costs between 3 and 10X the price.

Turned last night's appetizer of Baked Brie with Armagnac Prunes, Mushrooms and Thyme into a grilled cheese sandwich

Found 2 episodes of this season of the French version on YouTube:

Baked Camembert with Armagnac Prunes, Mushrooms and Thyme from Taste & Technique I was curious about this combination of savory mushrooms sautéed with shallots and the sweet prunes but it turns out to work quite well. Trader Joe's had some little 5 oz rounds of goat cheese Brie from Laura Chenel in Sonoma so I subbed that in for the Camembert. Leftovers are shortly to be turned into a grilled cheese sandwich.

I have a nice stash of wire bale/swing top wine bottles that I also use for eggnog so if the concern is only for bottling, then I'm good. I was afraid the warning also pertained to the 30-40 day period before the fruit is strained out but maybe not.

Hmmm. Just saw that note about "not to use plastic containers as it causes the wine to do strange things and explode the tops off the bottles once it's been bottled." Mine is currently in a polypropylene Cambro which I thought would be sufficiently inert. Maybe I need to buy some big glass jugs.

I also watched the first episode of the US version. I had no idea there were so many international versions of the show. With all the contestants being either winners or finalists of previous seasons somewhere in the world, the level of competition looks to be high. No house drama either, at least thus far, as they are staying in a hotel. I don't have a way to watch but I'll look into finding a way. The French contestant in the first London episode mentioned that he'd never had to do the grocery circus, racing around to find ingredients as they always chose from a pantry on set. Seems like more focus on cooking and less silliness!

Thanks! This topic starts off with that very recipe from @bleudauvergne's husband's grandmother but it's attached as an image that doesn't seem to be accessible anymore. Good to know this one is similar.

I bought some Seville oranges from the farmers market last week with the intention of making marmalade but haven't gotten around to it and started looking around for other uses and Vin d'orange came up. I just set up an approximately 1/3 scale batch of Vin d'orange using this recipe from Samin Nosrat and rosé wine. That post makes me interested in trying a red wine version using this recipe from @bostonapothecary. @Kerry Beal, I see that it calls for an eau de vie. Do you recall what sort you might have used? I know it's only been about 10 years...🙃 Kirschwasser seems like it might go well with the red wine flavors. Most of the Vin d'orange recipes I see online just use vodka or high proof neutral spirits so I'm sure I can do that but was curious if there was something else that might make it more special.

This thread is causing me to invest in yet more tiny cookware! I just ordered a small angel food cake pan (eG-friendly Amazon.com link), suitable for a half batch. Dave Arnold is also to blame for this. On his podcast, he's been talking about adding jam to the egg whites to add both flavor and stability via the pectin in the jam. He shared his method in this Instagram post. No way in heck am I making a 12-egg white cake when I don't know for sure how it will come out but 6 egg whites? Maybe.... The pan is scheduled to arrive on Sunday, so stay tuned!

Excellent combination of textures and flavors, with or without those limitations! Another breakfast cobbled together from a couple of veg recipes in Taste & Technique Long-Cooked Green Beans (with @Suvir Saran's tomato chutney in lieu of the Savory Tomato Confiture in the book), Oven-Glazed Shallots, boiled egg, toast, cherry tomatoes.

Fennel gratin, cherry tomatoes, sautéed beet greens, toast Recipes for the fennel gratin and quick sautéed greens with garlic, lemon confit and chili flakes from Taste & Technique

Who wouldn't be happy with that baguette??? I sure would be!

Thanks! That carrot salad is a favorite of mine. Keeps its crunch nicely in the fridge for a few days. I was thinking the same about the curry leaf and kaffir lime. I've got a couple of reliable sources for curry leaves but not so much for the lime. Both should grow OK outside here.

White Bean-Stuffed Poblano with Green Chile & Cherry Tomato Pickle and Mustard Seed & Curry Leaf Carrot Salad all from Indian-ish with toasted pita wedges

Have you already asked that question here? It seems like the best place to start.

Three veg from Taste & Technique, RG midnight black beans topped with Vivian's Red Weapons and toasted, buttered pita wedges. The veg are Caramelized Delicata Squash, Half-Dried Tomatoes, and Quick Sautéed Greens with Garlic, Lemon Confit and Chili Flakes.

A bit of a mixed bag 🙃 They snap on with a reassuring click but when I put water inside and turned it over, the water dribbled out. Not that I was planning to carry liquids in them, but I wanted to see what would happen. Additionally, it takes some effort to pry the lids off. Perhaps more practice will reveal the trick to it!

Coriander-Seared Tuna with Citrus and Fennel Salad from Taste & Technique. I made this as a main-course salad. It's very easy, no unnecessary complications, and makes a beautiful plate. The fennel and parsley salad is dressed with a simple citrus vinaigrette. I used pink grapefruit, Cara Cara orange and blood orange, all from the farmers market for the citrus and ahi tuna from Aldi.

Sorry about that. I've clarified my post to make it US-specific.

For the brownies, I had to get a square or rectangular pan - how could I make brownies in a round pan without even a single corner piece 🙃 - so I ordered this set of three 6-inch square pans with lids (eG-friendly Amazon.com link). One pan + lid was $9.49, two was $19.99 and three was priced at $16.49 or $5.50 each. The brand is Teamfar. I thought that was reasonable and I'm quite pleased with the quality. Thought I'd pass it on in case anyone else in the US is looking to expand their collection of tiny bakeware!

Roasted Beets and Pink Grapefruit with Frisée and Mint Crème Fraîche from Taste & Technique No frisée so this is some curly endive. Citrus is a mix of pink pomelo, cara cara orange and blood orange. The beet roasting operation was more involved than my usual wrap them in foil and throw them in the CSO method and I can't say it was worth the effort. I think I prefer roasted beets as their own sweet selves without the head of garlic, strips of orange peel, 2 thyme sprigs, 8 bay leaves, 2 tsp black peppercorns, and 1/4 cup of extra virgin olive oil. Perhaps because I used a round baking dish instead of the rectangular baking dish that the recipe specified.

For a dinner at Bulrush alone, I think the risk may be acceptable (it’s not a huge jam-packed restaurant full of loud, boisterous groups shouting to be heard above the din) vs the benefit of a wonderful dining experience. The big BUT for me is that I really want to take the train and that adds a whole lot more people to the mix. I can wear a mask and order meals to my room but it would be more entertaining to eat in the dining car and meet people. I'll be considering!

You can find it online here.