sadie4232

If someone had told me six or seven years ago, that cooking would become a passion, I would have fallen over laughing. Sure, I knew how to cook, but I had gotten lazy over the years and found it far easier to heat up a frozen pizza or some other type of packaged food than to actually spend time making a meal. Fortunately, I happened to marry a man whose culinary skills far surpassed mine and could whip up a yummy dinner using fresh ingredients in about the same time it took to heat up something from a box. Would wonders never cease? Not being completely stupid, I more than willingly let him run the kitchen. But then a funny thing happened. I quit my job and finally had time to experiment with food and recipes. And as my husband, David, was still working a very stressful job, it seemed just a tad bit bad form to assume he would want to whip up dinner when he came trudging home each night. So left to my own devices, I picked up our chef’s knife, cracked open some cookbooks and forged ahead. While most of those first forays were more misses than hits, I was learning about not only food, texture and taste, but also learning aspects about myself. For starters, I had to learn patience. You just can't rush some recipes and taking shortcuts sometimes come back to bite you. Another area was learning to trust my intuition. Sometimes a small voice in my head would tell me to do something different from what the recipe called for and it was usually right. Giving myself some creative license to put my own thumbprint on a dish has taken some time, but I realized that most recipes really are only guidelines, not sacred scrolls never to be altered. But probably the most important thing was letting go of the expectation that everything I made was going to turn out perfectly the very first time. Often they didn’t and sometimes don’t even today. But over the years, I realized it was okay to screw up and not feel like I had to walk around in sackcloth and ashes because I botched a meal. I found when I got over myself and out of my own way, the recipes usually come out way better. In fact, I have fallen in love with cooking so much that I started my own blog to document my hits and misses. It's been a great resource when I'm thinking of making a recipe again and taking a look back on what worked/didn't work the last time. My latest challenge is to move from "just" making new recipes to really focusing on getting a better handle on techniques. The Wright Table

Talk about the power of suggestion: Tater Tots are on the menu tonight, along with some grilled Bratwursts slathered in caramelized onions and mustard. Bliss! Can't decide if I should keep reading this forum or stop before I cave in and buy other "shameful" food the next time I'm in the market. Who am I kidding?!?!? I'll keep coming back to be tempted.

Contrary to all medical research, I believe bacon is one of the four major food groups. We ALWAYS have it around and it makes a regular appearance in many a menu. We are cheese addicts and have one whole drawer in our refrigerator devoted to cheese -- the stinkier the better! Other low-brow guilty pleasures: - Pop Tarts - whether toasted or fresh out of the box, if they are anywhere in the vicinity, I'll cave and eat 'em. - Making a meal out of a bag of Cheetos with a bag of Oreos for a chaser.

I hate beets and can't stand liverwurst, but love pate. I've never cooked a whole fish and can't bring myself to boil a live lobster. Dark chocolate peanut M&Ms rule! Count me in as a member of the Tater Tot Lovers Brigade. Cheese-Its and Pepperidge Farm goldfish don't stand a chance in this house. The Wright Table blog

When a recipe says to marinate/soak/leave in fridge, etc. "overnight", what does that really mean? Are there minimum or maximum times that should be considered? For instance, a chickpea soup recipe calls for soaking the beans overnight and a brioche recipe says to put the dough, after going through the first rise, into the refrigerator overnight. Does this mean eight hours? 24 hours? Would appreciate any guidance.

This year, I really want to cook more meals using seasonal fruits and vegetables. The challenge has been knowing what is available when. Also, I am a relative newcomer to the Western North Carolina (WNC) area from the Northeast and don't know how the more temperate climate affects availability. To try and get my head wrapped around this challenge, I've put together the following list as a starting point. I would greatly appreciate hearing any changes people might have and insights to regional fruits/veggies and their availability that I may be unaware of. The other area where I could use some help is getting a grip on items that may or may not be this list but have very limited availability. For instance, I seem to recall that blood oranges are generally in season/available like one month out of the year. I have a number of recipes calling for them, but I can never seem to time it for when they can be found. Any and all input is welcome! SPRING : Apricots, Avocados, Mango, Pineapple, Rhubarb, Strawberries, Artichoke, Asparagus, Belgian Endive, Cabbage, Celeriac, Chives, Collards, Fava Beans, Fennel, Fiddlehead Ferns, Morels, Mustard Greens, New Potatoes, Peas, Peppers, Spinach, Sugar Snap/Snow Peas, Vidalia Onions, Watercress SUMMER: Blackberries, Blueberries, Nectarines, Peaches, Plums, Raspberries, Tomatoes, Watermelon, Beans, Beets, Bell Peppers, Broccoli, Carrots, Chinese Cabbage, Corn, Cucumber, Eggplant, Garlic, Green Beans, Okra, Peas, Potatoes, Peppers, Summer Squash, Zucchini FALL: Apples, Cranberries, Figs, Grapes, Pears, Pomegranate, Quince, Acorn Squash, Belgian Endive, Bell Peppers, Butternut Squash, Cabbage, Cauliflower, Celeriac, Cucumbers, Garlic, Ginger, Mushrooms, Okra, Parsnips, Peppers, Potatoes, Pumpkin, Spinach, Sweet Potatoes, Swiss Chard WINTER: Chestnuts, Grapefruit, Lemons, Oranges, Tangerines, Beets, Belgian Endive, Brussel Sprouts, Broccoli, Carrots, Cabbage, Cauliflower, Celery, Kale, Leeks, Potatoes, Peppers, Radicchio, Radishes, Spinach, Sweet Potatoes, Turnips, Winter Squash

I often make recipes that call for the zest of lemons (limes, oranges, etc.), but not the juice. I hate to waste the unused fruit and wanted to know if I could juice the lemon and save it for a future use. Would it keep in the fridge like store-bought lemon juice? Conversely, can you refrigerate or freeze the zest?

Try this link instead: http://alineaathome.typepad.com/alinea_at_home/

In most issues of Food and Wine magazine, they have a section called "Chef Recipes Made Easy." Simplified versions of recipes by Todd English, Thomas Keller, Nobu Matsuhisa (to name just a few) are included. Does a cookbook exist with a similar compilation -- scaled back recipes by great chefs?

The time has come to replace my baking sheets. I'm looking for recommendations for type/brand. If it makes any difference, I seldom make cookies, but use the sheets for baking fish, chicken, fries, etc. Also, would it be prudent to have a couple unrimmed sheets? If so, any brand recommendations would be greatly appreciated!

Today I made Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins (props to Simply Recipes) that are amazingly, wonderfully, deliciously good. Just the right balance of sweet and slightly tart. Will definitely add this recipe to my "go to" file.

This may seem like a naïve question, but here goes: A recent series in my hometown newspaper focused on interviews with local chefs and one of the questions had to do with what food(s)/ingredient(s) they didn’t personally like. Answers ranged from calves liver, beets and other veggies, to various spices. How do professional chefs deal with cooking ingredients they really don’t like? Do these items not make the cut for being on the menu or does someone else do the cooking and tasting?

I used the Dutch oven technique, at 450F. No additional moisture (I don't generally think it is necessary for this method, but I could be convinced otherwise...). ← I'm not familiar with the dutch oven technique. Can you provide some details? ← This is a method where you preheat a dutch oven to 450F or so, then flip your loaf directly into it, slash, close the lid for 25 minutes while it bakes in the oven, then bake with the lid off for 15 minutes. I've just started doing it and it eliminates the need for steaming I think, producing a really excellent crust--it's a great method. You can even put your loaf on parchment, slash, and transfer to the preheated dutch oven on the parchment. I would suggest putting your dutch oven on a stone even still, as it protects the bottom from overheating and burning the bottom of your loaf a bit. Chris, do you use parchment? Your loaves look like you are handling them very gently. josh ← Today I tried this method to bake a loaf using the recipe for the peasant bread. I took your hint and used parchment and baked in a 500 degree oven on a stone. In the past, I got a good crust and crumb, but today it turned out beyond great -- the crust was as crispy as could be and the inside a wonderful chewy texture. In a word, perfection. WOW! Thanks to you and Chris Hennes for the tips! Would have posted pics, but my husband and I polished off the loaf before the thought entered my mind.

I sure would have! Using mediocre quality fish that's been frozen (and likely handled poorly) is a recipe for a slimy mess, if by that you mean flesh that doesn't hold its texture and gives off a lot of icky moisture. Richard's recipes are deceptively simple, but they all require high quality ingredients. This is a dish to prepare when you have fresh peas and tomatoes at their peak; without them (and fresh, excellent fish), this dish will suck. But it seems unfair to criticize a recipe that's largely been ignored! If we're going to take recipes to task for sucking, I suggest we only judge those to which we've given our best shot in terms of quality ingredients, technique, and any other relevant (cookware, time, temperature, etc.) factors. Fair? ← First, let me say that this was probably not the best example to start with. Next, I will be the first to admit & agree that if one is going to tackle recipes from a top-notch chef, it's always best to work with the finest ingredients. Otherwise, you set yourself for disappointment. However, not being a trained chef, but a passionate home cook, the urge to try and replicate a recipe is sometimes just too tempting to ignore. It's not always possible to find (or at times afford) top-shelf ingredients or the finest cookware. So, you work with what you can find and hope for the best. Having learned my lesson from the fish fiasco, I have made it a point of being patient until I can find/afford great ingredients and have had pretty spectacular results with other of Richard's recipes, along with many from French Laundry and others. So in the words of a previous poster on this thread, this wasn't a case where the recipe sucked but where I did. Mia Culpa, me bad. Let's move on, shall we?

I agree that sometimes meal failures are due to performing some stupid cook trick , which the recipe can't be blamed for. But surely there must be some recipes that, even when followed exactly, just weren't worth it. So why limit ourselves? Let's hear all the stories and share the pain.

This thread is the evil twin to “Recipes that Rock” started by maggiethecat. Let’s face it, we’ve all made recipes that looked good on paper, but when made, ummm…you realize a perfectly good tree gave it’s life for something totally vile. Sometimes it was because the combination of ingredients, other times it was a major/minor mistake by the cook, sometimes it was just bad karma. So let’s hear the horror stories! Recipes don’t need to be from 2008, just made this year. To get things rolling, Onion Crusted Whitefish with Tomato Water Sauce (Happy in the Kitchen), was the worst meal I’ve ever made. In fact, it sucked to a degree that can’t even be adequately described. Admittedly part of the problem was not using high-grade whitefish but who would have thought being covered in onions that it would turn into a slimy mess? To make things worse, I decided to serve the fish with broccoli, but because of lack of foresight on my part, I used frozen instead of fresh. Never again will I use any veggie from Green Giant that comes in one of those steamer pouches. Even nuked for the lowest time (I think it was 4 minutes), they came out being way over done. It was definitely a meal where all the cooking gods were against me.

Great idea for a thread. I took a look back in my 2008 food journal and offer the following “OMG -- can’t wait to make these again” recipes: Orange Chicken with Scallions from the Oct/Nov ‘07 issue of Fine Cooking. A fairly quick recipe that yielded an amazing glaze for the chicken. Tuscan Chicken from Bon Appetit (sorry, forgot to note the issue). This turned out practically perfect in every way. Nice breaded chicken paired with a lemon aioli and tomato confit. Slippery Shrimp served with Sticky Rice - The shrimp recipe, from Bon Appetit, is awesome. The glaze packs heat and sweet which makes my taste buds want to do a little dance. Paired it with sticky rice (I use the recipe from the Williams-Sonoma “Stir Fry”) and you have a complete, yummy meal. Potato, Greens and Goat Cheese Quesadillas (Bon Appetit, March ‘08) sounded a bit strange to me at first. Maybe because I had never used mustard greens before. But, the tastes all come together, especially when served with tomatillo sauce and a mango salsa (a frequent side dish thanks to Bon Appetit). Orzo Risotto with Sausage and Artichokes (Food & Wine, March ‘08) got two thumbs up from everyone at the table. This was the first time I used orzo instead of Arborio rice to make a risotto and it almost convinced me never to go back to Arborio again. I did substitute 1 cup of the water called for with 1 cup of white wine, which really improved the flavor. I also warmed the stock before adding it to the orzo (some risotto habits die hard). Sweet & Spicy Catfish Sandwiches has been one of my favorites from Food & Wine (March ‘08). The basting sauce for the fish includes green onions, soy sauce and honey, along with a few spices. Julienned carrots are marinated in a honey/vinegar sauce and are to die for. I did back off on the amount of Asian chili sauce for the aioli to about 1 ½ tsps. versus 1 Tablespoon, which turned out to be a smart move. We like things spicy, but a full tablespoon would have seared our lips off. I’ve used modifications of this recipe by putting the fish and carrot mixture on a bed of baby greens instead of serving everything on a roll and it worked out great. Sicilian-style Potato Gratin (Bon Appetit, March ‘08) will make you roll your eyes with delight. I mean how can you go wrong with potatoes, capers, olive oil and some chicken stock. A wonderful alternative to the standard gratin. Grilled Brie, Turkey & Pear Sandwiches (Fine Cooking, Feb/Mar ‘08) are great! The pears provide a nice, sweet crunch and are a perfect partner to the Brie. I served the sandwiches with The French Laundry’s recipe for Gazpacho, which is probably the best I’ve ever had or made. The flavors are much more intense than any gazpacho recipe I’ve tried before. Chicken Faux Gras from Happy in the Kitchen cookbook. WOW! This is such a wonderfully decadent appetizer -- full of butter, cream, onions, chicken livers. It has quickly become one of my main “go to” recipes. Chicken Sausages, another winner from Happy in the Kitchen.Who would have thought “no-fat” sausage using chicken and eggplant could taste so good? While the prep takes a little time, the end result is well worth the effort. These sausages were so superior to any bratwurst I have ever had and will definitely be making (and freezing) more in the future. Nicoise Salad from CIA Cooks at Home is a meal unto itself. Between the potatoes, green beans, baby greens, anchovies, olives, every mouthful was filled with delicious goodness. Oh and their recipe for the vinaigrette provided just the right tang to meld with all the flavors of the salad. BTW - it might be fun to start an alternative thread about recipes we've made so far this year that bombed and we swear never to make again [Edited for correcting issue date for Bon Appetit recipe.]

I have a recipe for making romesco sauce and roasted chicken breasts. In the directions, it says the sauce can be made ahead and chilled for up to two days before serving. However, the directions don't specifically state the sauce should be reheated before serving with the roasted chicken. Soooo, is this type of sauce traditionally served cold, hot, room temperature or it just doesn't matter?

I used the Dutch oven technique, at 450F. No additional moisture (I don't generally think it is necessary for this method, but I could be convinced otherwise...). ← I'm not familiar with the dutch oven technique. Can you provide some details?

I use this recipe (courtesy of Williams-Sonoma) and have had success every time: 1 c. long-grain white rice 1 1/2 c. water Place the rice in a colander and rinse with cold water to remove excess starch. Drain well. Combine the rice and water in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil and boil, uncovered until most of the water evaporates and there arecrater-like holes in the surface of the rice, about 10 minutes. Reduce the heat to low, cover tightly and simmer until the rice is tender, about 10-15 minutes longer. Remove from the heat and let stand, covered, for about 10 minutes before serving. Just before serving, fluff the rice with a fork. Serve immediately.

Maggie I feel your pain. Here in Western North Carolina, lamb is very hard to come by. Ham is the big seller this time of year. I was only able to find two stores in my local area that carry lamb (and don't even get me started about the difficulty in locating veal!). In both stores, the lamb chops (with rib bone already cut off) run $14.99 a pound. Only one store sells racks, and they go for $19.99 a pound. At those prices, it makes it difficult to justify making a lamb dish on a regular basis...sigh.

I learned my lesson the hard way when we moved last year from PA to NC. In cleaning out our fridge/freezer before the move, I was heartbroken over all the stuff that couldn't make the trip -- oodles of homemade pasta sauce, pesto, stocks, etc. It was also interesting to discover how many duplicates and forgotten items were pushed to the back of the pantry (I still don't know how we ended up with multiple cans of kippers and anchovies. And I still can't ever remember buying that tin of canned snails). From that point on, I do an inventory of fridge, freezer and pantry about once every three months, then plan meals around what I have. An added benefit is that I can save some $$$s at the grocery store.

A few days ago I made the master recipe and baked off my first loaf yesterday. It was awesome! The crust was wonderful and the taste was out of this world. I would post pictures, but my husband and I forgot ourselves and devoured the warm loaf with a tray of yummy cheeses. Can't wait to bake off the remaining loaves! Will definitely be putting my order in for the book.

I had my first apartment at age 19. Boyfriend at the time brought over two beautiful steaks for dinner one night. Remembering how my Mom would cook steaks, I placed them on a broiler pan, opened the oven door a bit and turned the broiler control to full throttle. After about five minutes I peeked into the oven, only to see that the top element wasn't burning-like-the-hinges-of-hell red. Said boyfriend picked that moment to come into the kitchen to check on how things were going. I mentioned, what I thought was, a defective broiler element. In a more-than-slightly panicked voice, he asked what I kept in the drawer below the oven. My answer: just stuff like oversized pans and tupperware, but I added that nothing was in there at the moment. Why on earth would that matter? It was at that point, he kindly reminded me that I had a gas -- no electric -- stove and the broiler was on the bottom. ------------ A recent stupid human trick -- while making batter for fried onion rings last night and simultaneously chatting with my mother-in-law, I poured ginger ale, instead of club soda, into the batter. The end result was edible, but a little weird.

mrsadm: Believe me, you're not the only one who has gone through this. Like yourself, I've been cooking steadily for the last five years, improving my skills, and taking on bigger and more complex cooking challenges. However, every once in awhile I seem to get out of the groove -- meals that should taste great just don't come out. Not that they are totally inedible, but absolutely a far cry from what I know I can do. When this happens, I usually go into hypercritque mode and over analyze what I could be doing wrong (and driving my husband crazy because he has to listen to all of my "what if" scenarios ). As maggiethecat suggested, it may be a case of the blues and wholeheartedly agree that sometimes it does some good to just take a bit of a break. Cook some recipes that are tried and true to get your confidence back. Certainly ordering take-out isn't or turning the cooking over to someone else for a bit in any way sins when these episodes occur. Hang in there and before you know it, you'll be in the groove and turning out more winners.