randomwalk

i'm not sure this is exactly the same, but it really bugs me nonetheless!! Haagen Dazs (vanilla, at least) says on the carton that it contains 4 servings. Actually, it contains **barely more** than 3 servings. 25% is missing!! I know there's some law that says they can be wrong in their estimates by up to some percentage, but they are seriously taking advantage. It's bad enough that it's $4 (or more) for 4 servings, but now it's an obscene price for 3 servings! (This was one of those harsh, harsh discoveries I made after buying a kitchen scale and weighing my desserts.)

i agree!! (french toast being my all-time favorite breakfast). even more decadent: replace some portion (larger is more decadent) of the milk with CREAM. omg it's heaven. (cooked in cast iron, of course....)

you've got me persuaded to get sick!!!

YES!!! My worst nightmare (that actually does trouble me...i guess i have anxiety issues ? lol) is being stuck on a desert island with nothing to eat but white bread and mayo. the smell alone of mayo somewhere in the same room with me is enough to make me leave the room. (oddly enough, it is my best friend's fantasy that i get stuck in that situation. i guess she's really sick of dealing with my picky eating.) hate ketchup, mustard, relish, etc. most salad dressings, especially creamy ones. i hate (see above, nightmare) sandwich bread. it smells and tastes really artificial and gross to me, whether or not it is. i loooove good crusty bakery bread, although not all bakery bread is good crusty bread. this means that i hate sandwiches (except ones i make myself from good bread) which is *very* embarrassing in social situations. think of all the times where all there is to eat is sandwiches?? thank your lucky stars you like them!! (i also always have to order hamburgers/hot dogs without the bun--again, embarrassing--thank your stars you don't have this problem, if you are most people.) also, eggplant, zuchini, really any kind of squash, all gross me out. bananas. any dried fruit--raisins, dried apricots. and a million other things i just can't think of right now! but, like many many others, i came to LOVE olives after hating them for many many years.

OR! get a lodge that IS enamel coated. I got this one, http://www.amazon.com/Lodge-Enamel-Cast-Ir...=pd_sim_k_img_5 which is $50. I've heard (but cannot confirm) that these have 2 layers of porcelain as opposed to 4, but I have this item and it works like a dream. And, being a starving graduate student, there's no way I'd pony up for le creuset!! I also got this one http://www.amazon.com/Lodge-Enamel-Quart-D...=pd_sim_k_img_5 for $28 (3qt). The prices vary on all of the colors, but they are a fabulous deal. I also plan to get http://www.amazon.com/Lodge-Enamel-Covered...=pd_sim_k_img_1 but have to save up again : ( (lol)

i did a quick search and found a link to this http://www.taunton.com/finecooking/article...spx?ac=ts&ra=fp and it looks like you can get a free trial to access the article, which (if http://www.mollystevenscooks.com/reviews.php is not misleading) includes the recipe. sorry i couldn't be more help-- margo

i know i'm a little late to the party, but i would love it if someone could explain this to me? i know it's very common to reduce to concentrate flavors. so, what's the deal here? ; )

BF and i have been making supereasy pizzas recently, so i'm happy to see this thread! i buy the dough from a neighborhood pizzeria (don't much like their pizza--too greasy--but really like their crust), for $1.87 (enough for four huge servings). put half of the dough on our stone (we use the stone...) bake for 4 mins (at 550), remove. Then we add a can (or more...) of diced tomatoes, sprinkle with dried basil (would love fresh if we had it), oregano, hot pepper. Then, top with grated mozzarella (not fresh...we tried fresh, and it was too watery....will have to try the "less-fresh fresh" method!), and whatever toppings we like. (i like mushrooms, and salami added after cooking, he likes sauteed chicken (?)--not our ideal toppings, but easy stuff we have around the house.) Return to the oven for about 5-7 mins. it's *delish*! it's BF's favorite food, and it's super easy for those nights we have to get to bridge! (we're not old, but we act like it, lol.)

the short ribs were amazing!!! everything else about the meal was disappointing (i cut myself on the mandoline, and BF couldn't get the potatoes thin enough for potatoes anna; BF truly doesn't like cabbage; BF for some reason wasn't a fan of braised shallots even though i thought they were fine) but the short ribs were so delicious!! thank you so much, marlene, for posting such a delicious recipe. i made one tiiiiny modification, which was instead of making the flour/butter paste, i just thickened with arrowroot (things were really hectic at that point, with the potato crisis, and BF kept wanting more direction than i had the attention span for--so arrowroot was out of necessity--sauce was going to boil away if i took the time to make a paste!!) (oh, and i needed my oven at 250/260, since absolutely nothing was happening at 240.) but the sauce was soooooooooooooooooo delicious, and the ribs were soooooooooo meltingly tender. thanks!!!!!!

thanks, everyone, for the replies about port. i picked up a bottle at the store today, and plan to make the short ribs tomorrow. it was about $12. i couldn't decide whether to get the cheapest (~$5), but i thought for $7 extra it might be worth it not to have the crappiest port in the store. but, i have no idea!! as tomorrow is Vday, i have a menu planned out for tomorrow. braising is good, since my BF is flying home tomorrow afternoon (and of course the plane may be delayed) so it's good to have some make ahead/get everything going hours early dishes. i'm also expecting everything to go horribly wrong, ha. my plan: 1. braised shallot confit. that's going along as i type--i'll see whether i can post some pictures, but i'm not sure whether i can. but it smells delish (and BF ***LOVES*** shallots, seriously, he's crazy about them.) 2. world's best braised cabbage. he doesn't like cabbage, but i'm going to try to bring him around--if he doesn't like the world's best cabbage, then i guess i really can't argue with him, can i? 3. marlene's short ribs. first try making short ribs, but i'm feeling optimistic!! 4. potatoes ana. not braised but my favorite potatoes in the world!!!!!!!!!! they usually require most of my attention, and that's another reason why it's good that everything else on the menu is braised!! i'll let you all know how it goes. the good news is, BF and i actually have reservations on FRI night for our actual celebration of Vday, so if this all fails i haven't messed up anything too important. thanks again everyone!!

I am hoping someone will be able to help me. I am hoping to make Marlene's short ribs with port, wine and honey. However, I don't know what "tawny" port is. Is this like asking for a "dry" or "sweet" wine or is it something completely different? Also, I don't have port, and don't drink it. Is it really essential to the dish or could something else do just as well? (Not sure how expensive it is, but if it's not that important, I don't want to drop a lot on a bottle that will never get used in any other way. But, if it is important, then I'm willing to spend something.) (But still not like $30....)

QUOTE(slkinsey @ Feb 11 2008, 01:38An example of a too-narrow (or perhaps too-narrowly informed) purism is the insistence that pesto sauce be made with basil, Parmigiano-Reggiano, pine nuts and raw garlic. That describes [i) pesto alla genovese but not a whole lot of other pesto traditions. Pesto alla trapanese, for example, has almonds and tomato and other things that the Genovese wouldn't use. That makes sense, considering that Trapani is in Sicilia. ← Yes, I meant pesto alla genovese. That's what most people (in my, perhaps too narrow?, experience) mean when they say pesto. Trying to make pesto alla genovese with walnuts instead of pinenuts is what I take issue with. Trying to make pesto alla genovese without garlic also. Or any of the other numerous low-quality substitutions. Pesto alla siciliana is another story. That has another set of standards, and I wouldn't dream of applying the genovese standards to it. And, if you want to use the term "pesto" just to mean any sauce made by pounding or crushing ingredients (in a mortar and pestle?), then obviously it would be incorrect to say that pesto must be made with basil, olive oil, parmesan, pine nuts ad garlic. But, I stand by my original claim, which is that if you want to make pesto (meaning pesto alla genovese) then it shouldn't include walnuts. and should include garlic.

oy--my grandmother once told me "ooh, parsley makes a wonderful pesto!" this is the same woman who once took the leftover used coffee grounds out of the coffee pot and dumped them over a pot roast she was making. (apologies to those who like parsley pesto or coffee ground pot roast.) ← we posted our posts at exactly the same time! ← i was just happy to see someone else who had the same opinion!

oy--my grandmother once told me "ooh, parsley makes a wonderful pesto!" this is the same woman who once took the leftover used coffee grounds out of the coffee pot and dumped them over a pot roast she was making. (apologies to those who like parsley pesto or coffee ground pot roast.)

PESTO!! I hate the "black walnuts" thing. i don't understand leaving out pine nuts. my best friend won't put garlic in and gets all holier-than-thou about it, when really i think it's ridiculous that she won't put garlic in! for me (ok, maybe i have control issues...) pesto=basil + garlic+ olive oil + parmesan reggiano + pine nuts. salt, perhaps a little lemon juice to brighten it, but nothing more nothing less.

Hi--I'm writing to report on the Zinfandel Pot Roast. I had never braised before. It's pretty easy though! I salted the meat a few days ahead of time (advice from Zuni Cafe), and made it a day before I thought I was going to make it. (Unfortunately, boyfriend ended up wanting to go out, since he returned home on a flight that was too close to dinner!--I made it Wed. night, intending to eat Thurs. night, but we didn't get to it until Fri.) I think, ultimately, I'm a rare meat kind of girl, which just doesn't go as well with braising. But, BF liked it, and I really liked the sauce. (Unfortunately, I salted the meat again before cooking, being a newbie, and so the reduced sauce was WAY too salty.) Sauce is worthwhile, and may be worth braising for. I didn't think the carrots were worth all that trouble--why waste a cup of that delicious sauce on carrots?? But, the texture was very soft and smooth, except where it was a little dried out from reheating. Incidentally, that's part of what I don't understand about the advice to braise a day or two ahead of time--doesn't it just dry out the meat? Thanks for all of the wonderful advice on this thread! I think it made my first braising experience go much more smoothly than otherwise. I can't wait to try short ribs!! Margo