Jump to content

kitchensqueen

participating member
  • Posts

    190
  • Joined

  • Last visited

Posts posted by kitchensqueen

  1. Hands down the worst "cooking" thing I've seen is Mr. Food. This syndicated 2-3 minute segment used to appear on the local news. All his "recipes" were of the type "a bag of frozen this and a can of cream-of-that soup". He always ended the spot with a very cheesy-sounding "Ooooooo, it's so GOOD!"

    Oh yeah - he's totally creepy! Hearing him say "Ooooo, it's soooo GOOD!" literally makes my skin crawl. And to think, tons of people out there "cook" from his "recipes". What a strange world we all live in.

  2. Kitchensqueen, your post reminded me that I should use balsamic vinegar in marinades more often, for that little bit of sweetness.

    Yeah, it's surprisingly all purpose. Mixed with that grilled flavor and aroma... yum. I can't wait until strawberries are in season here so I can have balsamic strawberries for dessert!

  3. We did some grilling for the holiday for dinner today -

    Balsamic marinated steak kabobs (from Piedmontese beef)

    Balsamic marinated crimini mushrooms

    Lemon and chili flake marinated shrimp

    Green onions

    Red and green bell peppers with sea salt

    Served with Israeli couscous and plenty of sun tea for me, and beer for my husband.

  4. The thrift store this weekend was a total bust - an old favorite has really turned into a serious trash dump. They literally had junk just strewn on the floors, and were selling broken things... so diappointing when a good hunting ground deteriorates.

    But, my favorite used bookstore was having a killer sale - a grocery sack of books for $20. I managed to cram in 42 before my husband pulled me out of the store, so I got them all for a little under fifty cents each. Most of them are books for my son (35 vintage Golden Books!) but I did find some cookbooks/food books for myself too -

    Christmastime Treats: Recipes & Crafts for the Whole Family by Sara Perry

    Easter Treats: Recipes & Crafts for the Whole Family by Jill O’Connor

    Mommy Made: Home Cooking for a Healthy Baby & Toddler by Martha & David Kimmel

    Learning From Soup to Nuts: Food Activities & Recipes by Vickie Rochelle Barkman (circa 1978 so awesome kitsch factor)

    Pretend Soup And Other Real Recipes: A Cookbook for Preschoolers & Up by Mollie Katzen

  5. BTW Steven Raichlens show is very informative about BBQ, but I get the impression that hes a neat freak

    and BBQ and Neat Freak dont mix and he always seems awkward on his own show.

    I actually like this one a bit - his recipes are really good. But yeah, he's totally OCD. And I hate the way he says the word "cilantro" - he'll say the entire sentence like a normal human being, and then use this bizarre fake-Spanish accent to say that one word. It drives me up the wall...

  6. Christina Cooks is the only cooking show that has actually found a way to make me less hungry. So I guess I could use her show as a dieing tool. Too bad I think her show may be canceled....darn.

    Fear not, it stills airs on PBS, in Chicago at least. Your dieting plan could work.

  7. Well, I've got my duck. It's currently defrosting in the fridge. I got the last one at the store - three days ago they had a dozen - guess a lot of people are having duck this weekend in my neighborhood!

    I'll let everyone know how it turns out.

  8. Grilled cheese: bread, cheese, mustard, cooked in butter. Anything else just interferes.

    Mustard! That's downright exotic where I come from. Childhood grilled cheese was two slices of white bread, buttered on the outide with a slice Kraft Amercian cheese (well, usually store brand in our house). And we only had it with canned tomato soup.

  9. Summer has got me thinking about seafood, and specifically crab and lobster boils. Throw some seafood and veg into a pot over a fire and then tear it into with your hands over a newspaper-covered table. Beer or lemonade alongside.

    So, what's standard in your house - the crab boil or the lobster boil? Or even another kind of seafood? And what are the 'must-haves' in your pot - do you go in for potatoes and corn on the cob, or do you eschew veg entirely? What's your favorite seasoning?

  10. Thanks for the info everyone. I think I'm going to try rendering on the stovetop in a little water, as that seems to be the prevailing method.

    I don't think I'm going to confit the wings also - I'll just throw them into the stock.

    I thought the nonsense about avoiding tail and neck fat was, in fact, nonsense - I can't imagine why it would be something to avoid, unless you had duck that wasn't cleanly killed and butchered, in which case you'd likely want to avoid the whole thing in the first place!

    I'm getting a frozen duck - should I expect it to come with or without giblets? If it has them, I could add them to the stock right?

  11. However, I still bet that pound of bacon that nearly everyone does something like this. pastrygirl, you don't take two samples sometimes when the sign says "one only"? Or allow the cashier to charge you for industrial when you bought organic? Or...?

    I don't do stuff like this... I don't take more than one sample, I don't graze through the grocery store (because it's not mine because I haven't purchased it yet), I don't stockpile condiments at restaurants, I don't overlook price errors (even when they're in my favor)...

    I'll see your pound of bacon and raise you one, that there are a whole lot of people out there who don't take advantage just because something is "free" or available. :biggrin:

  12. I'm resurrecting this thread because this weekend's project for me is working with a whole duck. I intend to remove the breasts for cooking seperately, render the fat, and confit the thighs/legs. I've got a couple of questions I hope someone can answer.

    - I've read that you should avoid the fat around the neck and tail area - is this true, and if so, why?

    - How much fat will an average duck render? Will it be enough to properly confit the thighs/legs?

    - For the crockpot method described above (which I really like the idea of) do you add any water to the crockpot (as you do in the stovetop method)? How many hours on high or low should you let it render for? Does this method produce cracklings?

    - Are there any interesting dishes that I could use the cracklings in? We're not really inclined to eat them as-is.

×
×
  • Create New...