melissafitz

I think the most horrific habit of great (and other) chefs is when they don a pious attitude with their chef whites (so to speak). Some certainly have the right to, it's true. But not nearly as many who do. Otherwise, if the food that reaches my plate is sublime (or even just plain tasty), I'm fine with the means by which it got there! (barring egregious behaviors, of course...)

Thanks so much for the link. I'm definitely getting one! And I have no pets, so our four legged friends are also safe...

Right. Thanks.

Sigh. My deep freezer (in the basement) blew a fuse this past week and when I went down to put something in it, I was horrified to realize it was off and at room temp. Bye bye, rabbit (future gumbo). So long, duck (would-be-confit...). My industrious evening spent prepping lasagnas -- all for naught. Steak and standing rib roast.... I'm assuming they're garbage fodder too , though I thought I'd check w you guys to see what you think about salvaging them. I have a friend who leaves his steak out at room temp for a couple of days and I know of the wet-aging process, though don't know specifics. The steaks and roast are in a cryrovac packaging and, while I don't know how long my freezer was out, I am guessing 3 days. The contents were at room temp, but there was no smell. The last time I was in there, however, was a week ago so I can't be sure. Anyway, give it to me straight but be gentle, okay? I'm pretty bummed about this whole thing. Oh, and btw, does anyone know of an alarm or something to alert you when a fuse is blown? Thx M

I'm sorry I didn't see your post earlier! Did you figure it out? I think I googled it the last time I made it w granulated gelatin. I seem to recall it being 1.5 envelopes.

I've also used cannellini beans with very nice results.

Wow! I'm so happy! It's a great dessert -- and I do recommend pouring a touch of cream over the set jello. The last time I made it, I cut the alcohol content by using 1/2 bottle of Chardonnay and 1/2 bottle of a "cooking grape juice" called ver juice or something like that. I cut the sugar to 1/4 cup bc of the sugar content in the juice. Hope it's a hit & that you have a lovely dinner!

Raspberries in Chardonnay jelly. Light, delicious but a bit dangerous. http://livinginthekitchenwithpuppies.blogspot.com/2009/12/slut-red-berries-in-chardonnay-jelly.html

I'm also a former devotee of food shows, but must confess the recent batch of overly pushed "stars" - the neelys, big daddy, guy with his glasses on backwards all the time, etc etc etc -- combined with Rachel, Paula, sandra Dee, etc etc etc has left me very cold. But I digress. Worst for me is the neelys. I just can't get past the CONSTANT overt references to sex.

My blender (waring) just isn't doing the trick anymore. It'll blend if i stop and scrape down constantly, but I never get a nice funnel, particularly when blending thicker items like smoothies or pate. Any recommendations? Im thinking of splurging on a vitamix but dont know if its worth it. I (would) use a blender weekly, for things like soup, mayo, icey drinks and the above mentioned smoothies & pate.

I think carbonara provides a pretty good base for various additions -- I'm about to riff on it tonight w ramps. But otherwise, my version is pretty classic -- even with homemade pancetta.

Olicollett -- v much looking fwd to your run down & will put your stated suggestions at the top of our list. Thanks!

My 4 yo daughter loves king oscars, skinless ("no silver, please"), boneless. And she has been known to lick the olive oil from the plate. I prefer mine with saltines. And I plan on seeking out some Japanese sardines!

Brooklyn has union markets popping up like mushrooms, incl my neighborhood and I guess it's where I do my shopping. Not my veg (veg stand across the street). Or my meat (butchers -- Los paisanos or staubitz). Or my pantry items (fairway -- really, I had to walk out of UM when I was asked to pay $15 for a roll of tin foil. $15???!?). How is it that I'm in there daily?! Milk and the only baguette my son (who pretty much only eats baguettes) will eat. There ya go.

Roast veal breast stuffed with breadcrumbs, mushrooms & herbs and simple salad. I had never made veal breast before -- insanely cheap & quite tasty!

Looks amazing!

We're going to san sebastian in june & i'm thrilled to have this thread of recs! Anyone out there with more recent tales of feasting in San Seb?

My favorite so far is Plenty -- it (and ottolenghi) definitely have my home eating more veg meals than usual.

Thanks, Lisa. I'll up the baking time.

This is my way to go too. So, so good.

It isn't rolled out -- the recipe makes 4 crusts and suggests you freeze the extras as disks, defrost & then roll/bake them. The tart tastes fine, btw -- it seems just visual. Is it possible I under baked?

I've been working with a pastry crust for the past two weeks -- the first two turned out great, good structure & taste. The one I've pulled out of the oven today seemed fine but as it cooled, I noticed it has clear "dots" (for lack of a better word) all over it -- as if the butter broke during baking. I've never experienced this before (though am not professional, so have limited experience). This crust was the first I've made from frozen dough (frozen for 1.5 weeks) -- I let it defrost in the fridge for a day. Any ideas what the problem is? Many thanks!

Or store-bought? I'm a home cook, but a fairly adventurous one. since I have all the ingredients for marzipan, I thought I'd try making it for the figures on a birthday cake. I'm not finding loads of information in my cookbooks or on the internet (shockingly enough), so I thought I'd check in w you guys. Is there a significant difference with the texture/flavor of cooked v uncooked? Does one last longer than the other? Can they generally be used interchangeably in recipes? I'm assuming the uncooked is easier to make, but is the cooked version tricky? Thanks for your thoughts!

thank you for this thread! i just got some fabulous ricotta from a local italian place and mixed in some droste cocoa, sugar and amaretto. amazing dessert!

But wouldn't that make hot tea, not iced? Oh, you're right! It does make it a LOT more trouble to pour that strong hot tea over ice. Now I get it. ahhh --- not a southern, i presume! Actually, I am a "southern." And come from a long line of southerners. None of whom ever bought premade or instant iced tea. Some of them have a large contraption called an "iced tea maker," which I also find to be a pretty good example of tomfoolery (although it's handy if you've got a crowd coming, and certainly better than paying for some kind of premade or instant iced tea). And many of us southerners make sun tea, which I prefer when I have time. But rest assured that if it's gettin' on toward lunchtime, and we want some "tea" (nobody ever adds the "iced" - it's just assumed) we boil some water (in the microwave these days) and pour it over the tea bags. We also make some really really sweet syrup to add to make "sweet tea" for those that prefer it, as just adding sugar to your glass doesn't really get it sweet enough. Often we grab some mint from the back yard and some lemon slices to go with it. Some of us stir in some homemade lemonade from the pitcher in the fridge. But nobody, in my family anyway, would think to go to the pantry and get out a great big tin of instant iced tea. i'm sure you'll excuse me for my typo -- sadly my ability to type coherent posts is sometimes challenged by the three kiddos i have running around at my feet. being a southern myself, i must confess that i've never seen anyone make simply one glass of tea, but have never been in a home where there wasn't a pitcher of tea chilling in the fridge. i certainly didn't mean to question your devotion to the beverage, it's just -- in my experience -- non-southerners think hot tea + ice = iced tea, and -- in my little corner of the south -- that's just not the case. and, we are in full agreement that instant or bottled tea is an aberration.