DanM

Sure. I have made this one and substituted 1 cup of stock with wheat beer or pilsner. I also added 1/2 tsp mustard powder. Dan http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/food-network-kitchens/almost-famous-broccoli-cheddar-soup-recipe/index.html

I had Rishi's new Chocolate Chai tea for breakfast. Its really interesting with a nice cocoa and cardamom note. The pu-erh and yerba mate are pushed to the background.

If you want something decedent you can make Broccoli Beer Cheese Soup.

I cannot find the clip. Will someone post a link? Thanks!

Frickin hillarious! I think Eric Ripert was fundamentally moved by eating at these simpler restaurants where the menus changed daily. Is it possible that a casual dining restaurant may be coming from him? I would love that! Dan

I recently picked up a Vitamix blender at Costco. So far, wifey and I are very happy with its performance. The main usage is from making smoothies for me in the morning, baby food for my daughter, and a frozen cocktail when necessary. Vitamix has a longer warranty than Blendtec and much simpler controls, hence my decision. Dan

I doubt it. A good quality aluminum pan can be scrubbed really hard with no damage. If you plan on doing something potentially messy, you can use parchment paper or possibly aluminum foil. Dan

I agree with this assessment: my argument is that's not such a bad thing. I really enjoy seeing how Bayless takes a traditional Mexican approach, or ingredient, or dish, and twists it around into something "contemporary." As far as I am concerned, Kennedy "wrote the book" on traditional Mexican cuisine. Once you've documented it, there is limited new ground to tread, so I welcome the innovation in OPT. Of course, I'm also waiting impatiently for the English translation of DK's Oaxaca! Ditto. Bayless did a wonderful job with Mexican Kitchen, Authentic Mexican, and Mexico One Plate at a Time documenting traditional Mexican fare. I'm glad that he is not regurgitating these books and exploring contemporary concepts. The one book I would love for him to write is a tome on moles, much like he wrote about salsas. I'm not that smart and did not put any consideration into what I put in it. I just grabbed whatever hearty veg was available at the farmers market, with the exemption of the white onion. One great find at the market were the purple tomatillos I used for the sauce. We were very happy with this dish. The mango guacamole was also well liked. It would be even better if I had a riper mango.

I am in the process of making this for dinner. I was wondering what veg you used for your enchiladas. I am using a blend of carrots, kohlrabi, eggplant, bell pepper, and white onion. May I suggest an index be made for this thread? I am starting to make recipes from this book and the critiques, comments, and suggestions really come in handy. An index will make it easier to find the info that I am looking for. Dan

One big advantage is the surface does not get hot, except through the absorption of heat from the pot or pan. This is great if you want to instantly kill the heat going into the pan. I have used them in the past for chocolate work and they do wonders. You can safely place a stainless bowl on the induction burner at a low setting for a couple of seconds to nudge the chocolate up a degree or two without worrying about it burning. Dan

I think Top Chef has jumped the shark and nuked the fridge. None of the contestants have impressed me and none of them seem to have a sense of daring in their dishes. And pea puree? Either it's an inside joke, a very bizarre trend! Lets hope that Just Desserts changes this trend.

Thanks for posting all of the great reviews on this book. I just received a copy from Amazon today. With sukkot coming up, I figured this book will come in handy for entertaining. I picked up a bunch of poblanos, potatoes, and bulb onions, at the farmers market on Sunday. I plan on making the potato salad tomorrow night and will try using the heartier greens from the bulb onions to see if that makes a difference. How much leftover mayo did you have from this dish? Which is your favorite guacamole so far? Thanks! Dan

My wife's coworker has asked me to make her a dessert for a Rosh Hashanah dinner next week. Apples are typically served on this holiday. I am looking for some suggestions for a spectacular, drool worthy dessert with apples. There should be no assembly required before serving. Thanks!

I have been going back and forth on whether or not to share this "cookbook". This was given to my mom by my brother's ex-wife as a joke... a bad one at that. It is in poor taste and may violate the TOS, so my apologies if this offends anyone. You have been warned Click to view.. http://forums.egullet.org/uploads/1280957720/gallery_61658_6368_179151.jpg And a sample from the book... http://forums.egullet.org/uploads/1280957720/gallery_61658_6368_661575.jpg

I had a smooth top electric in my last house. The limitations on cookware was at times an issue. The cookware had to be perfectly smooth on the bottom and not extend 2" past the element, IIRC. This prevented me from using cast iron griddles, most tagines, and my wok. For now, I have a Frigidaire 4 coil cooktop that I would like to replace with a propane fired unit (no gas around here).

I make a version of chicken with 40 garlic cloves where I place the chicken on a bed of diced root veg (typically waxy potatoes) and half of the garlic. The veg will soak up most of the juices, fat, and some of the liquid. This keeps the chicken high and dry and the root veg moist and delicious! Dan

I don't know why... but I hear Rachel Ray in the back of my head...

A few impossible ingredients that I want... Bonito - flaked or whole. Champagne and Sherry vinegars Quality aged balsamic vinegar Wide rice noodle Quail and Pheasant

My mother just returned from a visit to her sister in Israel. According to my aunt, eggplant turns black when cut with a steel knife ( I have not seen this, but I will roll with it). In Israel, they sell wood knives that look like cleavers to slice eggplants. This is apparently a fairly popular item. Has anyone heard of this before? Is there any truth to it? Thanks! Dan

Lets say within 25 miles of Gurnee and $25 per person. I am not picky on the genre, as long as they have a vegetarian or fish selection. Dan

My wife and I are visiting my parents in Gurnee, IL. We may live the little one with the grandparents and head out for a date night. Are there any good restaurants in the northern suburbs? Dan

I have a local pick your own farm that offers pick your own squash blossoms at $6 per pound... you get a ton for a pound!! Otherwise, you will find them at the farmer's market. If you are lucky, you will find female flowers with a finger sized sqashed attached. They are the sweetest, tastiest squashes around. Dutch processed cocoa is treated with an alkali to smooth out the flavor and improve colour. Sometimes you will see Dutch process over natural cocoa due to the higher PH. Natural cocoa might react with the baking soda/powder and give you an over leavened mess. Dan

It should be good on burgers or anywhere you would normally use ketchup. I found a recipe for tomatillo lime marmalade with ginger. I have no idea what to do with this one either!

I will be making Sardines in Saor from Mario Batali's new book Molto Gusto for dinner. The technique is quite unusual for this dish. Most of the recipes I have seen for Sardines in Saor have the sardines cooked before marinating for at least one day in the vinegar. Batali's recipe calls for a vinegar mixture to be brought to a boil and then poured raw sardine fillets and shaved fennel. Cool and serve. Has anyone seen this technique before? Any thoughts on it?? On another note, the recipe calls for champagne vinegar and pine nuts. I have never seen kosher champagne vinegar and i am out of white wine vinegar, so I will use cider vinegar. Pine nuts are ridiculously exensive right now, so I will be using slivered almonds. I hope these substitutes will work! Dan

Bump... My local PYO farm is now offering squash blossoms at $6 per pound. I am trying to find some creative and new ways to make a meal out of them. I have stuffed them every which way till Sunday, so lets consider that horse flogged. Any thoughts?