DanM

I forgot to mention Alton Brown's I'm Just Here For More Food. It gives a novice a good overview of the different mixing techniques in a very entertaining manner. Dan

A ridiculously rich cake. Chocolate cake base with fudge frosting, caramel, and pecans as filling, fudge frosting outside, and a little more caramel and pecan pieces on top. Dangerously good!! Dan

Peter Reinhart's Bread Bakers Apprentice and Whole Grain Breads Peter Hammelman's Breads Bo Friberg Professional Pastry books Good Luck Dan

Every time I heard Melissa talk and saw her eyes, I swear the lights were on (dim ones at that), but nobody was home. I'm surprised she lasted this long. Dan

Rodenbach Grand Cru. I need to add a flemish sour to my home brew list.

You are correct. Egg whites will whip to a higher volume when they are warm (the optimum temp slips my mind at the moment...). Secondly, you want the eggs and butter to be warm to help create a good emulsion. Do you want to know why your cookie batter looks like cottage cheese when you add eggs to the creamed butter and sugar? Most likely it is because your eggs and butter are fresh from the fridge. 3 cents... adjusted for higher food costs. DAn

Oy! How can I forget matzoh ball soup?? Talk about good soul food!

Thanks for the food porn! This has definately caught my attention. Too bad the recipes are volumetric though. I have added this book to my Amazon wish list. Dan

You can take some dried black beans and make refried beans one night as a side. The leftovers can be reinvented the next night into a black bean soup with a little stock and some seasoning. It can also be mixed with potatoes and veg leftovers or trimmings for some Mexican style bubble and squeak. Finally, it can also be incorporated the next morning into a nice huevos rancheros breakfast. Dan

Gazpacho is a summer favorite with sentimental value in our house (it was served at our wedding). During those cold winter months I occasionally make a hardy miso soup with hulled barley and whatever dried mushrooms are around. Has anyone read the Moosewood book on soups? It is on my short list of books to buy. Dan

I have 82 at the moment. Do homebrewing books count? If so, add 2 more. Dan

A couple more for ya. The Improvisational Cook by Sally Schneider Baking By Flavor Lisa Yockelson Dan

Good evening! I have a couple of questions for everyone regarding their cookbook collections. What are the hidden treasures and all stars in your collection? The hidden treasures are the small books nobody has ever heard about, but are simply amazing. All stars are the favorites and game changers that have opened your eyes to new possibilities. For Me Hidden Treasure: Three Bowls: Its an interesting book written at a Zen Buddhist monastery. The recipes are an eclectic mix of Japanese and American cuisines. It also has stories and lessons about Zen Buddhism and their philosophy on food. All Stars Any book by Denis Cotter of Cafe Paradiso. My wife and I came across Cafe Paradiso by happy accident during a bike trip through Ireland. Denis Cotter shows that vegetarian food does not have to be ruffage and boring. His recipes are sophisticated with layers of flavor and complexity. I always cook from these books when we have company over and always get rave reviews. King Arthur Flour Whole Grain Baking. This is the book that opened my eyes to the possibilities of using variety grains when I bake. For example, I use a small amount of oat flour whenever I make cookies, scones, and cakes. What is on your list? Dan

Cider Donuts were on the menu for this past weekend. They need work as they do not have enough cider flavor in them http://i285.photobucket.com/albums/ll57/da...ing/Donuts1.jpg Dan

Peter Reinhart has a great oat bran bread formula in his Whole Grain Breads that is simply delicious for PB&J sandwhiches. He calls it a broom bread due to its powers as an all natural colonic. If you do not have a copy of the book, the publisher made parts of it available on Google Books. http://books.google.com/books?id=JJrYTmaI0...nhart#PPA109,M1 Good Luck. Dan

Another quick suggestion. Make friends with home brewers. They are often quite happy to share their craft with you. Dan

Sorry to hear about the job situation. I plan on cutting back on food costs this summer and into the fall by converting any useful space in my back yard into veg gardens. If you have a house, spend your free time tending the land. Another suggestion is use meat as a supporting role in meals instead as the starring role. Good luck with the job market. Dan edit: Oh, and don't forget Costco or other wholesale shops. Bulk is sometimes cheaper. But do you really need 5 gallons of pickle spears?

LOML wants to make some cider donuts tomorrow. I haven not found a formula in any of my books. Does anyone have a favorite recipe they want to share? Thanks! Dan

Good evening. Another factor not mentioned is that the bran in whole wheat flour will interfere with gluten development by cutting the gluten strands during kneading. I have found that using some King Arthur Flour white whole whole wheat helps give a good rise due to the very fine grind they use. Best of luck Dan

Good evening. I plan on making some sesame balls tomorrow for New Years. The recipe calls for glutinous rice flour, but I could not find any that is kosher near me. Are there any usable substitutes? I did grab some white rice flour, but I am not sure if it will work. Thanks! Dan

The book is mostly available on Google Books. I will read through the book tomorrow. Thanks! Dan

Looks amazing! Although I will have to break my rule on not buying cookbooks where the title is the number of recipes. Quite often I find that these books are quantity over quality. Dan ← Don't break your rule before reading the eG thread on 1080. Instead of repeating my comments, I'll link to them - and thereby the comments of others in the dedicated thread. http://forums.egullet.org/index.php?showto...dpost&p=1596450 Personally, I'd say that the idea of a single large book is less good for your library than a few better smaller ones, of individual virtue, perhaps dealing with, for example, regional differences in Spanish cooking. I have to say that I rather like Moro and Casa Moro, which reflect the Moorish influence in Spanish cooking. However for anyone valuing quantity over quality, or looking for a doorstop, then 1080 must be exactly what you are looking for... ← Okay. point taken. What do you reccomend? Dan

I'm not, but my son is. But I think it's clear to almost anyone that they are eryngii. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pleurotus_eryngii I would simply thinly cut them lengthwise, pan-fry them, and have them with salt. ← Thank you, Hiroyuki and everyone else! They will be sliced and fried tonight per Hiroyuki's direction. Thanks again, Dan

Do you consider almost 1000 pages thick enough? How about 1080 Recipes by Simone and Ines Ortega? When it first appeared it was heralded as "The bible of authentic Spanish cooking..." and referred to as counterpart to US Joy of Cooking and Italian Silver Spoon. I tried three or four recipes out of 1080, that came out pretty good because with the exception of vegetables I bought everything at a Spanish store near Williamsburg, Va. I moved on to the next book because 300 mile round trip to La Tienda to pick up food imported from Spain annoyed my locavore family. http://www.amazon.com/1080-Recipes-In%C3%8...a/dp/0714848360 edited to add link to Amazon...so, if you choose to buy it, you do it through eGullet. ← Looks amazing! Although I will have to break my rule on not buying cookbooks where the title is the number of recipes. Quite often I find that these books are quantity over quality. Dan

Wifey and I found a new Asian market near us and were like kids in a candy store. I found this mushroom in the produce area, but am not sure what type it is. Any suggestions on how to use it? I was thinking of a miso mushroom and barley soup. http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v647/DanMages/100_0424.jpg Thanks for the help! Dan