snowangel

fifi, I called my local butcher, and he will have a small chicken (I said no more than 3-1/4 pounds) on Wednesday. He gets them from an Amish farmer. Sometimes I get them from a coop, and what I really love about those is that most of them have been raised by kids for 4-H projects, and we actually get the name of the raiser on the label!

Oh, I'm getting the burn to dig in the ground. Would be better if it were more than 20 (F) here! I'm responding to many posts: I've had great luck with Brandywine tomotoes. I also had oregano that threatened to take over the garden. I planted lemon thyme under the swing set in in the yard of our former house. It was wonderful. It spread, but did not have that "overtaking" quality of mint. It was perennial. And, as the kids feet swept the thyme when they swang, the scent was wonderful. It was much sturdier under swings than was grass. Depending on the weather here, one basil plant can be plenty. During the last really hot wet summer we had, a neighbor asked what my new shrubs were. They were basil plants. Oh, to garden and move beyong the dream and plan and look at books and drool over the seed racks that are appearing in the stores!

Oh, fifi. You continue to hypnotize. Pretty soon, my husband is going to hate you! So, now I need one of these pots. I'd better start saving, making excuses or hoping that I can stumble on one (or more!) at Marshall's or TJ Maxx.

OK. Some questions. Brook's recipe is soaked with water with baking soda. Other's in buttermilk. What's the difference? And, should the chicken air dry after flouring before frying? Finally, I can hold my head up now. I have a cast iron skillet. Can't do chicken tomorrow night, but me thinks that I don't have enough bacon grease, so perhaps we should have bacon, eggs and waffles for supper tomorrow.

So, I have questions and comments: Baking powder and ice water. Versus buttermilk. Some scientist, please explain! Then, I go to my new Gourmet cookbook, which recommends sprinking the cut up chicken with 1/2 cup of kosher salt (draws the water out, making for less splattering, and tenderizes) for 1 hour before risning and "marinating" said rinsed chicken in buttermilk and onion. The rest of the recipe is pretty much in accordance with what many sources say. Coat in enhanced flour, let set, and fry. Now, I did find the recipe in the file from my great grandmother. Amost unreadable, due to the splotches, stains, and that wondfully intriguing spidery handwritting. "Soak one cut up fresh fryer in buttermilk (and, I'm sure by fresh, she meant one she'd chased around and de-headed herself, and the buttermilk would have been from Her Farm). Keep in the ice box until ready. Mix flour with s & p. Fry in 1/2 crisco and 1/2 bacon grease in the cast iron skillet until done. When my grandmother, her daughter, cleaned out her house, I said to my sister, casually, sure, you can have the cast iron skillet. Silly me.

I am so up for this, and my family just grinned when I told them about this cook-off. First off, I need to buy a cast iron skillet. Hanging head in extreme shame, I admit I don't own one. I think I'll do legs, thighs and wings since that's what we prefer. I'll dig through my great grandmother's recipe box and see if she has a recipe or at least guidelines, and compare them with the others that people post.

But, three of the last four have been soupy/stewy (cassoulet, gumbo, curry). I really vote for fried chicken. It doesn't involve a bazzillion ingredients or really long cooking. Plus, we here in the northern lands are entering that spring season, and we're sick of standing over the stove cooking long and involved things. Time to hone our skills one something that is somwhat simpler. The increased length of days and push of the sun is making me think Picnic Food!

I replaced the harvest gold leatherette textured formica (get out the toothbrush to clean) with granite. Absolutely no regrets. My family knows not to use good knives directly on the granite, and I love than I can put hot stuff on it, and love that pastry rolls out so easily. Love that there are no nooks and crannies. Love that is is speckled enough to hide stuff. Although replacing the harvest gold vinyl sheet good flooring (again, full of nicks and crannies, and a bazzilioon cigarette burns -- understandable once I'd met the sellers ), things like wiring problems have taken center stage. I think, however, that I've decided in CVT. It can be a DIY project, and I'm a glutton for punishment. Ceramic is out because Heidi falls fairly often, and we've been to the ER for a few too many concussions. And, the realtor we worked with to buy this house has a brother in the flooring business that gives good deals to customer's of his sister... I'm thinking that installing this floor might be stinky, so am prepped to wait until summer when we can install it and just go to the cabin and avoid the stink and disruption. I may even splurge and just have it done! I had thought hardwood, but the DR and kitchen are open to the living room, which has hard wood, and I want to define the DR/kitchen space with flooring.

Peter declared that they were the consistency of fried play dough. We had a good laugh. I just hit the griddle with a mess of butter, let it foam, and did some easy over eggs. At least I didn't waste precious blueberries we gathered at the Cabin (and froze) on this batch! Then we put on Trout Fishing in America and ate our eggs to "My Hair Had A Party Last Night." Memories are made in the kitchen. Bet my kids remember these "pancakes" far longer than most they have had!

Back track to last Saturday. Don't get so busy dancing and singing to the Mamas and the Papas that you forget to put the eggs in the buttermil pancake batter.

Cheers to you for doing this yourselves. We are on our second DIY project; fortunately, this one did not involve any walls. Just electrical and gas work. 'Tis amazing what one uncovers as one digs into walls, etc. And, our family of 5 lived for many years with just one toilet. In the meantime, as you live with no kitchen, have you thought about a toaster oven? It really opens up new avenues for cooking...

Two words: splatter screen. And, it would be quicker to clean grease than accumulate all of those ingredients for the curry. Besides, since we can't garden, we just as well clean grease .

Another thought for another cookoff would be something that isn't so time consuming. Composed salads? Edited to add: A salad thing is probably better waiting until the weather is warmer and greens are fresh and local!

No food once labor begins. Ice chips, yes. Big glasses of water, no. Things that go in after that point have a way of coming back up. Speaking from personal experience, although I normally like to nosh my way through the day, once I was in labor, my mind was on other things! I'd be surprised if the hospital staff recommended that she eat while in active labor. I went through a 36 hour labor without eating, nor did food ever cross my mind. You, however, (assuming you are going to coach her through this) should eat, especially if it gets long. I always sent my husband out to eat at least once, and quite frankly, enjoyed the time alone, which allowed me to focus. But, if you want to bring snacks for yourself, by all means do. Just eat them discretely. However, within an hour of my kids' (I have three) births, I was voraciously hungry. So, you might want to bring some food for her, for after, and save her from that horrid hospital tray, or the gawdawful sandwiches they bring from the fridge in the maternity ward (of the slimy ham on squishy bread variety with no mustard).

Yes, let's move on to the next cookoff. I did the lamb thing today. Lamb Korma from Madhur Jaffrey's "An Invitation to Indian Cooking." It was less than successful. It was limp, uninspired and without merit. I followed the directions carefully, except I did not use water, I used lamb stock (from the bone in the leg; I couldn't find shoulder and had a small leg in the freezer). In fact, this was so uninspired that Diana, Paul and I tasted it before I started the rice. We opted for Chinese take-out (which was above average suburban takeout). I just put it back on to simmer, sans lid, thinking it will achieve some of the depth of flavor that that Beef Rendang I made (check out the braising with molly thread) had. So, for the next cookoff. How about tamales? Or fried chicken? Time to hit this side of the globe!

I did enchiladas again tonight. Again with a packet of leftover smoked chicken thighs. So, I did some things different. I had flour, not corn tortillas. And, I didn't make enough sauce, so I dumped a can of rotel on top of them. And, it was a mish=mash of cheese. But, they were wonderful. Peter had a friend over for dinner. The friend comes from a take and bake (or hamburget helper) household. He watched and could believe what I'd done. He noted the smoky smell of the chicken, and the smoky taste afterwards. He was enchanted and delighted and could wait to tell his mom what Peter's Mom can cook. When his mom came and picked him up, he stated "Mom, I didn't think I liked spicy food, but it is good! Especially when the meat smells like bacon."

To a Thai, in Thailand, a foreigner is a farang. A side note. Growing up in Thailand during the height of the Vietnam war, we lived there, but not as military. Almost all of the American's were military (my dad worked for a private foundation at a Thai university as an ag economist, creating a department). Since we didn't have access to the PX (post exchange; the place where one could use US$ and buy stuff like Skippy and Fritoes), and ate exclusively Thai food, we were less "farang" than most of our friends. We were also not on the two year tour of duty schedule, so we actually learned to speak the language and appreciate eating all of the bounty. Anyway, I digress. Your summer rolls look wonderful. Back to your comment about them. You mentioned the restaurants being thinner. Meaning the circumferance of the rolls or the rice papers? And, if you think your restaurant's plum sauce is better, ask if you can buy some or ask them how they make it. This food is so interesting. After I made my last pad thai, I recalled that we had a cook that used tamarind and nam pla for the sauce, and one that used a combo of rice vinegar, tamarind and nam pla. Both were authentic, I think! I'm thinking kao soy for my next Thai expedition (after I take care of my lamb curry duties; the lamb is thawing as we speak; time to do something besides braise and cook Thai). And, tonight, I will go to bed dreaming not only of flowers, but tomatoes, you lucky devil you! We won't see anything local until late July, if we are lucky!

First off, Susan, your flower garnishes are killing me. We are March in MN. It is brown, with patches of white (snow). There isn't much color if the cardinals or blue jays aren't around. Sigh. As I mentioned in the Braising with Molly thread (about Beef Rendang), Diana and Paul are bugged if what I fix to serve with rice (always Thai) doesn't have lots of juice. I think that's a farang thing. I grew up knowing that rice was the main thing. A vehicle for the other stuff. Sometimes it has a lot of sauce (as in a coconut curry) sometimes not (as in many stir-fryes or "dry" curries). In some of those tiny northern Villages in Thailand in the late 70's, lunch was some veg, some stirfried meat fat on rice. Plus condiments. These dishes weren't long on juice, but way long on flavour.

To divert from tangines and back to the idea of braise and then brown, this idea is not limited to the Med. Look at Carnitas, or the following thread here which talks about beef rendang (inspired by Molly Steven's All About Braising). There is something about these braised and then browned dishes that is distinctly different, and in my mind (or taste buds) more mysterious and deep than browned and braised.

Oh, patti. It looks wonderful. You are better at taking pictures and have better plates than me, as well! Tonight was leftover night at our house. Some leftover pot roast. Two leftover grilled chicken legs (devoured by Peter) and the leftover Beef Rendang. I resubmerged the potroast in liquid and stuck in the oven at 250 for a while. I wasn't sure what to do with the Rendang, but ended up sticking it in a bowl in a steamer, with the leftover rice in a bowl in the basket above. Bottom line. Diana and I love this dish. We fought over the last piece. Diana asked why I didn't make twice as much. The heat was more prevelant during the reheat, but I would still up the peppers from what I did. Of everything I've made out of this dish, I think this one is the most mysterious, deepest. It really speaks to me. As to the galangal. Most of what I can find here in the Twin Cities (a big area for this sort of stuff; I do think we have the hugest SE asian immigrant population) is pretty woody, and since I run through the powdered stuff pretty fast, would probably use that again in the future. I'm not sure where this stuff comes from, but I know the turnover is good. I just can't believe how much "woodier" it is than ginger (which has an equally high turnover). Finally, I think this dish would work equally well with pork or chix thighs.

I'm with fifi on vegetables. Raw or tender. Eggs with runny whites. Yew. Enough to send me to worship the porcelain goddess. Come to think of it, chicken that isn't cooked through (it doesn't have to be cooked to death, mind you) will send me to worship the same goddess. Instand gag factor.

I refer you to a previous thread on Risotto (perhaps a mod could merge the two threads as well as Craig Camps ECI class on Risotta -- Rice in the spotlight.

Pad Thai here last night I used chicken and stir-fried some shrimp on the side (when Heidi eats shrimp, it does not stay down). I can now cross rice noodles off the list of things I have trouble with! They did just what they were supposed to do without glumping up!

Greenwish, I think if you go above thread, all of that has experience with this book would agree that her temps are too high!

That salmon with the pinot and bacon was delish. As was the pork with mango, lime and coconut (OK, so I know your family doesn't like coconut, but I don't think they'll know it's there unless you tell). And, that chicken with prunes (fish them out if they have some sort of emotional allergy to prunes) and olives was also absolutely outstanding. What about the fricasee of chicken? Or the milk braised pork (easiest thing I've done in ages, and again, absolutely wonderful).