maggiethecat

Popovers. I'm their bitch.

I had to cook in an alcohol-free kitchen for a few months, with a very finicky clientele, and I'm sad to report that it really can't be done. One can make fine dishes without wine or booze, but you'll never achieve the same flavor profile. So I'm chiming in with the many good ideas on this topic: minis, boiled down wine cubes and excellent stocks. Acids, not only vinegars, but citrus juice. And lots and lots of fresh herbs.

The cover crop in Canada is alfalfa -- my father grew up on a farm and told us that a rotating third of their farm was planted out in alfalfa every year. Clover is excellent too. I trust you have a compost heap -- and yes I'm jealous of people who keep chickens. There's another technique I call Auto Composting: When you dig a trench or a hole into which to plant seed or seedlings grab the vegetable kitchen scraps and dig them into the trench along with the plants. Cover with soil, as you do with your plants. Worms will find those lettuce scraps. By August that celery you threw in there will be gone and your plants, and soil, will be happy.

Steve, I know it's hard for cooks to be patient, but even more than flour, patience is the number one ingredient in yeast baking. Bakers are sexy that way. I own many of the books mentioned by others, but I prefer Rose Levy Berenbaum's "Bread Bible" to all of them. Serious yeast science and a wide, wide variety of breads, artisan and otherwise. You'll probably have to get it used, but I'm fond of "Beard on Bread." Have fun!

That's 166,165, including one for me "Grand Central Bakery" worth it for the ruff puff pastry recipe alone.

Yoghurt, acid, herbs and cheese. Infinitely variable and satisfying.

OK, I've never worked in a professional kitchen, but I have friends who have. That "If you have time to lean, you've time to clean" thing annoys me no end. If hard-working line cooks have a breather, I'd say: "Lean a little. Then clean."

I still use the first recipe for White Bread I ever baked, way back in the day, from "Joy."

nibor: that's so great, especially the kitty part. I've been known to have a bowl of Joe's Os (Trader Joe's better than Cheerios at half the price) if I'm awake and hungry at three am. I put the bowl on my bedside table and hear my cats licking up the milk. Then they curl up behind my knees and purr, which is a good sleepy-time thing, as is rain on the roof and the rumble of a train. But I like your idea of getting out of bed and cooking. We call it "Egg in a Hat" here, but I agree that the small effort it requires for protein , carbs and peace might do the trick.

Whoa! I have a spaghetti squash in my fridge and have been contemplating how to serve it. This post is excellent inspiration, and so beautiful. These inspirations are beyond my financial bounds, but I'm grateful. Could someone give a less graceful, less inspired way to cook spaghetti squash? You know, down and dirty.

Linda, do you blanch the tarragon or mix it in au naturel?

I've read some high falutin' medical stuff somewhere that denies the turkey/tryptophan theory. But I agree: if you're making yourself a turkey sandwich you've probably cooked your ass of at Thanksgiving or Christmas, and the turkey sandwich before bedtime is the best and most calming thing you've eaten all day.(Cranberry sauce and stuffing garnish, please!) So lovely. Double edit: Much as I love Scotch, the turkey sandwich's liquid partner is a glass of milk. Or ginger ale.

Brilliant, Susan! Knit a test handle (for you, I know that's about ten minutes) and felt it. Then you'll get the parameters. (And, yes, a loop,)

I caught this on Yahoo today: 8 Foods That Will Make You Sleepy Warm milk is contraindicated, pretzels rule. I'm a lifelong insomniac. I need all the help I can get. Do any of you have a sleepy time snack that's better than three fingers of Scotch? ETA to add the list here: 1. Nonfat popcorn 2. Oatmeal with sliced banana 3. 1 cup plain yogurt with 2T mixed nuts 4. A pile of sesame seeds 5. Handful of pretzels 6. 1 glass of wine 7. 4 oz. glass of unsweetened cherry juice 8. Red bell peppers

Um, I don't own a dishwasher, make said smoothies, my blender doesn't smell and nobody's died. There was life before dishwashers. That said,when I've owned a dishwasher I crammed it with anything that cost less than fifty bucks with little collateral damage.

Has anyone here made Vietnamese yoghurt -- the kind with equal parts sweetened condensed milk and whole milk?

I made duxelles this afternoon to use up some mushrooms in late middle-age and a couple of tablespoons of sherry left in a bottle. Into the freezer they went, packed flat in a freezer bag so I can break off bits. And then I thought of this topic ... (I used Julia's recipe from "Mastering" -- the book so old and well-used it's lost its front cover.)

A local brewery I recommend is Two Brothers. You should be able to find it in any decent liquor store.

Chris, I've had good luck freezing cabbage rolls,But I can see that a large vegetal item like a whole stuffed cabbage could be a problem. In fact, when freezing items I think that size matters: keep the items and the portions small, to prevent overcooking at warmup.

Matt -- doesn't sound dated and unoriginal to me! I've never heard of it, and I'm intrigued. Could you share the recipe?

As I've reported many times up-topic, anytime I put a pan with a handle in the oven, I wrap the handle in foil (and lest you think I'm wasteful, I reuse the foil). Why do I do this? The foil certainly won't prevent a burn, but will serve as a reminder to grab a potholder or kitchen towel to remove said "palm burner" from the oven. And, yes, Chris, unless you give yourself something like my foil reminder, you will do this again. I'll buy some foil tomorrow and try to remember this brilliant truc. I suspect I'll fail. Sigh. OTOH, there's nothing like that sound of sizzling meat until you realize it's your own flesh sizzling.

Yowsa, Chris. I actually feel your pain because I've done the same knuckleheaded thing more times than I want to admit. Sans Vicodan. And, like you, I know I'll do it again.

I own a dedicated kitchen toothbrush for tasks like these.

Technogypsy: That venison/wild mushroom version sounds incredible. Chocolatesa: I'm adding vinegar next time.

We were listening to a story on "Marketplace" today about Wurstkuche, a hot new sausage restaurant in LA. (My son-in-law, who is hip to word of mouth about restaurants and technology , threw my daughter's birthday party there Way back in February and gave it good marks.) They serve sausage, many many varieties, and so we had to discuss sausage at length. Is there any such thing as a good vegetarian sausage? My mind boggles at the likelihood. But if there is a good recipe out there -- light on the tofu, please -- I know that the eGullet community is the place to go.