NeroW

I am partial to the Presto Pizzaz Pizza Oven.

Baked penne with a wild mushroom ragu, frisee salad with lardons, Jell-O chocolate pudding. And some pineapple.

. . . have too much to drink out of nervousness while frantically trying to feed 15 people at a dinner party, and put the centerpiece dish into the oven with Saran Wrap still on top.

Seriously? I also like a mushroom bread pudding, with Gruyere.

Cheese souffle with homemade tomato sauce and spinach salad.

Hello everyone--now don't start laughing at me-- First, a disclaimer: I am new, young, and learning. You all seem to know a ton, and I want to pick some brains. I would really appreciate any and all input. I searched the wine forum for a prior thread on this and could not find one, perhaps because I am the only person shameless enough to admit to the following: In a few weeks I am attending my first wine tasting. We only really have one knowledgable proprietor of wines in this college beertown, and she is a family friend. It is one of her tastings. I'm very excited. Truthfully, I still get excited to be of Legal Age, but that's fading. C'est la vie. The distributor/importer Herb Boheim (not that you would have heard of him, he's a local) is bringing six selections from his portfolio. Couple questions-- What should I eat or not eat on that day? I don't know very much about what foods would interfere with the tasting. I've heard that I should avoid coffee: is this true? I plan on standing by the wall and not opening my mouth period, except to taste, but what questions should I be secretly burning to ask? What should I be listening and looking for? Also, what about your first wine tasting? What did you taste, where was it, what do you remember most about it? This is my secret motivation for starting this thread: I'd love to hear your stories and be thinking of them when I go to my first tasting. Thank you in advance!

Hmm. That's odd. I've found that the thought of ANY beer makes me want to drink beer. Speaking of which, I'll be leaving the office now.

My mothers family is French/Swedish and my fathers is Swedish. Both of my grandmothers learned cooking and baking at their mothers sides, who were brand-new to this country and very much brought the "old ways" across the ocean with them. Neither of my grandmothers worked outside the home while their children were growing up. My mother and her sisters in turn learned "the work" at my grandmother's side. As a result, they are instinctive, fearless, and very accomplished in the kitchen. Cooking, baking, and eating was never a big deal to my mother and aunts: we certainly are not a "foodie" family. It was simply something that was done always, done well, and probably taken for granted. During holidays there was such an abundance of food. I especially remember the pies. If I could make piecrust like my grandmother, I'd never shut up about it. Growing up mealtime was important. My mother, my sister, and I always sat down together, with or without my father. My mother considered it paramount that my sister and I have at least some understanding of "the work." Being rebellious, I avoided the kitchen whenever possible, and had almost zero interest in cooking or baking until much later. My sister learned as a child with my mother, but I mostly stayed out. My folks were pretty liberal with everything, elbows on the table I suppose being one of the things they figured was unimportant. I don't remember much discipline period, and certainly not elbow-related. We always used good table manners because our parents did, and we wanted to please them. Of course, if my sister and I were (gasp) left to our own devices, picking up a large handful of spaghetti noodles, dipping it into red sauce, and throwing it across the table at one another was not uncommon. Restaurant meals were not usual. My family is frugal. We would get together in a restaurant only on special occasions, never for holidays, and then only because the family is really too large for any of its houses! I can only remember one or two times. At an Italian restaurant once, which the adults in my family liked for the paper tablecloths and crayons (and which us kids liked for the same reason), the waiter brought a dessert tray. I had never seen such a fantastic thing, and I kept asking him: "are those real? Please, are those cakes real?" He ignored me quite studiously. Finally, I stuck my finger right through the middle of a piece of cake. It was real. When we left the restaurant that night, the dessert tray had been replaced in its little cooler. There was the cake, with a finger-hole right through the middle of it. We always had a kids table. We still do. There is no other choice. The kids just keep on coming. I usually elect to sit at it still, even as a 23-year-old. The conversation is much more refreshing: no politics, no loud wine-driven debates about recent headlines, no worry if you take too big of a bite and have to chew with your mouth open. Just true enjoyment of the food, occasional belching and slipping off the chair underneath the table for no reason, plastic dinosaurs and soldiers peacefully coexisting on your plates (and sometimes, in your milk), and best of all, once you are finished eating, complete freedom to lift up your shirt, expose your bloated belly to your dining companions, and make loud noises of satisfaction. I never touched wine until my sophmore year of high school. My parents would certainly have let me, I just had no interest in it. One evening, my mother poured me a glass of Bordeaux and would not hear my objections. I drank it like juice, and then I drank another. It went to my head immediately. I retired to my room to write in my journal about my first experience with wine. My handwriting was a little off. We said prayers with my father's family, but not my mother's. We didn't have a rotating menu, but each of my aunts had a different inclination. The eldest spent time in France, and cooked French food at her house. My mother, French also. My hippie aunt made the greatest Indian and Asian foods that I never got to eat anywhere but at her house. She also made a mean green eggs and ham. My mother's youngest sister made her own candies, her own potato chips, and her own pickles, so she was of course my favorite. Right now, due to strange family circumstances, both my sister and I are sharing a small apartment with our mother. Cooking is absolutely central. I am in the process of organizing and cataloging my mother's recipes, like some of you have already done--thanks for sharing your stories. We cook and eat together almost every night, and our friends know when we eat and often happen to "be in the neighborhood." Our neighbors across-the-hall have also stopped by, driven by the smell, just to "see what we're cooking now." I am preparing for culinary school and lately I have noticed that my aunts--even my grandma--have asked me for advice with their recipes and menu planning. This is an incredible feeling. I am not even nearly in their league, but they are eager to encourage me and pass on their secrets of "the work." Last Friday evening I was making a dough, and I asked my mother for help. She was hesitant at first, lingering over by the sink, but soon she was by my side, helping me, making suggestions, and sharing failures and successes. She knows I am afraid of dough but did not want to "step on my toes," if you will. It was precious time to us both.

White bean soup with kale and roasted vegetables--excellent. Unidentified frozen white fish baked in foil with rosemary, lemon, and mushrooms--OK. Rice.

Savory French toast. 1 egg, 1/2 c. milk, big pinch of salt, bread (I like challah) and butter. Add some minced chives to the milk and egg. Make it like regular sweet French toast. I like to eat it with creme fraiche.

Friday chickened out on the carnitas (scale-induced horror) and made a roasted squash galette with onion and sage. Salad. Saturday had beef carbonnade, Sunday Super-Bowl-related gorging (frozen mozzarella sticks, catered BBQ ribs, sausage, etc.) Woke up with turrible heartburn.

Ghetto mac! I thought that was Detroit-specific. I thought I was the only one.

Simon-- That's horrid. Horrid. My father attests to this day, no matter how we scream "Urban Legend" at him, that he found a rat's tail in some Dee-troit Chinese chicken wings. Got to love the D. LOL.

Thanks Torakis! I like and will prob. use the fish idea once the stuff starts running wild again.

I have a question--has anyone used purslane (sp??) or lamb's quarters in anything? My friend had a ton in her garden last year and she said it was weeds, but I thought perhaps it was edible? What is the flavor?

E-- Hmm. I bought mine in the US. Maybe they are something different? They came out of a little bin, in a plastic baggie, bulk foods-style. ?? Now I wonder what they are? Thanks again for the tips, I will use them.

Is an immersion blender worth purchasing? I am thinking of using it mainly for savory applications, i.e., soup. I have limited and already over-extended kitchen space but have often found myself wanting one. What brand? Any tips appreciated! Thank you

It just tastes v. good. Let me try to think of a metaphor . . . it's too late at night. It's just sweet enough (for me), I don't usually like to eat soups that have fruit in them. I think it is equally good hot as cold, I usually don't like to eat cold soup either. I can't say if letting it set in the fridge overnight makes it better, it never lasts that long. It always gets eaten, cold, during the wee hours. With potato chips, or without . . . I think my aunt told me about it originally, I don't know where she got it from, but my young cousin calls it "One Soup." It's got to be good if it can get that kid to eat curry powder. Usually all he will eat is salt. Have used parsnips instead of potato (OK, but added a little more onion to balance it, therefore not true to the "One" theme) and fennel instead of celery (bad idea all around).

One of Each Soup: 1 big potato peeled/chopped, 1 onion chopped, 1 celery heart chopped, 1 Granny Smith apple peeled/chopped, 1 banana chopped, 1 can chicken juice, 1 c. heavy cream, 1 Tbsp sweet butter, 1 big tsp curry powder, 1 tsp salt, chopped chives. Simmer veg & fruits in chicken juice, covered, til tender, stir in dairys and curry and salt and heat just until it is hot. Puree. Eat with chives. In summer I like this cold wth the chive flowers. Boy puts potato chips on top of his for some reason. Ate up rest of homemade bread with mine. Remainder of Jack Daniels for dessert. Now no chips, no whiskey, no bread left. Tomorrow is bar night and boy is bartending, won't be cooking, will eat usual Thurs. night dinner of pickles and olives and weird tasteless jalapeno peppers straight out of Bloody Marys made with Stoli, Jagermeister, and Guinness Stout. My stomach is straight-up iron. Friday night will have delicious dinner of Jaymes carnitas and fried salsa (from the carnitas thread, I can not wait Jaymes, thank you so much), then start on beef carbonnade for father's BD Sat., since my folks split up 10+ yrs ago my father requests it every year for his BD. And I am happy to oblige.

Thank you for the advice! I guess I am confused RE the difference btw dumpling and wonton. I will be using wonton skins and I have a little wonton-maker tool. I suppose that means I am making wontons. I was going to use rice wine vinegar in addition to the ginger & garlic you mentioned, also Sichuan pepper salt, as the new grocery had the Sichuan peppercorns. On that note: what other applications are there for the Sichuan peppercorns? I am greedy for this knowledge One more thing: MSG powder is something I have not used. Do you know if mushrooms have their own MSG?

Lordy, that sounds excellent! I wish I could make it up right now but roommates are sleeping and we have had the frying-food-at-night fight a few too many times. Wish I would've known about this for "taco night" last week. I will try it out tomorrow! Thanks!

In Kalamazoo: 2 big breweries right across the street from each other--Bell's and Kraftbrau. Kraftbrau is better, I think, seems to give less of a kick in the ass the next day. But Bell's is v. good. Kalamazoo Brewing Co. I believe it is widely available--I've had it in Chicago and Montana too. Their summer brew is Oberon, delicious, it's a big party in this town when the Oberon comes out, and they have a good DoubleCream Stout as well.

Jaymes, could you tell a little bit more about frying salsa? I have never heard of this before and I am intrigued by it. When you saw it done, and it made sense, why? I'm sure it tastes fantastic.

Hi everyone, Please don't think I'm an idiot, but I have a question about dumplings. Also, if I am posting in the wrong place, redirection is welcome! I am making dumplings with shredded cabbage, tree ear/black Chinese/button mushrooms, and leeks for a party this weekend. I wonder if I can do them in advance, and if so, how far in advance? I am using purchased wrappers and I am afraid they will stick or get v. soggy if I let them sit for too long. Also, what mushroom combos are good? My Midwestern grocery store ACTUALLY has some things besides regular mushrooms for once, and, there was an Asian grocery opened a few weeks ago I have not tried too many combos but I love, love mushrooms. Any advice? Thank you very much!

It's on W. Chestnut, downtown. Do you know where the Tribune bldg. is? It's only a few blocks from there. We can eat all the food we want while we're in the bldg, but none outside. They give all the leftovers to a shelter down the street, though, which is good. How long is the program in Paris? Well, I guess this has not much to do with vanilla beans anymore.