scubadoo97

I haven't been able to find it near by but contacted Fage directly and got an email recently that as of today they will be in Publix grocery stores. Can't wait to try it. I agree yogurt at the stores is like flavored kiddy pudding. I have made my own but just don't do it often enough.

I have seen this type of burner used a lot at catered dinner and brunch affairs. In a big room I don't think you would have a problem.

I made some shrimp/fish cakes a couple of weeks ago but from raw shrimp and fish. I prepared them like crab cakes and pan fried. I would agree shrimp would get pretty rubbery if cooked a second time. You could make a shrimp salad or I would just eat them up in the next couple of days. A very low calorie high protein snack to nosh on.

I grow bananas in my back yard and they are as organic as it gets. I don't do anything to them except throw some leaves at the base to mulch them. They ripen with no chemical additives. Never had a problem once they were cut from the tree. They even ripen on the tree if I forget to check on them.

My observation with quick grits (not instant) is that if you want a really creamy texture add the grits to the cold water then heat. When I've added the grits to rapidly boiling water as the package instructions suggest I never can achieve that really creamy texture without adding cheese.

With those mushrooms and shallots you could also do a duxelle stuffing.

I've salted and dried chicken in the fridge a couple of days ahead of cooking and you will get a nice crisp skin.

You are ahead of me in planning for Shabbat dinner. Fish soup sound wonderful. As a main course with some good crusty bread. That would be a meal for me. My wife would be on my case about it not being enough for company though. None of my guest are kosher so I didn't have to worry about it too much but the corn tortillas that I used were La Banderita from Ole'. I just checked and they have a K and parve logo on the bag. http://www.olemexicanfoods.com/Foodservice...nTortillas.html I like jasmine rice for anything where a long grain rice is needed. Just like the way it taste and usually buy a 25 lb bag from my local Oriental market and freeze in 5 lb bags. I have always heard the ratio for cooking rice is 1.5 to 1 water to rice. I think Alton Brown did a show on rice and said the same thing but also said the more rice you use the smaller the ratio. I also use the first knuckle method but requardless I just boil until the water gets to near the top of the rice, stir and cover on low for 15min. Then turn off and let it sit for 15min then fluff. Never comes out dry or gummy. Yes Bijol is a very orange/red colored seasoning that is mostly annatto. I have used the method of frying annatto seeds in oil and using the oil. It results in a very yellow rice but my kids didn't like the flavor compared to the junk in the bag. Go figure. So I just sprinkle a little of Bijol in the rice for color and added the saffron for me. I like using the annatto seeds though.

depends on the vegetable. Frozen vegetables release a lot of water from the cell damage I assume. Often I will cook frozen corn in a dry pan to dry it out before using in a recipe.

You can chop some up and make shrimp cakes. In the same way you make crab cakes. I recently had some small end pieces of cod fish and didn't know what to do with it. I diced it up along with a bunch of shrimp and made these seafood cakes. They really came out great with a light coating of panko.

Jim, although I don't keep kosher if I have any guests that are kosher I will make sure they can eat anything I serve because, any one can eat kosher food but not every one can eat non kosher food.

An old family favorite is stuffed veal breast. the veal breast is stuffed with a rice and meat mixture then sewed shut and braised in the oven. I have only made it a couple of times but my grandmother would make it as part of our traditional holiday dishes for both Passover and Rosh Hashana. My kids freak out. Meat stuffed with meat. But it is really good. Bottom line is the breast of veal is good for stuffing. Just cut along the bones and make a pocket, stuff, sew or tie closed. You will have a nice browned cap of juicy veal above the stuffing. This is usuall a very cheap cut of meat.

Thanks Marian, it was very tasty. I used my "go to" Jasmine rice and as usual did less than 2X water to rice. I had 4 cups of rice to 6 cups of water. I did use real saffron but also used Bijol for the extra yellow kick. I started with onions diced fine, cubanelle peppers, blistered, peeled and diced, sliced green pimento stuffed olives and a good dose of mashed garlic. Sweated this out and then added the rice and spices to toast before adding the water. Due to the large amount of chicken and rice I cooked them separately. I was going to de-bone the chicken but my back was starting to get angry Thursday night so I served it with cut up chicken pieces on top of the rice. I layered in slices of red bell pepper that had been roasted and peeled. The biggest hit of the evening was the tortilla soup. Not a drop left in the pot. For the soup I started with diced onions, green bell, jalapeno and cubanelle peppers, carrots, celery, garlic and a little roasted corn that I cut off the cob and chili powder which was then sauted in olive oil. Simmered in chicken stock with bay leaf, and oregano. I cut up about 8 corn tortillas and let them break down in the soup. Near the end, threw in a large amount of chopped cilantro and lime juice. Served with thin strips of fried corn tortillas and cubed avocado. No time for pictures I'm afraid. This was my daughter's requested meal for her birthday which actually is on Christmas day. She wanted to go OUT to dinner for her birthday tomorrow night. Due to short notice on her part, very few restaurants available on Christmas eve, so I will back in the kitchen plan dinner for her and a few of her friends for tomorrow or Monday night and try to make it a little more upscale.

Fried plantains would be a natural for Hanukkah since it's cooked in oil and I think for many Cubans, at least the ones in the US, roast pork, usually the whole pig, is the meat of choice on Christmas which would include a side of platanos maduro http://cuban-christmas.com/

Since I'm usually cooking for a crowd of at least 10-15+ people on Shabbat, I have to find menus that are somewhat easy, filling and not too costly. Tomorrows menu will start will tortilla soup, followed by salad, yellow rice and chicken, peas (I would have included them in the yellow rice but my daughter hates peas), broccoli and cauliflower. I'll start on the stock for the soup and brown the chicken tonight. Shabbat Shalom to all

Just kidding. Cream cheese is a staple and is all I need. I weird thing I like is cream cheese and a slice of American cheese. Weird but some how satisfying

Mayo, lettuce and tomatoes

So true. I am planning to make yellow rice and chicken as well as tortilla soup on Friday for a large crowd and thought great, I'll make plantains. Can't find one that is even close to being ripe. The avocados were close so there's a chance come Friday. I just don't plan a menu 2 weeks ahead.

Owen, I completely agree with you. I started with the Solis Maestro Plus and still use it for drip/FP coffee but have a Mazzer Mini for espresso. For espresso it really makes a big difference if you have a great grinder. For drip I think you can get by with many of the lower end ones. What I like about the Solis is it's not too loud, I get no static unless it's cold here which is not too often. It's still a lot of money compared to the under $100 grinders. Bad things about low end grinders are usually that they are very loud and produce a lot of heat. I think the new Solis grinders, the Virtuoso, grind slower so there is less heat than with their Maestro line. Upgrades can be expensive but at least I still use my original burr grinder on a daily basis. One last point is that what ever grinder you use, CLEAN IT! Many of the problems associated with the Solis grinders can be avoided by keeping it clean. That goes for just about every other grinder.

Know the feeling. I leave a couple hours early on Friday which gives me some time in the kitchen but the shopping is done a couple of days ahead and prep work and some cooking is usually done Thursday night. Then it's in the kitchen Friday after work and go full blast till people arrive at 6 pm. I'm usually thinking what's on the menu by Tuesday so I can plan

The diet is high in omega 3 fatty acids which are thought to have an anti-inflammatory effect.

I bought a turkey fryer just for this reason. I wanted the higher heat that I just can't get from my gas rangetop.

How are you going to do this in a dehydrator or let them sit in the frige? I should mention that many restaurants deep fry them but I like the pan method and butter gives great flavor to the final dish.

When buying plantains locally you have to buy them ripe or let them ripen until the skin is black and the plantains are beginning to get soft. The carmelization occurs from the sugars naturally occurring in the plantain. You have to really watch them since they can burn quickly. I cook mine in butter or a mixture of butter and olive oil. I've sliced them on the bias and have done them lengthwise. Lengthwise is easier to deal with but I like them sliced best. I haven't had them in a Latin country to compare but compared to the Latin restaurants I've been to mine are pretty equal.

I know the burgers I make at home are not healthier based on caloric value but I like to think mine are less likely to contain E. coli or other germs nor will my burgers contain any mystery ingredients.