Anna N
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Posts posted by Anna N
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I've been reading about the French Laundromat tasting menu done by Really Nice! and three other chefs: this thread
and wondered about doing a much reduced (both skill-wise and cost-wise) and with only one cook - me!
I'd like to introduce me and The Dane to some new foods/flavours but in very small doses as we are not that adventuresome.
On Friday or sometimes Saturday nights we have a special meal with candlelight and wine and the whole works. Usually nothing more than an appetizer, an entree and a dessert. But I got to thinking that a selection of say 10 tiny courses drawn from a variety of cuisines could be a whole lot of fun.
Bear in mind that cost is an issue - we eat cheaply all week to splurge on one meal. And that exotic ingredients are a no-no. We live in suburbia and even fish sauce is pretty hard to find.And I'm no Thomas Keller!!
I thought an international selection would be fun - a bit Indian, a bit Chinese, a bit Thai, etc. etc.
I could spend all of Saturday shopping or cooking but want to spend most of the meal with The Dane - that's the whole idea of one special meal a week - catch up time for conversation.
What do you think - am I nuts? Could I pull it off? Any suggestions for the various dishes?
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Meet one "foodie" who doesn't.
A cold sliced chicken sandwich (from either leftover roast chicken or leftover fried chicken) on a baguette or an Italian hero with any of the following combinations:
Bibb or butter lettuce, Canadian bacon, sliced plum tomatoes, thinly sliced Vidalia onions, roasted pepper aioli;
Roasted garlic mayonnaise, slices of queso blanco, fresh cracked black pepper, sliced beefsteak tomatoes;
either cranberry honey mustard, or Russian dressing, fried green tomatoes dusted in spicy cornmeal, bacon and bacon drippings (sometimes I substitute bits of fried pancetta for the bacon)
salsa verde or other type of freshly made salsa (maybe some pureed chipotles en adobo), avocado, either Spanish or Filipino chorizo, and thinly sliced Vidalia or Bermuda onion.
SA
Who knew you could make a chicken sandwich interesting.
Thanks, I'll be certain to try a few of these. -
Steve, Cushing told people doing a call-in that mirin (sweet cooking wine) is rice vinegar (su).
Christine does make a fair number of such boo-boos but she's live and trying to cook and answer questions simultaneously while listening to her floor manager counting down the seconds to an ad break - I just admire anyone who can multitask in front of a live audience like that.
She certainly attracts some interesting guest chefs, including, I believe, Eric Ripert.
She's also a linguist turned chef - interesting career development!
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How about you? Any parts of the kitchen you've taken a metaphorical bulldozer to lately, or should?
Wait a minute! When egullet is my mentor that's OK but when it threatens to become my conscience.......
My bottom kitchen cabinet which seems to have become a graveyard for ingredients I never (or rarely) use.
Both freezers - the stand-alone and the one on top of the 'fridge. I feel guilty when I have to toss what was one promising food but is now identifiable only with the aid of forensic science.
Ok Ok. I'll add them to my to-do list -again!
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I have to stop buying foodstuffs which look gorgeous, but for which I have no use whatsoever. The following items have been gathering dust in my cupboard for some time now - could anybody help me out with culinary possibilities?
2. Pomegranate molasses.
http://www.foodtv.ca/recipes/recipedetails...recipe_3080.asp
This is Christine Cushing's ingredient of the minute according to her TV show!
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Anna, just take some dried chiles that you like, smash them up and buzz them in a spice grinder or a coffee grinder dedicated to the purpose.
Thanks. But I always thought that chili powder for use in chili con carne was more complex than just ground chiles. Is there not some oregano and some cumin in there usually? Or am I completely off-base?
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painted it on a couple of egg roll wrappers, put a small pile of the chopped up leftovers on it, added a half teaspoon more of the sauce and some finely chopped scallions, wrapped and deep-fried.
I give you credit for this...I have a fear of deep-frying. Which is probably just as well, as the nutritional detriments are considerable, but still, I'd like to be as adventurous as you have been, as a self proclaimed "new" cook of sorts!
Kim,
I was very much afraid of deep-frying but I have a very deep but narrow saucepan (IKEA) and never fill it beyond 1/3 full of oil. I keep the heat on moderate, never high, and wait patiently for it to reach temperature. I use a deep-fry thermometer and never leave the fat unattended.
From what I have read in some pretty reliable sources, deep-fried is not so unhealthy if eaten in moderation and cooked at the appropriate temperature so that not a lot of fat is absorbed.
Trying new things is good for the soul and it's got me through some pretty rough spots in the last few weeks. Give it a try - most things will turn out edible if not great and you can always go back and try again. Good luck.
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"The restaurateur Prue Leith once watched a wretched cookery-school pupil(male, of course) deconstruct the following first line of a recipe:"Sepparate the eggs". For a thoughtful while he pondered the two eggs placed in front of him, before carefully moving one a few inches to his left and the other a few inches to his right. Satisfied, he went on to the second line of instruction" - Julian Barnes "The Land Without Brussels Sprouts"
I had a really good laugh over this and then I stopped...... I tried hard to imagine my hubby, The Dane, following a recipe and then it didn't seem quite so funny. I can just imagine him doing the same thing.
It's not a put down - he's a wonderful, warm, funny guy, but he's so totally lost in the kitchen that I bet it has never occurred to him that an egg has two parts - a yolk and a white and that they can be separated!
Thanks, I needed a laugh on this dull, dreary Sunday afternoon.
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This is a goofy fusion idea that you did not hear from me, but thin some sambal oelek or similar chile-garlic sauce (with chicken broth, maybe) and spread a thin layer on the tortilla, then crisp it up in peanut oil. Top it with scrambled eggs that have a little lime juice and fish sauce added. Do not call it a Thai Breakfast Burrito.
This is a definite "go" for me. I often eat lunch at home alone and use it to try new ideas. This is fast, easy and inexpensive and sounds very yummy. Thanks for the idea
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Fusion cooking? - my son-in-law takes two flour tortillas put grated cheese between them to "glue" them together, tops them with typical pizza sauce and toppings pops them in the oven and voila - a crispy crust, fast pizza snack.
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Some simple-to-do ideas:
1) Colman's (English style) mustard. Mix some water into the mustard powder, that's all.
2) Dry - no sauce - just a real tasty filling - my own preference
3) A good hot sauce straight from the bottle: try Sriracha for this purpose (not oily)
4) A soy based dip: 3T kikkoman, 2T water, 2t sugar, 1t vinegar, a little minced garlic and ginger and scallion, a dash of sesame oil; hot sauce (if you like, to taste)
Thanks. I too prefer them sauceless but a sauce seems to be expected - perhaps because there's not much taste to take-out egg rolls themselves.
I have Sriracha in the fridge and can soon whip up the soy-based dip.
Thanks for your answers.
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A mixture of duck sauce and hot mustard, about half and half.
Sorry I've never heard of duck sauce. Is it a condiment available in jars like plum sauce? Thanks
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As I wrote in a previous post the flower mushrooms are best when soaked for a long time. I suggest softening them in room temperature water for a few hours and then trimming their stems as close to the base as possible. Then continue to soak them for a couple of days, 3-4 is even better. Store them in a covered container in the frig. Save the soaking liquid and use it for a sauce or braising base.
In a pinch you can soak the mushrooms in hot water and hasten the process. I often cover hwa goo in cold water but then put them in the microwave for a couple of minutes. If I wanted to use them quickly I would trim the mushroom stems as soon as possible and then return the mushrooms to reheat in the microwave. You can reduce the soaking time to a few hours this way, but after a long soak they will have a much superior plumpness and texture.
Thanks for this explanation. I recently bought some of these from a small Japanese grocery store thinking they were the usual dried shiitakes. They did not however behave the same way. Even after the usual 20-30 minutes in hot water they remained pretty chewy. Now I know to soak them much longer.
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I just checked in at the Recommend a Book thread and saw the baker's recommendation for a book on timing cooking. That got me to thinking (a dangerous preoccupation of mine).
Do you always, often, never - time your cooking? The only thing I time is a boiled egg. Six minutes.
This book recommendation really caught my eye simply because when I need to change or substitute an ingredient I have no real idea how to alter the cooking time. It might also answer another cooking question I asked on another thread - how to adjust times so that things cook longer or shorter to enable a whole meal to be done in the oven.
Actually, this link could be my downfall since I check out most of the links and then want to buy not only the recommended book but half a dozen others that Amazon offers to sell me!
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Anna, congratulations again.
Perhaps that will just be my signature line soon.
Sorry, Jinmyo - I'm not after congratulations. I think by posting our experiences we encourage new members and members who are not confident cooks, to not only experiment but to contribute to the board. The board caters very strongly to sophisticated diners and cooks who approach Michelin star status, but I'd like to think it exists for the rest of us, too. Those of us who are just now peeking out from behind our kitchen walls and finding a world of dishes and ingredients that are strange and alluring.
I am having fun, great fun and I'd love to encourage others to have the same kind of fun.
Thanks, however, for the congrats.
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Downtown Canada?
That should be downtown Canada, eh?
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Contact me again if I can be of more help.
Happy New Year and stay warm, Ed
You egulleteers are creating a monster! Had some leftovers from last night's "tapas" menu: stuffed chicken breast Chinese style - adapted from a Martin Yan recipe. Remember now, this is someone who could barely boil an egg without consulting a recipe just a couple of months ago! Anyway, I looked at the leftovers, chopped up the stuffed chicken breast quite finely, cooked up another small batch of Ed's stir-fry sauce, painted it on a couple of egg roll wrappers, put a small pile of the chopped up leftovers on it, added a half teaspoon more of the sauce and some finely chopped scallions, wrapped and deep-fried. A nice tasty little lunch for moi.
So, why am I back - looking to Ed for a dipping sauce for egg rolls. The plum sauces, sweet and sour sauces, etc. available at local take-outs or on grocery store shelves are too sickly sweet for me. What sort of sauce would you serve say, with a meat-based eggroll stuffing and would you suggest something different for one based on shrimp?
Thanks, as always.
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If you're using a commercially prepackaged chili powder seasoning mix, grinding your own spices just before cooking will make a big difference.
So chile con carne is on the menu for tomorrow. How do I make my own chili powder? Thanks.
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By the way, the hoisin sauce I have is Y&Y brand - don't know if it's good or bad as hoisin sauces go.
Never heard of Y & Y but if you got heavenly results sounds good to me. Where is it from?
Nothing like cooking from the cupboard on a cold grey day -- tastes better that way.
Contact me again if I can be of more help.
Happy New Year and stay warm, Ed
Happy New Year to you too, Ed.
Storm is finally abating, I think, but car still in ICU!
Y&Y product of Singapore - ingredients: Sugar, water, soy bean, Salt, modified tapioca starch, garlic, sesame paste, vinegar, lemon, caramel colour, chili, citric acid.
Says on jar: Chinese Canadian Entrepreneur Awards 1997.
What that has to do with taste I have no idea.
But The Dane wolfed down two egg rolls - and if you knew The Dane you'd be as surprised as I was - he doesn't "do" egg rolls. He asked for a repeat performance - that's the equivalent of 4 Michelin stars in my book! So, many thanks for your suggestion for a stir-fry sauce - will experiment further.
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Guiness - can't stand it but my Dad was a Guiness drinker and owned a pub in England. Each morning his first task was to bring up a case of 12 from the beer cellar, stick it on the hearth in front of the bar fire place (coal fire) and that was his sustenance for the day! To each his own.
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wish I could but haven't found the ingredients yet! Have a lead on a small Japanese grocery in the area and as soon as my car is released from ICU will check it out.
While we are on the subject, I had miso soup at an up-market Japanese restaurant and it was soooo good. Clear soup served in small bowls but very, very tasty. Any recipes? I think the base is dashi but could be wrong.
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To use hoisin as the base of a stir-fry sauce, briefly sauté some minced garlic (2t) and 2 chopped scallions (note NO ginger), then add 2 T of hoisin and any chile paste (if you are cooking a spicy dish). Cook for 10 seconds then add a seasoning sauce of 2 T soy (Kikkoman is my choice), 1 T Shaoshing, 1 1/2 T sugar, 1 t white vinegar, 1/2 t MSG (if desired) and enough cornstarch slurry (2 t maybe) to thicken the sauce. Now add whatever precooked (stir-fried) meat and/or vegetables you want to the sauce. Mix for about 30 seconds, until the food is completely coated and the sauce has the right viscosity (you may want to add more cornstarch if it is too thin or a drop of wine if it is too thick). Sprinkle the dish with a little sesame oil and serve.
And so I am snowbound here on the Canadian side of Lake Ontario. Ed's suggestion for a stir-fry sauce using hoisin as a base, piqued my curiosity as I have so much trouble with rather bland stir-fries. But the larder is pretty much empty and a shopping trip not a good idea in this storm. I had on hand some egg-roll wrappers, some pre-cooked shrimp, a few snow peas, a few green onions, a carrot and all of the other ingredients for the stir-fry sauce. I made Ed's sauce and then did a quick stir-fry of the shrimp etc. Added Ed's sauce right at the end. Stuffed a couple of egg-roll wrappers and deep-fried them - quite, quite heavenly. Ate them hot and crispy from the deep fryer - no added dipping sauce. Will make more tonight for The Dane and I - have to compromise on our usual candle-light and wine dinner due to the storm so I'm serving a multi-cultural "tapas" type meal - the egg rolls will fit right in. Thanks, Ed. By the way, the hoisin sauce I have is Y&Y brand - don't know if it's good or bad as hoisin sauces go.
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In the oven, turning the baking sheet back to front two or three times. Only just started doing this and find it great. Is a Cook's Illustrated Technique that I adopted. Crispy bacon with very little attention.
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I was surfing the web looking at various food sites and I would like to paraphrase from one or two of them:
In Thailand few have watches or clocks or kitchen timers - the food is cooked when it is cooked.
Charcoal braziers do not come with thermostats.
Measuring is done by pinches, handfuls, etc.
This suggests that recipes are pretty useless for such cooking.
But, and this is where we westerners differ so much, in much of Thailand cooking is a communal activity often done outdoors, not relegated to a special room called a kitchen where the "cook" is isolated and performs tasks never seen by others. One would surely learn to cook by osmosis in such a situation.
Not so very different from a half century ago in the west, when homes were much smaller, family life much more intimate.
I'm not sure where I am going with this but try to stay with me for a bit.
I guess what I am trying to say is that we "need" recipes now because the opportunity to learn to cook by osmosis has all but disappeared. So much food is take-out or convenience and it takes a special effort now to involve children in the whole kitchen experience.
The information I gleaned about the lack of all those things that I think are essential (how can I live without a timer, an oven thermometer, two or three sets of measuring cups/spoons, etc?) makes me want to move away from a dependence on scientific precision and towards more intuitive ways of cooking.
But I just made Laab (thai salad). I have never eaten it before I was hooked by the Laab thread on egullet. Without a recipe, how could I even imagine the dish? I had never heard of it til I joined the egullet community. How could I possibly intuit the ingredients, the quantities, the timing, the temperature?
So, through all this rambling, I guess what I am trying to communicate is that one can become less dependent on recipes for familiar foods, but for foods never before tasted or experienced, the only route is through a good recipe.
(sorry for rambling - I'm multi-tasking with a three-year-old on my knee!)
Tilapia
in Cooking
Posted
We eat tilapia regularly and love it. It is all farm-raised and very sweet and a lovely texture. Never noticed any sort of muddy flavour and we don't do anything more than pan-fry it.