elyse

I do like and need recipes. Can't remember who said what so my apologies for lack of credit. It's a long thread! I think recipes should be very specific and detailed regarding what to look for and what to avoid. You can always ignore superfluous information, but it's hard to get the information if necessary. Kind of like salt. You can always add more, but difficult to take it out. Ummm... reverse that. I use recipes as a blueprint. I have forgotten key ingredients when preparing things, or had to add them after the "right" time. No major disasters, but I'm calmer when I have something to follow. Reminds me of my fabulous baking class last week. I don't know what exactly we were making (I was doing something else after hearing the ingredients, not my problem), but the teacher asked for 4# confectioners sugar, 4# cocoa, and eggs of some amount. Obviously after mixed, he noticed this was wrong (4 OZ cocoa), and threw the whole thing out (much to my personal chagrin). He definitely should have referred to a recipe (he DID say pounds) or showed it to us so we could have used the right measurements. I shall be requesting a different instructor next time around. P.S. I wanted to keep the cocoa mixture to experiment. He doesn't understand this concept. Would I have been crazy? Sink or swim, I am there to learn. I like Sara Moulton's approach. She mentioned once that she follows recipes exactly the first time she makes something, and then improvises after that. I do this for the most part, unless there's something that I really dislike, or really want. Personally, I'm not NEARLY experienced enough to just wing it every time I enter the kitchen. Plus, I tend to bake more than anything else, and need the formulas for good construction. I'm just not smart enough to leave that part out. I think a lot of cooking/baking is based in science, and if your head is not geared in that direction, you need the extra help of some well chosen words. Someone mentionned differences in how one approaches playing music. Some people are incredibly talented and can jam without thought. Other people need sheet music, but can play anything beautifully the first time around. I could do neither. I'm just not talented musically. Nor mathematically. Science... eh... If it makes sense to me, I'm cool. I'm just not geared to that type of thinking. I think to be able to just wing it in the kitchen, you must be very talented, and have the wherewithall to screw up. I don't have that either. Some of us need to not screw up the first time round, and following a recipe can get us pretty close. That also goes for the expense of classes and books. I collect recipes on the internet. When I cook or bake, I'll take out all of my recipes for the thing I'm making and take elements from several recipes. Again, I just can't keep it all in my head, and need to be reminded. For those who think detailed recipes thwart our creativity, isn't that like saying that we shouldn't read literature, but only write it? Too extreem? I can't just make things up out of the blue. I was so intrigued by the demos at the IHMRS in November. I couldn't come up with those combinations if you held a gun to my head. And I wanted to have them in my files to remember the possibilities, and maybe use an element or two some day. But to think up that kind of thing on my own? Kill me now, cause it'll never happen. I think that's all I have to say.

im jealous...

Maggie, may I PM or e-mail you?

I've noticed nothing tastes the same as when I was a kid. Trends have changed too, but I'm attributing it to my own tastebuds. Maggie, are you a Martha fan? Do you have a collection?

There we go.

Well, I'm remembering some savory dishes as well, so that may be why they're not at the tips of your floury fingertips. I'll try looking in my IHMRS bin to look for specific notes. May take a few days. Thanks!

Isn't shortbread just butter, sugar, and flour? I'm certainly no expert, but couldn't it just have been too cold, possibly?

I'm in a baking class, and can't seem to get certain questions answered. We have a 5 gallon bucket of malt (liquid), but it smells and tastes almost exactly like molasses to me. Any reason for this? I'm only familliar with powdered malt. Doesn't taste like molasses at all. Someone? Mayday!

I have a question about pectin. I bought some a while ago to use for something or other, used a bit, and it didn't work out. Now I have an open package and want to use it up, but don't know for the life of me what to do with it. For some reason, the instructions make my head spin, and I usually don't have that problem. They're really quite confusing. So, any help by the teaspoonful? Rules of thumb?

I saw a Jean Georges duck recipe once where he did a bit of prep, and then hung the duck in the refrigerator for three days before roasting. I think it was on Martha's Kitchen (sorry). I've been looking around for this recipe for just under a year. Anyone know what I'm talking about?

Thanks for the recipes! I seem to remember more, but it's been a while so it may be me. I'll try societeculinaire. Thanks again, Elyse

>>I've been in a baking class, and told that a pint of water, or ANY liquid >>equals a pound. >The above is flat WRONG! (See preceeding post) Well, yeah, that's why I asked my question. (See preceeding question). So, there's no rule of thumb on the oil/water/honey issue. Nevermind. I'll measure/weigh them myself.

Does anyone know any of the ORIGINAL recipes for hot chocolate from a few hundred years ago?

>>i think, generally, it's better to measure in weight than volume I've been in a baking class, and told that a pint of water, or ANY liquid equals a pound. So, if a recipe calls for 10lbs of water, it's 5 quarts. I asked about how to convert 10 lbs of oil, but got no answer. Or was told that 10lbs of feathers is the same as 10lbs of lead. Yes, but not when you're converting it to quarts, and doing away with the weights. So, 10lbs of water is 5 qts. How much is 10lbs of oil? 10 lbs. of honey? My teacher had NO idea why I was asking. Go figure. Basically, I got the idea to just shut up.

I use canola for frying, searing, and popcorn, but I detest the taste. I think it tastes like fish. I'm really just trying to use up what I have left now. I try to cut it with olive oil, but I still think it's nasty.

I live in NYC, and my smokehouse is on the blink. Is there any way I could make this in a conventional oven? Elyse

I keep the fat in the fridge and put it in a pan to fry bread. Mmmmm. Yummy toast! Elyse P.S. Thanks for the welcome!

I used to love Hamburger Mary's when I lived there... 14 years ago. But not my favorite in the US. Elyse

Thanks for the reply! You know, I hate coming to new food boards. I get totally ravenous! The one with the walnuts sounds fantastic. Dang! Elyse

Well, it seems I'm late in replying again. I'm new, and excited to be here. It'll ware off and I'll be replying to newer threads soon. Personally, I really push it with expiration dates. If milk smells (a little), I portion it and put it in the freezer to use in macaroni and cheese or something well cooked. Eggs, I never check the date, but I do turn the carton every week. I heard it keeps them fresher. I also heard that it you coat them in shortening and put them in a polystyrene carton, they'll keep for up to a year, for those who like to buy a ton on sale. Er... I've never tried this, so experiment at your own risk. And I do crack my older eggs individually to make sure they're fresh. Mold, I pick off of bread and cheese. Crackers etc., I crisp in the oven if necessary. I would never serve this stuff to someone else, and I wouldn't even recommend it, because I've probably built up a tolerance. But if it's not entirely rancid, I'll use it. I hate waste. Elyse

Is this board dead, or can I breath some life into it? My typical one (I just can't learn) is that I sometimes dry things in the oven when it's turned off to save space. Last time was a cake saver I borrowed. It was old and stained and tacky, but I still had to replace it. Took a long time to find one for under $20.00. Another one happened to a friend of mine. We were working in a fastish food restaurant which uses cheese sauce on fries or whatever (liquid napalm), and he dropped the (gallon sized?) can of bubbling sauce on his foot. It promptly oozed into his untied high tops surrounding his foot. He was out from work for a while. Elyse

A few years ago, when David Rosengarten was doing "Taste" he did a whole schpeel on which meats work for ground beef, and I just didn't get it all. I do remember that there was chuck, sirloin, and fat, all cut in thin strips before going into the grinder. Altogether, there were five different cuts. I've looked in his books, but have found nothing. I looked at the Wine Spectator article, and suppose I can piece together a good combination, but does anyone remember his recipe/quantities? Thanks, Elyse

Hi, I'm new here and don't know much about how the boards work yet, But can somebody please tell me what bacon candy is? Thanks, Elyse

I am sorry to make my introduction as a lame person, but I attended the International Hotel/Motel Restaurant Supply Show in November, and was told I would be able to find recipes from the demonstrations/competitions here. I checked too soon and found nothing. I checked recently (too late?) and found nothing. Am I really too late, or is it hidden here somewhere? Thanks for the info. Elyse