gulfporter

Thanks to both of you!

I over-bought at an Italian deli a few weeks ago, including a 1/2 pound of (what was then) freshly made pappardelle pasta. I threw it in the freezer and now wonder whether before I boil it, I should: a) thaw it first b) just throw it still frozen, into the boiling water c) doesn't matter, either way is ok

I have had success in grilling rabbit, but yes, it can dry out in a flash. I guess I've been lucky as I don't use a thermometer on it as I find it's too bony to get a good 'read', but maybe that's just me. I brine my rabbit for about 4 hours. I have also substituted rabbit in ersatz coq au vin, though I cut the marinade time down from overnight to a few hours since the pieces are so much smaller and less meaty than chicken.

Thanks, all. I guess I knew one bunny isn't quite enough. I do have enough goat meat for an army, so will make a goat birria instead, rather than stretch one rabbit with a lot of side dishes. Since we haven't shared a meal with this neighbor before, I don't have any idea of his appetite so it'll be better to have too much rather than too little.

I scored a rabbit (1kg or 2.2 pounds) and will grill it for Christmas. It was going to be just the two of us, but I invited a single neighbor to join us when I found out he wasn't going elsewhere. My original plan was to grill the cut-up rabbit and make a mango salsa as the side. (It's going to be in the low 80s here in Central Florida on Christmas Day). We aren't big on starchy sides or big meals. But now I'm worried this won't be enough food. I'll make a starter (not sure what yet) and a dessert. Is this enough rabbit for 3 people?? I have made rabbit in the distant past, no idea how much it weighed. Our recollection is the last whole rabbit I grilled, fed us dinner with enough leftover for a light lunch the next day. We are not big eaters.

I tend to use better than average ingredients when I cook or bake, whether for myself or others. That said, the recipes I choose to make for others may very well depend on: the price of the needed ingredients, the gourmandiseness (I made up that word) of the recipient, and my checking account balance.

True to his word, DH installed the new sink before the holidays....

We ordered and received this copper kitchen sink a few weeks ago (I opened it and it's beautiful!). DH says it'll be installed by Christmas morning. Yeah!!! http://www.homedepot.com/p/Raphael-Drop-In-Handmade-Pure-Solid-Copper-22-in-4-Hole-Double-Bowl-Kitchen-Sink-in-Antique-Copper/206084556

Never been in the restaurant biz, but my DH owned other businesses. And I was in finance my whole life. Doing business with friends and relatives....hmmmm, that's tricky at best, especially in a troika where it appears two have already formed a business bond. As a matter of principle, when the other two created the LLC and did not include you as a shareholder....I'd be worried. They've put you in a bad bargaining position. Though in reading your last post, you say "no legal documents have been filed," which makes me wonder if there is indeed an LLC. If there is, that's most definitely a legal document. You might need a business lawyer or accountant if your unfamiliar with legal terms.

The OP should run menu ideas by the guests beforehand; there are some ultra-Orthodox Jews who have problems with dairy and/or milk being served with fish. Some even eschew a bagel with lox and cream cheese. As my grandmother would say: Oy vey! And no, she wasn't Jewish (a strict Catholic), but came to the US from Lithuania and also spoke some Yiddish. http://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/Rabbis-Claim-Lox-No-Longer-Kosher-86905912.html http://www.jerusalemkoshernews.com/2010/10/the-lox-and-cream-cheese-dilemma/

As far as recipe ideas for a starter course, maybe something incorporating pickled herring? At a Xmas Eve seafood buffet a few years ago, we were served a pickled herring salad with potatoes and beets and it was excellent. Sorry I don't have a recipe for it.

I am lax about backing up my hard drive data, as are most people. Hence, over the years I have lost a lot of documents as hard drives crashed on various devices. About 8 years ago, I realized that I can save Yahoo emails forever. So, I write up a recipe and then email it to myself. I save the email in my Yahoo mail where I've dedicated a folder for recipes.

A glance at the link and recipes shows that many include shellfish. Kashrut (Jewish dietary law) forbids shellfish.

Couldn't believe how fast the spatchcocked turkey cooked on the grill....under one hour! It was a small bird, 10.5 pounds, but still....that's fast! It was tasty, but I was disappointed in the skin. Got a tad chewy, not crispy. Beautiful grilling weather here in FL....80 degrees, nice breeze. After dinner we walked on the beach. Life is good.

I take my bird out at 150 degrees, let it rest an hour and the temperature will rise to a perfect 165. If you leave it in the oven until 165, the residual cooking at rest will go to 180...that's cardboard territory. I have tried different methods of cooking turkeys and found the most important factor is a long resting period. That's when then tenderness goes back into the bird.

In my family, Christmas Eve is the Feast of the Seven Fishes. So I too suggest at least one seafood item. Perhaps cold grilled shrimp with a chimmichurri sauce? It's one of my go-to make-ahead dishes for buffets. Or if you're looking for the colors of the season, take a large peeled steamed chilled shrimp, wrap it around a grape tomato and a basil leave and secure with a toothpick. Easy finger food and the red and green make a nice presentation.

My DH did the Latin spatchcock this morning, and he did indeed need to cut through the ribs and remove a part of the backbone. We always intended to take off the top two joins of the wings because they don't have much meat and I will roast them with other bits and pieces for a stock base. I did the dry brine and my bird is also in a plastic bag in the fridge. It is only 10.5 pounds which will help fit it on our gas grill and also when it comes time to flip the bird.

Figured I'd flatten the breast using turkey CPR I'm going to start the dry rub tomorrow night or early Tuesday. While I've never grilled one before, when I roast turkey, I bring them out of the oven at 150 degrees and let them rest for 45-60 minutes and the temperature always comes up to 165 after it rests.

We've never spatchcocked a turkey and never grilled one before, but that's the plan for Thursday. I ran across this article today. It's not technically a spatchcock since the bird will end up in two pieces, but having the white meat separate from the dark meat will make it easier to get each type cooked properly. And not having to cut out the backbone will make it less of a struggle, I think. http://www.thekitchn.com/how-to-spatchcock-a-turkey-cooking-lessons-from-the-kitchn-212641 Any comments?

Pomegranate Sangria: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/bobby-flay/pomegranate-sangria-recipe.html

Before grilling my spatchcocked turkey, I plan to dry brine it. Have never done this before. My brine will be my regular homemade rub, but maybe a tad extra salt. I've been researching and right now, my preference is to rub it on Tuesday and leave it in fridge until Thursday. And I don't plan to rinse off the dry brine before hitting the grill. Other ideas, suggestions, corrections?

After I boil my sweet potatoes, I smash them with gobs of butter, then add chunks of caramelized apples, caramelized onions and a good bit of chilpotle in adobo sauce. May not be traditional, but neither are we.

A friend of mine worked as a reporter for a small mid-Atlantic newspaper (city had 200K population). Once a week, each reporter had to take incoming phone calls from readers. He said by far the largest volume of calls were about errors in the paper's recipe column where reader-submitted recipes were reprinted. A cup of flour when it was supposed to be sugar; wrong temperatures; missing ingredients; not enough instructions. People were angry that they spent their money on ingredients for a product that was inedible. I took my friend's story to heart when I started writing a recipe column for an expat monthly magazine when I lived in Mexico; my DH and I read and re-read my submissions before finalizing. In five years, one boo-boo got through (a missing ingredient that was referred to in the text, but left off the list of ingredients). I like to think I can spot a botched recipe, but typos happen and I think it's good to allow comments for recipes that are unclear or found to be erroneous. I'm not in favor of ratings for the reasons others have stated.

Am I correct in assuming that the cashiers are paid the minimum wage ($7.25), as opposed to wait staff whose minimum wage is $2.13? Neither of the places that I mentioned have table service and hence no wait staff. I have been throwing two bucks in when I pick up, just wondering if that's enough, or if it's not really expected. I should add that my average order is usually $10-12 at either place.

We haven't used carryout in many many years. We recently discovered two eateries whose primary business is carryout (one an Asian restaurant, the other is a BBQ joint). While both have limited seating, you rarely see people eating at either place as they don't have table service nor alcoholic beverage licenses. Both places have tip jars at the counter. My instinct is not to tip as the only service is selling me their food....same as if I go to the deli counters of grocery stores, where there are no tip jars. Do you tip at carryouts or not. If you do, what percentage of the tab do you tip, or do you just leave a flat amount, like a buck or two?