Toliver

Were they fresh cranberries or frozen? I think this sort of problem was mentioned in a thread on blueberry muffins and how do you keep the blueberries down in the batter without the berries floating upward during baking and the solution was to use frozen berries. Hopefully, others more qualified will chime in with solutions...

Burn macaroni. It happened 15 years ago and I think it ranks as my number one all time biggest kitchen disaster. Also, I vow to never, ever, ever use olive oil to bake brownies again. I feel cleansed now. BTW, I'm new here. Welcome to eGullet, destinyrules! This is a great thread for absolution.

Lest this go off topic any further... The ending of "Casablanca" is not a true happy ending. The guy in love with the girl didn't get the girl. This is happy? For that era to have a film end where the hero doesn't get the girl was practically heresy. The character of Rick is concerned over only one person...himself ("I stick my neck out for no one") as in "What's in it for me?" No, not necessarily a bad guy but given the times, it wasn't a good stance to have in the world. But thanks to Ilsa's return, he changes. Call it "redemption". The cynicism he had throughout the beginning of the film gives way to recognizing that there are bigger and better things out there in the world that we can be fighting for (another message given the times). You want bad guys? Take Signor Ferrari (Sydney Greenstreet), Guillermo Ugarte (Peter Lorre), Maj. Heinrich Strasser (Conrad Veidt) and the likeable cad, Capt. Louis Renault (Claude Rains). Yes, "Noir Light" I'd accept for "Casablanca", but Noir it is. Perhaps any food recipes derived from the film can be made lower in calories ("Lite"...get it?) just to stay true to the spirit of the dinner.

Me, too. What ticks me off about FoodTV is how they keep shuffling their programs around. You get used to a certain lineup and then next week it's all completely changed...higglety pigglety, so to speak. So I just stopped watching. What next? A Dweezil & Lisa marathon? Yeesh.

Thanks to everyone for posting your food histories. My question to you, Lucy, is that now that you are in Lyon, do you cook any southern US meals (probably hard to get okra)? And, if so, have you shared them with any French friends and what was their reactions, if any, to the food?

Sorry to disagree (I knew this would come up). While Film Noir began as the hard boilded private eye who finds the bad guys while he romances the dame who knows more than she lets on about, the genre grew to encompass more than mysteries. Granted, we don't normally think of "Casablanca" as representative of the Film Noir genre but the style of Film Noir is very much present in "Casablanca" and even the later (but less illustrative of the genre) "What Ever Happened to Baby Jane". Light and shadow play a big part in "Casablanca" which is what Film Noir is all about. Some of the most emotional scenes in "Casablanca" are the dark shadowy scenes. But then that's just my opinion. edited to add puffery

Some sort of fowl for "The Maltese Falcon". Martinis for the "Thin Man" series. Mediterranean food for "Casablanca" or more fowl for "The Blue Parrot" (Rick's nightclub competition in the film) or French Food ("We'll always have Paris") or even some sort of bean dish ("...it doesn't take much to see that the problems of three little people don't amount to a hill of beans in this crazy world.") Seafood and/or Hurricanes (the drinks) for "Key Largo" Coffee made fresh from beans from "Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid" (an homage to Film Noir)

I only watch FoodTV when I'm at work catching up on eGullet. I truly enjoy Lidia & Ming Tsai each weekend on PBS. They are both a joy to learn from and watch. I throw things at the screen, however, when "America's Test Kitchen" and "Yan Can Cook" come on.

I think they need to get new management. Christmas Eve day I had some last minute shopping to do and went to a local mall that had a CF within walking distance. I watched as the CF turned customer after customer away. Why? This was the last shopping day before Christmas and the mall was open at 9am but the CF still had their regular hours of operation (open at 11am). So I watched as person after person would try to go into the CF to buy either gift certificates or a cheesecake only to be turned away because the CF wasn't open yet. After a while, I started counting the people walking away and stopped after 50. Imagine turning all that money away. Someone certainly wasn't thinking at the CF.

I think using a dark sheet pan helps too although I'm not sure why. Made it in a glass pan this weekend and it wasn't as good. I think if we ask in the Baking forum and I'm sure we'll get the proper scientific reasoning behind dark cookie sheets helping cookies turn out crisper. That being said, I agree with the dark pan providing a better roast for the cauliflower. Lat night's turned out far better than my last attempt (see earlier post). As for cooking longer at a lower temp, I ended up doing that at Christmas time by accident (using my mom's mis-calibrated oven and a non-dark roasting pan...see my much earlier post). The cauliflower took longer to cook but turned out to be a beautiful golden color. Quite a contrast to how it turns out when roasted at the normal temp. I like both methods and use the longer cooking time/lower temp when I'm not in a hurry.

Last night: Buffalo thighs (instead of wings) using two different hot wing sauces I had in the cupboard (a New Year's resolution to use up the sauces and condiments I have bulging forth from my cupboards). One was a Justin Wilson Wing Sauce which is similar to the well known Tabasco recipe wing sauce and the other was Stubb's Wicked Chicken Wing Sauce which is more barbecue sauce-based. I marinated the the thighs in two different Ziploc bags then roasted the chicken. I thought the Stubbs was the far better sauce and had more of a "kick" to it. Accompanied by roasted cauliflower and roasted garlic mashed potatoes.

fifi, It almost sounds like the lid isn't heavy enough and/or is of a poor design (as you've said). I have the Westbend slow cooker (it has the pot you can cook with on the stove to brown your meat) and the glass lid is one heavy mother. Ain't nothin' gonna lift that sucker off. The model I have is similar to this one, except mine has a different style of lid (the lid in the linked cooker can also double as a serving dish whereas mine is just a lid). My mom has a very old Rival crock pot that doesn't have an insert. In order to wash it, you have to lean it on its side on the counter next to the sink and let the wash water spill out as you wash it. It's cumbersome and antiquated but she won't get rid of it since it still works.

Regarding the core, I've made the roasted cauliflower both ways, using just the florets and then using the whole kit and kaboodle and I think I will stay with the whole kit and kaboodle. The core doesn't come out of the oven any different than the rest of the head and I like the efficiency (or is the proper word "frugality"?) of using just about everything on the head. I even have a cookbook that has a stir-fry recipe to use the bottom leaves you normally throw away but I'm not going to take it that far. Using my big ass Forschner knife, I just sliced the head into giant slices and zip zip zip, it was done. There were "crumbs" and pieces where parts of the florets came off but they cook up the best, in my honest opinion. And with this method, there is no need to do surgery while trying to cut off florets, etc. One odd visual effect is that the large slices do tend to look like slices of "brain" which I think could be a plus for those trying to get kids to eat it.

Bon Appetit Digest – March 2004 – “The Kitchen Issue” Contributors in this issue: Stephen Raichlen, Fernando Bengoechea, Andrea Sand, Pamela Redmond Satran, Alexandra Zissu And Sam Gray to name a few. Plus some great photographs! “Starters” by Hugh Garvey - “The Art of the Mixer” – A look at four stand mixers that are both workhorses and aesthetically pleasing: Viking 800 Watts, Kitchenaid Artisan series, Hamilton Beach and the beautiful Jenn-Air Attrezzi mixer. "Test drive your kitchen" – A listing of studios & centers with working kitchens and the latest appliances where you can actually cook to try them out. "Taste the Future –" You can taste what the future chefs of the world are cooking up at the French Culinary Institute in New York City (462 Broadway). They offer a five-course prix fixe for $30. "Chefs Do Design" – Chefs are branching out and are now designing the very dinnerware use. Designers Chefs include Thomas Keller, Michael Chiarello, Nobu Matsuhisa and Jamie Oliver. "Cooking for a Pro" – A brief look at those who cook at home for their significant others who happen to be professional chefs. "Haute Cocoa" – A listing of the cream of the crop when it comes to instant cocoa mix: Les Confitures a L’Ancienne Powdered chocolate, Vosges Haut-Chocolat Couture Cocoa Aztec Elixir, Fauchon Cocoa and Mariebelle Aztec Hot Chocolate. "Food Noir" – Black dinnerware & stemware is “in”. So is black food: Black Kale, Black Rice, Black Blavod Vodka. Bon Appetit is offering Celebrity cruises, “Savor the Caribbean” featuring cooking demonstrations by star chefs, rum & wine tastings and culinary excursions on the islands. "Crisp Cocktail" – Ryan Buttner, of New York’s DB Bistro Moderne, was tired of Sour Apple martinis so he came up with the Red Delicious Martini, a super smooth drink that tastes of apples. Recipe included. R.S.V.P. – Reader’s Favorite Restaurant Recipes Recipes: “Spinach Salad with Blue Cheese, Spiced Walnuts, Pears and Port Vinaigrette” (Fish - Charleston, South Carolina), “Spice-Crusted Beef Tenderloin with Mushroom Sauce” (Cottonwood Grill – Steamboat Springs Colorado), “Sticky Toffee Pudding Cakes” (Sweet Basil – Vail, Colorado), “Chili with Sausage and Jalapeño” (Dinosaur Bar-B-Que – Rochester, New York) Entertaining Made Easy – “Cozy Kitchen Supper” by Rozanne Gold Make it easy on yourself and serve this dinner for six from the countertop and stove top. Recipes: “Mesclun Salad with Oven-Roasted Peppers and Feta Dressing”, “Wine Braised Lamb Shanks with Herbes de Provence”, “Mashed Potato and Turnip Gratin”, “Quick Apple Tart”. Kitchen Design – “Remodeling Starts Here” by Gina Provenzano All the latest news about cabinets, counters and floors. Wine & Spirits – “Spain in Its Prime” by Anthony Dias Blue “Spain is the new France” as the wines from the Priorat region of Spain are now the thing to drink. Priorat wines: Vinicola del Priorat 2002 Onix ($10), Alvaro Palacios 2000 Les Terrasses ($26), Cims de Porrera 2000 Solanes ($30), Pasanau 2000 Finca La Planeta ($30), Rotllan Torra 1998 Balandra ($35), J.M. Fuentes 1999 Gran Clos ($40), Morlanda 2000 Criaca ($48), Alvaro Palacios 2000 Finca Dofi ($65), Clos Mogador 2000 ($65), Perez I Ovejero 2000 Clos Martinet ($65), Cims de Porrera 2000 Classic ($75). Wine & Spirits – Tasting Panel Report by Anthony Dias Blue Totes of Note – A look at three wine totes Reading Between the Wines - Two books on wine Jazzed-Up Java - A suggestion for some after dinner coffee liquors Top Ten Wines for March – Triapiche 2003 Chardonnay, Mendoza, Argentina ($7) Jacob’s Creek 2001 Cabernet Sauvignon, South Eastern Australia ($10) Bacock 2002 Pinot Grigio, Santa Barbara County ($15) Craggy Range 2002 Sauvignon Blanc, Te Muna Road Vineyard, Martinborough, New Zealand ($18) Merryvale Vineyards 2001 Starmont Chardonnay, Napa Valley ($19) Murphy-Goode 2001 Merlot, Alexander Valley ($19) Fonterutoli 2001 Chianti Classico, Italy ($25) Dr. Loosen 2002 Riesling Spatlese, Wehlener Sonnenuhr, Mosel-Saar-Ruwer, Germany ($30) Benziger Family Winery 2000 Pinot Noir, Bien Nacido Vineyard, Santa Maria Valley ($33) Trinchero Winery 1999 Cabernet Sauvignon, Mario’s Reserve , Napa Valley ($45) Tools of the Trade – “Meet Your Maker” by Dorie Greenspan Dorie gives suggestions on how to pick the right coffeemaker for your needs and lists some specific brands for consideration. People & Places – “Diary of a Kitchen Renovation” by Pamela Redmond Satran Remodeling your kitchen? Pamela feels your pain and shares her experience in a diary (Varmint? Are you listening?). Bon Vivant – “What’s New. What’s Hot. What’s Good.” By Gina Provenzano -Soaps that smell like your favorite foods: Angel Food, Blackberry Basil, Gin & Tonic, Poppy seed & pumpkin, Soku Lime, Bradford Cucumber -Shun Classic Kershaw knives www.surlatable.com -Jamie Oliver Stainless Steel cookware www.t-falusa.com -New shaped teapots from Staub USA 866-782-8287 -Nigella Lawson’s "Scoop & Measure” line of measuring cups (they look like real coffee cups!) from the Terence Conron Shop 866-755-9079 Personal Taste – “The Chocolate Cake Wars” by Andrea Sand Andrea’s Mom and her Mom’s sister, Aunt Nita, get along great except when it comes to deciding who makes the better chocolate cake. Recipes: “Nita’s Crazy Cake”, “Beverly’s Dark Chocolate Cake” Going Out – “Destination Dublin” by Victoria Von Biel Victoria says the dining scene in Dublin has moved beyond the pubs. She takes a look at: Cavistons – Sandycove, 30 minutes from Dublin The Tea Room – Clarence Hotel, Dublin, owned by Bono & The Edge (from U2) Exec. Chef Anthony Ely Chapter One – Dublin Theater District The Mermaid Café – Dublin, Chef Temple Garner Avoca Café – Upstairs at the Avoca Handweavers store Ely – Wine & Snacks, near St. Stephen’s Green A sidebar of Michelin starred restaurants: Restaurant Patrick Guilbaud, Thornton’s, L’Ecrivain Top Tables – “The Restaurant Reporter” by Tanya Wenman Steel A sidebar of English Manors. Philadelphia – Melograno (near Rittenhouse Square) with Chef-owner Gianluca Demontis, Stephen Starr’s Angelina (formerly Blue Angel) with Chef Christopher Painter, Moshulu with Chef Ralph Fernandez Aspen – Range with Chef & Co-owner Charles Dale, 39 Degrees Lounge with Exec. Chef Rodney Einhorn, Benedict’s at the Little Nell’s Hotel on Aspen Mountain, Phat Thai with Chef & Co-owner Mark Fischer in Carbondale. Bermuda – Aqua with Chef Alun Sperring, Seahorse Grill with Chef Scott Connor, La Coquille with Chef Serge Bottelli. “At Home in the Kitchen – Our Favorite Place” A look inside the kitchens of some well known chefs. “Mediterranean Causal” by Zov Karamardian Recipes: “Skewered Rosemary Shrimp with Mint Pesto”, “White Bean Puree with Sun-Dried Tomatoes”, “Mediterranean Chicken”, “Roasted Potatoes with Herbs”, “Spinach and Roasted Red Pepper Gratin”, “Orange-Almond Cream Cake”. “A World of Noodles” by Steven Raichelen Recipes: “Pappardelle with Bean Bolognese Sauce”, “Crispy Noodle Cake with Barbecued Pork”, “Spanish Noodle Paella”, “Smoked Cheese and Sausage Lasagna” (Cover Recipe), “Yucatan-Style Chicken, Lime and Orzo Soup”, “Stir-Fried Noodles with Singapore Lamb Curry” “Elegant Winter Dinner” by Dorie Greenspan Recipes: “Dilled Gravlax with Mustard Sauce”, “Foie Gras and Cream Eggs”, “Veal Chops with Rosemary Butter”, “Pancetta Green Beans”, “Lemon-Barley Pilaf”, “Chocolate-Amaretti Tortes” “Desserts by Design” by Elizabeth Falkner Recipes: “Devil’s Food Cake with Chocolate-Orange Buttercream”, “Churros with Spiced Hot Chocolate”, “Spiced Hot Chocolate”, “Tropical Cheesecake with Coconut Shortbread Crust”, “Coconut Shortbread Cookies”, “Pear, Chocolate and Hazelnut Crostata”, “Easy Tart Crust”, ‘Raisin and Almond Tartlets”, “Banana Cream Parfaits” “The Spa Treatment” - A look at two of Arizona’s most intimate resorts, The Royal Palms Resort & Spa and The Sanctuary. A sidebar lists more spa options in the area. Recipe: “Roast Duck Breasts with Tamarind-Orange Glaze”, “Seared Scallops with Braised Fennel and Fennel-Apple Salad” “Every Night Cooking” by Brooke Dojny and Melanie Barnard Recipes: “Mustard-Roasted Salmon with Lingonberry Sauce”, “Hot Picadillo Sandwiches”, “Cannellini and Kale Ragout”, “Sesame-Ginger Beef and Asparagus Stir-Fry”, “Chicken Schnitzel with Anchovy-Chive Butter Sauce” “Too Busy to Cook?” – Marty Rosencranz of River Vale, New Jersey Recipes: “Croissant Steak Sandwiches with Caramelized Onions and Horseradish Mayonnaise”, “Chocolate Peanut Butter Chip Fudge Cookies” On the Scene – “The Western Insider” -A look yet more Ski resort restaurants (see last issue) -Beverly Hills has a new tea shop called “Le Palais des Thes” -Sidebar of upcoming calendar events in the month of March Cooking for Health – “Slow-Cook Suppers” by Marie Simmons A new appreciation for the lowly slow-cooker. Recipes: “Black Bean Soup with Chipotle Chiles”, “Shiitake, Beef, and Barley Soup”, “Veal Stew with Green Olives and Potatoes”, “Turkey Osso Buco” Small sidebar of slow-cooker tips to make your meals even more flavorful Feedback – Last page Q&A with NBC’s “The West Wing” actress Janel Moloney (plays Donna Moss) who turns out to be quite the cook and foodie!

Snyder's of Hanover's Steak and Onion Potato Chips Unfortunately, I don't think they make that flavor anymore. They get you addicted to the chips and then they stop. Making. Them. The bastards.

Lodge is great and many an eGulleteer will be happy to defend the brand. However, the reason it's being "discouraged" in this discussion is because it doesn't have the enamel lining of an LC product. To reiterate what others have posted about this, recipes with high acid content will fare better in an LC than in a Lodge. High acid dishes cooked in a cast iron Lodge run the risk of imparting a metallic taste into your food. That's the nature of the beast. Don't worry, Lodge has a place in our kitchens.

I roasted cauliflower this evening and added shaved parmesan after taking it out of the oven. Very good, though next time I won't salt the cauliflower if I'm going to add cheese. One thing I did notice, however, is that the roasting pan does make a difference in the browning. Tonight I used a new sheet pan that had a small lip to it. After the first 10 minutes, I went to flip the pieces and noticed that none of them had browned. It took a lot longer than 20 minutes to roast. In the end, the cauliflower was a nice golden color but not really browned. It turns out that upon closer inspection my new roasting pan was one of those "air-cushion-type" pans which obviously impacted the browning. So just like when baking cookies, your sheet pans will effect how the end product turns out, which makes perfect sense. Live and learn....

I do not recommend eating CFS at any of the casinos in Las Vegas. They make them particularly bland and no amount of salt, pepper or Tabasco sauce can bring them to a edible state.

The cut of meat used most often, especially in restaurants, is "cube steak" or "minute steak". It's usually run through the butcher's meat tenderizer and ends up pretty flat. Otherwise, you need to take your mallet to it. That said, like fifi's recipe, at home my mom always used round steak that she'd take a mallet to before breading. And the breading wasn't mainly flour. She'd use mostly corn flake crumbs (which I think gave it a slightly sweeter taste) mixed with a little flour, onion flakes, garlic powder, S & P. Pan fried, not deep fried. My mom's gravy always sucked (sorry Ma!) and I've inherited her inability to make a nice milk/cream gravy. I don't think the eGCI ever covered a good ole southern milk gravy.

"Junk" food here, too. My contributions: Costco's Italian meatballs in this nice barbecue sauce, ham rollups (ham slices with cream cheese and a green onion, rolled up then sliced) and Tanabutler's Spicy Roasted Herb Nuts which were a HUGE hit.

I think this was discussed in another thread a couple months ago. I commented then that I wouldn't be interested in an adult Happy Meal unless it came with a McMartini.

Dude! Stop grinding into your sink and save the stuff. Though, I do have to admit when I first bought mine I did the same thing! Whatta mill!

Count me as yet another eGulleteer who doesn't consider what happened (with the interrupted order & and the upselling) as insulting. While it's bad manners to interrupt someone while they are speaking I don't consider it insulting.

Unfortunately, I shouldn't be a blogger at this time. I have "The Cough" that's going around and all its other symptoms since the beginning of the year and I currently have zero sense of taste (as attested to by my wardrobe...can I get a rimshot, please!) so I am not eating much of anything.

Now there is a thought! Lateral thinking required. My friend, Willem Boshoff, is a renowned sculptor known for doing things out of the box. Maybe he can help. But yes, I am now determined to maintain the relationship, albeit in another guise. Thanks, Toliver. You're welcome! And promise you will post the result (with pics) if ever it should come about.