Manitoulin test kitchen

[Porthos]

Ouch!

 

Do you ever do just rhubarb? Way back in the day my mother, who successfully grew rhubarb, would very occassionalycut some up, cook it in a pan with some sugar and water, and serve it for dinner instead of a veggie. Yum time.

[Kerry Beal]

Stewed rhubarb was a typical seasonal dessert  for me growing up.  Followed by strawberry rhubarb pie as the next seasonal thing.  My dad's appetite was pretty poor at the end - but just a few weeks ago he asked me to make him some stewed rhubarb - "but put a little more sugar in it than you usually do".  Snarfed it down pretty quickly.  

[Foodfacts Dotus]

Ouch!

 

Do you ever do just rhubarb? Way back in the day my mother, who successfully grew rhubarb, would very occassionalycut some up, cook it in a pan with some sugar and water, and serve it for dinner instead of a veggie. Yum time.

 Never heard of doing this but I will try it the next time I get some rhubarb. I just joined and I enjoyed flipping through this forum. I look forward to seeing more.

[ElsieD]

My mother used to stew rhubarb and then add a package of strawberry jello powder which would thicken it somewhat. Then once it was cold she would add fresh strawberries. She is gone now, so thank you for a nice memory.

[Kerry Beal]

 

There were a couple of containers of full fat sour cream in the bargain bin - grabbed those to make this sour cream coffee cake.

 

The recipe calls for mixing 1 tsp of baking powder in with the sour cream and 2 tsp with the flour.  Of course I forgot to add it to the flour - but I think I've gotten away with it.  Probably not as light as it usually is - but bet they don't notice!

[weinoo]

You would surely think that toasting a few tablespoons of rice in a dry pan ought to be one of the easiest culinary tasks ever. But for me toasting rice, seeds, or nuts is one of the most challenging things I will ever do! Either I toast them until they're burned, or I pull them before they have quite reached the ideal level of toastiness. How about you?

Should have gone longer.

 

Does toasting in a stainless interior pan make it any easier?  That's what I've "read." 

[Anna N]

Good morning. Let me post my breakfast photo and then I will answer questions if I can and respond to PM's.

Not exciting but satisfying and I just love these "oh so fresh" eggs. Each one is like a present from nature - you just never know if it will be butter yellow or marigold orange.

Not sure what I will get up to today aside from baking a couple of banana breads to use up our stash of over ripe bananas. Debating if I should stick with a tried and true recipe or take the opportunity to experiment a little. Just a brief Google of banana bread recipes this morning showed me how varied they can be. Sugar content ranged from 1 1/2 cups down to 1/3 cup for the same 2 cups flour and same size pan. Technique ranged from creaming, to dumping everything in a bowl and mixing, to the wet/dry muffin technique.

[Anna N]

well, if this is not your 'suit'

 

you might consider 'toasting' them in an oven

 

no steam for them

 

take notes

 

then your' done.

rotuts,

I have tried the oven method with no greater percentage of success than the on the stove method. Because each ingredient has its own moisture level which can vary from batch to batch there doesn't seem to be a way to automate this. Today you might be able to bake them for just five minutes but tomorrow it might take 10. But thank you for the suggestion.

[Anna N]

I too struggle with toasting. I find that the "toastees" require undivided attention and constant stirring/shaking. I have a dump bowl near by so I can get them out of the hot pan if they are going too fast or too long. You can always put them back in for a bit more. The other thing is toasting one kind of seed/spice at a time as they tend to need different treatment.For practice, there is a recipe for Versatile Vinaigrette in the July issue of Bon Appetit on page 32 which requires toasting of coriander, cumin and fennel seeds(they don't tell you to toast them individually though)....the result is delicious on salads and especially on steak.

I do a lot of Indian cooking and most recipes call for the spices to be toasted. I also make my own masalas which again call for toasting each spice separately. I seem to have no issue here because you are toasting until fragrant. I know fragrant! But toasting to colour is different for me. Now the nuances become critically important. I am sure with practice one can learn to toast rice to the proper color without burning it. I am just challenged.

[Anna N]

As a fan of laap and of Thai food in general, I would like to recommend Andy Ricker's Pok Pok cookbook. Not only does it have extremely labor intensive recipes (he makes all of his curry pastes from scratch), but there are many stories talking about his travels around Northern Thailand and the people he knows there. It also explains how many dishes are eaten in their native area, which I have found makes for a considerable increase in my enjoyment when trying it "their way". Being in NYC, I am very lucky to have a Pok Pok restaurant relatively nearby - but, supposedly, the recipes in the book are exactly what they do in the restaurant. In the book, he gives at least two recipes for laap (there may be more, I don't remember now and don't have the book handy), and a very interesting story about his friend who makes what he considers to be the seminal version. His friend's version is standard for Northern Thailand - this version has no mint, no (or very little) lime juice and is very different from the laap that is standard in restaurants in the US (I don't know what's available in Canada, but from seeing photos of your Thai lunches in the past, it looks pretty similar to our standard fare here). It's not that spicy, but intensely funky, herbal and completely addictive. He also gives a recipe for Isaan (Northeast Thailand which is very different from Northern Thailand) laap, which is what we would typically think of - with mint, lime juice, etc.ETA - for clarity

Kenneth,

I have a Kindle edition of the book and love to read it. You will notice I said read it not cook from it! I swear I will make an effort in the future to remedy that. Here on the Island where access to any non-Western food is very limited does not seem to be the time.

[Anna N]

My husband's family reubens were always made with smoked sausage. The Noo Yawker in me squawked about that; but then again I typically prefer my reuben sans sauerkraut and Thousand Islands dressing.

 

Anna, Kerry can tell you about the issues I had toasting coconut. I believe I destroyed three portions the day we prepped for the workshop she gave for the students here. And I'm not much better with other things that need to get toasted. As if the toasting issues themselves aren't bad enough, I'm also notorious for being impatient about letting nuts and spices cool before I try to grind them. So you probably really don't want me as your kitchen flunky, at least not for that particular task!

Melissa,

Another pair of hands would be welcome even if your toasting skills are no better than mine! You could stand behind me when I have both panty doors wide open and remind me what it is I thought I wanted. That would be a good start.

[Anna N]

Ouch!

 

Do you ever do just rhubarb? Way back in the day my mother, who successfully grew rhubarb, would very occassionalycut some up, cook it in a pan with some sugar and water, and serve it for dinner instead of a veggie. Yum time.

My memory of rhubarb will really date me. I spent much of my childhood at my grandma's house. In those days horses still did much of the delivery work. Horse manure was considered the perfect food to grow rhubarb. When the horse stopped on the street to take care of business there would be a half dozen women rushing out with dustpans to collect the steaming offering.

[Anna N]

Does toasting in a stainless interior pan make it any easier?  That's what I've "read."

I think you have something there. I am such a fan of cast iron that I neglect to consider whether it's the most appropriate for a particular job.

[weinoo]

I think you have something there. I am such a fan of cast iron that I neglect to consider whether it's the most appropriate for a particular job.

 

I just find that with stainless, it's easier to follow the color of the nuts as they toast.  And then when they reach the color you're looking for, dump 'em. 

Edited July 25, 2014 by weinoo (log)

[Foodfacts Dotus]

Not sure what I will get up to today aside from baking a couple of banana breads to use up our stash of over ripe bananas. Debating if I should stick with a tried and true recipe or take the opportunity to experiment a little. Just a brief Google of banana bread recipes this morning showed me how varied they can be. Sugar content ranged from 1 1/2 cups down to 1/3 cup for the same 2 cups flour and same size pan. Technique ranged from creaming, to dumping everything in a bowl and mixing, to the wet/dry muffin technique.

 

Personally I like to put finely chopped nuts in my banana bread. My husband thinks otherwise. Says that he wants his banana bread to be smooth, the nuts just ruin that texture for him.

[Anna N]

So two banana breads:

Not much to choose between them from the outside. The one on the left is a recipe from Cooking Light where the butter and sugar are creamed (i reduced the sugar from 1 cup to 1/2 cup). The one on the right is from Michael Ruhlman's "Twenty" and uses the wet and dry muffin method. It called for the addition of one cup of blueberries but we have not yet got our blueberries.

They will both be sent off either today or tomorrow to feed medical staff and/or Kira caregivers. I suppose I will have to cut off one slice of each and just see what they are like taste and texture wise.

[Toliver]

Good morning. Let me post my breakfast photo and then I will answer questions if I can and respond to PM's.

image.jpg

Not exciting but satisfying and I just love these "oh so fresh" eggs. Each one is like a present from nature - you just never know if it will be butter yellow or marigold orange.

Not sure what I will get up to today aside from baking a couple of banana breads to use up our stash of over ripe bananas. Debating if I should stick with a tried and true recipe or take the opportunity to experiment a little... 

Thanks for the "money shot" of the egg yolk. It looks gorgeous and is making me hungry!

 

Regarding on whether to experiment or not...I vote for "experiment". You never know what great recipe is lurking around the corner. 

[Kim Shook]

Anna - I believe that you need to shut those "panty doors".  Especially if it is still cold up there.    

 

Ladies, I am having such a great time reading along.  I somehow missed the beginning of this and sat here last night (actually this morning) reading through until 3am!  I had a 8am FASTING blood draw this morning.  Do you know how hard it was not to snack while I was catching up?  Not to mention getting up this morning!  As a doctor, Kerry, you should know better than to do that to someone!  Seriously, this is wonderful and like so many folks have already said, something that I look forward to every year!

[Anna N]

Anna - I believe that you need to shut those "panty doors".  Especially if it is still cold up there.    

 

Ladies, I am having such a great time reading along.  I somehow missed the beginning of this and sat here last night (actually this morning) reading through until 3am!  I had a 8am FASTING blood draw this morning.  Do you know how hard it was not to snack while I was catching up?  Not to mention getting up this morning!  As a doctor, Kerry, you should know better than to do that to someone!  Seriously, this is wonderful and like so many folks have already said, something that I look forward to every year!

Oh no! That's what comes of trying to work too early in the morning!

Glad you are enjoying yourself. Kerry and I look forward to it to every year. It's a nice break from the routine.

 

 

 

This discussion continues here: Manitoulin test kitchen (Part 2).

Edited July 26, 2014 by Mjx
Host note added. (log)