eG Foodblog: rsincere - DIY cooking school/cooking therapy in WI

[bloviatrix]

I strongly suggest that you get an oven thermometer. It really makes a difference. I'm speaking from experience -- I always knew my oven ran hot, but then I got a thermometer and found out it was running about 50 degrees too hot.

[Mulcahy]

Rachel, I cannot tell you how much I have enjoyed your blog. Your son is adorable, and your appetite for learning and trying new things an inspiration.

I strongly suggest that you get an oven thermometer.  It really makes a difference.  I'm speaking from experience -- I always knew my oven ran hot, but then I got a thermometer and found out it was running about 50 degrees too hot. 

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I am going to wholeheartedly agree with Bloviatrix. I had the same problem, but my oven was 100 degrees too hot (still is). I kept overcooking everything and couldn't figure out why.

[tejon]

I'll third the oven thermometer suggestion. Every oven I have used has been at least 25 degrees off, many more than 50 degrees higher or lower.

Your plating looks a bit like mine - if it tastes good it doesn't need to be beautiful, I say.

[lovebenton0]

Hey, Rachel, I'd eat off that plate anyday. Roast chicken is a favorite for us. Obviously not for this time, but perhaps another time -- After prepping with s&p I rub my chicken with some EVOO. A little all over and a bit more under the skin (remember EVOO is good fat -- which is essential for me), then often tuck a chunk of onion, a few cloves of garlic and a sprig of rosemary (or lemon or regular thyme, or lemon or sweet basil) in the cavity. The aroma of the herbs cooking in the chicken flavor the bird delicaterly and the EVOO keeps it moist. You can used your dried herbs if you have some left from the garden. I dry a lot each season and store in ziplock baggies.

[Jake]

I second Judith's suggestion, but I also add a quartered lemon to the garlic and fresh herbs. Yummy.

[reesek]

rachel,

i think your chicken looks delicious! daniel is adorable, very cool of you to involve him in projects while he's young and he looks so happy! i love spice cake. does the pumpkin replace some of the moisture in the recipe? i have used apple sauce a few times to replace some of the oil & sugar in carrot cake recipes...works really well.

[Toliver]

Rachel,

When adding salt and pepper to your food, as you've found out, it's better to err on the side of too little. You can always add more if needed but if you add too much, it's difficult to take it away. With time and experience, your hands & eyes will find the right balance.

As for the chicken, don't get discouraged. If it's a matter of a still-frozen bird, that's easy to rectify. If it's an oven problem and you can't get it re-calibrated the suggestions of an oven thermometer is a good one.

If you're interested, here are some other great threads with ideas for roasting chicken:

"Best Chicken Ever, Well, to me anyway"

"Roasting a chicken, it's about time"

"Roasting Chicken, The gospel according to e-gulleteers . . ."

"Roasting a chicken, Help"

"Your FAVORITE roast chicken recipe, Me: 40 cloves of garlic. What's yours?"

And the ever popular "Brining"

Thanks for doing this blog and letting it all hang out, so to speak! You're doing a great job.

[bloviatrix]

Of course, as you master chicken roasting you'll probably want to try it spatchcocked which is another egullet favorite.

[RSincere]

Okay. An oven thermometer is officially on the list! I'm not too sure how much longer we're going to be living here, but when we move to an apartment I'm sure the stove will leave something to be desired so the thermometer will come in handy.

I guess I forgot to mention that I put two lemon quarters and several sprigs of thyme from my patio in the cavity. I saw that on Food Network. And then the black specks on top are more thyme leaves that got a little burnt. I put salt, pepper, butter, and extra virgin olive oil on the chicken. I put the salt and pepper first, then when I put the butter on I ended up moving the salt and pepper all over the place and I couldn't get it redistributed, so after the butter and oil I put more Penzey's 4/S on it. I've seen spatchcocking on Martha Stewart, I do want to try that! But I didn't want to end my blog with me coated in chicken juice and swearing and flinging chicken bits all over the kitchen, which is what seems to happen whenever I have to cut raw chicken.

Reese, the cupcake recipe was from Nestle but we never did find the special Halloween morsels. We just used mini choc. chips in the cupcakes, and used special sprinkles and Haloween decorations on top that we found at Walmart.

QUESTION! I do want to make that poppyseed torte. I need 3 cups of whole milk for the custard. I only have 2-1/3 cups. I have heavy cream. Can I mix heavy cream and water for that last 2/3 cup? Or use straight cream? Any ideas?

[tejon]

I'd use half cream and half water to sub for the missing milk. Probably not exactly the same fat ratio as milk, but close enough for such a small amount.

[RSincere]

Thank you, Kathy! I will report back. This is my first custard AND my first meringue. What is wrong with me?!

[tejon]

You can do it! Just be sure to heat the custard very gently - might take a little longer to thicken, but it's better than causing the eggs to scramble (been there, done that ).

[RSincere]

The torte is in the oven. I hope it sets up--the custard filling isn't as firm as I remembered it from the Colonial Inn. It's more like pudding the way I made it. Maybe 30 minutes in the oven will firm it up.

Having dinner--leftover mashed potatoes and gravy, and a glass of diet Sprite.

[Lexica]

I fourth (fifth?) the recommendation of an oven thermometer. The oven in my current apartment runs at least 25 degrees hot for temperatures above about 300F, but runs a little cold for temperatures around 200F (as I discovered when making onion confit).

This is a picture of the thermometer I use. It should be available in any hardware store with a housewares section. One of the things I like is that it's cheap - around $7, if I remember correctly.

A tip for thawing frozen things more quickly that I learned from Alton Brown: put the frozen food in a zipper-lock plastic bag and seal it, removing as much air as possible. Submerge in a large bowl of cold water and set the faucet to running a small trickle of cold water into the bowl. (I set it as low as it will go and still be a trickle instead of separate drips, if that makes any sense.) It works much faster than any other method, according to AB.

There's a hidden advantage to it as well - we bought some frozen shrimp a while ago that were inedibly salty in my opinion. While wondering if there was any way to salvage them, I decided to try thawing some without using a plastic bag. I figured it might act as a reverse brine: since the concentration of salt inside the cells would be so much higher than in the water, it would osmose out. It seemed to work reasonably well.

[Susan in FL]

Thank you for your efforts on this blog, Rachel, and as Toliver put it, for letting it all hang out! It's been quite different for everyone to pitch in and give input. Thank you for your invitation to do so. I'm sure you will be remembered for your unique and refreshing account of learning in progress. I wish you good health, and good luck as you develop your cooking skills. Cheers!

P.S. I think the oven thermometer is something we all should have. It's on my list.

P.P.S. I sincerely do love your name.

[RSincere]

Thank you, Susan!

P.P.S. I sincerely do love your name.

I get that a lot.

Here's the finished torte:

And here's my last food entry for this blog. The torte is wonderful, a little weepy when I cut it, anyone know what that's about?

[bloviatrix]

Fabulous blog Rachel. I applaud your jumping in to cooking. It sounds like you're really enjoying yourself.

[spaghetttti]

Rachel, the torte looks fantastic, that luscious custard!

I wuv the widdle bunny wabbit figurines, adorable.

Thank you for blogging this week, I very much enjoyed reading along.

Yetty

Edited October 19, 2004 by spaghetttti (log)

[RSincere]

Spaghetttti, I was wondering if anyone would comment on my bunny wabbit salt and pepper shakers. My mom gave them to me because I've often had pet bunnies running around the house.

I just took a half hour and read through the whole blog. It's really amazing to me that so many people wanted to read it, and so many people responded. Some people even sent me PMs. You all have been so helpful and I want to thank you! The night before I was to start my blog, I had trouble sleeping because I was so nervous. I thought my blog would kind of sit at the bottom of the page and bore everybody. After seeing all the foods that eGulleters eat and cook on a daily basis, things I've never heard of or could never find up here--it was intimidating! Kind of felt like Sandra Lee watching Mario Batali wrap liver chunks in caul fat! The hell?!

You all have encouraged me to cook a lot more in the past week than I would have normally. Normally, the amount of recipes I did in this past week would have been stretched out over two weeks. There would have been at least two days where we would have scrounged for lunch as well as for dinner. Now I have lots of soup and stew in the freezer, and that's what we're eating for the rest of the week, because I'm out of recipes...maybe I'll dig up the pantry challenge!

And not to get hokey--but I spent this past week focusing on something other than what's wrong with me and focusing on something positive that can potentially turn out right. And I do thank you all for your support and acceptance.

Enough of the Sally Field dorkiness. You guys rock. I'm out!

[Laksa]

Thanks for a wonderful blog Rachel. I second the method of thawing in cold water too. Much faster than the fridge, supposedly safer than leaving it out on the counter, and it won't cook the edges like defrosting in a microwave can.

I like to roast chicken on a chicken roasting stand. The chicken sits vertically on the stand and with enough melted butter brushed on the skin, it browns nicely and evenly on all sides. There is a little pan at the bottom that collects all the juices, which help to steam the chicken from the inside and keep it moist as it roasts.

The downside is that you can't put anything in the cavity. But I find that herbs, garlic or lemon in the cavity add only a faint, delicate flavor, and I prefer my roast chicken flavor to be much more upfront, and would favor a stronger sauce to go with the chicken, or a stronger marinade.

Someone wrote something about "letting it all hang out". Now I can't get the Van Morrison song Jackie Wilson said out of my head!