How Do You Gild the Lily?

[Lilija]

This morning, I had a bowl of Grape Nuts, with half and half. Took the milk out, considered it. Returned it to the fridge, in favor of the half and half. Added diced strawberries, raisins, some honey, and a handful of salted mixed nuts. It just grew and grew.

Furthering the cream cheese loving, I throw about 2 oz. of cream cheese in with my standard tuna salad recipe. Mayo, chopped veggies, a can of tuna, seasonings, a goodly gob of cream cheese. Stop staring at me, and try it.

I too swirl butter in anything that will take it. Butter in refried beans. Butter in gravies and sauces. Butter on veggies, steaks, burgers. Butter in soups. There's a recipe I got from a local coffee house, called Dutch coffee...it's cafe au lait, with a chunk of good quality chocolate, melted at the bottom, a chunk of butter melted floating on top, graced with whipped cream, and cinnamon. It's so far from true coffee, that they may as well move it to the dessert menu... Not every morning, but I've been known to throw a little knob of butter in my coffee. Butter, half and half, and chestnut honey, on my Scottish oatmeal...

Ok, time for me to stop, I'm driving myself crazy.

[divalasvegas]

This morning, I had a bowl of Grape Nuts, with half and half.  Took the milk out, considered it. Returned it to the fridge, in favor of the half and half.  Added diced strawberries, raisins, some honey, and a handful of salted mixed nuts.  It just grew and grew. 

Furthering the cream cheese loving, I throw about 2 oz. of cream cheese in with my standard tuna salad recipe.  Mayo, chopped veggies, a can of tuna, seasonings, a goodly gob of cream cheese.  Stop staring at me, and try it.

I too swirl butter in anything that will take it. Butter in refried beans. Butter in gravies and sauces. Butter on veggies, steaks, burgers.  Butter in soups.  There's a recipe I got from a local coffee house, called Dutch coffee...it's cafe au lait, with a chunk of good quality chocolate, melted at the bottom, a chunk of butter melted floating on top, graced with whipped cream, and cinnamon.  It's so far from true coffee, that they may as well move it to the dessert menu...  Not every morning, but I've been known to throw a little knob of butter in my coffee.  Butter, half and half, and chestnut honey, on my Scottish oatmeal... 

Ok, time for me to stop, I'm driving myself crazy.

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Butter in coffee Lilija? Oh what the Hell, WHY NOT!? Amazing. In one post you've managed to list five of the most indespensible "gilding" foods: butter, cream cheese, whipped cream, mayo, and chocolate. Hmmm, what are some others? Truffle oil, creme fraiche, devonshire cream..................... okay everybody, what are your favorites?

[evilhomer]

"I'll have your finest food, stuffed with your second finest!"

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I betting on Zaphod Beeblebrox, the President of the Galaxy.

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nope, as mentioned upthread it was homer j simpson

'lobster stuffed with tacos sir, excellent choice'

[patti]

Butter and sour cream and bacon bits on baked potatoes.

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To that baked potato I'd also add grated sharp cheddar and chives, or I'd eliminate the sour cream and use crumbled feta. My son likes to combine real bacon bits with fake bacon bits, along with butter and grated cheese. He doesn't see the fake ones as a substitute, but as an additional crispy flavor of its own.

Oh, and bread pudding topped with both homemade whipped cream AND chocolate sauce. And maybe pecans, if they weren't in the bread pudding.

Edited June 21, 2006 by patti (log)

[Kouign Aman]

Heavy cream poured directly onto the icecream, so it hardens and forms a pure-fat shell of goodness. Gently scrape off the cream, eat it, and repeat. Eventually, its time to eat the icecream itself, but there's no hurry.

Spreading extra mayo on each bite of a sandwich.

Layering jams on toast (after ensuring its holding its maximum capacity of butter, melted in).

[cocoagirl]

greek yoghurt, rhubarb sauce, toasted pecans, shaved dark chocolate

diet coke and cream, ice

matzoh, buttter, sugar

whole wheat bread, roasted chicken, butter, mayo, salt and pepper sandwhich

[Lilija]

This morning, I had a bowl of Grape Nuts, with half and half.  Took the milk out, considered it. Returned it to the fridge, in favor of the half and half.  Added diced strawberries, raisins, some honey, and a handful of salted mixed nuts.  It just grew and grew.  

Furthering the cream cheese loving, I throw about 2 oz. of cream cheese in with my standard tuna salad recipe.  Mayo, chopped veggies, a can of tuna, seasonings, a goodly gob of cream cheese.  Stop staring at me, and try it.

I too swirl butter in anything that will take it. Butter in refried beans. Butter in gravies and sauces. Butter on veggies, steaks, burgers.   Butter in soups.  There's a recipe I got from a local coffee house, called Dutch coffee...it's cafe au lait, with a chunk of good quality chocolate, melted at the bottom, a chunk of butter melted floating on top, graced with whipped cream, and cinnamon.  It's so far from true coffee, that they may as well move it to the dessert menu...  Not every morning, but I've been known to throw a little knob of butter in my coffee.  Butter, half and half, and chestnut honey, on my Scottish oatmeal... 

Ok, time for me to stop, I'm driving myself crazy.

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Butter in coffee Lilija? Oh what the Hell, WHY NOT!? Amazing. In one post you've managed to list five of the most indespensible "gilding" foods: butter, cream cheese, whipped cream, mayo, and chocolate. Hmmm, what are some others? Truffle oil, creme fraiche, devonshire cream..................... okay everybody, what are your favorites?

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I mentioned all mine, right there, pretty much. Maybe barbecue sauce, to dip everything else in. By everything else, I mean what already isn't slathered in butter or mayo...

[divalasvegas]

.........diet coke and cream, ice.......

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Impressive. A little twisted, but impressive. I'll have to try that. Reminds me of a drink I used to make when I was a kid: coke or pepsi and milk. Maybe worth a revisit.

[Genny]

This time of year I have to will myself away from Cold Stone creamery. Oh the possibilities!!!

Some favorites:

Banana ice cream with double brownies and dark cherries (hubbie's)

Banana ice cream with reeces peanut butter cups (2), almonds, graham cracker and fudge sauce.

Mint ice cream with oreos (double it please!) and marshmallow cream.

To drink:

Makers Mark bourbon with fresh homemade mint syrup and a splash of vanilla syrup, my twist on a Mint Julep. Stir with a vanilla bean if you got it and garnish with a huge sprig of mint to tickle the nose. Sweet, potent and refreshing!

[Reefpimp]

Lately I have been catching lots of pompano; they've been biting, sop who am I to say no to the Grand Scheme of the Universe? I mean, I'm gonna be fishing anyway...

And last night a friend invited me to go shrimpin' with him, he said last time he went out he got almost a 5-gallon bucket full of scrimps in the 12-16 range.

So I am thinking it'll be pompano stuffed with fresh Gulf Whites and a dab of truffle butter for breakfast Sunday morning. Maybe one of my crab pots will come up full of blues. Tragically, lobster season isn't for another 6 weeks, more's the pity.

[ruthcooks]

I come from a family of gilders. the first strawberries of spring were served in our version of Strawberry Shortcake.

Make shortcake dough (biscuit dough enriched with sugar and cream and a maximum of butter)

Sugar home grown room-temperature sweet strawberries with at least one cup of sugar, an hour ahead so lots of juices will be released)

Make two large shortcake biscuits per person. Split and butter while hot and place biscuit bottoms in SOUP PLATES.

Pour strawberries and juices and thick heavy cream over biscuit bottoms

Add biscuit tops and pile the strawberries high. Pour heavy cream over all.

Oh yes, this was dessert at "dinner", served at high noon.

Also: I made those Buttered Eggs for a Brunch Class once. The ratio is 6 eggs to a stick (1/2 cup) of butter, about as much as they can absorb. Not happy with this gilded lily, I served them in a big cream puff shell, with Orange Slices in Strawberry Sauce, Ham-Stuffed Ham Rolls, and Pannetone.

There are many more, but it's time for dinner now.

[Meez]

Ahhh.

My people.

What about Buffalo wings? Basically a piece of skin and bone, deep fried, sauced with butter and hot sauce, and dipped in bleu cheese? One of my favorite things, ever.

I've been deep-frying braised pork belly lately with good results.

Each bite of steak dipped in melted butter, sprinkled with salt and washed down with a shot of scotch. Meat, butter, salt, booze, again. Meat, butter... 

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Beautiful.

Just....

Aw, shit! (I break down crying here)

And I have to say, Rachel, your words are messing with my head as usual.

[nessa]

I used to be one of those that almost always gilded the lily. My waistline paid for it, now I rarely gild the lily. And that rather depresses me so lets move on to fond memories.

Bacon fat. In whatever. On whatever. Whipping cream, heavy and no carageenan, thanks. Straight from the carton, furtively when no one was looking. Same, in coffee. <swoon>. Did I mention bacon fat? Well, there's also pork fat, and then there's Smoked Brisket Fat. It deserves capital letters, trust me. That went in joong, beans, burritos, potatoes, whatever.

Those were the days.

Camembert, really ripe, stinking ripe, on buttered toast.

Ok, must stop. Nowadays gilding the lily means splocking more Laogonma sauce on my lotus root. One day, I too shall gild the lily again. But I've learned my lesson, I'll gild a little less often.

Edited June 22, 2006 by nessa (log)

[Ling]

Heavy cream poured directly onto the icecream, so it hardens and forms a pure-fat shell of goodness. Gently scrape off the cream, eat it, and repeat.

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You fiend!

(I love it.)

[miladyinsanity]

...I need dinner, now!

LOL.

And I definitely to pick up cream cheese and cream from the supermarket--no worries about butter, since unless I've just baked, I've at least 2 sticks in the fridge at all times.

The waistline, it's expanding!

[patti]

Boudin is a tasty, portable little snack all on its own. What's not to love about pork and spices and rice all mixed up in a handy casing? A link of boudin is a thing of beauty. To gild it, I take a generous portion of crusty french bread, split it open, and slather both sides with butter. Next, split the boudin casing open and spread the boudin on both sides of the buttered bread. Cover one side with the other, et voila! Boudin poboy.

Hmm, now I wonder why I've never considered a fried boudin ball sandwich.

[racheld]

And I have to say, Rachel, your words are messing with my head as usual.

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Whad I say? I ain't even BEEN here since 'fore Christmas!!

But I DO have some of that creamcheese stuff and two cold grilled sirloins in my fridge right now. Good toast and omelets for breakfast!!

[Reefpimp]

So I am thinking it'll be pompano stuffed with fresh Gulf Whites and a dab of truffle butter  for breakfast Sunday morning.  Maybe one of my crab pots will come up full of blues. 

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We went out shrimping Saturday night. It was a lovely evening and as we cleared Sebastian Inlet, the setting sun paved the Atlantic with gold for us to ride out to the ten-fathom line. By the time we got there, it was fully dark; we rigged the lights over the side and got our cast nets ready. I had the starboard side, Big Ernie had the port. By and bye, the water started popping with shrimp. I had had visions of the ocean turning pink with their arrival; in the event, we ended up with about fifteen pounds, all in the 12-25 count range. A couple of monsters the size of a boxing glove showed up too.

On the way back in, just before sunrise, we stopped to pull one of my crab post in the Indian river. GO ME!!! Six legal blue crabs. I kept two and gave the others to Big E.

Back home, I showered the worst of the salt and goo off of me and cleaned and froze my half of the scrimps, reserving a few fine fat creatures for my immediate gustatory throwdown. Pulled yesterday's two-pound pompano out of the refrigerator. Boiled the crabs in a little court-bullion, pulled them out and cleaned them (ow ow owwie HOT).

Made a stuffing with the crab and the shrimps and a little of this and a dash of that. Filled the pompano and then sealed the parchment heart. Popped it into the oven and had another cup of coffee.

But what sauce? I don't know if Mr Escoffier would have approved, but I took three cubes of frozen shrimp stock and flung them into my little sauteuse. Added a hearty splash of cream and a sprig of rosemary. Mild mild heat for a bit thickened it up nicely while I diced up a stone crab claw. This went in right on top of the sauce, and I pulled the pompano out. Lovely. En papillote is maybe the easiest and best way to cook a smallish white-fleshed fish. What we lose in crispy skin, we more than gain in aroma. OOH, the sauce! I pulled it off the heat and swirled in about a teaspoon and a half of truffle butter. Tiny pinch of salt and a quick grind or two of tellicheery pepper, out with the rosemary, and we were ready to go.

I took the whole grotty lot out to my porch and watched the sun hoist itself well clear of the horizon and had a glass of quite cold and very nice Chablis while I forked it in. What sucks about bein' me? Nothin'.

[racheld]

I took the whole grotty lot out to my porch and watched the sun hoist itself well clear of the horizon and had a glass of quite cold and very nice Chablis while I forked it in.  What sucks about bein' me?  Nothin'.

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I don't even LIKE seafood, and I've never found a bottle of wine that could beat the taste of good old iced tea, but this could convert an unbeliever in a heartbeat. What a glorious description---no only did you gild the lily, but the sunset, the sea breeze, the scent of forever faraway. What a lovely way to spend the night, and then that fabulous breakfast!!

What do you do in your grownup life? Is there one? Never mind---this is quite enough.

[divalasvegas]

Amazing post Reefpimp! Freshly caught fish, shrimp and crabs....... shrimp stock, cream.... truffle butter, MORE crab...... wine--sigh.

I second racheld's praises. A multi-dimensional lily gilding experience. Congrats on taking gilding to the next level. You are what all of us wannabe gilders hope to be when we grow up.

One complaint, however. No pics of that delicious dinner or those "scrimp" the size of boxing gloves?

[Reefpimp]

Thanks, Y'all. I work construction during the week, so I play pretty hard on the weekends.

What really sells the whole scenario is that I live in a single-wide trailer. Really.

No pics b/c I didn't think to. My bad, there's always a next time.

[dividend]

My absolute favorite thing to make to go with grilled steaks is twice baked potatoes. But not just any twice baked potatoes. Six whole potatoes, rolled in olive oil and kosher salt, baked for an hour until the skin is crispy. Cut in half, scoop the flesh into a bowl, and add 1 stick of butter, 1 cup of full fat sour cream, 1 cup sharp cheddar, 1 cup white jack cheese. Mix. Sautee a pound of shelled shrimp in butter, in which you've already sauteed tons of chopped garlic. When the shrimp turn bright orange, add the entire contents of the skillet to the potato mixture. (At this point it is not optional to sop up the excess goodness in the skillet with chunks of bread.) Spoon the mixture back into the potato shells, top with more shredded cheddar. Bake at 350 degrees until hot and melty. No matter how many people you are serving, expect no leftovers. That's the most over-the top, lily-gilding recipe in my arsenal.

[racheld]

Arsenal? That's nuclear!!

[Jeebus]

We had a group into the hotel I work in who wanted an extravagant breakfast dish. So we took a 6 oz tenderloin, topped it with a hollandaise sauce in which we have removed half of the clarified butter and replaced it with foie gras renderings and topped it with a poached egg, then we took our homefries and sauteed them in duck fat. One of the best things I have even eaten but I swear I could actually feel my heart slow down.

[Toliver]

"Nigella Lawson butters her toast twice, and Britain is really angry about it"

Quote

The perfect method, Lawson suggests, is not as obvious as you might think: Lawson taught viewers to spread butter on hot toast as soon as it comes out of the toaster, before letting it settle, applying a second layer of butter, and then finishing with a sprinkling of salt.
The first helping gives the toast a "fabulous crumpety bite," Lawson explained. "Stage two now -- ready for it?" she asked, bracing viewers for what came next. "I need a little more butter, and it will stay in some golden patches on the surface."

The Brits are in an uproar, supposedly, over this gilding of the toasted lily.

As if the excess of butter is abhorrent all of a sudden.