I'm in the process of making puffs which I will then fill with a mint-chocolate concoction I just whipped up.
What are you planning?
Hobbes Posted by rivka (Member # 4859) on :
To visit you!
Posted by Elizabeth (Member # 5218) on :
Well, I have decided to try making bread again. I have never been very successful. I love sourdough bread, and it is so hard to find around here. I have the time now, so I am going to try it.
(Whole wheat bread)
Posted by maui babe (Member # 1894) on :
I used to make bread nearly every day. I never bought any baked goods. I made bread for sandwiches and toast, banana bread for breakfast, rolls to eat with soup or stew, buns for hamburgers and hot dogs. Of course, I ground my own wheat for all of the above. I also made cookies, brownies, cakes and sweet rolls regularly as well.
Now, my girls are lucky if I make rolls every other month or so. Partly because I don't have the time, and partly because we can't eat a whole batch of anything any more (there's only 3 of us now).
At one point, my children were so spoiled, they wouldn't eat room temperature rolls, and they still won't eat rolls that were baked the day before. I always try to send any leftovers home with guests.
I'd really like to make either cream cheese and crab enchiladas, or black bean and tofu enchiladas, but my girls won't eat those. So I'll either make a vegetable quiche or some spaghetti for dinner (which won't be for another 5-6 hours, but it's not a bad idea to be thinking about it now I suppose).
Posted by mackillian (Member # 586) on :
Right now, I'd like to be able to eat. *drool*
Posted by Hobbes (Member # 433) on :
quote:To visit you!
You're always welcome in my home Rivka. This is especially true when it's my home and Annie's home (our home ).
Liz and Maui Babe, I love fresh bread! That sounds really great, it's a shame you don't get to do it much any more though MB. Ohh, and my recent discovery on quiches is that adding in lots of freshly grated parmesean is a huge bonus for taste and texture (as opposed to most other cheeses). Just my two cents on quiche.
Hobbes
[ March 10, 2005, 06:02 PM: Message edited by: Hobbes ]
Posted by Hobbes (Member # 433) on :
By the way, my puffs turned out beautifully. I had a couple and that constituted my dinner, the rest were thrown on the mercy of my roommates and they ate most of them.
Hobbes Posted by JonnyNotSoBravo (Member # 5715) on :
Today, I did something daring and incredible!
Instead of just heating up the leftovers in the fridge, I...*gasp*...added cheese first!
*bursting with pride*
Posted by Annie (Member # 295) on :
I'm very impressed, Hobbes darling, but.... dessert for dinner?!
I hope you don't mind if I hang a giant painting of the food pyramid in our kitchen.
Posted by T_Smith (Member # 3734) on :
I made Pad Thai last night. It was sooooo freakin easy. It made me feel all proud and stuff.
Posted by rivka (Member # 4859) on :
. . . and had the added benefit of making your puking wife even more sick. Posted by Elizabeth (Member # 5218) on :
Nathan, you are close enough to deliver the leftovers here, sirrah.
Posted by Book (Member # 5500) on :
A visit from the fire department, most likely.
Posted by Desdemona (Member # 7100) on :
I made myself a burrito for dinner tonight. And ate it all.
But I didn't eat lunch today. Or breakfast. And my parents noticed. So I am on Strict Food Surveillence.
Posted by Jaiden (Member # 2099) on :
I finished the flowers for the wedding cake I've been working on (for this Saturday). 300 bloody daisies, 600 forget-me-nots and 100 roses. Now I have to bake the cake and put on the fondant and place all those flowers on with royal icing Posted by rivka (Member # 4859) on :
That's ONE THOUSAND flowers!
WOW!
Posted by Jaiden (Member # 2099) on :
It's going to be a 5 tiered wedding cake Posted by rivka (Member # 4859) on :
And utterly COVERED in flowers!
Can we see a picture when you're done?
Posted by Jaiden (Member # 2099) on :
Of course I will Posted by Dagonee (Member # 5818) on :
Nothing terribly new here, but I made homemade tomato sauce again, and I have to reiterate how really, really good it is with beef stock in it.
Posted by sarcasticmuppet (Member # 5035) on :
Last thing I baked was a pizza, but I was out of All-purpose flour so I ended up using bread flour. It made the crust super-duper soft even with the whole wheat flour and cornmeal I usually add to it. I made it exactly how I like it, with very little tomato sauce, lots of mozza, as many pepperoni as I can arrange on it, and parmesean on top after it had finished baking. MMmmmm...tasty. Posted by maui babe (Member # 1894) on :
We had spaghetti with mushrooms with a caesar salad and garlic bread. It was tasty, but not cream cheese and crab enchiladas.
Posted by Hobbes (Member # 433) on :
Last Wednesday I made dinner for my 7 member family. We had a couple of very nice Indian curries, Naan, rice, vegetables. And then for desert I made a non-Indian dish, marble cake (from scratch) topped with a creamy, fudge frosting.
Hobbes Posted by Lady Jane (Member # 7249) on :
I made mixed a Carnation instant breakfast packet with milk. And then had a Lean Budget Gourmet for breakfast.
Posted by ketchupqueen (Member # 6877) on :
Last night we had the missionaries over. I made rice, masoor dal, Imogen's Jeera Chicken from the Jatraquero recipe site, Hobbes' naan (the same-- except I topped with garlic before frying), and Navratan Korma. (We just had Girl Scout cookies and milk for dessert, though.)
For Easter dinner next week, I will be baking an Easter bunny cake. You know, a cake that looks like a bunny. I'll post pics if it turns out adorable. Posted by Dagonee (Member # 5818) on :
And when these culinary achievments are confirmed, and the belly well-satisfied, will these be making their way into the recipe site?
Pretty please?
Posted by Lady Jane (Member # 7249) on :
My latest culinary achievement was paying four dollars and forty-four cents for a salad with grilled chicken and mango. And then I had a piece of a grilled breakstick.
Posted by Annie (Member # 295) on :
I made Turkish Delight on Saturday. It's just good enough to be good, and just weird enough that the kids don't eat it all in one sitting.
I put it on the Jatraquero Recipe site, but I think I may adjust the quantity of rosewater. They turned out very strongly rosy.
Posted by Dagonee (Member # 5818) on :
I saw that Annie, and I intend to try it at some point. It looks very good.
Like you, my only exposure to it was in The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. Posted by ketchupqueen (Member # 6877) on :
Dag: haven't made up any new dishes in a while, excepting the famous omlette I made Olivetta eat before she went nuts. (That seems to be my role fairly often in stressful situations; I made everyone eat Snickers on my sister's wedding day because no one had eaten anything and they were all grumpy.) Anyway, if I come up with something good, or find a new favorite recipe, you can be sure I'll post it. I use that site so much, I can barely remember life without it. It's great. Posted by ketchupqueen (Member # 6877) on :
Turkish Delight also figured in Eight Cousins by Louisa May Alcott. I used to get it at the local middle eastern grocery store as a child.
Posted by Elizabeth (Member # 5218) on :
I remember finding Turkish Delight as a kid, after reading The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. EW!!!(sorry, Annie)
Posted by Traveler (Member # 3615) on :
last night I made a spinach - mushroom risotto and grilled lamb chops with a home-made mint sauce.
Two nights ago...I made beef stew with homemade bread (anadama bread - wheat/white bread mix with polenta and molasses in it)
Tonight - asparagus and shrimp chowder.
Posted by Kamui (Member # 7619) on :
Today I baked the Banquet T.V. Dinner instead of microwaving it. I'm not inpressed with the difference in quality/time spent cooking ratio...
Posted by Annie (Member # 295) on :
S'OK, Liz. It all depends which flavor you make it.
Posted by Brinestone (Member # 5755) on :
Hobbes, Annie is really becoming a good influence on you! You guys should become our next-door neighbors when you get married and invite us over for dinner a lot. Posted by Elizabeth (Member # 5218) on :
I made and ate quinoa for the first time tonight, and loved it!
Posted by Eruve Nandiriel (Member # 5677) on :
I made chocolate chip pancakes for breakfast. Posted by Annie (Member # 295) on :
Mmm... quinoa is great!
And I'm all for living next door to Jon Boy and Ruth Posted by Hobbes (Member # 433) on :
Yah, fine, but we're not moving to Utah.
I made my puffs again for my brunch. Mmm, mmm!
Hobbes Posted by ketchupqueen (Member # 6877) on :
quote: Yah, fine, but we're not moving to Utah.
That shows good judgement. Posted by Hobbes (Member # 433) on :
So today I have to skip lunch do to the nature of my schedual. I'll get back home at about 5 but have to leave again at 6. This will be cutting it close for having a dinner of almost any kind, so I'm thinking, I'll start chicken marinating then in an Indian curry dish, and see if I can make it to 10:00 with no food (which would be about when I could eat it). I'm a little nervous since I have about 10 miles or so of biking in between meals, and about 12 hours. Hmmmm, but food is so good when prepared properly!
Hobbes Posted by Noemon (Member # 1115) on :
Ever thought about packing a snack? Maybe a handfull of nuts, or some raisins or something?
Posted by ketchupqueen (Member # 6877) on :
Hobbes, are you telling me you don't have a Crockpot or other slow cooker? Posted by Hobbes (Member # 433) on :
No KQ, I don't, I don't have room or money for that.
Noemon, yah I've thought about it, I always seem to not though ... I like raisins.
Hobbes Posted by ketchupqueen (Member # 6877) on :
How often does this kind of thing happen? 'Cause we have 2, we usually don't use the small one, and I'll send it to you as a loan until you go on your mission if you want. It's small enough to fit under a bed or something when not in use. Posted by Hobbes (Member # 433) on :
My bed is on the floor. Seriously though, I really appreciate the offer but I only have a month and a half, I don't think it would really be worth it. But I do really appreciate it!
Hobbes Posted by ketchupqueen (Member # 6877) on :
Wow, you only have a month and a half? *looks at calendar* Time flies! And I know what to get you two for a wedding present! Posted by Hobbes (Member # 433) on :
Ha ha! Yah well if Annie and I do write down a list of possible wedding presents (or register or whatever) we'll probably ask for predominatly cooking equipment, though Annie has a lot and I have a decent amount (I tried to get pretty good quality supplies of all the essentials).
Hobbes Posted by ketchupqueen (Member # 6877) on :
We registered at Target. It's great, you can find almost everything you need or want, you can register either online or by going around with a cool scanner they give you, people who live far can ship things directly to you through the website, and you don't feel guilty about asking people to spend a lot of money, because you can register for things in a good mix of price ranges and let people go in together on the expensive things you need, if they want to, or buy you several little things, or whatever. Posted by Annie (Member # 295) on :
Even without a crock pot, you can slow-cook meat in the oven in a casserole dish or even a saucepan as long as it doesn't have any plastic on it. This is far better than starving all day! *cranky glare*
I like to take a ziploc bag full of popcorn on days when I don't have much time to eat. It's not the healthiest thing you could have, but it is high in fiber and fills you up. Posted by twinky (Member # 693) on :
The other night I added diced apple to my spinach salad. I don't use dressing, I mix balsamic vinegar, olive oil, and sea salt instead. I wasn't sure how the apple would go with the vinegar but it turned out to be most agreeable Posted by Annie (Member # 295) on :
Oh, that sounds lovely.
Posted by ketchupqueen (Member # 6877) on :
Annie's right. And Indian curries take very well to slow cooking over low heat. Just add the yogurt at the end, about 1/2 an hour to an hour before you want to eat, and make sure it's covered so the juices don't all evaporate.
Posted by Noemon (Member # 1115) on :
My salad dressing of choice is olive oil and ume plum vinegar. It's incredible on spinach, especially when paired with a little crumbled feta, unsalted sunflower seeds, and maybe a drop or two of sesame seed oil.
Posted by Elizabeth (Member # 5218) on :
"I don't use dressing, I mix balsamic vinegar, olive oil, and sea salt instead."
Um, Twinkster, that is dressing.
Posted by ketchupqueen (Member # 6877) on :
I prefer Ceasar salad to all others. Brianna's Asiago Ceasar is without peer.
Posted by imogen (Member # 5485) on :
My gorgeous, gorgeous husband picked me up from work yesterday and brought me home to a clean house (which it was not when I left it!), fresh oysters with a lime, sesame, ginger, chilli and soy dressing, champagne, char sui pork chops with hoisin noodles and pak choy.
It was delicous and he is so in my good books.
(It was coincidentally our 2 month anniversary - neither of us remembered until about halfway through the evening. A happy coincidence.)
Posted by ketchupqueen (Member # 6877) on :
How sweet! My husband cleaned while I was in Atlanta, and had dinner in the crockpot when we got home.
I made a very interesting egg-drop chili tonight. Am considering posting the recipe so as not to lose it, but I used canned chili beans, so I feel like it's cheating...
Posted by Eaquae Legit (Member # 3063) on :
Please post it, KQ. Pleeeease?
Posted by Hobbes (Member # 433) on :
My latest achievement isn't what I made, it's how efficient I made it. I made my Puffs, and during the waiting periods not only did I clean all of the dishes associated with it, I cleaned all of the dishes associated with preparing an Indian curry, which I made entirely during puff preparation, without any time penalties when it came to finishing the puffs.
Hobbes Posted by quidscribis (Member # 5124) on :
In other words, you're learning how to use time wisely and efficiently when in the kitchen. Good skill to have. Posted by Elizabeth (Member # 5218) on :
Sorry to use this thread in such a way, but I have to discuss a culinary anti-acheivement.
Because I am on Weight Watcher's Core plan, and can eat pretty much anything as long as it is fat free milk product, and whole grain, I decided to make one of my most beloved of meals: baked ziti. I made it wiht whole wheat ziti, fat free ricotta, and fat free mozzarella. It was the nastiest thing I have ever made since vegetarian mushroom barley soup.
Please take note: Some things are not meant to be fat free. Cheese is one of those things.
Posted by ketchupqueen (Member # 6877) on :
quote: vegetarian mushroom barley soup.
My father makes a wonderful vegetarian mushroom barley soup. It's not vegan, as he uses a bit of butter to flavor his oil, but it's heavenly, and I'll tell you the secret: home-made veggie stock. Posted by ketchupqueen (Member # 6877) on :
Oh, and okay, I'll post the recipe, I suppose. It's a bit of a cheat, but whatever.
Posted by ketchupqueen (Member # 6877) on :
Dagonee
Posted by quidscribis (Member # 5124) on :
Yup, I'd call that a security flaw, all right. Posted by Dagonee (Member # 5818) on :
It's right there on my to-do list.
I just didn't do it.
Posted by Dagonee (Member # 5818) on :
Fixed. I've got to get to that security audit at somepoint.
Posted by twinky (Member # 693) on :
Elizabeth, I meant I don't use pre-made dressings. (But when you have the kind of olive oil I have, I don't think anyone can blame me. Just opening the bottle and smelling it literally gives me shivers.)
The other night I used my oven for the first time: I cooked pork chops. Grilled them with some basil, and served them on a bed of spinach (I like spinach). Worked out fairly well, I was pleased. Posted by Elizabeth (Member # 5218) on :
Twinky, I really wish you hadn't given me such a public dressing-down!
Posted by twinky (Member # 693) on :
Posted by TMedina (Member # 6649) on :
Hmmm.
Not terribly original, but I've been doing an elbow noodle, spaghetti sauce and ground beef with spices.
Cooked, mixed together and then dropped in a pie pan with a cheese topping, then baked in the oven until the cheese is melted.
Cheap, fast and pretty tasty.
-Trevor
Posted by Elizabeth (Member # 5218) on :
Trevor, my grandmother's secret ingredient for that basic dish is v-8 juice. try a little with the tomato sauce.
Posted by TMedina (Member # 6649) on :
Hmm...I use Kroger spaghetti sauce as a means of cheap, pre-mixed flavors and whatnot.
I'll have to try tomato sauce and V-8.
Of course, I use cayenne powder and crushed chili peppers, so taste is usually irrelevant at this point.
-Trevor
Posted by Elizabeth (Member # 5218) on :
Well, if you look at my grandma's recipe on Dag's site, you can use stewed tomatoes, too. Just try different stuff. heaven knows she does. it turns out a little different every time.
Posted by twinky (Member # 693) on :
I am fast becoming a V8 addict.
Posted by Elizabeth (Member # 5218) on :
It has tons of sodium. I know this because I have tried th sodium free version. Ew!
Posted by Dagonee (Member # 5818) on :
quote:Hey Dag: If you want help in taking care of the site, I'll volunteer. If theres something you want done and don't have time, I'd be more than happy to help.
I may take you up on that, but unless there's another security issue, it will have to wait for the summer. At this point I'm not sure what to do next.
Unless you want to run a security audit - that could be useful now. If you want to, register and let me know the username. I'll give you add/edit rights. Then you can try to enter comments or recipes while your not logged in.
Maybe I need to start asking people what features would be useful. I've been thinking of a "meal" feature, which would basically tag multiple recipes as part of a meal and allow viewing/downloading them all at once.
Another feature I've thought of is a tagging feature, kind of like a shopping cart. People can click to add recipes then get a single printable version at the end.
Anything else people think would be useful?
Posted by ketchupqueen (Member # 6877) on :
That would be neat. You could, for instance, print out enough for a whole Indian meal!
I'm still trying to make myself post my secret hot chocolate recipe. I make incredible hot chocolate. Really. At my dad's Christmas party, I made one batch and people who had declined heard the others raving about it, and we had to send Jeff out for more milk so I could make more. But I don't share my recipe and technique. The only person I've given it to is my step-sister, so far. I keep telling myself I should record it for posterity and share it with fellow Jatraqueros, but I can't seem to bring myself to...
Posted by Elizabeth (Member # 5218) on :
I have never understood the idea that recipes should be kept secret. It baffles me. What are people afraid of, exactly?
Posted by ketchupqueen (Member # 6877) on :
Most recipes I love to share. But this one, it's like my baby. I worked on it from the time I was 13 until I was 19 before I finally perfected the proportions and technique. It's something special, that I do intend to pass along to my kids, but everyone who tastes my chocolate says it's the best they've ever had, perfect. Not too sweet, not too bitter, with a special richness and wonderful depth. (Yes, those are quotes.) I guess I want to stay the special maker of the hot cocoa that my friends (and the family friends, and everyone in the family) says is the best in the world. Posted by TMedina (Member # 6649) on :
Unlike your children, you don't have to share your recipe with the world.
So share it in your own good time if you feel comfortable doing it - you can't make people feel good if you're not comfortable with the notion to begin with.
As I'm not a hot chocolate drinker, I can say this with complete seriousness.
-Trevor
Edit: For clarity
[ March 27, 2005, 08:23 AM: Message edited by: TMedina ]
Posted by Elizabeth (Member # 5218) on :
Well, Ketchupqueen, my feeling is that you can share the recipe all you want, but no one will ever make it the way you do. I guess I understand the baby analogy, but I just love to share things that work out.
Posted by Hobbes (Member # 433) on :
For a potluck tonight I made what I've decided to call a "Yellowmint" cake and then frosted it with Hobbes's Creamy, Fudge Frosting.
Hobbes
[ March 27, 2005, 03:57 PM: Message edited by: Hobbes ]
Posted by ketchupqueen (Member # 6877) on :
Trevor, why don't you drink hot chocolate? I've converted many who say they aren't fans of it. But if it's a diet thing or something, I guess I can respect that.
And Elizabeth, I know, I usually love to share recipes. It's just something about this one, I don't know why I can't share it.
[ March 27, 2005, 02:33 PM: Message edited by: ketchupqueen ]
Posted by Elizabeth (Member # 5218) on :
Well, KQ, there is ritual involved in cooking, and it is often so far deeper than just food. There are probably a lot of other things tht you do and think about when you are making that chocolate that are just too personal to share.
That is why some of my favorite novels ever are ones involving food. Not is a food-obsessed way, but in a ritualistic way. "Like Water for Chocolate," Chocolat," and "Dona Flor and Her Two Husbands." Those are the big three, but there are others as well.
I know that when I try to share my grandmother's recipes, the words on the page are so bland compared to the depth of memories that eating that food, and watching it prepared, I feel.
Posted by TMedina (Member # 6649) on :
It's not a diet thing, it's a "never developed a taste for it and certainly not enough to drink it more often" kinda thing.
I'm weird that way.
-Trevor
Posted by twinky (Member # 693) on :
quote:It has tons of sodium. I know this because I have tried th sodium free version. Ew!
That's fine, sodium ions play an essential role in the transmission of messages between neurons in the brain. I'm willing to file V8 under "brain lubricants." Posted by Elizabeth (Member # 5218) on :
It is also "free" on Weight Watchers.
Posted by ketchupqueen (Member # 6877) on :
So, Trevor, if I ever make hot cocoa while you're there, you'll try it? Posted by TMedina (Member # 6649) on :
*grins* I'm sure I could manage a cup or two.
-Trevor
Posted by Elizabeth (Member # 5218) on :
You know, I was thinking of how good a basic pot pie filling would be inside a popover.
Posted by ketchupqueen (Member # 6877) on :
You make homemade pot pie with canned soup? Blasphemy!
Here's the Easter bunny cake. (I was rather proud of myself.)
Posted by Hobbes (Member # 433) on :
So this isn't an achievement, but I'm going to be making hamburger tonight, and I'm curious, all I ever season mine with is oregano, salt and pepper. What do other people like to use?
Hobbes Posted by Dagonee (Member # 5818) on :
Garlic, worcestershire sauce, lipton onion soup mix seasoning salt, texas pete or tabasco.
(not all at once)
Posted by TMedina (Member # 6649) on :
Depends on my mood - I typically use a mix of garlic, black pepper, cayenne and a splash of seaseme or olive oil to simmer.
-Trevor
Posted by ketchupqueen (Member # 6877) on :
Seasoning salt, fresh garlic and onion, and sometimes other spices.
Posted by imogen (Member # 5485) on :
A pinch or so each of freshly ground cumin and coriander. Yum. It adds a bit more depth and interest to the beefy meaty flavour.
Fresh parsley and basil if you have any.
Plenty of freshly cracked black pepper.
Posted by Hobbes (Member # 433) on :
Hmm, I thought about coriander and then though better. I ended up putting on pepper, salt, garlic and oregano, and then putting some sesame seeds on the frying pan (I don't have a grill ). Pretty tasty. It's a great way to welcome in that spring weather.
Hobbes Posted by Dagonee (Member # 5818) on :
I second cumin and coriander. Mmmmm.
Posted by imogen (Member # 5485) on :
And my culinary achievment: last night I made use-up-what's-in-the-pantry-and-fridge lasagna.
We had no tomatoes of any kind - tinned, fresh, paste whatever.
So I gently cooked a finely diced onion and about 6 cloves of garlic until they were all soft and golden, then added beef mince and a diced red pepper. Turned up the heat, added crushed coriander seeds, ground fennel, ground cumin and firestorm*. Cooked until it was all sizzling and happy.
Then I made a standard bechemal, but added some grated pecorino cheese at the end. It turned out as one of my best bechemals - not to thick, not too liquidy,
Then I layered the bechemal, pasta sheets, mince mixture, diced basil and grated mozarella until we had a lasagna.
It turned out really well - more subtly flavoured than a tomato-based lasgna, and quite enjoyable for the subtlety. The spice flavours came through nicely, and the basil just freshened everything up.
And there's leftovers for lunch.
* A spice mixture in a grinder made from black peppercorns, white peppercorns, citrus zest, mace, cloves, poppy seeds and nigella seeds.
Posted by Elizabeth (Member # 5218) on :
Funny, hamburgers, if the meat is excellent, I just want to be hamburger, salt, and pepper. I like cheeseburgers plain. I like to taste the meat.
On steak these days, I like butter. (I have not put it on due to the watching of weight) This is actually quite a culinary trend at the moment, with all kinds of flavored butters. Being raised on country cooking, just plain old butter, with half a shaker-full of salt, is heaven to me.
Posted by Jaiden (Member # 2099) on :
I still haven't gotten a chance to scan the pictures of the cake I made... however, this is the website of the company I do work for (however, the cake I was talking about was not through them)
If you go to "wedding cakes" I did the one labled The Dr. Seuss and The Simply Romance (you have to click on more to get to simply romance)
*tries to directly link the cakes*
[ March 30, 2005, 09:59 PM: Message edited by: Jaiden ]
Posted by Elizabeth (Member # 5218) on :
That is awesome! I used to make creative birthday cakes for the kids. Then I realized that they really preferred the supermarket ones. I am not a lover of baking.
Posted by Jaiden (Member # 2099) on :
I've actually never made a "professional" cake for family
Closest would be "practice" cakes. My little brother and sister make all the birthday cakes for the parents and my stepmom loves making birthday cakes for everybody else. I would never dream on intruding in on them.
Posted by rivka (Member # 4859) on :
Those are awesome, Jaiden! Posted by Elizabeth (Member # 5218) on :
Family Fun has great, easy cakes to make for kids.
Posted by ketchupqueen (Member # 6877) on :
Jaiden, those are lovely! As you can see, I am nowhere near your level, but I sure do enjoy it. Posted by twinky (Member # 693) on :
Super-cool, Jaiden
I finally found a brand of yogurt that is just milk and culture, no additives, so it drains properly to make lebaneh, which means that yesterday and today I breakfasted in proper Arab style: lebaneh (the drained yogurt), zeit (olive oil, in this case the best olive oil I've ever tasted, which came all the way from the West Bank), and za'atar (thyme and some other things), all eaten off a plate with Arabic bread (flatbread).
And now all is right with the world. I am content.
Posted by Elizabeth (Member # 5218) on :
That soinds really good, Twinky! I have drained yogurt before and added herbs to make a fat free cream cheesy spread. We have Stonyfield Farms yogurt around here, do you?
Posted by twinky (Member # 693) on :
No, I don't think we do. The brand I bought, on my mother's advice, was Astro. It works pretty well.
Edit: Normal yogurt is "leban" is Arabic, while this drained yogurt is "lebaneh." Also, I bought lentils with an eye toward making mujaddarah (lentils, rice, and onions, served with leban), but turns out I bought the wrong kind of lentils, so now I guess I have to learn how to make lentil soup. I've never made soup before.
[ March 31, 2005, 08:26 AM: Message edited by: twinky ]
Posted by imogen (Member # 5485) on :
A friend once made me the most amazing lebaneh and black pepper icecream.
She served it as a palate cleanser during a dinner party (yeah, she liked doing things like that). But this icecream - *oh*. Creamy and peppery and tart and just so good.
I should really hunt down the recipe. Astro yoghurt, huh?
How did you strain it - muslin?
[ March 31, 2005, 09:43 PM: Message edited by: imogen ]
Posted by twinky (Member # 693) on :
A coffee filter.
And tonight at the grocery store I finally tracked down the tahini, so I can make hummus! Plus I nabbed a few more spices and a bottle of lemon juice (also needed for hummus).
Posted by rivka (Member # 4859) on :
Israelis call it leben. It gets imported here (actually, so do a lot of the brands from various Arab countries).
Yum! (especially chocolate leben, which I know is not exactly authentic, but very good)
I'm not a big fan of za'atar, though. Not sure why -- someone once told me all the spices in it, and I think I like them all. Just not the combination.
im, I don't know what twinky used, but I've used coffee filters to drain yogurt in the past. (I have a great cheesecake recipe that uses thoroughly-drained yogurt as a main ingredient.)
Posted by rivka (Member # 4859) on :
jinx! on the coffee filter.
And homemade hummus is goooood. I used to think I didn't like hummus much. Then I had homemade. *drools*
Posted by Elizabeth (Member # 5218) on :
I love baba ganoush, too, but I love it warm.
Posted by twinky (Member # 693) on :
Who buys hummus from stores? Posted by Hobbes (Member # 433) on :
I just made a delicious quiche with hot peppers in it.
Hobbes Posted by ketchupqueen (Member # 6877) on :
Twinky, when Trader Joe's is available, I will buy their roasted garlic hummus because I'm lazy and it comes in an easily-transportable pre-sealed package.
I grew up in an area with a huge Armenian-American population, and so store-bought, authentic lebaneh was readily available; not that I like it. *hates yogurt*
*ducks to avoid flying cooking utensils*
Posted by ClaudiaTherese (Member # 923) on :
*just made some delicious roasted-garlic hummus
twinky, you've sparked a craving in me for plain yogurt. I love the thick, sour creaminess. We'll be making our own again soon, I can tell -- and when I make my own, I always strain it.
Posted by twinky (Member # 693) on :
I'm pretty proud of myself. I never had the inclination, or time, really, to cook through my university career, so I just ate as efficiently as possible. Now I have a proper kitchen and kitchen supplies, so I can learn to make all of the things I miss from home. Posted by Hobbes (Member # 433) on :
That sounds great twinky!
I just made a very tasty beef vindaloo. One of the toughest parts was the shopping for it! I ended up hanging eggs, milk, a bag of potatoes and various other ingredients all on the front of my bike!
Hobbes Posted by twinky (Member # 693) on :
Part of the reason I don't have a car is that not having one makes me feel more like a student.
Of course, I don't have a bike either...
I need to go grocery shopping pretty badly, though, I've run out of spinach and greens for salads, among other things. But I also need to do laundry (though not desperately, I have a few days of unmentionables left). Decisions, decisions...
One of these days I need to get on that lentil soup thing, too. That other bag of lentils I bought isn't going anywhere.
Hobbes, you're a mighty adventurous cook for someone still in university. What the heck kind of engineering are you studying where you have that kind of time, anyway? Posted by Elizabeth (Member # 5218) on :
I am going to try a green chili tonight or tomorrow. A friend sent me some when I was sick, and it was the best thing ever. it has also inspired me to get back into the gardening world, because good chile peppers are so hard to find, and so very fun to grow.
I will also attempt beer cheese soup tonight.
Posted by ketchupqueen (Member # 6877) on :
It's really not hard to arrange your schedule so you have time to cook, if you make it a priority.
And I walk to the store quite often, but I usually end up with all the groceries either in the bottom of the stroller, or hanging on my arm as I push the stroller. Posted by twinky (Member # 693) on :
Chili! I need to learn to make (very, VERY mild) chili. *appends it to list*
quote:It's really not hard to arrange your schedule so you have time to cook, if you make it a priority.
There's the rub. It went something like this:
friends > school > sleep > food
Posted by Elizabeth (Member # 5218) on :
OK, ingredients for green chili and beer-cheese soup have been purchased. I went to Whole Foods Market for the first time since it was Bread and Circus, and felt like a kid in a candy shop. Holy Whole Foods, Batman!
Posted by Elizabeth (Member # 5218) on :
I did it! I made the berr cheese soup. i have to modify a bunch of things for next time, but I have a good base recipe for trying to make it like Mister Ups'
Problem is, I decided to use Arrogant Bastard Ale, which is very strong. The recipe calls for only 6 oz, but it happens to be one of those really big, like liter, bottles. Which, of course, i had to polish off. So, no more posting for me! I would be PUI. Well, i am PUI. OK, off to eat more.
And there is another bottle...
No!!!!!!!!
Posted by Elizabeth (Member # 5218) on :
Chili Verde was successful. I am exhausted.
Posted by Susie Derkins (Member # 7718) on :
Wow. Way to be productive.
Want to hear how much I've atrophied? While Imogen was improvising tomatoless lasagna, I was dipping Peeps in chocolate.
Posted by Boon (Member # 4646) on :
I made a simple broccoli-chicken stir-fry for dinner last night and got the ultimate rave-review.
My husband, who NEVER takes his lunch to work, stole my leftovers from the fridge this morning. I had to eat a turkey sammich for lunch!
Posted by Elizabeth (Member # 5218) on :
I must change the chili verde success to a failure. Ahem. I left it on the stove to simmer and burned the tar out of it. I managed to salvage a cup. One cup for hours of labor. Rats.
Posted by TMedina (Member # 6649) on :
Wanna share that recipe Boon?
-Trevor
Posted by Boon (Member # 4646) on :
Just for you. Posted by jeniwren (Member # 2002) on :
quote:It's really not hard to arrange your schedule so you have time to cook, if you make it a priority.
I agree with that, though I have more free time than a lot of people so maybe I should shut up. Rather, I have more flexible time than most.
Anyway. My culinary acheivement was messing with yet another potroast recipe that came out absolutely delicious last night. I love my crock pot because it allows me to cook very tasty food with very little actual effort. I put the cream of mushroom soup at the bottom, put a bed of cut up potatoes on top of that, seared the mostly frozen meat (sirloin tip roast) and laid it on top of the potatoes. Then sprinkled lipton dry onion soup over that. Cooked low for 10 hours.
Oh man...the meat was good, but the potatoes were incredible. Next time I'm going to put carrots in too.
Last week's acheivement was crock pot meatloaf that my family ate over half of in the first sitting. It was enormous, so I figured we were good for most of the week. It didn't last past Tuesday.
Posted by Hobbes (Member # 433) on :
I treated myself well today, probably because I had a lot of homework I wanted to put off. Fresh, homemade pasta with steamed, sliced peppers. Sitting in my fridge is a marbled, cheesecake supreme.
Hobbes Posted by ketchupqueen (Member # 6877) on :
Homemade pasta, Hobbes? I hope you have a pasta maker, or at the very least, a KitchenAid. I made home-made pasta by hand in foods class, and it's an experience I don't wish to repeat. It was delicious, but I was too exhausted to care.
Posted by ketchupqueen (Member # 6877) on :
Oh, and jeniwren, I love my Crockpots, too. Posted by Hobbes (Member # 433) on :
Yes KitchenAid, no pasta maker. I don't think it's that tough, even to do it by hand isn't that bad. I've got a great glass cutting board, just roll the dough out on it and cut it up with a chef's knife. I've recently gotten it down so that I can make homemade pasta faster than store bought (I make the dough in less time than it takes the water to boil, and homemade pasta doesn't have to cook as long).
Hobbes Posted by ketchupqueen (Member # 6877) on :
Hobbes, it's the hand-kneading and then running though a hand-roller ten gazillion times that kills you.
Posted by Hobbes (Member # 433) on :
Is not.
Seriously though, I like using the dough hook on my Kitchen Aid, but sometimes I even skip that and knead it myself, and I always roll it myself. When you're making enough for one or two it doesn't get that bad.
Hobbes Posted by Hobbes (Member # 433) on :
I made lava baby cakes, that's a dark chocolate, cake-like exterior with a creamy, darker chocolate filling. Came out beautifully.
Hobbes Posted by ketchupqueen (Member # 6877) on :
Do you have the pans for it, or what did you use?
Posted by Hobbes (Member # 433) on :
Custard Cups.
Hobbes Posted by ketchupqueen (Member # 6877) on :
I've thought of doing that, but never tried it! So, it worked, then? Cool! I'll do it for Jeff's next b-day. If I remember.
Or maybe Fathers' Day.
Posted by Annie (Member # 295) on :
That sounds fabulous.
I invented a new approach to birthday cakes. Who needs icing when you can use melted chocolate?
(actually, I melt the chocolate and then whisk in some boiling water - makes it easy to pour, and then hardens to a soft creamy texture. And tastes darker.)
Posted by ketchupqueen (Member # 6877) on :
Kind of like ganache?
Posted by rivka (Member # 4859) on :
I was about to say, "Sounds sort of like ganache." Great minds . . .
Posted by Hobbes (Member # 433) on :
I've also been making garden beef burgers, that's ground beef mixed with an egg and spices, then cooked like normal burgers. Of course then you need the full bun outfit, cheese, lettuce, the works (though I'm not a huge fan of the tomato, to each their own).
Spice include but are not limited to (for me): chili powder, onion powder, garlic powder, ground cumin, salt, pepper, ginger powder...
Hobbes Posted by Hobbes (Member # 433) on :
Ganache is supposed to have milk though...
Since I'm not a big fan of dark chocolate when I make those chocolate icings I basically make fudge and then poor it over the cake while it's still liquidy.
Hobbes Posted by Annie (Member # 295) on :
I don't know what ganache is. I'm a naive cookist.
Posted by Annie (Member # 295) on :
Mexico taught me not to pollute chocolate with dairy products
Posted by Hobbes (Member # 433) on :
Not to be contrary, but Mexico taught you wrong.
Hobbes Posted by rivka (Member # 4859) on :
He's right, you know.
Posted by Annie (Member # 295) on :
Mexico is never wrong.
Could the land of Benito Juarez and Telemundo be wrong?
Posted by Annie (Member # 295) on :
You go eat in Oaxaca for a couple weeks and then report back and we'll see who's wrong.
Posted by Hobbes (Member # 433) on :
Apparently. If it makes you feel better, it's the French who teach the melding of milk and chocolate to create a virtual... ummm, classy French word for orgy of tastes.
Hobbes Posted by Annie (Member # 295) on :
Sorry, but this is where food snob Annie puts her foot down.
Posted by Annie (Member # 295) on :
I didn't say the French were never wrong, I said the Mexicans were never wrong.
Posted by Hobbes (Member # 433) on :
I'll make you some lava baby cakes when you come visit and then you can tell me I shouldn't have added dairy to chocolate.
One of the two has to be wrong.
Hobbes Posted by Annie (Member # 295) on :
When one of the two of us has to be wrong, Hobbes darling, I'm afraid it's usually you.
Posted by Hobbes (Member # 433) on :
Well I didn't say us, I was reffering to France and Mexico.
Hobbes Posted by rivka (Member # 4859) on :
quote:Sorry, but this is where food snob Annie puts her foot down.
Just don't put it in the pailful of ganache.
Posted by Annie (Member # 295) on :
Oh! That does sound like my stuff!
Only I do'nt sell it in 5 gallon buckets
Posted by ketchupqueen (Member # 6877) on :
And why not? You could sell combos: a t-shirt, a print of one of your works, and a bucket of ganache, "for the complete Annie experience".
I bet Hobbes would buy it. Posted by Annie (Member # 295) on :
Hmmmm.... not a bad idea.
I could call it "Instant Annie."
Posted by sarcasticmuppet (Member # 5035) on :
ganache should have cream, not milk. sillies.
My mom made my sister's wedding cake with white chocolate ganache poured over the top. She tested it out several times in Arkansas to great succes, but when she did her final one in California (where the wedding was held) she forgot to take into account the difference in humidity. The Arkansas cake was silky smooth, but the California cake was rough and unpleasant looking. My mom, the intrepid woman she was, took a hairdryer and a butterknife and sculpted the cake until it had the look of stucco. It was brilliant.
Posted by johnsonweed (Member # 8114) on :
I just mixed up a new rub and prepped some ribs for tomorrow. I'll be making a new sauce and am anxious to try it out.
Posted by Hobbes (Member # 433) on :
Yum! Good luck with it, new rubs and sauces are always so much fun!
Speaking of which, my Mom and I went out to replace our old, 20 cent girl with a full blown apparatus! 600 square inches of grilling space and 42,000 BTUs. We had some people over and I made hamburgers, which was good (threw on spices, that's when you feel like a cook!) Then tonight, for a after dinner thing (desert really, only it was dinner food) I made a garden burger on the grill. Egg and beef plus an array of spices. I sealed in in foil and cooked it for a solid 12 minutes. The foil kept the juices in and I used the extra heat to toast the buns which I topped with some mayo and a touch of freshly ground, black pepper. That's good eats!
Hobbes Posted by imogen (Member # 5485) on :
I usually mix an egg with my mince to make burger patties...
Or do you mean an egg served separately on top?
Posted by Faire (Member # 8065) on :
For my school formal, I had some friends over before for dinner and I made them Goats Cheese and Walnut souffle, Bosc Pear and Pinot Grigio Granita, 5 Mushroom Canneloni with Gruyere and Fennel, and a Chocolate Marquee for desert.
It was delicious, if I do say so myself.
Posted by johnsonweed (Member # 8114) on :
The ribs and sauce turned out very well! I'm getting better!
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Ohh, and my recent discovery on quiches is that adding in lots of freshly grated parmesean is a huge bonus for taste and texture (as opposed to most other cheeses). Just my two cents on quiche. ![[Wink]](wink.gif)
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That's ONE THOUSAND flowers!![[Razz]](tongue.gif)
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Hmmmm, but food is so good when prepared properly!![[Cool]](cool.gif)
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