pixellle's Profile
Salted chocolate caramel tart -- serve cold or room temp?
OK, I served the tart at room temperature, and it was great. Well, maybe I used a little too much salt on top, but that's easy to pick off.
Now, here's my next question. I was so tired after coming home, I left the tart out overnight. Is it OK to be left out, do you think? It has a regular pastry crust with cocoa (should be fine), caramel (sugar, corn syrup, butter, cream and half-and-half), and chocolate ganache. I'm thinking it should be fine left out. Do you agree?
Thanks!
Uses for leftover caramel??
Oh, big mistake, pine time! I'm planning on not being anywhere near a scale until at least a week after New Year's. Maybe two....
Uses for leftover caramel??
I made a chocolate-caramel tart, and I had more of the caramel mixture than would fit, so now I have a nice little ramekin full of caramel. It's thicker than a syrup but softer than a caramel candy. Besides putting it in coffe or latte or hot milk, or over ice cream, anyone have any suggestions for using it? I don't want to find myself just eating it by the spoonful... I don't think...
Thanks!
Uses for some leftover homemade caramels
I just made a chocolate-caramel tart and I have some of the caramel left-over, too, so I'm looking for uses for it. I don't know if the caramel candies you made would work in a chocolate-caramel tart, but you could look up a recipe and see if your caramels were made in the same way. I'm guessing your caramel candies are a bit stiffer than the caramel mixture in the tart.
Anyway, I'm thinking of drizzling my caramel mixture -- it's thicker than a syrup but softer than a candy -- into coffee/lattes/hot milk or over vanilla ice cream. I'll bet you could make a dandy hot toddy-type alcohol drink with it, too. Again, I don't know if this use works for your candies.
I'm actually posting this question separately, so maybe there'll be some responses that work for both of us. Good luck!
Salted chocolate caramel tart -- serve cold or room temp?
My husband was watching something on TV where famous chefs talked about their favorite food treats, most of them mail-order stuff but a few local specialities. One was a salted chocolate caramel tart -- I don't remember where it was from. I couldn't find it to order online, but it looked so good, I figured I'd just make it.
I googled around, and found lots of recipes. I used one from Saveur, and it looks great so far. I've just done the ganache and it's setting in the fridge.
I've never done a caramel tart before, and my question is this: Do I need to keep it refrigerated until the very last minute, or can it be served at room temperature? I google photos of this dish, and they show the caramel oozing from the slices -- looks great! But will it ooze and "spill" too much if it's at room temp? Or will serving it cold dull the flavors?
Your thoughts are greatly appreciated! Merry Christmas and Happy Channukah!
"True" schmaltz vs. fat from chicken soup?
As I understand it, "true" schmaltz is made from saving all the little pieces of chicken fat and skin you can, then cooking them down to render the fat. The liquid fat, which will become solid when chilled, is the schmaltz, and the crispy bits that are left are the gribbens. Right?
Although I've never done that, I do make homemade chicken soup often, and I always refrigerate it then take off the solidified fat at the top and save it for my matzo balls, etc. Is this the same as schmaltz which has been rendered? Or does rendered fat have more flavor because of being essentially fried rather than boiled? I think that sometimes, when people render schmaltz, they put onions in for extra flavor, too. So, I've always wondered -- Is my chicken soup fat schmaltz? Or not really? Can I use it the same way as schmaltz?
"True" schmaltz vs chicken soup fat?
As I understand it, "true" schmaltz is made from saving all the little pieces of chicken fat and skin you can, then cooking them down to render the fat. The liquid fat, which will harden, is the schmaltz, and the crispy bits that are left are the gribbens. Right?
Although I've never done that, I do make homemade chicken soup often, and I always refrigerate it then take off the solidified fat at the top and save it for my matzo balls, etc. Is this the same as schmaltz which has been rendered? Or does rendered fat have more flavor because of being essentially fried rather than boiled? I think that sometimes, when people render schmaltz, they put onions in for extra flavor, too. So, I've always wondered -- Is my chicken soup fat schmaltz?
Favorite food for cold days - Curry soups
I crave the Japanese noodle soups and the Thai curry soups I used to have when I lived in New York. I always mean to make them at home with the umpteen specialty cookbooks I have, but I never take the time to do them right. But it's bitterly cold, so today I just decided to make up a quick and easy curry soup, borrowing from all my favorite sources. Usually, you're supposed to only paint from the same palate, so to speak, but I just decided to mix it all up. I thought it came out great! Here's my new recipe:
Mixed-up, Lazy Curry Soup for Cold, Cold Days
Scallion, leek or onion, sliced thin
Red bell pepper, juillienned
Indian curry powder of your choice, or garam masala
Red Thai curry paste
Shichimi Togarashi (Japanese red pepper mix for noodle soup), optional
Green beans/string beans [small dice on diagonal], snap peas or snow peas
Daishi stock or instant daishi and water if you want, but chicken, fish or vegetable broth is fine (I just used chicken broth)
Red miso paste
Sirimi or kani, or shrimp
tamago if you want, or raw egg (optional)
mushrooms would be great
udon or ramen noodles (but not instant ramen!), or any kind of noodles or pasta (I didn't use noodles this time)
anything else you can think of
In a large sauce pan or deep saute pan/skillet, saute sliced scallions/leeks/onions in oil. Add bell pepper. Add about 1 tsp of curry powder. Cook and allow the vegetables to soften slightly, then add about 1 tsp (or more) of Thai red curry paste. Stir in with aromatics and allow to cook a bit. Sprinkle a bit of the noodle soup pepper mix as you stir. Add green beans.
Add about 1-2 cups of broth. Bring to a simmer. Spoon off some broth and in a small bowl, mix in about 1 Tbsp of miso paste. Stir or whisk until dissolved, then mix into soup.
Add whatever else you want. Sirimi or shrimp is good. Kani is good, or you could stir a raw egg in like egg drop soup. Mushrooms would be ideal (I didn't have any today). Add noodles if you want to. Check your refrigerator for anything that needs to be used up.
Taste soup. Ramp up the heat with more Thai curry paste or Japanese pepper mix if needed. Dilute with more broth if it’s too spicy.
Enjoy, and try not to think about what a mish-mash this is. Just notice that it’s really, really good. Realize you didn’t even use ginger. Wonder if adding a bit of coconut milk and galangal would be too much. Plan your next batch.
"Chef Troy's Demi Glace Sauce" - anyone try this?
I came across Chef Troy's Demi Glace Sauce in my local Japanese market. Chef Troy is Chef Troy Thompson of The Kress and others in California. (I guess. I'd never heard of him, but then I don't follow celebrity chefs much, and I live on the East Coast.).
I guess he cooks a fusion/World cuisine style, which sounds right up my alley.
Anyway, this is a jar in the Japanese market, just called "Demi Glace." Looking at the ingredients, I guess it's a beef demi-glace.
Has anyone heard of it or tried it? It's always useful to have a demiglace on hand, but I'm wondering if I can use this like a "standard" french demiglace. Also, commercial demiglaces vary quite a bit in quality.
So, has anyone used this? Any good? How'd you use it?
Cream and yogurt mixture - how long unfrigerated??
I'm making a layered panna cotta. It consists of a layer of vanilla panna cotta, a layer of cranberry or grape gelatin, and another layer of the panna cotta. (Here's the recipe:
http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/vanilla-and-cranberry-panna-cotta-parfaits)
To make the layers, you first pour in a layer of the panna cotta and then refrigerate for 3 hours. The recipe doesn't say anything about what to do with the remaining panna cotta mixure while you're waiting for the first and second layers to set.
If you were to refrigerate the leftover panna cotta mixture, (which consists of heavy cream and yogurt), it would set. Is it OK to leave it out for almost four hours (it was left out 45 minutes to cool immediately after making it) at room temperature? Or should you refrigerate it and then gently heat it up to re-liquify it?
The recipe doesn't address this, much to my frustration, so I'm turning to you! What do you advise?
Thanks!
Apple Cake for Rosh Hashanah - How far ahead?
So, I'm sure this has been discussed before... in fact, I think I wonder about this every year... but here goes:
How far ahead of time can I make my apple cake for Rosh Hashanah? (If it matters, I'm making the Joan Nathan recipe that appears in both The Jewish Holiday Baker and The Jewish Holiday Kitchen.) I know it can sit for a day or two, but what if I want to make it three days ahead? What about four? Would I be better off making it and freezing it? Or will it be perfectly happy for four days? Do I wrap it in plastic and keep it in the fridge? I'm also going to make the chocolate-lovers cake -- yum!)
I'm assigned to host on Sunday evening, but I'll be tied up with, oh, that's right, the holiday, ahead of time, so I'd like to get as much done as early as possible.
Thanks!!
(By the way, here's my not-very-traditional menu:
apples and honey, of course
challah (the 1976 recipe)
chicken soup w/matzo balls
turkey
mashed potatoes
ratatouille
roasted butternut squash, cauliflower, brussels sprouts
beets with hazelnuts and goat cheese
leek and swiss chard tart (quiche-like)
wheatberry salad
and maybe, a half-and-half risotto made with with pureed butternut squash on one side, chunked beets on the other, to make an orange-and-red colorful thing... although I already have those ingredients elsewhere. But they're seasonal, and I think it would look cool...)
Anyway, thanks for your help, and L'Shana Tova!
Freeze recipe with coconut milk?
I made a Mulligatawny soup yesterday. Simple recipe - garlic, onions, typical Indian spices, lentils, chicken broth, then pureed to a smooth consistency and finished with some coconut milk and lemon juice. (One cup of coconut milk vs. 8 cups of broth, if it matters.)
Do you think this can be successfully frozen? I've never tried to freeze anything with coconut millk before.
Part 2 - How long do you think the soup can keep in the fridge? A week? Four days? How about the left-over coconut milk (which has been transfered to a glass container)?
Thanks!
Favorite Chocolate Bar
The Vosges with almond and sea salt is my fave, too -- or at least, one of my faves. The combination of salt and deep milk chocolate is incredible. (I wish they made it in a dark chocolate.) They also make a truffle with parmesan cheese. Other, less pricey, favorites are Lindt's dark chocolate with orange rind and plain Ghirardelli dark chocolate. Oh, and ChocoLove with Ginger. And, of course, I'm not above a Reese's bar on Halloween...
Party for 50-60 in Stamford/Westchester area
Other thoughts... Silvermine Tavern, Stonehenge, Cobbs Mills Inn, Le Chateau... these were always the old stand-bys...are they getting too stuffy these days, or are they still relevant?
Beth, replying to myself
Party for 50-60 in Stamford/Westchester area
I'm planning a party for 50-60 in the Stamford/Westchester region. It's for my dad's 80th birthday. I'd like something special, somewhat elegant, but hopefully not stuffy. Atmosphere is important, but so is food -- we all love excellent food. It would be for a Saturday night dinner. My budget is roughly $100 per person, maybe a little more. It would be a cocktail hour with drinks and hors d'/pass-arounds, then a seated dinner.
Here are the places that I'm considering:
Blue Lemon, in Westport
Ocean 211, in Stamford
La Cremaillere, in Bedford
Valbella, in Riverside
Barcelona, in SoNo
Bistro 22, in Bedford
I've thought of, but eliminated, Blue Hill (too expensive), Dressing Room (ditto), Dragonfly Lounge (buffet only), La Bretagne (no Saturdays available), and Thomas Henklemann (needs either 35 for private room or 100 to take over).
I heard that Emily Shaw's has re-opened, but I think I also heard that it's now more of a pub-type of place.
Does anyone have any opinions about these options? Or are there any good ones, with private party rooms, that I've overlooked? I'd greatly appreciate the expert feedback from my fellow Chowhounds!
Beth
Party for 50-60 people?
I'm planning an 80th birthday party for my dad, expecting 50-60 people. I'm trying to do some research on a nice Manhattan restaurant. The obvious question -- what can you recommend? I'd like something nice, more on the elegant than casual side, but it doesn't have to be five-star, and I can't say that price is no consideration. Say, I don't know, $100 per person?
Are there private rooms that can accomodate this number of people? Or good restaurants small enough to take over? I think I should keep it to Italian, Continental, New American, you know -- although I love various ethnic food, I don't think this is the time for that -- need to please a big group. Suggestions? Thanks so much!!
South American Christmas - anyone making cola de mono?
I used to have a recipe from long ago, I think it was from the NY Times, but I can't find it, so I'm just using a recipe I found by searching online.
6 cups milk
1 cup sugar
2 cinnamon sticks or 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 cup instant coffee or instant espresso
2 cups tequila (actually, you should use aguardiente, a Chilean brandy-like liquor, but it's hard to find here)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Bring the milk, sugar and cinnamon to a boil.
Dissolve the coffee in the hot milk mixture.
Put in the fridge to cool.
Once cold, add the tequila.
Pour into capped bottles and return to the fridge.
Serve very cold.
This keeps in the fridge for 2 weeks
Halloween party ideas
Here is what I did for our Halloween party:
Cold eyes – plum tomatoes, halved and hollowed; mini-mozzerella ball inside; iris from green olives, pupils from black olives. Use drinking straw to punch out pupils. Can put pesto in tomato halves if desired.
Hot eyes – Sweet-n-sour mini-meatballs. Cut circles from sliced mozzarella; pupils from olives. Put under broiler or oven until melted.
Snake – refrigerated dough, rolled out; line with salami and ham and grated cheese; roll up. Make S shape; 2 egg washes, one with green food coloring, one with yellow. Can use blue too. Bake 350 for 25-30 min.
Butternut squash ghosts – paint white then paint eyes and mouths black. (Decoration only.)
Black pasta (squid ink) with orange (vodka) sauce.
Butternut squash and pumpkin ravioli.
Worms – sliced hot dogs with blood (ketchup)
Here are some photos of how they came out:
Authentic Mexican in Fairfield or Westchester Counties
I'm surprised no one's mentioned this yet, but a new quality Mexican restaurant just opened in Greenwich. It's called Avenida, and I think it opened in October 07. I went there once with my husband who's not a big Mexican fan. It was hip and very noisy, which annoyed him but didn't bother me. I thought the food was fantastic, but since I didn't have an enthusiastic partner, I couldn't sample that much on my own. Here's a sampling of the menu taken from my notes on the newspaper's review:
Lunch entrees $13-26
Dinner - appetizers $8 - 16
Dinner entrees $18-38
appetizers -
tacos with brised pork with chilis and poblano peppers on homemade corn tortillas
Tacos with grilled mahi-mahi with field greens and lime vinegrette
Quesadillas with wild mushrooms; lime-marinated chicken; roasted chilis and cheese
Empanada w/roasted plantains, black beans and cheese
Grape gazpacho
Sliced tuna ceviche with coconut, pineapple and chiles
Scallop ceviche in citrus
Entrees -
Grilled shrimp w/garlic, avocado and tomato over green rice
Chicken-stuffed chili rellenos
Grilled salmon over field greens w/charred tomato vinegrette
Pan-roasted red snapper with salsa
Atun a la plancha - search yellowfin tuna
Pollo al carbon - marinated chicken with cirtus salsita and rice and beans
Huachinango a la Veracruzana - pan-roasted red snapper
Camarones y callos al ajillo - grilled shrimp and scallops
Desserts -
Brilliantly-flavored sorbets
Warm chocolate cake
I had mini-char-grilled beef tacos, tuna serviche and the red snapper. Oh, and the guacamole, which they offer as soon as you sit down. (It's not made table-side, though.) I'd definitely go back.
Best apples for cake, bread?
It's fall -- at least it says so on the calendar -- and I want to bake with apples. I don't want to make a pie, though -- I want to make a bread, cake or tea-cake. I've got a recipe from King Arthur's Whole Grains cooking, but it doesn't specify what kind of apples to use.
Usually, when people speak of the best apples for baking, they mean pies, so they're talking about apples that keep their shape. What about when keeping the shape doesn't matter? In a cake or bread, does it matter as much what type of apple to use? Any thoughts on this? Thanks for your help!
Beth
What are you making for Rosh Hashanah?
I'm trying to go lighter and healthier for Rosh Hashana, too. Here's my menu:
Hors D'oeuvres: Hummus, babaganoush, tabouli, chopped liver, crudities and cheese (well, it's not *all* light and healthy!)
At Table: Apples and honey (of course!)
Challah
Chicken soup with matzo balls (but it's not Passover! I say. I want matzo balls anyway, my husband replies.)
Standing Rib Roast (for first night. Turkey and brisket the next night)
Poached Salmon
Ratatouille
Roasted beets with goat cheese and hazelnuts
Swiss chard with raisins and pine nuts
Roasted butternut squash, sweet potatoes and pumpkin with onions, bell peppers and rosemary
Roasted new potatoes
Stuffed zucchini boats with feta cheese
My Mother-in-law's carrot ring
Honeycake and apple cake
Cookies and mandelbread
Fruit
Coco Lopez aftertaste
Well, the e-mail bounced back to me. If I can find out more info, I'll post it here.
Coco Lopez aftertaste
Thank you -- I'm sure that's my problem! Now that it's summer, maybe there'll be quicker turnover for all those pina coladas. But I went ahead and e-mailed the company (didn't find a phone number on the site). If I get the info, I'll post it here.
Coco Lopez aftertaste
When I make pina coladas at home, I often get an unpleasant aftertaste from the Coco Lopez that I don't notice when I have them at a bar. Does anyone else notice this? Is my Coco Lopez old? Are my proportions off? I follow the recipe on the can. I've tried using pineapple/coconut ice creams, or sorbets with cream added, but the result isn't quite right. My solution so far has been to add more rum. Not a bad solution, but still... any comments?
Sauce match with mushroom ravioli?
By the way, just to clarify, I myself love creamy sauces! I would consider making two sauces, one for me and a less creamy one for my husband. The creamy madeira sounds great. Puree of butternut squash with thyme sounds good, too, as does the brown butter w/sage. Well, maybe I'll make a delicious sauce for me and open a jar for him!
Sauce match with mushroom ravioli?
I picked up two packages of lovely-looking mushroom ravioli from Whole Foods today. Actually, one was portabella mushroom and the other was wild mushrooms with truffle oil, both oversized raviolis. What kind of sauce should I pair with them? And, if your answer if a cream or cheese-based sauce, how about a second choice for my creamy-sauce-phobic husband? Thanks!
Beth
Chocolate Shocker!
...at least, it was shocking to me. I just read that Hershey's, "...in pursuit of high-end consumers...has purchased three premium chocolate companies, Scharffen Berger..., Joseph Schmidt... and Dagoba...." No!!! Scharffen Berger... owned by (shudder!) Hershey's??!! Say it isn't so!
Obviously, my knee-jerk reaction to this is to be appalled. Can I trust that Scharffen Berger will maintain the same high quality? Or will they gradually, slowly, but inevitablbe McDonald-ized into mediocraty? More globally, will every small (comparitively), unique, high-quality outfit be gobbled up by the few megalith giants until a walk down the street in Peking, Jakarta, Tokyo, Paris, etc all seem exactly the same, with Starbucks and McDonald's and The Gap, etc., except maybe for a little area designated as "A Taste of Our Historic Past," a little Disney-fied tourist representation of what used to be that culture's unique gift to the world?
Whoa, sorry, Got off on a rant there. Anyway... What about this chocolate thing?
All Clad: Stainless Steel vs Copper Core?
My old, mid-grade pans are starting to go, so I plan to start buying some good stuff. All my old stuff was non-stick, so I want something I can deglaze on, good even heat conduction and long-lasting. All Clad seems to be pretty universally respected. Is there a big difference between their stainless steel and copper core cookware? I know copper is supposed to be best for even heat conduction. Is the difference noticeable?
Mark Bittman's Pudding Recipe--Delicious!
I tried the pudding recipe, too. (I used combo of whole milk and half-and-half.) I let it thicken just a tad too much at the end, and my cornstarch started forming little balls -- almost like tapioca. It still tasted pretty good, but I would try it again to see how it is when I don't let the cornstarch overcook..
By the way, I've found it almost impossible in my area (Stamford, CT -- close to northern Westchester, NY and NYC) to find cream of any kind that is NOT ultra-pasturized. Many recipes, including this Bittman one, pleads for you to find such a beast. Any leads?
Mark Bittman: Mackerel Article
Exactly! Salmon have scales, don't they? I always get salmon fillets with the skin on and cook them that way. Never thought twice about it. Anyway, the makerel recipe sounds interesting -- I plan on trying it this week.
