annomy's Profile
New York Pizza
Actually, adding another question: I'm looking for good sit-down pizza near Union Square.
Iconic NYC Restaurants?
Wow, I'm sort of surprised that no one mentioned Pete's Tavern, "the oldest continuously operating restaurant & bar in New York City." Since 1864. Haven't been there in ages, though remember it having good burgers and considering it for some out-of-towners tomorrow. Needs to be near Union Square, and one is veggie & the other meat & potatoes!
What is the difference between polenta and grits?
Ok, a little followup. The Maxie’s Shrimp & Grits recipe is terrific: probably quicker than the recipe indicates, though cooking’s something I like to take my time over when I can; lots of ingredients, but mostly already in-house, and really, really delicious. The only downside (mostly for my spouse), is that it uses a LOT of dishes, especially once you count in the extra pan for the zucchini sautéed w/ garlic & a little Cajun spice. Thanks to this thread – and especially paulj – I braved the world of corn meal cooking. DH and I agreed that it’s the perfect complement to the recipe. The creaminess of the mush/polenta went perfectly with the sauce and I’ll definitely work with it again. Perhaps especially useful for my growing number of gluten-avoiding friends?
What is the difference between polenta and grits?
Thanks, paulj – I sure feel stupid for not checking out the Indian Head website. But your quick response is one of the reasons I love Chowhound and went there first! I'll let you know how it comes out...
Cornmeal, Grits, Polenta, Masa: What's the difference?
Ruby, I'm with you. Much as I enjoy the chemical discussion, I'm looking for a practical answer to the question: Can I make polenta/mush from the same cornmeal I use for cornbread? Which, BTW, is the unsweetened southern style and mostly used for dressing at Thanksgiving. And if so, would I basically do it like risotto? (Simmer, adding water slowly and stirring frequently.) I'm a NYer, married to a Mississipian, but neither of us are a big fan of anything in the whole cornmeal mush/grits/polenta family. I'm curious to experiment though, mostly due to my plan to make Maxie's Shrimp & Grits (http://www.chow.com/recipes/29503-maxies-shrimp-and-grits) , which was a recent Chow recipe of the day. It calls for non-instant yellow grits, but I was thinking of just buying some prepared polenta and maybe grilling it? But it would be fabulous if I could use the cornmeal I already have! (Indian Head brand)
What is the difference between polenta and grits?
Does that mean I can make polenta/mush from the same cornmeal I use for cornbread? I'm a NYer, married to a Mississipian, but neither of us are a big fan of any thing in the whole cornmeal mush/grits/polenta family. I'm curious to experiment though, mostly due to my plan to make Maxie's Shrimp & Grits (http://www.chow.com/recipes/29503-maxies-shrimp-and-grits) , which was a recent Chow recipe of the day. It calls for non-instant yellow grits, but I was thinking of just buying some prepared polenta and maybe grilling it? But it would be fabulous if I could use the cornmeal I already have! (Indian Head brand)
Cabbage Cabbage, I love cabbage! Need new recipes
Thanks for this recipe, which is outstanding. My DH could not get enough of it, nor could I. A great rib-sticking dinner for the onset of winter. The only change I made (rare for me) was to add some caraway seeds. I see what you mean - it's not really a soup. I'd probably call it a pudding if it didn't make it sound like a sweet. It's also amazing how well it reheated, even in the microwave, which I never expect for anything breadish. And a good thing, since it makes a ton! I was seriously worried it would overflow my large Le Creuset dutch oven. Substantial enough to be an entree for sure, but I always like to have something on the side, and that remains a little bit of a dilemma. Suggestions? A salad was ok, and with leftovers I ate kimchee (how weird a cabbage combo is that?!) But it was excellent; some spice balanced this fairly bland recipe nicely. Looking forward to trying some of the other recipes on this page. Thank you chowhounds!
Jerusalem artichoke (aka sunchoke) recipes?
Glad you liked it! I'll be making it again, and working on it also... For the lemons - as I recall, I used one for juice (prob ~2T?), served the other in wedges on the side. You're right, lemons are really erratic in how much juice they produce! Yes, cooked covered, but not tightly closed, so the sauce could cook down. Only peeled the really knobbby bits off the sunchokes, but did cut them in pieces about garlic-clove size. Next time I might try w/ some broccoli so it's not all so white! I'm not sure about the parm topping/broiler treatment - could go either way... If you try, let me know! And again, you're welcome!
Jerusalem artichoke (aka sunchoke) recipes?
Wow, just realized that as posted, you can't tell that the above recipe is for Lemon Chicken with Jerusalem Artichokes! Sorry...
Jerusalem artichoke (aka sunchoke) recipes?
I got some sunchokes at a farmers' market with no idea how to make them, just because they were different. This thread was really helpful, but I ended up making a recipe from the homecooking section of about.com:
http://homecooking.about.com/od/chickenrecipes/r/blchicken8.htm
It was a little weird, but good, and definitely an appropriate & different use of JAs; note that recipe name says basil, but herb ingredient is thyme (I made with basil, because that was what I had on hand). Also, added extra broth & cauliflower to simmer for the last bit to make a fully rounded meal.
Food Processor: Replace Bowl or Machine?
Thanks to all of you for replying to my post! You’ve definitely convinced me to replace the existing bowl, and even given me some avenues to explore in finding one. Really, if this one lasts for eight years, it’s only a few dollars a year for a machine that I know and like. I think I just needed the moral support. And I found out today that I actually qualify for extended unemployment benefits, so no need to be pennywise & pound foolish. Though you’ll be hearing from me again if I replace the bowl and the whole machine conks out in two months! :)
Food Processor: Replace Bowl or Machine?
Thanks for the quick response. But the only one I saw earlier today was used, which makes me a little hesitant, especially since it looked a bit grotty in the picture. The other thing I saw on eBay was a lid & pusher, not the bowl itself... Please tell me if I'm wrong!
Food Processor: Replace Bowl or Machine?
The bowl on my very old Robot Coupe RC2000 food processor broke. (Actually, it was an eight-year-old replacement bowl.) I ordered a replacement for $25 through Amazon that turned out to be for a slightly different model. So now I’m shopping, but not sure for what. I like the size (7 cups), though slightly larger would be nice. I did find an exact replacement, but it’s $50, which seems high for just the bowl! Since the machine itself works and I’ve been very happy with it and have all the attachments, I hate to buy a whole new machine, but there’s a Black & Decker model for $28 that gets decent reviews. Being broke & unemployed, I hate to spend anything extra. The B&D also has no plastic blade, which is occasionally useful for dough, and only a reversible slicer/shredder (not sure how that works). Thoughts? Suggestions? Thanks for the advice.
Seriously Now -- Which countertop appliances do you leave out on your counter?
I live in Manhattan (NY), with the usual tiny kitchen. Though I've gotten to the point now where I don't even like working in a big kitchen - in mine I can reach everything just by turning around. None of that pesky walking between counters! Fortunately, my mungo microwave (circa 1986 and still kicking) fits perfectly in a window that gets no light anyway. The toaster oven lives on the counter. We used to have a coffee maker there too, but it broke, and now my husband uses a cone filter directly into a thermos jug, which is basically in the sink or dish drainer when not being used. The base of the immersion blender, which is essentially my garlic grinder and now smells so garlicky that it can't be used for anything else, lives on the passthrough with a hand-held orange press/juicer that's too big to fit in my utensil drawer. Not an appliance, but the spices that don't fit in my freezer also stay on the counter. The kitchen scale fits vertically between the TO and my knife rack.
Okay, thought I should do a reality check before posting this reply. No other appliances, but the clutter factor is pretty high: the knives just mentioned, a canister of peanuts, a cutting board and sugar bowl, and a bunch of transient stuff.
Turtle Bay CSA sharing
So, I haven't exactly been updating this, but last night's recipe was great! Basically a veggie enchilada casserole with a roasted tomatillo sauce, using the delicata squash (roasted), leeks, swiss chard, sweet pepper, mushrooms, corn & garlic. Used lots of cheese, both in the enchiladas and on top. I was a little dubious about using winter squash in enchiladas, but it worked really well, and actually held the enchilada filling together much better than usual.
Best NYC picks for a cocktail nerd? Stores for Barware, Liquor stores, Restos/Bars
Warehouse Wines & Liquors on Broadway near Astor Place has a good selection & great prices. Anything they don't have you can probably find (and also pretty good prices & helpful staff) at Astor Wines, just down the street at Lafayette & 4th (?).
Turtle Bay CSA sharing
Here's a few more - oh well, at least this will be a record for me if for no one else! haven't been doing too much special lately.
Mom's zucchini bread from allrecipes.com:
http://allrecipes.com/Recipe-Tools/Print/Recipe.aspx?RecipeID=6698&origin=detail&&Servings=24
really good and moist. Definitely a sweet not a bread.
Also, Carolina Cole Slaw from epicurious.com:
http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Carolina-Cole-Slaw-1539
I used CSA carrots instead of green pepper, and cut the sugar in half but still found it too sweet for my taste and generally sort of blah.
Kale & greens w/ sausage (7/22):
Kale, beet greens, garlic, onion, sausage, [zucchini]. Tear or cut the leafy part from the greens’ ribs, then chop separately into small pieces. Add a little olive oil (2T?) to a large saute pan, and cook the garlic, ribs, onions & sausage over medium-high heat till sausage is browning and the rest is softened. Add the leafy greens and keep cooking until they’re wilted. Used Aidell’s chicken & apple (quartered & sliced), and the sweetness went really well, especially with FreeBird’s really sweet onions, but could be almost anything. Serve w/ rice & hot sauce. Black beans would also be good. All the actual cooking takes less time than the rice, so a nice quick dinner that doesn’t add a lot of heat to the kitchen! Just because I had it, also added half a large zucchini, quartered & sliced, which was fine but unnecessary. I’d planned to add some basil, but forgot it, and it was also totally unnecessary!
What to do with LOTS of goat cheese?
Seems like chow abbreviates recipes if you post the whole link, so just add the www and go for epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Goat-Cheese-Stuffed-Turkey-Burgers-with-Roasted-Red-Pepper-Relish-2279. Or just search epicurious for goat cheese turkey burgers.
What to do with LOTS of goat cheese?
I just noticed that somehow the epicurious link got abbreviated. Here's the full link: http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Goat-Cheese-Stuffed-Turkey-Burgers-with-Roasted-Red-Pepper-Relish-2279. Or it's the first recipe if you just search on goat cheese turkey burgers.
What to do with LOTS of goat cheese?
Two suggestions. The first is an old standby from Bon Appetit: goat-cheese stuffed turkey burgers (http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Goat-Cheese-Stuffed-Turkey-Burgers-with-Roasted-Red-Pepper-Relish-2279). The second is one I just developed, which started from a Real Simple recipe but I made quite a few changes. Here it is:
Pasta with swiss chard, onions & goat cheese
12 oz long pasta
2 T olive oil
1 red onion (used incredibly sweet onion from CSA)
4 garlic cloves, chopped (used garlic scapes)
2 bunches swiss chard (ribs chopped separately from leaves; I also used some beet greens)
zest from ½ large lemon
~1/4 cup basil
½ pint of grape tomatoes, cut in quarters (only because I had them)
S&P
4 oz goat cheese
I didn’t this time, but could also add some toasted pine nuts at the end.
Cook the pasta, reserving one cup of pasta water when draining.
Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add garlic, onion, veggie ribs, tomatoes (would be good to throw these in in the next step, but my husband only likes his tomatoes cooked). After they’ve cooked for a few minutes, add the leaves and cook until wilted. Season w/ S&P.
Mix the goat cheese into the hot pasta, then add the veggies, basil, lemon zest, pine nuts and water as needed. Serve immediately.
Turtle Bay CSA sharing
Oops, forgot one more recipe: Strawberry fool (from this website: http://www.chow.com/recipes/28536-strawberry-fool. It was incredibly good, even though I never usually make desserts and am lactose-intolerant.
Turtle Bay CSA sharing
Well, better late than never. I've found Chowhound to be a great source of recipe, ideas and laughs over the years. I think you don't even have to register until you want to post something, but I hope to see lots of you here! These are some of the things I've been making with Turtle Bay CSA goodies in 2011.
Week 2 – June 14, 2011
Ground pork w/ bok choy, garlic, ginger, sesame oil, soy sauce, celery, carrots, edamame
Week 3 – June 21, 2011
garlic scapes, uncooked baby turnips, roasted beets, sautéed greens (with of red swiss chard, turnip greens, beet greens, kale), cooked in two batches depending on need
w/ cooked lentils, feta cheese, toasted pine nuts (added, but not necessary) & mustard vinaigrette (garlic scapes, vinegar, Dijon, a little caraway, & oil)
Week 4 – June 28
Can’t remember!
Week 5 – July 5
Mostly used these veggies for a BBQ that weekend…
Week 6 – July 12
½ napa cabbage, chopped fine; sweet onion; garlic scapes; grated carrots; also chicken thighs sliced really small. cooked in peanut/sesame oil, then tossed w/ long Chinese noodles (preferably rice), cilantro and one cup of sesame dressing (garlic [scapes], tahini, sesame oil, rice wine vinegar, soy sauce, lime juice, a little red chili paste, a pinch of sugar, a little fish sauce. Could also include a tsp of Colman mustard, w/ water added enough to make a paste, but let sit for 10 minutes before adding to rest of sauce). Didn’t do, but would be good topped w/ chopped peanuts or sesame seeds.
Doesn’t need to be served really hot
Week 7 – July 19
Pasta with swiss chard, onions & goat cheese
12 oz papardelle or fettucine
2 T olive oil
1 red onion (used incredibly sweet onion from CSA)
4 garlic cloves (used the last of my garlic scapes)
½ pint of grape tomatoes, cut in quarters (only because I had them).
2 bunches swiss chard (ribs chopped separately from leaves; I also used some beet greens)
¼ c basil
Zest from a small lemon
Could also add some toasted pine nuts at the end.
S&P
4 oz goat cheese
Cook the pasta, reserving one cup of pasta water when draining.
Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add garlic, onion, veggie ribs, tomatoes (would be good to throw these in in the next step, but my husband only likes his tomatoes cooked). After they’ve cooked for a few minutes, add the leaves and cook until wilted. Season w/ S&P.
Mix the goat cheese into the hot pasta, then add the veggies, basil, lemon zest, pine nuts and pasta water as needed. Serve immediately.
Ken & Maryellen’s onions were so incredibly sweet once they were sautéed I was picking at them like candy!
A variation on a recipe from Real Simple May 2011
How can I thicken fresh whipped cream for topping on a pie?
Thanks for the tips! I went to a waffle-off today at a friend's house (they supply the batter; you bring the topping and assemble for tasting/judging by everyone else). Great idea for a fun party. My contribution was way outside my comfort zone, but why not? Homemade butterscotch - amazingly easy to make - served over belgian waffles with cognac, bananas and whipped cream. In the running, even if not a winner. For my whipped cream, I added about 1 T nonfat dry milk, 1t sugar, and 1/2 t vanilla. Whipped it ferociously with a vintage 1940s hand mixer and transported it in a semi-chilled, semi-insulated pottery bowl. Held up amazingly for the few hours it needed to, and was really tasty! But who knows; maybe next time I'll leave off the whipped cream and try flambeing...
How do you like your salmon?
I like salmon almost any way - smoked, grilled, steamed (with ginger-soy marinade), pan-fried, sushi, burgers (though the last time I made my salmon burger recipe, just as I was forming the patties, one of my favorite bowls hydroplaned off the counter, breaking the bowl and trashing the fish, so I haven't had the heart to make it lately), basically, any preparation you can imagine. My level of desired cookedness varies with the preparation, but never more than flakey. I agree with a few others: if I don't know the restaurant well or haven't seen and smelled the fish raw, it needs to be pretty well cooked. I rarely have complaints in restaurants, and send something back even more rarely, but I'm also not shy about doing so, nicely.
My limitation is more about where the fish comes from. Not to be preachy, but anymore I just don't enjoy fish that I know is being harvested unsustainably. This limits my choices, but not as much as you might think. The biggest is that I rarely ever eat tuna any more. The yummy taste of tuna sushi just doesn't compensate for the the knowledge of how badly the fishery is doing. I have a friend who would be proud to eat the last one, but that's not me. Fortunately, I have a local fish market that supplies me with lots of wild Alaskan salmon and halibut, North American farmed tilapia, rainbow trout., oysters, and other sustainable choices.
Am I the only one who lives in a magic house? A lighthearted look at ourselves & food safety
I'm not a baker, so use very little flour, and it used to always get mealie bugs, even in sealed containers. Now I buy little bags and store it in the freezer - no problem! Generally, I'm pretty relaxed: 3 second rule, but I'm a slow counter. If it smells and looks okay, I don't care how long it's been sitting around; defrost on the counter or in a cold water bath; no chicken-only cutting board, but I will rinse it after chicken and before chopping something that won't be thoroughly cooked. Just learned that bamboo cutting boards have some natural antibacterial properties. Also learned (from Cooks Illustrated article on keeping a safe kitchen) that it's safer to let foods cool a bit before putting them in the fridge for storage. I always did that for energy-saving reasons, but apparently putting food away hot can raise the fridge temp enough to jeopardize other items.
I am more careful about what I serve to other people; not everyone is a barefoot girl with an iron stomach!
People Watching You Cook
OMG & LOL! That is too funny. I have the same problem with my mother, though overall we do cook very well together, and really enjoy it on those rare chances we get. We even took a knife skills class together - what do you get the woman who has everything?! The other thing she does that drives me batty is to throw away wrappers and containers in mid-meal. So, for instance, we have no place to put the unused sour cream afterwards. I'm a raging tree-hugger, and she goes through more Saran Wrap in one meal than I do in a year!
People Watching You Cook
Me too. I do the laundry, but he does the cleaning and pays the bills in addition to the dishes. (I do empty the dishwasher.) Don't care about the speed, as long as the knives are washed and dried promptly. The only things he cooks are pancakes. I'm spoiled and consider myself very lucky!
People Watching You Cook
My problem is sort of similar. I also try to prepare/cook stuff ahead of time when cooking for others. Generally, I don't mind someone entertaining me with good conversation from the doorway of my tiny kitchen (too tiny for two!). But my BFF (seriously, for 37 years), who loves my cooking, always questions/corrects what I'm doing to the extent that I end up snappish and calling her on it. Trust me, there's a reason I'm doing it that way! Then she's embarassed. And the cycle starts again...
Knife Sharpening at Broadway Panhandler
Now I've used them and can say they did a great job! Maybe kitnimbus was better at keeping their knives sharpened generally. Unfortunately, they couldn't do my poultry shears, which my honey always uses for flowers...
