Allice98's Profile
Transporting salad dressings to a party?
Update: I found a solution accidentally last night while walking through a discount store. I saw a couple of syrup dispensers such as what you would find at a diner. I was considering some of the ideas on this thread and they are all really good. For my usual vinaigrettes at least I think this will work and I will make a different choice if I decide to do a thicker dressing since the pouring hole is pretty small. Haven't tried it out though since I just bought them last night.
Wanted to include what I found for anyone else looking for a solution in the future. Thanks everyone!
What size roasting pan would you recommend?
I don't roast the same things that you do because I am a vegetarian, but, i have been on the lookout for a stainless steel roasting pan for a while now because for one thing I want to be able to use it as a waterbath for baking when I need it. So, my suggestion is to see what other uses this pan could have for you and go for a larger one if you think that you could use it.
Other uses for a bigger pan would be roasting large amounts of tomato for oven tomato sauce, roasting veggies to make into stock so that you can deglaze in the pan.
i am not saying to get more pan that you need, just think about what else you could use it for.
Average Grocery Bill-for 2
Very simple solution. Ask her for a list of what she would like to be bought or send her to the store to make the purchases.
Grease Splatter, NYC cooking
Get a splatter screen if you don't already have one. It won't catch everything but when you aren't actively doing something like stiring it will certainly cut back.
In the spots that you can trying laying down a bit of newspaper, or an old towel, for example on the floor in front of the stove where I occasionally have a bit of frustrating splatter - you know, all the stuff that doesn't land on my clothing =P
Has your spouse/dining companion appropriated your go-to favorites when making menu selections?
I am going to do something on here that I never do put of politeness and say...
This is NUTS! How is this even a question that you could put this much thought into for a local restaurant?
When I am in a restaurant I order what I want to eat. I could care less if I am the only one at the table with the dish or if everyone orders that same whether it be with just my husband or a group of friends.
When we are out of town we talk about who is ordering what in case we are both looking at some of the same things and we might agree to get separate dishes and share each but for everyday local fare especially I can't understand.
When i am in a restaurant I am there to eat. If the servers want to analyze my/our food choices then let them as long as they don't say anything.
Popular flavors that you don't care for
Cilantro
Fennel/Anise
Maple
Coconut (except coconut milk which somehow tastes different)
Hazelnuts
White Chocolate
Spearmint
It is so frusterating because while I am a vegetarian I am NOT a picky eater but these flavors are in a lot of foods making is very frusterating to dine out on occasion.
To bake or not to bake...?
I really think you should contact the manufactures and ask them directly.
Another noodle slurping question
Here's my take on eating like "X' cultural within an American dining establishment. The rules may be one way within the particular region where the food hails from but the rules may differ in the area where the restaurant is.
If the community where the restaurant is is located eats one way, that will likely be how those dining wish to eat the food - in this case not slurping or drinking from the bowl because that is how they were raised and they are still within the confines of the environment where they were raised (U.S.A.). While what you are doing may be acceptable, it might well be making your dining companions uncomfortable and might be something that you choose not to do in front of them if that is the case.
I can loosen up some when I am out of the country and do as the Romans do, but, within the US I am very timid at times to eat in certain ways because of the attention it might bring me. If I were in Japan I wouldn't bat an eye, but, here is somehow still feels rude when others do it around me. I never really know what to do sometimes!
Transporting salad dressings to a party?
Does anyone have any good ideas on transporting salad dressings to a party? I make my own dressings and am often in charge of taking salad to the inlaws.
I had been using canning jars for years because i would just shake up a vinaigrette in the jar and take it along for the ride. We have just used a spoon to take out the dressing at time of serving and drizzle it on but it can be a bit messy.
Does anyone have a different method that doesn't involve taking dressing and putting it into a different serving vessel then back again at a party? Something that is pourable and not really messy would be fantastic!
Apple pie filling: to prebake or not
There was a recent thread that mentioned microwaving the apples for a couple of minutes. i just tried it this morning and we tried the pie late this afternoon and it worked. The poster said two minutes so of COURSE I couldn't list and did three. They were right ;-/
tips for gnocchi
I like ricing mine while still hot onto my counter and letting them cool down there. I just add the flour and egg and go on from there.
ATK/Cook's Illustrated Vodka Pie Crust
I can't wait to try this! Thanks for mentioning it . I love my apples crunchy but I make such tall apple pies that if I want to saute things I have to do it in batches which makes me not do it at all. Can't wait to try it though.
Need tips for separating pumpkin seeds from the stringy guts
I just take the guts and put them in a big bowl and fill with water. I use my hands and rub everything in between them to try and separate the seeds out some. I start taking the biggests pumpkin pieces out as I can.
i strain and go through several bowls of water, but, the seeds float so as time goes you will eventually be able to scoop more seeds than pulp from the top of the water in the bowl with the flesh sinks towards the bottom.
Why does my home-made whipped cream for salted caramel pie taste horrible?
I make whipped cream all the time with just a little sugar and vanilla extract. comes out perfect every time.
I have tried without the vanilla and it just doesn't work - as in taste right to me.
Sandwich slicing - whole vs. rectangle vs. triangle
I am surprised to see no one on this thread mentioning cutting out shapes with cookie cutters... If you did I missed it so far.
HELP! Le Creuset Transport?
Dang, I was hoping you did find the perfect solution so that i could steal from you!
Personally I have been wanting very badly to get a travel slowcooker. I have many slowcookers but think if I find a good deal over the next Black Friday when they tend to go on sale that i will finally get one of those. I want one that I can lock down the lid. This might be a solution for you though for going to other places. Make something on your stove and transfer it then when you are at someone else's home you don't even have to worry about getting a burner to warm things up.
Hi, my name is _______ and I'm addicted to ________ .(food only please!)
Hello, my name is Al and I am addicted to garlic to the point that I dream about it.
HELP! Le Creuset Transport?
I do have to ask - these lids on the Le Creuset's don't seal so what manner to you intend to use to keep the contents from coming out? Keeping things warm and carrying them are one thing but you mention stew for example.... how will you keep the contents in the containers?
HELP! Le Creuset Transport?
Could a personal folding shopping cart work? Some are big enough to hold a big pot at the bottom.
Does pasta dough really need to rest? Jamie Oliver is indicating no.
I wanted a glimpse of Jaime Oliver's "Jamie at Home" kitchen since I just adore the way it looks. I did this while watching a youtube video of him making Homemade Egg Tagliatelle.
Jamie uses a food processor to make the dough and then proceeded to roll out the dough without any rest time. I had always been taught that pasta dough should rest for 30 min or longer for gluten reasons.
So my question is, does anyone else do it this way? Is there somehow anything about using the food processor specifically that helps you get from step A to B without the wait time? If you persoanlly have made pasta both ways do you notice a sizable difference?
Mostly just curious.
Busting out the Bread Machine
I suggest that you check out the books on bread machines by Lora Brody. They are very good.
Bread makers work best when doing just dough and then baking yourself but they are more than satisfactory for something to go with what you are already eating if you use them to bake with.
Easy meat recipes for vegetarian to entertain with
One vegetarian to another:
I refuse to allow meat into my home, that is a personal choice that I have made. It just isn't something that I can personally deal with. I fully accept that you have made a different choice in order to please your inlaws, but, it's just not something that I could do even if I had inlaws that i actually liked!
If you are comfortable with this being in your home then why not buy a few things pre-made so that you don't need to deal with them. I see those fully cooked rotisserie chickens at a lot of places and there are certainly pre-done dinners under glass at the grocery stores. If you see the need to have meat save yourself some grief and buy a part of the meal that is done and just needs to be reheated for example and make the rest yourself.
Also, does your MIL of FIL like to cook? Maybe they can make something while there and you can make something to go with it for everyone.
Also, do you have a grill? Could you buy some items that are grill ready that could go from packaging to grill that one of the others around could handle while you do other foods to go with?
Can't remember the last time I cried chopping onion
I thought it had to do with the onions age? The older the onion the more tears. They can be stored for so long before they are sold and I find that as we get closer to spring that i cry even more than usual because they are getting towards the end of the stored batch.
Stove or Range? Semantics
I thought that a range was the modern day cooking appliance with a burner top and an oven, all in one. I thought that a stove was a fire appliance that you might cook with but that was powered by fire whether it be wood or coal where a main purpose is the heat the surrounding room. A cast iron stove would be an example that you might use to heat your house thought it might well have a spot to put a kettle or pot on top to heat.
A cooktop is simply the burner surface separate from an oven. I think we have all established and agree on what an oven is ;-)
Reservation confirmed but table not ready - how long have you waited?
The only time I have ever had a bad experience with a reservation in this way was a work holiday lunch that i booked. Small office. We went to the restaurant at a later time that we would have gone because it was a good place for us to go for a holiday lunch specifically. We usually would have chosen the earliest time and instead choose a 1pm time which just doesn't work for some of the staff that i work with. We ended up waiting for something like 45 minutes and finally had to leave and go to another restaurant which meant everyone piling back into cars and heading to a new location in town. Didn't have a choice as one person was pregnant and absolutely couldn't hold out any longer.
I have never been back.
I need to mention that the table we would be sitting at had a group of ladies that were all opening christmas gifts and gabbing over coffee. I need to also mention that I had at a prior time booked this same location for a retirement party at a non holiday time of year for our office and was told at time of booking and warned that we were not allowed to bring gifts, end of discussion because they didn't have room and needed to be able to accommodate the group booked after us. It wasn't a problem at all. Management needed to step in in the situation where we were waiting and didn't and I wasn't fair at all.
In the end the poor servers lost out because it would have been a hefty group tab and they never got it. They also never even called to appoligize and they had my number with the reservation.
I never expected any kind of compensation but an apology would have gone a long way to smoothing things over.
Do you have to "like" your kitchen in order to be inspired to cook?
No reason it can't be made comfy, happy, and workable =)
I think that all landlords should spend some time in their rentals just to get a feel for what might need a bit of tweaking. Everyone has different needs, I know, but if you aren't happy chances are the tenant won't be happy either.
Do you have to "like" your kitchen in order to be inspired to cook?
Some of my better meals have come from my imperfect kitchens that I have had. I was more inspired to overcome my surroundings and create something great from nothing. A few of the most creative were when I didn't even have a kitchen and had to work on top of the washer and dryer when my current kitchen was being redone.
I am hoping though that you take this experience and use it later to change the kitchens you are renting out. If you are miserable it's difficult to believe that your tenants aren't as well.
Fine splinters on new cutting board?
I discussed it with the manufacture and have it all settled. Thank you for those that provided comments.
Fine splinters on new cutting board?
As mentioned above I cannot make the return until this coming weekend. I planned on returning this particular board all along, as I did mention. Sorry to sound snobbish but I didn't pay what I did to come home and redo the stupid board, that was what I was paying the manufacture to do for me. I haven't ever seen a cutting board that wasn't abused in this condition and back it will be going.
The question I was asking though above was should I exchange it for another one of the same make and model or stay away. No one really answered that.
If I were to sand down the board and it turned out it was actually defective I could never return it meaning I would be out the money and still stuck with a bad board. I can't fine another board that is the same size as what I bought so I am really extra disappointed.
