gwendolynmarie's Profile
Teff?
Whole Foods, Union Square and Chelsea for sure (spotted this week), thus, probably most other branches. I once spotted it at Lifethyme, Dean and Deluca's, and Gourmet Garage, as well!
Crispy Snow Buns (from Elite) Recipe
I totally had to google this, and I think will47 is talking about the correct dish, though the spelling seems to vary. 杏汁雪山包
Do they look like this: http://static2.openrice.com.hk/UserPhoto/photo/1/1C0/009HGU5F392F74BD8AE00Am.jpg
http://static2.openrice.com.hk/UserPhoto/photo/1/10C/0076E4894AE8A412B7FD36m.jpg
Hopefully this helps!
50 Desserts That Every Cook Should Know
In addition to all that's been listed already, I have to throw in for consideration:
Noodle pudding (kugel) with raisins.
Rugelach.
Molten chocolate cake.
French yogurt cake.
German chocolate cake (using only condensed milk pecan-coconut frosting, no chocolate frosting to distract from the perfect filling-cake ratio).
Olive oil cake. Citrus semolina preferably.
Frangipane based tarts. Change the crust, the fruit and nuts, as long as the frangipane is involved.
One cooked fruit dessert, at least. Red wine poached pears, pears belle helene, stuffed baked apples, grilled glazed peaches.
Donuts! Any which way, but definitely every cook should choose one to learn, whether yeast-raised or cake-style and baked, culturally and seasonally specific varieties like apple-cider, beignets, churros and bombolini, filled or hole-d, dusted or glazed.
Pots de creme.
Linzer torte.
Dulce de leche.
Zuppa inglese cake.
Savarin.
Boston cream pie.
Floating islands / oeufs a la niege.
Biscotti.
Coconut macaroons (dipped in dark chocolate, naturally).
Homemade candy, like fleur de sel caramels, fudge, pralines, peanut butter cups, or seafoam.
While I'd like to add halvah, daifuku, egg tarts, sprtiz cookies, pecan sandies, mammoul, black and white cookies, whoopie pies, gooey butter cake, ice cream sandwiches, and cannoli, this might be going too far.
Manhattan, NY - I need a vegetarian AND kosher place to take an important business client
Oh my gosh you're right! Shows how long its been for me...opps!
Manhattan, NY - I need a vegetarian AND kosher place to take an important business client
Would Caravan of Dreams (http://www.caravanofdreams.net/#/Kosher) be too casual? I've shared some fine meals with happy kosher friends here.
Along those same lines and not terribly far from Tribeca, there is Quintessence, Chennai Garden and Pongal to consider.
Cafe 92Y may have a more appropriate atmosphere, and is mostly vegetarian - http://www.92y.org/shop/category.asp?category=88892Tri+92YTribeca+Cafe888?site=92TRI&92YT_global=TribecaCafe -but their certification status is, well, confusing.
Further away and not strictly vegetarian, but less casual: Abigaels- http://www.abigaels.com/abigaels_about.html
Mike's Bistro - http://www.mikesbistro.com/
Tevere - http://www.teverenyc.com/
In case the client, whom I assume is vegetarian and kosher, is looking for recommendations for the rest of their visit I'd let them know about Loving Hut, V-Note, Shalom Chai Pizzeria, Madras Cafe, Viva Pizza, Sacred Chow, Bonobos, Maoz, Hummus Place, Soom Soom, Kossar's Biayls and Yonah Schimmel.
Ideas for olallieberries ... other than pie?
Cupcakes! Using rooibus tea and citrus zest in the batter! And white chocolate Swiss buttercream!
Sorbet, financiers, buckle with Cabernet or Chambord, compote with a touch of balsamic eaten over buttermilk ice cream, scones, and if you make jam, toss it on a burger with cheddar.
Savoury Granola?
I'm all about this, along with savory hot oats. Yes, the possibilities are endless. In fact, due to my salt tooth, I make savory granola bars, often with a multi-grain base and shredded carrot, beet or zucchini.
You definitely don't Need egg white, as granola does not really need much more than a bit of liquid and meal/flour to do the trick. So, your liquidy stuff could be: oil, nut and seed butters, a touch of sweetener, flax seeds blended with water ("flax eggs"), juices (carrot, tomato, aloe, prune, and apple have made their way into my snacks), mashed banana or veggies (pumpkin, squash, peas, roasted eggplant bellies), condiments and sauces (like Worcestershire sauce, bbq sauce, fish sauce, harissa paste, mustard, miso, tomato paste), vinegar, pre-mixed marinades and dressings, and stocks. Even beer and pickle brine works!
My first version was a heavily spiced and curried granola, tossing in chili, coconut, mustard seeds, black sesame seeds, cashews and toasted nori, with just a small amount of shallot and sesame oil. Now, my granola is graced by such lovely additions as ground dried porcini, dehydrated capers, black olives, cheese/nutritional yeast, freeze-dried vegetables, chickpea flour, wasabi powder, grated onion, garlic, steadily-going-stale puffed rice cereal, toasted chickpeas and beans, oats soaked in bay-leaf infused homemade nut milk, grated corn, spinach, tempeh, black gram lentils (udad dhal), nigella seeds, fennel seeds, saffron, sago, and puffed lotus seeds.
Visting Manchester, NH - need a dinner and a breakfast rec
For emphasis on local- Republic or Richard's Bistro for dinner, for respect of vegetables and quality- Cafe Momo, Jewell and the Beanstalk for breakfast.
Easy chocolate dessert for the baking inept?
Similarly, and even more simple, no simple syrups involved, David Liebovitz's chocolate idiot cake: http://www.davidlebovitz.com/2007/01/shf-27-chocolat-1/
Or, this type of messy, gooey, pudding cake/hot fudge cake:
http://find.myrecipes.com/recipes/recipefinder.dyn?action=displayRecipe&recipe_id=1867524
Considering the chocolate tofu pudding was a hit, try this tofu-based chocolate pie with 'peanut butter caramel' and a graham cracker crust:
http://isachandra.livejournal.com/61529.html
Nasty Little Treats
Natto! It's so wonderfully nasty. Fermented tofu, as well.
Condiments eaten and pickle and olive brines drunk directly out of their containers. Garlic dill pickle and kimchi brine especially. Capers straight, AC vinegar straight.
Raw onion and garlic for snacks, and in any lazy non-composed throw-together salad/sandwich.
Cynar! And campari, certainly.
Pickles and peanut butter, with or without jelly. Even better if jelly is included with sriracha.
Pizzelle used to scoop up marinara sauce.
Slices of stale bread soaked in broth, with nutritional yeast and chili-garlic cholula dumped on top, then mashed a bit.
Chocolate and olives eaten together.
Avocado sushi with a slice of banana dipped in soy, or if I make the sushi myself, banana, sweet potato and peanut butter inside, dipped in soy. Improved upon only with spicy peanut butter.
I used to drink straight up broth with a few dashes of cayenne daily, until how such huge amounts of sodium affect my body and brain.
I've got that affection for flour, too- I'd mix flour and maple syrup, and sometimes salt, form balls, freeze them, then suck on them for snacks.
My favorite breakfast from ages 8-10 or so was chicken-flavored ramen and a blueberry muffin on the side- I'd peel off the muffin top, break pieces off and dip them into the broth, and forgo noodles entirely. At that same age, I'd make an after school snack for myself of rice, whatever sweet cereal was on hand (preferably capn' crunch, but frosted flakes would do) crushed into the rice, and soy sauce. I often wonder now, where were my parents?
Potato skins in Cambridge and/or Boston?
Agreed, and none of those restaurants I'd recommend in a general sense. But this is not about overall quality, right? They have the skins, and some unfortunate nights out have had friends inform me they fit the bill for that specific craving. Who am I to judge?
Potato skins in Cambridge and/or Boston?
http://boston.menupages.com/restaurants/food/skins/all-areas/all-neighborhoods/all-cuisines/
In Boston, Moo, the Pour House, Green Dragon/Paddy Os/Mr Dooley's/Hennesey's (same ownership), Lansdowne Pub, Whiskey's, Tommy Doyle's.
In Cambridge, you have Spirit, Asgard, and Grendel's Den.
In Allston, if you're into variations of the norm, sister establishments Sunset Grill, Sunset Cantina, and Big city have five different versions each.
eggplant recipes that don't involve tomatoes
If you try nasu dengaku, try making the sauce with more than just 1 tbs of shiro miso, consider adding egg yolk or cornstarch, and dashi, and allowing the sauce to cook for a bit longer than that recipe instructs. Adding yuzu/citrus or ginger to the sauce can elevate it, as can using a combination of red and white miso.
Roasted eggplant in miso soup, eggplant slices pickled in miso, satueed...miso and eggplant are just phenomenal together.
Eggplant caponata. Onions, garlic, roasted red peppers, celery, capers, golden raisins, toasted pine nuts, red wine vinegar and parsley.
Tartines with fried or charred or pureed eggplant, ricotta, honey, and mint or basil.
Eggplant clafoutis, something that I thought I'd invented as a teen (yeah, right) and was proved wrong: http://medcookingalaska.blogspot.com/2008/09/recipe-for-eggplant-clafoutis.html
Eggplant tarte-tatin, sweet- http://www.gourmet.com/recipes/2000s/2009/08/eggplant-tarte-tatin-with-black-pepper-caramel
Or savory, with balsamic and pearl onions or zucchini and pine nuts.
Roasted eggplant and porcini puree/dip.
Eggplant crumble, or gratins.
Your favorite kind of curry.
Eggplant dumplings.
Turnovers filled with dill, eggplant and cottage cheese.
Eggplant and plantain pastelon.
Croquettes, fritters, and veggie burgers.
Risotto.
Ideas for banana cream pie ice cream?
Rather than add in banana and chocolate, I'd lightly swirl two kinds of ice cream, definitely add something to represent the pastry crust, and go easy on the chocolate as not to overwhelm. For me, this would mean rich, buttermilk-banana ice cream, leaving some chunks of banana, made with a hint of cinnamon and brown sugar + vanilla-creme fraiche or marscapone ice cream + chocolate-drizzled pie crust crumbs swirled throughout. Or, replace that vanilla ice cream with something like meringue/marshmallow flavored (i.e. http://clumbsycookie.blogspot.com/2009/02/daring-dakers-smores-style.html).
You could always go a simple route, use an established recipe for a banana base with chocolate (http://www.chow.com/recipes/12680-banana-chocolate-chip-ice-cream), and fold in extra banana puree, chocolate fudge, pastry crumbs, etc.
Here's some inspiration from someone who made three separate ice creams to be eaten together:
http://sporkandfoon.typepad.com/spork_or_a_foon/2009/04/twd-banana-cream-pie-wooooooooooot.html
You could always try Paula Dean's way- just stir cream pie straight into the ice cream, as she does with banana pudding:
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/paulas-party/paula-deens-its-not-your-mammas-banana-pudding-ice-cream-recipe/index.html
Similarly: http://www.joythebaker.com/blog/2008/06/banana-pudding-ice-cream/
uses for buttermilk powder
What a fantastic idea!
I use it in pancakes and waffles, baked goods- both sweet and savory, dressings and dips, macaroni and cheese, creamy sauces, mashed and pureed vegetables, ice cream, soups and chowders, batters for frying, breading for baking, seasoning mixes for tossing homemade chips, popcorn, snack mixes and roasted vegetables in, added to polenta and oatmeal, pot pie filling, homemade yogurt, pudding and fudge.
Spanish tapas - can you help me identify these ingredients?
A friend of mine showed me pictures from this same place, Sagardi, with that middle pintxo featured. Small (foodie) world.
Both the purple pate in picture one and contents hiding below grated cheese in picture two are crab meat. There's anchovy in both, as well- underneath the tomato in the first, wrapping the pepper in the second.
Your best bet might be to email the restaurant: sagardi.bcngotic@diningcity.es
If you're willing to not replicate exactly those particular dishes, there are some decent cookbooks dedicates to pintxos.
Summer meals that wont heat up the house
Do you have a rice cooker?
Crockpots are So much more versatile than you could imagine. This blog proves this point: http://crockpot365.blogspot.com/
That blog will provide you with more ideas and recipes than you'll need for the rest of the summer (forewarning, many of these recipes beg for some tweaking in the seasoning and quality of ingredients). Some cookbooks worthy of amazon.com inside searching and google book search are the gourmet slow cooker series (volume 1, 2, and vegetarian), art of the slow cooker, and not your mother's slow cooker series.
My first thoughts using your crockpot:
Burritos, with beans made in the crockpot and veggies/tofu/your choice of animal protein grilled on the george foreman.
Stews, chili, soups, ratatouille, curry, shakshuka, jambalaya, mole.
Polenta made in the crockpot, chilled, sliced and grilled on the foreman, served with a crockpot-prepared topping of your choice (ragu, stew, sauce, curry, etc.)
Risotto.
Gratins.
Enchilada casserole.
Prepare beans, whole grains and legumes for cold salads and pilafs.
Roasted vegetables, steamed artichokes.
Stuffed vegetables, stuffed pasta.
Strata, bread pudding.
Cake!
Your foreman grill can also do plenty. Beyond just grilling, you can use the surface to sear, and not just straight up vegetables and proteins, but latkes, potato cakes, cod cakes and crab cakes, frozen goodies like dumplings/potstickers/ravioli/shumai, gnocchi, and scallion pancakes/paratha, french toast, homemade egg rolls, eggs, even brownies if you're desperate. not to mention calzones.
In addition to Bittman's summer list, he made this:
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/30/dining/30mini.html?_r=1&ref=homepage&src=me&pagewanted=all
what should i do with vodka marinated heirloom tomatos?
For making your own mix-
1. Do you have a juicer? Juice those tomatoes, along with carrot or beet, some lime or lemon, herbs of your choice, garlic and/or shallots, fresh horseradish, cucumber or celery (other additions can include peppery radishes, ginger, bell peppers, fennel, green onions or ramps, pickled jalapeno), for incredibly fresh tomato juice base. You can even juice actual pickled vegetables to get that rich complexity from sodium filled brine. Then add the standard black pepper, celery salt, worcestershire, tabasco (I prefer chili-garlic cholula) whatever other flavoring you like.
With this fresh juice, 'asian' bloody marys take well, using wasabi, pickled ginger, five spice. Ditto for versions that are herb heavy (i.e. fresh dill and thyme, adding mustard powder or dijon, and cider vinegar).
2. Bring sundried tomatoes, canned whole tomatoes, roasted red pepper, shallot, onion, garlic, herbs, white wine/red wine or vinegar, a touch of brown sugar or other earthy sweetener (molasses, pomegranate molasses, etc) and water (or broth or clam juice), to a simmer, season and reduce and allow it to cool. Blend with the alcoholic tomatoes, strain, add citrus juice, additional seasonings to taste.
I'll often use achiote oil or paste, garam masala, some heavy heat from homemade harissa, chipotles in adobo, serrano, or other chilis depending on the rest of the flavors involved, directly in the sundried tomato mix before reducing. Tamarind paste, anchovies, smoked paprika, curry, bbq sauce, balsamico, and marmite have also made appearances, to name a few more spins.
You could also:
- use those tomatoes for a simple, traditional gazpacho.
- Smoke Them!
- grill them, sprinkle salt and black papper, eat as is, or on toasted ciabatta with mashed avocado, with an english fry up, over creamy polenta with lemon-dressed arugula and sliced parm, whatever.
- use in a salad. Like, with cucumber and feta, mint and basil, caperberries, and sherry dressing.
- use in pico de gallo, salsa, gucamole, bruschetta,
- make ketchup.
- use it in risotto.
- stuff them into wonton wrappers with herbs and cheese, and maybe bacon, fry them.
Impressive Vegetarian Entree?
As wonderful and inventive as pasta dishes and risotto can be, it's nice to have a change from those ubiquitous vegetarian options. Particularly unusual preparations, however, like smoked spaetzle, toasted absorption pasta, gnudi, sweet/spicy/savory ravioli & sauce pairings, giant ravioli with whole egg in the filling, are exceptions to that.
Have you ever made, or considered making seitan? If so, some nice options open up for you.
Otherwise:
Vegetable napoleons
Veggie terrines
Galettes or savory tars/tartlettes - with buckwheat dough, phyllo, or homemade puff pastry using compound butters for an extra oomph
Savory tarte-tatin- with
Vegetable paella
Vegetarian tagine
Phyllo purses
Crepes, or a savory crepe cake
Moussaka
Tamales
A range of vegetables stuffed with grains (farro, barley, quinoa, rice, etc.), and baked, grilled, or fried
Homemade sushi
Curries
I also completely agree about souffles!
Looking for ideas for an 80's theme party
Someone has done the work for you!
http://www.foodtimeline.org/fooddecades.html#1980s
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/390261
http://www.rachaelraymag.com/Easy-Party-Ideas/Great-Get-Togethers/Theme-Party-Menus/80s-party
Help: Graduation BBQ for Meat eaters vs. Veg. Heads
As a veg head myself, I beg you to consider a bit more care than pre-made veggie burgers. Especially given recent hullabaloo about hexane in the production of textured vegetable protein and soy protein isolate that has many vegetarians and vegan unnerved.
First, start with thinking about hearty non-meat options for the grill- tofu, tempeh, seitan, homemade veggie burgers and patties, sliced of nut/bean/grain loaves, mock meatballs. If you feel like venturing the realm of seitan, you could make your own seitan sausages or cutlets (see: http://blog.fatfreevegan.com/2007/05/barbecued-seitan-ribz.html, http://chubbyvegetarian.blogspot.com/2008/09/slow-low-bbq-seitan-sandwiches-with.html)
You're truly not limited to shish kebabs, mock meat, and vegetables. Although you have endless options with that alone, if you think of all the possible marinades at your disposal for both meat and vegetables- teryaki, satay, tandoori, chimmichurri, jerk, cajun, etc. What about grilled pizza, galettes, and foccacia? Guests could even choose what toppings they want for each pizza. Stuffed eggplant, bell pepper, tomatoes, jalapenos (like poppers)? Burritos with grilled vegetables and tortillas warmed on the grill (black beans, rice, guac, cheese, salsa all other fillings set out for everyone to choose), or quesadillas. Strips of eggplant and zucchini wrapped around cheese, bean mash, pesto, etc. Polenta, panelle, or crostini, allowing guests to top as they's like. Anything en papillote. Grilled falafel. Grilling 'unusual' vegetables/fruits/other ingredients can also perk things up- avocado, plantain, okra, green tomatoes, pickles, mochi, hard boiled eggs, whole green olives.
What non-grilled dishes you serve could depend on what you choose to grill. Potato salad, coleslaw, baked beans, mac and cheese, cornbread/casserole/spoonbread, stewed or sauteed greens, salads using grilled ingredients (for example, if you grill radicchio and red onion, serve it with fennel, beets, mizuna, fresh mint and basil, pine nuts and reduced balsamic). Alternative takes on those traditional dishes tend to go over well with both omnis and vegetarians ( I had success with my own versions of these: http://noteatingoutinny.com/2009/06/10/honey-miso-coleslaw-hoisin-chipotle-baked-beans-and-curry-rosemary-potato-salad/ ).
For dessert, grill fruit, poundcake, angel food cake, stuffed french toast, cupcakes grilled in orange shells: (http://www.theungourmet.com/2009/08/time-to-grill-cupcakes.html) with ice cream, whipped cream, zabaglione, etc.
Also, cookbooks for more inspiration:
http://books.google.com/books?id=KaK1TlIfod8C&printsec=frontcover&dq=vegetarian+grill&hl=en&ei=JefcS6yABYSclgf8tZj3DA&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1&ved=0CDoQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q&f=false
http://books.google.com/books?id=kfISD8DXARIC&printsec=frontcover&dq=vegetarian+grill&hl=en&ei=JefcS6yABYSclgf8tZj3DA&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=2&ved=0CEAQ6AEwAQ#v=onepage&q&f=false
best store bought pesto?
What type of store bought are we talking here? Of the most widely available brands, discounting gourmet and local companies (like scarpetta), Buitoni I prefer to trader joe's and to costco's. If you have safeway, safeway select pesto is decent.
Classico, alessi, and roland are some I stay away from purposefully.
Macadamia Nut Brittle Ice Cream
Maybe you can order specially from their food service website? http://preview.haagendazs.com/foodservice.aspx
A quick google gave me this:
http://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&sl=de&u=http://ostwestwind.twoday.net/stories/5691926/
As for making the brittle, no, that's all there is to it. If I had an ice cream maker, I'd just make macadamia brittle and add it to this recipe: http://www.davidlebovitz.com/archives/2009/08/caramelized_white_chocolate_ice.html#more
Or, I'd add macadamia nuts to this:
http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20100104/bacon_ice_cream_100104/20100104?hub=CanadaAMV2
Side dish help
How are you flavoring the short ribs?
If you hate mashed potatoes, do you also hate celery root, sweet potato, yam, squash, and white bean mashes/purees? If so, creamy/(gorgonzola! marscapone!) cheesy polenta or grits, qunioa/barley/other whole grain pilaf, spaetzle, orzo, spaghetti squash, chickpea fries. Or if you're feeling like putting in the time, fresh pasta, gnocchi or gnudi (try adding fresh horseradish to the dough).
Plus another vegetable, like: Shaved brussels sprouts with pine nuts or hazelnuts, browned butter, lemon.
Sauteed greens - swiss chard, turnip/mustard greens, spinach or kale- with tomatoes, garlic, red wine, sultanas, preserved lemon, pearl onions-- depending on your tastes.
Glazed/caramelized carrots, parsnips, turnips, celery- whatever combination you like.
Asparagus or broccoli rabe, prepared simply.
What to serve vegetarians on St. Patrick's day
Pssssshh No problem. To begin with, tempeh can be a great option, and while probably not the best for corned beef specifically for textural and flavor reasons, either pre-made facon bacon or strips you marinade yourself can. For example, homemade seitan: http://blog.fatfreevegan.com/2008/03/dublin-coddle-with-vegan-irish-sausages.html
(Note that that link also has other St. Paddy's appropriate recipes).
You could even try your hand at vegetarian corned beef: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/kerry-trueman/seitan-fit-for-a-saint-ve_b_175356.html
Also:
-Stew, 'beef' and guinness, potato and leek, white bean and cabbage, barley split pea and mixed vegetable.
-Pot pie, root vegetable and mushroom pie with herbed biscuit topping, or shephrrd's pie - you can use packaged faux meat, marinated/baked tofu/tvp/tempeh, mushrooms, eggplant, lentils, or a combination to replace the meat.
-Non-traditional, but green, quiche, frittata or souffle.
On the side, soda bread, beer pread, colcannon, champ, pease pudding, parsnips roasted with apple...there's plenty to make a veg happy.
Fresh ricotta ideas (no sweets, please)
Tarts, savory tarts/galettes/pies/strudels. Zucchini, leek, aspargus, dill, egg, ricotta and feta in phyllo. Asparagus, pecorino romano, ricotta, nutmeg, lemon zest, spinach in puff pastry. Artichoke hearts, roasted bell pepper, sundried tomato, garlic, onion...add at will.
What to do with "chewy" dulce de leche?
Yeah, you'll be fine thinning it with some milk or cream.
It can also be used for ice cream, cheesecake, mousse, candies/bon bons (spread some between two spiced pecans, mix with marzipan or marscapone or frangipane and stuff a date with it, dip those chocolate!), frosting, sticky buns, blend it into peanut butter, make chocolate dulce de leche custard....
Why don't dry beans come out like canned beans
As others have mentioned, the age of your beans and time cooking are most likely the culprits here. But, hard water can also be the problem- how's the ph of the water you're using? If you have hard water, increase both your soaking and cooking time, and add a pinch of baking soda to to your soaking water. Also, beware that hard boiling beans can toughen them by coagulating their protein, causing beans to split and making them harder to digest, so stick to lower heat and longer cooking times. If you are at a high altitude, this is yet another explanation, you'll have to double your cooking times.
The first step for you is to get rid of the beans you've been using, as it sounds like they're over a year old if you don't remember when they were fresh, and use them as pie weights.
Perfect beans for me always involve 12+ hours of soaking, medium heat and keeping the beans Covered during cooking, adding a strip of KOMBU and epazote during cooking.
And I'll repeat what others have said: calcium, sugar, and acid tend to keep beans tough (this is why baked beans don't turn to mush), so add your citrus, wine, tomato, mustard, sweeteners, etc. when your beans are already as tender as you'd like them.
ISO recipe for cheese blintz-danish
That sounds awfully like a bureka, but burekas are usually more savory, so I'm almost positive that those pastries are delkelekh/delkelach. You can find a recipe online, but I'd trust my grandmother- cheat with frozen puff pastry dough, and for the filling use a mixture of cheeses amounting to about a pound(ricotta, cottage, cream cheese, and sour cream), a few big soup spoons of sugar, a dash of vanilla, a pinch of salt. Lemon juice and two egg yolks are optional.
That said, was the dough more flakey like strudel - looking somewhat like this: http://www.agakitchen.com/home/2010/1/27/cheese-topfen-strudel.html? In which case, you could use a similar filling, and phyllo. Or was the dough more similar to that of a croissant, shaped more like pan au chocolat?
Bacon wrapped jalapenos
Try upping that by stuffing the dates with goat cheese, it's dangerous, truly.
For the stuffed jalapenos, try mixing the cream cheese with:
smoked chedder, a touch of chipotle powder, and sundried tomatoes
garlic, cilantro, cumin, and lime juice with slices of roasted bell pepper and avocado (or, just pair guacamole with cream cheese)
chorizo, diced red onion, and queso fresco
capers, parsley, worcestershire sauce, and toasted nori blended with chopped walnuts or achovies
roughly chopped or slivered strawberries and a dash each of whiskey and vanilla
cranberries, horseradish, shallots, and dijon
ginger, garlic, soy sauce, honey, scallions, shredded carrot and whole mint leaves
lots of caramelized onions
Also, this may sound strange, but try stuffing the jalapeno with peanut butter (or peanut butter with mango) and wrapping with bacon.
