akcskye's Profile
Mother's or Grandmother's treasured passed down recipe....
Sure, give me a day or 2 to come up with the recipe...she died last year and it's hand-written somewhere at her house.
I can make from memory by eyeing it, but I just don't want to leave out any crucial elements as I've only made it twice myself.
Mother's or Grandmother's treasured passed down recipe....
I love my grandma's cheese and ham loaf, with cream cheese.
She used to make it for her bridge club, and then served it for Thanksgiving, and taught me how to make it in 2005...so rich, but so GOOOOOOOOOODDDDDDDDDD!!!
Pantry Stocking: YOUR opinions
All of these things are awesome!!! Please keep the suggestions coming...I love sharing things like this, I think it helps us all. :)
It's Chicken and Dumplings tonight!
I'm wondering if the poster was wanting the tomato dumpling recipe, just assuming, by their name, southernitalian, vs. wanting the bisquick recipe???
portion sizes
"I don't think there is competition between fine restaurants or even ordninary restaurants and all you can eat buffets."
Okay, then by your own example, explain how Golden Corral and another comparable restaurant, Western Sizzlin, have buffets now, when they didn't in the past if there isn't any competition between even an ordinary restaurant vs. AYCE?
Pantry Stocking: YOUR opinions
More excellent suggestions...thanks!
I've never used Oyster Sauce though...or had a recipe call for it?
Isn't that an oriental flavoring, or can it go "beyond" oriental food?
portion sizes
I absolutely and wholeheartedly agree with you.
I think a lot of the reason the portions have increased so largely in the restaurants is because of the All You Can Eat Buffets that abound here in the states.
No longer does someone see it reasonable to pay $6.99 for a regular menu portion when just down the road, they can get AYCE for the same price or within a few dollars of that, so they've had to increase the portions to compete.
I have long held the stand that AYCE would be the ruination of society...and, well, it has.
Not only does the AYCE allow portions to go out of control, people seem to be much ruder and impatient now than ever before, so they belly up to the AYCE so they can eat without having to wait, over-eat, then waddle out to their cars...UGH
Just my .02.
Pantry Stocking: YOUR opinions
Excellent suggestions Amanda, and stuff that I always do seem to need, too...thanks!
Sushi code/rules [Moved from Los Angeles Area board]
As in making them yourself?
I know you ask for Sushi grade fish at your fish monger, or tell them you're making Sushi so you get the best cuts.
At a bar, ordering...I don't know there...about the only "rule" I know of at a Sushi bar is to always, if you use sauce, to place the non-dipped part of the Sushi on your tongue for the best taste, that it can offend a Sushi Chef if you over-do the sauce and not taste the true flavor of their masterpiece.
What is Your Favorite Non-Foodie Thanksgiving Dish?
No, I don't think it'd be gross at all. I like the idea of potato chips as the topping vs. crackers or bread crumbs...that would give you the salt without having to add it...I wonder...do you use plain chips? I bet ranch chips would be delish!
It's Chicken and Dumplings tonight!
No problem, CC.
You don't put potatoes in stew? It may be a regional thing...in Oklahoma, where I live, I've never seen a stew without them!
But, the dumplings may very well be a good fit in your beef stew...it would add the acidity, as well as be a little more hearty, like a Shephard's Pie without being baked, is how I picture it.
Ordering Prime Steaks as a gift... [Moved from Home Cooking board]
I have never ordered steaks, but I hope my opinion helps.
IMO, the never frozen would be better because freezing just seems to damage the meat, whether they're eventually freezer burned or not.
I just seem to detect a freshness difference in frozen and never frozen at my own meat counter...so that's why I give this opinion to you.
What is Your Favorite Non-Foodie Thanksgiving Dish?
Picture whipped cream and fruit cocktail mixed together with coconut flakes, and you basically have Ambrosia...there may have been some jello involved, but I can't remember.
Pantry Stocking: YOUR opinions
You see everyone's ideal pantry stocking of dry goods and flavorings, etc in their cookbooks...but what about us real chefs/home-cooks/wannabes?
What do you always keep on hand that you know you can always turn to to deliver a great meal? Do you keep things that have been considered by your grandmom's mom to be in-substituteable (if that's a word...haha), or do you have other staples in your pantry?
Care to share?
Here's some of my basics:
(Dry)
AP Flour
SR Flour
Sugar
Brown Sugar
Brown Beans
Rice
Cornstarch
Baking Soda
Baking Powder
Yeast Packets
Sweet Baking Chips (chocolate, PB, etc)
Garlic Salt
Salt (Kosher/Sea/Iodized)
Pepper (Powdered and Whole)
An assortment of pastas.
(Wet/Flavorings)
Vanilla (Pure and Extract)
Hot Sauces (all types)
Canned chilis/pimientos
Canned tomatoes for sauces
Diced tomatoes
Beans and veggies (frozen)
Okay...so, is this pretty good, or what would you do differently?
I'd LOVE to compare with you guys/gals.
Thanks!
Kristi
It's Chicken and Dumplings tonight!
I would be concerned about the acidity of the tomato dumpling in contrast with the traditional seasonings in the stock.
Perhaps if you were making an Italian themed C&D, using basil, oregano, and the like in the broth, they would pair well...but I don't think tomato dumplings would mesh right, if you will.
My grandmother taught me her dumpling recipe in 2005, our last Thanksgiving together (we didn't know it at the time...well, I think she did...she insisted she show me all the old recipes that were always on the table...it seemed urgent), but unfortunately, I'm sworn to secrecy about the dumpling prep and even the cutting of them...but dang, they're SO good...I'm so glad she shared with me.
Dishes or meals that you love to cook...but not to eat?
I totally hear you there.
Jellos and stiff puddings aren't a favorite in my texture book either...but I bet the brulee would be fun...I like torches... haha
Dishes or meals that you love to cook...but not to eat?
Hungry...do what I did...invest in some laying hens (seriously, I have 10, for laying only...once they quit, they die happy pets at the NATURAL end of their life...not in a stew pot)...you know exactly what is going into the eggs by what you feed them...problem solved...and fresh is SO much better, IMO!
What is Your Favorite Non-Foodie Thanksgiving Dish?
I'm a huge cranberry sauce fan...so this sounds delish!
What is Your Favorite Non-Foodie Thanksgiving Dish?
My family liked this, but I did not...Ambrosia...UGH.
See, I am motivated first by texture, then by taste. Ambrosia has Coconut flakes in it...and whipped cream isn't supposed to be chunky. LOL
Other than that, tastes good...but it's one of those things that was always a staple on the holiday table.
is there a dishwasher brand you can NOT go wrong with??
My mom and dad have a 30 + year old Whirlpool in counter dishwasher...has never failed us yet.
My husband and I don't have the luxury of being able to install a permanent dishwasher, so we bought a Whirlpool portable dishwasher...love it.
I just have a very good history with Whirlpool and their brands (Kitchen Aid, etc), so I stick to them...and my husband has worked in the Whirlpool location that makes the ovens for the last 12 years...so I can't wait to upgrade my kitchen to one of those ovens...the Whirlpool Gold line is awesome!
Breakfast Casserole
We used to make a breakfast casserole in the nursing home I used to work in, in the dietary department.
I adapted it to my own home recipe, so it is paraphrased...and there is a lot of "eyeing" to it.
8 eggs
8 slices of bacon
1 package of hashbrowns (shredded potatoes)
1 c milk
1 jar diced pimentos
1 8 oz package of cheese (more or less depending upon how you like it)
Preheat oven to 375ยบ
Fry the bacon until crisp, set aside.
Heat the hashbrowns through.
Scramble the eggs.
Spray casserole with Pam.
Add the hashbrowns, milk**, eggs, pimentos (strain the juice from them first) and finally cooked bacon (cut or chopped up), and cheese...stir and make it look nice in the dish.
**About the milk...eyeball this...you don't want your casserole to bake off runny...so if it doesn't make your casserole "just moist", it's probably too much, so pour some off.
Top with a final bit of cheese, bake until warm and bubbly.
The variations, obviously you can add bell peppers, hot peppers, onion, mushrooms, whatever to the mix or as the topping.
Self-Rising Flour?
My grandma mixes 1 egg, 2 tsp of olive oil together, and adds enough SRF and then milk to make a smooth, thick pancake style dough.
Sometimes she'll also add jalapenos and cheese and/or cornmeal to it, but just keep the consistency smooth and thicker.
Then she pours it in a buttered skillet, covers it, lets it cook up until it turns dry on the edges like a pancake, flips it, gives it another couple of minutes (in case you haven't guessed, there's lots of "eyeballing" to this...haha), then voila...skillet bread...cut into 8th's (pie pieces) and serve with butter...so good in a pinch.
What is Your Favorite Non-Foodie Thanksgiving Dish?
Okay...I know I'm going to get "churched"...haha
But seriously, what IS a foodie? I get called that all the time, I assumed it was because I want to ultimately be a chef...but now you're using it in a different context, so now I'm confused. LOL
Thanks in advance for the clarification anyone.
Dishes or meals that you love to cook...but not to eat?
I cannot stand the texture of wet/moist bread...it's totally a texture thing.
So, when I make Pineapple Upside Down cake for my family (especially for my mom), EVERYONE raves about it, and I've yet to taste it...and I started making it about 10 years ago when I saw the recipe on TV and thought "oh, that's pretty!". LOL
Football fan-guy friendly veggie dish??
OOOh...just thought of another...check Food Network online and look for a recipe Alton Brown did...it may just fit the bill, too.
He took Romaine Hearts, and somehow, I can't remember if it was griddle or grilled...but he actually cooked one side of it, and topped it with parmesean and something else...and it looked spectacular.
Football fan-guy friendly veggie dish??
Spinach/Artichoke Dip and homemade corn chips?
Grilled veggies and rice?
Salad seems to appeal to any lady...I know, I am one...how about just serving a small salad bar with some basics that the girls AND guys can pick from to create a side salad?
What recipes do you cook on Auto-Pilot?
Oh, they are the bomb...my family's favorite now!
Here ya go:
1 egg
1 c buttermilk
1 c sour cream
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 c flour
Mix all ingredients together gently. Let sit for 10 minutes while the batter rises (VERY important).
Lightly oil a medium hot griddle. Use a 1/4 measuring cup to pour batter onto the griddle.
Flip when bubbles start to break and edges appear dry.
Serve with warm maple syrup or homemade jam.
Serves 4.
Obviously, I only have the ingredients and rising process in my "brain cache" haha...so I typed the recipe verbatim for you so I would make sure I hadn't missed any small steps, so yours would turn out great, too.
***ETA: My recipe is hand written, so I don't know how old it is, where it originally came from (except from Grandma who said someone else gave it to her), so I don't know if it truly has a copyright or not.***
Let me know how you like them!
What recipes do you cook on Auto-Pilot?
Sour cream pancakes...they turn out so light and fluffy, and were definitely worth adding to my "brain cache".
If you were choosing one of these cookware sets...
Okay...
Now, considering I'm a wanna-be Chef (I can cook, and well, but on my own creations and family recipes...and waiting for school to start next year to be on the way to becoming a"real" chef)...
I would say that if you are wanting decent results but a lower end set...the Kitchenaid Gourmet Essentials would be a decent way to fit in a lower end set. You have a choice of a 10 or 12 piece...and without knowing the product totally, the different is probably either in the lids, OR maybe an extra saucepan or so.
I'll admit...I'm a budding chef with champagne tastes and a water (notice I didn't even say beer...haha) salary...so that's how, whether I had this amount in money OR rewards points...I'd swing it.
