miss_mia's Profile
King Cake recipe?
after 2 1/2 years in New Orleans, my 10 year old has decided it's time to make a King Cake from scratch. Does anyone have a recipe to recommend? It's a rainy weekend - perfect for baking!
Sourdough problem
Was this started from nothing - just flour and water - or did you have some "seed" starter that you were growing? The only thing I can think of is mold, which seems unlikely to sprout overnight. Unless there were a precious ingredient in there, I would pitch it.
Any thoughts on L2?
Writing to ask the same thing - we're planning dinner after my husband's doctorate graduation, but we live out of town, and my sister-in-law who's local has small kids and doesn't eat out much. I'd welcome thoughts on L2 - the other frontrunner is Matyson, which seems to be well reviewed here and I like the menu posted online.
Comments about Bittman's turkey breast, thigh recipe in Sunday's Times?
I was just coming here with the same question - my husband is lobbying for whole turkey, but I'm intrigued by the method...
Uses for Pomegranate Syrup
I use it primarily for marinating lamb, with garlic & some olive oil - with a long marinating period, it's very tangy and delicious.
I'll have to try the swiss chard!
planning an evening of turkish...ish... delights- menu help?
I'm a big fan of Paula Wolfert, and I would heartily recommend her recipe for Circassian Chicken from (I'm pretty sure) Mediterranean Cooking. People go absolutely wild for it. Looking at the recipes available from other sources online, it seems like her version has far, far more walnuts in it.
She also has a wonderful salad with butter lettuce, orange slices, and a sweet dressing of orange juice and rose water that is a perfect after-dinner salad. I think it's called Shlada Belech?
I've been wanting to try the Persian love cake, mentioned above, but there's always baklava. If you have time to mail order, Shatila Pastries in Michigan makes outstanding baklava.
ISO Ground Lamb Recipe
Lamb meatballs are wonderful; another option would be the Turkish pizza called "pide." Paula Wolfert has a good recipe - maybe in the cookbook "Mediterranean Cooking," but here's a link to another version: http://www.recipezaar.com/129651.
Favorite egg brunch item?
I've volunteered to bring a savory egg casserole to a weekly potluck, but I don't have a favorite recipe. For quantity, I need a 9x13 pan. Share your inspirations, please!
Many thanks!
I got a pizza / baking stone...now what? - Need a cookbook
One editorial comment: You might consider getting a good digital scale that measures in grams - it is really helpful for making bread.
You might try Bread: A bakers book of techniques and recipes by Jeffrey Hamelman, or Alton Brown's I'm Just Here for More Food: Food x Mixing + Heat = Baking. I think that Baking Illustrated volume from Cooks Illustrated might also have good guidance. I started off with Beard on Bread, which seems ubiquitous in used book stores - I found myself with more than one copy somehow!
I took a breadmaking course at a yoga center in the Berkshires last year - there were beginners as well as one nutty woman who ground her own flour. It radically changed the quality of the bread I could produce. http://www.kripalu.org/program/view/ALL/NBNL81/bread
Good side dish with tacos?
As the working mother of a 5 and 8 year old who are blessedly adventurous in their eating (you should see them pack away sushi), I'm embarrassed to say that I've have come to making tacos periodically for their ease and convenience. My kids pack these away, too, and I've decided I need a good side dish to help fill them up. Any recipes to share for beans, spanish rice, or another suggestion? Many thanks!
Looking for tri-tip advice
A year ago, it seemed like tri-tip was the big topic around here, and I could *never* find it in my local markets. Now that I've moved, I can finally find it, but my searches here are fruitless! (the search engine returns "try" instead of "tri," so it's frustrating.)
Please advise on your favorite recipes/marinades and best ways of cooking. I had good results one time, but have been less than impressed the last two times, but I'm blundering my way through it.
Many thanks!
Best groceries?
Just moved to Uptown from the northeast and am befuddled... I've been to Sav-a-Center, Winn Dixie Marketplace & Langenstein's - and Whole Foods, of course. I'm used to things like chicken sausage, inexpensive seltzer water, and such are available.
Are there any CSA's around, or just the French Market?
Many thanks, y'all.
Embarrassment of riches - homegrown strawberries
My strawberries are out of control. I'm not a jam person - and we're moving in a month. I tend to make lots of simple gelato, but would love other dessert (or other) ideas!
Thank you, Jeffrey Hamelman
I started making yeast breads in college (never had much success with starter), so with more than fifteen years under my belt thought I knew what I was doing. In February, I went to a weekend retreat on breadbaking by Richard Bourdon from Berkshire Mountain Bakery, which got me comfortable with starter / levain.
Bourdon mentioned Hamelman's book, Bread: A Baker's Book of Techniques. I've been baking out of it for less than a week, and it has brought my bread baking to new heights. WOW what a difference!
I've never had bread rise as well as his does - either it's the proportions or the timing of folding (instead of punching down). I've never gotten good "oven spring" before, but with Hamelman's steaming techniques, I'm getting a beautiful rise (if only I could perfect my slashing techniques...). His explanations are thorough, and the illustrations are surprisingly helpful, since they're hand-drawn.
DH thinks I'm out of control - I've made six loaves since Friday, and all have been good. My boules didn't cool enough this morning before I left for work, so I brought them in the car!
Tonight: Normandy Apple Bread...
Uses for home-canned peaches?
I canned some peaches last summer, and my family is not exactly eating them up - nor am I. I just don't find them significantly different from store-bought canned peaches.
Any good ideas for ways to repurpose this fruit? Thanks...
Help me use my $5 "butter" - it's getting mouldy!
Tiramisu is the classic use for mascarpone. For many options, you could search for it on epicurious.com.
Need suggestion for blue cocktails
I was just in a friend's office, and she was perusing a variety of drinks for a bridal shower this weekend. The bride's color is turquoise, so she's looking at recipes with Blue Curacao.
The common combos seem to be variations on vodka and lemonade. Options with orange juice seem like the color would be unappealing.
For a crowd, I would lean toward something like vodka, frozen lemonade concentrate, and seltzer.
Any suggestions?
King Arthur waffles - best I've ever made
Wow. I've tried lots of recipes - my grandmother's, CI, raised waffles from Epi, and this one outshines them all.
http://www.kingarthurflour.com/shop/recipe.jsp?recipe_id=R59
I felt weird leaving buttermilk out on the counter all night, but it rose beautifully and made wonderful, light, crisp waffles. I recommend it highly!
Your favorite ravioli filling?
Swiss chard - I think I blended a few sources, but there are plenty of recipes online.
Rao's maranara sauce @ $10 - What gives?
Those Wegman's house brands really do draw you in - I tried the same recently and thought it quite good, too.
boneless chicken breast in the crockpot
Chiming in here - I find that boneless chicken in the CP is disastrous.
What's your favorite marinade for flank steak? (when accompanied by red wine)
I usually use the olive oil / spice rub, but one of my all-time fave marinades is the Silver Palate "Grilled mixed grill" - soy sauce, ginger, a little sesame oil, pepper, garlic, lemon zest. Yum!
Can you freeze chocolate sour cream frosting?
I find that most things can be frozen, but they might need some work on the other end. I'll never forget my sister, 9 months pregnant, hosting Thanksgiving dinner. She had made *everything* ahead of time, and when she got the sinful mashed potatoes (made with cream cheese and sour cream) out of the freezer and defrosted them, they had separated into solid and liquid - she thought because she had used lo/no fat. A whip with the mixer and they were fine.
Rao's maranara sauce @ $10 - What gives?
I've got to admit, I find it pretty exceptional. I had always scoffed at it until I found a recipe called "Liar's Soup" in Real Simple (1 jar Rao's, 1 can cannelini beans, garlic), and it insisted that it had to be Rao's. I bought it when it was marked down from $7.99 to $6.99, and I found it quite delicious. Worth it? Maybe not - but I never did try that soup recipe, so I picked up a jar a few weeks ago.
Cooking bone-in split turkey breast
My kids are complaining that they don't want sandwiches in their lunches anymore, so I picked up a turkey breast on a whim. I now realize that I have no clue how to cook a 2 1/4 lb bone-in breast. I'll probably cube it to pack in lunches - and perhaps on salad for myself.
Brining???
Need a good Thanksgiving appetizer
We are having Thanksgiving with foodie friends, and you know how anxiety provoking that can be (How much do I have to spend to bring an acceptable bottle of champagne? *sigh*)
Anyway, I've been given the option of bringing an appetizer. My usual impressive but simple app is a tapas shrimp in garlic sauce, but I don't think it would travel well, and I wouldn't want to take up stovetop space when gravy is being prepared. I also thought of gougeres, but again there's the oven issue.
I'm open to any and all ideas! Thanks.
Bittman's No Knead bread is out of the oven - anyone else?
I threw together the dough last night in a free minute and put it above the fridge. I used 1 cup whole wheat and 2 cups white flour - no bread flour, though I can't imagine where it went to!
This morning, I prepped it for the second rise, let it sit out for 1 hour, then threw it in the fridge when I left. Honestly, I think it might have been fine out all day. I cooked it in the Le Creuset when I got home, going close to 45 mins.
I must agree with Bittman - the crust is absolutely extraordinary. I'll definitely make again.
Anyone else? I see it's still on the top of the most e-mailed list - I sent it to my family just now!
Soup recipes for nursing vegetarian mom?
If you're looking for a good galactagogue, barley is wonderful. I made a barley and mushroom soup off epicurious when I was nursing - I'm pretty sure it was this one http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/recipe_views/views/103869. Of course, you can substitute for the chicken stock.
You might also try the Tunisian leblebi http://www.lindystoast.com/2006/02/leblebi_tunisia.html (with or without tuna, depending on your vegetarianism)
And when I was looking for leblebi, I ran across this - chickpeas and barley: http://paulawolfert.com/recipes/farro.html
You might also try the Kripalu cookbook, which many libraries have.
Help with Brussel Sprouts on a Stalk
I'd guess that they'd be OK - I've found that the hardier veggies from my CSA are fine well after a week from pickup. It's a hardy veg that likes the cold, so it should be fine in the fridge.
They are so tempting when sold like that - they look like they're from another planet!
Any home Coffee Roasters out there..?
We used to do it in the Alpenrost (a gift), but we got burned out by the uneven results. When it worked, it did make the very best coffee, though.
