I'm a beginner pie-maker. I've only made pumpkin and apple pie so far, and today I'm attempting my first berry pie that requires a thickener: a cherry rhubarb pie to be exact!

So the recipe I found calls for a 1/4 cup of quick-cooking tapioca. I don't have that, but I do have tapioca starch on hand from making pandan waffles. Would that work instead? Can I use the same amount or more/less?

Also, I'm wondering if I should make a lattice-top or not...

Thanks ahead of time! :)

My BF and I have sausage in our fridge all the time. Try it with...

- Pizza! Take it out of the casing or slice 'em. I like pairing it with arugula and feta.
- Bolognese would be wonderful.
- Orriecchiette, broccoli, diced tomatoes, with either a cream or olive oil sauce. Classic.
- Stuffed in mushroom caps
- With curry sauce, German-style
- With roasted or sauteed greens, like what pinehurst suggested, and brown rice pilaf or lemony orzo

It is just you.
I've worked in both retail and food service for years. Basically, that employee needs to stay on their dedicated register for accounting purposes described upthread. I've worked at a retail outlet with a policy that if the cash in register is off by more than four dollars, it puts you at risk for termination. So please don't think that employee was messing with you, they're just trying to do their job.

Haha. Hope you made some coleslaw.

A fried egg over easy for me, scrambled eggs with Tapatio and pepper jack for the boyfriend. Both of us had it with wheat toast and a handful of tiny fresh heirloom tomatoes (almost as sweet as fruit, it was the best part of breakfast honestly!). He had coffee, I had orange juice with 1/2 a tsp of vitamin C powder, since I've been feeling clammy. :P So simple, but it was soo delicious.

After a late night of drinks with a friend, we needed something fresh but hearty (woke up a little late, but yay it's Saturday). We just moved to a new apt, so I haven't been cooking as much until today. A late lunch of peppery baby mixed greens (straight from a very reliable vegetable wholesaler) with juicy heirloom tomatoes, sliced cucumber, a pinch of freshly grated romano, and some croutons made from leftover Dutch Crunch bread, all topped with a touch of raspberry balsamic vinaigrette. Then, a plate of sea shell pasta tossed in a quick tomato sauce that's seasoned with red wine, fresh basil, and slightly browned minced garlic. And romano cheese on top, of course.

It's nothing especially gourmet, but sometimes the simple things really hit the spot.

Had some leftover Mexican rice from dinner last night, so I fried up an egg, melted some jack cheese on top, and had a super easy lunch of huevos rancheros. With lots of fresh garlicky salsa and cilantro.

I don't know many since I always go to Naan n Masala in Milpitas (it's close to my parent's place). Their service is great, and always have delicious samosas and naan. I would recommend it for dinner.

Here is the menu:
http://www.naannmasala.com/menu.html

Interesting! How was the bread? I'm a stickler for requiring good, crispy bread for my banh mi. I'm a bit spoiled when it comes to banh mi since I grew up in San Jose. (My mother tells me to never buy banh mi over $4, naturally.)

I would suggest having traditional British tea sandwiches as appetizers. Cucumber sandwiches with herb cream cheese, smoked salmon with lemon butter, ham with grainy mustard, some good English cheese with chutney (mmm!). Instead of serving these with tea, serve with drinks, specifically gin (double mmm!).

For mains, everyone else above had the best suggestions. Dessert seems to be a lot easier. Lots of pies and tarts, maybe treacle tarts? Trifles would work, too, and are probably a lot easier as well.

Everyone's advice above sounds good. Try to keep the dish covered with foil and a kitchen towel on top to help keep it warm. Just lift at one end to serve, then cover again.

I don't have any recipes myself, but I found a few.

If you have an ice cream maker, here's a recipe for Mango Coconut ice cream. It's nice because you can make it ahead of time, like the day before.

https://thepatternedplate.files.wordpress.com/2012/05/mango-ice-cream1.pdf

If you don't have an ice cream maker, this recipe for mango sorbet with a coconut cream slush topping sounds delicious.

http://www.muybuenocookbook.com/2011/04/mango-coconut-sorbet/

Otherwise, HillJ's suggestion sounds great too. Mango slices with coconut whipped cream sounds heavenly, perhaps with some toasted shredded coconut sprinkled on top, too.

A recipe for coconut whipped cream:
http://kblog.lunchboxbunch.com/2011/0...

Stuff like a quick glug of olive oil, sauteed onions and carrots. Also a splash of red wine or balsamic vinegar, which I know doesn't make it marinara, but I like adding some acidity to jarred sauces. You just don't get the same acidity as you do with fresh tomatoes. I also like to brighten it up with some fresh herbs like a little bit of flat-leaf parsley and basil. OH and thinly sliced garlic, made slightly golden from sauteeing it in olive oil. Mmm, I am a major garlic fiend, much to my boyfriend's chagrin.

Let it simmer, then toss a little bit of it to freshly cooked pasta. Grate some fresh pecorino romano over and DONE. One of my favorite meals, and it's ridiculously easy. :)

Oh, be careful not to get any ginger or onions in the bowls as you ladle the broth. You could strain it out if you like, of course. Also, hoisin sauce and sriracha sauce are the usual condiments.

For chicken, you could probably just get the instant chicken pho powder and use the same recipe, except with cooked chicken breast meat. You could also use beef broth or chicken broth instead of water for more flavor, just make sure to use low-sodium versions.

Good luck and good eats! :)

If it's a powder, here's a revised version of that recipe:

Serves 6-8.

2 large onions, halved lengthwise
1 (3-inch) piece fresh ginger, left unpeeled
1 tb peanut oil
7 qt cold water
instant beef pho powder, amount according to package
1 (1/2-lb) piece boneless beef sirloin steak or tenderloin
1 lb dried rice noodles (banh pho)
1 lb bean sprouts
4 limes, quartered
1 bunch basil, cilantro, or mint, rinsed and stemmed
Asian fish sauce (preferably Vietnamese nuoc mam), or to taste
Vietnamese chili paste (sriracha) (Huy Fong is a good brand.)

1. Chop ginger into coins. Slice onions. Add to stockpot with oil, cook over medium heat until onions being to color.
2. Cover with 6-7 quarts of cold water. Add instant beef pho powder according to the package. Simmer for about 10-15 minutes.
3. Adjust seasoning with fish sauce, if needed. Add only a tbsp at a time and taste until you're satisfied with the flavor.
4. Place sirloin in the freezer for approximately 30 minutes, and sharpen your best knife. Slice sirloin against the grain, as thinly as possible. Cover and refrigerate.
5. Soak or cook the rice noodles according to the directions on the package, remembering that the noodles will be immersed in hot broth, so less soaking or cooking is a better bet than more.
6. Blanch the bean sprouts for 30 seconds in a pot of boiling water. Drain. (This is optional. The bean sprouts will cook in your bowl when you add them to the hot soup.)
7. Place a portion of noodles in individual bowls. Layer the brisket and sirloin over the noodles. At the table, pour the hot broth over the individual bowls (the broth will cook the sirloin. Pass basil, limes, sprouts, and Vietnamese chili paste (sriracha), and fish sauce. Stir well to combine ingredients and cook sirloin.

You can definitely use that, but keep in mind that pho normally involves a lot of different ingredients that are not involved in making the broth, such as spices and herbs. The good thing is that you can give or take any of the ingredients according to your personal tastes.

Here's a good recipe I found:
http://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/20...

Is your instant beef pho mix a liquid or powder?

While the whole pig would indeed make for great presentation, I think ordering it cut up was a wise choice. Not everyone will know how to properly cut a piece of pork off a whole pig. It's having a badly butchered pig (no pun intended) versus evenly cut pieces that everyone can just grab and eat. It's also a lot more convenient, especially since you'd be busy doing other things for the party (I assume you're the host). Also, most guests probably don't expect to work to get some food. What may have ended up happening is that only one or two people are doing the cutting for everyone else, which isn't very fun or exactly fair.

Anyway, hope you have a great party! Roast pork is amazing. :)

Uh... That's almost like asking for a miracle. Ha, I kid. What type, beef or chicken? According to my Vietnamese grandmother, chicken is a lot easier.

Well said!

This is a good article from NYT that discusses the issue:

"But what about PAM or other cooking sprays? I often put a few squirts on my nonstick frying pans.

Not a great idea, I was told. After a time, the build-up in the areas where the heat doesn’t burn the spray off — like on the sides of a frying pan — becomes sticky and pasty. I found this to be true of my pans, but didn’t know why.

Mr. Winter said it’s the soy lecithin in the spray that causes that stickiness. Instead, he recommends just using oil or a spray called Baker’s Joy that also contains flour.

For due diligence, I checked in with DuPont, the makers of Teflon, and a spokeswoman said in an e-mail that “it is acceptable” to use nonstick cooking sprays although “not necessary.” "

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/18/you...

From the other replies, it seems like grinding it the night before shouldn't be a problem. You should make sure to keep in an airtight container.

A coffee snob I know claims the best way to grind beans is by a manual burr grinder. They seem to be pretty expensive, but probably wouldn't be as loud as an automatic one.

And I believe you mean "barista"; "barrister" refers to a type of lawyer. :)

- YES to dried mushrooms. It's one of my pantry staples because they can last a long time. Just make sure to keep it in an airtight container after you open them because they are normally packaged in non-resealable plastic bags.

- If you want, try getting some Chinese soy sauce as well as Kikkoman. However, Kikkoman alone is usually good for most dishes that require soy.

- Wonton wrappers, though perishable. I think they can be frozen, but I'm not entirely sure.

- Any vegs that you can't get easily at your usual market, like bok choy, jicama, pea sprouts, etc

- When grabbing sesame oil, be sure to read the label carefully because a lot of sesame oils are blended with soybean oil. Look for "pure sesame oil," they're normally packaged in small glass bottles.

- Sriracha in the squeeze bottle and/or garlic-chili paste that comes in plastic jars and green lids.

- Rice vinegar

- Miso paste, white is the most versatile.

- Mirin and/or Chinese cooking wine

- Gochujang, a slightly sweet Korean chili paste, but only if you like to cook Korean food, like soondubu jjigae or bibimbap

- Kombu, if you cook a lot of Japanese food; it's also essential for miso soup

- Dashi, again if you like making miso soup and other Japanese soups

- Tofu, though it is perishable. Firm tofu is very versatile, prefried tofu is great with stir-fries.

- Roasted seaweed snacks (YUM)

- Do you make a lot of pies? Rice flour is very helpful for rolling out pie dough because it doesn't develop gluten, so it won't make your dough tough like using regular flour to roll it out.

- If you're into it, try grabbing a few instant noodle soup packs or bowls. Not exactly healthy, but they're cheap and fun to try out since most Asian markets have a huge selection.

Man, that's all I can think of for now. Good luck, and have fun! :)

Ben & Jerry's.

I LOVE Francesco Rinaldi's. No high fructose corn syrup or weird preservatives in there either. I do jazz it up with other stuff of course, but it's cheap and delicious on its own as well.

I love the following, but not all on the same burger: sliced avocado (I'm a California girl), jack cheese, sauteed mushrooms, bacon, grilled onion. I always have tomato, lettuce, dill pickles, mayo, and ketchup.

My favorite type of bun, however, is a soft french roll that's slightly crisp from being on the griddle. Weird, but I love it!

I eat and shop in a similar way. I like to use extra veg scraps for vegetable stock. You can save the veg scraps and peels in a quart-sized Ziploc bag in the freezer. Once the bag is full, put them in a large stock pot, cover with cold water, and bring it to a boil. Once it's boiling, lower heat to a simmer. Let it simmer for 45 minutes to an hour. Let cool, strain, separate into plastic containers, freeze. Then you'll always have delicious, homemade vegetable stock on hand. It'll add more complex flavor to your soups and even make vegetable gravy (use a tiny bit of cornstarch since you're gluten-free).

http://thestonesoup.com/blog/2010/05/...

My trick for margaritas is using frozen limeade/lemonade juice concentrate. I try avoiding margarita mix, it's usually watered down and a ripoff.

My usual recipe for 2 drinks:

3 oz frozen limeade/lemonade concentrate
3 oz silver tequila
1 oz triple sec
splash of orange juice
1/2 tray of ice (it makes a drink that's slightly thick but still drinkable)

If you're into it, add a handful of berries, like strawberries or cherries. In the picture, I added some Bing cherries. It was delicious!

You can add more juice concentrate if you like a stronger citrus flavor.

Also, stock usually isn't salted, hence its use as an ingredient. Broth is usually salted.

Chicken broth, I believe, is like a clarified version of stock. Basically, it's clear, while stock isn't. In my opinion, stock has more flavor. From my experience, boullion is just broth in powdered form.

Also, stock is used as an ingredient, broth can be consumed as-is.

http://www.kitchenbasics.net/display....

Actually I was wondering if there were any good bars in the Haight and Castro areas? So far, I only know of Alembic and Blackbird. I'd like to have a back-up plan just in case my group and I get too lazy to trek out to North Beach after dinner (sushi! and lots of it!).