Dee S's Profile
But you'll love it the way I cook it!
We are twins separated at birth. I detest beets but will eat those pink pickled eggs.
Garbage disposal uses
Wow!! I read through all the responses.....I was hoping to read about an ALTERNATIVE use for a disposal....you know, like making soup or shredding cheese.
Silly me!!! (I'm kidding people)
In all seriousness, please treat your disposal nicely and remember it is not intended to replace either your garbage bin or compost pile. It is an appliance designed to supplement your drainage system.
Around the World in 80 Plates [Split from Top Chef thread]
I watched it over two days. Not liking it at all. When they talked about the "most exceptional ingredient", I guessed it would be something the winning team could use and the losing team could not....but WTF on making the "most exceptional ingredient" be a MAIN ingredient; especially potato, which is so critical to pub food.
Yeah, I'm with everyone else here....not impressed. I might watch again to see if it gets better but I don't have my hopes up.
Seperate Checks?
Agreed. In fact, there are restaurants that are happy to provide you with separate checks and will add the obligatory large group gratuity on to each one of those checks for you.
Not uncommon......
Fair & carnival food
You're making me want to go to the TN State Fair! I've lived in TN for 5+ years now and have never made it. Might need a road trip and spend a couple days doing some exploring.....link to the TN State Fair website for others who may be interested
http://www.tennesseestatefair.org/
Say what?? Cooking comments that baffle you
Oh....my....heavens........maybe she didn't have any knives in the kitchen at all.
There are WAAAAY too many kitchens like those mentioned in several posts. I'm not terribly surprised to hear of high-end finishes in totally unused kitchens. It's very sad.
I would have some snarky comment like "Your pocket knives. What knives do you use in the kitchen or do you even cook?".....which is why they don't allow me to work with the general public anymore.
I'm proud to say my kitchen has pro-level appliances that are well used.
Paula Deen Sponsors the 0.5K walk for Diabetes-The Onion
You have a typo in your subject like....it's a 0.05k walk. Think of how long it would take to go 0.5k???
snort, chortle, chuckle, wheeze
And no, this is not a recording of the actual event!!! *grin*
Chopped All-Stars Finale (5/6/2012) [SPOILERS]
I am late to the party....watched the episode this morning and was so dissapointed to see Symon get Chopped first.
I don't know that Penny woman but I can see why people don't like her. She's got "bragging rights" for outcooking Symon? Puh-leeze........she didn't outcook him at all. He got chopped for missing the okra. If that didn't happen, I believe she would have gone first.
I was seriously hoping for a Symon/Samuelsson show down.
Say what?? Cooking comments that baffle you
Nice.....
Didn't want to reply to the original post because this is about eating not necessarily cooking....in the past, I've warned my adult son about trying new things while out at a restaurant. He's not a shy eater by any stretch but has never had gorgonzola cheese. He ordered a dish with gorgonzola on it. While eating, he remarked the dish didn't taste right. I asked him to clarify...his response was "I don't know; it tastes bad. Almost moldy."
He wanted to send it back but I told him it was the cheese and, if he wanted to send it back, he better not say because it tasted moldy. I wanted to smack him!!!
Asparagus Ideas?
Me three! Toss with salt, pepper and some olive oil....toss it on the grill and enjoy!!!
Ideas for Using Marinated Button Mushrooms
Addin my post from the other thread:
Pasta salad!
Take your favorite pasta shape (filled or not), toss with some veggies and the mushrooms, make a quick dressing with herbs/flavors that work well with the marinated mushroom flavor and toss. Maybe add in some cheese like a queso fresco and serve.
I don't cook marinated mushrooms; they're already to the point where the texture would suffer if heated.
My mouth is on fire! Memorable spicy food moments. [moved from Not About Food]
Mrs. Porker is one smart lady!! *grin*
My mouth is on fire! Memorable spicy food moments. [moved from Not About Food]
I love spicy but only if there is flavor behind it. I love habaneros for their floral essence as well as the heat they pack.
1. While in Cancun one year, we went to a little restaurant and they brough some salsa with chips. I asked if they had some spicy stuff and they said how spicy. I replied with muy picoso. The waiter nodded and left. A few minutes later, he returned with a little bowl of neatly diced orange habaneros, white onions in a lovely vinegar....followed by what appeared to be the entire kitchen staff. It was exactly what I was looking for. My husband and I both took a taste, chewed and savored. I remarked it perfect. The staff was waiting for the gringos heads to explode but it didn't. We had an enjoyable meal with most appropriate seasonings on all our dishes after that.
2. While visiting Kimeh, TX we wandered into the Tabasco Store. Tabasco has just started making jalapeno, habanero and garlic sauces but they were not yet available on a larger level. We were at the tasting table with nothing but the bottles of sauce; no crackers or anything to cleanse your palate before moving to the next sauce. My typical way of tasting is to put a line of sauce on my index finger and taste from there. I started with garlic, progressed to jalapeno and finished with habanero. Two guys were watching me taste and listening to me reporting back on the flavors. Their eyes bugged out when I put a neat one inch line of habanero on my finger and tasted. I remarked it had nice heat on the finish and had the floral notes I expected. No gasping, turning red or eye watering experience for me. The two guys decided it wasn't hot and proceeded to do the same thing.....I walked away thinking they would understand the heat of habaneros. A few minutes later, the two guys were clamoring at the drink cooler grabbing water (mistake....I know). After about 15 minutes, they walked over to me and asked how the heck I tasted that without my head exploding. I told them I was used to habaneros and they kind of freaked out.....then they asked me to taste it again to prove that I could tolerate it. So I did and they totally couldn't believe it and thought I had some secret up my sleeve.
I'm being gifted expired food.
That's exactly what I would do. If asked why I brought goodies made with the stuff the boss "gifted", I would say the boss was generous and gave me some food that I couldn't use up quickly enough. Thought it would be appropriate to share with the office. I will now wait for the firestorm of posts indicating that I'd be held liable if someone got sick......
Don't try to figure out the why,.....if you want it to stop, tell the boss you appreciate the gesture but can no longer accept the stuff. If it keeps appearing on your desk, toss it in the garbage container in a common area.
Doubling brisket recipe
Seconding your advice, Nyleve. I follow the ATK recipe with modifications (I add mushrooms...lots of mushrooms). I generally just use what ever size brisket I can get, three to five pounds of onions, the recommended liquid, increase the flour (for a slightly thicker gravy) and cook until it's fork tender.
It's my favorite brisket preparation.....smoked is a very close second.
Time needed to Reheat Brisket?
I usually prepare my braised brisket in advance, reheating the day of service. I make it in a 6-3/4 qt LC oval with lid and let it cool before stashing in the fridge. It is in a sauce so I reheat in the oven at 300 degrees, which was the original cooking temperature. I start it in a cold oven so it is not "shocked" and then don't fuss too much. I check it when it starts smelling good.
If you don't have a sauce, I'd go with fourunder's recommendation. That's what we do with smoked brisket.
What tasks do you excel at in the kitchen?
A lot of people have pretty much said the same things.....mise en place, clean up, storing leftovers.
I find I have the unusual talent of following a recipe and executing it perfectly, even if the technique or ingredient is unknown. I can bake and cook, which I understand not too many people can do. I also learned that once I follow a recipe, I no longer need it and can alter without negatively impacting the completed dish.
My best skill though is tasting and seasoning, except for dishes I make with ingredients I can't eat. DH becomes taster for me then.
What tasks do you excel at in the kitchen?
I think we all married the same person!!!!!
Did you ever work at a fast food restaurant? [moved from Food Media and News]
I worked at a Ponderosa for two and a half years while in high school back in the late 70s. got to wear the cowboy outfit but because I didn't work register, I didn't get a hat. I had to wear the blue mini-skirt and red and white checkered shirt. As a bus girl, I got tips. I think it was because at 5'9", I had legs to die for. My husband was a friend back then and he'd come visit me at work but he readily admits it was the uniform. In 1979, we changed to this ugly brown wrap "apron" with a horrible multi-color print shirt made out of the grosses polyester material you can imagine. I think BK and McD's had better polyester. Stuff stank to high heaven no matter what you did to it. At least the old cowboy outfit didn't stink!!!
Any way, I enjoyed working there and learned a lot about food prep and food safety. We had pretty cool managers who let us do our jobs however we liked, provided the final result was within company standards.
In fact, in 1989 a friend of mine was managing a Pondo and asked if I would work Friday/Saturday nights during football season, since most of his staff were from the local high school. It took me 15 minutes to recall what I used to do 9 years prior. Still had a blast!!!
Now I do product development/technical specifications. Don't know how that transition happened!!!
Raw Garlic with Pasta
+1, Here I was thinking I'm the only one who does that. People think I'm crazy. Raw garlic is awesome.
I'll be trying the pasta indicated in the orignal post. Sounds like a winner.
Everything is relative. Olive Garden can be the best you've got. Does it matter?
My situation is similar to Chef's; moved from a large urban area to a relatively rural area. Our dining choices are pretty much chain restaurants or local buffets (quantity wins out over quality down here). There are a couple decent restaurants but nothing stimulating.
Cooking your own meals is certainly an option but being fairly remote makes quality ingredients a challenge. While I'm not a chef or trained in any way, I am proficient in the kitchen and make many different types of ethnic food. I will drive two hours to find some ingredients but obviously can't do that every week.
Like everyone else, sometimes you just want to go somewhere and eat without dealing with prep/cooking/cleaning up. Maybe to try a different type of wine or eat something you wouldn't normally cook at home. There is something to be said about a relaxing meal out, regardless of the type of restaurant (chain versus high end).
We have a couple local Italian restaurants as well as an Olive Garden. OG wins hands down. It's pretty sad.....we simply don't go out for Italian. I'm fortunate to have Marcella Hazan's cookbooks so I totally make better than what we can get out.
YMMV.
Can You Recall A Taste?
Nice idea! I like how you think but I believe that might get you some trouble. No too many people like that.....well, not at first meeting! ;)
Birmingham's Chef Chris Hastings (Hot & Hot Fish Club) vs. Bobby Flay on Iron Chef
I agree. Thought it was an entertaining episode and he did well.
Does Comfort Trump All?
Honestly, I'd love to be in your position. The ability to pick and choose from many different, good quality restaurants should not be taken lightly. Consider yourself lucky. Take advantage of that as long as you can. *stepping off soapbox*
Yes, yes, yes. I take my motorcycle out for long rides and plan stops for places to eat. I try to pick a day and time where the restaurant is no likely to be busy because after 2-3 hours on the road, I like to enjoy a little time with my food. If my timing is wrong, I'll move to another place and hope the experience is a good one. It's kind of hit or miss where I live.
For those of you who can no longer eat your mother's cooking...
+1!
Mom was an ok cook and I have most of her special recipes. I can replicate those exceptionally well so I'm not missing her food. I'm totally missing her!
My fondest memory was her last holiday meal, which was Christmas of '02. It was at that point that I took over the holiday meals. I made a standing rib roast, twice baked potatoes, from scratch green bean casserole and NY style cheesecake. She ate that meal and watched over the table knowing the baton was passed and future holidays would be handled well.
After 9+ years, I still tear up at the memory of that.
Things you want to try making
Have you tried toasting the rice in oil or butter before cooking? I find a little bit of toasting and a little less liquid produces close results. I sometimes saute the rice with diced onions before adding the liquids.
Back to the OP: I have lots of things I want to try making. Problem is my list is ever changing. I find something different to challenge my skills and then make it.
Top Chef Texas - Ep. #12 - 01/25/12 (Spoilers)
I'm kind of sad to see Chris J. leave. My favorite part of the episode is in the Stew Room where Chris is bemoaning his fate and Ed mentioned that every time Chris does that, someone else goes home. Chris departs with an empathetic pat on Ed's thigh and Ed cracks up. I mean TOTALLY cracks up. I watched that part a couple times for the chuckle factor.
Gap between stove and counter -- how to seal it? [moved from General Topics]
That's what I have as well (the Stovetop Extender mentioned in a post below). I can't remember where we got them but it probably was a big box store. The work great and clean up well.
I remember them being made in plastic but those did not hold up well. The stainless ones are perfect.
Top Chef - Texas - Last Chance Kitchen Ep. 9 (Spoilers)
I agree but I don't think any of the chefs really harbor enough ill will to not work to their full potential when called upon. These are all talented chefs, in their own right, and this is a very rare opportunity for them to showcase their skills. I know if I were in that position, I would help someone with a chance to move on. Even if my bestest buddy was the competition. If you were chosen, you better step up to the plate.
