Kathy Thompson's Profile
Confusion about how to post
I just now sent a post about tahini and whether it is a fermented product. I posted it on "site talk" because I don't post very often and forgot how to do it correctly. If you review all the screens I looked at today, you can see that I was casting about trying to find my way in to post on the home-cooking board. I do have a password, but what are the correct steps to take to get in and post? Sorry for misposting, but I feel really confused and frustrated here!
Kathy Thompson
Is Tahini a fermented product?
Dear cookhounds-
I have had 2 incidents in the last several years wherein I have transported sauces/dips containing tahini for a number of hours in a cooler (with cold blue ice) and had the container lid burst open and spew at least part of the contents in all directions. One of the dips was a garlic/tahini, who knows what else blend, and the other was a hummus. The transport time was a number of hours because I live in the outback and drive some long and windey roads, but really, I can't figure out what is going on here! The first batch of stuff I threw out, thinking it had possibly gone bad. The second batch I am eating because I knew it was still cold when I got it home, no matter how full of air or yeast or whatever it was. What's up with this???
need ideas for using sundried tomatoes in oil
I chop them up, just a few, and add to about 1/4 c. olive oil and a clove or two of garlic, finely minced and sauteed. Cook with the tomatos in the oil with the garlic sauce for a minute or two. I usually add some parsley or chives or fresh basil . Use this sauce over pasta or steamed veggies of choice. You could, of course, add parmesan at the last. I have also heard that they can be a really good addition to sandwiches. Also, added to dips. I think you can store them for a really long time, especially if the oil continues to cover the tomatos.
Seeking good French Cassoulet in PDX
Visiting PDX from 2/25 through 2/28 and trying to find a basic French Bistro or Brasserie which has a good solid Cassoulet. (not necessarily the fattiest one, just very tasty!)
Hot and Sour Soup
I have been racking my brain trying to figure out what else to do to the stock. I'm thinking, maybe do whatever it is you do to give a French onion soup some flavor, like brown the onions and maybe puree? Maybe some kind of a roux, though I'm sure that is not a very Chinese solution. It also crossed my mind that some kind of a mild but flavorsome chili would help with the depth of flavor issue. I make a Mexican meatball soup with some mild dried chilis and that works well.
By the way, I have cooked with lilybuds before and they are very mild in flavor and I am sure are not the source of the "numb cheek effect", I think that you can just dry the buds of day lilys to if you want to cook with them. I have seen them on the list of non-poisonous plants, and frequently garnish salads with open day lilys. By the way, what the heck is this ma-la effect several of you have mentioned?
Hot and Sour Soup
Billyboy- I'd love to have that recipe that you mention. Also, please explain why it is that you and the next poster think that szechuan peppercorns may be the reason my cheeks go numb rather than the msg. Thanks so much!
TJ's Crystallized Candied Ginger- what to do?
Why is it that the chocoholics can't seem to get it that there are a certain percentage of us who could give a ( "substitute rude noun or phrase") for things that combine ginger (fave flavor) with chocolate. Things are not incomplete without chocolate. Some of us actually prefer ginger to chocolate, and find that the combo is not an improvement over plain, unadulterated, really zingy ginger. A current combo favorite for breakfast is vanilla, orange, cinnamon greek yougurt with applesauce and a drizzle of "The Ginger People" ginger syrup. The crystallized ginger would work well as either a substitute for or addition to the ginger syrup.
hot and sour soup
I love h&s soup, but every time I order it locally (Eureka, Ca.) despite the fact that it tastes really good, I end up with the numb cheeks from too much msg. I have been trying out various recipes found online and finding them to be too bland. Most of them include dried mushrooms, a bit of bamboo shoot, some chicken broth, white pepper, soy sauce, some white pepper. I need a deep, soulful, but almost if not entirely msg-free hot and sour. I'm not a vegetarian, so a bit of protein as well as the tofu is fine. Most recent attempts have involved adding braised turnip (supposed to add depth of flavor-didn't, or at least not enough). I have added Chinese black vinegar, black soy. Some marinated pork, lots of chicken. The texture isn't quite right either. The cornstarch thickening in my recipe isn't quite doing the job . Maybe the problem is not a serious enough broth? What am I missing here? My broth isn't very dark colored, nor very thick.
Help! and thanks!
Bean cramps
I just tried a recipe from Cook's Illustrated for a Tuscan Bean Stew. I think the issue was sometime in 2008. They wanted you to first soak the canellini beans in a gallon of water that had 3 tablespoons of salt dissolved in it. I soaked them for almost 24 hours. Then you cooked the beans first on the stovetop until they came to a simmer, then in a slow oven, I think it was 250 degrees for several hours. This was quite a good recipe and ended up not afflicting anyone. The skins were quite tender, too, which I really like.I think Their theory was that some of the calcium and magnesium ions in the bean skins are replaced by the sodium ions in the soaking water. I wonder if the bad things in beans are somehow defanged by the addition of salt to the soaking water. Maybe those difficult sugars live mainly in the bean skins? You don't add salt to the cooking water, just the soaking water, and then rinse the beans before you cook. I thank everyone for their comments. They have been most helpful!
Bean cramps
My husband and one of my friends both have a very difficult time with dried beans. It isn't just the flatulence issue, which can be a bit unpleasant, but both of them have painful stomach cramps which keep them awake at night if they eat the wrong kind of dried beans. It seems to be intermittent, and sometimes happens, sometimes not. Does anyone have any kind of solution for this problem? (Both of these folks like beans, but are very nervous about eating them much of the times - as who wouldn't be?) Beano helps a bit, but isn't totally successful, and there is something kind of weird about having to take a "medicine" with the beans. I have also cooked the beans with a seaweed called Kombu. That helps my husband, but not my friend. Anybody know what this is about? I wonder if it has to do with how old the beans are? Some types of beans are worse than others, for example, pintos.
Problems Logging In to add to a thread
Dear Technical Help-
I've been floundering around for what seems hours trying to post a query/comment on an existing thread about granite countertops issues and radon (Cookware?) and can't seem to get myself properly signed in and on board. Can you tell what I am doing wrong? Is there some kind of requirement that you change password every so many months? (Got confused because the signin was asking for a new password, and I had used my old one which I thought should still be ok.) I have successfully posted on several occasions and now can't get into a place where a screen opens to allow me to post. What's happening here? Maybe I just need to be taken gently by the hand and walked through the steps again?
Yours Frustratedly, Kathy Thompson
Problem browning (sea) scallops
I have a number of recipes which specify you brown the scallops as first step. I seem to be unable to achieve this. Every time I cook scallops they will not brown, but end up being poached (because the cooking scallops exude so much liquid) no matter how hot my pan or how much grease, butter, whatever I use. I have tried drying the scallops with paper towels, and using a small amount of scallops in pan. Nothing is working for me. The scallops are either from a seafood market or Costco. They have probably been frozen before I get them. Is there any cure for this problem that anyone knows of?
5 Californian Hounds in DC
We 5 hounds made it to DC and back home, and had a marvelous food trip thanks to all of your recommendations. Unfortunately we were only able to do a few. We hit Tallulah, Dino, Las Tapas, and one, not on the list, Fogo de Chao. (Brazilian Steakhouse). We were very happy with all food and wine lists and prices were, as promised, quite reasonable. I am not generally a steakhouse fan, not being that big a meat eater, but the buffet salad bar and cold cuts at Fogo would have made me happy all by itself. Excellent salads, and I learned a few tricks. I had never before had shitakes cooked in wine, onions and herbs. The dried tomato slices probably had a similar treatment, and they were fabulous too. I understand you can just choose to eat off the buffet and not partake in the meat selection, for a decreased price. Sorry, I'm a bit clueless as to the part of town this was in, but I think it was pretty close to the main downtown section. It's so big, I'm sure that it wouldn't be hard to find. Anyway, thanks to all of you for your suggestions. Happy Holidays!
5 Californian Hounds in DC
Wow, folks, great responses! In actuality we will be staying in Arlington and so Arlington suggestions are also good. No vehicle, so it's the metro and taxis for us. Ktmoomau specifically said he/she had some good Virginia hints to which we would be receptive, and anyone else that wants to chime in, please feel free, of course. (I am assuming that ktmoomau's suggestions are in DC, but I'm a little fuzzy on the locations of some of these places at present. None of us have ever been in DC/Arlington before, so we we will probably not want to stray too far afield. Thanks again!
t
Good eats in Eureka
I don't see a lot of posts about food in Eureka or Humboldt County in general. We do have some good food here. My current favorite is Cocina Michoacana on Hwy 101 North, last building before you leave Eureka toward Arcata. Great shrimp and fish tacos, great chicken ala Parilla. Very mellow guys run it. Always pleasant.
Also back on 3rd st in Eureka, try The Ritz for Japanese food and a fun bar. Hurricaine Kate's is a local fusion favorite. The Avalon is the fairly pricey but good and elegant place. They do California/French and have quite a wonderful wine list.
Check it out. These aren't your only options, but some of the local bests!
5 Californian Hounds in DC
Five of us are in DC for a few days beginning of Dec. All of us like wine a lot and would love to be directed to some medium-priced restaurants of various ethnicities with interesting and affordable wine lists. ($10 to $35).
Dim Sum on Clement?
Live in the far north of Ca. and frequently drive home through SF on Hwy. 280 and via Park Presidio to Golden Gate Bridge. Have frequented Gourmet Dim Sum (Clement) in the past, probably not the greatest, but has been adequate. The usual drill is to pick up enough Dim Sum to feed our cravings for several days and then take back to Humboldt Co. where we have no provider of Dim Sum. Ownership or chef at Gourmet Dim Sum has apparently changed recently and quality is not as good. Need suggestions of good places on Clement, Geary really close to Park Presidio for a quick off and back on the the long path home.
