passycafe's Profile
Inauguration Party -- What to bring?
Cindy, I don't know what happened to the recipe-they must have moved it! Go to www.thespicehouse.com for the recipe. Good luck!
Inauguration Party -- What to bring?
Hi Cindy, here's my recipe. I didn't have any of the problems mentioned at the end of the recipe, it all turned out great. I used this recipe for the chocolate coating: Chop 70% dark chocolate finely, place in microwave safe bowl, nuke at #5 or 50% power for 40 seconds, stir, even if not melted. continue nuking at 50% for 10 seconds at a time, stirring after each, until melted. Use a toothpick to dip caramels & drop on waxed paper, sprinkle with fleur de sel, & cool until set. Don't refrigerate. I packed mine in tins with waxed paper between layers. have fun.
Inauguration Party -- What to bring?
There are 2 things I'm bringing to our "Swearing In" lunch party- homemade fleur de sel caramels dipped in 70% dark chocolate & Veuve Clicquot!
panino with a Mexican flair
Today I was out of focaccia which I usually use to make my breakfast panino. I substituted corn tortillas! This unorthodox panino was superb & accompanied by some borlotti beans I had languishing in the refrigerator & a dash of Rancho Gordo hot sauce, the dish was a breakfast feast! On my preheated panini press I placed a corn tortilla, added a slice of cheese, one soft scrambled egg to which I had added a sliced sun dried tomato & some minced chives, S&P. I topped it with another tortilla & pressed it until the tortilla was turning gold & the cheese was oozing out & browning along the edge.
OK i admit it, i'm intimidated by bitters
At last! I found a use for the Stirrings Blood Orange Bitters languishing in my refrigerator. I brewed up a pot of tea (I used Yorkshire bags), iced it & added the bitters & a some simple syrup to taste & garnished with a sprig of orange mint. Delicious iced tea with a twist.
Re-tinning copper pans
Thanks for that; it is precisely the high cost of professional re-tinning that made me want to try it myself.
Do you wash bagged lettuce/greens?
Ever since the scare around here with e-coli & salmonella being found on the bagged stuff, I'm afraid of it & only buy loose greens. It's probably just as tainted, but I feel better.
OK i admit it, i'm intimidated by bitters
Stirrings is the brand, Williams Sonoma the store that sells it; sorry for the confusion.
OK i admit it, i'm intimidated by bitters
I love the way absolutely everything is right here on CHOW! I was just about to post a similar comment about the W/S blood orange bitters languishing in my refrigerator. I love Angostura bitters, burt this stuff is a little too pungent, a little splash seems to overpower any drink. JMF says these are weaker? I don't agree. Well maybe weaker but still overwhelming, to me. Am I doing something wrong here?
Cardoon Omelet (Frosce) [moved from General Chowhounding board]
I'm trying to find an old recipe for cardoon omelet or "frosce". I remember it had grated parmesan & bread crumbs. it's from Sicily. Now that wonderful fresh cardoons are in the market, I'd love to make it again.
What are you eating to start your day on wed March 5th?
Just got "Cornbread Gospels" (not a religious book; don't worry!) by Crescent Dragonwagon. Has 200 recipes using cornmeal. "Sylvia's Ozark Cornbread" was my choice & it was great. Wonderful texture & flavor, and it couldn't be easier. Have to admit I added a few TBSP of sugar. We northerners like our cornbread a bit sweet.
Cookbook: James Peterson or Alton Brown ? [Moved from Cookware board]
I have Peterson's "Glorious French Food" & I love it-he's a lot more laid back with less hype than Alton Brown. After all, he's not competing with Ina or the rest on the cooking channel. All the info is there, but you don't feel compelled to read & absorb it all to successfully make his dishes. I'd go with his "Cooking " book, sounds more like what you're looking for.
HEIRLOOM BEANS
Thanks so much cassis & Kelli, but I want them already grown. Great tip for gardeners, though.
HEIRLOOM BEANS
I've been looking for these for a long time & found them at ranchogordo.com Not only do they grow & ship the most extraordinary selection of heirloom beans, their website is chock full of recipes, tips & fantastic links to other sites. Do yourself a favor & go there, NOW! You won't be disappointed. They are super-friendly to deal with-very personal service.
Am I the only one who hates Harry & David?
Got my replacement box & they are just as bad as the original! Brown spots & moldy stems! I hate H&D!
Leffe
The pomme frites place on 4th st near 6th used to have it on tap. I agree, it's great. I live upstate now & can get it at the supermarket.
Your fave sandwiches using your panini press?
I discovered breakfast panini-scramble eggs(loosely, they'll cook a bit more in press). Slice ciabatta or other hearty crusty italian bread or rolls horizontally. Pull doughy centers out. Fill with eggs, fresh mozzarella slices & thin slices of jarred roasted red pepper, season to taste. I can think of hundreds of variations on this-have fun creating new ones!
Do you send food back often?
I rarely send anything back, being specific when I order. Recently, I had the misfortune of dining with 3 seventy-something women, who bitched from the get-go. The poor waiter was run ragged & nothing satisfied them. Finally, I could stand no more; I asked them if they knew how much waitstaff gets paid in our area-$2.11 an hour! That seemed to shut them up for a while, anyway, until they regaled each other with stories of how they got free food by complaining. I'll be darned-didn't the waiter take the cost of one of their drinks off the bill! I'll slip him a big tip next time I'm in there. I admire his restraint-I would've lost it. Incidentally, these women are all well-off & don't need free anything.
I LOVE THIS SITE!
I've been a member for 2 days and am delighted with it all! Just need more time to enjoy all the parts of CHOWHOUND. Thanks!
Why do I need a bombilla to drink mate?
Many thanks for the comprehensive info! I feel better about enjoying my plain 'ol organic yerba mate, but your letter evokes my weakness for wanting to be as authentic as I can, (read x-country skis w/wax-my friends all glided away on their no-stick ones while I tried to melt the wax to the right temp! Or, making my own tempeh, many years ago, when it wasn't available. Had to get the inoculant from the FDA.) Ultimately, I'm sure I will succumb to the whole gourd/bombilla thing. Thanks again.
Am I the only one who hates Harry & David?
No, you're not. Every year dear friends send me the pears, which usually are bruised & this year had mold on the stem ends. Only 1 was good, so they magnanimously offered me a new order in Feb.! Last year only 2 were damaged & they sent me a $5 coupon for an order! I haven't the heart to tell my friends their gift isn't worth the huge price they're paying, but I won't let H&D get away with it. I can buy the same or better pears at Wegman's.
HELP! Out of ideas RE a Cocktail Party.
KISS! Th simpler, the better! Everyone likes snow peas stuffed with Alouette herb cheese. Hollow out cherry tomatoes & stuff with store bought hummus & top with a sliver of black olive. Put out a variety of cheeses ( try to include different textures & sharpness; l'edel de Cleron is great instead of boring brie, horseradish cheddar, some blue (gorgonzola is easy to come by), round off the selection with a log of goat cheese. Surround everything with clusters of grapes and some lemon leaves; set out a tray or basket of breads & crackers, put out some small dishes of olives & nuts & you're done! Have fun.
Why do I need a bombilla to drink mate?
I'v been happily steeping my plebian yerba mate tea bags until I read that I'm all wrong. Seems I need a gourd, a bombilla, and mate that is a gazillion times better than my boxed stuff. Am I truly not enjoying it & not deriving any of its benefits? (I have noticed my appetite has lessened). Advice, please!
