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My first time cooking Xmas dinner, ideas appreciated!
Well, sorta. Diana Kennedy's recipes are a pretty solid blueprint (naturally,a few family tweaks over the years have occurred...) Couldn't find the exact basic recipe online, but this looks reasonably close, minus the french bread:
http://mattbites.com/2006/09/25/mole-in-43-steps/
I hope it works for you! (and yes, it may look intimidating. This is how my family started using all those excellent t-day leftovers in a more productive, not-in-July way. But it's worth it!)
Good luck!
My first time cooking Xmas dinner, ideas appreciated!
Euonymous has tradition down pat. No question, make those recipes happen and your guests will be happy.
As an alternative:
Mole poblano (perhaps with leftover Thanksgiving turkey?)
Tamales (1 per person will do)
various appropriate fixins: guacamole,hand rolled tortillas, whatever remaining garden chilis you have made into salsa, some kind of salad
Various chacouterie: salamis, procuttio, etc, cheeses, and homemade bread
pasta w/rabbit & veal ragu (you may need a ham hock other source of fat, but a basic pasta sauce with those meats is extremely tasty) (or a lasagne)
roast [whatever] that can be cooking in the oven while everything else hangs out uncooked or on the stovetop.
Good luck!
needed: pasta supper inspiration
fresh tomatoes, basil, mozzarella.
White beans & sage.
Sardines, capers, pine nuts.
Any nut, any fresh herb, garlic, asiago/fontina cheese.
Sun dried tomatoes, olives, lemon zest.
Good luck!
Ever tried different flours for pasta dough?
I've been using the following mix with good results:
3 parts (1.5 C) semolina
2 parts (1 C) unbleached white
1 part (.5 C) 00
good luck!
Drying homemade pasta?
Hi all,
I'm making a large batch of pasta to hand out as Christmas gifts (most likely linguine). Making the pasta is no issue, but I'm not really looking forward to having cookie sheets and brooms slung over chairs all over my house this weekend.
I'm wondering if anyone has tried drying their fresh pasta in the oven. I'm thinking really low heat (ie, just on the "warm" setting), but significantly warmer and dryer than room conditions.
Any thoughts/advice? Thanks!
Cook once, eat for a week ideas...
I'll second both of those...Sadly, I'm equally inept at finding the links. Chickpeas are particularly useful in this regard: first, serve some of them curried as a main/side, then sprinkle them to make salads or cooked greens more substantial, then hummus....etc.
I also like to start with a roast - either chicken parts nestled in vegetables, or just vegetables. The meat is good to go as is, or sliced for sandwiches, and the veggies are also good as is, then fried and salted (mmmm. sweet potato fries...), then pureed into a soup.
Last but not least, a couple of pork tenderloins will go a long way for very little effort. Season them simply when cooking, and they can add protein to any meal of the day, and are pretty manipulable flavor wise.
Good luck!
Food containing booze
Just about any kind of fruit can be steeped in booze, as you suggest. It's a bit past prime time, but watermelon infused with (ie soaked in) vodka is relatively easy. Or, maybe some kind of alcohol-based granita/slushie? Good luck!
Non-green veggie salad
I haven't made it recently...but I was on a kick for some time with a pepper salad that's fairly easy to make in quantity. Short story: julienne a variety of bell peppers (mostly red, yellow, and orange, one green, and a purple if you can find it), dice a shallot and a jalepeno (or whatever portion you're comfortable with). Toss with a lime's worth of juice and a pseudo-jerk sauce for dressing (ie allspice, cumin, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, S&P, a little soy sauce, and oil), then garnish with cilantro.
Good luck!
Cooking for the non-cook
I agree. The hardest part about learning to cook from cookbooks is learning to separate the basic cooking techniques in the recipe (dice this, blanch that) from the specific points that individualizes that recipe.
That said, find friends who cook. Make yourself their new sous chef. If nobody you know cooks, turn on the food network (and mute it, IMHO) and watch what the chefs do: how they chop veggies, handle the saute pans, etc. Once you see the basics in action, it's just a matter of learning to combine them in the right order on the right ingredients (ie, a recipe).
Good luck, and keep that pizza menu handy!
Tomatoes, tomatoes, tomatoes
Try your own V-8/tomato juice. I've made any number of variations on the basic recipe linked below (carrots, cucumber, zucchini, or probably whatever else is coming out of your garden in abundance now). Good luck!
http://www.elise.com/recipes/archives/007310homemade_tomato_juice.php
What to do with Basil, besides pesto?
Thick slice of heirloom tomato, a few basil leaves, a slice of good mozzarella, drizzled with good olive oil and a grind of fresh pepper. One of my favorite summer appetizer/sides.
Taking the bar exam...what to eat?
Thanks for the tips, all!
A few responses:
1) as for dinner, I'm on the social side, personally. In fact, a close group of friends (also test takers) and I have made reservations at a favorite restaurant of ours the night before the test. We've also scouted out some possibilities for the next few nights. (And yes, we've already made a "no talking about the test" pact among us.)
2) As for lunch, I wasn't looking to head to my room to study more, etc. My thinking was that I don't want to deal with hundreds of stressed-out bar takers waiting in line at every restaurant in the area. I'd rather just head up to my room, make something quick, filling, and healthy, and eat in peace before heading down for the afternoon sessions. We'll see how that actually plays out.
3) I'm sold on the PB, fresh fruit, and string cheese...Maybe a noodle bowl or two as well. Thanks for the inspiration, I was really at a loss!
Anyway, thanks again for the advice and support...Every little bit helps!
Taking the bar exam...what to eat?
So I'm taking the bar this week, and staying at a hotel for the test (3 days). I want to bring some food along with me for breakfast and lunch. I'll have a small soft-sided cooler with me, which I plan to refill with ice daily. Quick, filling, non-perishable items that can be made in a hotel room are what I'm looking for.
I'll have the regular camping staples:
Cliff bars,
Trail mix,
Dried Fruit.
I'm probably going to bring some instant oatmeal to cook in the room's coffee pot.
I'm doubtful of anything mayo-based, which nixes a lot of sandwiches, but the concept of sandwiches isn't completely off the table.
What would you bring for a 3-day, stressed-out adventure in mental endurance?
Help - My quinoa is mushy, not fluffy
I usually start the quinoa without water, like risotto. That is, heat some oil/butter with any seasonings in the pot, toss in the quinoa, and stir until you get the nutty smell of the grains cooking. Then, add water (your 2:1 ratio sounds about right), a bit more oil, cover, and simmer over over medium-low heat for about 15 min, stirring once or twice.
Good luck!
Keeping Lentils colorful?
Thanks! I think the salt idea is the variable I'm missing...next time, I'll give it a try!
Keeping Lentils colorful?
Hey all...
Every time I make lentils, they end up colorless. It doesn't matter whether I use brown, green, or red (or a mixture), they all end up a bland, off-brown/gray shade.
Any advice on a method that cooks them thoroughly, but will keep their vibrant pre-cooking colors for a good presentation? Or at least, won't end up looking like mortar or cement?
juicy hamburgers
Whip up some herbed butter (butter, a splash of oil, your choice of herbs and spices) in the food processor or by hand; press a pad into the middle of each patty while forming them. It will all but ensure juicy, flavor country.
(And follow all the great advice above, too!)
Olive Oil Confusion
1) Yeah, you can just use regular olive oil for cooking, but frankly, it's worth the difference in cost for the extra virgin. As well, I think regular can be a bit overpowering for light fish, delicate vegetables, etc., so I'd stick with what you're used to.
2) Why use canola/other veggie oil? It's cheap. If you're deep frying, that's going to be a major factor. Alternately, safflower and peanut oil are key for stir fries, and other high-heat saute needs. Olive oil and butter just don't cut it there - either you have to cook at a lower heat for too long, or run the risk of smoky, burned oil flavor. Not awesome. Using some of those may broaden your horizons.
Also, add ghee (clarified butter) to branch out your saute lineup. It has a much higher burning point than regular butter, and imparts a more powerful flavor (think popcorn butter, but not in a weird, chemical-y way).
And generally to branch out: easy. Buy something you've never heard of, and figure out how to cook it. Better yet, buy something you actively avoid, and find a way to make it tasty to you (turnips were my muse in this regard).
Good luck!
Best Uses for Asparagus?
Lots of good ideas ahead of me but...here goes:
Blanch and shock a good bunch (might not be needed if it's as fresh as it sounds)
With a vegetable peeler, peel into thin strips. Toss in a non-reactive bowl with lemon juice and zest, toasted pine nuts, shaved parmesean, and black pepper. Great side/salad for the springtime!
My stock isn't very flavorful...
I second that. The only thing I'd add to your list is bay leaves, which go into every stock I make (not to mention basically every dish that requires boiling water...)
Also, take a look at the chow tip on making veggie stock. Save your scraps and trimmings from prepping vegetables in a ziplock bag in the freezer. After a few days or a week, use your collection with some herbs, spices, etc, for a subtle, but tasty stock. If nothing else, I like it as a reminder of what I ate in the previous week or so. Good luck!
I'm in a slump for side dishes, Help!
Sauteed greens are always quick and easy. Spinach/chard/kale for a more neutral flavor, radish/mustard greens or arugala for a more bitter flavor. Add in a splash of acid (vinegar of some kind or lemon), plus nuts, fresh or dried fruits, and seasonings.
Speaking of radish greens, I'm always a fan of braised radishes. Just sautee a bunch (with or without greens) for a few minutes add herbs, garlic, etc, then add a 1/3(ish) cup of stock or other cooking liquid. Let it reduce, and presto.
If you're looking for starches on the side, polenta is quick, easy, and reusable. Once you make it the first time (creamy, warm), you can use the leftovers reheated, served cold, or bake or fry it for a more solid, bread-like side.
Good luck!
Need a new direction for cauliflower
These all sound awesome! Can't wait to get into the kitchen. Thanks, all.
Need a new direction for cauliflower
Hey all...
So I've run out of cauliflower ideas. I've done the sautee with capers/peppers thing. I've dredged in egg and parmesan and pan-fried. I've pureed. I've roasted with different spices (cinnamon, mustard, cumin, etc). Now, I'm bored, but I can't get away from those tasty looking florets when I see them.
Help?
under-used treasure or garbage? what ingredient do you think people are wasting?
Leek greens. No doubt. Slice across the grain into 1-inch strips and sautee or stir fry like any other green. They take a bit longer than chard/kale/etc, but very tasty, especially as a bed for a roasted meat (pork tenderloin? whole chicken?). I've also used them chopped up in dishes using the white part of the leeks. Toss them in at the end when making braised fennel and leeks for some extra color, and of course, to enhance the leek-y flavor.
under-used treasure or garbage? what ingredient do you think people are wasting?
hmmm. not sure about this. I've definitely seen lots of recipes calling only for the white/pale green part of leeks, but rarely for scallions. I definitely fall in the "generally only use the green part" camp.
So, what did you make this weekend?
Had a pretty good culinary weekend... some highlights:
Yesterday was an unexpected dinner party at my place, so two pizzas: arugala, zucchini, and boursin on one; mango, smoked ham, avocado (raw), and mozzarella on the other.
Today, I woke up craving crab, and had a big bag of arugala in the fridge. So: bacon-wrapped crab cakes, over wilted arugala, blood oranges (raw), and croûtons from a leftover sourdough-herb-olive loaf. Yum.
Good luck packing, and enjoy the soup and stew!
