Griddler or grill pan?

Second the Griddler; it's pricier than the George Foreman, but is quite well-constructed.

I enjoy the panini function quite a bit; something to use all of that No-Knead Bread for...

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Baguette mishap - what did I do wrong?

This is close, but produces a loaf closer to "sandwich"-sized than baguette.

http://tinyurl.com/2cpdvn

However, it's very well-sized for the standard amount used in the no-knead method.

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Help with chuck steak so I don't chuck "it".

Rick Bayless uses this cut to create shredded beef (Carne Deshebrada):

http://www.recipelink.com/mf/14/9857

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Is this an appropriate vessel for no-knead?

Definitely. I got one recently, and it works great.

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Mulligatawny

I use Jaffrey's (http://tinyurl.com/2vwb44) but it turns out more dark yellow than red, but it definitely qualifies as being spicy, lemony and thick (though I increase the solids a bit).

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Asparagus Time

Risotto con Asparagi.

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Fried Chicken Crust Help

I use Alton Brown's method (just Google "good eats fried chicken").

Long buttermilk soak, spices applied, then dipped in flour.

Comes out plenty crisp; here's a photo of my last batch:

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Tom Yum?

Try this query at foodieview (40 hits):

http://tinyurl.com/yfj5xc

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Dill - wonder herb.

My nearby Russian deli garnishes their vareniki, golubtsi and pelmeni with a mixture of equal parts fresh leaf parsley and dill. And a dollop of sour cream...

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Charlie Van Over

Yes, but I've only made the baguettes. Quite good.

http://www.yourep.com/item/pdxgnk/large/37371

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Salads w/o lettuce?

Being of Slavic descent, I must bring up beet salad.

Searching http://www.foodieview.com, one finds 492 recipes...

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Jambalaya help

I use this recipe from the Catfish Institute which I got in one of their free cookbooks:

http://www.catfishinstitute.com/canada/2006/09/24/catfish-jambalaya/

As to "wetness" here's a picture of the finished product:

http://www.yourep.com/item/pdxgnk/large/69326

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Saffron--do you love it?

I agree. Overrated and it's color can be somewhat replicated with turmeric. My sister bought me a $45 jar of threads years ago, and it's remained in my freezer, rarely used over that time.

And it kind of does taste like bleach to me too.

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Mole Sauce (or Dear Dommy! It's me LBS, I need your help)

I wasn't too happy with Donna Maria either; tasted metallic.

In 2005, the San Francisco Chronicle rated moles as follows (full article at http://tinyurl.com/tc7ox):

Rogelio Bueno 76
El Mexicano 69
Faraon 68
Buena Comida 65
Juanita's 65
Santa Fe Seasons 43
Las Cazuelas 33
Dona Maria 24
Trader Jose's Rojo 8

http://tinyurl.com/tc7ox

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Homemade Pasta Question

Following the standard recipe for homemade fresh pasta, instead of cutting after resting for a hour, could one instead divide into five-or-so small balls, plastic wrap, refrigerate, and cut them in the future (within the next few days) on an as-needed basis while the water comes to a boil?

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Rinse Pasta after Cooking?

Ditto kitchensalli.

Also see http://tinyurl.com/yfbu9e

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Wong's King Seafood update?

See http://www.portlandfoodanddrink.com/?p=755 for an updated (10/06) review.

pdxGK in Pacific Northwest

Culinary Uses for Pickled Jalapeno

"Southwest Shredded Beef Sandwiches" calls for a whole cup of 'em (I've made this before; very good):

http://www.post-gazette.com/food/20010920suzq.asp

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gator in pdx?

Strangely, Pizza Schmizza's specialty is:

"ALLIGATOR PIE- Louisiana farm raised alligator sausage with red peppers, onions, tomatoes & feta cheese on a bed of Mama Schmizza’s
noodles."

Have never tried it...

pdxGK in Pacific Northwest

carnita recipe anyone?

The San Francisco Chronicle recently posted their 20 greatest recipes (one per year), and carnitas was one of 'em.

http://www.slashfood.com/2006/10/05/twenty-years-of-chronicling-food-san-francisco-chronincle-food/

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tom yum soup

I use the recipe from "True Thai" and I'm quite happy with it.

Amazon link: http://tinyurl.com/o2nzs

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Fish Soup?

I made the South Coast Portuguese Fish Chowder and wasn't too fond of it. Something about that 0.25 t of ground allspice really distracted my taste buds. It's also very close to a stew.

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taco seasoning from scratch

I no longer buy spice packets now that I have the following:

Taco Seasoning Blend
ONION, DRIED MINCED, 2 T
CHILI POWDER, 4 t
SALT, 2 t
GARLIC POWDER, 2 t
CORNSTARCH, 2 t
CUMIN, 2 t ground
CAYENNE PEPPER, 1 t (OR HOT PAPRIKA)
PAPRIKA, 1 1 t hot (OR CAYENNE)
Combine all ingredients, and stir to blend. Makes the equivalent of two 1 1/4-ounce packages of taco seasoning mix. To make Taco Filling: brown 2 lbs lean ground beef in large skillet over medium heat; drain grease. Add 1 C water and Taco Seasoning Blend. Reduce heat, cover pan, and simmer 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. If watery, remove cover and reduce. Makes enough filling for 16 to 20 tacos. One could also stir in 1 14.5 oz can of refried beans for burrito filling. Spicier than standard taco seasoning; halve cayenne/hot paprika if you prefer it milder.

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Baguette mishap - what did I do wrong?

I use a food processor-based recipe from "The Best Bread Ever" by Charles Van Over.

Bread flour 1 lb
Salt 2 t fine sea
Yeast 1 t instant

Here's a pic of the final product:

http://www.yourep.com/item/pdxgnk/large/37371

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Beer Braised Brisket

Actually, I did a Braised Brisket with Beer recipe recently (from "Master Chefs Cook Kosher"), and it called for dark beer. Alas, I substituted round for the brisket; quite good.

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making vegetable haters into vegetable lovers

As the weather is getting cooler, soup's on, and everyone likes minestrone which can be jam-packed with vegetables.

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on risotto alone?

Some non-traditional risottos can be rather substantial.

Recently, I made "Risotto with Late Summer Vegetables and Grilled Sausage."

Here's a pic: http://www.yourep.com/track/pdxgnk/medium/23600

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Chilled Avocado Soup?

Here's one I like quite a bit:

Avocado Gazpacho
from "Easy Entertaining With Marlene Sorosky"
CUCUMBER, 1.5, large hothouse or English, unpeeled, or 3 regular cucumbers, peeled and seeded (1.5 lbs)
AVOCADO, 3, large, peeled, pitted and coarsely chopped
GREEN ONION (SCALLION), 3, large with tops, cut into 1" pieces
LIME JUICE, 0.5 C plus 1 T fresh (about 3 limes)
CHICKEN BROTH/STOCK, 3 C
SALT, 1.5 t, or to taste
SOUR CREAM, 1.5 C
SALSA, 3 T hot (OR JALAPENOS)
JALAPENO CHILE, diced pickled, to taste (OR SALSA)
CILANTRO, fresh chopped
In a food processor fitted with the metal blade, process half the cucumber, avocado and green onion until pureed. Process in lime juice. Remove to a large bowl. Repeat with remaining cucumber, avocado and green onion, and add to bowl. Stir in chicken broth, salt, sour cream and salsa or jalapenos to taste. Cover and refrigerate until chilled. The gazpacho may be refrigerated overnight. Pass chopped avocado, cucumbers, cilantro, green onion and jalapeno chilies as condiments. [For simplicity's sake, I puree all of the cucumber, avocado and green onion.]

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Cincinnati Chili recipes?

I use the following recipe which was developed, if I recall correctly, by an "expert food taster" who specializes in "decoding" famous restaurant recipes:

Cincinnati Chili
Lynda Nestelle
BEEF, GROUND, 5 lbs lean, chili grind
VINEGAR, 2 T
LIQUID BEEF STOCK BASE, 2 T + 3 C water (OR BEEF BROTH)
TOMATO PASTE, 0.5 C + 1 T
ONION POWDER, 1 T
GARLIC POWDER, 2 T
SUGAR, 2 T
SALT, 2 T
BLACK PEPPER, 0.25 t ground
CINNAMON, 2 T ground
COCOA, 1 T unsweetened
CAYENNE PEPPER, 1 -2 t
OREGANO, 1 T ground
CARDAMOM, 1 T ground
CORIANDER, 1 T ground
CUMIN, 0.75 t ground
CLOVE, 0.75 t ground
THYME, 0.5 t ground
TARRAGON, 0.5 t ground
ALLSPICE, 0.5 t ground
BEEF BROTH/STOCK, 3, C (OR BEEF STOCK BASE AND WATER)
In a large Dutch oven or heavy soup pot, combine the ground beef, vinegar, beef broth or beef stock base with water, tomato paste, onion powder, garlic powder, sugar, salt and pepper. Over medium heat, bring the mixture to a simmer. Stir to combine. Lower the heat to low and cover. Cook for 9 hours, stirring occasionally. Remove the lid, and stir in the cinnamon, cocoa, cayenne pepper, oregano, cardamom, coriander, cumin, cloves, thyme, tarragon and allspice. Cook over low heat for one additional hour. The chili can be served at once or frozen for up to four months (to remove any excess fat, refrigerate the chili for several hours or overnight; then, remove and discard the opaque solidified fat with a spoon).
Cincinnati Chili Choices:
1-Way: by itself
2-Way: over spaghetti
3-Way: over spaghetti and topped with grated cheddar cheese
4-Way: over spaghetti and topped with grated cheddar cheese and chopped onion
5-Way: over spaghetti and topped with grated cheddar cheese, chopped onion, cooked beans (such as kidney or small red chili beans) and oyster crackers

And here's a picture of how it looks:

http://www.yourep.com/item/pdxgnk/medium/22116

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