SharaMcG's Profile
Help Me Find the Perfect Blender
I have the same blender, also purchased as a refurb about five years ago. I believe I paid around 60 bucks, too. It works great and crushes ice perfectly for smoothies. I make those almost daily and overall use the blender quite a bit. I've never had a problem with it and I love the polycarbonite jar, which is a breeze to clean and is dishwasher safe. It's kinda loud but that never bothers me.
Help Me Teach My Cousin How to Cook
I moved from an (approx) sea level altitude to 2500 feet a few years ago and the only big cooking difference I noticed was rice. I don't have a rice cooker, just do plain rice (long-grain brown, usually) on my stovetop. For months I couldn't figure out why my rice wouldn't come out right as I was doing it the same way I always did and in the past that had yielded perfect rice every time. Then I finally realized it had to be the altitude. Rice takes about twice as long to be done where I live now. Everything else seems about the same (and I bake a lot, especially breads). Beyond that I agree with the person who said your cousin needs to learn basic techniques. They can be applied to many different recipes, but the main thing is to just start cooking, following recipes, and use one's powers of observation. Isn't that how everyone learns new stuff?
You knew you mastered the fine art of cooking or baking when you ______________.
I know I've not mastered cooking or baking, not by a long shot as there's always something new to learn, but I'm definitely a good home cook. For me the turning point was when I learned not to rely so much on the recipe and instead use my senses more. Now I usually go by smell, look, feel and sound as much as taste to judge when something is ready (or ready for the next step). For me, that was a huge leap in understanding.
what is a good beef for medium rare roast beef?
I'd go with a chuck roast and one with a bit of fat on it. Chuck is usually well marbled, too, so you get fat flavoring it as it cooks.I get a 2-3 pound roast and tie it up with butcher's twine so it cooks evenly. That also makes it easier to get nice uniform slices. I guild the lily by rubbing it with bacon grease (I always save the grease when I make bacon and keep it in the fridge--it keeps well for days) and and kosher salt, pepper and garlic powder. Then I brown it in a dutch oven with a few tablespoons of vegetable oil, 2-4 minutes per side should give you a nice crust on the outside. Then it goes uncovered into a low oven (225 f) for around an hour or until it has an internal temp of 110. Then I turn up the oven to 450 and continue roasting until the temp is about 135. Let it stand covered for 20 minutes or so before carving. This yields a roast that is deep pink all through and really tasty hot or cold.
Bourdain [moved from Houston]
I find him to be a good journalist. a talented communicator. That said he has a typical East Coast NYC badass attitude. It's his milieu and sarcasm comes with the territory. He *is* a lucky bastard and I believe he knows it and as a result lives somewhat farther back from the edge these days. He's also hilarious if you give him half a chance.
Real New Jersey experience
The Jersey experience for me would have to include DeLorenzo's (I prefer the Hamilton Ave version, but most say the Hudson Street version is the truer tomato pie--same family, different owners and styles). Definitely get the pork roll and cheese (and egg if you like) on a kaiser roll. A sub from White House subs in Atlantic City is a hoagie gold standard in NJ (no mayo please, get it with oil and vinegar). Spend a day at the beach by one of the major boardwalks (Wildwood Crest or Seaside Heights for me). Start with a Kohr's fresh-squeezed OJ, then sausage and peppers on a torpedo roll or a mega slice of pizza then maybe back to Kohr's for frozen custard or an order of zeppoles from a pizza place. Take home salt water taffy.The are too many great hot dog places to mention and an Italian hot dog, a ripper or a Texas weiner are all great. If you find a Stewart's Root Beer stand get your pork roll sandwich there with an icy mug. And have at least one meal at a typical diner. My favorite is Mastoris in Bordentown where the menu is massive and every meal starts with delish individual loaves of cinnamon bread and sweet cheese bread. Also ditto on Jersey tomatoes and Silver Queen corn from farm stands. I agree these are best in August and early September. Finally if you find a good mom and pop purveyor of bagels or Italian Water Ice you are in Jersey heaven!
Tupelo Honey/Mayfel's Breakfast Asheville?
Sunny Point is always my favorite for sweet breakfast. The orange-scented corn cakes are delicious and most breakfast plates come with fresh, seasonal fruit. Last year I had an oatmeal brule that was to die for, and the bacon is maple-pepper glazed and so good. I like Tupelo Honey, too, especially the granola pancake (order one: it's huge). Mayfels...meh.
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Tupelo Honey Cafe
12 College St, Asheville, NC 28801
Are you thinking about Christmas cookies yet? (Seriously!)
Actually I have been thinking of this recently: my "time to start" button pushed when I noticed butter was on sale at the grocer's! I have two kids who get cookies mailed to them plus neighbors and friends to gift plus fam at home, so starting soon is key. The list so far includes:
1. Cinnamon Chocolate Chip (daughter's fave)
2. Crispy salted oatmeal
3. "Boston Red Sox" sugar cookies (lotsa fans in the family)
4. Brown butter cookies
5. Mexican wedding cakes
6. Cherry almond biscotti
7. Chocolate dipped sand tarts
Pumpkin recipes (canned or fesh)
Congrats on your impending arrival! I crave pumpkin a lot and haven't been preggers since--well my oldest is mid twenties now... One of my favorite breakfasts is a chocolate-pumpkin smoothie. It's delish and good for you. I used around 1/2 cup pumpkin puree, 2-3 cups crushed ice, 3-4 T Ovaltine chocolate malt flavor and about a cup of lowfat milk. You can add pumpkin pie spice (or any of the usual suspects: cinnamon, nutmeg, etc.), but I think it's overkill. Sweetness comes from the Ovaltine. Blend for 20-30 seconds on puree (or whatever the higher setting on your blender is), pour and enjoy. Makes 2-3 generous servings.
Recommendations for the Cooking Channel?
Julia Child is on at 2pm my time (EST) Tuesday through Friday. I can never get enough of her! Love David Rocco's and Laura Calder's shows, too. Also Nigella and Roger Mooking's shows, Chuck's Day Off, even Brunch with Bobby Flay (where we actually get to see him cooking again) is good. And Foodography has grown on me: I've become rather fond of Mo Rocca, who to me is like Alton Brown's younger, hipper brother. No, Mo doesn't cook but lots of interesting info on that show. I cannot watch Bytchin Kitchen: those flame graphics and the overall goofiness get on my last nerve. I wish she'd dial back on the wacky factor because some of the recipes look pretty good, but I can never stand to have it on more than a minute or two.
Salting water - A poll - why or why not?
This is the way I learned it too: that pasta (veg or potato water too) needs to be "like the sea." I've done this for years and never had a problem related to sodium intake (e.g., high cholesterol, blood pressure, etc.). To me, food that isn't properly salted (and otherwise seasoned where necessary) tastes really bland.
Coastal Maine -- Old Orchard Beach to Bar Harbor -- what not to miss?
Try to hit a lobster pound along the coast. The Trenton Lobster Pound is a great one, with fair market price for lobster and don't miss the blueberry pie! Also you'll do better price-wise and in terms of food (in general) if you avoid the restaurants along the main drag in Bar Harbor: Southwest Harbor and Winter Harbor are two nearby choices where you'll find restaurants the locals frequent. And it'll be chilly up there in October, especially if you intend to do dawn or sunset on Cadillac Mountain in Acadia National Park. Jackets are de rigeur.
Out of the hospital and need easy to chew food?
When I had my tonsils out at 18, I remember my mom made soft scrambled eggs which were wonderful because they took almost no chewing and just slid down my poor sore throat. I also love grits with butter and sugar cinnamon or salt, pepper and a grated cheese like parm or romano.
Salted vs unsalted butter?
I almost never use salted butter because of the control thing: I just like knowing how much salt goes into what I eat. That's my preference and I really do think it is nothing more than preference. The only right way is what works for you and your family or me and mine. Before I chose to use only unsalted butter I cooked with salted all the time. As I learned and read more I decided to switch. But I never really noticed my food tasting overly salty. Of course I do think if one is trying to lower blood pressure or some other medical reason, unsalted is the way to go.
How to give beef stew more punch?
I always keep some dried porcini mushrooms around for exactly this reason, you can punch up that good beefy flavor with it. I'd also use red wine or a stout type beer. Garlic is great but unless you are making something you want to taste very garlicky, you should limit the amount you use to a clove or two (for a beef stew for four, for example). And paprika, in my experience, gives little flavor unless you use a fair amount of it (like a few tablespoons) but this will then make your beef stew taste more goulashy. If you'd like this, then use paprika. If not, try the porcini and the red wine and you'd be amazed how much flavor you add. The other thing I might do (if I didn't add porcini), would be to add some beef bullion powder or onion soup mix. And cook your carrots, celery and onions in layers: first onions, then celery, then carrots, then start adding your spices and flour and finally your wet ingredients. I find if I give things a chance to cook and let the flavors develop, there's more depth to the taste of the overall dish.
I only have one cake pan for a 2-layer cake!!!
I'd bake one layer, let it cool well before taking the cake out of it and then bake the other layer. Keep the extra batter refrigerated while you wait. If you have time to do that it's the easiest way to go. You could make the whole cake in a sheet pan. If you did it that way, I'd check a few recipes for similar cakes in sheet form (in the same size pan as you'd be using), and follow the temp and time that seems most commonly used.
Help me understand Italian food in New Hampshire (and northern New England)...please?
Solar, I hear you! I've lived near Bangor, Maine for the past six years and overall I've found that New England folk don't do most ethnic food well. I've heard there are pockets of various ethnic groups around Portland and of course the French-Canadian influence generates some good food, but pizza, Italian specialties, eastern European? Forget it. I grew up in a little Italy neighborhood in New Jersey and I can't find anyplace that makes good sauce or understands that New York-style pizza shouldn't have a thick bready crust and a ton of cheese. And the calzones here bear no resemblance to any I've had back home. So I've learned to appreciate the lobstahs and the whoopie pies, but I make my own Italian pizza and chicken parm. :-)
Home ec!
I don't remember anything from my home ec cooking class though I remember taking it. I do remember really botching a blouse in sewing class....
What are you a stubborn purist about?
I'm more snobby about pizza than any other food. I grew up in New Jersey about equidistant to NY and Philly, so my pizza must be thin with crust that is almost charred at the edges and chewy toward the middle. And not too much cheese! I live in Maine now and I've learned to make my own Jersey-like pizza rather than suffer downeast pizza, the very thought of which makes me shudder. I will say that I am also disturbed by people who like blueberry bagels (and they abound up here). In fact there should not be blueberry bagels or cinnamon raisin. It's a fundamental misunderstanding about what a bagel is supposed to be! They should give those things a different name! Like schmutz., that would work. :-)
What do you think about competitive eating?
I can't for the life of me see how anyone can stand to watch such "competitions." Seeing people try not to puke as they stuff more grease and sugar down their throat is disgusting to me. Just seeing those huge platters of food makes me slightly nauseus. I love to eat but that does not look enjoyable in the least.
What did your Mom always have on hand, that you NEVER do?
Here are a few biggies:
Canned veggies, usually Del Monte. One of the joys of adulthood for me was discovering you can buy real vegetables and cook them yourself (as opposed to heating up mushy asparagus or peas. Ugh.)
Instant coffee. I don't think my mother even remembered how to make brewed coffee after the 1950s. Maybe even 40s.
Ancient jars of spice. I presume she must have replaced stuff like celery salt over the years because we used it a lot in salads (like tuna), but there were also spices more than 20 years old.
Also ice milk, tv dinners, quart-size cans of juice "drinks" (like Hawaiian Punch), iceberg lettuce, Wonder Bread, Tasty Cakes or Ring Dings or even Little Debbie snack cake type stuff.
In retrospect I ate remarkably poorly compared to people whose moms cooked from scratch and used fresh vegetables. We did always have fresh fruit in the house, but my mother was definitely of the school that canned vegetables were freeing her from housewife drudgery. A farm was a place my first grade class visited so we could see what real cows and such looked like, none of us connected a place like it to the food we ate.
Just learning to cook... where do I start?
Most of the advice here is good. Don't buy anything unless you think you'll use it a lot. Best cookware to invest in, bar none, is a cast iron skillet. If you do yard sales you may find one already seasoned for a few bucks. Other than that you need good knives, a roasting pan, a few cookie sheets, a few sauce pans, tongs, ladle (some of the gadgety things can be found in dollar stores). If you can find a dutch oven, too (cast iron is good but not essential), you'll be equipped with some versitile multitaskers. A cheap coffee grinder is also helpful--you can grind coffee AND spices. Most of this stuff can be found at yard sales if you're willing to search for it. If you want to bake you may want to invest in a few cake pans, round or sheet. If you have lots of money to spend (who does lol, but thought I'd mention it), you can invest in something wonderful like a stand mixer, a blender or a food processor, which make lots of kitchen work easier, but up to you.
If there's a food coop or natural foods store or place where you can buy supplies in bulk, check it out. You'll often save over the grocery store. I'd check such places for spices, sea salt, coffee, flour, pastas--all the staples. Then search around for inexpensive sources for produce, meat, and dairy products. The less prepared foods you buy, the more money you'll have (and you'll eat better too!).
I don't know that'd I'd buy cookbooks right off. Maybe wait till you know whose style of cooking you prefer. I keep a three-ring binder and when I find a recipe online that works well for me, I print it out and put it in a plastic sheet in the binder. Over time, I've built up recipes that I like and that I know come out great when I cook them. I've found recipes on the Food Network, Cooks Illustrated (worth the $30 per year--even if just for one year), All Recipes and many other websites.
And most important is stay connected to places like Chowhound. There are many online foodie communities, and this is a great one. People love to help, so don't be afraid to ask lots of questions!
One other site I've found helpful is http://www.cookingforengineers.com/. It has videos and step-by-step directions, which is great for learning techniques (as is the Chow Tips feature here).
Good luck and have fun. Cooking can be a great stress-buster. :-)
What do you listen to while cooking?
When I am cooking I am either listening to jazz (my preference) or whatever sport du jour Mr. McG has on the tv in the next room (not my preference unless it's baseball season).
Idiotic things you do in the kitchen
Here's one I've done so many times they should put me in the Guiness Book of World Records for it. I often soften butter (for baking) in my microwave. It has a power level setting and if I set it at 10% power for about a minute and a half, I get a perfectly softened stick of butter. However, I often forget to set the power level and end up with a stick of butter melted all over the inside of the microwave. Duh.
Commercial seasoning blends, what's your favorite?
I love love love Old Bay seasoning. Wouldn't think of making a crabcake without it and it's great on pick and peel shrimp, most white fish, even veggies and salads. I've had it on potato chips, too. Just a great flavor.
Best Food Blogs?
I couldn't agree more, Nancy. I discovered her blog a while back and it's both informative and entertaining. I make all my family's bread and wasn't familiar with Berenbaum's book until I found this blog. The recipes are wonderful.
Potential effect of swine flu on pork prices?
The virus survives in the respiratory tract, and dies pretty fast on surfaces. Mexican produce should not be a problem. Mexican produce is more problematic for e coli and samonella, which is why you should always clean all produce well before consuming. OTOH I bet some supermarkets will go out of their way not to stock Mexican produce for now. They don't need to, but they likely will.
please help me with my kitchen restock
Just a suggestion, but I never buy brown sugar anymore. I mix molasses (and yes, I use Grandma's too) with white sugar. My recipe is about two tablespoons molasses to cup of sugar, which makes a medium dark brown sugar. You can go lighter or darker as recipes require. I just mix it up in my food processor and save a lot of money.
And I bake all my family's bread. We buy yeast in bulk at our local food coop, which also is much less expensive than buying it by the cube or envelope though I have used all the popular brands. I don't notice any difference between them.
Should a diner be entitled to tour the kitchen?
This was also my first thought: there are perfectly legitimate safety reasons why a given resto would not want diners touring the kitchen. I think if they can allow diners to tour safely, sure, why not? But many restaurant kitchens simply don't have that luxury. I certainly wouldn't jump to conclude that a restaurant had anything to hide if they turned down such a request--not that the OP suggested that at all, but some might interpret a turn-down that way.
