weem's Profile
Russian food recipe that does not contain flour or meat - and is not too difficult
Is a side dish okay? I've always liked kutya. I suggested it once on another thread and somebody retorted that it's Christmas food or funeral food, but I don't think it matters. Traditionally you would use wheat berries, but it can be done with bulgar wheat or barley (or, in a pinch, rice). Basically you cook some of the grain, stir in a lot of poppy seeds, chopped walnuts and raisins, and add just enough honey to wet everything and make it a bit sticky without being soupy. You can google recipes for exact proportions. It's an unusual but tasty flavor, sweet but healthy. And it can be served warm, cold, or room temperature, so it would transport easily.
What would you make with canned fruit syrups?
It's my stepfather's favorite pancake topping.
Wayfare Tavern [SF]
I realize this response is too late for the original poster, but I thought I'd chime in anyway. My boss took ten of us out to lunch there today. Between all of us we had the deviled eggs, the steak tartare, a couple platters of oysters, fried chicken, ahi tuna carpaccio, steak frites, salmon club sandwich, burger, mac & cheese, red velvet cake, chocolate cake, carrot cake, and apple-cranberry tart (a deconstructed tart). And, of course, the yummy popovers that just come with the meal. Everybody was satisfied, and everything was good. Particular standouts were the fried chicken, the deviled eggs, the mac & cheese and the red velvet cake. By the way, our server said the deviled egg toppings change seasonally (or regularly, or occasionally; sorry I don't remember exactly what she said, I would've paid better attention if I thought I was going to be posting about it later).
Failed lemon tart - my fault? suggestions for next time?
Hey DeppitDawg and roxlet, thanks for this thread. Sometimes I enjoy reading about cooking as much as actually doing it. It always amazes me how the subtlest variations can yield such different results. Thanks for all your tips and suggestions.
Failed lemon tart - my fault? suggestions for next time?
Thanks for the tip. Yes, the lemon squares I regularly make use about those proportions. I think it's mostly the pith in the tart I tried that was giving me grief.
Failed lemon tart - my fault? suggestions for next time?
I love Saveur. I'll have to check out the recipe. Thanks for the tip.
Failed lemon tart - my fault? suggestions for next time?
I routinely make lemon bars, but not ones with whole lemons. I'll have to check out this recipe. Thanks! (By the way, my go-to recipe is the "lemon curd squares" from the 1970s edition of "Joy of Cooking". There may be better ones, but it hasn't let me down yet.)
Failed lemon tart - my fault? suggestions for next time?
The accompanying article did mention the joys of Meyer lemons, but I didn't think they were intended for this recipe. Nevertheless, that might be worth trying. It would be less tart, and hopefully not overwhelmed by the sweetness of the crust, but also less bitter.
Failed lemon tart - my fault? suggestions for next time?
They were not organic. Thanks for the tip.
Failed lemon tart - my fault? suggestions for next time?
I ran across a recipe I clipped a few years ago and decided to try it today. This is the recipe:
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/01/31/dining/311lrex.html
I followed this recipe to the letter, even when things seemed odd (such as sprinkling an entire 1/4 cup of sugar on top). Well, it mostly turned out great. The crust was delicious, the filling was the right texture, the whole thing held its shape beautifully when cut, etc. ...
EXCEPT, the filling was unpalatably bitter. The accompanying article said it would be quite tart, but I don't think it was supposed to be bitter. I assume the bitterness resulted from the pith and peel, but the recipe said to leave at least five of the lemons unpeeled, and I sliced the lemons very thin using a mandoline. Other than the bitterness, the recipe was a success, and I'd like to try it again sometime. Assuming the recipe is not flawed, can anyone suggest what I may have done wrong, or how to avoid this problem in the future? Thanks.
Can anyone recommend a good cookbook for a home baker?
In addition to buying books used to save money, I recommend checking them out from the library and living with them for a few weeks first to see if they work for you.
favourite Moroccan or Tunisian soup recipes
The book "Field of Greens" by Annie Somerville had a recipe for Moroccan Lentil Soup. I'm not expert enough to know how "authentic" it was, but I tried it and thought it was delicious. I no longer have the book, but I did a search and found it reproduced here:
http://www.frontiercoop.com/store.php?Screen=recipe&recipe=743
Edit: Hmm, for some reason the link doesn't seem to be working. :-( But searching for "Moroccan Lentil Soup" in the search box brings it up.
Do you eat the raw dough?
Sorry, I'm one of those people. I LOVE raw doughs and batters, and I sometimes think they taste better unbaked. I love the flavor, so yummy things like cookie doughs and cake batters will often find their way into me unbaked while I'm cooking. But I also love the mouthfeel, so I'll even nibble on the blander doughs like yeasted bread, pie crust, pizza dough, biscuit dough, etc.
I was ecstatic to find a cake batter flavored ice cream. And I will often make a fake "cookie dough" to eat raw for a snack, omitting things like eggs and leavening, but experimenting with different versions of the fat (butters and oils), flour (white, wheat, besan, etc.), sugars (granulated, powdered, brown, molasses, etc.) and extras (peanut butter, oatmeal, spices, flavor extracts, etc.) to see what all I can come up with.
Looking or Sources of Good German Recipes
You might try "The German Cookbook" by Mimi Sheraton.
Too Many Eggs - What to bake or cook to freeze?
A quick Sally Lunn bread can use up as many as three eggs per loaf, depending on the recipe.
Just too many cookbooks? Some thoughts from a SF Chronicle writer...
That's an interesting article, and a fun topic. For me, what's especially interesting is not just which books people prize, but why.
Last year, when I was unemployed and super-broke, I had to sell things to make ends meet, including books. Fortunately, I'm a pack rat with a ton of books, so there were plenty to choose from. But I love my books, and sometimes it felt like some sort of Sophie's choice as I had to select ones to sell. So how did I choose?
First of all, I operated under the assumption that my finances would eventually rebound, so I felt it would be okay to part with books that could easily be replaced down the road. That meant keeping ones that would be harder to replace, like out-of-print books, antique books, signed books, etc.
Resell value was important. For instance, even though I didn't need two copies of The New York Times Cookbook, sadly neither one was in good enough condition for a used bookstore to want. I had to take into account the book's condition, whether it was a book club edition (which sells for less, and which places like half.com or powells.com won't even accept), whether it was at all in demand, etc.
As with the article's author, I have to admit that sentimental value played a factor, so books that were gifts, or were associated with special times in my life, were harder to part with.
And then there was the crucial question of which books I actually use. But that's complicated, since there are different reasons I use cookbooks. One, obviously, is for recipes and cooking techniques. But I also buy cookbooks because I believe that reading about food and cooking can be a window into another culture or another time. I'll read through a cookbook like I'll read through a travel book or history book, often without any real intention of cooking from it. It's like reading about the styles and techniques of various painters through different eras and cultures, even though I don't paint. Such books are interesting and rewarding, and I don't want to part with them. Lastly, a book can simply be inspirational. For instance, while the recipes in my Two Fat Ladies cookbooks never seem to work out for me, I find the adventurousness and joie de vivre of their writing so inspirational that I kept them.
So I kept, for instance, the 12-volume "Women's Day Encyclopedia of Cookery" from 1966. The reasons for keeping such an thing? It's out of print, it's a bit battered (less resale value), it has sentimental value (my mom had an identical set as I grew up), and it's a set I actually turn to frequently for suggestions or recipes.
I got rid of, for instance, "Mastering the Art of French Cooking", by Julie Child, et. al. How could I part with such a classic? It was in excellent condition (good resale value). It was not an old, rare edition, nor did it have sentimental value (it wasn't a gift or heirloom or anything). It's still in print, so it wouldn't be a problem to replace later. And most important, I had to admit to myself that I had never cooked from it! Oh, I had the best of intentions, and I know it's a cornerstone for any serious cookbook collection, and I love Julia Child's TV show, and I loved the Julie Powell book and movie, but I had never cooked from it. So to hang on to it would've meant catering to other people's expectations, rather than to what I actually use.
I am, fortunately, employed again, and have slowly started to allow myself to buy cookbooks again. I got Nigella Lawson's "Nigella Express" because I know I will use it (I already have tried recipes from that book that I saw in video form on YouTube) and I love her writing. And I went to a used bookstore and bought a 1951 book of Arizona ranch recipes, including things like "mountain oysters", "brain croquettes", and flapjacks cooked on a shovel over a campfire. I have NO intention of cooking from this book, but I find it so interesting to read about the oddball techniques and the completely different time and place.
Buttertart, sorry this isn't a specific list of top-ten books (not to mention long-winded). From your list, I have to say I held on to my copy of the Madhur Jaffrey. And it was an earlier post of yours that inspired me to go to the public library and get "The Fannie Farmer Baking Book", which is now on my short list of ones to buy. So thanks for the inspiration!
Your Favorite Manufacturers' Recipes...
Oatmeal Scotchies (oatmeal butterscotch cookies or bars) from the package of Nestle's Butterscotch Chips.
King Arthur Flour has a lot of good recipes on their website and in their cookbooks. Lately I have been making their Classic Sandwich Bread, which I first found on the back of a bag of their flour:
http://www.kingarthurflour.com/recipes/classic-sandwich-bread-recipe
I hate French toast, so I made some …
This reminds me of a friend who definitely does not have a sweet tooth, and makes savory waffles by putting bacon into the batter and topping them with sour cream.
Self-Rising Flour
My understanding is that it's more of a staple ingredient in the UK than in the US, but there it's called "self-raising flour" instead of "self-rising flour". So if you are searching the internet for recipes, you might try including the British spelling in your searches.
Will flaming desserts set off my fire alarm?
Just don't forget to turn it back on!
The smoke detector in my apartment that is nearest the kitchen is on the wall, rather than the ceiling, so I'm able to just drape a dish towel over it, which does the trick.
Inspirational Cookbook
If you need inspiration without requiring exact recipes (for instance, if you're okay with being told that something should be "well spiced" without being given a precise list of spices and amounts), I recommend the writings of Elizabeth David or M.F.K. Fisher.
Old Eggs?
I had a cookie book by Maida Heatter that instructed you to always crack eggs in a separate bowl so that you don't accidentally get shards of the shell in whatever you're making. (I don't bother since I don't have a dishwasher, so I try to keep the dirty bowls to a minimum.)
Surplus of canned pumpkin
In case you're sick of the taste of pumpkin, you can Google the recipe for Weight Watchers chocolate pudding which uses pureed pumpkin. The pumpkin in it gives it body and nutrition, but the chocolate gives it the flavor.
Old Eggs?
I'll echo the previous posters. Perhaps I'm playing with fire, but I never concern myself with the expiration date on eggs. I buy a carton of 18 to be economical, but I live alone, so unless I'm engaged in a flurry of baking or going through an omelet phase, they can sit unused in the fridge for weeks. I'm guessing they are past the expiration date, but I don't know because I don't check. They've never smelled bad, and I've never gotten sick from them (even from undercooked ones like runny fried eggs, or raw cookie dough).
Useful cooking mags
I should clarify my previous post. As a single man living alone, not trying to come up with three meals a day for a family, I may not have the same magazine requirements as others. I didn't mean to suggest that bunches of recipes are useless. I was suggesting (or trying to suggest) that the inspiration that I get from Saveur would be a useful supplement to the everyday magazines, if subscribing to more than one is an option.
Useful cooking mags
For what it's worth, the only cooking magazine I currently get is Saveur. It may not have as many everyday recipes and tips as some magazines (like Cooks Illustrated or Bon Appetit), but it has wonderful articles about food and cooking. It inspires me to get into the kitchen, and that inspiration can be just as valuable to me as a bunch of random recipes.
Creme Brulee- need flavor options. Never made before, need suggestions!
I went to a dinner party last year where the hostess served creme brulee in individual ramekins, but without the hard crust top. She passed around a bowl of sugar and a small torch, and let us do it ourselves, instructing us that the more sugar we poured on, the thicker the crunchy crust would be. It was great fun. This would, of course, only work at a rather informal gathering, and it's something that would need to be cleared with the host first, but I thought it was an idea worth tossing out there.
Pie Crust...Do You Add Lemon Juice or Cider Vinegar?
I haven't tried either, though I am still experimenting with different crust recipes. I just got my mom's "no-fail" crust recipe, which I'm looking forward to trying. It includes vinegar.
I gather vinegar or lemon juice would be added for their chemical properties, and that the right amounts wouldn't affect the taste. But it's not inconceivable to want to affect the taste. I once tried a pie crust recipe that had lemon zest in it, which added a nice brightness to the overall flavor.
Micronesian dinner party ideas
Thanks everybody! I appreciate all the thoughtful answers.
Trencher man, I requested the book through inter-library loan, so hopefully it will get here soon. And Chef Chicklet, the link looks like it will be useful and interesting.
I appreciate all the first- and second-hand impressions. They match a lot of what I was gathering about the place and its food. I chuckled at the idea of a dinner party comprised of Budweiser and Spam, but in all honestly, this is what makes the research so interesting, finding out not only what makes for a traditional cuisine and why, but also comparing it with the reality of what many eat today.
I'll let you know what we end up doing.
