16crab's Profile
What are your FAVORITE meals or dishes to enjoy when it's HOT outside?
Snowcaps always my choice! When I was a kid, you could only find them at the movie theatre. I think looking back I liked them because they were dark chocolate.
Now that I have two small kids, we sometimes have movie lunch on the weekends (on our big screen tv) - with a late breakfast, sometimes all you need around noon is popcorn and candy :)
Food shopping suggestions across the Niagara Falls border? (moved from Ontario board)
I'm keen on boxed brownie mixes and the like. I love to bake from scratch but when using a mix, you can't beat the selection in the states. Ghirardelli dark chocolate brownie mix is to die for and you can't get it here - you'll find it pretty much everywhere. I'm also big on bagged candies - the Reese's miniatures in dark chocolate are unavailable here. Dark chocolate peanut M&M's are another favourite of mine - just started getting them here but in the states you can get twice as many for a fraction of the price.
In my opinion I would hit Target over Wal-mart - they have their upscale store brand Archer Farms (I'm curious - and not too hopeful - to see if Canadian Targets will carry Archer Farms) and you can get some interesting chip flavours, cookies, cereals, coffees, pasta sauces, etc. I picked up some Giada Di Laurentis jarred tomato sauce (it was well recommended by consumer's reports - it was good but nothing special) as well as her jarred pesto which was really good.
Happy shopping. I'm an American transplanted to Canada 15 years ago, and I sure miss the variety of packaged junk (and the absurd variety of things food and non-food you can buy online) in the states - though I generally try not to buy much of it now. But if I moved back to the US, I sure would miss my PC products!
Vegas dining etiquite
I would tend to err on this side as well - though I don't think there's anything wrong with ordering just apps and cocktails, I probably wouldn't do it myself during dinner hours. josehn1 what's your take on taking a table for a dessert tasting? We are going to vegas and I would like to do the Michael Mina dessert tasting after a show - so 10:00ish? (which I know is still dinner time for many). The dessert tasting is only $15 and not sure if it's shareable or we'd order 2 or one tasting and one full dessert. Maybe coffees but probably not after dinner alcoholic drinks - so with a bill that low I'm not sure if it's acceptable to take a table for that. And totally off topic, but should I make a reservation for dessert? Thanks!
Need pizza delivery in North York - best bet?
Based on these suggestions (warnings) we ended up going with Pizza Nova. I was all set to order from Mamma's until I read these, and was wary of spending a lot from an unknown. I figured with Pizza Nova I would at least get some chain familiarity. We pre-ordered at 1pm for delivery at 5pm, 2 large and 2 jumbo pizzas. I was pleasantly surprised. It wasn't anything earth shattering but it wasn't offensive either and I found it to be way better than pizza pizza. We got plain cheese for the kids, 2 specialties and one build our own with 3 toppings. The delivery was spot on time and it only came to 73.00 before the tip. We also have pretty much a full large frankenpie in our freezer so we'll see how it re-heats. Thanks for the rec's and warnings. Would order Pizza Nova again if we're ordering from their place.
Need pizza delivery in North York - best bet?
Thanks for the suggestions. The pizza doesn't have to be Kosher. We are serving on paper plates and everyone is ok with non-Kosher as long as it doesn't have meat. I will check out the Mezza Notte site. Any recommendations from there? I'm wondering if I should do a mix of pasta and pizza, I'm guessing they have both?
Need pizza delivery in North York - best bet?
We are hosting my son's birthday party at my in-laws at Bayview & the 401. A little family gathering of 10-15 adults and 6 kids. The go-to for this kind of gathering is Pizza Pizza but I'm not a fan. If I'm going to spend 100+ bucks ordering pizza for everyone, I want it to be decent AND if there are leftovers, have it be something I'll want to eat out of my freezer.
When we are home (way out in Georgetown), we generally make our own pizza as we have no other real options, though I'm ok with Toppers or a slice from Pizza Nova, and Pizza Hut pan pizza is definitely a guilty pleasure every now and then. So I'm wondering what's the best bet in North York? I've searched the boards and it seems Mamma's pizza is recommended, or should I go with Pizza Nova (I've never really looked at their menu since we generally just get a slice in the mall - but it seems they have a lot of toppings) or is there another hidden gem that would be a better choice?
One caveat - delivery is a must, once everyone arrives with all the kids going nuts and the driveway getting blocked up and the weather, doing pick-up is just not feasible. And once we pick a place, looking for a few good suggestions on specialty pizzas. Must be vegetarian. The in-laws are Kosher so it's non-negotiable.
Thanks!
some phyllo questions
I made a recipe last night that used Phyllo. Defrosted the whole (454g) package then realized it had way more than I needed. Probably half to 3/4 of the package left.
So how long can it stay in the fridge now that it's defrosted? It will likely be the weekend until I can get to it again, so 3 days later. Or should I re-freeze it?
And while I'm asking - throw me your best recipes to use it up! Main dish over appetizers or desserts preferred as time is tight at the moment so I generally only have time and need to cook dinner for the 2 of us.
Thanks!
Looking for the ultimate crunchy yeast doughnut recipe
Unfortunately I've not found anything. I've made a few variations of the standard yeast doughnut and while they were good straight out of the fryer, they didn't come close to the one I was looking for. Just too dense really. I also tried one with mashed potatoes. I have been wondering if frying in shortening or lard might be the trick, as surely the doughnut shop of my youth (I was born in 1972) would not have been concerned with trans fats and the like. Really I need one that's much lighter. I imagine if you baked the dough as bread it would be quite light and fluffy. If you find one in the search, please share as well!
Help for Christmas dessert for in-laws, please?
I'm a chocoholic myself and two desserts came to mind:
Smitten Kitchen's chocolate tart with the gingersnap crust (the gingersnap says Christmas to me) - I've made it once before though I had leftover peanut butter cookies and used those for the crust instead. Not sure about the make-ahead - the blog says one day ahead and refrigerate but perhaps you could do it more than one day? I would serve with homemade whipped cream which takes no time, maybe spiked with bourbon or with a little cinnamon or something to give it a little something else. http://smittenkitchen.com/2008/11/dark-chocolate-tart-with-gingersnap-crust/
The other one I thought of was Martha's chocolate bread pudding. Made this one last year for Thanksgiving and it was delicious...with a store brand of bar chocolate you can get here in Canada, not anything too pricey. We served it with homemade vanilla ice cream but no reason why you couldn't do your favourite store bought or again some whipped cream or cream fraiche. It's not the prettiest of desserts when served, more homey, but you could do them in individual ramekins and then I think they'd be pretty show-stoppery. I think you could make the custard a day ahead and let them soak in the fridge then put them in the oven to bake while you are eating dinner. Here's the link for that one: http://www.marthastewart.com/340336/chocolate-bread-pudding
Good luck and do report back! I love Christmas desserts!
Serving fruit for/with dessert - a cultural thing?
I am genuinely interested in the cultural aspect of this, so it's not meant to be a should you/'should you not do it kind of discussion. But here goes, prefaced with a little background information:
I am a Southern gal, transplanted to the Greater Toronto area, and my husband is Jewish, born and raised in said GTA. In his family, there is always fresh fruit served with dessert - whether it's brunch or dinner, large or small, or as in the case of yesterday, a four-year-old's birthday party. In my home, this never, ever happened. In the car, when I was musing as to why this was, my husband answered, 'they think it's healthy'. A good reason - but maybe not the real one as he said it's been like this his whole life, even before his mom and her generation became obsessed with fat-free, then low-carb, and so on. So then he said "maybe it's a cultural thing" which got me thinking about that aspect.
Now - my family was not a good one to gauge from - our fare was 'back-of-the-box', fried, fried and more fried...yes, people do really cook and eat like Paula Deen. Dessert was often boxed cake mix, and generally the only fresh fruit found in my house were bananas that were sliced in cereal or put into jello(!) But in my friends' homes where nutrition and fresh food were more prevalent, there was either no dessert or a lighter dessert (who remembers ice milk?) or a fruit-based dessert - not a dessert with a fruit platter on the side. Thinking to southern tradition, even when delicious fresh fruits are in season and can be bought on the side of the road --peaches for instance -- they seemed to be more commonly eaten out of hand for a snack or used to make a pie or a cobbler rather than served as a dessert i and of themselves. So what's the reason for this? Did they make pies in tighter times to make the fruit stretch? Was it a (lack of) refrigeration thing? And, since I haven't lived in the south in almost twenty years and seem to only visit at big-ticket holidays were pumpkin pie is the dessert, is it still like this or has the fruit platter become a more common thing?
This really intrigued me when we started talking about it. Any thoughts?
I need a great forkless dessert...maybe dairy-free?
I'm actually leaning towards a s'mores bar - after much research, this one perhaps, subbing margarine for the butter and using a dark chocolate http://bakingbites.com/2007/08/smore-cookie-bars/
I saw a s'mores kit in the grocery store, and after a chuckle over why anyone would need a kit, thought this would be a fun, summery dessert. Have no idea if there's going to be a BBQ (I think not) for making actual s'mores. Plus if I'm baking for others I like to do a double batch and have the hubby and kids as the taste testers before the fact, and hubby won't touch gelatin. Oddly, marshmallow creme is gelatin- and dairy-free. So that's what I'm leaning towards at the moment. If anyone has made a s'mores bar, weigh in on advice. I'm thinking you can't really go wrong with this combo of ingredients.
I need a great forkless dessert...maybe dairy-free?
Yes, you did say that...chalk another one up to sleep deprivation!
I need a great forkless dessert...maybe dairy-free?
So many wonderful ideas. I would love to do the churros - there's plenty of dairy free chocolates for dipping so she could have that too. But I have to bake the night before as I'm working the day of and then will be going straight from work - a 30-60 minute drive depending on traffic. Don't know if churros would be good the next day. The grilled fruits are out for the same reason...
I've never made macarons before but would love to try. The non-dairy person is French too, so that would be nice. But can you do just straight-up chocolate in the middle? I would have thought a ganache would be the way to go.
I've found lots of great bar cookie recipes - but it pains me to sub margarine or shortening for butter. Goes against my fundamental baking beliefs!
I need a great forkless dessert...maybe dairy-free?
Oh please do post! Though I may not make it for this, would love to have that recipe!
I need a great forkless dessert...maybe dairy-free?
I'm going to a gals-only potluck and the instructions are to bring something that doesn't require utensils...a wine and noshing sort of thing. We can bring sweet or savory and the last time we did this, it was heavy on the savory so I want to bring something sweet and decadent.
My thoughts are cookies, bar cookies or cupcakes...and I'm a chocoholic so I lean towards that though I'm open to a non-chocolate recipe too. However...there's one person who can't have dairy. So if I can find a recipe to accommodate her, I would love that - she usually just skips dessert but it would be nice for her not to have to.
Any ideas would be greatly appreciated.
Your Favorite Manufacturers' Recipes...
7-Layer cookie bars were the first thing that popped into my head when I saw this post. I've often wondered if the Eagle people came up with this recipe. I think it's the only thing I've ever bought condensed milk for.
Your Favorite Manufacturers' Recipes...
I thought of Libby's too - the pumpkin cookie recipe is great. I never use the raisins but often add chocolate chips. http://www.verybestbaking.com/recipes/18471/Great-Pumpkin-Cookies/detail.aspx
Suggestion for easy, fast, and portable salad for a ladies luncheon, please
Mine is similar to others' suggestions but this salad always gets rave reviews. It's called green and yellow salad and it's blanched green and yellow (wax) beans, feta cheese, avocado and a standard lime vinaigrette. Maybe a bit of green onion, I can't remember. The avocado wouldn't travel well but if you can bring it separately and even a plastic knife will do, cut it and add it then and there. I have the recipe on an index card filed away - copied from some cookbook though I have no idea what. If you want it I can dig it out.
This one also gets high praise.. It's really just a twist on a green/asian flair salad. There's been much debate on allrecipes as to whether the (high) calorie count is accurate or not. If it is, just don't look: http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Sweet-and-Sour-Salad/Detail.aspx
So tired of so many food "celebrities"
I sure wish I knew. In trying to find the bakery that made them, I learned that the cupcake in question was actually featured on Kid in a candy store, not BTIEA. Just goes to show how well I pay attention to the food porn I watch while folding laundry! Nonetheless, here's the cupcake: http://www.kickasscupcakes.com/Cupcake_Deep_Fried.php Aaaaaand...now I'm thinking about them again!
So tired of so many food "celebrities"
I have actually been thinking about those deep fried cupcakes for weeks on end!
I am often curious if the businesses featured on there pay for the promotion. I was actually just watching it yesterday and intended to look, but my DVR cut off the end credits...
So tired of so many food "celebrities"
Is there a television network out there that doesn't dump whomever or whatever is no longer making money for them?
So tired of so many food "celebrities"
I like Best Thing I Ever Ate as a concept too but for me it has little if nothing to do with the 'celebrities' and more (or all) about the food. I don't tend to pay much attention to who is touting what and 5 minutes after the show is over, unless it's one of the big names, I don't remember who I saw. But you'd better believe that I remember those deep fried cupcakes. :)
Perhaps it's because I don't watch a lot of tv, food or otherwise, and when I do I prefer genuine cooking instruction such as America's Test Kitchen. Have never once watched a cooking competition show, so I don't know who half of the 'celebrities' are anyway. For me it's all about the food. If the 'celebrity' host or guest were to get under my skin, and from instructional shows I know they for sure can, then why watch them? Whether or not they are celebrities in their own minds or in the real world is neither here nor there, to me anyways.
Pillsbury Easy Frost Frosting?
I haven't seen the easy frost (I'm in Canada, don't know if we even get it here...) but my two cents about cake for kids...they like the boxed and canned stuff! Two years ago I made milk chocolate cupcakes from a Dorie Greenspan recipe, and with the leftover batter added the walnuts and ganache that the recipe called for. They were delightful. My son said they were just 'ok'. The next year it was boxed cake with canned frosting and he told me it was the best cake ever. So go figure. I find too that they get so excited with parties and snacks and pizza that by the time the cake rolls around many of them don't eat much of it. So for a kids birthday I would go for the shortcut personally! Do report back - though I'm not one for convenience products especially when it comes to baking, I do have a curiousity about the different things out there and how palatable they are.
What is the appeal of Cake Pops?
There is one food blogger who seems to have cornered the market on them, www.bakerella.com. She is definitely very skilled in the decorating area. I was telling my sister-in-law about the site once (I think she was giving something cool away) and then my sister-in-law stood in line at Williams Sonoma in NYC and got me a signed copy of her cookbook. I figured I had the cookbook so I may as well give the pops a go.
As much as you can tell about someone from their food blog, this gal seems to be just a wonderful lady who deserves the good fortune that came from her blogging efforts. The postings have waned a bit lately as she's had some health problems. But it's on my regular rotation to stop in and drool at the food photography.
What is the appeal of Cake Pops?
Yes, a pain to make indeed! Not something I'm rushing to do again anytime soon!
What is the appeal of Cake Pops?
I made the christmas tree ones for my son's kindergarten class and they were a big hit. Yes, it's the cuteness factor. Same as decorated sugar cookies and cutesy cupcakes. It's not all about the taste.
That being said, I don't go for canned frosting at all but these weren't too bad. Perhaps it was the hard coating on the outside, maybe it was that I was delirious staying up until the wee hours making the darned things! But they were slightly addictive. I imagine they could be quite delectable with homemade cake and frosting.
I have this oatmeal chocolate chip cookie dough...
Yes I wish I'd seen this idea beforehand as I think it would be very pretty. Next time!
Wouldn't you know, we had gorgeous weather all last week but it's snowing like crazy today. Book club may be postponed yet again. The hubs and kids win treats again!
I have this oatmeal chocolate chip cookie dough...
Thanks for the inspiration! I'd hoped to add dried cherries or cranberries but discovered I didn't really have enough of either. So I just pressed it into an 8x8 pan and poured chocolate chips on the top to spread as soon as it came out of the oven. It's still soft - may sprinkle on some walnuts too if get a chance. Not too creative but I was more pressed for time than I anticipated. Will have to remember that ice cream pie idea - not feasible for this since I'd have to transport and I was looking to avoid needing cutlery - but that sounds delicious!!
I have this oatmeal chocolate chip cookie dough...
..and I want to do something creative with it.
It went down like this: I'm in a book club, and I wanted to bring a sweet something that was decadent that didn't involve utensils to eat, but I needed it to be super easy as I only had about an hour to put it together the night before, in addition to getting regular dinner on the table and bathing two kids AND finishing the book. I remembered that a lot of people rave about those little cookie cups that involve nothing but refrigerated cookie dough with a miniature peanut butter cup plopped in the middle of them, googled it and added the items to my grocery list all ready to go.
Well, the store was out of pb cookie dough and the wonderful (I mean that in all sincerity, bless him!) hubby bought both chocolate chip and oatmeal chocolate chip instead . I used the choc chip to make the cookies and they were addictive. BUT, the book club was snowed out and postponed so the hubs and kiddos (and I) ended up finishing the lot of them off.
This Wednesday is the snow date for said book club, and I still have the oatmeal chocolate chip tube in the fridge and figure I may as well use it up. I don't have the bag of peanut butter cups as I used them in the first go...but my pantry is stocked with pretty well all other baking ingredients. I feel like just making cookies says "I couldn't be bothered to do more than bake refrigerated cookie dough" hence the reason I'm looking to put a twist on it, but there are almost no recipes out there involving the oatmeal variety (surprisingly, pillsbury doesn't even make this sort, it's a new one from president's choice here in Canada).
Any brilliant ideas? Thanks!!
little rubber things that came with my dutch oven...
They actually came packaged in their own little plastic bag so I really had no clue what to do with them. I tried them on both the pot and the lid and they didn't really fit nicely on either. I imagine that the less than perfect fit is because the kitchenaid is a step down from the likes of a le creuset, but I've never had a dutch oven and wanted to get the feel for it, at 70% off :)
