plateofwander's Profile
Cake in a Pie Dish?
I'm living in a small city in China. My American co-worker's birthday is next week, and I want to bake him a cake. The problem is I don't have a cake pan, only a glass pie dish. How should I adjust for this? I made a cake in the glass dish over Christmas; the cake came out sunken and a little dense (but still yummy). However, I'm not sure if that was the pan or (more likely) the fact that I had no access to baking soda at the time (I have since obtained some).
So does the glass pie dish matter? I feel like it must, I'm just not sure how, and my searches aren't turning up much of anything. Thanks!
I see these words on a menu and then I must order...
pork belly.
duck.
fish fragrant eggplant.
cake (non chocolate).
butternut squash.
caramel/ dulce de leche.
pumpkin.
curry.
anything that sounds different or interesting or that i've never had before.
Americans Abroad: How do you celebrate Thanksgiving?
i'm living in china and held a thanksgiving dinner for a few of my expat friends. someone noted how there are no ovens in japan, and the same is true here. luckily one friend let me borrow his toaster oven, so i roasted some duck legs ( no turkey here) in that. all i had to work with were two hot plates and a microwave, but i managed to find the ingredients (with a few substitutions, like digestive biscuits in lieu of graham crackers for a pie crust) to make the duck, pumpkin pie, stuffing, and, since there are no cranberries here, pomegranate orange sauce. some friends brough cornbread and mashed potatoes, and it was a success, and infinitely more fun because planning and executing the dinner was like a puzzle.
it was also the first time i've been on my own for the holidays, so it was gratifying to do things my way and do all the cooking. :)
'fess up, "i'm a hog when it comes to eating ____ ."
peanut butter (especially fresh ground) and honey, both serarate and together, so i don't buy either of them often, because if i do, i'll eat three days' worth of calories in one meal.
grapes. i could eat them til my stomach burst.
nuts. especially salted.
salt and vinegar chips.
ice cream.
cinnamon toast crunch. i have been known to consume an entire box in one day (but i was 14).
pineapple. i've eaten so much that my tongue is sore for the next two days.
chinese fish fragrant eggplant (yuxiang qiezi).
chinese hawthorne candy in any form. [and i live in china, so watch out]
good friends cereal. strange, yes. tasty, also yes.
dried fruits, espeially prunes, figs, and DATES.
there are more--i'm a pig at heart, but i work really hard not to be one on a daily basis. it's not easy!
Family foods I thought was normal
salted fried egg (runny yolk a must) on top of syrupy pancakes.
amazing. just...wow.
Tricky Thanksgiving-help!
thansk so much for the suggestions!
I personally don't mind Asian flavors (I love them), but I think some of my diners are looking for more western flavors, so I'll try my best.
I like the no-bake pumpkin pie; I'll definitely get in on that.
And one of my other diners volunteered an additional toaster oven and more if needed, which is great.
as for cranberries, I haven't seen them around here, but there are lots of pomegranates, so I had thought about making a pomegranate sauce instead (seems to be the best substitute). anyone have tips on that? would it still just be pomegranate seeds/ juice with sugar, a little water and maybe some citurs zest?
thanks!
Tricky Thanksgiving-help!
Hi everyone,
Here's the situation: I'm living in a small town in China and I'm making Thanksgiving dinner for me and five or six other expats (and I'm pretty much the only cook). I have two hot plates and woks, two microwaves, and a small roughly 10-inch square toaster oven. That's it. I'm planning to do a duck of some sort (probably in the wok, since the toaster oven will likely be working OT), but two of the eaters are vegetarians, one who hates mushrooms, another who hates chocolate. Since I"m in a small town, my access to foreign food, like butter, decent cheese, nutmeg, parsley, sage ,rosemary, thyme, paprika, all that, is sadly limited. I'm close enough to Shanghai that I may be able to take the bus in to do some shopping, but I'm not sure. My diners want as close to traditional as possible (mashed potatoes, pumpkin pie, no rice) so I want to try. Can anyone give me tips or recipes, especially given the various limitations? It's rather like a Top Chef challenge, I think. Thanks everyone!
What odd or unusual foods to you eat?
I actually make a pizza at home with pear, prosciutto, and gorgonzola and i drizzle just a bit of honey over the top while it's still warm. it melts in with the toppings and it is amazing. if i tell my family i'm making pizza for dinner, they always ask to make sure i'm making the prosciutto one. it's a hit.
Chowriffic Destinations...
Oh gosh, China China China. I've been three times, and I'm about to move back--I'm ecstatic that I'll be eating so well and with such variety. I've also done Tibet (technically China, but very different) and the food was fabulous. Also done Italy and Costa Rica, both great places to eat.
On my to-do list in no particular order: France, Morocco, HK, Malaysia, Spain, Thailand, Japan,...everywhere. I want to go everywhere and eat everything!
Where should I review next? (phx)
I write restaurant reviews for a local parenting magazine, and this month I'm blanking on where to review. I like reviewing places that are affordable, kid friendly, and different from basic chains. Some of the places I've reviewed include C-Fu, Lalibela, Udupi, Juba.
So where are some really good places that deserve reviews? I'm also open to someplace that does really good American food, for a family that perhaps doesn't have the most adventurous streak.
Location doesn't matter, just somewhere in the greater Phoenix are.
Thanks!
Have you ever given yourself food poisoning?
i haven't poisoned myself (yet), but i have been sick. after 10 days in tibet (where i ate myself into a stupor--some of the best food of my life), I contracted giardia, though that didn't include any vomiting. and while i was living in china (soon moving back!) i got a few upset stomachs.
my ex, though, has the most sensitive stomach. everything made him sick. this led him to be paranoid, but mostly about strange things like water bottles and cups. even if they were clean, they had to be scrubbed and scalded.
What is your newly-discovered food that has been around for ages?
eggs! i had a bad experience with them when i was maybe 2 or 3 years old and refused to eat them until this year, 20 years later. now i eat them every day. i LOVE them--i can't believe i was missing out on the beauty of runny yolks for so long.
What should I do with a can of foie gras?
My brother was kind enough to bring me a 700g bloc de foie gras de canard from France. I've never personally handled foie gras before; what should I do with it? I'd love to hear ideas!
Thanks!
Gallup, NM - any chowish lunch?
there's some great mexican at gordo's, a little family-run (i think) place with fabulous mexican. great, spicy salsa, too. get a combination so that you can try some of everything!
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Gordo's Restaurant
800 W Coal Ave, Gallup, NM 87301
