mickeygee's Profile
Looking for ideas for radishes and cilantro (don't have to be together)
Just got back from the first farmers market in the area and bought a bunch of radishes and cilantro, but don't really know what to do with them. I use cilantro in a few dishes, but not nearly in the quantity that I have, and radishes I've only used as garnish. Ideas on what I can do with either of them?
Chocolate Truffles or other gluten free chocolate dessert
Need to bring something chocolatey to a dinner party that will pair with a red wine and be gluten free. Thinking chocolate truffles are the way to go but wondering if I should do some flavors - like earl gray. Trying to tease out other options too in case motivation goes the way of the dodo.
Fresh ricotta
PIcked up a pound of fresh ricotta today, and now trying to think of the best way to use it. I often do swiss chard, garlic and pasta with the ricotta as a kind of open ravioli, but looking for new ideas. Thanks for the suggestions.
Ideas for "birthday breakfast" at work
I wound up doing a spinach and mushroom quiche and it was a big hit - I think that's gonna be my go-to for a while.
Ideas for "birthday breakfast" at work
In our office, we do a monthly potlucks breakfast where everyone brings in a treat to celebrate that months birthdays. There are lots of sweets (coffee cakes, muffins, fruit) so I'm trying to think of something maybe on the savory side. I've toyed with cheddar muffins, but I'm wondering if there's something besides a baked good that might be a good idea. Thanks.
Raspberry Coconut Macaroons (Smitten Kitchen) too wet ?
I tried a second batch, made them smaller and cooked them on a slightly lower temp, but for slightly longer - hubby likes them better, I think the first batch was better.
I don't mind the wetness, I'm just worried that they are not cooked enough and with the egg, I get al food paranoid since I know kids will be eating these. (Me, on the other hand, already had about 6 today).
Raspberry Coconut Macaroons (Smitten Kitchen) too wet ?
I tried Smitten Kitchen's Raspberry Coconut Macaroons today, and the batter is very wet. After baking, they were just the right amount of brown on bottoms and tops, but I feel the inside is still pretty moist. If I want to bake longer, but not burn them should I lower the temp? Raise the temp? Make them smaller? Add something to dry them out a bit more?
http://smittenkitchen.com/2012/03/raspberry-coconut-macaroons/
Thanks!
Flavoring coffee without flavored creamer
Due to a caffeine sensitivity, I'm not a big coffee drinker. But when I do, I need to drink decaf - and I like flavored coffees. Which was great when our office had a Keurig and I could have my hazelnut or rain forest nut decafs. but now they switched vendors and only offer a traditional decaf.
I looked at some of the "creamers" but the ingredient lists scare me. I like plain half and half and thought maybe I could add hazelnut extract to flavor it. Or should I look into the italian syrups? Bonus for ideas that are shelf stable since I don't drink coffee regularly.
Private party around Westfield area
Congrats!
I love Kilkenny House - I wanted to have my daughter's first birthday there but we had too many people (I think it was a max of 40 people)
We had my sister's baby shower at Cioffi's in Roselle Park.
Also, I don't know if they do private parties, but the Turning Point does great brunches.
Any way to soften a cut cantaloupe?
I don't want to puree, since she's in a "I must feed myself" stage and won't take purees any more. But maybe I can roast it just a little, or cook it in water to soften it up, but still have it in chunks she can pick up and feed at daycare? Adventure saturday!
Any way to soften a cut cantaloupe?
I purchased some cut cantaloupe the other day, thinking it would be an easy snack for my 1 year old. but I feel that they are too hard for her to gum, and wonder if there's any way to soften them a little? (of course, that will teach me to not buy a whole one that I can ripen on my own). Thanks!
Low Key Baby's First Birthday - what else for the menu
Having about 10 adults and 7 kids over for my daughter's first birthday. I'm making ziti & meatballs, a salad and a birthday cake/cookies. I was thinking some antipast (cheese, olives, mushrooms) to put out when people arrive, but should I have any other mains/sides? Maybe some veggies & dip?
I don't have much time to prep/cook so it would need to be something pretty easy. Not a family of foodies either, so not much pressure for fancy foods. Thanks!
Freezing quinoa and how to reheat
I made a batch of quinoa the other night, to go with a dinner I was planning on making tonight, but now a sick baby and a sick me and I don't think we're going to actually tet to the quinoa. Can I freeze it, and how to reheat it later (microwave, stovetop with water, oven?).
Traditional Irish Breakfast??
Kilkenny house in cranford. I'm not 100% sure, but I think I remember seeing it on their site, at least for certain days of the year. I've never been to Ireland so I can't comment on authenticity, but owner is a very nice Irishman who takes a lot of pride.
Nut Free Cakes/Bakery
My daughter's first birthday is coming up. Our very casual/mellow party will be about 10 adults and 5 kids at our house and I'm gonna have some antipasto, ziti, meatballs & gravy, a nice tossed salad and cake.
Yet while I'm hoping to be able to bake her cake, I'm hedging my bets that it won't happen (she doesn't give me tons of kitchen time, and mr. mickeygee is working the day before the "party" and the inlaws are in town for the whole weekend killing the morning too.) I started looking at bakeries, but my niece is severely nut-allergic so I want to make sure I get a cake that's safe for her. Any reccomendations on a nut-free bakery?
Meal delivery in Highland Park?
Don't know of any "here are your meals for the week" type of places, but there are a few good restaurants that might work. Pad Thai is a pretty good thai restaurant, although they don't deliver but are in Highland Park (and HP is a pretty tiny town so everything is about 5 minutes away).
Evelyn's Restaurant in New Brunswick Delivers. Best hummus ever!
There are your requisite pizza joints too - a decent brick oven pizza place in New Brunswick is Panico's Brick Oven Pizza.
And although I'm not a big sushi fan, both the Sushi Room in New Brunswick and Midori Sushi in highland park are well loved by friends.
Last but not least, if you feel inclined to do the sweets thing, I always recommend Dancing Deer Cookies (www.dancingdeer.com) for new moms. I know, the whole eat healthy thing. But the cookies keep in the freezer and it's nice to have a cookie or two at 3 am when you're overtired and just want a sugar rush.
Making eggplant parm with frozen, breaded slices?
This summer, I breaded, baked and froze a bunch of eggplant. If I was going to make eggplant parm, do I need to defrost them first, or just assemble the layers and bake, maybe adjusting the time a little bit.
Mexican Coca-Cola [moved from New Jersey board]
I'm not a big soda drinker to begin with, but when I was in Mexico a few years ago, everyone talked about how much better it was. To me, it was too sweet, but so is American coke. Although I do find the Mexican coke sweeter than American. So it depends on how you define better - I between the two, I don't really have a preference, I like them both about the same. But a friend who is a big soda drinker prefers Mexican.
how many pounds of bone in short ribs do I need for a party of 20?
I did double the chocolate & rosemary, but truth be told, guests were arriving at that point and I wasn't really paying close attention so I was eyeballing everything, and I might have under measured. Definitely going to do it again at the smaller scale.
how many pounds of bone in short ribs do I need for a party of 20?
I wound up doing about 13 lbs, and did wind up with lots of leftovers, which my husband is just heartbroken that he'll have to eat for lunch this week LOL. the ribs were flanken cut, so I cut them into single pieces, browned them, and then cooked them for about 4 hours, and most of them fell off the bone as I was serving them so it worked great.
I used this recipe, but maybe because I doubled it, I felt the chocolate and rosemary flavors were lost, but delicious in spite of that.
http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Braised-Short-Ribs-with-Chocolate-and-Rosemary-233706
The polenta in the slow cooker, however was a bust, and we wound up putting it in the oven, which worked in the pinch, but it wasn't as creamy as I had wanted. But once the sauce from the short ribs was over it, it was yummy.
how many pounds of bone in short ribs do I need for a party of 20?
good point about deboning before cooking. In all honesty, I'm winging it as I go, and had figured I'd pull the meat off the bone so it was more of a stewy type sauce that would be served over the polenta. But who knows how it's going to work. It's always an adventure when I cook :)
how many pounds of bone in short ribs do I need for a party of 20?
Nope, but I've done similar braises. But I always try a new recipe for my Christmas party, and luckily the guest are a good crowd if something doesn't go well, I just improvise other things. It's happened before, and I'm sure it will happen again (this is the 20th year of having this party).
how many pounds of bone in short ribs do I need for a party of 20?
I have that same nightmare! I think I'll pick up some more, even if just for the fact that I definitely want leftovers :) That's the second best thing about a party - eating it all the following week too.
how many pounds of bone in short ribs do I need for a party of 20?
Buffet dinner for 20, which includes dips, crackers, veggies as starters. The short ribs, polenta, spinach & cheese strata, roasted brussel sprouts & cauliflower, and a salad are the mains. I was thinking i might try to "debone" the meat after cooking so it's easier to serve, but I'm wondering how much short ribs would be good (I have 9lbs now, thinking I might need more?)
Good olive oil in central jersey?
That looks perfect - and there's one in Summit. Thanks!
Good olive oil in central jersey?
I'm making an olive oil cake, and am out of my favorite artisan olive oil. Since they are based in california, I won't get it in time for the cake event, so I'm looking for a good olive oil that I can get locally. Supermarket is fine, but I'm always overwhelmed with the different kinds and without tasting them (or spending $50 on different bottles), I don't know which ones have the strong fruity flavor I'd want in the cake.
Any suggestions on places where I can get delicious olive oils and/or might even have a tasting room?
What to serve with short ribs for 25
That reminded me of a thread on cooking polenta, and that I'd seen the crockpot as an option. That might be perfect, because I can make it, keep it warm and creamy, and feel like I'm getting use out of a Christmas present that I"m having second thoughts about. A win win it looks like. Otherwise, the oven is a great idea - I'd never thought of doing it that way.
What to serve with short ribs for 25
I started thinking about a veg strudel - a few years ago I was going to make a spinach and cheese strata, but we got hit with a big snowstorm, the guest list dropped to 8, and so I dropped the strata. But maybe this is the year for it, and it will also add some color.
What to serve with short ribs for 25
I hadn't thought of the presentation color wise - hmmm, I was also looking at a roasted brussel sprouts & cauliflower with orange as a veggie side, so maybe I'll go with that one instead. It's funny, the three things that I was really drawn to this year, and started picking other things around, were the short ribs, mushrooms, and gingerbread. I must be going though a brown phase :)
What to serve with short ribs for 25
the mac and cheeses were a special request by a friend, and has now become a bit of a "thing" at the party. So they go in every year, even when they don't fit (and I always make a huge batch of mac and cheese, and freeze half of it for future dinners).
